C&C welcome.

Leifker Presents...

Clothes Make The...

part 6

A work of anime fanfiction by Nicholas Leifker

All Ranma 1/2 characters property of Rumiko Takahashi.  All rights 
reserved.  I must ask that no part of this work be used without the 
author's permission.  

The show must go on...

*********************************************************************

"Oh no..."

Kasumi frowned into the mirror, her critical eye finding little to be
proud of.  She so wanted to look good for tonight; unfortunately, it
seemed (to her own eyes, anyway) that such a task was a hopeless one. 
The first dress she tried on, a red mini from her high-school days,
looked almost childish on her, and showed off too much of her leg in
a way she didn't want.  The next one was of a flattering, though
modest cut... but the forest green color was so wrong on her.  This
most recent one, a nice pink outfit, just made her recoil in horror. 
The calf-length dress, adorned with frills at the edges, made her
look so much like the homemaker she had become that she just buried
her face in her hands.  "Maybe I should just give up.  There's no way
Tofu-sensei will be attracted to me."  

The comment only generated fits of giggles from her sisters, both
those in blood and in spirit.  She turned around, and glared at the
trio.

"I'm serious here!  What am I going to do?"

"No offense, Kasumi-oneechan, but you could go to Tofu-sensei in a
clown suit and still turn him on!" Ranma managed through her
laughter.  Kasumi only gestured to the outfit she wore.

"What... do you mean like this one?"

Ranma coughed, trying to contain herself.  As a boy, she'd felt so
insecure about her manhood, to the point that she decided to give up
on it for awhile.  Now, though... she was learning, through her
"experiment", that women felt much the same way about their beauty. 
For many women out there (including the ones she currenly called
sisters), a woman's appearance was an outward expression of who she
was inside, just as a man's demeanor was an expression of who he was
inside.  She walked over to Kasumi, and put a hand on her shoulder. 
"Kasumi, I know right now you're panicked about what you're going to
wear, but don't worry.  No matter what outfit you choose, you'll do
fine."  She looked Kasumi up and down, a mischievous glint in her
eye.  "In fact... I think I may now the perfect outfit for you."   

Kasumi raised an eyebrow.  "Oh, really?  And what outfit is that?"

"Oh... a nice, conservative outfit that would be just perfect on you! 
 Nabiki, may I have permission to raid your closet?"  

The businesswoman nodded, though a trace of worry entered her voice. 
"Of course.  What outfit were you thinking of?"

"Remember that evening gown you wore when you went to meet
Kinnosuke?"

Nabiki's eyes glistened.  "Oh, yeah... that'd be perfect for her!"

A few moments later, Kasumi just stood there, mouth agape at the
sight in the mirror.  The beaded golden-yellow dress reached down
below her knees, but hugged her curves closely.  With the open,
scooped back, the sparkling sequins, and the over-the-top feather boa
that was worn along with it, the outfit screamed of opulence.  She
turned back to her sisters, her look a mixture of amazement and
excitement.  

"Are you sure I should wear something like this?  I don't want to go
too far..."

"Yes, you do.  You just don't know it yet."  Nabiki smirked, and
handed her some makeup to put on.  "Trust me.  When the good doctor
takes a look at you, he's going to go out of his mind."  

The other girls looked strangely nervous.  Akane looked the eldest
Tendo over carefully, then smiled.  "Kasumi, Tofu-sensei will go out
of his mind when he sees you, but only because he cares for you. 
Remember: you need to be firm with him, and make sure he doesn't do
anything silly."  

Kasumi went over the instructions in her head.  "No silliness
allowed.  Got it."

"Well... some silliness is allowed.  Just make sure it's the kind you
enjoy."  

"Nabiki!  Shame on you!"  Kasumi gaped at her sister in mock
indignation.  

"Hey, with an outfit like that..."

*KNOCK, KNOCK*

"May I come in?"  Nodoka's gentle voice called from behind the door.

"Sure, Auntie Saotome."  Kasumi looked at herself more closely in the
mirror, and began to apply her makeup.  

The matriarch of the Saotome clan gasped as she saw Kasumi.  She
walked over to the young woman, her eyes sparkling in amazement. 
"Kasumi-chan, you look stunning!  So... you finally decided to go
after that doctor."  She gave Kasumi a parental kiss on the cheek. 
"Your mother would be proud.  It's about time you decided to live
your own life."  

The comments only seemed to make her more nervous.  "Auntie... are
you sure I'm doing the right thing?"

"Yes, I'm sure.  You've given up more than anyone could ever ask for
to keep this family going.  You need to get out and start a family of
your own."  She gave the young homemaker a playful wink.  "Besides, I
think your father wants a grandchild soon."  

While a red-faced Kasumi tried to bring a response to come, the other
girls just roared in laughter.  

*****

Ukyou was strangely silent as she worked the dinner rush, as her mind
was on other things.  She had wanted to help Ranma and Akane on their
quest to help Kasumi nab Tofu; unfortunately, work called, and she
needed to be there until things quieted down.  Also, the work acted
as a mantra to her, and she had a lot to think about.  For once, she
was genuinely afraid, not only for her now-bishojo fiancee, but for
herself as well.  

It wasn't just the fact that Ranma changed that bothered her.  It was
what she had changed into.  Ranma was, for all intents and purposes,
her mirror, a reflection of what she had become, and what she could
be.  Ranma's warped memories brought back better-forgotten memories,
details of the disguise she wore.  Besides that, it offered her a
possible next step to take, a path that could cause her to abandon
her masculine guise and become who she had been born to be.

She unwittingly looked over to her employee and friend, and frowned.  
Konatsu was in an even more unusual position than she had been; his
twisted mother and sisters had warped his mind, so much so that his
female kunoichi disguise had become his identity.  It had been an
effort to disguise herself as a boy; to him, a girl's beauty was as
natural as breathing.  What was it like for him... to find out his
life was a lie?  She walked over to him, and discretely grabbed him
by the arm.  

"Ukyou-sama?  Is something wrong?"

Ukyou couldn't help but smile.  Konatsu was so protective of her; she
only hoped she could return the favor one day.  "Konatsu... what
would you do if someone forced you to live as a boy?"

Konatsu gulped.  He looked down at his kimono.  "Are you asking me
to..."

She giggled.  "No, Konatsu.  I'm just wondering."  

The beautiful boy shrugged.  "I wouldn't know how to live.  I am a
woman, at least I am in my mind.  I know deep down I have a man's
body.  However, I have lived a woman's life, and I cannot abandon
that."  

Ukyou nodded.  "I know.  Konatsu, how would you feel if I started to
dress up as a woman more often?"

"Do you want to?"

Ukyou blinked at the question.  It was so simple... yet spoke
volumes.  She had been approaching this moment over the past year, as
she tried to woo a certain pigtailed man's affections.  Now,
though... it was time for her to finish it.  Strangely enough, she
felt she couldn't abandon her masculine guise entirely.  She had
lived that life for too long, just as Konatsu had lived his life for
too long.  But, she could try to dress as a girl more often.  It
wouldn't hurt to find out what it was like...

"Konatsu, could you run the store later tonight?  I have some errands
to run."  

The kunoichi smiled.  "As you wish, Ukyou-sama.  And... enjoy your
shopping trip."

Ukyou blinked at Konatsu, slightly startled, then smiled.  "Thanks."

*****

Nodoka Saotome wiped off the dinner table with a wet cloth, humming a
soft tune to herself.  For her, housework was a way to escape, to get
her mind off of the things that troubled her.  She'd spent the last
two hours cleaning the house to perfection, not because of any
particular difficulty in it, but because she wanted to get away from
what had happened.

If the truth be known, she missed her son.  It wasn't that she didn't
enjoy the times with her daughter; the moments she'd spent with Ranma
since her personality shift were among the most enjoyable she'd had
in ages.  For the first time, she experienced the joys of having a
real  daughter, one who had a girl's dreams and hopes, dreams she, as
her mother, was allowed to share.  But... the simple fact of the
matter was, her son's absence left a void within her, one she wasn't
sure how to deal with.

She looked up at a small noise, and frowned.  Akane was walking
slowly out of the kitchen.  Tears ran down her face, though the young
woman didn't seem to care.  Nodoka rose from her position, dropped
the cloth, and grabbed Akane by the shoulders.

"Akane?  Are you okay?"  

Akane only shook her head.  She bit her lip, desperately holding back
the flood of tears.  Nodoka sighed, and led her outside.  She had
been that age herself once, and knew the crystal heart shielded
behind her pride.

"It's Ranma, isn't it."  It wasn't stated as a question.

Akane nodded.  "He... she... we were cooking... and she was going
on... and she seemed so happy...and content..."

"And it hurts you, because you miss him."

"I... if I hadn't hit him... all my fault..." 

"There, there, Akane.  It'll be okay..."  Nodoka hugged the child
close to her, gently stroking her hair and whispering soothing words
of comfort.  She waited for Akane's tears to subside, then broke off
the embrace.    

"Akane... what do you think of my daughter?"

"Huh?"  Akane wiped the remainder of tears from her eyes.

Nodoka sighed.  It wasn't going to be easy to talk to her like
this... but, for both their sakes, it had to be done.  "Akane...
whether you realize it or not, Ranma needs you now more than ever. 
She's almost like a newborn, sometimes... scared and lonely and
frightened at this new world she's entering... and she needs someone
she cares for to be with her."

"But... what about you... or Kasumi..."

Nodoka smiled, though her throat hurt from the tears.  "Akane, Ranma
- this Ranma - loves you.  Love is one of the most powerful forces
you can ever encounter.  It can topple empires, end wars... and help
a little girl grow up.  That's why Ranma needs your help, Akane - she
loves you like nobody else, and looks to you for guidance before
going to me or to Kasumi."  

"A-Are you sure?"  Akane looked up to her, unsure of Nodoka's words.
Nodoka stroked her head, and gave her a more friendly hug - one given
to equals.

"Of course I'm sure, Akane-chan.  Now go back inside.  We don't want
to worry her..."  She let go of Akane, and watched as she walked back
inside, wondering if she'd done the right thing...

*****

"Good night."

Ono Tofu-sensei waved goodbye to the elderly patient and looked out
at the setting sun, a soft smile painted on his face.  It was times
like this that he loved his job; it gave him a chance to interact
with the community and help them with their problems, both physical
and personal.  

He only wished someone could help him with his problems...

There was no secret in the neighborhood as to where his heart lay. 
He adored Kasumi, and yearned for her with every fiber of his being. 
Whenever she came to visit him, he rejoiced in the warmth of her
smile, basked in the unparalleled, almost divine beauty, and dreamed
of children not yet born.  If he did not love her so much...

If he did not love her so much, he would know how to act around her. 
He tried to relax around her, to show her what kind of person he
really was.  Unfortunately, it would always backfire on him.  He
would, for nervousness' sake, make some small error, a tongue-tied
word here or there, and things would go downhill from there.  Efforts
to cover up his incompetence would only result in more incompetence,
until all that was left was to play the fool.  

The doctor let out a small, resigned sigh.  Perhaps this was his
curse, to be tantalizingly close to the woman he loved, yet
infinitely far.  Fate, it seemed, wanted him to grow old and die
alone in a crowd, a pillar of the community, but never a human being
within it.  

"Tofu-sensei..."

He gulped.  Kasumi - KASUMI - stood a few yards away, a goddess
draped in gold.  Her evening gown glittered in the sunset, the
pinpricks dotting the silhouette of her form.  Tofu leaned against
the railing; right now, he needed all the support he could get.  The
railing itself started to splinter from his grip.  

"Ka-Kasumi-san!  What brings... you... here?"

The woman of his dreams chuckled softly.  Was she mocking him?  Even
now, he could feel his heart begin to shatter... She approached, and
gave him a warm smile.  

"Sensei, I was wondering if we could spend tonight together, starting
with supper."  

He stopped.  Kasumi... wanted to have supper... with him.  He slapped
himself, to make sure he wasn't dreaming.  Unfortunately, he slapped
himself a bit too hard, nearly flooring himself in the process.

"Tofu-sensei."  Kasumi approached the doctor, and straightened him
up.  "Calm down.  There's no reason to get excited.  Just take my
hand, and everything will be all right."  

Tofu looked at the offered hand as though it were his salvation, and
reached a shaking hand up to grab it.  Kasumi solidified her grip,
and led him away from the office.  

"Now, Tofu-sensei, follow me.  I know this great restaurant on the
other side of Nerima.  It's a bit of a commute, but it shouldn't take
us too long to get there."  Tofu, too absorbed in his own dreams,
simply nodded.  

"Uh... Kasumi-san?"

"Yes, Tofu-sensei?"  She looked at him expectantly.  

"Er... why did you invite me out to dinner?"  There.  He'd said it. 
If she really liked him...

Kasumi giggled softly.  "Why, Tofu-sensei, when was the last time you
were on a date?"  

A... date?  They were on a date?  That could only mean one thing in
Tofu-sensei's eyes.  She liked him, he liked her, they liked each
other.  This was... this was...

This was too much for the poor doctor.  Tofu fainted dead away, much
to the surprise of his date.

*****

"Ranma-chan?  Are you okay?"

Nodoka looked over at her daughter as they stepped off the bus, and
frowned at the worry on the child's features.  Normally Ranma liked
shopping... why was she so apprehensive tonight?

The redhead looked back at her mother, a comforting smile on her
face.  "Sorry, Mom.  I was just wondering why you wanted me to wear
these."  She gestured down to her black high-heeled shoes.  

Nodoka smiled gently.  "That's a surprise, Ranma.  You'll see when we
get inside."  

She looked up, and started in pleasant surprise.  Ukyou, Ranma's
other fiancee and close friend, waited at the door for them.  The
girl wasn't wearing one of her usual outfits; rather, she wore a
simple pink t-shirt and jeans.  She frowned, though, at the
nervousness in the cook's eyes, a similar one to what Ranma had
before.  

"Ucchan!"  Ranma instantly brightened in her friend's presence.  She
ran up to the chef, and sweeped her up in an exuberant hug.  "What
are you doing here?"

Ukyou gave her friend a knowing look, a glance that spoke of mischief
and hope.  She walked over to Nodoka, and bowed before the matriarch. 
"Mrs. Saotome... I was wondering if the two of you could help me pick
out some clothes.  It's been so long since I had to wear a dress that
I wouldn't know how to pick one out."

Ranma looked at the chef curiously.  "Does this mean..."

"Yep."  She gripped the redhead's hand, holding it tightly. 
"Ranma... thanks.  I would never have had the strength to do this if
it weren't for you."  

Nodoka smiled.  It was nice to see her daughter with friends; she
seemed so... alive when it happened, as though she had two lives to
live under her skin.  "Of course we'd love to help.  Come along."  

The three women strode into the shop with an unusual confidence. 
Ukyou gestured over to a more casual section of the store.  

"Ranma, I'll be over here, okay?"  She pecked Ranma on the cheek
playfully, and bounced over to the racks.  Stunned beyond words,
Ranma just stared at her friend.  She never imagined this effect from
her friend...

"Ranma-chan."  Her mother's voice called her back to the present. 
"Come along.  Ukyou will be with us shortly."  Nodoka led her to a
more formal section of the store, and started looking through the
suits there.  Ranma just looked on in surprise.

"Uh... Mom, are you looking for what I think you're looking for?" 
The question was asked with equal parts hope and fear.  

The mother smiled.  Ranma was still a little nervous about her
womanhood; not surprising, given her 'memories'.  "Of course, dear." 
After a minute or two of searching, she selected a suit, and a blouse
to match.  "Here.  Try this on, Ranma."  Ranma grabbed the clothes,
and went into the dressing room.  

When she was finally dressed in the suit, Ranma couldn't help but
stiffen.  There was an unfamiliar woman in the mirror, one who
literally exuded confidence with her presence.  The black suit she
wore didn't hide her femininity, like too many suits she'd seen;
rather, it accentuated her form, showing off her curves nicely
without being inappropriate.  She started imagining a life beyond
Nerima, meeting with people on the outside on *her* terms, much as
Nabiki did...

She took a step back and turned from the mirror, contemplating what
she had just seen.  Did she want to go that far?  The woman in the
mirror had a feminine power, a type of confidence she'd rarely seen
outside of Nabiki, let alone produced herself.  However, accepting it
would mean going deeper into her new identity.  Had she gone too far
to go back?  Did she even want to go back?  

A rational, feminine voice within her head began to silence her
fears, and guided her eyes back to the mirror.  The woman was still
there, staring back with fading apprehension.  She straightened up,
and fixed the placement of her skirt.  Her old self be damned; this
was *her* suit, one she would wear for the honor of her family.  She
walked out of the booth with an aristocratic air, and presented
herself before her mother.   

"Ranma-chan..."  Nodoka's eyes began to water, both with joy and with
sadness.  The suit was appropriate, as one of her children was gone,
possibly never to return.  But, at the same time, the daughter before
her heralded an addition to the family, to replace the one lost. 
"Ranma-chan, you look just beautiful."  

The redhead blushed.  At least now she had confirmation: in this
form, with these clothes, she had an undeniable power her masculine
form lacked.  She contemplated telling her mother the truth, to let
her know, but thought better of it.  Best to let her enjoy the
moment, rather than spoil it with words.  

"Hey, you two.  What do you think?"

The mother and daughter turned their heads.  Ukyou stood before them,
all traces of her lie removed.  The white silk blouse and black
mini-skirt were daring, almost flaunting in the face of her former
guise.  That, along with the various accessories, left a
picture-perfect outfit capable of driving the men wild.   Ranma just
stared for a moment, masculine drives and feminine sensibilities in
agreement for once.  

"Ukyou... my goodness.  You look stunning."

The chef walked over and pecked Ranma on the cheek, sending
electricity down her spine.  "Thanks, Ranchan.  I'll be sure to wear
it on our date this Saturday."  

Ranma just continued to stare, her mouth agape.  She managed a small
nod, then slowly walked back to the dressing room.

*****

Ranma walked slowly among the streetlamps, lost in the mists of her
own thoughts - which was precisely where she wanted to be.  Only
forty-eight hours ago, a young man took his first steps into
discovering the other side of himself, and found far more waiting
there than he ever expected.  To the woman who remembered, it seemed
ages ago, a life slowly ebbing away from her... and perhaps for the
best.  The man had problems he couldn't deal with, and didn't know
how to - until *she* came along.  

She stopped for a moment to take off her shoes.  Heels could be *so*
uncomfortable at times... unfortunately, she'd forgotten to change
when she arrived home, as she wanted to get out.  She continued her
walk in stocking feet, letting the feel of concrete cool the ache in
her toes.

Who was she?  What was she?  That was what the experiment was for, to
show her if she really was a man or a woman (or perhaps both!), and
how to live with the results.  The deeper she dived into the other
side, the more she found herself fearing the answer, and anticipating
it at the same time.  

If it was just her, alone, without anyone else to deal with, she had
a feeling as to which she'd choose.  She'd gained a new appreciation
for her womanhood over the past two days, and giving that up entirely
would be a difficult thing.  To her, the girl's body just seemed more
_useful_ than her natural form, and better-looking too.  She'd been
able to deal with others in a way he hadn't, and found the power she
now wielded tempting.  Also, for once she wasn't struggling with a
faltering manhood, allowing a wounded part of her psyche to rest.

Unfortunately, the peace came at a price, one not lost on the young
lady.  She saw a bit of Akane's reaction when 'she' had first
arrived, and that feeling of loss hadn't gone away, she knew.  She'd
been forced to make an enemy out of a friend, and Shampoo would no
doubt be back with some plan or another to threaten what she'd
gained.  Soun hadn't been seen much today; he seemed to ignore Ranma
totally, preferring his fantasies over the reality in front of him. 
She didn't even want to think about what would happen to Ryouga when
he found out, or how she would react in his presence.  The others he
could live with, but Akane... her heart *hurt* at the thought of
disappointing her.  

She stopped, her battle senses on alert.  There was a threat nearby,
she could feel it.  She dropped her shoes, and readied herself in a
fighting stance.  

"Who's there?"

A chuckle came from the darkness, a soft, madness-tainted laugh that
sent chills down Ranma's spine.  She turned to the right, then leapt
quickly out of the way, to avoid a spray of hot water.  She landed
catlike out of harm's way, ready for anything - and everything.  Her
eyes narrowed to slits as her adversary stepped into the light.

"Hello... Ranma," Kodachi hissed.  

*********************************************************************

Hello.  No, I haven't returned to the ML yet; there's a project I'd
like to finish before I do that.  If possible, send any comments
privately, as I don't know if I'd get them if they were sent directly
to the ML.

A decent portion of this was actually written last February, back
when Hitomi and I were going at it in full swing.  When the news
concerning Hitomi came out a couple of weeks ago, I started writing
this again - in anger.  

A mistake, in retrospect.  I eventually ended up having to rewrite
most of what I'd written.  A work like this requires patience - the
changes that happen to the characters are not sweeping changes, but
occur slowly over the course of the story.  

Anyway, I'd like to thank all the people who preread this, for their
help and support.  Also, I'd like to thank Katrina Lee Halbred, who
will be co-authoring this, starting with part 7.  

Nicholas Leifker
nwl9354@unix.tamu.edu
http://http.tamu.edu:8000/~nwl9354
September 11, 1997