Oh well, I'll make this quick.  This is chapter 4 and if I 
send it in within the next few minutes it will even be on time.

	[Never mind...it just became thursday and I'm late, as usual]

Prelims: Disclaimer (Ranma not mine) 

***PLEASE C&C*****

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Ryoga: Possibilities
Chapter 4

	"Where is Furikan High School?" Ryoga asked for what 
seemed like the thousandth time. (Actually it was only the 986th time, 
but whose counting?)
	"Huh?" the perplexed student just stared back, a look of sheer 
perplexity crossing his perplexiated features.
	"I said, where is Furikan High," Ryoga had to restrain himself 
from grabbing this moron by the shirt and beating some sense into him.  
Once, he probably would have, but lately he had discovered something.  
Something he would have previously had to look up in the dictionary.  
Restraint, not a lot, but definitely more than he had ever previously 
possessed.  It wasn't something he had looked for, but instead it had 
been forced upon him.  His time spent as a girl, and especially his time

spent with Akane, had slowly but surely forced through his rather thick 
head that maybe, on occasion, beating someone to a gelatinous pulp 
was not the best solution to a problem.  
	The boy gave the strange bandanna clad traveler another 
confused stare.  Whoever this guy was, he was definitely a first class 
looser.  Slowly, deliberately, he pointed.  Ryoga looked over at the 
sign, carefully, he pronounced the words. 
	"Fu-ri-kan-High-School,"  he read as he momentarily 
overcome with emotion.  He had made it!  In only a week too. Forgoing 
his previous attempt at politeness he grabbed the nearest student (well,

guy student anyway) and threw out one last question.
	"Where is Ranma Saotome?" he asked, his voice betraying his 
anticipation.  The student, rather terrified by the homicidal maniac 
holding him two feet off the ground by his shirt, quickly pointed over 
to the school yard.  Ryoga turned quickly.  Now was the time.  In his 
male form, only Ranma would know who he was, and they could finish 
their fight once and for all.  No one would stop him now.  Honor would 
finally be satisfied.
	"RANMA SAOTOME!!!  PREPARE TO DIE."  He yelled 
out as he ran to meet the black haired boy.  Restraint was all well and 
good, but now was neither the time nor the place.  Suddenly everyone's 
eyes were on him.  As he continued his charge across the school 
ground, his target, finally noticing his potential attacker, quickly 
jumped out of the way of Ryoga's blind charge.
	"Jeez, man.  What's the matter now?" Ranma asked, getting 
pretty bugged at Ryoga for not the first time.  Every time he turned 
around it seemed like he was getting attacked by somebody over some 
ridiculous thing!  Usually something he hadn't done at that.
	"Ranma, its time we finished our fight," Ryoga said simply, 
removing multiple bandanas and beginning to twill them.  "We fight 
until one of us is knocked out or admits defeat," he added.  Despite his

previous battle cry he really didn't want Ranma dead anymore.  His 
goal was simpler now.  Ryoga wanted them to finish their fight, and he 
wasn't going to anyone or anything get in his way! 
	"Ranma, who is this guy?" Akane asked completely confused.   
Suddenly annoyance flashed in her eyes and she turned to her reluctant 
fianc'e, "What did you do to him?"
	"Whaddya' mean what did I do to him.  I didn't do nothin'." 
Ranma turned to her, equal annoyance showing in his face.  Ryoga 
tried to control his impatience, to no avail.  This was his chance, and 
that looser was just ignoring him. Not only that, but he was yelling at 
Akane!  He'd teach him to treat his fianc'e like that.  Taking careful 
aim so as not to hit her he released the bandannas.  
	Ranma, who had up to this point been ignoring him, quickly, 
almost reflexively shot his leg up and knocked Ryoga's hand as he 
threw.  As a consequence the silken blades flew off in almost 
completely random directions.  Unfortunately, Akane was in the wrong 
place at the complete wrong time and one of the errant blades slashed 
directly through her hair.

	Silence.

	The two boys who had only a second ago been engaged in a 
rather violent and destructive conflict were now simply staring at their

mutual friend.  In the background birds took flight, instinct suggesting

to them that, out of all the places in the universe where they could be 
right now, this was probably not the best choice.
	"Ummm..Akane?" Ranma asked softly, his voice betraying 
his concern.  The usually animated girl simply stood, and stared.  
	"Are you alright?" Ryoga tried.  That look on her face, the 
mask of horror that she seemed to wear, it was almost too much for 
him.  He swallowed, this was.bad. (Ryoga was never one for 
synonyms)
	"Of course she's not alright, what girl would?" said a voice 
from the crowd.  It added, with a note of horror, "Being caught out in 
public with hair like that is a girl's worst nightmare," All the other 
gathered females voiced their agreement.  The two martial artists 
glanced at each other, their own fear reflected in each others eyes.  
Reaching a silent consensus they turned to Akane.
	"It's all our fault,"  Ranma said sounding desperate.
	"Yes, hit us if it will make you feel better," Ryoga added,
still 
terrified by the frozen look on Akane's face.
	For a second nothing happened, then silently, seemingly 
without emotion, she simply reached out, and hammered both martial 
artists as hard as she possibly could.  Afterward, quickly regaining her

composure Akane silently began walking back to the Tendou dojo.

	Later that day two nervous, slightly damp, and definitely 
female (do you really need to know how?) martial artists returned to the

Tendou's.  The first person they saw was a blissful Kasumi cheerfully 
cleaning up the house.  
	"Kasumi.uh, is Akane back,"  Ranma asked, trying not to 
sound concerned, and failing.  Looking up from her work, for a brief 
instant a flash of concern was visible on the eldest Tendou daughter's 
face.
	"Yes, she's back.  She's in her room now," she remarked her 
look of complete obliviousness returning as quickly as it had faded.  
The two rivals shared a quick look, and then headed for Akane's room, 
Ranma leading the way.
	"Knock on the door," Ranma said in a fierce whisper to Ryoga 
as the two reached Akane's room.  
	"Why me?" the lost girl whispered right back.
	"Duh!" Ranma replied with that mocking tone that only the 
truly arrogant could master, "because you're the good little Ryoko, who 
is completely innocent in all ways," like a true artist she allowed only
a 
tiny hint of bitterness to creep into her voice, producing just the
right 
effect.   "And you weren't even there when all this happened," she 
finished with a glare in Ryoga's direction.  
	Despite Ranma's clear annoyance, or perhaps partly because 
of it, Ryoga cheered up at this. That's right, Akane wouldn't know it 
was her, she was probably pretty safe.probably.  Giving in to 
Ranma's prodding, she carefully knocked on the door.
	"Who's there?" Akane's voice responded from in the room.  
Ryoga strained to hear any tension in her friends voice, surprisingly 
without success.
	"Um." she began, Ranma gave her a nudge, "it me Ryoko!" 
she said trying to sound pleasant.
	"and Ranma," Ranma added, rather bravely.
	The door opened almost instantly.  Standing before the two 
was a completely changed Akane.  Ryoga had never realized how much 
of a difference such a little thing as hair could make.  Subconsciously 
she reached up and fingered her own pony tail.  Not that she liked it or

anything!  It was just, that, well, it sure would be weird to loose it.
	They both stared for an instant, at a complete loss for words.  
Akane gave Ryoga a quick hug in greeting, obviously happy at the girls 
return.  Ryoga was still too much in shock even to blush.  Akane was 
different.  Much different.  A whole heck of a lot different. She looked

different enough that she would have been almost unrecognizable had 
they not know who she was.  Giving a very confused Ranma a quick 
smile and she invited the two in.
	"Oh, Ryoko, you've been gone weeks.  I was wondering if 
you were ever coming back," seeing the stares she was getting she 
turned to the two, and figuring her newly cut hair she added, "I thought

it was time for a change," a brief pause, "So what do you think, do you 
like it?"
	Ryoga didn't exactly know what to say, it was.different.  
She nodded.  Ranma, a little more observant the his companion, noticed 
the nervousness in Akane's eyes.  This was really important to her.  
Without thinking he added with uncharacteristic sensitivity, "It's great

Akane, actually you look kinda cute."  	
	Akane was taken completely off guard.  That was not the 
response she had been expecting.  Staring at her fianc'e, her only 
thought was that there was no way that the person standing before her 
could be Ranma.  Realizing what he said, and trying to defuse the 
situation Ranma quickly gave her a little push.  "Gotcha!" he said as 
she almost collapsed onto the bed.  
	A suddenly confused and nervous Ranma decided that she had 
better make a quick retreat before she did something else stupid.  
Almost casually, and with a only a quick glance she walked from the 
room.  Ryoga, completely confused by everything happening, went 
over to help Akane.
	"Are you alright?" she asked as Akane seemed to just stare off 
into oblivion.  After a few seconds Akane recovered herself, and began 
to finger her now short hair.  
	Starring up at her friend she repeated in a whisper, "Cute."  
Realizing what she was doing she almost blushed, and instantly decided 
that a fast change of subject was necessary
	"You've got to tell me where you were?" she said sitting up in 
bed and pulling her friend down next to her.  For the next few minutes 
a still surprised Ryoga explained her latest "training trip" to Akane, 
describing as best she could all the places she had traveled to.
	Akane, despite her recent distraction, could hardly help but 
stare as her friend told her of one exotic place after another.  It was 
amazing to her that someone could even get to any of these places at all

in a week, much less all of them.  Not that she doubted her friend.  If 
there was one thing she was sure of it was that Ryoko was trustworthy.  
Finally, after the small girl had finished most of her tale, Akane asked

her the question she had been wondering about for quite some time.
	"Ryoko, why did you really leave?" she looked directly into 
her friends eyes.  Akane had never met anyone as shy and confused as 
Ryoko.  If this little trip was any indication of her life it wasn't
really 
much of a surprise that she was the silent type.  The real surprise was 
that she wasn't terminally depressed or dead by now.   Akane 
desperately wanted to help her, but she had never been much of the 
motherly type.  It had always been Kasumi that had done the 
comforting, but, for probably for the first time in her life, someone 
really needed her, and she wouldn't let them down.
	"I-I just needed to sort a few things out," Ryoga responded, 
suddenly becoming very uncomfortable.
	"And did you?" Akane asked gently.
	Did I? Ryoga asked herself.  In reality, thinking had never 
been one of her strong suits, and this little trip hadn't been one of
her 
more introspective ones.  She had learned one thing though, boy or girl,

this was her home now, and she was staying, no matter what.  Akane 
was still waiting for an answer.  Turning to her Ryoga gave her both a 
nod and a smile.
	"I'm glad," Akane said giving her another hug, very happy for 
once in what seemed like an eternity.  "You wouldn't believe what 
happened here," she said as she broke off the hug.  She was forced to 
suppress a laugh at the look on her roommates face.  How can a girl get 
so embarrassed about such little things, she wondered for what seemed 
like the thousandth time (only 86th).
	Akane then broke out into a rather long, and very detailed 
story about the few weeks since Ryoga's trip.  Embellishing it for her 
audience, it soon left Ryoga in stitches.  What followed was a 
thoroughly disgusting display of what can only be termed giggling.  It 
must also be noted that Ryoga herself was responsible for a good eight-
five percent of this so-called giggling.  
	Had Ryoga been paying attention she would have been 
completely horrified.  However, she had just come back from a rather 
long, and lonely trip, been terrified out of her mind by the whole hair 
incident, and was now almost hysterical with relief.  Not that this 
excuses her behavior, there are no real excuses for giggling.
	It must also be noted that the particular story which Akane 
used was also directly in line with Ryoga's sense of humor.  It involved

Ranma, and a rather annoyed amazon who periodically would try to 
both kill and marry Ranma depending upon his current form. Anything 
involving Ranma's embarrassment was immediately a good thing in 
Ryoga's book, (admittedly a very short one, with lots of pictures) and 
Akane seemed to have quite a gift when it came to storytelling.
	Another factor in the whole giggle incident was Ryoga's 
current female form.  Being female made uproarious hilarity, hearty 
laughing, or jocular reverberations almost impossible.  As soon as she 
lost control the giggles started in, quite beyond her control.
Eventually, 
Akane finished her story, (The ending was rather depressing, as Ranma 
escaped) and threw out one last question.
	"Ryoko, do you have a brother?" the blood drained from 
Ryoga's face.  She had forgotten that Akane had seen her male form.  
The possibility of Akane putting two and two together hadn't occurred 
to her.  On retrospect she had to admit there were certain similarities 
between her girl and boy forms.  Bandanna, leg bindings, outfit, 
complete lack of even the tiniest hint of sense, directional or
otherwise.
	"Umm," she scrambled for what to say.  This is kind of sad 
considering how blatantly obvious the response was, but it is true none 
the less.  "Yes," she replied, with the amazing wit she was known for. 
(This, for all of you with Hibiki blood, is what is known as excessive 
sarcasm.)
	"Then I think I saw him today," Akane said not sounding 
pleased or angry, instead simply noting a fact.  "Did he and Ranma 
have some sort of fight?" Ryoga nodded.  "I guess he must have been 
pretty mad when Ranma dumped you," Ryoga started.  This was 
definitely not a line of thought she wanted to encourage.  However, 
defusing it meant coming up with an alternate explanation, and really, 
there was no way she was telling Akane that her `brother,' chased 
Ranma half way around the world over bread. 
	The black haired girl continued, almost to herself, "That must 
have been the man to man fight he was talking about."  She seemed 
satisfied with the explanation.  "He kinda disappeared after the fight.
I 
guess he probably, uh.," Akane stumbled over the words, trying to 
find a polite way to say `would get lost in a map store.'  After a
second 
or two of scrambling she recovered, "has a directional difficulty," she 
finished in a way that would have made any politician proud.
	"I guess a little," Ryoga admitted reluctantly, it wasn't 
something she liked saying aloud.
	"Well, next time you see him tell him to come by.  I'd really 
like to meet him," Akane said, sounding sincerely interested.  Ryoga 
was surprised, but filled away the information for later.  Perhaps there

was hope after all.  She was careful not even to think about what there 
could possibly be hope for.
	The two talked for a few more minutes, Akane trying to help 
her friend get caught up on everything else that had gone on during her 
absence.  Soon however the world traveler mentioned a bath.
	"Oh, I'm sorry, you must feel horrible after so long on the 
road," Akane said concerned, the previous events of the day almost 
completely faded from her mind.  "I'll get you some clothes," Akane 
quickly produced another one of the yellow and tan shirt skirt combos 
she had `convinced' Ryoga to get before she left for her trip.  Ryoga 
blanched, but accepted it anyway.  She was slowly becoming resigned 
to her fate.
	Fifteen minutes later Ryoga made it to the bathroom, thanks to 
Nabiki, who had become rather tired of the girl walking into her room 
looking for the bathtub.  As she washed she again began to wish that 
she could chance some hot water.  It wasn't that the temperature 
bothered her so much, she was a martial artist after all, physical 
discomfort was something she could ignore.  It was more the fact that 
washing her very female self was probably one of the most 
embarrassing thing she could possibly imagine.  
	It was becoming easier each time, but still, she was young, 
attractive, and had a body any guy would die to have.  (Though 
probably not the same way she had it.)  She quickly derailed her 
thoughts as they were beginning to get into dangerous areas.  She 
quickly finished up the bath and began to get dressed.  
	First, the pant-.underwear.  Ryoga wondered who had come 
up with these things, and whoever they were, why they had felt it 
necessary for all those ridiculous frills. It wasn't like anyone saw
them, 
after all.  Next, bra.  She had to admit she did feel a little more 
comfortable wearing it, but, well.she cut her thoughts off once again 
before unchartered terriorty was crossed.  All of this thinking recently

was definitely unhealthy
	  Shirt.  Thank goodness that this article of clothing at least,

was almost exactly like the guy equivalent.  Why Akane had been so 
instant on her buying all new shirts was completely beyond her.  Sure 
there were some differences between these and her normal stuff, but 
she didn't think that they were enough to really matter.  
	Finally the skirt.  Ryoga hated this thing most of all, as it
left 
her feeling almost undressed from the waste down.  Beside that, she 
was always scared that it would just fly off in the wind or something.  
She shuddered as a horrifying image of her, in female form, running 
down the street on a windy day chasing her skirt followed by every guy 
she knew.  (except Ranma of course)  
	But, she had promised Akane, and a promise was a promise.  
At least, she thought she had promised, not that it really mattered, if 
Akane asked her there was no way she was getting out of it.  For a 
second she felt a flash of resentment toward her friend, however it was 
short lived.  Ryoga really couldn't be mad at Akane for long.  She was 
simply too grateful for the fact that she had finally found a real
friend, 
and.(she barely dared think it) maybe someday they could be 
something more.
	She added the final touches, the leg bindings as well as her 
infamous bandanna, well, hair tie in this form.  She then headed to the 
dinning room to eat.  And kept heading, and heading.  She tried 
heading the other way.  Nope, well, this way looked pretty good.  
	After another fifteen minutes of what could only be termed 
mindless wanderings a hungry and tired Ryoga swallowed her pride 
and called for help.  Luckily, Kasumi was rather close at the time, 
seeing as how Ryoga had ended up in the pantry, (without passing 
through the kitchen) and no one else was the wiser.
	The rest of the night passed relatively peacefully.  Ranma was 
still a little too embarrassed from his display earlier to say much, 
especially not to Akane, who seemed equal unsure of what to do.  Soun 
and Genma left dinner early to play another game of go, and Nabiki 
went up to her room almost immediately after she finished eating to 
`check on the books.' As soon as everyone left, Akane took the 
opportunity to draw Ryoga aside and ask her another question.
	"Ryoko, I noticed you and Ranma were fighting the other 
day," she said just a little too casually, with a dangerous (at least
from 
Ryoga's viewpoint) look in her eye. She continued, "You look like 
you're a pretty good martial artist, and I was wondering if you'd like
to 
spar?" she asked.  Ryoga gulped.  She had been trying to avoid this 
particular confrontation for some time.  She had seen Akane practicing, 
and, although she was really pretty good, she wasn't near a match for 
Ryoga even in her girl form.  There was no way that Akane was going 
to take that as an excuse, however, so it looked like she was probably 
going to get stuck.  
	"I guess so, but I just had a bath, so.maybe later?" she asked 
hopefully.  Akane smiled and nodded, still in a rather sickeningly 
happy mood.  Ryoga breathed a sigh of relief.  It seemed like she was 
becoming pretty good at the art of procrastination, but she really
didn't 
have any better ideas.
	"How about tomorrow after school then?" she said completely 
oblivious to Ryoga's wince.
	"Sure." Ryoga responded.  How in Pittsburgh was she 
supposed to dodge this bullet?  (Ryoga didn't know where Pittsburgh 
was really.  She didn't even know what is was if the truth be know, but 
she had heard that little phrase at a cheep gas station she had walked
in 
a couple of days ago and it had stuck.)
	Ryoga sighed,  she didn't know all that much about Akane, 
despite the fact that they were fast becoming close friends.  Still, she

knew refusing to practice with her was probably the worst thing she 
could do.  She also knew there was no way she could attack her, even if 
it was only sparring.
	The rest of the night went by pretty quickly.  Akane attempted 
to catch Ryoga up on her school work, however, it was a lost cause.  It 
wasn't so much that Ryoko was dumb, though she seemed completely 
clueless at times.  It was more the fact that she hadn't stepped foot in
a 
school for almost the past year.  Add to that the fact that she had
never 
been able to find class more than once a week even when she had been 
going on a regular basis, and you come up with a student who is years 
behind in just about everything.  Soon it got pretty late and the two 
girls decided to simply call it a night.  
	As they prepared for bed Ryoga, much to her embarrassment 
(what wasn't), lost another verbal battle with Akane and, as a result, 
was forced into a rather feminine pair of pajamas.  She didn't like it, 
but she really didn't have much choice.  As she lay down to sleep she 
brooded for a while on Akane's seeming ability to control her, but she 
couldn't stay mad at her roommate for long.  Soon, she drifted into 
unconsciousness.
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There you go, I hope you liked it.  I'm still having fun with this one
and I even got to revise this one a little. <big smile>
	It's late, I've got way to much homework left for tommorow (not 
to mention the eight o'clock) so I guess I'm done.

							Cat (Lesser God
of Ryoga fanfics)

travis.mcintosh@student.oc.edu