Okay, this chapter is going to be a bit more thoroughly revised to (I 
hope) better set up later action.

				WORST CASE SCENARIO
				by Scott K. Jamison
				(Takahashi disclaimer)
				Part III



	Tuesday morning, I woke to the sounds of combat.  I looked out to 
see Ranma and her, no, *his* father ("must remember to use the right 
pronouns") sparring in the backyard.  It was going to take a while to get 
used to seeing a girl fighting a panda.
	After breakfast, Kasumi presented Ranma with the results of a 
night's sewing.  Even he had to admit the properly-fitted trousers were 
more flattering.  "But after yesterday, I'm not so sure I wanna be 
flattered.  That Kunou creep doesn't take hints."
	"You'll be fine, Ranma.  Oh my, look at the time!" 
			*		*		*
	We and Nabiki rushed to school.  I was surprised to see a much 
smaller crowd of boys than usual waiting to attack.  I was even more 
surprised when several of them ran right past me and attacked Ranma, 
who'd hung back out of respect for my challenge. 
	I mopped up my suitors in record time, and looked back to see Ranma 
triumphantly standing on a pile of foes.  I almost expected him to do a 
Tarzan yell. 
	"Akane Tendou.  Ranma Saotome.  Twain fixations of my heart, who 
my mind flutters twixt and tween.  I challenge thee both, that we may 
join in romantic battle."  It was Kunou. 
	"Did he say `both'?" asked Ranma.
	I nodded.
	"Then let's give him both!"  We simultaneously kicked the annoying 
swordsman to the ground, and ran over him into the school. 
	Inside, I saw Yamaguchi, the captain of the varsity baseball team, 
and realized he hadn't been among the attackers this morning.
	"Uh, Yamaguchi, not that I'm complaining, but why weren't you 
outside today?"
	"Miss Akane!  Er, Kunou made another announcement last night, 
putting dates with Ranma on the same terms as a date with you.  And I 
remembered what you'd said about how Ranma would tell us herself--"
	"Himself."
	"Uh, himself, when...he...wanted to date boys.  Y'know, when it's 
put that way, it sounds even screwier.  Anyhow, it suddenly dawned on me 
how stupid getting beat up in hopes of landing a date with a girl who 
doesn't even like me is."  Yamaguchi rubbed his neck in embarrassment.
	"You got that right," said Ranma.
	"You're still the cutest girl in school as far as I'm concerned, 
Akane, and I'm keeping those pictures of you on my wall, but I'm not 
going to harass you any more, and I think a lot of the other guys agree 
with me."
	"Why, Mr. Yamaguchi, I--that's good.  I'm glad somebody around 
here finally had some sense.  Tell you what, new rules.  When and if I 
want to date a boy, I'll ask *him*.  Spread the word on that, okay?"  
I smiled, and hoped he wouldn't fall off the wagon. 
	"Okay.  And Ranma?"
	"Ranma will make up his own rules, right Ranma?"
	"Oh.  Uh, yeah.  I'll letcha know when I think of 'em." 
	Between the next two classes, Ranma asked, "So, you gonna date 
this Yamaguchi guy?"
	"I doubt it.  I still hate boys.  But we'll see if any of them 
can stop being jerks long enough to become men.  How about you?"
	"Date *boys*!?  I don't think so!  I'm a guy!"
	"Sorry!"  Still way too early for that question, I had to admit.
	Despite Ranma's nervousness about it, gym class actually cheered 
him up.  His athletic prowess impressed the other girls, most of whom 
remembered to play along with the "Ranma's a boy" game.  A couple of them 
even went so far as to flirt with him.
	There were even some good-natured squeals of embarrassment when 
Ranma entered the shower.  Though the girls soon settled down, I noticed 
Ranma tried hard not to look at them. 
			*		*		*
	After school, Kasumi took Ranma and me shopping.  Ranma was not at 
all thrilled by the prospect of wearing a bra.  Annoyed, I finally asked, 
"Would you wear an athletic cup if you had to?"
	"Well, yeah."
	"Then you should at least have a sports bra.  But you'll 
eventually want a couple more if you ever want to wear a tighter 
blouse."  He made a face at that one. 
	Kasumi asked me to help Ranma pick out a couple of outfits for 
casual wear.  
	"Don't you want to help choose, Kasumi?"
	"I think my tastes are a little too feminine for Ranma.  He'll 
trust you more." 
	Fortunately the androgynous look was "in" this season, so we were 
able to find some clothes Ranma didn't absolutely hate.  It was a shame, 
really.  With "his" figure, Ranma could have pulled off much prettier 
outfits.
			*		*		*
	At supper, Ranma and his father fought over their food.  Again. 
	Afterwards, I asked, "There's plenty to eat here.  Why do you and 
your father have to fight over every little scrap?" 
	"I dunno, we've been doing it for years.  I think it's one a' 
Pops' stupid training ideas, or started that way.  Or maybe he's just a 
glutton.  
	"You know, the day after we got cursed, I was chasing him around 
Jyuusenkyo because he deliberately dumped me in one of the other pools, 
just to see if it would work.  He managed to lose me, I wandered around 
for hours looking for him.  When I finally got back to the guide's hut, I 
found out he'd been there all along.  *And* he'd eaten all the boiled 
pork.  Not even the skin left.  I had to settle for a little rice crust." 
	"You should ask him to knock it off.  It isn't helping your table 
manners any."
	"Never needed table manners before.  But if you say so."
			*		*		*
	Wednesday morning, the attackers had dwindled to a half-dozen 
diehards, unaware of the new rules, or too stubborn to give up on the old 
ways.  Among them was Kunou, of course.
	"Get a life, Upperclassman!  We are *never* going out with you!" 
I remonstrated.
	"Your lips say `no', but your eyes plead `Yes'!"
	Our fists said `no' also, and they decided the contest. 
			*		*		*
	At lunch, I found Ranma surrounded by a circle of boys again, but 
this time he was smiling.  I stopped to hear what they were talking 
about. 
	"--Yomiuri Giants, all the way."
	"Naw, it's gotta be the Hiroshima Carp this year," replied 
Ranma.  "They've got the pitching staff to pull it off."
	Oh.  They were talking baseball.  I like playing the game, but 
have no interest in following the professional teams.  After a little 
bit, I interrupted and took Ranma over to meet my friends.
	Unfortunately, while Sayuri is a nice girl, she gets way too 
caught up in her appearance sometimes, and we spent the next twenty 
minutes discussing hair care.  Okay, it's a topic I like too.  But poor 
Ranma was bored stiff!
	"Is that all girls talk about?" he asked later.  "Am I gonna have 
to spend the rest of my life listening to stuff about split ends and 
which hairstyles boys like?  Will I end up actually *caring*?!"
	"That's not the only thing girls talk about, it's just what we 
talked about today.  Just because boys don't care about personal 
hygiene..." 
	"Hey!  I take baths when I can.  I just don't think it's 
something to talk about."
	I could see Ranma had a long way to go in accepting his new 
body.  
			*		*		*
	After school, Ranma beat up Kunou again.  I was getting strangely 
jealous, since the idiot seemed to be more interested in "the pigtailed 
girl" than me.  It wasn't that I wanted the upperclassman to come on to 
me, but I was used to his attention.
	We sparred for a while in the dojo, which was very frustrating, 
since he wouldn't go on the offensive with me.  "I have to be able to 
take a punch too, you know!"
	He looked down at his feet.  "I just can't do it.  I don't like 
fightin' girls."
	"Ranma you idiot!  You *are* a girl!" I yelled at him.
	"No I'm not!  I'm a guy, you got that!"  He almost swung at me 
then, but stopped himself.  "I'm a guy..."
	I took a deep breath.  "Of course you are, Ranma.  I just don't 
want you to treat me as though I'm less of a person just because I'm 
female."  It was so *hard* to control my temper.  "Can we start again?  
And this time, at least *try* to make it look like a fight."


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