"Embrace Who You Are"
Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction
Jonathan Ng <jonathan@worldy.com>

Ranma 1/2 and its respective characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi
Publishing Rights go to Shogakukan Inc. Tokyo, Jademan (Holdings) Ltd.
and Viz Inc. for Japan, H.K. and North America, respectively.

Now...

"Embrace Who You Are" v0.1

This is sort of a continuation from Nicholas Leifker's "A Man I'll 
Never Be"... sort of. You see, Ranma just came home after fighting 
Herb, just barely winning.  He takes the time in the bath to 
contemplate who he is, his identity, and most important of all - his
manhood.

-------------------------------------------------

Akane heard a female voice, crying in the shower.  She knew it was 
Ranma.  What happened?  She wondered, Ranma doesn't cry, ever.  Part
of her wanted to shrug it away;  he isn't worth it, it says.  He
always calls you 'kawaiikunee', an uncute tomboy, and he always insults
your cooking.  But another voice said, he saved you in the tornado
when you jumped in to get the moxibustion chart, didn't he?  He 
sacrificed the chart - the only way to get his strength back - to save
you, didn't he?  Akane held the thoughts in her mind, balancing them
one against the other.  Eventually, her feelings for Ranma won out.
She opoened the door and stepped inside.

		* * * * * * *

Ranma was sobbing in the shower, the events that happened just sinking
in.  It's not fair!  She thought.  Why in all of the pools I just had
to fall in the Spring of Drowned Girl?  Why?  Why did fate decide to
take away part of the thing I treasured most?  With this curse I can't
walk into the rain without being conscious of my change;  I can't swim
without wearing a bikini;  I can't even face my own mother.  And it's
getting worse.  I've narrowly avoided being doomed a girl forever...
and it's not the first time, too.  Kunou and Happosai can't keep their
hands off me.  Nabiki takes advantage of me.  No one cares about me
anymore.  Noone...

Someone went in and turned off the shower.

"A...Akane?"  Ranma was shocked to see Akane, of all people.

"Ranma, why are you crying?"  Akane said.

The redhead tried to keep her feelings inside.  "Akane, I'm not..."

"Ranma, your face tells me everything."  Indeed, Ranma's eyes were
all puffy, from crying.

"Ranma, finish your bath and come into my room.  I think we need to 
talk."

"Akane, I..."

Akane slapped the pig-tailed girl.  A big palm cheek was imbedded in
Ranma's face.

"Ranma, you do as I say or I'll slap even harder."

Defeated, Ranma looked down - and immediately regretted it as she saw
her body, a body that somehow was hers, but didn't belong to her.  She
stifled a weak reply. "Yes, Akane."  She was tired, both physically
and emotionally.  Ranma went in the tub.  Akane walked out and returned
to her room.

		* * * * * * *

Ranma, now male again, sat on the floor of Akane's room.  He felt 
incredibly awkward, and didn't know what to say.  "Akane..."

Akane was getting impatient.  "Yes?"

Ranma played around with his fingers.  "I... the events that just 
happened... I... I hate this curse.  It's gotten me into nothing
but trouble.  Well, it turned out that Herb was a guy, and he got
knocked accidentally into Nyannichuan and got splashed with the
Chiisuiton, changing him permanently.  When we were at Mount Koorin,
Herb got splashed with some of the Kaisuihuu water and turned male.
Then and there, I experienced what true fear was like... and I didn't
want to experience it again.  All of it got me thinking about my
curse.  Has there been anything happened that was good to me because
of the curse?"

Akane replied, "You're moping about a stupid curse?  Sure you get into
trouble... but you always get into trouble, curse or not.  Don't just
blame it on the curse.  You have a big mouth that doesn't know when
to stop.  You just babble and babble, without thinking about other
people.  That's what gets you into trouble, not the curse."

Ranma got defensive.  "There are other things, too!  Like the rain.
I hate the rain, because it reminds me of who I am.  I can't swim like
a guy either.  Why can't I just be a normal guy for once?  Then I could
see my mother.  Then I won't have Kunou and Happosai pestering me all
the time.  Then I could have my manhood back.  Then I could..."  He 
couldn't say it.  He still couldn't say it, after all that has 
happened.  It was a simple three words, but he still couldn't say them.
His voice dropped lower. "...say I love you."

Akane was shocked.  <That baka actually _loves_ me?>  The words slipped
out of her mouth.  "I love you too, Ranma."  She smiled.

<Akane looks real sweet when she smiles.>  Ranma thought.

Akane continued.  "In fact, I like both of you.  I don't care whether
you're 100% man anymore, Ranma.  You're not 100% man anymore.  You
have to embrace who you are... and I'll help you do it."

Ranma exclaimed, "But I can't do it!  I don't want my manhood taken
away from me.  Besides, I'll have to commit seppuku!"

Akane got angry again.  "I'm not saying you have to act like a girl!
But maybe if you weren't acting like a marching soldier... and actually
thought of things before you said them, you'll probably get into
trouble less often."

To her surprise, Ranma actually said, "Okay.  I feel a lot better now.
Thanks a lot, Akane.  It doesn't mean I don't hate this curse, though.
But it'll be part of me, just like everything else.  And when I give
myself to you..." He smiled wickedly.  "...you get all of me, not just
bits and pieces."  He left the room.

		* * * * * * *

"Kawaiikunee!"

"Ranma no baka!"

Akane punted him into the pond again.

Some things never change.

Ranma, now female, came up sputtering water and muttering under her 
breath about her curse.  She did, however, smile at Akane, who smiled
in return while everybody looked away.  Ranma wrung out her shirt,
changed back to male, and went to school with Akane.

"Thanks a lot, Akane, for last night.  I really needed to get that
off my chest."

*SPLASH!*

"Aww, man!  Not even half an hour and I have to get turned female
twice!"

Kuno Tatewaki was not far away.

"Akane-san and my pigtailed goddess!  My dreams have become reality!  
You have permission to date..."

Both Ranma and Akane punted him into the sky.

Some things _never_ change.

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Author's Notes:

Man that felt good.  Don't think it came out quite the way I liked
it to, though.  This is my first fanfic, so please don't hit me....
This took me quite a bit of time to write, actually.

C&C Very very welcome

Jonathan Ng
jonathan@worldy.com