Nekophobia Part 8:  Iinazuke no Imouto
by David Eddy <dje@progress.com>

Last modified:  Wednesday, 22 July 1998

A fan fiction based on Takahashi Rumiko's Manga series, Ranma
1/2.  The characters of Ranma 1/2 are the property of Takahashi
Rumiko and her licensees.



     

     The sharp knock echoed briefly in the wooden-floored
hallway.  "Hey, Akane, you awake?"

     Ranma stood outside Akane's door, dressed in his usual
black pants and red top.  He knocked again, then cracked the
door.

     Akane was in bed looking at the doorway blinking sleep out
of her eyes.  "What?"

     Smiling, Ranma opened the door fully and stepped inside.
He sat on the edge of the bed, thinking to himself that the
golden light of early morning made her look particularly
beautiful.  "Good morning," he said with a smile.

     She smiled back and blinked to clear her eyes.  "Good
morning, Ranma-kun."  She checked her bedside clock.  "Weren't
you able to sleep in the dojo?"

     Ranma smiled.  "I slept fine thank you."

     Akane shook her head.  "What do you want, then?"

     "Thought you'd like to train.  It's gonna be real hot
today."

     Akane glanced at her clock.  "But Ranma, it's only six
o'clock!" she protested in disbelief.

     "Best time, when it's cool."  He stood.  "Anyway, I'm gonna
go work out.  You comin'?"

     

     *    *    *

     

     "Ranma-kun!  Akane!  Breakfast will be soon!"

     Akane dropped her hands and stepped back, wiping her
forehead with the sleeve of her gi.  Theatrically she allowed
her legs to collapse and her shoulders to slump forward.
Concerned, Ranma knelt in front of her.  "You okay, Akane?"

     Akane snorted and raised her head.  Sweat plastered her
hair to her forehead in disarray, and the heavy, coarsely-woven
cotton of her gi hung limply from her shoulders.  Her skin
glowed through the saturated tee-shirt she wore beneath.  "I've
never trained so hard in my life," she said.  She looked
enviously at Ranma, who was sweating lightly but otherwise
seemed fresh.  A frown grew as she thought about it.  "After a
workout like that, you're hardly tired," she said angrily.

     Ranma shrugged and looked away.  "It wasn't nothin'
special."

     She saw red.  She knew he was a better fighter than her;
did he have to rub her nose in it?  "Ranma, you jerk!"

     Akane was amazed to see him jerk his head back to look at
her in surprise, then look away again.  After a longish pause,
she levered herself to her feet.  "Let's go in, Ranma.  I want
to take a bath before it gets too hot."

     Ranma got up easily, surprise on his face.  "Huh, I thought
you were gonna hit me."

     "Grrr.  I can't work up the energy."

     He paced Akane's tired steps back towards the house, hands
clasped comfortably behind his back.  "Y'know, I never thought
I'd miss my old man trying to dump me in that koi pond."  He
turned with Akane and they headed towards the house.  "You're
doin' really well, you know."

     "Really?" she asked with a sarcastic bite to her voice.

     "Yeah."

     Akane checked his expression and somehow wasn't surprised
to see honest openness there.  She smiled weakly as they
finished crossing from the dojo to the house and stepped inside.

     "Good morning, Ranchan!"  Ranma and Akane looked up to see
Ukyou stepping easily down the stairs, Nodoka behind her.

     "Ucchan!  How are you feeling?"

     "Not bad, considering."

     Nodoka said, as they reached the bottom, "According to the
hospital, Ukyou-chan's ribs were only badly cracked by that
hooligan, not actually broken as we feared."

     Ukyou glanced at Akane, noting her tiredness.  "Say, have
you two been sparring?"

     Ranma nodded.  "Training session," he said.  "I've decided
to take over Akane's training."

     "Can I join in?" she asked eagerly.

     "Not until your ribs are healed, daughter," said Nodoka
sternly.

     "Mom's right, Ucchan," added Ranma.  "You'd better get well
first or you might hurt yourself."

     "Breakfast in ten minutes, Akane," called out Kasumi as
Nabiki came down the stairs.  "The bath is hot."

     "Will I have time for a bath too, Kasumi?" asked Ranma.

     Kasumi smiled benevolently at Ranma and Akane.  "Of course,
Ranma-kun.  I can hold breakfast for a few minutes if need be."

     Akane took a step towards the bathroom as Nabiki completed
her descent of the stairs.  She spared Ukyou a glance, then
said, "Do you want to go first in the bath, Ranma?"

     "Nah, you can go first, Akane... chan."  He grinned at her
shocked expression, then gave her a gentle shove on the shoulder
in the direction of the bathroom.

     Nabiki grinned sleepily while Ukyou stared at Ranma in
shock.  'Akane-*chan*?' she thought to herself.

     

     *    *    *

     

     "So when do you think your mother will return, Ranma?"
asked Akane.

     Crowds swirled around Ranma, Akane and Ukyou as they walked
slowly through the deliciously-cool air of the shopping mall.
Ranma was attracting stares by nonchalantly balancing two shoe
boxes and a wrapped package on their corners on one finger while
idly looking around at the nearby shops.

     He shrugged, casually flipping the finely-balanced pile
onto his head.  "Dunno.  She didn't even say where she was
goin'."

     "She said something about taking me shopping tomorrow, so I
don't think she expects to be gone for all that long," put in
Ukyou.

     Akane sighed.  "Oh, look at that."

     "Well, I dunno anythin' about it."  Ranma bounced the
packages down from his head and balanced them on one finger
again, this time on his left hand.  Concentrating on the boxes
as he continued to walk along, he added, "Y'know, Akane, Mom's
been acting really strange.  I thought she'd be all over me,
gettin' me to be a good son, motherin' me like crazy.  But she's
been totally wrapped up in this business about Ucchan.  She was
all over me when I was Ranko, but now....  I just don't get it."

     There was no response, and after a moment Ranma turned back
to see Akane and Ukyou standing next to the display window of a
nearby shop, pointing at something.  He was about to rejoin them
when his internal alarms went off.  Automatically he jumped,
just avoiding the black ribbon that would have ensnared him.

     "Ohohohohohohoo!  Ranma-sama, come away from that low-class
strumpet!"

     "Aw, man, I just can't deal with her," said Ranma under his
breath as he bounced down the central mall, Akane's packages
still balanced on one fingertip.  The leotard-clad girl gave
chase.

     "Ranma-sama!  Where are you leading me, Ranma-sama?!"

     Ranma headed for the large fountain that was the
centrepiece of the mall and, ducking around the enormous central
statue, dived in.

     Kodachi came around the statue and stopped dead when she
noticed the female Ranma.  "You!  You vile harridan, what have
you done with my Ranma-sama?!"

     Wordlessly, Ranma-onna pointed down another arm of the
shopping mall in the hope that Kodachi would get lost or lose
interest.

     "Thank you," she said.  Turning to go, she added, "I will
tell my brother I saw you here, osage-no-onna.  He misses you
greatly, you know." Screeching out a peal of maniacal laughter,
Kodachi headed off in the direction Ranma had indicated.

     With a sigh, Ranma-onna stepped out of the pool and noticed
Akane and a pale-faced Ukyou running in her direction.  Ranma
headed towards them.

     "You okay, Akane?" she asked as they got close enough to
speak to.  "I sent her off in the wrong direction."

     "I'm fine," Akane said shortly.  She balled one fist.
"Ranma, how can you--"

     "How 'bout you, Ucchan?" asked Ranma, cutting Akane off.
"Man, you don't look too good."

     Ukyou shook her head but smiled weakly.  "I don't feel too
good," she admitted.  "Perhaps I'd better go home and lie down,
like Nodoka-oba-- I mean, okaachan told me to."

     "That'd be a good idea I think," Ranma said with a smile,
putting one hand comfortingly on Ukyou's shoulder.  "Your ribs
won't heal as quickly if you don't treat 'em right, Ucchan.
Sis."  Ranma didn't notice Akane glaring in her direction.

     "Hohohohohoho!!"  Kodachi landed next to the group.  Her
eyes glittered unwholesomely.  "Pig-tailed strumpet, my Ranma-
sama is nowhere to be found!  Where have you hidden him?!"

     Ranma curled her lip a little.  She was getting sick of
Kunou Kodachi.  "How the hell should I know?!" she burst out.
"He knocked me into the fountain as he went past!"  She stepped
forward challengingly.  "And why was he running from you,
anyway, ne?  If his love for you is so great, why does he run at
the sight of you?"  She put as much bite into those questions as
she could, trying to get under the Kunou girl's skin.

     Kodachi looked down her nose at Ranma-onna, her lip
curling.  "You should respect your betters, girl.  My darling
Ranma-sama is shy and hesitates to declare his love.  I will
teach you the error of your ways, another time!"  With a burst
of black rose petals and another peal of maniacal laughter,
Kunou Kodachi was gone.

     "Man, what does it take to get *rid* of that girl?" said
Ranma-onna to herself in disgust.

     "You don't *seem* to want to get rid of her when she's
around," said Akane icily.

     "Aw, man, you know I can't stand her.  I haven't wanted to
hurt her feelings before now, but I think--"

     Suddenly she was flying back towards the fountain.  Ranma
crashed into the central statue and slumped down, hands and
fingers spread in the promise pose.  Akane stood by her fallen
packages, radiating fury.  "What about *MY* feelings?!" she
shouted and stalked off in a huff as Ukyou smiled a little
smile.

     The red-haired Ranma-onna sat up in the fountain, oblivious
to the falling water.  She watched Akane's retreating back for a
moment.  "What'd I say?" Ranma asked of no one in particular.

     

     *    *    *

     

     The white-hot sun beat down with an almost physical power.
The air was humid and uncomfortable but the worst thing was the
sunlight:  The day was one of those days where everything looked
bleached by the sheer intensity of the light, the stark outlines
of the buildings and people distorted, softened by the
shimmering of the heavy air above roads.

     Walking wordlessly behind Akane, packages once more
balanced carelessly, Ranma-onna sweated and shook her head.
Ukyou had been sent home in a taxi after the incident at the
mall an hour ago, and for a moment Ranma envied her new-found
sister her brief spell in the car's air-conditioned interior.
Of all the places Ranma had been, Tokyo's summers were the
worst.  This was her second summer here, and she disliked the
tail end of the rainy season the most.  The heat was magnified
by the concrete and brick constructions all around which kept
the heat of day well into the night.  There was little cooling
greenery around.  Rain clouds, driven by the humidity and
searing heat, could form almost instantaneously and wet her down
when it was least convenient.  It was at this time of year that
it seemed that the kami were at their most playful, and they
wanted to include her in their games.

     At least the rain cooled things down for a little while.

     Passing a stall selling cheap paper and bamboo parasols,
Ranma had a sudden thought and quickly bought one.  Rapidly she
caught up with Akane and flipped it open, shading both herself
and her fiancee.

     Akane looked up as the shade covered her.  Seeing Ranma-
onna next to and a little behind her she stopped in surprise,
then smiled a little.  "Thank you, Ranma," she said softly.

     Ranma handed her the parasol's handle.  "Here, it's for
you."  The balanced boxes wobbled a moment before steadying on
the index finger of her other hand.

     Akane smiled again and sketched a bow.  "Thank you again."

     Ranma returned the bow, boxes now balanced on his head
again.  The occasional pedestrian pushed past the slowly-moving
pair.  "You're welcome.  You looked hot."

     "You look hot too.  I've never seen you sweat without
exercising before."

     The red-haired girl shrugged and moved the boxes to the
toes of one foot before quickly flipping them back to one hand.
"Akane... I've been thinkin'."

     "What's that?"

     "Can I ask you about something?  You won't hit me or
nothin'?"

     Akane looked at Ranma suspiciously for a moment, then
nodded.  "What is it?"

     "I dunno what to do about Kodachi.  I've tried to make her
understand, but she just won't leave me alone.  You got any
ideas?"

     Akane was stunned by Ranma's request.  He... she... was
looking at her hopefully, and she very much wanted to be able to
tell her fiancee how to get rid of the nuisance of Kodachi, but
the truth was at the moment she had no idea how to go about it.
"I'm sorry, but I can't think of anything," she said at last.
At Ranma's crestfallen expression she hurried to add, "But let's
discuss it tonight, shall we?  Maybe we can come up with a plan
together."

     Ranma nodded and half-smiled, and they walked along in
companionable silence.

     "Say, you wanna got to a movie?" Ranma asked at length.

     "Are you asking me on a *date*, Ranma?"

     "No wa..."  Ranma caught her mouth before it could run away
on her yet again.  "Err, um, I guess I am.  Well?"

     Akane smiled brilliantly.  "Thank you, I'd love to.  But
let's drop those packages at home first, eh?  And Kasumi-
oneechan will have made lunch."

     

     *    *    *

     

     The outer gate of the Tendou-ke closed with a slap of wood
on wood. Overhead, clouds were forming, boiling, but they had
not yet obscured the sun which hung, lambent, halfway to the
horizon.  Akane and Ranma stepped onto the wooden-floored
passageway that ran around the outside of the house and waited a
moment for their eyes to adjust to the dim interior before
stepping inside.  "Tadaima!" called Akane cheerily as she
preceded Ranma into the living room.

     Nabiki was sprawled on the living room floor by the fan,
reading something, next to Ukyou who lay on a futon
contemplating the garden.  Both looked up at the entrance of
Ranma and Akane.  The rush of air from the oscillating fan
briefly rustled Nabiki's hair as she looked up.

     "Oh, welcome back, you two," said Kasumi, poking her head
out of the kitchen.  "Dinner will be a little while yet.  That's
a nice parasol, Akane.  Didn't you have that earlier when you
came back for lunch?"

     "Ranma bought it for me, oneechan," said Akane happily.

     Nabiki watched Akane, a little surprised by her sister's
demeanor.  Her sister looked happy, as did Ranma.  Her feelings
were mixed.  Ukyou had told her about the incident at the mall,
and Nabiki had worried that it might be the beginning of a
split.  But it seemed that would not be the case. A dark part of
her was momentarily saddened to see Ranma's happiness with
Akane, but she sternly suppressed the feeling and concentrated
on her pleasure that their new happiness seemed to be resistant
to their little tiffs.  She wondered briefly whether Ranma would
notice her attire.

     Lifting herself up from the floor, she waved from her spot
on the floor in front of the fan in the living room.  "Hey, you
two.  Would you like to see this?"

     "I'll get you some lemonade," Kasumi said as she wandered
back into the kitchen.  "We've got watermelon for later, too."

     Ranma walked towards Nabiki, who sat up as he approached.
She was wearing short-shorts and a light cotton tank top, and
Ranma noted twin points moving beneath the thin material of the
top.  He sat down next to the futon, facing Nabiki, trying to
ignore her no-doubt unintentional display.  "Whatcha got,
'neechan'?"

     Akane padded over and sat down next to Ranma as Nabiki
lifted something from the floor in front of her.

     "It's the mockup of the calendar.  Wanna see?"

     "What, already?" asked Akane as she took it from her
sister's grasp.

     Nabiki smirked.  "Hikaru-san was *very* excited by the
pictures we took yesterday.  He called me first thing this
morning, insisting that I come over immediately."  She snorted
in memory.  "He gets a cut of the take from the calendars
instead of a fee for yesterday's shoot, you know.  I had to do
it that way because I couldn't afford his normal fees."  She
paused a moment, watching Akane turn the pages of the calendar
raptly.  "It looks like it was a good investment.

     "Anyway, I went over this morning and he gave me this for
us to approve."  Her voice was taut and excited, as though she
had something more to say.  Akane paused at the last page, her
eyes wide, then closed the mockup and wordlessly handed it to
Ranma.  Her eyebrows were reaching for her hairline as she
looked at her sister.

     Nabiki watched nervously as Ranma took the calendar.  She
would never admit it to anyone, but she was worried that Ranma
would not approve the calendar.  Hikaru-san had done an amazing
job in so short a time.  When she had received his call this
morning, she had been stunned when he had asked her to visit and
view the mockup.  He must have worked all night to have got it
done, and his wild hair and bloodshot eyes when she had met him
this morning had confirmed without words that he had spent the
night in something akin to a creative ecstasy.

     Just as Nabiki had been driven into a financial ecstasy by
the events of the day since then.

     But if Ranma declined to approve the calendar, then all
bets were off.  The calendar would never be sold.  She had been
tempted to tell Hikaru-san to go ahead and have it printed
regardless, but she had drawn back at the last moment, promising
to call him later with a go/no-go decision.

     Now, looking at her younger sister's reaction, she dreaded
how Ranma would react to the calendar.  Automatically she began
making contingency plans to garner revenue from this exercise
even if he rejected the calendar, but after a few moments she
stopped herself.

     She would not... betray... Ranma's trust.  He had come to
her, placed his trust in her.  She would abide by his decision,
even though a rejection would mean that Hikaru would be owed a
contingency fee.  She swallowed nervously, even as she wondered
at the warm glow inside herself.

     Ranma took the large-format calendar from Akane.  On the
cover was a photograph of him in each of his forms, almost
mirror-imaged, against a yin-yang background.  Energy radiated
from the picture, and almost against his will he flipped the
cover up to look inside.

     He was astounded by what he saw.  The pictures were not
sexual or exploitative as he had feared yesterday, particularly
when he had been female and wearing that string bikini of
Nabiki's.  Instead, from each of the twelve large-format
photographs there radiated a restless energy, a power that drew
him in and made him look again and again despite the fact that
he knew the subject well.

     Some of the photos were of his male form, some of his
female form, and some were composed photos showing the two forms
together as if they were different people.  But one photo...

     The last photo showed Ranma in the midst of transformation.
It looked like the result of some very imaginative darkroom
work, showing both his male and female forms simultaneously,
like a double exposure.  Only the eyes lacked the double-image
effect, and they were filled with burning emotion.  All around
him/her, falling water had been captured in an instant by the
strobe of the flash, black and white highlights harsh contrast
against the "normality" of the central part of the image.
Against the backdrop of a forest scene, the picture was almost
surreal, art photography at its very finest.  Looking again,
Ranma saw that the photographer had placed subtle yin-yang
sigils at strategic places in the background.

     At last he closed the calendar and let out the breath he
had not realised he had been holding.

     "What do you think?" asked Nabiki quietly.  All three girls
were looking at him curiously, Nabiki with tense anticipation
singing in every line of her body.

     Ranma shook his head.  Nabiki's face fell, but Ranma didn't
notice.  "It's amazing," he said.  Holding the calendar out to
Nabiki, he added, "I would never have believed that something
like this could have come out of..."

     Disbelieving hope rose in Nabiki, shoving aside the bitter
disappointment that had surged within her at his initial
reaction.  At her misreading of his initial reaction.  "You like
it?  We can go ahead?"

     Ranma nodded, surprised at the question.  Wasn't it
obvious?  "Sure."

     She breathed a sigh of relief.  "Yokatta," she sighed,
holding the calendar in hands trembling with the release of
tension.

     "What's wrong, oneechan?" asked Akane.

     "I didn't tell you the whole story.  We've already got
substantial pre-sales for this little project of ours.  We've
been hawking this to all our contacts today... mainly Hikaru-
san's, actually.  We've been pretty busy.  We've already got
orders for over thirty thousand copies at two thousand yen
each... and that's only the beginning."

     "Already?" asked Akane, surprised.

     Nabiki nodded.  She leaned forward intensely, and Ranma
couldn't help but notice the motion of her nipples against the
thin tank top as her breasts swayed.  "Hikaru-san thinks we can
sell at well over a hundred thousand copies of this... maybe
even more.  And production costs are less than five hundred yen
per item."  She shifted again.  "I told you he was excited.  He
is *very* motivated."

     Ranma frowned, confused.  Nabiki seemed to be breathing
awfully deeply, her face flushed and her nipples more prominent,
but he mentally pushed that to one side and looked outside again
as he wrestled with the figures she had tossed about so
casually.

     He watched the light suddenly turn an odd, golden purple as
the sun was occulted by thunderheads and the yard was lit by
light reflected from other clouds.  With half his mind he took
in the beauty even as he tried to make sense of what Nabiki had
said.  He was never very good at mental arithmetic... but it
didn't really matter.  All he knew was that at last, they were
certain of having enough to make decent reparations to the
Kuonji family so that he had at least some chance of getting out
of the engagement to Ukyou, and maybe enough left over to pay
for other things like a proper wedding.

     And then, at last, there would be an end to the uncertainty
in his relationship with Akane.

     Or so he hoped.

     

     *    *    *

     

     The dojo echoed to the sounds of exertion:  Grunts and
feminine groans rose above the chorus of the cicadas from
outside.

     All the doors and windows were thrown wide to catch the
gentle breeze that carried the scent of wet soil and concrete.
The sudden rainstorm had for once not caught Ranma outside and
he was very grateful that he had not had to dump hot water on
himself again today.

     The groans came from Nabiki.

     She had been in the living room when Ranma had suggested
another training session with Akane.  Ranma had been surprised
to discover that Nabiki had trained in the martial arts when she
was younger, but had given it away when Akane had surpassed her
and Soun's interest had concentrated on the most likely heir to
the school.

     But now, she had rediscovered a reason for training, she
said.  And so it was that she was in the dojo, dressed in one of
Akane's gis, sweating heavily as she attempted to keep up with
Ranma and Akane as they did conditioning exercises.  Ukyou,
perched on the folded stack of Ranma's bedding against one wall
of the dojo, watched silently.

     Finally Ranma called a halt and turned to Nabiki.

     "What is it, Ranma?" asked Nabiki, her chest heaving from
her exertions.

     He frowned down at her.  "Look, Nabiki, what we're doing at
the moment is just conditioning and flexibility exercises.
Akane and I've been doing these for a long time and we're used
to them.  You haven't.  You have to take it easy and work up to
it slowly.  You won't be able to learn anything in the lesson
proper if you can't even stand up."

     Nabiki nodded as she flicked a stream of sweat from her
brow.  "Okay."

     "And next time wear a bra and tee-shirt like Akane.  I know
it's hot, but it's distracting, to say the least, and you could
get hurt if you're not properly supported."

     Akane thumped Ranma on the back of the head, but gently.
"Pervert.  Keep your eyes off my sister."

     Nabiki looked up at him with big eyes.  "But you don't wear
a bra, Ranma."

     "I'm a guy."

     "I'd noticed."  She grinned rakishly as Ranma looked away,
embarrassed.  Akane looked at her sister suspiciously.  Ukyou
snorted from her post by the door.

     "Let's get back to it," he said at last.  "Take it easy,
Nabiki; both Akane and I need practice at teaching and you're
gonna be our first student.  Still wanna do this?"

     She nodded as Akane looked at him in surprise.  Ranma
noticed her expression.

     "What?!" he asked challengingly.  Then he smiled.  "After
we're married, we're gonna end up running the dojo together,
Akane.  You didn't think I was gonna do *all* the work, did
you?"

     Ranma was transfixed by a dazzling smile from Akane, her
eyes suddenly soft and only for him.  He felt himself take a
step towards her, wanting nothing more to take her into his arms
and tell her--

     With a broken gasp, Ukyou fled from the dojo.  Automatic
reactions made Ranma spin into defensive stance, only to see a
single crystal droplet still falling towards the floor in
Ukyou's wake.

     The tear hit the floor and Ranma's heart trembled.
Ucchan... crying?  "U-ucchan!"  A gentle hand on his shoulder
stopped him from chasing after his childhood friend.

     "Leave her for now, Ranma," said Nabiki softly.  Ranma
turned to see that it was her hand on his shoulder, not Akane's.
She was looking at him sympathetically, an expression so foreign
to her in his recollection that he just stood there, stunned.
Akane also stood still and stared, shocked.

     "W-what?"

     "She's just seen something she didn't want to see, Ranma-
chan."  Ranma saw something flicker across Nabiki's
expression... loneliness?  But then she was again completely the
reassuring and supportive elder sister, dispensing advice.
"She'll be okay," she continued.  "Just let her sort it out for
herself."

     

     *    *    *

     

     Ukyou lay on her futon in the guest room, eyes squeezed
shut to try and escape the image that replayed continuously
across the inside of her head.  Ranma's bald assumption that he
and Akane were going to marry.  The look in Akane's face... the
step they took towards each other.  Ran-chan's strangled cry as
she fled the dojo.

     Why hadn't he followed her?

     Ukyou's thoughts wandered on, dwelling briefly on the time
that Ranma and Akane had pretended to be already married, back
when she had dug out that ten-year special sauce.  They had been
so awkward, it was funny to look back on.  She smirked and
snorted, thinking back to that time.

     It had been wonderful to stay in the same house as Ranma...
even in his room.  It had seemed like a return to the halcyon
days of their friendship in early childhood.

     To sleep in Ranma's bed had been both comforting and
exciting.  Such a pity he hadn't stood up to the Tendou family
patriarch and spent the night with her.  Instead, he had gone
off somewhere else.

     Idly, a part of her mind wondered where he *had* spent the
night.

     The next day, she had been told that Ranma and Akane were
"married".  She had been suspicious, and she had spied upon them
with Nabiki's aid.  They sure hadn't acted like any married
couple she had ever seen, and now sure that they were
pretending, she had tried to lure Ranma to her side by cooking
him dinner and in general acting as though she, too, was his
wife.

     It had turned out, of course, that the wedding had been a
sham; they had simply been fooling her.

     Perhaps they were fooling her again.  Ranma would play
along, again, even if he didn't want to; his sense of honour
would see to that.  To be sure, she would have to catch them
unawares.  Spy on them.

     Footsteps echoed in the corridor, and Ukyou realised that
it was Nabiki going to her room.  Tired, heavy footsteps that
called to mind bone-aching fatigue and a jelly-kneed gait.
Ukyou listened as Nabiki trudged downstairs again, then heard
water flow through the pipes.  She was taking a bath.

     That meant that Ranma and Akane must be alone, presumably
in the dojo, and Ukyou decided to sieze the chance to try to
catch them out... again.  With a small grimace of pain she got
up and slipped out of her room, stepping lightly on the bare
wooden boards and making no noise.

     The dojo was still lit, and rapid noises issuing from
within told of high-level sparring going on.  The constant
singing of the cicadas covering any incidental noises, Ukyou
crept around the back of the dojo to the side that was hard up
against the outer wall.  It was dark here, and there wasn't very
much room, but ahead Ukyou saw a sliver of light painting a
section of the stone wall russet and ochre against the darkness.
Slowly she stepped along the wall.  Arriving at the gap, she
peeked inside.

     Through a fortunate happenstance she could see a large
slice of the dojo through the gap, even as the sounds of the
dojo came out through the open windows above her head.  She
could see the polished boards of the floor, the far wall, and
Ranma and Akane sparring in the middle of her vision.

     No, not sparring.  They had just finished whatever they
were doing, and Ukyou watched them bow to each other formally.
Akane wiped her brow while Ranma grinned.  He sank to the floor
and Akane sat next to him.

     "You're doin' great, Akane," said Ranma.

     "Really, Ranma?"  Akane smiled up at him, sweat making her
face shine in the light.

     He nodded.  Silence fell for a moment.  Ranma took Akane's
hand, and she leaned against his shoulder comfortably.  Ukyou's
heart sank as the silence stretched, noting the pair's obvious
comfort with each other.

     Finally, Akane spoke.  "Is it nice to have a family again,
Ranma?" she asked.

     He nodded, smiling.  "It's wonderful.  But it's a bit
strange, too."

     "Strange?  How so?"

     Ranma's brow wrinkled as he thought back.  "Well... you
know how Mom was when I was Ranko, right?  She was all over me.
But now...."

     "She's been sorting out this mess you've been in."

     "Yeah, but, y'know, it just seems like... I dunno, maybe
she'd prefer me as a girl."

     Akane stared at Ranma in shocked amazement.  "Why ever
would you think that?"

     Ranma just shrugged wordlessly, confusion and frustration
showing on his face.  Akane watched him curiously as he opened
his mouth to speak then closed it again as he seemed to change
his mind.

     "You were going to say?" she prompted at last.

     Ranma clenched one fist then opened it in a throwing-away
motion.  "It's just... this adoption thing happened awful fast,
and Mom seemed awful happy about the whole thing."

     "Maybe she always wanted a daughter."

     Ranma smiled weakly, thinking back to all the times he had
played Ranko for his mother.  "Yeah... well, don't forget you're
gonna be one soon too, you know."

     "I know.  The prospect fills me with fear."  She grinned at
him.

     Ranma leaned back and stretched, both hands clasped above
his head.  "Man, I need a bath."

     Akane held her nose and smiled, then sat back a little.
"I'd better go first, I think.  Nabiki might be a while.  Shall
I come and tell you when the bath's free?"

     Ranma nodded.  "Thanks."

     Akane stood.  "Well, I guess I'd better go and join Nabiki-
oneechan."

     Ukyou watched through the gap in the dojo wall as Akane
leaned down and kissed Ranma on the forehead with elaborate
casualness.  Their hands clasped briefly, and then Akane left
the dojo.

     She could not see Ranma's face from her current position,
but he sat there unmoving for several long minutes before
getting up and moving to the pile of bedding Ukyou knew was
there but could not see.  As he got up, he glanced briefly in
her direction and Ukyou knew he knew she was there.  Almost
without thought she was moving, stepping quietly around the dojo
to the front entrance.

     "Ran-chan."

     Ranma didn't look up as he laid out his futon.  "Hiya,
Ucchan," he said quietly.  Finished, he pushed himself into a
headstand, balancing on a triangle formed by his elbows and
head.  Making sure he faced Ukyou, he folded his legs into a
tailor seat.

     "Aren't you going to ask how your 'kawaii iinazuke' is
feeling?" she said at last.

     Ranma forced himself to smile at the upside-down Ukyou.
"How are you feeling, imouto no Ucchan?"

     Ukyou frowned at Ranma's form of address.  'Ucchan my
little sister'?  She decided to press the issue.  "No 'kawaii
iinazuke'?"

     "You're my sister now, Ucchan."

     "I'm still your fiancee."

     Ranma closed his eyes and unbidden, voices played in his
mind.  He had heard them while kneeling outside the room where
his mother had confronted his father about Ukyou.  'At least
there is no doubt as to who Ranma's true fiancee is.  Ukyou-
san's claim cannot possibly stand against that of the Tendou
family,' his mother had said.  'I know,' his father had replied.

     What had happened after that....

     Opening his eyes again, he saw Ukyou looking at him
curiously.  He allowed himself to collapse to the ground and
knelt upright facing her.  "I..."  He swallowed.  Ukyou's
expression grew puzzled.  "I'm sorry, Ukyou.  Akane is my *only*
fiancee."

     "Your father promised you to me *before* you met Akane!"

     Ranma just looked away, his expression sad.  Looking back,
he said, "Please, Ucchan... can't you just be my sister?  You've
been my best friend for years, and why should that change?  I'll
still love you the same as I always have."

     Ukyou's eyes filled with hope.  "You love me?  Then you're
only doing this because of your family!"  She scrambled forward
and grabbed him into a one-armed hug.  Ranma did not resist her,
but he kept his arms at his sides.

     "Ucchan, I...."

     Ukyou released Ranma and jumped up, smiling.  "I'm so
happy!"

     "But Ucchan...!"

     Heedless, Ukyou spun out of the dojo dancing on air.  Ranma
watched her go, despair on his face.  Finally, when she had
gone, he shook his head.  "Oh, man, this is gonna be awkward,"
he muttered to himself.

     

     *    *    *

     

     At the Nekohanten, Cologne sat in the now all-but-completed
dining room, wondering what she was going to do next.
Automatically she filled her pipe and lit it, the actions first
learned decades ago helping her clear her mind and think.

     Shampoo had become utterly despondent.  She no longer
wanted to chase Ranma.  Her own actions in pushing the girl,
including the use of Amazonian techniques recently to force the
girl to pursue Ranma, were at best quasi-legal by the laws of
the tribe.

     Besides, Ranma had grown so strong over the past year that
it was quite possible that it would be irresponsible to bring
him into the tribe.  By being able to defeat even the very best
of the Joketsuzoku, he would be in the position of being a de-
facto leader even though he was male... an intolerable position.
That he could appear female made it even worse.  The very fabric
of the tribe could be undermined.

     Tapping the bowl of the pipe against a nearby table,
sending sparks shooting into the darkened room, Cologne frowned
in thought.  An idea was reaching for her, she could feel it.
She decided to explore her thoughts a little more.

     Ranma.  He was the entire problem.  He was too strong to
allow in to the tribe, but simple genetics that were the basis
of much of clan law mandated that his blood be mingled with
theirs for the good of the tribe.

     Cologne's eyes widened, staring into infinity.  For over a
minute she sat as rigid as a statue, not even blinking.

     Then her eyes narrowed and in a low, gravelly voice, she
began to chuckle.

     

     *    *    *

     

     In her room, Nabiki collapsed on her bed.

     Out of long habit she checked her diary.  The notation
there surprised her.  'Cologne - part 3,' it said.

     Suddenly, all her rage at the old woman came crashing back.
How had she managed to forget the casual coldness with which
Cologne had dismissed Akane?  Her stomach burned acid as she
remembered the confrontation with the old gnome that day when
she had said that she had casually cursed Akane in a futile
attempt to force Ranma into her precious tribe.  And then, to
add insult to injury, she had -- must have -- drugged Shampoo
and had sent her in to attempt to capture Ranma.

     In response she had sent in the inspectors -- the building
inspector and the health inspector, the two most feared
bureaucrats in the city council.  Nothing major had occurred,
regrettably, so now it was time to wheel in the big guns.

     Forcing herself up from her bed, Nabiki trotted unsteadily
downstairs to the telephone.

     

     *    *    *

     

     Akane went out to the dojo dressed in her light yellow
nightgown, revelling in the cooler air that had come with late
evening.  Entering, she looked around and saw only Ranma's
futon, empty.  For a moment she lingered, recalling the night
she had spent curled up against his side in his bed.  She hoped
that someday soon they could repeat that.

     For now, though, she wanted to talk with him, and
incidentally tell him that the bath was available.  He was not
in the dojo, so she trotted outside again and quickly surveyed
the yard.  He wasn't by the koi pond, nor was he perched on the
stone lantern.  He must be on the dojo roof.  She found a ladder
and climbed up.

     As she got to the top, she saw him, hugging his knees to
his chest and staring at the northern sky.  She got up onto the
roof and walked gently over to him.

     "Hi," he said.

     Akane stopped, surprised.  Normally he didn't acknowledge
her presence until she talked.  "Er... hi," she said, suddenly
awkward.  To cover her lapse, she sat down next to him.  "The
bath is free."

     Ranma grunted but didn't move.  Akane looked to his face,
and in the moonlight and backwash from the city lights it
looked... neutral.  Nothing showed, and that worried her.
"What's up, Ranma?" she asked gently.

     "I've made a big mistake, Akane," he replied at last.
Looking directly to her.  "Ucchan thinks I want to marry her but
won't because of giri."

     "Ah," she said.  She felt jealous anger begin, just a
little bit, and perhaps she felt a little nervous as well.  She
gritted her teeth, keeping herself calm.  "And... is it..."

     "True?" he finished.  He shook his head vigorously, barking
a short laugh.  "No, of course not, you know that.  I love you,
Akane, and it's you I want to marry."

     Akane leaned against Ranma in relief and pleasure at his
renewed affirmation of love.  He put an arm about her shoulders
and rested his head against hers, inhaling the scent of her
hair.  "So how did she get the idea that...?"

     "I told her I'd always love her the way I always had."

     Akane's fists clenched themselves, but there was no other
outward sign of her disturbance.  "So?"

     "You know Ucchan.  She took that to mean that I did in fact
want to marry her but wouldn't say so.  She left without giving
me a chance to explain."

     Akane shook her head within Ranma's embrace.  "That *was*
silly."

     "The thing is it's true.  Ever since we were kids, she's
been like a brother, or sister, to me.  It's just that she's
taking it the wrong way."

     Akane let out her breath in a soft sigh as she relaxed
again.  "Just so long as I don't catch her in bed with you,
baka."

     Ranma snorted.  "If she ends up in my bed, I won't be
there, you can count on that."

     "What about that time I caught you with Shampoo in your
bed?"

     "Hey!  That wasn't my fault!  I didn't know!  She snuck..."
His voice trailed off as he realised Akane was giggling.  He
sighed in resignation.

     She surprised herself by suddenly turning her head and
briefly kissing him on the lips.  "Baka," she said with a smile.

     Ranma smiled a little uncertainly, but tightened his
embrace a little.

     Akane kissed him again, a little peck.  She pulled back to
a comfortable distance.  "I had a thought about Kunou Kodachi,"
she said.

     "Really?  What?"

     "Write her a letter.  Make your rejection of her explicit
and couch it in terms of honour.  She won't be able to twist
that."

     Ranma stared at her in amazement.  "Why didn't *I* think of
that?"

     Akane stuck her tongue out at him.  "Because you can't
write to save yourself, baka."

     Ranma frowned at that but what felt like the perfect
revenge came to him.  "So, will you help me draft the letter?"

     Hardly able to believe that Ranma was at last pulling her
into his affairs, into his life, Akane wrapper her arms around
his neck and kissed him soundly.  "Of course I will... Ranma-
sama."

     Ranma shivered at her use of Kodachi's name for him.
"Brrr... you even do it with her voice."

     Akane grinned, then thatrically wrinkled her nose.  "Phew,
you stink.  Off to the bath with you!"

     Gathering Akane up into his arms, Ranma jumped easily down
to the ground.  Standing outside the dojo, she watched him
gather his bath things and returned his confident smile as he
walked past her on his way to the main house.

     

     *    *    *

     

     The sound of cars pulling up outside the Nekohanten and
doors slamming drew Cologne's attention.  She peeked out the
window and saw that the cars were offical... Immigration people.

     Knowing that any request to see their papers would cause
their immediate ejection from the country, and that fighting the
officers now gathering outside the restaurant would be even
worse than allowing herself to be captured, she rushed upstairs
to Shampoo's room.

     "<Shampoo!  Come with me now!>" she said urgently through
the open door.

     The girl just lifted her head listlessly.  "What?"

     Cologne shook her head.  They had been in this barbarian
land too long; Shampoo had spoken Japanese.  "<Get up!  Now!
There is danger!  Come with me!>"

     Shampoo got up, but without the instant enthusiasm that she
had had when they had first come to Japan.  Still, she was
obeying, and that was enough.  Quickly, Cologne led the girl
downstairs again.

     

     

     Officer Morita knocked firmly on the door, but got no
response.  Knocking again, he noted the lack of lights and
turned to his superior.  "There is no response, sir."

     "Open the door."

     In moments the front door was open.  Glass crunched briefly
as Morita and his fellow officers entered and quickly searched
the restaurant and living quarters.  Finding nothing, they
returned to where their superior waited in the dining room.
Morita braced to attention.

     "Nothing, sir!  Just a caged duck."

     Inspector Hikaru jerked at that.  "A caged duck?  Well
then..."  Briefly he mulled over the situation.

     

     

     Cologne listened intently to the conversation of the
immigration police, trying to determine what had caused them to
swoop.  Or rather, who.

     She watched as the senior man paced in and out of view, his
chin cupped thoughtfully in one hand.  Finally he straightened.
He began to rap out orders.

     "Morita, go and get that duck; we'll take it with us.
Yagami, Suzuki, you two stay here and wait for the others to
return!"  As he turned to go, Cologne heard the words she had
been waiting for.

     

     

     'There, that should do it,' thought Hikaru to himself.
Still, he was worried.  Turning to go, he said to himself under
his breath, "I hope you're right, Tendou Nabiki."

     

     *    *    *

     

     It had rained again this evening.

     It had rained again, but Ranma didn't mind.  In the space
of a few minutes of heavy downpour, the threatening thunderheads
had dissipated, shredding like old cloth to reveal the stars and
the dark curtain of night.  A cool breeze had blown in from the
sea, humid but much cooler than before.

     Through the wide-open window in the bathroom, Ranma stared
up at the now-dark sky.  No stars were visible at the moment
because of the lights in the bathroom and from the surrounding
city, but he knew they were there.  They comforted him, old
friends from his childhood.

     Like Ukyou.

     Lying seraphically in the hot water of the furo, the
gentle, cool breeze from outside caressing his head, Ranma
listened to the cicadas singing their harsh, discordant song and
the gentle sounds of the house about him.  Kasumi in the
kitchen.  The random noises from the TV show that Nabiki was
watching.

     Ukyou laughing at something.

     What was he going to do about Ukyou?

     With a sigh, Ranma lifted the folded towel off his forehead
and dipped it in cold water before re-folding it and replacing
it on his brow.

     No matter what he said, she was going to believe that it
was really her he loved, not Akane.  Mentally he kicked himself
for making such a mistake.  She had already been hurt by this
whole affair, and now the only way he could see of convincing
her would be to hurt her all over again.

     Maybe he could convince her to find somebody else to love.
To replace him in her heart.  Get her to drop him.

     He snorted.  Like that was going to happen anytime soon.
Ucchan's tenacity was both laudable and annoying.

     Ranma decided to discuss the matter with Akane.  He had
been amazed at how she'd turned around after he'd actually
*asked her* about Kodachi.  *And* she'd had a good idea, too.
Not that he seriously thought that it'd stop Kodachi's antics,
but it'd still be worth trying.

     The heat of the water soaked into his muscles, relaxing
him.  Thoughts of Akane rose in his head.  The way she had
smiled at him when he had given her the parasol.  Her pleased
surprise when he had consulted with her.  The guilty pleasure in
her face after she had kissed him.  The smell of her hair.  The
pleasant way she filled out that light yellow nightgown she had
worn earlier; gee she had filled out during the past year!

     Ranma wondered if he still had larger breasts in his female
form than his fiancee.  His lips twisted briefly in a grimace.
He probably did, if the kami had anything to say about it.
Another point of friction with Akane.

     Idly he wondered if Nabiki's breasts were larger than his.
That string bikini she'd given him at the photographer's studio
had certainly fit well enough, for all its brevity.

     Nabiki.  Now there was an odd girl.  She certainly seemed
less shy than Akane.  His mind replayed scenes of Nabiki from
the last few days:  Her hand on his back as he sat up in bed; on
the train, when he had seen the white curve of her panties up
the leg of her shorts; the swaying of her hips as she walked up
the stairs ahead of him; the twin points of her nipples moving
freely inside her tank top.

     The day he had first come to the dojo, an unwilling
passenger on his father's furry shoulder.  'He's cute!' she had
exclaimed, her eyes raking him interestedly.  Her hand on his
breast, confirming that he was indeed female.  She had been
enthusiastic, then scared, then interested, then angry, then...
distant.  Sometimes manipulative... being officially engaged to
her had been 'interesting'... sometimes sad... that time after
family had visited their dead mother at the Tendou family
shrine, just before he had met his own mother for the first
time... and often direct, but always distant.

     Until now.  Why?

     Nabiki had hugged him after his confession of despair in
the dojo, and he had returned the hug as though she were a safe
harbour in a tossing sea.  It pained him to think back to that
moment, his weakness, but.... perhaps it had been a turning
point, for both of them.  She hadn't been distant since then.
Uncomfortable, perhaps, but not distant.  And she seemed to have
gone to quite a bit of trouble to set up this calendar thing,
too.

     She had called him 'little brother'.  Cutely.

     Ranma suddenly began to feel overheated, and grimaced,
knowing he had stayed too long in the bath.  With a sigh he
stood up, water sheeting off him back into the furo.  Quickly he
used his fingers to scrape the excess water off his arms and
body and stepped out onto the cool tiles of the bathroom floor.
Shaking his head, he began to dry himself.  Time enough to think
about Nabiki some other time.  For now he'd rather think about
Akane.

     He dried himself and dressed, and padded back out to the
dojo.  In passing he noted that the living room was now empty;
presumably the others were either in bed or otherwise occupied.

     Outside, walking across to the dojo and in the dojo itself,
it was pleasantly cool.  Ranma dumped his bathing things by his
pack in the dojo and, dressed in the shorts and light tank-top
that were his normal summer sleeping attire he went outside
again to cool off from his too-long soak in the hot water of the
furo.

     He settled on his favourite rock by the koi pond and turned
his thoughts once again to Akane.

     The sound of running feet pricked Ranma's attention,
ruining his attempt to enjoy the cool evening air in peace.
With his ears he tracked the sound, and sure enough there burst
through the gate... Kunou.

     "Yo, Kuno-*sempai*," drawled Ranma insultingly.  "Whatcha
want?"

     Kunou's stared on Ranma and his eyes bulged.  "Sa-o-to-me!!
Spawn of evil kami, how *dare* you defile the..."  Kunou's voice
stuck in his throat and he was reduced to gurgling sounds as he
stepped forward, bokken held ready.  Now within attack range,
Kuno regained his voice.  "How *dare* you defile the osage-no-
onna in that way, posing with her, defiling her ethereal beauty
and wholesomeness with your vile presence!  I challenge you!
Attack!!"

     A little surprised by the ferocity of Kunou's beserk
attack, Ranma tripped and stumbled into the koi pond.  Kunou
crowed in delight.

     "Aaah, at last I have defeated--"  He broke off as Ranma,
now female, stood up in the middle of the pond.  "Oooh!  Osage-
no-Onna!!"  He whipped out a bunch of red roses.  "Accept this
small token of my esteem for you!  Come to me and bask in the
warmth of my love.  Come away from this place, and I will do you
the favour of *dating* you!!"  Kunou's voice was shrill, and his
eyes glittered.  Ranma's stomach turned, but she kept her mouth
shut.  Inspiration came to her, and she decided to try Akane's
approach... kind of.  She schooled her features into neutral
acceptance and stepped slightly towards Kunou.  Reaching out,
she gently took the roses.

     "Senpai," she said gently, "please listen to what I have to
say, for it concerns a matter of honour."

     "A matter of honour is of the greatest possible import,"
said Kunou gravely, standing as close to Ranma as he could
manage without getting wet.   His suddenly-calm voice chilled
Ranma.  "Pray tell me."

     "Senpai, I have been pledged in marriage to another.  It is
a matter of giri, and cannot be avoided.  Please do me the
favour of not attempting to dishonour me by constantly pursuing
me."

     Kunou's eyes widened in shock.  "To whom are you pledged?"
he asked, a small challenge in his voice.

     "Please, senpai, that is no concern of thine," said Ranma
sweetly.  "Again I ask you to do me the favour of not attempting
to dishonour me or my fiancee.  I beg you."  She handed the
flowers back to him.  "I cannot even accept this small token of
your appreciation.  I humbly ask you to take them back."

     Kunou Tatewaki numbly took the flowers from Ranma, his eyes
and mouth forming three round O's.  Ranma was hard-pressed not
to laugh, but she managed to keep a properly-simpering
expression on her face, even as her stomach churned at the
humble, fawning language she was using with Kunou.

     "Osage-no-onna... you...  I..."  Ranma was stunned to see
Kunou's amazed expression dissolve into tears.  "Such a tragedy!
That such a flower of womanhood should be constrained into a
marriage she *cannot* want!  Ooooh!"  Kunou again turned his
gaze onto Ranma, who still stood in the pond, hands meekly
clasped in front of her chest.  "Osage-no-onna, I pledge that I
will seek a way to somehow extract you from this heinous
arrangement so that we can date!  This I promise!"  With a bow
he said, "I shall take my leave and begin immediately!  We
*shall* be together!"

     Silently, Ranma-onna watched him gently close the garden
gate behind him.  Finally satisfied that Kunou was gone, she
turned back to contemplate the pond.

     "Well whadda ya know," she said to the ghostly koi in a
low, awed voice.  "It actually worked."

     

     *    *    *

     

     Nabiki was reading a manga while lying on her bed when she
heard the television go on again.  At the sound of the fast-
paced music and typically-cheezy sound effects she knew that it
must be Ranma, watching a martial arts movie.

     She smiled to herself.  She had seen his eyes when he had
first come in this afternoon with Akane, felt him track the
movement of her nipples across the inside of the top she had
been wearing then.  He found her attractive, she knew, even if
the fact made him acutely uncomfortable.

     Putting the manga to one side, Nabiki reached into her
bedside drawer and took out the picture of Ranma she had taken
the other day, while he was training.  She looked at it
briefly,then pulled out the calendar proof she had shown the
others earlier.  For a time she lay back on the bed, her legs
moving idly, slowly turning the pages.

     Ranma was alone downstairs... why not?

     Quickly Nabiki changed into her nightclothes.  Looking at
herself in the mirror, she briefly considered dressing like one
of the characters in the manga she had been reading... an old
story called "Maison Ikkoku", it had a barmaid who always
dressed in a transparent negligee.

     No, that would be too radical.  Ranma was shy prey, and if
she made one mistake he would run a mile and be all the more
difficult to catch.  Not to mention the risk of someone else
catching her in such atypical dress.

     She would go down as she was.

     On second thoughts, why not put on a little pressure and
see how he reacted?  Ranma wasn't going anywhere; why not see
how the prey ran?  Nabiki made one small adjustment to her
clothing and went downstairs.

     

     

     The gentle creak of a stair tread diverted Ranma's
attention away from the silly Hong Kong martial arts movie she
was watching.  Having seen Kunou off, she had come inside to dry
herself off and had stayed because she didn't want to go to bed
just yet.

     "Oh, it's you, Ranma," said Nabiki from behind him.
"What's on?"

     Ranma turned her head to look at Nabiki.  She was in her
sleeping clothes, obviously ready for bed.  The light, short
cotton top she wore brushed the tops of her thighs like a tee-
shirt two sizes too large.

     "Nothin' much," Ranma said as she turned her attention back
to the TV.

     Behind Ranma, Nabiki frowned.  Still, she mused to herself,
she shouldn't be too surprised; Ranma saw her like this quite
often.  Maybe she should up the stakes a little.  But first....

     Warm water splashed over Ranma who suddenly became male.
Spluttering, he spun to face Nabiki who stood behind him holding
an empty glass.  "Oh good," she said with a smile, "it was still
warm enough."

     "What'd you do that for?!"

     Nabiki set down the glass on the living room table and
stepped around to Ranma's front.  "I prefer you as a guy," she
said as she sank down next to him.  She leaned back against him,
facing the TV.  "Younger brothers make useful cushions," she
added with a smile in her voice.

     Ranma kept silent, preferring to settle down and watch the
movie instead of making an issue of it.  He didn't really mind
Nabiki leaning against him that much, and in the cooler air of
late evening it wasn't too warm for comfort, either.  He just
wished it was Akane who was leaning against him that way,
stroking his thigh.

     Ack!  Stroking his thigh?!  Without thinking, Ranma
levitated backwards.  Nabiki caught herself before she hit the
floor and turned to face him.

     "Hey, why'd you do that?" she asked, looking a little
annoyed.

     "You were... were..."

     "What?"

     "Stroking my leg," Ranma finished awkwardly.

     Nabiki had the grace to look abashed, Ranma noted.  "Oh?
I'm sorry, I didn't realise I was doing it."

     A quick retort ran through Ranma's mind, but he managed to
keep his mouth clamped.  Instead he just nodded and settled down
to watch TV again.

     Nabiki, though, had other ideas.  She sat on top of the
table, facing the TV, her legs in front of her.  "Ne, Ranma?"

     "What?"

     "Do you think I'll do okay at Kenpo?  It's been a really
long time since I've done any."

     Ranma sighed and looked away from the movie to see that
Nabiki had lifted one leg up and had her forehead against her
knee.  She looked over at him, and he saw that she was looking
at him seriously rather than wearing her 'cute' expression
again.  He frowned and attempted to give her a serious answer.

     "I dunno," he said as he watched her lower and raise her
leg.  "You did okay tonight, but you've got a way to go just in
conditioning.  I don't see why not, though.  Akane's pretty
good, and she's your sister.  Same blood and all.  At least
you're nice and flexible."

     Nabiki lowered her leg again, then flipped so she was lying
on her side, facing Ranma.  She smiled at him, a predatory
smile, and Ranma began to get nervous.  "You have no idea how
flexible, brother dear."  She put a finger to her lips and
smiled.  Ranma began to sweat at the odd look on her face.

     Then, without further preamble, Nabiki lifted one leg up
and through the vertical.  The bottom of her sleeping shirt rode
up to rest at her waist, revealing to the stunned Ranma her
brief white panties.  He could not help but notice that they had
been pulled up so that they were stretched tight, showing every
curve of Nabiki's...

     "N-n-n-Nabiki!  Wha-what are you doing?!" stuttered Ranma,
who sat, unable to move, frozen like a rabbit caught at night in
a spotlight.

     "Moi?  I'm just showing you how flexible I am, Ranma-kun,"
said Nabiki innocently, grasping her leg with one hand.  "Isn't
this good?"

     "Bu-bubbu-but..."  With almost physical effort Ranma
managed to concentrate on Nabiki's face.  "Don't!"

     Pouting, Nabiki lowered her leg.  "Why not?" she asked.
Then a smile crossed her face, and she added, "Flexibility's
good for more than just martial arts, Ra-n-ma-ku-n.  Watch."

     Flipping onto her back again, Ranma watched fascinated as
Nabiki half-sat and spread her legs a little.  She was beginning
to curl over more tightly than Ranma would have believed
possible when something snapped in him and he ran outside to
safety followed by Nabiki's laughter.

     Breathing rapidly, sweating, Ranma hunched himself on a
rock by the side of the koi pond.  He fixed his gaze on the
fish, ghostly white in the dark water of the pond.

     He couldn't *believe* what Nabiki had done.  He raged at
the way his body was betraying his thoughts even now.  Nudity
was nothing new to him, and thanks to the curse and the wonders
of back-woods onsens, neither was the female body, but this was
the first time anything so... sexual had happened to him.  Even
though Nabiki hadn't actually showed him anything.

     Part of him raged at himself for running away like a
coward.  Part of him raged at Nabiki for doing what she had,
forcing him to react in the way she had.  Could it have been
deliberate, seeking to have him betray Akane, her own sister?

     No!  Never!  It must just be the way Nabiki was.  He had so
little experience with the new, closer Nabiki that maybe this
was just her true nature.  For that matter, perhaps Nabiki was
discovering new things about herself, learning how to interact
with people in a closer mode.  He cursed himself for
interpreting her actions in a sexual way.  She was just trying
to be friendly.  He couldn't think of anyone else she was close
to.  Could it be...

     For the second time that night, Ranma's thoughts were
interrupted by the sound of running feet.  'Feh,' thought Ranma.
'I bet it's that jerk Kunou again.'

     The gate burst open, and sure enough, it was Kunou.  Ranma
dived into the koi pond.  He seemed to have a greater power over
Kunou in his female form than as a male, hated rival.

     Standing up again, Ranma-onna saw Kunou standing by the
gate, jittering about with his bokken in a guard position,
obviously seeking something.  She decided to call out.

     "Kunou-senpai," she called in what she hoped was a
discouraging voice.  "What do you want?"

     Kunou suddenly stopped, frozen, then he dashed over to the
koi pond.  Ranma reflected that their positions were almost
identical to when they had talked earlier, though this time
Kunou's eyes bulged unwholesomely.  She wondered what was going
through his diseased mind now.

     "Osage-no-onna!  I will do you the favour of dating with
you!  Come with me now!"  He held out a hand to her to help her
from the pond.

     Ranma looked at Kunou's hand like it was a snake.  What had
happened to him?  It was almost as though they hadn't talked
before.  She decided to repeat her previous position.  Putting
on a 'kawaii' expression, Ranma said in a sweet voice, "Senpai,
please, I say again, I have been pledged in marriage to another.
It is a matter of honour, and my feelings are of no moment in
this.  I beg you, please leave me... us... alone."

     Kunou dropped his hand and again took up his bokken, though
his expression was pleasant enough if you ignored his eyes and
the sweat on his brow.  The bokken gleamed coldly in the
moonlight, and Ranma noted with an unpleasant thrill that what
she had thought was his bokken was in fact a live sword!  She
would have to be careful.  "And to whom have you been betrothed,
sweet one?  For I would judge his worthiness myself."

     "As I said to you earlier, Kunou-senpai, that is no concern
of thine.  Please leave us alone."

     Suddenly Kunou's face hardened.  "I will know the identity
of your betrothed," he said peremptorily.  "Tell me your name
too, Osage-no-onna," he added in what Ranma imagined was meant
to be a gentle, persuasive voice.  The effect was spoiled by the
way the sweat stood out on his brow, though, and the way he
trembled.  "Your true name?"

     Ranma's face hardened and she stepped out of the pond to
one side of Kunou.  "If you insist, *senpai*," she said, no
longer attempting to keep the sneer from her voice.  Taking
stance, Ranma said, "My name -- my true name -- is Saotome
Ranma, and the name of my betrothed is Tendou Akane.  We have
been pledged to each other by our families.  I ask you *again*
to cease your  attempts to --"

     "You lie!" shrieked Kunou, now almost frothing at the
mouth.  "You are not -- cannot be -- Saotome Ranma! I challenge
you, O demon!!  I will dispel your evil glamour by defeating you
in combat!"  And with that he lunged forward, his katana
flashing out.

     Ranma watched him come, and then seemed to simply step
through Kunou.  Then Kunou was lying on his face, pinned in a
submission hold, whining in pain as Ranma held his arms at
seemingly-impossible angles. Kunou gasped to regain the breath
knocked out of him by his sudden impact with the ground.

     "What... how..." he gasped eventually.

     Ranma's eyes blazed.  "Are you listening?" she grated.  "Do
you accept your defeat?"

     Kuno lay there, staring at Ranma as well as he could given
his position.

     "Do you accept your defeat?" she grated.  Like a snake
striking, she flicked a light blow at Kunou's exposed throat to
emphasise his position.  The older boy went into paroxysms of
coughing.  Eventually he stopped and, eyes burning, he glared at
Ranma in confusion.

     "Listen carefully.  I am Saotome Ranma.  This I swear.  I
am cursed to become female when I get wet.  This I also swear,
on my honour.  Do you understand?"

     Kunou's eyes were wild.  Squeaking sounds of denial escaped
his throat.

     "You will leave myself and Tendou Akane alone," Ranma
continued in a low, savage voice.  "You will cease your attacks
on us, whether in person or by proxy.  If you attack either of
us again, I will not kill you, but I promise that I will hurt
you very badly indeed."  Ranma gritted her teeth against the
need to finish the fight rather than simply talking, and instead
simply touched in succession those of Kunou's vulnerable points
that she could reach:  His arm, shoulder, chest, throat, and
finally a feather touch on each of Kunou's lower eyelids.  "Do.
You.  Understand?!"

     His sudden pallor and stetorous breathing told Ranma that
Kunou had got the message, and Ranma stepped back.  "I see you
do.  Now go, you stupid bastard, and never darken our door
again."

     His eyes blazing, Kunou got up and grabbed his katana in
shaking hands.  "Saotome Ranma...," he said in a voice shaking
with rage.  "Saotome Ranma, you are no man!!" he shrieked as he
leapt into the attack, his sword swinging with a wicked hiss.
Ranma sighed in regret.

     It was over in a moment.  Kunou lay on the ground, groaning
in pain, while Ranma stood over him, fists clenched, breathing
hard through his nose.  The sword lay bent to one side.

     "Ara!  Ranma-kun, what's happening?"

     Ranma spun at the sound of Kasumi's voice, her normally-
sweet tones overlaid with concern.  She was standing at the edge
of the house's perimeter passageway, looking out into the
garden.  As Ranma watched, Soun came up behind her.

     "I just had a visit from Kunou," she said in disgust.
"Kasumi-san, you'd better call the doctor.  Ojisan, I'm sorry to
say that Kunou could not be dissuaded from his challenge, and he
hurried me."

     Kasumi raced inside, while Soun came outside.  For a long
moment he looked wordlessly at Kunou and then at the bent katana
nearby, then he closed his eyes and bowed his head.  "I see that
young Kunou decided to up the stakes tonight," he rumbled in a
quiet voice barely audible above Kunou's groans.  "Regrettable.
It seems he will live."

     Kasumi ran from inside the house with her first-aid pack.
Soun put out an arm to stop her.  "Is the doctor coming,
Kasumi?"

     "Yes, otousan.  He said he would come immediately."

     "Then I would prefer that you not waste your efforts on
this one.  There is little you can do, anyway.  He is not cut,
nor does he bleed, and it will require a doctor to cure his
hurts."

     The three of them stood in silent tableau waiting for the
doctor.  Kunou slipped into unconsciousness after a short time,
quieting his groans, and for that Ranma was glad.  She regretted
doing what he had to the elder boy.  It had not been necessary;
she could have simply knocked him out if she had wanted, but...
she had made a promise.

     She always kept her promises.

     After perhaps five minutes a car pulled up outside and the
doctor bustled in to the yard.  He knelt to examine Kunou,
noting his broken bones and asking Kasumi to call for an
ambulance almost immediately.  Then, re-examining the boy, he
drew back in shock.

     "This boy is under the influence of drugs," he said
regretfully.  "It is the scourge of modern times," he added with
a shake of his head.

     Ranma-onna suddenly noticed that neither of the younger
Tendous were present.  Nabiki's absence in particular was odd.
And Kunou... drugged? Ranma's danger senses were clamouring.
She looked around hurriedly.  "Where's Akane!?" she asked Soun,
who simply looked briefly confused.  Now almost frantic, she
dashed inside.

     A moment later, a scream of rage erupted from inside the
house.  Shortly thereafter, a now-male Ranma came sprinting out
of the house, his eyes burning, a lambent yellow aura glowing
about him.  "Kusooo babaaa!" he screeched as he ran.  A piece of
paper fluttered to the ground in his wake, and Soun stooped to
pick it up.  The letters were formal, neatly formed, and
chilling.

     "I have Akane and Nabiki.  You must come to the Nekohanten
alone."

     

     

Author's Notes:

     Several points in this episode allude to points in the
     manga that have almost certainly not yet been translated by
     Viz.  These are the "bust battle" story arc, the "fishing
     rod of love" stories, and the "10-year special sauce"
     story.  Of these, at least the latter is available at the
     Ranma 1/2 Project webpage.  See my webpage for a link.

     Note for readers of the Viz translated manga:  Ukyou's
     repeated use of the term 'kawaii iinazuke' refers to the
     time that she first was introduced to Akane formally by
     Ranma.  He introduces her to Akane as his 'kawaii
     iinazuke'; he then introduces Akane to Ukyou as his
     'kawaikunai iinazuke', although Ranma's loose pronunciation
     and/or street dialect makes the word come out as
     'kawaikunee'.

     I'd like to thank my pre-readers, especially Chris Jones,
     whose comments were invaluable in bringing this part to
     completion.

     There is only one more part to go.  Coming soon, hopefully:
     "Nekophobia Part 9:  The Rescue of Akane!"


Glossary:

Baba:  Old woman
Bokken:  A wooden sword used in place of a katana in practice.
     Despite being made from wood, it can nonetheless be quite
     deadly.
Furo:  A Japanese bath.  Note that these are usually designed to
     allow the occupant to soak up to his or her neck, and are
     often designed for multiple occupancy since it is not
     uncommon for members of the same sex to share the furo.
     The water is usually not drained (as with a spa), which is
     why Japanese wash *before* getting into the bath.  The cold
     water used for actual washing also helps soften the impact
     of getting into the hot water of the furo.
Gi:  The uniforms worn by martial artists are called "gi".
Koi:  Goldfish, of a sort.  Carp.  (NB:  The word also means
     "romantic love", which is the source of many bad jokes...
     including in the Ranma 1/2 manga.)
Kami:  God or spirit.  In Shinto, there is a very large number
     of kami, including those of one's ancestors.
Kawaii:  Cute.  It is something of a passion amoungst many
     Japanese females to be "kawaii", including perhaps most
     teenagers.  Calling such a girl "kawaikunai" (not cute) is
     a far more hurtful insult than it is in English.
Kuso:  Shit.
Iinazuke:  Fiancee.
Imouto:  One's own younger sister.  (It's considered rather
     impolite to use this word when referring to someone else's
     younger sister.)
Obasan:  Aunt.
Okaasan:  Mother.  (Okaachan is a more familiar version of
     this.)
Ojisan:  Uncle.
Onsen:  Hot spring.
Oneesan:  Elder sister; using "-chan" and dropping the "o"
     ('neechan') is a very familiar version which could probably
     sorta-kinda be translated as "sis".
Onna:  Female.
Otousan:  Father.
Senpai:  Social superior.  In regard of the relationship between
     Kunou and Ranma, "senpai" means upperclassman.


--
David Eddy - Senior Consultant, Progress Software Melbourne
dje@progress.com

Screening Coordinator and Subbing Bunny, Melbourne Anime Society
My home page is at http://nabiki.newberry.edu/DEddy