Author's Notes:  Someone brought to my attention exactly when the
Miyazaki films I mentioned came out, and found they do not match the
Ranma time table.  So, just move the Ranma timeline until I can revise
the earlier parts.  I would also like to thank everyone who's encouraged
me to go on with this fic, as I enjoy writing it.

PM Productions Presents
A Phillip Masters Fanfic
Another Life
Chapter 4

     "One minute!" Akane whispered harshly.  "Can you believe we were
thrown out here for being *one* minute late?!"
     Ranma shrugged, the muscles in his shoulders and chest flexing as
they lifted the two buckets filled with water he was holding.  "Hey, I
don't particularly like the thought of sitting in class... at least this
is some sort of physical exercise."  He began using the buckets like
weights and grinning.
     Akane glared at him, then her gaze softened.  Ranma was lifting the
water pails as if they were filled with cotton.  She could see his
muscles tense under his shirt, but the look on his face told that he
barely noticed.  After ten minutes of this she blushed.  Fortunately,
Ranma had long ago turned his head to look out the window.  "Ranma." she
said, then shut her mouth wondering what exactly it was she wanted to
say.
     Ranma looked over at Akane, "What?"
     She had begun to formulate a response before hand, but then Ranma's
blue eyes met hers.  Everything in her mind decided to take a short
hiatus.  The only thing she could think of saying was what was on her
mind the entire time.  Sort of.  "Aren't those buckets getting heavy?"  
     Ranma glanced down at the pails he was holding.  He flipped one up
into the air and balanced it on the tip of his finger.  He grinned at
Akane, "Not at all."  
     Akane stared at this for a moment, then suddenly, for no particular
reason, found herself getting angry.  She tried to find the source of
this change of attitude, and came up with nothing.  She brought up her
own water bucket and brought it down on Ranma head.  "Show off!"  
     Akane's pail glanced off the side of Ranma's skull, jarring him.
This combined with the surprise tipped the pail off of his finger,
spilling its contents all over him.  He stood there, dazed and confused,
for a few moments before looking down at himself.  "Ah, shit." he
muttered.
     Needless to say, Akane's jaw was picking dust off the floor.  Her
lower lip quivered as she took a hesitant step backward.  "Wha...
wha...?" was all that she could make come out of her mouth.  
     Ranma squeezed out his pigtail and stared up at Akane.  It never
ceased to amaze him how much shorter he got with the transformation.
"It's alright Akane... that was supposed to happen.  I was cursed in
China, at a place called Jusenkyo.  Cold water turns me into a girl."
He actually wasn't sure what he was more tired of, the curse, or
explaining it to everyone.  He would have liked to have said "the
curse", but after...?
     "Ranma!  What happened to you?" 
     Akane's sudden yell shook him out of his train of thought.  He
smiled at her.  "Like I said, I was cursed to change into a girl when I
get doused with cold water.  Hot turns me back, before you ask."
     Though Akane had gained control of her speech, her eyes still
persisted in being the size of saucers.  She found herself wanting to
touch the breasts she saw before her, just to make sure they were real.
The thing that convinced her that it wasn't some delusion was the change
in height.  "Hot water?" she asked dumbly, pulling her stare from the
breasts, to the pair of familiar blue eyes.  This calmed her slightly.  
     "Yeah... it changes me back."
     "Oh..."
     Ranma nodded, "I'm glad we've got that cleared up... now, could you
please point me to the nearest bathroom?"
     Akane raised an arm to her left, then followed Ranma with her eyes
as he walked away.  When he turned the corner at the end of the hallway
she blinked.  Ranma was... cursed... to turn into a girl?  For some
reason this new revelation sent a shudder through her.
     She let out a sigh and leaned up against the wall behind her.  A
small smile appeared on her face as she looked out the window at the
passing birds.  

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

     The rest of the school day passed by without much incident.  There
was almost one in gym class, when Akane knocked a baseball toward Ranma,
but he simply caught it before it hit him. He'd thrown the ball back at
her, commenting that someone with an arm like hers should be careful.
     He didn't catch the bat.  
     Fortunately, thanks to Ranma's rather dense cranium, no permanent
damage was done.  He simply went the rest of the day mumbling things
like "tomboy" and "can't take a joke" under his breath.
     When the final bell rang, a surge of children flowed from the
building like watered down molasses.  Ranma smiled up at the sun as it
played across his face again.  The end of the day had been rather
tedious, as there was a pop quiz he was entirely unprepared for.  The
teacher wouldn't give him study time, but did say he could redo it if it
came back as bad as predicted.  He had a feeling he'd be staying after
class tomorrow.  
     "Hey, Ranma!"
     He turned, to see Nabiki next to him.  "Hey." he replied, still
smiling.
     "Glad to be out, I see." she commented, elbowing him in the ribs.
     "Yeah," he chuckled, "you should have seen the look on your
sister's face earlier, Nabiki.  We were put out in the hall holding
buckets for being late."
     Nabiki interrupted, "For *one* minute?!"              "That's what
she said... but that's not what she was shocked about.  A bucket of the
water was dumped on me."
     Nabiki looked incredulous for a moment, then seeing that Ranma was
wholly serious burst out laughing.  "That must have been some sight!
How did it happen?"
     "Well, I was balancing a bucket on my finger, Akane got angry for
no apparent reason, and bashed me on the head with one of hers.  I lost
control of mine, and end of story."  He shrugged and frowned, "Still
don't know what bothered her so much."
     Nabiki stopped, looking troubled.  
     "What's is it, Nabiki?" Ranma asked, concerned. 
     She glanced up at him, then forward again as she began to walk.
"Nothing."
     Ranma stared at Nabiki's back for a moment, then started up behind
her once more. They both walked in relative silence, until something
occured to Ranma.  "Hey, Nabiki!"
     She stopped and turned to look at him questioningly.
     "How did you do in English?"
     "Good, why?"
     Ranma smiled, "Well, I totally flopped an English exam today... and
well, Akane didn't do much better.  I was wondering if you could give me
hand in studying?"
     Nabiki instantly seemed to brighten.  "Sure!  I'd love to!"
     "Thanks."  Ranma waved in the direction of the Dojo, "Your house is
much closer, so how about we do it there?"
     Nabiki couldn't help but blush at Ranma's choice of words.  "Uh,
yeah, that would be best I suppose."  She mentally slapped herself.
What in the world was getting into her?

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

     Ranma and Nabiki came to the Tendou home, and went inside.  Nabiki
called out that she was home, and that Ranma was with her.
     Kasumi walked out of the kitchen to meet her... guest.  "Hello,
Ranma."
     Ranma looked at her a little nervously and nodded his head.
"Hello, Kasumi."
     They stared at one another for a few moments, before Nabiki cleared
her throat.  Both Ranma and Kasumi startled and Kasumi found herself
blushing furiously.  "Oh my!" she exclaimed, "Where are my manners?
Would you care for some tea, Ranma?"
     "Um, yeah, actually.  Thanks, Kasumi."  He smiled lightly, glad
that the tension was broken... for now anyway.  

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

     "A... E... I... O... U, and occasionally Y.  These are the English
vowels... every English word as at least one instance of these letters.
Each makes two different sounds, a long and a short..."  Nabiki stopped
reading as she heard a light snoring coming from beside her.  She looked
up from the book to see Ranma, legs draped over the edge of her bed,
fast asleep.  She couldn't help but chuckle softly.  Then, it fully set
into her... that there was a boy she found enormously attractive
sprawled out on her bed.
     She stood up and walked over to him.  As she looked down he made a
small noise, sounding somewhat like a mumbled word.  She leaned down and
placed an ear next to his mouth.  A shiver ran down her spine as his
breath blew lightly into it.  He made the noise again, but she couldn't
quite make out what he was saying.  
     A sudden knock at her door just about sucked the living spirit
right out of Nabiki.  She shot up and her momentum carried her backward
into her desk, scattering some pencils and her book.  Her hand went to
her chest as she tried to control her excited breathing.  "Yes, who is
it?" she called out, perhaps a little too loudly.
     Kasumi opened the door and peeked inside.  She was surprised to
find Ranma asleep on Nabiki's bed, and Nabiki herself looking as though
she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.  After trying to
ascertain what had happened and coming up with no sure answer, she
simply held up the tray she was holding and asked, "Tea?"  

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

     After having tea with the two sisters, Ranma announced that perhaps
he'd better go home.  Obviously he wouldn't get any studying done, what
with his sleeping and all.  Nabiki seemed disappointed, but conceded the
fact.  Kasumi walked him to the front door.
     "You know, Kasumi... about our engagement." Ranma began as he put
his shoes on.  
     Kasumi froze for a moment, then caught herself.  "Yes?"
     He stood up and looked at her.  He stopped as he realized how
absolutely beautiful she was.  "I... If," he stuttered slightly and
coughed.  "If you don't want it, no one can force us to get married.
You know that."
     Kasumi nodded, "Of course, Ranma... but a pact made with the honor
of my father is something I take very seriously.  No matter what he may
lose in his life," she paused a moment, then continued, "no matter what,
he will always have his honor."
     Ranma stared at her for another second, then nodded.  "I
understand, Kasumi... so, if your so adamant, perhaps we should go on...
on a... dateorsomething."  He said the last faster than he intended.
Something inside made it really difficult to make such a statement.  He
blushed and looked at the floor.
     "I would love to."
     Ranma's eyes shot back up to meet Kasumi's smiling face.  His blush
deepened when he saw her own.  "Well, okay then... um... when should
I...?"  
     "Pick me up tomorrow after school... if you don't have too much
homework, of course.  We'll just go for a walk... something simple.
Through the park perhaps?"
     "Okay." he answered, then turned to leave.  "Ja ne, Kasumi."
     "Ja ne, Ranma." she replied as she shut the door.

END Chapter Four
Another one down.  Took a little longer than usual, but it got done.
Still going strong though, should have another out soon enough.  Please
send all comments this way, as I enjoy receiving them.  Oh, and before
you bog me down with questions on why Ranma seemed to be more accepting
of his curse, earlier in the chapter when his train of thought was
broken, don't.  It will be explained in later chapters.
Thanks for reading,
PMasters (10-12-98)         

"I'm only holding back the rain.  So many raindrops, so many pains.  I
want to find my train someday.  As seasons go past the station." - Tokyo
Babylon OVA 1
/ E-mail at:  PhilMasters@webtv.net /
Web page pending use of a computer!
"...has anyone ever used something alive for a coat of arms?" - The
Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea (Mishima Yukio, 1965) / 
"You see, what you call a cat, we use as armor." - Rune (El-Hazard,
1994)