Let's try this again... sorry if I posted this twice.


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Date: Sun, 28 Feb 1999 22:17:59 -0600
From: andrew norris <atn6581@mail.sdsmt.edu>
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Subject: [FFML][FanFic][Ranma][Repost] Fragile Clay Scroll two part one
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See repost on scroll one
Andrew
DO NOT reply to me over this Fanfiction...
(It is NOT mine... I am going to get flamed eng. on my own, thank you
very much.)


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Well well well, I think the original story was an immense success in original 
style Story-Weaving, and that my artful talents were not wasted on the tale. 
This one has some mild Lemon subject matter, so if you find this offensive, go 
ahead and leave.
So, I've decided to write yet another tale based on the trepidous trio of 
Ranma/Hiroshi/Daisuke. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, so the last one had more of Hiroshi 
than Daisuke... but Daisuke had a lot more flavor and personality than ever 
before! Hrrnnnn... maybe I will make a side-story detailing Daisuke one of these 
days.
AFTER I FINISH THIS!!! Ahh, Ce Sirrah Sirrah.
Don't worry, I won't break out into singing<Emphatic snicker placed here>. Well, 
the next volume in the series is a three parter, so glue your eyelids open and 
read on! One note, however. This is an Alterna-verse fanfic which is VERY close 
to the original. The only major difference is that when the series ended (After 
Saffron was defeated), Nodoka never found out about the curse. 'Nuff said.
Hope you enjoy immensely, and C&C is greatly appreciated. So are flames. Death 
threats are looked forward too, after all... I am the real Unibomber. Forget 
that Kasczinsky fella, I'm the real thing! Or maybe that was Kodachi...
Ahh, heck! On with the story!





Fragile Clay: Volume 2

Episode two:

"Water Water, Where'd it go?! 
The Vengeance of Aquarius!"

(Opening Scenes and music are "Little Date", with added scenes of Hiroshi in 
battle with his Genji garb and Bo.)



A peaceful breeze rustled the leaves of the silent trees, as sunshine streamed 
down in a golden cascade, bathing a beautiful red-headed girl in shimmering rays 
of sunlight. She wore a red string bikini that emphasized her very feminine 
body.
She read a book as she watched her friends playing in the sea. She grumbled at 
the black-haired boy who was talking to a rather cute-looking girl with short-
cropped hair.
"Ryouga, the idiot. What's he thinking, talking to Akane? It's not like he 
stands a chance," The red-headed girl sighed as she looked back at the book and 
turned the page.
It was a borrowed book, the girl remembered. Hiroshi, her friend had lent it to 
her for the weekend. She flipped through the pages of, "Romeo and Juliet," a 
play they had done just months before , and sighed. Why couldn't Akane be like 
that with her? Each time she tried getting close to her fiancee she always beat 
her and said something like "Ranma you Idiot!".
Ranma recalled the late night encounter. *Well... almost all the time.*
Ranma turned the page and a piece of paper fell out. *Heh?* She looked down at 
it. Her delicate fingers picked it up and unfolded it.

               "Another dream, Last night.  Weird.
Some girl came to me with her head
On fire wearing a prom dress and 
began dancing some strange dance.
Then she split in two, one was me
and the other was her, only younger.
Then a mask fell and shattered the glass,
Only then did I realize I was looking 
through a window. Children. Screams
Awoke me... the dream has left my mind."

Ranma blinked as she looked down at the paper. She didn't much recognize the 
handwriting, but the dream sounded familiar. *I wonder why?*
She shrugged and folded it up, sticking it in the back of the book. She 
stretched and stood up, placing the book beside the beach-towel she had been 
laying on.
She walked over to Ryouga with a bottle in her hand. The lost boy was rubbing 
himself down with the curse-protecting soap Shampoo had let him borrow when 
Ranma tapped him on the shoulder.
"What do _You_ want, Ranma?!" Ryouga almost yelled, but knew he shouldn't make a 
scene at the beach... with Akane. *I can't let myself ruin her day.*
Ranma grinned an evil grin, remembering that her body was as much a weapon as 
her mind... while both in concert can make Ryouga squirm. This was going to be 
fun, especially since Ryouga had promised Akane there would be no fights.
Ranma put a soft feminine lull into her voice, "Well, Ryouga, you've been so 
nice lately I thought I would ask you to do something for me. Just a _little_ 
thing," Ranma put her index and thumb close together in front of her face, 
emphasizing the word "Little".
Ryouga's scowl disappeared in an instant, thinking that Ranma was actually 
trying to be nice for once.
"Eh... what do you mean?" Ryouga seemed a bit confused, both at the silly grin 
and the almost unnoticeable womanly tone in Ranma's voice.
"Well.... I was thinking that you being such a _nice_ guy and all, that you 
might want to help me out a little," Ranma took Ryouga's hand and pulled him 
back over to her beach blanket. Ryouga used his other hand to scratch his head, 
wondering both why Ranma was being nice, and what she meant by a favor.
Ranma pressed something into his hands as she plopped down chest first on the 
towel.
Ranma could almost feel the blood drain from Ryouga's face when he saw the sun-
tan lotion.
"Rub me down, Pig-boy!" Ranma said, trying not to chuckle at the angst his 
friend was feeling.
"Ranma... Is this a joke?" Ryouga sounded nervous, which almost overpowered 
Ranma with laughter. She swallowed her mirth.
"Of course not, P-chan! Ya'see, there's this little spot I can't exactly reach, 
and I was _hoping_ you'd be _man_ enough to help. But, what does a lost boy like 
you know about? Probably are too _scared_ to help out widdle ol' me!" Ranma 
stifled her giggle, but a small bit got through. She was having fun watching 
Ryouga squirm.
Ryouga turned red, a bit from embarrassment, and a bit from anger. *Ranma's 
trying to make fun of me!*
"Ranma... why should I help you?! YOU'VE made my life a LIVING HELL! If it 
WASN'T FOR YOU-" Ryouga was sharply cut off.
"I'd be careful P-chan, Akane might get angry if we fight right now... I seem to 
remember something about a promise... besides... what could I do? If you're 
really not up to it, I guess I'll have to find someone with enough guts!" Ranma 
smiled softly as her words sunk in.
Ryouga began to fume, but quickly dropped to his knees and began applying 
lotion. After several moments, Ryouga's anger turned into sheer nervousness and 
embarrassment as he felt Ranma's soft feminine flesh under his hands.
*The worst part is... I'm just now REALIZING exactly what's happened to Ranma! 
And...* Ryouga felt the blood rushing to his head, and was afraid he was about 
to bleed. He could not help the fact of the matter.
Ranma was turning him on.
*OhnowhatwouldAkanethinkshe'llthinkI'munfaithfulbutRanmaissobeautifulandshe
feelssogoodandwhatamIsaying?*
Ranma liked the torture she was putting Ryouga through, she could almost see his 
thoughts "What will Akane think?" so surely to be among them.
Ranma had to admit, though, Ryouga was good at this. Strangely she wasn't afraid 
of the fact that hands which could shatter solid stone and most likely snap her 
in two were running up and down her spine. It was kind of comforting.
Ryouga couldn't stand it any longer, thousands of images of Ranma's nude form 
seemed to leap to mind, images from all the times Ranma had ignored feminine 
modesty. His nose began gushing blood in torrents.
Ranma yelped as warm liquid fell across her back and Ryouga toppled over.
She quickly leapt up and ran into the water, washing off the blood she was sure 
would be there.
Ryouga twitched on the ground, having lost a good amount of his body fluids. He 
could _now_ banish the images from his mind, bringing up moments where fists and 
feet had connected with his head.
He felt better thinking about these. He would reprimand Ranma later when he 
regained his strength.
Ranma floated in the water, for a moment forgetting her fear associated with 
being surrounded by the stuff. She was bothered by what her joke had elicited as 
a response. Ryouga only bled when he was attracted to a girl... and most often 
when he saw that girl in the buff. The huge amount he had bled meant either he 
was thinking of Akane in an improper way or...
Ranma had actually turned him on. Very much. *Disturbing... maybe I took it 
kinda a bit too far... I mean, I sometimes forget what I look like as a... 
girl.* Ranma turned a bit red as she walked out of the water to see if Ryouga 
was all right.
Fortunately, the black-haired boy had stopped bleeding. He saw Ranma looking 
down at him and his anger flared up, renewing him with a new energy. The feral 
growl began deep in his throat, too low for Ranma to hear.
"Hey, Ryouga... Ah... Sorry 'bout that, I uh..."
Ryouga leaped up and threw a punch at Ranma, who quickly leaped back a few feet, 
her breasts bouncing furiously in the red bikini. Ranma noted that _that_ had 
hurt a bit, and scolded herself for wearing the bikini. *Never Again, Nabiki!*
"Ranmaaa!!! DIE!" Ryouga leaped at Ranma, who spun around to flee into the 
water. Ryouga mindlessly threw his arms around Ranma as he heard a familiar 
voice.
"RYOUGA?!" Akane yelled, and Ryouga paused, his arms flung around Ranma's chest, 
his hands clenched suggestively around soft flesh.
"A-A-Akane?" Ryouga said, still oblivious to the situation.
"I've _tried_ talking to Ranma, _He_ doesn't _listen_! But I had _hoped_ for 
some more maturity from _you_! How could you be so... so... SICK?!" Akane 
stormed off furiously.
Ryouga's mind lurched out of pause, to find his hands wrapped around Ranma's 
firm breasts.
Ranma was seven shades of red with huge blue eyes as she recalled another 
embarrasing episode with Ryouga... and the Koi Fishing Rod.
Suddenly, those magically induced feelings returned, and she could feel herself 
becoming aroused.
Ryouga blushed furiously, but couldn't seem to remove his hands from Ranma's 
breasts. His mind wouldn't work that far. The thought would reach his head, but 
not his arms. Ryouga turned positively crimson when he felt Ranma's nipples 
become stiff.
Ranma forced the feeling to the back of her mind and began shaking in fury. 
"Ryouga... NO BAKA!!!!" She twirled around and thrust her fist upward into the 
Lost-Boys jaw.
Ryouga's head was ringing, but surprisingly he was still on the ground. Ranma 
blurred from three images and then settled into one. Ryouga saw a faint shimmer, 
and suddenly a huge metal sledge-hammer appeared in Ranma's hand.
"BAKA! I tried apologizing... and you _GROPE_ ME!!!" Ranma began swinging at 
Ryouga's blue-maned head, connecting more often than not as she chased him down 
the beach.
After she knocked him unconcious, she turned to walk back to her towel. She 
paused after a few steps and looked down at her hand, considering the sledge she 
held. Where had it come from? Just as mysteriously as it had appeared, the thing 
vanished.
Ranma remembered the odd sexual impulse travel through her body, and then sheer 
rage unlike ever before. She just seemed to offer her hands out, as if her rage 
would take a solid form.
Ranma shrugged, brushing the thought off until later. Yet, the thought had made 
her pause for a moment, and she looked back at Ryouga. She felt a bit guilty, 
having started it all, but she couldn't leave him out here in shorts alone... he 
could get lost. Then he would actually _have_ a good reason to blame Ranma.
She groaned and began dragging him back by one of his legs.
She thought while she trudged along, her breasts bouncing up and down... 
emphasizing her feminine state.
The Koi Fishing Rod had had the unique ability of casting a love spell on 
whoever it caught so that the person caught would fall in love with the catcher.
Ranma had been caught by Ryouga, and although it hadn't really been _Love_, she 
could not ignore the occasional surge of sexual passion she had when Ryouga got 
_too_ close.
Afterwards, she had been able to control it and actually rid her mind of most of 
the influence.
The one thing she couldn't forget, however, is _why_ Ryouga had seemed so 
attractive. He had been the only man, and would most likely be the only man, who 
could ever actually turn her on.
*And damn him for using that magic. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have 
those occasional thoughts of him!* She grumbled. Another reason to despise 
Ryouga.
What bothered her the most, however, is that instantaneous thought pattern 
imprinted in her from the Fishing Rod.
As she walked she remembered the rage in Ryouga's voice, then Akane's shout, 
then the realization that Ryouga's hands were carressing her breasts.
*_That_ was the moment, dammit. I should've run sooner when I saw that angry 
look in his eyes.*
She recalled, then, the tingling sensation as her nipples hardened, and then a 
wet feeling where it shouldn't have been...
In another moment, she could have been necking with Ryouga... and...
*Don't think about that.* The thought sickened her, and scared her a bit more 
than usual. It also made her angry at the way she could be so easily manipulated 
by magic into having... SEX with a man. 
She stopped her trudging, almost gagging at the thought. She felt like she would 
throw up any second. *Damn you, Ryouga.* She'd get back at him for that... one 
day.
She was still aroused, which annoyed her even more, her body felt hot and her 
cheeks were flushed. These feelings only returned when Ryouga groped... specific 
places on her _female_ body. She made a mental note that she should keep Ryouga 
from touching her in any other way other than battle.
The thoughts of all the silly, spurious battles helped banish her thoughts from 
the incident, and got her temper up again.
She left Ryouga in the sand as she picked up her towel and lunchbox. She began 
stuffing them back in the satchel she had brought when a familiar female voice 
summoned her attention. Needless to say, she jumped when the voice surprised 
her.
"Yo! Ranma! Not leavin', are ya?" Ranma looked up at the speaker casting the 
shadow over her, and into the face of Amiko, Hiroshi's female Identity. Ranma 
forced a smile.
His friend was wearing a tight one piece splashed with black and white, it 
didn't conceal much and made a the pointed description of Hiroshi's now female 
body.
Ranma scowled, "Yeah, Ryouga ticked me and Akane off... groped my breasts..." 
Ranma blushed.
Amiko grinned nervously. "Heh... um, the way you, uh, look... it's like you... 
kinda... liked it?" Amiko was unsure, and the last few words were almost 
intangible.
Ranma glared at Amiko, "Yeah, but only because of some damn magic fishing rod! I 
don't like guys that way, 'Roshi... uh... Amiko,"
Amiko smiled, "It's alright if you call me Hiroshi, Ranma. At least, while we're 
not at school," Ranma forced her own smile.
"Hey, s'that your Suntan Lotion?" Amiko pointed to the bottle beside Ranma. 
Ranma looked at it for a moment, then said, "Yeah," Amiko stared at Ranma for a 
moment, a flash of uncertainty ran across her face.
"Could'ja maybe stay? I mean, I already feel funny enough wearing this suit... 
It makes me look so, eh... y'know. It'd really be great if you could help me for 
today," Amiko began laying down her own things beside Ranma, and even pulled out 
a small umbrella which she stuck in the sand. It cast her towel into a cool 
shadow.
Ranma sighed, and then began putting her own things back out.
Akane walked up, pausing to take a look at the unconcious Ryouga, and then 
approaching Ranma.
"Hey, sorry about Ryouga... I thought he would be better behaved," Akane felt 
embarrassed that her friend had been molesting her fiancee, and more embarrassed 
when she had looked back to see a flushed Ranma with Ryouga's arms wrapped 
around her.
"Nah, 's my fault. I got him worked up... I started it Akane," Ranma said as she 
pulled a small radio and sun-glasses out of the satchel.
Akane looked at her fiancee oddly, "Ranma? Are you all right?"
Ranma smiled up at her, "'Course I am, Hehehehehe... Why? Is something wrong?" 
Ranma became serious for a moment after her nervous laughter, she slipped the 
shades on her cute face. She had lied... the feelings that the Koi Rod had 
instilled in her, although almost completely gone, bothered her much more than 
she would have liked to admit.
"No... it's just that you usually don't admit to being the one at fault, it's 
usually someone else who supposedly started it," Akane walked back over to her 
towel and plopped down.
"What're you saying?! That all those other times were my fault?!" Ranma said 
half-jokingly, Akane laughed a bit.
Ranma sighed and leaned back, her beautiful body basking in the midday sun. 
Ryouga stirred and began to stand, hammer prints all over his face. He crawled 
over to Ranma's towel.
"Ga... Sorry... Ranma. But _you_ started it... I really am sorry though, about 
feeling your... ah... your...," Ryouga slumped back, unconcious again.
"Hiya, Pig-Boy molest girl-type Ranma?" Shampoo stood over Ranma in a blue 
bikini, Mousse stood beside her in white shorts.
"No, he didn't! He was _trying_ to attack me, and he fluked... tha's all. So, 
how's the married couple?" Ranma asked, relieved to get off the subject of 
Ryouga again.
Mousse looked down at Ranma and Amiko, "Well, since Cologne disappeared we've 
both been somewhat busy with Nekohanten, as well as sorting out all those weird 
magical artifacts she kept stashed in that chest of hers, this is the first time 
since last week we've actually been able to relax,"
"So I say to Mousse, why not we go to beach? Is sunny day, and good for swim. I 
fetch other bar of anti-curse soap for self, then Mousse get towel and such for 
sun-bathing. We not expect see you here, Ranma," Shampoo had put two towels down 
next to eachother while she spoke, after she was finished talking, she looked 
over at Ranma with a smile.
Ranma still felt a bit jealous of Mousse, Shampoo's 'Affections' were missed a 
bit at the Dojo. Then again, if Ranma had mentioned something like that Akane 
would have beat him six-ways-till-sunday. Besides... over the last two weeks 
Mousse and Shampoo's relationship had changed drastically.
"Is okay, Ranma. I happy, I Love Mousse. No have to worry about me," Shampoo 
stretched herself out on one of the towels as Mousse sat down on the other.
Ranma wondered if she was really that easy to read, but shrugged it off as 
Shampoo's 'Intuition'.
"Besides, I never know Mousse that flexible..." Ranma looked over at the two 
incredulously as Mousse blushed and Shampoo giggled.
Ranma rubbed the back of her head, pretending not to notice as the two kissed. 
After they were finished, Amiko spoke.
"So, ah... Mousse. Whatever happened to the old Ghoul anyways?" Mousse looked 
over at Amiko, remembering who she _really_ was after a moment.
"Sorry, Hiroshi. I don't know. There was absolutely no sign of her at the 
Nekohanten... I have a feeling she'll be back, though," Mousse shook his head, 
thinking about Cologne always made him nervous. Especially after the Joketsuzoku 
staff had been broken.
"Mousse, you go get me drink, Yes?" Shampoo seemed to order more than Ask the 
Amazon man.
"Yes, Shampoo," Mousse stood and dashed off to get his wife a drink.
"So, Ranma, you okay? Ryouga not hurt you, did he?" Shampoo sounded genuinely 
concerned as she sat up and looked at her ex-fiancee.
"I'm fine, he probably just hurt my pride a little, tha's all. Hey, Shampoo? 
Could you and 'Roshi... heh... uh finish up what Ryouga started... hehehe... 
uhm," Ranma nervously held up the sun-tan lotion.
Shampoo looked incredulously at Ranma, "Ranma? You... not a pervert... are you?" 
Shampoo looked at Ranma with a worried expression on her face.
Ranma gritted her teeth, "_No_ I am _not_ a pervert. I was _trying_ to make 
Ryouga _Nervous_. It jus' worked a bit too well. Hey, all I'm askin is for you 
to rub my back down, if you don't want to I'll understand," Ranma sat the bottle 
down and sulked as she stared out to sea.
"Is alright, Ranma. I believe you. Is no trouble," Shampoo grinned slyly. She 
looked over at Amiko.
"Ah. We'll put the lotion on you... but..." Amiko trailed off as Shampoo 
grinned.
"But what?" Ranma asked, a bit puzzled at the odd behaviour of his friends.
"You must do same for us," Shampoo said. Amiko giggled, then placed her hand to 
her mouth, confused at the utterly female reaction.
"You gotta be kiddin' me," Ranma shook her head, and they all started laughing.
Ranma shrugged, figuring that as a girl it didn't make much of a difference if 
they rubbed eachother's backs.
Akane, who had been silently reading Ranma's book looked up after she heard 
this. "What was that?! Hey, there's no way I'm letting you massage Shampoo's 
back, Ranma," Akane set the book down and glared at her fiancee. She turned a 
half-hearted smile toward Shampoo, "Shampoo, is it all right if I take Ranma's 
place? He can do Amiko," Shampoo looked over at Akane with a slightly 
disappointed frown, but her smile quickly returned after a moment. "Is all-
right, Akane-Chan. I no mind, but first have to finish Ranma, Ne?"
Ranma looked at the exchange with interest, and Akane stared at Shampoo in 
astonishment. Shampoo had never called Akane "Akane-Chan" before. After Akane 
regained her senses and nodded, Ranma sighed and layed down on her stomach.
The two girls rubbed the cool lotion onto Ranma's back, and the red-head sighed 
in relaxation.
Ranma noted that her skin seemed much softer than when she was a guy, a fact she 
had never taken note of until this moment. She ran her hand across her arm while 
lying there, noticing it almost felt like silk to her touch. *Sheesh, I never 
knew there was _That_ much of a difference.*
"Okay, Ranma. Is our turn now. Akane-Chan! We done, here," Shampoo handed the 
bottle to her previous rival and layed down across her towel. Amiko mimicked 
Shampoo, a bit tensely at first.
Ranma nervously began, and she began humming unconciously to herself while she 
rubbed down her friends back. *Hmm... 'Roshi's jus' as soft as I am...* Ranma 
paused for a moment, as she took note of what she was doing.
The thought submerged in her mind floated to the fore-front, that her friend was 
_very_ attractive. That combined with the softness of Amiko's skin...
Ranma felt the blush coming on as she felt a familiar tingling, most definitely 
the same feeling Ryouga had roused in her. She looked around to see if anyone 
noticed her currently aroused state, then smiled as she continued in her work. 
*Note to self: Another advantage to being a girl... nobody knows when you're hot 
or not.* Ranma giggled a bit at the thought.
"What's funny?" Akane asked, as she rubbed Shampoo's back.
"'S nothin'," Ranma frowned as she noticed Shampoo purring. *She's not a cat 
now, stupid!* Ranma told herself after a brief shudder coursed through her.
The four girls were enjoying themselves immensely, Ryouga woke up and they 
talked a bit about some of his adventures, as well as some of their own. Ranma 
even turned on the radio and began to sing and dance to familiar songs, which 
soon had Amiko, Akane, and Shampoo doing the same.
Ryouga stared bug eyed as the girls bounced and sang, unable to bleed... he was 
too shocked. Especially since Ranma didn't take much notice of how much her 
entire body bounced when she threw herself completely into a song.
Ranma felt strangely happy listening to Akane sing. She was actually quite good. 
She made a personal note to tell her later.
After the current song was finished they all fell into a pile of laughter. Ranma 
included.
*Is this what it's like to be one of the "Girl's?"* Ranma asked herself, 
experiencing a new sensation.
Mousse returned several times, and was constantly sent back by _someone_ to go 
get something or other. Ranma felt a bit ashamed, using her friend like that. It 
was also a bit amusing, Mousse seemed to be enjoying himself just making 
everyone happy, especially Shampoo.
The girls eventually settled down after a swim, and just started talking while 
laying on their stomachs.
It was a perfect day. Ranma sighed, a feeling of contentedness falling over her.
The girls had switched places several times, and Ukyou had even come to join the 
party. Nabiki was off swimming or swindling, and Ryouga had gone swimming. Ranma 
kept an eye on him, to make sure he didn't get lost.
After a while, Ranma found Akane and her alone, the other girls had gone to swim 
with Ryouga and Mousse.
"Hey Akane?" Ranma said as they both stared up into the blue expanse above, 
lying flat on their backs.
"Hm?" Akane looked away from her book with a smile.
"This is fun. I mean, no fighting... jus' hangin' with you and the..." Ranma 
paused with a frown, she had been enjoying herself. She had been _enjoying_ 
being a girl! She sat bolt upright, "Ohmygosh,"
Akane sat up beside her, seeing a _very_ worried expression on Ranma's face, 
"What's wrong?" Akane felt a bit worried herself... about Ranma.
"It's jus' that... it's been so nice today. I mean, I've been enjoying myself, 
and it scares me like hell Akane... Right now I _like_ being a girl! I mean 
here, at the beach, with you and Shampoo and Ucchan and Amiko!" Ranma fidgeted 
in her seat, becoming more nervous as time passed.
"Ranma, there's nothing wrong with having fun with your friends. I mean, come 
on, you've never complained about having fun as a girl before!" Akane smiled, 
hoping to cheer Ranma up.
"No!" Ranma stood up quickly, "No, Akane! It _is_ wrong! I mean, in my _own_ 
head for the past four hours I've been thinkin' as if I was a girl! I I-I-," 
Ranma stuttered, she wasn't sure what to say.
"Ranma, come on. We're you're _friends_, does it matter so much if you're a girl 
at the beach? Ranma, I like it when you laugh... you don't do it often!" Ranma 
looked over at Akane, her own worry fell away a bit.
"You... what?" Ranma didn't know what she meant.
"Ranma, if you have to be a girl to enjoy yourself today, then be a girl. I-" 
Akane cut herself off before she could say more, say those words she had 
whispered to herself in her room so many nights. Ranma thought she had been 
about to say something important, and was a bit disturbed that Akane could 
suggest such an idea.
"Ranma, be happy, okay? Just for me, just for today...before you realized how 
you were acting, you were more happy than I'd ever seen you before, I like that. 
It makes _me_ feel good to see you having fun. Instead of being fiancee's for 
today, couldn't we just be friends? I mean, friends like how we could have been 
had you _really_ been a girl?" Akane paused, unsure if she should have said 
those last words.
Ranma paused, her fear escaping her. She recalled a conversation in the middle 
of the night she had had with Akane, such an important conversation.
That first day at the Tendo house, when the girl-Ranma had walked in... afraid 
that they would see the truth, afraid they would hate her forever, she had felt 
a strong warmth when the youngest Tendo girl asked to be friends.
That warmth had grown for the hours following, until it was violently shattered 
by an open bathroom door. Ranma couldn't tell Akane, but she had felt just as 
hurt and betrayed when their friendship had been ripped from them. There had 
always been a sense of disconnection between Akane and him, no matter how much 
their love grew... there had just been something missing when it started.
Friendship.
Akane looked at Ranma's face as several strong emotions flashed over her 
features, Fear, joy, anger, confusion, revelation.
Ranma looked down at her female body. It seemed like ages ago that she had 
fallen into the pool, and this body... what really scared her... was the fact 
that after six months...
It no longer felt alien. It felt like he did. When he was a she, it made no 
difference anymore. Had he lost the fight?
*No.* He chided himself. _She_ wondered if there had ever been a fight to begin 
with, then realized there had been. Ranma was still fighting the battle he had 
started that fateful day.
She continued staring at her body, the curve of hips, breasts, legs. The soft 
feeling all over her body, the red hair bound behind her head.
*Not so alien after all. Has she _always_ been a part of me? This red haired 
girl? Or maybe I've always been a part of her? Both?*
Akane kept staring, becoming a bit impatient waiting for an answer. She saw 
Ranma reach back and tug at the pigtail, and watched as Ranma's fingers gently 
pulled at the Dragon's Whisker.
Ranma's hair unravelled and fell to her mid-back. Akane had realized Ranma had 
let it grow longer when he had brushed it that morning, but didn't realize how 
long it had been. She gasped when all traces of the man disappeared.
"Yeah, Akane. I'll be your friend for today. Thanks," Ranma smiled a bit, the 
sparkle returning to her eyes.
She sat back down on the towel and stretched out. Akane looked at Ranma 
curiously, and Ranma noticed. Her purt lips turned up in a coy smile.
Akane was flabbergasted, the only thing she could liken to Ranma about the girl 
in front of her was the eyes. The ever-constant soft blue eyes which denoted 
Ranma and Ranma-chan as the same.
Akane sat up and looked Ranma over, starting with her delicately small feet, 
travelling up her long and slender legs, over her abdomen and breasts, back up 
to her face.
There was no man anywhere but in those eyes. Yet, Akane also noticed that her 
eyes were different, not in color, but in the soul.
Had Ranma somehow changed along the way? How? Why? When? Ever since the last 
time they had called off the engagement, he has steadily become... more 
comfortable?
Akane recalls that more often than not Ranma had been falling asleep as a girl 
for the past two weeks. More and more often it seemed like he didn't care, 
couldn't care about his curse.
He had started acting like everyone else. Shampoo, Genma, Mousse. They all acted 
like the curse wasn't a crucial flaw in their lives, just another problem they 
had to deal with.
Maybe Ranma had finally... Accepted his fate? *No, Ranma wouldn't do something 
like that.* Yet, she looked at the beautiful girl beside her, basking in the 
sun. Those blue eyes stared back at her with a silent understanding. Akane felt 
a twinge of jealousy as she compared her athletic figure with Ranma's devilishly 
feminine contours. *All right, _more_ than a twinge*... And the worst part of it 
was that Ranma wore no artificial enhancements... not a touch of makeup.
Her face seemed to be the very model of feminine contour and beauty... without 
the 'applications' that most girls had to endure.
"Ranma, with that bod of yours you can really make a girl jealous. Or swoon. Or 
both!" Akane laughed and Ranma joined in.
Ranma sighed after they were done. She knew what Akane had been asking herself. 
The same question she had been asking since she had fought Mousse.
Was this curse _really_ that bad? There was still a large part of her that 
argued yes, but that also spoke in volumes. Before two weeks ago, her _entire_ 
_being_ had thwarted any mental pictures of _being_ a girl. Now her mind 
sometimes became confused. When she thought of who Ranma was, it would be 
random. Either a male picture of Ranma fighting, or a female picture of Ranma 
fighting, or a picture of both side by side, the male half with an arm wrapped 
lovingly around the female.
Who was Ranma? Even Ranma didn't know.
She sighed again as they both relaxed in the sun.
Suddenly something zoomed across her breasts, and she felt the cool air brushing 
across now naked flesh.
"AAAAHHH!!" She threw an arm in front of her chest to hide her topless form. 
Akane shreaked a moment later.
Several other shreaks followed, and a mental picture of a wrinkled old martial 
artist formed in everyones minds as they began chasing Happosai.
"TEE-HEE! Oh, Ranma! What a wonderful day, to gift me with your Bikini top! 
HAHAHAHA!" Ranma began chasing the perverted old man, her breasts bobbing 
painfully as she ran.
"Come back here with top or I kill, pervert!" Shampoo was chasing after Happosai 
along with all the rest of the women on the beach, arm flung across her naked 
heaving bosom.
"HAHAHAHA! The superior skills of Happosai have struck again! What a haul!!!" 
Something silhouetted the sun and landed in front of the old man. Happosai 
looked up, astonished that he could be surprised. The girl had short-cropped 
brownish-red hair, and was wearing a tight one-piece bathing suit the color of 
winter snow and midnight.
"You missed me, Happosai!" Amiko stood, unscathed by the lecherous hands of the 
aged martial artist. Happosai blinked as he looked at the furious red battle-
aura the girl was emitting. He should have _felt_ that!
"Eh? Who're you?" Happosai had almost ran into the girl, having no pre sense 
that she was even there.
"A friend of Ranma's, KIYA!" A Bo appeared out of no-where and Amiko twirled it 
furiously before she brought it around to connect with Happosai, sending him 
flying back into the mob.
The lech was beaten and bruised when he pulled himself out of the angry swarm of 
girls, and quickly hopped away in fear.
"Pervert," Akane chimed
"Lech," Shampoo mumbled
"Dirty Old Man," Ukyou muttered.
"Sicko," Ranma yelled.
The girls were walking back to their towels. Ranma had a bit of trouble putting 
her top back on, but finally managed. She began following the rest back to her 
sunny resting place.
"Ah, such a feminine blossom of womanhood I have ne'er seen. And yet, the soft 
rose has it's brute thorns, such is the strength wielded by the fire-haired 
venus before me!" Kuno recited.
Ranma groaned as she turned to look at the Kendoist. He was _supposedly_ working 
at the nearby docks to repair Binsense to proper working order. Ranma didn't 
_know_ why he was at the beach, but she steeled herself to send him skyward as 
she turned around.
A concerned expression was written on Kuno's face, "Yet, fair Tendo Akane hast 
told me of an unrelinquishable curse... that... that... that... Pardon, I 
stutter," Kuno looked around nervously, and Ranma felt a bit of fear rise in her 
stomach, as well as sadness.
"What I... Am meaning.... Is that, Fair Akane hath told me... and I must know... 
Are you both one in the same?" Kuno's voice seemed meak in comparison to his 
usual loud tirading yells.
"Uh... Kuno... Hehehe.... She... She... Told you... about...." Ranma paused, 
noticing Kuno hanging on her every word. She normally would have taken this 
opportunity to crush his aspirations, and insult him to boot.
But Ranma felt... sorry for Kuno. She hated to admit it, but she had always felt 
a little sorry for the man. He had imposed obliviation upon himself unlike 
anyone she had ever seen before. Even Kasumi wasn't as dense as Kuno.
"...yes...," Ranma's voice was hardly more than a whisper as she saw her friends 
features become distant, sullen, sad.
"I have been a fool, to pardon my actions I beg forgiveness... You must realize 
that t'were it not... that you... I am ashamed I never once realized it was you, 
Ranma. Forgive my insolence," Kuno turned away, more ashamed than angry at being 
tricked. Ranma felt bad... she should have been the one to tell him the truth.
But... he never _listened_ to her! That was the problem... she could stand just 
Kuno, his poetry wasn't _terrible_, it was just that he was so _dense_ 
sometimes.
"Hey... Kuno!" Ranma yelled, as she ran up to the Kendoist.
"Yes, my Pig-T-... Ranma?" Kuno scowled when he almost refferred to Ranma as a 
girl. *It's hard not to, Tachi... just look at him!* Kuno ignored the voice.
"Look... ahh.... I'm sorry 'bout all this. I mean, you must be pretty grossed 
out and angry that you were chasin' after a guy... hehehehe!" Ranma laughed 
nervously.
Kuno thought for a moment, then responded truthfullly. Whether it was truly what 
Kuno felt, the Kendoist didn't know... but it was a truth needed to be spoken.
"No. I am not repulsed by your malicious deed in keeping me in the dark. Nor am 
I repulsed now... I still have trouble, Ranma... seeing you as a man. True, tis' 
not so hard when form fits shape, but when shape fits not form? You are still 
beautiful to me, Ranma Saotome. But I realize our relationship would go nowhere, 
as your form of shape truly is that of a man, and I am also that which you 
believe you are. If I were to pursue this venture ever further, you would liken 
to be repulsed yourself, so I twould end it in honesty. When I view you thusly, 
Ranma..." Kuno paused. Ranma had listened to his words, disturbed, disgusted, 
and sometimes regretfull when she saw that broken look from Kuno.
Kuno took several steps away, then threw something back at Ranma. Ranma caught 
it effortlessly.
"You are Beautiful, Ranma. You might not know it.... but you are. Gomen Nasai, 
Ranma-Sempai," Kuno trudged down the beach back to the docks.
Ranma twirled the rose in her hand as she looked at it. What had he meant? Had 
he come over here purposely to talk to her? His last words echoed in her ears... 
he had even referred to Ranma as a better.
She sniffed the rose unconciously, not realizing the odd action she was taking 
as she walked back to her towel.
She had much to consider.

* * * * * *

A large glass bottle sat on a bookshelf in the Tendo's guest room. It was an old 
bottle, ancient even, with shades of every color dancing off it's surface as the 
sun shone through the window onto it. A label read "Property of Happosai!!! 
Don't-Touch!"
It had sat there for countless months, even years... since Happosai left it 
there before he was imprisoned. The bottle jerked, and then jumped.
The water inside had fermented for over three-thousand years, ever since the 
first Joketsuzoku princess had drawn the water out of the Chiisuiton and placed 
it in the flask.
Over three-thousand years of passing hands from martial-artist to martial-artist 
and nothing had happened... till it arrived in Nerima.
When Happosai had arrived, the bottle had _felt_ the innate magical Chaos that 
seemed to surround the Nerima ward of Tokyo... and with the amazing power 
wielded by Happosai, Cologne, Ranma, Tarou, Kuno, Ryouga, Herb, Toma, and 
various other's...
It had summoned it's mother... the water had summoned the Mother of Oceans, of 
Water, Of Rain.
It jerked violently and fell off the bookcase, shattering on the wooden 
floorboards. The water coalesced and seemed to form into a blob. It quickly slid 
down the stairs, lurching it's way along. It slithered into the kitchen and 
looked around. Kasumi hummed softly as she bustled around the kitchen, setting a 
kettle on the stove to boil before Ranma got home.
The water zoomed around the room, then finally lifted itself up onto the stove 
and crawled into the kettle. A moment later it poured out, larger than before. 
It quivered a bit as it looked around, and then dropped out of sight.
Kasumi didn't notice till several moments later, when the kettle hadn't boiled 
yet.
She lifted it up and looked inside.
"Odd, I was sure I filled this up just a moment ago... oh well," She had to get 
ready for dinner before she could put another pot on to boil.
The water, meanwhile, had crawled back up the stairs and found it's way to the 
bathroom. It looked around, knocking over a toothpaste tube and thoroughly 
soaking the towels in the room as it curiously prodded them.
It made itself flat and went under the bath-tub door, and squeeled in delight 
when it saw a full bath of hot water.
It plunged itself in wholeheartedly, and the water slowly began to sink in 
level. It grew cold as the lithe form of a naked woman formed out of the water.
"Ahhhh... it's been so long, I had forgotten what warmth the mortals could emit 
in my water...," The blue haired, blue eyed girl considered a moment.
She consumed the cold water in the tub, shivering as she did, and formed an 
ocean-blue dress in chinese style.
She smiled as she sensed the water in this "Nerima", there was so much to be 
had... and she had been so long in that bottle... regaining her strength from 
the energy draining Chiisuiton.
She slowly turned into a slender tendril of water and went into the bath-spout. 
>From there she began to spread not only from the Tendo house, but into the 
neighborhoods water supplies... deftly seeping through the pipes, consuming all 
she could, she explored a bit. 

* * * * * *

Kasumi finished the dinner and smiled as she tasted it to make sure. She had 
done it right, just like Mother had told her.
Kasumi sighed sadly. She missed her Mother terribly, but she could do little 
about it. She had to be strong for her Father, and her Sisters... and Ranma.
Ranma had seemed a bit nervous when he had first arrived at the Tendo's 
doorstep, but that was to be expected. He had felt... different.
Kasumi had noticed, however, that Ranma grew more and more melancholy as he 
stayed at the Tendo's house. Problems had started following him to Nerima, and 
he had been a bit bothered by that.
But what really got the girl/boy was when his/her mother visited. Kasumi shook 
her head, recalling a unique experience not but a few days ago when she had been 
going to bed after helping Auntie Saotome with dinner.

Mr. Panda was sleeping outside again, as per Nodoka's orders, and Ranma was 
quite alone in her room. Kasumi had passed by and heard an unfamiliar sound call 
to her heart.
Something she hadn't heard in many years. Kasumi had taken a step back and 
looked through the cracked door. Muffled sobbing could be heard inside Ranma's 
room.
*Was Akane in there?* Kasumi had wondered, and knocked lightly on the door.
"Go 'Way... *SNIF*..." Ranma had called back, and another bout of crying was 
heard.
Kasumi was about to leave, but something stopped her. A spur of the moment 
decision crossed her mind, and she opened the door gently, walked in and 
silently shut it behind her.
Ranma was in the corner, crying her eyes out. The small girl looked so...
*Fragile? As if the slightest touch of sympathy might break her...* Kasumi had 
thought, as Ranma looked up with red-swollen eyes.
"Didn' I say go 'Way? *SNIF*... go on Kasumi... I- I- I don't wantcha ta s-s-see 
me cry...," Ranma turned her face away. Kasumi stared a moment, then approached.
She sat quietly down by Ranma with her back to the wall.
"Ranma-Chan... why?" Kasumi voiced quietly. Kasumi couldn't stand seeing people 
hurt, and she had noted more often than anyone else that Ranma hurt more than 
she could let herself show.
Ranma felt the bitter bite of depression from Kasumi's words. How could she tell 
Kasumi? Nobody even bothers to understand... except Hiroshi... *He didn't have 
to do that... not for me... he shouldn't have to deal with being cursed... he 
doesn't deserve it.* Ranma absently questioned herself to the effect of *And you 
do?*
She felt Kasumi take her hand, and just... hold it.
Ranma felt the immense love Kasumi had for everyone pour over her, and she 
almost began crying again.
"'S jus' that... Mom... she was... she was talkin' bout me, ya'know... and 
having... having... oh god...," Ranma turned her face away as the familiar fear 
washed over her, the disgust, the hatred of herself, the frightening prospect 
that she could... if she tried.
She wouldn't try, though. She was a man, and as a man she had to fight this 
Curse till the end of her days.
"She said... I would make a wonderful Mother, Kasumi. She said... she said it 
would make her so _happy_ to see me with children of my own... _My_ _Own_! 
From... from in here, Kasumi!" Ranma placed both hands on her stomach in mock 
disgust, fear more than disgust written on her face.
"Ranma, she doesn't know. She only sees Ranko... She was only telling the truth 
how she sees it," Kasumi looked at Ranma, noticing a flicker of... curiosity? 
And then utter disgust cross her face.
"A good Mother Kasumi... I wanna have children but..." She paused. It was longer 
than it should have been, as Ranma seemed to consider something, and a sad look 
crossed her face.
"But as a guy... I'm a g- I'm a g- I'm not a GIRL Kasumi... not a... not a w-w-
woman especially...," Ranma wondered in fear what would happen if she never 
found a cure. She couldn't marry Akane, she couldn't condemn her Fiancee to such 
a relationship.
Nodoka had called her that, Kasumi recalled. Had called Ranma the "Perfect Model 
of a Woman,".
Ranma had acted as feminine as she possibly could during _this_ visit, which got 
her _that_ remark in response.
Kasumi had seen the flinch. She had seen all of them, every time. Then the 
utterly confused look, as if Ranma was wondering if she should be embarrassed or 
prideful about her Mother's remarks. This time, however, Ranma had almost broke 
down.
Nodoka was confused, what had she said? She had believed Ranko had made such 
progress.
"An'... An' she's so proud of me as a girl... like she always wanted a girl... 
like I was her daughter, the one she always wanted. An' it makes me feel bad, 
y'know? I mean, I'm her son... an' she doesn't know... an' sometime's I'm 
wondering if she wanted me to be a girl," Ranma shuddered as she thought about 
it. She was a man.
"I'm sorry, Ranma... Being so close to your Mother and lying every day, hurting 
her more and more as she comes to believe that she might never see her son or 
husband again... I'm so sorry," Kasumi almost started crying herself, as Ranma 
looked at her in wonder.
"You... You... understand?" Ranma was thoroughly confused... nobody had ever 
truly understood how she felt. Had Kasumi always known?
"Of course I do, Ranma. I understand many things more than people give me credit 
for," Kasumi looked down at the tight grip Ranma held her hand in... not 
painful, just enough that she couldn't escape the grasp. Kasumi didn't 
particularly want to try.
"Kasumi... I never told nobody but Hiroshi... but it's like the more I try to 
escape this curse, the harder it gets... ya'know? I mean, here I am wearing a 
dress and...," Ranma blushed furiously, "And lingerie... what next? Happosai 
would be having a ball if he were here now," Ranma paused for a moment, looking 
down at the floor.
Kasumi wondered something, "Why Hiroshi? It seems since that... day... a few 
weeks ago, you've both gotten a lot closer," Ranma looked at Kasumi with worry.
"He's probably the best friend I've got... I mean, don't get me wrong Kasumi, 
it'd be great if you and I could talk like this more often... 's jus' that 
you're more like my sister, and there's some things I jus' can't tell 
family...," Ranma beamed a bit and began staring into nothing.
"Hiroshi... Amiko... they both listen to me. They both jus' listen to what I 
say, and Hiroshi is open with me. Honest, ya'know? When I'm around him he makes 
me feel... well, more alive. I dunno, 's weird but true. It's like things... all 
the things... don't seem to matter as much when he's around. They seem so much 
less... complicated," And Ranma stared at Kasumi with her blue eyes.
A bit of Ranma's fear had ebbed when she spoke of her friend. Kasumi had been 
worried about... something about Hiroshi. She couldn't recall what... but she 
knew that Ranma told the truth. Nobody had tried to understand Ranma as much as 
Hiroshi did, why, the boy had even taken on the mantle of the Nyannichuan curse. 
Nobody had taken _that_ lightly.
"I told Hiroshi the gods honest truth, Kasumi. All of it, and he's done the 
same. I don't think we _have_ any secrets between us anymore, or at least not 
enough to count on two hands. I told him about... how I'm so afraid...," Ranma 
paused, unable to form the words as she shifted her gaze everywhere but towards 
Kasumi, and her eyes fell on what she was wearing... and she shivered.
"N-N-Never mind Kasumi... I can't tell you," Ranma thought of how every day she 
woke and delt with the curse, how every day she fought to keep herself from 
ebbing under the form of the red-headed female he saw in the mirror, kept 
herself from changing. She _was_ a _man_.
*But... why doesn't it seem so important, anymore? Staying a man and all... it's 
as if I'm less worried about losing myself. Actually, I am less worried about 
changing... how long have I been a girl this visit? Six days, Seven? Why am I 
not fidgeting by now?* Ranma felt a sinking in her stomach as something else 
caught her attention.
*And why haven't I had... an incident with hot water since then?* Ranma was 
confused, and more than a little frightened. Kasumi stood to leave, seeing no 
further tears from the diminutive girl and sensing deep thought from Ranma. 
Kasumi was a bit startled, usually Ranma never thought so avidly... the past two 
weeks it had been happening more and more often, usually after he spent much 
time with Hiroshi and Daisuke.
"I truly _must_ be getting to sleep, Ranma...," Kasumi sounded slightly 
reluctant to leave Ranma alone. She was a bit shocked when the girls hands shot 
out and caught hers.
"Do you... have to... go?" Ranma asked warily. Ranma considered Kasumi like a 
sister, she wasn't sure how or why, but it was how she felt.
Kasumi looked down at the petite girl. The loneliness in Ranma's eyes flickered 
behind a mask of bravery, and Kasumi sighed with sadness. When Ranma was a man, 
he was brash, cocky, confident, arrogant, and soon-to-be brother-in-law.
But... Ranko was entirely different. Kasumi wasn't sure if Ranma ever noticed 
how he changed so drastically mentally as well as physically when he was a girl. 
When he was Ranko he lost that confidence... he became fragile, unsure, caring, 
sensitive, slightly emotional, and though he wouldn't like it pointed out...
His odd mannerisms had been taking a more... feminine turn as of late. *But* 
Thought Kasumi *That is to be expected... she's been spending so much more time 
as a girl recently... I'm sure she doesn't notice the sway, the lilt, the hand-
motions... I won't tell her, though. It would make her angry, sullen, forlorn, 
and most of all... afraid.*
Kasumi whispered for Ranma to wait a moment, and returned with her comforter, 
blanket, and pillows.
That night Kasumi slept beside Ranma, the girl wrapped in her arms like a china 
doll.

Kasumi smiled. She hadn't spent much time with Ranma, but the time she did was 
usually when he was a she. Ranma didn't seem to mind the fact, however, 
especially as of late.
Kasumi turned the faucet on to fill the kettle, and nothing came out. She tried 
the cold water, to the same effect.
"Oh My, what will I tell Ranma?" Kasumi bristled.
She went to the bathroom- No water.
The garden Hose- No water.
She asked neighbors, and all said their water was gone as well. Kasumi was 
worried... Ranma had gone as a girl, what would happen if the water didn't come 
back?
*That's silly, Kasumi-Chan. Of course the water will come back!* Kasumi went 
back to her house, a forced smile on her face.

* * * * * *

Akane glared at Ranma again for the fifth rime as they walked back from the 
beach. Her fiancee... no, her _friend_ had been idly twirling a rose all the way 
back, and Akane couldn't help but suspect Kuno had been at the beach briefly.
"-Anyways, when I got to the terminal it looked _completely_ different from the 
way the guide described, and everything was written in american, or some other 
language... I realized I must have gotten lost again, and that I would have to 
ask for _more_ directions. So I walked up to- Hey, Ranma, have you been 
listening to a word I said?" Ryouga stopped in his spiel and a relieved sigh 
escaped Ukyou's mouth, with an equally relieved chuckle from Shampoo.
"Hmm? Oh, I was jus' thinking Ryouga. Sorry... something about a terminal being 
different than described?" Ryouga looked at Ranma oddly, and she returned the 
look with a smile. She loved confusing Ryouga... but she _had_ been thinking.
"Where did you get that rose anyways, Ranma?" Ryouga grinned with his fanged 
teeth, "Have you taken to boys, and now you've got an admirer, huh?" Ryouga 
dodged the obvious attack and Ranma glared fire at the lost-boy.
"I'm a G-G- I'm not a GIRL Ryouga. I DON'T like GUY's!" Ranma thought about 
attacking Ryouga, but didn't see the point of it, so she just continued walking 
and twirling her rose. After another fifteen minutes of silence, she realized 
what was making everyone nervous, and realized she really _was_ twirling the 
rose. She stopped.
"Ranchan... are you okay?" Ukyou looked from the rose to Ranma.
"Yeah, Saotome, you seem distant today for some reason," Mousse looked directly 
at Ranma, even without his glasses. His vision had improved, due to the aura-
reading techniques he had learned on his _training_ trip.
"Nothin' it's just that Kuno found out about the curse, via Akane, and he said 
some stuff... stuff I never thought about or considered," Ranma had gone to the 
womens restroom and looked in the mirror... she knew what Kuno had meant, but 
just _couldn't_ seem to see it herself. Her self image always seemed to reflect 
to a man's when she looked in the mirror. As if her mind was adamantly denying 
what it saw.
"Akane-Chan! You actually got that lug-head to listen?!" Ukyou was surprised. 
>From the previous encounters with the Kendoist, she had deduced that _nobody_ 
seemed to be able to make him face the reality of Ranma's situation. Everyone 
stopped in front of Nekohanten.
"Don't sound so surprised, his mind was more open when liquored up than I've 
ever seen him before... He was a bit shocked, and he decided to ask himself if 
it were true. I didn't think he would remember to ask, however," Akane looked 
over at Hiroshi, the boy had been silent the entire way home as he listened to 
everything around him. He seemed to be considering the wind at the moment, and 
he looked at the sky as it softly blew his hair back and forth.
He had been the only practical one in that he brought a thermos full of hot 
water for after the swim. Then again, Hiroshi _did_ usually plan ahead for these 
type of things.
"Well, Mousse and I have great time, Akane-Chan and Ranma-Chan, we hope you stop 
by Nekohanten some time and we talk! Bye now!" Shampoo unlocked the doors and 
walked into the restaurant.
"I must admit, Ranma, this was a great day. I actually enjoyed myself, hopefully 
we can get along as well in the future! Now, I must go help Shampoo do the daily 
cleaning," Mousse walked in after her, Akane smiled.
She had actually had a great day... having fun with Ranma, Ukyou, and even 
Shampoo!
Maybe Akane had been wrong about Shampoo, she _had_ been acting completely 
different for the past two weeks. Akane had enjoyed not fighting for an entire 
evening, and Ranma had acted out the part of friend very well.
It made Akane wonder... what would it have been like to have Ranma-Chan as a 
friend? She knew it was an impossibility, Ranma was a man and would always be a 
man... but Akane had had such aspirations for her red-headed friend when the 
girl had appeared at her doorstep.
Like she had said before, however, it was shattered from a single open door.
Ranma seemed a bit disturbed this afternoon, but seemed to have lightened up as 
she saw Shampoo and Mousse leave. She had enjoyed herself too.
They were walking again, now in complete silence, Ryouga seemed to have been 
miffed by the fact that Ranma hadn't taken his convenient insult and responded 
violently by attacking him.
When they got to Ucchan's Ukyou said her goodbye, and gave Akane a kiss on the 
cheek. She did the same for Ranma, and hugged Hiroshi and Ryouga. She extended 
her usual invitation, that if any of them were hungry and in the area, they 
should stop by.
Akane liked Ukyou. True, she was even more protective of Ranma since Shampoo had 
been thrown out of the picture, but Ukyou was such a sweetheart that Akane 
couldn't hate her for long.
The rest of them went on ahead to the dojo, Hiroshi had called his sister and 
asked to spend the night at the Tendo's. She had agreed, but told him to study 
for his test tomorrow. He loathed the idea of more math.
"Hey Ranma, would you like to spar?" Akane blurted out as they approached the 
front door.
Ranma blinked, had Akane just asked to spar? She hadn't done that since the 
first day she had arrived... since that very first day.
"Akane?" Ranma asked, Curiously. Ryouga looked at Akane with an odd mix of 
frustration and sadness.
"Don't worry, I need the practice anyway. You can attack me, too, okay? I need 
to improve, Ranma. Just watching you and Mousse go at it in that battle reminded 
me again," Akane waited for Ranma to move, or speak. Ranma seemed stunned.
"Sure... I mean, but I can't-"
"Ranma, you're a girl for now. Treat me as an equal, I know you won't hurt me," 
Akane winked at the red-head, and headed into the Dojo.
Ranma nervously rubbed her neck. She had promised to be Akane's friend for 
today, not her fiancee... but was this the only way she could fulfill that 
promise?
"What was that about?" Hiroshi asked, as Ryouga fumed. The lost-boy stomped 
inside the house, angry as a storm from both the earlier events of the day, as 
well as the insults he had received in the past.
"I dunno. Would you like to watch 'Roshi?" Ranma slapped her friend on the back, 
and Hiroshi nodded his head slightly. He hadn't seen martial arts since his 
sister was young. His father had sometimes practiced, but not with as much vigor 
as Soun and his family had.
He walked in after Ranma, slipped off his shoes, and sat placidly as he watched 
the two girls go at it. Ranma was reluctant to attack for a while, but Akane 
landed two or three blows and Ranma was forced to begin blocking some of the 
attacks. After a while, she began light attacks as well, making sure to keep 
them soft.
Hiroshi watched in fascination the intriguing dance.

* * * * * *

Ranma and Akane walked in tired and sore, Akane thanked Ranma again for the 
third time and walked up to her room, collapsing on her bed as soon as she got 
to it.
Ranma noticed Akane had forgotten to eat, and so had she. The table was empty 
except for her plate and some left overs. Genma sat cross-legged at the head of 
the table, his eyes closed. Everyone else seemed to have gone to bed, except for 
Hiroshi.
Ranma realized that Akane and she had been practicing for over three hours, off 
and on. She hadn't realized how long until she had glanced at the clock in the 
dojo. She was disappointed that they had missed dinner, but was too tired to 
worry about it. *Akane has been practicing, she's faster than before!* Ranma had 
noted while they were fighting. She sat down and wolfed her food as Hiroshi 
scribbled on that notepad he always carries around.
Ranma had figured out that Hiroshi wrote poetry and philosophical quotes on that 
pad, and most of the time they were quite good.
Ranma noticed her Father seemed to be waiting for something. She ignored him and 
continued eating. After she had cleaned her plate, she looked around for the 
usual kettle that Kasumi brought to the table. "Hey Pop, where's the hot water?" 
Ranma had suspicions that her Father had done something with the kettle. No 
grounds for the accusation, but he was usually the one to do such a thing. Well, 
him and Nabiki.
"Ranma, I have been told by Kasumi to inform you of a problem. I thought that 
you should hear it with a full stomach," Her Father stood and looked up. His 
tone was solemn and Ranma looked at him with a cautious, suspicious eye.
"Earlier this evening, Kasumi had been preparing dinner. While doing so, she 
noticed that the water from the faucet was not working. Through quick 
exploration, she learned that there was no water in the house. I have an odd 
foreboding that something has stolen the water," Genma looked at Ranma. She sat 
there peacefully, looking up at him.
"So why doesn't someone go and boil some from the Koi pond? I'm sure the fish 
wouldn't mind," Hiroshi slapped his head on the table as Genma shook his head 
back and forth. How could Ranma be so dense?
"You don't understand, Boy. There _is_ no water. None, zero, zilch. Not even in 
the pond. The entire place is as dry as a bone," Hiroshi looked back up 
expectantly, seeing no connection in Ranma's eyes.
"So... what are you saying?" Ranma seemed a bit confused. Had her Dad just said 
there was no water? That was silly, who would steal water?
"THERE IS NO WATER!!!" Genma yelled, raising his hands above his head.
"...what?" Ranma was stunned. She _hadn't_ misunderstood. There wasn't any 
water. Her mind began to panick.
"No water, Ranma," Hiroshi offered. Ranma jumped to her feet and walked up to 
the old man.
"You're saying there's no water in the faucets?"
"That is correct," Genma nodded.
"And none in the Pond?" Ranma knew she was grasping for straws, but had to ask 
anyways.
"Very perceptive," Genma crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"NO water in the ENTIRE house?" Ranma seemed flustered, and seemed to be turning 
red.
Genma began to grow impatient. "Is that _not_ what I have just said? You will 
have to remain in your cursed state until we can figure out who's taken the 
water, and _try_ to be a little more responsive, Son," Genma looked over at 
Hiroshi, who was staring avidly at Ranma.
The girl's face changed shades of red for several moments.

To Front door.

Kasumi finished washing up the dishes and heard a knock at the door. She noticed 
Ranma and Genma seemed to be having an argument, so went and answered the door.
"Oh, why hello Aunt Nodoka! What are you doing out so late?" Kasumi beamed 
despite her weariness. She had said her greeting loud enough, she hoped Genma 
would jump in the...
*Oh My...* Kasumi realized... there was no water. She hastily thought of some 
explanation of why Genma, and not Ranma, was here. She quickly procured one, 
should Nodoka want to come inside.
"Well, Kasumi-Chan, it may seem very silly. I was having trouble settling down 
back at the house, when I decided to go for a walk. I ended up here in Nerima 
and went to a movie, not a very good one mind you. By the time I was finished, I 
felt it was too late to go walking back to Tokyo... so I'm terribly sorry, the 
only place I could think to go was here. I hope you don't mind too terribly, but 
might I stay the night?" Nodoka smiled her warm, Motherly smile. It melted 
Kasumi's heart.
"Ahh... might I come in, Kasumi-Chan?" Kasumi blushed terribly when she realized 
her Aunt was standing out in the cold. She motioned for her to come in. Kasumi 
listened carefully, and heard no noise coming from the other room. *Good, they 
must have gone to bed.*
"I'll be right back, Aunt Nodoka. I just have to finish putting the dishes up. 
You may wait in the Dining room till I get the key for the guest room," Kasumi 
bustled off to the kitchen humming to herself.

To Dining Room.

Ranma blew up, as Hiroshi had feared. He saw the girl pick her father up, just 
as someone entered the room.
"WHATTA YA MEAN NO WATER?! I CAN'T STAY LIKE THIS, POP I'M NOT A GIRL, I'M A 
MAN! I'M A GUY!!! ARE YOU SAYING I HAVE TO STAY A GIRL FOR _ANOTHER_ DAY?! FOR 
ANOTHER DAY?!?! I SHOULD-I SHOULD-" Ranma paused in her screaming, sensing an 
odd presence. A familiar presence.
The blood drained from the girl's face, leaving it ghostly white. She looked 
over at the dining room entrance, to see the pale face of her Mother.
Her nerveless fingers dropped her Father, looking down at herself. She was a 
girl... her father was in human form... she had just yelled... yelled...

Nodoka walked into the dining room, and stood stock still as she saw her husband 
being lifted by Ranko.
The girl began yelling, and each word penetrated Nodoka to the soul.
The pieces fell together. So many slight hints she never had perceived before.
Nodoka's world collapsed.

"Ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod...." Ranma took a step back, and Hiroshi jumped to 
his feet.
Genma was blubbering on the floor about seppuku, and Hiroshi realized that this 
was Nodoka... Ranma's Mother.
Tears were streaming from Nodoka's face as she drew a gleaming katana from a 
bundle on her back.
"Ranma... why, by the Kami, why Ranma? You are... you are a girl?! WHY?!" Nodoka 
sliced the dining table cleanly in half in her rage.
"Sorry... Ohgod, I'm sorry Mom.... I love you... I love you... please don't hurt 
me... I love you...," Ranma dropped to her knees sobbing on the ground. Hiroshi 
was torn when he heard that sound.
"Ranma... You made a promise... I... but why?! WHY ARE YOU A GIRL!?!?!" Nodoka 
screamed.
"Jusenkyou... is very tragic legend of Girl who drowned in pool 1500 year 
ago..." Ranma managed to get out before another wave of sobs escaped. She 
couldn't control it.
Hiroshi couldn't stand to see Ranma hurt, it was too much... she had been 
through too much to be torn apart like this. He stepped between Mother and 
Daughter and finished for Ranma.
"Now whoever fall in pool take body of drowned girl, but in Jusenkyou, curse 
reversed with hot-water until next time hit with cold," Hiroshi looked Nodoka in 
the eye as tears streamed down the woman's face.
"My Son... I've made my son into a woman... forced him to be a woman... it is 
too much dishonor, I must end this, Step aside boy," Nodoka pointed her Katana 
at Hiroshi, who did not dare flinch.
"I am Hiroshi, not boy. I will not let you hurt Ranma, not this way. You are his 
Mother! Have you waited so long to simply kill your only son?! Have you been so 
patient to destroy the only thing you love?! Whether he's Ranko or Ranma, he 
still loves you, and I am guessing that you feel the same," Hiroshi didn't move, 
and the katana didn't move from his throat.
"I cannot... won't.... not... Ranm...Ranko... Ranma...," A flicker of confusion 
flashed back and forth across Nodoka's face, mixed with Anger and sorrow. Tears 
started flowing again, and Ranma looked up at her Mother.
"It was a promise... A PROMISE!!! She... she was supposed to be a man," Nodoka 
sounded unsure, and very confused. Hiroshi did not flinch as he stared down the 
blade.
"_He_ was supposed to come back... now I've lost them both... they both have 
left!" Nodoka's eyes were streaming with tears.
"Do what you have chosen, and I promise you... your heart will die with them. 
Ranma loves you, listen to the words, see the _person_ not the body!" Hiroshi 
glanced down at the gleaming blade. *You're a fool, Hiroshi. First you curse 
yourself, then you jump into a fight between Ranma and Cologne, now you're 
willing to get your throat slit?! For a friend?!*
*_YES_* Hiroshi stated. The second voice fell silent.
Nodoka brought the Katana down a bit, her sobs wracking her at the same time 
Ranma wept. "How... How can I?! *SOB!* How can I see the boy who left... so long 
ago... I see a beautiful young woman, a woman like myself not twenty-five years 
ago!" Nodoka brought the sword to bear again.
"Fine. Do what you must, but heed this word. The only way you will hurt Ranma is 
by planting ere' 30 inches of steel within this mortal breast. Nobody will hurt 
Ranma without going through me _FIRST_," Hiroshi nearly yelled the last word. 
Ranma flinched and looked up at Hiroshi, almost blinded by what she saw.
His aura was glowing with the intensity of a fireball... if only his Mother 
could see. Hiroshi would not back down. "Why are you doing this, 'Roshi?! You're 
not involved! It's my fault... my fault I'm not a man...," Ranma looked at her 
Mother with a forlorn look, and Hiroshi's features softened a bit.
"I am involved, Ranma. More than you would know, and if she truly believes 
killing her only child will help alleviate the pain, then she can kill me as 
well. You've been like a brother to me, and sometimes even closer than my Sister 
and I were when we were growing up. Save a life and save the world, Ranma. I 
think the world would grieve if I let you go...," Hiroshi paused as he looked at 
Nodoka. Her hand trembled and he felt...
He felt it. Her sharp anger slowly ebbing away.
She dropped the Katana to the floor and she soon followed it, sitting down 
rather roughly next to the now damaged dining table.
"Gods... she looks just like me, like I did as a young girl... and I never 
noticed... just like... oh gods, Ranma, I'm sorry about mentioning it... 
mentioning children... so sorry," Nodoka looked broken, and Hiroshi stepped 
aside, casting a hateful glance at a startled Genma.
"I never knew, you were acting like _such_ a young lady... and I never knew. All 
that to make me happy, and I mention having children... you must hate me, you 
must think I'm a monster with that sword," Nodoka looked at her Son turned 
Daughter.
Ranma didn't know what to say. So she hugged her Mother fiercely.
Hiroshi left the room for his futon, and was soon followed by a grim Genma. 
Ranma's Father had a feeling he would be sore tomorrow.
"I _love_ you Mom... I've wanted to tell you... so many times... so many times 
when you were so close, you were so happy to see me becoming..." Ranma paused as 
she remembered all the times her Mother had complimented her on her feminine 
actions, and scolded her for her violent tendencies.
"I never knew. I'm so sorry, If I had known, If... what am I to do now? I... 
that boy stopped me from making a terrible mistake... I've never liked violence, 
and I was about to kill you on the spot... out of blind, foolish rage," Nodoka 
caressed her Daughter's hair, feeling immense pangs of guilt, as well as sorrow. 
Guilt because she was treating Ranma like Ranko... and sorrow because she 
realized there would never be a Ranko again.
"Love me Mom."
"I don't _know_ you, Ranma... are you the girl before me? Or are you some young 
man I have never seen before? What am I to call you now? Ranma? Ranko? I don't 
know... I don't even know if I can treat you like a man. I've..." Nodoka 
stopped. She couldn't say that to Ranma, not especially if she understood this 
curse, and how it had effected her son.
*A daughter. I have a daughter... and I don't. I so much wanted to see Ranko 
married... see her prosper and grow... but now I hate myself for thinking it. 
Those dreams of her have been torn asunder with the revelation that _she_ is 
_my_ son. Ranko... now I knew why she seemed so lonely when I was there, why I 
felt so hurt when I caught her crying once. I loved her... can I come to love 
Ranma?* Nodoka looked down at the girl.
"I don't know, Mom... If you had asked two weeks ago, I would have said I was 
the black-haired boy you saw in the pictures Nabiki showed you."
"But now? I don't know any more. I suppose I'm still figuring it out. I _love_ 
you, Mom... I don't want our relationship to die because of this... this Curse 
which has made my life so complicated," Ranma sat up and looked into her 
Mother's blue eyes.
Nodoka traced Ranma's face, almost identical to hers. Her fiery hair was even 
brighter than Nodoka's had been at her age, but she looked so much like Nodoka's 
daughter, it was hard to picture a man in those eyes.
"You look so much like me, it's hard to imagine you as a boy," Nodoka said 
sadly. "Do you want our relationship to change? If you become a boy again, it 
will. I promise you that. I... There is no way that I would not treat you 
differently as a son... and I don't want to lose..." She had said too much, she 
saw Ranma's smile vanish.
"...Your Daughter. Mom... I'm not a girl, I'm a... I'm not a girl. I'm afraid, 
though... I don't want you to treat me differently," Ranma smiled and twirled 
her finger through her long hair. She hadn't bothered to tie it back when they 
had returned from the beach.
"I liked cooking with you, and sometimes... even shopping. I guess you kinda 
hammered these feelings into me... I'm sorry, I really _have_ been trying to 
stay a guy. You should know... seeing 'Ranko' being tomboyish so often... but I 
guess that's me for ya," Ranma laughed nervously and stood up as Nodoka did.
Nodoka felt a bit of worry twinge in her. What if she couldn't undo what she had 
done? She had used every trick in the family textbook to make 'Ranko' more 
feminine. What scared her now was... it had started to work. On her own son. 
Nodoka was sure Ranma hadn't begun to notice the soft swaying of her own hips, 
the easing tone she had begun speaking in, the odd hand-motions that seemed 
so... silly for a man to do.
"Ranma... are you a woman or a man?" Nodoka asked, squeezing her daughter's hand 
tightly.
Ranma's mind battled, images popping from left to right. "I... wanna say I'm a 
man. But recently...it's been confusing. Maybe I'm going through a phaze or 
somethin', but I just don't know," Ranma looked down in embarrasment.
Nodoka thought, then let go of her daughter. She picked up the sword, and Ranma 
grew instantly pale.
"No, this will not be used to kill. Not in this circumstance," Nodoka sheathed 
it, and Ranma let out the breath she had been holding.
"Go wake your fiancee, and the rest of the house... I must call your other 
fiancee's..."
"Uh... Fiancee, Shampoo got married while you were gone. Oh, and I _don't_ count 
Kodachi! So don't even think about calling her," Ranma clenched her fists when 
she thought of Kodachi. The woman didn't know when to stop. Ranma absently 
wondered what her Mother was thinking.
"Fine then, I will call Ukyou, Sad what I must do... but it must be done for 
now," Nodoka walked toward the phone. Ranma wanted to say something, a feeling 
of panic settling over her as she thought her Mother would leave.
"Mom?"
"Yes?"
"Call me whatever... it doesn't matter if it's Ranko or Ranma," Ranma found she 
didn't mind either. After five-months of listening to the name, she had gotten 
used to it. *Would be a shame if I stopped hearing it!* Ranma joked to herself.
Nodoka looked at Ranma... just looked. Ranma became nervous after a moment and 
began fidgeting under that stare.
*What else am I to do? This is such a mess... my Child needs to decide.* Nodoka 
waved Ranma away, and her son/daughter fled upstairs to wake the house.
Nodoka picked up the phone and dialed. After eight rings, a sleepy voice 
answered.
Ukyou: Hello?
Nodoka: Yes, is this Kuonji Ukyou?
Ukyou: Yes... who's this? And why call so late?
Nodoka: This is Ran... this is Saotome Genma's wife. I have recently been 
enlightened to... certain things. I have something to announce to the family, 
and wanted Ranma's Fiancee's to attend. If it, of course, is no Trouble, Kuonji-
San.
There was a very long pause and Nodoka wondered if the girl had fallen back 
asleep.
Ukyou: Yes, Saotome-San. I will be over very soon.
Nodoka: Thank-you very much, Kuonji-San.
Nodoka hung up the phone with a slightly unnerved look to her. She had expected 
a peaceful night's rest, and maybe some soft talk with Ranko.
*Well... you've gotten one out of two, Nodoka. Just not in the way you 
imagined.* Nodoka's nerves were on end as she went back and sat down at what was 
left of the table.
Kasumi watched on, her hands clenched tightly. She had viewed the entire 
exchange with mixed fear and trepidation, and a healthy bit of guilt. She had 
not even warned Ranma of his Mother's arrival. She approached a stricken looking 
Nodoka with a grim mask of bravery.
Nodoka looked up at Kasumi, a confused and broken look reflected in her eyes. 
"Kasumi-Chan, you never told me."
"N-no, Aunt Nodoka," Kasumi looked at the ground, as her own self worth seemed 
to plummet.
"It's all right, Kasumi-Chan. You may tell me everything now. And I _mean_ 
everything. I will not let this destroy my family, but there must be something 
done," Nodoka added a hint of determination and strength to her voice.

Upper level of Tendo's House.

Ranma gently shook Akane, noticing her fiancee was very much asleep. "Akane? 
Hey, Akane! Get up, sleepyhead!" Ranma shook her harder. *She's awfully cute 
when she's sleeping...* Ranma noted as she looked down at the still sleeping 
Akane.
Then again, Akane _had_ been sparring with her, and that could tire many people 
out. Ranma continued to shake his fiancee until she opened her eyes a bit.
"Gah... go... what? ... Huh? R-Ranma?!" Akane sat upright, looking at the 
window.
It was closed to her relief, and the door was propped open.
Akane was confused... had Ranma actually used the door for once? Why was he 
still a girl? Why was she waking him up at...
"Ranma... it's 10:30 P.M., whatever it is that's keeping you up, just ignore it. 
Go back to sleep," Akane rolled back over in her bed.
Ranma stomped her foot unconciously, and pulled on Akane's arm.
"Mom is here Akane! She wants to tell everyone somethin' important!"
Akane actually stood up during those words. *Well, now I know why Ranma is a 
girl!* Akane yawned, and tried figuring out why she was so sleepy. *Oh wait... 
that's right, Ranma actually sparred with me!* Akane beamed the best she could 
as she remembered this silent admission of respect from Ranma. *Maybe he's not 
such a Baka... okay, well, maybe not ALL the time.*
Akane was dragged out into the hall as Nabiki rubbed her eyes and yawned. "What 
is it with you, Ranma. Whenever anyone else tries getting sleep, you make them 
get up in the middle of the night for some cockamami fight or another stupid, 
useless reason,"
"She knows," Ranma said.
Akane froze, and Nabiki stood like a statue before fainting.
Ranma looked at Nabiki on the ground, then laughed.
"Well I'll be damned, now THAT'S a FIRST!" Akane had to laugh despite herself. 
It was forced however, as she wondered what would happen to Ranma.
Seppuku?

To Dining Area.

Ranma sat with a smile in her usual spot, and folded her hands in her lap. Soun 
was weeping for his 'lost cause'. Kasumi was silently looking at the Table, her 
face melancholy. Hiroshi was grumbling about losing sleep, but glanced at Ranma 
and Nodoka several times. Genma seemed to be staring at his wife, with little or 
no response coming any time soon. Akane was nervously looking around, to see if 
something terrible might happen. Nabiki was surveying the damage, and looking 
worriedly at Akane. Ukyou was trying to fix her disarrayed hair to some 
semblance of modesty, mumbling complaints about being awoken in the middle of 
the night. Several small conversations had started, most of them wondering what 
this was all about.
Nodoka, however, was looking only at Ranma. The only proper way for her to 
repair some normality to her child's life was for her to do this. *Let the 
consequences be forever upon our family line, whether bad or good comes of it.*
"Quiet, please," The Saotome matriarch calmly bellowed as she stood. Everyone 
looked on expectantly, and Ranma had curiosity written in her features.
"Tonight I came to rest beneath the roof of Tendo's house. Tonight I became 
aware of a lie propigated by all within this house right now," Nodoka looked 
around at those seated as they exchanged glances. Ranma looked away, more 
ashamed that she couldn't have come out and told the truth by the second.
"All has been explained," Nodoka looked at Kasumi with a thankful look. Kasumi 
looked to be on the verge of crying, "And I have come to the realization that 
Ranma must make his own decisions for the future," Akane's face paled, and Soun 
looked grim as Genma's eyes widened at his wife's intended plan. Ukyou gasped as 
she realized the inferred meaning a moment after everyone else.
"To begin with, all rights and claims to my son's hand in marriage are 
completely annulled. If any have a claim for my _daughter's_ hand, those are 
also annulled," Nodoka looked around icily at the group, as the two ex fiancee's 
stared in shock at her. Soun began bawling, and Genma began speaking loudly of 
his shame for his son. Ukyou began telling her Yaitai story and Ranma and Akane 
were making like they could care even less.
"QUIET!" Nodoka snapped. Genma cringed, and Soun was too shocked to do anything 
but listen. Silence fell over the dojo once more.
Ranma looked at his Mother in a bit of fear. More awe than fear, though. *I can 
be strong when I need, Ranma.* Nodoka thought as her face softened back to her 
cold smile.
Nodoka breathed a deep breath in, continuing in a more level tone, "As Mother to 
the intended, I have such right to void any promises and agreements made by my 
_Husband_ that I find refutable and largely distasteful. Under the current 
situations... I find all of this distasteful. The way my son has been raised, 
the way my daughter has been treated, and the undeniable irresponsibility that 
my Husband has shown in his dealings with both Ranma's social standings, as well 
as ignoring the basic lessons of womanhood Ranma should have learned by now," 
Nodoka found her speech became easier with every word, as she knew there was no 
other way to appease the promise she had made to herself.
Everyone glanced at eachother very confused. Ranma blushed a deep crimson, and 
wondered why her Mother was saying those odd things about her _son_.
"Pardon me, Nodoka-San, but why do you refer to Ranma as both son, and 
daughter?" Soun averted his eyes when he saw Nodoka's burning glare behind the 
soft fascade.
"Let me continue, Tendo-San, and you will know. It has come to light that Ranma 
has not chosen, nor made any move toward chosing a fiancee. The only way I see 
that I can proceed through a promise made to _myself_ is to train my child as 
both girl, and boy. Sadly, Genma's influence has already shaped Ranma's crude 
egotistical male side... and if there were some other way, I would jump to it 
willingly," Nodoka stared around the room. Everyone's face went pale, 
particularly Ranma's.
The visions flooded back, of nightmares involving water, and babies, and being 
stuck, and the chiisuiton, and all the other things Ranma had faced and 
confronted.
"No... no! Mom, what if I found a cure?! What if I went back to China and found 
the Nannichuan?! It... it doesn't matter if Jusenkyo flooded! There's gotta be a 
cure! I can find it, Mom, I can-" Ranma was quietly cut off when Nodoka raised 
her hand for silence.
Nodoka looked at her daughter with sad eyes, wishing there were another way 
around her Promise, "I am sorry, Ranma dear. Kasumi has told me of all the times 
you looked for a cure... The more I dwell on how many were fakes and phonies the 
more I realize you really _might_ be stuck with this-"
"No! There's a way! I'll find it! I- I can't be stuck like this! I'm a M- I'm a 
M- a M- DAMMIT WHY CAN'T I SAY IT?!?!?!" Ranma fell back down in her seat, she 
had been standing while she yelled. A weak dizzy feeling came over Ranma, her 
stomach felt like it was cartwheeling and the blood kept rushing to her head. 
*I'm... not going to faint.* Ranma forced the feeling away.
Nodoka looked at her daughter with a startled expression, *That fiery spirit 
reminds me so much of my youth...* Nodoka pushed the thought back.
"Ranma-Chan," The girl and the group flinched at the words. Not so much their 
meaning, but the basic fact that they came from Nodoka.
"Ranma-Chan, did you say that Jusenkyo was a training ground?" Nodoka recalled 
the brief tale the girl had skimmed over on their first meeting. The meaning of 
the guides words had never been apparent to anyone, until Nodoka had given it 
some thought.
"Yes, that's what I said, Mom," Ranma looked up from her depression into her 
Mother's patient eyes.
"Tell me, Ranma and Genma, did you think it was a Martial arts Training ground? 
Did it never occur to you that whoever fell into the pool fell in for a 
_REASON_?!" Nodoka calmed her voice, lest her anger take over.
Ranma's mind clicked. Hiroshi had tried to tell her, and so had his Sister 
Memeko. None of it had made sense until the question of the training grounds 
_true_ nature of training had been brought out by Ranma's Mother.
"You mean-" Started Genma.
"Yes, Husband. You've already learned how to accept your curse, accept being a 
Panda. Even the _other's_ that Kasumi has told me about had no trouble dealing 
with their curses. Ranma, however, has the ultimate task. She has to learn _who_ 
she is, not _what_ she is. Fate must have been cruel or insightful to plague my 
child with such a curse. I believe it is our duty to train Ranma in the way's of 
the woman, and let him make a decision of his own volition. I will not force 
upon Ranma the sexual innuendo that most girls learn, nor will I force him into 
any abnormal preferences that make him uncomfortable. I believe this curse was 
intended to teach Ranma the inherant problems of being a woman, so I plan on 
doing just that," Nodoka felt queezy as she thought of all the things Ranma will 
hate, and all the things that Ranma didn't know.
She wished with all her heart that there were some other way to avoid the 
Seppuku, but the only thing she could think of was to delay the promise till her 
first oath had been fulfilled.
She hoped she could do it when the time came, she somehow feared she couldn't. A 
promise to herself... to her Mother...
She had sworn to pass on her Mother's teachings to her first daughter... Sadly 
that was...
Ranma.
"You may all go and think about this. Ranma's training will begin tomorrow on 
Monday. On Monday's, Wednesday's, Friday's and Sunday's Ranma will be trained as 
a girl. Tuesday's, Thursday's, and Saturday's will be spent in the company of my 
husband and Soun, I am trusting you two not to screw up, or there will be dire 
consequences," Nodoka clenched her fists as everyone stayed silent.
Ranma looked worriedly at Akane, and the girl noticed. Her face softened a bit, 
and Ranma panicked. What's worse is, she opened her mouth.
"Well, at least I don't have to worry about that Kawaiikune Tomboy anymore!" She 
realized she may have said one word too many as a mallet was drawn out of thin 
air and connected solidly with her head.
Nodoka sighed, this was going to be more trouble than she thought.

Nodoka&Genma

Nodoka silently closed the door to the guest room. She sighed and threw herself 
on the bed with a muffled sob. It seems like her world was falling to pieces, 
that innocence from her teenage years seemed as if broken into a thousand 
stabbing shards of pain.
Nodoka turned over on her back, looking up at the ceiling. Her mind drifted to 
long ago, to a small hospital room in the outskirts of Tokyo... to a modest 
little house owned by Tofu Agami, Tofu Ona's father.
She recalled three words which changed her life forever...

"You are pregnant, Nodoka-Chan. Ten weeks," Agami looked at the nervous girl 
with her hair tied back. The red mane had been darkening for three years now, 
but still held a very luxurious fiery hue. She was dressed in a spring-green 
Kimono, with her fiery hair tied back in a pony-tail. Nobody would believe 
Agami-sensei if he told them that behind this very model of a woman was a fiery 
spirit to match Oni.
Nodoka placed her hand on her belly, aware of a strange shock coursing through 
her. Fear gripped her heart. At the age of twenty, she had never even thought 
about having children... and all it had taken was a single time with someone she 
didn't even think she liked. *Baka... Genma, I wonder if you'll even be a 
responsible enough father to stay in one place long enough to raise our baby...* 
Nodoka worried.
She recalled, a few months ago, when her fiancee had let down his guard at a 
dance. She recalled all the times they had fought over the arrangement between 
their parents, but neither had had the guts to face them... least of all Genma.
*And now, Genma-kun... this new life will force us into a difficult decision...*
"Have you told Genma? I'm sure he would like to know that his fiancee is with 
child. This might change things...," Agami laughed at the thought that Genma 
would have to settle down, just like his friend Soun. Nodoka shook her head, and 
breathed in quickly as she ran her hands over her belly. She couldn't feel 
anything... it scared her and caused her amazement that she was actually 
pregnant.
Agami-sensei smiled and spoke, "I think you should talk to Soun's wife. She's 
already been through two pregnancies, and she is actually expecting another. She 
might be able to help you through this first time," Agami sensei looked at 
Nodoka with compassion... he had a feeling that her child would be very special.
"Thank you, Agami-sensei," Nodoka stood, and began to walk to the door. Agami 
watched her stop and turn around.
"Agami... I might not be back here for a while, so I want you to come by every 
now and then," Nodoka felt very nervous about all of this, Agami-sensei could 
tell. She was likely wondering what to tell her parents, as well as her soon-to-
be-husband. He nodded to her request.
"And... Agami-sensei, what do you think would be a good name?" Nodoka looked at 
him dead serious. He was a bit startled, usually the name was consulted upon, 
and usually not so soon. He quickly regained his composure and thought for a 
moment.
"Truthfully, Nodoka-Chan? With your fiery spirit and Genma's fierce male 
bravado, not to mention skill in the martial arts... I would most likely say..." 
Agami-Sensei paused for a moment in thought, before he came up with two 
_different_ names.
"... I would say Ranma 'Wild Horse" or Ranko, the gender opposite,"
Nodoka liked both names. Maybe if she had a girl...

Nodoka laughed for a good ten minutes as she found a clue to Ranko's identity 
sixteen years in the past. *And to think, I never figured it out!*
A knock at the door caused her to pause in her merriment.
"Nodoka-Chan? May I come in?" Genma's voice echoed from outside the door.
Nodoka sat up, straightening her appearance for several moments as her husband 
waited on the other side of the door.
"Come," Nodoka voiced, just loud enough for Genma to hear.
Her husband opened the door and shuffled in nervously. "I am sorry, Nodoka-
Chan... for not telling you, but coming home meant fulfilling the promise. You 
understand my predicament, don't you?" Genma sat down on the bed beside his 
wife, and she edged away a bit.
"_No_, I don't understand. I only understand that my husband is a coward, and 
that he had been keeping my son... my daughter... my CHILD away from me! Ten 
years, Genma Saotome, ten years of unrelinquished anguish because of your 
foolish pride! When the letters stopped, I feared that you had both been 
killed... or worse," Nodoka looked at her husband, finding a familiar stirring 
deep in her heart.
Genma looked down at the ground, inwardly flinching from his wife's comments. 
*She is right... I am a coward. I'm not even brave enough to face the 
responsibility of my son. I should have tried harder to teach him... not to be 
like me.*
Nodoka almost started crying again as she spoke, "I would have done it, Genma. 
You know me... I would never have hesitated in killing you both. I felt so 
utterly betrayed and duped. You would both be lying on the ground bleeding to 
death if it wasn't for this Hiroshi... who is he?" Nodoka recalled the fierce 
gleam in the boy's eyes, the very real threat of violent reaction to her deeds.
"He is just a friend of Ranma's from school, I didn't realize any of them had 
guts except for Ryouga," Genma scoffed at the thought of the Lost boy, who 
hadn't been seen since earlier that night.
"You are such a terrible judge of character, Genma-kun. That's always been your 
major flaw... that and the, what was it again? Oh yes, the so called 'Saotome 
School of Anything Goes Martial Arts Final Attack!'. Running away is a much more 
widely accepted term," Nodoka smirked at her comment, then realized where the 
conversation was heading.
"If you intend that as an insult, I am not obliged to agree. It is a very famous 
technique among our line, but I wouldn't expect _you_ to know anything about 
that, being a misinformed traditionalist!" Genma crossed his arms, as he told 
his version of the truth. Nodoka realized there was no going back, as her own 
anger consumed her will of control.
"How would you know what I know, you sanctemonious Baka?! You've been gone for 
ten years! Oh, so sorry, let me rephrase that, you've been a 'Panda' for the 
last several months!" Nodoka and Genma jumped up and faced eachother, fists 
drawn at sides. Nabiki and Kasumi were standing at the door by now, and Akane 
had just joined them.
"That has nothing to do with this! Why should I care what you think?! You're 
always insulting my talents, and throwing my superior abilities into question, 
you Flame-Headed Oni!" Genma threw the insult with familiarity. Ranma and Soun 
were watching by now, with Hiroshi jumping up over peoples heads to try and see 
what was going on in the room.
Nodoka's face turned red and a blue aura shot up around the woman. "What was 
that?" She said in a surprisingly calm voice.
"Oni-Woman! Red-Headed She Devil! Violent Demon of a girl!" Genma got louder and 
louder with his insults.
Nodoka seemed to pause for a moment, then her voice rang out, "GENMA NO BAKA!" 
And Genma Saotome was beaten half-to-death then sent somewhere into the 
constellation of Casseiopeia.
Nodoka stormed to the door slamming it in everyone's faces, then threw herself 
on the bed and cried.

The Others.

Akane and Ranma looked at eachother, completely confused why either of Ranma's 
parents would act so immature. They were like bickering children.
Soun just shook his head and went to bed. Murmuring, "Some things just never 
change, Saotome," and he smiled as he left.
Kasumi was startled, but whispered a good night to everyone before retiring to 
her own room.
Ranma and Akane asked simultaneously, "What was that all about?"
Nabiki and Hiroshi burst into raucous laughter.
"Oh, geeze. This is too much. Maybe it's some kind of Saotome marriage-curse or 
something!" Nabiki walked back to her room laughing all the way as Hiroshi 
spoke.
"Did we miss something?" Akane asked, looking at Hiroshi. Everyone had seemed 
slightly amused at the incident. Ranma and Akane didn't know why.
"Nothing, Akane-Chan. Nothing you would not get angry at, at least," Hiroshi 
moved to go back to his room when Akane's anger flared and she attempted to grab 
Hiroshi's hand.
Someone tapped her on the shoulder and both Ranma and Akane blinked. She had 
missed his wrist, and he had even startled her from behind.
"Gomen Nasai, Akane-Chan. I really need to get some sleep, though," Hiroshi 
yawned and walked into Ranma & Genma's room.
"How the hell-" Akane started.
"Did he do that?" Ranma finished. Ever since Ranma had begun spending more and 
more time around Hiroshi, he had realized that Hiroshi _could not_ be sensed. It 
caused much disturbance by the simple fact that Hiroshi was constantly scaring 
Ranma from behind.
"Hey, Akane"
"Ranma," They both said simultaneously.
The red-head giggled and Akane smiled. Her smile was quickly washed away when 
the reality of their situation hit them.
"Ranma... I guess this means we don't have to worry about that... engagement 
anymore," Akane sounded sad that Ranma's Mother had negated all of Genma's 
promised iinazukes.
"Yeah... I mean, it _is_ kinda weird... not being engaged to such a... I mean, 
not being engaged to you, Akane," Ranma looked up at Akane with her blue eyes, 
recalling several weeks ago when they had returned from China... Saffron 
defeated.
The most vivid and color-filled memory in all of Ranma's life was seeing Akane 
in that wedding-kimono. Till the day Ranma died, she would never forget the 
surge of unadulterated love in her heart that had threatened to overwhelm her.
"I know what you mean..." Akane paused, and then yawned as the familiar ache of 
a three-hour workout caught up with her mentally shocked mind.
"Well, I guess we should be getting to bed... good-night Akane," Ranma leaned up 
and kissed her on the cheek, then looked at her in confusion.
Akane's hand stole to her cheek, similarly in confusion. After a moment she 
smiled and did the same for Ranma.
Ranma froze when Akane kissed her on her cheek, and a warm feeling spread over 
the petite red-head. She turned and walked back to her room.
Akane was still smiling about the kiss. It might not be very romantic... but 
with Ranma, it was a start. Akane paused and watched Ranma walk to her room, 
shared with the now absent Genma and the sleeping Hiroshi. After a moment, Akane 
turned and walked back to her own room, her smile forgotten. Something had 
disturbed Akane about the _way_ Ranma was walking... it seemed familiar somehow, 
but she couldn't put her finger on it.
She had the energy to change into her pajamas before she curled up on her bed 
and quickly escaped to a peaceful sleep filled with colorful dreams of the fair.

Ukyou

Ukyou walked down the shadowed street, thinking about the dire fate Saotome 
Nodoka had just announced for Ranma.
*How _could_ she?! I love Ranchan! How _could_ she do that to me? How could she 
do that to _him_?! He's not a girl! He's my Ranchan!* Ukyou punched a lampost, 
creating a crack that spidered out. Ukyou's fist hurt, but her heart hurt more.
She knew that with her out of the picture, and with Ranma living with Akane that 
she hardly had a chance at all. What could she do? She didn't have a claim on 
her Love anymore, ripped away by the woman who gave birth to Ranma... who, it 
seemed, would be leading Ranma's life for a while yet to come.
Ukyou couldn't hold a grudge, though... not against Saotome Nodoka. She had 
heard about how Ranma felt when she visited, she had even seen it once or twice 
when 'Ranko' stopped by Ucchan's.
Who was meant for her? If Ranma chose Akane, what would she do? She had never 
given the thought much consideration. She had always thought that she held a 
place in Ranma's heart. Maybe she did, just not in the way she wanted.
*Friends, how could he?! Friends... I want... I _need_ so much more from him! 
How can we be just friends?! Who is left for me when he is gone?* Ukyou looked 
up at the sky, considering the stars.
"Uh, excuse me ma'am... which way is the Tendo Dojo? I seem to be a bit out of 
place...," Ukyou looked down and into the face of Hibiki Ryouga. She shook her 
head, and Ryouga blushed when he realized who he was talking to.
"Ah... sorry, Ukyou... it's just that... well... you know how I am... if it 
_WASN'T_ for Ranma... Grrrrr," Ryouga started glowing faintly with an aura of 
anger, and Ukyou took a step back in alarm.
Ryouga's aura blinked out a moment later when he saw her step away, a bit of 
fear in her movements. "Ah... sorry again, Ukyou. I guess I'm not just twice 
cursed... I'm thrice cursed with this uncontrollable anger..." Ryouga's demeanor 
shifted as his shoulders slumped, his eyes losing all reflection of light, and 
even the moon's glow was darkened around the Lost boy's dismal mood as a cloud 
passed over it.
Ukyou had to do something, just _being_ near Ryouga when he was like this was 
almost as bad as being Ryouga himself!
"Ah, C'mon, Ryouga-kun. Don't feel so bad, here, How's about I take you back to 
my place and you can sleep there," Ukyou forced a smile through the wave of 
depression washing over her from Ryouga.
"Gee, I don't know, I think I'd just be trouble to you... maybe you shouldn't 
bother...," Ryouga's depression seemed to double, a seemingly impossible feat. 
Ukyou felt like she would start crying if she didn't get him happy _soon_.
"No, you're no trouble, sugar. I mean, a cute guy like you? I'm sure you're 
pretty hungry, sweety, I'll cook something if you come back to the restaurant 
with me! Besides, Ranma has enough trouble for one night... his Mother's 
visiting," Ukyou was startled when Ryouga flashed her a fanged smile.
Ukyou's words had made Ryouga feel slightly better, and with Ranma's Mother 
there he would be living through hell for the next few days. *Why not grab 
something to eat? You haven't eaten since this morning...* In response, Ryouga's 
stomach grumbled.
Ukyou laughed, and that raised Ryouga's spirits even more. *She has a nice 
laugh.*
"C'mon, I'll fix you a special Okonomiyaki," Ukyou began walking again.
Ryouga was about to protest, when he realized that if she left he would be lost 
again. He quickly followed Ukyou.

* * * * * *

Ranma slowly fell asleep from the events of the day, from Ryouga's 'Accident' to 
her Mother's proclamation. Lucid visions invaded her thoughts, she tried 
valiantly fighting for a dreamless sleep... but the images quickly overtook her 
mind.

Ranma stood on a circular slab of stone, and walked a sinuous line between. 
Looking to her left and right she noted that the rock was black on one side, and 
white on the other. A black dot stained the white side, and a white dot redeemed 
the bleak darkness of the black side.
Suddenly, the black half rose up into a wave that quickly engulfed Ranma. She 
was floating far above Jusenkyo, a palace in the distance. She realized she 
could fly, and began to whisk her way toward the enormous tower.
The farther she travelled, the more she couldn't remember who she was.
Suddenly, the forgetful girl appeared in a large room, where a battle was 
ensuing. A man dressed in white garb said something to a red-haired girl, and 
the girl tried flinging herself forward, tears in her eyes.
Why was she crying? Her friends restrained her, a strange boy with a bandanna, 
and a girl in a white gi.
Who are they?
The dream shifted, and there was a wedding procession. Ranma recalled her life 
now, but couldn't recall that strange _other_ part of the dream.
Akane and Ranma kissed, sealing themselves together forever. Suddenly Ranma 
found herself not across from Akane getting married, but in the air... being 
pulled away from Akane by someone she knew... someone she trusted.
She stabbed him with a dagger she had found in her hands, and his form fell away 
as he gasped his last breath.
Suddenly Ranma realized... her path might have been chosen late. This person was 
trying to save her from herself. It said there was another choice, not what 
Ranma thought _felt_ the most right, but the true path... masked in confusion 
and sorrow, hidden behind what seemed the wrong decision.
"Ahhh... Jusenkyo very old, very famous Training grounds... what of? You mean 
you not know? NO SIR! YOU NO CAN PRACTICE HERE! It Jusenkyo, Training Grounds!" 
The guide said. Ranma didn't understand. He just shrugged and jumped into a 
pool.
Ranma walked back out, both confused and scared that he was now a girl...
And what was that laughing?

Ranma woke up to Hiroshi shaking her. "Hey, man, wake up! Your Mom said it's 
time to start," Hiroshi stood up when he saw Ranma's eyes drift open.
"Gah... gimme a break, 'Roshi... she didn't put _you_ up to this too, did she? 
Lemme sleep... I'm not a girl and I'm not gonna start actin' like one," Ranma 
turned over onto her stomach and held the pillow over her head.
"C'mon... it's your Mom!" Hiroshi looked out the window at the black sky, not 
yet lit by the morning sun.
"Whatime'sit? 6:30? 7?" Ranma threw the pillow aside and looked up at Hiroshi.
"Actually, it's 4:30 a.m.," Hiroshi smiled when he heard Ranma groan.
"Get up, Ranma. Or would you rather have Akane cook breakfast?" Hiroshi was 
surprised when Ranma leaped to her feet with a smile.
"Hey! You don't have to let her do _that_," Ranma sighed with sadness. She 
guessed that the only way out of this was _through_ what had been planned. *No 
sense letting Akane poison us with her food... hey, I'm doing everyone a favor!* 
Ranma tried to convince herself. Her comforting words didn't make her feel 
better.
Ranma shambled down to the living room, where her Mother was silently awaiting 
her presence. Nodoka looked up at her Daughter with a controlled smile as she 
noted that Ranma wasn't per-say a 'Morning' person. She concluded that the only 
reason Ranma wasn't awake was because her Father hadn't woken her up to go 
practice in the back yard.
"Good Morning, Ranma," Nodoka smiled and stood. Ranma looked blearily at Nodoka.
"Mom, it's four-o'clock in the morning! Sheesh, why'd you get me up _so_ early?" 
Ranma sat down at the table and began nodding off again. *Jus' a few more 
minutes and I'll feel fine...*
Unfortunately, Nodoka couldn't wait. "Up. Your training begins when _I_ choose 
it to, and I've lost a lot of time to your Father. Needless to say, you should 
catch me up on everything you've been doing," Ranma looked up at her Mother with 
a curiously perplexed look on her face.
Ranma began to speak, but Nodoka held up a quieting hand. "You may speak of your 
travels while I show you the basics, now up to the bathroom young lady," Nodoka 
inwardly flinched at the word, Ranma outwardly flinched.
"I'm not a-"
"No arguments, now go. I will be right behind you," Nodoka picked up a small box 
as Ranma stood back up.
Ranma thought to say something else, but decided against it... she wasn't so 
sure she had gotten over the Katana. Actually, she was more afraid her Mother 
hadn't gotten over it.
She shook off a bit more sleep and walked up to the bathroom, cursing her luck 
in her head. She was at least wise enough not to do it in front of her Mother.
"Don't scowl, dear, it's not lady-like," Nodoka smirked when Ranma's scowl got 
deeper. Nodoka had a pretty good idea what was going through her Daughter's mind 
at that moment.
"Sorry, Mom," Ranma did her best to wipe the anger from her face, and managed it 
to a point.
In the bathroom, Ranma looked in the mirror with a gasp. "My... my hair is a 
mess!!!" Ranma had forgotten that she had let it grow out before she washed it 
with Shampoo's Formula 699(Which helped negate the rapid growth for a while). 
She had also forgotten that she had let it down at the beach.
"My, yes. You do look a fright, don't you? Here, sit down and let me show you 
something," Nodoka had carried a chair into the bathroom, and quickly pushed 
Ranma down into it.
"Watch carefully, dear," Nodoka began brushing, spraying, cutting, and curling 
Ranma's hair at a rapid pace. If it hadn't been for Ranma's quick eyes, Ranma 
would have missed everything.
"Remember that, you'll be using it from now on for the days I will be training 
you. You won't like the punishment if you forget," Nodoka smiled a sly grin, 
*Best to let their own imaginations work up a fitting punishment, Kami knows I 
have no ideas.*
"Gee, uh, thanks Mom," Ranma looked at her hair, which was now styled and quite 
clean. She reached into her pocket, pulled out the Dragon's whisker and started 
to put it in her hair. It was snatched away by Nodoka.
"Hey! I need that!" Ranma made to grasp the thin string but Nodoka evaded the 
obvious motion.
"Not today, Ranma. I will give it back to you this evening. Now here," Nodoka 
handed the box she had been holding to Ranma. Ranma looked at it in puzzlement.
"It's make-up, dear," Nodoka said, a slight bit of uncertainty in her voice. 
Ranma looked at her incredulously and tried handing the box back.
Nodoka pushed it away with one hand, "It is yours, I bought these for 'Ranko'. I 
suppose that means for you... if you want, we could deal with this some other 
day, Ranma... but we _will_ have to deal with it," Ranma considered the box, the 
blood draining from his face.
"You're... you... you were serious, weren't you?" Ranma set the box in her lap 
and looked up at her Mother.
Nodoka twinged inwardly when she saw the sad, broken look in Ranma's eyes. *I 
can't do this to him... but I made a promise! Kami, if I could take it back I 
would... but she's my first, and I promised Mother.* Nodoka closed her eyes, 
shutting the tears away behind her lids.
"Yes, Ranma... I'm sorry. I promised my Mother... promised that my first 
Daughter... I'm sorry, this is all your Father's fault," Nodoka opened her eyes 
and looked into her Daughter's eyes. *Ranma, your eyes are the only constant. 
Why am I going to do this? Because of the Promise? Because of my own 
selfishness? Or because this is what I think you need... to understand the 
difficult decision you have to make between Akane and Ukyou.*
"It's okay, Mom. It's not so bad, I mean, it's just make-up, right?" Ranma's 
words sounded hollow to her own ears. She didn't want to do _any_ of this, but 
Honor required her to... if her Mother had made a promise she had to help her 
see it through.
"Uh... what do we start with?" Ranma forced a smile. *Maybe it _really_ won't be 
as bad as I think...*
Nodoka returned the smile and began to speak.

1 hour and 30 minutes later, in the Kitchen.

Ranma was dressed in her school uniform with an apron tied around her waist. 
Nodoka was quickly getting ingredients from around the kitchen.
*Why'd I ask Mom how to cook western style? Oh yeah, Memeko. Good stuff.* Ranma 
licked her lips as she imagined the meal she had eaten several times over at 
Memeko's house for breakfast.
Ranma blinked when Nodoka pulled out several bottles of water from her bag.
"Hey! Where'd you get that from?!" Ranma made to snatch the water, and earned a 
quick snap to the back of her hands with a spoon.
"OW!"
"You will not get this until _after_ dinner tonight. As for where I got it, I 
always carry around water. It's quite a healthy habit, Ranma. Remember that your 
body needs about a gallon a day," Nodoka handed Ranma one of the bottles with a 
stern look. "And don't let me see you try and warm that up. That's for your 
lunch," Nodoka turned back to her bag and pulled out a book.
It was a brown leather bound book that said "Family Recipes" on the cover. 
Nodoka rifled through it then turned to Ranma.
"I would like to see you do this on your own, I trust your abilities with this. 
Follow the recipe to the letter, and Soun will most likely bawl," Nodoka handed 
the book to Ranma very carefully.
"This is our _own_ family recipe, not even Genma knows what's in that book. 
Treat it and it's secrets with respect and you'll be a cook to be reckoned 
with," Ranma looked at the book in awe from her Mother's words. This wasn't 
something to be taken lightly... her Mother was sharing family _secrets_ with 
her! Ranma smiled as her hands began to move with rapidly growing speed.
"That's my girl," Nodoka smiled as she watched her child create a masterpiece of 
a breakfast.

2 hours 30 minutes later

Akane woke up groggily, unsure about what time it was. She noticed she was far 
off her usual rising time, and wondered why. Then she noticed that there were no 
fighting noises outside and connected two and two and surprisingly got four.
Soun was already up and reading the paper as he listened to Kasumi and Nodoka 
speaking with Ranma in the kitchen, someone was trying to give someone tips on 
how to cook.... Soun assumed it was Nodoka and Kasumi conferring.
More often than not, they repeated what eachother said but changed the way it 
was said so it sounded new.
Genma had as of yet, not come back. He would most likely arrive near noon if 
Soun guessed correctly.
Nabiki was scribbling on her notepad and using her calculator to figure her net 
profit for the week, while she considered the previous nights events.
Hiroshi was sitting out near the koi pond watching the sun rise as it cast it's 
life-giving beams over the Tendo's fence. Hiroshi missed the jumping fish from 
the Koi pond, now strangely absent of water.
Akane joined her Father at the table, and Nodoka walked out of the kitchen with 
Kasumi.
Everyone was seated quietly as Soun finished reading the paper. "Ah, so what's 
for breakfast...?! Kasumi? Who's cooking if Nodoka isn't?!" Soun, Nabiki, and 
Hiroshi all looked at Akane, and relaxed finding she was seated in her usual 
spot.
"What's wrong with you people?! I am _not_ that bad!" Akane vehemently denied.
"Denial is a sign of psychosis, you know," Hiroshi chimed, and Akane glared at 
him in contempt.
"Well? Who's cooking?" Soun asked, looking around.
"My Daughter, Tendo-San," Nodoka smiled as Ranma walked out with plates balances 
on her head, and in her arms and hands.
"Breakfast is served, Saotome Family Recipe #212-Western style Pancakes with 
fried bacon!" Ranma, in a blur of motion, sat each plate down in front of each 
member of the household. She noted casually that Ryouga was missing and 
shrugged. *Feh, he'll be back in about a week.*
Ranma held her breath as she waited for Soun to take the first bite, and Akane 
looked at Ranma strangely.
Ranma's hands were unconciously fiddling with her apron, trying to straighten 
the wrinkles out, and Ranma's hopeful eyes were transfixed on Akane's Father.
The most disturbing thing to Akane, however, was that Ranma was wearing make-up. 
Warrant, not much, but even a little make up was abnormal for Ranma... it made 
her look...
Beautiful. Akane felt a bite of jealousy, and Soun took the first bite.
Everyone paused.
"Uhh, so howd'ya like it, Mister Tendo? Is it any good?" Ranma sounded nervous, 
and frantic.
Nodoka simply smiled. She _knew_ that her Daughter had done it right, and Ranma 
had even made a few unique revisions that Nodoka had never considered before.
Soun's eyes teared up, "It's... it tastes wonderful!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Soun 
started bawling and Ranma jumped for joy, before regaining her composure.
"Daddy? Are you all right?" Nabiki looked at her Father, then sampled the food 
herself. She unwittingly froze as ten different sensations hit her in the head. 
Never in her life had she ever tasted something so... so...
Perfect.
Kasumi was likewise shocked, and Akane seemed furious for some reason.
"It's... it's SO WONDERFUL!!! BWAHAHAHAH!" Soun began bawling on Kasumi, Kasumi 
smiled at Ranma then winked.
"Gee, uh, thanks you guys! Mmmm... what about you Akane? You haven't even tried 
yours yet!" Ranma looked at his ex-fiancee with worry.
"I don't need to, Ranma. It's wonderful. Splendid. So goddam perfect. I'm going 
to school," Everyone at the table flinched when Akane cursed.
Akane stood to leave, and Ranma put her hand on her shoulder stopping her 
advance.
"Ranma, let me go," Akane tried keeping her voice calm and level. It didn't 
entirely work.
"Please Akane, I cooked it for you!" Ranma let go of Akane's shoulder as the 
girl turned around.
"What makes you think that you can- what?" Akane paused as she heard Ranma's 
last few words.
"I made it for you, all of it. I jus' wanted to make the best for you," Ranma 
looked down embarrassed by what she just said.
Akane felt her heart sink. She had been so rude this morning, the least she 
could do was just _try_ Ranma's food.
She sat down, and Ranma waited with the same feminine pose as before. *Feminine 
pose? When did he start that?* Akane shook the thought out of her head and tried 
the food.
Her mind was numbed. She couldn't form words. The food reminded her of her 
Mothers... she started to... to...
"Oh no... Oh geez, what'd I do now?! I'm sorry Akane, please don't cry! Is it 
that bad?! Is it terrible? You don't haveta eat it! I won't make you!" Ranma was 
babbling like a fool, which only made Akane cry harder.
"Nothing... *SOB!SOB!* Nothing's wrong with the food! *SOB!* It reminds me of... 
of.... of MOM!!! WAHAHAHA!" Akane was crying in her hands, and Kasumi and Nabiki 
got a distant, sad look in their eyes when their Mother was mentioned. Soun 
started bawling again.
Nodoka looked up at her daughter, who looked positively miserable. Nodoka 
realized that Ranma couldn't handle _really_ hurting someone where it counted. 
In their heart.
"I'm sorry," Ranma said, her own depression welling up within her. Ranma 
shuffled up to the bathroom slowly, to get ready for school. "Very sorry, 
Akane," Ranma muttered at the bottom of the stairs as she began walking up.
"Wait! I'll... I'll eat it Ranma. It's quite wonderful, really," Akane smiled, 
and Ranma looked back with a grin. Ranma's mind locked and the familiar panic of 
dealing with affection caused his mouth to emit a common response.
"Yeah, makes a statement 'bout your food, huh?" Ranma's eyes widened in shock 
and she slapped her hands over her mouth, but it was too late as a mallet came 
down on her head.
"That's RIGHT I forgot! We're not ENGAGED anymore!" Akane started drumming her 
hammer on Ranma, who ran upstairs as quickly as possible.
"I hope Akane doesn't Ruin Ranma's school-dress, it cost me a good 1500 yen," 
Nodoka began eating the food, not at all surprised at it's near perfection. 
*Will have to work with her on the spices, though... still not quite right.*
"Saotome-San?" Hiroshi looked over at Nodoka with a silent expression.
"Yes... Hiroshi, was it? I forgot to thank you last night, you kept me from 
making a horrible mistake. Domo Arigato, Hiroshi-San," Nodoka bent at the waist 
in a slight bow, the best she could do in a Kimono while kneeling.
"Ahhh... you're welcome. I was just wondering... is it really necessary for 
Ranma to be trained as a... as a... as a..." Hiroshi stuttered and couldn't seem 
to form the word, he felt frusterated that something so simple could elude him 
so easily.
"A girl? Yes, he is as much my Daughter as he is my Son, sadly to say. I made a 
solemn oath to my Mother to teach all I knew to my first daughter. Naturally you 
see the comedic, as well as ironic dramatical value in such a curse," Nodoka 
forced a smile, trying to find the humor in it herself. It really _wasn't_ 
funny, in fact she hated doing it.
"I guess. If you please, I'll watch out for... ahhh... _her_ the days she is 
required to be a girl. I give you _my_ word that so far as I'm concerned, nobody 
will harm her emotionally. She can fairly take care of herself physically, 
Saotome-San," Hiroshi bowed slightly after he spoke, and silently began eating 
his food.
"Call me Nodoka," Hiroshi nearly coughed on his food, and everyone looked at her 
oddly.
"Wh-what, Saotome-San?" Hiroshi thought he had heard her insist he use her first 
name. He swore he must be imagining things.
"Call me Nodoka, it's the least I can do for someone who saved my Son's life," 
Nodoka smiled as everyone glanced around uneasily.
"Y-Yes, Nodoka-san," Hiroshi looked nervously at Nodoka.
"Just Nodoka," Everyone's eyes nearly bugged out.
"Yes, Nodoka. I am sorry," Hiroshi stood up and walked out to the back yard 
nervously.
Nodoka looked at everyone puzzled. *Why are they acting so oddly? Doesn't the 
boy come over often?* Nodoka owed Hiroshi much. She wasn't sure what would have 
happened had he not stepped in.
"WHOOHOOO!!! I'M BAAAAACK!" An old voice yelled from everywhere.
Suddenly, in a puff of green smoke, Happosai appeared on the dining table, and 
quickly gobbled up the left-overs. "Wonderful! Wonderful! If I never live to eat 
again, I'd- Eh?" Happosai looked at Nodoka for a moment, then leaped in the air 
and let out a frightened gasp.
"It's... It's... Oni-Nadoka! YAAAAAH!" Happosai ran in circles, memory's of the 
violent girl reflected in his mind before a frying pan landed on the old man.
"Thank you for the frying Pan, Kasumi. Don't call me that, Old pervert," Nodoka 
glared fire at Happosai, as the old man sweated under her gaze. She handed the 
frying pan back to Kasumi, who looked between Nodoka and the frying pan with a 
confused look.
"When did you get here?" Happosai asked in a somewhat level tone. He had made 
sure he was gone every other time she was visiting, not wanting to confront her 
when he didn't have to.
"Master? Since when do Women frighten you?" Soun asked, completely confused at 
Happosai's reaction. Nabiki was quite intrigued by these new events.
Happosai leaped about and backed away from Nodoka, whispering in Soun's ear and 
casting a frightened glance at Nadoka.
"What? She locked you where? She didn't... full of them?! You must have gone 
insane!" Soun looked at Nodoka with a new found respect, and Happosai's shifty 
gaze found no Ranma-chan or Akane to latch onto.
"That's right... in the Victoria Secrets warehouse! I-I-I was so worked up, I 
almost lost my mind! So many... everywhere! Not enough time to caress them all! 
Not enough time! NOT ENOUGH TIME! BWAHAHAHAHAH! *Thwonk!*" Nodoka brained 
Happosai with her plate, then checked it for cracks.
"I'm going shopping Kasumi, I'll be home in several hours. I would warn the 
letch, it might give him some time to think about his actions. Oh, and tell him 
to stay away from my Daughter while I'm visiting. I don't need her traumatized," 
Nodoka stood and left the table.
"That woman's got guts!" Soun said with a proud air about his voice. "Yessir, I 
would _never_ have thought of doing that to Master Happosai!" Soun ate his meal 
heartily.

* * * * * *

A woman in blue robes leaped from roof to roof, her long hair shimmered as it 
cascaded out behind her.
Her flashing gaze took in the new world of Tokyo as she paused on a telephone 
pole. Her glimmering blue eyes seemed locked on nothing in particular, but at 
the same time they seemed to take in everything.
"Ahhh... Japan. Such wonderful land, so full of water... and thrum of chaos is 
strong in outskirt of city. I wonder how Seal came to be there?" The blue-eyed 
girls hair brushed her ankles, and her robes seemed to flutter in a ghostly 
wind.
The girl recalled when she had been imprisoned, such a small piece of her taken 
from her body and used to enchant the water in the Chiisuiton. So many of her 
Kin had suffered a similar fate over the millenia... being diced bit by bit by 
would-be sorcerers and enchanters.
She had suffered better... until Jusenkyo. Her eyes began to glow with a fierce 
blue luminescence as she recalled. Jusenkyo... every pool there created by a 
rock falling from the stars and melting. Then, the strange water was enchanted 
by... by...
What could she call him? Yang? Asmodeus? Bal? Fenrir? He was darkness. The 
father of the Darklings, the keeper of the Shadows, the Destroyer of Hope?
There was a fitting name, but she would not call him by that. It was not his 
fault she had been imprisoned in the Chiisuiton, he had only had a part in 
weakening her. The person at fault was... was...
"Pah Fuum," The blue haired girl clenched her teeth as she recalled the 
Joketsuzoku Princess, the girl's blue hair had mocked her when they first met, 
fooled her into dropping her guard. Hair so much like her own.
"Pah Fuum... Aquarius shall have Revenge!" The girl leaped off the pole and into 
the back yard of where she had started collecting her strength. She had read the 
sign at the front entrance when she had escaped, and knew this to be the "Tendo 
Dojo."
She blinked in confusion when a young man stepped out of the house and stared at 
her in like-wise befuddlement.
"Uh... hi," Hiroshi muttered, unsure of what to say to the beautiful young girl 
before him.
"Who you? I want speak toJoketsuzokuPrincessrightnoworallwillperishinmywrath!" 
The blue-robed girl put her fists up before her in an offensive stance. Hiroshi 
looked at her with a bit of amusement at her muddled sentence, and then dropped 
his grin.
He stared at her eyes, such innocence and peace he had never witnessed before. 
It was like watching the ocean while the sun set, and hearing the waves crash 
upon the shore... driving away all fears and pushing the problems of the world 
back with the tide.
The girl paused a moment when she realized the boy was seeing her true nature, 
and the wind began to blow across his features as he took a step toward her.
She was frozen, intrigued at the odd display of peace that was suddenly falling 
over her. She heard her Brother's song begin to play, not the semi ethereal tune 
that the wind usually brought, but a very real, and very vivid song of sadness.
The thrum of the earth seemed to course with the beat of the boy's footsteps and 
began a brilliant stoccoto as he drew closer. Even the tree's seemed to blow in 
succesion to his movements.
"Who... Who are you?" The girl asked, taking a cautious step back. Her words 
broke the spell, and Hiroshi paused.
His answer was simple, yet ever more complex than just his innocent words. 
Hiroshi shrugged and looked her in the eyes, "I am Hiroshi,"
"Hiroshi," She whispered to herself, memorizing the name.
"Am I not to know yours? 'Names are a thing to be traded, not taken', so how 
about it?" Hiroshi reached out to clap his hand on her shoulder, and found a 
barrier barring his way.
"I- I- I- Th... they call me... You may... my name is Aquarius," Hiroshi smiled 
at the name, realizing what had called to his soul so powerfully. She was one of 
the elements he talked to... listened to. Hiroshi had long ago learned Nature 
held some of the best listeners in the world.
"Ohiyo Gozuymasu, Aquarius-Chan," A sudden nerve set off Hiroshi and his calm 
demeanor disappeared.
Aquarius snapped out of her stupor, and fixed the boy with a glare, "Where is 
Princess of Joketsuzoku?! I know, or you suffer!" She would not be delayed, and 
not by a mere mortal boy.
Hiroshi felt suddenly uneasy, which he was not used to. He splayed his hand to 
the sky and spoke, "We all suffer sometime... it's a cycle that must be repeated 
through life. Happiness, suffering, laughter, sorrow, all must be endured-" He 
was cut off abruptly by Aquarius with a harsh tone of voice.
"Stop! I not need hear words of wisdom which I know already!!! Where they at?! 
WHO they?" Aquarius glowed with a soft but brilliant light, and she was slowly 
being surrounded by a pool of seemingly calm water.
Hiroshi blinked... if he didn't know better, he could have swore that Aquarius 
was angry. "But-" Hiroshi began, trying to fathom why she wanted to speak with 
Shampoo before he was cut off once again.
"FINE! You chose fate, I judge you now! SUFFER!" Aquarius brought her hands 
together in front of her, and the calm water shot to life in dozens of whip-like 
tendrils, lashing and wrapping around Hiroshi's body.
"RA-urk!" Hiroshi began to yell, but a tendril wrapped around his throat, 
cutting off his cry for help. Aquarius's eyes flashed anger, but quickly 
softened as a familiar voice told her this was not right.
"You not one I want, you sleep and forget now!" Aquarius threw her hands apart, 
and Hiroshi dropped to the ground as the water-like tendrils changed into a blue 
mist.
Aquarius looked around to make sure she hadn't been seen by anyone else, and 
with a flourish of her robe was gone.
Hiroshi drifted into an uneasy sleep, fixing it in his mind that Shampoo was in 
trouble... and that he had to remember at least that much.

* * * * * *

Ranma walked along the sidewalk, staring up at the fence she was so used to 
running on. Akane stared at the opposite side of the road, not entirely over her 
anger over Ranma's comment that morning.
Ranma felt like she could cut the tension with a knife, and her own nervousness 
about being stuck a girl for the moment was quietly eroding that fierce bravado 
he usually held tightly to these situations. Finally, Ranma spoke up.
"Hey, I'm sorry Akane. It's jus' that when you get nice and all I have this urge 
to say something... and my mouth usually thinks before my brain," Ranma looked 
up at the sky, not wanting to see if Akane was listening or not, and more than a 
little afraid of a mallet appearing.
Akane, on the other hand, was more frustrated than angry. Ranma's cooking _had_ 
been good that morning, and she would have loved to eat it. Ranma, however, had 
to say something _completely_ inappropriate and get her worked up. She hadn't 
been able to finish all of breakfast, as she and Ranma were already a bit late 
in getting out of the house. Akane knew Ranma had trouble controlling his words, 
but no matter how much she reminded herself, she _still_ got angry when he made 
comments about her looks or her cooking.
"I mean, I've been trying to watch my mouth lately, but I guess it hasn't been 
working. Maybe I should just shutup from now on so that I don't make more 
trouble," Ranma looked down at the ground, and Akane looked over at Ranma, a 
small smirk on her face.
Akane was about to say something snide, but she saw the look of utter 
embarrassment on Ranma's face as she picked at her blue dress. Akane felt the 
twinge of jealousy when she saw how beautiful Ranma was again. *Geez, a little 
make-up, a dress and Ranma looks even better than Shampoo...* Akane patted Ranma 
on the back, forgetting her anger for a moment.
"Sorry, Ranma. I think this whole 'female' thing is silly for your Mom to do. 
It's just nonsense," Ranma grabbed Akane's hand and took a step away, stopping 
for a moment.
A stern look was on her face as she glared at Akane for a moment. "Stop it. Not 
you, Akane, don't you start treatin' me like I'm a girl. I don't need cheering 
up, I can handle this. 'S not a problem. Besides, I promised Mom this morning 
I'd do this... I don't like it, but I'll do it Akane... just don't start 
treating me like a girl... I'm a... I'm a..." Ranma's face contorted in 
frustration, and she dropped Akane's hand.
Akane defied Ranma and put her hand on the girl's back. "Why can't you say it, 
Ranma? What's wrong?" Akane was now genuinely worried.
"Nothin' Akane... just... it's nothing... I can't tell. Not you, not ever you," 
Ranma looked at Akane with anguish in her eyes. Then it disappeared as the self-
assured glimmer returned to Ranma's eyes.
Akane flinched inwardly, both from Ranma's words and that the girl had actually 
showed her some emotion other than pride, arrogance, and the usual care-free 
Ranma she was used to. Could there be much more to Ranma than she ever realized?
Ranma and Akane walked on in silence, the first day since Ranma came that the 
walk hadn't ended in an argument.
Ranma and Akane froze when they saw the familiar Kendoist standing at the front 
doors.
"Ahh, if it is not Tendo Akane and the ever-beauteous Saotome Ranma," Kuno held 
his bokken in a salute to the two girls.
"Kuno, what're you doing here? Don't you remember, I'm a-" Ranma was quickly cut 
off by Kuno.
"Yes, and after much thought I have deduced the _true_ meaning of both thine 
words, and fair Akane's. Do not worry, my love, I will purge you from the 
sorcerous soul that plagues your body. The evil male-side will not endure the 
wrath of the Blue Thunder!" Lightning crashed behind Kuno, illuminating his 
face.
"What?! No, that's not what I said at all! I told you Kuno, Ranma _is_ a-" Akane 
was similarly interrupted by Kuno.
"Yes, Ranma is a victim of foul sorcery, begotten by dark gods themselves so 
that she would be plagued to change into one of their demon minions of the Black 
Arts! And it is this that keeps her honor bound to shunt the advances of men, 
for she could not bear to cause men such grievance with a curse such as hers," 
Kuno swung his bokken to the side and banged his fist on his chest.
"It is I, Kuno Tatewake that will fight this demon to free fair Ranma of this 
dismal curse!!! When I succeed, the dark gods will _know_ that to defy Kuno is 
to defy the very rights of heaven, and in so bring the Kami's wrath upon their 
heads!" Kuno laughed at the sky.
Ranma beat her head on the walls of Furenkin, and Akane's eyes twitched from her 
indecision to either beat Kuno repeatedly, or let Ranma mangle the man into a 
corpse.
"Well, seeing as how the demon has retreated to the recesses of Ranma's body in 
fear of the Great Kuno, I will instead accompany you both to class as I have 
made you both dreadfully late with my honored oath," Kuno bowed slightly, and 
stepped into the school.
Ranma began following, murderous intentions in her eyes.
"I'm gonna kill him, there won't be enough left for Nabiki to pawn as 
souvenirs..." Akane stopped Ranma with a hand. Ranma looked in confusion and 
outrage at Akane, before she saw the familiar glint of fire in her ex fiancee's 
eyes.
"I get first dibs," Akane said with a sadistic grin plastered carelessy across 
her face.
The echo's of Kuno's pained screams were heard throughout Furenkin as both girls 
worked together to put Kuno _back_ in that body-cast.

* * * * * *

Ranma sat idly in class, as Mr. Muroto droned on. She looked over at Daisuke, 
who was fiddling with some type of device he had brought to school.
Ranma looked around the room with a glare, spotting several men looking at her.
"Hey Ranma, you look pretty good in a dress... want my phone-number?" Ranma 
leaned away from the student who was looking at her chest, not her face, as he 
spoke. A brick connected with the boys head and he fell over.
Mr. Muroto paused in his lecture and looked at the unconcious student on the 
ground.
Ranma looked at Daisuke, who didn't even seem as if he had made a move. Ranma 
knew Daisuke, though. Bricks were his trademark, they just seemed to appear in 
his hand... which reminded Ranma of a certain Hammer.
The bell rang, and Ranma groaned. She had to go to P.E., which would not be 
fun... with everything she was wearing, she knew she couldn't go into the boys 
locker room. *Chalk up another embarrassment from a Saotome promise,* Ranma 
grabbed her books and walked out the classroom door.
"Hey! Ranma! Wait up, bud!" Daisuke yelled, everyone looked at Daisuke and 
Ranma, and Ranma felt an uncomfortable silence spread over the hallway.
Ranma couldn't understand... not even _after_ everyone had found out about the 
curse did they treat her this badly. She felt like a bug from some of the looks 
people were giving her.
"Yeah, Dai?" Ranma said, trying to ignore the looks.
"Well, you know that water has been mysteriously vanishing in large quantities 
for the past 36 hours, right? Well... actually it's 35 hours, 47 minutes, 13 
seconds-"
"DAI! Yes, I know, get on with it," Ranma tapped her foot and put one hand on 
her hip, the other hand held her books at her side.
"Uhm," Dai began, noticing the odd stance Ranma had decided upon, "Yes, well, as 
I was saying... I was at home, working on my Chaometer when this _huge_ blip 
started going back and forth over Nerima... here, take a look-see yourself, this 
electronic-notebook is patched right into the system," Daisuke thrust the 
notebook out at Ranma, and she took it after a moments hesitation.
"Chaowhatsathingy?" Ranma looked at the huge distorted blip flashing on the 
screen.
"It's a Chaometer, it measures levels of chaotic energy-sigs. I came up with the 
idea when I found out about your curse, I've been fine-tuning it ever since," 
Daisuke smirked, "You would be surprised how many people have a high energy-sig, 
and not _just_ Jusenkyo victims!"
"Wait, you mean this thingy can actually _track_ weird beings and Jusenkyo 
curses?" Ranma looked incredulous, which made her look cute.
"Yeah, and that thingy there is a _very_ erratic, and unfamiliar sig for these 
parts!" Daisuke folded his arms across his chest in a 'as-a-matter-of fact' 
pose.
"You mean this thing could track Ryouga?" Another thought passed Ranma's mind as 
she said those words, "Waitasec, this say's it's somewhere near Ucchan's 
classroom!" Ranma looked at the thing, a question playing in her head.
"Is this thing dangerous?" Ranma asked, a bit worried about her friend and the 
implications this odd discovery could mean.
"Well, by the oddly unstable fluctuations in it's pattern, as well as the random 
consumption of energy and how it seems to be emitting it..." Daisuke looked at 
the E-notebook, then back up at Ranma.
"It's a possibility," Daisuke caught his E-notebook as Ranma disappeared in a 
cloud of Smoke.

* * * * * *
Aquarius floated down the hallway, her blue hair streaming out behind her in a 
shimmering cascade of beauty. Her heart burned as she sensed a being who knew 
where her quarry was.
She slowly lowered herself down in front of the door and flung it open. All the 
students, as well as Akane and Ukyou looked up to see a beautiful girl 
surrounded by a fierce blue aura of a thousand shades.
"WHERE IS PRINCESS OF JOKETSUZOKU!?!?" Aquarius yelled. Hinako looked over at 
the girl, then put her hands on her hips.
"Well, there's no need to yell young lady. Besides, you are late... whoever you 
are. Take a seat!" Hinako pointed at an empty seat.
"I not here to learn, I here seek Princess of-"
"That's nice, TAKE A SEAT!!! NOW!!!" Hinako pulled out a coin and pointed it at 
Aquarius.
"You offer me? I no want coin, I want betrayer! I destroy!!!" Aquarius's chi 
glowed brightly as a shield of water began forming around the girl.
"HAPPO-FIVE-YEN-SATSU!!!" Hinako yelled, the beam hit the shield, crackled, and 
then returned twice as powerful as before.
Hinako yelled as she felt her own chi sucked out of her and given to the being 
of Water.
"I not seen that technique use for hundred of years... no matter. It not harm me 
a bit... and thank you for energy! AGH!" Someone kicked her in the back, sending 
her sprawling to the ground in Hinako's room.
"You sound a little cocky, let me soft'n you up a bit!" Ranma stood in a battle 
stance, her fists ready for a fight. She looked slightly silly in the school 
dress.
"Is that Ranma?"
"Yeah, she looks great in a dress!"
"Shutup you! You already have a girlfriend!"
"Yeah! Kick her butt Ranma!"
"Bets, please?" Nabiki started collecting money.
"NABIKI!?!? Are you crazy?! I can't fight in here, people would get Oof!" Ranma 
was drenched with cold water as Aquarius began floating again, her shield 
restored.
"I commend, you startle me... but not again. Now you suffer wrath! KIYAAA!" 
Aquarius lunged at Ranma, a blue sword in her hand glowing softly. Her movements 
fluid and natural.
Ranma dodged with ease, and the sword-hilt whacked into the side of her head.
"OW!" Ranma jumped back out into the hallway. "You can't FIGHT me here! If you 
wanna fight me, fight outside!" Ranma looked around at the innocent bystanders 
gathering to watch the fight.
"Why I care? They only humans. You only human... you all deceive, betray, 
capture, enslave! None of you different!" Aquarius thrust with her sword, Ranma 
dodged again, taking a step back. It continued like this, Ranma backing away 
with each thrust as Aquarius lunged over and over again, each thrust becoming 
more and more rapid with the blue-haired girl's frustration.
"Why you not fight?! You weak?! You AFRAID?!" Aquarius taunted the girl before 
her, seeing a glimmer of fire pass when fear was mentioned.
"No, I'm not afraid of nothin', I just don't fight girls!" Ranma stopped as 
Aquarius paused in her attack.
She began laughing. "You sound just like inferior man, what waste of true beauty 
of the art!" Ranma turned positively red at the comment. "But, man could likely 
fight better," Ranma turned even redder as his anger began to build. "Then 
again, you no man!"
Snap. Ranma burst into a flurry of movement, beginning with a Tenshin 
Amaguriken, followed with a blur of kicks and sweeps, mixed with dragon punches 
and ending with a Mouko Takabisha.
Aquarius was visually stunned as several attacks actually connected, flying 
_through_ her water-barrier. Then a strong blast completely obliterated her 
shield.
"How you... wait..." Aquarius looked at the aura, sensing a familiar presence 
she began to scan, dodging the attacks in the process. There it was, the taint 
of Jusenkyo.
Aquarius smiled, "You no man! I show," Aquarius began to glow, and Ranma paused 
as the goddess's words reached her.
"YOU A GIRL!!!" Aquarius yelled, sensing her prey's fear she began to charge the 
mystic energy's within her.
An image flashed in Ranma's mind of the Chiisuiton, and her mind froze. When it 
regained he saw a strange energy building between the girl's hands, and she ran 
with all her might.

* * * * * *

Ranma stopped, her chest heaving as she realized she was nowhere even near the 
school.
She had run, the disgrace fell upon her heart. She had run, because of a threat 
which she wasn't even sure had been what she thought it was.
Her hair dripped, reminding her how soaked she was. Where was she? She looked 
around. She was somewhere near the Dojo if she didn't miss her guess.
*Who was that girl? Somethin' about water...* Ranma dwelled on it as she leaned 
against the stone wall. She thought about the day, and picked at her dress. 
Several men had asked her out, an emphatic punch was her answer... as well as a 
deep blush.
Ranma was beginning to understand how Akane felt. She even had to turn down some 
of her friends, as well as some of the shy people who hadn't spoken a word to 
her or her male half all year... she couldn't punch _them_, so she let them down 
softly. The disappointment had been depressing.
Then there was the fact that those people not trying to ask her out were 
treating her like some kind of hideous monster, as if her wearing a dress and 
make-up had somehow changed her into a sicko of immense proportion.
That was the embarrasing thing, though, she had _promised_ to wear the dress. 
People either saw her as a girl, or saw her as a man trying his best to be a 
girl... which disgusted them.
Even the teachers treated her differently, gave her extra time on assignments 
that were due that day, as well as suggested home-ec and relationship classes... 
relationship classes!
*One day, and everyone's thinkin you're someone else, sheesh.* Hinako hadn't 
changed however. She could care less what Ranma wore or what form she was in, 
she still found excuses to 'Discipline' Her at any chance she got.
*Well, at least Akane hasn't started actin' funny... well, not more so than 
usual I guess.* Ranma took comfort in the fact that Akane hadn't started seeing 
her as a girl. It made her feel... It made her feel more comfortable.
Ranma thought about the fight that had been initiated minutes before, and 
wondered who the odd girl was and if she was responsible for the water 
disappearing... it seemed reasonable seeing as how she was using water based 
attacks.
*Nuts, I'm not gonna let some girl beat me. I guess I'll have to go find her and 
resume our battle...* Ranma thought about it, and groaned. Unfortunately, She 
_had_ to go back to the school and attend the rest of her classes. For one, her 
Mother thought that education was just as important as Martial Arts, and for 
two, Ranma had an absence problem in several of his evening classes... usually 
because weird competitors showed up in the evening and challenged him/her to a 
duel. Well, that and Ryouga was still appearing randomly to smash Ranma or 
attack him/her.
Ranma began jogging back to school, reluctant to continue the day.

* * * * * *

Ranma walked into the locker-room with a blush on her face. She strode to her 
temporary locker and ignored the rest of the girls, avoiding the naked status of 
the people around him.
Ranma felt very nervous as she pulled at her wet blouse, she opened her locker 
and tugged it over her head quickly stuffing it in the locker.
"Ranma! Ranma!" A girl waved her hand in front of Ranma's face and Ranma 
blinked, her reflexes made her look up at who was speaking.
Sayuri stood there with a smile, wearing only a lace bra and panties. Ranma 
blushed furiously.
"Hey, what was with you back there? I mean, we all heard the commotion and came 
to see what was going on. Why did you run away?" Ranma stared at Sayuri, only 
half hearing the words as she concentrated on ignoring Sayuri's body.
"Well... 's just that... I was... she was... I can't say. It just popped into my 
head to run, I had a feeling something bad was about to happen," Ranma looked 
down at the ground, washing herself in her own shame.
Sayuri blinked at Ranma's stuttering, then blushed when she remembered Ranma was 
a guy, then frowned at the depression Ranma seemed to fall into.
"Ranma, what's wrong? Akane said something was bothering you-"
"NOTHIN' IS BOTHERING ME!!! At least nothin' I can tell you girl's... or my 
friends for that matter," Ranma looked over at Sayuri with a crushed look.
"Something is wrong, Ranma. I might not know you well enough to understand, but 
I know there is. You shouldn't hold it in like that, it's bad. You don't have to 
tell me, but promise me you'll tell someone, Okay?" Sayuri finished and began 
putting her gym clothes on.
"I... I promise, Sayuri... and thanks for being concerned," Ranma took the rest 
of her school dress off and stuffed it in the locker, then dug around in her bag 
till she found the _female_ gym clothes.
"No problem, I hate seeing a gir... I mean I hate seeing anyone so down in the 
dumps, by the way, nice bra," Sayuri slammed her locker shut and left a 
furiously blushing Ranma behind.
*Geez, first everyone starts actin' weird, and now Akane's friends are telling 
me how nice my bra is... how embarrassing.* Ranma had put the gym shorts on, but 
paused with the shirt as she looked down at the black sports bra her Mother had 
bought.
There was a perverse pride that Ranma had in the fact that her shape as a female 
was likely the most attractive girl in school, as well as the exotic mane of 
red-hair she had obviously inherited from her Mother by the way Nodoka had been 
speaking this morning.
Ranma sighed, and tugged the shirt over her head. She had to admit... she _did_ 
have better proportion when it came to bust-line and hip-width. Ranma realized 
the odd stray thought and banged her head into the locker.
Everything became fuzzy and her head hurt a bit, but she wasn't having any more 
_perverted_ ideas. She left her locker with a very perceptible dent in it and 
walked out to begin gym.
The girls were lined up and waiting for Ranma, it seemed. As soon as Ranma found 
her place in the line, they all began jogging. "1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4," the 
girls chanted as they did their laps around the school.
Ranma felt like running faster, but knew that keeping the pace was important to 
the rest of the group... and Ranma didn't want to disrupt gym.
"RANMAAAAAA!" The girls paused in their jog as a figure silouhetted the sun and 
began to fall, directly towards the new "Girl".
The group of girls scattered as Ryouga Hibiki landed in front of Ranma. Ranma 
gave Ryouga a flat look, "What is it _this_ time, P-chan?"
"Shutup! Don't call me that Ranma! We still haven't finished our fight about 
that... that... THIS!" Ryouga pointed to his Blue-Hair. Ranma smirked slightly. 
Ryouga blinked as his anger vanished...
"Ranma?" Ryouga scratched his head, looking at the odd girl before him... it 
didn't look anything like Ranma.
"Sorry, I guess I made a mistake, Sorry," Ryouga bowed with a blush and turned 
to leave.
"WHAT-THE-HELL-ARE-YOU-TALKING-ABOUT?!" Ranma had snatched Ryouga's shirt before 
he had finished turning his back to her.
"It's just that I'm embarrassed that I could mistake such a beautiful girl for 
my erstwhile rival, Ranma Saotome," Ryouga looked closely again at the girl, 
seeing something familiar in her anger.
Ranma's eye twitched as Ryouga's words got to her head. She couldn't understand, 
never could understand what Kuno, and now Ryouga, had meant when they had said 
she was beautiful. Her fury began to burn. "I AM NOT BEAUTIFUL!!! I'M NOT A 
GIRL!!!" Ranma yelled at Ryouga's face.
Ryouga blinked, then looked at the girl again. She _sounded_ like Ranma, but the 
hair... was styled in a very feminine fashion, this girl wore makeup which 
enhance her looks by far... and that smell...
"I'm sorry for offending you, whoever you are. You have a very nice perfume, 
though," Ryouga scratched his head, something _nagging_ at him about the girl.
Ranma flinched at the comment, then took her hands from Ryouga. "Ryouga. I-Am-
Ranma. Now are we gonna fight, or NOT?!?!" Ranma was frustrated, and upset that 
even Ryouga was acting like she was a girl. Her voice cracked at the end as she 
tried in vain to control it.
"Oh, so now Ranma's hired girls to try and trick me?! He'll pay dearly for 
that!!! He knows that he can't fool me with any more costumes so now he resorts 
to bribery and exploitation of girls!" Ryouga's aura began glowing.
"..." Ranma paused, depression washing over her. "...fine. I'm sorry, Ryouga... 
for teasing you all those times. Now if you'll excuse me...," Ranma walked away 
from Ryouga, back to the scattered girls who had been watching all along. They 
began walking away, trying to pivk up the pace where they had left off.
Sayuri patted Ranma on the back and tried to make an effort of cheering the sad 
girl up, "It's not that bad Ranma, it's not Ryouga's fault, you just look _so_ 
different as a girl. Some of the girls were wondering why you didn't do this 
before..." Sayuri stopped in her talk, realizing that had Ranma done it of her 
_own_ free will, the girls would have likely branded him pervert.
"Thanks for the encouragement Sayuri, but I'll deal with this myself. Besides, 
Ryouga will be back in five...four... three... two... one..." Ranma heard a 
whooshing sound as Ryouga appeared in front of her again.
"Ranma?" Ryouga looked confused.
"Yeah. It's me, ya Pig," Ranma said without her usual vigor for insulting 
Ryouga.
Ryouga turned red, and he began to shake. "And to think... you almost tricked me 
again!"
Ranma dropped into a battle ready stance as the girl's scattered once more and 
Ryouga began to get more and more angry.
"Well, Ranma... maybe you _like_ being a girl, and dressing pretty and wearing 
make-up-" Ranma interrupted Ryouga's tirade.
"Shutup, Ryouga. That's the only time I'm gonna say it, I promised my Mom-" 
Ranma was cut off by Ryouga, making the two even in that respect.
"Oh, so now you're Momma's li'l girl, Huh? Why, if I didn't know any better, I'd 
think you _liked_ being a girl!!!" Ryouga jumped back as Ranma began to attack, 
a flurry of punches connecting with the air where Ryouga had stood.
"Getting slow, Ranma... you're starting to fight like a girl!" Ryouga dodged 
Ranma's furious attacks... this time closer than before.
"My, maybe you should practice with Akane, or give up Martial Arts altogether 
and let Kasumi teach you how to be a happy homemaker!" Ryouga didn't have time 
to dodge as Ranma began pummeling the Lost-Boy with a ferocious intensity Ryouga 
had never seen before. Ryouga actually began shielding himself from the blows he 
couldn't block, and he couldn't seem to get up on the offensive anymore.
Ranma's anger seemed to grow more and more with each punch, she knew she was 
hurting Ryouga and she liked it. It made her feel powerful, it made her feel 
like more of a man, She didn't care that Ryouga was bleeding from the force and 
speed of her fists, he should never have called her a woman... never have made 
fun of her... he would pay-
"RANMA!" Akane yelled for the fifth time, and slapped Ranma hard across the 
face. Ranma's mind went blank as her anger ebbed away from her. She looked at 
Akane, then down at Ryouga.
Ryouga Hibiki cringed, several tears flowing from his eyes as he huddled in a 
ball, various bruises of dark colors mottled his body. "...I'm sorry...I didn't 
mean it..." Ryouga mumbled over and over again. He had been mumbling for the 
past minute and a half.
"I..." Ranma began, "I..." the words would not come, "..." Ranma stood and 
walked away from Ryouga, shame again washing over her. She had lost her 
composure, a martial artist must first and foremost keep a level head above all 
other things.
The words had bit and tore at Ranma, even though she knew Ryouga hadn't meant 
them.
She walked back to the locker room and sat in front of her dented locker. Her 
eyes were clamped shut as she fought back hot tears.
"Ranma?" Akane's voice hurt Ranma's ears. "Ranma? Are you all-right?" Akane 
sounded worried, but Ranma had learned that when it came to Akane, nothing was 
sure.
Akane looked over at Ranma, noticing signs she usually marked for Ryouga. The 
slumped shoulders, the odd loss of light in the eyes, the air of sadness.
Akane sat down next to her once-fiancee.
"Go 'way Akane... I'm dangerous," Ranma looked down at the ground as she spoke.
"Ranma, no matter what, I know you would never hurt me," Akane stated it as if 
it were fact. Strangely, she felt it was the truth.
"I can't do this. I can't do this every other day... not with Ryouga 'n the 
other guys... not with everyone looking at me like _this_" Ranma motioned down 
at her gym outfit, "Was my idea."
Akane looked at Ranma, and noticed the truth in Hiromi's words. Her friend had 
told her how Ryouga hadn't recognized Ranma, and had taken him for a girl. Ranma 
looked nothing like a man, she even _smelled_ different, as Akane noticed the 
feminine perfume Nodoka had bought for 'Ranko'.
"I'll help, Ranma. I care enough to do that," Akane was worried that this would 
destroy Ranma. _He_ just couldn't handle this, he had never been able to handle 
this. And now, Ranma's Mother was forcing _him_ to be _her_.
"You don't know how hard it is, Akane. This scares me, the curse, and everything 
that goes with it! It _scares_ me, Akane!" Ranma had never been this open to her 
before. Obviously the Curse bothered her more than she liked to admit.
"You know when we were swimmin' yesterday? Well, that scares the hell outta me 
too... but I go because I have to show you guys I'm not afraid, and I have to 
face my fears," Ranma looked at Akane.
"Hey, Akane? Ranma?" Sayuri came around the corner and looked in on her friend 
and Ranma. "Hey, are you okay? I mean, earlier today, and then this Ryouga 
thing..."
"I'm fine, Sayuri. Don't worry, I'll keep my promise too. I jus' need some help 
to get through these first few days. Ya'know, adjust," Ranma looked over at 
Akane with a forced smile.
"Hey, if it'll help I'll do anything I can. I'm sure Hiromi and the rest of the 
gang would like to help as well... we've noticed some of the people around 
school given you the 'evil-eye' and making comments behind your back,"
Akane gawked at her friend, "They WHAT?! Why didn't you tell me?!" Akane sounded 
furious.
"Because you'd get angry Akane... besides, we took care of the people we heard 
about with some help from your sister," Sayuri smiled when she thought about 
Nabiki. She had never realized the girl had a use until today.
"Uhm... Thanks. Next time tell me, though," Akane looked back at Ranma. "Care to 
finish the day? If you do, I'll let you order some Ramen tonight."
"Are you cooking?" Ranma asked nonchalantly.
Akane glowered, "Yes... what does that have to do with anything?!"
Ranma looked up at the ceiling, "Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if I was 
going to take you up on your offer for _real_ food."
"RANMA!" Ranma laughed and ran out of the Gym, finishing her laps in record time 
as Akane chased after Ranma with her Mallet.

* * * * * *

Ryouga walked away from the school not sure of where he was going. He poked and 
prodded the painful wounds Ranma had inflicted on him. *The look on his face... 
like he didn't care if he went too far...* It had disturbed Ryouga, that he 
could push his rival off the deep end.
His jibes had never been taken seriously before, and he had taken Ranma's 
insults as best he could...
But something was different today. Something that had caused Ryouga much alarm 
as Ranma's fists pounded him over and over again, Ryouga trying vainly to block 
the blurring chestnut fists that broke easily through his pathetic defense.
Ryouga had known that Ranma was better, that Ranma could defeat him any time if 
he wanted too... but Ryouga had never realized how much the Curse meant to 
Ranma. Ryouga growled when he thought about it.
*He's tormenting himself for turning into a _girl_?! It isn't half as bad as 
turning into a pig!!!* Ryouga's face softened as he kept walking.
*But... but I really don't know, do I? I don't know what it's like to be Ranma.* 
Ryouga realized that maybe his insults caused Ranma a lot more hurt than he 
realized. Maybe there was some small thing Ryouga had missed when he had learned 
of Ranma's curse... something he had missed in the long run of their rocky 
friendship.
*Friendship? Is that what this is?* Ryouga had admitted that they had once been 
friends... but since then many things had changed. Some of them not for the 
better. Ryouga had to admit... he did care slightly about Ranma. They could have 
been much closer had it not been for a certain Tendo daughter.
Then again, Ryouga realized that that wasn't Ranma's fault either. It had been 
his foolish bear of a father that had engaged him to Akane.
*Akane...* Ryouga felt himself wash in depression again, drowning in his dismal 
pit of despair. Why was it always Ranma? Ranma, in his opinion, got the better 
Curse. Ranma got the girl he loved. Ranma was better at fighting than he was. 
Ranma had so many friends... and what people could he count among friends? Akari 
probably was more than a friend... but Ryouga couldn't betray Akane like that. 
Akane? She was a friend... but would not be if she ever found out about Ryouga.
Ryouga inwardly twitched at the thought. He was living a lie... a lie propigated 
by himself and maintained by himself. He could tell her... but that would hurt 
her, and Ryouga could never hurt Akane. Not if the stars told him too, not if 
the Kami forced him... he would never raise a hand to hurt the girl.
*Ranma... why do you have to be so happy? Then... today... I felt guilty for 
wanting you to suffer as I have. You can't take it like a Hibiki... if you were 
in my place, you would have ended this tragedy long ago. This tragedy that is my 
life... forever unwanted... forever lost.... forever alone...* Ryouga felt the 
dark well inside him overflow and begin to take him over. Ryouga held in the 
tears, knowing that if they came, he would not be able to stop them.
"Nihao, Ryouga!" A shrill chinese voice sounded. "What you doing in Nekohanten? 
You hungry?"
Ryouga blinked and looked around. Sure enough, he had wandered into the Cat 
Cafe. Ryouga noted that he hadn't eaten since... well since that morning. He 
felt a bit famished now that he thought about it.
"Hibiki, you've gotten lost again haven't you?" Mousse asked as he wiped down 
the counter. The chinese boy looked up at Ryouga with calm blue eyes.
"Is Mousse right? Hiya, you need learn how find way in world! If want, we give 
discount for senseless traveler?" Shampoo smiled when Ryouga turned a furious 
shade of red.
"What do you say, Hibiki, care for some food?" Mousse had taken out a notepad 
and pen, he idly watched Ryouga as the Lost-Boy sat down.
"Uh... some Curry... and rice. Not too hungry right now," Ryouga looked around, 
noting that not a lot of people were in the restaurant at the moment.
Shampoo smiled down at him as she wiped the tabletop down. She paused when she 
looked at Ryouga closer. "Hiya... what happen, Ryouga? You get hit by truck?" 
Shampoo saw the bruises covering Ryouga's hard arms, and noticed some tears in 
his clothing.
"No. I guess I took some insults a bit too far. It's nothing, they'll be gone by 
tomorrow," Ryouga self-conciously put his arms under the table.
"Ranma do that?" Shampoo asked, a bit alarmed at Ryouga's injuries.
"Yes. I kept insulting him about his... his manhood. He's wearing a dress today, 
and has his hair down. Then there's the perfume and the makeup " Shampoo cut 
Ryouga off before Ryouga started to babble.
"Why Ranma wear woman clothing, if he go as man?" Shampoo looked oddly at 
Ryouga, she wondered if she had understood correctly.
"That's just it, he _didn't_ go to school as a man. I almost mistook him for an 
attractive girl," Ryouga shook his head and stared at the table. He still felt 
angry at being duped so easily... but not on purpose this time.
"Ranma-Chan _is_ attractive girl, sometime I jealous of ex-husband for that. I 
wonder why Ranma dress as woman?" Shampoo puzzled about that, when a shout was 
heard from the kitchen.
"Heads up!" Mousse tossed the curry and rice at his new Wife, who caught it 
effortlessy... it had been a bit off target.
"Silly Husband need learn aim better!" Mousse blushed at his wife's comment, 
then nodded.
"Here, Ryouga. You enjoy!" Shampoo smiled and began to leave.
Ryouga's thoughts lept to a question that had been bugging him for a week, "Hey 
Shampoo!" The Amazon paused and walked back to Ryouga.
"Yes?" Shampoo looked a bit angry that Ryouga had called her name out loud.
"I was just... I mean... well, I was wondering where Cologne might be," Ryouga 
looked down at his food when Shampoo initially scowled at him.
Shampoo's face softened a bit, "I no know where Great-Grandmother go... I wonder 
too...,"
Shampoo left on that note, and Ryouga began to eat... pondering where the old 
Amazon could have gone to.

* * * * * *

Cologne sat for a moment to catch her breath. The old Amazon leader had been 
climbing for the past few days... she cursed herself for her spark of brash 
thought.
*Why couldn't you let it be? Why couldn't you see that Shampoo loved Mousse?* 
Cologne thought on that. *Because I couldn't allow it. Mousse is not worthy of 
the tribe... that should have been enough. But it wasn't... not for Shampoo.*
Cologne had thought she had won... thought that the time for triumph was at 
hand. She would have Ranma, and train him for the dark days to come.
It didn't work... she had seen that Shampoo was beginning to care for the half-
blind Amazon boy, and had panicked. She had become cold and uncaring... as she 
hid her fear from her great-granddaughter.
It had driven her away... her uncaring act of solitude and indifference to 
feelings. She had never liked using that... and now it had led her to this.
*Break the seal, and trouble soon follows...* Had been her Mother's words, and 
her grandmother's words, and _Her_ mother's words... all the way back the Amazon 
line to Pah Fuum.
Cologne looked at her weathered hands. *Three hundred years of preperation for 
Son-In-Law... and I destroy the work in a single instance of blind rage. 
Ranma... I trust you to be strong for the ordeal you must endure... Mousse... if 
anything happens to Shampoo you will pay dearly.*
Cologne looked up and out over the pools of Jusenkyou, then to her right at the 
Irrepressible Mount Phoenix... where Saffron once resided.
Cologne had never believed any of the legends... of Jusenkyou, of Saffron, Toma, 
or Kiirin. Everything had been proven true as Ranma's chaotic Chi forced the 
balance of the supernatural to look towards Nerima. Cologne had been in silent 
awe of the things that revolved around the boy. Every time it looked bad... 
every time hope was lost... every time there was no way out... Ranma emerged 
unscathed.
Cologne scowled as she began climbing again. *Damn Ranma... the Stars must have 
been in a cruel joking mood to have made my daughter cross paths with such an 
arrogant sot.*
Cologne thought about where she was... seeking out another legend, another Myth 
on Mount Shimitsu. *If Saffron couldn't defeat Ranma... then perhaps the Son of 
a Dragon can.* Cologne climbed in silence for several more hours, pausing again 
as the light of the sun kissed the horizon.
Cologne had recalled the first time she had met Ranma, and the arrogant self-
assuredness that he displayed so freely. Even when she used the Full Body Cat-
Tongue he was still confident that he would defeat Cologne eventually and 
retrieve the Phoenix Pill.
The only time Cologne had ever seen Ranma completely without hope was one 
instant after the Chiisuiton... Herb and his Damn Chiisuiton.
Ranma had almost... _Almost_ resigned himself to life as a woman. Luckily, the 
Hibiki boy had come and snapped Ranma out of his unwarranted depression.
If it hadn't have been for the help of those unlikely friends then Ranma would 
have likely have been stuck as a girl. If it _hadn't_ ben for Ryouga, that would 
have most definitely been the outcome.
Cologne paused and watched the sun set, as the stars began to twinkle in the 
sky. She had groomed Ranma, for some time, to take over her position as Tribal 
Leader when she either passed on, or left the Village on one of her _long_ 
expeditions.
*I had been so close... I should have been more caring to Shampoo. I should have 
been... but couldn't be. The Tribes survival is of utmost importance, and 
Shampoo has ruined the Ancestry of our family, and has forced me into... this 
course of action. I had hoped that I might never have to do this...* Cologne 
looked up at the peak, not but a few hours climb to the top.
She began again, in darkness... trusting her senses to guide her safely to the 
top... careful at which rock she placed her trust in.
She finally pulled herself over the sheer cliff and onto the plateau of Mount 
Shimitsu. Below her she could see Jusenkyo, each pool reflecting a single star 
and mirroring the sky like a brother.
Mount Phoenix stabbed the sky in defiance of the quickly growing night, standing 
tall and proud against the black miasma of darkness. Cologne looked below, to 
see the Joketsuzoku tribal Village as a tiny speck far below.
Cologne dwelled on the fight once more, trying to find some other way it could 
have ended... and trying to fathom who the odd boy was who had intercepted her 
wrath.
*Hiroshi...* Cologne recalled the name... but there was a hidden story behind 
the person, a story which Cologne wished she knew.
Shampoo's defiance, she realized, could not have gone unpunished... She had 
failed in that punishment. She could not bear to see her only Descendant 
slaughtered because of a singularly selfless act. The tribal Law was clear... 
Shampoo should have been killed.
Or, someone should have been killed in her stead... someone responsible for all 
the heartache that had been caused by her decision. Ranma was the one Cologne 
had chosen as the Martyr... but even that had not gone as planned.
"Who awaits my presence within the common rock of my Home?" A soft feminine 
voice whispered from the wind.
Cologne had been prepared for this...
A bright flash of fire encircled the Mountain, as a serpent of Flame wound it's 
way from the sky and plunged itself into the Plateau with a viscious shake of 
the Mountain.
Cologne struggled to stay standing, as the Serpent changed to a shade of blue. 
The fierce green and red mane was whipped in the wind as the huge dragon-eyes 
glared at the Joketsuzoku Chieftess.
"Who would suffer such a long ordeal to talk to a slumbering Dragon?!" The voice 
began to get angry.
"I am Cologne, of Joketsuzoku... your Tribe of Amazons," Cologne bowed deeply.
The Dragon looked down at the Mortal with a hint of amusement.
"You are a daughter of Paah Fuum. I am impressed, I had not been aware any of 
you _strong_ vermin were still living," The dragon chuckled and began to shrink. 
The shape changed form, shifting as scales arranged into the semblance of 
clothing, soft curves forming on the previous Dragon's body, features becoming 
more... human... more female... more beautiful.
"Forgive the intrusion, Shimitsu of the Kami... but the ancient line is in dire 
jeopardy. The staff has been broken..." Cologne trailed off as the Dragoness's 
soft blue eyes began to burn with an intensity that frightened Cologne.
"That staff was one of similar origin of myself... the breaking of it is a 
disaster you can _not_ imagine. I put that staff into the care of your ancestor 
for a reason... so that it would be protected," Shimitsu looked at Cologne, 
considering her as one would consider a fly.
"I understand the legend, Shimitsu... My efforts to preserve the line of the 
Amazons has met with an unfortunate, and disastrous end. There is a boy named 
Ranma who is the center of it all, if it were not for him-" Cologne was silenced 
by the resonance of the Dragoness's voice.
"I know of this Ranma. He is a great warrior of even greater skill... but his 
pride will one day lead to tragedy. He is a worthy suitor for your daughter... 
if She had not already been taken," Shimitsu smirked at Cologne's wince.
"How did you-"
"It is my responsibility to watch over all those born in the Village below, as 
well as those cursed by the waters of Jusenkyo. I have taken considerable 
interest in your lives, however, as I have not had as much laughter in such a 
long time," Shimitsu smiled openly, putting Cologne at an uneasy relaxation.
"She was the only heir... so I assume you know what I am here for," Cologne 
bowed again slightly, and Shimitsu frowned.
"Yes. Of course, my Son is a distance away... he has been gone for at least a 
century. There is nothing I can do to summon him..." Cologne seemed to visually 
wither at these words.
"I imagine you are quite disappointed in this turn of events," Shimitsu 
approached Cologne, and the Old Amazon tensed up involuntarily.
"I made a vow when I broke the staff... that I must keep. Son-In... I mean, 
Ranma... I swore that he would suffer torment. I cannot, and _will_ not, go back 
on such a promise... no matter how much my feelings have changed since then," 
Shimitsu considered Cologne's words, and began floating in mid air as she 
thought.
"You do not realize the trial that your 'Ranma' is already going through... but 
then, neither does the young one. The next Month shall not be a pleasant one for 
the child. Yet... if you truly wish to witness this, I suppose I can help you. 
_You_ however must promise _me_ something," Shimitsu dropped back to the ground 
quietly and looked at Cologne's withered features.
"I promise, so long as it is within my power to do so," Cologne bowed again, 
wondering what the Dragoness had in mind.
Shimitsu grinned and began to speak, "It is quite within your power to do. You 
will return to this... this Nerima. Not now, but in a Month. Once there, you 
will see that the words you spoke in haste have taken a tight hold upon the 
people there... Yes, Ranma will suffer for the next month. Mayhaps not 
physically... for Ranma is too strong to be harmed permanently by any type of 
injury... but Ranma _will_ suffer a trial not yet realized. You will help the 
boy through this difficulty, I want him unharmed... and when Ranma marries, I 
want his children unharmed as well. This is what I ask of you," Shimitsu began 
to shift her shape again, melting back into her dragon form.
"But... Shimitsu, I am not sure I can return... I'm not sure if I'm welcome 
anym-"
"Silence!!! You will return. Until the time comes, you must train... and heed 
this; Those most confident will fail, those rising in victory will fall, those 
who sacrifice... are spared," And the Dragon vanished in a sparkle of stars.
Cologne shunned the words, how could she help Saotome? She despised the boy that 
he could destroy so much without even trying. How could she get by her bias?
And why did she feel odd?
Cologne froze and looked down, taking in her new shape... a shape she hadn't 
seen in over two and a half century's...
A high pitched teenage scream echoed off of the Mountains in the Tsing Hai 
Province.

* * * * * *

Ranma walked away from the school, her eyes downcast. The day had _not_ gone 
well... Ranma just wished she would never have to wear the dress again. She knew 
she had little choice. She paused suddenly and looked down at herself.
*Why a girl? Why did it have to be a girl?* Ranma's composure broke and she 
leaned against the stone wall.
"Hey, Ranma!! Wait up, buddy!" Hiroshi yelled, running as fast as he could. 
Hiroshi had been worried about Ranma since he arrived at school... he had seen 
how Ranma had been dressed, and also found it disturbing that his Mother could 
do something like that to him.
Hiroshi was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost ran by Ranma.
"Go 'way, 'Roshi," Ranma said in a half-hearted attempt to get rid of her 
friend.
"C'mon, Ranma. I _know_ that something's bothering you... I mean, I've never 
seen someone so eager to get home. You tore outta there like there was no 
tomorrow!"
Ranma looked up at Hiroshi, the sunny smile on her friends face seemed to mock 
her own senseless lack of confidence. Her friends wavy brownish-red hair blew 
softly in the wind. Hiroshi seemed like he didn't have a care in the world.
*But his eyes...* Something had been bugging Ranma about his friends eyes. 
Recently, whenever Ranma seemed troubled, or whenever there was something 
bothering Ranma, Hiroshi would get a wistful... almost sad look in his eyes.
It wasn't pity... Ranma knew that Hiroshi didn't pity her... but it was 
something Ranma couldn't describe. Something chillingly familiar...
"You're not gonna tell me, are you?" Hiroshi leaned against the other side of 
the pole, and set his bookbag down on the ground.
Suddenly, Ranma remembered the promise she had made to Sayuri... and sighed. 
*Well... If I can't tell Hiroshi... then who?*
"It's... It's the fact that people are all treating me like I'm a girl... this 
morning, and for the rest of the day... people started looking at me different. 
Hey, even the guys treated me different... and I _definitely_ noticed a reaction 
that wasn't there before..." Ranma shuddered at the thought. She could turn 
_men_ on.
"..." Hiroshi thought about saying something, but knew that with Ranma... it was 
best to let her tell it all herself. An interruption would just prove to be a 
catalyst for an end to the conversation.
"But it's not only that... it's like I have no control over my life. This 
curse... all the Fiancee stuff... and now, this- this- I hate this... I'm 
starting to _feel_ like a- a- but I'm _not_ a girl! At least I still hate all of 
this," Ranma kicked a rock at her feet.
"I mean, I'm in a dress, 'Roshi... and I'm wearing a bra!!! Dammit, but the 
thing makes _these_-" Ranma motioned at her breasts, "-A hell of a lot more 
comfortable. I _Like_ wearing a bra, Hiroshi... do you know what that 
_means_?!?!" Ranma stood and walked around to where she was facing her friend.
"It _means_ I'm a girl. Guy's don't wear bra's... guy's don't wear make-up or 
perfume... My Mom's trying to _destroy_ me Hiroshi!" Ranma grabbed his friend by 
the collar and shook him.
Hiroshi smiled that winning smile. "Ranma. Just because you like being 
comfortable doesn't make you a girl. The makeup or the dress or the perfume 
doesn't make you a girl. Tell me, do you Love a guy?" Ranma looked at Hiroshi 
with an odd look, something between an absurd shock and a relieved smile.
"Uh... I... n... not really..." Ranma found herself a bit less disturbed by all 
the weird changes.
"Does it seem like I care if you look more feminine?" Hiroshi stared directly at 
Ranma's eyes. Ranma blinked for a moment, and released her friend.
"I guess not... what's that got to do with anything?" Ranma looked confused.
"Was there anyone who's opinion you cared about that treated you differently?" 
Hiroshi corssed his arms in a relaxed manner.
Ranma thought. There hadn't really been anyone whom he considered a friend who 
had treated him differently... other than Ryouga. *But then, Ryouga thought I 
was trying to trick him...* Ranma's composure almost gave way when she 
remembered what she had done to Ryouga. She had never actually _hurt_ Ryouga 
before.
Then it popped into her head... it _had_ happened... with Akane. Akane had been 
acting different since the incident in Gym. All of Akane's friends in the locker 
room had started asking Ranma about her favorite movie, or where she got her 
perfume... and some of the girls who _didn't_ know Ranma had started asking 
about which guys she liked... and someone had mentioned something about a 
Period. *Or was it an Exlamation?* Regardless to say, Ranma hardly had much to 
say about _any_ of the subjects.
Akane had complimented Ranma on her hair as they were walking to class. _That_ 
had really made Ranma feel bad. As well as the odd fact that Akane seemed to be 
babbling more and giggling alot. *Well... the giggling wasn't so bad...*
"Actually... 'Roshi... Akane has been treatin' me like I was always this way. 
Not all the time, but sometimes she'll forget I'm really a guy. Then there was 
Ryouga, who I almost hurt badly because he was taking pot-shots at my clothing 
and all... I don't usually get so upset," Ranma fell back into her depression.
Hiroshi mentally slapped himself. He should have kept that last sentence out of 
the conversation. He had _heard_ things about the way people were treating Ranma 
differently.
Ranma began walking again, yet not as quickly as before. Hiroshi snatched up his 
bag and began to follow.
"Hiroshi..." Ranma began, in a tone dripping with despair. "I know you meant 
well... and I've never known a time when you couldn't cheer me up... but it 
didn't work. I think you just made me feel worse..." Ranma trailed off, unable 
to say more.
The words tore through Hiroshi like a sonic boom. Self-loathing washed over 
Hiroshi, as well as regret.
Hiroshi had never actually made Ranma feel _worse_. Every time he had tried to 
make Ranma feel better had ended in success.
To hear that he had actually hurt Ranma worse than the original wound... there 
was a tight stabbing pain in Hiroshi's heart, as if someone had plunged a knife 
through it.
"'Roshi?" Ranma had paused when she saw her friends face contort in pain and 
sadness.
"I'm sorry... Ranma. For making you feel worse than before..." Hiroshi looked 
down at the ground, a bit of the glint having left his eyes.
Ranma fidgeted nervously. "C'mon, 'Roshi... don't do this. You make me feel bad 
when you're like this..." Ranma began to feel a tightening in her chest, where 
the mutual sorrow was growing for making Hiroshi sad.
Hiroshi brightened after a moment, an idea forming in his mind as he recalled 
something that always cheered him up.
"Ranma... do you feel the sun and the wind?" Hiroshi concentrated on the 
horizon, as the soft breeze blew through his wavy hair and the sunlight danced 
on his finely chiseled face.
"Yeah, why?" A curious tone had invaded Ranma's words, as she saw the distant 
look fall over Hiroshi's soft eyes.
"The sun... can you feel it soaking into you... filling you with life... 
illuminating the world... close your eyes... do you feel it?" Hiroshi watched as 
Ranma closed her eyes. They both paused in walking. Ranma concentrated on trying 
to feel what Hiroshi was describing.
"No... relax and let _it_ come to _you_," Hiroshi placed a hand on Ranma's 
shoulder. The girl let her mind go blank ,and forgot about concentrating. Soon, 
a smile spread across her face as she felt a warmth spread through her body.
"Now open your eyes," Ranma did so, "Do you feel the wind at your back? Pressing 
you on, racing the sun, forever running across the world?" Ranma looked at 
Hiroshi with a confused look.
Hiroshi began walking, and his pace increased with his words, Ranma began 
matching his pace and listening. "The wind is free... ever roaming, ever flying 
through the world..." Hiroshi spoke with a soft voice as he began, "The wind 
sings a song of laughter and joy, while whispering the secret sorrows of all who 
have known loss... yet, in the simple telling of the story is the joy of truth 
and love..." Hiroshi's tone started to rise, in response to both the wind and 
the building excitement that seemed to radiate from him, "The wind is the song 
of the world, and the wind laughs as it runs!!" Ranma found herself closing her 
eyes, as she ran.
Not anywhere.
No destination.
And she laughed. Hiroshi laughed with her as they drank the sun and devoured the 
joy of freedom.
Hiroshi kept pace, never falling a stride behind Ranma... neither cared where 
they ran, and all Ranma knew was that this... was life. She felt _alive_, and so 
long as she ran all the problems of the world could not catch her... for she was 
the wind, and the wind was Ranma.

* * * * * * 

Ukyou rushed out the door as the last bell rang, dismissing school for the day. 
As she got ut to the schoolyard, she started looking through the crowd for the 
familiar red-head.
Ranma had startled her when she had broken into Hinako's classroom, basically 
because of how she was dressed as well as the faint hint of perfume left in the 
pig-tailed-girl's wake.
She had not seriously believed Saotome Nodoka when she had announced Ranma's 
training as a 'girl' would begin today. She never actually considered that Ranma 
would go through such an embarrassing ordeal for even _one_ day.
"Oops, excuse me," Came a familiar voice as Ukyou backed into someone.
"Akane?" Ukyou asked, as she turned around. She came face to face with Akane.
"Ukyou? Have _you_ seen Ranma?" Akane had been looking since school got out, and 
hadn't been able to find her ex-fiancee. She was a bit worried about Ranma... 
and the way she had been acting the entire day.
"No, Akane-Chan, I was going to ask you the same thing!" Ukyou had been 
surprised when Ranma ran _away_ from the blue-haired girl in Hinako's room... 
the look on the red-head's face was one of sheer terror before she had 
disappeared down the hall. Ukyou wanted to make sure she was all right.
"Hiya, ladies! Hey, didja check out the water-molecules on that babe in Hinako's 
room?!" Daisuke made an exaggerated expression play on his face before he 
grinned from ear to ear.
"Not funny, Daisuke!" Akane said, as she smacked her book-bag into the boy's 
arm.
"Hey! It was just a joke? You needn't get so perterbed since I'm admittedly not 
attracted to verified _Elemental_," Daisuke said the last word with emphasis.
"An Elemental?" Ukyou asked, a bit puzzled at what Daisuke meant.
"Yup, full-blown paranormal form , with metaphysical abilities pertaining to the 
manipulation of water. In layman's terms... she controls water with _magic_ 
powers inherent within her!" Daisuke winked, as Akane groaned.
"Great, another superhuman monster out to get Ranma!" Akane looked a tad 
worried, however... Ukyou noted that.
"Uhm... actually, discerning the Water-Elemental's chosen destination's, as well 
as the verbal support for the case... I think it's Shampoo you should be worried 
about," Daisuke began punching numbers into his E-pad as he talked.
"Shampoo?!" Ukyou and Akane said Simultaneously. They looked at eachother, 
trying to understand why someone would come after the Joketsuzoku Princess.
"Yup... hey, I was wondering, do you people know what happens when you invert 
light particles back in upon themselves, and then intensify the density?" 
Daisuke looked up from his E-pad with a questioning expression.
Akane and Ukyou had an utterly confused look on their faces.
"Okay, how about the ability to strip ones own genes up until the point where 
you are a formless mass with immense kinetic energy which somehow allows 
potential instanteaneous metamorphitisation?" Daisuke punched several more keys 
and then looked back up again.
Akane and Ukyou were sweating. They looked at eachother and then shrugged.
"GAAAHH! What is this, does nobody have the mental proportions to handle the 
questions that pertain to simple quantum physics and genetic engineering?! 
Okay... never mind. Hey, you guys wanna go get a bite to eat?" Daisuke stuffed 
the E-notebook back into his backpack.
"Oh, thanks Daisuke! I forgot, I have to go open up shop... Uhm, Dai?" Daisuke 
looked at Ukyou when she murmured his name.
"Tha's my name, make sure you don't lose the spinning gyro-sphere!" Daisuke 
laughed, which released some of the weird tension the conversation had created. 
Akane and Ukyou smiled as Daisuke returned to his 'Fun' mode.
"Have you seen Ranma? I mean, he seemed pretty down for some reason, and I was 
wanting to apologize for acting like I did today... it's just, when I saw him, 
it was like he was trying to get out the door and back home as quickly as 
possible," Daisuke sighed as Akane spoke. Then he looked at Ukyou.
"You know, if you two shmucks would've shown this much care a month or so ago... 
Ranma _might_ have been able to talk to you two. Unfortunately, since that day 
of the 'Terrible Nervous Breakdown!', My Main Man's only been able to confide in 
my Truo Duo buddy. Hiroshi... I dunno, I guess Hi's introspection and vigor for 
life make him more appealing than a mallet wielding/smother-with-love ex-
fiancee's," Daisuke shook his head. Akane and Ukyou seemed to be very red, and 
Daisuke gots the feeling he might have angered them. *Why? Every time I try to 
help.... DAMMITALL!*
"If the Pervert would stop being such an _idiot_ that hammer wouldn't be so 
_useful_ all the time!" Akane grabbed Daisuke with one hand by his Chinese-style 
black shirt, Ukyou did the same.
"I do _not_ smother Ran-Chan! He loves me!" Ukyou and Akane hauled back to 
launch Daisuke into the stratosphere.
"True," Daisuke said, with a completely calm tone of voice. Akane and Ukyou then 
blinked and removed their hands.
"What?" They replied in unison.
"Ranma can be insensitive, a real jerk sometimes... but that's because he can't 
handle all the pressure by himself, so he tries to put some of his own anguish 
on other people... I think. I'm sure Ranma loves you Ukyou... but maybe not in 
the way you hope... wish... pray. The only thing is... he _can't_ talk to you 
two! If he told you something personal... about some of his problems... Akane 
would likely dub him 'pervert' and pull out ye ol' mallet... he can't tell 
Ucchan because... well, Hi already told you 'bout that. Guilt by association, 
Ukyou, it's a real pisser," Daisuke walked away from the two stunned teens.
There was a long pause as Akane and Ukyou considered the words, carefully 
filtering out what they didn't want to hear.
"He _is_ a Pervert!" Akane yelled at the quickly vanishing Daisuke.
"Hear that?! He loves me!" Ukyou beamed... not having caught the rest.
Daisuke muttered under his breath, "And one more reason... because you don't 
listen... Hiroshi is as silent as the wind and when someone speaks, he 
listens..."

* * * * * *

"All right, begin!" Mousse yelled as he pushed the button on the Stop watch.
Hiroshi and Ranma began vigorously devouring the food at a rate that would make 
fire look slow. Five-courses...
"Stop, if I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it... this is the fifth 
meal you two have downed in under three minutes... in fact, you two seem to be 
in some type of synch. You both finish at the exact time!" Mousse looked at the 
watch. Two minutes and Fourty-Seven seconds.
"Nah... 's just that me and Hiroshi are such great fans of foreign cuisine!" 
Ranma laughed and rubbed the back of her head.
"Yup, Foreign means _outside_ our stomachs... that makes food foreign cuisine!" 
Ranma and Hiroshi both laughed. Ranma decided that the day hadn't been that 
bad... for the past six hours since school got out, she had been following 
Hiroshi around.
It had started out with a serious talk about the events at school. Then they had 
gone shopping in Tokyo, where Ranma bought some jeans and tee-shirts from one of 
Hiroshi's favorite brands, Hiroshi had bought her a Gunndamn Poster to 'Liven' 
up the dreary room she shared with her Father, and then they had gone to get 
some Icecream... at behest of Ranma.
Hiroshi reluctantly shelled out some cash, seeing as how Ranma was by now very 
broke(Both from the shopping, as well as from Nabiki!^_^).
Then they decided to go catch the New Action-Movie playing at the Cinema-
Showcase, of which afterwards they discussed how realistic the explosions 
were(From personal experience).
Then it was time for an early dinner, Hiroshi decided to stop by the 
Nekohanten... as Ranma seemed to have been avoiding the restaurant as of late. 
He guessed that it was because Ranma had been... a bit uncomfortable around 
Mousse since the battle, and Hiroshi had noticed the same reaction from Mousse.
*Funny... they seem to be getting along just fine right now.* Hiroshi sighed as 
Ranma started telling him _another_ story of the ever-wandering Hibiki. Hiroshi 
sighed... deeply this time.
Ranma looked up at him and smiled. Hiroshi rustled his hair as he listened to 
her speak. *Damn it, but I love it when Ranma smiles... makes me feel like I've 
had a part in making Her happy.* Hiroshi doesn't catch the feminine proverb in 
his mind, but he does hear a boom coming closer.
"...And so he jumps and zoom! Goes right over the wall, straight through the 
rain... hey, Hiroshi? Somethin' wrong?" Ranma forgets the question as the table 
shakes... the rumbling seems to be continuous now and coming closer.
"Neh? Ranma... what's going on?" Mousse asked, getting into a defensive stance 
as the guests hopped under the tables.
"Hey! What makes you think _I've_ got anything to do with this?" The roaring 
noise is suddenly heralded by a huge gush of water flooding into the 
Nekohanten's door in a torrent.
Everyone in the main room gets soaked, making Hiroshi into his new female self. 
In the wake of the fountain, stands a somewhat... familiar blue-haired girl... 
her eyes glinting in the afternoon sun.
"Where is Princess of Joketsuzoku?" Aquarius asked in a calm tone. Her eyes 
darted back and forth over the hiding patrons of the Cat Cafe... then suddenly 
her gaze locked on Mousse.
A grin alighted on her face. "You, who are in cerimonial priest dress of 
Tribe... where is Princess?!" Aquarius was in front of Mousse with a flash, the 
Amazon warrior took on an offensive stance.
"And what business is it of _your's_ to question where my darling Shampoo is?!" 
Mousse was readying himself to attack, a bit of fear in his stance as he saw the 
enormous source of power eminating around the Elemental's chi.
"She who is Shampoo's ancestral leader is one whom put me in watery prison of 
Chiisuiton! Those of her seed now die by hand of prisoner they made!" Aquarius 
shot her hands out, and jet's of water rushed toward Mousse.
Mousse dodged the obvious attack, sensing where the path of energy would next 
take the Elemental-enchanted water.
"I won't let you hurt Shampoo!!!" Mousse yelled, and flung his arms forward... 
wrapping the elemental in chains of steel.
Aquarius blinked and then smiled. "So, is feisty one... You not know what you 
deal with... as water is power of life, so does it wear down the walls of 
salvation... constantly burning silent against stone and metal... corroding, 
erroding... washing away of victory!" The steel chains began turning a rust-
color as Aquarius spoke, and bits of metal began flaking away.
Mousse was stunned when the chains fell to the ground... rusted and worn from 
the barrage of the elements.
"Mousse get down!" Mousse ducked as Shampoo flew over her husband's head, 
bonbori in hand, to land a mighty blow upon the creature of water before them.
Aquarius staggered back from the blow, and glared in anger at her new opponent.
"You... you are one I want... you who are seed of my despair! YOU MUST DIE!!!" 
Aquarius launched herself forward, and began attacking Shampoo with a ferocity 
Ranma was amazed at.
Shampoo dodged, ducked, jumped, and blocked the flurry of attacks as Aquarius 
relentlessly continued.
Shampoo jumped as Aquarius launched a sweeping kick, followed by a jet of water 
knocking Shampoo back and into the wall...
Aquarius looked around... surprised that her prey had eluded her, and wondering 
where she had gone.
The angry Elemental picked Mousse up from where he had fallen to the ground.
"Where you put her?!" Aquarius got out, before she heard a very shrill scream.
"GET IT OFFA ME!!!" Yelled a familiar voice which Aquarius couldn't quite place.
Ranma leaped from her hiding place and began running in a circle, flailing her 
arms wildly as Shampoo-Neko clung to her head.
"GET IT OFF! OFF! OFF! I'M GONNA LOSE IT, I SWEAR!!!" Aquarius stared at the 
weird spectacle as the red-head ran around the restaurant screaming.
Soun and Genma suddenly leaped in the door.
"Ahah! Ranma, m'boy! I knew we'd find you here! Where have you-Gah!" Genma was 
trampled as Ranma ran through the door.
"Wait! Shampoo! Wait for me!" Mousse yells as he runs after Ranma.
"Wh-what's going on here, Saotome?!" Soun asked as he was likewise upended by a 
desperate Mousse.
"How should I-GROWF?!" Genma was suddenly a panda, due to Aquarius rushing out 
the door after Mousse.
"Saotome?! Don't just lie there! The boy needs our help!" Soun had lept to his 
feet as Mr. Panda sat up.
<You're not an over-weight Panda! Give me some time!>
"Uhm... gentlemen, while you two dally, I'm sure Ranma is in a spot of trouble," 
Amiko helped Mr. Panda to his feet, and adjusted her belt.
Surprisingly, the outfit Amiko was wearing also fit in her female form.
"Right! Now which way did they go?" Soun and Genma looked either way. To the 
left was a fair audience of people looking back and forth and murmuring about a 
strange girl surrounded by water, a red-head who seemed frightened to death, and 
an odd boy in white robes.
To the right lay utter chaos. Fences pulled down, walls smashed, fire hydrants 
spraying water from their broken pipes. The cement was cracked and soaked, and a 
lamp-post had been downed.
<I think they went Left> Amiko smacked the Panda over the head with his own 
sign.
"Gimme a break, you guy's are such wusses!" Amiko ran off to the Right, 
following the trail of destruction.
<Then again... I suppose right could be right.>
"Of course it is, Saotome! If it wasn't, it would be left! Let's go!" Soun ran 
after Amiko, a reluctant Panda followed.

Ranma

"GAHHHH!" Ranma screamed as she ran down the street, a cat firmly attached to 
her head. Shampoo 'Meowed' furiously as Mousse followed her.
"Shampoo!!! Ranma!!!" Mousse was unaware of the fact that Aquarius was hot on 
his heels, smashing anything that got in her way.
*You will perish, Cursed girl...* Aquarius swept all objects out of her way, 
smashing anything solid with hard-water(Ice). Mousse was finally caught and 
flung into the sky by the angry Water Elemental. The chase continued, right past 
a familiar blue-haired, bandanna wearing boy staring confusedly at a map.
"I _know_ that the Tendo Dojo was around here somewhere..." Ryouga sensed danger 
and lept straight up, avoiding the barrage of water left in Aquarius's wake. He 
landed safely, without the cursed change he had become so accustomed to.
"Whew... that was close-BWEEEEEE!" Ryouga yelled as an old lady with a ladle 
splashed him.
*DAMMIT! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, RANMA!* P-Chan Thought.
Ranma continued running, till he ran through a burst pipe of warm water.
Shampoo clung to him affectionately, while Ranma turned posatively red when he 
realized he was in a dress.
"Ooh... I thank you for saving me, Ranma! Shampoo is happy you are such good 
fri-" Shampoo was cut off by a very angry Ranma.
"DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!!!" Ranma yelled, before he realized that Shampoo was 
*Naked*. Ranma blushed furiously at the realization of this. Then, a voice from 
behind Ranma made the pig-tailed boy groan in recognition.
"Yet, I never thought the Demon so debased that it wouldst stoop as low as 
thus... to take upon itself the mantle of women's clothing... and seduce yet 
another innocent young body so that it might inhabit not only Ranma Saotome... 
but two beautiful verile young women! Alas, I fear it is my duty, as a sacred 
Knight of the Kuno Clan, to make sure such debasement go no farther!" Kuno 
stood, his bokken in hand... pointing it at Ranma.
"I haven't got time for this, you idiot!" Ranma yelled in the kendoist's face. 
Ranma looked back to see Aquarius charging straight for them.
"If you dost wish to flee, you might do so... but to go forth... one must pass 
Kuno Tatewaki, Blue Thunder of Furinken High!" Lightning clashed behind Kuno as 
he raised his bokken to the sky.
Ranma kicked him in the gut, then lept over Kuno and continued running, Shampoo 
close behind.
"Nay! I shall not let such malevolent tendencies go unpunished!" Kuno began 
chasing Ranma, his bokken drawn and ready for battle.
The kendoist heard a crash from behind him, and he looked cautiously over his 
shoulder to see a young-girl with cascading blue hair, a glint of fire in her 
eyes as she demolished everything in her path.
"YAAAHH! It is a foul Demon summoned from the Nether-regions of man's worst 
nightmares, come to aid the trecherous Evil Being... yet, I cannot defeat it 
without the sorcerous aid of the demon-spirit inhabiting Ranma's petite form!" 
Kuno said all this while picking up spead, till he was quite ahead of a startled 
Ranma.
"How the hell did he do that?" Ranma asked, looking after Kuno as he vanished in 
a trail of dust.
"Is Kuno, I no Know. Maybe you ask him later, yes?" Shampoo whispered from 
beside Ranma.
"Yeah... later... WHY IS THAT THING CHASING YOU!?!?!" Ranma asked.
"You think Shampoo know? I have no thought on subject... Great Grandmother never 
tell me anything about weird water-lady before..." Shampoo looked back over her 
shoulder, verifying that Aquarius was still following them.

Akane.

Akane walked down the street, an angry expression on her face. *Ranma thinks 
that just because I cooked tonight he can go over to the Nekohanten... the jerk 
didn't even come home after School! If it had been Ucchan's, I could 
understand... but I DIDN'T give him permission to go THERE!* Akane stopped in 
her tracks as she heard a comotion coming closer.
"Hmm?" Akane stared and squinted her eyes, till she could make out a red-headed 
girl running in her direction. A cloud of dust was hovering over the horizon as 
Akane watched Ranma close the distance between them.
*Ranma... now he's gonna get it!* Akane got ready to hit Ranma as hard as she 
could. As Ranma got closer, Akane's anger surged as she saw Shampoo, Naked, 
chasing after Ranma.
*WHAT?!* Akane didn't understand... was Shampoo truly low enough to double time 
on Mousse? And with Ranma, of all people!
"RANMMAAAAAA!" Akane yelled, as Ranma screamed past her at a breakneck speed.
"Hi Akane, Bye Akane!" Ranma managed to get out.
Akane turned to chase him and began yelling.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!" Akane heard a rushing sound coming up from behind her, 
and she turned in time to see a wave of water smash her into the wall.
After the wave had passed, Akane looked down at her new dress, torn and soaked. 
Her face began turning all different colors of red.
"Oh! Akane! What are you doing here?" Soun asked, as he began jogging in place.
"I came looking for _Ranma_ after Kasumi told me he was at the Nekohanten!" 
Akane stood up, and tried to dust herself off.
"Don't worry, we have everything under control!" Soun smiled and continued to 
jog on.
Amiko carrying a Panda passed Akane a moment later, "Get OFFA ME!!! I don't CARE 
if you hurt your FOOT!" Akane glanced around at what was left of the street.... 
which looked like a tornado had hit.
"Oh yeah, Daddy... everything's juuuuust fine!"
"RANMAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Akane heard Ryouga yell. The lost boy was soaked and seemed 
to be chasing after the group.
"Oh, hi Akane... Hahaha!" Ryouga stopped and grinned sheepishly.
Akane smiled back, glad that Ryouga was here. *Maybe I'll finally get some 
answers about this mess!*
"Ryouga, what is going on here? I know _you'll_ tell me!" Ryouga fidgeted and 
tried not to look at Akane.
"Well, I think.... what it is.... I'm sure that... I mean, I think someone is 
chasing Ranma... and that idiot's gotten ME involved again! I swear... one day 
I'll put him through some torment he'll never forget!" Ryouga had a vacant look 
as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fist in front of his chest.
Akane couldn't understand what could come between two great friends like Ranma 
and Ryouga that would make them so bitter towards eachother.
"Uhm... yeah. I suppose we should go after the jerk then, right?" Akane asked, 
as she turned to run back to the Dojo.
Ryouga began running as well, sure that he would be able to help Akane in her 
hour of need.
"Ah, Ryouga-kun?" Akane asked, as she paused.
"Yes, Akane?" Ryouga flashed her his fanged smile, expecting her to thank him 
for being so valiant and caring, and that she wished she had a boyfriend like 
Ryouga...
"Follow me, you're heading the wrong way," Akane smiled as she began running.
Ryouga blushed, but began to follow Akane. *Stupid... how embarrasssing!* If 
Ryouga hadn't been busy, he would have smacked himself in the head.

Gosunkugi & Tsubasa

Hikaru Gosunkugi had awoken with a spring in his step, for today he would mail a 
love letter to Tendo Akane... telling her his true feelings.
He began whistling a happy tune as he approached the Mail Box. *Strange... I 
don't recall a Mail Box being on this street Corner...* Gosunkugi shrugged and 
opened the box. He quickly stuffed his letter in.
The box started to jump! Gosunkugi was startled beyond belief!
The mailbox began running down the street.
"HEY! COME BACK HERE WITH THAT LETTER, YOU EVIL MAIL BOX!!!" Gosunkugi began 
chasing after the mailbox.

Happosai

"Sweeto! Boy, today's a day for surprises!" Happosai glared into the Girl's 
bathhouse, directly into the locker room. His eyes bulged as he watched the 
girl's get undressed.
"Ohhh... today will be a day to remember!!! To think, that on this day the 
Cheerleaders from across Tokyo would end up passing through Nerima on their way 
to some Cheerleader contest... and getting so dirty they would have to use the 
Bathhouses!!! How Sweet it IS!!" Happosai quietly slipped into the locker room, 
using his stealth strategy's he had aquired over the three hundred years he had 
lived to avoid being spotted.
"Hmmm... Ahhh, yes..." Happosai examined the lockers, and then slammed his pipe 
into the side of them. Locker after locker swung open.
"Happosai, you certainly have the touch!" The old man chortled. He began 
emptying the bra's and Panties into his collection bag.
He was half-way done when...
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! A PERVERT!" A young girl screamed. The women in the bathhouse 
began rushing into the room to see a wrinkled old bag with a load of silky 
underwear.
"Oh dear, I suppose it's time I took my leave... TATA LADIES!" Happosai leaped 
up into the air and out the window.
"AFTER HIM GIRLS!!!" One of the Cheerleaders yelled, they quickly threw on their 
outfits and began chasing the aged pervert.
"Well now, I didn't expect that they would catch me so early, but then... I 
guess it's my own fault," Happosai ran on, while an angry bunch of cheerleaders 
ran after him.
Little did the aged martial-artist know that he was heading for a collision with 
another group of people...

To Ranma

Ranma gasped for air in the alleyway, as Shampoo squeezed the water out of her 
hair.
"I sorry, Ranma... I no mean to get you in trouble..." Shampoo sounded sincere, 
and Ranma had no reason to doubt her word.
"I just wish you wouldn't do that, Shampoo... you know how deathly afraid of 
cats I am..." Ranma looked at the Amazon girl who had once been his fiancee, 
blushing as he tried to ignore her unclothed status.
"Ranma like what he see?" Shampoo asked. Ranma realized he was staring at her 
bosom and pulled his eyes away. Ranma had always known Shampoo was attractive, 
but his evasion of intimacy, as well as the fact that he was trying to stay on 
Akane's good side most of the time had given him little time to pay attention to 
Shampoo.
"I'm... sorry, Shampoo," Ranma was both apologizing for looking, as well as for 
the fact that he couldn't marry the Amazon Princess.
"Is okay, Ranma... I love you still, yes... but I not know what I almost lose 
till it nearly slip through fingers without knowing... Mousse make me happy. 
Strong as you he might not be... but he is my Mousse," Shampoo got a distant, 
almost bittersweet happy look on her face.
Ranma found himself feeling a similar feeling for Shampoo... and realized that 
throughout their relationship, he had grown closer to her. He might have even 
loved her a little... granted not as much as Akane... but enough to count.
"I'm happy for you, I really am. I never thought you would willingly go with 
Mousse, I mean when you chose him over me... it kinda, well I felt a little 
jealous..." Shampoo smiled a coy smile as she looked up at Ranma.
"Do you say you really care for Shampoo?" There was a glimmer in Shampoo's eyes, 
as well as the bittersweet emotion she had exibited moments before.
"Uh... yeah... I guess that's what I'm sayin'..." Shampoo hugged Ranma fiercely, 
tears streaming from her eyes.
"I always know you care... but now it can not be. I still want be friends, 
though, yes?" Ranma looked down into Shampoo's violet eyes and smiled slightly.
"That would be... nice, Shampoo. Uhm... don't you feel silly hugging a guy in a 
dress?" Ranma turned red again as he remembered his own clothing.
"No, is more silly I naked!" They both laughed. Suddenly, a shadow fell over 
them.
"YOU!" A familiar voice yelled at the pair. A looming pillar of water surrounded 
the figure, obscuring it from view, until the water parted and dropped to the 
ground... revealing Aquarius, an angry air surrounded the elemental as she 
stared at the descendant of her captor.
"YOU WILL PERISH, PRINCESS!!!" Aquarius started forward, water looming up all 
around her.
Suddenly, a white flash appeared from nowhere and Mousse was grappling with the 
elemental.
"Run Shampoo! I'll take care of her!" Ranma looked at Mousse wanting to help as 
Shampoo looked back and forth in desperation. There was stark fear in her eyes 
as she looked at Mousse... but Ranma didn't know how he could help the Amazon 
boy.
"I SAID RUN, YOU FOOLS!" Ranma hesitated, but finally turned and broke into a 
run, seeing nothing he could do for his friend at this moment. Shampoo 
reluctantly followed, after her eyes connected with Mousse's and a silent 
message passed between.
The two vanished out of the alley, and back into a chase scene as Ryouga, Kuno, 
Akane, Mr. Panda, Soun, and Amiko spotted them. Well... Ryouga saw them first.
While back in the alley, Mousse attacked Aquarius with his Raking-Hawks Talon. 
"I will die before you harm Shampoo, fiend!" Mousse cried out, as rock hard 
tendrils of water shot out and pinned him against the wall.
Aquarius growled with an inhuman timbre, "You will not stop my vengeance, by 
Kami! I will have penance!" Aquarius got a flash of his aura as he struggled and 
broke free from several of the tendrils. *A Feisty Spirit, this one!* She 
grinned as she saw a magical device wrapped tenuously around his finger, as well 
as the oddity in his aura marking him a Jusenkyou victim.
"Ahhh, so you too have suffered Jusenkyou. Perhaps I take you out of way right 
now, Hai?" Mousse was surrounded by water as Aquarius's face took on a serious, 
almost malevolent tone. The Silver Ring slipped off the boys finger and he 
instantly became a duck.
"Let your price for interference be your life, foolish Mortal!" Aquarius laughed 
as she left the alley in a wave of destruction. If one could know the sound of a 
duck weaping... it would be recognized from this avian creature laying in the 
alley. Mousse realized he may never be a man again.

To Ranma... Again

"COME BACK HERE, CRETINOUS FIEND!" Bellowed Kuno at his 'Demon Possessor of 
Souls'. The kendoist had decided that after the evil Demon inhabitor of his 
love's body had fled an alleyway with another such beautiful girl... completely 
unclothed, that it was time to make the evil 'Ranma' suffer.
"YOU'LL PAY, RANMA!" Yelled Ryouga, brandishing his umbrella as he smashed 
through obstacles. Ryouga had had enough of being a victim of circumstance, 
always being in the wrong place at the wrong time when Ranma passed through.
"Faster, Saotome! The Boy is getting ahead of us!" Soun shouted at Amiko and Mr. 
Panda. Amiko was jogging and sweating with the black and white bear hefted 
heavily upon her shoulders.
"Growf," Replied the large man-turned-bear, as he snatched an icecream cone from 
a vendor as they passed.
"YOU TRY MOVING FASTER WITH A PANDA ON _YOUR_ BACK!" Amiko retorted to Soun. 
*Now I _Know_ why Ranma is so psychologically disturbed... with _these_ two 
around, who wouldn't be?!*
"RANMAAAAAAAA!!! WHY IS SHAMPOO NAKED?!?!?!" Akane screamed at her ex fiancee. 
She had thought she could trust Shampoo... obviously she had been wrong.
Ranma Ran for his life, with Shampoo close behind him, still unclothed. "I 
DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!! PLEASE!!!" Unfortunately, out of habit, nobody listened to 
Ranma.
Suddenly, Ranma upended a mailbox running in his direction, and the usually 
stationary object clung to the Martial Artist for all it was worth.
"YAAAH! I DON'T WANNA DIE!" Wept Tsubasa as he attached himself to Ranma. Ranma 
tried in vain to shake off the annoying thing.
Gosunkugi snatched the letter out of Tsubasa's prone hand just as the group was 
passing him. *Now, all I have to do is get it to Akane!* As if on cue, the 
youngest Tendo daughter passed the geeky boy. "Akane!" Gosunkugi cried, as he 
began his pursuit of her.
Azusa Shiratori and Mikado Sanzenin were coming out of a antique shop at about 
the same time as the mob was passing them. "Next time, YOU buy you're little 
toys," Mikado murmured to Azusa. They watched in stunned silence as the mob 
passed them.
Azusa, seeing the ultra-cute face attached to the mailbox clinging to Ranma, was 
instantly moved by the beauty of it's shiny surface. "MIRANDA!!!" The girl 
cried, and propelled herself after the Crossdressing mailbox.
"Stupid wench, chasing after oblivious things..." Suddenly, Mikado was overcome 
by the beauty of a brownish-red haired girl hefting a Panda on her shoulders. 
*Surely if I kiss one such as this, my one thousandth woman... that cursed bad 
luck streak Saotome put upon me will quickly change to dubious good luck!*
Needless to say, Mikado began chasing after the girl to bestow his 'Greeting' 
upon her luscious lips.
Ranma rounded the bend to collide head on with Happosai. The mailbox went flying 
through the sky. "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Yelled Tsubasa as he flew up into 
the wild blue yonder.
Everyone paused as they saw the familiar 'Master of Perversions' right before he 
jumped up, turned and ran down the adjoining street. Moments later a mob of 
women arrived at the chase. "Where'd he go?!" One of them yelled at Ryouga. 
"DON'T ASK ME!!!!" Ryouga screamed back. "Boy, what a rude guy, you'd think we 
insulted him or somethin'" One of the girls whispered to her friend.
"HAHAHAHA! WHATTA HAUL! WHATTA HAUL!!" Happosai paused in his fleeing to toss 
the bag he had been carrying to Ranma, who had been chasing out of conditioned 
response. "There you go, partner... you know where to hide them!" Happosai 
yelled and then hopped away. Ranma stared stunned for a moment down at the bag, 
and then recalled everyone following him... and the fact he was wearing a 
dress... and holding a bag of women's lingerie.
Ranma turned red and looked back at everyone looking at him, then down at his 
dress. He started laughing idiotically. "Uhm... sorry?" Several projectiles flew 
his way and he began running, both from Aquarius, as well as a mob of other 
people out to get him. He saw Happosai in the distance, and set his goal on 
catching the jerk.
"COME BACK HERE, YOU PERVERT!" Cried the women as the mob began moving after 
both Ranma and Happosai.

Ucchan's

A mailbox clattered to the ground on the street outside of The Ucchan. Konatsu, 
while sweeping, noticed a familiar girl/boy climb out of the disguise. Konatsu 
smiled and continued on in his work, as Tsubasa dragged himself/herself to the 
side-walk and lay inert.
The Cross-dressing ninja noticed a rumbling in the distance. He/she blinked and 
looked at a cloud of dust which lay just above the horizon, coming closer. 
Something familiar struck him about it.
"What's that, Konatsu?" the Ninja boy/girl jumped when Ukyou spoke.
"I think it's Ranma, in trouble again as usual," Ukyou gave Konatsu a worried 
look, and then groaned as she saw Tsubasa. Tsubasa was usually hurt in two 
seperate instances... one, when he was around Ranma. And two, when he was around 
Ukyou.
"Yup... sounds like another mob... look, here they come!" Ukyou saw Happosai in 
the front, while Ranma trailed him holding a bag of... lingerie? She squinted 
and made out the form of many angry girls following the pair.
Ukyou leaped over Konatsu and began chasing after her Ranchan... noting that he 
had probably been framed again for Happosai's crimes by the old pervert.
"Be back in time for closing, Ukyou!" Konatsu yelled as his/her employer 
vanished in the distance, adding her own trail of dust to the growing mob.

To the Mob!

Happosai was subconsiously laughing to himself when he was kicked to the ground 
from behind. He quickly sprang back up and turned to see...
"Eh? What the-!?" Happosai looked up into the eyes of Ranma Saotome, a huge grin 
was displayed on the pig-tailed boy's face. Then Happosai looked back down at 
Ranma's dress. Happosai's eyes grew to twice their original size. "Ai yai yai!"
"Now Ranma, you're an even bigger pervert than me!!! Honestly, wearing women's 
clothing as a guy!" Ranma promptly stepped on Happosai's face, and then jumped 
into a backflip as his danger sense went off. 
As he flipped he saw Ryouga with his umbrella, he landed in a battle ready 
stance. "What the hell is it about this time? WHOA!" Ranma ducked as a bokken 
flew over his head, and did a sweeping kick followed by a Tenshin Amaguriken to 
stun Kuno. Several Happodaikarin flew through the air, and Ryouga and Ranma 
began jumping around avoiding the explosions.
"HEY!? WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!?!" Akane yelled at nobody in particular. She looked 
over at Shampoo, who was still quite naked staring at Ranma with a worried 
expression. One could almost hear the steam as Akane stalked over to the ex-
Amazon.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO RANMA?!" Akane yelled, while brandishing a fist in front of 
her.
"I no know what you mean, Akane-Chan," Shampoo gave Akane a confused look.
Amiko threw the Panda on the ground, tired of carrying it.
"Growf!!" Genma exlaimed as he was sat uncerimoniously upon the earth.
"Shaddup," Amiko managed, before she was plucked into the arms of Emperor 
Sanzenin, who was wearing roller-blades.
"Well now, you seem to be a fiery sort. Just the type that would be wild enough 
to tolerate someone like me," Mikado flaunted his playboy style all over again 
as he flew gracefully back and forth.
"Who the heck are you?" Amiko asked, looking at Mikado. *There's something 
familiar about that voice... and what he's saying...*
"I suppose I would be your friend, if you would have me..." Amiko remembered, 
and tried being polite to the young man as she squirmed to get free.
"Uh.... that's nice... could you please set me down?" Amiko began looking 
nervous.
"Well of course," Mikado stated in a serious tone.
"Thanks..." Amiko relaxed slightly, not noticing that the skater hadn't set her 
down yet.
"But first, a farewell," Mikado brought his lips closer.... closer.... Amiko 
almost screamed.
Mikado couldn't scream, as Ranma's fist made a healthy relationship with his 
face. "MFRGLRM!!!!"
"Thanks, Bud!" Amiko visibly looked shaken, but managed to duck a stray umbrella 
as she was set to the ground. Amiko looked back at Mikado, lying on the ground, 
and kicked him... hard. The party of girls finally surrounded Happosai, and 
began beating him vigorously... after a few moments, their attention was drawn 
to Ranma's battle. Happosai thanked his lucky stars that the pummeling had 
stopped, then began looking around for his load.
"BAKUSEI TENKETSU!" Yelled Ryouga as he brought his umbrella violently to the 
ground in a shattering explosion. Ranma threw himself towards the center of the 
blast radius and launched a Tenshin Amaguriken at Ryouga's abdomen.
Ryouga grunted angrily under the pain, and swung his arm wide, still blinded by 
the dust.
His fist connected with Kuno, and the Kendoist responed with a quick swing... 
which almost connected with Ranma's neck.
"Don't worry, Ranchan! I'll save you!" Ukyou cried as her spatula glimmered in 
the sun and came down with a thud on Ryouga's brain-case.
"Well... that smarted," Ryouga stated and leaped at Ranma in anger.
"NOW YOU DIE, RANMA!!!!!!!!" Ranma dropped to the ground on his shoulders and 
kicked up towards the descending Ryouga, knocking him back into Soun. Ranma used 
the momentum to leap back to his feet and resume his ready stance.
"OSCAR!!!" Cried Azusa as she clung affectionately to Mr. Panda. Mr. Panda tried 
ignoring the girl.
"Oscar, it's me! You're Mommy! HEY OSCAR!! OVER HERE SWEETY!" Azusa clung to the 
Panda and began beating it.
Mr. Panda waved a sign frantically. <GET IT OFF ME TENDO!!! IT'S SUCKING MY WILL 
TO LIVE!!!>
"Alas, to be defeated by such a demoralizing foe... bearing the garb of 
womanhood is more travesty than even I, Kuno Tatewake, can sustain. Unlike the 
boorish strength of the wandering boy, I have greater skill than he. Now, 
prepare yourself Demon, so that I met send thee back into the depths where you 
belong... along with your watery minion of despair! STRIKE OF A THOUSAND 
BLOWS!!!" Kuno began striking with rapidly growing succesion, till Ranma was 
_again_ having a rough time blocking the attacks. Just when Kuno thought he had 
one, Ranma flipped up and over the kendoist, pivoting with two fingers on his 
cranium. As he landed, Ranma swivelled and did a sweeping kick, knocking Kuno 
off his feet. Ukyou used her Spatula like a baseball bat, and launched Kuno 
right into a wall.
"Thanks, Ucchan," Ranma wiped the sweat from his brow, both from the running 
_and_ the fighting.
"It's no problem, Ranchan... whenever you need me, I'll be there!" Ukyou beamed 
as she put her dented spatula back in it's sheath. Ryouga rubbed his head and 
sat up.
"Why did you have to stand there, Father?" Ryouga asked, as Soun waved the stars 
away. ''I have a Son?!'' Soun began bawling, still a bit disoriented by the 
attack.
Happosai grinned as the people continued talking, until he noticed the girls 
starting to remember why they had chased the group. He had already lost his 
load, as the girls began picking their bra's and panties back up.
Happosai pulled out a Happodaikarin, wanting to start the fighting again before 
the girls could get a hold of him. 
"HOLD, MORTALS!" A voice boomed from all directions.
Happosai blinked as he held his Happodaikarin, ready to join the fray. The thing 
exploded in his hand, leaving the old pervert charred and burned.
A huge column of water shot out of the ground, cracking the concrete as it 
pushed through the surface.
Shampoo cringed next to Akane, having explained the situation to the young Tendo 
girl. Akane stood in a defensive stance as she heard the booming voice, her 
teeth clenched and her fists at her sides. 
The column formed into a huge snake, looking down on the mob. The girls who had 
been pounding on Happosai fled quickly.
"I bet this is your fault too, Ranma!" Ryouga stated sarcastically as he popped 
his knuckles and jumped to his feet.
"Yes, truly it must be the Male Demon's spawn of some sort..." Kuno mumbled half 
conciously.
"Hey, I don't know nothin' about this, so just leave off it you two!" Ranma 
snapped. The Aquarius-Snake looked at the group quizzically. Happosai stared up 
at the elemental with his arms crossed.
"Please don't hurt us, oh ever so powerful spirit of water... we beg of you, 
show us mercy in this hour of despair!" Soun grovelled while bowing.
<I'm just an innocent Panda!!!> Genma emphatically waved.
"CUT THAT OUT, YOU TWO!!!" Akane, Ranma, and Amiko yelled simultaneously.
"Honestly, scared by a twenty foot jet of water..." Murmured Ukyou.
"Well well well, it appears the little magic in that Vase really _was_ building 
up.... Hmmm, to think that such a beautiful thing could pop out of that little 
jar I had forgotten about!" Happosai grinned and rubbed his chin as he picked up 
his bag of goodies, by now half empty.
The water snake winced, and then returned to her human-female form.
"How do you know my true form, you decrepid geezer?" Aquarius asked, as she 
picked up the shrivelled lech. Happosai grinned mischieviously as he latched 
onto the water elemental's bosom, and began caressing her.
"YEAH!" Ryouga cried, and then covered his mouth as everyone stared at him.
"It's easy, really... you see, that bottle had some powerful aura surrounding 
it, let me tell you! I noticed the true aura around your form _within_ the snake 
guise, and what a form it is!" Aquarius was stunned at the show of affection 
from the old man, and was beginning to get angry.
"YOU MEAN YOU KNEW ABOUT HER, YOU OLD GOAT?!" Ranma inquired, popping his 
knuckles in the process.
"Ranma, Ranma, Ranma... it goes back to an old bottle of Chiisuiton water I had 
inherited with my mastery of the Arts. Legend had it that the mistress of water 
had been trapped by a Princess of Amazons as an induction right of the first 
queen! Hmmm... gotta say though, I didn't believe till now!" Ranma snatched the 
Pervert out of the Elemental's hands and began pounding on him.
"YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THIS IS YOUR FAULT?!?!" Shampoo vigorously helped Ranma, 
and Akane pitched in after remembering Shampoo's story.
"I've obviously missed something," Ukyou said to nobody in particular.
<You're not the Only one!> Mr. Panda exclaimed.
"Oscar! Oscar! Why won't honey listen to me!!! PLEASE!" Azusa was plucked off of 
the Panda by Mikado Sanzenin.
"I apologize, quaint creature, for my partners behavior," Mikado bowed slighty.
Mr. Panda tapped Ryouga on the shoulder. <Who's the Chump?> Mr. Panda pointed to 
Mikado and Azusa.
Ryouga turned and saw Azusa flailing in Mikado's arms.
"GAH!" Ryouga jumped behind Soun, who looked confusedly at the Golden Pair.
Mikado looked from his partner over to the odd water-elemental, wondering if 
perhaps it was best to leave the beautiful girl he had seen alone for the time 
being... after all, he who fights and runs away... Mikado turned and began 
skating away from the group, getting the feeling something bad was about to 
happen. Besides, it was almost time for practice at Kolkoz.
Ranma, Shampoo, and Akane finished pummeling Happosai and turned their 
attention, and fists, back to Aquarius.
"This all very entertaining, but is my will that Princess die very tragic, very 
violent end!" Aquarius began charging herself with elemental power, as Shampoo 
eeped and lept back away from Happosai.
Ranma and Akane paused when they heard this. Shampoo flinched, and searched 
about with her eyes for some exit if things got messy. She found none.
"WHOA! Hang on a second! You can't just come into somewhere and kill somebody!" 
Amiko walked up to Aquarius as she talked.
Aquarius wore a bemused... if a bit confused, expression on her face. "Why?"
"Okay, say us humans invaded Kami... and wanted to kill Amaterasu, what would 
the rest of you do?" Ranma smiled at Amiko who winked and shot him that winning 
grin.
"I suppose we mount attack and wipe out puny mortals, why?" Now the elemental 
looked utterly confused.
"There you have it. That's why we've been trying to help Shampoo. She _is_ our 
concern because she is our friend," Aquarius considered Amiko a moment and then 
got a dangerous glare in her eyes.
"I understand. In case like this, we chose Champions and whoever lose fall to 
winners will, Hai?" Amiko blinked, and then thought for a minute.
"Well... it's definitely not fair with just you against someone else... 
especially in Nerima where the Jusenkyou curses are as common as a Cold," Amiko 
turned and considered the group of Martial artists.
To start off, Soun and Genma were not very reliable in their fighting styles... 
Soun went off the handle too easily and Genma was prone to do something foolish, 
or stupid, or perhaps both.
Shampoo was of no caliber to compete with something like this, and would most 
likely get in the way of her companions if it was a group fight. Ukyou would 
likely want to show Ranma she was best for him, and her fighting style was at 
most a minimum comparative to the rest...
Kuno, with some practice, might be able to help... if he could keep his fool 
mouth shut. Ryouga was a definite assett, he could fight just as well as 
Ranma... his only fallback was that he got angry easily, which also charged some 
of his attacks with a powerful punch.
"Here, I help make decision for foolish girl," Aquarius gestured and everyone 
was soaked in water, Shampoo-neko looked around in stark fear, as everyone felt 
what they had feared from the water-being. Chiisuiton.
"NO!"
"BWEEE!"
"MEOW!!!!"
"Growf..." Well... Genma didn't much care at the moment, he didn't realize what 
had just happened. He idly chewed on a biscuit he had snatched as they were 
running after Ranma.
"You didn't have to do that!" Amiko yelled. She had been spared from the wave of 
Chiisuiton, as Aquarius had sensed she was a normal person.
"Why? It make for much simple agreement, Hai?" Aquarius sounded quite serious.
Ranma was on her knees... breathing heavily as she held back the tears. *I AM A 
MAN! MAN! MAN! MAN!! MAAAAN!!!!!!* The words wouldn't escape her lips... she was 
stuck as a girl.
"d...damn you..." Ranma muttered.
Aquarius blinked and looked at the fallen Martial artist. "What was that? 
Funny... aren't you _GIRL_ who I fight in hallway? Hmmm?" Aquarius chuckled, 
right before Amiko dug her fist into the girls stomach. Aquarius gasped as the 
air rushed out of her lungs, and struggled to breathe, her glare could freeze 
fire as she looked at Amiko.
"You... know how fight?! How... I not see aura..." Aquarius grew angry. And 
launched an attack at Amiko, who dodged, flipped over Aquarius, and landed 
without a sound. 
"...'Roshi?" Ranma was stunned. Aquarius began a flurry of attacks, her fists 
blurring in combination to her kicks... Ranma couldn't even follow. Amiko kept 
laughing though... and somehow easily evaded the attacks.
"C'mon... gimme a break!!!" Amiko grabbed both of Aquarius's fists and the 
Elemental paused for a moment.
"Here's the deal... Me, Ranma, and Akane fight you tomorrow morning at the park. 
If we win, you return our friends and ourselves back to the way we were before 
your visit, deal?" Amiko smiled and let go of Aquarius. She hadn't fought in her 
life.... but if any time was the best, now was. Amiko couldn't let her friends 
be destroyed by Aquarius, and she'd do anything she had to to prevent Ranma from 
being stuck as a girl.
"Is fine with me, Foolish girl. I know you not win anyway, Bai Laio!" Aquarius 
began to shimmer with blue energy.... then she changed into vapor and floated 
away.
"B... Bweee..." Ryouga was sobbing softly. His only solace was that Akane hadn't 
seen the change. But then... she never might again. Images flashed in Ryouga's 
mind, of how many things he had left unresolved... because of his cowardice... 
then images flashed of life like a pig, Akane's pet... no longer her friend... 
and he sobbed harder.
Ranma fared not much better... The perfect picture of him and Akane, him in his 
tuxedo, and her in her wedding dress... staring at eachother longingly that day 
after Mount Phoenix popped into her head. Then it shattered.... *Would there 
never be peace in my life?* she wondered.
Then she recalled what she had just witnessed, and her curiosity, for a moment, 
overrode her grief.
Ranma pushed herself to her feet, thoroughly soaked to the bone. She walked over 
to Amiko, so did Akane. They both looked at their friend in curious 
astonishment, and puzzlement.
"... 'Roshi... how did you? Are you a martial artist?" Ranma was stunned by the 
display of professional talent her friend had displayed.
Amiko looked at her friends and blinked once. "What do you mean? I've never 
fought before in my life." Amiko seemed completely oblivious to what she had 
just done. Ranma and Akane looked at eachother, now even more confused, then 
back at Amiko.
"But.... you evaded all those attacks..." Akane looked at Ranma again, who still 
had a similarly confused look on her face, and then back at Amiko.
Amiko laughed, and then grinned. "That wasn't fighting, that was a defense 
tactic," Amiko looked at Ranma, and frowned sadly. Ranma's eyes seemed to have 
lost a certain light.... perhaps it was her brash confidence, or her hope that 
she could ever lead a normal life.
"Oh geez.... I'm sorry Ranma..." Amiko hugged her friend, who had a bleak, 
hopeless look on her face. The red-head shuddered for a moment, and Amiko knew 
she was holding back her emotions... *Ranma... I'm so sorry...* Amiko let out a 
sigh, bordering on tears herself... for her friend.
"This is the third time in my Life that I've been stuck this way....." Ranma 
sighed. "Thanks, 'Roshi.... but every time I think I've found a cure, something 
happens. Maybe the world is out to get me."
"It is, and it will.... but only if you don't try." Amiko patted Ranma on the 
shoulder, which emitted a small smile on the red-head's face. *There's that 
smile again...* Amiko smiled with Ranma. "Don't worry... we'll get you guy's 
back to normal."
Akane looked at Hiroshi and Ranma, and sighed happily. *They're such great 
friends...* Akane looked down, and saw a small blue Piglet, with a familiar 
bandanna around his neck.
"P-Chan? What happened to you! You're Blue!" Akane plucked the pig up and 
scratched behind it's ear.
She noticed that the Pig was crying softly. "Oh.... c'mon Baby, what's wrong?" 
Akane hugged the pig to her, hoping that her affection would somehow make P-chan 
feel better.
"Hoh boy..." Amiko said. "Man, that must suck for Ryouga..." Ranma clasped her 
hand over Amiko's mouth.
"Shhh! Akane doesn't know, and it's a secret of Honor!" Amiko smiled as Ranma 
took her hand away. "I wasn't even supposed to tell you, 'Roshi..." Ranma stated 
a bit reluctantly.
"You know I'll never let another soul know, Ranma." Amiko looked over at Mousse 
and Shampoo, stuck in their cursed states.
Kuno still lay face first on the pavement, out like a light from shock at seeing 
everyone change into various animals. Panda-san and Mister Tendo looked around 
at the demolished roadway, while Holding Ranma's bags. Happosai was nonchalantly 
smoking his pipe...
"Well well well, it looks like we're all in sort of a spot Ranma..." Happosai 
hopped up to Amiko, Ranma, and Akane. He wondered if the three were up to the 
battle, and prayed that Ranma wouldn't give up hope. After all, where was 
Happosai going to find another student?
''That's the understatement of the year...'' Akane murmured sarcastically to 
Ranma, who sighed sadly and nodded her head. Akane bit her bottom lip as she 
watched Ranma begin to walk back towards the Dojo. *Ranma... don't worry, 
everything will work out.* Akane hated to see Ranma suffer like this... whenever 
Ranma was hurt, Akane felt it... though she would never tell him that.
The group slowly walked back to the Tendo Dojo, Akane carrying P-Chan, who had a 
haunted look to his small eyes. Amiko carried Shampoo and Mousse, who gazed at 
eachother in stark terror of their plight. Ranma walked back with her hands in 
her pockets, staring at the pavement while she plucked at her School Dress, all 
her effort going into keeping herself from breaking down from the day's stress.
Panda-San was still quite clueless as to what had happened, and Soun was happily 
carrying the shopping bags Ranma and Hiroshi had acquired.
It was a silent walk back.

* * * * * *

Ranma lay on her futon, staring up at the ceiling. Her blue eyes slightly glazed 
as if she were about to cry. The red area around them suggested that she had 
been doing just that for quite a while.
A small knock on her door made her glance over at it. It couldn't be Akane, she 
had asked to be alone for the evening. Ranma continued staring at the door.
"Ranma?" It was her Mother. Ranma shuddered again, then looked down at her 
clothing, the standard Chinese slacks and red vest.
She had changed into them as soon as she got home, unable to stand another 
moment in something so feminine....
Something she might have to wear for the rest of her life.
"Ranma... I'm sorry. Hiroshi told me what happened... may I come in?" Ranma 
inwardly winced... her Mother frightened her for several reasons. One being what 
she had been trying to do to her daughter.... what she was doing to Ranma.
Another part of her hurt because of the very existence of the fear, and hurt 
from hearing her Mother's voice on the other side of the door.
Today, she was in too much emotional pain to dwell on either.
"Mom... please, go away..." Ranma managed, her voice cracking on the last word.
There was a long pause, and Ranma wondered if her Mother had left, then felt 
guilty for wanting her to leave. She was relieved and upset when she heard her 
Mother answer.
"No. You are my only child, and I will not abandon you ever again...." The door 
opened, and Ranma rolled onto her side, her back to her Mother.
Nodoka stared at the girl, and at the clothes she was wearing again. Her frown 
was for both the clothes, and the depression Ranma was in.
"Ranma.... Hiroshi told me about the girl Aquarius, and what she did." Nodoka 
settled herself on the ground next to Ranma's futon, and just looked at her.
"Mom, it's not just that.... it's not just what Hiroshi said..." Ranma rolled 
over, a tear moving down her cheek.
Nodoka frowned again, and wiped the tear away.
"You've been crying." Nodoka jumped a bit when Ranma grabbed her wrist, the 
girl's teeth were clenched.
"Mom.... it was NEVER just being stuck as a girl. It was accepting what it meant 
that scared me... and you're trying to make me do that." Nodoka wrenched her 
wrist free, rubbing it with her other hand.
"I'm you're Mother, and I made a promise." Nodoka said flatly.
"I know..." Ranma's sad expression returned. "But you never discussed it with 
me, you never tried making a compromise. It was your way or no way, your way or 
my death..." Ranma winced at the last word.
Nodoka stared at Ranma. What was she to do? She had made a promise, and couldn't 
go back on her word. She had promised her mother to do her best in teaching her 
daughter.... Ranma..... everything she knew.
Nodoka shook her head from the thoughts. "We will discuss this Later, Ranma... 
why were you crying?"
Ranma glared for a moment, and then looked around, a trapped look in her eyes.
"Because.... I'm afraid that if I'm stuck like this.... that.... that...." Ranma 
breathed in sharply, and then let out a shuddering sigh, another tear rolling 
down her cheek. "That Akane... will... won't..... she won't...."
"Love you anymore?" Nodoka offered, and Ranma nodded a bit, wiping tears from 
her face.
Nodoka smiled softly, it bordered between sad and solemn. "It's not easy being 
in Love, Ranma.... and I hate being truthful, but it is me. If you are stuck as 
a girl.... you're relationship with Akane will change very much..." Ranma's face 
became even sadder, as several tears fell from her face...
"...I'm sorry, it's true. But, I don't believe she will stop loving you, or love 
you any less." Nodoka wrapped her arms around Ranma. Ranma hugged her in return, 
burying her face in her Mother's shoulder, and sighing.
"Ranma, you won't be stuck like this. You'll win that battle, and you'll return 
to being a man...." Nodoka took a deep breath, then let it out. "Then we can 
talk about Compromise."
Ranma hugged her Mother tighter. *Of course I'll win the fight.... but what 
about next time?* Ranma shuddered again, getting the feeling that his curse 
would haunt him for the rest of his life.
"Thank you... Mom. Sorry about getting all emotional...." Ranma wiped her eyes 
again, wondering why it was so easy to cry as a girl... and why it was so hard 
to control...
"It's not a problem, Ranma, and not your fault. Girl's emotional make ups are 
more... sensitive than a guy's." Nodoka smiled a bit, and Ranma drew away a 
little.
Nodoka frowned.
Ranma looked at her Mother's eyes, but didn't look at her Mother... but stared 
off into nothing. Fear gripped her again. *Why didn't I ever notice before?* 
Ranma blinked then looked at his Mother.
"My brain doesn't change, Mom.... my Body does... I'm just getting worked up, er 
somethin'."
Nodoka frowned again. "Ranma, your body changes, and so does your hormones... 
that's what causes the imbalance in women. Our.... unpredictable emotional 
swings..." Nodoka looked down at Ranma's hand, and took it... pressing the 
Dragon's Whisker into it.
Ranma sat stunned for a moment, as her Mother gave her a kiss on the cheek then 
stood and left the room. *I'm a man.* She said in her mind. "I'm a ... I'm 
a...." Ranma shuddered again, then looked to her side, gazing into the mirror by 
accident. She wondered who the person in the Mirror was.... did she have a name? 
Was it Ranma? A frown appeared on the images face, and one hand trailed up to 
her face, tracing the jawline, down the neck, across the curves of her chest and 
hips... *I'm a man.* Ranma repeated in her mind.
"A... A..." Her hand floated back up to her lips. Her eyes glistening wetly. For 
the past four hours.... the mirror had mocked her, and the words would not come.
The image, although a bit dishevelled.... was attractive, to say the least. The 
delicate jawline... the small nose, the slight curve to her lips...
Ranma ran the other hand through her hair, the Dragon's Whisker dropped to the 
side. *Red...* Ranma tried smiling, and the image did the same. It was a cute 
smile, Ranma noted, the way the sides of her lips turned up, and small dimples 
appered...
Ranma reached under her Pillow, pulling out a book. *Journal of Ranma Saotome* 
Was written on the first page, as the slightly unused Binding slowly opened. 
Below the words was a picture of the boy, Ranma traced the face...
Strong Jawline... sharp, angular, masculine features to his nose, lips, 
cheekbones, eyebrows... Black hair.
A very strong sob escaped Ranma's throat, as the other hand traced each 
different semblance of her female face... Where had the boy gone? She wondered. 
Terror unlike any other she had experienced filled her soul... she realized how 
different they both were.
Ranma shook her head... trying to clear it of the strange thoughts. *I'm a 
Man...* She was Unsure of that. Perhaps she was neither Man nor Woman.
She jumped when someone knocked on the door, and looked up to see Akane.
"Ranma..." Akane looked at the red-head, seeing the tension in her eyes, as well 
as the signs of crying in her features. Ranma slowly put the book back under her 
pillow.
Akane gave a supportive smile, but kept her distance. She wished she knew why 
she'd come in to talk to Ranma.... she really had nothing to say.
"Hi Akane... sorry about being so upset earlier..." Ranma sighed and shook her 
head.
Akane didn't hear Ranma's apology... but dwelled on what she had been watching. 
Ranma seemed so... unsure about everything nowadays. Akane had been watching for 
several minutes, and she got the feeling Ranma was trying to convince herself of 
something.
"You can't say it..." Akane frowned sadly.
Ranma blanched, then shuddered a bit, she looked back over at the mirror, then 
pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, then looked at Akane.
"...no..." Ranma's answer was much less than a whisper... the only way Akane had 
known what it was was by watching Ranma's lips move.
Akane nervously looked away, then walked into the room, fixing her eyes on 
Ranma, and sat down beside the lonely red-head.
"That's the real reason, isn't it. Why you've been crying." Ranma simply nodded 
in response, then stared at the mirror again.
"It started after the fight with Mousse.... I don't know why, but I'm not sure 
about anything anymore... It's almost like I've lost myself, and don't know 
where to look." Ranma continued staring at her reflection, as it looked back 
mockingly at her.
"Maybe you're just now finding that the self you were wasn't you, and that you 
needed to find your true self. I think Hiroshi started it..." Akane squirmed 
nervously a bit.
Ranma looked over at Akane, her face had a curious expression on it. "What do 
you mean?" Akane noticed, again, how Ranma seemed to relax at the mention of 
Hiroshi's name.
"Whenever he's around, or whenever you come home from his house.... you seem so 
different. It... it sometimes scares me." Akane forced a smile. Ranma fell into 
a vacant, thinking look, after a moment his gaze returned to Akane.
"I seem Different?" Akane stared at him a moment. Then looked away. She had been 
thinking for day's on this very subject...
Akane took one of Ranma's hands and squeezed it affectionately. "Whenever he's 
around... you seem, I don't know.... I guess more cheerful, happier. It's like 
all your problems suddenly vanish, I usually can see it in your stance and 
eyes..." Akane trailed off.
Ranma smiled. "He's the best friend I've ever had. Nobody's tried to be as 
caring and understanding about my problems as he has.... he makes me feel like 
all the things that bother me so much are not as bad as I alway's imagine them 
to be.... there's that, and he's always got something intriguing and 
philisophical to say." Ranma's vacant look returned when she spoke about 
Hiroshi. Then she looked back at Akane.
"I'm lucky to have met the guy." Ranma grinned. Akane sighed a bit, unsure of 
herself. Ranma's smile was alway's the sunlight of her life.... and he had so 
many reason's not to show it.
A chilling thought ran through Akane's blood. And her smile turned sad. *I 
wonder if Ranma even notices that he smiles so often when Hiroshi's around...* 
It was a frightening thought, and Akane was sure she was imagining the worst 
about Hiroshi... after all, he was a nice guy. And honorable, caring, 
compassionate, and strongly empathetic to others.
Then why did she feel like Ranma and she were somehow missing something?
* * * * * *

Hiroshi walked into his house, glad that he had brought his Thermos to school, 
and glad it had still been warm enough to change him back. He sighed sadly...
He wondered what Ranma was doing at that moment, and how she was feeling. 
Hiroshi felt guilty that he couldn't somehow have stopped Aquarius from using 
her Chiisuiton on Ranma... he remembered how Ranma described with such 
conviction the horror being stuck in her girl-form had been the past two times. 
Hiroshi frowned as he walked into the living room and sat on the couch. He'd 
noticed a change in Ranma when he was around... she relaxed, she seemed 
carefree... most likely an affect from Hiroshi's attitude on life.
The only problem was that other people, namely Daisuke, had told Hiroshi that 
whenever he left, Ranma reverted to his old self.... but he seemed even sadder 
than before.
Hiroshi had learned long ago never to discount what Daisuke said... it was 
usually very accurate, as Daisuke had learned to read attitudes. Unfortunately, 
Hiroshi was better at solving these attitudes than Daisuke.
Hiroshi's mind returned to Ranma, and began running his memory through the past 
few weeks. There _was_ something different....
Hiroshi noticed nowadays, that when Ranma smiled, Akane beamed with glee... and 
everyone seemed to lighten their mood a little. When Ranma smiled at him.... it 
was.... different. Usually nobody noticed, it was given when none were looking. 
Hiroshi wasn't sure even Ranma noticed. There was a softness.... a certain 
caring in that smile. A bearing of the soul. Hiroshi didn't notice the smile 
that appeared on his own face as he thought, an almost identical smile.
There was something odd about that smile.... it somehow made Hiroshi feel warm 
inside, as if his whole body was floating in a hot bath that washed away all the 
tensions and problems. Hiroshi sighed and shrugged. He couldn't place the 
feeling that it conveyed, but he knew it meant they were close in heart. He'd 
never had a friend like Ranma, and his mind told him that he never would again.
Hiroshi steeled himself as he frowned. His friend needed him, and he'd do 
anything to change her back into a man... he couldn't bare to see her unhappy. 
The look in her eyes as everyone had walked back into the Dojo seemed to shred 
Hiroshi's heart, and his stomach felt like a mess of knots.
Hiroshi stood up, and walked to a locked door in the hallway. He looked at the 
old lock, it had been untouched for over 20 years, his Grandfather the last to 
open that door.
"Thinking about something?" Memeko murmured from the doorway opposite. Hiroshi 
turned around.
"I have to help Ranma fight a battle, she's stuck as a girl and I'm not going to 
let some God with a Prideful Ego destroy her life...." Hiroshi glared at his 
sister, then berated himself for referring to Ranma in opposite sex terms.
Memeko frowned a bit. Her brother had been referring to Ranma more and more as a 
girl. But what was to be expected? Most of the time Ranma spent in the house was 
as a girl.
"You must care a lot about Ranma." Memeko smiled a bit, she liked the boy. He 
was sometimes dense and arrogant, but he made her laugh, and was a great role-
model for Kaehmi. Ranma was great with children... Memeko thought about when 
they had taken Kaehmi to the park, waiting for Hiroshi to finish his studying. 
The children seemed to flock to the teenage Martial Artist like fireflies to a 
lamp.
Hiroshi considered the statement. "I don't think that I've ever had a friend as 
honest, dedicated, and accepting as she is..." Hiroshi turned red as he referred 
to Ranma as a she again. *What's wrong with me?* Hiroshi shook his head.
"I believe you, Hiroshi. I like Ranma too, he's a fine boy. I don't think I've 
ever met anyone quite like him... Here..." She pressed the Key into Hiroshi's 
hand. "Go help him. I'm glad you two are so close, it reminds me of my own Best 
Friend.." Memeko smiled as she recalled Kasumi.
Hiroshi murmured a hasty thank you, then turned to the door. "Hiroshi, one more 
thing... Be careful." Memeko went down the hallway, and to the living room.
Hiroshi stared at the door for a moment, then put the Iron key in the lock and 
turned, a sharp click sounding through the hallway.
He opened it and took out the Ancient Battle Garb of his Anscestor....
* * * * * *

Ranma couldn't sleep that night. So she decided to practice. She stood after 
dinner and walked outside, looking around the back yard. The Sky was cloudless, 
and the Moon gleamed brightly through the night. The stars glimmered as Ranma 
gazed up. She stood and took in a deep breath, then closed her eyes and began a 
slow Kata, she felt the wind blow through her hair, could hear the water moving 
as the fish swam... the moon shining down on her face, making her milk-white 
skin glow in the twilight.
Her mind cleared of everything, and she became one with the motion of the 
world... she was the wind, the water, the earth, the sky... she had somehow 
reached a point within her that surpassed her usual concentration, and become 
one with the art. It invigorated her, filled her with joy and happiness.
She changed the Kata several times, the tension unreleased from her weeping 
slowly seeping out around her...
Akane watched in her White Gi for a good hour and a half.... a smile always just 
beyond her lips... she had never seen Ranma so at peace, so whole, as she did 
now. The Kata seemed so natural, fluid, one with the rest of the world.
Ranma stopped after a while, and opened her eyes. She looked up at the Moon, 
it's soft glow illuminating the dark with compassion, and love.
"That was beautiful, Ranma..." Akane softly voiced. Ranma smiled and continued 
to look up at the Moon.
"Thank you... I don't know what got into me." The wind gusted for a moment, and 
Ranma smiled even more and closed her eyes, remembering earlier that day when 
Hiroshi had taught her how to be the wind... the thought caused her to sigh.
"I don't know either, but I like it." Akane stood and walked over to stand next 
to Ranma.
"Ranma.... I know that we've always.... I guess been difficult in expressing how 
we feel." Akane looked over at Ranma, who brought her eyes down from the sky to 
connect with Akane's soft gaze.
"Yes.... the arguing and all. Not much has changed since that talk we had.... 
sorry, Akane..." Ranma fidgeted a bit, then relaxed again.
Akane smiled, as she saw the look of contentment in Ranma's eyes. *His eyes... 
they never change. So stunning...* Akane stared deeply into them, her heart 
beating quickly. "It's all right Ranma.... I know how you feel, and I want you 
to know that.... that... I l.. l... I love you too..." Akane let out a breath 
she hadn't known she was holding, and looked back at Ranma.
A soft smile greeted Akane's eyes, and Ranma looked deeply into her eyes. "I 
know, Akane... I know."
Akane leaned forward, closing her eyes as she came closer.
She felt Ranma's hand slip out of her hand, and hold her back.
She blinked and opened her eyes to see an upset, sad look on Ranma's face. "Not 
like this.... Akane. Please, not like this... I can't... not as a girl..." Ranma 
looked away from her eyes.
"But... last time-"
"-Was different. Akane.... I can't as a girl, not again. When I change back..." 
Ranma trailed off, realizing that she had never truly kissed Akane as a guy and 
had her kiss back. She was unsure if she could.... it made her nervous just 
thinking about it. She wanted to kiss Akane, but she could never get enough 
nerve to do it.
Akane softened a bit. "Ranma you're not a girl. You're a guy."
"Really? I'm not too sure about that.... look at me, Akane. I could be stuck 
like this if I don't win." Ranma took a step back from Akane, and Akane looked 
at her.
"Ranma... you won't lose. We won't lose," Akane muttered sternly to the red-
head.
Ranma sighed. "I know that... but if I were stuck as a girl, Akane, what would 
you feel? Would you want to kiss me?" Ranma put her hands on her hips, and Akane 
blanched again at the female stance.
Akane thought about an answer... "Ranma... I love you..." Ranma held a hand up.
"Answer the question." Ranma's face was a bit sad, and serious.
Akane seemed to look everywhere but at Ranma. "That won't happen, Ranma." Akane 
began to get angry.
"Answer." Ranma said, almost nervously.
"Alright, I'm not sure." Akane left her words to hang in the air.
Ranma simply nodded sadly, not surprised that she had received an insufficient 
answer. "Fair enough..."
"Just for that..." Akane launched a punch at Ranma, who dodged to the side.
"I guess we should Practice..." Ranma forced a smile, a bit upset at not having 
received a real answer, and dropped into a fighting stance opposite Akane.
* * * * * *

Ranma and Akane stood waiting at the park. They both waited on the Elemental and 
Hiroshi. Ranma thought about how Hiroshi had dodged the attacks Aquarius had 
launched at him the day before, and wondered how her friend could have done that 
if he had had no previous training.
Akane looked ready to kill in her white Gi, and probably thought about it too. 
It wasn't often she got to help Ranma with a battle, she wouldn't squander the 
chance now... she was going to help Ranma change back to a guy even if it killed 
her.
They both blinked and looked carefully at the person approaching. The rising sun 
illuminated the figure garbed in white as it walked closer.... Hiroshi.
He wore a large white shirt with billowing sleeves, the forearms of the shirt 
wrapped in white cloth, the wrapping also covered his fists. Similar wrapping 
covered his calves and feet. Over the shirt was a sleeveless Gi which fell to 
about midthigh and was tied tightly closed against his waste, sandals were on 
his feet and a white headband on his forehead. The last article was his weapon, 
a bone-white Bo-staff.
"Hello...." Hiroshi forced a slight smile.
Ranma grinned. "Nice get up.... where'd you get it?" Hiroshi blushed slightly at 
Ranma's words.
"It is an ancient family Heirloom, I thought it best to be prepared." Hiroshi 
smiled then looked at Akane. "Hello, Akane. You both look ready to fight. I hope 
I am..." Hiroshi let out a deep breath.
"I AM ALSO HOPING THAT FOOLISH MORTALS READY... I TIRE OF PETTY WAITING FOR 
VENGEANCE!" The familiar voice echoed from everywhere. A pool of water seeped up 
from the ground, then began to grow, forming itself into the Elemental.
Ranma and Akane dropped into a Ready stance, Hiroshi rested his Bo on his 
shoulder. "Aquarius.... is this truly the only way?"
"Is only way with honor, foolish boy.... you look familiar, Hai? Where is girl 
who challenge?" Aquarius looked around, seeing nobody else but the three before 
her.
"I am she." Hiroshi said. Aquarius raised an eyebrow at that.
"I not understand, but no matter.... you soon be dead like she be if she 
here...." Aquarius looked back at the other two. "You ready?"
"That's my line, Witch." Ranma murmured through gritted teeth. Ranma leaped into 
the air, coming down towards Aquarius in a flying kick, the elemental dodged to 
the side, swivelling and kicking Ranma straight in the back, sending her 
tumbling to the ground...
Akane leaped forward, her foot sweeping at chest level as Aquarius stepped back, 
Akane proceeded with a roundhouse, then launched several punches at the 
Elemental... Aquarius caught one of her fists, and twisted her body, pulling 
Akane over her shoulder and slamming her uncerimoniously to the ground... 
knocking the wind out of the girl.
Ranma yelled and kicked straight for the Elemental's chest, Aquarius caught the 
foot easily, Ranma pivoted, using Aquarius hand for an anchor, and smashed a 
kick into the Blue-Haired girl's jaw.
Aquarius stumbled back, and Hiroshi began spinning his Bo in a dramatic 
flourish, and snapping it towards Aquarius... The elemental dodged each strike, 
then held her index and middle finger out towards Hiroshi, he was immediately 
blasted with a jet of cold water.
Aquarius did a reverse roundhouse knocking the advancing Ranma down to the 
ground. She lifted her foot, and brought it down towards Ranma, who caught it 
and kicked upward, using the Elemental's own momentum to topple her to the 
ground.
Ranma leaped back to her feet, and looked over at Akane who was quickly getting 
back into her fighting stance.
Ranma howled as freezing tendrils of water seemed to engulf her, then throw her 
violently back into a tree.
Aquarius reformed her shape into a standing position and summoned a blue 
shimmering sword. Hiroshi ran towards her swinging his staff several times, 
connecting with the Blue-Haired girl's jaw, left arm, and finally her sword. He 
began attacking faster, spinning the Bo at a furious spead as the wind howled 
around it... Aquarius used the sword to block his attack, and wheeled around 
with her sword, bringing it in towards his head...
He blocked with the Bo, and Ranma began to summon forth the energy for a Mouko 
Takabisha. The energy surged as Akane came towards Aquarius with a flying kick, 
which Aquarius blocked with an eruption of water and rock from the ground, 
sending Akane into the air.
Hiroshi began sweating, as he vainly tried to keep up his pace. The Mouko 
Takabisha slammed directly into a wall of elemental water, and the shield 
vanished.
Ranma saw Akane falling back to Earth, and gasped. She ran over to catch her, 
the pain from her own impact with the tree slowing her slightly.
"You can give up, foolish boy, I no have to kill you... only Princess of Amazon 
Tribe..." Aquarius muttered through clenched teeth.
"She is a friend, and I won't let you harm her.... I won't let you harm anyone 
else..." Hiroshi slammed his Bo into her gut, sending her back about ten feet, 
and gasping for air.
Ranma caught Akane, but fell to the ground herself. Akane seemed to be cut and 
bruised from the force of the geyser of rock and water... and a bump on her head 
warned Ranma of why she was unconcious...
Ranma set Akane down, a rage building within....
Aquarius glared at Hiroshi, a Rage building within...
Ranma turned and began running back towards Aquarius, her fists clenched as she 
began to conecentrate...
Aquarius changed her sword to a Bo, but with two viscious looking blades on 
either end.
"Now you learn what is to anger Aquarius..." Aquarius ran towards Hiroshi with a 
primal yell... and Was knocked to the ground by a single swing of his Bo... 
Ranma jumped into the air, her words resounding and echoing.
"KACHUU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!!!" Aquarius began taking blows from Ranma's blurring 
fists, until she blocked one of the strikes, and began to build up a shield of 
ice around her....
Ranma whailed as her fists began to freeze, tearing them out of her attack, and 
holding them to her... She took a step back from the Elemental, as Aquarius 
laughed, then swung her Double Bladed Staff at the red-head.
Ranma leaped back, the blade tearing open her vest and cutting slightly into her 
right breast.
Hiroshi saw Ranma fall from the blow, blood trickled from the slight wound... 
His eyes burned....
Aquarius brought Her weapon back with a laugh, and down towards Ranma's fearful 
face.
Hiroshi blocked her with his Bo-staff, then slammed it into her chest, stomach, 
and jaw, knocking her back.
Aquarius rubbed her bruised Jaw, then healed her wounds.
Hiroshi didn't blink.... "From the Depths of forgotten history comes a technique 
long lost in texts of Martial Arts, from a time when Japan was in turmoil.... An 
attack used to defend the meak from the strong.... Behold, Chimaera's Wrath!" 
Hiroshi brought his Bo up, as it glowed softly.
Aquarius glared at Hiroshi, then engaged... She was blocked, and hit twice. She 
jumped back, looking again at the boy. The aura was blinding, and the Elemental 
could not understand what had happened.
Ranma leaped to her feet and launched another Mouko Takabisha at Aquarius, 
catching her off guard and slamming her into a large rock, which crumbled.
For a moment, the Elemental did not move. Then she reformed standing... pure 
rage on her face.
"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!" The pointed her index, ring, and pinky finger at Ranma, her 
middle finger held down by her thumb.
Ranma screamed as Water seemed to cocoon her, and began to suffocate...
Hiroshi's ire increased ten-fold. "No cheating!"
"I not cheat, only use what Humans use, advantage...." Aquarius didn't have time 
to block the first three attacks.... but then engaged Hiroshi.
Block for attack, attack for block, and blocked in turn.... The cryptic dance 
continued, building in speed as Hiroshi's eyes took on a furious glow of 
wrath.... several attacks connected with the Elementals abdomen, causing her to 
grunt slightly.... and renew her effort.
Attack for block, spin and attack to be blocked, then swing and be blocked in 
return, to have an attack connect with a jaw...
Aquarius staggered back, as Ten more, twelve more, fifteen more connected.
Ranma continued to struggle as the water pressed around her painfully....
Hiroshi yelled, then leaped up, coming down with his Bo spinning, Aquarius 
smiled and brought her own Bo up, and they connected.
Hers snapped.
His connected squarely, violently, with the side of the Elementals skull, 
sending her flying into a tree....
Ranma fell to the ground coughing and gasping.
Hiroshi's anger faded.
Aquarius lay battered under the tree, looking up at Hiroshi with tears. "How 
you.... beat me? ...." She spoke softly, her breath and strength leaving her.
Hiroshi looked down at her. "If I knew that..." Hiroshi looked at his Bo. "...I 
would challenge Ranma." He smiled slightly, then pointed the Bo at Aquarius.
"Now, you will do as you promised. Yes?" Hiroshi felt a bit sorry for Aquarius.
The Blue-Haired girl looked up at Hiroshi and smiled sadly. "Hai.... I do what 
say, I honorable spirit." Aquarius reformed slowly to a standing position.
Ranma stood and, still gasping, walked over to Aquarius. "I'm sorry.... about 
your imprisonment. But Shampoo had nothing to do with that..."
"Is her blood. Blood feud, I swore on Princess of long ago.... I sorry I cruel. 
Girl's friend could kill me, but didn't.... he honorable spirit." Aquarius bowed 
to Hiroshi, and Ranma scratched her head.
Hiroshi blushed. "I'm not a spirit, Aquarius.... just a Teenage boy."
"You honorable, nonetheless. I not be angry...." She snapped her fingers and 
Ranma felt a tingle.
"I'm not a Girl..." Ranma said sternly.
Aquarius frowned. "You Fall in Jusenkyou, Hai?"
Ranma nodded, still glaring at the Blue-Haired girl.
Aquarius got the impression Ranma didn't understand. "Nevermind, it nothing.... 
just not used to reffering to victim of Nyannichuan as boy." Aquarius sighed. 
"You can turn back now, so can silly pig, panda, duck, and Princess."
Aquarius put her hands together and bowed again. Ranma noticed Akane standing 
behind Hiroshi, and smiled.
"Water now go back to Town.... I go, and no return." Aquarius smiled and began 
shimmering.
"Wait! Can you cure us of the curses?" Ranma asked hopefully.
"No.... Jusenkyou not made by me.... magic is, but not curses.... I sorry.... 
Bai Laio..." The Elemental's voice faded out. Ranma's shoulders slumped.
"Ahhh, nuts..." She had to smile, despite herself though. She could change back 
now.
"Hiroshi.... what happened?" Akane seemed confused.
"We won, that's what..." Hiroshi began walking back to his house, deep in 
thought.
"Hey, 'Roshi! Hang on!" Ranma ran up to his side.
"Yeah?"
"Well.... thanks.... I don't know where you learned to fight, but thanks 
anyways..." Ranma offered her hand.
Hiroshi looked at it. "No trouble, Ranma.... I would have done it had it been 
death itself. I couldn't bare thinking of how unhappy you would be stuck as a 
girl," Hiroshi smiled.
Ranma frowned, a bit confused. By the time she shook of the confusion, Hiroshi 
was quite a ways down the street.
"You know, 'Roshi. You really are an amazing guy...." Ranma sighed as she 
watched him walk away.
"You bet...." Akane smiled and wrapped an arm around Ranma. "I'm glad I've got 
him as a friend too, Ranma!"
Akane and Ranma walked back to the Dojo.
* * * * * *

Hiroshi frowned as he chiselled the stone statue, something wasn't right about 
the way he felt. Every time he thought about Ranma, he got an odd feeling inside 
of peace.... warmth.... caring.
It confused him, it didn't feel familiar. It didn't feel like how he felt about 
Daisuke or the rest of the guy's.
*Confusion* Hiroshi absently thought *Is usually brought about by only dwelling 
on surface thoughts...*
He latched onto it, while he continued with his statue. He had often thought and 
chiselled at the same time, and hardly ever noticed what he was doing or making 
out of the stone.
It had started about three weeks ago, when Ranma had had a nervous breakdown, 
and run tearfully from school. That night, Ranma had fallen asleep at his 
house... an utter look of peace and happiness on her face.
The next day, Hiroshi had done everything he could to try and help Ranma cope 
with some of his problems, and then the fight with Mousse.
Four times now Hiroshi had endangered his life in a vailiant attempt at 
deepening that friendship he held with Ranma. It had deepened. Very much.
So the day's passed, as Ranma came frequently now over to his house to work on 
her clay statue of Akane. He had told her that it was delicate and fragile to 
work with clay, that one must be gentle... and Ranma was. The gentlest person he 
knew.
He recalled with fond regard when he had showed her how to mold a face, using 
himself for an example... telling her to close her eyes and trail her hands over 
his face, then try and recreate it....
His arms had been wrapped around her from behind, as he helped her ever so 
slightly, and they both blushed at the strange closeness at that moment.
Another thing came to Hiroshi's mind, the fact that he had begun referring to 
Ranma as a girl. Not by accident every once in a while, but now it seemed a full 
time reference.
His sister tried to help him use correct sexual terms... but soon he forgot 
again....
There was that.... and her smile. *Her smile is so beautiful....* Hiroshi smiled 
at the thought. He loved seeing Ranma smile. He loved seeing her laugh, he loved 
looking into her eyes.
Hiroshi frowned again. *What am I saying? She's my friend....* Hiroshi continued 
thinking, his hands moving unconciously as he continued chiselling.
He recalled all the things they had shared, stories, secrets, pains, fears.... 
and he had listened to each, in awe and happiness. Happy that she was there, 
happy that she smiled when he said something that touched deeply on her 
emotions.... accurately on her heart....
Hiroshi froze in movement, as his eyes fell on the statue. The chisel and hammer 
dropped from his nerveless fingers.
Warmth. Happiness. Her Smile. Her Laugh. Her Presence. Her eyes. Her hair. Her 
Honesty, Compassion, caring, honor.... Her tortured soul, her aching heart, her 
sadness....
They all touched him.
They all moved him.
He denied it, shook his head, told himself that this was wrong, he was being 
childish in thinking something like that.
But he knew now, what he was feeling. He knew it with a dread. Tears stained his 
face as he realized his doom. His hand came up and carressed the cold cheek of 
the statue.
"I Love You... Ranma...." Hiroshi trailed his finger across the cheekbone of 
Ranma's cold-stone face as the tears flowed freely. He had not noticed what he 
had been carving for a week.... he had known it was a girl, thought with 
excitement it might be someone he Loved.
He looked at her face, the delicate cheekbones, the small nose, her strong 
gaze... he noticed the clothing he had finished was the Chinese vest, and he 
dropped to the ground, wrapping his arms around the statue.
"Ranma.... Kami Help Me, I'm in Love with you...."
Truth.
Sorrow.
And Love.
What was Hiroshi's Fate....

* * End V2:Episode 2 * *

Next on Ranma 1/2! Ranma finally gets tired of Akane's cooking, and Challenges 
her to a duel of Cullinary Expertise! But who'll be the winner in this battle of 
baking? Join us Next Time for Ranma 1/2 FC Edition: A Cullinary Catalyst, 
Ranma's Challenge of Taste!

* * * * * *

((Ending Song is "Equal Romance" With added Pics of Hiroshi and Ranma in the 
Vault with their Statues, and Daisuke hanging out with Ranma and Hiroshi.)) 
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