Ok... In case you can't figure out what I'm trying to
do, I'm trying to post this monster to the list to
appease the "I only read it if it's posted to the
list" crowd.  

I converted it to text thanks to the suggestion by
administration.  Now we can only hope that it works
but knowing my luck though...

Anyway, if it doesn't work, I'm not going to try
again.

TXT conversion tends to mess up my punctuation.  If it
bothers you then go see the link:

http://members.xoom.com/leloi/rnmstory/mirror.htm

Same disclaimers apply from the previous failed email
attempt.

<crosses fingers> Kami-sama, please let this work.

Stranger in the Mirror
by Leloi

<attached> maybe

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.
http://im.yahoo.com

-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: oldman.txt
-- Desc: oldman.txt

An old figure tottered up the stairs.  He paused frequently to rest and think, sizing up his obstacle.  "When I was a young man I could take these steps a few at a time," he mused to himself.  This part of the house had been inaccessible for almost a decade.  

"Grandpa Saotome... What are you trying to do?" a young voice chided behind him.

The old man sighed.  He was in his 90's and was no longer a baby, so why did his descendants have to treat him like one?  He turned to look down at his eldest great-granddaughter, Nodoka.  "What does it look like I'm doing?  I'm going upstairs."

"But why, Grandpa?" Nodoka demanded. 

A strange twinkle filled the old man's eyes.  "Has anyone ever told you that you ask too many questions?"  He smiled and shook his head.  "Kids these days..." he mumbled.

"Why would they say that?" Nodoka asked.

"No reason," the old man said with a sigh.  "Are you going to help me upstairs?"

The girl smiled and ascended the staircase.  She took her grandfather's arm and guided him up the rest of the way.  "You haven't been upstairs for as long as I can remember."

"That's because your grandmother thought I could fall down them and hurt myself."  The old man said with a frown.  "That daughter of mine..." he broke off his thought to smile at his great-grandchild.  "She's too protective of me."  

"Well..." Nodoka began.

"My dear... I used to fly up and down these steps when I was a boy."

"Of course you did, Grandpa," Nodoka smiled as she escorted the old man up the last few steps.  

"I'll have you know that I was one of the greatest martial artists ever born," he said with playful wounded pride.  

"I know," Nodoka said.

He shuffled slowly to the only door that remained closed.  It had been locked the day they moved the old patriarch downstairs.  Nodoka watched with curiosity as her great-grandfather produced a key from the pocket of his robe.

"This is my old room... It was your great-grandmother's.  When I married her, it became my room too."  The old man placed the key in its lock.  He twisted the handle and pushed it open a crack.  "You may go now, my dear," he said with a smile.  "Leave an old man to his past."

Nodoka bowed to her grandfather and turned to skip down the staircase.

The old man watched her leave with unformed tears stinging in his eyes.  "Our family, my love... Our children..." the old man said to the one in his mind.  He pushed the door open and walked into the past.

The room was the exactly the way he had left it a decade earlier.  In fact, it hadn't changed for almost 70 years.  There were some things he didn't want to change about it... That he couldn't.  He still shared his closet with someone who was no longer there.  Everything was preserved to perfection.  He leaned against the closet door and gently pulled a red silk Chinese gown out of its time capsule.  He held the embroidered dragon design to his cheek as he tottered to the mirror.  Looking into the mirror, he saw an old, wrinkled face staring back at him.  "The stranger in the mirror," he mused as he reached one withered hand up to smooth the white hair.  At least he wasn't bald.  He chuckled at the thought as he shuffled to the western style bed... their bed.  His body felt the fatigue.  He had to rest... if only for a moment. 

He lay on top of the comforter with his hands wrapped in the old red gown and his eyes dropped.  The past flooded over him in waves.  

*          *         *

"Grandpa, you're going to be a great-grandfather," Akane said with a proud glimmer in her eye.

"A great-grandfather..." he responded wistfully.  "Who would have thought I'd live long enough to see..."

"Oh stop it, Daddy," Sakura said with a pout.  

He put his arms around his daughter.  "My baby girl is going to be a grandmother," he said with a kiss.

"Don't remind me," Sakura moaned.  "I'm too young.  I'm only 49..."

He laughed and hugged his little girl close.  She may be 49, but she would always be his baby.  "You're going to blossom as a grandparent, just as you blossomed as a parent... my little Sakura."

"Thank you, Daddy," Sakura said with a smile.

"Tell me, granddaughter... What are you going to name our next heir?" the old man said, glancing at his grandchild.  

"I think we've decided on Makoto if it's a boy and Nodoka if it's a girl."

"That's my mother's name... and my son's.  You honor me, granddaughter."  The old man smiled at his eldest granddaughter.

*           *          *

Family and friends gathered in the dojo to pay their final respects.  The Dojo Master sat in the back of the room attended to by his remaining child.  "This looks all too familiar," he whispered to the woman at his side.

"What looks familiar, Daddy?" Sakura inquired.

"This... Your mother and now... your brother..." the man broke off and began to cry.  

Sakura threw her arms around her father and hugged him tight.  "He went the way of a martial artist... In the line of duty."

"I know, dearest... I know.  But Makoto was so young.  He will never see his son grow to be a man," the man cried harder.  "My son... my son."

"Daddy... You must be strong for Nani.  She needs her father-in-law.  Remember what you told me about Grandpa after Mom died?" Sakura asked her father, concern in her brown eyes.

The man shied away from his daughter's eyes.  They were too much like her mother's.  "I said that if he'd only shown me a little more understanding that things would have been better.  I lost a wife, but he lost a daughter."

"Go tell Nani that she will always be a part of our family," Sakura begged.

Her father stared, unblinking at the casket that held his son.

"Please, Daddy, Makoto would have wanted it this way."

The man nodded and slowly got to his feet.  He stumbled to the front of the room and sat beside his daughter-in-law.

*         *        *

"Daddy... I have something important to tell you," Sakura blushed.

"What is it, my darling?" her father asked, looking up from the paperwork he was showing her brother.  Why did a dojo have to have so much paperwork?

"Um... I'm pregnant." 

Her father stared at her in amazement.  Makoto was the first to speak.  "Way to go, Sis!"  He pulled his sister into a fierce hug.  "Here I thought Nani and I would be the first."

The father caught both of his children in a hug.  "This is wonderful, Sakura... I'm so happy."

"Daddy!  Calm down... You remember what the doctor said about slowing down," Sakura chastised.  

Her father waved his hand at her.  "I'm not an old man yet.  I may be a grandfather, but I still feel as if I'm in my twenties."  To prove his point he lifted his daughter off her feet and promptly put her down.  "Oh... my back," he groaned and doubled over.

"Daddy!" Sakura reached for her father.

Her father smiled and straightened up.  "Got ya!" he laughed.

"So what are you going to name the baby, Sis?" Makoto asked.

Sakura smiled at her brother.  She turned to her father and snuggled up to him.  "Daddy...?"

Her father sighed.  He knew whenever she did that she wanted something.  "Yes, my little cherry blossom?"

"I was wondering if it would be all right... if it's a girl... can I name her after Mother?"

The father gave his daughter a pained smile.  He wrapped his arms around his younger child.  "I would be honored... Your mother would have liked that."

Sakura hugged her father and then looked down to her belly.  "You hear that, baby... Akane?"

*          *          *

Father of the bride... He was the father of the bride.  The honor held many privileges.  One of which was to be able to see the bride before her walk down the aisle.  He knocked on the door.  

"Who is it?" someone asked on the other side of the door.

"The father of the bride," he replied.

The door opened to reveal a puffy young girl with brown hair and a pink dress.  

"Hello, niece... May I have a moment alone with my daughter?" father of the bride asked.

The girl shrugged and slinked out the door, closing it behind her.

The father stood gazing at the figure in white before him.  Could this beautiful creature be his daughter?  She turned slowly and his heart skipped a beat.  Her hair and eyes... Gods... She could have been her mother.  "Akane..." he whispered.

The woman smiled.  "Daddy... You're here."

He smiled and crossed the room.  "Sakura... You are as beautiful as your mother on her wedding day."

"Really, Daddy?"

"Really..." He kissed the young woman on the cheek and pulled the veil down over her face.  "The ceremony is going to start soon."

"How is that Hibiki boy?" Sakura asked with a giggle.  "Cousin Naomi says that he has an uncontrollable nosebleed."

"He'll be all right.  Ryouga-kun is trying to help him relax.  Don't worry... Your groom will be waiting for you if he has to be propped up with an umbrella and a sumo pig."

Father and daughter both laughed at the thought.  

*            *           *

"Dad... Try not to be so nervous."

"I'm not nervous," came the reply.

 "Sure you are... You're pacing more than I am," Makoto replied.

"Son... I want you to take good care of Nani, do you understand?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Son..."

"Yes, Dad?"

"You've been such a help after your mother... died.  I'm proud of you... And I love you."

Makoto beamed at his father's words.  "Thanks Dad... I love you too."

"Don't be a stranger after your honeymoon.  I know Sakura would love to see you.  And remember this is your dojo too."

"I know, Dad."

"You and your wife will always have a place here."

Makoto hugged his father. 

*             *             *

Two little bundles of energy came at him at once.  Each took a side and attacked.  He easily dodged their onslaught.  Somewhere a timer rang out and he grabbed one of the bundles of frustrated child.  "Lunchtime," he announced to the little girl in his arms.  

"Aw... Daddy... We were just getting it," Sakura protested.

The father shook his head at his daughter.  "Good nutrition is just as important as exercise."  Out of the corner of his eye he saw the other bundle of raw energy take the opportunity to attack.  He caught the boy easily and dropped him beside his sister.  "That goes for you too, young man," he said as he led the children to the kitchen.

The father watched his children eat their lunch, fascinated with their youthfulness.  Both were very smart and very strong.  Their mother would be proud... if she were alive.  He closed his eyes to the pain.  It was still so fresh in his heart.  He felt it whenever he looked at his daughter... she took after her mother in all ways.  "Gods... Akane... Why did you have to leave me?" he demanded of the memory in his head.  "Why do I have to raise them alone?"  He opened his eyes to see two little faces staring at him in concern.  

"Daddy... Are you all right?" Sakura asked.

"Fine... Blossom..." he replied with a pained smile.  He stood and gathered them in his arms.  "Naptime."

"Aw... Dad, I'm too old for a nap," Makoto protested as he wiggled out his father's embrace.

"Well... I want a nap, so you get one too," father reasoned as he carried his daughter up the stairs with his son following.  He made sure both were safely tucked into their beds and kissed tenderly.  

On his way to his own bed he reached into his closet and pulled out a red silk Chinese gown with a dragon embroidered on the breast.  He held it to his cheek for a moment before he put it back in its place of honor.  He climbed into the bed and closed his eyes.  

If it weren't for the children he would have followed her.  He wanted to follow her, but he had a duty to stay and raise the babies she left behind.

Tears rolled down his cheeks.  The years had been hard without her.  Ukyo, Shampoo and Kodachi had returned to his life like vultures, each wanting to share his bed.  But he couldn't... his bed was already occupied by his memories and a promise he made to himself years ago.  

He was a haunted man and the pain changed him.  Sometimes he thought of himself as the stranger in the mirror... As if another man had taken over his life and he was only a hollow shell of what he had once been.  "Who is Saotome Ranma?" he asked.

"He isn't himself anymore..." something answered.  "He's a stranger to his own life with two babies to raise."

*           *         *

Family and friends gathered in the dojo to pay their final respects.  Ranma couldn't watch.  He wandered out the door.  He stood by the koi pond and stared into its depths.  The little pink bundle in his arms stared up at him with trusting brown eyes.  Everyone told him that a funeral was no place for a baby, but he didn't care.  He held the newborn close to his chest and wept onto the blanket.

"We were supposed to have a long, happy life together," he whispered to the winds.

"I'm going on now.  I'll wait for you..." the winds whispered back.

The baby cried, echoing his own sobs.

A heavy hand landed on his shoulder.  "No father should see his child die," Soun said.  "Why couldn't you have stopped her from going out... She loved you."

Ranma glanced at Tendo-san.  "I'm sorry... I..."

"Now this beautiful baby girl will never know how wonderful her mother was," Soun cried.  "How could you let her die?"  Soun reached for the baby but Ranma pulled her away and held her against his chest.

"That's enough, Tendo-kun," Genma said.  He turned to his son.  "I'm sorry about what I said about training your son.  I didn't know you would have so little time with your wife."

Ranma felt a tender arm wrap around his shoulder.  He turned to see his mother.  "Mom..." he cried on her shoulder.  

Nodoka helped support the tiny infant between them.  "My child... My precious child..." she whispered.  

*           *         *

"Saotome-san?" a voice asked on the telephone.

"Hai?" Ranma replied.

"There has been an accident... I'm sorry, but your wife was hit by a car downtown and..."

"No!" Ranma cried.

"She's asking for you... But..."

"Where?  Where is she?" Ranma demanded.

The voice on the phone told him where to go.

He ran mindlessly to the hospital where he was directed to Akane's room.

"Akane..." he cried.

Her listless eyes found his.  "Ranma... I'm sorry."

"Hush now, you're going to be alright," he soothed her.  He had always been able to protect her.  Why should now be any different?  He shouldn't have let her go out alone... not in her third trimester.

"No... Ranma... Listen to me.  You must take care of our children."

"No..."

"I've lost too much blood... They say it's either the baby or me..." Akane indicated her swollen belly.  

"No, love... No..." 

"I'll watch over you all..."

"No!" Ranma held his wife in his arms.  "Stay with me," he begged.  "Please, stay with me."

"...Never leave you," Akane breathed.

"Akane!"  Her name was torn from his soul.  Monitors beeping their warnings accompanied the cry.  Medical teams responded by pulling him away from her body.

"We need to save your child," one doctor barked a little harshly.

Ranma watched in shock as they opened her body and pulled out the infant.  A newborn's wail pierced the air.  Minutes passed and a baby was placed in his arms.  

He kissed her little forehead as he stared out the window.  Cherry blossoms fell like snow.  "Sakura..." he whispered to the little one.  "Saotome Sakura."

*           *          *

"I have a boy!" Ryouga raised his cup of sake.

"Congratulations to you and Akari, Ryouga-kun."  Ranma smiled.

"I've been thinking about what you and Akane offered before.  I would like to have my son marry your unborn daughter," Ryouga said with a small smile at the Saotomes.

Akane with her huge belly and Ranma smiled at each other.  "Then it is agreed," Ranma said as he raised his sake cup.  "To our children!"

"To our children!" Ryouga agreed.

"Why?" little Makoto asked.

Both men laughed at the boy.  "Your new sister is going to have a future husband."

"Wow!" the little boy said.

"How is your wife?" Akane asked Ryouga.

"She's fine, just fine.  I saw her and the baby in the hospital before I came over here." 

"How wonderful... Maybe I should go out tomorrow and get a little something for my future son-in-law," Akane smiled.

"That would be swell, Akane-san," Ryouga laughed.

"Honey, I don't want you wandering around when you're so close to your due date," Ranma said with sudden concern.

"Oh hush, baka.  Pregnant women have been wandering around town in third trimesters since the dawn of time," Akane smiled.  "He doesn't let me do anything fun when I'm expecting," she told Ryouga with a laugh.  "Besides, what will I do while he's teaching class?"

*        *         *

"SAOTOME RANMA!" growled a very angry Akane.

Ranma cringed at the use of his full name spoken in such volume.  His wife didn't do it very often anymore, but when she did... "Yes dear?"

"You will NOT take our son on some stupid training journey like your fool father did.  Do I make myself clear?" she asked.

"I never gave it much thought, honey.  Pop was the one who suggested it," Ranma said.  It was true.  Pop had made some comment about little Makoto being the right age to begin training away from his mother.  Ranma disagreed.  He knew what life had been like without a female influence.  Besides, he didn't really want to spend any time away from his wife.  They had been only married for a few years.  He made that argument to Pop.

"You've been married for seven years," Genma corrected.  "Your boy is five now... And you aren't getting any younger, you know.  When I was your age... and in fact a year younger since you were conceived on my wedding night... (Nodoka and I didn't waste a year like you did in making a son)  You and I were out in the world.  It's time to train the boy in the arts," Genma replied.  "At least tell your wife about it."  

"Tell me something, old man... Did your father have this little talk with you when I was five?" Ranma asked.

"It's a family tradition that dates back since the dawn of time.  All Saotome men are taken from the mothers at the tender age of five and raised to be the best martial artists known to mankind."

"I'm not like you, Pop.  I can't follow some stupid tradition and take my son away from my wife.  I have responsibilities... a dojo to run... a family to take care of..."

"You've become weak, boy," Genma growled.

"No... I'm stronger than you because I chose my own path," Ranma replied as he walked away.  He immediately went to his wife, kissed her on the cheek and told her what happened.  She got emotional and yelled at him.

"Besides," she concluded, "you will need to get to know your other baby."

"My other baby?" Ranma asked, a little confused.

"I'm pregnant," Akane said with a small smile.

Ranma lifted his wife off the ground and twirled her in a circle.  "This is wonderful, my love... wonderful."

*        *         *

"Breathe!" Ranma encouraged.

"Shut up, Saotome!  You did this to me." Akane snapped.  She gripped his hand and squeezed it as hard as she could.

"That's it... Keep breathing." Ranma squeaked in pain. 

"I don't want to breathe... I can't breathe..." Akane cried.  "Please don't make me breathe... Oh Gods!"

"That's it... push, Saotome-san," Tofu encouraged.  

"Push!" Ranma chorused.

"Stop repeating what he just said... I'm not deaf, you idiot."

"One more push... Good girl," Tofu encouraged.

A newborn's cry filled the room.

"It's a boy."

"A boy!" Akane and Ranma smiled as their infant was placed in Akane's arms.

Ranma kissed his wife.  He was ecstatic.

*          *         *

"What's wrong?" Ranma asked as he stepped into the dojo.  His wife was sitting on the floor, crying.  "What happened?" he asked in concern as he kneeled beside her.

"Ranma... Would you love me even if I was fat?" she asked with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Is that all?  I would love you no matter what... Why do you ask?" Ranma asked as he combed his fingers through her hair to get it out of her eyes.  "You aren't thinking of giving up your tomboyish figure, are you?" he asked playfully.

Akane burst into a fresh batch of tears and threw herself on the matted floor.  

"I was only kidding," Ranma said helplessly as he placed his hands on her shoulders.  "Please tell me what's wrong... Akane-chan?" he said in his sweetest husband voice.

"I'm going to turn into a blimp and you'll look to other women..."

"How can you say that?" Ranma gasped in shocked disbelief.  "After all we've been through how can you say that?  Honey, tell me what's wrong."

"I'm pregnant!" Akane wailed.

Ranma froze in shock.  "P-p-pregnant?"

"I'm going to have your baby... What do you think of that?" Akane cried.  "I won't be able to help you in the dojo..."

Ranma gathered his wife in his arms.  "It's alright.  I can manage.  Pregnant?  Wow!"  Ranma hugged his bride.  "I'm going to be a daddy," he smiled.  "And you are going to be a mommy."  He gently rocked back and forth with her.  "Don't cry, Akane... Everything is going to be fine.  Smile for me," he whispered into her hair.  

"I've just been so emotional lately," she cried.  "Of course I'm happy."

"Let's go out and celebrate.  Wear that pretty red dress Mom gave you before you grow out of it."

"Ranma!" Akane cried as she playfully hit her husband.

Ranma smiled and kissed his wife.  "I can't wait to show of my pretty, pregnant wife."

*          *         *

Ranma took a deep breath as he adjusted his black robes and entered the dojo.  "No one is going to stop me this time," he thought as he crossed over to his place.  His parents beamed at him from their respectful places.  This was going to be a very interesting ceremony.  Very few people were invited to ensure that the event would take place without incident.  The ceremony itself was to be an eclectic mix of ritual. 

As Ranma waited for his bride, his heart did flip-flops.      

Finally Tendo-san walked down the aisle with a beautiful woman in a wedding kimono.  He helped his daughter sit beside her groom.

"Ranma and Akane... You have been through a lot to get here today..." Tendo-san began.

There came a steady pounding on the dojo door.

"Hurry, Daddy... They're here to stop the wedding," Nabiki said.

Soun paled.  He passed the sake to Ranma.  "Here... Drink of this wedding toast to seal your vow to each other."

Ranma drank and passed Akane the sake.

"Bless you, children," Genma said as he watched the dojo doors bulge under the onslaught of many enraged ex-suitors.

"Bless you both," Soun concluded as the doors burst off their hinges.

"Ranma... How could you do this to us?!" many female voices chorused.

"Tendo Akane... Step away from this unworthy man!" Kuno demanded.

"Will all of you please stop this?!" Ranma demanded.  

Shocked silence answered him.

"It's my wedding day," he said simply as he rose and helped his bride do the same.  "I already explained to you all that this is what I wanted... And no one ever listens.  Akane is my wife now.  So either stay and celebrate with us or leave," he said as he glared at the group, daring someone to challenge him.

Ryouga took a deep breath and stepped forward.  "No matter who she ends up with..." he whispered to Ranma as he shook the other man's hand.  "If you ever hurt her..." he left the threat hanging as Ranma embraced him.  

"My friend!" Ranma laughed.  "Thank you, Ryouga."

"Get off of me!" Ryouga shrugged away Ranma's hug and gave him a little smile.  

"This is unacceptable," Kuno stated.  "At least hand over the redhead so that I may have her."

"Kuno..." Ranma sighed.  "I'm the redhead."

"You lie!"

Ranma shook his head.  "Please leave.  I don't want to deal with this today.  I promised Akane a normal wedding."

"You can't have a normal wedding because you don't have the right bride," Ukyo snapped.

"And you marry to me first!" Shampoo added.   

"This isn't a real wedding anyway.  It doesn't have enough glamour," Kodachi commented.

"I thought you were my friends," Ranma said quietly as he turned away from them.  He and Akane retreated to change out of their robes.  

Later Ranma tapped on Akane's door.  "Are you ready, Saotome-san?"  He got a little thrill out of using the name to address her.    

Akane opened the door and smiled at her groom.  "I'm ready," she said as she ran her hands down the red silk Chinese gown.  

Ranma blushed a deep crimson to match his shirt.  "You wore it..."

"And you wore the matching shirt.  That means we'll have a long, happy life together," Akane smiled.

"It's not just that.  The last time I saw you in this dress we..." Ranma smiled and leaned forward to kiss his bride.  "Let's just stay up here and forget about the party."

"Cool it, Romeo," Akane laughed as she passed Ranma to descend the staircase.  "Save some of that for the honeymoon.  Are you coming?"

"Not yet..." Ranma whispered as he stood in the doorway and stared longingly at the bed.  The dress brought back so many happy memories and he regretted nothing.  The nights he spent sneaking into her room and perfecting their love making techniques were sacred to him. 

Ranma turned to stare at his bride who waited for him at the top of the stairs.  "I love you, Akane," he said.

Akane smiled.  "I know," she said simply.

He joined her and offered his arm.  "Promise that as soon as this party is over we go back in there and I help you out of this dress."

Akane blushed.  "Pervert..." she mumbled.  

"Tomboy," Ranma replied.

"Love..." 

"Love," Ranma agreed.
 
They entered the living room and were greeted by cheering... some more excited than others were. "Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Saotome!"

Three girls stared ruefully at the bride.

*        *        *

Bright, warm light tempted Ranma's eyelids to open.  He blinked a few times to focus on his surroundings.  "Funny, my room looks different," he thought to himself casually as he stretched his muscles.  His futon was softer than he remembered it being the night before.  He glanced down at the blankets that covered him and the person beside him.  "Akane..." he leaned down to brush a few wisps of her hair away from her forehead.  "I've been sleeping with Akane," he thought.

Akane opened her eyes and smiled at him.  "Night," she whispered as she stretched.

"It's morning, silly," Ranma said gently as leaned over her to retrieve his boxers from the floor.

"It's not morning yet... That's the moon," she responded and hugged Ranma's body to her own.

Ranma dropped his boxers and hugged her gently.  "We aren't going to act out your favorite play this morning."  He kissed her lightly and rolled off the bed.  "I'm late... Your sister is going to wake up any minute and come in here to wake you up and find me naked in your bed," he whispered as he pulled on his underwear and tank top.  He knelt on the floor beside the bed.  "That will seriously put an end to our late night practice sessions."

"They haven't found out so far..." Akane pouted.  "Stay and keep me warm."

"As much as I would love to..." Ranma whispered as he kissed his lover on the forehead, "I have to go."  He stood and stared regretfully at the warm bed and the woman inside of it.  "I love you."  He grinned at her before turning to sneak out of the door.

"SAOTOME RANMA, WHAT have you DONE to my DAUGHTER?!" a demonic head burst through the door before Ranma had a chance to open it.  

Ranma took a few steps back and instinctively placed himself between danger and his love.  "Tendo-san... I... um..." Ranma fumbled.

"Daddy... Leave him alone," Akane pleaded as she tried her best to cover herself.

The demon head turned to stare at the woman in the bed.  Immediately the demon was reduced to a sobbing mortal man.  "Oh... It is as your sister Kasumi says.  Ranma has been sneaking out of Akane's room every morning for the past week.  Both of your honors are blackened.  What do you two have to say for yourselves?"

"Nothing," Ranma replied defensively as he took a step closer to Akane.  

"Daddy..." Akane began.

"There is only one solution to restore your honor.  You WILL marry Akane... today after school," Soun proclaimed.

Ranma frowned.  "I WILL marry Akane but it will be a day of our choosing... not yours.  OURS!" Ranma raised his voice a little louder than he had intended.  

His future father-in-law made a face.  "When will that be, son?" Soun asked with a faint emphasis on the word "son."

"The week after graduation," Ranma responded.

Soun looked surprised.

"Ranma... We haven't talked about it yet," Akane breathed.

Ranma caught her eye and smiled.  "You want to suggest another date?"

"No... I guess that date is as good as any... It's just so soon.  Only a couple of months..."

"It's perfect," Soun said with a smile as he picked himself up off the ground.  He shook Ranma's hand in the western style.  "Congratulations and take good care of my little girl... The week after you graduate, you say?  What day of the week do you prefer?"

Ranma made a face.  "The Saturday after graduation?"

Soun made a thoughtful face.  "Hmm... Ah, yes... excellent choice.  Would you like a Western or Japanese wedding?"

Ranma shrugged.  "Both... I don't care."

"Very good," Soun smiled as he headed for the door.  "Oh... and Ranma?  I'll have no more of you sneaking in and out of my daughter's room until AFTER the ceremony.  If you want to share her bed before the wedding... don't be so secretive about it.  That's how nasty rumors get started.  If it's obvious and you are honest, then it will have no monetary value to Nabiki."

Ranma nodded as he closed the door behind Tendo-san.  He returned to Akane's side.  "Well... Now that they know..." he sighed as he collapsed beside her.

"Now we don't have to worry about getting caught," Akane giggled.  "So you can sleep beside me every single night until the day that we die," she snuggled against Ranma and caressed his stomach.

"Until the day that we die..." he echoed hollowly.  He hugged her tightly as a shiver ran down his spine.  "And forever after that..." he whispered.

"What did you say?" Akane asked.

"Nothing," Ranma responded with a smile as he hugged her closely.   He felt strangely reassured knowing she was there... Feeling her body against his.


*        *         *

Their first time... their first time was over so quickly.  A little too quick for everything that built up to it.  The years of name-calling and fights were melted away by one tender moment.  He knew he would never hurt her again after that one moment.  His decision was now sealed by honor.  

Of course she had never said "yes" like he had wished.  One moment he had asked her to be his wife and the next she was seducing him on the floor of her room, with her hands touching him in places he didn't even know that he had.  He wanted to please her.  Once he knew what she wanted of him, he was impassioned to fulfill her.  She pulled down his pants and... Oh, Gods... One unconscious thrust of the hips on his part, a pelvic slide on hers and he was inside of her.  She was so warm... They stared at each other in stunned silence for a moment before they both gently rocked their hips together in a clumsy rhythm, fueled by need.  His orgasm washed over him so quickly.  Hers followed... only a few moments after his.  She collapsed on top of him and fell asleep.  He picked her up and carried her to the bed.  He didn't have the heart to wake her or finish undressing her.  He lay, halfway dressed, beside her and watched her sleep, thinking.  "I took her virginity... her honor," echoed in his mind.  "What if she wakes up and hates me?"  He cringed and watched her in sadness.  "No matter what happens, she is my first and only.  I promise that I'll be celibate for the rest of my life if she ever chose to leave me.  My honor demands it..."  

After a half an hour she stirred.  "Ranma?" she whispered.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Did we just...?"  She looked uncertainly at him.

"Yes."

"Oh," she whispered.

His heart ached for her.  She didn't sound too thrilled.  Had she really wanted it to happen?  "You never answered my question," he said quietly, hoping to draw her out.

She frowned in response.  "What question?"

"I asked you if you would be my wife."

She closed her eyes and smiled.  "Baka," she breathed.  "What do you think?"

"I think Mom will make me commit seppuku for the way I acted... if you say no."

"You don't have to commit seppuku, Ranma."

"Then you say yes?"

"Only if you tell me out loud how you feel about me," Akane replied.  "So there is no question of whether you said it inside your head or not."

He wrapped his arms around her and cradled her head against his chest.  "I love you," he whispered, calmly.  "Now please say that you will be my wife."

"I'll be your wife," she snuggled against him.  "Hmm... Your heart just sped up."

He laughed under his breath as he leaned forward to kiss her.  Limbs tangled as they helped each other to undress.  

Their second time was a lot slower than their first.  

*           *          *

Ranma stood at the foot of the staircase, nervously fidgeting with the collar of the formal red silk Chinese shirt.  His fingers traced the embroidered dragon on his chest.  A sound at the top of the staircase brought his attention up to a breathless sight.  Gods... She was beautiful.  There was no way he could deny it.  She wore a red silk Chinese dress to match his shirt.  Her embroidered dragon mirrored his own.  He pried his eyes away from the flash of leg she gave him as she descended the staircase.  "You look..." he whispered.

"I'm sorry that I kept you waiting," Akane said with a smile.

"No problem," Ranma said with a grin as his heart raced.  He held out a box.  "Here... wear this..."

Akane's eyes flashed at the sight of the box.  "Will you put it on me?"

Ranma fumbled with the box and managed to extract the wrist corsage it held.  He clumsily slipped it on over her glove.

"It's beautiful... It even matches my dress."

"Mom picked it out..." Ranma said carelessly.  The saddened look on Akane's face made him wish that he hadn't.  "But I chose the roses," he amended.

Akane brightened.  "They are lovely... Oh, I wish someone was here to take our picture."

Ranma smiled, "They all got roped into chaperoning.  They didn't look too thrilled with the dress code."

"At least we don't have to wear those horrible muumuus or loud Hawaiian shirts the principal is making everyone else wear.  I hear the dress shops are full of ugly flower prints.  We're lucky that your mother had these clothes."

"Yeah... Lucky..." Ranma said with a small smile as he offered his arm.  "Shall we go challenge the dance to Anything Goes Martial Arts Fashion?"

"Alright." 

They made their way silently to the school.  As they neared Furinkan they crossed paths with many a couple that were cursed with obnoxiously bold flower motifs for dress.  They gazed enviously at the pair of red dragons.

The prom was to be held in the principal's office so he could insist on a luau theme.  Everyone who entered the door got leid.  Akane's flowers were simple orchids.  Somehow Ranma got puffy, pink carnations.  He rolled his eyes and Akane laughed.

There was a dance floor and a few badly dressed couples occupied it.  Most sat at their tables, playing with the balloons and wishing they had bought better clothes before the principal picked the theme and threatened the dress shop merchants.  There was a bouffet for food and drink.  A little booth was set up to sell extra leis.  

As soon as Ranma and Akane entered the jungle room all eyes turned to them.  The most apparent reason was because they were not doomed to Hawaiian Tourist Fashion.  Another reason was because three girls who held most of the lei booth inventory in their arms came running up to Ranma and covered him with flowers.

"Wear my leis, Ran-chan," Ukyo insisted.

"No... Wear mine," Shampoo said.

"Ranma, darling, you must wear mine," Kodachi begged.

"I ain't wearing a bunch of flowers," Ranma said as he struggled out of the towering lei pile.  "I can barely move."

"But Ran-chan... They are a present," Ukyo pouted.

"I can't do anything with a tower of leis around my neck," Ranma insisted.

"You wear at least one?" Shampoo asked.

Ranma frowned.  "Alright."

All three girls threw their biggest leis on him.  Ranma wore four puffy, pink carnation leis.  He sighed in frustration.  

"We each get a dance, don't forget," Shampoo said.  "Nabiki Tendo promised."  The three girls stared at Ranma expectantly.  

"Leave me alone.  Go dance with your dates.  I'll dance with Akane first," Ranma said.

The others pulled back, leaving Ranma alone for once.  He pulled off one of the leis and gave it to Akane.  "Here.  You can wear mine."

Akane accepted it hesitantly.  "I hope this isn't Kodachi's... She may have drugged it."

Ranma paled and took off all the leis.  He made a neat pink pile of them on a nearby table.  Unfortunately Daisuke and his date were sitting at the table.  After a few minutes they passed out.

Ranma led Akane to the dance floor and began a slow dance.

Three angry women descended on the couple.  "Why aren't you wearing our leis?!" they demanded.

"Kodachi drugged hers and since they all look alike..." Ranma began.  

"Oh ladies..." Nabiki saddled up to the group on the dance floor.  "One at a time.  Now off with you before I tell the DJ to only play fast music for the rest of the night."

The three shied away and sat at a nearby table to stare ruefully at Akane.

Nabiki leaned closer to the couple.  "So how much will you pay me to get you out of here?"

"Nabiki!" Akane cried.

"Hey... Just kidding.  It's free and I have my connections."  She showed them a set of keys.  "I know a great secret passageway."

Ranma glanced at the three nervously.  "Show us."

"Alright, but we'll need a diversion."  Nabiki smiled and waved at the DJ who promptly spun "Time Warp."  Being a strange American song with an interesting beat, everyone ran to the dance floor and tried to guess at the English lyrics.  Nabiki anonymously pulled the two away from the mob.  She led them to the principal's tree hut office.

"Everyone knows about this place since that coconut incident last year," Ranma said.

"You are wrong, my dear Ranma.  The office isn't the escape... the trapdoor is."  Nabiki smiled and pulled the mat off the floor.  A trapdoor lay underneath.  "Only the principal and I know about this door and have a key for it," Nabiki said as she unlocked and opened the door.  The passage was dark and near vertical.  "It's kind of like a slide made from the hollowed out trunk of the tree.  Just watch out for splinters."  Nabiki smiled.

"I'll go first and make sure it's safe," Ranma announced.

"Don't bother... There are many possible exits.  You will get separated."  

Ranma stared at Nabiki.  He lifted Akane off her feet.  "Ok... together."

"Just watch out.  The first ten feet are free fall.  Good luck."  Nabiki shook Ranma's right hand and left something in it.  "This one's on me," she said with a wink.

Ranma nodded and stepped into air.  As they fell he pulled Akane closer to his body.  One wall began to angle forward as the other angled back.  It slopped suddenly and caught him on the side.  He rolled to keep it at his back and Akane on his front.  He wrapped his legs around hers so they could descend as one body.  A wall rose to one side and they were pushed the other way.  They hit a wall that was rising on the other side and bounced back.  Suddenly there was light and the bottom gave out of the slide.  They free fell for a second and landed on a soft pile.

Ranma had the wind knocked out of him for a second.  "Akane, are you alright?" he gasped.

"Yes... Are you?" she asked as she rolled off of him.

"Yeah... Hey!  We're in the PE shed," Ranma said, looking around.  

"Ranma, why did you leave the dance with me?"

"You were my date.  A man always leaves with his date.  That's what Mom says."  Ranma smiled.

"But it wasn't about me.  The others were chasing you."

"Maybe I didn't want to dance..." Ranma stopped.  How could he explain?  He wanted to tell her that she was the only prom date he wanted tonight.

"You were dancing with me."

"Wanted to dance with you..."

"You did?"

"Yeah," he said as he self-consciously scratched the back of his neck.

"Why?" she asked with her eyes trembling.

"Akane..." he whispered as he leaned forward.  He expected something to stop him... a jealous suitor, a panda falling from the sky, a terrorist group demanding pork buns and a lifetime supply of bubble gum, an earthquake or a flood... but nothing did.  His lips touched hers for the first time and he pulled away in shock.  He stared at Akane in confusion.  How did he just do that when it always got messed up before?  Could he do it again?  He leaned forward and expected the four horsemen to arrive for the coming apocalypse.  Instead he felt the warmth of her lips against his.  He waited, pressed against her, for something to happen.  Externally nothing interrupted.  Internally his heart was doing back flips and he felt tingly.  Something wet brushed his lips and it took him a moment to understand what she had done.  He tried licking her lips but she opened her mouth.  Pleasure washed over him from head to toe.  He felt her wrap her arms around him and his body responded with fire.  Usually he fought off the sensation by freezing... but she... but she... was exploring his mouth with her tongue.  He wrapped his arms around her.  She moaned into his mouth and his manhood began to ache.  He needed her.  He had always needed her because she completed him.  And he had almost lost her.  He almost had to go on without her... without being completed... And his lack of manhood made it worse... No!

He pushed her away and stared, gasping in shock.  He could see the passion in her eyes melt into sadness.  "What's wrong?" she asked.  "Don't you want me?"

"Yes..." he whimpered and crouched in grief.  "But I can't... I can't..." he sobbed.

"Why?" Akane demanded.  "What's wrong?"

"My curse.  Don't you care?  I turn into a... a..."

"Girl?"

"I can't be a man for you yet.  I have to be a complete man first.  I have to go back to Jusenkyo and get rid of this... I can't share myself with you knowing..." 

"I like you the way you are."  Akane's eyes sparkled with emotion.  

"But Akane... I..."

"No buts, Ranma.  You don't have to change for me.  Got that?  I don't care about your curse.  Don't you know that by now?"

Ranma's eyes dropped to Akane's lap.  He marveled at the way the dragon's tail curled on her hip.  The slit up to her thigh was nice too.  The dress opened perfectly to reveal her knee when she sat back on her heels.  So many little things caught his eye.  She was perfect in the way she sat before him... she never tried to push herself onto him like the others did.  Each detail about her convinced him over and over that she was the right one... She was the one who didn't pressure him.  She made no demands... only asked that he be himself and expected nothing in return.  

Now, if only he didn't have this damn curse.  He could show her everything and not have to worry that he couldn't perform correctly as a girl.  She deserved someone who knew how to perform correctly.  He gazed longingly into her eyes.  He was surprised to see hurt there.  "You hurt her when you rejected her," he informed himself.

He had to see her smile.  "Um..." he said aloud.  "You know that dress was my mother's."

Akane looked startled.  "I know."

"She wore it for her wedding reception."

"She did?"

"Yeah... Pop was supposed to wear the shirt I'm wearing now.  You know... A newlywed thing."

Akane nodded.

"But he was too drunk to change out of his robes."

"How do you know?"

"I've seen the pictures... And Mom mentioned that this would be the first time the clothes would be worn together."

"Oh."

"She said that it will bring the wearers a long, happy life together."

Akane stared at him with her huge brown eyes.

"You look nice in that dress."  Ranma gave a little smile.

"I wasn't sure why your mother insisted on me wearing this dress.  You mean, you knew all along about the dress and shirt?  You wore..." Akane broke off her thought and smiled.

The smile... He was defenseless against both her smiles and her tears.  He leaned forward and kissed her again... Now that he knew the world wouldn't end, it felt easier.  He was again surprised to feel the warm wetness of her tongue against his lips.  Something inside his head screamed, "The curse! The curse!" but he shushed his inner voice and wrapped his arms around her in defiance.  He could feel her arms wrap around his back and for a moment he froze to quell his pleasure, but then he reminded himself of what he really wanted.  Her fingers traced his spine and he thought he was going to die in her arms.  For a brief instant he feared that the others would barge in and want to kill him.  "Let them come.  Let them see," he told himself.  With a sudden boldness at the thought of death he leaned back and pulled Akane on top of him.  "Let them see how much I want her," he thought with each kiss.

"Wait..." Akane said, pulling away from him.

"What?" Ranma asked breathlessly.

"Let's go someplace else."

"Why?"

She took his right hand and opened it to reveal the thing Nabiki had passed him and he had forgotten about.  It was a crumpled foil pouch.  He looked at it in interest and finally realized what it was.  He dropped it.

"You could try to be a little less obvious about what you had in mind for tonight," Akane said teasingly.

"I didn't... Nabiki gave it... I forgot that I..."

He was silenced by Akane's lips on his own.  She pulled away from the kiss.  "I wanted this to be a little more romantic than the PE shed.  Take me somewhere else."

Ranma blinked in shock.  "OK," he finally said as he picked her up and carried her out the door, forgetting the little foil pouch marked "condom."

He stumbled back to the dojo.  His mind raced with thoughts of her.  Usually when he thought of her he left himself wide open for an attack... But not this time.  He fumbled with the door and Akane laughed at him.  "I can walk, you know," she said.  

"No... I can carry you," Ranma replied as he finally opened the door.  He ran up the stairs and took them three at a time.  He paused before crossing the threshold of her room as if remembering something.  "I wanted to wait until my bride was ready," he whispered.  "My honor as Nodoka's son demands it."  He carefully placed Akane's feet on the floor so she could stand.  "It would be wrong to push you... especially if you didn't want to be my bride."

"How would you know what I want?  You haven't asked me," Akane said with a pout.

Ranma fell to his knees.  "Akane... Forget about our parents and what they want.  Forget about all the other girls that chase me.  I just want to know... if you will be my... wife."

She leaned forward and kissed him passionately with enough force to knock him over.  He didn't respond, only stared at her in shocked confusion.  "Is that a yes or no?" he asked in a little voice.

Akane laughed at him and pulled him into her room.  "You idiot... What do you think?"

He blushed.  "I'm not too sure.  You either want to seduce me or leave me with a nasty case of blue balls."

"Pervert!" Akane laughed.

"Tomboy!" Ranma responded.

"Would a tomboy do this?" Akane asked as she kicked her door closed and straddled Ranma's hips.  She carefully began to unbutton his shirt.

"Probably not," Ranma said with a smile as he ran his hands up her thighs.  "Hey!  You aren't wearing any panties!"

*         *         *

Ranma was content with where he was.  As far as he was concerned he had found his home.  No amount of persuasion from Pop could make him leave.  Once his mother's house was restored, she had asked him to return to the family, but he couldn't.  He couldn't explain how or why to his mother.  All he knew was that his home was at the Tendo Dojo.    

"I have to stay," Ranma said gently.  His mother sat beside him by the Tendo fishpond.  

"But why, my son?" Nodoka asked with tears in her eyes.  

Ranma gave her a weak smile.  He looked up at the building behind him.  His eyes lingered over Akane's bedroom window.  "It's home to me."

"You love her, don't you?" Nodoka asked quietly.

Ranma looked at his mother in surprise.  "What makes you say that?" he asked as he blushed.

"A mother knows these things," Nodoka said with a little smile.  "And you never give me a straight answer in regards to your relationship with her."

"Mom..." Ranma frowned as he shook his head.

"May I offer a little bit of motherly advice, my son?"

"What?"

"Marry her now before someone comes between you two."

"That won't happen." 

"What makes you think that?"

"I won't let it..."

"Does she know that?"

Ranma flushed.  "Mom... We are still too young.  We are in our last year of high school.  We have a little more time..."

"Son... If you truly love her... Make your move before something else happens.  Remember what you told me about what happened with Saffron?  Do you really want the chance to lose her again?"

Ranma stared at his hands in his lap, fingers twisted in memory of the one he held and nearly lost.  "No," he said in a small voice.

"Then why do you hesitate, my son?  We'll fix everything so it will be perfect.  I hear that there is going to be a prom this year..."

*           *           *

"Gods, she's so beautiful," Ranma thought as he stared at Akane in a wedding gown.  But why was she putting herself through this?  His heart pounded away at his chest as he gazed at her.  "Say something coherent, you jerk!" he chastised himself.  "You look really beautiful," he said simply.

She smiled at him.  "Thank you.  I'm so glad."

He was helpless against her smile.  He dropped his eyes to his fingers, which nervously mangled his handkerchief.  "Why, why, why?" screamed the inner voice in his brain.  He knelt beside her bed and she mirrored his movements.  "Um... Why are you going through with this?" he asked.

"Well... You love me, don't you?" Akane asked with a smile.

Ranma's heart flipped.  "I do...?"  He felt fear.  Did she want honesty or fib?  If she loved him, then fine... he could be honest and say yes.  If she didn't... then he could pretend that it was false.  It all depended on how she felt.  

"You cried over me at Jusenkyo.  I could have sworn that I heard you say that you loved me," Akane said simply.

"Gods, what did I say in Jusenkyo?" Ranma asked himself.  His brain was a little fuzzy after the hard battle.  If she heard him say that he loved her, that may bias her in choosing to marry him and he didn't want that.  He couldn't allow her to sacrifice herself again for him.  Regardless... It was true, but he could never say it aloud and risk his feelings influencing hers.  "I don't think I said it aloud," he told her.

"Well, I'm sure I heard it," she snapped.

This was an Akane he could handle.  "You want to fight me?  I can mess up that pretty dress of yours," he said as he melted into a battle stance.

"Fine, be that way... I guess pushing myself into this was a mistake.  But if you don't go through with this, you will regret it!" she said angrily.

Ranma was confused.  She admitted to being pushed into the wedding, but she was threatening him to go through with it?  Something happened.  He couldn't let her go through with it if she didn't want it.  He couldn't let her sacrifice herself for him ever again.  "What did they bribe you with?" he demanded.

"They sent nanni-chuan..."

"Why couldn't you have just told me?" Ranma growled as he left the room and ran down the hallway into a full-scale brawl.  It ended with Happosai drinking the promised water and a lecture from Soun.

"This can't be my life..." Ranma later moaned.  "Why can't I have what I really want?" he asked as he ungracefully flopped onto his futon.  

"What is that?" Akane asked.  She had followed him upstairs after the lecture from her father.  Ranma didn't oppose her company.  He rather enjoyed it and hoped to make amends for some of the things that happened at the failed wedding.  He was thrilled when she sat beside him.  It meant that she wasn't too angry with him.

Ranma rolled over and stared at her in disbelief.  "You are actually asking me what I want?"

Akane shrugged.  "Sure...  What do you want, Ranma?"

Ranma closed his eyes in thought.  "I want to stay like this for awhile longer... without interruptions."

Akane pouted and started to stand up.  "Oh, I see.  You want me to leave, right?"

"I didn't say that.  I meant our... our friendship.  You know?  I don't want to be forced into a wedding.  I want it to be a day that I plan.  I definitely don't want it to be some dumb circus like it was today."

"I suppose you thought I was some dumb clown in that dress, huh?"

Ranma stared at Akane for a moment with a strange glint in his eye.  "I liked the dress," he said quietly. "The next time I get married, I won't be inviting any of the other clowns," he smiled.  He sat up suddenly and stared at her.  "Why did you do it, Akane?  Why did you let them bribe you?"

"You wouldn't understand, Ranma," she said quietly.

"It was because of the nanni-chuan, wasn't it?  You were going to sacrifice yourself again, weren't you?  Damn it, Akane..."

Akane was silent as she stared at her knees.  

Ranma feared her tears would fall and he would be reduced to a babbling idiot.  "Stop acting like a martyr," he whispered.

"That's not what..." Akane moaned.

"I almost lost you in Jusenkyo because you tried to save me, baka.  I almost lost you..." Ranma stopped himself before his voice betrayed his feelings.  His eyes stung with held back tears.  "Do you understand that?  You were going to die... and I almost lost... All because you had to sacrifice."

"You said that you loved me," Akane said quietly.

"I didn't say that... out loud."

"Thought it, then.  Same difference."

Ranma stared at his hands as he opened and closed them.  They still seemed to hold a perfect miniature woman in them that could so easily be broken.  He made a motion as if to cradle the woman to his chest.  "Same difference," he echoed.  "But I still don't know how you could have heard..." he broke of his thought as he relaxed his arms.  "When I thought that you were... gone... It hurt.  I struggled to get rid of the hurt.  I don't know what I said... but it helped me feel better.  And you came back.  That's what's important."  Ranma offered Akane a smile.  

She stared back at him with a strange look of understanding on her face.  

"I like talking like this," Ranma said casually.  "Especially since we aren't being interrupted."

"So do I," Akane smiled.

"You're not too mad at me, are you?  Will you still walk with me to school?"

"Even though our wedding was a complete circus?"

"At least ALL the clowns didn't show up," Ranma smiled.  "But, there's always next time..."

"You're going to invite all the clowns?" Akane laughed.  "I thought you said they weren't invited."

"With our lives?  Like you can keep the clowns away...  They follow us wherever we go!  They are ALWAYS there.  Send in the clowns!  Woo hoo!"

"Now you are just being weird," Akane laughed as she stood to leave.  "Goodnight, Ranma."

"Goodnight, Akane," Ranma replied.  He was happy that he at least got her to smile and feel better about the events of the day.  "I lo...u."  He made a face and smiled.  The words didn't want to come out of his mouth and he knew that he sounded like an idiot.

Akane returned his smile.  "I know," she said with a wink as she left.

"This could have been your wedding night," he told himself.  "I don't want it at her expense," he replied.  He couldn't take advantage of the little doll.  His little doll... His precious little doll...

*           *         *

He sat in silence by the waters of Jusendo.  Someone had given him a kettle of hot water and he had changed back to his male form.  She had been restored to her full size thanks to the blessed waters.  Unfortunately there were some things the water couldn't fix.  Carefully he dressed her in his silk shirt.  There wasn't anything else he could do for her, but he fidgeted with the ties of the shirt to keep his hands busy.  Finally he couldn't pretend anymore.  He wrapped his arms around her and held her to his chest.  "You wanted to save me..." he whispered.  "It would have been better to let me die instead."  His heart ached with his words.  "But you always have to butt in...  Why did you have to do it?  You should have let me go..." his words failed him.  "Then I wouldn't have to feel all this pain from losing you," he concluded silently.  "Selfish bastard!" he internally screamed as he hit himself in the face to alleviate the voices in his head.  "Sorry... That's not what I meant," he whispered to her still form.  He took her lifeless hand in his own and held it tightly.  "I'm not very good with words... and there are so many things I wanted to tell you, but couldn't."  His brain struggled with his thoughts as he stared at her lifeless face.  She was still so beautiful... "I tried to tell you over and over, but the words always came out wrong or you didn't believe me or thought I meant something else... But I didn't mean that."  Oh, Gods... she looked so peaceful... as if she wasn't really... dead.  More like she was asleep and all she needed was the magic words to awaken her.  "Wake up, Akane... There's something I have to tell you and I can't wait any longer..." because she may be dead already.  "Shut up," he told himself.  Tears fell down his cheeks and landed on her beautiful face.  "Akane!" he cried.  The unvoiced words of "I love you..." echoed in his mind.  

"Ran..." a voice that wasn't his own spoke.  Fingertips brushed at his tear stained cheeks.

He held her closer in shocked silence.  The magic words had worked... "A-Akane?"  Was it really her voice or a ghost's?

"Ranma..." her voice answered him as her arm reached up to hold his shoulder.

He pulled away from his hug and looked down on her smiling face.  "Akane," he whispered.

"Hello, Ranma..."

She was alive and she was smiling at him.  She wasn't dead.  "Akane!"

"I'm sorry I couldn't move to respond, but I heard you," Akane said quietly.

"Uh oh..." Ranma thought.  What had she heard?  "Everything I said?"

"Yep... Every single word."

"What did I say, what did I say?" Ranma asked himself.  "Shit," he thought.  Suddenly there was a dead weight on his back as Ryouga toppled him to greet Akane.

*           *         *

Ranma watched her disappear.  In an instant his life came crashing down around him as he watched helplessly from the sidelines.  She was gone.  A flash of light consumed her body leaving only her clothes to fall into his arms.  He couldn't hold the fabric because of the crystallized goop on his hands.  He could only stare at the last remnant of his life.

"She was vaporized instantly from all the heat," Saffron said smugly.

"Vaporized..." Ranma thought.  Vaporized meant that her body was gone.  There was nothing left of her except the clothing she wore.  There was no body to mourn or grieve over, only her clothes...  

He felt a heat blast and a tug at the side.  "Ranma, snap out of it!" Ryouga growled as he pulled him away from the site of the battle.  

Ranma couldn't really hear what Ryouga had to say.  All he could see was the cloth hanging limply over his hands.   "She's gone, she's gone," repeated over and over in his brain.  There was a sharp pain on his cheek.  

"Pull it together, Saotome," Ryouga cried as he lowered his hand from the strike.

Ranma felt himself being lifted, but all he could see was the fabric over his hands.  They were her clothes and they still held her scent.  He was only faintly aware that his surroundings were changing.  He felt warm sunlight on his face, but all he could see were her clothes.  Eventually he was placed on the floor of a room in some building.  He could hear Ryouga talking, but he couldn't understand what was being said.  The Jusenkyo Guide said something and began to tug at Akane's clothing.  

"Give that back!" Ranma screamed protectively as he lunged up to snag the clothing with his teeth.  The momentum of his leapt made him crash into a table.  The pain barely registered against the pain in his heart.  Akane was gone.  All he had left were her clothes.  "No..." he groaned.  This couldn't be all that was left of her.  He closed his eyes.  

Akane stood before him, perfect in the last rays of a sunset.  "I'm going ahead now, Ranma... I'll wait for you."

"Akane... Don't leave me here alone!" he cried out to her, but she turned and ran on ahead.  Something tugged at him and he opened his eyes to see the Jusenkyo Guide ruffling through the clothing.  He pulled out a small doll in the shape of Akane.  The Guide talked on and on about there being hope.  Only one thing registered in Ranma's brain... "She alive!"

The Guide's daughter, Plum, took Akane from her father.  She undressed one of her dolls and carefully put the clothes on Akane.  Ranma watched with interest, not letting the miniature woman out of his sight.  Plum propped Akane up on the table and Ranma sat in front of her.  

Plans were made for getting the water to restore Akane.  Someone took her and carefully placed her in Ranma's shirt, between his tank top and skin.  He felt strangely reassured knowing she was there... Feeling her little body against his.

*           *          *

"I want to be with you..." she cooed in his ear.  Her body... Her body was pressed against his.  She was naked and her arms were wrapped around his chest.  "I fell in at Jusenkyo," she moaned.  "Do you hate me now?"  Her face was pressed against his back so her hot tears slid against his skin.  He felt like he wanted to melt into her and die.  If someone were to walk in and kill him, he would die a complete man.

"Idiot, I'll like you no matter what you turn into," Ranma sighed.  His heart pounded away in his chest.  He liked this.  He liked being close to her without her overreacting.  A martial artist is free with his or her body because it was a weapon.  Nudity meant nothing, but he became very aware of it when she was pressed against him.  His body responded not as a weapon, but as something else entirely... something fantastic.  Is this what Pop meant about finding your partner?  

Akane knocked him down with a hug and they both collapsed on the floor of the bathroom.  His legs couldn't function.  Years of balance training were useless against one woman's cuddle.  Akane climbed into his lap and rubbed her face against his chest.  His body twitched with a life of its own.  His manhood ached and was ultra sensitive to the fact that only one small towel separated it from her.  He had to ask her about being his partner.  If this was what she really wanted, he had no objections.  He wanted her to say that she needed him.  "A-Akane."

Suddenly the door opened and Mousse and Ryouga stumbled in.  Ranma and Ryouga froze as they locked eyes and stared at each other in shock.  Ryouga cried out in rage and hit the furo with both fists.  Cold water sprayed everywhere, transforming Ranma into a girl.  She turned to see what Akane's shape would be.  "No matter what you turn into..." echoed in her mind.  She was surprised to see the other girl unchanged.  Akane grabbed the kinjaken staff Ranma had dropped on the floor and splashed herself with hot water to reveal Kiima, the bird warrior and Saffron's general.  

"What's going on?  Why did you look like Akane?" Ranma demanded.

Kiima told them that Akane had fallen into an uncursed Jusenkyo pool and christened it into a spring of drowned Akane.  

Ranma was angry.  She knew then that Akane was in China.  "She was brought into this mess because of me," she told herself.  "That bitch... I'll get her back for hurting Akane," she fumed as Kiima escaped into the night.

*           *          *

Ranma reached out in the darkness, hoping to catch a piece of the Lost Boy before he fell into the abyss below.  His hand closed on Ryouga's wallet.  "Don't let go, I've got you," Ranma said as he heard the round metal part of the kinjaken approaching.  It could mean death for both of them if it hit him.  "Not now," he moaned.  He raised the staff to catch the kinjaken weapon as the wallet gave up the fight and snapped in half.  Ryouga disappeared into the darkness.  A deep rumbling offered a counterpoint to Ryouga's whimper.  "Oh no..." Ranma cried.  He looked up to see the roof above him as it came down upon him.  "Oh great... I lost my best friend and I'm caught in a cave-in," he thought as the rocks pounded into his body.  

A few agonizing moments later he opened his eyes.  It was dark and the air was full of dust.  "Where is everyone?" he thought idly.  He hoped they hadn't been caught up in the cave-in as well.  A glimmer of light caught his eye.  A shape he knew could be seen through the spaces between the rocks.  "Akane?" he thought.  Why would Akane be in the cave?  "Am I dead?" he asked her.  He could see her standing at the pier with a sad look on her face. 

"If you go first... Wait for me, Ranma..." she whispered.

"I can't go yet... I didn't get to say goodbye," he thought as he pulled himself towards her.  "Why didn't you come say goodbye, you idiot?"  He struggled over the rocks.  He couldn't die now.  He had to get back and prove that he could return like he promised.   Maybe he could hold this over her head... He reached her and realized that it was only her picture in the remains of Ryouga's wallet.  "That means..." he thought as he reached out for her picture and the little shaft of light that fell on it.  "I'm saved."  He followed the light out of the pile of rubble.  For a moment he stared at the picture in his hand.  Ryouga had bought it off of Nabiki.  His heart ached for a moment as he looked down on her beautiful face.  Why hadn't she come to tell him goodbye?  Didn't she know that he...?  He sniffled and tucked the picture deep into his shirt, between his tank top and his chest.  I made him feel strangely alive.

*            *          *

"Stupid family... Always hitting me on the head and trying to rope me into a wedding," Ranma mumbled as he packed his bags for China.  He had to go save Jusenkyo with the rest of the clowns.  "Akane's no help.  I don't know what she wants.  She acts like she doesn't want a wedding, but when I try and call it off she gets all hurt.  Now she won't talk to me."  Ranma finished his packing.  "Still... She was very pretty in that kimono... I wish..."

"I could take you with me, Akane, but horrible things can happen in Jusenkyo.  I'll take your picture instead... Especially since it makes a delightful good luck charm and it doesn't cost much," Nabiki said.

"Get out of my head," Ranma growled.  

"So you don't want this picture of my sister?" Nabiki asked.

He scowled.  "Who would want to buy..."

"I'll take the picture, Nabiki," Ryouga said as he handed over a wad of yen.

"Don't you already have a girlfriend?" Ranma asked, ruefully.  A theory was beginning to form in his head about men who bought pictures of their supposed "loves."

"There's always room for Akane," Ryouga replied as he tucked the photo into his wallet.

Ranma rolled his eyes and walked with the rest of the group to the pier.  They loaded Plum's boat and waved at the assembled group on the dock.  "Where's Akane?"  Ranma stared at the group.  "Why didn't she come say goodbye?"  Was she so terribly hurt that he refused to be roped into a wedding ceremony?  He did it for her, couldn't she understand that?  Then she went off sulking when he was going far away to China.  "Damn it, Akane!" he cursed as he struck the railing of the boat.  The boat promptly sank.  Why did have to be so much damn water?

*           *          *

His mother was falling.  She would fall to her death if he didn't do something about it.  How could Pop be so careless or materialistic to throw his wife away in exchange for a crappy medal?  Ranma bounced off of his father and followed his mother over the cliff.  Once she was his whole world.  Once he was the center of her universe.  They had been separated, but never again would Pop come between them.  "Mother!" he cried out to the woman only a few feet below him.  He reached out to her and caught the katana in one hand and her arm with the other.  He tossed the katana into the cliff face and pulled the woman into his arms.  Years of balance training came down to a split second when he landed on the katana and didn't slip off.  "Mother!" he smiled to the woman in his arms.  

She looked at him with love and recognition.  "Ranma... Is that really you?" she whispered.  

Ranma hugged her to him.  "Oh Mother, I wanted to meet you..." he whispered "as myself," he finished to himself.  She had to know about Ranko.  She had to know that because of the promise of seppuku he had to hide behind Ranko since that was how she met him.  Through Ranko he got to know his mother and now it was her turn to know her son.  "Mother there is something I have to tell you."

"What is it?" Nodoka asked.  

"I'm..." Ranma's thoughts were cut off with a sharp blow to the head.  

"Here he is... A man among men, like I promised," Genma said as he dangled from a rope above their heads.

"You were correct, my husband," Nodoka said.  She knelt and bowed.

The rock that the katana was embedded in gave way and angled the sword downward under the off balanced weight.  Genma lost his grip on the rope and landed on Ranma's head.  The Saotome family soon found themselves plummeting the remaining distance into the ocean.  Ranma turned into Ranko before her mother's eyes and hit her head on the rocky floor of the ocean.  The world went blank.

Ranma was kneeling before an altar that held a knife.  His father knelt beside him with his own altar.  Nodoka stood behind him and held her katana above their heads.  "Since you are not a man among men..."

Ranma took the knife and pulled it into his stomach.  "No!" he heard himself scream as his mother's sword came down upon his neck.     

Ranma opened his eyes to see his mother sitting above him... her.  She sat up and was immediately crushed by a fierce hug from Akane.  "Your mother sees you as a man among men," Akane smiled with tears in her eyes.  "You won't have to commit seppuku."

Relief and something else passed through Ranma at the sight of Akane's happy tears.  Secretly Ranma was touched that she didn't want him dead... but he was still very vulnerable to her tears and smiles.  Ranma gave the other girl a small smile.  "My mother accepts me as a man... but why does Akane care?" echoed in her thoughts.  What did Akane have at stake if Ranma wasn't accepted?  "It can't be that she loves me..." Ranma thought.  "Maybe she just wants a mother... like I did."

*          *          *

"Auntie Saotome, what does Saotome mean?" Ranko asked one day as she visited her mother under her female guise.  Ranma was pleased that his connection with his mother seemed to take hold, despite the fact that Nodoka thought that he was someone else.  It was as if she instinctively knew her child and tried to "mother" him despite his assumed identity.  He liked being close to her and she liked having a child to love.  Too bad he couldn't let her know who "Ranko" really was.

"Saotome means Fast Second Woman.  My husband told me a story about a concubine but..." Nodoka blushed and smiled at Ranko.  "I was later told by my mother-in-law that the name is in reverence to a great woman that was born to the clan.  It seems the men pass along the story of the concubine and the women have the real story of the woman.  I don't know if it will interest you to hear it."

"Oh yes.  Please go on, Auntie," Ranko smiled her brightest smile.

"It is said that a great warrior woman was born to the Saotome clan, who at the time didn't have a name.  Traditionally the male children were taught to fight and steal horses at an early age.  She was an only child.  Her mother died in childbirth.  Her father had to raise her to be manly and follow in his footsteps or else the Family Way would be lost.  She was called Onnama.  She rebelled against the thievery, but learned to use her fighting skills.  Onnama grew up and became very beautiful.  A nobleman was enamoured by her and desired her as his concubine.  She resisted but he eventually won, as noblemen are ought to do and forced her to bed.  Onnama was raised to be manly and could fight very well.  Her katana were deadly to behold.  She took revenge for her violation by... needless to say the nobleman suffered and she got away.  Later she gave birth to the nobleman's son.  Thanks to his grandfather, he was raised in the Family Way and given the name Saotome Ichima in honor of his mother's victory with the katana.  His mother's rebellious nature influenced Ichima to give up horse stealing and settle on other thievery."  Nodoka finished her story and smiled at Ranko.  "The women in our family have to have a certain strength if we are to wield Onnama's katana.  We take comfort in the story."

"I see," Ranko said with a smile.  She liked the rebellious nature of her ancestor, Onnama.  She recalled the tale her father had told her a few years ago.  This tale was radically different from that one.  That one gave her despair, whereas this one gave her hope.  If what her mother said was true, there was hope for the family after all and it could change with one generation.  That was good to know.

"Someday I'll pass it and the katana along to your cousin, Akane.  Won't that be nice?"

Ranko smiled a strange smile.  "Yeah..."

"I don't know why I'm telling you all of this, Ranko-chan.  I just feel comfortable talking to you... as if you were my own child," Nodoka said with a smile and a hug.

"Me too," Ranko smiled.  "Tell me again about what your son."

"Ranko-chan, I know that you've met him through your cousin.  You know him better than I do."

"But I don't know what he was like as a little boy, Auntie.  It's hard to picture him as anything other than what he is now."

Nodoka smiled at Ranko.  "He was a very happy child.  He could brighten up a room just by bouncing into it.  He used to worry me by jumping off of the fifth step of the staircase and trusting someone would catch him before he landed.  I used to sing to him every night before he went to sleep..." Nodoka closed her eyes and drifted off into a low hum.

Ranma settled his head on his arms to watch his mother.  He loved it when she caught herself up in memory.  It seemed to make her so happy.  It was the least he could do for her.  The melody was familiar and made his heart tingle.  He could imagine himself as a little boy drifting off to sleep in his mother's arms.  A tear slid down Ranma's cheek and he hastily wiped it away.  His feelings should be kept private...  

*          *          *

Their first kiss... well... not really.  Ranma watched in terror as the auditorium held its breath.  In the wings of the theater both fathers were shouting out encouragement.  Ranma didn't want his first kiss to be in front of a large audience.  Despite his attitude he was still very shy when it came to his feelings.  Things like kisses should be sacred.  Tendo-san's demon head filled the stage.  "Do you hate my Juliet so much?" 

"You idiot!  If I didn't care this wouldn't be so hard!" Ranma screamed before he had a chance to think about it.  

The whole audience reacted as one with one drawn out "oh!"

"Shit," Ranma thought.  "I do care about her."  He closed his eyes to the audience.  A slight tug on his pigtail made him look down in the casket.  

"O Romeo," Akane whispered.

"How long have you been awake?" Ranma breathed.  Had she heard his comment about caring about her?

"I'll make this easy for you," she whispered as she shut her eyes.

Ranma jumped back.  Could it be that she wanted it to happen?  He couldn't do it in front of other people.  It had to be special.  Couldn't she understand that?

"Can't you pretend that you like me?" Akane whispered.

Ranma's heart sped up.  "Pretending isn't the problem," he thought.  The way she looked up at him with her big brown eyes... she was too cute.  He was surprised to feel her hands touch his cheeks.  His face was pulled into hers and his lips... "Akane," his brain echoed her name.  He felt like a piece of himself was eternally gone and he didn't mind one bit.  The rest of the world disappeared and there was only her.  He pulled away and realized that something was covering his mouth.  

"Well?  A good performance, don't you think?" Akane asked with a teasing smile.

As they walked home Ranma stared ruefully at Akane.  He had lost himself in the moment and she had thrown it off as if it were nothing.  Secretly his heart hurt, but he would never let her know that.  

"Are you still mad?" Akane asked as she danced along.

"Shut up," Ranma scowled.  Couldn't she see that she hurt his feelings?  She really had to be heartless...

"Still... I wish we could have done it without the tape," Akane said casually.  

Ranma lost his balance and slipped off the fence he was walking on.  Had she said what he thought she said?  Could that mean that she too...?  

"You are such an idiot.  I was just kidding," Akane remarked.  

Ranma held onto the fence and tried not to cry.  Why did she have to mess with his feelings?  "You are so uncute," he seethed.  

*         *         *

"Stop!  The fence, the fence!" Akane screamed in his ear.  

"I know... I know!" Ranma responded as he watched the plastic divider advance upon them.  There was little he could do with his skates.  He mastered gaining speed on the ice, but stopping seemed to elude him.  

"STOP!" Akane cried.

"I can't," Ranma cried back as the plastic monster waited to flatten his face.  Ranma never met a fence he couldn't conquer.  He jumped and scampered up the smooth surface.  He tightened his hold on Akane, flipped and landed on his feet.  He could feel Akane's heart racing against his back.  Her breath came in ragged gasps in his ear, echoing his own.  He let go of her legs so she could slide down off his back and onto the ice.  

Ranma turned to jackass who tried to steal a kiss from Akane.  Stealing was wrong.  He knew that.  He certainly could not allow the jackass to steal something so special from Akane.  The indignant memory of what was stolen from his own lips fueled his anger.  

"To think that anyone could bring me to my knees..." Mikado began one of his self-glorifying monologues.

"Next time you pull something like that on Akane I'll do more than bring you to your knees," Ranma growled.

"Oh?  And what would you do?" Mikado asked with a slimy grin.

"I'll bring you to your coffin," Ranma roared.  The look of amusement in Mikado's eyes awakened something in Ranma.  "Got it!?  Akane is MY fianc�e.  If you touch her, I'll kill you!"  Ranma stared at the slimeball who dared call himself a man.  He heard the crowd rustle in shock at his claims.  He didn't care.  He couldn't allow the slime to steal from Akane.  Like it or not, he was her fianc� and he had to protect her.

"If you feel so strongly... The Golden Skating Pair can split couples.  It's our specialty," Mikado smiled his tainted smile.  

Ranma took Akane's hand and began to skate towards the other pair.  "Don't be so cocky!  Let's do it, Akane."

"R-Right," Akane responded at his side.  

Together they jumped and kicked.  Mikado grabbed Ranma's leg and tossed him to the ice as his partner, Azusa, kissed him on the nose.

"Hey!  What are you doing?" Akane screamed.

Ranma touched his nose and looked to Akane.  "Uh... Um..." Oh great.  Now she was going to get jealous for that little kiss.  He noticed that the ice was rapidly approaching his face.  Azusa was holding his ankles and he was going down.  Akane raced forward and caught his hands before he hit.  He could feel himself being lifted up from behind with Akane dangling from his hands.  The world began to spin faster and faster.

"Let go of her and I'll stop spinning!" Mikado yelled at him.

"What did you say?" Ranma yelled back.  He couldn't let go.  Akane would go flying off and hurt herself.  He couldn't let that happen.

"Ranma let go," Akane cried.

"You idiot, you'll hit the wall."

"If he lets go he alone will be spared," the announcer proclaimed.

"Never mind that, let go!" Akane yelled.

"Idiot!  You think I'll do that?"

"Don't let him manipulate you!"

"You moron... You think I'll let you fly off by yourself?" Ranma growled.

"What did you call me?" Akane demanded.

Before Ranma could think of what to say his feet were released and he was flying across the rink.  He used Akane's arms to pull himself forward.  His body hit the wall with a bone crushing impact and he crumpled to the ice with various bones popping out of place.  Vaguely he was aware that a small, warm hand was clasped in his own.

"They didn't let go!  But they will pay the ultimate price!" the announcer screamed excitedly over the loudspeaker.

Ranma was vaguely aware of Akane leaning over him.  He couldn't move without something popping in or out of place.  He calmed himself and listened to his own heartbeat.

"Clown... Showoff... you didn't have to go so far," Akane said with a hint of something in her voice.  She was silent for a few moments.  "Ranma?  Ranma!"

"Every bone in his body must be crushed," Mikado said.

"Nothing human can survive that," Azusa added.

"Ranma, you idiot!" Akane wailed.  Ranma felt a dead weight fall onto his stomach, popping a few more bones.

"You can at least say 'thank you!'" Ranma growled as he sat up.  He jumped up to his feet, feeling a few dozen more bones pop.

"I was worried about you," Akane cried.

"You think that could stop me?" Ranma said.  A few more bones popped and pain registered.

"You want to continue?" Mikado smiled.

"I can do it," Ranma moaned.

"No, you can't in your condition," Akane responded.

"I can," Ranma insisted.  He couldn't let Mikado win.  He had to defend Akane at all costs.

Akane calmly poked him on the side and all of his muscles cramped in pain.  He fell to the ice with a few more pops and pings.  "What are you doing?" he glared up at Akane.

"Don't push yourself!" Akane screamed.  She kneeled on the ice and took his hand gently in her own.  "Please..." she whispered.  Her breath was warm against his skin and... and her eyes looked so sad.  She lowered her face to his hand and he watched with baited breath.  What was she going to do to it?  She looked ready to kiss it when the lights went out.  

*          *         *

Ranma gave a perfect dismount from the bar and was rewarded with applause from his classmates.

"That was amazing Saotome," a brunette boy said.  Ranma remembered him being named Daisuke.

"This guy studied gymnastics in China," a mousy blond boy said.  His name was Hiroshi.  

Both boys sat behind Ranma in homeroom.  He looked at them with interest.  "It was karate," he corrected.

"So," Hiroshi said, crawling behind Ranma to whisper in his ear.  "Tell me... How far have you gotten with Akane?"

"Don't play innocent.  We know you're her fianc�," Daisuke added in Ranma's other ear.

Ranma stared off into space in shock.

"Bet you've kissed.  Have you frenched?" Hiroshi asked.

Ranma found his voice.  "No!!"

"Liar," Daisuke responded.  "You've fondled, huh?"

Hiroshi wrapped his arm around Ranma's neck in a hold.  "You've probably even groped!"

"With a dorky chick like that?" Ranma growled.

"It's yours Akane!" someone yelled across the PE field.

Ranma watched her make a catch.  She turned to her friends and smiled.  Something went tha-thump in Ranma's chest.  He stared in awe with the other boys' accusation still in his ears.  Kiss... French... Fondle... Grope.

"Man, she's cute," Hiroshi said.

Ranma tore his eyes away from her and shifted them to safer ground... the grass.  "She's not!" he mumbled.  "Besides, she's already got a guy she likes."  She had given the doctor that same smile he saw in the field.  Why did all the bad luck have to happen to him?  He couldn't have her and she certainly didn't want him.  Where was the point?

"Hey Saotome, aren't you supposed to have excellent reflexes?  Couldn't you have dodged that ball?"

Ranma only noticed the sharp pain of being struck with a ball after it fell away to the ground.  "Must have had something on my mind," he responded.

Later Akane tried to apologize profusely for her ball striking him.  He kept his eyes off of her, feeling guilty for thinking dirty thought about her.  "It will never work, she doesn't want me.  It will never work, she wants someone else," cycled through his mind.  She led him to Dr. Tofu's clinic.  While they were there the phone rang and Akane answered it.

"I'm going home," she announced after she hung up.

"What?  Is there something wrong?  Don't you want to see the doctor?" Ranma asked.

Akane turned around and clamped her hand on Ranma's mouth.  Ranma stood in shock.  It was the first time she voluntarily touched him without it being a kick, slap, pull, poke or as a necessity.  

"Shut up," Akane said quietly.  There was a look of profound sadness on her face.  "There's a girl that the doctor likes.  That was her on the phone.  She's coming over."

Ranma recognized the look on Akane's face... defeat.  A strange mixture of pity and concern washed over him.

*          *          *

Ranma's breast ached slightly from all the suspicious girl's poking and prodding.  "I wish you would stop," Ranma said quietly.  She knew this was a bad idea.  Why did she have to listen to her father anyway?  No doubt Pop had something planned to take advantage of these nice people... Mostly nice except for the suspicious girl who was painfully glomped to her chest.  "I don't want a fianc�e.  I don't want to be used as payment for room and board," Ranma thought idly.

"Leave her alone, Nabiki," a voice said at Ranma's side.  Ranma could have sworn that the angry looking girl was on her other side.  She turned to look at the other girl.  "Join me in the practice hall?" she said with a smile.  "I'm Akane.  Want to be friends?"

Ranma smiled up at Akane and followed her to the dojo.

"You studied kempo, didn't you?"

"A little," Ranma responded wondering where the line of questioning would lead them.

"Then let's have a little match," Akane grinned as she set herself into a battle stance.  "Just for fun.  Don't worry... I won't hurt you."

Ranma looked at the other girl.  Her stance was a little off and it would cause problems after her first strike.  "If you say so," Ranma said, sizing up her opponent.  

Akane punched and kicked, Ranma jumped and dodged.

"What's wrong?  Why won't you fight back?" Akane grunted as she made a wild swing with her fist.  

Ranma easily flipped over it and landed behind Akane.  She watched Akane embed her fist in the wall.  Ranma took the opportunity to make first point by tapping her opponent on the head.  Akane turned to stare at her in shock.  Ranma laughed to show there was no hard feelings.  She got Akane to laugh with her.

"You're pretty good.  I'm glad that you're a girl," Akane finally broke off her laugh.

Ranma stared at her in puzzlement.  Why should her gender be an issue?

"I'd really hate to lose to a boy," Akane said as she walked away.

Ranma stood in silence.  "I have to tell her... Shut up, no you don't," began to war in her head.  She wandered out the door of the dojo and sat down to stare at the garden.  "What's wrong with being a boy?  I like being a boy.  Why should being a boy make a difference?" Ranma thought as she studied her surroundings.

"Ranma... Ranma, why don't you take a bath?" the nice girl said.

"Um... No thanks," Ranma said.  Baths made complications.

"You've been exercising haven't you?" the nice girl said as she handed Ranma a towel.

Ranma stumbled into the furoba.  "You can't just avoid bathing while we're here.  Pop likes to stay once he finds a place to mooch off of," Ranma thought idly as she undressed and began her bathing ritual.  First cold water and a good scrub, then a cold water rinse and finally a nice soak in the furo to send all the chills away.  

It didn't hurt to change, which was odd considering all the differences between them.  Her chest flattened and something grew between her legs.  Trial and error made for a change in choice of undergarments.  When his manhood was restored it sometimes got caught in his briefs.  Boxers helped the problem.  Bones shifted and his point of view changed by many inches.  Nope... it didn't physically hurt to change.  It tingled faintly but that was about it.  If anything it emotionally hurt... especially transforming in the other way.  

Ranma crouched down in the hot water of the furo.  "Now what do I do?  They're going to find out about me.  What do I do?" he mused as he blew little bubbles in the water.  "I may as well go out like I am," he finally resolved and stood.  

He raised his leg to climb out when the door opened.  He instinctively turned to assess the threat.  Akane stared back at him wearing nothing more than a towel over certain regions.  They stared at each other for a moment before Akane's eyes slid down his torso to a place at his hips.  She paused for a long moment before immediately closing the door.  Ranma looked down to the place she'd been looking.  His manhood hung half aroused and in full view of the door.  "Uh oh," Ranma thought as he pulled himself out of the water.  He waited until he knew that she was gone from the changing area before slipping out and pulling on his clothes.  A scream caught his attention from the opposite side of the door.  The scream distanced itself from the door so Ranma carefully followed.  He calmly walked down the hallway and into the living room where he saw everyone staring at him in shock.  

"Who are you?" Akane's sisters asked.

"I'm Saotome Ranma.  Sorry 'bout this."

*          *          *

"Ranma, my boy... It is time that you hear of your family history," Genma said one day.

Ranma sat up at attention from his place next to the fire.  "Our family has a history?" he asked with eyes wide and shining.

"Of course they do.  Every family has a history.  It is time that everything be revealed to you since I've decided that something special is going to happen to you within the next year," Genma smiled a disturbing smile.

"Are we going to settle down and get a house?  Am I going back to school?" Ranma asked, trying to contain his excitement over what the special thing could be.  He didn't really want the second thing that he suggested but he had to be sure to cover all of the bases.

"You'll find out soon... in fact after our trip to China.  But your family history must be told now," Genma sat up straight and took on the "important instruction" aura.  "Ranma... Your ancestors were horse thieves."

"Horse thieves?" Ranma frowned in disgust.

"Yes, my son.  They were the very best horse thieves in all of Japan.  That is why we honor them by naming every first born son after a horse in the herd."

"I'm named for a stolen horse?"

"The legendary Ranma was a strong horse.  No one could tame him... thus his name.  You should be honored to be named for him," Genma smiled with satisfaction.

"Um... Pop... No offense... But what is so honorable about stealing horses?" Ranma asked uncomfortably.

"It was the Family Way.  Now we have moved on to more worthy pursuits of food and dowry."

Ranma covered his face with his hands.  "Pop... That's... Wrong."

Genma glared at his son.  "If it was good enough for our ancestors it is good enough for us.  And I'll tell you another thing about our family..."

"What?"

"The only responsibility we have is to martial arts and furthering it for the family.  Whatever road we take to meet that responsibility is justified."

Ranma stared at his father for a moment.  He shook his head and looked to his hands.  "I don't agree.  You can hurt innocent people."

"You sound like your mother used to... weak," Genma spat into the fire.  

Ranma stared silently into the flames.

"Someday you will understand, boy.  You'll get married and have a son and name him after a horse.  You'll take him out into the world to teach him the Family Way.  You'll devote your life to him as I have devoted mine to you.  Do you know why?  Because you are my son."

Genma's words bothered his son.  This couldn't be a very good life that was mapped out for him.  Ranma dimly remembered a beautiful woman who used to hold him and kiss his hurts away.  The last time he saw her she had told him to be a good boy.  When he listened to his father he didn't always feel like a good boy and that bothered him.  "So where does the name Saotome come from?" Ranma finally broke the silence.

"Ah yes, Fast Second Woman... Such a fine name," Genma smiled.  "Legend has it that we were named for a concubine of a noble lord.  She was the first to bear him a son.  The first wife denied the boy's heritage and named him after his mother's downfall... Saotome Ichima.  Little did she know that he would grow up to be a great martial artist... he later stole all of the nobleman's horses.  He was living proof that our family could take any bad situation and make it better."

Ranma covered his face with his hands and moaned.

*           *          *

"Pop, what's sex?" Ranma-chan asked as he slurped down his ramen broth.

"W-w-where did you hear about that, my son?" Genma asked uncomfortably.

"I heard some of the boys at school talking about it," Ranma said as he picked out a few noodles with his chopsticks.  "They seemed pretty excited about it, whatever it was."

"The things they teach kids in school these days..." Genma grumbled.  "You aren't old enough to know."

Ranma pouted and puffed up his chest.  "I'm plenty old.  I'm twelve and a half.  I'm going to be a teenager soon."

Genma picked a few noodles out of Ranma's bowl.  "You still aren't old enough," he said as he slurped them down.

Ranma sadly watched as his noodles rapidly disappeared between his father's lips.   "I'm going to find out eventually, even if I have to ask someone.  You may as well tell me."

Genma shifted uncomfortably.  "You really want to know what sex is, boy?"

Ranma nodded.

"You know that a martial artist's body is his finest weapon."

"Hai."

"You know that in order to maintain that weapon we have to eat and sleep."

"Hai," Ranma responded.

"Well... Sex is..." Genma stopped.  "Forget I said that.  What am I thinking?  It is an art form in itself."

"Is it something I have to train for?" Ranma asked.

Genma looked uncomfortable.  "Yes... But it's a secret technique that only you can find.  I can't know about it when you begin training yourself."

"Oh..." Ranma said.  "Can I train with anyone else?"

"No!" Genma paled.  "No... You'll mess up their training."

"Oh... OK."  Ranma was very confused.  But if it was a secret technique he vowed to learn it.

"Eventually... When you are a lot older, or at least when I say that you're old enough, you may take a training partner.  She..."

"You mean I have to train with a girl?  Eeew!" Ranma said in shocked disbelief.

"This special technique is designed to be pair up boys and girls... But you can't do that yet.  This technique demands that you only train with one girl... for the rest of your life."

"Which girl is that?"

"You'll find out.  But until then, if any girl tries to get you to train with them, you mustn't.  Freeze or push them away... do anything you can to not let them train with you until you know who the right girl is.  Do you understand?"

Ranma went through the information in his head.  "I think so," he said finally.  "But this technique I do on my own..."

"I don't want to hear about it..."

"But what does it involve so I know what to not talk about?" Ranma questioned.

"It involves your penis," Genma said as he turned red.

"My penis?" Ranma looked down to his crotch.  "How do I train with my..."

"No more questions about that, boy.  Martial artist may be very open with their bodies, but there are some things we just don't talk about... and one thing is pleasuring yourself," Genma covered his face with his hands in embarrassment.

"Pleasuring myself..." Ranma echoed as he stared in fascination at his pants.

"Stop it boy.  I don't want to hear any more about it."

Ranma continued his dinner.  Finally he looked up to his father.  "Pop, what's love?"

"What the hell is wrong with that school of yours?  Don't they teach you anything useful?" Genma snapped.

"Gomen..." Ranma blushed.

Genma sighed.  "Gomen, boy.  Knowledge is power.  Love is... friendship.  Someone cares about you and you care about him or her.  Are you satisfied?"

"Hai," Ranma said as he finished his ramen.  He was pleased to finally understand what the other boys were talking about, even if it involved girls.

*          *          *

Mother held him close.  Her arms were as strong as steel, but gentle as a blanket.  "You can't take him from me," she cried out in defiance to Poppa. 

Ranma stared up at his mother's face.  She was his whole world.  Mother was the last thing Ranma saw at night and the first thing he saw the next morning.  She would sing to him, bathe him and feed him.  Sometimes he would toddle into her bed at night and she would hold him close and warm.  "Mama..." Ranma whimpered, echoing the fear he saw in his mother's eyes.

"I will raise him to be a man among men," Poppa said.

"How do I know that you will do that?" She asked.

Ranma was afraid.  He didn't know what was going on, but his mother was upset about something.  "Mama..." he tried to reassure her in his own way.  She would always smile at him when he called her.

Mother glanced down at him.  She repositioned him in her arms so she could hug him tighter.  "My baby..." she cried.

Poppa said something.  Ranma didn't pay him much attention.  He wasn't as important as Mother.  A piece of paper with finger painting was thrust at Mother.  She relaxed her hold on Ranma and Poppa took him away from her.  Ranma was placed on the ground and his hand was pressed into ink.  He knew what they wanted... a finger painting of his own.  He was delighted and slapped the paper with his ink-covered hand.  Poppa took the paper away and gave it to Mother.  Mother scooped up Ranma into her safe arms and wiped the ink off of his hands.  "He'll need a few things... I'll go pack him."

Mother carried Ranma to his room and set him down on the pile of futons.  Mother flitted about the room putting a few of Ranma's possessions in a large bag.  "My child, I want you to listen carefully to me.  I want you to remember everything I tell you because it is very important."  She kneeled before Ranma and held his little hand in her own.  "I want you to be a good boy.  Never hurt anyone.  Stealing is wrong and it hurts people.  Do you understand?" she asked.

"Hai," Ranma responded.

"Then repeat it back to me."

"I'll be a good boy and won't hurt anyone.  Stealing is bad and it hurts people."

"Very good, my son," Mother said.  She kissed Ranma gently and hugged him to her.  "We will meet again when you are all grown.  You may not remember me anymore... but I will love you.  I always will."  She lifted Ranma and his bag just as Poppa entered the room.  

Poppa took the bag and pulled Ranma away from his mother.  "I will return, Nodoka."

Mother frowned at Poppa and kissed Ranma again.  "Take care of my baby," she whispered with tears in her eyes.

Poppa carried Ranma out of the house and down the road.

"Mama!  Maaamaaa!" screamed Ranma as his whole life was left standing at the threshold of the only home he ever knew.

*          *         *

Darkness... Darkness was all he ever knew... if he had any concept of lighting.  Light happened and he was suddenly aware of how different it was from dark.  He also felt cold which was different than the warmth he had known.  He was miserable in this new environment.  Something hummed to him.  He opened his eyes and saw something... He felt peace and joy as he was cradled and warmed.  "My little Ranma..." whispered the something "I am your mama.  Welcome to the world."

*          *         *

"Ranma... Ranma wake up," a gentle voice called out to him.  

Ranma struggled to open his eyes.  He focused on the ceiling of his old bedroom.  He tried to raise a hand to his face, but it was caught in some fabric.  Ranma looked down at the red gown wrapped around his hands.  "Akane..." he whispered.

"Yes, I am here," the voice responded.

Ranma turned his head towards the source of the voice.  A beautiful young woman lay beside him in the bed dressed in a red Chinese gown.  "Akane?"

The woman smiled and reached out to touch Ranma's cheek.  "I told you I would wait for you.  You did a wonderful job.  Our children grew up beautifully under your care.  I am so proud of you."

"Akane," Ranma breathed and smiled.  His bones ached and he was tired... so very tired.  "I missed you so much."  He felt warm arms encircle his weary body.

"I know," she whispered.  "It's time to go.  Get up."

Ranma wanted to protest that his bones were too old, but he suddenly felt a new rush of energy.  He sat up and put his feet on the floor.  Akane stood before him and offered her hand.  He took it gratefully and was immediately on his feet.  He looked back at the bed and the old withered man who lay on it with a look of pure joy on his face.  "That was me," he whispered.

Akane smiled and nodded.  "In my eyes you are as young as the day we met... Come."  She led the way to the door.  Ranma glanced in the mirror on his way out and noticed that the young Ranma's reflection had returned.  He was wearing a red silk shirt to match Akane's dress.  "Our family... your mother and our son are all waiting for us.  I want you to meet my mother..."

"Akane..." Ranma stopped her before she opened the door.  "I love you," he pulled her close and kissed her.  For a moment their spirits mingled, sending tingles through both of them.  "Never leave me again."

"I won't," Akane said with a smile as she opened the door.  Hand in hand they walked through.




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