As always, all rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and
Shougakukan
Genma's Daughter
Chapter 5: A Puzzle Put Together the Wrong Way
Original concept and sketch by Steve Pardue
Story by Deborah Goldsmith and Steve Pardue
Deborah Goldsmith <dgoldsmith@mac.com>
Steve Pardue <spardue@zebra.net>
http://www.zebra.net/~spardue/anime
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The days following their return from Hakone were quiet, and they mostly
stayed close to home. Nodoka once more pulled Ranko into the kitchen with
her, apologizing to Akane that her turn would come soon. One night, Nodoka
had a couple of friends over for Mah Jongg, and Ranko helped her prepare
dinner for the occasion. The friends fussed over her, and Ranko had a
suspicion that her mother was having a grand time showing her daughter off
to all of her acquaintances. She couldn't really blame her mother; she had
missed out on a lot of mother-daughter time, and her daughter might not last
beyond the summer...
After dinner, while the older women were playing their game, Akane
approached Ranko. "Ranko, when was the last time you practiced your martial
arts?"
Ranko thought for a while. "I... I don't remember," she admitted. "I've been
so preoccupied the last couple of weeks..."
Akane shook her head. "If you want to keep up your skills, you know you need
to practice every day. You do want to keep up your skills, don't you?" Akane
waited for an answer. And waited...
"Ranko?..."
Ranko looked pensive. "I... I don't know, Akane. So much of my life has been
nothing but martial arts. Father drilled it into me, and it was like there
was no time left over for anything else. Last week, when we were talking
with Yuka and Sayuri about our interests, I realized that I didn't really
have any others. I... don't like that." Her face grew glum. "And it's a
reminder of Father, and what he did to me... But..."
Akane nodded. "I see what you mean. Well, still, shouldn't you maintain your
skills, even if you don't practice for hours every day? You've invested so
much in them, it seems to me that it would be better to keep up for now,
until you decide one way or the other on martial arts."
Ranko looked sheepish. "You're right, Akane. Would... would you please spar
with me in the mornings, before breakfast?"
Akane smiled. "I'd love to."
The next morning, they both got up a little earlier, put on their gis, and
went out into the back of the house to practice. It wasn't a dojo, but it
was the best they could do at the Saotome home.
After some warm-ups and a bow to each other, they began.
Akane watched Ranko's form as they sparred. She was worried. Ranko was off,
rusty after weeks of no practice. She was still far better than Akane, or
most of the other martial artists they knew, but...
They continued for several minutes; then, suddenly and instinctively, Akane
made a leg sweep and knocked Ranko off her feet. When Akane realized what
she had done, she gasped, and both hands went to her mouth. Ranko lay
unmoving on the grass, plainly shocked by what had happened.
"Ranko... I... I never even managed to touch you before..."
Ranko sat up with a stunned look on her face. "I didn't know I'd gotten that
sloppy... I... I guess I need to practice a lot more if I want to stay at
the same level." Her face clouded. "I don't know what to do, Akane. I still
enjoy it, but..." tears started to gather in her eyes, "I... I don't think I
want my whole life to revolve around martial arts anymore. It was my whole
life before, when I... I needed to keep convincing myself I was a guy, but
now... I'm sick of having to respond to challenges and fight people
constantly. I never really wanted to, but Father said it was the... the
manly thing to do. What should I do?" Tears started streaming down her face,
and Akane kneeled to embrace her.
After a minute, Ranko calmed down. Akane looked serious. "If... if that's
the way you feel, then you need to put as much time as you are willing to
give into your martial arts, and then accept the level that leaves you at."
She pursed her lips. "That may not be anywhere near where you were before,
but you shouldn't force yourself to do it if you don't want to."
Ranko sniffled. "I... I guess that makes sense. Maybe... maybe 45 minutes a
day... or an hour..." she trailed off. "I'm all right now. Let's finish our
session."
They resumed, and Akane was overjoyed to see that Ranko took her seriously
as an opponent, testing her defenses, but holding back to avoid overwhelming
her. Finally, she was being treated seriously by Ranko! She had wanted this
badly, ever since their first session together.
Akane managed to get one more hit in during the rest of the session, though
never another leg sweep. Ranko improved visibly over the course of their
sparring; clearly she had needed the practice. As it drew closer to
breakfast time, they called it quits.
After they bowed again, Akane smiled and said, "Ranko, I noticed that you
were taking me seriously today. You weren't holding back, except to keep
yourself to my level. I... I've been wanting this since I met you. Thanks."
Ranko grinned sheepishly. "I guess now that I'm a girl, I... I can't really
think that way any more. That was another thing that Pop... Father pounded
into me." She paused. "Akane, thanks for thinking of this. I'm glad I didn't
let myself go completely. Come on, let's go wash up for breakfast."
Akane nodded and they headed inside. As she followed the redhead up the
stairs towards the bath, she bit her lip in worry. Ranko, if even I can get
through your defenses once in a while, what is going to happen when you
fight one of your tougher opponents? Maybe Ranko would continue to get
better with practice. She hoped so; she knew that many of Ranko's enemies
fought first and asked questions later.
Over breakfast that morning, Nodoka had some news. "Girls, I have a cousin
who has a beachfront cottage in Ibaraki. They will not be using it this
weekend, and my cousin wondered if I would like to take advantage of it for
a few days. I mentioned you two and they said you could come, too." She
smiled apologetically. "I don't really mean to be dragging you all over
Kantou this summer, but you did say you wanted to stay away from Nerima. Are
you interested?"
Both girls were excited. "A few days at the beach, away from here! That's
perfect, Mother!" Ranko thought for a moment about the wonderful time she
had had at Hakone. "Would... would it maybe be possible to invite a few more
friends?" Ranko looked hopeful.
Nodoka thought. "I'd better call my cousin and ask her. I don't even
remember how many it sleeps. Excuse me just a moment." She went off to use
the telephone.
Akane turned to Ranko. "Who are you thinking of, Ranko?"
"I... I don't know. Sayuri and Yuka, maybe. I don't know if Ucchan will be
able to get away for that long..." She had a faraway look in her eyes. "I...
I really had a good time in Harajuku. I liked spending time with Yuka and
Sayuri. And I liked the girls we met at Hakone." She smiled. "Having friends
is so nice..." Akane smiled, too.
Nodoka returned. "I spoke with my cousin. I think this is getting a little
larger than she had in mind, but the cottage sleeps five, six with a little
crowding. My cousin said as long as you were all well behaved, it wouldn't
be a problem." Nodoka smiled. "I take it all of your friends are girls?"
Ranko opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She... she hadn't
thought about it until now, but... all of her friends -- the ones she truly
cared about -- *were* girls. She wouldn't dream of inviting Hiroshi and
Daisuke to something like this. Ryouga was sort of a friend, but Ranko
couldn't say they were close; after all, he was usually trying to kill
him... her. She had never had this kind of close relationship with other
boys when she was a boy. She wondered if that was normal for boys, or was
just her. Was... was this part of what being a girl was about? Her mother
seemed to expect that her friends were all girls. She finally answered,
"Yes, Mother, all of them."
Akane stood up. "Let's try calling Sayuri and Yuka, to see if they can come.
We could call Ukyou, too."
Ranko thought for a moment. "I think we'd better go see her. She hasn't seen
me since just before I... started being Ranko."
Akane nodded. Since Sayuri and Yuka were close friends of Akane, she knew
their phone numbers by heart. It was still early on a Sunday, and Ranko
dialed the phone.
She waited as the phone rang. "Hello, Kobayashi residence."
"He-Hello. This is Saotome Ranko. I'm a... friend of Sayuri-chan. May I
speak with her?"
"Certainly, Ranko-chan, just a moment." Faintly through the receiver she
heard "Sayuri! Telephone! A friend named Saotome Ranko..."
Shortly, Sayuri picked up. "Hello, Ranko-chan? What is it?"
Ranko felt butterflies in her stomach. "Sa-Sayuri-chan, I... would you...
umm..." she couldn't collect herself.
Giggles came from the other end. "Slow down, Ranko-chan."
Ranko relaxed a little. "Ummm, Akane and me... uh, I... we're going with my
mother to a beachside cottage in Ibaraki, on Thursday. We'll be coming back
Tuesday. The... the cottage has some extra space... and Mother said I
could... could invite some friends." She swallowed nervously; what if Sayuri
turned her down? "I... I was wondering if you would like to come, too? I...
I'm going to invite Yuka-chan too, of course," she added hastily.
Mercifully, Sayuri's answer came quickly. "Of course I'd love to come,
Ranko-chan! That sounds wonderful! Let me check with my mother, though, OK?
Could you hang on just a bit?"
After a minute or so of silence, Sayuri came back on the line. "Mother says
OK! This is so neat! I'm really excited. Are you inviting anyone else?"
"Ummm, Yuka-chan, of course, and... maybe Kuonji Ukyou, if she can get away
from her restaurant. You know her, right?"
Sayuri considered. Akane and Ukyou were about the only friends of Ranko she
considered relatively sane. Ukyou did attend school in boy's clothing, but
everyone knew the reason for that. "Sure, Ranko-chan, I like her! Why don't
you tell Yuka-chan I'm already coming when you call her? Her mother is a
little more protective, and it will reassure her."
After arranging to meet at the Saotome home Thursday morning, they said
their goodbyes. Ranko called Yuka's house, and it did indeed require a
little more negotiation with Yuka's mother. Ranko had to put her own mother
on the line for a couple of minutes before Yuka's mother was reassured.
When they were done, Ranko turned to Akane with a huge smile on her face.
Akane could barely keep from laughing; Ranko was so excited she seemed ready
to start jumping up and down. "This is great, Akane! This will be so much
fun!" She was beaming.
Akane's smile was almost as wide. She had never seen Ranko this happy, seen
her smile so much, in the whole time since she had arrived at the Dojo so
many months ago. She had been so serious, so dour; the difference was
amazing. Ranko, if this is just the beginning for you... Akane prayed that
Ranko's happiness would continue and grow. Kami-sama knew she deserved it,
after all that had been done to her.
*****
Ukyou leaned on the counter, and sighed. Monday morning was always a little
slow, but the lunch crowd would be coming soon. Running her own business was
an enormous burden, especially since she was still in high school. Like most
small businesses in Japan, she could hardly ever afford to close. She
treasured the breaks when they came. She rested her head on her arms...
She jerked awake when the door chime announced a customer. She was glad she
had put that in; it gave her an opportunity to wake up from her quick
catnaps. She smiled, and opened her mouth to welcome the customers. Her
mouth was left hanging open.
After a moment, she found her voice. "Ran... Ranchan?" The pretty redhead
who had come in with Akane nodded and blushed slightly. Ukyou looked her
over again. "You... uhh... you look great!"
Ranko blushed again. "Th-thanks, Ucchan."
Ukyou was still a bit overwhelmed. "When... when did you decide to...?"
Ranko's face darkened. "That evening. Right after... after..." she didn't
want to say any more.
Ukyou nodded in understanding. "So... so how do you like it so far?"
Ranko's face was like the sun coming up. "It... I... I've enjoyed it," she
finally said.
She looks so happy, thought Ukyou. I was hoping she would decide to stay a
guy, but... she looks so happy. I hope at least that she'll be happy when
this is all over. If I really love him... her... shouldn't that come first?
If Ranchan really needs to do this... She shook her head and tried to focus
on the here and now.
"Have a seat, guys! Would you like anything?" Ranko nodded eagerly, and
Akane smiled and nodded too. "The usual? OK."
Ukyou set to work at the grill. She loved cooking for her friends. "So what
brings you here? I'm sorry I didn't come over. I tried over at Akane's house
yesterday, but they told me you had left to move in with Ranchan's mom, and
I didn't have time to go over there. I'm so busy!"
Ranko looked disappointed at that last. "U-Ucchan, I... Akane, my mother,
and I are going to be spending a few days at a cottage on the beach in
Ibaraki. Yuka and Sayuri are coming, too. I... I was kind of hoping you
could come, too. But... but I don't want to mess up your business."
Ukyou smiled. She wants me to come along... The okonomiyaki were ready, and
Ukyou considered Ranko's invitation as she brought them to the table. "I
don't know, Ranchan. I usually don't close, but... it's been a few years
since I took any time off. It sounds like fun..." she trailed off.
Ranko looked more hopeful. She was about to dig into her okonomiyaki, but
seemed to remember something. She reached into her purse, pulled out her
wallet, and put some money on the table.
Ukyou was surprised. "Ranchan... what... why?"
Ranko's face grew serious. "Ucchan, I... I don't want to be like my father
any more. I don't want to be a freeloader any more."
Ukyou's eyes widened a little. Ranchan is changing so much... She smiled,
and pushed the money back. "Sugar, you're like family to me. Both of you. I
don't charge family." She put her hand on Ranko's. "But... thanks." Ranko
smiled a huge smile again, and nodded.
Suddenly Ukyou made up her mind. Akane had been helping out Ranchan, and...
she wanted to help too, more than she had. She still had to run her business
first -- it paid all her bills -- but... she *was* due for a vacation...
"When did you say you were going to Ibaraki?"
*****
Nodoka sighed as she looked over her charges sitting in the surrounding
seats, as their train clattered through Ibaraki Prefecture towards the
beach. This trip had gotten a little out of hand compared to what she had
planned, but Ranko had been so happy... Still, five teenage girls was a
handful, especially since one of them was still figuring out how to be a
girl. She had barely managed all the train transfers needed to get here.
Thank goodness they were all well behaved -- and that there were no boys
along. She didn't think she could handle that.
Yuka and Sayuri had never traveled out of Tokyo before, so their faces were
glued to the windows, watching the rice paddies and other farms go by.
Ranko, Akane, and Ukyou were chatting quietly. Nodoka would have liked to
nap, but she had promised to watch over them, and so she stayed alert.
After staring out the window for a short while, Ranko turned to Ukyou and
asked, "Ucchan... do... do you have any interests, besides okonomiyaki and
martial arts?"
Ukyou found herself caught by surprise. "I... I don't really have the time,
Ranchan. Between my business and my martial arts practice, I'm so busy..."
she trailed off with a wistful note in her voice. "Still," she continued,
"I... there are things I'd like to do... if I had the time."
Akane was intrigued. "Like what, Ukyou?"
Ukyou looked embarrassed. "Well, I... I like to sing."
Ranko and Akane were surprised. "Really, Ucchan?"
Ukyou nodded. "I... ever since the whole engagement incident happened with
Ranchan when we were young, my father has pushed me to focus on martial arts
and okonomiyaki. I... I was supposed to be ready to take my revenge on the
Saotomes." She and Ranko both blushed. "I guess I've been doing martial arts
so long, I've really come to like it, so I don't mind at all, but... it
doesn't leave much time for singing or anything else." She seemed glum, then
brightened. "But I'm happy. Maybe some day, I'll get to spend more time on
my other interests." Ukyou thought for a moment. "Ranchan, why do you ask?
Is it something you think about?"
Ranko related the conversation on the train home from Harajuku, and her
thoughts about her own life. "So I don't know, Ucchan. I do like martial
arts, but... but I really want to do other things, too." Her face fell
slightly. "I... I don't even have other interests that I don't have time
for; martial arts has been my life, thanks to my father."
Akane and Ukyou each had a steely glint in their eyes, but said nothing.
Akane spoke up. "Ranko, don't worry. You're just starting to reexamine your
life. Give it time, and I'm sure you'll understand yourself better." She
took Ranko's hand and held it, and the redhead smiled.
The PA system on the train blared to life. "Kashimahama. Kashimahama is
next," and suddenly all the girls were scrambling to look out the window.
Nodoka smiled as they excitedly commented on the small town where her
cousin's cottage was located.
She cleared her throat. "Girls, we need to collect our luggage so we can get
off." They nodded and set about collecting everything.
In short order they stood on the platform with their luggage about them, as
their train receded into the distance. It was a small station, and didn't
even have gates; they simply walked through to the street on the other side.
Nodoka looked around. "I've been here once before, many years ago... the
beach and the cottage are within walking distance, about ten minutes. Does
everyone feel up to it?" There was a chorus of "Hai!", and they all set off.
It was a very small town, mostly there due to the farms in the surrounding
countryside. It was one of the last places with a beach on the Ibaraki coast
that had not been totally overrun by resorts for the hordes from Tokyo;
there were just a few cottages and inns that had sprung up over the last
decade. The town was a strange mix of farm supply stores and a few trendy
boutiques. Nodoka noted that several of these stores looked like they sold a
different mix of products in the off season. It was a bizarre mix of the
dilapidated and the chic. Newer inns were under construction, and Nodoka was
sure that in just a few years the place would be totally overrun, like the
rest of Ibaraki's beaches.
As they walked down the main street towards the beach, more than one young
man's attention was riveted by the sight of five pretty girls from Tokyo
following their chaperone, not unlike ducklings behind their mother. Local
boys who were jaded by the beach decided that maybe this weekend would be a
good time to go swimming again. Or at least visit the beach...
In due time, they arrived at the cottage. It was seconds from the waters of
the Pacific; all that lay between it and them was a few dozen meters of
sandy beach, on which well-behaved waves crashed periodically. The place had
a magnificent view. Nodoka was speaking as she fumbled in her purse for the
keys. "I don't really remember it very well; it's been so long since I was
here. My cousin took me here when I was still trying to recover from losing
Ranko and my husband." She found the keys and opened the door, and they went
inside.
The cottage looked unusually modern and luxurious, but then Nodoka's
cousin's family was very well off. As she looked through the cottage, she
suddenly remembered: the place had traded privacy for luxury; it only had
one bedroom. Her cousin and her husband slept in there, and the children
rolled out futons in the large living space. She turned to the five
teenagers, who were goggling over the appointments of what they had thought
would be a modest shack.
"Girls, I'm afraid there is only one bedroom here; I wish I had remembered
earlier. There is one bed. Everyone else will have to sleep on futons out
here."
Yuka looked around. "I don't mind, Saotome-san. It'll be like a big pajama
party!" Nodoka suddenly felt nervous.
"Ranko, dear, you can sleep with me in the bedroom, if you like."
Ranko looked around at her friends, and she smiled. "No thank you, Mother.
I... I invited my friends so I could be with them, and... and I want to
sleep out here with them."
Akane, Ukyou, Yuka, and Sayuri all smiled. Nodoka did, too; she was
overjoyed to see that her daughter had so many close friends already.
"Whatever you wish, dear."
Ukyou piped up. "Let's go for a swim!" There was a chorus of approval.
Nodoka nodded, and headed into the bedroom to unpack. Ranko suddenly found
herself surrounded by four teenage girls peeling off their clothing.
Akane looked up for a moment, and found Ranko standing there with her hands
over her eyes. She suppressed the urge to laugh; apparently, some habits
really do die hard. She went over and took Ranko's hands gently, removing
them from her face.
"Ranko, remember Hakone? You're a girl, too. There's no need to close your
eyes."
Ranko relaxed, and looked around at the other three girls; they all nodded.
She smiled. "I... Thanks, guys." She opened her bag and looked through her
selection of swimsuits. Let's see... Mother said I should wear a one piece
suit for swimming... She pulled a suit out, then turned it around to look at
it. It's not put together the same way as my old one... how do these straps
work again? She set about undressing.
Ukyou watched Ranko out of the corner of her eye. The redhead was showing
absolutely no interest in the undressed girls around her. So it was just
habit... Ukyou sighed.
As Yuka was putting on her suit, she looked over and found Ranko struggling
to get into hers, and repressed a giggle. Eventually, all five were ready,
and Nodoka came out, still clothed; she didn't feel like a swim just now.
They filed out the front door and looked out over the Pacific.
Suddenly, by unspoken agreement, they went charging down the beach,
screeching and giggling the whole way. They dashed into the water and were
buffeted by the waves, shrieking with laughter. Nodoka smiled.
Peeking out of the nearby foliage, one boy turned to another. "Hiro, this is
gonna be a *grand* weekend." The other boy nodded enthusiastically.
Ranko was laughing like mad as she dove into the water, which no longer held
any fear for her. Doing things with friends was so much more fun! And she
didn't have to worry about running into anyone she knew. How could anyone
find her way out here in Ibaraki?
Hibiki Ryouga suddenly sneezed, and narrowly averted falling into a rice
paddy. That was too close, he thought. He looked around as he rubbed his
nose.
"Where am I now?" he asked plaintively.
*****
Ranko strolled along the beach. She had decided to take a walk by herself,
to get a little quiet time. Not that she minded her friends; she couldn't
remember the last time she had been so happy. It's like a dream, she
thought. I hope I don't wake up...
She and her friends had been sunbathing, and she had felt restless after
lying around for so long; she wanted to get up and walk a little. The rest
had waved lazily as she wandered off. She was wearing the teal bikini she
had picked out for sunbathing. It had taken her more than a little courage
to put it on earlier; she had never felt more exposed in her life. The
swimsuit left little to the imagination: it was like walking around in her
underwear, and she had only just gotten used to wearing that! Only the
encouragement and praise of her friends had persuaded her to venture outside
in it. If she had known she was the cause of at least one nosebleed casualty
among the locals, she probably would have run back inside and refused to
come out.
She came across a piece of driftwood. Fascinated, she squatted down, and
lost herself in examining it. The water had carved the wood into an
intricate and beautiful pattern.
She was so absorbed in it that her danger sense almost didn't warn her in
time. She tried to leap away, but her squatting position and lack of
practice hampered her. She stumbled out of the way as she heard the cry,
"Ranma! Prepare to die!"
She regained her balance and turned around to find Ryouga facing her, fury
on his face. As she looked at his face and saw the anger and aggression
there, the first thought to cross her mind was, Is that what I look like
when I fight?
Ryouga laughed. "You're disgusting, Ranma. You make a big deal about what a
man you are, but look at you! Wearing a bikini, with your hair down! This is
a new low, even for you."
Ranko shook her head. "No... Ryouga... please, you don't understand... I'm
not..."
Ryouga interrupted her. "Not a man, that's for sure." He snarled. "You're
even talking like a girl! Well, enough talk! I'm going to save Akane from
you once and for all! You pervert!" Ranko cringed at the epithet, and Ryouga
leapt.
She dodged, but barely. She flipped out of the way, and found herself
landing hard, jarring sensitive parts of her body. I'm... I'm too out of
shape, she thought. Ryouga attacked again. Ranko saw an opportunity, and
landed a kick. She felt the thud of her foot connecting and saw Ryouga
grimace, heard him grunt. She winced; she had never noticed so directly
before the pain she was inflicting as she fought. As Ranma, she had been too
focused on the fight, like a machine. But now, she was no longer suppressing
certain parts of her own self, and those parts cringed every time she struck
a blow. She had always been sensitive inside, and now that was front and
center. She had been hurt too much to easily hurt others.
Her introspection cost her as Ryouga landed a blow in her side. She rolled
away, clutching her side in agony. Why... why did it hurt so much? But she
knew: her conditioning was nowhere near what it had been. Her father's voice
echoed in her head: "If you want to be the best, you must focus on the Art
to the exclusion of all else." She had felt compelled to turn her back on
that philosophy, and she was paying the price now.
She staggered to her feet, and barely managed to avoid another leap by
Ryouga. He rolled to his feet, and laughed. "You're in pretty bad shape,
Ranma. This'll be a piece of cake." He grinned a nasty grin.
Ranko shouted "Ryouga, please listen to me! This is senseless! I don't want
to fight you!"
Ryouga opened his eyes wide in mock surprise. "You don't? Too bad. I want to
fight you!" and with that he leapt again.
Ranko managed to dodge, but knew she couldn't keep it up for long. Ryouga,
as usual, was in top condition, and she was... not.
In the bushes, the two boys who had been ogling Ranko in her bikini watched
in fear. "Hey... shouldn't we go help, Hiro?" The other shook his head.
"I... I'd like to, but man, lookit that guy fight. He'd cream us in no time.
Hell, the girl could easily lick both of us put together. There ain't
nothin' we can do."
Ryouga was enraged. "Fight me, Ranma! You coward! How can you call yourself
a man?"
Well, it *would* be difficult, thought Ranko, but she knew Ryouga was not
going to listen to her. He leapt again, feet flying, and Ranko dodged once
more...
... And tripped over the piece of driftwood she had been admiring earlier.
She landed flat on her face, and had the wind knocked out of her. She
managed to turn over, only to see Ryouga descending towards her, fingers
extended for a blow. He had a huge smile on his face.
Ranko closed her eyes and waited. Suddenly, she heard a *thwack*, and a
voice. Akane's voice.
"Ryouga! How dare you pick on Ranko! You leave her alone! And I thought you
were a gentleman!" Ukyou's voice added, "You have no right to beat up on
Ranchan!"
Ranko opened her eyes, and saw Ryouga sitting a couple of meters away,
nursing his jaw, Akane and Ukyou both standing over him with their hands on
their hips. Sayuri and Yuka were coming over to help her, looking deeply
worried. "Oh, Ranko-chan, are you OK?"
Hiro turned to his friend. "Remind me not to try any moves on any'a those
girls." The other boy nodded vigorously.
Ryouga stood up, and started to protest. "But Akane-san, Ukyou-san... this
is a man-to-man fight between me and..." he trailed off.
"Did... did you say 'Ranko'"?
*****
Ryouga sat on the sand facing five teenage girls, four of whom were glaring
at him and one of whom looked very nervous. He didn't know what was going
on, but he was sure Ranma was up to something. He could tell by the way the
other girls were all protectively clustered around her; clearly she had
trapped all of them in her web of deceit.
"All right, Ranma," he said. "Let's hear what you have to say." Not that
I'll believe a word of it.
Ranko nodded, but her throat was dry. Somehow, telling this to Ryouga was
much harder than anyone she had told it to before. Maybe it was because
Ryouga was a guy... Dr. Toufuu was a guy, too, but she had known he would be
sympathetic. She began, "Ryouga, I... I... I'm... that is, I'm not... I
mean..." She trailed off, and her head drooped. This was so hard, no matter
how many times she did it.
Akane reached out and took Ranko's hand, and she smiled a tiny smile of
gratitude. Ryouga fumed; he hated the way that Ranma took advantage of
Akane, and all his other fiancees. He was nothing but a womanizer, playing
on their emotions. He waited.
Ranko spoke again. "Ryouga, I... I... I'm a girl."
Ryouga waited impatiently for the rest of it. "Of course you're a girl! Do
you think I'm blind?" He rolled his eyes.
"No... I didn't mean it that way..."
Yuka reached over and patted Ranko gently on the shoulder. "Start at the
beginning, silly."
Ranko nodded, and gathered her wits again. "Ryouga, a few weeks ago, I met
my mother again for the first time since I was four years old. She... she
told me something about myself that I didn't know, something really
important..."
"You were dropped on your head as a baby?"
If looks could be translated into reality, Ryouga would have been a
smoldering pile of black ashes. He swallowed at the glare of four angry
girls, the look that said "Not even remotely funny, Mister."
"Ryouga," said Ukyou in an unfriendly tone, "listen to the rest of what she
has to say -- politely. Am I making myself clear?" Akane added a menacing
nod and flexed her mallet hand.
Ryouga nodded nervously. "Uh... OK..." He tried a sheepish grin, but no one
was impressed.
Ranko tried again. "Ryouga, she told me what I told you before. I'm... I'm a
girl."
Ryouga was getting irritated. "I know you're a girl, Ranma! What are you
getting at?"
Ranko shook her head. "No, you don't understand! I don't mean I'm a girl
*right now*. I mean, I'm a *girl*."
Ryouga started to feel a chill, despite the sun. It... it must be the sea
breeze... "What?"
Akane broke in impatiently. "Let me try, OK? Ryouga, what she is saying is
that she is not a boy who turns into a girl with cold water. She is a girl
who turns into a boy with hot water. What her mother told her was that she
was born a girl. Her name is Ranko, not Ranma."
Ryouga was having trouble getting his mind around this. This must be some
plot of Ranma's to keep him away from Akane. This was just another
outlandish lie, and Ranma had taken in Akane with it. He tried to ignore the
nagging voice in his mind which asked him why Akane would want to be engaged
to Ranma if she was convinced he was a girl.
"But... but you're engaged to each other! How can you be engaged if Ranma's
a girl?" Ha! Let him wriggle out of that!
Ranko's face fell, and Ukyou put a hand on her shoulder. "Ryouga, I... I'm
not engaged to Akane any more. Or Ucchan. Or anyone. When... when my mom
found out about it, she ended all the engagements."
Ha! There it was! Ranma's evil plot to... "Wh-what?"
"I said, I'm not engaged to anyone. Mother won't let me marry another woman,
and to be perfectly honest I... I'm not sure I want to. Akane and Ucchan and
I, we're friends. Good friends." She smiled. "I... I think I like it better
that way." Akane and Ukyou smiled too.
Ryouga was seriously confused. Apparently, Ranma's latest nefarious scheme
to keep him away from Akane involved leaving her available to be someone
else's girlfriend. Like his. Two different parts of his brain were at war:
the part that didn't trust Ranma, and the part that wanted desperately for
this to be true so that Akane could be his.
"Why... why should I believe this? You've lied to me more times than I can
count!"
"Young man," came another voice, "you had better have a good reason before
you accuse my daughter of being a liar." Ryouga looked up to see that a
middle-aged woman, who looked very much like Ranma's female form, had walked
up to the gathering.
"Ranko, dear, who is this young man? Is he bothering you?" The woman glared
at Ryouga, then turned to the girls. "I came to find you girls when I didn't
see you on the beach. I promised Yuka-chan's mother that I would watch you
carefully."
Ranko stood up. "Mother, this is Hibiki Ryouga. Ryouga, this is my mother,
Saotome Nodoka."
Ryouga stood up and bowed. He looked the woman over. She looked too much
like Ranma to be anyone but his mother. Either Ranma had brainwashed his own
mother, or... or... No! This couldn't be true! Ranma was a guy! How could he
possibly have been born a girl? The sardonic part of his mind asked, You
turn into a pig and you can ask a question like that? He didn't want to
believe it. There had to be another explanation! What, asked the same part
of his mind, the Trilateral Commission? Maybe Area 51 was involved, too.
That's it! The real Ranma had been abducted by aliens. Right.
He was shaken out of his mental short-circuiting by a question. "Where do
you know my daughter from, Ryouga-kun?"
Hibiki Ryouga had been raised to be polite to his elders. "I... I met her in
Junior High, Ma'am. At an all-boys school." Sayuri looked startled, then
shrugged.
"And what happened here? Why are you all sitting around like this? Why are
you here, Ryouga-kun?"
Ryouga turned a pasty color. "Um, well, Ma'am, I... I ummm, kind of attacked
her. I... I usually attack her when I see her." He winced. Maybe he could
have put that better. All the girls were glaring at him again.
Nodoka looked at him for a long time. "I will assume this was because you
thought she was a boy and you hold some kind of grudge against her. I will
overlook this behavior, given the past confusion about Ranko's identity, but
I want you to behave properly towards her in the future. I can tell you are
a well-brought-up young man, and I expect you to behave accordingly. Just
because I let my daughter practice martial arts does not mean I allow her to
participate in brawls. *Especially* with boys." Her tone turned to liquid
nitrogen. "Am I understood, young man?"
Ryouga gulped, and nodded. "Y-yes, Ma'am."
Ranko stared at her mother in awe. Maybe... maybe there were advantages to
being a girl in a fight...
Nodoka smiled. "Very well. You are welcome to join us for dinner,
Ryouga-kun. I'm afraid I can't offer you a place to stay; I can't very well
have you sleeping in a room with five girls!" Ryouga's eyes widened; they
were all sleeping in the same room? "Come along when you're done talking."
Nodoka turned and headed back towards the cottage. Ranko and Ryouga sat back
down.
Ryouga sat in stunned silence for several moments. He finally lifted his
head, and found Ranma looking back at him sadly. The full meaning of what he
had just heard finally started to seep into his consciousness. Ranma...
Ranko... was a *girl*? His sometime rival, sometime friend, the person he
had fought viciously innumerable times, but whom he had sometimes helped,
the person he had tried to... kill on occasion, was a *girl*? A real, live,
honest-to-goodness, sugar and spice and everything nice *girl*?
"H-how?" he croaked. "You... you were a boy all the time before Jusenkyou."
She looked ready to cry. "Father wanted a son. He... he took me away from
Mother when I was four, and Happousai used magic to make me a boy. The
Nyanniichuan let me become a girl again." She swallowed; her throat hurt.
"My female form looks just like my baby pictures, Ryouga, red hair and all.
*This* is my true form," she said, pointing at herself.
Her eyes unfocused; they were seeing something that only she could see. "If
it hadn't been for Father and Happousai... this is the only form I ever
would have had. I... I'd have been just a normal, ordinary girl... not...
not... a freak..." At that, Ranko started to sob, and Ukyou moved to hold
her, gently. She looked up at the other girls, tears in her own eyes. She...
she knew exactly how Ranchan felt...
Ryouga didn't know how to react. How do you react when you find out the sky
is orange? That things fall up? That ice is hot? Ranma being a girl and
crying seemed like a violation of some natural law. But... this was too
elaborate to be one of Ranma's deceptions. He had never carried off anything
on this scale before, and his... her mother would certainly know her own
child's sex. Something caught his curiosity. "Ranma... Ranko... are you
going to be a girl from now on? Just because you were one when you were
born?"
She looked up, her eyes red. "N-no. That's not the reason." She took a deep
breath. "I... I never liked being a boy, Ryouga, not really. Dr. Toufuu says
it's because of who I was... am. I... I'm trying out being a girl over
summer break, to see if I like it better. I might stay this way, but I might
go back to being a guy, too." Sayuri and Yuka looked at each other and
rolled their eyes, but said nothing. Akane was smiling a very Kasumi-like
smile.
Ryouga felt the stirrings of an utterly alien emotion: compassion for Ranma.
This was certainly a day of surprises. He supposed that he would turn into a
flying pig next. "You... you mean you felt bad about being a guy the whole
time?"
She nodded, her lips pursed. "Ryouga, are you glad you're a guy?"
Ryouga was startled by the non sequitur. "What? Of... of course. Why
wouldn't I be?"
Ranko nodded. "Of course..." She seemed amused at a private joke.
Ryouga continued looking at the redhead wearing a teal bikini who was
sitting on the sand in front of him. This... this girl wasn't a disguise,
the cursed form that Ranma took. This girl was a... well, a girl. He had
always thought Ranma was beautiful, but the knowledge that she was really a
boy made it seem an affront. Suddenly, he was very aware of the fact that
Ranma... Ranko... *was* a beautiful girl, and not a boy pretending to be
one. He tried to push that out of his mind; he didn't want to deal with it
right now. He wasn't entirely successful.
Ryouga knew he would never again tell this girl how she had made his life
hell. His life wasn't even in the same league as hers. Suddenly, his
implacable resentment of Ranma for snatching the bread at lunch in junior
high seemed very petty. As he continued to stare at her, she blushed and
dropped her gaze. He looked away in embarrassment himself. What do you say
to a girl whom you've been beating up for the last four years, even if she's
as good a martial artist as you? To the girl you went to an all-boys school
with? Who... you... (gulp) changed in the locker room with? Ryouga knew his
relationship with this girl could never be the same again. He had thought he
knew who Ranma was, but it seemed he didn't know this girl at all. Could she
really still be Ranma?
There was something he *did* have to say, though. "Ranko... Ranko-san,
I'm... I'm sorry."
She looked up in surprise. "What? Why?"
"For... for attacking you. For all the times I attacked you."
She shook her head. "Don't be silly, Ryouga. You didn't know I was a girl.
*I* didn't know I was a girl. And even if I had known, just because I'm a
girl doesn't mean I can't take care of myself. I am a martial artist, after
all." Akane had an eerie feeling of deja vu. "I... I mean I did get tired of
it happening constantly, but I didn't really mind fighting with you. You
were a good opponent; you kept me in shape. It... It's OK, really. Don't
worry about it." She made a face. "Besides, Mother won't let you fight me
any more, except to practice." She laughed.
Ryouga laughed too.
*****
They all sat around the dinner table. He almost hadn't made it here. The
combined efforts of five girls to lead him back to their cottage -- in a
straight line along the beach -- almost hadn't been enough to combat his
unerring ability to get lost, but in the end, they had arrived. He was glad;
Ranko's mother seemed to be an excellent cook.
Ryouga wondered at what he saw. Ranko was wearing a sundress and jewelry,
and was chatting with her friends in a very animated way. Ryouga couldn't
quite believe this happy, vivacious girl was the same person he'd known as
Ranma. When not bragging or defending his manhood, Ranma had never had a lot
to say. He shook his head.
Even stranger was his rivalry with Ranma for Akane. It was gone, like a soap
bubble. Akane was unattached, his to try to woo without worrying about the
engagement, or even competition (Kunou didn't count). It was such an
unexpected situation, he didn't know what to think.
He gathered from what he had heard that Akane and Ranko had been very close
since early childhood, like twin sisters. Realization dawned in Ryouga, that
that put Ranko in a new role: Akane's sister, someone who would be looking
out for her; someone he, Ryouga, should try to make a good impression with.
Ryouga thought about all the efforts that Ranma had made to disrupt his
pursuit of Akane; he knew that Ranma had not approved of him. Maybe... maybe
it wasn't a new role after all. He wondered how he could overcome the
hostility there had been between them and make her see him more favorably.
Deep-sixing P-chan was probably a given if he was going to do that.
He turned his attention back to the dinner conversation. He observed Ranko's
face as she chatted with the others; it seemed transformed to him. He had
seen Ranma in female form countless times, but she had had the same
expressions and limited set of emotions as her male form. Now, she was
happy, open, cheerful, excited... and vulnerable. Ryouga had seen just how
vulnerable a couple of times that day. He hoped that wasn't permanent. The
alien emotion of compassion for her surfaced again.
Nodoka spoke up. "You haven't said much yet, Ryouga-kun. Are you willing to
discuss the reasons why you had a feud with my daughter?"
Ukyou gave him a look of feigned innocence, batting her eyelashes. Ryouga
suddenly started to sweat. "Ummm... I guess so... well... uh... we... we
used to fight over bread in the cafeteria in Junior High..."
Nodoka tilted her head. "That hardly seems like reason enough to attack
someone constantly the way you mentioned. Are you sure there isn't anything
else?"
Ryouga sweated profusely; of course, Nodoka was right. But he couldn't talk
about Jusenkyou here, in front of Akane. Or Akane's friends. Not if he
wanted to live.
Ranko piped up. "Oh, I used to like to tease him. I bounced off his head
sometimes to grab the bread that was being thrown to us."
"Ranko! Dear, that wasn't very nice."
She answered Nodoka, but she was looking at Ryouga. "I... I never meant any
harm. It was just a game to me. I... I'm sorry. I thought of Ryouga as a
friend." Ryouga's eyes spoke his gratitude to Ranko for the diversion. Her
words were making him feel ashamed for some reason.
He reached carelessly for his tea, and managed to knock it over, spilling it
in Ranko's lap. He winced, expecting the change. Nothing happened.
Ranko thought Ryouga's eyes were going to pop out of his head. "Ranko-san...
What... Why?..."
"I... Cologne locked my curse for me, temporarily. I was getting splashed
with hot water just as I had been with cold, and... and I didn't want to
deal with that on top of everything else. It will wear off in another week
or so, according to what she said. I... I'll decide then whether to go back
to school as Ranko or not."
She rose. "Excuse me; I'd better go clean up my dress." With that, she
headed for the kitchen.
Ryouga stared at her until she was out of sight. He turned to Ranko's
mother. "You're an excellent cook, Ma'am. Dinner is delicious."
Nodoka blushed. "Thank you. You should thank Ranko too, when she returns;
she did a lot of the work. She has been helping me cook at home."
Ryouga gaped. "Re-really?" He was amazed. What was next, her having a
boyfriend? That thought made his head buzz.
He spoke again. "I... I think I'd like some fresh air. Would you mind if I
stepped out for a moment?"
"Not at all, Ryouga-kun."
Ukyou leaned over to Akane and said sotto voce, "Well, that's the last we'll
see of him for a few weeks." Akane nodded.
Ryouga sat on the beach and watched the waves crashing against the sand. The
tide seemed to be coming in, and the water was lapping up the beach. He
supposed he should move back a bit, but he loved the ocean.
He was ashamed to admit it, but his life had revolved completely around
getting revenge on Ranma and winning Akane. Now that that axis had shifted,
and his little personal morality play of Good versus Evil had collapsed, he
was forced to examine what he had done with his life the last few years. He
didn't like what he found. Four years spent trying to find Ranma, trying to
kill Ranma, fighting Ranma because of bread, or for Akane. Why? Ranko had
said she considered him a friend. He felt ashamed.
He couldn't understand why he had been so angry at Ranma. He had resented
him... her... deeply. Why had he cared so much, enough to follow him to
China, where he had been cursed? Over some bread? Something about Ranma had
just made him angry, and... and he didn't feel that way any more. It was
simply gone, like the morning mist. He couldn't understand that, either.
Maybe... maybe he viewed her in a different way now. The aspects of her
behavior that had so incensed him didn't seem so wrong any more. He shook
his head; he simply didn't understand.
Once again he looked up to enjoy the beautiful sight of the ocean waves
crashing. They were quite large now, especially the one that was about to...
"Bweeeee...."
*****
Ranko had not expected to see Ryouga again after hearing that he had stepped
outside, but a few hours later, after everyone had bathed and gotten ready
for bed, they heard a tapping at the front door. Nodoka went to open it, and
was startled to find a small black piglet standing on the step, looking up
at her.
"What is it, Auntie?" asked Akane.
Nodoka looked back down at the piglet, who was looking up at her
expectantly. "For some reason, there is a small black piglet on our
doorstep, and he appears to want to come in." She looked more closely. "He's
soaking wet, too."
Akane came rushing over. "P-chan! What are you doing out here in Ibaraki?"
She scooped him up. "Oh sweetie, you're all wet! Auntie, this is my pet pig,
P-chan."
Nodoka looked at the pig. "Are you sure, Akane-chan? There are a lot of
farms around here."
Akane beamed. "Of course! See, he recognizes me, and he always has this
bandanna around his neck." She held P-chan up for Nodoka to see. Ranko and
Ukyou came up behind Akane, looked at each other, and rolled their eyes.
Nodoka stared for a moment. Something about that bandanna seemed familiar.
Oh well... "Akane-chan, I'm not sure my cousin would appreciate hearing that
a pig stayed in her living room."
Akane looked worried. "Auntie, he sleeps with me at home. He's very, very
clean..." She looked at Nodoka hopefully.
Nodoka considered. "Well, I know my cousin has a dog, whom they bring with
them to this cottage. I... I guess it would be all right." She looked
sternly at Akane. "But Akane-chan, you must make sure he doesn't cause any
damage or other problems. I would hate to have to explain things to my
cousin. And if he leaves any odors their dog will notice and be upset."
Akane nodded. "Of course, Auntie. He's never caused a lick of trouble at
home." Ranko sighed. Akane went off to find a towel for P-chan.
They laid out the futons and got ready for bed, with P-chan watching the
proceedings from the side of the room. He noted that Ranko wore pajamas like
the other girls. She really *is* a girl, he thought. He shook his head and
sighed.
As the girls got into their futons, he trotted over to Akane's. As she
scooped him up, he chanced to look Ranko in the eye, and flinched. She was
giving him a cold glare, letting him know exactly what she thought of this
habit of his. She "hmphed", and rolled over on her side, looking away from
him. He cringed.
Funny, he thought, as Akane cuddled him and they settled in for the night.
That look hurt more than anything she ever did to me before. He sighed
inwardly. What a stupid situation. How am I ever going to get out of it?
*****
In the morning, P-chan was waiting patiently for Akane to finish brushing
her teeth, when he heard Ranko's voice. "P-chan." He looked up; she was
holding a steaming kettle. She motioned outside with her eyes. He nodded
meekly and followed.
Once they were outside, she asked, "Where are your clothes?" He squealed and
turned as if to go somewhere, then stopped. He looked around in confusion.
Ranko rolled her eyes. "Never mind. Let's just look around." She casually
scooped him up; P-chan cringed, but Ranko was holding him gently. They
circled around the cottage, and behind it were Ryouga's pack and clothing.
Without further ado, Ranko poured the hot water on P-chan and watched him
transform back into Ryouga. When she realized she was staring at him with
his clothes off, she suddenly turned away, her cheeks bright crimson. I... I
guess things are different now, she thought. She waited while he dressed.
She turned to face him, a stern look in her eye. "Ryouga, Mother says I
mustn't fight you, so I'll have to use words instead. I'll be frank. I don't
like what you are doing with Akane as P-chan. It's not right, and you know
it. I... I know you're in love with her, and to be honest that makes it even
worse. How do you think she will react if she ever finds out?"
Ranko knew that Akane would marry eventually, but even so, contemplating
that was still upsetting. She hoped that she and Akane would remain close no
matter who... A-Akane married. Letting go of the engagement was still hard,
but she had no right to tie Akane up or choose her boyfriends for her,
and... and she didn't really need to, not any more; their relationship was
now something different. Still, the idea of Ryouga as Akane's boyfriend
upset her. If Ryouga was going to even try, she was going to make damn sure
he cleaned up his act and was worthy of Akane.
Ryouga lowered his eyes and blushed. Ranko seemed to be learning from her
mother. "You're right, Ranko-san. I... I know it's wrong. She just loves
P-chan so much, I don't want to hurt her..." He noted Ranko's skeptical
look. "Honest! I... I do enjoy being held by her, but... but if that were
all, I could walk away from it." He sighed in exasperation, and put his hand
over his eyes. "Honestly, this is such a mess, and I don't know how to get
out of it. I should tell her, but if I do she'll hate me, and... and..." he
trailed off.
She cocked her head and looked at him. "Ryouga, Akane is going to marry a
man, not a pig. If you want a chance at being that man" she faltered
slightly, "you have to start showing her less pig and more man. Do you
understand? You are not stupid, and I'm sure you can figure out a way out of
this." She put a little edge in her voice. "If you are motivated."
He gulped, and nodded. "O-OK."
She winked at him. "Good. Why don't we go back and have some breakfast?" She
turned around and walked back towards the front of the cottage. Ryouga
watched her retreating form the whole way.
"How did she do that?" he wondered aloud. He picked up his pack and followed
her.
Twenty minutes later, Ranko sighed. I guess he's not coming for breakfast
after all, she thought. I really should have led him back. Well, he'd turn
up again... eventually.
*****
The next day -- their last at the beach -- the girls were out sunning
themselves again, Ranko once more wearing her teal bikini. She rolled over
on her back and looked up at the sky, and sighed contentedly. This vacation
had been wonderful, even with Ryouga's unplanned visit. She had never felt
so relaxed, so far away from the craziness that was usually her life.
She turned over on her stomach again, and lost track of time for a while,
before she became aware of a young man standing a short distance away,
staring at the ground. She sat up, and the other girls did too.
Akane spoke first. "Can we help you?" She sounded a little irritated.
The boy flinched. "Uhhh, uhhh, I... I was wondering if I could speak to the
young lady with the red hair." He turned bright red himself.
Nodoka looked up sharply from where she was sitting and reading her book.
She had known this was going to come sooner rather than later, and was
worried. Ranko had not had the benefit of years of preparation which other
girls had. She watched closely.
The girls looked at each other, then all turned to look at Ranko, who was
gazing uncertainly at the boy. "What... Why do you want to talk to me?"
The boy stammered on. "Well, Miss, my name is Izaki Hiro, and... and..." he
seemed to gather his courage, "I... I couldn't help noticin' that you were
about the prettiest girl we've ever seen out here. I... I was wonderin'
if... if you would like me to show you around the town?"
Ranko was about to pound him for making a proposition like that to her, when
she realized that she was a girl, and he had every right to try. She started
to grow pale when she realized that... that she really *was* going to have
to figure out how she f-felt about... about... she couldn't even complete
the thought. It had been easier when the subject had come up as an abstract
point of discussion, but with a boy standing in front of her...
She swallowed. If... if Mother won't let me marry another girl, and... and I
don't even think I want to, does that mean...? She shook her head. She
*knew* she wasn't ready to think about this now, and she didn't intend to.
She took a broom to these thoughts, chased them back into her mental cellar,
and locked the door. But she knew she couldn't keep them locked up much
longer.
She looked up to see Akane, Ukyou, Sayuri, and Yuka awaiting her reply; they
looked more anxious than the boy did, if that was possible. She turned to
answer, then realized she didn't have the faintest idea of what to say. She
racked her brains for all the old movies she had ever seen.
"That... that's very sweet of you, Hiro-kun. B-but I... I came here to be
with my friends, and... and..." she thought furiously, "I already have a
boyfriend back in Tokyo!" She heard rather than saw the impacts as several
bodies in the vicinity fell over.
The boy looked disappointed, but seemed to relax as well. He smiled, and she
found herself smiling back. "I'm sorry to hear that, Miss...?"
"Saotome... Saotome Ranko."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Ranko-san. Your boyfriend is a lucky man." He
winked, turned, and walked away. He... he knew it was a white lie, she
thought. How did he know?
She blushed furiously when her friends grinned at her and burst into
applause.
That night, they all sat around a campfire on the beach, toasting
marshmallows. None of them had ever done it before, but they'd watched
enough American movies, and after a few misadventures, they had gotten the
hang of it. Fortunately, the grocery store in town had had marshmallows.
Apparently they were not the only Japanese who watched American movies.
Ranko was staring into the flames, watching them flicker and the coals glow.
She was entranced. She thought back over the last few days, and the feeling
of living in a dream persisted. It was as if they had been whisked off to
some enchanted world. Ranko simply could not remember another time in her
life when she had enjoyed herself so much, when she had been so happy. She
sighed contentedly.
Ukyou sat with her chin propped up on one hand, watching Ranko. She was so
changed from the Ranma she and the others had known, and in such a short
period of time. Even back when she and Ranchan had first met... That little
boy had certainly had a cheerful disposition, but lurking behind it had
always been a melancholy she couldn't identify. Now, she wasn't sure she
could identify the person she was looking at.
This girl... she was so like Ranma in so many ways, and yet so different.
She and Akane were close friends; gone were the insults and bickering. She
was open and loving to her friends and family. She was relaxed and happy,
words that had been hard to apply to Ranma. She had been transformed, and
not just physically. In fact, the physical change seemed trivial compared to
the rest.
Ukyou smiled a bittersweet smile. Ranma had finally found happiness... but
wasn't Ranma any more. Having spent this time with Ranko, Ukyou couldn't
possibly ask her to be the boy she had been before. She'd have to settle for
a dear girlfriend rather than a fiance or husband. Still... in one way, it
didn't matter: Ranma or Ranko, she was still Ranchan, and would always be
Ranchan, and Ukyou would always be Ucchan to her. Ukyou had lost something,
but she hadn't lost everything. Maybe the part that remained was the most
important.
Yuka interrupted Ukyou's reflections. "Ranko-chan, I... this whole trip has
been wonderful. I've really enjoyed it. I hope you have too."
Ranko looked up. "I've really had a wonderful time, too. And I've loved
having you guys here. All of you. It's been..." words failed her, but her
happy smile spoke volumes.
Sayuri spoke up. "Ranko-chan, I know you're worried about people thinking
you aren't a real girl, but I don't think you should be. You're so different
from before. You... you really act like a perfectly normal girl. Well, one
who doesn't quite know all the things she should." They all laughed.
"Really, if... if you decide to come back to school as Ranko, I don't think
you have anything to worry about."
Akane seemed to think of something. "Ranko, you... before, you told me you
were afraid of changing, of becoming another person. The idea of changing so
much scared you." She paused. "And you've changed a lot; Sayuri-chan is
right. Yet you don't seem frightened about it. Does changing into another
person not frighten you any more?" She looked at Ranko expectantly.
Ranko looked deep in thought. For a minute, she looked into the fire, as the
others waited. Finally, she spoke. "I... it hasn't been like I expected.
I... I haven't had the feeling that I've been changing into another person."
She paused a moment, then continued with wonder and realization in her
voice. "I... I feel like I *was* another person, and... and I'm becoming
*me*. Like I was a puzzle put together the wrong way, and now I'm slowly
being put together the right way." She stared at the flames, mesmerized.
There was a long silence as everyone considered the meaning of Ranko's
words, Ranko herself most of all.
*****
End Chapter 5