-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: sc2.txt
Why she had to go
I don't know, she wouldn't say
I said something wrong
Now I long for yesterday
Yesterday,
Love was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh, I believe in yesterday.
Saotome's Choice
by JP Buckner
ajaff@poky.srv.net
http:\\onewest.net\~ajaff\manff.htm
Chapter Two - Ranko and Consequences
I had nothing to do with the creation of Ranma 1/2 Wasn't me, nope.
"Yesterday" lyrics by John Lennon and Paul McCartney (you may of heard of
them)
Saotome Nodoka looked down at the young girl standing in her doorway. For
so long, Nodoka had wanted...no, needed, a person in her life, someone to
share her home, her life with. Ever since her husband and son left all those
years ago, Nodoka's life has been one big waiting game. Waiting for her
family to return to her.
Now, for at least a short period of time, she would not be alone. She would
have a child to look after, someone to guide and help. Someone to be a mother
to, the way she has wanted so desperately to be towards her son.
"Come on in, dear. I have a spare bedroom that you can use."
Ranko nodded and smiled at Nodoka. Nodoka smiled back. This girl was such
a beauty, the warmth in her smile could melt any heart. If only she didn't act
so tomboyish. Maybe, just maybe, Nodoka thought to herself, I can do something
about that.
'Ranko' stepped into the house. She was still a little unsure about this, but
she knew she needed the love she always felt from her mother whenever she was
around. She only wished she could come to her as her son instead of a 'niece',
but circumstances as they are... The katana wouldn't hurt as much, Ranko
figured, as the rejection she would get from her mother. She didn't want her
own mother to hate her the way so many other people did.
The young girl looked around the room. "This is Ranma's home? It's really
nice. I'm sure he must have hated leaving here." Even though she didn't
remember many of the details from her childhood, Ranko felt safe and warm just
being inside her family home. Once again, for the umpteenth time in his/her
life, Ranko silently cursed her father for taking her away from her mother.
"Thank you, dear. I've tried to keep it a home, even though it's been only me
all these years. I wanted it to be just right for when Genma and Ranma
returned."
Ranko could see a touch of melancholy in her mother's face as she said this.
She reached up and gently put her hand on Nodoka's shoulder. "I'm sure that
Po...Uncle and Ranma miss you very much. I've heard Ranma say so. He wants
nothing more that to be with you."
Nodoka looked down and could see the concern and sadness in Ranko's eyes.
This is a bond here, Nodoka told herself. There is something about this girl
that I can't help but feel connected to. I can feel it, and I'm sure she can
feel it as well.
Gathering herself together, the Saotome matriarch responded. "Thank you dear,
you don't know how much it means to me to hear that. Now come on, and I'll
show you your room. You don't seem to have much to unpack, but I'll help."
"Uhh... that's not necessary. I can handle it myself."
Nodoka shook her head. "Nonsense, dear. I want to help."
Ranko shrugged. She couldn't bear to say no to her mother. "All right, I
guess."
"Good, dear. Now come this way." Nodoka proceeded to lead Ranko down the
hallway, and into her new life...
****************************************************
"He's what?????? This is.....inconceivable! There is NO WAY my son would live
as a girl!" The news from Kasumi had managed to give Genma a second wind, and
he was now on his feet, yelling right into Kasumi's face.
Kasumi's face took a pose no one in the room could remember seeing on that
face in some time. She began to look uncontrollably angry, and began to
return Genma's tirade tit for tat.
"Maybe if you weren't such a lousy father, and treated Ranma the way he
deserved to be treated, he wouldn't feel the need to do this!" Kasumi was now
quite livid.
Nabiki looked onto her elder sister in shock. "Kasumi...I....I haven't seen
you like this since...." Nabiki just couldn't finish the sentence.
Kasumi turned to Nabiki. "Get used to it. I'm tired of holding back, of not
expressing myself the way everyone else around here does at the drop of a
hat! No, I've had to keep everything in, because this family needed someone
to stay calm and keep everything together. Well, I'm tired of it! I've been
at this for ten years now, and I can't hold it in anymore!"
Kasumi turned back to Genma. "That is especially true ever since you and
Ranma came into our lives. There has been so many times I've wanted to skin
you alive for some of the stunts you've pulled. It's amazing Ranma has turned
out as fine as he has considering the fact that you've been raising him alone all
these years. The way your foolishness has affected Akane, not to mention
Ukyo and the others....in some ways you are worse than Happosai!"
"Kasumi, that is a bit harsh, don't you think?" Soun couldn't quite believe
his oldest daughter was acting quite like this. "Genma is a guest in our home,
and he's my closest friend..."
"Quiet, Father!" The genie was out of the bottle, and Kasumi wasn't hesitant
to lay into her father as well as her 'Uncle'. "Considering some of the things
you've done since this so-called father arrived, you don't have much right to
defend him."
'Waaaahhh, my sweet Kasumi is yelling at me!" As if on cue, tears began to
escape Soun's eyes.
'Father, please!!": Kasumi had enough of her father's emotional outbursts.
Once more she addressed Saotome Genma. "Your son is gone. He has gone
to his mother, in order to find the compassion and love he never got from you.
"Yes, he went to her as Ranko. It was far too dangerous for him to go as
Ranma. You know what a water magnet he is. He wouldn't last five minutes with
his mother before cold water came from somewhere, and poof, say hello to Mr.
Katana. Ranma figures it will be easier to try to avoid hot water, although
he knows that will be a chore in itself. You remember how hot water seemed
to find him before, when he was hiding from his mother here as Ranko."
With a sheepish nod, Genma agreed. As a cursed individual himself, he knew
all about the problems of water seeming to come from anywhere, always at the
worst possible time.
"But Kasumi." Akane had collected herself just a bit. "Ranma was always so
adamant about his manhood. It doesn't make sense to me. How could he willingly
be a girl?"
Nabiki muttered to herself, "Methinks he doth..." Noticing that her muttering
was loud enough for the others to hear, she stopped. "Don't mind me, I'm just
babbling."
Akane once again asked Kasumi. "How could he do this, how could he try to live
as Ranko, just like that?"
Kasumi shook her head. "It wasn't just like that. As I said before, this has
been on Ranma's mind for some time, and frankly the thought terrified him. He
desperately wanted to make things work out here, with you. But he was afraid
to tell you straight out how he felt, he was so afraid you would reject him."
Akane's eyes shot up in surprise. "He was afraid *I* would reject *him*? All
this time, I was afraid he would reject me." Tears began to form around
Akane's eyes. "I was just waiting for him to say something...."
In a split second, Akane's face went from despair to hope. "It's not too late. All
I have to is go to Auntie's house, and talk to Ranma. We can work this out,
I know we can."
Kasumi lowered her head. "Akane, do you really think it will be that easy? By
leaving here, Ranma thinks the rift between you two is irreversible. He would
have stayed if he could see a chance.
"And do you think it will be easy to talk him away from his mother? You know
what she means to him, and how much he misses her. Now that he has her back
in his life, do you think you can ask him to leave her again?"
Akane's eyes flared. "It's not that I would be asking him to leave her for
good! She can always be a part of his life, you know that! I need to tell him
how sorry I am, and how much he means to me. I'll get my point across even if
I..."
"Even if you what, Akane?" Kasumi interrupted. "Even if you beat it into him?
Akane, if you go to Ranma now, you will lose your temper like you always do.
And things will get worse, trust me Sis."
'I will not lose my temper!!" Akane shot back, screaming at the top of her
lungs. A second later a scared look came over her face. "Oh, Kami-sama,
I'm losing it, aren't I?"
"Now, now, Akane, don't worry. Everything will work out just fine, I promise
you." Soun stopped his crying and went over to his youngest daughter. Taking
her into his arms, he tried to soothe her. "Don't worry, I would never let
anything bad happen to you. You know that."
"Right, Father." Kasumi couldn't take it anymore. "You wouldn't let anyone or
anything hurt Akane or Nabiki or me, right?"
Soun nodded. "Of course, you're my daughters, and you mean the world to me."
Kasumi retorted, "Riggggghhhht. That explains why you allow 'The Master' to
live here among us, never putting your foot down when he's about to do
something to one of us. And that explains why you have not stopped Ryoga from
what he was doing. And why you had you made Nabiki and I promise not to tell
Akane about it."
Soun's eyes went wide as saucers. "Kasumi, now is not really a good time to
talk about...."
Akane looked up at her father. :"Talk about what, daddy? What is this about
Ryoga? What is it you haven't told me? What did you make Kasumi and Nabiki
promise?"
Soun went back into full tear express mode. "Waaaahh, I can't tell you, you'll
hate me!"
Akane's aura rose leaps and bounds. "Dadddddyyyyyy!!!! I'm starting to hate
you right about now! Tell me, now!!!!!"
But Soun was sobbing too much to talk. He looked up at his daughters, then his
face turned towards the floor and he started to cry even more.
"Will someone please tell me what is going on here?" Akane had long passed the
end of her rope. Genma started to cower, staying far away from Soun. Genma was
worried because Soun's tears were coming so fast and hard, a change from those
tears was very feasible.
Nabiki spoke up first. "Okay, Akane, I'll tell you. I'm not quite as stubborn as
Kasumi when it comes to keeping promises. Sit down, please Akane, trust me on
this."
Akane nodded, and slowly sat down. She looked up at Nabiki with expectant
eyes, wondering just what this secret could be.
"Well, you see, Akane, Ryoga is, well, how can I put this?"
Nabiki scratched her chin for a moment. Then she resumed. "Ryoga is cursed,
Akane. Just like Ranma and the others. Ryoga was cursed at Jusenkyo."
'That's it? That's the big secret? I don't see what the big deal is. So
Ryoga's cursed? Why is everyone making such a big deal out of this?"
There was a long pause. Akane was starting to worry. Eventually she asked
one more question.
"What does Ryoga turn into?"
Nabiki started biting her lip. Once more, she was just a little hesitant to
spit this out.
"Well?" Akane was getting impatient.
"He turns into.....he turns into a pig, Akane."
Akane's eyebrows raised. "A pig? So, what's the big deal with that?"
Nabiki sighed. Akane could be so dense sometimes, and it's Kasumi who unjustly
gets that rap. "He turns into the cutest little pig. The cutest little black
pig.
"Complete with bandanna."
Nabiki watched Akane's face with concern. It took a moment, but soon she saw
the gears begin to work inside Akane's brain. Slowly Nabiki noticed another
change in Akane's face. It was changing into pure fury. Even worse than she
ever saw it whenever Ranma was involved.
"Ryoga....that.....that....that...."
Everyone took a number of steps back, except for Soun who was already crouched
in a corner. The aura around Akane began to glow and it glowed hot. Kasumi
could swear she could feel the temperature rise ten degrees.
".....that....that....BASTARD!!!"
A blinding light surrounded Akane, and before you know it...
Well, it's well known that Ranma has a ki blast based on confidence. And
Ryoga, he has one based on depression.
It that one moment, Akane found a powerful blast all her own. The blast
charred a major portion of the Tendo living room. It was a blast based on
pure righteous anger. Akane was in no mood at the moment to come up with a
fancy name for her new attack. Maybe later. Right now, all Akane could think
about....
"He used me! He used his curse to get close to me and to....."
Akane began to take long, deep breaths. "And you knew, all of you knew! And
you all let him...."
Akane turned to her father. "Daddy, how could you? You let a boy sleep in my
bed! You let him see me get undressed!"
Akane gasped as if realizing something. "Ranma, he knew too, didn't he?"
Soun simply nodded. Right now he was incapable of a more detailed answer.
"He knew and...he tried to keep Ryoga away from me. That's why he never got
along with P-Chan! That's why he was always calling Ryoga 'P-Chan'.
"That's why...." Akane gasped. "That first night that I took P-Chan into my
bed with me. That's why Ranma came into my room. He wasn't trying to do
anything perverted, he was trying to protect me from that pervert!"
Her anger flushed out of her, Akane found herself filled with sorrow. Dropping
to her knees, she began to sob. Slowly some words came to her.
"All the time, I gave Ranma grief for picking on P-Chan. I always yelled at
him for 'picking on poor Ryoga'. I treated Ranma like a pervert and Ryoga
like a perfect gentleman, and all along...."
"Oh, Ranma, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't understand. I didn't
understand."
Akane got off her knees, and approached her father. "Why, Father, why did you
keep it a secret from me? Why didn't you tell me?"
Soun looked up at Akane and stopped crying for a moment. "I could see how
Ranma was acting. I could tell he cared for you by the way he was protecting
you from him. I figured that by letting Ranma handle this, it would help bring
the two of you together."
"Father..." Akane shook her head in disbelief. "It didn't help bring us
together. If anything, it hurt. A lot. I could understand the way he acted
with the other girls, I knew he really didn't care for them, except as
friends. He just didn't want to hurt them, and he wasn't comfortable enough
to break things off gently. Like one could break up with Shampoo or Kodachi
gently.
"But I could never understand the way he acted with P-Chan or with Ryoga. The
way he was always picking on P-Chan made me think a lot of bad things about
him. And I could never understand why he was always so hostile towards Ryoga.
"And Ryoga, he sure didn't help. As P-Chan, he heard all my secrets. And as
Ryoga, he used them against me, to try to poison my relationship with Ranma.
And it worked, Father, it worked. I trusted Ryoga so much, I believed all the
horrible things he would tell me about Ranma.
"When I see that perverted little pig again. I'll....I'll..."
Akane paused for a second before finishing her thought. "All of a sudden, I've
got a hankering' for the great taste of bacon."
Kasumi felt worried for Ryoga. She hated what the boy had been doing, but she
wasn't sure she wanted to see him suffer from whatever Akane ends up cooking
up for him. Especially, if it's cooking him. If the Eternal Lost Boy was
smart, he'll stay lost. For good.
"Akane, I'm so sorry. I'm a bad father, I'm so sorry." Soun's tear ducts once
again worked overtime.
"You can say that again." Nabiki, like Kasumi, was close to her breaking
point. "Not just with Ryoga, but with that little freak too! How could you
let him stay here, knowing him like you do?"
Soun looked up. "The Master? He's just too powerful. I wanted to get rid of
him, but there's no way I could...."
"Daddy!" Nabiki couldn't take another word. "It just wasn't that! You always
cow-towed to him, always apologized to him for things that no right thinking
person should ever apologize for!
"You gave him the go-ahead to do anything he wanted to the four of us, Ranma
included! You and that sick panda just turned your backs whenever he
threatened us!"
Genma came to Soun's side, and his defense. "Now Nabiki, The Master is just
too strong for us. If we could deal with him, we would. It's best to try to
appease him, so he doesn't get too upset. Ranma never understood that..."
*THWAP* In one second, maybe quicker, Nabiki's hand exploded upon
Genma's face.
"What was that for?" Genma asked.
"Do you have any idea the kinds of hell that perverted little freak put us
through? Do you?"
"A little glomping here and there, a little discomforting I admit, but
nothing to get worked up over....."
*THWAP*
Genma was stunned. Twice, Nabiki had managed to hit him. Twice, this girl had
gotten her attack through to him, and twice he could no nothing to stop it.
"A little glomping? That's all you think went on?"
Soun came over, ashen faced from Nabiki's words. "Nabiki, we hated what was
going on as much as the rest of you, but there was really nothing we could
have done to stop...."
*THWAP* Same hand, different target. Soun stood there, stunned from too
much happening in too short of a time.
"That pervert terrorized us, Daddy! He glomped us, yes, but he didn't stop at
that. Some of things he did to us when you weren't paying attention..."
Soun's mouth opened in abject horror. "Nabiki, no. Please tell me he didn't.."
Nabiki shook her head. "It never went THAT far, fortunately. But he did plenty
of things I'd rather not talk about.
"And the ONLY reason he never went that far was because of Ranma. Because
Ranma did what you two should have been doing. He protected us, Daddy. He
fought tooth and nail to keep that pervert away from us."
Soun's mouth opened, and began to move. But all that came out was silence.
"What did you want from us, Nabiki? How could we possibly go against The
Master? The true martial artist knows when he's overmatched. It is best to
avoid such a battle, in order to fight again some other..."
Nabiki's right hand flew out, aimed at Genma's face. This time, he caught it
before it reached it's destination. Unfortunately for him, he didn't notice
Nabiki's left hand....
*THWAP*
"Will you stop doing that?"
Nabiki's eyes burned with contempt. "Only when you stop giving me reasons to
do it."
Genma huffed. 'What are you talking about, girl?"
Nabiki clenched her teeth, and asked one simple question. "What is the sworn
duty of a true martial artist?"
Genma stared at Nabiki before answering. "To protect the weak."
Nabiki nodded her head in assent. "Then wasn't it your SWORN DUTY to protect
us, and the other girls and women of this neighborhood?"
"Bah, of course, But we could protect everyone better by keeping The Master
content. Riling him up would only make matters worse. Ranma fought him, as
you said. And how many times did all of us suffer because Ranma irritated
him?"
"And he is just too powerful!" Soun added his own words to the discussion. "A
true martial artist knows when he's outmatched."
Nabiki took a deep breath. "It is the sworn duty of a true martial artist to
protect the weak. Period, end of story. Nowhere does it say it is the sworn
duty to protect the weak against an easy enemy.
"A true martial artist doesn't fight a foe just because they can beat them.
No, a true martial artist does not pick his battles based on the strength of
the opponent. A true martial artist fights a battle because the battle is
important to win. Because there is a purpose, a need for the battle to be
fought."
Nabiki paused for a second, catching her breath. "That is the very basis of
honor, you two. Honor means you fight for something that deserves to be
fought for. If means you fight, even if you're outmatched and outgunned.
"How many fights has Ranma fought where it seemed he was outmatched? Against
Happosai, against Cologne, against Ryoga, against Taro, and so many others.
But did he stop and not do battle? Did he give up, and admit he couldn't
handle it? No, the battles were important, and rather than give up, he focused
on what needed to be done, and won battles no one though he could possibly
win."
Nabiki looked over at the two practitioners of Anything Goes Martial Arts.
"The point is, dealing with Happosai and keeping away from us was and is an
important battle. Before, Ranma dealt with him. Now Ranma is gone. What do
you think is going to happen once Happosai comes here and sees that the one
obstacle to him having his own way around here is gone?
"The Master is your responsibility. He always was. It was cowardly for the
two of you to drop him in Ranma's lap like you did. Now if you have any honor
at all, if the two of you really believe that you follow the path of the
warrior, then figure out a way to get rid of the freak once and for all. Or I
guarantee you this, Ranma will not be the last to leave this house."
Soun and Genma looked out and saw all Akane and Kasumi standing behind Nabiki
as she finished her rant. The looks in both of their eyes told them that
Nabiki wasn't making a idle threat.
"The three of you wouldn't leave me, would you?" Soun was too stunned to even
start crying. "Where would you go, what would you do?"
Kasumi answered for all three. "I don't know where we'd go, Father. Just away
from here. Away from him." Both Akane and Nabiki nodded, backing up Kasumi's
statement.
Kasumi turned, and headed for the stairs. "It has been a long day. We all need
a bit of a rest. I'm heading upstairs. If anyone else has anymore to say, say
it now."
No one said a word, the events of the afternoon had simply worn everyone out.
Without a word, the Tendo sisters all headed upstairs. Soun and Genma went
over to the shoji board, and sat in contemplation. They had a lot to think
about.
****************************************************
Nodoka looked sternly at her charge. She knew the young girl had some
problems, and could be stubborn about them, but there were certain things
that had to be cleared up. Now.
"Dear, we need to sit down and have a little talk."
Ranko looked sheepishly at her mother. She thought she had a good idea of what
was about to come. One of the things that bothered her most about coming to
live with her mother was that she was sure that her mother would force her to
act more like a 'girl'. Ranko had hoped to put this off as long as possible,
but she knew where her mother stood on how young girls should act.
"Yes, Auntie?"
Nodoka took a seat on the guest bed, and motioned Ranko to follow suit. Trying
not to show her fear, Ranko found a chair in the room, and proceeded to make
use of it. Pulling it closer to her mother, Ranko nervously sat, preparing
herself for the worst.
"Ranko, dear, I know young girls of today are different from when I was
growing up. But it is high time for you to outgrow your tomboy phase, and
start acting like a proper young lady."
"But, Auntie...."
Nodoka held out her hand, quickly silencing the red headed girl. "I don't
expect you to change overnight, dear." Ranko inwardly flinched at her
mother's choice of words. "But there are some things that must change, and
change now. Do you understand?"
Ranko looked at her mother curiously. "What things do you mean, Auntie?"
Nodoka reached over to one of the items she unpacked from Ranko's bag. Picking
it up gingerly, she held it between her and Ranko and simply asked, "Boxers,
dear?"
Ranko gulped. She should not have let her mother help her unpack. Once again,
her folly was coming back to haunt her.
"Err, I just find them more comfortable, Auntie. I just don't feel so
constricted wearing them.":
Nodoka gave Ranko a glare that made the young girl shutter. "Not only did I
not see a single panty, dear, but no bras as well. And don't tell me about
comfort. Someone as 'healthy' as you needs the proper support the bra gives
you."
Nodoka noticed a blush creep across Ranko's face at this comment. She also
noticed a quick look of something else in the young girl's eyes. It seemed to
Nodoka like pride. Good, she thought to herself, she's proud of way she looks.
Perhaps there is hope after all.
"Dear," Nodoka continued, "girls wear bras and panties out of necessity.
Boxers are fine for boys, they don't have the same problems we women have."
Ranko's eyes shot up. "What do you mean, Auntie?"
Nodoka sighed. "I'm talking about the support the panties give you for hygiene
purposes."
"Hygiene????" Ranko was now completely lost.
Nodoka replied, "Of course, dear. Come to think of it, I didn't notice any
hygiene items among your things, perhaps you left them with your cousins?"
"Huh? I don't know what you're talkin' about." Ranko's eyes were glazed
over.
Nodoka shook her head in confusion. "You know, for when you....."
****************************************************
That's odd, Akane thought to herself as she sat in her bedroom. I thought I
could hear someone screaming for a second. She shrugged her shoulders and
returned to her thoughts.
Yes, Akane told herself, she and Ranma could work it out. Akane didn't care
what Kasumi thought, she knew she could keep control. She mused that now that
she knew everything, now that she understood why Ranma was acting the way he
was most of the time, they could work it out.
Akane lay down on her bed. She wasn't really tired, but it helped relax her,
helped her think. When Ranma first came here, Akane remembered, she felt
something special about the red haired girl who seemed so shy at first. She
felt a closeness she never felt, even with her friends at Furinkan. And then..
Akane shook her head to herself. Then she walked in on him in the bath. It
wasn't really Ranma's fault, he did leave the occupied sign out. Akane had
long realized that she was as much to blame for what happened that day as
Ranma was.
No, Akane told herself, it's time to stop the childish spats. It's time the
two of us grew up. Both of us. Akane looked around for something to hold, and
found a stuffed pig that Ryoga had once given her. It was to remind her of
P-Chan when he was gone. Part of her wanted to tear that stuffed animal into
little pieces. Another part of her wanted to hold it, to find comfort from it.
It was the latter part of her that won this day. Taking the animal into her
arms, she squeezed it as hard as she could without doing any damage. It's just
a stuffed toy, Akane realized. The real pervert is out there. That's who would
get the stuffing knocked out of him. Not this innocent little toy.
Grasping the animal almost as if she were grasping for her life, Akane started
to rock back and forth on her bed, the tears falling hard. Only one word would
escape her lips for the rest of the night, no matter if she was awake or in a
restless sleep.
"Ranma......."
****************************************************
Ranko began to hyperventilate. Her eyes got wide, and her face was as white
as a lazy child's drawing of a cow eating grass in a pasture.
"Ahhh, ahhhh, ahhh....you mean girls.....ahhhh, ahhh, ahhh." The words just
would not come out.
Nodoka was in shock. Ranko was acting like she had never.... but that couldn't
be right, Nodoka told herself. The child is certainly well past the normal
age, and surely someone must have told her about this before.
Collecting her own thoughts before trying to calm the young girl down, Nodoka
took one of the deepest breaths she had ever taken (not counting her son's
birth, of course).
'Dear, calm down. Everything is going to be all right."
"All right?" Ranko slowly tried to catch her breath. "How can you say that
everything is going to be all right. You're saying that I'm going to....down
there.....every month....that's disgusting!"
Nodoka had to calm Ranko down. Taking her by the hands, Nodoka looked her
straight in the eyes, and gave her a look of warmth, of love. "Dear, I won't
lie to you. Yes, it's disgusting. It's messy. It's a pain in the neck."
Ranko shook her head at that. "Neck? A pain in the neck I could take. But
this..."
Nodoka brought her right hand up to Ranko's face, softly caressing it. "Dear,
this is a normal part of being a woman. It's just a normal function of your
body. There are other things your body does that could be seen as just as
gross as this, but you deal with it because it's normal."
"But....but...." Ranko was still beyond rational thought. "A normal part of
being a woman? But why?"
Saotome Nodoka looked at her guest in wonder. She just couldn't believe that
a girl this old could be so clueless about her own body. Well, the girl needed
to know, and it was best to get it all out now. Hopefully, she'll be able to
stay calm through this...
"Well, dear, it all has to do with the differences between men and women..."
****************************************************
Tendo Soun and Saotome Genma were sitting at the shoji board, but no game was
being played. Each was in deep thought, thinking hard about what had happened,
and more importantly, what to do now.
Soun looked over to his old friend and asked, "So, Saotome, any ideas on what
we should do?"
Genma nodded with a thoughtful purpose. "Yes, Tendo, I've thought it over, and
I don't see any other way."
Curious at what his friend had decided, Soun asked, "So, are you going to your
wife's home to retrieve Ranma?"
Genma shook his head. "No, that won't work for a number of reasons."
Soun was ready to ask what that meant, when Genma continued. "If Nodoka were
to see me, it would be all over for both Ranma and me. I can't go as a panda,
the neighborhood here has gotten used to seeing my panda form around, but I
would draw too much attention over there."
Genma paused, and crossed his arms before him. "Worse of all, there's Ranma.
He's stubborn, and he's not going to change his mind about this easily. Even
if I could get him away from her, he's become too strong for me to keep him
from going back. He's my son, I just can't keep him locked up for who knows
how long."
Soun nodded in understanding. "Yes, plus he's gotten too strong. It's unlikely he
could be locked up for very long. So, what are you doing to do?"
Genma's eyes narrowed. "It's this damn curse that's the cause of all of our
problems. If it wasn't for this curse, he could be with his mother as a man,
not as a girl."
You mean it's the fault of that stupid promise you made your wife all those
years ago, Soun thought to himself, knowing better that to say such words
aloud. Soun knew Genma was totally blind to his own faults and follies.
"Yes, the best chance I have, the only chance to get my son back is to find a
cure." Genma stood up, and spoke with purpose, as if he were a king making a
grand proclamation. And of course, in his own eyes, he was. "In the morning I
will leave for China. I swear I will not rest until I can find a cure for
Ranma, and reunite him with his mother as a man!"
Soun rose up and slapped his old friend of the back. "Wise plan, Saotome. I
will look forward to your return. And when young Ranma is cured, then there
will be no reason why he and Akane can't be married, and take over the
dojo."
Plus, Soun told himself, it will be good to get Genma out of here for awhile.
He is my closest friend, but ever since he arrived, life here has been too
chaotic. It will be nice to have things return to normal for a little while.
"Come, Saotome, let's us drink to your success in finding a cure for you and
your son."
Genma began to chuckle. "Yes, Tendo, let us celebrate. Soon all will be well."
****************************************************
Nodoka smiled to herself. Ranko seemed to take this news better that the
other.
Inwardly, Ranko was once again cursing her father. Stupid old man, she
thought, spending all of that time trying to tell me what it means to be a man
among men, and never even telling me the slightest thing about this.
It wasn't that Ranko was completely clueless about...certain things. She had
picked up a little here and a little there about sex and the relationships
between men and women. Of course, she picked up such things from living off
the road, and certainly not from her father. And the nature of her curse
helped put certain concepts together. In a matter of speaking.
Ranko knew, as an abstract concept, a little. She even knew her curse could
make her a mother. The dream, that nightmare that she had on Watermelon Island
told her that. But she was completely in the dark about the details. Until
now.
'A moth....a moth....I could become, I could carry...." Though she wasn't as
frazzled as she was earlier, Ranko still had problems getting her thoughts
out.
Nodoka nodded. "Yes, dear. You can be a mother one day. You can have your own
children."
Ranko looked down and brought her right hand up to her stomach. "I could carry
a life in here."
Nodoka gleamed at this. Yes, she thought, there is hope for her. If I handle
this right, there is hope.
All of a sudden, a voice in Ranko's head spoke up. "Hey, Saotome, whatcha
doin'? You're a guy, remember, and guys don't have babies. Guys don't want to
have babies."
Nodoka frowned as Ranko shuddered, lowered her hand and began to look nervous
again. Well, Nodoka told herself, this won't be easy. The life of a mother is
often fraught with peril.
"Now, dear, you can understand now why it is necessary for you to wear the
appropriate female undergarments."
"Yes, Auntie, I guess you have a point." Ranko didn't like this turn of
events, but with what her mother just told her, she couldn't argue the point
too hard without revealing her secret, and she wasn't going to do that.
"Honestly though, I can't believe that no one talked to you about this before.
I find it hard to believe that you've never experienced a period before."
Nodoka thought for a second, then she asked, "You are a martial artist, right
dear?"
Ranko nodded. "Ummm, yeah?"
Nodoka smiled. "Perhaps that's it. I remember reading a story in the paper
about a study of female athletes. It said something about all the training
that these women do mess up their body chemistry, and affect their cycles.
That could be why you haven't menstruated yet."
Or the fact, Ranko thought to herself, that I was a boy most of my life, and I
haven't spent enough time as a girl to finish a cycle. The voice in the back
of her head added, "But if you stay a girl for your mother, you will, 'Ranko'
you will".
"Still, surely your mother talked to you about this before" Nodoka was still
amazed at Ranko's lack of knowledge about this subject.
"Well, I never really knew my mother." Just as the words escaped Ranko's lips,
she chided herself mentally. Idiot! There goes the Saotome foot in mouth
disease again, opening my mouth before thinking.
Nodoka gave Ranko a look of concern. "I'm sorry, dear, I didn't know. Is it
something you want to talk about."
Not really, Mom, Ranko told herself. Still, after opening my big mouth, I
can't really leave this hanging, can I? But what do I tell her?
Then Ranko remembered something she overhead Nabiki say once. That it is best
to hide a lie within the truth. At the time, she didn't quite understand that,
but now she had an idea.
"Well, you see, I....lost my mother when I was very young. I don't even
remember much about the time I did have with her." And that much is true,
Ranko assured herself.
Pausing for a second before continuing, Ranko added, "My father raised me by
himself, trying the best he could." Which wasn't much at all, Ranko added to
herself.
"Oh my." Upon hearing her mother say this, Ranko thought that she was back in
the Tendo home for a second. But just a second. "That must of been very hard
on both of you. I'm sure it was hard on him to raise a daughter by himself."
"Well," Ranko picked up her story, "he didn't have the slightest idea of how
to raise a daughter. And he had always wanted a son, an heir. So he raised me
as if I were his son, as though I were a boy. Once, he even enrolled me in an
all-boys school."
"You're serious?" Nodoka was beginning to think she understood her 'niece'
just a little better. At first, she had thought it was some kind of tomboy
phase, but she realized it ran much deeper. "I can't believe he would do such
a thing to his own daughter. Why, I need to have a few words...."
You and me both, Mom, Ranko thought before interrupting her mother. "That's
not possible." For one, Ranko thought, you'll never catch him. Ranko then
paused for dramatic effect.
"What happened, dear?" Nodoka was saddened by the events that had occurred
in this young child's life. Yes, she would do everything in her power to
assure this girl a normal life. She would do everything to make up for damage
that was done.
"We went on a trip and...." A tear began to form at Ranko's eye. Damn, I have
been hanging around Nabiki too much. I'm getting too good at this kind of
thing. "And he fell into a pool....and he didn't come..." Ranko stopped,
leaving the thought unfinished. And technically, the story was true. Her
father did fall into a pool. He didn't come out of the pool , but a panda did.
Nodoka was close to tears herself now. Getting off the bed, she went over and
hugged Ranko, giving her comfort. Ranko felt nice and warm inside. This is
what it's like, she thought to herself. This is what it's like to have someone
give you love. Why didn't I do this sooner, Ranko asked herself.
After a moment, Ranko continued. "After that, I went to live with Akane and
her family. They were really uncomfortable with having me live there, but
Uncle Tendo once made an arrangement with my father in case... so I stayed
with them as a matter of family honor."
Stroking the hair on the young girl resting in her arms, Nodoka wondered, "Are
you sure about that? They seemed to like you well enough, Ranko. Akane
especially. The two of you seemed so close to me."
Ranko shook her head. "You never saw the way Akane acted towards me when you
weren't around. We constantly argued, and Akane took out all of her
frustrations on me, being the stranger in the house."
Ranko sighed, and looked to the floor in sadness. "I so wanted to be her....
friend. For awhile we got along okay, but then Ranma and his father showed up,
and the strain between us went deeper. I think she was kind of jealous because
Ranma and I got along so well, sorta like brother and sister."
Okay, Ranko stopped herself, that's stretching it. But looking up at her
mother's face, it seemed to work.
Nodoka was saddened by this news. Now she understood on why Ranko seemed so
lonely when she was with a nice family. Well, she would not make that same
mistake. Nodoka would treat Ranko with the love and caring she deserves. Other
ideas began to come to her. If Ranko and the Tendos really didn't get along
that well, then perhaps...
"Dear, I'll be right back. I want to make a phone call. I'll be back in case
you want to talk to me about this some more, okay?"
Ranko nodded and gave her mother a small smile. This brought joy to Nodoka.
This child has such a sweet personality, she told herself, and that smile...
How could anyone not get along with this girl.
Before leaving the bedroom, Nodoka turned around and looked at Ranko once
more. She wanted to be sure the child would be all right. The girl had just
shared some very personal pains, and she didn't want to leave her alone too
long. But she had to make this call...
A neat and organized woman, Nodoka had all the phone numbers of her friends
neatly catalogued by the phone. Finding the one she wanted, she dialed the
number.
"Yamamoto residence."
Speaking into the phone, Nodoka responded, "Naoko, this is Saotome Nodoka."
"Nodoka?" came the reply from the receiver. "How nice to hear from you. How
are you doing?"
"I am doing well, Naoko. I called because I have a favor to ask of you."
"What do you need, my friend?"
"Remember the young girl I told you about? The one that was staying with the
old friends of my husband."
"Yes, I remember. Ranko, her name is, right?"
"That's right. Well, she's here with me now. She left the Tendo's and she
wants to stay with me."
"I see. Well, what can I do to help you?"
Nodoka paused for a second. "Well, I would like to have her get a complete
physical as soon as possible. Is there any way I can get her to come see you
soon.. I know you must be booked solid, but I'd like to get this taken care of
as soon as I can."
Nodoka heard her friend, who was also her doctor pause for a second.
"Normally, Nodoka, it would be awhile until I could schedule her in, barring
an emergency of course. But you're in luck, I had a cancellation for tomorrow
and I could fit her in at, say 9:30 in the morning?"
"That would be perfect, Naoko!" Nodoka was pleased, this was working out
splendidly.
There was another pause. "Is there a reason in particular you want to do this
so quickly? What's wrong with her?"
Nodoka frowned. "It's nothing I want to talk about on the phone. It may not be
anything, but I want to be sure. I'll talk to you tomorrow, before you see
her, okay?"
"I understand."
"Thank you, my friend. Now I must go. I don't want to leave her alone longer
than I need to.
"All right. I will see you tomorrow then."
"Until then."
Finishing her call, Nodoka hung up the phone and went back to Ranko. Tomorrow,
she would have her examined. Then she would take her shopping, so she could
have some proper clothes. And then...well, we'll take this one step at a time.
Nodoka knew she still had the Tendos to deal with, and she wasn't sure on how
that was going to go.
****************************************************
The young woman sat alone in her room, close to tears. She looked over at a
mirror, and was shocked at how ragged she looked. This was new to her.
Normally, she was the one who kept control, the one who didn't let the world
see how she was feeling. Right now, she wasn't sure if she gave a damn if the
world saw her or not. Certain people, however..
A knock came at the door. Not sure if she wanted this person to see her this
way, she tried to compose herself before answering. She wasn't entirely
successful.
"Yes? Who's there?"
The voice came from the other side of the door. "It's me. Can I come in? I
would like to talk to you about Ranma."
Well, the girl thought to herself, it could be worse. Just how, she wasn't
sure. She checked her face and straightened out her clothes before she gave
permission for her sister to enter her room.
Kasumi walked in and looked at her younger sister. It was obvious to Kasumi
just how hard she took this. Her face was tear stained, her clothes, usually
her clothes would not dare get a wrinkle in the wrong place, but now
everything looked so disheveled.
"Nabiki, are you okay?" Kasumi had not seen her sister this bad in quite some
time. Seeing this was almost as much of a shock as what had happened earlier
that day.
"Frankly, no, I'm not." Nabiki spat her words out, as if they were shot from a
cannon. "Or maybe I'm better than I've been for some time. I'm not sure
which."
Kasumi went over to the bed, and put her arms around Nabiki. She looked at her
carefully, she could see something in her eyes that has been missing for
awhile. This surprised her, she expected Akane to react badly to this, but
Nabiki? Kasumi kept quiet, waiting for Nabiki to open up to her.
"You were right, Kasumi, you were right." Nabiki finally spoke, in a low tone.
The words came slowly, but they came. "I did take pleasure in making him
suffer. I....just couldn't help myself. I thought I got over that, I thought I
was okay with it, but...."
"What do you mean, Nabiki? I don't quite understand."
Nabiki smiled at this. She knew her older sister knew more about the goings
on than she had let on, but obviously she didn't know everything.
"Ever since Mom died I....." Nabiki couldn't finish her, thought as tears
formed in her eyes from thinking about her mother.
"Damn, even after all this time, even after the sessions, I still have trouble
taking about her, I still can't...."
"Sessions?" Kasumi was not totally confused, completely unaware of what
Nabiki was talking about.
Nabiki looked over to her sisters face, and smiled. Kasumi was stunned, this
was not the normal smug look of her sister, it was not the normal 'cat
playing with a mouse' smile that she sometimes sees on that face. No, this
smile was almost a reflection of the one she saw in herself. One of warmth,
and love.
"When Mom died, I changed. Hell, we all changed, didn't we? Before, I was
such a emotional child, I know it was a long time ago, but you remember, right
Sis?"
Kasumi nodded. She was just nine at the time, but she still remembered how her
family was then, and how they all changed.
"After she died, I couldn't deal with my emotions anymore, so I just tried to
lock them away, deep inside. I became Tendo Nabiki, Ice Queen. I never let
anyone or anything touch me."
A sob escaped from Nabiki. "At first, it was fine. My emotions were buried
deep, and I felt like nothing could ever hurt me. But as I got older...
"Soon, I became trapped. Eventually I wanted more from life, and I was
trapped. When you mentioned on how Ranma had no friends, I could understand
where he was coming from, because that's me as well, Oh, I have 'lackeys',
I have customers, I have victims. But me, Tendo Nabiki, I have no friends.
If I was in trouble, would anyone, outside of my family, come to my aid? Or
would everyone sit back and laugh, saying it serves the bitch right."
A quiet sob escaped Nabiki's lips. "In time, I knew I was trapped. I knew I
needed friends, I needed someone to....love me. But my role was already set,
I couldn't change myself, and everybody had their opinions of me set in stone.
But then, out of the blue, I saw a way out....
"Remember when Father first told us about Ranma? Remember that I was the only
one that was excited about the prospect of having a fiancee? You know why?
Because here was someone who didn't know me, someone who didn't know about
Tendo Nabiki, Ice Queen. I thought, this is my chance, I can start fresh with
Ranma, and maybe I can have someone who didn't see me as a super-bitch."
Nabiki sniffled, and continued. "And then I blew it. When Ranma came to us in
his girl form, I treated her like dirt, and it was Akane, Akane who hated
boys, but had nearly every boy at Furinkan lusting after her who befriended
Ranma.
"I had my chance, and I blew it. So I took it out on Ranma. I looked down on
him, seeing him as an arrogant, macho jerk, and I took pleasure in taking him
down a step or two. And then...."
Kasumi's arm came around and embraced her sister. She glanced down at her
sister's face and finished her sister's thought. "You fell in love with him,
didn't you?"
Nabiki nodded and sobbed. She wasn't too surprised that her sister could tell.
As she thought before, Kasumi was far more observant that anyone gave her
credit for.
"Yes, he is arrogant and macho, but he is also kind and selfless. I've seen
him put himself in one embarrassing position after another just to help
someone. Even me. Even Ryoga. Hell, even Happosai.
"I saw the way he always protected Akane. And I wanted, oh Kami I wanted him
to always protect me the same way he protected her."
A small smile graced Nabiki's lips. "Then Akane gave him to me. She GAVE him
to me, and for a moment I was so happy! It didn't last long, but I was happy.
Because I could see she loved him, and more importantly I could see he loved
her. I knew I never had a chance, so for their sake I... I did everything I
could to get them back together. It worked, but still they refused to let
each other know how they felt.
"That was the last straw. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed help to deal
with everything I was feeling, but I was afraid to bring out into open so I..."
Kasumi gently squeezed her sister. "What? What did you do, Nabiki?"
Nabiki took a deep breath, and finished her thought. "Ever since then, I've
been seeing a therapist. Twice a week. Yet another expense for the Tendo clan
that Ranma is helping pay for. I haven't told anyone about this, and you can't
either Kasumi. The funny thing is, today I think I had what my therapist would
call a breakthrough."
Kasumi was stunned. "A therapist? YOU are seeing a therapist?"
Nabiki nodded. "A pretty good one, as a matter of fact. At first he didn't
believe me about the Jusenkyo curses, I could tell, but after a week of
sessions I started noticing a few books dealing with Jusenkyo in his library.
I liked that, he didn't totally blow off my story, and looked into it. You
know, he could probably do you some good too. Father and Akane as well."
"Me? And Akane and Father? Nabiki, you can't be serious."
Nabiki smiled, this time with a hint of mischief. "Like I said before, when
Mom died I changed. And so did you and Father and Akane. It's been ten years,
and all of us are different than what we were. Different than what we should
be.
"It's funny, you know Kasumi. When Mom died, I buried my emotions, while
Father embraced his. You used to be a forceful person, much like Akane, and
then you became docile. You denied your strength, while Akane relished in
hers. What a crazy, mixed up dysfunctional family we've got here, Kasumi. And
all this time we've gone on as though nothing was wrong."
Kasumi sat there for a moment, holding her sister tightly. Then a gleam came
into her eye, and she responded. "Perhaps that would not be a bad idea,
Nabiki. I know would like to try. It might take some time to convince Father,
and we will definitely have to tread lightly around Akane about this, but I
think you are right."
A gleam came into Nabiki's eyes. "And maybe, we can get a family discount
rate." Both sisters shared a laugh at that.
Nabiki got serious quickly. "Kasumi, you came in here to talk about Ranma, not
me. What's on your mind?"
Kasumi nodded. "What are we going to do about Ranma, Nabiki?"
Nabiki thought for a second. "If this is what Ranma really wants... then we
should support him. Her. She needs to know that she does have friends. Akane
was right about one thing, she deserves an apology. I have to tell her that."
Kasumi nodded in agreement. "That would be a good idea. It would help Ranma,
I mean Ranko, a lot to know she has our support. Perhaps you and I can go over
there in the morning and visit with her."
"What about Akane?"
Kasumi frowned at this. "She's not ready to see Ranko yet. You saw the way she
was downstairs. If she were to go to Ranko now...."
Nabiki sighed. "Yeah. But Akane's stubborn, how are we going to keep her away
from Ranma, err Ranko?"
"Let me deal with that. I'll have her promise me that she won't see Ranko
without my permission. That should buy us some time."
Nabiki looked unconvinced. "She's broken a promise to you dealing with
Ranma once, and quickly at that. What makes you think this will be any
different?"
Kasumi sighed. "I don't know. But it's the only way of keeping her away,
at least for now."
"You know, Akane is the least of our problems concerning Ranko."
"You mean Father and Uncle Saotome? I'm sure we can deal with them."
Nabiki shook her head. "No, not those two idiots. You're right, any stupid
thing they come up with, we can deal with. We just have to keep a close eye on
them. No, the real danger is elsewhere."
Kasumi wondered for a moment before understanding. "Oh, you mean them?"
Nabiki brought up her hand to support her chin, lost in deep thought. "Yeah,
them. The way I see it, there is danger from four fronts. The Kunos. Ukyo.
Pig-boy. And the Amazons. Once word of this gets out, things are going to get
messy."
Kasumi wondered, "Is there a way we could keep this from getting out?"
Nabiki shook her head in response. "Trust me on this, Kasumi. A secret this
big doesn't stay hidden very long. Especially since Ranma will not be showing
up at Furinkan, stories will start spreading like wildfire. No, we can't keep
this hidden. The best we can hope for is damage control."
Kasumi's eyes shot up in curiosity. Part of her was amazed at watching her
sister's thought processes at work. "Damage control?"
"Yep. Now the Kuno's, they won't be too hard to deal with. They are totally
clueless about Ranma's curse, so the truth has as much chance of sticking to
them as it does to Teflon. I'm sure a halfway decent cover story will work
for them. It's the others that worry me."
Nabiki continued to think. Kasumi just sat back and watched her sister try to
work her way through this. Eventually Nabiki spoke again.
"There is no getting around it, they are going to have to know the truth. And
it should be from us. If any of them hear this second hand, it will only make
things less manageable. Maybe if I tell each of them directly, I can keep
things from getting out of control." Fat chance of that, Nabiki added to
herself.
"You are going to tell them?"
"Yep. It's the best way. Now as to who gets told when....
"Ukyo's out of town right now, on restaurant business, so she will have to
wait. Ryoga, who knows when we'll see him again, not even Ryoga has a clue on
that. Of course, if he's lucky, we'll never see him again, but I don't think
luck and that boy ever went hand in hand."
Kasumi agreed, on all counts. Hopefully they could get to Ryoga before Akane
does. Elsewise.... "That leaves you with the Amazons, Nabiki. You sure you
want to do this? They can be awful hard to deal with. They are unlikely to
listen to reason."
"I agree, they are quite stubborn. Of all of them, they are the most
dangerous, in my opinion. Well, not Shampoo or Mousse. Like Ukyo and Ryoga
they have their weaknesses that can be dealt with. No, Cologne worries me the
most. She's shrewd and clever and used to getting her own way. I can't see her
as giving up on Ranma easily."
Nabiki stood up and began to pace. "Yes, the Amazons should be first. I should
talk to Cologne, directly. Tomorrow, before or after we go see Ranko. I am
going to need tonight to figure out how to do this."
Nabiki gave her sister a big grin. "Don't worry, I have a trick or two up my
sleeve, enough at least to keep them off-guard. This will work out, you have
my word."
Kasumi got up and went over to hug Nabiki. "Sometimes, I am so proud to have
you as a little sister."
Giving her best Cheshire Cat impression, Nabiki gave Kasumi the biggest smile
she could muster. "Thanks. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to be alone to
think all this through. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow, and we both
need our rest."
Kasumi headed out the door, and left Nabiki alone. Once alone, Nabiki fell
like a sack of rags into her bed. I really hope, Nabiki thought to herself,
I really hope this works out. For all of our sakes.
****************************************************
The girl frowned at herself in the mirror. The sight was beginning to make her
squirm inside.
I'm wearing a bra and panties, she told herself. I'm wearing girl's pajamas. I
can't believe Mom went over to a neighbor's house to borrow these until we
went shopping tomorrow. And she took all of my boxers and put them away.
The girl was feeling extremely uncomfortable. Why did I do this? Am I so eager
to turn my back on my manhood?
Then she remembered the feeling she got while being comforted by her mother.
That's why, Ranko told herself, that's why I did this. It has nothing to do
with being a girl, or being a guy. It's about being with my mother, about
sharing her love.
She went over and laid down in her bed. It was so unlike her futon. She could
get used to this part. There was still a part of her that was unsure about
this. But she felt that she had no choice.
Suddenly the voice in the back of her head spoke up again. "There's always a
choice, Saotome. No matter what, you always have a choice."
"Yeah, right," she told her voice. "Like I've had a choice in any of what has
gone on in my life."
"You've always had choices, even if you never wanted to admit it. You could
have told the Tendo's the truth right way, instead of waiting for Akane to
surprise you in the bath. You could have apologized to her right then and
there. You could have broken things off with Shampoo and Ukyo any number of
times, and you didn't. The reversal jewel was perfect for you, all you had to
do was nothing, and Shampoo was out of your life for good.
"You could have chosen to tell Akane the truth about Ryoga. You could have
broken off with Akane any number of times. Heck, you could have made a
fiancee choice before Kasumi and Nabiki spoke up. You've had many choices
in your life Ranma, and you've made and lived with them for good and for
bad."
"I've made some good choices, too?"
"Sure, plenty of times. And you've made plenty of bad ones. The point is,
Saotome, is even when you thought you had no choice in the matter, you
always had choices. Like now for instance."
"What do you mean?"
"The way I see it, you have four options in front of you. You can choice one
of these four.
"First, you tell your mom the truth."
"No way." Ranko wasn't ready for that. "Maybe if I had told her the truth from
the beginning, but now after all the lies...it would hurt her too much."
"Second, you can run back to the Tendo's, or maybe to China or someplace else.
You can leave here."
"No I can't" Even though she was just talking internally, the voice was
strong, forceful. ":I can feel the loneliness that lives here. Pop left Mom
all alone all those years ago, and I won't do the same thing to her. She's
lonely, she needs me, as much as I need her. Maybe even more. I can tell, I
can feel it. I won't leave her all alone ever again."
"Okay." The voice seemed sympthathic to Ranko. "I understand. Third, you can
take the occasional hot bath. You'll still live as a girl, but at least you
won't have to worry about those things your mother was telling you about
earlier."
"No." This time the response was less forceful, but had equal meaning behind
it. "When she learned I hadn't .... bled yet, she was worried. I could see the
concern in her face. If I don't soon, it's going to worry her too much, she
already thinks there's something wrong with me, I can tell. If I don't start
physically acting like a real girl, she'll start getting suspicious. No, I
have to keep away from hot water."
"You could try to trick her, maybe cut yourself and put a little blood on a
pad, there's no reason to go through that."
"I wouldn't know how much to put. I lied well to her earlier, but I'm no good at
that kind of deception. She'd see through that in no time."
"Okay, that leave's us with the fourth choice, Saotome. And that's to stay
here and live as a girl, to live as Ranko, and everything that comes with it.
Are you prepared to do that? And don't say you have no choice, because as I
just told you, you do. If you do this, it is by choice, you had better
understand that now."
Ranko paused a second before answering. "Then I choose to stay. It won't be
easy, but I need this, and so does Mom."
There was no response to that. Eventually Ranko asked. "Just who are you?"
There was a low chuckle from the back of her head. "Who do you think I am,
Saotome?"
"Are you her? The girl that died in the spring all those years ago?"
The voice started to laugh vigorously. "Is that what you think? Is that what
you really think?"
"If you aren't her, then who are you?" Ranko was getting worried now.
"Saotome, have you ever heard that one of the first signs of losing your mind
is talking to yourself?"
"Uhhh, you mean, you're......" Ranko didn't want to finish the thought.
"I don't believe that wives tale, by the way."
"You don't"
"Nope. I think the first sign of losing your mind isn't talking to yourself.
"It's having a meaningful conversation with yourself."
Ranko began to shudder. She brought her blanket up closer to her face, as if
it would comfort her.
"Don't worry, Saotome, you're not going crazy. At least not yet. And we'll
talk again. Until then, pleasant dreams."
And then there was silence in Ranko's head, as all she heard was the sounds of
the night around her. She tried to fall asleep, but it wasn't coming too easy.
Eventually, she fell asleep, and headed towards another day.
END CHAPTER TWO