The characters of the Ranma 1/2 universe are the creation and
possession of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi. They belong to
Rumiko Takahashi and her licensees (Shogakukan Inc., Kitty-Fuji
TV, Viz Communications Inc.)

No copyright infringement is intended.


=====
Chapter Four: Truth and Consequences

=====

"Even a big tomboy like you wouldn't ever understand!" Ranma's
lunchtime shout could be heard across the school yard.

"That's it!" Akane retorted, her temper well past its breaking
point. Her entire world filled with red. One well placed foot and
Ranma's vision was filled with clouds and blue sky just before
taking a high dive into the Furinkan's pool.

"Akane!" Yuka yelled as she stormed onto the scene. "Just what do
you think you're doing?!"

"He deserved it!" Akane retaliated. Though the source of her
anger was gone, she was not in the mood to deal with so-called
friends.

"I doubt that!"

"Oh please! He's been begging for that all day. I'm more
surprised I didn't nail him during class!"

"Well, considering what he's going through right now, I'm not
surprised!"

"And just what's he going through, right now?" Akane angrily shot
back. Yuka slapped both her hands over mouth as her brain finally
caught up to her mouth.

"I guess you two are getting rather cozy," Sayuri spoke up. "If
Ranma can tell you stuff he can't tell his iinazuke."

Yuka wide-eyed Sayuri, whom she hadn't noticed until just then,
and turned white as a sheet.

"So you're the one," Akane hissed, taking a step toward her
former friend.

"I can't tell, I promised," Yuka whimpered. 'How did I get myself
into this mess.'

"Fine." Akane's eyes narrowed, causing Yuka to take an
involuntary step back. "I guess I'll have to beat it out of him!"

"No please! You don't have to do that," Yuka pleaded. 'This is
getting way out of control.'

"Then talk." Akane crossed her arms over her chest.

Yuka looked between Akane and Sayuri. The look on Sayuri's face
told her she wasn't about to leave.

Just as lunch started, Yuka had watched Ranma-chan nearly take on
boy's head off when he accidentally spilled some cold water on
her. 'Ranma needed help, even if she wouldn't admit it.'

Things were becoming incredibly complicated. Yuka had promised
not to tell. She had promised because Ranma thought it would only
make things worse. Closing her eyes, Yuka tried to gather her
thoughts. She wasn't a martial artist, but she knew how much
Ranma's promises meant. If she told, she would be breaking a
trust. If she didn't, then everything Ranma hoped to achieve by
not telling would get blown to kingdom come. She knew Akane would
never get the truth from him. That would drive a deeper wedge
between the two that she was beginning to doubt could ever be
crossed. Ranma didn't want Akane to think any worse of him. By
not telling, Yuka would be implying much worse things.

"Come on, Akane," Sayuri broke into Yuka's thoughts. "She isn't
going to tell us anything."

"Wait!" Yuka held up a hand to stop them. Taking a deep breath,
Yuka decided the only thing she could do was to try to honor the
spirit of the promise, if not the promise itself. "Promise me,
you will not tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."

"We promise," Akane answered. Akane and Sayuri looked at her
expectantly.

"Remember Saturday night?" Yuka asked rhetorically. "The reason
Ranma was hiding in the bathroom wasn't because of the clothes
she brought."

=====

"Nabiki," Sayuri called out. School was just letting out.

"Yes?" Nabiki replied in one of her more playful tones. She was
very happy.

"Did Myako talk to you about the pictures she took this weekend?"

"Yes, I believe she mentioned something about them. Why do you
ask?" Nabiki smirked. "Are you interested in a print?" She asked
while patting her book bag.

"No!" Sayuri almost growled. "Of course not."

"Uh huh."

"Anyway," Sayuri started again. "I was wondering if we could talk
about reducing my debt?"

"Oh, I think I might have some time." Nabiki smiled inwardly.
Today, Myako had come to her with pictures of a Ranma-chan that
she wouldn't have recognized without being told who it was.
Today, her aid and best friend had found the first real lead to
where Dr. Tofu had moved. Now, Sayuri had come to her to pay off
her debit. 'Oh yes, this is a good day,' she thought to herself.
'And I haven't even had to do anything yet.'

=====

"I'm home!" Ranma called out. 'This is not my week,' Ranma
thought grumpily. School was out, but he hadn't returned after
his impromptu dip in the pool.

He thought back to the boy that had accidentally spilled his
drink over him. While he had always found it annoying, he hadn't
blown up like that since he first stepped out of the pool in
Jusenkyou. He was loosing it and he knew it. Yet another unwanted
surprise that he would have to learn to deal with. 'I hate this
curse,' he hissed in his thoughts.

"Oh, Ranma!" Nabiki cheerfully called out. Ranma cringed when he
heard the tone she used. It meant he was about to lose another
pocket full of money. "We need to talk."

"Uh, what about?"

"Follow me." Nabiki shot him a catty smirk while her eyes glinted
with raw hunger. Ranma shivered briefly until she turned toward
the stairs. He just knew he wasn't going to like this.

Against his better judgement, he followed. Nabiki headed straight
for her room. He hesitated at the open door. Nabiki quickly
snatched something off of her bed and threw it at him. Before he
knew it, his hands shot out and deftly caught the items.

"Change and put those on," Nabiki ordered. She picked up her
camera and began checking it.

"What?" Ranma replied more than asked. "No," he stated once he
saw what the items were.

"Why do you always have to do things the hard way?" Nabiki asked
in a teasingly rhetorical way.

"There is no way you're getting' me into this!" Ranma barked as
he held up the lacy feminine garments.

"Well, of course not," Nabiki retorted. Ranma blinked then smiled
at the perceived victory. "Those wont fit you. You'll have to
change first."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!"

"You had better hurry if you want to be through before Akane sees
you in those."

"I said there is no way you're getting' me into that, and that's
final!" Ranma turned to leave.

"Oh, I wonder if Kasumi has started dinner yet? Because I'm sure
she'd like to make something extra nice for your special day,
Ranma."

Ranma had the door open and one foot out in the hall when he
stopped. Every part of him was screaming to run and not listen to
Nabiki, but he stood rutted to his spot.

"Wha- what do you mean?" He didn't turn around.

"Why, your blooming into womanhood, of course," Nabiki cheered.
She stepped forward and scooped up the discarded unmentionables.

"Uuuhhhh," Ranma drew out. He racked his brain for a way out of
this, but he was cornered. Mentally, he cursed Yuka.

=====

"And one more," Nabiki announced just before another flash
covered Ranma-chan.

Ranma breathed a sigh of relief. It was over.

"Here, now put this on." Nabiki handed the smaller neo-girl some
white cloth.

"What?! You said that was the last one!"

"No, I said one more of what you're wearing. Now change quickly."

Ranma unfolded the said garment. It was a one piece white bathing
suit. It even looked a little more decent than what she had worn
to the beach before. She spun toward the door to go change. She
might not have been happy posing for Nabiki's pictures, but if
Nabiki wanted to lighten up, she wasn't going to give Nabiki a
change to change her mind.

"Why don't you change here?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you do want to get this over with, don't you? You're
already a girl. It isn't like you don't have anything I haven't
already seen."

Ranma hesitated.

"If you want to waste time running up and down the hall, that's
fine with me, but do you really want to risk someone seeing you
like that?"

With a sigh, Ranma turned around and draped the suit across
Nabiki's bed. She just wanted to get this over with before Akane
came home and she was already on borrowed time.

She stretched her arms behind her, trying to reach the clasp to
unhook the bra. Just as the clasp came undone, a flash went off
from the side.

"That's it!" Ranma shouted while shooting a glare at Nabiki.

"Calm down, Saotome," Nabiki smoothed. "Here, I'll even put the
camera here on my desk." She reached over and set her pride and
joy down lightly on her desk. The lens rotated slightly and a red
light blinked, but nothing more seemed to come from the camera.

Ranma looked at her uncertainly. Nabiki smiled and moved further
away from the camera. Ranma stood there for a second before just
deciding to get it over and done with.

Dropping the bra to the floor, she reached down to grab the waist
band of her panties. As she pushed them to just below her knees,
the flash went off again. She shot a quick panicked glare at the
camera, but it was still sitting harmless looking on the desk.

"Oh my! How did that happen?" Nabiki mimicked.

She looked up, but only saw the after image from Ranma's speedy
departure.

"Oh well, guess the bathing suit will have to wait till next
time."

=====

"Ranma," Kasumi inquired as the aforementioned boy walked into
the living room.

"Wha-!" Ranma exclaimed, momentarily surprised.

"Have you seen Akane?"

"Naw, haven't seen her since she kicked me outta school for no
reason," Ranma huffed. Though he was more upset about Yuka
betraying him and what just happened upstairs.

"Well, could you go look for her? Dinner is almost ready."

Ranma looked up at Kasumi, the denial all ready on his tongue. If
their fathers had heard and jumped in, it would have been easy to
protest, but turning down the elder Tendou girl was not an easy
thing to do. 'Besides,' he thought to himself. 'you don't really
wanna be here right now anyway.'

"Sure, Kasumi." Ranma turned to marched off.

"Oh, and Ranma?" Kasumi prompted.

"Yeah?"

"I have another letter.." Kasumi trailed off.

"Sure," Ranma answered with a smirk.



=============================================

kit                 http://jeruind.i8.com/
=====================================
We the unwilling, led by the unknowing,
  are doing the impossible, for the ungrateful.
We have done so much, for so long, with so little
  we are now qualified to do anything with nothing


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