Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Genmas Daughter ❯ 03 ( Chapter 2 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Imported From: RAAC
From: Deborah Goldsmith <dgoldsmith@mac.com>
Subject: [Ranma][FanFic] Genma's Daughter, Chapter 3: "This is me"

As always, all rights to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi and
Shougakukan

Genma's Daughter
Chapter 3: "This is me"

By Deborah Goldsmith
Original concept and parts of Chapter 1 by Steve Pardue

Deborah Goldsmith <dgoldsmith@mac.com>
Steve Pardue <spardue@zebra.net>

http://www.zebra.net/~spardue/anime

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ranma stepped to the sink to wash up. He was in between classes and
alone in the boy's restroom. He needed to hurry to be on time to his
next class and avoid bucket duty. As he finished washing his hands, he
looked up to the mirror and gasped. A red-haired girl was looking back
at him. He looked down, and she was indeed female. How had that
happened? The water wasn't nearly cold enough, and she had *definitely*
been male a few seconds ago.

As she was wondering she also noticed that she was wearing her Fuurinkan
High School girl's uniform. Her frown deepened. What was going on?

Suddenly the door swung open and Ranma cringed, anticipating the teasing
she would get from the boys when they saw her like this. She was
surprised to see several girls walk in. What were they doing in the
boy's room?

The girls noticed her. "You pervert! What are you doing in *our*
restroom?"

Ranma looked around. Sure enough, she seemed to be in the girl's room.
"I... I don't know..."

The girls began to grow angry. "You don't belong in here! You're not a
real girl!"

Ranma began to cry. "But... but I *am* a real girl!" Had she really
meant to say that? Why was she crying?

"No you're not! You're just a sick pervert! Get out!"

Ranma ran crying from the girl's room, and her schoolmates lined the
hallways. They were all taunting "Pervert, pervert!" as she ran, not
caring where she was going. Suddenly the bell began to ring signaling
the next period; Ranma's tormentors disappeared as the world began to
melt and shift, and the ringing of the school bell became his alarm
clock.

Ranma sighed and turned over on his futon, switching off his alarm. The
tears from his dream appeared to be real enough; he wiped his eyes. He
was not looking forward to school today.

None of the Tendou sisters commented on the slight redness about Ranma's
eyes when he came down to breakfast. Ranma ate mechanically, shoveling
his food in, not really paying attention. In due course, he and Akane
were off to Fuurinkan, Nabiki having left a few minutes earlier.

Ranma walked on the sidewalk, next to Akane, rather then on the fence as
he usually did. He wanted to stay closer to her than he usually was.
Besides, the fence was for Saotome Ranma, man amongst men, the great
martial artist. Ranma wasn't quite sure who he was these days, but
didn't feel much like *that* Ranma.

Akane noticed Ranma's quiet and pensive air as they walked to school,
and decided to leave him to his thoughts. He had a lot to think about.
Instead of trying to engage him in conversation, she just kept an eye on
him as they walked, and smiled when he glanced her way.

In plenty of time (for there had been no arguments to slow them down)
they approached Fuurinkan. As they passed through the gates, they both
winced; Kunou was waiting for them.

He stepped forward, bokken raised. "Saotome! Where is the pigtailed
girl? What unspeakable things have you done to her?"

Akane expected Ranma's usual response, namely to pound Kunou into the
dirt. Instead, Ranma had a stricken, hurt look on his face. His mouth
moved, but for a while, no sounds came out. Finally, he managed "I...
I... I d-didn't know... I'm sorry..." Akane drew her breath in sharply;
Kunou had unwittingly hit Ranma in a place that was very sensitive right
now.

"So! You finally admit to your malfeasance! Release her so that she may
be mine!"

Ranma's hurt expression turned to white-hot fury in an instant. "She
HATES YOU! Leave her alone! SHE HATES YOU!" Ranma's eyes started to
shimmer.

Kunou smirked. "I will pledge my own troth to the fire-haired maiden,
and we shall see what her fancy might be! It is none of your affair,
peasant! I shall smite thee!" He charged forward.

Ranma sprang to respond, but Akane gasped as she noticed that his form
was off. Ranma always kept his cool in a battle; now, he was so blinded
by fury he was being very sloppy, leaving gaping holes in his defense.
Just as he always says I do, she thought. Akane dropped her books and
charged into the fight.

Kunou had been just about to catch Ranma in the side with his bokken
when it was knocked out of the way by Akane's feet, which continued on
to connect with his face. He went flying backwards and landed dazed, but
still conscious. He slowly sat up. Ranma was breathing heavily and
trying to get control of himself; he still looked enraged.

Akane took his arm gently and said, "Come on, Ranma, we need to get to
class. Come on... don't let a moron like Kunou get to you."

Ranma's eyes focused, and he nodded his head, took a deep breath, and
seemed to calm down. He looked at Akane, confused. "Why... why did you
jump in? I... I can defend myself..." Why ain't I gettin' angry at her?

"Ranma, you always tell me I get too angry and leave myself wide open.
That's what you were doing just now. Kunou was about to get you in the
side with his bokken -- hard." She looked stern. "Would you rather I let
you get hurt, break a rib, maybe? I didn't want to see that happen."

He didn't know why, but Ranma's ego refused to anger him as it always
did when Akane interfered in one of his fights. In the past, he had felt
humiliated, embarrassed, and angry when someone interfered, especially a
girl. He had always felt driven to prove himself, to take on any and all
challenges, and it had felt like a slap in the face to him to have
someone else fight his battles. Why don't I care any more? He considered
her words. "Th-thanks, Akane..."

She smiled. "You're welcome." She picked up her books, and the two
continued on their way.

Kunou shook his head to clear it. He saw Ranma and Akane moving off.
"Fair Akane! Why do you protect the foul sorcerer Saotome, when he has
wronged you so?"

A second later, Akane was in his face, looking angrier than he had ever
seen her before. She was shouting at him. "Kunou, get this through that
damn thick skull of yours. *Leave* *Ranma* *alone*! Do you understand?
Ranma is off limits. You leave her alone! Touch her and you'll be sorry
you were ever born!" Kunou's mouth hung open.

Akane walked over to Ranma and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him after
her into the building.

From where they were watching at the second floor hallway window, one of
Nabiki's classmates turned to her. "Nabiki, what is going on here? Why
did Akane fight to protect Ranma? Why didn't he get angry? Why did she
call Ranma 'her'?"

Nabiki merely raised an eyebrow in response.

Her classmate fumed. "All right, how much is it going to cost to find
out?"

Nabiki quirked her mouth. "If you have to ask, you can't afford it." She
walked off. Her classmates stared after her in slack-jawed amazement.

*****

Ranma's thoughts were going in circles as he sat in English class. No
matter how many times he thought about things, it always came down to
the same conclusion: he couldn't go forward and he couldn't go back. He
just wished he could get this out of his head for even a moment, just to
have a break. Sensei's droning caught his attention, and finally he saw
an escape: maybe, if he paid attention to the teacher, he could forget
about his troubles for a while! He sat up in his chair and began to
follow the lesson.

Ukyou hadn't seen the fight with Kunou that morning, but the school was
buzzing about it. She kept an eye on Ranma and Akane throughout their
classes, and was surprised to see Ranma paying attention, and Akane
surreptitiously glancing his way every few minutes, concern on her face.
She resolved to corner them at lunch.

Ukyou was not the only one interested in the affairs of Fuurinkan's most
famous couple, and by lunchtime the gossip about the fight with Kunou
and the altered behavior between Ranma and Akane was all over the
school. Did this mean they were finally going to get married? Why did
Ranma seem so distant, so unlike his usual self? Why wasn't Nabiki
selling the answers? Eyes in the cafeteria glanced furtively in her
direction as she sat eating her lunch.

Nabiki was working on her dessert when Kunou walked up. She sighed.

"Tendou Nabiki, why does the fair Akane protect the foul sorcerer
Saotome, and speak of him in such a curious fashion? I would know." He
offered her a wad of bills.

Nabiki was surprised to find herself becoming irritated. She always kept
her cool in business transactions, even when they involved family. What
was going on here? Maybe... maybe when someone in her family was
hurting... hurting badly, it was different.

She shrugged. "Not interested."

Kunou was taken aback, and took out a second wad of bills. "I insist. I
must know."

Nabiki eyed the proffered yen for a long time. Finally she spoke. "I
will tell you in five weeks, after summer vacation. No sooner." She took
a single 5000 yen note from the thick wad of cash. "This is a deposit.
You can pay the rest when I tell you." Kunou looked surprised, but bowed
stiffly and walked off.

Nabiki sighed again. This was just the first day. What would things be
like by the end of the week?

*****

Ranma and Akane sat eating their lunch on the grass in the cool shade of
a large tree. They tried to ignore the whispers of the other students,
and the furtive glances being sent their way. They both sat with their
backs to the tree, next to each other, almost touching. Ranma found it a
great comfort to have Akane close by. They didn't say much, but didn't
need to.

As they finished eating, Ukyou walked up. Akane sighed, and Ranma looked
troubled. Ukyou spoke. "Ranchan, what's going on with you two?
Everyone's noticed how different you're acting." She crossed her arms
and looked irritated. "If you've finally come to a decision about your
fiancees, don't I deserve to know what it is?"

Ukyou felt her heart falling when she saw Ranma's face turn crimson and
his eyes fall. So, it was true; he'd finally chosen Akane. She hoped
desperately that she was wrong, but things were not looking good for
her. She spoke again. "Well?"

Ranma opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He looked
horribly embarrassed. How typical, thought Ukyou. He can't even tell me.
She was shocked when Akane reached out a hand to touch Ranma on the arm;
were they already so familiar? Her heart fell further.

"Ranma... we're going to have to tell her. She deserves to know, doesn't
she?" Ranma nodded shakily. She became angry as she saw the fear on his
face. The coward! He didn't even have the guts to tell her without Akane
pushing him.

Akane turned back to Ukyou. "Can we... can we stop by Ucchan's tonight,
after you close? We... we have a lot to talk about, and I don't want to
cut into your business hours. Ranma and I could sure use your help."

Ukyou's head came up suddenly. Was the situation different than she had
thought? She noticed the hopeful look in Ranma's eyes as he looked at
her, and noticed the despair there too. Was... was Ranma sick? Seriously
ill? Was that why Akane was being so protective? Oh, Kami-sama, was he
going to die? She had to find out.

"I... I don't mind losing a couple of hours of business. It won't be the
first time I've closed the shop. Business doesn't really pick up until
dinnertime anyway. Could... could you guys come over right after school?
I... I don't think I can wait until tonight."

Akane smiled, and Ranma managed a tiny smile of his own. "Sure, Ukyou.
We need to stop by home first, to pick up some... uh, things we need."

Things? Ukyou thought. "Uh, sure. I'll see you after that." Akane and
Ranma both nodded. Ukyou turned and walked away.

Ranma let out an explosive sigh. "Maybe I should just give an interview
in the newspaper. That way, all of Tokyo could find out at once instead
of one at a time." Akane giggled, and Ranma managed a smile.

*****

Ranma hurried into the boy's room after lunch. He didn't have much time
before class. A short while later, he was washing his hands, and feeling
terribly unnerved by the memory of his dream that morning.

The door swung open, and Ranma jumped. He relaxed when Hiroshi, Daisuke,
and some of the other boys he knew walked in. Daisuke walked up and
slapped him on the back as he dried his hands. "Hey, buddy boy, smooth
moves with Akane! You got her eating out of your hand now!" He stepped
back when he saw Ranma getting irritated.

"It ain't like that! Me an' Akane, we're friends, OK?"

The other boys looked uncertain. "Hey, no offense, Ranma. We know you're
fiancees, after all."

Ranma's face fell, and he looked... sad? "Not any more..." His eyes
widened, and he clapped a hand over his mouth. "Oh, man..."

In an instant there was a crowd around him. "You mean Akane's free?
Yatta!" "Did you pick Shampoo? She's so hot!" "Hey, are any of your
other fiancees available?"

Ranma's face grew angry, and his friends stepped back in confusion.
"Leave me alone!" he shouted, and he walked out of the restroom, leaving
a confused buzz behind him. I really put my foot in it now, he thought.

By the next time he had a class together with Akane, this latest news
had traveled all through the school as well, and she looked angry. He
looked at her, sorrow in his eyes, and mouthed the words, "My big mouth.
I'm sorry." Her eyes softened, and she nodded.

At the last class of the day, PE, the other boys were talking about
Ranma. His performance was not up to his usual level, and he spent a lot
of time looking at the girls' PE class at the opposite side of the field.

"Sheesh, he's sure distracted." "I think Akane dumped him, and she's
tryin' to be nice to make up for it." "Look at him checkin' the girls
out. I bet he's lookin' for a new girlfriend right now, like he don't
have enough already." "Naah, he's lookin' for Akane, can't you tell
heartbreak when you see it?"

All through PE, Ranma watched the girls, and wondered.

*****

Ukyou stared at the documents and photographs in front of her, the blood
rushing in her ears. Ranma and Akane were saying something, but she
couldn't hear them. They stopped when she buried her face in her hands.
"U-Ucchan?"

Ten years. Ten damn years of her life. Ten years spent chasing that boy.
And... and he wasn't even a boy! She looked up at Akane and Ranchan,
sitting across the table from her, and sure enough, Ranchan had tears
in... his eyes. "Ucchan?" he asked again. "Are... are you OK? I'm... I'm
really sorry..."

Damn it! Damn it damn it damn it! Her whole future, her happy life with
Ranchan, the family they would raise together... down the drain. She
looked at him looking back at her, and was suddenly angry.

She stood up. "Excuse me a second." She walked around the counter and
past the grill, going into the back, while Ranma and Akane stared after
her.

They looked at each other after she disappeared. "Ranma, do you
think...?" asked Akane.

Ukyou reappeared, carrying a glass of water. She walked back past the
grill, around the end of the counter, and over to the table where they
were sitting. Aiming carefully to avoid getting the papers wet, she
callously threw the glass of water in Ranma's face. Ranma choked and
sputtered, and Akane bristled and half-stood from her chair.

Ukyou sat down, hard, and looked at the redhead glaring back at her.
Suddenly she didn't feel angry any more, just tired, and very sad,
and... old. When had she lost her innocence? Too damn long ago. She put
her head back in her hands. "I'm really sorry, Ranchan, I... I just
can't stand to look at... your boy form right now..."

Ranma's anger left her, and she slumped. She... she could understand how
Ukyou felt. Akane looked back and forth between the two of them. Well,
it could have gone worse...

Ukyou raised her head, and found Ranchan looking back at her, her damp
face showing concern again, clumps of wet hair hanging around it. Ukyou
didn't know whether to laugh at the image or to cry. Maybe both.

She sighed. "So where does this leave you, Ranchan? You can't marry any
of us because you're legally a girl and your mom won't let you, but all
you know is being a guy. That's just great..." she trailed off; Akane
and Ranma were looking at each other.

She couldn't believe this was happening... "There's more, right? Out
with it."

Ranma swallowed nervously, and Akane once more put her hand on Ranma's
arm, as she had done at lunch. Ranma dropped her head, and spoke in a
tiny voice. "Well, uhhh, I... I... I'm not... sure I wanna... s-stay...
a... a boy..."

Akane thought Ukyou's eyes were going to pop out of her head. Ukyou felt
a buzzing feeling in her head; she felt dizzy. All she could manage was
"Wh-what?"

Ranma turned beet red, and her chin rested on her chest. Ukyou regained
her composure somewhat. "What... what do you mean, Ranchan?"

Ranma looked up, and Ukyou saw pain and fear in her face. "U-Ucchan,
I... I..." she trailed off.

Ukyou started to wonder if she was really the one who was hurting the
most here. She leaned forward. "Ranchan, what's wrong? What's bothering
you so much? You can tell me. We're old friends, right?"

Ranma seemed to gather strength, and Akane put an arm around her. She
looked up at Ukyou again. "Ucchan, I... I kinda... kinda haven't liked
bein'... a guy. Not... not ever."

Ukyou's gaze never wavered from Ranma's face. Ranma swallowed, and
continued, "Dr. Toufuu says it's 'cause I was a girl when I was young,
and even though I've been a guy all this time, that... that maybe...
maybe I'm still a girl inside." She gave a tiny smile. "He... he said I
was kinda like you." Ukyou looked as if she had seen a ghost. "U-Ucchan?"

Oh, Kami-sama, Ranchan too?! That bastard, that stinking bastard, he had
screwed up Ranchan's life too; even worse than hers! She hadn't thought
that was possible. And on top of that, he had actually turned her into a
boy! Ukyou shuddered; she definitely wasn't the one who had suffered the
most from Genma. Thank Kami-sama that her father hadn't known Happousai.
Ukyou felt an icy chill run up her spine. It could have happened to me...

She looked back at the red-haired girl across the table from her, the
person who had tried *so* hard to be a friend to her, and Akane, and
even Shampoo, but who had been flustered, uncomfortable, and at a loss
due to the romantic attentions Ukyou and the others had showered on...
her. Ukyou quirked her mouth. I guess Ranchan doesn't swing that way...
Best not to raise *that* subject right now... She looked back with
sympathy. "What are you going to do, Ranchan?"

Ranma shook her head. "I... I dunno. Dr. Toufuu says I should try bein'
Ranko again over summer break, to see what it's like, to see if... if I
like it better. But... but..." Fear showed in her eyes again, and she
stopped speaking.

"I... I think that's a good idea, Ranchan. If you want to, of course."
Ukyou tried to sound supportive, though things were not going in a
direction she liked. As badly as she was hurt by this, Ranchan was
clearly hurting more. She had lost a fiance, but Ranchan had lost his...
her identity.

Encouraged, Akane spoke out. "Ukyou, Kasumi tells us that Ranko... Ranma
and I were close, like twins, way back then. I... I guess that's why I
love her so, even though the engagement always made us both
uncomfortable." Ranma smiled at Akane, and Akane smiled back. "I... I'm
actually happy I can be Ranma's friend now, without worrying about the
engagement." She looked Ukyou in the eye. "Ukyou, Ranma really needs her
friends right now. Can... can you be a friend to her again? Not a
fiancee? Please?"

Ukyou looked at the unhappy redhead, and sighed. Life was certainly full
of surprises. She wasn't ready to give up all hope yet, but... Akane was
right. "Of course, Akane. I... I love Ranchan too. I... I'll be happy to
help... her." She smiled at Ranma, and Ranma smiled hopefully back.
Ukyou felt the tension between the three of them ease a little, the
tension that had been the inevitable result of the romantic rivalry. She
had always liked Akane; maybe... maybe the three of them...

It was only after Akane and Ranma had left, and the reality of her
broken dreams had rushed back in, that she allowed herself the luxury of
a good long cry -- not too long, she had to open shop. She swore
silently to herself as she sobbed; "Now I have twice the reason to kill
him. Now it's for you, too, Ranchan..."

*****

A couple of days later, several of the girls were eating lunch outside
together at Fuurinkan. Yuka was talking animatedly with some of her
friends, when Sayuri nudged her. "Look at that pervert."

Yuka was disoriented. "What? Who?"

Sayuri nodded her head in the direction of Ranma, Akane, and Ukyou, who
were eating off by themselves. "Him. Ranma. Every so often I catch him
staring at us. What a perv. He's eating lunch with those two, and he has
to ogle us too. Disgusting. No wonder Akane dumped him."

Yuka kept a discreet eye on Ranma. Sure enough, a few minutes later,
Ranma started looking at the group of girls she was sitting with. She
started to get mad, then got a good look at Ranma's face. "I... I don't
think he's ogling us, Sayuri-chan. Look at his face."

Sayuri watched Ranma out of the corner of her eye, more closely than she
had before. Yuka was right; there was a terrible sadness and loneliness
in his eyes, not like the Ranma she knew at all. She noticed that Akane
and Ukyou were both looking at Ranma, so they must know he was looking
at her and her friends. They'd both pound him if they thought he was
ogling other girls.

"You're right... he's really upset about something. But what could it
possibly have to do with us?"

Yuka pondered that. "Ranma's been really strange this week. And the
relationship between him and Akane is very different. Now Ukyou's acting
funny, too. It's almost like they're... worried about him, for some
reason." She suddenly gave a little gasp. "You... you don't suppose he's
got some serious illness, do you?"

Sayuri's expression became determined. "There's only one way to find
out. Come on." She stood up, and Yuka, caught by surprise, scrambled to
catch up. "We won't ask any questions. I just want to watch them
interact."

Ranma saw Sayuri stand up, and guiltily looked away from the group of
girls having lunch. "Oh man, now I'm gonna get it," he said.

Akane observed Sayuri and Yuka as they walked over. "I don't think so,
Ranma. They don't look mad."

Sayuri and Yuka walked up. "Hi! Do you mind if we join you?"

Ranma looked surprised, and could only shake his head. Akane and Ukyou
looked at each other, then nodded their assent.

Sayuri and Yuka sat down, and unwrapped their lunches again. Ranma
turned back to the food he had been picking at. Already, Akane could see
that he had lost a little weight; this worried her deeply. Sayuri and
Yuka also noticed that Ranma did not have his usual appetite.

Sayuri turned to Akane. "Akane-chan, have you heard about the new music
teacher? It sounds like they're going to be offering music classes as an
elective. It's so nice when Principal Kunou is gone; Vice Principal
Takano really wants to improve the school, but he can only do it when
the head loony is away."

Akane shook her head. "No, I hadn't heard. Are you going to try out the
classes?"

Sayuri shrugged her shoulders. "I took piano lessons when I was younger,
but I'm not sure..."

Ranma piped up. "I... I like music... maybe..."

Sayuri and Yuka turned to look at Ranma, who drooped a little under
their scrutiny. Sayuri spoke. "That's... that's really nice, Ranma. I'm
impressed. Some guys actually believe it's just a girl thing, can you
believe it? It shows how mature and confident you are in your
masculinity..." Sayuri trailed off as she saw the sequence of emotions
on Ranma's face: hope, embarrassment, sadness, pain. She swallowed.

Ranma kept quiet after that, and as the conversation continued, Sayuri
got a good look at the emotions Ranma was experiencing. He watched each
girl in turn as they talked, and almost looked as if he were longing for
something. He was clearly deeply disturbed.

The bell rang, and Akane said gently, "Come on, Ranma, we have to get
going." Ranma nodded quietly, and followed, along with Ukyou.

Sayuri and Yuka looked at each other before standing up themselves;
since when had Ranma started following Akane's lead?

"Something is definitely going on here..." said Sayuri, as she and Yuka
dashed for their next class.

*****

Ranma sat at the dinner table and stared at his food. It looked
delicious, as always, but somehow, he just wasn't hungry. He sat
morosely as the Tendou sisters ate and chatted. He felt as if they
couldn't see him, as if he were invisible. He brooded.

Suddenly, he felt cold water pouring over him. He spluttered and turned
around, to find his father standing there, Tendou-san behind him. "Hey
old man! Whad'ja do that for! When did you get back?" Suddenly he
noticed: "Hey! I'm still a guy!"

His father nodded. "That's right, Boy. I just returned from China, and
that was Nanniichuan. At last, we're both cured! You'll never have to
worry about turning into a girl again!"

Ranma looked at his father, then stared at his own large hands. The
hands of a man. For some reason, they seemed enormous. "Wh-what?"

Kasumi smiled. "How wonderful for you, Ranma-kun!"

Ranma looked around the room, at the smiling faces of the Tendous and
his father. "N-No..." he whispered.

Akane looked at him curiously. "Ranma?"

Suddenly, he jumped clumsily to his feet, and ran to the bathroom,
nearly tripping in his haste. He grabbed a basin, filled it with cold
water, and dumped it over his head. Nothing happened. His heart was
pounding and an irrational terror began to grip him. An incoherent moan
escaped his lips.

The Tendous and his father appeared at the bathroom door. "Ranma, what's
wrong?" asked Akane. "Aren't you happy? Your curse is gone!"

He stared at them, and tears started to fall from his eyes. He felt
trapped; he swung his gaze around the room, looking wildly from place to
place, as if trying to find an escape. His eyes met the mirror, and he
gasped. In the mirror was his girl form, looking back at him, tears and
shock on her face to match his own. Her hair was unbound and she was
wearing a dress. He briefly glanced down at himself -- still male,
Chinese clothes -- and looked back to the girl in the mirror, who was
just completing the same motion. She stared back at him, crying and
shaking her head fearfully, and moaning "No... no... oh, Kami-sama,
please, no..." Or was it he who was saying that?

Suddenly the girl in the mirror screamed "NOOOOOOOOOOOO....", and Ranma
sat bolt upright in his futon, the last bit of the scream escaping his
lips as he woke. His chest heaved, his heart was pounding, and he was
soaked in a cold sweat. He shivered as he tried to get control of
himself.

The door to his room slid open, and Akane was standing there in her
pajamas. "Ranma, are you all right? What happened? Did you have a
nightmare?"

Ranma hung his head. "I... I..." He swallowed. "Yeah."

Akane came in and kneeled by his futon. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Ranma looked away for a moment, then back at Akane. "I... guess so."

Akane put a hand on his arm. "What happened to make you scream like
that?"

Ranma sighed, and put his hand over his eyes. "Pop came back with some
Nanniichuan, and he dumped it on me, and my... my girl side was gone.
Then I looked in the mirror, and... and she was there, dressed like a
girl." He shuddered. "She screamed, and I woke up screaming."

Akane's eyes widened.

Ranma was still lost in his own world. "I... I couldn't tell who was
me..."

Akane was confused. "What do you mean?"

"The me who was looking in the mirror... or the me in the mirror..."

*****

Ranma heaved a sigh of relief; it was Friday at last, and he was in PE,
the last class of the day. Just a little longer, and he could have four
whole weeks to... mull over his problem, without having to worry about
school.

He no longer looked at the girls as they had their PE class. He noticed
he was getting strange looks from the girls at school, and imagined he
had been too obvious. They probably thought he was a peeping tom now. He
sighed.

At last the bell rang, and they headed for the locker room. Ranma stole
a quick look and noticed that the girls were already gone; they must
have finished their soccer game a little early, and quit rather than
start something new in the short time left.

Ranma took off his gym clothes and tried hard not to look at all the
naked guys around him. He had always found the locker room a little
intimidating, but over the last week it had grown very uncomfortable.
He... he felt like he didn't belong in here, like he was an intruder. He
tried hard to focus on getting finished and getting out.

Hirota, who was well known to dislike Ranma, spoke out loudly. "Hey, I
noticed Saotome ain't checkin' out the girls any more. Maybe he's picked
a few out for his harem?" Ranma blushed deeply, but said nothing. He had
taken his clothes off and headed for the showers. He tried hard to
ignore everything around him.

One of the other boys spoke up. "I dunno why he gets all the cute girls.
I mean, jeez, he could at least leave a few for the rest of us." Ranma
reached the shower and turned it on, good and hot. He relaxed a little
as the hot water poured over his body, loosening his muscles.

Another boy said, "I feel deprived. We have to check the girls out from
the other side of the field, but he's always sittin' with 'em and
checkin' 'em out up close. He even sneaks into their locker room
disguised and peeps."

Ranma grew angry, but focused on getting out as soon as possible. My
last class... it's my last class...

Hirota grinned a nasty grin. "Well, I know one cute girl we could check
out real close..." With that, he reached in past Ranma, who was trying
hard to ignore his surroundings, and turned off the hot water.

Within a second the water turned to a cold trickle, and Ranma changed.
The shock caused her to open her eyes, and she whirled around to face
out of the shower stall. A couple of dozen boys were standing there, in
various states of undress, and casually, slowly, taking a good long look
at her naked body.

Her eyes swung wildly from boy to boy, and she looked to be in shock.
Her small hands flew up to cover as much of herself as she could, which
wasn't much. Her mouth hung open. A couple of the boys giggled
nervously. She looked down at herself, then back at the boys.

Hiroshi turned to Daisuke. "You'd think these idiots would learn. He
pounds 'em every time they pull this stunt, and they never remember."
Daisuke nodded. They turned back to Ranma...

....who had slid down to a sitting position in the shower stall and was
quivering, looking not at all ready to pound anyone. She looked around
one last time, and a terrified look came into her eyes. She opened her
mouth, and screamed.

Most of the girls had left the locker room; there were about a dozen
left. Akane, Ukyou, Yuka, and Sayuri were all dressed, and were
chatting, when an ear-piercing scream came from the boy's locker room. A
girl's scream. Akane and Ukyou looked at each other. "Ranchan..."
whispered Ukyou.

Hiroshi and Daisuke were trying to make sense of what was going on.
Ranma, rather than beating the living daylights out of the boys
responsible, was quivering in a little ball in the shower, screaming at
the top of her lungs, while the boys variously laughed nervously or
stared in incredulity.

Suddenly, the door to the locker room slammed open, and Akane was
standing there. She surveyed the room, and several of the undressed boys
turned red and hid behind lockers. She ran in and spotted Ranma,
quivering and screaming in the shower. Ranma's eyes found Akane, but
they weren't seeing anything.

Akane glared at the boys gathered around Ranma, and they gulped
nervously. "Get... the... hell... away... from... her!" Akane said in
low, icy, menacing tones. They nodded meekly and backed up. Getting
pounded by Ranma was bad, but getting pounded by Akane was even worse.

Akane turned off the shower, looked around for a spare towel, found one,
and wrapped Ranma in it, covering her. Ranma's eyes focused on Akane,
and she stopped screaming. "A... Ak-kane..." Her chin started to quiver,
and suddenly she was sobbing.

Akane picked her up (she's so light as a girl, Akane thought in wonder),
gave a final withering glare at the boys, and carried Ranma out the
door. Making a quick turn around the corner, she carried Ranma into the
girl's locker room, as Ranma continued to sob.

She walked over to a bench, in full view of the other girls, whose eyes
were all wide as could be; they stood frozen in mute astonishment. Akane
gently set Ranma down on the bench, and Ranma continued to clutch at
Akane as her body was racked by huge, drawn-out sobs.

Akane was close to crying herself; Ranma was falling apart. The old
Ranma was gone, like some historical figure who might have been more
myth than reality. In his place was a scared, unhappy person who didn't
even know what sex she was. A person who was finding simple, everyday
life increasingly difficult to cope with.

The other girls were so shocked that no one thought to point out that
Ranma was in the girl's locker room. Besides, the person on the bench in
front of them didn't seem very much like a boy. Everyone looked on
silently, until Ukyou looked up, and said "Everyone... would... would
you mind?..."

The mood was broken, and the other girls nodded quietly, and left, their
eyes glued to Ranma and Akane as they filed towards the door. While
Ukyou was occupied, Sayuri and Yuka quickly hid behind one of the back
rows of lockers.

Ukyou looked around. "They're gone." She turned back to Akane and Ranma.

Akane tried to gently coax Ranma off her shoulder. "It's OK, Ranma. It's
OK. You're safe. The boys are gone." Ranma's crying slowly faded away,
but she still was quivering. "Ucchan and I are both here, Ranma. We
won't let anyone bother you." There was a tentative knock at the door,
and Ukyou went over to open it.

She found Hiroshi and Daisuke standing outside. Hiroshi was holding
Ranma's sports bag and his clothes. "We... we thought you might need
these..." Daisuke nodded.

Ukyou looked at them with gratitude in her eyes. "Thanks," she said
simply, and took the items.

She turned to go back inside, when Hiroshi spoke again. "Is... Is he...
she... all right?"

Ukyou looked worried. "I... I don't know yet..." With that she let the
door close.

When Ukyou returned Ranma was sitting up on her own, still trembling a
little, clutching the towel about her. Ukyou placed Ranma's belongings
on the bench next to her, and she smiled in gratitude. Akane was holding
Ranma's hand and still murmuring calming words.

Finally, Ranma seemed calm enough to talk. "What happened, Ranchan?"
asked Ukyou. "What happened to you?"

Ranma shuddered a little but seemed to be in control of herself. "The...
the usual. I was in the shower, and they turned off the hot water. I...
I turned around... they were all staring at me, at every part of my
body..." her voice trailed off and she started to tremble again.

Akane asked gently, "Ranma, I know it's horrible, but this has happened
to you half a dozen times at least, and you always just beat them up.
What was different this time?" But even as the words left her mouth, she
knew the answer.

Ranma turned to Akane and looked up into her eyes. "Before... it... it
was never *my* body they were looking at..." Akane and Ukyou were lost
in thought, and Ranma looked off into the distance, seeing something
only she could see.

Behind the lockers, Yuka and Sayuri were looking at each other with jaws
agape.

Akane finally turned to Ranma again. "Ranma? Maybe... maybe we should
take you home. Would you like some hot water? It's just us in here, so
it's OK if you change."

Ranma surprised everyone, including herself, with the vehemence and
anger of her reply. "NO!" Then, more calmly, "No. I... I don't want to
be a b-boy right now."

*****

Akane and Ranma turned the corner onto the quiet street where they
lived. Ukyou had accompanied them partway home, then hurried off to the
Ucchan to prepare for the busy Friday night crowd. She promised to drop
in at the Dojo when she could, to see how Ranma was doing.

Ranma had been quiet the whole way home, lost in thought as she walked.
Akane watched her quietly and was encouraged, because there was a
determination there that she had sorely missed in Ranma. She seemed to
be thinking very purposefully.

They turned in at the gate and walked up the path to the front door, as
Ranma shook herself out of her reverie. Sliding it open, they called out
"Tadaima!" as they took off their shoes, and stepped up into the house.

Kasumi came hurrying down the hall to greet them. "O-kaeri...
Ranko-chan, have you been crying? What on Earth happened?"

Ranma's eyes became distant. "The boys... they..." she trailed off.

Kasumi looked over Ranma and Akane carefully. "Why don't you come in the
living room and tell me about it over a nice cup of tea?" She smiled.

Nabiki was in the living room reading a magazine when her little
sister... her two little sisters walked in, and sat down. She could tell
immediately that something serious had happened, and lay the magazine
aside. Kasumi followed a moment later with the tea things, and made sure
everyone had something.

Ranma took a big sip, and shivered as she forced herself to remember.
"I... I was in the locker room after PE, takin' a shower, when... when
some of the guys did somethin' rotten they do sometimes. They... they
turned the hot water off, and I" she swallowed "changed."

Kasumi frowned. "Ranko-chan, that's awful! What did you do?"

Ranma blushed deep red. "Well, this has happened a couple times before,
and usually I just pound 'em, and they lay off for a few months. This
time, I... I..." she trailed off and looked at Akane.

"She screamed, loud enough to wake the dead. I heard her over in the
girl's locker room and went over there to help out. She was just sitting
there in the shower while the *boys*" -- she practically spat this word
-- "were just standing around staring at her." Akane was fuming. Some
days, she really hated boys, and this was definitely one of them.

She collected herself. "I wrapped her up in a towel, and took her over
to the girl's side until she calmed down. We came straight home."

Kasumi nodded her head thoughtfully.

Ranma regained her voice. "I... whenever they did this before, I was
really mad, but... but it didn't matter somehow. This time, though...
they... they were looking at *me*." She shuddered. "At *my* body, not
some cursed form I didn't care about." Her eyes started to tear again.
"I... I felt so... so..."

"Violated?" asked Nabiki. Everyone turned to stare at her.

Ranma nodded. "Uh... yeah."

After that, they all sat for a few minutes, each lost in her own
thoughts.

Kasumi spoke first. "Ranko-chan, why... why don't you go take a bath?
I'm sure it will help you relax."

For some reason, the thought of a bath made Ranma uneasy, but it made
sense. "O-OK..." Ranma paused for a second, "O-o-neechan." She smiled
tremulously, and Kasumi smiled back. Ranma turned and headed for the
bath. Nabiki watched her depart, then turned back to Kasumi. She could
tell that Kasumi was very pleased that Ranma had called her Oneechan.

Ranma dumped her Chinese clothes in the dirty laundry, and went on into
the bath. She looked in the mirror before she started washing up. "I
really cried my eyes out, didn't I," she said, as she looked at her
tear-stained face. She washed carefully, shivering a bit, but the cold
water was refreshing after the heat of the day. She felt better already.
She got up, stretched, and went over to the bath, stepped up to get in...

....and stopped.

She looked at the bath full of hot water, her heart pounding. She felt
terribly uneasy about getting in. She really wanted to relax in the
bath, but... but if she did that... she would turn into a... boy.

She stepped down from the bath and walked back to the mirror, and looked
at herself. Not at a red-haired girl who was a different person, not at
a cursed form, but at herself. "This is me," she said to the mirror,
"not some person I mighta been if Pop hadn't done it. *Me*. Th-those
boys were looking at *me*." She looked at herself in the mirror for a
while. Suddenly, she turned, and climbed into the bath.

*****

"How do you think she is feeling, Akane?"

The Tendou sisters were huddled in the living room. Akane considered the
question. "It's... it's odd. She was hysterical -- it took Ukyou and I a
good ten minutes to calm her down -- but somehow, now, she seems more
back on track than she's been. It's like she's thinking about her
problem, not just falling apart. It's a relief, to be honest."

"I noticed she was still a girl when you came home," observed Nabiki.

Akane nodded. "She... I offered her hot water, but... she... she didn't
want to change."

Nabiki nodded, and the three sisters sat in thought for a while.

They heard Ranma's footsteps coming from the bath, and turned to see how
he was feeling. Akane started to speak, then stopped. Ranma was wet from
the bath, but still female; she must have changed back afterwards. She
was standing there in a cotton robe, rather than her usual tank top and
shorts. And her hair was unbound, no longer in a pig-tail. Akane could
see the Dragon's Whisker in her hand.

All three sisters stared at her. Kasumi recovered first. "Ran...
Ranko-chan?"

Ranma turned to face her, a nervous smile on her face. "Yes, Oneechan?"

Kasumi's eyes widened, then she smiled back. "Don't you... don't you
want to get dressed? It's not even dinner time yet."

Ranma nodded. "Yes, but... but I didn't have any clothes to wear."

Kasumi frowned. "That's odd, I was sure that some of your shorts and
tank-tops were in there."

Ranma nodded. "There were some, yes. I... I didn't wanna wear them." She
pursed her lips and didn't say anything more.

There was silence as the import of her words sank in.

Akane stared at her. "Ran... Ranko?"

Ranko nodded, a small, frightened smile on her face. "For... for now.
I... I wanna at least try it out." She took a deep breath. "St-starting
now."

Kasumi smiled, stood up, and went over to give Ranko a hug. "Whatever
makes you happy, imouto-chan." Ranko smiled and nodded, and there were
tears in her eyes.

*****

Ranko sat on her futon, warily regarding her opponent. Her opponent
didn't speak, which was not surprising, since it was made of nylon and
spandex.

She had come upstairs to dress, and to inventory her collection of
female clothing. Clothes seemed like a good place to get started. She
found:

2 dresses
1 bra
1 bikini brief
1 one-piece swimsuit, with the word "Boy" stitched on the front (have to
get Kasumi to take that off...)
1 Fuurinkan High School girl's uniform, a bit worn from fights
1 set of Fuurinkan High School girl's PE clothes

The swimsuit was the only thing she had actually used frequently, since
it was the only way she could swim. The rest were for disguises. The
underwear had been acquired for when she had to fight Happousai, and she
never wore it otherwise. It looked like she would need to go clothes
shopping. Soon. Like, first thing tomorrow.

She continued regarding her lone bra. It had taken a lot to get her to
wear it before. She had stayed as far away from female underwear as
possible; it had threatened her hold on maleness too much.

Now, she was, well, female (at least for the next four weeks). She was
*supposed* to wear female underwear. She closed her eyes and took a deep
breath. I'm a girl. I'm not cross-dressing, I'm not a guy wearing girls'
clothes, I'm a girl; I'm *supposed* to wear these clothes. It's OK. I'm
a girl, a girl. She understood why Dr. Toufuu had suggested she spend
time away from her usual haunts; it would take her a while to get used
to this, to not feel self-conscious.

Now how did you put this thing on again?

She struggled to stretch it around behind her and fasten the hooks. It
was hard to reach around behind her. Just a little further...

Down in the living room, the three sisters heard a snap, followed by
"Owww!" from upstairs. Nabiki snickered. Kasumi looked concerned. "Oh,
dear. Akane, do you want to go help her?"

Akane thought for a moment. "She's got to learn how to dress herself,
Oneechan. I think she'll manage." Kasumi nodded.

A few minutes later, Ranko came down to the living room, wearing one of
her two dresses. Her hair was still unbound, but was a bit disheveled
and uneven. She stopped at the foot of the stairs, waiting for judgment.

Akane looked over the dress, which Ranma had gotten second-hand, and
which looked it. Her hair was a mess, too. "You... you look nice, Ranko."

"I... I think I oughta go shoppin' tomorrow. I ain't got much to wear."

No kidding, thought Akane. Out loud, she said "Can I come along?" She
worried about Ranko freaking out while shopping for girl's clothes.

"S-sure, Akane. Thank you." She smiled.

Kasumi spoke up. "I think there is someone else who would probably love
to go shopping with you, Ranko-chan." She gave Ranko a meaningful look.

Ranko looked bewildered, until comprehension dawned. "Mom..."

Kasumi nodded. She looked at Ranko's hair. "Ranko-chan, would you like
me to fix your hair after dinner? It... doesn't do you justice."

Ranko swallowed. "I... I guess so..."

After a quiet dinner, Ranko sat patiently while Kasumi brushed, combed,
and clipped her hair. As far as she could tell, Kasumi wasn't doing very
much, just a bit here and there. Nabiki and Akane watched.

"Finished!" announced Kasumi. Ranko was anxious to see what she looked
like, though she couldn't imagine it was very different. She waited
impatiently while Kasumi dusted her off, then stood and ran over to the
mirror in the front hall.

A teenage girl looked back at her. Her fiery red hair was now even and
neat, with bangs, and coming to just above her shoulders. I... I look
like a girl... she thought. Well... I guess that *was* the idea... and...

Kasumi and Akane came up behind her. "It looks nice, Ranko", said Akane.

Kasumi asked, "Do you like it, Ranko-chan?"

As she looked at herself in the mirror, Ranko felt a warm, contented
feeling come over her. She turned and smiled. "Yes... Yes, I do,
Oneechan."

Kasumi turned to Akane. "Akane, when you and Ranko-chan go shopping
tomorrow, could you pick up some good shampoo and conditioner for her? I
don't know what she's using now, but it's drying out her hair something
fierce."

Ranko's head spun. Being a girl sure sounded complicated... clothes,
hair, who knew what else. Did she really want to get involved in this
feminine world? She turned back to the mirror, and looked at herself
again. Saotome Ranko... the name ran through her mind, over and over.

*****

Ranko lay on her futon, wearing a borrowed pair of Akane's pajamas
(which didn't quite fit right), trying to sleep, and failing utterly.
Her mind was awhirl with pleasant and unpleasant thoughts.

I'm... I'm a girl, she thought. So far... it didn't seem that different.
But she knew the real differences would come from the way she dealt with
other people. When she went out as Ranko, people would see her as a very
different person and relate to her that way. Already, Akane and her
sisters were treating her differently. She... she liked the relationship
she had with them now, much better than before; she liked the sharing
and openness. She thought about what it would be like to meet the other
students at Fuurinkan this way, and cringed. She wasn't ready for that
yet.

While mulling over what to do, she hadn't thought much past the decision
itself. Now, she was in the middle of it, having to play catch-up on how
to be a girl, something she had tried hard to avoid learning in the
past. She didn't really have a very good idea of what was involved, and
the many unknowns still scared her. I guess that's why I'm trying this
out, she thought. She hoped Akane and... Mom would be patient with her.
She knew she had to work on getting rid of the macho speech and
mannerisms her father had drilled her in, not to mention his views on
women.

She turned over on her side, and looked around the room. Her father's
futon was folded and visible in the closet. Random items of his were
scattered around the room, left behind in his haste to depart. Even
though he wasn't there, his presence was. It... it hadn't bothered her
earlier this week, when her mind was full of other things, but now...
She missed her father, but thinking about him raised feelings she didn't
know how to deal with right now. She sighed and rolled over on her other
side.

Akane was just starting to fall asleep when a knock came on her door.
"Come in," she said sleepily. The door opened, and Ranko was standing
there, looking sheepish.

Akane propped herself up on an elbow. "Ranko, what's wrong? Come in."
Ranko closed the door, and came over to sit on the bed. She looked like
she was elsewhere. "What is it?"

Ranko still looked lost in thought. "It's... Pop."

Akane came fully awake. "Is he... here?" Darn, and I just took my bath,
she thought. I'll have to wash up again after I murder him.

Ranko shook her head. "No. But... I... I miss him, even though I wanna
kill him, too." She sighed. "Does that make sense?"

Akane thought for a while. "I... Yes, I guess it does. He's... he's
still your father." Until I turn him into a panda rug.

Ranko nodded. "That... that room. It reminds me a lot of him. And... and
of my boy self." She looked sad. "There are too many memories in there."

Akane reached over and gave her a hug. "Do... do you want to sleep in
here with me tonight?"

Ranko looked surprised; the last time she had come into Akane's room at
night, she had been pulverized. "Are you sure?" Akane nodded, and
smiled. "OK, I'll... I'll go get my futon."

Akane smiled again. "Don't bother." She pulled the covers up. "This bed
is plenty big enough. Hop in."

Ranko stared at Akane. Share her *bed*? She... she must really think of
me as her sister now... Akane motioned with her head, and smiled again.
Ranko smiled back, and slid under the covers. They were asleep within
minutes.

Later on, Kasumi stopped by to check on Ranko; she was worried the poor
girl wouldn't be able to sleep, with so much going on in her life right
now. She quietly slid open the door to the room Ranko shared with her
father, then suddenly slid it open fully and turned on the light. Ranko
wasn't here! Where could she be? A memory came floating up from the back
of her mind...

Kasumi sat in the living room reading her copy of Margaret. Since she
was the oldest, she got to stay up later. Mother was sitting there, too,
reading a book, and Father and Uncle Saotome were playing shogi. Auntie
Saotome came into the living room.

"Kirara, have you seen Ranko anywhere? I put her to sleep a while back,
but she's not in the room where I left her."

Mother looked up. "Why, no. Oh, my -- you don't suppose she's wandered
off somewhere, do you?" She stood up, and Father and Uncle paused their
game to turn around.

Auntie Saotome shook her head. "She's not very good about staying in bed
when she's supposed to, but she knows better than to wander off. She
probably got out of bed and fell asleep somewhere."

Kasumi jumped up. "I'll help look!"

Mother and Auntie Saotome smiled at her. "Thank you, dear."

They looked high and low, in the Dojo, everywhere, but Ranko was nowhere
to be found. When Kasumi passed Akane's room, she noticed the door was
slightly ajar. She quietly opened it a little further, and peeked in.

Ranko and Akane were both in Akane's futon, all tangled up and sound
asleep. Small heads, arms, and legs stuck out in all directions. Kasumi
stifled a giggle and went to fetch Mother and Auntie...

Kasumi turned off the light. On a hunch, she walked down the hall to
Akane's room. She slowly opened the door and peeked in. She couldn't
help smiling; there, in the bed, mimicking their younger selves, Ranko
and Akane were asleep, arms thrown carelessly over each other. She
quietly pulled the door closed.

*****

End Chapter 3