Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Genmas Daughter ❯ 05 ( Chapter 4 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Imported From: RAAC
From: Deborah Goldsmith <dgoldsmith@mac.com>
Subject: [Ranma][FanFic] Genma's Daughter, Chapter 5: A Puzzle Put Together the Wrong Way

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

Genma's Daughter
Chapter 5: A Puzzle Put Together the Wrong Way

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

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

The days following their return from Hakone were quiet, and they mostly
stayed close to home. Nodoka once more pulled Ranko into the kitchen
with her, apologizing to Akane that her turn would come soon. One night,
Nodoka had a couple of friends over for Mah Jongg, and Ranko helped her
prepare dinner for the occasion. The friends fussed over her, and Ranko
had a suspicion that her mother was having a grand time showing her
daughter off to all of her acquaintances. She couldn't really blame her
mother; she had missed out on a lot of mother-daughter time, and her
daughter might not last beyond the summer...

After dinner, while the older women were playing their game, Akane
approached Ranko. "Ranko, when was the last time you practiced your
martial arts?"

Ranko thought for a while. "I... I don't remember," she admitted. "I've
been so preoccupied the last couple of weeks..."

Akane shook her head. "If you want to keep up your skills, you know you
need to practice every day. You do want to keep up your skills, don't
you?" Akane waited for an answer. And waited...

"Ranko?..."

Ranko looked pensive. "I... I don't know, Akane. So much of my life has
been nothing but martial arts. Father drilled it into me, and it was
like there was no time left over for anything else. Last week, when we
were talking with Yuka and Sayuri about our interests, I realized that I
didn't really have any others. I... don't like that." Her face grew
glum. "And it's a reminder of Father, and what he did to me... But..."

Akane nodded. "I see what you mean. Well, still, shouldn't you maintain
your skills, even if you don't practice for hours every day? You've
invested so much in them, it seems to me that it would be better to keep
up for now, until you decide one way or the other on martial arts."

Ranko looked sheepish. "You're right, Akane. Would... would you please
spar with me in the mornings, before breakfast?"

Akane smiled. "I'd love to."

The next morning, they both got up a little earlier, put on their gis,
and went out into the back of the house to practice. It wasn't a dojo,
but it was the best they could do at the Saotome home.

After some warm-ups and a bow to each other, they began.

Akane watched Ranko's form as they sparred. She was worried. Ranko was
off, rusty after weeks of no practice. She was still far better than
Akane, or most of the other martial artists they knew, but...

They continued for several minutes; then, suddenly and instinctively,
Akane made a leg sweep and knocked Ranko off her feet. When Akane
realized what she had done, she gasped, and both hands went to her
mouth. Ranko lay unmoving on the grass, plainly shocked by what had
happened.

"Ranko... I... I never even managed to touch you before..."

Ranko sat up with a stunned look on her face. "I didn't know I'd gotten
that sloppy... I... I guess I need to practice a lot more if I want to
stay at the same level." Her face clouded. "I don't know what to do,
Akane. I still enjoy it, but..." tears started to gather in her eyes,
"I... I don't think I want my whole life to revolve around martial arts
anymore. It was my whole life before, when I... I needed to keep
convincing myself I was a guy, but now... I'm sick of having to respond
to challenges and fight people constantly. I never really wanted to, but
Father said it was the... the manly thing to do." She drew her knees up,
hugging them. "I don't know what to do..." She glumly rested her chin on
her knees and closed her eyes, and Akane knelt beside her and put a hand
on her arm.

After a minute, Ranko sighed and stood up, Akane rising with her. Akane
regarded her seriously. "If... if that's the way you feel, then you need
to put as much time as you are willing to give into your martial arts,
and then accept the level that leaves you at." She pursed her lips.
"That may not be anywhere near where you were before, but you shouldn't
force yourself to do it if you don't want to."

Ranko wiped her eyes. "I... I guess that makes sense. Maybe... maybe 45
minutes a day... or an hour..." she trailed off. "I'm all right now.
Let's finish our session."

They resumed, and Akane was overjoyed to see that Ranko took her
seriously as an opponent, testing her defenses, but holding back to
avoid overwhelming her. Finally, she was being treated seriously by
Ranko! She had wanted this badly, ever since their first session
together.

Akane managed to get one more hit in during the rest of the session,
though never another leg sweep. Ranko improved visibly over the course
of their sparring; clearly she had needed the practice. As it drew
closer to breakfast time, they called it quits.

After they bowed again, Akane smiled and said, "Ranko, I noticed that
you were taking me seriously today. You weren't holding back, except to
keep yourself to my level. I... I've been wanting this since I met you.
Thanks."

Ranko grinned sheepishly. "I guess now that I'm a girl, I... I can't
really think that way any more. That was another thing that Pop...
Father pounded into me." She paused. "Akane, thanks for thinking of
this. I'm glad I didn't let myself go completely. Come on, let's go wash
up for breakfast."

Akane nodded and they headed inside. As she followed the redhead up the
stairs towards the bath, she bit her lip in worry. Ranko, if even I can
get through your defenses once in a while, what is going to happen when
you fight one of your tougher opponents? Maybe Ranko would continue to
get better with practice. She hoped so; she knew that many of Ranko's
enemies fought first and asked questions later.

Over breakfast that morning, Nodoka had some news. "Girls, I have a
cousin who has a beachfront cottage in Ibaraki. They will not be using
it this weekend, and my cousin wondered if I would like to take
advantage of it for a few days. I mentioned you two and they said you
could come, too." She smiled apologetically. "I don't really mean to be
dragging you all over Kantou this summer, but you did say you wanted to
stay away from Nerima. Are you interested?"

Both girls were excited. "A few days at the beach, away from here!
That's perfect, Mother!" Ranko thought for a moment about the wonderful
time she had had at Hakone. "Would... would it maybe be possible to
invite a few more friends?" Ranko looked hopeful.

Nodoka thought. "I'd better call my cousin and ask her. I don't even
remember how many it sleeps. Excuse me just a moment." She went off to
use the telephone.

Akane turned to Ranko. "Who are you thinking of, Ranko?"

"I... I don't know. Sayuri and Yuka, maybe. I don't know if Ucchan will
be able to get away for that long..." She had a faraway look in her
eyes. "I really had a good time in Harajuku. I liked spending time with
Yuka and Sayuri. And I liked the girls we met at Hakone." She smiled.
"Having friends is so nice..." Akane smiled, too.

Nodoka returned. "I spoke with my cousin. I think this is getting a
little larger than she had in mind, but the cottage sleeps five, six
with a little crowding. My cousin said as long as you were all well
behaved, it wouldn't be a problem." Nodoka smiled. "I take it all of
your friends are girls?"

Ranko opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She... she
hadn't thought about it until now, but... all of her friends -- the ones
she truly cared about -- *were* girls. She wouldn't dream of inviting
Hiroshi and Daisuke to something like this. Ryouga was sort of a friend,
but Ranko couldn't say they were close; after all, he was usually trying
to kill him... her. She had never had this kind of close relationship
with other boys when she was a boy. She wondered if that was normal for
boys, or was just her. Was... was this part of what being a girl was
about? Her mother seemed to expect that her friends were all girls. She
finally answered, "Yes, Mother, all of them."

Akane stood up. "Let's try calling Sayuri and Yuka, to see if they can
come. We could call Ukyou, too."

Ranko thought for a moment. "I think we'd better go see her. She hasn't
seen me since just before I... started being Ranko."

Akane nodded. Since Sayuri and Yuka were close friends of Akane, she
knew their phone numbers by heart. It was still early on a Sunday, and
Ranko dialed the phone.

She waited as the phone rang. "Hello, Kobayashi residence."

"He-Hello. This is Saotome Ranko. I'm a... friend of Sayuri-chan. May I
speak with her?"

"Certainly, Ranko-chan, just a moment." Faintly through the receiver she
heard "Sayuri! Telephone! A friend named Saotome Ranko..."

Shortly, Sayuri picked up. "Hello, Ranko-chan? What is it?"

Ranko felt butterflies in her stomach. "Sa-Sayuri-chan, I... would
you... umm..." she couldn't collect herself.

Giggles came from the other end. "Slow down, Ranko-chan."

Ranko relaxed a little. "Ummm, Akane and me... uh, I... we're going with
my mother to a beachside cottage in Ibaraki, on Thursday. We'll be
coming back Tuesday. The... the cottage has some extra space... and
Mother said I could... could invite some friends." She swallowed
nervously; what if Sayuri turned her down? "I... I was wondering if you
would like to come, too? I... I'm going to invite Yuka-chan too, of
course," she added hastily.

Mercifully, Sayuri's answer came quickly. "Of course I'd love to come,
Ranko-chan! That sounds wonderful! Let me check with my mother, though,
OK? Could you hang on just a bit?"

After a minute or so of silence, Sayuri came back on the line. "Mother
says OK! This is so neat! I'm really excited. Are you inviting anyone
else?"

"Ummm, Yuka-chan, of course, and... maybe Kuonji Ukyou, if she can get
away from her restaurant. You know her, right?"

Sayuri considered. Akane and Ukyou were about the only friends of Ranko
she considered relatively sane. Ukyou did attend school in boy's
clothing, but everyone knew the reason for that. "Sure, Ranko-chan, I
like her! Why don't you tell Yuka-chan I'm already coming when you call
her? Her mother is a little more protective, and it will reassure her."

After arranging to meet at the Saotome home Thursday morning, they said
their goodbyes. Ranko called Yuka's house, and it did indeed require a
little more negotiation with Yuka's mother. Ranko had to put her own
mother on the line for a couple of minutes before Yuka's mother was
reassured.

When they were done, Ranko turned to Akane with a huge smile on her
face. Akane could barely keep from laughing; Ranko was so excited she
seemed ready to start jumping up and down. "This is great, Akane! This
will be so much fun!" She was beaming.

Akane's smile was almost as wide. She had never seen Ranko this happy,
seen her smile so much, in the whole time since she had arrived at the
Dojo so many months ago. She had been so serious, so dour; the
difference was amazing. Ranko, if this is just the beginning for you...
Akane prayed that Ranko's happiness would continue and grow. Kami-sama
knew she deserved it, after all that had been done to her.

*****

Ukyou leaned on the counter, and sighed. Monday morning was always a
little slow, but the lunch crowd would be coming soon. Running her own
business was an enormous burden, especially since she was still in high
school. Like most small businesses in Japan, she could hardly ever
afford to close. She treasured the breaks when they came. She rested her
head on her arms...

She jerked awake when the door chime announced a customer. She was glad
she had put that in; it gave her an opportunity to wake up from her
quick catnaps. She smiled, and opened her mouth to welcome the
customers. Her mouth was left hanging open.

After a moment, she found her voice. "Ran... Ranchan?" The pretty
redhead who had come in with Akane nodded and blushed slightly. Ukyou
looked her over again. "You... uhh... you look great!"

Ranko blushed again. "Thanks, Ucchan."

Ukyou was still a bit overwhelmed. "When... when did you decide to...?"

Ranko's face darkened. "That evening. Right after... after..." she
didn't want to say any more.

Ukyou nodded in understanding. "So... how do you like it so far?"

Ranko's face was like the sun coming up. "It... I... I've enjoyed it,"
she finally said.

She looks so happy, thought Ukyou. I was hoping she would decide to stay
a guy, but... she looks so happy. I hope at least that she'll be happy
when this is all over. If I really love him... her... shouldn't that
come first? If Ranchan really needs to do this... She shook her head and
tried to focus on the here and now.

"Have a seat, guys! Would you like anything?" Ranko nodded eagerly, and
Akane smiled and nodded too. "The usual? OK."

Ukyou set to work at the grill. She loved cooking for her friends. "So
what brings you here? I'm sorry I didn't come over. I tried over at
Akane's house yesterday, but they told me you had left to move in with
Ranchan's mom, and I didn't have time to go over there. I'm so busy!"

Ranko looked disappointed at that last. "Ucchan, I... Akane, my mother,
and I are going to be spending a few days at a cottage on the beach in
Ibaraki. Yuka and Sayuri are coming, too. I... I was kind of hoping you
could come, too. But... but I don't want to mess up your business."

Ukyou smiled. She wants me to come along... The okonomiyaki were ready,
and Ukyou considered Ranko's invitation as she brought them to the
table. "I don't know, Ranchan. I usually don't close, but... it's been a
few years since I took any time off. It sounds like fun..." she trailed
off.

Ranko looked more hopeful. She was about to dig into her okonomiyaki,
but seemed to remember something. She reached into her purse, pulled out
her wallet, and put some money on the table.

Ukyou was surprised. "Ranchan... what... why?"

Ranko's face grew serious. "Ucchan, I... I don't want to be like my
father any more. I don't want to be a freeloader any more."

Ukyou's eyes widened a little. Ranchan is changing so much... She
smiled, and pushed the money back. "Sugar, you're like family to me.
Both of you. I don't charge family." She put her hand on Ranko's.
"But... thanks." Ranko smiled a huge smile again, and nodded.

Suddenly Ukyou made up her mind. Akane had been helping out Ranchan,
and... she wanted to help too, more than she had. She still had to run
her business first -- it paid all her bills -- but... she *was* due for
a vacation...

"When did you say you were going to Ibaraki?"

*****

Nodoka sighed as she looked over her charges sitting in the surrounding
seats, as their train clattered through Ibaraki Prefecture towards the
beach. This trip had gotten a little out of hand compared to what she
had planned, but Ranko had been so happy... Still, five teenage girls
was a handful, especially since one of them was still figuring out how
to be a girl. She had barely managed all the train transfers needed to
get here. Thank goodness they were all well behaved -- and that there
were no boys along. She didn't think she could handle that.

Yuka and Sayuri had never traveled out of Tokyo before, so their faces
were glued to the windows, watching the rice paddies and other farms go
by. Ranko, Akane, and Ukyou were chatting quietly. Nodoka would have
liked to nap, but she had promised to watch over them, and so she stayed
alert.

After staring out the window for a short while, Ranko turned to Ukyou
and asked, "Ucchan... do... do you have any interests, besides
okonomiyaki and martial arts?"

Ukyou found herself caught by surprise. "I don't really have the time,
Ranchan. Between my business and my martial arts practice, I'm so
busy..." she trailed off with a wistful note in her voice. "Still," she
continued, "I... there are things I'd like to do... if I had the time."

Akane was intrigued. "Like what, Ukyou?"

Ukyou looked embarrassed. "Well, I... I like to sing."

Ranko and Akane were surprised. "Really, Ucchan?"

Ukyou nodded. "I... ever since the whole engagement incident happened
with Ranchan when we were young, my father has pushed me to focus on
martial arts and okonomiyaki. I was supposed to be ready to take my
revenge on the Saotomes." She and Ranko both blushed. "I guess I've been
doing martial arts so long, I've really come to like it, so I don't mind
at all, but... it doesn't leave much time for singing or anything else."
She seemed glum, then brightened. "But I'm happy. Maybe some day, I'll
get to spend more time on my other interests." Ukyou thought for a
moment. "Ranchan, why do you ask? Is it something you think about?"

Ranko related the conversation on the train home from Harajuku, and her
thoughts about her own life. "So I don't know, Ucchan. I do like martial
arts, but... I really want to do other things, too." Her face fell
slightly. "I... I don't even have other interests that I don't have time
for; martial arts has been my life, thanks to my father."

Akane and Ukyou each had a steely glint in their eyes, but said nothing.

Akane spoke up. "Ranko, don't worry. You're just starting to reexamine
your life. Give it time, and I'm sure you'll understand yourself
better." She took Ranko's hand and held it, and the redhead smiled.

The PA system on the train blared to life. "Kashimahama. Kashimahama is
next," and suddenly all the girls were scrambling to look out the
window. Nodoka smiled as they excitedly commented on the small town
where her cousin's cottage was located.

She cleared her throat. "Girls, we need to collect our luggage so we can
get off." They nodded and set about collecting everything.

In short order they stood on the platform with their luggage about them,
as their train receded into the distance. It was a small station, and
didn't even have gates; they simply walked through to the street on the
other side.

Nodoka looked around. "I've been here once before, many years ago... the
beach and the cottage are within walking distance, about ten minutes.
Does everyone feel up to it?" There was a chorus of "Hai!", and they all
set off.

It was a very small town, mostly there due to the farms in the
surrounding countryside. It was one of the last places with a beach on
the Ibaraki coast that had not been totally overrun by resorts for the
hordes from Tokyo; there were just a few cottages and inns that had
sprung up over the last decade. The town was a strange mix of farm
supply stores and a few trendy boutiques. Nodoka noted that several of
these stores looked like they sold a different mix of products in the
off season. It was a bizarre mix of the dilapidated and the chic. Newer
inns were under construction, and Nodoka was sure that in just a few
years the place would be totally overrun, like the rest of Ibaraki's
beaches.

As they walked down the main street towards the beach, more than one
young man's attention was riveted by the sight of five pretty girls from
Tokyo following their chaperone, not unlike ducklings behind their
mother. Local boys who were jaded by the beach decided that maybe this
weekend would be a good time to go swimming again. Or at least visit the
beach...

In due time, they arrived at the cottage. It was seconds from the waters
of the Pacific; all that lay between it and them was a few dozen meters
of sandy beach, on which well-behaved waves crashed periodically. The
place had a magnificent view.

Nodoka was speaking as she fumbled in her purse for the keys. "I don't
really remember it very well; it's been so long since I was here. My
cousin took me here when I was still trying to recover from losing Ranko
and my husband." She found the keys and opened the door, and they went
inside.

The cottage looked unusually modern and luxurious, but then Nodoka's
cousin's family was very well off. As she looked through the cottage,
she suddenly remembered: the place had traded privacy for luxury; it
only had one bedroom. Her cousin and her husband slept in there, and the
children rolled out futons in the large living space. She turned to the
five teenagers, who were goggling over the appointments of what they had
thought would be a modest shack.

"Girls, I'm afraid there is only one bedroom here; I wish I had
remembered earlier. There is one bed. Everyone else will have to sleep
on futons out here."

Yuka looked around. "I don't mind, Saotome-san. It'll be like a big
pajama party!" Nodoka suddenly felt nervous.

"Ranko, dear, you can sleep with me in the bedroom, if you like."

Ranko looked around at her friends, and she smiled. "No thank you,
Mother. I invited my friends so I could be with them, and... I want to
sleep out here with them."

Akane, Ukyou, Yuka, and Sayuri all smiled. Nodoka did, too; she was
overjoyed to see that her daughter had so many close friends already.
"Whatever you wish, dear."

Ukyou piped up. "Let's go for a swim!" There was a chorus of approval.
Nodoka nodded, and headed into the bedroom to unpack. Ranko suddenly
found herself surrounded by four teenage girls peeling off their
clothing.

Akane looked up for a moment, and found Ranko standing there with her
hands over her eyes. She suppressed the urge to laugh; apparently, some
habits really do die hard. She went over and took Ranko's hands gently,
removing them from her face.

"Ranko, remember Hakone? You're a girl, too. There's no need to close
your eyes."

Ranko relaxed, and looked around at the other three girls; they all
nodded. She smiled. "I... Thanks, guys." She opened her bag and looked
through her selection of swimsuits. Let's see... Mother said I should
wear a one piece suit for swimming... She pulled a suit out, then turned
it around to look at it. It's not put together the same way as my old
one... how do these straps work again? She set about undressing.

Ukyou watched Ranko out of the corner of her eye. The redhead was
showing absolutely no interest in the undressed girls around her. So it
was just habit... Ukyou sighed.

As Yuka was putting on her suit, she looked over and found Ranko
struggling to get into hers, and repressed a giggle. Eventually, all
five were ready, and Nodoka came out, still clothed; she didn't feel
like a swim just now. They filed out the front door and looked out over
the Pacific.

Suddenly, by unspoken agreement, they went charging down the beach,
screeching and giggling the whole way. They dashed into the water and
were buffeted by the waves, shrieking with laughter. Nodoka smiled.

Peeking out of the nearby foliage, one boy turned to another. "Hiro,
this is gonna be a *grand* weekend." The other boy nodded
enthusiastically.

Ranko was laughing like mad as she dove into the water, which no longer
held any fear for her. Doing things with friends was so much more fun!
And she didn't have to worry about running into anyone she knew. How
could anyone find her way out here in Ibaraki?

Hibiki Ryouga suddenly sneezed, and narrowly averted falling into a rice
paddy. That was too close, he thought. He looked around as he rubbed his
nose.

"Where am I now?" he asked plaintively.

*****

Ranko strolled along the beach. She had decided to take a walk by
herself, to get a little quiet time. Not that she minded her friends;
she couldn't remember the last time she had been so happy. It's like a
dream, she thought. I hope I don't wake up...

She and her friends had been sunbathing, and she had felt restless after
lying around for so long; she wanted to get up and walk a little. The
rest had waved lazily as she wandered off. She was wearing the teal
bikini she had picked out for sunbathing. It had taken her more than a
little courage to put it on earlier; she had never felt more exposed in
her life. The swimsuit left little to the imagination: it was like
walking around in her underwear, and she had only just gotten used to
wearing that! Only the encouragement and praise of her friends had
persuaded her to venture outside in it. If she had known she was the
cause of at least one nosebleed casualty among the locals, she probably
would have run back inside and refused to come out.

She came across a piece of driftwood. Fascinated, she squatted down, and
lost herself in examining it. The water had carved the wood into an
intricate and beautiful pattern.

She was so absorbed in it that her danger sense almost didn't warn her
in time. She tried to leap away, but her squatting position and lack of
practice hampered her. She stumbled out of the way as she heard the cry,
"Ranma! Prepare to die!"

She regained her balance and turned around to find Ryouga facing her,
fury on his face. As she looked at his face and saw the anger and
aggression there, the first thought to cross her mind was, Is that what
I look like when I fight?

Ryouga laughed. "You're disgusting, Ranma. You make a big deal about
what a man you are, but look at you! Wearing a bikini, with your hair
down! This is a new low, even for you."

Ranko shook her head. "No... Ryouga... please, you don't understand...
I'm not..."

Ryouga interrupted her. "Not a man, that's for sure." He snarled.
"You're even talking like a girl! Well, enough talk! I'm going to save
Akane from you once and for all! You pervert!" Ranko cringed at the
epithet, and Ryouga leapt.

She dodged, but barely. She flipped out of the way, and found herself
landing hard, jarring sensitive parts of her body. I'm... I'm too out of
shape, she thought. Ryouga attacked again. Ranko saw an opportunity, and
landed a kick. She felt the thud of her foot connecting and saw Ryouga
grimace, heard him grunt. She winced; she had never noticed so directly
before the pain she was inflicting as she fought. As Ranma, she had been
too focused on the fight, like a machine. But now, she was no longer
suppressing certain parts of her own self, and those parts cringed every
time she struck a blow. She had always been sensitive inside, and now
that was front and center. She had been hurt too much to easily hurt
others.

Her introspection cost her as Ryouga landed a blow in her side. She
rolled away, clutching her side in agony. Why... why did it hurt so
much? But she knew: her conditioning was nowhere near what it had been.
Her father's voice echoed in her head: "If you want to be the best, you
must focus on the Art to the exclusion of all else." She had felt
compelled to turn her back on that philosophy, and she was paying the
price now.

She staggered to her feet, and barely managed to avoid another leap by
Ryouga. He rolled to his feet, and laughed. "You're in pretty bad shape,
Ranma. This'll be a piece of cake." He grinned a nasty grin.

Ranko shouted "Ryouga, please listen to me! This is senseless! I don't
want to fight you!"

Ryouga opened his eyes wide in mock surprise. "You don't? Too bad. I
want to fight you!" and with that he leapt again.

Ranko managed to dodge, but knew she couldn't keep it up for long.
Ryouga, as usual, was in top condition, and she was... not.

In the bushes, the two boys who had been ogling Ranko in her bikini
watched in fear. "Hey... shouldn't we go help, Hiro?"

The other shook his head. "I... I'd like to, but man, lookit that guy
fight. He'd cream us in no time. Hell, the girl could easily lick both
of us put together. There ain't nothin' we can do."

Ryouga was enraged. "Fight me, Ranma! You coward! How can you call
yourself a man?"

Well, it *would* be difficult, thought Ranko, but she knew Ryouga was
not going to listen to her. He leapt again, feet flying, and Ranko
dodged once more...

.... And tripped over the piece of driftwood she had been admiring
earlier. She landed flat on her face, and had the wind knocked out of
her. She managed to turn over, only to see Ryouga descending towards
her, fingers extended for a blow. He had a huge smile on his face.

Ranko closed her eyes and waited. Suddenly, she heard a *thwack*, and a
voice. Akane's voice.

"Ryouga! How dare you pick on Ranko! You leave her alone! And I thought
you were a gentleman!" Ukyou's voice added, "You have no right to beat
up on Ranchan!"

Ranko opened her eyes, and saw Ryouga sitting a couple of meters away,
nursing his jaw, Akane and Ukyou both standing over him with their hands
on their hips. Sayuri and Yuka were coming over to help her, looking
deeply worried. "Oh, Ranko-chan, are you OK?"

Hiro turned to his friend. "Remind me not to try any moves on any'a
those girls." The other boy nodded vigorously.

Ryouga stood up, and started to protest. "But Akane-san, Ukyou-san...
this is a man-to-man fight between me and..." he trailed off.

"Did... did you say 'Ranko'"?

*****

Ryouga sat on the sand facing five teenage girls, four of whom were
glaring at him and one of whom looked very nervous. He didn't know what
was going on, but he was sure Ranma was up to something. He could tell
by the way the other girls were all protectively clustered around her;
clearly she had trapped all of them in her web of deceit.

"All right, Ranma," he said. "Let's hear what you have to say." Not that
I'll believe a word of it.

Ranko nodded, but her throat was dry. Somehow, telling this to Ryouga
was much harder than anyone she had told it to before. Maybe it was
because Ryouga was a guy... Dr. Toufuu was a guy, too, but she had known
he would be sympathetic. She began, "Ryouga, I... I... I'm... that is,
I'm not... I mean..." She trailed off, and her head drooped. This was so
hard, no matter how many times she did it.

Akane reached out and took Ranko's hand, and she smiled a tiny smile of
gratitude. Ryouga fumed; he hated the way that Ranma took advantage of
Akane, and all his other fiancees. He was nothing but a womanizer,
playing on their emotions. He waited.

Ranko spoke again. "Ryouga, I... I... I'm a girl."

Ryouga waited impatiently for the rest of it. "Of course you're a girl!
Do you think I'm blind?" He rolled his eyes.

"No... I didn't mean it that way..."

Yuka reached over and patted Ranko gently on the shoulder. "Start at the
beginning, silly."

Ranko nodded, and gathered her wits again. "Ryouga, a few weeks ago, I
met my mother again for the first time since I was four years old.
She... she told me something about myself that I didn't know, something
really important..."

"You were dropped on your head as a baby?"

If looks could be translated into reality, Ryouga would have been a
smoldering pile of black ashes. He swallowed at the glare of four angry
girls, the look that said "Not even remotely funny, Mister."

"Ryouga," said Ukyou in an unfriendly tone, "listen to the rest of what
she has to say -- politely. Am I making myself clear?" Akane added a
menacing nod and flexed her mallet hand.

Ryouga nodded nervously. "Uh... OK..." He tried a sheepish grin, but no
one was impressed.

Ranko tried again. "Ryouga, she told me what I told you before. I'm...
I'm a girl."

Ryouga was getting irritated. "I know you're a girl, Ranma! What are you
getting at?"

Ranko shook her head. "No, you don't understand! I don't mean I'm a girl
*right now*. I mean, I'm a *girl*."

Ryouga started to feel a chill, despite the sun. It... it must be the
sea breeze... "What?"

Akane broke in impatiently. "Let me try, OK? Ryouga, what she is saying
is that she is not a boy who turns into a girl with cold water. She is a
girl who turns into a boy with hot water. What her mother told her was
that she was born a girl. Her name is Ranko, not Ranma."

Ryouga was having trouble getting his mind around this. This must be
some plot of Ranma's to keep him away from Akane. This was just another
outlandish lie, and Ranma had taken in Akane with it. He tried to ignore
the nagging voice in his mind which asked him why Akane would want to be
engaged to Ranma if she was convinced he was a girl.

"But... but you're engaged to each other! How can you be engaged if
Ranma's a girl?" Ha! Let him wriggle out of that!

Ranko's face fell, and Ukyou put a hand on her shoulder. "Ryouga, I...
I'm not engaged to Akane any more. Or Ucchan. Or anyone. When... when my
mom found out about it, she ended all the engagements."

Ha! There it was! Ranma's evil plot to... "Wh-what?"

"I said, I'm not engaged to anyone. Mother won't let me marry another
woman, and to be perfectly honest I'm... not sure I want to. Akane and
Ucchan and I, we're friends. Good friends." She smiled. "I... I think I
like it better that way." Akane and Ukyou smiled too.

Ryouga was seriously confused. Apparently, Ranma's latest nefarious
scheme to keep him away from Akane involved leaving her available to be
someone else's girlfriend. Like his. Two different parts of his brain
were at war: the part that didn't trust Ranma, and the part that wanted
desperately for this to be true so that Akane could be his.

"Why should I believe this? You've lied to me more times than I can
count!"

"Young man," came another voice, "you had better have a good reason
before you accuse my daughter of being a liar." Ryouga looked up to see
that a middle-aged woman, who looked very much like Ranma's female form,
had walked up to the gathering.

"Ranko, dear, who is this young man? Is he bothering you?" The woman
glared at Ryouga, then turned to the girls. "I came to find you girls
when I didn't see you on the beach. I promised Yuka-chan's mother that I
would watch you carefully."

Ranko stood up. "Mother, this is Hibiki Ryouga. Ryouga, this is my
mother, Saotome Nodoka."

Ryouga stood up and bowed. He looked the woman over. She looked too much
like Ranma to be anyone but his mother. Either Ranma had brainwashed his
own mother, or... or... No! This couldn't be true! Ranma was a guy! How
could he possibly have been born a girl? The sardonic part of his mind
asked, You turn into a pig and you can ask a question like that? He
didn't want to believe it. There had to be another explanation! What,
asked the same part of his mind, the Trilateral Commission? Maybe Area
51 was involved, too. That's it! The real Ranma had been abducted by
aliens. Right.

He was shaken out of his mental short-circuiting by a question. "Where
do you know my daughter from, Ryouga-kun?"

Hibiki Ryouga had been raised to be polite to his elders. "I... I met
her in Junior High, Ma'am. At an all-boys school." Sayuri looked
startled, then shrugged.

"And what happened here? Why are you all sitting around like this? Why
are you here, Ryouga-kun?"

Ryouga turned a pasty color. "Um, well, Ma'am, I... I ummm, kind of
attacked her. I... I usually attack her when I see her." He winced.
Maybe he could have put that better. All the girls were glaring at him
again.

Nodoka looked at him for a long time. "I will assume this was because
you thought she was a boy and you hold some kind of grudge against her.
I will overlook this behavior, given the past confusion about Ranko's
identity, but I want you to behave properly towards her in the future. I
can tell you are a well-brought-up young man, and I expect you to behave
accordingly. Just because I let my daughter practice martial arts does
not mean I allow her to participate in brawls. *Especially* with boys."
Her tone turned to liquid nitrogen. "Am I understood, young man?"

Ryouga gulped, and nodded. "Y-yes, Ma'am."

Ranko stared at her mother in awe. Maybe... maybe there were advantages
to being a girl in a fight...

Nodoka smiled. "Very well. You are welcome to join us for dinner,
Ryouga-kun. I'm afraid I can't offer you a place to stay; I can't very
well have you sleeping in a room with five girls!" Ryouga's eyes
widened; they were all sleeping in the same room? "Come along when
you're done talking." Nodoka turned and headed back towards the cottage.
Ranko and Ryouga sat back down.

Ryouga sat in stunned silence for several moments. He finally lifted his
head, and found Ranma looking back at him sadly. The full meaning of
what he had just heard finally started to seep into his consciousness.
Ranma... Ranko... was a *girl*? His sometime rival, sometime friend, the
person he had fought viciously innumerable times, but whom he had
sometimes helped, the person he had tried to... kill on occasion, was a
*girl*? A real, live, honest-to-goodness, sugar and spice and everything
nice *girl*?

"H-how?" he croaked. "You... you were a boy all the time before
Jusenkyou."

Her face fell. "Father wanted a son. He... he took me away from Mother
when I was four, and Happousai used magic to make me a boy. The
Nyanniichuan let me become a girl again." She swallowed; her throat
hurt. "My female form looks just like my baby pictures, Ryouga, red hair
and all. *This* is my true form," she said, pointing at herself.

Her eyes unfocused; they were seeing something that only she could see.
"If it hadn't been for Father and Happousai... this is the only form I
ever would have had. I... I'd have been just a normal, ordinary girl...
not... not... a freak..." At that, Ranko started to sob, and Ukyou moved
to hold her, gently. She looked up at the other girls, tears in her own
eyes. She... she knew exactly how Ranchan felt...

Ryouga didn't know how to react. How do you react when you find out the
sky is orange? That things fall up? That ice is hot? Ranma being a girl
and crying seemed like a violation of some natural law. But... this was
too elaborate to be one of Ranma's deceptions. He had never carried off
anything on this scale before, and his... her mother would certainly
know her own child's sex. Something caught his curiosity. "Ranma...
Ranko... are you going to be a girl from now on? Just because you were
one when you were born?"

She looked up, her eyes red. "N-no. That's not the reason." She took a
deep breath. "I... I never liked being a boy, Ryouga, not really. Dr.
Toufuu says it's because of who I was... am. I... I'm trying out being a
girl over summer break, to see if I like it better. I might stay this
way, but I might go back to being a guy, too." Sayuri and Yuka looked at
each other and rolled their eyes, but said nothing. Akane was smiling a
very Kasumi-like smile.

Ryouga felt the stirrings of an utterly alien emotion: compassion for
Ranma. This was certainly a day of surprises. He supposed that he would
turn into a flying pig next. "You... you mean you felt bad about being a
guy the whole time?"

She nodded, her lips pursed. "Ryouga, are you glad you're a guy?"

Ryouga was startled by the non sequitur. "What? Of... of course. Why
wouldn't I be?"

Ranko nodded. "Of course..." She seemed amused at a private joke.

Ryouga continued looking at the redhead wearing a teal bikini who was
sitting on the sand in front of him. This girl wasn't a disguise, the
cursed form that Ranma took. This girl was a... well... a girl. He had
always thought Ranma was beautiful, but the knowledge that she was
really a boy made it seem an affront. Suddenly, he was very aware of the
fact that Ranma... Ranko... *was* a beautiful girl, and not a boy
pretending to be one. He tried to push that out of his mind; he didn't
want to deal with it right now. He wasn't entirely successful.

Ryouga knew he would never again tell this girl how she had made his
life hell. His life wasn't even in the same league as hers. Suddenly,
his implacable resentment of Ranma for snatching the bread at lunch in
junior high seemed very petty. As he continued to stare at her, she
blushed and dropped her gaze. He looked away in embarrassment himself.
What do you say to a girl whom you've been beating up for the last four
years, even if she's as good a martial artist as you? To the girl you
went to an all-boys school with? Who... you... (gulp) changed in the
locker room with? Ryouga knew his relationship with this girl could
never be the same again. He had thought he knew who Ranma was, but it
seemed he didn't know this girl at all. Could she really still be Ranma?

There was something he *did* have to say, though. "Ranko... Ranko-san,
I'm... I'm sorry."

She looked up in surprise. "What? Why?"

"For... for attacking you. For all the times I attacked you."

She shook her head. "Don't be silly, Ryouga. You didn't know I was a
girl. *I* didn't know I was a girl. And even if I had known, just
because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't take care of myself. I am a
martial artist, after all." Akane had an eerie feeling of deja vu. "I...
I mean I did get tired of it happening constantly, but I didn't really
mind fighting with you. You were a good opponent; you kept me in shape.
It... It's OK, really. Don't worry about it." She made a face. "Besides,
Mother won't let you fight me any more, except to practice." She laughed.

Ryouga laughed too.

*****

They all sat around the dinner table. He almost hadn't made it here. The
combined efforts of five girls to lead him back to their cottage -- in a
straight line along the beach -- almost hadn't been enough to combat his
unerring ability to get lost, but in the end, they had arrived. He was
glad; Ranko's mother seemed to be an excellent cook.

Ryouga wondered at what he saw. Ranko was wearing a sundress and
jewelry, and was chatting with her friends in a very animated way.
Ryouga couldn't quite believe this happy, vivacious girl was the same
person he'd known as Ranma. When not bragging or defending his manhood,
Ranma had never had a lot to say. He shook his head.

Even stranger was his rivalry with Ranma for Akane. It was gone, like a
soap bubble. Akane was unattached, his to try to woo without worrying
about the engagement, or even competition (Kunou didn't count). It was
such an unexpected situation, he didn't know what to think.

He gathered from what he had heard that Akane and Ranko had been very
close since early childhood, like twin sisters. Realization dawned in
Ryouga, that that put Ranko in a new role: Akane's sister, someone who
would be looking out for her; someone he, Ryouga, should try to make a
good impression with. Ryouga thought about all the efforts that Ranma
had made to disrupt his pursuit of Akane; he knew that Ranma had not
approved of him. Maybe... maybe it wasn't a new role after all. He
wondered how he could overcome the hostility there had been between them
and make her see him more favorably. Deep-sixing P-chan was probably a
given if he was going to do that.

He turned his attention back to the dinner conversation. He observed
Ranko's face as she chatted with the others; it seemed transformed to
him. He had seen Ranma in female form countless times, but she had had
the same expressions and limited set of emotions as her male form. Now,
she was happy, open, cheerful, excited... and vulnerable. Ryouga had
seen just how vulnerable a couple of times that day. He hoped that
wasn't permanent. The alien emotion of compassion for her surfaced again.

Nodoka spoke up. "You haven't said much yet, Ryouga-kun. Are you willing
to discuss the reasons why you had a feud with my daughter?"

Ukyou gave him a look of feigned innocence, batting her eyelashes.
Ryouga suddenly started to sweat. "Ummm... I guess so... well... uh...
we... we used to fight over bread in the cafeteria in Junior High..."

Nodoka tilted her head. "That hardly seems like reason enough to attack
someone constantly the way you mentioned. Are you sure there isn't
anything else?"

Ryouga sweated profusely; of course, Nodoka was right. But he couldn't
talk about Jusenkyou here, in front of Akane. Or Akane's friends. Not if
he wanted to live.

Ranko piped up. "Oh, I used to like to tease him. I bounced off his head
sometimes to grab the bread that was being thrown to us."

"Ranko! Dear, that wasn't very nice."

She answered Nodoka, but she was looking at Ryouga. "I... I never meant
any harm. It was just a game to me. I... I'm sorry. I thought of Ryouga
as a friend." Ryouga's eyes spoke his gratitude to Ranko for the
diversion. Her words were making him feel ashamed for some reason.

He reached carelessly for his tea, and managed to knock it over,
spilling it in Ranko's lap. He winced, expecting the change. Nothing
happened.

Ranko thought Ryouga's eyes were going to pop out of his head.
"Ranko-san... What... Why?..."

"I... Cologne locked my curse for me, temporarily. I was getting
splashed with hot water just as I had been with cold, and... and I
didn't want to deal with that on top of everything else. It will wear
off in another week or so, according to what she said. I... I'll decide
then whether to go back to school as Ranko or not."

She rose. "Excuse me; I'd better go clean up my dress." With that, she
headed for the kitchen.

Ryouga stared at her until she was out of sight. He turned to Ranko's
mother. "You're an excellent cook, Ma'am. Dinner is delicious."

Nodoka blushed. "Thank you. You should thank Ranko too, when she
returns; she did a lot of the work. She has been helping me cook at
home."

Ryouga gaped. "Re-really?" He was amazed. What was next, her having a
boyfriend? That thought made his head buzz.

He spoke again. "I... I think I'd like some fresh air. Would you mind if
I stepped out for a moment?"

"Not at all, Ryouga-kun."

Ukyou leaned over to Akane and said sotto voce, "Well, that's the last
we'll see of him for a few weeks." Akane nodded.

Ryouga sat on the beach and watched the waves crashing against the sand.
The tide seemed to be coming in, and the water was lapping up the beach.
He supposed he should move back a bit, but he loved the ocean.

He was ashamed to admit it, but his life had revolved completely around
getting revenge on Ranma and winning Akane. Now that that axis had
shifted, and his little personal morality play of Good versus Evil had
collapsed, he was forced to examine what he had done with his life the
last few years. He didn't like what he found. Four years spent trying to
find Ranma, trying to kill Ranma, fighting Ranma because of bread, or
for Akane. Why? Ranko had said she considered him a friend. He felt
ashamed.

He couldn't understand why he had been so angry at Ranma. He had
resented him... her... deeply. Why had he cared so much, enough to
follow him to China, where he had been cursed? Over some bread?
Something about Ranma had just made him angry, and... and he didn't feel
that way any more. It was simply gone, like the morning mist. He
couldn't understand that, either. Maybe... maybe he viewed her in a
different way now. The aspects of her behavior that had so incensed him
didn't seem so wrong any more. He shook his head; he simply didn't
understand.

Once again he looked up to enjoy the beautiful sight of the ocean waves
crashing. They were quite large now, especially the one that was about
to...

"Bweeeee...."

*****

Ranko had not expected to see Ryouga again after hearing that he had
stepped outside, but a few hours later, after everyone had bathed and
gotten ready for bed, they heard a tapping at the front door. Nodoka
went to open it, and was startled to find a small black piglet standing
on the step, looking up at her.

"What is it, Auntie?" asked Akane.

Nodoka looked back down at the piglet, who was looking up at her
expectantly. "For some reason, there is a small black piglet on our
doorstep, and he appears to want to come in." She looked more closely.
"He's soaking wet, too."

Akane came rushing over. "P-chan! What are you doing out here in
Ibaraki?" She scooped him up. "Oh sweetie, you're all wet! Auntie, this
is my pet pig, P-chan."

Nodoka looked at the pig. "Are you sure, Akane-chan? There are a lot of
farms around here."

Akane beamed. "Of course! See, he recognizes me, and he always has this
bandanna around his neck." She held P-chan up for Nodoka to see. Ranko
and Ukyou came up behind Akane, looked at each other, and rolled their
eyes.

Nodoka stared for a moment. Something about that bandanna seemed
familiar. Oh well... "Akane-chan, I'm not sure my cousin would
appreciate hearing that a pig stayed in her living room."

Akane looked worried. "Auntie, he sleeps with me at home. He's very,
very clean..." She looked at Nodoka hopefully.

Nodoka considered. "Well, I know my cousin has a dog, whom they bring
with them to this cottage. I... I guess it would be all right." She
looked sternly at Akane. "But Akane-chan, you must make sure he doesn't
cause any damage or other problems. I would hate to have to explain
things to my cousin. And if he leaves any odors their dog will notice
and be upset."

Akane nodded. "Of course, Auntie. He's never caused a lick of trouble at
home." Ranko sighed. Akane went off to find a towel for P-chan.

They laid out the futons and got ready for bed, with P-chan watching the
proceedings from the side of the room. He noted that Ranko wore pajamas
like the other girls. She really *is* a girl, he thought. He shook his
head and sighed.

As the girls got into their futons, he trotted over to Akane's. As she
scooped him up, he chanced to look Ranko in the eye, and flinched. She
was giving him a cold glare, letting him know exactly what she thought
of this habit of his. She "hmphed", and rolled over on her side, looking
away from him. He cringed.

Funny, he thought, as Akane cuddled him and they settled in for the
night. That look hurt more than anything she ever did to me before. He
sighed inwardly. What a stupid situation. How am I ever going to get out
of it?

*****

In the morning, P-chan was waiting patiently for Akane to finish
brushing her teeth, when he heard Ranko's voice. "P-chan." He looked up;
she was holding a steaming kettle. She motioned outside with her eyes.
He nodded meekly and followed.

Once they were outside, she asked, "Where are your clothes?" He squealed
and turned as if to go somewhere, then stopped. He looked around in
confusion.

Ranko rolled her eyes. "Never mind. Let's just look around." She
casually scooped him up; P-chan cringed, but Ranko was holding him
gently. They circled around the cottage, and behind it were Ryouga's
pack and clothing.

Without further ado, Ranko poured the hot water on P-chan and watched
him transform back into Ryouga. When she realized she was staring at him
with his clothes off, she suddenly turned away, her cheeks bright
crimson. I... I guess things are different now, she thought. She waited
while he dressed.

She turned to face him, a stern look in her eye. "Ryouga, Mother says I
mustn't fight you, so I'll have to use words instead. I'll be frank. I
don't like what you are doing with Akane as P-chan. It's not right, and
you know it. I... I know you're in love with her, and to be honest that
makes it even worse. How do you think she will react if she ever finds
out?"

Ranko knew that Akane would marry eventually, but even so, contemplating
that was still upsetting. She hoped that she and Akane would remain
close no matter who... A-Akane married. Letting go of the engagement was
still hard, but she had no right to tie Akane up or choose her
boyfriends for her, and... and she didn't really need to, not any more;
their relationship was now something different. Still, the idea of
Ryouga as Akane's boyfriend upset her. If Ryouga was going to even try,
she was going to make damn sure he cleaned up his act and was worthy of
Akane.

Ryouga lowered his eyes and blushed. Ranko seemed to be learning from
her mother. "You're right, Ranko-san. I... I know it's wrong. She just
loves P-chan so much, I don't want to hurt her..." He noted Ranko's
skeptical look. "Honest! I... I do enjoy being held by her, but... but
if that were all, I could walk away from it." He sighed in exasperation,
and put his hand over his eyes. "Honestly, this is such a mess, and I
don't know how to get out of it. I should tell her, but if I do she'll
hate me, and... and..." he trailed off.

She cocked her head and looked at him. "Ryouga, Akane is going to marry
a man, not a pig. If you want a chance at being that man" she faltered
slightly, "you have to start showing her less pig and more man. Do you
understand? You are not stupid, and I'm sure you can figure out a way
out of this." She put a little edge in her voice. "If you are motivated."

He gulped, and nodded. "O-OK."

She winked at him. "Good. Why don't we go back and have some breakfast?"
She turned around and walked back towards the front of the cottage.
Ryouga watched her retreating form the whole way.

"How did she do that?" he wondered aloud. He picked up his pack and
followed her.

Twenty minutes later, Ranko sighed. I guess he's not coming for
breakfast after all, she thought. I really should have led him back.
Well, he'll turn up again... eventually.

*****

The next day -- their last at the beach -- the girls were out sunning
themselves again, Ranko once more wearing her teal bikini. She rolled
over on her back and looked up at the sky, and sighed contentedly. This
vacation had been wonderful, even with Ryouga's unplanned visit. She had
never felt so relaxed, so far away from the craziness that was usually
her life.

She turned over on her stomach again, and lost track of time for a
while, before she became aware of a young man standing a short distance
away, staring at the ground. She sat up, and the other girls did too.

Akane spoke first. "Can we help you?" She sounded a little irritated.

The boy flinched. "Uhhh, uhhh, I... I was wondering if I could speak to
the young lady with the red hair." He turned bright red himself.

Nodoka looked up sharply from where she was sitting and reading her
book. She had known this was going to come sooner rather than later, and
was worried. Ranko had not had the benefit of years of preparation which
other girls had. She watched closely.

The girls looked at each other, then all turned to look at Ranko, who
was gazing uncertainly at the boy. "What... Why do you want to talk to
me?"

The boy stammered on. "Well, Miss, my name is Izaki Hiro, and... and..."
he seemed to gather his courage, "I... I couldn't help noticin' that you
were about the prettiest girl we've ever seen out here. I... I was
wonderin' if... if you would like me to show you around the town?"

Ranko was about to pound him for making a proposition like that to her,
when she realized that she was a girl, and he had every right to try.
She started to grow pale when she realized that... that she really *was*
going to have to figure out how she f-felt about... about... she
couldn't even complete the thought. It had been easier when the subject
had come up as an abstract point of discussion, but with a boy standing
in front of her...

She swallowed. If... if Mother won't let me marry another girl, and...
and I don't even think I want to, does that mean...? She shook her head.
She *knew* she wasn't ready to think about this now, and she didn't
intend to. She took a broom to these thoughts, chased them back into her
mental cellar, and locked the door. But she knew she couldn't keep them
locked up much longer.

She looked up to see Akane, Ukyou, Sayuri, and Yuka awaiting her reply;
they looked more anxious than the boy did, if that was possible. She
turned to answer, then realized she didn't have the faintest idea of
what to say. She racked her brains for all the old movies she had ever
seen.

"That... that's very sweet of you, Hiro-kun. But I... I came here to be
with my friends, and... and..." she thought furiously, "I already have a
boyfriend back in Tokyo!" She heard rather than saw the impacts as
several bodies in the vicinity fell over.

The boy looked disappointed, but seemed to relax as well. He smiled, and
she found herself smiling back. "I'm sorry to hear that, Miss...?"

"Saotome... Saotome Ranko."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Ranko-san. Your boyfriend is a lucky man." He
winked, turned, and walked away. He... he knew it was a white lie, she
thought. How did he know?

She blushed furiously when her friends grinned at her and burst into
applause.

That night, they all sat around a campfire on the beach, toasting
marshmallows. None of them had ever done it before, but they'd watched
enough American movies, and after a few misadventures, they had gotten
the hang of it. Fortunately, the grocery store in town had had
marshmallows. Apparently they were not the only Japanese who watched
American movies.

Ranko was staring into the flames, watching them flicker and the coals
glow. She was entranced. She thought back over the last few days, and
the feeling of living in a dream persisted. It was as if they had been
whisked off to some enchanted world. Ranko simply could not remember
another time in her life when she had enjoyed herself so much, when she
had been so happy. She sighed contentedly.

Ukyou sat with her chin propped up on one hand, watching Ranko. She was
so changed from the Ranma she and the others had known, and in such a
short period of time. Even back when she and Ranchan had first met...
That little boy had certainly had a cheerful disposition, but lurking
behind it had always been a melancholy she couldn't identify. Now, she
wasn't sure she could identify the person she was looking at.

This girl... she was so like Ranma in so many ways, and yet so
different. She and Akane were close friends; gone were the insults and
bickering. She was open and loving to her friends and family. She was
relaxed and happy, words that had been hard to apply to Ranma. She had
been transformed, and not just physically. In fact, the physical change
seemed trivial compared to the rest.

Ukyou smiled a bittersweet smile. Ranma had finally found happiness...
but wasn't Ranma any more. Having spent this time with Ranko, Ukyou
couldn't possibly ask her to be the boy she had been before. She'd have
to settle for a dear girlfriend rather than a fiance or husband.
Still... in one way, it didn't matter: Ranma or Ranko, she was still
Ranchan, and would always be Ranchan, and Ukyou would always be Ucchan
to her. Ukyou had lost something, but she hadn't lost everything. Maybe
the part that remained was the most important.

Yuka interrupted Ukyou's reflections. "Ranko-chan, I... this whole trip
has been wonderful. I've really enjoyed it. I hope you have too."

Ranko looked up. "I've really had a wonderful time, too. And I've loved
having you guys here. All of you. It's been..." words failed her, but
her happy smile spoke volumes.

Sayuri spoke up. "Ranko-chan, I know you're worried about people
thinking you aren't a real girl, but I don't think you should be. You're
so different from before. You... you really act like a perfectly normal
girl. Well, one who doesn't quite know all the things she should." They
all laughed. "Really, if... if you decide to come back to school as
Ranko, I don't think you have anything to worry about."

Akane seemed to think of something. "Ranko, you... before, you told me
you were afraid of changing, of becoming another person. The idea of
changing so much scared you." She paused. "And you've changed a lot;
Sayuri-chan is right. Yet you don't seem frightened about it. Does
changing into another person not frighten you any more?" She looked at
Ranko expectantly.

Ranko looked deep in thought. For a minute, she looked into the fire, as
the others waited. Finally, she spoke. "I... it hasn't been like I
expected. I... I haven't had the feeling that I've been changing into
another person." She paused a moment, then continued with wonder and
realization in her voice. "I... I feel like I *was* another person,
and... and I'm becoming *me*. Like I was a puzzle put together the wrong
way, and now I'm slowly being put together the right way." She stared at
the flames, mesmerized.

There was a long silence as everyone considered the meaning of Ranko's
words, Ranko herself most of all.

*****

End Chapter 5