Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Genmas Daughter ❯ 07 ( Chapter 6 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Imported From: RAAC
From: Deborah Goldsmith <dgoldsmith@mac.com>
Subject: [Ranma][FanFic] Genma's Daughter, Chapter 7: Discoveries

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

Genma's Daughter
Chapter 7: Discoveries

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

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

Ranko paused with her hand on the door to the girl's restroom. Unbidden,
painful memories resurfaced from her last attempt at intrusion into
girl-only space -- her visit to the girl's locker room in search of the
Japanese Nanniichuan. She swallowed.

Her body reminded her, somewhat urgently, that she didn't have a choice
in the matter. She took a deep breath, and went in. She'd never been in
here before, and she glanced around the room. There were a number of
girls inside; it almost looked like... they were standing in line?

One girl was at the sink washing up, and turned to glare at Ranko. "What
are *you* doing in here?" Ranko turned bright red, and turned her eyes
to the floor.

Another girl who was standing in line said "Megumi-chan, didn't you hear
the news this morning?" Megumi shook her head. "Ranko-san is really a
girl. The school verified it and everything. She's registered as a girl,
and she's *supposed* to be in here."

Megumi's glare faded, to be replaced by profound confusion. "You're... a
*girl*? Since when?"

Ranko looked up, still nervous. "Since... since I was born. It's... a
long story."

The other girl nodded. "It sure is, Megumi-chan. I'll tell you later.
Trust me, it's OK."

Megumi looked at Ranko's face, and saw the embarrassment and pain there.
She sighed. "I... I'm sorry... Ran... Ranko-san. I didn't mean to hurt
your feelings."

Ranko smiled a small smile. "Th-That's OK. I understand." Megumi nodded
and smiled back, then left.

Ranko turned back to the business at hand. "Ummm... Is... is this a
line?" She looked at her watch; she didn't have a lot of time.

Several of the girls giggled. The girl who had defended Ranko spoke. "I
can tell you haven't been a girl very long, Ranko-san. This happens
sometimes, and it always seems to happen when you're in a hurry. You'd
better get used to it." She smiled. "I'm Matsuura Remi. I think we met
once before, when you were... in your other form." She laughed. "Of
course, everyone at Fuurinkan knows you, but I don't know if you
remember me."

Ranko smiled. "I... I think I remember. Thank you for sticking up for me
just now, Remi-san."

Remi smiled back. "This must be hard for you, Ranko-san. I think a lot
of the girls feel that you deserve a break." Her eyes became sad.
"And... I was there that day in the locker room, when Akane-san brought
you in. Now I understand what happened to you. I'm sorry."

Ranko felt embarrassed, but grateful for her support. "Thank you,
Remi-san."

The line moved quickly enough, and Ranko was able to make it back to her
class in time, though just barely. She felt encouraged; one more step
taken successfully.

The news spread through the school like wildfire, and at lunchtime Ranko
and her friends were surrounded by a mob of mostly girls. She had
thought she'd have a quiet lunch with her four closest friends -- Akane,
Ucchan, Sayuri, and Yuka -- but Fuurinkan's female population had other
ideas. Ranko found herself telling her story over again for the benefit
of students from other classes who hadn't heard it directly. There were
gasps, and tears, and righteous anger in her audience at all the
appropriate places. Ranko felt the support and acceptance coming from
the other girls, and that gave her a very warm feeling.

In the middle of this, another girl walked up in a Fuurinkan uniform,
and Ranko and Akane did a double-take. It was Shampoo.

"Shampoo! What are you doing here?" asked Ranko, smiling.

Shampoo smiled too. "Great-Grandmother make good on threat, send Shampoo
to school." She stuck her tongue out. "Shampoo not sure she like; must
sit in class whole day and listen to so many teachers." She shrugged her
shoulders. "Shampoo in different class from Ranko and Akane, but Shampoo
hope see between classes, OK?" Ranko and Akane nodded and smiled.
Shampoo sat down, pulled out her lunch, and ate as she listened to Ranko
speaking with the other girls. They seemed to be accepting her. Good.

Soon enough, the bell rang, and they had to file back inside; class
resumed. At one point, Suzuki-sensei handed out a form so that the
students could select an elective class for the term. Ranko looked
through the list, and noticed the entry for "Music". She thought back to
her conversation on the train home from Harajuku, and on impulse checked
the box next to it.

As she walked to PE, still her last class of the day, she was lost in
thought. Maybe picking music was a mistake. She loved music, though her
father had never let her spend much time listening to it. Maybe she
didn't have any real talent in it. Perhaps she should have picked
something else.

She was still lost in thought and was about to push open the locker room
door when Akane called out "Ranko! Not in there!" She looked up, and
gasped. She had been about to go in the boy's locker room out of habit.
She scooted over and followed Akane into the girl's locker room, her
face bright red. That had been close. As she went in, she braced herself
for possible reactions. The last time she'd been here, she'd received a
beating.

She couldn't brace herself for what she found. When she came in, a cheer
went up, and she saw that almost all the girls were standing around
smiling and cheering her on. Once again, Yuka and Sayuri were standing
on a bench, holding a banner. This time, it said "Welcome, Ranko-chan!"

Ranko couldn't help but laugh. "How many banners do you guys have,
anyway?"

Yuka struck a silly pose. "Why, we've one for every occasion, of
course!" Everyone laughed.

Ranko looked around and found herself getting teary. "Everyone, thank
you... I can't tell you how much this means to me." She tried to wipe
her tears away, in vain. "I... I was so scared about today. I was so
afraid you'd be angry at me for being in the restroom, being in here.
You guys are wonderful." She smiled through her tears.

Akane came over and gave her a gentle hug. "You deserve it, Ranko." Many
of the girls nodded.

Akane said "Come on, let's get ready for PE. Let's show those boys what
Saotome Ranko can do!"

Ranko giggled and wiped her eyes. "OK!"

For the first time, Ranko was with the girls instead of watching them
wistfully from across the field. PE was the same, for the most part --
the bloomers they had to wear were incredibly uncomfortable, and she
missed the loose clothing she had worn as a boy -- but the feeling of
belonging, the group aura that the girls exuded, was something she had
never experienced. Why hadn't she ever noticed this when she had been
watching them from afar?

In boy's PE, she had always felt pressured to show off, to overpower the
other boys. Competition was everything. Rather than enjoying her
superiority as an athlete, that had made her feel apart from the others,
alone. There was competition here too, of course, but it was...
different. The girls knew how good an athlete Ranko was; they let her
exercise her skills, but made her feel part of the team, too. She found
herself enjoying the teamwork as they played soccer, and for the first
time enjoyed the passing as much as she had the scoring of goals. Here,
they could compete, but still be a group. Most importantly, she never
felt apart, alone.

When PE was over, she looked up at the sky and sighed. Why had she
hesitated so much to do this? She knew, deep in her heart, that this was
where she belonged -- had always belonged. She couldn't believe how
happy she was. She shook her head in wonder, and headed inside.

Someone had other ideas. Hirota stepped in front of her. "Hey, *Ranma*.
I wanna talk to you." His pals surrounded him, though they didn't look
particularly interested in being there.

Ranko looked up. She could clobber all of them easily, even with her
reduced training regimen. But they did not know the Art, and it would be
dishonorable. Besides... she didn't enjoy fighting any more. Sparring,
yes, fighting, no.

She tried to remember her mother's encounter with Ryouga. "Oh? And what
is it you want to talk to me about, Hirota-kun?"

Hirota started at being addressed as "Hirota-kun", then scowled. "I
always knew you were a sissy."

Ranko's blood started to boil, but then the absurdity struck her, and
she laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm a girl, and you're trying to make me mad by calling me a sissy?
Doesn't that strike you as a little... strange?" One of Hirota's friends
started to snicker, and he turned and glared. The snickers died.

"Who says you're a girl? You're just fakin' it, like you always do."

Ranko was about to earnestly defend herself and launch into the whole
explanation about birth certificates and her mother, when inspiration
struck. Hirota wasn't looking for proof, not really. He'd been in the
classroom that morning, after all.

She fluttered her eyelashes. "Why, Hirota-kun, I'm shocked. I would
think you're old enough to know the difference between boys and girls."
She drew herself up. "Surely you're not expecting me to educate you?"
She hmphed. "I'm not that kind of a girl."

This time there were multiple snickers. Hirota turned bright red.

Behind the bushes, one of the girls said simply, "Wow. How long has she
been a girl?"

Akane turned and spoke. "Only four weeks, but Ranko has always been a
really fast learner. And her mother is a good teacher." Akane thought
for a moment. "Come to think of it, there were all those times she
pretended to be a girl, too... I guess she's had more practice than I
realized." She turned back to watch.

Hirota was incensed. This was not going according to plan. "Why, I
oughta..."

"What? Hit a girl?"

"You're not a girl!"

Ranko shook her head and tsked. "Really, Hirota-kun, I think you might
need glasses."

Ranko was keeping her cool and having fun, but Akane finally lost her
temper. She came out from behind the bushes and stormed over. The other
girls scrambled to follow her.

Hirota winced as Tendou Akane came up and gave him The Glare. "Ranko, is
this *boy* bothering you?"

Ranko dropped the cute act and looked straight at Hirota. She pierced
him with her glare; Hirota felt like a butterfly on a pin. "No, Akane,
he just doesn't seem to know the *difference* between boys and girls. He
seems to be implying I'm not a girl."

Hirota started to backpedal. "Ummm, well, uh... I... I didn't mean to..."

Akane was in his face. "Let's get one thing straight, Mister. Saotome
Ranko is a girl. Do you think we'd let her in our restroom, in our
locker room, if she wasn't? I don't know what your problem is, but get
over it!" She turned to Ranko. "Come on, let's leave this jerk and go
change."

Ranko looked at Hirota one last time, her glare ice cold. She turned her
back on him and walked away with the other girls. Hirota and his friends
watched them go.

One of the boys whistled a long, low whistle. "Wow." He walked over to
Hirota and hit him on the head with his knuckles. "Man, you are so dumb.
You still think she's not a girl?"

Hirota was still speechless, his eyes on where the girls had gone into
the locker room. He slowly shook his head.

*****

As soon as they had entered the locker room, the story had made its way
around, and the other girls made a point of congratulating Ranko on the
way she had handled the situation. There had been a lot of laughing and
joking over the incident.

Some of the girls still held back a little, but Ranko noticed that when
she turned on the hot water in the shower and got in, these girls seemed
to relax. I guess they didn't believe me before, she thought. She
enjoyed her shower immensely. It was such a pleasure to get wet without
having to worry about hot or cold. Finally, after all these months, it
was just water again.

She didn't notice the hush that descended over the locker room for a few
moments, as even the girls who were already supporting her sobered at
this direct evidence that Ranko was permanently female. It was at that
moment that it truly sank in that it had been her boy side which had
been the magical curse, and that it would never be seen again.

Akane and Ranko were still laughing about Hirota as they turned into the
street where the Tendous lived. "Oh, Ranko, could you believe the look
on his face?"

Ranko nodded, snickering the whole time. "That was fun..."

They walked up the path and into the house. "Tadaima!"

Nodoka and Kasumi came to meet them. "O-kaeri! How did your day go,
dear?"

Ranko's huge smile was answer enough. "I... I don't know where to
start..."

Nodoka smiled back. "Why don't you come in the living room and tell us?"
They all went in, and Ranko and Akane proceeded to tell them about the
whole day: Ranko's being accepted by most of the girls, the classes she
had attended, Shampoo, the locker room, and her encounter with Hirota.

Nodoka shook her head. "Ranko, dear, you need to learn to be more
careful. Some boys have fragile egos, and you can provoke them easily by
teasing."

Ranko bristled. "I'm a martial artist, Mother. I can defend myself."

"Yes, you can, but do you really want to have to? Where's the honor in
provoking a fight through words?" Ranko looked down, chastised, and
nodded.

"It's all right, dear. It sounds like this boy was angry at you to start
with. Sometimes those fragile egos need to be deflated a little bit."
She smiled, then stood up. "Kasumi and I are preparing something special
for dinner, to celebrate. Why don't you go take off your uniform while
we get busy in the kitchen? It's been a busy day for you, so just
relax." Ranko nodded, and Nodoka and Kasumi went into the kitchen.

She and Akane went up the stairs, and Ranko stopped to open the door to
her room as Akane went past. She wasn't looking forward to this old room
again, with the memories of her father...

Akane was about to open her own door when she heard a gasp from Ranko
down the hall. She hurried back, asking "What is it, Ranko? What's
wrong?" Ranko was staring into her room, and Akane turned to look in.

The room had been completely redecorated. It wasn't the spartan place it
had been, but was now clearly the room of a teenage girl. The furniture
had been completely replaced, there was a bed, there were lacy curtains,
and the walls had been repainted a soft, pastel color. There was a small
vanity with a mirror. The martial arts posters on the wall had been
taken down for the repainting, then carefully put back up.

Ranko wandered over and plopped on the bed, still a little in shock,
trying to take it all in. She saw that Kasumi, the doll, had been
brought here from her room at home. There was another doll, a new one,
sitting next to Kasumi; it had bright red hair, which made her smile. I
wonder what I should name you, she thought. Maybe... Ranma-chan? She
giggled. I'd have to get you some Chinese clothes for that. She noted
something stuck behind one of the pillows, and moved the pillow to look
at it...

Akane wandered around the room, and noticed that the photo of Genma,
Nodoka, and the child Ranko had been transported from Ranko's dresser at
the Saotome home. She smiled; Auntie clearly knew how important Uncle
was to Ranko. She hoped the photo would be enough for Ranko after Akane
murdered him. She was startled out of her plotting by a strangled noise
coming from the bed.

She whirled around and found Ranko sitting on the bed, bent over nearly
double, her arms around her middle and wheezing pitifully. She seemed to
be having trouble breathing.

Akane rushed over. "Ranko, what's wrong? Are you all right?" Ranko
nodded, but kept wheezing. Akane scratched her head. "Whatever is the
matter with you?"

Ranko didn't straighten up, but an arm came out from around her middle,
and she pointed over at her pillow. The wheezing noises continued. Akane
looked over at the pillow, and her jaw dropped. Sitting there was a
stuffed animal. It was a panda, about a half meter tall. It had crossed
eyes.

Akane sank to her knees and joined Ranko in helpless laughter.

*****

Nodoka came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. "Dinner's
just about ready, girls." She looked around; Nabiki was sitting in a
corner reading a magazine, and Akane was watching TV. "Where is Ranko?"

Akane turned around and smiled. She got up, walked over to the sofa, and
pointed. Nodoka came over.

Ranko was asleep on the sofa, her arms flung carelessly over the side.
She had changed from her uniform to a pair of cutoff jeans and a
sleeveless top. She had a peaceful smile on her face.

Nodoka smiled herself. Kami-sama, how she had missed her little girl.
She shook Ranko gently. "Ranko, dear..."

Ranko startled a little bit, and her eyes opened halfway. "Huh?...
Whazzit?"

"You need to get up, sweetheart."

Ranko rolled over. "Mama, jus lemme sleep..."

"Dinner is ready."

Ranko's eyes shot open. "Did you say dinner?" Akane burst into giggles.
Ranko roused herself, and they went over to the dining table, where
Kasumi was just setting the last dishes down.

Ranko and Akane sat next to each other, as they always did. Ranko looked
around. Kasumi and Mother had outdone themselves. Her mouth started to
water. There was everything she liked to eat, and...

"Red beans and rice?" she asked.

Kasumi smiled. "You've passed a huge milestone, Ranko-chan. I thought we
ought to commemorate it."

Ranko beamed; she knew red beans and rice was a dish served only for
special occasions. "Kasumi-neechan, thank you. And... thank you for
redecorating my room. It really means a lot to me."

It was Kasumi's turn to beam. "You're very welcome, Ranko-chan. It's our
'welcome back' gift to our little sister." Nabiki was smiling too,
though it might have been a little forced. After a quick "Itadakimasu,"
they began to eat.

Akane smiled. Ranko was enjoying herself thoroughly, and a summer with
her mother had civilized her eating manners to the point where they were
reasonable, if not exemplary. Akane was serving herself some red beans
and rice, when something caught at her mind. It reminded her of
something, and she couldn't quite remember what it was. She had a
feeling of deja vu but couldn't place it.

She was still trying to figure it out ten minutes later. Something...
about the red beans and rice. Now, when was the last time Kasumi-neechan
served red beans and rice? Wasn't it when I... Akane's eyes widened and
she dropped her chopsticks. Everyone looked up.

Nodoka looked at her. "Akane-chan, is something wrong?"

Akane looked around. She didn't want to blurt this out, even though they
were all girls; she didn't want to embarrass Ranko. She said "Auntie,
it's... it's a little private. Just a moment." She walked around the
table and whispered in Nodoka's ear.

It was Nodoka's turn to look surprised. "Why, no... I hadn't thought of
it. She is well past the usual age, after all. But you're quite right."
She turned to look at Ranko.

Suddenly, Nabiki's eyes widened, and she was looking at Ranko too.

Ranko looked around. "What is it?" She was starting to get nervous.

Nodoka cleared her throat. "I'll tell you after dinner, dear. It's just
something you need to know now that you're a girl." Kasumi dropped her
own chopsticks at that, and Ranko sighed. Why does everyone know about
this but me? It must be some girl thing.

After dinner, Nodoka took Ranko by the hand and led her into the Dojo
for some privacy. Twenty minutes later they came back, and Ranko was
white as a sheet. She had thought that fainting in baths was the last
surprise her female body had in store for her. She should have known
better.

She had heard rumors about this from the boys in the locker room, but it
hadn't been important to her at the time -- she had been a boy, after
all -- and she hadn't thought about the fact that it now applied to her.
It hadn't happened yet because she hadn't ever spent enough time in her
girl form. Now...

Nodoka and Ranko sat on the sofa, and Akane joined them. Nodoka put an
arm around her daughter. "Don't be so frightened, dear. It's not that
bad." Akane took Ranko's hand, and nodded. "You get used to it. It's a
pain in the neck, but you cope. Auntie's right, it's not that bad."

Ranko shook her head. "I... I'm not thinking about that so much as...
as..." she swallowed, "the implications. Being... being a moth... a
mother." There. She'd said it.

Nodoka gave her another squeeze. "You don't have to be a mother if you
don't want to be, dear. You don't have to have a family." Kami-sama,
please let her change her mind. I want grandchildren...

Ranko blushed. "But... but I do want a family. I like children. I... I'm
just not sure I'm ready to do what's required to... get them." She
shuddered. "And... boys... I just can't imagine..." she trailed off.

"Of course not, dear, you're still too young. Don't worry about it until
you're older."

Ranko thought about that. Her mother was right, but she knew she would
be forced to think about it at least once a month.

*****

Ranko and Akane were on their way out to lunch the next day when Hiroshi
and Daisuke walked up. "Ranma... I mean, Ranko-chan?"

Ranko and Akane looked at each other, and Akane looked at the two boys.
She turned back to Ranko. "I'll be in the usual place, OK?" Ranko
nodded, and Akane went on by herself.

Ranko turned back to her two friends. She felt very nervous, for some
reason. "Yes?"

Hiroshi and Daisuke looked at each other. Hiroshi spoke. "I... I just
wanted to say... we... we can still be friends, right?"

Ranko tried a smile. "Of course, guys. Why wouldn't we be?"

Hiroshi looked uncertain. "Well, we... we thought maybe... that, you
know, you disliked being a boy so much, and we heard about what happened
with Hirota yesterday, and..."

Ranko felt her heart tighten a little. "No, guys, that's not it at all.
I don't hate boys. I... I'm just not a boy, that's all. There's nothing
wrong with being a boy, but I'm just... not." She smiled. "Don't worry,
I don't look down on you or anything."

Hiroshi and Daisuke seemed to brighten. "Gee... that's... that's great!
I guess we can still be pals, huh?" Ranko nodded, her smile broadening.

Daisuke smiled. "I knew we could count on you, buddy!" He clapped a hand
on Ranko's shoulder, and she froze.

She looked up into Daisuke's eyes, and felt afraid. His hand on her
shoulder was causing feelings she had never had before; she felt... she
felt... She kept looking into his eyes, and shivered.

Daisuke swallowed nervously, and quickly removed his hand. "Uhh, well,
ummm, see ya around, right buddy?" She nodded, her eyes still on his.
The two boys turned and walked away.

As they did, Ranko felt tears coming. Her friends... she could feel the
distance between them, the gulf that had not been there before. The gulf
that she had crossed, but they had not. She treasured her new friends,
but the old ones... She walked over to where Akane was sitting.

Akane, Ukyou, Sayuri, Yuka, and Shampoo were there, as well as a handful
of other girls: Remi, Megumi, and others who wanted a chance to chat
with Ranko. Ranko's hot shower the previous day had erased most of the
remaining reservations the girls had. The conversation died when they
noticed Ranko's wet eyes.

Ukyou spoke first. "What's wrong, Ranchan? What happened?"

Ranko sat down. "It's... it's Hiroshi and Daisuke. I never really had
too many friends as a boy, but they were good ones. Just now, they...
they thought I must hate boys, because I became a girl." She paused. "I
told them that wasn't the reason I changed, but still..." she trailed
off. "Then, Daisuke put his hand on my shoulder, you know, just like a
buddy would? But... it... it made me feel... strange. Frightened. And...
and I had other feelings... I... I never felt before." She swallowed.
"He could tell. It put them both off." She hung her head and her voice
dropped to a whisper. "I... I wonder if I can ever be friends with any
boy again."

The other girls all looked at each other. Yuka leaned over, and put a
hand on Ranko's arm to comfort her. Ranko smiled sadly. "It's funny,
isn't it? When you put a hand on my arm, or Akane does, I feel
comforted. I feel friendship. I feel... safe. But when he did it... I...
I..." she trailed off.

Sayuri spoke up. "Ranko-chan, you're a girl, and... they're boys. That
doesn't mean you can't be friends, but... there is going to be something
there that you... you might not have felt before. It... it sounds to me
like... like you probably have the... normal feelings you would expect a
girl to... to have about boys."

Ranko nodded, a frightened look on her face.

Sayuri took a deep breath. "If... if you're aware of that, and
understand it, then... then it's possible to be friends with a boy. You
just have to understand that the chemistry is different, now."

Ranko seemed lost in thought, and Ukyou and Shampoo looked at each other
for a moment, their feelings on the exact same wavelength.

Akane leaned over and put her own hand on Ranko's shoulder. "You have so
many new friends now, Ranko. We're all going to be here for you, never
forget that. I'm not saying to throw away the old ones, but... now that
you're a girl, people are going to see you differently, and you'll see
boys differently than you did before. That can't help but change
things." She sighed. "Give it time. I'm sure the three of you will find
a new way to be friends."

Ranko nodded morosely. "I... I know. I'm just not happy about it."

Akane said, "Come on, Sis, cheer up." She grinned.

Ranko couldn't help but smile at being called Sis. "OK. I'll stop
moping."

They spent the rest of lunch talking about other things, as the girls
made a concerted effort to get Ranko's mind off the incident.

"Ranko-chan, what elective did you sign up for?" asked Sayuri

Ranko brightened. "I decided to try music. I don't know, I just like it,
and I thought maybe I might enjoy the class."

Sayuri was excited. "That's great, Ranko-chan! I worked up my nerve and
decided to try it again myself. We'll be in that class together!" She
beamed. "I want to try the piano again."

Ranko turned a little pale. "You... you mean you *play* instruments in
that class?"

Sayuri laughed. "Don't worry, Ranko-chan. That's only part of the class,
and most people are beginners. They're not expecting you to sit down and
play a concert or anything." She giggled. "It's just to try things out,
and see if you like it. It's more like music appreciation."

Ranko relaxed. Maybe... maybe this would be fun after all.

On the way home, Akane noticed that Ranko seemed to be thinking again.
She had a brooding look on her face. As they passed the street which led
to the bridge over the canal, she paused a moment, then turned to Akane.
"Akane... Sis... I... I think I want to... to think for a while. By
myself." She smiled sadly. "Don't worry, I'll be home soon."

Akane *was* worried; Ranko was still pretty fragile emotionally, and
cried easily. It wasn't really surprising given the massive upheaval in
her life and the new experiences and feelings she was constantly being
bombarded with. She'd gone from living as a boy, and thinking of herself
as one, to being a teenage girl, with all that implied, in just over a
month. She was actually doing surprisingly well, considering. Akane
hoped she regained her equilibrium soon.

She looked at Ranko for a long moment, then nodded once. "Don't go and
cry by yourself, you hear me? If you feel a cry coming on, come on home.
OK?"

Ranko nodded. "OK." Her smile brightened a little bit, and they just
stood there for a moment before each went her own way.

Akane smiled. They were so close, now. This... this was what she had had
a glimpse of that night so long ago, when a panda had delivered a
red-haired girl to her home. She had had an intuition that the two of
them would be very close, that they would share everything, like
sisters; no wonder the curse had shattered her trust so badly.

A few minutes later Ranko was at her favorite spot again, under the
bridge. She went to sit down, but had to search for a dry patch; she
didn't want to stain her uniform. She finally settled on a discarded
cinder block and looked out across the canal.

The children were playing again; it was a favorite spot for them, too.
She looked at the two separate groups: boys, and girls. Each kept to
themselves. She sighed.

What had happened to her? She knew she had to be a girl, wanted to be a
girl, but... but it was so alien, sometimes. So different from the way
she had lived before. And being a girl, there was a whole package of
other things that came along with that. Like... she could tell that she
was starting to find boys... attractive. She felt overwhelmed by the
differences.

She thought back to her life before. It was just six weeks ago, but it
seemed so far away, she could hardly remember what it was like. She...
she had disliked it, but it had been familiar: simultaneously
uncomfortable and comfortable. She thought about the black-haired boy
she had been... Suddenly, she gave a little gasp.

I'm not him any more, she thought. I'm not Saotome Ranma. He... he's
dead. He's gone. I'm... I'm a different person, in so many ways.
Ranma... Ranma is dead. Tears came quickly to her eyes, and she cried.

Hibiki Ryouga squinted. Funny, this looked too small to be the Yodo
River. But he was in Osaka, so it had to be. He hadn't known it looked
like a drainage canal.

He looked up the river bank, and saw a girl wearing a school uniform,
crying. That's odd, he thought, that's the same uniform they wear at
Fuurinkan. Oh well, I guess there aren't too many different kinds. He
walked up to her. "Is something wrong, Miss? Can I help?"

Ranko looked up at him, eyes red. "Ryouga?"

Ryouga did a double take. "Ranko-san? What are you doing in Osaka?"

Ranko shook her head. "This isn't Osaka, Ryouga. We're in Nerima, on the
canal."

He looked around. Now that she mentioned it, the place *did* look
familiar. Ranko started to cry again.

He sat down next to her. She had changed so much! He couldn't find any
traces of the boy he had known. She was just another girl who went to
Fuurinkan. No... not just another girl. A very beautiful girl, with
stunning, silky red hair that blew slightly in the wind... "Ranko-san,
what's wrong?" He shook his head. He had to stop staring at her; it was
rude.

She looked at him. "I... I feel funny talking to you about it, and
that's just the point! I... I just realized... I'm not Ranma any more.
He... he had to *die* for me to be me! He didn't deserve to die, but he
had to!" She cried harder.

Ryouga tried to decipher what she was saying, and failed. "What do you
mean, Ranko-san?"

"I... I mean... I'm a girl now, and... and... it's so far away from what
I was... the boys who were my friends... they... they see me as a girl
now, and I... I see them as... as boys. When they t-touched me, I
felt... I felt... It's so different, so alien, it's... it's just hard
sometimes. Everything in my life has changed." She was sobbing now.

Ryouga felt powerless to help her, and that made him feel miserable for
some reason. He... he wanted her to be happy. He reached out,
tentatively, and hesitated. It sounded like being touched by a boy
had... unsettled her. A particularly loud sob escaped her, and his
courage firmed up. He reached out and put an arm around her.

Ranko noticed Ryouga's arm drape over her shoulder. It... it felt
strange, like Daisuke's hand had felt, but she felt something else, too.
She... she felt like...

Suddenly, Ranko spun around and buried her head in Ryouga's shoulder,
sobbing. Slowly, he reached around with his other arm, and held her as
she cried. He wondered at what was going on. Who would have imagined
this scene two months ago? His glass heart went out to her as he held
her gently in his embrace.

Ranko felt a million conflicting emotions running through her. Being
held by a boy frightened her, but... but it also made her feel safe,
made her feel stronger. She felt... protected. She'd never felt that way
before. She couldn't believe Ryouga, of all people, was holding her. She
knew she was strong, she knew she could stand on her own without having
to lean on anyone else, but somehow, being in his arms was... she
couldn't put words to it.

Ryouga held her and stroked her hair. He noticed the scent; it smelled
of flowers. Her body felt so soft against his; she was such a sensitive,
beautiful, sweet girl. He leaned his head down on top of hers, the
better to smell her hair. He sighed; holding her was so... Suddenly, his
eyes went very wide. No... no... I can't be... no! I... Akane-san...

Ranko seemed to be collecting herself; she separated from him and stood
up. She was sniffling and wiping her eyes. "Ryouga... I... I am so
sorry. I didn't mean to go to pieces on you like that." She smiled
wanly. "Th-Thank you. I... I guess I needed a shoulder to cry on. I feel
a lot better." She looked at his shirt. "With all those tears, it's a
wonder I didn't turn you into P-chan!" She made a face; she really was
feeling better. She realized that with all the changes she had gone
through, it was no surprise if she was overwhelmed from time to time.
She managed to smile at him.

He rose to his feet, a little unsteady. "N-n-no p-problem, R-ranko-san.
R-really! I... I was glad I could help."

Ranko looked at Ryouga. He seemed very nervous for some reason. Probably
he still thinks of me as a boy, she thought. That probably made him
really uncomfortable holding me...

"Well, I really appreciate it. I know you probably still think of me as
a boy, somewhat, so I hope that didn't make you too uncomfortable."

Ryouga's voice was squeaky. "No! No! Of course not! No problem!"

How sweet of him to deny it, she thought. "Oh, I promised Akane I
wouldn't take too long." She pulled a mirror out of her purse. "Look at
my eyes! You can tell I've been crying. Well, I hope she doesn't get too
mad at me. I promised not to go off and cry by myself." She put the
mirror away. "I... I've got to go, Ryouga... kun." She blinked, but it
had seemed like the natural thing to call him. "Again, thank you. You're
very sweet."

He gulped and nodded without saying anything, and she turned and walked
off. Ryouga watched her, mesmerized, as she climbed the bank, holding
her slender arms out for balance, her red hair and the skirt of her
uniform ruffling gently in the late summer breeze as she picked her way
among the weeds. She reached the top, and disappeared up the road.

Slowly, Ryouga sank to his knees. He whispered "Akane-san...
Ranko-san..." Then he put his head in his hands and howled, "Oh,
Kami-sama, I'm turning into Kunou!"

*****

Akane looked up from her book and called "O-kaeri" in response to
Ranko's "Tadaima!" She smiled, but the smile died on her lips. "You've
been crying."

Ranko looked embarrassed. "Well... yes. I... I was just a little
overwhelmed by what happened today." She sighed. "Things have changed so
much for me. I... I realized that Ranma... the person I was... it's
almost like he died. I... I don't want to go back to being him, not
ever, but still..."

Akane nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I can see what you're saying."

Ranko looked at herself. "Let me go change out of my uniform, OK?" Akane
nodded.

A few minutes later, Ranko came back downstairs, wearing her jean skirt
and floral top. It was starting to be a little too chilly for sleeveless
fashions, and the sundresses were put away until next summer. She sat on
the sofa next to Akane, sat back with her hands in her lap, and sighed.

Akane leaned her elbow casually on the arm of the sofa, her head on her
hand. "I told you not to cry by yourself. Why didn't you come home?"

Ranko blushed. "I know. I... I wasn't planning to cry. It just sort
of... happened."

Akane shook her head. "Crying by yourself is a lonely thing, Sis. I
would have been happy to come with you and keep you company."

Ranko squirmed. "Uhh... I didn't exactly cry by myself."

Akane straightened up a little. "What do you mean?"

Ranko sighed. "Well, the funniest thing happened. There I was, crying,
when who should show up but... Ryouga? He thought he was in Osaka." She
giggled. "Anyway, when he saw I was crying, he... put an arm around me,
and the next thing I knew, my face was in his shoulder and he was
holding me..." she trailed off.

Akane sat up straight. "And... how did that feel?"

Ranko looked at the ceiling as she thought. "Well, it was a little
scary, like when Daisuke put his hand on my arm, but it was also...
comforting. Like when you put your arm around me, but... different." She
blushed. "I... I felt... protected." She laughed. "I would never have
thought I would ever say something like that." She sobered. "And... that
just made it even more clear that I wasn't Ranma any more." She sighed.
"But it helped. I felt better."

Akane smiled. "That's all normal; I'm glad he was there. How did he
react?"

Ranko looked bemused. "I think he still must think of me as a boy,
somewhat. He was so nervous afterwards!" She laughed. "He was so nervous
he was stuttering."

Akane's eyebrows went up. "Really? Are you sure that's why he was
nervous?"

Ranko nodded. "Well, he denied it, but I think he was just being nice.
What else could it be?"

Akane smiled uncertainly. "Ummm... yeah." Inwardly, she worried. Ranko
was so pretty and had such a nice personality that Akane knew that it
was only a matter of time before boys became very interested in her. She
hadn't expected Ryouga to be one of them, given the history between
them, but she had to admit it was really hard to see Ranma in Ranko,
unless you knew what to look for.

While Ranko behaved differently than she had as a boy, that was how she
expressed herself, not who she was. Akane had lived in the same house
with Ranko, both the boy and the girl, for almost half a year; she knew
her best friend/twin sister very well. The real change was not the
surface mannerisms, but that Ranko was happy with who she was now. Ranma
had been desperate to prove himself a "man amongst men", perhaps to
himself most of all; it had colored every aspect of his behavior. Ranko
didn't need to, and that made a huge difference.

Akane worried for her sister; she was still a fledgling, so to speak,
and just barely used to being a girl. Still, Ryouga was a very nice boy,
and maybe, just maybe, if things were handled right... She decided to
keep an eye on the situation.

Ranko was sure of the cause for Ryouga's stuttering. After all, she knew
he was in love with Akane, so it couldn't be that. Besides, until
recently, he had been trying to kill her. Really, how could he fall in
love with her?

*****

The next day, Akane and Ranko were walking through the gates of
Fuurinkan, when their luck finally ran out. Kunou was waiting for them;
they both sighed.

"Fair Akane! Pig-tailed girl! I have but just returned from my family's
private isle! Oh, how my heart has ached to see you, my loves!"

Ranko's face was dark. "I have a name, *Senpai*. It's Ranko. Saotome
Ranko. Could you *please* use my name?" She turned her head to the side
to show him her hair. "There isn't a pigtail any more, anyway."

Kunou beamed. "Ah, beauteous Ranko! How thy fair visage doth shine! And
yet, still you take the same name as that foul sorceror, who I see has
bolted, like the coward he is. What will free you from his grasp?"

Akane noticed that Ranko's battle aura was glowing to match her own.
"Don't you dare talk about Ranma like that!" screamed Ranko. "You have
no right!" Kunou was instantly unconscious in the dirt, the footprints
of two angry girls on his face.

Ranko was scowling as she and Akane walked into the building. She
checked her uniform for dirt. "And I promised Mother I wouldn't fight in
this..."

Akane smirked. "Extenuating circumstances." They both giggled.

At lunch, Nabiki was enjoying her ramen when Kunou walked up. She
sighed. "What is it, Kunou-chan?" She noticed he had footprint-shaped
bruises on his face. Both girl-sized, one a little smaller than the
other. Yup, she knew who'd made those.

Kunou showed a wad of bills. "Five weeks have passed, Tendou Nabiki, and
I desire to know the truth about the sorceror Saotome. Why is he not
attending school? Why do fair Akane and the beauteous pig-tailed... I
mean beauteous Ranko defend him so?"

Nabiki looked Kunou over critically. The truth would never do. Many
people had tried to drill the truth through that dense skull, but it had
proved impervious, displacing diamond as the hardest substance known to
man.

Still, maybe an edited version... "Very well, Kunou-chan. You're right,
time's up." She motioned to the chair opposite her. "Have a seat." The
kendoist sat at the table and waited. "Payment in advance, Kunou-chan."
He scowled, but handed the bills over.

Nabiki thought. "Kunou-chan, there is something you must know about
Saotome Ranko and Saotome Ranma. They share the same name because...
they had the same parents."

Kunou sat up straight in surprise. "Brother and sister?" He considered
this. "How could that be so? He has so vilely enslaved her." He paused.
"And yet, are not brother and sister close, each protecting the other?
Verily, this would explain the beauteous Ranko's defense of him."

Nabiki nodded. "They were even born at the same time."

Kunou stroked his chin. "Twins! Indeed, no wonder one was never found
far from the other." Nabiki's eyes widened, but she said nothing. He
scowled again. "And yet, it still does not excuse his unwarranted
attentions to the fair Akane."

Nabiki shrugged. "They were engaged by their parents. Neither of them
really wanted it, though they were good friends."

Kunou, uncharacteristically, noticed something. "You say 'were' -- has
this grievous error been rectified?"

Nabiki nodded. "That's right, Kunou-chan. They're... not engaged any
more."

Kunou practically shouted with joy. "Ah, righteousness triumphs! And so
the fair Akane is no longer trapped by the foul..." he trailed off,
noticing Nabiki's sad expression. "There is something more, is there
not? Pray, tell me."

Nabiki sniffled, and was glad acting blood ran in the family, though
Akane had more of it than she did. "You don't understand, Kunou-chan.
The engagement ended because... Ranma is... no longer with us." She
sighed. "He... he left us this summer, forever." She wiped a tear away.
Brava!

Kunou was stunned. "You mean, Saotome Ranma is... no more?"

Nabiki nodded. "He... he learned of his destiny shortly before summer
break. Though he tried, there was nothing he could do to escape it." She
wasn't even lying, technically. She really ought to get a job writing
advertisements; she'd do very well. Or maybe product labels.

Kunou sagged in his seat. "Truly, then, their defense of him is
explained... he was already fading."

Nabiki nodded. "Exactly."

"So young! Such a tragedy makes the soul weep. And this morning, I... I
besmirched his name... to his grieving sister and fiancee." He looked
grim. "Truly, I have erred."

"Speaking ill of the... departed is typically frowned upon, yes."

Kunou rose. "There is only one course left to me. I must... console them
with my bountiful love!" And with that, he strode off.

Nabiki watched her family's largest source of income walk away, then
turned to counting her profits. She had a satisfied smile; this would
easily pay for Ranko's new room, and more.

Akane and Ranko were eating lunch with the other girls when Kunou walked
up.

"Fair Akane, beauteous Ranko, I must apologize to you for my
ungentlemanly behavior this morning."

The assembled girls peered at him in shock. Was... was this really Kunou?

Ranko managed to squeak out, "Senpai?"

Kunou went on. "I have just recently learned from the mercenary Nabiki
of the sad fate of your twin brother." He paused. "I am afraid I let my
rivalry with the departed get the better of my manners. It was only
because I was driven by visions of you, my loves, but still, know that I
grieve with you for your loss. He was... a good man."

Understanding started to dawn. "Ummm... Th-thank you, Senpai..."

"You may rest assured that I will honor his memory. And what better way
-- than by showering my affections upon you?" He moved to embrace them.

As Kunou lay there in the dirt, the pain of a dozen girls' blows
clouding his vision, he reflected that Ranma's untimely end seemed to
have brought him no closer to the objects of his heart's desire. He
sighed as he lost consciousness.

*****

Akane and Ranko detoured through the Fuurinkan shopping district on
their way home, just to window-shop a little as they chatted on their
way home.

"I'll have to thank Nabiki later -- if I heard 'foul sorceror' one more
time, I don't know what I'd do. The truth never worked, but this seemed
to." Ranko sighed. "Too bad he isn't going to leave us alone."

Akane laughed. "That would be too much to hope for, don't you think?"

Ranko laughed as well. "I guess so." She sobered. "I guess I still have
Kodachi to deal with, too."

"You're right," said Akane. "She isn't likely to be as tractable." She
pondered that, then looked around; Ranko wasn't there. She turned
around; Ranko had stopped a few paces back, and was looking in a store
window. Akane retraced her steps.

It was a jewelry store, and Ranko was gazing wistfully at some earrings.
They were silver, the dangly kind. She sighed, "I really like these,
but... they're for pierced ears."

When Akane didn't say anything, she looked up. Akane was looking back at
her with her arms folded, her head tilted, and a smile on her face.

Ranko was confused. "What?"

Akane still didn't respond, but pointed at the sign on a shelf in the
window. Ranko turned to read it. "Free piercing when you buy piercing
set!" She turned back to Akane, and smiled herself. "You're... you're
right..."

Fifteen minutes later, Ranko and Akane walked out of the shop. Ranko had
gold piercing studs in her ears, and held a bag with the earrings she
had liked and a kit to care for her newly pierced ears. She was blushing
and smiling at the same time. She... she didn't have to worry about
things like this, not any more...

When they came home, Kasumi and Nabiki noticed the huge smile on Ranko's
face. Kasumi looked between Akane and Ranko; they were obviously sharing
a secret.

"What?" she asked, smiling. It was wonderful to see the two of them so
happy, and getting along so well. Just like when they were children...

"Do you notice anything different about me, Oneechan?" Ranko was beaming.

Kasumi shook her head, until Ranko moved her hair aside. "Oh! You've
gotten your ears pierced! How nice!" She looked on and made the
appropriate noises as Ranko showed off both ears. Nabiki couldn't help
but smile; Ranko was going through all the same stages she and her
sisters had, just a little... delayed.

The next day at school, Ranko was showing off her ears to her friends at
lunch. They were all a bit old to be excited at that kind of thing, but
knew how Ranko felt. Later that day, Sayuri drew Ranko aside in the
locker room, as they were getting dressed after PE.

"Ranko-chan, I... have something in my locker for you."

Ranko's eyebrows went up. "You do?" Akane came over to listen.

Sayuri nodded, and pulled out a small bag, from which she withdrew a
box. "Here. I've wanted to give this to you for a while, but I was
waiting for... the right opportunity."

Ranko opened the box, and gasped. In it were the green jade earrings she
had so admired on their trip to Harajuku. She looked up. "How... why...?"

Sayuri was beaming. "I knew you liked them, so I bought them for when
you were ready to wear them. They're my way of saying, 'I'm glad you're
my friend.'"

Ranko felt tears coming. "But... but how did you know I'd get my ears
pierced? How did you know I would even stay a girl? Your money could
have been wasted!"

Akane and Sayuri looked at each other and smiled. "Ranko-chan, when I
spent that first day with you, I *knew*. I knew you were a girl. The way
you looked at those earrings, I thought it was a pretty safe bet, and...
here we are, aren't we?"

Ranko nodded, unable to speak, and suddenly threw her arms around
Sayuri, who hugged her back. "Th-thank you. I... I'm glad you're my
friend, too." Sayuri nodded, and Akane wiped a tear from her eye.

*****

Friday came, and it was time for Ranko's first music class. She looked
around at the other students sitting in the music room; most of them
were girls, including Sayuri, who sat next to her. There were a few
boys, including -- to her surprise -- Hiroshi and... Hirota! She never
would have dreamed someone like him would have an appreciation for music.

Maybe it was just her... him... that Hirota had picked on. She knew a
lot of the boys had resented... him for his many fiancees and martial
arts prowess, and... she hadn't ever really seen Hirota pick on anyone
else. Maybe it had just been bad blood between them. She decided to give
him another chance to show what kind of person he really was. Their eyes
met, and they both looked away, embarrassed.

Her eyes found Hiroshi's, and she held her breath. But Hiroshi winked at
her and smiled, and she relaxed, a smile slowly spreading over her own
face. She winked back, and he gave her a thumbs up. They both laughed,
and Ranko felt relief wash over her.

The teacher cleared her throat, and the chattering ended. "Good
afternoon, class. My name is Kobayakawa Yuriko. I'm the new music
teacher, and I hope we'll all get a chance to enjoy some good music
together this term." She smiled. "In this class, we'll be both listening
to and discussing music, and trying our hands at playing some." She
waved her arm around the room; there was a piano, a clarinet, a violin,
and several other instruments. Ranko eyed them doubtfully.

She started to relax after Kobayakawa-sensei had them all introduce
themselves, then launched into her first lecture. She would play a
composition, either popular or classical, and then discuss the structure
of it, how it was put together, and what musical techniques were used to
produce it. Ranko found herself fascinated.

She grew apprehensive about halfway through the class, when Sensei
announced that they were now going to try out various instruments. Each
student had a few minutes with each instrument, and Sensei evaluated how
they did, trying to discover anyone with aptitude.

Ranko found that she simply could not deal with the piano; her hands
were too small, and she couldn't reach to make the chords which Sensei
showed her. When she tried the clarinet, all that came out was a faint,
hollow whistle.

Maybe... maybe I don't really have the talent to play an instrument, she
thought. At the end of the period, Sensei had Ranko try the violin. She
held it under her chin, and drew the bow across it, yielding... a
raucous screech. She sighed and her head drooped.

Kobayakawa-sensei's gaze softened. "Don't give up, Ranko-chan." She was
a bit less formal than the other teachers at Fuurinkan, and called
students by their first names. "Everyone does that the first time. You
have good arms and fingers for this. Try to keep the bow on just one
string, and draw it across with only a little bit of pressure. It may
take you days just to hit a good note."

Ranko nodded, and concentrated. She thought of the Kachuu Tenshin
Amaguriken, and the delicacy of control that had required. She tuned her
senses, closed her eyes, and once more drew the bow across the violin.

She was startled when a pure, beautiful note echoed from inside the
instrument, and seemed to cause something to resonate within her. She
looked up, a surprised smile on her face. "Did I... did I do it right
that time?"

Kobayakawa-sensei looked a little shocked herself. For a beginner to hit
a note that clearly was nearly unheard of. Usually it took weeks of
practice. "Yes, Ranko-chan, that was excellent." The bell rang. "Would
you... would you mind coming here again after school is out, just for a
few minutes? I would like to evaluate you a little more."

Ranko nodded, surprised. "Of... of course, Sensei." Sayuri, Hiroshi, and
Hirota all looked on in surprise as well.

As they walked to PE, Sayuri nudged Ranko. "See? You just have to try.
You may be surprised at what you find inside of yourself."

Ranko shook her head. "One note doesn't mean I have a talent for it,
Sayuri-chan."

Sayuri smiled. "Sensei seemed to think you were worth looking at. Don't
sell yourself so short, Ranko-chan."

Hiroshi nudged her. "Right, pal. As a former boy, you have standards to
uphold." They all laughed.

Ranko thought about the odd feeling the violin had evoked in her, and
grew silent. She didn't notice Hirota watching her as he trailed them by
a few paces.

After PE, she came again to the music room with her briefcase in hand,
her hair still damp from the shower. She had told Akane not to wait for
her.

Kobayakawa-sensei smiled. "Hello, Ranko-chan. Thank you for coming back.
If you don't mind, I would like you to try a few more things on the
violin. All right?" Ranko nodded.

"Can you read music?" Ranko shook her head. "All right, then, let me
show you the notes. Try to memorize them, it's important." Ranko watched
as Sensei demonstrated the notes on the violin, showing how it was
important to only touch the bow to the strings you wanted, how to finger
the strings, and so on.

"Now you try it, all right? Try the scale I just showed you."

Ranko placed the violin under her chin, and closed her eyes again. Once
more, she focused herself on the violin and the bow she held, forgetting
everything else. It was just like an intricate kata in the Art. She
tried to copy what Sensei had shown her.

Sensei gasped as Ranko executed a flawless scale, the tones pure and
sweet. Ranko opened her eyes, and smiled a dreamy smile. That... that
had touched something inside her, as before. There had been a direct
connection between the violin and her emotions. She felt strangely moved.

Sensei took several moments to find her voice. "Ranko-chan, could you...
could you do that again?"

Ranko nodded, and with more confidence put the violin back to her chin.
Her feelings seemed to radiate into her arm and hand as she played the
scale again.

Sensei was astounded. "Ranko-chan, have you ever played a violin before
today?"

Ranko was confused. "No, Sensei. Why?"

Sensei shook her head. "For someone who has never picked up a violin
before, you did very well. When you played that scale a second time,
I... I felt some of your emotion coming through. You put feeling into a
simple scale." She shook her head again. "I have seen students struggle
for years and never achieve the control you have."

It was Ranko's turn to shake her head. "But... I'm just a fast learner.
It's just technique, and I'm good at picking things like that up.
Besides, I'm a martial artist, and I can control my movements very
carefully."

Sensei shook her head again. "It's not just technique, Ranko-chan. I
heard soul in that. That's a very rare, very precious gift." She looked
closely at Ranko-chan. "I think you may well be gifted at this,
Ranko-chan. I'd like to keep working with you, to evaluate your
potential. Would you mind spending an hour with me every Friday, after
school? Just for the next few weeks?"

Ranko looked doubtful. "You... you really think I might have a gift for
this?" Sensei nodded. "All... all right."

Half an hour later, Kobayakawa-sensei leaned on the sill and watched out
the window as the redhead walked across the schoolyard and out the
gates. She had had Ranko play more scales, even very simple pieces. She
was sure that Ranko had a talent for the violin. She resolved to call
Murata-sensei when he returned from his overseas trip.

Ranko walked slowly home. A cool breeze hinted that fall was not too far
off, and the sky was a clear, deep blue, but all this escaped her
notice; she was deep in thought.

She had known she liked music, but... gifted? She actually had a talent
for something *besides* martial arts? Something else she might be able
to excel at? Could she become a violinist? The thought caused a pleasant
feeling to radiate through her. And... what about the Art? Could she
practice that and still pursue the violin? What did she want to do? She
shook her head, and wondered. Doors had closed in her life, but new
doors had opened; so many, she didn't know which way to go.

She almost didn't see the descending shadow cast by the late afternoon
sun. She suddenly dodged, and a spiked club struck the sidewalk where
she had stood an instant ago. She didn't need the insane laugh to know
who she would face when she turned around.

"Hohoho, you redheaded hussy! Stand still and let me deal you what you
deserve." Kodachi's face twisted in anger. "You should die for what you
have done to my Ranma-sama! I heard it all from my dear brother."

Ranko was nonplussed. "What... what did I do to him? He... he's gone...
He was... my brother..."

Kodachi shook her head. "I can't believe that my sweet Ranma-sama was
related to a harridan like you. You drove him to his death!"

Ranko shook her head, though she knew there was no use arguing with a
madwoman. And the scary part was... she was right. Ranko *was*
responsible for Ranma's "death".

Kodachi shouted "Enough chatter! Now I will deal with you once and for
all, peasant!" She attacked.

Ranko dodged, trying desperately to keep her uniform clean. It was all
she could do to avoid the clubs, razor hoops, and whips. When she had
been at her top form, it was a snap, but now, trying to dodge and not
damage her uniform, it was barely within her capacity. And she knew she
would start to tire soon. Either she would ruin her uniform, or she
would be hurt.

She had just barely dodged a razor hoop when Kodachi was broadsided by a
bonbori-wielding Shampoo. The crazed gymnast sat dazed on the sidewalk,
rubbing her head where it had been struck. Shampoo stood between Kodachi
and Ranko and fumed.

"Crazy girl leave Ranko alone! Ranma's death no... not her fault!" She
growled. "Crazy... You want Ranko, must go through Sham... me, first!"

Ranko watched in amazement. Two incredible things had happened: Shampoo
was protecting her, and was apparently finally starting to learn proper
Japanese.

Kodachi got to her feet, glaring. "You haven't seen the last of me,
harridan!" She turned and bounded away over the rooftops, her insane
laughter trailing behind her. They watched until the echoes died.

Ranko turned to Shampoo. "Shampoo... thank you." She ran over and,
without warning, threw her arms around the Chinese girl.

Shampoo was amazed, but overcame her surprise, and hugged Ranko back.
This was the first time *she* had ever been on the receiving end. They
separated and smiled at each other. "Ran... You are welcome."

"How did you know?"

"Shampoo... I hear you tell Akane, you walk home by self." Her
expression hardened. "I no think that good idea. You have many enemy,
very powerful. You need you friends."

Ranko nodded thoughtfully. She looked at Shampoo, and cocked her head
sideways, grinning. "Someone seems to be working on her Japanese..."

Shampoo blushed, and nodded. "I guess school good idea after all, ne?"
They both laughed.

*****

Akane was watching TV from the sofa, and waiting anxiously for her
sister to get home. She wanted to find out what had happened at Ranko's
private meeting with the music teacher.

She was just looking at the clock for what seemed like the hundredth
time, when her sister came in, followed by Shampoo. She blinked. "Hi,
Shampoo. What brings you here?"

Shampoo and Ranko looked at each other. "Kodachi attacked me on the way
home. I was getting tired when Shampoo came in and clobbered her with a
bonbori."

Akane looked shocked. "Oh, Sis, I... I shouldn't have let you go alone.
I'm so sorry. Shampoo, thank you."

Shampoo smiled. "I no mind. If you can no go with Ranko, call me, call
Mousse, we come, OK?" Akane nodded. Shampoo turned and left.

Ranko plopped down on the sofa, looking miserable. Akane scooted over
and put an arm around her. "What's wrong?"

Ranko's face burned with shame. "Look at me. I can't even defend myself
any more. I need you and Shampoo to look after me. I feel so humiliated.
I... I didn't know being a girl would make me dependent like this..."

Akane tried to keep her temper in check. "Sis, Shampoo and I are girls,
too, you know. And you can still defend yourself; you should know that
no mugger or molester would last ten seconds against you. It's just that
you don't spend all your time on it any more. Kodachi does; she's mad,
and she does nothing but practice her gymnastics and concoct her
poisons. When you spent hours a day training, you could deal with her
easily. Do you want to go back to spending hours a day on it?"

Ranko shook her head slowly. She seemed to be considering Akane's words.
"Maybe... I guess... if I hadn't been so busy trying to keep my dress
clean... I probably could have..."

Akane tightened her embrace a little. "There, you see? Yes, there are a
few opponents who you used to be able to defeat easily, but maybe can't
any more. If you don't want to pay the price, then what's wrong with
getting some help from your friends? It's not because you're a girl, Sis
-- well, except for the dress part. It's because you are opening up,
trying new things." Akane thought. "So tell me more about your violin
lesson today."

Ranko tried to collect herself and sit up straight. "Well,
Kobayakawa-sensei had me try different things out." She smiled, Kodachi
fading from her attention. "She had me play some scales, some simple
pieces. I... I like it. A lot." Her smile turned a little dreamy.

Akane smiled back. "Really? What else did she say?"

Ranko blushed. "She... she told me she thought I might... might have a
gift for the violin. She wants me to spend an hour after school with her
every Friday for a few weeks, to evaluate me."

Akane hugged Ranko fiercely. "I'm so happy for you, Sis!" Ranko hugged
her back, her spirits restored.

*****

Days passed, and life at Fuurinkan settled into a routine once more, as
the novelty of Ranko's change faded. Unlike last term, Ranko was
surrounded by friends, and school started to hold more appeal for her.
More and more, she was paying attention in class. Soon, it was Friday
again, and Kobayakawa-sensei had a surprise for her.

"A... a violin? For me?"

Sensei nodded. "I'd like to loan this to you, if you are willing to
practice at home. Do you want to learn badly enough to spend, say,
twenty minutes a day practicing?"

Ranko thought. She spent more time than that on her martial arts, and
she felt excited about the part of herself she was discovering through
the violin. Like a hidden city uncovered by the American film hero
Indiana Jones, she had never known it was there. She smiled. "Yes,
Sensei, I... I'd like to learn more violin. I don't know where I want to
go with it yet, but I'm really enjoying it."

Sensei beamed. "Bring it with you on Fridays, for class, OK?" Ranko
nodded.

When Ranko left that day, she had some music books, and her borrowed
violin in a case. She had another surprise waiting for her when she got
home.

"Mother!" Mother and daughter rushed to embrace each other in the
entrance hall. Ranko was beaming. "What's the occasion?"

Nodoka laughed. "Do I need a special occasion to see my daughter?" Ranko
giggled, and shook her head. They headed for the living room.

Nodoka noticed the items Ranko was carrying. "What's all this, dear? It
looks like a violin."

Ranko nodded. "It is. My music sensei wants me to practice at home. She
says she thinks I... I have some talent for it." She blushed.

Nodoka smiled. "That's wonderful! I would love to hear you play!" Ranko
was aghast when the Tendou sisters all piped up and demanded the same.

"But... but I just started! I can't play that well yet!"

Nodoka hugged her daughter again. "I don't care, dear. I just want to
hear this, if it's something so special to you; I want to share it."

Ranko nodded, uncertainly. "O-OK. Let me... let me take off my uniform,
first."

She came back down a short while later, wearing a green blouse and
jeans. She had her violin and her bow. "I don't have a music stand, but
I think I can play a few things from memory."

Nodoka and the Tendou sisters assembled in the living room. Ranko looked
around at her family's attentive faces. "Gosh, I guess this is my first
concert." She giggled nervously.

Nabiki spoke up. "Don't worry, Ranko, these critics will go easy on
you." Everyone laughed.

She tried once more to put herself in the same frame of mind she had
when practicing a kata. She brought the violin to her chin, raised the
bow, and shut out the world. Her universe was her and her violin. She
played a few scales to warm up, then two of the simple practice pieces
she had learned. Once again, she felt joined to the music, just as she
felt joined to the Art when she practiced that.

After a minute or two, she was done, and lowered her instrument. She
looked nervously at her family.

Kasumi, Akane, and her mother smiled and clapped. "That was very good,
dear! Your sensei is right, you do have talent." Nodoka was beaming.

Nabiki was too stunned to say anything at first. She had a taste for the
finer things in life, and she knew them when she saw them. Ranko was a
beginner, and yet clearly had a gift. She could probably play
professionally, if she wanted to, and spent a few years becoming
proficient. She wondered what other facets of her little sister's
personality were waiting to blossom, now that she was free to be
herself. She shook herself, and clapped as well.

Ranko was blushing from the attention. "Sensei loaned me this violin so
I could practice at home. I'm supposed to practice for twenty minutes
every day."

"Well, we'll just have to go out and get you that music stand this
weekend, won't we?" Kasumi nodded in agreement with Nodoka, as Ranko
continued to blush.

*****

End Chapter 7