《Shifting the Balance | A Ranma 1/2 Story》


 Shifting the Balance

    Disclaimer


    I do not, nor do I claim to own Ranma or any of its characters. Upon request I am willing to take this story down, though I hope that will not be necessary.


    Foreword


    I''m going to start with a spoiler warning. The information contained in this foreword will spoil a few key points in this story. If you don''t want spoilers for the story ahead, feel free to scroll on down to the start of chapter one. Everyone else, let''s begin.


    I''ve never written a fanfiction before. Hell, I''ve never written anything that wasn''t required of me by a school. But Ranma is a special series for me, and the fanfiction community surrounding it is even more so. You see, I''m a trans woman. Have been since the day I was born. I discovered Ranma at a pivotal time in my life. I was maybe a touch too young to be watching the show at the time, but it was the first show I''d ever seen in which the matter of gender identity, however crudely, was a key plot point and I found myself mystified by it. I wasn''t exactly satisfied with the way the show ended, nor how certain topics were handled. So I quickly found myself reading through a plethora of fanfiction for the series. And within this community I found a variety of material that I could finally relate to, while also getting to enjoy some badass fight scenes.


    While the remake was still coming out, I found myself revisiting some of my old favorite fanfiction for the series while waiting for new episodes each week. After rekindling my love for this fandom, I felt compelled to give back to the community that helped me out over a decade ago.


    As you''ve likely guessed by now, this story will be about a transgender Ranma. There''s also about a fifty-fifty chance it will wind up with a Fem-Ranma x Ryoga pairing. I recognize that this isn''t exactly the most unique genre of Ranma fic out there, so I sincerely hope that I can provide something both unique and of value.


    Naturally, with the ground this story will cover, there will be a few changes from the source material. However, I promise that I genuinely treasure the source material and will only change things for the sake of making this story better. Characters will differ from the source material (the aforementioned change to Ranma likely being the biggest one). However, this is only in the service of making the setting more believable. I''ve chosen to set this story several years after the events of the original series, and so I want the characters to feel like real people who''ve matured a good bit since they were in high school. I will also make a few slight changes to the rules behind Jusenkyo curses in order to allow the main premise of this story to work smoothly. Both the manga and the anime were a bit loosey-goosey with the rules behind the curses, so I just want to set some ground rules so that I don''t need to address every single edge case and potential plot hole. If any of this bothers you, you''ve been warned.


    -o.O.o-


    Chapter 1


    Shifting the Balance


    The small cafe was nearly silent save for the sound of an old radio which emitted pop music so softly that one couldn''t be blamed for thinking it was just in their own head. It had been hours since the bell above the door had rung for any visitors. Even the golden rays of sunset had long since vacated the premises. The artificial lighting that remained highlighted the dust in the air as it found its way down to the bar below. The faint scent of coffee which lingered in the air served as the only trace that remained of the day''s previous activity. There was peace to be found in the stillness. Despite this, or perhaps in spite of this, an air of restlessness prevailed.


    Suddenly, an urgent tapping noise reverberated through the store as a foot began to anxiously assault the hardwood flooring. Just as suddenly, the red-headed owner of the offending foot let out an exasperated sigh from her seat at the bar. "Only five minutes left, Ryoga! Chop chop! I wanna get out of here the second it hits ten o''clock."


    "You know, this would''ve gone a lot faster if you had helped me out with the dishes¡­" exclaimed the frustrated black-haired man as he descended down the stairs from the kitchen above. He rolled his sleeves down over his arms which were still slightly pink from having been submerged in steaming water. He turned his attention to the woman seated at the bar and gave her a death glare as he took off his apron and hung it on a peg near the base of the stairs.


    "You know just as well as I do why I can''t do that. I can''t allow myself to get into any hot water at work. That''s why I work the tables and you work the bar!" This wasn''t the first time they''d had this conversation.


    "And remind me again why you have to be a woman to wait tables?" Ryoga questioned while lifting an eyebrow at the young woman before him.


    "FOR THE TIPS! C''mon I''ve told you all of this before, and you know just as well as I do that we both need the grocery money!" She yelled as her exasperation quickly turned to anger.


    "Ha! Suuuure¡­I swear, you''re hardly a guy at all outside of school." Ryoga mocked.


    "I''m more mAn than you are even now!" Ranma declared, her assertion undercut by an ill-timed voice crack.


    Ryoga rolled his eyes and let out a deep breath, "Fine, whatever, just grab your things Ranma, it''s time to lock up."


    A smile quickly replaced the expression of anger previously set into her face. Ranma popped up off the stool she''d been planted on and, with a faint skip in her step, quickly snatched her set of keys off the corner of the bar. With a bit more calm in her stride she made her way to the door of the cafe before quickly turning the sign affixed to it around. Just like that, the cafe was closed.


    She turned around and began waiting impatiently for Ryoga who had disappeared from sight. She laughed silently to herself as she wondered if he''d managed to get lost on his way to the office behind the bar. A couple moments later however, the lights of the store went dark and the pop music disappeared. Shortly after, her black-haired coworker emerged from the door of the office before making his way to join her at the door.


    They both stepped out into the crisp night air of the city. Ranma locked the door behind them as an icy wind blew through the darkened alleyway, reminding all who felt it of winter''s presence, regardless of the lack of any actual ice or snow. Turning the corner out from the small alleyway which was home to their workplace, they joined the still crowded streets of Bunkyo. The neon lights of a street designed for fleecing people of their money once again illuminated them, this time in brilliant shades of yellow, green, and blue.


    They walked in silence for a few minutes before the shorter of the two complained "Maaaaaaan what a slow day that was."


    "What do you expect, the cafe''s only kinda popular as a study spot since it''s so close to the school. Of course we''re slow now that the term''s about over." The taller of the two stated matter-of-factly, leaning his head back and looking to the sky before quickly deciding that risking losing track of Ranma was a bad idea. "And I know that you know that because you also know that the cafe''s gonna stay closed after tonight until mid January."


    "I knoooooooow but still¡­It was so boooring." Ranma groaned, "I''m just glad it''s all over for a while. Not just work, but school too. I feel like I should be used to it by now, but midterms always get me so stressed out. I don''t even want to think about what finals will be like this year. I''d rather fight Saffron again any day¡­"


    "Saffron huh?" Ryoga chuckled, "I wonder if he''s been ''born again'' yet."


    "If it gave me an excuse to not have to deal with classes in the spring, I hope so!" Ranma quipped, a cheeky grin spread across her face, forcing her eyes into a squint as she looked up at Ryoga.


    Her expression slowly shifted to one of contemplation before questioning "Hey, you haven''t told me where you''re going for winter break yet, what''s your plan?"


    "Huh?" Ryoga looked at her puzzled. "I was just gonna stay at our dorm like we always do. It''s not like I can just go and track down my parents, what with our family curse and all. Hell, I don''t even know where I''d start looking for them."


    Ranma looked back up at him wide eyed, alarm clear on her face. "YOU CAN''T STAY AT THE DORM DURING WINTER BREAK THIS YEAR YOU IDIOT! THEY''RE KICKING EVERYONE OUT!" Her volume caused the other occupants of the street to turn briefly to see what the noise was all about.


    Ryoga looked as though he''d just been kicked in the face. His eyes bugged and his arms flailed around him as he staggered back. "W..wha¡­what¡­" he stammered, "Wh¡­why?!"


    "Because, dumbass, they''re remodeling our building. There''s been signs up for months!"


    "Then¡­oh god." He paused once again, the weight of her words finally setting in, "I''M GOING TO BE HOMELESS FOR WINTER?!"


    "It''s fine." Ranma sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "I kinda figured this would happen. I''ll see if my mom''s alright with putting you up in our guest room. I don''t think we''re expecting anyone else so it should be fine." Her words caused visual relief for the fang-toothed boy. With a snicker she added, "Besides, this may wind up being for the best. It''s not like you can get anywhere in this city without me and we wouldn''t want you missing class next term because you''re lost somewhere in Hokkaido!" She stuck her tongue out to add insult to insult. Content with her assault, she spun around and continued her march towards their building.


    "Maybe I''m better off homeless," Ryoga muttered under his breath, "I can already tell these next four weeks will be less of a vacation and more a test of my patience."


    -o.O.o-


    Rays of light streamed through the windows of the small dormitory room. Despite the occupants'' normal aversion to cleanliness, the room was shockingly clutter free. Everything was packed away neatly into a pair of suitcases situated near the entryway, save for the day''s attire which was resting neatly atop the luggage. Even still, the smell of sweat and musk stained the air, as was to be expected of the home of two martial artists. Said martial artists were situated on two beds parallel to each other on opposite sides of the room. The two dark haired men were sleeping soundly. A snot bubble slowly expanded and shrank from the pig-tailed boy''s nose, his limbs were splayed out as if he was attempting to take up the maximum possible amount of room on the bed. The other boy, however, seemed the picture of peace. He slept on his side neatly, a small smirk framed by a single fang on his face implying pleasant dreams. Neither''s sleep was fated to last long.


    "BZZZZT¡­BZZZZT¡­BZZZZT¡­BZZZZT¡­" An alarm blared from the clock on the shared desk nestled squarely between their bunks. Within seconds both men were up. Ranma shot up on top of his bed a frazzled expression smeared on his face, his stance, while ever so slightly off balance due to the springy mattress he stood upon, was clearly an expertly practiced defensive stance. The years of waking up to his father''s assaults still affecting him even after years of separation. Ryoga on the other hand lazed out of bed, rubbing his eyes and yawning. They both turned their attention to the alarm clock, still shrieking at them to get moving. It read eleven-thirty. They''d overslept.


    The two men rushed into action. They swiped their prepared clothes from atop their suitcases and rushed to get dressed as if it was a competition. Ranma ran into the bathroom to prepare himself, providing the other man a measure of privacy as he got ready in the bedroom. Within a minute they were both out the door, determined to make their twelve o''clock train.


    -o.O.o-


    Ranma stared out the window of the train as it rushed down the tracks, his emotions a mixture of excitement and trepidation. He felt silly for being so nervous. ''I should be used to this by now, this isn''t the first time I''ve visited home, not by a long shot.'' he thought to himself in an attempt to drive the butterflies from his stomach.


    He''d been living in Bunkyo now for longer than he''d ever lived in Nermia. It''d been nearly four years since he started attending Tokyo University. During that time he''d managed several trips to his family home for various dinners and events, mostly at his mother''s behest. This would, however, be the first time since moving out that he would spend more than just the day in Nerima.


    He was hardly a child anymore at twenty-two years of age, but even still, heading back to Nerima always managed to make him feel like one. There''s a certain loss of agency that comes with staying at your parents'' house, one which Ranma had done his best to avoid in the past. He knew he was going to enjoy spending the holidays at the closest thing he had to a hometown, but the prospect still left him feeling off balance. He couldn''t shake the feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong, as things were wont to do in Nerima.


    ''I should just be happy that I don''t have any responsibilities for a short while.'' he attempted to reassure himself. A new thought flashed its way to the forefront of his mind, ''One more term. Then I''ll be back here full time.'' He shook his head and turned his attention to Ryoga who sat across from him, trying to dispel the nauseous feeling in his stomach.


    "So Ryoga, any plans once we''re back in Nerima?" Ranma asked, seeking a distraction from his unease.


    "No." Ryoga replied flatly, "I wasn''t even planning on being in Nerima until this weekend remember."


    "Yea, but c''mon, you should''ve had plenty of time to figure something out in the last three days. There''s no one you wanna see, no place you wanna visit, no festival you want to attend? There''s really nothing you want to do?" Ranma interrogated his roommate.


    "Uh¡­I could go for a warm bath I guess. It''ll be nice to finally be able to use something other than our floor''s shared bath." Ryoga said, clearly reaching for anything to satisfy Ranma and put an end to his questioning.


    "You and me both friend!" Ranma exclaimed with a smile, breaking Ryoga out of his own thoughts.


    ''Friend huh?'' Ryoga wondered to himself. Heading back to Nerima hammered home that they weren''t exactly the enemies they were the last time they were here together. ''That''s what time and exposure does to people.'' he supposed.


    It was Nadoka''s idea that they should go to school together. After the wedding with Akane failed spectacularly, Ranma''s parents decided they needed to change tactics. If they couldn''t ensure that their school would get passed down through blood, they''d ensure it would survive financially. As such they commissioned both Ranma and Ryoga to attend business school, with the goal of them someday guiding the school into the future in the same way Genma and Soun wished to do years ago. Since then, they''d spent nearly the whole four years living together, and Ryoga was glad for it. He had to admit, Ranma was right the other night. There was no way he''d be able to attend college without Ranma''s help with directions. It was a miracle they were able to take the same classes most of the time.


    "Though I''ll be honest," Ranma began, shaking Ryoga from his thoughts, "I thought you''d also be excited to see a certain someone again¡­" a suggestive tone plain in Ranma''s voice as he raised and lowered his eyebrows repeatedly.


    "Akari? It''s been a year since we broke up, there''s nothing there anymore you know that¡­" He trailed off, his voice a touch despondent. Despite their breakup being mutual, it was still a sore subject for the fang-toothed boy.


    "I thought Akane." Ranma corrected, wagging a finger in Ryoga''s face.


    "Really?!," Ryoga stammered, "I thought you''d be the last person to want me hanging out with her."


    "I didn''t say I wanted you to spend time with her. I just figured you''d want to, given your old crush on her." Ranma retorted. "Besides, I''m sure she''d be happy to have her P-chan back."


    Ryoga struggled to stop himself from causing a brawl in the middle of the train. He couldn''t forget the shame, humiliation, and pain he''d felt the day Akane discovered his secret back when they were eighteen. He knew she was going to react poorly. She had every right to want to kill him. But he never thought she''d be that vengeful. He shuddered at the memory.


    "That''s a low blow Ranma¡­" Ryoga said in an attempt to shut down the conversation.


    "She''s calmed down y''know," Ranma quickly added, "I saw her just this summer. We got lunch in Shibuya after crossing paths at a train station. She didn''t care. She even laughed about it. A lot can change in four years." Ranma gestured between the two of them. "A lot has changed in the last four years."


    "Ok fine, but regardless of how she feels, how would you feel about it?" Ryoga asked, turning the tables on Ranma.


    "Well ..uh¡­hmmm¡­," Ranma''s face flushed as he spoke, "I don''t know. I wouldn''t hate it if you hung out. Things are complicated between Akane and I. We''re not engaged anymore, not after that failed marriage. But¡­"


    Suddenly Ranma didn''t feel like talking anymore.


    -o.O.o-


    The roads were covered in the last remnants of falling leaves, scattered about like paint flicked carelessly off a brush. It was an awkward sort of cold. There was a chill in the air, made worse whenever a stray gust of wind decided to stroll through the corridors of buildings. However, if you stood in the sun for too long you''d quickly find yourself warming. That fact combined with the high humidity made it so that you could easily start sweating in even just a windbreaker. The unfortunate result being that there was no adequate way to stay perfectly comfortable. The sky didn''t help the less-than-perfect weather either. Gray clouds hung heavy in the air, threatening to rain sometime soon. Sharp rays of sunlight pierced their way through the gaps in the clouds, occasionally blinding anyone who dared to look too high up.


    Ranma stood at the door to his family home nearly paralyzed. His pulse was racing and he had to remind himself to breathe. He''d been dreading this moment since he stepped off the train over half an hour ago, but reading the sign in front of his family home labeled ''Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts'' made him feel as though he''d seen a cat. He simultaneously felt as though time was standing still, and that this was all happening way too fast. He looked over at Ryoga for guidance, but if he understood Ranma''s pleading expression he didn''t show it.


    "Just ring the damn doorbell already, it''s awkward just standing here." Ryoga barked at the anxious Saotome.


    "Alright alright geez, gimme a break ok. I just haven''t seen my mom or pops in months alright, and they''re always so¡­well you know." Ranma took a deep breath before he pressed the button for the doorbell.


    An eternity seemed to pass as they waited for someone to answer. Ranma didn''t know whether he should be grateful for the short reprieve, or upset about having the opportunity to ''rip the band-aid off'' taken away from him. With a sigh he lifted his hand to the doorbell to ring it again, right as the door opened.


    His mother was on the other side of the door, her eyes were closed in a worried expression as she apologized, "Oh I''m so sorry I was in the midst of cooking, I hope I didn''t keep you waiting too long." She opened her eyes and her expression softened as she exclaimed "Oh if it isn''t my little man! Come here, give me a hug." She wrapped Ranma up tightly in her arms for a second before realizing that the two of them weren''t alone. She released her child and smiled at Ryoga. "A pleasure to see you as well Ryoga."


    "The pleasure is mine Mrs. Saotome, and thank you again for offering me a place to stay for the winter. If it weren''t for you I''d be looking for another empty lot to pitch a tent in." Ryoga bowed to add emphasis to his words.


    "No need to be so formal," Nadoka chuckled lightly, "You''ve known my son almost longer than I have, and you''re working hard to help our family''s business, you''re practically part of the family yourself. So please, think nothing of it." She gestured them inside and they followed, stopping briefly in the genkan to take their shoes off before following her deeper into the house.


    They arrived in the living room. The sliding door which connected the room to the kitchen was wide open. Nadoka alone stepped through the doorway to continue working as they talked. Ranma gawked at the home, spinning around to take it all in. A light floral scent filled the air. Every surface, from the small shrine in the corner of the room to the shelves lined with a myriad of house plants, were dust free and spotless. The Saotome honor sword hung on the wall opposite the kitchen, making the martial artist gulp. He knew his mother wouldn''t use it on him anytime soon, but that didn''t make it any less terrifying of a symbol. The large sliding doors at the back of the room were wide open allowing the interior air to mix with outdoor''s, leaving the room slightly chilly. Looking out into the yard Ranma could see the Saotome dojo, a late addition to the house added at Genma''s behest after Ranma and him moved back into their family home following the failed wedding. It was connected to the main gate by its own path which wrapped around the side of the home to allow students easy access, though its doors were shut today.


    "Is pops out today?" Ranma wondered out loud.


    Nadoka spun around to look at Ranma as she answered, "He hasn''t been here for quite some time Ranma. He disappeared over three months ago. Though he left a note saying he was ''following up on a lead for a cure.'' The poor fool. He had at least promised that he''d be back in time for New Years."


    Ranma felt a wave of relief wash over himself, at least he didn''t have to start dealing with the old man immediately as well.


    "Anyways," Nadoka called out as she returned to her work, "you two should drop off your things. I''ll be done with the food in a few minutes."


    The two boys made their way into the hallway which separated the yard from the living room. Turning right and right again they walked up the stairs leading to the house''s bedrooms. There were three of them in total. One large set of sliding doors at the end of the hall led into the parents'' room while two smaller hinged doors flanked the hallway. These belonged to Ranma''s room and the guest room respectively. Ranma gave Ryoga a nod before disappearing into his ''childhood'' room.


    -o.O.o-


    The room didn''t carry the memories most childhood rooms did. After all, he had only really lived in the room for a little under a year before moving on to university. He assumed he may have lived in it before, when he was just a toddler, before his father took him away on their training trip. But Ranma hardly had any memories from when he was that young, let alone memories of a room of all things.


    Even still he felt a weight in the room. His mother''s essence dripped from every corner of the room. The dark hardwood that matched the rest of the house was clean and freshly waxed. The bed was neat with only simple white sheets adorning it. The closet was only half full with the clothes he hadn''t brought with him to his dorm, each article appeared crisp and freshly ironed. The desk in front of the window was barren, save for a cup of pencils and a coaster. Turning around there was a traditional scroll painting on the wall depicting a horse barreling through a field.


    Ranma sat on his bed with all the grace of a stone dropping into a pond and let out a deep breath he wasn''t even aware he''d been holding in. He sat there, completely still, for a moment before turning to unload his suitcase. He took stock of all he owned: Three white button-ups; two pairs of slacks; a gi; his waitress uniform from the cafe; four pairs of jeans, two blue and two black, all of which were decidedly feminine in their cut; a pair of yellow corduroy pants too small for his current form; one red and one blue blouse; three frankly tiny t-shirts; a denim jacket which was also too small for his presently broad shoulders; and finally several sets of underwear designed for both his forms. He couldn''t help but notice the bias in his wardrobe. ''Then again,'' he started to convince himself, ''it''s usually easier to find fashionable clothes for my female form for the few times I need em''.''


    As he began hanging them up however he realized there wasn''t a single article of women''s clothing at all in his closet, which was strange. He could have sworn he had left behind at least a couple of outfits. A certain set of overalls with "China" written across its chest coming to mind alongside a certain white dress. After a moment''s contemplation he sat on his bed only to immediately hear his mother calling from down below.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    -o.O.o-


    Ranma entered the living room once again to see his mother prepping a bag. Giving the room a second glance he noticed two things. The first was that the table was suspiciously empty. The second was that Ryoga was waiting near the genkan putting his shoes back on.


    "We''re going out? I thought you made dinner?" Ranma asked, a puzzled look stricken across his face.


    "Yes and technically yes." His mother responded "I made half of dinner. We''ll be eating at the Tendo''s tonight."


    Ranma''s face lit up with an expression of excitement which he tried to bury by taking a deep breath. His eyes bulged slightly as he drew in just too much air. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment before he was forced to exhale and gasp for more air, betrayed by his own lungs.


    Ryoga snorted and fell into a fit of laughter at the display "Ha! That face isn''t ''complicated!''" he let out after finally catching his breath.


    Ranma glowered at his rival turned friend and yelled "Haha, laugh it up piggy!"


    Ryoga was unfazed by the rather unoriginal insult, finding himself chuckling a little more before thinking to himself ''This''ll be great, dinner and a show.''


    -o.O.o-


    For the second time this day Ranma found himself hesitant to knock on a door. Though the effect was different this time. Before he had felt fear, this time he just felt nervous, as if he expected himself to trip over his own words. He clenched his hand into a fist and gave the hardwood door a gentle rasp. A moment later he was face to face with Nabiki and the popsicle stick which hung from her mouth.


    "Oh¡­hey Ranma, long time no see, c''mon in. We''re gathering in the living room." She said casually while removing the stick from her mouth.


    "Thanks. It''s nice to see you by the way. It''s been what?...a year since we last saw each other?" Ranma asked, easing into the small talk.


    "Not quite that long, my graduation was only this spring." Nabiki corrected him with a light chuckle. She turned her gaze to Ryoga and sized him up, "Though it''s been much longer since I last saw you P-chan." Her voice was accented by a gentle teasing tone.


    "Can you blame me, I thought Akane would chop me up and serve me in a bowl of sweet and sour pork if I ever showed myself here!" Ryoga interjected, attempting to form a defense for his absence.


    "A few years ago maybe. I think today though she may even be happy to see you." Nabiki smirked.


    Ryoga smiled weakly, rubbing his hand on the back of head. "Yea let''s hope so. I''d rather not be forced to leave before I''ve had anything to eat."


    They worked their way into the living room of the Tendo household. Stirring could be heard from the kitchen as Kasumi was no doubt dutifully working on the second half of the night''s meal. The clack of a shishi-odoshi could be heard from the yard, drawing Ranma''s attention to a familiar pond. Suddenly Ranma was a teenager again, reliving old memories. A private smile formed on his face. For the first time since returning to Nerima, he felt as though he was home.


    He was torn from his daydreaming when Kasumi called out from the kitchen "Welcome everyone! I''ll be out in just a minute with some tea!" Nadoka promptly ran off towards the kitchen to aid the eldest Tendo sister.


    Turning back towards the doorway leading to the yard, Ranma''s gaze drifted down to see Soun and Dr. Tofu, the two intensely engaged in a game of shoji. Ranma blinked for a couple of seconds as realization dawned on him. "Dr. Tofu! What are you doing here? Is someone hurt?"


    Just then Kasumi flowed out of the kitchen, a tea tray in her hands. "No Ranma, nobody''s hurt¡­" she began, placing the tray on the living room table. She walked over to Dr. Tofu and wrapped her arms around him "...he''s with me!" Her face glowed with a blissful smile.


    "Finally worked up the courage to ask her out huh Tofu?" Ranma grinned at the young doctor.


    "Well uh¡­not exactly." Dr. Tofu responded pensively, a hand scratching behind his ear. "It was actually Kasumi who finally asked me out. I guess she was tired of me messing up patients whenever she''d come around."


    "Well that, but I was also tired of waiting to be able to do this." She cooed, leaning Tofu''s head up so that she could lean down and press her lips to his in an upside down kiss.


    Tofu''s face ignited like a furnace at the public display of affection and his eyes glazed over. He was totally dazed and would likely remain that way for several minutes. Kasumi giggled at the reaction, patting him gently on the head, sealing his fate further. She turned her attention away from the dazed man and towards the tray of tea she''d left behind on the table. The scent of the fresh matcha was starting to fill the air. Sitting seiza at the short table, she lifted the kettle to call attention to it and asked "Would anyone care for some tea?" as though she hadn''t just paralyzed a man seconds prior.


    Ranma made his way to the table and reached for a glass, offering it for Kasumi to fill, which she readily did. Ranma brought the glass to his lips, savoring the lightly bitter liquid and letting it warm him from the inside out. Ryoga sat down next to Ranma and began the same ritual. A moment later Nadoka emerged from the kitchen with a tray of rice balls. She joined the others at the table next to Kasumi and began to hand out the appetizer.


    "Now don''t go filling up on these ok, dinner is still on its way." Nadoka pleaded.


    Ryoga snorted "Heh, I don''t think that''s gonna be an issue for this one." he teased, jabbing Ranma in the arm with his elbow.


    "Be that as it may, Kasumi worked hard on tonight''s dinner and I won''t have you missing out on her hard work." Nadoka reaffirmed.


    "So," Soun interjected as he sat at the end of the table in a lotus position, "how''s school been you two? I''ve hardly heard about it at all from you since you left. You''re still in the business college, yes?"


    "That''s correct." Ranma nodded "As much as it helps to master the arts, you need to know a lot more to run a successful dojo than just how to throw a solid punch. Frankly though, you haven''t heard much because not much has happened. Save for the stress of exams nothing noteworthy has really happened. You could call it boring, but honestly, it''s been a welcome new normal compared to the chaos of our high school years." Ranma took another sip of his tea before continuing. "That being said, I''ll be happy to be done soon. I can''t help but feel as though I''ve been disconnecting from the art somewhat. I''ve had to spend far too much time buried in books, and not nearly enough time in the gym. I''m excited to start helping out at the dojo come summertime." That earned a smile from both Soun and Nadoka.


    "And here I thought you were content as a waitress." Ryoga chimed in, needling the young Saotome. The comment wasn''t lost on the elder Saotome though, an eyebrow rising in condescending curiosity, like a noblewoman speculating as to what the ''riff raff'' were up to.


    Ranma stammered for a second before defending himself "You know that''s just a part time gig jackass." He lifted an arm and prepared to slug his fang toothed friend as a familiar voice interrupted them.


    "Ranma! Ryoga! You''re here!" Akane exclaimed, a mixture of surprise and joy accenting her features. Noticing the fight about to break out she added "Do you two want to go spar?"


    They both nodded eagerly.


    -o.O.o-


    If Ranma wanted any confirmation that he was losing his edge he had it now. It''d been only fifteen minutes or so since they''d started sparring and he was already breathing heavily. Sure he was fighting two versus one, but that was beside the point. This fight should have been easy for him. Ryoga had given him trouble in the past, sure, but he''d never left him winded so quickly, and Akane¡­well he was pretty certain he should be able to dodge Akane in his sleep by now. Though he had to admit, she had improved a lot since high school. She still attacked with the strength of an ox, but there was a certain grace to her movements now that wasn''t there before. It was clear she wasn''t just spending her time in the dojo smashing cinder blocks anymore. She wasn''t anywhere near the same level as Ryoga or himself, but give her another year or two of focused training and who knows. She showed potential.


    Ranma was broken from his musing when they both started shouting, dashing across the room, quickly closing the gap between them with fists poised on the offensive. Ranma chastised himself for getting distracted and readied a defensive stance as the two charged at him, preparing himself for the incoming blow. He anchored his feet to the hardwood and right before their strikes hit his chest, he brought his arms together into an X covering his chest. Their combined attack assaulted his arms with incredible force, sending quakes of pain rippling through the bones in his forearms. He staggered imperceptibly at the impact, his feet nearly losing their grip on the floor. He had to stop this fight now, one way or another, if he wanted it to end with his reputation intact. Just then, he heard Nadoka and Kasumi calling them in. The food was ready. He had his out.


    "Did you hear that guys? Guess we should wrap this up before the food gets cold." He argued unconvincingly.


    "Kasumi can wait another minute, that''s all we need." They replied in unison.


    Ranma gulped as they rushed at him once again. He scrambled out of the way of their attack and out the dojo door. He hoped to gain the advantage by leaping onto the roof of the Tendo residence. His training focused on aerial combat, theirs didn''t. If he could bait out the right attack, he could still win this.


    As if on queue they met him on the rooftop and began another assault. They charged at him side by side and leapt into the air, they each had a leg pressed against the others forming a single point of impact. Ranma knew how to deal with this. He jumped to their side, holding his hands together like a hammer, waiting for them to pass by so he could launch them down into the grass below. Instead, Akane pivoted off of Ryoga at the last second, changing her leg from a battering ram into a baseball bat, and unfortunately for Ranma, he was the ball. Her leg collided with his side and sent him launching into the pond below. The next thing he knew she was underwater.


    As she surfaced from the pond a second later, the redhead screamed at the other two martial artists "What the hell guys, now I''m all soaked! And right before dinner too! I swear I''ll get you back for this, you un-cute¡­stupid¡­ahhhgh!" Akane and Ryoga burst out laughing as the tiny girl searched for a one-size-fits-all insult.


    "Some things never change!" Ryoga managed to get out between belly laughs.


    Akane nodded in agreement. "Yeah I guess you''re right. Though, not everything. For instance: I''m not gonna just leave her soaking there this time. You, however, should get to the table asap if you don''t wanna wind up eating your dinner from a trough." Akane joked, using a finger to push her nose up into the image of a pig snout. Ryoga shuddered at the imagery and stealthily made his way down towards the kitchen.


    Akane hopped down to the yard below, offering a hand to the waterlogged woman. "C''mon let''s get you dried off for dinner." Ranma weighed the pros and cons of staying mad in her mind before accepting the outstretched hand.


    -o.O.o-


    Inside Akane''s room Ranma found herself twiddling her thumbs. Wrapped only in a towel, she attempted to avoid the blue-haired woman''s gaze and, with it, any accusations of being a pervert. The worry was completely unfounded of course. Akane had even been the one to suggest that she follow her into her room after she had a chance to rinse off with clean water.


    At the moment Akane was digging through her closet searching desperately for something for the shorter woman to wear. She figured that since her childhood room had her childhood clothes she''d have something lying around from when she was Ranma''s size. But as it turns out, Akane wasn''t the only one who''d gotten a bit taller with time, and now all of her old t-shirts were nearly crop tops for Ranma. Her considerable bust wasn''t helping the situation. After a few minutes of rifling however, she emerged from her closet like a prospector finally striking gold. "This''ll do it! They may fit you more like Capri''s than they used to, but I''m certain they''ll fit!" Akane held her discovery out as if wanting the redhead to bask in her victory over the closet.


    And bask she did, for in Akane''s hands was a pair of overalls she was all too familiar with. "They were here the whole time?!" she exclaimed.


    "Huh, what do you mean Ranma?" Akane asked, a puzzled expression on her face, obviously out of the loop.


    "Oh uh, it''s just¡­I could have sworn they were in my closet back home, but when I unpacked my luggage earlier today I didn''t see them. I had no idea what happened to them." Ranma explained, her eyes a bit downcast. Suddenly her eyes bulged, "But¡­but it''s not like I needed them or anything! I was just confused that they were all gone is all!" ''Smooth Ranma, very smooth'' she thought to herself as she let out a sigh.


    "I figured you knew they were here." Akane said, a hint of confusion in her tone. "A short while after you moved out your mother brought them and a bunch of other old clothes over. She claimed you didn''t want or need them anymore and said she thought we might get more use out of them than you would."


    "I guess that makes sense¡­" The redhead trailed off, a bit too solemnly for Akane''s liking.


    "Well, the lost is found." Akane smiled at the girl in front of her, suddenly realizing how close to nude she was, "Now let''s get you dressed and then we can join the others before we miss dinner entirely."


    -o.O.o-


    The two girls exited Akane''s room into the upper hallway. The sounds of rain could be heard from outside as the droplets bounced off the building''s roof and walls. They walked in silence as they worked their way through the hall and down the stairs on their way to the living room. Ranma hopped down the last few steps and spun around to trap Akane on the last couple stairs.


    "Hey so, before we go back to the group and get scrutinized by everyone I just wanted to say thanks for this." Ranma said, her words almost making Akane trip down the stairs onto her.


    ''Ranma being genuine?! College really has changed him.'' Akane thought to herself in stunned silence.


    Ranma looked as though she still had more on her mind though. But whatever it was, she didn''t say it, instead opting for "Well how ''bout some curry!" Before turning around down the hall, leaving Akane wondering what the hell just happened.


    Ranma walked over and plopped down next to Ryoga, she positioned herself with one leg held in her arm and the other leg crossed under it.


    Akane was right, dinner was settling down already. Half the table didn''t even have dishes in front of them anymore. Luckily for Ranma however the large serving bowls for curry and rice were still present. She greedily filled her plate before digging in. Looking up from her spoon for a second she noticed her mother looking at her with a twinge of concern and condemnation.


    "Oh sorry I forgot¡­table manners." Ranma said a little bit ashamed of her lack of decorum.


    "It''s not that dear," Nodoka began, "or at least it isn''t only that. It''s just, you''re still in that¡­form."


    "Yea well I didn''t see much of a point in drawing a bath while you all finished dinner without me. I mean c''mon, it woulda taken twice as long for me to get ready if I tried to draw up hot water. Not to mention that the only men''s clothes in this building are Soun''s. At least this way I get to wear my own clothes." Ranma argued, doing her best impression of an attorney.


    "I just know that if Ryoga had been the one to fall into the water tonight, he''d have made every effort to become himself again right away, so I just don''t understand why you don''t. You''re both affected in the same way by your curses aren''t you?" Nadoka questioned her child, clearly trying to lead Ranma to a certain conclusion.


    "Yea but I don''t turn into a damn pig." Ranma retorted.


    "RANMA SAOTOME," she collected herself, "you will not speak to your mother like that." Nodoka''s face brimmed with well controlled anger.


    "I''m sorry. But the point is: I''m still human. I''m still me. Besides, I just told you why it doesn''t make sense for me to change back right now. But if it bothers you so much I''ll change back first thing when we get back home, is that alright with you? Because as it is with all this rain right now, I wouldn''t be able to stay a man by the time we made it home anyway." Ranma finished, shutting down the conversation.


    Just in time, Kasumi exited the kitchen once again. This time carrying a large bottle of sake and several cups. Akane appeared from the hallway finally at roughly the same time carrying with her a deck of cards, and a case of poker chips. Before Nadoka could form a rebuttal, the table welcomed the new distractions.


    -o.O.o-


    An hour later there were no obvious signs of tension in the room at all. Save for the quick glances shared between oh so serious poker players. The sake had lifted everyone''s mood and made them exceptionally receptive to the distraction of fake gambling.


    Nabiki was grinning ear to ear, a mountain of chips before her; Soun was stressed, forced down to his last chip; Akane had a serious expression on her face, her brows furrowed as she analyzed her hand; Nadoka and Kasumi sat one end of the table, deep in their own conversation; Ranma was projecting her best attempt at a poker face, plainly bluffing her current bid; Ryoga, his face flush with alcohol, turned to Ranma and said "Hey, y''know I hadn''t noticed it until now, but your hair''s gotten pretty long Ranma. And why''s it down like it is right now? Not that it''s a bad thing, it looks good, I''m just not used to it." Ryoga admired her scarlet tresses for a moment. Noting how they curled slightly the farther they wormed their way down her back and rested between her shoulder blades.


    "It has gotten pretty long hasn''t it." Ranma mumbled, her face red from a mixture of both the alcohol and his sudden compliment. She grabbed a handful of hair and looked down and pulled it into view. "It kinda gets away from you when you have it up in a tie twenty-four-seven. I think the last time I had a haircut was in the spring before Nabiki''s graduation. As for why it''s down right now, I was just letting it dry faster, nothing more to it than that."


    "I don''t know, I feel like it was pretty long even at my graduation." Nabiki piped up in between hiccups.


    "Maybe so, I can''t really remember. You know I''m not one to care too much about my hair." Ranma reminded them flatly.


    "You know, Ranma''s hair isn''t the only thing that seems to have grown." Akane interjected, pointing her glass to shift the table''s attention from the redhead towards the bandana wearing man to her left.


    She was right, Ranma thought as she found herself re-examining her roommate. She hadn''t noticed the subtle ways in which Ryoga had changed over the years while it had happened, but when prompted to inspect her friend the changes were obvious. His face was slightly more chiseled as the excess fat of youth gave way to a more adult jawline. Flecks of stubble graced his chin and thin lines accented his features. His hair had grown shaggy and curled near the ends, its volume only barely contained by his signature bandana, an accessory nearly as permanent a feature of his face as his deep green eyes. He still looked like Ryoga. He still had a perpetually smug look about him, a detail magnified by his single fang sticking from the corner of mouth, but even Ranma could acknowledge that he''d crossed the line from ''young man'' to ''man.''


    "Okay, well what about you then Akane, huh?" Ranma piped up, a slight rush to her words. "I mean hell you changed the most out of all of us. You''ve somehow grown, what, three, four inches? What are you? Bamboo? That''s not normal for a human!"


    "Yeah! Well at least I look proportional!" Akane roared back, her hand reaching out to the faint outline of a rapidly apparating mallet.


    Just then their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door.


    Akane was the first to get up, making use of the chance to calm down. The rest were left to wait as she stormed off around the corner and into the hall. There was another knock on the door. This time Akane yelled out "Coming!" in an attempt to silence the uninvited guest.


    A few moments passed as everyone waited in silence before Akane opened the door, they all perked their ears up to give themselves a better chance at listening in on the conversation with the mystery visitor. Their efforts were made entirely unnecessary when Akane loudly called out "MR. SAOTOME?! What are you doing here!"


    -o.O.o-


    The glasses wearing martial artist sat at the end of the table, a stoic air about him. The light hanging above caught his frames in such a way that caused his eyes to disappear in the glare. His wife sat at his side attempting to dry him off as much as she could through his gi with a kitchen towel. The rest of the room sat agape in disbelief, still unable to process the sight before them. And who could blame them? For what sat before them was none other than the Genma Saotome, the cursed martial artist, the half-man/half-panda, drenched from head to toe in rain water, notably not a panda.


    "Ranma," he said, cutting the silence and stealing the room''s attention, "I''ve done it. I''ve found a cure."


    "You don''t say pops." the young girl replied, sounding as though she''d seen a ghost. "How''d you do it? Did you find the spring of drowned man?"


    "No no, it wasn''t the spring of drowned man. In fact, that was the first thing we tried and we quickly found out that completely replacing the type of curse one is affected with permanently is impossible. But I''m getting ahead of myself. First, have you ever thought about the temperature of the water that changes you?" her father asked, beginning his answer.


    "I mean cold water changes us, hot water changes us back right?" Ranma asked rhetorically, clearly not understanding what her father was trying to get at.


    Genma continued, "Body temperature, that''s what matters. About thirty six and a half degrees to be more accurate. You''re right, cold water changes us and hot water changes us back, but ''cold'' and ''hot'' mean nothing without a reference point, and your own body temperature is that reference point.


    Ranma nodded to indicate that she was following so far.


    "But imagine if that wasn''t the case. If you had the ability to move that reference point which defines what ''cold'' and ''hot'' mean away from your body temperature, then suddenly you can decide when you change. And as it just so happens, Jusenkyo itself held the secret to adjusting that scale. I spent weeks in local libraries, working with the guide, and after trawling through records we found what we were looking for. We''d found research logs from a now extinct tribe of amazons who had done extensive testing and experimentation on the pools; tragically, little of it remained. However, what did proved to be all that we needed. If you remember, Jusenkyo isn''t home to just cursed pools. There are also plenty of ''blank'' pools, waiting for tragedy to strike within them so that they may inflict their own. We witnessed this ourselves with Akane years ago."


    Akane winced slightly at the memory of her near-death experience.


    "While the water of these blank pools was of no use to us, their sediment was." Genma produced a bottle and shook it slightly, its contents rattled on the inside like a muted maraca. "We found a recipe which utilizes the sediment of the blank pools to create a pill capable of shifting the balance between your two forms in favor of your true form. This is the cure we''ve been looking for." With a smug grin and a light popping sound Genma opened the bottle and retrieved two pills from within and handed one to both his stunned child and her equally shocked roommate.


    Ranma timidly received it as if handed a tarantula, carefully cupping it in her hands as though it may bite her at any second.


    "They work by adjusting the reference point away from body temperature. Unfortunately, you can''t just take one pill and be done forever. Each pill adjusts the reference point by a tiny bit more than three degrees and you can only take one each day or it''ll offset your ki or something like that. The exact details were lost from the records but they made it sound real bad. As a result it takes around two weeks and about twelve of these for you to be cured. After that the only water that could change you would have to be colder than ice, and that''s not exactly something you''ll ever have to worry about. Even still, I''d recommend taking a few more than that, there''s no harm in taking more than is strictly necessary, and it will help to provide peace of mind that you never have to worry about changing again. Personally I''ve taken twenty already and I brought over a hundred pills with me. Figured that''s enough to cure all of Nerima. The best part is that the effect is permanent, once the scale is set, that''s it, it doesn''t drift back towards center, and these pills only go one way." Genma procured two more small bottles from his backpack and placed one in front of each of the young martial artists. "There''s another twenty four pills in each of those. Along with the ones in your hands it should be more than enough to cure you."


    Ryoga didn''t miss a beat. As swiftly as he''d ever done anything in his life, he threw the pill into his mouth and swallowed it with an audible gulp. A gulp which Ranma mirrored. Hers was, however, caused by an equally swiftly growing anxiety, rather than by forcing a pill down without a drink. She gawked at the pill in her hands, a familiar nauseousness once again paralyzing her as it had earlier that afternoon. Looking around the table for a way to ground herself she saw the eyes of the entire table were now on her. Her father drilled holes into her with his expectant eyes.


    "Well what''re ya waiting for m''boy?" Genma questioned when their eyes met.


    "Yea right¡­of course. I just need something to wash it down." Ranma grabbed hold of the water pitcher sitting on the table and began to pour herself a glass. Her hands trembled causing her to nearly miss the glass multiple times. Stealing herself she forced the pill down her throat with a torrent of water.


    -o.O.o-


    The night was quiet save for the distant sound of the occasional car and the footfalls of three pairs of shoes as they struck concrete. The clouds had vanished an hour prior allowing the group to make the trek home for the night. Stars shone brightly in the night sky, like diamonds suspended in squid ink. The chill from the evening had nearly turned into a freeze, the temperature lowered substantially by the evening''s rainfall. A layer of dew made the world shimmer.


    "I really appreciate what you''re doing Ryoga, I''ll be sure to scold him in the morning for this regrettable behavior." Nadoka called out behind herself as she kept pace with her husband, hugging his arm for additional warmth.


    "It doesn''t bother me Mrs. Saotome, this isn''t the first time this has happened. She always forgets how much of a lightweight she is in this form." Ryoga explained with a nostalgic chuckle. Nadoka blanched at the implications of his words.


    Ryoga lugged the unconscious redhead on his back. After Genma''s bombshell, the night eventually returned to one of festivity. Between hands of poker Ryoga spotted Ranma drinking like it was going out of style. He couldn''t decide if Ranma was drinking because of how rapidly she was losing chips, or if it was the other way around and her poker face was as bad as it was because of the alcohol. Regardless, the end result was that Ranma, chipless, had fallen into a deep sleep long before it was time to head home, and try as they might, no one was able to wake sleeping beauty.


    Ryoga noticed a warm damp feeling begin to spread on his upper back. ''If she''s just going to drool all over me, maybe I should''ve tried more forcefully to get her to wake up.'' He silently fumed. ''At least she''s not that heavy like this¡­and the extra body heat is probably worth it.''


    The group quickened as the Saotome household came into full view, their eagerness for indoor heating reflected in their now brisk pace. Genma quickly unlocked the front door. The group let out a collective sigh of relief as they crossed the threshold into the warm building.


    "Well that sure was a night," Nadoka exhaled, her exasperation laid bare in the delivery of her words, "if you''ll excuse us Ryoga, I''d like to head straight to bed." Genma nodded in agreement.


    "Yea that''s no problem, I''ll make sure this one gets to bed as well." He teased, lightly bouncing his snoring backpack.


    They climbed the stairs together and separated in the hall. The middle-aged couple disappeared behind the sliding door to their room, faint giggling following in their wake. Ryoga quickly excused himself into Ranma''s room.


    Moonlight faintly lit the room, making its already tidy appearance seem overtly sterile. He gently set the slumbering woman down on the bed. Ryoga gave her a once over. The dim lighting made her seem almost ethereal and deceptively frail. He had to admit, if he didn''t know who Ranma was, he''d probably think she was the most beautiful woman he''d ever seen. After all these years, he still couldn''t believe that someone so lithe was so unbelievably powerful. He found his gaze lingering on her features, soaking in the fine details and contours of her face. That''s when he noticed something he almost couldn''t comprehend. Her face had a light sheen and her eyes were almost imperceptibly puffy. She hadn''t been drooling on his back, she''d been crying.


    -o.O.o-


    Author''s Note


    From FFN: February 16th, 2025: Oh wow...you finished the chapter. Thank you, it means a lot. I hope you liked it. If you did, let me know. If you didn''t, let me know why. I know I have a lot of room for improvement as a writer so hopefully, as this story goes on, you can see me grow in real time.


    Annnnnnd, here''s where I have to fess up a bit. I''ll be honest, I wrote this chapter about two to three months ago. And I wrote half of a second chapter almost immediately after that. So, why am I only posting this now? Well...I wanted to be able to have a second chapter ready completely before publishing this one. That way I''d have a buffer which would hopefully allow me to post updates on a somewhat decent schedule. That hasn''t happened. And that''s for two reasons. The first reason was Christmas, which for me means family staying over for nearly a month, something I''m sure everyone can admit kinda saps away a lot of free time. But the other is that I''ve just started attending college again for the first time in years and I''m more swamped than I expected to be.


    Before you get too worried, I want to make it explicitly clear that I do not intend on orphaning this story. It frankly just means too much to me. In fact, part of me posting it on here before I finally got around to having the buffer was to ensure that I''d have yet another reason to stick with it. However, I cannot at this moment commit to any real degree of regularity. My initial goal was to be able to post a new chapter every couple of weeks, but I''m thinking now that I''ll only be able to post one every month or so. My promise to you, the reader, in exchange for my irregularity, is that I will never compromise the quality or length goal of the chapter. This is because like you, I am also a reader and I also hate when a chapter feels like a waste of my time or anticipation. I''ve got in my head a goal of about eight thousand words per chapter right now and I will do what I can to meet or exceed that goal every time before posting. And it won''t just be fluff. I''ll try to make each and every chapter have a good reason to exist.


    I hope this promise entices you to stick around. I have a lot of ideas I want to explore with this story and I want you to be just as excited about it as I am.

 Girls Night

    Disclaimer


    I do not, nor do I claim to own Ranma 1/2 or any of its characters. Upon request I am willing to take this story down, though I hope that will not be necessary.


    -o.O.o-


    Chapter 2


    Girl¡¯s Night


    TW: Transphobia, Internalized-Transphobia


    Ranma sat in the middle of the room on a small stool. There were two buckets in front of her and she had a thermometer in her hand. A thick steam filled the air and condensation clung to every surface of the wet-room. Her brows furrowed and her tongue stuck out slightly from her mouth. She was locked deep in thought. She had repeated the test several times already, but was preparing to repeat it once again. She needed an explanation for what was happening.


    She filled a bucket carefully and took note of its temperature, forty degrees. She delicately began pouring cooler water from the other bucket into the one she''d just filled. Thirty six and a half degrees. Her eyes didn''t lie, the thermometer didn''t lie. She took her own temperature, thirty-six and a half degrees. She took the warm bucket of water and poured it over herself. Nothing happened. "Maybe it just hasn''t worked its magic yet. Or maybe the water cooled some as I poured it out¡­I don''t know. All I do know is that I''m not getting anywhere with this."


    She stood up and crossed the room to the previously prepared bath. Closing her eyes, she lowered herself into the steamy water. He kept his eyes closed until he felt the familiar sensation of his change finish. He let out a half sigh/half groan. The heat of the bath was a panacea to his sore body. His head still pounded from the night before. He reached for the cup he''d brought with him into the washroom and filled it with cool water from the tap in front of him. In a matter of seconds he greedily guzzled the entire glass down with no regard for the quality of the water. The refreshment felt as though it was the water of life itself as it hit his parched stomach. It was bliss.


    His head spun around as he heard the sliding door which separated the wet-room from the laundry room open. Ryoga stepped into the room, wearing nothing but a small towel wrapped around his waist. Ranma blushed slightly and quickly averted his gaze from his friend''s direction.


    "You really should have knocked." Ranma chastised Ryoga.


    "Aw grow up Ranma, you''ve been to a public bath before. Hell this isn''t even the first time we''ve bathed together."


    "This is different though! This isn''t a public bath! What if I''d been a woman? What would you have done then?!"


    Flustered, Ryoga stammered out a reply, "I¡­it wouldn''t be that big a deal, you''d still be the same old Ranma! And I mean c''mon, how many times have you flashed me in the past just to get a rise outta me!"


    This time it was Ranma who found himself unexpectedly flustered. "Yeah well¡­this isn''t like those times! It''s a big deal when I say it is!" Ranma crossed his arms and harrumphed.


    "How can I possibly keep track of that!" Ryoga threw his arms up in exasperation as he said this. He paused for a moment to collect himself before he continued, "Listen Ranma I''m not interested in trying to take advantage of you alright. I''m sorry I didn''t knock, but I need a bath too and I wasn''t gonna wait another hour for you to come on out on your own when this place fits both of us just fine." Ryoga looked down and spotted the supplies Ranma had been using for his experiments. Looking to change the subject he asked, "You test things out yet? Do the pills work?" There was a hint of trepidation in voice. He needed this to work.


    "Yea I tested it. But I don''t know, maybe they haven''t kicked in yet or something. I''ve been trying all morning and no matter how many times I test it I just keep getting the same results. I started by dousing myself in water that was exactly three degrees below my body temperature, and just as quickly I was a woman. I tried with water that was exactly my body temperature and nothing changed, I was still a woman, even though that should have shifted me back if the things were working as advertised. Though obviously hot water is still working as I''m used to." He gestured down at himself and the tub as he finished.


    "Hmm, that''s strange. How about I give it a shot?" Ryoga offered.


    Ranma watched as Ryoga took record of his body temperature and completed the same water preparation ritual he''d already done several times this morning. Ryoga carefully tested the temperature of the water numerous times before, with a satisfied look, he poured the bucket''s contents over himself. Ryoga, still human, looked as though he''d just won the lottery. A massive grin spread across his face from ear to ear.


    "I don''t know what to tell you Ranma, but that water was three degrees cooler than my body temperature and I''m still me." He exclaimed, trying to hold back his excitement to avoid upsetting his friend.


    "There''s no way that''s right, try it again." Ranma demanded in disbelief.


    Ryoga repeated the test. This time as he filled the buckets Ranma insisted on testing the temperature of the water himself. He was right, the water was thirty-three point six degrees, exactly three degrees below Ryoga''s body temperature. He watched in bewilderment as the fang-toothed boy took the bucket and gently poured half of its contents over his head. Nothing happened.


    Ever the doubting tom, Ranma took the bucket from his friend''s hands and poured the remaining water on himself. Ryoga looked up at Ranma as he snatched the bucket from his hands and let out an echoing "Hey, what''re ya'' doin¡¯!" before quickly averting his eyes, his face crimson. Ranma blinked at his reaction only to look down at herself. Realization set in that she was both very female and very naked.


    She shrieked and launched herself back into the tub across the room. With a much more masculine voice he lashed out at the other boy "YOU PERVERT! YOU SAW ME NAKED!"


    "What?! Me a pervert?! You''re the one who changed into a woman right in front of me! I looked away as soon as I could, I swear." His face was still a deep crimson, though now it began to swirl with the cherry tones of anger.


    "But you still looked!"


    "God Ranma, what is your problem today! You''re starting to sound like Akane!"


    Ranma clammed up at the comparison. He sat in a stunned silence for a second before laying his head low. "I''m sorry¡­" Ranma whispered barely audibly.


    "What was that?" Ryoga asked, a hand cupping by his ear for dramatic effect. He''d heard Ranma plainly, but desperately wanted to hear it again. Ranma wasn''t quick to provide apologies and he was going to make this one count.


    "I SAID I''M SORRY OK! I''m sorry I called you a pervert, that wasn''t fair. Now can we please change the subject?" Ranma begged.


    "I accept your apology." Ryoga teased, barely containing a smirk.


    Ranma looked straight down into the depths of the tub, desperately trying to hide his embarrassment. After deciding that simply averting his gaze wouldn''t be sufficient, he sunk into the water, bubbles rising to replace him in the spot he''d been moments before. Ryoga stepped into the tub and sat across from Ranma. Ranma opened his eyes at the disturbance in the water only to get a face full of something he''d much rather not see. Ranma exited the tub as quickly as he could, his face the color of a cherry tomato.


    "I''ll¡­I''ll see you later." Ranma stammered out as he exited the room, never once looking back at the man in the tub.


    -o.O.o-


    Ranma entered his bedroom, and shut the door behind himself, leaning against it briefly before letting out a sigh of relief. He considered himself extremely lucky that he hadn''t run into anyone else on his way from the bathroom. Ryoga''s words echoed relentlessly in his mind "God Ranma, what is your problem today! You''re starting to sound like Akane!" He couldn''t understand his own behavior, hell, he couldn''t even understand his own emotions at the moment.


    "Is it really that unreasonable that I don''t wanna be ogled anymore!" He shouted into the emptiness of his room. There was no audible reply, but he could feel the room responding to his question. He felt as though the spirit of his mother was in the walls of the room themselves judging him with an omnipresent eye. He could swear the horse within the painting hung on the wall was boring holes into his soul with its gaze.


    "Who am I kidding, it is weird coming from me. Hell, it''s not just weird it''s downright scary. If I was Ryoga I''d probably be worried that I''d hit my head on a rock again right around now." Ranma''s head sunk down to the floor. "I''m a man-amongst-men! This isn''t right!" Ranma let out a deep breath and continued, "But, if that''s the case why can''t I convince myself that I shouldn''t be feeling this way? Why do I still feel perfectly justified feeling the way I do¡­?" Ranma''s thoughts seemed to echo off the hardwood floor.


    He walked over to his closet silently and began looking for something to wear. Fingering through the various garments, his eyes quickly landed on his old Chinese jacket and pants. He froze for a moment like a deer caught in headlights. Then, unceremoniously, he flicked the outfit off the rack and began getting ready for the day.


    -o.O.o-


    Ranma entered the living room in search of his father. He needed answers as to what was happening with the pills and the only one he knew who knew anything on the subject was his father. He found his father sleeping on the couch. His head was angled towards the ceiling, nearly dangling off the edge of the couch, and he had a magazine titled Martial Arts Monthly draped across his chest. Ranma groaned, knowing that in order to get anything out of him he''d need to wake him up, something which never ended well. Ranma went out into the yard and searched for a stick long enough that it would allow him to "poke the bear" from a safe distance. After a few minutes of searching he found what he was looking for: a branch dropped from a sakura tree in the corner of the yard. It was nearly five feet long, it had to be long enough. Ranma took the stick and snuck back into the house. Hiding behind the couch, he took the stick and, with a trembling hand, used it to poke his father in the shoulder.


    Nothing happened, his father merely produced a loud snore in response.


    He did it again, slightly more forcefully this time.


    Still nothing happened.


    Beginning to feel impatient, Ranma jabbed his father in the shoulder one more time.


    The next thing Ranma knew he was flying through the air and into the back yard. He smacked hard into the ground with a thud and continued to skid across the grass before coming to an abrupt stop when his back collided with a sprinkler, the impact snapped the sprinkler in half, causing water to begin to rain down onto the now soaked woman.


    "FUCKIN'' HELL POPS! Whaddya go and do that for!" Ranma screamed in the direction of the house. She wiped the water from her face and turned her attention to the porch just in time to see her father lower a defensive stance.


    Her father crossed his arms and with a stern expression exclaimed, "You can''t just go attacking a martial arts master in his sleep, how did you think this would end for you!"


    "I wasn''t attacking you! You just wouldn''t wake up and I needed to talk to you!"


    "You should have waited for me to wake up on my own! Don''t you have any respect for your elders!"


    "Whatever pops, I just had some questions I wanted to ask ya¡­" Ranma said while lowering her voice in an attempt to diffuse the situation.


    Genma began walking back to the couch. Taking a seat he said, "Well go ahead and ask what ya gotta ask, I don''t got all day."


    Ranma rolled her eyes and started, "Well, it''s about the pills pops, what exactly do the pills do? How long does it take for them to start working?"


    "Were you not listening last night?! I told you just about everything I knew. They adjust the reference point for your curse in favor of your true form. Adjust that reference point enough and boom no more curse. Functionally at least. As for how long it takes em'' to kick in¡­honestly your guess is as good as mine. I didn''t exactly bring a stopwatch with me to China in the hopes it''d be useful. But I could usually tell they were working after a couple of hours at most. That good enough for ya?"


    "I guess if that''s all you know it''s gotta be good enough¡­" Ranma half-whined, disappointment clear in her tone.


    "Good, then I''m gonna go back to sleep now. You better not wake me like that again unless there''s food involved. You got that?"


    "Yea whatever¡­" Ranma mumbled.


    She walked past her dad and moved deeper into the house, making her way across the living room and towards the genkan. As she grabbed her shoes from a cubby near the door she called out, "I''m gonna head out, don''t wait up on me!" She earned a snore in response.


    -o.O.o-


    A few hours later Ranma found she was still wandering aimlessly through the streets of Nerima. She kicked a stone as she meandered, occasionally stopping when it flew too far ahead to muss her hair and wrack her brain. Her thoughts kept going in circles. She needed someone to talk to but she didn''t even know what she wanted to talk about. A completely indescribable feeling was driving her insane and forcing a headache to steadily form. She felt as though there was a pebble in her shoe that, try as she might, she couldn''t find let alone remove. Suddenly a noise like the growl of a bear roused her from thoughts. A moment later she was hit with a pang in her stomach. She needed food.


    "Oh my god what I wouldn''t do for some okonomiyaki right now¡­" she idly complained. "WAIT A MINUTE, that''s it!" Her head popped up as a light bulb lit up in her mind, "I should go talk to Ucchan!"


    -o.O.o-


    Ryoga stood alone in the dojo practicing his kata. It still felt weird to him to be practicing his martial arts in such a formal manner. He figured joining on with the anything goes school wouldn''t change his training routine all that much, after all: anything goes. Though he was shocked to discover just how many hours Ranma put into refining his form and perfecting the nuances of every technique. Ryoga still had the sheer strength advantage, but he felt as though he was miles behind his rival and he was determined to catch up.


    When he heard his stomach growl he figured he''d earned a break. He walked carefully from the dojo to the house, maintaining eye-contact with the back door, and then continued into the kitchen. He poked through the various shelves and drawers and found them shockingly bare of anything easily prepare-able. His stomach twisted and growled again.


    "RANMA! WANNA GO GET SOMETHING TO EAT?!" he called out into the house. There was no response.


    "RANMA!" he tried again in vain.


    "Ryoga can you please stop shouting." Nadoka asked as she walked into the kitchen.


    "Oh, Mrs. Saotome, I''m so sorry." He gave a slight bow. "Have you seen Ranma anywhere? I wanna go out to get some food, but I know I couldn''t possibly go on my own."


    "I can''t say I''ve seen him today...but, I can give you the number to the Tendo''s. Maybe one of them would like to accompany you." she offered.


    "Actually, that''s not a bad idea. I''ve got some catching up of my own to do." He scratched at his stubble, mulling the idea over. "Yea sure, gimme the number. Please."


    -o.O.o-


    A bell rang out as Ranma walked into the small restaurant. It was nearly three in the afternoon now and the lunch-rush had clearly already come and gone. The tables were mostly empty, but evidence of a crowd remained. The smell of okonomiyaki was heavy in the air and crumbs were scattered about on a number of tables. A dark haired woman with her back turned to the door was busy bussing a booth against the wall. Ranma didn''t recognize her. Ukyo herself was standing behind the bar, deep in focus counting the cash register.


    With her face still buried in the register, she called out "Hi, welcome to Ucchan''s! If you wanna start looking over the menu I can be with you in just a minute!"


    "Well take all the time you need, but I don''t think I''ll need to bother with the menu Ucchan. I''ll just get my usual." Ranma said with a light chuckle.


    Ukyo''s head bolted upright. "Oh my god Ran-chan is that you?! What''s it been, a year? When did you get back to Nermia!" She closed the register before she effortlessly vaulted over the bar and ran over to Ranma, wrapping her tightly in a hug. "Don''t you ever disappear for so long again."


    Ranma''s eyes watered slightly at the embrace. She knew she made the right decision coming to see Ukyo. "Uh, we just got here yesterday actually. Ryoga and I came here together, we''re staying at my parent''s place for the winter."


    Separating from the hug, Ukyo held Ranma at arm''s length and with a look of faux anger exclaimed "And you didn''t come to see me yesterday! For shame!"


    "Well uh, I haven''t really had a chance to yet." Ranma rubbed the back of her head. "As soon as I got home I was dragged off. And then I got some pretty major news. That''s actually why I''m here now. I really need someone to talk to. Hopefully over some of your famous okonomiyaki."


    "Well it''s good to hear you haven''t gone and lost your sense yet. You still know who''s best to talk to in matters of the heart and taste." Ukyo teased. She turned around quickly, her hair followed in a wave, and she made her way back to the register. "Well, take a seat. As soon as I''m done with the register I''ll whip ya up some food and come join ya''." She opened the register again with a ding. "Konatsu! Would you mind closing up the shop for a while? I don''t want us getting interrupted."


    The woman who was wiping a table turned and replied "Of course Ukyo, just give me a moment to finish with this table."


    Ranma''s jaw dropped. "Konatsu, that''s you! You look so¡­," she glanced up and down soaking Konatsu''s form in, "so¡­mature. I didn''t recognize you at all."


    Konatsu giggled. "You say that as though I wasn''t always precocious."


    "No I mean. You just¡­you look so different." Ranma felt another unexplainable pang in her chest. Was that jealousy? No... "You look beautiful honestly." And Konatsu was just that. She was taller than in high school for one, maybe by about four inches, her face was beautifully made-up and she was dressed in a flowing kimono with a pale floral pattern featuring spider-lilies. The kimono clung to her and showed off her womanly figure. The large belt accented both her hips and, most unexpectedly, her bust.


    "I''ll have you know I''m spoken for Ranma. You can''t just go flirting with me so casually." Konatsu gave the stunned redhead a smile and a wink before turning back to the table she was working on. "But thank you though, I appreciate the compliment."


    Ranma could faintly make out a warm red tone spreading on the side of Konatsu''s cheek that was still visible to her. "Yea no problem¡­" Ranma trailed off, still trying to comprehend what just happened. She spotted a free booth in the corner of the store near the back and began to make her way over to it. "I''ll just wait over here Ukyo!"


    -o.O.o-


    About fifteen minutes passed before Ukyo made her way to the table. "So what did ya'' wanna talk about sugar?" she asked as she plopped down on the opposite side of the booth from Ranma and pushed a plate of okonomiyaki over towards her.


    "Well I''ll be honest, I don''t exactly know." Ranma began to pick at the food. "I''ve just been feeling off recently. My head feels all mixed up. And then there''s pop''s bombshell to deal with too, which¡­well I guess I should start with that¡­" Ranma filled Ukyo in on the events of the night before, earning a completely shocked expression from her childhood friend.


    "Oh my god! Ran-chan! This is amazing!" Ukyo exclaimed, "You can finally be cured! You can finally just be yourself again! No more girl form, just like you always wanted!" Ranma involuntarily flinched slightly at the last statement. Faintly enough that Ranma herself didn''t notice it. Ukyo almost missed it as well. Almost. "Well, there''s no need to rush things I suppose. It doesn''t sound like the pills are going anywhere." Ranma''s shoulders relaxed ever so subtly in response to Ukyo''s words. "But is that really all you wanna talk about? You seem like you''re really in a tizzy."


    "Well, it''s not, but I don''t really know how to talk about the rest of what''s on my mind. I''m not even sure if anything is wrong up there," Ranma motioned to her head, "but I''ve just been feeling¡­uncomfortable¡­ever since arriving in Nerima. Maybe it''s just my parents suffocating me. But I feel like there''s something else, right beneath the surface, but it''s stuck on the tip of my tongue and I just can''t put words to it." Ranma sighed and looked down at the table, resting her hands atop her head. "You know what Ryoga told me? He said I was acting like Akane! And all because I was mad that he saw me naked."


    "Were you like this when that happened?" Ukyo questioned.


    "Like this how?"


    "Well, were you a woman?"


    "Yea? What''s that gotta do with anything? Am I not allowed to have a sense of shame just because I''ve got a pair of tits?" Ranma raised her face to meet Ukyo''s with a scowl.


    "I didn''t say that at all." Ukyo defended herself, "That''s perfectly normal." "Just not for you." she thought before speaking again. "So, you''ve been feeling uncomfortable? How long have you been feeling this way?"


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I don''t know. I guess since I got to Nermia again, or at least that''s when it became obvious, but maybe before that. I hate sounding like a broken record, but I really don''t know. I guess I just feel more free back at school and the cafe. I feel less constricted there. I wouldn''t have even come to Nerima if they didn''t close the dorm." Ranma explained.


    "Free to do what exactly?" Ukyo interrogated further.


    "That''s the worst part! I don''t even know!" Ranma half shouted, her exasperation getting the better of her. "But you know my parents. It''s gotta be them right? They''ve gotta be the cause of this. Like my mom''s been all up in my business since I got here, judging me over the smallest things. Like last night she snapped at me just because I didn''t change immediately."


    "She wanted you to change your clothes?" Ukyo half asked and half laughed.


    Ranma couldn''t help but chuckle, despite this her frustrated tone persisted. "No, she wanted me to become a guy again. I fell in the pond while sparring with Ryoga and Akane, just like the old days, and I don''t know¡­I just didn''t see the point in trying to draw a bath while dinner was waiting."


    Konatsu joined the pair at the table. She gave Ukyo a knowing look as she slid up next to her and grabbed her arm. "It sounds like you need to do something rebellious! Something your parents would absolutely hate!" she said a bit too excitedly.


    Ranma perked up a bit at the idea. "What do you have in mind?"


    "Well Ukyo and I have this one bar we love to frequent. Our friends Hiroshi and Mitchel run it together. It''s really nice and it''s in Shibuya! Far away from your parents. You know the one right, Kyo-chan?" She looked over to Ukyo with a smirk.


    Ukyo blinked for a second. "NO! You don''t mean to...Ko-chan that''s¡­hmm, maybe that''s exactly what our Ran-chan needs¡­"


    "And I have something else I''d wanna do for Ranma too!" Konatsu replied with excitement clear in her voice. She turned her attention back to the redhead and with a lower voice she continued, "That is only if you''ll let me."


    Ranma tilted her head slightly. "Oh yea what''s that?"


    "Now you''re allowed to say no. I don''t want you feeling uncomfortable." Konatsu tip-toed with her words. "But I''d like to give you a makeover."


    "How''s that supposed to make me feel anything but uncomfortable!" Ranma was completely stunned that Konatsu would even suggest such a thing.


    "Well you don''t seem to be very comfortable right now as is. And let''s be honest with ourselves. Those old silks aren''t exactly club-worthy." Ukyo joined in. "C''mon, it''ll be fun! And your parents would definitely hate it."


    "No way, not gonna happen!" Ranma declared, steadfast in her resolve.


    -o.O.o-


    Ranma didn''t understand how she found herself in this position. She was so certain she''d turned Konatsu down and that that would be that. But those damn puppy dog eyes. In the end Ranma''s will didn''t stand a chance. As a result, after hours of being forced in and out of various outfits, she now found herself sitting at Konatsu''s vanity while Konatsu herself beat her face with all manner of brushes, pads, and sponges. The various powders nearly made Ranma sneeze multiple times and the brushes tickled more than she thought she could handle. Ranma desperately wanted to open her eyes, to know what exactly Konatsu was doing to her, but Konatsu was insistent that she keep her eyes closed throughout the whole process. "It would ruin the magic." she claimed.


    After what felt like an eternity of this Konatsu finally spoke again. "We are just about done here, one last touch and then I''ll walk you over to a mirror before you open your eyes alright?" Konatsu sprayed a mist all over Ranma''s face. "Ok all set now! Just follow me. Thank you so much for being so patient throughout all of this. I won''t forget my end of the bargain, if you completely hate it, you can take it all off right away and I''ll never ask you to do this again."


    Ranma stumbled over to the mirror, relying on Konatsu to keep her steady. She was entirely unused to walking in heels, though she did find herself slowly finding her own balance. At the mirror, Ranma braced herself for what she might see upon opening her eyes. Her mind conjured images of clowns and old women with bright red lips and blue eyelids. She shuddered for a second, wondering what she had done in a past lifetime to deserve this fate. There was no way this could possibly go well. There''s just no way Ranma Saotome, man-amongst-men, could look anything but ridiculous in makeup. Sure she''d worn some in the past, but that was always for some ploy, it didn''t matter how good it looked back then. This time however, she couldn''t help but worry that Ukyo and Konatsu were just holding back their laughs. ''Wait a minute¡­why do I care if I look bad in this crap. I''ll be taking it off in just a minute anyway.'' she thought to herself. Even still she was nervous. Every fiber of her being was on edge. She hadn''t felt this way since when she fought Saffron or Herb. She steeled herself, took in a sharp breath, and opened her eyes.


    Not a word was said for a whole minute. Ranma just stood there in shock. Occasionally she''d force her jaw back up, or turn her head to look at herself from a different angle, but she didn''t dare say a word.


    "So what do you think?" Both Konatsu and Ukyo eventually asked, both equally nervous they''d done something horribly wrong, but hopeful it had gone terrifically right.


    Ranma was short circuiting. Her mind was pulling her in two completely different directions at once. Half of her wanted to reject what she was looking at, deny that it was possible, claim it was unnatural or without honor. That same part of her mind conjured imagery of her mother walking in on her right now, honor sword in hand. Terrifying as it was, that image caused her to realize that those ideas weren''t how she actually felt, it was just a manifestation of her fear and her parents beliefs. That realization caused another line to play through her head. ''It sounds like you need to do something rebellious! Something your parents would absolutely hate!'' Konatsu was right, this was exactly what she needed.


    Finally the other half of her brain won out. The part of her that was too stunned to speak out of sheer wonder and amazement. The part of her that didn''t understand how this was even possible. She knew her female half was pretty, years of getting ogled by guys at the cafe and beyond made her acutely aware of that. But, she never knew she could be this drop-dead gorgeous. She looked herself up and down, lingering on every detail.


    She wore a deep red silk dress that reminded her of something Shampoo would wear. It hugged her features tightly and went down all the way to her ankles, with a slit on one side which started at the top of her right thigh. The dress had a floral motif to it, similar to Konatsu''s kimono, but unlike Konatsu''s pale lilies Ranma dress sported orchids in a french pink that made them pop out against their crimson backdrop. The dress was just where the ensemble started however. Additionally, she wore a pair of matching crimson three-inch stiletto heels which brought her to match Ukyo''s height and shaped her already toned legs into things of beauty.


    And then there was the makeup. The effect of the makeup was subtle yet transformative. There were no smears of red or blue like she feared. Instead a light smokiness accented her blue eyes, a gentle contour drew out the angles in her face, and a nude lip color made her look properly sophisticated. The whole effect made her the image of womanhood.


    "Ranma, earth to Ranma!" Ukyo waved her hand in the redhead''s face to try and snap her out of her trance.


    "U..uh y..yea, what''s up." Ranma finally managed to sputter out.


    "We asked you what you think." added Konatsu, "We really hope you like it."


    "Uh¡­yea. It''s fine." Ranma said flatly, still only giving her two friends half of her attention.


    "So are you still willing to go to the bar with us?" They both asked.


    "Sure, why not¡­"


    -o.O.o-


    A mile of stumbling in heels, thirty minutes of trains, and then finally another half mile of actual walking this time, got them to their destination, a bar Ranma discovered was named Club Himitsu, around ten at night. Ranma stood in awe of what she saw. She expected a fairly simple bar, not necessarily a dive given their current attire, but nothing so¡­loud.


    Club Himitsu had blacked out their windows to the street, but in no way did this conceal the bar''s presence. Pink and blue neon signs proudly displayed the bar''s name to the world and posters advertising events like karaoke nights, costume parties, and drag shows covered the blacked out windows. Ranma gulped, only now fully understanding what she''d been invited to. Her companions dragged her away from her contemplation and into the warm club.


    Pop music blared over a loudspeaker. It was nearly impossible not to hear it no matter how hard you tried. Red, blue, and purple lights lit the shop unevenly and gave everything an otherworldly feel. A tall blonde man stood behind the bar, behind him more liquor bottles than she''d ever seen in one place in more colors than she knew liquor came in. The place was packed. All of the booths and tables were seemingly taken leaving only a few seats at the bar itself.


    Ranma once again found herself frozen. Opting to use Ukyo as an anchor, she grabbed hold of Ukyo''s arm and allowed her to lead them deeper into the bar. Claiming seats at the bar, she was surprised to see Konatsu insist on sitting between Ukyo and herself. While she was happy to at least get to sit next to the wall, she couldn''t help but mourn the loss of her anchor.


    Despite the relative privacy afforded to her by being squashed between Konatsu and the wall, she couldn''t help but tremble. She felt as though not only was everyone staring at her, but that they were seeing straight through her ''woman disguise'' and peering into the essence of her soul. Konatsu placed a hand on Ranma''s shoulder to help steady her before she signaled the bartender over. Seeing Konatsu''s signal, the blonde man perked up and quickly finished his conversation with another customer before sauntering over towards the Nerima group.


    "Oh my gosh! Kyo-chan, Ko-chan, how are you two doing?! It''s so rare to see you here on a Friday night. I thought you guys hated the crowds. What''s the deal?" The blonde man looked foreign. British? American? Australian maybe? It was impossible to tell, his Japanese was flawless. He even had the pitch accent down perfectly.


    "We''re here to help a friend in need." Ukyo said as she turned her gaze down the bar towards Ranma who quickly clammed up now that the spotlight was on her.


    "And who are you doll?" The man turned to Ranma and gave her a warm genuine smile.


    "My name''s Ra¡­" Ranma began slowly.


    "Her name''s Ranko! But you can call her Ran-chan, like we do. We''ve known her since high school!" Konatsu butted in, more authoritatively than "Ranko" had ever seen her act.


    "Oh Ran-chan! I get it, like orchids!" He exclaimed while gesturing to "Ranko''s" outfit. "Well that is a beautiful name doll, one befitting of a woman so lovely."


    "Ranko''s" face quickly matched her hair. The combination of the complement and the name had her brain going a million miles a minute.


    "Well Ran-chan. My name is Mitchel Himitsu, but you can just call me Mitchel. Despite how long I''ve been here I''ve still never gotten used to being referred to by my last name even though I chose it! " Mitchel laughed at his comment as though its inherent humor should have been self-evident. "Though, best you still call my partner ''Himitsu-san.'' At least until he''s gotten to know you. He''s a sweetheart, but he actually grew up here, so he doesn''t quite understand how I can be so casual with complete strangers."


    "Your partner? Like your business partner? Ucchan and Konatsu told me that you and someone named Hiroshi run this place." "Ranko" asked timidly.


    "Oh honey, you''re a gas!" Mitchel laughed heartily. "No, not my business partner. Though, I guess he is that as well. But more importantly, he''s my husband."


    "Oh!" "Ranko" nodded to feign understanding before it finally clicked. Once it had she blurted out "Oh my gosh! You''re gay!"


    "Queer as can be doll. Same as everyone else here." He used the glass he''d been polishing in his hands to gesture around the room in a sweeping motion.


    "Ranko''s" face lit up in embarrassment. "Oh god I should have known. I''m so so sorry. I hope I didn''t offend."


    "Girl, you really do need help!" Mitchel said with a chuckle. "But calm down, you''re fine. Everyone stumbles at first. And Kyo-chan, Ko-chan, don''t worry, I''ll make sure to treat her right tonight. I''ll really ease her into things." He gave "Ranko''s" two friends a knowing smile and a wink. "Anyway, what can I start ya'' with!"


    -o.O.o-


    After an hour and about four rounds of drinks everyone seemed to be settled in. Even "Ranko" appeared to be coming out of her shell. She''d stopped shaking finally and could even order herself a drink without stuttering. Ukyo was proud of her.


    "You happy you came finally?" Ukyo asked.


    Just then a woman from across the bar nodded in "Ranko''s" direction, and a few short moments later Mitchel came up with yet another drink for the petite redhead.


    "Y¡­yea. I''m having fun." "Ranko" admitted in between sips of her new fuzzy navel.


    Ukyo and Konatsu were both equally thrilled to see their friend finally seem to be at peace. With the weight of their friend''s mental health temporarily lifted from their shoulders, they turned their attention towards each other. Ukyo began by giving Konatsu a peck on the cheek, which Konatsu herself quickly followed up with a proper kiss. "Ranko" looked on at the display, mouth agape. After going back and forth for a minute, they finally noticed their friend and quickly separated while tidying themselves up.


    "Oh my gosh this all makes sense now." "Ranko" began, spinning a finger around to gesture to the bar, "You two, you''re both. Well¡­wait would you be? Isn''t Konatsu¡­"


    "Yes Ran-chan, Konatsu is my girlfriend." Ukyo interrupted. "And you better not say what I think you were about to say..."


    "What do you mean? How does that even work? I''m sorry I''m really not following." "Ranko" sputtered out in reply.


    "Well Ran-chan. Konatsu is a woman and we''re dating. So that makes us girlfriends." Ukyo stated matter-of-factly.


    "But isn''t¡­wasn''t¡­didn''t¡­wait a minute, did Konatsu also fall in the spring of drowned girl?! That would explain it. Though, I guess she''d also then have to get locked in that form¡­and I don''t know if the chiisuiton even exists anymore¡­" "Ranko" trailed off.


    "No Ran-chan, I didn''t do anything like that. My path was more¡­traditional." Konatsu spoke up, trying to prevent "Ranko''s" naivete from angering her lover.


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" "Ranko" asked sincerely.


    "Well, Ranko, not everyone has access to the magic you use to change form. But even still some people aren''t exactly¡­satisfied with their ''initial forms.'' So in order to change forms they have to use medicines and surgeries. Likewise, so have I." Konatsu appeared to be choosing her words extremely carefully as she continued, "Though not everyone gets all or any of these procedures done, and that''s fine as well. Merely their desire to be so makes them women, as was the case with me; even when you met me back in high school, I was a woman."


    "Really?! I can''t imagine ever wanting a curse like the one I have! You all must be crazy!" "Ranko" declared with an insensitivity which demonstrated either an inability, or an unwillingness, to understand what Konatsu actually described.


    "RANMA! The nerve! After all that Konatsu''s done to help you tonight! I can''t believe you!" Ukyo came down on Ranma like a mother protecting her young, or rather like a partner defending her partner.


    For a reason she couldn''t explain, the sudden and exaggerated use of her real name deeply upset her, causing her to further lash out. "Help me! What do you mean help me! You guys practically dragged me here!" Ranma shouted, earning the attention of the bartender. "I didn''t want any of this!"


    "Oh come off it! Stop lying to yourself Ranma! You two are one and the same! Kami-sama, if it wasn''t for your own pigheadedness you could maybe, finally, be happy."


    "You think I''m the same as Konatsu?!" Ranma scoffed, "I''m not some pervert who''s into cross-dressing!"


    Suddenly Mitchel walked up and whispered to the group "Hey guys¡­I''m gonna need you to take this outside, this is starting to upset some of the other customers."


    "IT''S FINE" Ranma declared in a huff, "I was already leaving." With that she got up off of her stool and rushed for the exit.


    Ukyo hopped down from her stool as well as if to give chase, but Konatsu grabbed her by the shoulder to stop her advance. "Don''t do it Ukyo. It''s not going to help anything. Not tonight. We pushed too hard too quickly. This was bound to happen."


    "You can''t blame us! This is clearly her fault. She''s always been insensitive! And I for one can''t just stand here and watch her question my girlfriend''s womanhood!"


    "But think of why she''s like that Kyo-chan. You know how she was raised. You know what she was taught to think. That kind of internalized-transphobia doesn''t just go away overnight. She needs time, and she can''t get that if we chase after her tonight." Konatsu let go of Ukyo''s shoulder.


    "You''re right¡­as always." Ukyo sighed, almost visibly letting off steam, "But I can''t let her hide behind her upbringing forever. If she keeps hurting you..."


    "I know Kyo-chan. And I appreciate that part of you. I just really hope it doesn''t come to that."


    -o.O.o-


    Ryoga and Akane stepped out of the Tendo dojo quietly, trying not to disturb those who''d already fallen asleep. They''d had a long day filled with chit-chat and eating and were just about ready to go to sleep themselves. They just had to get Ryoga back to where he belonged for the night. Despite now having to walk in the dead of night, Ryoga was glad he came. He''d have to thank Nadoka for the idea sometime. It had been far too long since Akane had spoken as friends and he didn''t realize just how desperately he needed it. For one of the few times in his life, he was grateful for his poor sense of direction. If not for it, he''d never have found himself in this position, an equal with one he''d held in such high esteem for so many years.


    "We should probably hurry Ryoga." Akane called out behind her. "I hear it might start snowing tonight."


    "I wouldn''t be surprised honestly. It''s absolutely frigid out here." Ryoga rubbed his arms and blew air into his hands. "I''d hate to be lost out in this."


    -o.O.o-


    Ranma stumbled barefoot through the streets of Nerima. It was a miracle she managed to make the last train of the night, but even still, she had several blocks to walk before reaching her home. And while a few blocks was normally nothing to Ranma, she''d already managed to break one of the two stilettos she now carried on a subway grate and she didn''t have a jacket to protect her from the now blustery winter winds. She trudged along the sidewalk for a few minutes, holding on to every ounce of warmth her arms could gather, before a car drove by and managed to splash her with a puddle of rainwater. It was all too much for her to bear. Eventually, maybe only two or three blocks from her house, she collapsed. She curled up into an alley between two buildings and began to sob uncontrollably.


    She sat like that for what felt like an eternity before she heard a pair of voices approaching. Nervously, she stuck her head out to gauge whether or not she''d be able to ask the pair for help. To her surprise she was greeted by the faces of none other than Ryoga and Akane. Ranma considered for a moment, as they passed her alley, if she should stay quiet to keep them from seeing her like this. However, just as that thought entered her mind and as if caused by an act of divine comedy, the wind picked up again stronger than ever. Ranma knew she''d have to swallow her pride. She stepped out from the alley and yelled out to Ryoga.


    "Ryoga! Help!" Her voice was raspy and her throat hurt, but even still he managed to hear her. Ryoga spun around, gestured for Akane to wait, and ran towards where he heard the voice.


    "Hey lady, do you need some help! Wait a minute, Ranma is that you?!" Ryoga asked in disbelief. Once again he couldn''t understand what he was seeing. Ranma, his invincible rival, was curled up in a ball, soaking wet, wearing an extremely feminine dress, with running makeup streaking down her face.


    "Hey Ryoga, how''s your night been? Hope it''s been better than mine." Ranma smiled weakly.


    "You idiot¡­" Ryoga didn''t know what to say. "I''ll tell you all about my night after we''ve managed to get you out of here. Deal?"


    "Deal."


    Ryoga took his jacket off and wrapped her in it. "Okay I''m gonna have you ride my back now alright? Can you do that?"


    "Yea I think I can manage that much." Ranma slid her arms into Ryoga''s jacket and as she did so the scent of it caught her attention. Its warm musk was pleasant. That thought was not. Ranma quickly discarded that idea and positioned herself behind Ryoga. He crouched, grabbed her legs, and with an "alley-oop" tossed her onto his back. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned into his chest for warmth.


    "You know Ranma, I''m getting a serious sense of deja vu. You better not be making a habit out of this. I''m not some kinda taxi service." Ryoga complained, hoping to lift the poor girl''s spirit.


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about Ryoga." she replied with a chuckle.


    When the two caught up with Akane she was flabbergasted. Just like Ryoga, she had no explanation for Ranma''s condition, but she at least knew better than to start asking questions right now. What Ranma really needed was warmth and a change of clothes.


    "Ryoga, I know we were on our way to the Saotome''s, but my place is closer, and honestly, I think it will be safer for Ranma right now. Do you mind if we turn around?" Akane asked.


    "Not at all, lead the way."


    -o.O.o-


    Ranma didn''t know when they arrived at the Tendo''s. She didn''t even know what time it was. All she remembered was waking up on their couch. Kasumi was fussing about trying to do what she could to help Ranma. She kept flicking her attention between a thermometer in Ranma''s mouth, and a warm damp towel on Ranma''s head. Something didn''t seem to be adding up and it was plain that it was worrying Kasumi.


    "Whaddya think doc? Will I make it?" Ranma tried to crack a joke, still half asleep.


    "Oh my! Ranma! You''re awake! Let me go grab the others, they''ll want to know you''re safe." Kasumi got up and turned for the door.


    "No there''s no need for that, just let me sleep some more." Ranma called out in her quiet raspy voice, but it was too late. She was already gone and there was no way she''d hear Ranma from here.


    Moments later Kasumi was knocking at the door frame again. "Ranma, I brought Ryoga and Akane, can they come in? They''ve been worried ever since they found you."


    "Yea sure, let them in, they''re already here anyway." she said while burying her face into the couch''s armrest.


    Ryoga was the first to enter. He sat on the floor next to Ranma and leaned slightly against the couch, equalizing their height. Ranma appreciated the gesture more than she knew how to express it right now. He placed a hand on Ranma''s shoulder, an act which made her heart flutter briefly, and began to speak. "Kasumi tells me you were suffering from minor acute hypothermia. What the hell happened?"


    "She also told you pretty explicitly to not worry her!" Akane piped up from behind him.


    "Yea I guess that''s right¡­" he said, rubbing a hand on the back of his head. "But what''s done is done, and I need to know. What the hell happened out there Ranma? Did you get attacked? Were you forced into some kind of strange martial arts competition again? Just let me know and I''ll go beat up whoever did this to ya''."


    Ranma just stayed quiet, her face remaining deep in the crack between armrest and couch cushion.


    "C''mon Ryoga, let''s give her some space alright? She doesn''t need this right now. Just back off and we can talk in the..." Akane argued.


    "No, I wasn''t jumped. It was nothing like that." Ranma interrupted weakly, her already strained voice muffled further by the upholstery.


    "Then what the hell was it Ranma! Please tell me, I''m worried for you." Ryoga begged, his voice wavering imperceptibly.


    "I messed up Ryoga, that''s what happened. I messed up big time. And something tells me it''s not gonna be set right nearly as easily as I managed to screw it up."


    "What did you do?" Ryoga asked as gently as he could muster. But she never answered his question. Instead she began to cry, quietly at first and then all at once.


    "Ryoga¡­" she finally mustered between heaves.


    "Yea what''s up Ranma."


    "Do you have your pills with you?"


    "Yea."


    She looked up from the armrest finally and into his eyes. "Can I have one?"


    "You want one of my pills? Is that really the best idea right now? Can''t they imbalance your ki? I don''t know if we should risk that when you''re in this state."


    "I don''t want it, I need it. This whole thing would never have happened if that damn pill just worked this morning, please just give me one of yours. I need one that I know will work." Ranma pleaded. "Please I just need to be able to put this, all of this, well and truly behind me. Please."


    Ryoga felt his heart ache. He couldn''t just leave her like this. "Sure Ranma I''ll go get one for you." Ryoga reluctantly agreed, unsure of if he was still doing the right thing.


    He returned a few minutes later with a pill and a glass of water. He gave her a once over, and then, with a sigh, handed both to her.


    She took the pill quickly, and then placed the cup on the table next to the couch before she turned around and nestled herself back into the couch. Her face once again buried deep in cushions, she called out faintly, "Thank you Ryoga."


    "Anytime Ranma."