"Hello Dr. Tofu." Akane called, stepping into the office. "I'm returning a book Kasumi borrowed."

"Thanks for bringing it. Come in. No one is in need of my assistance at the moment. How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"How's Ranma been? He hasn't been in here for a full week."

"Oh, he's been tolerable, but if he wins the martial gymnast contest and gets cocky about it, he'll be here for treatment very soon." She said, entering the office. She'd been in there many times before, and knew the layout like she knew her own home. There were two chairs in front of the desk and a big office chair behind it. The desktop itself was always cluttered, though Dr. Tofu insisted that there was a system to it. Dr. Tofu could usually be found, when he wasn't busy, lounging in the office chair or doing paperwork in a small space he'd cleared in the clutter. Today he was lounging in the office chair, but there was something different about the office. There was a girl, sitting in one of the chairs, which she'd pulled up to the desk, filling out and filing paperwork. She looked to be about 16, Akane's age, rather short, 5 feet, tops, and had blonde hair that hung ¾ of the way down her back, coupled with sapphire blue eyes and creamy skin.

"This is Tara Morgan. She's going to be working here."

"Hello." Tara said, not looking up from her present task.

"Hi." Akane responded.

"She's a transfer student from the United States. She'll be starting at your school tomorrow." Akane smiled.

"If you meet me here tomorrow morning, we can walk to school together, and I can show you around."

"Okay. Thanks." Akane smiled as she left. Maybe she had made a new friend. If only she could fight as well as she and Ranma!

/Morning/ "HI AKANE!" called a happy, hyper Tara.

"Good Morning." Akane answered. Tara was acting quite different this morning. Yesterday, she had seemed quiet and shy, while now she was hyper, loud, and literally pinging off the walls. Or, more rightly, pinging off the fence, since there are no walls to ping off of. Ranma came running up (on the fence) Clearly, he'd had to find hot water after an accidental cold dousing. He joined them (keeping his distance from Akane) and they kept on their current course, not rushing, since they had plenty of time. "Tara, this is Ranma Saotome. Ranma, this is Tara Morgan."

"Hi." Tara said.

"Mmmm. Just don't hang around me at school. I don't wanna be seen with a sissy girl any more than I want to be seen with a macho chick." Ranma grumbled. A split second later, Ranma was floating, face down, in the reservoir on the other side of the fence, sporting a black eye, and watching Tart sprint off in the direction of school. She was soon lost from view.

"Aah, phooey. I'm a girl again."

"You shouldn't have provoked her. Besides, you were asking for it."

"Good thing I brought a thermos of hot water just in case." Ranma muttered, dumping the steaming liquid on himself. "Anyway, what did I say? You girls are so sensitive." For the second time that morning, Ranma found himself floating in the reservoir, watching a girl sprint off to school. "Heeeyyyy! Akane! Wait! I NEED MORE HOT WATER!"