Ranma, the Second Time Around

by kayemsi

This is an continuation fiction, where Ranma goes back into his past with a chance to fix the problems in his life, and probably make a ton of new ones in the process.

3. Here's Ranma

Chapter 3 Here's Ranma

Ranma walked up the street to the modest, but well-maintained home. The house was surrounded by a low white-washed stone wall, and was situated on a small lot in the ward of Nerima. While the grounds were small, they were immaculately groomed, with flowering plants bordering the pebbled walkway that led from the front gate up to the house. Ranma reached the front door and knocked on it. As he waited for a response, his feelings vacillated between hope and trepidation. The door finally opened and an attractive, auburn-haired woman, dressed in a kimono stood revealed.

The woman asked, "May I help you, young man?"

Ranma simply said, "Hello, Mom."

"Ranma!" Nodoka gasped, partly in disbelief.

"Yes Mom, I'm Ranma," he replied.

Nodoka grabbed onto him in an enormous hug, rivaling the worst glomp that Shampoo had ever given him. She held onto him for several minutes, tears spilling from her eyes as she said, "I've missed you so much. I've longed for this moment, to have you back in my arms."

Ranma finally gasped, "Mom, can't breathe!" as his face turned an intriguing shade of blue. Nodoka released him with a sheepish look on her face.

"Welcome home, son!" she cried as she led him into the house. Then her face grew puzzled and she asked, "Where's your father, Ranma? Why isn't he with you?"

"That's a long story, Mom. I've got a lot ta tell ya," he replied as he followed her into a pleasantly appointed family room, with scattered pieces of western furniture. One wall of the room was taken up by a small fireplace, which had a small mantelpiece above it. On the mantel, he saw his mother's katana blade resting in a stand.

Nodoka said, "Sit down, Ranma. I'll pour us some tea." Ranma sat in one of the overstuffed chairs, while his mother bustled off, returning shortly with a teapot and two cups of tea. After handing him one of the cups, and setting the tray with the teapot on the table between them, she said, "Ranma, tell me everything."

"Well, I'll start with Pop. He's currently in jail in a small town on the island of Hokkaido," Ranma began.

"In jail!" Nodoka exclaimed, "What's he doing in jail?"

Ranma hesitated and then replied, "As it turns out, Pop isn't the most honorable man in the world, Mom. He was caught trying to con a farmer out of some food on our way back from China. When they ran his name through their records, it seems that he had been there many years ago, before you two got married, back when he was traveling with his master, Happosai. They found that he was wanted for many petty crimes, mostly being a peeping tom, but also for helping his master steal women's underwear. He even groped the current mayor's wife when she was a young girl. When they found that out, they decided to hold him for a while."

"Oh my, that doesn't sound like the man I married," Nodoka said, worriedly, "But why did you leave him there?"

"He told me ta leave him; he wanted me ta come back ta Nerima," Ranma replied, "I didn't much want ta, but he kinda insisted."

"It's too late to do much about that today," Nodoka said, "I'll look into that in the morning. Come, tell me about you. You certainly grew up manly enough. Are you a good martial artist like your father wanted you to be?"

"I believe so, Mom. We trained in a lot of different places over the ten years we've been gone. I don't know how often he mailed ya, so I don't know how much ya know. Some of what I gotta tell ya isn't gonna be very flattering ta him, though, Mom," Ranma replied. He then began to tell her the highlights of the ten years that he had been separated from her. She nodded in recognition of some of the stories. Apparently, Genma's letters and postcards had told her a few things, but obviously he had hid many of the details. She started to get angry.

Then he began to tell her about learning the Neko-Ken. "Mom, Pop decided to train me in a invincible martial arts technique. He forgot to read the next page unfortunately, which basically said only a moron would teach this, that it could make the subject crazy. He dug a pit, filled it with c-c-c, those things that chase mice, let them starve for a couple of days, wrapped me in fish paste and threw me in. I was ten years old when he did that. He kept doing it until I learned the technique. Unfortunately, I can't control it, and if I see a c-c-c, one of those animals, I basically start acting like one," he said. Nodoka began to seethe with rage.

Then he hesitated. "Mom, there's something else you need to know. My life is kinda messed up right now. While I've tried to become an honorable man, a martial artist better than any, I've come to realize that Pop isn't very honorable. He sold me several times for food, promised my hand in marriage to multiple women for their dowry, and stole more often than he worked for a living."

Nodoka's eyes grew cold, "I see I have much to discuss with my husband. Perhaps we should leave him where he is for a while, so I am less likely to harm him when I talk to him." Nodoka hesitated, and then saw what time it was. She said, "It's getting close to dinnertime. Why don't you come into the kitchen while I cook, and you can tell me more." She stood up and took the tray containing the teapot and the cups back toward the kitchen, with Ranma following her reluctantly.

Nodoka began filling a pot with cold water. She said, "I thought I could make some soup, and there's some fish in the refrigerator that I can grill."

As he leaned against the kitchen counter, he hesitantly said, "There's only one other thing I need ta tell ya, Mom. While we were training, we went to the cursed training grounds of Jusenkyo. There are many springs there, and the legend is that if you fall into one of the springs, you are cursed."

Nodoka spun, the pot in her hand as she asked in alarm, "Cursed, what do you mean by – Oh dear." She stopped suddenly as she saw the very wet red-haired girl standing in front of her where her manly son had been standing. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed.

Ranma dove for her and caught her before she fell. She held her mother in her arms and waited for her to come around. Finally, Nodoka opened her eyes to see Ranma staring back in concern. "Who are you, and what did you do to my son?" Nodoka asked anxiously.

"Mom, I'm still Ranma. I was trying ta tell ya," she began only to be interrupted by Nodoka.

"No, you can't be my son. My son has to be manly. Get out of my house, whoever you are!" Nodoka demanded in a panic.

Ranma stared at her in disbelief, and then said, sadly, "I'm sorry, Mom. I know this is a shock ta ya."

"No, stop calling me Mom! You aren't the man among men my husband promised me! Get out!" Nodoka screamed. She began struggling to get out of Ranma's arms.

Ranma stood her up, and then let go. "If this is what ya want, I'll leave. Goodbye, Mrs. Saotome," Ranma said sadly. 'This isn't what happened the last time, why is she acting like this?' she thought. Ranma took one last look at her mother, retrieved her backpack and left the house behind her, tears streaming down her face.

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It was a dreary afternoon in the ward of Nerima, a small part of the much larger city of Tokyo. The clouds, which had promised rain all morning, had finally fulfilled their promise. The steady downpour had driven away all but the most intrepid shoppers, so only a small number of people were around to see a small and attractive, red-haired girl walking down the main street of the shopping district. The young, buxom, girl was dressed in a red Chinese shirt and black trousers, and was carrying a large backpack, apparently without strain on her back. That alone would have made her worthy of attention from the few males on the street, but the fact that she was talking to herself as she walked down the street drew notice from several of the others.

"Man, oh man, I really didn't want them ta see me like this first. Stupid rain! Why did I let Pop make me promise on my honor that I would meet the Tendos today? What was I thinking? Think Ranma, remember what you planned, how ya were gonna fix what happened. I hope it goes better than it did with Mom. Why did she overreact the way she did?" the girl said angrily to herself in a low mumbling voice. Guiltily, she looked around to see if anyone was close enough to hear her rambling. 'Pull yourself together, baka. Ya don't want people ta think you're crazy, do ya! Talking ta yourself like that! Think, what went wrong that first day. Remember, ya had Pop with ya the last time complicating things. This time it should be easier, I hope. I won't have him pushing Mr. Tendo into doing something rash. Do I try to find some hot water and change back? Hm, wait a minute; wasn't Nabiki real disappointed when she thought I was a girl? If I show up as a boy, I might end up with her!' Ranma thought with a shudder. 'No, don't want that to happen. Okay, first thing, right, how could I forget? Akane walking in on me in the furoba, twice even. I can't let that happen this time! I don't want us ta start the cycle of insults that neither one of us really knew how ta stop all over again. And then there's the biggie, her getting forced into an engagement ta a boy she just barely met, one she was convinced was a pervert ta boot. Maybe if she had decided to accept it on her own first, before her sisters dumped it on her, but the way it happened, she always resented it. So how do we get around that? Maybe if she gets ta know me first before they can cram the engagement down her throat. But how do I pull that off?' Ranma thought

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At a large home, situated in the middle of some pleasant grounds, complete with koi pond and dojo, in the ward of Nerima, an attractive, young woman, with medium length brown hair, was working diligently in the kitchen, humming to herself as she prepared a pot of tea for her father. As she gathered up the tray carrying the teapot, she noticed that a postcard addressed to her father, Soun Tendo, had come in the morning mail. She placed the postcard on the tray, so she could bring that to his attention. She left the kitchen, and walked into the family room, where a tall, middle-aged man, with long, black hair was busily reading his newspaper.

"Here's your tea, Daddy. And also, this postcard came in the mail this morning addressed to you," the young woman said in a pleasant voice.

"Thank you, Kasumi. This tea will be most welcome," Mr. Tendo replied. Curious, he took the postcard from the tray and looked at it. On the front was an odd picture of a panda. On the back, the message simply read, 'Hi, bringing Ranma from China, signed Saotome' and a date. The man looked at the date and realized with a start that the date was today. "Daughter, I have news of great import for the family. Could you bring your sisters here, please?"

"Of course, Daddy," Kasumi said pleasantly as she left the room in search of her two sisters.

'Well Saotome, it looks like it is finally time for the Tendo School to be joined with yours,' Mr. Tendo thought to himself, 'I hope the girls take the news well.'

Soon Kasumi walked in, followed by two younger girls. While Kasumi was dressed conservatively, in a medium length dress, covered by her favorite apron, the other two were completely different. One girl was wearing short shorts and a tight, low cut top, showing a portion of her cleavage. She had her brown hair cut in a pageboy style. The other girl was wearing a white gi, with her medium length hair rivaling her oldest sister in length. Her hair was black, so black that it almost looked like it had blue highlights.

"Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane, we are about to have some guests," Mr. Tendo said, "My old friend and training partner Genma Saotome is coming to visit us today. He is bringing his son Ranma with him. They will be staying with us for a while."

'Oh my, how nice!' thought Kasumi, 'I enjoy cooking for company. I hope they appreciate good food.'

"Not more people, we can barely pay the bills as it is," groaned the middle daughter Nabiki to herself.

The youngest daughter, Akane thought, 'Not a boy living in this house. I hate boys!'

"It is my dearest wish that one of you fulfill a promise that Genma and I made when we were younger," Tendo continued, "A promise that one day one of my daughters would wed his son so that the two schools could be joined. If one of you three girls were to marry Ranma and carry on the training center, then the Tendo family legacy would be secure."

"A fiancé! Wait a minute!" growled Akane, "Don't we have some say in who we marry?"

Kasumi added, "Akane's right, Daddy. We've never even met this Ranma person."

"That's easily fixed," Mr. Tendo said with a laugh, "As I said, they're coming today. Ranma and his father have been on a training trip. Recently it seems they crossed into China."

"China, wow!" Nabiki said, as she thought, 'Maybe that means they're rich!'

Akane growled, "What's so great about walking to China?"

"Is he cute?" Nabiki asked, trying to get back to the more important questions.

Kasumi asked, "How old is he? Younger men are so boring. What kind of person is this Ranma, anyway?"

Tendo laughed and said, "No idea."

Nabiki yelped, "No idea!"

"I've never met him," Mr. Tendo admitted.

At that moment, they heard the sound of someone knocking on the front door. "Oooooo! It might be Ranma," Nabiki squealed as she and her father ran to the door to open it.

"Saotome, my friend. We've been waiting for you!" Tendo said as he left the room, leaving Kasumi and Akane staring at each other in disbelief.

Kasumi prayed, 'Oh, I hope he's older.'

'Boys, how depressing,' Akane thought as the two of them finally followed their father down the hall to see their father standing at the front door.

Mr. Tendo opened the door to find an attractive, red-haired, pig-tailed person standing there.

Mr. Tendo asked, "You wouldn't be?"

"Ranma Saotome. Are you Mr. Tendo?" the person replied. Ranma stared at Akane hungrily and thought, 'Kami, she's beautiful. I've gotta make this work!'

Mr. Tendo cried, "At last! You've come!" Then he glomped onto Ranma with a big hug.

Nabiki said, "Ooooo! He's cute!"

Mr. Tendo squeezed Ranma tightly, saying, "It's so good of you to come, so …" Suddenly he realized there was something strange about the young man he was holding, as he said, "What?"

Nabiki also noticed something odd about the person standing in front of her and pushed Ranma's chest.

Ranma asked politely, "Could you stop prodding me, please?" 'Well, this isn't much different from the last time,' she thought.

"He is a girl!" Nabiki said in disbelief.

Mr. Tendo fell to the ground in shock.

Kasumi said sadly, "Oh, poor Daddy, he's so disappointed."

"He's disappointed? Some fiancé this is," Nabiki complained as she prodded Ranma's chest again.

"Stop it, you two. He, no she is our guest!" Akane said.

Nabiki screamed, "This is all your fault Daddy! You should have made sure!"

"Well, Genma said he had a son," Mr. Tendo said weakly from his position on the floor.

Nabiki squeezed Ranma's breast, saying, "Do you see a son here? Hm, do you?"

Soun passed out from the shock to his system.

Ranma protested, "Hey, I really wish you'd stop that! We haven't even been introduced properly yet! At least let me explain!" She began looking a little lost and forlorn.

Akane gazed at the red-haired girl. Seeing the lost look in her deep blue eyes, Akane's heart went out to her. "Nabiki, stop that. You're being extremely rude!" she said, "She's a guest in this house. Ranma, why don't you join me in the dojo? I'm Akane, want to be friends?" Akane smiled at her.

Ranma's eyes lit up and her expression changed completely. "Sure, I'd love ta be friends with ya. I don't have any right now," she replied with a big grin.

"Come on then, follow me," Akane said smiling. Ranma nodded and allowed Akane to take her by the hand and lead her to the dojo.

Ranma bowed politely to the shrine sitting on the shelf on the far wall. The dojo was nicer than she remembered it being, in much better physical shape than she recalled. Then she thought with a mental slap to herself, 'Of course it looks better; it hasn't had all of the patches required because of all the damage we did to it in the future. A future that I hope we can change for the better.' Hanging on the walls were several banners and trophies from various tournaments that Akane had won. In one corner was a pile of broken cinder blocks.

"You do Kempo, right?" Akane asked.

Ranma smirked and admitted, "A little."

"Then let's have a little match. Just for fun. I won't hurt you," Akane replied.

Ranma smiled and said, "If ya say so." 'Okay, you can do this. You knew this was coming. Just pull your punches so she doesn't get hurt too badly. Remember how much she resented not being taken seriously before,' she thought.

Akane readied herself in a defensive stance, while Ranma stood there looking relaxed. Finally, Ranma motioned for Akane to attack.

Akane blinked in surprise. 'Doesn't she know how good I am?' she thought. She shook herself and then charged Ranma. Ranma dodged the attack and lightly tapped Akane on the ribcage as Akane went by.

Ranma thought to herself, 'That wasn't too bad, maybe I can do this!!'

Akane attacked again. This time Ranma allowed the blow to land, though she hit Akane in the stomach, folding her over with the blow. Ranma stepped back and then chopped down on the back of Akane's neck with the blade of her hand, giving Akane a light tap to simulate a killing or disabling blow. Then Ranma waited for Akane to straighten back up.

Akane smiled broadly when she saw the grinning girl standing in front of her. "Hey, you're pretty good!" Akane exclaimed as she hugged Ranma. "I'm glad you're not a boy, I don't mind losing to a girl," she continued. Akane felt the smaller girl stiffen in her arms and stepped back to see that the brilliant smile had disappeared and was replaced by the forlorn look again. "What's wrong, Ranma?" she asked, worried about her friend.

"It's about what you said, Akane," Ranma said with a sad expression on her face, "I'm not a girl, I'm really a guy." 'Here goes nothing, I hope this works and she believes me,' Ranma thought.

Akane broke out laughing and said, "Sure! Right! Not with that figure! You're built better than I am."

"Akane, I'm serious," Ranma insisted, "I really am a boy. I just have this stupid curse that turns me into a girl when I'm splashed with cold water. Hot water turns me back. I've had it for a few weeks now, and I don't know of a cure. If ya don't believe me, go get some water and I'll show ya!"

Akane stopped laughing and her face paled. "You stay right here. I'll be back," she said as she quickly left the dojo. Soon, she returned with two containers of water. Handing one of them to Ranma, she watched as Ranma poured the hot water over her head. Akane gasped in disbelief as the girl standing in front of her transformed into a taller, well-built young man with jet-black hair. "Ranma, is that really you?" she asked in shock. 'He really is a boy,' she thought in dismay.

Ranma nodded sadly, ready to turn away and leave, seeing the look of shock on Akane's face. Akane stopped him by reaching out and holding his arm. She held his gaze for a second, staring into his eyes. She saw the same blue eyes looking back at her that she had seen before, filled with a mixture of hope and fear of rejection. 'He's a boy! I hate boys, don't I,' she thought, suddenly unsure of her feelings, 'Baka, he's still Ranma. You liked her, don't reject him!' To Ranma's surprise, Akane finally smiled in acceptance and then lightly hugged him. She poured the other container of water over him, watching him turn back into the girl she had befriended. "You were really telling me the truth," Akane said softly in a voice filled with wonder.

Ranma nodded again, and turned to leave, saying, despondently, "I'm sorry, Akane. I know ya don't wanna have anything ta do with a freak like me." A single tear slowly made its way down Ranma's face. Akane's heart nearly broke hearing the pain in the other girl's voice.

Akane grabbed her in another hug, squeezing her tightly this time. Akane replied, "You're not a freak, Ranma. You're my friend! I won't let you leave me looking this sad. Besides, you're so cute when you smile!"

Ranma stiffened in shock and then the absurdity of the situation caused her to giggle. She thought, 'That's supposed ta be my line.' Akane joined her in the giggling, as Ranma intoned ponderously, "Guys aren't supposed to be cute. We're supposed to be handsome." Then to her surprise, Ranma started weeping copiously.

"Ranma, what's wrong now?" Akane asked, "Why are you crying?"

"I don't know, Akane. I'm just glad ya still wanna be my friend. I didn't know how lonely I was until I met ya, and then ya asked me ta be your friend. Growing up the way I did, always on the move, I didn't get a chance ta make too many. I was so afraid that ya would think I was a pervert or a freak or something," Ranma said, angrily wiping away the tears. 'What's wrong with me? Why am I so emotional this time?' Ranma thought, 'I should be happy, Akane likes me!'

"Ranma, I'm just glad that you trusted me enough to tell me this. That took a great deal of courage. I can't imagine what it's like for you! Just thinking about if the situation was reversed and I turned into a boy sends shivers down my spine," Akane said quietly, her eyes still filled with concern.

Ranma smiled weakly and replied, "Thanks, Akane. That means a lot to me. Of course it's not the worst thing that could have happened. There were other curses that I could've gotten that are much worse. At least I stay human."

Akane blanched as she thought about that. Then Ranma asked gently, "Why were ya so glad when ya thought I wasn't a boy when I beat ya? I mean, if ya want ta tell me." 'I know why, but she's gotta tell me, or she'll start wondering,' she thought, 'I gotta really be careful around Nabiki.'

Akane stiffened in anger and said, "Because all boys are perverts!" Seeing the stricken look on Ranma's face, she immediately paled as she realized what she had said. "Well, maybe not all boys," she admitted. "Ranma, I'm sorry for what I said," Akane apologized, "It's just that most of the boys that I know at school are perverts. There is a group of them that try to beat me up every morning to get me to go out with them. Doesn't that make them perverts or worse?!"

Ranma frowned. "Well, I can't really argue with ya there. If you've gotta bunch of jerks trying ta beat ya up, I can see why ya think they're perverts. No wonder ya gotta poor opinion of boys," she replied. She hesitated for a moment and said sincerely, "Akane, I promise that I will try ta never do anything ta hurt ya like that. At least not on purpose. Do ya trust me?" She tensed, unsure if she really wanted to hear the answer.

Akane replied, "Ranma, you trusted me. It'll be hard for me, because of those other guys, but I'll try real hard to trust you."

Ranma relaxed, and then said, "Then let me teach ya some of what I know. You're not a bad martial artist, but I've been doing this a long time, training long hours every day, so I have some skills that ya haven't been exposed ta yet. Some I can teach ya like this, but eventually, you'll have ta spar with me when I'm a boy."

Akane swallowed nervously, and said, "I know and that scares me, to be honest. I've been afraid ever since school started this year, that one day some boy will beat me in a fight, and I won't be able to keep him from doing whatever he wants with me."

Ranma rubbed the back of her neck in a nervous gesture and replied in an intense voice, "Akane, I'm probably the only guy that can really understand that fear. When I'm in this body, I'm just as vulnerable as you are. Believe me; you have nothing ta fear about me. Ya will probably get hurt if we train, but that's the only way for ya ta get better. I will never take advantage of ya."

Akane relaxed and hugged Ranma again, who thought, 'I could really get used ta this. We should've done it much more often the last time.'

Suddenly Akane's face fell as she realized something that had eluded her. She said weakly, "Oh my! Oh shit!"

"Uh, what's wrong, Akane?" Ranma asked.

"You do know that as soon as Daddy finds out that you really are a guy, you'll end up being engaged to one of us?" Akane asked.

Ranma replied easily, "I suppose that's true, Akane. After all, that's why Pop sent me here in the first place."

"And being engaged to a girl that you don't know doesn't bother you? Doesn't it make you angry that you have no say in who you wed?" Akane asked, her voice rising in anger.

Ranma looked lost in thought, 'She's got a point. Last time I didn't accept the engagement any easier than she did.' She replied, "Yeah, it would. I was just thinking I didn't have a choice in the matter since Pop made it a matter of family honor. But you're right. I really wouldn't be happy being forced into an engagement with someone I didn't at least like. And I would really like ta know her for a while first before I got engaged, anyway. But how do we keep that from happening?"

Akane gazed at her and then asked, "Can you pretend to be a girl for a while and not let Daddy know that you're really a guy? At least until we can convince him that it's a bad idea?"

Aghast, Ranma stared at her in dismay. Finally she said, a little angrily, "But I'm really a guy Akane! Ya don't know how much I dislike having ta pretend, having ta lie ta people about who I am! Ya don't really know what you're asking me ta do!"

"Please Ranma, would you do this for me? I wouldn't ask you if there was another way out," Akane pleaded, a hint of moisture in her eyes.

Ranma hesitated and then said, softly, with more than a hint of desperation in her voice, "Akane, I like you. I wouldn't mind if we were engaged, but I don't wanna force ya into something you'd resent either." 'Damn, I never could stand it when a girl started ta cry,' she thought.

Akane blushed prettily, but answered, "Ranma, I think I'm beginning to like you a little. But neither of us really knows the other. I'm just not ready for any of this."

'I didn't think it would work, but it was worth a try,' Ranma thought. She said, "I don't like the idea of lying ta your family and friends about who I am. Eventually, they'll find out, and then things will be a mess. I don't wanna lose your friendship, but maybe the best thing for me ta do is leave." 'Where can I go though, Mom already tossed me out of her house, and I don't have anywhere else,' she thought miserably, 'Have I screwed everything up here as well?'

"Ranma, I don't want you to go!" Akane cried. "But I don't want to be forced into an engagement, either. And knowing my sisters, it would probably be me," she continued sadly.

Ranma took a deep breath, and then sighed noisily. "All right, Akane. I don't really wanna go anyway; I don't have anywhere I can go. I'll agree ta try ta hide what I am from your family, but only because I want us ta get ta know each other. Maybe something'll come out of it, and maybe something won't. I don't wanna lose your friendship just ta gain a fiancée who hates me," Ranma said, "But I can't stay like this all the time. Ya gotta let me change back some when it's safe."

"Thank you, Ranma," Akane breathed, "We'll work something out, I promise."

"Do we tell your sisters?" Ranma asked.

Akane frowned and replied, "No, Nabiki would just use your secret to force you to do things for her that you won't want to do. Kasumi would be safe, but I think she would have a hard time keeping a secret from Nabiki. I think for now we should use the old saying that three people can keep a secret, but only if two of them are dead, as a guide. Let's keep it between us."

"Okay, Akane. You know your sisters better than I do, of course," Ranma replied. 'Though I do know them better than you think I do. She's right about Nabiki. She'd use my being a guy to blackmail me into doing all sorts of things. I need ta have a talk with her anyway. I need ta keep her from selling pictures of Akane and me, especially to Kuno,' Ranma thought.

"It's probably time for us to go back in, Ranma. I'm surprised that they haven't sent out a search party for us," Akane said with a smile.

Ranma breathed, "Kawaii. Akane, ya know, you're really cute when ya smile, too." Akane blushed with pleasure, as Ranma held out her hand. Akane entwined her fingers in the outstretched hand and they headed back to the house.

Kasumi saw them from the kitchen door and called them over, saying, "I'd wondered what happened to the two of you. Ranma, you looked a little unhappy, before. Are you all right now?"

Ranma smiled at her and replied, "I think I am now, Kasumi. Akane and I had a couple of good sparring sessions and we've each found a friend."

Akane agreed happily as she said, "Ranma agreed to work with me. It'll be so much fun to have a sparring partner. She's so much better than me; it'll be good. I needed the challenge."

"Ya didn't have the questionable advantage of training with my Pop, Akane. While I may have gained a lot of skill because of my training trip, I envy the fact that you've had a home and a family. It's just been me and Pop since I was six. If it had been ya on the trip with him, you'd be just as good as I am. Course, I wouldn't wish some of what he did ta me on my worst enemy, much less a friend like ya," Ranma said wryly. Then she added, "I bet ya catch up ta me once we get serious." 'I hope I can get her trained quickly. She needs ta be able ta protect herself if she ends up facing the same things we faced before. But I sure hope we can avoid most of the craziness,' she thought.

"That's nice you two. I'm glad you're getting along. If you hurry, you two will have time for a bath. Both of you need one. Then Daddy wants to talk to us before dinner," Kasumi said pleasantly.

"I need to get something to change into. I'll go do that while Ranma takes her bath," Akane said quickly as Ranma panicked. The two of them went into the house, where Akane showed Ranma where the furoba was. Ranma entered the changing room, while Akane left to go upstairs.

Ranma quickly took her clothing off, and folded them neatly. She found a big, fluffy towel, and wrapped it around her body. She left the changing room and entered the bathing room proper, where she found it empty. Shutting the door behind her, she rinsed herself off first with a bucket of cold water. Then using the soap she had found, she cleansed herself with the soap, and several buckets of hot water, the first of which triggered her transformation back into her male form. Ranma sighed, partly in vexation, as he thought, 'I guess this is better than nothing. It's not what I hoped would happen, but at least we started off better.' He stood up and began to dry himself off. Once he was dry, he wrapped the towel around his waist. Opening the door to the changing room, he retrieved his clothing from where he had left them. After stepping into his boxers and trousers, he paled as he realized that they weren't the same pair that he had worn into the room. He shrugged, not knowing what else he could do, and then realized that Kasumi must have brought clean clothes from his pack. As he reached for his shirt, the door opened and a breathless Akane walked in carrying her change of clothing. He blushed and said, "I'm sorry, Akane. I must not have put the sign out on the door." 'Oh shit, not again. At least we're dressed,' he thought in panic.

Akane joined him in the blush and replied, "It's just as much my fault, Ranma! I should have known that you were still in here." 'That's funny; I don't feel threatened by him. I think I am beginning to trust him,' she thought. Then as her eyes roved over his shirtless chest, she thought, 'He's really cute! Wait a minute where'd that come from?' Then she blushed even redder.

Ranma filled a glass with water from the sink. He wasn't really sure what all the expressions he saw moving across her face meant, and he was really curious about why Akane had gotten so red.

She held his arm for a second and then deliberately hugged him once more. "Okay, Ranma, you can change back now," Akane said. Ranma ducked his head under the sink, and poured the cold water over his head. Akane stared in amazement as she saw Ranma's body change again back to a girl. Ranma toweled her hair dry and then put her shirt on.

Akane said in wonder, "If I wasn't seeing this with my own eyes, I never would have believed it."

"It was a shock ta me the first time it happened, too. Ya should see it from where I'm standing," Ranma said with a wry smile, "Are ya still okay with this?"

Akane took a deep breath and then said, "It's going to take some getting used to. I've got some bad habits that I'm going to have to unlearn. I told you that I was your friend, though, and nothing has changed that."

'You can say that again. Of course, I wasn't any better. I just won't give you any reason to stay mad at me this time, I hope,' Ranma thought. "Thanks, Akane. You really don't know how much hearing ya say that means ta me," Ranma replied, "I'd better go so ya can bathe. Don't forget, your father wants ta talk ta us." She opened the door, and stepped out, taking the occupied sign with her, leaving Akane still bemused. Ranma shut the door, and then placed the sign on the door. She turned, and almost ran into Kasumi, who frowned slightly at the younger girl.

"Sorry, Kasumi, I didn't see ya standing there," Ranma said apologetically.

Kasumi smiled briefly and replied, "That's not what I was frowning about. I took your pack upstairs to the guestroom, Ranma. When I unpacked it, I only found boy's clothing. Don't you have panties or bras? You're a healthy girl; you really need a bra for support." Her eyes twinkled in silent amusement at something.

Ranma blushed, thinking fast. She said, "I just like boxers, I guess, especially ta sleep in. That's all Pop ever bought me growing up so I just got used ta them. As far as a bra is concerned, it wasn't something I really needed before."

"You're in Japan, now, not China. You need to dress more appropriately here," Kasumi said calmly.

Ranma gulped and said, "But I really don't want…" She stopped, seeing the slight frown mar Kasumi's face. Ranma sighed as she thought, 'It's not as if I didn't wear them before. It's just gonna be a lot longer and by my own choice. Remember, this is for Akane. She's worth it!' She slumped her shoulders in defeat and said with a sigh, "I guess a couple of sports bras wouldn't hurt." She was rewarded by a brilliant smile from Kasumi. 'Damn, she did it to me again,' Ranma thought, 'I couldn't ever do anything that would disappoint Kasumi.'

"We'll go shopping for some more clothing for you tomorrow," Kasumi said, "After you and Akane get back from school."

Akane opened the door and stepped out, her hair still slightly damp from her bath. "What are you two talking about?" Akane asked, "What was that about going shopping tomorrow?"

"Kasumi doesn't think much of my taste in clothing, Akane," Ranma said with a faint hint of distaste.

"She'll need to borrow one of your bras for school tomorrow. She'll need a sports bra for gym as well," Kasumi said brightly.

Akane made a face and said, "That won't work, sis. You didn't look at her close enough. She's bigger in the chest than I am. She'll need to borrow one of yours or Nabiki's." Akane saw the look of sheer terror on Ranma's face and decided to change the subject by asking, "Didn't you say Daddy wanted to talk to us?"

"Yes, he's waiting for us in the family room," Kasumi said, "We'd better join him." Kasumi led them into the family room where they found Nabiki and Mr. Tendo waiting.

"There you are, finally," Nabiki said, "I've got things I need to be doing."

Mr. Tendo asked, "What happened to your father, Ranma? The postcard I got said both of you were coming from China."

Ranma grinned mischievously and replied, "Once we got back into Japan from China and started heading here, Pop's past caught up to him. It seems that we wandered through a small village that he had visited before in his youth. He tried to scam someone out of some food and they arrested him. Then they looked back into the records and found that he was wanted for all sorts of petty thefts and misdemeanors."

"That's horrible, Ranma. We need to get your father out! Is there a fine or something that we can pay?" Mr. Tendo asked.

"Daddy, we really don't have that kind of money lying around!" Nabiki protested.

"What were the crimes he was charged with?" Akane asked.

"Our honor says we must help my friend," Mr. Tendo said before Ranma could talk, "The sordid details don't matter!"

Ranma snickered as she said, "I believe they were charges left over from when he was training with his master. They're still looking for the master and another disciple, I understand. The charges have something to do with peeping in the woman's bath and stealing their underwear, I believe."

"Of course, if we don't have the money, we don't have the money. I'm sure Saotome will understand," Mr. Tendo said as he sweat-dropped.

"Oh my, how unfortunate for Mr. Saotome," Kasumi said with a straight face.

"Yes, you can't imagine how unhappy he was. Anyway, he insisted that I come here ta wait for him. He should be out in six months or so. They really can't hold him on the old charges, at least not for long, since they're long past, but they wanted ta make him squirm," Ranma said with a chuckle. 'I wonder if Pop has figured out that I'm the one who set him up in the first place,' Ranma thought smugly.

Mr. Tendo replied, "Even though my dreams of uniting the schools through the marriage of one of my daughters to you obviously can't happen, Ranma, you're welcome to stay here as long as you'd like."

'Great, a freeloader,' Nabiki thought as a look of displeasure flashed across her face.

Ranma saw the look, and made another mental note to talk to Nabiki soon. 'I've gotta get her working with me, not against me,' Ranma thought. "That's very nice of ya, sir. I'd like that very much. But we can still join the schools," she said.

Nabiki said, smirking, "Yeah, you and Akane could become engaged. After all, she's a tomboy." Kasumi giggled, and Mr. Tendo frowned.

Akane protested, saying, "Nabiki, that wasn't funny!" Her face turned an interesting shade of red as she blushed, however.

Ranma growled, "There's nothing wrong with being a tomboy, Nabiki. I like tomboys; as a matter of fact, I'm one myself." Then she relented and said with a smile, "Actually, what I meant was, with your permission of course, was for me ta teach Akane in my branch of the school, while the two of ya train me in yours. That way the schools will be joined with two people who know both schools."

Akane flashed a look of gratitude at Ranma and added, "Daddy, I'd really like that. I can tell from the session we had today that she can teach me a lot. She's really fast. Please, Daddy, can we?"

Tendo looked at the pleading expression on his daughter's face and melted. He replied, with a smile, "I don't have much of a choice do I, Akane? You know I can't refuse you when you look like that. Ranma, you have my permission, and my blessing, to train Akane. I'm a bit rusty, but I'll need to train you and Akane both in the Tendo School. I'm afraid I've neglected her training for some time. Since you'll be living here, we will need to make arrangements for you to continue your education. Nabiki can arrange for you to go to Furinkan High School with her and Akane, and get you enrolled in Akane's class as well. We've found some school supplies for you, and Kasumi has some old school uniforms that she will alter to fit you."

"Don't rush the uniform on my account, Kasumi," Ranma pleaded, "I'd much rather wear trousers than a skirt. It's a little hard to do balance training with a skirt on, especially if the wind is blowing."

"I wasn't going to get to them today, anyway," Kasumi replied. Again her eyes lit up with some sort of hidden amusement. "I need to check on dinner," she continued, "Akane, will you show Ranma where the guestroom is?" Kasumi left heading for the kitchen, while Akane led Ranma upstairs. At the top of the stairs, Ranma saw an L-shaped hallway. The short leg of the L leading from the stairs had a door in it, and the long leg had a door visible. Each of the two doors that she could see had a little duck hanging on them. As the approached the first room, she saw the duck had her name written on it.

"That's nice of someone," Ranma said with a heartfelt sigh. 'Someone else thinks I belong here,' she thought.

Akane looked puzzled, and then saw the sign. She smiled prettily and said, "That's Kasumi for you, Ranma. It looks like she approves of you, too." They opened the door and then walked in to see a large room, with a futon against one wall. Across the room were a small dresser and a closet door.

Akane asked, "I meant to ask, what scared you earlier when we were talking to Kasumi? Does the idea of a bra bother you that much?"

Ranma looked worried and replied, "No, I can handle the idea of a bra just fine. I'll just think of them as an athletic supporter for my chest. What got me so upset was when Kasumi mentioned girl's gym."

"What's so bad about girl's gym, Ranma? It's just simple athletics and sports, after all," Akane asked, not understanding Ranma's concern.

Ranma rubbed the back of her neck in a nervous manner, and then replied, "The class itself isn't the problem. It's the girl's locker room that I'm worried about."

"So, I don't understand. You'll just go in there to change into gym uniform and then shower afterwards, …, Oh, damn!" Akane said as she saw what Ranma was getting at. Akane thought for a few minutes and then said, "Gym is the last period for our homeroom. You could just change in the bathroom, instead. No, wait, that wouldn't work, someone might get suspicious."

"Maybe not, Akane," Ranma said as she thought of something, "Why can't I be shy? I could use that as a reason ta change in the bathroom. Either that, or ya could tell me when it was safe ta come into the locker room."

"We can try saying you're body conscious," Akane replied. She hesitated and then continued, a little sadly, "I'm sorry I'm causing so much trouble for you Ranma. If I had let you tell everyone the truth, you wouldn't have to do all this."

Ranma snorted in amusement. "Do ya think it would really be any easier? As soon as any of the boys at school found out about my curse, what do ya think would happen? Especially in the shower in the boy's locker room. After all, most boys are perverts, remember?"

Akane couldn't help it; she began giggling at the note of disgust in Ranma's voice. "I didn't think about it that way, Ranma," she replied, once she finally brought herself back under control. "And I guess you were worried that I might think you were a pervert after all, wanting to go in the girl's locker room and peep at the other girls. Peeping in the girl's locker room would be most boys' dream, after all."

"That had crossed my mind, Akane. I don't ever want ya ta think that I'm like those boys that harass ya," Ranma replied. "Remember though, a girl's body isn't any big mystery ta me. Unlike other guys, I don't need ta sneak a peek in the girl's locker room. All I need is cold water and a mirror," she said bitterly.

Akane winced at hearing the bitterness in her friend's voice. All she could think of was to say, "Don't feel bad, Ranma. Things will get better, you'll see. You've got us now." She briefly hugged Ranma again, hoping to remove some of the pain.

Ranma hugged her back, saying, "Akane, I know this will sound kinda corny, but meeting ya today has been the best thing that could have happened to me." Akane blushed prettily at that. Then they heard Kasumi calling them down for dinner.

When they got downstairs, they found Soun and Nabiki already seated at the table. Akane and Ranma sat down next to each other on the open side of the table, while Kasumi finished bringing in the meal. After everyone had received their portion, they began to eat. "Kasumi, this is very good. You're an excellent cook," Ranma said after she savored several bites.

Kasumi blushed prettily and said, "Why, thank you Ranma. I'm glad you like it."

Soun asked, "What can you tell us about your travels, Ranma? I'm sure you've seen some fascinating things during the time you were training with your father."

Ranma thought for a while, getting her memories straight. Then she replied, "Well, as the postcard told ya, I was in China most recently. We were there several weeks, going from training ground ta training ground, and dojo ta dojo. I spent about a week in a village of Chinese Amazons. I met some nice people there, though Pop didn't really enjoy it. They're mostly a race of female warriors, and the men mostly don't have much status. He didn't like that much, especially since he had ta defer ta me. I got the chance ta learn a few interesting technique there as well. Because I saved the life of one of the warriors, they made me an honorary Amazon, as well."

When dinner was over, Kasumi asked softly, "Ranma, would you mind helping me with the dishes?"

Ranma smiled, thinking, 'I don't wanna be considered a freeloader this time around. I gotta help out more.' "Sure, Kasumi. Ya wash and I'll dry," she said. She stood up and helped Kasumi take the dishes into the kitchen, while the other two girls disappeared upstairs.

Kasumi began washing the dishes in the sink, humming a tune as she handed the dishes to Ranma to dry. After a few minutes, she waited until Ranma had set down the plate she was drying and then asked, softly, "Ranma, how much hot water does it take to change you back?"

Ranma sweat-dropped, then asked, "What do ya mean, Kasumi?" 'This isn't gonna be good,' Ranma thought sadly to herself.

Kasumi admitted, "I saw you in the dojo with Akane, Ranma. I was curious about you, especially after I unpacked your things. Then when Akane came running into the kitchen and got the two containers of water, I decided to follow her."

"So how much did ya hear, Kasumi?" Ranma asked quietly.

Kasumi blushed, and replied, "Enough to want to know more. Why did you agree to hide who you really are when it was obvious that you didn't want to?"

Ranma answered, "It's complicated, Kasumi. What would have happened if your father knew the truth? Who would I most likely be engaged ta?"

Kasumi nodded in appreciation. "I would have shoved you onto Akane and so would Nabiki," she admitted.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. She would have hated it, and hated me probably, because of it, wouldn't she?" Ranma asked bitterly.

Kasumi's eyes dropped in shame as she realized Ranma was right. "Yes, she would have hated being forced into an engagement, and that would have caused problems between you," Kasumi said, "So why did you agree?"

Ranma swallowed, wondering how much she could safely tell Kasumi. Finally, she replied, "Partly because I don't have anywhere else ta go. I already went by and saw my mom. I hadn't seen her since I was six, and I just knew she would take care of me. Instead, when she found out about the curse, she threw me out of the house. So I came here expecting ta be thought a freak or a pervert, Kasumi. But I was wrong, I found someone who is trying ta accept me for who I am. I know she's more comfortable with me looking like this, but soon, I hope she'll understand I'm the same person either way. I really care for Akane, and I hope that maybe one day…"

"Maybe one day, what?" Kasumi asked gently.

Ranma hesitated, and then replied, "Maybe we'll fall in love." 'After all, I'm already in love with Akane,' she thought. Then she asked, "Why haven't ya told your father the truth about me, Kasumi?"

Kasumi smiled and said, "I wanted to talk to you and Akane first. You obviously intended to tell everyone when you came here. It wasn't until she convinced you otherwise that you changed your mind. And I hoped that you did that because you cared for my sister. I'm aware of what is going on at school and I've talked to Daddy about it. He doesn't understand what it's doing to her, so he won't do anything. I guess I wanted to see if she could find in you someone she could trust."

"You're right about what I intended to do when I came here, Kasumi. I think Akane is beginning ta trust me, but the situation at the school has got her scared of boys. Not that I blame her. It's a lousy situation for her. I told her this, and maybe you heard me, but I would never try ta take advantage of her. Her friendship means too much ta me," Ranma replied, "But, I have ta admit, I have an great ability of sticking my foot in my mouth. There's a real good chance that I'll say something dumb, or not use quite the right words."

"You've got two friends in this house, Ranma," Kasumi said, "What little I can do to help you and Akane, I will do. I think for now you should go ahead with your pretense. We both know that Daddy would try to force you two together, if you didn't, and that's the last thing your relationship needs."

"Thanks, Kasumi," Ranma replied, "I'm glad ta know you're on our side. Does Nabiki know about me?"

"Not from me she won't. I don't approve of a lot of what she does to help us survive. Akane's right about her, she wouldn't hesitate in forcing you to do things you wouldn't want to do." Kasumi replied, "Be careful around her, she is very bright."

Ranma nodded and said, "I intend ta. I'm afraid I had a long day getting here, and I'm tired. If it's all right with ya, I think I'm gonna go find my room. Thanks for the nameplate, by the way. It made me feel like I was accepted by your family. Good night, Kasumi."

"Good night, Ranma. I'll see you in the morning," Kasumi said. Then she hugged Ranma. Ranma left the kitchen and headed upstairs to her room, leaving Kasumi to ponder the events of the day. "Oh my, things are going to be interesting around here now," Kasumi thought as she left the kitchen.

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Author's Note: Again thanks for all of the reviews. As always they are appreciated. I hope all of you continue to enjoy the story.

A.Nonomyous – Thanks for the suggestion of the vile sorcerer Ryoga. I'll have to figure out how to use that..