Part 3: Destroying the Family

In Book 2, Ranma has gained minimal acceptance as a woman. Aside from the Tendou's, Kunou, Ryoga, and Tofu, Ranma has made two friends, Atsuki and Kyoko.

In order to make Ranma comfortable and more accepted, Atsuki invites her and Akane to a party. The party is a disaster, with Ranma spending most of her time with Atsuki's mother. The consequences are dire the following Monday, when Ranma is doused with hot water, cementing her horrid scream in the students' minds.

It is at that time the founder of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, Happosai, returns from the dead. He quickly reveals to the women what he really is, forcing Ranma to face the Master alone. At battle's end, Ranma is physically and emotionally exhausted. But that is only the beginning for her...

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Chapter 1: The Return

"Well, Saotome, that was an impressive mission. I had forgotten how wonderful it was to be on the road like that. The freedom. The scenery. The challenges."

"True, Tendou. There's nothing like a good training mission to make you forget your troubles. Let's hope that the children have kept the dojo intact."

"And that Ranma and Akane have not destroyed it in their anger."

"Heh! The dojo is a wonderful place for their wedding."

"As soon as we're settled, my friend, we'll have the ceremony."

"I would like that."

The two men approached the dojo. They stopped cold when they saw the sign: "The Tendou Family Center." They cautiously entered the gate. They heard children laughing and playing in the yard.

They quietly moved to where they could see the activity. They were shocked to see about a dozen four and five year olds running in the yard. They also saw a young red-haired woman playing with the children.

Her hair came to just below her shoulder blades. It was neatly turned under and curled at the ends. She wore a blue denim skirt and a soft pink blouse. She wore what appeared to be Ranma's battle slippers, but the men couldn't tell. They only knew one red-haired woman, Ranma.

Their attention turned from the mysterious woman to Kasumi and Akane bringing out trays of food and drinks. Kasumi's soft voice called out, "All right everyone, refreshments."

The children all yelled their joy. They ran to the hose, where Akane was running water, washing their hands. The red head was carrying a particularly rambunctious child over her shoulder, laughing.

She set the child down when she saw the fathers. They recognized her as Ranma. A cold look covered Genma's face. The child tugged at Ranma's skirt. "Ranma?"

"It's okay, Kei-chan. Get washed up. I'll be with you in a little bit," Ranma said with a soft smile.

"Okay!" the boy replied, bounding off to Akane.

Ranma moved to the fathers. Her movements filled with grace and determination. When she reached them, she watched their reaction with a carefully neutral face. She bowed to them, satisfied. She spoke with a distant voice, "Welcome home, Father, Uncle Tendou. How was your trip?"

Genma grew red with anger, his voice carrying farther than he expected, "What are you doing, Boy?"

Ranma fumed, pushing the fathers behind the training hall. Her voice was strong and stern, "Do not call me 'Boy' or 'Son' in front of the children. They are too young to understand. As for what I am doing: I am helping Kasumi watch the neighborhood children. A lot has happened since you left."

"I can see that, Ranma. You had better start explaining," Soun stated, echoing Genma's anger.

Ranma frowned. "We will explain everything later."

"Why not now?" demanded Genma.

"Because I have to go back and help with the children. It'd take too long to explain, anyway."

"Very well," conceded Soun. "We are looking forward to your explanations."

"How soon will the children leave?"

"About a half hour."

"Good. You four have much to answer for. Especially you," concluded Genma.

Ranma bowed to the two men, leading them to the house. She held back her despair as she returned to the children. She ignored Akane's and Kasumi's concerned looks. They, despite their best intentions, were making matters worse.

***

The four women waved to the last of the children. Their pleasant smiles hiding the dread they had about returning to the house and their fathers. They solemnly walked into the family room where the men quietly sat.

They sat at the table quietly. Nabiki set the ledger on the table, not bothering to open it. She watched the fathers and Ranma. The Tendou sisters were disappointed and worried since Ranma had retreated into her shell. Akane tenderly took Ranma's hand in hers.

Soun finally spoke, "Where shall we begin, daughters?"

Taking her cue, Nabiki opened the ledger. "When you left, Daddy, so did most of your students. They refused to be taught by Ranma, despite her showing them that she was very competent. Those that remained, stayed until a couple of weeks ago. That left us with very little income. Tatewaki was kind enough to purchase pictures of Ranma and Akane, even after releasing his claim on them.

"But that was not enough to cover our bills. Tatewaki and Ryoga are taking lessons from Ranma. Kunou pays for his, while Ryoga pays with his helping with the children or other things Ranma is unable to do in her current body, alone."

"And what might those be?" growled Genma.

Nabiki looked at the two men critically for a moment. "Move heavy objects. While Ranma is still quite strong, she still doesn't have the raw strength Ryoga does. And Akane isn't always around to lend her strength to the project."

"And why not?" asked Soun.

"Because I have obligations at school," replied Akane, saving the explanations for later.

The men stared at Akane for a moment. Soun was about to say something when Nabiki shifted her ledger. "Ryoga has also helped by keeping trouble makers away. He has also helped us winterize the house and training hall. We started early because of Ranma's condition.

"At any rate, I got the idea of a daycare service from my trips into other parts of Tokyo. Other major dojos are doing it. And since we're one of the few left that are family owned, we felt the family atmosphere would help. The parents love it. We've already doubled our monthly income in two weeks."

"Is it fair to burden Kasumi with the children?" Soun asked.

"Ranma has helped me for the last two weeks. When she goes back to school Monday, Ryoga takes over. He is quite good with children."

"Why have you not been in school, Boy?" Genma asked angrily.

Ranma began to shake visibly. She looked at her hands in horror, twisting them as if trying to see them from every angle. She tried to speak, but had no voice for it. Kasumi placed her hand on Ranma's shoulder, trying to calm the young woman.

Genma stared at his child, anger rising in his face. Akane noted the anger. Hers was also rising, but she held it in check. She managed to speak the words Ranma couldn't, "Two weeks ago, someone claiming to be your master visited us. He said and did things that made us uncomfortable. The next day at school, your 'Master' had assaulted several students, stealing their clothes."

"That's our Master," stated Soun in a strange mixture of pride and guilt.

Akane narrowed her eyes and continued, "Because of the assaults, Ranma challenged him to a fight."

"You didn't!" Exclaimed Genma, the anger replaced by horror. "He's too powerful. Tendou and I couldn't beat him when we had to. What were you thinking, Boy!"

Ranma stood up, almost pulling Akane and Kasumi with her. Tears were now running down her face. She cried, "It don't matter no more! I beat the lecher. I beat him so good, I sent him to the hospital.

"They had to peel him from the wall. I almost KILLED a man. I LOST CONTROL AGAIN! Because of that, I have given up the Art. I teach Ryoga and Kunou because they beg me. I JUST CAN'T DEAL WITH THIS ANYMORE!

"If I fight anyone, for any reason, I'm going to either put them in a hospital or kill them. That is something I can no longer accept!"

Ranma stood there, shaking from her sobs. Akane and Kasumi braced her. Genma's voice broke into her mind, "Coward. A true warrior does not give up after winning one battle. A warrior must overcome and improve with each new battle!"

"I LOST CONTROL AND ALMOST KILLED A MAN! I AM NOT A COWARD OR A KILLER! I WON'T BECOME ONE EITHER!"

Ranma stormed out of the room, crying. They heard the front door slam shut, then the gate. Genma returned to his stoic stance, closing his eyes. Soun's face twitched as he took in the exchange. The women wanted to go after Ranma, to comfort her, but needed to stay. The men had to be made to understand.

"My son is becoming a girl."

Before anyone knew what happened or could react, Kasumi was in Genma's face. She had an impossibly menacing expression on her face. "MAYBE it's better this way. If YOU hadn't taken her to China, this wouldn't have happened. If YOU hadn't taught her that dreadful Neko-ken, this wouldn't have happened. If
YOU had been here when she needed you most, this wouldn't have happened.

"Up until now, Ranma was at peace with herself. I don't think she'll recover to that point anytime soon. We have spent the last two months trying to make it so she could survive school and deal with her body. We don't need you to destroy all of that in an hour.

"So unless you are willing to do something to HELP Ranma, YOU ARE NO LONGER WELCOME IN THIS HOME!"

Genma shrank back. Kasumi held her position. Akane and Nabiki silently cheered their elder sister.

Soun sputtered, "K-K-Kasumi, Genma is my oldest, dearest friend. He is also our guest. We can't just throw him out."

"No? Then why has he thrown Ranma out? Why has he refused responsibility for his actions? Unless he is willing to do something to help Ranma, I will not allow him to stay."

Soun blinked, then stiffened his resolve. "If you toss Genma out, you must also toss Ranma out."

"I WILL NOT ABANDON RANMA AS HE HAS! Ranma is a part of our family."

Nabiki added her voice to the fray, "Ranma has no place to go. She has no real friends, No FAMILY other than Kasumi, Akane, and I. While you two 'fathers' have been gone, we have provided Ranma with the guidance and love she needs. What she can't get from us, she gets from Tofu. As far as Kasumi
and I are concerned, we're Ranma's sisters."

"I've had the hardest time helping Ranma," Akane added. "I have to keep our classmates from attacking her for no reason. I have to make sure no one comes within two meters of her with hot liquid.

"But that's not all. I also have to wait to see if there's a cure. I want to be more than a friend or a sister. That's why I don't call myself Ranma's sister.

"But it's Hell for Ranma. She's a man trapped in a woman's body. She has to act like a woman almost all of the time, now. She's depressed most of that time. The only time she's not depressed is when we're all together, talking and doing something that does not make her think about who she really is.

"At school, several of the boys want to date her, forcing her to retreat deeper into this 'shell' she's built. These boys are the one's who're convinced that she truly is a she. The girls want to beat her within an inch of her life for no other reason than she's wearing female clothing.

"It's even worse when she's done absolutely nothing to deserve this hatred other than being cursed. It's unbearable to hear her scream almost every morning, shaking and crying from a nightmare none of us can really understand.

"You're her father! You should be helping her, not treating her like a leper."

Both Genma and Soun sat at the table, recovering from the girls' assault. Soun wanted to say something to his daughters, but he couldn't. Deep down, he knew they were right. Ranma had no place to go. And somehow, they had adopted her. Akane seemed left out, though. She seemed to actually want to
marry Ranma.

It was Genma's movement that snapped him out of his thoughts. Genma stood, not looking away from Kasumi. "I have much to consider. I will be in the dojo until I come to...an understanding. Will that be acceptable, Kasumi?"

She nodded slightly.

With a bow, Genma took his backpack and went to the dojo. Soun watched his friend, then turned to his daughters. They stared at him. He, too, stood and went to the dojo.

Akane broke the silence, "What do you think they'll do?"

Kasumi frowned sadly, "Go on another training mission. I fear they'll hurt Ranma, and us, before leaving."

Nabiki expressed her thoughts, "I wonder what 'Auntie' Saotome is doing now?"

Kasumi looked at her younger sister. "Are you suggesting we bring Ranma's mother here?"

"Why not? Ranma needs her own family just as much as she needs us. And as wonderful a job as you're doing, Kasumi, her mother is better able to handle certain things. We've done well so far, but we're rapidly approaching our limits."

"The only problem is: Ranma's mother would be expecting her son," Akane pointed out.

"We might be able to handle that, with Tofu's and Ryoga's help. But you're right. We'd have to deal with her shock," answered Kasumi thoughtfully.

***

Genma sat in the center of the training hall, his eyes closed. For the first time since his days as a student of the Master, he was afraid. Being a panda never really bothered him. He felt it gave him a release from his life, his responsibilities. But now, Kasumi, gentle Kasumi, had nearly pounded him
into submission without laying a finger on him, pointing out that he was still a panda in man's form.

Not only that, but it seemed she, and the other Tendou girls, were accepting Ranma as a girl. What was worse, to him, was that they were referring themselves as Ranma's sisters. If Ranma and Akane were married, it would be acceptable. But now, with Ranma in this condition, it bothered him greatly.
Were they treating his son as a sister?

He needed to know. Perhaps that was why his son moped around and gave up the Art. Perhaps Kasumi's influences were corrupting his son's strength, his enthusiasm for the Art. If not for his desire to unite the Schools and the families, he would keep Ranma away from women.

Perhaps it was time to take Ranma away for awhile. Nothing permanent, just a training trip to China where they could get cured. The only problem was they couldn't even approach the cure last time. It always seemed beyond their grasp.

He hoped that his son could now be cured. That would be good. Maybe, with his son cured, he could be cured as well. He made up his mind, he would withdraw Ranma from school and they'd go to China for the Cure. He would break the news to his friend and they would leave at the end of next week.

"Saotome?"

"Yes, Tendou?"

"What are we going to do about the Master? He is in the hospital."

"Instead of the cave we buried him in?"

"Yeah."

"We will have to go to him before Ranma and I leave, and beg for forgiveness."

"Leave?"

"I have decided to take my son to China where we can be cured. It is only when we're cured that we'll return."

"I understand. Perhaps you should take Akane with you."

"I fear that Akane has been an...improper influence on my son at this time. I'm sorry, Tendou, I must take my son away from all feminine influences. I fear he has become too much like a girl to remain."

"I understand. It is possible that she, at least, would insist on going with you."

"She would respect your wishes."

Soun sighed. "I...I don't think she would. Not now, anyway. At any rate, when do you plan to leave?"

"The end of next week. That will give us time to see the Master, with Ranma also begging forgiveness."

"Is it wise to take Ranma? If the Master were to attack him now, Ranma may kill the Master."

"Would that be so bad? We couldn't do it. We didn't have the strength."

"Or the courage. But it seems Ranma has both. He won the battle."

"He has no courage if he can no longer face the world, and the Art, as a man."

"You two forget, Ranma isn't exactly a man anymore," interrupted Ryoga, staring at them from the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Genma.

"I'm Ranma's student, of sorts, Hibiki Ryoga. I usually just show up. So, I guess Ranma's not ready."

"Ranma has fled like a girl," replied Genma coldly.

"I very much doubt that. I'm an expert at running away. Considering all that's happened, I think Ranma's just trying to collect his thoughts," Ryoga stated calmly.

"What did you mean by Ranma not exactly being a man?" Soun asked nervously.

"Not much, really. Ranma's body is about the only noticeble thing different. His mind's still pretty much a man's, but the world is cruel to a fragile soul, like his. There's also the fact he's had to act like a girl around people."

"You speak in riddles, Boy. He should never have to act like a girl. I've raised my son to be tough. Strong. Manly."

"And he is all of those, around Akane, though you wouldn't really know it from the last two weeks. It's been tough training with him."

"I thought you were his student," Genma eyed Ryoga critically.

"I am, in a way. I've been sparring with Ranma almost daily for two months. The last two weeks, he's been holding back."

"I never taught my son to hold back in a fight!"

"And it shows. First, the Phoenix Pill. Now, your Master. I'm told Ranma didn't move for an entire day after he fought the Master. He sat where you are. If it were anyone else, I'd say it was discipline. With Ranma, it was guilt.

"If you don't mind going as a panda, I'll show you what happened to your Master. It's why your son feels guilt and holds back.

"The school still hasn't repaired the place. If I remember right, nearly every girl in school signed a petition to delay the repairs until after Ranma returned."

"Why would they want to do that?" asked Soun.

"I'd rather not say. You two don't look like you're ready for it."

"What do you want?" Genma hissed.

"Me? Nothing. You'd better ask yourself what Ranma wants. Can you believe this? I'm the guy who's blamed Ranma for everything bad that's happened to me, and I'm looking out for him. Know this, I would have fought your 'Master' instead of Ranma if I knew what was going to happen. I was ready to fight WITH Ranma the night the old man came.

"At one time, I would have loved to hear Ranma scream and see him suffer. Now, I cringe at the sound of his screams. I want to fight the whole world when I see Ranma suffering from someone's comment or action.

"You should listen to him scream sometime. It'll change how you look at things. You should also watch Ranma go through a single day at school. You'll wish you never heard of Jusenkyo."

"My daughters refer to Ranma as if he were a girl. Why don't you?"

Ryoga smiled, "A gentleman's agreement. Before I go see Kasumi, I, too, am cursed. I was P-chan. That is one form I have promised never to use in this home. Ranma and Akane are good for each other. Without Akane, I don't think Ranma would be with us anymore. See ya!"

Ryoga ran to the house, leaving Genma and Soun to stare at each other. Ranma's student had questioned them. This assault was almost as intense as Kasumi's, but was conducted as if it were a fight. Each side gauging the other. Ryoga had succeeded in winning a round against two opponents.

It was unthinkable. Ranma seemed to be getting greater respect as a woman. Genma shuddered at this thought. He raised his son to be a man among men, dependent upon no one. Yet, now, his son was being protected by three women and a young man.

Genma had to find a cure, and soon. He was losing his son, and he felt powerless to stop it. He felt his son leaving him, in more ways than one. He could think of nothing to stop his son. Nothing except take him from the only home he'd had in years.

Genma wanted to help his son. But he didn't know how. He could no longer talk to Ranma. What was a father to do?

***

Ranma was walking down the street aimlessly. She left the house in an impulsive rage. Her father's words burning in her mind, "Coward! A true warrior does not give up after one battle."

Was he right? Was she a coward? Not just for giving up the Art, but for running from her father. This was not how she wanted their reunion to be.

She continued walking, her face now expressionless. She moved among the shopping crowds. She simply walked. She occasionally stopped, staring at the merchandise on display.

"Ranma?" came a female voice.

Ranma knew the voice. Kumiko. The girl who splashed her with hot water. She stiffened. It almost as seemed as if she had shrunk.

"I'm sorry, Ranma," Kumiko said as she approached her classmate, seeing the obvious pain. "Are you all right?"

Ranma's head was lower than usual. There was even more weakness in her voice, "It's okay, Kumiko, I'll be on my way now." Ranma turned to go in the opposite direction.

"Don't run, Ranma. I still need to talk to you. And I still need to apologize for hurting you. We should really go somewhere else, you don't look to good."

"I shouldn't. I don't want you to lose your friends because of me."

Kumiko eyed the red head carefully, noting the stress. "I won't lose my friends because of you. You look like you need a friend. If you'll let me, I'd like to be that friend. I promise never to hurt you again. Please?"

"Thank you."

"I think we're close to the Nekohanten Cafe. Let's go there."

"I can't go there. They're the ones who made me into a weak girl."

"Weak? Who the Hell says you're weak?"

"My father."

Kumiko noted that Ranma never took her eyes off the ground. "Your father's an idiot. He hasn't seen you lately."

"I ran away from him. He called me a coward and I ran," sobbed Ranma.

Kumiko took Ranma in her arms, "We'll talk about this at the new okonomiyaki shop."

Ranma nodded, allowing herself to be led by Kumiko. Ranma eventually calmed down enough to talk. "I don't have any money on me. I ran out of the house without my purse."

"Don't worry about it. This is on me. I owe you that much anyway."

"Thank you."

"Honestly, Ranma. I don't know if I like you better like this or the way you were before: when you were obnoxious and obsessed with your manhood."

"It doesn't really matter anymore. I know I don't belong. I just don't want to be hated. My father hates me, the girls hate me."

"We don't hate you, Ranma. We just didn't understand what you were telling us. Hell, we don't even understand what made you turn into a woman to begin with. That's why we mistrusted you. You have always been honest. I proved that two weeks ago.

"Your scream still haunts me. Every time the tea kettle goes off, I hear your scream. I'd do anything to hear you laugh again. You proved that you had dignity when that pervert showed up."

They entered the modest little shop called Ucchan's. A young man was serving customers. His long, black hair was done in a pony tail. He smiled at his new customers.

They returned the smile while going over the selection. They placed their order and went to a booth by the window. Ranma was watching the man closely.

Kumiko saw the way Ranma was looking at the man. She giggled, causing Ranma to turn red and lower her head.

"Do you find that boy attractive?" Kumiko asked teasingly.

"NO! He, uh, just looks familiar. I was also wishing I could return to myself again," Ranma answered weakly.

"I'm sorry. I won't tease you anymore. Why are you out of the house? Don't get me wrong, it's great to see you out. It's just that no one ever sees you much anymore."

"My father's back. I told him I'd given up fighting and he called me a coward, even after I told him why. So I ran. I guess he's right, I'm a coward. And I'm nothing."

The young man brought over their food. He watched Ranma closely, but continued onto other customers. Kumiko was relieved when he left, it allowed her the chance to help Ranma in private. She watched Ranma play with her food.

"So your father's back. He just returned. He doesn't know what happened, and it looks like you don't know what happened, either. So let me fill you in on some things.

"First, you are not a coward. I watched you challenge that pervert. I saw the fear in your eyes when he attacked. I also listened to what Akane and Nabiki said to Natsumi: 'Now listen here, Natsumi-chan, Ranma just challenged the man who taught our fathers how to fight.' From what Akane told me, that man was supposed to be out of your league, but you stood up against him.

"So you ran out of the house when your father called you a coward. From what I've seen, you needed to. This is going to sound harsh, but you need to hear it. You destroyed a cure for your present condition. You also nearly killed a man. You feel you're losing control, and because of that, you needed to
leave before you would lose control again."

Ranma just looked at Kumiko, not quite sure how to take this lecture. That was one thing she missed with her father being gone. His boring lectures about training, life, manhood, and marriage always managed to take her mind away from her problems.

Kumiko continued, "That is not the act of a coward. As for being nothing. That's not true. When I hurt you, I proved something I shouldn't have needed to. I proved you weren't lying. I proved that you were just trying to make everyone understand.

"We knew you hated being female. That's why we didn't understand why you came dressed like one. We thought you were playing a cruel joke. It's for that reason we made your life Hell. And when that pervert came, you proved you were willing to protect us, even after what we did to you.

"That showed nearly everyone how special you really are. You could have easily let that thing menace us, but you stood up to him. You showed modesty when you hid Natsumi's panties when you realized what they were. We thought you took it for yourself. You made a lot of us ashamed that day."

Ranma smiled at that comment. It had given her a little satisfaction knowing others were as ashamed of themselves as she was of herself.

"Don't ever think of yourself as nothing. If you ever feel that way, come to me. I'll tell you all of the reasons you're special. Akane's really lucky to have someone like you. I can tell you, with all honesty, there are a lot of girls at school who would jump at the chance to date you, even in your
current condition," concluded Kumiko with a warm smile.

"Thank you. This means a lot to me."

"You're welcome. Now that your father's back, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. He and Tendou-san will probably be leaving on another training mission soon. I doubt they'd return anytime soon. They just don't know what to do with me. I'm not my father's son anymore, nor am I a suitable fiancee for Akane."

Kumiko frowned. She, and several other students, knew Ranma and Akane were right for each other. The idea of the two not being married had quickly become absurd, even with Ranma's current gender.

"Father will probably want to take me with him. We'll try to go to the place where we were first cursed and try to get cured there. I promised Akane I'd never stop looking for a cure, but I don't know if I'd go with Father.

"I want him back in my life. I've tried to do what Kasumi said, adjust to my condition, just as she had to adjust to taking over her mother's duties. It seems like I've adjusted too well. He hates me like this. Unless I'm cured, I don't see a future with him. He just sees me as being weak and being
turned into a girl," concluded Ranma with a sad sigh.

"Well you have become a woman."

"I have?"

"Yeah, in a way. When you came here, you were brash, egotistical, and obsessed with your manhood. Since you lost your one, easy chance at becoming a man again, you've calmed down. You're very polite. More so than many girls."

Ranma smiled as Kumiko continued, "You're neater. You clean up after yourself, and others. You wear matching clothes, and are well kept. You've worn modest clothing in public. It's also been very appropriate. Even your current outfit is nice.

"You're no longer obsessed with your manhood. Sure, you want it back, but now you'd be just as happy being accepted as a woman. In a way, you've allowed yourself to become a woman, just in case you can't be cured.

"You're in love with Akane. We can see that. You don't flaunt it, and you're careful not to offend people. We've found out that you accepted your engagement, though you're reluctant to announce it because of your condition."

Ranma smiled at the acknowledgment. She and Akane were definitely growing closer. Their talk on the mountain had cleared things up between them. She also remembered her promise about finding a cure.

"You're now more careful about what you say and do around people. You don't want to offend or embarrass anyone. You've grown up. You care about others. We've seen this. We just didn't want to accept it until the pervert came.

"So you see, you are a woman. But you are also a man. You've matured faster than the rest of us. So have Akane, Nabiki, and Kunou. You four have shown us what tragedy does to people. It's made you stronger.

"So you get emotional. But it's not because you're a girl. It's because of the stress you're under. My father cried when he and Mother divorced. He wasn't weak, he just had too much happening to him. His job kept him from home all of the time. His company was also cutting back on jobs. All of that and my Aunt's death hit him hard. He just couldn't control his feelings."

Ranma's eyes widened. The only man she knew who cried was Tendou Soun. She had never considered the possibility that other, grown men cried.

Kumiko smiled. "I may not be able to understand everything you're going through, but I do know that you are definitely not weak or unmanly for crying when you do. Does that help any?"

"Yes, it does. I do feel better, now."

"Good, now finish your food. I know how you love to eat," Kumiko said, smiling.

Ranma smiled and began eating with interest. She didn't shovel her food the way Kumiko expected her to. Perhaps this Ranma was truly different than the one she knew before the Nekohanten opened.

This Ranma had all of the knowledge and skills of the old. But she seemed to lack the confidence of the former. This was disturbing, especially since Ranma was regarded as one of the best martial artists in school. Kumiko knew that confidence was as important as, if not more so than, the actual techniques themselves.

Kumiko looked at Ranma eating. She had an idea. "Ranma, why don't you spend the night at my apartment? Mom won't mind."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Well, if your friends found out, you'd lose them. I have very few friends, so I'm used to not having any around. You've probably had a lot of friends in your life. I just don't want to see you lose any of them.

"Then there's the fact I've woken up nearly every morning, screaming. You already said that haunts you. The scream you heard was one of pain. I'm told my morning scream is close to sheer terror. I don't know how my sisters and Akane can put up with it every morning. I don't want to cause you any more problems."

Kumiko frowned. "I'm trying to help, Ranma."

Ranma lowered her head, "I know. You've helped a lot, really. I just don't want to get you in trouble with your friends or your neighbors. I'm sorry, I just can't accept your invitation."

Kumiko was growing furious. She was trying to help the person she inadvertently hurt. It was this thought that made her realize Ranma looked every bit like she did in the locker room for the past two months. Withdrawn, nervous, and scared.

Kumiko softened. "Would it help if I treated you like any of my other friends?"

Ranma looked at her quizzically.

"What I mean is: would you be more comfortable if I treated you as I do my girl friends?"

"You mean treat me as if I'm a girl, and have always been a girl?"

Kumiko nodded.

"But I'm..."

Kumiko sighed, interrupting Ranma's thoughts. "What did I just tell you about being a woman? Think about it. I trust you completely. You're too honest to do anything."

"I guess you're right. I act like a girl in public anyway. This'll be no different. I'll stay on one condition."

"What's that?"

"When I lie to your mother, please understand it's so you don't get in trouble and not that I'm dishonest."

"I understand. You'll be doing what you think is best. It'll be like when you came to school in your dress, it was something you had to do. Wait here and I'll go call Mom. She'll need to know about your nightmares, just in case."

Ranma smiled and nodded as Kumiko left to find a phone. She finished her food, noting how much better she was feeling. Perhaps running into Kumiko wasn't so bad. She seemed to know and understand her pain and genuinely wanted to help. While some of Kumiko's comments bothered her, they made sense.

She noted the man behind the counter watching her. She started to feel insecure again. What have I done now? Oh well, I better go apologize anyway. Ranma rose from her seat and approached the counter. The man was a little surprised.

Ranma bowed deeply, "I'm sorry if I have offended you in any way. If I have disgraced myself, or insulted you, I will not return; if that is your wish."

The man stared at her in shock. He composed himself quickly. "I'm the one who should apologize, Ma'am. You remind me of someone I knew from a long time ago. I was just trying to decide if the two of you are related. I'm sorry to have troubled you. You are welcome here anytime."

Ranma bowed again. "Thank you. You, too, look familiar. I'm just not sure how or where you I might have met you. I'm Saotome Ranma."

"Kuonji Ukyou, pleased to meet you. Do you go to Furinkan High School?"

"Yes."

"Good. Maybe we'll see each other Monday. I just transferred in and it'll be my first day."

"Great. I'd enjoy talking with you. Thank you for the excellent food."

"You're welcome, Ranma. I'll see you in school."

Kumiko returned in time to hear the end of the conversation. She smiled to herself that Ranma was meeting a person who could be a friend. She paid for their food, thanking Ukyou for the excellent food. She and Ranma then left for her apartment. Neither noticed the man start cursing or the blue aura
building around him.