Ranma Nibunnoichi - Reflections
A. V. Morgan
Part Nineteen: A Mother's Influence
Akane had only been too happy to slip away from the breakfast table and rush to school. It was hard to believe this was only the third day of the week. While chaos and confusion was pretty much normal around Ranma, the way things had changed, because of the Mirror of Broken Souls, made the normal mayhem seem like a walk in the park! It was certainly a far cry from Copy-chan's debut the week before. Once they had survived the first few days, she had calmed down and avoided trouble until the last moment. It was probably a good thing Akane had no clue what the girl had been plotting, for her return to the cursed mirror, or Akane might have tried to smother her in her sleep. Of course, if she had, Ranma would have died too, and it would have been her fault. Not that watching as Ranma retreated deeper and deeper into a female mindset, after being stripped of his identity, was much better.
Her mind kept flashing back to his… her visit to Akane's room that morning. How much had Ranma-chan changed to be able to break down and cry like that? Or, was it possible that the stranger she was seeing had always been hidden behind all that macho arrogance? Was she only now getting a true glimpse at the person she was promised to? Would she find the same person hiding inside the boy the engagement had shifted to? Questions like these were driving her insane, as she sat through classes and passed notes to Ukyo.
Poor Ukyo had been swamped with school work and the demands of her business, and had to rely on information from Akane to keep informed about what was happening to her best friend and romantic interest. Given the circumstances, Akane was simply ignoring the "rivalry" between them out of respect for the friendship that existed between the okonomiyaki chef and Ranma. However, there was too much to communicate in notes, so Akane mostly put her off and promised to tell everything at lunch. Of course, Ukyo was not the only one interested in the current events of Ranma's life. As the two talked over lunch, a small crowd formed around them to listen in. Akane had just explained the revelations of the previous afternoon and evening, to the astonishment of everyone in earshot. As they muttered in shock about the revelation of Ranma's former life, a few comments stood out above the rest.
"Fashion!? Ranma used to be an amazon chick named Fashion?" Hiroshi uttered in loud disbelief. Akane rolled her eyes, as she realized she had not pronounced the name as precisely as Ranma-chan, Ranko and Cologne.
"And, her mother's name was Passion!?" Daisuke jeered.
"What is it with amazons and those ridiculous names?" the two boys demanded at the same time. Akane, suffering from a few days of restraining her temper around Ranma, was quick to bounce up and unleash a stunning series of hammer blows to the two boys for "rudely" eaves dropping. Ukyo's eyes widened at the vehemence with which Akane vented her pent up frustrations, and shook her head in sympathy for the two boys who had volunteered to serve as Ranma's surrogates. Once they had been reduced to a pile of quivering limbs, Akane dropped back into her seat with a huff.
"I don't believe those jerks!"
"Er, maybe we should continue this somewhere else, ne, Akane?"
"Sure, Ukyo," Akane took a calming breath and followed as Ukyo rose from the desk beside her. They slipped out of the classroom and made their way to the school grounds. Finding an isolated patch of lawn, they knelt to continue their lunch. Akane took a moment to recover the thread of their conversation. She had been relating what Ranma-chan had confided, about the memories of Fa Shen's life she had so far tapped. "So, anyway," she continued, as if they had not been interrupted, "that's as much as Ranma, er, the original, can remember so far. The more he remembers the more chance there is of him becoming her. Since Ranko's making an effort to be, well, Ranko, Ranma feels there's not much to stop him from becoming Fa Shen."
"Why can't he just stay Ranma?" Ukyo demanded, still confused at this new turn of events. "I mean, yeah, it's kind of strange to think of having two of him around, but as long as he can be a guy... It would solve at least two problems."
"What do you mean?" Akane looked at her, puzzled.
"Well, it sounds like your fathers are pushing you to continue the engagement with the all-male Ranma…"
"Like that's a solution!" Akane frowned.
"…but you're not the only one he's promised to, remember?" Ukyo made a gesture at herself, hoping that she could bring this up without stirring up the old conflict. At the same time, she was annoyed that she had to point out her own claim to make her point.
Akane shifted into a scowl as she considered that. It struck her, now, that the presence of the other fiancées had not occurred to Ranma as a way to claim equal rights to his original identity. Did that mean he did not take those relationships seriously? She wondered how he would react to Ukyo's "suggestion". It did not take any imagination to picture how others might react to it, though. She fixed Ukyo with a measuring eye. "Are you serious, though? If you suggest that, you know Shampoo's going to jump on it too, not to mention Kodachi!"
"Who says they haven't thought of it anyway," Ukyo shrugged and waved it off. "Besides, as long as Kodachi refuses to understand the curse, she will probably focus on your Ranma!" Ukyo smiled cheerfully, enjoying the assurance that Akane would have it no easier than she to assert her claim.
"That's not funny," Akane growled.
"Nor is challenging Shampoo for the real Ran-chan."
"What? Are you saying my Ranma's a fake!?" Akane puffed up, and a hint of scarlet aura flickered in evidence of her temper.
"I, uh, didn't mean it like that," Ukyo hastily protested. She tensed to leap to her defense, but Akane visibly calmed. Relieved to confront only the skeptical look on her rival's face, Ukyo expounded, "It's just, we all know which one is the original. Even if they all have the same memory, there are differences." Ukyo tried to emphasize the simple, obvious logic with a wry smile and "objective" expression.
"Not that you can tell by talking to any of them," Akane muttered, finally backing down and dismissing the perceived insult. As soon as she said it, she gave an odd frown. "Well, actually, the original has been acting, well..." she cut herself off, blushing in renewed confusion.
"What?" Ukyo demanded, with her own suspicious look.
"He's been acting like a girl," Akane hunched in on herself.
"No way!" Ukyo reared up in horrified disbelief.
"I think it's to keep him from fighting with the other one," Akane hastened to explain. She blushed again as she realized that it sounded like she was trying to convince herself of that. "But still..." she offered, searching for a way to share her observations of Ranma-chan, without betraying her confidence, as she was cut off.
"No. This is getting out of hand," Ukyo declared sternly. She folded her arms and focused inward. She already knew about the pressure Genma had applied, and it was disturbing that the only new alternative also meant becoming a girl. She had hoped Ran-chan would turn to her, but he had been too busy trying to deal with blow after blow to seek her out. "I'm gonna have to do something. I can't just sit around while Ran-chan is cornered into becoming a girl!" she announced, clutching her fists in agitation. It was all she could do to not rush off to the Tendo Dojo that instant. The week she had taken away from school for her restaurant had swamped her with make up assignments and exams, and she could not afford to skip out on any more classes. Ran-chan was important to her, but if she lost her independence she would be forced to return to her family in disgrace, and that would not do him any good either.
Though it had seemed that there would be a repeat of the previous day's storm, the sky cleared gradually over the afternoon. A fitful shower after lunch, only long enough to force Ryouga to dart inside while Ranma-chan looked up at the sky in resignation, was the only manifestation of that threat. It was hardly enough to distract the Saotome triplets from their work. From the texts they had studied, they had gleaned a better sense of how shiatsu and acupuncture manipulated the natural flow of chi in the body, and how this was exploited in medicine. They had some experience with using pressure points in combat, and did not find it difficult to adjust to the precepts and techniques for healing. They were not terribly surprised to learn that the body itself was responsible for the actual healing caused by those techniques, which were simply ways of directing its resources. Their problem was a little more complicated, but with input from Cologne and Happosai, they were able to map and manipulate the unusual chi flows caused by their division.
From studying the trio, Cologne and Happosai had determined that, though they were physically whole and independent, they actually shared all their spiritual energy. While there seemed to be enough energy to sustain two of them independently, that energy circulated through all of them, connecting them at every vital point. It was easy to determine, now, why the condition worked as a cure. The essence recognized Nibunnoichi (the original, cursed Ranma) as both the source and center of their being. To support the reflections, Nibunnoichi had sacrificed her own boundaries, but the other two did not. The boundaries of the new Ranma and Ranko were intact, and served as a set of polarized boundaries for Nibunnoichi. She could draw energy away from them, because on a spiritual level she was inside their boundaries. With increased distance, Nibunnoichi, the focus, became more exposed and less able to contain her ki. This placed a greater demand on Ranma and Ranko's resources, as Nibunnoichi drew on them to sustain herself. If that drain became too great, Ranma and Ranko would reflexively cut the original off to preserve themselves.
The techniques they had spent the day developing would enable Nibunnoichi to restore her boundaries. Once she could contain her own ki, she could minimize the loss she suffered, as well as the drain on Ranma and Ranko. This did not solve the problem, since there was still only enough energy to properly sustain two incarnations, but it would remove the danger of sudden death for her. A variation on those techniques would allow Ranma and Ranko to "feed" energy to Nibunnoichi at a controlled rate, giving them better control over her demands. If they could find a way for the reflections to spare half the energy they needed, so that Nibunnoichi could harness her full, individual potential, she would be able to fully restore and "seal" her boundaries, fixing the problem for good. Unfortunately, this would deal Ranma and Ranko a staggering, potentially mortal blow, when the process abruptly severed them from the donated ki. If the shock did not kill them, they would fully recover in a couple of years. If they did not suffer any serious physical ailments in the interim.
The risks to Ranma and Ranko were essentially those that faced a normal victim of the mirror's curse, and the odds were that none of them had attempted to sever their links to stop the bleeding. At least, Cologne hoped not, since it would bode ill for Ranma and Ranko's chances if they tried it. For now, it was enough to devise an effective way to control the bleeding. If that bought them enough time, they could look for other solutions. It was still early in the afternoon when the two elders concluded that the trio had sufficiently mastered the control techniques. That left plenty of time for the reflections to prepare for their dates. Before concluding the training, Ranma and Ranko cornered Ranma-chan.
"What are you looking at me like that for?" she demanded, cautiously.
"Don't take this the wrong way…" Ranma began.
"We know you are trying not to fight over this…" Ranko picked up.
"What? Are you afraid I'm gonna interfere with your dates?" Ranma-chan interrupted, taking in the concern on their faces and trying to think from their perspectives. As they quickly blanked their faces, she knew that was exactly what they were worried about. "Why do you think I'd do that?"
"Well, you do have a habit of butting in and messing with anyone who tries to date Akane," Ranma pointed out.
"And you always mess with Ryouga," Ranko added.
"And what you're talking about usually was because Ryouga was dating Akane!" Ranma-chan fit the pieces together. "So how do you figure I'm gonna mess with you when you are keeping them apart?"
"Well," they said in unison, "because we know WHY you had to interfere in the first place." They exchanged grins and tried to get off the same track.
Ranma-chan studied them. Why did she interfere between Akane and Ryouga in the past? Because, thinking as Ranma, while he could not admit his feelings for Akane, he could not let anyone take her away from him. How did that apply here? She struggled for a second and realized that in this case, Ranma and Ranko were "Ryouga", her rivals for her unspoken affection, and Akane and Ryouga were both "Akane", the person she'd protect from said rivals. "Damn. Alright, I promise not to interfere. I'll go over and ask Dr. Tofu to observe while I practice the new techniques. I don't really need to know where you are or what you are doing to do that." She trotted off to inform Cologne and Happosai of her intentions, and they followed her to Tofu's clinic.
Ranma and Ranko made their way to the low table sprawled beside it, grateful for a moment to relax. A day of purely physical exertions would have barely left them winded, but what they had been doing required drawing, focusing and channeling chi for abnormally extended periods of time. A large lunch had helped to replenish them, but they still felt drained and raw. They idly discussed the question of what sort of training regimen would be required to build up mental or spiritual endurance comparable to their physical stamina. While they still tended toward identical thinking, they noted that talking to each other stimulated new ideas much quicker than internal dialogue. Before they could make a note to ask someone how the two of them together were smarter than one of them alone, Kasumi entered from the kitchen and began clucking at them.
"Ranko-chan, you should start getting ready for your date," the eldest Tendo daughter reminded her, ushering her to her feet and propelling her out of the room into the hall leading to the bathroom. At the same time, a clamor from the genkan announced the return of the youngest Tendo from school. Her shouted greeting trailed after her as she raced down the hall toward Kasumi and Ranko. Kasumi smiled at her in greeting and resumed directing Ranko. "I prepared the bath... Akane-chan!" Kasumi cut herself off to cry out in dismay as Akane trampled over Ranko and shot into the washroom ahead of them.
"I have to get ready too!" Akane yelled, slamming the door shut.
Another girl sauntered into the house in Akane's wake. Abandoned at the front door, she made her way into the Tea Room and confronted Ranma rising from the table. Ukyo smiled brilliantly and waved at him.
"Hey! Ran-chan!"
"Hi, Ukyo! Man it's great to see ya!" he greeted her with enthusiasm.
"Yeah, thought I'd come visit, since you're not at school."
"Thanks, Ucchan!" he grinned. "If you can wait a minute, I'll be right back down and we can catch up, okay?" he waited for her nod and sprinted upstairs. From the commotion by the washroom, he knew a bath was out of the question, but he picked out one of his best outfits, changed quickly, and paused in the upstairs bathroom to wash his face and run a comb through his hair. With these cursory preparations for his date, he was free to spend the rest of his time talking to Ukyo. He bounced downstairs and into the room where he left his childhood friend scarcely more than a minute ago.
"You look sharp!" Ukyo stared appreciatively, impressed at what he managed in so little time. No doubt about it, life favored guys in some respects. Even with her preference in style and wardrobe, she spent a good deal of time on her appearance. It was not easy to look her best while giving the impression that she never gave her appearance a second thought. Just the bindings alone! She shook her head and offered him a questioning look, wondering what he had bothered to get dressed up for. Ranma caught the hopeful hint in her eye and sighed under his breath before responding.
"Uh, yeah. I have to take Akane out," he explained dismissively.
"Ah. Well..." Ukyo tried not to let her disappointment show. It had been nice to think, for a moment, that he had rushed off to change for her. Before she could think of something else to say, she sensed someone walking up behind her. Turing around, she came face to face with a familiar red-head.
"Hiya, Ucchan!" Ranko's face lit up at once, though she continued to rub the back of her head and try to smooth down her rumpled clothing. Ukyo stared at the wild hair and obvious foot prints of Ranko's recent trampling with wide eyes.
"What happened to you?" she brought her eyes back up to Ranko's.
"Akane sorta trampled me to get into the bath first," Ranko shrugged and rolled her eyes. With a few deft swipes, she smoothed her hair and her outfit snapped back in order, totally erasing her disheveled appearance.
Ukyo blinked and did another once over, and could not spot a stain, tear, scratch, bruise or blemish. She must have been seeing things. Clothing did not repair itself like that. Right? Right. Ranma just spent a fortune replacing the exotic Chinese clothing he preferred, and which was rather hard to come by in Japan. Absolutely. It was totally ludicrous to believe that the cursed martial artist waved his hand or picked up the ruined set of clothes he stripped off the night before, and poof, they were good as new.
"You don't look like you need a bath," Ranma commented.
"Tell that to Kasumi," Ranko suggested, giving him a wry smile. "At least, when she gets done lecturing Akane for cutting in front of me."
"She's really taking your date with Ryouga seriously!"
"You're dating Ryouga!?" Ukyo found her voice, and it sounded puzzled.
"Uh, yeah," Ranko blushed and rubbed nervously at the back of her head again. With a half shrug, she held out her hands to indicate helplessness. "Sorta got into a relationship when I wasn't looking," she offered, by way of explanation.
"But... I thought there were no after affects from the koi rod."
"Huh?" Ranko looked at Ukyo's perplexed face and tried to figure out the connection. She did not even know Ukyo had heard of that incident. She could not imagine Ryouga confiding it to her. She did not want to think Akane would have revealed that embarrassing ordeal, so it seemed best not to ask how Ukyo learned of it. Assume it was Nabiki, she thought. Shrugging, she replied, "Oh, there weren't. Well, mostly. I'm talking about what happened with Copy-chan. The idea is to use that to, um, help me get in touch with bein' a girl."
"Why would you want that, Ran-chan!?"
"I thought Akane was going to explain all this to you," Ranko frowned.
"I thought only Ranko had to be a girl," Ukyo clarified.
"I am Ranko," she pointed out, with a narrow look.
"But. Where's Ran-chan, then? I mean, you know, the original?"
"She went to Dr. Tofu's," Ranma interrupted, noticing the glazed look entering Ranko's eyes. Though he had never seen the look, having more experience with giving it, he knew it indicated that Ranko felt slighted or insulted. It was a rare look, reserved for people he trusted who betrayed him, or took advantage of him. It was not a look Ukyo should inspire. "He's going to supervise her while she tests our new techniques," he elaborated, drawing Ukyo's attention fully to himself.
"You just missed her," Ranko edged in a tight voice.
"Why are you calling him "her"?" Ukyo turned to face the red-head.
"Cuz, so far, she's the only one of us who's grasped the whole girl thing, and it's sort of inevitable, anyway," Ranko informed her, fully conscious that this bit of information would distress her friend. She hated doing it, but she could not help it. She had been hoping that her transition into a girl would restore the friendship that had been tainted by their engagement. Instead, it seemed that Ukyo valued her "fiancé" more. At the very least, it was obvious she was looking for "him" and had not given any thought to her. The next words out of Ukyo's mouth confirmed this.
"Would it be a problem if I talked to, uh, her?"
Ranko bit her lip, and focused her will on holding back her emotions.
"I doubt it," Ranma answered, eyeing Ranko nervously. He silently willed her to remember that Ukyo had only interacted with the copies, before they remembered being Ranma. She had not had a chance to associate them with Ranma, as Ranma. He'd have to talk to Ukyo, but right now it was best she left. "We're using the techniques on our dates, so there's no reason she can't deal with distractions too. If you're with her, that will sort of balance things out I guess," Ranma suggested, trying to sound helpful.
"Okay. I'll catch up with you two later then!" Ukyo gave him a thankful look, turned to confront the blank, cold exterior of Ranko, and backed away. Without another word, she turned and left.
"Bye, Ucchan!" Ranma called after her. Turning to Ranko, he sighed. Her face did not show it, but that had hurt her. Clearing his throat, he was about to state his impressions of how Ukyo behaved, when his father stormed through the room and seized him.
"Come on, Boy!" Genma barked, dragging him toward the door.
"Hey! Where are you taking me!" Ranma demanded, bracing himself.
"Public baths," Genma declared, using the leverage he had to try and drag his son over his shoulder to foil his resistance. "You have a date to get ready for, and there's a line to use the bath here."
"Whatever," Ranma slipped out of the hold and dodged out of reach. He considered himself adequately prepared, but he would not mind a bath. No point arguing against it. He turned to his twin, before following his father, as it occurred to him that it would be more convenient to proceed from the public bath to the site of his date. "Ranko, would you tell Akane to meet me at the park when she's ready?"
"Sure. Have fun!" she shook off her irritation at Ukyo and gave him an encouraging smile.
"Are you kidding?" he retorted, grinning.
"Ranma. Don't fool around, okay?" she got suddenly serious again. "We'd kill to trade places with you, so don't blow it." He met her eyes and frowned. It should not have been necessary for her to remind him that the feelings he had for Akane, however uncertain, haunted her as much as feelings for Ryouga haunted him. In both cases, there was a genuine regret for those feelings, as well as a sense of resignation and hope. It was safe to say they would prefer not to feel what they did, for who they did. At least, given the circumstances. It was unnerving to grasp the meaning of her warning. If he lost his chance with Akane, he would regret it.
At the time Genma and Ranma disappeared around the corner at the end of the block, another figure appeared at the opposite end of the street. Lost in her own thoughts, she turned down the street and slowly approached the gates of the Tendo compound. As had become her habit, she prayed that her unannounced visit would blossom into a blissful reunion with her long lost son. If her wayward husband happened to be around as well, she might finally have the opportunity to properly chastise him for his pitiable lapse in communication these past few seasons. Glancing up, she allowed the sun to dance on her face and bring out the fiery highlights in her dark red hair. She still had no idea why her pregnancy with Ranma had caused the darkening of her once brilliant, scarlet mane. It had been the sight of such hair that had first drawn her attention to Ranko, where she had fallen into the canal. She had pretended surprise when Kasumi and Nabiki commented on the girl's resemblance to her, but that first afternoon she had rushed home to check her photo collection and confirm that the strange girl was a virtual twin for Nodoka herself at that age. It was simply mind boggling that Ranko was Akane's country cousin. If it were not impossible, she would insist that the girl was her own daughter!
So far, she had only hinted at her thoughts to the funny panda that always followed Ranko around. She had approached her father to ask if she had any relatives married into the Tendo clan, to explain the uncanny resemblance, but word of his death had followed weeks later. She might never know if Ranko was truly her niece, as the girl clammed up about her family history as soon as the subject came up. All she did know was that the pictures of Ranko, purchased from Nabiki, had brought tears of happiness to her father's face. Perhaps, Nodoka thought, Nabiki might be able to unearth the truth. The middle Tendo daughter did have a knack for untangling mysteries. At the very least, the question served as a good excuse to pay a visit to the Tendos. Finding the shoji screen that served as the main entrance to the house proper ajar, she slipped inside and stepped out of her outdoor shoes. As she wandered down the hall she announced her presence with a loud, but gentle question.
"Is anyone home?"
"Auntie Nodoka!" Kasumi's head popped out through the door to the kitchen. As usual, she greeted the Saotome matriarch with a warm smile and cheerful, "What a pleasant surprise!"
"If you're looking for Ranma, you just missed him," Nabiki announced, coming down the stairs behind Nodoka.
"Another training mission, Nabiki?" Nodoka sighed.
"No," Nabiki grinned, "actually he's taking Akane out on a date. He just left to get ready."
"Oh. I see," Nodoka remained composed, but a smile graced her face. This was wonderful news. To date, it seemed that Ranma and Akane had kept their relationship behind closed doors. If she had not caught the two embracing in the dark, and realized that it was Ranma, and not some pervert making advances toward Akane, she might have believed the children were genuinely protesting their engagement. She was also relieved that Nabiki had explained the little conflict between Ranma and her husband's master, Happosai. Nabiki had explained that Happosai delighted in tormenting Ranma with the contract Genma had forced him to sign. Dressing Ranma in girls clothes to turn her against her own son was despicable, but it had been a relief to learn that she had been deceived by the old pervert. Shaking off her thoughts, she announced, "Perhaps I'll wait here, and see him when he comes home afterwards."
To Nodoka's surprise, Kasumi's face became guarded. Blushing, the oldest daughter hastened apologetically, "Ah, well, we have other company. I am so sorry! I don't think we have a place for you to sleep if you stay late."
"Really? Who is visiting."
"Um. Ranko, of course, and the young man she's starting to date," Kasumi explained, leading the older woman into the Tea Room. Nodoka gaped in surprise, as she entered and spotted the red haired girl sitting pensively at the low table. Nodoka seated herself across the table and studied the girl who looked up at her in surprise.
"Ranko-chan? Are you really dating a boy?" Nodoka queried with contained enthusiasm.
"Uh, yes?" Ranko swallowed in discomfort. Her eyes darted around for a moment then focused on Nodoka. "I mean, yes. I am," she declared with more conviction, blushing.
"I am so happy for you!" Nodoka enthused, smiling broadly. What a relief! Nodoka had nursed suspicions that Ranko and Akane were in a quiet rivalry over her son. From the way they fought and teased each other about Ranma, to the way both of them were so quick to protect Ranma the night Nodoka almost forced him to commit seppuku, it had seemed certain they both loved her son. It was the only thing that could explain the lengths Ranko had gone to, to confuse her and help him escape. She could hardly explain it, but she felt somehow that Ranko was doing the most to actually hide her son from her. Every time Nodoka felt close to seeing her son, Ranko somehow got in the way. She was also the one who seemed the most confident and convincing in conveying her son's thoughts and feelings to her in his absence. But finally, her interest had wandered to someone else. Someone she could admit her feelings for, as she could not with Ranma who was promised to her cousin. Tilting towards the girl she gushed, "Tell me, what is his name? What's he like? Is he handsome? Manly?"
"Um. Well. He… His name is Ryouga Hibiki," Ranko fought down her embarrassment and tried to compose herself. Her mind was racing, wondering what her mother was doing here, and hoping her father had not summoned her. Surely he understood that it was still dangerous to risk introducing Ranma to his mother. At least both of the boys, however loosely the term applied to the original at the moment, were both absent. Still, if Nodoka was here because of Genma, she would certainly bring it up. Ranko did not dare raise suspicions by asking directly. Which was why she focused specifically on talking about Ryouga. "I think you might have met him, or at least heard of him. He's a... friend... of Ranma's."
"Really? He's a marital artist then?" Nodoka smiled at the girl's nod. She became absorbed in Ranko's descriptions of the boy's strengths and talents, and sighed at the casual way she criticized his weaknesses. It certainly sounded as if the two were intimately acquainted, and that the girl was used to sympathizing most strongly with Ranma in their many confrontations. She was rather shocked to hear the girl had toyed with the boy's feelings to assist Ranma in his schemes to thwart his friend/rival. From the edited version of "Ranko's" history with Ryouga, it sounded like she had tricked herself into falling in love with the boy, even as she tricked him into loving her. She ached to confront the boy and see if he was worthy of the girl she tended to think of as a daughter. Once again, she found herself wishing the girl WAS her daughter, so she could at least take her in hand and shake her out of this disgraceful masculine pose she hid behind. Then again, this date seemed like a good excuse to provide a little feminine influence. As the topic finally came back to the impending date, Nodoka interrupted to ask, in motherly concern, "I do hope you don't plan to go out like that."
"No," the girl quickly assured, to Nodoka's surprise. She glanced down at herself and sighed before explaining, "Kasumi is going to help me get ready. I'm just waiting for Akane to get done in the bath."
"Well, why don't you go join her?" Nodoka wondered with a perplexed look. The shock on the girl's face at the suggestion was almost priceless. Nodoka had to actually restrain her laughter and scowl gently. "I've never seen two girls as shy of each other as you and Akane," she noted aloud, clucking her tongue and shaking her head in parental confusion.
"Uh," Ranko sat transfixed in mild terror.
"Go on. I am sure she won't mind," Nodoka encouraged with shooing motions and a growing grin. "Now that you're both dating, it will be good practice overcoming some of your inhibitions. In fact," she looked down at her own apparel and noted the water stains and muddy film created when the dust from the construction site she had passed had mixed with the water that had drenched her before she cleared the area. Rising to her feet she continued, "I'm a bit soiled from the walk over here. We can all enjoy a good bath together."
"Oh no," the girl moaned in a tiny voice as Nodoka dragged her toward the washroom. This was not the first time her mother had tried to bathe with Ranko. The first time had been near disastrous, and later attempts had hardly been better. While the original cause for fear no longer applied to her, since she was really a girl, marching into a bathroom with Akane was another kettle of bombs altogether. She stripped down painfully slowly, delaying the inevitable, but as soon as Nodoka was naked, she stepped over and helped Ranko undress with the efficiency only a mother could manage. Handing Ranko a towel, she smiled and shoved the girl through the open shoji and into the bathing area. .
Akane was just climbing into the furo when she noticed the intrusion. "Ran... Ranko! Wha... Mrs. Saotome?" Her eyes spotted the woman behind Ranko just in time to change her shout of outrage. Hastily composing herself, she asked more politely, "When did you get here? And, I thought I put the occupied sign out."
"Now, now, Akane," the woman soothed, directing Ranko over to the wash stools. While Ranko began to rinse down and lather a bar of soap, Nodoka continued to chastise, "Girls your age should not be so shy. We're all women here, and I understand the two of you are both in a hurry to prepare for your dates. I would think you would want to save time by sharing a bath and helping each other get ready!"
"O-of course. You're right," Akane blushed sheepishly.
"Sorry about this," Ranko muttered, risking a glance at Akane.
"No, no. You, ah, you are a girl," Akane waved her hands and forced herself to smile. She sank into the water, hoping the heat disguised the spreading blush as she continued, still trying to convince herself, "There's nothing wrong with girls sharing a bath."
"You two act like you've never bathed together!" Nodoka giggled.
"Well. Like you said, I am kinda, uh, shy," Ranko quipped, staring at the wall intently as she scrubbed her body and repeated the mantra under her breath, "I am Ranko. Ranko is a girl. I am Ranko, Ranko is a girl…" She almost lost the thread when her mother squatted on the stool next to her and let her hair down. The motion caught her eye and caused her to look over and gasp in astonishment at the waist length tresses cascaded loose and full over her mother's shoulder, taking at least a decade off her age. She always thought her mother looked young, but her suddenly seeming closer to Kasumi's age was a shock. Her brain was too locked up to protest as Nodoka moved behind her and began untying the Dragon's Whisker she still wore, and unraveling Ranko's pig-tail. It had been so long since she had let her hair free that she thought for an instant that the hair growth magic had reactivated, when she felt it brushing her spine a touch lower than her shoulder blades.
Akane, sitting low in the bath, was marveling at the extent of the resemblance between Nodoka and Ranko, as she watched one attending the other. While one part of her mind wondered if Ranko would one day attain her mother's height, another part was asking itself what the next shock or surprise was going to be. If she was aware of who was presently barging into her home, she would have instantly regretted the thought.
Fortunately, the young amazon had entered through the back yard and taken advantage of the wide opening facing the koi pond, rather than creating another entrance in her usual, destructive fashion. In any case, a dramatic entrance would have been wasted on Nabiki Tendo, and even Shampoo was leery of the financial repercussions of knocking down walls in the middle Tendo daughter's presence. As Shampoo whipped her head around looking for her usual target of affection, Nabiki crooked an eyebrow and asked dryly, "Hello, Shampoo. What brings you over?"
"Shampoo come see why Airen no ask Shampoo go on date!" she declared in her piping voice, complete with cute scowl.
"Shampoo," Nabiki sighed and rolled her eyes, as if beseeching the kami for patience. In her patented, lecture-the-idiot tone, the mercenary girl tried to spell things out, "Ranma has to go on a date with Akane. Their parents insisted on it. In fact, he's only going so he can test the techniques they learned today. Besides, I thought Cologne said you would not interfere while Ranma works on a cure. So..."
"Shampoo not care about other Ranma," the purple haired girl snapped, her gaze still searching for her husband. Waving in dismissal, she focused on Nabiki, "Akane have, Shampoo keep real Ranma. Is no problem. So, where Airen?" Shampoo ground her teeth as Nabiki studied her thoughtfully, then smiled mischievously.
"Oh. She is with Dr. Tofu..." Nabiki informed casually, then added as an after thought, "and Ukyo."
"No! Shampoo stop Spatula Girl from interfering with Airen!" Shampoo shouted, in instant fury. She left so fast she set the wind chimes to spinning in the breeze. The delicate notes wafted through the house.
"This should be amusing." Nabiki smiled in anticipation.
"Do you think you should have told her about that?" Kasumi startled her younger sister, appearing next to her without warning. She had caught the entire exchange from the hall, just out of sight of the door. Nabiki sighed at the stern look the eldest daughter was giving her.
"Relax, Kasumi. Having those two fighting over her will be good for Ranma-chan. It just might shake her back into being him," she assured blithely. Down the hall, the sound of a closet door opening, and rushing feet could be heard. The two girls turned to see Ryouga come panting towards them.
"Did I just hear Shampoo in here?" he demanded in concern.
"Hello, Ryouga!" Kasumi smiled at him, happily. She took in his appearance and offered a little frown. "Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for your date?"
"Uh, the bath's in use, and I thought it would be best to stay where I am," he flushed in familiar irritation and embarrassment. He shot a glare at the smirking Nabiki, but continued to point out the obvious. "If I went with Ranma and his father, I might not make it back on time."
"Well, since Ranko's bathing with Akane and Auntie Nodoka, I suppose you still have some time," Kasumi acknowledged, leading the boy to the table and offering him a cup of tea. As usual, he thanked her politely and smiled when she knelt across from him to chat. "Have you decided where you two are going to go tonight?"
"I have a few ideas. I was going to mention them to Ranko, and let her pick," he swallowed nervously, pulling out a notebook he had been scribbling his ideas down in. He quickly read through the list of potential date spots he had discovered in the course of his wanderings. In many cases, he even had travel and tourist brochures for various restaurants, theatres, dance and karaoke clubs, as well as scenic inns, temples and gardens. Kasumi offered noises of delight and surprise at the catalogue of ideas, passing them on to Nabiki in turn for her perusal. Nabiki winced and rolled her eyes, recognizing many of the exotic destinations as well as the discrepancies between their actual, and Ryouga's asserted, locations.
"Uh, it's a first date, not a honeymoon tour," she quipped, catching Ryouga's eye. Ryouga gulped at the implication, and quickly pocketed the notes and brochures. Nabiki took a sip of tea and suggested, "Maybe you should let Ranko pick a place, and lead you there."
Ryouga nodded and sank into quiet contemplation. The two older girls began discussing wardrobe ideas for Ranko, debating her reaction to each suggestion, and wondering what kind of fighting her clothes would have to survive. Ryouga just hoped that all the fussing over Ranko did not shake her nerve completely. He did not need to be told that she was very hesitant about all of this. If it had just been her, alone, no other considerations, Ryouga doubted Ranko would have submitted to her condition any further than being a complete tomboy and prospective lesbian. It was the hope of being Nodoka's daughter that was driving her to all of this. Yes, she had some feelings for him, thanks to Copy-chan. Those feelings embodied everything Ranma had ever feared about his curse. She was not doing this for him, he was just a perceived necessity in doing this for Nodoka. He was scared. He was positive he was going to end up having his heart ripped out. Still, he couldn't resist. The girl in Ranma had hooked him. He hated himself for doing it, because of the whole Ranma connection, but he was determined to get that girl back.
Ryouga was still lost in thought a while later when Ranko, Akane and Nodoka emerged from the bath. He glanced up to see them standing in robes, hair down, and glowing in good health and hygiene. He swallowed and tried to breathe, as he noticed that Ranko, with her hair down, in no way resembled a boy. In a sense, it was his first good look at the girl he loved. It reminded him of his first sight of Akane, fresh from bathing, but with a lot more impact. She met his eyes and smiled shyly, quite aware of his feelings for her. It made the blood sing in his ears. In spite of that, he could clearly hear Kasumi's comments.
"Ah, good, you are done." Kasumi turned to the man who had walked up behind the three women and smiled, "Father, I am taking Ranko upstairs to help her get ready. Could you show Ryouga to the bath, and then help him get dressed when he is done?" the Tendo patriarch nodded, at a loss for words as he stared at the three females. The combined impact of Nodoka's youthfulness, Ranko's femininity, and Akane's strong resemblance to his departed wife was shocking. Kasumi led the lost boy over to him and dragged her father's hand to his shoulder, adding, "I picked out something nice from Ranma's wardrobe for him to wear. You'll find it in the washroom. Thank you!"
"Do you mind if I come too?" Nodoka asked Kasumi, as she proceeded to lead Ranko toward the stairs. Akane had already moved ahead of them and paused on the stairs to look back. She had watched the change in Ranko during their bath, and did not know what to make of her at the moment. Nodoka's presence had completely unwound the former boy. She seemed in a daze, but at the same time possessed of a girlish charm and grace in posture and gesture. If it didn't seem implausible, she would think that Ranko had begun to act natural, but, where in the hell did THAT nature come from? Though it seemed like a lot to have on her mind, it really just flashed up for an instant, and then Kasumi replied to Nodoka.
"That would be wonderful! Come on, Ranko!"
"Can't back out now. I chose this…" the girl muttered under her breath, wondering why, with this constant, horrible feeling of falling, she could move with such unconscious composure.