A Ranma crossover fanfic

Started - 1 February 2003 Completed – 12 June 2003

Last revised - 10 May 2004 Reason - typos

Characters are from Ranma ½, Sailor Moon and Ah, My Goddess. They are used without permission or profit. This is a form of literary tribute to the original authors and no copyright infringement is intended.

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Chaotic Future . . . by . . . Cloud Dreamer

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Chapter six - Ranma Returns

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A month later Pluto opened a portal to the time gate and started to stride toward her domain only to freeze in shock when she noticed the three figures standing before the time gate. Stunned, she realized that they were using the gate with much more precision than she had ever managed and they didn't even have the Time Staff either.

She was initially tempted to attack them but quickly dropped that plan after recognizing them. They were the Norns. She was the guardian of the time gate, but they were the 'owners'. The gate depended on their powers to function. She hesitated, since when did Skuld have a . . . beard?

Urd waved her over.

"Yes," Chirped Belldandy, "It looks as if it is finally safe for Ranma's curse to be unlocked."

"Curse? What curse does Ranma have?" asked The Sailor of Time.

"That," Urd waited until she had Pluto's attention and then snickered, "is a secret."

The three Norns left the time gate while Pluto was still struggling to regain her equilibrium. She hated it when she did it to herself, she hated it even more when somebody else did that to her.

=  =  =  =  =

Ranko was whistling happily as she arrived at the temple for dinner. Much as she really liked her mother's cooking, Belldandy's cooking was somehow, well, heavenly.

Ranko grinned at her hosts as she sat down to wait for the meal to be served. She was startled when Belldandy came out of the kitchen carrying a kettle of hot water and knelt beside her. She watched with trepidation as the kami of the present started to chant. Belldandy finished by kissing her on the forehead. Without a word of explanation, Skuld picked up the kettle and poured the hot water over the redhead who was surprised when a long absent feeling washed over her. Ranma's face blanched with pain as a major problem with guys in form fitting panties and shorts became painfully apparent to him. Ranma quickly grabbed a glass of water and drenched himself becoming Ranko again. Her sigh of relief was very audible.

This confused the Norns at first until Urd suddenly realized the problem when she noticed that Ranko's formerly form fitting clothes were now rags that were barely hanging onto her. She started to giggle and then when she noticed everyone staring at her, she dramatically crossed her legs and put her hands protectively over her crotch. Ranko blushed deeply and Skuld suddenly realized what he had done to Ranma when he'd poured the hot water over the once again cursed girl.

"Ulp, humm, Ranko, I'm sorry about that." Skuld said as he blushed deeply. "I didn't think about what tight clothes would do when your form got bigger and changed into a guy as well. Sorry."

Urd finally got herself under control and cast her usual 'refurbish' spell on Ranko. Ranko nodded in appreciation even as she reached up to take the earrings out of her ears again. She was actually ending up with quite an earring collection from all the magically created earrings she had removed so far. Damn earrings anyway.

She sighed and said, "Thanks Bell and Skuld for releasing the lock on my curse. The first thing I'm going to do when I get home is go shopping and find some clothes that will fit 'Ranma'.

Skuld blushed but then asked anyway, "Ranko, can I go with you? Except for pictures and a peek just now, I've never seen what the real 'you' looks like and I'm sort of curious."

Ranko hesitated; it just somehow felt wrong for a guy to be interested in how Ranma looked. But then she realized that Skuld was really a girl and so she answered, "Sure, how about just after we leave here?"

Skuld nodded and that is what they did. Ranko of course bought copies of 'his' usual clothing.

Ranko rushed into the house with her purchases and barely paused when her mother called to her. She answered, "Sorry mom, but I gotta surprise for ya. Hang loose a moment and I'll show ya." And with that she rushed upstairs and quickly changed twice.

A quizzical frown on her face, Nodoka looked over at Skuld to see if he had any explanation to offer. His wide smile suggested that the surprise was a good one so she decided to wait before saying anything about her child's brash attitude and sloppy language. Shampoo merely shrugged her shoulders and waited.

A moment later and her son descended the stairs. Shampoo rushed to glomp him but was surprised to find Nodoka already there.

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Ranma grinned as he decided to introduce himself to his 'sister' Ranko's friends. The scouts were boy crazy and he was looking forward to teasing the slightly younger girls. It was fun to have his boy form back and yet not be tied down anymore.

The grin faded a bit as he recalled his mother's decision concerning Ranko.

Well actually, she'd left it to him, but that didn't make it any easier. Having started on this particular path with 'Ranko', he decided that he'd continue it and she'd graduate high school in just over a year from now. At the same time he decided that HE would take his equivalency test . . . maybe next year after he felt comfortable with his/her studies. After that, maybe he/she would enroll in some small local college and each gender would show up in class on alternate days or something.

He was glad that Skuld still maintained their friendship even after Ranma's curse was unlocked. It wasn't like Skuld had any leverage anymore on forcing a relationship with Ranma. He grinned slightly to himself, Skuld was actually the first true adult friendship that he had. It was very nice that they could just be friends without any demands on each other.

He snickered to himself as he thought about the girls he was teaching. Skuld had revealed the four girl's Scout identities during all the trouble with the Yakuza. Actually all the young kami had really done was confirm Ranko's suspicions based on observed similarities between the auras of the girls and the Scouts the few times she'd met them.

'Ah, the Scouts, here they came in normal girl appearance; now to mess with their minds. Let's see, first change into Ranko and let them know that HE was here. Then . . . oh, yeah; that would work.'

Somewhat later, in the dojo . . . and Ranko then concluded, "Well, that's it for the workout. Do any of you want to meet my older brother?" Seeing the eager looks on all their faces in hope of meeting this near mystical master martial artist who was rumored to have slain a god with his bare hands; Ranko snickered quietly in anticipation and continued, "Ok, wait here and I'll go get him. While you talk with him, I'm going to clean up so I guess that I'll see you all later. Bye." And with that she quickly vanished from the dojo and into the house.

Ranko quickly changed twice and then strode into the dojo in his customary Chinese red silk shirt and tied-off black pants. Seeing the girls he casually waved to them and said, "Hi girls. My name is Ranma Saotome, Ranko has told me a lot about you and she also said that you know some of the highlights of my life as well. Let me see if I can fit names to the descriptions she gave me." Ranma paused and then casually said, "Humm, odd hairdo, you must be Sailor Moon." Ignoring the shocked stances of all four girls he continued, "Another blond, that means you're probably Sailor Venus," he said to Minako. He glanced between the other two apparently studying the differences between them. "Let's see, tall and dark haired, that means you're Sailor Jupiter," he said to Makato. Turning to the last girl he said, "Well, the last one left, but the blue hair and her head in a book would indicate Sailor Mercury." He said to the shocked Ami who had indeed been reading.

He then waited. Sure enough . . . nothing?

All four girls had fainted in shock.

While they were out, Ranma quickly bathed and returned as Ranko. She was there when they returned to the waking world.

The five girls exchanged multiple glances, Ranko knowing far more than they believed. Finally Ami took a chance. "Ah, Ranko; just what did you tell your brother about us?" she fished hopefully. She really hoped that what had occurred with Ranma was only a mass hallucination but she doubted it.

Ranko grinned, "I told him all that I knew about you; including your Sailor Scout identities." Seeing their shocked faces, she blithely continued, "After all the aura skills and chi control that I've demonstrated for you, it should have been obvious that I can tell who you are even when you're transformed."

Seeing their faces blanch with trepidation, she reassured them, "Don't worry about it. I know you all had valid reasons not only to make sure you were around me but to keep your Scout duties secret. I don't hold that against you." She chuckled as she thought, 'We all have secrets. My curse secret probably won't last too much longer from them, but I'll just wait it out.' Aloud she said, "Don't worry about us saying anything. It's your secret, not ours to tell." She almost giggled at the looks of relief on their faces.

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Nabiki was sitting under a tree on the university campus making some notes on various possibilities for earning some money. The settlement that Urd had forced on her nearly a year ago had left her a bit short of casual cash. Oh she still had enough for college for herself and her sisters and the dojo bills were paid but that's about all.

"Hiya Nabs, how's it going with you?" murmured Ranma as he casually strode on by.

"Huh, oh hello Ranma. It's none of your business and don't call me . . . Ranma?"

The youth she hadn't seen in nearly fifteen months stopped and scratched his head, "Huh, I thought I said 'Nabs', I'm pretty sure that I didn't call you 'Ranma' after all that's my name."

Nabiki meanwhile was imitating a goldfish, eyes bugged out and mouth slowly opening and closing of its own accord while her mind was off line.

Ranma shrugged and turned to go only to find Nabiki suddenly there in his face. "You're a boy again! How did it happen?"

Ranma grinned mischievously and answered, as he slowly looked downward at himself in apparent wonder. "Hey, you're right! I'm a boy again and as for the rest," he paused and slowly held out his hand to her, palm up.

Nabiki glanced at his palm then back into his smiling eyes and back and again in disbelief. She then snickered and dropped ten yen into his hand.

Ranma gave her three yen in change, which caused her to start giggling.

He said, "The kami who locked me in my cursed form finally decided that it was time for that to be undone. So it was. That's just about all there is to that part." 'At least as far as you are concerned,' he mentally added.

Nabiki grinned, "Then that means you can go back home to the dojo, right?" 'And maybe those two old men will finally get off my back about you,' she hoped inwardly.

Ranma's face became expressionless, "No Tendou, not in this lifetime. At least not to live there again; that part of my life is over."

Nabiki thought to herself that she really preferred the teasing 'Nabs' to the icy cold 'Tendou'.

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Ranma was sitting on the ground in an outer paved area of the temple courtyard watching as Skuld worked his way through the somewhat advanced kata that Ranma had just taught him. At the same time his mind was ruminating on a few choice words his mother had given him earlier in the day.

She'd said, "Ranma, son, most of the ambitious young men your age are already starting college in preparation for their chosen lifework. I know that your dual lifestyle with Ranko does preclude anything except college night classes for you right now. But you need to consider starting to make some choices in your life. If you don't, your father will. Count on it. I know that it's impossible to restore all the honor that his actions have cost our clan in the past, but I think you should make the effort to do what you can."

Skuld finished up but noticing that his sensei was apparently lost in thought, wandered over and sat quietly beside the taller boy.

Ranma blinked a few moments later and then sheepishly turned to Skuld, "You did really well." When Skuld silently cocked an eyebrow at him, Ranma hurriedly added, "When I'm watching you, only the mistakes catch my attention. You did good, really."

Skuld nodded and then asked, "What's bothering you?"

Ranma sighed a few times and debated whether or not to say anything. Looking at the expectant look on his friend's face decided him. His friend's face, yeah. "Mom wants me to do what I can to clean up some of the dishonorable things that my dad has done. She's not making any demands and realizes that it's impossible to fix them all." At Skuld's understanding nod, Ranma continued. "The most serious area concerns engagements. Those for food, I don't really consider binding on me. I mean, charging for what should have been charity. No, I'm going to let pop worry about those, if and when they come up. But there are three engagements that have merit. The one with Shampoo has been honorably resolved, first when Cologne cancelled it and again when Aphrodite affirmed Shampoo's honor. I consider that the Tendou engagement was broken by the less than honorable actions of Akane, Nabiki and Soun; so that engagement is one that I'm not gonna worry about either. But my friend Ukyo, pop stole her dowry and she wasted ten, now almost thirteen years of her life in pursuit of me. First it was for revenge and later for marriage, still, that engagement has wasted most of her life so far."

Skuld cocked his head to the side and asked, "So, does that mean you're going to marry her then?"

Ranma shook his head negatively. "Nah, I don't love her like she wants me to." He added, "I'd marry her in a heartbeat if I didn't feel so strongly that she was just a friend of mine." He shuddered and whispered, "She feels more like a bother than a sister really."

"But I don't know how to honorably resolve it without marrying her." Ranma shuddered and then added, "I doubt that we would remain friends if we married. I'm not even sure we would remain married given that both of us have different lives planed. I don't think that I would fit in her life plans very well."

Skuld snickered, "Oh, I don't know. Shouldn't be too hard to learn to say, 'Shall I super-size that for you or would you perhaps like fries with your order as well?' Don't you think so?"

Ranma glared at his friend even if he had hit the nail in his life dead center. He sighed.

Skuld stood and held out his hand, "Come on, and let us go ask both big sisters. Maybe one of them has an idea."

Actually, Ranma lucked out as Kasumi was visiting again and best of all she was helping Belldandy out in the kitchen.

Ranma broached the problem just after they finished dinner. Belldandy thought about it for a few moments and then agreed saying, "I've studied your life Ranma. There are actually about two dozen more engagements based on meals that you may have to deal with but I agree with your assessment that those contracts are not 'exactly' honorable on either side."

From there Kasumi added, "It's too bad that nothing can be done about the dowry. As for the time Ukyo wasted, that's really her father's fault instead of Ranma's. If he hadn't rejected his daughter and forced her onto the revenge path to make up for his mistake in the first place then she wouldn't have wasted ten years of her life." Kasumi paused and added, "You know wasted isn't quite the right word. I mean she actually mastered her art during that time didn't she?"

Ranma nodded, he hadn't thought of it in those terms before but she was right.

Urd just shrugged and remarked, "So return the dowry, ah, it was a vendor's cart, a yattai, right?"

Ranma nodded again but remarked, "Dad got rid of it a dozen years ago. I haven't the foggiest idea of where to look.

Urd laid a hand on his shoulder, "I owe you one kiddo, let me take a look for it and I'll see what I can do."

A bit unsure, Ranma nodded anyway. He was sure nodding a lot recently; maybe he was more tired than he thought. While wondering he faded off into slumber.

Skuld snickered, now was his chance he thought to himself. With that he rose from the table and carefully pulled the slumbering young man into his room and rolled him fully dressed onto Skuld's futon.

Skuld laid out another futon for himself next to Ranma's

He missed the startled expression on Ranma's face the next morning when he woke up and found his face only inches from the other boy's face. Unmoving, Ranma suspiciously checked to see what gender he was. Boy, good. Pensively he studied the other face and realized that he found it sort of 'cute'. As soon as he realized that, Ranma was gone out the door.

Panting in the hallway, Ranma saw Belldandy coming toward him with a towel and some clean clothes. Clothes for him he realized as she handed them to him with a smile and a gentle shove toward the bathroom. "Sleepyhead; you must have been really tired to fall asleep at the table like you did. Wasn't it sweet of Skuld to let you take his bed while he used the spare futon?"

Ranma nodded, wondering but then shrugged and took his bath.

Urd showed up about midmorning just as Skuld and Ranma were finishing up their workout. She yawned widely but then said, "Hey Ranma, how about today we take a short trip. I found the yattai. Your ole man hid it in a cave and it's apparently still there. Hopefully only dusty but we won't be able to tell until we see it."

Ranma carefully inspected the yattai, not that he really knew what he was doing. Fortunately, Skuld did have some idea of what worked and what didn't. Skuld gave Ranma a 'thumbs-up' and Urd used a transportation spell to bring them and the cart home to the temple.

After a brief conversation with Belldandy, Urd and Skuld replaced some of the older worn hardware with modern equipment; then Belldandy blessed the yatti with a restoration spell. As a result, the yattai was in modern 'like-new' condition. Ranma grinned widely and hugged both of the older goddesses in an unusual show of appreciation. He hesitated a moment before accepting Skuld's hand and shaking it.

Ranma looked at his hand, a puzzled expression on his face. A few moments later he went into the kitchen. Ranko came out and promptly hugged Skuld as well. She blushed as she grinned at the surprised god. "You deserved a hug too. Thank you for your help. Without your prompting, I don't think I'd gotten this far in this matter. Thanks." Impishly, Ranko leaned up and kissed the young looking kami on the cheek; a cheek that promptly flamed pink.

Startled, Ranko's cheek's also flared. She turned and ran to the bathroom where she slammed the door. It was nearly an hour later before Ranma appeared. By unspoken agreement, neither said anything about it to each other. The others were under 'orders' from Skuld to not tease Ranma/Ranko.

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Earlier, when Ranko had fled into the bathroom, she had just stood looking at herself in the mirror for several long moments before hurriedly splashing herself with hot water.

Ranma sank to the floor, his back blocking the door from being opened. Internally, there was an interesting conversation going on between 'me, myself and I', or perhaps the good, the mischievous and the clueless would be better terms.

'Damn, the first time 'I' kissed somebody of my own free will and it was another guy!'

'He was cute though; remember, we decided that when we woke up in bed with him this morning.'

'Hey! He was in his own bed and we were both dressed anyway.'

'I didn't say anything about how we were dressed or not. Something on your mind? Humm?'

'This sucks, the first time somebody kissed me; it was a guy. The first time I kiss somebody and it's another GUY!'

'Hey, knock it off with the angst, you're interrupting us. Besides, you know Skuld is really a girl, just like you're really a guy; so it really was a guy-girl kiss if you think about it.

'Bleah'

'Actually, it was a sort of nice kiss.'

'Yeah.'

'Well, ok, I guess.'

'Too bad it was only on the cheek. I wonder how a little lip-lock would be; maybe we should go try it?'

'I'm outa here.'

'Yeah, right; and just where are you going to go idiot?'

'Snicker'

'Humpf, maybe I'll call neko to play with us! How about th . . .OWIE!'

'You try and pull that again, idiot, and the two of us will really pound you instead of just administering a few 'love-taps'. Know what we'll do to afterwards? We'll tie you up with all these 'good intentions' lying around here and toss YOU to neko.'

'Maybe we should do it as a guy?'

. . . prolonged mental silence (also known as shock) . . .

'Ewwuueee'

'Well, if she was a girl, then maybe it would be ok.'

'You know, there really wasn't much difference between Skuld as a goddess and a god when we first met her and she got locked as a guy.'

'True, but, well, did you notice that he's got a small chin-beard started?'

'Yeah, I think it makes him cute.'

'Maybe we should have pounded you instead.'

It was a long hour with his thoughts before Ranma finally gave up on resolving his confusion and left the bathroom.

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Ukyo was startled when Ranma showed up at her place. She immediately glomped him and held it for a long time. Finally she whispered, "Ranma, I'm so glad you got your curse unlocked. I was just about to give up on my dreams with you. I'm glad I didn't though." She leaned back a little so she could see his face. His eyes were sad she noticed. "Ranma?"

"I'm sorry Ukyo," he softly and sadly said. "I'll gladly be your friend but that's all."

"But my dowry!" she started.

"Is returned in better condition that when you gave it to pop," Ranma interrupted her as he stood aside and showed the refurbished yatti to her.

"But I wasted ten years of my life on revenge and another three being led on by you," she screamed in frustration as she sensed disaster for her dreams on the verge of reality.

Ranma shook his head and replied, "No Ukyo, you spent ten years learning your art. The revenge part was our dad's mistake, not mine. As for the last three years, I've lost count of the times I said I wanted a friend instead of a fiancée."

Ukyo screamed as she swung her giant spatula, "Get out, just get out. Get . . . out."

Ranma left, knowing his first friend was hurting and that there was nothing he could do to comfort her.

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Ranma sat on the roof of Juuban High School sulking. His mother had crossed the line today as far as he was concerned, again it seemed. No matter how hard he tried, she pulled out that old 'manliness' crap anytime he wavered from what she wanted of him. It seems that it really didn't matter that she'd already deemed that he'd satisfied it. Besides, he thought she'd gotten over all of that when he'd been locked in his cursed form this past year plus. But nnoooo, as soon as his curse had been unlocked, all this manly crap started up again. This last time he had finally called her on it. Ranma wasn't happy about the way things went though. It was just an hour ago that . . .

"Ranma," His mother sighed happily as prospects of her son's 'conquests' danced in her head. "I want you to invite some of those cute Sailor Scouts over for dinner so that I can meet them."

"No mother," Ranma once again repeated, "they are friends and I've promised to protect their identities, therefore I can't invite them over."

Nodoka frowned and said, "Ranma, I'm beginning to worry about your manliness. You have all these girls hovering about you, yet you do nothing 'manly' with them."

Ranma's frown matched his mother's as he slowly said, "So your version of my manliness relies on me dishonoring my friends because they are girls?"

She blanched at the way he'd phrased his question but she couldn't deny its accuracy once she'd thought about it. Suddenly angry at being put on the spot, she snapped out, "Don't take that attitude with me, young man. I'm your mother and I deserve respect."

Ranma's face hardened with anger at being attacked unjustly by someone he wanted to trust instead. He hissed, "Very well, I will yield the respect you demand." At the gratified look on her face he continued, "It should take me only a few moments to get the family tanto and prepare myself; I assume you will do your duty as my second?"

Hey eyes widened with shock, "NO Ranma, that's not what I meant!"

"It's what I mean, though. You leave me only two ways to prove myself a man. Either Seppuku or dishonoring both myself and my friends by living 'down' to your definition of manliness." Ranma looked his mother in the eyes and continued, "I will not be my father. I will not dishonor myself or my friends."

"Ranma, please don't do this." Her face blanched as she perceived his seriousness.

"As long as you continue to hold that contract over my head, I have no choice," Ranma sibilantly replied. "I'm tired of this game you play with my life using that contract. I will not accept it any more. Once again, I ask you, are you prepared to be my second or should I proceed on my own?"

"No." Nodoka saw the weariness increase on Ranma's face before she finished the thought, "No, Ranma. It's no longer necessary. You have just now proven your manliness in a most unexpected way." She reached into her Kimono and pulled out the contract, tore it in half, then again and yet again before handing the pieces to Ranma. She turned and then walked out of the room, her back straight but her shoulders shuddering with the emotion she would not show before him.

That was an hour ago.

Ranma looked at the pieces of the contract in his hand once again. He then tossed them into the air and destroyed them with a small ki blast. He hated the idea that it took the threat of his death for his mother to simply accept him. Apparently her total acceptance of Ranko was conditional on 'him' not reappearing.

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Skuld and Ranma had a weakness in common. It was ice-cream and though he loved it, Ranma refused to eat it as a guy. Not that Skuld minded eating it as a guy or that Ranma wouldn't. Actually from Skuld's point of view, it worked out pretty well. It also helped that it was the kami's power up means as well.

Skuld knocked on the door and a few moments later it was opened by Ranma.

Skuld grinned, "Hey Ranma, I'm a bit 'peaked' and need a charge up. Want to go and get some ice-cream, my treat?"

Ranma hesitated; he really loved ice-cream, especially when somebody else was buying. The Saotome stomach won again. "Sure, come on in for a few moments. I need to let mom know and get changed too.

Nodoka silently studied the young god.

Ranko came down the stairs dressed in a tank-top and shorts. She almost made it out the door before her mother spoke.

"Ranko!" said girl skidded to a stop. "No daughter of mine is appearing in public without a bra, especially when going out on a date." Nodoka pointed up the stairs, "Now march yourself back upstairs and put on something more appropriate."

"But mmoooomm."

"We will talk about it after you return," Nodoka smirked, "anything besides 'yes, mom' is going to get you grounded."

"Yes momma," sighed Ranko as she trudged back up the stairs.

The young god silently studied Nodoka.

Ranko slowly descended the stairs in a pale blue sun dress and hesitantly walked out the door. It was the first dress she'd worn since getting her curse unlocked. It felt both right and strange at the same time.

Skuld lifted her hand and put it into the crook of his elbow as he silently led the way to the shop. He was smiling even though he was sure this was going to cost him.

He was right; Ranko's troubled spirit took a lot of ice-cream to pacify.

=  =  =  =  =

Ranma was daydreaming about a cute mallet-wielding tomboy when he was broken out of his introspective moment by the ringing of the cell phone that Nabiki had given to him shortly after having his curse unlocked. She was being unaccountably nice recently. He was learning to hate the phone, but did admit that it really helped when his friends needed to contact him in an emergency. He had to threaten some of the Scouts with refusing to wear the phone in order to get them to not call him all the time after he had introduced himself to them again as a guy at the school. He had not yet needed to explain his curse to them but had repeated that they had met his sister Ranko earlier.

It wasn't an emergency, it was merely Nabiki again. Ranma sighed but this time he accepted the invitation to dinner at the Tendou's. He really didn't want to go home yet as he was a bit irritated that his mother had seemed to develop some sort of preference for Ranko; especially when Skuld was around. He'd avoided the Tendou home since being thrown out even after having his curse unlocked but he just couldn't refuse the offer of Kasumi's cooking again. Perhaps it was time to see how things had changed.

Ranma knocked at the door and patiently waited until Kasumi answered it.

"Oh, hello Ranma," said a smiling Kasumi. "Why didn't you come on in? After all it's your home and there really is no need for you to wait for an invitation to enter."

Ranma shrugged and quietly responded as he shed his shoes and walked into the dining room behind Kasumi, "Well, I don't live here any more so I thought it would be the polite thing to do."

Akane spitefully interjected, "That's new! Ranma being polite; let's mark the date."

Ranma paused, then turned around and strode back toward the door, leaving plainly his intent.

Akane blushed with shame and the beginnings of anger at the glares her sisters gave her. She quickly ran to Ranma, "I'm sorry, I was just teasing."

He hesitated then allowed the youngest Tendou to pull him back into the room.

The dinner was excellent, marred only by the attacks his father continued to make upon his food. Ranma chose not to participate in the food fight this evening and instead embarked on a counter move that involved using his chopsticks to touch several pressure points on his father's hand and forearm that caused Genma to release his own chopsticks. Each time he did this, it took Genma several minutes to undo the disabling move and regain control of his hand again. Each episode gave Ranma an opportunity to eat peacefully.

Ranma ate quietly, almost politely, one would say; if it were not obviously because he was introspective at the moment.

At the end of the meal, Genma and Soun stood and jointly proclaimed, "Now that you have regained your proper male form, it is time to unite the schools before anything else happens."

Akane promptly when ballistic; "What! NO, there is no way that I'm going to marry that womanizing pervert."

Ranma uncharacteristically ignored the commotion and spoke to Kasumi, "Kasumi, thank you for the delicious meal. May I help you with cleaning up?"

Akane snarled, "How dare you ignore me and flirt with my sister?"

Ranma turned to her and nonchalantly commented, "I agree with you that we are not engaged. Besides, I understand you are engaged to Kuno now unless your father is as worthless as mine and has made a false engagement as well. In addition, the last time I was here you threatened my life and we mutually agreed that it was over. I consider that ended the engagement between our families. Therefore anything I say or do with any other girl is NONE of your business. If I choose to flirt with Kasumi, it's her choice, not yours, whether that is acceptable. By the way, I wasn't flirting; I was offering to help her with the clean up work, something that I had noticed that nobody else in this house ever did while I was living here. You all tended to treat her as little more than a slave, and she deserves better than that, especially from her own family."

Ranma had met Kasumi many times at the temple this past year and fully approved of the changes that the older girl had made in her life though she still seemed oblivious at times.

Akane seized her mallet only to freeze when she noticed the ball of glowing ki balanced in Ranma's hand. Ranma sat there, waiting. Not threatening, just waiting to fulfill the promise that he'd made to her that he would not tolerate her attacks anymore. She swallowed her sudden fear and powered down her anger.

Genma and Soun took up the task though. As Soun's demon head started to rear its ugly head, Genma yelled, "Boy, how dare you flirt with Kasumi and offer to do girly stuff. It's unmanly for you to threaten you fiancée like you did. Oh, how sad that I'm cursed with an unworthy, unmanly son. We are doomed if your mother should ever learn of this."

Ranma sighed and tossed the ball of ki at the two worthless masters. The resultant explosion blew them both out the door and into the pond where they sat, dazed.

Nabiki wondered how to salvage the situation. She temporized by remarking, "I'm sure your mother would understand."

"Doesn't matter if she does or not; she destroyed the contract after I gave her the option of doing something like that or being my second a couple of weeks ago not long after my curse was unlocked." Ranma shrugged, "I got tired of her attempting to use it and my honor to manipulate me, so I called her on it."

Nabiki shuddered, "Would you have gone through with it?"

Ranma nodded, "Yes, if I wasn't prepared to go through with it, then the contract would have been meaningless to me anyway. Only the fact that I was willing to abide by it gave it any meaning."

Nabiki saw an opening to the topic she wanted to talk about. "That means that you consider honor to be important?"

"My honor anyway," clarified Ranma, "Family honor is pretty well shot thanks to the old man."

Nabiki winced at the qualification Ranma had added; this was not going to be as straightforward as she'd hoped. "Ranma, family honor is involved in the engagement. Maybe you don't care all that much about your family honor, but what about the Tendou family honor? Don't forget that there are two other Tendou daughters."

Ranma paused in helping clean up the table and looked uncertainly between both Kasumi and Nabiki for a few moments. "I'm not sure I understand. Are either of you saying that you are interested? Neither of you have ever said anything before."

Kasumi blushed but hesitantly nodded, "I find that one particular younger man is exceptional and I . . . I" Her blush deepened and Nabiki filled in the opening.

"Ranma, I made several mistakes with you." Nabiki admitted. "The first was foisting you off onto Akane that first day and then later giving you back to her after the engagement was temporarily switched to me. The second was not treating you with the respect that your skills entitled you to." She bowed, "I'm sorry."

Akane fumed as she heard this and finally screamed, "NO, you can't have him! His dad and all of you gave him to ME. He's mine. You ca . . . n't have him. Oh, oh."

Ranma exploded, "I'm not a toy, and I'm not some prize for you or anybody else to claim. You can't have me. I'M ALREADY SPOKEN FOR!" Ranma froze after he shouted that last sentence. He sank down and softly repeated it to himself, oblivious to his shocked listeners. "I'm already spoken for. When did that happen? When did I accept that? It's true though, isn't it? I'm already spoken for and I just realized it. Damn, now what do I do?"

Kasumi sank down beside him and looped an arm comfortingly about the younger boy. "Is it Shampoo, Ukyo or one of the Sailor Scouts; so who is the lucky girl?"

Ranma turned into Kasumi's shoulder and hugged her, seeking comfort in his confusion. Kasumi embraced him and waited for his answer. Ranma softly said, "None of them."

Genma, head steaming from a recent dose of hot water, with Soun backing him up, took this time to intervene. "Doesn't matter who this new bimbo is! The only girl you are marrying is a Tendou! Do you hear me?"

A lopsided grin appeared on Ranma's face and he slowly said, "Humm, I think I can actually agree to that in a way."

After they all recovered from the massive face-fault, Nabiki asked, "Ok, this isn't making any sense at all. Who is the lucky bride that isn't one of us but is a Tendou?"

Ranma smiled mischievously and poured a glass of water over his head. She said, "She was introduced to my mom as 'Tendou Ranko' and she's going to marry a guy named Skuld." With that, Ranko rose and made her way past the bodies laid out on the floor and then out the door chuckling mischievously all the while.

Akane sat there dazed. "I can't believe that pervert chose a guy instead of me."

Nabiki shrugged, "Actually, considering how we've treated him, it makes perfect sense to me."

Akane was irritated to notice that Kasumi nodded in agreement. Kasumi sighed wistfully for lost opportunity; a sound that Nabiki understood and echoed even though she was unhappy at the results.

Kasumi commented, "Skuld is such a nice boy though. He used to be a goddess before he locked Ranma's curse and got punished by Kami-sama."

"Skuld was THAT goddess!" yelled Nabiki. Nabiki paused a moment, "Wait, you know this Skuld?"

Kasumi nodded, "Oh, yes, Skuld is my friend Belldandy's younger brother now. They are all very nice to me and Ranma."

Ranma-chan danced along the fence tops all the way home. There was a light shower falling, more of a heavy misting than anything else. The sun shone in steamers and glancing beams among the scattered clouds and gave a surreal appearance to the dancing and laughing girl as she made her way home.

Nodoka was watching the moving clouds from an upstairs window as she pondered the mistakes she'd made with her child. She'd been doing this for hours before finally deciding that simple acceptance was all she could offer that would make any sense any more. Sighting Ranko in the distance, she became entranced with her daughter's performance as Ranko radiated her joy in life to all around her. She smiled to herself and whispered, "Ah Ranko, I miss you . . . son."

Shampoo had moved to stand next to her and was also watching Ranma-chan. She smiled to herself and said, "Ahh, shield sister is back. Ranko finally find heart again."

Nodoka was puzzled and asked her, "Shampoo, what do you mean?"

Shampoo shrugged prettily and sighed, "Ranma become more balanced over past half year. Ranma finally realize that Ranma is both boy and girl, not just one or other but both all time. Ranma is Ranma all time even when Ranko."

Nodoka considered this before finally smiling slightly and nodding her understanding.

Ranko came into her home and was greeted warmly by her mother. "Hello dear, let me get you some hot water, or did you perhaps want to take a bath instead. You look chilled, though I really would like to know what makes you so happy."

Ranko hugged her mother and said, "Humm, a bath sounds great. And the reason I'm so happy is that I just realized that I'm going to marry this really neat guy. He's 'god' like," she snickered. With that she danced upstairs and thence into the bathroom.

Nodoka didn't move for 10 minutes, finally uttering, "guy . . . marry?"

Shampoo sighed as her hopes for marrying Ranma were finally laid to rest.

Ranma soaked in the furo considering his next steps. He looked down at his strongly muscled body and pondered the mechanics of what he wanted to happen in the future. He shuddered momentarily as he considered marrying a 'guy' then started to panic at the thought of never seeing Skuld again. Shampoo silently washed up and entered the tub with him. She slid over to him and embraced him. Ranma froze momentarily before he realized she was crying into his shoulder. He slowly put his arms about her and hugged her loosely wondering what was wrong and what did he do now?

"Shamps, I'm sorry. . ." He started but she interrupted him.

"Ranma no do anything bad," the Amazon maiden whispered as she hugged him closer. "Shampoo glad for shield sister but miss airen."

"Shampoo, will . . . will you stand with me? Will you be my maid of honor?"

Shampoo giggled, "That sound funny for guy to say."

Ranma grinned, "Yeah, it sort of does, doesn't it?"

Shampoo released him and pushed herself back so they could see each other easily. "Shampoo honored, when is date? Is Amazon wedding?"

Ranma's grin faltered, "Well, Skuld actually hasn't asked me yet."

Shampoo stood up and drug Ranma out of the furo with her, "So? You is Amazon, you TELL him when date is. Come, we get you ready." This last was said as she poured cold water over the boy.

Ranko was dragged into Shampoo's room. Shampoo looked her over, considering, when they heard a knock on the door. A moment later Nodoka entered and paused upon seeing the two naked girls standing there. Shampoo sighed and said to Nodoka but mostly to herself, "This be big job. RANKO want to tell Skuld they get married soon. Ranko have to convince him. Ranko have to look good, but not have much experience with how girl do girl stuff."

Nodoka smiled; this she could do! "Well, I guess that's when a girl's mother and best friend have to help out isn't it?"

Ranko smiled hesitantly at her mother, "You mean it? You're ok with this? I know Shampoo is. But are you sure that this is ok?"

Nodoka grinned; this was going to be fun. She hadn't missed out on everything important in her child's life, not yet anyway. "Lingerie," she said decisively. "That's what we should start with."

Shampoo nodded, "Shampoo have just the thing too. Was saving for airen." At that thought, both she and Nodoka began to chuckle. "But didn't think airen would be one wearing it."

Ranko blushed deeply presenting the unusual vista of a girl that was totally red from hair to toes. She hesitantly put on the skimpy scarlet bra and panty that Shampoo offered her and her blush only deepened to the amusement of the other two women.

"Now we need a lovely dress." Nodoka suddenly snapped her fingers; "I have just the thing; wait a moment while I get it." She hurried out of the room and returned only a moment later carrying a dress that Ranko remembered from those months that she'd been hiding from her mother as 'Ranko'.

Shampoo intervened and offered Ranko a choice of several scents. Ranko chose a jasmine scent and Shampoo proceeded to powder and dab her before holding out a slip for her put on. Shampoo quickly dressed in one of her better pantsuits meanwhile.

A few moments later and Ranko was dressed in a full-length velvety emerald green dress, the skirt was full and the sleeves short but puffed out. Sitting her down, Nodoka quickly undid her braid and brushed out her hair into a simple flowing mass that shown with health.

Shampoo and Nodoka sighed together as they watched Ranko turn before the mirror as she checked herself out. They both had the same thought, 'how can someone who was born a guy be so beautiful a girl.'

Shampoo thought a moment before announcing, "Needs jewelry. Shampoo might have something." Nodoka nodded and left the room to check her jewelry as well.

Meanwhile Ranko thought of something and returned to her room. She wasn't one to collect 'girly' stuff like jewelry but she had acquired a few treasured pieces these last eighteen months. Ranko paused and then picked up the 'bonding-gift' that Shampoo had given her. It was the first thing that had really acknowledged Ranko as a girl. Ranko put it on momentarily forgetting the golden bracelet's magical nature since she hadn't worn it in several months.

As soon as the lock closed, the bracelet glowed with the magical enchantments imbued into it. Shampoo and Nodoka entered just at that moment and stared transfixed as the beautiful but otherwise normal garments Ranko wore, suddenly became 'other worldly'.

Ranko's appearance suddenly became perfection. Apparently the enhancements responded strongly to the nature of the starting 'base'. Ranko was dressed to kill; suddenly she was dressed to start a war like the famed Helen of Troy was once fabled. Her silk dress now had rainbow opalescence highlighting its stunning green. Her hair was coiffured and adorned with small glittering emeralds that matched her earrings.

Ranko grinned widely at the mirror, "All right!" She crowed delightedly. "If I'm gonna go girl, it's gonna be as a world class babe."

She thought for a moment, and then said, "Well, the next step is to find Skuld. If he's not at the temple, Belldandy will know how to find him, so the temple is the first stop."

Nodoka held out a hand, "Shampoo and I want to go with you but I don't relish the idea of strolling downtown like that. You are likely to start several riots again before we get there. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to call a taxi." And that is what they did.

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Author's note: Additional Ranma fan-fiction can be found on my Web Pages.

C & C to cloud (underscore) dreamer2000 (at) yahoo.com

Web-page  - www.geocities.com (slash) cloud (underscore) dreamer2000

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