Well, Fanfiction.net is being a royal pain in the bottom, so I'm going to
write this chapter now.
Alex: Hey, how come you didn't tell me you were writing a new story?
Alex Ultra: Because you're not in it...
Alex: So?
Alex Ultra: -_- You didn't need to be here, because it doesn't concern you.
Alex: So?
Alex Ultra: ... Um, yeah. Whatever...
Alex: Hey, got any string cheese?
Alex Ultra: No.
Alex: /.\
And now for the Reviewer Responses section. If there are any reviews for this story by the time I post this, I will respond to them here.
anime_DUST: Wow! Not even half a day and this fic ALREADY has a review! That's like a RECORD for me! ^.^ And to answer your question, yes, I do like Ranma and Akane together. They seem like the only REAL couple in the entire thing! All the others are just hang-ons that really need to get a life... ^.^''' Some of them would be good going together (like Mousse and Shampoo) but Ranma only seems to really care about Akane, and Akane is just the oppressive caring type. I loved the part at the skating thing just after Ranma hit the wall! 'Fool! And just when it was getting good too!' (If you don't mind me quoting Ranma.) Hehe, as for the funny, this is my style, there is very much funniness and many serious. There be many fight scenes from time to time and some people get over things too quickly. Other time it seem like I go too fast, and others I take forever to say one thing. But I always try to inject either humor or something that will make even ME tear up as I write it! (WAAA!! My characters are so confused! If only I could do something to help them!)
kensa: Thanks; I've always taken pride in quality. Hope you keep reading! ;P
End Reviewer Responses.
Okay, now I've just got to write the chapter, right?
Alex: Yeah, hey, what's it about anyway?
Alex Ultra: Eh, whatever it was my mind came up with. Honestly I don't know how it'll turn out till I write it down.
Alex: -_- That's not what I meant.
Alex Ultra: Then you'll have to read the first chapter, cause I'm not gonna write it again. \./
Alex: (O.o)
Oh, and this story has a lot going for it, but it's probably going to take forever to get where I want to. Which is okay, right? Yeah! More of the good stuff! Hahaha!!
Now, to get on with it! ^.^ Wow, I'm hyper right now!
~~~~~~*** DAY ONE AT THE TENDOS ***~~~~~~
Well, Ranma apparently wasn't comfortable, but I was doing my best to keep up! Seriously!
"...." Yet again, Ranma ended up waiting for me.
"Huff, huff, hey... can't you... walk, like a normal person!?" He was squatting on the fence he was running on, watching me huff and puff my head off.
"Nope, and you'll have to get used to it."
I frowned at him. "You're a real pain, you know that?"
His response was a smile. "You know, you're not the first girl to tell me that!" He chuckled. "Besides, we're almost there."
"Thank god!" I was already clutching at a pain in my side.
"Hello Ranma!"
"Oh, hi Kasumi! What's up?"
"Oh, we were running out of some things, so I went to the store." The tall, respectable looking girl looked me over. "Who's this?"
"Her? Honestly, I have no idea, but she seems to be lost or something. I think it's amnesia."
"I do NOT have amnesia!"
Ranma suddenly jumped down and put on a curious look, as he looked me straight in the eye, making me slightly nervous. "Say, what IS your name anyway?"
I calmed down a little, but I wasn't sure what to say. So, I tried an old ploy, I told the truth. "Um, well. Last I knew, my name was David. David R. Dilas." (A/N: Pronounced 'Dee-Loss'. Just in case you care.)
"... You're serious aren't you?" I nodded, with a very unsure grin on my face.
"Okay! Well then, you'll need a new name, won't you!?"
"I think Nabiki might be able to help you with that one."
I frowned. "You people are used to this, aren't you?" Kasumi only smiled and walked along.
"So Ranma..."
"Hmm?"
"NOW YOU'RE WALKING!?!?" I was a bit angry... hehe.
"Gaah! Um, yeah. Hey, it's not like it really matters! Besides..." He poked his index fingers together. "... It's safer this way."
"What do you mean safer?" I was airing on the side of caution... one never knew with people like these.
"Hehe, well, when Akane sees you, I just know she's gonna freak! And if it was just me, well..."
"Akane likes to get jealous. It's so cute too!" Kasumi pitched in with a smile.
"Yeah, whatever. I just know she yells a lot and hits me with stuff."
"She also enjoys splashing you with water!"
'Geeze, these people have something wrong with them...' I didn't realize that I was, yet again, holding my fists tightly and smiling that smile. The one with the teary eyes.
~~
"Hello?" Ranma was trying to get the girl's attention by waving his hand in front of her face. "Hello?!"
"What is she doing?" Kasumi was looking at her from the side, wondering what the heck was wrong with this new girl.
"I don't know..." With a deep breath, Ranma yelled right in her ear. "HEY!!! ARE YOU LISTENING!?!?"
~~
"AAAHHH!!! OW!! RANMA THAT HURT!!!"
"Apparently yes..."
Ranma was looking slightly annoyed. "What's up with you anyway?"
Kasumi only giggled a little. "Oh what are you talking about? I think she'll fit in just fine!" I was dumbstruck.
"...Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Oh, nothing!" I didn't believe him for a second.
"... So how much farther is it?" Not that I wasn't enjoying the rest.
"We're almost there." Less than a minute later we were turning into a gate.
'Seems pretty quiet... then again, Ranma isn't in there yet...'
We went up to the door and Kasumi went right in. "We're home!"
A strange man dressed in black spoke first. "Ah! Kasumi! I see you're back!"
Ranma signaled me to go inside, and I followed him in.
While I looked around, trying to get a grasp on my surroundings, Ranma spoke up. "Hey, where's Akane?"
"I believe she's out in the dojo." A young girl that seemed to be pouring over some books looked up and saw me. "Oh, and who's this?"
Ranma smiled nervously and replied. "Um, she says her name is David! Which reminds me, we need to think up a new name for her!"
She looked at me and I suddenly felt nervous. "Um, how about Lila?"
'Well that was fast.' "Um..."
"Great! That's perfect! I KNEW you would be perfect for that!"
"Yeah whatever." She went back to her book.
"...okay..."
"Come on Lila! We gotta find Akane!"
"But I thought--!" I didn't have time to finish as I was dragged away.
I soon found myself standing stupidly outside a strange building that seemed to have little more than some walls and a ceiling. Inside, I could hear as a strange, angry sounding girl yelling at Ranma. I couldn't catch the better part of the conversation, but I got the feeling that Ranma had done something to get her angry.
After a minute or so it seemed to calm down and Ranma soon led a strange girl to the door to meet me, I assumed it was Akane. "Um, hello."
Akane's expression grew angry rather quickly. Turning to Ranma, she seemed to scowl in a way that would make a ghost turn and run... or fly, or whatever. "And... WHO is THIS!?!?"
"This is Lila! She, um, followed me home?"
With the same sour expression, she seemed to be fighting to control her breathing for a second or so as she walked away. "Oh... is THAT it?" She grabbed a water hose. 'Oh boy.' "Get..." She sprayed him, and he immediately became a she. "OUT!!" Before Ranma even moved an inch she ran up to him... er, her and smacked her with a mallet (which I hadn't seen her carrying before) sending her flying through the air. Akane's venomous tone seemed somehow even more venomous than before.
I watched as Ranma disappeared behind some trees. "Um, what was that for?"
She smiled, seeming a bit pleased with herself. "I don't know exactly, but it sure made me feel better!!! HAHA!!!"
I'm sure I could have caught flies with my jaw dropped like that. "And... um, sure, whatever."
She then turned to me. "So what's YOUR story, huh? Did Ranma's father promise him to YOU too?"
"What? What do you mean?" I thought about it for a second, while under her glare, then my face brightened as I caught her meaning. "OH YEAH! I get it! You're jealous! Well, like I told that weird girl from the ramen shop, I don't want him." I was smiling matter-of-factly. "I just saw him change from a girl and... um, honestly, I've never seen anything like that before!"
"Huh?" Her expression said that she couldn't believe her ears for some odd reason. Does EVERYONE around here know about that!?!?
"Oh, um, I'm kinda new here. And it turns out that he was just the person I was sent here for! I'm SURE of it!"
"I thought you didn't want him?"
"NO! I don't want him! But I do want to spend time around someone as interesting as that!" I moved to whisper to her. "And just between you and me... it seems that his is about as interesting a life as you can get!"
"And who all have you met so far?" She was smiling a smile I wasn't sure I liked.
"Um, there's the two weirdo's from the ramen shop, and then the people here. Why?"
"HA! Let me tell you, it gets worse!"
I'm sure I looked confused for a moment, then I smiled dopily for a moment. "YES!! I DID FIND THE RIGHT PERSON!!! HAHAHAHA!!!!"
"Um, okay." Now it was her turn to be afraid and confused.
From what seemed like a long way off, I just barely heard some shouting. "...hey! Akane! What the heCK WAS THAT FOR!!??"
The shouting got louder as Ranma, now in girl form, and seeming to not even notice, hopped from building to building, landing in the grass just beside Akane.
"Oh, hello Ranma! I like your friend!" Akane ignored the question as if it didn't matter. "She's cool!"
I, however, was transfixed with how natural Ranma seemed in either form. "Wow! You're so natural!" I found myself searching her face for the boy that was there just a minute ago.
She smiled. "Oh! Well you'll learn to forget about it and just go with it!"
Akane seemed confused and slightly agitated at this statement. "What do you mean 'She WILL learn to forget about it?' She's already a girl!"
I crossed my arms. "Not till a little more than an hour ago..."
Akane was struck speechless. ".... Huh?"
I felt I needed to elaborate. "Look, I was taken here magically to find... well, I'm pretty sure it was him. Before I left, I was a boy, and then I wake up to find out that the trip turned me into a girl. Hmm... I wonder why?" I thought about it for a moment (don't worry, I do that rather often). "Oh well, he said 'Anything could happen'."
"And WHY are you here to find HIM!?!? Are you supposed to protect him or something?"
"NO!! HAHA! NO! What a concept! But no, actually it's like this. See, my life was boring, and it was so boring I was about to pull my own head off. I came here to find that person with the most chaotic, exasperating, confusing, and incredibly disorderly life around! Someone who's always doing something or being chased without really knowing why. And then I basically latch onto them like glue! Hehe!" I said the last part with a self-satisfied smile.
Ranma looked serious for a moment, as did Akane. "Yep, that's me alright."
"Yep, that's him alright."
I was standing there looking stupid for a moment until I came up with a thought. "But you know what?" They both looked at me with interest (it was almost creepy seeing that girl Ranma looking at me, where there was a boy just minutes before). "I need a job!" I'm sure they each had a large drop of sweat on the backs of their heads, out of my view. "And a place to stay... it seems like this place is too full though..."
Akane perked her head up. "Oh, you can sleep with me in my room! I think we've got another spare cot or something around here somewhere. It'd be like a sleepover!!!"
Ranma looked over at the other girl with a concerned look on her face. "Are you sure about this Akane?"
"Are you sure? I mean, we don't exactly know each other really well..." I wasn't exactly into the idea all that much.
"EXACTLY! That's why we need to do a sleepover! Then I can get to know you better!" I'm sure that she was thinking up something, I just couldn't figure out what it was. But I figured I better not anger her.
"Um, okay? Sure!" I tried to sound more confident than I sounded, which I'm pretty sure I failed at.
Ranma simply rolled her eyes and went back inside, presumably to dry off.
"So, um, Akane, do you practice Martial Arts?"
"Well, yeah. But my sisters don't..."
I smiled. "Could you teach me?" I got that same disbelieving look from a minute ago as an only response. Apparently, it was my turn to sweat drop....
~~ Later on ~~
Akane had tried to teach me some of the basics, but apparently even the basics were something I couldn't get the hang of.
Here I had always thought I had good form, but I apparently had the grace of a cow in mud.
"Okay, now just do what I do. Move from your center and don't worry about how your arm moves." She moved herself, and I do mean her whole self, and threw a punch.
If it really took that much to make one single punch, then I was in for a lot of aerobic workouts. I had apparently been signed in as a student.
Which was okay, it meant that the dojo would provide room and board as long as I would need it, but I still needed to get a job, with hopes of eventually being able to pay for myself.
I tried the punch, doing as much of the same as I could. I still wasn't doing it right though.
Akane let out a short sigh, and looked me over. "Well, maybe we can go on to meditation."
"Okay, I'm pretty sure I can do that."
"Why's that?"
"Well, I picked up on it cause I really needed to get away from my life every once in a while. It feels good to just let your mind wander, y'know?"
"Yeah, well, if you're sure you know meditation, then that's good enough. But let's try self-meditation. All you do is focus on your body and what it tells you, rather than simply letting your mind wander, okay?"
I had a pretty good idea what she was talking about, and it seemed like a good idea too. "Okay, I guess."
She sat down Indian style and I did the same. "Now you just focus on yourself, tune everything else out." I nodded my head silently and did as I was told, trying my best to keep everything out.
I sat there for a long while, just paying attention to what I felt. Not telling it anything except to keep breathing.
After a while, I came across the reason I couldn't seem to coordinate my movements like I used to. With the different build of being a girl, I seemed to have a different balance from before.
While I was musing over why I hadn't noticed this before, I noticed something else. Although it was difficult to tell exactly what it was, I definitely could tell something was different from before. I may have gotten used to it with just walking around and all, or perhaps I was used to it more subconsciously, like how I was now speaking Japanese instead of English.
I did feel a lot more comfortable in the clothes Akane had lent me, which was a bonus. But it almost kindof surprised me that they fit as well as they did, though I seemed to be built more like Ranma. The female version, of course.
"Your mind is wandering, isn't it?"
Akane interrupted my train of thought, and I opened my eyes to see an annoyed expression adorning her features. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess so. But how'd you know?"
"Your breathing was getting heavier." She stood up, and I started to follow her. "No, I'm just gonna see when supper's gonna be ready. You can stay here and keep this up, I'll come get you if it's done." I nodded and she walked away.
'She seems a lot calmer when Ranma's not around...' I shrugged off the thought and went back to my meditating.
I kept yawning the entire time, but I did my best to keep my attention on my body. Which is part of the reason I was yawning so much, it was already several hours past the normal time I went to sleep. By my estimate, it would be about three in the morning about now, but here the sun was just barely starting to go down.
I noticed my thoughts were wandering again, and gently nudged them back to where they should be.
I sat like that for a little while longer, not even noticing Akane coming back into the dojo building.
"Are you alright?"
I opened one eye and looked at her groggily. "Huh? Yeah, why?"
"You're crying!"
"I am?" Sure enough there were tears running down at least one side of my face. "Oh! Um, sorry, I get teary when I yawn too much."
"Why are you tired?"
"Because I should have been in bed three hours ago. Jet lag I guess..."
"Without the jet." Akane smiled and I smiled back.
"Yeah, I know."
"Well, Kasumi says supper's ready, so why don't you come on in?"
I yawned again and tried to smile enthusiastically. "After you!"
~~
On the way to the table I managed to yawn five times, and sneeze once, although I have no idea where that came from.
I tried to stay awake mentally for supper, if only so I could answer questions. I honestly can't remember what they served that night, but I'm pretty sure it didn't taste horrible.
"So where do you come from?"
"Kansas."
"What's that?"
"It's a state... um, it's in the USA."
"But you speak such perfect Japanese, you can't be from America!"
"I'm puzzled about that too, just before I came here I was speaking English. About the only Japanese word I really knew was baka... oh, and onna I guess." If you're wondering why I'm not telling who's speaking, it's because I can't remember. I could barely think at all right then, let alone remember anything like that.
"And you were a boy?"
"Yeah, I [yyyyyaaaaawwwwwnnnnn] I uh, well, yeah."
Kasumi added to what I couldn't think to say. "Well, what she had on confirmed that. Her clothes were made for a boy, and it was all definitely American. Even the money." Something kinda disturbed me about that statement, but I couldn't figure out what it was. And then I yawned and forgot that I had even thought about it.
"Cool! Welcome to the club!"
"What club?"
"The one that now has three members! That I know of..."
"And who would that be?"
"Me, Lila, and that one guy... uh, Herb! Yeah, that's his name!"
"Oh really, and what would the name of this club be?"
"The club of boys turned into girls! Haha!"
I was so tired; I couldn't even focus enough to come up with those questions on my own.
"Ranma, I don't know if Lila really counts, you and Herb were cursed by that spring. So far it sounds like Lila's is a bit more permanent."
"Hey, Lila, I just thought of something." I craned my neck to look at Kasumi.
"Hmm?"
"Earlier you said your name had an R in it. What does it stand for?"
I was so tired; I couldn't even remember why I hated my middle name so much. "Renee." Half the room went silent, and the other half looked confused for a moment. About a fourth of the room tried their best to hold back a chuckle, and Ranma went into straight out laughing fits, which sounded more like a hard giggle in his current state.
"Um, are you sure?"
I nodded my head. "Mmm, hmm. Why?" I sat silently for about half a minute, the gears in my head slowly turning, then I'm sure I turned bright red. "Uh, about that... I can explain it..."
I waited till Ranma stopped laughing and everyone else had gotten control of their giggling before I spoke. "See, the minister had told my mom I would be a girl, she had already decided on a middle name before I was even born. She's stubborn enough that I'm glad she couldn't think of any good first names... For a girl anyway. She just didn't want to change her mind."
Ranma spoke up first. "Ah, that sounds like it makes a lot more sense than what I had in mind."
Akane looked at him funny and asked to elaborate. "Hmm? And what would that be?"
"Well, Happosai told me once that he once got the chance to give a kid a name. He chose Pantyhose." She smiled. "Ha! Poor guy's been chasin him around ever since tryin to get him to change his name!" She then went into another fit of laughter; I honestly couldn't see what was so funny.
'Thirty...' As I sat there, I counted how many times I yawned. 'Thirty- three...'
"She looks pretty tired... Akane, why don't you-?"
"Yes father." That was Akane? 'Thirty-nine...'
I stood up when someone grabbed my hand. "Come on..." I looked up at her, and decided I could stand on my own two legs.
Turns out, it was harder than I thought, I nearly fell over. Blinking my eyes back to life, I managed to stand under my own power, and let myself get led to... somewhere.
I wasn't exactly sure how I ended up there (that's how far out of it I was) but I ended up in Akane's room. "Here, looks like they already set up your bed. It's not exactly first class, but it's better than sleeping on the floor." At the moment, I would have slept on the floor and not even noticed.
"Okay... [Insert yawn here]" 'Okay, this is getting old...' I crawled in the cot thing and put my head on the little white pillow.
"Geeze, you are tired, aren't you? Don't you want to take a bath first?"
I looked up at her, sleep ready to take me. "Geeze, you sound like my mom. Besides, I'm afraid if I [yawnerific] did, I'd fall asleep and drown... [Yet another yawn]" I was just barely able to keep one eye open.
"Well, okay. I guess it can wait till morning. I wanna talk to you anyway, when we get the chance..."
I was so far already asleep that I didn't even notice her pull the blanket over me.
~~~~~~*** I can't let this chapter get any longer ***~~~~~~
Sorry, but I just can't go that far with one chapter. But anyway, go ahead and tell me what you think, and also, if things work out right, the next chapter should be out tomorrow.
Alex: I think I've only been that tired once...
Alex Ultra: Oh really?
Alex: Yeah, one time I had used up my energy so much that I felt SUPER tired. I then came to find out that it also happened to be five in the morning. Now THAT is tired!
Alex Ultra: I bet... X.x
Lila: Did I do okay?
Alex Ultra: Um, I think so. Yeah, you were tired very well... X.x My head hurts.
Lila: Okay, cool. Um, you got anything to eat around here?
Alex: OH!! OH! PICK ME! I KNOW!
Lila: Um, okay. I pick you?
Alex: Follow me! I'll show you some GREAT stuff!
Alex Ultra: Hey! You stay out of my---
Alex: Don't worry! I won't! ^.^
Alex Ultra: Oh, okay... [To self] Hey, wait a second...
Well, I gotta go, if it isn't done already, the next chapter should be coming out soon, so review and tell me what you think! Also, there should be some action coming later.
As for right now, I gotta check on a certain character of mine...
Bringer of Hope and Creator of Worlds
Alex and Alex Ultra
LATER
Alex: Hey, how come you didn't tell me you were writing a new story?
Alex Ultra: Because you're not in it...
Alex: So?
Alex Ultra: -_- You didn't need to be here, because it doesn't concern you.
Alex: So?
Alex Ultra: ... Um, yeah. Whatever...
Alex: Hey, got any string cheese?
Alex Ultra: No.
Alex: /.\
And now for the Reviewer Responses section. If there are any reviews for this story by the time I post this, I will respond to them here.
anime_DUST: Wow! Not even half a day and this fic ALREADY has a review! That's like a RECORD for me! ^.^ And to answer your question, yes, I do like Ranma and Akane together. They seem like the only REAL couple in the entire thing! All the others are just hang-ons that really need to get a life... ^.^''' Some of them would be good going together (like Mousse and Shampoo) but Ranma only seems to really care about Akane, and Akane is just the oppressive caring type. I loved the part at the skating thing just after Ranma hit the wall! 'Fool! And just when it was getting good too!' (If you don't mind me quoting Ranma.) Hehe, as for the funny, this is my style, there is very much funniness and many serious. There be many fight scenes from time to time and some people get over things too quickly. Other time it seem like I go too fast, and others I take forever to say one thing. But I always try to inject either humor or something that will make even ME tear up as I write it! (WAAA!! My characters are so confused! If only I could do something to help them!)
kensa: Thanks; I've always taken pride in quality. Hope you keep reading! ;P
End Reviewer Responses.
Okay, now I've just got to write the chapter, right?
Alex: Yeah, hey, what's it about anyway?
Alex Ultra: Eh, whatever it was my mind came up with. Honestly I don't know how it'll turn out till I write it down.
Alex: -_- That's not what I meant.
Alex Ultra: Then you'll have to read the first chapter, cause I'm not gonna write it again. \./
Alex: (O.o)
Oh, and this story has a lot going for it, but it's probably going to take forever to get where I want to. Which is okay, right? Yeah! More of the good stuff! Hahaha!!
Now, to get on with it! ^.^ Wow, I'm hyper right now!
~~~~~~*** DAY ONE AT THE TENDOS ***~~~~~~
Well, Ranma apparently wasn't comfortable, but I was doing my best to keep up! Seriously!
"...." Yet again, Ranma ended up waiting for me.
"Huff, huff, hey... can't you... walk, like a normal person!?" He was squatting on the fence he was running on, watching me huff and puff my head off.
"Nope, and you'll have to get used to it."
I frowned at him. "You're a real pain, you know that?"
His response was a smile. "You know, you're not the first girl to tell me that!" He chuckled. "Besides, we're almost there."
"Thank god!" I was already clutching at a pain in my side.
"Hello Ranma!"
"Oh, hi Kasumi! What's up?"
"Oh, we were running out of some things, so I went to the store." The tall, respectable looking girl looked me over. "Who's this?"
"Her? Honestly, I have no idea, but she seems to be lost or something. I think it's amnesia."
"I do NOT have amnesia!"
Ranma suddenly jumped down and put on a curious look, as he looked me straight in the eye, making me slightly nervous. "Say, what IS your name anyway?"
I calmed down a little, but I wasn't sure what to say. So, I tried an old ploy, I told the truth. "Um, well. Last I knew, my name was David. David R. Dilas." (A/N: Pronounced 'Dee-Loss'. Just in case you care.)
"... You're serious aren't you?" I nodded, with a very unsure grin on my face.
"Okay! Well then, you'll need a new name, won't you!?"
"I think Nabiki might be able to help you with that one."
I frowned. "You people are used to this, aren't you?" Kasumi only smiled and walked along.
"So Ranma..."
"Hmm?"
"NOW YOU'RE WALKING!?!?" I was a bit angry... hehe.
"Gaah! Um, yeah. Hey, it's not like it really matters! Besides..." He poked his index fingers together. "... It's safer this way."
"What do you mean safer?" I was airing on the side of caution... one never knew with people like these.
"Hehe, well, when Akane sees you, I just know she's gonna freak! And if it was just me, well..."
"Akane likes to get jealous. It's so cute too!" Kasumi pitched in with a smile.
"Yeah, whatever. I just know she yells a lot and hits me with stuff."
"She also enjoys splashing you with water!"
'Geeze, these people have something wrong with them...' I didn't realize that I was, yet again, holding my fists tightly and smiling that smile. The one with the teary eyes.
~~
"Hello?" Ranma was trying to get the girl's attention by waving his hand in front of her face. "Hello?!"
"What is she doing?" Kasumi was looking at her from the side, wondering what the heck was wrong with this new girl.
"I don't know..." With a deep breath, Ranma yelled right in her ear. "HEY!!! ARE YOU LISTENING!?!?"
~~
"AAAHHH!!! OW!! RANMA THAT HURT!!!"
"Apparently yes..."
Ranma was looking slightly annoyed. "What's up with you anyway?"
Kasumi only giggled a little. "Oh what are you talking about? I think she'll fit in just fine!" I was dumbstruck.
"...Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Oh, nothing!" I didn't believe him for a second.
"... So how much farther is it?" Not that I wasn't enjoying the rest.
"We're almost there." Less than a minute later we were turning into a gate.
'Seems pretty quiet... then again, Ranma isn't in there yet...'
We went up to the door and Kasumi went right in. "We're home!"
A strange man dressed in black spoke first. "Ah! Kasumi! I see you're back!"
Ranma signaled me to go inside, and I followed him in.
While I looked around, trying to get a grasp on my surroundings, Ranma spoke up. "Hey, where's Akane?"
"I believe she's out in the dojo." A young girl that seemed to be pouring over some books looked up and saw me. "Oh, and who's this?"
Ranma smiled nervously and replied. "Um, she says her name is David! Which reminds me, we need to think up a new name for her!"
She looked at me and I suddenly felt nervous. "Um, how about Lila?"
'Well that was fast.' "Um..."
"Great! That's perfect! I KNEW you would be perfect for that!"
"Yeah whatever." She went back to her book.
"...okay..."
"Come on Lila! We gotta find Akane!"
"But I thought--!" I didn't have time to finish as I was dragged away.
I soon found myself standing stupidly outside a strange building that seemed to have little more than some walls and a ceiling. Inside, I could hear as a strange, angry sounding girl yelling at Ranma. I couldn't catch the better part of the conversation, but I got the feeling that Ranma had done something to get her angry.
After a minute or so it seemed to calm down and Ranma soon led a strange girl to the door to meet me, I assumed it was Akane. "Um, hello."
Akane's expression grew angry rather quickly. Turning to Ranma, she seemed to scowl in a way that would make a ghost turn and run... or fly, or whatever. "And... WHO is THIS!?!?"
"This is Lila! She, um, followed me home?"
With the same sour expression, she seemed to be fighting to control her breathing for a second or so as she walked away. "Oh... is THAT it?" She grabbed a water hose. 'Oh boy.' "Get..." She sprayed him, and he immediately became a she. "OUT!!" Before Ranma even moved an inch she ran up to him... er, her and smacked her with a mallet (which I hadn't seen her carrying before) sending her flying through the air. Akane's venomous tone seemed somehow even more venomous than before.
I watched as Ranma disappeared behind some trees. "Um, what was that for?"
She smiled, seeming a bit pleased with herself. "I don't know exactly, but it sure made me feel better!!! HAHA!!!"
I'm sure I could have caught flies with my jaw dropped like that. "And... um, sure, whatever."
She then turned to me. "So what's YOUR story, huh? Did Ranma's father promise him to YOU too?"
"What? What do you mean?" I thought about it for a second, while under her glare, then my face brightened as I caught her meaning. "OH YEAH! I get it! You're jealous! Well, like I told that weird girl from the ramen shop, I don't want him." I was smiling matter-of-factly. "I just saw him change from a girl and... um, honestly, I've never seen anything like that before!"
"Huh?" Her expression said that she couldn't believe her ears for some odd reason. Does EVERYONE around here know about that!?!?
"Oh, um, I'm kinda new here. And it turns out that he was just the person I was sent here for! I'm SURE of it!"
"I thought you didn't want him?"
"NO! I don't want him! But I do want to spend time around someone as interesting as that!" I moved to whisper to her. "And just between you and me... it seems that his is about as interesting a life as you can get!"
"And who all have you met so far?" She was smiling a smile I wasn't sure I liked.
"Um, there's the two weirdo's from the ramen shop, and then the people here. Why?"
"HA! Let me tell you, it gets worse!"
I'm sure I looked confused for a moment, then I smiled dopily for a moment. "YES!! I DID FIND THE RIGHT PERSON!!! HAHAHAHA!!!!"
"Um, okay." Now it was her turn to be afraid and confused.
From what seemed like a long way off, I just barely heard some shouting. "...hey! Akane! What the heCK WAS THAT FOR!!??"
The shouting got louder as Ranma, now in girl form, and seeming to not even notice, hopped from building to building, landing in the grass just beside Akane.
"Oh, hello Ranma! I like your friend!" Akane ignored the question as if it didn't matter. "She's cool!"
I, however, was transfixed with how natural Ranma seemed in either form. "Wow! You're so natural!" I found myself searching her face for the boy that was there just a minute ago.
She smiled. "Oh! Well you'll learn to forget about it and just go with it!"
Akane seemed confused and slightly agitated at this statement. "What do you mean 'She WILL learn to forget about it?' She's already a girl!"
I crossed my arms. "Not till a little more than an hour ago..."
Akane was struck speechless. ".... Huh?"
I felt I needed to elaborate. "Look, I was taken here magically to find... well, I'm pretty sure it was him. Before I left, I was a boy, and then I wake up to find out that the trip turned me into a girl. Hmm... I wonder why?" I thought about it for a moment (don't worry, I do that rather often). "Oh well, he said 'Anything could happen'."
"And WHY are you here to find HIM!?!? Are you supposed to protect him or something?"
"NO!! HAHA! NO! What a concept! But no, actually it's like this. See, my life was boring, and it was so boring I was about to pull my own head off. I came here to find that person with the most chaotic, exasperating, confusing, and incredibly disorderly life around! Someone who's always doing something or being chased without really knowing why. And then I basically latch onto them like glue! Hehe!" I said the last part with a self-satisfied smile.
Ranma looked serious for a moment, as did Akane. "Yep, that's me alright."
"Yep, that's him alright."
I was standing there looking stupid for a moment until I came up with a thought. "But you know what?" They both looked at me with interest (it was almost creepy seeing that girl Ranma looking at me, where there was a boy just minutes before). "I need a job!" I'm sure they each had a large drop of sweat on the backs of their heads, out of my view. "And a place to stay... it seems like this place is too full though..."
Akane perked her head up. "Oh, you can sleep with me in my room! I think we've got another spare cot or something around here somewhere. It'd be like a sleepover!!!"
Ranma looked over at the other girl with a concerned look on her face. "Are you sure about this Akane?"
"Are you sure? I mean, we don't exactly know each other really well..." I wasn't exactly into the idea all that much.
"EXACTLY! That's why we need to do a sleepover! Then I can get to know you better!" I'm sure that she was thinking up something, I just couldn't figure out what it was. But I figured I better not anger her.
"Um, okay? Sure!" I tried to sound more confident than I sounded, which I'm pretty sure I failed at.
Ranma simply rolled her eyes and went back inside, presumably to dry off.
"So, um, Akane, do you practice Martial Arts?"
"Well, yeah. But my sisters don't..."
I smiled. "Could you teach me?" I got that same disbelieving look from a minute ago as an only response. Apparently, it was my turn to sweat drop....
~~ Later on ~~
Akane had tried to teach me some of the basics, but apparently even the basics were something I couldn't get the hang of.
Here I had always thought I had good form, but I apparently had the grace of a cow in mud.
"Okay, now just do what I do. Move from your center and don't worry about how your arm moves." She moved herself, and I do mean her whole self, and threw a punch.
If it really took that much to make one single punch, then I was in for a lot of aerobic workouts. I had apparently been signed in as a student.
Which was okay, it meant that the dojo would provide room and board as long as I would need it, but I still needed to get a job, with hopes of eventually being able to pay for myself.
I tried the punch, doing as much of the same as I could. I still wasn't doing it right though.
Akane let out a short sigh, and looked me over. "Well, maybe we can go on to meditation."
"Okay, I'm pretty sure I can do that."
"Why's that?"
"Well, I picked up on it cause I really needed to get away from my life every once in a while. It feels good to just let your mind wander, y'know?"
"Yeah, well, if you're sure you know meditation, then that's good enough. But let's try self-meditation. All you do is focus on your body and what it tells you, rather than simply letting your mind wander, okay?"
I had a pretty good idea what she was talking about, and it seemed like a good idea too. "Okay, I guess."
She sat down Indian style and I did the same. "Now you just focus on yourself, tune everything else out." I nodded my head silently and did as I was told, trying my best to keep everything out.
I sat there for a long while, just paying attention to what I felt. Not telling it anything except to keep breathing.
After a while, I came across the reason I couldn't seem to coordinate my movements like I used to. With the different build of being a girl, I seemed to have a different balance from before.
While I was musing over why I hadn't noticed this before, I noticed something else. Although it was difficult to tell exactly what it was, I definitely could tell something was different from before. I may have gotten used to it with just walking around and all, or perhaps I was used to it more subconsciously, like how I was now speaking Japanese instead of English.
I did feel a lot more comfortable in the clothes Akane had lent me, which was a bonus. But it almost kindof surprised me that they fit as well as they did, though I seemed to be built more like Ranma. The female version, of course.
"Your mind is wandering, isn't it?"
Akane interrupted my train of thought, and I opened my eyes to see an annoyed expression adorning her features. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess so. But how'd you know?"
"Your breathing was getting heavier." She stood up, and I started to follow her. "No, I'm just gonna see when supper's gonna be ready. You can stay here and keep this up, I'll come get you if it's done." I nodded and she walked away.
'She seems a lot calmer when Ranma's not around...' I shrugged off the thought and went back to my meditating.
I kept yawning the entire time, but I did my best to keep my attention on my body. Which is part of the reason I was yawning so much, it was already several hours past the normal time I went to sleep. By my estimate, it would be about three in the morning about now, but here the sun was just barely starting to go down.
I noticed my thoughts were wandering again, and gently nudged them back to where they should be.
I sat like that for a little while longer, not even noticing Akane coming back into the dojo building.
"Are you alright?"
I opened one eye and looked at her groggily. "Huh? Yeah, why?"
"You're crying!"
"I am?" Sure enough there were tears running down at least one side of my face. "Oh! Um, sorry, I get teary when I yawn too much."
"Why are you tired?"
"Because I should have been in bed three hours ago. Jet lag I guess..."
"Without the jet." Akane smiled and I smiled back.
"Yeah, I know."
"Well, Kasumi says supper's ready, so why don't you come on in?"
I yawned again and tried to smile enthusiastically. "After you!"
~~
On the way to the table I managed to yawn five times, and sneeze once, although I have no idea where that came from.
I tried to stay awake mentally for supper, if only so I could answer questions. I honestly can't remember what they served that night, but I'm pretty sure it didn't taste horrible.
"So where do you come from?"
"Kansas."
"What's that?"
"It's a state... um, it's in the USA."
"But you speak such perfect Japanese, you can't be from America!"
"I'm puzzled about that too, just before I came here I was speaking English. About the only Japanese word I really knew was baka... oh, and onna I guess." If you're wondering why I'm not telling who's speaking, it's because I can't remember. I could barely think at all right then, let alone remember anything like that.
"And you were a boy?"
"Yeah, I [yyyyyaaaaawwwwwnnnnn] I uh, well, yeah."
Kasumi added to what I couldn't think to say. "Well, what she had on confirmed that. Her clothes were made for a boy, and it was all definitely American. Even the money." Something kinda disturbed me about that statement, but I couldn't figure out what it was. And then I yawned and forgot that I had even thought about it.
"Cool! Welcome to the club!"
"What club?"
"The one that now has three members! That I know of..."
"And who would that be?"
"Me, Lila, and that one guy... uh, Herb! Yeah, that's his name!"
"Oh really, and what would the name of this club be?"
"The club of boys turned into girls! Haha!"
I was so tired; I couldn't even focus enough to come up with those questions on my own.
"Ranma, I don't know if Lila really counts, you and Herb were cursed by that spring. So far it sounds like Lila's is a bit more permanent."
"Hey, Lila, I just thought of something." I craned my neck to look at Kasumi.
"Hmm?"
"Earlier you said your name had an R in it. What does it stand for?"
I was so tired; I couldn't even remember why I hated my middle name so much. "Renee." Half the room went silent, and the other half looked confused for a moment. About a fourth of the room tried their best to hold back a chuckle, and Ranma went into straight out laughing fits, which sounded more like a hard giggle in his current state.
"Um, are you sure?"
I nodded my head. "Mmm, hmm. Why?" I sat silently for about half a minute, the gears in my head slowly turning, then I'm sure I turned bright red. "Uh, about that... I can explain it..."
I waited till Ranma stopped laughing and everyone else had gotten control of their giggling before I spoke. "See, the minister had told my mom I would be a girl, she had already decided on a middle name before I was even born. She's stubborn enough that I'm glad she couldn't think of any good first names... For a girl anyway. She just didn't want to change her mind."
Ranma spoke up first. "Ah, that sounds like it makes a lot more sense than what I had in mind."
Akane looked at him funny and asked to elaborate. "Hmm? And what would that be?"
"Well, Happosai told me once that he once got the chance to give a kid a name. He chose Pantyhose." She smiled. "Ha! Poor guy's been chasin him around ever since tryin to get him to change his name!" She then went into another fit of laughter; I honestly couldn't see what was so funny.
'Thirty...' As I sat there, I counted how many times I yawned. 'Thirty- three...'
"She looks pretty tired... Akane, why don't you-?"
"Yes father." That was Akane? 'Thirty-nine...'
I stood up when someone grabbed my hand. "Come on..." I looked up at her, and decided I could stand on my own two legs.
Turns out, it was harder than I thought, I nearly fell over. Blinking my eyes back to life, I managed to stand under my own power, and let myself get led to... somewhere.
I wasn't exactly sure how I ended up there (that's how far out of it I was) but I ended up in Akane's room. "Here, looks like they already set up your bed. It's not exactly first class, but it's better than sleeping on the floor." At the moment, I would have slept on the floor and not even noticed.
"Okay... [Insert yawn here]" 'Okay, this is getting old...' I crawled in the cot thing and put my head on the little white pillow.
"Geeze, you are tired, aren't you? Don't you want to take a bath first?"
I looked up at her, sleep ready to take me. "Geeze, you sound like my mom. Besides, I'm afraid if I [yawnerific] did, I'd fall asleep and drown... [Yet another yawn]" I was just barely able to keep one eye open.
"Well, okay. I guess it can wait till morning. I wanna talk to you anyway, when we get the chance..."
I was so far already asleep that I didn't even notice her pull the blanket over me.
~~~~~~*** I can't let this chapter get any longer ***~~~~~~
Sorry, but I just can't go that far with one chapter. But anyway, go ahead and tell me what you think, and also, if things work out right, the next chapter should be out tomorrow.
Alex: I think I've only been that tired once...
Alex Ultra: Oh really?
Alex: Yeah, one time I had used up my energy so much that I felt SUPER tired. I then came to find out that it also happened to be five in the morning. Now THAT is tired!
Alex Ultra: I bet... X.x
Lila: Did I do okay?
Alex Ultra: Um, I think so. Yeah, you were tired very well... X.x My head hurts.
Lila: Okay, cool. Um, you got anything to eat around here?
Alex: OH!! OH! PICK ME! I KNOW!
Lila: Um, okay. I pick you?
Alex: Follow me! I'll show you some GREAT stuff!
Alex Ultra: Hey! You stay out of my---
Alex: Don't worry! I won't! ^.^
Alex Ultra: Oh, okay... [To self] Hey, wait a second...
Well, I gotta go, if it isn't done already, the next chapter should be coming out soon, so review and tell me what you think! Also, there should be some action coming later.
As for right now, I gotta check on a certain character of mine...
Bringer of Hope and Creator of Worlds
Alex and Alex Ultra
LATER