Author's note: These next chapters are a series of long flashbacks, filling in some of the holes in the prior three years
Chapter 12 The disappearance of Ranma
Flashback – Ranma was home after finishing the semester at Tokyo U.
'I sure hope they don't find the letter I left them too soon,' he thought as he entered the hotel room. He put his luggage down, and walked into the bathroom to turn on the shower. 'Last hot shower I am getting for a while I guess. I hope Nabiki keeps her promise and doesn't try too hard to find me'
After the shower, Ranma got dressed. She left her hair loose to fall down her back instead of putting it back into a braid, and then went out. After several hours, she came back, her appearance changed. Instead of the vibrant red hair that she had left the room with, it was now auburn, and instead of long and straight, it was shorter and curly. She got ready for bed and went to sleep.
The next morning, she woke up and got dressed. 'I hate panty hose,' she grumbled as she put them on, 'they're as bad as this bra.' Putting her dress on, she left her hair loose. She then put on a little makeup, and then put on a pair of glasses. She looked in the mirror and thought with some satisfaction 'Well, I don't even recognize myself, I think it makes me look different enough, I hope!' With that she packed, left her room and went to the airport, and vanished.
"Ukyo, have you seen your brother this morning?" Nodoka asked as she entered the kitchen.
"No, but I found this in the dojo just now," Ukyo replied as she handed her mother the letter. It was addressed simply 'Mom'. Nodoka opened up the envelope and began to read. She gasped, then dropped the letter and began to cry.
Ukyo picked it up, and looked at Nodoka with concern. "What's wrong, Mom?" she asked. Nodoka just pointed to the letter.
Dear Mom, Ucchan – Sorry to tell you this way, but I need to get away. The craziness is beginning to start again, and I just don't want to face a bunch of fiancés chasing me anymore. I am leaving the area; please don't try to find me, because you won't. I know how to hide pretty well. Don't worry, I just intend to stay away long enough for them to lose interest. I'll keep in touch; I love you both. Ranma
"Shampoo, where are you?" Cologne asked. She heard crying from her great granddaughter's room. She walked in and found Shampoo laying on her bed, crying. A letter was on the floor next to it. Cologne began to read, when she finished she sighed. "So Ranma has left Japan without telling anyone where he was going. And to tie it to the honor of the Amazon's like he did, sending a copy of this letter to the village council. I didn't think he was that smart." 'Shampoo, we have failed,' she thought.
"Oh, my," Kasumi said, "A letter to us from Ranma." She opened it and began reading. She sat there stunned. Nabiki walked into the kitchen, and saw her sister sitting there. She picked up the letter and read through it. 'He finally did it,' she thought, 'I hope the documents I got for him helped.' She went back into the dining room, and told her father. "Father, Ranma sent us a letter. It seems that he has decided to leave Japan for a while. I guess maybe he decided to go look for a cure again."
Kasumi walked back in and added, "He wanted us to know so we wouldn't worry about him, wasn't that nice of him?"
The young woman walked through the airport terminal heading for baggage claim. She was scanning the crowd for the person she was meeting. As she reached the baggage carousel, she saw her. Another young woman, of average height, with blue-black hair, anxiously scanned the crowd. She smiled, then walked over to her and said "Yo, Akane, didn't recognize me, huh?"
Akane's eyes widened as she realized the woman in front of her was Ranma. She hugged her and said, "Ranma, no, I didn't, with your hair so different, and the way it softens your face. Plus you're wearing makeup. You look good."
Ranma just smiled, and said, "It's good to be here with you finally. The last six months without you have been tough; - Oh, that looks like my luggage," as she grabbed two suitcases and a hanging bag off the carousel. "That's everything, let's get out of here," she said.
Akane grabbed one of the suitcases, and the two women left the terminal building. Reaching Akane's car, they put the luggage into the trunk, and got in. Akane drove off, heading toward her apartment.
Arriving at her apartment in Arlington, they got out and carried the luggage inside. Ranma looked around, and said, "You did a good job decorating this place, and it looks real nice. Do you have a roommate, it's a two bedroom apartment, isn't it?"
"I don't have a roommate. I moved into this one last month when it became available. I wanted us to share an apartment, even if we are just friends, so I found this two bedroom. I thought it would be a bit cheaper if we shared an apartment, and until you can find a job, we need to save as much money as we can," Akane said, with a smile. Then she blushed.
"Well I can't argue with that logic. I sent my resume to the head of the Phys. Ed. Department, plus I talked to him yesterday. He wants me to come in tomorrow for an interview for that martial arts instructor position that they have open. It's a teaching assistant job, so he thinks he can swing it. I did outsmart myself, though. Since I applied for my visa as a female, I will have to attend school and teach that way as well. I didn't realize that until the flight from Los Angeles, though. I didn't get a lot of sleep in the last couple of days, thinking about all of the changes, I guess, so I'm afraid I won't be much company until I get a nap. Where do you want me to put my stuff?" replied Ranma.
"That's ok. This is your bedroom, and you can nap for a while," Akane showing her to the spare bedroom, "I have some errands to take care of this afternoon, anyway."
Ranma woke up from her nap late afternoon. Looking around, she realized that Akane had unpacked her luggage and put it away in the dresser and closet. After showering, he changed into some clean clothing, and walked into the living room to find Akane. "Thanks for putting my stuff away, I must have really been asleep, you didn't wake me up at all. I really feel better after that nap. What do you have planned for this evening," he asked.
Akane looked up with a smile, and patted the couch beside her. "Come, sit down, we have some catching up to do." Ranma sat down next to her and turned to look at Akane. She smiled a little mischievously, and then hugged Ranma. 'This sure feels good' they both thought. Akane then kissed Ranma; he froze for a second, and then responded passionately. 'Sparks, check, fireworks, check, tingles, check' they both thought. After several minutes, Ranma pulled away, a little reluctantly. "I guess you missed me, too," he said with a smile, "Was that the catching up you had in mind, not that I'm complaining mind you?"
Akane blushed, prettily. "Not really, but I wanted you to know how I felt just in case you had forgotten," she replied, "I got a little carried away, I suppose. Even though we decided to separate for a while to cool our fathers down, I didn't want to leave you. Now I hadn't made any plans, other than talking to you. We can either cook dinner here or go out, which ever you want."
"I think I would just as soon stay in. I can help you cook dinner. I really don't feel like changing to go back out. Besides, I just washed my hair after all, and I can't do a thing with it," he said with a giggle. 'Man, I can't believe I said that, I've been spending too much time as a girl,' he thought. Akane stared at him in shock, and then realized Ranma was kidding. She started giggling, and then hugged Ranma. They kissed again, Ranma's stomach growled. "Oh well, it's time to feed that beast, sorry," Ranma said. Akane started laughing, and then led him into the kitchen.
The next morning, Ranma left for her interview. She met Mr. Wilson, the department head at his office. She bowed, and then shook his hand, as she introduced herself, "Mr. Wilson, I'm Ranma Saotome, though I usually go by Ranko. When I set up the interview for the instructor position, you sounded interested. I hope my resume was satisfactory."
Mr. Wilson said, "Yes, it was most impressive, though I have to admit, you aren't exactly what I expected. I don't think we need a traditional interview for this position. Would it be possible to see you workout?"
"Certainly, I brought something I can wear. If you could direct me to a changing room, I will get into that. I expected that you would need to see me in action. In fact, I think I would be disappointed if you hadn't. I take martial arts pretty seriously, you see," she replied. He pointed to a room. Ranma entered, and a few minutes later came out in her workout clothes. She ran through a few exercises to limber up and then worked out for several minutes, performing several different katas.
After watching her carefully, Mr. Wilson called for a halt. He smiled, and said, "I've seen enough. If you are able to teach any of that, you will be an excellent addition to the staff. Why don't you go clean up and change, and then we can finalize the paperwork."
Ranma bowed in thanks, and then went to change. They spent the next several minutes filling out the paperwork for the position. Then Mr. Wilson said, "That takes care of that, welcome to the staff. By the way, call me Chris. Also, before I forget, one of the benefits of being on staff here is that you qualify for the in-state tuition rates. The classes don't start for another week. We plan for four sections, two each day. That looks like it won't interfere with your other class schedules. Also, please feel free to come over anytime you are free if you need a place to workout." With that, they shook hands and Ranma left.
As she entered their apartment, she smiled at Akane and said, "I got the job, I start next week, isn't that great?" Akane smiled and hugged her.