I don't own any of these characters or situations. They belong to someone else. Also this is done purely for fun, not profit. Any resemblance to persons living, dead, yet to be born, or visiting from other dimensions is purely coincidental. I'm doing this for fun.
Constructive criticism is always welcome.
I would like to thank the following, in order of appearance, from FukuFics 'dot' com for their comments, constructive criticism and pre-reading: Anchoku, WarGiver, J. St.C. Patrick, Lerris, Alathon, Sunshine Temple, McClown, Musouka, and Nicholas Leifker.
If I missed listing anyone, or misspelled their name, I apologize.
Boldly going where others had gone before and meekly going where few have been.
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Final Approach Ranma
Chapter 7
A Ranma/Futaba-kun Change crossover/fusion/whatever with a touch of Final Approach thrown in.
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The heat of the afternoon was relentless. The thick and barely moving air combined with the humidity to make the day even more oppressive and uncomfortable. In the pond, under the tree, the fish were attempting to escape the heat by lingering in the deepest, coolest parts of their small world as possible. Inside the nearby house, every window that could be opened, was open as were the doors to the backyard to allow the thick air to move through the house in a vain attempt to bring the temperature down a bit. This only worked marginally and the sticky heat clung uncomfortably to the people sitting around the table like a cheap pair of underwear.
Kasumi was slightly nervous, but hid it well under the mask of a gentle smile and the shell of obliviousness that she had carefully crafted and surrounded herself with. Being seemingly oblivious to others and wearing a mask of cheerfulness combined to project an air of innocence that had many advantages in throwing people off. It also acted as a subtle defense mechanism. Everyone thought that whenever she did something, she did it for the best or because she was unaware of the circumstances and therefore guiltless in any wrong doing. In any case, no one bothered Kasumi with unimportant problems leaving her free to focus on the important ones clandestinely.
However, when something important did come up, especially matters of the family or the heart, she would make herself available to be pressed into service because she knew that among her family, she was the best able to handle it. Unfortunately, it meant that sometimes she was called upon whether she wanted to or not. Not that Kasumi usually minded; helping people was something that she naturally excelled in and, for the most part, enjoyed doing. She also knew enough to be careful not to abuse it - or let anyone else abuse it for that matter.
In situations like that, her carefully crafted shell of innocence came to the fore.
Nodoka and Genma Saotome were seated together on one of the long sides of the table with her sister, Akane, opposite them with her father seated at the head of the table. The tea service and a plate of small cakes were placed on the table and everyone was sipping at their drink, making light conversation and, in spite of the heat, relaxing as comfortably as possible. It was like the calm before the storm when the room descended into silence.
The storm began with Nodoka, finishing a sip of her tea and asking, "How did your talk with my son go, Kasumi?"
Kasumi sighed internally, never letting it surface for the guests before her, as she kept her annoyance with the Saotome woman in check. As Kasumi opened her mouth to answer, another annoyance reminded itself of its presence.
"Yes, what happened when you talked to that boy of mine?" Genma asked in a gruff manner that just grated on Kasumi's nerves.
Kasumi placed her cup back onto the saucer and folded her hands in her lap. In doing so, it allowed her time to compose herself before answering. She smiled serenely and turned her attention to her guests.
"I believe the our talk went very well," Kasumi said brightly. "Ranma seems to be really starting to find herself and discovering what she wants out of life."
The people around the table blink-blinked at the eldest Tendo girl's response.
"He... what?" Genma asked softly, unsure as the the meaning of Kasumi's words.
"Oh yes," Kasumi continued on cheerfully. "She really seems to be happy where she's at. In fact I've never heard Ranma sounding so happy before."
The silence that followed was like a weight that made the air seem even thicker than before and kept everyone rooted to their spot. Genma and Soun's eyes widened as Nodoka's narrowed.
"Kasumi, why do you keep referring to my son as a she?" Nodoka demanded in a soft, yet stern way. "You know very well that my son is a man despite his condition."
Kasumi smiled at the older woman while inwardly hiding the fact that she was very cross with Nodoka. "What kind of woman would do this to their child?" She thought in a controlled way before answering."Ranma was a woman the last time I saw her, so I just refer to her as a female," Kasumi explained innocently. "Besides, Ranma doesn't care whether she is a boy or a girl anymore. She seems very comfortable with the idea of being both. Ranma had ask me to refer to her as a her when she's a she."
Genma and Nodoka's eyes widened together on that. "Surely you're joking," Nodoka said in a most chiding way. "We have done everything to ensure that Ranma would be as manly as possible."
"Except when it comes to running her own life," Kasumi thought with some contempt as she continued to maintain her proper facade. "I'm sure you did quite well," Kasumi commented in the same cheery way. "But Ranma does seem to have grown a mind of her own, and she does seem happy as she is."
"H-he's happy! As a girl!" Genma exclaimed in a voice laced with outrage. "There is no way my son would live as weak-"
"Mr. Saotome," Kasumi's calm, yet strong, voice cut right through Genma's rant. "You are a guest here. Please keep your tone civil."
Genma stopped opened mouthed in mid rant as he looked at the eldest Tendo girl. He blinked, folded his arms and 'hrumphed'.
"So... he is...," Nodoka stated before falling into silence.
"Kasumi... is Ranma in... in love with that boy?" Akane asked in a timid voice.
Kasumi cocked her head and paused, as if she were remembering something, before lightly shaking her head. "You know, that never came up. She didn't really say."
"You did talk to him about his behavior?" Nodoka asked in a voice with the barest hint of frustration in it.
"Oh yes," Kasumi answered somewhat brightly, ignoring the undercurrent in Nodoka's tone. "We had a nice talk about everything."
"Oh?" Nodoka said with tiny bit of annoyance before pausing. She was starting to get the feeling that the conversation between her son and Kasumi hadn't gone as she had hoped. Taking the few seconds to gather herself, she went to the heart of the matter. "So... does he understand his proper place and is going to apologize?" She asked almost primly while lowering her cup.
Kasumi cocked her head as she mentally recalled the conversation with Ranma. "No... I don't believe so," she said in the same bright fashion. "That would be... improper."
The table fell silent as some of its occupants did a double take at Kasumi.
"Kasumi, dear," Soun said to his daughter a bit hesitantly. He was not quite sure how to approach the situation and didn't want to offend Kasumi. This was Kasumi, after all. He gathered his thoughts quickly and worded his question as carefully as he could. "You did manage to talk some sense into him, did you?"
Kasumi took another dainty sip of her tea and gently placed the cup back on it's saucer before answering. "Well... we did talk, and it was a very interesting conversation," Kasumi said more primly than Nodoka could ever manage under the circumstances. "But I'm afraid I couldn't really "talk sense" to Ranma because it seem to me that she was already making sense."
The three adults and Akane seated around the table looked at Kasumi with a mixture of shock, awe, and confusion.
"What do you mean, dear?" Nodoka asked while thinking,"Something's not right here."
"What I mean is, after hearing what happened to poor Ranma at the store, I don't blame her for wanting an apology from Akane. If I were her, I would ask the same."
Silence ruled the table.
"You mean you're taking his side over mine!" Akane objected. "I'm your sister!"
Kasumi nodded as she lowered her cup from her lips. "Yes I am, Akane," she said firmly, but in her own gentle way. "Ranma and I talked about your actions at the store. If you remember, you and I also talked about what happened and you even admitted to me that you acted badly. Why shouldn't you apologize?"
"It's... just... I...," Akane stammered about verbally. Inside she could see Kasumi's point, but it was an alien notion that her sister was siding against her. She didn't know what to do.
"Akane," Kasumi gently said while taking her youngest sister's hands in hers. She then looked into Akane's eyes before continuing. "You really need to apologize. You did act badly. You told me so yourself. You should know better by now not to jump to conclusions and act rashly."
Akane looked at Kasumi in the eyes and sighed as her shoulders sagged. "I'll apologize," she promised, "the next time I see him."
Kasumi smiled a smile that lit up the room. "Thank you, Akane. I'm sure Ranma will appreciate it." This was followed by a silence that lasted a few heartbeats as Kasumi shared a caring look with Akane.
"Kasumi," Nodoka said, interrupting the moment between the two sisters. "We sent you to talk to Ranma so that he would understand his place in this family. He needs to be reminded what is expected of him and how to keep peace within the family."
"Peace at the expense of Ranma's self worth," Kasumi thought as she controlled the ever increasing anger she felt toward the Saotome matriarch. Breaking eye contact with Akane, Kasumi faced Nodoka.
"Why yes Auntie," Kasumi said in her usual bright way, "but I'm sure you would want her to stand up for herself when she has been wronged. After all, it would be...," Kasumi paused in thought before smiling broadly, "... unmanly if she didn't."
Nodoka's mouth formed into a thin line. She didn't like this. Not at all.
- - - - - - -
"Psst. Ranma," whispered the female Futaba, during a break between classes. "Do you have a pad?"
Ranma blink-blinked, fished around in her school bag and retrieved a small notepad and handed to her now female fiancee.
Futaba looked at the offered school supply and shook her head slightly. "Not that kind of a pad, the other kind of pad."
Ranma looked at Futaba in confusion before what Futaba was really asking for dawned on her. "Can't you change to a guy?"
"No," Futaba said in a low whisper, "I'm like you remember? I can't change until I'm done."
"Oh yeah," Ranma whispered back with a nod. "I don't have any. Have you asked Misaki?"
"Yeah, she's out."
"Damn," Ranma said under her breath. "How about the infirmary?"
"I guess it'll have to do," Futaba conceded with a sigh while rising from her seat. "I just didn't want to use the ones they have."
Ranma nodded as she rose to tag along with Futaba. Ranma recalled when she ran out when she had her first period almost a month ago. "Yeah, they don't have the ones with the wings and the sticky stuff catches and pulls your hair."
Futaba nodded in agreement. "Not to mention that you have to change them more often. You think they'd carry a better brand other than that cheap stuff."
The quiet conversation continued over the comparison of feminine hygiene products as the two boys turned girls made their way to the school's infirmary.
- - - - - - -
Kasumi gave the counter once last wipe to sweep away any imaginary dirt that she might have missed before stepping into the hallway. She was about to turn to enter the family room where her father and Genma were playing yet another game of Shogi when a knock was heard from the front door. Diverting from the family room, Kasumi opened the door and was greeted by a well dressed young man.
"Good afternoon," the young man said with a deep bow. "My name is Mr. Kazama. I understand that a Genma Saotome resides here?"
Kasumi smiled at the young man's politeness - something that had been lacking in the household for some time now. "No," Kasumi answered Mr. Kazama. "He lives with his wife over in the Hikawadai part of Nerima, near Johoku Park, but Mr. Saotome is in right now visiting. Would you like to see him?"
"Yes please, very much so," the man answered with another bow. "I have to deliver this package to him and he must sign for it."
Kasumi smiled and beckoned Mr. Kazama to enter. He followed Kasumi down the hallway after slipping out of his shoes by the front door. Upon entering the family room, both were ignored as Soun tried to cheat by distracting Genma.
"Look!" Soun said dramatically. "It's the master!"
Genma was on to Soun and his eyes never left the board. "Nice try Tendo, but you'll have to do better than that."
"Excuse me, Mr. Saotome," Kasumi ventured. "But there is a gentleman here to see you. He says he has a package for you."
Genma's eyes never wavered from the board. "Nice try Tendo, you even sounded like Kasumi that time."
Kasumi sighed, paused, then cleared her throat. "Mr. Saotome," she insisted about as much as she could while still remaining polite. "You have a guest."
Genma took a quick glance and saw Kasumi standing next to a well dressed young man who was carrying a package under his arm. The glance only lasted about a tenth of a second, but it was enough that by the time Genma's eyes returned to the board, he found himself in an bad position.
"Soun's getting faster," Genma thought with a heavy sigh. "I'm going to have to use some of the 'Forbidden Gaming Techniques' of Tu Fat if I'm going to win this round."
"Mr. Saotome?" Kasumi repeated with just a hint of frustration creeping into her voice.
Genma nodded to himself after he was satisfied that Soun couldn't possibly do more damage than he already had, turned his attention to the visitor. "I'm Genma Saotome, what can I do for you?"
"My name is Mr. Kazama. I represent the law offices of Sosuke, Mao and Kurtz. I have been charged with making sure that this gets to you." Mr. Kazama held out a wrapped package with Genma's name on it. Genma reached out for the package and the young man withdrew it from his reach.
"I'm sorry," Mr. Kazama said while holding up a small clipboard. "I will need you to sign here," he indicated a line, "before I am to surrender this to you."
Genma grunted and signed the form without even as much as giving it a quick glance. The young man confirmed the signature and passed the package into the waiting hands of the Saotome patriarch.
"Thank you very much," Mr. Kazama said with a bow. "That completes my task here. I bid you all a good day."
Kasumi escorted the young man out the way they had come as Genma ripped opened the brown wrapped package and examined it's contents. He studied the top sheet in puzzlement. It was all legal speak and he couldn't really make heads or tails of it. He looked at the enclosed binder and flipped through a few of its pages; after skimming here and there, he closed the binder with a shrug.
"What did that young man bring you Saotome?" Soun asked as he looked at his friend.
"Nothing important," Genma said with a slight smile. "Nothing important at all."
To Genma, the papers weren't important. If it wasn't martial arts or an immediate threat to his personal freedom or securing his retirement, then it wasn't a pressing issue. It wasn't like Genma hadn't seen legal things like this before, but if he couldn't figure it out, he usually ignored them for more important pursuits, like food, drink, and martial arts. If it did turn out to be something important later, like someone collecting on a debt or a bride/groom looking for Ranma, he could always pass the buck to Ranma for him to solve.
Worse come to worst, he could always go on an extended training trip.
Pushing the unimportant papers out of the way and out of his mind, Genma concentrated on more important matters, like winning the game of Shogi.
- - - - - - -
Ranma was hanging onto the side of what most women would call, "a hunk". The hunk in question was wearing a very nice and very sharp black jacket with an equally black tie. He had chiseled good looks, a square jaw and piercing gray eyes. His jet black hair was slicked back in a simple, yet pleasing way and a thick, silver ring adorned one hand.
Ranma herself was wearing a dark green, form fitting evening dress that bared her shoulders and showed off her figure perfectly. The color of the dress contrasted with her skin and highlighted her hair, which was done up in an elaborate style, making her red, loose locks fall onto her shoulders. Around her neck was a bejeweled choker that matched the bracelet around her gloved left wrist.
One of Ranma's hands was resting on the man's broad right shoulder, her other hand was holding a drink with ice in it. She looked at the man's profile with a smokey gaze. The man was looking off into space, one arm around Ranma, the other also holding an iced drink.
In a few moments it was all over.
"Alright, that's a wrap," the photographer said.
On that command, Ranma and the man broke apart and politely bowed to each other. Ranma turned, removed the jewelry she was wearing and handed them to a older, brown haired woman who placed them into a locked case. After that, Ranma turned away and headed back toward the dressing room accompanied by Futana. Futaba or Misaki couldn't be with Ranma that day because the Wrestling Team had a meet, so Futana volunteered herself in Futaba's place. It wasn't that Ranma minded Futana's company, but the girl still had a way of exciting Ranma's imagination in ways that she wasn't yet used to. But being Ranma, she was starting to adapt.
"Man," Ranma said as she rubbed her stiff neck. "If I have to look up anymore today, it'll be too soon."
"Was it that bad?" Futana teased. "If you want I'll rub your neck for you."
"No, that's all right. Really," Ranma said quickly with a touch of nervousness that didn't go unnoticed by Futana. "It just all this 'look this way, pose that way, hold there, look more sexy' type of stuff that gets annoying after while. I can't believe all of this, just to sell bottled green tea."
"Well don't forget that you have the Minomo Swim Wear Competition coming up," Futana pointed out.
"Don't remind me," Ranma said as they entered the dressing room. "Futaba is going to help me through that though. Your dad, I mean Iroka Kahoru is going too. She wants to formally introduce me to some people."
Futana nodded as she shut the door behind them and rested her back on it.
"What I don't understand is why Futaba is not competing," Ranma said as she removed one of the gloves from her hand and placed it on the counter. "I mean, she's done this type of stuff before, she'd probably be a shoe-in."
Futana smiled while looking over Ranma's form in the tight dress. "She's already the Tokyo Great Land girl," Futana explained. "So she is already under contract."
Ranma stopped and pondered that. Contracts. Legal stuff. She made a mental note to try to learn more about those kinds of things before too long.
"By the way, why did you come along with me today?" Ranma asked as she unzipped the dress and slipped it off. "I can handle myself here, you needn't have bothered."
"Ohh, I had nothing to do and I thought I'd keep you company," Futana answered coyly, with a somewhat mischievous lilt in her voice. "Besides I wanted to see what you look like all decked out."
Ranma hesitated in mid strip, just as she was hooking her thumbs under her black, thigh high nylons she was wearing in preparation of peeling them off. For an instant the thought ran across her mind that she she should be feeling uncomfortable with the tone that Futana used, but for some reason didn't.
"Oh? And what did you think?" Ranma questioned, somewhat warily, still frozen in mid-strip.
Futana smiled while wagging her eyebrows at the nearly naked redhead. "Better than I'd imagined."
A certain silence fell in the room. It was not a true silence, for noises from other parts on the building were working their way into the room, but a silence that was felt between two people involved in something scandalous. The feeling built up for a few ticks of a clock before a mischievous notion crossed Ranma's mind. Instead of pushing it away like she had always done to any thought that she deemed perverted, Ranma impulsively acted on the idea.
She smiled at Futana. It was a very winning smile that reached up into her eyes and lighted them. Ranma then spun around, decked out in nothing but her panties and thigh highs. The spin made her hair fly freely and her breasts move on their own accord, drawing the complete attention of Ranma's audience of one. Ranma finished her spin facing Futana. As she stopped, her breasts bounced in a very interesting way, her hair flew dramatically in front of her face, and her legs crossed in such a manner that it accentuated her figure as her hands rested on her hips.
"What about now?" Ranma asked in a somewhat husky voice as she shifted all her weight on one foot, increasing her already natural curves.
Futana's eyes widened, her face visibly flushed and she swallowed nosily. "ExcusemeI'llberightback," she said hurriedly as she grabbed her nose, turned, opened the door she was leaning on, and rushed from the dressing room.
Ranma stared at the closed door in the wake of Futana's hurried exit. There was no doubt in Ranma's mind that Futana was dashing to the nearest restroom or another secluded spot in order to change. Ranma blinked a few times before thinking, "Why did she leave? Doesn't she realize that I've seen her change before?"
Ranma cocked her head to one side as the full length mirror in the dressing room drew her attention. She paused and took a moment to examine herself. Staring back at her was the image of a very stunning woman with sparkling blue eyes, firm breasts, well proportioned waist and hips, all topped with a cascading hair style that framed her face prettily with its loose, red locks. The fact that she was only wearing black thigh high stockings with matching panties only magnified the effect.
"Whoa. I must have really rattled her with that little display..." Ranma thought as she concentrated on the secret excitement she felt by teasing Futana. She eventually broke into a wide, mischievous smile before bursting into a fit of giggles, "That was... that was fun!"
Still giggling, Ranma finished changing into her street clothes.
- - - - - - -
"Kasumi, what's this?" Nabiki asked as she held up a binder with some loose sheets on top of it. "I found it in the living room."
"Oh that," Kasumi said offhandedly. "It belongs to Mr. Saotome. A very polite gentleman from... I think it was Sosuke, Mao and Kurtz delivered it to him here about two weeks ago or so. Why?"
"Sosuke, Mao and... Kurtz?" Nabiki said thoughtfully. She furrowed her eyebrows as she concentrated. After a few moments, her eyes widened. "Sosuke, Mao and Kurtz!" she exclaimed. "The Sosuke, Mao and Kurtz!"
Kasumi blinked at her younger sister. "Yes. That is what I believed he said. Why?"
"Kasumi - Sosuke, Mao and Kurtz are one of the biggest law firms in Japan, that's all," Nabiki said with a touch of exasperation. She started to leaf through the papers and stopped when she was half way through skimming the top one. She blinked and reread it more carefully.
"Do you know what this is?" Nabiki asked as she continued to leaf through the book and the attending documents.
"No, not really," Kasumi answered with a shrug. "Mr. Saotome said that they weren't very important. Why?"
Nabiki had closed the binder and continued to read one of the other loose documents and then another. "Kasumi," Nabiki said quietly. "These are legal forms and they say that Ranma is no longer under the parental supervision of the Saotomes. That means that legally they're no longer his parents."
Kasumi's eyes widened on that proclamation. "Oh my."
Nabiki nodded. "You said it. Do you know who is Ranma's new guardian is?"
Kasumi, still wide eyed, shook her head.
"Iroka Kahoru."
Kasumi cocked her head in confusion, blinked a few times, and then shrugged her shoulders.
Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Kasumi, Iroka Kahoru is a big model -probably one of the biggest. She's famous! How in the heck did Ranma get the attention of someone like her!"
"Iroka Kahoru?" Kasumi whispered to herself, mimicking the facial feature of her younger sibling a few moments earlier. "Iroka Kahoru! The Iroka Kahoru! Oh my!"
Nabiki nodded as her sister finally got it. "This is big news. How come Mr. Saotome didn't say anything?"
Kasumi looked at Nabiki with half-lidded eyes.
"Right," Nabiki agreed with Kasumi's silent comment on Genma's intelligence. "This is Mr. Saotome."
"What are you going to do with that?" Kasumi asked worriedly.
Nabiki shrugged her shoulders at first, before a smile crept over her face. "Gonna make a few phone calls and find out if this is legit. Then I'm going to spring it on a certain somebody when the time is right."
"Interesting," Kasumi thought, all the while smiling internally. "I wonder how the Saotomes will react to this?"
- - - - - - -
Ranma wiped the sweat from her brow having just finished her workout. Before she left, Mr. Shimeru informed her of the news that the final paperwork was completed and Ranma was now the ward of Iroka Kahoru with no complications since no one challenged the adoption. Ranma was no longer under the parental supervision of the Saotomes. She was now officially free of anything that the Saotomes might try to push on her.
It was a weird, scary, and liberating feeling.
"Well, it's done," she thought as she draped the towel over her shoulders. "I am officially not under the thumbs of my parents anymore."
Ranma took one last look at the vacant lot before heading back to the Shimeru's. She was going to miss practicing there, for a sign had been posted that the lot was soon to be developed for multi purpose use. She sighed at the thought of have to scout around for another open area to use. With a silent goodbye to the lot she had used since coming to the Shimerus, Ranma turned and walked away.
Only to be met by an annoying reminder of her recent past.
"Ranma!" Happosai cried as he came out of nowhere. "Tell me it isn't true! Tell me that Cologne was lying."
Ranma blinked-blinked at the short, elderly material arts master, wondering what he was talking about. Actually Ranma was a bit surprised that Happosai wasn't trying to grope her and that fact took a few seconds to register. Only after the brief shock wore away did Happosai's words sink in and she asked, "What are you talking about, you old freak?"
Tears came to the wide eyes of Happosai as he sniffled pathetically. "I mean the rumor that Cologne is going to make you a blood sister and name you as heir to her Amazon Ryu."
Ranma blinked before recalling the conversation that she had with Cologne all those weeks ago.
"Who told you that?" Ranma asked with narrowed eyes. The suspicion of Nabiki interfering in her life again reared its ugly head.
"Mousse did," Happosai said. "He said that you visited Cologne and talked on the roof. Mousse said that you becoming blood sisters with Cologne would relieve all responsibility of Shampoo trying to make you her husband and at the same time boost the status of Cologne's clan."
Ranma nodded and realized Mousse had been eavesdropping on her and the Ghoul and heard of her proposal. The fact that Cologne hadn't contacted Ranma could be because of the restraining order and made a mental note to visit or talk with her before too long.
"Well, we did talk about doing something like that," Ranma confessed. "But it's all still up in the air. Why should you care, anyway?"
Happosai's face took on one of great consternation. "Why should I care? Why should I care! You're my heir, not hers! I won't have it, you hear me? I won't have someone else taking what's mine!"
Ranma's eyes renarrowed and she felt her anger build up. "Yours! I'm not yours. I was never yours," Ranma snapped back at Happosai. "I never agreed to be your heir, you just assumed it because those two idiots were too cowardly to deal with you!"
"Now listen here you young-," Happosai began only to be cut off as Ranma continued to rant.
"No, you listen," Ranma interrupted loudly. "If you were serious about me being your heir then you would have stopped playing all these stupid games and trained me for real. You didn't do anything seriously and now when someone else comes along and offers to do what you should have done to begin with, you get upset! Grow up old man, I have no time for your stupidity."
Happosai's anger flared at Ranma's words before seemingly fading to nothing.He stared hard at the boy turned girl and spoke in an even voice. "If you're so much better than I, why can't you train Akane?"
Ranma raised an eyebrow.
"Don't preach what you don't practice, boy," Happosai said snappingly. "Always dancing around her, refusing to spar properly with her, not showing her any moves and allowing her to vent her frustrations on you so she wouldn't learn any self control."
Ranma stared at the old man who was now in as much of a venting mood as she was. "You are no better than me, so don't act all high and mighty about this," Happosai finished sharply. "When it comes to teaching, you're more of a failure than you realize."
Ranma let out a heavy sigh. "The freak's right," she thought depressingly. "I'm not a good teacher..." That thought seemed to deflate her whole body.
"You're right," she conceded openly to Happosai. Her head drooped slightly in the realization that she was a failure at teaching Akane. "I wasn't... I wasn't a good teacher." Ranma then raised her head and looked Happosai in the eye. "But I never claimed to be a teacher or a master."
The silence that followed stretched for a few moments. Happosai was left speechless by the fact that Ranma didn't insult him as usual during their exchange. Happosai decided to pay closer attention to what Ranma was saying.
"Tell me though, with the reputation of Anything Goes as it is, why should I stay with it?" Ranma asked, breaking the silence. "You and your stupid panty raids and my pop with his thieving, why shouldn't I look for a better school?"
Any anger that Happosai had lingering seem to evaporate with Ranma's words. It was almost as if he realized that this was not quite the same Ranma that he was used to dealing with. "Alright," he said calmly. "If I promise to train you for real, would you decline Cologne's offer?"
Ranma eyed Happosai suspiciously. "He wants me to be is heir - for real!" Ranma mentally concluded. "Misaki was right! Happosai is depending on me to see his dreams come true."
"I don't know... Master Happosai," Ranma answered carefully and respectfully with guarded words. "How would I know that you won't go back to your old ways if I agree?"
"I'll give you my word," Happosai said with a look in his eyes that Ranma had never seen before: Seriousness.
Ranma bit her lip and thought of two conflicting offers before a stray though entered her mind. "Why should I choose one? Maybe I can have both," Ranma realized. "I'll tell you what...," Ranma said carefully. "Let's both get together with Cologne and see if we can... work something out."
Happosai stood perplexed by the sudden shift to diplomacy that Ranma was attempting. He was expecting Ranma to make a snap judgment and either decline, which Happosai had no intension of letting Ranma do, or agreeing. "When did Ranma start using his brains?" Happosai wondered as he thought of ways to move things more in his favor.
Happosai controlled any spontaneous ideas and began to ponder several things. "I need to turn Ranma. I can't let him go over to Cologne." Happosai studied the boy turned girl more closely and carefully. "Ranma's ki has settled! That would make him even more focused than before."
Happosai briefly considered threatening Ranma with throwing him out of the school, but just as quickly rejected it. "If I did that, all it would do is just drive him further to Cologne." He cocked his small head to one side. "If that fool Genma, in his laziness, didn't train Ranma in the way of the school properly and allowed Ranma to develop his own style, Ranma could very well turn his back on Anything Goes without fear of reprisals."
Happosai sighed heavily. "Whatta mess," he commented to himself while shaking his head. "I need Ranma for my heir," Happosai thought with determination. "He is the best martial artist I've run across in the last hundred years." He rubbed his chin as he eyed Ranma. "Cologne knows that too, dammit and that's why she's willing to let him off that Kiss of Marriage. Better to have a willing pupil and blood sister than an unwilling in-law that will fight you every inch of the way."
As the silence between the two dragged on, Happosai nodded again to himself. "Smart. Very smart. Cologne has thought of a win-win situation for herself... now, how do I counter it?"
Happosai pondered what to do for a few moments. With nothing coming immediately to mind, he considered the consequences. "I have to think of some way. If I don't then Cologne will win our little bet and I'll never be able to feel the soft, firm body of Ranma's girl form again... or any other girls for that matter."
Happosai looked up at the waiting redhead and decided to stall. "Very well my boy," he answered evenly. "You set up the time and place and I'll be there."
"I have some things I need to check out with Cologne first," Ranma said. "I'll give you a call when that's taken care of."
Happosai nodded absently."Very well," he said. "When can I expect to hear from you?"
Ranma thought visibly and shrugged her shoulders. "Sometime this week," she answered. "Is there anything else?"
Happosai shook his head. "I'll wait for your call," he replied almost softly. After a few heartbeats of silent contemplation, the diminutive martial arts master took to the rooftops and headed back in the direction of the Tendos. During the trip back, he started scheming to bring Ranma solidly back into the school of Anything Goes.
"Yes," Happosai thought as he hopped from roof to roof. "Attacking Ranma directly wouldn't do, that would just push him away... but maybe pressuring him through his parents..."
Ranma stood there a few heartbeats and shook her head watching Happosai as he disappeared. "I wonder what he's up to now?" she thought, somewhat depressed by the fact that her life just got a little more complicated. Shaking her head to clear it from the confrontation, Ranma headed back to the place she now considered home.
- - - - - - -
Ranma entered the Shimeru residence with a hearty "I'm home", and made her way to wash the sweat off of her. While washing, her mind revisited the confrontation with Happosai.
"I didn't expect the Freak to just give in like that," Ranma thought to herself while she quickly scrubbed. "I wonder what's he up to?"
Ranma sighed and rinsed the soap off of herself. She paused and considered maybe relaxing to a hot soak, but rejected it. She swore that she would stay a girl for the three months and her own stubbornness refused to let her welch on an agreement. She sighed again and then pushed that out of her mind.
"Anyway, I really put my foot into it this time," Ranma thought as she dressed. "I had better call the ghoul and see about that blood sister stuff... and feel her out about meeting with Happosai."
Making her way to the phone, Ranma paused to flirt a bit with Futana as Futana was heading out the door. Ranma was finding a certain amount of secret excitement in teasing Futana, as Ranma assumed, that Futana found in teasing her. Futana showed up naked in Ranma's bed once or twice since the 'Green Tea' shoot, but Ranma was handling it better and took it in stride now instead of getting flustered.
Ranma was looking at her and Futana's antics as more of a guilty pleasure than anything perverted.
The most interesting development was that Futana began sitting in and trying to use some of the mediation techniques that Ranma, Misaki, and Futaba were practicing. Futana was striving for better control than she had already had and was taking it far more seriously than Ranma first gave her credit for. Though none of them could exactly figure out how or why Misaki was changing, both chalked it up to the blood transfusion that Misaki received from Futaba.
Ranma pushed those thoughts out of her mind as she picked up the phone and dialed a well remembered number.
"Hello? Cat Cafe?" Ranma said carefully into the phone. "No, I don't want to place an order, I would like to speak to Cologne please."
Ranma paused.
"It's Ranma."
Ranma held the phone away from her ear as the high-pitched squeal of excitement threatened to deafen her. Moving the mouthpiece closer to her mouth, while keeping the earpiece as far away as possible, Ranma tried to calm the overexcited Amazon.
"Whoa! Whoa!" Ranma began. "No I won't take you on a date, Shampoo. Please get Elder Cologne, I have business to discuss with her."
- - - - - - -
"Is that Godzilla?" Soun asked his long time friend and partner in crime.
"Where?" Genma asked as he turned his head in the direction that Soun pointed to.
"My mistake," Soun said mirthfully. "It was just a cloud."
Genma returned his attention to the game board in front of him and wondered where the new hotel on 'Ginza' came from. He studied his opponent with a wary eye before picking up the dice to give them another roll. If he could make it past this new obstacle and to 'Go' he would avoid having to mortgage one of his utilities.
"Are you two still at it?" a slightly peeved Nodoka asked as she entered the room after instructing Akane on how not to turn the cutting board into wood chips when slicing vegetables. "What are you playing anyway?"
"Something that Nabiki had laying around," Soun explained while making the mistake of taking his eyes off the board. "The object is to dominate your opponent and control all the property on the board."
"I... see," Nodoka said, somewhat unsure at what the two were really playing.
Soun studied the board after his momentary distraction and discovered that Genma had somehow landed on 'Go' after rolling... a thirteen? "A... lucky roll, Saotome," Soun chuckled out. Yes, Monopoly was more interesting with the rules of Anything Goes applied - and more realistic.
"Okay Auntie," Akane chirped as she entered the room. "I cleaned up the-"
"Genma!" the irate martial arts master roared at the top of his lungs as he entered the grounds of the Tendo dojo. Genma immediately assumed the 'Crouch of the Wild Tiger', with head and hands pressing against the floorboards. "What is the matter with your son!" Happosai demanded. "He just told me he is considering turning his back on the schools!"
Genma raised his head and looked up at Happosai and blinked. "W-what?"
"Your son! Your worthless son!" Happosai yelled with one hand on his hip, the other pointing at Genma with his pipe. "The little ingrate is thinking about making a deal with Cologne to become her heir!"
Silence fell in the room as that bit of news sank in.
"H-he can't do that," Genma stammered. "He is the heir to the Saotome school."
"That idiot," Akane mumbled. "What the hell is he doing now?"
"The schools will never be joined," Soun exclaimed with surprisingly dry eyes.
"I know that you nitwit!" Happosai said harshly to Genma and ignoring Akane and her father. "You go over there right now and make sure your idiot of a son understands his place."
"I'll call the authorities," Nodoka said seriously as she headed for the phone. "I'll show those backward Chinese barbarians that Japan is a land of laws and consequences. Disobeying a restraining order will get the meddling fools deported."
"Won't do you any good," Happosai said somewhat calmly. "The boy went and visited them at their place, they didn't approach him."
The room fell silent.
"I take it he also visited that restaurant girl, Ukyo was her name?" Nodoka asked.
Happosai nodded. "It would be a safe bet," he said turning his attention to the still crouching Genma. "What are you going to do about your son?"
- - - - - - -
"That's all it takes to become a blood sister?" Ranma asked incredulously to Cologne via telephone.
"Why yes, what were your thinking?" Cologne asked with much amusement in her voice.
"Well, I figured becoming a blood sister would involve... blood or something. Not a kiss."
Cologne cackled on the other end of the line.
"Sheesh," Ranma added, slightly exasperated. "You Amazons have a kiss for everything."
"Be lucky that you never had to suffer the Kiss of the Communal Blessing," Cologne said between cackles. "That could take days."
"The Kiss of the Communal Blessing?" Ranma puzzled. "Is there really such a thing?"
"Oh yes," Cologne cackled out. "That's where the whole tribe has a hand congratulating a warrior who does an extraordinary task. The whole village gets involved in the kissing. It takes days to do and days more to recover."
"Er, why would that much kissing take so long to recover from?"
"Well, usually there is a lot of drinking involved and morals become slightly... loose," Cologne explained. "We usually have a bit of a baby boom nine months later..."
Ranma paused and blink-blinked. "I don't think I wanna know anymore."
Cologne howled in laughter on the other end of the line.
- - - - - - -
Genma was sweating. "Everything I worked so hard to achieve is spiraling out of control," he cursed mentally to himself. "I spent years turning that boy into the best martial artist and this is how he thanks me! Now my worthless son is being beyond disrespectful and disobedient." The eyes of Happosai were boring into Genma, raising his fear of the old master to new and unexplored levels. "Now he's threatening to turn his back on the schools! I knew this experiment was bad news."
"Well Genma!" Happosai said sharply. "What are you going to do about my heir?"
"W-well, I n-need to think of a p-plan," Genma stammered out. "I'm s-sure that w-we can m-make the b-boy see reason."
"I can be your heir," Akane piped up, hoping to capitalize on Ranma's decision. "I am the heir to the Tendo school, after all."
Happosai directed a look of annoyance at the youngest Tendo girl. "This is serious, girl," he barked at her. "You haven't near the skill, patience, or control to even be considered an heir to anything."
Akane's jaw went slack at the insult. She felt her frustration at being slighted turn to anger and she began to verbalize her displeasure. "Now listen here, I am as good-"
"QUIET!" Happosai ordered with a small amount of ki in his voice to hammer the point home. It had the effect of making Akane almost lose her bladder control as the old master's ki hit her like a slap in the face. "This is serious and I have no time to be listening to how good you think you are."
Akane was lost for words under the old man's ire. She had never seen Happosai so worked up and wasn't inclined to make him madder. In response to his words, she nodded meekly, sat down, and shut up.
"Now," Happosai said directing his attention back to both his students this time. "What are you two going to do about this?"
"Yes, husband," Nodoka said threateningly. "What are you going to do about this?"
Genma sat up from his cowering position and rubbed his chin in a thoughtful way. "If we threaten to disown him, that would probably turn him. Ranma values his honor too much to risk going ronin."
"T-that's true," Soun said in support of his friend. "Ranma has always prized his personal honor. Threaten that, we can get him to do anything we need him to do."
Nabiki who had been watching the proceedings with interest, was waiting for the right time to drop a bombshell. She smiled as the time arrived. "Payback's a bitch," she thought as she eyed Nodoka.
"That won't work," Nabiki said loudly, but in a deadpan sort of way.
The adults in the room blinked at the middle Tendo girl's proclamation.
"What do you mean that won't work, girl?" Genma asked in a irritating way. "Of course it'll work. Ranma wouldn't go ronin for-"
"Ranma isn't your child anymore," Nabiki interrupted. Silence filled the room as Nabiki smirked at the stocky martial artist. "It seems that someone signed some paperwork that dissolved the parental rights between the Saotomes and Ranma."
"Impossible. Who would do such a thing?" Nodoka demanded.
Nabiki hid her satisfied smile under a mask of professionalism. She removed a binder and its accompanying paperwork from under the table and placed them on the smooth surface. Genma gave a puzzled look as he recognized the "unimportant documents" from weeks ago.
"Well according to this," Nabiki continued, holding up several sheets of paper, "Genma Saotome, the head of the Saotome clan, signed the paperwork about three-four weeks ago."
"Saotome!" Soun wailed. "How could you!"
"Don't be so quick to judge daddy," Nabiki snapped. "You were one of the witnesses. In fact, your name is right under Mr. Saotome's"
Silence fell in the room as tension built up to incredible levels.
"GENMA! SOUN!" two voices rang out loudly at the now cowering martial artists. When they peeked up, they were greeted by Nodoka and Happosai towering over them.
"You had better fix this, understand?" Happosai said dangerously. "Or I swear I'll take the both of you on an extended and very long and painful training trip."
"Y-yes m-m-master," the two stuttered out.
"Ranma will be visiting here in a few weeks," Nodoka said evenly, but in a tone that was far more dangerous than Happosai's. "When Ranma leaves here, I expect that he will know his place - understand?"
The two men nodded frantically.
Happosai smiled at his two students. A smile that was most unpleasant. "Yes," he thought. "This will get Ranma to reconsider his position. And if this does all come back to me... I can say it was all a misunderstanding."
- - - - - - -
"Okay, I'll see you at your place with Happosai after my visit with the Tendos," Ranma said into the mouthpeice.
"I'll look forward to seeing how Happi will act," Cologne commented. "I don't know if you know or not , but Happi and I have had a competition on which is the better martial arts style, Amazon or Anything Goes since he first showed up."
Ranma furrowed her brow in thought. "No. I didn't know that, but thanks for telling me."
"Well, it's something to keep in mind," Cologne said. "I'll see you in a few weeks and I hope we can work somethiing out. You have such great potential, it would be a shame to let it go to waste."
"Yeah... see you then," Ranma said distractedly while she hung up the phone. "More stuff to think about," she thought as she began to think about what she was going to propose to Cologne and Happosai. But first she had to think about the swim suit competeion this coming weekend. "One disaster at a time," she finally thought as she headed off to get ready for school.
- - - - - - -
The weekend had finally arrived and with it, the Minomo Swim Wear Competition. Ranma, unused and unsure about such things, was escorted to the dressing room by Futaba. Ranma soon found herself surrounded by dozens of half-dressed women. Being used to seeing female flesh all the time, Ranma was unfazed by it all. What was bothering her though, was the coming competition.
"Are you sure that this is really necessary?" Ranma asked worriedly as she sat on the tall stool and fumbled for her things. "I mean, this is more than just posing for some photographs or something."
"Trust me Ranma," Futaba said. "Win, lose, or draw this will be good publicity for you."
"Okay," Ranma conceded weakly. "I'm just nervous I guess. This is all kinda new to me."
"Trust me," Futaba said with a smile. "I did this before. You'll be fine."
"I wish I could be as confident in this as I am with my martial arts," she thought absently before she looked around the large dressing room now filled with naked, female flesh. She was used to it, but Ranma had to admit that Futaba made for a very attractive girl - even while still clothed.
Ranma's eyes followed along Futaba's form.
"Whoa," Ranma thought. "She is beautiful." Ranma then shook her head and cleared it of perverted thoughts. "She's Misaki's girl... guy... whatever," Ranma scolded herself. "I can't be thinkin' that way."
"Something wrong?" a now confused looking Futaba asked a blushing Ranma.
"Ah...n-no," Ranma stammered as she fumbled around in her bag some more. "I guess I should get into my swimsuit, huh?"
Futaba nodded.
"HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO!"
Ranma dropped her swimsuit as her long, red hair spiked skyward at the sound of the insane laughter. "It can't be, it can't be," Ranma repeated as she turned to face...
... a complete stranger.
She stood almost a full head taller than Ranma in her high heels. The stranger was decked out in a purple swimsuit that accentuated her orangish hair. She was looking at Ranma and Futaba in a haughty manner and a gleam in her eye that reminded Ranma of a certain unstable gymnast. Ranma immediately felt uncomfortable and highly alarmed until she remembered that she was a girl right now, and there was no way the this stranger could be wanting her to marry her... him... whatever.
"Enjoy what popularity that you have right now," the strange orange haired woman declared while pointing at the pair. "Know this Futaba: I will crush your friend Ranma! You will both taste the bitterness of defeat at my hands!" The strange girl finished by going into a laugh that sounded eerily like Kodachi's.
"HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO!"
The hackles on the back of Ranma's head rose at the maniacal laugh. The girl turned and strode away with an air of snobbery that just oozed from her pores. Ranma then blink-blinked a few times before turning to Futaba and asked, "Who is she?"
The orange haired girl froze in mid step, stumbled, then hit the ground and just as quickly regained her feet before storming from the room cursing under her breath.
"I can't believe this!" She fumed loud enough in the hall for all to hear in the dressing room. "It was bad enough that Futaba didn't know, but no one can tell me that Ranma doesn't know who her greatest rival is!"
A sound of a man's voice was heard, but because of the pitch, the words were muffled and hard to make out. It was followed by a pregnant pause.
"Oh I see what the matter is," the high pitched voice of the strange woman was clearly heard with a bemused tone. "We haven't met yet."
Ranma sweat-dropped as she finished slipping into her swim suit. "What was that?"
"Don't worry about it," Futaba said in a reassuring way. "Stuff like this happens all the time at these things."
"I take it that I've just traded some of my old problems for new ones?" Ranma asked with half-lidded eyes.
Futaba shrugged her shoulders. "That's life."
Ranma blink-blinked at that.
- - - - - - -
"You did good," Misaki said cheerfully.
Ranma smiled thinly. "But I didn't win," she pointed out with a slight pout. "I came in third."
"Out of a field of sixty girls, that's great," Misaki said as she handed Ranma her change bag. "You probably lost points during the talent part of the competition, though."
Ranma's smile broadened as she changed back into her street clothes. "Eh, they probably weren't expecting a martial arts display. Anyway I'll do better on the rematch."
Misaki blinked audibly, then giggled. "Ranma," she said between giggles, "this isn't like a martial arts challenge or anything like that. Once it's over, it's over."
Ranma stared at the long-haired girl and felt a feeling of... emptiness. "No rematch?" she questioned.
"Nope," Misaki shook her head. "Not this year."
Ranma frowned and found that she didn't like the thought that not only had she lost, but she wouldn't get the opportunity to prove herself in a rematch. Ranma sighed. She didn't like to lose, but this wasn't a fight or something that she would get a second chance at. Learning to accept a final defeat was slightly humbling.
Ranma looked around the large, open changing area for anything that she might have missed. Several of the girls were milling about, chatting with other contestants and friends.
"C'mon," Misaki said, drawing Ranma from her thoughts. "Futaba and Iroka Kahoru are waiting."
Ranma smiled at Misaki's cheerful disposition, allowing it to affect her, before following her out the door.
Once out into the hall, Futaba came running up to the pair. "Ranma," she said, "there's someone that dad-, er, mom wants you to meet."
Ranma blinked at her now female fiancé. "Someone wants to meet me?"
Futaba nodded as she led Ranma, with Misaki trailing, out into the wider backstage area. Futaba wove around groups of people and other obstacles until she came to a smaller knot of people with a tall redhead that Ranma recognized as Mr. Shimeru's female side, Iroka Kahoru. She was talking animatedly with two men and a woman that were dressed in business suits.
"I got her, mom," Futaba said as the trio halted in front of the adults.
Iroka Kahoru smiled at the people she was talking to and motioned for Ranma to step closer. "Ranma, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Shibo, Mr. Mikon, and Mrs. Hitonare," she said as she made the introductions. "Everyone, this is Ranma Saotome, my ward."
After the courteous exchange of bows and other pleasantries, Kahoru continued. "They represent the Kobushi. They are manufacturers of martial arts equipment and they were most impressed with your display during the talent part of the competition."
Ranma blinked at the taller redhead before focusing her attention to the three business people. "You liked it?"
"Yes, we did," the one who was introduced as Mr. Shibo said. "In fact, we feel that it was most fortunate that you didn't win the competition. If you did, we couldn't ask you if you were interested in being a model and possibly an image girl for a new line of martial arts wear and equipment that we are gearing toward women."
Ranma looked at Kahoru with uncertainty in her eyes, before turning back to Mr. Shibo. "It sounds..., er, interesting. What do you need me to do?"
Mr. Shibo smiled as the woman, Mrs. Hitonare spoke. "First, we would like you to come down for some test shots," she said as she fished out some business cards and handed one to Ranma and another to Kahoru. "We would want you to model some of our prototypes. This means doing some martial arts moves... it doesn't have to be anything elaborate like what you did here, but enough to get the point across."
Ranma blinked. "What point is that?"
"We're working on launching a campaign aimed at women who are in, or are interested in martial arts," Mrs. Hitonare explained. "We are looking for someone who is young, skilled,-"
"And beautiful," Mr. Mikon interjected.
"- and beautiful," Mrs. Hitonare continued without missing a beat. "To be the 'Kobushi Girl'. Someone the public could identify women, martial arts, and our products with."
Ranma blinked a few times and shrugged her shoulders. "Sounds good to me," she said before turning to Iroka Kahoru. "What do you think?"
"I think it's perfect for you," Kahoru said with a wide smile. "I'll have our agent get in touch with you tomorrow and work out the details. Would that be acceptable?"
Mr. Mikon beamed. "That would be most satisfactory," he said with a bow. The other two followed suit. He rose from his bow and addressed Ranma. "We look forward to working with you."
"Er, likewise I'm sure," Ranma awkwardly responded as she bowed deeply to the older man. Iroka Kahoru giggled at Ranma's response and the others were just as amused.
"Then it's settled then," Mr. Shibo said. "We'll wait to hear from your agent."
After a few minutes of small talk, Kahoru excused Ranma and the others. Walking from the building, Misaki gushed, "Oh Ranma! You did it!"
Ranma looked at the dark haired girl walking next to the green haired one and blinked. "What did I do?"
Misaki rolled her eyes as Futaba snickered. "Ranma," Futaba began, "you just got your foot in the door for your first contract."
Ranma halted in mid step. "My first contract?" her mind questioned before realization hit her like a wet fish to the face. "My first contract!"
Ranma stood and pondered the meaning of that as the others looked on. "Wow," Ranma finally commented. "I didn't even think about it."
- - - - - - -
It was fairly late into the night as Ranma lay on her back and stared at the darkened ceiling of her room at the Shimeru's. She was lost in thought, reflecting on how her life had changed in such a short period of time. "You know after I... I accepted Mr. Shimeru, that is Iroka Kahoru, being my guardian," she thought, "I thought things would go a little easier."
"Are they?" she asked herself. Ranma continued to stared into the darkness above and frowned. "Yeah, in some ways. Harder in others."
She rolled onto her side and finding it uncomfortable, rolled onto her back again.
"No one can have a completely trouble free life, I know," Ranma thought quickly. "It's just that the problems I have now are... different than the problems I had before."
Ranma smirked to herself. "Traded old problems for new ones."
She rolled onto her side again, in search of a comfy spot. " I don't have to worry about being forced to marry anyone or having kids or being manly or all the other junk that I put up with. I do have to worry about my grades, my martial arts and my job."
Ranma's mind paused on that, then frowned as her elbow made itself known to her side.
"My job," she thought as she tried her back again. "I never thought that I would do anything outside of martial arts and here I am modeling martial arts equipment... I just never expected my life to change so quickly and radically."
Ranma rolled once again onto her side.
"Well, there is a major difference," Ranma conceded. "If I have a problem, at least the people around me are willing to help me without making things worse. The only things that Mr. Shimeru demands of me, will make me a better person. My curse doesn't make me a freak either."
Ranma paused on that thought.
"... not a freak." The last thought echoed in her mind. Ranma smiled at that. "It's nice being somewhere where I'm... normal."
Ranma sighed as her shoulder felt like it was in an awkward position. Giving up on getting comfortable, she sighed heavily and turned on the small lamp that was beside her and rose from her futon. Stretching, she made her way over by the door and to a calendar that was hanging on the wall next to it. Ranma looked at the dates that were marked. "Gotta test shoot for Kobushi after school this week for some gi's. Gotta meet with Cologne and Happosai to talk about being their heirs after..." Ranma sighed as she looked at what was marked for this weekend. "... my visit with the Tendos. My mothe-... Mrs. Saotome will probably be there."
Ranma sighed again and allowed her mind to drift off for a moment before lifting the calendar page to examine the next month. There, near the end of the month, was a date with a big circle around it and stars all over it. Ranma looked at the date in question and wondered about its importance.
"What is that all about?" she wondered, trying to recall the significance of the date. "I don't think I have a shoot or anything that day... why did I mark it?"
Ranma sighed. She hated not being able to remember stuff and, thanks to prodding from Futaba, started marking her calendar more clearly. Unfortunately, Ranma used to just mark the day and not write down what was important on those days. Now she wished she had.
After a few moments of silent contemplation, Ranma remembered.
"Oh yeah!" Ranma exclaimed. "That's the day I can turn back into a guy. How could I've forgotten?" Ranma paused to ponder that for a moment. "Maybe because it's not as important now, as it once was..."
Blinking a few times on that, Ranma shrugged her shoulders and returned to her futon. There, she turned off the light with a gentle 'click', rolled over, and eventually drifted off to sleep.
- - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
Howdy all!
First off, I would like to thank all of those who took the time to leave a review. I do appreciate it.
Second, I would like to inform all of you that my updates will come at longer intervals. This is for several reasons:
One, as stated before, my muse has been flightily and since the completion of my "anti-writer's block" story, she has been hankering for something to replace it.
Two, summer is here and I have been going outside more. (Oooo look! It's... it's... it's the sun! I've almost forgotten what it was.)
Three, and most important to me, my wife has recovered enough after a long illness to want to get out more. Since the end of the nastiest round medicine that robbed her of her energy to do much of anything, she been feeling well enough get out and rejoin the human race again. So when she says "Let's go", I drop everything and we go. No arguments.
Ya'll take care and I'll still continue to work on my stories, it'll just take longer.
Thanks for reading.