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 people for looking this over:Lerris, CyberSkaarj, J. St.C. Patrick, WarGiver, Gate, and Nicholas Leifker - who suffered through this twice.
If I missed 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 8
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Female Ranma and male Futana's limbs were entangled with one another as their bodies intertwined. Deep soulful kisses passed back and forth as they wrestled with each other in a passionate embrace, each vying to communicate their desires physically. Hands flowed smoothly over each other's exposed skin as each sought to explore every nook and cranny of the other. The sheets that covered the bed were beginning to get in the way by restricting their movements. The couple responded as one by kicking the sheets off the bed and onto the floor where they lay forgotten. The cool night air now openly caressed their bodies, drawing even more attention to their nakedness.
The passion escalated, Ranma gasped as Futana touched a particularly sensitive part of her body. Unexpectedly, Ranma felt the familiar tingle that signaled her change of forms. Still lip locked, Ranma stretched out into his larger male form that Futana countered by switching into her female form and both continued their passionate assault on one another unfazed. Breaking to catch their breaths, Ranma shifted back into his female form, again Futana countered. Each looked deeply into the others eyes before resuming their play.
Breaking from another round of kisses and passionate groping, Futana leaned back and looked Ranma in the eyes. "Guy or girl?" he asked.
Ranma looked back into Futana's eyes and smiled. "Does it really matter?"
Futana shifted into her female body and Ranma shifted into his male one. Still looking into one another's eyes, they both shifted back into their other forms.
"No," Futana answered. "It doesn't matter at all."
Ranma looked at the larger male Futana and saw something in his eyes, something that made her feel complete. Ranma instinctively knew what was coming next and prepared herself. She moved her legs apart to allow Futana entry, Ranma's eyes never wavered from those of Futana.
"Yes," Ranma said softly.
Futana kissed Ranma deeply as he began to lower himself into Ranma-
- BEEEEEEP -
Ranma bolted upright in her futon, blinked, and looked around the room in a haze of confusion before silencing the alarm with a touch. She sat there in her futon, grasping at the fragmants of the highly erotic dream that had just visited her. Her heart raced from the dream's aftereffects, that its beating sounded like thunder in her ears. After a few long moments, a few deep breaths, and a good deal of self control, Ranma managed to get her heart rate back down somewhere in the neighborhood of normal.
Ranma took one last deep, calming breath.
"Whoa," she thought. "That was some dream." Looking at herself, Ranma noticed that she was sweating. "That was really, really some dream," she thought as she shakily climbed out of her futon.
Staggering over to the mirror, Ranma studied herself. Staring back at her was a pretty redhead, face still flushed from the effects of the dream, hair wildly going everywhere, and covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Somehow the dream didn't bother her in as much as it excited her.
"That dream was something else," she thought as she studied herself. She touched her lips and cocked her head to one side. She was comparing this dream to the other she had the night before where the roles were reversed. Ranma made a decision. "It was still good. I liked it."
Ranma then became aware of the certain smell of her own arousal accompanied with the feeling of something warm and wet between her thighs. Ranma looked down and blushed. "I better get cleaned up."
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During the quick scrub and rinse, Ranma tried to ponder the meaning of last night's dream. She also considered the one she had the night before, one where she was the guy. Ranma wasn't completely clueless to their meaning or the interchangeability of her roles in them, but after this morning's dream though, Ranma felt especially... frustrated. Her feelings of frustration made it impossible for her to really concentrate on the matter and she soon gave up.
"Oh man," she thought as she sighed. "I can't stop thinking about - that."
Ranma tried to sort through the thoughts and emotions that fluttered loosely about inside her, but wasn't getting anywhere fast. "I'll try and clear my mind and see if that helps," she thought before taking a cross legged position on the bathing room floor.
Ranma attempted to clear her mind and fall into a meditative state, but failed.The warm air coming from the furo mixed with the cool water on her body proved to be too much of a distraction. "This is no good," she thought. "Do I lack so much discipline that I can't stop thinking about - that?"
Sighing again, she considered her feelings, physically and emotionally. "I guess it's normal when you discover something new, but man." Ranma thought through pursed lips. "The only way I'm going to get any thinking done is to... well, get some relief."
Ranma shifted back onto the washing stool and eyed the door to the bath. At this time in the morning, she knew that she would have the bath to herself for at least another twenty or thirty minutes. Ranma peeked over and double-checked to see that the bathroom door was locked, assuring herself that she would have the privacy she needed. Once that was done, Ranma studied her female body, caressing herself with the palm and fingers of her hands.She followed the same paths her hands took in the dream and enjoying the sensation of the touch of flesh against flesh and exploring every curve... After a few moments she felt considerably naughty and reached down to relieved the tension that had been building.
Uncounted minutes later, Ranma arched her back as she climaxed. By using a wash rag as a gag, she was able to keep her cries of passion down to a minimum. After she came down from the high that her orgasm brought her to, Ranma relaxed her jaws and allowed the wet wash rag to fall and land on the bathing room's tiled floor with a 'plop'.
As she gasped for breath, she leaned back and rested against the wall, basking in the warm comfort of the afterglow. "Better," was her first intelligent thought as she relaxed against the wall. "Now maybe I can think."
Ranma sat there, panting and thinking of nothing for a few seconds before recalling the dreams that had excited her so.
"The night before I was the guy and Futana was the girl," Ranma thought as she picked up the discarded wash rag and began to rewash herself. She took extra care to clean certain areas of her body. "Last night, I was the girl while Futana was the guy."
Ranma paused in her bath to consider something. "Am I dreaming about Futana because I... think I may... love her... or am I dreaming about her just for the sex?"
Ranma pondered this more deeply. "I know what sex is, but I still haven't a clue what love is," she concluded as she picked up the rinse bucket. "Am I confusing one for the other?"
Pausing in mid-rinse, Ranma felt faintly disturbed by her ignorance in the matters of the heart. She poured the cool water over her; the water cascaded down her body, taking the soap with it. "First I was attracted to Futaba because he understood me. Then I felt something for Misaki because she accepted me. Futana teased me in... very interesting ways and now I'm leaning toward her."
Ranma paused and considered something else. "Even before all this, when I first arrived at the Tendos, I... went for Akane because she was nice to me at first and offered me friendship. She's even helped me out when I was in a jam and stuff," Ranma exhaled explosively in frustration. "If I was more honest with her when we first met and took her more seriously, who knows what kind of relationship we would have had."
Ranma shook her head. "No good thinking about 'what if's'. I gotta figure out what I'm gonna do now."
Ranma began to refill the rinse bucket. "I'm going all over the place without a clue what I'm really doing," Ranma thought forlornly. "Why can't everything be as easy as martial arts?"
Sighing while removing the rest of the soap, Ranma's shoulders sagged. "The best I can do is try not to get involved with anyone until I know what I'm doing... and hope I don't get... hurt."
Finishing her bath, Ranma stood and reached for the waiting towels. She hurriedly patted the water off her body and then wrapped herself in the larger of the two towels and used the smaller one to start drying her hair. She reached over and unlatched the door and exited the bathing room, leaving the questions of her budding sexuality, life, and love unresolved.
Wrapped in only a towel and still drying her hair with the other, Ranma exited the changing room that was outside the bathroom, only to almost run head long into Futana who was just staggering in. Staring at each other, Ranma felt her face warm up as Futana blinked at the redhead.
"Good morning," Futana said sleepily. She followed the curves of Ranma's towel-wrapped figure with elevator eyes before returning to Ranma's flushed face. "You okay?"
Ranma stared into the eyes of Futana and imagined that she saw something in them - something that she seen before in her dream. "Why did I have to think about the dream now," she lamented to herself. Ranma was vaguely aware of her face warming up even more as Futana's question registered.
"Um, yes. Yes! I'm okay. Ha-ha-ha. You?" Ranma stammered, desperately trying not to turn any redder than she already was.
Futana noticed how flushed and flustered the redhead was acting. "Interesting," she thought and pressed closer to the redhead. "Are you sure you're alright?" she asked huskily. "You look a little... excited."
Ranma didn't know how to respond to that and ended up staring back at Futana. She entertained a few naughty notions in her head, but decided to push them aside; she really did not want to get involved at the moment. "Yeah, I'm fine," Ranma finally said rather flatly. "I had a heck of a dream last night. That's all."
"Ohh, a nightmare," Futana said almost knowingly as she leaned even closer to Ranma, close enough that Ranma felt her breath when she talked. "Anything I can do to keep the boogieman away?" she whispered in a husky, teasing, and erotic way.
Ranma looked deeper into Futana's eyes that were mere inches from her own and tried to decide on the best course of action. Throwing out her just born resolve not to get involved, Ranma seized the first impulse to cross her mind. Ranma shrugged her shoulders creating very interesting jiggles in her anatomy that clearly distracted Futana. Futana opened her mouth to say something more, and that's when Ranma took advantage of the moment.
Ranma quickly leaned forward and captured Futana's lips in hers. Futana's eyes bulged as she froze on contact with Ranma's lips and almost fell out of their sockets when Ranma's tongue invaded her mouth. Though she fought it, Futana morphed into her male form as she, now he, returned Ranma's kiss. Ranma lips never broke contact as she compensated for Futana's now slightly larger stature. It was Futana's turn for his brain to go on vacation as all higher functions fell under Ranma's oral assault.
The kiss broke and Ranma backed away carefully. She was faced with a spaced out Futana, in male form, frozen in either shock or fear. Ranma studied the man and decided on shock. "With as goofy a grin as Futana has, it couldn't be fear," Ranma mentally concluded. She then stepped carefully around the dazed man, heading for her room.
Pausing, Ranma looked back on the still frozen Futana. Smiling at Futana's lack of movement, Ranma took the towel that she was using to dry her hair, twisted it up, and snapped it at Futana's unprotected backside.
- CRACK -
"YOW!" The blond-haired man yelped and jumped as he returned to the here and now. Rubbing his behind, he stared in wide-eyed surprise at Ranma.
"Gotcha," Ranma said playfully before continuing to her room, giggling all the way.
Futana stood there, stunned and rubbing his, now her, posterior watching the retreating, giggling redhead. "Whoa," Futana thought as she touched her fingertips to her still tingling lips. "Whoa."
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Nodoka's earlier anger at her husband and Mr. Tendo had been tempered by time. Which meant that she wasn't in as much of a killing mood anymore, but it wouldn't take much to get her back into one. She entered the Tendo family room and spied her husband and Soun playing one of their endless games of... whatever and frowned. She stalked up to the playing men and asked a question that she had asked every day since Nabiki dropped the bombshell last week.
"What are your plans to get my son back?" she asked the two practitioners of Anything Goes.
"Simple," Genma answered as he folded his arms. "We are going to explain to him that his obligations to the family cannot be ignored, him being a ward of some one else isn't important, and after this foolish experiment is over, he will marry Akane."
Nodoka sighed. "Why did I marry such an idiot for a husband?" she lamented to herself before remembering her indiscretion. "Right, like I didn't have much of a choice... I was warned that practicing Drunken Kendo Ryu was fraught with peril," Nodoka thought as she counted to ten. "But they didn't say anything about stupidity!"
Coming back to herself, she smiled an unpleasant smile before addressing the two martial artists. "I told you that won't work," she patiently said. "Ranma has no obligations to this family thanks to you two. Now again, what are you two going to do?"
Genma eyed Soun, who was sitting across from him, nervously before looking back at his wife. "If we can't reason with him," he answered rather pompously, "we'll just beat some sense into him."
Nodoka rubbed her temples, fought the coming headache, and tried to stay in control. "That idiot!" her mind screamed. "I ask the same question every day and get the same stupid answer - even after I explain to him all that would do is drive my son away."
Nodoka stood there and continued to rub her temples, desperately resisting the urge to gut her husband and his friend right then and there. After a prolonged silence, she stopped massaging her head and stared balefully at the men before her. "Let me explain something to you - AGAIN," she said very dangerously to the two. "I already told you that beating him will not work. If you two do anything, and I mean anything, to drive my son further away... I. Will. Kill. The. Both. Of. You. Understand?"
The men's eyes widened at the woman's proclamation.
"Now," Nodoka continued in a very prim way, "You have to reason with Ranma. Threatening him with empty threats will do nothing. Do you understand?"
The two men nodded.
"Now, when I ask you two tomorrow, 'what are you going to do', you better have something practical in reply," Nodoka said as her eyes narrowed as she stroked her katana. "For I'm getting tired of your stupidity."
Soun turned white as a sheet and Genma gulped loudly.
"We have a understanding, right?" she asked as she continued to stroke her katana. The two men nodded frantically.
"Good. I look forward to your answer tomorrow," Nodoka finished and glided out of the room leaving two very shaken men.
The men sat in silence, slightly paler, and sweating at the thought of what this woman would do to them if they failed. The auburn-haired woman disappeared in the direction of the front door; a gentle slam was heard that signaled her departure. After an prolonged silence the two men faced one another.
"Saotome?" Soun asked in a nervous voice. "What are we going to do?"
Genma removed his glasses and wiped them with a handkerchief. "I don't know Tendo, but we better think of something or plan on leaving on a very extended training trip."
"How extended?"
Genma placed his glasses back on. "Well, it would be safe to use the word "permanent" in this case."
The two fell silent once again.
"We need to reason with the boy, get him to understand his obligations," Genma said in a voice laced in frustration. "We need something to force him to do what's right."
"But how?" Soun asked in exasperation. "Everything we thought of your wife has shot down... and that's not even considering what the Master will do to us."
Both men shuddered at the thought.
"We need to find out why he is acting like this," Genma declared. "I don't think he would fall for a boy, no matter what the government computer matching says. Something else is going on and we need to find out what it is."
Soun nodded in agreement. "Quite. Know your enemy," he said sagely. "If we can find the reason for Ranma's actions and eliminate it, Ranma should return to normal and come right back."
Genma nodded. "Right. First we must gather information. This means that we will have to spy on him."
"Right," Soun agreed. "When do we start?"
"After he gets out of school today," Genma answered as a loud grumbling filled the room. "Definitely after we eat," Genma added as he rubbed his complaining stomach.
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Ranma sat at her desk and mulled over her emotions. It was new territory for her and she was unsure as to what to do. "I wonder if these dreams mean anything," she pondered. "I like how the dreams make me feel, but it they also make me feel... unsure about... Futana."
Ranma picked up a pencil and started doodling on her notepad.
"I mean, I like - I really, really like playing with Futana," Ranma thought. "It's exciting and new and makes me feel like a daredevil or something."
Ranma tapped the pointed end of her pencil on the paper's surface.
"It's thrilling, but how does she really feel?" Ranma thought on Futana. She then cocked her head. "How do I really feel?"
"Aren't you excited?" Misaki asked, wide eyed, breaking Ranma out of her thoughts. "I mean you might become famous."
"Um, huh? Oh. No. Not really," Ranma answered lamely, quickly leaving her thoughts behind. Misaki had been very excited for Ranma about the possibility of Ranma becoming a model and had been talking a great deal about it. Ranma didn't mind as long as Misaki kept quiet about it around Negiri - that girl was too much like Nabiki for Ranma's tastes. "I mean, I not exactly sure what the big deal is. I'm just going to do some katas or something and wear a few of their outfits while someone takes pictures. What's the big deal?"
"Ranma!" Misaki said in slight exasperation. "This is a big deal. Do you know how many girls would die to be in your shoes?"
"Um. No?"
Misaki rolled her eyes. "You don't get out much, do you?"
"Of course I did," Ranma objected. "I spent ten years on the road."
Misaki smiled at her redheaded classmate. "I mean like normal people. Trust me, this is a big deal."
"Um. Okay. Say, are you and Futaba coming with me tonight?"
"Can't. We have to go to the Wrestling Club practice after school," Misaki answered tiredly. "I swear the team gets weirder and weirder."
"Oh yeah, I forgot about your practice," Ranma said. She then blinked. "What do you mean by the team is getting weirder?"
"They all get nosebleeds so easily," Misaki answered. "It's a wonder that any of the guys made the team."
Ranma blink-blinked at her friend and lightly shook her head. "Should I tell her why they're getting nosebleeds?" Ranma pondered before her train of thought got derailed by her own intruding thoughts. Ranma sighed and decided to venture for an opinion. "Misaki, if there was someone you thought you liked... what would you do?"
Misaki smiled broadly at Ranma. "Who's the lucky guy... or girl?"
Ranma presented warding gestures to her friend. "No one! I mean I don't... It's just a question," Ranma floundered about.
Misaki's smile widened as she dug through her school bag. "This is what I used," she said as she presented a charm that looked like a tag. "You write the name of the person you like and attach it to your underwear."
Ranma took the offered charm and blink-blinked at her friend. "Huh?" was Ranma's intelligent response before she found her voice. "Er, thanks. I was hoping for something a little more... um, like an opinion."
"Well, you could always tell him... or her," Misaki said as she paused in thought. "Come to think of it, if I did that with Futaba, it probably would have saved a lot of trouble."
Ranma stared at the dark-haired girl. "Thanks," Ranma said softly.
It was at that point that Futaba, in male form, took his seat after returning from the restroom.
"What's up?" he asked, looking between the girls.
"Nothing really. We're just talking about girl stuff," Misaki answered off handedly.
Futaba nodded and turned more toward Ranma. "I don't mean to be nosey, but what did dad want to talk to you about this morning?"
"Huh? Oh yeah. He got me a tutor for my history class," Ranma replied. "I'm not doing too well in it and he thought it would help me."
"Did he say who?"
Ranma shook her head. "No. He arranged it through the school, so it's probably a student here or something."
Any more conversation was put aside as the teacher entered and class resumed.
Later in the day, after the final bell had rung, Futaba walked with Ranma to the school gate. "I really wish that I could go with you," Futaba said. "I feel like I'm abandoning you."
"Nah, I'll be all right," Ranma answered. "Besides, your dad, er, I mean, mom, er, that is Iroka Kahoru is coming with me."
"I know, I just don't want you thinking that I'm abandoning you or anything," Futaba said. "I'm your friend. Friends stick together."
Futaba smiled at Ranma in a way that made Ranma feel warm and fuzzy. Groping for words, Ranma managed to stammer out, "I... er, thanks... I'm... ahh, touched."
Ranma and Futaba stared at each other for a few heartbeats before Ranma spoke up. "We better get going," she said. "You have practice and I have a test shoot to go to."
Futaba nodded and started to head back into the school building before Ranma called after him. "I'll see you and Misaki when I get back."
Futaba waved in acknowledgment before disappearing into the building. Ranma stared off into space for a few moments and sighed. She then turned and made her way back home to meet up with Mr. Shimeru's alter-ego, Iroka Kahoru.
Ranma failed to notice two men shadowing her.
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Ranma leapt high into the air and did several impressive kicks. She was wearing a blue gi, finely tailored to fit the female figure, yet still be loose enough to allow ease of movement. Ranma kept conscious control of her kata, not allowing herself to go too far. Knowing that many people were not used to fifteen foot standing jumps, she limited herself to five to six foot ones.
All along, the camera's shutter was clicking away.
In spite of limiting herself, Ranma was throughly enjoying herself. Not knowing what was waiting for her when showed up for the test shots, Ranma half expected "frilly crap" on the gi's. She was pleasantly surprised to find that the clothing was well designed for the female frame. The gi's were closely fitting and lack the bagginess of regular gi's that she had wore in the past. They were lightweight, made of natural fibers, and a breeze to move in.
Absolutely perfect for Ranma's female form.
"Okay, break!" the photographer called out. Ranma stopped in mid-kick and alighted to the floor.
"We're through?" Ranma asked as she accepted a bottle of water from one of the many people milling about. The photographer nodded in reply and Ranma headed back to the dressing room.
"You were absolutely fantastic!" gushed Mrs. Hitonare in a way that reminded Ranma of Misaki. "I've never seen anyone as good as you are."
Ranma grinned, but didn't feel it right to brag. "Yeah..., er, thanks. I've been doing this awhile."
"How long?" Mrs. Hitonare asked. "And who was your teacher?"
"Well... I've been doing this since I could walk," Ranma explained as they walked. "My pop took me on a ten year training trip when I was six."
"He must have been an excellent teacher," commented Mrs. Hitonare.
Ranma pondered that as they entered the dressing room. "He was all right, but most of what I learned came from other people, dojo masters or some monks that we met on our trip." Ranma explained, then noticed Mrs. Hitonare's look. "Don't get me wrong, pops is a hell of a martial artist. He's even developed his own techniques... stuff that was so dangerous, he sealed them away. I know them, so I can tell how powerful and dangerous they are. But as a teacher, pops', well... his methods left something else to be desired."
"Oh?" Mrs. Hitonare questioned.
"Yeah, pops can... do - he can do martial arts real good, but can't really teach," Ranma answered as she removed her gi. "I mean, he's good to spar with and everything and he is really a great martial artist, but knowing something and teaching are two different things."
"Sounds like you're talking from experience," commented Mrs. Hitonare.
Ranma nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. Ya see, I've been helping out with the Martial Arts club at school. And let me tell you that teaching is a hellva lot different from learning. If there is one thing that I learned from helping out with the club after school is I gotta have patience."
"Oh?"
"Yeah," Ranma said while slipping into her street clothes. "Like, take my pops, for instance. He really doesn't have the patience for teaching; he's always looking for some short cut or some 'ultimate technique' to use in place of training."
"I see," Mrs. Hitonare said, but not really understanding. "Well at least you got something out of your training trip. Oh! Your guardian, Ms. Kahoru had to leave to take care of some details on the proposed contract for you. She left a young man here to look after you."
Ranma raised an eyebrow. "A blond?"
Mrs. Hitonare nodded with a smile. "Yes, he is waiting for you in the lobby."
Ranma returned Mrs. Hitonare's smile and nodded absently. "That's all right, I know him."
As Ranma changed into her street clothes, she began to ponder deeply upon how much she actually owed her father for what she had learned.
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Ranma and Futana walked side-by-side down the narrow sidewalk. Ranma couldn't help but notice that, as late in the day as it was, Futana was still a guy.
"You're still a guy," observed Ranma.
"Well, after your performance this morning, can you blame me?" Futana replied.
Ranma smirked. She was throughly enjoying teasing Futana. "You just lack self control, that's all," Ranma said slyly, before changing into a gruff voice, mocking his father's tone. "You just need more practice, boy."
Futana's eyes narrowed as they continued to walk along. "I wouldn't mind practicing on you," Futana said suggestively. "I bet I'd have you down in nothing flat."
Ranma snorted. "You haven't any martial arts skill to throw me."
"I wasn't talking martial arts," Futana said as he wagged his eyebrows.
Ranma froze in mid-stride, almost face-faulting when the meaning of Futana's words reached her brain. When it came to things like this, Ranma was picking things up a lot quicker than she was two months ago. Ranma was a fast learner, after all. Futana laughed at Ranma's reaction as Ranma stopped and faced Futana with hands on hips.
Ranma gave Futana a half-lidded glare and said mockingly, "I'm not that kind of a girl."
Futana returned Ranma's looked with one of her own. "You certainly do act like one, the way you tease me all the time."
"Tease? Me?" Ranma asked innocently, batting her eyelashes for added effect. "Why, whatever do you mean?"
"You know what I mean," Futana said, narrowing his eyes. "You've been... been..."
"Acting like you?" Ranma said mirthfully. "What's the matter? Can dish it out, but can't take it?"
"Oh, I can take it, " Futana answered as he leaned closer. "Can you?"
"I can take anything you can dish out," Ranma shot back, lower lip jutting out in defiance.
"Oh, really? And what can you dish out?"
Ranma's eyes shifted to the right, then shifted to the left. As far as she could tell, they were alone. Ranma quickly leaned forward and gave Futana a kiss. Not a deep one like earlier, but enough to ensure that Futana would stay in his guy form for awhile. Ranma was getting good at, whatever it was she was getting good at.
"See? I can tease just as good as you can," Ranma said as she wagged her eyebrows.
Futana stared at the redhead and smirked. "If this is what I get for daring you, I gotta challenge you more often."
Ranma blinked as her mouth fell open. "You tricked me?"
Futana nodded. "Yep. I just had to taste your lips again."
Ranma pouted.
"What's wrong?" Futana asked mirthfully and in a slightly hurt way. "Am I so bad?"
Ranma stared at the blond for a few heartbeats, then broke into a smile. "I don't kiss and tell," she said mockingly as she turned and strolled away, hands behind her head, and whistling a tune.
Futana stared at the retreating back of Ranma as she made her way down the sidewalk. He blinked a few times, smiled and then gave chase. "Wait a minute! You gotta tell me!"
The two played tag, laughed, and giggled as they headed toward the bus stop.
Genma and Soun looked at one another in stunned silence.
"Soun," Genma said in a thin voice. "Did I just see what I thought I saw?"
"Y-yes, old friend, I'm afraid you did," Soun manage to work out.
Silence fell between the two spying martial artists.
"This is bad, very bad," Soun said finally. "Ranma has fallen for the boy."
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Ranma managed to find a seat while Futana suffered through standing and hanging on to a strap. Ranma looked over her shoulder and out the bus window behind her, watching a crowd of people mill about before the bus began moving again. As the bus pulled away, Ranma turned to face the center of the vehicle. Looking up, she spied Futana looking down on her with a smile on his face.
Ranma returned the smile and noticed that Futana was glancing at something. Following his eyes, Ranma realized that, with her seated and the position that Futana was standing at, he had a good shot at her cleavage. This, for some reason, excited her.
"Man, I gotta stop doing this," Ranma scolded herself. "I said I wouldn't get involved with anyone until I knew what I was doing." Ranma looked down and continued thinking. "Why am I like this all of a sudden? I mean..." her thoughts trailed off.
The bus turned and made everyone shift around in their seats or lean where they were standing. "Well, I was pretty clueless before," Ranma admitted to herself. "I feel like I just discovered some great martial arts technique and I want to practice it over and over..."
Ranma scrunched up her pretty little mouth as she plunged deeper into her emotions. "Futana and I are just playing... it's not like she's serious," Ranma reassured herself as she looked up at the blond haired girl-turned-boy. "Is she?"
"What are you thinking?" Futana asked, breaking Ranma from her thoughts.
Ranma looked up at Futana with a wide eyes and said the words that every man fears: "Futana, we need to talk."
There was a prolonged and uncomfortable silence between the two.
Futana blink-blinked at the seated redhead as he look at her in the eyes. "What do you want to talk about?" Futana asked, his own eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Not here," Ranma answered softly. "Let's get off this thing and find someplace quiet to talk.."
Futana looked at Ranma quizzically before nodding. They rode the rest of the way in relative silence. Ranma used the time to gather her thoughts. "Why does this all have to be so confusing?" she lamented to herself. "In my dreams I start on as a guy, then I'm a girl and then I keep flipping back and forth... I don't know what to think anymore."
A cold feeing swept through Ranma. "Those dreams I've been having... I used to be so obsessive about being manly because... of my mother, but now," Ranma looked up at the standing Futana, "it's not that important anymore. But I gotta know where I stand - with Futana."
Ranma sighed. Her emotions were flip-flopping back and forth between embracing and running scared. "Futaba found someone - and even before Misaki started changing, she accepted Futaba just fine."
Ranma looked up once again to the standing Futana. "We tease each other, but does she want me? Or does she just want me in only that way?"
Ranma sighed softly to herself and thought of the earlier conversation she had with herself in the furo. "I give my heart away too easily," Ranma concluded. "I go for anyone who shows me any type of affection." Ranma paused in thought. "No. That's not true. Shampoo showed me lots of affection. Too damn much. When she does it though, it makes me feel like... like a possession, not a person. Kinda like how Kuno makes me feel when I'm a girl around him."
All too soon the bus halted at their stop and they disembarked. Ranma and Futana made their way to a cafe near the bus-stop and found it empty of customers. The lone waitress on duty smiled as she followed the couple as Futana led Ranma and the trailing waitress to the back of the cafe where there were no windows and barely any light. Selecting a corner booth, Ranma and Futana both settled into their seats across from one another in a very quiet, dark, and deserted part of the cafe.
-------------
Genma roof-hopped with relative ease, pausing to make sure Soun was right behind him. Soun, having not done any of this in a while, was sorely out of shape, but managed to keep up with great effort. Soun knew he was going to be feeling it in the morning, but it was better than losing his head.
Almost out of breath, the two masters of Anything Goes alighted not too gracefully in a nearby alley when they spied Ranma and the unknown man step off the bus. Soun nearly fell when his foot landed on a banana peel; Genma landed with an "oof" as the pot belly that he had acquired since living at the Tendos reminded itself of its presence.
"Where did Ranma go?" Soun asked after he regained his footing.
"He went into the cafe with that man," Genma answered.
Soun nodded as he watched the entrance to the cafe. "I wonder what he is up to?'
"We'll find out," Genma said firmly, "but we must be patient."
Soun nodded as the two settled to wait for Ranma to reappear.
-------------
The booth's seats were tackily covered with a green and red plaid vinyl and the light over the table must have only had a fifteen-watt bulb installed. The corner that the couple found themselves in was so poorly lit that the expression "feel around for your food" came to Ranma's mind out of nowhere. The entire cafe was quiet except for the clinking of dishes that could be heard from someplace in the back. It was the lull between the dinner rush of the office workers and the clubbing crowd so, for all intents and purposes, Ranma and Futana had the place to themselves. After ordering a tea and a coffee from the waitress and receiving them, a silence fell between the two.
"I need to know something...," Ranma said, breaking the silence, then stopped.
Futana waited a few moments for Ranma to continue. When it was clear that Ranma wasn't, he prompted gently, "What do you need to know?"
Ranma swallowed some of her tea. "I need to know, honestly, how do you, um, feel, er, about me?"
Futana raised an eyebrow.
"I mean," Ranma suddenly felt very exposed - more exposed than if she were running around stark naked, "I know we tease each other a lot, but is there anything behind it or not?"
Futana leaned back into the booth's seat and pondered. He found himself in a surprising delimma. When Futana first met Ranma there was only one thing on his mind and that was between Ranma's legs. Now Futana was looking into the blue eyes of Ranma and found himself unsure as to what to do.
"It would be so easy to get Ranma in the sack now," he thought. Futana stole another glance at the redhead across from her. "I've never seen her this - vulnerable before." Looking closely Futana noticed how fidgety Ranma was. "She's scared - really scared about this, but she's trying to deal with it. Oh, it would be so easy to do her..."
After a few moments of contemplation, a calm feeling settled over Futana. "I can't do it," he thought. "I just can't - not to Ranma." Sighing internally and clearing his throat, Futana spoke gently. "Ranma, I'm not sure myself if there is anything behind all the teasing. It's fun, but really can't say for sure. I think we'll find out one way or another if we give it time."
Ranma blinked at the blond. "You don't know either?"
Futana shook his head. "No, I don't. Let's just take it easy and let it work out by itself."
Ranma smiled a bit at this, feeling somewhat relieved. She then frowned at something. "I thought you were a real playboy when it came to women."
Futana stared straight ahead into space and whispered, "I thought I was too..."
Silence fell on the pair as each considered their own thoughts and emotions.
"Tell me," Futana asked, "what brought this on?"
"Just some dreams I've had," Ranma answered absently without meaning to.
"Oh? What dreams?" Futana asked in a voice that was a half-hearted attempt at being coy.
Ranma turned just a little pink and decided to bully through. "I've been having some... very... nice dreams."
"A-huh," Futana prompted.
"Well... it involves me with another person..."
"A-huh."
"And well," Ranma paused to fidget with her fingers. "One time I was the guy, the next I was the girl, but that doesn't really bother me. It's just all happening so... fast."
Futana looked like he was pondering the situation. After a few moments a thin smile crept over his face. "For people like us," Futana said in a very confident way, "the dreams you are describing are normal."
Ranma stared at the blond man as he shifted into a darker-haired woman. "You see," the now female Futana continued. "When you are both sexes, it is normal to think about sex like that."
"But sometimes I have a faint, distant voice in my head that's telling me I was born a guy," Ranma whispered, "but I don't think of myself strictly as a guy anymore." Ranma paused and thought to herself, "Now that I think about it, I haven't thought of myself as either one. Like Cologne said, I accepted my condition. That's why I haven't had problems with hot - or any water lately. My ki has settled."
"I was born a girl," Futana said with a shrug, bringing Ranma from her thoughts. "Ranma, have you ever dreamt of having sex with anyone that's the same sex as you are in your dream?"
Ranma stared wide-eyed at Futana. She knew very well what she was asking. "No," Ranma objected very firmly. "Well... yeah. Just once," she stammered around a bit, "Well..., I had a dream a week or so ago were I was a girl with, um... another girl..." Ranma answered hesitantly, fighting the blush that was creeping over her face.
"No guy/guy action?" Futana asked.
"No. No way," Ranma answered very firmly with a shake of her head for added emphasis.
There was a silence between the two that lasted a few seconds.
"I'm no psychiatrist, all I can do is speak from experience," Futana said. "When I first started changing, I had dreams like what you are having, except mine were me as a guy with a girl, a girl with a guy, and guy with a guy. I never dreamed of doing a girl as a girl."
Ranma shifted in her seat.
"Don't worry," Futana said with a smile. "It just probably means that you're becoming more sexually aware of yourself. You'll settle down. Futaba is probably having an easier time of it because he has Misaki, but I assure you he is going through the same thing. I overheard him talking to dad about it a few days ago."
Ranma blinked at Futana. "So, how did it turn out for you?"
Futana shrugged with her response. "In the end I embraced my ability to change. Hell, changing sexes is normal for my family and my mom and dad helped me through it. Eventually I want to be able to... have fun with both my sides. As far as love goes, I could see myself being with anyone, regardless of sex. Right now, I'm working on controlling my condition so I can 'do it' as a girl."
Ranma blinked again. "Why? I mean, I thought you were happy as a guy."
Futana leaned forward and took one of the smaller redhead's hands into her own. "I am, but there's someone I would like to be a girl for." Ranma stared wide eyed at the other girl and felt her cheeks warm up. "Tell me," Futana continued, "is there someone in particular that you are with in your dreams?"
Ranma face turned as red as her hair; she gave thanks that they were in such a poorly-lit corner. "Y-y-yeah. M-maybe."
Futana smiled in understanding. "Well, we'll just wait and see what happens," she said. "In the meantime... if you have any problems, I'll be there to help you through it."
Ranma smiled at the woman across from her.
"Now, while you finish up your tea, I'm going to change," Futana said as she rose. "I hate boxers when I'm a girl, they bunch up."
Soon after, the two women left the cafe walking side by side with wide smiles. Ranma was greatly relieved; not only were her dreams normal for a sex changer, but other people had been through this before. It was reassuring to know that it was part of normal development and nothing unusual.
Futana, was feeling rather odd. A prime opportunity to bed Ranma... and she passed it up. "I must be getting soft," Futana thought to herself. She looked over at the happy redhead that was beside her and smiled. "Maybe not."
Feeling particularly mushy at that moment, Futana put an arm around the shorter Ranma and pulled her into a hug. Futana felt happiness creep into her spine as Ranma returned the hug and both women made their way back toward the Shimeru's house arm in arm.
"Feeling better?" Futana asked.
Ranma looked up and smiled. "Yes. Much." Ranma answered. "Thanks for listening. This is the first time I really talked about this with anyone."
"Well, like I said, if you need to bend an ear, I'll be here for you," Futana said honestly.
Ranma smiled and gave Futana another sideways hug as they neared their residence. "Thanks."
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Lurking around the corner, two men lingered and watched as the two women entered the house.
"Genma? What's going on?"
"I don't know, Tendo," Genma said with a shake of his head. "First Ranma is cavorting around with a man and now with a woman. It makes no sense."
Soun and Genma pondered over what they had seen today. First they had followed Ranma from school to where she was living, and watched as she got into a car with a tall, redheaded woman. They followed the car as made it's way through greater Toyko. They waited outside a large building until Ranma came out in the company of a blond-haired man; then they witness Ranma as she planted a kiss on the blond. The two martial artists shadowed the couple to a cafe where Ranma exited with a dark-haired woman - a woman that Ranma was being very, very friendly with.
But a detail was lurking in the back of Genma's mind, something about the man that Ranma was with earlier.
"We have lost the boy," Soun lamented.
Genma rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Maybe. Maybe not."
Soun stared wide-eye at Genma. "W-what do you mean Saotome? Your son kissed a man eariler today and they were carrying on... like - and now he's with a girl-"
"Tendo, didn't you notice something?" Genma asked, interrupting his friend. "The boy that Ranma was with earlier wasn't his, well her, fiancé."
Soun's eyes widened more. "You're right. Ranma's fiancé was a dark haired boy, that one was blond."
Genma nodded in self-satisfaction. "Ranma is two timing his fiancé," he declared as he looked at Soun. "He is seeing another man, and probably another woman - all behind the back of his fiancé.
Soun continued to stare at the stocky martial artist as the seconds ticked by.
"W-what does this mean?" Soun asked.
"That means he is not staying faithful to his fiancé", Genma explained as he watched Ranma and the dark-haired woman board a bus. "He has violated the terms of the experiment. He has broken his word, so this will bring to question his honor."
"But he was honor bound to go through with the experiment," Soun pointed out, not understanding what Genma was getting at. "He promised."
"Exactly." Genma said.
Soun and Genma stared at one another for a few moments before what Genma meant sank in. "That means..." Soun tried to work out. "That means... Ranma would be bringing dishonor on himself."
"Exactly," Genma said as he wiped some imaginary dust from his glasses. Replacing his glasses on his face, he looked as Soun with a gleam of triumph in his eyes. "We have him."
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Ranma and Futana shucked their shoes by the front door before making their way further into the house. Ranma was so caught up in resolving and clearing things between her and Futana, she was completely unaware that she was followed. All Ranma felt at the moment was a content, but excited, peace. "I'm normal," she thought happily. "As normal as... well, everyone here. This is great!"
The pair made their way toward the family room.
"I'm never going to be a freak again!" Ranma thought with great relief.
"Hey guys!" Futaba said as he entered the room from the opposite door. "Guess what? We're going to the beach this weekend!"
"The beach?" Ranma asked. "Which one?"
"Kasai Rinkai Park," Futaba answered. "Everyone is going. Me, Misaki, mom, dad - you know, everyone."
Ranma thought about it for a moment and shrugged her shoulders. "I can't," she explained. "I hafta visit the Tendos and my parents."
"Why do you bother?" Futana asked. "I mean, it's not like they ever try and visit you."
Ranma pondered that, before answering the question. "It is a good question," she thought. "Why do I even bother?" Ranma sighed internally before reminding herself of why she does the things she does. "It's the principal of the the thing and because I promised," came Ranma's firm answer. "Breaking promises has always been my pops' thing. He was real good at it and I ain't gonna be like pops."
Silence fell in the room.
"You'll never make it in politics," Futana said mirthfully. "Do you want any company?"
Ranma though a brief moment before shaking her head. "Nah, I think it'll be all right. I got a meeting afterward with some people on martial arts stuff. I'll just go by myself and meet you guys later. I'll take my cellphone with me and if I get out early enough, I'll meet you there."
Futana nodded. "Don't forget to take some extra money with you too, for bus and train fare."
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"What are your plans to get my son back?" Nodoka asked the two men in front of the shogi board.
Genma looked at his wife with a smile that revealed nothing, but said everything. "Simple," he said, "we have seen Ranma cavorting with a man that is not his fiancé."
Nodoka, not expecting a real response from her husband, blinked at him. "Go on," she said after a few moments of silence.
"Since he is honor bound to be another's fiancé, he has broken a promise - a promise he has made on his personal honor."
Nodoka mulled over that for a few moments before asking, "And how will that bring him back?"
"Since he has abandoned family honor, the only thing he has left is his personal honor," Genma explained somewhat sagely. "He promised to be what's-his-name-"
"Futaba Shimeru," Nodoka offered.
"- fiancée for the duration of the experiment, on his honor, we now have witnessed that he has broken his word."
"And because Ranma highly values his personal honor," Soun said, picking up where Genma left off, "we can use that as a wedge to get him to do what is right."
Nodoka looked at the two men with a guarded expression. Nabiki who was in the room watching the drama unfold, was very interested in how Mrs. Saotome would react.
"Tell me everything you saw yesterday," Nodoka commanded the two men.
"The other day we decided that the only way we could win Ranma back was to treat him like an opponent and study him for weaknesses," Genma explained in a oh-so-knowing voice. "We decided to spy on him and see what he has been up to."
"We followed him from school to a building downtown where he was for several hours," Soun said. "When he came out of the building, he was in the company of a man with blond hair-"
"Wait a minute," Nabiki interrupted. "What building did you see Ranma come out of?"
Genma furrowed his brow in thought as Soun rubbed his chin. After a moment Soun spoke up. "It was call Tarento, I believe. Yes, I do think it had the name Tarento over the door."
Nabiki's hid her surprise well and only offered a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders, as if the information wasn't that important. The room was silent as if everyone was waiting for Nabiki to reveal something. When nothing was forthcoming, Genma and Soun continued with their tale. Behind her poker face, Nabiki was about as excited as she could be.
"Tarento!" Nabiki thought to herself. "That's only one of the biggest ad and modeling agencies in Japan. Ranma's guardian is wasting no time getting Ranma into the business."
Nabiki ignored the over-embellished story Genma was spouting and concentrated on more pressing matters. "There has got to be a way for me to profit from this somehow, there's just got to be a way!" she thought. "I could try blackmail. A lot of stars or up and coming stars pay big bucks to keep compromising photographs out of the public eye... but Nodoka took all my pictures of Ranma away..."
Genma and Soun had finished telling Nodoka what they had seen and waited like little children to see if what they did had pleased their mother or not. Nodoka sat, unmoved by the heat of the day, pondering what she had just heard. Her face was unreadable as she thought. After several long moments, Nokoda addressed the two men.
"This might work if he hasn't thrown away his personal honor as well." She then cocked her head slightly to one side. "We will need a contingency plan if he has."
A smile spread over Nabiki's face as she eyed Nodoka. "Yes," she thought. "Maybe we could come up with a business arrangement..."
---------
The heat wave that hovered over the city, was broken the night before by an unexpected and violent thunderstorm. The rain was torrential as it swept through the city leaving the temperature slightly cooler but the air even more humid and unbearable than before. The rain also brought out the sick, warm smell of oil and asphalt that lingered in the air and clung to her senses. Ranma ignored these discomforts as she made her way from the bus stop and strolled along the sidewalk. The stickiness of the day was the least of Ranma's concerns as she headed toward a place she once considered home.
"Figures that I would get mine this week," Ranma thought with a slight irritation, "Futaba had his, er, that is, hers last week."
Ranma was unsurprised by that morning's return of the "monthly visitor" since she had been well informed from the last time it had happened. Like anything else, Ranma looked at it as a challenge and was determined to take it in stride. The cramps weren't anywhere near as bad as the last time, but Ranma was discovering the joys of "bloating".
"I feel as big as a panda. Damn, and I wanted to wear my jean shorts today," Ranma thought as she made her way toward the dojo. She fingered the waistband of her miniskirt absently and smiled. "At least I still look good."
"I hope dealing with Happosai and Cologne doesn't take too long," Ranma thought as she turned onto the walkway that led into the dojo grounds. "I wanna go swimming!"She paused in her walk and contemplated an important detail. "That is, if I'm brave enough to use a tampon."
Ranma continued on until she reached the outside of the Tendo's door. "I wonder if this is even worth it," she thought absently as she raised her hand to knock. "I mean no one here tries to keep their promises and here I am." She halted her hand before it made contact with the door and thought on that some more. "No," she concluded. "I'm going to try to be better than that. If I start breaking promises because they're inconvenient, than I'm no better than pops."
With newfound resolve Ranma reached out with a slender hand and knocked on the door.
After a short wait, the door swung open.
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Howdy!
I know it took me a while, but a lot has been going now in Real Life. I've been helping out my wife, as she been trying to get her garden together. It fell into disrepair when she took sick last year and there was a lot of work that needed to be done. She can't work too long in the Texas heat, but that's why she has me. In any case, it's good to have her up and about. This was on top of our wedding anniversary, my birthday, our kid birthdays coming up, etc., etc., etc.
As far as my other story goes, I'm working on it. I have, what I believe to be, the last four chapters outlined as well as a chapters worth of martial written. Unfortunately what I have written is not in the same chapter. My muse has also been flighty as heck.
Bad muse! Bad muse!
I have another "anti-writer's block" story started and I have hopes that this will jump start me.
As always, I like to thank everyone who took the time to leave a review for this.
Thanks for reading.