Author's Note: Originally posted on AO3.
This started out as a one shot, so the first chapter is especially long – around 9000 words. Pace yourself!

Chapter 1: Enter the Fourth Fiancée! Aren't you the Least Bit Curious?

Ranma locked the front door to the Tendo Dojo and pressed his weight against it. There was a loud and insistent young woman standing outside demanding that he take her on a date, and as luck would have it, she was actually his fiancée. Not that it was by his choice, of course. His father had arranged the marriage when they were both children as a desperate ploy to steal her father's Okonomiyaki kart.

"Really, Ranma, you've been ignoring me lately. Let me in –- I'll make you something to eat."

She was a brilliant cook, that was true. And the truth was that Ranma liked her. It's a shame she was obsessed with him as a romantic conquest. They could probably be friends if she just lightened up a little.

An idea formed inside his mind.

"Uh, yeah, give me a minute to uh, get my hat," Ranma said.

Hesitant, and aware that this was an unusual sartorial choice for the boy, Ukyo relented.

"Sure. I'll wait for you, sugar."

Ranma dashed to the opposite end of the dojo at his fastest sprinting speed, slid the door open, and collided into another teenage girl. Rubbing his own head, Ranma got to his feet. The girl in front of him had long blue hair and wore a simple red Chinese dress that accentuated her shapely figure.

"Ranma, no be stupid! You hurt Shampoo!" She shouted in broken Japanese.

And this was another fiancée of his. And for once, it wasn't his father's fault. No, he had accidentally defeated her in battle, and according to the laws of her Amazon tribe, she had no choice but to marry him. Unlike Ukyo, Shampoo was not his friend and never would be. She could go back to China at her soonest convenience, as far as Ranma was concerned.

Grumbling, Ranma hopped back into the dojo, shut the door, and locked it. He had to get out of this house –- he needed space. He could go out past the koi pond and hop the back fence, but sooner or later Shampoo or Ukyo would probably be trying to use the same pathway in reverse. So, that left an exit through his bedroom window and up onto the rooftop.

He ran upstairs and narrowly avoided running into a girl in a simple white training gi. Despite the fact they managed to avoid a collision, she was not pleased with him.

"Ranma, watch where you're going!"

And this was another fiancée of his. Well, the only true fiancée, really. His father had promised her father that the two of them would be wed in order to merge their schools of martial arts and ensure a future for the Anything Goes method. While Shampoo was a pest, and Ukyo was a buddy that constantly overstepped her bounds, Akane was –

Well, Akane was not that bad.

"Out of the way," she said as he pushed past him and went downstairs.

He swallowed his temper for the time being and ran to his room, hopped out the window, and onto the rooftop with just a few short hops. Gathering speed, he ran and hopped onto the roof of the building next door, and then onto the next, leaving the Tendo Dojo far behind.

With Ranma out of the occasion, both Shampoo and Ukyo found other things to do and excused themselves from the Tendo Dojo. For the briefest of hours, it almost seemed as if it would be a peaceful day at the Tendo household. Then a young woman approached the dojo. Her hair, which she kept in a high ponytail, swished behind her as she walked. She glanced down at the directions she had scribbled onto a scrap of paper and then again at the quaint little dojo in front of her.

"This has to be the place," she said.

She walked up to the door and rapped on it gently. There was no response. The woman waited for some time out of politeness and then tried knocking again.

After a pause, an angry young woman in a training gi opened.

"Yeah, let's not all jump up to get the door!" She shouted behind her.

"Err, sorry," the tall woman said and bowed slightly. "I didn't mean to disturb you. I was looking for someone, and –"

Though intimidated by the stranger's height, the shorter girl balled her hands into fists and burned with anger.

"Is it Ranma Saotome?"

"That's right," she said, surprise showing on her face. "Have you heard of him?"

"Yes," the girl answered. Well, it was sort of an answer – it might have just been a growl.

"Is he here? I'd like to see him. It's a funny story, but – "

"For the love of all things holy, don't tell me you're his fiancée."

The woman blinked. Then, a goofy blush spread across her face.

"Has…he told you of me?"

"For real?"

The shorter girl lost her balance, and the taller girl caught her in one fluid motion. Actually, the girl in the gi hadn't even seen the taller girl move – she just sort of appeared by her side.

"I was joking. Or I had hoped I was joking."

The taller woman narrowed her eyes. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like what was coming next.

"Well, my life just got even stupider. Would you like to come inside and have some tea?"

The taller woman hesitated. "Yes, of course."

"Cool. My name's Akane Tendo, and this is my family's dojo."

"I am Takara, the Swordstress of the Shooting Star."

Akane's face melted into a mixture of horror and pity.

"Oh, don't take it too seriously. I just made it up to sound cool."

Akane laughed. "Thank goodness. There's a bunch of weirdos running around here that take themselves far too seriously."

Akane graciously showed the new arrival to the family tea-table that overlooked a picturesque koi garden. Takara got down on her knees and found herself trying to squish down the insecurities that were starting to rise – the tea-table was a little low for a woman of her height. In a few moments, Akane returned with a glass of water, and as she set it on the table, she noticed that Takara was wearing a ring. It was gold and had some sort of writing on it.

"You've got a ring," Akane said.

"Yes. My engagement ring."

"To Ranma," Akane sighed.

"Yes. Do you know him?"

"I wish I didn't. Now, Takara, I'm going to try to tell you this gently, but you're not going to like it. You see, Ranma has three other fiancées…"

Takara's face fixed itself into a grimace. Her mood had darkened, and Akane's story had just begun.

Ranma had his arms folded behind his head as he leisurely walked back to the Tendo Dojo. Despite the morning looking like it was going to be rough, he'd had a relaxing day practicing his katas up on the hillside behind the town. It was almost dreamlike in how serene it was. He let himself in and started walking towards the dojo.

Kasumi was walking down the hallway and smiled at Ranma.

"Oh Ranma, perfect timing. We have a guest at the dojo."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. One of your fiancées, I believe."

"The Amazon, or the cook?" Ranma asked.

"No, it wasn't either of them."

Ranma considered. "Akane doesn't count as a guest, Kasumi."

"Of course not. I had not previously had the pleasure of meeting this fiancée before," Kasumi said with a curious smile. "But for all our sakes, I hope you don't have many more secret fiancées hidden in your past."

Something inside of Ranma snapped. Another fiancée? That was the last thing he needed in his life. This had to be his father's doing. Whenever that man was down on his luck and out of money, he would try to trade Ranma away in an arranged marriage. Why couldn't he just have a normal love life? Of his own choosing? With nobody forcing anybody on him?

He ran found an unfamiliar woman sitting at the tea-table. She looked as if she had just wandered out of some dorky otaku festival. She was wearing a Magical Girl T-shirt and had a toy sword strapped to her back. Ranma's eyes lingered on the sword. The sword was a pretty accurate replica of a weapon that someone studying the Iaido school of sword fighting. He squinted and looked closer – it wasn't some cosplay toy – it was the genuine article. And it was in an immaculate condition.

"Wait…Could it be?" Ranma asked.

The woman stood up and revealed herself to be taller than Ranma by a head.

"Takara!" Ranma shouted as a dopey smile spread across his face.

"Ranma!" The girl said as she glided across the floor and wrapped Ranma in a hug.

'Geez, how long has it been?" Ranma asked.

"Three years, you knucklehead."

Takara started messing up Ranma's hair in a playful manner and Ranma laughed as he swatted her hands away. Since he was a martial artist and she was a swordstress, the movements were lightning fast.

"Ahem."

Ranma and Takara turned to see Soun, the head of the Tendo household, holding onto his tea with narrowed eyes and a distant glare.

"Ranma, why don't you tell us about your fiancée?" he said, each word dripping with venom.

"Fiancée?" Ranma asked, taken aback. He turned to look at Takara and then the color bled from his face.

Takara only gave a smug smile in response.

"Oh. Right. I, uh, had forgotten."

Takara held her ring up and Ranma blushed as he looked at it.

"Ranma," Soun said, his voice low and dark. "Why don't you tell us how you got engaged to this fine young woman?"

"You didn't tell 'em already?" Ranma asked.

Takara shook her head. "I thought it would sound better coming from you."

"Yes, let's hear the story," Soun said as he shot an icy glare towards his old friend Genma Saotome.

Genma in return recoiled. "I swear, I Don't remember arranging this one. I didn't promise his hand to any tall girls!"

Akane harrumphed. "Whatever, old man. Ranma, tell us what his scheme was this time."

"No, this wasn't my old man's doing," Ranma said.

Uncharacteristically of Ranma, he trailed off and blushed.

"I, uh…Well…"

Takara stood and showed her ring to the family.

"I think the suspense is killing them, Ranma."

"I…proposed to Takara."

Silence.

"Why?" Nabiki asked.

Ranma turned in frustration. "What do you mean, why?"

"I mean like, were you and your old man being held by evil ninjas, and the only way to escape alive was to promise your hand to the daughter of the ninja master?"

"What? No!"

"But you must have done it for some reason," Akane said. "Your dad was a bad influence on you. You probably needed some money for the train or something."

"No!" Ranma said, offended. "Why does everybody think I have to have an ulterior motive in order to propose marriage?"

"So…You didn't?" Kasumi asked.

"No. She was pretty and strong, and fast. She took things seriously, but she knew how to laugh," Ranma said as his words grew softer. "And I was thirteen. And in love. So…I proposed to her."

Takara leaned in to hug Ranma, and at first, he accepted, but then he became self-conscious and scooted away.

Soun started laughing. "Well, obviously this marriage cannot be! She's taller than you by a mile now, boy!"

"She was taller than me back then, too," Ranma said.

"Wait…" Akane said.

"Doesn't that like…go against your whole being a man, thing?" Nabiki asked. "Isn't it emasculating to be shorter than your bride?"

Ranma shook his head. "Only someone insecure in their manhood would be threatened by a woman taller than him. I'm confident in my skills and prowess and I have nothing to be embarrassed about."

"How mature of you," Kasumi cooed in an approving tone.

Takara looked down, blushing. "Actually, that was a big part of the attraction back then. The boys were terrified of me. The girls were scared of me, too. And older men were just gross to me. But Ranma treated me like his equal."

"Heck, you're my better with a bladed weapon," Ranma said.

"I've been improving my martial arts, too," Takara said with a suggestive grin.

"Yeah? Well, this Is a dojo, you know. How about you and me throw down?"

"I'd love to spar with my husband to be," she said.

"Wait, no! This is too precious. Tell us more about you two while you were dating. And the proposal," Nabiki said.

Ranma turned to Takara and shrugged. They both sat down at the tea table and together, they began to tell a story.

Ranma was walking down the street holding hands with Takara. Though they were only born a few months apart, one would think that she was a few years older than him. The young teenage boy was wearing a variation of his usual red outfit and the gangly girl was in shorts and a grey sweatshirt.

"There's going to be a new episode of Magical Girl Lightning Blade today. Wanna go see it?" Ranma asked.

Takara hugged him closer and kissed him on the cheek. "Sure."

They made their way to the mall while discussing their plans. It was Ranma's turn to pretend to be rich today. They entered the electronics store and Ranma wrapped Takara's sweatshirt around his head like a turban, leaving Takara in a T-shirt adorned with a cute kitten.

"Attention, attention," Ranma said as he entered the store and folded his arms. "I am a prince from the faraway land of Abu Dhabi, and I am here to purchase a TV for my family."

The store manager heard the word "prince" from the back room and ran in to meet the diminutive heir. The manager was thin and had a salt and pepper beard that was neither fashionable nor flattering to his facial structure. He saw the kid and rubbed his hands together as he smelled the yen in the air. But then his enthusiasm waned.

"Wait, you look kind of like that British boy from two weeks ago who claimed he was the nephew of the Viceroy of London."

The manager eyed the young prince.

"No sir, and I am offended by such accusations."

The manager hesitated.

Takara bowed. "My good sir, I have been his royal bodyguard since he was a child. I promise his words are true."

"A royal bodyguard? You're wearing a Pretty Kitty t-shirt."

Takara turned about in surprise and then leaned in closer to the manager.

"I am incognito, my dear sir, so not as to alert potential assassin to my presence."

The manager thought about it.

"Father also asked me to purchase your most expensive surround sound system."

The manager nearly got a nosebleed.

"Let me show you around –"

"Nonsense. I am a prince, and I need no guidance."

The manager backed off and let them wander around the store. They found the biggest and brightest TV in the store and changed the channel just in time to catch the theme song of Magical Girl Lightning Blade.

The two laughed, and Ranma sat on the ground leaning into Takara, who in turn held him.

"Wait a minute," Akane said. "Ranma? Watching magical girl anime? I don't believe it! This story is false!"

Ranma and Takara shared a glance.

"I mean, pretty girls, and cool fight scenes. Those were the only things running through my brain back then, anyway."

"But…I mean…It was so girly!"

Ranma shrugged. "I guess?"

"No, I'm certain now. This has to be a ploy of some kind. Can you imagine? Ranma letting someone hold him?"

Ranma's face burned. "It's nice to be held once in a while. Ain't that the whole point of love? To let your guard down? And be…soft?"

"Ranma was really sheltered," Takara started. "Well, I was, too, really. But he was mature for a boy his age. He was so in touch with his femininity. And…he let me be strong, without making me feel like a freak."

Nabiki snorted with laughter and nearly fell over backward.

"Do you have a problem with a boy being at peace with his feminine side?" Takara asked with a hint of warning in her voice.

"Peace! With his feminine side! Oh, this is too rich. Akane, have you told her about…?"

"Not yet," Akane said quickly.

This sudden swerve in the conversation confused Takara. Whatever they were referring to, it sure made Ranma uncomfortable. He couldn't meet anybody's eyes at the table.

"While this is a charming tale of young love," Soun deadpanned, "Please get to the part of the story with the proposal."

Genma nodded quickly. "Yes. We must know the specifics of the arrangement, to see if it is a valid engagement or not."

"We'll fast forward to later that night, then," Takara said.

Ranma and Takara were strolling through the woods when they came into a clearing. The moon was bright and Takara basked in its beauty. Ranma was moved, and he wasn't usually the sort to be taken in by nature. Takara found a patch of grass and laid down. Ranma nuzzled into her side and stared up at the moon with her.

"I don't know how much longer we'll be in town," Ranma said. "Dad tricked this guy into thinking he's the dude's long-lost brother. And we're going to stay until he charges dad rent or kicks us out. I think he's starting to get suspicious."

There was a silence for a moment.

"When the summer ends, my aunt will collect me, and we will return to our training. So…either way, our time is coming to an end, Ranma."

"I've been thinking about that," he said.

He sat up and pulled Takara to a sitting position.

"Look, I don't really get girls. I Don't even like them, half the time."

"Oh, Ranma! I feel the same! But about boys."

"Right. And you're the absolute coolest girl I've ever met. I bet that I could walk across all of Japan not find a girl half as cool as you. I know that we're both busy with our training, but I got to thinking, that later on when we're both the best in our fields…"

Ranma opened up his hands to reveal a golden ring with strange runes dotted across it.

"Would you marry me, Takara?"

"Yes!"

Takara wept, and took the ring, and placed it on her left hand. She lifted it up and let it glisten in the moonlight.

Ranma turned to Takara and leaned in for a kiss. But at the last minute, he stopped himself and blushed.

"I'm…not ready," he said.

"That's okay, Ranma. We'll be together forever. We've got time."

"It's a fake," Nabiki announced.

Everyone looked at Nabiki to find she was holding a magnifying glass to the ring.

"It's shiny, but it's made of plastic. It's the sort of quality or ring you'd find in a gashapon machine – and I'm talking the cheap kind, here."

Nabiki put her hands on Takara's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, honey. He tricked you."

"No," Takara said. "I knew it was from a gashapon machine. It's from the anime we liked. It was Magical Girl Tidal Blade's ring. She was my favorite because she followed the Iaido style, like me. Though the animators took some liberty with their depiction of the art."

"How thoughtful," Kasumi said, as she clasped her hands together. "It really sounds like young love, pure and true."

"Indeed," Takara said. "And I have returned to fulfill the promise."

Everyone at the table bristled.

"Now see here," Soun said. "Ranma's father and I had an arrangement – in writing – well before the night of – "

Takara overturned the tea table and had her sword drawn towards the ceiling.

"Listen here! Arranged marriages are not legal in this prefecture! Therefore, Ukyo and Akane's claims on Ranma are null and void! Nothing but pretty words and empty promises! This is Japan, and therefore the laws that Shampoo quotes mean nothing here. The only woman with a viable claim on Ranma's heart is me, and I have come to collect!"

She alternated between a series of poses with her sword drawn.

"To declare my superiority, and to make it obvious to all, there shall be 21 days of battle. Each so-called fiancée shall have seven days to battle with me, and the one who gets an even number of victories will be the winner. There shall be no draws. And at the end, when I have bested all of you, no one here shall dare deny my claim. No, the entire city will - "

A wave of water splashing across the room interrupted Takara's speech. Akane had thrown a pale of cold water at an unsuspecting Ranma, causing him to shift into his female form. Ranma looked down at his chest, and then up at Takara. But Akane saw something different in Ranma's face - it wasn't just a mix of shame and fear. There was a genuine vulnerability etched into his expression.

"There's your husband to be," Akane said. "He fell in a cursed pool of water while out training. Now he grows boobs every time it rains."

Takara's eyes widened, and her lips thinned. She took a few steps closer and knelt in front of Ranma.

"Jusenkyo…"

"Yeah," Ranma said. "You've heard of it?"

Takara nodded, as she studied the beautiful young martial artist in front of her.

Her eyes widened even more and her face turned beet red. She looked down at the girl's blouse.

"Are they real?" She asked, at last.

"Umm," Ranma said.

Takara turned to face Akane but couldn't quite meet her eyes.

"This is far from a deal-breaker," she said in a quiet voice.

Akane's heart nearly stopped.

"Are you surprised? I mean, you're engaged to him, and you haven't broken it off. Aren't you the least bit curious…?"

"What? No!" Akane shouted.

Takara turned towards Ranma.

"What about you? Are you…curious?"

"…Yeah," Ranma said.

Takara stood up and turned to Akane.

"Honestly," she said, annoyed. " Akane, wasn't it obvious that I was joking? I was just pretending I was an anime character. Nobody runs around making absurd declarations like that."

The silence and the looks on the faces surrounding Takara told a different tale.

"So I'm reading the room here," she said slowly, "and I get the feeling you guys must hang out with a strange crowd indeed. That, or I'm far more sheltered than I always feared."

Takara shook her head slowly and slipped the ring off her finger and put it gently into Ranma's hand.

"We were thirteen and full of hormones. Our marriage proposal meant nothing. But I thought I would come and say hello to my old friend. When I heard how complicated his love life had gotten I thought I could make a grand joke out of it. Forgive me."

Takara bowed. "My comedy is undisciplined, and I fear your family may be beyond parody. Besides, I could never be his bride, anyway."

Ranma looked down and turned to hide his face.

Soun and Genma lept to their feet and were nearly dancing with joy

"Well, you hear that? It was all in good fun! Good times! Hahaha, hilarious! Why, you must spend the night tonight, Takara, as a guest of the Tendo Dojo!"

"Yes, an old friend of Ranma's is practically family! And you don't marry family, do you?" Genma cooed.

Takara smiled in bemusement at the sudden switch in attitude.

"Yes, yes, the sun has set. You must spend the night. You can room with Akane!"

"No!"

"You can take the guest room!"

Takara turned to look at Ranma, but her old friend had left the room. The patriarchs of the house ushered her into the guest room in a frenzy. Behind her, she could see that Kasumi was smiling sweetly and Nabiki was clutching her sides while howling with laughter. Akane, on the other hand, was wearing the same expression that evil characters in anime wore when they were plotting someone's death.

Akane got into bed and hugged herself tight. She shouldn't be so angry. After all, Takara had said she could never be Ranma's bride, and she had renounced the engagement, anyway. So, Akane had nothing to fear from the tall sword-swinging girl. And no matter how many times she tried to tell herself those words, she realized that she couldn't believe them.

There was something authentic about the way the two of them interacted. They had been sweethearts from the past, and the things they shared with one another frightened her. Ranma never let his guard down and showed Akane his softer side. She would never admit it, but she liked that side of Ranma a lot and always yearned to see more of it. And yet, she was always too afraid to ask. Partly because she was afraid she'd offend Ranma, but mostly because she didn't like to admit how much tender moments like that meant to her.

And though she tried to shake the thought, she couldn't stop thinking about how Ranma had proposed to Takara. On occasion, he would concede that Akane was kind of cute and that he didn't hate her – but that was all. To imagine that there was someone Ranma would declare his undying love to – even at a younger age – left her insides cold and hollow.

Feeling listless, she rolled out of bed and head for the back door. She needed some time to walk around and collect herself. Kasumi caught her just as he stepped into the backyard and put a hand on her shoulder

"Akane," she said. "Would you like to talk?"

"No," Akane said.

There was a pause. Then, Akane sighed and turned to face her older sister.

"Yes."

"How do you feel?"

"Ah," Akane said, as she tried to concentrate. "I don't know. It's like seven emotions all trying to go in a door at the same time and getting stuck."

"Jealous?" Kasumi offered softly.

"Yeah. That's one of them."

"Takara and Ranma shared something special back in the day."

"Yeah. And that's all fine and great," Akane said. "But did you see the way they laughed and talked with each other? And looked in each other eyes? I've never really seen Ranma look like that."

Kasumi thought about it. "I've seen him look at you like that, a few times."

"Really?"

"Yes. I don't think he realized anyone else was watching."

"I wish I could have that with Ranma."

"Have what?"

"That…easiness. Like they didn't bicker once. They teased a little, but they were never in danger of breaking into a fistfight. They could just smile, and enjoy each other's company."

"What's stopping you from having that now?"

"Well," Akane said, deep in thought. "We got off to a bad start. At first, I didn't want it. It was just forced on me by two stupid old men. But as I've gotten to know Ranma…"

Akane could think of several ways to end that sentence, but couldn't bring herself to say even one of them.

"Hmm. Well, Ranma and Takara were able to create their relationship from the ground up on their own terms."

"On their own terms…That's what I want. No arrangements. Just…I want to be a teenage girl in love."

Akane repressed a sob and turned away.

"You can be," Kasumi whispered, "and I suspect that you are."

"Ranma let her hold him," Akane said.

"Yes. It was a very sweet moment for them."

"Isn't it weird, though?"

"Why? You like to be held sometimes, too, right?"

Akane's face twisted, and she had trouble answering. But she finally relented and whispered an affirmation.

"Ranma has a feminine side too, Akane. Just as you have a masculine side. Some would call my protective side maternal, but you know how fierce my love can be. We are all complicated people. Maybe you should try to learn more about him…and maybe you should let him learn more about you."

Akane wanted to say something sarcastic but found herself unable. So, she snuggled into her sister and looked out at the night sky. Neither of them said anything.

When Takara heard a knock at her door, she was expecting it to be Kasumi, or perhaps one of the older men, offering some last random trinket of appreciation for the night. But instead, she found a short red-headed woman standing before her.

"Hey," she said. "Can we talk?"

Takara motioned for Ranma to sit on the guest bed at her side. Though she eyed the bed, Ranma chose to stand at a short distance from her old friend.

"I hope you're not disappointed in me," Ranma said.

"Why would I be?" Takara said.

"I…was your boyfriend. But I'm pretty much half girl now."

"That doesn't matter to me," Takara sighed. "And besides. You're very cute."

"You think so?" Ranma said, and blushed.

Inside, Ranma panicked a little. People called him cute all the time and all it did was piss him off. So why did it have a different effect coming from Takara? Why did it give him this feeling of warmth in his chest and his stomach?

"Yes," Takara said. "I like girls. But they're often even more afraid of me than boys."

"I'm not a girl," Ranma said, mostly to himself.

Takara motioned for him to sit with her again, and this time Ranma obliged. His old friend had always been taller than him, but she towered over his smaller female body. And he kind of liked that.

"You know, Takara, you're the only person in my life who ever saw my feminine side as a strength. Or at least as something to be valued. Pops forbid everything feminine from me, my guy friends were dumb and immature, and even now all these girls that say they love me make fun of me for it."

Takara began to gently stroke Ranma's arm, and Ranma leaned into Takara.

"Takara…What did you mean when you said you couldn't be my bride?"

She pulled Ranma in closer in response.

"It doesn't matter now."

"I'm glad that you have the sense to see my proposal to you as just a dumb kid thing, but…"

"But…"

"A Part of me kind of wishes it could work out. I Declared my love to you, Takara. No arrangements, no ulterior motives, and no weird Amazon laws. I wish I could just be a regular girl. I mean guy! Of course!" Ranma lost himself in a moment of embarrassment and only continued when Takara took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "I wish I could just meet a cute girl, go on some dates, and see where it goes. Not be trapped in all these engagements like this."

Takara lifted Ranma's head up to face her.

"Technically, we could. We're both human beings with free will. We could run away from this dojo right now and get married. Or just wander around Japan, training in our respective arts."

"Hah," Ranma laughed.

"I don't think it's what you'd want, though."

"Oh," Ranma said, and looked down. "You mean Akane."

"What about Akane? Isn't she just another arranged marriage?"

"No. Well, maybe at first. Now…Well, I really don't understand how I feel about her. And she doesn't make it easy."

Takara stood up and walked over to a nearby nightstand and picked up a glass of water before returning to her seat next to Ranma. She lazily traced the lip of the glass of water.

"There's a reason why you wouldn't want me, Ranma," she said.

She put her hand in the water.

And in a single blink of Ranma's eyes, she had transformed. She still had long hair, but it was now a dark shade of blue. But her face was more masculine. As was her body – broader, more angular. Devoid of curves. She was about average height for a boy her age, but a fair bit shorter than she had been before. And despite all of this, there was something slightly androgynous about her face.

"I went training down in Jusenkyo with my Aunt, and I fell into –"

"The Spring of Drowned Man," Ranma said in awe.

"Yes."

Ranma teared up and looked away.

"What's wrong, Ranma?"

"I'm still attracted to you," he said.

"And that brings about tears of joy?"

"I shouldn't feel that way about a guy," Ranma said, in tears.

Takara pulled Ranma in closer.

"Well. At the moment, you're in a girl's body, and I'm in a boy's body. That's completely straight, right? And if you think about it, you are still a guy. And I'm still a girl. So nothing has really changed. We just look different."

"I like my girl form," Ranma said, at last.

"I like my boy form," Takara said in return.

"I like my girl form…a lot."

"Hmm. For me, I much prefer my girl form."

"I think I would like to be in my girl form more often."

"Then do it."

"No one really gets it. Pops and Mr. Tendo need me to be a super manly man for their stupid plans, and everybody else would make fun of me."

Takara gently lifted Ranma's head to meet her gaze with one hand and put her other hand on Ranma's shoulder.

"That's not the Ranma I know," Takara said. "The Ranma I knew wasn't afraid of anything. You were up for any kind of fight and any kind of challenge…And you weren't afraid of watching magical girl anime with me or letting me be the big spoon. I know that's the real you – the real Ranma. If you want to do something, Ranma, then you do it. Especially if you like it. And let everyone else be damned."

Takara took the moment to kiss Ranma on the lips. Dazed, Ranma did not seem to respond.

"If you'd like, you could share this bed with me tonight."

Ranma glanced at the bed without meeting Takara's eyes.

"Would we…?"

"If you wanted to."

"I do," Ranma said in the faintest of voices. "But…"

"Don't let what anyone else thinks stop you, Ranma."

"It's not that. It's Akane."

Takara let her hand wander slowly up and down Ranma's arm as he collected his thoughts.

"But you're not actually dating her, though, right? So no harm, no foul."

"I would feel guilty, and the guilt would be nobody's but my own."

"Ok," Takara sighed.

"How about we just cuddle all night, then? And we can wake up early enough that you run off to your room without anyone noticing."

"…Alright."

The next day, Ranma snuck out of the guest room and into his own sleeping bag before the light of dawn. Another day at the Tendo Dojo started, except this time with the added novelty of Takara also being present. Ranma noticed with slight disappointment that Takara had changed back into her female form.

After breakfast, the conversation turned to what she would do next.

"I only have a few days off. My aunt will be back in town soon, and we'll resume our training."

"Ah, so you'll be off then," Soun said with unveiled glee.

"Always sad when an old friend leaves again, right, boy?"

"Yeah," Ranma said.

"We should do something special before you go," Kasumi said.

Takara gave a lazy shrug. "Sure. What do you have in mind?"

"You should show us your fighting moves," Nabiki said.

Everyone was a bit surprised at Nabiki's response.

"I mean, this is a dojo, and both Ranma and Takara are the best in their fields. It could be a lot of fun to watch. And if we were to make a few friendly wagers on the side, well, that's just us having a good time, right?"

"What do you think, Ranma?" Takara asked.

Ranma smiled. "Yeah. That would be fun."

So the family reconvened in the dojo and Nabiki announced the match.

"For this exciting match, we have the heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, Ranma Saotome! And today he's going against legendary Iiado swordswoman and old friend, Takara!" Nabiki paused for a second. "She never did tell us her last name, did she? Anyways, to the rules of engagement: We're not going for blood. First-person to land a blow wins! Ranma has agreed to let Takara use her blade and in return Takara has agreed to use a training sword."

Ranma and Takara and met in the middle of the dojo and bowed to each other.

"I'm going to count down from ten, and when I say go, anything goes!"

Both of the combatants tensed as Nabiki counted down, and they both tried to size each other up. Ranma knew that Takara had the advantage of range with her sword, but he did not consider being unarmed a handicap. It just meant he would have to think harder about how to strike his opponent. He knew that the style of Iaido swordsmanship was founded on efficient and fluid moves. Takara was disciplined…so he was going to have to have to be unruly.

Takara shot forward in a straight line. Knowing that this was her favorite opening gambit, Ranma had immediately launched into a backflip when the match had started. But it seemed that Takara had taken this into consideration – she was already positioned where he had intended to land. It took some consideration, but he threw his weight to the side and changed his trajectory to bring him to safety.

"You really are somethin'," Ranma said aloud.

"And you're trying to distract me," Takara said.

But he truly was impressed. Her movements were clean, sharp, and elegant.

"Beautiful," he said, quietly.

Takara blushed as she charged forward again. The logical thing to do would be to dodge left or right, or even jump over her, but he knew he had to be unpredictable. So he dove under both her blade and slid right between her open legs. Takara's eyes darted back and forth before swiveling to face Ranma in one simple motion.

"You have a chaotic heart, Ranma."

Ranma smiled. "Do I?"

"Stop flirting! Fight!" Akane shouted from the sidelines.

Ranma's greatest strength was his ability to observe his opponent, and he had already realized that Takara had a tell of sorts. Though it was difficult to see her move, she always moved in the direction that her blade was facing. It would be hard to time anything, but it gave him a slight advantage to know where her movements would take her.

He tossed himself into a series of cartwheels, circling around his opponent. This was a strategy he had never tried before, but he needed to keep her off balance. The swordswoman scrunched her face in annoyance. Her aunt was all no-nonsense and into traditions, so none of her training truly prepared her for this sort of maneuver.

But her facial expressions were also a tell, Ranma realized. His mind was moving faster than his body, and he realized that Takara narrowed her eyes slightly before an attack. So, he waited to see that slight micro expression, and when he did, he stopped the cartwheel circles and did a backward somersault that she only narrowly avoided by ducking.

Takara laughed, and her joy seemed genuine.

"You're a goofball."

Nabiki wasn't terribly interested in the fight itself. It was like some of those football games where both teams just keep passing and blocking and nobody ever scores a goal. But she was definitely interested in the money she was counting. As she suspected, everyone in attendance had placed a bet. She grasped her chest as she felt a shot of pain. Why hadn't she invited Ranma's other friends and enemies? Besides placing bets, she could have sold tickets and refreshments.

Oh well, she thought to herself. Regardless of who wins, she had negotiated to keep a percentage of it herself as a bookie fee. She glanced at the other spectators.

Soun had put down a sizable wager on Ranma's side. He was already hedging the future of his dojo on the boy so it only seemed natural to go all in on a bet. Genma, on the other hand, had doubts about how fair the fight would be and considered it a mistake for his son to let Takara use a weapon in the match. His money was on a victory from Takara.

Akane had struggled with her bet. At first, she wanted to bet on Takara just to make Ranma mad, but she had a feeling Ranma would be the victor, so she had grudgingly placed a small wager on her fiancée's victory.

Kasumi usually didn't play these sorts of games but decided to join in. Her wager was both the strangest and the most specific. She predicted that the battle would end as a draw when Ranma would be splashed with water and the resulting confusion would cause them to agree to stop the match.

The battle had gone on for twenty minutes and neither Ranma nor Takara showed any signs of slowing down. In fact, the acrobatics had gotten so out of hand that the battle had switched from the dojo to the rooftop, to the front lawn, back to the dojo, and finally to the koi pond. Upon seeing the koi pond a part of Ranma's brain had tried to devise a method of using it to his advantage, but he remembered that Takara's cursed form was a secret, and so he put it out of mind.

The two were so focused on their battle that they hadn't noticed how the sky had darkened and clouded over. They had both missed the initial sprinkles that had fallen from the storm clouds. Actually, it was entirely possible that they were subconsciously dodging the raindrops, as their minds were so focused on dodging attacks. And so neither of them noticed when the light sprinkling grew stronger and transformed their bodies into their cursed forms.

They heard a chorus of gasps but paid it no mind. The audience had been making all sorts of noises – cheers, gasps, shouts, and chants. So it hadn't struck them as anything out of the ordinary. What did catch their attention, however, was the expletive thrown by Akane.

"What the hell?" Akane shouted.

They both paused mid-battle to stare at the crowd.

"Well, that's not fair. I demand my yen back. We hadn't made any agreements about transformations!" Genma demanded.

"Takara is kind of hot," Nabiki blurted.

Ranma and Takara turned to look at each other.

"I didn't realize," Ranma said, apologetically.

"Me neither. I never noticed the change. I just saw you," Takara said.

In an instant, Takara had sheathed her blade. Ranma and Takara bowed to each other, and the match was over.

It slowly dawned on all the spectators who the winner of their little betting pool was.

"I win," Kasumi said in a distant but serene voice. "I'll spend it all on a lavish dinner we can all share."

"Match's over. You sorry lot interrupted us," Ranma said in his feminine voice.

"I agree. The rhythm has been ruined," Takara said, before turning back to Ranma. "But you were magnificent, as always."

"As were you."

Devoid of the grace she had just displayed in battle, Takara took a few awkward steps towards Ranma. To her surprise, Ranma stood up on her tippy toes and went in for a kiss. Except she was a little too short to reach, so Takara grabbed her, held her up, and they shared a kiss as the gentle rain poured down on them.

"Woah," Nabiki said, as she let her jaw hang open.

"Deviant! You deviant child!" Soun shouted.

"What! The! Hell!" Genma shouted.

Akane said nothing but felt like she had just taken a flying kick into the stomach.

"Can it, you lot!" Ranma cried at the crowd.

Takara turned to look at the group and blushed.

"As you can see, I was also training at Jusenyko…"

But both Genma and Soun were just growing more irate.

"I think I better bounce," Takara whispered to Ranma.

"Okay. But please, come back and visit if you get the chance, okay? You'll always be my friend."

Takara smiled and gave the pig-tailed girl a quick peck on the forehead. And with that, she hopped onto a rock and then over the fence in two smooth movements. Takara disappeared into the distance.

"Ranma!"

Ranma was sitting on the roof cross-legged, and leaning forward with his head in his hands. He hadn't bothered to change back into his male form. The rest of the day had just been Nabiki laughing at him and his father and Mr. Tendo lecturing him on deviancy and how it was wrong for him to kiss a guy. He had alternated between taking the verbal onslaught in silence and yelling back at them before slinking off to find himself some peace beneath the night sky.

He sighed.

"Ranma?"

He turned to see that Akane had climbed up onto the roof as well.

"Is it okay if…"

"Whatever. Do whatever you like."

Akane sat down next to him and Ranma turned away.

"I didn't treat Takara all that well," she said.

"You were a jerk to her as usual."

"I'm not – well, I was a jerk to her," Akane said. "It's just that, seeing her…"

Ranma idly turned to face her.

"And…you know…"

"You gotta use full sentences if you wanna talk to me, Akane."

"I'm trying!" She said as she came dangerously close to losing her cool. "I know that you care about her."

Ranma made a non-committal grunt that came off as masculine despite his feminine vocal cords.

"And that's what made me…"

"Yeah?"

"Ranma, I saw you sneak out of her room this morning."

"W-w-what?" Ranma sat up straight and felt a wave of panic. "It wasn't what it looked like – "

"It doesn't matter, I guess," Akane said, fidgeting. "We aren't dating, anyway. You can do what you want."

"She wanted to do things, but, I didn't, because – you know – the engagement, and stuff. It seemed wrong."

"You were in her room," Akane choked.

"Akane, I'm not the pervert you always think I am. I never have been. We just cuddled."

"You cuddled."

"All night"

Akane considered it.

"What body were you in?"

"Huh?"

"Boy or girl, Ranma."

"Oh. She was in her boy form."

"That's not what I asked. What form were you in?"

"Never mind. It doesn't matter. You either believe me that nothing sexy happened or you don't."

"I believe you, Ranma. You have a sense of honor."

"Hmm. Well, thanks."

"And I think I know part of why you liked Takara so much."

The look that Ranma gave her said that she had best choose her next words carefully.

"Takara was your choice."

"Yeah. What of it?"

Akane looked up into the night sky. The clouds were dark and heavy.

"Sometimes I wish I could just be a normal teenage girl, and just fall in love with somebody. Flirt a little, go on some dates…see how I felt about them."

There was a pause.

"That's exactly what I want," Ranma said. "Just to be a normal teenage girl in love."

Ranma had only realized what he had said a half-second after the last syllable had left his lips. Akane's eyes bulged, and Ranma half-closed her eyes, as if he was in pain, or about to cry.

"…You know what I mean."

"Sure."

"I have a weird question for you, Ranma. And don't get mad at me for asking it."

"Hmm?"

"Lately, I've been wondering. If we would choose to date, would it really be our choice? Or would it just be the pre-arranged marriage catching us in Its trap?"

Ranma tilted his head in a thoughtful way. This relieved Akane a bit, as she wasn't sure she was fully articulating herself. But it seemed Ranma got the gist of the question. He was capable of being thoughtful at times.

"Depends on if we choose it because it's what we want, or if we choose it because it was chosen for us."

"…Even if the only reason why we even met was due to an arranged marriage? It wouldn't just be us falling into the gears of destiny?"

"Lovers meet in dumb ways everyday. The real question is," Ranma said, before unbuttoning his silk shirt and showing his breasts to Akane. "Do you think you'll really want to choose this?"

Akane's left eyebrow raised in response. After a solid minute, Ranma felt he had made his point and buttoned the shirt back up.

"You might not have the curse forever," she said.

"…I don't know if I want it go away."

And with that admission, Ranma was the most vulnerable he had ever made himself in front of Akane. He seemed smaller than she had ever seen him before – almost impossibly small. There was not an ounce of certainty in his curvaceous body at that moment. It hurt Akane to see him like this, but she wasn't any good at feelings or helping others with theirs.

But her mind floated back to her conversation with Kasumi the night before.

"Would it be okay if I held you for a while?"

"Oh, shut up. You're a real comedian," Ranma spat back at her.

"No, Ranma," she said. "I'm serious. Would it be okay if I held you for a while?"

Their eyes met.

Ranma shuffled over and leaned back into his fiancée, who put her arms around him across his weight, just below his breasts. His posture was stiff at first, but as the seconds passed by, he slowly melted into her and relaxed.

"It's nice to be held every now and then," he said.

"Yeah. It is."

Something had changed between them, Akane realized. Or, at least, something had started to change. For the first time since they had met, Akane wondered what was really going on inside Ranma's mind. He was far more complicated than she had ever given him credit for –- and he was lost. It must be so scary and painful to not know if you're really a boy or a girl, she thought to herself.

But lots of things were scary in life – especially new things. And she was a little bit scared of her own feelings for Ranma, both emotionally, and physically. Takara had dared her to admit that she had questions about her own sexuality, and she wasn't quite ready to know the answer.

Or was she?

"Ranma," she whispered. "I'm curious."

"About what?"

"About your body."

Tentatively, one of her hands found its way up Ranma's shirt and to his breast.

"Is this okay?"

"…Yeah."

Akane had sometimes fantasized about a tender moment like this, but with their positions reversed. She had imagined one moonlit night where Ranma was sweeter to her than usual and everything felt right. In this fantasy, she tensed a little as she let the martial artist trace his hands across the surface of her shirt before she demurely suggested to take it off. The fantasy was coming true right before her eyes as she struggled to keep her breathing steady.

Maybe not quite like how she had imagined it, of course. But life was rarely what we imagined it to be.

Sometimes, though, it could be wonderful beyond imagination.

"You know," Ranma said in a tiny voice, "I could just take the shirt off…"