Ranma and Akane sat in the living room of the Tendo home. The previous week had been a turbulent storm of stress. End of semester exams were next week and with Ranma having missed class in addition to the general distractedness, there was a mountain of studying between them. They were aided by the Herculean efforts of Daisuke and Sayuri teaching History and Math, respectively, that got them both to a point where Ranma was mostly certain she wasn't going to need to take makeup exams.

On top of all the studying, Ranma kept up with her daily training exercises and teaching everything she could about martial arts. As much as Ranma wanted to go all out, trying to catch up with schoolwork and being overwhelmed with what her friends were teaching her, meant that Ranma held back from her crazier ideas to make sure Sayuri and Hiroshi weren't straining too hard. Meanwhile, Daisuke was being trained by Akane and was slowly building back his stamina. Through his efforts and Akane's instruction, he was almost back to where everyone else was.

While Ranma was glad to see her friends learn so much so quickly, the tension between them was getting oppressive. Every night before Ranma went to bed, she meditated, preparing herself for battle. In the time since the last dream, however, there had been nothing. She cursed herself for not knowing more about how the dreams functioned and, combined with the pressure to keep her grades up and the insults about her whispered just loud enough for her to hear at school, it had taken a toll on her.

For her part, Akane was just as wiped. She was doing better in class than Ranma, but she wasn't immune to the comments directed at her. She had basically been shunned by the other girls at Furinkan, save Sayuri, and she had been in a large argument with the Student Council to keep the funding she had for the club. To do this, she had to bet the future on the club at the upcoming Winter Tournament, pledging to get at least one first place trophy for the school. Leaving the council room, she let out a laugh. Winning a Martial Arts Tournament was so far in the future compared to the situation with Herb and Xiadou.

Then she worried about Ranma. She hadn't been blind to the subtle shifts in her friend's look. The polish, the posture. Ranma's complexion seemed brighter and cleaner, as did his hair, which was still braided the same, but didn't look as hardscrabble as the boy who came to her doorstep eight months ago. She noticed one recent morning that Ranma had a small amount of eyeliner, but it was gone before they even walked to class. She didn't understand what it meant and Ranma was pretty much unwilling to say anything about it. And Hiroshi, Sayuri, and Daisuke hadn't really asked her any questions about Ranma. If anything, they seemed entirely unfazed by it.

All this was to say, that while it was technically six PM on a Saturday evening, Ranma and Akane were already about to fall asleep right in the middle of the living room.

"Oh ho? Why are you two looking so haggard? You're teens. You should be full of pep and vigor," Ranma and Akane recognized the voice of Soun as they lay there, eyes closed.

"It's been very busy, Daddy," Akane replied.

"Yeah, we're beat."

"Well I'd say you're just bored from being cooped up in here! Luckily for you two, I have just the solution for your troubles: you two should go on a date!"

"What!?" Ranma and Akane sat up in unison and yelled.

"You're fiancees, after all!" He gave Akane an aggressively paternal smile. "Don't worry. Your father wouldn't just throw you out there on your own. I have some money and some new clothes for you, Ranma. I even asked Kasumi to get you a new outfit for the occasion, Akane. Why don't you freshen up and then you two kids can have a good time!"

Ranma sat there, looking off into the middle distance as Akane protested. "Wait, don't we get any say in this?"

Soun let out a chuckle. "Don't be silly, dear! You can spare one night to relax, can't you? Ranma my boy, come to my room and I'll get you your things." Soun walked towards his room. After a moment, Ranma listlessly stood and, dragging her feet, followed him.


夢ばかりじゃない少女

YumeBakari Jya Nai Shoujo 〜 Not Just a Dream Girl

Chapter 8

Faltering Courage, Found Strength


Ranma was in hell. She was dead certain she must have done something terrible to a man in a past life and that's why she was cursed into being one just so she'd have to endure this moment right now. The suit Soun lent her was just less constricting than the school gakuran. The jacket was almost baggy on her. The large, dark, hideously paisley tie Soun had foisted on her was more discomforting. She just wanted to melt inside of the clothes she was given and disappear. Barring that, she wished she could be her dream self's cursed form, too short and curvy for this boxy-feeling cotton, wool, and linen cage. That thought was also twisted as another reminder that Xiadou, through Herb, had ruined any pleasure in that daydream.

Soun had tried to also add a cologne "from back in my youth". Ranma took one whiff of the leather and musk scent and tensed her body, barely managing to politely refuse instead of shrieking in terror.

She waited in the living room, holding back tears out of fear of letting Soun or Kasumi notice anything was off. She felt both glad and disappointed that the Soul of Ice training from the summer was coming in handy now.

After some waiting, Ranma heard Akane step down the stairs slowly. By the time she reached the bottom, Ranma's jaw dropped.

Akane wore a long A-line dress in a bright baby pink. The bodice was cinched at the waist, creating an hourglass figure which was further enhanced by a somewhat exaggerated skirt and flounce. While it wasn't exactly 'wedding dress' impractical, the effect was that the dress seemed far more formal than a weekend outing, even a formal date between a betrothed couple, would call for. The dress was sleeveless, but Akane had on an almost fluffy short-sleeved crop sweater. Paired with this was a pair of white kitten heels and a large canvas tote purse.

Ranma stared at Akane in awe. She took in her figure in the outfit and noticed that she had on a touch of makeup: some liner, eyebrow pencil and a pink-beige lip color. Ranma imagined Akane approaching her in earnest, holding her hand or letting Ranma rest on her shoulder. At the next thought, she imagined herself wearing Akane's outfit and being the one held, Akane's arm resting on the crook of her back.

Ranma shuddered and blinked her eyes. Her cheeks felt hot and she finally looked back to Akane, who seemed confused.

"Okay, let's take a photo of the lovely couple!" Soun's voice exclaimed as he brought out a disposable camera. He ushered the two into the living room.

Ranma composed herself as they walked towards the train station. She warmed her hands with her breath and rubbed them a moment. She looked back and said, "Um, you look pretty good in that getup."

Akane burst out laughing, "Hah! I appreciate the compliment, but I feel ridiculous. I haven't worn anything this frilly since grade school. And this shade of pink doesn't work for me at all. This is more Kasumi's color." Akane cracked a smile and chuckled, "You'd probably look better in this than I do."

Ranma nodded along, trying to ignore the noticeable tightness in her chest. "Heh, maybe..." she whispered under her breath.

"Yeah, I feel you. I really feel dumb in this. I hate brown."

As they got to the train station, Akane said, "Hold up, I need to use the restroom. Be right back."

As Akane disappeared inside the women's room, Ranma turned away and let out a soft sigh. "Shit," she muttered, wiping her face with the scratchy wool sleeve of the suit jacket.

She kicked herself for not protesting more or not insisting on something easier to wear. The Chinese style clothes she had weren't fancy, but at least she could ignore them when she was wearing them unlike the uniform or this suit.

"Hey, thanks for waiting." Ranma turned back to see Akane. Her makeup was still present, as were the two stud earrings, but the heels, dress, and sweater were replaced by boots, black leggings, a black fitted T-shirt with a New Japan Pro Wrestling Logo on it, and a jean jacket. She was folding up the dress in one hand as she had a canvas tote bag half opened with the other.

"Huh?"

"Kasumi snuck me a change of clothes. It's not the worst dress ever, but it's not for me."

Ranma agreed, stealing one more glance at a corner of the pink fabric as Akane placed it in the canvas tote and the train station locker.

Inwardly Ranma kicked herself. Dumbass. Why didn't you think of sneaking a change of clothes too?

Akane turned back and pointed at the locker. "Hey, dump the blazer."

"But I didn'-" Ranma was interrupted by Akane tossing a garment at her face.

"I brought you one of my hoodies. It's baggy on me so it should fit okay. You said you always wear a tank top right? You can change into it in the bathroom."

Ranma replied, "Okay." She ran into the men's room and into a stall and, with the rabid energy of a child after a family photo session or a middle aged man coming home from work, tossed off the suit jacket and button down shirt. She put on the hoodie. It was heather grey with the English lettering reading "NYAC" and a red foot with wings on the ankle. She shrugged as she looked at herself in the mirror. Not great, but an improvement at least. She looked at her hair and the ribbon. It was looking and feeling a bit better than it had after a week of following Sayuri's advice. She undid the ribbon and pulled apart her pigtail. She almost contemplated keeping it down but at the last moment, put it in a high ponytail, then reconsidered, instead tying it in a low ponytail before heading out and back to Akane. She hastily threw the blazer and shirt in the open locker. After Akane closed it, the two gave a conspiratorial nod to the other, before resolving into genuine laughter.

"Haaa... Okay, so what do you wanna do?" Akane asked.

Ranma shrugged. "Um, I dunno, what're you supposed ta do on a date?"

Akane rolled her eyes, "Only my Dad thinks this a real date. It's just us. Anything you wanted to do but haven't had a chance to yet?"

Ranma thought for a moment— dress shopping action movies hand holding tell Akane you're a girl tell her you're a girl you idiot I know you're waiting to get your curse back but maybe now you can —Ranma shrugged. " I dunno... bowling? Haven't done that since middle school."

Half an hour later, Ranma and Akane found themselves in a small bowling alley off a side street in Ikebukuro. It was a holdover from the bowling alley boom of the 70s: old, but well kept and on Saturday night it was either young couples or small friend groups of teens and twenty somethings playing.

The music was noticeably loud, playing a steady slow house beat and a singer, in English belting out:

Tick down to midnight
Tonight's gonna be bright.
So the grooves make me move, oh yeah.
I'm feeling like,
I'm feeling just as fly

"So... Why bowling?" Akane asked as she finished tying the gaudy bowling shoes on.

Ranma shrugged as she raised and tested the fourteen-pound bowling ball she had picked out. "Enh, it was something I remember liking when I was younger. After school I'd either go bowling or the batting cages. I didn't like the game centers 'cause it was too easy to spend all your money on UFO Catchers and I never liked a lot of arcade games. Also, Pops had a job as a janitor at an alley so I got to sneak in a few free games sometimes." She stepped up to a few steps before the line and began her approach.

"Are you any good, then?" Akane asked just as Ranma began her swing. She froze up for a moment before sending the ball flying down the gutter with a *clunk* loud enough to startle the nearby lanes.

"Uh, looks like I'm a bit rusty." Ranma replied with a frown as she avoided the glares of the other patrons and employees.

Two hours and three games later Ranma and Akane left the bowling alley with an average score of 101 and 104, respectively, and went back onto the streets of Ikebukuro.

"That was fun." Akane announced as she checked the lacing of her boots one more time, "I wish my aim was better, though."

"Well, I think you needed to roll the ball a bit more rather than try and throw it like a softball to hit the pins."

Akane sighed. "...okay, fair. Still, it's early. What else do you wanna do?"

"Why don't you pick this time? I don't wanna hog all the fun."

Akane looked around. It dawned on her, as she looked at the tall buildings near the station and realized that they were in a familiar drag.

'You wanna get some dessert? I know a place."

"Sure, if you're buying."

"You know my Dad's the one bankrolling this farce," Akane chuckled, "but yeah, I'll treat ya."

Ranma put on a slight affectation. She put a hand against her forehead and sighed. "Oh thank you! I always depended on the kindness of gallant women..."

Akane was slightly taken aback. Ranma for her part looked away, realizing what she had just said, "Uh, I mean, I was just tryin' to be silly n'—"

"No, it's fine. I... I didn't hate it. I... hey, why don't we go to that parfait place."

Ranma looked on, "Parfait? I mean, not the first thing I think of during winter, but why not?"

They were quickly seated at the mostly empty restaurant. Given the late hour, the atmosphere was one of winding down for the evening. The decor added to that tranquil evening feel as doorways were adorned with black velvet curtains. The walls were accentuated with gold colored paper stars and silver moons, all coated in glitter. The ceiling was painted with various constellations and Western horoscope signs in a loose circle. A crystal ball sat on a windowsill, surrounded by faerie lights. An empty table covered with a purple velvet tablecloth on one corner advertised palm readings.

Ranma and Akane looked over the small menu of desserts. A mix of fruits, ice creams, and toppings like whipped cream and syrup were arranged into twenty-one different flavors, each one named after tarot cards.

A minute after they had been seated, a server, wearing a modified Romani fortune teller dress, purple and white with a mixture of embroidered flowers and a low cut neck, and an apron with a sun and moon pattern, arrived at the side of the table. The server smiled.

"Welcome to Arcana. What can I proffer for you today?" the server asked in a practiced, but enthusiastic voice.

Akane's eyes narrowed a moment. "Hmmm... I think I'll have the Strength."

"Ooh, feisty! And for you sir?"

Ranma scrunched his eyes and looked back at the menu. There were many combinations including fruits she hadn't heard of: starfruit, guanabana, pluot. They all looked good, but she had to choose one. The various weird sounding names: The Hanged Man, The Emperor, Death didn't help.

"Hmmm... uh...um... I think I need a few more minutes. Sorry." Ranma turned away from the server.

The server smiled. "Hmm, I have a suggestion, if you'd like. When a guest cannot decide on a dessert, we can tell your fortune." Seemingly from out of nowhere, with a grand wave of an arm, she produced a deck of tarot cards.

Ranma cocked her head, "How does telling my fortune help?"

The server dropped the act, "Look, it's fun and it helps by giving you three choices instead of 21, okay? You wanna play along or what?"

"Okay, okay," Ranma replied. "So how does it work?"

The server cleared her throat and began her routine, her voice going breathier and slower.

"These cards shall help shed light on your fate." She began to shuffle them. "You will imbue your energy and the cards shall illuminate matters."

"How do I, uh, 'imbue' my energy?"

The server placed the cards on the table, "Just cut the cards however you see fit."

Ranma looked at the deck and grabbed the first third or so of the cards and separated them from the deck. The server picked them back up and began to deal the cards from Ranma's left.

"This card represents the problem. The environment in which you are currently enmeshed."

She laid down the first card. It depicted a naked woman, standing near a pool of water. Ranma noted one of her feet was in the water while the other was on land. From a jug, she pours water onto the land. Above in the sky were several stars.

"Ah, The Star. Interesting. Some say the card represents loss, abandonment, or having something taken from you..." she seemingly ignored Ranma's widened eyes. "Others are less pessimistic and regard The Star as portending hope, renewal, and purpose."

Ranma didn't really process it as the server placed another card to her right.

"This card represents your limitations. What holds you back from moving forward in your current problems or situation."

The card depicted two dogs and, curiously to Ranma, a lobster sitting near the shore of a lake or other pool of water. They were looking up at a shape in the sky that looked like a crescent moon overlaid onto the sun. In the background, two towers opposed each other.

"Huh. very interesting. This is The Moon. It represents hidden enemies, deception, fear, and anxiety. Perhaps subconsciously you are intuiting some hidden enemy?"

Ranma gulped as she replied weakly, "Uh, I don't... don't think so?" She gave Akane a quick worried glance. Akane shrugged.

"Finally, the last card," the server announced. "This represents what you must embody or embrace fully, openly, and honestly to overcome whatever problem or situation you find yourself in... it's also usually the one I recommend you order."

The server placed the card directly in front of Ranma. It depicted a woman, lounging easily on a throne, wearing a long dress patterned with roses and a crown made of stars. She is wielding a small rod. By her feet lies a heart-shaped shield with a large emblazoned on it. Around the woman and her throne was a small field of wheat in the foreground and a forest of high trees in the background, a stream flowing from the forest to the field of wheat.

"Huh," the server said looking blankly.

Ranma looked at the server. "Huh?"

"Oh... right." The server shrugged and cleared her throat again, "The Empress. The card symbolizes femininity and beauty, to be sure. But it also means fruitfulness, action, initiative, and creativity. 'The creative impulse is in all things and all people, including you, and you must not only accept that but honor it', as they say."

Ranma looked at the card, and felt as though it stared back at her. The various uses of the female symbol in the final card was not lost on her and she pointed to the card.

"And this is what I'm supposed to embody?"

The server sighed, "I mean not literally . But I will say that one has the most chocolate on it."

Ranma considered for a moment. "You know what? You're right. I shouldn't be afraid anymore. I'm gonna do it!"

"Do what?" Akane and the server asked simultaneously.

"Uh..." Ranma looked at Akane and felt her face burn up. "Um, order that one?" Ranma pointed at the middle card again.

"Oh thank god," The server muttered. "I mean, 'great choice'! One Strength and one Empress." She quickly swept up the cards and walked off.

"H-huh," Ranma said, with a distinct quaver to her voice, "What a weird place... uh right?"

Akane smirked, "You know it's just a ploy to get you to buy the special, right? "

Ranma let out a small breath and said, "Y-yeah, I guess. It's just, I never had my fortune told before. It was pretty interesting."

Akane noticed Ranma's arms were grasped together on the table for a moment. She looked up and found Ranma looking back at her. Ranma blinked, took her hands off the table and placed them on her lap, and looked away. Akane quirked an eyebrow.

"Is something bothering you?" Akane asked.

Ranma seemed startled and she shook her head, "No! No, I'm good. Sorry, was it weird I took too long to decide or was the fortune weird or..."

"No!" Akane shook her head and said, in a quieter tone "No, it's not that. I just noticed... for a while now. Since you got suspended, you've been acting differently. You've been hanging out with Sayuri and Hiroshi a lot."

"Oh, sorry."

Akane waved her hands. "That's a good thing! I'm glad you're doing stuff with people. When you first got here, it seemed like you just wanted to hole up and do nothing but study and martial arts. You've changed... in a good way, I think. I'm.. I'm glad."

Ranma didn't reply. She began twiddling her hands on her lap. "I... I've been going through some stuff. It's been kind of a long time now. I, uh, didn't wanna say anything 'cause things had been hectic with Yuka pulling her shit and the club and Xiadou and... Honestly, I needed a push from Daisuke and the others to even get this far."

"Get this... Ranma, you're not dying, are you?" Akane asked.

Ranma blinked, "What!? No, it's just I'm..." She sat up straighter in her chair, her face growing more serious. "Akane, I told ya once I thought it was cool you knew who you were and what ya wanted and... I still think so. I was thinkin' a bit about when we hung out over the summer or just loungin' around or teaching our friends at club and... I've had a lot of fun being with you. And um, with the others, but I'm just... I'm..."

"Here we go! one Strength and one Empress!" The server said, placing each dessert in front of Akane and Ranma, respectively. "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone with the check. We close in thirty, by the way, so don't take too long. See ya!" She briskly walked off leaving the two alone once more in silence.

Ranma let out a tired breath. "...yours looks good. What's that stuff on top? Cinnamon?"

Akane raised an eyebrow, but slowly shook her head, "No... it's a lime chile powder. The menu said it was sweet and spicy. She pointed to the light ice cream "I think it's cinnamon and vanilla ice cream, mango, pineapple, longan fruit, and a candied habanero. Then it's topped with this lime chili powder they put on fruit in Mexico."

"Mexico, huh... neat." Ranma looked at her own. It was served in a fancy looking glass goblet. The base looked like a slightly yellow-white soft ice cream with a small pool of chocolate fudge around it. Small white fruits which looked like lychees and mangosteen dotted the outside while several cherries in syrup adorned the top of the ice cream and were surrounded by whipped cream dusted in cocoa powder. Laid on its side was a white chocolate heart with the same symbol as on the shield of the Empress card.

Ranma sneaked a glance at Akane, trying to suss out if she suspected anything. She instead saw Akane quickly say, "itadaikimasu," and start eating, tearing up a little bit as she bit into the candied, syrup-coated, chile pepper.

Ranma shrugged and dug into her own parfait. She hadn't realized chocolate could taste so good.


Once they got out of the train into Nerima Station, Akane stopped Ranma before they got to the storage locker.

"Hold up, let me check something." She ran off to a nearby payphone and put in a 10 yen coin. After a second she spoke:

"Kasumi? Is Dad asleep yet?" Akane let out a relieved sigh. "Great. Yeah, Ranma and I just got back on the last train. See you in a bit."

Akane hung up the phone and walked back, "Dad fell asleep after his third whiskey. No need to change clothes again."

Ranma smiled. "Oh thank you, kami-sama! No monkey suit for me!"

They slowly walked back in the late evening. Unlike the starry ceiling of Arcana, the city night sky was cloudy and light reflected down, making it feel more like just after sunset than midnight.

A stiff breeze blew by them as they walked over the bridge past the canal. Akane rubbed herself a bit for warmth before stretching.

"I gotta say," Akane began, "this was more fun than any real date I've had so far." She turned to face Ranma, who had been walking a few paces behind her. "Isn't that sad?"

Ranma replied, "Why d'ya say that? Did I do somethin' to.."

Akane cocked her head before shaking. "Not at all. It was nice to hang out with you. I didn't feel any pressure to impress anyone and I wasn't treated weird. I'm happy I can be myself with you. I just wish I could get that with a girl around here..."

Ranma felt the wind leave her, like she had been punched in the solar plexus. She took in a shallow breath as quietly as she could, but the strained breath caught Akane's attention as she looked back just as they arrived in front of the house.

"Are you okay?"

Ranma audibly swallowed the lump that had grown in her throat. In a quiet voice she said, "I had a really great time tonight. Even if it wasn't really a date or it can't ever really be a date, I really had fun."

Before Akane could ask further, Ranma walked ahead of Akane, around the corner, into the house and upstairs to her room. She lay on her futon in the dark room, arms clutching herself until she drifted to sleep.

Akane silently trudged upstairs and, after she entered her room, sat on her bed for a while.

What did I say? she thought. I'll ask in the morning.

Akane settled into bed and tried to sleep.


Ranma opened her eyes and found herself on a steep mountain trail. The sky was bright cerulean dotted with a few dark grey clouds to the east, towards the peak on a tall mountain. The clouds began to grow and darken around the peak of the tallest mountain, forming an ominous maelstrom on the horizon.

Ranma felt her skin tingle as she noticed 'Mousse' and 'Shampoo' enter her vision, confirming her suspicions as to where she was.

"Hey," Ranma said, tired but relieved. "This is it." She looked down at her hands, balling her fists, before turning to her friends.

"We're ready," Hiroshi said, putting up the unneeded coke-bottle glasses. "We got this. We'll get your curse back."

Ranma began to walk off towards the peak of Mt. Horai.

"Wait!" Sayuri said. She pointed to Ranma's hair. "Your ribbon."

Ranma turned back. She grabbed her hair and blinked in surprise, feeling the piece of red silk in her hand. "Oh! How did it get here?"

"You've been wearing it a lot lately, maybe it's some kind of self-image thing?" She pondered over it a second before she walked towards Ranma. "Hmm... I have an idea. Do you mind if I touch your hair?"

Ranma shook her head, "Nah, but... there somethin' wrong with it?"

Sayuri shook her head, "Nothing wrong, thought maybe it'd help boost your mood." She walked behind Ranma and undid the ribbon. With a bit of effort, lacking a brush or other hair care supplies, she put Ranma's hair up into a basic high french braid, tying the end with the ribbon into a neat bow.

"There we go!" Sayuri replied. "I don't have a mirror to show you, but I think it looks great, given the circumstances."

Ranma reached back and felt her braided hair and smiled. "Okay, when we get through this, please teach me how to do it for myself, okay?"

Sayuri beamed, "Of course! You're the only one I can do hair stuff with. That's not my mom, anyway."

Ranma smirked, "Good. I got a lot to learn." Ranma extended a hand out to Sayuri and Hiroshi. "Let's take care of this Dragon Prince and beat back Xiadou."

Hiroshi and Sayuri placed their hands over hers and, with a kiai, raised them before rushing off towards the growing grey clouds in the distance. The wind grew colder as they got closer to the summit.

Hiroshi asked, "So what's the plan when we meet them?"

"Just like training, Hiro," Ranma replied. "Get Herb's lackeys out of the way. Don't rush them head on. Egg them on with some trash talk, get them to lash out and make a mistake. Dodge, feint, or block their attacks. If you gotta go direct, go for a grapple, then throw a straight punch and shove 'em aside. The important thing is for us to keep 'em busy and distracted. That way I can get a straight shot to Herb and talk to... her."

Ranma turned to Sayuri, "You can handle the big one. Use your speed and weapons to keep him occupied. He also seems more likely to get distracted by Shampoo's..." She ran a hand over her flat chest in a circular motion. Ranma pointed at Hiroshi. "Hiro, you keep the little speedy guy tied up with whatever crap is stored inside that robe."

Hiroshi gave Ranma a thumbs up, only to reveal a red foam finger with #1 printed on it. Hiroshi tossed it aside, laughing nervously. Sayuri let out a small laugh despite herself. Ranma felt a bit more at ease as they approached the source of the darkened skies.

Ranma grit her teeth. This was a larger and more treacherous battleground than the first encounter with Xiadou and Ryouga in the forest. She looked out to the horizon, seeing empty sky and jagged rocks all around.

A sudden, loud explosion halted the trio's movement. They could see a shower of rocks fly up into the air. Immediately after, a large billow of smoke rose up like a smokestack into the darkening sky. Ranma, Sayuri, and Hiroshi felt a renewed wave of the same dark, heavy miasma from earlier, growing stronger as they approached the edge of the large, still smoking crater.

A moment later, the black smoke now in front of them thinned out, revealing Herb and his two minions, the taller tiger-like Lime and the shorter lupine Mint, flanking him.

"Herb!" Ranma called out. "Stop this!"

Herb calmly strode forth, eyes narrowed on Ranma. "So, the sad little worm deigned to come and meet me to die by my..." Herb paused and noticed Ranma's hair and the red ribbon which kept it tied in a large bow.

"So I was right about you after all. You should know I only want the same thing as you. Xiadou promised me she would make me whole. She will make right what my father made wrong!"

Ranma's eyes narrowed, briefly scanning and noting Lime and Mint slowly shift towards guarding Herb's flank.

"You're wrong, Herb! Xiadou is using you to kill us all. That's what she does!"

Herb let out a haughty laugh, "Hah hah, you silly malformed child. Don't think I didn't understand what happened back at the old crone's establishment... I was born right, unlike you." Ranma visibly winced at that, causing Herb to smile. "I'm merely rectifying a mistake my father made. Xiadou will fix it all."

Ranma's balled a fist. "You're not listening to me! Xiadou wants to kill all life. She's already killed hundreds. She's already killed you." Herb flinched as Ranma took a step forward.

Herb promptly took on a defensive stance as she let out an order in a calm, quiet voice. "Lime. Mint. Take care of them while I search for the Kaisuifuu."

Lime and Mint nodded and, in a flash, rushed towards Ranma. She took a defensive stance, unsure she could dodge both of their attacks. At the last moment, from her left, a large chui deflected Lime's open hand strike while Mint's outstretched leg was caught in a coil of fishing line.

Ranma took a half step back as Sayuri sized up the taller Lime and Hiroshi pulled Mint back as though he had caught a river salmon.

The way open, she ran towards Herb.

Sayuri felt her heart skip as the towering man in tiger stripe-accented armor looked down at her. She backflipped in a high arc as Lime attempted to swipe at her. "Too slow, big guy. How can you be a guard if you can't even catch a girl like me?"

Lime shook his head, seemingly unimpressed as he ran forward and unleashed a series of strikes. Sayuri did her best to handle the assault of punches and strikes, dodging or blocking most of them off with her chui. On strike slipped past her guard just enough that she felt Lime scratch across her chest. She yelped and jumped back, fearful of blood or worse as she grabbed herself. She looked down, relieved that she was not only not bleeding, but that the only casualty had been the qipao that she was wearing. She quickly looked back up and put up her chui, internally cursing herself for being distracted by clothes in the middle of her fight.

To her surprise, with her arms out and grasping her chui, Lime seemed frozen.

Sayuri looked confused, at first wondering if this was some sort of feint of his. She leaned forward slightly, trying to make Lime think she was about to strike. He seemed only to widen his eyes and shift his gaze a bit. A second later, after Sayuri realized he was not about to pounce, she mentally traced his eyeline and realized where he was looking. She also realized that Shampoo was apparently a girl who did not believe in bras and there was nothing left to the imagination.

"Ah! Are you really staring at..."

"Boo...boobies. Like Miss Herb's..."

Sayuri felt her grip on the chui tighten, but then remembered Ranma's orders: "keep 'em busy and distracted". She smiled.

"Oh?" She gave him a sly smile, "I bet these are even a bit better than whatever your mistress has... Do you wanna see more closely?"

Lime, his eyes glassy and his face widening in a dumb grin, slowly stepped closer. His approach was met with a chui upside his head as he was knocked down briefly.

"If you wanna get the goods, you'll have to catch me first, perv!" She stuck out her tongue and leaned forward a moment before dashing off. Lime quickly followed suit.

Meanwhile, both Hiroshi and Mint were off to the side, staring blankly at what had just transpired, blushing cheeks on both of them. After a beat, Mint began to jump away.

"Wait for me Lime! Don' hog them all to yer—ack!" Mint froze in mid air as a long steel chain wrapped around his midsection and yanked him back.

"That's my girlfriend you're drooling over you little twerp!" Hiroshi yelled as he produced a used mop bucket from his sleeve and shoved it over Mint's head when he was pulled back down to earth.

"Hey! What's the big idea, you damn nerd!?" Mint's voice echoed from inside the bucket. In a fit of anger, Mint clawed at the chains, scratching at the metal until it buckled and he freed himself. Unsure what to do, Hiroshi prepared as Mint ripped the bucket off his head and jumped forward to attack.

Hiroshi threw down his robe sleeves before rushing at Mint. With a loud yell of "Meikyuuken!" Hiroshi jumped and threw his hands out, now wielding oversized clown hammers. With a grunt of momentum he began to spin, hitting Mint in the head and torso with several powerful squeaks.

"Don't... underestimate... this... nerd!" Hiroshi yelled out in between blows.

Mint was pushed back, rubbing his head in dizziness. After a moment, he turned to Hiroshi and growled in anger. He revealed large dog-like fangs as he yelled and ran back towards Hiroshi.

Hiroshi threw his hands up in defense. "Ahhhh! Not in the face! Bad Dog! Baaad doggggg!"

Elsewhere, Ranma locked eyes with Herb as she approached with soft, deliberate steps on the increasingly craggy surface of the mountain.

The Dragon Princess looked down on Ranma. Herb moved a foot forward, beginning a Tiger stance when Ranma stopped, raised a hand, and called out:

"I don't want to fight you, but you need to stop."

Herb gave a haughty smile at Ranma as she raised her fists. "Jealous, are you? When I find the Kaisuifuu, I will be back to myself, but you... that's right, I took away the one thing that made it right. You were a fool and I took away your womanhood as punishment."

Ranma's face grew red and she shut her eyes briefly to stop the wave of sadness from blurring her vision. She let her head droop for a second in shame, but stopped when she felt her hair lightly brush against the nape of her neck. Ranma chuckled to herself, stood straight and took a centering breath before moving her feet to the slightly pigeon-toed Wing Chun starting stance, closed hands at her waist.

Ranma said, in a soft voice, "Herb, you're dead . You've been dead for so many years and you're trying to make me feel bad about my body? Who the hell cares about that right now!?"

Herb was startled and shook her head. "What gibberish are you spouting? You feign indifference because you don't know how wrong it feels to be like this!"

Herb rushed to Ranma, testing out her defenses with a swipe of a hand. Ranma ducked under and responded with a punch that was deftly blocked by Herb.

Ranma turned around, hopping back to get some distance. Her face was reddened, though not with effort. She replied, "Don't tell me I don't know how it feels. I've fought my old man, my teacher, my own damn self to get here. I know myself and I know my truth. You're so damn blinded by your sadness, you're gonna bring the whole damn world down with you!"

Herb stepped forward to jab Ranma with a left arm, at the last second pulling back the feint to follow up with her right. Ranma, saw the feint and, with a last minute redirection of her momentum, blocked Herb's punch with her left forearm, the force causing her to suck air through gritted teeth.

"You don't understand!" Herb yelled as she tried to strike Ranma again, "My father was the Dragon King! He made me live up to his standards! He changed me to suit him!"

Ranma swung around and threw several quick strikes around Herb's midsection and ribs. "Yeah and my old man beat me half ta death. Get in fuckin' line!"

Herb jumped back, wincing for a moment as she raised her arms defensively, her voice quavering, "H-how do you not get it? I could sense you. We are alike in this one way, but... why are you fighting me!? Why aren't you suffering like I am!?"

Ranma yelled out, "I have been suffering, you idiot! Every damn day! You're not the only one with an abusive father who didn't want a daughter! Only difference was I didn't even get a chance to be born with the right body. Having that curse is... was freeing."

Ranma swallowed, some dirt and grit scratching her throat, "But being 'stuck' like this? This is how I live my life everyday in the real world! I got friends, people who understand me now. I know in my head and in my soul that I'm a girl. I don't know what that really means, but not having the perfect body for me won't stop me living my life. That's what matters in the end."

She stood and pivoted herself into a White Crane stance, right leg raised and her arms outstretched in front and above her. "And whatever crap I got on my plate sure as hell ain't gonna make me collaborate with my own killer, unlike you!"

Herb's eyes narrowed, then incensed. "What are you talking about? My killer?"

Ranma pushed, raising her eyebrows. "Who do you think pulled the strings to blow up Jusendo back then and murder you and hundreds of others? Where were you when it happened? Who, even now, is lying to you to get you to do their bidding?"

Herb yelled, "I'm not dead! I'm yelling and breathing and fighting you! How can I be dead as you say!?"

"Where do you think you are now? You think this is Mount Horai? What were you doing yesterday? Hell, what did you and your pals eat for breakfast this morning?"

Herb froze. Her breathing grew ragged and dry. "It was..." She shook her head. "We ate... No... No, you're lying! Shut up! You're lying to me!"

Herb clasped her hand into tight fists and ran towards Ranma. "I won't let you turn me into a broken being content in their misery!"

"You hard-headed idiot!" Ranma waited for Herb to come close enough to move quickly into a double-fist strike.

Ranma took a step back anticipating a counterstrike. "I ain't broken... I'm alive and here !"

Herb's right arm began to glow as she yelled out, "Ryuusei Hishou!"

Before Ranma could do anything, she felt a wave of ki hit her square in the gut.


Akane found herself unable to sleep. She tossed and turned in bed. It was cold in the room, but after hours of being unable to drift off, it was hot and stuffy under the covers and, with a loud, irritated sigh, she threw off the cover and turned on a lamp by the side table and sat up. The clock radio by her bedside read 3:46 AM

She put her hands on her head and ruffled her hair.

"Ugh! I'm gonna get some water." She clicked her teeth as she quietly opened the door and walked downstairs in her slippers.

Sometime later, Akane sat back on her bed, holding a half-empty glass of water. Her thoughts kept going back to the date. 'Date' she reminded herself. She recalled the look on Ranma's face at the end when she was feeling relief, even a bit of happiness at spending time with a friend, her best friend, her favorite person. It was the best time she had in a long time.

And he had run off.

Was he upset? Akane thought to herself. I didn't do anything wrong. So why does it feel like I messed up? Akane muttered to herself. "I wish he'd say something. I can't read his mind, but it feels like he's trying to say something and..."

Does he like me? He knows I'm not into guys... but maybe if it's Ranma I'd—

Akane almost dropped her glass.

Do I... But, but I... maybe Yuka was right about me... "Hell no!" Akane said aloud then covered her hand remembering how late it was. No, Yuka's just an angry bitch. But why is it different with Ranma? Why is he different?

Akane took a big gulp from her water glass, set it down gently at her night stand, and flopped back onto her bed.

Why is this so hard, brain? I wonder what Ranma is thinking about?


"Ow..." Ranma grunted as she struggled to stand up from her kneeling position. Her ribs hurt with each shallow breath, as though she swallowed fire with each gulp of air. Around her the ground was scarred black, her feet tracing lines in the soot and ash that had been the surface of the rock moments ago.

She couldn't see Herb and there was only the faintest trace of ki tickling her scalp that warned her before she dove away, avoiding Herb's direct strike from above. The impact of Herb hitting the ground shook Ranma, and she tumbled several times, dislocating her right shoulder.

As the smoke subsided, Ranma slowly stood and with a shallow breath and a pained expression, popped her shoulder back in place.

"Pathetic..." Herb cried out. "You came here all haughty and superior, but who is the stronger one? Whose truth is more righteous?"

Ranma felt her anger grow before stopping. She felt her ki move and flow and, with effort, willed it to her core. Her breaths grew deeper and the fire grew cold, numbing.

"Brute strength is not righteousness, Herb. You can't bully me into believing what you've been told." Ranma raised her hands defensively, holding her body loose in the same Wing Chun-derived form as before. She beckoned Herb with a free hand.

"I only care about getting my true form back! Nothing else matters!"

"Not even your friends?"

Herb's face twitched. "They... they are not my friends. They are expendable!" Herb seemed to stop for a moment. She repeated to herself in affirmation, "If it means I can be whole, they can rot like the servants of my father they are! No one will get in my way, especially not an inferior like you!" Herb charged at her, the dragon princess's hand burning with ki. "Ryuusei Hishou!"

Ranma ducked to her right, striking suddenly at Herb's elbow with a hard crack. Herb spun to face Ranma again and attack with her other hand. Ranma took a step back, taking two pot shots at Herb in the chest and solar plexus and pushing her to the side and Ranma kept a wide clockwise movement around her.

Ranma did not smile or say anything. Her eyes seemingly grew wider and bluer than they had looked before. Her breath became a light fog as Herb tried again to hit her, this time with a wide crescent kick. Ranma blocked, struck at Herb's ankle with a quick punch, and pushed Herb off to Ranma's left side once more.

Herb recovered herself before falling, putting up a defense and suddenly, the winds around Ranma began to swell, small shards of ice cutting through the air as the water vapor froze around them.

"Hiryuu Shouten Ha!" Ranma cried up with a raised fist as the tornado exploded around her, pulling a column of wind, mist, and ice several meters high.

As the winds whipped around her, Ranma looked around, not seeing Herb or anyone caught in the maelstrom she created. This time, however, she thought to look up.

Ten meters above her, she saw Herb chuckle as she seemed to hover above. "Hah! I'm of the Dragon, broken blossom!"

Herb suddenly threw up a hand, bolts of energy cutting through the cyclone around Ranma.

"You think cheap tricks from a Niujiezu elder would avail you? When Xiadou is my patron and guide!? Fool! Hitou Ryu-Zan Ha!"

"Ack!" Ranma quickly tried to lunge out of the way of the bright bolts of fury-laced ki. She dodged most of them but the last bolt grazed her leg. Ranma let out a yelp of pain as she was thrown off her feet. She sat up and in a desperate move, summoned her hands together.

"Mouko Takabisha!" Ranma threw her own blast of ki at Herb, but it was smaller and slower than she had remembered and the Dragon Princess easily dodged it as she landed on the ground in front of Ranma.

Shit... Ranma sighed as she slowly stood. She grit her teeth and sucked in a breath as she put weight on her bad leg. What the hell do I do now?

"Enough parlor tricks!" Herb rushed forward and Ranma raised her hands as the fight descended to a grounded series of strikes, blocks, and dodges. Ranma kept a decent enough defense, though she relied on blocks more than dodging due to her bad leg. Ranma got a few good strikes in, including a set of quick jabs at Herb's nose and a right cross at her jaw strong enough to make a surprising cracking sound.

Still, her offense was met with more than equal countermeasures. Ranma's face had become swollen in places by Herb's counterattacks, a black eye was quickly forming, and blood trickled from her nose as she did everything to hold on and fight back. As much as Ranma was holding on, it was stalling Herb's inevitable win. Ranma felt herself fall back, closer towards the precipice.

"What say you, broken flower? Whose truth is correct, whose memory is real? Are you finally understanding the suffering I have felt since the day my father changed me against my will!?"

Ranma said nothing, gritting her teeth and feeling her strength, even from her ki, begin to waver. She looked behind and saw a cavernous emptiness, a blackness that almost seemed like the dream world had forgotten to draw a bottom, but knowing it was Xiadou's domain below...

Akane... Ranma thought as she braced her arms against a strike by Herb. I'm sorry. I should've told you. Even if you don't see me that way I should've told you like when we first got here. Ranma ducked a kick by Herb, only to get punched down in a follow up. Ranma fell to the ground, feeling herself fade as she struggled to push herself off the ground. I'm... I gotta get up... I—

"Ranma!" Sayuri called out in the distance.

"We're coming, buddy!" Hiroshi echoed behind.

Ranma shook her head. "Sayu?" She weakly muttered as she slowly got up and rubbed her face, "Hiro?"

Herb, for her part, turned and looked surprised, "You lot. Where are Mint and Lime!?"

"What, you thought they were gonna stop us?" Hiroshi said as he pulled out a chain attached to a 13" Sony Trinitron TV and began twirling it, if a bit unsteadily because of the weight.

"Ranma is our friend and you're a deluded bully!" Sayuri held out her chui.

Herb looked past the two and didn't see a trace of her retainers. "Mint! Lime! Can you hear me!?"

Herb felt a sense of pressure behind her she faintly recognized, and as she turned saw a flash of bluish white ki as it slammed against her emanating from the ground.

"Mouko Takabisha!" Ranma slowly stood, with Hiroshi giving her a hand, or rather a glove affixed to the end of an arm claw grabber toy.

Herb shook off the strike, her clothes burned in places. She snarled back, "I want my body back! Xiadou will help me get my real form back! She bade me come to Nujiezu to figure it out. I was out of options... I will do what she wants because I don't have anyone else who can help me. I was alone. I am alone!"

Herb rushed Ranma, and prepared another strike. Her arm was grabbed by a chain from Hiroshi and held back. Her other hand moved to punch, but was forced to deflect one of Sayuri's strikes.

Ranma deflected Herb's attack and came closer to her. "You're not alone. You haven't been alone the whole time."

"Lies! Nobody would care about a useless princess like me!" Herb broke out of the chain and knocked Sayuri back, spinning around to swat Ranma. Ranma ducked under Herb's strike and, channeling aikido, grabbed Herb in a rotational wristlock, keeping her in place. "Who do you think!? Over there!" Ranma pointed off towards where Hiroshi and Sayuri were. Just visible, Herb saw the tall Lime and shorter Mint, hobbling in pain at a doubletime pace.

"Lady Heeerrrb~!" Lime called out

"We're sorry we failed you! Are you all right!?" Mint replied.

Herb tried to break out of Ranma's grasp but couldn't do so immediately. "But they're— they're merely retainers." She muttered, "And perverts."

"They were there at the end, weren't they?" Ranma asked. Her voice grew low and grave as she continued, "What happened when Jusendo exploded? What happened to the three of you?"

Herb blinked. Her face scrunched up as though she had brain freeze or sudden migraine. "Y-yes... they shielded me and... I reached out to them to keep them safe, but..." She held her head in one hand and let out a gasp, "but it wasn't enough. The Phoenix's explosion killed us after all..."

Ranma replied, "That wasn't the Phoenix. Not directly, anyway. Ultimately, it was Xiadou that destroyed Jusendo."

Herb looked up, stunned. Angrily she freed herself finally from the wristlock and hopped back from Ranma, looking wildly at the three of them. "That's a lie! You weren't there!"

Ranma frowned, wincing a bit as she felt her swollen face begin to ache dully. "I have the records. I have the photos and diary entries from survivors. I lived on the plateau that used to be the Jusendo Valley." She waited a beat, hoping what she said was getting through before continuing. "I... The three of us here are from decades after Xiadou killed everyone. She killed the Musk, the Phoenix, and the Niujiezu in one big explosion. And yeah, she killed you."

Herb's face turned red: at first she frowned and seethed with rage. Ranma saw before long, however, tears welling up.

"Worse, I know Xiadou," Ranma continued. "She lied to you here, after what she did to you in life. She lied to you and anyone she can get her feelers on because she doesn't care about you or me or anyone. She wants everyone to die. She wants the whole world to lie dead and be still."

Herb began shaking her head. Lime and Mint rushed to her aid, but she pushed them away.

Ranma cried out, "Herb, please! You know I'm telling the truth. I know you're still you underneath all of that garbage she tried to put on you. We can stop her!"

"I... I'm..." Herb's chin quivered as she slowly began, "I'm... I'm a figment and she... she... No! Nooooo~!" Herb grasped her hands together and welled a white-hot cannonball-sized ki and slammed it down on the ground. Ranma jumped away from the precipice where she stood just as the rock under her feet cracked and disintegrated under her. She grabbed Sayuri by the arm and pulled her back to safety as the cliff face broke off and fell into the growing vortex below.

After the cloud of dust cleared, hanging on the cliffside, gleaming somehow in the dim lighting underneath the swirling storm clouds, was a brass kettle, supported by three brass chains to the mountain.

"The Kaisuifuu!" Ranma pointed, "Herb! You found it and..."

"Staaay baaack... I... My mind is going..." Herb turned to Ranma, her eyes clouding over in a color similar to the clouds above and the vortex below.

"N-no. No damn it! This is what happened to Dai! Get out of her, Xiadou!"

Ranma raised her arms ready to fight.

Herb cried out, her voice hoarse and gasping, "No... Stay baaaack, I need... I will..." Herb slowly, with great effort, began stepping backwards until she was centimeters from the edge.

"Herb, no." Ranma said, "You have to fight it! You can fight her!"

"Let... let me go. I feel... I feel myself going. She'll take me fully if I don't go now."

Ranma shook her head, "We can take her! We can fight and— No!" Ranma stopped as Herb threw herself off the cliff.

"Herb!" Ranma ran to the edge.

"Lady Herb!" Lime cried out.

"My Lady!" Mint followed as the two ran behind Ranma.

Ranma threw her arms out over the edge of the cliff. She felt the frayed, singed edges of Herb's silken sleeves slip through the tips of her fingers as the Dragon Princess fell back.

Herb quickly reached the same level as the kettle.

"Ryuusei Hishou!"

Ranma quickly shielded her eyes as a blinding flash of light came from below. There was a whirring sound and, as Ranma opened her eyes to peer below again, she saw the Kaisuifuu split in half, its contents spraying outwards. Ranma felt drops of rain fall on her head as she looked down at Herb, noticing the Dragon Princess voluminous robes were now soaked and she herself seemed to have grown smaller than the distance would indicate.

"Goodbye." Herb whispered to herself as she fell back. She closed her eyes and felt herself sinking.

"Lady Herb!"

"Herb!"

Herb opened her eyes. She saw Lime and Mint chasing her into oblivion. She faintly remembered being embraced by them as fire and rubble took them so very long ago.

Ranma looked on as the three of them were engulfed by the void. For a moment, like magma, the vortex of darkness bubbled up, threatening to explode.

Ranma felt a tug and fell back onto Sayuri and Hiroshi.

Suddenly a keening sound echoed across the land, like a scream that emanated from somewhere far off in the distance. The three of them saw the darkness shoot up from the vortex and into the clouds until it faded and the clouds dissipated.

After a moment, when it was quiet, Ranma seethed and felt her eyes grow wet. "Damn it. I thought– I could have saved her. I could've been her friend. She was like me. Xiadou just... Herb ended up just like Daisuke except she didn't... I couldn't..."

She wiped her face, stood up and looked back at Hiroshi and Sayuri. Both seemed okay, if a bit ragged. Hiroshi looked metaphorically and literally dog-bitten. In Sayuri's case, Ranma finally noticed a bit more cleavage showing than the outfit originally intended.

"I... thank you. You two okay?" Ranma asked.

"Yeah..." Sayuri said, looking thoughtful. She repeated, "Yeah, I think so. You?"

"Not really..." she looked back at the cliff. "I'm pretty upset at Xiadou. But physically?" Ranma thumped her chest and winced. For a second she wondered if Herb had grazed her with a ki strike, but as she looked down, she finally noticed she had a prominent chest and cleavage of her own again.

"Huh... yeah, I think I'm good. But I'm ready to go home for a while."

"...Girls Night Out sometime during Winter Break?" Sayuri offered.

"Yeah, yeah I'd like that... That okay with you Hiro?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm sure Dai n' I can spend a day at the arcade. Alpha 3 is coming out so maybe we'll even teach you a new fighting technique." He gave Ranma a cheeky smile.

"Dork." Sayuri replied as she fixed her outfit, then helped Ranma with her hair once more.


Akane rolled onto her back and sighed. She looked over at the clock on her nightstand: 5:12 AM. She was grateful that, since it was early December, it would still be dark for another hour or so.

"Okay, this is the last time, brain," Akane whispered to herself. "We're gonna do the test. I know I said that the last day of middle school would be the last time, but this is the last last time."

Gritting her teeth, Akane closed her eyes and started picturing men she was told were attractive.

Takeshi Kaneshiro? She remembered him from watching Chungking Express with Daisuke. Meh.

Shinichiro Ohta from Baad? She had seen Sayuri with their album. Enh .

SMAP? NO.

Akane shook her head. Maybe if they were someone more feminine? What about Mana? Akane kind of felt like a shrug. I mean he's cute in that overly fashionable way but attracted? Not really.

Maybe celebrity crushes weren't her thing. Maybe she needs to know them.

What guys does she even know that well? Hiroshi? Even if he wasn't head over heels for Sayuri, which, come on, it's obvious. She's tall, slender, has a cute figure and... Akane shook her head. Hiroshi is like a cousin or my kid brother.

Daisuke? Dai may as well be my twin brother . Not to mention he has kind of a Kasumi-like sense... maybe because he's the oldest of his siblings?

And Ranma... again she didn't feel any immediate disgust, disinterest, or indifference.

Ranma is nice, we like the same things, he's stubborn sometimes, but I mean... same for me.

She imagined Ranma in slightly more feminine clothes, then the Furinkan High girls uniform, then that godawful dress she had to wear.

A bit small, but I could see it. Ranma said he tried wearing a dress when he was younger, right? I mean he's not super girly but... It wouldn't look weird. It'd be nice. Like when he's in his cursed form in the dreams...

Akane smiled. If only he was a girl all the time.

Akane thought about Ranma's cursed form. Slowly the image shifted. First the girl she recognized as Ranma grew taller, until she was about half a head taller than her. The added height had the effect of making her figure less over-the-top pin-up curvy. It was still filled out in all the right places with some added definition in the arms and shoulders that showed her martial arts training. Then her hair grew dark, almost black, though with a kind of auburn undertone. Then her face changed, though not as much as she thought it would. It didn't become more masculine, just less baby-faced.

"Akane? Is this okay?" The figure asked in a husky contralto voice that seemed to be between what she thought Ranma sounded like. Akane finally noticed the casual clothes she had on had been replaced with a red and gold qipao with a high collar, but a very generous slit on one side.

"Y-yeah..." Akane mumbled. She felt her head grow heavy as she imagined further.

"Even though I'm Ranma?"

Akane replied to the imaginary Ranma in front of her, "If you're Ranma, then I'll marry you in a heartbeat and be the happiest dyke in Tok..."

Akane shook her head. "God, I need to stop dreaming and go to sleep already!" Her eyelids grew heavy as she finally, fitfully, drifted to sleep...


Akane found herself standing near the front door of the house. It was light out, maybe afternoon. "Oh god did I sleep until noon? Even for Sunday that's a bit..."

"Akane!" A breathless, gauzy voice cried as Akane felt herself be wrapped by two slender arms. The sensation of a chest on her back was also noticeable.

"R...ranma?" Akane asked. "I guess I'm dreaming after all.."

"Akane, we did it. I'm myself again."

"Great! You got your curse back. I know it meant a lot being able to be cursed here."

"No. I mean yeah it's true but..." Ranma leaned her head against Akane. "Hey I'm sorry to put this on you, but... I need ta say something important."

There was a pause and Akane felt Ranma's breath as she took a moment, "After we fought Xiadou the first time and Daisuke got hurt... I realized somethin'... I wanted ta tell ya, but then Yuka outed you at school and Herb locked me out my curse and... I thought when that happened there was no way anything I said would make sense until I unlocked it, but spending time in my regular form and figuring out what it meant and how this curse is nice and great but it doesn't change anything I learned about me and—"

"Ranma, you're rambling." Akane turned around and saw Ranma's face. She seemed bruised and beaten, a prominent black eye and her clothes were hastily patched up. But mostly she saw that Ranma seemed…afraid.

"Oh... Akane... I...I'm a girl."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"No, I mean, even without the curse. Even when we're not in the dream. I'm a girl."

"What?"

"I think I've always known, but I couldn't believe it. I couldn't even begin to think it until the dreams started happening. When Daisuke got better and I realized I wasn't confused or just a weirdo, all those things happened to you. I wanted to tell you, but I was scared you wouldn't believe me. I thought I needed to have my curse back to tell you. But I don't need it."

Ranma walked into the bathroom next to the hallway and came back, in her taller guise.

Ranma looked at Akane, her eyes watering, "I'm a girl, too. Even like this. And I like you, Akane."

Akane opened her mouth to say something, but was blinded by a white light as she woke up.