An unusual disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the trademark of Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ Communications, and its characters have been borrowed without permission. And Son Turned Daughter was originally written back in 2002 by FanFiction author Tangent, and his characters Megume, Yasushi and Ayane have, likewise, been borrowed without permission. Please see the first two chapters of this story under his pen name. This story has been written for non-commercial purposes only.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Notes at the bottom of this chapter.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

It has to be, Ranma told himself. Girls get periods. With how many girls there are in the world, Japan, Nerima, it shouldn't be weird for three that know each other to get their bleeding times at the same time. Right? It was just chance.

Stupid! He was letting his first period get to him! He shouldn't have stopped to think about it! His friend Akane had a bigger problem than her period! Well, he wasn't going to wait to find out how she was like Kuno! He opened the exam room door.

So much blood! It was splattered on the walls and floor!

But it hadn't come from Akane. It was centered around a still dripping snout.

"Bwee! Bwe, Bwe!" Burin-chan squealed! The little black pig with Ryoga's bandanna - who was Ryoga - was struggling within Akane's arm and hands: she was holding him too tightly!

Akane was in the same kind of hospital gown that Ranma himself was wearing (though with some snoutblood on hers). The otherwise nude, and clean, girl was lying on the exam table with her eyes squeezed shut! Her face told she was suffering through - more like forcing herself to tolerate - what was happening to her.

Tens of acupuncture needles pierced her through her gown! Small, bright sparks jumped off the ones Dr. Tofu was passing the lodestone by. Their *zip~zipping* sound had it seem like he was playing an electronic instrument as he expertly moved from one to the next.

"Almost done, Akane," the good doctor's soothing voice said.

"It buzzes!" she complained. And Burin-chan squealed again as she again pressed him against her for comfort.

Before Ranma knew what he was doing, he'd strode over and took the pig by its bandanna. "I'll take over!"

"Ranma!" Akane cried. But her grip on the pig increased, causing it more pain.

"Leave him alone! Akane has to remain still!"

Ranma grumbled, but obeyed the doctor's order. "So, she's gonna be alright, Doc?! Right!?"

He continued "playing" the needles. "The rebalancing of the chi energy in her median lines is almost done. Her healing techniques will complete the repair. The Lichtenberg figures should be gone in a day. However, she will have to be observed. There could be some behavioral changes."

"She got brain-damage!?"

"Brain-damage!" Akane cried in alarm!

"BWEE! BWEE!"

"Calm yourselves. Nothing major. And it may be so minor as to be unnoticeable," he said, determinedly sounding reassuring. "Done!" he announced.

Looking up, he said, "You can rescue Ryoga, now."

"Gladly!" Ranma said, first yanking on the bandanna, but finding he had to apply gentle acupressure to get Akane's to release her hold. He thought of tossing the little swine, but decided Ryoga hadn't really done anything wrong. Probably. Except having thoughts that caused him a massive nosebleed. Maybe he should toss him.

"Here! Let me have Ryoga," Dr. Tofu said. "I'll examine him for injuries." He took him as Ranma didn't give him it.

"And how are you? Akane told me that you and Shampoo were also at the Kunos."

"I'm okay. I guess. Except for my period. But all girls get periods. Right?"

"If they're healthy, yes." He was carefully testing Bruin-chan for bone fractures.

"It's Shampoo with the problem: She's sick! Her period is worse than mine."

"Her period?!" He looked into the eyes of the pig. "Do you know if she was expecting hers?"

"No! I don't go around askin' girls things like that!" Do girls ask girls?

"I ask. And I think I had better." He looked up at Ranma, concern on his face. "You see, Akane is two-weeks early."

"It's all your fault, Ranma!" Akane accused.

"How is it my fault!?"

"I don't want to talk about it! Dr. Tofu, please take these needles out of me!"

[] [] []

Dr. Tofu didn't want to talk about it before he had examined Shampoo. Before he left, he gave the only bruised Ryoga back to Akane because he knew it would help with her recovery. She had been treating the warm, little "Burin-chan" as a sick child would a teddy bear.

Ranma didn't like that, and rather than put up with it, he followed the doc.

He thought to turn around and go back when Kuno went in. But the long-winded kendoist hadn't gotten two words out before Burin-chan attacked him! Then it was all noise with him ranting, the pig squealing, and Akane trying to stop the both of them! No, Ranma didn't feel like going back.

Catching up with the doc, he remembered he was supposed to be thinking of Shampoo. Hadn't there been something important he had to tell him? Oh, right! "It might not be her period, Doc. It might be neurotoxins!"

"Kodachi Kuno's, no doubt. Yes, if that is so, it would fit in with the diagnosis I'm developing for why Akane is now experiencing her own period weeks before it is due."

"Akane has neurotoxins, too?!" Again Ranma felt anguish. Wasn't it bad enough she was electroshocked!? He should have stayed with her! If anything happened to her, it was his fault!

"Not necessarily. If I am correct, the electroshock alone would be enough to trigger Akane's change. But I will examine her for neurotoxins as well."

[] [] []

As they entered the clinic's infirmary, Nodoka asked, "How is Akane Tendo?"

"She is doing fine enough, Mrs. Saotome. "How is the patient you've been nurse to?"

"Shampoo heal Shampoo! Shampoo go now!" the lavender-haired girl said.

But Ranma's mom was beside her, and kept her from rising out of the bed. "You need to rehydrated first!"

"Is true," Shampoo was forced to admit. "Women who is no warrior can keep Shampoo in bed. ...Shampoo head hurt." She reached for the bottle of water Nodoka gave her, and took long gulps.

"Shampoo, I am a doctor, so you can tell me. Is this the time you normally menstruate?"

Genma growled and pulled his blanket over his head.

She looked down at her blood-stained pants and frowned. "Is five-day too soon."

"Akane's two weeks early," Ranma told her. They all turned to Dr. Tofu. "Why?"

"The simple answer is Magic."

"I hate magic," Ranma said.

"Ranma carry magic!" Shampoo said. "Magic of Ranma bleed to Shampoo!"

"Oh, dear!" Nodoka said. "And to Akane?"

"Magic is the simple answer. The full answer is more complicated, and it is from that I am making my diagnosis and prognosis. First the diagnosis: Weakened by the severe stress their bodies were placed under, Akane by her electroshock, and Shampoo possibly by the neurotoxins or another cause, the magic was able to reset their menstruation cycles. If true, my prognosis is they are only the first. Others will have theirs adjusted as well."

"Others!?" Nodoka asked.

Dr. Tofu nodded, putting most of his attention on her. "It is a well-studied phenomenon that in a group of women their menstruations begin to match over time."

"Ranma lead-woman!?" Shampoo cried.

"What does that mean?" Ranma asked,

"She means they come to match the cycle of the woman who is most dominant among them. The alpha female as it were."

"Oh, dear!" Nodoka felt faint. She sat on the bed. "My son is a woman among women."

"Only magic make Ranma lead-woman!" Shampoo said. But she seemed conflicted. "Ranma still must act like lead-woman." She then frowned. "Even then, Ranma must still defeat Shampoo before Ranma own Shampoo!"

" "Own"?" the lightheaded Nodoka asked.

"Ranma try own Mad Laugh Girl, too!"

"My son has a harem!" Genma suddenly found some energy.

"Only because he has periods!" Nodoka told him, not pleased.

"And I have them 'cuz of you!" Ranma grabbing his old man by the gown's chest.

"You should be grateful! Now you will father plenty of Saotome children! Akane will be your first wife, and the others-"

Ranma threw his stupid old man back against the wall. "I ain't interested in bein' a father!" Then he pointed at him, "I ain't even interested in doin' what it takes!"

"Ranma! Son! You're not interested in...men?" His mother was now worried.

"No! I ain't! And I ain't interested in girls, too! Only as friends!"

"Uh, oh!" his father said, and decided to hide under the blanket again.

"Husband! Tell me what you know about this!" Nodoka demanded, heading for his bed. "Tell me or I'll make love to you until you die!"

"Mom!" Ranma cried on hearing something he didn't want to hear.

"Mother of Ranma sound like warrior woman!"

"Shampoo!" Ranma cried.

After a brief struggle, Nodoka tore the blanket from her husband's grip. Genma looked around for any understanding face. There weren't any. Not even Dr. Tofu's. "This sounds like a condition I may be able to provide aid in. Please tell me what you know of the possible causes, Mr. Saotome."

Genma gave up and hung his head. "It all began with my studies under the Master, the founder of the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts. Under him, it was anything-goes! There didn't seem to be a crime or misdemeanor he wouldn't commit. And to our shame, we were forced to be his accomplices."

Shampoo leaped to her feet. "You make crime against womans!" Suddenly feeling dizzy, she had to grab onto the wall for support.

"No!" Genma said, looking straight at her. "Strange as it seems, he never went that far. It was he who made the rule Men do not attack women part of the schools' Code. In fact, he allowed them to kick and beat him!" Then he turned his head away. "But he was still a pervert. Some of the things he did and almost did…." He shuddered at the memories. "We were always in fear that one day he would cross the line."

"That is interesting, Mr. Saotome. But what has this to do with your son's lack of interest in the opposite sex?" Dr. Tofu asked.

"In both opposite sex," Shampoo said.

"Let's hope it's only the opposite sex," Nodoka said.

"After we graduated by defeating the master, we knew it was time to begin a family. But knowing how powerful Anything-Goes is, we lived in fear of its corrupting influence. We did not want the heirs to the school to become like its founder."

"So you sought out techniques for repressing your children's libidos," Dr. Tofu said. It wasn't a question. "Tell me what they were, and I can prepare a possible course of treatment."

Genma had to think about it. Nodoka wouldn't let him; she began to get into the twin bed with him.

He yelped and tumbled onto the floor. "Have you no mercy!?" he glared and pleaded at the same time.

"Aw, geez!" Ranma knew he didn't want to think about what he thought his parents were thinking of.

"I think this is the more likely reason my husband didn't want our son interested in sex," Nodoka told the doctor. "He always has said 'Women weaken men'."

"Well, it's true! Look what you did to me at that love hotel! I had to come to the clinic to rest and recuperate!" He tried to get up. But like Shampoo, he felt too woozie.

"I see," Dr. Tofu said. "You think Ranma might also become, to use laymen terms, compulsively aroused by a woman."

"By women! He would, then, become a pervert!"

"Unlikely. If he inherits your predisposition, Mr. Saotome, it would only be one woman (fifty at the very most). The woman would have to have the right combination of traits before Ranma's libido is automatically triggered, such as her body odor and facial features or any number of other factors. Are you unusually aroused by women other than your wife?"

Genma was about to say something, perhaps honestly, but changed his mind. "No. Nothing like how I feel with Nodoka."

"But Ranma may still want many women, no?" Shampoo asked, actually sounding hopeful. She, at least, had heard the doctor very softly say "fifty at the very most".

"We will see after we have released his repressed libido," Dr. Tofu said.

[] [] []

In the end, Genma would only tell what techniques he had used on Ranma to the doctor in private.

While the other three were waiting, Akane appeared at the infirmary door. She was dressed in the spare school uniform she kept in the clinic for emergencies. She was carrying the pig. "Tell Dr. Tofu I'm going home with Burin-chan." And with that she was gone.

"Akane!" Ranma started to go after her.

But his mom held him back. "Please, stay here. What good is it if you catch her? You're not interested in her as a fiancee."

"But I am as a friend," he grumbled.

"Why is this taking so long? Stubborn man." Ranma heard his mom say, "I wish I still had my sword." He wasn't sure how serious she was. She muttered something about a contract and seppuku.

When Genma did come out of the office, the small woman reached up and grabbed him by the ear, and pulled him away with her. "Hopefully, now, the doctor can help Ranma become a father!"

"He had better not become a mother," Genma growled. "Ow!" he cried as his ear was yanked hard.

"Son, you stay here and listen to the doctor. We're joining Akane."

"You're not stayin', Mom?"

"This has all been rather overwhelming for me. I need time to adjust." Her face reddened at the last word. She frowned, and pulled, "Come, Husband!"

"Yes, Nodoka, dear!"

[] [] []

When the doctor returned from his private pharmacy, it wasn't Ranma he talked to first. "Shampoo, I have good news for you. These pills will help detoxify you. And this paper has a list of foods to take and other self-treatments."

"Bad news is no easy be rid of all heavy metals, no?" she said. "More neurotoxin in Shampoo and Ranma, more toxin stay in body, no?"

"It is never a good idea to be exposed to nerve agents. But the stress that allowed the magic to change your period may not have been because of them. This treatment is merely a precaution."

"Kodachi's still gotta be stopped!" Ranma vowed. Again he heard the faint call to be a...heroine?

He shook it off. "I gotta have that neuro-stuff in me, too. Where's my pills and list and instructions, Doc?"

"You are not in any immediate danger, Ranma. And neither is Shampoo. Excuse us, Shampoo." And he directed the teen into his office. "This will have to be private," he said, closing the door on her.

Inside, he offered the boy a seat. "I am sorry, Ranma. It is either the detoxifying or libidifying treatment. The one counteracts the other. It is your choice."

Ranma sat down, frowning. "Why should I care about...lidib... gettin' interested?" He was supposed to be interested in girls. But what if it was guys? Again he felt his gut wrench. He remembered what Kodachi had said about shudo fantasies.

And yet the call to be a heroine remained.

"Other than at your age you should be sexually awakened and be having clues about what your orientation is? It is an important part of our social bonding. But more ominously, that sexuality of yours is there. It is only repressed. It could erupt at any time, without warning. When it does, you will have experiences similar to what you had before you accepted that you would have to train to be a girl. You were out of control because you did not know how to manage these strange and unexpected feelings."

Ranma nodded, remembering. "Born-girls at least know they're girls growin' up and pick up clues from older girls and women around them about what to maybe expect."

"That's right, Ranma. Have you had many clues about sex?"

"I guess I do. But as a born-guy." He thought about his experiences. "When I did go to school, they were all-boys schools and some of them were horndogs. Now I know why I wasn't much interested in the hentai magazines and mangas they snuck into school. But when they weren't darin' me to be like them, I was even less interested in seein' girls not wearin' much live, or in the ads. I didn't see much TV or go to movies. I was too busy trainin'.

"Hmph! I was trained almost always in all-guys dojos and in places where girls weren't around or weren't allowed to be." Thinking of the past month, his resentment came out even more than usual. "Seems like my stupid old man wanted to keep me from gettin' to know girls. Or about girls!" It would have made it easier dealing with being cursed to be a girl if he knew more of what born-girls were like, wouldn't it have?

"He did," the good doctor said. "I would say that despite that, you have done remarkably well adjusting, so far. I think much of that can be because you value honor so highly. And equally, towards women as well as men. Hold onto that honor!"

"So I don't become like the founder of the Anything-Goes school?"

"Lose that, and you may well become a pervert." He opened the bag he had brought from his pharmacy and took out a large bottle. "Take a spoonful before every meal until it's gone."

Ranma looked at it. "That's it?"

"It wouldn't hurt visiting a Shinto temple, praying and getting a ward. But other than that, I advise you to start looking at people and trying to generate some interest in them."

"You mean of the sex-kind."

"It doesn't have to be for explicit arousal. Not at first. Let it come naturally. In fact, I would advise against you forcing it. No masturbation until you absolutely feel you must."

"Master-what?" He probably knew; he just didn't want to remember.

"If you haven't discovered for yourself what masturbation is in the next couple of days, come to me. Until then, I don't want to give you ideas."

Ranma soured. "It's because I might want to do it as a girl, not a guy." He looked at the bottle in his hand. "I still ain't decided I want to be interested."

"Then perhaps you can do it for your mother."

"Mom!? What has Mom got to do with sex?" The words sounded wrong together.

"By not knowing your orientation, she is kept in suspense. The tension could begin to affect her mental and physical health. And of those around her."

"But what if it turns out I like guys!? What if I want to be a girl!? What if I want to be a guy, but like guys!?"

"At least she'll know." And he rose up from the office chair. "We'll all know. I will be here for family counseling."

[] [] []

Ranma left the clinic still wearing the hospital gown. It now closed in the back because as a short girl she wasn't wide and the doc had sutured the back. A black belt had it looking like she was wearing a dress that went down to nearly to her ankles. It also reminded her she had a girl's waist.

Underneath, she was wearing a fundoshi, a loincloth, underpants guys traditionally wore. She wasn't happy about that! Her face burned as she remembered how important having on panties the girls in gym class wouldn't tease her about had become. (Ever since Megumi had humiliated her by letting her go outside in front of the school without anything covering her red-haired sex. That had been the violent mental breakdown that had shown Ranma she had to learn what a girl has to know.)

But the doc had given her a prescription. She would be excused for the next day or two, until she didn't have to wear a pad and could go back to wearing her boxer-like panties. (She would have preferred the snug-to-the-body kind if she could have worn them as a guy.) She had asked the doc if there was something else she could use besides a "sanitary napkin". (Napkin? Wearing one made her feel like she was wearing a diaper!) The doc told her she didn't want to know. He did give her a box with pads that could be tied around her, if she really wanted to wear her boxer/tap panties. There was also a knot she knew that would loosen the string when she grew guy-size. But she would have to tighten them herself when she became small again. She left the clinic with them and the bottle of medicine in a bag.

Shampoo was waiting for her. She was still wearing her pants, but above it she only wore the yellow sports bra. "Ranma see?" she asked, turning her back to her but looking over her shoulder.

"See what?"

"See Shampoo clean blood from pants!" Ranma saw that the blood stain from her sudden period was hardly visible. "Shampoo clean blood from panties, too! Want to see?"

"I believe you."

She spun around and bent her chest to her eye level."Shampoo show Ranma how be rid of blood stain."

"I already know. I am a martial artist."

She became impatient. "Ranma take medicine!"

"Shampoo! You were eavesdroppin''!"

"Shampoo say Mata Hari heroine." She stuck her tongue out.

"Aw, geez! Now you're gonna try and make me interested in you."

"Is challenge!"

Ranma started walking. "I owe it to Akane. If I'm gonna be interested in anybody it ought to be her."

"Lust no take turn." And she glomped onto the shorter girl's arm. Ranma's gowned shoulder was wedged into her cleavage. "When come, lust erupt! Va-va-voom!"

"I ain't gonna erupt!" she insisted. "Don't try and make me, or I'll erupt in anger!"

"Be angry with Shampoo. Hate Shampoo. But no have no emotion for Shampoo!"

"Man! Is it just you or is everybody in your tribe like this?" She was trying not to get angry, now. Remembering that both samurai and the warriors of her tribe seemed to have similar ideas about things like sex, Ranma was thinking that Shampoo may be like Kuno. What she would have thought should make them not want her could, in fact, make them more interested! How could she keep Shampoo from going crazy on her? She knew she could. Kiss-of-Death Shampoo had shown her that.

Shampoo was breathing on the side of Ranma's neck, and her free hand was beginning to wander over the gown. "Shampoo, I'm havin' my period - You're havin' your period! It ain't fun. It can't be the time to be interested!"

"Is challenge! If Ranma show interest at end-of-month time, Ranma show interest rest of month, too!"

"It'd be gory!"

"Shampoo, Ranma warriors, know blood! Know how be rid of blood stain!" Shampoo's hand was approaching Ranma's crotch.

"Geez, stop it, Shampoo! I'm s'pose to be the alpha female or something! Don't that mean nothing!?" Wait! Maybe it did mean something, What did Shampoo say? "I'm the lead-woman! I order you to stop - And stop glompin' me, too!"

"Ranma no know law of Zhànshìnǚrén." But her resistance lasted only long enough for her to make a calculation. She decided it was the better strategy to obey her tribe's law. She took her hand off of the redhead's body. It took longer for her to give up the arm.

She let the redhead walk ahead of her. She remained out of her sight.

Ranma had to wonder what she was doing. But she refused to look. Shampoo might think she was interested. She continued walking, but focused what senses she could on what was happening behind her.

She could feel ki energy being concentrated. It carried Shampoo's signature, but warped it subtly, like it was giving her a different persona. The more steps she took forward, the weaker she felt SHAMPOO.

She hadn't gone many steps before she felt it begin to pulse like silent sound waves she could feel on her whole body. Now Ranma began to be worried.

And then it was on the move towards her. She prepared herself for the attack.

Ranma made the mistake of slowing down. This allowed Shampoo to walk rapidly around her, the pulses beating against Ranma as she passed. And Ranma now understood her scheme. She was using the combined techniques from 3,000 years of her tribe's arcane lore to give herself The Secret of Beauty. She had used her will to seem extremely beautiful to concentrate and shape her battle aura. The cliche was rose-colored glasses, only here Shampoo was surrounded by it. The lens-shaped aura enhanced every feature, making her seem more feminine in her movements, more curved in the right places, her exotic lavender hair more lustrous, her lips more glossy, her cheeks more attractively flushed, and her eyes more sparkling. Even her nostrils seemed to flare with an enticing flair. Ranma had first seen it this morning. It was meant to attack Kuno at his male weak point. But because he was turned off by female beauty it was wasted.

It had been wasted on Ranma, too. Besides what her stupid old man had done to her, she had also been under the influence of the Female Flower of Love. Now it might not be wasted. She knew she was supposed to become interested in girls. (In guys?)

They both continued walking. Shampoo was wiggling her hips and gracefully turning several times, allowing - daring! - Ranma to look at her thoroughly from all angles. "Shampoo have wide hips, no? Shampoo have good legs and butt, no? Shampoo have big boobies, too! Ranma have big boobies, but no big as boobies of Shampoo!"

"It ain't something you should want," Ranma grumbled. "They get in the way of martial arts moves! I'm either knockin' my arms against them or havin' them tryin' to drag my chest away from where I want to go! And they don't wanna stay still."

"Is true. When Shampoo no control boobies, they like this." Her boobs began to bobble, wobble and sway. Perhaps more than they should in her sports bra.

And Ranma's began to imitate them. "Stop that! This body came with knowin' how to keep its boobs under control, but I'm the one that's gotta remember to control them!" It was the same with pissing. A part of her also had to remember to use muscles a guy didn't have to normally use so she didn't piss accidentally. Having to remember about her piss muscles, boobs and other soft, jiggly parts all cost her bits of mental space she could have put on other things. "I'm your lead-woman!"

Shampoo frowned, but obeyed. Her boobs became as still as a pair of young, firm boobs could be kept. She shifted to another tactic. "Shampoo girl who attract?"

When the pulsating ki energy wasn't pushing on Ranma's nerve endings, it was pulling on them. It prodded her to get her attention, then urged her towards the woman that glowed with health. Time and again. "Oh, you're attractive alright."

Ranma felt a sharp pang in her belly. It was different from the ones her period had been giving her until now. "What now!? Is this something else that comes with periods?!"

Her belly growled loudly! Ranma now recognized it. She was hungry! Famished! She had used a lot of energy at the Kunos's. And with everything demanding her attention, she - Ranma Saotome - had forgotten to eat lunch! Stupid! She could have maybe found something in the greenhouse! If she didn't get some food in her, she would have to go to the Reservoir!

The Reservoir? Why not! Ranma thought, grinning. Her nerves grabbed onto the next pulse against them - And held on! She released her battle aura and let it be pulled along with Shampoo's back towards her. It was only when Shampoo could feel Ranma's ki energy strike her that she realized what was happening. Or thought she did. "Ah-ya…" she sighed, welcoming the feeling on her nerve endings. She let her guard down.

It was enough: Ranma yanked! A long, thick strand of energy of Shampoo's energy returned with her own. She opened up her pours and drew the energy into her! Yin-energy, female-energy was different than yan-energy! It was like being hit full-on by a crashing wave on a dark, full-moon night! Its cold was seductive, inviting you to let it embrace its numbing tendrils.

Shampoo yanked back! But Ranma's held fast!

Her carefully crafted Battle Aura of Beauty broke like shattered glass! Losing control of the concentrated energy, she became temporarily weakened.

As the shards of Shampoo's battle aura became more like bubbles, Ranma drew most of the rest of her opponent's loose ki energy into herself.

Her belly stopped growling. The only pangs from her belly only told her she was full. Ranma was no longer hungry.

Shampoo was back to looking as normal of a woman as a Chinese, lavender-haired Guizi warrior in Japan could look. Picking herself up, she glared at the redhead. "Stupid Ranma. Doctor say take medicine in bottle before meal!"

[] [] []

Ranma shared enough energy with Shampoo on the condition she didn't become a ki-vampire. They both had to hurry and get real food into themselves!

"We're back!" Ranma announced as they came into the Tendo house.

"Welcome, Ranma and Shampoo!" Kasumi said from in front of the kitchen door. She was carrying a platter of still steaming, delicious-looking meat. "We're having an early supper! It seems like everybody is extra hungry today!"

"Not me!" Nabiki called out from the common room. "I'm on a diet!"

"You're not serving any pork, are you, Kasumi?!" Akane called out. The pig squealed at the thought.

Ranma immediately hurried past Kasumi and into the common room. And there Burin-chan was in Akane's lap being fed rice and pieces of vegetables with her chopsticks. "Akane! You do know that's Ryoga!?"

"Of course I know! I'm not brain-damaged!" And kept on feeding him. "He's little like this. Little animals need less food."

"That's more for us!" Genma said, helping himself to meat from the platter.

"Speaking of animals, you'd save us a ton of money if you ate bamboo," Nabiki said.

"Now, now!" her daddy said. "The Saotomes are our guests."

"Your daughter is right. We shouldn't impose on your hospitality any longer. We'll all return to our own house in Kita," Nodoka said.

"Mom!" Ranma almost whined. "I have friends here! Friends!" she repeated to make her know how important that was to her. "Akane?!" he asked.

Akane frowned at her, but said, "Yes, we are friends." Then she went back to feeding Burin-chan. "That's what the alpha female wants us to be."

"Akane?" Something was wrong!

"Shampoo follow lead-woman!" she said, helping herself to some of the meat. "No have be girl-friend of Shampoo."

"So...you're now one of our houseguests, as well?" Nabiki said coldly.

Shampoo reached into her bra and pulled out a gold coin. She tossed it onto the table. "Shampoo no stay here! Shampoo warrior! Shampoo can make camp! Shampoo can stay in hotel!" After taking a bite of meat, she challenged the redhead. "Ranma no have go to house of mother-father. Be lead-woman!"

"Excuse the interruption," Soun said. "But can you tell me what is the difference between a leader and a…"lead-woman"?"

"Difference is simple! "Leader" is formal. Even no-worthy woman (or man) can be leader. Can just be born leader. A lead-woman no need be leader, but lead-woman still lead! Only woman can be lead-woman, because lead-woman strong and make all women have same end-of-month time! Shampoo one lead-woman in village! All women age of Shampoo know who is strong!"

" "End-of-month time"?" Nabiki asked. "You mean periods?"

"Uh, I regret asking the question, now," Soun said.

"Let's change the subject!" Genma told them.

Nobody listened to him. "Ranma's magic took over my body and changed my cycle!" Akane accused. What made it worse was she couldn't use her go-to defense and deny it.

"That of Shampoo, too!" she was more accepting. But she wasn't completely happy with it. She was thinking on how to become the lead-woman herself.

"And possibly all of us," Kasumi said.

"What did you just say?" Nabiki asked.

"Oh, dear," Nodoka said. She hadn't wanted to think about that.

" called me to pass on what his brother, Dr. Tofu, thinks could happen to us. I don't know why Dr. Tofu couldn't talk to me directly." Everybody else knew.

"Just tell us!" Nabiki demanded.

"Dr. Tofu thinks any woman who is near Ranma long enough will have their periods adjusted towards hers."

" "All womans" is all womans!?" Shampoo was impressed. "Aya! Ranma is strong lead-woman!"

"It's not like it's my idea!" Ranma said. "I don't want no period in the first place!"

"Who does," Akane said, sourly.

Nabiki raised her hand. "I do. It's reassuring. You know what happens when a girl doesn't have her period." She looked down at her lap. "It's going to be weeks, so I shouldn't be having mine yet. And I don't feel like I am."

"Me neither," Kasumi's reliable smile remained unchanged.

"The doc says it's only happened to Akane and Shampoo so fast 'cuz they were hurt pretty badly." Ranma said. "The magic attacked them when they were weak."

"That right! Shampoo remember!" Shampoo smacked her palm. Out of her bra, she took her bottle of pills, and said, "Shampoo need remedies for neurotoxins! Shampoo need tomatoes, garlic, curry in rice…" She picked them up from the table. She then looked at the water, oolong, and coke. "Shampoo need green tea, too!"

"Aren't we polite," Nabiki said sarcastically.

"Shampoo warrior!" she challenged the civilian. It became a staring contest.

For twenty seconds. "Shampoo take back gold coin!"

"Okay! I'm being polite! I'm sorry!" Nabiki surrendered.

"So, it isn't enough for my son to be having periods. He has to have a period no woman can ignore. Not even his mother," Nadoka said. "He - She really is a woman among women."

"Mom!" Ranma said, heartbroken.

"Mrs. Saotome, Mr. Toru also said Dr. Tofu would like you to call him." Kasumi said.

"Not today. I have heard enough from him for now. I must consider what to do about his words." She turned her attention to Ranma. "Please take a hot bath. I need to be reminded that you are my son."

"Yes, Mom," Ranma said. She did not argue. She, too, needed to be reminded.

[] [] []

Ranma was soaking in the furo, when the pig trotted into the room. He frowned as it hopped in with him. He was now sharing the tub with the nude Ryoga. He didn't know what to say.

Ryoga did. "It wasn't my idea! The doctor found me and before I could be given hot water Akane was rushed in! As soon as she saw me, she grabbed me! And wouldn't let go!"

"You had a nosebleed," Ranma glared. "Blood was everywhere."

Ryoga became embarrassed. "My high blood pressure?" Then he hung his head. "You would think that as a pig I'd have a pig's reaction to being hugged by a beautiful girl. I guess the curse doesn't change the mind that much."

Ranma blinked. He almost smiled. He had hope!

[] [] []

Everybody except Ranma was wearing what they normally wore. Hoping to please his mom, he was wearing Chinese-style pants and his tank top. (She couldn't not see his muscular pecs and arms!)

Ranma spent most of the rest of the evening studying with Akane. Nabiki charged them for delivering their homework assignments. And she stayed with them doing her own studying in case they wanted her to tutor them. For a fee, of course. With nothing better to do, Ryoga and Shampoo were there in the common room with them.

Ryoga surprised them. He seemed to understand the subjects almost as well as Nabiki. She was impressed, "You say you're self-taught?"

"I have to be. I can't stay in school. I get lost."

"Hmm…. You are cute. Too bad you turn into a pig."

"He's cute as Burin-chan!" Akane told her.

Shampoo's boredom finally got to her. "Shampoo go. Bye-bye!"

"Don't break any walls!" Ranma yelled after her. He was relieved when she jumped over the Tendo yard wall.

"Son, it's time-"

"Mom!" Ranma interrupted. "See!? I have study partners here! I won't have them back home!"

"I see," Nodoka smiled. "I was saying it's time to have a meal."

"We're not going back home right now?"

"No. we're staying here, at the Tendo's. Your father will be bedding with Mr. Tendo. And I…" She took a deep breath, "...I will be bedding with you in the guestroom."

"You're gonna sleep with me?"

"I'm not sleeping with you!" said the flustered, traditionally proper woman. "We will just be sharing the same room! You will have to become a girl, I'm afraid. It wouldn't be right for a woman to share a bedroom with a man not her husband. You are my, uh, son, but still…."

"If that's what you want. I would like to spend more time with you, Mom!"

"As do I, son. Ranma."

"I've set the portable table with the food your mother has prepared, Ranma," Kasumi said. "She is a wonderful cook!"

"I'd like something to eat," Ryoga asked. "I'm no longer a small animal."

"I'm sorry, Ryoga," Kasumi told him. "It is just for Ranma."

After Ranma and his mother had left, everybody had the same question. "What is that all about?"

Kasumi told them. "Dr. Tofu called and Mrs. Saotome did talk with him.

"Oh, my!" she said, seeing something on the floor. She picked up a large bottle of medicine and hurried towards the kitchen. "Ranma is supposed to take this before his meal!"

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

Just as people (and pigs) do not have as massive nosebleeds in our reality, the way some things work in this reality might not apply to ours, either. Consider this an all-purpose out.

Steampunk and Nietzsche provides a clue about why Kodachi's neurotoxins do not have to be strong, just effective over time.

Shampoo's The Secret of Beauty is found in the chapter Her Date With Shampoo.

Ranma's use of the Reservoir was first shown in Yin, the Essence of Darkness.

As shown in Her Date With Shampoo, Shampoo revealed she had been given access to the treasury of her village through its Bookkeeper, delivered to her by Dark Magic. It is meant to aid her in fulfilling her vow to kill Ranma. It can be taken away from her at any time.

Other chapters support other aspects of this chapter. Like Nodoka and Genma really having only an powerful physical attraction for each other.