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.

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Notes at the bottom of this chapter.

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Kasumi went from the kitchen to the parlor down and across the hall. "Aunie Saotome, I hope Ranma hasn't eaten yet. He forgot his medicine!"

"Oh, dear, you're right. And it's liquid isn't it? He'll need something to take it with."

Kasumi opened the sliding door. "I have the spoon here. I believe it's called a tablespoon." The Japanese don't normally use spoons, especially at home, but the Tendo "chef" liked to be prepared. She had a complete set of utensils for when she served non-Asian meals. (She also had Chinese and Korean-style chopsticks for those Asian dishes.)

The still male Ranma was seated on the tatami-covered floor in front of a chabudai table. His mom was in the middle of handing him a cushion. Being a traditional woman, she no doubt thought a formal room required formal manners. Originally existing only as the place to meet visitors, it was the most Japanese of all the rooms.

The key word was "originally". Since her family preferred the common room, this larger room served many miscellaneous purposes. It had even been used as an extra guestroom. But most recently it had been the place to put the 144 boxes of clothes that Kuno had delivered after he had treated Akane and Ranma to a shopping trip on a "date" with the two who had actually won the raffled dates. After her little sister had opened many of the boxes, let others tumble off their stacks and scattered their contents that morning in her search for the "most feminine" attire for their trip to the Kuno castle. Kasumi had decided to clean the parlor. Those she didn't put in Akane's and Ranma's rooms were given to various thrift shops that had sent people to collect the donations, though a couple said they couldn't send anybody. She could have somebody deliver those boxes to them. Or she could offer them to girls of the right sizes.

Right now, the remaining boxes were stacked neatly on one side of the room, leaving enough space for Mrs. Saotome to have her private meal with her son. "Okay, Mom," Ranma gave in and accepted the cushion.

"Here, Auntie," Kasumi said, giving her the spoon and large bottle of medicine. "I'll leave now. I'll see that you are not disturbed. Enjoy your time together!" And she slid the door closed after herself.

Nodoka opened the child-proof cap and poured the thick, blue liquid into the spoon. "You don't have to do that, Mom. Mom! I ain't a kid."

"I know. But please indulge me, Son. When you were a child, you weren't here. I missed almost your entire childhood."

"For ten years." It wasn't his idea, of course! Not only had his idiot pop kept him away from her during his training journey, he hadn't even let him know his mother was still alive, or who she was! At least his father hadn't gone as far as Ryuunosuke's father who had dozens of photos of different women and even more stories about who her mother was. (After meeting Dr. Tofu's brother, Mr. Toru, Ranma had found out more about the manga-anime series Urusei Yatsura to find out why his friends thought he was like that girl who knew how to be a 'guy' but not a girl.)

"Okay, Mom." It wouldn't hurt to be treated like a kid once in a while. His old man certainly hadn't. From before his fifth birthday, he was expected to be a Man.

"Ahh…." The medicine that was to help him release his repressed sexuality went into his mouth. He expected it to taste like medicine, bad. But it was gooey and nearly overpoweringly sweet and salty. Until the aftertaste hit. "Sour! Bitter!"

"The doctor said you are to take it before your meals until the bottle is empty," his mom reminded him.

"I can see why!" And he quickly shoved a bowl of miso close to his lips and began shoveling in the pieces of fish, squash, onions and other vegetables with his chopsticks. He knew his mom expected him to finish everything solid before he drank from the bowl.

"Itadakimasu," his mom said. She kneeled down beside him, showing she excused this bit of lapse in etiquette. Ranma nodded, but didn't stop eating.

He finished well before a normal person would have, but it was still slow by Ranma's standards. He wasn't rushed by the threat of his old man stealing his food while it was still between his chopsticks. He made sure to slurp to show how much he appreciated his mom's cooking.

"Mom, are you sure you don't wanna eat, too?" he said after finishing the soup.

"I'm fine, Son. You are the growing boy who expends tremendous amounts of energy in his martial arts."

"The trick is to not use "tremendous amounts"." He knew the techniques but he hadn't yet been able to make them reliably automatic. They were on-again-off-again. He thought they would be the more times he absolutely had to conserve energy while in the middle of major battles. It would be disastrous if he didn't. It was either that or go drain others's energy.

He began on the bowls of rice. His mom just kneeled there in her kimono and smiled, enjoying his pleasure. "There is passionflower tea to wash it down."

Ranma nearly choked. "Mom! Passionflower!?"

Nodoka blinked, then blushed. "I didn't think of that. It is only meant to help you sleep."

After almost choking, he needed a drink. He chose the other one, chamomile tea. It wasn't bad, but still, "Isn't there any regular tea?"

"These are what dear Kasumi gave me." She remembered, "Hmm, I couldn't find any teas, and she was nowhere near where any could be stored and then...she had these. Odd."

"Akane can pull a mallet out of nowhere, and Nabiki a camera. Tea seems like something Kasumi would do." He frowned. "She can't pull out a teakettle of hot water."

"Have some more rice. And the roasted chicken."

"Mom! I did have some of that early supper!"

"But not enough. Besides, I prepared this meal just for you."

"Okay, Mom. I can be a bottomless pit for you."

While he was eating, her expression changed as she remembered what the doctor wanted her to do. But this was the same doctor who had encouraged her son to be a girl as often as he could. He had assured her that it would only have to be for three months, but still…. What if after that, she lost a son and "gained" a daughter.

Pensive, her gaze wandered to the stacks of boxes. They contained supposedly unisex clothes but were more feminine than masculine. Yes, Ranma was "man enough" not to be emasculated by them, but, then, they didn't present her son as totally normal. Of course the slacks and blouses were a world better than the ribboned hoopskirt she had first seen him - a her then, thankfully - wearing during their reunion.

"What's the matter, Mom?"

"I was thinking about your clothes."

Ranma looked down at the tank top and Chinese-style pants he was wearing. "You want me to put on a shirt?" He was dressed casual in a formal, Japanese-style room. "Maybe a kinagashi?" It'd be a bother to add the pants and jacket so near bedtime.

"No. it is too soon to your bedtime. But that is a wonderful idea! A kimono can be worn by either a man or a woman!"

"Except I'd look strange wearin' a guy's kimono as a girl."

"Or a woman's kimono as a man," Nodoka frowned at the mental image.

"I don't want to look strange, Mom," Ranma really wanted her to understand. "I've always been strange to people. Even to other martial artists I'm strange. They got other things goin' on in their lives beside just martial arts. And everytime I could've got into something else, pop yanked me away to train even more! This time I got a chance to not be strange - to fit in! Make friends I won't have to leave!"

Nodoka nodded. "That is because of the marriage arrangement Genma established with Mr. Tendo."

"Right! And I don't even mind that. I like Akane and Kasumi. I might even get to like Nabiki." She seemed to be a natural at strategy. "And I have time to make up my mind! A girl can get married at sixteen in Japan, but a guy has to wait until he's eighteen."

Nodoka considered. "So, it could be a good idea for you to remain and come to know the Tendo girls more intimately.?"

She sighed. "But as a man. You are expected to be a husband."

"I will be! But like I said, I have time. I'm only sixteen. Right now it's important I learn how to control my girl brain. To do that, I need to make friends with them and other girls."

She frowned. "Not other boys?"

"Mom, I change into a girl. Do you know what guys - especially boys - are like around girls?! Can you imagine what it'd be like me actin' like a guy but they act like I'm a girl? I need to know how girls defend and attack."

"You want to fight boys!?"

"No! I just mean "The best defence is an energy-saving defence". I need to learn how girls make and stay friends with guys. And I'm more likely to learn friend-makin' techniques from girls. They talk more 'n guys. They're more friendly."

"Not always." Nodoka remembered some of her worst experiences.

"But for them not to put up defences and talk to me like just a friend, I gotta seem like one of them. I ain't tryin' to be one of them!"

"So, you plan to continue wearing female clothes."

"Just the school uniform and gym bloomers." Ranma started getting uncomfortable. What if he, as a girl, was expected to be with girl friends outside of school and wear the kind of girly clothes they were wearing? Would that go too far for his mom? Would that go too far for himself!

It already may be too much for her. "You are only meant to be a girl for three months. What happens after that? When you go back to being a man?"

"I'll have made friends. Real friends understand friends." And can forgive?

"Real friends are difficult to find, Son."

Ranma recognized she knew more about friendship than he did. "I'll at least have three months of just plain friends." The hurt was in his voice.

Nodoka understood. And found she had the ability to forgive. If she could bring herself to use it.

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All of the large meal was finally eaten. Ranma had even drunk both types of tea. "Itadakimasu!" Even having missed lunch, he had eaten more that day than he usually did. In fact, he had eaten so much he was getting sleepy. It was good it was close to bedtime.

Nodoka saw that Dr. Tofu's prescription was falling into place.

"I have school tomorrow. I missed it today; I don't wanna be drug out and miss my time bein' with friends again."

"I agree that you need to sleep, Son." Nodoka thought she was being too obvious (and anxious), so she changed the subject. "When is this tournament you're going to be in?"

"I donno *yawn!* Shampoo wants it to be a carnival. She wants it at Kodachi's school. Kodachi wants it at my school." Ranma snorted. "She won't recognize her own dad. He's the headmaster of Furinkan. And if you think the Kuno's are nuts, you should see him! No, don't! Save yourself the hassle.

"I gave them a day. Me.? I think it'd be good for business at the shoppin' district. If we don't end up wreckin' it." He did a grim chuckle. "A Nerima Wreckin' Crew."

"You're not serious about...owning them, are you, Son?"

"Only makin' so they have to listen to me. I ain't lookin' to have no harem. Geez! What was pop thinkin'!?"

"...but if your sexuality is no longer repressed?" Nodoka said softly to herself. It gave her second thoughts about what she was told to do.

"*yawn!* I need to get my sleep." And he rose up.

"Okay, you can change into a girl now."

"Aw, do I hafta? I'm gonna bleed! I'm gonna feel my period! It might be hard to sleep." He was told to sleep with an overnight pad, on his side, curled up.

"The doctor-" Nodoka caught herself! "Uh, I won't feel right sleeping in the same woman with anybody else but a woman."

Ranma grumbled, but he was glad his mom was back to trying to more or less accept the girl he was cursed to be. Finding out about him having periods - the kind that wouldn't leave others's alone, no less! - had undermined the confidence in his masculinity she had before. And with finding out she couldn't depend on him wanting to be a man sexually further stressed her.

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Hot water can wake you, cold can relax you. Still, Ranma only let the shower be cool enough.

After using the shower wand to wash down the last of the blood into the drain, Ranma was ready to get dressed. She would be glad when she didn't have to look down at her bare and moving boobs. But though she could hide the soft over slender-muscled body, she couldn't escape its feel. Especially when cramping. Except, when asleep.

Kasumi had laid out sleepwear for Ranma. The first was a worn, snug pair of panties. She wanted to wear loose - or no - boxers, or even boxer-like tap panties. But her period didn't leave her a choice. She had overheard some girls saying they couldn't get to sleep wearing panties. Ranma had to wonder what they did when they had their periods. Maybe towels?

Next came a silk nightgown for her that the tall Kasumi had raised the hem on. It wasn't the see-through negligee that Ranma had teased and infuriated her old man in. Unlike that one, this was a nightgown Kasumi had worn many times. But it was also purple. Some girls liked pink, but she preferred purple? From as long ago as the 600's, only Japanese royalty and the highest officials could wear purple. That made it better than pink for Ranma.

But a nightgown was a dress. It wasn't the best thing to wear when her mother had doubts about his manliness. Maybe she should barrow pajama bottoms from Akane.

But Akane was upset with her. Why? Because the electroshock had done something to her brain? Because she hated the idea of magic cursing her body too and having the times of her period changed to hers? Because -

"STUPID! THOUGHTLESS! What kind of friend ARE you!?" Ranma screamed at herself!

She dashed out the door and down the hall at top speed! She only stopped outside the shoji doors to leap up onto the roof! Three hops and she was over Akane's bedroom - And jumped off!

Her knees grabbed a corbel. The nightgown fell down over her face. She held it away and looked in the window.

The first thing she saw was Burin-chan leashed to a leg of Akane's bed."What in the-" Ranma wanted to get angry.

But couldn't. She was too angry with herself.

Akane came in a couple of minutes later. "Look, Burin-chan! I was able to get a cat litter box from-" She screamed when she saw somebody outside her window.

The box bounced and clay pellets scattered over the carpet. (Ryoga didn't know whether to be relieved or not.)

"Ranma? What are you doing!?" (Burin-chan hid under the bed!)

She told her, but wasn't heard clearly until Akane opened the window. "...sorry! Sorry! I thought you were a good-enough martial artist to be able to take on the dangers! And I was right! You're here, and…." She saw the long-haired girl wasn't buying it.

"You're right. I forgot." She let her knees let go, and she dropped, catching the outside sill. Her forearms resting there, she humbly bowed her head inside her friend's room. "I was distracted by too much goin' on. Havin' to think of too many things at once. But that ain't a good excuse. I'm a terrible friend. Can you give me another chance? I want to keep you as a friend. You were my first." (Burin-chan grunted loudly until it remembered it didn't want to be noticed!)

"I'll forgive you." The girl above said. She didn't sound all that forgiving. "...On one condition.

"Name it!"

"I am in the tournament, too."

"What!?" Her head wasn't bowed now.

"You said I was a "good-enough" martial artist to survive dangers. Or were you lying?"

"No. Not really." Ranma just didn't want his friend to face dangers. (That was one of the reasons she didn't take her to the greenhouse.) It was selfish, she knew. But she didn't want to lose her.

"Good, then. Let's see if I remember how the tournament has been set up. Kodachi chose the ground; Shampoo chose the setting; and you chose the location."

"Nerima," Ranma nodded. "A fighting ring in a public place in town."

"But where in town? That hasn't been decided. I choose the shopping district."

Ranma smiled. "That's where I wanted!" Maybe they're friends because they think something alike.

But then she had to think, "Now we it's just havin' somebody to decide when."

"That somebody are somebodies! The shop people are going to choose. It's going to be as soon as they can get enough publicity out to bring in customers to watch our battles!"

"Man! That sounds like a Nabiki idea."

"Uh, yes. It does," Akane's face reddened.

"We still gotta tell the shop people."

The bedroom door opened. "It's already been taken care of!" Nabiki told her. She laughed as she closed the door. A natural strategist.

While Ranma was distracted, the embarrassed Akane pushed the redhead off her window sill.

Ranma fell to the ground two stories below.

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"How often do you enter through a window?" Nodoka asked her redheaded...son. Her son was wearing a woman's nightgown.

"It just seemed easier, Mom," Ranma said, coming in through the guestroom window she had opened for her.

"You said you would only be wearing female school clothes at school. Tomorrow, I am buying you some jinbei." She herself was wearing the traditional Japanese "pajamas" of a tied-together top and leg-revealing shorts. Hers were blue with a scattering of printed pink-red gladioli. It was cotton and looked more comfortable than the silk Ranma had on.

"I'd like that! I can even wear them outside the house sometimes. Thank you, Mom!" Why hadn't she thought of that! Oh, right: Pop! It was more "manly" to wear a kind of underwear women, children and even babies wore. And they weren't something a girl or a guy would wear on a date. Or to school. Unless you wanted to seem a little strange. Maybe if others did it….

"I have the futons ready, Son. you are still tired, aren't you?!"

Ranma glummed. "I was until I remember what I did to Akane. I left somebody behind! That goes against the Code!" And that somebody was important as a friend.

Nodoka gently pulled her down to the mattresses on the floor. "You need to invest more time and attention on her, Son. You went on a date with the Chinese girl, Shampoo, but you haven't had one with your fiancée, yet."

"You're right, Mom. And I promised her we would." He made up his mind. "I will. As soon as I can!"

"You'll do it as a man.?"

"As a man, Mom! Akane deserves that." Then he became troubled again. "As soon as I got the money. Dates are expensive!"

"Don't go by the two you've had. They don't have to be. A date should be only interesting." And she smiled, "In a good way, of course!" Her hand stroked her son's red hair. "Akane and you are both interested in martial arts. You can find other interests you can share."

Ranma was about to ask what interests his mom and pop shared (besides their "compulsive arousal"), but decided that wouldn't help.

Besides, she was getting sleepy again. *Yawn*

She let her mom kiss her on the forehead and ease her down. "Mom, you don't hafta tuck me in." But she didn't say it very loud. It felt unfamiliar, but okay.

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Nodoka found that her son could fall asleep quickly. She layed on her side gazing at...her. She wished she could be looking at her male son. He could make a mother proud in how handsome he was.

But the doctor had told her his prescription had a better chance of success if Ranma was a female when administered. The conditioning Genma had done to their son over the years was weakened by Ranma's mind being in an unfamiliar brain and body. As the redhead, she was already breaking free of his influence. Nodoka was happy to hear that. At least one good thing could be coming from his curse.

She wasn't happy to hear that meant her son would most likely discover his sexuality while female. If it were anything like what happened when she had her first episode of PMS, she was warned, a trauma would make everything worse. And not just for Ranma.

That was where the medicine came in. It didn't put her to sleep, but would induce an early dream state. She was to look for rapid eye movements, and then give suggestions to her son. The doctor theorized that because of the techniques Genma had used, Ranma could be a ready hypnosis subject. Even so, even hypnotized, a person had their guard up. If a person couldn't imagine something while awake, they wouldn't while hypnotized. But Ranma's guard would be at its lowest with somebody he trusted, somebody he wanted to please. That was why it was not the doctor but she, Ranma's mother, that was the better candidate for gently guiding him through his sexual awakening.

The doctor's final words were, "The Hippocratic Oath is "Do no harm". Please be careful in the suggestions you give your son. Don't force him to be something he is not. As a girl, Ranma has no choice but to have a female brain. Imagine somebody trying to force you to act like a man. Do you think Genma the Woman-hater may have tried to do that to you?"

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And so Nodoka waited. She had heard that, maybe, the best time to attempt to hypnotize a person was when they were just falling asleep or waking up. But those "twilight" times were brief and the person was more likely to be half-awake enough to increase their guard. (And, yes, she thought Genma may have been practicing his techniques on her. How else to make sense of why she could have agreed to let him take her not-yet-five-year son away from her on that damnable training journey! That seppuku contract must have been part of her resistance. And now that she knew, suicide by belly-slash was too good for Genma)

After about half an hour, she noticed Ranma's eyes moving behind her eyelids. Now was the time! "Ranma. Ranma, listen to me. I-

"- AI!" she screamed as the redhead's fists slammed onto the mattress! She reacted: moving away from her! She was so startled and frightened by the girl's thrashing about that she moved off her own mattress and towards a corner!

She sat on the tatami floor, trying to collect her composure, watching warily the movements of the sleeping martial artist. (That had to be just part of her training, right?) She would wait until the redhead, that is, her child, Ranma, had settled down. And for her heart to stop beating so loudly.

She heard a giggle. Ranma?

No, it was coming from the opened window to her right. She saw the long, bare legs of the Chinese girl, Shampoo, entering the room. She was wearing only a silk top. The top was so short it barely hid her underwear. If she was wearing underwear. Nodoka didn't want to find out.

"Shampoo show Ranma lust strong," she whispered to herself.

"But love lasts longer!" Righteous indignation replaced Nodoka's fear.

"Aya! Mother-in-law here, too!"

"I am not your mother-in-law!"

"No yet. Mother-in-law-to-be too long. And spoil affirmation."

"Affirmation?" The battle maiden had plans for her son! There was more involved than perverted impulses! "If you wish to stay on the good side of your "mother-in-law", you will leave now! You will not disturb my son's sleep again! Even when he doesn't look like a son! I will be in the bed beside Ranma to insure you don't! Now, you will go,"

"Yes, Mother-in-law." The hormonal girl did seem crestfallen as she left through the window. Nodoka was relieved that the dangerous girl had the traditional regard for the mother-in-law. In fact, coming from a matriarchal society, she probably felt a greater difference. It might even be in one of her tribe's laws.

"Mom?"

"Ranma! You're awake!" Nodoka went to where she lay.

She wasn't. She was talking in her sleep. Her voice was full of emotion. "I don't want you to see me in a hoopskirt. I want to be the man among men you want me to be…"

"No, son! No, it's alright. It's alright." She brought the red head to her lap. "It was your father's wish. I now know it doesn't have to be mine." She stroked her hair. "All I ask is that you continue to make me proud of you. You will not become a pervert, but be a sexually responsible adult. As a man…" her own voice broke as she struggled to say, "...or a woman. Just make me a grandmother."

Still asleep, still dreaming, Ranma rose from her lap and hugged her. Nodoka hugged her back. "...when you're eighteen. For now, you are simply my child."

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In the morning, Nodoka woke up alone. Ranma was gone. Her heart froze! Did she know, consciously, subconsciously, she had been hypnotizing her?! She was already rebelling against Genma's own manipulations of her! Or what if the battle maiden had stolen her away!?

She stood up, threw on her yukata over her jinbei and rushed out of the guestroom. Seeing no one else in the hall, she hurried down the stairs and headed for the common room. If Ranma wasn't there, let there at least be somebody there who knew where she was!

The redhead was sitting at breakfast at the table with the rest of the Tendo family. She was wearing a dress. It was the high school's girls uniform. (Nodoka was grateful it wasn't a sailor fuku.) "Hi, Mom! I let you sleep."

"You must be a heavy sleeper if you weren't woken up by the Battle at Dawn," Nabiki said sourly. She didn't seem to be a morning person.

"Battle? Shampoo!"

"It was me, Ranma and Ryoga!" Akane said happily. "We were practicing our martial arts!"

"Ranma is my sensei," Ryoga told her. Then he looked apologetically at the long-haired girl. "And Akane."

"And he's tough enough I don't have to hold back," Ranma said. "It's like we're really fightin'."

"I forget it's just practice," Ryoga said, not proudly.

"There were a few times there when I almost beat them!" Akane said. "When I'm in the tournament, and the pressure's on, I think I will beat Ranma," she told herself.

"The tournament?" Nodoka remembered the details. "What if you lose? The winner owns everybody else in the tournament!" What about the authorities? That has to be illegal!

A mix of strong, conflicting emotions went over Akane's face. After a hesitation, she said, "If it's to Ranma…." She couldn't finish the sentence.

Nodoka, the only other adult there besides Mr. Tendo, sat down at one end of the table, near her child. "I think it would be best if you went on your date with Akane as soon as possible, Ranma." Just in case they both do lose.

"Ranma?" she noticed the change in what her mom was calling her. "We have school today. A full day, not like Saturday. ...But maybe after school." Then she sighed. "Who knows what's gonna happen. The Headmaster maybe keeps the whole school in detention. Or Kodachi finds out that he's her dad and makes us do the tournament and it goes on way longer than PE. Or-"

"Or you treat every free time you have together like a date," Nodoka advised.

"Lunch time!" Nabiki chimed in. "I can make the arrangements to make it perfectly romantic!"

"No thanks. I'm sure I can't afford it," Ranma said.

"Easy payments: No money required!" She then looked over at Ranma's mom and brazenly said, "Ranma already owes me another photo session."

"Photo session?"

"Have you seen my photos of Ranma dressed as a French maid?"

Nodoka's eyes snapped to her son. Her face was nearly as red as her hair. It was true! Her son had posed for provocative photos of the kind seen in soft-porn gravure magazines! (Hopefully only soft-core!) Suddenly her blood chilled. What if her child had their sexual awakening while doing something like that?! "Promise you'll have your dates as a man, not a woman."

"That's what I want, Mom." But her volume lowered with, "It's not always my choice. Cold water can be hard to avoid. Then I'm stuck as a girl til I find some hot water."

Nodoka was relieved to see her sincerity. And it made her feel guilty. Had she already forgotten last night? "I'll understand," she vowed. It wouldn't be easy, but it was her duty as a mother. "Did you take your medicine?" Her blood was only less chilled by the question.

Just Ranma's reaction told her she hadn't. "I didn't want to," she muttered.

Nodoka didn't want her to take it, either. But they both knew that Ranma had to finish maturing and become a fully sexual being. Of whatever kind he, or she, was destined to be. "I will put it in your bookbag,and you will take it before your luncheon date with Akane."

"Yes, Mom," she said with the barest of a promise.

"I'm holding you to it." Nodoka remembered that the medicine wouldn't put Ranma to sleep, but only make her a little more susceptible to suggestions than she normally was. The doctor assured her that while awake Ranma's subconscious would still be on her guard. But being more susceptible also meant she was more susceptible to being sexually interested.

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Nabiki was the first to leave for school.

Akane came down the stairs with the collar and leash. "Ryoga!" she called. "Ryoga! You haven't gotten lost again, have you?!"

"Ranma, don't you - bwee! BweEE!"

"Thank you, Ranma," Akane said as the redhead came down the hall with the little, black pig in her hands. Ranma held it out as she put the collar and leash on it.

"Kasumi, will you-"

"Burin-chan's goin' to school with us!" Ranma announced, smiling.

"We can't have an animal in class! ...Can we?"

"We can find out. Who's really gonna stop us? In a school full of martial artists the teachers aren't martial artists. The only one who may try is the headmaster. And havin' a pig in school might be a crazy enough idea for him to let it go." Ranma snorted. "He might even make it a rule everybody has to bring a pet." (The pig protested at being called a "pet".)

Akane thought Ranma may be right. Then she brightened with, "This is how Ryoga can stay in school and get an education!"

"Yeah. That, too." But Ranma had her own reasons for wanting Burin-chan with her.

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Along the way, Ranma struggled to think of a way to turn this free time with Akane into a "date". But as long as she was a girl, she didn't think it really could count as one.

As they were approaching the clinic, Akane said, "I think we have enough time to say hello to Dr. Tofu," She looked at her wrist and remembered she didn't wear one. Nobody she knew wore watches. Like everybody walking and police never being seen, it was one of the strange quirks of Nerima. Maybe that was the reason they usually seemed to have enough time.

"I ain't in the mood to see pop," Ranma practically snarled.

"Oh, that's right! He works for the doctor!"

"Hah! Not today. Remember? Kasumi said he called her this morning."

"But if he talks to Kasumi…. Oh!" she realized. "How dislocated is his joints, I wonder."

"Not enough," Ranma said without sympathy. "He promised to keep pop a ball of panda fur until mom maybe cools down. It's either that or seppuku." She managed something close to a laugh. "I wonder if we can get Kuno to lend mom a sword."

"Well, I still need the doctor to test me for…"

"Akane! Ranma! Burin-chan!" came the cry from the other side of the clinic. It was Makoto and Shikako. They were school friends of Akane third and fourth only to Sayuri and Yuka. (Or was that Asama and Hiroko?) The two hurried to them. "You missed school yesterday!"

"Rumor has it you went to Kunos's mansion!" Shikako said. She was the taller and thinner of them. She was the first to pet the pig Akane was holding.

"Something happened there. I smelled it," Makoto said. Unlike her boy-cut friend, she had very long bangs that practically hid her eyes. She, too, petted the pig. (Burin-chan smiled.)

"You only smelled it?" Ranma remembered Makoto had a very keen sense of smell. It was out of self-defense, though. Her brother was the President of the Chemistry and Explosives Club.

"You didn't hear it?." Akane remembered how much yelling she had done. It wasn't something she liked her friends hearing her do. Though it did come out at times.

"Megumi and her gang made Makoto go there after school," Shikako said.

"They didn't expect the gate to be open. While they were deciding to go in or not, I escaped," Makoto said.

"It's too late to save them, now," Ranma said.

"Honestly! With all the traps we sprung, there must not be many left!" Akane said. She wasn't proud of it.

"If they didn't, they'll show up in class. Come on. Let's get goin'."

On the remaining walk, the two got as much of the details of what happened inside Kunos's as Ranma and Akane were willing to tell them. There was much they weren't willing to tell.

But it was enough to almost satisfy Makoto and Shikako, and then Sayuri and Yuka, and others that overheard them and, joining the walk, had them repeat some of the details. It confirmed some of the rumors about what it was like behind the imposing fortress walls. But not the wildest! The rumors and stories soon took center stage with everybody having something to say about the Kuno property. And then the Kunos themselves.

Ranma felt slighted. Still having her period didn't help her mood. Shouldn't they all be talking about what she (and Akane) had done!? They had faced unknown dangers and won! (Okay, it was more like a draw. But they had survived!) She had even felt like being a heroine for them!

What could she do to show off?!

They turned the corner and came to the short street before the school gate. And there stood Megumi, Ayane and Yasushi. They were smarter than Ranma had given them credit for.

Makoto came close to Ranma, seeking her protection. And where she went, her friend Sakiko went.

They were too close! If Ranma were to fight the three, these two civilians could get hurt.

"Don't believe those stories!" Megumi told those who were still talking. "The Kuno Mansion isn't as bad as everybody thinks!"

"It's worse!" Ayane added the dramatic touch.

"We made it worse," Yasushi said.

"Liars!" Akane accused. "Everybody knows they can't trust what you say!" She began to rally the growing crowd against what Megumi and her two were selling. She seemed to have leadership ability. At least among the girls.

"Let's avoid this fight," Makoto said, pulling on Ranma's blouse sleeve.

"But I'm a martial artist!" Fighting was what she did!

"We don't hold that against you," Shikako said.

"You fight to protect people, right.?!"

"Right! You don't fight just because you like to fight, right?"

"But…." These two didn't understand that getting into fights was how a martial artist improved her skills; the more dangerous, the better because that gave her a better chance of surviving other fights! ...No, that wouldn't make sense to a civilian.

"You're not like that horde of hentais that attack Akane!"

"Or us Saturday!" Shikako added. There was gratitude in her voice. Ranma's goal had been finding girls who couldn't fight their own battles.

"No. I ain't…." Ranma found herself switching into female Japanese, "I'm not like those perverts. Okay. I'll walk you to class." But she still wished for something to give her an excuse to show off!

"It's not just the boys," Makoto said as she glared at Megumi (and maybe Akane).

As she passed Akane Ranma tried to get her attention. She wanted to let her know (without everybody hearing it) she hadn't forgotten they were supposed to date. But Akane was too focused on her argument with Megumi and winning over the crowd. And, if it came to that, winning in a physical battle (again) with the stronger girl. It was now Akane who forgot about Ranma.

Again, if she showed off, she would get attention!

But she couldn't with Makoto and Shikako by her side. She had made a promise to her friends.

Friends. They were friends. Wasn't that what she wanted? Here were two that wanted to be her friend. But was it just because they wanted her to be there to protect them?

"Who's your favorite boy-band?" Shikako asked.

"What? Uh, I don't have one. I don't know noth-anything about music, really."

"We'll teach you! Shikako thinks the American bands are the best!" Makoto sneered.

"You just don't understand English, Makoto," Shikako shot back.

"I get better grades in English than you do!"

"Book English!"

"Don't fight," a slightly confused Ranma asked.

"We're not fighting!" Makoto laughed. And she put her arm around the shoulder of the taller Shikako.

Shikako put her arm on Ranma. But then said, "Hold it! Other way around!" She pulled Makoto next to Ranma. She then stood on the other side of her friend. "There! Makoto is more your size, Ranma."

"Hurry! Class is about to start. I think. I can't see the tower clock from this angle!"

"Don't ask me. I don't have a watch."

"I don't have one, either," Ranma said.

"Let's hurry anyway!" And the two girls giggled as they ran into the building, still hands-on-shoulders, Ranma in their tow. They giggled all the louder when they decided to go sideways through the door rather than let go of the others.

And Ranma allowed herself to join in. She had so much wanted friends she had been - was - willing to stay a girl in school. When a girl, be like a girl!