7. REJECTION ….

Life went on, in its uneven, peculiar way.

Things weren't bad overall… but the youngest daughter appeared distracted.

And also more attentive, more… alert. At least when everybody was gathered, generally at meal times.

On those occasions, Ranma felt the weight of her gaze on her, and indeed often caught the dark eyes observing her… not to say spying on her. It wasn't non-stop either… but still regularly.

There was no animosity in that observation, it was almost neutral… yet very focused.

The red-haired woman knew why she was the target of such attention. It was related to a certain hand laid on a certain arm. And if the owner of that arm was also looked at more or less regularly by the female martial artist of the family, it was definitely the Saotome daughter who got the "lion's share" of Akane's focus.

It didn't really bother the boy-turned-girl, or not that much at least, yet it certainly spread some unease in the atmosphere of the dinner, and while people around the table weren't exactly silent… well, they were still less talkative than before. They sensed something wasn't quite right, but were unable to find the source of the trouble, the reason of that elusive change in the air.

Ryoga sometimes also caught Akane's gaze on him, but since her eyes were more often directed at the object of his affection, he more frequently saw his former crush intently look at his current crush. Never a trace of anger or resentment in those looks, but rather… what was it exactly ?... Curiosity ? … No, not really… Perhaps… perhaps as if Akane was wondering what Ranma had in mind, what she was thinking about, what she was planning to do next… as if her advertent gaze wanted to bore straight through that red-covered head and access the most intimate thoughts that were hidden in there…

Yes, kind of … as if the black-haired woman was trying to find, to uncover something… a secret fact that she suspected… or maybe to catch Ranma gazing at Ryoga - or the other way round - in a very particular way… (and actually, that's what the blue-eyed woman herself had ended up suspecting : that her female friend was trying to catch her "red-handed" while she was wrapping a certain cook in a nice, if not tender gaze).

But anyway, as a whole, Akane behaved just as usual, even with the secretly infatuated pair. She didn't appear cold, distant, distrustful, no, not at all. She smiled at everyone, really everyone, and spoke in her trademark tone, showing a generally positive disposition, except if something didn't work… or worked out bad, in which case upset or disappointment showed the tip of their nose. But globally, she seemed the same young woman she had always been.

There only was that peculiar scrutiny…

/

Dinner was over.

Nabiki smirked as she discreetly gave a look around, then put her hand to her back pocket to retrieve something and…

"Look what we've received this morning !" she announced, as she brandished a set of small folded documents.

"What is it ?" asked a curious Akane.

The bob cut girl put them on the table, picked one, lifted and unfolded it, so that all could see the red inside.

"These are four tickets for a 3-days stay at the Franniku Mountain Lodge (1), a new hostel that just opened in the heights of Mount Takao. Two were won by me and two by Kasumi, in that recent contest we took part in, remember ?"

The three Tendo daughters indeed had participated to a "touristic contest" whose prizes consisted in tickets for various holiday stays in different attractive locations.

"We received them by mail this morning, one letter for Nabiki and one for me" Kasumi took over the rest of the explanation. "There was only Dad at home, at this time, so we thought it would be better to announce it when everyone was present, this evening."

"Which means that four of us will have the opportunity to go there…" Genma mused aloud.

"We could buy tickets for the others and go all together…" proposed Soun.

But the second daughter shook her head.

"I had already thought about this, and called the Lodge, to determine their price ranges. It's very expensive ! We would blow our monthly budget if we bought three more tickets !"

"So… who wants to go ?" asked Kasumi as she took a look around, just like her sister a moment before.

"Hum…My dear Genma, I suggest we let the ladies have a nice time together in the mountains. Courtesy is a most precious gift and I think that they all have been working hard, be it in martial art training or in house caretaking, that they deserve a welcome break. What do you think, my friend ?"

"I agree with you" confirmed a nodding Genma. "Ladies first !" Although he would have liked three nice days in the mountains…

Soun turned to Ryoga.

"And you will keep us company, right ?"

"Yes, with pleasure !" immediately replied the second cook of the house. "I'm glad ladies get to enjoy a welcome break."

As he said this, he looked at each of the four women in turn, ending with a certain red-haired one on which his eyes lingered for a bit, and who smiled at him for his kindness.

"And actually; I will have a free weekend soon, in ten days actually. That will allow me to get some rest as well."

"Well that's funny, because our stay at the Mountain Lodge will take place on the same weekend…" remarked Kasumi with a nice smile. "Too bad we don't have a fifth ticket for you : you could have come with us four…"

That's when a symbolic light bulb appeared in one of the female heads.

"Hey, now that you mention it… I think I'll give my ticket to Ryoga, so he can go. He has been working hard and needs a well-deserved break. And I'm sure he'll love the setting, up there…"

All eyes were now on the smallest woman of the party.

"Thank you, dear Ranma, that's very generous of you… but I prefer you to go, really. You deserve it more than I do !" reacted the target of such a beneficent gesture.

"No way ! You've been toiling and toiling for so many weeks now, so you deserve me more than I do !" she countered.

"Really, Ranma – "

"Okay, look !" Akane briskly interrupted them. "What we'll do is that we'll all contribute to the purchase of a fifth ticket. That way, you'll both be able to come… together…"

She pronounced the last word on a different tone, one that seemed to imply something, that had like a kind of… underlying message.

Eyes shifted to her, wondering about that final change of tone.

But nobody said anything.

"Alright… thanks for the proposal…" reacted the smallest female, feeling somewhat uneasy… as it was the first time, after all, that Akane publicly suggested something hinting to her suspicion about Ranma and Ryoga's relationship. Something that, if well understood by others, would also raise their suspicion.

Ryoga gave a quick glance to the redhead, her nervousness and his in perfect unison.

"Y-Yeah… thanks for your generosity, Akane…" he added, a forced smile showing up on his lips.

"You're welcome. The more, the merrier, after all…" she replied on a joyous tone that appeared sincere, but that didn't fool a certain pair of people.

/

"Come on, Ranma !"

"No, no and no !"

"Please, just once ! It's been a long time !"

"I don't want to do it !"

"Only this time ! Please !"

"Akane, I…"

The two were arguing in the black-haired's room, with the Saotome female lying on the bed and looking at the ceiling, a stubborn pout on her features, while the Tendo female was standing in front of her, gesturing animatedly at her interlocutor.

"I don't feel like turning back into a boy. At all. I'm fine being a girl..." She paused, remembering a recent and brand new misadventure of hers, then corrected herself : "…well, a woman, now. And I've come to associate my male side to all the mischief I've been doing a few years ago, when I sent disparaging comments your way on a regular basis, when I was temperamental and got angry over little things, when I fought with everybody almost every day or every two days… I also did it as a girl, right, but that was because my female side was influenced, and badly influenced, by my male side. I hurt people many times, as a guy, and mostly you, Akane. And that's why I don't get your will to see male Ranma again ! Hasn't he been mean enough to you in the past ?!"

Her vis-à-vis remained silent for a short time, eyes on her hands, not failing to notice that Ranma was speaking of herself – well, of her male counterpart - in the third person singular, as if it was another, distinct person, and not an actual part of her.

Then she slowly looked up.

"Ranma, I know that you've been… hum… unpleasant to me in the past, regularly calling me ' not cute' and saying things hinting to my lack of femininity… but all in all, you were right, I lacked femininity and wasn't… well, as cute as you, if you want."

She smirked at that, and the "new woman" couldn't help chuckling.

"But I've forgiven you, Ranma, as I've already told you. I've forgiven you both as female and as male, and anyway, even as a boy, you've become a really nice person, so… I'd be happy to see your male self again, honestly ! Once in a while isn't that much, right ? It will be just for those three days at the Lodge, and you can change back into a woman as soon as we arrive here."

"Akane, I… mmmpf… I… jeez, I don't know ! Three days… it's not that long, but still…! I'd like to do it for you, but…"

"Yes, please, do it for me ! It'll go just fine, trust me ! Even as a boy… uh, a man, I mean !"

Ranma sniggered at that, while her friend let out a stifled laugh.

"You can be reaaaally insistent, you know that…?" the smaller woman told the bigger one… but with a tiny smile which silently proclaimed "no hard feelings !"

"I know…" Akane replied with a smirk. "So… is that a yes ?"

The red-haired beauty sighed.

"Ok, you win."

/

"You're having trouble focusing, I can tell…"

The two "R" were sitting crisscross applesauce on the roof, eyes closed… well, closed for him, because she had reopened them for the third time, this time with a deep sigh. And he was now observing her quietly, waiting for her answer.

"I'm sure you can. No big deal noticing a restless mind, eh ? Sorry for ruining the meditation session, Ryoga…"

He gently put his hand in her back, and she enjoyed the touch.

"It's ok, my dear Ranma. We all have our bad moments. It's about Akane's glances at you at meal times, right ?"

"You picked that up, eh ?"

"Well, I'm probably not the only one who has noticed, but I figure that nobody asked anything to either Akane or you. Although Nabiki might ask her : she can be pretty nosy, as we know… Anyway, I'm sad that it troubles you, and hope that she will cease that soon."

Ranma bit her lip.

"It's not so much her staring that bothers me, it's what she asked me to do : she says she's been missing my male self, whom she indeed hasn't seen for weeks and weeks now, and kinda begged me to spend those three days at… uh… Franniku Lodge, is it…? …well, spend them as a man rather than a woman. She ensured me that everything would be just fine, since I've become a much better person – female or male – and that I'm no longer that unbearable "brat" I was a few years ago. And, well… she was almost pleading, you know, so… I gave in and accepted. But I feel bad about it, Ryoga."

His hand left her back, which slightly disappointed her. Longer would have been better.

She left him a moment to ponder that, to let all this sink in and understand what it implied.

"I'm really sorry for you, Ranma. Sincerely." She hoped he would put his hand on her shouler, this time, yet he didn't. He waited a bit before continuing : "So…that means… that you'll be a man again during three days, eh ?" He got lost in thought. "I've become so fond of your female form that it'll be… weird to have you around as a man. I wouldn't say that I'm against it, or sad, or upset… but can't say that I'm very pleased either, sorry."

She could see the frown that had just formed on his forehead.

He's upset of course… and gosh, do I hate seeing him upset ! Perhaps I should tell Akane that, after all…

But he continued :

"It'll be ok. Only three days, right ? No big deal. Neither of us are happy about this, but… I'm mostly annoyed for you, especially now that you told me how bad you felt about having to return to your original body."

"Yeah… I know… Thanks a lot, dear Ryoga. But it'll quickly go by…" A brief pause. "Oh, by the way : thanks for being fond of me. I'm fond of you as well, to be honest."

During almost a minute, the gentle breeze was the only one "talking" up on that roof, as the small woman and the bigger man got lost in each other's gaze again.

I'll miss those beautiful blue eyes very soon…, he thought.

Her soft lips parted to allow her voice to express a crucial feeling… and…

"Ranma ! Ranma ! Where are you, son… uh, daughter ?"

Genma.

Both sighed, equally hating to be once again abruptly interrupted, and always when it became interesting…

/

The day came, at last.

While Ryoga had switched from his former clothes to a green and blue ensemble reminiscent of Ranma's one the tournament day, the gender-changer had put back on her signature red Chinese outfit, the one that she used most of the time as a boy, since "she" was very soon to turn back into a "he"…

And our heroine felt even worse than she had been 10 days ago.

Part of her didn't want her to stick to her word… but the other part was well aware that she couldn't renege. Or that, if she technically could, the consequences would be pretty bad, with Akane most likely pouting and giving him a cold shoulder for quite some time. And given that both had been in very good terms for a long while now, reverting to the old resentment would be source of much disappointment, sadness and suffering… for both.

Which Ranma naturally refused… but which then forced her to get imprisoned into that bigger and rougher body she now despised.

Her blue eyes were observing cautiously that bucket of hot water, there, in the bathtub.

But while she used to be eager to pour it over her head, and thus revert to her then-preferred male form, she now didn't feel attracted to hot water at all, and would even run away from it. And anyway, when was the last time she had been in contact with hot water ? Months, perhaps…?

"Ranma ! We're ready to go ! We must hurry, or we'll miss the bus to the Lodge !"

Akane.

"Just a minute !" the cursed woman screamed.

She turned back, looked down and frowned at the steaming liquid, willing nothing more than to kick that bucket and turn tail.

But she had "promised"… or what passed as promised anyway… so…

Three days… I can make it…

Kneeling down in front of the bathtub, she grabbed the bucket's edge with both hands and swallowed her saliva.

I'm sorry, Ryoga…

And, closing her eyes, the displeased female reluctantly did what she had willingly and happily done for years now…

/

Akane was pleased to see that black hair again.

Sure, she got along very well with the red-haired one, but… yes, she had missed him, after all. And this even if he had been much more disrespectful – if not insulting – and aggressive as a boy than as a girl.

He had changed, and because of this, she also had. Maturity was slowly making its way inside those once unruly and often-quarelling teenagers, and it helped her truly appreciate each other.

So yes, she was happy to have him back for a while.

On the other hand, and although he didn't show much – which was also indicative of his maturity and self-control, both of which had developed thanks to the wise old man - , Ryoga wasn't happy about the gender change.

Sure, that boy he hadn't seen at all since his return, countless weeks ago, could be his friend, they could get along just fine, since all rivalry was definitely buried…

…but…

…it just wasn't the same.

During the whole trip, Ranma hardly said a thing, vaguely mumbling something back from time to time, when Ryoga and Akane alternately asked him a question and tried to cheer him up.

At one point though, after one of his rare replies to Akane, and after she hung her out of disappointment at his attitude, Ranma looked over at Ryoga and, catching him staring back, he smiled… and for the first time since he had transformed back, he appeared somewhat pleased about something.

And that smile also did carry some gratitude too, because the pigtailed one was well aware of the reason why his closest friend had been observing him intensely.

He cares for me and suffers for me, even when I'm a boy… What an admirable man you have become, Ryoga…

/

"Waow ! What a building !" exclaimed Nabiki when they arrived in front of the huge wooden chalet-type construction and could admire all the refined details, up to the coloured carved patterns displayed in three long strips and running all around the facade.

"It's so beautiful !" confirmed Katsumi, hands clasped before her chest.

"I'm sure it will be as lovely inside as it is outside, don't you think, Ranma ?" Akane asked the only pouting person of the group.

But curiously enough, his face had "cleared up" and showed unexpected traces of content… at (long) last.

"It's true that it's a pretty cool place ! And it looks kinda cosy too !" He turned around to take in the surroundings. "And the view is quite amazing !"

He smiled, and it was a frank, authentic smile. Finally he showed a bit of pleasure…

All hoped it would last.

And it did last…

… until he saw something in his room.

When the two boys entered the room they would be sharing, they checked all around and marvelled at what they saw, opening the windows to check the view, and Ranma still appeared to be in a better mood, impressed by the place they'd be staying for that long weekend.

"Damn, Ryoga, we're lucky to get to spend some time in this awesome lodge ! And I'm sure they've got nice facilities in here : bath, massage, perhaps even sport equipment somewhere – I've heard that luxury hotel offer that kind of services. Can you believe that ?"

"I can, and yes, it's gonna be amazing, I'm sure." confirmed his closest friend, grinning as he saw the pigtailed man smile again. He was happy about Ranma's happiness, because after all, he had a thing for him… even if his beloved was currently in his male form.

"Ok let's put our stuff away !" he said in a dynamic tone which pleased Ryoga.

Maybe Ranma will end up enjoying this stay and be content after all…

The blue-eyed boy grabbed his backpack, walked to the wardrobe, opened it…

…and gasped !

His left hand opened and the backpack fell.

"Ranma ?"

Ryoga, who was sitting on his bed, could see his fellow martial artist standing in front of the wardrobe, but not what he was looking at.

In fact, curiously enough, it seemed that his dear friend was only looking at the open door of the furniture item.

Was there some image or poster pinned to the inside ?

"Ranma ? What's wrong ?!" The tone of the questions indicated growing concern.

No reply.

The smiling guy from before was gone, and in his place was a shocked guy who stared in horror at something, his head moving imperceptibly as he slowly looked up and down at… what, exactly ?

Ryoga moved to the left, to try and catch a glimpse of whatever was shaking him up…

… but just then, Ranma let out a fierce growl, slammed the wardrobe door and hurried out of the room, mumbling angrily through gritted teeth !

It all took place in less than five seconds !

The former rival ran for the door, but then skewed to the left and almost threw the wardrobe door open.

He goggled.

Sealed on the inside of the door was… a long, tall mirror.

/

"Excuse me, did you see a boy clad in red run away from the hotel ?"

The former Wanderer was looking at an employee pruning an ornamental tree opposite the entrance of the Lodge.

"Yes, he bolted out one or two minutes before, and turned right into the forest, over there", and he pointed at the trees located at the back right of the establishment.

"Right, thanks !"

Ryoga hurried in the direction shown to him, and a minute later, he found the fugitive resting on a bench, in a kind of small glade. The pigtailed man was hunched forward, arms dangling between his legs.

Carefully sitting by his side, he reached for him, about to put his hand on the restless boy's shoulder… but, sensing that the reaction might be violent, he decided to avoid that gesture, and instead put his hand on the bench, between them.

"Hey, Ranma… will you be okay ? How do you feel ?"

"Bad."

"Hum… what… what happened back there, tell me ?"

His interlocutor slowly turned his head and gave him a tired look.

"Do you really wanna know ?"

The other nodded.

"There was a tall mirror in that wardrobe. So I saw my full body in it. And I got angry at that sight. I got… almost revolted, you know. That male body… I hate it. Honestly. It represents my worst part : I've done so many bad things as a boy, have lacked respect to or even insulted so many people, have been aggressive and attacked people so many times, have destroyed so many things and places, have been insensitive, heartless, careless countless times… And that ridiculous, exaggerated pride I feel about my strength, not admitting any defeat and gloating each time I crushed an adversary. I've hurt others' feelings more than I can say, in this male form. I despise myself for that… despise that body." His look focused on Ryoga. "I notably hurt you a great many times with those hands and legs, another good reason to hate them and scorn them."

This time, Ryoga didn't hesitate : his hand slowly landed on his dearest friend's shoulder.

"You are like you are, Ranma. You may have done bad things as a boy, but that's… all behind now, you know. You shouldn't hate yourself, despise your body. You've done great things too while you were a man, not just negative ones. Don't blame yourself, okay ?"

He gently squeezed the sad one's shoulder.

"Thanks, Ryoga. I appreciate your comforting me. It really helps… but I'm not ready to accept my male self just yet. I might come to my senses one day, but for now… I wish I could change back into a girl, right now !"

"I'm sure, and trust me, I would love you to. I miss Ranma-chan… if you allow me that nickname for your female form. I miss her and am longing to see her." He sighed. " But… you've promised Akane you'd spend that three-days stay as a man, so… you ought to stick to your word."

A deep sigh opposite.

"Yeah… I'm aware of that… gosh, I miss my female body….!"

And I miss being with you as a girl, Ryoga.

And I miss your female body just as much, Ranma.

/

Sometime later, after checking the surroundings of the Lodge – consisting notably of a lush forest at the back, a tennis court a short distance below, a large patio scattered with tables, a panoraic viewpoint on the left – they went to the dining room of the establishment, where they had a delicious lunch.

The three sisters and the brown-eyed man were pleased, on this occasion, to see Ranma eat with appetite, after realizing that the courses were scrumptious… and this although he had initially claimed that he wasn't very hungry. The quality of the food had managed to take his mind off his worries for a while, which was kinda unexpected… but more than welcome.

After lunch, they decided to go for a walk in the forest, and it proved a nice afternoon stroll.

The two boys walked together at the back, with Ryoga regularly checking on Ranma, hoping that his gloom wouldn't resurface.

The most noticeable moment of their little tour was the discovery, in the heart of the forest, of a small waterfall. The path continued to the right of the waterfall, but so close from it that the walkers could put their hands under the falling water and then splash their hot faces in summer, to cool down a bit.

But as they continued on the path, passing by the waterfall…

…Ranma suddenly came to a halt and looked at the small cascade.

His stare got lost in the water…

…the cold water…

…that enabled so many things, including….

His arm lifted by itself, hand touching the cold liquid.

A few splashes followed, but none of them reached the young man's head.

"Ranma ?"

Ryoga's voice showed concern.

No answer.

The pigtailed boy was hypnotized…

…and had barely conscience that he was leaning forward, his head always closer to the cold water.

That water will… make m-

"Hey Ranma !"

Ryoga pulled him away from the waterfall, a shocked look on his face.

"You… you were about to –"

"Ranma, what were you doing ? I saw you lean towards the water…"

Looking behind her as they passed by the waterfall, Akane had indeed noticed one of the boys stopping, then lifting his arm, and the other boy walking back to him.

And then… she had seen Ranma lean forward, as if he was willing to put his head right under the falling water !

"I… uh… nothing…" the centre of all the attention somewhat sheepishly replied.

"You were trying to… turn back into a girl ?!" asked a clear-sighted Akane. "Ranma, you promised me you would spend those three days as a boy ! I asked you to, because I missed your male self, and you agreed ! So please… don't transform back and keep your promise. It's only for the weekend !"

He nodded… but visibly reluctantly.

"You will do it, right ?" she insisted.

"Yeah…" he huffed.

Her dark look remained set on his blue one for a few more seconds, then she turned away.

As they resumed their walk, Ryoga heard him mutter something under his breath. He couldn't make it out, but should he have been able to, that's what he would have got :

"I was so close…"

The problem was far from solved, and who knows what the next two days "had in store"…

/

They came back to the Lodge in the late afternoon and, after admiring the view from the panoramic viewpoint – Kasumi was particularly enchanted by the breathtaking landscape that spread in all directions under their eyes -, they all decided to get back into their rooms, take a shower, get some rest, chichat a bit maybe… while waiting for dinner time.

As the boys arrived to their room and opened the door, the three young women were watching Ranma, whose shoulders were slumped. Rarely had they seen him in such a bad condition and mood.

In fact, he almost looked… depressed.

Or maybe he was just tired… and also upset to have to remain a boy, after such a long time as a girl ?

"You can use the shower first. I'll rest for some." proposed Ryoga.

"Nah, you can go first. I'm not in a hurry, really… all the more since I'm supposed to use only hot water, which I haven't in a long time, this morning excepted. I've been so used to cold showers that it'll feel strange to have a hot shower again… like in the old days... but I won't like it as I did before… so yeah, go first."

"I know you dearly want to be a woman again, and I'd be happy if you did, but… if Akane finds out… she'll be extremely disappointed !"

Genma's son smirked in a conniving way.

"She might not find out. If I transform back and stay in here with you, she couldn't know. As a precaution, we'd lock the door. That way, I could spend some time in my female form, and not feel so bad with that terrible male body. Say what ?"

Ryoga sighed.

"As much as it's tempting; and as much as I'd love seeing your female self, it wouldn't be a good idea. I wish you'd feel better, trust me… but not if that involves breaking a promise, deceiving a close friend. I would feel bad if that was the case, and not enjoy your womanly presence as much as I could. Sorry, Ranma."

The blue-eyed boy walked to his bed, collapsed on it and turned to face the wooden wall.

The sadness in Ryoga's eyes was almost heartbreaking. He was disappointed… but most of all by Ranma's unhappiness.

Some time later, as the gender-challenged man was finishing in the shower, rinsing away the thin white layer covering his body, he took his head out of the cascade of hot drops and kept it outside, then his eyes fell on the heat-controlling switch.

He stared at it…

…and, as in a dream, he saw his left hand move over to it…

... pull the switch to the right…

… and cold drops flooded almost all of him, head excepted.

That's what I've been missing ! That beloved coldness ! It's what I need to discard that awful male body who has brought me so much bad things and worries, and which prevents me from living my love life to its fullest. I wanna leave that man's skin and be a woman again… return to my true identity. And be with Ryoga.

Then his head moved forward, like it did back at waterfall, and the refreshing drops hit his chin… his mouth… his nose… always higher and higher….

And it's at that exact moment that memory chose to remind him of Ryoga's words : "I would feel bad if that was the case, and not enjoy your womanly presence as much as I could".

This implied that his dear dear friend would be disappointed if he transformed back… and he wanted anything but Ryoga's disappointment or sadness… or suffering.

Slamming his fist against the ceramic tiles, he turned off the water, regretting that the upper half of his head hadn't been drenched in the coldness, and that his hair hadn't turned from black to red (with all remaining body transformations, of course), and he left the shower with gritted teeth.

I can't get rid of that bloody masculine side of me ! Dammit ! Three days… three frigging days stuck in that rough body… Hell !

/

Because he didn't want to spoil that short holiday break, the cursed young man made an effort to appear, if (clearly) not pleased, at least more sociable, without any complaints of sorts. But his spirits did get lifted to some extent by the delicious food again, and even more by his friends' globally good mood – even if Akane couldn't help casting him some preoccupied looks, once in a while, wondering if he really felt better or was just pulling the wool over their eyes.

The night didn't prove too good, as he had difficulty falling asleep, and after waking up in the wee hours, couldn't get back to sleep, tossing and turning in his bed as he listened to Ryoga's surprisingly light snore (for a man).

I wish I could share his peacefulness… and his arms… JEEZ ! What am I saying ?! A man being in a man's arms ?! ….But it's true that I do love him. Even if I'm male right now, and that it's my female part who has a serious crush on him, I still feel a great tenderness for him… yes, even in my current condition. He's much better than a good friend, he's a wonderful man who has stolen my heart away.

It felt strange for him to think this as a boy, yet his feelings didn't just change when his body did.

The next day started better, with the three girls playing tennis in the morning, while the 2 boys chose to engage in one of their favourite activities : martial art training. And the forest proved a perfect place for this… yet they stayed away from the waterfall which almost had Ranma break his promise !

Problems resurfaced when they were in the thermal area of the establishment, in the afternoon.

The "forced male" immediately felt bad once he got naked, and always worse as he proceeded to the washing area. (2)

How much more beautiful and elegant is my female body ! This one looks terrible in comparison ! Man, how long are those three days…

He put his stuff near the faucets, grabbed a bucket and watched it slowly get filled, then put it down, dipped his hands and gently stirred the cold water, enjoying the sensation.

Then he splashed his body, save the head, and filled the bucket again.

This time, he rubbed all of his neck and face, relishing the cool liquid caress.

Now, only his hair hadn't been in contact with cold water, and if it did…

But he remembered it just wasn't conceivable.

I can't do that while in the men's part, but I really really long for my curvy body…

He hung his head, gritted his teeth until his jaw almost started to hurt, closed his eyes… and punched the wooden wall before him.

Hearing the hit, Ryoga turned around and saw his upset friend remove his fist from the wall, a deep, exasperated sigh following.

"Ranma ? What's the matter ?"

"You know full well what it is by now…"

"Yeah, sorry… You're frustrated to have that cold water available yet being unable to use it to… revert to a woman. I understand what you feel, because I felt the same when I was a piglet and had no hot water around to morph back to a human. It was extremely humiliating and annoying, and I know you feel similar in this moment... I empathize, Ranma. I sincerely do. And I miss that lovely red-haired girl…"

The eyes of the pigtailed man significantly increased in size.

"You find her… lovely ?" he asked, realizing only afterwards that he had spoken of himself in the third person.

Ryoga's gaze set on the wooden floor as his face's colour subtly changed.

"She is beautiful, but not only physically : also inwardly. Her kind, caring nature is beautiful as well, and... yeah, I miss her… I miss Ranma-chan, if you allow me that nickname…"

Funnily enough, the bandana boy had also used the third person, instead of "you". Same wavelength…

Ranma's face finally found another expression than pout, anger or upset, as it lit up with a lately all-too-rare smile.

"I'm lucky to have you, Ryoga…"

"Same here…" replied an equally smiling black-haired man.

"And you're lovely as well, both outwardly and inwardly too !"

"Thanks, Ranma… but what about continuing this discussion tomorrow evening, once we're back home and that you… uh…"

"…that I'm red-haired again, yes. I get it. It will feel more natural then, because right now, saying all this between two boys, it's … a tad weird. But also very good, in a way. Anyway, thanks for caring for me and my mood."

"Don't mention it…" Ryoga replied, a smile on his lips, pink still slightly visible on his cheeks. "Now how about we get into that bath at last, eh ?"

/

The evening unravelled in a more relaxed atmosphere, espacially because the centre of all the attention had his mood boosted by the sweetness of the one he secretly loved.

"Well it's nice to see you eat with appetite again, Ranma !" declared the ever-gentle Kasumi as she nicely smiled at him.

"Yes, you're finally better, after being a little bit of a killjoy, to be honest… if you excuse my frankness." teased the ever-sarcastic Nabiki, who still felt happy for him.

"Nabiki ! Come on !" scolded the ever-helping Akane, always ready to come to the rescue of her after-all-still fiancé.

"Eh, it's ok, really. My spirits are higher this evening, true, so there's not much that can annoy me now… not even Nabiki !"

He chuckled at the latter, who smirked in return.

The next morning, Ranma was still feeling ok, but was now getting more tense at the prospect of returning home… and finally pouring cold water over ALL of his body !

I'll finally get rid of that big clumsy body, rough around the edges, and enjoy my small, slender, curvaceous female self again ! I can't wait to return to the real me !

It was clear in his mind that he now considered himself woman, no longer man, and that he rejected his masculinity… although the latter was his primary identity, and that he had struggled for so long to get rid of his womanhood… before finally – and quite unexpectedly – ending up considering his deep, authentic identity as womanly, after all.

Ranma's eagerness at travelling back home expressed itself in his proposal of an earlier return to their house, like early afternoon (with a polite yet firm refusal from the three ladies, who all wanted to make the most of their final day at the Lodge and leave only in the late afternoon), and then at his complaining about the forced wait until the evening.

"What makes you so aching to get back home, mmmh ? Still upset about being a boy and impatient to reverse to a girl again, are you ?" Nabiki asked on a slightly ironic tone.

He didn't utter a single word, even after the second daughter said that she took his silence as a 'yes'.

Akane thought about asking something, but felt somewhat embarrassed and eventually didn't, merely looking with a tinge of sadness at the ticked off man whom she so badly hoped would be happy.

It had been a long weekend for all, and that day would appear even longer… especially to Ranma.

/

The heir of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts walked ahead of the group, with Ryoga close behind, and almost rushed to the door, after walking past the main gate of the Tendo home. And no less hurriedly did he get rid of his backpack and his clothes, before half-running to the bathroom, turning the cold water faucet and…

"Aaaaaaaaaaaah…" the redhead exhaled as she started relishing in her long-postponed cold shower. She also took pleasure in admiring her graceful hands, and even her breasts… therefore, everything that expressed her womanhood.

Finally ! FINALLY !

As a result, that evening, the "renewed Ranma" impressively contrasted with the Ranma that had left home two days earlier : with the change of gender came a remarkable change of mood, the red-haired one talking more during dinner than she had for the past three days altogether, and even laughing on at least three occasions, thus offering a totally different "face" than her male counterpart recently.

After dinner came meditation, and Ryoga was on cloud 9 to be alone on the roof with his sweet redhead. And she was no less ecstatic to find herself in privacy with her beloved brown-eyed darling, smiling continuously as she inwardly focused on her inner, spiritual strength.

When the session ended, she felt really tired, drained… but very happy nonetheless !

"Ryoga… I wanted to have a discussion with you, but… I feel pretty weary. It has been three trying days for sure, and I think my gloom has taken its toll on me, somehow. So, if that's okay with you, we'll leave it for another time." She searched her memory. "I once asked you when your birthday was, and if I recall correctly, you replied that it was… mmmmh… I can't remember the date, but it was in the last week of August, right ?"

A nod.

"It's next Saturday, Ranma."

"Alright. So, would like to have that important discussion with me on that key date ? I want to do it on a special day, a special occasion. Are you okay with that ?"

"Sure, no problem. Thanks for meditating with me and… well, I'm very sorry you had to go through difficult times lately, but also very happy to see you back as a woman ! I missed you, Ranma-chan…"

"I missed you too, sweet Ryoga." She got up and yawned. "Oh, and before going to bed… I wanna offer you something, to thank you for your support during those three days…"

Leaning forward, she got her face closer to his… and laid a kiss on his cheek.

Yet that kiss lasted many seconds…

…that almost seemed like minutes to Ryoga.

When she finally left his cheek and rose, she put her hand over his shoulder, gently squeezed and said in a warm voice : "Goodnight, my dear… sweet dreams to you…"

And as she very slowly moved away, her hand patted him from his left shoulder to the right one, as it gradually slipped across the upper part of his back, right below the neck. It was a slow, sexy movement, a tender caress that sent chills up his spine.

Then her hand delicately left his right shoulder and she started walking away.

But, getting to his feet, he quickly caught her hand and held it in mid-air, staring intensely into her eyes.

"Ranma, I… I… I must tell you… that I… *gulp* …I l-"

The "o" was forming when she gently laid her right forefinger over his lips.

"Ssshhhhh… I know… but don't say it just yet… save it for next Saturday, please… I know, and… so do I, Ryoga."

The blue and the brown remained locked for a long time, her finger still over his mouth…

…then, said finger gently lowered…

…and at the last moment, turned to the other side and brushed his lips, before her hand came back to her side.

She winked at him and smiled wide… and he felt his mouth also bend upward, as upward as it could.

And this time, when she resumed walking away, he didn't stop her.

He was too baffled for that… too astonished at his incredible luck.

Because yes, that often jinxed boy at long last got lucky… and to what extent…!

/

Author's Notes :

Mountain Lodge of Franniku : the cunning foxes you are may have noticed

that this name is an anagram of Furinkan, Ranma's school. Mount Takao, where it is located, is a real mountain located next to Tokyo.

Washing area : I don't know what it's called exactly, but it's that place where

people rub their back with towels, pour water over their heads from low wooden "buckets" and so on, right before entering the bath (or after exiting it)

Over 8'000 words ? Ouch ! More Russian than ever, eh ? ^^' I kind of went overboard, eh eh ! Apologies, readers… Sometimes, it just gets compulsive somehow…

Well, I'm rarely ever displeased with a chapter, but this time, I am. It seemed to me the plot was being dragged on and on in this chappy, excessively long. I'm well aware this could/should have been better, but I still did work on it before publishing it : after all, it initially was almost 8'000 words long. Being objective about one's flaws/shortcomings remains a quality, for want of a more qualitative achievement.

I want to thank all those of you who read, follow, favourite this story, and most of those who comment : the time you "grant" to this story rewards me for the time I spend crafting it, and I hope that, all in all, it's still worth reading.

Last, I'll reply to a comment made on the 19th about the dialogues sounding not natural enough (for those of you who are not interested, you can skip this part… but I thought some might be interested, hence my replying here instead of via PM). So here it is : it may be the first time someone is disconcerted by my dialogues, which are often elaborate in my stories… because I'm older than most writers on here, and also because one of my main goals when writing is expressing the inner life of characters, their feelings, emotions and thoughts, all delicate notions that require more mature, refined words and expressions than if I wrote, say, an action, comedy or adventure story. The way I write reflects the intimacy and subtlety of persons' most intimate "parts", and thus I cannot use the same language, the same register as the one used in the Ranma manga or the anime. And there's another reason why I cannot change now the register of my dialogues : after writing seven chapters in a certain way, in a given (more formal) style, wouldn't it seem weird if I suddenly opted for the opposite kind of language, and continued in a colloquial, familiar, if not slangy range of words and expressions ? Most definitely, and several/many readers would be unsettled, as if I suddenly broke a pattern right in the middle of it and went on with something antipodal… Most unwelcome. So, dear F : you DO indeed have a VALID point there, about this register being different than that of the manga/anime, granted, and it may well appear "not natural enough", granted bis, yet for the two reasons detailed above (one of content, one of form/style), I won't be able to go in your direction, despite the pertinence of it. I hope you're not too disappointed, and it's up to you to read on or not. No hard feelings on my part, hopefully none on yours either.

Ok, time to give these hands rest. Once again, all my gratitude for any support provided, an invaluable gift that I treasure !

Take care, B happy & catch you soon !

= Léo =