Himeko walked into her aunt's house. "Tadaima!" She called, unzipping her boots and stepping into her house slippers after a moment massaging her feet. She picked the ramen back up, bringing it into the kitchen with her, placing it and the bag with the cookbooks Nodoka had loaned to Kasumi onto the kitchen table.

"Hello Auntie. I am done with my tasks." She said, smiling at Nodoka who was kneading dough to make some kind of bread. Nodoka had been trying some new recipes recently. Apparently while traditional cuisine was nice, she was rather enjoying something new.

"Ah, welcome home, Himeko-chan, how did it go?"

Himeko sat in the chair nearby and shrugged. "It went alright, Auntie. But… I failed."

"Oh? How so?"

"Kasumi recognised me."

"I see. She does know you are here, though. But she is also very perceptive, given she seems to exist in a state similar to our Path. How about your other meetings?"

"No one recognised me. Even Akane-san." She smiled. "She is very friendly when she doesn't know you well, or I suppose if your name isn't 'Ranma'. Though she did seem to suspect. She even threw tea on me; I was rather put out with her for that."

"My, that's hardly polite."

"Mm. Uncle Genma was there. He seemed rather upset that I would be reporting to you that he was."

Nodoka's smile turned just a bit nasty. "Did he now?"

"Yes, Auntie. I then left and met several of Ranma's friends. None recognised me, though all found it rather amusing he has a cousin." Himeko pondered a moment. "Kuonji Ukyou was a little suspicious but seemed to believe me. I am concerned, however, about how easily the Neko Hanten staff were accepting my word."

Nodoka didn't seem surprised by it as Himeko finished. "And finally Shiratori Azusa recognised me."

Nodoka laughed softly. "The skating girl?"

"Yes, Auntie."

Nodoka smiled at Himeko. "And what have you learned?"

Himeko shrugged. "Nothing I can tell you now, but I will during our bath."

Somewhat later, after dinner, Ranko stepped into the furoba, letting her disguise drop with a sigh. It was becoming second nature to have it up, but it was still a relief when she could put it away. At the same time she wriggled around a moment and proudly undid her bra and slipped through the straps, sliding it out of her arm with another sigh of relief. As nice and validating as it was to have the support, there wasn't any feeling quite as nice as taking the bra off at the end of the day. She'd figured the trick to removing it without taking her top off recently and it still made her giggle to do.

She removed the rest of her clothes and sat on the stool, washing herself down and then her hair, tying it into a bun atop her head.

Once she was clean, she stepped into the furo itself and sighed again in pleasure as she sank up to her chin. Nodoka joined her a few minutes later after also cleaning herself down and she smiled at her daughter.

"So, Ranko, what have you learned today?"

"The old ghoul didn't seem to recognise me, and she did only a cursory scan of my ki. It was weird, like she just… took me at my word, saw what she expected. Shampoo got a little sus, but she deferred to her great-grandmother. I got more suspicion from 'Kane."

Nodoka nodded along.

"Kasumi figurin' me out wasn't somethin' that unexpected, though it still surprised me. But she's normally so… so… oblivious."

Nodoka tittered. "Really now, Daughter, I'd have thought you'd realise nothing passes by that young woman's eyes without careful scrutiny. She's the closest thing to a practitioner of our Path that you'd find outside of it."

"Well, either way it spooked me right up. Nabs didn't help. And then Ucchan… Well, she was alright. You gonna tell me what that test run was about? Whole thing had 'object lesson' written all over it, Mom."

Nodoka laughed at her daughter. "Of course it did, dear. Such things always do. It was to teach you that you cannot rest on your preconceptions. Elder Cologne, I am told, is a formidable woman, clever, sneaky and very dangerous according to your tale. However, she only saw what she expected to see and looked no further. I'm quite certain that if she had bothered to look further she might have at least a hint you were not quite what you were presenting yourself as, though your veil is certainly robust, but what didn't she do?"

"She didn't bother looking further than the surface." Ranko mused and then laughed. "Oh, very good, Ma. Her 'surface' is usually so much deeper than most that she relies on it, but our Path goes just that li'l bit deeper."

"Yes, dear. Kasumi-chan is observational and would have put it together even if Nabiki-chan hadn't pointed out she knew you. Akane was suspicious and rightfully so – a red-haired girl purporting to be your own cousin after you disappear? However she was fooled fully when you did not change back, and likely, because you acted with polite coldness to her soaking you rather than rash anger."

Ranko nodded. "It was kinda funny actually." She snickered. "Shoulda seen her face when I did a sorta-Nabs impression."

Nodoka tittered. "Your friend Ukyou and her waitress, again, were right to be suspicious, but allayed with your story of Akane soaking you they took you at face. The Elder we've spoken of. The other girl?"

Ranko nodded. "I hope she doesn't tell everyone she met me."

"From what you have said I doubt people will believe her. But she is an excellent lesson – don't judge a ditz by her ditziness. She's clearly more perceptive than she lets on, even if she doesn't know what to do with it. Fools often know more than you would think."

Ranko leaned back. "No offense, Ma, but it seems an awful complicated way of teachin' that lesson."

Nodoka giggled. "Yes, dear. Well, sometimes practical experience trumps me simply telling you this. Do you feel ready for school now?"

Ranko pondered a moment and then nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I think so."

"Good, I have a Fuurinkan High uniform for you and already have special permission for you to wear your practice sash. The pro of living in Nerima I suppose. You will start on Monday."

Ranko nodded and smiled. "I'm actually lookin' forward to it. School without the usual madness happenin' to me."

Nodoka tittered at her daughter and then looked fondly at the redhead. "I do look forwards to the day when this isn't needed."

"Me too, Mom."

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Himeko finished her last cup of tea at about the same time that she finished speaking and sat back in her chair, nodding. "And so I began at that wonderful house of lunacy."

Ryouga snorted. "Fuurinkan always was a nuthouse."

"Yes. Well, at least this time I was on the periphery of it all." Himeko tittered. "It was strange, looking in at the madness that had held me for so long."

Ryouga shook his head as Himeko looked thoughtful. "Well, you survived at least? Was it eventful?"

Himeko giggled. "Oh my, it was indeed. I ran into Kunou Tatewaki at the end of that first day. But fortunately I am somewhat better spoken and from a higher background than Ranko-chan."

Ryouga groaned. "Oh, no. He didn't get obsessed with you did he?"

"Quite the opposite."

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Himeko walked along the way to Fuurinkan High, noting the familiar landmarks the closer she got to the school. Students watched her, an unfamiliar figure in their uniform, as she made her way in and she smiled shyly at a couple of them as she walked, but otherwise kept her distance.

Stopping at the front gates, she eyed Kunou Tatewaki as he stood waiting for Akane. He was in his kendogi but surely he had finished school by now? Nabiki wasn't attending anymore, certainly.

Shaking her head, she moved past his apparent vigil for someone, walking into the school and then the classroom, waiting by the teacher's desk politely, hands clasped in front of her.

She'd made sure to press her uniform so it was pristine, as well as apply subtle makeup and her best earrings. Her hair was down – held back by an alice band in a blue colour, and she'd somewhat painstakingly painted her nails in that same blue. Her bag was clutched in her hands as they were clasped in her front.

In essence, she looked every bit the demure, polite young girl, waiting on her teacher to introduce her and nervous about her new class.

Of course, that was when Akane walked in and stopped on seeing her.

"Oh! Nayotake-san, hello."

"Good morning, Tendou-san." Himeko bowed politely. Akane made something of a complicated facial expression, and Himeko smiled to disarm the stiffness of her greeting. "It is good to see you."

"Likewise. Are you joining our class?"

"I will be, yes, until the end of the year. I was rather hoping to catch my cousin but no such luck. It's like he's up and vanished."

Akane made a noncommittal noise but started working on something from her bag while they waited for the class to filter in.

Hinako-sensei walked into the room in her child form and stared at Himeko a moment before yelling out at the class. "New girl! We have a new student here! Okiedokie, could you introduce yourself?"

Himeko bowed to the class with a shy smile. "I am Nayotake Himeko." She said, writing her name on the board in dainty, careful writing. "Please take care of me. I hope to be friends with you all. My hobbies are shopping and fashion, as well as some martial arts. Although I have seen far more impressive artistry than my own since I came to the area." She tittered gently.

"Sit next to Tamaki-kun, Nayotake-kun." Hinako said to her and Himeko bowed to the child-sized teacher, then walked to the indicated seat. She looked at the empty seat next to Akane and sighed internally. It felt weird not to be there.

Sayuri smiled at her as she sat down. "Hello again, Nayotake-san."

"Hello, Tamaki-san." Himeko said with a return smile. She set down all of her things that she'd need and peered at the board. Sayuri looked at her a moment.

"Are you okay, Nayotake-san?" She asked. "Can you see?"

Himeko went red a moment. "N-not well it appears. I need new glasses – my most recent pair was damaged and are still being replaced. This is an old prescription and I can barely read it. Would you provide me the board notes to copy sometime today it that's possible?"

Sayuri smiled at her. "Certainly, Nayotake-san."

"Thank you."

Annoyingly she could barely read the board, even with the tiny magnification of the lenses and she resolved to talk to Nodoka about it. Actually, she could go to the opticians later after school perhaps, and expedite some. Nodoka had given her access to some money for such things.

Hinako looked over to them and then started yelling the English lesson for the day.

Himeko settled into writing down what she heard. At least she could do that for now.

Several lessons came and went until the lunch bell rang and her desk was surrounded. Himeko smiled shyly around at the people investigating the newcomer.

"H-hello." She said, and it seemed like that opened the floodgates for the usual chatter. She replied back as best she could, blushing at some of the direct questions from the boys and making sure to give a haughty glare to the really perverted ones (unfortunately including Daisuke).

Eventually it came onto the topic of Ranma.

"Oh? He's supposed to be in this class?" She asked. "Please tell me this, as I don't know whether to believe it or not – several people have told me he has a curse that turns him into a girl. Is that true?"

One of the other girls – Reiko, she remembered, spoke up, nodding. "Oh yes, Nayotake-san. It was very strange around here to see it at first but we all kinda got used to it."

Himeko blinked and shrugged. "Well, I am sure I can ask my cousin directly when he reappears." She said, standing up. "Please excuse me, I'd like to find somewhere to eat my lunch." She gave a polite bow and walked quickly out of the classroom, hearing murmurs about the bombshell she'd dropped on the way out and smiling inwardly.

Her bentou was disappointingly ordinary-sized, though she'd found she needed to eat less as Himeko since she was purposely using far, far less ki than usual. She was still hungry though, even after.

Sitting on the bench under her favourite tree, she watched the comings and goings of the students, pondering her experience so far with school. Figuring she had most people fooled, she'd relaxed somewhat, remembering the lesson Nodoka had imparted to Ranko.

People saw what they expected; even with her being Ranma's 'cousin'.

Standing up and brushing her skirts down, she made her way to the classroom. The muttering inside stopped as she entered and primly sat at her desk, making sure to conspicuously check her makeup in the compact from her bag and touching up where she could. Granted it wasn't strictly allowed, but the teachers tended to let it lie if it was subtle.

Not that Himeko had any intention of turning up in tanned skin and light makeup, with blonde hair.

Huh. Maybe she could try generating a 'gal' as another one of her selves.

Shaking her head to herself, she opened her notebook and made a show of being every bit the studious girl. After all, she needed more to separate her from her old self.

That and she was pretty sure Nodoka would start cutting bits off her if she slacked off in school anymore.

She also felt like she should be better than she was, as boring as it was to listen for Ranko. Himeko certainly had more patience.

Silken Breeze indeed!

Walking out of school after the final bell, she heard her name and turned around to see Akane walking after her.

"Nayotake-san!" The short-haired girl called, followed by Sayuri and Yuka.

"Hello, Tendou-san." She smiled. "Tamaki-san, Nakano-san."

Sayuri and Yuka smiled back at her and Akane nodded. "We were going to go and get some hot chocolate at the ice cream shop on the way home. And… would you mind if I came over to see Auntie Nodoka sometime? I haven't spoken to her in a while and I wanted to."

Himeko pondered a moment and then checked in her purse for money. "I believe I have enough, Tendou-san. Certainly. As to visiting my Auntie, I can but ask for one night this week and see what her response is."

Akane smiled at her. "Oh, I'll pay, Nayotake-san. I owe you an apology for that tea the other day."

Himeko nodded. "If you insist." She said, and the four of them began walking along the road from the school.

Kunou Tatewaki blocked their path suddenly, and both Yuka and Sayuri let out noises of irritation. Himeko stayed next to them, politely regarding the kendoist. Akane growled.

"Senpai, get out of my way. You aren't in school anymore – stop harassing me." Himeko was impressed. Akane seemed to genuinely be trying to control her temper. Not that Kunou deserved it, but still…

He started spouting off his usual dialogue ripped straight out of old literature until he noticed Himeko standing there demurely.

"Hark, who is this flower of beauty?" He asked. "Her curls doth flare like burnished copper! So much like my pigtailed goddess, and yet so different. So demure and dainty! What, pray tell, is your name, fair maiden?"

Himeko flushed and then bowed formally. "I am…"

"Ah, but is it not polite to give one's name first? I am Kunou Tatewaki, age nineteen, the Blue Thunder of Fuurinkan High." He looked annoyed when no thunder sounded. Himeko laughed internally, too late in the year for that.

Himeko bowed again. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance." She said, laying on the aristocratic accenting with a trowel. "I am Nayotake Himeko, Kunou-san." She made sure to speak as an equal to him. He took a step back at the implied equality and looked at her more closely.

"Ah, thou art the lady my sister met but the other day. Verily, it would be… Unwise… to pursue you without formal introduction."

Himeko nodded. "Regretfully so, Kunou san, however, please do pass my regards onto your sister. She was a rather pleasant young lady to talk to."

"I shall, Nayotake-san." Tatewaki bowed to her and walked off without even looking at Akane, his face troubled.

Akane looked at Himeko in disgust. "At least he decided to not pursue you. He's incorrigible."

Himeko smiled gently at Akane. "I simply made it clear through my actions and bearing that it would be costly to his family for him to try to woo me. Not just in terms of expense but in standing. My family is of rather high standing, you see. Higher than his, at any rate."

Akane sighed. "I suppose we can't all be posh rich girls."

"Indeed." Himeko said imperiously, before breaking into giggles. Akane laughed along after a moment and the four of them moved along.

Eventually they reached the ice cream shop and entered, glad for the warmth. It was starting to really cool down as it got through the last of autumn, and all four of the girls were happy to order the largest hot chocolate drinks they could, finding a space to sit down.

"So, Nayotake-san… Why did you transfer so late in your school life?" Yuka asked once they'd sat down.

Himeko smiled at her. "I came to train under my auntie Nodoka. She's a master on her path and I was past the point I'd hit where I could study my Art alone. She's quite the taskmistress."

"I can imagine." Akane said with a shudder. "Auntie Saotome always struck me as someone who could really kick anyone's behind but chose not to."

"An apt description, I think." Himeko tittered. "However she's also very ladylike, as is our art – the Path of the Silken Breeze. It has similarities to ninjutsu, but is mainly focused around a short sword and pendulum blade, along with a ki-enhanced sash."

Akane and her friends nodded along and then looked at Himeko's sash. "Oh, so that's your weapon?"

Himeko nodded back. "Indeed, though I won't draw it here. I keep the sword and blade hidden away. Wouldn't do to scare my classmates."

Talk after that rather devolved into small things and Himeko eventually bid the two a good evening, stopping by the opticians and ordering glasses once they found she was slightly shortsighted.

She sighed. It made sense, given Genma's need for glasses, but she'd rather hoped not to need them. Still, she could order contact lenses too for the times she needed to fight or learn to enhance their durability with ki.

On the way home, she was stopped by an imperious voice.

"Ho there, Nayotake-san!"

She turned to spy Kunou Kodachi making her way across in her St. Hebereke's uniform. Himeko smiled politely.

"Kunou-san, good evening." She bowed. "It is nice to meet you again."

Kodachi actually smiled at her, and Himeko had a moment of internal shock. "Yourself as well, Nayotake-san." She said, bowing in return. "I was wondering if you would spare me some of your no-doubt important time. I feel an unbiased, uninterested party's opinion may assist my quandary."

Himeko kept her polite smile fixed on her face but wracked her brains trying to figure out the gymnast's angle. "Well, I have some time before I must return to my auntie, Kunou-san. Perhaps you may discuss over a cup of tea?"

Kodachi nodded enthusiastically and motioned for Himeko to follow.

They found themselves sitting in a small café, Himeko with a black tea and milk that she was putting several sugar cubes in, Kodachi with a hot chocolate.

They'd made small talk and 'gotten to know each other' a little better, and Himeko was fascinated to see Kodachi outside of the obsessive, cheating gymnast she'd always been to Ranko. Perhaps it was that she saw Himeko as an equal?

Taking a sip of her now perfectly-sweetened tea, Himeko nodded and then spoke up.

"So what is it you require of me, Kunou-san?"

Kodachi waved her off. "Please, darling, call me Kodachi. All of my admittedly small group of friends do."

"Very well, if you will call me Himeko, Kodachi-san." Himeko nodded politely. "Tell me what is on your mind and I will try to help."

Kodachi's hands squeezed around her mug. "I… find myself at a crossroads of sorts. Loves lie in two directions and hate in one, but while I may take the hate with one of the loves, I cannot with the other."

Sipping her tea, Himeko nodded. "You have two people you love, and one you hate. I see. And are these related?"

"In a manner of speaking."

And Himeko heard Kodachi's side of her pursuit of Ranma and her attacks on the 'Red-haired Harridan'. She listened politely and then nodded. "I see. And the second love?"

Kodachi blushed. When she isn't being crazy, Himeko noted, it's very pretty. "I have a… rival. The lily to my rose."

"How appropriate that your lady love should be a lily." Himeko tittered and Kodachi looked mildly affronted a moment before bursting into giggles herself. Again, outside of her insane, grating laugh she has a lovely giggle.

"Oh you are wicked, Hime-chan." Her use of the informal name was an obvious gamble, and one Himeko smiled and responded properly to.

"Only when you leave me ammunition, Koda-chan." She replied, taking a sip of her tea and smirking. Kodachi giggled again.

"Verily, verily, I am beat. Thy tongue is sharper than mine."

Himeko and Kodachi's giggles filled the café again a moment before they composed themselves. "Well, you mentioned your 'Ranma-sama', I believe?"

"Yes." Kodachi's sigh was that of longing. "You should see him. Though my love has waned as the love for my Lily has waxed, he still looms large in my heart."

Himeko smiled gently and reached a hand out, placing it over Kodachi's and making a gamble of her own.

"Koda-chan I do have a confession." She said softly, "Both your 'red-haired harridan' and your 'Ranma-sama' are known to me." She nodded.

Kodachi stiffened. "You dare pursue my Ranma-sama?! I'll… Why are you laughing?"

Indeed, Himeko was laughing and giggling again. Dabbing at her eyes after she finished, she shook her head. "Ranma and Ranko are my cousins, Koda-chan. You are welcome to them."

Kodachi blushed and looked down. "My… My apologies." She said. Himeko squeezed her hand once and let go.

"You are forgiven."

Kodachi's head came up. "You said… 'Ranko' is your cousin too?"

"Indeed." Himeko sipped her tea. "So please do refrain from referring to her as a 'red-haired harridan', lest you come close to describing me." She tittered.

Kodachi flushed again. "My apologies. I see it clearly now – she disapproves of me, so she fights me for her brother. Twins, I assume."

Himeko nodded. "Yes. According to my auntie and uncle, very close."

Kodachi dropped her head onto the table with a thunk, groaning. "I feel like an idiot for not seeing it."

Himeko patted her head. "Love is blind, Koda-chan." She said, not quite believe the conversation she was having. "I will say I haven't yet met my cousins, not since we were very, very small."

Kodachi nodded. "So you are still somewhat unbiased."

"Mostly, I think." Himeko smiled. "Tell me of your Lily."

Kodachi blushed and started talking of her rival. Himeko's smile grew, though she was also blushing at some of the events Kodachi was describing she'd never known about.

"So the time that we fought then, we had an accidental kiss." Kodachi finished the last tale. "And… I cannot stop thinking about it. It was so good."

Himeko nodded. "Well, as someone who is somewhat less picky in her choice of partner, if I was ever to partner, I can offer a good voice on this."

Kodachi blinked. "You are…? But of course you are." She smiled. "It is so nice to meet another person who cares not for someone's skin, but their self."

Himeko nodded and finished her tea, sitting back. "Well, as nice as it would be to see you regularly as his girlfriend, Koda-chan, the fact is that my cousin appears to have disappeared from the face of the Earth."

Kodachi drooped slightly. "Yes, I am aware. No one has seen him for a long time now. Even my ability to spy and find has spotted nothing. He and his sister might as well have vanished into the aether."

Himeko smiled and nodded. "Indeed. Still, I am sure they will turn up somewhere, sometime. Even so…" She looked to Kodachi. "I think you someone deserving of love, Koda-chan. And… we are teenage girls are we not?"

Kodachi nodded and looked curious.

"As such," Himeko said, "Perhaps, while my cousin is away, test out a relationship with your Lily. See how that goes, how it feels differently?"

Kodachi pondered a moment. "…Perhaps you are right, Hime-chan. I have been somewhat blinkered, like a horse with blinders. Unable to see the fields for the road ahead of me."

"Indeed!" Himeko beamed. "And perhaps you will find fulfilment in it greater than you would with my cousin. Perhaps not, but is that not the remit of a teenage girl? To try love out?"

Kodachi took Himeko's hands and squeezed them tightly, a bright smile on her face that lit it up quite differently to her usual deranged one. "Hime-chan, I knew asking you would be a good idea!" She said excitedly. "Verily, I shall pursue my Lily, and ask her to date! There will be explosions! And gymnast fights!"

"That… does not sound like a date to-"

"Pish, darling, that's simply how we express our love afore we kiss! And then there will be the lunches!" Kodachi said, a little of her insanity creeping in. Himeko smiled.

"To each their own." She said, squeezing Kodachi's hands back. "I wish you luck, Koda-chan."

Kodachi continued smiling as Himeko excused herself with a promise that they keep in touch, along with exchanging phone numbers.

Himeko shook her head as she left, looking at the card in her hands before putting it away in a small wallet.

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A/N: Woof it's been a while, but my muse was being resistant. That and I started some Worm plotbunnies and plotted other stuff out and took something of a break.

Out of this, a friendship between Himeko and Kodachi was also rather unexpected!

As always, comments fill my needy little heart!