Clothes Make The...

Chapter Five:

A fan fiction based on Takahashi Rumiko's Manga series, Ranma 1/2

Saotome Ranma, Saotome Genma, Saotome Nodoka, Tendo Akane, Tendo Soun,
Tendo Kasumi, Tendo Nabiki, Kuonji Ukyou, Hibiki Ryouga, P-chan, Shampoo,
Mousse, Kunou Tatewaki, Kunou Kodachi, Tofu Ono Sensei, and Hinako
Ninomiya Sensei are copyright 1987, 1997 by Takahashi Rumiko. 

Publishing rights:

Japan:		Sogakukan Inc. Tokyo
Hong Kong:	Jademan (Holdings) Ltd.
North America:	Viz Inc.

By Nicholas Leifker and Ichinohei Hitomi

	It was over.  It was all over. 
	Ranma knelt proudly in the courtyard, white robe of honour about
his strong, muscular frame.  His father was right beside him, eyes welling
with tears at their dark fate.  The Tendos gathered around them, sad yet
strangely silent, as though frozen in time.  He looked up at the sun, then
down at the gleaming blade in his hands. 
	The time had come for them to die. 
	Nodoka spoke behind them, her voice dark with anger.  "Are you two
ready to restore your family's honour?" 
	"Hai."  Ranma spoke emotionlessly; even the slightest allowance
for such things would produce a truly unmasculine scene.  He picked up the
tanto, and held it to his stomach.  Genma, beyond words, did the same. 
	"I declare that we, the members of the clan Saotome, have not
followed through on our desired promise, that I be raised to be a 'man
among men'.  As such, there is only one recourse left to us.  May our
blood wash away the crimes we have committed."  With that, he plunged the
blade into his stomach. 
	The pain he felt as he worked the blade around, assuring the
damage far beyond the repair of science, was strangely less than he
expected.  It felt...cool, almost comforting in a way, as the cuts went
deeper into his flesh and into his soul.  He closed his eyes as the gentle
swish of the katana was heard, then involuntarily winced as the sound came
again, closer this time... 
	Ranma opened her eyes. 
	Her mother stood there, slowly wiping away the blood from her
katana.  The Tendos still seemed statues to her, but this time they looked
happy, joyous.  Nearby, a panda was contentedly playing away with a spare
tire. 
	Nodoka walked over and grabbed Ranma's hand, to help the young
woman to her feet.  Ranma stood, then noticed her clothes had changed,
into a black silk blouse and checkered skirt. 
	"I...I'm alive..." She experimentally felt her stomach, the place
she had so maligned earlier.  It felt like there was something missing...
but she couldn't quite place what.  For some reason, things felt
more...wholesome, more alive to her.  She looked over at her mother, a
quizzical expression on her face. 
	Nodoka smiled, and hugged her child close.  "You are not a 'man
among men', Ranma, nor will you ever be, now.  Come.  It is time to make
you a 'woman among women'." 
	Ranma danced into the house behind her mother, a strange feeling
of happiness filling her.  For the first time in her life, she was a
goddess, a woman of divine beauty capable of stunning the most jaded of
beings.  Her thoughts drifted to the joys to come, lessons of cooking, of
domestic work and flower arranging, of fashion and clothes shopping... 
	The morning light hit Ranma's face, arousing her from her slumber. 
She woke up slowly, not really wanting to leave behind the dream she had
the night before, a dream where she was given the life she wanted to know
so badly.  It was so unfair!  Her dreams were the only place where she
could truly be herself, and actually know what it was like to be a woman,
rather than some sex-changing hentai. It would be nice if she was able to
go to school as a girl, and to be one around her mother without seeing her
expression of distaste.  Ranma started to turn over onto her back when she
noticed her current gender...and her clothing. 
	Hoping beyond reason that her dreams were true, she opened her
eyes slowly, and noticed that she was in Kasumi's room, right where she
went to sleep the night before. The sheer nightgown Kasumi had lent her
was still on her body, and showed her figure off quite well.  Even though
her elder sister had said the gown was hers to keep, Ranma didn't feel
right about that, and was DEFINITELY going to help her get her man.
Giggling a bit at the strange turn her thoughts had been taking of late,
Ranma sighed happily, got up, and went to the toiletry in order to wash
up.  Akane was there when she arrived, also busy washing. 
	"Ohayo, Akane-chan!"  Ranma said cheerily, "How are you this
morning?" 
	For a moment, Akane turned, slightly angry that Ranma would walk
in on her like this.  She then saw what the red-headed girl was wearing
and calmed down, remembering the day before and what Ranma now remembered
about her life.  "Ohayo, Ranma.  I'm doing pretty good so far.  How about
you?" 
	Ranma grabbed her toothbrush.  "Fairly well.  I was able to sleep
quietly for the first time in a long time."  She giggled, "I think I'd
better hurry, though, since I overslept a bit.  Father will want to
practice, and I don't think I should disappoint him." 
	Akane smiled at that.  Despite the change in attitude that Ranma
had displayed, one thing certainly seemed constant, and that was the fact
that she enjoyed the martial arts.  "Well, I don't think it will hurt you
to miss one day of practice." 
	Ranma's eyes opened wide, "Are you serious, Akane?  Of course it
will hurt!" 
	Akane looked over at Ranma for a second as she was about to start
brushing.  "What do you mean?" 
	Ranma turned and looked at Akane like it was the most obvious
thing in the world.  Seeing that the dark-haired girl didn't know what she
was talking about, she rolled her eyes and said, "If I don't get in the
exercise, do you know how fat I'll get?  I've got to watch my weight if
I'm going to keep being the school's cheer leader, not to mention that I
still want to look good in the leotard.  The rematch with St.  Hebrereke's
is coming up in a couple of weeks, and I am NOT going to look like a blimp
with that...Kodachi there." 
	To say Akane was a little bit flabbergasted at those words would
have been something of an understatement.  However, having gotten somewhat
used to the surprising things that Ranma had been saying lately, she
didn't facefault, but closed her eyes.  It took very little imagination to
see a huge sweatdrop slowly dropping down the back of her head... 

***

	Ranma rushed downstairs soon afterwards, wearing one of the
Chinese martial arts outfits that she usually wore.  There was a slight
difference in how she wore it today, however.   For once, the young woman
wore it with the blouse tucked in, and it was also obvious from how 
tightly it was pulled that she was wearing a bra.  Going out to the back
yard, she started to warm up a bit, slowing down her kata just enough so
that she was doing it with a smoother line and grace.  Her face, which was
usually so serious when practicing any form of the arts, was showing a
bright and cheery smile as she went through each of the steps. 
	Soon, Genma appeared and went through his morning warm up,
observing as he did the new grace that had gone into his son's form. 
While not as powerfully done as his son's usual form, there was an
undeniable power to the movements.  There was more, however, to the way it
was performed, and it gave Genma pause to consider what was happening,
and if it was actually good for his child. 
	When he had been bringing up Ranma, he had concentrated on making
him as masculine as possible and removing every possible female influence
from his life.  His first move had been to remove him from his mother's
influence, and then to make sure that there was little, if any, contact
with any females if at all possible.  This had been one of the reasons
that he had made sure that Ukyou remained behind.  Taking a little girl
along on a trip like he had planned, especially one who would make sure
that his son was pampered in the extreme, would not be a good idea. 
	While Genma did enjoy food, and the girl was an excellent cook, if
Ranma had grown used to having a large amount of food all the time, his
body would burn energy very inefficiently.  The best martial artists
needed very little to eat because their bodies were always burning
whatever was taken in at a ratio of two to one instead of twelve to one. 
Furthermore, the food energy in rice, which was mostly sugar, was extremely
high for a person who could metabolize it right, and the only way to do
that was on a near starvation diet, something he himself did not have the
advantage of early enough in life. 
	But was it really the right decision in the long run? 
	His son had gained in knowledge of the martial arts, and was
extremely macho and manly, but there were a lot of things that he could
have done better, things that Nodoka would have developed better had she
been there. One of the things that Genma was unable to do was give the boy
proper emotional and social support, his own experience being stunted due
to the amount of time he had spent with his own master, Happousai.  If
Ranma had learned a few social graces, and had also learned that women
were more than the extreme stereotypes that were in books and texts, then
perhaps the engagement and planned marriage between Akane and Ranma could
have gone a lot better. 
	But now, the possibility loomed over him that he had lost the son
that he had worked so hard to create, the son that he had put so much of
his hopes, efforts, and dreams into.  The young woman who was practicing
an intricate kata of the Musabetsu Kakutou Ryu was happy, something that 
his son ceased to be a long time ago.  As his daughter, Ranma was now 
more content, more in harmony with her environment, and simply radiated 
happiness and peace.  His son, on the other hand, had had such feelings 
burned from him long ago, all in the name of martial arts.  He doubted 
that there had ever been this feeling in his child since before training 
him in the Cat Fist technique. 
	Sighing, Genma stood upright, "Are you ready, Ranma-chan?" 
	Giggling slightly as she went over to the opposite side of the
pond, Ranma shouted, "Ready whenever you are father.  I plan on putting
you into the pond again." 
	Genma grinned.  "You can try, little one, but I don't plan on being
a panda for breakfast." 
	Laughing a bit, Ranma began the attack. 

***

	Nodoka smiled gently as she watched her daughter having fun.  It
was a far cry from the serious, dour, and confused boy that she had come
to know in the past two months.  Seeing how much her child was enjoying
herself, she couldn't help but wonder if it would be wiser to just let her
remain as she was.  Ranma's happiness was foremost in her mind, and she
didn't want to see that happiness disappear with a return to her old self. 
Ranma carried around so much confusion and frustration in his life before
the accident, especially concerning the mess surrounding his fiancees. 
	Ranma loved Akane, that was well known, but he didn't like to hurt
anyone's feelings, which is partially what led to the wedding fiasco.  If
her child was happier as a young woman, then so be it.  According to what
both of her child's legitimate fiancees had told her, Ranma had decided
that she was a lesbian.  This being the case, no ties of honour were
broken between people, and both children still loved and supported Ranma. 
	Frowning, Nodoka thought about everything that had been attempted
to prove how manly Ranma was.  While it was true that Ranma had exhibited
an uncommonly huge amount of masculine pride, what had impressed her about
Ranma was the amount of honour the child had.  He was kind, compassionate,
willing to be hurt physically and emotionally before others would be, and 
always placed others' happiness before his own.  In truth, it was these 
qualities that made a person a good citizen and a member of the community 
that were of more importance to her than any 'masculine' facade put on 
for the benefit of others. 
	Nodoka came to a decision that was silent, and yet profound.  Her
child, her daughter, would be as happy as she could possibly make her, and
she would also give Ranma some of the childhood that she had missed in the
travels with her father.  *I am going to have to do a lot for Ranma.  The
poor dear didn't realize that she was acting like a seventeen year old and
a twelve year old at the same time.  While I find it nice that she wants
such feminine fashions, it is also time that she learn to be a young woman,
and that means I have to do some shopping today.*
	Nodoka smiled once more as she observed Ranma flip over and dunk
her husband into the fish pond. 

***

	Ranma was ready for anything as she and Akane headed for school. 
Breakfast had gone very well, and her mother was more than willing to help
her dress for school and do her make-up.  It was surprising the amount of
information her mother had imparted to her in less than a half hour,
including some hints at appropriate responses to men asking her out.  *I
guess Mom is really happy, and I'm glad about that, but I wonder what it
means now.  Is she willing to accept me as a woman?  Kasumi asked me if I
was a girl or a boy last night.  I feel like a woman; at least, I think I
feel like one.  But how can I be sure?*
	She looked over to Akane, who had been walking beside her, a
little lost in thought.  The look on her face told her that she was still
hurting, still in shock over 'losing' her fiancee in this manner.  In a
way, Ranma wished she could tell Akane, or at least try to explain the
reasons, but she couldn't do that.  Everyone save Kasumi and Ucchan had
wanted her to deny and suppress this side of her at first, once they found
out about the curse.  Moreover, the one who had urged her to suppress it
more than anyone else was the one woman she loved: Akane. 
	*Akane, I'm sorry I'm doing this to you, but I have to.  I really
need to know who I am, and then if anyone can really accept me. 
Especially you.* The red head's thoughts drifted along as they walked down
the street.  *If you can't accept me for who I might really be, then who
will?*
	"Akane?  What's wrong, you've been pretty quiet today." 
	Akane looked up at Ranma and realized that she had been very
quiet, something that was unusual for her.  "I'm worried about school
today, Ranma. You might have told Kunou the fact that you don't like him,
and that you're a lesbian, but I don't think that will stop him." 
	Ranma frowned.  "Why not?  It's about time he figured it out." 
	Akane rolled her eyes.  It was as if Ranma had forgotten a lot
about how people reacted, although it was more likely that her brain had
rewritten what it knew to a more acceptable form.  "Kunou happens to be
the densest, most unimaginative, most foolish person in our school. 
You've changed in his arms, you've told him that you don't like him, and
you've shown him physically, and he still hasn't got it yet.  Do you
really think that what you said is all that it will take?" 
	Ranma nodded thoughtfully.  "No.  I imagine he'll still be pining
away for me while at the same time cursing 'that cur Saotome'.  Don't
worry, Akane.  Mom showed me something this morning that might help.  Just
let me do all the talking, okay?"  She giggled once, and started to jog
down the street.  "Race you to the school!" 
	Akane sighed, and started to catch up to her changed fiancee.  She
had a feeling today was going to be very interesting... 

***

	Nabiki was worried. 
	It was unusual for her to worry this much about anything, but in
this case she had good reason to be. 
	Ranma, who had suffered a blow to the head, now considered herself
a woman.  A woman who had no qualms about violence against women, which
made sense since she considered herself a woman.  But the actions Ranma
was taking was disturbing, not only because she was now willing to kill,
as evidenced by the kiss she gave Shampoo, but also because she might have
blown a money-making enterprise that Nabiki had going for just over a year
now. 
	To Nabiki, money equaled survival, and to have a potential source
of income possibly cut off was tantamount to betrayal.  She had to check
with Kunou to see if this income source had dried up, and if it hadn't to
see how she could maximize profits before it did.  That was when Nabiki
remembered another problem.  Namely Kodachi. 
	While Kodachi was as crazy, if not crazier, than her brother
Tatewaki, she had a clearer, more brilliant mind.  She had obsessions,
such as playing with poison, rhythmic gymnastics, and a few other things,
but Kodachi was also the person who was most likely to accept Ranma's
changing form once she was told about it.  The reason it had not been
important before is that the young woman would probably have tried
something more than manipulation, kidnapping, and simple paralysis.
	If she realized that Ranma and Ranma-chan were one and the same
person... 
	"By the Seven Deities!"  Nabiki muttered, stunned at the thoughts
of violence that could result, "Ranma's never been fond of Kodachi, but in
her current state of mind, she'll murder the girl!" 
	She rushed towards the school, very anxious to find out what Kunou
had informed his sister. 

***

	Kunou Tatewaki waited outside the school grounds much as he always
did, though he seemed a little more...nervous now.  The pigtailed one, the
slave to Saotome's clutches, had been warped, twisted into a mere parody
of womanhood.  He had used her mind like a plaything, and shifted the
objects of her affection to those other fair members of her own sex,
rather than the noble men who graced the halls of Furinkan. 
	Thus, as a noble samurai, honor bound to defend Nihon from such
sorcerous ways, it was his job to undo the foul magic he had wrought. 
	His patience was soon rewarded by the sounds of gentle laughter.
Akane and the pigtailed goddess casually talked on their way to school,
their minds on the studies to be done that day.  The conversation seemed
so pure, so innocent...the pigtailed one was going shopping that night,
apparently to purchase new wares to further beautify her frame...all to
appease him. 
	He stepped out of the shadows, and presented himself. 
	"Pigtailed Girl."  The words were said evenly, without anger or
malice, though his heart burned with both hatred and love.  "Tell me where
Saotome lies."  He expected insane cries from the two, as they usually
wailed when the sorcerer's name was mentioned. 
	Akane opened her mouth to speak, but the pigtailed one put a hand
on her shoulder, silencing her protests with a touch.  She smiled, then
turned back to him. 
	"Kunou-sempai, could we go somewhere alone to talk?"  She looked
up at him, and batted her eyes. 
	The nobleman could barely speak.  The pigtailed girl...wished to
speak to him...alone?  Could this mean the spell that knave held over her
was finally broken?  She led him to a storage shed, where she invited him
to sit down.  He did so, then watched in fascination as she sat down
demurely, brushing her skirt lightly to put it in place.  She grabbed his
hand, and looked deep into his eyes. 
	"Kunou-sempai....I know you hold a great love for me, one that
knows no bounds.  But...I am forever cursed.  I'm sorry...but I cannot
love you, no matter how hard I try." 
	Kunou's eyes flared with rage.  To see this flower of womanhood
withering on the vine like this was too much for his gentle heart to bear.
"Please, Pigtailed Girl...let me help.  I can rid you of this demon." 
	The redhead only shook her head sadly.  "No, Kunou-sempai.  I...a
long time ago, I traveled to a faraway land, where I was horribly cursed.
When I am splashed with hot water...I change into a man, both in body and
in thought.  This man...you know of as Ranma Saotome.  It is my name, and
it is one I am proud of, but when I am so changed I act so differently.
Even now it holds my mind at bay, forbidding me to love another man." 
	Kunou stood there, sputtering.  His pigtailed love... forced to
change into a man?  The thought was too incredible for his mind to absorb.
"No, pigtailed one!  You are the very flower of womanhood, one whose mind
has been enslaved!  He is the one who forces you to say these lies!
Please, Pigtai-" 
	Ranma placed a gentle finger to his lips.  "But...even if I cannot
love you, I am willing to be friends.  Can't we just be friends,
Kunou-sempai?" 
	This last statement caused him to pause.  His love could not love
him back...but she was willing to share his friendship.  Such a strange
paradox, as love so often blooms from the innocence of friendship... 
	"I...I would like that, Pigtailed Girl." 
	The pigtailed one moved her hand downward, and smoothed out her
skirt.  "Please, Kunou-sempai.  Call me Ranma.  It is my name, after all."
She stood up, and began to leave the storage shed.  "Come on, Kunou. We'll
be late for class if we don't hurry." 
	He looked up.  She truly was a beauty...it would take time to grow
accustomed to her friendship.  Still, he could be patient now. She was his
now, an ally in the wars of life.  "As you wish...Ranma." 

***

	A trio of women sat down in a secluded corner of the locker room,
grateful for the freedom that came with physical education.  They looked
to each other, and gave a smile of friendship, of belonging to each other.
The newest member of the group closed her eyes, anticipating the question
to come. 
	"Ranma, what did you do to Kunou this morning?  He's been acting
stranger than usual today.  Apparently he's been running around muttering
words about 'friendship' and how he has an 'ally' in 'the goddess Ranma'."
Akane slipped out of her dress, and hung it up on the hangar. 
	Ukyou smiled, and took off her jacket.  "What...you didn't punt
him into the stratosphere today?" 
	Ranma just sat there for a moment.  She had a better view of
locker rooms thanks to her "change", and she liked the ability to relax in
there.  "Well, Mom gave me a bit of advice on how to deal with guys who
ask me out.  I decided to give it a try." 
	The two women looked at her skeptically.  Words between men and
women were a delicate affair, and not one to be taken lightly.  Plus, if
the feminine Ranma was as clueless about relationships as the masculine
one, this could lead to some serious trouble. 
	"Ranma, what did you tell him this morning?" 
	She stood up, and took off her skirt.  "Well...I told him about my
curse and how it works, then asked him if we could be friends." 
	Ukyou started hitting her head against the locker.  Akane just put
her face in her hands.  She took the redhead aside and spoke slowly, not
wishing to let her exasperation show. 
	"Ranma...that line will usually work for most guys.  Kunou is the
exception.  He will think that you really do care for him, that you're
willing to be closer to him.  In other words, things have probably gotten
much, much worse." 
	Ranma merely smiled, and started to take off her blouse.  "Akane,
trust me on this one, okay? If he considers me a friend, then that means
there are certain things he can't do, not without offending 'a friend'.
Not only that, but I can let him know that in no uncertain terms.  In
other words, if he tries what you say...rejection will feel worse than a
punch into the stratosphere for him."  She arched an eyebrow, and put her
school suit on the hangar. "Ne, Akane?"
	Akane sighed.  Nothing could be done about it now..."I guess.  I
just hope you're right on this one." 
	Ranma winked at her.  "Trust me, Akane.  Trust me." 

***

	Lunchtime couldn't come too soon for Nabiki.  She had watched with
professional interest as Kunou ran into class just in time, then muttered
words such as "friendship" and "Ranma" in the same sentence, something she
had thought impossible.  What had Ranma done to him, to make him act worse
than he usually did?  Also, there was the threat of a Kodachi
confrontation to deal with, one that needed to be taken care of as soon as
possible. She approached his desk, where the nobleman munched away on his
bento. 
	"Hey, Kunou-chan.  I was wondering..." 
	The look the kendoist gave her could melt through steel.  "Tendo
Nabiki.  Tell me everything you know of the pigtailed goddess who goes by
the name of Ranma."  He pulled out a roll of yen, and sat it on his desk.
"I will pay whatever fee you ask." 
	Nabiki blinked.  Kunou was normally desperate for news of his
'pigtailed goddess'.  Now, though...his interest was going beyond even her
expectations.  She picked up the money and weighed it in her hand, slowly,
carefully.  The money in her hand could have paid for a roll of film's
worth of lingerie shots of... 
	"Nabiki?  Do we have a deal?" 
	Kunou's voice snapped her from her thoughts.  She pulled out 5
thousand-yen bills, then handed the roll back to him.  "Kunou, I'll charge
only 5000 yen, if you agree to tell me everything Kodachi knows of
yesterday's events." 
	Kunou looked at her quizzically.  "Why do you wish to know such
information?" 
	Nabiki looked him squarely in the eye.  What was needed in this
case was a delicate blend of truth and falsehood.  "If your sister were to
find out what Ranma said yesterday, she may seek her revenge.  Ranma has
been particularly angry at other women of late who sought to take
advantage of her masculine form, and would probably show no mercy to her
if they fought." 
	Kunou nodded sadly, understanding.  "So...she is cursed to become
that demon Saotome.  Tell me, Nabiki...tell me of her life." 
	The young woman looked deep in thought for a moment, as she
struggled to remember what her sister had told her.  "Ranma was the only
child of a great martial-arts family, and, as such, was the only heir. Her
father, however, wanted a son, and raised her as though she was a boy.
Eventually, he discovered a way to change her into a man for real, rather
than just disguising her as one.  He took her there...and she found
herself...changed."  She sniffed for a moment, telling the 'very tragic'
story with well-acted emotion.  "Now...hot water will unleash the man you
hate, while cold water will restore the woman you love." 
	"So...if I splash the sorcerer with cold water, he will change
into the pigtailed girl, and when splashed with hot water, the demon will
return."  The words were said as a statement, not a question. 
	Nabiki simply nodded.  Kunou looked up at her with sad eyes, as
the tears threatened to come. "The pigtail...Ranma told me she could not
love me, that the demon had enslaved her heart to women.  She was willing,
though...to be my friend.  She...Nabiki, is there any way to undo the
curse?" 
	Nabiki shook her head.  "A number of cures had been tried, all
without success."  She looked back at the yen in her hands.  "Now, Kunou.
What does Kodachi know?" 
	For once, Kunou looked genuinely frightened by something.  "I
think...I fear...she watched the events of the previous day.  She was up
giggling all night, and ranting about how she was going to 'free' her
Ranma-sama, now that the...now that the girl had admitted her preference
for other women.  However, do not worry, fair Nabiki.  No harm will come
to the goddess, not while I live.  I have sworn to her friendship, and I
will defend that friendship to the death, if need be." 
	Nabiki merely locked eyes with the kendoist, the ferocity of her
gaze broadcasting her desperation.  "Kunou-chan, if I'm right, it isn't
Ranma you're going to have to worry about...but your sister." 

***

	Akane was worried.  For once, she had a right to be. 
	Ranma walked a few steps ahead of Ukyou and her, her attention
apparently more on her surroundings than her friends.  Her steps were
smaller, at a slightly faster pace than usual, with her hips moving just
enough to get a man's attention without being obvious about it.  It was a
far cry from the long, powerful strides she had used before the accident,
or the kawaii flitter she had used the previous day.  It was the walk of
an ordinary, average teenaged girl...and it frightened her. 
	The scary part about it was how much of this she had wanted and
wished for for so long.  The woman in front of her rarely insulted her;
indeed, the only times she had ever said a cross word to her was
immediately after the accident and during the last Shampoo fight.  She
could actually talk to Ranma now, and tell her what she felt and dreamed
while at the same time listen to Ranma's hopes and dreams.  Most
importantly, this Ranma treated her as an equal while still having
feelings for her.  This Ranma wouldn't pull her punches in training, or
treat her like a prize to be fought over. 
	About the only things missing were his strong arms to hold her
close, and a muscular chest on which to rest her head. 
	That was what frightened her.  Truth to tell, she had come to love
Ranma. But...could she _love_ this Ranma, a woman in every sense of the
term but hot water?  She'd had to put up with the rumours for so long when
the horde of men were vying for her affection, slanderous whispers that
her preferences didn't run to the masculine persuasion.  They had stung
then, and hurt her to the core.  Could she live with that...for the rest
of her life? 
	Ranma seemed to sense the eyes on her.  She spun around to face
the pair.  "What are you two doing?" 
	Ukyou held up her hands defensively.  Apparently, she had been
thinking along the same lines.  "Oh, nothing.  Isn't that right, Akane?"
She gave her a gentle nudge. 
	Akane sighed.  They couldn't get around it anymore.  "Well...not
quite.  Ranma, we decided.  How about if I take you out on a date this
Friday, and Ucchan take you out this Saturday?  Does that sound good?" 
	The effect on the young woman was simply poetic.  Ranma's blue
eyes sparkled in the afternoon sun, the glow in them reflecting her heart.
Strangely enough, she didn't smile, choosing instead to stare back at them
with anticipation.  "Do...do you mean it, Akane?  You really want to go
out with me this Friday?" 
	Akane smiled, to mask her fear within.  "We'll go Dutch.  Is that
okay?" 
	"Sounds good to me!"  The changed woman grabbed Akane's hand, a
madwoman's grin on her face.  "Come on, you two.  We've got some work to
do." 

***