Chapter Text
As mother and son walked back to the Tendo Dojo, Nodoka held a pensive look on her face. The more she learned of her son's life, the more concerned she became. Turning to Ranma, she spoke up.
"Ranma dear, please tell me your thoughts about the girls. After all, you'll be seeing a lot less of them by moving in with your teacher and switching classes. I'm sure you'll miss spending time with them."
"Uhh, well ma…ya see-"
Nodoka interrupted his hemming and hawing. "No holding back. Start with which one you see as the primary fiancee."
With a look of resignation, Ranma replied. "None of 'em. There's too many conflicting honor agreements. Choosing one would harm not just the unchosen girls' honor, but mine as well. Not to mention family honor. But beyond that, I have no real compatibility with any of them. I mean, yeah, most of them are martial artists of some type, but the art is secondary. Unlike myself.
"With the Tendo's Kasumi is more interested in healing and is more of a mother/older sister to me. Nabiki only cares about Nabiki and money. She holds zero interest in The Art. To her martial artists are nothing but dumb jock meat heads to be exploited. Akane's always going on about how she's a martial artist too, but she's a hobbyist at best. I used to think Akane could be a friend, but she's proven me wrong time after time. She's a spoiled princess who gets jealous whenever someone is better than her at some skill she considers herself good at. All she sees is the results. She doesn't think about the long, hard hours of practice put in to get those results. Her jealousy leads to anger and she attacks the person she's jealous of, usually me. She always has to have the last word in an argument, even if that 'word' is actually a table upside the head. I've saved her dozens of times and never received a word of gratitude. Any affection or attraction I may have had for her died a long time ago.
"Ukyo was my first friend. She has her family art, but she's more concerned with running her restaurant than advancing in the art. Even after she came back into my life, all I can really see is my old buddy Ucchan. I thought she was a guy until she explained how pops engaged us and stole her dowry. I know I called her my 'cute fiancee', but that was more to needle Akane than my actual thoughts about Ukyo. Unfortunately, she took that comment and ran with it. Now she has some fantasy about running her restaurant while I act as a stay at home dad and sometimes waitress. She just assumes I want the same thing, but has never actually asked me. I've tried talking about my own ideas, but she brushes them aside whenever I bring it up.
"Then there's Shampoo. She's probably the most skilled of the girls in the art, but she hasn't improved at all since coming to Nerima. Despite having her Great Granny here and available to train her. I can't trust her. She spent weeks hunting me down trying to kill me, only to flip her emotions to love, like a switch, when she found out I was a guy. She's overly clingy, antagonistic and underhanded in her pursuit of my affections. Always using some herb, or potion or magic junk to force my emotions. Plus there's the fact that I'm expected to just abandon my life here to move to the middle of nowhere China where I'll be little more than a breeding stud and forbidden from practicing or improving my art 'cause only women can be warriors in her village. That just ain't happening.
"Finally the crazy, rich girl Kodachi. She practices Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics, but never actually faces her opponents fairly. She ambushes them when they're vulnerable to force them to forfeit. She's not a real fiancee, just an obsessive loon. She's even more unstable than Shampoo. She frequently uses poison and paralytics. She hates my female self and lusts after my male self, though she claims it's love. I've changed forms in front of her before, yet she refuses to accept that my two halves are the same person. Honestly, she'd probably forget about me if we could switch her obsession to someone else."
"Nodoka's eye twitched. "I…see. I suppose this is what I get for asking you to not hold back. Is there no hope for any of the girls?"
Ranma grimaced. "Not that I can see. As far as they're concerned I'm not a person, I'm a prize to be won. Near as I can tell Akane doesn't even like me, but anytime any girl shows me any attention Akane gets unreasonably jealous and uses it as an excuse to punish me for being a pervert or leading the girl on. Even if the girl was simply asking me for directions. The 'fiancee brigade' are constantly attacking each other and causing major collateral damage, which I invariably get blamed for, even if I was nowhere near the fight. But it's my fault because they're my fiancees.
"Why pops and Mr. Tendo are so insistent on me an' Akane fulfilling the agreement they came up with when it's clear we are in no way compatible is beyond me. It would make way more sense to put it off for another generation. I mean, they only just split the schools, why immediately reintegrate them? Not like there's been enough time to meaningfully improve them.
"I can understand Ukyo wanting to get married, as it's necessary for her to take the Saotome name to regain her womanhood, but ignoring what I want in a relationship is no way to go about it. And I couldn't care less about Shampoo and her tribe of sore losers. Trying to kill a girl just cause she beat ya in a fight is dumb. And forcing a guy into marriage cause he beat ya is just asking for him to abuse ya. I want nothing to do with the Amazons and their stupid laws. Kodachi is just an obsessive stalker, not a real contender.
"I'm only sixteen. I'm not currently interested in a girlfriend, let alone a fiancee. I have no interest in getting married when I'm not even out of high school. And especially not for some idiotic contract that came about 'cause pops was hungry or drunk."
Nodoka gave Ranma a sharp look. "What!?"
"Didn't you know? Pops and Mr. Tendo were drunk in a bar when they came up with the honor pledge. Pretty sure they wrote it on a cocktail napkin. And pops only accepted the offer from Ucchan's father 'cause he wanted the food in their family food cart that Mr. Kuonji put up as the dowry. I only initially fought Shampoo cause pops the panda ate the feast that was the prize for winning the tournament. Not to mention all the other fiancees that came and went."
Nodoka narrowed her eyes. "What other fiancees?"
"'Bout once a month some guy shows up with his daughter that pops engaged me to while on the training trip. Usually for a restaurant bill or similar. One time it was for a piece of fish, some rice and two pickles. Usually there's some kinda contest or race or tournament, the new fiancee loses, realizes how much competition there is and writes it off as a bad deal. There's been at least six I can remember."
Nodoka fingered the Saotome Honor Blade. "Sounds like I need to have a few 'pointed' words with my husband."
Ranma grinned ferally. "Need me to hold him down for ya ma?"
Nodoka returned his look. "That won't be necessary son, but I thank you for the offer. Oh look, we're back. Why don't you go pack up your things. I'll see if your father is in so we can have that 'talk'."
Upstairs, in the guest room Ranma shared with his parents, he pulled out his old travel pack. Opening it, he sorted through the contents. 'Rock. Rock. Rock. Yet another rock. Geeze all this wasted space just for weight training. Oh look, a shredded and bloody training dogi. Ugh, why do I still have this? Not a single thing in my pack worth saving. Wait, where's my camp cooking gear? Oh, that's right, Akane ruined it on my last training trip. Stupid pops and Mr. Tendo making me take her with me. Guess I'll go through the clothes in my closet.'
Ranma stood up and took the few steps to the guest room closet, pack in hand. 'Should I take my guy clothes or leave them here? If I'm gonna be spending all my time as a girl it'll probably be a waste of space. I could take just my boxers and tank tops to use as sleepwear. Yeah, that'll work.' Next, Ranma slipped his fingers into a series of carefully hidden indents. With a quick yank, he pulled the back panel out of the closet, revealing a hidden compartment full of female clothes. He quickly sorted through the clothes, picking out what to pack and what to leave behind. 'No. No. Yes. Too cutesy. Huh, I remember this, I actually liked this skirt. Definitely yes. Ugh, what was I thinking with this? That's a no. The Yoiko outfit can stay. Can't believe Ryoga actually fell for that. Why do I still have this bunny suit? Definitely staying. Yes, no, yes and yes.' With everything sorted Ranma quickly and quietly replaced the panel, hiding his stash of girl clothes once more.
He carefully packed up his clothes, leaving the outfit he chose to wear tomorrow at the top of his pack. Storing the rocks and trash he removed from his pack in his ki pocket, he made his way back downstairs and out to the yard. He left the rocks artfully arranged around the koi pond, while tossing the destroyed dogi and other trash in the bins at the side of the house. With nothing else to do, he decided to practice his kata until dinner was ready.
Dinner was remarkably quiet. Genma, as a panda, was still out cold in the yard after Nodoka had a 'discussion' with him. And Ranma had no intention of announcing his imminent departure as he didn't need the aggravation from three of the conscious residents. He knew that if he spoke up about it, Mr. Tendo would either go demon head about abandoning his duty or start the waterworks while he whined about the schools never being joined. Akane would accuse him of shacking up with one of his 'hussies'. And Nabiki would poke and prod till she extracted all the info she could in order to sell it off to all and sundry. Instead he ignored the Tendos and focused on chatting with his mother, regaling her with some of the more entertaining stories from the training trip.
After thanking Kasumi for the meal, he announced his intentions to take a bath and turn in for the night. He did not need a repeat of the furo incident when he first arrived at the dojo all those months ago. Retrieving a set of boxers and tank top from the guest room, he retreated to the changing room. Pulling a bar of waterproof soap from his ki space, he disrobed, tossing the dirty clothes in the hamper. Moving into the furoba itself, he sat at the washing station and turned on the cold water. Shivering as the change overtook her, Ranma unwrapped the soap and began scrubbing herself down, making sure to reach as much of her body as she could. Once she was sure she had sufficient coverage to keep from changing back with hot water, she rewrapped the soap and filled the rinse bucket with warm water. Despite knowing she wouldn't change, she couldn't suppress a shiver at the lack of change when she dumped the warm water on her head. Dumping a second bucket of water over herself to ensure she had removed all the soap, she made her way to the tub and eased herself in.
Throwing her arms over the side of the tub, she leaned her head back, eyes closed. Bathing as a girl always felt weird. Her skin was more sensitive to the heat. The buoyancy of her larger than average breasts causing them to float slightly always felt odd. But, she supposed, it was something she would have to get used to as she would be spending the next couple years as a girl. Ranma was conflicted in her feelings towards her upcoming situation. On the one hand, she was a guy, raised to be a man among men. But on the other, she had come to grips with the possibility of never actually finding a cure for the curse. She could appreciate her female self for its differences. Scamming free eats as a girl was fun. And ice cream and chocolate both tasted way better as a girl. And Ranma was self aware enough to realize that she liked being seen as good looking as a girl. Though touching was right out, as her experiences with Kuno and that skater jerk Mikado reinforced.
Hopefully the shopping trip tomorrow with her mom and Ms. Hinako wasn't too embarrassing. After her experiences with Happosai, she was nervous about needing to wear proper girl's underwear. And her shopping trips with her mom as Ranko didn't inspire much trust in her mother's sense of style. Everything she had tried to get Ranko to wear was just way too frilly and girly. As far as Ranma was concerned that really wasn't her style. Hopefully Ranma could reach a compromise with the two older women regarding her wardrobe. After all, she had to wear it, not them. And at heart she was still a fighter and preferred clothes she could fight in.
Not wanting to prune up, Ranma exited the tub. Drying off quickly and getting dressed in her tank top and boxers, Ranma headed to the guest room to turn in for the night. She noted her mother's futon was already laid out and occupied. Laying her own out as quietly as she could, she crawled under the covers. "Night ma," she whispered.
Nodoka lay in her futon, staring at the ceiling, still wide awake. She heard the door open and shut along with quiet movement in the dark. A whispered wish for a good night from her currently female son revealed the culprit. So occupied by her own thoughts Nodoka failed to answer.
To be honest, Nodoka still wasn't one hundred percent behind this plan of her son's teacher. Making her manly son spend so much time in his cursed form didn't sit well with her. She had missed so much of his life and the seppuku pledge was cold comfort as she'd cried herself to sleep night after night, missing her baby boy. To now have him back in her life was a joy, but that same pledge was driving a wedge between them. Ranma always seemed nervous around her, walking on proverbial eggshells. Picking his words carefully. She knew deep down that she needed to let it go. She had declared him a man among men, and yet, having that pledge had brought her comfort in the many lonely years he'd been gone. It was hard to just abandon it, fulfilled or not.
Still, spending time with 'Ranko' before knowing it was her son in cursed form had been fun. Acting as a positive female role model. Helping her find her femininity. It was almost like having a daughter of her own. And she missed it.
Could she put aside her need for Ranma to be manly all the time? It was true he'd need a proper education in order to teach. And it was clear the dojo was not a proper environment to facilitate good study habits. So much chaos seemed to be centered on the dojo it was obviously not the peaceful environment Ranma needed. Oh, if only the Saotome family home hadn't been destroyed, all this wouldn't be necessary. Ranma could come stay with her and still attend school as her manly son. Nodoka quietly sighed. Alas, it does not do to dwell on 'if onlys'.
Ranma needed a good education. He needed an environment that would facilitate it. Currently, that environment appeared to be moving in with his teacher. And as she said, a young man living with a female teacher was morally questionable. Therefore, Ranma needed to be a girl. For now. Another sigh. Yes, Ranma was her manly son, but could he not also be her womanly daughter when it was called for? She had her child back. She no longer needed the pledge. Nodoka's face firmed in resolve. The pledge had served its purpose. It was time to put it aside. It was time to fully accept her child, both aspects of them. Decision made, Nodoka allowed herself to drift off into sleep.