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“Ranma, wait!”
“Nope! Nuh-uh! No way!”
The morning rain plinking against the windows was quite drowned out by the thundering sounds of several sets of rapid footsteps against the hardwood floor as a merry chase was led around the Tendo Home.
Soun arched an eyebrow over his tea as young Ranma, currently in his cursed female form and clad only in a pair of ill-fitting boxers and a towel loosely draped over the shoulders, went charging through the living room, with Kasumi and Nabiki in hot pursuit.
Ah yes, the pitter-patter of tiny feet, Soun silently snarked internally.
“I’m not wearing girl’s clothes!” Ranma shouted over his shoulder.
“But all of your clothes are in the wash right now!” Kasumi responded as she nimbly sidestepped her father, clutching her house dress and apron in one hand to avoid unwanted fluttering as she ran.
“You can’t just run around naked, y’know!” Nabiki added, though Soun could see an added gleam of mischief in her eyes. She was clearly enjoying this.
As the three stampeded into the kitchen, Ranma still shouting protests over his shoulder, Soun could hear the distinct sharp sound of Genma, seated to his left, grinding his teeth in his mouth as he glared daggers into his own cup of tea.
“Patience, Saotome, patience.”
Through clenched teeth: “Ah yes. My very. Very. Very. Manly. Son.” Genma seemed to have a singular mass of words in his mouth that he had to bite each one off of and spit out individually.
Seated on the floor of her room, Akane slid her long bow-held ponytail behind her shoulder. “I get it, but-“ She paused, catching an airborne T-Shirt out of the air as Nabiki tossed it over her shoulder from Akane’s open closet door. “-why do you have to loan him my clothes?”
Nabiki scrutinized a blue sweater, hanging from a coat hanger, before slotting it back onto the closet rack. “You’re the closest to Femmy-Ranma’s size, sis.”
“I’m not wearin’ a skirt.” Ranma grumbled from his spot, seated on the floor, his back against Akane’s bed. His feminine assets were still barely covered by the loose towel draping over his shoulders. He childishly thumped one heel against the floor to punctuate his point.
Akane rolled her eyes as Nabiki turned from the closet, a yellow T-Shirt draped over one forearm. Akane recognized the familiar pink overalls Nabiki held in her hands, with the word ‘CHINA’ plastered across the chest in cute red letters. It had been a birthday gift from a well-meaning aunt, which Akane had worn maybe twice and never touched again. It wasn’t quite her style.
“These’ll do. Try these on.”
Ranma rolled his eyes. “Pink? Really?”
There was a muted thwumph as the thrown overalls draped over his face, the shoulder straps plopping into his lap.
“Just put ‘em on, Saotome.” Nabiki drawled.
Kasumi couldn’t help but chuckle at the display, even as Akane shared Ranma’s eyeroll.
A few minutes later, Ranma stood in front of Akane’s full-length mirror, silently staring at the ensemble.
It was honestly kind of cute looking, Akane had to admit, though perhaps just a smidge childish. It fit Ranma’s petite female form quite well, the red lettering and pink fabric accentuating well with Ranma’s red hair. Two bare feet poked awkwardly out of the bottom, giving the whole thing a Cutesy Little Sister vibe. Ranma could easily pass for Akane’s younger sister by about a year or two to the untrained eye.
Ranma seemed to be frozen in place, eyes perhaps just a little too wide, looking himself up and down.
“It’s… actually kind of perfect,” Akane mused, glancing Ranma up and down.
Nabiki snickered, her arms crossed. “Ooh-la-la, that is you!”
Kasumi hummed, satisfied, turning to head back downstairs. Akane sighed, beginning to rise to her feet. She had some homework that needed finishing before they went back to school tomorrow.
Nabiki sidled around Ranma, who was still standing there silently, intent on needling him some more…
…before stopping where she was, the smile vanishing from her face.
“…Are you crying?”
The softly-spoken question seemed to echo in the otherwise quiet room.
Akane froze where she was.
Kasumi did the same.
Both slowly, slowly turned to look.
There before them stood Ranma, back to the two of them.
Nabiki was to one side, a look of genuine concern on her face.
And there, reflected in Akane’s mirror, Ranma could be seen. Two thin lines of tears trailed from his wide eyes, a slowly growing redness in his face. His mouth was ever so slightly agape. He looked as if someone had just told him that someone he loved had died, such was the thunderstruck look on his face.
“Ranma?” Akane whispered.
Despite the near-constant bickering of the past week since Ranma had arrived, Akane gingerly stepped closer, dimly aware of Kasumi doing the same at her side.
The tears were flowing stronger now, Ranma’s breathing beginning to grow heavier. Ranma felt like his stomach was filled to bursting with a thousand butterflies, making him somehow feel giddy and nauseated all at once. His heart was a hammer in his chest. He raised the heel of one trembling hand to his face, wiping fruitlessly at the tears, smearing them across his cheek, the cheek that suddenly felt so much softer than ever before.
“Wh-what’s happening?” Ranma stammered in the most fragile voice Akane had ever heard from the martial artist. “Wh-why am I crying? I-I can’t make it stop, what’s…” She turned her head, braid flickering behind her, as she looked each Tendo sister in the eyes, seeming so impossibly lost. “What’s happening? Why does this feel like this?”
Akane’s hands rose to her mouth, her own eyes widening in realization and recognition of that face. “…Oh. Oh my god.”
Kasumi softly reached out, pulling Ranma closer to her. Ranma put up the bare minimum of resistance, before slumping into Kasumi’s shoulder, beginning to sob outright now at the unexpected hug.
Kasumi shot Nabiki a quick look. “Nabiki, go make sure the door is closed.”
“Gotcha.” Without protest, Nabiki slid past her sister, toward Akane’s bedroom door. She silently pulled it shut, before clicking the lock shut with a muted click. She remained standing by the door, unsure of what to do.
Kasumi gently guided Ranma to sit next to her on Akane’s bed, Akane herself sitting down on Ranma’s other side, the crying redhead slotted between them.
Without hesitation, Akane wrapped Ranma in a hug from the other side, even as Kasumi kept holding her close. Ranma sobbed into Kasumi’s shoulder, clearly trying to hold the tears in and failing miserably.
“Shhh…” Akane began to gently rub Ranma’s back in small, slow circles. “Let it out, Ranma.”
Ranma sniffled, ruddy-faced, stuttering over her words. “Wh… I don’… I don’t uh-understand wh-why I-I-I’m…”
“It’s okay. It’s okay.”
Ranma moaned softly, overwhelmed by emotion, before simply closing her eyes, continuing to cry into Kasumi’s shoulder, who continued to hug Ranma close.
On a whim, Akane slid one hand into Ranma’s lap, gently lacing one finger into Ranma’s palm. Ranma flinched, only briefly, before interlacing her fingers with Akane’s, squeezing her hand tightly.
Nabiki silently stepped across the room from the door, looking unsure, before gently sitting on the edge of Akane’s bed. This surprise situation was by no means her wheelhouse, but she knew enough that she should show her support to the situation as best she could.
After several minutes, Ranma’s quiet weeping slowly turned to gentle sniffles. She gently pulled away from Kasumi’s hug, Kasumi allowing her to do so without resistance. Akane leaned forward, looking Ranma in the face. “Are you okay?”
Ranma hiccupped wetly, her face still red. She breathed in sharply through her nose, before nodding. “B-better. Sorry. I know...” Ranma swallowed roughly. “I know guys ain’t supposed to cry.”
“Don’t apologize.” Kasumi smiled. “Don’t ever apologize for having a good cry.”
Ranma sniffled softly, feeling even more unexpected tears well up in her eyes. She smeared at them again with her hand.
“Don’t rub at it, you’re gonna irritate your eyes.” Akane reached down, snagging the loose extra T-Shirt from earlier off the floor, before handing it to Ranma. “Here, dab your eyes with this.”
Ranma nodded, awkwardly pressing the shirt to her watery eyes, before pulling it away. “Sorry, I’m gettin’ everyone’s clothes all gross n’ stuff.” She sighed heavily.
“Don’t worry, I’ll send you the dry cleaning bill.” Nabiki snarked before she could stop herself.
THUMP.
“Ow!”
Nabiki rubbed her stinging arm as Kasumi slowly withdrew a clenched fist, before smiling Ever-So-Sweetly at Nabiki over her shoulder.
“Not. The. Time. Sister.”
Nabiki cast her eyes downward, more than a little ashamed. “…sorry.”
Akane sighed, before turning her attention back to Ranma. “How are you feeling?”
Ranma’s hand squeezed Akane’s briefly before she spoke, unwilling to meet anyone’s eyes. She stared down at the pink overalls, running down her stomach and over her legs. “I feel… weird, I guess. Not sure how to describe it.”
But she did. The feelings were quite clear in Ranma’s mind. She knew exactly how she felt.
She felt soft.
She felt small.
She felt safe.
All things that it had been a very, very long time since she’d felt.
“How did it feel, looking in the mirror like that?” Akane asked. “Did it feel good?”
It was several long seconds before Ranma spoke again. “…Kinda, yeah? Like… it felt scary, mostly, but it… also felt really good?” It was as if, following that long cry, Ranma’s usual emotional constipation Akane had grown used to had drained out of her with her tears. Ranma turned to look Akane in the eyes. “Is that weird? That’s weird, right?”
Akane shook her head softly. “No, it’s not weird at all. I understand exactly how it feels, Ranma.”
Ranma gave Akane an odd, uncomprehending look. “Wh-what? Whaddya mean, you understand?”
Akane paused, biting her lip unconsciously, summoning her courage. She could feel Kasumi and Nabiki’s eyes on her, waiting for her to speak, silently encouraging.
“Ranma… let me ask you something. And I don’t want you to answer immediately. Think about it a bit before you give me an answer, okay?”
Ranma blinked, confused, before nodding. “Okay.”
A long, deep breath from Akane, before she spoke. “Do you feel like a boy right now?”
The immediate, indignant Yes shriveled up in Ranma’s throat before dying on her tongue.
She closed her open mouth, forcing the word back down. She breathed through her nose as she thought about it.
Did she?
It was quite the question.
This didn’t feel the way she felt in her Guy Mode at all.
“…No.” She answered. “I don’t.”
Akane nodded softly. “Next question. Do you like being a boy?”
The pause was shorter this time. Akane could tell Ranma already knew the answer, and was just trying to find the way to phrase it.
“I mean… it’s okay? I don’t… think I don’t like it?”
Except that was a lie, wasn’t it?
Guy Mode felt large, clunky, clumsy, constantly about to trip over his own feet. His shoulders always felt tense, and he’d find himself slumping forward more often than not.
Girl Mode felt light, nimble, easy. It felt fun. It felt like a giggle ready to spill out, like a coiled spring ready to bounce away.
And she somehow hadn’t even realized that until now. Now, the difference seemed like night and day, impossible to miss. She wondered how she ever had missed it.
Ranma swallowed roughly, one hand still holding Akane’s, the other squeezing the fabric of the overalls, kneading it softly like a cat. “No… no, I don’t.” She took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest, as she forced the words out of her.
“I-I… I don’t. I don’t… like… b-bein’ a boy.” Her voice cracked as she spoke. Her eyes were wide, as if surprised by what had come out of her own mouth.
Nabiki smiled, with no malice this time. “Penny in the air…” She smirked further at Ranma’s confused look.
Akane offered Ranma a sincere smile. “Ranma… did you know you don’t have to be a boy if you don’t want to?”
Ranma looked even more confused. “Uh… yeah, ‘Kane, have you met me? Don’t know if you noticed, but I kinda have this whole curse thing-“
“Not that, you nitwit.” Akane snarked, Kasumi tittering amusedly on Ranma’s other side.
Ranma looked more lost than ever. “Then… then what do you mean?”
Her own heart pounding in her chest now, Akane reached past Kasumi toward her own nightstand, sliding the drawer open before nabbing the small medication bottle inside. The little blue pills rattled within as she held it up. “So, this is called Estradiol. I take it every day.”
“What’s it for?”
Akane steeled herself, trying to think of a way to explain. “Ranma… when I was born, everyone thought I was a boy. I did too, for a long time.”
Ranma’s eyes widened in realization as two and two were added together in her head. “O-oh. Oh, shit.”
Akane nodded, smiling weakly. “Y-yeah. So, once I realized I didn’t like being a boy, I told my Dad, and he took me to see Doctor Tofu, and-“
Ranma gasped. “Oh my God- Akane, I am so sorry I called you a tomboy! Oh god, I feel like crap now-“
Akane placed her hand over Ranma’s mouth, silencing her. “Shush. It’s okay, just don’t do it again. Okay?”
“Mmm-kmmm.” Ranma mumbled against Akane’s palm, nodding. Satisfied, Akane removed her hand. “But yeah. Dad knows, and he helped a lot. So did Kasumi and Nabiki.” Akane nodded to each of her sisters.
Nabiki smiled proudly. “I told all the jokers at school to fix their hearts or die. Would you believe Kuno backed me up on that one? He promised the Wrath of God upon anyone he caught making jokes. Course, Kuno kinda… got out of control after that, he rocketed in the other direction and didn’t look back.”
Akane rolled her eyes. “Kuno is… a whole thing. Gotta love a chaser.”
“What’s a chaser?” Ranma asked.
Akane shook her head. “Never mind right now, it’s not worth it and we’re getting off track. Point is… I’m not gonna say it for you, one way or another, just know that… you’re not alone, and you’re not stuck in whatever you were born as.”
Ranma was silent for a very long time as she took this whole thing in. It was a lot to process, Akane knew.
Eventually, Ranma spoke, a barely audible whisper.
“Can… can I change my mind about the skirt?”
With a smile, Akane rose from the bed, Ranma allowing their hands to separate as Akane moved toward the closet, reaching in and producing something hanging on a thick hanger.
A dress. It wasn’t terribly fancy or flouncy, just a simple blue sundress Akane liked.
“How about this?”
Ranma nodded wordlessly, rising from the bed. She began to fiddle the thick metal buckles on the shoulder straps of the overalls, before Kasumi placed a hand on her shoulder. “Let me.”
Ranma nodded, allowing Kasumi to unbuckle the overalls for her. Ranma squeezed the overalls in her hands as the buckles came undone, crinkling the text on the front. “This is mine now.”
Akane shrugged. “Go for it, I never really wore those anyway.”
The butterflies were back, fluttering in her stomach, making Ranma feel like giggling in giddy anticipation.
There was a rustle of fabric as, freed from the overalls, Ranma shimmied her feet out of the legs, stepping out of the overalls and, almost immediately, into the blue dress Akane held before her. She slid out of the yellow T-Shirt, and waited.
Ranma was silent as Akane pulled the straps of the dress up and over her shoulders. Ranma stared down at her bare feet, unwilling to look in the mirror until the dress was ready, as if it would ruin the illusion if she did.
Akane stepped backward with a kind smile. “And, done. Take a look.”
Slowly, nervously, Ranma’s eyes crept upward, slowly sliding up the mirror, taking in the image before her.
There she was. There was she.
The blue dress hung down to her knees, short sleeves barely kissing her upper arms, the neckline tastefully displaying her collarbones. Ranma could see her own eyes, wide in surprise. She felt antsy and tingly in the best way possible.
Don't twirl. Don't twirl. Don't twirl. I'm gonna twirl. Oorah.
Ranma twirled, her hands spread at her sides.
The skirt flickered around her, dancing around her legs and thighs.
Oh, this? This was heaven.
Ranma couldn’t stop the giggle that spilled out of her as she spun. She kept spinning, round and round, faster and faster, until she stumbled, barely keeping her balance, still giggling like a child.
Nabiki grinned wider. “Penny drops.”
Akane smiled alongside her, a week’s worth of irritation at Ranma since they’d arrived melting away in a heartbeat at the genuine joy in front of her.
Kasumi clasped her hands in front of her with a smile. “You look so pretty, Ranma!”
Pretty.
Pretty.
Pretty.
Pretty.
Fireworks went off in Ranma’s stomach. She gasped reflexively, in spite of herself. Her face went beet red as she covered her face in her hands. If this had been a video game, Kasumi's compliment would have been a One-Hit KO.
Ranma sank to her knees, still hiding her face. She felt Akane place her hands on her shoulders. "Ranma? Are you okay?"
Ranma slumped over onto the floor. She lay on her side, face still in her hands.
Muffled: "Ranma's not here right now. Come back later. Beeeep."
Akane giggled above her. Ranma smiled into her hands, in spite of her embarrassment.
Ranma couldn’t help but flounce even more as she descended the stairs, Akane at her side. The skirt bounced and flounced around her with every step.
Akane grinned. “Addicting, isn’t it?”
“Mhmmm.” Ranma nodded eagerly.
They slowed at the closed door to the living room. Ranma took a deep breath, steadying herself. At her side, Akane gave her an encouraging smile. Behind the two of them, Kasumi and Nabiki stood, each with a hand on one of Ranma’s shoulders.
“You ready?” Akane asked.
A long pause, then Ranma nodded. “Y-yeah. The old man can’t beat me in a fight anyway, so if he tries somethin’, I’ll be fine.”
Then, without giving herself a chance to hesitate, Ranma reached a hand forward, sliding the door open.
There, in the middle of the floor, sat Genma and Soun, on opposite sides of the shogi board. Both turned simultaneously to glance at the opening door, the spell of the game broken.
There was a long, heavy silence that hung in the air as the two men took in the sight of Genma Saotome’s only child, in female form, with a blue dress.
Soun’s face seemed more surprised than anything, a How-About-That curl to his mouth visible under his moustache.
Genma’s eyes grew wide. He seemed to inflate like a bullfrog, rage filling his face as he opened his mouth to yell-
-and was instantly silenced by the wooden kendo sword striking past his ear and embedding its dull point in the table behind him.
Genma sat there, shaking, rage replaced by fear, as Akane Tendo, her hand firmly clenching the handle of the kendo sword, leaned in toward Genma, her voice as soft as thunder.
“One word, Mr. Saotome, and I will pull your heart out of your chest, and eat it raw.”
Ranma appeared over Akane’s shoulder. “’Kane, I told ya I’ve got this.”
Akane shrugged. “I know. Still wanted to do it.”
“Fair enough.” Ranma knelt down, the girly flounces replaced by a yanki’s squat under the dress. “Hey, Pops. This is me now. If ya don’t like it, tough titty.”
Genma shook his head in a combination of incredulousness and fear. He shot a look at Soun, who hadn’t moved or spoken yet. “Tendo, say something!”
Soun glanced from Genma, to Ranma, to Akane, before shrugging. “Eh. United schools are united schools.” He glanced at Ranma with a genuine smile. “Ranma, congratulations. Do I have a future son-in-law, daughter-in-law, or neither?”
Ranma blinked rapidly. Whatever she’d been expecting from the Tendo patriarch, it wasn’t that. “Uh. Daughter-in-law, I guess? We’re still not wantin’ to get married, though.”
Akane nodded assent. “Agreed. I think we’re just…” She turned to Ranma with a smile that Ranma hadn’t seen since the first day she’d arrived at the dojo. “…good as friends.”
Ranma’s heart fluttered in her chest at the words, her mind briefly flashing back to the first day, when Akane had leaned in and asked
“Do you want to be friends?”
Tears welled in Ranma’s eyes once more, as she nodded eagerly, her braid pinballing up and down like a squirrel’s tail.
Genma was still spluttering indignantly. “But… but-but… this is the curse! It must be! It’s affecting your mind, boy! The cursed water must have soaked into your brain, through your ears!” Genma began to struggle to his feet, grasping lamely at Ranma. “Pack your bags, boy, we’re going back to China-“
“Saotome.” Soun’s firm hand clenched Genma’s shoulder tightly, as he began to roughly guide his oldest friend toward the shoji doors leading outside. He smiled sweetly at his daughters. “Pardon us a second, sweethearts, Genma and I need to have a talk outside.”
“Tendo! What are you doing, back me up here-“
Soun roughly shoved Genma out onto the porch, before turning and, with one last smile, pulling the shoji door closed. Ranma could see their silhouettes through the thin paper, Soun pointing a berating finger in Genma’s face. His words were unintelligible, though his firm, angry tone came through quite well.
Kasumi appeared behind Ranma, a hand gently on her back. “Are you okay?”
Ranma nodded. “Oh yeah, that wasn’t the part I was worried about. I can take him any day.”
Nabiki sauntered past the three of them, plopping leisurely down at the table. “If you want, I’ll get in touch with the school, we’ll get you a few girl’s uniforms. I can pull some strings, get your gender fixed on the student register, too. The vice principal owes me a thousand favors.”
Ranma’s mouth went dry, even as her stomach belly-flopped at the idea. “Uh… sure…” She glared suspiciously at Nabiki. “How much?”
Nabiki waved a hand dismissively. “No charge. Come on, I’m not that heartless.”
“Yes you are.” Ranma, Akane, and Kasumi chorused dryly.
Nabiki stared back at the three of them, then shrugged. “Fine, I am. Call it the family discount, then.”
“I told you, I don’t wanna marry-“
“Not like that.” Nabiki drawled, glancing knowingly at Akane and Kasumi. “You do realize you’re basically our sister now, right?”
Ranma paused. “…Sister?”
Akane gave Ranma a gentle dope slap on the back of the head, more of a dope bop. “Yeah, dummy. Friends, sisters, whichever.”
Wide-eyed, Ranma stared from face to face, eyes growing watery once again. “I… I ain’t never had sisters before…”
Kasumi smiled, pulling Ranma close into a hug once again. “Well, surprise. I’m okay with having a third little sister.”
Ranma squeezed Kasumi’s arm with one hand, before extending her other arm. With a grin, Akane wrapped her arms around Ranma, hugging her close. Ranma shot a snide, mischievous smile at Nabiki. “Get in here, ya jerk.”
Nabiki gave a huge, melodramatic groan, before allowing herself to smile, adding herself to the group hug.
In the center of the group hug, Ranma sighed, happier than she’d ever been.