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Chapter Text

Inhale

Exhale

Standing alone in the courtyard of the Tendo Dojo, Ranma Saotome closed his eyes and held his hands together in front of his face. It was an abnormally quiet morning in Furinkan, free from the chaos of bitter rivalries and unrequited love that seemed to follow the young martial artist everywhere he went. Currently, his only witnesses were the thick clouds in the sky and the koi in the garden pond. Still, for his morning workout, Ranma wanted absolute peace and quiet - inside, and out.

Inhale

Exhale

Ranma turned his senses inward, and did his best to focus solely on his breathing. In the weeks following the battle at Mount Phoenix, and the subsequent disaster of a wedding that his and Akane’s fathers tried to force them into, Ranma had been doing an uncharacteristic amount of thinking. About the past, about the future, and especially about the present. As of late, It felt as though his brain was always wracked with intrusive thoughts, with flashes of memories and snippets of important conversations playing out in his head.

But most of all, Ranma had been filled with worries. And with doubts. But why?

Agh! Here he was trying to clear his mind, and it had already filled up with the very thoughts he was trying to clear out. Ranma shook his head, and tried again.

Inhale

Exhale

He repeated this breathing exercise several more times, before finally having a clear enough mind to begin his morning exercises. Slowly and rhythmically, Ranma began to perform the motions and circular movements of the kata he chose to follow, stepping, punching, kicking and dodging with his imagined opponent. All the while he kept his eyes closed - he wanted no risk of the outside world damaging his rare moment of calmness.

Inhale

Exhale

Ranma’s practice continued uninterrupted by any external or internal stimuli for many minutes, as he had deliberately chosen to do the longest kata practiced by the Anything-Goes School. He had made it past the 100th step in his routine with an empty mind before the cloud cover above briefly abated, and a ray of sunlight hit his face. In the brisk morning air, the heat from the sunbeam was unexpected, and almost immediately it triggered a memory in Ranma’s mind.

Inhale

Heat. Fire. Fire from heat. A raging inferno, all around him. Engulfing everything around him. Consuming all that he loved. Especially…

EXHALE

Ranma let out a loud huff, attempting to use the sound of his breath to chase out these thoughts. After this didn’t work, his eyes snapped open, and the bright sunlight stunned him briefly. Ranma stumbled backwards, his martial artist’s reflexes failing him as his foot caught one of the stones that lined the koi pond, and…

The shock of the cold water snapped Ranma out of his daze as he found himself immersed, underwater with the koi who by this point knew where to hide when a person fell into their home. Ranma surfaced for air, shaking his head and seeing his now-crimson bangs dangling in front of his face. Nothing like cold water and feeling your body suddenly change sex to break out of a panic attack.

Ranma sighed, and climbed out of the pond. Doing katas used to be the one thing he could always rely on to clear his mind, and now even that wasn’t working. No matter how hard he tried, Ranma couldn’t stop thinking about recent events: the hardest battle he ever faced, and nearly losing the most important person in his life. The things they said to each other. The things left unsaid. Nearly everyone in his life getting their say in his personal life before he did. Having not one, but two chances to cure his curse, and not taking either.

How was he supposed to go back to pretending that everything was the way it was when so much had happened so quickly?

The red-haired martial artist grumbled to himself as he wrung out his tank top. Being soaking wet in his workout clothes wasn’t going to help him get his mind off of his worries, so Ranma cut his exercising short and headed inside to dry off.

The Tendo Dojo, normally buzzing with activity from its many residents, was also unusually quiet this weekend. Akane had gone on an overnight girls’ trip with Yuka and Sayuri to a hotsprings resort, Nabiki was off ‘doing some business,’ and Ranma’s parents were across town working on repairing the damage recently done to the Saotome home (Genma insisted on doing as much of the work themselves, the old miser). The only people home with Ranma were Soun, who was reading the newspaper while smoking his morning cigarette, and Kasumi, who was dutifully doing some dishes in the kitchen.

Ranma managed to slip past the Tendo patriarch without saying a word, but had no such luck sneaking through the kitchen. “Oh, Ranma! You’re soaking wet! Did you fall into the pond again?” For someone not trained in martial arts, Kasumi had excellent senses.

Ranma stood up straight, and flashed a goofy grin to the eldest Tendo sister. “Heh, yeah, ya got me Kasumi,” he said, scratching the back of his head. “Just like old times, right?”

“It seems that way,” Kasumi said with a small chuckle. “I just hope the fish weren’t too startled.”

“I’m sure they’re fine,” Ranma replied. “S’been a while since I visited the koi, figured I’d drop in to say hi.”

Kasumi giggled even more, closing her eyes and holding a hand in front of her mouth like the epitome of grace that she was. “Would you like me to heat you up some water, then?”

“Nah, I’ll figure it out on my own. Thanks ‘Sumi!” Ranma quickly bowed, and pittered off from the kitchen and up the stairs. As the redhead peaked over the stairs onto the second floor, his stomach rumbled loudly. Since he had nothing else to do that day beyond some homework he was ignoring, Ranma decided now was as good a time as any to grab some food from the market. Especially since he’d already transformed into his cursed form.

Ranma quickly dried off in the laundry room, rummaged through his closet for a clean outfit, and checked himself in the bathroom mirror - practicing a coquettish smile or three in the process. Once satisfied, he pattered down the stairs once more, put on his shoes, and shouted to the half of the Tendo family that was home. “I’m headin’ out for a bit, see ya for dinner!” before heading out the front door.

“Oh, bye Ranma! Be safe while you’re out!” Kasumi replied.

“Yes, enjoy your day, son,” Soun mumbled, absorbed in the business section of the paper. And completely missing that the son he bid goodbye to left the house wearing a dress.

It was almost too easy.

Living in Furinkan for over a year, Ranma had mapped-out the locations of the best open air markets to grab a bite to eat from in the neighborhood. And likewise, possessing his curse for said amount of time, Ranma had also pinpointed the vendors who were most likely to give free extras to a cute, young girl such as himself. All he had to do was splash some cold water on himself, flash a big smile, and ham up his reactions, and he had half the mongers and cooks in the ward eating out of the palm of his hand. Or in this case, the other way around.

Ranma headed to a street on the other end of town, as most of the vendors near his place of residence had begun to catch onto the act and not throw as many freebies his way as of late. Approaching the street market, the aroma of the various foods being sold at its stalls made Ranma’s stomach growl even louder. It was time to put on his show.

Upon joining the small crowd in the market, Ranma slowly traipsed past its vendors, and made mental notes of each one who specifically tried to get his attention. He continued onward each time, but always came back on his second pass around - playing hard to get was key to getting free food. And once he repaid a visit to his chosen marks, it was always the same act.

“Oooooh, everything smells so good!!!” Ranma started when talking to each vendor he spoke with. And with his natural good looks, enthusiastic energy, and lack of the shame that other girls his age typically had, the rest was childs’ play. After a brief conversation with each seller, he had each one of them smitten.

“Well, aren’t you just a sweetheart,” said the takoyaki seller.

Hook.

“I certainly wouldn’t want ya to go hungry,” said the gyoza seller.

Line.

“Always a pleasure to chat with such a nice young lady,” said the dango seller. 

And sinker.

“Here’s a few extra, one the house!”  all three said by the end of Ranma’s time with them.

“Aww, thank you so much! You’re so kind!!!” Ranma said in reply to all three of the food vendors. And after skipping away happily from each stall, the redhead had a feast in hand. From there, Ranma sought out a place to chow down, not wanting to make Kasumi worry that he wasn’t getting enough to eat by bringing home extra food. After a little detour, he found a small parklet to sit down in.

Ranma sat down on a bench and unwrapped a paper tray of takoyaki - two servings for the price of one, thanks to his acting skills. After a sarcastic ‘ itadakimasu’ said to the unseen vendor, Ranma produced a pair of chopsticks from his takeout bag and prepared to dig in.

“Oh, good afternoon, Ranma! I was not expecting to see you here!”

A voice called out to Ranma - a voice from someone that went completely unsensed by the skilled martial artist - that startled him so badly he literally leapt from his seat. After landing gingerly on his feet, he expertly caught every single takoyaki that had flown from his tray before searching for whoever it was who snuck up on him. Luckily, said person wasn’t trying to hide, even though they clearly were able to.

“Not that it is bad to see you! It is always a pleasure! It is simply that it has been a while since you have stopped by the restaurant, and it seems as though we never see each other outside of there, that is all!”

After lowering his defenses, Ranma replied to the quickly-spiraling person before him. “Oh, hey Konatsu, what’s up! Also, you do know you don’t need to be so sneaky, right?”

Konatsu giggled in the same dainty way that Kasumi had early. “I am deeply sorry if I gave you a fright. It is always difficult to remember that, being a kunoichi and all.”

“Nah, it’s alright! Just, uhh, wasn’t expecting to be recognized today, that’s all,” Ranma replied, shyly looking away from the young ninja before him. “So, uh, what brings you to this neck of the woods? Aren’t ya typically workin’ at Ucchan’s on the weekends? And, ya know, most other days?”

“Oh! Mistress Ukyo gave me this weekend off. I had a doctor’s appointment this morning, and felt it would be nice to explore the neighborhood afterwards,” Konatsu replied. “Oh how I am so grateful for Mistress Ukyo’s kindness!!!”

“Doctor’s appointment? Is everything alright?”

“Oh, yes, very much so! Actually, I have never felt better,” Kontasu said, smiling brightly and blushing a little. “Also! Not to change the subject, but that is a very lovely outfit that you are wearing!”

Ranma’s face turned the same color as his hair. Owing to the fact that he wasn’t planning on running into anyone he knew, Ranma had taken his cursed form’s femininity to the next level by wearing a short-sleeved lavender dress with a floral print, and white open-toe shoes. Kontasu was fairly certain that Ranma was also wearing eyeliner and mascara, but chose not to bring up that observation. 

“Um, th….thank you,” Ranma said, strangely flustered at receiving such a genuine compliment. The redhead finally noticed that Konatsu was dressed much less traditionally than normal, wearing a red top paired with a black knee-length skirt. “I, uh, I like….your outfit, too.”

“Thank you so much! Now that I am away from my family, I have started to experiment with some western-style clothing. I am glad you like it!”

To any passerby, the conversation between Ranma and Konatsu would have looked like any other two teenage girls talking about fashion. The strangeness that it was actually between two boys was lost on Ranma, who was instead thrown off at wondering why being complimented on his outfit felt so nice. Just like earlier in the day, Ranma chased his uncomfortable thoughts from his head as quickly as possible. “So, uh, I got a bunch of food from the market. You want some?”

Stars shone in Konatsu’s eyes as he held back tears at such an offer. “Oh, how I would love to! But, I could not take up such an offer. I have nothing to repay you for your kindness!”

“Hey, don’t worry about it!” Ranma replied. “I got half this stuff for free, so no sweat!”

Konatsu choked back a sob. “Beautiful, and generous! Oh, you truly are the best of us, Ranma!”

Ranma once again flinched at the complement. Unlike the passing remarks from the market vendors and the like, Konatsu’s words were genuine, and had no ulterior motives behind them. They hit differently, and Ranma had no idea how to handle them. 

So instead, he refocused on his ill-gotten feast. Ranma scarfed down the various treats he had gotten earlier, making sure to save some of each dish for Konatsu, who gently nibbled on each item he ate, savoring its flavor. 

After several minutes of silent eating, Ranma finally spoke up. “So, whatcha up to after this?”

“Well,” Konatsu started after swallowing the tiniest bite of dango, “I did not have any further plans for today. I think I will likely see if Mistress Ukyo needs any help at the restaurant.”

“Ah, Ucchan’ll be fine! You should enjoy your time off!” Ranma replied. “I was thinkin’ about getting some ice cream after this. You wanna come along?”

The stars returned to Konatsu’s eyes. “Ice cream? I was never allowed such a decadent treat…”

“That’s how I was last year, and I’m basically addicted now. Whaddaya say? My treat!”

“So, whatcha think?”

Ranma sat across from Konatsu at a windowside table in the cafe he frequented the most. Kontasu was transfixed with the small bowl of plain ice cream before him - even though Ranma offered to pay, he still insisted on ordering the least expensive item on the menu. The kunoichi took the tiniest bite of ice cream, making sure to savor every bite, before replying.

“This is the most magnificent thing I have ever tasted…” Konatsu dreamily said, before quickly adding, “Oh! Aside from Mistress Ukyo’s okonomiyaki of course!!!”

“Don’t worry, I promise I won’t tell Ucchan!” Ranma chuckled, before taking a huge bite of his own ice cream. Ranma uncharacteristically paced himself while eating the deluxe parfait he had ordered, both because he was already full from his meal before, and because he felt strangely compelled to keep his brash behavior in check in the company of his graceful companion. Still, he was nearly finished with his dessert, while Konatsu’s was barely half-eaten. They might be here for a while…

“This is truly a momentous day,” Kontasu said, his face full of gratitude. “Oh, how I thank you for your kindness, Ranma. How can I possibly repay you for this incredible gift?!?”

“Hey, don’t sweat it! I’m just glad ya like it!” Ranma replied with a beam. He ate the final spoonful of his ice cream, and watched as his friend daintily nibbled on his. It never ceased to amaze Ranma just how, well, girly Konatsu was. Not just in his appearance, but his movements, his mannerisms, his speech patterns, everything about him just exuded femininity - even more so than certain girls in his life did. He even called himself a kunoichi for cryin’ out loud! And although Ranma had learned the truth about Konatsu shortly after meeting him, he still had to catch himself from thinking of him as a girl.

A normal girl, just like Akane, or Nabiki, or Kasumi, or….

“Can I get you anything else today, miss?”

“Hrm?” Ranma’s train of thought derailed after the owner of the cafe made his way over to his and Konatsu’s table. Ranma blinked twice, looked down at his empty parfait glass, and then waved his hands at the man before him. “Oh, no! I’m okay for today! But thank you so much!!!” Ranma replied, flashing a smile and cocking his head slightly to the side.

“And for you, ma’am? Anything else I can get you?”

“I also do not need anything else. But many thanks for the wonderful treat!” Konatsu replied, closing his eyes and also showing a small smile to the owner.

“Of course. You ladies have a wonderful rest of your day, come back any time!” The cafe owner offered to take Ranma’s empty glass, and made his way back behind the counter.

“Goodness, everyone is so kind in Tokyo!” Konatsu mused, as he returned to eating his ice cream. The two sat in silence for a few moments, with Ranma watching Konatsu slowly finish his dessert, lost once more in his own thoughts. Finally, after chewing on a question until it was nice and tender, Ranma blurted it out.

“Hey, ‘Natsu, can I ask ya somethin’?”

Konatsu finished his tiny spoonful of ice cream before responding. “Of course, Ranma! You can always feel free to ask me any question!” the dark-haired ninja said, resting his spoon gentling at the edge of his ice cream dish.

“So, like…” Ranma started, before stumbling over his words. “Why are….” He didn’t want to say anything that could offend his companion, but had no idea how to phrase what he wanted to say without risking it. So he went ahead and asked it anyway.

“How come you’re so comfortable with everyone treatin’ you like a girl?”

Konatsu blinked, but otherwise elicited no other response to Ranma’s question. Ranma immediately began to panic, fearing his big mouth had gotten him in trouble again.

“I mean, you don’t gotta answer that if ya don’t wanna. It’s just, I mean, I-”

“No, it’s quite alright, Ranma! I don’t mind answering at all,” Kontasu replied, interrupting the redhead’s spiraling. “It is quite simple: I am comfortable with being treated as a girl, because I am one.”

Ranma’s remained flustered, as he did not expect such a matter of fact answer to his admittedly-random query. “But, like, we all know that-”

“Yes, yes, you and Mistress Ukyo and Mistress Akane all saw my….my body during the fight with my step-sisters,” Kontasu replied, cutting off her friend before he put his foot in his mouth once more. “But that is completely irrelevant to who I truly am. I know in my heart that I am a girl, so that is all that matters.” Konatsu did her best to remain stoic during her declaration of womanhood, but her heart fluttered in her chest - it was truly a miracle that her voice did not quaver with anxiety as she spoke. Despite everything, she still had no idea how Ranma would take the news.

“Hey, that’s great, Natsu! Good on ya fer bein’ honest with yourself!”

The kunoichi exhaled deeply as Ranma’s instant acceptance of her calmed her nerves. “T..thank you, Ranma. It…feels very good to be open with you.”

“O’course! I’ve dealt with enough people with Jusenkyo curses to know that what you are on the outside ain’t who you are on the inside!” Ranma replied with a big grin. “You shoulda told me sooner! Now I feel bad about callin’ you a boy for so long!”

Konatsu’s eyes began to tear up - her emotions had been getting the better of her lately, and her coming out to Ranma had gone even better than she had hoped. “It is quite alright! You and Mistress Ukyo are the only ones I have officially told. It is…quite a difficult thing to be honest about, but I always knew that you would understand how I feel. Thank you so, so much for being a wonderful friend, Ranma!” Konatsu said, doing her best to bow while seated at a cafe table.

“No worries! I totally get it! Just ‘cause I got my curse it don’t mean I ain’t a guy inside, so I can relate,” Ranma said, pointing at himself with his thumb. Full of swagger, the redhead closed his eyes to pose, and Konatsu could now clearly see that Ranma was wearing eye makeup to compliment his outfit. And on that confirmation, Konatsu failed to stifle a small giggle.

“Hey! What’re you laughin’ at?!” Ranma replied, his ego immediately deflated at the kunoichi’s dainty chuckle.

“I am sorry, it is….well,” Konatsu started, dabbing tears of laughter and catharsis away from her eyes with a napkin, “it is very funny to hear you say that when you look the way you do!”

Ranma’s pupil’s narrowed as he grew red. “What the heck Natsu?! Didn’t we just talk about ‘who we are on the inside?’ What gives?!”

Her friend’s immediate fluster only made Konatsu more amused. “For starters, you are in your cursed form right now, no?”

“Yeah, ‘cause I can scam free food off’a the fogies at the food stalls this way!” Ranma replied, crossing his arms in a pout. “It’s how I fed your ungrateful butt today!”

“And I am still deeply thankful for your generosity,” Konatsu replied. “However, did you need to dress like that to make the men in the market want to give you gifts? Surely they would give any pretty girl who asked for a free sample, no matter what she was wearing.”

Ranma froze, his hands clutching the top of his head in embarrassment, and suddenly feeling very exposed in the sundress he wore.

“And no matter what her makeup looked like,” Konatsu added.

Ranma’s face went from beet red to ashen white, and he quickly buried his head in his arms on the table. Silence hung in the air once more, and Konatsu took another nibble of her ice cream while her companion remained silent, and motionless. Finally, after hearing a muffled sigh from the redhead across from her, the kunoichi spoke up.

“Ranma, take it from this one: there is no shame in enjoying being a girl.”

A few more seconds passed, before Ranma mumbled, “Konatsu, I swear on my honor, if you tell anyone about this…”

“I promise, I will not tell a soul about our wonderful afternoon. Not even Mistress Ukyo,” Kontasu replied, nodding her head with a small pout. “It would be shameful of me to out anyone before they are ready, anyway.”

“I ain’t out as nothin,’” Ranma said, raising his head from his crossed arms. “It’s just…” The confidence left his voice as suddenly as it returned, and after another sigh, Ranma rested his chin in his palms. “It’s nice to get away from havin’ to be a guy, ya know? From all the expectations, the judgment, the scroo….the screw…”

“Scrutiny?”

“Yeah, that word! Scrutiny. All the pressure to be tough and manly and stoic, I don’t gotta deal with none a’ that when I’m like this. I can just relax, and do what I want without worryin’ if it’s something that guys shouldn’t do. It’s….pretty nice, honestly.”

Konatsu smiled warmly at Ranma, her hands clasped in front of her. “I completely understand! And I apologize if I implied anything, I am just happy that you are comfortable enough to tell me all of these things!”

Ranma turned his eyes away from the beaming kunoichi in front of him. “Y..yeah, o’course! You, uh, definitely understand how it is way more than anyone else would.”

Ranma waited patiently for Konatsu to finish the remainder of her ice cream, and after being showered with thanks for paying for his and Konatsu’s bill, the two left the cafe. Ranma stood awkwardly silent on the sidewalk outside, uncertain of how to kindly excuse himself to run home, but thankfully for him Konatsu spoke first.

“Thank you so much for the wonderful afternoon, Ranma! It was very nice being able to spend time together!” Konatsu said, bowing to her friend.

“Yeah! It was, um, it was super fun! Honestly!” Ranma said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I know it will not be enough to repay your kindness, but if you would so wish, would I be able to offer you something in return for today?”

“Err, ya really don’t gotta get me back for this! I said it was my treat!” Ranma replied.

“Well, may I propose my offer as a token of our friendship, then?”

Ranma sighed, and smiled. “Yeah, go for it, ‘Natsu.”

“Since I also have tomorrow off, I was planning on going shopping for some new clothes to celebrate my coming out. Would you like to accompany me?” Konatsu asked, tilting her head sideways and smiling politely. “You, of course, can dress however you would like if you do come.”

Ranma’s chest tightened into a knot, and he had to fight every impulse to run away or shoot down Konatsu’s offer with some backhanded remark. ‘Real men don’t go on shopping dates with friends,’ his subconscious immediately fired at him, ‘And they especially don’t try on any girly crap while doing it.’

But Ranma fought his learned behavior, and stayed quiet. He didn’t have to be a “real man” around Konatsu. Of all the people in the world, Konatsu wouldn’t judge him for falling short of the expectations placed on him as a man, or a martial artist, or the heir to his family school. Konatsu was kind, gentle, and understanding.

She was safe.

After too long of a pause, Ranma worked up the muster to reply.

“Yeah, that…honestly sounds like a lot of fun…”

“Oh, that’s so great to hear!” Konatsu replied, quickly clapping her hands together. “Shall we meet by Ucchan’s tomorrow around eleven?”

“Sure! Just, uhh, make sure Ucchan doesn’t snoop on what we’re doing, ‘kay?”

The next morning began like many others at the Tendo Dojo. Ranma woke up at the break of dawn, did an hour or so of practice in the training hall, got dressed in his usual attire, and joined the Tendo family for breakfast. The only pieces missing were his father trying to steal food from his bowl, and Akane, still not back from her trip, lambasting the Saotomes for their bad behavior.

After finishing his meal, Ranma broke the monotony by proclaiming loudly at the breakfast table that he had a lot of homework to catch up on, and that he would be busy in his room all day.

“Good on you, son, for finally taking time to dedicate to your studies!” Soun exclaimed.

“Of course! I’ll be extra sure to not make too much noise today,” Kasumi stated.

‘I’ll believe it when I see it,’ Nabiki said to herself with a smirk.

Once breakfast was over, Ranma practically ran up the stairs to his bedroom. He kicked aside his untouched schoolbag from in front of his closet, and decided on what he was actually going to wear for the day. For he had much more exciting plans than homework.

After splashing himself with cold water from the bathroom sink, and spending some time getting ready, Ranma flashed a smile and a ‘V’ sign in the mirror; he was ready to tackle the day. Ranma then climbed out the bathroom window, gracefully leapt from the second floor down to the courtyard, and snuck to the edge of the property, hopping over the wall once he was confident the coast was clear.

Ranma lightly jogged through Furinkan to Ucchan’s Okonomiyaki, the restaurant owned by his friend Ukyo, and diligently tended to by his other friend whom he was meeting outside. Konatsu stood in front of the restaurant, her hair tied in her usual long ponytail, wearing a purple a-line dress paired with a cardigan. Though Ranma moved with the finesse of a master martial artist, Konatsu had no trouble hearing him coming from down the block.

“Oh, good morning Ranma! It is a pleasure to see you!” Konatsu greeted her friend, waving excitedly.

“Mornin’ Natsu! Hope I’m not late!” Ranma replied, grinning wide and waving back.

“Even if you were, it would not bother me in the slightest,” the kunoichi replied. “I hope it does not make you uncomfortable to say this, but love your outfit today! And your eyeliner is adorable!”

“Thanks!” Ranma replied. The redhead wore a simple outfit of black capris and striped top, paired with her usual black shoes, neutral eyeshadow, and winged eyeliner. “And I hope it looks good, it took me forever to get the crummy lines even…”

The pair walked to Furinkan station and took the train to the Kitazawa district, where Konatsu had learned of several second-hand stores (she was on a tight budget, afterall). After arriving, Ranma’s anxiety returned. Sure, he’d been shopping for girl clothes before, but only really ever for a disguise or a prank. Most of his feminine wardrobe had been bought for him by his mom, when he was still pretending to be Akane’s cousin, and he’d just been secretly wearing that on his expeditions out in his girl mode. Would he really be able to handle the embarrassment of clothes shopping for fun?

“Oh, this way! I’ve heard that this one has lots of nice items inside, and they’re so affordable too!”

But once the two got started, the day flew by like a breeze. Konatsu’s enthusiasm assuaged Ranma’s fears, and the two spent all afternoon browsing and trying on clothes at several stores in the neighborhood. And though Ranma had initially only intended on accompanying his friend while she shopped, he wound up buying more than a few pieces for himself.

And by the time they reached the final store on their itinerary, Ranma was flipping through the racks with even more excitement than Konatsu.

“Whaddaya think of this one, ‘Natsu?” Ranma asked, as he draped a blue polka-dot dress over his torso to measure it over his petite body. The redhead looked up, and caught Konatsu giggling, with a hand daintily covering her mouth. “What, does it clash with my hair or somethin?’”

“No, it’s quite lovely,” Konatsu replied.

“Then what?” Ranma spat back, putting the dress back on the rack. “I don’t wanna look stupid if I buy it!”

“It’s just, well,” Konatsu started. “You look so happy right now. Like you have really been enjoying yourself all day. Forgive me for saying this, but you seem so happy to be a girl!”

Ranma paused, and the introspection he was staving off all day hit all at once. He was enjoying himself, far more than he ever expected. He looked down at his body, perfectly feminine and clad in clothing that accentuated his cursed form’s figure instead of hiding it like usual, and he felt free of the usual tension and discomfort he normally felt while out and about in his male form. 

He then looked back up to his ecstatic companion. To the rest of the world, they looked like two normal teenage girls having a day out, regardless of who they once were, and deep down inside, Ranma enjoyed that. He enjoyed the fashion, the compliments, the ice cream, the emotional freedom, and even the attention he got while he was a girl. It just felt so natural. And in that moment, Ranma finally admitted something that felt completely wrong and yet more correct than anything he had ever said in his life:

She really did enjoy being a girl.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Ranma said, tears suddenly welling up in her eyes. “I am havin’ fun. A lotta fun.”

“I am so glad! I am having a wonderful time as well!” Konatsu replied. “And I am terribly sorry if I made it seem like that dress would not suit you, in fact it-” 

For the first time since their meeting, Ranma was able to slip past Konatsu’s ninja reflexes and catch her off guard. As Ranma dashed toward her friend and embraced her in a hug, Konatsu was briefly startled, but her shocked expression quickly softened into a gentle smile, and she hugged her back.

“Thank you, ‘Natsu,” Ranma said softly, her face buried in her taller friend’s shoulder.

“You are so welcome, Ranma. Anything for a friend.”

“Can we do this again sometime?” Ranma said, muffled.

“Of course! I would enjoy nothing more than to have some more girl time with you!”

Ranma returned home, once again sneaking through the courtyard and hopping through the bathroom window to reenter the Tendo home. She looked in the mirror once more, doing another cute pose, before sighing and cleaning her face of her makeup. She didn’t want to raise too much suspicion, after all. After washing up, Ranma tiptoed across the hall to her room, where she stuffed her shopping bags deep into her closet where she kept her other feminine items, and changed back into her usual attire. Red silk top, loose black pants, belt tied around the waist: a classic. 

But a classic that felt almost as discomforting now as it was familiar. The way Ranma’s normal clothing was massively oversized in her female form could be considered cute by some, but now, after wearing clothes that actually fit her for two afternoons in a row, it felt silly. Like she was putting on a show for everyone. But it was a show everyone was expecting to see, so she would keep performing.

Ranma snuck across the hall once more into the restroom, and turned on the hot water tap. And once again, the prospect of changing back into a boy - something she was used to and often sought out in the past - felt worrying. Even though she knew she could always change back, she didn’t want to stop being in her current form for the first time ever. Sure, Ranma had grown more comfortable in her cursed form over the past year and change, but deep down she always knew she was a boy. He had to be - that’s what he originally was, so that's how it was no matter what he looked like.

But then again, Konatsu had no trouble making peace with being a woman even though she was originally a boy. Could it be that…

No. Absolutely not. Ranma could be a girl sometimes with her curse, and have some more girls’ trips with Konatsu when she felt like it. But he still needed to a boy for everyone else. His family, his friends, his honor, his legacy. Akane….

They all needed boy Ranma to stick around, so that’s how it would be. Ranma cupped his hands under the warm tap and splashed himself with the warm water, and everything - his height, his weight, his muscles, and his hair - were all back to the way they were before. He dried his hands, avoided looking in the mirror, and left to join the Tendos for dinner.

Dinner at the Tendo house was like every other, save for once again the absence of the chaos that Genma brought when he was there with his son. Akane had returned from her trip, and after teasing each other, she and Ranma sat down at the table next to each other like they always did. However, Ranma’s notoriously loud mouth was atypically quiet at dinner, with him only raising his voice when Nabiki accused him of sleeping all day since he wasn’t making any noise upstairs during his “studying.” 

After eating, Ranma and Akane sparred for a bit in the dojo. Or, at least, Ranma half-heartedly dodged Akane’s blows as she tried to spar with him. Akane knew that something had to be off - even though Ranma never really fought back, he at least always played along with her when they practiced. And never missed an opportunity to sarcastically insult her techniques or form.

But today, he was silent. And she had to know why.

“Ranma?”

“Hrmm?” the pigtailed boy absent-mindedly replied, toweling himself off even though he barely broke a sweat.

“Is…there something wrong? You’ve been awfully quiet since I got back. Did…something happen?”

“....” He paused for moment, which only made Akane worry more.

“You know, you can….always come to me if something did. I-”

“Nah, nothin’ happened Akane. Promise.” Ranma rebutted sharply. “It was just a quiet weekend so I’m being quiet too, s’all. Didn’t have no tomboy around to harass me all weekend, so I’m off my game” he added, sticking his tongue out at his fiance. But the barbs in his words, however playful they normally were now, were dulled this time.

Akane wanted to press on further, but decided to leave it be. Ranma was always a tough nut to crack, thanks to his old man parenting, so she let the subject drop.

“You want the bath first?” Ranma asked, keeping the silence to a minimum as best as he could.

“Oh no, I spent all weekend bathing! I’ll be fine for a little while. You take it first,” Akane said with a gentle smile, betraying her worried eyes. “And take as much time as you need.”

Akane unpacked her bag in her bedroom as Ranma cleaned up across the hall. ‘There’s definitely something going on,’ she thought to herself as she piled up the weekend’s laundry. ‘Ranma’s not slick enough to hide how he’s feeling. I just wish he would trust me for once. It’s not like we haven’t gone through enough together…’ Akane sighed, and laid out her pajamas on the bed, ready to put on after her bath. 

Akane’s pensiveness wouldn’t last much longer, as an ear-shattering scream pierced the silence. “Ranma!” she exclaimed, and darted across the hall to the bath. From the hallway, she could hear three more sets of footsteps rushing from the bottom floor to join her. Modestly be damned, she clacked open the sets of sliding doors to the bath, to see what had happened to Ranma to make him yell so loudly. 

Being the first to the scene, Akane saw Ranma, sitting on the shower stool, running the cool water from the shower head over himself while staring blankly at the tiled wall. It took a moment for Akane to realize what was wrong: though the water from the faucet was cold, Ranma was still in his male form. The water still ran over his body as he sat, and yet he did not transform.

His curse wasn’t activating.

“R…Ranma…”

“My curse isn’t working. I’m not changing…” Ranma said, lowly and distantly.

Akane immediately wanted to congratulate Ranma for seemingly being cured of his curse - a goal he had worked toward for so long. And yet, his reaction to such news seemed so sad? Like he was disappointed that, at least for now, he couldn’t change into a girl.

But why?

“Ranma, is everything alright?”

“What is it, son?! What’s wrong?!”

Akane was pushed out of the way by the rest of her family joining the two teens, and once more Ranma gave his deflated response.

“I ran the cold water from the shower over myself, and I didn’t change. I’m still….”

“Pfft, well how’d you figure that one out, Saotome?” Nabiki tittered. “After all that effort, it just went away? Go figure.”

“Oh Ranma, that’s wonderful news!” Kasumi chimed in. “And now we’ll save so much on our hot water bill!”

“There’s my boy, finally a complete man again!” Soun said, clapping Ranma on the shoulder as he sat under the running water. “Oh, what a marvelous day it is for both of our families!”

As the excited voices of the Tendo family raised to a raucous volume, Ranma kept quiet in a way that made Akane even more concerned. After all this time, was Ranma…sad to lose his curse?

“We’re all so happy for you, son! And I’m sure you must be overjoyed yourself!”

Ranma, finally bringing himself to speak, quietly replied:

“Yep. Couldn’t be happier…”

Chapter Text

“I’m telling you Saotome, it’s just gone! He doesn’t change anymore, no matter how much cold water you splash on him!”

Soun Tendo took a long drag of his cigarette as he held the telephone receiver to his ear, and listened to his friend excitedly reply to the good news. As he exhaled, his expression matched the joy the person on the other end of the line was experiencing.

Ranma’s curse had been cured, seemingly on its own. And the entire household was celebrating.

“Well, I don’t exactly know how it happened. It seemingly went away on its own. What good fortune!” Soun chuckled, before his laughter was interrupted by a short coughing fit. “Maybe there’s some sort of time limit on the magic? Or a number of times it can be used? Ranma certainly seems to have been changing more often lately…”

Sitting at the dining table, with his legs crossed and hands resting in his lap, Ranma Saotome stared off into the courtyard of the Tendo Dojo through the open doors to the engawa . Set in front of him was a small plate with a taiyaki placed on it - purchased from the local convenience store by Kasumi, who didn’t have time to prepare something more substantial for such a sudden occasion. Ranma had poked at it a few times, but not taken any bites.

Surrounding him, Nabiki and Kasumi didn’t seem to notice.

“Oh, I’m just so happy for you, Ranma! We’ll have to do a more proper celebration soon!” Kasumi exclaimed, tilting her head and smiling in her usual graceful way.

“Yeah, congrats Saotome!” Nabiki added, patting Ranma on the back. “You losing your curse is gonna cost me in lost revenue, but I’m happy for you, promise!”

“Oh, I’m sure you’re thrilled,” Ranma said sarcastically to the middle Tendo sister.

“Not as thrilled as you are, I’m sure!” Nabiki replied, the venom in Ranma’s voice sliding right off her. “Just think! No more dodging raindrops, no more public embarrassment, no more confessions of love from creepy guys…”

“And our water bills will be so much lower!” Kasumi mused.

“Yeah, it’ll definitely make life a lot easier,” Ranma added flatly.

From the end of the dining table, Akane watched as Ranma half-heartedly replied to her sisters’ congratulations. Since she had met Ranma a little over a year prior, he had wanted nothing more than to be rid of his curse - to never have to endure the indignity of being a girl ever again. And here he had finally achieved his goal.

Why wasn’t he celebrating with the rest of her family?

“You got cursed right before Ranma did, right? Why don’t you test it out and see if you’re cured, too?” Soun smiled with his cigarette between his lips, imagining how much easier the wedding between his daughter and Genma’s son would be now that his pesky condition was gone. It would be even easier if the boy would actually do something about all the other suitors that he had, but for now the Tendo patriarch chose to focus on the positives. Though his fantasies of finally uniting the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts would be interrupted by the sound of animalistic growling through the phone receiver.

“Hrmm? What’s that? I can’t understand you, Saotome!” Soun sighed and scratched his head. Judging by what he heard on the other end of the line, Genma’s curse still worked. And he smirked, picturing a sad, soggy panda holding a telephone on the other end of Tokyo. “Guess your curse hasn’t gone away yet, eh? Oh well, it was worth a shot.” Soun added, chuckling once more.

“Well, old friend, you aren’t much of a conversation partner when you’re a bear, so I’ll let you go. Just give me a call back later in the week; we have planning to do now!” Soun hung up the phone, took one last puff of his cigarette, and then joined his family at the dining table.

“So, how does it feel, Ranma? To finally be a complete man again?” he asked, extinguishing his cigarette butt in the ashtray placed at his usual end of the table. “I’m sure you must be ecstatic!”

Ranma breathed in deeply, before turning to face Soun. “Yeah! Feels great Mr. Tendo,” he replied, smiling slightly. “Ain’t gotta worry about anyone makin’ fun of me anymore, or overcompensating for it, or anything like that…”

“Yes, yes! And no more silly outfits or schemes, either! Now you can finally dedicate yourself fully to your studies, and to courting your fiance!” Soun replied, who was even more pleased to not hear the usual protests from Ranma or Akane when addressing their engagement. 

“Yep! Back ta how it’s supposed to be, right?” Ranma replied, his gaze wandering from Mr. Tendo back into the courtyard, staring particularly at the koi pond in the distance.

“Oh, it’s going to be such an adjustment, not having your cursed form around anymore!” Kasumi said. “It’ll almost be like having someone move out!”

“You’re tellin’ me sis!” Nabiki replied, “I’m about to have a lot less spending money on account of that redhead going away!”

“Nabiki!” Akane said, finally breaking her silence. “Drop it.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Akane, we know you’re going to miss her most of all~” Nabiki tittered, winking at her younger sister.

Akane began to fume, but before she could explode at Nabiki, Ranma stood up and interrupted the banter. “Well, thanks fer all the well-wishes, but it’s late and I’m exhausted. I’m gonna hit the hay,” he said, mocking a stretch and a yawn.

“But Ranma! You haven’t touched your taiyaki !” Kasumi replied. “Would you like me to get you something else?”

“Nah, don’t worry about it, Kasumi. I’m still full from dinner,” Ranma said, flashing the eldest Tendo sister a smile, “I ‘preciate it though, thanks!”

Ranma excused himself from the dining table, and rounded the corner from the common room to the second-floor staircase. No sooner had he placed his foot on the first stair, did he feel a tug on the back of his tank top.

“Ranma, wait!”

The pigtailed boy paused, but did not turn to face who had stopped him; keeping his foot planted on the stair.

“What’s up, Akane?”

“Is…something wrong? If...if there is, you can tell me.”

Ranma sighed, and stepped back from the staircase, turning to face Akane. “With me? Nah, nothing’s wrong, not even in the slightest!” He replied, flashing a big grin and waving his hands. “What makes ya think that?”

Akane wasn’t fooled by Ranma’s act - it may work on her family, but she knew him too well to not know when the big dummy was putting on an act. No matter how many big smiles and big statements to the contrary, Akane could tell when Ranma’s big blue eyes were dulled by sadness. She fidgeted slightly, trying to just once be sincere with the one person who aggravated her more than any other. And fighting the impulse to take the easy way out by telling him his little show wasn’t working on her.

“Well, I’m waitin’!”

“Ranma! Just…” Akane began, “Something is clearly upsetting you. You’ve been desperate to get rid of your curse since the day we met, and now that you’ve done it you’re moping around instead of celebrating!” She took a deep breath, letting the eternal frustration with Ranma that broke her nerves ease a bit before continuing. “I know everyone else in the house is ignoring it, but if there’s something wrong, please….let me know. You can trust me, promise.”

Ranma stood in silence for a moment, briefly making eye contact with Akane before quickly darting his eyes to the floor. Akane was pouring her heart out for him, so the least he could do for her was do the same.

“It….it’s nothin,’ promise. Just doesn’t feel real, ya know? I’ll snap out of it and be back to normal tomorrow. Better than normal, even!” Ranma replied, closing his eyes and smiling once more. 

He couldn’t say it. It was too embarrassing, too terrifying to admit. And he didn’t want Akane or any of the Tendos worrying about him, or even worse, being angry with him.

So he wouldn’t make them.

“You’re sure? Really sure?” Akane asked once more.

“You don’t gotta worry ‘bout me Akane. I’m fine, I’m always fine! Whatever this is, I’ll get over it. A real man always does!” Ranma said, flexing a muscle to emphasize his point.

Akane stood silent for a few moments longer, before sighing herself. “If you say so. Just…get some rest, okay?”

Ranma nodded silently, and the two turned their backs to each other as Ranma plodded up the stairs.

“So, what’s the word on Saotome?” Nabiki asked her sister as she returned to the common room. The middle Tendo daughter was nibbling away at Ranma’s forlorn taiyaki .

“Nothing, he’s fine,” Akane said as she took a seat, and half-heartedly watched the variety show her dad had tuned into. “He always is…”

Avoiding the bathroom mirror once more, Ranma brushed his teeth and returned to the bedroom he suddenly had all to himself. He shut the sliding door behind him and turned on the lights, sitting down on his futon and trying to finish a volume of manga he had been reading over the past few nights. But his attention kept wavering from the pages in front of him to the closet door in the corner of his room, no matter how hard he tried to focus on the story. After staring at the same page for over a minute and not comprehending what was happening, he tossed the tankoban aside, and walked over to his closet.

He had to know, even though he didn’t want to.

Ranma reached deep into the closet and retrieved one of the bags from his earlier shopping trip. He dumped the contents on his futon - two tops, a pair of skinny jeans, and a polka-dot dress - and went cold looking at them. He felt utterly ridiculous even thinking of reaching for one of the garments, but he had to get the urge out of his mind. 

Ranma removed her tank top and snatched one of the tops she had bought and tried putting it on. It was far too small now, and she struggled to get her arms into the sleeves. After hearing a terrifying rip as she slid it past her now-broader shoulders, she took it off - struggling even more than she did when putting it on. She then tried the other top - which was made of cotton and had more give. Ranma was able to get it on, but even with its stretchiness it still felt very snug. She removed it as well, and tried on the jeans, not even able to get them fully on due to her legs being longer in her boy form.

Finally, Ranma picked up the dress that Kontasu had said looked so good on her earlier. She held it up to herself, draping it over her torso and pulling the skirt out, imagining nice how it felt to spin around while wearing it earlier. She looked down at herself, and even without trying it on she knew it would never fit - her shoulders were too big, her chest too wide, and her waist too broad and muscular to even want to risk it. In a rush, she stuffed all the items back into their bag, tossed it back in her closet, and shut the door. Ranma then turned off the lights, scooted to the far end of her futon, and swaddled herself in her comforter; facing away from the bedroom door and burying her head in her pillow.

She wanted to make sure no one else in the house could hear her crying.

“Wake up, Saotome! Curse or not you still gotta go to school!”

A groggy Ranma was awoken by Nabiki banging on his bedroom door. He had struggled to fall asleep the previous night, and even when rest did find him it was shallow and uneasy. So much for having an easier time sleeping while Pops was away…

The martial artist trudged over to the other end of his bedroom and dressed in his usual attire: sleeveless red silk shirt, loose black pants, and a white belt. Classic. As he finished fastening his shirt closed, Ranma noticed a polka-dot hem peeking out of the bottom of his closet. He grumbled, and unceremoniously kicked it further back into the void - no use risking another episode like the previous night.

Besides, such clothing is unbefitting of a man amongst men. Like Ranma was. Like he had to be.

And yet, saying this to himself did not chase away his worries like it used to.

It didn't matter. Sulking and dwelling on memories wouldn’t change anything, so Ranma grabbed his school bag full of unfinished homework, brushed his teeth without looking in the mirror, and ran downstairs to grab a quick bite before heading to school.

After barely making it out the door on time, the walk to school was like any other, with Ranma walking on the fence bordering the canal as per usual, and Akane keeping to the ground next to him. The usual banter, bickering, and teasing between the two was mostly absent this morning, though, as Ranma mostly stared at the waterway that followed their commute.

“You alright, Ranma?”

“Hmm, oh yeah, I’m good,” Ranma replied to his fiance. “Heh, just thinkin’ about how I’m probably never gonna hafta worry about fallin’ into the water here anymore.”

Akane had deliberately not brought up the events of the previous night, still uncertain of how Ranma was feeling. But the levity of that quip made her feel a little better about it. Maybe Ranma was just fine after all. It would only make sense, considering his chauvinistic behavior over the past year…

“Did you manage to finish your English assignment over the weekend?” Akane asked.

“Whadda you think?” Ranma joked, eliciting a playful groan from Akane. “S’not like I’m ever gonna go to America.”

“Well, your grades are still important!” Akane retorted. “Keep this up and you won’t make it out of high school! It’s a miracle you passed last year…”

“Eh, my future’s been decided for me,” Ranma said, placing his arms behind his head. “I’m gonna inherit the school and be some kinda macho hero, right? Don’t need good grades for that.” 

The pair continued walking silently afterward; Akane not wanting to argue about how important Ranma’s future was to him when her own future was so tightly wound in it. Ranma hopped off the fence as the canal diverged from their path to school, and as they walked the pair passed the uchimizu lady, dutifully spreading water onto the sidewalk like she always did. And for what felt like the first time ever, she paused her ladling as Ranma and Akane passed, not wanting to splash the two teenagers.

Ranma chuckled and shook his head as they walked by and the old woman resumed her morning activity. Maybe it was true that people with Jusenkyo curses were water magnets after all…

As Furinkan High approached at the end of the path, Ranma marveled at how dry he had stayed - maybe his curse-free future would be okay, if it meant no longer having to deal with damp clothes and soggy shoes. That was, until he heard a gush of water spray past him, and an unwelcome yet familiar voice calling out to him.

“Ranma Saotome! I knew I would find you here!” Having leapt in front of Ranma and Akane, and brandishing the Super Soaker he had pulled from his robes, Mousse stood tall, ready to challenge his bitter rival for the first time in months. “And now that I’ve turned you into a girl, you’ll be no match for my-”

“Mousse, what the hell?!?” Akane shouted, now soaking wet from the blast of water that Mousse had intended for Ranma.

“Mousse you idiot, put your glasses on!” Ranma shouted. “Ugh, I ain’t got time for this!”

The myopic boy squinted, and then retrieved his thick glasses from his robes, seeing now that his attack had missed its mark. “Oh, um, sorry about that,” he sheepishly said, before shaking his head and steeling his resolve. “It’s no matter! This new toy has plenty of water capacity! Prepare to be drenched, you fem-”

As Mousse took aim and blasted Ranma with cold water, he was shocked that his foe remained standing tall and male, despite having been soaked. And now, he was marching right toward him, fists balled and nostrils flared. “W…wait, you didn’t change?!? How is that possible?!?”

Mousse’s stammering was interrupted by a swift kick, disarming him of his weapon, followed by a powerful punch to the face, sending him flying backward.

“You’ll find that I ain’t gotta worry about my curse no more,” Ranma said coldly. “So don’t pull this crap again.”

“B..but how?!?” Mousse exclaimed as he stood back up. “If you found a source of Nannichuan , I must have it!”

“Nope. Just went away on its own,” Ranma replied. “Tough luck, ducky.”

“There must be something to it! You gotta tell me! I-” Once again, Mousse was cut short, this time by a blast of water from his own weapon. The hidden-weapons master suddenly found himself lost in his own robes, as he had been reduced to his own cursed form by Ranma.

“Too bad you ain’t in the same boat. See ya ‘round, Mousse,” Ranma taunted as he and Akane passed Mousse by. Mousse, who had poked his now-feathered head out of one of his sleeves, sighed at his misfortune, and wondered how Ranma had gotten rid of his curse.

Until he was conked in the head by an airborne projectile - the same squirt gun that had gotten him into this mess.

The school day went on like any other. Though Ranma and Akane were now second-year students, beyond Ranma feeling even more swamped with the more advanced course load, little had changed since the two had fallen into the chaotic rhythm that Furinkan followed. Ranma halfway paid attention in his morning classes, ate lunch with Daisuke and Hiroshi, and did a mediocre job on his math test in the afternoon. 

Just like old times.

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the end of the school day, the school bell chimed, and Ranma quickly gathered his things and left the classroom. He ignored the pleas of Daisuke and Hiroshi, who had wanted to go to the arcade after school, and of Akane, who expected him to wait for her so they could walk to their lockers together.

Ranma slipped through the door and rushed into the hallways, desperate for fresh air and solitude. However, in his hurry, he nearly bumped into someone heading in the opposite direction.

“Oh, hey Ranchan! How’s it goin?’”

Stopping just short of colliding, Ranma reeled back and locked eyes with Ukyo, wearing her hair tied low and her gakuran, as she always did to school.

“What’s the matter? Just ‘cause we aren’t in the same homeroom anymore don’t mean you gotta act all shocked when you see me!”

“H…hey Ucchan!” Ranma replied, feeling startled that his escape had been foiled. “Umm…how are things?”

“They’re alright! Business is good, especially now that I have another pair of hands around the shop,” Ukyo replied. “It’s been way too long since I’ve seen you! Feel free to stop in anytime, it’ll be my treat if you do!”

“Y…yeah, sorry Ucchan,” Ranma replied. It was true that he had been avoiding Ukyo since the failed wedding, but he was starting to miss his oldest friend. And the delicious food that she made. “I’ll have to drop by soon.”

Now that Ranma was finally chatting with Ukyo for the first time in months, he noticed that something seemed different about her. He couldn’t quite place it, but something had changed while the two had been apart. In any other circumstance, Ranma likely would have said something out loud about it, and been chastised for being so thick-headed. Or something like that. But he was desperate to get home, to get some privacy, so he stayed quiet about it. “I’ve been, uh, real busy, ya know?”

“Not too busy to hang out with my waitress, though,” Ukyo replied, smirking and raising her eyebrows. 

Upon hearing this, the blood in Ranma’s veins froze. “S…she said she wouldn’t tell…” he managed to squeak out.

“What can I say? That girl can’t keep a secret to save her life,” Ukyo said, shrugging her shoulders. “But she said she had a great time with you,” she added with a warm smile. Ukyo had intended to ease Ranma’s nerves, but instead she heard Ranma sigh, and saw his shoulders droop. Before Ukyo could react, Ranma spoke.

“Yeah….it was a really nice time…” Ranma said, his slight grin being betrayed by a shimmer of tears in his eyes.

“W…well if you ever wanna-” Ukyo started, reaching a hand out, but was cut off by Ranma once more.

“I gotta go Ucchan, but we’ll catch up soon, ‘kay?” With that, Ranma bolted away, and left a worried Ukyo standing alone in the hallway. But only briefly, as Akane joined her shortly after.

“Is…there something wrong with Ranchan?” Ukyo asked Akane.

“I honestly have no idea,” Akane sighed. “You want me to fill you in on what’s going on?”

Ranma made his way through the school building and out into the front courtyard as quickly as he could without making a scene. He had felt strangely the entire day, almost as if he had a whole-body itch that he couldn’t scratch, and was even more eager than usual to escape the confines of Furinkan High that afternoon. His freedom - the front gates - were within moments reach, and he could finally try to relax alone in his room.

“Halt, foul blackguard! Did you really believe that you would be able to flee the grounds of fair Furinkan on my watch?!?”

Of course, things were never that simple. Of course, someone had to make his life difficult on the way out of school. Why wouldn’t they?

“Though it would befit your cowardly and rakish nature to abscond without having to answer for your sinister actions, I shall not allow you to leave unscathed!”

“Knock it off Kuno,” Ranma replied sternly, without turning around to face his long-time nuisance as he approached from behind. “I’m really not in the mood for yer act right now.”

“Ah, but throughout all of our interactions, what would you expect from I, Tatewaki Kuno, Paladin of Virtue, Defender of the Weak, The Blue Thunder of Furinkan High?!?” Kuno replied, walking closer to a motionless Ranma. “I shan’t take the news of your latest crimes lightly! You shall pay the ultimate price for what you have done!”

“What the hell are you even talking about, man?!?” Ranma exclaimed, now turning to face Kuno with fists balled in rage. He just wanted to go home to rot in bed, could he not even be granted that one kindness? “You sound even crazier than usual! What sorta ‘crime’ did you make up for me to commit this time?!?”

“Stop trying to play innocent, Ranma Saotome. I have it on very good authority that you have used your wretched sorcery to cause my beloved to disappear from this Earth, forever!” Kuno stopped advancing toward Ranma when he was a few meters away, and drew his bokken to threaten his opponent.

“Who, Akane? Your beloved who hates your guts?” Ranma spat. “She was literally here at school all day! If you didn’t see her it’s ‘cause she didn’t want you to!”

“Nay, though fair Akane Tendo is still within your grasp, I know you have not whisked her away quite yet,” the wannabe samurai replied. “But news of your destruction of the poor pigtailed girl has found my ears! And I shall not stand for such an injustice!” He added, swinging his bokken so fiercely that a current of air carved a gash into the ground next to him.

“Wha….how….who woulda told…” Ranma stammered, taken aback that Kuno of all people would have learned about his curse going away before he had told anyone else at school. Sure, Kuno still didn’t seem to have a clue that his two halves were one person, but he still managed to figure it out in his own way. But who…

“ Nabiki.” Ranma hissed, scanning the gathering crowd for the middle Tendo sister, but to no avail.

“Indeed. Nabiki Tendo is cruel and cold, but honest to a fault. And she, too, is distraught at your cruelty. Upon your final defeat today, she too shall be free of your wicked reign!” Kuno shouted. “Now, cretin, do you have any last words before I slay you once and for all?!?”

“Yeah. Get bent.” Ranma, now furious, lunged toward Tatewaki with a vengeful punch. The kendo captain artfully dodged Ranma’s blow, and then began a rapid series of lunges with his weapon. Ranma was able to block or dodge every strike, but in doing so he moved closer and closer to the wall surrounding the school grounds. Kuno took one last mighty swing in his volley, and Ranma leapt into the air to avoid it. He then backflipped, and kicked off of the wall to add speed and power to a flying kick aimed squarely at Kuno’s sternum. Though usually easy to land blows on, Kuno once again hopped out of the way of Ranma’s attack, and the pigtailed boy struck the ground with enough force to leave a small crater underneath his foot.

“Heh, such child’s play,” Kuno replied with a twirl of his sword. “I have spent all summer preparing for a confrontation such as this. You will find that I am far more graceful and powerful than last we met, Ranma Saotome!” Kuno then lunged forward with a mighty swing aimed at Ranma’s throat. Ranma bent backwards and rolled into a handspring; had he not, the concussive force from Kuno’s wooden blade would have still packed intense force. The shockwave from Kuno’s bokken traveled over Ranma and took a chunk out of the brick wall behind the pair.

“Good on ya, dimwit,” Ranma replied as he landed back on his feet. “Now I don’t have to hold back against you.” Ranma had always spared Kuno from his most powerful attacks - he wasn’t a big enough threat for any of his signature moves. Something like the Hiryu Shoten Ha may have shredded the poor idiot. But if Kuno was going to boast about how much he had improved as a fighter, Ranma would show him what he was truly capable of. He was sick of holding back, anyway. Gathering his aura into a more concentrated form, Ranma held his palms outward toward the swordsman, and prepared to unleash his full ire into him.

“ Moko Takabi-”

Ranma’s hands glowed with bright yellow ki, and a ball of energy began to form in his palms. But before he was able to unleash his attack, it sputtered out and faded away. “Huh? What’s goin-” Ranma’s confusion at the failure of his move was cut short by a lunging blow to his abdomen, knocking the rest of the words out of his lungs.

“Such a light show may distract a toddler, but your contempt of the great Tatewaki Kuno will be your undoing yet!” Kuno swung once more at Ranma, who was barely able to muster the strength to block it, but it was followed up by a kick to the chest that knocked Ranma to the ground. Kuno really had gotten stronger…

The samurai walked over to his crumpled foe, and held the tip of his bokken to his throat. “I am well within my rights to end you now, once and for all, but it will not bring about the result I most desire,” Kuno said, standing tall above Ranma. “I will spare your life, but only under one condition: Tell me, how do I bring back the pigtailed girl?”

“I’m-” Ranma started, before coughing. “I’m tellin’ ya, man, she’s gone for good. So get over her, just like I have to.”

“Speak once more, knave, and speak well! I will only give you one more opportunity to tell me how to undo this foul magic!”

“That’s the problem, you stupid asshole! The magic’s been undone!” Ranma shouted, as the crowd of students who were watching began to murmur amongst themselves. “Your ‘precious pigtailed girl’ is gone forever! Vanished! Dead! She ain’t never comin’ back!!!” Ranma shouted at the top of his lungs, overcome by too much anger and fear and anguish to care about who else heard what he was saying. 

“She’s gone, no matter how much we want her back…” Ranma added, slumping his head and shoulders in sorrow.

Kuno gasped slightly at Ranma’s outburst, before regaining the composure befitting of a samurai. “Very well,” he replied softly. “A life for a life it is, then.”

Kuno raised his bokken and prepared to bring it down upon Ranma’s head with all the might he could muster. Ranma weighed his options - the Amaguriken wouldn’t work well with him on the ground, and he needed space to draw his opponent into the Hiryu Shoten Ha. Worst of all, the Moko Takabisha had just failed him moments before. He wasn’t confident enough to make it work.

But Ranma was full of another emotion that he could channel. He thought of all he had to endure to get to this point - the engagements, the rivalries, the fierce battles with supernatural beings more powerful than any human could ever become. The years of torment he endured training with his father. His lack of friends, his wealth of enemies. How his future had been decided for him before he was even born. How he almost lost Akane only months prior…

And how, despite all that, he had finally managed to make peace with himself and everything he had gone through. How after years of denying it, even after fate had seemingly smiled upon him at Jusenkyo, he had, just for a moment, broken the programming forced upon him by family and society to admit he was happy with cursed form…

And she had lost it all just as fast. And she had no idea why.

A dark aura surrounded Ranma, and the air around her grew thick and charged with energy. Kuno, startled by this grim presence before him, stopped his attack, but not soon enough to save himself.

“SHI! SHI! -”

The world fell silent for a moment. Akane and Ukyo, who were making their way to exit the school building, both felt a sudden spike of powerful ki nearby, and rushed to a hallway window to see what could have caused it. Upon doing so, the two were stunned to see a bright flash of light coming from near the school’s gates, followed by the appearance of a tall column of dark crimson energy.

“That’s-!” Ukyo began, before Akane finished her exclamation.

“The Ultimate Shi Shi Hokodan…” Akane said, quietly but with wide, dilated eyes. If that attack was being used, something very bad was happening….

“Isn’t that one of Ryoga’s moves?” Ukyo asked aloud.

“It is, but I haven’t seen him in weeks,” Akane pondered out loud. Even if Ryoga had shown up to duel Ranma, he wouldn’t have dared to use that version of the attack. Not only for how dangerous it was, but because the user had to basically give up the will to live to use its ultimate form. But there was one other person she knew who had used the Shi Shi Hokodan before.

“Ranma!” Akane shouted. She looked at Ukyo, barely holding back tears, and both nodded before rushing out to the courtyard.

Ranma kneeled weakly on the ground, positioned on a small pillar of earth inside a six-meter diameter crater. Covered in dirt inside the crater laid Tatewaki Kuno, singed and crushed by Ranma’s attack. He groaned in pain, soundly defeated right before he could claim his sweetest victory.

Ranma wobbled to his feet and slid into the wreckage, now standing tall above Kuno. “That is what I’m truly capable of,” Ranma said, flatly and coldly, taking no pleasure or pride in his victory. “So unless you wanna get wrecked this bad some more, don’t ever screw with me again.” Ranma paused, making sure his threat sank into Kuno’s thick skull, before adding: “And under no circumstances will you ever mention the pigtailed girl again. She’s gone, end of story.”

As much as he wanted to give up and lay in the dirt, Ranma couldn’t admit that he felt defeat as well. There were people watching. The pigtailed martial artist used all of his remaining strength to climb out of the hole he had dug for himself and his foe, only to see Akane and Ukyo rushing toward him.

“Ranma! Ranma!”

“What happened? Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay!!!”

Ranma tried to reply, to brush off their worries and say he was fine like he always did, but words failed him. He collapsed to the ground in a heap, hearing more cries of distress before drifting into unconsciousness.

“I’m telling you, it’s gone! He didn’t change at all when I blasted him!”

No sooner had Shampoo doused her poor friend with hot water to change him out of his cursed form, had the furiously quacking duck turned into an excitedly babbling Mousse. And the long-haired boy was yammering about how, somehow, Ranma Saotome no longer changed into a girl when splashed with cold water.

“Stupid Mousse! You must have hit Akane by mistake!” Shampoo chided, replacing the now-empty teakettle back on the stove.

“I did! But I also hit Saotome!” Mousse exclaimed, far too proud of his bad aim. “And he didn’t change at all!”

“ Airen must have found more waterproof soap! Is no way he was able to find cure without telling us first!” Shampoo replied, shaking her head.

“Well, he must have, because he said his curse was gone for good! He said it just went away on its own, but I don’t believe him. I’ll figure out his secret one day!”

Stars shone in Shampoo’s eyes. “If this is true, this is amazing!” Shampoo had never minded Ranma’s girl form, but if he had found a way to get rid of a Jusenkyo curse, then maybe she could be cured, too! Finally, she would no longer have to worry about traumatizing Ranma with her curse ever again!

“Mousse! You’re naked in my kitchen!” Cologne entered the bottom floor of the Cat Cafe to find an unwelcome but not unfamiliar sight. She shuffled over to her busboy and smacked him on the head with her staff. “Go put some clothes on before any customers show up!”

Rubbing his head, Mousse draped a towel over his midsection and walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs to change into another set of robes.

“And don’t you dare bring that towel back before washing it!” Cologne shouted. “I swear, I don’t know what to do with that boy…”

“Great-Grandmother! Did you hear the news?” Shampoo exclaimed after greeting Cologne with a bow.

“I hear a lot of news, Shampoo, you’ll have to specify,” Cologne responded, tying a tiny apron around her waist to begin preparing for the lunch crowd.

“It’s about Ranma! His curse is gone!”

Cologne paused and turned to Shampoo. She hadn’t heard that news yet. “Really? How’d the boy manage to do that?”

“Mousse saw him earlier! Ranma say it went away all by itself!!!” Shampoo mused, as she too prepared for her shift. “Maybe Shampoo’s will go away, too!”

“All by itself?” Cologne repeated. Jusenkyo curses could be cured, but it was a difficult process to say the least. That was part of the curse itself - the misfortune to fail to fix the problem was all wrapped up in the magic as well. Same with the hydrophilia. But for a curse to go away without any external input, that was mighty rare. Cologne had only heard of it happening once, and when it did, the person who did get cured….

“Oh.” Cologne’s beady eyes narrowed even more as the realization dawned on her. And she lowered her head and shook it in sympathy.

“Oh, that poor child.”

Chapter Text

“Genma, surely you can’t be serious!”

Nodoka Saotome incredulously watched as her husband began packing a large knapsack with various supplies: survival gear, several dougi , and multiple worn-out booklets and scrolls. He did not return her glance as he busied himself with his travel preparations.

“I am serious, Nodoka. We agreed this would happen before we were even married, and now the time has finally come.”

“I understand, dear, but can’t this wait a few more years?!” Nodoka exclaimed, clutching her hands tightly together before her increasingly-fluttering heart. “He’s so young, you can’t expect me to agree to this!”

“It has to happen this way,” Genma replied, shaking his pack to condense its contents in order to make room for more supplies. “Ranma is to be the heir to my legacy, and he is to unite the schools once he’s old enough. His training must begin this early for him to surpass me and become worthy of his destiny.”

“You’ve already started his training here! Why can’t it continue here?!?”

“Nodoka,” Genma said, coldly and sternly. “This is for his own good. You’ve done your duty as his mother, now it is time for me to do mine as his father.” He stood, and finally matched his eyes to his wife’s. “I won’t risk him becoming more coddled than he already is.”

Nodoka nearly flinched at her husband’s intensity. She understood the necessity for husband to raise a strong heir; coming from a samurai family herself she also knew how important her family’s honor was. But Ranma was barely four years old - far too young to go on this harebrained training journey Genma was proposing! Especially not without his mother to care for him in the wilderness!

“Genma, times have changed! Ranma can still be an honorable and strong martial artist without having to sacrifice his childhood to the art! Especially when you’re-”

“ When I’m what, Nodoka?” Genma growled, glowering at his wife.

Nodoka froze - her husband had never been the type of man to lay a hand on her, but she knew what he was capable of, especially when he was angry. Though she was supposed to be a dutiful housewife, she was a warrior at heart as well. And she would not be silenced.

“When you have no idea how to raise our child by yourself!” Nodoka exclaimed. “Genma, you can barely boil water for Cup Noodles, let alone feed, clothe, and care for a growing child! You know martial arts, but solo parenting?”

Genma stomped closer to Nodoka, but she held her ground as he shoved his face millimeters away from hers. “I’m the boy’s father, and my decision is final. This is for his own good. He’s already too soft and spoiled by your doting on him, and I won’t have that get any worse.”

“Why is that, husband? Because Ranma asks to help me with my tasks around the house when you aren’t home?” Nodoka rebutted. “Sewing and cooking are vital skills, and I’m certain they are sorely missed in your sacred arts.”

Genma sighed and walked away from his wife, burying his forehead in his right hand. “These are skills a man doesn’t need. His wife will do those things for him.” He then dragged his hand across his face in frustration, before turning back to face his wife. “And what Ranma has gotten into takes it too far, anyway! Remember when he helped you with dinner the other night, and asked you when you were going to get him a ‘flower apron’ like yours?”

“Genma, he’s a child, he doesn’t understand why that’s silly!” Nodoka replied.

“It’s more serious than that Nodoka,” Genma replied, his eyes narrow. “Surely you remember when he said he wanted to grow up to be ‘just like mommy?’ All ‘pretty and nice?’” Genma watched as his wife’s shoulders sagged and her expression softened as she recalled the memory he had brought up. For as much of a doting mother as she was, Nodoka was far too traditional to excuse a comment like that.

“Whatever’s gotten into him, I’ll make sure to get it out,” Genma continued. “It’s my duty to not only train him into a martial arts master, but to make Ranma a man amongst men. Not some swishy sissy like out in Ni-chome… ”

Nodoka clutched the hem of her kimono and sighed. Maybe her husband was right - Ranma’s behavior had been a little….effeminate lately, and despite all his flaws, she was certain the constant presence of his father would give him a masculine role model to take after. More than likely this was all a phase that he would grow out of, but it wouldn’t hurt to be certain.

“I understand, dear. I, too, have noticed Ranma’s odd behaviors,” Nodoka replied, finally seeing her husband’s concerns. “But this is quite a drastic measure to take! How can you be sure that this plan will work?!?”

“Don’t worry my darling,” Genma said, reaching into his overstuffed knapsack and retrieving a sheet of paper with a short message written on it, “I’ve got a plan to ensure that I do not fail.”

“I’m home!”

Ranma shouted, kicking off his shoes as he entered the Tendo household. But he was met with no response. No warm greetings from Kasumi, no chipper ‘welcome home, son,’ from Soun, not even a half-hearted ‘hey’ from Nabiki. And he was certain that Akane was right next to him before he opened the front door, but she was suddenly nowhere to be found, either.

“Hello? Anyone there?” Ranma shouted once more as he traipsed through the halls of his adoptive home, but could find no one else around. “Musta gone out on some family trip, or somethin,’” Ranma mused to himself. Guess he wasn’t family enough to be invited this time, either.

The pigtailed teenager sighed, and decided to get in a quick workout to blow off some steam. He rounded the corner from the common room, and exited the main home to walk to the dojo. Beating the crap out of some dummies would get his mind of off….whatever it was he was upset about earlier. As he made his way through the corridor to the dojo, Ranma noticed that the usually-brief walk to the training hall seemed to take much longer this time around, almost as if he had been walking in place for several minutes. Ranma grunted, and started jogging, but even as his pace increased, the door to the dojo remained as far away as ever, almost as if it was stuck in place as he was moving. 

Finally, Ranma broke into a full sprint, bounding as fast as his legs could take him. The end of the hallway stayed stationary, even as Ranma panted and sweated in his mad dash to get to his destination. Then, all of a sudden, the sliding door to the dojo moved toward him lightning fast. Ranma tried to stop, but had suddenly ran out of hallway to do so, and he crashed into the door at top speed.

Or rather, he crashed through the door, but it shattered like glass as he passed through it, and Ranma tumbled across the door of the dojo. He groaned as he picked himself up, dusting off whatever particles were covering him after his fall. Ranma opened his eyes, and found himself not in the familiar dojo that he was expecting, but in a completely dark room, with only the far corner illuminated. Confused, he moved closer toward it, and as he approached he saw that the entirety of the far wall was reflective, like a giant mirror. As he neared the far end of the not-dojo, Ranma gasped, and bolted toward what he saw:

It was his own reflection, but not his reflection.

It was hers.

Ranma stopped just short of colliding with the mirrored wall. He leaned forward, and watched as his cursed form’s reflection did the same. Ranma did a few poses and made a few faces, all matched by the redhead in the mirror, before stopping and sighing in relief.

Maybe she was back to normal. Maybe, things would actually be okay.

Ranma closed her eyes and wiped an errant tear from her cheek, before opening them once more to see her reflection moving on its own; it had a somber look on its face and was waving goodbye as it receded into the mirror.

“Wait! Don’t go!” Ranma shouted, reaching out toward her reflection. “Please! I need you!!!” Her hand touched the glassy surface before her, and as it did the mirror shattered into a million tiny fragments. As the shards scattered around her, Ranma turned her head and shielded herself with her arms.

As the din of the uncountable glass fragments cascading in every direction finally waned, Ranma opened her eyes once more, but did not see the welcome sight of her reflection. Instead, it was someone she wished she could have gone much longer without seeing.

“Pop! What the hell are you doin’ here?!” Ranma exclaimed to the figure of her father. “I shoulda figured you’d be behind whatever the heck is happening! Cut the crap so I can kick your ass!!!”

As Ranma shouted at her father, a sickening feeling came over her: as she moved and spoke, her father’s image matched her motions. But the image was so clearly her father’s that he must still be toying with her. She could see his barrel chest and paunchy belly under his gi , and knobby knuckles and hairy arms protruding from its sleeves. But even though he wore his usual bandana to cover his shiny head, his face lacked the usual glasses he wore strapped around his ears. 

“Seriously, you’re freakin’ me out! Knock it off old man!” Ranma exclaimed, and after mirroring her motions for a little longer her father obeyed. Instead, Genma reached behind his head and untied his head covering, showing Ranma his bare scalp for the first time in what felt like ages; the old codger didn’t even take off his smelly rag to bathe! But something was wrong with the figure before her, and Ranma froze.

“No,” she said quietly, and then more intensely once again, “NO!” 

As the figure in front of Ranma removed its bandana, it revealed a long, black pigtail that unfurled from its covering - attached at the back of its wearer’s head by the minimal amount of hair it had left. As Ranma began to panic, the figure twirled its braid around mockingly, and said to her in a voice all to familiar:

“Just givin’ you a taste of what’s to come, you man amongst men, ” the figure seethed, before stepping away. It left Ranma gasping for breath - collapsed on the ground as anxiety seemed to swallow her whole. The thought of growing up to look anything even remotely like her father made her sick to her stomach.

“I can’t grow up to be like that,” Ranma uttered between sobs, “I can’t I can’t I can’t-”

“I CAN’T!”

Ranma bolted awake, panting heavily as his senses returned to him. He was lying in a western-style bed with a sheet draped over him, surrounded by a neutral-colored curtain. He then immediately ran his fingers through his bangs, confirming that he still had all his hair, even though it was wet with sweat. As the adrenaline rush from his nightmare wore off, Ranma noticed that his heavy breathing was making his sides ache. He unfastened his shirt, and saw that his ribs were bandaged up. And then the events of the afternoon returned to him:

He had almost lost a fight to Kuno. And even though he didn’t, he had made a huge scene about it in front of the whole school. Ranma plopped his head back on his pillow, wincing as the sudden movement hurt his ribs even more. “What a stupid day,” he grumbled to himself.

“Ranma? Ranma, are you awake?!” A familiar voice said from the other side of the curtain. “Ukyo, Dr. Tofu, come quick!”

The drape surrounding Ranma was quickly whisked aside, as Akane made her way toward his bedside. Further off in the medical office stood Ukyo and Dr. Tofu, who put their conversation on pause as they moved to join Akane.

“Ranchan!” Ukyo shouted as she and Dr. Tofu reached Ranma’s bedside. “Glad to have you back with us in the waking world! We were startin’ to worry!”

“I’m…ugh….I’m fine!” Ranma replied, grunting in pain as he sat back up and began to pull the covers off of his body. “You guys didn’t need ta drag me here, I woulda been alright at home. I can take care of myself!”

“Well, forgive us for being concerned, sugar, but you passed out after almost leveling the school,” Ukyo replied, brows furrowed and arms crossed. “After almost eating it in a fight with Kuno, too. That alone was worrying enough…”

Ukyo’s verbal jab hurt more than his injured ribs, and Ranma’s mood soured even more. “Look, I won. That’s all that matters. Now if you’ll excuse me, I-”

Ranma stopped as he saw Akane begin to move her arms. Instinctively, he flinched, expecting to be clobbered after saying something stupid. Instead, Akane reached out and grabbed Ranma’s left hand in hers, returning it to a resting position on his lap.

“Ranma….” Akane started, looking Ranma in the eyes for a few moments before continuing, “What’s going on with you? Please, whatever it is, you can tell me. We…I…”

“S’nothing. Just had a crappy day,” Ranma replied, breaking eye contact with his fiance.

“You used the Shi Shi Hokodan. The ultimate form of it,” Akane said, squeezing Ranma’s hand a little tighter. “The form that requires someone to give up all hope to use. That’s not something you do when you have a bad day.”

“My other techniques weren’t workin’ in the moment. Had ta improvise.”

“Ranma, you!...” Akane began to shout, before sighing and composing herself. Anger had never worked at getting Ranma to open up before, so it would work now least of all. “Just, keep what I said in mind, okay? Everyone here knows how stubborn you are, so just…take some time and let me know if you need something.” Akane then let go of Ranma’s hand.

Ranma balled his left hand into a loose fist, and opened his mouth as if to instigate his fiance into one of their usual spats. But a stern glare from Ukyo shut him up. “Yeah, sure,” Ranma sighed, “When somethin’ like that comes up, I’ll tell ya.”

“Well, now that you’re awake and patched up, there’s no reason for me to keep you here any longer, Ranma,” Dr. Tofu chimed in, doing his best to lighten the tension hanging over his clinic. “You bruised a few ribs in that scuff, but it’s nothing a little rest and recuperation won’t fix. I know you’re tough, but take it easy for the next few days to be safe, okay?”

Ranma looked past the other two in the room to see Dr. Tofu’s big grin underneath his shiny glasses, and nodded. “Yeah, got it doc. Thanks again,” Ranma said, before getting out of bed to gather his schoolbag and going to leave. “Alright, let’s get outta here.” Akane and Ukyo shot concerned glances at each other, before following in tow.

“Call me if it gets worse!” Dr. Tofu exclaimed as he waved goodbye. “And don’t be a stranger! If you need a check-up or any other services, just let me know!”

The three left the clinic, and stopped in the middle of the footpath outside. “Well, I take it you two wanna head home, so I’ll leave you be. My place is in the other direction, anyway.” Ukyo said.

“Sounds good, Ukyo,” Akane replied, “And seriously, thank you for helping us out today.” Ranma, who was looking away from the group, also gave a quiet ‘thank you’ after being nudged by Akane.

“No sweat! Anything for a….for my friends,” Ukyo said with a big grin. “See you two soon. Oh, and Ranchan,” the okonomiyaki chef started, keeping a respectful distance from Ranma and Akane, “Seriously, if you ever need anything, just stop by. Me and ‘Natsu are here for ya, too.”

Ranma, surprised that Akane didn’t immediately react to Ukyo’s offer with an outburst, sheepishly smiled at his childhood friend. “Yeah, will do. Thanks Ucchan.”

Ukyo then waved goodbye, and Ranma and Akane silently walked back to the Tendo Dojo. Ranma, for once following the advice of someone else, walked at ground level next to Akane, not hopping on the fence next to the canal for fear of aggravating his injury. As he walked, Ranma kept peering into the reflection of the sunset on the water, wondering if he’d even have to worry about falling in ever again now that his curse was….

“You know, it’s nice having you down here for once,” Akane mused. “Now I don’t have to shout to talk to you!” Ranma remained silent. Akane, noticing that her fiance’s hands were at his side rather than behind his head like usual, pondered if she could reach out and grab Ranma’s hand once more. It wouldn’t have been the first time they walked home holding hands.

“Yeah, well, don’t get used to it,” Ranma replied. “Just doin’ what the doc said. Soon as I’m on the mend I’ll be back to balance training. Gotta keep my skills sharp.”

With that, the idea died, and Akane sighed. Even with all that had happened in the past day, Ranma was still the same old dummy as always…

Once the pair had returned home, Ranma immediately excused himself to go read manga in his room. Doctor’s orders to rest up, he said. Akane changed out of her school uniform and into her gi , and took out her frustrations in the training hall. After finishing a kata, she moved to practicing on a wooden training dummy - the one she had fashioned a straw pigtail for - and tried to clear her mind.

But the events of the previous day kept replaying in her head.

THWACK

“Yep. Couldn’t be happier…”

WHAM

“I’m fine! I’m always fine!”

POW

“Well, don’t get used to it!”

CRACK

Akane, hands sore and out of breath, surveyed how thoroughly she had destroyed her opponent. Normally when she was angry at Ranma, thrashing a training dummy helped to quell her rage. But as she looked down at the shredded form before her, Akane felt just as frazzled as she did before. And now she had a mess to clean up, too.

Akane swept up and placed the remains of the wooden figure into a garbage bag. As she picked up its pieces, she held the final bit - the dummy’s little pigtail - in her hands for a moment, before crushing it in her fist and tossing it in the bag with the rest of it.

If Ranma wasn’t going to open up to her, when she was doing her best to be supportive, then he can just stew in his room forever! Who cares about that jerk, anyway?!?

As she tossed the garbage bag in the cans by the side of the house, Akane sighed. She cared about that jerk, whether she wanted to or not. But he was so damn stubborn that he’d probably go to his grave fussing over what was bothering him. 

But why was he so worked up? Ranma wasn’t the type to brood - that was more of Ryoga’s shtick. Was it because he wasn’t beating up on Kuno like he usually was able to do? No, he was already like this earlier in the day, before the fight.

It must have to have something to do with his curse. But why? 

For over a year now, all Ranma did was complain about how awful his curse was. How terrible it was to have to be a woman half of the time, how hard it was suddenly losing his reach and his power when he changed, how demeaning it was to turn into a girl when he was a man amongst men - seriously, how chauvinistic can you be?

And yet, when Akane and Ranma were at Jusenkyo after the battle with Saffron, he had seemingly made peace with his curse. And after a while, Ranma practically chomped at the bit to splash himself and throw on a pretty dress for some scheme or prank. Sometimes for even less than that. 

Could it be that…he liked his curse?

There was no way. Akane had never met someone as obsessed with masculinity as Ranma. It was probably just shock at his curse going away all on its own. Especially after all the effort he put into getting rid of it since she had met him, he was probably frustrated more than anything.

Akane entered her home and briefly surveyed the common areas for Ranma. No such luck; he must’ve still been in his room. She sighed, and decided to take a bath after her workout. No use in working herself up over someone who didn’t want to be helped quite yet.

She’d have to wait for him to come to her. It’s what a fiance was supposed to do, right?

“Dinner’s ready, everyone!”

Kasumi’s voice beckoned the residents of the Tendo home to take their usual places at the table to enjoy her cooking, as they did every night. Soun, already sitting at the table, finished his cigarette as Nabiki, Akane, and then finally, Ranma, all sat down and began to eat. Attempts at small talk were made, as Soun asked his daughters and hopeful future-son-in-law how their days went, with Nabiki being the most chatty of the bunch. 

“Oh, how difficult it was to break the news that my customers’ favorite model was retiring. Why’d you have to be so selfish, Saotome?”

“Stuff it, Nabs,” Ranma replied, before shoving a croquet in his mouth. Ranma’s appetite coming back was at least a sign of hope to Akane that he was feeling better.

Dinner at the Tendo dojo continued peacefully enough; free of the usual commotion caused when the Saotomes were seated at the table together, or when Ranma and Akane had one of their frequent shouting matches. Ranma finished his meal first, and excused himself to return to his room.

Until a loud knock came from the front door.

“Oh, I wonder who that could be?” Kasumi pondered aloud, before standing to answer the door.

“Hmm, maybe you should wait until we see who’s here before you go upstairs, eh Ranma?” Soun said. Begrudgingly, Ranma obeyed, and plopped himself back on his cushion.

“It looks like we have some visitors!” Kasumi exclaimed as she returned to the common room, followed by two more people.

“There’s my boy! My manly son! C’mere you!” Genma Saotome entered the dining area and placed a few objects on the dining table before enveloping his son in an unwanted hug.

“Pop! What the heck old man!” Ranma exclaimed as he tried to wriggle free of his father’s grasp. “Get offa me!”

“Oh Ranma, as soon as Mr. Tendo told us about your curse, we knew we had to celebrate the occasion with you!” Nodoka Saotome exclaimed, a small smile betraying her typical stoic mannerisms. “We’re so happy for you!”

“Yeah, and we brought a few things to celebrate!” Genma added, squeezing tighter.

“Looks like you brought stuff for you to celebrate,” Ranma spat, noting that Genma’s “gifts” were a bottle of sake and a six-pack of beer.

“Well, now that you’re a true man , a little bit o’ booze seems more than appropriate!” Genma laughed. “Maybe it’ll finally put some hair on your chest!”

That comment was what put Ranma over the edge. With all his might, he stood up with his father wrapped around him, and dropped to the floor, putting all his weight on Genma as he did. With the wind knocked out of him, Genma released his son, and Ranma stood once more, this time wincing in pain as he aggravated his rib injury.

“Oh dear, did you hurt yourself, Ranma?” Nodoka asked, stepping over her husband to come to her son’s aid.

“I’m fine, Ma, just - ugh - got in a fight earlier,” Ranma replied, lightly brushing her hand away from his side. “You know me, heh.”

“I know it’s what your father raised you to do, but really you mustn’t have to be fighting all the time, do you dear?” Nodoka said. “You don’t have to be violent to prove your worth as a ma-”

“Yeah yeah, I know, Ma,” Ranma said, cutting off his mother. Before she could scold him for interrupting her, Ranma began pulling beers off of the six-pack ring. “So yeah, let’s celebrate me finally never havin’ to be a girl again! Long time comin,’ right everyone?” Ranma placed a can on his prone father’s stomach and slid another to Soun.

The Saotome parents joined Ranma and the Tendos at the table, and a raucous celebration began. Genma and Soun knocked back a few beers as they laughed and cheered about clearing another obstacle in the way of the engagement, Nodoka and Kasumi began discussing Akane’s bridal training - much to her chagrin - and Nabiki stole the untouched sake that was poured for Ranma. In the noise, no one but Akane seemed to notice that the only person not celebrating Ranma’s curse going away was Ranma. She tried to check in with him, but kept being pulled away by her oldest sister and Ranma’s mom, or he kept being pulled away by their fathers.

Ranma, meanwhile, kept internally flinching every time he heard someone say those words. Boy. Son. Husband. Heir.

Man.

But Ranma said nothing to protest. It’s what he was, afterall. Or what he had to be. Nothing could change that now, even if he wanted to. He would just get into fights, brag about how good he was in fights, do a mediocre job of raising some kids who were good at getting into fights, and drink the nights away as he grew older and his health and hair started to leave him. That’s what all the men in his life did, afterall.

“Why the long face, Saotome?” Nabiki said, breaking Ranma’s mental spiral. “It’s your party, lighten up a little!”

“Oh, he’s just sour because he can’t run from his destiny anymore!” Genma exclaimed before taking another gulp. “No more hiding behind your little curse! It’s time to finally take charge and be the man I raised you to be!”

“Genma, be kind!” Nodoka chastised. “He’s only 17, he can have a little more adolescence before having to face the responsibilities of adulthood!”

“No, you’re right, Pops,” Ranma said, resting his chin in his hands. “Why put it off any longer? Ain’t like I ever had a say in anything, so may as well suck it up and man up.”

Genma, not recognizing the venom in Ranma’s words, slapped him on the back as hard as he could. “See! He gets it! Whaddaya think Tendo, sometime next spring for the wedding? The schools will be united before we know it!”

“Great, lemme start a family real quick so I can be like you and abandon my wife,” Ranma spat. Genma, whose hand was still on Ranma’s back, immediately grabbed his son by the collar and hoisted him into the air with one arm.

“What the hell did you just say, boy?!?” Genma shouted. “After all I’ve done for you, this is how you thank me?!?”

“Genma, please! We’re supposed to be celebrating!” Nodoka pleaded. As she tried to separate her son from her husband’s grasp, another knock came from the front door.

“Oh, another visitor? I’ll get it!” Kasumi chirped, quickly excusing herself from the impending melee. Nodoka took the opportunity of the surprise to push Genma off balance, and he dropped Ranma back onto his feet; his mother placing her hands on his shoulders to prevent another physical outburst.

“Father, I didn’t know you invited Shampoo’s grandmother to our little party!” Kasumi said as she walked back into the common room with Cologne in tow.

“Well, erm, that’s because I…didn’t,” Soun responded, scratching his cheek in confusion. 

“Good evening everyone, I hope you don’t mind me showing up uninvited,” Cologne said as she hobbled closer to the dining table.

“Cologne,” Genma said sternly. “If you came to muss things up for Ranma and Akane, I swear I’ll-”

“Calm down Saotome, I came by myself, and have no ulterior motives this time,” Cologne said calmly. Even if he weren’t drunk, she knew Genma still wouldn’t have been a threat to her. “I actually came to speak with my so….with Ranma, if I may.”

The entire crowd turned to look to Ranma, who scanned the expressions of everyone, before turning back to face Cologne. “I mean, does it gotta be right now, Granny?”

“Well, considering recent events, it’s something I figured I would want to discuss sooner rather than later,” Cologne said. “For your sake.”

“My my, word travels fast, doesn’t it?” Soun interjected. “I assume you’re referring to Ranma no longer being cursed. Even though that may be good news for your granddaughter, I cannot be more clear in saying that Ranma is engaged to-”

“Once again, I cannot be more clear in saying that I am not here because of that,” Cologne said coolly, projecting an icy aura that seemed to freeze Soun mid-sentence. “I am here because I have grown to care about this young ma….young child, and want to make sure that Ranma is doing well after such a development.”

“My son’s doing fine, so if you’ll leave us to our celebration, we’d-” Genma started, before Cologne used her staff to shove Genma’s drink can into his mouth.

“You all seem to be rather eager to speak for Ranma,” Cologne mused. “Why don’t we speak in private, to avoid all the riff-raff? I believe I may be able to help provide some answers that you may be seeking.”

Again, all eyes were on Ranma, who desperately tried to think of some way to escape the pressure on him. But, considering this was a party for his becoming a “true man,” he decided to do what he believed a man would do. “If it’s got somethin’ to do with my curse going away, we can chat with everyone here. I’m sure furball here would wanna know how to make his go away, too.” Ranma pointed to his father with his thumb, and in doing so, Cologne once more jabbed her staff at his drink, this time spilling it all over Genma. As the cold beer spilled over him, Genma’s curse activated, and he began to protest the way he always did in his panda form. 

‘What was that for?!?’ the sign Genma produced from thin air read.

“As I suspected, your father still changes,” Cologne said. “So it is as I had surmised.”

“Whaddaya mean ‘surmised,’ old ghoul?” Ranma exclaimed.

“Jusenkyo curses generally don’t go away on their own. If they did, the legend of the ‘Cursed Springs’ would be nothing more than a curiosity,” Cologne started as she took a seat at the other end of the table across from Soun.

“Yes, but Ranma’s did. So they must in some cases,” Nodoka said.

“And yet, your husband’s did not. If I remember correctly, he and Ranma were cursed at the same time. So if that were the case, shouldn’t he not change, either?” A silence hung in the air over the dinner table, before Cologne continued. “In general, once you fall into a spring, you have the curse for life. But, I confess that I have heard tales of curses seemingly going away on their own.”

“W..well there’s nothing ‘seemingly’ about it! Ranma doesn’t change anymore, see?” Soun added, before throwing a glass of water onto Ranma, who remained male after being doused.

“Was that really necessary?” Ranma grumbled as his mother handed him her kerchief to pat himself dry with.

“It does show me that what my granddaughter told me is correct,” Cologne said, wishing she could take a drag from the pipe she had left at home. “But yes, I have heard of a certain condition that can cause a curse to stop activating. It is rare, but it has happened before.” The Amazon matriarch turned to face Ranma, whose eyes had narrowed as she spoke. “Would you like me to go on, Ranma? Or should I stop here? I wouldn’t want you to-”

“I…got no idea w…what you’re yammering on about, Granny!” Ranma exclaimed, his voice wavering. “S…so spit out your theory so we can all see how crazy it is!”

Cologne sighed. “Very well, then. When I was very young, there was a…person in my village who had fallen into the Nannichuan - the Spring of the Drowned Man. Though originally a woman, this person eventually grew accustomed to their curse, and began to spend more and more time around the village in their cursed form. Until…” Cologne trailed off. 

Courtesy be damned, she needed a nicotine hit to handle this stress. “May I?” She gestured to Soun’s cigarettes, and without saying a word he slid them and his lighter to the elder Amazon.

“Don’t keep us waiting, Granny, spill it!” Nabiki shouted, who was then bopped in the arm by Akane.

“Yes, as I was saying,” Cologne said as she exhaled a puff of smoke. “They began spending more of their life as a man, rarely changing back to their original form, until one day….they stopped being able to change.” She paused once more, glancing back at Ranma, before continuing. “Afterwards, they became a shut-in; distraught at losing their curse. One day, they left the village, saying they would find a way to change back into who they were meant to be. I never saw them again…”

Silence fell over the Tendo household once more. The only sounds around the dining table were Cologne taking another drag of her bummed cigarette, and Ranma’s heartbeat growing louder in his chest.

“Grandma Cologne…are you saying…” Akane started before trailing off, her attention going back to Ranma, whose head now hung low, his shoulders slumped.

“It seems that, if a person with a Jusenkyo curse begins to prefer their cursed form over their original one, that they lose the ability to change back into said form. In effect, the curse becomes being trapped in the form they no longer care for,” Cologne said, exhaling smoke once more. “It truly shows how sinister the magic of Jusenkyo can truly be…”

“Oh, but Mr. Saotome doesn’t seem to mind his curse all that much. He spends plenty of time as a panda!” Kasumi chimed in as she returned from the kitchen with a kettle, pouring it over Genma to change him back as she spoke on his behalf.

“Yes, but would you rather be a panda over being a man, Saotome?” Cologne asked.

“Well, sometimes being a bear has its advantages,” Genma said sheepishly, “But I would never want to be one forever! I’m a man at heart, just like my son! And I resent you implying that he would rather be anything else, either! Right son?”

Ranma said nothing, and his head hung even lower than before.

“It brings me no joy in saying so, but it’s the only explanation I have for Ranma no longer being able to change,” Cologne replied, a solemn look coming over her wrinkled face.

“Ranma, is what Grandma Cologne is saying true? Do you…..like being a girl?” Akane asked, clutching her hands before her chest. 

Again, Ranma remained silent. 

“G…go on, Ranma, tell everyone here that what she’s saying isn’t true!” Soun stammered. “It isn’t true, right?”

“Ranma, if you don’t say something right now, I swear on my life I’ll-” Genma started, before getting what he asked for.

“I’m tired of everyone speaking for me,” Ranma finally said. “But seein’ how you’re all determined to put words in my mouth, you can all guess what I have to say.”

“Oh, Ranma dear…” Nodoka said softly, gently reaching out to her child, before being startled by an outburst from across the table.

“You can’t be serious, Ranma! You’re putting the engagement - your future - in jeopardy here!” Soun exclaimed.

“Who gives a rat’s ass about my future,” Ranma growled. “Yeah, the old ghoul is right. I….stopped minding my curse a while back. It was…even nice for a while. I…really liked bein’ a girl. And I…..really wish I could still be one….”

A tension hung in the air for a moment, before Cologne spoke once more. “I’m truly sorry that it happened this way, Ranma. If there’s anything that I can do-”

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING, BOY?!?” Genma erupted. He grabbed Ranma by the shirt collar and lifted his child into the air once more. “You’re making me look like a fool in front of my wife and my best friend! What, are you going to make your mother demand us commit seppuku because that damn girl curse scrambled your brain?!? I can’t believe you would stoop this low to hurt me!”

“It’s always about you, huh Pop?” Ranma shouted right back. “I never had a say in anything in my life! You ripped me away from Ma and put me through hell for my whole childhood! For what, a bunch of promises you made for me?!? Well I’m sick of it! I ain’t gonna be your perfect son no more!”

“You ungrateful brat! Do you have any idea how hard I worked to raise you?!? I sacrificed ten years of my life for you! You should be on the ground thanking me for making you into the finest martial artist that ever was! You’re gonna throw that all away to prance around in a frilly dress?!?”

Ranma spat into Genma’s face. And Genma hurled Ranma across the room and into the courtyard. As Ranma landed in a heap, Genma leapt to continue his assault, followed by Nodoka and Akane.

“Mr. Saotome, wait! Just listen to Ranma, please!” Akane shouted.

“Genma, stop! You don’t have to do this!” Nodoka pleaded as she ran.

“Go on, boy! Fight back! I didn’t raise you to take a beating lying down!” Genma said. He pulled back to kick Ranma once more, but was stopped when Akane threw herself in front of the Saotome patriarch.

“Stop! If you want to keep beating on Ranma, you’re going to have to do the same to me first!” Akane shouted.

“Get out of the way, Akane,” Genma said. “This is a fight between men. Or, at least, it will be once I show Ranma the error of his ways.”

“Shut the hell up, Pops,” Ranma said, standing up. “You lay a hand on Akane and I’ll kill you myself.”

“There we go! Nothing manlier than fighting for your woman, eh son?” Genma taunted.

“I ain’t your son,” Ranma replied defiantly, flipping her pigtail over her shoulder. “And I never was.” She helped Akane to her feet, before getting in her father’s face once more. “You can yell, scream, and beat me all you want, but nothin’ is gonna change that fact.”

Genma inhaled sharply and bit down on his lower lip so hard that he drew blood. He balled his fist, and pulled back as if he were going to strike Ranma once more. But instead, he shot his arm past Ranma’s head, and pointed over the courtyard wall.

“Out,” Genma demanded. “Get out of my sight. You’re a disgrace to the Saotome name, and I can’t stomach looking at you.”

“Mr. Saotome! This isn’t your home! You can’t kick Ranma out! H…Ranma’s our guest!” Akane shouted, pulling at Genma’s arm to no avail.

“S’alright, Akane. I doubt your dad wants me around now, anyway,” Ranma replied, forcing out a small smile. “Thanks for putin’ up with me the past year, I know it was tough. And thanks…..for stickin’ up for me there. You didn’t have to.”

“Ranma, wait!” Akane shouted, but it was no use; Ranma had already turned her back to the Tendo Dojo and bounded over the wall and into the night.

“C’mon Nodoka, let’s get out of here. Tendo, we’ll discuss this matter further tomorrow,” Genma turned to make his way off of the property in the opposite direction. Nodoka remained behind, and reached out to console Akane.

“I’m so sorry Akane,” Nodoka said, “I…I never intended for anything like this to happen….”

“ Nodoka, now!” Genma barked.

“Forgive me,” Nodoka said before following her husband to return to their broken home.

And leaving Akane, who could no longer hold back her choking sobs, all alone in the courtyard.

As the last few customers filed out of Okonomiyaki Ucchan’s , Ukyo scrapped the griddle clean of any leftover bits of food and grease. She had to open the restaurant late due to taking care of Ranma after school - after last time, Konatsu was not allowed to run the restaurant alone - but she had still made a decent amount of money from the dinner rush. 

“Konatsu sweetie, can you lock the door for me? Knowin’ our luck we’d get some drunk schmuck comin’ in demanding to be fed if we don’t,” Ukyo asked her waitress.

“Of course, Master Ukyo!” Konatsu tittered, setting down her bussing tray and lightly padding over to the restaurant’s entrance.

“Seriously, you really don’t need to call me that,” Ukyo muttered, rolling her eyes.

As Konatsu reached the front door, as Ukyo had guessed, it opened, as someone tried to enter. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry sir, but we’re closed for the night! If you wouldn’t mind coming back tomorrow, we’d…” Konatsu started, before realizing who she was speaking to. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry, Ranma! I didn’t realize it was you!”

“Ranchan?!?” Ukyo exclaimed? “C’mon ‘Natsu, let the poor guy in!”

Konatsu quickly ducked behind the door and opened it as wide as it could swing without squishing her in the process, and Ranma shuffled inside. Quickly, Konatsu then shut the front door and locked it as she was originally instructed. 

“Again, I am so terribly sorry!’ Konatsu said once more, repeatedly bowing before Ranma in apology. “Would you like me to fetch you some cold water? Or are you comfortable in you-”

“It’s gone, ‘Natsu,” Ranma said softly, not making eye contact with the kunoichi in front of her. “I….I can’t change anymore….”

“Oh no, Miss Ranma…” Konatsu started, before Ranma collapsed to her knees and let all of the emotions she had been carrying all day out at once. As she saw her oldest friend break down, Ukyo leapt over the counter, not caring that the griddle was still hot, and pulled Ranma into a tight hug. As Ranma wept into Ukyo’s shoulder, Konatsu joined into the embrace as well.

And the three stayed there, on the floor of the restaurant, for as long as they needed to be.