Disclaimer

  I do not, nor do I claim to own Ranma 1/2 or any of its characters. Upon request I am willing to take this story down, though I hope that will not be necessary.

  -o.O.o-

  Chapter 2

  Girl’s Night

  TW: Transphobia, Internalized-Transphobia

  Ranma sat in the middle of the room on a small stool. There were two buckets in front of her and she had a thermometer in her hand. A thick steam filled the air and condensation clung to every surface of the wet-room. Her brows furrowed and her tongue stuck out slightly from her mouth. She was locked deep in thought. She had repeated the test several times already, but was preparing to repeat it once again. She needed an explanation for what was happening.

  She filled a bucket carefully and took note of its temperature, forty degrees. She delicately began pouring cooler water from the other bucket into the one she'd just filled. Thirty six and a half degrees. Her eyes didn't lie, the thermometer didn't lie. She took her own temperature, thirty-six and a half degrees. She took the warm bucket of water and poured it over herself. Nothing happened. "Maybe it just hasn't worked its magic yet. Or maybe the water cooled some as I poured it out…I don't know. All I do know is that I'm not getting anywhere with this."

  She stood up and crossed the room to the previously prepared bath. Closing her eyes, she lowered herself into the steamy water. He kept his eyes closed until he felt the familiar sensation of his change finish. He let out a half sigh/half groan. The heat of the bath was a panacea to his sore body. His head still pounded from the night before. He reached for the cup he'd brought with him into the washroom and filled it with cool water from the tap in front of him. In a matter of seconds he greedily guzzled the entire glass down with no regard for the quality of the water. The refreshment felt as though it was the water of life itself as it hit his parched stomach. It was bliss.

  His head spun around as he heard the sliding door which separated the wet-room from the laundry room open. Ryoga stepped into the room, wearing nothing but a small towel wrapped around his waist. Ranma blushed slightly and quickly averted his gaze from his friend's direction.

  "You really should have knocked." Ranma chastised Ryoga.

  "Aw grow up Ranma, you've been to a public bath before. Hell this isn't even the first time we've bathed together."

  "This is different though! This isn't a public bath! What if I'd been a woman? What would you have done then?!"

  Flustered, Ryoga stammered out a reply, "I…it wouldn't be that big a deal, you'd still be the same old Ranma! And I mean c'mon, how many times have you flashed me in the past just to get a rise outta me!"

  This time it was Ranma who found himself unexpectedly flustered. "Yeah well…this isn't like those times! It's a big deal when I say it is!" Ranma crossed his arms and harrumphed.

  "How can I possibly keep track of that!" Ryoga threw his arms up in exasperation as he said this. He paused for a moment to collect himself before he continued, "Listen Ranma I'm not interested in trying to take advantage of you alright. I'm sorry I didn't knock, but I need a bath too and I wasn't gonna wait another hour for you to come on out on your own when this place fits both of us just fine." Ryoga looked down and spotted the supplies Ranma had been using for his experiments. Looking to change the subject he asked, "You test things out yet? Do the pills work?" There was a hint of trepidation in voice. He needed this to work.

  "Yea I tested it. But I don't know, maybe they haven't kicked in yet or something. I've been trying all morning and no matter how many times I test it I just keep getting the same results. I started by dousing myself in water that was exactly three degrees below my body temperature, and just as quickly I was a woman. I tried with water that was exactly my body temperature and nothing changed, I was still a woman, even though that should have shifted me back if the things were working as advertised. Though obviously hot water is still working as I'm used to." He gestured down at himself and the tub as he finished.

  "Hmm, that's strange. How about I give it a shot?" Ryoga offered.

  Ranma watched as Ryoga took record of his body temperature and completed the same water preparation ritual he'd already done several times this morning. Ryoga carefully tested the temperature of the water numerous times before, with a satisfied look, he poured the bucket's contents over himself. Ryoga, still human, looked as though he'd just won the lottery. A massive grin spread across his face from ear to ear.

  "I don't know what to tell you Ranma, but that water was three degrees cooler than my body temperature and I'm still me." He exclaimed, trying to hold back his excitement to avoid upsetting his friend.

  "There's no way that's right, try it again." Ranma demanded in disbelief.

  Ryoga repeated the test. This time as he filled the buckets Ranma insisted on testing the temperature of the water himself. He was right, the water was thirty-three point six degrees, exactly three degrees below Ryoga's body temperature. He watched in bewilderment as the fang-toothed boy took the bucket and gently poured half of its contents over his head. Nothing happened.

  Ever the doubting tom, Ranma took the bucket from his friend's hands and poured the remaining water on himself. Ryoga looked up at Ranma as he snatched the bucket from his hands and let out an echoing "Hey, what're ya' doin’!" before quickly averting his eyes, his face crimson. Ranma blinked at his reaction only to look down at herself. Realization set in that she was both very female and very naked.

  She shrieked and launched herself back into the tub across the room. With a much more masculine voice he lashed out at the other boy "YOU PERVERT! YOU SAW ME NAKED!"

  "What?! Me a pervert?! You're the one who changed into a woman right in front of me! I looked away as soon as I could, I swear." His face was still a deep crimson, though now it began to swirl with the cherry tones of anger.

  "But you still looked!"

  "God Ranma, what is your problem today! You're starting to sound like Akane!"

  Ranma clammed up at the comparison. He sat in a stunned silence for a second before laying his head low. "I'm sorry…" Ranma whispered barely audibly.

  "What was that?" Ryoga asked, a hand cupping by his ear for dramatic effect. He'd heard Ranma plainly, but desperately wanted to hear it again. Ranma wasn't quick to provide apologies and he was going to make this one count.

  "I SAID I'M SORRY OK! I'm sorry I called you a pervert, that wasn't fair. Now can we please change the subject?" Ranma begged.

  "I accept your apology." Ryoga teased, barely containing a smirk.

  Ranma looked straight down into the depths of the tub, desperately trying to hide his embarrassment. After deciding that simply averting his gaze wouldn't be sufficient, he sunk into the water, bubbles rising to replace him in the spot he'd been moments before. Ryoga stepped into the tub and sat across from Ranma. Ranma opened his eyes at the disturbance in the water only to get a face full of something he'd much rather not see. Ranma exited the tub as quickly as he could, his face the color of a cherry tomato.

  "I'll…I'll see you later." Ranma stammered out as he exited the room, never once looking back at the man in the tub.

  -o.O.o-

  Ranma entered his bedroom, and shut the door behind himself, leaning against it briefly before letting out a sigh of relief. He considered himself extremely lucky that he hadn't run into anyone else on his way from the bathroom. Ryoga's words echoed relentlessly in his mind "God Ranma, what is your problem today! You're starting to sound like Akane!" He couldn't understand his own behavior, hell, he couldn't even understand his own emotions at the moment.

  "Is it really that unreasonable that I don't wanna be ogled anymore!" He shouted into the emptiness of his room. There was no audible reply, but he could feel the room responding to his question. He felt as though the spirit of his mother was in the walls of the room themselves judging him with an omnipresent eye. He could swear the horse within the painting hung on the wall was boring holes into his soul with its gaze.

  "Who am I kidding, it is weird coming from me. Hell, it's not just weird it's downright scary. If I was Ryoga I'd probably be worried that I'd hit my head on a rock again right around now." Ranma's head sunk down to the floor. "I'm a man-amongst-men! This isn't right!" Ranma let out a deep breath and continued, "But, if that's the case why can't I convince myself that I shouldn't be feeling this way? Why do I still feel perfectly justified feeling the way I do…?" Ranma's thoughts seemed to echo off the hardwood floor.

  He walked over to his closet silently and began looking for something to wear. Fingering through the various garments, his eyes quickly landed on his old Chinese jacket and pants. He froze for a moment like a deer caught in headlights. Then, unceremoniously, he flicked the outfit off the rack and began getting ready for the day.

  -o.O.o-

  Ranma entered the living room in search of his father. He needed answers as to what was happening with the pills and the only one he knew who knew anything on the subject was his father. He found his father sleeping on the couch. His head was angled towards the ceiling, nearly dangling off the edge of the couch, and he had a magazine titled Martial Arts Monthly draped across his chest. Ranma groaned, knowing that in order to get anything out of him he'd need to wake him up, something which never ended well. Ranma went out into the yard and searched for a stick long enough that it would allow him to "poke the bear" from a safe distance. After a few minutes of searching he found what he was looking for: a branch dropped from a sakura tree in the corner of the yard. It was nearly five feet long, it had to be long enough. Ranma took the stick and snuck back into the house. Hiding behind the couch, he took the stick and, with a trembling hand, used it to poke his father in the shoulder.

  Nothing happened, his father merely produced a loud snore in response.

  He did it again, slightly more forcefully this time.

  Still nothing happened.

  Beginning to feel impatient, Ranma jabbed his father in the shoulder one more time.

  The next thing Ranma knew he was flying through the air and into the back yard. He smacked hard into the ground with a thud and continued to skid across the grass before coming to an abrupt stop when his back collided with a sprinkler, the impact snapped the sprinkler in half, causing water to begin to rain down onto the now soaked woman.

  "FUCKIN' HELL POPS! Whaddya go and do that for!" Ranma screamed in the direction of the house. She wiped the water from her face and turned her attention to the porch just in time to see her father lower a defensive stance.

  Her father crossed his arms and with a stern expression exclaimed, "You can't just go attacking a martial arts master in his sleep, how did you think this would end for you!"

  "I wasn't attacking you! You just wouldn't wake up and I needed to talk to you!"

  "You should have waited for me to wake up on my own! Don't you have any respect for your elders!"

  "Whatever pops, I just had some questions I wanted to ask ya…" Ranma said while lowering her voice in an attempt to diffuse the situation.

  Genma began walking back to the couch. Taking a seat he said, "Well go ahead and ask what ya gotta ask, I don't got all day."

  Ranma rolled her eyes and started, "Well, it's about the pills pops, what exactly do the pills do? How long does it take for them to start working?"

  "Were you not listening last night?! I told you just about everything I knew. They adjust the reference point for your curse in favor of your true form. Adjust that reference point enough and boom no more curse. Functionally at least. As for how long it takes em' to kick in…honestly your guess is as good as mine. I didn't exactly bring a stopwatch with me to China in the hopes it'd be useful. But I could usually tell they were working after a couple of hours at most. That good enough for ya?"

  "I guess if that's all you know it's gotta be good enough…" Ranma half-whined, disappointment clear in her tone.

  "Good, then I'm gonna go back to sleep now. You better not wake me like that again unless there's food involved. You got that?"

  "Yea whatever…" Ranma mumbled.

  She walked past her dad and moved deeper into the house, making her way across the living room and towards the genkan. As she grabbed her shoes from a cubby near the door she called out, "I'm gonna head out, don't wait up on me!" She earned a snore in response.

  -o.O.o-

  A few hours later Ranma found she was still wandering aimlessly through the streets of Nerima. She kicked a stone as she meandered, occasionally stopping when it flew too far ahead to muss her hair and wrack her brain. Her thoughts kept going in circles. She needed someone to talk to but she didn't even know what she wanted to talk about. A completely indescribable feeling was driving her insane and forcing a headache to steadily form. She felt as though there was a pebble in her shoe that, try as she might, she couldn't find let alone remove. Suddenly a noise like the growl of a bear roused her from thoughts. A moment later she was hit with a pang in her stomach. She needed food.

  "Oh my god what I wouldn't do for some okonomiyaki right now…" she idly complained. "WAIT A MINUTE, that's it!" Her head popped up as a light bulb lit up in her mind, "I should go talk to Ucchan!"

  -o.O.o-

  Ryoga stood alone in the dojo practicing his kata. It still felt weird to him to be practicing his martial arts in such a formal manner. He figured joining on with the anything goes school wouldn't change his training routine all that much, after all: anything goes. Though he was shocked to discover just how many hours Ranma put into refining his form and perfecting the nuances of every technique. Ryoga still had the sheer strength advantage, but he felt as though he was miles behind his rival and he was determined to catch up.

  When he heard his stomach growl he figured he'd earned a break. He walked carefully from the dojo to the house, maintaining eye-contact with the back door, and then continued into the kitchen. He poked through the various shelves and drawers and found them shockingly bare of anything easily prepare-able. His stomach twisted and growled again.

  "RANMA! WANNA GO GET SOMETHING TO EAT?!" he called out into the house. There was no response.

  "RANMA!" he tried again in vain.

  "Ryoga can you please stop shouting." Nadoka asked as she walked into the kitchen.

  "Oh, Mrs. Saotome, I'm so sorry." He gave a slight bow. "Have you seen Ranma anywhere? I wanna go out to get some food, but I know I couldn't possibly go on my own."

  "I can't say I've seen him today...but, I can give you the number to the Tendo's. Maybe one of them would like to accompany you." she offered.

  "Actually, that's not a bad idea. I've got some catching up of my own to do." He scratched at his stubble, mulling the idea over. "Yea sure, gimme the number. Please."

  -o.O.o-

  A bell rang out as Ranma walked into the small restaurant. It was nearly three in the afternoon now and the lunch-rush had clearly already come and gone. The tables were mostly empty, but evidence of a crowd remained. The smell of okonomiyaki was heavy in the air and crumbs were scattered about on a number of tables. A dark haired woman with her back turned to the door was busy bussing a booth against the wall. Ranma didn't recognize her. Ukyo herself was standing behind the bar, deep in focus counting the cash register.

  With her face still buried in the register, she called out "Hi, welcome to Ucchan's! If you wanna start looking over the menu I can be with you in just a minute!"

  "Well take all the time you need, but I don't think I'll need to bother with the menu Ucchan. I'll just get my usual." Ranma said with a light chuckle.

  Ukyo's head bolted upright. "Oh my god Ran-chan is that you?! What's it been, a year? When did you get back to Nermia!" She closed the register before she effortlessly vaulted over the bar and ran over to Ranma, wrapping her tightly in a hug. "Don't you ever disappear for so long again."

  Ranma's eyes watered slightly at the embrace. She knew she made the right decision coming to see Ukyo. "Uh, we just got here yesterday actually. Ryoga and I came here together, we're staying at my parent's place for the winter."

  Separating from the hug, Ukyo held Ranma at arm's length and with a look of faux anger exclaimed "And you didn't come to see me yesterday! For shame!"

  "Well uh, I haven't really had a chance to yet." Ranma rubbed the back of her head. "As soon as I got home I was dragged off. And then I got some pretty major news. That's actually why I'm here now. I really need someone to talk to. Hopefully over some of your famous okonomiyaki."

  "Well it's good to hear you haven't gone and lost your sense yet. You still know who's best to talk to in matters of the heart and taste." Ukyo teased. She turned around quickly, her hair followed in a wave, and she made her way back to the register. "Well, take a seat. As soon as I'm done with the register I'll whip ya up some food and come join ya'." She opened the register again with a ding. "Konatsu! Would you mind closing up the shop for a while? I don't want us getting interrupted."

  The woman who was wiping a table turned and replied "Of course Ukyo, just give me a moment to finish with this table."

  Ranma's jaw dropped. "Konatsu, that's you! You look so…," she glanced up and down soaking Konatsu's form in, "so…mature. I didn't recognize you at all."

  Konatsu giggled. "You say that as though I wasn't always precocious."

  "No I mean. You just…you look so different." Ranma felt another unexplainable pang in her chest. Was that jealousy? No... "You look beautiful honestly." And Konatsu was just that. She was taller than in high school for one, maybe by about four inches, her face was beautifully made-up and she was dressed in a flowing kimono with a pale floral pattern featuring spider-lilies. The kimono clung to her and showed off her womanly figure. The large belt accented both her hips and, most unexpectedly, her bust.

  "I'll have you know I'm spoken for Ranma. You can't just go flirting with me so casually." Konatsu gave the stunned redhead a smile and a wink before turning back to the table she was working on. "But thank you though, I appreciate the compliment."

  Ranma could faintly make out a warm red tone spreading on the side of Konatsu's cheek that was still visible to her. "Yea no problem…" Ranma trailed off, still trying to comprehend what just happened. She spotted a free booth in the corner of the store near the back and began to make her way over to it. "I'll just wait over here Ukyo!"

  -o.O.o-

  About fifteen minutes passed before Ukyo made her way to the table. "So what did ya' wanna talk about sugar?" she asked as she plopped down on the opposite side of the booth from Ranma and pushed a plate of okonomiyaki over towards her.

  "Well I'll be honest, I don't exactly know." Ranma began to pick at the food. "I've just been feeling off recently. My head feels all mixed up. And then there's pop's bombshell to deal with too, which…well I guess I should start with that…" Ranma filled Ukyo in on the events of the night before, earning a completely shocked expression from her childhood friend.

  "Oh my god! Ran-chan! This is amazing!" Ukyo exclaimed, "You can finally be cured! You can finally just be yourself again! No more girl form, just like you always wanted!" Ranma involuntarily flinched slightly at the last statement. Faintly enough that Ranma herself didn't notice it. Ukyo almost missed it as well. Almost. "Well, there's no need to rush things I suppose. It doesn't sound like the pills are going anywhere." Ranma's shoulders relaxed ever so subtly in response to Ukyo's words. "But is that really all you wanna talk about? You seem like you're really in a tizzy."

  "Well, it's not, but I don't really know how to talk about the rest of what's on my mind. I'm not even sure if anything is wrong up there," Ranma motioned to her head, "but I've just been feeling…uncomfortable…ever since arriving in Nerima. Maybe it's just my parents suffocating me. But I feel like there's something else, right beneath the surface, but it's stuck on the tip of my tongue and I just can't put words to it." Ranma sighed and looked down at the table, resting her hands atop her head. "You know what Ryoga told me? He said I was acting like Akane! And all because I was mad that he saw me naked."

  "Were you like this when that happened?" Ukyo questioned.

  "Like this how?"

  "Well, were you a woman?"

  "Yea? What's that gotta do with anything? Am I not allowed to have a sense of shame just because I've got a pair of tits?" Ranma raised her face to meet Ukyo's with a scowl.

  "I didn't say that at all." Ukyo defended herself, "That's perfectly normal." "Just not for you." she thought before speaking again. "So, you've been feeling uncomfortable? How long have you been feeling this way?"

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  "I don't know. I guess since I got to Nermia again, or at least that's when it became obvious, but maybe before that. I hate sounding like a broken record, but I really don't know. I guess I just feel more free back at school and the cafe. I feel less constricted there. I wouldn't have even come to Nerima if they didn't close the dorm." Ranma explained.

  "Free to do what exactly?" Ukyo interrogated further.

  "That's the worst part! I don't even know!" Ranma half shouted, her exasperation getting the better of her. "But you know my parents. It's gotta be them right? They've gotta be the cause of this. Like my mom's been all up in my business since I got here, judging me over the smallest things. Like last night she snapped at me just because I didn't change immediately."

  "She wanted you to change your clothes?" Ukyo half asked and half laughed.

  Ranma couldn't help but chuckle, despite this her frustrated tone persisted. "No, she wanted me to become a guy again. I fell in the pond while sparring with Ryoga and Akane, just like the old days, and I don't know…I just didn't see the point in trying to draw a bath while dinner was waiting."

  Konatsu joined the pair at the table. She gave Ukyo a knowing look as she slid up next to her and grabbed her arm. "It sounds like you need to do something rebellious! Something your parents would absolutely hate!" she said a bit too excitedly.

  Ranma perked up a bit at the idea. "What do you have in mind?"

  "Well Ukyo and I have this one bar we love to frequent. Our friends Hiroshi and Mitchel run it together. It's really nice and it's in Shibuya! Far away from your parents. You know the one right, Kyo-chan?" She looked over to Ukyo with a smirk.

  Ukyo blinked for a second. "NO! You don't mean to...Ko-chan that's…hmm, maybe that's exactly what our Ran-chan needs…"

  "And I have something else I'd wanna do for Ranma too!" Konatsu replied with excitement clear in her voice. She turned her attention back to the redhead and with a lower voice she continued, "That is only if you'll let me."

  Ranma tilted her head slightly. "Oh yea what's that?"

  "Now you're allowed to say no. I don't want you feeling uncomfortable." Konatsu tip-toed with her words. "But I'd like to give you a makeover."

  "How's that supposed to make me feel anything but uncomfortable!" Ranma was completely stunned that Konatsu would even suggest such a thing.

  "Well you don't seem to be very comfortable right now as is. And let's be honest with ourselves. Those old silks aren't exactly club-worthy." Ukyo joined in. "C'mon, it'll be fun! And your parents would definitely hate it."

  "No way, not gonna happen!" Ranma declared, steadfast in her resolve.

  -o.O.o-

  Ranma didn't understand how she found herself in this position. She was so certain she'd turned Konatsu down and that that would be that. But those damn puppy dog eyes. In the end Ranma's will didn't stand a chance. As a result, after hours of being forced in and out of various outfits, she now found herself sitting at Konatsu's vanity while Konatsu herself beat her face with all manner of brushes, pads, and sponges. The various powders nearly made Ranma sneeze multiple times and the brushes tickled more than she thought she could handle. Ranma desperately wanted to open her eyes, to know what exactly Konatsu was doing to her, but Konatsu was insistent that she keep her eyes closed throughout the whole process. "It would ruin the magic." she claimed.

  After what felt like an eternity of this Konatsu finally spoke again. "We are just about done here, one last touch and then I'll walk you over to a mirror before you open your eyes alright?" Konatsu sprayed a mist all over Ranma's face. "Ok all set now! Just follow me. Thank you so much for being so patient throughout all of this. I won't forget my end of the bargain, if you completely hate it, you can take it all off right away and I'll never ask you to do this again."

  Ranma stumbled over to the mirror, relying on Konatsu to keep her steady. She was entirely unused to walking in heels, though she did find herself slowly finding her own balance. At the mirror, Ranma braced herself for what she might see upon opening her eyes. Her mind conjured images of clowns and old women with bright red lips and blue eyelids. She shuddered for a second, wondering what she had done in a past lifetime to deserve this fate. There was no way this could possibly go well. There's just no way Ranma Saotome, man-amongst-men, could look anything but ridiculous in makeup. Sure she'd worn some in the past, but that was always for some ploy, it didn't matter how good it looked back then. This time however, she couldn't help but worry that Ukyo and Konatsu were just holding back their laughs. 'Wait a minute…why do I care if I look bad in this crap. I'll be taking it off in just a minute anyway.' she thought to herself. Even still she was nervous. Every fiber of her being was on edge. She hadn't felt this way since when she fought Saffron or Herb. She steeled herself, took in a sharp breath, and opened her eyes.

  Not a word was said for a whole minute. Ranma just stood there in shock. Occasionally she'd force her jaw back up, or turn her head to look at herself from a different angle, but she didn't dare say a word.

  "So what do you think?" Both Konatsu and Ukyo eventually asked, both equally nervous they'd done something horribly wrong, but hopeful it had gone terrifically right.

  Ranma was short circuiting. Her mind was pulling her in two completely different directions at once. Half of her wanted to reject what she was looking at, deny that it was possible, claim it was unnatural or without honor. That same part of her mind conjured imagery of her mother walking in on her right now, honor sword in hand. Terrifying as it was, that image caused her to realize that those ideas weren't how she actually felt, it was just a manifestation of her fear and her parents beliefs. That realization caused another line to play through her head. 'It sounds like you need to do something rebellious! Something your parents would absolutely hate!' Konatsu was right, this was exactly what she needed.

  Finally the other half of her brain won out. The part of her that was too stunned to speak out of sheer wonder and amazement. The part of her that didn't understand how this was even possible. She knew her female half was pretty, years of getting ogled by guys at the cafe and beyond made her acutely aware of that. But, she never knew she could be this drop-dead gorgeous. She looked herself up and down, lingering on every detail.

  She wore a deep red silk dress that reminded her of something Shampoo would wear. It hugged her features tightly and went down all the way to her ankles, with a slit on one side which started at the top of her right thigh. The dress had a floral motif to it, similar to Konatsu's kimono, but unlike Konatsu's pale lilies Ranma dress sported orchids in a french pink that made them pop out against their crimson backdrop. The dress was just where the ensemble started however. Additionally, she wore a pair of matching crimson three-inch stiletto heels which brought her to match Ukyo's height and shaped her already toned legs into things of beauty.

  And then there was the makeup. The effect of the makeup was subtle yet transformative. There were no smears of red or blue like she feared. Instead a light smokiness accented her blue eyes, a gentle contour drew out the angles in her face, and a nude lip color made her look properly sophisticated. The whole effect made her the image of womanhood.

  "Ranma, earth to Ranma!" Ukyo waved her hand in the redhead's face to try and snap her out of her trance.

  "U..uh y..yea, what's up." Ranma finally managed to sputter out.

  "We asked you what you think." added Konatsu, "We really hope you like it."

  "Uh…yea. It's fine." Ranma said flatly, still only giving her two friends half of her attention.

  "So are you still willing to go to the bar with us?" They both asked.

  "Sure, why not…"

  -o.O.o-

  A mile of stumbling in heels, thirty minutes of trains, and then finally another half mile of actual walking this time, got them to their destination, a bar Ranma discovered was named Club Himitsu, around ten at night. Ranma stood in awe of what she saw. She expected a fairly simple bar, not necessarily a dive given their current attire, but nothing so…loud.

  Club Himitsu had blacked out their windows to the street, but in no way did this conceal the bar's presence. Pink and blue neon signs proudly displayed the bar's name to the world and posters advertising events like karaoke nights, costume parties, and drag shows covered the blacked out windows. Ranma gulped, only now fully understanding what she'd been invited to. Her companions dragged her away from her contemplation and into the warm club.

  Pop music blared over a loudspeaker. It was nearly impossible not to hear it no matter how hard you tried. Red, blue, and purple lights lit the shop unevenly and gave everything an otherworldly feel. A tall blonde man stood behind the bar, behind him more liquor bottles than she'd ever seen in one place in more colors than she knew liquor came in. The place was packed. All of the booths and tables were seemingly taken leaving only a few seats at the bar itself.

  Ranma once again found herself frozen. Opting to use Ukyo as an anchor, she grabbed hold of Ukyo's arm and allowed her to lead them deeper into the bar. Claiming seats at the bar, she was surprised to see Konatsu insist on sitting between Ukyo and herself. While she was happy to at least get to sit next to the wall, she couldn't help but mourn the loss of her anchor.

  Despite the relative privacy afforded to her by being squashed between Konatsu and the wall, she couldn't help but tremble. She felt as though not only was everyone staring at her, but that they were seeing straight through her 'woman disguise' and peering into the essence of her soul. Konatsu placed a hand on Ranma's shoulder to help steady her before she signaled the bartender over. Seeing Konatsu's signal, the blonde man perked up and quickly finished his conversation with another customer before sauntering over towards the Nerima group.

  "Oh my gosh! Kyo-chan, Ko-chan, how are you two doing?! It's so rare to see you here on a Friday night. I thought you guys hated the crowds. What's the deal?" The blonde man looked foreign. British? American? Australian maybe? It was impossible to tell, his Japanese was flawless. He even had the pitch accent down perfectly.

  "We're here to help a friend in need." Ukyo said as she turned her gaze down the bar towards Ranma who quickly clammed up now that the spotlight was on her.

  "And who are you doll?" The man turned to Ranma and gave her a warm genuine smile.

  "My name's Ra…" Ranma began slowly.

  "Her name's Ranko! But you can call her Ran-chan, like we do. We've known her since high school!" Konatsu butted in, more authoritatively than "Ranko" had ever seen her act.

  "Oh Ran-chan! I get it, like orchids!" He exclaimed while gesturing to "Ranko's" outfit. "Well that is a beautiful name doll, one befitting of a woman so lovely."

  "Ranko's" face quickly matched her hair. The combination of the complement and the name had her brain going a million miles a minute.

  "Well Ran-chan. My name is Mitchel Himitsu, but you can just call me Mitchel. Despite how long I've been here I've still never gotten used to being referred to by my last name even though I chose it! " Mitchel laughed at his comment as though its inherent humor should have been self-evident. "Though, best you still call my partner 'Himitsu-san.' At least until he's gotten to know you. He's a sweetheart, but he actually grew up here, so he doesn't quite understand how I can be so casual with complete strangers."

  "Your partner? Like your business partner? Ucchan and Konatsu told me that you and someone named Hiroshi run this place." "Ranko" asked timidly.

  "Oh honey, you're a gas!" Mitchel laughed heartily. "No, not my business partner. Though, I guess he is that as well. But more importantly, he's my husband."

  "Oh!" "Ranko" nodded to feign understanding before it finally clicked. Once it had she blurted out "Oh my gosh! You're gay!"

  "Queer as can be doll. Same as everyone else here." He used the glass he'd been polishing in his hands to gesture around the room in a sweeping motion.

  "Ranko's" face lit up in embarrassment. "Oh god I should have known. I'm so so sorry. I hope I didn't offend."

  "Girl, you really do need help!" Mitchel said with a chuckle. "But calm down, you're fine. Everyone stumbles at first. And Kyo-chan, Ko-chan, don't worry, I'll make sure to treat her right tonight. I'll really ease her into things." He gave "Ranko's" two friends a knowing smile and a wink. "Anyway, what can I start ya' with!"

  -o.O.o-

  After an hour and about four rounds of drinks everyone seemed to be settled in. Even "Ranko" appeared to be coming out of her shell. She'd stopped shaking finally and could even order herself a drink without stuttering. Ukyo was proud of her.

  "You happy you came finally?" Ukyo asked.

  Just then a woman from across the bar nodded in "Ranko's" direction, and a few short moments later Mitchel came up with yet another drink for the petite redhead.

  "Y…yea. I'm having fun." "Ranko" admitted in between sips of her new fuzzy navel.

  Ukyo and Konatsu were both equally thrilled to see their friend finally seem to be at peace. With the weight of their friend's mental health temporarily lifted from their shoulders, they turned their attention towards each other. Ukyo began by giving Konatsu a peck on the cheek, which Konatsu herself quickly followed up with a proper kiss. "Ranko" looked on at the display, mouth agape. After going back and forth for a minute, they finally noticed their friend and quickly separated while tidying themselves up.

  "Oh my gosh this all makes sense now." "Ranko" began, spinning a finger around to gesture to the bar, "You two, you're both. Well…wait would you be? Isn't Konatsu…"

  "Yes Ran-chan, Konatsu is my girlfriend." Ukyo interrupted. "And you better not say what I think you were about to say..."

  "What do you mean? How does that even work? I'm sorry I'm really not following." "Ranko" sputtered out in reply.

  "Well Ran-chan. Konatsu is a woman and we're dating. So that makes us girlfriends." Ukyo stated matter-of-factly.

  "But isn't…wasn't…didn't…wait a minute, did Konatsu also fall in the spring of drowned girl?! That would explain it. Though, I guess she'd also then have to get locked in that form…and I don't know if the chiisuiton even exists anymore…" "Ranko" trailed off.

  "No Ran-chan, I didn't do anything like that. My path was more…traditional." Konatsu spoke up, trying to prevent "Ranko's" naivete from angering her lover.

  "What's that supposed to mean?" "Ranko" asked sincerely.

  "Well, Ranko, not everyone has access to the magic you use to change form. But even still some people aren't exactly…satisfied with their 'initial forms.' So in order to change forms they have to use medicines and surgeries. Likewise, so have I." Konatsu appeared to be choosing her words extremely carefully as she continued, "Though not everyone gets all or any of these procedures done, and that's fine as well. Merely their desire to be so makes them women, as was the case with me; even when you met me back in high school, I was a woman."

  "Really?! I can't imagine ever wanting a curse like the one I have! You all must be crazy!" "Ranko" declared with an insensitivity which demonstrated either an inability, or an unwillingness, to understand what Konatsu actually described.

  "RANMA! The nerve! After all that Konatsu's done to help you tonight! I can't believe you!" Ukyo came down on Ranma like a mother protecting her young, or rather like a partner defending her partner.

  For a reason she couldn't explain, the sudden and exaggerated use of her real name deeply upset her, causing her to further lash out. "Help me! What do you mean help me! You guys practically dragged me here!" Ranma shouted, earning the attention of the bartender. "I didn't want any of this!"

  "Oh come off it! Stop lying to yourself Ranma! You two are one and the same! Kami-sama, if it wasn't for your own pigheadedness you could maybe, finally, be happy."

  "You think I'm the same as Konatsu?!" Ranma scoffed, "I'm not some pervert who's into cross-dressing!"

  Suddenly Mitchel walked up and whispered to the group "Hey guys…I'm gonna need you to take this outside, this is starting to upset some of the other customers."

  "IT'S FINE" Ranma declared in a huff, "I was already leaving." With that she got up off of her stool and rushed for the exit.

  Ukyo hopped down from her stool as well as if to give chase, but Konatsu grabbed her by the shoulder to stop her advance. "Don't do it Ukyo. It's not going to help anything. Not tonight. We pushed too hard too quickly. This was bound to happen."

  "You can't blame us! This is clearly her fault. She's always been insensitive! And I for one can't just stand here and watch her question my girlfriend's womanhood!"

  "But think of why she's like that Kyo-chan. You know how she was raised. You know what she was taught to think. That kind of internalized-transphobia doesn't just go away overnight. She needs time, and she can't get that if we chase after her tonight." Konatsu let go of Ukyo's shoulder.

  "You're right…as always." Ukyo sighed, almost visibly letting off steam, "But I can't let her hide behind her upbringing forever. If she keeps hurting you..."

  "I know Kyo-chan. And I appreciate that part of you. I just really hope it doesn't come to that."

  -o.O.o-

  Ryoga and Akane stepped out of the Tendo dojo quietly, trying not to disturb those who'd already fallen asleep. They'd had a long day filled with chit-chat and eating and were just about ready to go to sleep themselves. They just had to get Ryoga back to where he belonged for the night. Despite now having to walk in the dead of night, Ryoga was glad he came. He'd have to thank Nadoka for the idea sometime. It had been far too long since Akane had spoken as friends and he didn't realize just how desperately he needed it. For one of the few times in his life, he was grateful for his poor sense of direction. If not for it, he'd never have found himself in this position, an equal with one he'd held in such high esteem for so many years.

  "We should probably hurry Ryoga." Akane called out behind her. "I hear it might start snowing tonight."

  "I wouldn't be surprised honestly. It's absolutely frigid out here." Ryoga rubbed his arms and blew air into his hands. "I'd hate to be lost out in this."

  -o.O.o-

  Ranma stumbled barefoot through the streets of Nerima. It was a miracle she managed to make the last train of the night, but even still, she had several blocks to walk before reaching her home. And while a few blocks was normally nothing to Ranma, she'd already managed to break one of the two stilettos she now carried on a subway grate and she didn't have a jacket to protect her from the now blustery winter winds. She trudged along the sidewalk for a few minutes, holding on to every ounce of warmth her arms could gather, before a car drove by and managed to splash her with a puddle of rainwater. It was all too much for her to bear. Eventually, maybe only two or three blocks from her house, she collapsed. She curled up into an alley between two buildings and began to sob uncontrollably.

  She sat like that for what felt like an eternity before she heard a pair of voices approaching. Nervously, she stuck her head out to gauge whether or not she'd be able to ask the pair for help. To her surprise she was greeted by the faces of none other than Ryoga and Akane. Ranma considered for a moment, as they passed her alley, if she should stay quiet to keep them from seeing her like this. However, just as that thought entered her mind and as if caused by an act of divine comedy, the wind picked up again stronger than ever. Ranma knew she'd have to swallow her pride. She stepped out from the alley and yelled out to Ryoga.

  "Ryoga! Help!" Her voice was raspy and her throat hurt, but even still he managed to hear her. Ryoga spun around, gestured for Akane to wait, and ran towards where he heard the voice.

  "Hey lady, do you need some help! Wait a minute, Ranma is that you?!" Ryoga asked in disbelief. Once again he couldn't understand what he was seeing. Ranma, his invincible rival, was curled up in a ball, soaking wet, wearing an extremely feminine dress, with running makeup streaking down her face.

  "Hey Ryoga, how's your night been? Hope it's been better than mine." Ranma smiled weakly.

  "You idiot…" Ryoga didn't know what to say. "I'll tell you all about my night after we've managed to get you out of here. Deal?"

  "Deal."

  Ryoga took his jacket off and wrapped her in it. "Okay I'm gonna have you ride my back now alright? Can you do that?"

  "Yea I think I can manage that much." Ranma slid her arms into Ryoga's jacket and as she did so the scent of it caught her attention. Its warm musk was pleasant. That thought was not. Ranma quickly discarded that idea and positioned herself behind Ryoga. He crouched, grabbed her legs, and with an "alley-oop" tossed her onto his back. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned into his chest for warmth.

  "You know Ranma, I'm getting a serious sense of deja vu. You better not be making a habit out of this. I'm not some kinda taxi service." Ryoga complained, hoping to lift the poor girl's spirit.

  "I have no idea what you're talking about Ryoga." she replied with a chuckle.

  When the two caught up with Akane she was flabbergasted. Just like Ryoga, she had no explanation for Ranma's condition, but she at least knew better than to start asking questions right now. What Ranma really needed was warmth and a change of clothes.

  "Ryoga, I know we were on our way to the Saotome's, but my place is closer, and honestly, I think it will be safer for Ranma right now. Do you mind if we turn around?" Akane asked.

  "Not at all, lead the way."

  -o.O.o-

  Ranma didn't know when they arrived at the Tendo's. She didn't even know what time it was. All she remembered was waking up on their couch. Kasumi was fussing about trying to do what she could to help Ranma. She kept flicking her attention between a thermometer in Ranma's mouth, and a warm damp towel on Ranma's head. Something didn't seem to be adding up and it was plain that it was worrying Kasumi.

  "Whaddya think doc? Will I make it?" Ranma tried to crack a joke, still half asleep.

  "Oh my! Ranma! You're awake! Let me go grab the others, they'll want to know you're safe." Kasumi got up and turned for the door.

  "No there's no need for that, just let me sleep some more." Ranma called out in her quiet raspy voice, but it was too late. She was already gone and there was no way she'd hear Ranma from here.

  Moments later Kasumi was knocking at the door frame again. "Ranma, I brought Ryoga and Akane, can they come in? They've been worried ever since they found you."

  "Yea sure, let them in, they're already here anyway." she said while burying her face into the couch's armrest.

  Ryoga was the first to enter. He sat on the floor next to Ranma and leaned slightly against the couch, equalizing their height. Ranma appreciated the gesture more than she knew how to express it right now. He placed a hand on Ranma's shoulder, an act which made her heart flutter briefly, and began to speak. "Kasumi tells me you were suffering from minor acute hypothermia. What the hell happened?"

  "She also told you pretty explicitly to not worry her!" Akane piped up from behind him.

  "Yea I guess that's right…" he said, rubbing a hand on the back of his head. "But what's done is done, and I need to know. What the hell happened out there Ranma? Did you get attacked? Were you forced into some kind of strange martial arts competition again? Just let me know and I'll go beat up whoever did this to ya'."

  Ranma just stayed quiet, her face remaining deep in the crack between armrest and couch cushion.

  "C'mon Ryoga, let's give her some space alright? She doesn't need this right now. Just back off and we can talk in the..." Akane argued.

  "No, I wasn't jumped. It was nothing like that." Ranma interrupted weakly, her already strained voice muffled further by the upholstery.

  "Then what the hell was it Ranma! Please tell me, I'm worried for you." Ryoga begged, his voice wavering imperceptibly.

  "I messed up Ryoga, that's what happened. I messed up big time. And something tells me it's not gonna be set right nearly as easily as I managed to screw it up."

  "What did you do?" Ryoga asked as gently as he could muster. But she never answered his question. Instead she began to cry, quietly at first and then all at once.

  "Ryoga…" she finally mustered between heaves.

  "Yea what's up Ranma."

  "Do you have your pills with you?"

  "Yea."

  She looked up from the armrest finally and into his eyes. "Can I have one?"

  "You want one of my pills? Is that really the best idea right now? Can't they imbalance your ki? I don't know if we should risk that when you're in this state."

  "I don't want it, I need it. This whole thing would never have happened if that damn pill just worked this morning, please just give me one of yours. I need one that I know will work." Ranma pleaded. "Please I just need to be able to put this, all of this, well and truly behind me. Please."

  Ryoga felt his heart ache. He couldn't just leave her like this. "Sure Ranma I'll go get one for you." Ryoga reluctantly agreed, unsure of if he was still doing the right thing.

  He returned a few minutes later with a pill and a glass of water. He gave her a once over, and then, with a sigh, handed both to her.

  She took the pill quickly, and then placed the cup on the table next to the couch before she turned around and nestled herself back into the couch. Her face once again buried deep in cushions, she called out faintly, "Thank you Ryoga."

  "Anytime Ranma."