I'd like to thank all the people who have privately emailed me their requests for part 3 of Nullifier 122 - on and off the FFML. Thank you for your support. Now, on to the show! Ranma 1/2 = (C) of Shogakukan "Nullifier 122" by Webdragon Part Three : A Balm in Nerima --------------------------------------- Morning broke the hold of night on the world, and the first heralds of the dawn awaken and sing their birdsong, the melodies drifting on the morning air. The sun rose high into the pale blue Saturday sky, casting its molten rays into the air and warming the day. Breakfast had been served in the Tendo household and both families were about to eat. Nodoka sat next to Genma on one end of the table, while Soun sat at the other end. Nabiki and Kasumi sat together while Akane sat by herself, leaving a space for Ranma. Ranma pounded down the stairs, seated himself next to Akane and he grabbed a pair of chopsticks. The table is now fully occupied by all seven people. Ranma-chan was the only one left out and she stood silently behind Ranma. "Here, Ranko! You can sit next to me", offered Akane as she indicated a spot between her and Ranma. Ranma-chan cast a grateful look at Akane before squeezing in. Her petite size was to her advantage now since there wasn't much room at the table to begin with. After breakfast, everyone dispersed, to do whatever they would do. Akane found Ranma-chan sitting on a rock by the pond, staring into the waters and watching the carp swim in their environment. A cool wind stirred the waters and the floating cherry blossom petals. Akane moved to stand next to Ranma-chan, then she nudged her. "Hey, Ranma," said Akane. "What?" Ranma-chan turned to look up at Akane. "Are you alright now? I mean, last night...." Ranma-chan did not reply as she turned away from Akane, now staring out at the seemingly endless expanse of blue sky, high above Nerima. At length, she stood up. "I'm okay, now. I think. But I don't wanna bring it up, not just yet," she said in a single breath. She paused and took in a breath. Akane touched Ranma-chan's arm. "If...you feel you need somebody to talk to, Ranma, there's always me. Okay?" Akane smiled as best she could, trying to feel the way she looked. Ranma-chan touched the hand on her arm, brushing her fingers lightly on Akane's. "Okay", she replied in a small voice. Then she smiled uncertainly. "I will, Akane." Ranma-chan pulled herself quickly away from Akane, the red already starting to color her face with embarrassment, and Akane did likewise. At that moment, Ranma popped out of his window and landed before the two girls. He was just tucking his shirt in. "Well, I'm off", he said as walked away. "Where're you going?" called Akane. Ranma-chan turned away. "Duh, Akane. Where do I go every Saturday? To Daisuke's, to hang out with the guys! Seeya!" With that, Ranma turned around and began to leave but he stopped short - as if he had just realized something. Ranma turned around and looked at his female side's glum face, her dejected posture, and knew the reason why. He cast a guilty look at Akane, who raised her eyebrows in a "Why're you looking at me for?" way. "Hope you enjoy yourself, Ranma," said Ranma-chan in a semi- dull voice. Ranma winced a bit at that. "Hey, I can't help it the way things are now...!" pleaded Ranma, nervously wringing his cap, as if it were a thing alive. Ranma-chan just gestured in the general direction of Daisuke's house, without looking at Ranma. "You go on and have fun. Don't let me stop you." "Hey, you can come along if you want! I'm not stopping you at all!" said Ranma in protest. "Nitwit. After what happened yesterday in the classroom? It'd be a dream come true for those guys!" "Then why're you so mad?" asked Ranma in confusion. "Just go already, Ranma." Akane grabs Ranma-chan's hand and leads her away. Ranma stood there for a moment, silent as anything, then he turned and left. "Well, I'm going to go shopping!" declared Akane brightly. She began to walk upstairs to her room, and Ranma-chan followed close behind. "Shopping?" she asked Akane as she ascended the stairs one by one, following behind the short-haired girl. She looked as good behind as from the front, thought Ranma-chan absently... "Yeah, you know? Clothing, perfume, hair conditioner..." Akane paused for a second and considered Ranma-chan for a moment. "Bras...dresses..." "Somehow, I don't like the sound of that," muttered Ranma-chan under her breath. "I heard that. Anyway, wanna come along? I might need someone to carry my stuff." "Why not? Have nothing else better to do anyways." "Good." Akane opened her room, paused in the entrance for a second, then she opened the door a little wider and she said to Ranma- chan, "C....Come in." "What?" exclaimed a surprised Ranma-chan, her eyes wide as she looked from Akane to the door and back again. "Just come in. I need your help for a bit." Ranma-chan peered about in confusion as Akane shut - and locked - the door behind them. Then she walked over to the drawer, opened it and started rifling through its contents. Ranma-chan sat down on Akane's floor, cross-legged. "Akane...what's this all about?" "Ah hah! Here they are! Well, Ranma? What do you think?" Akane was holding out a white T-shirt and a pair of dark green shorts. Ranma-chan blinked. Akane smiled. "Well?" prodded Akane. "Well what?" Ranma-chan had her arms folded across her chest, her head bent quizzically at Akane. "Are they alright on me?" said Akane as she modeled in them. "Why're you asking me for?" "I need a second opinion, that's all." "Uhh...they look fine on you. I guess." "Good." Akane turned around and stuffed them back into her drawer. "Hey! Didn't I just say they looked fine on you?" protested Ranma-chan, who had just a hint of annoyance on her face. "That's why I put them back. Everybody knows a *guy's* opinion about a girl's clothes means squat!" said Akane as she began to search her drawer again, but she was shaking with the effort to contain her laughter. "Oh...I...but...." stammered Ranma-chan, who was very confused now. What was Akane up to? "Come on. It was just a joke, Ranma. Jeez, what Sayuri said was true, then. Guys are just *so* dense!" "Oh...yeaaah?" said Ranma-chan, rising up from Akane's bed with pillow in her hands, a smile beginning to creep on her face as she realized that Akane was only playing with her. Akane stuck her tongue out at Ranma-chan and a pillow fight ensued. Ranma-chan whacked Akane with the pillow, and Akane retaliated with a nearby pillow. The two girls screamed with laughter as they traded swipes and smacks. Ranma-chan pinned Akane to the floor and began to whack her mercilessly with her pillow in her right hand. Akane had already lost her weapon and was just trying to pull the Ranma-chan's weapon away from her...until she tugged wrong and pulled Ranma-chan down on her, so that their faces weren't more than an inch apart. Ranma-chan noted that Akane's breasts weren't *quite* as small as she had thought them to be, nor was Akane quite as flat-chested as she had made her out to be. In the place of a growing realization, Ranma-chan felt something which she had never before felt - a little tingle of something, like an electric current, down below...which served to create heat from between her legs...and not only that, she felt some ...stimulation from the tips of her breasts...her nipples, she realized, from contact with Akane. Akane felt Ranma-chan's body on top of hers, the red-head's breasts touching her own. Her breath came more quickly now as she looked into Ranma-chan's face, at her delicate features and less pronounced profiles. So much unlike a man's, too much to be mistaken for the male Ranma. Too stunned to do anything more than lie beneath Ranma-chan - whose legs were entangled in Akane's - Akane did nothing, said nothing. The two lay there for a moment or two, staring into each other's eyes, before Ranma-chan bounced up and flipped away from Akane, whereupon she landed and put a hand on her chest, to still her pounding heart. Oh boy, was she gonna get it this time! She prepared for the inevitable mallet...but it never came. Akane was just sitting there, a hand on her chest as well, and looking at Ranma-chan. "S...sorry, Akane. I...I should have been more alert. I mean, I shouldn't have lost balance like that, and..." began Ranma-chan uncertainly but Akane just waved her off. "No big deal. Forget about it." She paused for as second. "So...what do you think I should wear, then?" "Why ask me? You'd only say that my opinion stinks," said Ranma-chan with mock sullenness. Akane managed to look hurt without really meaning it. "Oh, come on. I was just joking. I know, you pick!" She got up, went behind Ranma-chan and pushed her over to the drawer. Ranma- chan dipped her hand hesitantly into Akane's drawer and looked through the clothing. At length, she selected a pair of jean shorts and a striped T-shirt with the words "Solo Mon" on the top and the picture of a surfer at the crest of a big wave. Akane ushered Ranma-chan out into the hallway, then she changed. She and Ranma-chan left the house five minutes later, and they rounded a corner on their way to the mall just down the street. There were many other shoppers heading to and from the mall, an indication of its popularity. The sides of the streets were packed with parked cars; the noise from the vehicles and crowd were almost deafening. Akane and Ranma-chan pushed their way through the crowd and ran into the mall. "Hey, Akane! Over here!" came a call by the fountain inside the mall. It was Sayuri and Anemi. "Hey, you guys!" replied Akane, waving at her two friends making their way towards her and Ranma-chan. Ranma-chan turned to Akane in astonishment. "Your friends are here, too!?" she asked. "What? Something wrong?" replied Akane. "Akane! You've brought Ranko-chan!" exclaimed Sayuri in excitement. "Ni...nice to meet you, Sayuri," greeted Ranma-chan. "When did you transfer here, Ranko?" Anemi asked. Ranma-chan hesitated for a second, glancing at Akane as she did. "About a week ago...I guess," she replied after a while. Akane and Sayuri were chatting it up, leaving Anemi to converse with Ranma- chan. "Do you like it here, Ranko?" "Yeah. I mean, I've visited Nerima...once in a while and I've come to like this place." "You're living with Akane, right? Or are you living with your parents?" Ranma-chan was at a loss for words. She *was* living with her parents. Heck, she was living with herself! But how could she tell Anemi that? "Let's go, you guys! First stop, lingerie!" called Akane as she followed Sayuri to a nearby store. "L..lingerie!?" Ranma-chan felt her cheeks turning red at the thought. Before they could enter the store a group of boys bumped into the girls. It was Hiroshi and two guys whom Ranma-chan did not recognize - they were probably Hiroshi's other friends, thought Ranma-chan. But where was Ranma? She looked around but she couldn't see him. Maybe he was only hanging out with Daisuke. Akane and Sayuri exchanged pleasantries with the guys while Ranma-chan watched on (she noted that Sayuri said very little to Hiroshi, but she looked as if she wanted to)...until one of Hiroshi's buddies noticed her. He whispered to his friends surreptiously - Ranma-chan pretended not to notice - and then he hesitantly made his way over to her. He faltered a bit, but he seemed to draw upon some reserve of courage and he forged on until he was standing three feet away from her. "Hi...uh....you must be the new student...that Hiroshi was telling me about. I'm Kyusaku. Wh-what's your name?" he asked without looking into Ranma-chan's face. He had short hair and his appearance was pleasing, if not handsome. Ranma-chan shook her head. Why should she care if he was good looking or not? She mentally slapped herself and took a deep breath before looking up at the guy. "Ranko Tendo. Say, are you Hiroshi's friend?" she asked, careful not to look into his eyes. Her left hand crept up and began smoothing out her hair and playing with the tip of her pigtail. She was aware that her heart was beating faster for some reason unknown to her, and she made an effort to calm herself. Still, a bit of red - so slight as to be almost pink - colored her cheeks. "Yep. We're just out walking around, hanging out, having fun...you know, the whole bit." He paused and Ranma-chan did not pick the thread of conversation up. There was silence for a few moments as boy and girl studied each other while trying to seem as if they weren't. Ranma-chan's eyes travelled from Kyusaku's feet, to his waist - she noted that it was quite trim - up to his chest...and she hesitated for a moment before she glanced up into his eyes. He too was looking at her and he blushed when he noticed Ranma-chan watching him. In the background, Ranma- chan was aware of the three girls and two guys watching her and Kyusaku, and she reddened. She should just get this over with. , she thought desperately. "Did you...see a guy with a pigtail - just like mine...", Ranma- chan turned to show Kyusaku her pigtail, "but he has black hair and he's wearing Chinese clothes?" "Nope. The only one I have seen wearing Chinese clothes today...is you." Kyusaku coughed and he seemed to lose his initial front of confidence, "You know...uh...you look great in Chinese clothes." A groan came from the Hiroshi and his friend, who were both watching the exchange between Kyusaku and Ranma-chan. The girls made no outward comment. Ranma-chan felt something like revulsion ..and pride, perverse no doubt, at Kyusaku's compliment. She didn't know whether to feel insulted or not, and that fuelled the next twenty seconds or so of an indecisive wrangling of her pigtail. Finally, Ranma- chan flicked her pigtail behind her back. "T...thanks," she replied at last. She smoothed out a few wrinkles on her shirt front - getting gape-mouthed stares from the guys - then she raised her eyes until they met Kyusaku's own for a moment. "Well...I..uh...gotta go now. Seeya." With that, she went around Kyusaku, but she miscalculated and she accidently bumped into his side - with her chest. Her breasts rubbed against him - she noted that his body seemed trim enough - then they dislodged from their `obstacle' and Ranma-chan whirled around, an unnamed fear settling in her stomach. "Uh...sorry `bout that. Wasn't looking where I was going," apologized Ranma-chan without looking up at Kyusaku. Her face was flushed crimson with shame as she met up with the girls. Sayuri bid goodbye to Hiroshi - him alone - and the female troupe proceeded uninterrupted to the lingerie store. Akane dropped back a ways and walked beside Ranma-chan, who was trying her best to look unconcerned and unaffected by what had just happened. "Really, Ranma. You knew he was trying to hit on you, and I was half-expecting you to clock him one on the face," she whispered. "Yeah, but Hiroshi was watching. Otherwise, I woulda whacked him." She didn't sound very convincing and Akane picked up on that. "Somehow, I don't think you would have." "Yeah? Just tr..try me." Ranma-chan held up a clenched fist. Akane snorted. "Whatever. In any case, don't let it affect you. I mean, they only see a girl...and they don't know that you're a guy underneath all that and..." Akane trailed off when she saw Ranma-chan feeling the spot where her chest had touched Kyusaku's body. "Uh...Ranma. What are you doing?" "Hmmm.....oh! I...I was just trying to get the feeling off. I..I can still feel my...you know...", she indicated her breasts, "...and, like I said, I can still feel it touching him." There was another reason, but she took care not to tell Akane. When she had brushed against Kyusaku like that, she had felt a tingle of pleasure that seemed to be a part of her, yet not, at the same time. And she had determined that the source of her pleasure had been her nipples. Even now, they were starting to harden and stand out, so Ranma-chan loosened her shirt a little to allow some slack for the changes in her body. "Sure. Don't do it in public...girls don't do stuff like that...I mean...you're a girl now, and you don't want people looking funny at you, do you?" With that, Akane moved further up until she was on par with Anemi. Sayuri dropped back a bit, to talk with Ranma-chan. "So...Ranko...how do you like the guys around here?" she asked. Ranma-chan thought she could detect another motive for Sayuri's question totally unrelated to that of idle chit-chat, but she couldn't decipher it. "They're...uh...good looking, yeah. Good looking. Especially that Ranma, but he wasn't here. Too bad," she said, feeling some pride when Sayuri nodded in agreement. "What did you think of that Kyusaku guy?" she asked Ranma-chan, who was starting to get into the mood of things now. If there was one thing she knew how to do well, that was how to act like a girl - and she had plenty of experience doing so. "He's...cute.....but I think Hiroshi, the guy with the light brown hair in our class, is better looking, by far," said Ranma-chan, watching Sayuri's reaction carefully. She was not disappointed. Sayuri seemed to be thinking and she said nothing to Ranma-chan for a while. A sneaking suspicion entered her head and she considered it for a moment. Could it be that Sayuri liked Hiroshi? The way she looked at him, but never seemed to talk with him...how was it she never noticed it before the Nullifier change? "Then you like Hiroshi, right Ranko?" asked Sayuri in a carefully neutral tone. "I never said that. I just think he's...uh...cuter, that's all." Ranma-chan gritted her teeth at her words mainly because she had never spoken like that before. , she told herself deep down, "I see. So you're saying you'd rather go out with Kyusaku than Hiroshi?" "I never said that either. I mean...I don't really know who I'd rather go out with....but Ranma takes the cake anytime. Too bad Akane watches him like a hawk." "Yeah, that she does," replied Sayuri, seeming mollified now. The four girls went into the first feminine clothing store they saw. Akane strolled about the aisles for quite a while, and she looked at various negligee, lingerie and anything that sounded French. She stopped to examine a particularly frilly-looking bra when there was a little commotion in the change booth and Sayuri popped out of the change room, and waved to Akane and Anemi. "Oh, Akane! Anemi! Come look!" she called while trying to pull someone out of the change room. "No! Don't look!" came Ranma-chan's voice from inside. Sayuri tugged harder but Ranma-chan resisted. "Where, where?!" cried Anemi. Ranma-chan was finally pushed out of the dressing room by Sayuri and Akane's jaw dropped open. Ranma-chan was topless except for a frilly bra that barely covered her bosom. She tried desperately to get back in the dressing room but Sayuri blocked the way. Anemi and Akane felt twinges of jealousy looking at Ranma-chan's generously endowed attributes, but they pushed those feelings away. "Why didn't you have a bra underneath, Ranko?" asked Sayuri from behind Ranma-chan. "I...uh...must have forgot mine at home. Oops." Ranma-chan blushed and crossed her hands over her chest. "That looks good on you, you know?" commented Akane, who received a sharp glare from Ranma-chan in reply. "No, really, Ranko! It does...uh..suit you. The style, I mean. Now, the size is another matter...." added Sayuri. Ranma-chan shrank back into the change room, and she looked at herself in the mirror. Then she slowly removed her hands from her chest, sliding them down her smooth stomach until they lay by her sides. Sayuri was right. The bra was about a size too small and she could practically see her breasts but for the nipples. "Ha..hand me the next size up, willya?" called Ranma-chan from the change room. Sayuri handed her the correct size and Ranma-chan shut the curtain on the three girls without. She fumbled a bit with the strap on her back, then the bra just popped off and she was left completely topless. She took a moment to admire her body in the mirror, noting with wonder how well-formed her breasts were, how smooth yet firm her skin was - before she took the larger size bra and placed each cup over her breasts. They felt restrictive at first, but she could see the benefits almost immediately. For one, her nipples wouldn't be visible under her shirt. And they would keep her breasts from bouncing about too much when she walked or ran. And, because they were padded, they made her seem bigger than she really was. Not that it really mattered to her of course, she decided quickly, she certainly wasn't out to get any guys! But she couldn't suppress an almost-perverse thought, one that whispered to her that she could get any guy she wanted even without looking bigger than she was.... "Ranko! Are you nearly finished in there?" "Y..yeah! Coming!" she called as she quickly unhooked the bra, pulled her shirt on and left the change room. With some money lent by Sayuri, Ranma-chan bought that bra and then the four of them headed from store to store. Purchases mounted, as if some demon had gotten on all of the girls' backs, exhorting them to buy, buy and buy, and soon Ranma-chan was carrying an armload of Akane's stuff. Even she wasn't exempt from the influence of the shopping bug - as a two bags of clothing attested to in her left hand, containing her bra, three pairs of panties, a pair of shorts and - of all things - a mini-skirt. The last item had been bought under pressure from the other girls, no doubt to see how well she looked in that mini- skirt before the other girls would consider buying the same thing. Tired from an hour of shopping, not to mention hungry, the girls head to the food court and set their purchases down by a table. Sayuri and Anemi head off to buy their food. "Akane, I'm gonna go and order something to eat now, okay?" said Ranma-chan to Akane. "Sure, Ranko." "Be right back!" Ranma-chan wandered from store to store, looking for a special food item that would catch her fancy. Her stomach growled angrily at her, berating her for taking so long to decide what to eat. Surprised at this, Ranma-chan stopped for a second. She had been starting to feel more and more hungry the last two nights, as if her body had been burning the calories like crazy every time she went to sleep. And she felt a little bit more changed each morning she woke to. , she thought. Her stomach snarled and she clenched her stomach muscles tightly, to stop the sound. She felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned around. Ukyo stood there, dressed in a miniskirt, white sweater and tights , with a little white ribbon in her long, brown hair. She looked stunningly cute, an improvement over her usual appearance in her normal attire. Ranma-chan felt a twinge of....jealousy? Impossible! Why would she feel jealous of Ucchan? She tried to dismiss it as a figment of her imagination, but it wouldn't go away no matter how much she tried. She found herself looking at Ukyo's breasts and comparing them with her own. Unconsciously, she also started checking her figure against Ukyo's. "Ranma, what are you looking at?" asked Ukyo quizzically. "Huh? Oh! Nothing! Nothing!" She forced her eyes upwards. "O-okay. What are you doing here anyway?" "I'm here with Akane, 'cuz she wanted me to carry some stuff for her while she shopped. And now I'm looking for something good to eat." As if to make the point, her stomach growled. "To....eat? Hey, why not drop over my restaurant at noon? I'll treat you to a free okonomiyaki or two, to make up for the one you missed last night." Ukyo looked hopeful. "Well...," began Ranma-chan but she trailed off when she remembered how much yen she had - just enough to buy that tank-top Sayuri was talking about. "I don't want to sound rude, but you sure you can manage to prepare my okonomiyaki? I mean, Saturday is such a busy day for you." "Sure I can. You just watch, Ranchan." Ukyo smiled. "Well...alright. So what brings you here?" Ranma-chan began walking with Ukyo out of the food court. "Well, it's like half past eleven right now and I open shop at noon. I'm just here to...I guess, shop...and have fun. My work schedule's so busy that I try to relax whenever I can, you know." "Yeah, I understand." The two friends did not say anything more until they stood at the entrance to the food court. "Well, I'll be seeing you later then, Ranchan!" With that, Ukyo smiled and waved goodbye to Ranma-chan, who waved back. Then she headed back to the table. Akane looked up from tapping the table impatiently with her fingers. Sayuri and Anemi were still out ordering their food. "What took you so long, Ranma? And where's your food?" she asked with some annoyance. "I was talking to Ukyo, Akane, and she offered to give me some free food later on. If I dropped by her restaurant." "Ukyo? What did you and her talk about?" Akane leaned forward in interest. "Like I said, she wanted me to drop by and have some food on her. I said yes. Besides, I don't have alot of money left from what you and Sayuri lent me." She did not disclose to Akane exactly what she was saving the money for. "Okay. If you say so. I'm gonna go and get some food, so you stay and watch the shopping bags, alright?" "Okay." Within minutes, after Akane had wandered off in search of food, Sayuri and Anemi return to the table with their trays of food. Sayuri had a plate of fried rice and Anemi had two hamburgers and some fries. "Ranko! Finished already?" exclaimed Anemi in surprise. "I'm gonna go to a restaurant later on," replied Ranma-chan. "Which one?" "Ucchan's Okonomiyaki." "You're going to Ukyo's restaurant? She can cook, that's for sure." Ranma-chan's stomach growled a bit at that and she looked up with an embarrassed smile at the two girls. "I'm getting hungry just thinking about it..." she offered by way of an explanation. "If you're hungry, just take a fry or two," offered Anemi. Ranma- chan smiled gratefully and took Anemi up on her offer. "Hey, you guys! You don't mind if I bring a friend to sit with us, do you?" It was Akane, from behind Ranma-chan. "Who?" asked Sayuri, peering behind Ranma-chan. "It's that Ryoga guy," whispered Anemi back. "Ryoga?!" Ranma-chan whipped her head about, to see Ryoga being lead to the table by Akane. "Ranm...I mean, Ranko!?" blurted Ryoga in surprise. Akane sat Ryoga down and began to talk to him in a friendly manner, drawing his attention back to Akane. "Oooh, they *do* know each other!" whispered Sayuri to Anemi in obvious delight. "Wonder how far they have gone?" whispered Anemi back. "Not very far at all," said Ranma-chan. "How do you know?" That was Sayuri. "Well, have you ever seen Ryoga and Akane out on a date before?" "We weren't talking about him and Akane, Ranko. We were talking about you." "What?!" Ranma-chan flushed scarlet, the waves of red quickly expanding from her cheeks to include nearly her entire face and her neck. "So, how far have *you* gone?" said Sayuri slyly as she poked Ranma-chan's arm with a finger. "N-Not far!! Cut it out, you guys!" protested Ranma-chan, embarrassed as anything. "Then you'll just have to try harder, Ranko," advised Sayuri, "You see, some guys are just naturally harder to get through to...and..." "Stop! Time out! It's not like that at all!" cried Ranma-chan, getting strange looks from diners in their immediate vicinity. Her chest heaving a bit from her embarrassment, she settled back in her seat again. "Then why is he blushing like that? For that matter, why are *you* blushing?" prodded Sayuri. "I am?" Ranma-chan felt her face. "Yeah. Anyways, why don't you go over and sit next to him? Real close, okay?" Sayuri smiled mischeviously, which set Anemi to giggling and embarrassed Ranma-chan even further. "It's obvious that he likes you....so you have the advantage. We girls always do." Ranma-chan glanced over at Ryoga, who seemed to be on the verge of saying something profound to Akane. She made that assumption because Ryoga's face was red, he wasn't even looking at Akane, and his hands fiddling with each other. Or perhaps it was intuition that told her that Ryoga was about to tell Akane how he really felt about her. In any case, even though it wouldn't *directly* affect her if Ryoga declared his love for Akane, Ranma-chan still felt an obligation to disrupt any of Ryoga's attempts - for the male Ranma, if not for herself. Making sure that Ryoga was looking skyward, unnoticing of anybody or anything but the ceiling and his thoughts, Ranma-chan silently relocated until she was sitting right next to him. She glanced at Akane, whose pupils were starting to dilate into dangerously small dots and eyebrows beginning to `v' up, and she looked over at Sayuri and Anemi - both of whom were watching intently - before she made her mind up and laid a hand on Ryoga's. "Oh....*Ryoga*....." cooed Ranma-chan in a voice that resembled Akane's, but with as much sexiness and promise she could project into it. The idea was to get Ryoga to do something stupid, then reveal herself to Ryoga and get him all angry. Then he would lose sight of his goal of declaring his love for Akane as he would be fighting with Ranma-chan... Akane began to stand up but Sayuri and Anemi pulled her down, and whispered to her. Then the unexpected happened. Ryoga's arm came down on her shoulders and pulled her close to him. She practically collided into him face first with a whump that took some of her breath away and left both her hands pressed up against his body. At first, at the unfamiliar contact, Ranma-chan tried to pull away but her efforts were weak and uncertain. She had begun to ask herself the question of whether she really wanted to pull away from Ryoga, because she was feeling things she had never felt before. And this time it was not just sexual excitement, like the previous contact with Akane or Kyusaku...she too felt comforted, protected by her `embrace' with Ryoga. His arm felt like a ton of bricks but while it was heavy, it was also warm and practically covered much of her upper back. And, his smell was nice too - she didn't know how to describe it. It was just...good. He smelt good. His shirt, which was right up to her nose, had that same smell to it that made her feel relaxed, and good at the same time. And his body...her hand, hidden from view by her body, slid off his hand and touched the hard muscle of his leg, and experimentally made its way up his side, touching his abs briefly, and....she jerked it back with a muttered curse. WHAT THE HELL WAS SHE DOING!?!? "Ran..ko. What are you doing?" asked Akane, one eyebrow twitching dangerously, her eyes closed as if to keep her gorgon-like gaze from turning Ranma-chan to stone with the anger she felt boiling within herself. Why couldn't she leave poor Ryoga alone?! "R...Ranko?" murmured Ryoga, coming out of his delirious daze now. "Yoo hoo....!" cooed Ranma-chan. "Yoo...hoo?" Ryoga looked down at Ranma-chan - the female form cuddled right next to him and smiling cutely, "YOU!! Why I ought to....oof!" Ranma-chan removed her elbow from Ryoga's midsection and said, "You ought to what?" "I see. This isn't their first time fighting," commented Sayuri to Anemi. "And they made such a beautiful couple together, too," said Anemi back to Sayuri. "But why did Ryoga get angry?" "No idea." Both girls watched Akane and Ryoga glare at Ranma-chan, who managed to ignore both of them while stealing a fry or two from Akane's tray. At length, Akane sighed and turned to Ryoga. "Thanks for stopping a moment, Ryoga. Lucky I managed to get a hold of you, otherwise you'd have walked right by me," said Akane with a smile. "Y-yeah. I thought this place looked familiar, but then again I have seen many places like this one. If I had know earlier, I would have stopped by to...to visit you." , thought Ranma-chan, remembering that she had only been holding P-chan yesterday. Akane and Ryoga exchange some more goodbyes, and good wishes, then Ryoga shoulders his pack - rising powerfully to his feet even with his heavy umbrella and laden backpack - and he began to wander off in the general direction of the mall's exit. "Seeya, Ryoga!" called Ranma-chan after him. Ryoga didn't even look back. "Ranko? Come with me here a sec, okay?" Akane got up and started to move off. "Where to, Akane?" "Just come with me." "O-okay," said Ranma-chan while scratching her head, perplexed. The two girls head to the washroom. Akane looked about inside the washroom and made sure that they were alone. Then, after Ranma-chan had entered the washroom, Akane locked the door, rushed Ranma-chan and slammed her against the wall, pinning her by the shirt. "WHAT were you doing to poor Ryoga?!?" snarled Akane. "Hey, hey! Take it easy, Akane!!" cried Ranma-chan, holding her hands up in defense. "Take it easy?! You torment my friend ceaselessly and you tell me to take it easy??! I've had it up to here," Akane puts a hand above her head, "with your vendetta against Ryoga! Why can't you just make up to him?" "Make up to him? But..." "No more excuses, RanKO!!" The extra emphasis on the `ko' made Ranma-chan flinch a bit, "I bet you enjoyed staying so close to him, eh?" She knows! "I couldn't help it, Akane! Really, I couldn't!" protested Ranma- chan. "Couldn't help what?!" "I couldn't pull away from him! He...." "Oh, sure. And next you're going to tell me that you actually did like him hugging you!" Akane's voice was full of sarcasm. "Yes." A few seconds crept by in silence. "Come again?" asked Akane. "I said yes. I didn't feel sick or anything, if that's what you're gonna ask..." Akane dropped Ranma-chan, who slumped against the wall but kept looking at Akane, who didn't look at Ranma-chan at all. There was a tentative rap-rap on the door right at that moment, and Akane opened it up. Two girls, the same age as Akane, stood there. "Are you two finished yet?" asked the one with the long hair. Her companion had a hat on. "Eeeep. How long were...were you two out here?" said Akane in a small voice. "Ever since we heard a loud thump against the wall," said the one with the hat. "Yeah, sounded like somebody hitting the wall, or something. You know, you should take her advice and go make up to your boyfriend. But...why were you mad because she," the girl pointed at Ranma-chan, "hugged your friend? I thought he was her boyfriend...?" "None of your business. Come on, Ranko. Let's go back to the others before we attract more attention." Akane leads Ranma-chan back to the table. Akane finished her food in big helpings, punctuated by a glance at Ranma-chan now and then, who was carefully examining her hands. Ranma-chan shrank under Akane's scrutiny and she fidgeted, always doing something, anything, to avoid looking at Akane. Gradually, the tension eased between the two as Akane gets caught up in chatting with her friends. Finally their food was finished and the four girls headed off for more shopping. Ranma-chan selected two pairs of jean shorts and a T-shirt, with the words "Wet 'n Wild" printed on its front. Sayuri and Anemi headed off to a different section of the store, while Akane pulled Ranma-chan into the swimsuit section. Ranma-chan looked over the swimsuit section's selections, and picked out a one piece swimsuit colored a dark blue with the words "Body Glove" emblazoned on the bust. It was cut so that the entire back was exposed except for a tiny strip of material running from one side of her breast, around her back, and to the other breast. It had a zipper running from the navel to the middle of the bust. Ranma-chan went into the dressing room and comes out in a little while, wearing the swimsuit. She struck a pose, both hands with fingers entwining above her head, bending backwards slightly and tilting her head. She peeked over at Akane. "H..how's it look, Akane?" she asked in a small, uncertain voice. "Well....", said Akane as she circled Ranma-chan once, noting the amount of skin exposed with a critical eye, "don't you think it's a little too *open*?" "I've worn less to the beach before, Akane. I just wanted to know if it's....you know, good looking." "Why? Planning on catching some guys with it?" asked Akane teasingly. "NO! It's just that if I have to, you know, wear a swimsuit, I might as well look good wearing it, you know? It's kinda hard to explain." Ranma-chan dropped her pose and walked back into the change room. She drew the curtain shut and turned the light on inside. "Are you gonna try something on, Akane?" she asked as she stripped. "No, I already have eight swimsuits at home." With a gentle tug the swimsuit came off her bust and she rolled it down her body, bending over in the process and feeling the unfamiliar, but strangely pleasurable sensation of her breasts hanging down and swaying slightly with her efforts. It came off and she straightened up. She reached for her boxers but she hesitated a bit. Now would be a good time to try on those panties for real...so Ranma-chan walked up to the curtain and pulled it back just enough so that only her face was visible. "Hey, Akane..." she called to Akane, who had wandered off a little ways with both their bags. Akane turned around. "Yes?" "Can you...er...hand me a pair of....you...you know." "Know what?" "P...panties", whispered Ranma-chan loud enough for Akane to hear, but not for anybody else. "What was that, Ranma? Say again?" said Akane, cocking a ear towards Ranma-chan, who blushed as red as the curtain that covered her naked body from view. "C-can you pass me my bag of s-stuff, Akane?" she asked in as steady a voice as she could manage. "Sure, but pass me the swimsuit or the saleslady might think that you're stealing it, or something." Ranma-chan nodded, picked up the swimsuit and handed it out to Akane. Unfortunately, she was leaning too hard on the curtain and three of the supporting rings holding the curtain up on the metal rod broke. Ranma-chan stumbled forward and managed to catch herself by grabbing onto the curtain and hanging on for dear life. "Ra..Ranko! Get back in there!!" cried a horrified Akane as she jumped in front of Ranma-chan and any other shoppers that might be about, for Ranma-chan was half out of the changeroom - totally naked. "S...sorry! The curtain broke, and..." "Will you get back behind the curtain already?! What if someone came along right at this moment?!" "Right, right." Ranma-chan ducked behind the curtain again and quickly put on a pair of panties, and her new bra. Then she pulled her shirt and pants back on, put on her shoes and stuffed her boxers into her shopping bag. Then she tapped Akane on the shoulder and both girls went off to the cashier's, to pay for Ranma-chan's purchase. Smiling to herself in satisfaction, Ranma-chan placed her new swimsuit alongside her mini-skirt (now why did she even buy that mini- skirt in the first place?) and all four girls left the store. Now that they had exhausted their supply of cash, they merely wandered from store to store, window shopping. Anemi plastered herself against the glass of a women's store, her eyes fixed on a white and sky-blue cheongsam in the store display, until Sayuri peeled her off and tugged her along their trek around the mall. Finally their enthusiasm ran out and their tired legs told them that it was time to go home, to mull over the day's purchases, to contemplate the meaning of spent money. Sayuri and Anemi promised to call Akane and have a "three-phone" conversation, with Sayuri's new telephone service that her dad - a businessman - had gotten, which allowed threeway conversations, simultaneously. Ranma-chan and Akane stepped out of the mall, and they immediately wilted under the sweltering heat and smell of burning car oil, and smoke. They had no idea that it was so hot outside the mall! Of course, the mall was air-conditioned and they had spent the better part of four hours inside of it. The sun still rode high in the sky and a giant, digital clock above a bank told the two of them that it was only two p.m. "Akane, if you want to you can go on home. I'm going to Ucchan's for some food," said Ranma-chan as she wiped her forehead with her hand. "I'm coming along too." "You're still hungry? I thought you had eaten enough to last you a week back in the food court," joked Ranma-chan. "I'm not a pig like you, Ranma. But her okonomiyaki *are* delicious, I'll admit that." "And what won't you admit? That you don't like Ukyo?" asked Ranma-chan defensively. Akane had no right to attack Ukyo like that...! Akane cast Ranma-chan a slightly hurt look. "It's *Shampoo* I don't like...Ukyo is a much nicer person than that bimbo." "Oh. So you like Ukyo, then?" "I didn't say that." "But you implied it." "I still didn't say that I liked Ukyo. After all, she's always acting like she owns you, and she doesn't seem to realize that I...I mean...forget it." Akane shut her mouth, hoping Ranma-chan hadn't caught too much. What made her slip up and tell Ranma-chan things she would not even *dare* mention to Ranma!? "As long as you and Ucchan get along fine, I'll be happy..." said Ranma-chan, trailing off a little bit at the end of her sentence. "Oh, of course! We get along just fine, me and Ukyo...it's just that when she tries to get Ra...I mean...never mind." There she went again! Talking to Ranma-chan as if she were not Ranma, but Ranko! She really must watch herself there. "Okay." Ranma-chan smiled at Akane, happy that she had managed to find this one common ground upon which the two of them