Well, finally. A bit behind schedule (okay, a LOT!) but better late than never. Comments are welcome, of course. Ranma 1/2 = (C) of Shogakukan "Nullifier 122" by Webdragon Part 4 : Look Before You Leap ----------------------------- The morning was crisp and new, after a cleansing storm had scrubbed the world clean. Birds chirped joyfully, the sun was shining brightly and the world seemed at peace. It was Sunday, as time reckoned, and the temperature was starting to shoot up. Not many cars roamed the streets as people took to their bikes and their feet, to better enjoy the beautiful day ahead of them. The overall pace of the day was a slow and relaxing change from the punishing pace that school and work demanded out of everybody. As always, Kasumi and Nodoka were up at the crack of dawn, preparing breakfast. Ranma-chan sat on the steps of the front porch, lacing her shoes up even as Ranma and Akane waited for her. The two girls had their jogging shorts and T-shirts on, while Ranma had his usual black pants and sleeveless shirt. "Come on, already!" said Ranma, a little annoyed at how long it took Ranma-chan to get ready for their morning jog. "Yeah, yeah. Coming!" called Ranma-chan, just finishing up her other shoe with a jerk of her arms. "Guys, I'm going on ahead. Catch up with me, huh?" called Akane as she jogged away. "I'm goin' with her!" said Ranma as he turned around and began to jog after Akane. "Ranma, wait." "Now what?" said Ranma, turning around in exasperation. "I want to talk to you. You know...about last night," said Ranma- chan tentatively, half-turning away defensively. "Umm...I...I don't think right now is a good time. Can't it wait for later?" replied Ranma, nervously fidgeting now. "Well...yeah. I guess so. But I just wanted to tell you that I didn't know what I was doing. I mean, I knew and I wanted to do it, but I also kinda knew that I shouldn't have been doing it? It's kinda hard to explain," said Ranma-chan, standing near Ranma now with her hands folded. "That went over my head. Come on, let's go catch up with Akane. We'll talk about it later, okay?" "Alright. Let's go." And with that, both Ranma and Ranma-chan jogged off after Akane. Within minutes the trio were reunited and they set a good pace. Ranma and Akane were jogging the closest to each other and Ranma- chan was bringing up the rear. Occasionally Akane dropped back to talk to Ranma-chan, but invariably she would increase her pace and rejoin Ranma. Neither Ranma nor Akane seemed willing to jog close to Ranma-chan, and whenever Ranma-chan tried to close the distance they would move away. As she jogged behind Akane she remembered their little conversation last night, in the bath. And Ranma-chan found herself looking at Akane's figure with something akin to...jealousy? No word could describe what she was feeling at the moment...that near-perverse sensation of envy mixed with just a little bit of lust. Yet that latter feeling disappeared almost immediately when she felt her own breasts bouncing up and down on her chest as she jogged. She remembered feeling differently about jogging behind Akane, who *arguably* a cute and sexy girl...and whatever she was feeling had no precedent in her experience. Upon their return all three were soaked with sweat. Ranma watched the birds in the trees and in the air, the carp in the pond, and even the puffy clouds in the blue sky...anything but stare overtly at both Ranma-chan and Akane's heaving chests, their breasts quite visible under their T-shirt due to their perspiration. It was torture, since both girls seemed to like being on either side of Ranma...almost as if they were fighting over possession of him, it seemed. He took his shirt off and began to dry himself off with his towel. "Hey, Ranma..." began Ranma-chan as she grabbed his arm, almost impulsively. "Yeah?" replied Ranma, a little apprehensive. Lucky for him Akane was already heading inside to change, and his gaze was fixed on her to make sure that she didn't turn around and see Ranma-chan clinging to him... "SUCKER!" yelled Ranma-chan triumphantly as she slipped in front of him, pulled on his arm and threw him over her shoulder. Ranma roared in surprise as his world went upside down and turned black momentarily as he was slammed on the unforgiving ground. He shook his head to clear the stars, and he heard Ranma-chan laughing. "What the heck was that for?!" yelled Ranma as he bounced to his feet and rubbed his head. He glared down at his female counterpart, who had her hands behind her back and was smiling up at him cutely. "You had your guard down, idiot, and I simply took advanta...aaaaaah...!" Ranma had grabbed her shoulders and heaved her into the pond, where she made a loud splash as she hit the water and scared the koi. A few seconds later she broke the surface of the pond and spat water. "HEY! What the heck are you trying to do!?" she yelled as she climbed out of the pond and assumed a combat stance. "What do you mean? I simply took advantage of the situation, *idiot*!" said Ranma as he assumed his fighting posture. By now both of them were smiling fiercely, their prelude to a sparring match now over and all their energies concentrated on the defeat of the other. Ranma-chan made the first move as she ran forward a bit and leapt high into the air. Ranma watched her calmly as she dropped from the sky with a foot aimed at his head. At the last moment he twisted out of the way and lashed out with a roundhouse. Ranma-chan yelled as she ducked the blow and tried to kick Ranma's legs out, but he had already somersaulted away and was out of range. Both combatants paused for a moment, then they clashed again. "Saotome...why don't you join in and teach them, like you always did - when there had been one Ranma?" asked Soun as he sipped at his cup of tea. , read the sign in the panda's left paw as he munched on a stalk of bamboo. "You mean you don't want to get thrashed by the two of them," replied Soun. , read another sign in the panda's right paw. "You really are shameless, Mr. Saotome," said Nabiki as she flipped the newspaper open to the business section. P-chan squealed in agreement. He was sitting in Akane's seat, waiting for her. "Oh...what is Ranko doing? She shouldn't be fighting in this heat. It'll ruin her complexion and she'll get all dirty!" exclaimed Nodoka. She was setting the table with Kasumi. Akane came downstairs at that moment. "Don't worry, Mrs Saotome! Ranko does this all the time and nothing bad's ever happen to her hide...I mean, skin," said Akane as she picked P-chan up and began to coo to him. "Still...she shouldn't be fighting this way," replied Nodoka, who was watching Ranma-chan closely. Ranma-chan slammed a knee into Ranma's gut, making him grunt with pain, then she followed up with a punch to his ribs. Ranma blocked the punch and twisted her wrist in such a way that he had Ranma-chan bent over towards him, her hand behind her back with Ranma holding it in a vise grip. "Give up now?!" cried Ranma in triumph. "Never!" yelled Ranma-chan back as she flipped forward and locked her legs around Ranma's neck. Akane watched in disbelief as Ranma struggled to dislodge Ranma-chan's legs, while Ranma-chan hung upside down and clung to one of Ranma's legs with all of her might. She was obviously trying to topple Ranma to his knees but Ranma was strong and he was not budging. Yet. Then Ranma reached down and dislodged Ranma-chan's arms. She yelped in surprise as Ranma laid on his back and placed a foot under her chin. Then he began to push with his foot and Ranma-chan was forced to let go. She rolled away and shot to her feet, panting heavily. Likewise, Ranma got up and felt his throat gingerly. "Hey, how about you guys call it a draw and come have some breakfast?" called Akane from her place at the table. "Fat chance!" snarled both Ranma and Ranma-chan in synchronization, making Akane and P-chan shrink back a bit. Then she composed herself and let a small smile flit on her face. "Well then. I guess you don't want the....shrimp fritters? The hot, steaming rice? Or the sauteed sliced beef, fried to mouth-watering *perfection*?" said Akane. She held up each item as she named them. Ranma and Ranma-chan froze, just for an agonizing moment, then they relaxed. Akane smiled - food had apparently been the deciding factor. Not that they would admit it. "Okay, we'll call it even...for now," said Ranma as he began to jog to the dining table, "I had you beat! You only wriggled out of it because you cheated!" shot back Ranma-chan, also jogging beside Ranma. The two changed clothing, then they settled down to eat breakfast, Ranma being flanked by both Akane and Ranma-chan - again. Not that he minded, but with Ranma-chan's voracious appetite competing against his own, the food disappeared too quickly for his liking. After helping Nodoka and Kasumi clear the table and wash the dishes all four teenagers got together to plan their day. "So, what are we doing today?" asked Ranma-chan. She was wearing her `Wet-n-Wild' T-shirt, and a pair of shorts. "Well...since it's a nice and hot day, why don't we go to the beach?" said Nabiki. "Alright! Wait a minute while I go get my stuff!" cried Ranma as he ran upstairs. Akane pulled Ranma-chan aside. "Hey, Ranko...do you know where Ryoga is?" she asked Ranma- chan. "Why?" said Ranma-chan, a little annoyed at being delayed. "Well, if we're going to have fun, why don't we bring Ryoga along too? He's my friend even if he isn't yours." "How'd I know where he is anyhow? If I can even find him..." P-chan squealed in protest and waved his trotters furiously at Ranma-chan. "You have a problem with bringing Ryoga along?" Akane asked, a hint of growing anger in her voice. "I didn't say that!" Ranma-chan glanced quickly at P-chan, who glared back, "Well...if I *find* him, then I guess it's okay. If he wants to come." After a moment's hesitation, P-Chan leapt out of Akane's arms and began to trot away in the direction of the bathroom. "Now, don't you go too far again, P-Chan!" called Akane to her `pet pig'. P-chan gave a non-committal grunt. "You know, Ranko...maybe I should get a collar and a leash for him..." said Akane speculatively. "QUEEEE-E-E-E?!" squealed P-Chan, whirling around and staring at Akane with undisguised fear. Ranma-chan stifled a giggle. "Or...maybe not. He's not a dog. He's a smart one...for a *pig*. He...just has a bad sense of direction." "I prefer to call it `adventuring spirit', Ranko. I guess you're quite right. I don't think I could bear to put a collar on him, not after what Azusa did." "Yeah. I'll go get my swimsuit and stuff. Nabiki, you go save a spot on the beach for us, okay?" "Way ahead of you, Ranko," replied Nabiki as she shut the front door on her way out. "I'll go help Kasumi for a bit, then I'll join you guys. Okay?" said Akane as she walked to the kitchen. "Alright," replied Ranma-chan as she followed `P-chan' to the bathroom, and watched him turn back to a human. "So...how do you think you're gonna stay high and dry for a beach excursion?" Ranma-chan asked. "I'll ask Shampoo for a bar of that anti-water soap. Pass me my towel, will you?" Ryoga pointed at a yellow towel with black stripes, hanging on a hook next to his backpack and red umbrella. "Why in heck do you have *your* stuff in *our* bathroom?" said Ranma-chan as she walked over and grabbed the towel. She tossed it over to Ryoga, who grabbed it and stood up - out of the bath. Ranma- chan's eyes widened noticeably, then a blush of red streaked its way across her cheeks and throat. She jerked her head away and slapped herself lightly. Damnit! He's a guy! She shouldn't be staring at him because... She pulled up short. Because she was a guy, the same as Ryoga was? She looked down on herself - , she thought sarcastically. Ranma-chan took a shuddering breath. It scared her that two warring feelings were fighting for dominance within her. Lust and disgust. She felt lust at the sight of Ryoga - nude at that - but also disgust because something inside told her that staring at naked guys was not right. But what was `not right'? What was going on with her? "That's because I'm *always* changing back to my normal self, and I figured I might as well keep my...Ranma? What's wrong?" said Ryoga as he dried himself with the towel. "Nothing. I'll....I'll meet you outside." "You're acting weird, you know that?" said Ryoga. He wrapped the towel around his trim waist and walked past Ranma-chan to his backpack. As he began to duck down in order to open it, Ranma-chan stifled a gulp and she finally left the bathroom. Catching her breath outside the bathroom, she ran upstairs to her room and entered. Ranma was rummaging through a drawer and he pulled something out with a cry of triumph. "Found it!" he crowed, waving that thing in the air. "Uh...Ranma....?" said Ranma-chan. She was staring at the thing in Ranma's hand. "All set to go!" "Err...Ranma? What's that you're holding?" "A pair of...OH JEEZ!!" Ranma stared at the swimsuit in his hands - a pair he had borrowed from Akane three months ago. He looked at Ranma-chan and said, "I...forgot. Oops." "You know, *you* might look pretty good in that two-piece thong....." said Ranma-chan teasingly. "Shut up. You know I don't have the curse anymore and I don't have to worry about stuff like that, so there!" said Ranma as he turned back to the drawer and began to rifle through it again. He pulled up short as his conscious mind registered what he had just said. He turned back to Ranma-chan, who was quietly looking down at herself. Ranma hesitantly put a hand on Ranma-chan's shoulder, and she flinched involuntarily. "I'm sorry. I just got carried away, that's all. I didn't mean to hurt you," apologized Ranma. It occurred to him that this was one of the few times he had apologized up front in his life. Perhaps it was due to sympathy, pity, or a combination of the two. Or...perhaps it was because of the way Ranma-chan looked. A little crest-fallen, afraid and uncertain. Scared of...something. But what? He did not get an opportunity to seek an answer to that question, for Ranma-chan was already rifling through the same drawer. She came up with a swimsuit in one hand, and a pair of men's swimming trunks in the other. She tossed the latter to Ranma. "Here's yours. I've got mine already," she said in a distracted tone. "Hey..wait a minute...." said Ranma as Ranma-chan pushed past him. "Wait for what? Nobody waits for me. Like I said, all of you are too damned anxious to go on with your lives." "That's not fair! I just wasn't thinking!" protested Ranma. "Were you thinking about me this morning? When we went for the morning jog? Do you know how many times the two of you ignored me?" "Two of...oh, you mean me and Akane. I...." Ranma trailed off...because he did not have an answer to Ranma-chan's question. Not an answer he wanted to say out loud anyway. "And about what I was talking about this morning. Last night, I mean. Let's talk about it a bit, please?" It was not a request. "Uh. Okay. You start," said Ranma, leaning on the doorway. "Remember what I said this morning? Well...now that I think about it, maybe I was being...you know...too forward with you. I knew what I was doing, that's for sure. I just...couldn't stop myself." "Yeah, me too. I knew what we were doing was not right, but I just couldn't stop. I loved every minute of it...and you know something?" said Ranma, leaning in close, "I'm...I'm worried. About you, that is. I mean, what's with the shopping spree yesterday? What's with the new, girly clothes?" "I...I guess I just got caught up in the whole thing, and I guess I got too good at acting for my own good, huh?" said Ranma-chan, smiling embarrassedly, not willing to admit that she had actually liked shopping, not so much for the fact that she had bought feminine clothing but for the very act itself. It had been a social outing, a bonding of sorts that had made Ranma-chan feel like she had *belonged*. If Ranma ever caught wind of her thoughts... "Acting? You've been acting like a girl?" said Ranma wonderingly. "In case you didn't notice, I *am* a girl now so that point is kinda moot. I...I had some fun, anyhow," added Ranma-chan, and immediately regretting that. "Since when was acting like a girl fun? You know how we hated it before...so what gives now?" "Nothing. I...I just found it fun, and I got kinda caught up in it, that's all. Nothing to worry about, okay?" She smiled reassuringly, trying to convince herself that everything was alright. "Then what about last night? Look, I really am worried about you. You're...just not acting yourself lately," said Ranma. "Hey, what's with the devil's advocate act, huh? Are you blaming me for last night??" "I didn't say that! All I said was that I was worried about you because..." "I have not been acting myself, yeah. How should I act? Tell me," said Ranma-chan, edging up to Ranma and putting her hands on her hips, "I'm listening." "Well...for one thing, you shouldn't be standing so close to...to me," blurted Ranma, staring down Ranma-chan's shirt. Ranma-chan blushed and hopped back a few feet, her hand already moving to adjust her shirt over her breasts. "Pervert," she muttered. "Hey, you're the one who started it!" "Started what? You peeked where you shouldn't be peeking!" "Oh, like *you're* the prude here! I seem to remember last night, when you..." "Shut up, will you? That's in the past now," said Ranma-chan as she folded her arms and glared at Ranma somewhat angrily. "Why should I shut up? Didn't *you* want to talk about last night?" said Ranma confidently, sensing that he had the upper hand. "Yeah, I did, but not about what we were doing. I wanted to talk about the reason *why*." "Well...you said that you were no longer the same person anymore. And then I asked you if you still loved Akane, but you left at that point. What did all that mean?" "You see...lately..." Ranma-chan paused, then her hand crept to her pigtail and began to play with it, "I've been feeling as if I've changed. Not just my body, but how I think, act, whatever. Do you get it?" "I kinda see the point, yeah." "Do you? I mean, right now...when I..." Ranma-chan halted again, and glanced briefly at Ranma, running her eyes up and down his body. Ranma did not miss that look, nor its true meaning. He blushed and coughed self consciously. "Okay, I think I get *that* point. I just want to know *why*." "Why? Well...if you think about it, a guy...instinctively likes how a girl looks, right?" "Well...yeah, I guess." "Let me put it this way. Do you...do you think I'm...cute?" Ranma-chan turned to face him, folding her hands behind her back and leaning in towards him. "What?" Ranma blinked in stunned amazement. "I said, do you think I'm cute? Just a yes or a no will do." "Umm...well, you...you are cute, I guess," said Ranma defensively, as if he had admitted something he would have rather kept secret. "You really think so?" asked Ranma-chan more insistently, walking a little closer to Ranma now. "What do YOU think? Don't tell me that you don't remember lookin' at yourself in the mirror or nothing when you were in girl form!" said Ranma, his face as red as a beet. "Anyhow, GETTING BACK to the subject on hand," said Ranma- chan as she coughed politely, "I...I like looking at you. I mean, whenever I look at you...I feel like wanting to...touch you, I guess. And be touched by you. It just excites me, that's all." "That's all? You've just said that you're attracted to me, and that's all?" "Well...not all. I...I *want* you," blurted Ranma-chan, turning away now, folding her hands before her, "I know I'm not supposed to be feeling like this, but I can't help it." "Then...then what about Akane? Don't you...still love her?" said Ranma, uncomfortable talking about his feelings for Akane even to Ranma-chan. Ranma-chan paused for a moment, then she nodded slowly. "I still do. But...but last night. I...I had a bath." "You had a bath? So what?" "With Akane." "With...who??" exclaimed Ranma, "What...I mean, what did you two...uh...do?" "Now I really know you're being a pervert! We did nothing except wash one another's backs, I'll have you know!" cried Ranma- chan hotly. "No, no, no! I wasn't thinking of stuff like that, honest!" "Yeah, right." "Whatever. Anyhow, what about you bathing with Akane?" "I found out bad a liar she really is. I asked her if she still thought of me as a guy, and she said yes. Then...I asked her to kiss me, if she really thought of me as a guy." "K-kiss you? Hey, why'd you call ME a pervert when you're one yourself?" "I'm not! I just wanted to see if she could, or not. I didn't really want to kiss her, you know!" shot back Ranma-chan. There was silence for a few moments. "Did...did the two of you kiss?" Ranma asked tentatively. "No. She shoved me away right when I was about to do it. She said something about how much of a sicko I was, and all that stuff. You know Akane." "It's very interesting and all that, but what you said before doesn't quite make sense with this. You're saying that you love Akane but you didn't really want to kiss her, even though you love her?" "I still love her, I'll tell you that, but I'm not...like...obligated or anything like that to kiss her, you know. I...I still don't really know how I feel. Maybe I never will." Then, before Ranma could say anything, Ranma-chan quickly left the room, shutting the door behind her. A minute later Ranma-chan poked her head into the kitchen, where Akane was helping Kasumi put the dishes away. "Umm....Akane?" she said. "Yes?" Akane was holding a metal frying pan cover. "We...have to stop by Nekohanten before we go to the beach." *Crunch* The frying pan cover had crumpled like paper under Akane's grip. "What for, RanKO?" Akane smiled sweetly and put the piece of modern artwork in the cupboard. "Jeez, why me?" said Ranma-chan under her breath, then she spoke out loud, "We have to get something from Shampoo." "Who are you talking about, RanKO?" Akane started to reach for a porcelain plate while still looking at Ranma-chan, but Kasumi quickly moved the dish rack out of her little sister's grasping fingers and placed a wet dishcloth in Akane's hands. Akane seemed not to notice as she wrung the dishcloth tighter, and tighter, as if she were strangling some imagined enemy. Kasumi smiled knowingly and readied another wet dishcloth. "Y'know...Shampoo. It's really important." "Why? She'd only cause trouble." Another dishcloth became bone-dry in a matter of seconds. "Come on, Akane! What's wrong with bringing another person along? Don't you ever think about her feelings for once? Don't you think she gets sick of being alone and working in that restaurant? I'm sure that ghoul can handle the store by herself for one day." Akane looked strangely at Ranma-chan for a moment, then she stepped out the kitchen, grabbed her bag roughly, and headed out the door. Kasumi smiled at the five dishcloths Akane had wrung dry. "What's with Akane?" asked Ranma as he joined up with Ranma- chan and Ryoga. "Maybe I said something she couldn't swallow?" replied Ranma- chan, breezing out the open door. Ranma looked at Ryoga, who shrugged, then both of them left the Tendo residence. The sun peeked over top of the houses flanking the little path the foursome walked on, in the direction of Nekohanten. A slight wind brought the last vestiges of the cool morning air to swirl down the path, brushing a few leaves to the side. Then they reached Nekohanten and Akane turned to face Ranma-chan. "We'll wait outside while you go in and ask her, but I'm sure she'll be too busy to get off work," said Akane, tapping a foot impatiently. "Too busy...?" said Ranma-chan wonderingly. Ranma and Ryoga followed the redhead's gaze to the inside of the restaurant. There were absolutely no customers in sight. "Well? Go on. Get inside and *take* whatever you want from her. I'm sure she won't mind, since it's *you* doing it, Ranma," said Akane to Ranma-chan. "Hey! I'm NOT like that! What kind of pervert do you think I am?!" protested Ranma-chan as she started to walk inside. "I'll go in too..." said Ranma. he thought gleefully. At least, until he was jerked backwards by Akane's hand on his pigtail. "Oh no you don't. YOU stay right here," growled Akane menacingly, "*What* were you going to do, Ranma?" "Uh...nothing...?" Ranma-chan ignored Ranma and Akane's little exchange as she pushed aside the billowing drapes and stepped into the restaurant. The delicious aroma of cooking ramen and steaming pork buns wafted from the kitchen and into Ranma-chan's nostrils, making her salivate. It was as it was seen from the outside - there were no customers at this time of the day and the only person who seemed to be in the restaurant was Shampoo, who was half-heartedly wiping a table. She turned around at the sound of Ranma-chan's footsteps. "Girl-type Ranma," said Shampoo. She sighed as she plopped herself into a nearby chair and indicated Ranma-chan take a seat as well. "So...what's up?" said Ranma-chan. "Shampoo SO-O bored." She rested her arm on the table and put her chin on her palm. "Why's that?" "Shampoo have to work in here, but is no customers. Shampoo have nothing to do." Shampoo absent-mindedly twirled a bowl by the rim on the tip of her index finger of her other hand as she spoke. "Look, if I get your great-great grandmother to let you off work for the day, will you do me a favor?" Ranma-chan sensed an opening. "Is true? Girl-type Ranma can get Shampoo off work?" "Trust me! I'm sure she'll agree! That withered old mummy ought to know better than to...." Ranma-chan suddenly threw her hand up - just in time to catch a well-aimed chopstick that had just shot out of the kitchen. "And WHO were you calling a withered old mummy?!" Cologne came hopping out of the kitchen on her stick with a takeout bag of hot dumplings in one hand. "Great-great grandmother, can Shampoo go out?" asked Shampoo as she flounced up and over to Cologne. "I don't see why not. A day like this is for youngsters to enjoy...and besides there's not much business on a Sunday. I can handle it...you go on ahead and have some fun." "Is true, great-great grandmother?" said Shampoo excitedly. "Yes, child. And take these dumplings with you." She tossed a bag to Shampoo, "I have a feeling that you might be going to the beach." "Beach, girl-type Ranma? Who go beach with you?" asked Shampoo. "A bunch of people. Come on, it'll be fun!" "Shampoo go get swimsuit and no-water soap. Wait here, girl-type Ranma!" Shampoo seemed to have lost all vestiges of her earlier mood, and she was half-way up the stairs before Ranma-chan remembered. "Hey...bring two bars of that soap!" she called. "Okay. Is no problem," replied Shampoo as she disappeared from view. Ranma-chan heard a splash of water and the furious quacking of a duck, followed by what sounded like a minor struggle between the duck and Shampoo, who kept scolding the duck to `hold still so Shampoo can tie stupid duck up'. After the minor altercation, Shampoo returned with her swimsuit and two bars of soap. She tossed one to Ranma-chan and the two headed outside the restaurant. As Shampoo exits the restaurant, she and Akane met eye to eye in a searing confrontation that scorched the humid atmosphere with its sheer intensity. "Aiyaa...we is going to beach? Is good, so Shampoo can help beached whale get back into water!" Shampoo smirked as Akane's face went red with embarrassment and anger. "Who are you calling a beached whale, you little....!?" cried Akane. "Look who is calling who `little', Akane! From what Shampoo see, you is *little*!" said Shampoo as she glanced at Akane's breasts without a hint of shame, "On other hand...Shampoo *quite* big..." "The only thing big here is your mouth and your ego, you tramp! You think *you're* the only one who is `big'!" snarled Akane back, pointing a finger at Shampoo. "Oh? So Akane think she big? Okay...Akane sure have *big* waist and *big* tummy! Must be too-too delicious food Kasumi cook!" "RRRRGH!" "Um, you guys? Let's go before Nabiki loses her spot on the beach!" said Ranma in an attempt to defuse the situation. "Okay, ai ren! We go!" cried Shampoo as she tossed Akane a sneer and clung onto Ranma's arm. "Let's go already!" yelled Ranma-chan as she grabbed Akane and Ryoga by the hand and pulled them after a retreating Ranma/Shampoo `couple'. She surreptitously slipped Ryoga the anti-water soap as she placed her hand in Ryoga's. Minutes later they reached the beach. The girls headed off to their changing section and the guys went to theirs. "Wow, so this is what the inside of a women's changeroom looks like..." said Ranma-chan in wonder, "And why does everything smell like perfume, or something?" "And you're not already familiar with it....?" teased Akane. "That was only because I wanted to find that Nannichuan under that girls' locker room!" said Ranma-chan back in a whisper. "Oh, well. I suppose you can't change in the men's section. You are welcome to do so, if you want to..." "And have everyone drooling over me?! No, thanks but I'd rather have a shower with water, not saliva." "I'm just kidding! Can't you take a joke?" Akane picked her towel up and began to walk to the shower area, followed by both Shampoo and Ranma-chan. Shampoo stripped naked in front of Akane and Ranma-chan, showing off her tremendously well-proportioned curves with a knowing sneer on her face directed at Akane, before she started to wash herself under the shower hose with the anti-water soap. Akane glowered at Ranma-chan, who recoiled at the amount of venom in that gaze, so unlike Akane. "Wasn't it a such a good idea to bring her along, Ranma," said Akane. "Aw, Akane. Give me and her a break, willya?" Ranma-chan began to strip her clothes off. Akane looked surprised at the lack of concern on Ranma-chan's part - as if undressing in front of her, and other girls, was an everyday occurance. Ranma-chan pulled her shirt up and off her shoulders, tossing her head a bit to move her bangs out of her eyes. She grabbed the sides of her shorts and pushed it down her legs, bending over in the process and stepping out of them. With a curse she reached back and adjusted her panties - they had been pulled down just a bit - and with yet another curse she slapped herself mentally. She was going to have to take it all off anyhow, so why did she bother? She expertly undid her bra and she let it fall to the floor, to rest beside her shorts. Then, with a quick glance at Akane - who was in the process of taking her shirt off - Ranma-chan quickly slid her panties off and she stepped up to the shower. Akane stole quick glances at both Ranma-chan and Shampoo, comparing their figures with hers, their breast sizes with her own. She undid her bra and took her panties off, then she stepped up beside Ranma-chan at the showers and she turned the water on. Ranma-chan didn't seem to notice as she tilted her face upwards in the stream of cool water, letting the cleansing liquid flow down her face, over her breasts and down her body; little rivulets of pure water running over her backside and between her legs, to snake their way down her shapely calves and onto the ceramic floor. Her perfect skin glowed with a healthy sheen and she let out a small sigh of pleasure. Akane finally turned back to showering herself. Ranma-chan, sensing that Akane was finally not paying any attention to her, opened her eyes and looked around the shower area. The sight of naked females all around didn't even elicit a twinge of pleasure in her body. She remembered the time when she, Mr. Tendo and her dad went off to search for the Happodaikirin scroll, and she had been forced to infiltrate a girls-only hot spring in order to lay hands on the scroll. How she had been intimidated, yet sexually excited by the sight of nude female bathers even though she had been in girl-form at that time! She turned the shower hose off and she went off to get changed into her swimsuit. Outside the men's changeroom, Ranma and Ryoga waited impatiently for the three female members of their troupe to emerge from the women's room. "What's keeping them so long?" complained Ryoga, annoyed at having to wait. "Don't ask me, I'm not a girl. Well, not a girl anymore, that is!" replied Ranma, whacking his chest in pride. A slight breeze stirred the air and brought the smell of hotdogs, charred squid-on-a-stick and steamed pork buns wafting over, making Ranma's mouth water. He glanced anxiously over at the women's section - still no sign of the girls. "So, how's it like not being cursed anymore...?" "What was that, Ryoga?" replied Ranma, distracted a bit by the growling in his stomach. "I said...how's it like without a curse? I mean, I've kinda forgotten how it feels to be uncursed." "Feels just great!! Now I can take all the cold showers I want without having to dunk myself in hot water to change back into a guy! Now I don't have Kuno running after me, except to challenge me. Hey, it's PA-RA-DISE for me, man!" "You don't know what you're lucky to have until you lose it, eh? Do you think it'd be a good idea to use that Nullifier...on me?" said Ryoga hopefully. "It depends on whether you can stand being a pig for the rest of your life." "Huh?" Ryoga looked shocked. "Still don't get it? See, the Nullifier cancels out the curse but it leaves the two forms split apart - with the same personality." Ranma used hand gestures to emphasize his point. "Same personality? But the girl Ranma is acting a little funny, if you ask me." "What? You noticed it too?" Ranma glanced over at Ryoga. "Well, she's not acting like you. I can't pinpoint it, but I just know she's not the same." "Whatever. Anyhow, turning into a pig must suck and being a full-time pig must REALLY suck. Don't use the Nullifier if you don't want to stay a pig the rest of your life. One of you, anyhow." "Oh, here they come. Took them long enough," said Ryoga as he swiped a hand through his hair. Ranma-chan hopped out of the changeroom and landed on the ground, relishing the feeling of hot sand beneath her soles and between her toes. She glanced up at Ranma and Ryoga, and she smiled while putting her hands behind her back and tilting her head to one side. "So, how do you guys like my new swimsuit?" she asked. "It's...kind of revealing. I mean, look at the sides...they've been cut out too big..and the zipper looks like it's going to burst at the seams," said Ranma, hand on chin and staring at the item in question. The zipper, which ran from the top of Ranma-chan's bust to her navel, *did* seem a little tight. "It's...it's..." said Ryoga, hand on chin as well. "Quite sexy lookin' huh? I think so too," said Ranma with a smile. "Really? Oh well. I guess that's the point of swimsuits. Nothing I can do about it, huh?" said Ranma-chan, turning away to stare at the sky, lost in her thoughts. "Hey, what did I say? What's wrong? I was just kidding, you know." "Oh...nothing. You just...you know...made me...*think*," replied Ranma-chan, forcing a smile for Ranma's benefit. Then Shampoo walked out of the changeroom in her daring two- piece thong. It was as skimpy as could possibly be; mere bits and pieces of material held together by thin strings in criss-cross fashion covering essential feminine anatomy, and heads were starting to turn - all of them male. And as if that weren't enough, Shampoo herself was stunning to say the least. Long, lush, lavender hair bounced lightly on her smooth back as Shampoo hopped and skipped over to Ranma. "Ai ren like Shampoo's swimsuit?" she asked as she grabbed a hold of Ranma's arm and pressed herself *close* to him. If looks of jealousy and envy could kill, Ranma would have been disintegrated many times over since many, many guys were looking over in his direction. Not to mention...one certain female with short, black hair and a temper like a Cape Buffalo. "Err...arrrgh!" was Ranma's succint reply. Akane had grabbed a hold of his other arm and she was pulling him in Nabiki's direction. Then, a la tug-of-war, the two girls began to pull. "Come on, Ranma! Nabiki can't wait forever!" cried Akane, half dragging him with her. "Tom boy girl, what you doing!?" cried Shampoo, half dragging Ranma with her in the opposite direction. "Uh..guys? I think my arms are getting longer by the second....!" protested the item of dispute. "I'm taking him away from the likes of you! I mean, look - at - you! You might as well take the whole thing off and run around naked! Not that it would make any difference...especially on somebody like you!" snarled Akane. "You just jealous because you no have figure to show off! Shampoo wonder why you no have two-piece swimsuit! Built like brick, legs too thick!" "Hey! That's MY saying!" cried Ranma. Then he made his mind up and pulled both arms in, hoping to free them. Unfortunately he brought both girls with him and all three collided with a dull *smack*. "Ranma, wo ai ni!" Shampoo had taken advantage of the situation by throwing herself in a too-too passionate hug with the hapless Ranma. "Ranma, what are you doing??" cried Akane, slapping him with a free hand. "Come ON, you guys! People are *watching*!" Ranma-chan had intervened and grabbed both Akane and Shampoo's hands, then she pulled them with her over to Nabiki. Just to avoid further disputes, Ranma and Ryoga followed close behind - even though they had wanted to get some food first. The fivesome FINALLY plopped down on the beach towels that Nabiki got off someone, and they begin to enjoy the warming rays of the sun while listening to nearby CD players, belonging to other people, positioned strategically around their beach spot. When Ranma commented about how lucky they were to be so close to other peoples' CD players, saving them from the trouble of bringing their own, Nabiki only smiled and sipped at her iced tea, implying that luck had nothing to do with it. The day passed slowly, much to their relief and delight, and the activity on the beach increased as the sun moved closer and closer to its zenith in the near-cloudless sky. The heat was sweltering and females all around began to undo the back of their tops in order to fully tan their bodies. A solitary yacht rode the waves five hundred metres out to sea - it had eight or nine people on it and they were having the time of their lives, judging by the amount of singing, yelling, whooping and laughter coming out from sea. Ranma opened his eyes and surveyed the beach. A group of people walked by with icecream cones in their hands. They seemed to be enjoying the treats immensely...which stirred a desire for icecream inside him. "I'm goin' for an ice cream. Coming, anybody?" he remarked, half-expecting a reply from Ranma-chan. When nobody answered he glanced at where Ranma-chan last was. It was empty, a girl-shaped depression in the towel to mark her leaving. Ranma shrugged his shoulders and got to his feet. Then he made his way over to the nearest icecream store, his hands already fishing for money. How he wished icecream were free! "Wow! You sure can finish a banana split quickly, y'know that?" "That's amazing! Want another one? I'll pay!" he thought absently as he ducked under the low canvas awning and walked up to the counter in front of him. "Sure, guys! Another one!" Ranma looked up in surprise and he saw Ranma-chan sitting at a table, her legs folded cutely beneath her seat, guzzling icecream to her heart's content. She was surrounded by admiring boys, amongst them his friends, including Hiroshi and Daisuke. Suddenly all thoughts of an icecream cone flew out of his mind as he silently ghosted closer to the table. "Thanks, boys....how much was that again?" said Ranma-chan as she grinned gleefully. "780 yen! But for you, it's free!" said one guy enthusiastically, already digging into his wallet for more money to blow. "Let me buy you another one when you finish that one, okay?" cried another guy. "No, let me!" yelled another guy. "Whoa, *slow* down, guys!!" Ranma-chan devoured a banana split with obvious gusto. "Ranko?" It was Hiroshi and Ranma-chan turned to regard him. "Hmm?" she said with a spoon in her mouth. "Do you want to..." Hiroshi trailed off, unable to complete his sentence. "Are you doing anything later tonight, 'Roshi? If you are, tell me...I know I'll be bored as hell when I get back." There was a moment of silence as everybody digested what Ranma-chan has just said. An opening!! "WanttogoouttotheMOVIEStonightI'llpay,ofcourse! ThenlateronwecantryoutthatnewrestaurantyouknowhavesomeFOODand stuff." Hiroshi wiped his brow free of sweat. "Did you say movies? And did I hear food? Sure! Well...alright. Say, what happened to going to fast food joints? Oh, I don't care. You just pay my way and I'll tag along! Seven sound fine?" cried Ranma- chan happily, too caught up with the prospect of free food and movie tickets to worry about anything else. Hiroshi raised his arms up and silently mumbled his thanks to the powers that be - just as all the guys mobbed him. Ranma made his way over to Ranma-chan's side. The clink of spoons on glass bowls stopped - at least from the table to his left. It was filled with girls, all of them in swimsuits. All of them were quite cute. Whispers began, followed by giggles. Ranma slid up next to Ranma-chan at the counter seat. "Hey, Ranko..." he began. Immediately he heard female groans of disappointment, then more whispers...followed by excited chatter. "Ranma! Have a seat!" said Ranma-chan enthusiastically. Her mouth was flecked with bits of banana and icecream, and she wiped it off self-consciously. "Don't you think you're overdoing it, Ranko?" he said quietly, filling his voice with concern. "Hey, how can I pass up free treats, free food and free movie tickets? These guys must really want to get on my good side! I was never this popular before!" "That's because you're encouraging them. Look, if you don't encourage them, they will eventually give up on you and you'll have less trouble to deal with." "Trouble? Where? All I see is icecream, icecream and more icecream...followed by food and entertainment! All free, of course...and I might as well enjoy it while it lasts." Ranma-chan began to dig into her icecream again. "You didn't see ME doing this sort of stuff when we were one person..." complained Ranma. "Why? Jealous already? Why don't you go sit with those girls to your left? I'm sure they'll just LOVE to shower you with attention...hey, you might even get a free treat or two out of it, if you know what I mean," said Ranma-chan, ending off with a sly wink. "Cut it out! I'm not like that!" said Ranma hotly. "You don't like girls then?" came Ranma-chan's innocent reply. "Of course I like girls...!" Ranma whispered fiercely into Ranma- chan's ear. "Then it's gonna be heaven on earth for you, because two of those girls are coming up to the counter," whispered Ranma-chan. Sure enough, two pretty teenage girls - one with a ponytail and the other with shoulder-length hair - got up from the table and walked up to the counter, next to Ranma. Ranma-chan stifled a giggle as Ranma's face turned red. He could practically feel the two girls scrutinizing him, their gazes running up his well-defined arms, soft sighs seeming to punctuate every few inches of his arms, then to his chest and up to his face. And there they lingered the longest. "Miss? Your icecream is ready..." said the cashier, a woman in her twenties. The girls apologized then they took their icecream back to their tables, and the chatter started again. Ranma began to breathe easy, then he turned back to Ranma-chan. "Look, don't change the sub....Ranko?" Ranma whirled around to look. He scanned and found Ranma- chan at their site, poking Akane on the nose with one finger to wake her up. Then she pointed towards the water and said something, even as Akane sat up and rubbed her eyes. Ranma let out a sigh and left to join them in swimming. Finally, the temperature began to drop and people started to pack their beach things up in preparation of leaving. Ranma, Ranma-chan, Akane and Nabiki were heading back to the Tendo Dojo - Shampoo had gone off on her own and Ryoga - who had been bringing up the vanguard of the troupe - had gotten himself lost, as usual. Akane opened the door and called, "We're home!" "Akane, how was your day at the beach?" Kasumi asked. "It was great, Kasumi! Except for one, little thing...." Akane trailed off and glared at Ranma-chan out of the corner of her eye. "Are you still hung up over that? I mean, come on! At least the two of you didn't beat each other up into pulp!" "Who are you talking about, Ranma? Who was going to beat Akane up?" Kasumi asked, just as sweetly as before. "Shampoo! She and Akane were fighting all the way to the beach, and then some!" "Oh, that's terrible. I hope Shampoo and Akane will become friends soon. Now, how about some supper for all of you?" said Kasumi as she began to walk to the kitchen. The three looked at each other, then they shrugged their shoulders and dropped the subject. Ranma homed in on some food, Nabiki began to count the money she had made at the beach, Akane headed upstairs to put her clothes away and Ranma-chan was left milling around uncertainly. She glanced at the clock. It was six o'clock...and her stomach was growling. She weighed the pros and cons of eating before going out, but when she considered the fact that Hiroshi was going to pay for food, and at a good restaurant yet.... Minutes later she was in the shower and enjoying every minute of it. Hot water ran in streams down her smooth skin, taking with it all her worries and concerns. On an impulse she reached behind and brought her pigtail over her shoulder, then she quickly undid it. Her wet hair slowly untwirled into silky strands and with a toss of her head she put her hair behind her. After a few minutes spent shampooing and rinsing, she pulled the shower curtain back and stepped out onto the cool bathroom tiles, her bare feet making slapping sounds as she made her way over to the mirror. She brushed the wet and dripping hair from her face and she let all of it hang over her left shoulder, where it brushed her breast slightly. How much different she looked without her trademark pigtail. So much more like...a girl. She turned from the mirror abruptly, trying not to get into self inspection but it was already too late. Through the haze of mist she could also make out her figure - and there was nothing masculine about it at all. She cupped her hands on her breasts and jiggled them slightly - they bounced a bit, and felt rather firm. Smiling shyly to see how beautiful it made her look, she twisted slightly to one side and raised her right thigh slightly, her right foot supporting her leg on her toes, while crossing her arms over her breasts. Then she dropped her come-hither pose and ran her hands down her sides, noting the curvature of her body with new fascination. Were her hips too big? She patted them, and she felt immense satisfaction for they felt quite firm...and their curvature - which she had mistaken for fat - was only natural. Brushing hair back from her face and putting a stray lock or two over her shoulder, she quickly dried herself off. "Oh great, I forgot to bring a change of clothes!" she said out loud, looking around to see if there was anything clean to wear but she found nothing...except her own towel. She wrapped herself in the towel as best as she could, for it barely covered half her breasts and it extended a little less than halfway down her thighs. Peeking out the bathroom door first to make sure the coast was clear, she rushed from the bathroom up the stairs and into her room, quickly shutting the door behind her. With a quick glance to make sure nobody was around, she gratefully dropped her towel and found a panty and a bra sitting in her drawer. She quickly pulled them on. Then she checked in the closet for some clothes. She found none. No clothes were waiting on their hangers, nor were there any in the drawers. Perplexed, she rummaged around her bedding, and even Ranma's futon but she turned up nothing at all. The first hints of fear gripped her heart as she realized that other than the smelly clothes she had just put into the clothes hamper in the bathroom she had nothing to wear. Frantic despair took over now and she found herself checking under the two futons, and even under the work desk by getting down on her fours and searching....all of which being done while dressed in a pair of skimpy panties and an equally revealing bra.