cos21-27




"A Change of Scene"
1998, June "KaraOhki" Geraci




The characters from Ranma 1/2 in this fiction are the
creations of Rumiko Takahashi, and borrowed without
her permission.
This story was written for non-commercial purposes only.



Chapter 21

The members of the drama club finally sat down and put their choices of plays to a vote. The result
was almost unanimous - Sailor Moon - and those who had voted against it were gracious enough to
agree to cooperate with the majority. Now that the issue was settled, the members sat together with
copies of the script that Yoshimi had written, and a few volumes of the manga. Some revisions of the
script were submitted, and Akane was taking notes when Yoshimi walked around the table and took a
chair next to hers, looking at her intently. After a while, Akane became uncomfortable, and put
down her pen.

"What is it, Yoshimi?"

"Akane, I know you said you don't want to act, but your resemblance to Ami - Sailor Mercury - is
unmistakable. Won't you reconsider?"

"I'd rather not, really. I'd be much more comfortable behind the scenes. "

Mishi had been watching the exchange, and spoke up.

"Yoshimi's right, Akane. I'm sure you'd have fun if you tried it."

Akane folded her arms and glared at her friend.

"I said I don't want to act, Mishi. Besides, if you want me for a resemblance to a Sailor Scout,
why don't you try out for Rei? You'd be perfect as Sailor Mars."

Mishi was silent, and the others at the table began thumbing through the manga, looking from the
pictures to Mishi.

Mishi could see where it was leading, and issued a challenge.

"All right, Akane. I'll do it if you do it."

"You're on!"

*****

Akane laughed silently at herself as she walked across campus after the meeting. How had she
allowed herself to be talked into acting?

Akane got to her room and put her key in her lock, but the door opened by itself. When she turned
on the light, the room was a wreck. Her things had been scattered everywhere.

Akane spent the next half hour cleaning up, and checking to see if anything was missing. Nothing
appeared to have been taken, and she wondered who had broken in. She pulled out her reading for the
night, and buried her head in her books, trying not to worry about it. When she finished, she
undressed, and got into bed.

When Akane slipped her hand under her pillow, she encountered something sharp, and jumped. She
turned on the light, and lifted up the pillow. There was a black rose beneath it. Now she knew who
had invaded her privacy.

*****

Akane was to meet Ranma at the gym to practice the next morning, but she sat down on the floor with
him to talk instead.

"Ranma, there are a couple of things I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I got bulldozed into acting in the play."

"Not Juliet?"

Akane laughed.

"No, we're doing Sailor Moon, after all. Yoshimi insisted that I look just like Sailor Mercury,
and begged me to take the part."

Ranma nodded.

"Well, you do, Akane. Haven't you ever noticed it?"

"Not really. Then when Mishi agreed with him, I told her she looked like Mars, and we sort of dared
each other to try out. Now I guess I'm stuck."

"So do it, Akane. You'll have fun."

"That's easy for you to say, Ranma."

"I'm really glad it's not Juliet, Akane, otherwise I'd have to try out for the play."

"Excuse me?"

Ranma looked uncomfortable, then began again.

"If you were going to be Juliet, there's no way I'd let anyone else be Romeo. Do you think I'd let
some other guy kiss you?"

Akane looked shocked for a moment, and then began to laugh.

"Are you sure you're the same man who refused to kiss me when we were Romeo and Juliet in high
school?"

"What if I had, Akane? Would you have kissed me back, or would you have decked me?"

"I don't know."

Akane stopped talking, and looked at the floor. Ranma realized there was more on her mind, and
picked up her hand.

"Something's bothering you, Akane. Tell me."

"When I got back to my room last night, it was trashed. I found a black rose under my pillow. I
don't understand why Kodachi would do that."

"I do, Akane. I got fed up with her yesterday, and told her to leave me alone. She laughed at me,
and said I'd be sorry. I didn't know what she had in mind, but I didn't dream she'd take it out on
you."

Ranma pulled Akane into his arms, and held her close.

"Maybe we should start looking for our apartment sooner, sweetheart. I don't like having Kodachi
near you."

"I can take care of myself, Ranma."

"I know that, Akane. I just want you with me."

"I want to be with you, too. Maybe it's time we filled out that form."

Ranma stood up, and Akane joined him.

"Forget about practice today, Akane. I'll go get the form. Meet me in the cafeteria in ten
minutes. We'll have breakfast together, and fill it out."

Ranma was walking toward the cafeteria, when he heard a cry of joy behind him. It was a voice Ranma
didn't want to hear, and he quickly turned, to see Shampoo running up.

"Ranma! I found you!"

Shampoo reached for Ranma, but he held out both palms.

"No, Shampoo. Don't."

"But Shampoo misses you, Ranma. Came all the way to see you."

Ranma felt eyes upon him, and turned to see Akane looking at him through the cafeteria window. Then
she was gone, and he knew she was on her way outside. Ranma turned back to Shampoo, who was
standing there with both hands tightly clasped together. The look on her face told him that she
already knew she'd lost, but had made this journey out of desperation. Ranma tried to make his next
words sound gentle, though he knew they would hurt her.

"Shampoo, you have to understand. You can't have me. I am going to marry Akane. I love her. Are
you listening to me?"

Shampoo turned pale. She had known Ranma loved Akane for a long time, but had buried the knowledge
deep down, refusing to acknowledge it. Now she had to. Ranma saw her reaction and stepped to her
side, supporting her. Akane ran up, took her other arm, and they quickly walked her to the
cafeteria. Akane sat with Shampoo, watching her, while Ranma brought her some tea. Shampoo sat
looking at the cup without making an effort to pick it up, and Ranma took Akane aside to talk to
her.

"What happened, Ranma?"

"I told Shampoo we were getting married, Akane."

"You WHAT!"

"I had to, Akane. It's funny, though. I think she was expecting it. But I don't know what to do
next."

"I think you'd better think of something, Ranma. Look."

Ranma turned, and realized a complicated situation was getting worse. Shiro was coming across the
cafeteria with a full breakfast tray, and a familiar look on his face. He'd spotted another pretty
girl.

"Good morning, Ranma. Who's your friend?"

"This is Shampoo, Shiro. She's not feeling too well at the moment."

Shiro looked concerned, and sat down. He took his orange juice off the tray, and offered it to
Shampoo.

"Miss, have some juice. It will make you feel better."

Shampoo lifted her head, and her eyes met Shiro's. Out of politeness, she smiled, and accepted the
juice, noting the concern in his eyes. Shiro was struck with Shampoo's beauty, and the unusual
color of her eyes. He quietly ate his breakfast, watching her sip the juice.

Ranma watched his friend, and realized that he was very taken with Shampoo. Shiro had an eye for
the ladies. He got up, and took his arm.

"Akane, excuse us for a moment. Shiro, come with me."

He led Shiro a few steps away, and talked to him softly.

"Shampoo came from Nerima to see me. She's been following me around for years."

"But you're engaged to Akane, Ranma."

"Shampoo knows that. She doesn't care. I think, though, that I finally got through to her. That's
why she's so upset."

Shiro looked back at Shampoo.

"What's she going to do now?"

"I'm not sure."

They walked back to the table, where Shampoo had finished her juice, and had a little more color
than before. She wouldn't look at Akane, who gave Ranma a questioning look. Then Shampoo rose,
shaking a little.

"Shampoo go home now."

Ranma took her arm.

"Are you sure, Shampoo? Will you be all right?"

Shampoo's eyes flashed, and she slapped Ranma, who quickly released her.

"No touch me, Ranma!"

She turned, and bumped into Shiro, who had just left his chair.

"Shampoo, if you like, I'll drive you to the station. I don't think you are in any shape to walk."

Shampoo's pride almost made her refuse, but Shiro seemed sincere in his offer.

"Thank you."

Shiro let Shampoo lean on him, and he walked her out of the cafeteria. Akane watched them leave, and
turned to Ranma.

"Ranma, do you think this means Shampoo will leave us alone?"

"I'm not sure, Akane. I'm not even sure why Shampoo came here today. It's as if she was expecting
me to reject her again."

"I can tell you one thing for certain, Ranma. Shiro is in trouble. Did you see his face?"

"How could I miss it? But he never stays interested in one girl for more than a day or two. I
wouldn't worry too much about him."




Chapter 22


Shiro led Shampoo out of the cafeteria, and started toward the student parking area. They'd barely
reached the sidewalk when disaster struck. It had rained the previous night, and a passing car
drove through a puddle and splashed them thoroughly. Shiro was dripping, and he felt Shampoo's arm
slip out of his. He was totally unprepared, however, for what happened next, for Shampoo turned
into a small cat.

Shiro had joined the Sci-Fi club for a reason: he believed that there were things that happened
that could not be explained. He never, however, thought that he'd see one for himself. He squatted
down to look at the cat more carefully, and it mewed at him pitifully.

Shampoo was not frightened, but embarrassed. She thought that the young man with her would run away
in horror, but to her surprise, he got down to her level, and just looked at her. She mewed at him,
and patted his knee with her paw.

Shiro picked up Shampoo's clothing and shoes, and then held out his hand for her. She jumped into
the crook of his arm, and he walked around the side of the cafeteria.

*****

Ranma went to the counter and picked up some tea and a couple of muffins, and he and Akane started
to eat. Akane was waiting for Ranma to reopen the subject he'd started in the gymnasium, and he
soon did.

"Akane, if you think I'm rushing you, just say so."

Akane looked down at her teacup, and then back at Ranma. It had been easy for her to say "let's
wait" when they lived in the same house, and she could spend as much time as she wanted to with him,
but now that they were living apart, it wasn't the same.

"You're not rushing me, Ranma. We've waited long enough."

Ranma pulled the form from his knapsack, and they began to fill it in, when there was a tap on the
window behind them, and they turned. Shiro was standing there, holding Shampoo-cat in one hand, and
her clothing in the other.

Ranma saw the cat, stood, and backed away from the window. Even though he recognized Shampoo, his
intense fear of cats was too much for him. Akane quickly turned him around, whispering into his
ear.

"Go to class, Ranma. I'll take care of this."

Ranma fought to calm himself.

"Akane, I hate to dump this on you. Can you handle explaining everything to Shiro?

"I can, Ranma."

Akane turned around and gestured to Shiro to wait. He nodded back.

"Ranma, should I tell Shiro about your curse?"

"Not yet, Akane."

Ranma hesitated again, and Akane gave him a shove toward the door.

"Get out of here before you start meowing!"

*****

Shiro waited patiently until Akane came outside, and was very glad to see her running out of the
cafeteria.

"Akane, I don't know what to do. Why did Shampoo become a cat?"

"It's a complicated story, Shiro, but I'll explain. First, though, Shampoo needs to get back to
normal. Give her to me."

Akane felt awkward when Shiro handed Shampoo to her. She wasn't very fond of her, and found herself
wondering why she was helping her. Shampoo, for her part, wasn't sure if she should accept help
from the woman who had stolen Ranma from her, but realized that she had no choice in the matter.

Akane walked toward the ladies' room, Shiro following. She peeked inside, to find the room empty.

"Shiro, please try to keep anyone from coming in here for a little while."

"How am I supposed to do that, Akane?"

Akane lost her temper.

"I don't know. Think of something!"

Akane ducked inside, and ran to a sink. She put Shampoo on the floor beneath it, turned on the hot
water, and let the sink overflow. When Shampoo became human, she silently took her clothing from
Akane and entered a stall to dress. Akane wiped up the spilled water from the floor and joined
Shiro where he stood outside, looking anxious. Akane smiled when she noticed that he'd put up a
handwritten "Out of Order" sign.

"Can I take this down now, Akane? I've been getting some peculiar looks from people."

"Go ahead, Shiro. Shampoo is getting dressed."

"Now would you please tell me what's going on?"

Akane took a deep breath, and began.

"Near Shampoo's village in China is a place called Jusenkyo. It has many springs, and every one of
them is cursed. If a person were to fall into one of them, he or she would take on the form of
whoever or whatever drowned in that spring. In Shampoo's case, she fell into the Spring of Drowned
Cat."

"Are you serious, Akane? I can't believe there is such a place."

"Believe it, Shiro. I've been there."

"But if Shampoo fell in a cursed spring, why isn't she a cat all of the time?"

"The curse is activated by cold liquid--getting caught in the rain, for example. Even getting a
cold drink spilled on you can do it. To get back to normal, you need a hot liquid."

Akane saw Shiro's expression change, and he nodded his understanding.

"Does that mean you can change back by taking a hot shower, or pouring hot water over your head, or
something like that?"

"That's it, Shiro. I used hot water from the sink."

Shiro was thoughtful for a minute, and then he smiled at Akane.

"Shampoo's awfully cute when she's a cat. I always liked cats."

Akane stared open-mouthed at her friend.

"I can't believe how you're accepting this, Shiro. I thought..."

"What did you think?"

"I guess I didn't know how you would react. You surprised me."

"Actually, Akane, what surprised me was seeing Ranma's face when he saw Shampoo. Why did he run off
like that? He must know about the curse, too."

"Yes, Shiro, but Ranma has an intense fear of cats--a phobia, in fact."

"C'mon, Akane. I didn't Ranma would be afraid of anything,least of all a little cat."

The bathroom door opened, and Shampoo emerged. She was surprised to find that Shiro was still
there, and looked down at her feet. Shiro realized that she was embarrassed.

"Shampoo, my offer still stands, if you want that lift to the train."

Shampoo couldn't believe that Shiro hadn't run for his life, and smiled at him.

"Thank you, Shiro. You very kind person."

Akane watched them walk off together, feeling very encouraged. If Shiro was able to handle
Shampoo's curse, maybe Ranma's wouldn't upset him, either.




Chapter 23

Shiro parked the car at the train station, and walked Shampoo inside. The next train to Nerima was
not for another hour, and Shampoo sat down to wait. She expected Shiro to leave, but he sat beside
her.

"Shiro, will you miss your class?"

"That's all right, Shampoo. I thought you might need some company."

Shampoo inched away from Shiro, frowning.

"Am all right, Shiro. Go now."

Shiro looked disappointed, and was going to protest, but something in Shampoo's eyes made him get
up.

"Okay, I get the hint. Take care of yourself, Shampoo."

Shampoo watched Shiro leave the platform and then leaned back and closed her eyes. She had
accomplished what she had traveled so far to do. It was time to say good bye to Ranma.

*****

During the course of the morning, Ranma found himself wondering how Shiro had responded to Akane's
explanation of Jusenkyo curses. Sooner or later Shiro would find out that Ranma too was cursed, and
he wondered if it would affect their friendship. Ranma was angry at himself for his fear of cats,
and wished there was some way he could overcome it. Then he wouldn't have had to leave Akane with
the responsibility of handling the situation herself.

When lunch time came, Ranma joined the group at the tables they always staked out in the corner, and
found Akane waiting for him. He detached her from the rest of the group and took her to a smaller
table, where they finished filling out the form while eating lunch. When it was complete, Ranma put
it back in his knapsack and stood up.

"Meet me by the library after classes, Akane. We can go straight to the student housing office and
turn this in. Do you have to work tonight?"

"No, I'm off."

"Me too. I'll take you to dinner."

Ranma leaned over to kiss Akane before he left, and he heard a laugh behind him.

"There they go again."

Ranma turned to see Shiro.

"Professor Ogawara's lecture starts soon, Ranma. Let's go."

"Shiro's right, Akane. I'd better go."

Ranma followed Shiro out of the cafeteria, and then stopped him.

"What was that about? We have plenty of time."

"I wanted to talk to you about Shampoo, Ranma. Can you answer a few questions?"

"I guess so."

*****

Ranma dropped his books in his room, and jogged to the library. Akane was waiting by the entrance.
They were walking down the steps when Yoshimi came up, holding a stack of notices. He stopped to
say hello, and Akane introduced him to Ranma, and then looked at the notices curiously.

"What do you have there, Yoshimi?"

He handed one to her.

"It's for the play, Akane."

Akane stopped to read the notice, which was for open auditions for the play. She made a face, and
Ranma laughed at her.

"You took the dare, honey. Now you have to try out."

"I hope they find someone they like better."

Yoshimi eyes met Ranma's above Akane's head, and he shook his head negatively. He wanted Akane for
the role, and that was that. Ranma laughed, and Akane looked up.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, Akane. Let's go."

Yoshimi watched them walk off, looking a little disappointed. He didn't know Akane had a boyfriend.

*****

The woman at the student housing office took the application from Ranma, and thanked him.

"We'll do the best we can, but you'll have to be patient. There's a waiting list for apartments
right now."

"Are there a lot of people ahead of us?"

"Not too many, but there's a shortage of affordable rooms right now. When were you planning to get
married?"

"As soon as we find an apartment. We were hoping to get something before the end of the year."

"We'll try."

*****

Ranma and Akane left the student housing office, and walked downtown to a restaurant, where Ranma
told Akane about his conversation with Shiro after lunch.

"You wouldn't believe the number of questions he asked me about Shampoo. He's absolutely fascinated
with her."

Akane looked worried.

"Ranma, Shampoo has been obsessed with you for a long time. Today she had to face the truth--that
she can't have you. I hope she isn't going to latch onto Shiro just because she's unhappy. It
wouldn't be good for either of them."

"Akane, I think you missed the point. Shampoo told Shiro to go away. He's the one who's interested
in her. But Akane, why are you so concerned about Shampoo all of a sudden? I thought you didn't
like her."

Ranma knew he'd said the wrong thing when he saw how angry Akane got.

"Ranma, I'm not completely heartless, you know! You saw how upset Shampoo got this morning. I
don't like to see anyone that unhappy."

"Sorry, Akane. After all the terrible things Shampoo has done to us I guess I assumed you wouldn't
have any forgiveness left. I wouldn't worry too much about her harming Shiro, though. He doesn't
seem to stick to one girl for very long, and Nerima isn't exactly next door. If Shiro can't see
Shampoo, he'll forget about her."



Chapter 24

Shampoo got home in time to get ready for work. Cologne was busy getting the restaurant ready to
open, and didn't take the time to ask her great-granddaughter where she'd been. That night after
closing, however, she did.

"Shampoo, where were you all day?"

Shampoo looked very unhappy, and Cologne guessed.

"You went to see Ranma, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"I told you to stay away from him, Shampoo. You can't marry him."

"Shampoo no want Ranma, Grandmother. He happy with Akane."

Cologne couldn't believe her ears.

"What did you say?"

"I said Ranma happy with Akane. They getting married."

"In that case, dear, won't you consider marrying Mousse? He's always been there, you know."

"I no love him. Shampoo will find own husband."

"That's not our way, Shampoo. I have to approve of your husband."

Shampoo's eyes flashed. She didn't often argue with her great-grandmother, but this was too
important to her.

"We not in China now. Will find own husband."

Mousse stood on the other side of the kitchen door, listening with a smile on his face. Ranma no
longer stood between him and Shampoo. Despite Shampoo's statement to the contrary, Mousse intended
Shampoo to be his wife, or no one's.

*****

Ranma found Akane eating her breakfast with the newspaper in front of her. She was marking ads, and
he looked over her shoulder.

"What do you have there, Akane?"

"I thought we might be able to find a place on our own, Ranma, but most of them are too expensive."

Akane handed the paper to Ranma, and pointed out the ads she'd circled.

"These were all I could find. What do you think?"

"We won't know unless we check them out, Akane. Want to go at lunch?"

When Ranma and Akane checked out the apartments at lunch time, they found them disappointing. It
was apparent that people were taking advantage of the shortage in rooms to charge outrageous prices
for what could only be termed as dumps. Ranma was so disgusted with one of them that he walked away
talking to himself.

"No way would I bring my wife to live in a place like that."

They hurried back to campus for their culinary arts class, but were unable to get there on time. As
they ran into the building Ranma stopped to take off his coat, and turned to Akane.

"I hope we're making something good, Akane. I'm starved."

"Maybe we should have had lunch, Ranma. It would have been less of a waste of time than looking at
those apartments."

Professor Mori frowned at them when they arrived.

"You're late. We're cooking in teams of two today, and the teams have already been assigned. You
two will have to work together."

Akane looked at her fiance, and paled. The last time they'd worked together in a kitchen, it had
turned into a competition. Ranma caught her look, and smiled.

"Don't worry, Akane. I'll work with you, not against you."

For the first time, Akane was able to show Ranma what she'd only explained--how to work with the
checklist. They took the recipe given to them, and started to measure everything out.

"Akane, this makes sense. Everything will be organized before you need it."

Across the room, one team had started cooking before preparing. Ranma couldn't help laughing when
he heard them starting to argue.

"It's time to put the onions in. Where are they?"

"I thought you were cutting them up."

"I told you to."

Ranma watched as the oil they had heating started to overheat, and burned the onions once they hit
the pan.

"Akane, those two are hopeless."

"Like we used to be?"

"No, Akane, like you used to be. I was always a good cook."

Akane elbowed Ranma in the ribs, and continued working. When they were done, they had a lunch that
was not only eatable, but that pleased Professor Mori. He complimented them both when he tasted it,
and then addressed an extra comment to Akane.

"Miss Tendo, if your fiance were to taste this, I'm sure he would like it."

Akane beamed at him, and Ranma laughed.

"I do like it, sir. I've tasted a few of the dishes Akane's made in class, and I think her cooking
is improving."

"You are Miss Tendo's fiance, Saotome? I'm glad I teamed you, then. A couple should be able to
work together in a kitchen. I cook with my wife all the time."

Ranma and Akane devoured what they'd cooked, and ran to their next classes. After they were done
for the day, Ranma walked Akane to the day care center, kissed her good bye, and left for the
hospital. Kodachi stood some distance away, seething. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't
detach Ranma from Akane.

Akane left work, and went to the cafeteria for dinner. Ranma was meeting Shiro at the Sci-Fi club
after work, and she didn't expect to see him again until the next day. She went to the dormitory,
and picked up her mail. There was a small box from Kasumi, which she hurried to her room to open.

"Dear Akane,

One of your classmates, Hikaru, dropped this picture off for you this morning. He said that he took
it at your graduation dinner, and thought you would want it. I don't understand why,but he was
crying.

"I hope that you and Ranma are still getting along well. Father is still talking about planning
another wedding in the spring, and I wondered how you would feel about it. Will you be ready? Did
your club ever choose a play to produce? Perhaps Father and I can come up to see it.

Love, Kasumi"


Akane smiled at the letter, and unwrapped the picture. It was a framed photograph of her and Ranma
dancing together. Akane sat gazing at the picture for a long time. She'd have to ask Ranma to take
her dancing.

Finally, Akane put the picture on her desk, and took out her books. She was in the middle of
writing a report, and staring at pictures wouldn't help her write it. She soon was so busy working
on it that she barely noticed that it had begun to rain.

*****

The Sci-Fi club was about to show an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation when Ranma and Shiro
arrived. Ranma sat down, and turned to his friend Ichiro.

"Which one is it?"

"Q-Pid. "

"Oh, I haven't seen it. Dubbed or subtitled?"

"Subtitled."

Ranma smiled, and turned around to the television, He preferred the subtitled versions, since it
was helping him with his English pronunciation. The club was going to show a second tape, but Ranma
get up to leave.

"I've seen this one, and it's getting late. Good night."

Shiro joined him, and they started downstairs.

"Shiro, did you notice how many tapes they had on the table? When do they sleep?"

Shiro laughed.

"I heard that some of them don't. I like sci-fi, but that's ridiculous."

As Shiro finished talking, they got to the door, and Ranma stopped, causing Shiro to bump into him.

"Why'd you stop, Ranma?"

"It's raining."

"So what? We'll get a little wet."

Ranma looked his friend in the eye, and stood straighter.

"Yes, we'll get wet, and then I'll change."

Suddenly, Shiro understood.

"You have a Jusenkyo curse, Ranma? What will happen to you?"

"Wait here."

Ranma stepped out into the rain, and stood there. Shiro thought at first that nothing was
happening, but then he realized that Ranma had become shorter. Then Ranma turned around and stepped
back into the lobby, and Shiro realized that he was looking at a woman. She had the same blue eyes
as Ranma, but instead of black hair, hers was red. Shiro couldn't help staring at her figure.

"Ranma, that's really you?"

"Yes it is. I fell into the Spring of Drowned Girl. "

He even sounded female.

"Akane said you become whatever drowned in the spring. Does this mean that the girl who drowned
there looked like this?"

"I don't think so, Shiro. As far as I can figure, if I'd had a sister, she would have looked like
this. I resemble my mom a lot when I'm this way. "

Shiro opened his mouth, closed it again, and looked uncomfortable.

"What were you going to say?"

"Akane said that she'd been there, too. Does she .. I mean."

"No, Shiro. Akane isn't cursed. I'll tell you the whole story once we get back to our room."

"If you can sneak in, that is. "

The two friends ran across campus, and attempted to enter the dormitory. They thought they were home
free, when Shiro heard his name called.

"Hayasuka, what are you doing?"

"Going upstairs, sir."

"Not with her. You know the rules. No women at this time of night."

Shiro opened his mouth to protest, but Ranma shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, Shiro. I'll be okay."

Before Shiro could reply, Ranma had run off into the rain.




Chapter 25

Ranma walked up the steps to the dormitory, and opened the door. A couple of girls in the lobby
looked at him curiously, but didn't say anything. Ranma looked at the directory, found his way to
Akane's room, and knocked on her door.

Akane put her books away, and turned on her radio. She'd opened her dresser drawer and was taking
out a nightgown when there was a knock on her door. She dropped the nightgown on the bed and opened
the door to find girl-type Ranma standing there, dripping.

"Hi."

Akane grabbed Ranma, dragged him in, and locked the door.

"What are you doing here? What happened?"

"Shiro and I got caught in the rain. He tried to help me get in the dorm, but we got caught. Now
they think he was sneaking a girlfriend in."

Akane saw the humor in the predicament Ranma and Shiro had found themselves in, but held back her
laughter. Ranma didn't look amused.

"I'll get you some dry things, Ranma."

Akane was looking in her closet when Ranma picked up the photograph.

"Where did you get this?"

"Kasumi sent it. Gosunkuji took it, and brought it to the house. "

Ranma smiled at the picture, and at Akane.

"We have to dance together again."

"How about now?"

Ranma looked down at his female body, and back at Akane.

"Huh?"

Akane took a pitcher off her shelf, left the room, and returned with some water. She poured part of
it into a teakettle, and plugged it in. When the water was hot enough, Ranma poured it over
himself, turning male.

"We're taking a big chance, Akane. If I get caught in here like this, you could get in a lot of
trouble."

"That's what the rest of the cold water is for, Ranma. After all, if you're going to sleep here
tonight, it will have to be as a girl."

"Right."

Akane stepped into the hallway while Ranma changed into the sweat shirt and sweat pants that Akane
had found for him. When she saw how he looked, she giggled.

"I guess they don't fit very well, but at least they're dry."

Akane turned to her radio, and started searching for some music to dance to. When she found it,
Ranma held out his arms, and she walked into them.

Dancing with Akane was fun, but Ranma found that holding her was too much of a temptation for him
when he stopped dancing so that he could kiss her. He let her go and backed away, looking
apologetic.

"I'm sorry, Akane. This isn't a good idea."

Before Akane could reply, Ranma retrieved the pitcher of cold water and turned himself female again.

"Maybe we should just go to sleep, Ranma. It is late."

Akane picked up her nightgown, and Ranma looked at it, and then into Akane's eyes.

"No, Ranma. I won't wear this in front of you. I'll put it away."

Akane got out two pairs of pajamas, and Ranma took his out to the bathroom to change while Akane
changed in her room. She was already in bed when he returned and locked the door. Ranma got into
the other bed, and settled down.

"Akane, I ran into a couple of girls in the hallway. They wanted to know who I was, so I told
them I was visiting you. I called myself Ranko again, like I did when I was hiding from Mom."

Ranma reached for the light, but Akane held something out to him.

"This is the letter I got from Kasumi today. I thought you'd want to read it."

Ranma read the letter, his expression amused when he found the paragraph about the planned wedding.

"I'm not surprised our parents are set on another wedding, Akane. Should we tell him we're planning
one of our own?"

"I don't know. Our fathers would want to plan something elaborate again, and I know they must have
spent a fortune last time. Couldn't we make our own arrangements, and then just find a way to get
them here?"

Akane hesitated momentarily, and then spoke again.

"Or maybe we should just elope."

"Akane, tell me the truth."

"What?"

"You can't fool me, Akane. You're worried that what happened last time will happen again, aren't
you?"

"I should have known better. You're right."

"We won't let anything stop us this time, Akane, but I don't think it would be a good idea to keep
our families in the dark. We'll wait until we have our apartment, and a wedding date, and then tell
them. This way they'll have to keep it simple, because they won't have much time to plan."

*****

Ranma got up very early the next morning, and dressed, watching Akane sleep. He walked to her side,
and gently touched her hair. He was tempted to kiss her, but didn't want to do so in girl form.

Ranma quietly gathered his things and left the dormitory. He went to the gym, which was deserted
this early in the morning, took a hot shower, and then went to his room. Shiro was still in bed,
but he sat up when Ranma opened the door.

"Ranma, are you okay? Where did you go last night?"

"Akane's room. She gave me the spare bed."

"You mean you just walked into the dorm?"

"Sure, no one said a word."

Shiro found the situation rather bizarre, and couldn't help saying something.

"Doesn't this bother Akane, Ranma? I can't imagine a girl wanting to marry a guy who changes sex."

"That's exactly what she said when we first met, Shiro."

Shiro had hit a very sensitive topic, and Ranma hoped he'd drop it. Unfortunately, he didn't.

"What about now, Ranma?"

Ranma's tone was less than friendly when he replied.

"She's marrying me, isn't she? Let's talk about something else."

"Sorry, Ranma. You said you would tell me the whole story about your curse. Will you?"

Ranma was glad to stop talking about how Akane felt about his curse, and instead spent some time
explaining his training trip to China. He threw in the tale of his contest with Shampoo, and her
subsequent trip to Japan to kill "girl-type Ranma", which held Shiro's complete attention. Ranma
watched his friend's face as he talked, and realized that Shiro was more interested in hearing about
Shampoo than hearing about him.



Chapter 26

It was early enough for Ranma to consider running, but the heavy rains the night before made running
in the street inadvisable, and he joined the group on the track.

Akane was disappointed to find Ranma gone when she woke. When she saw what a beautiful morning it
was, she decided to go running before breakfast.

Ukyo walked down to campus, enjoying the sunshine. She kept in shape by running at the track
several mornings a week, and was pleased to see Ranma there. Ukyo began running behind him, and
soon caught up. She ran abreast of him, giving him a bright smile.

"Good morning!"

Ranma was surprised Ukyo was being so pleasant. She'd barely said good bye to him when he'd left
her restaurant with Akane, which was the last time he'd encountered her.

"Hi, Ukyo."

Ranma kept running, Ukyo at his side. After a couple of laps, she looked at him again.

"Can I treat you to a cup of tea?"

Ranma realized that Ukyo hadn't given up on him yet. It wouldn't be kind to encourage her.

"No thanks, Ucchan."

Ukyo looked hurt, and slowed down, allowing Ranma to outdistance her. She thought for a while, and
decided that if the direct approach wasn't working, maybe something else would. Perhaps she could
make Ranma jealous. There were several young men running and when the next one passed, Ukyo smiled
at him. He looked surprised and smiled back, and on his next lap, ran beside her, and introduced
himself.

Ranma wasn't paying attention. He was too busy thinking about his and Akane's relationship, It had
always been a volatile one, and even now they still were having their share of disagreements.
Complications from Ukyo or Kodachi were the last thing they needed. Ranma was so deep in thought
that he didn't notice the footsteps behind him until Akane caught up to him and touched his hand.

Ranma stopped running and walked Akane off the track so that he could kiss her.

"How did you know where to find me?"

"I didn't, but I'm glad I found you. Have you been here long?"

"A while. I was about to quit and have breakfast."

"If you wait 'til I put in a couple of laps, I'll go with you."

They started running again, and Akane soon noticed Ukyo's presence.

"Who's that running with Ukyo, Ranma?"

Ranma looked across the track.

"That's Takashi. He's in the Sci-Fi club. Funny, she was running alone before."

Akane watched the pair curiously for a while, and then turned her attention back to Ranma.

"I like the looks of that. If Ukyo has a boyfriend, she won't want to bother you."

Ranma decided not to tell Akane what had occurred earlier. It would only annoy her.

*****

Ukyo watched Ranma leave the track holding hands with his fiancee, and felt frustrated. It appeared
that Ranma was uninterested in whether or not she had another man running with her. Takashi said
something, and Ukyo missed it.

"Excuse me?"

"I said I had to go, Ukyo. My classes start soon, and I haven't had breakfast yet. What about
you?"

"I'm not a student, Takashi . I own Ucchan's. "

"The okonomiyaki restaurant? I've heard of it. You don't look old enough to be running your own
business."

Ukyo laughed.

"I started early, Takashi. Why not come by for lunch? My treat."

Takashi agreed, and left the track.

Ukyo slowly walked back into town, wondering why she'd issued the invitation. The words had come
out of her mouth before she'd thought about the possible consequences. It wasn't nice to lead
someone on.

*****

Ranma was leaving his chemistry class when Kodachi blocked the doorway. This was the only class they
had in common, and thus far she had kept her distance, but he could tell from the look on her face
that today was different.

"Ranma, dear, will you join me for lunch tomorrow?"

"No thank you, Kodachi."

Kodachi's expression hardened, and her next words chilled Ranma.

"I think you should change your mind, Ranma. Remember that I am a Kuno, and we are not to be
trifled with."

Ranma's eyes narrowed.

"Are you threatening me, Kodachi?"

Kodachi raised her eyebrows, and laughed.

"I wouldn't harm a hair on your head, darling, but that doesn't apply to Akane."

"WHAT?"

"You see, Ranma, your dear little fiancee needs her beauty sleep, and if you don't accept my
invitation, she won't get it. She'll have to stay awake, and watch out for me. Think about it.
I'll ask you again tomorrow."

Kodachi walked away without looking back, leaving Ranma to ponder her words for the rest of the
morning. He wasn't about to let Kodachi intimidate him, but he was still concerned about Akane's
safety. Ranma decided that he had to get Akane out of harm's way before he dealt with Kodachi.

Ranma waited outside the cafeteria for Mishi at lunch time, and took her aside.

"Mishi, I need a favor. Can you let Akane stay with you for a few days?"

"Why, Ranma?"

"I haven't told Akane yet, but Kodachi is threatening to harm her. I'd like to keep Akane out of
Kodachi's reach until I figure out how to deal with the situation."

Mishi nodded, looking worried.

"It's all right with me, Ranma, but I don't think Akane will be very happy with your idea."

"Neither do I, Mishi."

Ranma wasn't at all surprised when Akane objected violently to his idea.

"I don't like the thought of running, Ranma. Why should I leave the dorm because of Kodachi? I can
handle anything she tries."

"I'm sure you can, love, but humor me, won't you? I'd feel better if I could stay with you and
protect you, but I can't, so I want you as far away from Kodachi as possible."

Akane sighed, and gave in.

"You win, Ranma. I'll move in with Mishi tonight."




Chapter 27

Ukyo had her back to the door when she heard it open, and turned around to greet her customer. She
looked at Takashi, and did a double take when she realized he was holding out a bouquet of flowers.

"Please accept these, Ukyo. It's just a small gift, to say thank you."

Ukyo blushed, and waved Takashi to a seat at the counter. She still felt guilty about giving him
false hopes, but then, he was very cute, and his friendliness was hard to say no to.

*****

From her seat across the cafeteria, Kodachi watched Akane's face as she spoke with Ranma. It looked
as though they were having some sort of disagreement. Kodachi smiled. Maybe that meant that Ranma
was going to have lunch with her the next day, and Akane was jealous about it.

Ranma could see Kodachi watching them across the cafeteria, and wondered at the satisfied smile on
her face. How could anyone get so much pleasure out of causing trouble? He was glad to see the
smile turn to a frown when Kodachi saw him holding his fiancee's hand as they walked to their
culinary arts class.

*****

Akane put her checklist on the counter, and began to measure out the ingredients for the day's
lesson. She was still thinking about Ranma's reaction to Kodachi's threats, and the more she
thought, the more upset she got. This translated over to her cooking, and soon Akane was gazing at a
blackened mess, which she quickly disposed of. This was one dish Professor Mori was not going to
taste.

Ranma had been watching Akane on and off, and knew she was in trouble when the smoke started to rise
from the pan. He hurried to her side in time to see her expression of chagrin.

"What happened, Akane?"

"Go away, Ranma. I messed up, that's all."

"But Akane,"

Akane glared at Ranma, and waved him away.

"You'd better go back, Ranma. I think yours is burning, too."

Ranma turned around to see a cloud of black smoke rising from his pan and ran back, but it was too
late. He was still cleaning up the mess when he saw Akane pick up her things and stalk out of the
classroom.

*****

Akane considered the rest of the afternoon a waste, as she spent more time brooding over the
situation she was in than paying attention to her classes. She continued to think at work, and
finally came to a decision at dinner.

Ranma and Shiro were in their room studying when there was a knock on the door.

"Saotome, you have a phone call."

Ranma went to the phone, and found Mishi on the line.

"Ranma, what happened to Akane?"

"What do you mean, Mishi?"

"I expected her a long time ago, but she hasn't shown up, and she hasn't called. Ranma? Hello,
Ranma?"

The receiver hung from its cord, but Ranma was long gone.

Ranma could see light through Akane's curtains when he ran up to her dormitory. He flew up the
steps, and into the lobby, where he was stopped.

"It's past time for male visitors, young man. Who were you here to see?"

"Akane Tendo. Could you call her down, please?"

When Akane got the word that a visitor was waiting downstairs, she wasn't surprised. She put down
her book and walked downstairs, where Ranma grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a corner.

"What the hell are you doing here, Akane?"

"I'm where I belong, Ranma. I'm not running."

Ranma looked furious as he took Akane by the shoulders and gave her a little shake.

"But you agreed to this, Akane!"

Akane's eyes flashed, and she removed Ranma's hands from her shoulders and clenched her fists.

"I am a Tendo, Ranma Saotome, and we don't run from bullies! Why are you so worried about me? I
used to take on the entire male population of Furinkan High before school every day. I can handle
one woman!"

"Akane, I know you can, but"

"Stop it, Ranma I won't let Kodachi think I'm a coward, and"

Akane suddenly stopped talking, her eyes widened, and she grabbed Ranma's hands.

"I know what she's up to, Ranma, and I won't let her get away with it!"

"What, Akane?"

"Look at us, love. She's got us fighting with each other. Kodachi is trying to drive a wedge
between us, and we can't let her."

Understanding dawned in Ranma's eyes, and he hugged Akane, and then continued to hold her.

"Kodachi's a clever girl, sweetheart, She knows that if she can get us fighting, she won't have to
do anything physical. But that brings us back to the original problem. I don't want her to hurt
you, and I promised your father I'd protect you."

"You did?"

"That was one of the last things we talked about before we left. He didn't have to ask, though.
I'll always protect you."

Akane laughed, and kissed Ranma's cheek.

"Thank you, love. Now go to bed. "

"Okay, but please call Mishi before you do. She's still waiting for you."

*****

Ranma was practicing in the gym the next morning when Kodachi showed up. She'd never been to the
morning workouts before and Ranma knew she was there not to practice, but to see him.

"Ranma, dear, do you have a minute?"

Ranma saw the looks of surprise from his friends when they heard Kodachi call him "dear", winced,
and dragged her to the far end of the gym to speak with her.

"You've got your minute. Start talking."

"Have you given any thought to our conversation yesterday?"

"Yes, I have. The answer is still no, Kodachi."

Kodachi's eyes flashed, and her hands became fists.

"Don't say you weren't warned, Ranma. Akane will be the one to pay for your stubbornness."

Kodachi stalked out of the gym, leaving Ranma standing there. He smiled grimly, and muttered to
himself.

"Not if I can help it."

*****

Kodachi followed Akane during the day. She was always in too much of a crowd to get near, and
Kodachi decided to wait until that night. Her room was pitifully easy to get into. Akane was aware
that she was being followed, and knew that her lack of reaction was annoying Kodachi. Akane found
that she was enjoying herself immensely, and wondered how long Kodachi would be content with just
following her.

That evening, the drama club met in the theater for tryouts. Besides club members, there were quite
a few people who'd seen the notices for auditions, and were interested. Akane and Mishi were very
amused to see an American student who'd come prepared for the Sailor Moon part. She had long blond
hair, and had gone to the trouble of imitating Usagi's hair style.

"Akane, how did she manage the dumpling head look?"

"I don't know, Mishi, but Anne couldn't have done it better."

To their and Yoshimi's delight, Anne not only looked the part, but could act. They immediately
signed her up for the part. Next, it was Akane's turn. She took the script, and acting opposite
Yoshimi, read the lines he pointed out to her. She didn't want to admit it, but it was starting to
feel like fun.

"You'll do fine, Akane. You have the part. Mishi! You're up next."

Mishi made a face, picked up her script, and walked onto the stage. Akane went into the auditorium
to watch, took a seat, and Ranma came down the aisle to sit next to her.

"Have you been here all along, Ranma?"

"Yes, didn't you see me come in?"

"No, I was too nervous."

"You didn't look it, sweetheart. I think you did fine."

They turned their attention to the stage, where Mishi was reading her lines. Akane was surprised to
see that Mishi, despite her reservations, was quite good. She and Ranma watched as everyone else
tried out, and the parts were awarded. Then Yoshimi stood center stage to make an announcement.

"Rehearsals will start next Wednesday at 7:30. Please read your parts, and come prepared. Mishi,
when do costume fittings start?"

"I'll take some measurements tonight, Yoshimi. Then I'll let you know."

Mishi rounded up all of the cast members, and took the measurements. She showed them her sketches of
the costumes, which were enthusiastically approved by all.

Yoshimi sat down with the set builders to go over the plans, and everyone else started to drift out
of the theater.

Ranma walked Akane to her dormitory, holding her hand. He hadn't spoken for some time, and Akane
wondered what was on his mind.

"Is something bothering you, honey?"

"Well, yeah, a little bit. "

"What?"

"The school girl costumes are cute, but the Sailor Mercury costume you'll be wearing is kind of
short."

"Well, yes. All of the Sailor Scouts wear short skirts. "

Ranma frowned.

"I'm not sure I like the idea of all the guys in the audience looking at your legs. "

Ranma, are you jealous?"

"A little. So long as they look, but don't touch, I guess it will be all right."

*****

Akane sat on the floor of her friend Kaori's roam, reading the script with Kaori and her roommate,
who were also in the play. They 'd been practicing for a while, and didn't realize how tired they
were until they began to get the giggles when they tried to read their lines. Akane looked at the
clock, and got up.

"It's awfully late, Kaori. I should go to bed."

"Why don't you stay, Akane? You must get lonely with no roommate."

Kaori pulled a sleeping bag out of the closet, and handed it to Akane, who accepted it with a smile.

"Thanks, Kaori. I could use some company tonight. "

Kodachi waited until everyone had gone to bed, and slipped out into the hallway. She let herself
into Akane's room, and was infuriated to find it empty. Not wanting to make it a wasted trip,
Kodachi found a piece of paper, and left a note on the bed.