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DISCLAIMER: "Ranma ½" and all the characters therein belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Shogagukan, Kitty, and Viz Video. This is a fan fiction produced for my own enjoyment and for passing on without profit. Other characters that come into play in this fanfict may or may not be pulled from other sources (including other fanficts, R.P.G.s, manga, anime, literature, or possibly even *GASP* American comic books!). As far as I know, the character, Ryo/Ryo-chan/Ryoko, is my own idea.

WARNING: Mature themes are included in this chapter. While not a Lemon fanfict, certain parts of this chapter do get a little racy. Also, Ryo-chan wrestles with her inner despair in this chapter, which will be a recurring theme in this series, so at times things may get a little ‘dark’ as it were. I will try to balance this out with an appropriate amount of humor. You have been warned.

After Genma’s explanation, The Saotomes and the Tendos separated into smaller groups. Genma stayed with Soun, trying to get his old friend to believe his story (with little success). Nabiki had nabbed Ranma, leading him off to talk about his journeys (and to find out if he really believed that his sister had been a boy up until a little over three weeks ago). Kasumi returned to the kitchen that was her sanctuary, and pondered the problem at hand. Akane decided to show Ryo the Dojo.

"So, what do you think?" asked Akane, referring to the Dojo. She was interested in how it compared to others that the new girl had seen in her travels.

"Seems okay, I guess" Ryo started. "Well maintained, clean…" [if you discount the remains of cinder blocks and breaking boards, that is]. "Lots of practice room. You really should tidy up before you leave it, though."

"Um, how did y-" Akane started to ask.

"Well it was either you or your father, and no offense meant, but you’re the one who looks like she just had a workout" commented Ryo casually.

Akane flushed, slightly embarrassed. "Well, Nabiki said that Daddy had important news, so…"

"Hey, it’s okay. I understand" Ryo consoled the obviously flustered girl. [Sheesh! I’m getting almost as bad as Ranma!] she thought. [I’ve got to remember that I’m not on the road with just him and Pop anymore].

"Well, how about a little match then?" asked Akane, feeling better. "After I clean this mess up, of course."

"Sure" responded Ryo, whose spirits lifted somewhat. After the curse happened, martial arts were one of the few things that kept her from sinking into a pit of dispair. It was one of the few things she had left of her tattered and torn self-image. "Here, let me help…"

In short order, the Dojo was once again presentable, and the two faced off against eachother. Akane adopted a basic Kempo stance, while Ryo simply took a relaxed guard position in response. Akane, seeing that Ryo wasn’t going to lead off, took the initiative with a series of punches and kicks, which Ryo either dodged or blocked. Ryo, after getting the feel of how Akane fought (even going so far as to let a few hits in past ‘her’ defenses in order to gauge their power), finally went on the offensive.

Akane found herself hard pressed to defend herself from the little redheaded dynamo. In fact, she was loosing rather badly, and knew it. She signaled for a stop, conceding defeat. "You… You’re pretty good," she admitted.

"You’re not half bad yourself, Akane," replied Ryo, surprising the raven-haired girl she had been sparing with. There was no arrogance in that voice, only appraisal. Akane felt much better about loosing the match.

"Well, I’m just glad you’re a girl," Akane confided.

"Why’s that?" asked Ryo, confused.

"It’s just…that I’d really hate to loose to a boy," elaborated Akane as she headed back out of the Dojo.

"But I’m a guy, remember," retorted Ryo. "At least I was a guy, anyway," she continued, beginning to feel depressed again.

"Doesn’t count," chided Akane, not seeing how her words were hurting Ryo. "You’re a girl now, and you better get used to being one." She pointed out; also not noticing that Ryo had stopped following her.

[She’s right,] thought Ryo, sinking deeper into depression. [I’m a girl now, and that’s how the world sees me.] She wandered off to mull this over in the privacy of her own dark thoughts.

Kasumi, aware that the guests would probably like to clean up before dinner (and that Akane had yet to do so herself), had drawn a bath for them. Mr. Saotome had been the first to take advantage of it, glad for a respite from the calm accusations of his friend. He had to admit it to himself (finally), that without any proof, no one other than his sons would be likely to believe him. Well, no one besides his wife, Nadoka, but he wasn’t about to tell her until after a cure had been found. He valued his life too much to risk what he thought he reaction would be. [I should never have made that promise] he thought.

Kasumi went to check up on Nabiki and Ranma, and found them up in the main guestroom. Nabiki was helping Ranma set up the room for his father and himself while they talked. He had given her a summery of their travels, but few details unless she asked for them specifically. He also had a tendency towards setting his sister’s stuff out along with his father’s and his own. Not that she could tell right away, but it became evident when he had started arranging their things into three separate areas.

"Mmm… Ranma," Nabiki asked dryly, "you don’t think your sister is going to sleep in the same room with you and your father do you?"

"Ah…Oh yeah, I forgot," murmured Ranma, blushing lightly. "I still have a hard time thinking of Ryo as my sister," he explained, "I mean, even after Jusenkyo, I’ve never made the adjustment to the fact that he’s now my ‘sister’. It’s still hard for me to think of him that way." He started putting Ryo’s things back into one of the packs. Nabiki saw that there were very few items of female apparel among the clothing that Ranma was putting back, and they were all new in appearance. [I guess they really did believe that Ryo was a boy,] thought Nabiki (referring to the twins, not their father).

"I can see that," commented Nabiki, "especially since you keep referring to her in the male sense."

"It’s not as if I can help it or anything," Ranma replied defensively. "Up until three weeks ago, Ryo was a guy, remember." After a short pause, he continued. "This has been very hard on Ryo. He...she…has been very depressed since the incident. Pop and I have even been afraid to let her bathe alone, although I don't really think that he...she...would really kill herself."

"You don’t mean to say that you’ve been bathing with her have you?" Nabiki asked in a low, dangerous tone. This was not lost on Ranma.

"No no no! Nothing like that at all!" he explained rapidly. "We just made sure that we used the public baths while there were other people inside in case she tried anything stupid! That’s all! Really!" [That was close,] thought Ranma. [Ryo’s right. I’ve really got to learn to think before I put my foot in my mouth]. Ranma still wondered at the fact that his twin was so much more contemplative than he was. Weren’t they both raised on the road? By Genma of all people?

[Oh my!] thought Kasumi, who had listened in on the conversation for a moment. [That poor girl!] Resolving to do something to bring up Ryo’s spirits later, Kasumi finally interrupted their conversation. "The bath is ready, Ranma. Your father is already in there. You’ve just come from a long trip, why don’t you join him?"

"Okay, fine," said Ranma, resignedly. [Like I really want to have anything to do with that baka after what he did to Ryo. Still, he is our father.] With that, he got up and headed for the bath.

Nabiki was lost in contemplation. Ranma obviously really did believe that Ryo had been a boy up until three weeks ago, and it seemed likely that Ryo did as well. What Mr. Saotome had done to his daughter was beyond comprehension. No father should do that to his daughter. No father in his right mind would. Even if (as extremely unlikely as it was) their story was true, his actions were unpardonable.

The problem at hand was that, apparently, Ryo still thought of herself as a boy. Something would have to be done about that, or there would be problems later.

"That baka’s made quite a mess of things," she commented quietly to herself (referring to Genma).

Genma sneezed as Ranma joined him in the furo (Japanese style bathroom– very roomy, with a large tub set in the floor [the furo], and no toilet. That is elsewhere in the house).

"What’s up, Pop?" asked Ranma, not really caring. "You catching a cold or something?"

"No, I don’t think so" Genma replied, not catching his son’s tone. [Somebody must be talking about me] he thought.

Later, after Genma and Ranma were done with their bath, Kasumi went to find Ryo.

Ryo had secluded herself on the porch, and was once again struggling between despair and her conscience. She loved her brother dearly, and what she was contemplating would hurt him grievously. Especially since he had risked his own manhood to save her life. Certainly because he had saved her life at all. No, she couldn’t do this, as much as it pained her not to. She couldn’t hurt her brother like this.

"Ryo-chan," Kasumi called out, having just found her. "The bath is ready."

Ryo twitched at the suffix, then replied. "All right. I’ll head right there." She got up and went straight for the bath.

Kasumi was about to go look for her sisters when something caught her eye. Something that told her that Ryo’s problems went deeper than she had dared to fear. Ryo had left it behind when she got up to leave. [Oh my!] she thought as she rushed off to find her sisters. They needed to know this before they said or did something to push the poor girl towards concluding the act that Kasumi could only assume that she had interrupted.

Back on the porch lay the tanto, out of its sheath and ready to use.

"We’ve got to hurry," said Nabiki as she and Akane made their way to the bath. "Ranma had said that they were afraid to let her take a bath alone after the incident at Jusenkyo. With Kasumi finding the tanto and all, I believe that their fears are well founded." The two girls wasted little time getting undressed, starting almost before they were even completely through the changing room door. They quickly spotted that Ryo’s clothing was indeed in the hamper as they tossed their own attire in to it as well. Then they entered the main bath chamber.

Ryo hadn’t gotten very far along with her bathing, having just rinsed the soap off of her body before getting up from the stool. She was just about to enter the tub for a good hot soak when Akane and Nabiki came into the room with concern written all over their faces. Ryo turned, startled, and got a very good look at their nude bodies. She promptly feinted.

It was true that Ryo was somewhat used to the appearance of the female body after three weeks, both her own and others (thanks to the fact that her brother and father had insisted that she use the female side of the public baths). However, she had actually endeavored not to consciously look at other naked women. Sure, she had to deal with her own body, but that was just it. It was her own body, regardless of how it had changed, and she wasn’t about to admit to anyone that she had been experimenting with her new sensations. She was actually somewhat ashamed of herself for doing so in the first place, and in the beginning had lied to herself about why she had done so. Being thorough while bathing had been her very first excuse to herself, but she had come up with a few others (some lamer than others in her mind).

To actually see, directly, two very kuwai, naked ladies walk in on her, especially after just scrubbing herself down, was too much for her admittedly unbalanced psyche to take just at the moment. Feinting seemed to be the most appropriate response for her subconscious to have her perform.

"You know, Akane," observed Nabiki dryly, "if Ryo-chan keeps reacting like this, gym class is going to be very interesting for you." She privately berated herself [Damn! I should have come in here alone with my camera. An opportunity like this is just priceless!] Then she thought some more [On the other hand, there’s no way of telling how she would respond to my selling nude photos of her. I haven’t actively trained in the Art for years now, and she just came back from a training journey.]

"Well…I suppose she would be shy around girls, having been raised as a boy and all…" Akane responded, uncertainly. "But still, didn’t you say that Ranma and Mr. Saotome made her use the Public baths?"

"Yes, but apparently little Miss Saotome had tried to be a perfect gentleman about it," Nabiki guessed, amused. "It’s not too hard to divert your gaze in a wide open area like that. We seem to be the first girls that she has had a very good look at." With that Nabiki started to wash herself off. Akane followed suit, and the two scrubbed one anothers’ backs while waiting for Ryo to recover. They had rinsed down and had gotten into the tub by the time that she started to come around.

"Uhh…" groaned Ryo, lightly. "Wh…what happened?"

"Oh, Ryo baby, I see you’re awake again" Nabiki quipped, turning around in the tub and placing her hands under her chin as she rested her elbows on the rim of the tub. Of course, this provided Ryo with an excellent view of her bosom, which she had also laid on the rim, between her elbows. This was deliberate, as Nabiki wanted to test this girl who had been raised as a boy for amusing reactions. She wasn’t disappointed.

Ryo blushed and diverted her gaze, embarrassed. [Is Nabiki even aware that she is doing that?]. She started to collect herself, and tried to think of something to say. She saw that Akane was in the tub with her sister, and that her expression hinted that she was concerned about Ryo, possibly for more reason than the fact that Ryo had feinted. Ryo could read the hurt in her eyes, and knew. [I was contemplating seppuku earlier, and forgot the tanto on the porch when Kasumi called me to the bath. They have no idea that I’ve rejected it as an option.] She felt ashamed for dishonoring her hosts in this manner, and doubly so for how they must think of her.

Akane and Nabiki both noticed that Ryo’s flushed complexion had spread down from her face, rapidly becoming a full body blush. Akane’s heart went out to the poor girl. [How hard it must be for her. Raised as a boy all this time only to find out that she’s been a girl all along. And that tanto! If Kasumi hadn’t interrupted her, would she have really committed suicide on our porch?] She couldn’t tell that the pity in her eyes pained Ryo to the core of her being.

Nabiki merely faced the problem with the calm, almost casual, expression she had practiced so hard to maintain over the years since their mother had died. Yes, her heart went out to this lonely soul before her, but she herself barely recognized this fact, and she certainly wasn’t ready to show any signs of it to herself, let alone anybody else. No, Ryo wasn’t going to get any special treatment out of her. Not for any reason. At least not right at this moment.

"Why, Ryo-chan!" Nabiki teased. "Are you really that excited to see us? You’ve gotten so hard!" with that, she reached out and flicked one of Ryo’s erect nipples with a finger. Akane gasped at the fact that her sister would do such a thing. Ryo was shocked right out of her depression.

"You do realize that if you keep doing that, I’m going to have to do something about it," warned Ryo.

"What, this?" asked Nabiki, the picture of feigned innocence. "What are you going to do?" She poked Ryo in the breast again, as she had done earlier in the day.

"THIS!" cried Ryo, as she jumped into the tub after the stunned Nabiki. A massive tickle fight between the two ensued. Akane just stared at the two in utter amazement for a moment before the ‘war’ escalated to include her as well. In short order, the three were giggling, laughing, and splashing around enough for the rest of the household to check up on them.

"They seem to be having a tickle fight," reported Kasumi as she came back out of the changing room and into the hallway. Personally, she felt very relieved that Ryo was enjoying herself. For that matter, Soun, Genma, and Ranma were relieved as well. Kasumi had given them quit a scare when she had told them about finding the tanto that Ryo left behind. Although none of the other traditional gear had been present, it was clear to their minds that the young girl had at least been considering seppuku as an option.

Ranma could feel his tension flowing away. [I haven’t heard you laugh since Jusenkyo, Ryo. I’m glad to hear that you’re still able to. We’ll get through this, somehow.] Conviction set in his heart as he made an oath to himself. [Be strong, brother. I will help you get through this in any way that I can. I swear it!]

Genma, while he was glad that his ‘daughter’ had at last found even a moment of happiness, worried that the curse may still be turning ‘her’ more feminine as time went on. [Listen to yourself, Ryo. Giggling like a schoolgirl. Who knows what’ll be next? Dressing in skirts? Wearing make-up?] This, by the way, would later prove to be unusually prophetic of him. [It breaks your father’s heart.]

Soun was simply glad that his daughters seemed to have the situation well in hand. Counseling would have to be arranged for the girl, that much was now glaringly obvious, but the immediate danger was over. He already knew that his friend’s daughter would end up sharing a room with one of his own daughters, but now he put some more thought into the idea. [Nabiki would probably be the wisest choice, since she’s the most likely to treat her at face value. At least until she knows what to make of Ryo. And perhaps, by helping Ryo, my little Nabiki may finally be able to help herself cope with the loss of her mother in some other way besides closing herself off.] Soun was aware that his middle daughter had been becoming more and more mercenary in nature as time went by, but hadn’t really known what to do about it. Nabiki had refused to open up to a counselor thus far. Now, there seemed to be at least a partial solution before him, if the two troubled girls could be put together.

"Come," Soun beckoned, "we should head back to the other room."

Back in the furo, Ryo could feel the weight of misery lift from her shoulders as the tickle fight continued. The laughter was having a cathartic effect on her troubled spirit, allowing her to finally open up. She felt happy for the first time since she had been cursed at Jusenkyo, really and truly happy. Which is why it came as a complete surprise to all three girls when she suddenly hugged Nabiki and stated sobbing uncontrollably.

Neither Nabiki nor Akane knew what to make of it, and after a moment, settled on trying to console her. Ryo just kept crying as she released the grief in her troubled heart. Somewhere in her subconscious, all the pain she had locked up inside herself had spotted the opening and went for it. Like a bullet train.

After a while, the grief passed, and Ryo noticed that she was hugging Nabiki. And that her own breasts were pressed firmly against Nabiki’s. Blushing once again, she let go.

"Um…sorry about that" Ryo apologized sheepishly. "I don’t know what came over me."

"It’s all right," said Akane reassuringly, "You’ve been having a rough time of it. We understand"

"Besides," quipped Nabiki, "I found it quite… intriguing." Which, surprisingly enough, she did. Nabiki had never thought of herself as someone who would be interested in girls before. She had always had an eye for the cute guys, and pretty much had viewed other girls as just other people. She had found Ryo’s body pressed against her own to be surprisingly… pleasant. And something about the girl opening up to her had clicked with something deep inside Nabiki. Maybe…just maybe…this was someone to whom she could finally…

"NABIKI!" accused an outraged Akane, "what do you think you’re doing!?"

"Whatever do you mean, Akane?" Nabiki asked in mock innocence. "I would’ve thought that you, of all people, would know. What, with you hating boys like you do." Nabiki turned her head back towards Ryo, and winked.

"I do not hate boys! It’s just that…" Akane stopped, catching herself. "Ooooh! You’re making fun of me again, aren’t you?"

"Bingo!" was Nabiki’s cheerful response. Ryo, unable to help herself any longer, started laughing again.

Ryo was too busy thinking about what Nabiki had said and done in the furo to really pay any attention during dinner, so missed the decision to register her as ‘Ryoko’ Saotome. For that matter, Ranma and Genma were unusually subdued as well, sparing the Tendos from the experience of witnessing their customary mealtime antics.

Later that night, Nabiki helped Ryo set up a futon on the floor of her room. Akane was still angry with both of them, and Nabiki was the only one behaving as if absolutely nothing was wrong with Ryo (everyone else was walking on eggshells where Ryo was concerned, which was driving Ryo nuts). The end result was that Ryo and Nabiki were indeed paired up in the same room together. After talking with Nabiki for a bit, Ryo drifted off to sleep. She wondered what the next day would bring.

END CHAPTER TWO

(With special thanks to Lord Talon, who suggested this idea.)

Kasumi looked at the Tanto that Ryo had left behind when she wandered off to the bath. [Oh my!] she thought, [something will have to be done about this!] With that thought, Kasumi gathered up the tanto and its sheath, her intent clearly in mind, and headed off.

In her room, Kasumi lay the tanto on her bed and went to her closet. Opening it, she could see upwards of a hundred bladed weapons, along with whips, chains, and assorted leather outfits (consisting almost entirely of straps). From the closet, she pulled something, and took it to her bed.

"This will make you all better!" She chirped happily, as she began to polish the tanto.

END