Chapter Text
Genma Saotome laid on the grass, staring up at the sky through a blanket of leaves and branches overhead. He didn't quite know how long he'd laid there, but it was long enough for his wounds to cease in their endless bleeding.
It had been quite some time since he'd first witnessed the nekoken, back when he'd tossed his son into that pit of cats… He still remembered that day well, he could still see the slices and slashes on his skin every single day… The same slices and slashes that he could feel itching and aching at that very moment, inflicted upon him once again by the re-emergence of the nekoken, deepening the already existing scars all across his body…
Realistically, Genma knew he should have stood up a long time ago, he should have recovered and given chase after Ranma as soon as the nekoken had knocked him over, but… There was something about the look on the boy's face… A true, abject horror… A kind of horror that he'd never seen on his face outside of the cat pit…
But why? Why did his son react like that? Had he succumbed to his cursed form's womanly instincts that quickly? He thought he'd have more time… more time to find a cure, more time to figure this all out. But clearly, he was nearly out of time… because those cursed female hormones were turning his son into something abhorrent…
The thought made Genma shudder, the thought that his boy, a true man amongst men, was being corrupted into some kind of… Gods, it was impossible! There was no way that Ranma could possibly think-
—
“I'm a girl!!!!”
It felt good to finally get it off her chest, to finally admit to what she'd wanted ever since she fell into that spring in Jusenkyo… maybe even before. It'd even felt good enough to make the following embarrassment worthwhile…
“Wooo!” Nabiki semi-sarcastically, yet paradoxically more genuinely than ever, cheered for her
“I'm happy for you, Ranma-chan,” Kasumi approached her from the side, gently patting the top of her head
Ranma could have sworn that headpat rewired her brain functions, but she would never admit it if asked. Akane, meanwhile, was grinning ear to ear at her, looking equally proud and quite full of herself for getting her to admit to it.
“Y-yeah yeah, go ahead tomboy,” she huffed, subconsciously leaning in a bit to the pats as soon as Kasumi had been about to stop
“It sure took you long enough!” Her ex-fiance giggled before her expression became more sincere and genuine, “but I'm happy for you too”
Her face flushed a bit deeper at that sincerity, but she was unable to keep her own smile from widening as well. It felt like such a massive weight had been lifted from her shoulders, like she was no longer weighed down by the pain of her hidden desire.
“S-so, uh, what happens now?” She eventually asked, fidgeting a bit with the hem of her shirt
“What do you mean?” Kasumi cocked her head
“I mean like… pops is still gonna try and turn me back… and… I, uh… I kinda want to figure out how to lock my curse… it'd be nice to be able to take warm baths without having to shift back…” she explained without looking at any of the sisters, “course I can figure that all out on my own, I prolly shouldn't stay here while pops is still after me…”
“Oh no, you're staying right here missy,” Akane scowled, “I want to give that stupid panda a beatdown”
“Mi… Missy?…” Ranma's face was cherry red yet again from that term being applied to her, but she quickly tried to reign herself in, “Now h-hold on! Ya can't fight my pops! You'd lose!!”
“Not if we beat him down together,” Akane countered, punching her own palm, clearly amped up with energy
“Fighting him two-on-one doesn't sound very fair…” she huffed out her lame excuse, earning her an unamused look from the tomboy
“Ranma, it's called Anything Goes Martial Arts! Really, if your dad was a true practitioner he'd bring help of his own,” Akane's frown deepened, glaring right into her soul, “And besides, even if you do normally beat him in spars? He's still the man who trained you, so you're automatically at a disadvantage against him in a real fight”
“Plus you shouldn't have to fight fair against a man like that,” Nabiki huffed
“Mhm, any man who scorns his own daughter like that deserves no mercy,” Kasumi's voice was as sweet and innocent as ever, even in spite of the brutal message of her words
Daughter…
Ranma shook her head, hoping to not be stuck blushing for the entire day. But she supposed that the Tendous had a point… Even in her previous training with her pops? Fairness wasn't commonly the main priority… So she supposed it wouldn't be all that wrong of her to accept Akane's help… And it's not like she had many other excuses up her sleeves…
Eventually, she gave a light, airy sigh, “Fine… we'll do it your way tomboy, when my pops returns? We'll beat his ass together, happy?”
“Very! Now as for locking your curse?... Hmm…” Akane crossed her arms, brow creased in thought
“Perhaps that Chinese Amazon girl's grandmother could help?” Kasumi suddenly offered, getting baffled looks from the ex-fiances, “I mean, she already locked your curse once before, correct?”
Ranma sighed at that memory, at the thought of how hard she'd fought to be able to swap back to her male form… Entirely out of fear of being pushed away if she didn't…
“The problem is that method made me unable to handle hot temperatures… and I'd really like to avoid that part,” she huffed
“True, but if she knows one way to lock a curse, she might know of others?” Nabiki wondered, “Although… wouldn't that mean that girl would find out you're a girl forever and start trying to kill you again?”
She deflated even more at that, “I don't think we can avoid her findin out regardless… Shampoo might be kinda insane but she ain't stupid, she'll notice for sure when I stop ever going back to my guy form…”
“We can handle her though,” Akane seemed more confident than Ranma was, “and it's worth a shot to try and ask her grandmother, but… maybe we should wait until we're sure your dad is handled? We wouldn’t want your dad and Shampoo attacking us at the same time…”
“True,” she gave a slight giggle, glad to have at least found some limit to Akane's confidence in their abilities together, “Now whadabout school?”
“You just let me worry about that one,” Kasumi gave her a warm, bright smile, “I'll make sure there's no issues with you going to class as yourself, even if I have to re-enroll you under a different name”
“What name would we even go with though?” She gave the eldest sister a withering look
“Ranma Tendou,” Nabiki flatly suggested, earning her gasps of shock from Akane and Ranma both
“HUH?!”
“WHAT?!”
“Well, you two are engaged,” the middle sister shrugged, though Ranma could tell that she was real glad she'd flustered them both, “makes sense that she'd eventually take our last name anyway, what with how her dad has been treating her”
“W-wait, hold on!! B-but I'm a girl?!” Her heart still soared just from being able to say that
“Correct.” Nabiki blinked at her
“A-and Akane is a girl!” She yelped back, ever more confused
“Also correct.”
“Then how the hell is the engagement still on?!” Ranma demanded
All the while? Akane was opening and closing her mouth repeatedly, without saying a word, her face bright red.
“Because Akane happens to be a lesbian,” Nabiki stated as if it was the most obvious fact in the world
And in response to that? Akane dropped completely onto the floor while Ranma froze perfectly in place, the gears inside of her head spinning slower and slower with each passing moment…
—
Ryoga wasn't… completely sure how to feel… He'd only snuck back into the Tendou dojo to resume his position as Akane's ‘P-chan’, but right as he was about to enter the training room to try and locate her? He heard something he'd never expected Ranma, of all people, to say…
“I'm a girl!!!!”
Ordinarily? He'd assume this was just another one of that asshole's schemes. A con. A trick he was pulling to gain something from someone. But Ryoga, despite what Ranma thought, wasn't a complete idiot… He could hear the sincerity in his archenemy's voice; the shakiness, the trembling, the nervousness… It was all so… unlike Ranma… So sincere and tender and raw that it almost, for only a single second, made Ryoga feel empathy for the asshole…
He waddled his way past the training room, planning to just head to Akane's bedroom and hope that Ranma didn't piece together that he'd heard him- er, her?- him?- them?- whatever!!! That he'd heard Ranma say that.
As he was walking down the hall though? He felt his thoughts starting to splinter, diverting into two very different paths; the proverbial angel on his shoulder, and the devil on the other…
Come on, this is the perfect ammo to finally get back at that asshole!! If you just throw it back in her face in the middle of a fight? Then you'll be able to clobber her and get her back for everything she put you through!!!
No! Don't do that!! What kind of man does something that underhanded?! Is that the kind of man that Akane would respect?! Besides, if Ranma's a girl now then that means now's your chance! Forget about Ranma! You can finally shoot your shot with Akane!!
You already get to be right in her chest any night you want!! What more do you even need?! Use this to destroy Ranma Saotome once and for all!! Tell EVERYONE that Ranma is a ladyboy!!! Ruin her life like she ruined your's!!!
A soft ‘bwee’ sound escaped from his snout as he huffed himself up onto the bed. He thought both thought processes made some sense…
Stop caring about Ranma! She kept her promise, didn't she? She hasn't told Akane about your curse! So why would you tell anyone about her's?!
Big deal! She's still the reason you have that curse in the first place!!!
Yes, but should he just obsess over revenge for the rest of his life?! He isn't exactly close to beating Ranma in a fight!!
Don't listen to that guy! You can finally kick her ass! You just have to break her spirit first!!! Shatter her will and then revenge is your’s!!!
Ryoga just groaned, burying his head into the soft blankets on Akane's bed. He knew he'd have a choice to make, and it wasn't going to be an easy one for him to work through…
Just as he was pondering his choices though? The door to the bedroom suddenly burst open…
—
Akane sprinted into her room, slamming the door shut behind her and locking it before any of the others could even think about trying to follow her.
How could Nabiki just SAY THAT?!
Her face was a bright, cherry red, a blush that was fueled endlessly by the strange feelings she felt for Ranma… Feelings that were totally platonic now that she knew Ranma was a girl!!!
Akane groaned, sliding down with her back against the door, resting her burning face in her palms as she fought valiantly to soothe her rapidly thumping heart.
Just… relax… its just- its gotta just be lingering feelings I probably had for her from when I thought she was a guy!!
She chose to ignore the fact that she'd never accepted her feelings then either, nor that her feelings had always seemed to gravitate towards the more soft, redheaded Ranma…
Just- Just stop thinking about her! There's no reason to think like that about another girl!
Before she could find herself looping back around once again?
“Bweee!” A familiar oink filled her ears
Her head instantly snapped up, just in time to see her pet piglet leaping off of her bed.
“P-chan! You're back!” She caught him right out of the air, holding him close to her thumping heart, “Where did you run off to this time mister?!”
The piglet squee'd and whined, almost looking regretful over his disappearance. Of course, her pet pig was just too cute to stay upset with, so her expression almost instantly softened as she hugged him closer, lightly petting his soft black fur.
“What am I going to do P-chan?” She groaned, “I need to stop thinking about her…”
She could still so clearly see the way Ranma had smiled at her that first day, before her curse had been revealed, when they were just two girls who wanted to be friends… She remembered thinking even then just how cute she was; from her beautiful pinkish-red hair, to her oddly soft looking skin even despite her scars and calluses, to her rather large bust- STOP THINKING ABOUT HER LIKE THAT!!!
She squeezed P-chan even tighter in her embarrassment, falling onto her side as she whined and groaned over just how uncontrollable her own thoughts were.
“I mean… where could Nabiki have even gotten that impression of me?” She whispered to herself, though her piglet still gave her a strangely cognizant look, as if he could actually understand her, “Was it just because of all the ‘I hate boys’ thing?... Or was it how I always interacted with Ranma?... O-or maybe it was…”
Her thoughts lingered back on that summer beach trip… The trip where Ranma had entered a contest to win the pill that would restore her ability to touch warm water. Of course, Akane herself had entered the contest in a rage when she'd learned the original prize for the contest had been a kiss from Shampoo…
“Uuggghhhh!!! She doesn't understand!!!” The piglet in her hands whined from how tightly she was holding him, “I only entered that stupid contest to keep that Amazon girl from kissing that idiot perver-”
“But I also guess… uh… doesn't this make me a huge perv?”
Akane's eyes widened, the truth of the matter only just then clicking together in her mind.
Oh no… Ranma, she… Does she think wanting to be a girl makes her a pervert because of me?
Her heart clenched in her chest at the thought. She knew that, at times, she'd perhaps been a bit unfair to Ranma, but she'd absolutely never intended for it to lead to something like that! She never would have wanted her words to make Ranma feel self-conscious over her identity!
I'll need to apologize to her for that…
Just then, a soft head bunted against her hand, and she looked down to see her piglet, bwee-ing and rubbing his head against her. The sight brought a slight smile to her face, helped her calm down just a bit from all of her raging, confusing thoughts.
“You're right P-chan… we can think more about this tomorrow…” she held him close as she finally pushed herself up to her feet, “for now we should just rest…”
As it turned out? Helping your fiance experience a gender awakening after spending days worrying over them was a surefire way to wipe oneself out! As right when Akane's head hit her pillow? She was out like a light…
—
Ranma sighed as she slipped into the bath, ignoring the bit of discomfort she felt as her voice deepened thanks to the hot water. The hot water at least gave her an excuse for how red and warm her face still felt…
She knew that Nabiki had to just be messing with her, there was no way the engagement could still be on now that she was a girl and it was foolish to try and get her hopes up… Not that she would want to marry Akane of course!
Who would ever want to marry that uncute tomboy anyway?!?! Not me!!!
Her chest puffed out in a show of faux-arrogance to an audience of zero, but her thoughts sounded hollow even to her own brain… Not that she intended to justify that. She was a girl now, which meant that she was supposed to fall in love with a man, that’s just how the world works. And honestly? She wasn’t as repulsed by that idea as she’d suspected… assuming she found a decent enough guy of course… which seemingly meant she’d have to look outside of Nerima, given the selection of men she usually came across in her girl form…
I’ll find someone though! I’m a girl! And girls love boys! ONLY boys! That’s how it is!
She slid back a bit, sinking down until her chin was touching the top of the water. She assumed it was just due to being raised as a boy, being told that she had to be a man for her entire life, that led to her still feeling… that way about girls… But that was fine! Those feelings would fade as she got used to living like a girl!
Everything would be fine, she just had to accept and move on from the completely unwanted engagement she’d had with Akane… Even if the thought did make some unidentified emotion twist inside of her chest…
—
Kasumi couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. As more or less the head of the household? She strived to take care of each of the dojo's inhabitants to the best of her abilities, and yet, with Ranma? She'd failed her… She hadn't noticed Ranma's difficulties, hadn't spoken up about how the girl's father would treat her, hadn’t noticed just how much her birth form bothered her… There was no other way for her to see it. She'd failed her.
She couldn't change that though, she couldn't turn back time and fix things, so instead? She resolved to be there for her now, and to work to make sure that she didn’t make the same mistake again. She gathered some spare pajamas that no longer fit her for Ranma to take. They weren't much, but she deserved clothes that would feel more comfortable for her true form. They were a cute pair of fluffy pink pajamas, the kind of outfit the Ranma of yesterday wouldn't be caught dead wearing unless it was for one of her all-too-common disguises. She slipped them into the bathroom while the girl was bathing, and she could only hope that she would accept them.
But that alone wasn't enough, she needed to do more, and she knew exactly where to start…
The room of Soun Tendou wasn't a space his daughters entered with any degree of regularity, but at that moment? Kasumi didn't mind bending the norms, at least a bit.
“Hm? Oh! Kasumi,” her father greeted from where he was lounging on his bed, entirely unaware of the conversation that had taken place in his own home just a short time ago, “is something the matter?”
“I'm sorry for intruding father, but this is important,” she bowed to show the man respect, but still levelled him with a stern and serious glint in her eye, to show that she meant what she said
“Oh? Please then, go right ahead”
“Thank you father. I would like to say this; Ranma Saotome shall be living with us for the foreseeable future and the guest room shall be adequately adjusted to become Ranma's permanent room. But Genma Saotome? He shall not be welcome here again following his upcoming discussion with his child,” she stated with all the authority of a young woman who knew that she was in control
Even so, her father frowned at her, “Kasumi, you can't just make decisions about my house on your own. Why would I kick out my dear friend? And why would I separate him from his-”
“Because if you have paid even an ounce of attention? Then you'll have realized that the way he treats Ranma is unacceptable,” she cut Soun off before he could misgender Ranma, “He cannot stay here”
Her father sighed, giving her the sort of look that practically screamed his disdain for discussions of this sort, “Listen, I'm sorry that it seems that way, but Genma is-”
“A rotten excuse of a man and a father. This is not up for debate.” She put her foot down, her usual sweet demeanor falling by the wayside, “If you find that unacceptable? Then I wish you luck in maintaining the house”
“Wh-what do you-”
“Preparing meals, cleaning the dishes, doing laundry, sweeping and washing the floors, seeing to necessary repairs, cleaning the furo, managing the garden, and everything else that I do to keep this home livable,” her voice was cold as ice but her polite smile remained on her face, only losing the warmth and safety her smiles usually held, “I wish you luck in managing all of that without me, because if you refuse to agree to these terms? Then I shall be leaving, and I will take Nabiki, Akane and Ranma with me. It wouldn't be right or safe for a man like Genma Saotome to live in a home with so many young women.”
Soun blinked at her slowly, his own expression twisted in pure bewilderment. Kasumi supposed she couldn't blame him though, she never liked to show this side of herself to anyone, let alone her family, but she refused to fail Ranma again.
“I… see your point,” her father sighed, rubbing his chin, as if he was actually considering anything other than agreeing with her, but of course just as she'd expected? “Very well… As much as I respect Genma? I will go along with your demands, if it makes my daughters feel safer”
All at once, her sweet and sunny demeanor returned in the blink of an eye, “Thank you for understanding father!”
Without wasting another breath? She gave the man another bow before leaving his room, even though they both now knew who was really in charge of the Tendou dojo…