Greetings, folks!

Here's the first draft of Relatively Absent Chapter 4. The web-formatted 
version, along with previous chapters are posted to my website at

http://www.sfcmd.com/fanfic/relabs

C&C is welcome, as this *is* the first draft. Also, please note that the 
web site is commercial and banner free.

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Formatting Note: {{text inside double brackets indicate thoughts}}

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Chapter 4: Home Sweet Home?

--- Suginami ---
Aiko stepped back a pace and smiled at her grandchild while she hid her
grimace. Ranma's body language was so ... open. Of course, being glomped
by Haru-chan would tend to lower *anyone's* defenses, but she could
tell that Ranma had actually been TRAINED to reveal all of his emotions
externally. Something undoubtedly done quite deliberately by his ...
idiot of a father and a deficiency that will have to be corrected soon.

Midori chuckled softly at the sight of her cousin's first encounter
with Harukichi's enthusiastic greeting. She just hoped that Haru-chan
didn't make Ranma's ribs any worse; the diminutive ninja was extremely
strong for her size and had a grip like a python.

"Ranma, this is your grandmother Aiko Yamada. Obaasan, Ranma Saotome."

"Welcome to Yamada-ke, Ranma-kun. I see you've already met your cousin
Harukichi Kurayami," Aiko said as she reached over and squeezed the
redhead's shoulder, who snuggled harder into Ranma's chest in response.
"This is my friend Seiko Moriguchi, and I believe you already know
Doctor Ono."

Ranma nodded in acknowledgement. "Hiya Doc," she said before wincing
slightly.

Aiko shook Harukichi's shoulder gently. "Haru-chan, you might consider
letting go of your cousin for now."

Harukichi's grip increased, causing Ranma to grimace for a second.

"She needs to be able to breathe sometime, you know."

Harukichi jumped as if scalded, eyes wide in panic. "Gomen gomen I
really didn't mean to ..." She halted in mid stream when she saw the
amused expressions on both Aiko's and Midori's faces. Her subsequent
pout elicited a brief bout of chuckling from the other girls. She
turned her tear-streaked emerald eyes back to the pig-tailed girl and
bowed. "I'm sorry, Ranma-sempai. I hope I didn't aggravate any of your
injuries."

"Naw, you don't have to worry 'bout that, 'Kichi," Ranma waved off her
discomfort with a smile. "I do kinda wonder ..." She put her hand on her
hip and leaned forward to study the shorter girl intently for a moment.
"The hair and eyes and glomp, you sure you're not an Amazon or
nothin'?"

Harukichi's slight blush was accompanied by a hearty round of laughter
from the rest of the group.

Aiko shook her head in amusement. "Midori-chan?"

"Yes, Obaasan?"

"Would you girls please show Ranma-kun to his room upstairs? He will
also need to know where the washrooms and furos are located. Tea will
be served in the Blue Room as soon as you are all freshened up. Casual
dress."

"Yes, Obaasan." Midori nodded, relieved on being informed that the
usual signing session would be set aside for once.

"Dr. Ono, if you would be so kind as to accompany me ..." Aiko and the
other adults walked towards the back left hallway.

"If you will follow me please?" asked Midori. She had taken several
steps before realizing she had left the martial artist behind.

Ranma was looking about the foyer and gawping. The room was rather
large for a foyer, twelve deep by fifteen wide, and sat between two
parallel hallways that added another four and a half feet to each end
of the room. It was an odd yet pleasing mixture of East and West and
extended upwards to the second story, which surrounded the upper level
with a U-shaped open hallway. An intricate wood and paper chandelier
hung from the high ceiling. The hardwood floor had been railed for
shoji around the lower hallways, allowing either hallway to be screened
off in various manners; the current configuration blocked the guest
hallways while leaving the more distant residential hallways open. The
two-story right wall was decorated by three long hatajirushi banners
displaying different clan mons. She assumed that the center banner was
the one with the Yamada emblem on it.

"Ranma?"

"Huh? Oh yeah." She hurried across the floor as Midori and Kioko walked
to the far right corner of the room. A flash of movement caught her
eye; both Tsuya and Harukichi were already racing around the upper
hallway. She followed the two sisters around the corner to the stairway
hidden behind the foyer's right wall.

"Your room's the first door up on the left," Midori said, pointing up
the stairs. "We'll give you the Grand Tour tomorrow."

Ranma followed the two sisters up the stairs. Kioko continued to the
right down the hallway, so she followed Midori into 'her' new room only
to stop suddenly. The L-shaped room was ... big, at least half again as
large as the guest room she had shared at the Tendos, and twice the
size of Akane's or Nabiki's bedroom. There was a teak computer desk and
bookcase to the left, and in the main part of the room to the right was
a writing desk with TV and stereo, a double dresser with mirrors, an
oversized futon, and against the side wall were ... *three* armoires?

... and wasn't that a portrait of *mom* hanging over the desk?

A short green-haired girl in a housemaid's uniform was taking an outfit
out of the nearest armoire; a green and white cotton yukata had already
been set out on the futon. Ranma was a little surprised to see the
outfit was one of her typical Chinese red tang and pants combinations,
although the fabric appeared to be of finest silk. In fact,
*everything* in the room looked ... expensive. All of the furniture was
teak and the fabrics all quality without any of the usual signs of
wear.

"Ranma, this is Jun," Midori said, obviously enjoying her cousin's
reaction.

"Ranma-dono," replied the maid with a curtsey.

"Err, hi!"

"You'll find that Jun, Naomi, and Kumiko actually wield all the power
around here," Midori quipped. "The phone's on the desk. If you need
anything, just dial 31 and ask; someone's always on duty. Jun will show
you where the washrooms and furo are. Now if you'll excuse me, I have
to go and roust my sister; she's probably lost in another book by now."
Midori walked back out the room as the maid started to speak.

"We've placed your pack and personal belongings in the third armoire,"
Jun said as she pointed towards the far corner of the room. "You will
also find extra bedding and pillows there if you need them. The center
armoire has female clothing, shoes and accessories are in the drawer
underneath. The left armoire has male clothing with shoes underneath as
well." Jun had gathered up the tang outfit along with the yukata as she
spoke. "The dresser has personal items in the top drawer and underwear
underneath, female on the left, male on the right. The Nintendo and
Genesis are on the floor under the TV. If you have any favorite games
that aren't in the drawer, call and we'll get a copy delivered within a
day. The same is true for music, if you want a specific cassette or
compact disc, just call. The computer is Internet connected. The house
has a high speed T1 link, so don't hesitate to use it as often as you
like."

Jun smiled as she turned towards the door; Ranma-chan was so *cute*
with her mouth hanging open like that. "If you will follow me, Ranma-
dono, I will show you to the washroom."

--------------------

Ranma's head was whirling as she followed the green-haired maid into
the hallway. She'd actually stayed at larger mansions in the past, the
Chardin's for instance, and was familiar with the custom of maid
service, but her stays had always been as a part of some challenge or
misadventure. This was the first time she would be expected to deal
with it as a normal part of daily living, and it made her more than a
little uncomfortable. She was used to traveling light.

"... are Kioko-dono's and Midori-dono's rooms. Tsuya-dono's and
Harikichi-dono's rooms are opposite ..."

And there was something a little unsettling about the way Jun walked.
She was older than Ranma had initially thought and obviously trained in
the Art, but there was an odd emphasis in her gait that Ranma couldn't
quite identify just yet. It reminded her a little of the way Shampoo
walked.

"... is the main washroom," Jun said as she opened a double-door that was
at the opposite end of the hallway from Ranma's. The hallway continued
around the right for an equal distance and then right again to surround
the lower foyer on three sides. "The next two doors are the toilet
rooms, and the furo is the last door on this wall."

Jun suppressed a grin as she led Ranma into the main washroom. The poor
dear was obviously going to take a LOT of coaching before she would be
comfortable just living in the house, let alone cope with some of the
more ... esoteric ... training she had taught the other girls. Seiko-sama
had warned them Ranma-chan would require very careful handling, but
even she had managed to understate the reality of the situation from
what Jun could tell.

"There's a full shower in the corner, and you will find a general
assortment of hair care products in the right vanity. If you let us
know what your soap, shampoo, and conditioner preferences are, we can
have them available for you the next day."

"Ahhh ... just 'bout anything you got's fine, Jun."

Ranma looked about washroom. It was about nine by nine with an
additional shower alcove on the right side. A marble topped dual-basin
vanity extended from wall to wall on the left, and a shorter matching
single-basin vanity took up the right wall from the door to the shower
alcove. Each vanity was topped by an expansive mirror and an equally
unbroken bar of globe lights.

Jun walked to the smaller vanity and set Ranma's bundle of fresh
clothes down. Turning, she motioned politely for Ranma to approach. "If
you will let me examine your hair for a moment, Ranma-dono, perhaps I
can make some suggestions."

"I really don't need nothin' special," Ramna replied as she walked over
to the green-haired maid. Jun ran her hands over Ranma's hair several
times and felt her pigtail carefully before kneeling down to open the
bottom door of the vanity. She began pulling items out.

"I would suggest you start with the chamomile and calendula shampoo for
the first week, along with the apricot keratin conditioner. Neither is
highly scented and both are designed to fortify and help repair split
ends. The aloe vera soap contains both vitamin E and moisturizers, and
I'll order some lemon glycerin facial soap for you tomorrow morning.
There's a fresh washcloth in the shower stall," Jun continued as she
stood back up. "Used clothing goes in the hamper under the window.
Considering the cast, do you need any assistance in undressing,
unbraiding your hair, or washing?" she finished with a smile.

"Err, no no no that's fine," Ranma stammered. She looked down with a
frown at the plaster cast encasing her left forearm. "Idiot hospital
docs, didn't believe me. I TOLD them I didn't need a cast." She looked
quickly around the room before turning back to face Jun. "You got a
wastebasket round here somewhere? Might as well take the stupid thing
off first."

"There are wastebaskets underneath each sink," Jun replied as she went
to retrieve one. "Are you certain removing the cast is a good idea,
Ranma-dono?"

"Yeah, the arm'll be healed by mornin' anyway." Ranma tapped the cast
in several places before nodding. "That'll work. Just set the basket
down an' step back, this is likely to be kinda messy." She waited for
Jun to step clear before powering ki into both arms. A flood of
brilliant white filled the room around the martial artist's arms.
"Damn, still too damn much."

{{Once you have fully assumed your position as Guardian, the ability to
properly regulate your life force usage will be greatly improved. This
particular shortcoming is the result of the incomplete bonding between
us.}}

Ranma rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Watch yer eyes, Jun."

Jun could barely make out the shape of Ranma's arms in the glow. One of
the glowing arms suddenly morphed into a fuzzy stroboscopic halo
accompanied by a sharp stuttering crack lasting about twelve seconds.
Both glow and noise disappeared suddenly. Ranma calmly peeled the
remaining half of the cast off her arm and dropped it in the basket
with a *clunk*. "Ahhh, that feels MUCH better," Ranma exclaimed as she
massaged the injured arm with her right hand. "I'm pretty sure I caught
all the flyin' bits."

Jun's eyes were huge. The girl in front of her had casually expended
more ki in fifteen seconds than most grandmasters were capable of
calling out in an entire month, just to remove a cast from her arm.
Incredible. And she complained about having too *much* ki?

Ranma frowned when she noticed the expression on the maid's face. "Hey,
you OK?"

"Yes, thank you," Jun nodded, forcing a smile. "Do you require anything
else, Ranma-dono?"

"Naw, this's fine, thanks."

"Then if you will excuse me, I will go and see if the girls require
anything," Jun replied with a genuine smile, picking up the
wastebasket. "I'll be back when you are finished with your shower; I'm
certain they would enjoy having you join them in the furo."

"Erk!" Ranma exclaimed. "I'll guess I can check out the furo later."

"Are you sure, Ranma-dono?" asked Jun as she put the wastebasket back
under the sink. "They are your cousins, after all."

Ranma frantically nodded.

"Very well, I will tell them not to wait for you. Enjoy the shower."
Jun bowed before exiting, closing the washroom doors behind her.

--------------------

Ranma luxuriated in the shower's steamy spray of water. It had been
quite a while since she felt this *clean*. When she was on the road, a
cold mountain stream with some sand was often the only cleaning she
got, and the furo at the Tendos didn't provide any hot water for the
scrub before. Cold, often freezing water was linked firmly in her mind
with her girl form.

This was the first time she had ever actually enjoyed being in hot
water as a girl.

She had to admit, the shampoos and soap Jun had picked out for her were
... nice. She hadn't understood half of what Jun had said about them, but
the directions on the bottles were easy enough to follow. More than
once she'd overheard girls discussing their various choices for
toiletries and had never understood why they put so much effort into
it. After all, shampoo was shampoo, right?

Well, she was now starting to realize a little bit about what the fuss
was all about. She knew she was far more sensitive to taste as a girl,
which was one of many reasons why ice cream was such a treat, but she
was finding out how much more all her senses were enhanced. The scent
of the shampoo and the feel of the soap on her skin were ... different
under the wash of hot water. She had always been too cold to notice any
difference as a girl, and she certainly had never noticed the subtle
feelings invoked before when she was a guy.

Sighing, she turned off the water. The amount of water used in a
western style shower seemed excessively wasteful, but she could
definitely get used to them. It was quite invigorating and a delightful
contrast to the furo. She started squeezing the water out of her
unbound hair when the frosted glass stall door opened suddenly.

Kioko, a very *naked* Kioko, stood in front of her, left hand on the
stall handle and a towel draped over the other arm.

Ranma quickly shut her eyes and braced herself, waiting for the
inevitable.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Ranma-kun, I thought oneechan was in the shower."

Ranma continued to wait. Damn it all, why didn't her cousin just haul
off and get it over with?

Kioko stared in dismay at the sight of the shorter girl cringing in
front of her. She knew from their months of observation just how
difficult Ranma's public life had been back in Nerima, but a lot of
what happened to Ranma inside Tendo-ke itself had been hidden from
their view. Only Harukichi had been able to get close to the Tendo
house without being seen in all of the constant chaos and destruction.
What kind of monsters were they to invoke *this* as a conditioned
response? She had difficulty swallowing past the large lump that had
developed suddenly in her throat.

"Ranma-kun," Kioko said softly.

Ranma carefully opened one eye. Her other eye snapped open when she saw
the expression on her cousin's face. Before she could recognize all of
the emotions the look contained, the outer washroom door opened.

"Pardon me, Ranma-dono," Jun caroled as she entered. "Are you finished
with your ... shower ..." Jun's cheery voice trailed off as she caught
sight of the frozen tableau in front of her.

"Oh dear." She quickly strode over to the pair on seeing the desperate
plea for help etched in Kioko's entire posture and took the towel from
her arm. "Here, let me help you with your hair." Jun draped the towel
around Ranma's shoulders and torso and led her out of the stall. Kioko
signed her thanks and scampered quickly into the shower.

Ranma let the green-haired girl lead her over to the large vanity. She
was confused and didn't understand why Kioko hadn't just off and
walloped her one for being a pervert. Distracted, she dried herself off
almost mechanically while the maid fussed about a bit in the vanity.
Throwing the damp towel on the counter, Ranma started to reach for her
outfit when she noticed Jun holding the green and white yukata out for
her to wear.

Smiling, Ranma shook her head and quickly dressed in the familiar red
tang and black drawstring pants that had been her trademark outfit for
the last year. "Thanks, Jun, but I really don't need any more help. The
hair'll dry fast enough once I get it braided." She took to towel and
dried her hair with ki at Amagurikan speed before recalling the effect
her last ki display had on the girl.

Jun schooled her features as she watched Ranma's ki briefly light while
her hands blurred. These ... casual ...and apparently unconscious displays
of power were going to be somewhat difficult to adjust to. She smiled
as she held up a brush. "At least let me help brush out your hair
before you braid it."

Ranma thought for a second before nodding. Jun pulled the stool over
for Ranma and waited for her to sit before starting to brush and gently
tease the tangles out of her hair. Ranma closed her eyes. It had been
quite a while since someone had done this for her.

Jun lost herself in the rhythm of her brushing. Ranma's hair needed
several weeks worth of conditioning before a proper shine could be
attained, but it had enough body to hold any style the girl cared to
choose. She'd have to see if she couldn't eventually convince Ranma to
try something besides a pigtail.

Ranma was in utter bliss. For once she was truly relaxed, and Jun's
steady gentle brushstrokes had her close to falling asleep on the
stool.

Jun was a little surprised when she felt Ranma start to vibrate gently
and heard her voice a low rumbling hum. The girl almost sounded like
she was ... purring?

All too soon Ranma felt her hair being braided behind her. She waited
until Jun had finished before looking around for the whisker, which was
on the vanity next to her. "Thanks, Jun. That felt real nice." She
smiled while she tied the braid off.

Ranma wobbled a little as she stood before walking towards the door.
"I'll be in my room. Let me know where I'm suppos' to be next."

--------------------

"Jun said she'd be in her room, Oneechan," Kioko replied, saving her
spot with a bookmark before setting the thick tome down on her desk.

Midori shook her head in mock dismay. Trying to get everyone together
at the same time was like herding cats; not impossible but extremely
difficult. Tsuya and Harukichi had already gone downstairs, and she had
rather expected to find Kioko with her nose buried in a book, but if
Ranma was true to form she'd be outside somewhere practicing instead of
being holed up in her room.

"Time to go roust the natives, sis. We don't want to keep Obaasan
waiting *too* long, do we?" Midori quipped as she followed her sister
out of her room. The walk down the hallway to Ranma's room was a short
one.

"I'll inform Obaasan that you and Ranma will be right down," Kioko
said. Midori stopped at the end of the hallway and watched her younger
sister hurry down the stairs. There was something off in Kioko's voice
and posture; she seemed a bit upset over something. Midori made a
mental note to talk to her about it later.

"Ranma?" Midori called out while knocking twice on the open door. Not
hearing a response, she walked in and looked around the corner. Ranma
was sprawled out on top of her futon fast asleep. Well, at least Midori
now knew why she wasn't out practicing. A faint glow around Ranma's
left arm caught Midori's attention and pointed out that a cast no
longer surrounded the injured limb. She walked over and knelt down next
to the sleeping girl. Before she had a chance to do more than glance at
the arm, Ranma rolled over on her side and curled up, burying her arm
underneath the pillow.

Midori smiled at the sight. {{Kawaii.}} Her hand reached over and
gently brushed a stray lock of hair out of Ranma's face before she
realized what she'd just done and froze. She quickly moved the hand to
Ranma's shoulder and gave it a little shake. "Wake up, Ranma."

"G'way, pops," Ranma mumbled in response.

Midori shook a little harder. "Everyone's downstairs waiting, Ranma."

"Tired, g'way," she mumbled and rolled over on her other side.

Midori frowned. This was like trying to wake Tsuya. Hmmm.

"RANMA!" Midori barked.

"Whaa?" Ranma groaned while sitting up. "Oh, hi Midori." Ranma yawned
and stretched, arching her head and back while trying to shrug the
stiffness out of her shoulders. "Sorry, must'a dozed off for a bit."

Ranma turned to her cousin and frowned slightly. Midori was looking a
little flushed and holding her nose with one hand. "Hey, you OK? I
didn't accidentally poke you or nothing, did I?"

"No you didn't. I'm fine, Ranma," Midori replied. She took a deep
breath to calm herself. {{Kami-sama, I'm going to have to somehow
convince her to start wearing a bra, if only in self defense.}}

"C'mon," Midori said as she stood. "Grandmother is serving late tea and
snacks, and everyone else should be down there by now."

--------------------

Ranma raised her teacup and arched an eyebrow on smelling the aroma.
Her grandmother evidently had similar tastes in teas as Kasumi; this
had to be Chinese Yinzhen White, with a touch of something else.
Jasmine? Ranma took a sip. Yes, definitely. A Yinzhen Jasmine; the
combination of aromas was unmistakable as it was delicate, and the
light golden-yellow color and lingering sweet aftertaste was a sure
indicator of a Fujian province tea. Kasumi had gotten her hooked on
good teas the first week they'd arrived at the Tendos and the two of
them had managed to have tea together at regular intervals, in spite of
all the chaos.

She listened absently to the conversation around the table between the
girls and her grandmother and idly noted the seating arrangement as she
sipped her tea. She'd been seated next to Grandmother, and Doc Tofuu
sat in the kamiza or honored guest position opposite both of them.
Midori and Kioko sat on the right, Tsuya and Harikichi on the left, and
Seiko sat next to Grandmother on her other side. A really cute black-
haired girl in a maid's outfit, Naomi if she remembered correctly,
stood off to the side.

She set her empty cup down and looked wistfully at the tray of tea
cakes and cookies placed in the middle of the table. She didn't
immediately make a grab for them since there weren't any large
gluttonous black & white pandas around to fend off, and Kasumi had
actually managed to din SOME semblance of manners into her. Ranma had
always been amazed on how much it hurt to see Kasumi frown even
slightly in disappointment when she did something 'wrong' during their
private teas. She was still staring morosely at the plate of pastries
when all of the conversation around the table halted.

"Doctor Ono," Aiko began, "I want to thank you for coming here on such
short notice. Ranma-kun, considering your past experience I've asked
Doctor Ono to become your personal physician, if that is acceptable to
you."

Startled, Ranma looked over at the bespectacled chiropractor who
returned her stare with a wry grin. "Hey, sure, Tofuu's cool. You OK
with this, Doc?"

Tofuu nodded. "I'm looking forward to it, Ranma. I will admit that I
have ... missed the excitement that your presence brings."

Aiko nods. "Good. I will have Akahito contact Higashiyama-san in the
morning and finalize the contract on the building. You will have to
revise your equipment and staffing list upwards a bit, Doctor Ono. I'm
afraid that the building we were able to obtain is quite a bit larger
than the one you had originally planned for. I believe that there
should be sufficient room for a complete in-house lab if you wish."

Tofuu nodded, understanding the expectations of his services by the
Yamada matriarch. "Certainly. If I may be permitted to review the
chosen location first, I will submit whatever revisions that are deemed
appropriate."

"I will have Akahito drive you to the clinic tomorrow afternoon, if
that meets with your current schedule?"

"It most certainly does, Yamada-san. I thank you," Tofuu replied with a
bow.

Aiko turned to Ranma and smiled. "Ranma-kun, I would appreciate it if
you permit Doctor Ono to perform a complete physical examination of you
tomorrow. I have some concerns over your recent injuries and I would
feel more comfortable if you were seen by a doctor who has had direct
personal experience with your particular medical concerns. Perhaps he
could look over your injured arm later this evening, as I see that you
have removed the cast put on earlier today."

"This?" Ranma said, holding up her left arm which showed only a
slightly bruised ring around the location of the break. "Heh, I told
those idiots it didn't need no cast. Doc Tofu can look at it if y'like,
but it'll be all healed tomorrow anyway."

"Ranma-kun, are you sure?" Midori asked. "That was an extremely severe
break of both bones."

"I heal quick," Ranma shrugged. Midori tried to ignore the interesting
things the shrug did to certain other parts of Ranma's anatomy. Aiko
suppressed a smirk on seeing Midori's expression.

"Ranma, I'm curious," Tofuu asked. "I've noticed that you've made no
attempt to change. Have you been inflicted with another Full Body Cat's
Tongue?"

"Naw, I'm immune to that now," Ranma replied. Her shoulders slumped
visibly. "Yer right, though, I'm stuck good this time. Some idiot
Chinese prince splashed me with water from a ladle that locks the curse
after I argued how he was treatin' Akane. We chased him over most the
countryside before catchin' up to him at Horai. I was fighting to get
the kettle that would unlock the curse when we blew up the mountain we
was fightin' on an' I got caught in the landslide. I met the girls here
after diggin' my way back up. Far as I know th' kettle's lost fer
good."

"An' that reminds me: you girls see who else got out of that fight? I
was kind'a occupied for a while there," Ranma asked with a somewhat
sardonic grin.

Midori quickly signed to the other girls that she'd handle this
question. Aiko caught Doctor Ono's minute and quickly suppressed
reaction to the almost imperceptible shift in posture.
{{Interesting.}}

"Ranma, as far as we know only Mu Se and yourself survived the collapse
of the mountain," Midori replied. "Mu Se flew off shortly after the
landslide, and at the time we thought he was the only survivor. Neither
Hibiki-san, Hebbu, or his two bodyguards emerged from the ground in the
three days we were there before you tunneled up."

Tofuu's left eyebrow arched. Ranma had been buried underground for
three days?

"Heh, I'd be really surprised if Ryouga bought it, he's TOUGH. The way
he gets lost, he's prob'bly tunneled half-way to Paris by now. Mousse
made it too, huh? Good, maybe the blind idiot will get Shampoo an' the
old ghoul to finally give up an' go home. As for Herb and crew, I
dunno. We beat on each other pretty good at the time."

"Have you given any thought of what you're going to do now?" Tofuu
asked. "From what I remember of the arrangements with the Tendos, this
particular complication could result in a certain amount of difficulty
for you."

"Can't go back yet, that's f'sure," Ranma responded morosely. "I
promised Akane I'd return a man, and I ain't exactly one at the moment,
ne? Besides, old man Tendo swore he'd try an' marry my girl side if I
go back like this." She shuddered, the mere thought of *that* STILL
gave her the heebie-jeebies.

Aiko felt a cold murderous anger start to settle in the pit of her
stomach. They would try to force *this* on her flesh and blood? Midori-
chan was correct; far too much has been done to her grandchild that
they didn't know about.

"Oneechan? We may have a solution to unlocking your curse," Harukichi
stated, pulling a kettle of hot water from underneath and setting it on
the table in front of her.

Ranma was slightly startled to realize that the younger girl had just
called her 'Big Sister'. It gave her a warm fluttery feeling inside.
She smiled when she saw the kettle. "That isn't going to work right
now, 'Kichi," she said gently to the younger.

Harukichi pulled a filled plastic one-liter soda water bottle out from
under the table and set it next to the kettle. "During the first part
of your battle against the Musk prince, I was able to gather a sample
of the water from the unlocking kettle."

Ranma's eyes got huge. "That's ..."

Harukichi nodded "I really hope it works, Oneechan."

Ranma had moved before Harukichi finished speaking. Standing up quickly
she vaulted over the table in one smooth unbroken move, performing a
half somersault with a twist to land on the other side of the table
directly behind her red-haired cousin. She grabbed the plastic bottle
with its cargo of precious liquid as she passed overhead and had the
cap off by the time her feet hit the floor.

Ranma quickly emptied the contents of the entire bottle over her head.

Eiko noted the interaction of the Kaisufuu water with the status field.
It quickly recorded the changing vectors and field strength equations
and started a vector analysis of the resulting energy geometries.

Ranma tossed the empty bottle aside and raised the kettle of hot water
over her head. Everyone looked on with anticipation.

*Splash!*

Ranma stood there for a moment, hot water streaming over her head,
before tossing the kettle aside with a *clank*. She collapsed in a heap
on the ground and stared vacantly at the floor. The last bit of hope
she had been secretly harboring vanished in a wash of despair.

She never felt Harukichi's hug or heard her cousin's sobs on her
shoulder, nor did she feel herself being swept up by her grandmother's
warm embrace. She didn't feel *anything* for an indeterminate time.

{{Ranma?}}

"..."

{{Ranma, I've completed the tensor analysis of the status field that is
currently 'locking' your 'curse'.}}

"..."

{{Ranma, the water from the Kaisufuu kettle was not totally
ineffective. I recorded a 46.3% drop in the absolute field strength of
the status magic. While it was insufficient to disrupt the status field
itself, a tensor analysis of the various field vectors indicates that
you *should* be able to eventually recover your male form without the
use of the Kaisufuu.}}

"WHAT!? You SURE?"

Aiko winced when Ranma suddenly yelled in her ear.

{{You might want to consider moderating your responses to listening
only, Ranma. You are currently in the presence of others.}}

"Never mind 'bout THAT! What exactly did'ja mean?"

{{Very well. The reason the Kaisufuu water did not totally disrupt the
status field 'lock' is because it had lost most of its own field
strength. Extrapolating backwards, I calculate that the Kaisufuu water
would have had to been removed from the Kaisufuu itself by no more than
fourteen hours if the unlocking properties were to be effective. The
magic field left in the water sample provided by your cousin was simply
too weak to disrupt the status field. It did, however, vastly simplify
the task of integrating the various magic fields that are currently in
place around you when you assume your full Guardian position. You
should be grateful for your cousin's actions in obtaining the sample
that was just employed.}}

"Waitaminute, waitaminute, magic *fields*? How many do I got besides
the curse and the lock?"

{{I have detected eight distinct magic fields that are currently active
on your personage. All but one has been properly identified and
accounted for. I had intended to discuss the method for identifying the
eighth field with you this evening. I had been waiting for you to
complete your healing before broaching the subject, since the
identification process can be rather stressful.}}

"Bu... bu... EIGHT curses?" Ranma practically shrieked.

{{No, eight distinct magic fields. Your 'Jusenkyo Curse' is comprised
of three different fields. One is the transformation magic itself that
causes the change in genders. The second is a variable trigger; this is
what makes the transformation magic to activate alternately between
cold and hot water. The third field is a subtle behavioral and
probability field modifier that forces you to be placed in situations
where you will encounter the currently selected trigger mechanism in
unfavorable situations.}}

"'K, that's three. The lock's four. Unknown makes five. What 'bout the
other three?"

Aiko was extremely disturbed. Ranma's eyes were vacant, yet he was
obviously holding an actual conversation with SOMETHING. The pauses and
responses were too natural and exact to be the result of delusional
raving. She held on to her grandchild and tried to analyze her ki.

{{One is a subtle virtual pheromone emitter. Its purpose appears to be
to make you extremely desirable to the opposite gender of your current
form. I was unable to determine if this field was simply another part
of the Jusenkyo magics, since there were no frequency markers that
matched any of the other three components. The seventh field is a
general probability field modifier that acts to decrease the level of
temporal and spatial causality...}}

Aiko's eyes widened in shock. The ki signature Ranma was exhibiting
showed definite traces of Yamada mixed with Saotome, but the underlying
base beneath it was incredible. It was *pure*, without any identifying
marks or even gender bias. Simply pure ki. Impossible, yet there it
was.

{{... in your immediate vicinity. The last magic field is a weak neural
inhibitor that is centered in your cognitive centers. This field
dampens your logical reasoning abilities slightly in favor of enhancing
your intuitive thought processes. The last two fields are distinct in
their frequency markers so I must assume that they were applied
individually.}}

"Erk."

{{I assume that you have given some thought on how you are going to
explain your recent outburst to your relatives and companions present?
You *did* instruct me to ignore this concern earlier.}}

"Ahhhh," She turned her attention outwards. She found herself in her
grandmother's lap cradled in a tight embrace, with Harukichi sitting in
her own lap clutching her waist tightly and crying. Ranma reached up
and started stroking the smaller girl's hair. She tried to remember how
Kasumi would act in a similar situation.

"There there 'Kichi," Ranma said softly while she continued caressing
the girl's head.

"ONEECHAN!" Harukichi exclaimed, tightening her grip around Ranma's
waist. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm so sorry ..."

"Shhhh, 'Kichi, wasn't your fault. No need to cry 'bout it."

Harukichi's head popped up suddenly, eyes wide and tear streaked.

Ranma gave her cousin a wry smile. "The magic's all gone from the
water, squirt. It wouldn'ta worked no matter what."

"Ranma-kun, who exactly were you talking to?" Aiko asked softly.

Ranma turned to look at her grandmother. She saw the confusion in her
eyes, along with a steely determination. This was going to be
difficult. Nabiki always lied by telling just part of the truth. Maybe
that would work here as well.

"A ... friend, someone who's been helpin' out lots lately. Eiko's the
main reason I survived th' fight with Herb. We still got ... things
t'work out b'fore I can say much more 'bout it. Can I talk with ya
tomorrow, Grandmother? I've been meanin' t'ask ya about all this
anyways."

Aiko searched deep inside Ranma's eyes before slowly nodding her
agreement. The boy had given her word, and the Yamada matriarch could
tell that she would keep it. That would have to do for now. She raised
her eyes and sought out the doctor's location.

"Ranma-kun, would you go with Doctor Ono so he can examine your arm? I
want to have a talk with the girls, and I believe that we have had all
of the excitement that we can currently handle at the moment."

Nodding, Ranma disentangled herself from the twin embraces and stood
up. She frowned when she saw Midori comforting Kioko and the maid doing
the same for Tsuya. She walked over to Tofuu who was waiting for her by
the door. She turned and looked back at her ... family.

"I'm really sorry 'bout all this," she said softly before following the
doctor out of the room.

--------------------

Ranma sat on the edge of the table and watched Tofuu arrange the
contents of his kit bag next to her. They'd moved into a room across
the hall from the one they'd just left and the black-haired maid had
delivered the kit bag shortly afterwards. Ranma could tell that Tofuu
was deep in thought.

"Ranma, I saw the X-rays of your arm taken earlier at the Matsuyama
hospital, and I must say that I am surprised you were willing to remove
the cast so soon. The break appeared to be about two weeks old, yet I
was told that you had broken both forearm bones two days ago. Neither
of these corresponds with what I'm seeing at the moment. May I see your
arm please?"

Ranma silently extended her left arm out.

Tofuu gingerly took a hold of the arm and ran his fingertips gently
around the break location. He could feel only the slightest swelling of
the skin and the bruising pattern was indicative of an almost fully
healed fracture.

He grasped her arm around the break location with his thumb and index
finger. "Does this hurt?" he inquired as he gently applied a little
force to the grip.

"Naw. It's still a little sore but it don't actually hurt."

"Please rotate your wrist slowly clockwise and then counterclockwise as
far as you can." Tofuu felt the bones shift underneath his grip as
Ranma twisted her wrist around and back. There was a nominal bulge in
each bone around the break location as would be expected from a serious
fracture, but as far as Tofuu could tell the bones had not only knitted
themselves back together completely, they had done so without suffering
any misalignment, fracturing, or splintering.

Tofuu released Ranma's arm and looked the girl in the eyes. "Ranma,
although I can't be certain without taking additional X-rays of the
arm, my experience tells me that your arm has essentially healed
completely. I know that your normal rate of healing is exceptional, but
this is something I've only encountered twice before in my life and you
aren't old enough to be able to generate that volume of healing ki. The
last ki master who could heal at such a rate was well over one hundred
and twenty years old."

"Doc, I can generate a whole lot of ki right now. Fact is, that's
'xactly my problem. I got ki. Tons and TONS of ki. What I don't got is
enough control to use it for healing without tossin' least half of it
away in a stupid light show." Ranma hopped of the table and held her
arm up. "Watch."

She concentrated on healing. The bright glow reappeared around her arm,
almost blinding in its radiance.

One of Tofuu's eyes twitched.

"Damn, it's getting' worse."

{{This is but one of many reasons why we must complete the process of
your Guardianship as soon as possible, Ranma. The flow of life force
between the two of us is beginning to increase rapidly. At the current
rate it is possible that it will reach a point where it is beyond your
ability to control and direct it without incurring permanent damage.
You would ...}}

Tofuu blinked when the ki display suddenly winked out. He blinked
several more times to clear his vision before noticing Ranma's eyes,
which had become totally vacant again. He must be communicating with
the 'Eiko' person he had mentioned earlier.

{{... be wise to limit your ki usage to that which is absolutely
necessary. Your arm is indeed fully healed and no longer requires the
increased rate of healing that you have been providing it.}}

"Why didn't you mention this before?"

{{The current situation is ... unusual in the extreme, Ranma. In previous
instances where a Guardian has perished in the line of duty, there has
always been a replacement candidate who has been readily available.
This system was abandoned when Pluto assumed Guardianship.}}

"Great, just great.  How much time you think I got before I lose
control?"

{{You would not lose control per se; the same safeguards that prevented
damage to your system the previous time you overextended your ki usage
are still in place. What would happen is that you would completely lose
access to any ki manipulation until the power flows are properly
balanced. This would have a severely detrimental effect on your combat
efficiency.}}

"OK, that ain't so bad. How long?"

{{If you limit your ki usage to emergency situations only, it's likely
that there will be little if any danger. If you continue to employ ki
at the rate of usage based on the last two days, I project that you
will risk losing access within 5 days.}}

"Five days, huh? The way things always seem to hunt me out, we'd better
count on that as tops."

{{That would be the prudent precaution to take, naturally. I sense that
you've also decided on a course of action to explain the recent verbal
outbursts to your relatives.}}

"Yup, gonna tell them the whole damn thing."

{{This is not a course of action that I would have suggested initially,
Ranma. The more individuals who know the details of your particular
position, the higher the likelihood that some form of serious
repercussion will eventually befall those in question. Ideally a
Guardian should be totally independent of any form of potential
coercion.}}

"Can't be helped. They sure ain't gonna be satisfied with hints and
excuses. B'sides, nothin's gonna hide the changes in my ki signature,
an' I'm pretty sure Grandma can read 'em. I can, so can the Doc, the
letch, the old ghoul, heck even pops can tell the difference in ki sigs
if the lazy bastard really wanted to try."

{{One moment, a ki signature is a concept that is not currently
recorded in my data store.}}

"Ya gotta be kiddin' me. Just a sec, I'll show ya."

Ranma refocused on the room. Tofuu was sitting patiently next to her
with a look of intense concentration on his face.

"I'm assuming that was 'Eiko' whom you've just been communicating
with?" Tofuu asked.

"Yup. Doc, can you do me a favor? I know how good you are at hidin' yer
ki. Can you project it a bit instead? I need to get a good read on
someone 'sides myself."

Tofu looked her in the eyes. "Certainly, Ranma." A faint golden hue
emerged. "You do realize that you are going to have to explain the
comment about possibly losing control of your ki, don't you?"

Ranma nodded as she placed a hand up to the doctor's aura. She
concentrated on emptying all feeling from her arm and pulled a portion
of Tofuu's ki inside.

{{I see. His life force has certain frequency and modulation markers
that can be used to identify him. This is valuable data. The magics
built into the Guardian uniform currently have no provision for masking
the life force signature of the wearer. I will now correct this
deficiency.}}

"How come you don't know 'bout ki sigs?"

{{The concept has never been broached before in regard to humans. All
of my previous Guardians who have been human were mages, and the
masking properties of the uniform were designed specifically to combat
various magical means of detection. The previous Guardians who were
warriors were from races other than human, and I must assume that those
races did not exhibit a distinctive individual life force marker in the
manner just shown. You are the first Guardian who is both human and a
warrior.}}

"Weird. 'K, Doc, thanks."

Tofu's aura faded from view. He arched an eyebrow in her direction.
"Now, about that explanation?"

"Can ya wait a bit, Doc? I'm gonna fill Grandma and the girls in on
what's been goin' on; you might as well sit in if yer gonna be my doc
again."

Tofuu nodded.

--------------------

A full minute passed after the door closed behind the pig-tailed
martial artist, its silence broken only by the quiet sobbing of several
girls. Aiko looked down at her youngest, who had replaced Ranma in her
lap when the girl exited with the doctor. She absently stroked
Harukichi's luxurious red hair while concentrating on coming up with
*some* way of salvaging what she could of her past mistakes.

"What a mess."

Aiko's comment startled the other girls to silence. The Yamada
matriarch set Haru-chan on her feet before rising herself. She returned
to her position at the table and sat down, quickly gauging the current
mood of the girls. It was as bad as she had been afraid it would be.

"Naomi-chan?"

"Hai, Yamada-sama?"

"Please prepare another tea for us. Lavender and Valerian, please."

"Hai, Yamada-sama."

The four girls waited until the maid had left the room before turning
back as one to face the two older women.

"Obaasan?" Kioko asked slightly ahead of the other three girls.

Aiko held up a hand, halting the oncoming cacophony before it could
reach a peak. She slowly set her hand back in her lap and waited. She
sat impassively until Naomi returned and had served everyone a fresh
cup.

"Thank you, Naomi-chan," she said, smiling to the maid. "Please attend
to Ranma-kun and Doctor Ono and see to it that their needs are met.
Inform me when Doctor Ono has completed his inspection."

"Hai, Yamada-sama." The black-haired maid quietly left the room. Seiko
exited immediately afterward, knowing that the girls wouldn't speak as
freely with her present in the room.

Aiko made brief eye contact with each of the girls, shattering the
youngsters' budding rage with a frigid wall of fierce determination.

"I am not going to entertain questions. You will listen and answer *my*
inquiries with brutal honesty, no matter how embarrassing that may be
to you personally. Once I have finished, you may be able to comprehend
exactly why certain actions were or were not taken. Is that
understood?"

Four heads nodded in silence.

"Midori-chan."

"Hai."

"Who are we?"

Midori quailed inside, hearing the beginning of The Lecture. Gods no,
she just knew that Grandmother was going to blame this whole mess all
on her.

"Yamada, Obaasama."

"What are we?"

"Kunoichi, Obaasama."

"Kioko-chan, where do we stand?"

"In the ... [sniff] ... shadows in plain sight, Obaasama,"

"Why do we stand?"

"To observe and guide, Obaasama."

"Tsuya-chan, how do we act?"

"By stealth and guile, Obasama."

"When do we act?"

"When the moment has arrived, Obasama."

"Harukichi-chan, when do we fight?"

"When all else has failed, Obasan."

"Why do we fight?"

"To preserve the clan."

Aiko hid her smile on seeing the girl's scowl. Good, she's getting her
steel back.

"Midori-chan, in a serious conflict between yourself and the Chinese
girl Xian Pu, what would be the most probable outcome?"

Midori gulped. "I would be defeated."

"Would you survive the encounter?"

"If I ran like hell first."

The wry quip broke the tense mood in the room and elicited a gentle
chuckle from the other girls.

Aiko smiled. "Exactly. We are Kunoichi. We hide in plain sight. We
beguile and confuse rather than oppose. We are both water and void. We
observe. We plan. Then we act."

The elder Yamada took a sip before continuing. "Harukichi-chan, how
would you feel if you had to cope with Happosai's ... attentions ... on a
daily basis?"

Harukichi turned white and began to shake violently in horror. Tsuya
quickly embraced the shorter girl while she glared at the elder
matriarch.

"Obaasan!" Midori exclaimed in outrage. "How could you ..."

"SILENCE!" Aiko poured ki into her voice, halting the protests. The
force of her command also shattered the red-headed girl's panic attack

She nodded. "You begin to understand. The potential consequences of
failure were dire. As long as there was visible evidence that Ranma-kun
was a willing participant in his own debasement, I COULD NOT afford to
act. That does not mean I was pleased with the situation, nor does it
mean that there were no plans in place to rescue her."

Aiko speared Midori with a look. "Or do you honestly think that
tonight's seating arrangement was set up simply on a whim?"

Midori flushed bright red and shook her head. A gentle chuckle passed
around the room at her reaction, voices filled with both amusement and
released tension.

Aiko sighed. "I will be the first to admit that I ... erred in my
judgment. The pace of the events that surround Ranma have disrupted
plan after plan. It wasn't until Nodoka's reappearance in Ranma's life
that I felt that the clan had sufficient leverage to properly influence
events around him to our mutual benefit. Unfortunately, there simply
wasn't enough *time* to implement all of those plans before her
encounter with the Chinese warlord."

"Midori, in the last week you have violated every directive you were
given when you first undertook this project. Thank you."

Midori's nascent outrage vanished, leaving her gaping like a fish out
of water.

Aiko beamed at the stunned girl. "You exhibited true leadership and
reaffirmed my faith in your judgment, Midori-chan. I'm proud of you."
She calmly took another sip of her tea.

"Now that the initial break has been made, it is our duty to insure
that Ranma-kun's stay with THIS family is free from the stresses and
abuses that have been inflicted on her elsewhere. Haru-chan?"

"Hai?"

"I understand the reasons for the ... exuberance of your greetings with
Ranma-kun, but I must ask that you try and be a little less forceful in
your demonstrations. Have you noticed how she reacts?"

"Hai, Obasan," Harukichi nodded with a very unhappy expression. "She
flinches. It isn't a large one and she manages to suppress it extremely
well, but it's there every time."

Kioko's small gasp wasn't hidden well enough to escape detection.
Midori placed a hand on top of hers as every other eye in the room
turned in her direction.

"I've been meaning to ask you about what happened earlier, sis," Midori
said. "You were pretty upset before we started all of this."

Kioko nodded. "I was ... she ... she just ... oh Gods, Oneechan, it was just
AWFUL." She sniffled and took several deep breaths, clutching her
sister's hands for support before continuing.

"When we got home, Tsuya and Haru-chan got to the furo first. I had
lost track of time a little ..."

The other girls giggled. Kioko's ability to lose track of time while
she was reading was already legendary.

"... when Onnechan came into my room. I finished the chapter before
following her to the main washroom upstairs."

"But Midori was in the furo washroom with us, Kioko," Tsuya remarked
with a puzzled expression.

"Oneechan, you *didn't*?!" Harukichi gasped.

"Hai," Kioko nodded miserably. "I was all undressed and ready to join
Midori in the shower when the water stopped, so I grabbed a towel
instead before opening the door. Ranma-chan was wringing her hair out,
and she cringed when she saw me there, she literally *cringed*. She
stood there and just waited to be *beaten*."

Kioko sniffled several times before continuing. "I ... it took everything
I had not to break down crying right on the spot. I don't know what I
would've done if Jun hadn't come in the room right at that point."

Midori embraced her sister as she fought tears.

"But that wasn't the worse part. I caught her expression when Jun led
her out of the shower stall. I could tell she was puzzled why I hadn't
hit her. She *expected* to get hit. She was waiting to be *beaten* for
something that wasn't even *remotely* her fault. And she thinks that's
NORMAL!" Kioko wailed and broke down into full fledged sobbing, unable
to contain herself any longer. It took several moments for her to
regain her composure.

"Well!" Tsuya exclaimed. "Thank the kami that we have the chance to
help her get over all of that now!"

Aiko almost dropped her cup when several observations suddenly
coalesced into certainty. From the mouths of babes ...

"No, Tsuya-chan, not quite. Not *THE* kami, *A* kami. Thank *A* kami."

Aiko poured herself another cup of tea while the girls looked at her in
confusion. She took a deliberate sip before continuing.

"I'm sure all of you noticed Ranma-kun communicating with something she
called 'Eiko', and her attributing this Eiko in part with her
survival?"

The girls nodded in unison.

"When Ranma-kun's ... conversation was occurring, I was able to obtain a
reading on her ki. It held the presence of another entity, one
extremely powerful and ancient. This other ki contained no trace of
evil whatsoever; in fact it contained no trace of anything
identifiable. It was pure ki, something quite impossible for a human to
generate."

Aiko paused for another sip of tea.

"It appears that the clan now owes honor debt to a kami. My grandchild
has picked up a guardian spirit."

Four sets of eyes widened in comprehension.

--------------------

"Hey, Naomi!" Ranma called out, seeing the maid waiting in the hallway
next to the door.

"Yes, Ranma-dono?"

"Could you ask Grandmother if she could come here a sec? Gotta ask her
somethin'."

"Certainly, Ranma-dono."

Ranma stepped back in the room and gave the doctor a wry grin. "Might's
well get this over with."

Aiko entered the room a minute later. "You wished to see me, Ranma-
kun?"

"Sure did, Grandmother, thanks. I saw how the girls were b'fore I left
the room. D'ya think they're up to hearin' the whole tale tonight
'stead of tomorrow? I'd kinda like to have the Doc sit in as well."

Aiko smiled in relief. "I'm quite certain that they'd be more than
happy to hear what has happened from your point of view tonight, Ranma-
kun."

"Good. I kinda got that feelin' 'bout it too. B'fore we go back, what's
up with 'Kichi? She was way too freaked by what happened, and if you
guys have been watchin' fer as long as Midori said, y'll know this
kinda crap happens t' me all the time. I know she's kinda young, but
this ain't all *that* strange."

Aiko's eyebrow twitched on her grandchild's bland assumption of what
constituted 'normal'.

"Ranma-kun, how much has Midori-chan told you of the girls and their
history with the Yamadas?"

"Not much," Ranma shrugged. "Just that Midori an' Kioko are sisters,
and that Tsuya and 'Kichi are cousins like me."

Aiko nodded. "Then I will tell you about our family history tomorrow
after breakfast. As far as Haru-chan is concerned, she has had a very
difficult life before we brought her into the clan. Her birth family
did not treat her well, and as a result she has both a vast distrust of
almost any male and a constant need for reassurance from those around
her whom she trusts."

Ranma's eyes narrowed dangerously on the last statement. "I ... see."

Aiko smiled grimly. "We have been fortunate that the parties in
question have not been a concern for Haru-chan for quite some while
now."

"*Good*."

Ramna grinned suddenly. "Y'know, it's gonna take me a bit o' gettin'
used to being called 'Big Sister' by 'Kichi. 'Specially since I ain't
even a real girl."

Aiko eyes turned troubled. "Does that bother you, Ranma-kun? I could
ask the girls not to address you in that manner if it makes you that
uncomfortable."

Ranma shrugged. "Naw, might 's well get used to it. Eiko said, ... hmmm
..."

"Y'know, Eiko, ya never DID 'splain what you meant when you said I
should be able to get my male form back."

{{It has to do with how the Guardian transformation magic interacts
with what would be your normal form. Guardians are required to have a
predominately Yin principle; all of the Guardians to this point have
been female, or what is equivalent to a female for their species, in
their untransformed state. Your situation is unique in that you
normally have both male and female forms in the untransformed state.
Given sufficient control of your own life force, it should be possible
to detransform from the Guardian into either your male or female
form.}}

"Hey, that's GREAT!"

{{I will caution that it will require extensive training for you to
learn how to force the detransform sequence into restoring your male
form. Both the Guardian and the normal detransformation forms are
female.}}

"Heh, if training is all it takes, I'll have it pat 'n no time."

Ranma's eyes widened suddenly as the full meaning of Eiko's comment hit
home. "Waitaminute, y'mean when I'm the Guardian I'm gonna turn into a
MAGICAL GIRL?!?"

{{In essence, that is correct.}}

"GEEZ, I don't BELIEVE this crap! Eiko, if you try an' put me ina
frilly fuku with ribbon 'n lace 'n bows 'n ponytails an' carry 'round a
kawaii talkin' rabbit or somethin', you an' me a are gonna have WORDS,
y'hear?"

If Eiko could have blinked, it would have.

{{Ranma, I guarantee that the Guardian's uniform is considerably more
sophisticated in appearance than the outfit you just described, and
that there are no companion entities which accompany a Guardian when
transformed. In addition, there is an entry in my data store that
verifies that the magical girl with the talking rabbit has no ribbons
or lace or bows whatsoever.}}

"Whew, that's OK then. Guess I caught Akane watchin' too many Hime-chan
and Akazukin episodes th' last year."

When Ranma refocused on the room she saw both Aiko and Tofuu trying to
suppress their laughter. She put her hand over her face and rubbed her
forehead, trying to relieve the oncoming headache. "Man, I can't NEVER
catch a break," she moaned.

Ranma removed her hand from in front of her face when she felt a gentle
hand on her shoulder.

"I can see that having you as part of the family will mean that there
will be very few dull moments around here from now on," Aiko said
softly with a smile.

"You don' know that HALF of it, Grandma," Ranma replied, shoulders
slumping.

Aiko nodded. "Come, son. Let us go and talk with the girls before all
of the pastries have disappeared."

--------------------

Ranma closed her eyes in bliss when she took the final bite of the
cookies the girls had saved for her. Each cookie had been a rapturous
mound of soft, gooey peanut butter cookie dough combined with large
chunks of milk chocolate, JUST what she needed to fortify herself. She
sat with eyes closed for a moment and savored the heavenly combination
of flavors dissolving in her mouth.

"Obaasan, I do believe that Ranma-kun rather enjoys your cookies,"
Kioko remarked. A hearty round of laughter swept the room.

"Mmmmm, laugh all ya want, long as there's more of these around
somewhere," Ranma replied.

This comment elicited another chuckle from the room.

She opened her eyes and looked around the table. The other girls seemed
to have mostly recovered from her previous scene. She took a sip of tea
before beginning.

"'K, b'fore I start I want each of ya to promise not to tell ANYONE
'bout what y'hear. The fewer folks who know 'bout this, the better."

Ranma looked around the room and waited for each person to nod in
agreement.

"Ranma-kun," Kioko inquired after nodding, "if the information is as
sensitive as your warning suggests, is there a specific reason that you
are sharing it with now?"

"Well," Ranma grimaced, rubbing the back of her neck nervously, "you
guys kinda saw me talkin' with Eiko for a while there, an' I really
don't like tryin' to just 'splain somethin' like this away. Y'all
seemed pretty upset. B'sides, last time I had a secret blow up in m'
face like this, a certain tomboy slammed the dinin' room table over my
head. Talk 'bout uncute."

"It's best if y'all know ENOUGH 'bout what's goin' on so you can stay
out of it when it hits me in th' face, since it's bound to get pretty
damn dang'rous if you don't got the same powerup I'm gonna get. The Doc
hasn't heard the start yet, so I'm gonna begin when I ran inta Herb in
th' first place. It was 'bout a month ago an' I was coming home from
school when ..."

...

"... 'cause that blind idiot Mousse lost our money AND th' map, we ended
up working at a local onsen fer ..."

...

"... chased Herb half way up th' mountainside ..."

...

"... two idiots thought that th' ladle would lock 'em in their UN-cursed
forms. Morons. ..."

...

"... the toughest fight I've EVER been in. Herb had chi reserves I
couldn't come close to at th' time, ..."

...

"... was tryin' to reverse the Shouten Ha with a Hiryuu Kouran Dan when
it blew up in m' face. Don't remember much after that 'til I woke up
again. ..."

...

"... hadta tunnel my way up through 40 feet ..."

...

"... finally got some food, I was able to ask th' girls who they were ..."

...

"... told me that Sailor Pluto, the last Guardian, killed herself doin'
somethin' she wasn't s'possed to ..."

...

"... haven't had Bluegill like that inna long time ..."

...

"... when I walked in th' door, I got hit by a red-headed Glomp Missile
..."

...

"... after tellin' me I can eventu'ly learn how to go from bein' th'
Guardian back to my MALE form, Eiko tells me that th' Guardian is
really some form o' Magical Girl. That's 'bout the size of it, 'cept
that I DON'T gotta wear no ribbon an' lace when I'm dressed up as
Guardian."

There was a long moment of silence when Ranma stopped.

"Wow," Tsuya breathed.

"That," Aiko said, "is quite a story, Ranma-kun."

"Yup," Ranma replied with a nod. "So you can see why I don't want no
one else getting' mixed up in all this. I know th' girls are trained in
the Art a bit, but they're good at bein' sneaky and that sort o' stuff.
No offense, but Midori's prob'bly the best fighter ya got of th' four,
an' she'd be hard pressed to even handle Akane norm'ly, let alone when
th' tomboy's in one of her rages. Now, imagine me powered up sev'ral
times an' facin' opponents who'll be dangerous when I'm th' Guardian.
Ain't gonna be fun if I gotta worry 'bout family getting' hurt all th'
time."

Ranma looked at each girl in turn. "I don't *ever* want someone hurt
just 'cause they got too close t' one of my fights."

"Ranma," Aiko replied evenly, "I would like to think that I have
trained the girls how to recognize when not to get involved in a
conflict that they cannot handle."

"Hey, that's cool. 'Bout time someone listened. Anyways," Ranma
grinned, "got any more of those cookies?"

The room erupted in laughter.

--------------------

Ranma stared out the open window of her room at the stars above, while
the brisk March air sent goose bumps up and down her bare arms. This ...
a family, an *real* family, was going to take a lot of getting used to.

It was a long time before sleep finally overtook her.

=======================================================================

This is fun - now on to Chapter 5!


============================================================
Mark Shurtleff
   email: gaijin@sfcmd.com
   irc alias: Gaijin -or- togashi_gaijin
   fanfiction homepage: http://www.sfcmd.com/fanfic
============================================================


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