The young girl slowly began to shed her baggy black pants followed by her silk Chinese shirt. She was left wearing only men’s bowers and a perplexed look on her face. After discarding her last article of clothing she flipped her red braid from her shoulder while opening the door past the laundry room. She sat down on a wooden stool and began to fill a bucket with water. She turned the faucet the coursing water slowed to a steady drip. She let the noise fill her mind, and drifted back to the conversation she held with her father just hours ago.

"Come on Ranma my boy. It’s just till we can find a cure." The middle aged man stood above the young girl.

"Why can’t we just find the cure first and then we wouldn’t have to go through any of this!" She shook her head angrily, ringing out her shirt.

"We agreed to meet Soun and your fiancée today and it is not honorable to break ones word."

"But it IS honorable to lie?!"

"To protect one’s honor it is honorable to lie. Let’s go boy."

"No way. I don’t wanna have any part in this. You can go alone old man." She proceeded to kick him out from under the umbrella and into the rain as she ran off in the opposite direction.

"Aaaa! Cold!" The young girl’s teeth chattered goose bumps forming on her skin. She rose to her feet and walked toward the tub.

"Stupid idea, I mean they are bound to find out."

Just as her foot rose to the top of the porcelain the sliding door to the laundry room opened. The red haired girl stood stunned gawking at the naked girl in front of her.
"Huh. Akane?"

"Didn’t you hear me in the laundry room?" She smiled at the red head sweetly not noticing her face matched the color of her hair. "We can bath together."

Ranma spun around as Akane closed the door behind her.

"Are you ok Ranma?" She walked over to the stool and sat down, filling the same bucket Ranma had just used.

"Um well . . ." Ranma started to fiddle with her fingers her face still flushed keeping her back to the other naked girl.

"I am so relieved that you are a girl. I wasn’t really looking forward to getting married. Eeeeee! Cold!" Ranma looked back to see the girl dousing herself with cold water. Her long dark hair and smooth skin dripping onto the floor. Ranma returned to her contemplation of the porcelain. "It is really going to be nice having another girl around who practices martial arts. My sisters think I’m a little strange."

She rose from the stool and walked over to Ranma. "Are you getting in?"

Akane stepped in front of her and lowered herself into the tub.

"Look Akane I can’t lie to you." Ranma walked over to the faucets and stared at each for a moment before filling the bucket again. She turned around and held the bucket over her head and then let it spill over her head and down her body.

"Oh!" Akane straightened in the tub staring at the site in front of her.

"I don’t like hot baths. Hate them in fact." Ranma said through chattering teeth. "I have to tell you something else my name isn’t Ranma, it’s Ranko. I hate to disappoint you Akane, but it was my pop’s idea that I come here and pretend to be my brother Ranma. He is on a training trip and couldn’t make it and since I look so much like him Pop thought . . ."

"Hahahaha!" Akane burst into a fit of laughter interrupting her speech. "Sounds just like a friend of dad’s. Don’t worry about it, it was still nice to meet you. We are still friends aren’t we?"

Akane leaned against the edge of the tub her arms crossed hanging over the porcelain. A much less revealing position, which made Ranma more relaxed.

"Of course we are." The tension drained from Ranma’s body and a smile danced across her lovely face. "Hey Pop might already be here."

The red head sprung through the sliding door, threw her clothes on, and raced down the hallway. ‘Friends. And maybe a real home, if only I don’t let ‘em know my secret.’

Soun and Genma sat together cross-legged looking into the night solemnly. Genma settled himself for a long discussion with his oldest friend when a deceivingly dainty foot kicked him upside the head sending him into the hedges.

"No reason to come up with anymore lies Pop. They already know I’m not Ranma." Genma looked up at her, his expression changing from bewilderment to comprehension in a matter of seconds.

"So you have told them who you really are, RANKO?"

"Really Mr. Saotome trying to pass off your daughter as her brother. I’m sure they may look alike but Ranko is most definitely a girl." Akane interrupted entering the room in a yellow skirt and a white cotton shirt.

"Oh yes, I guess it really wasn’t a very good idea."

"Mr. Saotome, we understand that Ranma couldn’t make it we can meet him another time. Until then you and Ranko are welcome to stay with us, right dad?"

"Of course Saotome is my oldest friend. Funny though Saotome, I don’t remember you telling me your wife had twins."

"Why would I ever tell you about this lowly daughter of mine, she is of no use to me whatsoever."

"Say again Pop?" Ranma loomed above her father threateningly. Akane came up behind her and put her hand on her shoulder. She smiled down at the girl her head tilted slightly.

"It must have been hard living on the road, never having much of a home. We’ll being going to school together."

"School."

"Of course Ranko, nice young ladies need to go to school." Kasumi said walking into the room with dinner.

"Oh yeah, nice young lady, sure."

"Saotome when will we meet Ranma?" Soun turned to his friend.

"Oh soon, very soon?"

"I’d hate to think you are going to go back on your word."

"Never Tendo. He will marry one of your daughters."

"Naturally he should marry Akane." Nabiki added sitting down at the table.

"Huh? Why me?"

"You have so much in common."

"And you are the same age." Added Kasumi.

"What does that have to do with anything and how do you know we have a lot in common?!" Akane said furious.

"Well you both are martial arts freaks aren’t you, who else should take over the dojo. I certainly had bigger things in mind and you don’t expect Kasumi to learn how to fight."

"I-I"

"So there you have it Akane and Ranma should be engaged."

"Hmph, I haven’t even met him yet and you’re already marring me off."

"If he is half as cute as Ranko then you have it made Akane." Akane turned around in a huff and went upstairs without eating dinner. Ranma stood stunned her whole future planned out and she couldn’t even protest because it wasn’t HER future. She sat down on the steps leading out to the yard her cheek resting on her hand.

"Well boy everything is working out perfectly." He whispered to her.

"Yeah just great. I dunno how I let you talk me into this."

"Come on Ranko, get up!"

"Wh-what?" Ranma yawned, her eyes opening groggily. The young girl stood above her hands on her hips. She was dressed in a blue and white frock her hair pulled back loosely in a bow.

"Yo Akane. What’s up?"

"It’s time for school Ranko, you better get ready." Akane looked down at the red head. She still lay sprawled out on the mat she slept on wearing a pair of blue boy’s boxers and a white T-shirt. Akane bent down and yanked the girl off the floor.

"Do you want to wear one of my or Nabiki’s uniforms?"

"No thanks."

"OK, well I’ll be downstairs. You do want to eat don’t you?" Ranma sprang to life tearing down the hallway getting ready on the way. Kasumi’s cooking was the best she’d eaten since before she could remember. After devouring breakfast Ranma and Akane headed off to school slightly behind schedule.

"You are quite agile," Akane said admiring Ranma walk perfectly balanced on the fence. "I guess the three of you studied pretty diligently huh?"

"Three? Oh yeah been training with Pop just about every minute of my life."

"So I guess Ranma is just as good you?"

"Better." Ranma stopped and looked down at Akane.

"Does he want to be engaged?"

"Huh?"

"Did he send you cause he doesn’t want to be engaged?"

"No not really. I mean he’s sixteen and pretty wrapped up in his training, doesn’t have much time for fiancées. Besides didn’t you say you didn’t want to be engaged."

"Hmph. No way I have enough problems with boys." Akane walked on and Ranma looked after her. "Oh jeez we’re late!"

Both darted toward the school side by side. As the distance between them and the school lessened Ranma noticed an unusual amount of male students standing outside the school.

"What the-"

"Don’t worry I can handle this, just stay back!" Akane dashed forward and was immediately accosted on all sides by an assortment of boys welding baseball bats, hockey sticks, kendo swords, etc. She took all of them out in a matter of minutes. Ranma watched from above, perched on the stone wall surrounding the school, a slow smile crept across her face.

At last the final boy fell to the ground minus a few less teeth, Akane adjusted her hair mildly out of breath. "When will they learn."

From beyond the trees an older boy dressed like a samurai emerged holding a single rose. He threw the rose to Akane catching her attention. He started spouting some poetry of how much he loved her and Ranma’s stomach started to churn.

"Jeez Akane you sure are popular with the guys." Ranma said jumping down next to her.

"Stand back you might get hurt."

"Huh?" The boy was suddenly at her side holding another rose.

"Oh what red haired beauty is brought to mine eyes? This flower can not compare to your beauty. Come let us date!" He grabbed her hands in his own.

"Hey jerk what do you think you’re doing." Ranma’s face twisted in disgust. She pivoted on her heal and kicked him in the chest sending him flying through the air. He was on his feet immediately recovered holding his bokken high in the air as he looked down at her.

"‘Tis the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High that stands before you, Tatewati Kuno, age 17. If you beat me in combat I will allow you to date with me."

"Who says I want a date with you." She said as she nimbly avoided each of his blows.

"You are as graceful as a gazelle my dear." He whipped up behind her and lifted her off her feet in a hug. Ranma’s eyes bugged out of her head, she thought she might be ill.

"Hands off sicko!" She brought up her leg in an incredible display of flexibility and kicked him in the face. She picked up his sword tossing it in the air with her foot catching it in flight, as he fell backwards she hit him in several vital areas. She stood over him out of breath and completely revolted.

"When my brother comes to town he will have several words for you buddy."

"My love, if I can get permission from your brother will you date with me?" Like a springboard he was on his feet holding her hand.

"Yeah sure if my brother Ranma says that I can date you I definitely will." She nodded her head and wrenched her hand free.

"Then I must prepare. My dear Akane please don’t hold a grudge I have not forgotten you."

"I wasn’t worried."

"I shall date you both!" He charged at Akane and she sent him soaring through the air with an uppercut.

"Damn we’re late come on Ranko." She grabbed the red head’s hand and ran into the building.

"Hey so what is with that guy and the rest of the boys attacking you?"

"Oh that’s Kuno the school’s kendo captain. At the beginning of the school year he told the student body that any guy that wanted to date me had to best me in combat."

"Wow so you fight ALL those guys every morning!" They ran up the stairs of the school.

"Yup and I ALWAYS win. I hate them all!" She dragged Ranma down the hall to the last classroom. "Hey why did you agree to date Kuno if Ranma says yes."

"Ha! I’m sure he’ll say no." Akane shrugged and they both walked into the classroom, late. ‘I think this would be a perfect time for Ranma to make his appearance.’