The sun rose over Nerima.  Each golden ray gently caressed the slumbering city.  The koi jumped to greet the dawn.  The fish took delight in feeling the warm sunlight sliding across its body.  Koi gave a breathless gasp before it fell back into its watery home.

It was a perfect moment.  Too bad it had to me shattered by a high pitched scream.

Kasumi ran to the otearai.  Her morning of peaceful solitude had been broken by the wail.  Her family joined her in front of the water closet door.  She was relieved to find the screamer hadn’t been one of her sisters.  As much as she cared for the entire household, her sisters held a higher priority in her heart.  After all, she was practically their mother.   No… her sisters were safe and staring at the otearai door as intently as she was.  There was only one other female in the household and that was… “Ranma-san, are you alright?”

“Go away,” the muffled voice sobbed through the door.

“Son, what is wrong with you?” Genma demanded of the door.

“Nothing, Pop.  Go away,” the door sobbed back.

“Ranma, we would appreciate an explanation as to why we were woken at such an early hour,” Soun reasoned with the door.

“Everyone… leave me alone,” the door sobbed harder.

Soun turned to his youngest daughter and shoved her towards the door.  “You talk to him.”

“Ranma?” Akane queried the door.

“Akane… It’s private,” the door replied after some hesitation.

Akane shot a look at the rest of the household.  They scattered to the four corners of the house, careful to keep an ear towards the otearai.  “They’re gone,” she whispered to the doorknob.

The door answered by clicking as it unlocked.

Akane opened the door and braced herself to anything Ranma’s problem may be.  “What’s wrong?” she asked the redhead sitting beside the toilet.  She tried to avert her eyes from the strange spectacle.  “He looks so weak,” she told herself.

“I seem to have a little problem,” Ranma said, quietly.  Why wouldn’t Akane look at her?

“And what might that be?” Akane asked the wall, feeling the whole conversation to be a problem in itself.

“I think I’m bleeding and I don’t know how…” Ranma mumbled.

Akane flicked her eyes from the wall to the blushing redhead.  “You’re menstruating?” she asked in shock.  It never occurred to her what the actual extent of Ranma’s curse may be.

“I guess.  I don’t know.  I’ve never…” Ranma stammered.  Pain and Confusion followed each other across her face.  “I had to tell someone.  What do I do?”  She burst into tears and covered her eyes with shaking hands.  How could she tell Akane all this and not be totally mortified that she was exposed in such a humiliating state?  It was a bit reassuring to know that Akane at least knew what was wrong with her.  But for her to see her so weak… How could she have been so stupid by opening the door?  She felt a hand on her head.

“Stay there and I’ll be right back.  I promise I’ll take you to Dr. Tofu’s… Just don’t move!” Akane commanded as she slipped out through the door and locked it behind her.

Where would Ranma go?  Her boxers were ruined and… oh, Kami.  Dr. Tofu will know of her humiliation.  Ranma covered her face with her hands and began to sob a little harder.  Why couldn’t she stop crying?

Ranma was only alone with her thoughts for a few minutes before a light knock and an “it’s me” came through the door.  She opened the door to Akane.

Akane blushed as she passed Ranma a feminine hygiene product and showed her how to put them into the panties she brought for her to wear.  She turned away to allow Ranma privacy for slipping on the panties.

“I’m sorry for dragging you into this,” Ranma mumbled as she pulled on the pants Akane offered her.  “If I could handle it on my own, I would have.”  She blushed and sniffled.

“It happens to all women eventually,” Akane replied quietly.  “If it makes you feel any better, I reacted the same way you did.  Kasumi took care of me.”  Akane offered a weak smile.

Ranma looked to the crumpled boxers on the floor.  Her mind screamed out questions that she couldn’t answer.  “Why did it have to happen to me?  Why did I allow myself to show weakness in front of Akane?  Why is she being so damn nice?”

Akane had Ranma pick up the boxers and showed her how to wash them.  Ranma felt odd with all the patience and understanding Akane showed her in this detail of womanhood.  She was not usually this patient.  Maybe it was because Akane had someone to take care of her when it had been her turn.  Ranma felt a sudden twinge of sadness.  “This is an Akane I don’t know.  Others know her and I…” Ranma swallowed the tears that threatened to break.  “Why does she hide this part from me?”

Akane noticed Ranma’s dark mood as they walked to Dr. Tofu’s clinic.  “Don’t worry, Ranma.  It’s all a part of being a woman.”  Akane tried to silence the thoughts that screamed at her.  “What if he’s too woman now?”

“Shut up!” her inner voice screamed back.

Ranma was strangely quiet the whole way to the clinic.  Her brain repeated Akane’s words about being a woman.  What if it was true?  What if she had allowed himself to be a woman?  Her body affected his spirit, which in turn reaffirmed her body and made it… That’s silly.  Why would his soul be an issue?

“You let him touch you.”

Ranma shook her head free of the unwanted thought.

“You enjoyed it when he touched you.”

“Shut up,” Ranma told herself sternly.

“Rivalry enflames passion.  There is nothing more seductive than a rival is.   You let yourself be seduced into being a woman… and you enjoying it.”

“Shut up!” Ranma screamed in her head.  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”  Luckily they reached Dr. Tofu’s clinic so Ranma didn’t have to listen to the little voices inside her mind.

Once Dr. Tofu heard of Ranma’s development, he checked her from head to toe and pronounced her in good health.  He advised Ranma to remain in female form until it was over and warned her that they would occur once a month.

“See?  Nothing to worry about,” Akane said on the way home.  “And I happen to know that women synchronize so we’ll be bitchy at the same time from PMS.”  Akane meant the comment to be a tease but she could see by the look on Ranma’s face that she didn’t view it in that way.

A week passed quietly at the Tendo Dojo.  Ranma was strangely listless and remained in female form.  She declined to explain her actions and no amount of bribery would make Akane speak.  Finally the day came when male Ranma passed Akane in the hall and said with a smile, “I’m done.”

It was about that time when P-chan reappeared.  Ranma made no move to instigate a fight with the piglet.  Akane hoped Ranma’s curse had mellowed him.

One night Ranma caught P-chan lost in the hallway.  “Come with me and don't squeal,” he warned the pig as he picked him up by the bandana.  Safe on the roof, the piglet was restored to human form.

Ryouga sat naked and shivering beside Ranma. “What do you want?” he asked a little savagely.

“Ryouga... I... menstruated last week,” Ranma managed.

Ryouga bowed his head.

“Aren't you going to tease me?” Ranma asked.

“No… I'm just wondering why you're telling me,” Ryouga said quietly, staring at his hands on the roof tiles.

“I thought you should know that I could probably get pregnant,” Ranma stated flatly as he leaned back to stare at the stars.

Ryouga gulped hard and intently stared at the dark spaces between his fingers on the tile.  His stomach felt nauseous.  Why did it have to be like this?

“You're going to have to start wearing a condom…” Ranma's voice failed him.  This was crazy.  Why did he have to say this?  It wasn’t like they were lovers.  Were they?  It always seemed like they were struggling for dominance and control.

Ranma refused to believe that he could be bested in anything and that included lovemaking.  When the challenge was issued, how could he say “no” to it?

Ryouga’s devotion to Akane bothered Ranma to no end.  If anyone should be devoted, it should be Ranma.  He was devoted… kindof.  His own ignorance of sex for sixteen years had kept him innocent of what his other fiancées wanted with him.  He had spent ten years training with his father.  How was he supposed to know what girls wanted?  But, all that changed with Akane.  He found himself wanting to know what she would want.  He was a martial artist and the best way to acquire knowledge was to do it.  He couldn’t train with any of his other fiancées because that was wrong.  The only option open to him was to learn firsthand as a female.  But why Ryouga, his arch rival?  The truth was… He never really was a rival in Ranma’s eyes.  Ryouga was the closest Ranma had to a male best friend.  Usually they got along fine except when anything involved Akane.  Another reason Ranma decided on Ryouga was his over enthusiasm for Akane.  Ranma reasoned that if Ryouga’s lust could somehow be curbed, he would stop mooning over Akane.  It didn’t work.  Ryouga was just as much in love with Akane, but now he had the guilt of adultery and that didn’t improve his view of Ranma.

“Did you hear me?” Ranma asked uncomfortably.

“I heard you,” Ryouga said as he hugged his knees to retain his heat.  “I was thinking maybe we should end this anyway,” he said as he played with his toes.

“Why?” Ranma asked in shock.  The thought of continuing with Ryouga disgusted him but the thought of the pleasure suddenly ending bothered him even more.

“I just think we’re both deluding ourselves,” Ryouga said thoughtfully.  “We both want Akane to ourselves and that can’t happen.”

“Are you sure?” Ranma asked, placing his hand on Ryouga’s shoulder.  This can’t end like this.  It was horrible but it felt so good.  He didn’t know it could feel so good.  When Kuno groped her, he felt violated and disgusted.  Ryouga wasn’t like that.  He was a little rough but he cared.  Even after Ryouga figured out that Ranma had tricked him… he still cared.

Ranma had used the same tactic he always used on Ryouga.  She wore a disguise and pretended to be a fiancee.  Ryouga took the bait and tried to seduce her.  The only difference from every other time she used the tactic was that she let him seduce her.

It had been so difficult to lay back and let it happen.  She closed her eyes the whole time and focused on the thought that it was all for Akane.  “Now I will know how to please Akane.”  As fate would have it, her wig and hat fell off.

Ryouga had been so pissed.

Ryouga tucked his head behind his knees.  “Stop it, Saotome.  That’s not going to work this time.  If you care for Akane as much as I do you won’t do this.”

“Ryouga… I…” Ranma couldn’t think what to say.

“Do you?” Ryouga asked.

Ranma bowed his head in acceptance.

“Then why did you seduce me?” Ryouga demanded.

“I wanted to know how to do it.” Ranma half muttered.  “Why did you let me?” he countered.

“I thought you were someone else,” Ryouga sighed.

“Why did you continue?” Ranma asked.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Ryouga replied.

“At least I still have my male virginity.”

“You don’t deserve her,” Ryouga informed him.

“Neither do you.”

Ryouga settled his chin on his knees.  His eyes flashed something.  It could have been sadness or passion.

“Ryouga… Can’t we still be friends?” Ranma asked, tapping Ryouga’s toes with his fingertips.

“We were never…” His words were cut off by Ranma’s lips on his own.  They were so full of passion for life.  That was something he always admired.   He couldn’t stop himself.  He couldn’t resist what his body had come to expect when Ranma kissed him.  “Curse you Saotome,” he thought.  “Why do you have to be such a woman?”  The balance of female and male helped Ryouga relax.  The female tempted him and the male calmed him.  “Stop!” Ryouga whimpered between Ranma’s lips.  His arms wrapped themselves around the other boy’s torso.  There was so much passion and life in Ranma… He craved it.  He craved all the warmth and joy Ranma naturally gave.

“You stop,” Ranma whispered back.   “You’re the one holding me.”

Ryouga grunted.  His body told him to hold the other to himself and allow the pleasure to come as he had conditioned himself to expect… But someone was watching them.

Ranma felt Ryouga tense.  He opened his eyes and saw a look of shock on the other’s face.  Ranma turned to see what Ryouga was looking at.

“Ranma… Ryouga?” Akane’s voice queried.  “I heard voices on the roof and I came to see.  What are you two doing?”

(To be continued)