The Closet
By David B. Swanton

        He stood there looking into his closet. It was just as you would expect
to see in a closet of a martial artist.  There was His judo outfit,
several Chinese shirts in various colours and styles, a few pairs of
black pants and black slip on shoes.  The one item in the closet that
seemed out of place was what had his attention at the moment.  It was a
white party dress with matching shoes.  He stood there as if trying to
make a decision about it.   It was most unusual to see this in a guys
closet let no a man that was very formable in the martial arts.   But in
the case of this young man it was not to surprising since He came back
form China earlier that year. 

"Ranma."  Came a yell from the hall.  He knew the voice very well and
was very glad to hear it was not in an angry yell.  It belonged to one
of the many troubles and fiancés that had plagued him.  "Ranma can I
come in?" yelled the girl again.

He closed the closet before replying to the girl.  Then he yelled back.
"Sure Akane come in."  With that the door the room had opened and a very
pretty girl with short black hair entered.

She looked at him disapprovingly and asked him. "Why haven't you changed
yet?" 

"I didn't say I was going any ways!"  He said a little harsher than
intended.

"Well you don't have to bite my head off.  I don't see what the fuss is
about it is just a party." She said.  "Come on it be fun you'll see."

"Just a party she says.  If I recall right it is an all girl thing and I
am a man." The boy seemed a little up set about this.

"Only half the time." Akane replied with a little of a mischievous
grin.  "Here let me help you get ready." And with that she found a
bucket of cold water and through it at the pigtailed boy.  At that
moment he was replaced by a very attractive and incredibly well built
red headed, pigtailed girl with a look of discuss on her cute face. 

"What did you do that for!" the dripping wet girl yelled the familiar
fraise in the Tendo house.

"Since you couldn't make up your mind I thought I'd just help you out.
Come on lets go see what you can wear in my closet, you can't go looking
like that." Akane said, as she was about to leave the room. 

"There's a new one an uncute tomboy is going to show me fashion sense.
I have my own dress to wear any ways." Retorted the red hair girl.
"Besides I don't know if I want to go."

"Don't be such a baby Ranma.  Your female side was specifically invited
to this party." Then Ranma's words hit her. "What dress are you talking
about?" Ranma reluctantly opened the door to her closet to reveal the
whit dress that she was looking at earlier.  "I don't believe it. You
still have that dress!"  Exclaimed Akane. "Isn't that the dress that
bought you when you really thought that you were a girl?"
"Yeah." Ranma said very quietly.

"Well then lets get a move on or we are going to be late."

"I am not going." Ranma said and turned to leave the room. "Go with out
me you tomboy."

"Oh that's typical." Akane said sarcastically "When ever you don't want
to do something, you just insult me and run away.  Ranma Kasumi's friend
will be very hurt if you don't show to her party. You have to come."

"Why do I have to go as a girl any ways?" Ranma asked knowing the answer
already.

"Because it is a bridal shower and she only knows you as a girl."
Answered Akane  "What's the big deal any ways?  Why do you hate being a
girl so much?"

"Akane I just can't tell you. You wouldn't understand." Ranma's eyes
were full of pain and fear. This was not like him Akane thought to
herself.  He was always so confident and sure of himself even when he
was a girl he acted as if he was a guy.  She felt that she had missed
something today and it had something to do with the dress in the
closet.  It was true that Ranma didn't own any other girls clothing, but
he had in the past worn some of hers.  Like when his male clothes were
in the wash or he was playing a trick on Ryoga.  So what was different
now?                         

"Come now Ranma what is the problem? Can't you just trust me for once?
After all I am your fiancé."

"It is not like in the past that you've listen to anything I've had to
say is it? And you aren't my only fiancé.   But you are the only one
that I care about."  Akane almost fell over backwards at this last
remark.  Ranma very seldom said anything nice to her. Let no say that he
cared for her.  She had always suspected that he did like her, but he
would never say it.  Then again Akane had the same feelings for him but
never had the courage to tell him. She was staring at the closet once
more, and before Akane cold reply to what Ranma just said to her. She
said. "Ok I will go. Seeing that I am already a girl and don't have
anything better to do tonight."

"Can I help you get ready?" Akane had asked knowing that Ranma didn't
have much experience in this.

"Uh thanks." Was all she said. The two of them started to work on
Ranma's hair and after a little of insisting from Akane.  They worked on
putting some make up on. Ranma didn't really think she needed any but
was glad to have someone to show her how to do it.  When they were
finished no one would have suspected this beautiful young lady was a
tough martial artist, and a guy to boot. 

Akane was flabbergasted.  The only thing she could say was "Wow!  You're
gorgeous!" 

"What's an uncute tomboy like you know any ways!" yelled Ranma. Her eyes
looked as if she was about to cry.

"What's with you today?! You have been totally moody all day." Akane
yelled back  " You have worn a dress before.  So what's different about
today?" asked Akane totally puzzled

Looking a little remorseful for yelling at Akane Ranma said to her "It
isn't the wearing a dress that is the problem.  It is wearing this
dress." This didn't help to make Akane to understand so Ranma explained.
"Do you remember when we bought this?" Akane just nodded  "I had just
been knocked out and when I came to I believed I was really a girl."
This much Akane knew  " I had spent all day as a girl, not just looking
like a girl but acting like one too." Akane was wondering when he was
going to get to the point "Don't you see this dress is a reminder of
that. It scares me that one day I might be stuck this way, or have my
girl side take over and I will be a girl. What scares me even more if
that happened I might loose you." 

This was twice that Ranma had said something to her that really shocked
her. She replied to the frightened girl before her and at that moment
Akane realized how much she really loves him. "Ranma don't worry. I love
you." Hearing this snapped him out of his terror. "I love you not your
body if it came down to the fact that you were stuck as a girl forever
than I would find the spring of drowned man myself and take the plunge
if it was the only way we could stay together. If you loose yourself
than I will help you find it again. That is how much I love you." Ranma
was so stunned she couldn't say a word. "You don't have to say anything
I already know how you feel.  And I know how hard it is to say it
because I been fighting it for so long as well." The two of them broke
down and hugged each other and started to cry.

Ranma was thinking of what Akane had just said and said "Wonder how you
would look as a guy?" With that they started to laugh, only after Akane
hit her and called her a dolt. Their laughter was interrupted by a knock
at the bed room door.

'Are you two ready?" asked Kasumi. As she and Nabiki entered the room.

"Wowsa!" exclaimed Nabiki as she saw her future brother in law. "Sure am
glad I don't have to compete with you for dates."

"You look lovely Ranma. Thank you for agreeing to come. Aska will be
happy to see you.  You know she has asked me twice if you were coming.
She feels that you are a bit of a tomboy and hoped this would be good
for you." Kasumi said with a little gleam in her eyes.

"Wouldn't she be surprise? Hey Ranma." Replied Nabiki.

"That's enough from you two he is nervous as it is. So he doesn't need
you two pressuring him." Akane said defensively

"Well now we better be off." Kasumi said. And the three sisters turn to
leave the room.

"I'll be right there." Ranma said after them.

She stood in front of her closet and stared.  It was not what you'd
expect to be in a closet of a beautiful girl.


Written by David B. Swanton

The charators in this story belong to people other than myself. 





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