Daisuke, clad in the form of Ryouga Hibiki, seemed to float in the air as he raised his arms and summoned a sickly, greenish black ball of ki in front of him

"Daisuke! Snap out of it!" Akane yelled out.

"Akane!"

"SHI SHI HOKODAN!"

Ranma shut his eyes and put his arms up in front of him, but did not feel the harsh energy overtake him. Slowly opening them he found Cologne holding her staff up and muttering a mantra. Cover her, Ranma, and Akane was a bubble of white-blue ki.

"Cologne?" Ranma and Akane looked back

"You must stand back, children."

"But Daisuke-" Akane said

Cologne yelled, groaning in strained effort. "You can't do anything for him here! Not in this state. I will drive out the death-bringer from him. You two must learn the secret of the Shīzi páoxiāo dàn, at all costs!"

Ranma and Akane moved to support Cologne before the three of them were thrown back from the force of the blast.

夢ばかりじゃない少女 - Yume Bakari Jyanai Shoujo

Not Just a Dream Girl

Chapter 4

Confused Feelings, Committed Friendships

Ranma and Akane cried out in pain as they were slammed against the stone fence cordoning off the vacant lot. Through gritted teeth, Ranma opened his eyes and saw Cologne harness energy against what looked like a large hazy ghost that had emerged from Ryouga's body, which hung limp as a ragdoll.

"Stop this at once, young matriarch!" The echoing, shrill voice yelled. "Why do you defy us so? We are almost to our goal of salvaging the world!"

Cologne, her hair frizzled and wild, was using her staff to brace herself as she pushed her energies outward spat out, "Is that what Xiádou told you while with the other face she told the Musk and the Phoenix what they wanted to hear?"

The opposing energies grew in intensity and instability, vibrating wildly before another explosion of light and heat emerged. The ghostly figured moved to strike at cologne with an ichorous arm.

"You defy us because of your petty vendetta!"

Cologne dodged the strike, moving swiftly to counter attack with her staff. "She killed Happi!" the old woman replied.

The figure blocked the staff, raising its arms in preparation increasing its energy. "You know the prophecy as well as the rest of us: the heir of the heir of the Trickster Demon from the East will bring about the destruction of our way of life. Xiádou saw what it meant and she was forward enough to do something about it. Why can't you see that?"

Cologne focused her own energies, her gnarled wooden staff glowing with energy. "What do we have left!? Ash and dust and an already forgotten memory. The Nǚjiézú are nothing now and you seek to take mankind's future with it!"

The figure performed a rapid series of arm movements creating hundred of energy blasts directed at Cologne. "We live on in the world of spirits and dreams. We are now free from the chaos and impermanence of life! Of what importance are the petty struggles of man to we who live like gods?"

Cologne snorted, swatting away the bullet shaped energy projectiles. "Yes, how efficient. You mock life and death with your treachery, you simpering lackey!"

Ranma and Akane finally regained their composure. After wordlessly looking at one another and nodding they struck a fighting stance and moved towards Cologne.

"Sensei!" They cried out.

Cologne looked back and yelled, holding an arm back "No, children! This is not your fight!"

"Come Kělún. Face us." The figure called out as it began to scream out in a pained, angry yell. The sky grew dark and cold as Cologned beseeched Ranma and Akane. Her staff began to glow brightly towards the ghoul.

"Go now! Learn the secrets! Follow your feelings! Preserve each-"

With a loud boom, Ranma and Akane were jarred from sleep.

Ranma awoke in a cold sweat. He quickly made his way to the dojo and began to meditate. He let his breathing slow as he replayed the images in his head.

"Ash and dust and secrets." breathe "Follow my feelings?" slow the heartbeat "Preserve. Preserve..." ki at the solar plexus, radiating slowly "Daisuke." Ranma stopped and looked at his hands, forming sturdy fists as he balled them up. Ranma whispered, "郭師傅。請幫我," before he refocused and worked on centering his ki.

A while later, Akane slowly arose, unsure where she was until she felt her warm, stale breath against the pillow. Sitting up, she saw the morning sun high in the sky. Her brow was sweaty in the late july morning.

There was a knock at the door.

"Are you awake, Akane?" Kasumi's voice asked.

"Y-Yeah. Sorry, sis. I must have overslept."

"It's okay. It's your vacation, after all. Are you and Ranma meeting with your friends today?"

At the sound of 'friends', Akane stood quickly and opened the door. She looked at Kasumi with a worried look.

Quickly she mouthed, "I'm sorry Kasumi. I need to use the phone," and ran downstairs. She called Daisuke's house, but each time, no one answered.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up!" Akane kept thinking to herself. She looked panicked until someone tapped her shoulder. Not thinking she turned around to strike the presence, only to have it blocked.

"Watch it, Akane!" Ranma replied as he jerked his head back."What the hell is your deal?"

"You damn well know what my deal is!" Akane yelled. "I've been trying to get in contact with Daisuke all night and-"

"He's at the hospital." Ranma softly replied.

"What?"

"I called after I got up and had time to get my head straight. His dad said he was taken to the hospital after he passed out in the middle of the night. Somethin' about too many video games, but..." Ranma sighed. "I was waitin' for you to come down so we could go together."

There was a pause as Akane looked at Ranma again. Akane couldn't quite place his posture and demeanor. His hands were in his pockets and he looked away from her, looking into the empty living room..

Ranma said in a tired voice, "I was also waitin' to see if I could get a hold of Master Guo. He might know something about the Shīzi- Shi Shi Kokoudan." Ranma rubbed the back of his head and turned away. "Anyway, when you're ready we can get going. I'm gonna be in the dojo until then."

Akane saw Ranma walk away in slow, sluggish strides. She curled her lips and thought for a moment before hanging up the phone and going back upstairs.

When Akane and Ranma arrived at the hospital. They found Hiroshi and Sayuri sitting in a waiting room near where the nurses directed them. Akane immediately ran and hugged the two of them. Ranma stayed aways back, leaning against a wall.

"Have you heard anything?" Akane asked Hiroshi and Sayuri.

Sayuri shook her head, her eyes glassy as she spoke to Akane. "No. They haven't let us in to see him. I only knew cause Hiroshi called and his parents..."

Akane nodded. "Are you okay, Hiro?" The boy look a bit crestfallen but he nodded.

"Where's Ranma?" Sayuri asked.

"What do you mean? He's-" Akane turned her head and saw that, in fact, he was gone. Akane looked confused and said, "I'm gonna go find..." she frowned before spitting out, "that idiot."

Sometime later, Akane climbed up the fire escape and over the fence onto the roof of the hospital. Sure enough she finally found him.

"How'd you get up here!?" Akane called out, more confused than angry.

Ranma was kneeling near the edge of the roof, looking out onto the center of Furinkan, near the station."The door to the roof was unlocked."

"Oh," Akane said before she shook her head."What the hell are you doing running away like that?"

Ranma muttered, "Just let me feel guilty in peace."

Akane walked up to Ranma and said,"Guilty? What do you have to feel guilty about?" Ranma turned and gave her a sharp accusatory look. Akane said plainly. "It's not your fault, Ranma."

Ranma looked on at Akane, his eyes beginning to look glassy.

"It's not! You didn't ask for the dreams of Cologne or all of the mystical, alternate history martial arts techniques, did you?"

Ranma shook his head, " 'course not."

"Well then, don't blame yourself. We'll stay with Hiroshi and Sayuri today and then..." Akane caught herself, she laced a hand over her chest, slowing down her breathing. "And then we'll wait and see. We have to have faith Daisuke can pull through." Walking towards Ranma, she offered a hand up.

"Let's go down. I think the others will be happy to see you too." Ranma nodded silently. Akane said again forcefully, "Daisuke getting hurt wasn't your fault. You didn't ask for this." Akane walked downstairs with Ranma following.

The four of them sat there all day along with Daisuke's parents. They didn't say much, idly distracted by the tv in the waiting room while looking on as their parents were led away by a doctor occasionally.

It was almost midnight. Sayuri had nodded off, her head resting on Hiroshi's shoulders. Ranma was rereading a section of newspaper left behind, sometimes looking on at Akane who was resting her eyes. The silence was broken by Hiroshi, who said suddenly, in a low, quavering voice, "Dai picked a hell of a time for a nap." He was trying hard not to cry. He hadn't all day, but his eyes were tired and glassy. "He's gonna waste the whole vacation asleep and-"

Akane and Ranma nodded as Hiroshi's began to shudder and sniffle. Sayuri jostled awake. She reached an arm around him and rubbed his back as he finally began to cry in earnest against Sayuri's shoulder. Akane stood and gave Hiroshi as hug as well.

Ranma, for his part, put down the newspaper and said, "Listen, Hiroshi, I-" Akane turned back and glared at Ranma who blinked. "Uh, I mean... he's not me or Akane, but... he's a tough guy, yaknow? I think he'll pull through."

Hiroshi nodded as he sniffled, "Yeaaah." He replied softly. Ranma nodded back before staying quiet.

"It's like we said, we're gonna figure out what happened in the dream. The old troll told us we had to do learn something before we could face the darkness. I'm gonna get ahold of my Shīfù in China and see if we can learn anythin' else. Ain't much we can do medically, but we're gonna fight for him, okay?"

Ranma looked at the others and they all nodded, Hiroshi through shut eyes. Before anyone else could respond, Daisuke's parents returned.

"You kids should head on home," Daisuke's mother said, holding a half-full can of coffee.

Daisuke's father nodded. "The doctor said he's stable, but there's no telling when he might wake up."

"Do you want a ride home?" Daisuke's mother asked.

Hiroshi shook his head as he wiped his sleeve. "No ma'am. We can get home okay. You know -yuri and I don't live too far from each other and Ranma and Akane live together."

Daisuke's mother looked confused before Akane amended. "What he means is that Ranma's dad is friends with my dad, so they're staying with us as boarders."

Ranma nodded, pulling at his pigtail. "Yep. Um..." Ranma paused for a second. "I'm uh, really hoping Daisuke'll pull through. I haven't known him too long, but he's been real good about bein' my friend ever since I came back to Japan."

Daisuke's father nodded and said, "I'm glad he has friends who are there for him... if we hear anything, we'll let you kids know, okay?"

With that Ranma and Akane, Sayuri and Hiroshi went home. No one dreamt that night, sleeping straight on until the late morning.

Ranma sat in the dojo, sweat pouring off of him. He wore a tight black tank top and loose pants. In his hands were blunted butterfly swords. Ranma slowly began a Batt Cham Dao form, holding both swords, collapsed together, in his left hand to begin.

Open, smooth, keep what's important hidden

Ranma changing his foot work into a more open stand. He struck quickly with his open hand before the left hand darted forward as well withe the sword. Using the same momentum and energy, Ranma smoothly placed one of the sword in his hands.

One becomes two.

Swiftly, he began moving his hands, the sword forming parallel lines through the air. He began moving forward, the parallel strikes changing to alternating cuts in front of him.

Let's change it up.

Ranma began moving in circular patterns, slashing with the swords. Soon, Ranma alternated the grip he had to the swords with each strike with the ease of snapping his fingers. Finally, he began to weave kenpo-style kicks and jumps into the sword work, trying hard not to disrupt the rhythm of the sword strikes.

For a moment, Ranma felt at peace in his body. The synchronicity of his limbs as he performed the form put him both outside of his mind and solely focus on the kinesthetics of his movement. He moved, still performing the sword strikes, towards one end of the dojo. After a loud kiai and standing jump, Ranma found himself bounding high, higher than he though he had ever jumped

Is it me or did the ceiling get shorter?

"Ranma?" A voice called out. The lack of focus and the sudden noise startled Ranma and he found himself tumbling to the floor, the swords smacking him on the head.

"Oh goodness!"

It was Kasumi, Ranma sussed as he sat up, rubbing his head.

"I'm sorry I startled you." She said to Ranma, beling her own shock.

Ranma replied, "It's no problem. What's up?"

"I... there's a phone call for you. It's from China."

"China? Guō-shīfù!" Ranma smiled

Ranma flew past Kasumi almost faster than Kasumi could see. The older girl froze as it honestly looked like like he vanished in thin air. She only realized what happened when, a second later, she heard Ranma's footsteps rush down the hallway of the main house.

Ranma grabbed the phone. "Shīfù!"

The voice across let out a small chuckle. "My student," he said in accented Japanese.

"Why are you calling? Is there something new?"

"Well yes, actually. I had some of the acolytes go into town and do some research. I am glad Wei-Laoshi teaches the old scribe form."

"Shifu, I have another sensei here... in a way. It's hard to explain. Anyway, they kept tellin' me to explore my feelings because they were holding me back. I've been trying ta understand it, but like... I'm not sure how to do it."

Ranma heard heard a crashing sound on the on the other end that he assumed was simply static.

"Holding you back, how?" Mater Guo asked in response.

Ranma twirled the phone cord as he thought. "They didn't say, just that I was 'fighting against myself'. I don't understand, Shifu." Ranma began spedding up his words in frustration, "I've been trying to do as you instructed and learn self-control to keep things in check and be the kind of fighter dad said-"

"Enough!" Guo said over the phone.

"My apologies, Shifu!" Ranma said, standing at attention to the phone.

Master Guo let out a loud sigh. "愚蠢的愚蠢的孩子..." Guo muttered. "Ranma, I want you to keep a journal."

"Like, for training notes?" Ranma asked.

"... sort of. However, you must write not what exercises and forms and styles you've been working on. I want you to write about your thinking that day. Anything that happens that stays in your brain. Most important, your feelings."

"My feelings? Why does everyone keep sayin' that?" Ranma sighed in frustration.

"Ranma!" Master Guo yelled. "You show potential and skill outside. In the physical. The body strong. The mind sharp. But the spirit-" Ranma heard Master Guo sigh. "I fail you when you were in China. I could not... no I chose not to reach your spirit when you needed it. That another master has noticed only shows how much I must correct my error in your training."

"I... I don't understand Master Guo."

"That is fine for now. The problem is not that you do not feel, it is that you are afraid of what those feelings mean. That is why I ask you to write them down. Without judgement. Just what is there. Like drawing ripples in water without asking what made them. That will be a start"

There was a pause for a moment. "How is your father?"

"Pops? I mean..." Ranma scratched his head. "I don't really see him much if that's why you ask. He works nights and when he's not sleeping, he plays shogi with the man we're staying with, but he's kind of a ghost."

"How has he been treating you?"

Ranma felt a sensation at the pit of his stomach. "Fine, I guess? He mostly ignores me. He doesn't really yell at me like he used to. Now he doesn't say much of anything."

"That is perhaps for the best. I wonder how best to help him as well. For now, keep the journal with a trusted friend or, if need be, in an empty box of fat-free cookies. That should keep your father away."

Ranma let himself laugh a bit. "Probably."

"I will send copies of what I found and translated again, Ranma. In turn, mail me copies of your journal next month."

"Yes, Master Guo, I will," Ranma said, bowing slightly with the phone in his hand.

"Don't force the issue. Just write what comes naturally to your spirit."

The next day, Akane found herself in Ikebukuro of all places. With Daisuke falling ill, she wasn't exactly in the mood for the bright cheery summer day and the throngs of tourists and others out for a scenic Sunday.

However, Akane had made plans she didn't want to break and, thus, found herself on Otome Road, one of the main drags of shopping centers, arcades, bookstores, and other attractions perfect for a date with a certain smiling brunette. In fact Akane was taken by surprise when she felt a hand slip into her own and she saw Akari eyes look into her own briefly before waving with her free hand.

Akari was dressed cutely, in kitten heels, a small purse, and a cute breezy yellow sundress with a white camisole layered underneath. Akane noticed the layering helped mitigate the otherwise low cut neckline, which she appreciated while feeling just a little bit disappointed. Akane herself decided on khaki board shorts, sneakers, a blue button down shirt, and a simple black crossbody purse.

Leaving the station, Akari held Akane's hand. With her free hand, Akane blocked her eyes as they took a second to acclimate to the bright July sky.

"So what do you want to do first?" Akane asked.

"Oh, whatever you'd like." Akari replied, smiling at Akane.

"How about the aquarium in Sunshine City?"

"Oh, that sounds fine."

The next few hours were pretty nice, to Akane's mind. SHe held onto Akari's hand as they moved through the exhibits and admired the tanks of fish, rays, jellyfish, and sharks. Every now and again, she would steal glances of Akari, enraptured by dogfish or a manta ray.

After they left the aquarium and took the elevator down to the street, Akane looked at Akari, smiling and feeling the warmth of the other girl's hand.

"DId you have fun?" Akane asked.

Akari nodded and gave Akane a smiled that made her knees feel just a bit weak.

"Well, w-what do you want to do next?" Akane asked, regaining her composure.

"Oh, anything is fine," Akari said. "You pick!"

Akane thought for a bit, looking around the area in Ikebukuro. She remembered a nearby shopping center.

"How about a parfait?" Akane asked. "I know this cute one that has zodiac-themed desserts."

Akari nodded, "Oh that's sounds super cute."

The cafe was cute, with a star and constellation motif and she saw many female couples and groups met. Akane smiled, knowing that unlike them she was on an actual date. She looked across Akari and wished she could hold her hand inhere as well, but she felt self conscious with so many people around. Akane enjoyed her Scorpio parfait and its chocolatey goodness with star-shaped cookies on top. She was somewhat surprised when Akari expected her to buy the Gemini parfait, fruits layered on a star-shaped plate, but she had enough cash in her purse.

After they stepped out of the shop, Akane looked at Akari.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Akane asked, trying to pass the charm.

Akari nodded. "Yes. You're quite the gentleman," she said with a slight giggle.

Akane politely laughed, though something buzzed at the back of her head.

"Um, what do you wanna do next?"

"Anything is fine! You decide." Akari said, in that same excited voice that was game for anything.

Akane scratched her head. "How about the arcade, then? Down on the corner?"

A little while later, Akane found herself frustratedly trying to get a UFO catcher to cooperate with her. Two-thousand yen later, she acquired her prey as it dropped down the chute.

Akari picked up the stuffed toy and let out a small squeal of joy. It was only then at Akane realized what it was she had won for Akari as the girl cuddled the small black piglet doll.

"Isn't it cuuute? I love piglets. They're so cute. I had one as a pet when I was little. My parents run a farm back home and stuff and I miss it, so I collect pig toys."

Akane nodded dumbly. " I see. That's cute." She looked at Akari again. She was still pretty, but something felt off to Akane.

"Do you have anything else you want to do?"

"Oh, anything you ask. You're leading, after all."

Akane stopped walking at that. "What do you mean?" Akane asked her date.

Akari smiled, "Well silly you asked me out! That's kinda like being the boy, right? So you get to pick!"

Akane smiled weakly, "I see... but I'm a girl."

Akari nodded, "Well, yes, but... I mean the short hair, the shorts, the button shirt. I mean that's boyish, right? So I mean that and taking the initiative means you're kind of like the boy." Akari finished her sentence so matter of factly Akane wasn't even sure how to respond.

Akane felt her face grow red, though she was unsure whether the tingling in the pit of her stomach was embarrassment or anger.

"Are you okay?" Akari asked, stroking a hand up and down Akane's right arm.

"I... maybe I should go home. I'm not feeling well all of a sudden... I guess the ice cream was too much." Akane winced at how flat her answer was.

"Oh, okay. Well, I had fun up to now, but I hope you feel better."

Akane nodded and, shutting her eyes, turned away from Akari and walked back to Ikebukuro Station. She found herself wiping her face several times as she made her way back home.

It was early evening when Akane entered the house. Putting her sneakers away in the genkan, she entered the washitsu to see Ranma doing homework or, rather, holding a pencil in his hand as he slept on an open math textbook.

Akane sighed and gave Ranma a light kick on his side.

"Uh?" Ranma said as he jolted awake. "Oh hey, how'd it-"

Akane held a hand up. "I don't wanna talk about it. You up for some sparring?"

Ranma thought for a moment. "Yeah. Lemme wash my face and I'll be there in five."

In the dojo, Ranma warmed up doing some stretches and jumping jacks. He practiced some northern gong fu forms to limber up before working on some standard kenpo kicks and jumping strikes.

When Akane entered she began warming up similarly, though, Ranma observed, she focused on rounded, fluid moves from Tai Chi Chuan and Wing Chun. Ranma observed that, while she had improved dramatically since he first arrived and the dreams began, she seemed to be trying hard to impart the grace and fluidity of those style.

"You okay, Akane? Ya seem... different."

"What, what do I seem like?" Akane snapped.

Ranma shrugged. "I dunno. Just... usually you stick with Kenpo or Hung Gar for sparring and stuff"

Akane didn't reply immediately. Instead she moved to the center of the dojo and bowed to the dojo banner before facing Ranma in a loose adduction stance. "Maybe I need to do something different, Ranma."

Ranma for his part bowed to the banner and then to Akane before taking on a similar stance. "Okay by me, I'm not gonna stop ya from tryin' new styles."

The sparring session was a bit truncated as Akane moved in a circular pattern, trying to out flank Ranma. Ranma, for his part cottoned on to Akane's strategies. He noticed that her approaches to fool Ranma were, ironically predictable. Even keeping with relatively straightforward kicks and strikes and staying grounded, he outmaneuvered Akane.

Akane circled around Ranma and he threw out his right arm in a kenpo style strike. She smiled seeing and opening at his back. Akane missed that the strike was a feint and, before she could correct, Ranma had moved in the opposite direction and swept her feet with his right leg before lightly striking Akane in the head and chest as she fell to the ground.

Ranma jumped back. "Nice try, but ya can't bullshit a shitter, and I'm the shittiest."

Ranma took a few small hops, trying to stay warmed up. "Come on, let's go again."

Akane sat up and punched the dojo floor suddenly.

"Why is this so hard!?" Akane practically yelled. "Why can't I be cute and feminine and graceful. It seems so... damn easy to others." She looked up at Ranma. "Hell, you have more balance and fluidity than I do."

Akane leaned back and let out a frustrated sigh. "Ugh. Even when I find a girl who dates girls, she treats me like "the boy" cause apparently it's the most natural thing in the world! Why?"

Ranma stopped moving around and closed his mouth. He sat down near Akane and shrugged, looking down at the dojo floor. Noting the small cracks in the wood were Akane had punched. "I dunno, Akane. I wish I knew. I'd like- I mean, I wonder sometimes if life is just cruel like that and you just never get what ya want."

"Ranma?"

Ranma sighed. "I'm sorry your date sucked. I'm sorry you don't feel girly enough. But like, you *are* a girl. You don't have to try. You just are. That's pretty good, right?"

Ranma stood up and bowed to Akane and the dojo banner before turning around. "Your form looks better. Just keep at it."

Akane saw Ranma's light, quick steps as he left her alone in the dojo.

Ranma had come inside the house from his morning workout in the dojo when he saw the package. It was late July, about two weeks after Akane's date and Ranma's phone call when a package arrived from China.

Ranma's first instinct was to tear open the box right then and there, but he stopped. His father was asleep from his shift still, but if he saw this upon waking, Ranma figured, he'd begin asking questions.

After asking Kasumi's permission, he stored the box in her room and called Hiroshi and Sayuri, asking them to come by in the afternoon after Akane was done with club practice.

The four of them sat around the package, now moved to Akane's room, as Ranma tore open the tape. It was a surprisingly large box that contained several files, maps and other photocopied documents along with hastily written translations into Japanese.

Hiroshi let out a low whistle, "Cripes, that's a lot of reading. I already did my summer homework, I don't wanna do any more reading."

"This is for Dai's sake, Hiro," Sayuri corrected. "We have to do something to help, even if means you have to turn your brain on over the summer."

Hiroshi nodded, "Right. Sorry 'yuri."

Akane handed Hiroshi a file. "Here, I think these are pictures, that should be your speed."

Hiroshi rolled his eyes and began looking.

Akane and Sayuri started looking through pages of an anthropological journal translated by Master Guo.

Meanwhile Ranma had taken on the texts that had only a bit of translation. Akane could see Ranma squint.

"Are you okay? DId you find anything?"

Ranma looked at the photocopies of hand-written letters dated sometime in the late Nineteen teens and early twenties. "Jeez this is ridiculous. Master Wei transliterated as much as he could, though the man is like eighty-seven or somethin'. Jeez, I barely recognize some of these characters." He mumbled to himself as he tried reading. " Um, 'Musk?'... 'Phoenix Tribe?'... Ah! I found 'Niujiezu' again and... 'Jusenkyo'" He stopped for a moment lowering the papers. "Okay, we got something here."

"Hey guys, take a load of this!" Hiroshi sad pulling a photo out.

"What's ya- oh crap it's the ghoul again," Ranma blurted out as he pointed to Cologne. She was captured mid-air, he staf stretched outward towards a young man who was in a defensive posture. It seemed violent, but restrained, as though from a sparring match.

"She's showing off a move against..." Ranma explained before being at a loss for words, "is that... is that dude even human?"

Sayuri said in a disbelieving voice, "That-that has to be someone in a costume right? He looks kind of like-"

"a dragon," Akane finished.

For the next few hours, Hiroshi took written notes as the other three read aloud the notes from Master Guo or any images that stuck out. These included a photo of someone who looked similar to Shampoo, or at least someone with her curvaceous figure. There was also a newspaper clipping that wrote of a "mysterious earthquake and landslides" in Western Qinghai province that was felt as far east as Xi'an.

Sayuri and Akane joked around a bit as Hiroshi tried to keep track of the information and Ranma tried to translate what Master Guo wasn't able to get to. It was pretty breezy and the four of them found themselves in a rhythm not unlike a group study session as they sat in Akane's room that lazy July afternoon.

The thing that finally stopped the easy mood was a set of notes Akane dug near the bottom of the package. "Hey, this looks like it's from a journal," she announced. "By Dr. Fangzhou Huang, Anthropology, National Southeastern University."q

Akane began reading the translation.

"November 7th - Arrived in village, met with elder. Thank goodness I brought my wife Lìshā with me. She is much better at gaining rapport than I ever could be. We've been trading notes on customs, rituals, and social hierarchies."

"December 2nd - Representatives from neighboring villages arrived. The villagers tell me they are Phoenixes and Dragons. At first I thought this was metaphorical. I am soon corrected as the Phoenix Lord Showed his true lineage along with the King of the Musk Tribe."

January 3 - More visits from Musk and Phoenix Tribes. Many conferences. According to my wife, who is present, there is talk of territory and political power sharing between the three. She has also noted a split in factions among the Nujiezu, particularly among older guard and younger members of the ruling matriarchy.

"March 12th - Tensions have risen among the Nujiezu with those gathered around Xiádou, an older matriarch who is a hardliner and isolationist (and according to my wife, a 'sour bitch') and Kělún, a younger (relatively speaking) member who is open to trade, even with the Republic."

"April 27 - Tensions have boiled over into talks with the Musk and Phoenix and Xiádou seems to have become the dominant voice and cause strife in the talks. My wife has been counseled by Kělún to leave as she fears for our safety as outsiders. "

"May 1 - Lìshā and I arrived in Xining after fleeing in the night three days ago. Kělún was prescient in her counsel. I don't know what will happen, but I will try to get to Nanjing as soon as possible to file my report."

Akane paused, reading the last entry, it was handwritten and scrawled hastily.

"FangZhou killed by Xiádou agent. Depositing papers to Xining archive. Will return when I can to complete his papers in his memory.

Wu Lìshā, May 2, 1926."

Everyone in the room was quiet.

"Shit." Hiroshi spoke up, breaking the tension in the room.

"Xiádou was the one that attacked Cologne in the last dream," Ranma clarified, "She's the one that hurt Daisuke. She- she wants us dead."

There was more awkward silence.

"Well fuck that bitch."

Ranma, Akane, and Hiroshi turned to Sayuri.

"Yeah, I said it. Fuck that bitch. We're gonna fight her as best we can and save Daisuke!"

Ranma and Akane smiled. Hiroshi nodded. "Damn right, 'yuri."

Akane said, "Yeah. We haven't had another dream, but we're going to figure this out. Right, Ranma?" Akane turned to look at Ranma who was staring at the box. "Ranma?"

Ranma had looked again in the package and found a smaller box contained inside. It was directly addressed to "My Student, Ranma" and was wrapped in bright red and gold paper. It was readily apparent to Ranma it contained a wooden box as he took it out of the package

"What's that?" Akane asked.

"I dunno," Ranma replied, "It's from Master Guo. I think I need to look at this later."

"Huh?"

"It's uh... related to my training. I think."

Akane opened her mouth to press further, but Hiroshi piped in.

"Hey! Maybe it's more mystical mountain training techniques to help us fight?"

Ranma laughed. "Y'know, I was gonna say you've been watchin' too many cheesy wuxia movies, but..." he shrugged as he held tightly to the gift.

That evening, Ranma sat alone in his room. His futon was set off to the side to make room for Genma when he got in at six in the morning. While the change in schedule meant they didn't spar much these days, Ranma felt a sense of relief to be alone like this especially now.

Ranma opened the box given to him by Master Guo. There was a Journal inside. It was new and Ranma wondered if he took the bus to Xining to get one just for his student.

Inside of the journal, Ranma found a small ribbon. It was made of red silk. At first he thought it was a bookmark, but pulling it from the journal he realized it was 30 centimeters long.

Ranma was confused until he opened the journal to the front page and found some writing.

Dear Student. A small present from your teacher. A place to chronicle your feelings and something to perhaps make up for my short sightedness. I hope the ribbon suits you. As a monk, I have little need to tie up my hair, especially at my age.

Ranma looked at the ribbon again. It wasn't gaudy, but nice. For a minute he imagined using it to tie his briad off as he had been dong with string. Then using it for a ponytail, as he did in middle school. Lost in thought for a moment he thought about his hair up in a bun, then twintails, then an updo and then- he stopped. Ranma's cheeks grew red and he folded the ribbon up and stuck it halfway inside the journal, making sure it didn't poke out of the side. He put the journal back in the box and stuck it in a drawer, underneath a math textbook.

"That box a cookies'll have to wait 'till later." Ranma muttered as he shut the light and went to bed. He tried clearing his mind, but images of the ribbon in his hair kept buzzing over him until he finally fell asleep.

Ranma found herself alone in a hillside clearing. At first glance it looked like Qinghai province again, spruces dotting the mountainous landscape. However, it felt too cold, too dark and, most importantly, too wet to be this part of China.

Ranma looked down to confirm their suspicions. It was the dreamscape, and she was... herself. She wore the shorts and tank top he had gone to bed with. Ranma tightened the drawstring on the shorts and continued onwards.

Ranma's first reaction was panic. She looked around, trying to spot if Akane was nearby, but saw no one. Looking out further, she saw no houses, or any lights at all, save for what may have been the suncasting a pale glow behind dark storm clouds.

"A-Akane?" Ranma called out hesitant, unsure whether to project or not say anything at all.

After minutes of nothing, not even the sound of bugs, Ranma plopped down on the grass, hugging her knees. For a second she realized it felt different to do this than usual.

This sucks. Ranma thought. I'm trying so hard to do the right thing. What is wrong with me? Why ain't I good enough to move past this!?

"Aah!" Ranma let out a scream and punched the air in front of her. Almost without realizing she saw a flash of green emanate from her fist. The moment she was surprised, the energy faded.

"Wha?" Ranma uttered a grunt. Her brow furrowed she started to think.

Ranma stood and overlooked the mottled gray landscape. She did what any martial artist worth their salt would do. She began training.

Akane felt a cold dampness as she came to consciousness. It felt like a forest, or perhaps more apt to say, a swamp. The grass, trees, everything seemed covered in a mottled, dark green moss. It was dark out, though not nighttime. Instead the clouds above were dark grey, as though a thunderstorm was approaching and yet, there was stillness.

Akane looked down and saw herself wearing her dougi. The edges were stained grey by the dirt and moss.

"Where..." Akane quietly whispered. "Ranma?" She called out.

She heard nothing but the echo of her voice.

"What in the world is going on?" Akane said to no one in particular as she scratched her head. She looked up and noticed the pajama sleeves. At first she jumped back, putting her hands up defensively, but after a moment of worry, she let down her guard.

She walked through the scrubby forest of cedars and spruce trees to a clearing. She saw the gray landscape, as though the world was enveloped in a perpetual twilight and largely overcast with storm clouds.

Is this what Xiadou did? Akane thought as she surveyed the blank landscape. Why? Why all of the posturing, why haunt us now in a dream?

Akane felt a chill and covered her arms. She closed her eyes and centered her breath.

There's a reason I'm here. And if I'm here- Akane stopped her train of thought as she saw a flash of light in the distance.

Akane didn't have a good reason, nothing she could work out into words, she silently ran towards the light.

Ranma began talking to herself .

"Open smooth, keep what's important. Air, Water, Food... Ice cream?" She felt a flash of pink-hued light of a second before stopping. "I said 'important', jackass." Ranma admonished herself. She shook her head and reframed her posture.

"The art. My friends. My best friend." She felt a yellow-orange energy emerge from some unknown fissure in her self. "Akane-" She briefly saw the energy glow white for a moment before it stopped, as though a thumb had been placed over a garden hose.

Ranma took a deep breath, she keeled over feeling as though she had been kicked in the solar plexus.

"Damn..." Ranma took a breath. "Damn damn damn. I need to focus. I'm me." Ranma took a more aggressive, lower stance, moving with a powerful deliberateness in her wide steps. "I can't be what she deserves. I'm not the right person. I'm not right" Ranma felt the same green tinge from before well up in her chest, threatening to choke the life out of her.

"This is... the same energy that Ryouga had. The Shīzi- no..." Ranma moved her arms inward, trying somehow without even understanding, to gather that feeling in her hands. It felt wobbly, and unsure. When she could no longer keep it together, she extended the energy outward.

Shishi Houkou Dan!

Like a explosion the surge of energy grew as it climbed the grey sky and inflated like a balloon before it popped in a shower of ki.

Ranma dropped to a kneel, clutching at her chest. That was... it felt. Bad... but... good too, like I can think for a minute. Ranma looked at her hands, they were smaller, slender perhaps, but Ranma thought her fingers were kinda stubby.

Akane had been running, chasing the fireworks that emanated from the hillside. She stopped and looked up in awe at the explosion of energy above her, less like a firework and more like a mushroom cloud.

She approached the summit of the hillside, past the brush, to find Ranma looking at her hands. Akane felt a thump in her chest. She thought for a moment that she should move back and stay hidden, but before she could take a step back into the woods, her eyes locked on Ranma's.

For a moment, it was as if everything stopped and the silence rang in both of their ears.

"'K-kane! Look I didn't do this on purpose. I fell in the grass moss and stuff and it was all swampy and stuff. I don't even think there's any good wood for a fire either... I-" Ranma stopped, "I thought I was alone so it didn't matter what I was."

Akane looked at Ranma, she felt that same beat in her chest. Akane noted the lowered eyes and head as Ranma looked at the ashen gray grass. Akane had several thoughts in her head and they were all jostling to make their way out to say something. She had questions, fears, even a bit of anger, though she found the anger wasn't directed at the red-haired girl in front of her but at herself.

Akane closed her eyes and took a breath.

"How- how did you do that? Did you figure out the Shi Shi Hokodan?"

Ranma was caught flat-footed and her mouth hung open a moment.

"Um, I dunno? Maybe? I was just standing here doin' forms and thinking and just I felt all of these feelings come out of me and it kinda blew up through my hands. It was like this ball of lightning or something welling up until I couldn't hold it in and it just went out."

"What kind of feelings?" Akane asked.

"I-" Ranma stopped for a moment and looked away from Akane. "Bad feelings. About Daisuke and Pops and- and stuff. Started thinkin' about how things are going and not knowing what to do and my-" Ranma paused, and took a shallow breath. "Just stuff came in and thinking about the bad feelings made my ki grow and take on that color and light, but it kinda made the feelings worse too. When I let it go, it was like a release, kinda."

Akane thought for a bit. "Show me."

Ranma blinked. "Ya sure?"

Akane nodded in reply. "Cologne said we both had to."

Ranma looked nervous as she looked at Akane a moment. Finally she nodded and let out a slip of a smile. "Yeah, 'course. We can't let the old ghost down, right?"

Akane felt her cheeks warm as Ranma led her in a basic form. Akane followed along, unsure what to say. She kept sneaking peeks at this Ranma, whose steely gaze was the same as always, however there was something she hadn't since the first day he came to her home.

There was a sense of purpose to Ranma's movements, but it wasn't this tight, inflexible sort of sparring she had seen of late. Ever since the revelation that Ranma has more control over the dreams, the incident at the club, and Daisuke getting hurt, Akane noted how closed in real life Ranma had become.

"You gettin this, 'kane?" Ranma's question knocked Akane out of her stupor.

"I think so."

Ranma sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "You have the form all right, but you look out of it. Are you okay?"

Akane nodded and gave a smile to her. "Yeah."

Ranma inwardly began to shrink just a bit in Akane's glance. "I- I'm sorry about this. I really-"

"It's okay. You're okay."

Ranma nodded and said, "Um, well. Then let's try it again. I dunno what you should focus on, but we can try different things. Like, uh... I started with my favorite foods."

"You would start with food."

Ranma stuck out her tongue. "Well food tastes good and I workout enough to keep this figure right?"

Akane blushed a bit without meaning too as she looked at the joking redhead. Ranma paused and said, "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean it like. I was just kiddin' and-."

"Oh, I know," Akane said, this time with a bit of a light tone, "You just wanted to show off how all the fat from that ice cream goes to your head instead of your hips," she teased.

"No I mean, it's not like your hips are bad or... aw damn, I didn't mean- Look let's just train some more before we wake up, okay?"

Akane nodded hesitantly. "Okay."

Ranma slowly arose and, for a moment, was disoriented and concerned that the grass and scrub of the forest had been replaced by a thin cotton futon and reedy tatami floor.

As Ranma sat up, Ranma was discombobulated, their arms feeling heavy and too long. It was as though they had been stretched out to far and flattened stiff, like a shirt being pressed with too much starch. Ranma looked down and saw their chest covered by a tank top. Ranma realized where they were and closed their tightly, letting in a sharp gasp as they stood and wiped their face.

Ranma looked to the nearby desk and opened the drawer. Ranma retrieved the hidden journal and opened it. It was still blank. Ranma turned to a pen sitting at the desk. After a moment, Ranma took the pen, but closed the book and placed it on their person.

A small while later, Sayuri sat at home, plodding along at homework in her room when the phone rang.

"Hello?" She asked. "Oh, Is everything okay? No I haven't heard anything new from Daisuke's mom and Dad... Oh no, Hiroshi went off to the beach with his parents. I wanted to go, but my mom was worried about "unladylike" behavior... You mean the coffee shop Akane likes? Is she gonna be there?... Is everything okay? Okay, I'll see you in an hour."

Sayuri set down the phone. For a second she considered bringing the homework packet with her, but decided this wouldn't be the right time.

The coffeeshop was pretty slow. It was late morning so there were only a few hangers on who came in for morning coffee and the paper and one or two taking in an early lunch.

By the time Sayuri arrived, Ranma had sat at one of the stools facing the front window. Ranma seemed to be twiddling their thumbs but upon seeing Sayuri smiled and waved her over.

"Yo, Sayuri! Thanks for coming. Hope it wasn't on short notice or nothin'."

Sayuri shook her head. "Not at all. I mean, I'm happy you consider me a friend, but why did you want to talk to me?"

Ranma scratched their head. "I mean... I guess cause you're the only other girl I know that ain't Akane er her sisters." Ranma winced a bit. "That sounds bad. Like, no offense ta Hiro, but I'm not sure if he'd get it and I dunno if I can ask anybody else without them gettin' weird." Ranma Saotome stopped and looked around, making painfully sure no one else from school was around. "You always came 'cross as acceptin' and level-headed. I dunno why. I just.. It's something I can't ask Hiroshi and I don't think I can ask Akane either. And like you're smart about stuff. Book stuff and people stuff. I'm kinda not good any any of it."

Ranma paused and took a sharp breath. "Can I ask if it's weird if-" Ranma's voice hung in the air, as though they were being prevented from speaking.

"If what?" Sayuri asked.

Ranma held themselves tightly, muscles tensing up all over. "Maybe I need ta explain more." Ranma leaned in close to Sayuri.

"I had another dream." Ranma whispered. "Akane n' I did, anyway."

Sayuri turned and faced Ranma, a more focused expression on her face., "What happened?".

"Well, one thing is I think we finally got an idea on how we can fight the shadows that took Daisuke."

Sayuri said, "that's great news!" She stopped and considered, putting a hand to her chin. "Why do you sound so disturbed then?"

"Cause... I also felt..." Ranma closed their eyes and spat it out. "Didja ever wake up and feel like everythin' about ya was wrong?"

"I don't... I don't follow," Sayuri replied guiltily.

"Ever since I woke up, I've been feelin' guilty, cause... My first thought wasn't 'we can help Daisuke' or 'Holy crap, I learned a new technique', but... 'I'm all wrong. I'm just all wrong'. I'm just thinkin' of myself instead of Dai. Like I get in my head he's in trouble and I'm glad we gotta chance ta help him, but there's a big part of me that's so angry n' sad n' scared I hadta wake up like this."

Sayuri looked at Ranma, whose face was flush, and their eyes seemed glassy, though he was so pointedly looking at the floor it was hard to tell for sure.

"Ranma, is there something you-"

"I dunno yet. Dunno if I'm just imaginin' things or if I'm just too much of a chickenshit ta say the words. I just thought you'd like ta hear the bits about Dai n'" Ranma shrugged "put up with my garbage."

Sayuri sat up and finally said, "stop that."

Ranma finally looked up. "Huh?"

"Stop calling yourself garbage. You're not. Feelings aren't garbage. It's okay to have them. It's okay that something that happened to you and affected you. You don't have to hold it all in, you know."

Ranma "But ain't that what I'm s'posed ta be doin'? Keepin' it together? Being normal?"

"What the point of keeping a stoic appearance if you're just miserable on the inside? I know you martial artist types. All aloof and distant and wanna be tough. Akane's just like you, sometimes."

"Huh?"

"Oh yeah, especially in middle school when she was coming out. She didn't want anyone to know. Only reason I found out at first was because I found her being kissed by Yuka over there." Sayuri pointed at a different corner of the coffeeshop. "Bit by bit I got her to tell Daisuke and Hiroshi since we've been friends since like 4th grade. Even now she puts up a front to be a 'good' club president, good daughter, and a model student. She's scared shitless what her father would say."

"Yeah, 'specially with this engagement thing on her head."

"That's not your fault either." Sayuri said pointedly. "I can already see you thinking that."

Ranma nodded. "...okay. It feels like it's my fault anyway. I feel like I just got pushed into everything and took people around me for a ride."

"You didn't. We're not helpless either. You're a friend. You're a sweet person. I'll try to be around to listen when I can." Sayuri gave Ranma a smile. "And don't sell Hiro-kun too short. He's thoughtful when he remembers he doesn't have to play into hypermasculine expectations."

Ranma looked confused as Sayuri stood and gave Ranma a hug. "I should get back to finish homework. Summer's ending pretty soon and I should take care of it before too long. If you need to talk more later today or, just anytime, call me. Just remember, Ranma. It's okay to feel things and if things feel wrong, it's okay to change things."

As Sayuri left the coffeeshop. Ranma found themselves adrift. After a second, Ranma had to steady themselves a moment wondering where they were, why they were there, who they were supposed to be. Once, they felt some degree of steadiness again, Ranma got up and went to the park to train.

The following week Ranma and Akane found themselves dragged by the rest of Akane's family to the beach. Well Kasumi and Nabiki anyway. Soun and Genma declined because of work obligations.

Soun had asked Ranma to keep watch over his girls as "man of the house." Ranma did their best not to be visibly ill at the phrase. After that bit of unpleasantness, they were off via train, to a small hotel by the beach.

As they arrived, the four of them found themselves facing two rooms.

"Well, Father usually gets a room to himself while the three of us share..." Kasumi pointed out.

"Seems a bit unfair just to just give Ranma in his own room just because Dad and Mr. Saotome couldn't make it." Nabiki said, "I can barely fit my stuff when I have to share with you all."

"You bring too much crap already!" Akane said, "I'm surprised they let you in the train with that much."

"Okay, okay." Kasumi interceded. "Well, how do we want to do this, then? I'm open to suggestions."

"Look, Um, it's okay, I'll deal with whatever if you er Nabiki want their own room. Maybe I can just sleep in the tub or somethin'."

"Oh don't get a martyrdom complex on us, now." Nabiki rolled her eyes.

"Hush Nabiki, "Akane glared at her sister, "He dragged most of your crap here anyway! Look, I'll stay in the room with Ranma. I mean we're supposed to be "betrothed", right?"

Nabiki smiled. "Well that settles that." She gave Akane a knowing wink. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do..."

"That's not very nice, Nabiki." Kasumi pointed out as she handed a key to Ranma. "We both know Ranma is a gentleman and wouldn't do anything Akane didn't want. Not without protection at least."

Ranma retreated as soon as he got the key and went to the door. "Urgh. They always know how to push my buttons." Akane said to Ranma as they fiddled with the room key retrieved from Kasumi. Ranma opened the door and quickly rushed inside.

As Akane stepped in, she decided on a bed nearest the window and placed her duffel bag there. The sound of running water got her attention as she looked and saw, next to the small bathroom, Ranma was washing their face with water.

"Are you okay?"

Ranma looked up a moment at their reflection. "Y-yeah, sure."

Later that day, Akane woke up from a light nap on the beach. Kasumi was napping beside her on a towel, a romance novel on her head. Nabiki had wandered off and Akane could spot in her in the distance talking with a few guys. Akane could also tell the Nabiki was deliberately jutting out her hips and putting on an act. The two-piece bikini was probably the cherry on top.

Akane rolled her eyes. For her part, she was happy enough in a sports-bra like bikini top and board shorts. She stood and walked around before finding ranma who was practicing what looked like capoeira on the beach. He wore swim trunks and a black tank top.

Akane walked over and waved. She noted the divots in the sand peppered around Ranma as he stood in a defensive pose.

"Oh hey. Had a good nap?"

Akane nodded. "Yeah. I didn't mean to fall asleep like that, but it's a vacation. Want to come in the water?"

Ranma shrugged. "I'm okay. I'm practicing in the sand. It's good for strength." Ranma demonstrated by performing an Bananeira in front of Akane. From the handstand Ranma was in, they pushed off the sand. Akane looked up and saw Ranma vault up a good three meters, before landing on their feet again.

"Holy... did you see how high you went?"

Ranma looked at Akane quizzically, "Not really."

"If we were on a basketball court, I could have passed you the ball and you could have dunked it as you turned right side up."

Ranma looked puzzled for a moment. "Was it that high?

"You're gonna show me how to do that soon," Akane said. "Anyway, you wanna join me for a swim? Water's probably refreshing after that."

Ranma shook their head. "Thanks, but... I'm not in the mood."

"You won't laugh at me will ya?"

"If I went in I'd have to... take my shirt off."

Akane looked confused. "Okay one, you don't have to and two, so?"

Ranma seemed to shrink a little before Akane's eyes. "I just feel... exposed, ya know?" They shook their head. "Nevermind, I can tell ya think I'm nuts. I'm gonna go practice some more katas"

Ranma turned to walk away, but before they could take a step, Akane grabbed Ranma's hand.

"No. I don't think you're crazy. You can talk to me."

Ranma turned and whispered to Akane.

"It just- it feels wrong. Don't laugh. I know it's stupid, but please... don't." Ranma wiped their face with a sand-flecked arm. "You ever know something, but it feels wrong? I know it's silly that I care about a damn shirt, but I'd feel embarrassed if people saw me like that." Ranma shook their head.

Akane looked a bit confused, "You never take your shirt off?"

Ranma shook their head. "I always wear a tank top at least. Haven't you ever noticed?"

Akane shook her head, "I guess I didn't. I'm not exactly in the habit of paying attention to your bare chest."

Ranma nodded. "Yeah... I guess it'd be kinda weird if ya did."

Akane was confused by their flat tone. "Look, do you want to walk just walk around a bit, then?" Akane asked, trying to lighten the mood. "I can show you some of the places around here. Maybe we can get some shaved ice."

Ranma lit up a bit and smiled. "That sounds good."

Akane and Ranma walked together for a bit, walking past tourist shops, yakisoba stalls, and beach rental stores. They finally found a small restaurant serving, among other things, shaved ice.

Sitting in an outdoor table facing the beach, Ranma dove into a fluffy pile of ice coated in blue, red, and yellow syrup. After some time enjoying mixing the flavors and eating the quickly melting ice, they looked up

"Hey Akane, how's your-" Ranma stopped as they noticed Akane's attention was not on her dessert, but on two high school-aged girls out in the water. They were tanned and wearing fairly revealing bikinis.

"Jeez 'kane, ain't you worried you're gonna break your neck starin'?" Ranma quipped.

"Huh?" Akane said snapping her head towards Ranma. Ranma let out a small chuckle.

"I wonder what do you do in the locker room, anyway? Must be a pain trying ta not stare," Ranma said idly.

Akane shook her head as she forcefully mixed up the syrup in her shaved ice."There's a time and a place for it, Ranma. I'm not gonna ogle girls at school just because they're there. One, I'd like to try and keep my business as private as I can. And, unlike most guys, I can actually separate business from pleasure."

Ranma slowly nodded as they swirled around the blue and red syrups into their growing purple ice as Akane continued.

"But we're on vacation and there's too many cuties in bikinis walking around. It's hard not to look sometimes. And maybe, with any luck, maybe one of them will look back at me." Akane smiled at the prospect.

"Like with Akari?"

Akane turned to Ranma, idly putting her spoon in her shaved ice. "Ugh, I hope not! I didn't even tell you the whole deal with Akari! 'You're basically a boy so I didn't think anything of it!' Give me a break."

Ranma nodded, but added, "That's a bit harsh, don'tcha think?"

"She led me on!"

Ranma nodded. "Not everyone is lucky enough to know what they want already." Ranma's ice was quickly turning into water. "It's tough understandin' who you are and how you see yourself in the future, you know? Especially with stuff like relationships, it's... scary."

Akane pursed her lips a moment. She looked off at the beach, the sun reflecting off the off-white sand.

"Well," Akane said in between bites of ice. "Yeah it's always scary. It was scary when I got the nerve to ask Yuka out. I was trying so hard to be invisible and I spoke so quietly I was afraid she couldn't hear me."

"Cause of the crowd in the coffee shop."

"Yeah I- how do you know about that?"

"Sayuri told me. We met for coffee a bit ago. I had ta talk to her about stuff and she mentioned ya asked out Yuka there. Yuka planted one on ya afterwards I guess?"

Akane nodded. "That was a better time. Then somethin' crawled up her ass and died."

Ranma nodded. "I'm sorry 'bout that by the way. If I'd known."

"Nah, we were growing apart before then. Her jealousy was just the last straw."

Ranma nodded. "Well, mutsa been nice bein' with someone, even for a while. Bein' able ta talk to and just have a real back and forth, ya know and just know what that's like."

"Why don't you date, then?" Akane asked. "You do know just about every single straight girl would throw themselves at you, right?"

Ranma thought for a second and shook their head, "I ain't so sure. Most of them would probably wanna be treated like "the girl" and I'd have to play some dashing prince or have some kinda... expectations. I just want be able ta be equals with someone. That's what I'm jealous of. You're equals with the girls you date. If I tried datin', chances are it'll just feel fake."

"Maybe you can date guys then?" Akane asked somewhat jokingly.

Ranma's lip curled down before they laughed bitterly. "Ha ha. No thanks. Not for me. Guys suck."

Akane was taken a bit aback, but nodded. Akane leaned in closer and spoke in a low voice, "Ranma. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but, what do you think of yourself in the dream?"

"What?"

"I mean you always seemed so pained, but at the same time you seem... happier when we're in the dream. Like last time. You looked really guilty at first, but when we were just training and sparring, you loosened up, you had fun. It.. it just hit me I haven't really seen you smile or laugh much out here. In the world."

Ranma let go of their spoon, letting it fall into the puddle of purple water. "Hey, I'm gonna head back to the room have fun," Ranma said quickly.

Akane stood up. "Hey Wait a sec! Are you okay?"

Ranma shook their head. "I think I need a break." Ranma looked away and started walking back towards the hotel.

Akane watched him leave. For a moment, she thought of following Ranma back before before thinking better of it. She headed back to the beach to meet up with Nabiki and Kasumi.

In the room, by themselves, Ranma sat down at the edge of the bed, hands gripping the edge of the mattress firmly. After a moment, Ranma stood and went to take a shower. In the privacy they took off their shirt and noted the tan lines that had formed along the shoulder and across the chest. Ranma traced a finger across it and let out a smile.

In the shower, Ranma stood there silently, letting the water cascade down. On a whim, Ranma turned the dial towards cold. As expected, aside from discomfort and a light shiver, there was no difference. Ranma turned off the water, changed clothes and tried to sleep.

The night after they came home from the beach, Akane found herself back before the field where Daisuke and Cologne had been taken. Like the forest, the world seemed still, dull, and charcoal grey in color. Unlike the scrub they were not alone. She heard noises of combat in the distance and Akane began charging over.

Akane saw Ranma as she approached the open field. Ranma's black hair frayed as he barely dodged Ryouga's attacks, their head grazed by fists covered in both the energy they had discovered before and the black substance that had taken over and taken Daisuke away.

Ryouga said, his voice echoing. "You ruined my life Saotome! But now, I finally have the means of defeating you," The boy in yellow looked down, forlorn for a moment, when, a sickening green glow formed between his hands. A separate voice, seemingly coming from both Ryouga and the area around him said, "Now this petty display of chaos will cease its motion."

Ranma, looking slumped and a bit tired, threw themselves at Ryouga, trying to muster up the same heavy feelings as before, but was thrown back easily by Ryouga, who seemed to be unaffected by it.

Ranma lay there, slumped in a heap, unsure of how to face Ryouga. He looked at the ground and found it grow wet. Ranma put a hand to their face, but before he could verify if the wetness on their face was from crying, Ranma felt a larger source of water envelop him.

Akane threw the bucket's content at Ranma, yelling, "Get up!"

Ranma, her clothes dripping, spit out some water and looked at at Akane in surprise.
"A-Akane? Why?"

She held the bucket in her hands in front of her, she looked down. "I'm tired of seeing you mope! It just isn't like you. The last month and half has been really... sad. I know you weren't trying to hurt me. I'm not even mad at you, I'm just-" Akane let out a groan. "I'm not going to stand here and see you get yourself killed because of some stupid pigheaded mental block. Just be yourself, all of yourself!"

"But I... the Shishi Houkou Dan?" Ranma kept pulling at straws.

"Idiot! You and I weren't made to use it. Even if things suck right now. We're going to have to find some other way of countering Ryouga. We need to get creative and figure out what you're feeling.."

They stood looking at each other for what felt like like an eternity. Akane, put down the bucket and helped the girl up. Akane remarked how Ranma was almost a head shorter like this. She smiled slightly.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Ranma, you don't wanna lose to Ryouga, do ya? You're better than that. I'll kick your ass tomorrow at training if you do, you know."

"Akane..." Ranma was still in a state of shock. She felt her eyes get glassy.

Akane looked back up towards Ranma, her face blushing as she yelled, "A-and button you shirt! Aren't you embarrassed!?"

"Oh! Sorry. It's been a while." Ranma buttoned up her shirt and jumped off.

"Ready to see the might of my true Shi Shi Hokodan, girlie?" Ryouga yelled out.

That taunting phrase along with Akane's pep talk made Ranma think a moment. She felt an energy she hadn't felt in a long time. At the same time she felt free again, light, nimble, and could take on the darkness.

"Like hell I am, piggy," Ranma said, with a smile. "We'll beat you, then find ten more ways to beat you again!" Ranma jumped as high as her legs could take her. Ryouga built up his energy and threw it upwards.

"Perfect Shi Shi Hokou Dan!" A huge beam of Energy shot up, almost threatening to overtake Ranma. Just before it hit, at the apex of her jump, she turned around and place her hands out, focusing her chi.

"Mouko Takabisha!"

For just a moment, Ranma glowed with the energy of a Tiger. Ranma's force of Chi, while Dwarfed by the Beam of the the perfect Shi Shi Hokodan, held it at bay. For a second, the two were still, Ranma in the air crashing her spirit downwards and Ryouga pushing the perfect Shi-Shi Hokodan upwards.

The tendrils of darkness which had engulfed this Ryouga began swarming outward, moving up as well.

"Ranma!"

Then, in the next instant, Ryouga sensed a spike of a different energy to that which opposed him.

"Houou Douhatsu Shouten!" Ryouga heard in an alto voice as Akane had jumped in the air, and, like a phoenix, rained down a large blast of red chi and lobbed it, striking it at Ryouga, who could offer zero resistance. His defense of Ranma's ki was destroyed and the combined energy of the three fighters came crashing back down on top of the lost boy, in an enormous explosion. Akane, put an arm across her eyes, blinded by the energy of the blast.

The explosion reverberated up through the living shadow which had spread around the field of battle, baying it backwards and bringing light to the field in which they had fought once more.

When she regained her eyesight and the dust cleared, Akane found a delirious Ranma lying faceup on the ground. For a moment Akane thought she was passed out until Ranma sat up suddenly.

"We... we did it." Her head swayed left to right unsteadily as she kept talking in a slurred voice. "Nice job, 'kane... 'Towering Rage of the Phoenix'? Cool idea."

"Well 'Pridefulness of the Fierce Tiger', is pretty good, too. Right Ranma?" Akane blinked."Ranma?" she asked as Ranma grew woozy and her head began to spin.

"I'mmm RannnnmaaZzzaotome, the luckiest girl in the world. Can I get some yakizzoba n' some of 'em taiyaki pastries... I wanna zzzznack and-" she fell over in a heap.

"Ranma! Are you alright!?"

Ranma looked exhausted, as she looked up at Akane and smiled weakly.

"Thank you 'kane... y-you're my best friend. The cutest flat-chested tomboy," Ranma muttered from the side of her mouth before passing out.

Akane shook her head and lightly kicked Ranma's unconscious body. Her face betrayed a smile as she playfully teased, "Idiot."

In the far distance, Ryouga's broken body lay on the ground the blast radius marked by the charred earth which surrounded him. It was silent save for a tapping sound.

"Having fun, child?" an old woman asked, bemused. Her once pristine robes worn and tattered and her hair mussed and tangled.

"What happened ta just being a spectator..." Daisuke weakly replied in Ryouga's voice. "I'm... glad to feel the pain, though. I'm glad to feel anything..."

"Forgive me. I needed people to train Son-in-Law and Ms. Tendo. You have a close bond with them. That bond of friendship is critical for them achieve the link. I didn't realize it would have captured Xiadou's attention so soon. I fought her back, but it took them to free us."

"Thank goodness for small favors, you dried up ghost."

Cologne hopped away, "Rest well, child. Heh Heh Heh."

The next morning, Akane and Ranma were awoken by a frenzied knock on the door. Haggard, Ranma and Akane stumbled down the steps and opened the door to find Hiroshi and Sayuri breathless jumping at them in a surprise group hug.

"Guys! Daisuke's gonna be okay!" Hiroshi called out as he and Sayuri ran towards them in a group hug.

"That's great!" Akane said. "Though you could have called instead of rushing over."

"Yeah my back is killin' me, you guys..." Ranma maoned.

"Hush, Ranma. I hit him just as hard

"We're going to go see him now!"

Back downstairs the four teens gathered around Daisuke's bed. Daisuke himself was awake, though looking rather pale.

"Hey..." Daisuke said weakly, "Can I speak ta Ranma alone for a sec."

"Daisuke, man I wanted to say I'm real sorry for-"

"Shut it, Ranma"

Ranma stopped, their eyes drooping and growing glassy.

"Just tell me... do you have any leads on that xiadou thingy?

Ranma blinked and wiped their face with their arm before asking, "You... you remember about that?"

Daisuke nodded. "Yeah. That old biddy and I got caught up in it until you got us out, right?"

Ranma nodded, "Yeah, but... Daisuke you weren't supposed to get caught up-"

Daisuke interrupted again with an annoyed sigh, "Jeez, will ya can it? You're too much of a white knight fer yer own good." Daisuke chuckled weakly. "Yeah, maybe I was supposed ta be a quiet guy in the background. Maybe in another life or another time, I'd just be some asshole far removed from the radar. But here and now, I'm your friend. I'll put up with some real bullshit, but only if you do the work."

Ranma nodded, "But Daisuke... You've been laid up in the hospital for a month cause of those dreams."

"And what have you done in the meanwhile?"

"I... my old master in China gave us some leads. 'kane n I've been practicing, but..." Ranma shook their head, "I'll keep tryin' okay? And, I'm gonna tell Hiroshi and Sayuri the same might happen. Not that I'm gonna let it happen again if I can help it!"

"You do that, Saotome." Daisuke nodded. He rubbed his head "I... remember that old troll, too... She said to follow your feelings."

Ranma sat down next to Daisuke. He folded their hands and placed them on their lap, "Yeah... that's been the hard part. I... It's hard to talk about. I haven't really told anyone. Not even Akane. I mean I tried but... "

Daisuke said, "Try me, then?"

Ranma paled, "I don't wanna bother you with my problems and-"

"It's no bother." Daisuke paused. "You owe me this, Saotome. What's wrong?"

Ranma's face blanched as Daisuke's words. "I..." Ranma nodded. "I think... I don't think I'm supposed to be..." he leaned in close and whispered to Daisuke.

"I'm not a boy. Not on the inside."

Ranma quickly darted back into the chair, trying to pretend the last five seconds hadn't happened. Daisuke closed his eyes processing what was said.

Ranma took deep breaths, trying hard to tamp down the impulse to fill the silence with tepid refusals or taking it back.

Daisuke turned to look at Ranma, their head leaning back against the pillow. "When did you realize?"

Ranma was unable to look at Daisuke, "I dunno. Maybe always I guess? When the dreams started though, it was like I got handed everything I wanted growing up just handed to me. I tried to put it away before, telling myself it was just weakness like my pop said, or try hard to be normal like the monks told me. But fuck! It's so hard ta do that when you can just feel how right it is to be... her. I hurt Akane's feelings because I wanted to be her so bad. So after a while, I stopped myself in the dreams. I used my training and all the times Pops beat me for 'getting out of line' to avoid that form in the dream. I think... I think it's killing me to try and stay like this, especially when I have such an easy out in the dreams." Ranma stopped and wiped an arm across the eyes. "I- shit, I'm sorry I'm rambling like a gi- an idiot."

Daisuke allowed himself to frown, knowing Ranma was too ashamed to see it.

"Look, I can't exactly say I get what's you're going through. I'm just a idiot stuck in a hospital bed. But I believe you, okay?"

Ranma looked up. "Yeah?"

Daisuke nodded. "I mean, you should probably talk to somebody who can help you about this, but like, I got your back. I know Sayuri and Hiro will as well. They're good people"

Ranma nodded. "Please don't tell 'em what I said, Especially Akane. Not yet. I'm not ready. I just..." Ranma balled a hand into a fist and punched the chair. "I just wish I could fix this. Why can't I just beat this?"

"Beat what?" Daisuke asked. "What are you fighting so hard against?"

Ranma paused.

Daisuke let out a tired sigh. "I'm gonna try sleeping a bit. I'll be here getting about a liter of fluid every couple of hours if ya need me."

"Okay," Ranma replied. "And thanks... for listening."

Ranma walked out of Daisuke's room, feeling a bit lighter in their step. There was a sense of... relief perhaps? Ranma went up the stairs to the roof of the hospital and, while watching the sun grow low over the August sky, took to writing in her journal.