Clean Slate

From the versatile mind of The Deadly Nightshade comes:

Clean Slate

A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction

The characters used in this story are the creation of Rumiko Takahashi, and are copyrighted by whoever it is that copyrighted them. I would never claim otherwise nor would I use them for profit, as that would be dishonest (and because I don’t want to get sued into oblivion). On the other hand, THIS story is created and copyrighted by ME. So you had best give me credit if you use this story in any way, else when I catch up with you I shall make the Black Rose herself look like the poster- child of sanity.

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She woke up slowly, and regretted it every step of the way. Each beat of her heart was making her head throb with pain and she was sure that it would pop like a balloon soon, if it hadn't already done so. Eventually she abandoned her efforts at consciousness and let out a low moan. She quickly regretted that also.

"YOU DUMMY!! WHY DON'T YOU JUST THROW YOURSELF IN FRONT OF A CAR NEXT TIME?!"

"CALM DOWN, AKANE. LIKE IT'S HIS FAULT THAT YOU THREW HIM INTO THE POND."

"IT IS HIS FAULT!! EVERYTHING IS HIS FAULT!!"

"Will you two please stop shouting," she said weakly, hands going to her head compulsively as the voices slammed into her ears. She quickly decided against opening her eyes.

"I'M NOT SHOUTING," said the more reasonable-sounding of the two voices.

"It sounds like it to me," she rejoindered weakly, trying to bury herself in the soft surface she was laying on.

"It's probably just the bump to your head," the reasonable voice said, dropping down almost to a whisper, and allowing her to identify that speaker as a girl. "You should be fine in a little while."

"YOU WOULDN'T BE LIKE THIS AT ALL IF YOU HADN'T INSULTED ME, YOU STUPID JERK!" said the other voice, not modulating itself in the slightest. "SERVES YOU RIGHT!"

Despite the pain she was feeling, that last comment piqued her curiosity. Carefully, she pried her eyes open and got her first look at the room around her. It was rather barren. Except for a couple of futons, one of which she was laying on, and a plain-looking dresser, the room was basically empty. Except, of course, for the two girls looking at her. They were very similar in appearance. Both had short hair around faces that had an obvious family resemblance. She was fairly certain that the more reasonable voice had come from the one who was the one hanging back slightly, closer to the room's only door. This was because the other girl was standing next to the futon she was laying on, glaring directly down at her with an expression of white-hot anger. She had a hard time believing that anything reasonable could come from that one.

"What?" she finally responded to the last comment when she felt like speaking wouldn't kill her.

For some reason the word made the angry girl purple with rage, but the reasonable one put a hand on her shoulder before she could explode. "Calm down," she commanded.

Angry started and glared at Reasonable, then grudgingly took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "What I said," Angry responded slowly, obviously taking great pains to keep her voice down, "was that if you hadn't insulted me, you wouldn't be like this. Maybe you should think next time before you talk about my cooking like that." Angry's glare took on a look of smugness as she finished talking.

She looked away from Angry's face for a few moments, her brows knitting in thought. When the answer to her mental query didn't appear, she looked back at Angry and hesitantly said, "Who are you and what are you talking about?"

Angry's face purpled all over again. "Don't you try that old trick on me you brainless pervert!" she ordered, her anger turning her voice into an angry hiss.

"What trick?" she asked. "Who are you?"

"I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!!!" Angry shouted, causing pain to lance through her skull all over again. "I'M NOT STAYING HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS JERK'S LIES!!!" With that said, Angry stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

There was a brief silence, then Reasonable came over to the futon, standing in the spot Angry had recently vacated. "Are you feeling all right, Ranma?" she asked, her own brow knitted thoughtfully.

She looked at Reasonable blankly. "Are you talking to me?" she asked.

Reasonable's eyebrows shot upward. "Don't you remember your own name?"

She sank back into thought and considered the question. A few moments later, she slowly shook her head, ignoring the small bursts of pain that resulted from the motion. "No."

She looked back up at Reasonable, who was looking genuinely concerned. There was another brief silence, during which they heard voices raised nearby. They could not make out the words, but Reasonable still turned her head towards the voices worriedly. She quickly turned back and said, "Listen. Your name is Ranma Saotome. Got that?" Ranma nodded her head slowly. "Good. Now stay here and rest, Ranma. I have to go somewhere. Someone will be back to check on you soon."

"No you don't," Ranma thought to herself as Reasonable quickly left through the door. "I want to know what's going on." She tottered to her feet, braced herself against a sudden attack of dizziness, then

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Akane stalked down the stairs and into the dining room, where the rest of the household was sitting.

"Akane!" Nodoka said upon seeing her entrance. "We heard some shouting. How is my son?"

"Oh, he's perfectly normal, Auntie Saotome," she answered sarcastically. "He's the same stupid jerk he's always been." Nodoka sat back in slight confusion.

"Ha!" Genma crowed from his seat next to the Shogi board. "I told you that my boy would be back up soon! He's too tough of a man to let a little fall like that take him down!"

Soun took the opportunity of Genma's distraction to move several pieces on the Shogi board and then interjected enthusiastically. "Oh, nobody here doubted you or Ranma for an instant, Saotome!"

"That's wonderful," Kasumi added brightly from her spot at the dining room table across from Nodoka. "I'm glad he's not badly hurt."

"Akane," Nodoka said, sounding concerned. "Is there something else wrong? What you said didn't sound...right." Akane looked at her and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, it's nothing, Auntie Saotome," she said, shaking her head. "That jerk was just trying to pull this stupid trick on me when he woke up, that's all."

Nodoka's visage darkened. "He was?"

"Yeah, and it was so childish," Akane added. "He was actually pretending that he had amnesia." The other people in the room looked shocked at her announcement, but she pressed on before they could ask anything. "The pervert actually asked me who I was. As if he couldn't remember anything," she scoffed. Nodoka's face darkened even further, while the two fathers exchanged a glance.

"Um, Akane," Soun said, "are you sure it was just a trick?"

"Of course it was, dad!" she shot back, almost shouting. "You were the one just saying that you had faith in his 'toughness'! He's just playing a childish trick to get back at me, like he always does!" There were a few moments of silence.

"Are you really sure of that Akane?" Kasumi said. "That's really not like him at all!"

"Of course it's like him!!" Akane shouted back. "That's ALWAYS been exactly like him!! This is just his sick idea of revenge!!"

"Don't be too sure of that, Akane," came Nabiki's voice from the doorway behind her. Everyone looked to see the middle Tendo sister entering the room. "I don't think Ranma was lying about it."

"Oh come on, Nabiki, don't tell me you actually believe that," Akane sneered at her.

"That's right," Genma spoke up. "My boy's too tough for something like this to happen to him!" he said with bravado.

"You might be right," Nabiki conceded. "But my instincts are saying otherwise here. Ranma's a horrible actor. If he had been lying about it, his insincerity would have been leaking from him like water from a sieve. I didn't feel anything like that from him."

"So what?" Akane challenged. "Maybe he's gotten better!"

"Oh yeah, Akane," Nabiki said with a laugh. "You hitting him with your mallet so that he flew into the fish pond and cracked his head on a rock is exactly the way to improve his acting skills."

"But it's never hurt him before!" Akane protested, unknowingly covering up a small gasp that emanated from out the door so that nobody heard it.

"And you think that means that he never could be hurt?" Nabiki shot back.

"Nabiki's right, Akane," Kasumi said. "Ranma is only human. He may be tough, but he can still be hurt. Are you sure that you..."

"DON'T BE RIDICULOUS!!!" Akane interrupted in a screech, causing Ranma, who was eavesdropping in the hall, to clutch her head in pain. "I DID NOT DO THAT TO RANMA!!!" She calmed herself slightly and said, "It's his own fault! He insulted my cooking! He deserved it! And now he's just trying to get back at me for it! You just wait! Any time now he'll come running downstairs, jeering at how he fooled me! Well, I'm not going to fall for it!!" She stalked out of the room before anyone could answer.

"That girl's into some serious denial," Nabiki said, rolling her eyes. The rest of the room just nodded in agreement.

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Fortunately for Ranma, Akane did not see her as she pounded out of the dinning room. That was because Ranma had already retreated back to the room where she had woke up and so wasn't out in the hall when Akane passed by. She quietly closed the door to the room, then dropped down onto the futon and began fuming.

"That...that...BITCH!" she whispered viciously. "SHE'S responsible for this...amnesia." She winced as she said the word. "She HIT me with a MALLET! I'm probably lucky to be alive! And she has the gall to shout about how it's MY fault!? If that Akane girl thinks I'm ever going to forgive her for this, she has another thing coming!"

She stopped talking to herself suddenly as the door to the room opened. She recognized the reasonable girl, "Nabiki", her mind supplied for her. But the older, matronly woman with her was unfamiliar. They closed the door behind them as they entered the room.

"Hello, Ranma," the woman said gently. "How are you feeling?"

Ranma grimaced. "My head still hurts," she explained. "But that's not too surprising, I guess. Getting hit on the head with a mallet will do that to you." She slouched back down on the futon and began sulking again.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the two exchange glances. "How can you remember that if you couldn't even remember your own name before?" Nabiki asked carefully.

"I don't remember it," Ranma explained without looking at them. "I sneaked down the stairs after you and listened in on the conversation."

Nobody spoke for a short time. "How much did you hear?" the woman finally asked.

"Everything that was said after Nabiki here went into the room. Including the part about how that Akane girl blamed me for the fact that SHE hit me!"

"Ranma, try not to be too angry about that. She's just taking it too hard is all." Nabiki said hastily.

Ranma snorted and glared at them. "Let me explain a few things. I'm laying here, with AMNESIA. I can't remember anything! And it's all because of that violent monster! Not only that, but she's blaming ME for it, as if I hit myself with that mallet! And you ask me not to be angry with her?!"

"Yes, we do, Ranma," the woman said. "She'll calm down eventually, and when she does she'll be more reasonable." From the grimace that crossed Nabiki's face, Ranma could tell that she didn't believe what the woman had just said, but the girl let it slide.

"Whatever," she said instead. "Right now I have only two questions about all this."

"And they are?" Nabiki prompted.

"First," she looked at the woman. "Who are you?"

She blinked. "My name is Nodoka Saotome. I am your mother."

Ranma's eyes widened. "My mother?"

Nodoka nodded. "Yes. So what is your second question?"

Ranma hesitated. "Why were you all calling me 'he' and 'him'?"

The two blinked at her. "As opposed to what?" Nodoka asked.

Ranma blinked back at them. "'She' and 'her', of course. I mean, I may have amnesia, but I haven't forgotten what makes up a girl." She rolled over and waved at her chest.

The two just stared at her for a few moments. Finally, Nabiki managed to say, "You think you're a girl?"

Ranma gave a snorting laugh. "Well, yeah," she said sarcastically. "I mean, I'm fairly confident that boys don't have breasts. And I don't have the one thing that they DO have." She pointed at her crotch. The other two women just stared at her. "Is something wrong with that?"

Nabiki recovered first. "No, not at all. But you'd better come to the bathroom with us. We have something to show you." Ranma cocked one eye at them, but dutifully stood and followed them out of the room.

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"All right, what's so important about the bathroom?" she asked them when they arrived.

"We intend to prove that you are not a girl," Nabiki informed her.

Ranma rolled her eyes. "Look, if you want a peak under my clothes, we didn't have to leave that room for it."

"Ranma!" her mother said severely. "That is not what we are going to do!"

Ranma flushed in embarrassment and looked down, but said nothing.

"All right, Ranma, here's how it works," Nabiki said, covering the uneasiness in the room. "You have a curse."

Ranma blinked. "A what?"

"A curse," Nodoka repeated for her. "You are actually a boy. But when you get wet you turn into a girl. Since you were hit into the pond in the front yard, you turned into a girl even while you hit your head on that rock. That is why you are a girl now."

"And to change you back to a boy," Nabiki continued, "you just need to get wet with warm water. So we are going to throw some warm water on you, and then you'll see that you are not really a girl."

Ranma blinked a few more times, then shrugged. "All right, bring it on."

Without another word, Nabiki got a bathing pan, filled it with hot water, and threw it on Ranma. "There. You see?"

"Yes," said the wet Ranma, looking down at herself. "I see that I'm still a girl. Are you sure you two know what's going on here?"

Her mother and Nabiki were too busy gaping at her to answer. The water had done nothing. Ranma was still a girl.

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"This is terrible!" Soun wailed as everyone but Akane all sat in conference around the dinning room table. "Now the families can never be joined! Oh, my poor training hall!! What's going to happen to us now?!" Words finally failed him as he began sobbing Niagara Falls.

Ranma stared at the river coming from his eyes in fascination. "What's he talking about?" she asked, mystified.

"Oh, daddy's just afraid that now you can't marry Akane," Kasumi commented as she concentrated on lifting her tea cup.

Ranma turned to look at Kasumi fast enough to get whip-lash. "WHAT?!" shrieked Ranma, her voice loud enough to make Kasumi drop her tea on the table in surprise.

"Oh, now look at what I did," she said sadly. "Excuse me, I'm going to go get a towel."

She left the room as Ranma began looking at the others in the room desperately. "What is she talking about? Me marry Akane?!"

"That's right, boy," Genma said. "It is a matter of honor that our two families be joined through marriage, and to do that you have been engaged to Akane."

"You MUST be joking!! I am NOT going to marry Akane!! First of all, I can't marry another girl..."

"Ranma," Nabiki interrupted as Kasumi returned and began wiping up the spill, "we've explained about your curse..."

"Yeah," she interrupted right back. "You explained it enough to make it clear that I do NOT have any such curse, if these curses even exist, which I see no reason to believe. And secondly, even if I WOULD marry another girl, I would certainly never marry a violent maniac like her!! It's bad enough that she's the one responsible for my amnesia, but on top of that she's blaming ME for what SHE did!! I am NOT going to have ANYTHING to do with someone like her!!"

"That's FINE with me, because I don't want anything to do with a lying, perverted, JERK like you!!" Akane said from the door to the room.

Everyone swung to face her, Ranma's face becoming ugly. "Then prove it and go away, you brainless bitch!" she snapped back.

Everyone swung back to face Ranma, their mouths all gaping at her. Akane's face became white as a sheet, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "What. Did. You. Call. Me?" she bit off at the other.

Ranma just snorted at her. "Fine. If you won't leave, I will. I don't even want to be in the same room as you, you violent monster." She stalked out towards the dojo, leaving Akane seething in impotent fury, the rest of the household just gaping at her exit.

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Ranma sat lotus-style in the center of the dojo, thinking dark thoughts about the world in general and Akane in particular. She was so engrossed in her fuming that she didn't notice Nodoka approaching her until she had placed her hand on Ranma's shoulder. Ranma looked back to see who it was, and her eyes went wide.

"Mother!" Ranma said, starting backwards. "I...er..."

"That was not a very nice thing you said to Akane, Ranma," she said gently.

The girl's expression hardened. "She hasn't deserved 'nice' since the moment I woke up," she spat.

Her mother's own expression hardened. "That may be true, but you still went too far, Ranma. I have been tolerating your impoliteness because of the confusion you have been feeling due to your amnesia. But I will not tolerate such language out of your mouth. I expect you to go apologize to her."

Ranma's stubbornness crumbled and she hung her head. "I'm sorry mother," she said. "I haven't meant to make anyone angry. But you and Nabiki are the only ones who have been trying to help me with this. I just don't know what to expect. It's like everyone else intends to treat me like I still remember everything. Why can't they be more reasonable?" Her rambling stopped abruptly as tears brimmed in her eyes.

Nodoka's heart broke as she saw her child begin to cry, and she gently folded Ranma into her arms. The girl stiffened, then leaned against her mother with a sigh. "Is it going to get easier?" she asked softly.

Nodoka grimaced as images of Ranma's enemies and fiancees came unbidden to her mind. "No, dear, I'm afraid it won't."

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Everyone was waiting for them as they returned to the dinning room. Ranma and Nodoka sat carefully at the table, and Ranma faced Akane with an expressionless face. Akane's face, on the other hand, was angry and slightly smug.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you, Akane," Ranma said slowly.

"You'd better be," she answered, her expression becoming even more smug. "I'm getting tired of this game, Ranma, so let's just get it over with now."

Ranma's face remained expressionless as her eyes bored into Akane, and her smugness slowly dissolved under Ranma's silent gaze. "I'm not playing any game, Akane," she said. "And I'm getting tired of having you blame me for your own actions." Akane flushed angrily, but Ranma deliberately looked away.

"YOU'RE getting tired of this?!" Akane demanded of the back of her head. "It's bad enough that you're acting like you have amnesia, but now I'm told you're pretending to be a girl?!"

Ranma sighed and stood. "I've had enough of this for today. I've apologized as Mother said to, so there is no reason to stay." She walked out of the room before Akane could retort again.

"Akane, you really need to calm down," Nabiki said. "We aren't going to be able to help Ranma if you keep shouting at him like that."

"He doesn't NEED help, he needs a good kick to the head!" Akane snapped back. "I do NOT believe that this is anything but some stupid gag!"

"Then how do you explain that he did not change back with hot water?" Soun piped up tentatively.

"The water just wasn't hot enough or something," Akane snapped. "Or else it's just another trick!"

"What WILL persuade you, Akane?" Nodoka asked, exasperated. "I was there when Nabiki poured hot water on him. I know it was hot enough to work. I have seen and heard enough to know that this isn't a trick!" Her face became more severe. "Do you think that I'M lying to you?"

Akane flushed again and began stuttering. "N...n...no! Of course not! But...he...I..."

"Very well, then," Soun said more strongly. "We must find some way to being back Ranma's memory. If we don't," he began to cry again, "then the school is doomed! We must succeed!!!"

"Hmph," Genma snorted. "I know how to do it. Leave it to me!"

"Genma, wait!" Nodoka commanded, but he marched from the room without acknowledging her.

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Ranma lay on her futon, trying unsuccessfully to sort out the jumble of thoughts careening through her head. For a few moments, she wondered if anything would ever make sense in this house. But a few moments was all she had. Her mind was jarred off track as the door to the room slammed open.

"All right, boy, that's enough of this ridiculousness! I'm going to being your memory back if it kills you!"

Ranma gaped at the bulk of her father as it stood in the doorway. "But father..." she managed.

"But nothing!" the large man growled, stomping over and jerking her to her feet by one arm. He began dragging her out of the room as he continued to rant. "You're my son and I'm not going to watch this any longer! All this because of one measly bump to the back of your head? You're a disgrace to the family!"

"I'm not your son, I'm your daughter!" she protested weakly, but Genma ignored her as he dragged her to the dojo. Once there, he shoved her several steps away and took up an attack stance.

"Defend!" he demanded.

"B...but father..." she tried again as her mind quit working.

"Defend, dammit!" Genma shouted, lunging at her. Ranma scrabbled back, trying to distance herself from him, but not fast enough. His extended foot slammed into her midsection, knocking the wind from her as she flew back and landed on the floor some distance away. Her eyes blurred from the impact as pain once again shot through her head like red lightening, but she still tried to rise to her feet as she saw her father approaching like a raging bull.

"I told you to defend!" he roared at her, his fists swinging. She managed to dodge the first, but the second landed a glancing blow on the side of her chin. Her head snapped to the side as she stumbled into the dojo wall. She slid down into a sitting position, too dazed to stay on her feet. A massive white blur covered her eyes, and for an instant she panicked, thinking she had gone blind.

"You're a disgrace!" the white blur rumbled with disgust. "Those attacks should never have landed!!"

"F...father..." she croaked as the world went black.

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She woke up slowly, and regretted it every step of the way. Each beat of her heart was making her head throb with pain and she was sure that it would pop like a balloon soon, if it hadn't already done so. Eventually she abandoned her efforts at consciousness and tried to let out a low moan. The instant she took in the breath for it though, her ribs began aching as though they were on fire. The air came out in a gasp of pain.

"This has got to stop," was her only thought.

"Ranma?" came a hopeful voice suddenly. She stayed silent for a moment until recognition came.

"Mother?" she called tentatively.

"I'm here, dear, I'm here," her mother said softly, as she placed her hand on Ranma's forehead. "How do you feel?"

"Terrible," Ranma mumbled.

The darkness around her abruptly lifted and Ranma felt a pang of surprise, until she made out the form of her mother lifting a rag from her face. There was the sound of sloshing water, and the darkness suddenly came back as the rag was replaced. It felt much more soothing this time, and Ranma suddenly became drowsy.

"You just rest now, dear," her mother said, as if reading her mind. "You'll be ok now."

"Thanks, mother," she said around a yawn, and dropped off almost before she finished speaking.

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The household was much more grim as they saw Nodoka return to the room. She glared at Genma as she sat, her gaze hot enough to fuse hydrogen. He looked away, obviously uncomfortable.

"Ranma woke up for a minute, but she's...I mean he's sleeping now," Nodoka reported, never taking her eyes from the back of her husband's head.

"That was pretty stupid, Uncle Saotome," Nabiki said with disgust.

"Yes it was," Kasumi said more severely than she had ever spoken before. "We're all lucky that you didn't make Ranma's condition any worse."

Genma cringed. "I thought that Ranma would respond to sparring!" he whined at them. "The martial arts are his life! He should have remembered that much at least!"

The room erupted into outraged noise as almost everyone began shouting at Genma at once. Akane, for her part, remained silent. She had seen the mass of bruises on Ranma as she...HE had been carried to her...HIS room, and at the sight the first inkling of doubt began to penetrate her denial. Ranma would never have let his father win any fight, serious or not, so decisively.

"That's enough!" Soun soon shouted with uncharacteristic strength in his voice. Everyone in the room, including Kasumi, stared at him in surprise. He continued in a more sedate voice. "Regardless of whether Saotome was wrong or right, the fact remains that Ranma's condition is obviously serious, and that this proves it. We need to be more gentle with him for the time being." His eyes began leaking again. "If we don't, our families may never be joined!" He began watering the table again.

Status quo restored, the others turned back to the conversation.

Nodoka declared, "Injuries aside, I think you will all agree that it would be safer for Ranma to stay home from school for a while. Having amnesia will take a while for Ranma to get used to here at home without worrying about the other students at school."

Akane felt her old skepticism rise up as Nodoka spoke. Even now, she still didn't really believe that it was real. But she particularly did not want Ranma to take his act to school. It would just embarrass her. Better to give him some time to get over it. "Yeah," she said outloud. "That sounds like a good idea."

The other people in the room glanced at her suspiciously for her sudden support, but didn't comment.

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Ranma awoke to the feel of the damp rag across her eyes being removed once again. She slowly opened her eyes and realized that she felt much better. A little stiff, but otherwise not very painful.

A voice said, "Oh, you're awake," drawing Ranma's attention.

She sized up her caretaker, trying to put a name to her. "Kasumi, right?" she asked weakly.

Kasumi beamed. "Yes, Ranma. How are you feeling?"

"Much better," she responded. She considered for another moment. "And hungry."

"Well, that makes sense," Kasumi explained. "It has been a whole day since you last ate, and you've been through a lot since then."

Ranma raised her eyebrows. "A whole day?"

Kasumi nodded. "You had your little...accident yesterday morning. And now it is the morning of the day after." She gestured to a window where sunlight streamed into the room. Ranma followed her gesture and gazed at the sunlight thoughtfully.

"I'm sorry I've been so much trouble..." Ranma started saying.

"Nonsense," Kasumi interrupted. "We are your family, even if you do not remember that. We all care for you." There was a brief silence.

"So now what?" Ranma asked a few moments later.

"You just stay here," Kasumi suggested firmly. "I'll bring you a little something to eat."

Kasumi left and returned a short time later with some food. Ranma could not remember what it was, but it smelled great. Kasumi helped her into a sitting position and then sat down on the floor next to her as she ate.

"What happened last night after I fell asleep?" Ranma asked between bites.

"Well, not very much," Kasumi admitted. "We just tried to make a few decisions about what to do about your...condition." Ranma just looked at her to ask the obvious question. "All we decided was that you should stay home from school for a few days," Kasumi added.

"School?"

"Yes, Ranma," the Tendo replied. "You, Akane, and Nabiki all go to the same school. In fact, Akane and Nabiki are there right now. But we felt that you needed some time to get used to your situation before you

"School," Ranma mused silently. "I wonder what it's like?"

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Akane approached the school gates with some trepidation. It would be the first time in more than a year that she had passed through them alone, without Ranma, and she was having irrational fears about being attacked by hordes of boys and other disasters. She had already bumped into Shampoo while on her way from home, and the Amazon had been most upset that Ranma was not to be found.

Fortunately, no mob approached to beat her up as she walked through the gates. Unfortunately, Kuno WAS there. He saw her immediately and advanced, red roses in hand.

"Ah, the fair tigress graces this noble campus with her feminine presence. Surely we are all blessed by the vision before us. But surely none more than I, who you bless with your love!"

Akane felt a stab of annoyance at his presumption, but chose to just walk around him rather than hurt him. Kuno had other ideas as he smoothly interposed himself before her.

"Ah, but there is much time before our studies commence, beauteous one, so let us bask on our love a bit longer!" he exclaimed.

Again without responding, Akane moved to go around him. Again, Kuno interposed himself.

"Ah, but I can see that you are troubled, lovely Tendo Akane. Tell me where be the foul wizard who is no doubt the source of your distress, that I might smite him and end his evil?"

"Last chance," Akane thought to herself viciously as she once again stepped aside to pass him. Once again, Kuno blocked her path.

"Ah, but if I must beg, then it is little price to pay..."

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!" Akane shouted, kicking him skyward. She watched with satisfaction as he flew off, his final soliloquy lost to the skies. "I hope HE lands on a rock and gets amnesia," Akane thought as she walked towards the school building. But thinking of that only reminded her of Ranma's condition and how he got that condition. She dismissed the thought with a snarl.

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The entire class immediately noticed Ranma's absence when she walked in the door. She could feel their eyes on her, clearly wondering what had happened. Well, they could keep wondering, as far as she was concerned.

Ukyou was the worst of the class, of course. Ranma was always the first person she looked for when she arrived. But today when she got to class, all she saw was Akane, with Ranma's desk conspicuously empty.

"So where's Ran-chan, Akane?" she asked, stopping by Akane's desk before moving on to her own.

"Somewhere else," Akane said shortly, not in a mood to talk to her.

"I can see that," Ukyou replied, slightly annoyed. "So where would that be?"

"Why ask me?" Akane demanded. "I don't control where that jerk wants to go!"

Ukyou snorted but declined to continue the conversation. She left Akane's desk and sat down just as Ms. Hinako arrived.

"Take your seats, everyone!" the little girl exclaimed happily. The class bustled to comply as Ms. Hinako began reading the roll. She glanced significantly at Ranma's empty desk when she got to his name. "Where is Mr. Saotome, Ms. Tendo?" she asked.

Akane sighed at the inevitable question. "He stayed home today, Ms. Hinako," Akane explained.

There was a moment's silence as the teacher waited for an elaboration. "And why would that be?" she asked when none came.

"Er, I'll explain after class?" Akane suggested hopefully.

The little girl raised her brow curiously, but nodded. "I shall be expecting it," she responded.

At her desk, Ukyou fumed silently. She had hoped that Ms. Hinako would be able to drag an explanation out of Akane, but the teacher had agreed to wait until after class when the other students would be gone. Well, nice try, but she would be damned before she let Akane get out of telling her about it that easily. The rest of the class was about the same for Ukyou, spent thinking nasty thoughts about Akane's selfishness.

Akane, for her part, found herself just as preoccupied as Ukyou, her thoughts constantly drifting back to Ranma. "Why do I keep thinking about him?" she thought a few dozen times over the course of the class.

"It's not like I care about that stupid pervert! Besides, even if he DOES have amnesia, he deserves it! It's his own fault!" But the rationalization could not keep her from thinking about him.

The class finally ended and the other students began filling out of the room, but Ms. Hinako walked over to Akane's desk before she could follow them.

"Well, Ms. Tendo? I'm waiting to hear why Mr. Saotome could not join us."

Akane grimaced, but saw no need to not tell her. Of course, she did not need to tell the entire truth either. "Ranma had an accident yesterday. We all felt that he should stay home from school."

Ms. Hinako's eyes widened. "An accident serious enough to keep HIM home? What happened?"

"Yeah, Akane, what happened?" Ukyou thought, keeping quiet as she eavesdropped.

"He...fell into the pond in our front yard yesterday morning and hit his head pretty hard. He...apparently, he has amnesia."

"WHAT?!" Ukyou shrieked.

Akane whirled on her. "What are you still doing here?" she snarled at her.

"What do you think?" Ukyou snarled back. "I wasn't about to let you keep this secret from me! I have an interest in Ranma, you know!"

"Yes, that is pretty serious, Ms. Tendo," the teacher said thoughtfully, ignoring both girls. "I can understand why he would stay home for a while. Very well, thank you for telling me. You'd better go now. You don't want to be late for your next class."

"Of course, Ms. Hinako," Akane agreed, bowing to her. "Thank you for your understanding." She fled the room, Ukyou hot on her heals.

"He has AMNESIA? And you didn't tell me?!" Ukyou hissed, mindful of the other students in the hall with them.

"What difference would it have made?" Akane shot back. "You're here and he isn't, so you couldn't have done anything for him anyway!"

"Well, maybe you don't understand this, Akane," she replied sarcastically, "but he IS my fiance and I care about him! Certainly more than YOU do!"

"So what?" Akane said hotly. "You can HAVE him for all I care!"

"That won't do me any good if I don't even know when something like this happens to him!" Ukyou rifled back. "For that matter, how DID it happen? I noticed that you didn't tell Ms. Hinako HOW he fell into the pond! I doubt that it was just an unlucky accident!"

"Well, I don't care WHAT you think!" Akane flamed back. "It isn't any of your business anyway!"

"Oh yeah?" Ukyou retorted, spinning in front of her and forcing her to stop. "Well, I got news for you, Akane! Ranma is MY fiance, and that MAKES it my business! If you aren't willing to take care of him, then maybe you should step aside for someone who is!" Ukyou whirled and marched down the hall, leaving Akane to glare at her back.

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

For Ranma, the day passed much more quietly. Her father avoided her the entire day, which was just fine with her. And Mr. Tendo was also mostly absent, appearing briefly every once in a while and quickly disappearing again. Her mother and Kasumi were both very solicitous, treating her with very gentle care and insisting that she stay seated or laying down most of the day. To her unending annoyance, that was all they did all day. They both constantly refused to answer her questions about her past before the accident, saying only that she "shouldn't get too excited."

The only thing even approaching a real disturbance came midmorning in the form of a very loud knock on the front door. Ranma heard Kasumi answer the door and say, "Oh, Shampoo. I'm sorry, but he isn't here right now. His father said something about a training trip." Nothing more came of it.

Except for a sneaking suspicion that she was the reason for that brief midmorning visit, the day was quiet and very restful. So Ranma was feeling much better in the afternoon when Akane returned from school. She was sitting on the living room couch meditatively when Akane walked into the room. Ranma felt her spirits sour slightly when she arrived, but immediately had her attention captivated by Akane's bundle that she held to her chest with one hand. It was a small black piglet wearing a tiger-striped bandana around its neck. Strangely enough, she got the distinct impression that it was glaring at her angrily.

"What's with the pig?" Ranma asked her without preamble.

For some reason, Akane stiffened when she asked the question. But she quickly calmed down. "This is my pet, P-chan. He gets lost a lot but I found him today on my way home from school."

Ranma grunted a noncommittal reply, her attention still on the little animal. It was now looking back and forth between Akane and her, seeming for all the world as though something were confusing it. Though the glances it shot Ranma still seemed angry.

"Is there some reason that it keeps glaring at me like that?"

Akane looked down at the piglet. "You've always treated him badly, Ranma," she explained. "I guess he doesn't trust you. I don't blame him, really. I don't trust you either." She gave Ranma her own glare.

"You'd better not tease him."

Ranma blinked at the apparent non-sequitar. "Why would I do that?"

Akane just snorted and left the room. Ranma shrugged. "I guess this house will NEVER make any sense," she said to herself.

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

Akane sighed to herself as she set her book bag on the floor to her room and P-chan on her bed. She flopped down into her desk chair with a huff. "What a day! First Shampoo, then Kuno, then Ukyou and the rest of the school! Why can't they ever leave me alone about Ranma anyway?" She sighed again. "Oh, I don't know, P-chan," she complained, "maybe they're just all crazy or something. Just because Ranma stayed home from school today, they all had to hound me about it! Why should I have to tell them that Ranma has amnesia?"

Ryouga's ears perked up. "Ranma has amnesia?" he thought. "Oh yes! Now's my chance!!"

"And for all I know, he really is faking it!" Akane continued, regaining P-chan's attention. "How am I supposed to know whether or not it's real? And what do I do about it, whichever it is?"

Ryouga's mind began spinning. "I have to know!" he thought urgently. "If he does have amnesia, I can get him to promise to give up Akane! Finally, she and I can be together!"

Trying to appear casual, Ryouga jumped off Akane's bed and went in search of the bathroom.

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

"Hey, Ranma."

She was shocked out of her introspection as a young man she did not know dropped onto the sofa next to her. He was quite a bit taller than her and was dressed in a well-worn shirt and trousers with laced boots. Around his forehead he had a bandanna remarkably similar to the one around the neck of Akane's pet.

"Do I know you?" she asked carefully.

He thought for an moment. "You used to," he finally answered. "My name's Ryouga Hibiki."

"Oh, hi Ryouga," Kasumi exclaimed brightly as she entered the room. "When did you get here?"

"Um, I, uh, got here just now, actually," he said hesitantly. "I thought I'd talk to Ranma here for a while."

"Oh, that's nice of you, Ryouga. Just be careful," she added as she gave him and Ranma a cup of tea. "Ranma...well..."

"Don't worry, I heard," Ryouga assured her. "I'll be careful."

Reassured, Kasumi smiled and nodded, then left the room.

Ranma, on the other hand, felt a bit suspicious. "How do you know that I..."

"Have amnesia? I heard someone mention it a little while ago," Ryouga answered. "I didn't get a good look at whoever it was." "Which is true as far as it goes," Ryouga thought to himself. "I wasn't looking at Akane when she said it." Out loud he said, "So how are you taking it?"

She grimaced at his question. "Not to well. Everyone around here is crazy, I swear."

There was a brief silence. "Is that why you have that large bruise on your cheek?" Ryouga asked.

Involuntarily, Ranma put a hand to the bruise she had gotten from her father's fist the previous night. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." Ryouga waited for her to say more, but she remained silent.

"So what about Akane?" he finally queried.

Ranma scowled. "What about her"? she demanded.

"Well, I mean, what do you think of her?" Ryouga said, seeming to force the words out.

Ranma looked at him with a frown on her face. "What difference does it make?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just curious," Ryouga lied poorly.

Ranma snorted, but answered his question anyway. "What can I say?" she said bitterly. "It's her fault that I have this amnesia. She hit me with a mallet and made me fall into the pond and hit my head on a rock. If not for her I wouldn't have this problem. In short, I think that she's a violent maniac and would prefer that she leave me alone."

Ryouga felt himself grow both angry and excited. On the one hand, he didn't like hearing his worst rival speak of his love that way. But on the other hand, if it was true it meant that Ranma wouldn't try to keep them apart.

"So you don't like her, huh?" he asked, trying to make it sound casual.

Ranma gave him a "how stupid do you think I am" look. "No, I don't. So you can have her if you want her so badly."

"You promise?" Ryouga asked desperately.

Ranma gave him a "boy are you dumb" look. "Take a close look at me, Ryouga. You might notice that I'm a girl. Why would I try to stop you from taking another girl?"

For the first time, Ryouga looked truly shocked. "What do you mean? You aren't a girl!"

Ranma put her face in her hands and groaned. "Not you too! Why does everyone around here think that I'm a boy?!" She glared at him fiercely. "Does it really matter that much?"

"Well..." Ryouga's mind suddenly put two and two together. "Why no. Not at all, Ranma. Sorry to bring it up. It's just that you and I have never gotten along about Akane before."

He stood and left the room without further comment, not noticing that he was walking out the front door. "Yeah, it doesn't matter at all, Ranma," he thought as he began walking down the street. "As long as you keep thinking that you're a girl, there's no way you can come between me and Akane. This is the chance that I've been waiting..." He suddenly noticed that he was no longer in the Tendo home, but instead was standing on a pedestrian overpass over a busy street. He looked around but he could not see the Tendo home anywhere.

"AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!! WHERE AM I NOW?????"

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

Ranma was still pondering that conversation when Akane came into the room. "Ranma, have you seen P-chan?"

"Your pet? No, I haven't seen it," she replied. "Why?"

Akane just shook her head. "Oh, he's wondered off already. I'd worry about him if he didn't always come back."

Ranma just shrugged. "Akane, do you know a guy named Ryouga?"

Akane blinked at the sudden change of subject. "Ryouga? Sure I know him. He comes around all the time. Why? Is he here?"

"He was," Ranma supplied. "He said he was here to talk to me about my amnesia, but all he did was talk about you."

Akane narrowed her eyes and glared at her. "Is that bad?" she snapped.

Ranma rolled her eyes. "Why do I bother with you?" she griped. "I was just going to say that this Ryouga guy seems pretty fixated on you. He kept asking me what I thought of you and all that. He was pretty relieved when I explained that I wasn't interested in you. As if I could be interested in any other girl, let alone you."

"Are you saying that you think he...LIKES me?" Akane asked, too shocked to get angry at Ranma for the insult.

"It was written all over her face, Akane," Ranma explained. "He's got it for you pretty badly. I guess there's no accounting for taste."

Akane shook her head, still ignoring Ranma's insults. "That can't be right. We've known Ryouga for over a year and he hasn't ever said anything to me before."

Again Ranma shrugged. "I was getting the idea that he thinks I was always standing between him and you. Maybe he thought that if he tried to say anything to you, I would have stopped him or something."

"Hmph," Akane sniffed, folding her arms over her chest. "That would be just like you. You were such a conceited jerk."

"Look who's talking," Ranma offered. "I can't imagine why I would have ever tried to stop Ryouga before, and I certainly wouldn't now. At any rate, he seemed to be making sure of that, then he just walked off. I figured he was going to see you. Hasn't he shown up yet?"

Akane stared at her. "Of course he hasn't! You know that...oh wait, you wouldn't remember this, would you?" That last was said with scorn, but Akane forged onward before Ranma could snap back. "Ryouga has the world's worst sense of direction. He could get lost in an empty room with one door and no windows. It'll probably be days before he gets back."

Ranma blinked, but declined to comment. "Why bother?" she thought. "The way things have been so far, that isn't so unusual, I guess."

There was a knock on the door, effectively ending the conversation as both girls listened to Kasumi answering it.

"Oh, hello Ukyou. I'm sorry, but he isn't here. His father said something about a training trip."

"Sorry, Kasumi, but that line isn't going to work on me," came a new voice, carrying a rather rough accent. "I heard about it at school today. Now let me see him."

There was a brief silence, then Kasumi answered. "That really isn't a good idea, Ukyou. Ranma..."

"I said I heard about it," Ukyou interrupted. "I over-heard Akane telling Ms. Hinako what happened. Now let me in."

The two heard Kasumi give a "the world's going nuts" sigh. "Very well, Ukyou, but please be very careful."

Ranma saw Akane close her eyes as if struggling against some inner turmoil. Ranma leaned close and said in a low voice, "What's going on now?"

"Just wait and see," was all Akane was able to say back before the visitor appeared in the room. She was a tall girl, from Ranma's perspective, more than a head taller than her and Akane. She had long brown hair tied into a loose ponytail by a white ribbon and was wearing an outfit that looked for all the world like a cross between a gi and a chef's apron. She was carrying a small box in one hand.

"Hi, Ran-chan, how are you?" she bubbled, sitting next to her on the sofa.

Ranma blinked in surprise, noting out of the corner of her eye that Akane had become very tense during the visitor's casual greeting.

"Uh, I'm fine, I guess. And who are you?"

The girl looked a bit nonplused at Ranma's question, but quickly smiled back at her. "The name's Ukyou Kuonji. You've always called me Ucchan, though, so feel free."

Ranma grinned wryly. "Ucchan? Interesting. We're friends, then?"

Ukyou's smile became a bit tighter. "Well, yes, but we were supposed to become more than that."

A few moments passed in silence. "Huh?" Ranma eventually asked.

"What she means," Akane supplied, "is that the two of you are fiances."

Ranma's eyes widened. "What?"

"That's right, Ran-chan." Ukyou said enthusiastically.

"But I'm a girl!" Ranma blurted. "It's strange enough that I got engaged to ONE girl!" She gestured to Akane. "How did I get engaged to you too?"

Ukyou's smile cracked and dissolved. "A girl? But you're..."

Akane grinned and turned away from them, rocking back and forth on her feet. "Did I forget to mention that Ranma is locked in his cursed form and has forgotten that he's not a girl?" she asked innocently.

Ranma rolled her eyes and sighed. "You see what I've been putting up with?" Ranma appealed to Ukyou. "Not only do I have amnesia, but I have all these crazy people telling me that I have this weird curse that makes me change into a boy or something. Have you ever heard anything so strange? I mean, if I really did have such a curse, why would it suddenly go away just because I couldn't remember it?"

"Uh, yeah, that's a good question, Ran-chan," Ukyou answered, feeling suddenly cold. She lifted the box. "Uh, I brought you some food, Ran-chan. I run a restaurant, and I thought you might like something."

"Wow, that's nice of you Ucchan, but you didn't have to," Ranma answered, opening the box. She peered at the pancake-shaped thing inside, replete with some dark red sauce over it in a heart-shape. "Uh, I'm afraid I don't remember what this is," she told Ukyou sheepishly.

"It's called 'okonomiaki'," Akane explained, causing Ukyou to glare at her darkly. Akane returned the glare with a sunny smile.

Ranma missed the silent by-play as she lifted the okonomiaki and took an experimental bite. "Hmm, this is good, Ucchan," she exclaimed, and took a bigger bite.

Ukyou beamed. "Thanks, Ran-chan. This was always your favorite before you...uh...had that accident." She gave Akane a smug look, and this time the look Akane returned was smoldering.

"Whatever. I'll just leave the two of you alone now. Have fun together," Akane spat, and tromped out of the room. Ranma watched her go with some confusion.

"What's with her?" she asked after she had swallowed.

"Oh, forget about her," Ukyou said, waving a hand at the door Akane had retreated through. "She and I have never really gotten along."

"Believe me, I understand," Ranma assured her. "I haven't been getting along with her ever since I woke up from the accident. It's her fault, you know."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Ukyou sympathized.

"Seriously, it is," Ranma insisted. "That...girl...actually hit me with a mallet! On the head! And it's because of that that I fell into the pond in the first place! This amnesia is all her fault, and on top of that she has the gall to blame ME for it rather than admit that she's the one who did it!"

Ukyou's eyes widened, then narrowed as she began seeing red. "Why that...she...errrrrrrgh!" the chef ground out. "I should have known that it was her! That's just like her! Well, don't worry, Ran-chan, I'm still your friend no matter what happens."

Ranma gave her a very grateful "thank you", which made Ukyou feel warm inside. "Yeah, Ran-chan, I'm still your friend," she thought to herself. "And once you're cured of this amnesia you'll realize that I'm much better for you than some violent maniac who can't even cook. Maybe something good will come from this after all."

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

Akane leaned against the wall of the hall near the living room door, eavesdropping on Ranma and Ukyou.

"That...girl...actually hit me with a mallet! On the head!" she heard Ranma exclaim. "And it's because of that that I fell into the pond in the first place! This amnesia is all her fault, and on top of that she has the gall to blame ME for it rather than admit that she's the one who did it!"

There was a very short silence. "Why that...she...errrrrrrgh!" Ukyou finally growled. "I should have known that it was her! That's just like her! Well, don't worry, Ran-chan, I'm still your friend no matter what happens."

Having heard enough, Akane silently dashed upstairs to her room. "Fine. If that's how it's going to be, let them have each other," she spat as she closed her door. But, inexplicably, she felt more sad and empty rather than angry.

"Ranma. I didn't mean it," she whispered to the room.

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

Last revision: August 16, 1998

From the versatile mind of The Deadly Nightshade comes:

Clean Slate

A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction

The characters used in this story are the creation of Rumiko Takahashi, and are copyrighted by whoever it is that copyrighted them. I would never claim otherwise nor would I use them for profit, as that would be dishonest (and because I don’t want to get sued into oblivion). On the other hand, THIS story is created and copyrighted by ME. So you had best give me credit if you use this story in any way, else when I catch up with you I shall make the Black Rose herself look like the poster- child of sanity.

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

She woke up slowly, and regretted it every step of the way. Each beat of her heart was making her head throb with pain and she was sure that it would pop like a balloon soon, if it hadn't already done so. Eventually she abandoned her efforts at consciousness and let out a low moan. She quickly regretted that also.

"YOU DUMMY!! WHY DON'T YOU JUST THROW YOURSELF IN FRONT OF A CAR NEXT TIME?!"

"CALM DOWN, AKANE. LIKE IT'S HIS FAULT THAT YOU THREW HIM INTO THE POND."

"IT IS HIS FAULT!! EVERYTHING IS HIS FAULT!!"

"Will you two please stop shouting," she said weakly, hands going to her head compulsively as the voices slammed into her ears. She quickly decided against opening her eyes.

"I'M NOT SHOUTING," said the more reasonable-sounding of the two voices.

"It sounds like it to me," she rejoindered weakly, trying to bury herself in the soft surface she was laying on.

"It's probably just the bump to your head," the reasonable voice said, dropping down almost to a whisper, and allowing her to identify that speaker as a girl. "You should be fine in a little while."

"YOU WOULDN'T BE LIKE THIS AT ALL IF YOU HADN'T INSULTED ME, YOU STUPID JERK!" said the other voice, not modulating itself in the slightest. "SERVES YOU RIGHT!"

Despite the pain she was feeling, that last comment piqued her curiosity. Carefully, she pried her eyes open and got her first look at the room around her. It was rather barren. Except for a couple of futons, one of which she was laying on, and a plain-looking dresser, the room was basically empty. Except, of course, for the two girls looking at her. They were very similar in appearance. Both had short hair around faces that had an obvious family resemblance. She was fairly certain that the more reasonable voice had come from the one who was the one hanging back slightly, closer to the room's only door. This was because the other girl was standing next to the futon she was laying on, glaring directly down at her with an expression of white-hot anger. She had a hard time believing that anything reasonable could come from that one.

"What?" she finally responded to the last comment when she felt like speaking wouldn't kill her.

For some reason the word made the angry girl purple with rage, but the reasonable one put a hand on her shoulder before she could explode. "Calm down," she commanded.

Angry started and glared at Reasonable, then grudgingly took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "What I said," Angry responded slowly, obviously taking great pains to keep her voice down, "was that if you hadn't insulted me, you wouldn't be like this. Maybe you should think next time before you talk about my cooking like that." Angry's glare took on a look of smugness as she finished talking.

She looked away from Angry's face for a few moments, her brows knitting in thought. When the answer to her mental query didn't appear, she looked back at Angry and hesitantly said, "Who are you and what are you talking about?"

Angry's face purpled all over again. "Don't you try that old trick on me you brainless pervert!" she ordered, her anger turning her voice into an angry hiss.

"What trick?" she asked. "Who are you?"

"I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!!!" Angry shouted, causing pain to lance through her skull all over again. "I'M NOT STAYING HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS JERK'S LIES!!!" With that said, Angry stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

There was a brief silence, then Reasonable came over to the futon, standing in the spot Angry had recently vacated. "Are you feeling all right, Ranma?" she asked, her own brow knitted thoughtfully.

She looked at Reasonable blankly. "Are you talking to me?" she asked.

Reasonable's eyebrows shot upward. "Don't you remember your own name?"

She sank back into thought and considered the question. A few moments later, she slowly shook her head, ignoring the small bursts of pain that resulted from the motion. "No."

She looked back up at Reasonable, who was looking genuinely concerned. There was another brief silence, during which they heard voices raised nearby. They could not make out the words, but Reasonable still turned her head towards the voices worriedly. She quickly turned back and said, "Listen. Your name is Ranma Saotome. Got that?" Ranma nodded her head slowly. "Good. Now stay here and rest, Ranma. I have to go somewhere. Someone will be back to check on you soon."

"No you don't," Ranma thought to herself as Reasonable quickly left through the door. "I want to know what's going on." She tottered to her feet, braced herself against a sudden attack of dizziness, then

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

Akane stalked down the stairs and into the dining room, where the rest of the household was sitting.

"Akane!" Nodoka said upon seeing her entrance. "We heard some shouting. How is my son?"

"Oh, he's perfectly normal, Auntie Saotome," she answered sarcastically. "He's the same stupid jerk he's always been." Nodoka sat back in slight confusion.

"Ha!" Genma crowed from his seat next to the Shogi board. "I told you that my boy would be back up soon! He's too tough of a man to let a little fall like that take him down!"

Soun took the opportunity of Genma's distraction to move several pieces on the Shogi board and then interjected enthusiastically. "Oh, nobody here doubted you or Ranma for an instant, Saotome!"

"That's wonderful," Kasumi added brightly from her spot at the dining room table across from Nodoka. "I'm glad he's not badly hurt."

"Akane," Nodoka said, sounding concerned. "Is there something else wrong? What you said didn't sound...right." Akane looked at her and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, it's nothing, Auntie Saotome," she said, shaking her head. "That jerk was just trying to pull this stupid trick on me when he woke up, that's all."

Nodoka's visage darkened. "He was?"

"Yeah, and it was so childish," Akane added. "He was actually pretending that he had amnesia." The other people in the room looked shocked at her announcement, but she pressed on before they could ask anything. "The pervert actually asked me who I was. As if he couldn't remember anything," she scoffed. Nodoka's face darkened even further, while the two fathers exchanged a glance.

"Um, Akane," Soun said, "are you sure it was just a trick?"

"Of course it was, dad!" she shot back, almost shouting. "You were the one just saying that you had faith in his 'toughness'! He's just playing a childish trick to get back at me, like he always does!" There were a few moments of silence.

"Are you really sure of that Akane?" Kasumi said. "That's really not like him at all!"

"Of course it's like him!!" Akane shouted back. "That's ALWAYS been exactly like him!! This is just his sick idea of revenge!!"

"Don't be too sure of that, Akane," came Nabiki's voice from the doorway behind her. Everyone looked to see the middle Tendo sister entering the room. "I don't think Ranma was lying about it."

"Oh come on, Nabiki, don't tell me you actually believe that," Akane sneered at her.

"That's right," Genma spoke up. "My boy's too tough for something like this to happen to him!" he said with bravado.

"You might be right," Nabiki conceded. "But my instincts are saying otherwise here. Ranma's a horrible actor. If he had been lying about it, his insincerity would have been leaking from him like water from a sieve. I didn't feel anything like that from him."

"So what?" Akane challenged. "Maybe he's gotten better!"

"Oh yeah, Akane," Nabiki said with a laugh. "You hitting him with your mallet so that he flew into the fish pond and cracked his head on a rock is exactly the way to improve his acting skills."

"But it's never hurt him before!" Akane protested, unknowingly covering up a small gasp that emanated from out the door so that nobody heard it.

"And you think that means that he never could be hurt?" Nabiki shot back.

"Nabiki's right, Akane," Kasumi said. "Ranma is only human. He may be tough, but he can still be hurt. Are you sure that you..."

"DON'T BE RIDICULOUS!!!" Akane interrupted in a screech, causing Ranma, who was eavesdropping in the hall, to clutch her head in pain. "I DID NOT DO THAT TO RANMA!!!" She calmed herself slightly and said, "It's his own fault! He insulted my cooking! He deserved it! And now he's just trying to get back at me for it! You just wait! Any time now he'll come running downstairs, jeering at how he fooled me! Well, I'm not going to fall for it!!" She stalked out of the room before anyone could answer.

"That girl's into some serious denial," Nabiki said, rolling her eyes. The rest of the room just nodded in agreement.

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

Fortunately for Ranma, Akane did not see her as she pounded out of the dinning room. That was because Ranma had already retreated back to the room where she had woke up and so wasn't out in the hall when Akane passed by. She quietly closed the door to the room, then dropped down onto the futon and began fuming.

"That...that...BITCH!" she whispered viciously. "SHE'S responsible for this...amnesia." She winced as she said the word. "She HIT me with a MALLET! I'm probably lucky to be alive! And she has the gall to shout about how it's MY fault!? If that Akane girl thinks I'm ever going to forgive her for this, she has another thing coming!"

She stopped talking to herself suddenly as the door to the room opened. She recognized the reasonable girl, "Nabiki", her mind supplied for her. But the older, matronly woman with her was unfamiliar. They closed the door behind them as they entered the room.

"Hello, Ranma," the woman said gently. "How are you feeling?"

Ranma grimaced. "My head still hurts," she explained. "But that's not too surprising, I guess. Getting hit on the head with a mallet will do that to you." She slouched back down on the futon and began sulking again.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the two exchange glances. "How can you remember that if you couldn't even remember your own name before?" Nabiki asked carefully.

"I don't remember it," Ranma explained without looking at them. "I sneaked down the stairs after you and listened in on the conversation."

Nobody spoke for a short time. "How much did you hear?" the woman finally asked.

"Everything that was said after Nabiki here went into the room. Including the part about how that Akane girl blamed me for the fact that SHE hit me!"

"Ranma, try not to be too angry about that. She's just taking it too hard is all." Nabiki said hastily.

Ranma snorted and glared at them. "Let me explain a few things. I'm laying here, with AMNESIA. I can't remember anything! And it's all because of that violent monster! Not only that, but she's blaming ME for it, as if I hit myself with that mallet! And you ask me not to be angry with her?!"

"Yes, we do, Ranma," the woman said. "She'll calm down eventually, and when she does she'll be more reasonable." From the grimace that crossed Nabiki's face, Ranma could tell that she didn't believe what the woman had just said, but the girl let it slide.

"Whatever," she said instead. "Right now I have only two questions about all this."

"And they are?" Nabiki prompted.

"First," she looked at the woman. "Who are you?"

She blinked. "My name is Nodoka Saotome. I am your mother."

Ranma's eyes widened. "My mother?"

Nodoka nodded. "Yes. So what is your second question?"

Ranma hesitated. "Why were you all calling me 'he' and 'him'?"

The two blinked at her. "As opposed to what?" Nodoka asked.

Ranma blinked back at them. "'She' and 'her', of course. I mean, I may have amnesia, but I haven't forgotten what makes up a girl." She rolled over and waved at her chest.

The two just stared at her for a few moments. Finally, Nabiki managed to say, "You think you're a girl?"

Ranma gave a snorting laugh. "Well, yeah," she said sarcastically. "I mean, I'm fairly confident that boys don't have breasts. And I don't have the one thing that they DO have." She pointed at her crotch. The other two women just stared at her. "Is something wrong with that?"

Nabiki recovered first. "No, not at all. But you'd better come to the bathroom with us. We have something to show you." Ranma cocked one eye at them, but dutifully stood and followed them out of the room.

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

"All right, what's so important about the bathroom?" she asked them when they arrived.

"We intend to prove that you are not a girl," Nabiki informed her.

Ranma rolled her eyes. "Look, if you want a peak under my clothes, we didn't have to leave that room for it."

"Ranma!" her mother said severely. "That is not what we are going to do!"

Ranma flushed in embarrassment and looked down, but said nothing.

"All right, Ranma, here's how it works," Nabiki said, covering the uneasiness in the room. "You have a curse."

Ranma blinked. "A what?"

"A curse," Nodoka repeated for her. "You are actually a boy. But when you get wet you turn into a girl. Since you were hit into the pond in the front yard, you turned into a girl even while you hit your head on that rock. That is why you are a girl now."

"And to change you back to a boy," Nabiki continued, "you just need to get wet with warm water. So we are going to throw some warm water on you, and then you'll see that you are not really a girl."

Ranma blinked a few more times, then shrugged. "All right, bring it on."

Without another word, Nabiki got a bathing pan, filled it with hot water, and threw it on Ranma. "There. You see?"

"Yes," said the wet Ranma, looking down at herself. "I see that I'm still a girl. Are you sure you two know what's going on here?"

Her mother and Nabiki were too busy gaping at her to answer. The water had done nothing. Ranma was still a girl.

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

"This is terrible!" Soun wailed as everyone but Akane all sat in conference around the dinning room table. "Now the families can never be joined! Oh, my poor training hall!! What's going to happen to us now?!" Words finally failed him as he began sobbing Niagara Falls.

Ranma stared at the river coming from his eyes in fascination. "What's he talking about?" she asked, mystified.

"Oh, daddy's just afraid that now you can't marry Akane," Kasumi commented as she concentrated on lifting her tea cup.

Ranma turned to look at Kasumi fast enough to get whip-lash. "WHAT?!" shrieked Ranma, her voice loud enough to make Kasumi drop her tea on the table in surprise.

"Oh, now look at what I did," she said sadly. "Excuse me, I'm going to go get a towel."

She left the room as Ranma began looking at the others in the room desperately. "What is she talking about? Me marry Akane?!"

"That's right, boy," Genma said. "It is a matter of honor that our two families be joined through marriage, and to do that you have been engaged to Akane."

"You MUST be joking!! I am NOT going to marry Akane!! First of all, I can't marry another girl..."

"Ranma," Nabiki interrupted as Kasumi returned and began wiping up the spill, "we've explained about your curse..."

"Yeah," she interrupted right back. "You explained it enough to make it clear that I do NOT have any such curse, if these curses even exist, which I see no reason to believe. And secondly, even if I WOULD marry another girl, I would certainly never marry a violent maniac like her!! It's bad enough that she's the one responsible for my amnesia, but on top of that she's blaming ME for what SHE did!! I am NOT going to have ANYTHING to do with someone like her!!"

"That's FINE with me, because I don't want anything to do with a lying, perverted, JERK like you!!" Akane said from the door to the room.

Everyone swung to face her, Ranma's face becoming ugly. "Then prove it and go away, you brainless bitch!" she snapped back.

Everyone swung back to face Ranma, their mouths all gaping at her. Akane's face became white as a sheet, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "What. Did. You. Call. Me?" she bit off at the other.

Ranma just snorted at her. "Fine. If you won't leave, I will. I don't even want to be in the same room as you, you violent monster." She stalked out towards the dojo, leaving Akane seething in impotent fury, the rest of the household just gaping at her exit.

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

Ranma sat lotus-style in the center of the dojo, thinking dark thoughts about the world in general and Akane in particular. She was so engrossed in her fuming that she didn't notice Nodoka approaching her until she had placed her hand on Ranma's shoulder. Ranma looked back to see who it was, and her eyes went wide.

"Mother!" Ranma said, starting backwards. "I...er..."

"That was not a very nice thing you said to Akane, Ranma," she said gently.

The girl's expression hardened. "She hasn't deserved 'nice' since the moment I woke up," she spat.

Her mother's own expression hardened. "That may be true, but you still went too far, Ranma. I have been tolerating your impoliteness because of the confusion you have been feeling due to your amnesia. But I will not tolerate such language out of your mouth. I expect you to go apologize to her."

Ranma's stubbornness crumbled and she hung her head. "I'm sorry mother," she said. "I haven't meant to make anyone angry. But you and Nabiki are the only ones who have been trying to help me with this. I just don't know what to expect. It's like everyone else intends to treat me like I still remember everything. Why can't they be more reasonable?" Her rambling stopped abruptly as tears brimmed in her eyes.

Nodoka's heart broke as she saw her child begin to cry, and she gently folded Ranma into her arms. The girl stiffened, then leaned against her mother with a sigh. "Is it going to get easier?" she asked softly.

Nodoka grimaced as images of Ranma's enemies and fiancees came unbidden to her mind. "No, dear, I'm afraid it won't."

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

Everyone was waiting for them as they returned to the dinning room. Ranma and Nodoka sat carefully at the table, and Ranma faced Akane with an expressionless face. Akane's face, on the other hand, was angry and slightly smug.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you, Akane," Ranma said slowly.

"You'd better be," she answered, her expression becoming even more smug. "I'm getting tired of this game, Ranma, so let's just get it over with now."

Ranma's face remained expressionless as her eyes bored into Akane, and her smugness slowly dissolved under Ranma's silent gaze. "I'm not playing any game, Akane," she said. "And I'm getting tired of having you blame me for your own actions." Akane flushed angrily, but Ranma deliberately looked away.

"YOU'RE getting tired of this?!" Akane demanded of the back of her head. "It's bad enough that you're acting like you have amnesia, but now I'm told you're pretending to be a girl?!"

Ranma sighed and stood. "I've had enough of this for today. I've apologized as Mother said to, so there is no reason to stay." She walked out of the room before Akane could retort again.

"Akane, you really need to calm down," Nabiki said. "We aren't going to be able to help Ranma if you keep shouting at him like that."

"He doesn't NEED help, he needs a good kick to the head!" Akane snapped back. "I do NOT believe that this is anything but some stupid gag!"

"Then how do you explain that he did not change back with hot water?" Soun piped up tentatively.

"The water just wasn't hot enough or something," Akane snapped. "Or else it's just another trick!"

"What WILL persuade you, Akane?" Nodoka asked, exasperated. "I was there when Nabiki poured hot water on him. I know it was hot enough to work. I have seen and heard enough to know that this isn't a trick!" Her face became more severe. "Do you think that I'M lying to you?"

Akane flushed again and began stuttering. "N...n...no! Of course not! But...he...I..."

"Very well, then," Soun said more strongly. "We must find some way to being back Ranma's memory. If we don't," he began to cry again, "then the school is doomed! We must succeed!!!"

"Hmph," Genma snorted. "I know how to do it. Leave it to me!"

"Genma, wait!" Nodoka commanded, but he marched from the room without acknowledging her.

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

Ranma lay on her futon, trying unsuccessfully to sort out the jumble of thoughts careening through her head. For a few moments, she wondered if anything would ever make sense in this house. But a few moments was all she had. Her mind was jarred off track as the door to the room slammed open.

"All right, boy, that's enough of this ridiculousness! I'm going to being your memory back if it kills you!"

Ranma gaped at the bulk of her father as it stood in the doorway. "But father..." she managed.

"But nothing!" the large man growled, stomping over and jerking her to her feet by one arm. He began dragging her out of the room as he continued to rant. "You're my son and I'm not going to watch this any longer! All this because of one measly bump to the back of your head? You're a disgrace to the family!"

"I'm not your son, I'm your daughter!" she protested weakly, but Genma ignored her as he dragged her to the dojo. Once there, he shoved her several steps away and took up an attack stance.

"Defend!" he demanded.

"B...but father..." she tried again as her mind quit working.

"Defend, dammit!" Genma shouted, lunging at her. Ranma scrabbled back, trying to distance herself from him, but not fast enough. His extended foot slammed into her midsection, knocking the wind from her as she flew back and landed on the floor some distance away. Her eyes blurred from the impact as pain once again shot through her head like red lightening, but she still tried to rise to her feet as she saw her father approaching like a raging bull.

"I told you to defend!" he roared at her, his fists swinging. She managed to dodge the first, but the second landed a glancing blow on the side of her chin. Her head snapped to the side as she stumbled into the dojo wall. She slid down into a sitting position, too dazed to stay on her feet. A massive white blur covered her eyes, and for an instant she panicked, thinking she had gone blind.

"You're a disgrace!" the white blur rumbled with disgust. "Those attacks should never have landed!!"

"F...father..." she croaked as the world went black.

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

She woke up slowly, and regretted it every step of the way. Each beat of her heart was making her head throb with pain and she was sure that it would pop like a balloon soon, if it hadn't already done so. Eventually she abandoned her efforts at consciousness and tried to let out a low moan. The instant she took in the breath for it though, her ribs began aching as though they were on fire. The air came out in a gasp of pain.

"This has got to stop," was her only thought.

"Ranma?" came a hopeful voice suddenly. She stayed silent for a moment until recognition came.

"Mother?" she called tentatively.

"I'm here, dear, I'm here," her mother said softly, as she placed her hand on Ranma's forehead. "How do you feel?"

"Terrible," Ranma mumbled.

The darkness around her abruptly lifted and Ranma felt a pang of surprise, until she made out the form of her mother lifting a rag from her face. There was the sound of sloshing water, and the darkness suddenly came back as the rag was replaced. It felt much more soothing this time, and Ranma suddenly became drowsy.

"You just rest now, dear," her mother said, as if reading her mind. "You'll be ok now."

"Thanks, mother," she said around a yawn, and dropped off almost before she finished speaking.

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

The household was much more grim as they saw Nodoka return to the room. She glared at Genma as she sat, her gaze hot enough to fuse hydrogen. He looked away, obviously uncomfortable.

"Ranma woke up for a minute, but she's...I mean he's sleeping now," Nodoka reported, never taking her eyes from the back of her husband's head.

"That was pretty stupid, Uncle Saotome," Nabiki said with disgust.

"Yes it was," Kasumi said more severely than she had ever spoken before. "We're all lucky that you didn't make Ranma's condition any worse."

Genma cringed. "I thought that Ranma would respond to sparring!" he whined at them. "The martial arts are his life! He should have remembered that much at least!"

The room erupted into outraged noise as almost everyone began shouting at Genma at once. Akane, for her part, remained silent. She had seen the mass of bruises on Ranma as she...HE had been carried to her...HIS room, and at the sight the first inkling of doubt began to penetrate her denial. Ranma would never have let his father win any fight, serious or not, so decisively.

"That's enough!" Soun soon shouted with uncharacteristic strength in his voice. Everyone in the room, including Kasumi, stared at him in surprise. He continued in a more sedate voice. "Regardless of whether Saotome was wrong or right, the fact remains that Ranma's condition is obviously serious, and that this proves it. We need to be more gentle with him for the time being." His eyes began leaking again. "If we don't, our families may never be joined!" He began watering the table again.

Status quo restored, the others turned back to the conversation.

Nodoka declared, "Injuries aside, I think you will all agree that it would be safer for Ranma to stay home from school for a while. Having amnesia will take a while for Ranma to get used to here at home without worrying about the other students at school."

Akane felt her old skepticism rise up as Nodoka spoke. Even now, she still didn't really believe that it was real. But she particularly did not want Ranma to take his act to school. It would just embarrass her. Better to give him some time to get over it. "Yeah," she said outloud. "That sounds like a good idea."

The other people in the room glanced at her suspiciously for her sudden support, but didn't comment.

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

Ranma awoke to the feel of the damp rag across her eyes being removed once again. She slowly opened her eyes and realized that she felt much better. A little stiff, but otherwise not very painful.

A voice said, "Oh, you're awake," drawing Ranma's attention.

She sized up her caretaker, trying to put a name to her. "Kasumi, right?" she asked weakly.

Kasumi beamed. "Yes, Ranma. How are you feeling?"

"Much better," she responded. She considered for another moment. "And hungry."

"Well, that makes sense," Kasumi explained. "It has been a whole day since you last ate, and you've been through a lot since then."

Ranma raised her eyebrows. "A whole day?"

Kasumi nodded. "You had your little...accident yesterday morning. And now it is the morning of the day after." She gestured to a window where sunlight streamed into the room. Ranma followed her gesture and gazed at the sunlight thoughtfully.

"I'm sorry I've been so much trouble..." Ranma started saying.

"Nonsense," Kasumi interrupted. "We are your family, even if you do not remember that. We all care for you." There was a brief silence.

"So now what?" Ranma asked a few moments later.

"You just stay here," Kasumi suggested firmly. "I'll bring you a little something to eat."

Kasumi left and returned a short time later with some food. Ranma could not remember what it was, but it smelled great. Kasumi helped her into a sitting position and then sat down on the floor next to her as she ate.

"What happened last night after I fell asleep?" Ranma asked between bites.

"Well, not very much," Kasumi admitted. "We just tried to make a few decisions about what to do about your...condition." Ranma just looked at her to ask the obvious question. "All we decided was that you should stay home from school for a few days," Kasumi added.

"School?"

"Yes, Ranma," the Tendo replied. "You, Akane, and Nabiki all go to the same school. In fact, Akane and Nabiki are there right now. But we felt that you needed some time to get used to your situation before you

"School," Ranma mused silently. "I wonder what it's like?"

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

Akane approached the school gates with some trepidation. It would be the first time in more than a year that she had passed through them alone, without Ranma, and she was having irrational fears about being attacked by hordes of boys and other disasters. She had already bumped into Shampoo while on her way from home, and the Amazon had been most upset that Ranma was not to be found.

Fortunately, no mob approached to beat her up as she walked through the gates. Unfortunately, Kuno WAS there. He saw her immediately and advanced, red roses in hand.

"Ah, the fair tigress graces this noble campus with her feminine presence. Surely we are all blessed by the vision before us. But surely none more than I, who you bless with your love!"

Akane felt a stab of annoyance at his presumption, but chose to just walk around him rather than hurt him. Kuno had other ideas as he smoothly interposed himself before her.

"Ah, but there is much time before our studies commence, beauteous one, so let us bask on our love a bit longer!" he exclaimed.

Again without responding, Akane moved to go around him. Again, Kuno interposed himself.

"Ah, but I can see that you are troubled, lovely Tendo Akane. Tell me where be the foul wizard who is no doubt the source of your distress, that I might smite him and end his evil?"

"Last chance," Akane thought to herself viciously as she once again stepped aside to pass him. Once again, Kuno blocked her path.

"Ah, but if I must beg, then it is little price to pay..."

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!" Akane shouted, kicking him skyward. She watched with satisfaction as he flew off, his final soliloquy lost to the skies. "I hope HE lands on a rock and gets amnesia," Akane thought as she walked towards the school building. But thinking of that only reminded her of Ranma's condition and how he got that condition. She dismissed the thought with a snarl.

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

The entire class immediately noticed Ranma's absence when she walked in the door. She could feel their eyes on her, clearly wondering what had happened. Well, they could keep wondering, as far as she was concerned.

Ukyou was the worst of the class, of course. Ranma was always the first person she looked for when she arrived. But today when she got to class, all she saw was Akane, with Ranma's desk conspicuously empty.

"So where's Ran-chan, Akane?" she asked, stopping by Akane's desk before moving on to her own.

"Somewhere else," Akane said shortly, not in a mood to talk to her.

"I can see that," Ukyou replied, slightly annoyed. "So where would that be?"

"Why ask me?" Akane demanded. "I don't control where that jerk wants to go!"

Ukyou snorted but declined to continue the conversation. She left Akane's desk and sat down just as Ms. Hinako arrived.

"Take your seats, everyone!" the little girl exclaimed happily. The class bustled to comply as Ms. Hinako began reading the roll. She glanced significantly at Ranma's empty desk when she got to his name. "Where is Mr. Saotome, Ms. Tendo?" she asked.

Akane sighed at the inevitable question. "He stayed home today, Ms. Hinako," Akane explained.

There was a moment's silence as the teacher waited for an elaboration. "And why would that be?" she asked when none came.

"Er, I'll explain after class?" Akane suggested hopefully.

The little girl raised her brow curiously, but nodded. "I shall be expecting it," she responded.

At her desk, Ukyou fumed silently. She had hoped that Ms. Hinako would be able to drag an explanation out of Akane, but the teacher had agreed to wait until after class when the other students would be gone. Well, nice try, but she would be damned before she let Akane get out of telling her about it that easily. The rest of the class was about the same for Ukyou, spent thinking nasty thoughts about Akane's selfishness.

Akane, for her part, found herself just as preoccupied as Ukyou, her thoughts constantly drifting back to Ranma. "Why do I keep thinking about him?" she thought a few dozen times over the course of the class.

"It's not like I care about that stupid pervert! Besides, even if he DOES have amnesia, he deserves it! It's his own fault!" But the rationalization could not keep her from thinking about him.

The class finally ended and the other students began filling out of the room, but Ms. Hinako walked over to Akane's desk before she could follow them.

"Well, Ms. Tendo? I'm waiting to hear why Mr. Saotome could not join us."

Akane grimaced, but saw no need to not tell her. Of course, she did not need to tell the entire truth either. "Ranma had an accident yesterday. We all felt that he should stay home from school."

Ms. Hinako's eyes widened. "An accident serious enough to keep HIM home? What happened?"

"Yeah, Akane, what happened?" Ukyou thought, keeping quiet as she eavesdropped.

"He...fell into the pond in our front yard yesterday morning and hit his head pretty hard. He...apparently, he has amnesia."

"WHAT?!" Ukyou shrieked.

Akane whirled on her. "What are you still doing here?" she snarled at her.

"What do you think?" Ukyou snarled back. "I wasn't about to let you keep this secret from me! I have an interest in Ranma, you know!"

"Yes, that is pretty serious, Ms. Tendo," the teacher said thoughtfully, ignoring both girls. "I can understand why he would stay home for a while. Very well, thank you for telling me. You'd better go now. You don't want to be late for your next class."

"Of course, Ms. Hinako," Akane agreed, bowing to her. "Thank you for your understanding." She fled the room, Ukyou hot on her heals.

"He has AMNESIA? And you didn't tell me?!" Ukyou hissed, mindful of the other students in the hall with them.

"What difference would it have made?" Akane shot back. "You're here and he isn't, so you couldn't have done anything for him anyway!"

"Well, maybe you don't understand this, Akane," she replied sarcastically, "but he IS my fiance and I care about him! Certainly more than YOU do!"

"So what?" Akane said hotly. "You can HAVE him for all I care!"

"That won't do me any good if I don't even know when something like this happens to him!" Ukyou rifled back. "For that matter, how DID it happen? I noticed that you didn't tell Ms. Hinako HOW he fell into the pond! I doubt that it was just an unlucky accident!"

"Well, I don't care WHAT you think!" Akane flamed back. "It isn't any of your business anyway!"

"Oh yeah?" Ukyou retorted, spinning in front of her and forcing her to stop. "Well, I got news for you, Akane! Ranma is MY fiance, and that MAKES it my business! If you aren't willing to take care of him, then maybe you should step aside for someone who is!" Ukyou whirled and marched down the hall, leaving Akane to glare at her back.

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

For Ranma, the day passed much more quietly. Her father avoided her the entire day, which was just fine with her. And Mr. Tendo was also mostly absent, appearing briefly every once in a while and quickly disappearing again. Her mother and Kasumi were both very solicitous, treating her with very gentle care and insisting that she stay seated or laying down most of the day. To her unending annoyance, that was all they did all day. They both constantly refused to answer her questions about her past before the accident, saying only that she "shouldn't get too excited."

The only thing even approaching a real disturbance came midmorning in the form of a very loud knock on the front door. Ranma heard Kasumi answer the door and say, "Oh, Shampoo. I'm sorry, but he isn't here right now. His father said something about a training trip." Nothing more came of it.

Except for a sneaking suspicion that she was the reason for that brief midmorning visit, the day was quiet and very restful. So Ranma was feeling much better in the afternoon when Akane returned from school. She was sitting on the living room couch meditatively when Akane walked into the room. Ranma felt her spirits sour slightly when she arrived, but immediately had her attention captivated by Akane's bundle that she held to her chest with one hand. It was a small black piglet wearing a tiger-striped bandana around its neck. Strangely enough, she got the distinct impression that it was glaring at her angrily.

"What's with the pig?" Ranma asked her without preamble.

For some reason, Akane stiffened when she asked the question. But she quickly calmed down. "This is my pet, P-chan. He gets lost a lot but I found him today on my way home from school."

Ranma grunted a noncommittal reply, her attention still on the little animal. It was now looking back and forth between Akane and her, seeming for all the world as though something were confusing it. Though the glances it shot Ranma still seemed angry.

"Is there some reason that it keeps glaring at me like that?"

Akane looked down at the piglet. "You've always treated him badly, Ranma," she explained. "I guess he doesn't trust you. I don't blame him, really. I don't trust you either." She gave Ranma her own glare.

"You'd better not tease him."

Ranma blinked at the apparent non-sequitar. "Why would I do that?"

Akane just snorted and left the room. Ranma shrugged. "I guess this house will NEVER make any sense," she said to herself.

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

Akane sighed to herself as she set her book bag on the floor to her room and P-chan on her bed. She flopped down into her desk chair with a huff. "What a day! First Shampoo, then Kuno, then Ukyou and the rest of the school! Why can't they ever leave me alone about Ranma anyway?" She sighed again. "Oh, I don't know, P-chan," she complained, "maybe they're just all crazy or something. Just because Ranma stayed home from school today, they all had to hound me about it! Why should I have to tell them that Ranma has amnesia?"

Ryouga's ears perked up. "Ranma has amnesia?" he thought. "Oh yes! Now's my chance!!"

"And for all I know, he really is faking it!" Akane continued, regaining P-chan's attention. "How am I supposed to know whether or not it's real? And what do I do about it, whichever it is?"

Ryouga's mind began spinning. "I have to know!" he thought urgently. "If he does have amnesia, I can get him to promise to give up Akane! Finally, she and I can be together!"

Trying to appear casual, Ryouga jumped off Akane's bed and went in search of the bathroom.

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

"Hey, Ranma."

She was shocked out of her introspection as a young man she did not know dropped onto the sofa next to her. He was quite a bit taller than her and was dressed in a well-worn shirt and trousers with laced boots. Around his forehead he had a bandanna remarkably similar to the one around the neck of Akane's pet.

"Do I know you?" she asked carefully.

He thought for an moment. "You used to," he finally answered. "My name's Ryouga Hibiki."

"Oh, hi Ryouga," Kasumi exclaimed brightly as she entered the room. "When did you get here?"

"Um, I, uh, got here just now, actually," he said hesitantly. "I thought I'd talk to Ranma here for a while."

"Oh, that's nice of you, Ryouga. Just be careful," she added as she gave him and Ranma a cup of tea. "Ranma...well..."

"Don't worry, I heard," Ryouga assured her. "I'll be careful."

Reassured, Kasumi smiled and nodded, then left the room.

Ranma, on the other hand, felt a bit suspicious. "How do you know that I..."

"Have amnesia? I heard someone mention it a little while ago," Ryouga answered. "I didn't get a good look at whoever it was." "Which is true as far as it goes," Ryouga thought to himself. "I wasn't looking at Akane when she said it." Out loud he said, "So how are you taking it?"

She grimaced at his question. "Not to well. Everyone around here is crazy, I swear."

There was a brief silence. "Is that why you have that large bruise on your cheek?" Ryouga asked.

Involuntarily, Ranma put a hand to the bruise she had gotten from her father's fist the previous night. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." Ryouga waited for her to say more, but she remained silent.

"So what about Akane?" he finally queried.

Ranma scowled. "What about her"? she demanded.

"Well, I mean, what do you think of her?" Ryouga said, seeming to force the words out.

Ranma looked at him with a frown on her face. "What difference does it make?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just curious," Ryouga lied poorly.

Ranma snorted, but answered his question anyway. "What can I say?" she said bitterly. "It's her fault that I have this amnesia. She hit me with a mallet and made me fall into the pond and hit my head on a rock. If not for her I wouldn't have this problem. In short, I think that she's a violent maniac and would prefer that she leave me alone."

Ryouga felt himself grow both angry and excited. On the one hand, he didn't like hearing his worst rival speak of his love that way. But on the other hand, if it was true it meant that Ranma wouldn't try to keep them apart.

"So you don't like her, huh?" he asked, trying to make it sound casual.

Ranma gave him a "how stupid do you think I am" look. "No, I don't. So you can have her if you want her so badly."

"You promise?" Ryouga asked desperately.

Ranma gave him a "boy are you dumb" look. "Take a close look at me, Ryouga. You might notice that I'm a girl. Why would I try to stop you from taking another girl?"

For the first time, Ryouga looked truly shocked. "What do you mean? You aren't a girl!"

Ranma put her face in her hands and groaned. "Not you too! Why does everyone around here think that I'm a boy?!" She glared at him fiercely. "Does it really matter that much?"

"Well..." Ryouga's mind suddenly put two and two together. "Why no. Not at all, Ranma. Sorry to bring it up. It's just that you and I have never gotten along about Akane before."

He stood and left the room without further comment, not noticing that he was walking out the front door. "Yeah, it doesn't matter at all, Ranma," he thought as he began walking down the street. "As long as you keep thinking that you're a girl, there's no way you can come between me and Akane. This is the chance that I've been waiting..." He suddenly noticed that he was no longer in the Tendo home, but instead was standing on a pedestrian overpass over a busy street. He looked around but he could not see the Tendo home anywhere.

"AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!! WHERE AM I NOW?????"

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

Ranma was still pondering that conversation when Akane came into the room. "Ranma, have you seen P-chan?"

"Your pet? No, I haven't seen it," she replied. "Why?"

Akane just shook her head. "Oh, he's wondered off already. I'd worry about him if he didn't always come back."

Ranma just shrugged. "Akane, do you know a guy named Ryouga?"

Akane blinked at the sudden change of subject. "Ryouga? Sure I know him. He comes around all the time. Why? Is he here?"

"He was," Ranma supplied. "He said he was here to talk to me about my amnesia, but all he did was talk about you."

Akane narrowed her eyes and glared at her. "Is that bad?" she snapped.

Ranma rolled her eyes. "Why do I bother with you?" she griped. "I was just going to say that this Ryouga guy seems pretty fixated on you. He kept asking me what I thought of you and all that. He was pretty relieved when I explained that I wasn't interested in you. As if I could be interested in any other girl, let alone you."

"Are you saying that you think he...LIKES me?" Akane asked, too shocked to get angry at Ranma for the insult.

"It was written all over her face, Akane," Ranma explained. "He's got it for you pretty badly. I guess there's no accounting for taste."

Akane shook her head, still ignoring Ranma's insults. "That can't be right. We've known Ryouga for over a year and he hasn't ever said anything to me before."

Again Ranma shrugged. "I was getting the idea that he thinks I was always standing between him and you. Maybe he thought that if he tried to say anything to you, I would have stopped him or something."

"Hmph," Akane sniffed, folding her arms over her chest. "That would be just like you. You were such a conceited jerk."

"Look who's talking," Ranma offered. "I can't imagine why I would have ever tried to stop Ryouga before, and I certainly wouldn't now. At any rate, he seemed to be making sure of that, then he just walked off. I figured he was going to see you. Hasn't he shown up yet?"

Akane stared at her. "Of course he hasn't! You know that...oh wait, you wouldn't remember this, would you?" That last was said with scorn, but Akane forged onward before Ranma could snap back. "Ryouga has the world's worst sense of direction. He could get lost in an empty room with one door and no windows. It'll probably be days before he gets back."

Ranma blinked, but declined to comment. "Why bother?" she thought. "The way things have been so far, that isn't so unusual, I guess."

There was a knock on the door, effectively ending the conversation as both girls listened to Kasumi answering it.

"Oh, hello Ukyou. I'm sorry, but he isn't here. His father said something about a training trip."

"Sorry, Kasumi, but that line isn't going to work on me," came a new voice, carrying a rather rough accent. "I heard about it at school today. Now let me see him."

There was a brief silence, then Kasumi answered. "That really isn't a good idea, Ukyou. Ranma..."

"I said I heard about it," Ukyou interrupted. "I over-heard Akane telling Ms. Hinako what happened. Now let me in."

The two heard Kasumi give a "the world's going nuts" sigh. "Very well, Ukyou, but please be very careful."

Ranma saw Akane close her eyes as if struggling against some inner turmoil. Ranma leaned close and said in a low voice, "What's going on now?"

"Just wait and see," was all Akane was able to say back before the visitor appeared in the room. She was a tall girl, from Ranma's perspective, more than a head taller than her and Akane. She had long brown hair tied into a loose ponytail by a white ribbon and was wearing an outfit that looked for all the world like a cross between a gi and a chef's apron. She was carrying a small box in one hand.

"Hi, Ran-chan, how are you?" she bubbled, sitting next to her on the sofa.

Ranma blinked in surprise, noting out of the corner of her eye that Akane had become very tense during the visitor's casual greeting.

"Uh, I'm fine, I guess. And who are you?"

The girl looked a bit nonplused at Ranma's question, but quickly smiled back at her. "The name's Ukyou Kuonji. You've always called me Ucchan, though, so feel free."

Ranma grinned wryly. "Ucchan? Interesting. We're friends, then?"

Ukyou's smile became a bit tighter. "Well, yes, but we were supposed to become more than that."

A few moments passed in silence. "Huh?" Ranma eventually asked.

"What she means," Akane supplied, "is that the two of you are fiances."

Ranma's eyes widened. "What?"

"That's right, Ran-chan." Ukyou said enthusiastically.

"But I'm a girl!" Ranma blurted. "It's strange enough that I got engaged to ONE girl!" She gestured to Akane. "How did I get engaged to you too?"

Ukyou's smile cracked and dissolved. "A girl? But you're..."

Akane grinned and turned away from them, rocking back and forth on her feet. "Did I forget to mention that Ranma is locked in his cursed form and has forgotten that he's not a girl?" she asked innocently.

Ranma rolled her eyes and sighed. "You see what I've been putting up with?" Ranma appealed to Ukyou. "Not only do I have amnesia, but I have all these crazy people telling me that I have this weird curse that makes me change into a boy or something. Have you ever heard anything so strange? I mean, if I really did have such a curse, why would it suddenly go away just because I couldn't remember it?"

"Uh, yeah, that's a good question, Ran-chan," Ukyou answered, feeling suddenly cold. She lifted the box. "Uh, I brought you some food, Ran-chan. I run a restaurant, and I thought you might like something."

"Wow, that's nice of you Ucchan, but you didn't have to," Ranma answered, opening the box. She peered at the pancake-shaped thing inside, replete with some dark red sauce over it in a heart-shape. "Uh, I'm afraid I don't remember what this is," she told Ukyou sheepishly.

"It's called 'okonomiaki'," Akane explained, causing Ukyou to glare at her darkly. Akane returned the glare with a sunny smile.

Ranma missed the silent by-play as she lifted the okonomiaki and took an experimental bite. "Hmm, this is good, Ucchan," she exclaimed, and took a bigger bite.

Ukyou beamed. "Thanks, Ran-chan. This was always your favorite before you...uh...had that accident." She gave Akane a smug look, and this time the look Akane returned was smoldering.

"Whatever. I'll just leave the two of you alone now. Have fun together," Akane spat, and tromped out of the room. Ranma watched her go with some confusion.

"What's with her?" she asked after she had swallowed.

"Oh, forget about her," Ukyou said, waving a hand at the door Akane had retreated through. "She and I have never really gotten along."

"Believe me, I understand," Ranma assured her. "I haven't been getting along with her ever since I woke up from the accident. It's her fault, you know."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Ukyou sympathized.

"Seriously, it is," Ranma insisted. "That...girl...actually hit me with a mallet! On the head! And it's because of that that I fell into the pond in the first place! This amnesia is all her fault, and on top of that she has the gall to blame ME for it rather than admit that she's the one who did it!"

Ukyou's eyes widened, then narrowed as she began seeing red. "Why that...she...errrrrrrgh!" the chef ground out. "I should have known that it was her! That's just like her! Well, don't worry, Ran-chan, I'm still your friend no matter what happens."

Ranma gave her a very grateful "thank you", which made Ukyou feel warm inside. "Yeah, Ran-chan, I'm still your friend," she thought to herself. "And once you're cured of this amnesia you'll realize that I'm much better for you than some violent maniac who can't even cook. Maybe something good will come from this after all."

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

Akane leaned against the wall of the hall near the living room door, eavesdropping on Ranma and Ukyou.

"That...girl...actually hit me with a mallet! On the head!" she heard Ranma exclaim. "And it's because of that that I fell into the pond in the first place! This amnesia is all her fault, and on top of that she has the gall to blame ME for it rather than admit that she's the one who did it!"

There was a very short silence. "Why that...she...errrrrrrgh!" Ukyou finally growled. "I should have known that it was her! That's just like her! Well, don't worry, Ran-chan, I'm still your friend no matter what happens."

Having heard enough, Akane silently dashed upstairs to her room. "Fine. If that's how it's going to be, let them have each other," she spat as she closed her door. But, inexplicably, she felt more sad and empty rather than angry.

"Ranma. I didn't mean it," she whispered to the room.

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Last revision: August 16, 1998

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