Chapter Text
I groaned, the backside of my head aching in pain. Must have hit it while I was sleeping. Speaking of which, what’s with my pillow? Did I knock my nice one aside and sleep on a side pillow or something? Where’s my other blankets now that I think on it?
“Are you awake?” A kind, feminine voice asks. I groan. I must be dreaming, that sounded like Japanese, and I don’t know Japanese. The pain forces my eyes open. I don’t recognize this ceiling, and my vision is never this clear in dreams.
Dreams for me have always been more akin to an AI-generated construction of reality and or fictional things. I began to feel other things amiss, like the heaviness on my chest or the lack of an accursed item between my legs. I sat up immediately. Looking down confirms what I felt. I have a pair of melon-sized breasts.
“Holy shit,” I whispered in English.
“Are you feeling alright?” Looking to my left, I see a young woman with brown ponytail hair sitting on her right shoulder, presumably Japanese based on what she’s saying.
Panicked, I say, “Ok?[Genki?]”
Wow, that even sounded correct despite not having practiced Japanese in years.
“That’s good, I was worried you might really hurt yourself with that accident.”
“Uh, guess I’m made of tough stuff?”
Wait, did I just speak in fluent Japanese? Something I said must have been off because the girl looked at me, concerned.
“I… think my memory is a little foggy though,” I say.
“Oh my, yes, you should lie down some more and rest. I’ll go and get you another towel.”
“Ah, thank you kindly, miss,” I say, which makes the woman, for some reason, more worried as she gets up.
“Rest well, Ranma, I’m certainly sure you will recover quickly,” she waved and exited the room.
She seems nice, but wait, did she call me Ranma..?
I feel my hair and notice it’s been tied in a tight pigtail, and then I see its colour.
Red… that woman did look like an amazing Kasumi cosplay now that I think of it.
Sweat begins to drip down my face.
Ok, one step at a time; one, I appear to be in a cis girl’s body, which honestly is a dream come true. Two, it’s very likely I’ve woken up as Saotome Fucking Ranma from Ranma ½.
Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god!
Calm down, breathe! It’s ok, I’ve prepared my whole life to be isekai’ed, what good was daydreaming most of my life in self-fantasies if I can’t comprehend it actually occurring!
I breathe in and out. I check every sense I have: smell, touch, taste, hearing, sight.
Ok, it doesn’t seem like I’m in some simulation or if it is, then it’s so advanced there’s nothing I could do to detect it. In other news, Ranma’s body has way better senses than I do, at least in regard to smell. Ranma’s body… If I’m here, where is Ranma?
“Ranma?” The door slid open, revealing Kasumi with a fresh towel, “Oh dear, you look flushed. Are you feeling ok?”
“Uuuuhh, I’m fine?” Fabulous if there’s one thing Ranma and I share, it's our lack of a poker face and ability to lie.
Fuck me…
“Is the pain still bothering you that much? Perhaps we should take you to a doctor.”
A doctor! “Is Tofu-sensei around?”
“Of course, he is... Is your memory still foggy? What do you remember?”
“Uh, I remember…” Let’s be careful, honest, but not everything, “Names? A few events, but only this past while mostly.”
Kasumi sat next to me, “How far ago?””
“I… remember Jusenkyo and arriving here, a few events like going to school for the first time, Ryoga showing up and ice skating. But I can’t see faces clearly in my memories, and a lot of details are missing. I’m not even sure what order things happened in.”
“Oh my, this is serious. Did you have trouble recognizing me?”
“Yeah… you’re Kasumi-san, right?”
“Yes, dear. You hurt your head after accidentally upsetting Akane by falling onto a rock and into the koi pond.”
Damnit, it is this episode then.
“I’ll inform the others, and I’ll see if we can get a doctor to come and see you?”
“Just…” I gulp, “Just be careful when wording it, I don’t wanna upset anyone.”
“Whatever do you mean?”
“Uh, Dad [otou-san]… pops [oyaji], doesn’t like me being weak, right?”
“I understand, you needn’t worry.”
“Thank you, Kasumi-san,” I tip my head.
Kasumi stood up and left the room again. I contemplated several courses of action, just poking and punishing myself for assurance before attempting to stand. It’s weird to say the least, I know this body, but I don’t. Muscle memory works fine, but losing at least eight inches of height and a redistribution of body weight is jarring to say the least. My own gender euphoria can’t help but attempt to make me smile with glee, while the sheer impossibility of the situation and potential dangers have my emotions flip-flopping every second. Before I can even reach the door, it slams open, and a teenage girl stands before me. She has short black hair and brown eyes and is wearing a yellow dress with white sleeves. Her eyes are panicked.
“You won’t happen to be Ak-Akane-chan?” It took me a moment to pronounce her name right.
“It’s not true, is it?”
“Uh, what isn’t true exactly?” Something tells me my Japanese is sounding off, or at least off from how Ranma regularly speaks.
“This is some joke, right?”
“That I[watashi] am suffering amnesia?”
“Quit kidding around, Ranma and be serious!” She gets up in my face, but I quickly backpedal and fall onto the futon.
“I don’t know what else to be other than honest!” I cry.
She takes another at me, before fleeing the room.
Guess my fear unsettled her.
I don’t get a breather, though, as two older men barrel into the room.
“My boy, what’s the matter with you?”
A man wearing a bandana and glasses grabs me.
“I don’t know! I just woke up like this!” I cry.
Still, he shakes me, hoping a new answer to fall out or a cure to be found in dizziness, I’m not certain.
“Perhaps a true love kiss will reawaken his mind!” A mustached man shouts.
I stare at him, then, who I presume to be Ranma’s father, nods, “Of course!”
I stared at him, “You’re not serious!”
I knew they were; this is them after all.
“Akane!” The men shouted.
I look at her, and immediately feel sick to my stomach.
“No way, man! I ain’t a creep!” I shouted
“I’m not kissing him!” She protests.
Thankfully, my body’s instincts kicked in and literally kicked the older man away.
“Father! Saotome-san!” Kasumi says, her voice raised and coming into the room. “Ranma is suffering from a serious injury. It would be best not to risk worsening it.”
”Ah,” her father cowers, “You’re quite right, Kasumi. Let’s… let’s call a doctor and have them look at Ranma.”
Kasumi releases a breath, “Akane called Tofu. He’ll be right over.”
”Good, good.” Mr. Tendo looks at his friend, “Isn’t that right, Saotome?”
”Uh, yeah.” My “father’s” eyes don’t leave me, studying me like a predator.
Naturally, I flinch away.
”You don’t remember me?” He asks.
”Not really,” I say. “Bits and pieces, but it's like… I was watching someone else’s life in a movie theatre. I know… You weren’t a good father.”
That surprisingly seems to hit a nerve, but before he can say anything, Soun pats his shoulder.
”Nothing else for it until then. Shall we continue our game, Saotome?”
Genma nods, his eyes not leaving me until the last second.
Can he tell I’m not Ranma already? Maybe my ki is off…
Kasumi approaches me, “I’m sorry about them. They can get… very passionate.”
”I noticed.”
“Tofu will be here in half an hour. Is there anything I can get you?”
”Uh, a glass of water would be nice.”
“Of course,” she says, standing up.
”Oh, and, uh, Ranma won’t happen to keep a journal or something, would he? I… I wanna write some things down.”
Kasumi presses her index finger near her lips, “I don’t recall so, besides his school work, but I’ll see what I can find.”
”Thank you,” I bow my head. “It’d be much appreciated.”
At least bowing comes naturally.
“Of course,” she smiles that trademark sweetness, and exits the room.
Wow, she’s gorgeous…
I shake my head.
Like Akane’s cute too, but she’s clearly a teenager, maybe a bit older looking than the brats I’m used to seeing around. But hey, it's the 80s, maybe 90s, and folks tended to age more back then, didn’t they? Kasumi doesn’t look nineteen, but maybe, since this is all real and not a cartoon, the timeline may be messy. I remember trying to figure out how much time progresses in the manga to be something of a nightmare…
“So, what’s the deal this time?” A voice says.
“Huh?” I turn and find a young woman with brown hair cut into a bob.
“Nabiki-san, I presume?”
”Don’t sound so sure, eh, Ranma?”
I lightly shake my head.
”Mhh, better than some of your acting jobs, but it needs work.”
”Acting? You mean lying?” I blink. “You think I’m lying?”
”That, or some dumb magic mishap that swapped Ranma’s brain with someone else’s.”
“Probably the latter if anything. I mean, I’m not lying, but magic is probably involved.”
”Mmhh,” Nabiki gets up in my face.
I reflexively backpedal away, “What?”
”Your speech pattern is slightly off, more formal than typical, but not quite.” Nabiki bends herself back up, “And your expressions are one hundred percent Ranma, if a bit skittish.”
”Why are you telling me this?” I ask.
”Well, if you were just an amnesiac Ranma, I don’t think your speech manner would change. If you’re just lying about the whole thing, you’re not acting his usual over-the-top fake self either. And you don’t seem to be not Ranma either, or at least, you’re not acting like any of the usual suspects would as Ranma.”
“Which means..?”
”You’re an odd little enigma,”
”Since when do you care about non-financial matters?”
“And there you go, adding another odd puzzle piece,” She squints at me. ”But if you must know, I watch Columbo from time to time, and Ranma certainly counts as a business matter.”
“Touché,” I sigh.
”I doubt Ranma knows any French, for example.”
I gulped, tightening my face and scratching my hair.
”I found you a journal, Ranma,” Kasumi enters the room, carrying a glass of water and a journal.
My salvation! Thank you!
I put my hands together in praise.
“Hmph,” Nabiki strolls out of the room.
Kasumi comes towards me, laying the glass and journal down next to me.
”Thanks, Kasumi-san.”
”Not a problem at all, Ranma,” she smiles. “I had a spare journal lying around, I hope you don’t mind it's pink.”
”Not at all,” I smile.
Ah, wrong move apparently, as Kasumi looks at me with concern.
”Do… Do you want me to warm up the kettle, Ranma? So you can change back?”
”Ah, no, this-“
I look back down at the chest and blush.
”Perfectly good for me right now, but… uh, thank you?”
Kasumi’s eyes stay curious before shutting, and her lips smile.
”Ok, let me know if you need anything else.”
I nod, “I will, thank you.”
As she leaves, I’m left with my own mind for conversation.
Ah damnit, I’m not even gonna get to enjoy having a cis female body, am I? Ranma’s gotta be underage, and even if no one else ever knows, I’d never forgive myself (nor would the Tumblr gods). Then there’s the matter of consent. Like, I know Ranma won’t give much of a shit, but I give a shit. It’d just be too wrong in so many ways.
I sigh.
Well, enjoy the gender euphoria while it lasts, and keep things to the necessary. Absolutely zero naughty shit. Maybe in my next life I’ll have my own cis female body.
For I am not a goddamn creep!
I nod repeatedly, reinforcing my will, feeling my aura ignite in absolute.
Please, gods, don’t have other characters groping me in this state… Especially Happosai.
I shiver.
In fact, I just pray he doesn’t exist at all.
I nod hard.
But then again, this episode was anime filler, so that means I’ve ended up in that original anime timeline. Oh god, that means Akane’s gonna be even more of a violent maniac. Great, just great…
I start scribbling things down in the journal, in English, just as an extra precaution.
Never know if and when I might get thrown back…
So naturally, I write an introduction to myself directed to Ranma.
I guess this part’s gotta be in Japanese.
-Hi Ranma, if you’re reading this, that means I’m probably gone now.-
Morbid, I guess, but better to be prepared than unprepared.
I tell him about myself, my name, birthplace, family, interests, and my life’s history. He’s probably gonna find it boring, maybe a little strange. Although if this is a classic body swap scenario, that means he’s in mine…
Oh, he’s gonna be so pissed and so freaked out.
Even ignoring the whole trans thing, the lack of ki, every muscle and bone aching, chest pains, severe exhaustion, the migraines...
I start writing down all the weird, mysterious health problems I’ve got.
If there’s at least one other thing I do get to enjoy being Ranma’s body, it’s the lack of those issues and being a superhuman martial artist, hehehe.
While cackling to myself, I realize a small test run couldn’t hurt. I try flexing my stuff, stretching and doing basic exercise.
Hot damn, no wonder he’s got an ego mountain high. I feel like a damn demigod. This is awesome!
I remember a position from the anime, and I give it a shot.
Oh my god, I can actually lift and stand my whole body on one hand.
Of course, the door has opened then.
”Well, I guess Ranma’s not doing too badly.” The man chuckles.
Of course, I then fall onto my back. Thankfully, I recovered quickly and was already on my hands and knees, bowing an apology. (Holy shit, I’m fast!)
“Sorry!” I apologize, “I was stretching and got carried away.”
”No worries, it's a good sign to see you acting yourself.”
”You must be… Doctor Tofu?”
”Your pronunciation is a little off, but yes,” he says as he sits down next to me.
I notice that Akane is lingering by the doorway, watching me with unease, and I glance away.
”Alright, let’s see what we can find out…”
Thankfully, it seems Nabiki is keeping Kasumi busy elsewhere in the house, so my life isn’t on the line for this examination.
Most of it’s quick, procedural stuff. Do you hurt anywhere? If so, where and how? Checking my muscles, my eyes' reaction to light, my responsiveness, etc.
”Well, you’re a perfect bill of health physically, besides that goose egg on your head, but let’s check your memory.”
Some were dirt easy: “What’s 2 plus 3?”
Others were expectable, yet respectful failures: “What’s the name of our prime minister?”
”I don’t know…”
Akane sighed, ”I doubt normal Ranma even knows that…”
To ones that Ranma should know: “What year is it?”
”Uh, sometime between 1988 and 1992?” I scratched my cheek.
“Mmmhhh, it’s 1991.”
”Oh... Good to know," I say, nodding.
And then it got really hard: “What’s your favourite food?”
”Uh, is it a seafood omokoyomiki?”
Tofu looked back at Akane, who shook her head. Anything personal, like in that vein, whether it was my birthday, when I arrived at the Tendo dojo, and so on, was an expected dud. So, I puzzled the doctor.
”You don’t have the typical amnesia, that’s for certain.” Tofu looked up his notes, “And you recall memories like they’re being projected on a screen?”
I nod, “Yeah, but only showing highlights and in a cartoonish way, like a TV show or manga, where I’m just a spectator. And… It's like I’ve seen it over many years. Some parts are as clear as if I just watched it, while many others it feels like it's been over a decade or more.”
”Strange,” Tofu nods, taking more notes down.
I scratch my cheek, (is this muscle memory? I definitely didn’t have this habit as much before). “There’s something else I haven’t mentioned…”
”Oh?” Tofu focuses back on Akane and me. She had moved closer to me in the preceding tests bit by bit, maybe growing more comfortable with my quirks in Ranma.
I had decided on this while my mind wandered during the tests.
It’s only right… I sigh, “I have other memories. Memories that aren’t Ranma’s.”
“Do tell. Are they also seen as a spectator?”
I shake my head, “No, they’re more like regular memories.”
”And do you know these aren’t Ranma’s?”
”Because I’m a woman in them.”
The door slides open, then, revealing both household fathers.
”What do you mean, 'a woman'?!” Genma shouts, grabbing my arms
”Are you the spirit of the drowned girl?!?” Soun shouts in my left ear.
”Or the cat?!? Genma yells into my right ear.
”I’M NOT! I’M NOT!!” I protest, “At least, probably not?”
Tofu pushes Genma away from me, “Please explain?”
I sigh, “I was gonna…” I glare at the older men, “But to finally explain… I don’t think it's possible for me to be spirit from the spring, because for one thing, I was born in the 20th century.”
I’m just leaving out the fact that I was born after 1991. Lying by omission is the only kind I’m capable of.
”And I was Canadian.”
”Eh?” Everyone else says.
”Exactly!” I finger gun.
…
Ah, I guess the trademark Canadian “eh” doesn’t translate well to Japanese, eh?
I think, watching the dead faces staring back at me.
“Kan-a-da?” Everyone’s head tilts.
I sweat, “Uh, you know, Bob and Doug McKenzie? Timmies? Maple syrup? Moosse? Beavers?”
“Ah,” Soun smacks his palm, “Anne of Green Gables!”
“Uh, sure?” I scratch my cheek, “Never read it, but that counts.”
“Banff!” Akane adds.
I nod, “Yeah, I was born there, funnily enough.”
“Martial arts ice hockey!” Genma shouts.
“That’s a thing?!” I blinked, “Oh, god, that would be a thing…”
“So…” Tofu pushed his glasses up, “Somehow you’ve ended up in Ranma.”
“Yeah, that’s about right, I guess,” I shrug, “I remember going to bed, and when I woke up, bam, I was Ranma.”
“And yet, you have some of Ranma’s memories…”
“Y-y-yeah…” I look away, like hell I’m explaining I know you from an anime and wrote goddamn fanfiction with y’all…
Again, Tofu adjusts his glasses, “I see, curious, very curious.”
“Do you have any ideas, doctor?” Akane looks at me… well, like someone who’s invaded the body of a loved one.
Yeah, welp, that’s why I didn’t wanna tell everyone. I feel like shit, and it ain’t even my damn fault!
Tofu’s fist smacks his palm, “Well, there are a few options.”
Everyone’s ears perk up.
“Firstly, it is the idea that Jusenkyo’s cursed carry spirits, which could have possessed Ranma. Now, it’s highly unlikely to be that thanks to your lack of memories regarding China, correct?”
I nod, “Yeah, never been, never really wanted to either. Mountains could be cool, but nah, I did visit Japan twice.”
“You did?!” Soun asks.
“Y-y-yeah, but not Nerima, I think. I’m just a weeaboo, have been since I was a little kid.”
“Weeaboo?” Everyone looks at me again like I’m an alien.
“Uh, what’s a good translation? I was a… otaku for Japanese culture and history?”
“Ah, good taste,” Soun nods.
“Uh, thanks?”
“Again, that further disproves the possibility of you being the spring’s spirit.” Tofu adds, “However, we move on to the next, more plausible scenarios. While you may not originate from Jusenkyo, you could perhaps be another spirit, a relentless ghost that’s trying to return to life by possessing the body of the living.”
At that idea, everybody suddenly pulls out weapons and are somehow already wearing spirit warding attire.
Instinctively, I throw up my hands and begin flaying them about, “Hold up! I-I-I’m not an angry spirit or some shit! I don’t remember dying!!!”
“Ghosts often don’t remember their own deaths,” Tofu presses his glasses as everybody’s weapons draw closer to my neck, “However, that’s unlikely.”
“Eh?” Everyone else says, while I breathe with relief.
“For one, your attitude is wrong. Why would a spirit reveal itself to have separate memories from the body’s host?”
Soun, Genma, and Akane look at me with examining eyes.
“Why did you say something?” Genma asks.
“‘Cause…” I scratched my cheek, “I felt bad… ‘sides, I’m an awful liar. The truth would come out sooner or later. The sooner the better in that case, I say.”
Three blinked, withdrawing their weapons.
“You’re… a bad liar, too?” Akane notes.
“And that's the final counterpoint to that scenario, your ki is too similar.”
“Huh?” I say, along with everyone else.
“Ranma has a very distinct ki, and yet yours is very similar. You could be siblings, twins even, or, what I’m proposing to be the most likely scenario: a past incarnation of Ranma.”
“Eh?” I let out quietly while the others screamed it out a second later.
While they calm themselves, I consider Tofu’s theory.
It’s not like I hadn’t thought of it myself. I’ve read plenty of isekai covering this exact scenario. Person dies, wakes up in their favourite media as a reincarnation of one of the cast, usually the villainess. It’s a classic power fantasy trope, and I’m a sucker for it like a lot folks, but let’s be real, it’s not a realistic fantasy.
Even assuming that there’s multiple realities similar to Earth with humans and whatnot, and that souls can, in death, pass through these realities and be reborn in said realities (which is all a mighty ask already), the chances of said reality happening to match a piece of fiction media that person already knows is like a trillion to one. Unless…
“That, or somebody swapped us,” I suggest.
“That could be a possibility, if less likely.” Tofu says.
“Listen, Ranma and I have our similarities, a lot of them in fact, but I don’t wanna risk him being lost or worse, trapped in my body by just assuming I’m a previous reincarnation of his. Sure, we match well, but what if that was a requirement for this swap to happen safely? Lord knows there’s enough sinister entities in Ranma’s life that do it.”
“But why? What would they have to gain by doing so?” Soun questioned.
“Beats me, but it could be to get a weaker Ranma, or maybe…” I scratched my head, “Ya know, get a more female brain in here?”
“That’s ridiculous, who’d wanna do that?” Genma protested.
“Oh, my sweet darlings~” an elderly voice cries out.
“Speak of the devil, and he shall show,” I mutter, standing up as the pervert imp makes his entrance into the room.
“Why, Ranma, my boy, I’ve found such a lovely bra for-“
I lunged at him with a pointed fist, praying this body’s memory makes up for my lack of martial arts knowledge.
“Feisty today, aren’t we?” The pervert dodges at the last moment, but thankfully, I’m not the only one going for him.
Both Genma and Soun try to tackle him, earning themselves several smacks from Happosai’s pipe, as he dodges once more.
“What’s with you all today?!? I've only been gone a day or two!” The grandmaster protests, failing to account for one last martial artist. Akane dunks his head with a mallet before pulling out a rope and tying him up.
“Nice, Akane-chan!” I cheer.
“Help me, id-!”
I’m already helping hold the bastard down before she can finish the sentence.
The capture is swift and complete.
“We got him!” We cheer.
Genma and Soun help tighten the ropes, while I smirk relentlessly.
“Now, we just have to wake him, and he’ll cure Ranma!” Soun says.
“I mean, if he’s the culprit…” I add.
“What are you saying, boy? He said he was!” Genma yells at me.
“I only suggested it was a possibility.” I further add.
“Then why did you jump him?” Akane asks.
“‘Cause… I hate him,” I shrug.
I see each of them sweatdrop.
“What, he’s the worst! Like hell am I gonna let him grope me or any other girl!”
“And I think that reaction only lends credence to my own leading theory,” Tofu sighs.
“What do you mean, doctor?” Soun asks.
“If none of you knew what you did about this woman waking up in his body, would any of you have second-guessed their behaviour as out of the ordinary?”
A beat of silence followed.
“Oi, we’re not that alike,” I protest.
“You sure? You’re sounding more like him with every passing moment.”
I grumble, but keep my lips shut.
I can’t tell them I’m from the future, that will only confuse things more, and if I protest too much, I risk letting my loose tongue slip that I know them all as manga characters.
“He’s even sulking and grumbling like the boy,” Soun suggests.
“I… suppose,” Genma rubs his chin.
“Then, if this woman is just as doctor Tofu says and is a previous reincarnation of Ranma, then that means the engagement is saved!” Soun cheers.
“Not this fucking again,” I growl.
Turning, I stomp my foot onto Happosai’s neck, “Listen up, I may remind you of Ranma, but there’s a few big differences between he and I. I may be more polite, but I’m less tolerant of bullshit. Under no circumstance while I’m in this body will there be any engagement between Akane and I, or anyone else for that matter!”
“What?!?” Genma and Soun cry out.
“Not only is it deplorable to force an engagement between two others, ones especially so young, I also refuse to even consider anything romantic with someone so much younger than I!” I crossed my arms, “I’m not a damn creep, and that’s final.”
“But… the engagement?” Soun cries.
Genma growls, “You don’t have a say in that, you’re just a ghost in my boy’s head.”
“And this ghost ain’t gonna tolerate your shit, old man,” I growl back.
“What do you mean, so much younger?” Akane asks.
That makes me lose my tempo, “Uh, well, I’m like ten or fifteen years older than you kids. Mentally, ya know? It’d be super creepy of me to ever consider any relationship with a teenager.”
Tofu, again presses his glasses, (damnit, he’s selling me on getting glasses.) “Didn't you say you were a woman, Miss?”
“Well, yeah, but I’m lesbian, the gender thing isn’t the issue here.”
And like that, another pin dropped.
Oh fuck, right. Conservative Japan in the 1980s (or 90s, I guess), good job making yourself seem like the ethical one here.
I smack my forehead and sigh.
Another thing Ranma and I share alike in is my ability to insert foot into mouth.
“Ha, and you make yourself out to be the noble one,” Genma scoffs.
“Hey, I’m not the thief and student of the world’s worst pervert,” I protest, stomping again on Happosai’s neck.
Although I’m not gonna mention the Epstein Files. Then again, Happosai always did hate harm coming to children. Maybe I could arrange a Kaiju fight of awfulness happening, a good “let them fight”, and hopefully kill one another. A scheme for another day…
“Listen, the point is, while up here,” I point at my head, “I ain’t letting this regular bullshit fly.”
Especially having semi-superpowers.
“It ain’t right. Just consider it a courtesy to Ranma if nothing else. It’s his engagement after all.”
Akane lightly blushes and nods to that.
Soun and Genma look at each other, seeming to concede for now.
Tofu sighs, “You may be here more permanently than you wish, if my theory holds-“
“Lunch, everyone!” A familiar sweet voice calls out.
“Kasumi!?!” Tofu's voice distorts midway.
And Tofu’s goner.
I back away, far away from the tempest of pain that the doctor becomes.
Akane follows me suit, escaping upstairs.
Catching our breath, I take a look at Akane, her gaze distant.
“How are you holding, kid?”
Akane’s head whips at me, “Kid?”
“I mean, I wasn’t lying earlier about our age difference. I don’t know your exact age or anything, but I know I’m older than you.”
Akane looks away, “It’s weird hearing you say it.”
“That’s… fair,” I shrug, “But, you doing ok?”
“Yeah, just another weird adventure for Ranma…” Akane’s voice trails off.
“Mh-hm,” my lips scrunch, “Listen, ok, we’ll get him back, I promise.”
“You mean that?”
“Yeah, on my life. He’s… got more folks depending on him than I do for sure. I can promise to do whatever I can, ok?”
Akane nods, “Ok.”
“And, uh, hey, listen, he’s…” I rub the back of my head, “I know him a little; he’s an idiot, but he means well, and he does care for you. A lot. He’s just… so wrapped in that stupid ego of his…”
“And being an idiot.”
“Yeah, that too. That comes with being young. Can’t tell you how many times I wish I could have a restart on life, walk with a basic idea of who I am. It’d..” I sigh, “It’d have saved me a lot of trouble, hurt a lot less folks, and maybe actually have done something with this life.”
I noticed Akane staring at me now.
“That’s my other life.” I shrug, “Who’s knows. Maybe I can make things easier for Ranma when he gets back.”
Akane nods.
Kasumi ascends the stairs, then, “Oh, there you two are. Lunch is served.”
“Is Tofu-sensei still…” I hesitate.
“Oh, I’m sorry, but he went for waltz outside. He’s such a funny man.”
I snicker, “Aye, he is that…”
The two of us follow her down, when Kasumi hums a thought.
“By the way, I overheard a little, but am I right that you’re not quite the Ranma we know?” she asks.
“Uh, yeah, that’s a way to put it,” I answer.
“Then we must have a name for you,” Kasumi suggests.
“Uh, sure, uh…” I mumble, “My real name’s probably hard to pronounce in Japanese…”
“You’re from Canada, you said, right?” Akane asks,
“Oh, Canada, like Anne of Green Gables!” Kasumi presses her hands together, “I adore that show, and the book too!”
I smiled, “Well, how about Anne then?”
I’ll keep it to myself that Ann was the name I chose as a kid as my “girl name”, before I accidentally gave it away to my newborn sister. Coincidences are natural in a world like this, I suppose.
“You’ve got her hair colour, too.” Akane adds.
Kasumi giggles at the comparison, I shrug in defeat, and Akane has a brief soft smile.
Maybe I somehow won’t completely screw this all up…