Am I Pretty Again Ranma�s Declaration of Womanhood

Ranma waited until he got home and closed the door to his room before he opened the diary and read the introduction that Ranko had written for him. She seemed like a nice, warm person and Ranma felt himself being sucked into her tale. He was so engrossed that he almost didn't go for dinner when Kasumi called for him, almost that is. With a full belly he returned to his reading.

She wrote about how the light flashed iridescently across a butterfly's wing as it flew past her, how sunshine felt on her face and how bird song filled her ears every morning. She seemed to have a zest for life that was unparalleled. She simply seemed to be in love with the world and found simple things magical, but the main thing that she wrote about was Mousse. She seemed to be quite the artist, realistic drawings accompanied her kanji. She obviously found herself drawn to the Chinese martial artist and she wrote about him in glowing terms. Ranma learned how he took care of her after he found her unconscious in the streets. How he became her bodyguard at Akane's request and of her growing love for him. This was a side of Mousse that Ranma had never known. It was hard to picture him buying dresses for the young unwanted girl. How he accepted her when no one else would and befriended her. He read long descriptions of them spending their days together, going on walks, feeding ducks or just hanging out. She made observations about him along with sketches of him smiling, walking and a strange one of his butt with made in China on it. Ranma could only speculate on that one.

Ranma started to emotionally experience what she had based on her descriptions. He felt her sadness at living in the Tendo house where no one wanted her. He felt her joy at being asked to the dance. He was baffled when she said that Kuno and Ryoga were both her friends. He felt a surge of joy when she admitted to him that she was in love with Mousse. His heart soared when they slow danced together and he almost cried with happiness when they made love. Suddenly they weren't just her memories and what she experienced came back to Ranma in a flood. It burst into his consciousness, he saw everything she did in the time she was here and experienced her feeling of pure love when she looked at Mousse. He made himself read her final entry

"Mousse thinks that I'm using the bathroom and is probably wondering what's taking me so long. Ranma, I have to tell you that he married me and I'm so happy! Don't worry; it wasn't actually legal, you won't return to find yourself with a husband and lots of explaining to do :) I know that what I did with your body was wrong, but I only had a few precious handfuls of weeks to experience life and you've had sixteen years, be fair. I feel blessed that I was allowed this time to live and love and hope that you do too. I've got to go; we need to tell Cologne and Shampoo about the wedding. I hope they approve. Sorry I never got a chance to know you, you seem like a nice guy. By the way, the silver ring on your finger is my wedding ring :)"

Ranma closed the book and wiped a tear away, then approached the vanity that he had yet to remove and picked up the small silver ring and examined it. It was virtually identical to the one that Mousse had been wearing on a chain around his neck. Now he understood his grief. What must it be like being married to someone who doesn't exist anymore?

He whispered "I'm sorry Ranko" he could feel a wave of pity and realized that she was still inside of him. She was stronger this time and her emotions were affecting his, which was why Ranma had hugged Mousse. It was her; she was trying to comfort her grieving husband. She wasn't just a figment of his imagination; she was a fully formed personality who wanted to live her own life.

He went to seek out Cologne as she'd ordered him to. He arrived at the Neko Hanten to find out that Shampoo had gone to visit a friend for a few days. He was relieved as this gave him a chance to talk to Cologne.

"So you know who she is now?" she asked him.

"Yes she's the woman that Mousse loves" Ranma answered. He watched while Mousse limped towards the onsen to take a bath and longed to comfort him. Ranma frowned at this; it was like he was possessed. "What can I do about this?" he asked her.

Cologne took a sip of her tea and said "I had both a great-grandfather and a great-aunt when I was little. They were both born from the same womb and on the same day, yet they weren't twins"

Ranma was confused by this "they were triplets?" he guessed having heard the riddle before.

"No my great-grandfather was Jusenkyo cursed liked yourself because he chose to be. He sought out the spring of the drowned young girl and jumped into it so that he could live as both a man and a woman. He was fully bi-sexual and wanted to take both a wife and a husband, however that became too hectic, so he sought help from a witch doctor and she developed a spell that successfully separated both halves of him. They both lived long, individual lives with their chosen spouses and remained friends until the end. I have this spell in my possession and believe it can done if you're willing to try.

Ranma narrowed his eyes at this, "Happosai tried that before and I almost became a vampire" he pointed out.

"Happosai stole an incomplete copy of the original scroll from me years ago, so it was no wonder that the spell went wrong. However I have the scroll right here" she said and held it up. "But you have to be willing and you understand that you can never turn into a female again. I know that you don't particularly like that aspect of yourself, but think about her really being gone. You could never use her to distract men or to gain food again. The choice is yours Ranma"

Ranma thought about it and felt elated at the prospect 'never going to be a girl again, never going to be a girl again' floated happily through his head "I think I can live with that" he said with a smile. "Wait is the catch that I have to marry Shampoo?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm not doing this for Shampoo, I'm doing this for Mousse" she said, "Their doomed love was mainly my fault and I feel that I owe the boy" she said.

Ranma was surprised to see her look regretful about anything "I accept, but I need a second alone" he requested. Cologne left and he whispered "Ranko is this what you want?" he felt a surge of joy in answer.

Cologne returned "shall we do this right now?" she asked.

"Yes, what do I have to do?" Ranma asked.

"Leave everything to me" Cologne assured him; she made him lie on the ground and made a circle of rocks around him. "Stay within the rocks" she cautioned him. "Just so you know, some personality traits might get mixed up but it shouldn't be anything major. Also there might be some minor discomfort"

Ranma gulped at this, but forced himself to remain calm as Cologne started chanting in a language that was probably older than time. She slowly paced around the circle as she chanted and then leaned down and placed a charm over Ranma's heart and drew a line down the centre of his forehead with a type of red paste. Ranma's breath came in gasps when the stone circle suddenly flared with blue light and it felt as if his soul was being torn apart. The pain became more intense and he shrieked as something slid from him. Cologne intoned the final chant and then peered anxiously into the circle, beside Ranma lay a naked red-headed girl. "Ranko" she cried and Ranma looked in surprise to see a girl that could have been his sister lying beside him. He surged to his feet and helped her up.

She slowly opened vivid blue eyes and said "Ranma?"

"Ranko?" he asked just as stunned.

She smiled in a way that Ranko never had, she was still her but with more confidence and less innocence. Ranko had been a child, this Ranko was a woman "Actually I think I would prefer to be called Ranma for now, I was never sold on the name Ranko" she said.

"Child, you're different" Cologne said.

"I am the being you knew as Ranko with minor differences, I am a powerful martial artist just like Ranma" she explained. Ranma took off his red shirt and covered her with it.

"Do you still love Mousse?" he asked her.

Her eyes softened "with all my heart, I want to do nothing more then spend the rest of my life with him" she said.

Both people visibly relaxed at this "he's planning on going back to China, do you wish to go with him?" Cologne asked.

"Yes. Where is he, can I see him?" she asked.

"He's taking a soak in the furo" Cologne said. "You can wait until after he's done."

"I don't want to, no time for reunions like the present. I think I need a bath anyway, I suddenly feel really dirty" she said suggestively. This caused Ranma to blush and Cologne to become amused, she wondered if Mousse was going to be able to handle his new super sexually charged wife.

Mousse undressed and removed the ace bandage from his knee. He put a bag over his cast, washed himself carefully and dumped a bucket of water over himself. He smiled at the antics of Muko, the fluffy grey kitten had followed him into the onsen and was batting at puddles of water. Then he carefully lowered himself into the furo with a groan, there was nothing like warm water to soothe an aching body. He settled back and put a cloth on his head. He was surprised when the door opened and Ranma came in in his girl form. She wore just his red shirt and this allowed her long, toned legs to show. Wearily he examined her and then said "very funny Ranma, please leave"

"Why I need a bath too? It's not uncommon for husbands and wives to bathe together" she said and took her shirt off.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Mousse cried.

She didn't answer but calmly turned her attention to the kitten "Muko" she cried and scooped him up to settle his fluffy head under her chin. Mousse's eyes went wide with shock, especially when she set him down and walked to the furo. She tested the water with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, got in beside him and didn't change!

"Ranko?" Mousse said in surprised.

"In the flesh darling, Cologne separated Ranma and I using a spell. I've missed you so much" she said settling into his arms. He started sobbing to be holding her again. She cupped his cheeks "I'm yours if you still want me" she said softly as she stroked his tears away.

He tightened his arms around her "Of course I do, I missed you too"

"I hear that you're going to China, I want to go with you. It's time I met my in-laws and we got legally married" she said and drew him in for a loving kiss. "Now I don't really like the name Ranko, could you just call me Ranma until we find a name we both like?"

"I'll call you anything you like Mrs. Mu" Mousse said happily and then they were kissing again. He moaned when she caressed his cock, he could feel himself responding as she pumped him to hardness. She leaned forward so that her slick breasts were cradled against his chest.

"It seems that you owe me a wedding night. You're injured, so you have to lie back while I do all the work. Don't move a muscle" she chided and straddled his lap to impale herself on him. Mousse's head lolled back and he moaned to be inside her hot tightness. Her cries joined his as she rode him hard causing water to splash everywhere.

"That was a nice thing you did" Ranma said to Cologne.

"Mousse isn't such a bad guy" she conceded. Then the moans started and Ranma went beet red when he realized what they were doing.

"Are they?" he asked.

"They're having sex" Cologne replied.

Ranma looked around uncomfortably, he felt like a voyeur. "Perhaps I should go?" he suggested and placed Ranko's silver ring in the centre of the table for her to find.

"There's nothing perverse about what they're doing, it's perfectly healthy to express love this way" Cologne said in amusement.

"That doesn't mean that I have to listen to them" Ranma protested.

"You would leave me alone with them?" Cologne chided.

Ranma ground his teeth in frustration "would you like to catch the new movie with me then?" he asked.

"Why, I do accept. Wait until I tell Shampoo that we went on a date together" she said, then cackled at the expression on his face as he shut the door behind them.

"You realize that Shampoo will still pursue you?" she pointed out.

"I don't think that death would stop her" Ranma muttered sourly.

Mousse looked at his wife through his newly healed eyes. She had found a clinic to perform his surgery soon after they'd moved to China and shortly after their huge Amazon wedding. "Well can you see me?" she asked anxiously.

"Your eyelashes are slightly lighter than your hair, you're getting freckles across the bridge of your nose from being in the sun so much and you're the most beautiful woman that I've ever seen" he said and then smiled when he was suddenly holding his excited wife.

He waited until her squeals of pleasure had died down and then started playing the name game. She still went by Ranma, so Mousse had started 'collecting' names to test them out with her. "How about Lily?" he asked her. She took his hand and placed it on her belly "I love that name. Perhaps we should call our daughter that?" she said suggestively.

"You mean?" he asked in surprise.

"You're going to be a daddy" she said with love in her voice. He pulled her into an embrace too happy for words. He gazed over her head wondering what the future would bring. Whatever happened he would see it clearly and wouldn't have to face it alone.

Ranma finished painting Akane's portrait.

"Can I finally see it?" she asked impatiently.

"Yes" he said.

She smiled at beautiful picture that he'd painted of her and silently thanked Ranko for giving him her artistic talent and easing his natural stubbornness.

"It's so beautiful" she said hugging him.

"Not nearly as beautiful as you" he replied hugging her back.

"Now why don't we go to your room and find a place to hang it?" he suggested.

Akane looked at him shrewdly and thought about what they'd secretly been doing in her room lately, she quirked her brow at him and said "I thought that you'd never ask" so they departed forgetting to bring the picture.

FIN, THE END, FAIT COMPLETE