Happy Boxing Day!

	(Previously:  In an alternate world where the Jyuusenkyo springs 
change the mind as well as the body of their victims, Ranma's female form 
is a separate personality calling herself Ranko.  Ryouga fell into (as 
far as we know) Spring of Drowned Boy and his alternate self is called 
Shinnosuke.  Akane has been asked to represent Furinkan High in a martial
rhythmic gymnastics match against the champion of Hebereke Girls' School, 
Kodachi Kunou, the Black Rose.  Kodachi apparently believes in 
preemptive defense, and has already attacked Akane in her bedroom, as 
well as taking a fancy to Ranma.  The day of the match approaches...)

				TWILIGHT EXISTENCE
				by Scott K. Jamison
				(Takahashi disclaimer)
				Part Seven


	People sometimes ask me, "Don't you kind of resent Ranma?"  The 
answer, obviously, is yes.  Who wouldn't resent someone who by their very 
existence robs them of any chance at a normal life, to whom they lose 
hours, days, sometimes even precious weeks?  And Ranma resents me just as 
much. 
	That said, there really isn't much point in holding a grudge.  
Sure, we could play nasty, horrible tricks on each other, but revenge on 
yourself is a game you just can't win.  So we cooperate instead, until a 
cure can be found one way or the other.  Not that we don't get each other 
in trouble by accident... 
	Ryouga disappeared a couple of days into Akane's training, but 
she'd managed to get the basics down by then.  Ranma and I alternated as 
targets, and by two nights before the match, she'd gotten quite good with 
the rhythmic gymnastics equipment.  
	I won the coin toss, so I woke up early Sunday morning in the 
bathroom.  I dressed in skirt/blouse combo #8, reminding myself to save 
up money for some new clothes.  I checked the diary.
	[Akane's doing much better.  Never thought she'd improve this 
much.  Maybe she's not a klutz at all.  Finally met Shinnosuke when he 
came back last night.  Seems like a nice fellow.  He threw a bandana at a 
ball Akane was about to trip over and got it out of the way.  We thanked 
him, but no interference is allowed during matches, so had to start 
over.  Noticed Akane still favoring ankle she hurt earlier, recommended 
she tape both, one for support, other to confuse issue.  Don't want to 
give Kodachi too obvious a target.  Wish her luck from me!] 
	I went down to breakfast.  Akane seemed a little distracted.  She 
started eating her napkin by mistake! 
	We arrived at Hebereke Girls' School by noon, the match to start 
at one o'clock in Gymnasium Two.  Kodachi greeted us near our dressing 
room. 
	"Ranko here will be acting as my second." explained Akane, now 
fully alert.  For some reason, all the other girls on the gymnastics team 
had been unable to attend. 
	"So, the pigtail girl."  Kodachi's eyes flashed recognition.  "We 
have met before, have we not?" 
	"Yes.  I'm Ranma's sister, by the way."
	"How...interesting."  She held out a hand to Akane.  "May the 
best girl win."
	Akane caught her by the wrist.  "Hold it."  She twisted Kodachi's 
hand palm up, to reveal what was concealed there. 
	"My, my.  How did these tacks get between my fingers?"  Akane 
looked decidedly unconvinced by Kodachi's innocent act.  We went into the 
dressing room.
	"Wow." stated Akane.  "If you let your guard down for a second... 
Hm?"
	I was looking as a bouquet of black roses on the table.  A card 
with them said [Good Luck from the Black Rose.]  Akane held her breath, 
took a flower from the bouquet and dunked it into the aquarium also on 
the table.  Almost instantly, the fish inside became sluggish.
	"Sleeping potion."
	"Say, Akane, isn't an aquarium a pretty unusual fixture for a 
dressing room?" 
	"Come to think of it, you're right!  I think I get it.  When she 
attacked me in my bedroom, Kodachi said something about `fighting in all 
fairness.'  She has a pretty twisted idea of what's fair, but if you can 
figure out the rules she's playing by...hmm." 
	At one, we entered the auditorium.
	"And now...the champions of the schools!"  There was a lot of 
cheering.  It was definitely a home crowd, the few "Akane" signs 
outmatched by the huge "Kodachi" banners.  Nervertheless, there were 
Furinkan students there, including Kunou in a ringside seat.  He and 
Kodachi exchanged brief words; I couldn't hear them over the crowd.  
Several of the Hebereke girls were staring longingly at the handsome 
upperclassmen.  Too bad he seemed interested only in girls who didn't 
want him. 
	The announcer spoke again.  "In this corner, from Hebereke Girls' 
School, Kodachiiii Kunouuu!"  There were deafening cheers.  She wore a 
leotard with black rose embroidery, clearly custom-made.  
	"And in this corner, from Furinkan High School...Akaane 
Tendouuu!"  Akane smiled and waved as the Furinkan students applauded.  I 
noticed none of the other Hebereke gymnasts seemed to be present either.  
Very odd. 
	Kunou shouted "Do not allow yourself to be too badly injured, 
Akane Tendou!  I will soothe your hurts with my tender kisses!" 
	"Yeah, right." grumbled Akane, then she concentrated on Kodachi. 
	"Champions to the center!" shouted the referee.  "Now...shake 
hands." 
	Kodachi suddenly gasped and pointed to one side.  "Look!  Over 
there!"  Akane looked, as did the referee and myself.  When we looked 
back, somehow a chain with a weight at the end had gotten attached to 
Akane's arm. 
	"Carelessness is your enemy." smirked Kodachi. 
	At that moment, Shinnosuke walked up.  "Sorry I'm late.  Ryouga 
managed to get us here, but got splashed, and I wasn't sure where the 
match was." 
	The bell rang, and the match began. 
	As the contestants circled each other, the ringside announcer 
explained the rules.  "No time limit, no bare-handed blows.  The match 
ends when one contestant is knocked completely down, and if either 
contestant falls from the ring she will be an immediate loser!" 
	Akane didn't seem much bothered by the chain as she launched her 
first attack.  But Kodachi's tricks included rigged equipment.  Her rope 
was actually a disguised rod, and her clubs had retractable spikes!  I 
appealed to the referee, but she was in Kodachi's pocket and pretended 
not to notice anything wrong.  Even Kunou seemed displeased by his 
sister's tactics. 
	"I do all this that I may date Ranma!" declaimed Kodachi.  "Oh, 
how inspiring the lengths to which I'll go!" 
	"There's no chance he'll go out with you!" snarled Akane as she 
slammed the weight into Kodachi's face.
	"Yeah!  And I don't like you either!" I shouted. 
	"And what is it to you, pigtail girl?" asked Kodachi as she 
pushed Akane back with her spiked club. 
	"I happen to be very close to my brother, and we both think 
you're nuts!" 
	"You dreadful girl!  You--you--you--you--" Suddenly she realized 
Akane had gotten away.  Kodachi called for a hoop.  It proved to have a 
razor edge.  Akane barely managed to knock it away with the chain. 
	I threw Akane a couple more clubs and she twirled them like 
nunchaku. 
	"Heh.  How laughable!" taunted Kodachi.  "Now witness the secret 
technique of the Black Rose!  The Blow of a Thousand Hands!  At full 
frenzy!"  Her hands blurred, and it looked like she was attacking with a 
dozen clubs at once.  I blinked, and realized she was! 
	I tossed a ball to Akane, who used it to knock the clubs out of 
the air and Kodachi's hands.  I winced when I saw that at least some of 
the blows had gotten through.  The Furinkan students booed this display 
of foul play. 
	"This is only the beginning!"  assured Kodachi.  "The essence of 
Martial Rhythmic Gymnastics is control of an endless arsenal of 
weapons!"  Not for the first time, I wondered what lunatic had thought 
this sport up to begin with. 
	Taking a corner post, Kodachi snagged the round bell with her 
ribbon.  Akane barely managed to block it with the chain weight.  I don't 
think Kodachi realized how strong Akane was, or she would have used a 
heavier handicap.  Next it was a chair, so Akane countered by using her 
own ribbon to snag a table. 
	Kodachi countered the table by pulling her own brother into the 
ring!  He naturally smashed the furniture with his bokken rather than be 
hit, then was propelled right back out (and none too gently!)  The 
referee and judges didn't hestitate to declare this tactic valid. 
	I felt a hand on my shoulder.  It was Father, carrying a steaming 
kettle and tea cups.
	"Father!  Be careful with that!  Remember what I'm wearing!" 
	"Oh.  Right.  I'll just be over here then..."  He sat down a 
small distance away and poured himself some tea. 
	I turned my attention back to the fight.  Kodachi and Akane were 
exchanging ribbon attacks, and Akane was definitely getting the worst of 
it.  But she was gritting her teeth and refusing to give ground.  "A 
battle for the ages!" the announcer called it. 
	Then Kodachi spotted the teakettle and snatched it with her 
ribbon.  "Even a cockroach will surrender in the face of the attack of 
the boiling water!"
	Akane dodged most of the stream of water Kodachi poured out, but 
I could hear her gasp as some touched her skin.  It was definitely hot!  
Kodachi laughed. 
	Akane jumproped the chain again in an aerial attack.  But Kodachi 
tossed the kettle into the air, slicing it in half with her ribbon.  Hot 
water went flying everywhere...including on me.  I think I heard 
Shinnosuke say "uh-oh" just before I blacked out.
	I woke up with a spray of cold water coming into my nostrils.  I 
stepped back and found I was in a shower room, still fully clothed in 
what I'd been wearing before, and standing next to Father's panda form.  
	By careful timing, I was able to turn on the hot water, turn off 
the cold water and get out the shower entrance before I got hit with 
another blackout.  Father walked out a moment later.  We were both 
sopping wet and miserable-looking. 
	"I'm sorry, Ranko.  I should have known this would happen 
eventually." 
	"It's all right, Father.  How were you to know Kodachi would do 
that?" 
	"Time for another training trip!  I hear Korea is nice this time 
of year." 
	"Huh?"  Then I realized what he was talking about.  "You want us 
to run away?"
	"Think of it as a tactical withdrawal.  We can't stay here now 
that your secret is out."  He produced a backpack from seemingly nowhere. 
	"Why not?  Okay, it's going to be rough now that people know what 
I do.  But I'm not going to run away until I see whether I can hack it."  
I moved to the door. 
	"No, Ranko!  You don't underst--" and I was out in the hallway.  
We were still at Hebereke, and students were pouring out of the gym, 
talking excitedly.  I pushed my way through the crowd back into the 
auditorium.  It was almost empty. 
	Kodachi had apparently already left.  Akane was lying on the 
floor near the ring, being looked at by a Hebereke student wearing a 
"medic" armband.  A few students, including Kunou, were hovering around 
them and not being terribly helpful.  Other Hebereke students on 
janitorial duty were cleaning the aisles. 
	Akane looked really beat up.  There were bandages on at least a 
dozen places, there was a red scald mark on her thigh, one cheek was 
swollen and discolored, and her leotard was barely holding together.  But 
she was smiling. 
	"I won, Ranko!  I beat her!" 
	"um...yeah.  Good work, Akane!"
	Kunou laid a hand on my shoulder.  "Ranko Saotome.  It seems that 
Akane Tendou has succeeded in defending her attachment to your brother--"
	"I wasn't fighting for *Ranma*!" protested Akane.
	"--despite the fact that he is now known to be a crossdresser." 
	"Huh?"  I asked.  Hadn't he realized what was going on? 
	"At last it is clear how the wretched Ranma Saotome has so often 
eluded me.  By some signal he arranges for you to meet him, you exchange 
clothing, and he slips away in feminine guise."
	"That's not--"
	"I admire your loyalty to your brother, lovely pigtailed girl, 
but we all saw him wearing your garments, and the conclusion is quite 
obvious.  Ranma is a pervert."
	"But--"
	"Do not fear, Ranko, for despite your brother's bizarre habits, I 
would still date with thee!  Your innocent charms have quite mazed my 
evergreen heart and--"
	"Hoohoohahohoo!"  Kodachi was back in school uniform, her head 
bandaged.  "Congratulations, Akane Tendou.  You are the only woman ever 
to defeat the Black Rose.  Too bad your prize is a booby." 
	"Come again?"
	"I should have realized it from his odd attire on the rooftop, 
but I was so starved for male companionship I ignored it.  But now I 
realize that Ranma Saotome is unmanly, and no fit match for me!  However, 
he should do quite nicely for you.  Hahoohohoo!"  She bounded off. 
	"My sister." said Kunou.  "Truly a twisted individual.  Now, 
where was I?"
	"About to be reminded that I don't have permission to date boys 
yet." I replied.  I helped Akane to the dressing room, where we struggled 
to put her uniform on.
	"They didn't see it?" I asked.
	"I guess everyone was watching the fight, so they didn't notice 
anything wrong until Ryouga started laughing at Ranma and teasing him.  
When Kodachi saw him in your dress, she was so shocked, she completely 
dropped her guard!
	"So I clubbed her upside the head.  I feel a little dirty, 
attacking from behind like that, but like she said, `Carelessness is your 
enemy.'"  She winced as she slipped into a shoe.  "About the only part 
that doesn't hurt right now is my ankles.  Let's stop by Dr. Tofu's place 
on the way home."
	Ryouga had apparently gotten lost, but Father turned up again and 
carried Akane on his back.  He seemed worried, even though we explained 
that no one seemed to understand the true connection...

		To Be Continued...

	Next time, the Golden Pair!  But less dialogue stolen directly 
from Viz, praise Tezuka!

SKJAM!
"It's the end of the world as we know it"