
             ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
             ::::::::::PERSONALITY MAKEOVER I::::::::::     
             ::Oh no! Akane's mysterious memory lapse::     
             ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


     Akane tried to concentrate, but it was hopeless. She had her
history book open on her desk, but the letters could have been
hieroglyphics for all she understood of them. She sighed and
tapped a pencil on her desk absently. It was unfair that she had
to stay cooped up in her room memorizing birth dates of dead
people when she could be outside and feel the sun on her face.
She looked out the window wistfully. Especially since the day was
particularly fine. The sky was the bluest blue, a dove was cooing
as it circled the sky and... Shampoo was getting off her
bicycle??? Akane half-rose in her chair to get a better look.    
     Apparently, the Chinese Amazon had just finished her
deliveries and dropped by straightaway to visit Ranma. Shampoo
bounced across the street and threw the front doors open.     
     Akane sank back down in her seat. Instantly, her mind
churned with lurid imaginings of what was taking place
downstairs. No, she commanded herself firmly, you will not go and
spy on them. You don't care one bit about what they're doing. She
forced herself to stare down at her history book again. The
combination of letters swam dizzily before her eyes. ==CRACK!===
Startled, she almost jumped out of the chair, her nerves were
strained so. She happened to look down, and she smiled ruefully
at the broken pencil she held in one hand. She hadn't even been
aware she'd been tapping it!     
     Rolling her eyes in self-disgust, she gave in and decided to
make the trip downstairs. After all, she reasoned to herself, as
his fiance (even a reluctant one) she still had the obligation to
check up on him and make sure he wasn't doing anything sneaky
behind her back. With that in mind, she threw the two halves of
her pencil into the waste basket and tiptoed her way down the
stairs. Hearing voices, she pressed herself against the wall and
peeked in. Shampoo had her arms wrapped around him. He tried to
push her away, with no success. "Shampoo...would you please get
off me?!"       
     Akane fumed at the sight. Surely he could do better than
that if he really wanted to. She heard him sigh, and it sounded
resigned. She began rolling up her shirt sleeves in preparation
to charge in.     
     That's when he said it. She stopped dead in her tracks.     
     He said it softly, almost under his breath...yet it reached
Akane as clear as crystal. The words echoed in her head.     
     "I wish Akane was as affectionate as you."     
     She sank down onto the floor, feeling dazed. What he'd just
said...?     
     A part of her wondered why she was taking it so bad. Ranma
had certainly insulted her worse than that, why then did she feel
faint and woozy?      
     But another part of her already knew the answer. Ranma
always insulted her to her face, doing it consciously. But this
time... This time it had sounded very much like his subconscious
was talking. He wouldn't have said it either if he'd known she
was listening. I wish Akane was as affectionate as you. It had
caught her off guard and landed in a soft spot.     
     She'd always prided herself on her levelheadedness when it
came to boys. She wasn't the type who went all giggly and felt
ready to swoon when a good-looking boy was near. So when Yuka and
Sayuri began jumping up and down and giggling, all she did was
smile and think, No boy can make me act like a fool.      
     But in all this, she'd forgotten that boys liked that in
girls. It soothed their frail male ego, a skill Shampoo had
mastered...and she had flunked. She sighed and groped the
banister for support as she hauled herself back up. It was time
to seek advice.     
     Akane considered approaching Kasumi. Nah, she'd rather spare
my feelings than tell me the truth. Besides, oneechan is a
bit...out of it.      
     That left only one more person. She gathered up her nerve
and rapped on the wooden door. She hoped the fact that she was
broke would not affect her sister's judgement. "Come in," came a
voice from inside.     
     Akane turned the knob and let herself in. Nabiki was seated
at her desk, a pencil stuck behind one ear. She looked surprised
to see her, but broke into a grin. "Well, well, to what do I owe
the honor of your company?"     
     "To a Chinese bimbo," she mumbled, throwing herself on the
bed. She gripped a pillow to her chest tightly.     
     Nabiki shifted position so she was facing her. "I suppose
you're referring to Shampoo.     
     Akane could only nod.     
     "Personally, I think she's improved these last few months.
At least she's learned how to open doors and only shatters our
walls once a week."     
     Akane gave her a hard look.     
     She took the hint and backed off. "All right, what did she
do now?"     
     All of a sudden, Akane became flustered. "Nothing really
but...do you think I'm too aloof?"     
     Nabiki almost choked at the bad choice of words. "To whom?
To Ranma?"     
     This time the nod was barely discernable.     
     Nabiki settled down for a lengthy discussion. She assumed a
businesslike air. "Aloofness is not an appropriate term. In fact,
you frequently interfere in his affairs. Apparent dislike is
closer to what you're thinking of. Now, the person in question
has three willing females at his beck and call twenty four hours
a day. You, as his remaining fiancee, prefer to call him such
endearing titles as hentai, baka..."     
     Akane moaned and placed her hands over her ears. "OK, OK,
enough. I know all that." She closed her eyes painfully. "Stop
treating me like a client and start talking to me as a sister."  
     Nabiki blinked, taken aback. She surprised herself by
allowing a reluctant smile. "All right, if that's what you want."
She pondered just how she should phrase her thoughts. "I think
Ranma likes you best." This startled Akane into looking up. "It's
true! But - and this is a big but - you're driving him away.
While the other girls display their affection for him, you do
just the opposite. Sooner or later, if you don't show signs of
encouragement, the poor guy is going to shake his head and give
up."     
     With that hanging in the air, she got up and strode to her
satchel, which was lying near the bed. She reached into one of
the pockets and drew something out. She handed this to Akane.    
     Akane found herself clutching a handful of photographs. She
stared at them in consternation.      
          
Shampoo feeding Ranma ramen.     
She feeding him a knucklepunch.     
Shampoo gazing at him with a look of pure joy.     
She giving him her best drop-dead glare.     
Shampoo cuddling next to him.     
She punting him into orbit.     
          
     Akane sighed and looked up at Nabiki for support.      
     "There's hope for you yet," she offered. She raised a finger
as if to signify, "Don't move." She then threw her closet doors
open. She rifled through the hung dresses and finally grunted
triumphantly. Akane gasped as blinding white material swished
into view. Nabiki beamed proudly.          
     Reverently, Akane fingered the material. The dress was a
sleeveless affair with a fitted bodice and flared skirt that
ended way above her knees. She couldn't help but be surprised her
sister owned such a dress. It was more to her own taste than
Nabiki's. Then again, the scarcity of fabric wasn't exactly her
style either...        
     "You like it don't you." It was more of a statement than a
question. "It's just the kind of thing that awakens a man's
interest."      
     Her pointed glance at what Akane was wearing made her blush.
So her yellow knit sweater and button-down skirt were pretty
conservative. It only seemed so when compared to Shampoo's
indecent, body-hugging, traffic stopping outfits.     
     Nabiki took something out of her dresser drawer and threw it
to her offhandedly. Akane caught and stared at the makeup kit.
Her sister glanced at her watch. "I gotta go now; I have some
business to attend to." Briskly, she took yet something else from
her satchel pocket. She was almost out the door before Akane
called out, "Wait!" All of a sudden, a wave of panic washed over
her. She didn't want to go through her transformation alone      
     Nabiki stuck her head in. "Oh yeah, that's right. I'll
collect my fee later."      
     That changed her mind in an instant. Nabiki had to duck
before a shoe struck her on the forehead. She walked away,
shaking her head and muttering something about ingratitude and
interest rates.      
     Still shaking with repressed anger, Akane walked over to the
full-length mirror. The sight of her sulky and pouty expression
unexplainably made her burst out laughing. So all right, perhaps
she had overreacted. The expression on her face was so
exaggerated! Giggling, she started to undress...     
     A half-hour later and she was staring at her reflection
again, this time turning her head this way and that critically.
True enough, the neckline of the dress was a little too
revealing...but the dress itself was so stunning she found
herself not caring. It flattered her figure in all the right
places. She'd also popped the makeup kit open, and at first she'd
just stared at the various trays and implements helplessly. But
then, she'd decided blue eyeshadow was a pretty safe choice, and
she'd moved on from there.      
     She twirled around and struck a dramatic pose, which made
her grin. So what if she wasn't a great beauty? She could make
the best of what she had, and the results weren't displeasing.   
     She stood like that several minutes longer, and it occurred
to her that she was stalling for time. She hated to admit it, but
she feared Ranma might laugh at the new her. If he did, she'd be
more than furious -- she'd be crushed. But I can't stay here all
day, she thought, and if Ranma doesn't like it, fine! he can go
to hell. That made her square her shoulders and march out
resolutely.     
     But once outside, she felt herself faltering again. Wracked
with indecision, she bit her lip -      
     "AAAIIIYYYEEEEEE!!!" The eardrum-splitting cry came from
downstairs, and soon enough, footsteps thundered on the stairs
and a red blur streaked by.      
     "Ranma?" Akane cried.     
     Then a pink-and-white cat bounded from a stairs in hot
pursuit. On spotting Akane, it hissed and launched itself at her.
     Akane screamed.     

     CAT! CAT! CAT!!! sang Ranma-chan's brain. Gotta get away
from the cat! He and Shampoo had been virtually in the same
position Akane'd left them. Unfortunately, Soun was watering the
plants with a hose, and he accidentally aimed it at an open
window...     
     Next thing he knew he was a she and Shampoo was a cat. The
latter was all that mattered to her and she'd panicked, as usual.
Everything that happened afterward was a dim haze, but the scream
jolted her out of it and she looked back over a shoulder. She saw
Akane - then her eyes focused on Shampoo and panic washed over
her once again. Unconsciously, she lifted a heavy paperweight
lying on a shelf nearby and heaved it at her.     
     Unfortunately, in her, um, let us say unbalanced     
state, her usual perfect aim was off and -      
     ==THOK!== Ranma watched in numb horror as Akane crumpled to
the ground.      
     She froze. All she could do was stare at the seemingly
lifeless form of her fiancee. She could hear her heart beating
against her rib cage. Then, all of a sudden, her body was
functioning again and she was running to her side. She knelt down
and took a pulse. Good, it was strong. Yet Akane remained
motionless.     
     Shampoo timidly approached, but she was oblivious. Her
phobia of Akane lying still was beginning to rival her fear of
cats. Come on Akane, she pleaded mentally. Snap out of it. If you
hadn't been standing in the way - no, she amended quickly, I
can't believe I thought that. Just...wake up and you can beat the
shit out of me if you want. A worried frown knitted her brows.
When did Akane get those shiners?     
     Akane moaned and her eyelids fluttered.      
     Relief flooded through Ranma. She watched as Akane sat up,
holding her head.     
     She groaned and fixed blank brown eyes on her. She blinked
in confusion."What is it? Why are you staring at me? Is my hair a
mess?" She patted the top of her head worriedly.     
     Ranma's mouth dropped open in surprise. First of all,
Akane's voice had risen several degrees higher. Almost as if...as
if she was mimicking a traditional Japanese cute voice! Second,
that strange empty look creeped her out. Third, her hair???  
    Before she could answer though, Akane interrupted her
thoughts
with,     
    "By the way, do I know you?"     
    Ranma gaped at her.      
