This story is based on Sailor Ranko universe started by Fire and continued by Kevin D. Hammel and Rebecca Ann Heineman.

It is not meant to be a part of the mainstream of Rebecca's storyline unless she wishes it to be. I am still waiting for her to restart writing those novels. Well girl can dream can't she… It is meant to be a branching timeline set after the Thrice in a Millennium. There are some things lore vise that I changed or refined to spin my narrative and story in the way I prefer it. Some things to me seemed necessary to change because I felt that Rebecca wrote herself into a corner here and there. Especially with the future of the scouts in The Harder They Fall. I noticed a few subtle hints in the comic that I would like to expand upon and which I feel might be the focus of the unwritten novel Memories Of Old. Hopefully, someday, we can all read the originally intended story by the mastermind behind this epic universe. Until then there is this.

This will be a much needed psychological drama concerning Ranma's gender issues. No smooth sailing like the novels before. This will be gritty dark and hopefully realistic depiction of what it feels like to experience GID. I kind of want to deconstruct Ranma Evangelion style.

The story plays loosely with the established lore. The recommended order of reading is

Sailor Ranko (Fire)

Sailor Ranko : A Love Story (Rebecca Ann Heineman)

Sailor Ranko : Twice in a Millennium (Kevin D. Hammel)

Sailor Ranko : Tunnel Vision (Rebecca Ann Heineman)

Sailor Ranko : Just Add Water (Rebecca Ann Heineman)

Sailor Ranko : The Harder They Fall (Rebecca Ann Heineman)

Sailor Ranko : Thrice in a Millennium (Rebecca Ann Heineman)

While you can read this as a solo story I recommend you to read the whole saga. You have some reading up to do, so I advise you to get to it.

I don't own any source material and I don't make money from this. Just so you know there is no legal reason to get me jailed for this.

"-" Dialoque

'-' Thought

Chapter 01

Here's Ranma of the Sun

Ranma woke up soaked in a cold sweat. It wasn't the first time this happened. This was the third night in a row. She had this weird dream. It didn't matter if she was a he or a she when going to sleep. The nightmare hunted her all the same. It wasn't the usual sort of dreams you would expect after everything that happened. While some of those plagued her too, the intensity was nowhere close to this. She looked at her wife who stirred a bit under the covers. 'If this continues, I will have to start sleeping on the couch.' The redhead thought feeling ashamed for disturbing her wife for several nights in a row.

The short haired girl mumbled something under the cover and peeked from under it. "What's wrong Ranma?" She yawned. "Another one of those?"

Ranma closed her eyes as if making sure the nightmare went away. "Don't worry Akane. I should probably stop eating before going to bed." The redhead dismissed the question. "Sorry to wake you up." She kissed Akane lightly on the cheek.

"It's ok. Don't even think about sleeping on the sofa." Akane busted the redhead's line of thought pulling her to the bed. "You should mention this at the meeting. Maybe others can help."

Ranma smiled and brushed her cheek. "I will, thanks." She said and kissed Akane. "I should go to take a shower. I am all yucky." Ranma untangled the web consisting of sheets and Akane who looked at her lovingly.

"Leave me some hot water will you?" The dark haired martial artist called after the redhead.

Ranma considered himself really lucky. Yet the life seemed to be determined to always test him in new and surprising ways. Every time he dealt with something and got used to the changes in his life, new and unexpected event changed all that. She turned on the water in the shower and stepped in.

Things changed so much since they both left Nerima for Juban, it was almost incomprehensible. First being a senshi and then the survival in the dark dimension. Those were the times that made him reevaluate some of his core beliefs. Being a princess of the sun was strange at first. She grinned remembering how he hated the outfit at the beginning.

Over time, he came to accept it and even cherish that. His male pride started to evaporate soon to be long gone in a few months after. He could do so much more and be much more now. His father was a fool to force the men among men nonsense upon him in the first place. Still, he loved his parents however flawed. The time they fought Skynet in the timeline that thanks to gods never was, taught him to value and cherish every moment with his close ones. So much pain and death. It almost seemed like a nightmare nowadays.

Akane and now Ukyo together with Konatsu. They were all senshi. In a way it was funny. It all almost never was. Ranma felt great that they got rid of Happosai even if it took some doing. He really crossed the line with that demon. Even so, Ranma was grateful in a way. If it wasn't for that incident, he might have never realized how important is his girl half was. Well half, more like third the other one being Sun. He realized that he couldn't live without the curse turned blessing. He considered himself as much Ranko, as Ranko was Ranma at that time. Now after all that happened, he realized that it went much further than that. The regretful decision that gave birth to the alter ego pretend persona Ranko was one of the mistakes of the past. He was Ranma, she was Ranma the princess of the sun. She used to be Angwin the girl that saved everyone. Tear rolled down her cheek. She was still mostly in dark on the topic of her former life. Just bits and pieces here and there. Not much to go by and she was still affraid to go back to her space station. Ranma couldn't help but feel privileged all in all. Angwin lost so much, and he almost rejected her legacy at the beginning but who was Ranma? Girl, a lesbian, boy or both? It haunted Ranma. It felt like the ground under his soul was not ground at all but some kind of a quicksand.

Then there was this huge reptile business and things got only more heated after that. The neo moon was a mystery to Ranma. She had the feeling that Usa really enjoyed teasing her. Ranma struggled to make heads or tails out of the bits and pieces the neo senshi dropped. Especially the ones related to her magical problems. She always had this look of ave like a fan girl meeting her hero when looking at Ranma. It left the redhead feeling uneasy. 'What was it that I did to warrant this.'

Ranma turned the warm water on triggering the change. While both his forms of were him, it felt lately like he was seeing the male side less frequently. With all the hassle of getting warm water and between all those volleyball trainings, senshi meetings and ice cream raids he always ended up female. He wondered if he ever bothered changing back nowadays if it wasn't for Akane. Especially since his female form now actually felt more comfortable and familiar than his male one. 'This is scary.' He turned off the water and realized there was a meeting planned today. One quick splash of the cold water and the redhead wrapped herself in the towel. She wore her hair loose now most of the time since kissing the random change's goodbye. It was her way to pay tribute to Angwin and it looked hella good on her. Her hair was also much longer than before reaching the lower back. She was well on her way to rival Setsuna soon. Ranma actually considered the traditional samurai bun as a style for his male form as the hair looked a bit weird in a pigtail, and he didn't want to look like Moose.

"Tea?" Akane asked the redhead that left the bathroom.

"Sure." Ranma said holding onto her towel. "I saved you some hot water since we have a meeting today."

"I was just about to ask you why are you a girl." Akane winked knowingly.

Ranma tapped to their bedroom to get dressed. It took her a while but the redhead was getting pretty skilled at being female. She quickly slipped on her underwear, threw on the school uniform and did her makeup. Just faint trace here and there as the school regulations forbid that. All of this was done pretty quickly which was aided by her martial arts skill.

"Morning Ranma." Greeted Nodoka from behind the newspaper. She looked up at her daughter all dolled up and ready for school. "Don't forget the tea Akane left for you." She pointed at the cup on the side of the round kitchen table.

Ranma took the cup and sipped some of that still hot green tea left there by her wife. "Anything interesting?" The redhead asked pointing at the newspaper.

Nodoka sipped her coffee and closed the newspaper. "Nothing much, You made it to the front page again." She pushed the news outlet Ranma's way.

Ranma yawned taking the newspaper and examining the picture of sailor Sun and Io in battle stance with their back touching displayed on the front page. "You know, sometimes I wonder if Nabiki has anything to do with these." The redhead dropped the paper back on the table in front of her mother.

The older women just chuckled and then her expression got serious. "Do you still have trouble sleeping?" The tired look was pretty obvious to the matriarch.

Ranma turned to the stove and got to work on breakfast. "Its nothing. It will go away." She sipped some more of the green tea left by her wife. It was her morning ritual as of late. She was wondering if it meant she is growing old. A Thousand years… it felt like forever. Ranma drifted off. She needed to have a word with Setsuna about this. It bothered her that the older she would get, the slower they aged. It was unnatural and she wanted to be finally normal. At least to give that appearance. Over the past year and half of fighting and commotion, she almost failed to notice how different they were. Akane grown her hair out a bit as well as she did, but she matured into a fine young woman as her curves filled out. Ranma's male side was more or less the same except the growth in height, but it was the female side that went through the most changes. The additional height made her look much more mature and smoothed out her baby fat exaggerated curves a bit. She was now looking like a model from the western magazines as Akane once put it. The gaijin traits carried over in the family genes really started to shine through.

The older woman looked at the young redhead currently lost in thought. She decided to interrupt her anyway. "I really think, that you should talk about it with someone." Nodoka took a deep breath and continued. "When your father took you from me, I sometimes visited this doctor that helped me to deal with my feelings." The woman offered.

Ranma sighed. "You mean like a shrink? Look mom…" Ranma tried to argue when she felt hands on her waist as the still damp Akane embraced her from behind. The two were now matching in height.

Akane kissed Ranma on the neck. "Your mom has a point dear." She smiled.

Ranma was not happy to put it mildly. "I am fine, you two. There is nothing wrong with me. It will pass and everything will be alright like always." She tried to argue.

"Ranma, I know you are strong, but the things you went through that would kill lesser men had an impact on you. You would be fool not to acknowledge it." Nodoka wrote a phone number on the piece of paper she pulled out of her purse. "Call them and say that your name is Saotome."

"But mom…"

Akane put her hand over the redheads mouth. "Don't worry Ranma, I will go there with you. Maybe we can get a discount for couples therapy." Akane smiled.

"Har har, really funny." The redhead mumbled.

Akane snuggled on the redhead she smiled and sniffed the perfume the redhead wore. "You are such a girl." She playfully teased.

Nodoka watched the two lovebirds with a smile on her face. The two were magical in more ways than one. "Well, I got to be going. I have to be on time. I also have a few important appointments with collectors, so I might be late today." Sad the Saotome matriarch. She liked working for the museum of Tokyo. Her special designation as an art appraiser afforded her much more freedom than normal job, but it came with a price. The price being the fact that she sometimes had no choice and had to be flexible in her work hours.

"Wait, you haven't eaten yet." Called Ranma.

The woman grabbed her handbag containing small laptop and few other necessities just shrugged. "Don't worry dear, I will grab something on my way. You two have fun." She weaved at the couple.

"You too mom." The two called out after her.

Akane looked at the note left on the table and walked to pick it up. "Your mom is right you know." She weaved the piece of paper in front of Ranma's face.

"You know full well, that I can't talk about this with anyone." Ranma looked at the paper apprehensively.

Akane pulled the paper out of Ranma's reach before the redhead could snatch it and throw it away. "The worse case scenario, we ask Pluto to erase their memory."

"And leave the shrink b b bbbraindead? Its not like anyone will notice I guess." Ranma applied sarcasm where sarcasm was due. "You know what happened last time someone pissed off Setsuna right?"

Akane laughed. "Ohh but it wasn't that bad, and we got to visit the Hayden planetarium."

"She didn't have to threaten him with showing the time staff up his ass if he failed to reinstate Pluto as a planet."

Akane laughed her ass off. She remembered the look on doctor Tyson's face being pushed against the wall of his office as Setsuna explained to the poor man her point of view while holding the time staff against his neck with the red gem glowing brightly. "I will make the call."

Ranma dropped her head and got back to making breakfast.

Ranma sighed while picking at her bento she made that morning. The group of girls gathered under the tree for lunch as always. "Could you stop that Minako? Don't you have lunch to eat?"

The blonde grinned and continued working through Ranma's hair. "That can wait. I want to see how this looks like on you." She put pale blue bow into Ranma's hair and admired the result.

"Sometimes I wonder how it is possible I still have any hair when you always treat me like your personal brush up doll." The redhead stuffed another rice ball to her face.

"You should treat your hair better. I am glad you at least let it grow longer. It looks so much better than before." The blonde tormentor said.

Akane lifted her eyes from the lunch Ranma made to have a look at the result and burst out laughing almost choking on the food. "That is so you!"

Ranma wasn't amused. She snatched the mirror Minako offered to have a look.

"If you ever get tired of being a senshi, you can try getting job at Disneyland." Makoto teased the unamused redhead.

Ranma turned to the brunette martial artist. "Even you, Brutus?" This made everyone almost choke on the lunch while laughing.

Ukyo managed to get hold of herself first. "I had no clue you are so well versed in history sugar."

"Hey! I know stuff. I just have problems with tests ok." Ranma defended her classical education. Well the education she managed to get by reading books. She sure as hell didn't get it from her father.

Konatsu was enjoying her time with the girls. Ever since she became a senshi and a girl in body to match her spirit, she was the happiest person to be alive. Never in her wildest dreams she imagined such a blessing. Things only got better after they moved into Juban. "Its so you... Ariel." She teased the redhead.

Ranma gritted her teeth and returned the mirror back to Minako. "You are all evil." She proclaimed digging deeper to her lunch. Despite his predicament, he felt great. Having such friends made Ranma appreciate life much more than before when he was alone with his father.

The rest of the school day was uneventful. Ranma was slowly getting used to the school uniform and while it was pleasantly comfy in the warm weather, the things she had to be aware while wearing it bugged her. There certainly were some disadvantages to skirts. The fact that Konatsu ever since moving to Juban took it upon herself to educate the redhead on being proper girl grated on Ranma. It was like having her mother constantly at her back. She wondered if Konatsu had some kind of a secret deal with Nodoka or Minako for that mater.

Sailor Sun was leaning against the foot of the gate leading to the Hino shrine. She felt ill and had to get some fresh air. Surprisingly it wasn't caused by their ice cream binge this afternoon. Afterall Usagi had eaten much more and was fine. This was something else. She felt something evil around but couldn't put a finger on it. Not even Amy and her computer managed to pick up on anything. It felt like something bad was about to happen.

"Hey Sunshine." Said Akane who went to check up on her wife. She too was in her senshi form at the moment. "What is wrong with you, care to tell me?" The senshi of the Io quizzed.

"I don't know, I feel weird." The red clad senshi replied with a puzzled and concerned expression marring her face. "I just feel like something is wrong and it makes me physically sick. You know… like… it is hard to describe."

"That time of the month again?" Akane couldn't help but wonder out loud. Sure Ranma was getting used to her occasional monthly visitor, but this concern was puzzling.

"No, well yes, but it's not it." The redhead looked at the ground deep in thought. "There is something more to it. Its like splinter in my head. One that keeps bugging me. There is something I am missing. Recently I have this feeling… like something bad is about to happen.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Io put a hand on the redheads shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Sun looked up in her eyes seeing the worry Io displayed, and She hated it. She hated to be the one who needed help. Someone dependent. Some week… girl. Sure, it wasn't a problem for her to look like a girl or even dress like one. Not any more anyway. She got used to that, or did she? The conditioning into macho pig by her father really made Ranma mad at him from time to time. But no, the problem was rather different. It started in the yuma infested Jadeite's dimension when she was stuck as sun for so long. She tried to forget that. She really did, but… There was something bleeding into her very soul. Something not entirely her. Or was it? It was her past life. She thought she made peace with it but the fact alone, that she even had any past life freaked her out. What did that make her? The question of who am I still bothered her after all this time. She actually was originally born a girl as some assholes mocked her to be few times before. There was still something missing. She hated to be left in the dark about it. Akane was lucky not to have past life. Compared to her, Akane was young soul.

"It's ok Akane. There is nothing to help with unless I figure out what it is that is wrong." The redhead took Akane's hands into her own. "I just wish I wasn't such a burden on you."

"Nonsense." The dark haired senshi snuggled to her wife looking at the stars.

Haruka smiled holding hands with Michiru. "Ohh gee, let me get some insulin. Do we look like this too?" She asked rhetorical question smiling.

"Nope, you are much more macho." Laughed Makoto.

"You are one to talk." Michiru playfully returned the compliment. "Ouch." Makoto grinned back.

Ranma turned to face others. "I take it that the meeting is over?" She asked knowing well her observation was correct."

"Well, I guess that we will see each other tomorrow at school." Usagi smiled. "Ohh and the rest of you next week I guess." She looked at the outer senshi.

"Uhmm… Haruka…" Ranma started rubbing the back of her head. "Could you please ask aunt Setsuna to call me? She is really hard to come by.

Usagi sighed. "She is such a pain, she almost always skips meetings." The blond put a finger on her chin deep in thought. "Unless there is some huge threat. Then she shows up pretty quickly."

Rei laughed. "I guess that it is a good thing that she isn't here today, right meatball head?" the raven haired senshi already in her shrine maiden kimono pointed out.

"You could always call her on the communicator." Ami chimed in.

"Its not that important, I don't want to bother her." Ranma dismissed the conversation with a weave of her hand. "Anyway, I guess we will be going. I could kill for a hot shower."

"Aww." Minako gave out a disappointed grunt.

Sun made a long nose at the blond. "See ya tomorrow blondie." Ranma called grabbing onto her wife and beamed out of the shrine garden.

Nodoka walked into the apartment carrying her case. She was tired, but she managed to get a few priceless artifacts secured for the museum. The carbon dating on the objects was especially interesting. She would have to have that confirmed at an independent lab.

She walked to the living room and saw her daughter out cold on the sofa still in her senshi form. What made her laugh was how Akane watched some movie using the redhead as a popcorn bowl holder. "Akane..." The matriarch said in a disapproving tone as her amusement evaporated.

The girl in question turned to her and sighed. "Alright auntie." She took the bowl but not before Nodoka stole a few pieces of the unhealthy snack and plopped to the seat next to her daughter. "What are we watching and why is Ranma still in her senshi form?"

"Well, she does recharge faster, but she dozed off again after a while watching TV." Akane chuckled.

The talking duo managed to wake up the redhead. "Wha.. who… Ohh hi mom." She cleared her eyes and transformed back as the senshi uniform vanished and her school uniform reappeared.

"Ohh that bow is so you Ranma." Nodoka marveled at the new accessory. "You should wear it more often."

Ranma blushed at the compliment. Still moving slow as she was still sleepy. "I should get cleaned up and ready for bed."

"Did you make the appointment?" Nodoka wondered as her daughter walked in the direction of the bathroom. The bow was really nice touch.

"I did when Ranma was busy shoveling Ice cream." Akane grinned. "I booked Monday next week.

The redhead stopped in her tracks. "What!" She turned her head raising her eyebrow. "I ain't going to no shrink."

"Ohh but you do because if you won't..." Akane pointed at the collection of books Ranma amassed.

Ranma froze. "You wouldn't."

Akane sneered evilly. "Neighbors have a turtle…" Akane knew Ranma loved reading those books.

"Alright but it better be worth it. If I don't like it I will stop going there." She said closing the bathroom door.