Chapter 3 - Flashback
Megumi felt a little better after P.E. but she still wasn't very
talkative. Seki would have asked about it but he was a bit unsure after
watching her maim several large, rather heavy pieces of gym equipment.
Normally he would avoid such a violent and obviously strong
individual but since she was assigned to show him around for the day he was
left with little choice. Seki was beginning to think things would be okay,
right up to the point they got stopped in the hall.
"I fear far too much of the folly of youth is spend in the
hindsight of wisdom. Miss Saotome, I also fear that your mind is not kept
to your studies."
Megumi turned and immediately looked to her feet. "Yes principal Kuno."
"Very well, you will spend the rest of the day with custodian
Sasuke beautifying the grounds of Furinkan High. I have cleared you for
the rest of your classes, you may report to the main field at your
leisure... and let us hope tomorrow is not met with such adversity."
"Yes principal Kuno."
Seki watched the two begin to part ways leaving him stranded in the
middle. "Principal Kuno. What about me?"
Kuno turned to look at the worried lad, "you must be the new
transfer, Kuonji Seki. I believe I shall bestow upon you the choice. You
may either accompany Miss Saotome to the main field or you may follow the
path I lead which as the fates would have it coincide with your next
class."
Seki considered for a moment. Better the danger he knew, "I will
follow Miss Saotome sir." Besides that he decided she was kinda cute.
"So let it be written and so shall it be done." Kuno continued
walking before stopping briefly to look back at Seki, "beware the fire
which burns in that one Student Kuonji, lest like the moth you are consumed
by her flame."
-------------------------
Megumi began to cheer up after an hour of picking weeds. Seki for
his part was just thankful Sasuke gave them a break for lunch. It was an
interesting hour, Seki got to hear a bit about her parents and fiance.
Seki always changed the subject when it came to his own family. She was
curious but decided not to push the matter.
Seki was starting to feel like things were going well until he
began to notice Megumi becoming noticably aggitated. He could follow her
gaze about as far as a group of boys orbiting around a boy and a girl, the
girl he remembered seeing earlier in the office.
Megumi began a brisk walk towards the couple. "Remember how you
said you'd like to meet my finance?"
Seki had to up his pace in order to keep up. "Umm, yeah... is that
him?"
"Yes, and if you still want to meet him you should do it now while
he can still walk."
Seki looked once to Megumi and then to Kune. He decided to take
her advice and broke into a run, stopping in front of Kune and Spice. Seki
shook Kune's hand and began talking at an accelerated rate. "You must be
Hibiki Kune, my name is Kuonji Seki; I'm very pleased to meet you, Megumi
has told me so much about you; why don't we go somewhere and talk about
something before your lovely fiancee decides to join us?"
The only word that made sense to Kune was 'Megumi' but it was
enough. Kune turned just in time to dodge Megumi's schoolbag. Seki wasn't
quite as fortunate.
Kune took the initiative and stepped up to Megumi, taking her into
a hug which pinned both her arms to her sides. "Megumichan! Dear! How
I've missed you... let me introduce you to the new student I was assigned
to show the school to..."
Megumi softened a bit losing most of the edge in her voice,
"Alright Kune. I'm not going to kill you..."
Kune released his hold as Spice happily cut in, "does that mean
you'll walk me to my next class Kunekun?"
Megumi scowled, "...I am going to give you ten seconds before I
break your kneecaps however."
Kune took that as his cue and grabbed hold of Seki. "Well me and
Seki here have important things to discuss." Turning to Seki, "why don't I
buy you some curry bread; we should hurry before they run out."
The dazed Seki simply nodded in agreement as he got dragged into
the nearest building. Spice watched them go and frowned slightly, she had
no idea where her next class was.
Megumi turned her attention back to Spice. "As for you, I know I
told you to stay away from my fiance!"
"Humph! Crazy violent girls do not deserve nice guy like him!"
"Like he'd be interested in a Chinese bimbo like you!"
Spice took up a stance. "Crazy violent girl must really want
lesson in manners!"
Megumi smiled and took up her stance. "Your daddy isn't going to
save you this time."
"Funny, I think same for you."
It only took a couple minutes for most of the school to get in
viewing range, word spread like wildfire that the main event was starting
on the main field. A large group including Toshi and Yoshiki managed to be
there from the opening blows. Kune sighed, alongside Seki who had
recovered enough to see the fighting.
"Aren't you going to stop them?"
"Seki my friend, I couldn't stop either one of them if I tried. As
it is we're all well within blast radius if things get out of hand."
Megumi started with a grab attempt hoping to throw her opponent to
the ground. She was surprised by Spice's quickness as she dropped into a
sweep. It was all Megumi could do to launch herself over the kick and
defend herself from Spice who had already recovered from her sweep.
Spice used her speed to attack with a variety of punches throwing
in a kick now and then to keep Megumi off guard. After a few seconds of
blocking Megumi managed to grab a high kick. For her part Spice continued
to throw punches which Megumi had to block using the captured leg.
Megumi gave Spice's foot a hard twist outward which Spice followed
by a horizontal jumping 'dachou kyaku' kick to keep her ankle from
breaking. Not expecting the kick Megumi took a grazing blow to the face
stunning her. Both combatants fell, but even stunned Megumi was able to
land hard on Spice's leg.
Both stood slowly to face each other, slightly battered and very
pissed. Neither were expecting the competition they were getting, and both
decided it was time to stop holding back.
Megumi began a drive forward as the words escaped her lips, "kachuu
Tenshin AMAGURIKEN!!!"
It was one of the first techniques Cologne had taught Spice, but
unprepared and unexpecting she had to take the brunt of the attack. Megumi
began panting heavily as Spice flew back to the ground. The amaguriken was
still new to her, she had a preference to ki based attacks but in this
fight she needed the extra speed.
To Megumi's grim amazement, Spice got up even after getting hit by
over a hundred blows. Her dress was a mess and she was visibly injured but
she had nowhere near the level of damage Megumi had inflicted upon her.
Spice cursed herself silently for getting caught in the chestnut
fist. She took a deep breath and began a series of flip kicks bringing her
close enough to perform a 'kachuu kyaku.'
Cologne had taught her it to her shortly after the amaguriken by
lighting her pant leg on fire. It wasn't as fast as the amaguriken since
she could only use one leg at a time but it made up for it in power and
range.
Megumi was able to take kicks until Spices leg finally gave out and
they both collapsed. Megumi was too exausted to perform any ki based
attack, and she could see Spice was already getting up for another attack.
It only left her one option which she dreaded to use.
Megumi got back into her stance and prepared herself mentally. She
never thought she'd ever have to use it but it was too late for anything
else. She only hoped she could deal with the consequences. "Saotome-ryuu
ougi!"
Those in the crowd close enough to hear gasped. Toshi and Yoshiki
looked on in anticipation, Seki with worry. Kune just covered his eyes and
shook his head as Megumi suddenly dashed into the crowd, leaving behind a
very stunned and confused Spice.
Spice raised an eyebrow and relaxed her stance. "Forget this. I go
home."
Spice made her way through the crowd and eventually out the front
gate, leaving behind a field full of confused spectators. Kune continued
to sit there and shake his head in dismay.
---------------------
Ranma needed someone to talk to as he stumbled out of the
Nekohanten. This was not something for his supporting wife, at least not
yet. He needed a women's point of view, and that only left one person.
Only one friend left to turn to if he could only find her.
Unlike the Nekohanten, Ucchan's never closed down even after Ukyou
went back to live with her family. Left to the care of Konatsu it didn't
particularly thrive, but it made enough to support Konatsu who had little
need for money anyway.
Ranma decided quickly if anyone knew how he could reach Ukyou it
was Konatsu. Fortuantely Ucchan's was fairly close to the Nekohanten and
Ranma made it there without incident.
Ranma still heard from Ukyou once and awhile even though they
rarely saw each other in person. They were still friends even though it
took her awhile to convince him she was really leaving for family. After
Shampoo and Mousse left, Ukyou was one of his last links to the good old
days.
She told him she had family business to attend to and without
another explination he had to accept that. He honestly missed her when she
was gone, but she promised she'd return some day when she could. She was
his best friend and it seemed an even better one after he was safely
married.
Ranma walked into Ucchan's as the lunch customer left leaving the
place fairly deserted except for Konatsu standing behind the grill. It
took him a few seconds to recognize him. "Your name is Ranma right?"
"Hey yeah, Konatsu. Long time no see. I was wondering if you
could help me with something."
"You're not here to see me and I assume you're not here for the
food, so I suppose you must be looking for Ukyousama. She's not here right
now, I wouldn't expect her back for at least an hour."
"She's here?!?"
"I just said she wasn't here."
"No, I mean she's back? She's in town?"
"Oh. Didn't you know? She came back a few days ago."
Ranma looked to the clock on the wall, "ya know Konatsu.. I think I
will have something to eat."
----------------
Mousse could hear Shampoo's cries and the sound of furniture
breaking behind her bedroom door. Making a decision he entered quietly,
just in time to see the last piece of furniture Shampoo owned smashed to
pieces. He knew this day would come, a part of him always hoped she would
react diferently. It was the same part of him that hoped Shampoo loved him
despite anything she did to the contrary.
The letter had arrived earlier that day, the wedding invitation
sent with Ranma's unmistakable scrawl of a signature. It was like a stake
through the heart, driving home every doubt she had about herself and her
future.
Mousse stood passively and looked at Shampoo with sad eyes. <I
know this must be hard for you Shampoo.>
Shampoo looked to him with tears and anger in her eyes. Her voice
dripped with venom, marking her normally beautiful Manderin. <You know
nothing Mousse! You who live daily without honor, what can you know about
what I've lost? The shame I face?>
Mousse stood his ground in the face of her rage. <Still trapped by
the old laws? This is a matter of the heart! If you must feel for
something, at least feel for that.>
Shampoo dropped to a whisper, <I know love. I know the love I used
to see in your eyes, the love I never found in myself.> Mousse could see
the tears began to form, <but honor is what binds me now. When I become
matriarch, if I can still become matriarch, I will have to put that above
all else.>
<The lighted path is dark for you Shampoo. If that is your choice
I can't stop you, but remember I will be there for you. Even if the love
is gone, I'd like to think our friendship remains.>
Mousse left Shampoo to be with her thoughts. He needed time to be
alone with his as well.
***************
Okay, part three and no end in site. For those of you still with us...
1. Everything except Ranma's part happened previously, hence the title.
2. It's a bit confusing and non-linear so I may mesh this with chapter 2
once I'm done and re-organize the scenes.
3. 'dachou kyaku' is Mousse's 'ostrich leg' attack.
4. I made up 'kachuu kyaku,' it's sort of like Chun Li's fast leg attack
for any of you SF2 players out there. Imagine someone setting your foot on
fire and you get an idea of the premise.
5. Next chapter... umm.. Ukyou and Ranchan have a talk, the Akane factor,
Megumi trains... I think.
6. Stop beating a dead horse, Ran-chan's hair was black in the manga and
red in the anime. It's a visual device used mostly for the sake of the
audience to mark transformations. Characters in the series don't make the
same distinctions as we do, hence Ranma-chan can pretend to be Ranma-kun in
order to fight Mousse and no one really notices. In other words, leave it
to the discretion of the writer. If the story works better one way than
another then go with it. Almost everybody has been portrayed at one point
or another with different colors of hair, it's artistic license. Ever look
on the ribs of the manga? every one has Ranma on it and guess what, in
every one he has a different hair color. Drop the stupid threads, all of
them.
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