[FFML] [fanfic][Ranma][The Substitute][Short and silly!]

The characters from Ranma 1/2 in this fiction are the
creations of Rumiko Takahashi, and borrowed without
her permission.
This story was written for non-commercial purposes only.

Ami Masuda rubbed her temples, and glanced up at the clock. It was time for recess.

Ami was a substitute teacher for the school system, filling in whenever she was needed in the city. This was her first day of a six week assignment, covering for the kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Ito, who was out on maternity leave.

The morning had been an interesting one for Ami. In general, the children were polite and respectful, but getting them to sit still was a challenge. Some of them seemed to be engaged in a rather fierce rivalry for five year olds, and she couldn't help giggling at some of the things they said as they sparred each other in a version of miniature martial arts.

At that point Ami thought it would be prudent to separate the combatants and let them play outside.

All of the children got into line but the smallest, a lovely little girl, who pulled shyly on her teacher's skirt.

"Nonsense, dear", replied Ami, as she shepherded the children out into the schoolyard.

Once outside, the children scattered. Within seconds, some were sparring again, while others took advantage of the jungle gym, swings, and sandbox. Satisfied that they could be left on their own for five minutes, Ami returned to the school to get a soda from the vending machine in the teachers'' lounge. While there, she bumped into the principal.

The principal's eyes widened, and he ran from the room, gesturing for Ami to follow. He opened Mrs. Ito's desk, and took out a notebook.

"I glanced through them, Sir, but I haven't had a chance to read them thoroughly. I was going to do that after the children left. Have I missed something important?"

The principal flipped through the pages, and silently pointed to a note, which was written in red ink, and underlined several times.

"Under no circumstances should you EVER allow the children to play outdoors when there is the least chance of rain! Please be sure to listen to the weather forecast every morning."

After a glance out the window, Ami flew through the door, the principal following close behind.

There was a light mist falling, and the children were playing happily despite the wet, but some of them appeared to be . . . missing.

The Saotome boy wasn't there, neither were the Hibiki twins, or Tress, the little Chinese girl who hadn't wanted to go outside. Ami looked about in confusion, and spotted an extra student - a little girl wearing a boy's uniform that seemed rather too big for her. Various items of clothing were scattered on the ground, as if the missing children had stripped themselves bare and vanished.

Then Ami noticed that the children in the sandbox were playing with a pink kitten and two black piglets.

The totally confused teacher looked at the principal, who handed her the notebook.

Ami gulped. She'd been warned that things weren't quite "normal" at Nerima Elementary, but this assignment was going to be more interesting than she'd anticipated.