Magical Interludes: December's End
Fanfic by J.K. Hayashi
Chapter 4: New Starts - Part IV
Ranma: "Keiko! Keiko..." (hugs Keiko to him, behind him
Kodachi goes wild and attacks, only to get punted away by
Akane) "it's all right. I'm alive, and Nabiki's alive. Just
let it go..."
Keiko: "Oh, daddy..."
Keiko fiercely hugs Ranma as tears start to form in her eyes. She
suddenly lets go of him and hugs Nabiki and starts crying. Akane is
startled to see something gentle in Nabiki's face as she holds Keiko
and lets her continue to cry. Keiko gradually regains control of
herself and they all leave for home.
Kodachi: (after landing) "My Darling Ranma, I will free you from
this spell the witch has cast upon you! My brother said you
were sick, but not delirious!" (Kodachi leaves)
Kuno: "...and so, I must date all five of you! I have no other
choice!" (looks around at empty schoolyard) "Where did
everyone go?"
*********************
A small lone figure, immobile and covered in duct tape, watches the
entire scene. Left hanging from the classroom window, he finds he
cannot break free. He will get his revenge on those girls, he thinks,
once he escapes (of course, he will gladly forgive them if they take a
bath with him).
*********************
The photographer arrives at the Tendo dojo to take the pictures for
the calendar and poster (Nabiki having decided to do both). Ukyou
arrives in her fighting outfit, while Ayuki, Keiko, and Midori
change into the outfits they were wearing when they first arrived.
Ranma wears his usual chinese clothes, Nodoka her usual kimono,
while the Tendos slip into the regular white dojo outfits. The
photographer wonders how to make the Tendos distinctive.
Keiko: "Mother..."
Nabiki: "What is it, Keiko?"
Keiko: "Why don't you use these?"
Keiko hands Nabiki a pair of metal hand-fans. Nabiki looks at them
curiously.
Nabiki: "What are these for?"
Keiko: "I remember seeing you... er, mother fighting with fans.
These are hers."
Nabiki: "Was I good?"
Keiko: "Oh, very."
Nabiki: "You keep them, Keiko. They're yours now."
Keiko: "I want you to have them."
Nabiki: "Are you sure?" (Keiko nods) "Then you keep one, Keiko.
We can always get more made." (Keiko takes back a fan)
"Do you think you could teach me to use them?"
Keiko: (embarrassed) "I never learned... she was going to teach
me, but she was murdered before we could start."
Nabiki: "How about you, Ranma?"
Ranma: (surprised) "Umm... I don't know. The Saotome School
doesn't really use weapons. What about you, Akane?"
Akane: "We don't use weapons, either."
Ranma: (opening a fan) "Yikes! The end is razor sharp!" (closing
fan, then slipping an arm around Akane) "Well, it might
be interesting developing something..."
Shampoo arrives in the outfit we first saw her in, walks into the dojo
and sees Ranma and Akane. Following her are Cologne and
Mousse.
Shampoo: "Aiyah! Ranma take Shampoo as wife, not Akane!"
Nabiki partially defuses the situation by taking Shampoo to pose for
the picture. After the photographer gets a group shot, he packs up
and leaves, arranging with Nabiki and Keiko to come over later to
pick out the negatives that will be used. Ranma asks to talk with
Shampoo and Mousse. They follow him outside the dojo, where
they sit on the steps.
Ranma: "Shampoo..."
Shampoo: "Yes, Ranma?"
Ranma: "Shampoo, I've asked Akane to marry me and she accepted.
I know that this breaks your law, but I want you to accept
my decision."
Shampoo: (tears starting to form) "What Shampoo do now...
Shampoo no can go home..."
Ranma: "Stay in Japan, Shampoo. We'll still be friends. Find
someone for yourself... maybe Mousse?"
Ranma looks at Mousse, who regards him with a 'thank-you' look.
Ranma turns to leave, sensing that Mousse might want to do this by
himself. Shampoo has started crying, her hands in her lap, her head
bent. Ranma reenters the dojo.
Shampoo: "What Shampoo do now..."
Mousse: (taking Shampoo's hand) <"Start over again. Shampoo,
I'll be here. I won't leave.">
Shampoo: <"Mousse...">
Mousse: <"Did you really love Ranma? Or was it all because of the
law?">
Shampoo: <"I don't know...">
Mousse: <"Maybe... we could go out on a date?">
Shampoo: <"But the law...">
Mousse: <"Ranma was right, Shampoo. We're no longer in China.
We can make our own laws here.">
Shampoo: <"I'm not sure...">
Mousse: <"Will you go on a date with me tomorrow night? Please,
Shampoo?">
Shampoo: <"OK, Mousse.">
Mousse stands helps Shampoo to her feet. He notices everyone
watching at him from the dojo and he and Shampoo walk back to
the Cat Cafe, side by side. When they reach the restaurant,
Shampoo looks around and notices that Cologne is nowhere in sight.
Mousse comments that she must still be at the Tendo dojo and offers
to go back for her. Shampoo walks into the restaurant as Mousse
watches her.
Mousse goes back to the Tendo dojo to find Ranma and the others
eating dinner.
Ranma: "Are you here for the old ghoul?"
Mousse: "Umm... yes."
Ranma: "She's in the dojo." (leads him there)
Mousse: "Saotome... thank you."
Ranma: "For what, Mousse?"
Mousse: "For being honest with Shampoo. How did you stop the
old ghoul?" (curious)
Ranma: "Oh... it was my 'daughters'. Look."
Mousse looks into the dojo and sees Cologne lying on the floor,
wrapped entirely in duct tape except for her head, which has a piece
of tape over her mouth. Ranma frees her mouth.
Cologne: "Your daughters are very good, son-in-law."
Ranma: "Thank you, but I am not your son-in-law. Maybe
Mousse."
Cologne: "Never! The law must be followed... mmph!"
Ranma sticks the tape back over Cologne's mouth.
Mousse: "Are your 'daughters' really that good, Saotome?"
Ranma: [looks shrewdly at Cologne] "Together... I don't know. I
don't think that she was trying to really hurt them. But
they are good, I'll admit."
Mousse: [after a bit of silence] "Saotome, if you loved Akane, why
didn't you let me beat you for Shampoo?"
Ranma: [with a strange look] "I'm never going to throw a fight,
Mousse. Never. If you want to beat me, you'll have to do it
honestly."
Mousse: [a little ashamed] "You're right, Saotome."
Ranma: [after some more silence] "Oh, you'll come to Kasumi's
wedding, won't you?"
Mousse: "Of course. When is it?"
Ranma: "Sunday. To Dr. Tofu."
Mousse: "Isn't that dangerous?"
Ranma: "It doesn't seem to be, anymore."
Ranma and Mousse laugh for awhile. Then Mousse leaves, carrying
the mass of duct tape that is Cologne. Meanwhile, still hanging
from the school window, another mass of duct tape swings in the
wind until the tape connecting him to the window slips and it falls
to the ground. Anyone who had been there would have been
surprised that the only response from it was a mumbled "girlies...
pretty girlies..."
*******************************************finis Chapter 4
[Author's Note #1: The three daughters are all 16, and Takahashi
(to my knowledge) has never assigned birthdays to any of the
characters. So to explain the inconsistency I'm making it so that the
three have just turned sixteen, while Ranma and Akane are either or
almost 17 (as opposed to Nabiki who has a month or two to go to
reach 18)]
[Author's Note #2: OK, I'll admit it. The fan-technique that Nabiki
will use all started with that japanese samurai drama about the
magistrate who would always throw a fan at the perpetrators just
before the final battle scene. Of course, my memory's a little hazy
because they haven't shown that show for several years (at least on a
non-cable channel); but still, the idea of a fan flying through the air
is just neat.]
Next:
Chapter 5: Romantic Interludes
Ryoga returns! Genma and Nodoka go out on a date! Mousse and
Shampoo go out on a date! Keiko works at Uc-chan's! Kodachi
plans an attack!