Continued from part 6.

  --------------------------------------------------------------

                         RANKO 1/2

                           Part 7


Wounded for the first time by Kunou's bokken, Ranma falls
clutching his side.  Akane is gazing on speechlessly, still hiding
unseen behind the stone pillar.  Ranma manages to land on his feet
but is wobbling a little unsteadily.  The photographs are still
fluttering in the air.  Emboldened by his success Kunou strikes at
Ranma again but Ranma dodges without even seeming to pay
attention.  He is snagging the photos out of the air, studying
every one.

Kunou:  You refuse to look while you're fighting?!  You should not
        take me so easy!

Ranma:  Whoa!

Kunou launches a lightning stab at Ranma's head that he can barely
dodge.  Ranma rolls backward out of range.  Coming to a rest next
to the Stone pillar, he is surprised to find Akane there.

Ranma:  [on his back before her] Oh.  Hi Akane.

Akane:  One advice for you - When he's fighting guys, Kunou is
        quite a strong opponent.

Ranma:  You must be a different Akane from the one who always
        reminds me that I'm not a boy.

Akane:  [kicks him back to Kunou]  Then go fight him you "tough
        *guy*"!

Ranma somersaults through the air towards his opponent.  Kunou
raises his sword.

Kunou:  Thus the game ends.

Ranma:  What?

In a blur of motion Kunou unleashes a rain of stabs towards Ranma.
Ranma desperately squirms, bends and jumps to evade.

Kunou:  Strike, strike, strike, strike, strike, strike, strike...

Ranma:  Wah!

<CRICK>

The stone pillar that Akane stands behind is developing a crack.

<SCRICKRACK>

More and more cracks spiderweb the pillar.  Nabiki realizes with
amazement that it is on a straight line with Ranma and the striking
Kunou.

Nabiki:  Wow, that's just the air pressure generated by his
         strikes.

The Pillar disintegrates into rubble and Akane has to jump to
safety.  Ranma turns to her alarmed.

Akane:  Kyaah!

Ranma:  Akane!  Are you all right?

Kunou:  Now I've got you!  [brings down his bokken]

Akane:  Look out!  Eyes front!

Ranma evades the descending blade and moves in.  He swings his leg
along Kunou's body and jumps back to safety.

Kunou:  Heh!  [topples]

<THUMP>

Nabiki:  What... What did you do?

Akane comes forward.  She crouches down and turns over Kunou's prone
form.  All over his body are footprints.  Akane eyes the position
of the prints.

Akane:  They are on all the vital spots.

Nabiki:  You kicked him, Ranma?  I couldn't even see it.

Ranma is stretching and acting rather unperturbed.

Ranma:  Well, well.  If that's all Kunou had going for him...

Akane:  Oh, is that so?  Well, he hit you, didn't he?

Ranma:  Feh, 'tis but a scratch.

Akane:  Oh, so *this* doesn't hurt at all?

She pokes a finger into Ranma's side where his shirt hangs in
tatters from Kunou's blow.  His eyes water and he assumes a fetal
position.

Akane:  I really don't understand you sometimes.  If it hurts that
        much, why're you holding it in?  Anyway, what distracted
        you so much that you let him hit you?

She picks up one of the photos lying around.  It is one that shows
her in her gi, practising punches.  She looks at Ranma in horror,
taking a step back.

Akane:  You're looking at pictures of me?!  And I thought the
        stupid curse was all of it...  You twisted hentai!

Ranma:  No!  It wasn't one of those.

Ranma hold up the picture of his female self, but Akane refuses to
look.

Akane:  More photographs of me?  That does it!

<WHAP, POW, SKRAK, PUNT, etc.>

Nabiki picks up the photo from the ground.  She taps Akane's
shoulder and when she turns hands it to her wordlessly.

Akane:  A... a picture of her?  But why did she carry it?

Nabiki:  Actually Kunou bought them.  3000 en a set.

Akane:  *You* did them?

Nabiki:  [smiles]  Just making a little spending money.

Akane:  Nabiki!  My own sister!

Ranma:  [from ground level]  Groan...

Akane:  [guiltily]  Eeep!  Ranko!


It's beginning to get dark, but the light outside Dr. Tofu's is
not yet on.

Voice:  This is *terrible*!

In his examination room Dr. Tofuu bends over a badly contorted
Ranma.

Dr. Tofuu:  Really horrible.  Well, except this minor wound by a
            bokken.  What kind of brutal thug would do this.

Akane:  [blushing]  Err...

Ranma:  It was... [Akane tenses]  It was nobody important, really.

Akane:  Um.  It kinda was, err, me.

Dr. Tofuu:  [slaps his knee]  Ha!  I thought I recognized the
            style.  Well, now that I look at it, it's obvious.

He begins to snap all the dislocated joints and bones back into
place again.

<SNAP>

Dr. Tofuu:  Take this backward joint for example.

<CRACKLE>

Dr. Tofuu:  It's very *you*.

<POP>

Ranma:  Eeyowch!

Dr. Tofuu:  You're Ranma, her fiance, right?

Ranma:  Urk.

<GRIND>

Akane:  Not really!  I mean, just our parents want...

Dr. Tofuu:  Oh, don't worry.

<KREEACKK>

Dr. Tofuu:  You've got all the time in the world to decide.  You're
            still kids, after all.

Akane:  Yes, Doctor.  [thinks]  Just a kid to him.

<KRRRRRCHK>

Ranma:  [screams]  This hurts!

Dr. Tofuu:  [stops]  Really?  It shouldn't.  Where does it hurt?

Ranma:  [astonished]  It... doesn't anymore.

Akane:  Tofuu-sensei is great, isn't he?


The light before the door is now turned on against the dark.  As
The two kids leave, Dr. Tofuu holds Ranma back.

Dr. Tofuu:  Ranma.  Wait a moment.

Akane is looking back at them but is out of hearing range.  She
waits.

Dr. Tofuu:  I don't know what your fight was about, but please do
            try to get along with Akane.

Ranma:  It was really just a misunderstanding.  It's just...  She
        takes this engagement stuff our parents cooked up so
        *serious*.  It bothers her and so she ends up fighting
        *me*.  [sighs]

Dr. Tofuu:  She really is a nice girl, underneath.

Ranma:  I'm sure she is, but she sure won't let *me* see that side
        of her.

Dr. Tofuu:  Oh, I guess she will, given time.  And encouragement.

Ranma:  Huh!  Until then, you'd better keep a bed reserved for me.

Dr. Tofuu:  You don't have to be so pessimistic.  You'll find out
            soon enough.

He pats Ranma encouragingly on the back as he leaves.

Dr. Tofuu:  She is really a very nice girl.


The streetlamps surround their poles with little pools of light.
Ranma and Akane make their way home through the darkened streets
of Nerima.  Akane does not look at Ranma.

Akane:  What did you talk about?

Ranma:  Oh, he just told me what a *perfect* couple we'll be.

Akane:  Is that so?

Ranma:  No.  I'm kidding.

Akane doesn't answer.  Ranma tries to look her in the face, but
she turns away.

Ranma:  Hey, are you hurt about something?

Akane:  N.. no!  I'm just thinking.

Ranma:  [after a pause]  He seems to be very fond of you.

Akane:  Why should I be interested in what Dr. Tofuu thinks of me?


Dr Tofuu sits in his room, looking at the wall clock.

Dr. Tofuu:  3... 2... 1...


Ranma:  Well, I just thought you'd wa...

Suddenly his legs fold under him.

Ranma:  Huh?!

Akane notices him falling back and finally turns.  There's just
the slightest hint of a glitter in her eyes.

Akane:  What happened?

Ranma:  My legs...  [thinking back to Dr. Tofuu's pat]  The doctor
        did that.

Akane crouches down before him and takes his arms over her
shoulders from the back.

Ranma:  Uh, what're you doing?

Akane:  I'm going to carry you.

Ranma:  Oh.  I thought you don't want... [breaks off, thinks]
        Dont want anything to do with me when I'm a boy.

Akane:  Well, I can't let you crawl home like that, can I?

As he is carried piggyback by Akane, Ranma thinks back to Dr.
Tofuu's words.

Dr. Tofuu's voice:  She's really a nice girl.

Ranma:  [thinks]  I guess you're right there.  If only she'd see
        *me* that way...

-- End of part 7.

  --------------------------------------------------------------

To be continued...

As always, C & C is highly appreciated, as well as corrections of
spelling and grammar.


Sebastian
--
       <http://enterprise.mathematik.uni-essen.de/~bastian/>
                         Comics reviewed
--
Celibacy is hereditary.