OK.

I don't know what to say, right now, so I'm saying "OK", 'cause
that's never wrong.

OK.  Part 15 & 16.

Read 'em  - C&C 'em.  Oh, right, I wanted to say that despite the
fact that positive comments make my day, *negative* comments tend
to be more useful - provided they're constructive.  So, if you've
got the time to spare, tell me what parts you could have done
better. :)


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

                         RANKO 1/2

                          Part 15

                    "What a cute piglet"



<HSSSSSSSS>

The pouring rain is drenching all of Nerima, Tokyo.  The deep-
hanging clouds are so black that it is impossible to get any
impression of the sky and only the burning streetlamps indicate
that it is nighttime.

A dark figure with a bamboo umbrella is walking down the street,
his feet splish-sploshing on the sidewalk that is one single
puddle.  It is Ryouga.  He is nearing the end of his search; A
sign shows him that he has found the place.

Ryouga:  [thinks]  Ah, It is the Tendou Dojo.  This is where it
         ends; Today we will settle it once and for all.


In the guest room, Ranko is sleeping deep and sound on her futon,
next to her father's.  The digital clock is showing 02:06 in the
morning.

Without making a sound the shadowy figure of Ryouga slips in.  He
walks up to the bed determinedly, then hesitates.  He looks down
at Ranko and a look of insecurity creeps into his eyes.  He steps
back and retreats to the other side of the room.  There he sits
down, resting against the wall, and contemplates.

Ryouga:  [thinks]  Ranko... Despite everything, you *are* a girl.
         I cannot fight you like this.  What am I to do?  Because
         of you, my life was ruined.

<BZAAAAAWWW>

Ranko snores loudly and stirs on her futon.

Ranko:  Ummmmh... <Smack, Smack>

She sits up slowly and is looking right at Ryouga.  Ryouga's heart
is beating loudly.  She seems to ponder the figure leaning against
the wall, then takes a deep breath and speaks up.

Ranko:  Buzfgleblllnmm... <SNUOOORK, WHOOMPH!>

She falls over sideways, still fast asleep.  Ryouga lets out his
breath that he was holding without even noticing.

Ranko is tossing and turning under her covers.  She struggles out
from under them, and when she turns flat on her back, Ryouga can
see clearly that her top has slipped upwards, revealing her
breasts.  The boy blushes deeply, but mercifully Ranko flops right
over on her stomach again and creeps back down under the covers.
For the next few minutes he hears only her grunts and the rustling
of the bedclothes.

When Ranko emerges the next time she is lying face down with her
legs pulled up under her chest.  Slowly she pushes her legs back,
thereby raising her rear up on her knees.  The covers slide down
from her back.  Unfortunately, in traveling down, they take with
them Ranko's boxer shorts, and despite the thick layer of clouds
Ryouga sees the moon rise.

He jerks his head to the side, his eyes screwed shut, but it is
already to late.  There is a trickle of blood running out of his
left nostril.  Frantically he tries to open his backpack with
closed eyes, to reach a tissue, but he only succeeds in letting
his heavy umbrella fall to the floor.

<KA-THUNK!>

In a blur of motion, Ranko jumps high into the air, flips over and
lands on her feet in a ready position.  There is no question that
she is awake this time.  She stares at Ryouga who has opened his
eyes again, but is still not looking directly at her.
Re-arranging her clothes to cover herself, Ranko begins to seethe
with rage.

Ranko:  So.  Spying on a sleeping girl in her own bedroom.

Ryouga:  No.  I can explain.  It wasn't my intention.  I didn't
         come just to watch you...

Ranko:  [screams]  So you had more in mind than just peeping, you
        hentai?!


<WHACK>

Two figures are flying from the guest room, out into the rain.  In
the door stands the Panda, who has knocked them flying with a big
sign, reading "Quiet!"

Where should Ranko's trajectory take her, if not right into the
garden pool?  Ryouga, who has whipped out his umbrella with
lightning speed, clears the pool and lands securely on the other
side.  From there he watches Ranma emerge from the waters.

Ranma:  [coughs and hacks]  Ryouga!  What're you doing?  I always
        held you to be fairly honourable.

Ryouga:  And I always held you to be a dishonourable jerk, who'd
         jump to conclusions without letting others explain.  I
         came here for *revenge*!

Ranma:  [crosses his arms]  Still?  Listen up, lost boy:  You've
        got no reason for revenge!  *You* missed our fight, and
        I've already apologized for all the bread stuff.  What
        more do you want before you finally leave me in peace?

Ryouga:  [coldly]  You do not even grasp the depth of your guilt.
         Let me tell you one thing:  I followed you on your
         cowardly flight... all the way to China.

The expressions of comprehension and then shock dawn on Ranma's
face.

Ranma:  Don't tell me you went to Jusenkyou...  And that you
        fell...

Ryouga:  Shut up!  Now you will pay!

He jumps at Ranma with a flying kick.  Ranma, still shocked,
evades on auto-pilot.


Akane sits up in her bed and rubs her eyes.

Akane:  Where does all that noise come from?

The door opens and Kasumi looks in.  She, too, is in her
nightshirt with a light jacket thrown over her shoulders against
the cold.

Kasumi:  Are you awake, Akane?

Akane:  Yes, Kasumi.  You heard it, too?

They descend the stairs together.  Akane is carrying a shinai
[That's a bamboo sword].

Kasumi:  Do you think someone is breaking in?

Akane:  If they are, that's not the only thing that'll break.

A flash of lightning illuminates the sky, and for a split second
the sisters see a jumping figure with a backpack outlined black
against white.

Kasumi:  Oh dear, it *is* a burglar.  Look at the backpack.

Akane:  [hefts the shinai]  We'll see about that.

Kasumi holds her back by the shoulder.

Kasumi:  Akane.  It's too dangerous that way.  Here.

She places a heavy, metal dumbbell into Akane's hand.


Ranma deflects a kick from Ryouga with his arm in mid-air and
presses on with a kick of his own.  Before he can connect, though,
a projectile zooms in and bonks off the back of Ryouga's head with
pinpoint precision.

<KLONG-G-G>

First the Dumbbell falls, then Ryouga's umbrella, having escaped
his feelingless fingers, then Ryouga himself plummets to the
ground.  The pouring rain begins to drench him, and he wraps his
arms around his face, as if to avert the inevitable.  In a mighty
jump he clears the garden wall and shoots down the street.

Ranma:  Ryouga!


Akane is standing in the door with Kasumi.

Akane:  Ryouga?

Kasumi:  [relieved]  Oh, good.  It was just Ranma's friend.


<PLISH PLISH PLISH>

Ranma is running down the street Ryouga took, trying to find him.
But he only finds The backpack and his clothes.  Ryouga is gone.

Ranma:  [thinks]  His pack and clothes... So I probably guessed right.

He looks left and right, but there is no trace of the other boy.
The Rain continues to pour.


Akane is yawning, as she closes her door again, behind her.

Akane:  It's almost three in the morning, now.  They were lucky I
        didn't want to get wet, too, or I'd have told them
        something!

An imperceptible movement or sound, picked up by her unconscious,
alerts her.  She senses a presence.

Akane:  [thinks]  There's somebody here.

She stands up in the middle of the room and demands

Akane:  Come out!  Show yourself.

A black lightning bolt shoots at her from the corner of the room.
Automatically, without thinking she bats it away, before it reaches
her.  When she sees it clearly her eyes go wide.

Her stare is met by a pair of eyes, set in a face that is as black
as the night outside.

Akane:  [thinks]  A piglet?  [out loud]  Well, who're you, then?
        Come here, piggy.

Akane tries to entice the little black animal into her arms.  At
first the pig is reluctant and evades Akane's attempts of touching
it, but soon it seems to determine that Akane is no threat and
lets itself be touched.  Akane picks it up and cuddles it a

Akane:  What a cute piglet!  Oh, you're completely wet.  Were you
        out in the rain?  And where did you get that bandanna -
        are you someone's pet?  Oops, what's this?  You've got a
        pretty big bump on the back of your head.  Poor piggy.


In the living room, the light is still on.  Ranko is sitting
there, drying herself off with a towel.  The kettle that helped
her transform back is standing beside her.

Ranko:  [thinks]  Man, I can't believe that Ryouga!  No wonder he
        was so crazy and screwed up.  I wonder what kind of thing
        he turns into when he gets wet.  It must be pretty bad, to
        make him so angry - a dog perhaps or even  [shudders]  a
        cat.

Akane comes in with the piglet.

Akane:  Oh, Ranko.  You're still up?

Ranko:  So're you.

Akane:  Yes, but look:  I found a little piggy in my room.  I
        think it came in from the rain.  Isn't it *cute*.

She presses the piglet to her bosom in an embrace.  The animal
sighs and blushes slightly.

Ranko:  Oh, is it blushing?

Akane:  A pig blushing?  You silly!

Ranko:  It must be a male, then.  That's one of the signs, you
        know?  You press someone to your bosom and if he blushes,
        he's male.

Akane giggles.  She holds up the pig and inspects its genitalia.

Akane:  It *is* male, no doubt.

Ranko:  See, I told ya.  [grins]  Can I hold him, too?

Akane:  Sure.  But be careful - he's got a big bump on his head.
        Don't hurt him.

With Akane's last words Ranko narrows her eyes.  She takes over
the pig from Akane and doesn't seem too surprised when it
struggles and tries to bite her.

Akane:  Oh, he doesn't like that.

Ranko stares at the pig.  You can practically see the thoughts
forming in her head.

Ranko:  [slowly]  I can't imagine why.  Sa-a-ay Akane... It must
        be pretty cold, after being out in the rain.  I thought of
        taking a bath before going to bed again - perhaps I should
        give the little piggy one, too?

Akane:  Oh, Ranko, would you?  That's nice of you.

Ranko:  Don't mention it.  G'night, Akane, happy dreams.

Akane:  [yawns]  Thanks, Ranko.  Have a nice bath.

She slinks back up the stairs to her room. while Ranko takes off
to the bathroom.


The hot water steams in the tub.  Ranko has prepared everything
for her bath, but she makes no motion to take it.  Instead she
brings forward the piglet that she is holding by the bandanna
around its neck.  At the sight of the hot tub, the animal squeals
loudly and redoubles its struggles.  To no avail.  With a fancy
throwing maneuver Ranko <Bop>s the squealing pig into the water,
then leans against the wall, watching.

The water seems to boil for a moment, then swell upwards.  When
the water parts, a naked, human figure kneels in the tub.  It is

Ranko is still leaning against the wall with crossed arms,
watching impassively.

Ranko:  Hiya, pig boy.


-- End of part 15.

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

Continued in part 16:  "You won't betray her trust"


Sebastian
--
       <http://enterprise.mathematik.uni-essen.de/~bastian/>
                         Comics reviewed
--
Everything bows to success, even grammar.