This is for all the hard-core Ranmamaniacs out there.  Can anyone tell me
anything about what happens with Mariko, the cheerleader who falls for Kuno
in the latter half of the manga series?  I was only able to get fan
translations of two of the chapters in that storyline (out of, what, six?). 
I'm especially interested in finding out if there's a feasable way of
getting her together with the bonehead towards the end of Aa! Megami-sensei!
(a long ways off, mind you...).

She turns up, tries to bash up the Fuurinkan team, their team wins because
Akane tries to stop Mariko, Kunou turns up... gets punted by Ranma... he falls
onto Mariko, and she falls in love with him. Female Ranma turns up and because
Mariko sees Kunou likes her, she wants to 'fight' Ranma... They battle, but
Kunou turns up and Mariko accidentally hits Kunou... then she declares her
love for him. She says she'd do anything for him, and he asks her to close her
eyes...... then he doodles on her face. ^_^  Then all the guys go to beat up
Kunou (for treating her in that way), but she cheerlead-bashes them all up.
Kunou comes to and can't decide between Mariko and Ranma onna, and while he
does so, Mariko challenges Ranma to fight her for Kunou. Ranma goes on a date
with Kunou because he doesn't want him to pick Mariko over him (heh... kind of
tells you how much he wants Shampoo in that Reversal Jewel - he chases after
KUNOU in the same manner!!) Then the next day, her and Mariko go to
cheerlead-fight. It goes through a huge battle with Kunou not being able to
choose which girl he wants most (I think he's got to choose the girl to
cheerlead for him as he fights someone else, and the other girl will cheerlead
for the other kendo-ist)... Another kendo fighter turns up, in full kendo
gear, and they start to fight. Both Mariko and Ranma jump in front of a kendo
fighter, Ranma with the new commer, Mariko with Kunou. Because Mariko's going
on about fighting for love, Ranma says that she loves the new kendo fighter,
so her cheerleading will be better. Everyone starts to fight, Ranma smacking
about Kunou with the cheerleading implements, but then Mariko knocks Ranma
down. About to give her a final blow, the new kendo fighter appears and blocks
the blow, then starts fighting Mariko... The kendo-ist gets held down by
Mariko's cheerleading team, and as Mariko was about to give a final blow to
the kendo-ist, Ranma gets rid of Mariko by blowing a trumpet and her and her
team all get blown over. O_o; Then Ranma goes on about how she loves the
unknown kendo-ist... and Kunou attacks, and everyone starts fighting again.
Mariko gets rid of the kempo-ist's bokuto. Ranma gets it back and throws it to
the kempo-ist... who drops it. Ranma calls the fighter clumsy, and gets hit
over the head with the bokuto when it gets picked up. But the fight starts
again, and the kempo-ist gets knocked down by spiked pompoms, breaking the
bokuto (or is it a shinnai? Probably a shinnai) and helmet. Ranma runs over to
help, and pulls the kempo-ist into her arms, saying something about her
love.... And it's Akane. ^_^   Kunou turns up again and tries to hug Akane ...
and Mariko's got two girls to fight for Kunou, now. Eventually Mariko KOs
Ranma, and goes to fight Akane. Kunou gets knocked out and Mariko uses Kunou
to attack Akane with, pinning her to the ground. She uses him to hold his
sword to give Akane the final blow... But Ranma wakes up and jumps in and
saves her. Mariko finally gives up, and says that Ranma's love for Akane won
over her love for Kunou, and so she gives up and leaves. And then from then on
everyone's talking about how Ranma said he loved Akane at school. ^_^

Kun-chan...

Aha...the info is much, much appreciated!  Now to figure out a way to bring her 
"back" in my fics and maybe hook her up with Kuno for good.  I'm not exactly a 
student of the Nabiki/Kuno school of pairings, mind you...she deserves much 
better than the likes of him, IMO.  Besides, since I'll be graduating Kuno and 
Nabiki's class by the end of my first series, I should find a way to get rid of 
him since we can't have him hanging around Furinkan after he graduates ^^;  
Then again, it sounds like something he would do....


Peter L. Ward          falcon@best.com          Kyusaku on IRC #Anime!
Caretaker of the Urd Shrine (http://www.best.com/~falcon/urdhome.htm)

"If you see something this big, with eight legs, let me know so I can
kill it before it can develop language skills!" - Ambassador Londo