Subject: [fanfic] Ranko 1/2 pt.31: "Akane is my best friend" (draft)
From: bastian@enterprise.mathematik.uni-essen.de (Sebastian Weinberg)
Date: 11/11/1996, 12:41 PM
To: Fanfiction ML

Continued from part 30.

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                _ / \    _    (____   )     | |
               | |\_/   / `        `-'      |_|
               | `--.  /  /_   ,.      .  =======
               `---. |/     ) (  `----'.`  .---.
               .---' /  /-. `-.`------'   (_.-. |
               `----'`-'  `---'              .'.'
                                           .'.'_
                        Ranko 1/2         (_____)

                         Part 31

                 "Akane is my best friend"


Koru Hosei Academy is a collection of arches.  Arched windows,
arched doorways, reliefs of arches as decoration, topped by a
dome, arching under the blue sky of this beautiful Nerima morning.

Hordes of pupils stream through an arched gate into the building
that contains the school's ice rink.  There is a banner above the
gate, proclaiming that the contest for the "Charlotte Cup" will be
held here today.  Everybody is excited to see their school's
champions handle the challengers.

                              ~*~

In a small changing Room, Ranko and Akane are putting on their
outfits.  Ranko has some trouble squeezing into the small number
she is going to wear on the ice.  She is annoyed.

Ranko:  This is *so* stupid.  Why do we hafta dress up like that.

Akane:  [sighs]  Because it's a public match.  It's expected that
        the contestants are something to look at, too.

Ranko:  It's still stupid.  Mikado and Azusa are professional
        showoffs - no matter what we put on, they're going to
        out-glamour us easily.  So why should we play into their
        hands by trying to compete with them?  The *important*
        thing is the match.

Akane:  I know.  But I'd *still* like to look good for once.

Ranko:  [grins]  So why are you putting on that leotard?  I bet
        you'd turn some heads if you went out there without it.

Akane:  [swats at her, playfully]  Baka.

She pulls on her garment and then eyes Ranko, who has succeeded
in putting on hers.

Akane:  I don't know what you complain about;  This fits you
        perfectly.  If I had let you have your way, you would only
        have worn some loose-fitting stuff that hides your figure. 
        Why do you like those outfits so much?

Ranko:  It's got nothing to do with "like".  What do you think
        would happen if I got splashed while wearing this?

Akane:  Oh.

                              ~*~

The arena has filled up almost completely, mostly with pupils from
either Koru Hosei or Fuurinkan who are treating this as if it were
a school match, shouting their encouragements to their respective
"home team".  The speaker system squeals for a second, then a
voice echoes through the stadium.

Announcer:  Welcome to this exciting battle on ice - the
            competition for the Charlotte Cup.

The audience cheers.  Somewhere in their ranks a boy turns to his
neighbour.

Boy:  Why's it called "Charlotte Cup"?

Boy2:  Beats me.

On a display near the announcer's desk stands a large prize cup
- and chained to it a disgruntled little pig with a necklace.  It
"bwee"s furiously.  Slowly the lights dim, and spotlights dance
over the ice.

Announcer:  And now...  The first contestants to enter are Koru
            Hosei's champions of martial arts freestyle skating -
            Shiratori Azusa and Sanzenin Mikadooo!

Singled out by one of the shining spotlights, The two skaters make
a magnificent entrance, displaying at once their confidence, their
proficiency upon skates and above all their good looks.  Sparkling
with sequins they take their bows, while the screams and yells of
their respective fanclubs wash over them.

By the side of the rink, Ranko mutters to Akane.

Ranko:  What'd I tell you?  Showoffs.  By all rights we should now
        make an entrance to knock their socks off, just to show
        'em.

She grumbles darkly, knowing full well that they would never be
able to do that.

Akane:  [smiles]  I know something better we can do.

Ranko:  Yeah?  What?

Akane:  We'll go in there, sock them one and knock them out of the
        rink!

With that she steps onto the ice, Ranko following.

Announcer:  And on the other end we have the Challengers, Tendou
            Akane and Saotome Ranko, both of Fuurinkan High.

As Akane and Ranko skate slowly, but steadily to the center,
another spotlight follows their path, highlighting them.  A
few cheers erupt, from the Fuurinkan population on the ranks,
but neither of them has an actual fanclub, like both of their
opponents.

Ranko radiates animosity, and the air of subdued power around her
gives her a sparkle that is no smaller than Mikado's - if somewhat
less inclined to make women swoon.  Akane's form, flattered by her
outfit, makes many a boy's heart beat faster, but none of them
follows the Azusa-fans' example by hollering and whistling.  Not
since Ranma once disbanded a group of Akane's insistent would-be
suitors.

Finally the two teams face each other and the lights are turned up
again.  The showing off is over - let the show begin.  Azusa speaks
up with a sneer.

Azusa:  You can still give up and go home.  Charlotte will love it
        with Azusa-chan.

Akane:  P-chan belongs to me!  I'll *never* back down.

Azusa:  Well, it's you funeral.

Akane:  [coldly]  We'll decide that when the coffin lid is closed.

Announcer:  And the match begins!

Without losing a second, Mikado and Azusa speed towards Akane and
Ranko, Azusa suspended over Mikado's back by their joined hands.
Showing no hesitation, their opponents approach them, likewise
with joined hands.

Akane:  Take this, thief!

With this cry, Akane leans over, swinging Ranko forward and up by
her hands.  Ranko uses the momentum to do a flying leap, aiming a
kick at Azusa while keeping her hold on Akane's hands.  Azusa
evades the blow by pushing herself up and sailing over both, Ranko
and Akane, landing behind them.  Mikado ducks through, right under
Ranko, and sticks his head between their outstretched, linked
arms, so that he now faces Akane from mere inches away.

Ranko:  Hey!

Akane:  Ick!

Mikado:  My, you look even more lovely in a true skater's outfit.

He leans in towards Akane, whose hands are not free to defend
herself, because they are still holding Ranko's.  She sets her jaw
and prepares to bite his nose, if necessary.  Mikado pouts his
lips.

<Smooooch!>

Akane blinks, when suddenly she looks into Ranko's eyes.  Where,
fractions of a second ago, there were Mikado's puckered lips, she
now sees Ranko's determined grin.  Reflexively, she lets go of her
hands.

Ranko is standing with both feet on Mikado's head, pushing his
face into the ice.  Casually she hops off and motions for Akane. 
Akane gives her an angry stare.

Akane:  So much for *that* maneuver.

Ranko:  How was I to know that he'd do something like that?

Akane:  [sarcastically]  "Always expect the unexpected", Ranko.

Behind them, Mikado has pulled his face free of the ice he had
unexpectedly been forced to kiss.  Through blue and blistered lips
he speaks.

Mikado:  Saotome Ranko!  Your jealousy will not prevail.  You had
         your chance and you refused - now let Tendou Akane enjoy
         my attention without interfering.

Ranko grabs her head, shaking it in disbelief.

Ranko:  Oh man!  He actually thinks I am *envious* of you for
        being kissed by him.

Akane:  Yecch!

Mikado:  Indeed, I shall steal her lips without fail.

Ranko puts her hands on her hips.

Ranko:  Oh yeah?  Let's see you try.  Akane is my best friend -
        Try to lay a lip on her and you die!

Mikado just smiles at such naive insolence.

Mikado:  Such strong words about such a fragile bond.  We have
         shattered stronger links than that.

Ranko:  [thinks]  What is he talking about?

Mikado:  Know that we, the Golden Pair of Martial Arts Skating,
         are also known as the Anti-Matchmakers.  We have split up
         loving couples with ease - don't believe that something
         as a mere friendship can withstand out attacks.

With those words, Mikado starts the offensive again.  He grabs
Azusa's hands and they fly towards Ranko and Akane in their attack
formation.  Ranko takes Akane's hands as well.

Ranko:  Let's try something similar again; That way I hope we can
        separate them.  If Azusa jumps away from Mikado again to
        evade, let go of me and I'll land behind him.  Then we can
        try to work on him simultaneously.  Without his help Azusa
        will only be of limited danger.

Akane:  Sounds like it could work.  Let's try.

The two teams circle each other once, then Ranko and Akane shoot
forwards.  Again, Akane swings and pushes Ranko up, giving her the
momentum for the flying kick.  But Mikado and Azusa do not react
as expected.  Instead of separating, like the last time, Mikado
just turns sideways, allowing Ranko to sail past, dragging Akane
by her hands.  He shifts his grip on Azusa, holding her by the
legs now, so that he hands are free.  Just as Ranko is passing
her, Azusa leans over and grabs her ankles.

Ranko:  Huh, what...?

Announcer:  There!  Already the golden pair is using their
            ultimate split-up technique.

Mikado lifts Azusa up, letting her feet rest on his shoulders. 
Ranko is now dangling heads down from Azusa's grip, still clinging
to Akane's hands.  This proves to be a mistake, as Mikado suddenly
begins spinning - faster and faster around his axis.  Akane is
carried outward and up by the centrifugal force.

Announcer:  It's the dreaded "Good-bye whirl"!

Mikado:  It's the first time that I use this move on two girls. 
         Too bad - this way it will last even shorter.  You might
         as well give up now.  Release her, and I'll stop
         spinning.

Announcer:  That is the subtle cruelty of the Couple Cleaver.  If
            the trapped male betrays his love, he alone will be
            spared - and if he doesn't, she will hurt even more,
            when he finally cannot hold her.  How long can these
            two girls withstand a move designed to split even
            loving couples?

Akane just snorts as she hears this.

Akane:  These idiots.  Trying to manipulate you into feeling
        guilty as if you were a man.  Now, let go.

Ranko:  No way!

Akane's eyes widen at Ranko's sudden protest.

Akane:  What?!  Are you crazy?  The longer you wait, the faster
        they spin and the faster I'll fly.  Let go *now*.  I'll be
        safe.

Ranko just shakes her head.  She grits her teeth and grips Akane's
wrists firmly.  Sweat forms on her brow, as Mikado proceeds to
spin them around faster and ever faster; She is determined not to
give in to his dishonorable methods.  But soon she realizes that
she cannot keep this up;  Her fingers slowly slip, millimeter by
millimeter.

Ranko:  [thinks]  Damn, I can't hold her for long.  If only I was
        in cursed form - then I could hold her forever.  I could
        hold her until those freaks have to give up.  Damn!  [out
        loud]  Akane.  I'll have to let go.

Akane:  [angry]  About time!  What the hell took you so long?

Akane prepares to fly off and waits for Ranko to let go of her
wrists.  Her eyes go wide, when Ranko does not release her grip,
but suddenly twists about her lengthwise axis, forcing Azusa to
let go of her legs, if she doesn't want her neck broken.  Both
girls go sailing off.

Akane:  What..?

But she cannot complete her question, as Ranko starts her next
maneuver.  She twists in mid-air, swinging Akane back and
releasing her, thus sending her hurtling towards the still
spinning Mikado.  Mikado's eyes bug out as he sees two bladed feet
shooting towards his head.  But the sudden loss of weight at the
top of their spinning column has thrown it too much off balance,
and the two skaters have enough to do, just trying to keep from
collapsing in a tangled heap.  Unable to evade, Mikado takes a
high-speed faceful of skating blades.  The impact makes him let
go of Azusa, who goes sailing across the rink.

Meanwhile, Ranko has problems.  Due to the laws of physics, the
act of throwing back Akane has more than doubled her velocity -
and now she is flying back-first.  Frantically she tries to
correct her position, but it is too late:  With a sickening crunch
she impacts on the wall fencing the rink and remains embedded in
it, head down.  She doesn't move.

Akane, who is disentangling herself from an unconscious Mikado,
looks around and sees Ranko.  With a yelp she jumps up and skates
over as fast as her blades allow.  She stops before the wall, her
blades digging deep furrows into the ice, and gingerly touches the
unmoving, upside-down Ranko.  This unlodges Ranko from her
position and she falls down onto the ice, where she stays lying
face down - still motionless.

Akane:  R... Rankooo!

Akane falls to he knees beside her friend and cries.  She buries
her face in her arms and weeps on Ranko's back.

Akane:  Ranko, how *could* you?  You idiot!  What were you
        thinking, sacrificing yourself like that?

She keeps crying until a rather pained voice speaks up.

Ranko:  Um, Akane?  Could you stop that?  It hurts like hell.

Akane's head snaps up.  She watches in astonishment, as Ranko
pushes herself up from her prone position.  As soon as Ranko is
sitting upright, Akane lunges at her and hugs her tight.

Akane:  Ranko!  I was so worried.

Ranko:  Gyeeeeaaargh!

<crick snap crack pop>

Ranko:  [waves her arms]  Stoppit stoppit stoppit!  That hurts!

Akane lets go of her guiltily.  Ranko looks around the rink. 
She catches a glimpse of Mikado, who is being carried off the ice
on a stretcher.  The sides of his head are shaved free of hair,
courtesy of Akane's skating blades, and there is a deep gash
across his brow;  He is obviously in no form to fight.

Ranko:  Fine.  That leaves just Azusa.

Akane:  I don't think so.

She points over to the side of the rink, where Azusa is pasted up
against the wall in a very similar way to Ranko.  While the girls
watch, Azusa separates from the wall and goes from vertical to
horizontal in a very final way.  The next stretcher is already on
its way to her.

Ranko:  OK.  Great.  That means we've won, right?

Akane:  [slowly]  Yes, Ranko, it seems so.

Ranko:  Well, then we only have to show them that we're still
        standing and collect the price.

Akane:  *Are* you still standing?

Ranko:  [grins wryly]  If you help me a bit, I am.

With a hand from Akane, Ranko climbs to her feet.  Akane takes
Ranko's arm around her shoulder and supports her with her own arm
around Ranko's back.  This way, they slowly circle the rink, to
the cheering of the audience.

Akane:  [silently]  But you've got to tell me Ranko:  whatever
        gave you the idea to wait so long before letting go?  If
        you had let go of me right at the beginning, none of this
        would have happened.

Ranko:  What?  And let a total klutz like you sail off alo- 
        Eeeeyoow!

Akane's supporting arm around Ranko's back has changed positions,
squeezing her bruised ribs.

They come to a stop before the prize table, where the Cup stands.

Announcer:  And now the winners can rightfully claim their prize.

Akane:  [shouts]  P-chan.  He's gone!

She holds up the broken end of the chain that had secured the pig
to the prize cup.

Ranko:  Oh man.  I knew that pig had a tendency to wander off, but
        this is ridiculous.

She looks around and soon spies a movement in a corner of the
arena, half hidden behind the seat rows.  A  kettle of water sits
on a camping burner, and a small black pig is watching.

Ranko:  [grins, thinks]  That Ryouga.  I wonder how he got that
        set up in pig form.

Suddenly a light reflex glints of something on the pig and Ranko
freezes.

Ranko:  [thinks]  Oh damn!  That idiot, doesn't he realize...? 
        [out loud]  Akane, look!  I think I saw him.

She points into the opposite direction from Ryouga.

Akane:  Where?

She turns and skates over to search for her pet.  As soon as she
has her back turned, Ranko takes off at top speed, racing over to
the place where the fallen Azusa is just being placed on a
stretcher.

                              ~*~

Ryouga's eyes are on the kettle.  Soon the water will be hot
enough to change back.  Finally!  For the first time in a week, he
has been able to slip away unnoticed.  Azusa's challenge had
brought out the protective "mommy" in Akane and there had been
virtually no time where she didn't make sure that P-chan was by
her side.

The first wisps of steam emerge from the kettle, heralding the
correct temperature.

Ryouga:  [thinks]  Now quick, before it gets too hot.

Twisting a valve of the burner with its snout, the little black
pig snuffs the flame and - breathing hard - begins to shove the
kettle off its seat, trying not to burn itself.

Ryouga:  [huffs]  Damn that Ranko and her jokes about my pig
         curse.  I'd like to see *her* cope with a cursed form
         that has no *hands*!

<Splatter>

The water washes over his black hide, and Ryouga exults in the
feeling of the change, rejoicing at the thought of soon being
human again.  With a smile on his face, he continues to fill out
and grow - until he feels a tug at his throat.

Ryouga's eyes bug out and his mouth gapes open, like a fish caught
on dry land.  He claws at the little metal collar that is digging
deep into his neck and throat, but cannot seem to dislodge it.  He
grows desperate, threatening to pass out.

<Chink!>

Gasping, wheezing, sputtering, Ryouga welcomes the air back in his
lungs.  Deep breath after breath he sucks in.  Finally he is able
to look up.  Before him stands Ranko, dangling the locket in front
of his face.  The little heart-shaped key is still sticking in the
little heart-shaped lock.

Ranko:  Well, I heard that some guys complain that all those
        little tokens of affection don't leave them enough space
        to breathe, but you don't have to take everything so
        *literal*, Ryouga.

Feebly he feigns a punch at her, but his gratefulness shows on his
face.

Ranko:  [turns]  Uh oh!  I think Akane is heading over.  Better
        put on some clothes - unless, of course, you figure this
        is the best way to convey your love for her...

Blushing a deep crimson at the realization that he is sitting
naked in front of a girl, Ryouga frantically scrambles for his
clothes that lie in a heap near the kettle and burner.  Ranko gets
back onto the ice and skates towards Akane to buy Ryouga some
time.

Akane:  Did you find him?

Ranko:  [shakes her head]  No, sorry.  I'm afraid he wandered off
        again.  [sees Akane's worried expression]  Don't worry.  A
        pig that can break out of a solid chain like that can
        likely look for himself.

Akane:  You think so?

Ranko:  Sure.  Look, I found Ryouga over there.  He saw the match
        and I'm sure he'd like to congratulate you personally.

She guides Akane over to where Ryouga is leaning on the railing; 
Fully clothed now and only slightly flustered.

Akane:  Hello Ryouga-kun!

She flashes him her special smile that always seems to unsettle
him so much.  Not that she ever noticed.

Ryouga:  A-akane-san.

Akane:  Say, Ryouga-kun, did *you* see my P-chan?

Ryouga:  Me?!  A-heh, I mean, no, I didn't see him.  But I am sure
         he will find his way back to you.

Ranko:  Trust him, Akane - Ryouga knows how a pig thinks.  Ooomph!

A light punch to her stomach drives the wind out of Ranko's lungs.

Akane:  Stop picking on him, Ranko!

Ranko:  [thinks]  Hmmm.  She really seems to like him... Now if he
        only had the guts to confess.  [out loud]  Say, why don't
        we three meet at the Dojo for a little winning
        celebration, huh?  See ya after we change costumes,
        Ryouga.

As she and Akane skate back to the exit of the rink, to get to
their changing room, Ranko thinks to herself.

Ranko:  [thinks]  If I nudge him a little along, this could work
        out...

                              ~*~

It is evening already, when Ryouga, wearing his backpack again and
holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands, approaches a man on the
street.

Ryouga:  Excuse me, sir.  Could you perhaps tell me the way to the
         Tendou Dojo?

Man:  No, sorry, I only arrived here on Okinawa today, myself.

                              ~*~

Ranko sits with Akane at the table in the Tendou living room.  She
stares out into the darkness, tired, her head resting on her palm.

Ranko:  [thinks]  Then again...


-- End of part 31

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

To be continued...

There.  Hope you liked it.  These parts should be up on my pages
by the end of the week.

<subliminal message ON>
C&C C&C C&C C&C C&C C&C C&C C&C C&C C&C C&C C&C C&C C&C C&C...
<subliminal message OFF>

Oh well, the next story arc is *quite* a little bit longer and
will take *forever* to complete, thus I will not wait till I am
done but post it in installments - that, of course, means that
everything you see posted after these two parts is subject to
change without notice.


Sebastian
-- <http://enterprise.mathematik.uni-essen.de/~bastian/> Comics reviewed
-- After all, all he did was string together a lot of old, well-known quotations. - H L Mencken, on Shakespeare