Nullifier 122
by WebDragon
Ranma 1/2 = (C) of Shogakukan
Sorry for taking so long to release it but here it is. Comments are
welcome, of course, and will be dealt with appropriately.
This be the fifth day after Ranma and Ranma-chan are split apart by the
Nullifier 122 potion...and there are some semi lemon bits in this.
If you read it and not know what's going on then, like just about
any series out there, you need parts 1 - 4.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=Part Five-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=
(The next morning is overcast with grey clouds. A chill wind sweeps the
fallen leaves of the trees in the Tendo residence, stirring them up in a
whirlwind. A few birds chirp half-heartedly into the cloudy sky, a sky
that promises rain or a storm. Akane and Ranma-chan are sleeping on
their sides, facing each other, their chests rising and falling
rhythmically.
Akane starts to wake up and her hand reaches out - and comes into
contact with Ranma-chan's. Akane slowly feels the hand, dimly noting
the unusual delicateness of it and the long fingernails. In her mind her
dream starts to fade away; and well that it does for if she could fully
remember the naughty things she was dreaming about she'd blush as red
as a tomato. She is still half asleep but the realization dawns upon her
that she is not alone...)
Akane : Hmm? Whuh? What the?! Ranma! What are you doing in
my bed?
Ranma-chan : Zzznx*....
Akane : (shaking Ranma-chan) Hey, you. Wake up, already!
Ranma-chan : What? Oh, morning, Akane. Lemme sleep. (clutches her
pillow tighter)
Akane : No. First you explain why you're in my bed! (pokes her back)
Ranma-chan : Oh, Ranma wuz snoring too loud.
Akane : (softens up) Oh, so that's why you moved. Why didn't you ask
me, though?
Ranma-chan : I did....last night. (she starts to come fully awake now)
You said okay.
(Akane considers Ranma-chan for a moment. This...this girl before her,
Akane could see her in no other way, was in the same bed as she was
- yet she couldn't feel any embarassment or anger at her intrusion.
There was a time when the thought of Ranma-chan, being in her
bedroom at night, would have provoked her to chase him/her out of the
room with a mallet or a shinai. But now....)
Akane : (thinking) What do I have to be worried about anyways? It's not
like she can.....arrgh. Hentai thoughts, away! (out loud) Honestly!
(Akane rolls out of bed and walks to the bathroom. Ranma-chan gets
up and sits upright on Akane's comfortable bed, looking after Akane's
retreating form. She feels the comforter in her hands.)
Ranma-chan : Hey, this comforter sure is soft! A lot better than that
futon...Maybe I should sleep in here every night instead of in my old
room.
(She shakes the final cobwebs out of her head and she leaves Akane's
room, pillow in hand, shivering because the morning was cold. She
enters her room and throws the pillow ontop of a sleeping Ranma, who
grunts and shakes the pillow off. Ranma-chan giggles and walks up to
Ranma.)
Ranma-chan : Oh Ranmaaa...! Wakey, wakey!
Ranma : ZZZZNNX*.....
Ranma-chan : (thinking) It's a wonder he doesn't wake himself! (out
loud) Wake up, rise and shine!
(Seeing that he wasn't going to wake up anytime soon, and considering
the frigid temperature of the room, Ranma-chan slipped under Ranma's
warm blanket and she began to doze back to sleep. Soon, however, the
heat in that area was quickly devoured by her body and she started to
shiver again. She reached out a hand and touched Ranma
experimentally. He was warm! With a shiver but without a second
thought, Ranma-chan practically threw herself onto Ranma and latched
onto him. She began to warm up nicely so she snuggled closer to him
from behind, her breasts pressing up against him. Ranma stirred
slightly but didn't wake up.)
(Something came over Ranma-chan at that moment, an inexplicable
feeling of....*lust*. It suddenly overwhelmed her conscious thoughts
and took control of her mind and body. Before she knew it, she began
to become sexually aroused. Ranma's muscled back stirred the fires of
desire in her eyes, as did his firm legs. Her hands crept up and over his
waist, and worked their way up his abs to his chest.
It too was hard. She lost herself in examining his well-defined
shoulder blades. Then she crawled over Ranma and slid into his arms,
wrapping them about her like a blanket. He grunted as Ranma-chan's
cold fingers teased his neck and his chest. Then Ranma-chan smoothed
the hair from his face and began to kiss him. A light kiss at first, little
more than a slight brushing of her lips on his, then a more passionate
one followed. Ranma started to wake up and Ranma-chan broke her
second kiss, and wrapped her hands about his neck. She wanted him.
Now.)
(Ranma woke from a dream that he had been running through a cold
snow storm while being chased by a whirlwind of ice cubes, and he
opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Ranma-chan's face, eyes
lowered in a sultry manner. He blinked but the image didn't go away.
Then he felt the hands on the back of his neck and Ranma-chan's breasts
on his chest. He felt himself beginning to respond and.....*lust*, pure
desire....began to overtake his conscious thoughts. He grabbed Ranma-
chan's arms and pushed her onto her back on the futon. Obligingly,
Ranma-chan's shirt slipped down and exposed her breasts in all their
naked glory. Her face turns slightly red and the temperature under the
blanket seemed to shoot up. He began to dip his head close to Ranma-
chan's, her lips opening to receive his in a kiss.)
(A face pushed itself into the forefront of Ranma's mind, and the name
attached to that face registered in Ranma's lust-soaked brain. Akane.
Akane! Ranma let out a yell and threw himself back from Ranma-chan.
She sat up and looked at him with some curiousity, then she looked
down at her shirt. And she shrieked. Within seconds, she had her shirt
back up and she pulled the blanket protectively over herself.)
Ranma-chan : Wh-what is going on here?!
Ranma : You tell me!! I woke up and you were in my arms!!
Ranma-chan : I didn't crawl into your arms!! The last thing I
remembered was snuggling up behind you to warm myself. Then I must
have dozed off, or something, and I dreamt that I...well...ummm...I
was....let's just say that I got `friendly' with you. Then you leapt away
and I woke up then. My shirt was *halfway off*.....
Ranma : It wasn't a dream! You really were in my arms. Then I
remember something like I was about to kiss you...and y'know what
else follows. Something really weird is going on here. I felt something
take a hold of me right after I woke up and looked at you.
Ranma-chan : I sure as hell wouldn't do something like that with you.
(Ranma raises an eyebrow) THAT was because of.....something. Now
that I think about it, I don't know what had come over me two days ago.
Anyways, let's....just forget about it. For now.
Ranma : .........Alright. But only for now. This is WAY too weird to
pass up.
(The three teenagers take turns using the bathroom. Ranma-chan puts
on a pair of pants and a long-sleeved shirt, one of Ranma's favorite.
Ranma has his green communist suit on, complete with a matching cap
graced with a red star on its front. Akane steps out of her room,
dressed in a warm sweater and pants.)
Akane : It sure is kinda cold today!
Ranma-chan : Brrr.....
Ranma : Well, it's kinda far from Nerima Ward and we gotta take a
train to get there. I managed to, umm, GET three train tickets offa
Nabiki, so there shouldn't be a problem.
Ranma-chan : Well, let's have breakfast, then we'll go!
Akane : Hold on a second, you guys. Let me find P-Chan first.
Ranma : P-Chan? You're gonna bring him along, too?
Akane : You have a problem with that?
Ranma : No, no! I'll help you look, but first I have to go see what's
cooking. C'mon, Ranma, let's go.
(Ranma and Ranma-chan hear the familiar sounds of cooking coming
from the kitchen. The overhanging drapes prevent them from fully
seeing the face of the woman inside the kitchen. If they were paying
more attention, they might have noticed that the woman had a familiar
bundle on her back. But they were so wrapped up in their small talk
that they didn't realize the situation they were in until they walked into
the kitchen.)
Ranma-chan : ....it's true, Ranma!
Ranma : You don't say. Well, Ran....(still looking at Ranma-chan, he
pushed the drapes aside)
Nodoka : Good morning, Ranma!
Ranma : Umm...Mom! You're back!
Nodoka : Yes, dear. I came home at half past midnight from my visit
and I didn't want to disturb anybody.
Ranma-chan : What's for breakfast, Auntie Saotome?
Nodoka : (wasn't paying attention) What was that?
(For a brief second, it seemed as if her mother had used a rather frosty
tone. But Ranma-chan dismissed it quickly, reasoning that she was
hearing things.)
Ranma-chan : Umm...I just wanted to know what you were
cooking...Mrs. Saotome.
(her instinct warned her to use the more formal way of greeting a friend
of the family, though in her case it is different. Much different.
Nodoka turns around and looks at Ranko.)
Nodoka : Salmon fillet, and rice. Tempura shrimp, and a bit of pork
cutlet.
Ranma : Salmon fillet, shrimp and pork cutlet? Oh, good!
Nodoka : Yes, Ranma. It's your favorite. Could you go and wake up
the others, please?
Ranma : Consider it done. (he runs out)
Nodoka : Ranko, help me cook, please.
Ranma-chan : Sure.
(Ranma-chan is kept busy running around the kitchen, fetching
ingredients for her mother. Nodoka says little except to tell Ranma-chan
what to fetch. Ranma-chan could almost feel the aura of tension
emanating from her mother, making her keep a respectful distance from
her. Nodoka hardly looks up from cooking the salmon fillet. Somehow,
she seemed quite occupied about something, her thoughts so far away
that she let the salmon steak be burnt black on one side.)
Ranma-chan : Mrs. Saotome! The fish...!
Nodoka : Oh! (flips it out and puts it on the plate, along with the rest
of the other cooked salmon)
(Nodoka keeps frying the rest of the fish expertly, and Ranma-chan
stood behind her, waiting for the next order to fetch another ingredient.)
Ranma-chan : (thinking) What's with mom this morning? Why is she
like this? Did I do something wrong?
Nodoka : Ranko?
Ranma-chan : Yes?
Nodoka : Which town did you come from?
Ranma-chan : Shiko-ku. It's outside Tokyo, towards the mountains.
Nodoka : Shiko-ku. Which side of the family are you on?
Ranma-chan : Err...from Mr. Tendo's side. My father was his brother
and he married my mom in Tokyo. Then we moved to Shiko-ku.
Nodoka : I see. I was just in Shiko-ku, you know. Just yesterday, I
visited all my friends in the outlying towns and villages outside of
Tokyo, and Shiko-ku happened to be one of them. (she pauses, as if
Ranma-chan should know what she was talking about)
Ranma-chan : That's....nice, Mrs. Saotome. I'm glad you took some
time out to enjoy yourself.
Nodoka : Now, let's prepare the pork cutlet. (as if on cue, a pig starts
to squeal) Get me that cage from around the corner.
Ranma-chan : C-cage? Is it still alive?
Nodoka : Yes. (pulls out a sharp knife, glinting in the morning light)
Still alive. (she looks at Ranma-chan in a strangly unnerving way, as if
expecting Ranma-chan to know what she was talking about.)
(Ranma-chan tears her gaze away from her mom's and goes to where
the squealing is coming from. P-Chan is furiously shaking the cage in
which he's imprisoned.)
Nodoka : (calls to Ranma-chan) I found it while on the way to the
marketplace. It's free meat, right?
Ranma-chan : (releases P-Chan, who jumps into her arms) Auntie
Saotome! This is Akane's pet pig!
Nodoka : Nonsense! A pig is a pig, Ranko. Besides, if Akane did have
a pet pig, then what is it doing out of the house in the first place? Now,
bring it over here.
Ranma-chan : Let me bring him, I mean it, to Akane, first. Akane!
Nodoka : Don't be a silly girl, Ranko. Let me prepare it for breakfast.
The boiling water is almost ready....
Akane : (walks into the kitchen) You called, Ran....oh! Auntie
Saotome! (bows) You're back!
Nodoka : (bows while holding the knife) Good morning, Akane-chan.
Is that your pet pig that she's holding? (points with the knife towards
Ranma-chan, a gesture that is not lost on P-Chan, or Ranma-chan for
that matter.)
Akane : P-CHAN!!! C'mere, baby! (P-Chan leaps into Akane's arms,
nuzzling her)
Nodoka : (blinks in surprise) So, you DO have a pet pig, Akane-chan!
I'm sorry.
Ranma-chan : That was what I was.....(stops short when Nodoka looks
at her)
Nodoka : What was that, Ranko? Is something the matter?
Ranma-chan : N-no. Not at all.
Nodoka : Well, I won't need your help anymore, Ranko. Will you set
the table?
Ranma-chan : S-sure. Consider it done.
(Nodoka starts a little in shock, but the two girls don't notice it.
Ranma-chan leaves to set the table while Akane goes off, cooing to P-
Chan. Nodoka is left in the kitchen, pondering Ranma-chan's words.)
(Ranma-chan quickly and expertly sets the table. Ranma is beside
himself at the smell of food <not counting Ranma-chan>, and the
entire family assembles in the dining room.)
Ranma-chan : Good morning, Mr. Tendo! I was just helping Mrs.
Saotome in the kitchen. (smiles at Soun, eyes darting to the kitchen)
Soun : Morning, Ranko! I see that Mrs. Saotome is here...I'm sure that
this breakfast will be a thing to remember!
Nabiki : I wonder if there's any pork cutlet?
Akane : Nabiki!! (clutches P-Chan close to her, who squeals in terror)
Ranma-chan : Ahh, scratch the pork cutlet. Salmon steak and tempura
shrimp.
Kasumi : Oh, I'm going to go help her.
(Soon the two women are busily chatting and cooking. Ranma-chan
scratches her head and wonders if her mom really didn't need *her*
help, a thought soon confirmed when Kasumi leaned out of the kitchen
and announced that breakfast wouldn't be ready for another fifteen
minutes.)
Ranma : Well, I'm gonna practise. Let's go, Ranko.
Ranma-chan : Yeah! Ready when you are!
(The two launch into the air and perform a barrage of kicks and punches
at each other. Ranma shot a fist at Ranma-chan's face but it was
intercepted by her outstretched palm. She replied with an elbow strike,
which Ranma blocked. The two land on the ground and Ranma-chan
took the offensive. She lunged forward and rammed Ranma in the
chest. Ranma rocked back a few steps and brought an elbow down at
Ranma-chan's exposed back. She twisted aside at the last moment and
rolled away. Both weren't even sweating because the day was so
chilly.)
Ranma : Yep. Still as good as ever, eh? It's like you've never
changed.
Ranma-chan : (didn't notice the emphasis on the word `change') Same
goes for you. (unleashes a flying roundhouse at him)
Ranma : (ducks it) Pop's gonna be back tomorrow. Let's show him
how much we have improved, okay? (lashes out with a foot)
Ranma-chan : (blocks it) Suits me just fine!
(the two fight some more, their ferocity and ingenuity reaching even
newer heights - and the both of them reveled in it. Akane watches with
some interest, as does P-Chan, and she tries to pick up on some of the
techniques the two were using.
Nodoka and Kasumi bring out the food then and Nodoka places a
salmon fillet on each plate. Ranma and Ranma-chan finish up their
match in a draw and start to tear into the food with gusto. Ranma-chan
devours most of her food, and then she starts on the salmon fillet that
was sitting on her plate. And she almost choked on the morsel she had
just sampled. With a barely contained frown, she examined the salmon
fillet with narrowed eyes. It looked fine. Then she flipped it over with
her chopsticks. It was completely black and charred on that side. A
chill settles in Ranma-chan's heart and she peered cautiously at her
mom. Nodoka kept on eating as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
Ranma-chan gulped and flipped the fillet back over. Then, using a soup
spoon, she dug out the still-edible portions of the fish and ate - albeit
with much less enthusiasm than before. What's wrong with her mom?
What does this mean? All these, and more, spun through Ranma-chan's
head. She was the first to finish.)
Ranma-chan : Well, Ranma? Akane? I'll meet you outside.
(Without another word, Ranma-chan gets up and leaves the house. A
leap brought her on the rooftop and she sat down on the tiles - and
wondered. What did she do wrong? Usually she was always so kind
and compassionate. The woman she had been with in the kitchen didn't
act like her mother at all. But she acted normally around others....
Ranma-chan began to shiver as the wind picked up. She knew she
should be on the ground but she didn't want to meet her mom's gaze,
nor see how strangely her mom was acting around *her*. A faint sound
from behind her sent her rolling to her side and coming up in a
defensive posture - but it was only Ranma.)
Ranma : What's wrong?
Ranma-chan : (sighs and relaxes her guard) It's...mom. I got the
feeling that she didn't like me all of a sudden. Maybe it's just me.
Ranma : What happened?
Ranma-chan : I thought she sounded a little too....I dunno, cold when
she spoke to me in the kitchen. None of that 'Ranko-chan' stuff. Then
she tried to cook P-chan, even when I told her that P-chan was Akane's
pet. Then Akane came in and Nodoka believed _her_.
Ranma : That can't be. We know mom. She's the sweetest person in
the world and would never do things like that to people she knows.
Except for the seppuku thingy, I can't see her acting the way you
described her.
Ranma-chan : You're probably right, Ranma. Maybe it's just me and
that thing that Kasumi told me all women go through. I don't know.
Ranma : What thing?
Ranma-chan : (shudders) You don't wanna know.
(The two of them stand there for a while, the cold wind knifing through
their clothing and chilling them to the bone. The dark skies rumbled
slightly, as if in discontent. Then Ranma claps Ranma-chan on the
shoulder, who starts in surprise.)
Ranma : Aw, come on. Let's not mope about the whole thing. You're
probably imagining things, you know? Let's go home.
Ranma-chan : (smiles) Yeah, you're probably correct.
(With that, they exit the roof and meet up with Akane, who is holding
P-chan. Then the three of them head off to catch the train. Halfway to
the station, Ranma hears a familiar chring-chring of a bicycle bell. It
was his only warning before Shampoo shot out from the top of a
building on her bicycle, balancing a delivery box on her head, and lands
near Ranma. With a toss of her head, the delivery box flies off and
lands on the ground with a slight thump and Shampoo attaches herself
on Ranma.)
Shampoo : Ni hao, Ranma! Shampoo finish job and go on date with
Ranma, yes? Like last time, in ice-cream shop!
Ranma : Uh...Akane! Come on, you know that Shampoo always does
this! You don't have to....huh?
(Akane had narrowed eyes but she made no move to dislodge Shampoo
from Ranma, nor did she produce a mallet and flatten Ranma. Ranma
looks from Ranma-chan, to Akane, to P-chan, and back - Ranma-chan
merely shrugs while P-chan waits expectantly for Akane to flatten
Ranma. Akane is still standing there, watching Ranma. Ranma
scratches his head in confusion but he knew he must do something or
stand there for all time in a tableau-like scene.)
Ranma : (firmly pushes Shampoo off him) Uh, Shampoo? I don't want
to hurt your feelings but we have got to go and catch a train.
Shampoo : No need catch train, Ranma! Ranma date with Shampoo,
Shampoo be HAPPY catch RANMA'S train! Hee hee hee! (hugs
Ranma again)
Ranma-chan : Look, Shampoo. We HAVE to go. We only have three
minutes to catch it or it leaves without us!
(Akane is unmoving, a statue for all the movement she exhibited.)
Ranma : (takes deep breath and steels himself) SHAMPOO. Listen -
to - me....
Shampoo : Yes....Ranma? (looks up with adoring eyes)
Ranma : Uhh....YOU have to...uhm, that is, I mean....I have to...
(Ranma-chan steps in and pulls Ranma away from Shampoo, her hand
clasped tightly on Ranma's. Akane starts a little at this.)
Ranma-chan : He has to go. Shampoo, I'm sorry but Nabiki would kill
us to find out that we had wasted her tickets.
(With that, she pulls Ranma along, followed by Akane, in a madcap race
to the train station - leaving an annoyed Amazon looking after them.)
Shampoo : Girl-type Ranma....
(The trio rush into the station but the train was already gone.)
Akane : It's all your fault, Ranma! If only you had pushed her off
harder...!
Ranma : Hey, don't go blaming me for Shampoo jumping out of
nowhere to hug me! It's not like I ask her to, you know!
(With that, Ranma scoops Akane up in one arm and tucks her by his
side. Akane lets out a scream as Ranma leaps some twenty feet in the
air and bounds after the departing train, marked by a trail of smoke.
Ranma-chan follows suit and within minutes they land on the top of the
train. Ranma sets Akane down.)
Ranma : We still made it!
Ranma-chan : You know, I wonder why we didn't do this in the first
place instead of getting those tickets off Nabiki....?
Akane : You're right... I wonder why....?
(The laughter starts from Ranma-chan and quickly infects the trio until
they're all chuckling and giggling about their oversight. The rest of the
train trip was spent in silence, the three huddling together for warmth,
with P-chan snuggling in the space between the three of them. Ranma-
chan takes particular pleasure in snuggling close to Ranma, feeling his
body heat envelop her and warm her. Akane, refusing to be outdone,
tentatively does the same. Ranma merely sits there and shivers, human
heater to the two girls - though not despising the role. The scenery
flashes by with regular monotony - it is always buildings, trees,
powerlines, and more buildings. Then Ranma noticed a familiar
landmark in the next town and the trio leap off the train, to land on the
road in front of astonished onlookers. They paid them no heed and
Ranma-chan begins to plot a course for their old neighbourhood.)
Ranma-chan : It's down that street, turn right and right again. Ranma?
Ranma : Why're you asking me? You know the way as well as I do.
Ranma-chan : Oh, yeah. I almost forgot! Sorry....
(They pass by street vendors selling everything from toys, to clothing,
to chicken yakitori and sweet flame-roasted chestnuts. Then the three
of them enter their old neighbourhood and Ranma leads them all to a
house that belonged to an old friend of his and Ranma-chan's.)
Ranma : (knocks on the door) Ok, you two. Ranma? You're Ranko.
Akane, don't mention the fiancee thing, ok?
Ranma-chan : Alright.
Akane : Why not?
Ranma : I don't want stupid questions directed my way.
(The door opens and a young man of Ranma's age and build, wearing
a T-shirt and jeans, with short black hair, meets them. He looks at
Ranma for a second, then realization dawned on his face. Ranma-chan
lets out a small gasp. He has *changed*!)
Guy : Ranma? Is that you?
Ranma : Should I say the same thing too, Keneda? How are you doing?
Haven't seen you for almost five years!
Keneda : Come in! Come in! (motions them inside) Hey there! Who
are you two?
Akane : I'm Akane Tendo, pleased to meet you!
Ranma-chan : I'm Ranko Tendo, her cousin.
Keneda : Welcome to my humble abode....(grand gesture inside)
(The inside of Keneda's home is tastefully decorated with the concept of
sparsity in mind - in other words, it was bare. A couch lay in front of
the TV and a phone sat on one end of the couch. Keneda gestures to the
couch at Ranma-chan and Akane while he goes off and grabs two chairs
for him and Ranma. Ranma-chan plops onto the couch with a sigh and
bounces up and down slightly, noting the softness of it. Then she listens
in on the conversation between Ranma and Keneda.)
Keneda : So, Ranma. Where have you been all this time?
Ranma : Well, my pop took me training in China, to learn Kenpo, and
I returned a year or so ago, and stayed in her (indicates Akane) home.
I just decided to come home, that's all.
Keneda : Training? In what art?
Ranma : Kenpo.
Keneda : Kenpo? I took up martial arts in grade school.
Ranma-chan : You took up martial arts?
Keneda : (turns to her) Yeah. Why do you ask?
Ranma-chan : Oh, nothing.
Ranma : You were, no offense, kinda scrawny back then, Keneda.
Keneda : Yeah, I know. But the style I know is very rewarding. You
wanna spar with me later?
Ranma : Straight to the point as usual, eh Keneda? Alright, later on.
In your backyard.
Keneda : Thanks, Ranma. Anyways, things haven't changed much here.
Same old people, same old thing. By the way, where's Ryoga?
Ranma : Probably lost again?
(The two of them share a hearty laugh as P-chan grumbles quietly to
himself as only a pig could. Ranma-chan suppresses a giggle. Then
Keneda turns his gaze upon Ranma-chan, who blushes slightly. <He
is kinda handsome>, she thought.)
Keneda : So, Ranko. How are you?
Ranma-chan : I'm...I'm fine. I'm just here with Ranma to see his house
with Akane, that's all.
Keneda : (nudges Ranma and whispers, sotto voice) Is Ranko your
girlfriend, Ranma? The way the two of you look so perfectly suited for
each other is uncanny.
Ranma : What?! Of course not! AKANE is the one who is my...
Keneda : Your what?
Ranma : Uh....my...
Akane : (thinking) Oh, Ranma, Ranma. You idiot. (out loud) Fiancee.
Keneda : Say again?
Akane : Fiancee. I'm his fiancee.
Keneda : Is that right? That's good, then.
Akane : What's good? (she looks over at Ranma-chan, who has a slight
tinge of red on her cheeks) For whom?
Keneda : Oh no, not like that! I mean, that's good that you and Ranma
are engaged. Makes me envious. I mean, I don't even have a
girlfriend.
Ranma-chan : (pipes in) No girlfriend yet? Not since....
Keneda : Since when? What do you mean, Ranko?
(Ranma-chan just couldn't keep herself from blurting out facts that only
Ranma should know. She silently berates herself and turns to face
Keneda, feeling her face flush slightly as she did so.)
Ranma-chan : No. Nothing.
Keneda : If I didn't know it, I'd swear that Ranma has been telling you
about me, Ranko. Ranma?
Ranma : I give you my word, man. I never told Ranko ANYTHING
about you in my life. And you know how a martial artist's word is his
honor and all that, so you gotta believe me.
Keneda : Hey, no need to get uptight about this. It's nothing. (He
stands up) Anybody want a drink? Ranko? Ranma? Akane?
Ranma : Some soda, please.
Akane : Just a glass of water.
Ranma-chan : N-nothing. No thanks....Keneda.
Keneda : You sure, Ranko? I have lots of drinks.
Ranma-chan : Well...if you insist. Ok, just a soda as well.
Keneda : Alright, Ranko. You guys wanna watch that show Ranma and
I used to watch? About that funny guy?
Akane : No thanks.
Keneda : Jeez, you're no fun! (he laughs good naturedly as he makes
his way to the kitchen)
(Akane looks over at Ranma-chan and sees a small smile on her face.
Ranma-chan folds her hands on her lap and suddenly looks over at
Akane, who turns away just as quickly. Ranma didn't seem to notice
any of the body language between the two girls as he twiddled his
fingers. Keneda returns with the drinks and he and Ranma tear into the
sodas. Ranma-chan pops the tab on her soda and drinks it slowly, her
eyes flashing to Keneda every now and then. Then the two guys start
filling each other in on their lives, exclaiming in surprise over an event
or such. Ranma-chan noticed that Ranma said nothing about his curse,
nor anyone else's. Akane gives P-chan a sip of the water from her cup.
Then she sidled over to Ranma-chan and leaned towards her.)
Akane : Hey, Ranma. What's wrong?
Ranma-chan : Oh, nothing. Nothing at all....
Akane : Are you sure? You have been...blushing since you sat down.
Ranma-chan : I am NOT blushing, Akane. Really. It must be...hot in
here, or something.
Akane : Is that why the thermometer on the wall reads 10 degrees?
What do...do you think of him?
Ranma-chan : Him? Who?
Akane : (looks her evenly in the eyes) Ranma. Don't beat around the
bush. What do you think of Keneda?
Ranma-chan : Whatever Ranma thinks of him, Akane.
Akane : Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, Ranma. I...well, I forgot that you were
actually him. Sorry. (P-chan squeals)
Ranma-chan : No, that's okay. He's a nice guy, Keneda. Honest,
thoughtful and unafraid to stand up for his beliefs. It was only because
he was MY friend that he didn't get beat up for not giving his lunch
money to guys who demanded it. Nobody would mess with me, except
for Ryoga. (P-chan squeals in agreement and Akane strokes the top of
his head, soothing him)
Akane : But it has been five years, Ranma. What do you think of him
now?
Ranma-chan : Now? Well....he hasn't changed one bit, except for his
appearance. He used to be really thin back then, and he didn't know
how to defend himself. He was outgoing, though, and quite popular
with those who knew him - including the girls. Strange that he hasn't
even got a girlfriend until...I mean, he hasn't got a girlfriend since
grade school. Now, though. What a change...
(She seems to lose herself looking at Keneda, until Akane nudged her
back to reality)
Akane : Do...do you like him?
Ranma-chan : Of course I like him. He's my friend, right?
Akane : No! Not THAT, stupid. I mean, are you attracted to him?
Ranma-chan : No. O-of course not. What makes you say that?
Akane : Well, it does seem like it. You're blushing and the only reason
I can think of is him. (leans closer) What about Hiroshi? Just going
to dump him like *that*?
Ranma-chan : No...no. I'm not going to.....(looks sharply at Akane)
Hiroshi? The date didn't count, Akane. I kissed him but I was
curious... (Akane coughs) Alright, a little bit more than curious! Still,
I don't think I would consider him as my boyfriend.
Akane : You know, Keneda does seem like a nice guy but I'm worried
about you.
Ranma-chan : What for?
Akane : Ranma....(enfolds one of Ranma-chan's hands and squeezes it
tight.) You sure you don't mind if a guy kisses you?
(Ranma-chan puts her hand on top of Akane's and she doesn't speak for
a while. There was loud laughter from the two guys over some joke.
Ranma-chan then looks up at Akane.)
Ranma-chan : N-no. I think I'd actually enjoy a kiss. With a guy, I
mean. Why do you want to know? Didn't we go through all this last
night?
Akane : Ranma, what scares me is the fact that I don't turn a hair when
I think of YOU kissing a guy. I mean, I don't get all queasy, or mad
or anything. To me, you kissing a guy is the same as any other girl
kissing a guy - unless it is one of those three *fiancees* that Ranma has!
Ranma-chan : Uh...yeah. (brief image of the events of two days ago
flash by her mind, especially the kiss shared with Ranma....)
(The conversation between the two guys winds down and the stream of
words slows to a trickle. Then Ranma gets up and folds his arms in
front of himself. Keneda got up and motioned to the door.)
Keneda : Ranko, I see that you and Akane are martial artists too.
Wanna watch me and Ranma spar?
Akane and Ranma-chan : What? How did you know?
Keneda : It is the way you hold yourself. It is the way you move as you
walk or reach for something. The way you keep looking about in alert
anticipation gives that away too.
Ranma : Wow, that's good.
Keneda : Heh, it's nothing. Come on, you. Let's go spar.
(The two guys face off in the backyard while Akane and Ranma-chan
watch from the sidelines, Akane on Ranma's side of the yard and
Ranma-chan on Keneda's side.)
Ranma : So, full contact or no contact?
Keneda : Full contact. I gotta warn you, though, I have a few special
moves that you might never have seen before.
Ranma : So do I, Keneda. Prepare yourself. they take their stances)
(At some unseen signal, they let out yells and attack. Ranma launches
a sidekick at Keneda, who stops it with his arm and snaps a kick at
Ranma's face. Ranma moved his head back, dodging the snapkick, and
moves to trip Keneda. Keneda hops over the leg and lands. He brings
his right foot up and down at Ranma, like a hammer, the fluidity of his
attack like the flow of water as it falls from a waterfall.
Ranma blocks it and traps the foot, only to release it as Keneda
whips his other foot over and tries to hit Ranma. Keneda pushes up
from the ground and bounces back to his feet. Neither are breathing
hard and both have fierce grins on their faces.)
Ranma : You're good.
Keneda : So are you.
(Then Keneda launched a flurry of attacks, set in a kata so intricate and
so fluid that it seemed as if he was a whirlwind of punches and kicks.
Ranma fell upon his own favorite kata and began to match Keneda's
rhythm, parrying the blows and returning them.)
(<His style is very...strange!!>, thought Ranma as he fought back.
It was nothing like he had ever seen before, and he found it confusing
as all hell. <There....he's gonna kick me right in the gut so....>
Ranma put his right hand to catch the expected foot. Ranma's face
snapped back as a punch broke through his defenses.
<What the hell?!>, thought Ranma furiously. Keneda's fists
didn't even seem to have been in a position to strike......
A foot slammed into his stomach and Keneda twisted away from
Ranma's return strike. Fluid as water, yet with lightning speed Keneda
whacked Ranma in the ribs with a fist....
Ranma chopped at Keneda's neck but he was already out of range.
Or was he....? A foot just missed Ranma's head.
He...he had to get used to the rhythm of Keneda's kata. He
seemed to be matching it, but a subtle difference is all it takes to prevent
him from fully understanding it. Something.....
Ranma threw himself into the workings of the art he studied...the
Anything Goes style. Little by little, he began to unravel Keneda's
form. And little by little, he began to regain the upper hand. His
greater skill showed through at last. All he had to do...was crowd
Keneda...prevent him from using the wide-reaching attacks of his form.
<Heh...nothing simpler.>
Now Keneda seemed to be getting the worse of it, getting hit badly
while Ranma danced out of his reach. Ranma's foot seemed to place
itself in five different areas, all of them pressure points, even as he tried
to back out of fighting distance from Ranma. But Ranma kept dogging
him, staying as close as he could to Keneda. A swirl of a pigtail and
Ranma's snap roundhouse swept towards his face. Keneda ducked it
and replied with a rising uppercut, but Ranma dodged it and slammed
a knee in his gut. He was losing the fight and losing it badly, which an
elbow strike to the head seemed to emphasize, followed by a knee to his
ribs.)
(Ranma-chan let out a gasp at the ferocity of the fight. Keneda's style
was very strange to follow but its major flaw is that most of its attacks
were meant to be delivered at long range. All Ranma had to do was to
crowd in....which he did. With brutal efficiency. She winced as
Ranma's fist planted itself on Keneda's gut, five or six times.)
Keneda got his arm trapped by Ranma and felt himself double up
as another knee attack, albeit less powerful, planted itself in his
stomach. He looked up and saw Ranma's expression - it seemed to ask
him to give up and to let the suffering end. There is no shame in
losing, it seemed to tell him. <Oh yeah!?!>
Keneda bunched his muscles up and broke free of Ranma's grasp.
He considered Ranma for a second, who began to relax his defenses.)
Keneda : NO! Not yet!!
Ranma : Keneda!! I don't want to hit you anymore! Come on, man!
Keneda : You and I know why the fight must continue...! And that's
the way I have to do it! Prepare yourself!!!
(Then he began his Dance of the Wind routine. It was a very powerful
attack that his sensei had told him to restrict to situations in which he
looked to be losing, for it was very draining on the mind and body.
<Well...this seems to be one of those situations!>, thought Keneda as
he started the kata.....)
(Ranma was surprised when Keneda broke free of his grasp. He was
even more surprised that Keneda still wanted the match to go on. He
should never have agreed to go full contact....Keneda seemed to be
getting the worst of it. <He still wants to keep fighting? In his
condition?! Come on, man! Give up and let it go....!> But inside of
him, Ranma knew that HE wouldn't give up a fight anymore than
Keneda would. Fighting spirits weren't like that - they won't just lie
down and die. Not without fighting to the last.
Keneda began to....dance. That was the only way Ranma could
describe it. It seemed to be perfect...without any missteps...yet he
didn't see any hand strikes or leg strikes originating from Keneda's
centre. <Time to end this!>, thought Ranma as he closed in to put
Keneda out with one merciful punch. And instinctively somersaulted out
of range, the sounds of Keneda's fists slashing through the area where
Ranma would have been had he continued moving forward. <And....I
didn't even see his hands move!>, thought Ranma as Keneda twirled
closer and closer to Ranma.
Ranma picked up a rock and tossed at Keneda. And it shattered
into pieces about an arm's length from him. <He must be punching or
kicking but I just can't see it!> Ranma tried to close the distance again
and he just managed to dodge a couple dozen kicks and punches, moving
so fast that they seemed like the wind itself, before he somersaulted out
of range......Ranma couldn't get in close at all. Keneda's kata was too
powerful to overcome by brute force...yet it does have a flaw. It can't
close the distance too fast........
Ranma gathered up his ki-energies and focused a Mouko Takabisha
on his palm. He waited until Keneda got closer, then he released the
Mouko Takabisha. In slow motion...he watched the Mouko Takabisha
ball fly towards Keneda...and the Mouko Takabisha flew into shreds.
The Mouko Takabisha WAS a ball of hard air! That is the essence
of the Mouko Takabisha. Of course it'd be negated, considering that
Keneda's arms and legs seemed to be moving like the wind....
He looked at Keneda and considered, very briefly, about calling it
a draw - but almost instantaneously he banished the thought. What was
he thinking?! He had never admitted defeat in a fight in his life!!
Never!!
And Keneda's eyes, focused and determined, seemed to reaffirm
that. He and Keneda were almost alike in this aspect, never giving up
and fighting to the bitter end.
<Well....there is only one way to resolve this.>
He began to run in a circle around Keneda, as fast he he could, who
tried to strike Ranma but missed. Ranma began to close the circle on
him, who then struck Ranma once or twice with the kata, but Ranma
took the punishment - sacrifice for the technique he was about to
unleash.)
Ranma-chan suddenly realized what Ranma was about to do and
she stepped forward involuntarily. <Keneda!!>, she thought frantically
as Ranma came to the critical point of the Hiryuu Shotenha. Keneda
didn't seem to notice as Ranma gathered all the hot ki and began to
punch his hand in the air, to send Keneda flying in a whirlwind of ki
guaranteed to end the match - and the surrounding area.
Ranma-chan acted. Moving with a speed that she never knew she
had possessed, Ranma-chan rammed into Ranma and knocked him away.
The gathered energies seemed to swirl uncertainly for a moment, then
they dissipated in a small cyclone of hot air. Keneda slowed his kata
and halted it. He looked on with confusion at Ranma-chan who was
picking herself off the ground. Ranma grabbed Ranma-chan by the
shoulders.)
Ranma : What was the big idea?!? I was about to win!!
Keneda : Win? How? You kept running around me!
Ranma-chan : If you had used the Hiryuu Shotenha, Keneda would be
even more badly hurt, stupid!! Not to mention turning whole damned
house and surroundings into rubble!!
Keneda : Hiryuu Shotenha? What's that?
Akane : Ranma!! How could you have gone so far as to use that?
Ranma : Honest, Akane! He was such a good opponent that I had to
start to use the Hiryuu Shotenha on him to win!
Keneda : Would someone please tell me what's going on?!
Ranma-chan : Sorry. See, his Hiryuu Shotenha works by collecting all
the hot ki emitted by the opponent, channels it in a spiral, concentrates
it and then it creates a gigantic tornado. You would definitely have lost,
Keneda.
Ranma : Why didn't you stop fighting, Keneda? I didn't want to hurt
you that badly, man....
Keneda : I....I was already losing!! But I can't just lie down and...and
give up the fight! My pride as a martial artist does not allow me to do
that. My honor...would be tarnished. Ranko, you had no right to
interrupt the fight, even if I looked to be losing! At least if I lost, I
would know that I lost while doing my best, not having lost while
chickening out of the fight!! You can't just butt in like that, Ranko!
Ranma-chan : Not even on behalf of those innocent people who would
be hurt by Ranma's blast? You would let them be hurt for your stupid
honor and pride? So you must lose honorably. Big deal. What matters
more are those who might be caught in the fallout! (turns to Ranma)
And YOU! Think of what YOU would have to say to those people you
would hurt with the Hiryuu Shotenha!! That one wasn't anything like
the one I used on you in the Dojo....that one was small and done
instantaneously. You were preparing to use the biggie, Ranma. Now,
apologize to Keneda!!
(There is tense silence for long moments, then Ranma releases Ranma-
chan and stands up. He walks over to Keneda and bows to him.)
Ranma : I'm sorry. Are you...ok?
Keneda : I've had worse. My sensei never went easy on me...
Ranma : Neither did my dad. Look, Keneda...
Keneda : I know, Ranma. I agreed to full contact after all, didn't I? It
was my fault in the first place for asking for this fight. Are you ok,
too?
Ranma : I've....had worse (he glances over at Akane). Yes. I've been
beat up worse.
Keneda : No hard feelings, then?
Ranma : Now why would there be any? Anyhow, what was that martial
art style's name again?
Keneda : It's called "Half-A-Dragon" style.....it is the part of the "Full
Dragon" art that deals with long range strikes.
Ranma : Then....what about the other half?
Keneda : It's also called "Half-A-Dragon", but it deals with close range
and the so-called ki attacks. My sensei told me that it is, by far, the
deadlier of the two and much harder to learn.
Ranma : So, when these two halves are combined.....they make a full
martial art? Why is it divided in the first place?
Keneda : Sensei knows. He said something about there being a
movement over in China to wipe out practitioners of the "Full Dragon"
style and this was the only way to keep the art alive. Sensei also said
that he and one other in the world knows the "Full Dragon" art, but they
haven't seen each other for many years.
(After Akane bandages Ranma, and Ranma-chan does the same to
Keneda, Ranma and Akane bid goodbye to Keneda, promising to visit
him again when possible. Ranma-chan stays in the washroom for a
while, and tells Ranma and Akane to go on ahead. The moment Ranma
and Akane are gone, Ranma-chan got out of the washroom and moved
to Keneda by the front door. Keneda clears his throat and smiles at
Ranma-chan. Then he gives her a short bow.)
Keneda : Thank you, Ranko, for jumping in at that time.
Ranma-chan : No problem, Keneda.
(Ranma-chan feels herself reacting to Keneda but she gritted her teeth
and ignored all the signals her body was sending her. She felt a tingly
sensation all over her body and she looked anywhere but directly at him.
She felt...shyness? Yes, it was shyness. She couldn't bring herself to
ask him the question she wanted most to....)
Keneda : (looks outside) Well, looks like Ranma and his fiancee have
gone on ahead. (looks back at Ranma-chan) I-Is that shirt of yours any
warm? I'll lend you a jacket, if you want. It's kinda cold out there,
you know.
Ranma-chan : Thank you, Keneda. (Keneda slips a jacket about Ranma-
chan's slim shoulders)
Keneda : It may not fit too good, but at least it'll keep you warm,
Ranko.
Ranma-chan : Yeah. (looks at her feet) W-when do you want me to
return it?
Keneda : Oh, anytime. Anytime you feel like it.
(There is an awkward silence for a minute or so. Keneda seemed
almost as uncomfortable as Ranma-chan was, shifting from foot to foot
as he was doing. Then Ranma-chan turns to Keneda.)
Ranma-chan : Keneda? Tomorrow, do you want...want to go to the
movies? I'll pay. (her heart beats furiously despite the fact that Ranma
and Akane were not there.)
(There is surprised silence for a long moment, and Ranma-chan started
to wonder if she had made a blunder somewhere. A sweat drop ran
down her forehead but she ignored it. A cold, clammy chill descended
on her shoulders and made her knees weak with fear. Keneda was
going to refuse....she was going to look like a fool..!)
Keneda : I'd love to, Ranko.... Five P.M. at my house? And I'LL pay.
Ranma-chan : S-sure! Take care, Keneda. See you tomorrow!
Keneda : Will do, Ranko. Goodbye. (he smiles one last time, then
Ranma-chan steps out and runs after Ranma and Akane - feeling his
warm gaze on her back until she was out of sight of his house.)
Ranma : Where's Ranma?
Akane : She stayed behind. She said for us to go on.
Ranma : Oh. So, what did you think of my friend?
Akane : He's good in martial arts, that's for sure. I wonder who his
sensei was....
Ranma : To have become so good in such a short time, I'd really like
to meet his sensei and have him teach me that "Full Dragon" martial
art....
Akane : Well, aside from his fighting ability and his...determination to
keep fighting at all costs, he seems pretty nice. Straightforward, smart,
honest and quite observant. It is strange that he still hasn't got a
girlfriend until...I mean, since grade school. How sad.
Ranma-chan : (runs up to the two of them) Hey! There you are!!
Akane : (walks close to Ranma-chan) So what did you do? (P-chan
`bwees' questioningly in Akane's arms, and Akane hugged him tighter.)
And who gave you the jacket?
(Ranma-chan smiles slightly and mysteriously, divulging nothing to
Akane but a wink. Akane sighs in exasperation and steps away from
Ranma-chan. The moment Akane's attention was somewhere else,
Ranma-chan allowed herself a big smile. A date! With Keneda....!
She starts to hum the tune of her favorite song in her head, still grinning
like an idiot, her hands folded up inside the sleeves of the Keneda's
jacket.
In a few minutes, the trio stand before the Saotome house.
It looked immaculate from the outside, with absolutely no damage
nor dirt. Ranma and Ranma-chan step in first, feeling something
stirring inside themselves. Home, at last. The trio step up to the front
door and Ranma-chan notices a banner hanging over the front door,
discolored with the passage of time and the elements. It read,
"Welcome home, Ranma-kun!". Apparently Mrs. Saotome had
forgotten to take the sign down. Ranma-chan surreptiously wipes a
small tear from her eye. God, it was hard to come back and read
THAT. Akane pats Ranma-chan on the shoulder and the three of them
enter the house, to escape the cold wind.
Inside it was just as perfectly ordered and clean as the outside
looked. Ranma stepped about and explored the home he had never seen
in years. Ranma-chan leads Akane about the house, showing her
around. Everything seemed to be sparse and frugal, the bare minimums
of necessity, but extraordinarily clean - as if expecting a visitor. <Of
course, that visitor was supposed to be me.>, Ranma thought. He
stopped by his old room and stepped inside. He expected bare walls and
a simple futon, for that was all that he remembered of his old room.
Six posters were hung up around on the walls. Three depicted
group shots of, surprisingly, his favorite pop group, the five members
of that group holding microphones to their mouths, their dresses and
hairstyles perfectly matching to the overall tone of the posters. The
other three were about kung-fu movies. His gaze travelled some more.
A lush carpet lay by his meticulously made bed. A workdesk, looking
very new, sat in one corner while a clock ticked out the minutes above
the desk. The entire room looked ready to live in. The door opened
and Ranma-chan stepped inside, pulling Akane along with her.)
Ranma-chan : Whoa...! What happened to the room?
Ranma : I don't know. I never remembered it being like this.
Akane : Maybe your mom came back and redecorated it. Remember,
how she was away?
Ranma-chan : Yeah. I guess you're right.
(Ranma-chan goes over to the bed and lies down on it. Akane asks
Ranma where the washroom was and Ranma directed her to it. She
leaves P-chan with Ranma and exits the room.
Ranma-chan flops over and lies on her back, feeling the soft
cushion envelope her and soak up all of her tensions and worries. She
shifts to face Ranma, one hand propping her head up, her legs slightly
curled and placed together.)
Ranma-chan : Ranma, what did you....and Keneda talk about?
Ranma : Well, we filled in a each other about what had happened. I
told him about our life, sans curse, and...that's about it.
Ranma-chan : He hasn't changed a bit since that time, except that he
looks a lot different now. Better looking, too.
Ranma : Yeah, bett...better looking?! Why do you say that? (He tosses
P-chan to Ranma-chan, who catches him with one hand.)
(Ranma-chan turns her gaze to the far wall, oblivious to P-chan's
squealing, and composes her answer. Then she tosses P-chan back to
Ranma.)