Subject: [ranma][xover][fanfic] NARRABUNDAH 1/2 - Volume I, chapter 7
From: Ratbat
Date: 1/26/1997, 2:41 AM
To: Fanfix


Part 1.2
Subject: [ranma][xover][fanfic] NARRABUNDAH 1/2 - Volume I, chapter 7
From: Ratbat <u962986@student.canberra.edu.au>
Date: 1/20/1997, 2:29 AM
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime.creative

                         NARRABUNDAH 1/2
                               
                         by Urac Sigma
                               
                               
                    Volume I, chapter seven
                               
                      Abunai! Usui Kori!
                               
                               
                      CAST OF CHARACTERS
                               
                       SIGMATOME RATBAT
                            Sixteen
                               
                          TENDO SUZY
                            Sixteen
                               
                         SIGMATOME LEN
                           Fifty-one
                               
                          TENDO BOBBI
                          Forty-three
                               
                          TENDO NIKI
                           Seventeen
                               
                          TENDO FIONA
                           Nineteen
                               
                         KUNOU JARRAH
                           Seventeen
                               
                        SANZENIN CHRIS
                        SHIRATORI NOOMY
                       Trouble on blades
                               
                    HINOMIYA RUTHIE-SENSEI
                          Thirty-one
                               
                         HODJSUKE TIM
                         Twenty-seven
                               
                         GOSUNKUGI SAM
                            Sixteen
                               
                          SAYURI KIM
                            Sixteen
                               
                               A
                            HENTAI
                               
                             Three
                          SCHOOLGIRLS
                               
                            and the
                           LOST BOY




             TITLE SEQUENCE.

             [With  the  other version of Jajauma  ni  Sasenai
             de.   The  sequence  has  changed  slightly:  now
             Ratbat is in girl form when she and Suzy go back-
             to-back  at the end. Of course, we have  the  art
             card matching the voice-over.]

SUZY [VO]:   Abunai! Usui Kori!



             1. PARK.

             [CAPTION:  Neribanda, Tokyo, Japan -  Tuesday  29
             August 1995    ]

             [Would  you  believe  it?  The  Tendos  and   the
             Sigmatomes  are having something approximating  a
             nice, normal family picnic. Well, true, the  kids
             probably  should  be at school, but  Glenda  only
             knows  what  Narrabundah College  lets  them  get
             away  with, even in Japan. Oh, yeah -  and  there
             usually  isn't  a  huge panda  sitting  with  the
             family.  Bobbi [wearing a purple dress]  and  Len
             have  already  started on the food,  despite  the
             fact  Fiona [in a pink floral-pattern kimono with
             her   hair   all  done  up  traditional-Japanese]
             hasn't  finished  getting it out  yet.  Niki  [in
             black  cutoff  overalls with a  yen-sign  on  the
             bib]  appears  to  be trying to  teach  poker  to
             Ratbat-chan  [with her multi-badged  jacket  over
             an  erratic, partly-Chinese outfit]  -  and  from
             the  pile of chips before her on the blanket,  it
             would  appear  that either Ratbat  doesn't  learn
             very  well,  or she's been taught by someone  who
             knows  how to give herself the advantage.  Hmmmm.
             Suzy  [with  her  buns  out  (the  ones  in   her
             *hair*...), wearing black jeans, her dog  collar,
             a  white  Maison Ikkoku T-shirt, a black  double-
             breasted  jacket with the sleeves rolled  up  and
             Sailor  Moon/Mars earrings] sits a small distance
             away,  on  top  of  some play equipment.  She  is
             looking at Ratbat, and deep in thought.]

             [I  don't know why I suddenly decided to describe
             the clothes again.]

SUZY [VO]:   Now  that  I  look  at  her properly  I  can  see
             it...she  seems  to move a lot  more  freely  and
             naturally  when she's a girl. It's  like  in  the
             three  months since she fell in the spring -  and
             the  actual one month or so she's spent in  total
             in  her  new form - she's become more comfortable
             than  she  ever  was  for  the  previous  sixteen
             years.  [Pause, becomes a bit less introspective]
             Though  if that's the case, I don't know why  she
             doesn't     just    stay    in    her    'cursed'
             form...probably  something to  do  with  Len...or
             maybe  some  honour  shit or  another.  [Sigh]  I
             wouldn't  know  -  I'm just another  girl  in  an
             arranged  lesbian  marriage over  a  martial-arts
             training hall.

             [Back  to  the  others.  Niki  pulls  in  all  of
             Ratbat's chips.]

NIKI:        Really,  Ratbat...it's a  good  thing  we're  not
             playing  for  real, otherwise  by  now  you'd  be
             �700000  in debt, stark naked and owing  me  four
             months of personal slavedom.

RATBAT:      Chikusho. There's one thing I still dinna  get  -
             'ow  come  you're allowed to palm cards and  deal
             off the bottom and stuff, and I'm not?

NIKI [Caught out]:Ummm...'cos I've got black hair.

FIONA:       Now...who would like some of this chicken?

             [Bobbi  and Len immediately have plates in  their
             hands  [or  paws]. Fiona does her  polite  little
             laugh  and  starts loading up their  plates.  Len
             frees  a  paw  to  hold up a sign  saying  'Thank
             you'.]

FIONA:       Do itashimashite, Sigmatome-san.

BOBBI:       Isn't  this  nice,  Len?  Our  two  families  are
             finally   together...our  children  are   getting
             along...it's    a   nice   day,   and...[realises
             something]...you're sliding  backwards  over  the
             grass.

             [Len  looks up from eating and realises this.  He
             is in fact being pulled backwards.]

LEN:         Brurh?

LITTLE GIRL'S VOICE:   Nnk...Paulette!

LEN:         Mrowf!

             [He  turns,  and everyone else looks behind  him.
             We   see  that  there  is  a  small  girl  there,
             slightly  older than Niki, with black hair  in  a
             cutesy   hairstyle,  a  pastel-pink  dress,   and
             exquisitely-painted fingernails.  She  is  trying
             to steal Len.]

GIRL:        Nhhh...Paulette!

LEN:         Grrr...

             [He  starts  to look pissed off, at  which  point
             Niki  has the presence of mind to upend a  kettle
             on  him, triggering the change. The sudden change
             in  mass dislodges the girl and she falls to  the
             ground.]

BOBBI:       What on Earth is going on?

             [A  male of equal age to her steps up behind  the
             girl.   Overdone  light  brown  hair,   expensive
             clothes and a white scarf.]

BOY:         I'm   most  terribly  sorry  about  my  partner's
             behaviour.

             [Behind  him,  the  girl  rises  up  and   starts
             looking   about   for   the  suddenly-disappeared
             panda.]

FIONA:       That's  perfectly all right. Would you like  some
             chicken?

             [Bobbi   face-faults.  The  boy  looks   slightly
             confused. The girl starts getting excited.]

GIRL:        Paulette?

BOY:         Watashi  wa  Sanzenin  Chris  desu.  This  is  my
             partner...

             [He  tries to gesture towards her, but she  keeps
             moving.]

CHRIS:       ...Shiratori Noomy.

NOOMY:       Paulette!!

             [She is getting quite frantic.]

NIKI:        'Partner'? Partner in what?

             [Noomy  is  nigh on super-deformed,  running  all
             over the place looking for her Paulette.]

NOOMY:       Paulette! Paulette!!!!!!

CHRIS:       Noomy and I are the Golden Pair--

             [Niki turns to Suzy.]

NIKI:        Isn't that what we--

SUZY:        That's Dirty Pair.

CHRIS:       --we're performance skaters.

             [The insane Noomy looks into the picnic basket.]

NOOMY:       Paulette? Doko da?

CHRIS [Low]: I'm    really   sorry   about   her...she   likes
             to...adopt  things she thinks  are  cute,  giving
             them French names.

FIONA:       Oh,  that's all right. It happens to  all  of  us
             from time to time.

RATBAT [VO]: Gurl, sometimes she is just too polite...

CHRIS:       Anyway...we're  sorry to have bothered  you,  and
             shall cause no further trouble.

             [He  lightly bops on the head Noomy, who  was  on
             the  verge of checking up Bobbi's dress  for  any
             pandas. She straightens up.]

NOOMY:       Hey! Don't hit Noomy!

CHRIS:       Come on, we're going!

             [They skate off, Chris on rollerblades, Noomy  on
             normal roller-skates. Dissolve to:]



             2. NERIBANDA STREET.

             [The   Tendo-Sigmatome  six  are  walking   home.
             Ratbat  and Suzy are side-by-side but one person-
             width  apart when Niki comes up between  them  to
             lean on one shoulder apiece.]

NIKI:        Ano  -  have you guys set a date for your  kekkon
             no hi yet?

SUZY & RATBAT:    No.

NIKI:        Because, you know, if you did, we could stand  to
             make a bit of kane together.

SUZY:        I  should've guessed. Niki's religion. Aa! Okane-
             sama!

NIKI [Ignoring  her]:    What I could do, you see, is I  could
             run  a  book  on  what date  you  were  going  to
             eventually settle on, and you guys could tell  me
             in  advance  what date you were  going  to  pick,
             then I'd fix the odds so that everyone would  bet
             on a different date...we could clean up!

             [Suzy  at  first  looks vaguely interested,  then
             realises what the subject matter is.]

SUZY:        Niki  -  what have I told you? We're not  getting
             married,  there's not going to be a wedding,  and
             besides, we haven't set a date yet!

             [Neither  Ratbat nor Suzy notice this  'slip-up'.
             Niki does.]

NIKI:        Oh...whatever you say, guys...

             [Steps  back with a self-satisfied smirk. As  the
             party    continues   down   the   street,    they
             [unknowingly] go past Chris and Noomy at an  ice-
             cream  stand. Noomy turns in time to see them  go
             off,  and  her eye just catches the glint  coming
             from  the  sun  shining off Suzy's dog-collar.  A
             stupidly cute look hits her eyes. Fade out.]



             3. BEFORE NARRABUNDAH COLLEGE.

             [Deserted.   Cut  to  show  Suzy  and  Ratbat-kun
             leaping  in, full silly martial-arts  poses  with
             the  lovely background graphics it induces.  They
             hit the ground, then remember.]

SUZY:        Ah, fuck...I never thought I'd miss that crap!

             [She mallets an unexpecting Ratbat.]

RATBAT:      Oi! Nan da?!

SUZY:        Excess energy.

             [Niki catches them up.]

NIKI:        Actually...it doesn't look like anyone's here  at
             all.

RATBAT:      Not even His Sempainess.

SUZY:        Chotto hen.

             [Looking about themselves, the continue into  the
             college itself, into the...]



             4.   QUAD.

             [This  goes  some  way  towards  explaining   the
             absence  of people from the front of the college.
             There's   a  huge  crowd  gathered,  looking   at
             something in the centre. We see Ruthie-sensei  in
             front  of  the  crowd, bouncing up  and  down  in
             childish  excitement at whatever it  is  she  can
             see.]

RUTHIE:      Wooowwww- that's great!!

             [Ratbat  and  Suzy  look up and  see.  Noomy  and
             Chris   are  here,  doing  an  elaborate  skating
             routine,   and   impressing   everyone.   They're
             actually  quite good, as it happens.  There  they
             go, leaping and spinning about.]

NIKI:        That's the guys we saw in the park.

             [Duh.]

SUZY:        Ja...what are they doing here?

             [One of the other students replies.]

SAYURI:      They're   performance  skaters,  passing  through
             Neribanda  for  some tournament or another.  They
             say  they  saw  the college, and she  decided  to
             come in and give us a quick display.

             [CU  on Chris, in the middle, balancing Noomy  on
             his nose while doing a 8 or something.]

CHRIS [VO]:  Bloody  Noomy  - why'd she have to  decided  that
             dog was her Yvette and then chase it in here?

             [Back  to  our  heroes. Suddenly  Ruthie  reaches
             into her pocket and gets out some coins. All  the
             students  present  run  for  their  life  towards
             classrooms. Ruthie looks up.]

RUTHIE:      Does   anybody   have  change  for   the--   [She
             realises] --oh.

             [She   gives   solitary  childish  applause   and
             cheering  as  The Golden Pair finish  their  act,
             then skips off inside.]



             5. WIND TUNNEL.

             [Well, not an actual wind tunnel, obviously.  No,
             the  Narrabundah College, just like the Core one,
             has  that big, long, slightly sloped corridor off
             which  most  of  the educational  blocks  branch.
             Kunou  Jarrah is here at the top of the corridor,
             trying  to  stand  nobly  and  posture  with  his
             rubber sword, despite the fact that his feet  are
             almost  out  of control. Yes, he too has  decided
             to  adopt roller-skates, which Tim is now at  his
             feet fastening.]

TIM:         Kunou-sama...

JARRAH:      I give thee leave to speak.

TIM:         Sono  ror�suketo...are you sure  they're  a  good
             idea?

JARRAH:      Timothy,  while  I am naturally confident  in  my
             [almost  slips over] abilities and powers,  as  I
             would  be  a  fool  not to be,  it  is  sometimes
             necessary  to  demonstrate my prowess  to  others
             around  me,  lest they lose faith in seeing  that
             their  sempai might be shown up by two chinny�sha
             from beyond this district.

TIM [VO]:    So, you are showing off.

JARRAH:      Art thou complete in thy task?

             [Tim adjusts a final strap.]

TIM:         Hai, sanjo, Kunou-sama.

JARRAH:      Then  I  shall  now  proceed as  gracefully  upon
             these wheels as I might on my own two feet.

             [Tim  gives  him a light tap to send  him  going,
             and  he's  off. He's barely gone two metres  when
             it  becomes  apparent that he is losing  control.
             He  keeps  trying  to stick his  sword  into  the
             ground  to  brake, but it just bends and  doesn't
             hold.  The few students in the place leap out  of
             the  way.  Cut to show that Suzy and  Ratbat  are
             coming  up  the  corridor  the  other  way.  They
             notice, as does Kunou.]

JARRAH:      Tendo Suzy!! I love you!

             [He raises his sword.]

JARRAH:      Sigmatome Ratbat! Prepare to die!

             [This  conflict of interests, combined  with  his
             already  bad  skating, career him  straight  into
             the  end  door,  just as The  Golden  Pair  enter
             through  the side one and look down to  see  him.
             Amongst the aftereffect of his collision  is  the
             loss  of a water bottle held by one student,  the
             contents of which end up all over Ratbat.]

RATBAT:      Och, domo, sempai.

             [At  this point, Noomy's attention is taken  from
             Jarrah  [who now has Gosunkugi trying to  draw  a
             chalk   incantation  around  him,  much  to   his
             [Kunou's] chagrin], and she sees the light  glint
             off Suzy's dog collar.]

NOOMY:       JEAN-LUC!

             [She  leaps  forward and takes  the  collar  from
             around Suzy's neck. Suzy snaps for her fingers  a
             few times, but misses.]

SUZY:        Hey! Dame! Dame dame!

RATBAT:      Ano, how eloquent.

SUZY:        Damaru. [Wounded] She took my collar.

             [Ratbat  now  assesses this.  She  faces  up  the
             corridor to where Noomy and Chris now are.]

RATBAT:      Oi! Bad mans!

SUZY:        Give that back!

NOOMY:       No! Jean-Luc is Noomy's now!

SUZY:        Jean-nani? He I-- Aghi. It is not - it's mine!

CHRIS:       Oh, look, leave it, will you - she just likes  to
             collect things.

SUZY:        No  I  will  not leave it! If she  wants  inu  no
             kubiwa,  she can beat up her own Great  Dane  for
             it! [Under breath] Or maybe a chihuahua.

NOOMY:       Hey! Noomy heard that! It wasn't nice!

SUZY:        Nerf! It wasn't meant to be!

             [Chris slicks his hair.]

CHRIS:       Very well...I might be able to persuade Noomy  to
             give  up  her  prize...if I can get a  date  with
             your red-haired friend.

RATBAT:      Dame!

SUZY:        Hai!

RATBAT:      Nani? Suzy no baka!

             [She   mallets   her,  leaving  Suzy   completely
             fuddled  at this role-reversal. Ratbat goes  into
             martial-arts mode.]

RATBAT:      Chosen! We'll fight ye for it!

CHRIS:       Very  well!  Then you shall discover  The  Golden
             Pair's  second  skill - that of the  martial-arts
             ice-skating!

RATBAT:      Aye,  I  know martial arts. Ye'll be wishin'  yer
             little  tomodachi  there  hadn't  even  heard  of
             Suzy's neck.

             [Suzy  does a face: And now you're talking  about
             my neck?!]

NOOMY:       Then  Noomy  and  Chris  will  see  you  at   the
             Neribanda Rink - tomorrow at noon! No, wait  -  1
             o'clock!

CHRIS:       One?

NOOMY:       Noomy wants lunch!

             [Ratbat  and  Chris face-fault.  Suzy  sighs  the
             sigh  of  one who knows the burial has  gone  too
             far  to  even  hope to start digging  anyone  out
             again.]

SUZY:        All  right,  then,  Neribanda Rink,  one  o'clock
             tomorrow.

NOOMY:       Yes! And the winner gets Jean-Luc! Hahahaha!

             [She  skates  away, pulling Chris' scarf  as  she
             goes, forcing him to accompany her.]

CHRIS:       Aghrfgs!

             [Gone. Suzy turns to Ratbat.]

SUZY:        We'll fight them, will we?

RATBAT:      Do ye want ye collar back or no?

SUZY:        That's  not the point! You could have  just  gone
             on  a  date  with him! One date!  That's  all  it
             would have taken! Ichi!

             [Holds up a finger to demonstrate her point.  She
             sees  it,  and  bites for it. She succeeds,  then
             realises what she's done.]

SUZY:        OW!

RATBAT:      Ha.   Anyway,  it's  martial  arts.  We're   both
             martial  artists. Both from the  Rijenra  school,
             no less. We can take 'em.

SUZY:        Huh.  [Lower voice] I think, Ratbat, that despite
             what  you've  told me - [normal  volume]  there's
             still a lot of otoko in you.

RATBAT:      Och, and do ye no have any otoko in you?

SUZY:        Ummmm...iie. [Shakes her head]

             [Ratbat  gets  a look in her eyes  that  she  can
             only  have  learnt  from one other  person  named
             Tendo.]

RATBAT:      Would ye like some?

             [Suzy is taken right aback.]

SUZY:        I  think  you've  been hanging  around  Niki  too
             long.

RATBAT:      You can tell?

SUZY:        Hai.  It  doesn't  suit you. Go back  to  talking
             like  a  Japanese version of Arthur Daley with  a
             Scottish accent.

RATBAT:      Soone...  Anyway, like I said, what have  we  got
             to  worry about? We can take them out before  the
             first toilet break.

SUZY:        Urrmm...Ratbat - do you remember what that  Chris
             guy said they were good at?

RATBAT:      Martial arts.

SUZY:        Martial arts ice-skating.

RATBAT:      Oh. OK. Fine. [Pause] Just one thing.

SUZY:        Hm?

RATBAT:      How do you ice-skate?

             [Track  slightly  to  show  that  Tim  heard  the
             entire  conversation.  He scoots  back  down  the
             corridor to where Jarrah is coming round.]

JARRAH [Unconscious]:     Aahh...pon�teru   no    onna...Tendo
             Suzy...you  both  come at once  for...[wakes  up]
             Timothy, you heard nothing.

TIM:         Truly,  sir,  there was none of  your  wisdom  to
             hear.

JARRAH:      Very  good.  [Pause]  Tim, your  face  bears  the
             expression  of  one  who  is  standing  over  his
             master  in  a  college  corridor  with  news   to
             deliver.

TIM:         What  an  odd  coincidence,  sir,  for  that   is
             exactly what I am doing.

JARRAH:      And what have you found, minion of Kunou?

             [As  he talks, he is trying to be strong and  get
             to  his feet unassisted, but it doesn't work,  as
             Tim keeps standing on bits he's trying to use.]

TIM:         I  just overheard Tendo Suzy talking to sangurasu
             no bijo.

             [Jarrah  is  instantly on his feet,  sending  Tim
             flying.]

JARRAH:      And?

TIM [OOV]:   It was quite strange, sir...

             [A locker opens, and Tim pops out of it.]

TIM:         She  used  the  name  of  Sigmatome  Ratbat  when
             addressing her.

             [Jarrah's eyes slowly glaze over.]

JARRAH:      Of  course...how  could a wisdom as  far-reaching
             as  my own possibly not have seen it? Even  as  I
             hear  them speak, the fair - well, the darkish  -
             Suzy  mentions  the  name of my  hated  foe  when
             speaking  to that picture of beauty. Forever  are
             they  talking of bonds, and curses,  and  lasting
             love...  Timothy - I now realise. It can only  be
             one thing...

             [Tim looks expectant.]

TIM:         Hai, Kunou-sama?

JARRAH [Big proclamation]:     Sigmatome   Ratbat...and    the
             redhead...  he  has her under  an  evil  hypnotic
             spell!

             [Tim shakes his head.]

JARRAH:      That  is  why his name spurs her into action  so,
             Timothy.  Ohh,  fair Helen, your  day  has  come!
             Arcee  amongst  the  Grimlocks  that  are  common
             women,  you now have a saviour! I, Kunou  Jarrah,
             will  use all the power I can muster, and I shall
             save you!!

             [Pause.]

JARRAH:      Tim...

TIM:         Hai, Kunou-sama?

JARRAH:      Find a way to save her.

TIM:         [Sigh] Hai, Kunou-sama.

             [He  shuffles  off.  Jarrah  looks  pleased  with
             himself,  and  tries to lean on  his  sword  with
             pride.   Unfortunately,  it  bends  beneath   his
             weight, and he goes down. Dissolve to:]



             6. ICE HALL.

             [Yes,  well,  we're all smart  here,  so  we  can
             probably  all  guess  what  an  ice-skating  rink
             looks  like.  Suzy,  Niki and  Ratbat  are  here.
             Niki's  feet  are unadorned of skates.  Suzy  and
             Ratbat-kun,  however, do wear ice-skates.  Ratbat
             can  barely walk along the outside floor  towards
             the  rink,  while Suzy struts along as  if  she's
             been  wearing  skates all her  life  [which  we'd
             hope  for Bobbi's sake she hasn't]. Niki takes  a
             seat  in one of the stalls surrounding the  rink.
             When  the  others get to the rink itself,  Ratbat
             is  a disaster. He doesn't let go of the edge  of
             the  rink,  and  when he tries her  nearly  falls
             over.  Suzy, meanwhile, skates right out  to  the
             centre. Ratbat notes this.]

RATBAT:      So  tell  me,  Suzy-kun - skatin's one  of  those
             things you can do, ne?

NIKI:        She  used to come hear every weekend when she was
             younger.

RATBAT:      What about you?

NIKI:        Ja...han...it never quite appealed to me.

SUZY:        She was crap!

NIKI:        Oh, thank you.

             [Suzy starts lazily detailing a figure-eight.]

RATBAT:      Hachi, ne? I'm impressed.

SUZY:        Nani? Oh, that's just my warm-up. Watch this...

             [She  skates all the way to one edge of the rink,
             then  starts off on an erratic path. Ratbat looks
             on,  confused. When she's done, we see  that  she
             has skated out her entire name in full kanji.]

RATBAT:      Chikusho...you really are good.

SUZY [False modesty]:  Ah...aren't I just?

             [She bows.]

RATBAT:      Oooh, ye can bow, an' all.

SUZY:        Bowing's not hard. It's just the same as  without
             skates.

             [Ratbat  tries it, but ends up falling  down  out
             of  shot. Suzy glides over and squats to see that
             the  ice has triggered Ratbat's change [well,  it
             is water, remember].]

SUZY:        Ratti-chan...I think your technique might need  a
             little work.

NIKI:        Ee  -  all you've got to do is teach her  pushing
             herself   along,   balance,   turning,   finesse,
             stopping  and motion control - all  in  the  four
             hours or so before The Golden Pair get here.

             [Dissolve on Suzy helping Ratbat to her feet.]



             7. ROAD AROUND HILL.

             [In  a  city  whose suburban district appears  to
             crawl up a hill.]

             [CAPTION: Interlude:
                             Graviton  City, Japan -  Thursday
             31 August 1995 ]

             [Enter  - and you've all been waiting for this  -
             the  Lost  Boy! Could it be that seeing  as  he's
             been  in  Japan  for a while  that  he  could  be
             getting closer? Doubt it. He approaches a  creepy
             pale-blue-haired schoolgirl in a  brown  uniform,
             sitting on a large rock.]

LOST BOY:    Sumimasen...

BLUE [Contempt]:  Hai.

LOST BOY:    Is this...the Neribanda district?

BLUE:        No it isn't.

             [She fumes slightly and moves off.]

LOST BOY:    Eeto...suman.  [Gets quite angry] Aarggh!!!  I've
             never going to find it at this rate!!

             [He  punches the rock in anger. It must  be  some
             considerable strength, not to mention anger  he's
             got  there,  as  the rock actually  cracks,  even
             though   he  also  appears  to  hurt   his   hand
             slightly.]

LOST BOY:    Kuso!

             [He  goes  away. The rock, however, continues  to
             crack,   eventually  splitting  right  down   the
             middle  and falling away, revealing a cave behind
             it.]

MALE VOICE:  I'm free! Free at last!

             [A  figure  walks out of the cave. A  little  man
             [positively  dwarf-sized], dressed in  black  and
             maroon, with long red and grey hair, glasses  and
             a goatee beard.]

HIM:         Ten  years I've been trapped! But now, some force
             has  freed  me! I must make my way  to  Tendo  no
             Dojo,  and  settle  score with my  once  captors!
             [Laughs]

             [He  hears  something and looks down the  street.
             Two  schoolgirls shoot by him, a redhead  pulling
             a  blonde  along. They are going at a  very  high
             speed and knock him flying.]

RED:         Come on, we're gonna be late!

BLONDE:      EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

             [They  disappear, and he falls back down  to  the
             ground, battered.]

HIM:         Of  course, I could just take a little rest  here
             first.

             [Slumps down.]

HIM [Self]:  Mmmmm...pretty ladies...



             8. ICE HALL.

             [The  place has a lot more people in it now,  all
             gathered  to  watch the match.  The  Golden  Pair
             stand  opposite  Suzy  and Ratbat-chan,  the  two
             teams  facing each other off. Find Len and  Bobbi
             amongst the watchers.]

LEN:         What's  the matter with him? Why's he fighting  a
             girl?  He's  gonna ruin his chances at everything
             if he keeps doing that.

BOBBI:       Of  course,  you're  hardly ever  in  your  panda
             form.

LEN [Caught out]:    Uhh...no!   Only   when   it's   strictly
             necessary!

BOBBI [Under breath]:  I doubt that.

             [Len, however, hears it.]

LEN:         Well, it's bullshit.

             [Now  show  an announcer's podium on which  Fiona
             stands,  holding a microphone and the dog collar.
             Niki approaches and tugs her dress.]

NIKI:        Oneechan?

FIONA:       Hai, Niki-chan?

NIKI:        Why are you being master of ceremonies?

FIONA:       I  always  find  it's nice to  help  people  out,
             don't you?

NIKI:        Uhhh...Hai.

             [Niki goes back to the parents.]

NIKI [VO]:   That's it, she's gone.

             [On the competitors.]

CHRIS:       Save  yourself  the  pain,  Tendo,  Sigmatome   -
             surrender now!

NOOMY:       And let Noomy have Jean-Luc!

SUZY:        In order - no, and no.

             [Fiona taps the mike to gain attention.]

FIONA:       Sumimasen...sumimasen...

             [The gathered people fall quiet.]

FIONA:       Konnichiwa,  mina-san, and welcome to  the  Jean-
             Luc  challenge.  The teams you see  there  before
             you:   The   Golden  Pair,  Sanzenin  Chris   and
             Shiratori Noomy...

             [Slight cheering. The Golden Pair revel in it.]

FIONA:       ...versus Tendo Suzy and Sigmatome Ratbat.

             [Show  them.  Ratbat slips over, splattering  ice
             around as her blade digs into the rink.]

NIKI, LEN, BOBBI: Ra.

             [They realise they're the only ones doing it.  We
             see Kunou in the crowd.]

JARRAH [VO]: Even  now  -  is  it possible that Sigmatome  has
             slapped  his foul label on sangurasu no bijo  and
             is  cruelly  deciding  her actions  as  I  speak?
             [Pause]  Oh, chotto mate...I'm not speaking,  I'm
             thinking.

FIONA:       The  prize is this dog collar [holds it  up],  an
             accessory of Suzy's that Noomy claims is her  own
             pet  Jean-Luc. The first team to remove  both  of
             the  opposing  team from the rink, or  achieve  a
             technical  knock-out on them, is the winner.  All
             forms  of  combat and martial arts are permitted,
             short of weapons, but do try to be fair and  play
             nicely.

             [The competitors face-fault.]

FIONA:       I now declare this contest started!

             [The  two teams stare each other down for  a  few
             seconds more, then...]

CHRIS:       Go, Noomy!

             [They launch at them.]

RATBAT:      Sigmatome seiki-o-tsubusu!

SUZY:        Tendo hayai kogeki!

             [They  leap  into  the fray. However,  Noomy  has
             been  moving  such  that  Ratbat  has  completely
             misjudged  her height [or lack thereof],  and  he
             goes  wild - her inability to cope with  ice  not
             helping  her  much.  As she slides  along,  Noomy
             leaps  on  her back and rides her like  a  horse,
             keeping her hands over her eyes.]

NOOMY:       Noomy will win!

             [Suzy,  meanwhile, might be good, but  she  lacks
             the  integral grace of a professional like Chris,
             and   is  therefore  utterly  unprepared  as   he
             suddenly isn't in her path any more.]

CHRIS:       Tsk,  tsk, little girl...we play with real  rules
             here in the big leagues.

             [Ratbat,  meanwhile, has managed to flip  herself
             over and remove Noomy, but now she trying to  sit
             on her head.]

RATBAT:      Glenda...you're forward, you know that?

             [Suzy  is  trying to plant a series of  blows  on
             Chris.  While she scarcely manages one, he  takes
             her to her knees.]

             [And  so they keep fighting, etc...I'm not  going
             to  describe everything blow by blow  because  it
             would  take twenty pages, but it looks  like  our
             heroes  are coming off third and fourth. Soon  we
             get  to  Niki  in the crowd with her black  ebony
             calculator.]

NIKI [VO]:   It's  all  working out fine. Maybe I should  have
             asked  them to throw the match early on,  then  I
             could  calculate  the  odds better...  Nah,  they
             wouldn't  have  gone for it. They never  help  me
             with  my  bets. Still, at least I've got  a  good
             idea of who the victor might be.

             [Pan[da] over to Len.]

LEN [VO]:    I wonder if the snack bar's open?

             [Back  on  Suzy and Chris, who launch  themselves
             into  the air. In true Takahashi fashion, they're
             either  falling really slow or they jumped really
             high,  because there' dialogue going on up there.
             Suzy  is  striking for Chris,  but  he  is  still
             gracefully dodging and shifting back.]

CHRIS:       Ha!  Even here, above the ice, your clumsy  blows
             can't compete with my true style.

SUZY:        Oh,   Sanzenin-san...that's  exactly   what   I'm
             counting on...

             [She  takes  a  final blow, which he  also  flips
             back from.]

CHRIS:       Nan da?

             [Then  they  come  down  and  we  see  what   has
             happened.  He  dodged all right -  he  dodged  so
             well  that he ended up past the edge of the rink.
             He  tries  to make it back, but they've landed  -
             she on the ice, he off it. He realises.]

CHRIS:       NO!!

             [She  looks justifiably proud. Back to Noomy  and
             Ratbat.  Ratbat's  seen better days,  continually
             falling  and  stumbling,  just  avoiding  Noomy's
             blows.]

NOOMY:       You will not win! Jean-Luc belongs to Noomy!

RATBAT [VO]: Gordon  Bennett...at  this  rate,  she  could  be
             right...unless...hmm...haaaiiii...

             [She  has just seen something behind Noomy. Still
             down  on  the ground, she pushes herself  between
             Noomy's legs, necessitating her turning around.]

NOOMY:       Hey! Come back to Noomy! Noomy must win!

             [Ratbat  kicks  one  blade  into  the  ice  at  a
             strange  angle, flipping a chunk of it back  over
             head, and sailing right towards Len, who has  now
             managed to procure popcorn and hotdogs.]

LEN:         Eh? Nagrurrmph!

             [The  ice  splatters on him,  and  hey  presto  -
             instant  panda. Right in Noomy's line  of  sight.
             She sees him.]

NOOMY:       Paulette?

             [She forgets Ratbat.]

NOOMY:       Paulette!!

             [She   leaps   over  Ratbat,  and   towards   her
             'Paulette'. Chris realises.]

CHRIS:       Noomy! Don't...!

             [She leaps, then works it out. Unfortunately,  by
             the time she works it out, she is on that side.]

NOOMY:       Uh-oh.

             [She falls to the ground.]

CHRIS:       Baka.

             [Fiona returns to the mike.]

FIONA:       Ja...it  seems  that  Suzy  and  Ratbat  are  our
             winners.

             [Some   applause.  Suzy  eagerly  goes   up   and
             reclaims Jea-- er, her collar.]

RATBAT:      See? Didn't I tell ye we could take them?

SUZY:        'We'?  'We' took them? I didn't see you all  over
             Chris there - the difficult one.

RATBAT:      And you took Noomy how much?

SUZY:        Oh, come on, if your dad hadn't been there...

             [And  their  arguing fades into  the  background.
             Noomy   is   crying  cartoon  tears.   Chris   is
             wondering where to look.]

NOOMY:       Jean-Luc...[sniff]

             [She  looks  up.  She then sees a lone  ice-skate
             that someone has abandoned.]

NOOMY [Brightens]:Alice!

             [She  scrambles  for the skate and  holds  it  up
             triumphantly.]

NOOMY:       Alliice!!!!!

             [She hugs it to herself and runs out the door.]

CHRIS:       Uh...Noomy? Noomy!

             [He runs after her.]

NOOMY [OOV, off]: Alice!

             [Niki  is  looking at her calculator and  banging
             her head against the wall.]

NIKI [Self]: Couldn't you guys fuck up just once...?

             [And  pull  back.  Show Niki agonising  over  her
             calculator, Ratbat and Suzy arguing,  Len  [as  a
             panda]  still eating, and Noomy nipping  back  in
             to  show  off Alice the ice-skate. Everything  is
             just as it should be. Fade out.]



             END CREDITS.

             [Requiring, of course, an alternative version  of
             Platonic  Tsuranuite.  I  hadn't  realised   that
             before.]

                       Sigmatome Ratbat
                          URAC SIGMA
                               
                          Tendo Suzy
                          SUZY STYLES
                               
                          Tendo Niki
                         NIKI O'BRIEN
                               
                          Tendo Bobbi
                         ROBYN SCHOLES
                               
                        Shiratori Noomy
                      NOOMY SCHWINGHAMER
                               
                        Sanzenin Chris
                         CHRIS SIMPSON
                               
                       Hodjsuke Timothy
                           TIM HODGE
                               
                         Ruthie-sensei
                          RUTH CRABB
                               
                           Lost Boy
                          EUAN BOWEN
                               
                          Little man
                        GRAHAM HENSTOCK
                               
                             Biko
                         SHINOHARA EMI
                               
                             Eiko
                           ITO MIKI
                               
                            Shiiko
                        TOMIZAWA MICHIE
                               
                               
                          written by
                          URAC SIGMA
                               
                      additional material
                          SUZY STYLES
                               
                   creation and development
                          URAC SIGMA
                          EUAN BOWEN
                         LEILA FETTER
                          SUZY STYLES
                               
                       with apologies to
                       TAKAHASHI RUMIKO
                               
                  � Recycadelic Cacti MCMXCVI