Ryoga and Ranma stared at each other numbly. They each had a reason to
be absolutely horrified.
Ryoga reacted first. His reaction was not helpful. "Look at you! A
boy in girl's tights! Ha!"
Ranma snapped back. "Look at *you*! A boy totally naked! Ha HA!"
Ranma didn't feel any better. In a second, maybe two, the steam from
the kettle would clear away and everyone in the gymnasium would know his
secret. Worse, they'd see him in a leotard. Ryoga was right - Ranma
did *not* want people to see him that way.
A spray of cold water hit him and Ryoga. He looked over to see Akane
standing with a fire hose. Ranma blew out a relieved breath as he and
Ryoga changed. One disaster averted.
Ranma looked down to realize that another was about to happen. The
force of the water's blast was carrying her out of the ring - and to
defeat. She tried to swim against the force of the water, but it was a
useless gesture - Ranma vaguely remembered lessons from her physics
class. You couldn't lift yourself off the ground, and you couldn't swim
up a waterfall. The same principle - no leverage.
She fell to the ground outside the ring, Ryoga in pig form landing on
top of her. Her mind shut down, with one thought ringing through her
head: she'd lost.
The water stopped. Came running up to Ranma, her face a picture of
shock and horror. "Oh Ranma, I'm sorry, I didn't mean - "
"Worry not, fair Akane." Kuno came striding up, his face supremely
regal. "This is all for the best. For now that fiend Saotome has no
claim over you, and we two are free to pursue our love unfettered by the
spurious engagement forced upon you."
The look of horror on Akane's face deepened. Ranma stared at her, and
slowly began to make some connections. Akane had bet her engagement on
the outcome of the match. Ranma had lost. Which meant that....
A surreal laugh interrupted Ranma's thoughts. "A worthy opponent you
are, little one. Never have I been so challenged. But the battle is
mine - and with it, the right to wed Ranma-sama!"
Kodachi laughed and laughed, and Ranma felt her world come crashing down
around her in response.
***
Why should poor beauty indirectly seek
Roses of shadow, since his rose is true?
Why should he live, now Nature bankrupt is,
Beggar'd of blood to blush through lively veins?
O, him she stores, to show what wealth she had
In days long since, before these last so bad.
excerpt from Sonnet LXVII
by William Shakespeare
ROSES OF SHADOW
A Love Story
By Richard Lawson
***
I've never seen a serious take on Kodachi and Ranma. Oh, I've seen it
mentioned in passing - Symmetric Polynomials comes to mind - but never a
full-fledged fanfic based on this premise. Correct me if I'm wrong.
I only started thinking about this because I've begun to think so fondly
of Kodachi. Funny thing is, I used to hate her - second only to
Happosai on my dislike list in Ranma 1/2. After writing "The Dying of
the Rose", though, I've begun to feel sympathetic for her.
If I do write this, it will be weeks from now, as I have other things to
work on first. But the ideas have begun to pop into my head.
What do you think? Should I write this?