Love is What Frightens You the Most
Chapter 3: Down Doobie Doo Down Down, Comma Comma Down Doobie
        Doo Down Down
by Terrence Marks
normal@grove.ufl.edu
 
Credits: 
Thanks to my pre-readers.
The song in the fic is "The Porpoise Song (theme from 'Head')" 
which was written by Carol King and Gerry Goffin, and performed 
by The Monkees.  I suggest that you-all go get the album.
Or, my offer to make a soundtrack to this work still stands.
 
As usual, this fanfic hasn't been produced at all.
 
1) Chapter title.  If enough people don't get the reference,
I may change it to "Gazing through trees in sorrow".
What reference?  It's probably the most famous set of 
backing vocals in rock-and-roll history.  "Breaking Up Is
Hard To Do" by...I don't know whom.
 
2) I want to put in more Kunou scenes.  In fact, I want the Kunou
siblings to be on par with Ranma and Akane for plot relevance.
Problem is, Ranma was the centre of the manga, so I'll have to
shift a few things.  I'm almost definitely going to move Ryouga
and Gosunkugi to Kunou.  Maybe a girl also...but I don't want
to put Tatewaki in the Mad Fiancee Scramble sort of thing.
 
3) Notes:
a) Tatewaki Kunou will be referred to as Tatewaki.  This is 
because I'm using Kunou to refer to his father.
b) Oneechan means "older sister".  It can be used as a title.  
I'm using it because it fits here.
 
4) Is the dream sequence *too* long?  I really like it, but I 
think it might be just a little overdone.  This has been my 
fave scene to write so far.  I really like psychedelic 
writing.  If it's too hard to understand, let me know.
 
 
                        *       *       *
 
Akane Tendou woke up, feeling like a rock in a landslide.  She 
heard yelling.
 
"Get off of me!"
 
"I love you, pig-tailed girl!"
 
Her eyes gradually brought the room into focus.  She was in her
own room.  Soun was reading the newspaper in her room, perhaps 
thinking that she would recover faster under proper supervision.  
Kasumi was cleaning up a spilled drink.  Tatewaki was in her room 
also, hitting on Ranma.  She tried to slap him, but couldn't.  Her 
left arm was in a cast, she found.  
 
Akane stood up.  "Tatewaki Kunou!  What are you doing?"
 
Tatewaki stopped trying to grab the female Ranma.  "I was
waiting by your bedside and praying for a swift recovery."
 
Akane scowled.  "You were hitting on her", she said, pointing
to Ranma, "while I was unconscious.  Get out, Kunou."
 
"I shall await your return, O fair --"
 
"Don't.  I don't want to see you again.  I don't want to talk to 
you again.  Get away from me.  Now."
 
Kasumi looked up.  "Kunou, I think it would be best if you left
now."
 
"Very well.  I shall depart and return on the --"
 
Kasumi looked at her sister, and then to Tatewaki.  "I think 
it would be best if you left *now*."
 
Soun showed Kunou out.
 
Akane glared at Ranma.  "And as for you, you pervert..."
 
"What did I do?"
 
Akane's voice almost literally dripped venom.  "Nothing.  I think 
that you and Tatewaki make a nice couple."
 
"It's not like that.  I never asked for that creep to start
pawing me over like that."
 
"You didn't stop him either.  Maybe you enjoyed it."
 
"It's not my fault that that guy is a lecher."
 
"He never did anything like that before you showed up.  You
were just leading him on because you're a sick pervert."
 
Kasumi blinked.  "Now, Akane.  You're being too harsh on
Ranma."
 
Ranma nodded.  "I'm glad that *somebody* around here listens to 
me." 
 
"You're being entirely unfair, Akane."
 
Ranma nodded.
 
Kasumi continued.  "You should accept Ranma's actions as a
lifestyle choice, rather than a perversion."
 
Ranma facefaulted.  This had to be a bad dream.
 
                        *       *       *
 
The Kunou mansion had just built a recording studio.  It was 
one of the finest studios in Japan, with 80-track capability 
and all of the technical devices that a man could ask for.  
There was an effects pedal that could make anything sound like 
Beethovan's Eighth Symphony.  There was a large blue box 
connected to a car battery.  No one knew what that box did, but 
every cable in the room ran through it.  The elder Kunou had 
drawn up a circuit diagram for The Pre-Amplifier That Was Not A 
Pre-Amplifier.  It was scheduled to arrive next week.  He tuned 
his eight-string electric ukelele to open D and began to rock 
the house down. 
 
But despite all of the gadgets designed to make anything sound 
good, it didn't sound good. 
 
Kunou blamed it on the fact that he didn't have the proper 
pre-amplifier. 
 
                        *       *       *
 
Akane was alone in her room.  She heard a knock at the door.  
"If it's Ranma, you can go away."
 
"It's me."
 
"Oh.  Come in, Kasumi."
 
Kasumi entered and closed the door behind her.  "What has been 
bothering you, Akane?"
 
"What makes you think that something's bothering me."
 
"You haven't left your room since you got home from the match 
yesterday.  You can talk to me.  It's about Tatewaki, isn't 
it?"
 
"Why did Ranma have to act like that?"
 
"Maybe it isn't him."
 
"What?  Tatewaki has known him for three days and he likes 
Ranma more than he likes me?  Without Ranma trying?"
 
"I don't know, Akane."
 
"I loved him.  Ranma stole my boyfriend and I couldn't stop 
it.  I loved him."  Akane started to cry and ran a hand 
through her short hair.
 
"You'll find someone else, in time."
 
"Don't they say that love can conquer anything?  It looks like 
it wasn't even strong enough to stop him from chasing after 
another guy."
 
"Sometimes, Akane, love isn't enough."
 
                        *       *       *
 
Kodachi was, like her brother, unhappy at yesterday's turn of
events.  Well, to call Tatewaki Kunou unhappy would be an
understatement.  For the last two hours, he had been flat-out
hysterical, with tinges of depression, mania and catatonia.
 
Kodachi was still unhappy.  It had taken her a lot of work to 
arrange things.  She spent, literally hours, convincing her 
brother to rework his entry for the speech competition.  His 
original theme had been "Anyone who would date with Akane 
Tendou must defeat her in combat, I will accept no other 
terms."  Whenever she asked him to try another topic, he came 
up with another variant of the previous speech.  Kodachi was 
rather amazed at the number of reasons that Akane Tendou 
should be conquered as such, but that wasn't going to win any 
contests.  It was a nice speech, but it wasn't what the judges 
were looking for.  And she didn't think that the Tendou girl 
would be very appreciative either.  Eventually, Kodachi wound 
up writing a draft of the speech for him, as an example.  Her 
brother was a very nice person, but he could be a little dense 
at times.  Her sister was the opposite.  She was quite smart, 
but could be rather unkind at times.  She hadn't seen her 
parents in quite a time.  She wondered how those qualities had 
been divided among them.
 
Tatewaki had wound up rejecting Kodachi's draft.  Kodachi 
wrote another, and another.  Twelve drafts later, Tatewaki 
decided that her example was fit for his use.  His final draft 
was three words different from her version.  This was probably 
the best speech that he would get so she didn't make an issue 
of it.  
 
A week later, she found that it was a success.  Her brother 
had won second prize in the speech competition.  The boy who 
won first prize was the president of the debate club, and 
everyone expected him to win.  More importantly, Akane Tendou 
was impressed enough and they had agreed to meet for dinner.  
Kodachi didn't know Akane too well, but she seemed like a nice 
girl, and Tatewaki was happy.
 
Now it was all over.  
She wasn't about to let Akane Tendou hurt her brother like that.
Akane Tendou would pay.
 
Kodachi made a few phone calls and rearranged a few gymnastics 
tournaments.
 
                        *       *       *
 
Ranma walked home from school.  It had been an average 
day.  Neither Akane nor Tatewaki Kunou were present.  They 
were both excused, due to injuries sustained during 
yesterday's match.  There were more than a few people curious 
about both Tatewaki and his girlfriend being out, right after 
they had beaten the Golden Pair.  Every couple that lost to 
Mikado and Azusa had broken up within hours.  The students had 
decided that Akane and Kunou's love must have been quite strong 
to have withstood the Golden Pair.  And when two people with 
that much love just happen to be absent on the same day, well, 
suffice to say that the speculative phrase "crazed 
lust-weasels" was repeated with a frequency never before seen 
on a high school campus.
 
Ranma thought that it was a boring day.  No disruptions.  No 
fights.  If he kept a journal, he wouldn't have bothered 
writing about this day. 
 
Ranma heard a girl shout and looked to his left.  
 
                        *       *       *
 
Kodachi Kunou was confronted by three angry girls.  She had
seen them before, but couldn't remember their names.
 
"We'll make you pay for what you've done to us!"
 
Kodachi jumped back and pulled out her ribbon.  "And what did
I do to you?"
 
The second girl, who was carrying a rifle, scowled.  "You don't
remember?  You attacked us before the Martial Arts Rhythmic 
Gymnastics Tournament."
 
The third girl, who had a bulldog strapped to her back said
"We had to forfeit because you cheated."
 
Kodachi smoothed her school outfit.  "I don't cheat.  If you
couldn't defeat me in your own home, what makes you think
that you could defeat me inside the ring?"  Kodachi laughed.
 
The first girl, who just carried a club with nails in it,
charged.  With a shout, Kodachi lassoed the club with her 
ribbon and yanked it from the girl's grasp.  The third
girl took the bulldog out of its harness and threw it at 
Kodachi.  Kodachi ducked, letting it sail harmlessly over
her.  She lashed out with her ribbon, striking the third 
girl.  Kodachi felt a sharp pain in her heel, and found that
the bulldog was attatched to it.  She wheeled forwards,
striking the second girl's rifle with the dog and the  
third girl with the her other foot.  
 
                        *       *       *
 
Ranma was about to help even the odds of the fight, when he 
realized that the unarmed girl in the uniform was winning. 
 
                        *       *       *
 
Kodachi brushed the dust off of her hands.  The three
girls and their dog were tied together by a ribbon and
suspended from a tree.  
 
The first girl shouted "You'll never get away with this!"
 
Kodachi laughed.  "Next time, try ambushing someone else.
The Tokyo Elementary School gymnastics team usually takes 
this route.  If you had attacked them, it may have been an
even fight."
 
Kodachi leapt onto a nearby rooftop and sped away into the
afternoon.  Ranma continued walking home.
 
                        *       *       *
 
The next day, both Tatewaki and Akane showed up for school.  
Quite a few people were curious.  Many boys had questions to 
ask, mostly along the nature of "how it was going" with Akane, 
along with a conspiratorial nudge.  Some of those boys even 
managed to avoid being seriously injured. 
 
                        *       *       *
 
It was a few moments before the second class started.  Yuka 
stood next to Akane.  "So, how's it going between you and 
Tatewaki?  We noticed that you were both out yesterday.  I've 
heard some gossip and I want to get the straight info.  What 
really happened yesterday between you two?"
 
"I'm not seeing him again."
 
"Oh.  He tried to get a little too fresh with you?"
 
"No."
 
"Oh.  So he didn't try anything?"
 
"Not to me."
 
"This sounds juicy.  Tell me about it."
 
"He seems to be infatuated with a Ranma Saotome."
 
"Ouch.  Sorry to hear about that.  I bet that a lot of boys 
will be happy that you two broke up, though."
 
"And what about how I feel about it?"
 
"Like I said, I'm sorry to hear.  Hey, isn't Ranma Saotome 
that new student."
 
"Yeah."
 
"And isn't he a guy?"
 
"Yeah."
 
"So Tatewaki is gay...never would have guessed."
 
"He's not like that."
 
"And how do you know?  Have you two ever....you know?"
 
"No!"
 
"Then how do you know for sure."
 
"Ranma is a pervert who gets his kicks out of stealing girls' 
boyfriends!"
 
"Ah.  I can't wait to pass this on.  Thanks Akane."
 
Akane grinned maliciously.  "My pleasure."
 
                        *       *       *
 
Daisuke walked up to Ranma.  "So, did you understand the 
geography lecture?"
 
"Yeah.  I think I got it.  At least I got some good notes."
 
"Could I borrow them some--"  Daisuke found himself being 
dragged away by Keiko.  She whispered something to him.  His 
eyes bugged out.  "He WHAT!?"  She nodded.
 
He turned to Ranma.  "Sorry.  I can get the notes from 
somebody else."
 
Keiko grabbed Daisuke's arm and they walked away.
 
                        *       *       *
 
A mysterious figure in a darkened, neo-Victorian room picked 
up a phone and dialed approximately twenty digits.
 
"Hello, El Presidente."
 
"Yes, nice to talk to you, I'm sure.  But you've outlived your 
usefulness.  Sanista will be replacing you shortly."
 
"Yes, I know that Sanista runs drug rings.  I set that up just 
like I set you up.  And you aren't profitable anymore."
 
"No.  I can do this to you."
 
"You have a wife and kids?  Oh.  That changes things.  I'll 
see to it that they're in a nearby cell."
 
"A million?  I can make ten times that in an hour."
 
"Stop crying.  Take this like a man, and maybe I won't have 
them shoot you."
 
"Nice talking to you too, Juan."
 
                        *       *       *
 
Ranma noticed that not many people were talking to him.  It 
might be because he was new, but he was almost sure that some
of the girls were giving him very dirty looks.  A girl ran up 
to Ranma.  She was dressed in a uniform and had a bright look 
to her.  "Hiya, Ranma.  I'm Yuka."
 
"You know me?"
 
"Well, you've got kind of a reputation around here."
 
"Why is everyone avoiding me?"
 
"Well, most of the guys around here are a bit afraid of you
after what you did to Kunou."
 
Ranma's mind flashed back to the sequence in the rain,
him flipping Kunou and then beaning him with a teacup.
Ranma's mind flashed right past the fact that no-one
saw him do that...
 
"Well, everyone else is a little frightened, except Ryuta.
We figure that he's used to that sort of thing.  He says
that he wants to meet you some time."
 
Ranma was glad that there was another martial artist at this 
school.  He could stand some good competition.  "Tell him that 
I'm ready for him any time he wants a piece of me."
 
Yuka nodded.  "Ah.  So it isn't just a rumour."
 
Ranma smirked.  "Tell the guys around here that they'd 
better watch out because I'm the best that there is."
 
                        *       *       *
 
Akane looked over her outline of Japanese Literature and 
started to fill in details as the teacher lectured.  There was 
a knock on the door.
 
"School Messenger!"
 
The teacher opened the door.  "Come in."
 
"Message for Akane Tendou."
 
The teacher looked the messenger over.  "Is this another ploy 
by Kunou to disrupt my class?"
 
"No, sir."
 
"This has nothing to do with either Tatewaki Kunou or the 
kendo team?"
 
"No, sir."
 
"Very well", the teacher looked the message over, "Akane, you 
are scheduled to compete on behalf of the school in 
rhythmic gymnastics this weekend."
 
"But I can't!  I'm not even on the team."
 
"What?  You won't compete for Furinkan?  You have no school 
spirit!  Go stand in the hall!"
 
Akane got up from her desk and walked out of the classroom.
 
                        *       *       *
 
Ranma sat down in the courtyard and pulled out his lunch.  He 
quietly ate his sandwich, while the rest of the students were 
a flurry of activity around him.
 
He took a sip of water.  "You can come down now if you like."
 
Kaori leapt from a tree behind Ranma and landed at his side.
 
"Keeping me under observation?"
 
"I've heard rumours."
 
Ranma looked towards her face, but found that it was shrouded 
in the shadows of her hood.  "Rumours about what."
 
"You and someone called Kunou."
 
Yuka ran up to Ranma again.  She smiled and started to talk
at a breakneck pace.  "So, this is your latest conquest, Ranma?"
 
Kaori's voice wracked with pain.  "Conquest?"
 
"Oh.  This one's a woman?  This is just the hottest news I've heard
all week...except for that one about the banana and the history test,
but I'm not supposed to tell anyone about that.  Well, I mean, we all
figured that you'd be on Kunou, still.  I mean, no one expected
you to move so fast, especially since you're new here."  Yuka
looked closely at Kaori.  "Female...or a good imitation.  
I'll say female.  What's the point of gossip if you can't be sure
of its accuracy?"  Yuka grinned.
 
A tear hit fell from inside Kaori's hood to the ground. 
"I apologize, Ranma.  I thought that I meant something to you.
If you would rather have this Kunou woman, then I shall not
stand in your way."
 
Yuka patted Kaori on the back.  "It's allright.  From what I
heard, he does this to everyone.  And, last I heard, Kunou
was a guy."  Yuka thought for a moment.  "If he was a girl,
I'd be the first to know."  Yuka thought again.  "Then again,
a good reporter never turns down a lead.  Ta ta!" Yuka stood
up and ran off.  Ranma stood up and began to walk towards her,
but it was too late.
 
He sat down.  A bowl of ramen was left for him, but he was alone.
 
                        *       *       *
 
Akane sat down with a few of her friends.  They nodded to 
her.  A few were surprised to see her, since she had all but 
abandoned them when Tatewaki came along.  She explained the 
situation to them.  
 
"Sorry to hear.  Now you've got to fight his sister?"
 
Akane nodded.  "Yeah.  While I'm down to one arm, no less"
 
"You're still going to fight, right?"
 
"Why?  I'm injured and I don't know the sport."
 
"Don't you have any school spirit, Akane?"
 
The other girls nodded.  "We know you'll do fine, Akane."
 
"Nothing else has gone right this week.  I can't see why this 
should be any different.  I'd be better off staying home."
 
                        *       *       *
 
Kasumi walked into Doctor Tofuu's office.  She was visibly 
distraught.  
 
"Tofuu!  I'm sorry!  I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find 
that book that you let me borrow.  I- I'm really sorry about 
this.  I hope that you can still trust me, but I- I'd 
understand if you can't."
 
The doctor comforted her.  "Don't worry.  I'd never do 
anything like that."
 
Her face brightened through the tears.  "Do you really mean it?"
 
"Of course I do."
 
She hugged him.  His glasses fogged over.
 
"Kasumi!"
 
"Oh.  I'm sorry, Tofuu.  I forgot myself for a moment there."
 
Tofuu adjusted his glasses.  "That's ok, Kasumi."
 
Tofuu looked his office library over.  "That book was right 
here all along.  I guess you must have forgotten to take it 
with you."
 
"Oh my!  I'm sorry for worrying you like that."
 
"That's ok."
 
"Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"
 
"No, it's fine."
 
"Are you sure?"
 
"Yes, I don't mind."
 
Kasumi was afraid that he'd do something like this.  She could 
say that she forgot that she only had one sister, and made an 
extra serving for dinner, but he probably wouldn't believe 
that.  
 
"Oh, that's too bad.  Could you make sure that that book is 
still there?"
 
Kasumi dropped two tickets to a new movie on his table while 
his back was turned.  She saw his list of things to do, and it 
took a lot of willpower not to add "buy a ring" and "propose 
to Kasumi" onto it.  He probably would do it if it was on his 
list, too.
 
Tofuu turned around.  "There seem to be two movie tickets here."
 
"Yes?"
 
"Nothing.  I just don't remember them being here before."
 
Kasumi tried hard not to show the plethora of negative 
emotions.  She didn't have any other tricks for suggesting 
that Doctor Tofuu ask her out.  Was it possible that he didn't 
actually like her, and that he just went along because he 
wanted to be friendly?  She had given him quite a few chances 
to say 'no', and even more chances to say 'yes'.  And he had 
said nothing.  She turned around and slowly walked home.
 
                        *       *       *
 
Kodachi arrived at home at seven P.M.  She had spent the last 
hour training in the school's gymnastics arena with her 
school's team.  She was going to eat dinner, then practice in 
her own arena for another hour.  She saw a familiar looking 
man in her house.  She ran to her brother.
 
"Tatewaki."
 
"Tatewaki?"
 
She shook him gently.  He was sitting in a formal position and 
refused to move.  
 
Kodachi looked at him.  "You know, you really ought not to do 
this."
 
He didn't move.  She left and knocked on her sister's door.  
 
"Oneechan?"
 
"Yes, Kodachi?"
 
"There's this strange man in our house."
 
"Why don't you attack him or lead him into a trap room?"
 
"I've seen him before.  I think he's done something to 
father.  He was there when I went to visit the new shop."
 
"Describe this strange man."
 
"Fairly large, palm tree on head, floral shirt, moustache."
 
"He sounds familiar."
 
"Have you seen him before?"
 
"Accent?"
 
"Yes, I think so."
 
"Oh.  I wouldn't worry about your father then."
 
"You mean that that man didn't hurt him?"
 
"I mean that that man is your father."
 
Kodachi facefaulted.
 
                        *       *       *
 
Akane tossed in her sleep.  
 
She dreamt that she was in a field, in front of her school.  
Every boy was before her, in sports equipment.  She could see 
large banners bearing her name.  They were shouting something, 
and she thought that she kept hearing her name.  
 
The clock bell went off, ringing 8:27 times.  Akane started 
running, because she had three minutes to get to her first 
class.  The grass stretched beneath her feet, making it 
difficult.  She stopped and the sun shone straight down on 
her.  She broke into another run and reached the gates.  She 
heard what the boys were shouting: Akane Tendou Has No School 
Spirit.  The banners read "Don't Let Her In" and "She doesn't 
care about our school"  As she tried to get into the building, 
a boy in a tennis outfit grabbed her and sneered "You don't 
think that you're going in, do you?"  She shook him loose and 
tossed him to the ground.
 
An overweight student carrying a bowling ball swung at her.  
"Why shou --" (kick)
 
"--ld we le--" (punch to a fencer)
 
"--t you--"
 
"--in? If y--"
"--ou won't figh--"
"--t for us th--"
"en you'--"
"--ll ha--"
"ve to fight--"
"--agai--"
"--n--"
"--s--"
"--t--"
"--us."  
Akane Tendou connected with the jaw of a baseball player.  
Fifty students were sprawled on the ground.  There were still 
at least a hundred left.  She begain to fight them and lost 
track of their meaningless, connected words.  She ran towards 
the last one, Tatewaki Kunou, when she paused.
 
                        *       *       *
 
        My, my the clock in the sky is pounding away
        There's so much to say
 
        A face, a voice, an overdub has no choice
        And it cannot rejoice
 
        Wanting to be, to hear and to see
        Crying   to the sky
        But the porpoise is laughing goodbye, goodbye
        Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
 
                        *       *       *
 
 
Ranma Saotome snuck up behind her, carrying a four-foot tall 
bell.  He hit her 9:30 times.
 
"You're too late!"
 
"Alas, fairest Akane Tendou, there was such a possibility, but 
you did not care enough."
 
"Ain't that right, Akane.  You didn't care enough about your 
school, and now you'll NEVER get in."  Ranma sneered.
 
Tatewaki angled his head, allowing the wind to blow through his 
hair.  "You didn't care enough about your school, you didn't 
care enough about your friends when I came along..."
 
Ranma, now female, hugged Tatewaki at the waist.  "And you 
didn't care enough about him to keep me away, now did you?"
 
"True, my red-haired beauty.  You are charmingly forwards in a 
way that Akane never could be.  I can see that you are the one 
for me."
 
Akane threw a punch at Ranma.  He caught it and grinned 
wickedly.  "Fight me?  You aren't the one to fight.  You 
couldn't beat a pair of skaters.  The only reason that you 
even got into Anything Goes Karate is because your father runs 
the school.  You don't care enough about your school to fight 
for it.  And you know that you'll lose."
 
"Alas, I fear that it is true, Akane.  My sister is simply the 
best that there is.  Only with my help and my love could you 
hope to defeat her.  And since you have forsaken both my hope 
and my love, I shall rejoice as you are reminded once more 
that you have no hope of ever winning a battle with a 
competent opponent."
 
Akane ran around Ranma and Kunou, but was stopped by Yuka.  
"No school spirit.  Too bad.  I had always thought that you 
cared about the school and the people in it."  Yuka smiled 
coldly and spoke very slowly.  "Don't worry, Akane.  I'll be 
sure that I don't tell anyone about this...."  The rest of the 
sentence dissolved into Yuka's smile which turned into a 
laugh.  Black rose petals rained down from the sky.
 
Akane entered the school.  The teacher told her to stand in 
the hall.  She looked in the bucket and saw a reflection of her 
friends, playing around a river.  In the other bucket was a 
memory of herself and Tatewaki basking in each-other's love.
 
She heard the class-bell ring 11:30 times.  It was lunch.  The 
halls were empty and silent, as they had been forever.  She 
stood there with the buckets.  Later, the bell rang 6:30 PM 
times, and she knew that she should be home, but she had to 
carry her buckets.  She started walking down the hall, but she 
never got there.  The bell rang Monday when she stopped 
walking, but she hadn't gotten anywhere.  She turned around 
and the bell was ringing again.  She counted the number of 
times, and the number was next year...or maybe she had 
miscounted and it was the year after that.  She looked in her 
buckets again.  There was nothing there, but they were still 
just as heavy.  She tried to pour them out, but it made no 
difference.  She waited.
 
                        *       *       *
 
        Clicks, clacks, riding the backs of giraffes for laughs
        Is all right for a while
 
        The ego sings of castles and kings and things
        That go with a life of style
 
        Wanting to feel, to know what is real
        Living    is a lie
        The porpoise is waiting, goodbye, goodbye
        Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
 
                        *       *       *
 
She waited again.
 
The bell rang zero times, unless she miscounted again.  
Another one of her, at six years of age, skipped through the 
halls, singing "When you hear a bell ring zero times, you'll 
know what it means."
 
Akane looked around for herself, but couldn't find anything. 
"Am I dead?" she wondered aloud.
 
She saw the walls say "yes".
 
"How long?"
 
The bell started ringing, and, as far as Akane could tell, it 
never stopped again.
 
Ranma and Kunou stood beside her.
 
"Isn't it a pity?" Ranma said.
 
Kunou paused in thought.  "Just an ex-girlfriend passing away. 
I'd imagine that it bears no real significance."
 
Akane looked at the buckets again and saw that they were full 
of black rose petals.  The petals began to move and one half 
of a leotard-clad miniature burst forth from each bucket.  
They leapt towards each other and the lengthwise seam vanished 
when they joined together.  She started growing and growing.
 
Kodachi laughed a long, evil laugh.  "Another forfeit.  My win."
 
"I'll fight you, Kodachi!"  Akane leapt up from her bed to 
find that she had shouted that aloud.  A slip of paper fell 
from the roof.  Akane read it.
 
"Akane,
 
Normally, I would allow you the luxury of fighting me in your 
own home.  I shall do no such thing.  I try to forgive you for 
the pain that you have caused my brother, but I cannot at the 
present.  You shall be defeated and humiliated in front of 
your friends and classmates.  
 
                                Your Black Rose
                                Kodachi Kunou"
 
                        *       *       *
 
Timeline:
 
Day 0:
Ranma, father arrive
(Sunday)
 
Day 1:
Kaori arrives, Ranma goes to school
Ch1
Kunou meets pigtailed girl
Golden Pair challenge Akane and Tatewaki
Principal Kunou arrives
ch2
(Monday)
 
Day 2:
Ranma teaches Akane to skate
Kodachi visits the telescope shop
ch2
(Tuesday)
 
Day 3:
The skating match
ch2
Akane wakes up and dumps Kunou
ch3
(Wednesday)
 
Day 4:
Kodachi rearranges the tournament
Ranma sees Kodachi for the first time
Akane and Tatewaki are out of school
ch3
(Thursday)
 
Day 5:
Akane and Tatewaki return to school.
Akane gets challenge to Gymnastics match
ch3
(Friday)
 
Day 6:
The gymnastics match
Ch4
(Saturday)
 
Character Profile: Yuka
Age: 15
A classmate and friend of Akane.  She's put in because, well,
I needed someone to do what she does.  I think that there's a Yuka
in the manga somewhere as one of Akane's friends.  This one is,
as you can tell, a gossip who can talk faster than most people can
think.  This and her frequent rhetorical questions mean that she
is in control of the conversation.  She knows just about all of
what goes on around Furinkan, and unlike a certain other character,
she doesn't charge for it.
 
Character Profile: Akane Tendou
Age: 16
Akane Tendou is the youngest daughter of Soun Tendou.  She is 
not particularly modified from the anime/manga, apart from the
fact that she was going out with Tatewaki Kunou.  Now, due to
Ranma's presence, that is over and she's got mixed-up 
emotions, resulting in a specialization in "I Hate Kunou" and 
a double specialization in "I Hate Ranma".