Ok, Ok, it's time I made a confession.  When I wrote part 2 of Out of 
the Jungle, I really wanted to write it.  I knew more or less what I 
wanted to do with it.  I finished it, posted it, and tried to convince 
myself that it was what I wanted.  

But I might as well accept that fact that it just wasn't my day.  
Sometimes no matter what you try, your work just comes out awkward, and 
doesn't sound good, and that day was one of those days.  I really 
_wanted_ to write OotJ part 2 that day, but I really _shouldn't_ have.

So I've tossed it, and without even glancing at my old work, I hammered 
out a completely new part 2.  This is much better than the drivel I 
posted before, and, except for the very last scene, doesn't even 
resemble the old version at all.  I hope you like this one better than 
the last one:  I certainly do.  I would love to hear C&C.  Private or 
public is fine.  Oh, and don't forget to check out the picture of 
Toraneko Mouko (I must not have any shame to make a plug like this with 
my fic!)  As was pointed out; her figure doesn't look totally 
anime-like, rather it resembles American Comic Book style, but her face 
is classic anime.  It can be found at 
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dimension/2329/mouko.jpg
Anyway, without any further blabbering on my part, here's the new, much 
improved version of Out of the Jungle part 2


____________________________________________________________________

	Akane and Ranma walked to school, just like they did every day.  Ranma 
was up on the fence, not saying anything at all this time.  Akane wasn't 
used to seeing him so thoughtful, but was afraid to break the silence.  
Silence was always preferable to their usual squabbling back and forth 
with each other.  Akane had the distinct impression that for some 
reason, the arrival of Mouko yesterday would forever change their 
relationship.  There was no way the presence of the strange girl, which 
Ranma claimed was like a sister, could come into their home and not 
leave a mark.  One way or another, Akane knew that her relationship with 
Ranma was finally going to move out of the stagnant backwaters that it 
had been mired in for so long.  She just didn't know whether to feel 
excitement or dread at that prospect.
	She glanced up at Ranma again, trying hard not to let him notice her 
interest.  He didn't.  He didn't even look her way at all.  In fact, 
ever since they had left this morning, he had done nothing but hold his 
head down and keep his eyes straight ahead.  Akane had the feeling that 
she could probably have been talking to him all along and he might not 
have noticed.  She decided to try anyway.
	"Ranma, you know, we never got to go out to dinner after all, last 
night.  I was just about to tell you that I would have loved to go with 
you."
	Ranma blinked and looked up at Akane, as if noticing for the first time 
that she had been walking along with him.  "Eh?....What?  Oh, dinner?  
Well, I thought you lost your appetite after seeing the goat thing and 
all..."
	Akane ground her teeth, trying hard to maintain a smile.  Ranma could 
be so thick-headed sometimes!  Here, she had just told him she would 
have loved to go out with him, and he didn't even appear to have 
noticed.  "Ranma, that's not the point!"  Baka!  "The point is, I said I 
would have loved to go with you!"
	Ranma's eyes opened wide with surprise, and a grin slowly spread on his 
face.  "Really?  Wow, we can take Mouko and go tonight then urp!...." 
Akane had slammed her bag into the fence Ranma was walking on, causing 
it to vibrate wildly and pitch Ranma face-first into the bushes.
	What a moron!  Can't even tell when I'm trying to do something 
romantic!  Akane wondered why she even bothered, sometimes.  Ranma 
brushed himself off and hopped back up on the fence, running nimbly over 
to Akane.
	"What was that for?" he yelled.
	Akane glared at him and told him exactly what it was for through her 
clenched teeth.  "I don't want to drag Mouko along on _our_ date!" she 
said.  "A date means you and me, and nobody else!  Geez, what an idiot 
you can be sometimes!"
	Ranma was about to launch into another insulting tirade, just like he 
always did whenever Akane lost her temper with such little provocation.  
However, something stopped the words in his throat. _Wait a minute, she 
means that she actually wanted to go out with me!_ he thought to 
himself.  Why couldn't the insufferable tomboy ever just come out and 
say something that?  Why couldn't _he_ just come out and say something 
that?  Ranma cleared his throat.
	"Uhh...Akane?  I'm...uh...real sorry about that.  I was wr..." Ranma 
started coughing.  "I was wr-wron...;that is, I was w..., well, I wasn't 
right." he ended lamely.  Why did that have to be so hard?  Akane looked 
up at him and smiled.
	"I'm sorry too, Ranma.  I should never have lost my temper like that.  
And thanks for asking me out." _Wow!_ she thought to herself.  This was 
turning out to be one of the best days she had ever had with Ranma.  Did 
Mouko's arrival have anything to do with this uncharacteristic getting 
along?  With her almost admitting to Ranma that she really did like him, 
and his apparent attempt to do the same?  Akane made a mental note to 
ask her to come around more often.
	Akane didn't want the conversation to die down just yet, though.  Not 
when they were doing so well.  Trying to say anything, even if it was 
just small talk, would get them talking, and on a day like today, that 
seemed to be all that was needed.  "Ranma, what were you thinking about?  
You know, just a few minutes ago.  Before I started talking to you, you 
hadn't said anything since we left the house."
	Ranma motioned for Akane to start walking towards school again while he 
talked to her.  "I was just thinking about Mouko, actually.  I'm kinda 
worried about her."
	"I'm sure that breakfast thing wasn't that big a deal..." Akane began.  
Mouko had found out that the breakfast she was eating was a bunch of 
"plants" and hadn't taken it too well.
	"No, it's not that.  I just don't know if she's ready to live with 
people and all.  It's a lot more dangerous than she thinks."
	"She looks like she's able to take care of herself, Ranma," Akane tried 
to comfort him.  "I'm sure there's nothing that can really hurt her 
around here..."
	"Oh, she's very capable," Ranma interrupted, his concerned look 
quelling Akane's desire to berate him for cutting her off.   "She's not 
quite as fast as me, and not quite as strong as Ryoga, but as far as raw 
potential goes, I'd say she would be an even match for either of us.  
And she knows her Martial Arts, too.  For some reason, when she came to 
us in China, she already knew a lot of kung fu, and she could already 
generate ki attacks.  She trained with pop and me too.  We didn't just 
stop training to teach her to talk, y'know!
	"No, I'm not worried about her getting hurt, I'm worried about her 
hurting someone herself!  There's a lot of violence here in Nerima: we 
fight Kuno and those other goons every morning, Ryoga will show up every 
so often and try to challenge me, Kodachi, or Shampoo, or anyone else 
around her is liable to get into a fight for hardly any reason at all, 
and what worries me is that Mouko should be able to match even the best 
martial artists around here.  Ryoga and me, as much as he might deny it, 
never really try to hurt each other too badly, but Mouko wouldn't have 
any problems with just outright killing anyone who started anything with 
her!"
	Akane scoffed at Ranma's worry.  "You're not thinking, Ranma.  She got 
all the sway here without killing anyone, didn't she?"
	"We don't know that!"
	"And it's been a long time since you've seen her.  She seems just too 
incredibly nice to do anything like that.  I think she's changed since 
you knew her before, Ranma.  Don't underestimate her!"
	Ranma's mouth turned up in a wry smile, but there was no humor in it.  
"I'm not.  And that's why I'm worried."
	Akane was about to argue further in Mouko's defence when the 
fiery-haired girl in question came running around the corner.
	"Ranma-friend!  Akane-friend!  Where are you going?" she called out as 
she caught up to them.
	"Right here, actually," said Ranma.  "We've already gotten here.  This 
is where we go to school."
	"What's school?" Mouko asked curiously.  They had walked into the 
school grounds now, and Mouko was getting a fair number of stares from 
everybody who was milling about waiting for school to begin.  The guys 
especially seemed to be impressed with the way Mouko dressed.
	"It's were we go to learn," answered Akane.  "We have teachers who tell 
us things, and then we study to remember what they tell us."
	"Oh, like when you and Panda-friend taught me to talk?" asked Mouko 
brightly to Ranma.
	"Yeah, sort of," he said, his lack of enthusiasm showing very 
obviously.  Mouko didn't seem to notice, but Akane glared at him, and 
stompled heavily on his foot to remind him to act civilly.  "OW!  Dang 
it!  Y'know, Mouko, I'm not sure it's such a good idea for you to come 
to school with us.  I think maybe you should go back to the dojo and get 
Po...I mean, Panda-friend to show you around town."
	"Why?  Aren't all these men my age?  I should be able to find a mate 
for myself here."  Every boy who was within hearing distance of Mouko 
suddenly charged forward with a wild grin on his face.
	"I'll be your mate!"
	"Let me be your mate!"
	"I would be the perfect mate for you!"
	The stampede pressed around her.  Mouko wasn't used to crowds, or the 
noise that people made, and it showed in her wide, frightened eyes.  
Instinctively, Mouko growled deep in her throat.  At that sound, all the 
boys stampeded again, this time to get away from her.  Akane held 
Mouko's hand to calm her down.
	"It's OK, Mouko, they weren't trying to hurt you."  Akane's heart went 
out to the frightened girl.  Her bright eyes were wide as saucers, and 
seemed to shine with unshed tears.  Akane couldn't believe what Ranma 
believed about her.  She was just an innocent, scared girl, trying very 
hard to adjust to new surroundings.  Eyes like hers didn't lie!  Akane 
never knew she had a mothering instinct, but Mouko was definately 
bringing it out.
	Her attention was diverted by a new sound: a chorus of screams from the 
girls that were standing nearby.  "What's going on now?" she said to 
herself.  She led Mouko towards the sound, and Ranma followed slightly 
behind them, keeping a nervous eye on the tiger-girl.  Akane was annoyed 
at Ranma's insistence that she was dangerous, and glared at him again.  
He didn't pay any attention to her, of course.
	Suddenly the bushes in front of them erupted in a shower of leaves and 
twigs.  There, in all his (lack of) glory, was the tiny little pervert 
who had caused the screams.  His wrinkled skin, and white hair had 
leaves sticking to them still, but his prize was safely protected from 
all elements: his bag full of underwear.
	"Happosai!  What are you doing here?" Akane yelled, angry to even see 
the rotten little man.
	"Hello, my dear!  What a pleasure to see you!  Let me just see a little 
more..." he said, dashing forward until he was underneath her skirt.  
Akane shrieked in embarassment, and hastily kicked at the old man, but 
he deftly avoided all of her attacks.	
	"Is that anyway to treat your dear old friend?  I just wanted to see 
what kind of panties you were wearing.  It's nothing personal, I just 
have a professional interest in it, you know...Whoops! Gotta go!"  
Happosai changed his attitude quick when he saw Ranma's face.
	"Happosai!  Come back here and face me like a man!" Ranma yelled.  
Akane was secretly pleased that he was so angry on her account, and she 
silently cheered him on.
	"Sorry, Ranma, but I'd rather face you as a woman.  In fact I have a 
lovely ensemble here in my collection that would look lovely on 
you...say, you wouldn't happen to have any water, would you?"
	Now it was Akane's turn to get angry on Ranma's behalf.  "Happosai, 
it's time we finally put an end to your hentai ways!"  But Happosai 
didn't hear her.  His eyes had come to rest on the nearly naked figure 
of Mouko.  She was just looking at him very cursiouly, wondering what 
type of tiny little creature he could be.
	"Oh, how lovely!  I don't have anything in my collection that has that 
jungle look.  Very original!  I just have to get those from, you, my 
dear!"  Happosai leapt at Mouko with the intent of taking her clothes 
from her.  But this latest attack was too much for the already nervous 
girl.  All semblance of the frightened little girl that Akane had seen 
vanished, and Mouko became a wild animal, cornered and out of options.
	With a feral snarl, Mouko's claws popped out of her fingertips, and she 
slashed at Happosai.  The tiny old master was very quick, though, and he 
managed to dodge all her attacks.  But Mouko wasn't like any other 
animal.  She was smart.  And with years of martial arts training behind 
her, she really was one of the most formidible fighters in Nerima.  With 
a clever feint, she managed to put Happosai off guard, then catch him in 
the side with her claws.  A bright shower of blood sprang from his 
wounded torso.
	Deciding that he had enough, Happosai grabbed his bag and ran for it.  
Mouko was possessed with bloodlust, though, and in an instant, she 
bounded off after him.
	"Way to go, Mouko!  Show that old pervert how to treat women with 
respect!"
	Ranma grabbed her arm and spun her around.  "Akane, don't you see?  
That's not the kawaii little girl you just saw, that's a wild animal in 
a rage.  She'll kill him for sure!"
	Akane just blinked at him for a second, as if unable to comprehend what 
he was saying.  Then she bolted.  "Well, what are we waiting for?  We've 
got to stop her!"
	Ranma ran after her as fast as he could.  They could see Mouko and 
Happosai up ahead.  He had gone around the corner of the school 
building, and was hiding behind a tree.  He could manage to keep it 
between Mouko and his fragile old body by dodging as desperately as he 
could, but it was obvious that he wasn't going to be able to keep ahead 
of her gleaming claws for long.
	"Mouko!" shouted Ranma.  "Wait!  Don't do anything to him!"  Just as 
Ranma said this, his foot hit a wet spot on the grass.  He flipped up 
into the air, and landed with a splash in a puddle that had gathered in 
a tiny dip in the ground.
	Akane turned to see her now red-haired fianc� sitting up.  Ranma waved 
her on.  "Don't stop for me!" she yelled.  "You've got to stop Mouko!"  
Akane gulped silently and kept on.
	Mouko was losing patience with the little old man.  With a violent 
yank, she pulled the tree completely out of the ground and swung it at 
Happosai.  He flew straight as an arrow through the air from the force 
of the blow, crashing through the side of the school building in a puff 
of dust and mortar.  He groggily sat up, and realized he had been 
knocked into the girl's locker room.  Several of the girls that had P.E. 
for their first class were changing, or showering, and they all screamed 
at the appearance of Happosai.  "Has she killed me then?  I must be in 
heaven!"  Happosai lost consciousness.
	"Mouko, wait!" shouted Akane.  She had finally caught up to her, and 
grabbed her arm to restrain her.  Mouko turned around and her gaze bore 
into Akane's eyes.  A low growl rattled deep in her throat, and Akane 
took a step back.  Mouko's eyes looked nothing at all like the innocent, 
big blue eyes she had seen earlier today.  These eyes were wild, untamed 
rage and fury.  Their fiery bloodthirstiness seemed to pound into 
Akane's skull; pushing her away with their intensity.  
	Akane was no coward.  She had faced some of the most dangerous and 
skilled martial artists in the world.  Along with Ranma, she had faced 
evil monsters that were unspeakably deadly, and she had always done so 
without fear.  But as Mouko looked into her eyes with her feral, blazing 
stare, Akane was suddenly very, very afraid.
	"Mouko, please..." her voice faltered.  "Please stop."  For just an 
instant more, Mouko held Akane with her stare, paralyzing her like a cat 
paralyzes its prey.  Then the moment passed, and Mouko's lips turned up 
in a smile.
	"OK, Akane-friend!"  Once again, Mouko was the innocent little girl.  
Akane finally understood what Ranma had been talking about.  As the 
short red-haired girl walked up to them, she could read her face as 
plainly as if the kanji were written on her forehead.
	_I told you so, Akane.  You didn't want to believe me, but I told you 
so!_



_____________________________________________________________________
end of part 2




Joshua Dyal
j-dyal@geocities.com
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arcade/1958/


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