I've had questions about what was happening with this story, so I suppose
it's time to let everyone see how it's coming along. I am in the process
of setting up chapter two and building on it, so that's still very rough.
Meanwhile, I've been slaving away over chapter one, and it has had a LOT of
work done on it to flesh it out and correct problems, so that it makes more
sense. In some respects, it's almost a different story. I'll probably do
some more with it, too. Sooner or later, I'll either have it polished into
a real gem, or I'll have worn it down to a nub!
I welcome comments (duh... that's a silly thing for me to say, isn't it?
If I didn't want comments, I wouldn't be posting!), and don't mind at all
if they are posted to the FFML.
Ranma's Angels
A fanfic work-in-progress by LarryF
Last update 17 Jan 98
Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway) Ranma 1/2, concept, characters,
etc. all belong to Rumiko Takahashi, a beautiful and no doubt gracious
lady, and the rights belong to Viz and a number of Japanese companies that
could easily make life hell for me. I am using these characters without
permission, solely for the purposes of the enjoyment of other fans, and do
not intend to profit from them in any way (except maybe spiritually). While
they probably could sue me if they so desired, I sincerely hope they don't,
since they are already getting all my money through local retail outlets
anyway!
Chapter 1:
-------
On a sunny monday in the city of Tokyo, four men had gathered in a type
of apartment building the Japanese refer to as a "mansion". Many citizens
of Tokyo lived in single room apartments foreigners would consider cramped
at best, but such luxury apartment buildings had suites of several large
rooms and were sinfully spacious by Japanese standards. In the living room
of one such suite, three of the men were looking over the floor plans of
what appeared to be an office building. They were making notes about the
plans on small writing pads as they listened attentively to the other man,
who spoke in a commanding tone.
"Okamura, you're in charge of Groups A, B, and C. Sugisawa, you have
D, E, and F. Hashiga, you're leading G, H, and I. Each of your groups
will be composed of a subcommander and ten men, which means we are going to
have only one hundred and three men to control an unknown number of
civilians and still complete the mission objectives. It is essential that
we have complete control of the building within fifteen minutes of entry or
the whole operation may be a failure. Make sure your groups are able to
work as a team and coordinate with the other groups by friday. I know that
isn't enough time to train your men as thoroughly as we prefer, but we do
have a time limit. The transfer of citizen Furuki to government hands has
been approved by the local authorities for sunday morning. If we can't
secure his release by saturday evening, our chances of preventing his
execution are probably nonexistant. I can't overstate the importance of
this mission, gentlemen; without Furuki to lead us, our cause is doomed,
and we must not allow that to happen. You have your pick from the armory
supplied by our foreign friends, and three days to train your men with
dummy explosives. This is an all-or-nothing gamble. If you fail me, we
are all going to be hanged right next to Furuki. Hail Victory!"
-------
It was a lovely day to be outdoors. The sun was shining brightly, and
there were lots of white clouds in the sky setting off the green of the
athletic field just right. The students of Furinken High School were
taking full advantage of the lunch break to enjoy it, sitting in the shade
of the school yard trees or playing pick-up games of baseball or
volleyball. A small group of girls were sitting under one of the larger
trees giggling among themselves.
"...and she to told him that he could just take his ring and..."
"No! Did she really?!"
Akane Tendo wasn't really listening to her friends as they gossiped
about Yuka’s latest (and probably ex-) boyfriend; she was content to let
the sounds wash over her while she paid attention to the activity across
the field, where Ranma was showing off for his classmates on the pull-up
bars. She was fascinated by the way he made every move of the high bar
routine he performed look so effortless and graceful.
He ended the show with three giant swings around the bar, letting go as
he swung upward on the last one, and spun twice before landing lightly on
his feet. He held himself in a pose like a gymnast's, then bowed to the
applause of the watching students. He had collected quite an audience, the
boys watching with looks of envy on their faces and the girls watching
because they liked looking at a handsome young man with rippling muscles.
It was at times like these that Akane remembered why she went along with
their engagement; he could be really attractive when he wasn't acting like
a jerk. She could almost wish their engagement wasn't just a ploy by her
father to insure the family legacy.
She slipped into a daydream, imagining what it would be like if Ranma
would just say...
"Dammit, Shampoo, let go of me!"
Ranma was flat on his back, trying to peel the Amazon off. He had just
finished demonstrating a gymnastics move he'd seen on TV when she had, as
usual, popped up from nowhere and tackled him to the ground in sheer
enthusiasm. Her bicycle and delivery container were parked on top of some
boys who'd been unfortunate enough to be between her and Ranma.
"Shampoo bring delicious lunch for husband, see him do wonderful trick!
Wo ai ni!"
"Jeez, Shampoo, how many times do I hafta tell you I'm not your..."
The words caught in his throat as a shadow fell across his face, and he
looked up to see Akane standing over them.
"RANMA, IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT YOU'RE A PERVERT, BUT MAKING OUT IN FRONT
OF MY FRIENDS?!"
"A-Akane, it's not like it looks, I'm not..."
As usual, he could barely get the words out of his mouth before Akane
kicked him hard enough to send him flying halfway across town. He had
plenty of time to think about how she NEVER stopped to hear his side of the
story as he flew in an elegant arc that gave him several seconds to enjoy
the finest (but ultimately most painful) view in Tokyo.
It took a few minutes for the stars to stop dancing around Ranma's head
after the impact. Once he'd regained his senses, he was rather pleased to
note that this time he hadn't landed in a pond or in the river. Usually
when Akane drop-kicked him, he was female, soaking wet, and in intense pain
at the end of the trip. Only being in pain for once was a nice change.
It took a moment for him to realize that he did not recognize his
surroundings. Thanks to Air Akane flights, he knew the neighborhood around
the Tendo Dojo like the back of his hand. He leaned up against a fence
while waiting for the wobble to leave his legs, and looked around trying to
figure out how to get back to school. It was still too soon after lunch for
the position of the sun to be much of a clue, but there was a park not far
down the road. He started walking towards it, intending to find someone he
could ask the classic question: "where is Furinken High School?"
<There’s a line! Wonder where I've heard THAT before?!>
There weren't very many people in the park, which was no surprise on a
school day, so Ranma paused a moment to see who was around. There was a
young couple snuggled up in the shade beneath one of the trees, but Ranma
didn't want to disturb them. The most likely looking person to ask was an
old man who was at the far end of the park feeding pigeons. He had walked
halfway over to the man when he heard sobbing behind a nearby bush.
Creeping up quietly to look around it, he saw a little girl who looked to
be about twelve years old laying on the ground. She had some very bad
bruises on her face, and was crying desperately into her sweater, which she
was using as a pillow.
"...an’ every day at lunchtime he takes my money! If I don't have
any, he beats me up."
The child, whom Ranma had learned was named Kazuko Niwa, had only
calmed down after Ranma spent a lot of time comforting her. After careful
questioning he learned a bully was making going to school a daily hell for
her. He couldn't help but think about how much his own life was like that.
He never knew when someone was going to attack him, either. The thing that
made a difference was that HE was able to fight back. That gave him an
idea; he could change things... but first he would need her parents'
permission. Ranma stood up, and helped her to her feet as well.
"Kazuko-chan, I need to talk to your parents. Why don't I walk you home?"
Kazuko sniffled a little, and brushed the last of her tears away. She
gave Ranma a heartbreakingly sweet smile and nodded enthusiastically.
Taking him by the hand, she tugged him along in her wake all the way to her
home, which was only a few blocks away. As they walked, she began showing
her natural good nature, and talked to Ranma non-stop.
"...an' I really really like Michael Jackson's music an' Show Ya an'
Crazy Boys. D'you like them? I wanna be a singer like Shirai Takako-san!
She's sooo cool! You look really strong, do you work out all the time?
How come I never seen you around here before? Those clothes look really
funny. Are they chinese or something? Why are your pants tied at the
bottom? How come you don't have any socks? Okaa-san won't let me go
outside without shoes and socks! I think you're really handsome. Do you
have a girlfriend yet?...
To Ranma's great relief, they arrived before the conversation got too
deep into his romantic life. The Niwa residence was a modest middle-class
house, with a well tended garden in the tiny front yard. As Ranma and
Kazuko walked up to the door, it flew open and an attractive woman who
looked to be in her early 30's rushed out to gather Kazuko into her arms.
She gasped a little at the black and blue marks on Kazuko's face.
"Oh, dear, were you in a fight again, Kaze-chan? Does it hurt? Let me
look at you…"
Kazuko squirmed a little in her mother's embrace as she blushed. Not
wanting to look like a baby in front of Ranma, she wriggled part way loose
from her mother's embrace and took him by the hand again to pull him up
next to her.
"I'm ok, Okaa-san. Chigiri-sempai got mad 'cause I spent all my money
on lunch instead of giving it to him and beat me up again. Mama, this is
Saotome Ranma-san, and he walked me home. He says he wants to talk to you
about something."
Mrs. Niwa released Kazuko and stood up to bow gracefully to Ranma.
"Konnichiwa, Saotome-san. Thank you very much for bringing my daughter
home. Won't you come in for some tea?"
-------
Tuesday morning started out much the same as it always did, with Kasumi
preparing breakfast while the Ranma and Genma practiced in the yard. No
uninvited guests had shattered the peace (or the walls) the previous night,
and after a restful sleep, Akane was ready to forgive Ranma for his
indiscretions.
"Ranma, where were you yesterday afternoon? Everyone was wondering
what happened to you when you didn't show up for afternoon classes."
Ranma almost choked on a mouthful of food at that. She was the one who
made him miss the classes! In an uncharacteristic show of restraint,
however, he held back the insult that was trying to roll off his tongue.
He had too much to do today to waste time fighting with Akane.
"Um, well, I kinda got lost and had to find my way back. Didn't get
home until after school was already over, so I stayed up on the roof until
dinnertime. I had a few things to think about."
Akane gave him a sideways glance.
<Hmmm, that was awfully meek. I expected him to start yelling back at
me.>
"Well, you better not be late today. Hinako-sensei says that if you're
late to class after missing English yesterday, she's going to punish you."
Ranma stayed silent, concentrating on finishing his bowl of rice.
<Why isn't he fighting back? It's not like him to miss a chance to
argue with me.>
During the rest of breakfast she deliberately insulted Ranma, trying to
get a reaction from him. Much to her surprise, he never said a word, or
even showed any sign of hearing her at all.
Akane watched Ranma all day at school, but couldn't figure out just
what was going on. He wasn't acting at all like himself. He seemed to pay
about as much attention to class as normal (that is, almost none), but
during class breaks he didn't sit with anyone and seemed to be completely
distracted by something. Instead of hanging out with the other guys, he
went off to a corner of the school yard and started working on a kata. The
strange thing was, what he was doing was really basic and simple. It also
appeared to be much "softer" than what he practiced at home, consisting
mostly of defensive moves. The style was so obvious she didn't see how it
could possibly help him win against any of the people he usually fought.
Even Kuno wouldn't have trouble seeing right through the techniques she saw
him practicing. At lunch, he ate in the classroom and then went right back
to the kata. She was completely mystified. Where had he gone yesterday, and
why was he trying to come up with a new fighting style?
<Hmmf! Knowing that pervert, he was probably off with another woman!>
That afternoon in class she watched him from the corner of her eye, but
he didn't once look up from the book propped open on his desk. When that
period's teacher gave them a pop quiz, she unable to concentrate on the
questions at all and soon her mind drifted into a daydream.
In her imagination, Ranma and a girl, whose face was shadowed, were
sitting in a secluded bower with flowers and hearts framing the scene. They
smiled at each other, and the girl took Ranma's hands in her own.
"Ranma-san, it's so good of you to spend the evening with me."
Ranma, with a sappy expression on his face, replied:
"I can't bear being apart from you even for a single moment. I wish I
could stay with you forever!"
The girl frowned prettily.
"But Ranma, what will we do about your fiancée?"
Ranma scowled.
"Akane? How can I think about such a macho, sexless tomboy when you're
so cute? Once I've taught you to defeat her, nothing will stand between
us! (Falls to his knees) Forget about Akane. Will YOU marry me?"
The girl answered tearfully
"Oh yes, Ranma-san! YES, my love!"
The two figures kissed passionately.
The imaginary hearts and flowers exploded around Akane as she jumped to
her feet, her angry face frightening her nearby classmates. The quiz paper
dropped from her hand, completely forgotten, as her trusty mallet magically
appeared in its place.
"RAAAANNNNNMMMMMAAAA! How DARE you propose to her?!"
Ranma had only a moment for a look of complete shock to cross his face
before Akane's backhand swing sent him flying through the window. The
classroom was buzzing as the rest of the students started whispering about
her outburst, and Akane, realizing what she had just done, blushed furiously.
By the end of the school day, she was even more upset. She waited for
Ranma to come out of the school to confront him, determined to make him
tell her where he had gone and who he was seeing, but she was left standing
with her mouth open when Ranma jumped up on the school's outside wall
without even noticing her. In seconds, he was gone, racing over the
neighborhood rooftops.
-------
Wednesday went the same way, with Ranma withdrawn and concentrating on
a martial arts style more suited to a beginner than himself. Akane wasn't
alone in her confusion. Everyone was noticing his odd behavior, and the
school gossip circuit was alive with talk about the new fiancée thanks to
Akane's outburst in class. Nabiki spent the day trying to find out if
Ranma had a new girlfriend, but her usual sources came up dry. She
consoled herself by managing the school rumor mill and charging
outrageously for "inside information" about Ranma, most of which had no
basis in fact. By the end of the day, she'd raked in more money than she
would have made in a week of her regular scams.
For Akane, the day was horrible. She wasn't included in the gossip,
and she could see the other girls looking at her, some in pity, some in
sympathy, still others spitefully as if to say "you're the one all the boys
wanted instead of us. You deserve to be jilted". Even her closest
girlfriends avoided being seen with her. Each time another whisper reached
her ears, her anger would gain just a little more heat, until it seemed to
her that she was spending every minute in a dull rage. That day too, Ranma
ignored her, leaving Akane alone in her embarrassment.
That afternoon, Kodachi Kuno came to bring him some handmade pastries.
Ranma saw her as he was walking off the school grounds, and bolted for the
rooftops. Kodachi was not one to be left behind, and followed him on a
wild chase across town, bouncing along from roof to roof as only she could.
Ranma lead her around the city, up one street and down another, until she
was finally left gasping for breath at the edge of town after chasing him
for nearly half an hour.
-------
Ranma sighed with relief as he balanced on a tree branch, watching as
Kodachi finally left for home. She had been the most determined pursuer so
far, and he had not been sure he would be able to lose her. The last thing
he wanted right then was for someone to discover what he'd been up to. He
was afraid of what people might say if they knew he was going out of his
way to help a little girl. Was it something a real man would do, or would
it make him look like a sissy? He wasn't certain that anyone would tease
him about it, but he just didn't feel like taking the chance. The thought
of what Ryouga would think was bad enough, but what would Akane say? She
had more than enough ammunition to use on him as it was without giving her
something new.
He went a different way than usual to travel to the Niwa's house,
carefully avoiding any chance of running into anyone who knew him. Because
of Kodachi, he was an hour late and found Kazuko anxiously waiting for him
at the gate to the yard. When she saw him, she ran to him and latched onto
his arm.
"Ranma-sensei! Where were you? I waited and waited!"
"Sorry, Kazuko-chan. I got ran across someone I know and it took me a
long time to... get away. Are you ready to start practicing today?"
"Hai! Mommy even got me a new practice outfit to wear! I'll be right
back!"
Kazuko ran into the house to change, and Ranma sat down on the porch to
wait. A moment later, the door opened, and Mrs. Niwa came out balancing a
tray of tea and cookies.
"Konnichi-wa, Saotome-san."
She sat down next to Ranma, placing the tray between them, and handed
Ranma a cup of tea.
"How is Kazuko is doing so far? She seems very enthusiastic about the
lessons, and looks forward to seeing you every day. As a matter of fact, I
believe she might have a crush on you!"
<YIPE!>
Ranma started to get that hunted feeling again...
"Uh, sorry, Mrs. Niwa. I had no idea she felt that way! As soon as
I've taught her what she needs to know t'get that boy to leave her alone,
maybe I'd better stop comin' over."
Mrs. Niwa smiled as she saw his face reddening.
"That's hardly necessary, Saotome-san. I rather approve of it. She
could do much worse than to try to be like you; I can see the kindness you
try to hide beneath that rough exterior of yours. I think your dedication
to your art and your sense of fairness will be a good example for her."
Her smile took on a slightly wicked twist.
"And how many times do you get to be thought of as a good example, hmmm?"
Ranma flushed an even deeper red, and looked away from her trying to
regain his composure. He sipped his tea for a moment before he turned back.
"Uh, thanks. I'll try my best. Y'know, I think Kazuko really has
talent. She's picking up on the Judo moves I tryin' to teach her as fast
as I can show 'em to her. Have you ever thought of enrolling her in a
Dojo? My Pop an' I are staying at one right now, and I think it'd be good
for her. Then she could learn more than I can show her just practicing in
your yard. It's called the Tendo Dojo, and it's owned by my fiancée's
father."
"Well, I will consider it seriously. I can't say I've ever thought of
it before, because I had no idea she would like this sort of thing. I've
had to raise her alone since her father went to work overseas, and it's
sometimes hard to know what is right for her."
She gave Ranma a sideways glance.
"You know, Kaze-chan can be very stubborn once she gets an idea in her
head. If she really does like you, perhaps you should start thinking of me
as your mother!"
A drop of sweat trickled down Ranma's cheek.
-------
Ranma's odd behavior lasted all the way to friday morning. He would be
gone for several hours after he vanished, only coming home in time to do a
little of his homework before dinner. At school that day, the only person
he spoke with for any length of time was Nabiki, who passed an envelope to
him and then waved a cheery good bye.
Akane began to suspect more and more that he was going somewhere to
meet another woman, a thought that set her teeth on edge, but she couldn't
figure out who it might be. Ranma hadn't visited Ukyou at all that week,
or even spoken to her at school, and she was the only person Akane knew of
that Ranma would go out of his way to talk to.
<Damn. I hate being in the dark like this!>
She finally decided that she'd had enough.
<Ranma, you're going to tell me what's going on, and for your sake, the
explanation had better be good!>
She left her last class early, and went down to wait for Ranma. She
thoughtfully packed her book bag full of textbooks needed for her homework
that night (the fact that they added weight to the bag didn't figure into
it at all, of course) and took up station at the front gate. Her patience
was rewarded when he came out of the main doors of the school and headed
straight for her, not really paying much attention to his surroundings.
Akane took a deep breath, then stepped into his path.
"Ok, Ranma. You need to talk to me right now. Who is the girl you go
to see every day?!"
He gave her a startled look, much like a deer caught in a car's
headlights.
"Huh? How did you know…(confusion changed to annoyance) It's none of
your business!"
Akane moved to keep him from brushing past her.
"Who is she, and where did you find her? Is it anyone I know, or did
you just pick her up off the street?"
Ranma took a step back, the look of confusion returning.
"What d’ya mean? I don't know what you're talkin’ about!"
Akane, her already short temper stretched past breaking by the way
Ranma had ignored her all week, moved up until she was only inches away
from him as she began to glow in anger.
"You know exactly what I mean, you worthless pervert! Why I have to put
up with a jerk like you in my HOME, always underfoot and wrecking the place
with your constant brawling with everyone who even walks by, is beyond
understanding! Sneaking off every day for some scummy AFFAIR is the LAST
STRAW!"
Her voice was getting louder and louder with each word, and a large
crowd gathered, watching in amazement as she tore into Ranma, pushing him
back a step at a time by shoving him in the middle of his chest. Ranma's
expression was still startled, but by now it was more like a deer caught in
the headlights of an oncoming 18 wheeler as he began to realize just how
mad Akane was.
"Now wait a minute, I ain't..."
Akane didn't let him finish the sentence.
"DON'T GIVE ME ANY MORE OF YOUR LAME EXCUSES!"
She swung her book bag at Ranma's head with all her might.
Suddenly, Ranma was moving, his eyes blank and his hands a blur as
training and reflexes took over from his conscious mind. The bag went
flying as a block she never saw coming sent a numbing shock through Akane's
arm. After a moment that seemed to last forever, Ranma lowered his hands
to his side, fists clenched tightly, his face pale as a sheet and eyes
wide. He silently shook his head "no" for a moment, then ran blindly from
the school yard. Akane stood open-mouthed for a moment, clutching her
throbbing arm to her, but she recovered quickly. Her determination to
follow him overrode her disbelief that he'd retaliated against her, and
snatching up her book bag, she hurried after him. No doubt he would run
straight to his new girlfriend, and she didn't want to miss her chance to
get to the bottom of the whole sleazy mess.
-------
Ranma was not being very observant as he walked down the street, with
his hands thrust in his pockets and his head down. His shoulders were
slumped, and he looked completely miserable. Akane had no trouble keeping
him in sight, although she was careful to always have somewhere to duck in
case he should look up. They soon arrived at a small park, where he sat
down with his back to a tree and wrapped his arms around his knees. Bowing
his head, he closed his eyes.
<Oh, man, what am I gonna do? I can't face Akane after that. How
could I ever tell her I didn't mean for her to get hurt? Why wouldn't she
give me a chance to explain? Would she be so angry if she knew the whole
story? She might razz me, but wouldn't that be better than her bein' this
mad?>
He gathered himself into a tighter ball, never noticing Akane slipping
into a clump of bushes near enough to hear anything he might say. She vowed
to herself not to let him out of earshot until she knew what he was doing
here.
Akane hadn't waited very long when a young woman walked up to Ranma,
holding an twelve-year-old girl by the hand.
<Why, that hentai jerk, he picked up on a married woman with a
daughter?! It's even worse than I thought!>
"Ano...Saotome-san?"
He looked up, then quickly wiped his eyes with the back of one hand.
"H-hello, Mrs. Niwa. Hi, Kazuko-chan."
Mrs. Niwa got down on her hands and knees before him, Kazuko beside
her, and both bowed formally to Ranma in a sign of deep respect and thanks.
"Saotome-san, we wish to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for
what you have done for us. The training you have given to Kazuko this week
allowed her to finally face Chigiri-kun today."
"Yeah! I did it just like we practiced and every time he tried to hit
me, he went flying into the ground! After awhile he ran away! [more
subdued] He said he's gonna get me later, 'though."
Ranma gave Kazuko a half smile.
"Then you've made a good start today, Kazuko-chan. You may hafta fight
a few more times before he gives up, but don't worry. He'll get the idea
sooner or later."
<Unless maybe he's a Hibiki... Ryouga STILL hasn't gotten over that
bread thing...>
He turned to Mrs. Niwa.
"Have you thought about my advice? Kazuko-chan's a really fast
learner, and I enjoyed teaching her the judo she used on that kid. I think
she's got potential as a martial artist, if she gets serious training."
"We don't want to be a bother, Saotome-san. You are still in school
yourself, so what would it do to your grades if you had to look after
Kazuko every day?".
"Don't worry about that stuff, Mrs. Niwa. Even when I can't train her
myself, my Pop, Mr. Tendo, and A-Akane..."
A brief flash of pain crossed his face as he said her name. Mrs. Niwa
saw the way he looked immediately.
"Your fiancée?"
"Yeah."
Ranma drew a breath, then let it out slowly.
"She doesn't practice enough to go toe to toe with some of the guys I
fight with all the time, but she knows her stuff an’ got lots of practical
experience at school before I met her. There's no one I'd trust more for
Kazuko-chan to train with, an' I think she'd be a great teacher."
(They didn't hear the dull thud as Akane dropped on her backside behind
the bushes.)
<WHAT?! I never thought I'd hear him say that!>
Mrs. Niwa nodded, a smile on her face.
"Then it is decided. I will enroll Kazuko at the Tendo Dojo next week."
She then looked more closely at Ranma's face.
"Saotome-san, forgive me if this is an intrusion, but I'd have to be
blind to miss how sad you are when speaking of your fiancée. Is it anything
you would like to talk about?"
(seeing Ranma pale slightly)
"Please, Saotome-san, I would like to hear your troubles. It would be a
very small way of returning your kindness to Kaze-chan."
Ranma sat for a long moment staring at the ground, then sighed.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk about it a little. I... I've been
thinkin' about what you said. I mean, when you were talking the other day
about treatin' you like you were my mother. I got to thinkin' that maybe
my real mother would be like you if I knew her. You've been real nice to
me this last week while I was training Kazuko-chan, and I liked the talks
we had. I never thought I'd say some of that stuff to anyone, much less to
someone I'd only known for a couple of days. I guess the problems I'm
havin' with women may be about the only thing I haven't said that much
about."
He sighed.
"Well, how to start? Um, Akane and I were engaged by our fathers
before we were even born, and never met until a few months ago. We kinda
got off on the wrong foot when we first met because of a stupid mistake,
and now we can't talk to each other about anythin' without fightin'. On
top of all that, I got three other girls out to marry me because of things
my greedy father did, or just plain bad luck. I been tryin’ to straighten
it out, but nothin' seems to work. While I guess a lot of that's my fault
'cause I do some pretty dumb things sometimes, Akane won't listen to me
when I try to tell her what's goin' on. She just gets mad and says I'm
doin' it on purpose, and then she hits me and says she hates me!"
A tear slid down his cheek.
Kazuko jumped to her feet and threw her arms around his neck.
"Don't cry, Ranma-sensei! I love you!"
Mrs. Niwa reached out to briefly squeeze his shoulder.
"Saotome-san, do you think your fiancée really hates you?"
"I just don't know. She has this way of looking at me that makes me
think she likes me, but then a minute later she's yelling at me an' hittin'
me on the head with something. What's worse is that I'm starting to get so
upset about it all, I'm losing my focus. Today I got in a fight with her,
an’ when she tried to hit me, I lost it. My reflexes took over before I
realized what I was doing. One of the things I'm really proud about is
that I've never hit Akane on purpose, but today I did. That's not the sign
of a good martial artist."
Ranma sighed again, and then gently pried Kazuko off his neck.
"Thanks for lettin' me get that off my chest. I ain't no good at this
kinda thing, usually, but I guess I really do think of you like you were my
mother. Sorry 'bout that."
Mrs. Niwa smiled gently.
"Don't apologize, Saotome-san. I am honored that you feel I am worthy
of your confidence. I am sure your real mother would be very proud of you.
I want you to feel that you can speak to me anytime you need someone to
listen to you, and certainly Kaze-chan wants you to come over more often."
Kazuko nodded emphatically at that, holding onto Ranma's hand.
"Thanks, Mrs. Niwa. I guess I better go now. It's gettin' kinda late
and I promised Akane's older sister Nabiki I'd go to the bank and deposit
some money for her. I guess that'll give me a chance to do some more
thinking and maybe figure out what to do next. I’ll see you next week."
Mrs. Niwa bowed once more as Ranma walked away, then gathered up Kazuko
and left. No one paid any attention to the bushes, where Akane sat staring
down at her hands and feeling very much ashamed of herself.
-------
Ranma had to hurry get to the bank where Nabiki kept her accounts
before it closed. The fight with Akane and his subsequent meeting with the
Niwas had caused him to lose track of time, and he had almost forgotten his
promise to drop off the deposit. One thing was sure, Nabiki would make his
life hell if the money were not in the bank and the receipt in her hand by
dinnertime. Not that his life didn't already feel like it had been
scripted by Dante…
He arrived at the building he was looking for about fifteen minutes
before closing time, and walked into the bank lobby. Joining the end of
the line for the tellers, it seemed to him to be pretty crowded considering
how late it was. Chalking it up to the payday rush, he opened the envelope
to make sure the deposit slip was inside, and saw for the first time how
much it was for. His eyes got very wide.
<Where the hell did she get this kind of money? Do pictures of me as a
girl sell THAT well?>
He began to suspect that if he had been a little smarter and insisted
on a royalty, he'd be pretty well-off by now.
<On the other hand, a deal with Nabiki involves checking to see if you
have the same number of fingers and toes you started with, so maybe I’d
better just hold off on that idea. I’d end up doing pictures for Sports
Illustrated by the time she finished with me... for the Swimsuit edition!>
He then started thinking about what he was going to do about Akane. As
usual, her ability to jump to a conclusion astounded him. If that sort of
thing were ever made into a track event, she'd be the World Record holder.
<How can I ever explain that I'm not cheating on her? If she ever
found out I was meeting the Niwas every day, she'd think I was doin'
somethin' weird. She'd never believe it was just because I wanted to help
Kazuko.>
He smiled a little to himself.
<Y'know, it really feels good having a kid like her look up to me.
It's kinda like having a little sister. Man, oh man, I hope she doesn't
really have a thing for me!>
Ranma's thoughts were interrupted when he got to the head of the line.
He went to the open teller and handed over the envelope with Nabiki’s money
and deposit slip, and was soon given a receipt.
-------
Just as he was turning to leave, he saw several men running into the
room carrying nasty looking assault rifles. Ranma could see many more going
into the main lobby of the building, all armed like the ones near him.
People started screaming and trying to rush to the doors, frightened by the
sight of so many weapons.
Some of the men in the bank began shooting over the heads of the
customers and bank employees, shouting at them to fall down on the floor.
As Ranma looked around, shocked, he saw one of the men smash a bank guard
across the face with his rifle butt. Nearby, another of the men grabbed a
young woman who looked like she was at least seven months pregnant by the
front of her dress and shoved her up against a wall.
Ranma reacted to that instinctively, immediately jumping next to the
man. Ranma then struck him over two hundred times in a heartbeat, knocking
him unconscious before he even knew what was happening. Seeing this,
another of the men fired a burst at Ranma with his automatic rifle.
Ranma wrapped his arms around the woman and dived behind a couch placed
near the wall for waiting customers. The man with the assault rifle tracked
his movement, and bullets sprayed a trail of holes into the wall,
shattering a water cooler that was standing next to the couch. Ranma's
usual luck kicked in at that point, and the water splashed on him, soaking
him to the skin. He felt the change sweep over him and quickly looked
around to see if anyone had noticed.
<Thank God, looks like nobody saw me!>
The young woman he had rescued was limp in his arms, having fainted as
they were being shot at. Ranma dragged her a little ways away from the
spot where they had landed, then gathered her into his arms again just as
the man with the rifle looked around the end of the couch.
"What! Where the hell did that bastard go? You, girl! Where is that
black haired bastard who jumped back here?!"
Ranma shook his head, putting on his best wide-eyed
innocent-little-girl look. The man knocked the couch over and then looked
around wildly, trying to see where the male Ranma had gone, while his
partner lay sprawled on the floor unconscious.
"Commander! He vanished! There's no sign of him!"
-------
The rest of the building was occupied with ruthless efficiency, and all
the exits barricaded. The invaders showed no interest in any of the money
or valuables of the bank customers; they just hunted down the building's
occupants and collected them together in the bank, posting a sizable guard
over them. The Commander began to look more and more concerned as his men
reported back to him by radio; each one reported his failure to locate the
black haired boy who had escaped from the bank after knocking out one of
his men.
The Commander was fond of imported American movies, and remembered very
well what had happened to men much like themselves in a flick called "Die
Hard". As more and more of the searchers calling in with negative results,
the leader began to sweat, thinking of the horrible possibilities he could
be facing. A super martial arts master loose in the building he had to
hold, and who could vanish at will, was a thought to make his hair stand on
end. This operation had been planned to the last detail, but now the whole
thing could be ruined if they did not find and capture that kid. His men
weren't mental giants by any stretch of the imagination, and were nervous
to begin with because they knew they would be facing government troops
before this was over. Throw in a spook like this, and their morale could
be down the toilet. There wasn't really any choice in the matter. He had
to take action to eliminate the threat.
He spoke forcefully into his radio.
"Groups A, B, and E, suspend your planned operations. You are now
detailed to locate and capture that kid. Be thorough, but also to be
careful not to trip any of the booby traps the other teams are setting.
Groups C and D, link up with them and get the materials they are carrying,
and take over setting up their traps. That's going to put us well behind
schedule, but it can't be helped. The kid must be captured at all costs,
and you are not to stop searching until he is."
Chapter 2:
-------
Nabiki Tendo sat at the dining room table drumming her fingers
impatiently. No one had seen Ranma since he'd run away from his fight with
Akane. Nabiki was starting to worry.
<If that idiot didn't deposit my money, I'll make him sorry he was born!>
To distract herself from her worries, she decided to turn on the
television set and watch the evening news. As the set warmed up and began
showing the inevitable and seemingly endless run of commercials, the
sliding door to the yard scraped open and Akane walked in, her clothing
unusually dirty.
"Hi, Nabiki-oneechan. Um, is Ranma home yet?" She asked meekly, staring
at the floor.
Nabiki was about to tell her "no", when her attention was caught by the
television.
"Our top story tonight is a Hostage Crisis at the Nerima branch of
Mitsubishi Bank. Reports have it that over 50 people are being held at
gunpoint."
The television camera, using a telephoto lens, panned across the
exterior window of the bank, getting a clear picture of the masked men, who
were standing around a large group of seated people. As the camera scanned
the group, one image seemed to leap out at Nabiki and Akane: a girl with
distinctive red hair, supporting a woman who looked like she was unconscious.
"Oh, my God," cried Akane, "that's Ranma!"
At her horrified shout, Kasumi hurried into the room from the kitchen,
wiping her hands on a towel. Genma Saotome and Soun Tendo leaned into the
doorway from the verandah, where they had been drinking beer and playing a
board game as was their habit.
Genma asked "What's this about Ranma?", and Akane pointed at the TV
screen as the camera panned back across the window again. Ranma was easily
seen, still with her arm around the young, obviously pregnant woman.
"Oh, my!" said Kasumi, "why would Ranma have been at that bank?"
Nabiki, who had turned white as a sheet, said "Uh, that's my fault...
he was making a... deposit... for... me..." her face suddenly took on a
look of rage. "Waitaminute! That's MY bank those creeps are robbing! If
those guys think they're gonna steal MY money..." she fell silent, grinding
her teeth together. While she stared furiously at the TV, the others
listened quietly to the news reporter interviewing a police representative.
"...so far, we have not received any information as to the identity of
the men holding the bank customers hostage. We are proceeding on the
assumption that they entered the bank with the intention of robbing it, and
perhaps the customers as well, but were unprepared for the number of people
present. There were an unusually large number of customers this close to
the bank's closing time, and gaining control of the situation may have
taken longer than they were expecting.
We responded to the silent alarm triggered by one of the bank employees
within ten minutes, and have moved decisively in sealing off all possible
escape routes from the building. Our hostage negotiation team is currently
setting up communications with the building telephone system, and will
begin talking to the suspects sometime in the next twenty minutes. We are
confidant that this incident will be brought to a peaceful conclusion by
morning."
-------
In the Kuno residence, Sasuke was in the kitchen, where he was
preparing dinner for Tatewaki and Kodachi. The Kuno family owned a large
color television, but it was rarely used, as Kuno did not believe
television had anything worthwhile to offer one of his class and status.
Sasuke contented himself with a small black and white set he could watch
while going about his tasks. He was sparing occasional glances at his
favorite Samurai drama when the show was interrupted by a special news
bulletin. After only a moment, he saw the same scene being watched at the
Tendo home, and immediately rushed into the main room of the home to turn
on the television there, calling for his master to come quickly and see
what was happening. Kuno came into the room ready to rebuke his servant
for his interfering with his meditation on Akane and the Pig-tailed Girl,
but when he saw what Sasuke was pointing at, such thoughts fled his mind.
"What is this?! The beauteous Pig-tailed Girl held in durance vile by
common hoodlums? Should a flower of delicate loveliness endure such crass
handling? Nay, this must not be permitted! I, the Blue Thunder of
Furinken High School, shall see to her rescue at once! Sasuke! Ready the
car for instant departure!"
Before Sasuke could finish his submissive bow to Kuno and rise to his
feet, a small packet landed on the floor between them, bursting into a
cloud of fine dust. Both men gasped in surprise... and a moment later sank
to the floor and began snoring loudly. Looking on in satisfaction from the
doorway, Kodachi smiled to herself at the image on the television screen.
"That horrid red haired witch is trapped and out of the way, and will
not be able to gain her freedom before morning? Sorry, Brother Dear, but I
cannot permit you to spoil such a perfect opportunity for me. I shall go
to my handsome Ranma-sama, and without her presence I will only have the
Tendo girl to contend with. She is no competition for the beauty of the
Black Rose! Tonight Ranma-sama will be mine! OH HOHOHOHOHO!"
Kodachi whisked her dress off, revealing her black leotard. Springing
to an open window, she leaped onto the walls surrounding the Kuno home, and
from there began racing across the rooftops towards the Tendo Dojo.
-------
Ukyou Kuonji had no time for watching television in the evenings. The
dinner crowd kept her far to busy for that, although she had a little
portable under the counter for times when business got slow. She was
making three okonomiyaki at once while her patrons looked on in
appreciation, when a girl she knew from school ran in breathlessly to tell
everyone the news. As they all reacted with various degrees of horror at
the thought of men armed with guns in their town, Ukyou efficiently
finished the okonomiyaki and dished them up. After passing them to their
owners, she reached under the counter and pulled out the tv. She plugged
it in and tuned into a local news channel, and all of her customers
gathered around to see the report. It took a while for the camera to go
back to a shot of the interior of the bank, but when it did, Ukyou's heart
sank within her. She would recognize that face in any crowd.
"Sorry, folks, but something important just came up. Ucchan's is
closing now."
After boxing up the unfinished food for her customers to take with
them, she urged the last of them out of the restaurant and took down her
sign. It took only a few minutes more for her to change out of her work
clothes, pick up her battle spatula, and lock the door behind her as she
started off to the Tendo Dojo.
-------
Ryouga Hibiki hadn't watched television in months. He was far too busy
trying to find his home to pay attention to such things generally, but as
he walked down yet another street in yet another town that was unfamiliar
to him, his eye was drawn to an electronics store display featuring several
sets that were all showing the same news report. Seeing Ranma's face on
the screen, he paused to listen to the Police spokesman.
"...so far, we have not received any information as to the identity of
the men holding the bank customers hostage..."
No one could ever fault Ryouga's powers of observation. He rarely
missed anything that was happening around him (and to Ranma's great
frustration, he seemed to be around at the most inconvenient times)
although his interpretation of what he saw usually lacked something. This
time, however, he immediately grasped the situation correctly. Ranma was
in danger. Ranma could be hurt or killed. He, Ryouga, could well be
cheated of his revenge! The thought was intolerable! He stood for a
moment, arm out to his side holding a lamp post for support, as he
struggled to get his temper under control.
<Damn! I don't even know how to get to that bank! What do I do now?!>
Suddenly inspiration hit him. Akane would know where the bank was
located! A grim smile spread across his face.
<Yes! I'll just go find Akane, and she can tell me where the bank is!
Then I can get to Ranma before those guys can do anything to him!>
That thought galvanized him, and leaving behind the lamp post, which
now had a hand print sunk into its surface, he bolted down the street on
his way to the Tendo Dojo.
Passing a sign that read "KYOTO - 50 km".
-------
The Nekohanten was doing a brisk trade that evening, and Cologne,
Mousse, and Shampoo had been busy serving customers for hours. When
business slowed down and they finally got a few minutes to relax, Shampoo
went directly to the kitchen to make gyoza from special ingredients she had
bought using a mail order catalog from home.
<Ranma love Shampoo,> she thought to herself, <he just not know it yet.
This mushroom I put in have very special power, that let him share emotion
of anyone else who eats it, for short time. When he know how I feel, can't
help but admit he love me, too!>
As she fried the dumplings, she daydreamed of returning home in
triumph, an adoring Ranma in tow. Soon, the gyoza were cooked, and she
arranged them into a bowl, which she covered and put it into a carrier.
<Aiyah! There lots more than Shampoo really need of these! Still,
can't waste ingredients.>
She picked up the carrier and walked through the dining room towards
the front of the restaurant past Cologne, who was sipping tea at one of the
tables. Shampoo put a finger to her lips, and pointed to the closed door
of the restaurant living quarters. Cologne nodded approvingly to Shampoo,
picking up her staff from where it leaned against the wall. Hopping onto a
table near the door, she stood with the staff poised over her head,
waiting. Shampoo then called out loud:
"OK, great-grandmother! I going now to visit Ranma!"
This brought an immediate crashing from the other side of the door,
which was violently opened from inside. Mousse rushed out, crying:
"SHAMPOO! YOU MUSTN'T..."
As he passed Cologne, she expertly rapped her staff against the base of
his skull, and he slid to the floor in a boneless heap. Shampoo picked up
a nearby fire bucket and splashed a quantity of the water onto Mousse's
body, changing him into his cursed form. She picked the resulting white
duck up by the neck, and took him into the kitchen where she locked him
into a cage kept for just such occasions. She nodded in satisfaction.
"Stupid Mousse no get in way when Shampoo show Ranma how she feel.
This gyoza let Shampoo win Husband's heart finally."
Waving a cheery good-bye to Cologne, she left the Nekohanten on her way
to the Tendo Dojo.
-------
In the Niwa home, Kazuko and her mother were watching the news program
with a sense of dread. For such a thing to happen in Nerima was
unbelievable. The very thought of armed men in the neighborhood was
extremely frightening for both of them. Mrs. Niwa was wishing with all her
heart that her husband was not so far away, but rather was home to tell her
and her daughter that everything would be all right.
"Okaasan, what does that mean? Why are those scary men keeping all
those people from leaving?" asked Kazuko.
"I don't know, Kaze-chan. I don't understand how anyone could do such
a terrible thing, either. I just pray that everyone there will be safe."
She held her daughter close to her as she watched the unfolding drama.
It was very hard to be brave for Kazuko when she so desperately needed to
be reassured herself. If only there was someone they could turn to who
could help them cope...
Then it hit her that there was one person they could count on. Saotome
Ranma was a strong, confidant person, and surely he would know what to say
to comfort them both. She resolutely turned off the television.
"Come, Kaze-chan. Get your coat. We will go to visit Saotome-san at
the Tendo Dojo."
-------
That's it for now. As you can see, there's still much work to be done on
chapter two, but I'll get there eventually ;)
Ja ne,
Larry W. Fontenot
Senior Technician
Earthlink Tech Support
http://home.earthlink.net/~lfontenot/