*Sighs* Okay.... one main reason i joined the FFML is that I need
some C&C for my story.  I've got writers block, and the only thing that
ever shakes me out of it is really GOOD C&C.
	So..... get ready for chopped up Sections of Episode 4 (It's a
LONG one, and I'm pretty sure that Long fics don't seem to be promoted
here, but are encouraged to be diced into smaller bits.)
	Hmmm.... Well, HERE is as good a Place as Any to begin CHOP CHOP
CHOPPing it for your viewing Pleasure.  ^_^  For those of you who are
completely lost concerning the story thus far.... go to my homepage at
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/4534 and read my stories (If you
want, that is....), and for those who DO know what's going on, comments
and criticism is great.  
	Spelling corrections, and everything else are welcome as well.
	For those who DON'T know what's going on, but can follow this
fairly well.... well, same goes for you as the people that DO.

<Disclaimer here:Rumiko Takahashi owns the Ranma 1/2 Characters.  Deal
with it. 
I own All original Characters, so ask me before goin' and stealin' them
away, okay
you tools?>




		          Fragile Clay: Volume 2

			   Episode:4

	 "The Ballroom Blitz?! Akane's Prom Night Challenge!"




	The cracking of a cement block rang out through the clear morning
air, and a flock of birds take wing as the sound resounds through the
calm, breaking the still that seems to surround Nerima Ward.  The brisk
scent of winter hangs over Tokyo, ominously foreshadowing that perhaps
winter is in a bit of a late swing.... but no less prominent in it's
arrival.  It would be here soon, by the chill of the air. 
	The loud sound had resounded from the Dojo of the Tendo family,
where three Daughters lived with their widowed Father.  Recently, over
the past 6 months, the Tendo's household had been housing the Saotome's. 
Ranma and Genma.  Along with these two followed, to most it would seem,
all the chaos the world had forgotten.
	From a dojo destroyer, to princes of lost lands come to seek a
bride, from ancient martial artists well over 300, to various victims of
the Accursed Springs of Jusenkyou.
	Recent events, however, had been quiet.... too quiet.... and
quiet in Nerima is like Fish in the Sky... it was far too odd to the
residents.  Which, through simple deduction by most people, foretells
that it was not to last.
	And undoubtedly to be the center of whatever happened was the man
who's life fate had decided to smile upon, the young soul whose destiny
was forever bound by a curse that held his fate in the balance, the young
Saotome boy.....
	Ranma Saotome.

*		*		*		*		*

	"HIIIIYA!" Another slab of concrete snapped in half, almost
effortlessly.  Ranma huffed for a moment, looking at the two halves of
the block he had just split.  It never ceased to amaze him how easy it
seemed.... focus, concentrate, and strike.
	Ranma walked over to the pile of cement blocks, and carefully
picked one.  He returned to his place and set it on the platform before
him.  He assumed his proper stance and gazed at the block a long
moment..... his mind, for some reason, wandering back to the contest five
days before.
	It had been the first direct challenge he had made against his
once fiancee, Akane Tendo, since he had set foot on the Tendo's doorstep.
 A cooking challenge.  Now, most that knew Akane Tendo would think anyone
was mad as a hatter to initiate a challenge involving cuisine..... but,
in a way, it had been something Ranma had to do.  Hiroshi had pointed
THAT out to him.
	"Man, 'Roshi, now I'm in more of a mess than before!" Ranma
sighed, and struck the block with his fist, smashing it in two
effortlessly.  
	His friend, Hiroshi, had been the one to suggest the idea, so
that Ranma could smooth things over with Akane after one of their many
fights.  Hiroshi seemed to be doing a lot recently to help Ranma out of
the insanity that infested his daily existence.
	Of course, things did not go as planned..... Ryouga Hibiki,
Ranma's arch-rival, had barged into the cafeteria, and promptly destroyed
a table.... initiating a very short battle which ended quickly due to
Akane's reknowned temper.
	In fact, Ranma ended up with a table smashed over his head.  Not
at all a pleasant feeling.  *Why'd she hafta go'n do that?* Ranma shook
his head, and wiped his brow with his arm.  He could still imagine that
his head smarted from the blow.... even though the pain had quickly
passed after the initial attack.
	Because of Ryouga's interruption, Akane had ended up losing the
challenge.... which didn't make her at all happy.  While Ukyou and
Shampoo tried to calm down the youngest Tendo girl, telling her that
winning wasn't what was important, she insisted on a formal challenge
involving martial arts.
	Ranma sighed, slumping his shoulders.  *Ranma, if you had kept
your fool mouth shut she wouldn't have thought a second about another
challenge.....* Ranma brought his gaze back up to the pile of broken
concrete around him.
	"Gonna clean that up, Ranma, or are you too much of a girl to
lift the rubble?" Ryouga..... his voice was a constant taunting jest to
Ranma.  Whenever Ryouga found something that got to the Saotome boy, he
pounded on that nerve until there was little choice left but to pound on
his face.
	Ryouga leaned against the dojo enterance, staring at Ranma with a
smug expression on his face.
	"Shutup, Ryouga.... I told you last time not to push me, and I
almost hurt you
seriously.  You can't be tellin' me that you LIKED having your ugly face
beaten in, do ya?" Ranma turned to Ryouga with fire in his eyes.  If
there was one thing Ranma couldn't stand, it was Ryouga making fun of his
female side, and demeaning his masculinity.
	Ryouga shook his head.  "No, but you seemed to sure like it,
Ranma.  Makes me wonder if you won't fly off the rocker and hurt Akane
like you did me," Ryouga scoffed, turning to look at the blocks.
	Ranma clenched his fists, glaring at the Hibiki child.  "You
better watchit, Ryouga, or you'll regret what I do to you.  You pushed
the line last time.... You..... You've got no idea what I've been
through, man....,"
	Ryouga returned his smug expression to Ranma.  "Maybe not, but I
think you're losing it Ranma.  What self respecting man would wear make
up and dresses?"
	Ranma growled and began running to Ryouga.  "RYOUUUUGAAAA!" Ranma
began throwing a furious amount of Punches at Ryouga, and Ryouga began
blocking them, while still holding his smug expression.
	For a good ten minutes, Ranma and Ryouga exchanged attacks,
neither seeming to gain any footing to launch a counter offensive.  They
both seemed evenly matched to eachother, and locked in a dance of
graceful deadliness.  Then, Ranma found an opening...
	"KACHUU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!" Ranma yelled, breaking into a
furious
blur of fists, Ryouga's smug look vanished as Ranma pummeled him to the
ground.
	Ranma heaved a breath.  "Thanks, Ryouga.  I needed that." Ranma
grinned, picking Ryouga up and setting the boy against the wall.
	"That.....wasn't..... very nice, Ranma.....," Ryouga huffed,
gritting his teeth as he looked at Ranma.
	"Yeah, and where did it say in the rules that I gotta be nice to
a meat-head like you, piggy?" Ranma laughed, turning and bowing to the
Dojo, then put his slippers back on and stepped outside.  Ryouga was
bright red as he left.

*		*		*		*		*

	Ranma walked into the Tendo Household and silently slipped his
shoes off, yawning in the process.  The past five days he had been
practicing alone in the dojo, and casually wearing himself out every
night.  It beat having to deal with Akane mentioning the challenge she
had initiated.
	Ranma slowly padded through the living room, where Nabiki was
Reading a book titled, "The Economics of Money in Japanese Society," and
Soun and Genma were playing a game of Shogi.
	Ranma glanced casually at Nabiki, then headed upstairs as he
thought to himself.   Nabiki had been strangely silent for the last five
days, not muttering more than a few sentences to him at any given time.
	He had asked her about it, but had received only a cold glare in
return.... the glare Nabiki gave people when she thought it was better
they not ask, for their sake.
	Ranma slowly pushed the door to his room open and plodded in,
somewhat tired from the fight with Ryouga and the exercises he had been
doing all night since dinner had ended.
	He virtually collapsed on the futon, the events of a very
vigorous day wearing at him.   He'd been busy today exercising with his
father.  Genma hadn't been talking to him much since their fight eight
days ago, but had agreed that today they would train together.... if only
to keep Ranma's abilities up to par.
	Of course, Genma had said almost nothing during the day except to
give Ranma some encouraging advice, or to comment on something important.
 It unnerved Ranma that he could have driven his father to such a
reaction.
	Of course, when Ranma had yelled at Genma he had said some fairly
strong words that had struck deep to Genma's heart.  Ranma wasn't so sure
it could be repaired so easily, even though he regretted it now.
	Ranma heard the door to his room slide open, and he sat up,
looking at the doorway.  He instantly recognized the sillouhette, and
sighed again.
	"Heya, Akane....." Ranma said half-heartedly.  Somehow, he had
been somewhat depressed recently, although he didn't know why.  Maybe it
was because Hiroshi had begun avoiding him again, even after their talk.
	*I hope it snows soon, I'm not sure I can take much more of this
from him....* Ranma mentioned to himself.  He didn't know why, but having
Hiroshi happy had become a major driving force in his life recently.
	"Is that all?  Heya Akane?  No, 'Sorry Akane for avoiding you so
much recently' or 'Sorry for what happened at the Cooking Contest'?"
Akane walked in slowly.... there was very little anger in her voice,
Ranma noticed.... and Ranma wondered if she had calmed down over the
entire cooking ordeal.
	"Well.... I dunno what to say, really..... I accepted your
challenge, Akane, what else do you want from me?" Ranma rested his elbows
on his knees, and looked at Akane as he tilted his head.
	Akane took a seat beside Ranma, a worried expression on her face.
 "You've been trying to stay away from me, as if I would hurt you again. 
I think the table did enough damage to that poor brainless head of
yours...." Akane smirked.
	"Hey! Watchit, you Kawaiikune Tomboy.... I'm jus' as smart as
anyone else," Ranma was a bit red from Akane's comment, but turned even
brighter red when Akane laughed.
	"Oh Ranma, I was just kidding.  Geeze, you never know how to take
a joke, do you?" Akane placed a hand on Ranma's shoulder.  "I have to
know, Ranma.... there's something bothering you, isn't there?"
	Ranma stared at Akane for a long moment, then looked over at the
mirror.  For a moment, an image flickered in it.... an imagining by
Ranma's psyche.... a flash of red hair.  "Well....."
	"I know there is.  It was back when we went to Tofu's, isn't it?"
Akane assumed a similar posture beside Ranma, staring at the mirror in
front of them.
	"Uh.....yeah..... I guess that's a little responsible...." Ranma
rubbed the back of his head, unsure what to say to Akane.  He was still
so new to opening up to people.  *How Hi does it.... I'll never know.*
	Akane brought her legs up and wrapped her arms around them,
looking at Ranma sideways with her knee's under her chin.  "I'm sorry,
Ranma.  When I saw your reaction, I thought that you just brushed it
off.... I didn't think that you might be just as upset as I was."
	Ranma  layed down straight, and looked up at Akane.  "Yeah.... I
was pretty
freaked, actually.  It's not every day that a guy is told he's grown
another inch in the bust and hips...." Ranma shuddered as he repeated
what Tofu had told him.  *How does it feel, knowing your growing into a
woman? Damn scary....* Ranma whispered in his mind.
	Akane looked at Ranma sadly.  "You don't know anymore, do you?" 
She ran a hand through her hair as she looked down at him.... recently,
Ranma had begun having doubts about his gender.  It worried Akane to no
end.... and it scared her.
	Ranma bit his lower lip as he looked up at the ceiling, where the
Gundamn poster was hung.  "Nope..... there's a lot of things I'm unsure
of nowaday's, Akane.  I mean, who would have ever thought that you could
learn to cook Sukyaki."
	Akane turned red for a moment, but quietly pushed her anger down.
 "You're trying to change the subject, Ranma," Akane stared at the
mirror, wondering what Ranma could have seen in the mirror that would
disturb him so.
	"Yeah, I know Akane.  It's just that I'm scared too...." He
turned to look at her with a solemn look on his face.  "Jus'.... don't
tell Pop I said that, okay??"
	For a long moment they gazed at eachother, Akane's soft brown
eyes with Ranma's deep blue..... then they both leaned forward
simultaneously, lips touching for a moment.... and drew back,
instinctively.  Akane slapped Ranma, also instinctively.
	"HEY!!!" Ranma rubbed his cheek, and was about to say something
to Akane, but paused when he saw the look on her face.
	"I Love you, Ranma Saotome," Akane whispered softly, her fists
clenched.  Her mind was reeling, and seemed to be thrown back in time, to
a single moment that heralded a change in her life.... *Hello, I'm
Akane.... would you like to be friends?* Echoed in her mind.  Her first
words to Ranma.
	Ranma's hard, prideful air seemed to melt away for a moment. 
"Yeah.... I know, Akane.  I Love you too." She had kissed him.... He had
kissed her.  HE had kissed her, in MALE form....
	Then Ranma shivered a moment.  "It's jus'..... I don't think I'm
ready for this. 
Somethin' keeps buggin' me, Akane, and before we can.... you know, get
engaged again, I gotta find out what that somethin' is.  It has a lot to
do with me, which is becoming more and more difficult to figure out for
myself...," Ranma sat up on his fouton, and reached over.
	Akane's face was solemn, and a bit dissappointed.... Ranma's hand
took hers, holding it softly he lifted her chin and looked into her eyes.
	"I promise you, Akane, we'll always be close.  We'll always have
what we have now, what we've worked so hard to find....." Ranma
smiled...... and for once, it seemed a genuine smile.  Not the brash,
cocky grin that he used to flash around at everyone.  This was..... a
secret smile.... one Ranma had never shown anyone.
	Akane blinked.  *No..... I've seen it before.....*
	But where, was the question....

*		*		*		*		*

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