Here is the revised version...
Thanks for the C&C... Keep it coming!
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"Mother's Son"
Part 3
of ??
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic
by Shaule Sachs
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Version 2.0
Author's Notes:
(1) All characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi and are
used solely for the entertainment and, hopefully, enjoyment of her
fans.
(2) This is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE. Something will be the same and
other things will be different. I am using VIZ's graphical novels (one
through eight) and what I can found on the Web and in the fanfics I
have read as source material.
(3) Prefixes and suffixes, such as onna-, -panda, and -neko, will be
used to denote people in their cursed forms.
(4) Conventions that shall be used:
Words that are italic will be between // //,
Words that are bold will be between * *,
Thoughts will be italicized.
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"Look! There's Kuno-sempai," someone said upon spotting Kuno in
the pool after his belly-flop from the third story window.
"But... What happened to Saotome?" the same voice asked.
Unbeknownst to the onlookers, Ranma, now cursed, was swimming
underwater trying to reach the pool's edge so she could get out. The
only thought running through her head was, "Got to get away! Can't
let anyone //see me// like this!"
Upon surfacing, onna-Ranma noticed the unconscious Kuno floating
face-down in the water. Unable to leave anyone in such danger, she
dragged Kuno to the shallow end of the pool. At which point he
regained conscious and screamed, "Ranma Saotome! I shall vanquish
you!"
So saying Kuno grabbed onna-Ranma across the chest causing
her to scream at the unexpected contact, "Gyaaaaaaa!!!!"
Onna-Ranma's scream brought back to Akane the reason for her
reaction about the pool underneath the window. She didn't know what
the school's reaction would be after they learned about Ranma's curse.
Torn between wanting to hide and yet wanting to watch the outcome of
the Ranma/Kuno match Akane could only sigh and say, "The jig is up."
It took Kuno a little while to realize that his hand was resting
on what could only be a well-defined, *female* breast instead of the
well-muscled, flat chest of a guy. As the conflicting information,
"Ranma is a guy," and "I'm holding a girl," Kuno's mind and body
seized up giving onna-Ranma time to act.
Onna-Ranma's actions were to hiss out, "Let. Go. of. Me!"
In what seemed like a single fluid motion, she grabbed Kuno's head,
screamed "Pervert!" as she threw him out of the pool, slammed him into
the deck, and finally jumped over the fence.
The pool-incident happened so fast that it seemed to the onlookers
that Kuno jumped out of the pool on his own and that Ranma jumped
after him then over the fence in a single bound get more room to fight
in. Most of the onlookers where speechless and only a few thought they
followed what happened... but Ranma appeared smaller... rounder...
which is impossible, right?
After a few moments had passed, Kuno finally regained conscious
and spoke the conclusion Kuno's brain had reluctantly accepted, "A
woman. Yes.... That was definitely a woman I was holding."
The thought raced around Kuno's head for a while until a
realization was allowed room to grow. The thought, "Ranma Saotome has
escaped the divine wrath of the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High School."
Coming to his feet, Kuno said, "Ranma Saotome, you wretch! Do you
honestly think you can escape my wrath? Is it not unlike the wrath
of the Heavens themselves? Does not the wrath of the Heavens come
slowly but surely to those it seeks? Yes, it does! So too, shall I,
the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High School, hunt down you vile low-born
wretch!"
After finishing his speech, Kuno jumped over the fence and began
his hunt for Ranma.
Onna-Ranma, meanwhile, had taken a defensive position in the top
branches of some trees. From this point of advantage, she could see if
anyone was coming with plenty of warning. Noticing no one, usng a
towel she had found on her flight from school, she began to attempt to
try and dry herself out. While doing so, she could not help but think
out loud, "What an ill-mannered brute. Why did he have to keep
squeezing me like that? Oh well, I guess Kuno knows about my curse
now."
While onna-Ranma saw Akane's approach, she was surprised at
her greeting of, "You baka!"
"What?" onna-Ranma asked not understanding.
"Just how dumb can you be?" Akane began, "willfully jumping into
the pool like that..."
"You except me to fight someone in the school hallways when
there's open ground nearby?" onna-Ranma asked wondering why Akane
couldn't understand the obvious.
"Did you think about how everyone else would react to your
curse?" Akane responded. "Or do you enjoy being such a pervert?"
"Me? A pervert?" onna-Ranma replied. "Where do you get calling me
a pervert?"
"Then I guess you won't be needing this then," Akane answered as
she held up a kettle of hot water she got from the janitor.
"Hey..." onna-Ranma began as she spotted Kuno approaching.
Akane heard the noise Kuno was making as he walked through the
woods. Seeing that onna-Ranma was still in the tree drying herself
off, Akane decided to confront Kuno. As she challenged Kuno, she threw
the kettle at onna-Ranma
Onna-Ranma not wanting the water to go to waste, settled the
towel over a near by branch, reached out for the kettle while using her
feet to keep from falling. Seeing as how determined Akane was to
confront Kuno, onna-Ranma thought it would be wise to let Akane follow
through with her challenge.
As she neared Kuno, Akane said, "Kuno-sempai. I challenge you."
Kuno's response was to break out into tears as he said, "Akane.
Oh, my Akane. Never did I hope that you would challenge me... But we
are but star-crossed lovers like Romeo and Juliet... So be it. If you
win, I shall let you take out this humble samurai on a date. Thus I
shall lose with all my might."
"Who's asking to go out with you?" Akane asked. She thought to
her herself, //Ranma... ... turn back into a boy while I keep Kuno
busy!//
Kuno charged at Akane, who blocked Kuno's attack, tripped him,
and kicked him high up into the air. Kuno's journey was interupted by
the kettle onna-Ranma had just raised in order to pour the hot water
onto herself. Surprised, onna-Ranma sat frozen as she noted that
although his head had impacted with the kettle, denting its iron, the
weaker material of the two, Kuno was still conscious.
Upon seeing onna-Ranma, Kuno said, "You're... You're *that*
girl."
"Baka! Why are you still a *girl*, Ranma?" Akane asked angrily.
"So..." Kuno began, "where did that low-born wretch of a boy go?"
"Huh?" onna-Ranma was confused. Kuno-sempai couldn't be that
dense.
"That coward! Running away from a fight," Kuno said. "No doubt he
fears me! He knows that it is pointless to fight me! He can never win!
I am unbeatable! Bah. He is no man... beneath my notices. He is no
man!"
Angrily, onna-Ranma dropped the kettle and Kuno. Springing up, Kuno
simply stated, "That hurt, you know."
"I am not going to stay here and take this," onna-Ranma said as
she jumped to the ground. Getting into a defensive stand, onna-Ranma
said, "I can beat you... any time... any place. Come on!"
"Amusing," was Kuno's only reply. Upon reflection, he added,
"Very well... If you should win, I will allow you to take this humble
samurai out on a date with you."
As Kuno was finishing his statement, he swung his bokken at
onna-Ranma, who easily jumped over it and landed a jumping side-kick
to Kuno's head saying, "Who in their right mind would think that you
are /humble/? Why would anyone want to go out with *you*?"
As the fighting continued with Kuno's trying to hit onna-Ranma
and onna-Ranma dodging, Kuno thought, "She... is as skilled. As
skilled as my Akane. No! More skilled!"
With the last thought, onna-Ranma struck out with her hand and
pulled the bokken out of Kuno's grasp.
Onna-Ranma could not help but say, "Guess what, Kuno. Ranma
Saotome is even better than I am."
So saying, onna-Ranma used Kuno's own bokken to knock him out.
Onna-Ranma then retrieved the kettle, used the last of the hot
water to turn back into a boy and led Akane back into class.
Kuno, when he awoke much later, could not keep the images of the
strange girl out of his head nor stop wondering who she is.
In the evening, Ranma and his mother sat around the dining table
with tea in front of them. While waiting for the tea to cool,
Ranma told his mother what had happened during his day. Ranma ended with,
"I just don't understand Akane..."
To which Nodoka could only smile and remember when she was young
and dating. After a few moments of reflection, Nodoka said, "You should
go to the Tendo's and thank Akane for her help."
In Akane's room, Akane was telling her older sister about the
day's events. Nabiki simply replied, "Why is it any of *your*
business?"
Upon seeing her sister's dark look, Nabiki added with a smile, "I
mean, what's wrong with a boy who turns into a girl?"
Akane just snorted and said, "Sure, that's easy for you to say.
You're not the one people are spreading rumors about... How *I'm* his
fiancee..."
"May I remind you, imooto," Nabiki cut in. "*That* hasn't been
decided yet. You only have a one in three chance of being picked."
Akane continued on as if she didn't hear her sister with, "So
when everyone finds out about his curse, they'll *know*
he's a *pervert*. And then what does that make *me*?"
Akane continued just as Ranma was walking up to Akane's room so
he overheard Akane say, "If I didn't get the hot water from the janitor,
everyone would have known about his curse. And then they would think *I'm*
a pervert too.... For being with a sex-changing freak like Ranma!"
As he was about to knock, Akane added, "If it wasn't for me, Kuno
would have creamed him!"
Depressed at Akane's remark that he was a freak, Ranma turned
around and slid down the banister since he was not in the mood to walk
down the steps. Ranma could not help thinking, //Nani! That's not
true. And to think I was going to thank her for the hot water.//
Kasumi saw Ranma as he jumped off the banister and landed
gracefully. She then walked towards him, forgetting the tray of
cookies she had just pulled from the oven. When she got within
acceptable distance she greeted him with, "Hello, Ranma-kun."
"Hello, Kasumi," he replied absent-mindedly.
Seeing Ranma's depressed look, Kasumi quickly remembered the tray
of cookies she was holding and offered it to Ranma.
"Thanks," Ranma replied as he took one of the cookies. Ranma
proceeded to follow Kasumi back into the kitchen as she began
to finish her preparation for the neighborhood bake sale that was to
take place the following morning. Ranma decided to help her instead of
go home.
Another day dawned, Ranma decided not to inform Akane that he had
overheard her talking yesterday as they walked to school and Nabiki.
Ranma noted that Akane was keeping her distance while Nabiki was
moving closer to him. When they arrived at school only Akane was
surprised that there was not the usual mob of boys there to greet her.
Both Nabiki and Ranma noted the frown and long face on Akane, but both
decided not to say anything.
After settling in, Kuno asked if Nabiki knew of his "pig-tailed
girl who wore Chinese clothes."
Nabiki thought a moment and replied, "Sure, I know her."
//Oh how the Gods smile upon me as they should,// Kuno thought
with a laugh. He turned back to his desk and wrote out a letter. After
finishing the letter, Kuno handed the note to Nabiki. Nabiki could not
help but wonder at what Kuno was laughing about.
That night, the Tendos came over to the Saotome's for dinner.
Kasumi insisted that she help Nodoka with dinner since she was not
used to cooking for such a large crowd. Reluctantly Nodoka agreed, so
while she and Kasumi made dinner, Ranma and Soun practiced in the
Dojo, and Nabiki and Akane looked around the Saotome's house to occupy
themselves.
In Ranma's room, Akane noticed all the ribbons Ranma had won in
various martial art contests while Nabiki noted the various books and
models there. It registered in Nabiki's mind that while most of the
books were written in Japanese, there were other books that were
written in Chinese and English.
After dinner, Ranma, Nabiki, and Akane went outside while Kasumi
talked with Nodoka. Soun went to get some groceries with the money
Nabiki got from Kuno.
Nabiki handed Ranma a message that was addressed to 'the Tree-Borne
Kettle Girl' with a simple, "Here."
Ranma looked at the message and said, "This is for me?"
Nabiki nodded understandably and said, "I don't think Kuno-baby
realizes that you and the 'Kettle Girl' are one and the same."
Shaking his head in wonder, Ranma read the message out loud, "On
Sunday, at the tenth hour of the day, meet me in the second field of
Furinkan High School. Signed Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High
School."
After finishing, Ranma and Nabiki sat thoughtfully, while Akane
said, "Sounds like a duel, huh?"
"Maybe..." Ranma replied.
"Kuno-baby does *not* like to lose," Nabiki put in.
"Vengeful, hmmm?" Ranma replied in thought.
Onna-Ranma waited for Kuno at the appointed time and place. She
watched as Kuno walked towards her only to stop a few feet in front of
her. After taking a defensive stance, Kuno said, "So... you have come,
my little Kettle-Girl."
"Hey, who are you calling 'little?'" onna-Ranma asked. Shaking
her head sadly, she asked, "You don't learn very quickly, do you? Well?
Where's your sword?"
"Heh..." Kuno replied. "I have no need of a sword."
"Yeah?" onna-Ranma replied. "You're pretty confident..."
"Confident enough... to give you..." Kuno answered. As Kuno threw
something at onna-Ranma, he said, "THIS!"
Without thought onna-Ranma grabbed the object and examined it.
The object in question turned out to be a bouquet of flowers. Once
Kuno saw that onna-Ranma had the bouquet, he turned around and said,
"I love you."
Onna-Ranma was shocked. This was the one possibility she had not
envisioned. So shocked that she had to sit down. Onna-Ranma noted
absently that the flowers were expensive. She also recognized that a
simple breeze deflowered them easily.
[ === End of Part 3 === ]
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