Mushroom Madness (rough)
a story within "The Bet" story arc
by Gregg Sharp http://members.aol.com/metroanime/main.html
STANDARD (c): Ranma 1/2 is (c) R.Takahashi. Many thanks
to the fine people at Viz and Shogokukan for bringing
this series over. Also many thanks to my prereaders.
-----------------
The Bet continued, as others entered the gamble. The
price, a tiny amount of power, almost insignificant
for each of the contributors. Together however, that
force was accumulating mightily.
"So what was Juan's attempt, anyway?" Morgan Shades,
god of beer, attempted to ignore Takahashi's physical
appearance. She was currently wearing her 'Cupid' guise.
"You remember the love bracelet?"
"Yeah," Morgan shuddered. "You don't mean..."
"Yup. Akane swallowed the Permanent pill. Confessed
her undying love to Ranma, and the two decided that what
they REALLY objected to was their parents. They ended up
eloping, wandering the globe and learning special
fighting techniques and attacks until Akane got
pregnant, then Ranma and Akane came back to Nerima and
became part of a special section of the Tokyo police
department dealing with supernatural menaces and the
like."
"Damn. All that from a single involuntary reflex
where she swallows one pill?" Morgan shook his head.
"Gonna be difficult to beat that, but I think I gotta
idea."
-----------------------------------
"Got you," said Ranma, tossing the dim sum
with the posthypnotic mushroom into Shampoo's mouth.
He tossed the container behind him and snapped his
fingers. "Go home Shampoo."
"Ok," Shampoo said cheerfully. Considering what
Ranma COULD have done, Shampoo knew she was getting off
easy. "Bie bie!"
"So it was true," Akane said.
There was a flicker in the timeline as motion
caught Akane's eye. The lid of the dimsum package had
moved in a slight breeze, drawing her attention to the
container and its contents.
"Of course it was true!" Ranma shouted in
frustration. "Why don't you ever believe me?"
Akane sneezed. They both waited for a moment to
realize that the command had worn off and Ranma no
longer glomped anyone who sneezed.
"Well, maybe I'd believe you more often if you
told the truth more often!" Akane ran forward as if to
strike Ranma. Ranma, predictably, was no longer there.
Smiling at how easily she had manipulated Ranma,
Akane went back and gathered up the package and its
contents. There were three of these drugged dimsum
left. Now, maybe she could get some answers.
----------------------
They were still alone, and would be for the rest
of the night. Akane thought this a perfect opportunity.
A snoring Ranma was easily forcefed one of the
mushrooms.
Akane then kicked the sleeper awake.
"Huh? What!"
<Snap> "You will answer my questions completely
and honestly, then forget you did so." Akane had spent
hours working the right phrase out.
"What? Akane, what did you do that for?"
<Snap>"Ranma, why are you always trying to make
me angry?"
Ranma's expression went blank. "Because I can't
deal with my feelings for you. Angry is easier for me
to handle than when you're being all kawaii."
Akane watched as the blank expression went to
confused as he forgot what he had just said. What he
had said, though, had puzzled her.
<Snap> "What are these feelings for me that you
have so much trouble dealing with?"
"I-I-I think I lo-lo-love you." Even under the
compulsion, Ranma was having trouble saying it.
Akane sat back, confused. She hadn't quite
expected THAT response. "You've got a strange way of
showing it."
"Showing what? Akane, was there something you
wanted?"
"Never mind, Ranma." <Snap> "Do you love me?"
"Yes."
Akane stared at Ranma. She wished she had time
to think about this before continuing the questions,
but she didn't know how long the dim sum's influence
would last. The first one had apparently lasted hours,
but some medications had less effect with repeated doses
as the body built up a tolerance.
<Snap> "So if you love me, why do keep attacking
poor P-chan?"
"P-chan is Ryouga."
"WHAT?!?!!!"
Ranma looked startled and a little nervous.
"I didn't do nothin'! What is it now, Akane?"
<snap> "What do you mean P-chan is Ryouga?"
"P-chan is Ryouga's cursed Jusenkyo form."
<snap> "And WHY didn't you tell me about this?"
"It's 'cause I gave my word. 'Sides I'm kinda
responsible for him getting his curse."
<snap> "Why are you responsible?"
"He showed up four days late for our duel. If
I'd waited a fourth day he wouldn't have followed me to
Jusenkyo. If I hadn't been chasing Pop around the cliffs
Ryouga wouldn't have been knocked in."
"Urrrrrrr. RYOUGAAAAAA!"
"Uhm, Akane? Why are you in my room?"
"Oh, just wanted to talk to you, Ranma. We
never seem to have the chance with anyone else around."
"Oh yeah, I guess."
<snap> "So what exactly are your feelings for
Shampoo?"
"I'd prefer it if she wasn't always glomping me,
but having someone affectionate towards ya is kinda
nice. Sure beats being beat on all the time. I'd prefer
it if she was just a friend, but I don't wanna hurt her
and I'm kinda unsure about what a flat out reject would
do to her with those weird amazon laws."
<snap> "And why do you care?"
"I care about a lotta people. Don't really like
hurtin' anyone."
<snap> "Why don't you just avoid Shampoo?"
"Try to. Not easy. She's got that glomp down
real good."
Akane yawned as Ranma came out of the latest
trance. "Well, Ranma, this was a nice little talk we
had. We may have to do this again sometime."
"Huh? Whatta ya mean?"
"Nevermind, Ranma, nevermind." Akane had a LOT
to think about. She had to sort out her own feelings
about all this, and figure out what to do about P-chan.
Akane closed the door to her room. She still had
two of those dim sum. They wouldn't keep forever. A
thought DID occur to her, but Nabiki wouldn't be back
till tomorrow.
Maybe they'd last till then.
-------------------------
Ranma stared at the door. What had Akane wanted?
Do what again? He sighed, that kawaiikunee tomboy just
seemed to have a gift for confusing him.
-------------------------
Nabiki woke up, an odd taste in her mouth.
"Akane, what are you doing here at this hour?"
<snap> "Is there anything you won't do for
money?" Akane had used the same posthypnotic phrase.
Nabiki had to answer honestly, completely, and then
forget both question and answer.
"No." Nabiki scratched her head. What WAS
Akane doing in her room anyway?
<snap> "Are you still selling pictures and
stuff of me?"
"Yes." Nabiki looked at Akane. "What's going on
Akane, if you wanted to talk to me, you could at least
say something."
<snap> "So what have you sold regarding me
lately?"
Nabiki shrugged. "Just a few photos of you
exercising in your gi, sitting in the furo, working out
with that cucumber, oh, and I sold your panties to that
weird Gosunkugi guy."
Akane blinked, her mouth hanging open. Maybe she
didn't want to know, after all.
<snap>"How much did you get?" It was too
bizarre. Akane just couldn't deal with it.
"2,000 yen for the gi pictures, the furo shots
went for 5,000 yen, working out with Mr Cucumber- that
was 25,000 yen for the one shot, and the used panties
were 50,000 yen." Nabiki smiled happily. "All told
last Friday's sales were a good 91,000 yen!"
Nabiki shook her head. "Akane, was there something you wanted?"
Pale, Akane mumbled an apology for keeping her
sister up and left the room. Anger would come later,
right now shock was leaving her a little numb. The
plan to come back and break all her sister's cameras
was born about fifteen minutes later.
-----------------------------
Morgan Shades felt strong disappointment as he
sped the view along this timestream. "What?!"
"What's wrong?"
Morgan shook his head and sipped on his "Il
Biiru Roso." "Look at this. Akane's insight into why
Ranma acts like this didn't help. Instead she takes
his affection for granted, and punishes him even worse
for every perceived transgression. She treats him with
contempt before the end of the year, as he still hasn't
been able to say anything about his feelings."
"Oh. What's that there?"
"This is terrible." Morgan downed the beer,
then conjured another one. Being the god of beer has
its perks, such as being invited to all the really good
parties. "Akane's contempt furthers the rift between the
two, and...oh my."
"I see it. Ranma elopes...with Shampoo."
"Akane marries Mousse? What the hell? Was
someone else playing around in my timeline? How the
hell did this happen?"<rumble>"Sorry! Sorry! I forgot
HE doesn't like the hired help cursing."
"What of Nabiki?"
"Hmmm? Oh, she gets treated like scum by Akane
on a regular basis. Akane never forgives her sister
and imagines Nabiki doing even more than she actually
does. Nabiki tries to find out what has gotten Akane
so angry, but after the wedding to Mousse the two
never speak to each other."
"Look here, the next generation sees the
Saotomes and the Tendos united. Now it includes amazon
fighting techniques and hidden weapons style, so the
Anything Goes school is stronger, but it got there in
a bizarre way."
"This was NOT what I intended." Morgan consoled
himself with a "Chimay triple bock."
"Well, you got to admit, it IS a different
timeline."
==========================
C&C welcome, just don't bother with the silly manga
references. if it's not in the anime or translations
that's been released, i have no way to verify what
you're saying unless you want to send me the
translated manga.
------------------------
NOTE: "The Art" was not part of "The Bet" storyarc,but
am including it as one of the possibilities as for the
vote for Continuing Series. If i do it, it'll have
several changes: the amazon tribe will become a
matriarchal clan of lycanthropes (prob weretigers),
Ryouga's misdirection/strength/endurance will all be
revealed as related to his bloodline descent from a
wanderer named Gilgamesh, the ending won't be the
same, and all the various stories will be detailed.
There will also be a Bob Aspirin style quote at the
beginning of each chapter to set the flavor of each
storyline.
Ja ne, minaasan