ToTH webpage (all parts): http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/seifertv/toth/
The Taming of the Horse
a Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by Vince Seifert (seifertv@csus.edu)
Ranma 1/2 characters and situations are copyright 1987, 1998
by Takahashi Rumiko. Publishing rights (Japan) by Shogakukan
Inc. Publishing rights (North America) by Viz Inc. This work
is not intended to infringe those rights.
~~~~~ Chapter 3: Exercise ~~~~~
Many would-be equestrians fail to realize that it is
not enough to see that their horse receives regular
exercise. The physical conditioning of the rider is also
important, and must not be neglected... disturbances in the
rider's mental and emotional state often affect the attitude
of the mount, sometimes in surprising ways.
-- from Chapter 3
Akane was walking home from school by herself for the first
time in weeks. Ranma had been detained by some silly plot
Principal Kuno and Miss Hinako had cooked up, and Akane had
gotten impatient and started for home without him. She watched
the fence pass the setting sun and tried not to think about the
boy who wasn't there.
"Tendo Akane."
Akane turned around and there was Shampoo. The Chinese girl
set her box on the ground and stepped forward. "Nobody around.
Feel like little challenge?"
Akane didn't, but she couldn't make herself decline it. It
didn't occur to her how many times she'd berated Ranma for the
same reflex as she tossed her bag clear, set her feet, and cocked
her fists. "Anytime you're ready."
Shampoo smiled briefly and darted in. Akane saw the strike
of Shampoo's open hand, blocked it, and countered, but Shampoo
was already airborne and her heels were rising out of Akane's
reach. She spun and ducked the strikes she knew were coming from
above, but her arm was seized and twisted and then the world was
revolving sideways.
Akane slid to a stop and rolled to her feet, spitting dust.
Shampoo was standing well out of reach, looking amused. "You out
of practice." She examined the fingernails on one hand. "Ranma
need stronger wife. Why you not just give up now, before you
hurt?"
"Why don't you give up?" Akane spat before she could stop
herself. "Why do you want Ranma so much, anyway?"
Shampoo's gaze turned serious. "You know Joketsuzoku law,
so you asking other question, eh?" She paused and started
circling Akane. Akane turned to keep facing her. "What not to
want? Ranma fast, strong, brave, smart... oh yes, you laugh, but
he smart."
She gazed over Akane's head. "Ranma beautiful. Ranma most
beautiful boy I ever see. See him, want him..." her eyes swung
down to pin Akane, "... take him." She smiled at Akane's
inarticulate response and resumed her slow circling. "Could be
nicer, but if I want nice husband, plenty of nice men at home.
No want them. Want Ranma."
She stopped again and regarded Akane thoughtfully. "Tell
you thing no-charge, thing you should know long time, but I think
you not know. Ranma not so grown-up in head as body look. Not
really like girls yet. Soon. Very soon, he want woman. Shampoo
waiting." She favored Akane with a wicked smile and drew her
hands down her sides. "Ranma not resist this body then, eh?"
Akane was dimly aware of a grinding noise coming from her
teeth. Her aura burst out around her as she charged Shampoo.
"KYAAAA!" Shampoo didn't leap into the air this time. She
swirled around Akane's wild swing and struck. Fists and feet
slammed into Akane's body with astonishing force, and Akane
realized too late that she'd let Shampoo goad her into attacking
into the setting sun, and that Shampoo's taunts had made her too
mad to think, too mad to see, too mad to hit... too mad to win.
She lashed out on instinct, scored a glancing blow against
something, and struggled to get clear long enough to rebuild her
defense. Shampoo wasn't letting her. Fingertips hit her head in
dull flashes of pain. Shampoo was too fast, too strong, too
skilled for her to beat... too pretty, too bold, too sexy. She
could never beat Shampoo. Not in a fight, not for a boy's heart.
Never, never, never...
Just before she blacked out, there was a sudden wave of
intense cold, a pulse of weight, and then she was falling.
*Funny, it wasn't like this the last time I died...*
~~~~~
Akane woke up on her own bed, looking up at Kasumi's worried
face. "Akane? Are you all right?"
Akane thought about it. "I think so. Ow. I feel like I
got run over by a herd of Chinese elephants, though."
Kasumi smiled in relief and adjusted the ice-pack on Akane's
head. "Do you remember what happened?" Akane became aware that
it was one of several ice packs strategically deployed around her
body.
"Um, I think so." *I remember being awfully stupid.
Please, please let that part be Chinese mind-control...* "The
last part is a little fuzzy, though. How did I get home?"
"Oh, the way you'd suppose."
"Ranma," Akane snorted disgustedly. "Eep!"
"Oh, dear, I must have missed that one... Yes, Ranma-kun
came bouncing over the wall a couple of hours ago, carrying you
in his arms and calling for help." Kasumi sat back and fanned
herself with a booklet. "Goodness, things were quite exciting
for a few minutes, until we saw that you were only bruised and
scraped."
"I was?"
"Oh, yes. No broken bones, no deep cuts, no..." Kasumi
paused to peer doubtfully at her sister, "...apparent concussion.
Shampoo must have been quite careful."
"Careful? Why would she be careful? Ow! She tried to kill
me!"
"Now, now, don't get excited." Kasumi retrieved and
replaced an icepack. "No, I don't think so. If she had, you'd
be hurt worse, and differently. As to why... well, perhaps she
remembers what happened to Saffron."
The thought sent a chill through Akane. *Saffron. Ranma
would die for me. Ranma would kill for me. If he thought I was
dead, he might do anything. Shampoo was there; she has to know
that.* The notion that Shampoo had been going easy on her
because Shampoo feared what Ranma might do made her feel even
worse.
"There! All done." Kasumi closed the first-aid kit, stood
up, and turned to go.
"Kasumi? Where is he?"
Kasumi smiled and pointed up. "Where else? He got tired of
being shouted at by Father and Saotome-no-ojisama about an hour
ago and has been up there ever since. I think he's sulking
because I wouldn't let him stay here while I had your clothes off
to dress your scrapes. He even offered to turn into a girl, but
I didn't think you'd like that."
"Just like that pervert," Akane began, but then Shampoo's
"free advice" resurfaced. *'Ranma not really like girls yet.'*
"Would you call him for me, please?"
"Of course." Kasumi stood up and opened the window. "Oh,
Ranma-kun! You can come in now!" She stepped back to avoid
Ranma's customary swing from the eaves and through the window.
His eyes tracked quickly over Akane's sheet-covered form,
examined her face, swung to check Kasumi's unworried expression,
and returned to her face. He blew out a breath and relaxed.
"I'll just leave you two alone, shall I?" Kasumi said,
picking up the first aid kit.
Ranma waited for the door to close behind Kasumi before
speaking. "Are you all right? You remember me this time?"
"Of course, baka."
Ranma relaxed a little more. "So what the hell happened?"
His voice was challenging.
"Shampoo and I had a little match. I, um, lost."
"Well, of course ya lost! Moron! Shampoo's better'n you!
On your best day..."
"I know that." Her flat voice was clearly not what Ranma
was expecting, because it cut him off in mid-rant. "She told me
that several different ways, and she was obviously right."
Ranma started looking concerned again. "You sure you're all
right?"
"I'll be fine in a couple of days." She turned her face
away from him. "Just go away." She heard him sigh. The window
slid shut. The light went out. The door opened and closed
quietly. As usual, she couldn't hear his footsteps. As usual,
he couldn't hear her tears.
~~~~~
Akane didn't come to school with Ranma the next day.
"Saotome, thou accursed villain! What nefarious means hast
thou employed to sequester the fair Tendo Akane?!"
"Aw, put a sock in it, Kuno."
~~~~~
Ranma hung from the eaves outside Akane's window and peered
in. He could see Akane curled up in bed, but she didn't move
when he tapped on the glass. He frowned and dropped to the
ground, then went inside.
"Hey, Kasumi."
Kasumi turned. "Oh, Ranma-kun! I wasn't expecting you
until this afternoon."
Ranma shuffled his feet. "Well, they give us an hour for
lunch, and it only takes a few minutes ta get here..."
*...if you run like the wind,* Kasumi thought. "I'm sure
Akane will be glad to see you," she said.
"I, um, knocked on the window, but I guess she was asleep or
somethin'." Ranma fidgeted, then blurted, "Are you sure she's
all right? This ain't like her."
Kasumi's smile faded. "Physically she seems to be
recovering well," she said. "I am concerned about her mental and
emotional state, though."
Ranma's fist smacked into his palm. "I knew it," he hissed.
"Shampoo did somethin' to her mind again." He looked sharply at
Kasumi. "Didja notice any herbal smells on her head?" Kasumi
shook her head. "Little bruises around the head or neck?"
Kasumi's eyes widened. "Oh! Now that you mention it..."
"Damn." Ranma paced a quick circle and stopped. "I wish
Tofu-sensei was still around."
"So do I," Kasumi said. Their eyes met and dropped.
Ranma thumped himself on the forehead. "Gaah. I didn't
mean..."
"I know," Kasumi said, and sighed. "So, about Akane?"
"I dunno." Ranma looked troubled. "It's not like her to
give up like that, though. Last night she didn't come back at me
like always, either."
"Hmm. She wasn't this bad last night, before she talked to
you..." Kasumi stopped and looked at Ranma. "Just what did you
say to her, Ranma-kun?"
Ranma paled. *'Well, of course ya lost! Moron! Shampoo's
better'n you!'* "Uh..."
Kasumi read his expression, put her hand over her eyes, and
shook her head. "Oh, Ranma. You didn't."
"I was... I was worried," Ranma muttered. "I didn't mean
ta..."
"Well, Akane's not the most confident girl in the world, you
know, Ranma-kun." Kasumi's gaze held his. "You, on the other
hand..."
Ranma half-smiled. "Not one of my problems, yeah."
Kasumi appeared to be counting to ten, or at least to five.
"What I mean is, you need to be supportive now," she said
finally. "She really cares what you think of her. You must make
her feel good about herself. Just be nice to her."
Ranma looked horrified. "Hey, I'm a martial artist, not a
shrink," he said defensively. He cringed at Kasumi's tiny frown.
"Look! Even when I try to do that, she just thinks I'm bein'
weird! I never get that right with her!"
Kasumi relented. "All right, Ranma-kun. I'll give her
sympathy... for now. But you know that it will mean more coming
from you, and I expect you to try to do better."
Ranma nodded rapidly. "I'll go to the Nekohanten after
school and see what I can wring out of Shampoo."
"Very well. I'll expect you this evening."
Ranma sketched a salute and departed hastily. *Jeez, I hate
it when Kasumi goes all fearsome.*
~~~~~
The first person Ranma saw when he trotted into the
Nekohanten was Mousse. Mousse didn't see him, of course. "Hey,
Mousse!"
"Saotome." Mousse addressed a potted plant with a disgusted
expression. "Aren't the bowls of ramen Shampoo delivers to you
enough to satisfy your appetite? Must you plague me by coming
here for more? Argh! Get off!"
"Cool it, duck-face," Ranma advised from his perch atop
Mousse's head. "I'm here to see Shampoo or Cologne. There ain't
nothin' you can do for me."
"Curse you! Why won't you just marry Akane and get out of
my life?!" Mousse produced a poleaxe from his sleeve and swiped
half-heartedly at Ranma as Ranma hopped off his head.
"You talking silly, Mousse. Airen no marry Akane. Airen
marry Shampoo!" Shampoo came out of the kitchen carrying three
steaming bowls, set them before customers, and turned to smile
dazzlingly at Ranma.
Ranma looked uncomfortable and changed the subject. "What'd
ya do to Akane?"
Shampoo's eyes flashed. "Forget other girl. You in my
place now, you think about me." She skipped to Ranma's side and
twirled. "You like new dress?" *The customers sure do, they're
coming in just to get a good look... when will you?*
Ranma ignored Shampoo's spectacular cleavage and persisted.
"I wanna know what ya did to Akane!"
Shampoo sighed and shook her head. "Fine, we talk, but not
here. Come kitchen." She grabbed his arm and led him to the
doorway, sticking close. *Even if he doesn't want my body yet, I
can still enjoy his...*
"Hello, son-in-law," Cologne said from her perch by the
cauldrons. "Hungry?"
In fact, the smell of the Nekohanten had been making Ranma
salivate since before he'd walked in, but the question made him
mad. "No! I don't want your ramen, and I don't want your great-
grand-daughter!"
Shampoo promptly hit him over the head with a ladle. Clong!
"You walk in, you want thing, you insult, you stupid!" Clong!
"Gah!" Ranma felt the lumps and glared at Shampoo. "Cut it
out!"
"So, if it's not food or Shampoo, it must be Amazon lore.
Those are the only things you kids ever come in here for,"
Cologne cackled. "'Tell me the ancient secret, Cologne!' 'Teach
me the fighting art, Cologne!' 'Give me the antidote, Cologne!'
Hahahah!" She grinned and deftly scooped noodles into bowls.
Her hands blurred and toppings fell into place. "Mousse! Order
up!" she called over the counter. "Make yourself useful, boy,
and be quick about it."
Cologne turned back to Ranma. "What was it you wanted?"
Ranma gritted his teeth. "Shampoo attacked Akane."
"So?" Cologne shrugged. She looked at Shampoo.
"I bored," Shampoo explained. "No fight, get soft. I see
Akane, I challenge. No kiss-of-death, just little match."
"Which you won, of course," Cologne completed. She looked
at Ranma. "I fail to see the problem."
"She shouldn't do that! Akane might get hurt!"
Shampoo frowned. "You, Ranma, stop thinking woman break
like china." She shattered a plate over his head to illustrate
her point, ignored his yelp, and continued. "Akane all time say
she martial artist, so I treat like martial artist. Is respect.
She strong girl. See?" Shampoo hiked her dress up and displayed
a fine bruise on a finer thigh.
Ranma's angry expression didn't change. "Ya did something
to her head! She's all depressed now, and I just know ya did
some kinda Chinese tsubo thing to make her that way!"
Shampoo smoothed her dress back into place and huffed. "I
not put anything in Akane mind that not there before. She fine.
Just know place now."
Ranma turned to Cologne. "Is there a tsubo technique that
makes people depressed, Granny?"
Cologne put on her best inscrutable look. "Could be." Her
eyes twinkled suddenly. "What's the answer worth to you, son-in-
law?"
"Old bat," Ranma growled, and left.
Cologne glanced at Shampoo. "I told you he'd figure it
out." Shampoo looked worried.
~~~~~
Ranma's first thought when he entered the Tendo main room
was that Akane had been replaced by Gosunkugi pretending to be
Akane. "Jeez, Akane, ya look like ya got trampled," he said,
sitting just around the corner of the table from her. "Thanks,
Kasumi." He took a cracker from the bowl Kasumi offered.
Akane's eyes dropped. "Thanks so much." She paused. "I
hear you went to the Nekohanten."
"Hm? Oh, yeah," Ranma said casually.
"You should have just stayed there. The food's better, and
I'm sure the company's better." Akane's voice wasn't angry at
all.
Ranma opened his mouth. Kasumi caught his eye. He closed
his mouth. Kasumi nodded approvingly. *How does she DO that?*
"Now, now, Akane, if Ranma-kun wanted to be at the
Nekohanten, I'm sure he would be," Kasumi said soothingly. "But
he's here, instead. Doesn't that say something?"
"I guess," Akane said, looking at her lap.
Ranma couldn't stand it any more. "Dammit, Akane, snap out
of it!" he said forcefully. "This isn't you! Shampoo used a
tsubo technique to beat you in your own head!"
Akane's head lifted slowly. "She said that?"
"Not exactly." Ranma fidgeted. "They said she didn't,
sorta, but I know she did."
"Oh." Akane's head lowered again. "Well, it doesn't really
matter. Shampoo's better than I am anyway."
"Dammit, Akane!" Ranma started to reach for her, stopped,
made a helpless gesture, and looked at Kasumi. Kasumi looked
disappointed.
"Say, Kasumi, last time she snapped out of it when I insul--
ah, commented about her. D'ya suppose..."
Kasumi shook her head. "No, I'm quite sure that that
wouldn't be appropriate at all, this time." She considered.
"Would you mind staying for supper, though?"
"Huh? Uh, yeah... I mean no... I mean, sure, I'll stay."
"Oh, good. I'll just go call your mother and tell her,
shall I?" Kasumi got up and left the room.
Ranma eyed Akane, gulped, and reached for her hand. Akane
looked down at her hand. Her gaze followed Ranma's arm up to his
eyes. He shifted his grip to her forearm and slapped himself
across the cheek with her hand.
Akane tore her arm out of his hand and stared at him. "Why
did you do that?"
"Hell, I'd rather ya hit me than sit around mopin'," Ranma
said. "You can hit me some more if ya like..."
Akane shook her head, but she seemed a bit less down.
Ranma frowned impatiently. "Listen, Akane, just because
Shampoo got ya once doesn't mean you should just quit. You're
not a quitter. You can beat Shampoo if ya train hard enough.
Besides," he continued, "she cheated. That mind-control stuff is
just nasty."
"But you cheat to win all the time, Ranma," Akane pointed
out.
"I don't cheat! I just fight so's ta make the other guy's
strengths useless and hit his weak spots! That ain't cheatin',
that's just good sense!"
Akane shook her head. "Well, I guess Shampoo found my weak
spot." She touched her temple.
Ranma snorted. "Yeah, you're weak in the head, all right."
For a moment, Akane seemed about to hit him, but she didn't... so
he seized her arm again and slapped himself with it.
Akane stared at him, and a giggle escaped her. Ranma smiled
in relief. Akane started laughing-- and then suddenly she fell
against him and grabbed handfuls of his shirt and was crying.
Ranma froze. Kasumi came back in and stopped. Ranma looked at
her desperately, but Kasumi just smiled and nodded at him, then
left silently. *Dammit. What the hell am I supposed to do now?*
Soun and Genma came up the steps to the veranda and stopped.
Soun's demon head apparition burst forth. "Ranma-kun!" it
hissed. "What have you done now to make my little girl cry?!"
Ranma jerked, but Akane was still firmly attached to him.
"Nothin'! It ain't my fault!" His eyes rolled, seeking escape.
Kasumi came back in, took in the situation, then produced
something from her apron pocket and poked Soun's demon-head with
it. POP! Soun looked stunned.
Kasumi put the thing back in her pocket. "Now, Father, be
nice," she admonished. "Just this once, it's not Ranma-kun's
fault. I'll call you when supper's ready." She slid the screens
to the veranda shut, cutting off the astonished fathers, and sat
across from Ranma and Akane. "Honestly, sometimes those two
just..." She saw Ranma and Akane staring at her. "'Oh, my.'
There, is that better?" She smiled.
Akane and Ranma decided independently and simultaneously not
to press the issue. Then Ranma noticed that Akane had stopped
crying. "Hey, ya feelin' better?" he asked cautiously.
Akane noticed that she was clamped onto Ranma's shirt,
blushed, and hastily popped back to her side of the table corner.
"I guess I am, a little," she admitted, surprised. "Not much,
though."
Ranma nodded, disappointed. "Well, I'm sure whatever tsubo
technique Shampoo used, the price for the cure is gonna be
steeper than we wanna pay," he said. "I got that real clear at
the Nekohanten. They want ya like this." His fist clenched.
"Well, you're just gonna have to fight it."
Akane nodded. "I'll try."
Ranma reached out hesitantly and patted her on the shoulder.
"That's my Akane." Both girls looked at him in astonishment and
he backpedaled instinctively: "Not that I'm implyin' that..." He
noticed that Kasumi's gaze had sharpened considerably and stopped
just in time. "Oh, hell." He looked away. "Thing is, I don't
know what ta do about your problem. I always know that if
somethin' beats me, I can train a little harder, or get a little
more serious, or come up with a new strategy, and come back and
beat it. Not that I ever get beat," he added hastily.
"Of course not," Akane and Kasumi agreed in unison.
"Yeah... anyway." He gazed into Akane's eyes. "Just
remember when ya feel beat, it ain't you, it's an enemy in your
head. Believe me even if ya don't believe yourself."
Akane nodded and smiled a little. "OK. Thanks, Ranma."
"And Nabiki and I may be able to come up with something that
will help, too, since tomorrow is Sunday," Kasumi said, rising.
She opened the screens, revealing Genma and Soun crouched
outside. "Now you just leave them be," she told the two men in
tones that anyone who didn't know Kasumi would have thought were
sweet and gentle. "I'll just go get supper ready."
~~~~~
Ranma ran up to the Tendo front gate, dressed in his best.
He could still hear his mother's voice: "Kasumi called and said
to make sure you're clean, neat, male, and well-dressed, and to
send you to their house at noon. She said this is part of
Akane's confidence cure, whatever that means. You will
cooperate, won't you, Ranma?"
Ranma swallowed nervously. *Damn right I'll cooperate.
Between Kasumi and Momma...* He went in the gate and up to the
front door. It opened as he approached, making him even more
nervous. Kasumi was there. She inspected him carefully, then
nodded.
"You'll do fine," Kasumi told Ranma as she led him up the
stairs. She stopped him outside Akane's room. "Remember, Ranma-
kun, this is very important. You must be nice to Akane." She
waited for his nod, then indicated the door and retreated down
the hall.
Ranma gulped and knocked on the door. It was unlatched and
swung open at his knock. Akane was standing there. She was
wearing a new dress, a very attractive one of soft blue and green
fabric that hugged her torso but fell in folds from her hips to
just past her knees. Her hair had been done with great care.
Her makeup was invisible; Ranma only knew it was there because
she looked even more like Akane than she usually did. Even...
*perfume? She smells just like she did before... before the
wedding.* She looked up at him hopefully and smiled. His brain
froze, his jaw dropped slightly, and his cheeks reddened.
Akane read his reaction. She straightened slightly, her
chin came up, and her eyes brightened. "How do I look?" she
asked softly.
Ranma started. "Uh, you look, uh, pretty." He tried to
pull his eyes away and couldn't.
Akane noticed that too, and blushed. She lowered her eyes.
"Prettier than Shampoo?"
Ranma became aware that Kasumi had returned and was standing
behind him. He didn't dare turn. "Uh, sure, yeah." The sense
of impending doom eased.
Akane looked up again with a different smile. "Good.
Because we're going to the Nekohanten for lunch."
Ranma's jaw dropped for real. "WHAT?! Are you nuts?!"
"Think about it, Ranma-kun," Kasumi's voice came from behind
him.
Akane stepped in. "You said to treat this like a battle.
Well, I'm changing the rules. We're fighting on my terms now.
We're going, and if you're nice to me I win, and if you're nice
to her... she wins. Understand? Kasumi and Nabiki are coming
along to make sure the battle stays on my terms."
Ranma was petrified by Akane's determination. *Her fire's
burning again... gods, she's past pretty. She's... magnificent.
I wish I could tell her.*
Akane reached out and closed his mouth. Her hand lingered
on his chin, then dropped. "Well? I can't force you to come,
but... don't you want me to win?"
Ranma sagged. "Yeah." *I think you won already. I wish I
could tell ya that too, but I don't think you'd believe me.*
~~~~~
Mousse was near the door when Ranma and Akane walked into
the Nekohanten, followed closely by Nabiki and Kasumi. He slid
his glasses down from his forehead and looked Akane up and down.
Akane blushed. Mousse smiled slightly. "Table for four, yes?"
he said. He looked at Ranma and lowered his voice. "You're a
lucky man, Saotome. Be an honorable one and do the right thing
for a change."
Ranma glared at Mousse, but Akane's tug at his elbow
compelled him to move. She was still holding his arm when the
crash sounded from the direction of the kitchen. He looked that
way and saw Shampoo, standing over a mess of broken bowls and
wasted noodles, locking gazes with Akane. *Jeez, I can almost
see the lightning bolts...*
*Perfect.* Akane smiled grimly at her rival. *Look,
Shampoo. He's mine. Choke on it.* Then the line-of-sight was
broken as Mousse seated them at their table.
Mousse produced filled water glasses from his sleeve and set
them on the table. "Are you ready to order?"
"Four specials, please," Nabiki said. They'd chatted about
the menu on the walk over. Mousse nodded and left. Ranma
carefully moved his glass of water away a little, and the Tendo
sisters exchanged knowing smiles.
Shampoo arrived with the ramen, setting four steaming bowls
down with her usual grace, except for Akane's, which spilled a
little. Shampoo ignored Akane and rubbed her side against
Ranma's shoulder. "Why you with ugly girl, airen? Come on date
with Shampoo instead."
"You got it all wrong!" Ranma protested. "This ain't a
date, not with Kasumi and Nabiki along!"
"Good!" Shampoo purred. "You come with me, then. I show
you much better time." She tugged on his arm.
Ranma took in Kasumi's expectant look, Nabiki's disgusted
look, and Akane's breathless look, and remembered: *'...if you're
nice to me I win, and if you're nice to her, she wins... don't
you want me to win?'* It was enough.
"Quit it, Shampoo. I came with Akane, and I'm leavin' with
Akane."
Akane gasped in delight. Shampoo's eyes narrowed. Her hand
flicked out to Ranma's water glass. Splash!
"What the hell ya do that for!!" Ranma screeched.
"Ha, now you no enjoy not-date so much, eh?" Shampoo turned
to flounce back to the kitchen. Splash!
"Miyaarl!" Shampoo crawled out of her dress and shook water
off her paws.
Akane put her empty water glass down with a satisfied
expression, then blinked. Ranma was balancing atop the back of
her chair, terrified. "Ca-cat!" she stuttered. Shampoo was
waving her soggy tail and preparing to leap for the seat of
Ranma's chair.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Ranma! I forgot!" Akane jumped up and
carefully punted Shampoo into the kitchen. Some of the other
patrons applauded. Akane waved to them, then sat down. Ranma
dropped into her own chair, still looking frazzled. Her good
clothes were now wet and baggy.
"Hell," Ranma remarked, then brightened. Her ramen had
survived the encounter unscathed. She started slurping her
lunch.
Akane called Mousse over. "Could we get some hot water,
please?"
Mousse glanced warily in the direction of the kitchen. "I
regret that I am unable to provide hot water at the moment," he
said, sounding like he meant the regret part.
Akane nodded. *Of course he's not going to oppose Shampoo
directly.* "That's all right, Mousse. I understand."
Mousse leaned down, whispered in Akane's ear, and moved on.
Akane blushed. "What?" Ranma asked suspiciously.
"Oh, nothing," Akane said, smiling. "I'll tell you later."
Kasumi and Nabiki started eating. "Good," Nabiki
pronounced. "Free, too." The others stared at her. "Well, if
they think we're going to pay for this after that performance,
they can think again!"
~~~~~
"Sorry about the disaster," Ranma said to Akane on the way
home. Ranma was still wet and female. Kasumi and Nabiki had
dropped well back.
"That's all right," Akane said. "I got what I went for."
Ranma eyed her sidelong. Akane looked happy. "You figure
you won, then?"
"Oh, yes," Akane said. "Between dropping the bowls,
resorting to dirty tricks, and being kicked into the kitchen, she
was way behind on points. But you telling her off clinched it.
Thank you, Ranma. I could still have lost if you'd gone with
her."
"Aw, I couldn't of done that," Ranma said uncomfortably.
Akane studied her. "Yes, you could have. And I was a
little afraid you would. But you didn't, and I'm glad." *I just
hope I'm right about why.*
"So, what'd Mousse tell ya?" Ranma asked, hoping to change
the subject.
Akane laughed. "He said 'Good hunting.'"
~~~~~
"Stupid Akane," Shampoo griped, upstairs at the Nekohanten
and dressing after her hot-water treatment.
Cologne cackled. "I warned you that your plan might
backfire. The Tendo girl's got her hooks into Son-in-law now,
and he's not wiggling much. She's tougher than you thought.
Maybe I'll adopt her."
Shampoo stopped. "Great-grandmother! You wouldn't!"
Cologne turned an ancient gaze on her. "Child, you know
very well that I'm not here to guarantee your success." She
puffed on her pipe. "If I were, this would have been over long
ago."
"He's mine," Shampoo said stubbornly. "I'll win him yet."
"Perhaps, perhaps not. It's good training either way,"
Cologne said comfortably. "Don't do anything stupid, though.
And try to enjoy life in the meantime. As I do."
~~~~~ end Exercise ~~~~~
Next: Akane finally admits her martial-arts skills need improvement-- but
who will her sensei be?
in chapter 4: Training
Vince Seifert Network Analyst seifertv@csus.edu
http://webpages.csus.edu/~seifertv/ updated 1998Jun04
CSUS hired me to build their network, not to speak for the university.