Errf... part 3!

**************************************
Ranma 1/2: Big Trouble in Orlando, Florida
By Ryoga Masaki and Jupamana

Chapter 3: The Storm Before The Calm
(Thursday, May 29, 10:26 PM)

 Akane opened her next suitcase and began to fill it with clothes that
she would be needing for her trip to America. Although she had heard
many of the prejudiced remarks about the country, Genma's explanation of
the place they were going to was sounding more and more fun, even
exciting! With a smile on her face, she looked inside her drawers for
anything else she might need. She came upon the locket that Ranma had
given her a few months back, when she went on the Anime Road Rules trip.
'Strange name,' she thought as her mind wandered back. She had met
several interesting people... Mihoshi... Yohko... She shrugged. Oh,
well, they were gone now, back to their own lives. And Akane was back to
hers.

 Slowly, deliberately she picked up the locket. It elicited several
thoughts and feelings deep within her. She remembered the day Ranma had
given to her, right before she left... Ranma, of all people! She had
opened it, and seen the picture inside: of her and Ranma, smiling and
laughing. Akane once again took the locket into her hands and examined
it, then opened it. There it was. The picture that no one seemed to
remember, not even Nabiki, of whom Ranma had purchased the picture. At
first, Akane had thought that Nabiki had just done it on her hi-tech
computer she bough to keep track of her finances. However, the picture
seemed too real to be done on a computer. It had an almost... spiritual
sense about it, as if a type of supernatural friendship seemed to be
ingrained in the picture. Akane held the locket tight in her hand. More
than friendship... Love. She closed her eyes. Yes, definitely love,
but--

 There was suddenly a knock on the door, and Akane spun around, dropping
the locket back into the drawer. "Who is it?" she called, her voice
shaky. She suddenly realized that she had been lightly crying. She
quickly wiped at her eyes, trying to conceal her emotions from the
previous minute as the reply came: "Ranma."

 She slightly gasped, then called, "Come in,", her voice more stable
now. He entered, and Akane tried to put on her best tough,
'Don't-mess-with-me' face.

 "What do you want? I'm busy." she asked, her tone trying to be as macho
and unemotional as she could get it. Ranma was obviously taken aback,
with a shocked look on his face. He looked up and scratched the back of
his neck. "Well, I was gonna see if you needed any help packing!"

 She turned her back to him and crossed her arms. "I don't need your
help, Ranma," she said firmly.

 Ranma got louder. "Well, ya don't need to get an attitude!"

 "Anata no hentai BAKA!" she halfway screamed. Ranma grew angrier and
took a fighting stance. "You want some?!?!" he asked. "Come get it!"

 She felt her eyes begin to fill with tears, and she ran past Ranma and
out the door. Ranma heard her cry as she ran past. The room was now
unusually quiet. Ranma stood normally again, looked down, and sighed.
Why had she gotten mad? All he did was offer to help. 'Why do girls have
to be so moody all the time?' he thought, then pounded his fist in
frustration on her dresser. A glint in her open top drawer caught his
eye, and he glanced curiously into her drawer to see what it was. He
knew he shouldn't go through her drawers, but he went ahead and reached
in, somewhat embarassed, and pulled out a locket. He instantly
recognized it as the one he had given her several months back. He opened
it and gazed at the picture. The sight of the two of them in a
picture... together... happy... He decided that maybe he should go
apologize to her.

 Akane sat out on her rooftop, crying. Why did he have to be the way he
is? She loved Ranma, yes, but she had no way to come right out and tell
him. She wasn't shy or anything, but for some strange reason, telling
the person who she'd swore in public she hated that she loved him was
not easy. And, of course, he had never admitted that he liked her, even
in any way. Maybe he really did hate her as much as says. She often
often got frustrated with herself for how hard it was to admit it, just
like she had a minute ago. 'It's no wonder he hates me,' she thought,
and pulled her knees up to her chest and sobbed quietly into them. It
was all too confusing. It wasn't his fault. She looked out into the
stars, then looked down at the shadows that were cast by the full moon
behind her.

 'I should just be able to control myself more,' she thought. She began
to stop crying, wiped her eyes, then nodded. 'Alright. I'll go apologize
to Ranma then,' she thought. She stood up, careful not to fall off the
slanted roof, and sniffled a few times to try to clear away the last of
her tears. She turned around to see Ranma standing on the spine of the
roof, at its apex.
 He was an almost completely black silhouette against the bright moon.
Silently he leaped down to where she was, and walked up to her, taking
her hands in front of him.

 Not knowing where to start, he just cut right to the chase. "Akane,
look, I'm sorry if I--"
 "No, it was me," Akane interrupted. "I know you were just trying to be
helpful, but I... I don't know, it's just... well, Ranma, I l.. l--" She
turned to look him in the face, but was also interruptedby his face. She
saw Ranma's gaze into her eyes, and she returned, staring into his,
losing herself. No more words needed to be said. They both knew.

 Slowly, steadily, the grew closer to each other, Ranma slightly bending
downwards, and Akane pushing up a little, until their faces were inches
apart. With a moments hesitation and a million things on their minds at
once, they silently embraced, eyes closed, arms wrapped around each
others shoulders. A light breeze blew against them, unknown to the two
who were unconscious of the outside world now. They continued to kiss
until, finally, there was nothing on their minds at all.

********************************************************************************

 Ryoga looked down at his watch and unconsciously jiggled his right leg.
'Where are they?' he thought with growing impatience. He had been
waiting an extra ten minutes. After hearing of the plans for the Tendou
family and the Saotomes to go to America for a vacation, he snuck out of
the room with a plan. He changed back to his normal self by way of the
bathroom, then got a hold of several people who would find this news
interesting. He told them to meet here, at the lightpost outside the
Tendou Dojo. And now they were all ten minutes late. All of them!
 Out of the mist of the night, Ukyo Kuonji stepped into the ring of
light given off by the lightpost, her face still half bathed in
darkness. "Well?" she asked impatiently.

 Ryoga held up his hand to silence her. "Wait for the others," he said
plainly. As he finished his sentence, Shampoo also came up and into the
light. "Why pig-boy want Shampoo? What important news you have?" she
asked in her Amazon accent. She looked over to Ukyo. "And why
spatula-girl here?" Ukyo immediately responded with, "Hey, watch it!"

 'Hmmm....,' thought Ryoga. 'This is half.' Aloud he inquired, "Where
are the Kunous?"

 As if a ghostly presence had surrounded them the whole time, a voice
came: "My dear sister can not make it; her therapy session is taking
longer than was expected. Therefore I, Tatewaki Kuno, Blue Thunder of
Furinkan High, captain of the kendo club, stand solely before you now."
Kuno walked into the light in front of the two girls to be the most
visible, holding his boken proudly above him. He slowly lowered it and
took in his surroundings. "Why have you summoned me to this...
godforsaken corner?"

 Calm, collected, (and ignoring Kunou-senpai's all too long
introduction) Ryoga started. "As I told all of you, I have an important
piece of information that can be useful to all of us. What is the one
thing we all have in common? That fiend Ranma Saotome." Ryoga allowed a
smile to cross his face. "Heh. He, his father, and the Tendou family
will be going to America for vacation. This is the perfect chance to get
Akane away from him, and possibly even release her from the marriage
bond set by their parents.

 "It's simple. All we have to do is make Akane and Ranma have such a
horrible time with each other, the very thought of the other's face will
cause them to become nauseated. This leaves Ranma open-" he nodded to
the two girls "-And Akane free."

 Ryoga leaned back against the post, pleased with himself. Kunou looked
at him with a hard face, then asked, "Isn't it not so already? Dost not
the energetic and beautious Akane Tendo already think of Saotome, that
enslaver of the pig-tailed girl, in a low way?"

 Ryoga shook his head grimly. "It would seem so from the way they act in
public. But actually, there are moments in which they almost seem... NOT
to hate each other. The point is, we must stop them before anything...
develops."

 There was silence for a minute. Shampoo spoke up now. "Where they go?"
Ryoga looked at her and replied, "A place called Florida, a state in
America."

 "State?"

 "Yeah, how the country is divided. Kinda like prefectures. They are
going to a popular attraction called Disney World. I've been there a few
times, and I must say that the place is quite corny. Think, they have a
mouse with big ears as their mascot. And the way they draw him on paper
and animate him!" He paused to shudder. "It's appalling!"

 Ukyo nodded. "Yes, I've heard of it. It's cheesy. But how are WE gonna
get there, huh?"
 Ryoga smiled. "That's easy. After getting lost so much, I have made
several friends in the travel industry. I can get us there, one way or
another, but most likely by plane. He looked at each one of them for a
second, then asked, "Do we have a plan?"

 They all agreed, with a bit of hesitation. "Good," Ryoga said, then
laughed a little. "Very good..."

Ryoga's notes: The sentimental chapter, and also the introduction of
Ryoga's little plan. If you don't believe in the Ranma and Akane
relationship, well, neither do I. But still, Her highness Takahashi-sama
designed that way... who am I but a lowly otaku? Definately not one to
go against her most glorious story. ::blinks, then smacks the Kunou out
of him. ^_^:: Hopefully the story is starting to get more of a plot here
and you'll actually wanna read more. Don't forget the emails to me!
(*hint! hint!*) ryogah15@geocities.com
************************************
... ... ... ...

-Ryoga Masaki
"Leave it to that KICK-ass Ryoga..." -Ukyo Kuonji (well, kinda...)
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Dojo/4189