In an unlit room, a telephone was ringing. Then a light was
turned on, revealing Ranma lying on a small cot massaging his forehead
as he sat up. Glancing at the near antique black phone by the lamp he
had just turned on he picked up the headpiece and informed it "What?"
"Ranma, listen to me. You have to call Nabiki, NOW!" Noriko
replied.
Frowning, Ranma held down the button in the cradle, then
reached down and started to input the Tendo's number in the rotary
dial. *Note to self, get a touch-tone phone for here.* He had thought
this every time he had to use the outdated machine. Which averaged to
about once every two months.
"Moshi-moshi." Kasumi's voice stated over the line.
"Yes Noriko said I had to call your sister?"
"Oh yes, just a second." He could just hear Kasumi call for
Nabiki, telling her who had called.
"Ranma?" It took Ranma a moment to recognize Nabiki's voice.
He had never heard her sound worried before.
"Nabiki? What's wrong? Kodachi didn't sneak in and try
something did she?"
"No, this was their own stupidity pure and simple. Apparently
at nine, they decided to follow your advice and flip for who took on
Kodachi, but they couldn't agree who would be heads and tales so they
had another match over THAT! And then they couldn't agree about the
outcome so they started another contest." She paused to groan then
sigh. "When I got up this morning they were still at it. I think
Shampoo was winning but they both looked too exhausted for me to really
say."
Ranma ran his hand through his hair with a groan. "Great.
How do they look?
"They both collapsed five seconds after I got them to stop, and
I can't decide whether or not to try waking them up. Ranma, we can't
forfeit this match. I've rigged the betting pool I'm running to come
out in the black no matter who wins, but that's only if I can collect
on the bets against Kodachi managing to take out everyone competent on
our side. Unless I get can find a girl who can represent Furinkan and
last at least a minuet the dojo wouln't be able to afford anything
besides rice for the next month."
Ranma sat there silently. He knew what Nabiki wanted to ask.
He knew that honor demanded he agree. He also knew that she wasn't
asking because she knew how badly he wanted to throw honor to the wind
and refuse in the name of masculine pride. He sighed. "You found her.
I'll ask mom to get me the outfit, and I'll meet you at St. Hebereke
later."
Ranma walked into the school with a shopping bag dangling from
her left hand. *Is there any way out of this? No, there's still no
way to get around having to do this.* she thought to herself as she
walked through the halls, looking everywhere but at the bag he held.
"You there, are you with the team from Furinkan?" Asked a
somewhat familiar voice ahead of him. Focusing her attention she
realized she had heard it a week before, it belonged to Kodachi Kuno
who was standing in front of her in her school uniform with a smirk on
her face.
"Yep, the other contestants� aren't available."
Kodachi sighed, "My open invitation to them to attend the match
wasted! And I so wanted Mousse-sama to see me against a capable
opponent. I hope you actually can fight me properly. I'd so hate to
loose the chance to defeat you because you drew to many penalties from
weaponless attacks."
"You should worry about loosing the match." Ranma responded,
forcing herself to grin slightly.
Ranma stood in her corner of the ring, trying to ignore the
feeling of the tights she was wearing. *I can't hold back just because
she's a girl. I have to go all out and fight as hard as I can. I
chose to fight, and I will do everything in my power to win.*
"Your name?" The referee asked.
"Ranko Saotome."
"Ranko Saotome challenging!" The referee declared to the
crowd. She turned to point to the opposing corner. "The champion
Kodachi Kuno!"
Ranma stood at the opposite side of the ring as Kodachi. Both
were breathing heavily from the effort of the fight. Kodachi suddenly
pulled a ball from nowhere and tossed it at Ranma. Ranma dropped into
a roll to avoid it, then was knocked to the mat as it exploded.
"An opening!" Kodachi yelled as she jumped at Ranma swinging a
pair of gymnastic clubs at her. Ranma grabbed a nearby hoop and
twirled it around her wrist as she rolled to the side. As she rose to
a kneeling position she grabbed the hoop by the edge and with a quick
twist looped it around the spot where Kodachi's arms were supposed to
be. Rising to her feet Ranma rotated the hoop attempting to snare
Kodachi with it. Kodachi avoided the attack, though the clubs were
pulled from her grasp.
Ranma spun the hoop around his wrist, advancing at Kodachi
quickly, however she cartwheeled away, grabbing a ribbon and hoop of
her own off the mat as she went. Flipping to the side opposite Ranma,
Kodachi threw her own hoop at her as she landed. It struck her hoop
splitting it in half. She instantly followed up with her ribbon.
Ranma countered with her own ribbon. The ribbon's lashed at each other
in the center of the ring, then Ranma shifted stances as Kodachi's
ribbon wrapped round her right wrist, trapping her own ribbon.
Kodachi pulled at the ribbon, and Ranma pulled back. Ranma's
arm was pulled toward Kodachi, then with an effort she drew it back
toward her own body. Then with a slight smile she jumped foreword her
right hand shooting foreword to catch the slack ribbon and snap a fast
loop through it. The loop snapped around Kodachi's wrist, then another
snap threw her into the air.
Kodachi pulled out a small whistle, looked where she was going,
then dropped it.
"Ranko Saotome!" The Referee stated raising Ranma's hand above
her head.
In the audience Kodachi was standing against Mousse, her head
buried in his chest. "Oh Mousse-sama, you saved me again!" Before
Mousse could conceive of anything intelligible to stammer in reply, she
pushed herself away. Holding herself Kodachi shook her head, tears
streaming down her cheeks. "But no! I entered this match to prove the
strength of my love for you, but I failed! My love is not strong
enough to be worthy of you!" She turned away, crouching with her hands
to her face.
"Er, no� You fought well, I mean my heart belongs to Shampoo,
but your�"
Kodachi pivoted and grabbed his hands. "Don't say anything,
Mousse-Sama. I will dedicate myself from this day to become worthy of
you!" Releasing his hands she turned and ran toward her dressing room.
Mousse stood there, looking after her, and glancing at his hands.
Ranma followed Nabiki into the house, male once again and
dressed in his usual red shirt with black pants. "That was an
experience I don't want to repeat." He commented.
"But you looked so cute in that leotard." Nabiki commented.
Snapping her fingers she added, "Oh that reminds he, Noriki wanted you
to have this, as a memento of the fight." She pulled a videotape from
her purse and extended it to him.
Ranma glanced at the copy of Mel Brooks "Robin Hood, Men in
Tights" With a quiet growl he stalked away.
"Hello! Is something the matter Ranma?" Kasumi proclaimed as
she walked out of the kitchen.
Ranma directed a scowl at her, then sighed as she failed to
react to it. "No, my sister's just demonstrating her warped sense of
Humor."
"Oh, there's nothing warped about Noriko," Nabiki commented.
"Oh and have Shampoo and Akane woken up yet?"
"I don't think so."
"If they had you'd know."
Ranma directed a suspicious glance at Nabiki
Shampoo stood arms spread wide accepting the cheers of the
crowd. Kodachi lay at her feet, apologizing for challenging her.
Ranma jumped into the ring and grabbed her in a joyous embrace. No
wait he had suddenly turned female, and he was griping her tighter.
The dream dissolved.
Akane stood arms spread wide accepting the cheers of the crowd.
Shampoo was bowing to her and declaring that she was the better
martial artist. Ranma jumped into the ring and grabbed her in a joyous
embrace. No wait he had suddenly turned female, and he was griping her
tighter. The dream dissolved
Both girls opened their eyes slowly, looking to see each
other's face. Their awakening minds calmly took stock of the
situation. They were in the same bed. They both had their arms around
each other. They had no clothes on. Some sort of reaction was
necessary.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" They separated themselves
like two magnets of identical poles.
Ranma pivoted toward the stairs as a pair of screams erupted
on the second floor. Climbing the stairs in three jumps, he ran to the
source of the screams. Akane's room.
"Are you� Gyaah!" Ranma pivoted away from the sight. On the
bed Akane had stood in a vaguely defensive stance clutching a sheet to
her chest with one arm, the other extended in a vaguely martial arts
posture. Opposite stood Shampoo, wearing nothing but her hair
ornaments. She was also standing in a rough approximation of a martial
arts stance, with one hand poised as though checking her body for
something. "Didn't see anything, didn't see anything, if I did see
anything I'm not admitting it." Ranma stated to himself as he walked
away from the room.
Akane's voice called out in a fierce tone promising
retribution, "Nabiki!"