Legal: The characters of Ranma � were created by the great Rumiko
Takahashi.
I am using them without permission, hopefully for the purpose of
entertaining someone. If anyone who has a right to sue me has that
desire, I have almost no money.
C&C is appreciated, you can contact me at brenda02@sprynet.com
--------
A Ranma � Fanfict
Surreal Genius
By Brendan O'Donnell
Part six
Ranma exploded into consciousness and rose to a seated posture,
coughing and wiping the water from her face. She looked up at Nabiki
who was standing by her futon holding a bucket of water.
"Do you mind?" Ranma commented in an annoyed tone.
"Hey you didn't wake up when I asked you and Noriko said this
was the quickest option." She responded with a wide grin.
With an almost suppressed snarl Ranma stood and walked through
the halls toward the Bath.
A shadowy figure sat in a tree before the gates of a large
school complex. His eyes were scanning the faces of the students as
they filed into the building.. He frowned. "Ranma," he commented,
softly. Glancing at the clock on the tower he realized that his target
had not arrived. He leapt off the tree branch, and landed quietly, his
brown cloak settling around him. Looking at the school building he
nodded to himself as he identified the window of the office. With a
slight grin he ran straight up to that window, pausing to ram his fist
into the wall beside it. The wall exploded.
Entering through his just created opening the figure walked up
to the filing cabinets on the wall and opened the drawer marked S.
Identifying the folder he sought he opened it, and read quickly. He
frowned.
The door of the records room slammed open and a secretary
stepped in. "What happened?" she commented while looking around the
room. The figure stood, and suddenly she found herself slammed against
the wall.
"Where is Furinkan High School?"
Shampoo hummed to herself as she walked through the streets,
taking a longer rout back to the Saotome house that she hadn't taken
before. She was feeling a joy that none of the homework in her bookbag
could diminish. In her village she was the descendant and chosen heir
of one of the strongest matriarchs. She was proud of her position but
the requirements were tiring. *Here in Japan, I'm just an incredibly
beautiful exchange student.* She thought to herself. *And since I'm
the only Amazon in the entire city, I don't have play the role of
supreme warrior to everyone I meet! No one caries if I follow the old
traditions or not!* With a joyful laugh she leaped onto the top of a
nearby stone wall and started running along it's length. The sound of
voices from the other side prompted her to look and she stopped,
frowning to herself.
On the other side of the wall a confrontation was underway. A
group of four or five extremely bandaged figures in sweatsuits were
threatening a black haired girl in a school uniform.
Shampoo frowned to herself. *I shouldn't take sides but five
to one doesn't even resemble fair odds* Before she could take action
the five pulled odd-looking clubs and charged the schoolgirl. Their
target pulled a long black ribbon from her schoolbag and with an
unnerving laugh she deftly deflected their attacks. *Hmm, it's unfair
in the other direction* The ribbon wielder started thrashing her now
cowering attackers. *Gloating over defeated opponents is ok, beating
them is going too.* Shampoo thought to herself a second before leaping
off the wall.
The ribbon wielding girl was cheerfully lashing her would be
attackers, when suddenly a hand snapped out and caught it, pulling it
tight. She looked up into the face of the purple haired girl who had
caught it.
"You beat many enemy, should be enough, no need excess,"
Shampoo said.
"You caught my ribbon� I see your no ordinary girl."
"Shampoo no ordinary, she better," Shampoo replied with a smug
grin.
"No matter." Shampoo's new opponent replied as she dropped her
ribbon and flipped one of her opponents clubs into the air with her
foot. "No one interferes with the black rose," She added as she caught
the club and lunged foreword, thrusting the weapon at Shampoo. Shampoo
ducked under the attack, lashing out with a kick to her opponents legs,
knocking her off her feet. Shampoo followed her first attack with a
rising uppercut, however the Ribbon wielder had used the trip as the
start of a handspring, which avoided the punch and threw her to land
several feet away.
"Well, you are good." Shampoo's opponent commented, pulling a
black rose from her schoolbag. "I'm Kodachi, the Black Rose," She
said as she threw the rose into Shampoo's hands. Turning she leaped to
the top of the wall, paused and looked back at Shampoo. "Be sure to
remember that." And with a laugh that sent shivers down Shampoo's
spine she left in a series of roof to roof bounds.
Shampoo looked after her brief opponent a moment then was
reminded of the five sweatsuit clad fighters who were now weeping over
their loss.
In Akane's room Kodachi's five opponents were seated on the
floor before her bed. On the bed Akane and Shampoo were siting looking
at them. "Akane," one tearfully began.
"Please, you have to help us." Another added.
Akane looked at them, "The entire Rhythmic Gymnastics team was
ambushed?"
"We were trying to repay the favor but she was just too good."
"And it's only a week till the big contest."
"You've gotta help us, Akane!"
"It's Martial arts rhythmic gymnastics and you're the only
girl in school who has any chance of beating that cheater!"
"Actually there two girl now." Shampoo commented with a smug
grin. Akane glared at her a second, then smiled at the girls.
"Don't worry guy's, I'll help you out, and Shampoo might too."
"Of course Shampoo help, Shampoo want second chance at rose
maniac."
"I'm not entering, but if you let me get some water I'll help
you train." Ranma commented as he straightened himself off the
doorframe and walked out of the room.
Ranma looked around the dojo, contemplating the rhythmic
gymnastic tools lying everywhere. Shampoo was going from tool to tool,
cheerfully testing them with the proficiency of an expert in many
weapons learning the basics of a new one. Akane was� "Um, can I help
you with that?"
"Shut up!" She called back as she struggled with the ribbon
which she had tangled around herself. Hearing Shampoo giggle she
pivoted to glare at the Chinese girl.
"Akane not worry, Shampoo beat rose maniac easy at contest."
"I'm the one the team asked for help, I'll beat her!"
Shampoo opened her mouth a moment, then closed it as she
glanced at her watch. "No time for argue, Shampoo have date tonight."
With those words she exited the dojo.
Akane looked after her. "She has a date."
Ranma shrugged her shoulders and commented. "Well in the
village there were all sorts of protocols about her and the local boys
her age, this is her first chance to just go on a date and relax."
"Dates," Akane responded. "She's been out with a different guy
every night."
"Well dating is pretty much a once in a lifetime experience for
her," Ranma commented while smiling and shaking her head. "Noriko and
Shampoo talked for a while a few nights ago and they decided that if
Shampoo did meet anyone she really wanted to take seriously she'd get
me to help him train." Ranma scratched her head. "I guess it'd be
easier to get the elders to accept her getting serious with someone she
could genuinely say beat her. Noriko's the one who knows about those
tradition whatever's if you want to ask."
Ranma crossed her arms as she contemplated Akane. Stepping
foreword she picked up a pair of gymnastics clubs. "Well, unless you
want to call it a night we should start with the basic forms."
"I'm not quitting!"
"That's enough for tonight." Ranma commented as she put down
the ribbon she was holding.
Akane slumped in exhaustion a few moments, then started a few
stretching exercises. "Can I really do this?" She commented quietly.
Ranma looked at her. "Akane, you shouldn't underestimate
yourself. It won't be easy, but you can really improve. Of course I
would have to see Kodachi in action to judge weather or not you can do
better than loose gracefully."
"Thanks." She responded sarcastically. She focused her
remaining energy into stomping out of the Dojo.
Ranma walked after her, then frowned and looked up at the roof
of the main house. With a quick jump she crossed the distance.
Akane sat in the furo, letting the hot water relax her as she
recalled the intense training session she had just endured. She heard
a kiah from outside. She opened her eyes and sat up. There was a
muffled clattering from above her. *Someone's fighting on the roof.*
Wearing a well-worn gi, Akane entered her room and opened her
window. Jumping out she grabbed the edge of the roof and pulled
herself up. Looking around she saw a figure with a red pigtail sitting
on the top edge of the roof facing away from her. "Hi Akane." Ranma
commented.
"Ranma� I thought I heard someone fighting up here.."
Ranma nodded. "Kodachi. Apparently she said something about
preferring to get her 'fair fighting' done before the contest." She
stood and brushed a few black rose petals off her gi. "Akane," Ranma
said as she turned and looked her in the eye. "I see many hours of
practice ahead of you. Long hours."
A figure stood deep in the shadows filling the Saotome yard,
silently regarding the house. The gaze moved over the back of the
house, looking from window to window, coming to rest on a window
through which a flicker of purple was visible for a moment.
"Hi Mousse!" called Noriko as she stepped into the yard.
The shadowed figure looked at her and stepped foreword.
"Noriko?" He asked as his hand reached up to adjust his thick glasses.
"How did you know I was here?"
Noriko responded. "Oniichan just called to tell us that
someone might try to ambush Shampoo. So we started looking and I
spotted you. What are you doing here in Japan?"
"My love for Shampoo will never waver, it inspires me to climb
the highest peaks, to cross the deepest ocean depths!"
"You know she isn't interested." Noriko sighed to herself. "I
know how hard it is to let go of your pursuit of her, but your going to
have to sooner or later."
"Shampoo is my life. However small the chance the hope of
winning her love is more important to me than anything."
Noriko reached into his sleeve and grabbed his hand. Mousse
looked down at her. They both looked up toward the sounds of fighting
that suddenly erupted from the room that was previously Ranmas.
"Don't," Noriko proclaimed, tightening her grip on Mousse's
hand. He looked down at her. "Shampoo doesn't want help. And she's
good enough that she would almost never need it."
There was a crash and Mousse and Noriko looked up again to see
an unconscious feminine figure describing a great arc across the sky.
Mousse immediately turned in pursuit with a cry of "Shampoo!"
Noriko glanced at the hole in the wall. She could see Shampoo
looking guiltily at her handiwork. Noriko thought a moment, then
started to run after Mousse. *Dad better wait till morning before he
fixes that.* In her mind she recalled the frequent times the dojo and
house had been damaged through her father and brother's fights. A
smile touched her face as she remembered watching in awe as they
repaired the damage at fantastic speed, patching the damaged areas with
a skill that left the patches almost invisible. *Dad might even teach
me a few of the maneuvers!* She thought excitedly. *He's always been
hesitant about sharing what he and Ranma learned about Construction
Martial Arts, but if he's got to do the repairs himself he might decide
to teach me enough to help!*
Two more jumps brought her to the roof where Mousse was
standing, the body of an attractive girl in a leotard cradled in his
arms. He was looking through his thick glasses at her face. "I
thought she was Shampoo." he commented, turning his head toward Noriko.
"Mmm," Feeling the girl stirring Mousse looked back at her.
She opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Oh, thank you." Her arms
reached up and she quickly wrapped them around his neck. "I was so
frightened!" She added hugging Mousse tightly.
"Ah... I just� that is I saw you�"
"You're Kodachi right?" Noriko commented. Kodachi shifted
her suddenly very cold gaze to her.
"Isn't it past your bedtime little girl?" Kodachi commented,
making sure her arms stayed around Mousse's neck as he set her on her
feet.
"I've got some time." Noriko responded with a grin. "So what
were you doing?"
"I was merely discussing sportsmanship with my future
opponent, and that purple haired barbarian attacked me!" She looked
into Mousse's face. "And then you saved me," She said as she pressed
her body against his, "Please I must know who my handsome savior is."
"Uh� I'm�"
"Mousse!" Noriko commented.
Mousse quickly nodded vigorously. "I'm Mousse!" He took a
deep breath, then frowned. "And you shouldn't talk about Shampoo like
that!"
Kodachi looked at Mousse and asked timidly "Is, is Shampoo
important to you?"
"He's been chasing her for years, and she's been trying to make
him stop just as long." Noriko said.
"She's a fool then." Kodachi responded, looking into Mousse's
lenses. Raising her hand to his cheek she added, "How could any woman
not want someone so handsome and strong."
Mousse began sweating, and his face was almost completely red.
"Um, well, I need to, my�"
"Spam?" Noriko commented.
"Spam! I need to feed my spam!" He said as he pulled himself
from Kodachi's grip and ran into the night as fast as he could.
Kodachi took a step after him, then stopped and sighed as she
looked to the ground.
"You like him then." Noriko stated as she stepped next to
Kodachi.
Looking down haughtily Kodachi said, "And who might you be
child."
Noriko directed a hard look at her, then adopted a crooked
smile. "Noriko Saotome. Your best chance for eternal happiness with
Mousse there."
"And what makes you think so highly of yourself?"
"Well, first off I actually know him, and I have studied
romance for most of my life. Trust me if I can't get you together you
were never meant to be."
"Why?"
Noriko smiled benevolently. "I don't know you so I can't tell
whether or not your right for Mousse. I do know that you could well be
right for making Mousse give up on chasing after Shampoo and that's
something everyone wants done. I'll meet you at caf� Toramaru tomorrow
at five." She turned and started back toward the Saotome home.
Pausing she looked over her shoulder. "Don't forget now."
Akane stumbled slightly as she walked along the top of the
fence.
"Keep up." Ranma commented from where he was walking on the
fence in front of her, his nose buried in a book.
Akane scowled at him and picked up the pace slightly.
"Remember your doing this for the fight. Balance is one of the
most critical elements of agility and it has to be second nature to
you."
Akane broke into a run and lashed out with a leg sweep as soon
as she approached Ranma. Who fell forward, grabbed the fence and
pushed off into a handspring and landed easily on the fence. With a
scowl he jumped to the ground to pick up his dropped book.
"You're the one who wanted my help. If you want to take on
Kodachi you have to squeeze every bit of training you can into your
day."
"I know! You don't have to be so smug about it!"
"I'm not being smug." He responded in an annoyed tone.
"No of course not Mister 'I took all those training trips so
I'm so much better than you could ever hope to be.'"
"You shouldn't feel jealous."
"I AM NOT JEALOUS, YOU EGOTISTICAL SEX CHANGING WEIRDO!"
With a slight growl Ranma stuck his nose back into his book
ignoring the fact it was now upside down. book and started running the
remaining distance to school.
"I said I was sorry, Ranma!" Akane commented in an annoyed
voice.
"And I said I accepted your apology. That has nothing to do
with training." Ranma responded with similar annoyance as he whipped
the bo staff he was holding in a quick arc at Akane's legs. As she
jumped over the stick and landed back on the fence Ranma smiled
slightly and nodded. "Kodachi is good, so training for a few hours
every night isn't going to be enough." He shifted his hands to the
middle of the bo, and with a quick spin he aimed a swipe at her legs
which continued into a strike at her midriff. Akane jumped over the
first, then vaulted over the second, grabbing the top of the fence to
flip herself foreword to her feet. Her hands slipped.
"Akane!" Ranma called as he dropped his staff. Akane had
avoided hitting the fence and landed in the road performing what Ranma
recognized as a perfect breakfall technique.
"Damn!" Akane muttered to herself as she rose to a sitting
position and quickly brushed off her sleeves and blouse. Then she
looked at Ranma's extended hand with annoyance. "I don't need help!"
Ranma pulled back his hand. "Not with falling right and
getting up of course. Look I'm sorry you fell, but there is no point
in training that doesn't push you too and past your current limits."
He turned and picked up his staff. "Another fundamental element of
training is that when you fall off the fence, you have to get right
back on. Now hop up and give me three flips."
Akane groaned to herself. *Is beating Kodachi really worth all
this?* She remembered Shampoo telling her, *"Akane not worry, Shampoo
beat rose maniac easy at contest."* With a scowl she jumped onto the
fence, took three steps, then leaped into a front flip, landing on her
feet on the fence ahead of her, wobbled a moment, then smiled as she
centered her balance properly once again.
"One" Ranma commented.
Kodachi stood before the entrance of caf� Toramaru and looked
around a moment. *Can that child really know anything the black rose
would need to learn? Still, if she could show me the way�* Her eyes
took a starry look as she visualized Mousse holding her in his arms
against a background of flowers. 'My perfect black rose' he said as
he caressed her cheek with his hand then moved in to kiss her.
"Having fun?" Noriko had just leaned over Mousse's shoulder.
Shaking herself out of her daydream Kodachi looked down at Noriko
Saotome's grinning face.
Kodachi scowled at her.
Noriko's grin didn't change. She glanced at her watch and
commented, "Your right on time." She stepped into the caf� commenting,
"Come on, food and conspiracy is always much better than conspiracy
alone."
"�Bang! Shampoo knocked him out with one punch." Noriko
commented over her menu. "She said that when Mousse didn't stop
chasing her after that she decided to quit her plans to scare him off
and hope that he'd eventually learn if she kept hitting him when he got
too close."
Kodachi looked down at her menu in silence for a moment. Then
she looked up and smiled. "Ah the foolish girl, seeking to drive off a
man of courage and dedication with punishment alone." She ran her
fingers through her hair and adopted a quick pose. "With the proper
enticement Mousse-sama will soon wonder why he wasted all that time on
that purple haired bumpkin."
Noriko scowled. "That bumpkin is a close friend." Then she
smiled as she saw the waiter pausing by their table." Ah, are you
ready to order yet Kodachi?" Not waiting for her reply Noriko tilted
her menu toward the waiter and pointed out her order, "I want this,
this, this and this!"
"A-Are you sure?"
Noriko scowled at the waiter, glanced at Kodachi who was now
staring at her as well and folded her arms across her chest. "Haven't
you ever seen a growing girl before?"
"AHHH!! That hit the spot!" Noriko commented as she put her
chopsticks down on her plate. Next to it were two bowls stacked on a
small hotplate. "Ok, now I hope I've clarified how important it is
that you not scare him with over-enthusiasm. Subtlety is the key. You
want that roll?"
Kodachi looked at the remains of Noriko's meal, looked into her
face, then passed the roll to her. "I am fully capable of restraint,
Mousse-Sama shall have no cause to fear my entreaties to his noble
heart."
"Good, you'll have to keep that in mind and not get nuts about
living under the same roof. Ah the check."
Kodachi blinked as Noriko dropped the bill for the meal in
front of her. "Living under the same roof?"
"Oh, did I forget to mention that I got your big brother to put
him up in the Kuno Mansion?" Noriko closed her eyes and lightly
smacked her hand to her head. "And I call my brother stupid." Shaking
her head she got up and walked to the exit. Pausing long enough to
deposit the yen for the bill Kodachi followed her.
As they left the store Noriko said. "Yeah, well it was
actually my friend Nabiki who set it up, it's the sort of thing that's
best discussed over ice cream."
"Large chocolate-vanilla twist." The girl behind the counter
said as she handed the ice cream cone to Noriko. Who looked at it with
a wide grin, and very happy eyes. She licked a little of the ice cream
while Kodachi paid the bill.
"I'll have to remember this place." Noriko commented as she
walked away from the counter. She bit a small mouthful of ice cream
off the top. "Mmm. As I was saying I asked Nabiki to help me get Kuno
to put him up at your mansion, and she talked with him for a few
minutes and told me it was all set up. So I talked to Mousse, and
after I explained for the third time that camping out in our backyard
was a bad idea, he agreed to let me find him someplace to stay
locally." She took another bite from the ice cream. "Mmm, anyway
subtlety is important. Arranging for him to see you naked has to
wait."
Kodachi stumbled. "A-arrange that he�"
Noriko glanced back at her. "Oh, sorry, shouldn't have
mentioned that, it's just Mom sometimes acts like she sees peeping as a
vital part of courtship. Forget I said anything."