Ranma sat in the corner of the dojo looking at Shampoo and
Akane. At the beginning of the week he would have been certain that
Shampoo would have been the only reasonable choice to fight in the
contest. Watching them now, it was clear that Akane's intense training
coupled with Shampoo's decision to skip training sessions in favor of
going out with a different guy every night left them very closely
matched. Shampoo still had a sizable advantage of both speed and
strength, but� "Only use the tools, Shampoo." Ranma called as he
tossed a ball to bounce off her head.
"Feh, stupid toys." Shampoo commented as she picked up a
ribbon, and shifted into a ready stance as Akane rose to her feet and
lifted a pair of gymnastic clubs. Shampoo jumped foreword, lashing out
at Akane with the Ribbon. Akane dropped into a roll under the Ribbon's
path, throwing three clubs as she rose to a kneeling position. Shampoo
deflected two clubs with the ribbon and twisted her body out of the way
of the third. Akane rose to her feet twirling the Ribbon she had
picked up. A second later the two began striking back and forth at
each other with their ribbons.
Ranma watched the duel for several minutes, ribbon against
hoop, batons against balls, then glanced at his watch. Rising to his
feet he walked around the ribbonstorm that was filling the center of
the Dojo. At the door he paused and looked at the two combatants. "Oh
and remember, tomorrows the big day so if you can't decide who takes on
Kodachi by 9:00, you're flipping a coin."
"Going somewhere?" Nabiki asked as she looked at Ranma
walking through the house.
"I've got something in the works in the lab at my house, and I
really can't put it off."
"You have your own lab?"
Ranma glanced at her, and grinned and leaned against the wall.
"Yep, When I was 8, I overheard mom arguing with dad about the costs
of repairing the dojo, so I organized a training trip at the dojo of
the masters of Martial Art Construction." He grinned at the memory.
"Three months of training and Pop and I learned enough to fix
everything we broke. And skipping a real long story, they used our
dojo a few weeks while they were settling some problems with a firm of
Martial Art Lawyers." Ranma shuddered a moment. "Seriously
unpleasant. Anyway as a combination training exercise, thank you
gesture they built a big underground lab for me."
"So what are you working on?"
"Please, allow me a few secrets."
Ranma carefully picked up a small rectangular piece of silvery
metal with a pair of forceps. He opened a black box with his other
hand, and put the metal inside. A few deft adjustments inside the box
and he closed the lid. He reached down to the sides of the box, where
two hand sized plates of reddish metal where fastened. Ranma placed
his hand's on the plates and stood there concentrating. A few moment's
later he began to glow faintly with a blue aura. Glancing at a
collection of digital readouts on the table, he began to smile.
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 won'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 becoming 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!"