Ranma 1/2 Fanfic "Ranma Gets a clue"
Written by Asayogure5@worldnet.att.net
Last modified (10/7/1999)
Chapter 4, "The fury of the fiances."
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Authors Notes: (Feel free to skip)
This chapter is dedicated to Amber, without her constant
pestering I would never write anything. She has the unique
quality of being able to nag me, and motivate me, without
me feeling like I am doing chores. God bless you.
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Begin.
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Akane sat at the breakfast table eating her breakfast and sneaking
furtive glances at Ranma. He was also playing this sneaky game of
"peek-a-boo" and was stealing glances at her as well. Reaching for food
became a whole new kind of game, to see if they could touch hands
without arousing any suspicion. Ranma was having the damnedest time
keeping a straight face today. He was in a good mood, and Kasumi,
deciding to go Western style today, had served eggs and bacon. If
Ryouga walked into the room, he would have a heart attack. Ranma was
practically crying from the effort to hold in his laughter.
All too soon it seemed, breakfast was cleared and the two of them
set out for school as was their daily habit. They paused at the doorway
to grab their lunches and satchels and slip on their outdoor shoes.
Ranma froze in the entryway and pivoting at the waist with hands on
hips, swung his gaze wildly around the area. "Where in the hell..." he
muttered to himself.
"Looking for something?" Akane said, looking curiously over her
shoulder at him, while getting her shoes on. "Hey, where's your bag
anyway Ranma?" She asked casually, noticing what he was looking for.
"I uh, I um...I dunno." He said while continuing to gaze around the
room. "I musta left it at school somewhere, or something." Shrugging
his shoulders, he grabbed his lunch and stuck it in Akane's bag when she
wasn't looking. Then he slipped his shoes on and hopped out the door.
Whipping her head around, Akane saw Ranma already almost half a street
away.
"Dammit, wait for me!" She yelled after him, as she accelerated out
the door in a run.
When she caught up to him, they ran a ways in silence, with Ranma on
the fence-top, and her running alongside him on the ground. Ranma
didn't follow his set pattern today though. The closer they got to the
school, the weirder he became. He kept rotating between running atop
the fence and hopping down to run beside Akane. His eyes were all over
the place, and he kept clenching and unclenching his hands into white
knuckled fists. Akane was pretty sure Ranma was losing it. Ranma
however just KNEW that something bad was going to happen.
That was how his life worked: he would have fun and a bomb would level
his house. He would smile and be taken away from his mother for a
decade. He would say he liked a flower, and it would turn out the
flower was possessed by some demon Happosai had pissed off in the name
of Anything Goes Martial Arts. He would eat some bacon and well...
At the moment Ranma would admit that he liked Akane. That was all,
he just liked her...right? But even so, things that Ranma liked or cared
about had a habit of being destroyed or taken from him. And Ranma
wasn't really in the mood for that kind of crap today. So he was being
extra paranoid.
Running absentmindedly alongside her, Ranma's hips accidentally
bumped into hers, and she skittered off the sidewalk, a few steps to the
left.
'So that's the way he wants to play it huh?' Akane thought to
herself , and grinned evil-like. Girding herself for battle, Akane
brought HER hips firmly into play and Ranma bounced into the fence with
the twanging spring of stretching chain linked fencing. Snapping out of
his thoughts as the fence snapped him back, he looked strickenly at her.
Then he playfully returned fire. While because they were busy
playing and running, they failed to take notice of an ominous bicycle
bell sounding in the distance.
Shampoo was so shocked at the sight running towards her, that she
didn't leap onto Ranma, or even try to destroy Akane. She just sat upon
her bicycle balancing atop the fence railing, looking down at the two of
them, and feeling rather confused. Ranma and Akane, noticing her,
stopped so quickly they had to dig their heels in to avoid falling over.
Ranma swore a rather descriptive oath under his breath, causing Akane to
raise an eyebrow in surprise.
"What you doing to husband, Akane Tendo?!" Shampoo demanded, her
arms
folded under her breasts in a no-nonsense kind of pose. The wind picked
up for a second, and tossed her purple hair into waves flowing behind
her, the wind carried with it the smell of the canal water, a musky wet
smell. 'This could be a good or a bad sign,' Ranma thought, and waited
to find out.
"Your husband!?" Akane shot back dryly. "I'm sorry I missed the
ceremony. When did he marry you?" Shampoo shot Akane a glare that
would freeze boiling water. Ranma now understood the phrase, "if looks
could kill." Shampoo was making a move to advance on Akane, when out of
the clear blue morning sky, a single sparkling stream of water arched
towards her. Instant cat. Akane still hopped up on "MY-almost-
boyfriend protection" adrenaline searched crossly for the source of the
water. Choking back a laugh, and settling for a snicker and a very
satisfied grin, her eyes found the old lady watering the dust down
outside her home as she did every day, following the ancient traditions.
'I swear, if I didn't know better I'd think she waits out here to get
people wet on purpose.' Her thoughts were interrupted by the
introduction of a heavy weight onto her right arm, causing her to lurch
off balance. Looking down, she found Ranma. Curled up into as small a
ball as he could make himself, he stilled weighed a ton to her. Shaking
and with a wild look in his eyes, he whispered, "C-C-Caaat!" Re-
directing her gaze to the fence, Akane found Shampoo glaring at them,
kitty cat like of course.
Shampoo jumped off the top of the bike she was still balanced upon,
and, as it sailed off into the canal, she sailed straight towards Ranma.
Ranma clenched his eyes shut and whimpered. Akane thinking quickly,
spun with all her might, pivoting on her toes like a ballerina. This
caused the heavy pack on her back, to swing with quite a lot of force.
The pack caught the mid-air cat, and caused Shampoo to go sailing off
after her bike, making very indignant cat sounds. Smoothing Ranma's
hair with her left hand, Akane kneeled down on the rough, sun warmed
pavement, on her skirt-bared knees.
She cradled Ranma in her lap and cooed to him for a few seconds
until he snapped out of it. Looking up with his normal eyes again,
their gazes locked, and Ranma did something he had never done before
after being pulled out of his Cat Terror. Arching his neck, he brushed
his lips up the base of her neck, tickling the little hairs there, and
whispered in her ear, "thank you...my fiancee." It was as near to
kissing her, consciously, that he would dare to do in public.
Embarrassed and confused, Akane blushed and quickly pushed him off her
lap, causing... him to land in a rather undignified pose on the
pavement. Standing awkwardly after having his body weight crushing her
knees into the pavement, she wiped some loose gravel off her knees,
straightened and smoothed her skirt, and adjusted her hair and pack.
By now Ranma had regained his dignity, and was sitting cross-legged on
the ground, staring at her rather crossly.
"I don't think that was necessary." He said dryly.
"Do you have any idea how much you weigh, you goober." Akane shot
back playfully as she finished making herself presentable.
"Yeah, well...you still didn't hafta push me, ya coulda asked me to
get off ya know."
"Well I...oh shoot! We're late! Again! Come on!" She dashed off
in the direction of the school, leaving Ranma to stare after her dust
trail and sigh. Rolling his eyes to the heavens, he muttered, "women!"
and loped off after her. After all, he needed to keep her in sight if
he was to keep her safe. Not to mention the fact that she was carrying
around HIS lunch.
They arrived at the grounds of Furinkan High School, and stopped. A
small group of students were baring their way. Idly, Ranma noted that
Kuno wasn't there, which surprised him. He also noticed that unlike the
aggressors he had encountered in the past, this group of students
looked, well normal. The assembled students carried no battle gear, no
sports equipment, and their eyes lacked that obsessed mad gleam. This
was gonna be trouble.
Ranma swore another oath under his breath, this one a little bit
louder and definitely not something he had heard in the Tendo household.
Akane raised both eyebrows at him. A single student stepped forward
with his head bowed. Walking towards Akane, and ignoring Ranma, he
stopped about two feet in front of her. Raising his head, you could see
tears streaming from his eyes. His hands clenched into fists. At his
approach the wind picked up, but the noise died down.
"Akane, I have loved you for as many years as you care to recall. I
poured my heart out to you on many occasions. I asked you out
repeatedly, and never sullied your honor by participating in the idiotic
actions of some of my fellow classmates in the morning, by trying to win
your affections through force. Yet time and again you rebuked my
advances and dragged my honor through the mud! I came here today to
tell you that you are an evil bitch and I hope you are happy with..."
*CRACK!* That was as far as the guy got. Ranma stood in front of
his fianc�; he was breathing heavily, the sky grew darker behind him.
Thunder sounded in the distance. The wind picked up behind him and
tossed his hair and clothing around, as he fought to contain the rage
that sprang up within him. Akane could feel his anger, and it wasn't
even directed at her. The young men in the courtyard must have had
bladders of steel to remain rooted in place as they were, and not wet
themselves. The wind was bringing with it the smell of the sky right
before it rained. Ranma's clothing started to whip and snap about as
the wind built in tempo. The weather mirroring his darkening mood. His
hands were clenched into fists and his knuckles were white as he squared
off against the threats against his fianc�.
"Ut-oh." Akane said quietly. Still standing in the same place she
had been when this had started, a surprised look on her face, clutching
her satchel in front of herself like a shield. Then, Ranma spoke.
"LISSEN UP!!! Akane is MY fianc�! Only I have the right to call
her
names. I am warning you now I am NOT in a good mood and if you have any
brains you will leave RIGHT NOW!!" At that, about two thirds of those
assembled did leave, quickly. The scrambled and knocked each other over
in their haste to get away. One student Akane could just barely hear to
berate another as they ran, "Idiot! How could I let you talk me into
taking on Ranma! Come back here!" The student then slapped the back of
the other students head as they ran. That left five total, discounting
the now unconscious young man at Ranma's feet. The remaining ones were
about to regret their decision.
Akane just stood there in shock over how furious Ranma was. He was
protecting her! Violently! 'Good lord,' she realized, 'this could get
out of hand quickly!' Akane walked up behind Ranma, intent on soothing
him; but as she approached, she suddenly felt the string need to back
away. The sky grew even darker as black clouds rolled into the
previously clear sky. Ranma seemed to be radiating heat. She heard a
low growl escape his throat and she watched he started to glow very
faintly around his body outline with a dull crimson aura!
The last time she had seen his battle aura had been on the island of
Togenkyo as they were falling toward what she had thought at the time
was her certain doom. He had cast a red aura then, right before he had
released the energy of his Ki into an attack she had never seen him use,
using it to protect her, the blast had been strong enough to drill
through an island! 'Dear god, he's ready to kill for me!' She looked
around frantically for a way to cool Ranma down.
Ranma's incredible display of power managed to scare away two more
of the students. Now only three were left. They were unarmed, but
Akane also knew they were Martial Artists, and they were fantastic ones.
They were in her P.E. class and she spoke with them on many occasions.
Before today, she had considered them friends, even though each one of
them had been persistently asking her out since she had been twelve.
They held their ground and met Ranma's cold furious gaze with a gaze of
frustrated vengeance. Akane was terrified. Not for Ranma but for these
brain dead people! Dear lord didn't they see how angry he was? He was
ready to kill! She had to stop this.
Stepping in front of Ranma, Akane tried to get his attention.
Looking into his eyes froze her as an icy blast of dread knifed through
her. Her heart clenched in her chest. In those beautiful blue eyes of
his, she saw a life time of pain and loss. She saw anguish and personal
suffering. She knew that Ranma was protecting her, but she had no idea
what the depths of his feelings were, or all of his reasons for doing
so. But looking into those eyes, she knew Ranma was not entirely in
control of himself. Now she was REALLY afraid for those guys, they had
no idea of the potential danger of the powder keg they were holding a
match to.
Ranma glared at the men assembled before him. All of them unarmed,
just the way he liked it. But that didn�t matter because he knew them
all to be masters of their individual arts. As a matter of fact, these
were some of the guys Ranma trained with when Ryouga wasn't around. One
was a master of Judo. A deadly art if used properly, and an effective
counter to the Kenpo style. One was a master of Akido. Not necessarily
a deadly art, but also quite capable of it, Akido was also an effective
counter to his style. The last was a master of Tae Kwondo. That was
too similar to Kenpo to be of any threat to Ranma on a half-way good
day.
But this was not a good day, and he had two other serious threats to
deal with. Despite what people thought about Ranma, he was no god, and
he was not invincible. A good shot to the right place on his head would
render him unconscious as well as anyone else. Ranma was afraid, not
for himself but for Akane. Coldly, he considered his chances of beating
three masters simultaneously, using conventional methods. Weighing his
options, he also started to unconsciously tap into a power within
himself that he knew nothing about. Something he had only used a few
times in his life and had always used in the defense of others. Most
recently that meant Akane. This primal power came alive within Ranma's
mind and tore through his body in the shape of his life's failures and
fears, his suffering and sweat and tears, filling him with It's
strength. He subconsciously felt the most incredible need to protect,
violently. The power grew as his mind flashed back to his training, and
everything that he had gone through because of it.
He had lost too much, had suffered too much at the hands of men and
women, doing what was "right," or was "for his own good." He had been
separated from his mother, he had missed a large chunk of his education
traipsing around Japan and China training with his father, he had been
forced to leave friend after friend behind on that trip. Bitterly, he
thought of Ukyo, and what he had been unwittingly forced to do to her.
She had been the first person that Ranma could recall as having said
they loved him. His father never did, and he barely remembered his
mother. True at the time he had thought Ukyo a boy and thought the talk
of love as sort of weird, but it had still made him feel good. It had
made him feel accepted and safe. Like he was home.
Over the years of his training, he might have forgotten a lot about
his brief stay with Ukyo, but he had never forgotten that feeling. When
they camped out under the stars, in the dark, in some strange mountain
pass, Ranma would be afraid. He had cried himself to sleep searching
within himself, alone and afraid, looking for that feeling many times.
While his father would snore blissfully unaware of his six year olds
fears just a few feet away. He had never forgotten the feeling, but he
had lost it. Several years later, as his self confidence and deadly
skill in the arts had grown, he had slowly begun to realize that he
could no longer dig within himself and find that feeling, it was gone.
Which is why it had shocked him so, when he had felt it again, from a
different source. He had felt it again when he had met Akane that
fateful day, and she had asked if he would like to be friends. He could
never thank her enough for restoring a part of his childhood, and with
it a piece of his humanity.
Ranma felt a sick burning sensation in his chest. Then his anger
turned into an icy resolve. Over and over again he kept muttering,
"never again, never again...you'll have to go through me...I wont let
you take her from me." He wasn't even really aware he was muttering it.
Suddenly, Akane stepped into his field of vision. Waving her hands in
his face and calling his name repeatedly, with a look of terror in her
eyes. In the split second that he took to look at her, all hell broke
loose.
The men attacking him were lashing out with years of pent-up
frustration, years of rejection and loving from afar. True they had only
come here today to vent a little, but since they now had a convenient
out source for their anger and bruised egos, they lashed out at Ranma
with all they had. Ranma was defending one of the most precious things
in his life at the moment, and had no intention of letting her get hurt,
or losing her. While his focus was diverted elsewhere, they rushed him.
Ranma's only concern at the moment was Akane, he couldn't use any
attack with her in the way. Quickly reaching out and picking Akane up,
he cradled her in his arms and leapt. Kicking one of the students in
the face, hard, to boost his jump to a nearby roof top.
Dimly his mind registered the sound of breaking bone, as his foot
snapped the young man�s jaw, or at least cracked a tooth or two. He
landed and set her down gingerly. Then Ranma turned to settle this
matter, for good. Before he could do anything however, he saw dual
blurs of motion streak towards the students on the ground.
The motion turned out to be chains, chains trying to wrap themselves
around the students. One student was now out of commission, lying on
the ground writhing in agony. The other two managed to dodge the
chains. Beside himself with astonishment; Ranma watched Mousse leaping
to his aide, and so accepting the unacceptable, Ranma sat down beside
himself and watched what most assuredly must be the end of the world if
Mousse was helping him.
As Mousse leapt into battle, weapons flying everywhere and battle
cries shouted in Chinese ringing off anything that gave off an echo,
Ranma could see a wet fur-ball sticking out of the neck of his robes,
that could only be Shampoo. In a daze, he watched Mousse land perfectly
balanced and square off against the two still standing. Mousse rocked
side to side in a ready stance, coiled like a steel spring atop the
balls of his feet.
Before anything else could happen, a stream of tiny cutting spatulas
impacting sharply into the concrete, cut their way to him in a deadly
row. Back flipping out of the way, Mousse never saw the ribbon that
shot by to wrap him up. Shampoo hopped out of his robe and went
scurrying away as they landed again.
Ranma watched as Ukyo leapt down out of a nearby tree, and Kodachi
stepped out from behind the shrub she had been hiding behind, Mousse
held firmly in her ribbon. "You're ruining my plan sugar." Ukyo
growled as she walked towards Mousse, unlimbering more throwing spatulas
from her bandoleer as she walked.
"Ho ho ho. That's right darling, you'll spoil all the fun if we let
you run amuck." Kodachi intoned as she jerked her ribbon tighter.
"These guys were about to help rid us of a pest problem, and they
need to finish their jobs, sugar," Ukyo said grimly. Ranma couldn't
believe it. He would expect this sort of thing from Shampoo or Kodachi,
but, Ukyo?
W-wha? The guys were never (physically) attacking Akane! Ranma
challenged them and they attacked him. Umm, or do you mean that they
were about to defeat Ranma and take Akane away from him? (If that�s
what you meant, maybe you could make it a bit clearer, that�s not the
impression I received but it�s the only explanation that I can think of)
"Why, those, those evil bitches!" Akane growled from behind Ranma;
he turned to see her make a move to jump to the attack. As she passed
Ranma on the roof, his hand shot out. She suddenly shuddered and fell
back into Ranma's arms. He released the shiatsu point from her neck and
cradled her now limp body. There was no way he was going to let her
take on Kodachi and Ukyo. Laying her prone body on the rooftop, snug in
a crevice. Ranma hopped off the roof to confront his tormentors. He
was still burning with the need to protect.
Angling his jump, Ranma kicked through the ribbon holding Mousse as
he landed. Without pausing, Ranma started towards the two girls.
"Ukyo! Have you gone insane!? What on earth would cause you to do
something like this?" Ranma challenged as he slowly and painfully
walked toward she to whom he owed so much. Quickly he searched his mind
for a way to neutralize her without actually attacking a girl. The
power still raging in his body screamed for vengeance, begging him to
ignore her sex, and instead focus on the threat she represented.
Before he had a chance to do anything though, his momentum was
halted as both of his arms were caught from behind and lifted into a
position that was VERY painful. Turning to kill whoever had the
audacity to impede his vengeance, Ranma caught a stiff fingered jab to
the throat. Falling to his knees choking, Ranma saw through the tears
in his eyes two satisfied looking martial artists. Seizing his anger
and It's cries for blood, Ranma turned the core of his being into ice.
There was too much at risk. He had left Akane unconscious on a rooftop,
Ukyo and Kodachi were confronting him, Shampoo might be back any minute,
and then he had these two goons to worry about. It was more than his
already fragile mind and inhibitions could tolerate. Stuffing his anger
and emotions into a deep, dark corner of his mind Ranma staggered to his
feet.
The two young men, who had been celebrating and congratulating
themselves on their victory, halted in mid-backslap. Visibly resolving
themselves to finish their jobs, they squared their shoulders and
advanced upon Ranma with the gait of those who had already won. Ranma
started to back away from them. He could sense their battle auras,
their self-confidence, and their emotion-driven mind sets. Slowly they
approached him, and Ranma, faking a look of uncertain terror, backed
away from them as he drew them into a tighter and tighter spiral.
Realizing what Ranma was doing too late, Ukyo shouted,
"Look out you idiots, he's drawing you into a trap!" But it was too
late. The young men rushed Ranma, screaming battle cries of righteous
victory. Closing his eyes for a second, Ranma focused his entire life
energy into sensing the heat of their anger and emotions. Fixing it
within his mind, he had power over it. Just before the dual attacks
reached him, he released the cold of his totally calm mind and body.
Catching his opponents in the physical as well as the mental sense, he
channeled heart, mind, body and soul into an attack learned gratefully
from an old Amazon. The attack of the rising dragon. Releasing the
dragon, it took on a being of It's own and catching the two young men
unaware, seized their anger and emotion driven attacks, bound them with
It's own energies, and drove them heavenward, with a force to bring down
mountain tops. It lifted them bodily off their feet into the air,
slamming the force of their attack, driven back doubled and icy cold,
into them over and over again. Knocking them instantly unconscious, it
slammed them up and around the tightening spiral and carried them off
out of the school ground.
Standing in the middle of the blast crater, smoke and debris and
fine dust swirling around him, and the icy blue aura of the dragon
pounding out of him, Ranma turned to face his attackers. Settling his
gaze on the one he felt had most betrayed him today, Ranma stepped out
of the crater and started to walk towards her. The incinerated ground
crunching under his footsteps. Letting his control go, his anger and
feelings of betrayal surged to the front of his mind again. The anger
was life an independent being, clawing and screaming around his mind
begging to be let out. Blinking back the tears forming in his eyes that
the feeling of betrayal brought, Ranma stopped about 10 feet in front of
Ukyo. Calmly he noticed Kodachi trying to make herself invisible as she
inched for the protection of the nearby shrubs and garden areas.
Snaking the length of ribbon he had salvaged from around Mousse out of
his sleeve, he caught her ankles with it, lashed it tight by jerking
violently with his left hand, and tripped her off her feet.
His anger howled and wailed to be let free. But first he had to
know why. Why would his oldest friend betray him?
"Why, Ukyo, why?" He asked as he pinned her against the tree trunk
she was trying to melt into with the force of his stare. Glaring
defiantly she shot back.
"Why? Why do you think, you mule brained jackass! You're mine. I
own you. You have a debt to me and my family honor. You promised me
dammit! Said we would always be together back then. Told me you loved
me too all those years ago. Called me your cute fiancee. What was I
supposed to do, roll over and die because Akane has a crush? You owe me
Saotome, because of you, I never knew the life of a normal girl. That's
why."
Stunned and shamed, Ranma's anger withered and died. Standing there
amidst the chaos of battle, of love won and lost and pinned between
forces he had no control over, Ranma broke a little, then he broke a
lot. His heart catching in his throat, he fell to his knees at her
feet. Dazed and confused. He still loved her, dammit, he had loved her
first! But he loved Akane too, at least he thought he sorta did.
But he had loved Ukyo first, and she had returned his love openly
without asking for anything in return as only a child can. He HAD
promised her, damn his father to hell for making him break that promise.
What was he supposed to do? He knelt there in front of her, and blinked
back the tears of anguish that threatened to consume him.
He suddenly felt a fierce constricting around his ribs, and looked
up into the eyes of the first girl he had ever loved, as she hugged him
desperately. Clinging to something she was either unable or unwilling
to let go. Kneeling beside him, she held him and looked into his eyes.
Searching for something Ranma could not fathom.
"I'm sorry Ukyo....so sorry...I...I..." he trailed off as she lay a
single finger against his lips to shush him.
"It's okay sugar. All's fair in love and war right? I've waited
for you for this long I can wait a little longer. Just ditch all those
other chicks and we can head for the hills. Just you and me what do you
say?" She bit her lip as she looked into his soul through his eyes,
waiting for an answer.
Akane. Could he just leave her? What right did he have to her?
The promises of two idiotic old men, made without his or her consent,
before they were born? He had never made those promises, and denied
them every chance he got. But he had made promises, out of his own
mouth, to this girl. But. He still liked Akane. Sure she couldn't
cook, and was as violent as a gorilla, but she was HIS gorilla. All of
this must have been flashing across his eyes, for it seemed Ukyo got her
answer. Shoving him aside, as she stood. She glanced back over her
should as he lay stunned on the ground.
"You idiot. Can't you see that I know you can't seem to make a
decision? If you had just stayed out of the way today..., we managed to
make those guys angry enough that Akane would be in the hospital for
sure right now. Then you would be free. All you had to do was step
aside and let it happen." Letting out a defeated sigh she continued.
"But then you wouldn't be Ranma would you?" Ranma was starting to get
angry again. Akane in the hospital?!
"So that's it. Take Akane out of the picture and then my choice is
easy right? Ukyo. How could you? I know this wasn't your idea, this
could only have come from her demented mind." He said while jerking his
thumb in Kodachi's hog-tied direction. "Were you were testing me? You
had to have known this scatter-brained plan would never work. You know
I would die for her. You know I would die for you. Heck I would even
die for nut-ball over there if the circumstances warranted it. I know
you want me to make a choice, heck half the girls at this school would
like for me to make a choice. I also know I owe you. But not like
this, U-chan not like this. I will decide, but it will have to be on my
terms, when I'm ready. Can you ever forgive me?"
The usage of her old nickname had knocked her into a trance of past
remembrance. Snapping back into the here and now she nodded. "Know
this Saotome. I'll never give up. I would cross the gates of heaven or
hell for you. Until you make your choice, I will not give up." Giving
him a bitter-sweet smile. She jumped onto a nearby roof, and was gone.
Sitting up and hugging his knees to his chest Ranma's guilt and sorrow
and indecision wailed in his mind. And he punished himself with it. He
punished himself for the pain he caused Akane, and Ukyo, and the young
men he had had to hurt today as a direct result of his indecision. He
lashed himself for the pain he caused because every time he should make
a decision, he froze like a deer in the headlights. He even sort of
felt sorry for Kodachi and his old man. Sitting there silently berating
himself, he never heard the foot steps approaching him, but he did feel
it when a most definite feminine weight glomped onto his torso from the
rear. Pressing herself firmly against the object of her desire, Kodachi
cooed in his ear,
"Raaaanma, darling. My love, why fight it? You know you love me,
just say it and you have my heart and my estates. Myself and everything
I own, would be yours forever." 'Oh great I forgot about screw-ball'
Ranma thought. Kodachi Clung to him from behind. How she had gotten
free, only Houdini could answer. Ranma felt a flash of anger at her
blatant attempt to buy his love. Ranma straightened to his full height,
which was much taller than her. She dangled from his back. Landing
with a plop, she grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. Anger in her
voice, she also demanded a decision, in her favor of course. Ranma
didn't owe her anything though. Before he could formulate a proper
retort, a bonbori struck the side of Kodachi's head, carrying her out of
the courtyard.
"Hey, watch it with those things! You could hurt someone!" Ranma
shouted indignantly as he spun on his heel to face the Amazon warrior
girl, who jumped off the roof towards him, yelling,
"Airen, when you stop stupid fighting and choose Shampoo? Is Amazon
law!" She finished as she landed. Taking a step towards him, she waved
her remaining weapon erratically. Ranma made the "evil be gone" signs
with his hands crossed in front of himself, waiting for whatever
punishment she was ready to dish out. He did owe her something, albeit
indirectly. She crumpled after her second step. Mousse caught her from
behind before she could hit the ground though. Grimly, he laid her on
the ground as her weapon slid from her grasp. Wiping his forehead with
a cloth materializing presumably from his cavernous robes, he sat beside
the fallen object of his desire. Cradling her head in his lap. Ranma
was beyond perplexed.
"Mousse, you did that?" Ranma asked.
"Of course I did, Saotome. She would have killed the Tendo girl and
most likely yourself way before this if I did not render her unconscious
occasionally." Ranma was dumbfounded.
"If you can beat her, why don't you?! All you would have to do is
beat her with witnesses around and then she would have to marry you!"
Ranma elated, seeing one of his problems flying over the horizon.
"Just as Akane did not want to be won by violence when she had to
fight her way to school, I do not wish to have Shampoo for my bride
because I am stronger than her. Not even the old ghoul knows I have a
mastery of the ancient arts. Or she would make us duel and marry, in
order to preserve the blood-line, and strengthen the tribe. I could not
bear forcing Shampoo to do anything she did not wish to do, no Saotome.
I will win her heart fairly." Ranma's problem came back over the
horizon and dive bombed him.
"Then why did you help me today? If you hadn't bought me a little
time, most likely those guys might have actually touched Akane. If she
had been harmed, I would never have forgiven anyone involved here today.
Including Shampoo. She had a part in this didn't she?" Ranma asked
already knowing the answer. Mousse just nodded.
"I did not do it to help you Saotome. I did it to help an innocent,
caught in between forces she has no defense against. Akane Tendo is a
noble spirit, she does not deserve the fate that was planned for her
today... tell me Saotome, have you given a thought to the plan we
decided on?" Ranma had, and it terrified him.
"I dunno Mousse, what will people think, you see what happened here
today, simply because they must have noticed me paying slightly more
attention to her than usual. If I commit to the plan, there would be no
turning back, no second thoughts." Sighing Ranma looked off into the
clouds that were hiding the morning sun. The birds had hushed and the
school yard was as quiet as a graveyard at midnight. "But I guess I
have no choice now huh? You're right Mousse...things are getting out of
control, It's now or never." Looking back to Mousse for the
confirmation he so desperately needed. He saw him gathering Shampoo
into his arms tenderly. Looking into Ranma's eyes, Mousse nodded and
whispered,
"Do not fail Saotome." And with that he leapt as easily as if he
was not carrying a 130 pound girl, and was gone. Leaving Ranma standing
alone in the ruined courtyard. The wind picked up for a second and
pulled on him, seemingly as if destiny was tugging him in the direction
it wanted. Sighing, Ranma leapt back up to the roof top and crouched
over Akane. Brushing hair from her eyes, he gazed at the sleeping
features of the primary cause of his trouble today. But he could not
fault her for it. Smiling tenderly, Ranma picked her up in his arms and
squatted on the roof top, letting her sit on his lap as her head and
torso rested against his chest, supporting her shoulder to balance her
with his left hand. He reached his right hand to the two spots on her
neck, and under her jaw line, and pressed gently. Her eyes snapped
open. And she slapped him, hard. Falling backwards he hit the roof, as
she leapt of out his arms shouting, "Pervert!" The anger fled her
features when she saw who it was. Sitting down in a heap she looked up
at Ranma, and muttered a quiet, "sorry."
Grinning, Ranma sat next to her. He silently celebrated when she
leaned into his side and cuddled against him for warmth, shivering in
the still chilly morning air.
"What happened?" She asked him in a sleepy tone of voice, while
laying her head on his chest.
"You fainted Akane." Ranma lied through his teeth. He seldom
struck her unconscious, and she usually never bought his explanations
when he did. The now obvious parallels between himself and Mousse were
just sickening he thought glibly. But his explanation seemed to satisfy
her today.
"How long?" She asked. Glancing at the huge school tower clock,
Ranma noted that only about five minutes had passed since they had
entered the gates together. Had it really only been five minutes?
"Just a couple of minutes. We should probably get to class. Maybe
we'll luck out and Ms. Hinako fell off a cliff or something." He
quipped. Akane giggled into his chest, with her eyes closed, and her
breathing shallow. She felt so safe here. Her mind and emotions were
in turmoil. She had gone from being terrified to elated in the course
of five minutes and for some reason she felt very sleepy. Dimly, she
was aware of the fact that she was sitting on a roof-top in a skirt,
which was probably why her legs felt numb, laying half-way on Ranma, in
full public view. The common sense part of her mind screamed at her to
get off of him, and down from the roof, and into class. But for today,
she kicked that part of her mind sharply down into a silent corner, and
let herself drift off into sleep.
'Great, just great.' Ranma thought. 'I must have hit that sleeping
nerve too hard. She'll probably be out for an hour or so.' Grinning
silently to himself, he cradled Akane's shivering body to his. Scooting
into the lee of protection the angles of the roof offered. Trying to
keep most of her body off the cold roof-tiles, he held her while she
slept. Dimly his mind was aware of how dangerous this was. All it
would take would be one person to spot them, and his old man and Mr.
Tendo would eventually find out, and Ranma would be wearing a tuxedo so
fast he probably would have to throw it over the clothes he was wearing.
But he ignored the danger, for today. Slowly her shivering stopped as
the sun peaked through the clouds then as he watched, lanced across the
courtyard, striking the two roof-bound figures with It's heavenly
warmth.
Akane awoke in his arms forty-five minutes later, and this time she
didn't slap him. Smiling shyly, she inched off of him, and smoothed her
skirt. Without saying a word, they jumped off the roof. Ranma handed
Akane her satchel at the door to the school, just as the tone ending
first period sounded. Mouthing 'see you tonight', Akane turned and
headed for second period. In a daze, Ranma headed down the hall.
Peeking around the corner, the girl who had retrieved Ranma's
satchel for him quickly pulled her head back around and clutched his
satchel to her chest. She had been so worried he wasn't going to show
up today, and she would have to carry it around again all day. That
dang thing was heavy! Leaning against the wall right by the corner she
demanded her mind come up with something clever to say to him when she
returned his satchel. He breath was coming in short gasps as the moment
drew nearer and the realization of what she was about to do sunk in.
Trying desperately to gather the courage she needed she closed her eyes
and took deep breathes. Ranma turned the corner and promptly slammed
into something short and softer than him. Looking down he saw the sort
of familiar face of a girl he was pretty sure sat behind him in first
period. Looking astonished, she stared back up at him. Quickly, Ranma
bent down and picked her up off the floor and set her gently on her
feet. 'Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god...he's touching me, what do I
do, what do I do?!' She thought frantically. Her mind stared to shut
down with panic.
Stammering, the girl held an object out to him. Shoving it into his
arms, she said something about finding something of his, and ran off,
her face a peculiar shade of crimson. Looking down confusedly, Ranma
found himself holding his missing satchel, complete with the prize
bokken. Smiling absently at the good omen, his mind still doing jumping
jacks, he headed to class.
The girl who's name was Midori careened around the next corner and
slammed her back into it. Pressing her forehead back into the wall with
both palms she wailed silently. 'Dammit! I blew it, I blew it, I blew
it!' Furious with herself she made dual fists with her hands and
slammed them into the wall behind her. The shock of the pain brought
her back to reality. 'Gee I wonder if I broke something.' She thought
as her hands started to throb. 'I guess I better go get a note and see
Dr. Tofu.' She resigned herself. He would know what to do about this.
He always knew what to do. Idly as she started off to the nurses office
to get a note she wondered if the doctor had ever met Ranma. Now there
was a guy! She hoped the Doctor was in a mood to talk today, because
she certainly felt like talking.
_______________________________________________________
End.
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