The Reluctant Fianc�e
Part 3
Settling in.
Shun sighed as she walked out into the Nerima morning, she turned and
frowned slightly at what she saw, a large crowd of students wandered
aimlessly down the street. Apparently this was a major route to Furinkan
High, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing though. It would definitely be
a good idea to open up for a few hours in the morning to serve breakfast.
She adjusted the rough looking Chinese top and smirked, even in the
Japanese school system she was way ahead of where these students were in
their education, schooling was very important to the monastery. She
walked slowly blending into the crowd and moving close to groups
listening for information or gossip that she could use. Most of it was
petty things, what someone ate for breakfast or who thought who was cute.
She raised her eyebrow as a conversation about whether or not Akane Tendo
was a lesbian broke out between a group of boys. Smirking to herself she
placed it into the back of her mind for later use. She knew it wasn't
true, but who knows when information like that could be useful.
Unfortunately she wasn't watching were she was going. She slammed into
someone moving about the same speed as she was and gasped in shock,
quickly she regained her balance and jumped back defensively only to find
a young girl sitting on the pavement glaring at her. "Look what you did
to my jacket," snarled the girl while pointing to a small brown stain.
Shun leaned in and inspected it causing the girl to shift back
uncomfortably. "Hmm, soy sauce, at least three days old."
The girl's eyes went wide as she stared at her. "No way! You did this!"
Shun frowned again only this time looked the girl directly in the eyes.
"Who are you?"
"Who wants to know?" replied the girl coolly.
"Well at least tell me if you were scouting for info for business or
pleasure?" she smirked at the girl and bent down next to her. Nabiki
realized she had not yet gotten up and quickly stood facing the strange
girl. "We were both going the same speed when we hit, the only reason
someone would be going that speed is to listen in on other peoples
conversations."
Nabiki smirked, "You first."
Shun smiled and winked at the girl. "Now that...is a secret." She
replied as she turned and walked away from her and continued towards the
school grounds.
Shun smirked as she watched the dramatic battle between Kuno and Ranma
play out as it always did. The girl jumped down and landed next to the
wall just outside the gate, she found herself looking Nabiki Tendo square
in the eyes. "Well, fancy meeting you here!"
"Who are you, what do you want?" asked the girl with a small smirk that
easily outmatched her own on her face.
"I'm scouting the place out," replied Shun casually.
"I can see that. Why?" the girl was cautious and refused to give any
information on why she wanted the information.
"I'm starting school here in a few days, just thought I'd check it out
first," said the girl with a predatory grin.
"You a martial artist?" Nabiki raised her eyebrows slightly.
"I'm a cook," replied the strange girl curtly.
"You didn't say you weren't." Nabiki leaned against the wall and crossed
her arms lazily.
"That's all the information I'm giving," replied the girl as she turned
away with an impressed smile on her face. "Gotta be careful around her."
Nabiki watched her vanish over a hill just outside the school grounds
and smiled to herself. "A martial artist cook? Interesting."
Later that day...
Ranma Saotome jumped over his father's head sending his face into the
bowl of rice he had been eating. He turned with a smile on his face as
the old man gave chase instituting the first round of that afternoon's
sparing session. He punched out at the old man as the older Saotome
closed in receiving a quick kick in return. Genma used his years of
experience over the boy and slammed him into the ground with a sidekick.
Ranma flipped over in the air and landed on his feet smirking to
himself. "You're getting slow old man!" he quipped oblivious to the fact
that Genma was no longer there. In his place a large panda sat behind a
bush waving a sign around in the air with a frightened look on its face.
"Pop?" said the boy looking confused.
"Hide fool!" said the sign the panda produced.
A shadow loomed across the yard catching the boy's eye as he slowly
turned and saw a transparent silk fabric wafting through the air. He
followed the long airborne cloth down to the arms of a young girl dressed
in Chinese clothes.
"Ranma Saotome?" inquired a light but strangely familiar voice, he could
almost hear the laugh in it.
"Uh, yea," he replied dumbly. The girl jumped down in front of him with
a beaming smile and launched herself at him grabbing him around the neck.
"Ranchan!" squealed the girl excitedly sending the two of them on the
ground and sliding across the grass. "Oh, am I interrupting dinner?" she
said as she noticed the family inside the home.
Ranma just looked in terror at the house as the Tendos stared at the
scene silently. Akane dropped her chopsticks onto the table halfway; one
of them hung off her lip for a moment before clattering against the table
top.
"It's been years! How ya been?" squealed the girl as she now ignored
them and focused her attention on the boy.
"Duh," was all he could say as she pulled herself off him and sat
directly in front of him with her back to the Tendos.
"Ranchan? Are you all right?" asked the girl with a hint of worry in her
voice.
"Who the hell are you?" screamed the boy in shock as he finally got his
wits together.
"You mean...you don't remember?" she got a mock hurt look on her face
that easily fooled the boy.
"N-no! Of course I do!" stammered the desperate boy as he searched his
mind for cute girls that he knew; it was a short list.
"Ranchan! How dare you forget me!" snapped the girl as she gave him a
playful punch in his arm. Ranma rubbed it slightly and said nothing.
"It's me, Shun! Remember from the temple?"
Genma Saotome stared at her and frowned, thinking quickly he threw the
ball he had been playing with over his shoulder and started to edge for
the back gate. A hand on his shoulder stopped him cold in his tracks.
"Going somewhere Saotome?" Soun blew smoke from his nostrils as he stared
the man down and took another drag off his cigarette.
"Uhh, I forgot something in China!" replied the animal with a sign.
Ranma had thus far been silent, he stared at the girl as she grinned at
him with an unreadable gaze. Finally he broke the silence, "Y-you're a
girl?"
"Yea, always have been," said Shun with her smile never wavering. "We're
engaged."
"We are?" said Ranma, once again his face was as calm as ever.
"You are?!!" roared Akane angrily as she slammed her fist on the table.
"Yea, why?" she asked with a mock confusion appearing on her face again.
"Ranma is engaged to Akane!" said Soun as he pulled the panda back by
its ear.
The poor boy was still trying to process the information. "You're a
girl?"
"That's what I said Ranchan," replied the girl flatly. "You get hit on
the head or somethin? I thought you'd be happy to see me."
"Well, he's not!" screamed Akane as she rushed up to the girl and sat
between them.
"Are you Ranma's girlfriend?" asked Shun already knowing the answer to
the question.
"No!" screamed the girl angrily.
"Oh, so you're Akane!" the girl seemed to realize that she was the one
Soun was speaking of.
"Yes!" snapped the girl in a jealous rage.
"Nice to meet ya! I'm Shun!" she bowed to her politely and sat down
closer to her fianc�e.
Akane stared at the strange girl in confusion and looked at the boy. He
was still in mild shock. Without a word he stood up and attempted to pour
a kettle of hot water on her. Quickly the girl jumped away and glared at
him. "What the hell are you doing Ranchan? Are you trying to scald me? If
you want me to leave just say so!"
Akane was about to speak up when he interjected. "You mean, you really
are a girl?"
"Yes!" cried the girl angrily.
"How are you Ranma's fianc�e?" demanded Akane.
"My pop and his pop, they made a contract," replied the girl with a
shrug.
"You have some explaining to do Saotome!" snapped Tendo as he turned the
panda back into a human.
"Wow! That's cool!" squealed the girl in excitement.
Ranma stood next to her with a strange smile forming on his face.
Genma sat across the table and cleared his throat. "It all started when
Ranma and I were taken prisoner by an evil cult of monks..."
He was quickly cut off by Shun. "He ran up a tab at the monastery and
used Ranma to pay it off, the contract was signed on holy ground and
given the seal of the head monk." She turned to face him. "I'm just glad
me and Ranma can be friends again."
The boy was currently pounding on his father with the help of Akane and
Soun. "Stupid old man!"
Soun cried into his arm as he kicked the man. "Saotome, how could you?"
The three of them sat across from her and Ranma, he was remarkably
silent. "Come on Ranchan, cheer up! I promised I'd always be pals with
you remember?"
The boy brightened up slightly and relaxed. "I remember that. You were
such a tomboy."
"Yea, but I'm a cute tomboy," said the girl with another grin appearing
on her face.
That hit a little too close to home for Akane. "Ranma you jerk!"
She charged forward at the boy and punched out at him, a strange warm
and firm sensation caressed her wrist as she found herself seeming to
float into the air over the boy's head. No pain came to her until she hit
the ground hard. "What the hell are you doing?!" cried Shun angrily as
she leg go of her wrist. It took Akane a second to realize that the girl
had flipped her onto the ground.
"What?" stammered the girl as she stood shakily.
"Akane!" cried Ranma in shocked horror.
"Nobody attacks my friends!" cried Shun angrily. "I don't care who you
are! You lay a finger on him and you answer to me!"
Ranma stepped back in shock and blushed in embarrassment. "I don't need
no girl-"
She turned to face him and smiled. "I know that Ranma, but I don't like
bullies. Anyone who attacks my fianc�e without reason is insulting me."
The boy looked away from her and looked towards the Tendos. She handed
him a small card and turned towards the wall. "I'm opening up a shop in
town, come on by tomorrow and I'll let you have a free meal."
That got his attention, he smiled at her as she leapt over the wall.
"Man, what the hell just happened?"
"Ranma?" gasped Akane as she walked up next to him. "You pervert!" her
scream could be heard for several blocks.
Shun winced as she saw him sail into the air over her head and briefly
considered going back to take out her aggressions. Finally she just
continued walking.
A familiar figure walked out of the Tendo house and chased down the
street after her. She turned and saw Nabiki Tendo rush up to her with a
wicked smile on her face.
"So, you're engaged to Ranma are you?" Shun nodded numbly.
"I remember you, we met at Furinkan," she replied numbly unsure of what
else to say.
"You have a memory do you? If you ever need anything call me up, I can
get you pretty reasonable rates," she turned away and smiled to herself.
"If I play this right I can make a lot of money off these extra fianc�es
he keeps picking up."
Shun smirked to herself and placed the card in her pocket, "I don't
think there is anything she can provide for me that I don't already know
about; but still you never know."
The next morning she appeared next to the gates of Furinkan High in a
girl's uniform. Her bag was slung over her shoulder and a toothpick
jutted from the corner of her mouth. She sighed as the males stared her
down, a few of them ignored her and others simply drooled. Most of them
at least tried to be discreet about it. Shun smirked and walked over to a
large tree and leaned against it waiting patiently.
Within a few moments Ranma came barreling through the gates at full
speed with
Akane chasing after him while swinging her book bag at him angrily. Shun
snorted and called out to Ranma. "Hey Ranchan! Over here!" The boy
swerved in midair and came down next to her.
"Shunchan, what are you doing here?" he looked confused as usual.
"Well, I do have to go to school too ya know," replied the girl lazily.
Akane caught up with them and snarled at Ranma. "Die!"
Shun stepped between the battle and struck her hand out stopping Akane
cold. The girl stood and stared at her new rival for a moment before
relaxing. "What do you want?"
"What the hell is your problem?" asked the girl through her teeth.
Ranma stared at the scene silently, Shun wasn't hurting Akane so he saw
no real reason to intervene.
"None of your business!" snarled the angry Tendo.
"Like hell it isn't! Ranma is my friend at the very least, can't you
just talk about it or something?" she stared the girl down and frowned at
her.
"That jerk! He doesn't listen!" snapped the girl.
"So that means you can hit him?" replied Shun with a maddening calm in
her voice. "Every time someone does something I don't like I can beat the
hell out of them now?"
"No! I-I mean..." Akane cut herself off. "Aren't you going to do
something Ranma?"
"Like what? You aren't doing anything," replied the boy. Akane looked at
him and blinked, he was right.
"Ranma you jerk!" screamed Akane as she slammed his head into the dirt
with her elbow. The Tendo girl whirled around and stomped off.
Shun bit through her toothpick and suddenly became calm. "Oy, Ranchan.
You all right?"
"Sure, fine," replied the boy as he rubbed the top of his head and
glared at Akane's back without much malice.
"Well, come on then. You can show me where my first class is."
Shun smiled at her luck, her first class was with both Ranma and Akane.
She smirked as she bowed to the class leaving her top unbuttoned slightly
in order to reveal just the right amount of cleavage, which was most of
it. She stood up as the teacher introduced her. "Class this is Miss Shun
Mitaka, she will be attending Furinkan for the rest of the year."
Various whispers of "Yes!" or "Tramp," floated up to the front of the
room. Shun smirked at them and bowed again creating another room wide
creak as the males all leaned forward to get a better view.
"I look forward to it," she said in an almost deadpan voice.
Finally she took her seat and turned back to face the classroom. "Hey
guys, three guesses on who I'm engaged too."
The room gave a collective groan as erasers, paper balls, and pencils
pelted Ranma. "Now what did I do?" he cried.
"Man, he did it again!" said one of the boys in the back.
Akane merely sat through the whole exchange and broke a piece of desk
off in her hand. She looked at it and frowned, "Why did I do that?"
Shun sat lazily in her desk with a board expression on her face idly
twirling a small handkerchief around on the tip of her finger, after a
moment she had it going fast enough that it appeared to be a solid disk.
She flipped it from finger to finger like a Frisbee as the teacher droned
on about language skills or something. Not that she really cared that
much, she had covered this last year in school and had it aced easily.
"Hey, that's just like that Hibiki kid!" said one of the boys nearby as
he watched her. She turned and noticed that she was the object of more
study than the books they were supposed to be reading. She shrugged her
shoulders and went back to playing with the cloth.
Ranma eyed her as well, from what he had seen the girl had taken it easy
on Akane so far. He didn't want to think about what might happen when she
met Shampoo. Somehow he doubted if they would want to talk it over. Shun
noticed his gaze and winked playfully before she got that smirk he was so
familiar with on her face again. She had been doing that since they were
little, it was one of the things he remembered about her. Then again, he
also remembered her as a boy. He frowned as he stared back at the front
of the room blankly again. "What the hell am I gonna do now?"
TBC...
Next time: Shun vs. Shampoo! But why does Cologne have such an interest
in her?
C&C TO: Carrotglace@juno.com
URL: Http:/www.geocities.com/tokyo/fountain/3203