Sorry this chapter took so long. Anyway here's chapter 3. Both pulic
and private C&C appriciated.
-------------------------------------------------
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic
By Donald McElreath
The Sound of Silence
Chapter 3
Disclaimer: These characters came from the mind of Rumiko
Takahashi. She can deal with them on a permanent basis. I can't.
__________________________________
Nabiki sat at her desk Monday enjoying a juice box and reflecting on
the events of that morning. First, Ranma had come downstairs with a
haunted look to his eyes. His answering note, when asked, had said
only one word. Nightmares.
Akane had been acting like she didn't know what to think about
Ranma anymore. Nabiki was actually pleased with this. It was
obvious to her that Akane was becoming attracted to Ranma as more
than a friend, which spoke well for the chances of herself remaining
free of the engagement. The better those two got along the better.
But
she also didn't want her baby sister acting on that attraction too
soon.
Despite her Ice Queen image she did care about her family a great
deal. She knew if things went too fast between Akane and Ranma it
would probably lead to them being unhappy. Nabiki intended to make
sure they kept things slow until she was sure little sister and her
fiance
were ready.
Watching Ranma plow through the Hentai Horde beside Akane that
morning had been a surprise, as had the twin kicks they'd landed to
Kuno's face. It looked like Ranma was more than a little stressed.
Something plopped onto her desk. Looking down Nabiki found an
overly cute stuffed panda gazing back at her. It was almost enough to
turn her stomach. Kuno was standing beside her.
"What's this?"
"A present."
<Not on your life,> she thought, tossing the panda back to her
classmate. "Not my style."
"Did I offer it to *you*, Nabiki Tendo?!"
Nabiki took a sip of her juice.
"This sweet treasure I save for my Pigtailed Goddess!"
Nabiki's juice suddenly sprayed into Kuno's face. "Now look what you
made me do."
"What *I* made you do?"
Nabiki slapped a set of photos on her desk. <Not what I had intended
these for, but this is just too good to pass up?>
"Set of five for 3000 yen. You want?"
The pictures were all of Ranma's girl form in various candid scenes.
Curiously, in the ones where Ranma wasn't wearing her scarf, she was
always turned so that the scars on her throat weren't visible.
"Ohhhh..." Kuno scooped up the photos and Nabiki saw that he was
almost drooling. "She is so... so... so... defenseless."
"Kinda like a boy, huh?"
"Hardly," Kuno scoffed. "But the gods do weep at the sum of 3000. It
is too high."
"Well if you don't want them?" Nabiki reached to take back the
photos.
"Sold!" he cried, handing over the three thousand.
"You're really something, you know?" she remarked, counting the
money. "I mean dropping Akane just like that."
"Dropping her?"
Nabiki narrowed her eyes slightly. <The both of them? Is even he
that
much of an idiot?> "You're not going to two-time her!"
"Hmph. Don't be vulgar. Akane, so pure and innocent. The Pigtailed
Girl, bursting with healthy beauty." Kuno took on a tragic
expression.
"Both so dear I can give up neither! Do you call it 'deceit' that I
would
openly wish them both?"
<I guess he is. Oh well, more fuel for the fire.> "No. I call it
two-
timing." She slapped down five more photos, this time of Akane going
through her workout. "Set of five for 3000 yen."
"Such... such... ferocity! Sold!"
__________________________________
"Ranma! Kuno wants you!"
Akane looked over to see Nabiki leading Ranma out the door.
<What's Kuno want with Ranma?>
Though she wasn't about to admit it, she'd been worried about Ranma
all morning. After he'd helped her take out the Hentai Horde and
Kuno, which had really irritated her, his eyes had looked a little
wild.
Since then he'd been very withdrawn. His nightmares must have
bothered him more than she thought.
<I better check this out.>
__________________________________
Ranma found Kuno standing by the corner of the building just where
Nabiki said he'd be. He walked up the upperclassman and waited
expectantly.
After several seconds Kuno got annoyed. "Why do you not greet me
with the proper respect?"
Ranma sighed and dug out the pad of paper he'd started carrying with
him.
'Because I cannot talk. I am mute.'
"So the rumors say." Kuno dropped the note. "It is of no matter."
Ranma suddenly found a cute stuffed panda thrust into his arms.
<What the hell?!>
"Tell me why I must give this to you!"
<Huh?> Ranma's face echoed his thoughts.
"Answer me! Why?! 'If you want to give her your panda, give it to
Ranma Saotome,' quoth Nabiki Tendo! How do you know my
Pigtailed Goddess?!"
With a disgusted look, Ranma flipped the panda, a note attached, back
to Kuno as he walked off around the corner.
'Forget about her. She is not interested. She never will be.'
Kuno's mind whirled in confusion. <He knows of her condition? He
accepts it? How does he know?>
"Ranma Saotome!"
Racing around the corner, Kuno found a soaking wet pigtailed girl
standing before him. "Pigtailed Girl!"
Ranma spun to see Kuno charging at her, arms held wide for an
embrace. A thrust kick to the stomach put an end to that. <What the
hell does he think he's doing?!>
"Pig... Pigtailed Girl," the Kendoist wheezed, trying to recover his
breath. "I must free you."
"Free her?"
They turned to see Nabiki, holding a kettle, standing near a tree a
short
distance away.
"Kuno-baby, just what are you going to try to free her from?"
Kuno took on a noble and righteous bearing. "Why from her unnatural
attraction to members of her own fair sex, of course. From the curse
of
lesbianism."
Nabiki blinked. <So he thinks Ranma's a lesbian.> She looked at
Ranma and saw that the red head, having recovered from her facefault,
was not amused.
"Now my Pigtailed Goddess, will you give up your wrongful ways?
Let my true and rightful love bring you back to the path of the just."
Ranma shook her head and made a violent slashing motion with her
hand, her answer clear.
Kuno raised his bokken to the guard. "Then I must drive this curse
from you in righteous battle!"
Ranma jumped away from the building and Kuno's thrust. <Gotta get
some room first, then I'm pounding this jerk flat!>
Akane looked past the stone obelisk her path around the building had
placed her behind. <What are those two fighting about this time?>
"I shall free you!" Kuno sent a side-slash at Ranma, which she ducked
under.
<Okay, that should be enough room.> Ranma thought as she awaited
her opponent's next attack.
Kuno lunged forward again and Ranma jumped over the attack.
Grabbing the wooden blade in one hand for leverage, she kicked out
with both feet into the boy's chest. As he staggered back, several
pieces of paper were sent flying into the air.
<Wha?> Ranma grabbed one and saw a picture of herself, topless, as
a girl. <Where the hell'd he get this?!>
"An opening!"
This time Kuno connected with a slash to the distracted girl's side.
<ITE!! That's it! Pictures later! Jerk pounding *now*!>
Ignoring the pain in her side, Ranma charged forward and ducked
under another slash to land a double palm strike to Kuno's torso. Had
she been a boy at the time it would have sent the Kendoist flying, as
a
girl it only knocked him back five feet and sent more pictures into
the
air.
<She is more formidable than I believed,> Kuno thought. <I shall
have to use my ultimate technique to free her.>
Kuno pulled back his weapon, sought his focus, and prepared to
unleash his strongest attack. Unfortunately for the upperclassman,
Ranma was already in motion. She glided inside his reach and
launched a lightning fast series of punches into his head and chest.
Finished with her attack, Ranma hopped back, and watched as Kuno
slowly tipped over and fell to the ground.
Akane ran forward as Ranma started gathering up the pictures from
where they had landed.
"Not bad, Saotome," Nabiki remarked, stepping up and pouring the
kettle over Ranma.
Ranma ignored her as he picked up the last of the photos.
"What was it that distracted you in the fight anyway?" Akane asked as
she reached them. Ranma handed her the photos.
Akane saw several pictures of her working out as well as some of
Ranma's girl form. <I was wrong about him! He really is a pervert!>
"What are you doing with these pictures?!"
She completely missed the hurt look in his eyes as he pointed at Kuno.
"What?! You were going to share them with Kuno?!"
With a look of disgust, Ranma shook his head and pointed again.
"They were Kuno's?"
Ranma nodded.
"Nabiki!"
Nabiki, sensing where the conversation would lead, had backed away
several steps. "Can't blame a girl for trying to make a little
money."
<Wanna bet?> thought Ranma.
Akane just scowled before turning back to Ranma. "Come on. We'll
get the doctor to look at that cut."
<Doctor?! No way!> Ranma raised his hands defensively and started
shaking his head.
"What's the matter, Saotome? A doctor should take a look at that,"
said Nabiki, curious about Ranma's reaction.
Still shaking his head, Ranma took a step back.
"Okay, Ranma," Akane tried to soothe, confused. "We'll have Kasumi
take care of it, she's pretty good with that sort of thing. Would
that be
okay?"
Ranma nodded as he relaxed and followed the two girls home.
__________________________________
The next school day started off as all the others had. The Hentai
Horde
would attack Akane as she and Ranma came through the gates. After
she'd flattened them, Ranma would join her in time to intercept Kuno's
thrown rose. But instead of Kuno charging blindly forward and being
pounded, then Ranma giving Akane the rose as they went into school,
something different happened.
"Ranma Saotome, I challenge you!"
Ranma blinked. <Kuno challenges me every morning. Why's he
botherin' to announce it this time?>
"I, Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, here by
challenge you for the hand of Akane Tendo! When you meet your just
defeat you must cease your hounding of her and the Tendo family!"
His impressive tone and posture, calculated to portray the just
against
the wicked, was somewhat spoiled by his rather obvious black eye.
"And what if you lose Kuno?"
Everyone turned to see Nabiki smirking at the Kendoist.
"I shall not!" Kuno scoffed. "But to give the cretin cause to fight
and
show my boundless generosity I will offer the dog a prize. Should
Ranma Saotome prove victorious in honorable combat I shall
relinquish my claim upon the fair Akane."
Nabiki's smirk turned evil. <Good. Doubt it'll have an effect on
Kuno-
baby, but it just might get rid of some of the Horde.>
Akane wasn't happy with the whole situation. <If Kuno wins he'll
think I'm his. If Ranma wins everyone will think I'm his instead.
I'm
not anybody's and I *really* don't like being put up as some kind of
prize to fight over.>
She looked at Ranma and found him watching her, waiting. "This is
about you. It's your choice," his eyes seemed to say. <Ranma I can
tolerate.>
"Don't you *dare* lose!" she snarled.
<Oh boy. She's pissed,> Ranma thought as he handed Akane the rose
before stepping away from her and moving into his stance.
"This time I shall not give you a chance to use your trickery! Face
my
ultimate technique!"
Kuno charged and his bokken seemed to blur as it lunged forward
dozens of times a second. Ranma dodged frantically, evading every
strike. But still his clothes were being cut.
Nabiki gave a slight whistle as she watched the wall behind Ranma
start to crumble. "Whoa. Just from the air pressure..."
Ranma, knowing such an attack couldn't be kept up for long, continued
to dodge. Finally the bokken strikes slowed ever so slightly. It was
enough. A thrust kick to the chest disrupted the attack, allowing the
upper cut to the chin that sent Kuno into dream land.
Akane glared at Kuno as he fell before stomping her way into the
school. <He *never* tried that hard against me! How dare he hold
back! That bokken waving... JERK!!!>
__________________________________
The next morning saw Akane and Ranma headed for school, Ranma
walking on the fencetops and Akane along the sidewalk as usual.
Ranma kept casting nervous glances at Akane, this was not normal.
Ranma knew he wasn't always the most observant person, but he'd
have to be blind, deaf and dumb to not notice that Akane was in other
than a pleasant mood.
Akane was *mad*. In fact she was just a few degrees short of a
boiling rage and each step seemed to shorten that gap. <First that
pervert makes me the prize in his stupid fight with Ranma! Then he
tries to glomp me at lunch, saying Ranma hadn't beaten him because
he'd been tricked, so it wasn't an honorable fight! Like he'd know
honor if it bit him! And he was holding back in our fights! That
pervert! How dare he?!>
No, Akane was other than happy and Ranma was keeping his distance.
__________________________________
In the schoolyard at Furinkan, Nabiki Tendo stood at the sidelines
awaiting this mornings show. About half the Horde had failed to
show, apparently getting the hint the day before. The remaining half
looked far less enthusiastic than normal. At the forefront stood
Kuno,
still sporting his black eye.
It promised to be anything but boring.
__________________________________
When they got within sight of the school gates Akane spotted Kuno
standing in front of a half sized Hentai Horde and stopped.
"Ranma, Kuno is mine. Just stay out of the way. If you want the
others, they're yours. But Kuno is mine," she said in a tone so cold
it
burned.
Ranma nodded nervously and made sure he stayed several steps
behind her as she stormed up to the gates.
"Akane Tendo, surely it is on this glorious day that I shall free-"
"Shut up, Kuno!" Akane roared. "You lost your challenge and you're
still bothering me!"
"That was no-"
"I said SHUT UP!! I'm not finished!" Akane was visibly shaking in
anger now. "You broke your vow! You made that idiotic speech about
having to beat me to get a date! You never listened when I told you I
wanted nothing to do with you!! Then when you did fight me, you
insult me by holding back!! By not taking me seriously!!! I'm a
martial artist, not some piece of china!!! Don't you ever do that
again!!!"
Kuno stared at her in shock for a moment before turning an angry glare
on Ranma. "How dare you twist the fair Akane's thoughts to make her
believe I would dishonor her. I shall smite you and-"
He waas unable to finish his challenge as an enraged Akane slammed
into him and started swinging.
Nabiki winced as she watched her little sister give Kuno the pounding
of his life. <Guess Kuno has had this coming.> She saw every boy
cringe when Akane snapped a kick between Kuno's legs that lifted him
a good foot off the ground. <He'll be feeling that for a while.>
With one last downward punch, Kuno collapsed in an unconscious
heap at Akane's feet. She turned her gaze on the remaining Horde, a
blue aura flickered into existence for a moment around her.
"Who's next?!"
The Hentai Horde, impassioned challengers for the hand of Akane
Tendo and fearless Warriors of Love, took one look at the object of
their desires and decided that there were far more healthy pursuits.
Ones that would guarantee a longer life. Ones they should begin
exploring, at once. The Horde ceased to exist.
Ranma watched Akane walk into the school with an unusually
thoughtful expression on his face.
__________________________________
Akane walked into the dojo that evening for her workout to find
Ranma already there. She watched as he moved through a kata with a
strength and grace she knew she didn't even come close to possessing.
She was envious as hell. Not that she would ever admit it. It was
starting to seem incredibly unfair to her that Ranma was not only a
better martial artist than she was, but also a better-looking girl.
Ranma finished the kata and bowed to the dojo's shrine before turning
to Akane.
"Want to spar?"
Ranma nodded, then shook his head.
"What? You think you're too good to spar with me?!" Akane snapped.
Ranma shook his head again.
"What then?! Afraid I'll break?!"
Ranma started making warding gestures, then ran over to the note pad
he'd left by the wall. A quick note was written and given to Akane.
'Not spar or fight. Train.'
Akane was confused. "What's the difference?"
Ranma took his time with his next note, seeming to get frustrated at
several points. When he finally handed it to Akane she could see
quite
a few scribbled out words and corrections.
'When you spar, you're only using what you know. In a fight you're
trying to hurt the other guy. With training you learn stuff. New
techniques and new ways to use old ones. You find out what needs
improvement and can fix it without getting hurt.'
"Okay," Akane said, still suspicious. "Now what has this to do with
me wanting to spar?"
Ranma soon filled a page with his scribbled out attempts to explain.
When he wadded up the filled sheet and threw it to the ground, Akane
realized just how serious this was to him.
"Ranma, just tell me."
He took a deep breath before finishing the note and handing it to her.
'I want to train you.'
Akane blinked at the simple sentence. <He wants to train me? I know
he's better than me. Maybe a lot better. Do I want him to train me?
Have a boy as a sensei?>
She looked back at Ranma. "Why?"
Ranma slowly wrote his answer.
'Honor and giri. I realized this morning that I hadn't been taking
you
seriously as a martial artist. You deserve to be, so I am. You are
also,
thanks to our dads, my fiancee. Even if we don't get married I have a
duty to you.'
Ranma seemed somehow both serious and nervous to Akane. <He
really means it.>
"Alright. For a while at least. But I decide when I don't want you
teaching me. Got it?"
Ranma nodded as most of his nervousness drained away.
"So, where do we start?"
'You need to improve your speed and defense, but first you learn
sign.'
Pictures of herself as a panda holding a wooden sign flashed through
Akane's brain. "Signs?"
__________________________________
Soun walked into the tea room to see his youngest and her fiance
waving their hands at each other. Ranma would make a gesture which
Akane would then try to repeat. Sometimes Ranma would write a
note, others he would just nod or shake his head.
"Akane, what are you doing?"
She looked up at him. "Trying to learn sign language, Dad."
Ranma bopped her on the head with his notepad.
"Hey! What was that for?!"
Ranma just gave her a stern look.
Akane sheepishly looked down. "Right. Pay attention. Sorry,
sensei."
The two teenagers suddenly found themselves being hugged by a
weeping Soun. "She called him sensei. The houses will be joined."
"Daaaad!"
Genma appeared behind them, slapping Ranma on the back. "Way to
go boy. That'll mean a lot of quality time with your fiance. Good
thinking"
Ranma just kicked his father into the koi pond.
Nabiki shook her head from where she'd watched it all. <Just your
average night at the Tendo Dojo.>
__________________________________
End chapter 3
Previous chapters archived at:
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Thanks to all my prereaders:
Crys Norton
Eshin
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