[FFML] [fic] U-Jin\'s Ranma Diaries

Episode #6: Of New Loves and Old Bargains

Ranma walked into the foyer and stared dumbstruck as a youth with long, black-hair and thick glasses walked in.

�Hello, Mousse.� Shampoo�s voice was neutral as she greeted him.

�Hello, Shampoo.� The man�s voice was also neutral.

Ranma was about to interrupt the proceedings when he heard a young voice shout out �Mommy!�

Ranma watched as a young girl, no more than two-years old, bounded in and hugged Shampoo for all she was worth. Shampoo hugged her back like there was no tomorrow.

Finally, Shampoo took the young girl�s hand and turned to face Ranma. She smiled wanly as she said:

�Ranma, this is my daughter, Chengmy.�

Ranma stared, dumbstruck. The little girl, Chengmy, he corrected himself, seemed intimidated by him. Finally, she hid behind her mother�s knees, Shampoo�s knees.

�Ranma...� Shampoo said questioningly.

He finally came to his senses and bent down. Smiling softly, he said, �Hello. My name�s Ranma.� He extended his hand to the girl. With some prodding from Shampoo, the girl took Ranma�s hand and shook it.

�Hi,� she said.

*****

They went to the park, where Mousse played with the little girl while Ranma and Shampoo watched from a nearby bench.

Ranma looked at the girl, then to her mother. Chengmy bore little resemblance to her mother, sharing Mousse�s long, black hair and narrow face. �How?�

Shampoo looked away for a moment, before speaking. Two-and-a-half-years ago, there was a contest in my home village, to decide who the strongest Amazon warrior was. I won.�

�So?�

Shampoo rolled her eyes. �So. That meant that I was the strongest warrior in the village. The odds of any Amazon male beating me were next to nothing.�

�And you couldn�t get married until a male beat you?�

�Correct. When I realized that, I became depressed. I...I felt very alone.�

Ranma took her hand. �You�re not alone now.�

Shampoo smiled and squeezed his hand. �Not now, but back then.... Mousse was my most persistent challenger. He�d been obsessed with me since childhood. Every time he challenged me, however, I beat him with ease. But one day.....�

�But?�

�But one day, shortly after the tournament, he challenged me again. By that point, I was in the depths of depression.� A tear rolled down her eye. �I..I threw the fight.�

Ranma�s eyes widened in shock.

�I let him beat me. We were married right after that. I don�t know what I was thinking. I was just relieved that I wouldn�t be alone.�

�But it didn�t work out, did it?�

Shampoo shook her head. �I was already four months pregnant when Mousse and I finally realized that we could never be happy together.�

�It�s true.� They turned in shock to see Mousse standing there. Chengmy was playing on a tire swing. �I guess,� he said, �I guess I was in love with the idea of being in love with Shampoo, not actually in love with her. If that makes any sense.�

�Yeah. I think it does,� Ranma said.

Shampoo picked up the story. �We were divorced shortly thereafter. Mousse got custody because it had already been decided that I would go to Japan.�

�How often do you see Chengmy?� Ranma asked.

�Two weeks every other month.�

�So Ranma,� Mousse said, �do you like kids?�

Ranma did a double-take. He looked at Shampoo, worry plain in her eyes.

He smiled and squeezed her hand. �Yeah, I like �em a lot, actually.�

*****

Across town, at the Tendo Dojo in Nerima:

Asuka Soryu-Langley sang softly to herself as she fixed herself a sandwich from the fridge. It wasn�t that she didn�t like Kasumi�s cooking, it�s just that she could only stand so much Japanese food before it drove her crazy. Even as it was, she had a hard time finding bratwurst in Japan.

�In other words....� Akane watched with amusement as Asuka started to walk back towards the guest room she rented from the Tendos.

�Hold my hand. In other words....� Asuka�s voice faded from the room as she walked into the hallway.

Akane turned to her boyfriend, macho test-pilot Bart Savagewood. �So Bart, what time are you picking me up tomorrow?�

�Excuse me?�

�You know, for the dance.�

�What dance?�

Akane rolled her eyes. �The �Ice Breakers� dance that Kayo is holding for incoming freshmen.�

Bart shook his head. �I didn�t know there was gonna be a dance.�

�But you said you�d take me.�

�Did I? I can�t remember that.�

Akane became exasperated. �But I told you about it weeks ago.�

�No, I woulda� remembered if you told me something like that.�

�But I already bought a dress.�

Bart checked his watch. �Well, if you saved the receipt I�m sure you can take it back. Oh shit, look at the time, I gotta get to base. See ya� later, babe.�

�But...�

It was too late, however, and Bart Savagewood was out the door.

Throughout all of this, Kasumi stood quietly at the sink, washing the dishes. �Oh my, that didn�t turn out well.�

�You�re telling me.�

Kasumi looked thoughtful for a moment. �I believe Ryoga said he was going to the dance.�

�Huh?�

Kasumi nodded in remembrance. �Yes, that�s right. He is going. Why don�t you ask him?�

�Ryoga?� Akane stared at her older sister. �Kasumi, you didn�t talk to Ryoga the other night, did you?�

Kasumi smiled blithely. �Why whatever do you mean, Akane?�

�I went to visit Ryoga yesterday morning, and he broke down and told me he loved me.�

�Oh my, did he do that?�

�Yes. And now that I think, he would never do something as bold as that without some sort of prodding.�

�Well, how do you feel about that?�

�Feel about what?�

�About Ryoga being in love with you,� Kasumi stated simply.

Akane colored slightly, but shook it off. �I...he...I....we�re just friends.�

�I see.�

Akane became flustered. �I..I mean...we�re good friends....very good friends.�

�Really?�

Now Akane was blushing a deep red. �I mean....not that type of good friends....I mean....�

�You�re attracted to him, aren�t you?�

�NO! I mean....YES.....NO......I....I...YES, ALRIGHT! I�M KIND OF ATTRACTED TO HIM!� Akane collapsed into her chair.

Kasumi smiled. �Well, I�m glad we finally got that out of the way.�

*****

The dance was a formal affair, with the men wearing tuxedos and the women wearing demure gowns. Kayo University was far different from junior college. While there were no uniforms, the school maintained a strict dress code that forbade any of the popular �grunge wear� that had come to dominate Japanese late-teen fashions at the end of the twentieth century.

Akane would have been embarrassed to come to the dance by herself, if she wasn�t feeling conflicting emotions about Ryoga and Bart. She wasn�t even sure why she had come, except that she didn�t want to waste the money spent on the tickets.

The dance also drove home just how alone Akane was now. Yuka and her other friends had all gone to other colleges. She knew no one here except Ryoga, and he wasn�t even technically a real student, just a ronin taking make-up classes to get his high school

equivalency degree.

Ryoga....

Akane had always dreaded being one of those girls who spent all their time at the bar, drinking away while the guys asked other, better looking girls to dance. And, of course, here she was at the dance sitting at the bar drinking away while all the other girls danced. It was at this point, at the depths of her depression that she heard a familiar voice from the next room.

�So anyways, babe, what say we go back to your place after the dance?�

BART?!!? HERE?!!?

Akane got off her barstool and moved into the next room. Sure enough, there was Bart with some girl. Akane stared incredulously at the couple.

�WHAT THE HELL IS THIS??�

Bart paled as he heard Akane�s thundering voice from across the room. He turned to see Akane standing there, her battle aura in full flare.

�A..Akane?�

�I said, what the fuck is this?� Kasumi would have been shocked at Akane�s language.

Bart began to visibly sweat. He had never seen Akane�s temper this bad before. �Um, Akane...what are you doin� here?�

�What do you think I�m doing?! I came to the dance, God only knows why, and here I find you with some cheap bimbo, after you said you couldn�t remember the dance was even occurring!�

�Well...uh...you see...�

Akane turned to finally look at the girl Bart was with. She really did look like a cheap bimbo, and had breasts at least four times larger that Akane�s.

�What I see,� Akane said, �is some cheap hussy with more saline than an IV tube in her.�

�Now, Akane. I can explain all this.�

Akane summoned her mallet from sub-space. �Oh you can bet you�re going to explain this. Hell, I�m going to beat the explanation out of your hide, you worthless gaijin.�

It had been a very long time since Akane had worked her aggression out this way. It felt very good.

*****

Ryoga, meanwhile, was situated at the other end of the ballroom, mired in the depths of his own depression. He�d hoped that going to the dance would take his mind off his now strained relationship with Akane Tendo. All it had done was drive home how alone he felt these days.

�You sonofabitch!�

WHAM!

Ryoga turned as the whole building shook.

SLAM!�

�To think, I let myself fall for some macho jerk like you!�

CRASH!

�Six months! I�ve spent the last six months trying to make this work! And you repay me by cheating on me with some slut!�

THOOM!

Ryoga ran into the room to see Akane boot some large breasted woman into Low Earth Orbit. He did a double-take as he saw Bart cowering in fear before the almighty Akane Tendo.

�Please, Akane. Show some mercy!� Tears were flowing from Bart�s eyes.

�Oh, I�ve shown you more than enough mercy! Enjoy the flight!�

Ryoga smirked slightly as Akane flipped Bart Savagewood around and booted him into HCO (High Earth Orbit).

Slowly, Akane�s battle aura died down, leaving her to sink to her knees and begin crying. Hesitantly, Ryoga approached her and put his hand on her shoulder.

Akane turned to look at him, tears streaming down her face.

�Ryoga?� She stood, shakily, and turned to fully face him.

�Uh..Akane. I...I...I mean, I�m here....�

Akane collapsed into his chest. Not knowing what else to do, Ryoga put his arms on her shoulders.

�Oh, Ryoga...� Akane began crying again. All Ryoga could do was pat her on the back and try and comfort her.

*****

�So, this is your first time at a soapland?�

�Uh, yeah.�

�What�s your name, anyways?�

�Kyosuke.�

�Nice name. What brings you to a soapland?�

�I split up with my girlfriend.�

�Oh, really. What was her name?�

�Ayukawa.�

�Hmm. Well, it�s $50.00 for a blow job, and $300.00 for full-on sex.�

�Fine.�

�Now just relax, sugar. Ucchan�ll take care of everything.�

*****

Ryoga and Akane stood in the parking lot, Ryoga using his handkerchief to clean her face.

�*sniffle* Thanks, Ryoga.�

�It�s no problem, Akane. I just wish you would have let me taken care of Bart.�

Akane smiled slightly. �I�m sure you would have.� She shook her head. �God, I can�t believe he did that.�

�You deserve better.�

�You think so?�

�I know so, Akane.�

Akane bit her lip and thought for a moment. �He really hurt me, you know.�

Ryoga frowned. �I would never do anything to hurt you, Akane.�

�I know, Ryoga.� Hesitantly, Akane took Ryoga�s hand.

�Akane?�

�I�m on the rebound, right now Ryoga. So I can�t guarantee this will work.�

�What will work?�

Akane blushed. She took Ryoga�s hand and clasped it to her heart. �Us. I mean...what I�m trying to say...�

Akane took several deep breaths, trying to find her inner-balance. Finally, �I mean, I�m willing to give this a chance. To give US a chance.�

Ryoga�s eyes widened in shock. �You mean...�

�Yes, Ryoga. I can admit now that I l-l-lo....have some feelings for you. And I�m willing to see if we can make a relationship work.�

�Akane, I don�t know what to say.�

She took her free hand and brought it to the nape of his neck. Slowly, she began to pull his face down towards hers.

�Don�t say anything at all.� And kissed him.

*****

As Soun Tendo reached to answer the phone, he caught site of Akane�s boyfriend sailing through the night sky.

�Hmm. I guess Akane finally dumped that macho goof. Tendo residence.�

�Uh...hello Soun.�

Soun�s eyes hardened. �Hello, Saotome. To what do I owe the honor of receiving a phone call from one so honorless as yourself?�

�Now wait a minute, you know damn well it wasn�t my idea to call off the engagement between our two clans.�

�No, but you went along with it, and stained the honor of both families.�

�Look, I�m not happy with it either. But my wife�s got that damn katana. Never mind, I�ve got good news.�

�Oh, what�s that? You�ve finally decided to commit seppuku?�

�No, even better. Nodoka now feels that Ranma is old enough to handle the curse AND honor his engagement.�

�You mean....�

�Yes.�

The two of them cried out in unison, �AND SOON THE CLANS WILL BE JOINED!�

*****

Ranma sneezed.

�Everything alright?� Shampoo asked.

�Yeah, I guess someone is talking about me right now.�

�Well, whatever it is, I�m sure it�s not important.� With that, Shampoo snuggled up to her boyfriend.

�Yeah, nothing important.� Ranma said as the two began to make love.

To be continued....

Author�s Notes: Ryoga acting clam around Akane isn�t really OOC in this fic, as he�s already been with Akari here. C&C can be sent to cactusnick@yahoo.com

About The Author: W*ING Higley is the author of over 13 different fanfics, including the critically acclaimed �Tenchi Muyo: The Apprentice� and �Evangelion: The Day After.� When not writing fan fiction, Mr. Higley enjoys golfing and making life miserable for the brain trust who decided to hold Anime Expo at Disney this year. W*ING Higley currently lives in the Southeastern U.S.

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