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Greetings...
Welcome to my first full contribution to the FFML.
This is a Ranma 1/2 story, set shortly after the
introduction of Mouse. While there may be an alustion or two to
later themes, As long as you have read / seen up to this point,
there should be no problem. If you haven't, maybe I could get
some friends together, and we could attempted to get you atleast
throughly hooked on it. :)
Oh yes, I labled this story dark, as it is, to me anyway,
very darkly themed if not on that twilight edge of dark itself.
It should go without saying, that I would none of the
characters in this story. And should bear no resemblance to any
real person alive or otherwise. (If so, you may need help.) As
such, please please don't sue me. This is only my way of paying
homage to a great story filled with fun and wounderful charcters.
Thank you Rumiko Takahashi-san.
Without further ado I present to you
Of Cats and Men (Part I)
====================
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" slurred one boy as
stepped out from the shadows ahead of a little girl on her way
home from school.
"Come this way often, sweetie?" laughed another as he
stepped out behind her.
"What do you want?" the little girl called out, trying to
sound like she wasn't as scared as she really was. She began
looking back and forth and around her. Due to the shape of the
alley, from here she couldn't even see the main street. Four
others had stepped into view, squelching her hope of getting past
one of them.
"Well, me and the boys here, ya see, saw that you were
walking down this alley with no one ta escort ya," began the
biggest of the group. "So, we thought we'd help." His smile set
shivers up and down her spine.
"T-th-that's okay. I can make it by myself." Trying to
reassure herself.
"Oh, I don't think you understand," the apparent leader
smirked. "I know for a fact, there is no way you could make it
through here without our help."
She jumped when she felt the wall on her back. They had
started moving slowly forward; she hadn't noticed herself backing
up.
"That's a good girl. See, we won't hurt you. We'll all have
a little fun back here and see you safely on your way." The
others in the group laughed at that last statement.
"Help," she tried to scream, but her voice had left her.
"I wouldn't scream if I ." Another began as a scream from
the right cut him off.
A young boy in a dirty gi had just jump kicked in the head
one of the gang. Before any of them could do or say anything; the
boy had rolled over in the air, landed on his hands, and pushed
back with both his arms and legs kicking the unfortunate would-be
attacker into the wall. With the breath knocked out of the young
man, the dirty young boy walked over and broke his arm in two
places.
The leader jumped to grab the girl before she could even
think of running then yelled to the others to teach the little
animal some respect.
"Let her go," the boy demanded.
"Or what, hero boy" one of the group asked as they advanced,
pulling out various knives and chains. "You'll go easy on us?"
"When were through, should we let him watch?" one of the
others asked.
"Na, there wont be enough of him let to watch." Another
answered.
A soft wind blew through alley, sending a small chill up the
girl's back and causing the young boy's small pigtail to wave
tauntingly to the gang.
"It's a martial arts duty to protect the innocent," the boy
shouted. " And I'd never dream of going easy on ya," he said
somewhat softer. 'Let's see, one with a knife, two with pipes and
one stupid using a chain in a tight alley,' smirked the young boy
as he made his choice.
Letting out a length of chain, the first swung the chain at
the boy. At the last moment, he vaulted over the chain, almost
disappearing from in front of the group.
Landing on the head of one of the guys with a pipe, he bent
his knees, and taking full advantage of his small size vs. their
larger size in the tight alley, jumped off at the other, knocking
the first head first into the wall. A flying punch to the
diaphragm of the other took his breath away. Rolling up to his
feet, he effortlessly dodged the knife jab from behind. Grabbing
his hand, he rolled forward making the taller man lose his
balance, thus making them both fall into a roll. The boy came up,
once again to his feet, this time his head high and his arms out
like an Olympic gymnast. The other stayed on the ground with his
knife stuck in his belly. A quick duck, roll, and taunt and the
man with the chain clobbered the one he had left winded in the
head. A swift kick and two jabs to vital spots were all it took
to finish.
The demon possessed wild animal, for no normal kid could do
this, surveyed the damage about him. His attempt to wipe a spot
of blood off his check only spread it like some wild dark
marking. Without looking down, he lashed out with his foot,
breaking one of the men's hand and two of his fingers. Then he
marched toward the last two witnesses.
Koji may have been the biggest in his gang, but he wasn't
stupid. He threw the girl toward the ground and made a mad dash
for the other end of the alley.
Taking off as soon as Koji had started to move, the boy
jumped at an impossible angle, catching the girl midway through
her fall. Rotating his body in mid air like a cat, he used his
moment to pull her back to her feet and landed on the other side
of her. Spinning he started to chase after the last as a voice
called out.
"Stop, please let him go." The boy stumbled to a stop and
turned around to face the girl with a puzzled look on his face.
"They tried to hurt you." The boy said.
The girl shivered from the sight in front of her. She still
wasn't sure why she called out to him. Her mind was still
shouting at her to run away fast. That he had just saved her
couldn't quite calm her new fear. This boy was clearly more
dangerous.
"Please, don't you think you hurt them enough?" She asked in
a very uncertain voice. 'He almost killed 5 people just now, and
you want to provoke him?!' the more rational part of her mind
screamed.
"But, they wanted to hurt you," he answered as if that could
justify any action.
"You are a much better fighter than they were. You couldn't
you have just run them off or something?" She sounded a little
more confident since he wasn't acting as if he was going to
attack her. Of course, she knew even with the distance between
them, she'd never make it out of the alley should he change his
mind.
"Once you commit, you must go all the way. It's all or
nothing," the young boy replied in an almost lecturing tone. "If
I'd let up, they'd just be back here tomorrow."
"Look at them!" she said, almost breaking down into tears.
"They're scum. They deserved what I had to give'em."
"No body deserves that."
He shifted his weight back and forth, his lips silently
moving as he tried to think of a response. "Look," he said
finally. Taking a step forward, he watched her eyes get real big
as she started trying to back away. He stopped, closed his eyes
and took a deep breath.
"Do you deserve what ever they were thinking of?" he said
after a moment.
She looked down at the ground. Everything was still too
unreal. 'A nightmare, this had to be a nightmare, and any moment
now, I'm going to wake up.' After a few seconds of not waking up,
she looked up to the boy. The expression of his face was more the
look of a lost puppy than the monster she had just seen.
"I'm Ranma Saotome of the Saotome School of Anything Goes
Martial Arts. It's a martial artists duty to protect the
innocent," he said bowing to her. Then looking her straight in
the eye with the most vibrant blue eyes she had ever seen, he
finished, "and I ain't going to hurt ya. I promise."
With that she smiled, "Pleased to meet you, my name is ."
====================
"Hiromi-chan!" Ranma breathlessly mouthed as he jumped up
from his seat quickly enough to knock is disk over. Everyone in t
he class stopped and looked at Ranma, who was looking toward
Akane.
"While I am glad you have deemed to wake up for my class, I
will not tolerate any disruptions Saotome-kun. Sit down now, or
go out to the hall." The teacher barked. He couldn't understand
why the other teachers couldn't maintain order on this class. Of
course he had only just taken over for Suzuki-sensei, who had
taken an indefinite leave, just a few days prior.
"All right, young man," Hanaka-sensei, their teacher began,
after it became apparent he was being ignored.
"No!" Ranma shouted suddenly, cutting off the teacher, then
dove over Akane's desk through the closed window.
Everyone in the class was suddenly up and over to the
windows, before Hanaka could even think. Never had he had a
student try to kill himself before. After the initial shock wore
off, somewhat, he morbidly moved to join the students looking out
the window.
Below, on the school grounds, Ranma looked around confused.
He remembered having just watched as a ten year old girl fell out
the window. He jumped to try to save her, but now she was no
where to be found. He would have considered this a dream, if it
hadn't been for the pain he felt when he broke the glass. He
wiped the blood from the numerous small cuts along his brow.
'How could she have fallen through a closed window,' he
thought. He shook his head, trying to clear the fog away. 'What
would a little girl be doing in a high school class room anyway,'
Ranma found himself trying to reason. "Was I dreaming?"
"I have had enough, Saotome-kun," Hanaka yelled from their
classroom. "Consider yourself on detention. And I think a
parent-teacher conference would be in order too."
Ranma looked up at his classroom. Students were now looking
out of most of the windows on this side. Dream or not, he didn't
think he would quickly forget the look of terror on her face. It
was like something out of a nightmare. His expression tightened
as he thought of the girls expression. 'She was kinda cute, for
her age,' Ranma shook his head, 'What am I thinking.' He took a
deep breath then a thought came to him, "She was afraid of me."
"Did you hear me, Saotome-kun?" The angry voice of his
teacher settled down upon Ranma snapping him back to his
surrounding.
Ranma looked around, this was not the time or place for
this. He turned and started running for the fence. With a single
bound he jumped up and over the wall and was gone.
"Okay class," Hanaka turned to face the rest of his class.
"I want you to start reading pages 134 - 167 and due the
questions at the end of the chapter." Hanaka turned and left the
class room, not even waiting for the students to get back to
their seats. 'I need a smoke break.' Hanaka thought as he walked
the hall. He had quit just 2 years earlier.
====================
'Why do I have ta go to school,' a young Ranma reasoned with
himself. 'Its not like they every teach anything fun or useful.
Nothing like what dad teaches.' He looked up at the school as
finally made it. Wearing the uniform of his last school made him
stand out from the others making their way into the schoolyard.
His father had told him that it was normal and accepted for a
transfer student to wear the uniform of his last school for the
first few days, so that other students could see where he was
from. A theory that didn't match the reality of how most of the
other kids treated him when he transferred in. Ranma thought it
was just an excuse until the old man could find a proper uniform
for him.
"Ranma?" a voice ahead of him called out.
Ranma looked trying to find the source of the voice. Someone
who knew him already. Finely, as he made his may forward, he saw
her. "Hiromi? What are you doing here?"
"Duh, I go to school here. Are you transferring here?" She
asked.
"Uh," Ranma responded intelligently. "Ya, I guess, for now
at least." Ranma stood there like a deer caught in headlights.
Normally it took him days before he could find any good friends,
now here was someone talking to him on the first day.
"So, you going to tell me your homeroom, or are you going to
keep it a secret."
"uh -oh, its uh, its," Ranma reached into his pocket and
pulled out a piece of paper. "Um, 1-E," he finally answered
looking up to see her eyes light up and a huge smile on her face.
He wanted to remember this moment forever.
"I know where that is!" She giggled out. "Follow me." She
turned and forged a path through the other students toward their
classroom.
====================
"Hey, wait up." Nabiki shouted to her young sister as she
left the school at the end of the day. Akane turned and looked
very annoyed, but she waited. Nabiki smirked. That meant she wasn
't really angry or she would have just kept on, oblivious to her
calls. 'You are so easy to read, Akane.'
"What do you want?" Snapped Akane.
"Just to have a nice walk home with my sister, like we use
to do." Nabiki chimed.
"We never walk home together and I'm not in the mood." Akane
replied, not really turning down Nabiki's offer.
"Want to talk about it?" Nabiki probed. She had heard
several versions already. Everything from Ranma attacked Akane
and she threw him out the window to Ranma tying to kill himself.
In short, nothing believable. The only thing she was sure of was
that Ranma had jumped through the window then ran off.
"No." she said after a few seconds.
Nabiki hid her smirk, 'about 2 more blocks should do it.'
"Why, Nabiki?" Akane stopped 2 blocks later and turned to
face her sister. "Why would he just take off like that."
Nabiki blinked. "We could ask him when we get back."
Akane humpf'd. "Probably when to go see that violent Chinese
bimbo of his." Akane's expression darkened considerably.
'Akane calling someone else violent,' Nabiki quipped to
herself. "If that's true, you could maybe get father to forget
about the engagement." Nabiki watched Akane's expression soften
as she cast her eyes down at the ground.
"You think so?" She said meekly.
"He hasn't very happy when she first showed up, remember."
Akane only nodded slightly. 'Time to up the ante,' Nabiki
thought. "I am sure I could get a picture or two that would that
would make daddy's blood boil."
"So, you think he likes her more?" Akane said in a slightly
high pitch than normal.
"Who cares. With the way she acts, I could probably get a
whole roll of shots in no time. If I presented them to him just
right, he would kick the both of them out without hesitation,"
Nabiki turned away slightly, to pretend to watch her.
"You don't have to do that," Akane said very softly while
staring intensely at the ground.
"Oh," Nabiki said turning back around smiling. "I thought
you said you didn't want to be engaged to him."
"Why would I want to be engaged to a stupid perverted jerk
like him!" Akane snapped, unable to stop the burning feeling in
her face as Nabiki cornered her. "It just . you don't . wouldn't
that destroy their family name?"
"It's just an offer." Nabiki had a few thoughts herself on
the Saotome's good family name. "Just let me know if you change
your mind." Nabiki turned and continued on as if nothing had
happened, a little to Akane's relief. This conversation had been
very illuminating, even if she didn't learn what she really
wanted to know. 'Ranma, you had better be worth my little sisters
attention.'
====================
"Thanks for walking me home," Hiromi said.
"No problem." Ranma replied, beaming with joy. "I guess
those bullies learned their lesson, huh?" She looked at him and
frowned. Suddenly he felt like he had just been caught doing
something wrong by his dad.
"Maybe, then again, they might have learned if you had gone
easier on them too." Now it was Ranma's turn to frown.
"People like that never learn. You have to show them .." He
stopped when she turned her back to him.
"Anyone can change, if given the chance. And everyone
deserves the chance to redeem themselves. If any of them had
died, you would have taken any hope they had of changing."
He looked down at the ground. Somehow this seemed worse than
any lecture his dad had given him. He still wasn't sure why he
enjoyed being around her, especially when she smiled. And he
hated it when she seemed upset. He became determined to make her
happy while he was here. "I'll think about what ya said. See ya
tomorrow." He said as the turned to head back to the vacant house
his dad had found.
"Wait," she called. Suddenly not really wanting to see him
go yet.
"What?" he said while turning around.
Whatever gave her the strength to call out now left her. "I-
uh, do you have, I mean, would you like to see my cat?"
"Sure! I love cats." Ranma beamed, 'Dad should be out until
late tonight.'
"Great, we have two cats. The big one name is .."
She led him into the apartment building, telling him all
about their cats.
====================
"What do you think your doing!" Akane huffed, after having
climbed onto the roof.
"Uh," Ranma jumped a little in surprise, realizing just how
little attention he had been paying.
"Well!"
"Thinking, what's it to ya."
"And you have to do this over MY room?"
Ranma looked around and from the position of the tree found
she was right. "I just needed to be alone, and this was a
comfortable spot."
"Okay," she began. She looked around as she wasn't quite
ready to let him off the hook yet. She fidgeted with the question
she wanted to ask, but wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.
"So, is this where you ran away from school to?" She asked
instead.
"I didn't run away!" was his knee-jerk response. Taking a
deep breath, he tried again. "I tried walking though the park,
but there were too many people there so I came here." He didn't
know why he tried to hold back on his usual responses. After all,
he had tried being nice when he first got here, but everyone made
it obvious they didn't want him here. Just for some reason he
didn't feel like being alone right now.
"Who is Hiromi?" Akane finally brought herself to ask, her
voice was almost a whisper.
"I-" he began, his face contorted in that silly expression
she had seen when he was trying to remember Ryouga's name. She
had to fight not to laugh.
'she's that girl I saw.' Ranma thought. "I don't know."
"Then why did you shout her name before you jumped out the
window?" Akane grew angry again.
"I shouter her name?" He didn't even remember saying it.
"So you do know her!" Akane countered.
"No." Ranma shifted his position back to looking off the
roof into the distance. Akane anger continued to grow as he just
sat there obviously lying to her.
"At least I don't think so." Ranma said at last, narrowly
avoiding being kicked off the roof.
"What do you mean you don't know." Akane asked, barely
holding in her anger.
"I thought I saw a girl fall out the window."
"There was no one at the window, you were dreaming." Akane
pronounced, case solved. He is an idiot and possible insane as
well as a pervert.
"Usually I don't really through myself out of a window when
I have my nightmares."
Akane blinked. Something in what he just said, didn't quite
sound right. "How often do you dream of girls throwing themselves
out of windows?"
"This is the first, I think," he smirked. "Usually I don't
remember to much of them, just the ." he trailed off. He almost
admitted to being afraid of a stupid dream. It was bad enough
they knew of his fear of cats.
"How often do you have nightmares?" she asked, unsure what
she thought he was going to say.
"Oh, about the same as everyone else I suppose. Three or
four times a week."
Akane turned away from him, trying not to cry. Ranma caught
her movement out of the corner of his eye. 'Great, now she thinks
I can't handle stupid nightmares.' "Well, guess I should wash up
before dinner." He stood up, and jumped back down the ground.
Akane turned back to stop him, but couldn't find the words.
====================
"Hey you," a boy called out across the yard to where Ranma
and Hiromi where having lunch. Ranma looked up at the boy making
his way toward them and smirked.
"Your that kid that put my brother in the hospital, aren't
cha." The boy stated. Several other boys started to form a circle
surrounding them.
"Maybe, what of it." Ranma said simply.
"You must be dumb or something." He smirked. "First you come
here, and attack my family. And now you're trying to take my girl
away from me."
"They tried to attack me. And I'm not your girl, Giru!"
Hiromi replied.
"They attacked you?" One of the boys in the back asked, he
hadn't heard that part of the story.
"All six of them tried to, anyway." Ranma said as he shifted
positions slightly. He was still sitting, but now could easily
jump or strike out. He cursed himself mentally for letting
himself relax into the less defensible position. A mistake he
would tell his father about.
"He beat all six of your brothers group?" Another boy said
softly.
"Not all of them, Jii didn't have a mark on him."
"That's because he ran away." Ranma added nonchalantly.
"He made Jii run away," yet another boy paraphrased. The
more the other boys heard, the more it was clear Giru had not
told them the whole story. It was also becoming very clear that
they didn't want to mess with this boy.
"You got lucky, that's all. Your nothing," Giru shouted,
realizing that he was losing some of the crowd. When it became
apparent that he might lose them all if he didn't do something,
do something he did.
Giru launched his fist forward, the blade of his knife
pooping out of its sheath so fast, almost nobody noticed it. And
just as suddenly, Ranma was not where he was just a second ago.
Looking up, he was rewarded with two feet planted in his face,
and he went down fast. Ranma jumped off him, before he hit the
ground, landing just to Giru's right.
"Your gonna pay for that one." As Giru got back up and
glared at Ranma, Ranma saw the stern look on Hiromi's face, that
some how seemed to shout at Ranma that she was not happy.
Giru revealed a second knife in his other hand and he
launched into a combination of punches and jabs. Ranma dodging
and weaving throughout. Giru had some training in marital arts
and had been, until now, the toughest boy at school. It was clear
to about everyone except for Giru, that he was very outclassed.
Quickly teachers came and broke up the fight. Sending Giru
to the principal's office. All of the teachers who had come over,
where very please with how Ranma had handled it, having only seen
him dodging and refusing to even once hit his opponent, so they
didn't bother sending him to see the principal. Happiest of all
was Hiromi.
====================
"By soft what light through yonder gate would grace such a
fair and noble warrior. Tis the morning, and my chance to renew
her hope of being freed from the bonds that that that miscreant
Saotome would place upon you."
"Doesn't he ever learn?" Ranma asided to Akane.
"And fear not pig-tailed girl, where ever his dark arts may
have hidden thee. I shall endeavor to free you both, so that you
may enjoy the attentions I may visit upon you."
A shiver ran up Ranma's spine as Kuno's words reminded him
of the last dream that he awoke from in a cold sweat. An angry
battle aura flared around Ranma, to those who could sense them.
"She is never going to like you Kuno!" Ranma shouted as he
started toward Kuno to teach him a lesson or two.
Akane, however, got to Kuno first, with her fist readied to
knock him into next week. She had plenty of reason to be upset
with Kuno for just being here. When she noticed Ranma's reaction
to Kuno's speech, of which the implications disturbed her greatly
anyway, she felt she had to react.
"So, the beautiful tigress wouldst spar again with me." Kuno
pinned. "How lucky I am," he continued as attempted to strike and
parry her attacks.
"Hey, he was mine!" Ranma shouted at Akane, extremely upset
to have a girl fighting for him. Then he saw it. Kuno was
bringing his boken down with all his strength, and his target,
standing with her back to him, completely unaware was a little
girl dressed in a light brown school uniform looking happy to see
him.
In a flash, Ranma had jumped over Akane taking the boken hit
square on his back. The follow through tackle brought both of
them to the ground. They both rolled over and sprang back to
their feet.
"So Saotome, you would fight with me at last." Kuno called.
The fog that veiled Kuno's mind and protected him from all the
evils of a world filled with his insane family lifted slightly.
He had hit Saotome fair. And knew that whatever dark magics he
used to protect him were not working now. He was the best fighter
of the most powerful marital art. Victory was his today.
Ranma huffed, as he tried to get his bearings back.
Fortunately, Ranma's tackle knocked his arm such that the
effectiveness of his attack, already weaker since he was fighting
a 'girl,' was substantially less than his full strength, which
could break concrete with air pressure alone.
Ranma looked over to where Akane and the little girl were
standing. Both were looking at him very angry for his attack on
Kuno. Turning to look Kuno straight in the eye. "If you ever try
to hurt her again," Ranma said softly with as much hate and venom
as he could, "I will kill you." Ranma's battle aura flashed as he
said the last. Then, leaving a stunned student body behind, he
walked into the school.
"Wow, did you see that, Ranma stopped Kuno without even
fighting him!"
"Oh, that's so romantic, how he took that hit for his
fianc�e!"
"Did you hear what he said to Kuno?!" Everyone began talking
about what the had just witnessed, and all were almost late for
there first class.
The fog that protected Kuno's mind from the evils of the
world, slowly descended back to its proper place. Kuno was now
convinced more than ever that he had always been right about
Saotome. Only a demons eyes could flash the way his did. And the
way he took that hit, even knowing his protection was not strong
enough to stop his righteous blade, proved that the best way to
defeat the curse on both his tigress and his pig-tailed girl was
to beat them. Oh, how he hated and loathed the idea, but he could
not. No would not betray them. He would do what his duty, his
honor demanded, and free them both personally.
====================
Yuota waited as Hiromi saw Ranma to the exit of the
building. Once she came back in and closed the door he called
over to her.
"What," she asked with all the annoyance that a 10 year-old
girl can deliver.
"I don't like you playing with that boy." He said
matter-of-factly.
"I don't care what you think, oniichan." She replied and
started to head off to her room.
"Mom and dad don't know it yet, but I heard he put 5 boys in
the hospital last week."
"I know." She replied over her back.
"You know!" He said jumping up and following her down to her
room. "What do you mean you know?"
"I was on my way home, and they tried to attack me. He came
out of no where and saved me." She said with quite a bit of
enthusiasm.
Yuota blinked. He wasn't sure what to think of that. "Well,
I see. Still you don't need to be around that kind of person." He
tried lamely.
"And what kind of person is that, huh? One who would do
anything for me?" She said thinking of the fight the other day.
"I heard both he and his father are drifters," he said
indignantly. "You can't trust those kind of people. They would do
anything, if it suited their tastes, without care for other
people." He walked around the room, his arms waving back and
forth, "I have heard that people have started losing stuff every
since they came to town."
"He's not like that!" She defended.
"Of course, you don't think he's like that. Your just a
little girl, what do you know of the world."
"Your only one year older than me, and I know you don't know
that much more than I do."
"Listen too you. A few days with him and your back talking
your older brother."
"Like I never put you in your place before!"
"Just wait till mom gets back from shopping!"
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Just watch me!"
"You do that, and I'll tell her about your picture taking."
Yuota's eyes got real big, "You wouldn't!"
"As long as you don't," Hiromi finished with a smirk and
crossed her arms.
====================
Nabiki allowed herself a frown before walking to her usual
table. She ordered a tea once the waitress came over.
Nabiki hated waiting. It's not that she had a lot of other
things that needed her attention, she knew how to delegate work
out effectively. No, she resented wasting time she could spend on
any number of things that she always intended to do, but never
seemed to get around to anyway.
Once the waitress had brought her tea and left, she pulled
out a meeshi and set it facing her at the edge of the table.
Nabiki hated mysteries even more than waiting.
The meeshi, kind of like a business card only more widely
used, contained the only information she knew about this contact
thus far. Kurai Naishin High School, 4th year, Yuota Kimuwara. A
small school, zoned just to the north of their school. Normally,
such a school would have been considered a better school, and the
Tendou's would have been sent there by there father instead;
however, it seemed through some strange cosmic joke that Furinkan
High students always place better, and are regarded better from
colleges. The two schools never competed in any sporting events,
and dispute how close they are, none of her 'friends' knew anyone
attending.
"Greetings, Tendou-san?" a man said standing next to the
table. She controlled her reaction and chided herself for letting
her attention slip. She didn't need to let an uncomfortable
situation get completely out of control.
"Kimuwara-kun I presume."
"Ah, yes," he said relaxing into a smile. "You can call me
Yuota, if you like." Nabiki only waited. "You and I are a lot
alike, I think," he said finally.
"Oh really." Nabiki replied coolly.
"Yes, you have a reputation of being ruthless, when it suits
your needs. A person who is not a slave to the notions of
goodness or honor."
"Right." She responded unemotionally. Part of her was
screaming to get up and get away from this person as fast as she
could. However, that was a part of her that she seldom listened
to anyway. He was trying to flatter her. It wasn't about to work.
"So, how you came to need my services?"
"A mutual acquaintance mentioned you. He seemed to think you
would be perfect." She nodded, for him to continue.
"You see, I am working on a project, and I want your help to
document its conclusion."
"And you think I can help you." Nabiki replied flatly.
"I need," he paused and took in a slow breath before
continuing. "I want to have a reminder, after all is said and
done." He reached into his pocket and pulled to photos out and
set them face down on the table. "I have already seen your work,
and you are truly gifted."
"What am I to be, documenting."
"The fall of a man." He replied simply.
She tried to keep the incredulous expression from her face,
and managed it up to her eyes. "Why me?"
"Any person willing to sell pictures of their sister for
profit, regardless of who buys them, certainly grabs my
attention.' He said as he turned over the first picture,
revealing one of Akane during one of her workouts, the anger and
frustration of the day clearly written across her face. The angle
revealing part of her training bra, up to, but not quite making a
real show. That was a picture that she had marked for Kuno only.
Which meant the other one was.
"Then we add that they are willing to sell off pictures of
some girl, unlucky enough to be her sisters friend," he added
quietly flipping the last picture over. It was of Ranma-chan. She
had been wearing only her boxers and a towel draped over her
neck, that had barely covered her until she suddenly turned her
head at something Akane had said. "Completely willing to throw
this poor girls honor to the winds. I wonder what her parents
will say, if and when this gets back to them." He gave off forced
chuckle.
'One, its only Ranma. Its not like he cares about his girl
form. And two, only Kuno should ever have seen those.' She
thought as she made a mental note to up the price on future
pictures. She had felt a certain ping, when he revealed them with
his introduction, but the rationalizing part of the mind is an
amazing thing.
"Your sense of timing and ruthlessness is what I need."
"And if I say no?"
"Well, I do intend to talk to a Hikaru Gosunkugi. Although
not as talented. I was assured that he would be willing to take
the assignment, should you choose not too." Nabiki growled in her
head, she didn't like the thought of the little runt going around
her like that. Then again, he wasn't exactly one of her more
loyal followers.
"Besides," Yuota continued. "I am sure you'll find my offer
of 10,000 a shot, with the intention of shooting a full 34
exposure roll." He smiled as he saw her eyes flash momentarily.
The first real indication he had been about to disconcern from
her. 'She's perfect,' he thought. "I wouldn't want to miss any of
it."
====================
Pin-pon, pin-pon.
"Hello?"
"Uhm, is Hiromi there?" A tentative Ranma squeaked through
the building intercom.
"Silly, its me!" Hiromi giggled back.
"Great! Would you like to go looking for cats with me?"
"Cats? What do you want with cats?" Hiromi asked playfully.
"The old man wants me to try to get as may of the strays
around as I can."
"Uh huh?"
"Well, he said something 'bout get'n some cat treats, like
fish-sausages and catnip. I guess he's wanting ta get'em a good
home or somethin'."
"Cool!" Hiromi replied cutely. "Count me in!" She released
the button and when to grab her coat.
"Your going out with that homeless boy?" Yuota said as she
opened the door.
"I am going to save the kittens!" She replied theatrically
then shut the door behind her as she left.
====================
Akane awoke to her alarm going off. But she didn't move to
shut it off. Something was in bed next to her, and it wasn't
p-chan. Slowly she looked over and saw Ranma's face nuzzled up
against her. Not a moment later, Ranma slowly opened his eyes,
acutely aware that there was not an alarm clock in his room.
"YOU PERVERT!" Akane screamed as she grabbed the closest
thing and silenced her clock against Ranma's head forever.
Ranma quickly jumped out of the bed after that.
"GET OUT! YOU PERVERT!" Akane continued as she looked for
something larger to grab.
"It's not what it looks like!" Ranma attempted.
"Then what is it! Huh?!" Akane dared.
Ranma's mind quickly searched for something that might work,
since he didn't have a clue why he was in her bed. 'Ah ha!' he
thought. "It's not like I'd want to sleep with you or anything!"
Two seconds later, Ranma found himself hurtling out the
window only to land in the koi pond. "Why's it always got to be
water."
"Was that Ranma's voice I heard from your room Akane?"
Nabiki asked from the doorway.
"I don't want to talk about it! Doesn't anybody Knock around
her!" Akane said as the both looked down at the remains of her
door. The bottom had been completely shredded into confetti,
leaving the top held on by one hinge to swing open freely. They
both looked up at each other.
Akane walked out past Nabiki and up to the guest room where
Ranma and his father where staying. Akane walked up put her hand
up to open the door, then she hesitated.
Nabiki, following her train of thoughts, and privacy not
being her biggest concern reached out to grab the door.
As the door crumbled to the floor, they both gasped at what
they saw. The room was totally wrecked. Hugh scratches in the
walls. Clothes everywhere. Nabiki was the first one to recognize
Genma's unconscious form tossed upside down in one corner. He
looked severely beaten, but still breathing.
"Well, I guess there will be plenty for breakfast." Nabiki
said as she quickly spun away and started down the stairs. "If
you want to lay him down properly, I'll give Dr. Tofu a call."
Nabiki called back to Akane, not bothering to turn around. She
knew she would lose it if she did.
====================
Auther's Notes...
Part 2, I will be posted in a little bit.
The Title that came to me, seemed to fit the story quite well,
but being catchy like as it is, has more that likely been used
before.
If this is the case, just let me know, so I may apologize,
and attempt to find for some other title that captures the
spirit
of this work. <suggestions also welcome>
Oh, and please I would truly appreciate most any C&C you may
give.
(Author attempting the crouch of the wild tiger: please!please)
:)
P.S.
(If anyone remebers my other: Yes, I am still working on it. It
just needs some serious balancing.)