[FFML] [Ranma 1/2]Curing the Cat-Fist Part Three

Hi,
I noticed I called this story Curing of the Cat-Fist in my last post. Oops.

It's correctly titled this time.

Anyway, for those who wonder where they might read previous copies, go to www.fanfiction.net (where previous copies are stores). Or you could just go to my website (but who wants to go there?)

Anyway, on with the story :)

Troy

***

Check out my webpage, where I archive, write, link, and do almost almost all the wonderful things fanfic writers enjoy. http://www.crosswinds.net/~silentnova/entrance.html

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-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: authorthomasctcf3.txt

Curing the Cat Fist
By Troy Thomas

Ranma 1/2 and its characters are the creations and properties
of Rumiko Takahashi. Excepting flames, if you have any
comments or criticisms, feel free to send them my way.

***

Part Three
The Beginning of the Tail of the Cat-astrophic Tiara

After reading the letter, Ranma looked at Akane, who was
sitting beside him underneath a tree, which bordered the
schoolyard. "Kuno's challenging me again, but he wants to
fight my girl-form."

"Really? That's different." Akane replied.

"If he ends up declaring his love for me again..." Ranma's
body went rigid, the memory of an incident from months prior
sending a cold chill down his spine. He crushed the challenge
letter. "Well, this had better be a fight." he growled.

"When is the fight?" Akane asked.

"After school."

***

"Right, so once I have this crown adorning the head of my
beloved pigtailed goddess, I would truly win her heart away
from the evil Ranma Saotome?" Kuno looked at Genma, who was
in his panda form.

The panda smiled, and nodded his head.

"Of course, for what panda sent from Heaven would attempt to
delude Tatewaki Kuno, a simple and noble hearted servant of
justice?" Kuno smiled, his eyes closed. "Not any panda I've
ever met."

Both Kuno and Genma shared a laugh.

"However, I ask you this, Panda." Kuno said, pointing his
bokken at Genma. "What would Dear Akane think should I
endeavour to win the pigtailed girl's heart first?"

"I don't know." said the panda's sign, which the panda raised
in the air for Kuno to read.

Kuno didn't bother to read the sign, instead answering his
own question with more, "Oh! Would her tender heart be
broken? Would she run into the sunset, her tears dimming even
its majestic radiance with cold and disillusioned despair?"

Walking across the school field towards the school, ten
metres away, hand in hand were Akane and Ranma.

"Oh Akane! I mean not to break your heart! Please forgive
me!" Kuno rushed towards Akane, his arms spread apart ready
to glomp the girl.

However, his face met with fist, stopping Kuno in his tracks.

"Would you mind keeping me out of your life's plans?" Akane
asked, her voice in a low growl.

Pulling away from the fist, Kuno looked on the girl with a
tear soaked face. "Oh Akane, you mustn't be angry! I do not
intend to keep you from the centre of my bosom."

"You do know what you're talking about, right?" Ranma asked.

Kuno's body suddenly went rigid.

"Kuno?" Ranma walked towards the upperclassman, and then
knocked a couple times on Kuno's head. "Hello?"

"Like a snake..." Kuno whispered.

"Come on Ranma. He's lost it." Akane said, grabbing her
fianc� by his shirtsleeve, dragging him towards the school.

"Like the lowly serpent, its belly dragging on the ground,
you Ranma, villainous reptile, have slithered your way into
her heart." Kuno concluded. He wheeled about, his bokken
raised in the air ready to strike. "Meet me, Fool!"

"He's already gone." Genma's panda sign read.

"Saotome!" Kuno screamed. "How dare you turn and flee before
I can exact a mighty vengeance!"

Before Kuno could run off towards the school after Ranma,
Genma clubbed the boy on the head with a sign.

"You're not ready!" the sign read. "Besides, you've lost
focus. Putting the crown on Ranma's...I mean the pigtailed
girl's head should be your top priority, not hitting on
girls."

Sitting up, crossing his arms, Kuno looked at Genma. "You're
right, Panda. How should I undertake this task, of placing my
love atop her head?"

"By using the boy's...I mean the girl's greatest weakness..."
the scrawl on the board read. "A tragic trait she shares with
Ranma."

"Ranma's weakness? Why does this rekindle old memories?" Kuno
asked, silently readdressing an old challenge he had once
issued. 'If I discover your...something spot...You will let
me date with the pigtailed girl...'

***

A shudder ran down Ranma's spine.

"Something wrong?" Akane asked, noticing Ranma's discomfort.

"Just a bad feeling. It isn't anything I can't handle
though." Ranma replied. 'But it's do darn familiar...' he
thought.

***

"Miss Nabiki Tendo, might you know the whereabouts of Mister
Tatewaki Kuno?"

Nabiki looked up at her teacher. "Have you looked outside?"
She laid her chin on top of her knuckles. "He was playing
with some kittens and a panda last time I saw him."

The teacher walked over to the classroom window. A moment
later, he returned to the front of the class. He cleared his
throat, and then began to speak, "Anyway, yesterday we were
discussing..."

***

"The legendary, 'Aerial Cat Attack'," Genma wrote, "is based
on secretly holding a cat, and then throwing it forward so it
lands on your opponent with its claws facing your opponent's
face."

Unfortunately, Genma's student wasn't listening. Instead, his
student was running around trying to dislodge a cat hanging
on his face.

"Would you pay attention?" the sign that Genma used to knock
Kuno onto the ground said.

The excited cat, which had sunk its claws deep into Kuno's
face, quickly jumped off and ran away into the school's
shadows.

"You insane animal!" Kuno growled, jumping to his feet. "Who
would dare secretly use such a dangerous technique? My face
is..."

"We're not aiming for the face, in this case." Genma replied,
cutting off Kuno's complaints. "We're really only aiming for
her shoulder, so she'll be too frightened to move, but won't
move for fear of upsetting the cat."

"And then it's the moment when I take her into my arms, to
soothe her tortured and frightened soul..." Kuno began to
imagine his words coming to life. "To alleviate her fears, I
might need to...embrace her gently, and then..." His
imaginings ended with a soft kiss.

A sign crashed down on Kuno's head. "Moron! That's when you
put the tiara on her head."

***

Another shudder ran down Ranma's spine.

"Seriously Ranma, is something wrong?" Akane asked again.

Gripping the edge of his desk, Ranma apparently seemed to not
hear her question.

Knocking on Ranma's head, Akane asked again, "Something
wrong, Ranma?"

"It's probably nothing you can't make worse." Ranma replied.

"Humph." Akane returned her attention to the classroom front.

'But why do I feel like this has got to do with Kuno in some
way?' Ranma silently asked, not noticing his hands were
leaving imprints on the desk.

***

Slowly, she walked out to the middle of the school field.
Patiently, she let his gaze run over the field, noting the
crowd of students gather to watch the battle, noticing her
opponent with his back turned towards her only a few metres
away.

"Kuno, I'm here." Ranma said. "Are you ready?" She was in her
girl-form, which like her father's curse, was acquired in
China. "And you better not be wasting my time again with some
silly declaration of your love again."

"My love, it is not silly, Dear Girl." Kuno replied, turning
his head just enough so Ranma could see his eyes. "In fact,
today I am here to prove how deeply in my heart my love for
you runs."

"Humph, whatever." Ranma took a defensive stance. "Aren't you
going to prepare yourself?" she asked.

"I needn't prepare myself again. I am perfectly fine as I
already stand."

"You're pretty confident..." Suddenly, Ranma noticed Akane
yelling at him. "What?"

***

"Ranma! Look out! Kuno has a cat!" Akane called out.
Unfortunately, it seemed Ranma couldn't hear her.

"Urgh!" Starting to run to the field below, Akane quickly
noticed Kuno suddenly turn around and fling the cat at Ranma.

A moment later, Kuno, with a tiara in his hands, was rushing
towards the startled Ranma, who was staring with fear at the
cat lying on her shoulder.

Seconds later, Akane helplessly watched Kuno place the tiara
atop Ranma's head.

A strange glow surrounded the girl, which it seemed Kuno
didn't notice.

"What?" Akane asked.

***

Brushing the cat away, Kuno stepped back to admire Ranma. "My
Goddess, you are beautiful!" He placed his hand under his
chin, and took an appreciative pose. "This gift of mine,
though merely a trinket when compared with thee, surely does
refine your charm."

The cat meowed, which caused Kuno to look down at his feet.
He saw the cat, and searched for words to describe its
actions. "You're...bowing?"

Ranma's gaze moved from her shoulder to the cat at Kuno's
feet. Her eyes seemed incredibly cat-like; her movement silky
smooth and fluid.

"Like an empress, your every action is noble and
everlasting..." Kuno himself bowed.

"Ranma?" Akane asked, cautiously walking toward her fianc�.

Ranma looked at Akane, who resisted an urge to bow.

"What's with you?" Akane asked.

"Akane..." Ranma said, almost testing the name on her tongue.
"Your name is Akane." It seemed a question, but it also
seemed a fact.

A panda stepped beside Kuno, and held a sign up, which read,
"So, how does it feel, Boy? You don't seem to be afraid of
cats anymore."

"Father...You are my father." Ranma tested.

'Did he just call Mister Saotome, Father?' Akane asked
herself. 'That's not right...'

Ranma looked down at the cat at Kuno's feet, and then meowed.

The cat...nodded, and then jumped clinging to Genma's face
with its especially sharp claws.

"What?" Akane shrunk away from the panda, but noticed a paper
fall out of Genma's paws. "What's this?"

After bending down to pick the paper, she quickly read it.

She looked up at the panda. "Did you read the second page of
this?" she asked. "Wait, why am I even asking? Of course, you
didn't."

In large, bold print letters, at the top of the second page
was written, "Caution! Do not use on cats!"

Slowly, she looked at Ranma. "But Ranma's no cat...What's
going on?"

End Part Three

***

Author's Notes:
Again, I've only set up the story to lead up to events in the
next part. Oh well. I'm sure I should be able to wrap up this
tail in the next two or three parts.

Anyway, I've made a small change in the first part, which
will impact any sequels I write.

Thanks for reading.

Troy