[FFML] [fanfic][crossover][r/sm]Growing Up Part1

Growing Up's a Bitch

Part1

by Oberon

ffml_use@hotmail.com

A young man with black hair tied in a pigtail sat patiently in a locker room. He was a boy really, maybe 15 or 16 of age. The boy wore a red shirt with its sleeves rowed up and a pair of loose fitting pants. Both the boy and his clothes had seen better days as both shown signs of ware and tare. His shirt was torn in several places and was stitched back but some of the damage appeared to be recent and hadn't had a chance to be repaired. His pants were in the same condition but most noticeable were the odd color patches over the section of the knees.

Of the boy himself, he had definitely been in a struggle of some kind. There were bruises on his face with one particularly swollen black eye. Various other injurious were over his arms and face. Mostly, they were minor cuts that showed several days of coagulation. Other than the large bruises on his forearms most of his other injuries were hidden by his shirt.

The locker room was in much the shape as boy. Beat down and run down, it was missing several locker doors and those that had them were missing locks or came with large fist size indentations. The floor looked like it hasn't been swiped in years. The bandages and toilet paper that littered the floor had been walked on so much that it formed an unbreakable crust over the tiles. Just about the only intact furniture was the television set in the corner, and that looked like it been tagged with spry paint many times.

The image on the television was fuzzy and occasionally interrupted by static but it was clear enough. The reporter from the broadcast was just audible but for the young man it might as well be mute. The teenager had not moved as he simply sat on the bench waiting for something. His attention was so focus on his upcoming task that he ignored the all distraction.

"Something cheesy happened to our city's defenders today. The Sailor Senshi were visiting the industrial sector outside the city when a nearby cheese factory exploded, showering the Sailors and most the visitors with a layer cheese whiz. Lucky no one was hurt and only minor structural damage resulted. When Sailor Venus was asked about the incident her only reply was that cheese was never her favorite food." The reporter shuffled some papers in her hand. "Today is the 2nd anniversary of Princess Usagi's disappearance. As of yet no clue had been found leading to the princess' current location and no ransom demand was ever received. You may remember the uproar two years ago."

The squeaking sound of the door as it was opened interrupted the young man's concentration. He looked toward the direction of the door to see a fat middle age man with a scarf over his head.

"It's time." Saotome Genma announced.

***********

"In this corner," a guy in a black formal suit gestured toward the pigtail young man. "The challenger. Ranma Saotome!" The crowd of spectators around the ring was remarkably silent at the announcement.

"And it that corner, our undefeated Champion. Ryoga the Raging Boar!" The man in formal suit gestured toward the opposite side of the ring. A spot light moved from Ranma toward the direction where the announcer had pointed. The light reveals a rugged looking boy around Ranma's age but a lot bulkier.

The boy was rugged looking and under his mop of hair was a yellow bandana. When the spectators chirred energetically the boy's smile revealed his fang like canines.

"Alright guys, the rules are simply." The announcer shouted to the microphone, his voice echoed to the spectators over the speakers. "Three rounds, 10 minute each and there had better be a knockout by the end of the third or no prize. No killing, other than that, anything goes." The announced looked back toward the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, place your begs, the fight's about to BEGIN!"

The crowd roared and the bell signaled the beginning of the fight.

Ryoga charged toward the smaller boy. Ranma saw Ryoga's advance but his reaction was a surprise to all those present. He did not jump out of the way. He did not take a fighting stance. Instead of facing the raging boar Ranma turns his back to him.

Ryoga stopped in his tracks and regarded Ranma cautiously. "Why did that fool turns his back to me?" Ryoga looked at Ranma carefully, inspecting the smaller boy's posture as he himself took a combat stance. "His stance. it's so casual. What's he up to?" Both boys remained perfectly still as the larger of the two eyed the other like a hawk.

"Blah. This weakling can't beat me." Ryoga charged toward Ranma once again. Still Ranma did not move. Ryoga saw the perfectly still form of Ranma and began to have second thoughts. He stopped and scrutinized Ranma more intensely then before.

"He's too confident. Is he setting a trap?"

+++++++++++

Two days ago Ryoga was still on his way to his fight with Ranma. He hasn't missed a fight yet because he always left 1 week in advance. But this time he had gotten to the rundown warehouse a few days early only to get lost on his way to the bathroom. Fortunately a nice old lady in Shikoku was helpful enough to point out the way to Crystal Tokyo.

Ryoga parted the branches as he walked through the heavily overgrown area. He continued to make his way to Crystal Tokyo and slowly the plants were beginning to thin out. Ryoga came upon a clearing and saw a boy about his age, hug tied while trying to run away from a pack of angry dogs.

It was really more like hopping away from the dogs since the boys' legs where chained together with a heavy iron chain. Ryoga watched the boy try his hardest to get away from the barking dogs then he recognized who the other boy was. He is one of the fighters. The pigtailed boy suddenly screamed and jumped higher into the air as one of the Dobermans sank its teeth into his ass.

+++++++++++

"So. that's what he was doing. He was training for some special technique." Ryoga eyed the smaller boy. "He must be waiting for me to get in close then surprise me with the attack."

Slowly, and ever so cautiously, Ryoga edged toward his opponent. His eyes were always on his opponent looking for the slightest movement. But not once, did Ranma so much as twitch.

Finally, Ryoga was staring down the hair on Ranma's neck but the smaller boy still refused to move.

"What's he doing? Why isn't he making his move?"

For a long time both boys continued to stand motionlessly in the ring. But as the minutes ticked by Ryoga's emotions finally got the better of him. As much as he tried he couldn't keep the anxiousness from building up inside him. Yet he refused to make the first move knowing he will be falling for what ever trap Ranma had planned. Ryoga was beginning to sweat but if he could see the look on Ranma's face right now..

+++++++++++

With his back to the bigger boy, Ranma had hid his face from his opponent. This was a battle of the mind. Will it be Ryoga who lost control first and attack? Or will it be Ranma who will loose control of his fear and ruin his own strategy.

The battle wore on and Ranma's was sweating profusely. Occasionally his lips would twitch but thankfully it escaped his opponent's notice. Ranma could literally feel the bigger boy breathing down his neck, waiting for him to make a mistake. But even as right leg began to shake Ranma manage to hold together.

At last Ranma felt the hair on his neck moved to the slight change in the air.

+++++++++++

At last Ryoga could stand it any longer. He sneered at smaller boy then pulled his fist back for a strike at the boy's back. "THAT'S IT!!! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!!" Ryoga's punch was lightning fast.

However, Ranma's was faster.

Ranma could feel the other boy make his move. Before the bigger boy could connect Ranma struck first, knocking Ryoga to the ground with the back of his fist. Ranma's attack was fast but it wasn't nearly strong enough to keep the Ryoga down.

Ryoga recovered from the fist to his nose quickly. He got to his feet and growled at the smaller boy. With a scream of rage, Ryoga charged blindly at his opponent who had once again turn his back to him.

"DING"

Ryoga paused in his tracks. The bell had rung, signaling the end of the first round. Ryoga's inside was burning in hatred for the smaller boy. He was huffing and puffing but he knew he'll have to wait for the next round or else risk his prize money. Reluctantly, Ryoga returned to his corner.

+++++++++++

Ryoga could barely wait for the beginning of the second match. He sneered at the boy from across the ring with utter contempt, his face a mask of barely contained rage. He could hardly wait to pound on his foul.

"DING"

Ryoga charged out of his corner while the ring of the bell still echoed in the air.

Ranma walked out his corner slowly even in the face of the Ryoga's rush. Then he stopped. Like before Ranma turned his back to the raging boar. He stood in the same posture as before at almost the exact same spot. But this time Ryoga wouldn't be so easily fooled.

Ryoga rushed ahead but from the corner of his eye he saw the look on Genma's face. Genma was smiling, almost chuckling. It is a very smug look. A look that just screams "I know something you don't".

Genma suddenly reached under the ring and pull out. a pineapple? Genma held the fruit in his hand and played with it. He tossed the pineapple between his hands while he continued to smile smugly toward Ryoga. Genma chuckled at the young man then out of the blue he threw the pineapple high into the air.

Ryoga's attention immediately returned to his opponent. Ryoga stopped in his tracks, he was sure his opponent was using Genma's distraction to launch an attack. But once again Ranma simply stood perfectly still with his back toward Ryoga.

"Bastard." Ryoga cursed the younger boy silently. "So you think you can fool the great Ryoga Hikibi again? I'll show." His thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly felt something sharp land on his head. Ryoga looked around the ring frantically for his attacker but there was no one save for Ranma who still standing at the same spot. Then he saw it. Not far from where he is standing. There, lying on the ring was. a pineapple.

Ryoga felt the rage building up inside him can be held down no longer. Finally, Ryoga let out a deafening roar that nearly drowned out the chirrs of the audience. The only thing left in his mind is the thought of smashing the cowards into the ground. Ryoga descended on Ranma like the wild boar he is named after. This time nothing will stop him from pounding the other boy into paste. Nothing will stop Ryoga, not even the medieval mace that Genma threw into the air. Not even the pairs of rusty training weights Genma is holding. Nothing will stop Ryoga from going medieval on Ranma. Not even the mace that bounced off his skull or the rusty training weights that landed on him, or the various other heavy blunt objects that followed.

Ryoga ignored the pain, the headaches from the heavy blunt objects using his skull as a landing site. In the adrenaline rush he could only feel a light tap on his head from each impact. By the time Ryoga was close to Ranma there were already 5 or 6 bumps on his head. Ryoga saw his chance for some payback and without stopping he swung at the smaller boy's back.

+++++++++++

Ranma knew at once something was wrong from the bone shattering roar. He had pushed Ryoga too far and now there was no way to stop the bigger boy from rushing at him.

Instinctively Ranma knew the bigger boy was on the move. He could feel it in the air so to speak. Just before the he would be stuck down from behind Ranma took off running. His quick reaction saved him from been knocked silly by mere inches.

With the raging boar on his tail, Ranma ran up the ring post in front of him. With the speed he had gained Ranma performed a back flip off the post and over Ryoga's head.

Ryoga wasn't able to recover from his strike in time to stop. Still carried by the momentum of his charge Ryoga slammed head first into the ring post that Ranma just leaped off of moments before.

The ring resonated with a loud ding resulting from Ryoga's head colliding with the iron ring post. Ryoga head bounced off the post, dazed Ryoga swayed randomly then finally slumped onto the mat in a boneless heap.

Ranma landed with his back to Ryoga. He heard a loud thump from behind which made him turn to look. Ranma's face instantly grew a smile at his fallen opponent. "I. did it."

Ranma's grin was short lived. The prone form of Ryoga stirred then slowly, the older boy got up from the floor of the mat. "So coward, you think your little tricks could beat Ryoga Hikibi." By now Ryoga was on one knee. He looked up and stared hatefully at the smaller boy who was looked back at him in shock.

Ryoga reached for his bandanas, in his eyes was a look of madness. The kind of madness that gets you locked up in a rubber room. He undid the yellow strip of cloth then another and another. As if possessing a never ending supply, Ryoga kept undoing bandanas from his forehead until he held 3 in each hand. He looked at Ranma who was looking back at him in awe, then with a toothy grin he began to twirl the bandanas he was holding.

The strips of cloth were span faster and faster until finally each bandana resembled spinning helicopter blades. "Now you die Saotome," Little regard was given for the people sitting directly behind his opponent as Ryoga flanged the buzz saw like bandanas in one hand toward his opponent.

Ranma saw the weapon coming but was at a loss to their purpose. "What can those stupid spinning thingies possibly do?" Although he was uncertain he also didn't want to take a chance. But it was too late. While he was staring with his mouth hanging the spinning bandanas has crossed the ring. Ranma reacted on instinct and jumped out of the way of one of the bandanas. When his body was in the air one of the bandanas flew by his leg. "Ahhh!" A scream escaped his lips from the flesh tarring pain but he could see another razor sharp spinning bandana was flying toward his out stretch arm. He immediately brought his arms toward his body. It was close but at least he was able to keep his hand from being severed at the wrist.

Ranma landed on the mat with a grunt. He looked up at Ryoga's position and saw three more spinning bandanas headed his way. One of the buzz saws was heading toward his nick another toward the left, at his arm. Still another was heading toward his shins. From his position still crouched on one knee Ranma jumped straight into the air. Unfortunately, this was exactly what Ryoga was expecting. Although Ranma was able to avoid the bandanas which passed harmlessly under his feet he wasn't able to see Ryoga coming at him with a jump kick to his stomach.

Ranma had the air squeezed out of his lungs from Ryoga's kick. Still in the air Ranma's body was pushed back by the moment of Ryoga's body. Ranma landed and skid across the mat only to stop when his head was stopped by one of the ring posts.

+++++++++++

Genma had tears in his eyes. "Oh my boy is such a weak little girl, for shame. For shame."

Ranma promptly bonked the bald man on the head for his out burst. "I told you, I am NOT your son,"

Still with tears Genma suddenly grew a look of determination. He grabbed Ranma by the arms and started to drag the beat up young man off. "Come 'on boy, we're going on a training trip."

In the darkness of night, the streets of Crystal Tokyo were practical abandoned saved for two men in martial arts gi. The older of the two, a fat and balding individual, was in the lead. While a younger man with his hair in a pigtail walked silently, following the older man. The young man suddenly stopped and looked longingly at the shimmering crystal palace in the distance. "Mama, I miss you so much."

"Keep moving little girl, we're wasting time."

"What did ya just call me.?"