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Title: The Countdown to Matrimony (Ch. 1 of Part 3)
Anime: Ranma 1/2
Author: Denise Cameron aka Elena99
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Part Three: Insanity Squared

Chapter 1: School Blues

Ranma quickly sat down in his assigned seat, one row over and a seat
back from Akane. Luckily for them, their teacher, Ms. Urashima, hadn't
even entered the classroom yet. _Maybe it's her turn to be late,_
wondered Ranma. It wasn't often that she was late, though, and there
were still a few minutes before class started.

Leaning back, Ranma put up his feet then looked to the doorway of the
room. Students were still trickling in, laughing and talking, picking
their way around the room to their seats. But no Ukyo. He had been
sure that while they were taking out Kuno she would have ample time to
get into the school ahead of them. Looking to the side of the room, he
noted her empty desk, and frowned. Ukyo was rarely late for class. She
took it as seriously as Akane, lately.

"Here Ranma," he heard Akane say, then turned to see her sitting at
her desk, holding out papers and a textbook to him. Recognizing them
as his, he grabbed them, putting them on his desk.

"Oh yeah, thanks," he said, then turned back to look for Ukyo. _It's
her problem, I guess._ Shrugging, he turned around to see that Akane
was still looking at him, a curious light in her eye.

"What's the shrug for?" she asked. Wordlessly, Ranma pointed to Ukyo's
empty seat. Her eyes followed the hand, then a look of understanding
came over her face.

"Odd. She should have been in here before us. Are you sure that was
Ukyo you saw?" she asked. Ranma sighed, thinking back to he sighting.
The look of surprise, happiness, then uncertainty and sadness at
seeing him disappear was definitely that of Ukyo.

"I'm sure."

It made him feel like a big jerk, but there wasn't much he could do
about it, except keep his promise. As much as possible, he was going
to avoid her. Only in class was it not possible to be far. But even
then, he could at least not look at her or talk to her. _If she's
planning on being here to not talk to, anyway. So close to exams,
too...and the end of the year._ Noticing that Akane was still watching
him from her seat, he leaned back and looked up to the white tiled
ceiling. He heard her stand up, then the sound of her flat shoes
walking the two paces to him.

"You said something outside, about a promise," she said, her voice
searching for an answer. Lowering his head, he looked at Akane, and
was struck by the sympathy on her face. Although she was often
sympathetic to others, it didn't generally happen towards him when it
involved another girl. Especially when the girl was either Ukyo,
Kodachi, or Shampoo. Ranma shook his head and straightened, hoping to
end the conversation fast.

"I did."

"What was it?"

"It's nothin', Akane," he said, waving her off. Narrowing her eyes,
Akane crossed her arms, obviously not liking the answer.

"Still keeping things from me?" she asked, annoyed. Other students
around them glanced over, but most looked away when they saw that it
was one of their usual spats.

"What, you don't trust me?" he countered, putting his feet back on the
ground and leaning in closer to her.

"That's not the point. You shouldn't...we shouldn't be keeping things
from each other," she said softly, obviously not wanting the others
around them to hear. Ranma shook his head slowly, keeping his voice
low too. He didn't want to tell Akane about the promise. It was
between him and Ukyo, there was no reason to involve Akane, especially
after he had already said no. Why did she have to insist? Going back
and telling her now would just make him look soft.

"Don't worry about it. You worry too much...besides, it's nothing to
do with us. If you ever need to know, I'll tell you," he said, and was
immediately struck by the hurt look that appeared on her face.
Normally Akane would have hit him by now, or called him a jerk, or at
least expressed her anger further then she already had. Was she
restraining herself? _She probably still feels guilty, over last
night..._

The look on her face was much worse then a punch, or a slap, or a kick
could ever be, and was almost enough to make him reconsider. Whether
or not it made him out to be a marshmallow. Anything to get that look
off her face...

"Akane?" he tried, then heard the door to the classroom open further,
then shut. Him and Akane both turned to see Ms. Urashima walk in,
heading towards her desk.

"We'll talk about this later," said Akane, before turning and taking
her seat. Sighing, Ranma leaned back again, looking out the window on
the side of the room. It was starting to get cloudier outside now. _I
hope it doesn't rain._ That would be the last thing I'd need, he
thought, looking back to the front as Ms. Urashima began role call.
Ukyo was still not there.

* * *

He had watched her walk in, from his corner of the room. Watched her
get up, and talk to that ignorant Ranma, who had the gall to
say...whatever it was he had said to her that had upset her. Normally
when they argued, it was loud enough for him to hear, but as their
expressions became less carefree, their voices had lowered. She was
sitting back now, her expression serious as class was starting.

_Beautiful as ever. If only she'd talk to me._

While he stared at her, he felt another pair of eyes watching him. Not
just watching, but burning into his skull. Turning his head slightly,
he noticed the source of the feeling; Ranma Saotome. His fiery blue
eyes spoke of great violence, should he not stop staring at his
fiancee, and he cracked his knuckles to drive the point home. Nodding,
he, Hikaru Gosunkugi, turned back around to look at their teacher. _At
least she's cute too. But nowhere near Akane..._ He sighed, doodling
idly in his notebook.

There was a plan, at least, that he hoped would get Akane talking to
him. Perhaps more, if it worked. If he was lucky. He had heard a
rumour that Akane and Ranma, in preparation for their real wedding,
were making sure that all their suitors and fiancees gave up on trying
to get them apart. In other words, telling anyone who had tried to
break them up in the past to basically give up. The rumours also
claimed that they were official, though it wasn't clear on when that
had started. He had only heard about it yesterday.

_Feh, amateurs. Did they really think showing up at their wedding and
trying to break them up was going to work?_ He scowled, looking at his
notebook. I wasn't even invited. Probably doesn't even know I exist,
he thought miserably, opening his notebook to where he had tucked in
the note destined for Ranma's eyes. He had wanted to send it to Akane,
but he was far too shy to go up to her desk and give it to her. At
least with Ranma, he just had to worry about the brute killing him
before he could convince Ranma to read it.

_Well, here goes nothing._

Grabbing the note, he raised his hand, meeting the eye of the teacher.
It took Ms. Urashima a moment to notice him, then he raised two
fingers in the air in indication that he wanted a blue pass, to get to
the bathroom. She nodded, pointing to a small pile of five that were
still on her table. Holding the note low so that it could not be seen
above the desks, Gosunkugi got up, making his way towards the door in
such a way that he would get to pass Akane. But first, he needed to
leave the note on Ranma's desk. Taking in a deep breath, he walked up
to the desk of his rival, and put the note down on top of his
textbook.

"What are you doing?" whispered Ranma, holding onto the back of
Gosunkugi's shirt just tightly enough to keep him from moving easily.
Gosunkugi felt his heart try to leap out through his chest. _Don't
panic...he won't hurt you, not here...he won't hurt you._ His brain was
not entirely good at convincing his body, and his hands began to
quiver.

"A n-note. Just read it. It's to help. I swear," he replied nervously,
trying to move forward again. With a low grunt, Ranma released him,
then moved the note quickly underneath other papers. His heart beat
fast, and he struggled to maintain his composure in the classroom. No
one was looking at him, yet. Ms. Urashima was reading aloud from the
text, most of her students listening or at least pretending to listen.
As usual, no one paid attention to the awkward black haired boy, who
was trying to leave the room. Except for Ranma, and only because he
had initiated that unpleasant instance of attention.

"Get outta my face," said Ranma in a stage whisper, as Gosunkugi went
forward again. To his left, he could see Akane now; her back, her
shoulders, her short, silken indigo hair. He sighed happily, but tried
not to let it show on his face. His heart still beat fast, but for
very different reasons. As he passed by her seat, she started to look
towards him, then stopped herself, looking back up to the teacher.

_No, no look back at me again...please?_ he pleaded mentally, letting
himself pause in hopes of a reaction. As far as Akane seemed
concerned, though, he didn't exist. Her wonderfully silver eyes
continued to be aimed at their teacher, a bored, yet determined
expression on her face. No room for a scrawny, nervous classmate whose
name she probably didn't even know.

Disappointed, Gosunkugi continued forward, picking up a blue pass from
the desk before heading out down the hall.

If Ranma read the note, he would be seeing them both on the roof at
lunch time. He just hoped Ranma didn't decide to rip it up without
reading on principle, first.

* * *

_What was that all about?_ wondered Akane, keeping herself from looking
back to check on her fiance. She had heard the conversation between
him and Gosunkugi, and saw the suspicious look on his face as he left
the room. _Why would he talk to Ranma? Those two don't get along at
all,_ she thought, no longer paying as much attention as she should be
to the teacher.

She was still mad at Ranma. How could she not be? Here they were,
trying to be a better couple, and trying to fulfill the wishes of
their fathers (whose wishes they finally shared) and Ranma was keeping
secrets from her. And being annoyingly obnoxious about it, to boot. So
she was definitely mad at him, and most certainly didn't want to have
anything to do with him at the moment. Even if he did have a secret
that she was dying to know, about Ukyo. Plus there was that note, from
Gosunkugi.

The first was more then a small irritation. On the one hand, he really
did have every right to keep a promise made between friends away from
her. If it had been anyone else...anyone male, like Ryoga...that would
have been perfectly fine.

But this was no ordinary promise between friends.

It was between Ranma and Ukyo, and despite Ranma's confidence that
Ukyo had given up, Akane highly doubted it was that easy. Rejecting
Ryoga had been one thing; Ryoga had never actively pursued her. She
had naively thought that having Ranma talk to Ukyo would work equally
as well; they were good friends, and Ukyo seemed to respect his wants,
whenever he was man enough to do more then stutter at her.

It was Ukyo's absence from school, even after Ranma seeing her in the
vicinity, that troubled her. If Ukyo really was agreeing to be
friends, and really was going to give up pursuing him like a woman
possessed, why was she not in school? There was the possibility that
the okonomiyaki chef was taking a break to lick her wounds, but things
were never that easy. Not in Nerima, not for Akane Tendo.

The other thing that made her mind wander was the note. Now, here was
something that Ranma was innocent in. Gosunkugi had given him the
note, and said that he wanted to help. Help with what? She wondered.
At times like this, she really hated her habit of being curious. But
class was boring, and Ranma was her fiance. What if there was trouble?
Was Gosunkugi meaning to protect him from something that Ranma hadn't
told her about?

_Don't jump to conclusions,_ she tried to tell herself. It was still an
act of great determination to not aim her eyes at Ranma's desk,
though. Even if she could manage to make herself glare at him, proving
she was still mad.

Tapping the eraser end of her pencil against her cheek, she looked up
at the clock, and groaned. Another thirty minutes still until they
changed classes. There was a possibility that Ranma would hand over
that note for her to look at without her having to ask, but there was
also the possibility that he would 'punish' her for being nosy
earlier, by not letting her see it for a while. He knew how curious
she was, and how she always had to know everything.

The topic they were going over in class was boring, anyway; politics.
Again. Politics really unmotivated her for some reason, but it'd be on
the exams. She knew it would be. Sighing, she copied down some of what
Ms. Urashima said, then doodled in the corner when she went off topic.

After a while, Ms. Urashima turned her back to the classroom to write
on the chalkboard. Quickly, Akane turned around to look at Ranma.
Surprisingly, he was copying notes down with a serious look on his
face; there didn't appear to be any kind of note on his desk, but he
was no doubt hiding it. When he still didn't look up at her after a
few seconds, she turned around again, just in time to be writing notes
diligently before Ms. Urashima finished on the chalkboard. Slowly, she
made herself get back on topic, forcing thoughts of the note to the
back of her head.

When the thirty minutes finally went by, she picked up her books and
shoved them quickly in her bookbag. It was gym time now; her and Ranma
had to walk to the next building with the other students, where the
lockers were. Once she had her stuff ready, she looked over to Ranma's
desk to see that he was gone.

"Huh?" she asked, then turned around.

"Lookin' for someone? C'mon, I have somethin' to show you," said a
voice from the other side of her desk. Ranma. Giving him an annoyed
look, she followed him out of the classroom, Ranma smiling as though
he had just done something really clever. _Still mad...he's still
hiding something from me...though if he shows me the note, maybe I
could forgive him. A little._ She considered this, then forced her
irritation to slide away. The smile on his face had also served to
melt her, slightly; it managed to get through her defenses sometimes,
and she was beginning to wonder if he knew that.

"You heard Gosunkugi give this to me, right?" asked Ranma, pulling out
a note from his pants pocket. Akane snatched it out of his hand,
opening it.

"I did," she said, scanning the words. Ranma walked quietly beside
her, letting her read it all.


[A and R,]

[I've heard the rumours. I want to help. I have a way of getting rid of]
[the others, meet me on the roof at lunch time.]

[Gosunkugi]

"Not much of a note, is it?" said Akane, handing it back to him after
she was done. Ranma quickly folded it again, tucking it into his
pocket.

"It's probably some sorta trap. I don't like the way he says "getting
rid of", either. It doesn't sound right," he said, shaking his head.
Heading downstairs, they followed the crowd of noisy, restless
students down the hall. It was like a sea of students, changing
classes.

"So you don't want to go?" she asked, looking up at him. Ukyo and the
promise were now forgotten, since this new curiosity had unfolded
further. The tone of the note certainly didn't sound friendly towards
the others, which was most likely Kuno, Kodachi, and Shampoo. A crease
of worry had appeared on Akane's brow, which wasn't quick to fade.

"Of course we're gonna, Akane. I wanna see what his lame idea of a
plan is. And hey, if it turns out to be nothin'...it's a good excuse
to, uhh," he began, then seemed to fumble his words.

"Turn him down? Well...yes, I suppose. I still don't think it's that
necessary, though. And what do I say? It's not like he's even spoken
to me more then three times. If that," she said, trying to remember
the times. There was one time when he had been in leagues with Kuno
over something, and had made a trap for Ranma. With cats. Ranma was
deathly terrified of cats, no thanks to his father and his idiot
training ideas. Another time was when he had those odd paper dolls
that he kept sticking on people's backs.

"Lemme think about it during gym class. I always do my best thinkin'
when I get to exercise. Also might be easier if we, uh...showed him,
rather then told him." Akane widened her eyes, amazed that Ranma would
say something like that with so many people around them.

"What are you implying?" she asked. Ranma shot her an odd look, then
laughed.

"And you say _I'm_ a pervert. I didn't mean that, stupid," he said, as
they stepped outside of the first building. Trying to cover up a
sudden blush, Akane ducked her head.

"Oh. Well what did you mean then?"

"Dunno. I've seen him get all scowly and self-loathing when we're
getting along. We'd only have to show 'im that you have no plans to go
to him. But hey, I gotta run now. Meet me at the statue between the
girls and boys locker rooms after class, okay?" he said, stopping for
a moment to wait for her answer, his feet already wanting to be gone.
Gym was, without a doubt, Ranma's favourite class. Aside from maybe
lunch.

"Sure, I'll see you then," said Akane, heading off away from him. _Why
did I immediately think he meant...arg, damn you Ranma. I shouldn't
hang around him so much, he's giving me a boy's mind._

The girls had a completely different building then the boys for
changing, though both buildings were small, almost like shacks. When
she walked in, with her bookbag slung over her shoulder, the
conversation suddenly stopped. As she gazed around the room, the other
girls looked back at her, their expressions looking from amused, to
jealous, to unreadable.

"What? Did something happen?" she asked, heading towards her locker.
Two of her friends, Megumi and Yuku, approached her as she set down
her bag.

"Maybe you should tell us," said Yuku, sitting down on the bench. The
two girls were changed already, but it looked like they had lagged
behind to wait for Akane.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Akane, pulling out her
gym shorts and t-shirt.

"Oh come on Akane, it's not like we're little girls anymore. We're
seniors. And it's so obvious, everyone's been noticing you and Ranma,"
said Megumi excitedly. _Noticing? Noticing what? We didn't do
anything...did we? Maybe holding hands, but they've seen us do that
before._ She tried to control the thoughts rushing through her mind,
and concentrated on changing, then fixing her hair into a bandana. Her
mind shot back to when she had been blushing, during her conversation
with Ranma just now. But they couldn't be misinterpreting that,
already. Had she blushed earlier at something he said? She tried to
remember, but couldn't think of anything. It wasn't too often that
Akane found reason to blush at school, or anywhere else for that
matter.

"Noticing what? Sounds like everyone has too much time on their hands,
if they're seeing things that aren't there," said Akane, starting out
of the room. Clearly, they were blowing something out of proportion.
If she just ignored it, they'd stop, and eventually start being their
normal selves. She just had to ignore them. _It's not like anything has
happened between me and Ranma, anyway,_ she realized, keeping her face
firm.

"Way to go Akane!" said a girl whose name she couldn't place, as Akane
left the room with her two friends. She slapped Akane amicably on the
shoulder, grinning before turning back to the locker.

"Huh?" said Akane, then shook her head, "I don't have time for this.
Yuku, Megumi, what is going on?" asked Akane, pushing them out into
the hall so she could get them alone. The two exchanged glances, then
shook their heads.

"You really don't know? It's all over the school," said Yuku. Then
Akane thought back to the note from Gosunkugi. _Rumours...he said he
had heard rumours! What kind of rumours are going around?_ She had 
been positive it just meant their other suitors. But what if there were
more to the rumours then that? She fought to keep her face firm. Lies
and half truths could be spread around a school faster then a January
flu.

"What's all over the school?"

"Well...people are saying that...you and Ranma, are a real couple
now," said Yuku, looking towards Megumi for reassurance.

"That's more or less it. When I heard it, I wasn't sure, but there's
something about you and Ranma now. You seem...nicer to each other.
More agreeable. If that's possible," said Megumi teasingly, laughing.

"Wait, is there more? Is that why you're so mad?" asked Yuku. Sighing
with relief, Akane started walking again towards the exit, her friends
walking beside her. She held a chuckle at herself in check. In all the
craziness of the past few weeks, she had completely forgotten the
obsession over half the school had of when Ranma and Akane would be
official. They all knew the two were engaged, and hating it. They were
also convinced that deep down, they really did love each other and
were committed not just by a paternal oath. No doubt half the school
was rejoicing, in a nosy, living out romances vicariously through
others way. Somehow word must have gotten out; probably those who had
been to the failed wedding. Although Nabiki had invited every looney
in Tokyo, she had also managed to invite a few of their normal friends
as well. Unfortunately, Yuku and Megumi hadn't been on the list. They
hadn't brought it up at all, though, and so Akane didn't either.

"There's no more, but you know how rumours are. I thought maybe there
were...misconceptions going around. What you said is true though.
Ranma and I...we're a real couple, now. More or less," said Akane, a
small smile on her face despite her feelings towards Ranma regarding
Ukyo, earlier. Yuku's eyes looked starry, though Megumi's expression
was more jealous then anything.

"How lucky can one girl be? Feh. Well at least that puts you
officially off the market. Maybe more of the guys will pay attention
to us now," said Megumi.

"Off the market? What are we, pigs?" asked Akane. Yuku laughed, while
Megumi rolled her eyes.

"You know what I mean."

"Last I checked, I've been 'off the market' for two years. But you
have a point, it's not like all of the guys took it seriously," said
Akane, as they sprinted off to join the rest of their class.
_Especially not Kuno. I was hoping I could get rid of him, but he just
had to go and fail his final year._ She had a suspicion that he had
done that on purpose; it was one of the few things her and Ranma
agreed upon without question on either side. Kuno swore up and down
that it was because of his meddling father, who happened to be the
principal of the school. For all his anger towards Principal Kuno,
though, Kuno certainly was reaping the benefits of being in the same
school as her.

Today the girls were all playing baseball; Akane was chosen to be
captain of one of the teams, and they were having a good game, though
close. It was a nice day to be playing outside, enough breeze to keep
them cool from the hot sun that was still poking through clouds. On
the other side of the field, the boys were doing gymnastics. She could
see Ranma, talking with some of his classmates while waiting in line
for his turn on the uneven bars. Yuku and Megumi's words from earlier
still rang in her ears, and she allowed him a small smile. Which he
didn't see, of course. Not from that distance, and he wasn't even
looking at her.

Further away was Gosunkugi, looking towards the girls side. _What's
that in his hands? It looks like a little black box..._

"Akane, heads up!" She heard a female voice yell. Obeying, she turned
to see the ball coming towards her at first base. Sticking out her
hand, she lunged forward, keeping her foot on the base. Akane caught
the ball easily, then tagged the sullen girl who had just hit the
ball.

She thought she saw a flash out of the corner of her eye, as the girl
headed back to her team. When she looked back over to the boys, she
couldn't see any sign of light, or Gosunkugi anymore. Shaking her
head, she forced herself to forget about the box and get back into the
game.

* * *

As the lunch bell was ringing, Ranma was walking casually out of the
boys gym, changed back into his earlier outfit. When he got to the
statue, he saw that Akane was heading towards him as well. With a
quick wave, he took a few strides over to her, and they both started
walking towards the school.

_She doesn't seem to be mad at me anymore. In fact...she hasn't
mentioned the promise since the start of first class,_ he realized with
smug satisfaction. Good old distractable Akane. He was lucky that
Gosunkugi had given her something more interesting to harp about, or
else he'd probably be dealing with a much more difficult girl, by now.
He didn't like it when Akane was mad at him; it made his head swim
with confusion, and usually lead to him saying stupid things. Very,
very stupid things, as far as Akane was concerned. Things were much
more pleasant when Akane was helping him, rather then sticking her
nose up at him.

"Think of anything?" Asked Akane, looking energized from gym.

"Not really. Nothin' solid, anyway. Let's just hear what the guy has
to offer, then I'll letcha know," he replied, remembering his
offhanded commitment to think of something. He hadn't really been sure
what there was, when he said that. Vague notions of giving Akane a
present, or offering to carry her books, or holding doors open for her
had crossed his mind. Each one had seemed overdone, or superficial,
and he had discarded them quickly as being no better then just flat
out talking to the boy. One embarrassing solution had come to mind,
thanks to Akane's accusation and blushing jump away from the subject.
A demonstration of affection, like a hug, or a kiss. The thought alone
had made him trip while on the uneven bars, which was enough to make
him discard that idea and bury it.

He had tried to speak to Gosunkugi during gym as well, but the kid had
disappeared halfway through. Suspecting that he was taking pictures of
Akane again, he had searched the field, but didn't see him anywhere.
Gosunkugi made him nervous, somehow; he didn't feel right beating on
him, since he was really just a weakling and often a victim of real
bullies himself. But at the same time, he just couldn't accept the way
he stalked Akane. Even if she didn't even notice, it was wrong.

They made their way up to the roof, getting smirks and odd victory
cheers from fellow seniors as they went. Trying to ignore it, they
made an effort to keep at least a foot in between them until they got
to the top. There, finally alone, they sat on a bench and dug into the
lunches that his mom had made for them.

"Odd how quickly word gets around, here," said Akane casually, looking
over the rail to the students on the front lawn of the school, "I was
practically greeted by a cheering squad in gym class."

"Cheering squad? What for?" asked Ranma. He had heard a few rumours
flying around about them, but nothing concrete. Or realistic. He had
to give most of the guys in gym class a wake up call about what he had
with Akane, and what was their business to know. Which was nothing, as
far as he was concerned.

"They just know we're more...official. Nothing else," she said
delicately. He noticed her body language change to a nervous posture,
then quickly straighten herself out. So quickly he wasn't even sure he
had seen it.

"Oh...well. That's okay. Right?" he asked, looking over at the rail
now too. He finished his lunch, and got up to stand at it, his back to
Akane.

"Doesn't bother me, if that's all it is," she replied, "I wonder where
Gosunkugi is. It's been lunch time for long enough." Ranma noticed the
quick change in subject, and accepted it. Despite their being
official, there had not really been much talking between the two about
what being official meant. So far, things had stayed the same, except
for their one new mission. Assigned by Akane's father. Sure, they were
less volatile to each other, and there had even been new things, such
as apologies where before there wouldn't be, and more respect for each
other. Apparently, though, neither were going to take any other steps,
and neither had even tried to talk about it with the other. Ranma had
just figured things between them would evolve on it's own, or Akane
would initiate. His hands went cold at the thought of initiating
anything, and he wasn't even sure what, if anything, he wanted to
initiate with his fiancee.

Noticing out of the corner of his eye that Akane was now giving him an
odd look, Ranma forced tense muscles to relax, and took on a
nonchalant expression. _Back to the subject...Gosunkugi..._ His eyes
moved from Akane's, scanning the ground below. A familiar feeling of
distrust for the boy came back to him. He could feel his ki rippling
in agreement, his battle aura going up unconsciously. Images of his
classmate filled his mind. Gosunkugi, taking pictures of Akane
unaware. Gosunkugi, thinking he could get away with staring at his
fiancee during class. Gosunkugi, trying to get Ranma out of the
picture with one lame trap after the other.

"He disappeared during gym class. Maybe getting some of those weird
voodoo dolls, or some other trap," he began. Suddenly realizing that
the traps could already be laid, he turned around, gesturing to the
bench, "Hey, you shouldn't sit there. Come over here, there might be a
trap," he said, suddenly worried. It was certainly not below Gosunkugi
to set up a trap for them, though it would be aimed at Ranma, not
Akane. He didn't want her to be hit by accident, though. _Unless he's
trying to kidnap her...heh, like he could pull that off. Akane would
beat him to a pulp before he got two feet._

"Oh please, that's a lame excuse to get me to stand next to you," she
teased, putting her lunch box away and giving him a knowing look. She
did get up anyway, and stood beside him. Tensing up again, Ranma tried
to find a way to take it back, then forced himself to be calm. She was
just teasing him. Reacting would prove her right. He wasn't trying to
get her to stand next to him for any reason other then protection.

"I didn't mean it that way," he said, gripping the railing tighter to
hide his embarrassment, "You just happen to be easier to protect when
you're beside me." Forcing his hands to relax, Ranma balanced his
weight on his toes, still looking at the view of the front of the
school. They were fairly high up there; five floors to the school,
plus they were on the raised part of the roof. From there they could
easily see Dr. Tofu's, a park, and several small buildings and houses,
as well as the shopping strip they frequented.

"It's a wonderful view," commented Akane, standing on a small bar
below the railing so she could be taller, and see more. Her face was
serene, with a pleasant smile that made her look cuter then usual.
Ranma found himself looking more at her then the view, suddenly
entranced by her peaceful nature. Slowly, he moved his hand from the
rail and put it on top of hers, covering her small, cold hand as it
gripped the rail. He didn't think she'd mind that; she didn't protest
any time they had held hands before, though those times were few. And
with the day so peaceful now...he wanted to show her that he was
protecting her, and enjoy this rare moment when they were not
fighting. Akane's expression didn't change, and he took that as a sign
that it was okay; if it wasn't, she would have let him know in no
uncertain terms. Casually, he looked back out towards the view,
thoughts of Gosunkugi and the other fiancee's drifting away slowly.

Only to come back, when he heard the barely audible sound of footsteps
behind him. Akane must have felt the change in his grip, because she
looked up at him questioningly. Ranma spun around, releasing her hand,
to see a short, skinny figure walking through the door that lead back
to the school. The expression on his face, probably a result of seeing
the two of them happily standing at the rail, was that of sadness and
rejection. He continued to walk towards them, a small black bag in his
hands, and Ranma forced a normal expression on his face. The peaceful
moment was over; now was the time for business.

"We were just wonderin' about you," said Ranma, gesturing for him to
sit down on the bench. He could hear Akane walk up beside him, though
she didn't say anything yet. Looking nervous, Gosunkugi sat down,
putting his bag beside him.

"H-hello Akane," he said, smiling at her.

"Hello," she replied, sitting down beside him. She was careful to
leave space between them, though; Ranma chose to stay standing, in
between the two.

"So what's this plan you have? Something to do with that bag, right?"
Asked Ranma, snatching it away from Gosunkugi, much to his obvious
annoyance.

"Ranma! Careful, you don't know what's in there," said Akane, though
she didn't try to grab it back like he thought she would, "Besides,
that's not yours. Don't be rude," she chastised. Gosunkugi made a grab
for it, which Ranma dodged easily, then handed it back. He wasn't sure
why he had grabbed the thing, anyway. Something about the way
Gosunkugi had sat there, tense and stuttering, had unnerved him. But
taking his bag had made Gosunkugi seem more normal, in his reaction.
He sat more comfortably now, though glaring at Ranma.

"Do you want me to help you or not?" Asked Gosunkugi, holding his bag
possessively. _Ah, there's his backbone. Good._ Not wanting to show his
odd pleasure at Gosunkugi being less weak, Ranma shrugged in answer to
his question.

"Depends on your definition of help."

"If you would just listen...," said Gosunkugi, sounding exasperated.

"We're listening," said Akane. Gosunkugi's eyes lit up at the sound of
her voice, directed at him.

"Well...I heard the rumours that you two are, umm, official now," he
said, looking to both of them questioning. When Ranma and Akane nodded
quickly, he looked down, and continued, "I also know that you have a
few...obstacles, in the way. I know a way to get rid of those
obstacles," said Gosunkugi, a hand wringing the handle of his bag
restlessly.

"But why help us? What's in it for you?" asked Ranma. He knew that he
was doing it to get into Akane's good graces; that was plainly
obvious. But he wanted to see what his official excuse was. Or if he
had the guts to say anything in front of Akane. The smaller boy rolled
his large eyes up towards him, brushing a strand of black hair out of
his face. The eye contact was unnerving, as Ranma saw completely how
tired Gosunkugi looked. When he wasn't tense, or worried, his face
just looked exhausted. Grey bags dragged underneath his eyes, and his
skin was an unhealthy pasty white.

"I've had a...grudge against Kuno, for quite a long time now. Let's
just say this would help to even the score. I'll throw in Ukyo,
Kodachi, and anyone else you think is getting in your way; it doesn't
take any longer, really, to curse more then one person."

"Curse?" gasped Akane, looking very unimpressed by Gosunkugi's plan so
far.

"Whoa, hey, leave Ukyo out of this. We've already...just don't do
anything to Ukyo. Or anyone else. Kuno and Kodachi are enough.
Depending on what your plan is, anyway. What sorta curse is this? It
doesn't happen to involve water, does it?" asked Ranma, his eyes
reverting to the bag. It didn't sound as though there was anything in
it containing water, especially not enough to curse a person Jusenkyo
style, but he had to be sure. Putting one foot on the bench, between
Gosunkugi and Akane, Ranma leaned in closer to look him in the eye. He
wouldn't be stupid enough to carry around the items needed, would he?
Gosunkugi had his lunch and other articles stolen often. Although
Ranma would interfere and help him sometimes, just because he couldn't
stand seeing idiots pick on the weak, he wasn't always around to stop
it. The idea of some jerk getting a hold of Jusenkyo water unwittingly
made his battle aura flicker bright purple.

"Well? We don't want them dead, or hurt, or changing into animals.
Though that might be amusing, in Kuno's case...," said Ranma, not
realizing what he had said before trailing off. _What am I thinking?
It'd serve the bastard right, though...,_ he thought, noticing that
Akane was glaring at him. Steel orbs wordlessly shouted that he was
most certainly not to go there, and caused him to rethink his
phrasing.

"No killing, no changing into animals, no sending them to hospitals.
Got that?" said Ranma, turning back to Gosunkugi. Out of the corner of
his eye, he saw Akane relax.

"It's nothing like that! If you'd just let me talk...," said
Gosunkugi. Backing up, Ranma look his foot off the bench, placing both
feet firmly on the ground. Crossing his arms at his chest, he nodded,
signaling for him to continue.

"I know of a curse that, once set, will cause a person's feelings to
change and even reverse, towards another person. For example, if I set
it on Kuno, aimed at you both. I can make it so that he's indifferent,
even repulsed, so he doesn't want to even be in the same room with
you. Otherwise it, uh, won't affect him, mentally or physically. If
neither of you are in the area, he'd be completely, well, normal.
Except instead of pining away for...for Akane, and the Pig-Tailed
Girl, he'd probably find some other poor girl to chase after. Oh, and
he'd most likely stop attacking you as a guy, Ranma, since he mostly
does it now because of your...relationship with Akane. Umm, the curse
uses a person's spirit, so it all happens subconsciously. Kuno will
not just be brainwashed, he'll actually feel different about the both
of you. It will feel...wrong, for him to be near, because of something
his subconscious is telling him," finished Gosunkugi, taking a large
breath and looking from one to the other expectantly. It sounded like
it could have potential, but Ranma didn't like how vague and uncertain
Gosunkugi had sounded when describing it. As though he had just read
it over the weekend, and wanted them as guinea pigs.

"And what about me and Akane? Will it do anything to us?" asked Ranma,
noticing a slight twitch in Gosunkugi's eye as he asked.

"No, no! Of course not. It's a one way curse. But I...I'll need your
help to set it up. If Kuno and Kodachi somehow grow a brain and find
out what I'm doing, they could wreck it before we get anywhere. Black
magic is...very delicate, and some of the ingredients required are
hard to find," he explained, his eyes moving from side to side
nervously. Ranma was reminded of a small dog, looking uncertainly up
at uninterested masters. Would they praise him for the idea? Or blow
him off as usual?

"So...it'll only affect Kuno and Kodachi...make 'em not wanna be near
us...but not affect them other then that, and not affect us in any
way? It sounds like killing two birds with one stone," began Ranma,
leaning in closer to Gosunkugi, blue eyes hard as sapphires, "It also
sounds too good to be true."

"Are you sure it'll work?" asked Akane, getting Gosunkugi's attention
easily.

"Absolutely! My spells never fail," he bragged, sitting up straighter.
_Feh, I've seen 'em fail before. But if this works...I had no idea what
to do about Kodachi, that girl is just insane. And Kuno's just as
annoying._

"Okay. Well...if it does work, it could help. Maybe. Akane?" he asked,
looking towards her. She nodded, though still appeared to be thinking.
He had expected Akane to put up more of a fight; was she that
confident about it? There was an uncertain light in her eye. Still
hesitating, but not sure why, Ranma decided that they should go for it
for now; they could always pull out before the curse, if things went
sour.

"It's worth a shot. As long as you're sure that nothing will go
wrong?" she asked him again. Gosunkugi nodded vehemently.

"All I need is about fifteen minutes to prepare, with the targets in
the room, and I can do it. We'll need an isolated place, though. If
someone else enters the field, it could...mess it up."

"How about the school gym, after hours? No one's here late, and I'm
sure we could find a way to get the Kunos here," suggested Akane.

"That's the easy part. Send Kuno an invite to meet you, and Kodachi an
invite to meet me, and prepare for a fight," said Ranma, a half cocked
smile on his face. He could practically picture the two of them
leaping with joy at the prospect of being invited to spend time with
them.

"It's settled then. How's after school next Tuesday? That's my first
free night," said Akane, looking at Ranma then Gosunkugi.

"Works for me." Said Ranma.

"M-me too. Uhh...I'll be going now, then. We'll meet again Tuesday to
go over the plan at lunch?"

"Fine," said Ranma, as the smaller boy got up from the bench, and
started walking towards the door. He looked behind him a couple of
times, as though afraid Ranma was going to follow him. Once gone, with
the door closed firmly behind him, he heard Akane sigh.

"You don't have to bully him so much," she said, as Ranma sat down on
the bench as well.

"He's annoying. I have to keep 'im in line, anyway. Didn't you see how
giddy he got each time you said somethin' to him?"

"Oh Ranma, don't be so jealous."

"I'm not jealous!" he retorted. _Akane's got better taste then that,
anyway, even if I wasn't involved._ "This is no time to fight, anyway.
Who knows, this may even work. You didn't have any idea of what to do
about Kuno, didja?"

"Well, no. And you, for Kodachi?"

"Nada. We'll just have to play this out, see how it goes. I still
don't know if we can trust him, though," finished Ranma. Akane nodded,
her brow creased in worry.

"I just wish it wasn't all so...vague. A curse that reverses their
feelings for us? What if it makes them want to kill us?" she asked,
her eyes wide.

"Hey, that's what the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts specializes
in. Makin' adjustments on the way," he said. He just wished his ki
would quit telling him otherwise.

* * *

The stairs were darkened and quiet as he went back down to the main
building. Ranma and Akane hadn't followed him; they probably wanted to
spend the rest of the lunch hour on the roof, enjoying the fresh air.
Realizing he didn't have much time left before class, Gosunkugi sat
down in a corner, and fished around in his schoolbag for the curry
bread that he had saved.

_Good, he didn't squish it,_ thought Gosunkugi, inspecting the bread
before eating it. He ate quickly, if not greedily. Breakfast had been
so long ago, and he had been too nervous before meeting them to eat.

_They trusted me. They went for it completely. I'm just glad neither of
them is anymore suspicious then they already are...especially Ranma.
He knows how I feel about Akane._ He frowned, looking up the dark
stairway towards the door. They had looked awfully friendly, when he
had first walked up to them. So happy...Ranma with his hand on
Akane's, looking out over the railing, with the breeze rustling
Akane's skirt.

_Damn you, Saotome! Why do you get all the luck...,_ he thought
bitterly, shaking his head. _Well enjoy it while it lasts, idiot. Soon
you won't be so happy to see Akane...and she'll hate you, for real,
like you deserve._


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