Ranma ½: The Madness of Ryoga! Pt.1
The storm seeded Nerima with a heavy downpour of rain. The streets became flooded and soon there was a power failure through the entire town.
Ranma & co. were in the Tendo household listening to the heaviness of the rain hit the roof, and they were kept occupied with the constant leakage of the roof. Ranma had supposed to fix it yesterday, but forgot about it. Now he wished he had. Just a few minutes ago he was drenched with cold, freezing water as a portion of the roof collapsed and dropped water on top of him.
This was one of the times he wished he wasn't cursed.
But there was an even bigger problem and one he himself had to deal with. With everyone in this house he was the only who knew of Ryoga's curse, or at least that was his impression. If anyone else knew, they didn't let on!
Ryoga had arrived just before the rain started and was now trapped in the house like everyone else until the rain stopped.
If he was P-Chan, the rain wouldn't bother him, however as human it was a major concern for him. He attempted to help in anyway he could, but he had to stay away from the water, and that was a major feat in itself. Everywhere he looked there it was.
He was scared that he might change into P-Chan right in front of Akane. But Ranma was trying to avoid that sending him to places where the water wasn't too bad. He even gave Ryoga a raincoat to help prevent his change. Ryoga appreciated his efforts, but even so, Ryoga was little help in the situation.
"When is this rain gonna stop?" Ranma complained, moving another bucket underneath a dripping portion of the roof in the tea room.
As the upstairs was flooded, it was coming through the ceiling to the main floor.
"We're all trying to make the best outta a bad situation, Ranma," Akane said. "You don't see any of us complaining, do you? You're suck a…
"…Girl?" Ranma finished, smirking.
Akane looked at him with distain stare.
"Please," Kasumi began. "Don't argue now, we need to work together."
"Kasumi's right," Nabiki chimed in. "Put your differences aside, for once."
"Thank you, Nabiki-dear," Soun Tendo said.
"Ranma," Genma said. "Stop fighting with Akane."
"Is everyone against me? At least I can count on Ryoga in a pitch."
"Where is Ryoga?" Akane wondered, looking around.
"I think he's upstairs," Ranma said lying. He was actually hiding in a closet. It was the safest place from the water. There was no leaking where he was. "He said he's gonna try to fortify the ceiling to stop the water from coming down."
"Doesn't look like he's doing a very good job," Nabiki said.
"Nothing's changed since he's been gone."
"Ranma, go check on him," Akane said, saying it almost as an order.
"Trust me," he said. "He's perfectly safe. He's in no danger."
"Check on him anyway, Ranma," Akane said adamantly.
Ranma rolled his eyes and sighed. He went down the hall and opened the closet door where Ryoga was hiding and found him huddled in a ball, his knees at his chest. "Help me Ranma, please," he said. "I don't wanna change in front of Akane."
"You won't as long as you stay outta the way and this is the safest place."
"But I feel so guilty cowering in the closest like this. I know I could be useful."
"You'd only get in the way no matter what the situation. You'll better off staying 'ere until the rain subsides. And from the looks of things you're in for a long wait."
"Too bad we didn't have some ofShampoo's Chinese water proof soap. It might've only worked for a brief time but I'd feel much better having it on me now."
"You're such a wimp, Ryoga. And what if Akane saw you? No prob. We'd just go back through Happosai's nanban magic mirror and prevent it. So stop worryin'. Things are under control. You worry too much!"
Ryoga thought for a moment, then said, "Yeah, but I'd prefer to stay out of the way and prevent it from happening in the first place."
"Fine, hide all your life, but no one respects a coward," Ranma said, and slammed the closet door on him.
Ryoga burst out of the closet and jumped on Ranma in a fit of anger. "I'm not a coward! You take that back!"
"Maybe if you fell into a spring that changed you into a chicken it'll be more appropriate," Ranma said.
"I AM NOT A COWARD!" he shouted.
Akane came around the corner. "I thought I heard voices," she said. They looked at her. "Ryoga, you're down here? Ranma said you were upstairs?" Then she saw Ryoga on top of Ranma. "Are you two fighting again? Honestly! Stop it and help us. There's lots of work to do 'round here."
"This isn't over, Ranma," Ryoga said, getting off him.
"Anytime, bacon-breath," Ranma said.
Ranma and Ryoga followed Akane to the tea room where the ceiling dripped water in several different places into buckets. "We need buckets emptied," he said.
Ryoga hesitated entering the room, but he didn't want to appear like a coward in front of Akane and braved he peril. But as soon as he went to pick up a bucket of water, a part of the roof collapsed, and dropped a large gush of water on the area.
Ryoga jumped out of the way, narrowly missed changing. Ranma looked back at him and said, "Wimp!"
"I'm not a wimp!" As long as he didn't get splashed or drenched he would be fine. So, to prove he wasn't a coward he picked up a bucket of water and carried it out to the open porch door. Then he dumped the water out where it added to the flooded backyard.
Ranma joined him, doing the same thing. "Now that is alotta water," he said. "It'll be a shame if someone fell into it." He smirked maliciously at Ryoga.
"You wouldn't dare."
"Chill out, will ya!"
"Sorry, but I'm so nervous with all this water around."
Suddenly the rain began to subside and then stopped completely. Water dripped from the overflowed gutters. "Sounds like it's over," Ranma said, smiled. "Your bacon-butt is saved once again from the evils of water."
"That's not funny, Ranma."
"Jeez! Lighten up!"
They were just about to return to the tea room when thunder rumbled violently, and both boys looked up at the sky; the sky was covered with thick, black clouds.
"Sounds like it's not over quite yet," Ranma said.
Ryoga took a step back, but accidentally slipped, and grabbed Ranma by the arm as they both fell into the flooded backyard.
But at the moment they fell in, the water was struck by a bolt of lightning, and both were rendered unconscious and floated on the surface.
"OH MY GOD!" Kasumi shouted, and the others looked at her, and then turned to where she was looking. "Ranma and Ryoga just fell into the water in the backyard, and it was just struck by lightning!"
To be continued…