A/N: Thank-you for the wonderful reviews on my one-shot, Never Give Up. I hope this fun-filled fic will be amusing to you guys! :) P.S. For the record, Scapegoat means Target.
Thursday afternoon. The air felt dry and my tongue was begging for the sweet taste of Kasumi's home-made lemonade. Akane and I's fathers were out with her sisters for an afternoon in downtown Tokyo, though I was sure that my old man only went to mooch for some food from the grocery store.
It was summer break for us, and while Akane was reading outside the only thing I could do was drum my fingers on the dinner table. Could this day get any more boring… I thought to myself. It was sooo hot, and there was no way that I'd change into a girl just to get a splash of cold water.
Oh, I'm so sorry, did I forget to mention that Ryoga just conveniently stopped by on another one of his journeys? Well, he did, and you and I both know the real reason he was there.
"H-hi, Ak-an-e," I heard him stutter outside.
"Oh, hi Ryoga!" She cheerfully replied.
How uncute… was all I could say about that. Hey…I know what you're thinking! I'm not jealous!
"Say, Ryoga, where's Ranma? He should really get some sun. It's so beautiful out."
"Not sure." His face flushed red. "Ranma?" He called.
"What do you want Ryoga?" I croakily replied, even thought I knew perfectly well what he wanted.
I heard his stupid, pig-boy, foolish footsteps running inside. "Akane thinks you should get some sun." His smile disappeared. "Ranma, why are you frowning?"
I chuckled. "I was just thinking maybe you should get some sun, with your waxy skin. You could use a tan, eh, P-Chan?"
"Shut up, Akane's out there." His hand cracked into a fist. "She could've heard you!"
My eyes narrowed. "As if that tomboy could put two and two together."
"Speaking of Akane like that, I will not have it!" Ryoga scowled.
And before I knew it, I was booted into the horizon. This meant war.
***
"This'll get 'em good." I mumbled, snickering. I crept along the side of the house, and peeked out from behind a tree.
Akane and Ryoga were sitting on the grass right by the pong chatting. Well, Akane at the least, was talking, completely oblivious to the fact Ryoga was practically frothing at the mouth while gazing at her.
Ryoga you fool...I thought. Either way, this super secret plan of mine was going to do the trick. I quickly eyed what they were wearing, just in case any of it was super expensive. Ryoga was wearing his usual pants and tank top, while Akane her white shorts and pale green t-shirt. Perfect, nothing they'd kill me over.
Behind me were two long hoses, one filled with hot for Ryoga; I wasn't going to be evil enough to reveal his alter-identity in front of Akane, and then the other hose was filled with cold to drench Akane with. I'd spray them each with one and then bolt for it. I decided I'd shoot Akane first, smiling. This would get her back for…well, you know, for…umm,
Suddenly, while I was trying to think of a grudge I was holding against Akane, I had slightly moved the leg I was using to kink the hoses. The hose with cold water blasted at both of them, completely knocking them into the pond. Akane had been hit first and was thrust back before she could see Ryoga shape shift into the little black piglet everyone loved.
I ran out onto the grass, to find Ryoga nowhere to be seen and Akane pulling herself out of the pond.
"Ranmaaaa! You idiot! What did you do that for?" I felt a cold, wet hand slap my cheek. She stood there before me, glowering and sopping wet.
"Uh, I, I,"
But before I could finish, ice water blasted at my back, hurling me forwards into Akane, knocking her over once more. I turned around to see Ryoga standing by my prank hoses, obviously pointing the cold towards me, and holding the hot one over his now, transformed back to human head. My now soaking ruby bangs covered my eyes and I couldn't see. I felt weight move to my chest, and realised that my wish of not turning into a girl today had been denied.
Akane, on the other hand, I could hear laughing. "Oh Ryoga, you trickster."
Bubbles of heat popped inside my stomach. "You laugh when he shoots you with water, but when I shoot you with it you slap me?"
"No, I laugh when he shoots you with water." She laughed.
"Give up Ranma, you can't aim. I'm sure Mousse would have more accuracy without his glasses on than you." Ryoga's drawling voice came from behind me.
"You wanna bet?" I replied.
"Yeah, loser buys the winner ice cream." Ryoga smirked.
"Can I join your team Ryoga?" Akane asked hopefully.
"Of course." He shot me another mocking look.
It was my turn to smirk. "Ok, Ryoga, I'll just shoot you and Akane with lots of icy, cold water."
Instantly, his smile vanished. "New Rule!" he proposed. "I get the cold water hose and you get the hot."
I rolled my eyes. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Pig-boy."
Ryoga's eyes darted to Akane, who didn't catch any of the hints.
"Let the Water War begin!" He announced.
***
I was on the roof laying low, a bucket of hot water in my hand, which I had, oh, just, dripped on my head to turn me back into a guy. Obviously, I couldn't just carry a hose around with me, they'd follow my trail. And that's when it hit me. They were probably stupid enough to take their hose with them, and all I had to do was simply follow the streamline.
I hopped down and saw that it was leading inside. Inside? I thought. Why would they want to take the game inside?
It lead me all the way upstairs, until it had reached a room so forbidden to me, so familiar but so alien, that entering seemed like a horrible idea. It was Akane's bedroom. But wait, why were they in Akane's bedroom? To shoot through the window? I peered under the door. The lights were off and I couldn't see anyone's feet. I slowly opened the door. The hose continued on, all the way into…Akane's closet.
Anger burned from the pit of my stomach to my pupil's. If Ryoga even dared…oh he was going to get it bad. I raced over to it and swung the door aside. A bucket of cold water dropped on my head. I pulled it off instantly, and in black marker scribbled on the side read "Gotcha! P.S. We created names for the teams."
Score: The Tidal Wave Two: 1 Saotome Scapegoat : 0
I filled their bucket with water from the hose they had abandoned and slung it over my back. I leaped from her window to the roof and raced back to my hose. I lay down on my belly and magically, yes, magically pulled out some binoculars (lol) and gazed around for the 'Tidal Wave Two'. Something stuttered to my right, I bolted the binoculars in the direction and saw half of Ryoga's leg hanging out of the tree, then instantly pulling itself back into hiding. I unkinked my hose and blasted it towards the tree. Ryoga fell out making a large thud. All I needed to do was find Akane and shoot her, and then I'd have my point.
It was shortly after Ryoga grumbled and got up and ran away that I noticed something was blocking the wind coming from behind me. I spun around and saw Akane ready to shoot her hose at me. But before she could, I splashed her with the bucket I had been splashed with not too long ago.
Score: The Tidal Wave Two: 1 Saotome Scapegoat: 1
"This isn't over yet, Ranma." She smiled and ducked down. I crawled quickly to that side of the roof and looked down. She was nowhere to be seen.
I smiled. "You're right Akane, this is only the beginning."