Ranma 1/2:
"The Kissing Game"
Part Three: "In Hot Water"
Ranma Saotome stood in front of the municipal skating rink, looking up at the sign. He was rather hoping he'd never come here again... He sighed, adjusted what he was carrying, and went in.
Upon entering, he approached the ice rink and began to scan it. After a while, he realized with some surprise that the person he had been looking for wasn't around. Finally, he decided to ask somebody, tapping a passing skater on the shoulder. The skater turned, giving Ranma a rather odd look.
"Yes?"
"'Scuse me. Do you know where I can find Mikado Sanzenin?"
"Oh, I'm afraid you just missed him. He just finished practice." Ranma cursed under his breath. Seeing his expression, the skater added helpfully, "I think he went to the baths, though. I can show you where they are, if you want."
"No thanks," said Ranma. "I've been there before." He turned away, lost in thought, and headed in the direction he recalled the public baths were. The baths, huh? I guess I won't be needing these, then... He tossed aside a pair of ice skates, as well as a bucket of water and a steaming kettle, which he had been carrying around for some reason...
xXx
Meanwhile, Mikado sat calmly in the hot baths at the skating rink, eyes closed. He had just finished a particularly rigourous skating practice, and had been looking forward to a relaxing bath.
"Yo, Sanzenin."
Mikado opened his eyes. At the entrance to the baths stood Ranma, with a towel around his waist. He raised an eyebrow.
"Yes?"
"C'mere for a second."
Mikado paused for a moment, then sighed in resignation. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist, then stepped out of the bath. The other men in the public bath began to stare at them both, but they ignored it.
"What is it, Saotome?" he asked, a touch irritably. Mikado gestured at the steam-filled room around him. "This is hardly the place for one to issue a challenge."
"I didn't say nothin' about challenging you," replied Ranma quietly. "I just wanted to show you something, that's all." Mikado arced his eyebrow again.
"Oh? And what may that be?"
Ranma paused. He was very reluctant to do this. But Akane was right, for once; this was the only way to get Mikado off his back. And considering that Mikado wouldn't leave him alone... Ranma suppressed a shudder.
There was no help for it; it was best he got it over with.
Slowly, Ranma filled a bath pail with cold water and lifted it over his head. "This," he replied, pouring the water over himself.
Mikado stared. If some of the bathhouse patrons weren't paying attention before, they were certainly doing so now. Especially to the parts that Ranma's towel did not cover, and didn't have to worry about covering when he was a guy. Ranma-chan glared at them.
"What are you looking at, you perverts?" She snatched a bucket of hot water and poured it over herself, reverting back to male form. It was at that moment that Mikado finally managed to speak.
"You're... You're that pig-tailed girl..." he trailed off weakly.
"Yeah. Disappointed?" Ranma smirked. Mikado placed a hand to his head, a vein throbbing in his forehead.
"Do you mean to tell me... All this time... I had kissed a man!"
"Whoa. So you're not so dumb after all, eh, Majorly Stupid?"
"For the last time, that's Mikado Sanzenin! And how dare you toy with my affections like that!" Ranma blinked in surprise, then in anger.
"What are you talkin' about? You kissed me, remember?" Mikado clenched a fist.
"To think I should debase myself by kissing a man... Ranma Saotome... You make me sick!" In one swift motion, he aimed a kick at Ranma, who just managed to duck in time.
"Why, you..." growled Ranma. In retaliation, he took a swipe at Mikado. The taller boy sidestepped Ranma's attack, and with a cold expression on his face, tripped him. Ranma went sprawling into the hot bath behind Mikado. The boy with the pig-tail resurfaced, spluttering.
"You're just askin' for it now, Sanzenin!"
To the amazed eyes of the onlooking bathers, Ranma jumped out of the bath, throwing a punch at Mikado. The other boy easily dodged it, but Ranma was ready for that this time. Quickly, he ducked low, avoiding Mikado's counterattack, and swept Sanzenin's legs. The taller boy gasped as he fell heavily to the floor. Mikado then rolled, just avoiding a punch Ranma had aimed at his chest. The punch cracked the floor instead. Ranma grinned.
Heh. Now that I know your fighting style, you're mine, Sanzenin! Mikado got to his feet, narrowing his eyes.
Foolish, that I let him catch me off guard, he thought. It will not happen again.
Ranma approached Mikado to attack again. Much to his surprise, the other boy slid backwards across the room, avoiding him. A sweat droplet slid down Ranma's cheek.
Wha...? He stared at Mikado smugly watching him from the other side of the room, then stared at the floor. He cursed. Damn! He's slipping across the wet floor like he was on skates or somethin'!
"Don't you ever stop slidin' around like that?" he snarled at Mikado. The other boy flipped his damp hair in amusement.
"Certainly not. I am a martial arts skater. It would be a crime if I did not use my skills whenever the opportunity arises." His eyes narrowed. "Now, you shall witness the true power of a martial arts skater..."
Deceptively, Mikado slid back. Ranma watched him closely, steeling himself for the upcoming attack. He wasn't disappointed.
Mikado continued to move backwards, then swerved around, picking up momentum. He headed towards Ranma, and leapt into the air.
Ranma watched unflinchingly as Mikado spun three times in midair, right in front of him. Just when it appeared that Ranma wouldn't be able to move away in time, he flipped into the air, avoiding the other boy's attack. Meanwhile, Mikado landed nimbly on one foot, the other smashing into the wall that Ranma had been standing in front of. To the amazement of the onlooking bathers, the wall broke into pieces. The skater spun around, to glare at his opponent.
Blast! He dodged my Triple Axel Attack! thought Mikado in annoyance. Ranma smirked at his opponent, as he somersaulted in midair.
"Heh. If that was supposed to impress me, it didn't work, ya big jer-" Ranma's insult was cut off as he had the misfortune to land on a bar of soap. He slipped and fell to the ground, banging his head heavily on the tiled floor. He lay there, dazed.
Seeing his opponent was down, Sanzenin saw his chance. Skidding around the room to pick up speed, he prepared to unleash the final blow. Unaware of the danger, Ranma slowly came to.
"Ow..." he muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "What the heck...?" Ranma looked up just in time to realize what was going on. He managed to roll away just as a flying kick soared above him, barely missing him. Instead, Mikado's foot struck a faucet behind Ranma, knocking off the tap. A jet of water shot out, hitting the pig-tailed boy dead on.
"Hey! That's cold!" Ranma blinked. Cold? Oh no...
Ranma-chan stood up, wiping water from her face. She glared defiantly at Mikado. Mikado stared at her. His eyes narrowed.
"Don't think that I will go any easier on you, just because you're a woman, now," he said quietly. "I know you're really a man."
"I wouldn't have it any other way." Ranma-chan smirked. Maybe I can work this to my advantage...
They attacked each other again. As they fought, a look of intense concentration came across Mikado's face. After a while, Ranma-chan had to grudgingly admit that she was impressed: Despite the fact that Mikado had avoided looking at her bare chest, he was fighting her all out.
Huh. I guess he wasn't kidding about not going easier on me 'cause I'm a girl. Not even her usual distraction tactics fazed him. If that ladykiller is ignoring me, he must be really ticked off, she thought wryly. Still, she was faster as a girl, and got a couple more hits in. As she fought, she contemplated on how to defeat Mikado. I wonder if I should try sliding around the floor like he's doing...
Nah, she concluded. Ranma-chan hated to admit it, but she wasn't a very good skater. Wait. If he can use his style of martial arts here, maybe that's what I should do, too... Her eyes lit up. That's it!
As Ranma-chan narrowly dodged one of Mikado's spinning punches, she prepared to put her newly hatched idea to good use. Scaling the bathhouse wall, she grabbed the top of it, balancing herself. She then turned to Mikado, sticking her tongue out at him. "Catch me if you can!" she taunted. He lifted an eyebrow.
"To think, I thought you were above such cowardice." Ranma-chan bit her tongue, vowing the the word 'cowardice' would be paid for later. "Very well." Mikado dashed across the wet floor like a speed skater, then launched himself at the wall.
Sucker! thought Ranma-chan. She bounced off the wall, towards the airborne Mikado. As she soon as she got close enough, she grabbed him by the shoulder with one hand, then drew back the other. "Katchou tenshin ameguriken!"
Caught off guard, Mikado gasped. Instinctively, he tried to twist away from the attack. Ranma-chan smirked in satisfaction.
Nice try, pal, but midair combat is the specialty of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts! She held him fast as she pounded away at his chest, and Mikado's defensive tactic only succeeded in sending them into a descending spiral to the floor. He tried to block the punches, but by then it was too late...
They hit the ground with a thud. Ranma-chan was not above using Mikado to break her fall, especially after the "cowardice" remark. She got to her feet as Mikado lay on the floor, the wind knocked out of him.
"Huh. Well, that'll show him," she said in satisfaction. The watching bathers clapped appreciatively.
Then Ranma-chan heard a moan behind her. Turning, she was surprised to see Mikado sitting up, rubbing the back of his head.
"Yes, I quite agree," he said, surprising her even more. "Perhaps I was wrong." Ranma-chan crossed her arms in front of her.
"About...?"
"About my kissing you and how it was your fault," Mikado said quite calmly. "Perhaps it was mine, after all." He looked at her regretfully. "I guess was so upset at the thought of kissing another man, I couldn't think clearly. And I apologize. For both kissing you and for attacking you just now." He looked sincere. At his admission of guilt, Ranma-chan suddenly felt bad about her attitude.
"Ah, ferget about it," she murmured. "You didn't know I was a guy. And I don't blame you for attacking me; I can't say I was too happy about your kissing me, either." Mikado stood up and walked over towards her.
"Then shall we call a truce?" Mikado held out a hand towards Ranma-chan. She stared at it for a moment, then shrugged.
"Yeah, whatever." She put her hand in his, in a firm handshake. Mikado smiled at Ranma-chan. Then he leaned down and...
Fortunately, she saw it coming this time. Quickly, she grabbed him by the shoulders and rolled them both into a nearby hot bath. There was a loud splash. After a moment, both surfaced from the water, gasping for air. Ranma, now male, glared at Mikado. The taller boy looked at him, and shrugged.
"Sorry, force of habit," he said, without a trace of remorse. Ranma sank into the water, thoroughly disgusted.
xXx
Outside of the municipal skating rink, Akane stood waiting. Finally, the person she was waiting for walked out the front doors. She approached her fiance.
"So, how did it go?"
"Piece of cake," replied Ranma airily. Akane looked skeptical.
"Really?"
"Yep. Well... I did have to beat some sense into his thick skull first-"
"Is that so, Mr. Saotome?"
Ranma flinched involuntarily at the sound of Mikado's voice. The taller boy had appeared behind him, a pair of ice skates slung over his shoulder. He looked at Akane.
"If you were wondering if Ranma talked to me, then yes, we did have a little... Discussion." He sighed to himself wistfully. It's a pity he's the pig-tailed girl. Such a waste of beauty... His eyes lit up. And speaking of beauty...
Mikado approached Akane, taking her hand. Ranma clenched a fist in anger.
Don't he ever quit? However, to his surprise, the other boy merely bent over Akane's hand, and kissed it.
"He's an excellent martial artist," he told her. "I hope he takes good care of you." Ranma and Akane blinked in astonishment.
Wha..? thought Ranma, his jaw dropping. For once, he was at a loss for words. Meanwhile, his fiancee fought back a blush.
"Uh... Thank you," Akane finally managed to say. After a moment, she took back her hand. Or at least, tried to. Akane looked up at Mikado in surprise. He smiled at her enigmatically.
Still grasping her hand, Mikado gently pulled Akane towards him. Catching her around the waist, he leaned forward for a kiss.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Then, Mikado sailed into the air, leaving a vapour trail in his wake. Far below him, stood Akane and Ranma, with a fist and foot held up, respectively.
"He's hopeless..." Ranma shook his head in exasperation, as his fiancee looked disgusted. "Absolutely hopeless."
END
xXx
(End theme: "This Kiss", sung by Faith Hill)
xXxXx
Well, that's the end of my first full-length fanfic. :) Hopefully there'll be more in the future (if I actually finish them, that is...) Special thanks goes out to Geary for taking the time to go over the story with me; I especially thank him for his comments and encouragement.
A couple of notes:
The M. S. cracks Ranma insults Mikado with are inspired by the subtitled edition of "Darling Charlotte" (in the dressing room, Ranma calls Mikado "Manic Satyr" instead of by his full name).
The, um, delusional state Mikado is in when he's around Ranma-chan is from the manga. ;) In the manga, Ranma-chan is drawn as if a young child might draw her, which is why I have her acting childish around Mikado. (In the original Japanese, not only is she drawn that way, but her dialogue is also written like a child might write it! Hee hee!)
That's all, folks!
Avi, president of the Mikado Sanzenin fan club ;)
