One Last Chance ch.4
Revised
Doctors and Delusions
Disclaimer: Ranma ½ and all its characters were created by Rumiko Takahashi I in no way take credit for them don't sue, this is just a story for entertainment purposes and I am making no money off it.
AN: Quick personal disclaimer, I am writing this for fun, I do not enjoy flames; although if you're going to leave one it really doesn't matter, I welcome constructive criticisms and thoughtful advice.
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
Scene change/flashback
Signs
Ranma and Akane died thanks to Happosai, rather than let them die they were sent back in time thanks to Ranma's wish for another chance at life and love. Both retain their memories and feelings they accumulated; now they have to survive. In the last chapter Akane and Ranma told Akane's older sisters that they had met previously and knew each other from earlier on in life. Kasumi remembered that Akane and Ranma used to play in a park when they were little. After getting the support of the older Tendo sisters they forced their parents into agreeing to leave them alone. Now on with the story.
The streets of Nerima
"You know Ranma as much as things change some are going to stay the same." Akane told Ranma as they walked to school.
"Like wha-," he was cut off as the old lady hit him with a ladle full of water. "Never mind, I see what you mean." He grumbled as they headed for Dr. Tofu's clinic as if by unspoken agreement.
The morning had been a typical one so far. Genma had woken Ranma by tossing him out the window and towards the Koi pond. He hadn't expected Ranma to catch the window frame, pull himself back in and return the favor.
The spar lasted several minutes. Ranma could have finished faster if he had wanted to, but he was still testing out his old body. Unused to the way it worked and responded to his control he savored the chance to improve. When he finished Akane had been waiting for him with a kettle, smile, and a quick kiss.
Ranma forced himself to act surprised at breakfast when his father told him about school, Ranma hadn't even bothered arguing. Partly because he knew it would do no good and partly because it was an excellent way to be close to Akane without having their fathers interfering.
Waiting in front of the clinic for Akane, he let his senses extend, actively searching for the good doctor. Ranma felt him right behind him and turned round, catching Betty's hand and shaking it.
Dr. Tofu was flabbergasted, whoever this girl was, either she was a very good martial artist, or he had done something wrong when masking his presence. He was a hundred percent sure that he had correctly masked his presence, so that only left on option.
"Hi I'm Ranma Saotome, you must be Dr. Tofu." The red head girl bowed before the flustered doctor.
"Ranma, here's the water, oh good morning Tofu-sensei."
Tofu was thankful for the momentary distraction and took advantage of it so as to better compose himself.
"Ah good morning Akane-chan, is this a friend of yours?"
"Actually Doctor," Ranma-chan poured the kettle over her head, enacting the change; "I'm her fiancée."
Tofu was astonished at seeing the redhead change; he was even more astonished that Akane wasn't vehemently denying the engagement.
"We need to get going Ranma or we'll be late."
She walked off, reaching over and shutting Tofu's jaw as she walked past him. Ranma in turn shut Betty's jaw as he went past. The two ran off leaving the doctor and his skeleton standing there.
"Man, only time I've ever seen Tofu space out so badly is when Kasumi's around."
Ranma chuckled, beside him Akane giggled.
"Yeah, I don't know which he found more shocking, the curse or the fact I never denied our engagement."
"Probably a combination of both, he didn't respond to either of them as badly last time. I have a feeling if Kasumi had been there the good doctor would have had a heart attack."
The two continued to banter back and forth until they saw the gates of Furinkan.
"You sure you want to do this Ranma?" she asked.
"Positive, even if the mob gives up we'd still have to deal with Kuno. This is the best way to stop him, short of killing him or having him committed." Both of which were ideas they had seriously toyed with for a while, before deciding to go with a new plan.
"There's still time to get the papers, I hear the psychiatric ward of Nerima is very nice." She pleaded with him, only half joking.
"Trust me; I've saved you enough to earn that haven't I?"
"Well technically you haven't saved me at all, but just this once." She gave him a smile to show she was joking and a quick kiss on the cheek for good luck.
Akane stopped outside the gates, just out of sight from the Hentai horde. Ranma took a breath and stepped around the wall into the yard. The Hentai horde stared at him strangely; the lookout had said Akane and someone else were coming. The horde eyed the new kid warily.
"Who is responsible for this travesty against Akane Tendo?"
Ranma's voice rolled over the crowd. He felt somewhat stupid pulling a Kuno like this, but Nabiki had stayed up late with Akane and him the previous night, working on what to say, for a price of course. Kuno stepped out from behind a tree where he had been waiting.
"And who are you too question such a noble decree that thee would deem a travesty issued forth from the house of Kuno?"
Ranma didn't even bother speaking, knowing he'd just be cut off.
"But is it not customary to give ones own name first. Very well, I am Tatewaki Kuno, age seventeen, junior class group F, also known as the blue thunder of Furinkan high."
Lightening crashed in the background as Kuno raised his boken. Taking his cue Ranma responded in kind.
"I am Ranma Saotome, age sixteen, sophomore of no group yet; heir to the Saotome School of anything goes martial arts.
"Do you seek to join our noble quest for the privilege to date Akane Tendo then?"
Ranma was impressed, but also a little worried at just how well Nabiki knew and could predict how Kuno was going to act.
"No, I am here to issue an open challenge, for the hounding and harassment of Akane Tendo, either give up on her or face me in combat, should you loose you will stop this and give up on her. Should you loose you may not reissue a challenge for her. Besides there are so many other cute girls here that would welcome your attention."
The girls watching from the school applauded and cheered. The new kid was cute, even if he was about to get beaten, maybe they could nurture him back to health.
"What gives one such as you the right to issue such a challenge?" Kuno growled.
"My challenge is more valid then your own as Akane and her family gave me permission and have selected me as defender of her honor and her champion."
Kuno's face darkened even more upon hearing this injustice.
"Nay, that can not be so for I am already such."
Ranma was kind of spooked now, except for some slight semantic differences it was like Nabiki had scripted the entire affair.
"Then surely you hold the approval and consent of her family in a form such as this." As he spoke, he removed a sheet of paper and unfolded it.
Written upon the paper were the words of a family agreement in a flowery language that Kuno would understand, hopefully, along with the Tendo and Saotome family crests, Ranma, Akane, Soun, and Genma's signatures. Needless to say it turned out to be no surprise that Nabiki happened to be a registered notary.
Kuno shook with rage and charged the offending cur, some of the horde charged with him, mostly the Kendo team, but the majority either went inside or hung back to watch.
The fights was short and brutal, rather then play around with Kuno like he usually did, Ranma instead reached out and snapped Kuno's boken in two before darting away from a stunned Kuno. The rest of the group was taken care of in a matter of moments; Ranma was a little bit gentler with them. Kuno just stood there staring straight ahead as others fell around him.
Akane walked through the gates as the last pervert fell. Those of the horde that had held back took a step towards them, but a glance from Ranma made them think better of it.
"Bye Kuno, take care," Ranma called over his shoulder, walking into school after the rest of the horde, Akane at his side.
"You will refer to me as Sempai," Kuno managed to utter before collapsing.
A few moments after he fell it began to rain. Unnoticed by everyone, a panda holding a kettle appeared, looked around, and with a shrug, left the scene, heading back to a certain house to play a game of shogi with an old friend.
"Class, this is Ranma Saotome, he is a new student whose been studying in China, let's give a big Nihao to him. Since you already know her, why don't you sit next to Miss Tendo."
"Yes Sensei," Ranma replied, heading for his desk, doing his best to ignore the appraising looks he was getting from the girls as he walked by.
When he got to his desk there were four sheets of folded paper already waiting for him. He opened the first one
Hey that was cool the way you took out Kuno today, want to be friends? It was signed Daisuke and Hiroshi.
Ranma turned to where the pair sat and held up the note, quirking an eyebrow. They were watching him and nodded. Ranma nodded back, smiling and prompting grins from the two.
The other two notes were from girls saying hi and asking a few rather personal questions, a couple having to do with his namesake even. The final one was in Akane's handwriting and was very simple in its message, Well?
He wrote on it in reply, we forgot something.
He passed the note to her with a flick of his wrist. She caught it and after writing something sent it back.
What?
Remember how Kuno learnt of the engagement last time?
Akane looked in horror at the note.
We forgot to pay her off not to tell, didn't we?
"Absolutely not, I refuse to allow it."
Ranma nodded sadly and Akane put her head on her desk and sighed. Kuno burst in the door and yelled towards Ranma, "foul wretch, I shall never recognize your engagement to Akane Tendo."
The entire class burst into action upon hearing Kuno's words, yelling questions and crowding around Akane and Ranma. The former just kept her head down while the latter was banging his head on the desk.
"Foul Knave, I smite thee." Kuno cut Ranma's desk in two as Ranma leapt over Kuno and headed into the hall.
"Come on Kuno, let's take this outside."
He jumped out a window, Kuno following right behind him.
"We're on the third floor."
"Good thing there's a pool down there."
'Oh no, we were hoping to avoid this,' Akane thought to herself.
The class rushed to look out the window, as the first students got to the window that the two jumped out of, Ranma pulled himself back inside.
"Um, didn't you just jump out?" one student asked.
"Yeah, but I caught the window ledge before I went too far."
"What about Kuno?"
Ranma smirked.
"He went too far."
Most of the students caught the double meaning in the new kid's words. Unfortunately one student remembered part of Kuno's ranting.
"Are you two really engaged?"
The two martial artists were swarmed by students asking questions, Ranma by the guys and Akane by the girls. Inside the classroom, the teacher put his head on his desk and cried. It was going to be one of the semesters if not years.
Furinkan high school, later
"Hmmm, I can't believe you Kuno-baby, why did you go after them?"
Kuno was laying in the infirmary, two more attempts on Ranma after the pool incident had left him worse for wear.
"I must free the fair Akane Tendo from that vile wretch Saotome."
"What if I'm not the one who needs to be freed?" Akane asked, stepping out from behind a curtain.
"Oh the most beautiful Akane Tendo has come to see me; my heart doth leap for joy, let us embrace and give proof of our love."
Kuno leapt from the bed to embrace Akane; at least he would of if it hadn't been for the leather straps and rope holding him to the bed.
"I'm afraid I can not share in our love at current for it appears someone has restrained my most noble self."
"Kuno do you have any honor?" Akane wasn't in the mood to listen to the delusional wannabe samurai.
"Of course I-" she cut him off again.
"Do you respect my family's honor?"
"In most certain terms do I, for-" she interrupted him again.
"Do you respect my own personal honor?"
"How could I not, for you are the one I love."
"Then if my personal and family honor were committed to something, would you interfere?"
"Of course not, for-" cut off again, it was too bad for the Tendo girls that they were cutting him off. This meant that they were forced to miss the greatest mangling of Shakespeare ever heard, outside of an American high school English class.
"Kuno, if you were challenged, made a promise on your honor, and lost you would you have to stick to your honor, wouldn't you?"
"Of course, for a promise made must be carried out or honor is lost."
Nabiki smirked; this was going to be easier then she had originally thought.
"Do you know what this is?" Akane asked, opening the paper Ranma had earlier and displaying it for the bound Kuno.
"Base lies and trickery from the wretch who sought to separate us, an obvious forgery."
Akane shook her head.
"Wrong Kuno, this is perfectly true and no forgery, no trickery whatsoever involved. I chose Ranma to be my champion." It was Kuno's turn to cut someone off.
"But I am already your champion and defender of your honor."
"No you are not, if you are or were, you can show me your copy of this." She gestured to the paper she held.
"It was not necessary to trouble your family with-," Kuno was actually almost getting used to being cut off, although the number of people who could do it and still walk afterwards could be counted on one's hands.
"In other words, you don't have one; as such you have no claim to being her champion. As such the challenge you issued was baseless and false. Ranma's challenge on the other hand had Akane's approval and was valid."
"And I defeated the wretch who thought himself a champion thus proving me worthy of being the better," Kuno proudly announced.
"Wrong Kuno you lost."
"Nay such a thing can not be as none can beat the blue thunder."
Nabiki put a VHS tape into the tape player that was set up by the bed. On the TV screen after a moment of static the tape played its recording.
It showed Ranma's proclamation, Kuno leading the horde's charge and subsequent defeat. It showed Akane and Ranma walk into the school leaving Kuno behind where he fell.
"See this so called champion left the field of combat and as such my most glorious self won." Kuno grinned broadly, secure in his horribly flawed logic.
"Oh in that case we need to change your record as far as Kendo goes."
"WHAT!!!" yelled Kuno, forsaking his usual flowery language for directness.
"Let me show you."
Nabiki switched tapes, the new ones showed a kendo match in which Kuno knocked out his opponent and left the ring.
"Looks like you lost that match."
She began to switch tapes, each one showing a similar, but different images over and over again.
"By these tapes and your own words, you lost all those fights."
Kuno shook his head from one side to another.
"Nay it can not be so, all pronounced me winner for the great Tatewaki Kuno doesn't loose." Akane felt a strange sense of Déjà vu at his words.
Nabiki switched back to the first tape. She dropped several sheets of paper on Kuno; a few were stained with drops of blood showing that no time had been wasted in getting the signatures after their defeat.
"These are signatures from the mob that Ranma beat, acknowledging their defeat. They also acknowledge that he beat you."
She switched sheets to hold up several different ones, "these are from the judges of several of your matches that you've had in the past, they all agree and say you lost."
Nabiki held up the last sheet moving in for the final blow.
"This is a copy of the pact between the Tendo and Saotome clans, if you respect family honor, you will not interfere."
Kuno's eyes darted over the sheet; he smiled seeing a ray of sunshine in this dreary situation (AN: Ahh crud, I have got to end this Kuno scene soon, I'm beginning to write like he talks).
"But this demonic pact is for one of the sisters, it does not specify the illustrious Akane, why must the foul one force himself on the beauteous Akane when her heart is with me?"
"Kuno I don't love you, hell I don't even like you."
"Fair goddess which dost make the very sun shine brighter. It grieves my heart greatly to hear you forced to such lies and yet you allow him to try and steal your heart from me for honor knowing full well that in the munificence of myself it would be fatal to break away from. Oh how noble thou are."
Now it is a known fact that dead poets aren't affected by bad poetry; of course mangling, maiming, tainting, corrupting, or putrefying poetry is an understatement when it comes to Kuno. As such Kuno several times a day forces many such poets to roll over. Shakespeare is usually the victim in this, much to his corpse's misery.
"Kuno he didn't try and steal my heart from you, he had it before you ever had a chance."
In essence it was true even if the specifics were off. After all, Kuno never had a chance. Of course by her statement and the hidden meaning Akane could have met Ranma yesterday, which she incidentally did, but Kuno didn't need to know that.
"How long dost he claim to hold your noble heart?"
"I claim he was given my heart almost two years ago."
"I will not allow it."
"You have no choice, by your own proclamation 'whoever doth defeat the fair Akane Tendo in combat earns the right to date her' he earned the right and your approval. Ranma defeated me in fair combat."
"I refuse to believe it."
"Ranma come here," Akane ordered in the direction of another screen. In response Ranma walked out and over to Akane.
"You called mistress?"
Kuno stared in shock at the scene before him.
"Defeat me in combat."
"Is that your command mistress?"
"It is."
Ranma moved forwards as soon as Akane finished her sentence, foot sweeping out slowly tripping Akane, only to have her caught by Ranma.
"I yield; you have beaten me and have earned the right to date with me." Their performance had been so obvious and staged nobody in their right mind would fall for such an obvious act.
Kuno watched, straining against his bonds and seething with rage.
"For harming the fair Akane Tendo I shall smite thee with the just divine wrath I am-."
"Can it Kuno, by your own decree he beat me."
No more poetry sprouted forth from Kuno, he just lay there on the bed staring at where Akane stood.
"Umm I think we broke him," Ranma observed.
Akane elbowed him in the stomach.
"Quiet," she growled.
"Let's head home I think Kuno-baby needs some time to think." Nabiki advised, drawing the two away from the bed and out of the infirmary.
The three left Kuno with his thoughts or as his mental acuity was down to now, his thought.
"He took that better then I thought he would."
Akane nodded, Nabiki merely smiled.
"It all depends on how you deal with him."
"Thanks Nabiki, hey Akane, can I talk to you alone for a minute."
"Sure Ranma, see you later Nabiki."
Nabiki kept walking, but as soon as she turned the next corner broke into a run, doubling back a block over and sneaking up behind where the two were standing. She peeked round the corner, camera leading, but the two were gone.
"Now where could those two have gotten too?" she asked, stepping into the street where her sister's fiancée and her sister should have been.
Somewhere else
"Well, those two certainly aren't wasting any time, are they?" the figure asked, leaning back into a plush chair.
The hooded figure beside him nodded in agreement.
"Did you really expect them to dither around like they did last time?"
"Well it was entertaining to watch at the very least, those two doing everything they could to hide their feelings from even themselves."
"It shouldn't be this easy for them, it will still be days before the others start arriving, and they've already taken care of the Hentai horde and Kuno."
"Methinks he dost protest too much."
The seated figure turned a withering gaze on the other.
"You've been watching Kuno way too much."
"Ahh come on, just because he's made almost as many muses cry as Ranma has love deities. You mean to tell me you don't find his poetry entertaining."
"Sure I did, and then he said a second sentence."
"So what do you have planned for those two right now?" The seated figure held up a folder that was slimmer then the rest. The hooded figure looked at it and in a moment a smile came to its face and it nodded.
Streets of Nerima
Nabiki shrugged, she didn't know how they got away, but she'd just grill her little sister when they got home. She continued on home, glancing around as if to try and catch sight of the pair.
"How did you know she was going to do that?"
"Lots and lots of experience when dealing with my sister for sixteen years and the two years we gained helped out taught me a great deal. I'd have been more suspicious if she hadn't tried something like that."
"I wish we could trust her more, she's your sister after all."
"Let's not worry about her right now."
"Alright," standing on a nearby rooftop, the two watched Nabiki searching for them for a few moments longer.
Akane turned to her fiancée, "so Ranma, what did you want to ask me about?"
Ranma blushed and suddenly found his feet the most interesting objects in the immediate area.
"W-w-would you um-like to go out tonight," Akane looked at him strangely, "with me I mean?"
Akane giggled and grabbed his arm.
"Of course I will baka, I can't believe you'll fight martial artists, dragons, ghosts, demons," they both shivered involuntarily and Ranma put his arm around Akane, "and even demi-gods, yet you're scared to ask me out."
"Ranma Saotome isn't scared of nothing."
"Oh yeah, how about cats?"
Ranma leapt into his fiancé's arms at her words.
"WHERE? WHERE?" he asked looking around frantically.
Akane grinned evilly and began running with her fiancé cradled in her arms.
"Akane, what are you doing?" Ranma asked.
"I'm going home, we need to change for our date," she stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
"But I'm a guy; shouldn't I be the one carrying you?"
Akane jumped off the roofs landing in a large puddle and splashing the two of them. Akane was thankful for the slight reduction in weight and height. Her fiancé was heavier than he looked.
"There, no problems now."
Ranma-chan settled into her fiancée's arms, it was surprisingly comfortable. She could smell Akane's scent. The sweet aroma of her perfume and as her hair came close the lovely shampoo she used as well.
'I can see why Akane only ever argued for a minute, this is nice.' She smirked to herself, 'can't let her know that though.'
The trip back to the house was carried out in relative silence, the pair just enjoying each other's company.
As they arrived on the Tendo house's roof together, almost reluctantly Ranma-chan left her fiancée's arms.
"Thanks for the lift, but tonight, it's my turn to carry you."
Akane smiled and made no objections, "I'll hold you too that."
They shared a quick kiss before returning to their respective rooms. A quick trip to the furo, separately, a change of clothes, and the pair was ready to go.
END of chapter 4, TBC
AN:
Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Comments and criticism are welcome. I love reading your thoughts and ideas for the story. Keep them coming. Any questions can be sent to and I'll reply promptly.
Revision Notes:
Very few changes in this chapter, mostly grammar and spelling changes, updated chapter format to be compatible with fanfiction's software. I moved the two shadowy figures from the end of the chapter a little further forwards. Instead of using the two of them as comic relief they will be appearing at different points in chapters rather than entirely at the end of each chapter. This will work better than just stuffing them in at the end almost as if they are an after thought.