Chapter VII
Akane snapped a look at Ranma. "You did what? How did you even do that?"
Ranma blinked. He knew Ryoga was lying, but he couldn't tell Akane the truth. The guy had him over a barrel. He sighed. "Oh, I dunno! It just happened, okay? When we fell off the porch after Nabiki splashed Ryoga with water in the face, I grabbed onto him to try to steady my fall" —the opposite was true— "and I must have pulled something off. The water thing did the rest. Then I jumped out of the water with him onto the roof because he was buck-naked. Satisfied?"
Soun and Genma looked at each other, Ranma saw. They knew the truth. They said nothing.
"How did you get into the bathroom, Ryoga?" Kasumi asked.
"Ah…" Ryoga paused, then said, "I, ah, fell off the roof to the other side of the house. Luckily, the water cushioned my fall. Then I saw the window to the lower bathroom, opened it, and climbed in. I'm wearing a towel because that's the only thing I found."
That was the truth at face value, Ranma considered.
"Well, this wouldn't have happened if you two weren't always fighting," Akane said in a huff. "What is it with you guys? Every time you get together, you're always at each other's throats. The only way you feel better about yourself is if you beat each other up?"
"It's not like that, Akane," Ryoga said. He blushed standing there only in a towel.
"We're rivals, Akane," Ranma then said, "plain and simple."
Akane cupped her hips. "I'm not buying it! Is there something you're not telling me between you two? Huh? Being rivals is one thing, but sometimes you just want to kill each other. That stems from a much deeper hatred. And you're worse, Ryoga. You're always so angry at Ranma. Why? Why do you have so much animosity towards him? What did he do to you that makes you so—"
"That's enough, Akane, please," Kasumi said, standing just inside the porch door. "There's no need for an interrogation. These two just survived a near fatal accident. They were nearly struck by lightning in water that could have electrocuted them. Both need to thank their lucky stars."
"That's right, Kasumi," Ranma said. "We're very lucky. We could have died or worse!" He laughed. "Or had our minds switched like some sort crazy science fiction horror drama. And Ryoga isn't the only one whose hot-tempered here. You're so uncute!"
"What did you say, Ranma? Care to repeat that?" Akane's nostrils flared.
Ryoga immediately took offence and growled. He raised a clenched fist at Ranma. "Don't speak to her like that or I'll make you regret it!"
Suddenly the towel he wore dropped to the floor and Ryoga screamed and cupped himself in front. He then ran back into the bathroom.
Ranma laughed. "Serves him right," he said. "Ryoga needs to show a little humility and not always go off half…well…I'm always saving him from danger."
"Maybe someday he'll save you?" Akane said. "Or even defeat you in battle?"
"Not likely," Ranma retorted. "He can't beat me and he knows it."
You wanna bet… suddenly came a whispery voice in Ranma's right ear.
Ranma snapped his attention around to the voice, but nothing was there.
"What the—who's there?" Ranma called out.
"What—Who are you talking to?" Akane asked.
"I thought I just heard…Oh, never mind!" He sighed. "I'll go apologize to Ryoga. Okay? I wouldn't want the wimp to be mad at me. Besides, we did just survive a lightning strike. Kasumi is right, we should thank our lucky stars. After we clean up here, we need to celebrate!"
The family went their separate ways. It was time to begin the clean-up.
Ranma took one last glance behind him, beyond the porch, and then shook his head. He thought he had heard a voice just then, his own voice
"Must be my imagination," he said to himself.
But he did wonder how he and Ryoga were saved.
Perhaps he had a guardian angel?
He laughed at that.
Suddenly, he was attacked. Happosai jumped onto his chest, the old man squeezed his breasts. Ranma screamed. "Oh Ranma, I saw what happened! I'm so glad you're safe!"
"Get off me, you old, lecherous goat!" Ranma punched Happosai through the ceiling of the main floor and the roof. "Oh great, two more holes to repair now!"
Ranma let out a sign.
Sometimes he just wished Happosai would just disappear and never come back. Sometimes he wished the same about Ryoga because of all the trouble the guy caused him. But, then again, they were friends as well as rivals. And he knew if he ever needed Ryoga in a pinch, and he did on a couple of occasions against some powerful enemies, Ranma knew Ryoga would risk his life to save him. Or, at the very least, do everything he could to help him out of any danger.
For some inexplicable reason, he had this overwhelming desire to thank him for something…but he didn't know why.
He just shrugged, picked up the bath towel Ryoga dropped, and went to talk to his friend.
"Hey, idiot! You dropped sumthin' Don't let it get cold now."
Ranma then laughed, as he opened the sliding door the bathroom.
Then he was sucker-punched in the face by a mad Ryoga.
"Ow! What the hell was that fer, Ryoga?"
"You make me so mad sometimes, Ranma!"
Ranma felt his face. "Better get that anger under control, Ryoga, or that madness you keep pent up inside might just kill someone someday."
Ranma threw the towel at Ryoga. It bounced off Ryoga. Ryoga didn't care he was naked in front of Ranma. They were both guys, even though Ranma was a girl right now.
Ryoga crackled his knuckles. "And maybe that day is today. C'mere! Time to die, Saotome!"
"Bring it on, pork-butt!"
And they both clashed.
In the end, Ranma came out victorious. When it was over, Ranma stood over a naked and unconscious Ryoga laying on the bathroom floor. The battle lasted less than a minute with minimal damage to the room.
Ranma then lay a towel not only over Ryoga's genitals to give him some dignity, but also over his face as if to pay respects to the dead. It gave Ranma a chuckle to see his rival defeated in such a bad way. In fact, it didn't take much. It just wasn't Ryoga's lucky day to beat him.
Ranma smiled. "Die, Ryoga? Not today! Maybe someday…when you're stronger. But thanks for the fight. I needed to blow off some steam."
"RANMA!" he suddenly heard Akane's voice. "COME HELP US!"
"Be right there!"
Just then, as Ranma took a step forward to leave the bathroom—he would come back for Ryoga later—he slipped on a bar of soap hitting the floor.
"Ow!"
He then heard the sound of quiet, faded laughter. "Who's there?"
Ranma looked around as if he heard a ghost!
He heard nothing after that.
END
