Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma «, and I'm not making any profit off of this story.
Author's notes: Well, this is my first attempt at a Ranma « fan fic. I've only seen up to the end
of the third season at this point, and so this is basically the setting of the story. Also, this is the
first chapter of my tale, and there will be more chapters coming in the near future. Remember,
words between *...* are the thoughts of a character. Well, I'm going to give this a shot, so bear
with me. Oh, and I haven't started my promised Love Hina fan fic yet, but I've done some more
planning on it for those who are interested in it. Anyway, on to the ficcie!
Kiss of Death, Kiss of Life
by Leeman
Ranma Saotome awoke to the unmistakable, angry voice of his fiancee, Akane Tendou.
"Ranma! We're going to be late again!"
"Just let me sleep a bit longer," the young man answered groggily.
"Ranma! Get up now!"
"Okay. Okay. Just let me get dressed!" Akane left the room, and Ranma quickly threw
on his favorite red shirt and black pants. He slipped on his socks and shoes and grabbed his
backpack which was waiting for him inside of his closet door. He ran into the bathroom and gave
himself a quick glance before heading out with the furious, purple-haired girl whom he promptly
called uncute for the first time that day. Normally, he had already said it five times by then, but
his energy was lower due to a lack of food which his stomach moaned about audibly on a few
occasions on their trek towards Furinkan High School.
"Prepare to die!" Ranma heard the familiar shout and sighed. Just before an incredibly
heavy, red umbrella could make impact his head, he ducked and swept his attacker's feet out from
under him.
"Not today Ryouga. I'm too hungry to fight!" Ranma pleaded.
"You will pay! You stole my lunch last week, and I've been hunting you down ever since!
I've been through Hell, and it's all your fault! Die!"
Ranma ducked as Ryouga swiped at his head with his umbrella once more. A furious
barrage of incoming swipes ensued, but Ranma was barely able to stay ahead of his hot-headed
rival. Unbeknownst to the two battling teenagers, a pair of dark eyes narrowed as they took in
the scene before them. "Hmm...he's not half bad, and his aura is incredible for someone so
young. He may prove to be worthy of being my pupil," whispered the mysterious figure watching
the battle from a nearby tree.
"This is the end of the line, Ranma!" Ryouga pointed his umbrella at Ranma's throat as he
was backed into a large, telephone poll. Ranma smiled and a mischievous gleam sparkled in his
eyes.
"Chest nuts roasting on an open fire!" shouted Ranma as he unleashed his powerful,
lighting-fast attack. Ryouga was showered with a rain of fists as Ranma hit him so frequently that
it felt as if he had twenty fists pounding him at once. Ryouga was sent flying backwards into
another telephone pole which shattered upon impact. It groaned and swayed before it came
crashing down. Ranma leapt forward and grabbed his rival just before the pole crushed him to
death. "Phew! You really need to learn to calm down, Ryouga. One of these days, you're going
to end up six feet under. You're head maybe hard enough to shatter bricks, but it does have a
limit to what it can take." Ryouga groaned and rubbed his head.
"Did you really have to hit me so hard?"
"Sorry, I guess I did get a bit carried away, but you did pin me down into a corner."
"One of these days, Ranma, I swear I'll defeat you."
"Not in this life time, but if you practice really hard, you might stand a chance in the next
one," Ranma said with a crooked grin. Ryouga growled and forced himself to his feet.
"Are you okay, Ryouga?" Akane asked with a concerned look on her face as she walked
around the corner where she had ran to once the two boys had started fighting.
"I...I'll be o...okay, Akane. It's just a few scratches."
"Ranma! What have you done to him to make him so angry at you now!? Why do you
always have to pick fights with people who are weaker than you?" Ryouga mentally cursed at
himself for his disgrace in front of his beloved Akane, but said nothing.
"Why is it always my fault? I didn't do anything to him!"
"Yeah right. You're just a stinkin' pervert who likes to pick on weaker people. Well, I'm
not afraid of you!" With one kick, she launched him high into the sky.
"Akane...I...I can take care of myself. I have to leave now. Farewell," he broke into a
run, and Akane watched him go with more than just a hint of sadness in her eyes.
The figure who had been watching the odd scene smiled. "Ranma," it whispered with a
smile, "You've intrigued me." The figure leapt high into the sky and disappeared into thin air.
*Why! Why must she look down upon me with such pity?! Akane, I can't stand having
you pity me. This is all Ranma's fault, and I'll get him sooner or later!* A tear rolled down
Ryouga's cheek. "Akane," he whispered softly as he ran onwards to any place that wasn't
Nerima. *I will train harder this time, and I will defeat Ranma on my honor as a martial artist!*
The dripping wet figure of a young man trudged down the halls of Furinkan High towards
the cafeteria. He had landed in a pond after being launched like a rocket by Akane's kick, and he
had to run home to get some hot water poured on him to turn him back into a male before he
could return to school. *Why does that uncute girl always take Ryouga's side?* He sighed as he
pushed open the double doors to the cafeteria. A mob of students had already surrounded the
cafeteria's food outlet and was shouting and screaming at the two women at the counter who
were scrambling to sort out all of their meals. Ranma's stomach growled loudly, and a new
determination sparked in his eyes. He leapt high into the air, over the students, and landed on the
counter. He snatched a sandwich so quickly that no one even saw him move his arm, and he back
flipped over the mob and landed squarely on his feet. He ripped the paper off of his soon to be
salvation, and he gobbled it down. Ukyou watched him with a smile on her face. She had made
extra okonomiyaki to sell, and what better person to sell it to than her own ravenous fiancee?
"Ran-chan, would you like some okonomiyaki?" She said with a sweet smile as she
approached him. His eyes widened, and he began drooling.
"Okonomiyaki!" He shouted with glee. She handed him a medium-sized dish, and he
wolfed it down like a man who hadn't eaten in ages. Stars filled his eyes.
"Ucchan! This is awesome! Do you have any more?" She smiled anime style and handed
him four more servings all of which disappeared within seconds. "Thank you! You've saved my
life!" He wrapped his arms around her and bear hugged her. He spun her around twice before
gently sitting her back down. By then, her cheeks had fully flushed, and she whacked him with
her large spatula in embarrassment. He groaned and rubbed his head.
"Ucchan, why do you always have to clobber me with that?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry." She ran forward and examined the spot where she hit him. He found
himself blushing a bit because of her closeness, and he quickly put some space between himself
and her.
"Thanks for the food. You're the best!" He said as the lunch bell rang. He headed off to
his next class leaving a starry-eyed Ukyou behind. *Maybe I won't charge him for the meal after
all,* she thought to herself as a warm smile adorned her blushing face. Unfortunately for Ranma,
the whole cafeteria had watched the entire scene play out with an avid interest. Rumors quickly
began floating around, and it didn't take long for a certain young woman to hear the news.
Akane growled with anger as her friend spilled out the whole scene between Ranma and
Ukyou in the cafeteria with several exaggerations.
Ranma sneezed as he walked into his next class. *Hmm...I wonder what brought that on.*
He shrugged his shoulders to himself as he made his way to his seat and sat down.
Akane fumed with rage as she stormed down the hallways towards the school's front exit.
*I should drag that jerk out of class and beat the stuffing out of him!* Despite the loss of most of
her control when she became this furious, she still maintained a thread of it, and she used every
strand of that thread to stop herself from carrying out her evil visions.
By the time she reached home, Akane had left a trail of destruction and most of her anger
had dissipated. It was replaced by sadness and a longing to shed her tears alone in her room. She
walked into her house, past Kasumi, and straight up into her bedroom without uttering a single
word.
"Oh my. I wonder what's wrong with Akane," Kasumi said with concern apparent in her
voice and features.
"Hmm...I wonder if it has anything to do with Ranma," Souun mused while rubbing his
chin.
"It's possible," added Genma while matching Souun's movements down to the finest
detail subconsciously.
Ranma stood waiting impatiently at the gates of the school for Akane to come walking
out, but she was late today. "Hello, Ran-chan."
"Hey Ucchan."
"Would you...um...like to go to my restaurant for some more okonomiyaki? As famished
as you were earlier, I know you have to still be hungry." He smirked.
"How much will it cost me?"
"It'll be my treat today." He nearly face faulted, but he was able to stop himself.
"Sure. Let's go!" They left walking side by side while a few nosy students whispered to
each other from behind a bush.
Ranma sighed contentedly as he swallowed the last bite of his fifth serving of
okonomiyaki. He patted his stomach and rested his the back of his arms. "That was really good.
You're the best cook I know."
"You really think so?"
"Yeah, of course."
"I'm glad," she said with a genuine, bright smile.
"You are acting a bit weird, though. Why are you being so nice to me?" She blushed a bit
and pushed her fingers together nervously.
"Well...umm..." *No! I can't just tell him that. What if he laughs at me or thinks I'm
pathetic?* He chuckled to himself, but it was loud enough for her to hear. She narrowed her eyes
at him. "What's so funny?"
"Uhh...nothing. I was just thinking that you're really cute when you get nervous, but you
don't have anything to be nervous about. You're my best buddy, and you can tell me anything
you want." The last sentence hit her harder than Ranma could ever hope to throw a punch. She
knew he thought of her as his best friend, but why couldn't she get it through to him that she
wasn't content with that role? She wanted to be more than friends, but she didn't have the
courage to tell him. *I have to think of something quickly, or else I'll humiliate myself.*
"Well, I was just wondering if you wanted to go see a movie, but I thought it would look
bad if I asked you." He was clearly amused by this, and he didn't hide it at all. After he finished
laughing, he smiled.
"Sure, there's going to be a new martial arts feature on today, and if we hurry, we could
get there before it starts."
"Okay, just let me close down the restaurant, and we can go."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Turn off the stove, and lock up the doors. We'll go out the back way." She gathered up
her cooking utensils, locked her money in her safe, and grabbed her large spatula without thinking
about it, while he completed his tasks.
"Is it really necessary to lug that thing around with you? It would be very uncomfortable
in a theater seat." She sweatdropped.
"Oops, I'm just so used to taking it with me that I just grab it without thinking about it."
She laid it down in its resting place, and she and Ranma ran out the back way and towards the
theater.
Ukyou was lagging a bit behind Ranma, and he noticed that their shadows were creeping
further apart. He slowed down and waited for her to catch up to him. "Don't tell me your
getting out of shape."
"Sorry about that, but I think I trained a bit too much yesterday, and I'm paying for it
today."
"Oh, I hate it when that happens. Do you want me to carry you?" She blushed madly and
turned away from him.
"Come on, I don't bite. Just hop onto my back. We'll miss the start of the movie at this
rate." Her cheeks grew as red as ripe tomatoes, but she managed to latch onto him without him
noticing her blush. He slipped his arms under her knees and took off as fast as he could. He
found it difficult to maneuver around the people walking and riding bicycles, and an idea occurred
to him. He suddenly leapt up onto the top of a building and flew across the city, rooftop by
rooftop. Ukyou was scared at first, but she soon found it to be a lovely, breathtaking experience.
She was with the man she loved and flying through the air. She normally would hate to be at the
complete mercy of another, but Ranma was different. She felt as free as a hawk soaring over the
landscape, and her closeness to Ranma warmed her soul to the core. The cool breeze, and the
pinkish orange sky created the most romantic setting she could ever imagine. She sighed joyously
and rested her head on her arm next to Ranma's head.
Ranma could feel her breath on his face, and his cheeks began to flush. He became very
sensitive to her body being pressed against his, and it sent chills down his spine. He could smell
the faint aroma of okonomiyaki emanating from her flowing, reddish brown hair, and he tensed up
subconsciously. Ukyou could feel him tensing up, and she became curious. "Ran-chan, what's
wrong? Why did you get so tense all of a sudden?"
"Uhh...well...you see..." *Damn, what can I tell her? I can't just tell her that it's because
she's so close to me. She'll just call me a pervert and end up beating the crap out of me.* "Your
hair was tickling my ear," he sputtered out nervously.
"Oh, sorry 'bout that." She pulled her head back away from him.
"You don't have to move if you were comfortable. I really don't mind." His face was
growing redder, but she didn't notice.
"You sure?"
"Y...yeah."
"Okay." She put her head back on her arm, and she nuzzled her cheek against his. His
toes curled up and more shivers trickled down his spine. His heart began to race, and he could
feel the butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. *What's wrong with me? It's just Ucchan.
There's no reason for me to start acting like some kind of weirdo.* He tried to control his
breathing to force himself to calm down, but it wasn't working very well. Fortunately, the theater
came into view, and with two more powerful leaps, he landed right in front of the entrance.
Ukyou couldn't hide her disappointment when they arrived, and she was noticeably
reluctant to let go of him and vice versa. Finally, Ranma snapped out of his zoned out state and
he let her legs drop to the ground. "Ucchan, we're here." She let go of him faster than a chunk
of red-hot iron, and she turned her face from him to conceal yet another blush.
Akane sat in her room staring at the wall. *That dummy! I bet he's out with her right
now. Well, I hope he's happy!* She grabbed her pillow and chugged it as hard as she could at the
wall. There was a knock at the door, and she was drawn out of her thoughts. "Who is it?"
"It's me, Akane," Kasumi replied. "May I come in?"
"It's not locked." Kasumi turned the handled and entered the room carrying a tray of food
from dinner.
"Are you sure your okay, Akane?" Kasumi smiled reassuringly as her younger, teary-eyed
sister looked up at her.
"No! I'm not! That jerk scooped Ukyou up in his arms right in the middle of the cafeteria
and kissed her!"
"Oh dear. I really thought he wasn't that kind of guy."
"It doesn't surprise me. He's a pervert and a jerk."
"I know that your very upset right now, Akane, but you can't neglect your health. Please
try to eat something and get some rest."
"It shouldn't bother me this much, but no matter how many times I tell myself that, it still
hurts. Why?"
"Even though you're not willing to admit it, you have feelings for him. It always hurts
when someone you love betrays you."
"He really didn't betray me, though. She's his fiancee as well, and so is Shampoo. I just
thought that he and I had something special. I should have known better."
"Just try to relax and eat your food. Everything will be okay."
"Thank you, Kasumi."
"I'll be up to get your tray later."
"Okay."
Ranma and Ukyou carefully squeezed through the narrow row of occupied seats in order
to grab the two empty seats on the end. They managed to get through without stepping on
anyone's toes or causing them to spill anything, and they sat down. They had one large popcorn
bag to share between them, and Ranma had a large soda, and Ukyou had a medium iced tea. The
previews were already playing by the time they had made it into the theater, and they were lucky
to get to their seats just before the feature presentation. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is
supposed to be one of the best martial arts films made," Ranma whispered.
"I guess we'll find out if that's true or not, won't we?" He smiled, and they turned their
attentions to the film.
"That was great!" Ukyou declared as they exited the theater.
"Yeah, I really enjoyed it. Of course, I could take any of them in a fight."
"I wouldn't doubt it."
"Wow, that movie lasted longer than I thought. Do you know what time it is?"
"No, I don't have a watch."
"Me either. Well, it is dark out, and the movie lasted around three hours, so I'm going to
guess it's around 9:00 p.m."
"Yeah, it's getting pretty late."
"D...do you want a ride home?" She grinned widely.
"I don't really want to burden you."
"Don't worry. You're not heavy, you're Ucchan," he declared with a goofy smile.
"Well, if it wouldn't be too much trouble for you, why not?"
"Hop on." She climbed on his back, and he leapt upwards toward the starlit heavens.
This time there was no need to rush, and he took his time. "It's a beautiful night."
"Yeah. I haven't seen this many stars since I left China." Ranma noticed that Ukyou was
shivering a bit.
"Are you cold," he asked with obvious concern in his voice.
"It is a little chilly."
"Damn, we should have brought some jackets."
"It's okay. You're very warm as it is." She snuggled up to him, and he felt an all too
familiar warmth creep up in his cheeks.
The lights of Tokyo could clearly be seen in their glory from their vantage point. It really
was a beautiful city at night, and its aura was awe-inspiring. It was a place of power, love, hate,
birth, death, and life. It harbored paupers living on the streets, and rich business men living in
monstrous apartments. "Ran-chan, do you think we could leap on the tops of skyscrapers like
these houses someday?"
"Sure. That sounds like fun, but don't you think it would be a tad bit scary though?"
"Nah. Not as long as it's your back I'm riding on." A bright smile crept upon his lips, and
he felt incredibly happy for the first time in ages. He hadn't been this happy since he was a
child...a child playing with his best friend, Ucchan. Back then, he thought she was a boy, and he
used to have a lot of fun playing with her. He would always take some okonomiyaki from her
father's cart, and she would always come after him. Then, they would fight and wrestle around,
and when they had exhausted their energy, they would sit on hilltops and take naps side by side or
talk about various things. Both of them were very young back then, but those were the best times
of his life. He thought back to the time his father had asked him if he liked okonomiyaki or
Ucchan better, and he chose okonomiyaki. *If I could go back in time, I would pick Ucchan. My
life would have been much better if I had, but I didn't grasp the importance of Dad's question
back then.*
Ranma landed gently, yet firmly in the back entranceway of The Ucchan. He let go of
Ukyou's legs, and she slid off of his back very slowly. She smiled. "Thank you for taking me out
with you tonight, Ran-chan."
"It was my pleasure. I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school."
"Yeah. Goodnight."
"Goodnight." He waved bye and took off running. She watched him go with an adoring
smile on her face. She closed the door after he disappeared from her view, and she sighed
happily. *Even though he will never admit it, tonight was our first date. Maybe there's a chance
for us after all.* She began getting ready to turn in for the night all the while daydreaming about
what the future might hold if Ranma were to become her husband.
*I spent about an hour taking her home, so I'm guessing it's around 10:00 p.m. now. I
imagine everyone will be getting ready for bed or in bed. I'd better be quiet just incase anyone is
asleep.* Ranma jumped off of the wall he was walking on and landed in front of the dojo and stole
up to the front door and found it to be locked. *Damn. I guess I'd better go around back.* He
crept around the building and tried the backdoor, only to find it locked as well. He leapt up onto
the roof and made his way to his room's window. Luckily, it wasn't locked, and he opened it up
and slid in. It was completely dark inside, and he felt along the wall until he could find the light
switch. Once he found it, he clicked on. He turned around to see Souun Tendou and his pops
glaring daggers into him with their arms crossed in a menacing fashion. "Umm...what's going
on?"
"You know very well what's going on here, boy," Genma growled.
"So, you think you could just walk all over your engagement to my Akane and get away
with it?" Souun rasped.
"What are you guys talking about?"
"Don't play dumb. We know what you've done, boy."
"I haven't done anything. I really don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh yes you do. You didn't think that we would hear about you kissing your so-called
'friend' right in the middle of the cafeteria and then dating her behind my little Akane's back?"
"What kind of an idiot do you take us for?"
"Woah, hold on a minute. First of all, I didn't kiss anyone in any cafeteria, and secondly, I
didn't go on a 'date' with anyone. I just went to see a movie with my buddy."
"Half the school says you did kiss Ukyou in the cafeteria, and some of Akane's friends
saw you two at the movies, and they said that you were giving her a ride on your back."
"I never kissed anyone! Ukyou fed me when I was starving to death, and I gave her a bear
hug in the cafeteria! I also gave her a ride to the movies on my back because she had trained too
hard yesterday, and she was sore. We were in a hurry to make it to the movies before the film
started, and it was the fastest way for us to get there! I don't know who's starting ugly rumors
about us, but Ucchan is my best buddy. She is not my girlfriend!"
"Hmm...Saotome, what do you think?"
"I think we should teach him a lesson, Tendou."
"Exactly what I was thinking," he said with an evil smile. The cracked their knuckles and
Ranma gulped.
Ranma awoke that morning with a splitting headache. His left eye had a familiar black
circle around it where a fist connected squarely. He also had a few other cuts and bruises in
various places. *Damn, did they really have to hit me so hard? I didn't do anything, and yet I'm
always getting into trouble for stuff like this.* He dragged himself out of bed, and ran through his
morning routine. *Hmm...Akane didn't wake me up, so I guess I'm up before her today.* He
headed out into the living room once he was finished, but he saw that everyone had already eaten,
and Akane and Nabiki were no where to be found. "Where's Akane?" He asked casually.
"She and Nabiki left for school about an hour ago," Kasumi replied while washing dishes.
"What!? Why didn't they wake me up?"
"Akane is very upset with you right now."
"Oh man. Why does this always have to happen to me?" *Damn, I'm going to have to
skip breakfast again!* "Well, I'm going to head to school now."
"Have a good day," Kasumi said happily as she finished scrubbing her last dish.
"You too." He took off running once he was out the door. He ran at a very quick pace,
and it didn't take him long to reach the entrance of his high school. He ran inside just as the bell
for the first class to end rang. His stomach growled in protest of not being filled, but he shrugged
it off as he made his way to his next class. The only class he shared with Akane was first period,
so he didn't have to worry about tasting her wraith until after school. He sighed as he walked in
the door and took a seat at his desk. *It's going to be a long day.*
The bell for third period ended, and Ranma shot out of his chair like a rocket and rushed
to the cafeteria. A mob had already formed at the lunch line, but another squeal of protest from
his empty stomach was all the encouragement he needed as he prepared to leap forward and
snatch a meal. "Hey Ran-chan!" A familiar voice called out to him just as he tensed up for his
daring leap. He turned around quickly to see Ukyou waiving at him. He smiled and waived back.
"Hey Ucchan. What's up?"
"Would you like some lunch? Don't worry. It's on me."
"Boy would I! I didn't get to eat any breakfast today either because no one woke me up
to get around for school, and I'm starving!" She chuckled.
"You're always starving. I brought a lot of okonomiyaki with me today though, so it
should keep you satisfied for the rest of the school day."
"Thank you!" She handed him a large lunch box that she had stored in her locker earlier
this morning.
"Ran-chan, I've heard some rumors going around about us, and it would probably be best
if people didn't know that you were eating food that I fixed for you. So, I guess I'll go ahead and
find a spot somewhere, and you can bring me back my lunch box later."
"Hey, don't worry about it. You want to go eat outside? People can think what they
want to think, but the day Ranma Saotome lets some stupid rumors run his life is the day he quits
being a martial artist," he boasted with a grin.
"Wouldn't Akane be upset?"
"She's always upset about something. I don't why that uncute girl gets so angry every
time I'm around another girl. Maybe she's just jealous, but I wonder why."
"Well, she just might have feelings for you, you know."
"She sure doesn't act like it. Anyway, let's go eat before the food gets cold. I'm dying of
hunger." She chuckled.
"Lead the way." She followed Ranma through the cafeteria to the outdoor exit, and he
spotted his favorite tree and leapt up into it. She looked up at him, and he motioned for her to
jump up, which she did.
"I don't think anyone will bother us here. I'll never figure out why people gossip in the
first place."
"Me either." He practically ripped open the lunch box and began wolfing down the food.
She grabbed a couple slices of it and began eating it, but at a much slower pace than her friend.
He had just finished polishing off his seventh serving when he noticed a piece of
mushroom left over on his shirt after he rested his back against the tree. He flicked it off, and it
hit Ukyou square on the cheek. "Oops, sorry about that."
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" He gulped when he noticed a certain glint in her
eyes.
"No, I swear it was an accident. Don't look at me like that."
"Okay, I'll forgive you." She turned back to her food, and he relaxed. Without warning,
she turned around and nailed him between the eyes with a decent-sized chunk of food. He wiped
it away with an evil grin on his face. He grabbed the last serving of okonomiyaki left in the lunch
box and leapt up higher into the tree.
"You're going to pay for that one," he hurled a chunk of it that he broke off. She batted it
away with one of her spatulas, and then leapt over to a nearby branch. She threw a piece at him,
but he easily avoided it and returned fire. She leapt up to the branch above her to avoid it, and
then she threw two pieces of food at him, and they narrowly missed as he leapt backwards and
landed on a branch behind him. They went around the tree throwing chunks of food at each other
and laughing at each other until Ukyou came up with an idea. She waiting for Ranma to leap
again, and when he did, she threw one of her razor-sharp spatulas at the branch he was flying
towards, and it sliced it clean through. Ranma saw what was happening, but it was far too late
for him, and he began falling. He thrust his waist around and hurled his last chunk of food at her
just as she heaved her last bit at him. Hers smacked him dead center on his nose, and his piece hit
the branch beside her head and splattered the side of her face. He flipped over and landed on his
feet, and promptly wiped the majority of okonomiyaki from his face, but he would need a napkin
to get all the sauce off. She leapt down and laughed at him, and he muttered something inaudible.
"Well, it looks like I won that round."
"There's always tomorrow," he declared smugly. "Besides, you didn't escape without any
food on your face either."
"Yeah, but you only scored one direct hit, and I nailed you twice."
"Don't worry. I'll have my revenge."
"You can 'try' to get your revenge later, but we'd better get cleaned up before our next
classes."
"Yeah. I guess you're right." They headed back inside and grabbed some napkins. They
received a few awkward glances and second glances from a number of people, but neither of them
seemed to notice.
The bell that signaled the end of lunch rang just as Ranma threw his napkin in the trash
can.
"See you later," he called out as he walked away to his next class.
"Bye," she said with a slight smile as she watched him walk away until he was out of sight.
She sighed in a mixture of happiness and glumness and then went to her locker to put away her
books and lunch box and to pick up the books she would need for the rest of her classes. *Will he
ever want to be more than just friends, and how does he really feel about Akane?*
Of course, Akane's network of spies, otherwise known as her friends, tracked her down
and reported every single detail they knew, many of which were exaggerated to a large extent as
rumors usually are. She sighed and hung her head. "You know. I don't really care what Ranma
does with her. It's none of my business," she decreed with noticeable bitterness in her voice.
"He is your fiancee, Akane. You should do something about this," Yuka protested.
"Yeah, you should stand up for what belongs to you," Sayuri chimed in.
"First of all, my father arranged this engagement. I had nothing to do with it. Secondly,
what makes you think I care what that jerk does with his cute fiancee?!"
"Let's just call it a hunch," Yuka replied while motioning with her eyes towards the once
full soda can that Akane had crushed with her hand. Akane yelped and ran to the bathroom to get
some napkins to clean up the mess she made on the floor. Her two friends chuckled, but they did
genuinely feel bad for her.
The rest of the day dragged on slowly for Ranma, but the last bell finally sounded, and he
was free from school for the weekend. *Why do I even bother going to school? I'm a martial
artist. I don't need this education,* Ranma pondered as he walked out of the school's main
entrance. Just as he stepped out onto the walkway, a loud voice rang out from behind him.
"Ranma Saotome! How dare you try to keep the pigtailed girl away from her true love!" Kuno
leaped forward with his kendo stick held above him ready to strike Ranma's head. Ranma merely
sidestepped and shot his foot up sideways to meet Kuno's chin. The young man was sent flying
backwards into the doors of the school, but he was able to drag himself to his feet rather quickly.
"You'll pay for that, Saotome!" He rushed forward again and expertly slashed at Ranma from all
directions. Ranma had no difficulty dodging his attempts with his superior speed.
"Kuno, I really don't feel like fighting with you today. I have a lot on my mind."
"I don't care what you want! Until the pigtailed girl is save in my arms, I'll fight you with
every last breath!" Ranma sighed. He really didn't feel like trifling with his upperclassman today,
and he decided to end the fight quickly.
"It looks like I'll just have to knock the breath out of you!" Ranma shouted. The
annoyance in his voice was reaching a grave point. He dashed forward and ducked under Kuno's
desperate attempt to strike his chest, and he brought his fist up and connected with Kuno's
stomach. The proud kendo fighter fell to his knees and looked up just in time to see Ranma's fist
sailing towards his face before everything went black.
"That guy's an idiot, but he is persistent," Ranma whispered to himself. He looked around
for Akane, but he didn't see her anywhere. *Hmm...I guess she hasn't made it out of class yet.*
Ranma walked out of the gate and leaned against the wall to wait for her. He had waited
about five minutes before he heard a bicycle approaching. Without looking up, he sighed. *Please
don't let it be her. Please don't let it be her.* "Nihao Ranma!"
"Hello, Shampoo," he muttered in reply.
"Why you wait here all alone?"
"Akane hasn't made it out of class yet."
"Shampoo saw her walking with two friends a few minutes ago."
"What?! Oh man!"
"You and Akane not speaking to each other?"
"She's always angry about something."
"Why not marry Shampoo? You be happy for rest of your life if you do." He groaned.
"I don't want to marry you!" She looked very wounded by his yelling, and he immediately
regretted it. "I'm sorry Shampoo. I'm just having a really bad day." She still had a hurt look on
her face, and she cast down her head and rode away. *Damn! I shouldn't have been so cruel to
her, but that is the only way I can get through to her.* "Dammit all," he cursed and began walking
back to the Tendou dojo.
Souun Tendou's eyebrow was visibly twitching as he expended a great effort in trying to
put the phone back on the hook without slamming it. His teeth were gritted, and his lips were
curved up into an evil snarl. "Ranma Saotome . . . I've had it," he growled in a low, but menacing
voice to himself. He had just gotten off the phone with his daughter, Akane, and she had spilled
out all of the nasty rumors she heard about Ranma and Ukyou over the phone. He could tell by
her voice that she was genuinely saddened, and he could also tell that she was on the brink of
tears. She told him that she was going to stay over at Sayuri's house with Yuka in order to get
away from her problems, namely Ranma, for a while. *I will not allow any more games.
Everything's been a mess since those two showed up, and now I'm going to clean it up!*
Author's notes: Well, that's the end of the first chapter. As of now, I have no idea how many
more chapters there are going to be, or exactly what direction I'm going to head in. I know
you're probably wondering who that mysterious figure is, and although I have a good idea exactly
who or what it is, I may change my mind as I develop the plot. I find that I can usually write
better when I just wing it, and that's exactly what I'm doing. Everything that's happened so far
has just...well...occurred. I didn't plan on anything other than the mysterious figure, and I really
am surprised at how this turned out. Also, the title is tentative at this point, and it could possibly
change as I write more of the story. I don't know where I'm going with this yet, and I like my
titles to tell a little about the story. If I stay on track with my original idea that prompted me to
start writing, it should be okay, but you never know. In the next chapter, there will be some
changes made that will really hit home and probably some more angst and anything else I decide
to toss in. I may or may not reveal more about that mysterious figure in the coming chapter. It
really all depends on how the story develops, and I'm only a tiny bit farther ahead of you as far as
the knowledge of what's going to happen goes. So, please take a moment and write a review. I
really appreciate them, and it may help encourage me to write more a little faster. ^_^ Domo
arigato for reading my ficcie, minna-san.
Author's notes: Well, this is my first attempt at a Ranma « fan fic. I've only seen up to the end
of the third season at this point, and so this is basically the setting of the story. Also, this is the
first chapter of my tale, and there will be more chapters coming in the near future. Remember,
words between *...* are the thoughts of a character. Well, I'm going to give this a shot, so bear
with me. Oh, and I haven't started my promised Love Hina fan fic yet, but I've done some more
planning on it for those who are interested in it. Anyway, on to the ficcie!
Kiss of Death, Kiss of Life
by Leeman
Ranma Saotome awoke to the unmistakable, angry voice of his fiancee, Akane Tendou.
"Ranma! We're going to be late again!"
"Just let me sleep a bit longer," the young man answered groggily.
"Ranma! Get up now!"
"Okay. Okay. Just let me get dressed!" Akane left the room, and Ranma quickly threw
on his favorite red shirt and black pants. He slipped on his socks and shoes and grabbed his
backpack which was waiting for him inside of his closet door. He ran into the bathroom and gave
himself a quick glance before heading out with the furious, purple-haired girl whom he promptly
called uncute for the first time that day. Normally, he had already said it five times by then, but
his energy was lower due to a lack of food which his stomach moaned about audibly on a few
occasions on their trek towards Furinkan High School.
"Prepare to die!" Ranma heard the familiar shout and sighed. Just before an incredibly
heavy, red umbrella could make impact his head, he ducked and swept his attacker's feet out from
under him.
"Not today Ryouga. I'm too hungry to fight!" Ranma pleaded.
"You will pay! You stole my lunch last week, and I've been hunting you down ever since!
I've been through Hell, and it's all your fault! Die!"
Ranma ducked as Ryouga swiped at his head with his umbrella once more. A furious
barrage of incoming swipes ensued, but Ranma was barely able to stay ahead of his hot-headed
rival. Unbeknownst to the two battling teenagers, a pair of dark eyes narrowed as they took in
the scene before them. "Hmm...he's not half bad, and his aura is incredible for someone so
young. He may prove to be worthy of being my pupil," whispered the mysterious figure watching
the battle from a nearby tree.
"This is the end of the line, Ranma!" Ryouga pointed his umbrella at Ranma's throat as he
was backed into a large, telephone poll. Ranma smiled and a mischievous gleam sparkled in his
eyes.
"Chest nuts roasting on an open fire!" shouted Ranma as he unleashed his powerful,
lighting-fast attack. Ryouga was showered with a rain of fists as Ranma hit him so frequently that
it felt as if he had twenty fists pounding him at once. Ryouga was sent flying backwards into
another telephone pole which shattered upon impact. It groaned and swayed before it came
crashing down. Ranma leapt forward and grabbed his rival just before the pole crushed him to
death. "Phew! You really need to learn to calm down, Ryouga. One of these days, you're going
to end up six feet under. You're head maybe hard enough to shatter bricks, but it does have a
limit to what it can take." Ryouga groaned and rubbed his head.
"Did you really have to hit me so hard?"
"Sorry, I guess I did get a bit carried away, but you did pin me down into a corner."
"One of these days, Ranma, I swear I'll defeat you."
"Not in this life time, but if you practice really hard, you might stand a chance in the next
one," Ranma said with a crooked grin. Ryouga growled and forced himself to his feet.
"Are you okay, Ryouga?" Akane asked with a concerned look on her face as she walked
around the corner where she had ran to once the two boys had started fighting.
"I...I'll be o...okay, Akane. It's just a few scratches."
"Ranma! What have you done to him to make him so angry at you now!? Why do you
always have to pick fights with people who are weaker than you?" Ryouga mentally cursed at
himself for his disgrace in front of his beloved Akane, but said nothing.
"Why is it always my fault? I didn't do anything to him!"
"Yeah right. You're just a stinkin' pervert who likes to pick on weaker people. Well, I'm
not afraid of you!" With one kick, she launched him high into the sky.
"Akane...I...I can take care of myself. I have to leave now. Farewell," he broke into a
run, and Akane watched him go with more than just a hint of sadness in her eyes.
The figure who had been watching the odd scene smiled. "Ranma," it whispered with a
smile, "You've intrigued me." The figure leapt high into the sky and disappeared into thin air.
*Why! Why must she look down upon me with such pity?! Akane, I can't stand having
you pity me. This is all Ranma's fault, and I'll get him sooner or later!* A tear rolled down
Ryouga's cheek. "Akane," he whispered softly as he ran onwards to any place that wasn't
Nerima. *I will train harder this time, and I will defeat Ranma on my honor as a martial artist!*
The dripping wet figure of a young man trudged down the halls of Furinkan High towards
the cafeteria. He had landed in a pond after being launched like a rocket by Akane's kick, and he
had to run home to get some hot water poured on him to turn him back into a male before he
could return to school. *Why does that uncute girl always take Ryouga's side?* He sighed as he
pushed open the double doors to the cafeteria. A mob of students had already surrounded the
cafeteria's food outlet and was shouting and screaming at the two women at the counter who
were scrambling to sort out all of their meals. Ranma's stomach growled loudly, and a new
determination sparked in his eyes. He leapt high into the air, over the students, and landed on the
counter. He snatched a sandwich so quickly that no one even saw him move his arm, and he back
flipped over the mob and landed squarely on his feet. He ripped the paper off of his soon to be
salvation, and he gobbled it down. Ukyou watched him with a smile on her face. She had made
extra okonomiyaki to sell, and what better person to sell it to than her own ravenous fiancee?
"Ran-chan, would you like some okonomiyaki?" She said with a sweet smile as she
approached him. His eyes widened, and he began drooling.
"Okonomiyaki!" He shouted with glee. She handed him a medium-sized dish, and he
wolfed it down like a man who hadn't eaten in ages. Stars filled his eyes.
"Ucchan! This is awesome! Do you have any more?" She smiled anime style and handed
him four more servings all of which disappeared within seconds. "Thank you! You've saved my
life!" He wrapped his arms around her and bear hugged her. He spun her around twice before
gently sitting her back down. By then, her cheeks had fully flushed, and she whacked him with
her large spatula in embarrassment. He groaned and rubbed his head.
"Ucchan, why do you always have to clobber me with that?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry." She ran forward and examined the spot where she hit him. He found
himself blushing a bit because of her closeness, and he quickly put some space between himself
and her.
"Thanks for the food. You're the best!" He said as the lunch bell rang. He headed off to
his next class leaving a starry-eyed Ukyou behind. *Maybe I won't charge him for the meal after
all,* she thought to herself as a warm smile adorned her blushing face. Unfortunately for Ranma,
the whole cafeteria had watched the entire scene play out with an avid interest. Rumors quickly
began floating around, and it didn't take long for a certain young woman to hear the news.
Akane growled with anger as her friend spilled out the whole scene between Ranma and
Ukyou in the cafeteria with several exaggerations.
Ranma sneezed as he walked into his next class. *Hmm...I wonder what brought that on.*
He shrugged his shoulders to himself as he made his way to his seat and sat down.
Akane fumed with rage as she stormed down the hallways towards the school's front exit.
*I should drag that jerk out of class and beat the stuffing out of him!* Despite the loss of most of
her control when she became this furious, she still maintained a thread of it, and she used every
strand of that thread to stop herself from carrying out her evil visions.
By the time she reached home, Akane had left a trail of destruction and most of her anger
had dissipated. It was replaced by sadness and a longing to shed her tears alone in her room. She
walked into her house, past Kasumi, and straight up into her bedroom without uttering a single
word.
"Oh my. I wonder what's wrong with Akane," Kasumi said with concern apparent in her
voice and features.
"Hmm...I wonder if it has anything to do with Ranma," Souun mused while rubbing his
chin.
"It's possible," added Genma while matching Souun's movements down to the finest
detail subconsciously.
Ranma stood waiting impatiently at the gates of the school for Akane to come walking
out, but she was late today. "Hello, Ran-chan."
"Hey Ucchan."
"Would you...um...like to go to my restaurant for some more okonomiyaki? As famished
as you were earlier, I know you have to still be hungry." He smirked.
"How much will it cost me?"
"It'll be my treat today." He nearly face faulted, but he was able to stop himself.
"Sure. Let's go!" They left walking side by side while a few nosy students whispered to
each other from behind a bush.
Ranma sighed contentedly as he swallowed the last bite of his fifth serving of
okonomiyaki. He patted his stomach and rested his the back of his arms. "That was really good.
You're the best cook I know."
"You really think so?"
"Yeah, of course."
"I'm glad," she said with a genuine, bright smile.
"You are acting a bit weird, though. Why are you being so nice to me?" She blushed a bit
and pushed her fingers together nervously.
"Well...umm..." *No! I can't just tell him that. What if he laughs at me or thinks I'm
pathetic?* He chuckled to himself, but it was loud enough for her to hear. She narrowed her eyes
at him. "What's so funny?"
"Uhh...nothing. I was just thinking that you're really cute when you get nervous, but you
don't have anything to be nervous about. You're my best buddy, and you can tell me anything
you want." The last sentence hit her harder than Ranma could ever hope to throw a punch. She
knew he thought of her as his best friend, but why couldn't she get it through to him that she
wasn't content with that role? She wanted to be more than friends, but she didn't have the
courage to tell him. *I have to think of something quickly, or else I'll humiliate myself.*
"Well, I was just wondering if you wanted to go see a movie, but I thought it would look
bad if I asked you." He was clearly amused by this, and he didn't hide it at all. After he finished
laughing, he smiled.
"Sure, there's going to be a new martial arts feature on today, and if we hurry, we could
get there before it starts."
"Okay, just let me close down the restaurant, and we can go."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Turn off the stove, and lock up the doors. We'll go out the back way." She gathered up
her cooking utensils, locked her money in her safe, and grabbed her large spatula without thinking
about it, while he completed his tasks.
"Is it really necessary to lug that thing around with you? It would be very uncomfortable
in a theater seat." She sweatdropped.
"Oops, I'm just so used to taking it with me that I just grab it without thinking about it."
She laid it down in its resting place, and she and Ranma ran out the back way and towards the
theater.
Ukyou was lagging a bit behind Ranma, and he noticed that their shadows were creeping
further apart. He slowed down and waited for her to catch up to him. "Don't tell me your
getting out of shape."
"Sorry about that, but I think I trained a bit too much yesterday, and I'm paying for it
today."
"Oh, I hate it when that happens. Do you want me to carry you?" She blushed madly and
turned away from him.
"Come on, I don't bite. Just hop onto my back. We'll miss the start of the movie at this
rate." Her cheeks grew as red as ripe tomatoes, but she managed to latch onto him without him
noticing her blush. He slipped his arms under her knees and took off as fast as he could. He
found it difficult to maneuver around the people walking and riding bicycles, and an idea occurred
to him. He suddenly leapt up onto the top of a building and flew across the city, rooftop by
rooftop. Ukyou was scared at first, but she soon found it to be a lovely, breathtaking experience.
She was with the man she loved and flying through the air. She normally would hate to be at the
complete mercy of another, but Ranma was different. She felt as free as a hawk soaring over the
landscape, and her closeness to Ranma warmed her soul to the core. The cool breeze, and the
pinkish orange sky created the most romantic setting she could ever imagine. She sighed joyously
and rested her head on her arm next to Ranma's head.
Ranma could feel her breath on his face, and his cheeks began to flush. He became very
sensitive to her body being pressed against his, and it sent chills down his spine. He could smell
the faint aroma of okonomiyaki emanating from her flowing, reddish brown hair, and he tensed up
subconsciously. Ukyou could feel him tensing up, and she became curious. "Ran-chan, what's
wrong? Why did you get so tense all of a sudden?"
"Uhh...well...you see..." *Damn, what can I tell her? I can't just tell her that it's because
she's so close to me. She'll just call me a pervert and end up beating the crap out of me.* "Your
hair was tickling my ear," he sputtered out nervously.
"Oh, sorry 'bout that." She pulled her head back away from him.
"You don't have to move if you were comfortable. I really don't mind." His face was
growing redder, but she didn't notice.
"You sure?"
"Y...yeah."
"Okay." She put her head back on her arm, and she nuzzled her cheek against his. His
toes curled up and more shivers trickled down his spine. His heart began to race, and he could
feel the butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. *What's wrong with me? It's just Ucchan.
There's no reason for me to start acting like some kind of weirdo.* He tried to control his
breathing to force himself to calm down, but it wasn't working very well. Fortunately, the theater
came into view, and with two more powerful leaps, he landed right in front of the entrance.
Ukyou couldn't hide her disappointment when they arrived, and she was noticeably
reluctant to let go of him and vice versa. Finally, Ranma snapped out of his zoned out state and
he let her legs drop to the ground. "Ucchan, we're here." She let go of him faster than a chunk
of red-hot iron, and she turned her face from him to conceal yet another blush.
Akane sat in her room staring at the wall. *That dummy! I bet he's out with her right
now. Well, I hope he's happy!* She grabbed her pillow and chugged it as hard as she could at the
wall. There was a knock at the door, and she was drawn out of her thoughts. "Who is it?"
"It's me, Akane," Kasumi replied. "May I come in?"
"It's not locked." Kasumi turned the handled and entered the room carrying a tray of food
from dinner.
"Are you sure your okay, Akane?" Kasumi smiled reassuringly as her younger, teary-eyed
sister looked up at her.
"No! I'm not! That jerk scooped Ukyou up in his arms right in the middle of the cafeteria
and kissed her!"
"Oh dear. I really thought he wasn't that kind of guy."
"It doesn't surprise me. He's a pervert and a jerk."
"I know that your very upset right now, Akane, but you can't neglect your health. Please
try to eat something and get some rest."
"It shouldn't bother me this much, but no matter how many times I tell myself that, it still
hurts. Why?"
"Even though you're not willing to admit it, you have feelings for him. It always hurts
when someone you love betrays you."
"He really didn't betray me, though. She's his fiancee as well, and so is Shampoo. I just
thought that he and I had something special. I should have known better."
"Just try to relax and eat your food. Everything will be okay."
"Thank you, Kasumi."
"I'll be up to get your tray later."
"Okay."
Ranma and Ukyou carefully squeezed through the narrow row of occupied seats in order
to grab the two empty seats on the end. They managed to get through without stepping on
anyone's toes or causing them to spill anything, and they sat down. They had one large popcorn
bag to share between them, and Ranma had a large soda, and Ukyou had a medium iced tea. The
previews were already playing by the time they had made it into the theater, and they were lucky
to get to their seats just before the feature presentation. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is
supposed to be one of the best martial arts films made," Ranma whispered.
"I guess we'll find out if that's true or not, won't we?" He smiled, and they turned their
attentions to the film.
"That was great!" Ukyou declared as they exited the theater.
"Yeah, I really enjoyed it. Of course, I could take any of them in a fight."
"I wouldn't doubt it."
"Wow, that movie lasted longer than I thought. Do you know what time it is?"
"No, I don't have a watch."
"Me either. Well, it is dark out, and the movie lasted around three hours, so I'm going to
guess it's around 9:00 p.m."
"Yeah, it's getting pretty late."
"D...do you want a ride home?" She grinned widely.
"I don't really want to burden you."
"Don't worry. You're not heavy, you're Ucchan," he declared with a goofy smile.
"Well, if it wouldn't be too much trouble for you, why not?"
"Hop on." She climbed on his back, and he leapt upwards toward the starlit heavens.
This time there was no need to rush, and he took his time. "It's a beautiful night."
"Yeah. I haven't seen this many stars since I left China." Ranma noticed that Ukyou was
shivering a bit.
"Are you cold," he asked with obvious concern in his voice.
"It is a little chilly."
"Damn, we should have brought some jackets."
"It's okay. You're very warm as it is." She snuggled up to him, and he felt an all too
familiar warmth creep up in his cheeks.
The lights of Tokyo could clearly be seen in their glory from their vantage point. It really
was a beautiful city at night, and its aura was awe-inspiring. It was a place of power, love, hate,
birth, death, and life. It harbored paupers living on the streets, and rich business men living in
monstrous apartments. "Ran-chan, do you think we could leap on the tops of skyscrapers like
these houses someday?"
"Sure. That sounds like fun, but don't you think it would be a tad bit scary though?"
"Nah. Not as long as it's your back I'm riding on." A bright smile crept upon his lips, and
he felt incredibly happy for the first time in ages. He hadn't been this happy since he was a
child...a child playing with his best friend, Ucchan. Back then, he thought she was a boy, and he
used to have a lot of fun playing with her. He would always take some okonomiyaki from her
father's cart, and she would always come after him. Then, they would fight and wrestle around,
and when they had exhausted their energy, they would sit on hilltops and take naps side by side or
talk about various things. Both of them were very young back then, but those were the best times
of his life. He thought back to the time his father had asked him if he liked okonomiyaki or
Ucchan better, and he chose okonomiyaki. *If I could go back in time, I would pick Ucchan. My
life would have been much better if I had, but I didn't grasp the importance of Dad's question
back then.*
Ranma landed gently, yet firmly in the back entranceway of The Ucchan. He let go of
Ukyou's legs, and she slid off of his back very slowly. She smiled. "Thank you for taking me out
with you tonight, Ran-chan."
"It was my pleasure. I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school."
"Yeah. Goodnight."
"Goodnight." He waved bye and took off running. She watched him go with an adoring
smile on her face. She closed the door after he disappeared from her view, and she sighed
happily. *Even though he will never admit it, tonight was our first date. Maybe there's a chance
for us after all.* She began getting ready to turn in for the night all the while daydreaming about
what the future might hold if Ranma were to become her husband.
*I spent about an hour taking her home, so I'm guessing it's around 10:00 p.m. now. I
imagine everyone will be getting ready for bed or in bed. I'd better be quiet just incase anyone is
asleep.* Ranma jumped off of the wall he was walking on and landed in front of the dojo and stole
up to the front door and found it to be locked. *Damn. I guess I'd better go around back.* He
crept around the building and tried the backdoor, only to find it locked as well. He leapt up onto
the roof and made his way to his room's window. Luckily, it wasn't locked, and he opened it up
and slid in. It was completely dark inside, and he felt along the wall until he could find the light
switch. Once he found it, he clicked on. He turned around to see Souun Tendou and his pops
glaring daggers into him with their arms crossed in a menacing fashion. "Umm...what's going
on?"
"You know very well what's going on here, boy," Genma growled.
"So, you think you could just walk all over your engagement to my Akane and get away
with it?" Souun rasped.
"What are you guys talking about?"
"Don't play dumb. We know what you've done, boy."
"I haven't done anything. I really don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh yes you do. You didn't think that we would hear about you kissing your so-called
'friend' right in the middle of the cafeteria and then dating her behind my little Akane's back?"
"What kind of an idiot do you take us for?"
"Woah, hold on a minute. First of all, I didn't kiss anyone in any cafeteria, and secondly, I
didn't go on a 'date' with anyone. I just went to see a movie with my buddy."
"Half the school says you did kiss Ukyou in the cafeteria, and some of Akane's friends
saw you two at the movies, and they said that you were giving her a ride on your back."
"I never kissed anyone! Ukyou fed me when I was starving to death, and I gave her a bear
hug in the cafeteria! I also gave her a ride to the movies on my back because she had trained too
hard yesterday, and she was sore. We were in a hurry to make it to the movies before the film
started, and it was the fastest way for us to get there! I don't know who's starting ugly rumors
about us, but Ucchan is my best buddy. She is not my girlfriend!"
"Hmm...Saotome, what do you think?"
"I think we should teach him a lesson, Tendou."
"Exactly what I was thinking," he said with an evil smile. The cracked their knuckles and
Ranma gulped.
Ranma awoke that morning with a splitting headache. His left eye had a familiar black
circle around it where a fist connected squarely. He also had a few other cuts and bruises in
various places. *Damn, did they really have to hit me so hard? I didn't do anything, and yet I'm
always getting into trouble for stuff like this.* He dragged himself out of bed, and ran through his
morning routine. *Hmm...Akane didn't wake me up, so I guess I'm up before her today.* He
headed out into the living room once he was finished, but he saw that everyone had already eaten,
and Akane and Nabiki were no where to be found. "Where's Akane?" He asked casually.
"She and Nabiki left for school about an hour ago," Kasumi replied while washing dishes.
"What!? Why didn't they wake me up?"
"Akane is very upset with you right now."
"Oh man. Why does this always have to happen to me?" *Damn, I'm going to have to
skip breakfast again!* "Well, I'm going to head to school now."
"Have a good day," Kasumi said happily as she finished scrubbing her last dish.
"You too." He took off running once he was out the door. He ran at a very quick pace,
and it didn't take him long to reach the entrance of his high school. He ran inside just as the bell
for the first class to end rang. His stomach growled in protest of not being filled, but he shrugged
it off as he made his way to his next class. The only class he shared with Akane was first period,
so he didn't have to worry about tasting her wraith until after school. He sighed as he walked in
the door and took a seat at his desk. *It's going to be a long day.*
The bell for third period ended, and Ranma shot out of his chair like a rocket and rushed
to the cafeteria. A mob had already formed at the lunch line, but another squeal of protest from
his empty stomach was all the encouragement he needed as he prepared to leap forward and
snatch a meal. "Hey Ran-chan!" A familiar voice called out to him just as he tensed up for his
daring leap. He turned around quickly to see Ukyou waiving at him. He smiled and waived back.
"Hey Ucchan. What's up?"
"Would you like some lunch? Don't worry. It's on me."
"Boy would I! I didn't get to eat any breakfast today either because no one woke me up
to get around for school, and I'm starving!" She chuckled.
"You're always starving. I brought a lot of okonomiyaki with me today though, so it
should keep you satisfied for the rest of the school day."
"Thank you!" She handed him a large lunch box that she had stored in her locker earlier
this morning.
"Ran-chan, I've heard some rumors going around about us, and it would probably be best
if people didn't know that you were eating food that I fixed for you. So, I guess I'll go ahead and
find a spot somewhere, and you can bring me back my lunch box later."
"Hey, don't worry about it. You want to go eat outside? People can think what they
want to think, but the day Ranma Saotome lets some stupid rumors run his life is the day he quits
being a martial artist," he boasted with a grin.
"Wouldn't Akane be upset?"
"She's always upset about something. I don't why that uncute girl gets so angry every
time I'm around another girl. Maybe she's just jealous, but I wonder why."
"Well, she just might have feelings for you, you know."
"She sure doesn't act like it. Anyway, let's go eat before the food gets cold. I'm dying of
hunger." She chuckled.
"Lead the way." She followed Ranma through the cafeteria to the outdoor exit, and he
spotted his favorite tree and leapt up into it. She looked up at him, and he motioned for her to
jump up, which she did.
"I don't think anyone will bother us here. I'll never figure out why people gossip in the
first place."
"Me either." He practically ripped open the lunch box and began wolfing down the food.
She grabbed a couple slices of it and began eating it, but at a much slower pace than her friend.
He had just finished polishing off his seventh serving when he noticed a piece of
mushroom left over on his shirt after he rested his back against the tree. He flicked it off, and it
hit Ukyou square on the cheek. "Oops, sorry about that."
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" He gulped when he noticed a certain glint in her
eyes.
"No, I swear it was an accident. Don't look at me like that."
"Okay, I'll forgive you." She turned back to her food, and he relaxed. Without warning,
she turned around and nailed him between the eyes with a decent-sized chunk of food. He wiped
it away with an evil grin on his face. He grabbed the last serving of okonomiyaki left in the lunch
box and leapt up higher into the tree.
"You're going to pay for that one," he hurled a chunk of it that he broke off. She batted it
away with one of her spatulas, and then leapt over to a nearby branch. She threw a piece at him,
but he easily avoided it and returned fire. She leapt up to the branch above her to avoid it, and
then she threw two pieces of food at him, and they narrowly missed as he leapt backwards and
landed on a branch behind him. They went around the tree throwing chunks of food at each other
and laughing at each other until Ukyou came up with an idea. She waiting for Ranma to leap
again, and when he did, she threw one of her razor-sharp spatulas at the branch he was flying
towards, and it sliced it clean through. Ranma saw what was happening, but it was far too late
for him, and he began falling. He thrust his waist around and hurled his last chunk of food at her
just as she heaved her last bit at him. Hers smacked him dead center on his nose, and his piece hit
the branch beside her head and splattered the side of her face. He flipped over and landed on his
feet, and promptly wiped the majority of okonomiyaki from his face, but he would need a napkin
to get all the sauce off. She leapt down and laughed at him, and he muttered something inaudible.
"Well, it looks like I won that round."
"There's always tomorrow," he declared smugly. "Besides, you didn't escape without any
food on your face either."
"Yeah, but you only scored one direct hit, and I nailed you twice."
"Don't worry. I'll have my revenge."
"You can 'try' to get your revenge later, but we'd better get cleaned up before our next
classes."
"Yeah. I guess you're right." They headed back inside and grabbed some napkins. They
received a few awkward glances and second glances from a number of people, but neither of them
seemed to notice.
The bell that signaled the end of lunch rang just as Ranma threw his napkin in the trash
can.
"See you later," he called out as he walked away to his next class.
"Bye," she said with a slight smile as she watched him walk away until he was out of sight.
She sighed in a mixture of happiness and glumness and then went to her locker to put away her
books and lunch box and to pick up the books she would need for the rest of her classes. *Will he
ever want to be more than just friends, and how does he really feel about Akane?*
Of course, Akane's network of spies, otherwise known as her friends, tracked her down
and reported every single detail they knew, many of which were exaggerated to a large extent as
rumors usually are. She sighed and hung her head. "You know. I don't really care what Ranma
does with her. It's none of my business," she decreed with noticeable bitterness in her voice.
"He is your fiancee, Akane. You should do something about this," Yuka protested.
"Yeah, you should stand up for what belongs to you," Sayuri chimed in.
"First of all, my father arranged this engagement. I had nothing to do with it. Secondly,
what makes you think I care what that jerk does with his cute fiancee?!"
"Let's just call it a hunch," Yuka replied while motioning with her eyes towards the once
full soda can that Akane had crushed with her hand. Akane yelped and ran to the bathroom to get
some napkins to clean up the mess she made on the floor. Her two friends chuckled, but they did
genuinely feel bad for her.
The rest of the day dragged on slowly for Ranma, but the last bell finally sounded, and he
was free from school for the weekend. *Why do I even bother going to school? I'm a martial
artist. I don't need this education,* Ranma pondered as he walked out of the school's main
entrance. Just as he stepped out onto the walkway, a loud voice rang out from behind him.
"Ranma Saotome! How dare you try to keep the pigtailed girl away from her true love!" Kuno
leaped forward with his kendo stick held above him ready to strike Ranma's head. Ranma merely
sidestepped and shot his foot up sideways to meet Kuno's chin. The young man was sent flying
backwards into the doors of the school, but he was able to drag himself to his feet rather quickly.
"You'll pay for that, Saotome!" He rushed forward again and expertly slashed at Ranma from all
directions. Ranma had no difficulty dodging his attempts with his superior speed.
"Kuno, I really don't feel like fighting with you today. I have a lot on my mind."
"I don't care what you want! Until the pigtailed girl is save in my arms, I'll fight you with
every last breath!" Ranma sighed. He really didn't feel like trifling with his upperclassman today,
and he decided to end the fight quickly.
"It looks like I'll just have to knock the breath out of you!" Ranma shouted. The
annoyance in his voice was reaching a grave point. He dashed forward and ducked under Kuno's
desperate attempt to strike his chest, and he brought his fist up and connected with Kuno's
stomach. The proud kendo fighter fell to his knees and looked up just in time to see Ranma's fist
sailing towards his face before everything went black.
"That guy's an idiot, but he is persistent," Ranma whispered to himself. He looked around
for Akane, but he didn't see her anywhere. *Hmm...I guess she hasn't made it out of class yet.*
Ranma walked out of the gate and leaned against the wall to wait for her. He had waited
about five minutes before he heard a bicycle approaching. Without looking up, he sighed. *Please
don't let it be her. Please don't let it be her.* "Nihao Ranma!"
"Hello, Shampoo," he muttered in reply.
"Why you wait here all alone?"
"Akane hasn't made it out of class yet."
"Shampoo saw her walking with two friends a few minutes ago."
"What?! Oh man!"
"You and Akane not speaking to each other?"
"She's always angry about something."
"Why not marry Shampoo? You be happy for rest of your life if you do." He groaned.
"I don't want to marry you!" She looked very wounded by his yelling, and he immediately
regretted it. "I'm sorry Shampoo. I'm just having a really bad day." She still had a hurt look on
her face, and she cast down her head and rode away. *Damn! I shouldn't have been so cruel to
her, but that is the only way I can get through to her.* "Dammit all," he cursed and began walking
back to the Tendou dojo.
Souun Tendou's eyebrow was visibly twitching as he expended a great effort in trying to
put the phone back on the hook without slamming it. His teeth were gritted, and his lips were
curved up into an evil snarl. "Ranma Saotome . . . I've had it," he growled in a low, but menacing
voice to himself. He had just gotten off the phone with his daughter, Akane, and she had spilled
out all of the nasty rumors she heard about Ranma and Ukyou over the phone. He could tell by
her voice that she was genuinely saddened, and he could also tell that she was on the brink of
tears. She told him that she was going to stay over at Sayuri's house with Yuka in order to get
away from her problems, namely Ranma, for a while. *I will not allow any more games.
Everything's been a mess since those two showed up, and now I'm going to clean it up!*
Author's notes: Well, that's the end of the first chapter. As of now, I have no idea how many
more chapters there are going to be, or exactly what direction I'm going to head in. I know
you're probably wondering who that mysterious figure is, and although I have a good idea exactly
who or what it is, I may change my mind as I develop the plot. I find that I can usually write
better when I just wing it, and that's exactly what I'm doing. Everything that's happened so far
has just...well...occurred. I didn't plan on anything other than the mysterious figure, and I really
am surprised at how this turned out. Also, the title is tentative at this point, and it could possibly
change as I write more of the story. I don't know where I'm going with this yet, and I like my
titles to tell a little about the story. If I stay on track with my original idea that prompted me to
start writing, it should be okay, but you never know. In the next chapter, there will be some
changes made that will really hit home and probably some more angst and anything else I decide
to toss in. I may or may not reveal more about that mysterious figure in the coming chapter. It
really all depends on how the story develops, and I'm only a tiny bit farther ahead of you as far as
the knowledge of what's going to happen goes. So, please take a moment and write a review. I
really appreciate them, and it may help encourage me to write more a little faster. ^_^ Domo
arigato for reading my ficcie, minna-san.
