All About Akane
Chapter Three: Piggy Pig Pigs
Author's Notes: Argh! Why isn't the next chapter to Royal Servant working in my mind?! *grumbles* Well, here's the next chappie to AAA. Enjoy!
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.
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Linma ran around the corner. If she didn't hurry, she was going to be late. She was supposed to be at the shop two hours ago, helping her aunt out. It was the third time this week that she overslept. She was beginning to think she needed to buy an alarm clock. Suddenly, a red umbrella barred her way and Linma and to turn the bottom of her shoes into breaks. She scooted to a stop and turned in annoyance to the one holding the umbrella. It was a boy and he looked sort of cute if it wasn't for the serious expression on his face.
"Excuse me, where is Furinkan high school?" he asked her. Was this guy serious? Linma let out a breath. It didn't look like he was going to let her leave until she pointed it out to him. Linma pointed to a large school to the boy's left with a sign in front that read 'Furinkan High School'. The boy appeared shocked for a moment before he started laughing. His arms gripped out and he laughed even harder.
Linma slowly inched away. No quick movements now.
"Ranma! Hahahahaha! I will get you now! You shall not escape the wrath of-" the boy stopped his laughter and something crossed over his eyes. Linma wavered between standing absolutely still or running for her life. She decided on the former.
Good thing, since Ryoga chose that moment to turn to her to ask his question.
"What district are we in?" he asked her. It seemed as though the question was very important to him.
"N-nermia," Linma stammered. The boy said nothing before a slow smile appeared on his face. Linma relaxed. He didn't look psychotic anymore.
"Nerima..." Ryoga said to himself, chewing softly on the sweet memory. How long has it been? He wasn't going to risk getting lost again. He turned to the girl who appeared aggravated for some reason.
"Do you know where the Tendo dojo is?" he asked her.
Linma's eyes narrowed. What should she tell him?
"You mean, where Kasumi lives?" she asked suspiciously. Kasumi was a regular customer at her aunt's store.
"Yeah...Kasumi..." Ryoga couldn't seem to be any more happy. He couldn't remember being this happy (heck, he couldn't remember being happy) for a long time.
Linma decided the guy couldn't be that bad.
"Come on, I'll take you," she said. "My aunt's store is near the Tendo home anyways."
* * *
"Come on, Ranma, you're making us late!" Akane yelled in exasperation as she pulled the boy out of the house. The pig-tailed Martial Artist appeared miffed...and bruised.
"I wasn't the one that bumped into Kasumi when she was carrying a bucket of water, all right?" he replied. Stupid tomboys and their stupid ways.
"Yeah, well, who lost the match and then cheated by pushing me?" Akane retorted.
"Hey, I ain't no cheater-" was what Ranma said before they disappeared out of sight.
Two seconds later, a bandanna-wearing boy turned a corner and stood in front of the large Tendo home with a green-haired girl who had led him, her hand on his elbow.
"So, there it is," Linma said, gesturing to the building. She saw the boy's eyes get teary. Linma backed away in nervousness.
"You okay?" she questioned. She really didn't want a complicated answer. She was late enough as it is.
Ryoga turned to her.
"Yeah," he answered. "Thank you."
"No problem," Linma said before running off.
Ryoga watched her leave for a second before turning to stare at the Tendo home. It's been so long. He thought he would never see it again. It was all Saotome's fault! Ever since he turned his mind and intent on Ranma Saotome, he just couldn't seem to find the dojo or Nerima anymore. It was just another bad thing in his life to lay at Saotome's door, but now...now he didn't know what to think.
Go in, a voice inside his head urged.
Ryoga took a deep breath and walked into the yard. Instantly, he saw a form that he knew had to be Kasumi sweeping the yard. For awhile, he just stood there with an open mouth. He thought he was going to start crying. Kasumi stopped her sweeping and turned around just in time to see him.
"Oh!" she gave a startled cry. Her eyes squinted in confusion as though she was trying to place him before finally widening in surprise and happiness.
"Ryoga!" she cried with a large smile, opening her arms. He smiled back at her before walking over to hug her. There was nothing inappropriate about this. He had always been like family to her and she to him. He was like Akane. He had always been like her younger brother and she had always been like his older sister.
They moved apart comfortably to look each other in the face.
"Did you get lost again?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye, the twinkle that no one noticed but Nabiki, Akane and him.
"No. I think I'm finally where I want to be," he told her and she beamed.
"Come on in. I'll put on some tea," she said.
Yes, everything was going the right way for Ryoga Hibiki for once.
* * *
Ranma yawned as the teacher droned on about something or other. His stomach grumbled in hunger just before his eyes closed and his head fell onto the desk. He suddenly felt something fly and scratch against his cheek before falling onto the surface of the desk. Ranma sat up and opened the wrapped piece of paper. It was a note:
Pay attention, stupid. You're going to get into trouble. I'm not waiting for you if the teacher makes you stay after. - Akane
Ranma scowled a second (not really, but he had to put up a front). He grabbed his pencil and wrote under Akane's note:
Go ahead. I don't care if you stay after or not. I don't care if I get into trouble. Why aren't you paying attention? - Ranma
P.S. Stop telling me what to do.
He folded up the paper and waited until the teacher was no longer paying attention. Then, he aimed the paper at the back of Akane's neck and threw it hard.
"Ow!" Akane shouted when the paper hit her. Everyone, including the teacher turned to her.
"Is there anything wrong, Tendo-san?" the teacher asked.
"No. I just bit my tongue," Akane replied sheepishly and the class turned it's attention from her. Akane shot Ranma a glare before picking up his piece of paper. It read:
Fine! I won't then! Jerk! - Akane
P.S. I am paying attention!
Ranma knew Akane was going to aim for him and so when he felt the paper whiz towards him, he ducked and it hit the person behind him in between the nose and the eyes. Ein gave a shout and stood up, his hands cupped over the place where the paper hit. Blood trickled down. The class and the teacher got up and ran towards him. Akane pushed her way through the crowd.
"Oh, Ein! I'm so sorry! I meant to hit Ranma, but-"
The teacher looked ready to explode.
"Out!" he shouted to Akane. The girl looked ready to protest but thought better of it. She shot a glare at Ranma before trudging out. The door gave a slam and Ranma winced.
For the rest of the school day, Akane acted as though her betrothed did not exist. No matter how much Ranma tried to catch her attention, she kept her attention away from him. Everyone knew something was bound to happen. Akane was not one to keep her anger to herself.
And something did happen.
As soon as Ranma stepped out of the gate, off of school grounds, the flurry of attacks began. Akane's anger had been held off for hours and so now burst open with a fury unlike before. Ranma had make quite an effort to not get hurt.
"Hey, it's not-" he began before Akane screeched, "Ranma!" A large fist came towards him. She's letting her anger affect her fighting, the boy thought as he dodged it easily, that was much too-
A kick landed hard in his stomach, sending him flying and landing into the brick wall of the school's gate, denting it considerably. Akane gave a growl of anger and stomped off.
"Stupid tomboy," Ranma muttered, senseless of what he was saying. He pulled himself off the wall and started towards home when another shout stopped him.
"Ranma! Die!" the person screamed as they rushed towards him.
Geez, don't tell me she got splashed- only it was cut off as he dodged the heavy umbrella.
Landing on his feet, Ranma stared in surprise at his opponent.
"Who-"
"Didn't think I could find you, did you? Oh yeah, thanks Kasumi," Ryoga waved a hand to the girl by the wall. Kasumi beamed.
"You're welcome Ryoga," she chirped. "Now, you boys play nice. I have to go buy some things for dinner."
As soon as she was out of sight, Ryoga started his attacks on the pigtailed one.
"Hey! W-wait a minute! I don't even know you!" so said pigtailed boy exclaimed.
"Don't you? Don't play dumb, Ranma. First, running out on our fight and then lying. What a cow-umph!" Ryoga's impassioned speech was cut off by a foot connecting with his head.
Ranma jumped up, indignant.
"I didn't need your help, you stupid tomboy," he growled.
Akane jutted up her upper lip.
"No one was helping you, you jerk! I just hate seeing a weakling get picked on!"
This really riled the poor boy up. He shot a punch out at her shoulder which sent her flying backwards.
"I ain't no weakling!" he shouted as Akane jumped up and ran back, a bucket of cold water in her hands. Ranma jumped up and the water hit the floor.
"Nyah-nyah, you mi...ssed."
Ranma's arrogant sentence was cut off by the pouring rain which came down. He looked down and picked at his shirt front.
"Not again," he mumbled just as he realized the full situation. The martial artist looked up in dread. Akane stood there, soaking wet and with the most delicious smile on her face.
"Ranma-chan!" she squealed as she launched herself at him.
Ranma-chan squeaked as the other girl attached herself to her.
Suddenly, a bunch of tiny little pig feet started it's attack on Ranma's face. The boy grabbed at it and threw it down.
"Where'd that pig come from?"
As he said this, Akane let go of Ranma-chan and inched towards the pig.
"Oh, what a cute pig," she said which caused Ranma-chan to scream, "What!"
Akane's cursed form picked up the pig and hugged it tight.
"What shall I name you? Hm...oh, I know! P-chan! You're wet P-chan. Let me take you home and..." as Akane rattled on, Ranma gave some thought to the matter.
Now...Akane's cursed form hated all things except anything that was cursed.
She does not hate the piglet in her arms.
Hey, where's Ryo-
"Give me that!" Ranma-chan yelled as she snatched the pig away.
"Ranma-chan?" Akane asked.
"Come on Akane," the redhead said. "Let's see who this pig really is."
"Kasumi, can you get us a kettle of hot water?" was Ranma's greeting into the Tendo home.
"Why sure, Ranma," the girl answered.
At that voice, Akane's eyes narrowed, and with an evil little grin, started towards the kitchen. Ranma grabbed her back by the collar.
"Oh no, you don't. Just stay here or I'm throwing P-chan here into the streets," he told her. Akane pouted but remained where she was. She stayed good until she saw Kasumi walking down the hall.
"Die!" she yelled as she ran towards her sister. Kasumi took one step to the right and Akane ran straight into the kitchen. The clang of broken things could be heard. Ranma groaned but said nothing. Soon, Akane appeared again, but this time Kasumi poured the water over her head.
The youngest Tendo girl looked down at her hands, ready to choke, and blushed.
"Sorry, Kasumi," she apologized before turning to Ranma.
"Look at this, Akane," Ranma (who had changed during her absence) said. He poured the water over 'P-chan' and lo and behold, who should be there but a naked Ryoga.
"Oh my. Ryoga! You shouldn't go around in public without clothes," Kasumi scolded before dropping a heap of his clothes on him. Everyone blinked once but nobody said anything. Explanations would only cause headaches.
Akane's mouth dropped open and she finally decided to use it.
"Ryoga?" she looked closer, much to the discomfort of the boy.
"Ryoga!" she exclaimed, her suspicions confirmed, and jumped down to hug the boy tight.
A punch pushed Ryoga through the wall into another room. Ranma looked at Akane defiantly.
"You always huggin' naked boys, Akane?" he asked.
"Shut up Ranma," she muttered as she blushed.
Ryoga appeared again, this time fully dressed. He walked purposefully towards Ranma, but Akane blocked his way.
"Is that really you Ryoga?" she asked, her eyes glittering.
Ryoga looked down at her brown eyes for a second before looking at the floor and blushing. When had she changed? Why didn't she tell him? He nodded.
"So you're alive?" she asked, this time with a little too much sweetness. Ranma stopped in the middle of getting ready to interrupt their touching moment. He knew that sound. Heh heh, he thought. Pig-boy's gonna get it now.
Akane pulled her mallet out of hyperspace and Ryoga realized all too late what was coming.
"Then why didn't you come back!" she yelled and the next second, pig-boy was flying through the atmosphere.
"Um, Akane..." Ranma began as Akane trotted past him.
"Shut up!" she shouted as she punched him in the stomach and ran upstairs.
"I wouldn't bother her," Nabiki said to the heap plastered to the wall. "He really hurt her when he didn't come back." She turned back to her Nintendo game.
"Stupid tomboy," Ranma grumbled as he headed upstairs to take a bath. "Always getting emotional over nothing."
Somewhere, a pig was pulling himself out of a lake and cursing the day Ranma Saotome was ever born.
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Somewhere in China...
"...look at her..."
"...do you think she could be..."
"...but they're just legend, aren't they..."
"...well, wherever she came from, I hope there's more like her..."
Shampoo heard all this but flicked it out of her mind like mosquitoes. She was used to such talk. Such as silly bunch they all were.
"Waiter! Check!" she yelled and the man rushed over. He had been waiting by the wall since she ordered.
"Yes, ma'am?" the giddy teenager asked. Shampoo rolled her eyes.
"I don't have time for this. Ring this up," she said. As the boy started to leave, she grabbed his shirt.
"Wait," she said. "Have you seen a pig-tailed redheaded girl here with a fat panda?"
The waiter scratched his head.
"Now that you mention it, yeah. They were odd," he said slowly. Shampoo grinned. It was about time she got some decent information.
"Do you know where they went?" she asked.
"Uh no-"
The waiter was pushed out of the way as another man ran to stand in front of the Amazon.
"But I did!" was the enthusiastic shout.
"Really?" was the sly prompt.
"Yep!' the man grinned. "Said they were heading to Japan. Some place called Nerima," he told her.
"Thank you," Shampoo chirped before dropping down some money and running off.
"Do you think she's married?" a dreamy-eyed spectator asked.
"Nah," another replied. "No guy could handle her."
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"Time to die, Saotome!"
The bloodcurdling yell chased the pig-tailed boy down the street. Nabiki stopped to catch her breath before running after the two again.
"Akane, wait!" she shouted, waving the kettle. "Ranma, I'm going to lose my month's pay if you don't stop her before she gets to school."
"I would if I could!" the boy snarled as he dodged a large barrel. "I'm trying my best just to stay alive here." Ranma's problem of immediate death suddenly vanished as an old lady threw cold water on him. Akane latched herself onto Ranma-chan's chest. Just when Ranma thought he could breathe safely again, another cry for his death rose.
"Die Saotome!" Ryoga screamed as he ran down the street. Ranma jumped up and landed (Akane still attached to him).
"I told you! I don't know you," was the exasperated response.
"How dare you lie!" Ryoga said before going into his story of the bread, and the fight and finally, his curse.
"Then to top it all off, you trick Akane to hanging off of you like some kind of doll," the bandanna boy said. Ranma had long ago, half through Ryoga's story, realized who the other boy was.
"Ryoga! Buddy! It wasn't my fault. I waited for you for three days and nobody made you follow me. You fell into the spring by yourself," the pig-tailed boy said.
Ryoga simmered and began to say, "Don't you lie-" when Akane's kick threw him off. He landed on the ground with Akane's foot pressing him into the neck.
"Heh-heh," she laughed. "Poor little Ryoga's going to die."
Nabiki stopped in front of this scene and rolled her eyes. She was lucky nobody decided to sue the Tendo family thus far.
"Oh dear. Here Akane," she said as she poured the hot kettle of water over her sister's head.
This time Akane was not so apologetic. She slowly eased her foot off Ryoga's neck and with a 'hmph!' walked off.
"That's interesting," Nabiki commented. "Guess it's all you now, Ranma."
Ryoga jumped up and with the most furious of furious faces, he grabbed out his bandannas.
"Move Ranma!" Akane shouted as she ran and tackled the other girl.
THUMP.
They both hit the pavement and skidded till Ranma-chan hit a wall. Ranma groaned and sat up slightly. He noticed Nabiki's stare and Ryoga's angry look. Ranma looked down at the girl on top of him.
"Er...Akane..." hew started.
Akane blushed.
"What?"
Ranma touched the back of her head.
"What happened to your hair?"
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The cries of pain could be heard from the inside of Dr. Tofu's office. Inside, Ryoga was being put through physical hell.
"She really did a number on you, man," the pig-tailed boy commented.
"Shut up Ranma!" the other Martial Artist growled.
The good doctor looked surprised at the two young men's conversation.
"Akane did this?" he asked.
Ranma grinned and said, "Yeah. She gave me some bruises but I could hold her off...unlike pig boy over here."
"Ranma-" Ryoga said as he started to get up only to be pulled down by the good doctor. He gave a yelp but did not say anything.
The pig-tailed boy shrugged and walked around the room leisurely.
He tried to sound nonchalant as he said, "I wasn't the one that left her. What happened between you and that tomboy anyway?"
"That's none of your business, Saotome," spat Ryoga.
Ranma spun around quickly. His face betrayed the truth of his words.
"I don't care. Who said I cared?" he challenged them.
"You just did, Ranma," Tofu pointed out as he wrapped the last bandage on Ryoga's arm. Before either boy could say anything, a knock came on the door.
"Come in," The doctor said.
The door slowly opened and a young girl came shyly in. Her hand went instinctively to her hair as she judged the good doctor's reaction.
"Why Akane, you finally got a haircut," Dr. Tofu exclaimed as he stood up and grinned.
Ranma reacted first. His inquiring look had turned to one of astonishment.
"Akane!" he shouted. "What happened to you?"
It wasn't the best thing to say at that moment.
"Shut up Ranma!" Ryoga's elbow connected with Ranma's face before Akane could do anything.
"Thanks Ryoga," Akane said with a strained look. "Could I have a moment with Dr. Tofu?"
Ryoga nodded as he looked at them. How could he have forgotten?
"Sure," he told her as he dragged Ranma's body out. "I'll be right outside."
Akane closed the door and walked over to the patient's bed. She sat down. The good doctor sat down beside her. Akane started to cry.
The door slowly and quietly inched open.
Ryoga and Ranma watched the scene with bemused sadness.
There are some things you just can't fight.
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The sun shone down on Akane as she walked down the sidewalk. There was a bounce in her step today and even the dense boy following her realized it. What's with her anyway? Crying one minute and smiling the next. Ranma had decided it was best to steer Ryoga off in a random direction. He had something to tell Akane.
"I know you're there, Ranma," Akane finally said. The boy huffed and jumped onto the fence beside her.
After awhile he said, "So what was that?"
Akane stopped.
"What was what?" she asked him back.
"You know, with Dr. Tofu and-" he started but stopped when Akane began to laugh.
Ranma was instantly on the defensive.
"What's so funny?"
"Not you, stupid. The situation, I guess. I guess I'm finally over him."
Ranma did not have to ask who.
"But why?" he asked. "I thought...I mean...he...he's nice to you and..."
Shut up, stupid. Shut up right now, his mind commanded.
Akane gave him a look of happiness tinged with sadness.
"You should see him around Kasumi, now that's something to see."
Akane heaved a breath and resumed walking again.
"It's finally over. I feel relieved...good even. Odd, huh?"
The two companions walked on silently for awhile before Ranma finally mustered up the courage to tell her what he wanted to.
"It...It shouldn't matter to you...what with...Dr' Tofu and all...but...I...your hair looks kind of cute like that..." he rambled on.
Akane stopped again and gave him a dazzling smile.
"Thanks Ranma..." she said.
Ranma should have known that smile.
"...but you don't have to pretend to be nice."
The finger pushed at his forehead.
He fell into the river with a splash.
The boy sputtered in rage and indignation.
Akane just laughed before she realized something.
"Hey, where's Ryoga?"
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Shampoo sat up in her seat on the bus.
The male passengers that had been watching her turned their attention guiltily to other things.
"Nerima Japan? she said to herself before a large grin spread over her face. It was the grin of a fat cat ready to bag the mouse.
"Heh-heh-heh," the Amazon laughed to herself as she settled back into her seat.
"See you soon, Akane," she sing-songed.
The bus rolled on.
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