Disclaimer: This is not mine. Seriously, its not. For all I care, Rumiko or
Paramount OR the late Gene Roddenberry could take this away from me and
order me to give them lots of money. But I know they won't do that. Not
with all the money they've already received from me.
Also, I know that this story (especially this chapter) is unoriginal. This is the reason for the above disclaimer. I know. You don't have to tell me. Not that I'm saying anyone has. :-)
PS: That was for the trekkies in the audience. If u are not one, forget what I just said. Thank you.
Chapter 2 Midnight Visit
Ranma had managed to explain away to Kasumi why he was napping on the floor of the martial arts training hall. "Excessive personal training" was his excuse, and he used the same excuse to get out of lunch. He knew that this would raise a few eyebrows at the table, especially Akane, whom he had glimpsed in the kitchen and had immediately warped away. Ranma didn't need the Stomach Cramps of Doom added to his ordeals.
Ranma instead retreated to the furo, as it was his favorite place to think. His sign idea long forgotten, he silently disrobed and stepped through the threshold. Fortunately, there were no naked tomboys in sight, so he slipped into the relaxing water, and began his thinking.
"Okay, so if this Q guy is omni...omn...omne...really powerful like he says, then I'm not going to have much chance in a fistfight. On the other hand," Ranma sank deeper into the water, "he must have a weakness somewhere." Ranma, sinking lower, remembered the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts rule numbers 32, 57, and 81 (depending on his fathers mood), "Always concentrate on your opponents weaknesses." (Coincidentally, rule numbers 38 and 49 state the exact opposite, but this is beside the point.) "This time Pop, I agree with you."
Ranma suddenly became aware of a lack of oxygen, caused by the fact that his head was completely submerged. As he pushed up to the surface, he thought about the slight clattering sound his sensitive ears had dimly registered, and the pattering of something on the hard floor. His sign idea painfully resurfaced with him before he could put two and two together. He saw Akane, he saw she was unclothed, and he slightly wondered why she was taking another bath while the color rose in his cheeks. As he slipped into stutter mode, Akane quietly set down a mud-splattered unconscious P-Chan, and pulled a familiar weapon out of hyperspace...
The scene turns to Happosai, whom was busy gathering his "research". Liberating another group of panties and bras, the old martial artist stopped in mid-jump, sensing a strong ki signal in a state of distress. He looked up, and saw the most beautiful sight his large eyes had ever beheld. Namely, a butt-naked Ran-chan hurtling across the sky. "How sweet," Happosai breathed, before being beaned by an enraged female.
***
Q sat outside the Ranmaverse, pondering his dilemma. He had been able to bribe/blackmail the Q that had been sent to investigate. Fortunately, the universes unusual characteristics hadn't stopped him from freezing it in time. And so he did ponder just what sort of challenge to put our poor Ranma through. He had just witnessed Ranma's second usage of the ceiling exit (Q was not prone to nosebleeds). Suddenly, he got a wonderful idea. An awful idea. An incredibly wonderful awful (a lawsuit smacks the author with a wet mackerel)...well you get the point. "...It was fun before, and I'm fairly certain I have that reality tucked away somewhere." Q abjured the hold on the Ranmaverse, watching a once frozen redhead continue to fall from the sky. "Phase One should begin soon."
***
Ranma, now male again, tossed in his comforter, which was apparently slacking off from its namesake. After a hidden sprint that the best ninja would've been envious of, she had made it back home, changed, and dressed. He then plopped down in front of the TV, and stayed there until dinner (my how the time does fly when your glued to the tube), assuming the matter with Akane closed. But when he turned around to eat, well, you never assume anything with Ranma.
After an interesting dinner, Ranma had attempted to reconcile things with Akane, which he had become somewhat skilled at. Ranma tossed again, rousing a grunt from Genma-panda.
*flashback*
"Aw, come on Akane...I said I was...sorry." Ranma dodged another wave of kicks. "Jeez, do you ever get tired when you're pissed?"
"How am I supposed to relieve my anger if you keep dodging?" The pigtailed boy dodged with ease, and back flipped to the other end of the dojo, leaving the out of breath girl to punch air.
"Hey, you were the one who walked in on me the last time." Akane responded by attempting to charge him, but fell on her elbows when she was two feet away.
Ranma was quickly at her side. "You shouldn't hurt yourself, clumsy," Ranma gently grabbed her arm to help her up, but she shook him off. "Hey now, don't think I'm going to be this nice to you all the time."
"I don't need your help," replied Akane softly, however she did not get up. "I'm a martial artist, I shouldn't need your help." Her body gave off a miniscule twitch. She turned to the boy beside her, and Ranma saw there were tears in her eyes, making him very nervous. "Ranma, do you think I'm...weak?"
"Huh?" said Ranma, "uh, well, you might be a bit...lacking, in some areas..."
"I knew it," she said, a couple drops of water falling to the stained wood floor, "It's just that, I've noticed over the years, that in almost every fight, I'm always the prize, never the competitor, just a prize..."
Ranma was getting very uncomfortable. Saying you're sorry is one thing, but stopping her from crying? "Uh, what're you getting at?"
"I'm not fit to inherit this dojo," she stated, "if I cant even hold my own, how can I defend my family's honor?" Akane sat up completely, and Ranma noticed that her expression had changed. If he had to characterize it, he'd say it was a combination of shyness and frustration. "You don't have to marry me," she said in a starkly timid voice.
Before our hero could retort with an automatic rude remark, the girl before him did something very un-Akane like. She tensed her shoulders, and closed the distance between them, giving Ranma a quick kiss on the lips. Then, she fled.
*end flashback*
The pigtailed young man sat up finally, deciding that he couldn't sleep. He quietly began to lift his covers off, when he heard a voice. "Sleeping alone?"
Ranma turned, to see Q lying next to his bedding. The trickster let go of the bit of covering between his fingers, forming a wicked grin on his face. The youngest of the Saotome line thumped back down, quickly coming to the conclusion that he was indeed very sleepy. "Go away Q, I'll dish out any pain you want tomorrow."
"Hey, don't forget who you're talking to," he said, and pointed a thumb to his chest. "All knowing, all seeing."
"Whatever the hell you're talking about," Ranma turned on his side, away from the creature, It's going to have to wait..."
"I knew there was something different about you," Q cut off, "From all the other times I've observed you, you seemed deflated, unpoufed, somewhat smaller. At first I thought it was my sudden appearance, but I was mistaken." His voice came off as satisfied.
Ranma's calloused hands began to curl into fists, but what he said next changed his attitude completely. "Still, it pains me, to see the great Ranma Saotome brought down...by a woman."
"What woman?" Ranma nearly shouted, causing Genma-Panda to grunt again. Ranma still had his back to Q, but his eyes were wide open.
Q chuckled. "Don't play coy with me, Ranma. I saw your little conversation with Akane." Ranma turned quickly to face the being, as Q continued, "Nor will I soon forget the look of frustration on your face, the confusion, the concern. If I didn't know better," Q dropped to a whisper, "I would've thought you were already married."
The omnipotent individual dissolved into white nothingness, narrowly avoiding a flying fist. Reappearing on the ceiling, like some type of human fly, he peered downward. Ranma was busy being confused by the disappearing trick. He finally snapped out of it and spotted his target, not finding it odd that it was upside down. Q snapped his fingers, freezing Ranma's muscles in position. Q stared eagle-eyed at Ranma, and said, "Do you deny that you care for this girl?" When Ranma didn't reply, Q tried another approach. "Believe me, I'd be doing you a big favor if I turned her into a Madagascar hissing cockroach..."
"You stay away from her, Q." Ranma exclaimed, and received a sleepy backhand from his father, who went back to his panda nap.
Q raised his hands defensively at the still paralyzed martial artist. "I was just trying to help. But seriously," Q said, dropping to the floor with grace, releasing the pigtailed boy in the process, "this is your Achilles heel. Not this," Q snapped his fingers, making a water balloon appear over Ranma's head.
Ran-chan turned quickly to her bed. "I'm done talking to you, Q." As she walked away, Q turned.
"You would have me idly stand by as she led you to your destruction?"
"YES!"
"As you wish," Q murmured, and vanished.
Ranma let out a sigh, "What is he, a genie now?"
However, before lying down, Ranma stared in the direction of Akane's room, and just stared. Catching herself, Ranma shook her head of fiery red hair. "Stupid tomboy," she reminded herself, then went to sleep.
***
Dun dun dun. That Ranma, doesn't catch on quickly, does he? Will the relationship be resolved? And what does Q have up his nonexistent sleeve? (True, you trekkies already know. Meh) Stay tuned for next years update. Yes, I'm very slow at updating. Sowwy. I'll try to improve.
Also, I know that this story (especially this chapter) is unoriginal. This is the reason for the above disclaimer. I know. You don't have to tell me. Not that I'm saying anyone has. :-)
PS: That was for the trekkies in the audience. If u are not one, forget what I just said. Thank you.
Chapter 2 Midnight Visit
Ranma had managed to explain away to Kasumi why he was napping on the floor of the martial arts training hall. "Excessive personal training" was his excuse, and he used the same excuse to get out of lunch. He knew that this would raise a few eyebrows at the table, especially Akane, whom he had glimpsed in the kitchen and had immediately warped away. Ranma didn't need the Stomach Cramps of Doom added to his ordeals.
Ranma instead retreated to the furo, as it was his favorite place to think. His sign idea long forgotten, he silently disrobed and stepped through the threshold. Fortunately, there were no naked tomboys in sight, so he slipped into the relaxing water, and began his thinking.
"Okay, so if this Q guy is omni...omn...omne...really powerful like he says, then I'm not going to have much chance in a fistfight. On the other hand," Ranma sank deeper into the water, "he must have a weakness somewhere." Ranma, sinking lower, remembered the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts rule numbers 32, 57, and 81 (depending on his fathers mood), "Always concentrate on your opponents weaknesses." (Coincidentally, rule numbers 38 and 49 state the exact opposite, but this is beside the point.) "This time Pop, I agree with you."
Ranma suddenly became aware of a lack of oxygen, caused by the fact that his head was completely submerged. As he pushed up to the surface, he thought about the slight clattering sound his sensitive ears had dimly registered, and the pattering of something on the hard floor. His sign idea painfully resurfaced with him before he could put two and two together. He saw Akane, he saw she was unclothed, and he slightly wondered why she was taking another bath while the color rose in his cheeks. As he slipped into stutter mode, Akane quietly set down a mud-splattered unconscious P-Chan, and pulled a familiar weapon out of hyperspace...
The scene turns to Happosai, whom was busy gathering his "research". Liberating another group of panties and bras, the old martial artist stopped in mid-jump, sensing a strong ki signal in a state of distress. He looked up, and saw the most beautiful sight his large eyes had ever beheld. Namely, a butt-naked Ran-chan hurtling across the sky. "How sweet," Happosai breathed, before being beaned by an enraged female.
***
Q sat outside the Ranmaverse, pondering his dilemma. He had been able to bribe/blackmail the Q that had been sent to investigate. Fortunately, the universes unusual characteristics hadn't stopped him from freezing it in time. And so he did ponder just what sort of challenge to put our poor Ranma through. He had just witnessed Ranma's second usage of the ceiling exit (Q was not prone to nosebleeds). Suddenly, he got a wonderful idea. An awful idea. An incredibly wonderful awful (a lawsuit smacks the author with a wet mackerel)...well you get the point. "...It was fun before, and I'm fairly certain I have that reality tucked away somewhere." Q abjured the hold on the Ranmaverse, watching a once frozen redhead continue to fall from the sky. "Phase One should begin soon."
***
Ranma, now male again, tossed in his comforter, which was apparently slacking off from its namesake. After a hidden sprint that the best ninja would've been envious of, she had made it back home, changed, and dressed. He then plopped down in front of the TV, and stayed there until dinner (my how the time does fly when your glued to the tube), assuming the matter with Akane closed. But when he turned around to eat, well, you never assume anything with Ranma.
After an interesting dinner, Ranma had attempted to reconcile things with Akane, which he had become somewhat skilled at. Ranma tossed again, rousing a grunt from Genma-panda.
*flashback*
"Aw, come on Akane...I said I was...sorry." Ranma dodged another wave of kicks. "Jeez, do you ever get tired when you're pissed?"
"How am I supposed to relieve my anger if you keep dodging?" The pigtailed boy dodged with ease, and back flipped to the other end of the dojo, leaving the out of breath girl to punch air.
"Hey, you were the one who walked in on me the last time." Akane responded by attempting to charge him, but fell on her elbows when she was two feet away.
Ranma was quickly at her side. "You shouldn't hurt yourself, clumsy," Ranma gently grabbed her arm to help her up, but she shook him off. "Hey now, don't think I'm going to be this nice to you all the time."
"I don't need your help," replied Akane softly, however she did not get up. "I'm a martial artist, I shouldn't need your help." Her body gave off a miniscule twitch. She turned to the boy beside her, and Ranma saw there were tears in her eyes, making him very nervous. "Ranma, do you think I'm...weak?"
"Huh?" said Ranma, "uh, well, you might be a bit...lacking, in some areas..."
"I knew it," she said, a couple drops of water falling to the stained wood floor, "It's just that, I've noticed over the years, that in almost every fight, I'm always the prize, never the competitor, just a prize..."
Ranma was getting very uncomfortable. Saying you're sorry is one thing, but stopping her from crying? "Uh, what're you getting at?"
"I'm not fit to inherit this dojo," she stated, "if I cant even hold my own, how can I defend my family's honor?" Akane sat up completely, and Ranma noticed that her expression had changed. If he had to characterize it, he'd say it was a combination of shyness and frustration. "You don't have to marry me," she said in a starkly timid voice.
Before our hero could retort with an automatic rude remark, the girl before him did something very un-Akane like. She tensed her shoulders, and closed the distance between them, giving Ranma a quick kiss on the lips. Then, she fled.
*end flashback*
The pigtailed young man sat up finally, deciding that he couldn't sleep. He quietly began to lift his covers off, when he heard a voice. "Sleeping alone?"
Ranma turned, to see Q lying next to his bedding. The trickster let go of the bit of covering between his fingers, forming a wicked grin on his face. The youngest of the Saotome line thumped back down, quickly coming to the conclusion that he was indeed very sleepy. "Go away Q, I'll dish out any pain you want tomorrow."
"Hey, don't forget who you're talking to," he said, and pointed a thumb to his chest. "All knowing, all seeing."
"Whatever the hell you're talking about," Ranma turned on his side, away from the creature, It's going to have to wait..."
"I knew there was something different about you," Q cut off, "From all the other times I've observed you, you seemed deflated, unpoufed, somewhat smaller. At first I thought it was my sudden appearance, but I was mistaken." His voice came off as satisfied.
Ranma's calloused hands began to curl into fists, but what he said next changed his attitude completely. "Still, it pains me, to see the great Ranma Saotome brought down...by a woman."
"What woman?" Ranma nearly shouted, causing Genma-Panda to grunt again. Ranma still had his back to Q, but his eyes were wide open.
Q chuckled. "Don't play coy with me, Ranma. I saw your little conversation with Akane." Ranma turned quickly to face the being, as Q continued, "Nor will I soon forget the look of frustration on your face, the confusion, the concern. If I didn't know better," Q dropped to a whisper, "I would've thought you were already married."
The omnipotent individual dissolved into white nothingness, narrowly avoiding a flying fist. Reappearing on the ceiling, like some type of human fly, he peered downward. Ranma was busy being confused by the disappearing trick. He finally snapped out of it and spotted his target, not finding it odd that it was upside down. Q snapped his fingers, freezing Ranma's muscles in position. Q stared eagle-eyed at Ranma, and said, "Do you deny that you care for this girl?" When Ranma didn't reply, Q tried another approach. "Believe me, I'd be doing you a big favor if I turned her into a Madagascar hissing cockroach..."
"You stay away from her, Q." Ranma exclaimed, and received a sleepy backhand from his father, who went back to his panda nap.
Q raised his hands defensively at the still paralyzed martial artist. "I was just trying to help. But seriously," Q said, dropping to the floor with grace, releasing the pigtailed boy in the process, "this is your Achilles heel. Not this," Q snapped his fingers, making a water balloon appear over Ranma's head.
Ran-chan turned quickly to her bed. "I'm done talking to you, Q." As she walked away, Q turned.
"You would have me idly stand by as she led you to your destruction?"
"YES!"
"As you wish," Q murmured, and vanished.
Ranma let out a sigh, "What is he, a genie now?"
However, before lying down, Ranma stared in the direction of Akane's room, and just stared. Catching herself, Ranma shook her head of fiery red hair. "Stupid tomboy," she reminded herself, then went to sleep.
***
Dun dun dun. That Ranma, doesn't catch on quickly, does he? Will the relationship be resolved? And what does Q have up his nonexistent sleeve? (True, you trekkies already know. Meh) Stay tuned for next years update. Yes, I'm very slow at updating. Sowwy. I'll try to improve.