(Author's Note: I wasn't trying for a Mary-Sue fic at the time I wrote this. Sorry if it seems like that, but personally I don't think Shampoo and some of the other girls are that great. The main strength lies with Ryoga and Ranma.)
***A Ranma ½ Fanfic****
House Guest
By Yashira
Part 4 of 5
"Well, you can stay in my room, until we sort out everything," Akane replied in a tone that was too stressed to be truly friendly. "I mean, until everything is checked out…" She had placed Risa's one suitcase on the side of the bed and had informed the brunette that a mattress would be placed temporary where she was standing.
Risa nodded, her blue eyes sparkling with consideration. "I understand. I'll try not to be a bother."
"Oh it's no bother," Akane gave another smile, but Risa's glance was that same burning look she'd given Ranma earlier. Akane, who was too busy smiling with her upside down v-pointed eyes, didn't even notice it. "It'll be kinda of nice to have some company."
"Okay, then I better get going. I need to call home, and let them know I'm fine." It was a lie, Risa had no intention to call home since she knew her so called bodyguards, who'd deposited her here, would have already let her father know she was fine. It was more an excuse to get away from this girl then anything else. Why do I have such a bad feeling about her? Risa knew that Akane wasn't someone to be frightened off, but the vibes coming off that girl bothered her just the same.
"Sure, I'll see you later." Still smiling, Akane watched Risa leave and shut the door. Once gone, she gave a deep sigh of relief. I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about that girl? I'm glad she had to go make that call…
A bit later that morning…
"Aiya, Ranma, Shampoo bring you too too delicious Dimsum. Eat, eat…" The purple haired amazon, in two shakes of a cat's tail, had somersaulted over the Dojo's walls, and landed with a graceful thud in front of Ranma. With two chopsticks in hand, and a steaming dumpling on the end, she forced it against Ranma's tight mouth.
"Hey where did you come from?" Delaying Shampoo's forced feeding frenzy, he jumped back quickly, his hands out protectively in front.
Unfazed Shampoo made googly eyes as she laughed, "You too silly, Shampoo, have day off. She come spend time with Ailen." With the dimsum pot in one hand, and the chopsticks in the other, she made another attempt to force the tasty morsel into his mouth. "Say AAAA…"
"Hey, cut that out," Ranma cried, jumping onto one of the grey stones which surrounded the Tendo private pond. "I already had lunch. I can't eat another bite…"
"No lie to Shampoo. It too early for lunch," she jumped up beside him intent on making him eat every last morsel, but only succeed in taking up way more rock than he did. ln a matter of seconds the ground went out from under him and Ranma found himself falling back into the cool cold waters below.
"Aiya," Shampoo cried as she huddled near the stone's edge and waited eagerly for her fiancée to resubmerge. "Ranma come back and eat too too delicious Dimsum!"
As she waited for him to appear, Risa and Kasumi came out of the dojo carrying two laundry baskets. "Oh I can't thank you enough," Kasumi, beaming happily, set her load by the empty clothe line. "I didn't know how I'd manage to carry them both out without your help."
"Don't mention it. As school starts up again tomorrow, and I don't have any place to go visiting, I might as well help you." She set the laundry basket down beside Kasumi's load and actually smiled. "Besides, this will give me a chance to get my bearings around the dojo. I kind of get a bit lost if I'm not careful."
"You get lost? Hmmm.. You're not related to Ryoga are you?"
"Who?" Risa looked perplexed as Kasumi made a pondering look. "Name doesn't sound familiar, don't think I met him."
"He's Ranma's frie-" Kasumi stopped abruptly as Shampoo marched up to them. "Oh hi, Shampoo. Are you here on a delivery?"
"Who you?" She had an ugly look to her eyes which was basically akin to the one Akane had when she'd seen Ranma in front of Risa, who, at that time, was wearing only a bath towel. Needlessly to say Shampoo ignored Kasumi.
Taken aback by the heat of Shampoo's all too willing battle aura, Risa stared in surprise. What had she done to deserve this treatment? She didn't even know this girl. She had expected something from spiteful Akane, not a purple haired Chinese girl.
"Ranma who she?" She no 4th fiancée is she?" Shampoo made a grab for the thoroughly soaked Ranma, who sputtered indignantly.
"What the hell are you talking about. That's just Risa."
Shampoo glared at him. "What you mean, that's just Risa… You seem too too familiar with her..."
Ranma, who wore that, why does this happen to me look, snapped back angrily. "That's because she's living here at the Dojo as a guest."
"She what???!! Aiya!! You no take Ranma from me…"
"Did I miss something?" Risa looked completely confused as she stared at Kasumi's vacant face, Shampoo's red and totally ticked-off one, and the newcomer's, a girl with red hair, who looked as if she'd been put upon too many times. What the hell was Ranma worth if these girls instantly thought she was a boy stealer? And who did they think she was anyway? Risa didn't take guys away from their girls; she didn't think things like that was right. "Excuse me?"
"What you deaf, stupid girl? No use brain? Baka, Baka, Baka?!"
"What did you call me…" Risa no longer looked confused, but angry. She's had a hell of flight coming over, she knew she was probably suffering from jetlag and hadn't yet gotten over the argument she and her dad had before she'd got on the plane, and now this stupid little tart had the nerve to start insulting her intelligence.
"Shampoo, that's not nice." Kasumi scolded as Ranma growled sharply;
"Don't be rude. I told you she's only a guest."
Growling like two dogs on the hunt, Shampoo and Risa glared at each other sending little chi balls crashing violently into each other. "I think you come and try take Ranma from me."
"Hey I don't belong to you," Ranma cried as Risa, her blue eyes narrowing darkly, glared ice at Shampoo.
"First of all I think you have a screw lose. Secondly, I think you're just one of those girls living in their own world, oblivious to everyone else…"
"Why you," glancing at girl-type Ranma, Shampoo smirked darkly, "Ha, you really are stupid girl to think-"
"Stupid am I? At least I speak Japanese correctly. I'm not some dumb-ass girl thinking I'm stealing fiancées."
"Aiya, I kill!"
"Oh dear…"
* * *
"Ahh, it's good to be home again," Soun cried happily, more at ease that they were far from any store that Nabiki could con him out of more money, then anything else. "So glad to--- Good God, what's wrong Kasumi?"
A distraught Kasumi came running towards him. "I don't know where to begin father…. It all started when Risa and Shampoo got into a fight…"
"Oh dear lord, daddy you don't think…"
Soun's eyes rolled back and he fainted dead away.
* * *
Risa sat directly opposite of Ranma on the floor of the Dojo's training hall as Ranma wrapped a bandage around her strained wrist. "That's not bad, you've done this before?"
Ranma nodded. "Akane usually twists an ankle, a wrist… She…" she paused suddenly as if searching carefully for a word that would not offend Akane should it accidentally make its way back to her all too willing and listening ears. "Has little accidents from time to time…" She finished the bandage and smiled up at Risa. "Where did you learn to fight anyway? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you trained with the amazons…"
Mini flash back: Picture Shampoo, in all her bravado, attacking restlessly and carelessly as she, throws punches that make holes in the walls and wild, swing that whistle loudly. Then picture Risa, calm and collect, using her brain over heart reflexes, as she moves deftly out of each attack and hits Shampoo from behind sending her into the water.
Risa blushed. "I used to go on training runs with my mother. She was a martial art fanatic, you could say. She'd drag me everywhere… I used to complain at first, but when I actually started to master some of the techniques, I changed my mind…" She seemed very proud of her mother. "That was a while ago…"
"Look Risa, this might sound dumb, but why would you mom let your father send you here. They're not fighting are they?" He stopped abruptly as the pained look in her eyes told him something he suddenly didn't want to know. "I'm sorry I didn't realized…"
"Look, I rather not talk about it okay. There's nothing anyone could have done, let's leave it at that."
There was silence, awkward and uncomfortable, that rained unmercifully down on them before Ranma, getting really uneasy, jumped to her feet. "Hey Risa.. what about you do this next time, Shampoo tries to attack you." With quick reflexes and swift easy gestures, Ranma illustrated a defensive crouch along with a graceful side-step and parry. Risa jumped up and instantly mimic the move before sitting back down with an impressed Ranma staring at her. "I'm impressed. Most of the girls I know, only know the basic moves. Sure Akane and Shampoo got strength, Kodachi has that laugh, and Ukyo knows how to throw things, but—" Realizing she was rambling Ranma stopped herself immediately. Risa didn't know half of the girls she'd mentioned.
"You shouldn't underestimate us girls, Ranma…"
"What do you mean?"
"Just because you wear a Junsenkyo curse, doesn't mean you're still not a boy. Just because a girl's not strong in one area, doesn't mean-"
But he wasn't listening, the look of shock and disbelief had frozen him to the spot.
