Chapter 7: Ranma Vs. Ranma?
Ranma faced the mystery guy on the field of Furinkan High. It seemed like the entire population of Nerima had come to watch, like they always did when Ranma got into a fight. He could see Akane, Ryoga, Ukyo, Cologne, Shampoo, Mousse, and all his other friends and enemies. Except for one. Try as he might, he couldn't find Naru in the crowd. He shrugged, and turned to his opponent.
"You know, I'd kinda like to know your name before I fight you." He yelled.
The guy shrugged. "It's only going to make things confusing, but it you insist." Ranma nodded. "My real name is Ranma as well." At this, everyone drew a collective gasp. "But you can just call me Ran."
"Ok Ran. Any rules."
"This is Anything-goes style. You make the rules." Ran grinned. "Sound fair."
"Fair enough. Begin." And he hurled himself at Ran. Ran grinned, and grabbed Ranma's fist right before it connected with his stomach. Using it as leverage, he flipped over Ranma, turning in midair and kicking at him while Ranma was off balanced. It would have worked, except for the fact that Ranma had incredible speed, and dodged. Around and around the fight went. Everything was a weapon.
An hour later, they were facing each other, both of them bruised, and panting slightly, but still fighting. Ranma had found out almost too late that this boy had the same incredible healing powers that he had. He had scored a good hit on Ran's eye. It should have blinded him for at least five minutes, however, when he had gone to attack the blind side, he had found that Ran was able to see him perfectly and had nearly landed a solid punch on Ranma's temple.
Ranma grinned. Regular fighting wasn't working, now it was time for special techniques.
Suddenly he sprang forward. Grabbing Ran so he couldn't dodge, he did his lightning punch technique. When they disengaged, it was obvious who was the worse off. A hundred punches in a second to the stomach is not a comfortable thing to take. Ran shrugged. Special techniques it was.
Now. By some special unspoken rule, it was Ran's turn to show the world what he had. As Ranma rushed at him again, he calmly stood his ground until Ranma was almost on top of him. Then he suddenly pulled a mallet out of thin air and, just as Ranma was about to punch him again, hit him on the head, hard.
Ranma was dazed, but still able to function. *So he knows the cosmo-mallet technique. The problem is, I've never been able to find a way to block that one.* Ranma grinned. *Well I just won't get close enough for him to use it.* His confidence returning, Ranma did one of his favorite techniques.
"Shi-Shi Hokodan." He cried.
Ran was knocked off his feet by the ball of energy. Getting up again, and definitely looking the worse for wear, he stared at Ranma. "Hey, I've seen that somewhere before. Except it was a different color, and different words. It was powered by."
"Despair." Ryoga said with him from the crowds, knowing that technique well.
Ranma nodded.
"Did you create that variation?" Ran asked.
"Yeah. I needed it to combat Ryoga when he used the original, but despair wasn't the right kind of emotion for me."
Ran whistled, impressed. "Wow. I'd like to learn that." He walked up to Ranma. "I concede. I can't beat that, and I have a feeling that's not all you have up your sleeve. What emotion did you use, no wait, let me guess." Ran though about it for a minute. "Confidence?"
"Yeah. How'd you guess?"
"It was the only emotion you were showing at the time. Confidence is a good block against despair."
Ryoga came out to the field. "Good match. You may not have won, but you did give Ranma a run for his money. So far, I'm the only one who can really do that." Ranma nodded in agreement.
"I'm going to need a little time to recover. How bout having our match a week from today Ryoga." Ran's hand was on his stomach.
"Sounds fine to me." Ryoga grinned.
Naru was at the Tendo Dojo when Ranma, Akane, and Ryoga got there. "Where were you?" Ranma asked. "You missed a good fight."
"I was there." Naru said. "I was just in my curse form." She was clutching her stomach as if in pain. When asked, she told them she was feeling a bit queasy.
"Your. Oh right. I forgot that you're cursed too." Ryoga said. "Why were you in curse form?"
"I didn't want all the guy chasing after me. I wanted to see the fight." Naru rolled her eyes, and crossed her fingers at the half-truth. "It was a good fight. What happened to Ran? I left before then. My stomach, you know."
"He kinda disappeared." Ranma said. "He needed to recover. He has a match with Ryoga in a week."
"About that match." Ryoga turned to Akane and Naru. "It's not going to have as big a turnout as this one because, well, I'm not Ranma."
"You'd be surprised." Ranma said.
"Anyway, I was wondering." Ryoga blushed, then said the next part very fast. "Ifyoutwocouldbetheretocheermeon."
"Huh?"
"Umm. if you two could be there to cheer me on." Ryoga said more slowly, but no less nervously.
"Ok." Said Akane smiling. Ryoga smiled back at her.
"Sure, but I'll be in curse form like today." Naru also smiled.
Ranma was surprised. When Akane had accepted. Ryoga had just smiled back at her, but when Naru smiled at Ryoga, his blush got deeper. He looked closely at Naru.
Yes, there was definitely a blush there. So faint, that if he hadn't been looking for it, he wouldn't have seen it, but it was there. Ranma leaned back, smiling knowingly.
Naru and Akane left, discussing the match. Ranma turned to Ryoga, the knowing smile still hovering on his lips.
"So." He said.
"So what?" Ryoga asked, knowing what he was going to say.
"You don't like Akane anymore do you?"
Silence.
"No, I didn't think so. I approve. I definitely approve. Naru's a nice girl. She'll be good for you."
"She's not mine yet, and she'll probably never be mine." Ryoga sighed. "I think she likes you. She's always teasing you."
Ranma thought quietly about this. It was true, Naru was always teasing him, but not in a flirty way.
"She is always teasing me, but I don't think that she likes me in that particular way. I don't know why, but she seems to see me like a sister sees her brother, not a girl sees a boy." Ranma patted Ryoga on the back. "I think you have a chance." He said, softly to his friend.
For once, Ryoga's face shone with hope. "I want to impress her in the fight next week. Can you." He hesitated. "Could you help me make a new variation of.?"
"Ryoga, I'll help you make a new variation of anything." Ranma grinned. "Come on. Let's go train."
Ranma faced the mystery guy on the field of Furinkan High. It seemed like the entire population of Nerima had come to watch, like they always did when Ranma got into a fight. He could see Akane, Ryoga, Ukyo, Cologne, Shampoo, Mousse, and all his other friends and enemies. Except for one. Try as he might, he couldn't find Naru in the crowd. He shrugged, and turned to his opponent.
"You know, I'd kinda like to know your name before I fight you." He yelled.
The guy shrugged. "It's only going to make things confusing, but it you insist." Ranma nodded. "My real name is Ranma as well." At this, everyone drew a collective gasp. "But you can just call me Ran."
"Ok Ran. Any rules."
"This is Anything-goes style. You make the rules." Ran grinned. "Sound fair."
"Fair enough. Begin." And he hurled himself at Ran. Ran grinned, and grabbed Ranma's fist right before it connected with his stomach. Using it as leverage, he flipped over Ranma, turning in midair and kicking at him while Ranma was off balanced. It would have worked, except for the fact that Ranma had incredible speed, and dodged. Around and around the fight went. Everything was a weapon.
An hour later, they were facing each other, both of them bruised, and panting slightly, but still fighting. Ranma had found out almost too late that this boy had the same incredible healing powers that he had. He had scored a good hit on Ran's eye. It should have blinded him for at least five minutes, however, when he had gone to attack the blind side, he had found that Ran was able to see him perfectly and had nearly landed a solid punch on Ranma's temple.
Ranma grinned. Regular fighting wasn't working, now it was time for special techniques.
Suddenly he sprang forward. Grabbing Ran so he couldn't dodge, he did his lightning punch technique. When they disengaged, it was obvious who was the worse off. A hundred punches in a second to the stomach is not a comfortable thing to take. Ran shrugged. Special techniques it was.
Now. By some special unspoken rule, it was Ran's turn to show the world what he had. As Ranma rushed at him again, he calmly stood his ground until Ranma was almost on top of him. Then he suddenly pulled a mallet out of thin air and, just as Ranma was about to punch him again, hit him on the head, hard.
Ranma was dazed, but still able to function. *So he knows the cosmo-mallet technique. The problem is, I've never been able to find a way to block that one.* Ranma grinned. *Well I just won't get close enough for him to use it.* His confidence returning, Ranma did one of his favorite techniques.
"Shi-Shi Hokodan." He cried.
Ran was knocked off his feet by the ball of energy. Getting up again, and definitely looking the worse for wear, he stared at Ranma. "Hey, I've seen that somewhere before. Except it was a different color, and different words. It was powered by."
"Despair." Ryoga said with him from the crowds, knowing that technique well.
Ranma nodded.
"Did you create that variation?" Ran asked.
"Yeah. I needed it to combat Ryoga when he used the original, but despair wasn't the right kind of emotion for me."
Ran whistled, impressed. "Wow. I'd like to learn that." He walked up to Ranma. "I concede. I can't beat that, and I have a feeling that's not all you have up your sleeve. What emotion did you use, no wait, let me guess." Ran though about it for a minute. "Confidence?"
"Yeah. How'd you guess?"
"It was the only emotion you were showing at the time. Confidence is a good block against despair."
Ryoga came out to the field. "Good match. You may not have won, but you did give Ranma a run for his money. So far, I'm the only one who can really do that." Ranma nodded in agreement.
"I'm going to need a little time to recover. How bout having our match a week from today Ryoga." Ran's hand was on his stomach.
"Sounds fine to me." Ryoga grinned.
Naru was at the Tendo Dojo when Ranma, Akane, and Ryoga got there. "Where were you?" Ranma asked. "You missed a good fight."
"I was there." Naru said. "I was just in my curse form." She was clutching her stomach as if in pain. When asked, she told them she was feeling a bit queasy.
"Your. Oh right. I forgot that you're cursed too." Ryoga said. "Why were you in curse form?"
"I didn't want all the guy chasing after me. I wanted to see the fight." Naru rolled her eyes, and crossed her fingers at the half-truth. "It was a good fight. What happened to Ran? I left before then. My stomach, you know."
"He kinda disappeared." Ranma said. "He needed to recover. He has a match with Ryoga in a week."
"About that match." Ryoga turned to Akane and Naru. "It's not going to have as big a turnout as this one because, well, I'm not Ranma."
"You'd be surprised." Ranma said.
"Anyway, I was wondering." Ryoga blushed, then said the next part very fast. "Ifyoutwocouldbetheretocheermeon."
"Huh?"
"Umm. if you two could be there to cheer me on." Ryoga said more slowly, but no less nervously.
"Ok." Said Akane smiling. Ryoga smiled back at her.
"Sure, but I'll be in curse form like today." Naru also smiled.
Ranma was surprised. When Akane had accepted. Ryoga had just smiled back at her, but when Naru smiled at Ryoga, his blush got deeper. He looked closely at Naru.
Yes, there was definitely a blush there. So faint, that if he hadn't been looking for it, he wouldn't have seen it, but it was there. Ranma leaned back, smiling knowingly.
Naru and Akane left, discussing the match. Ranma turned to Ryoga, the knowing smile still hovering on his lips.
"So." He said.
"So what?" Ryoga asked, knowing what he was going to say.
"You don't like Akane anymore do you?"
Silence.
"No, I didn't think so. I approve. I definitely approve. Naru's a nice girl. She'll be good for you."
"She's not mine yet, and she'll probably never be mine." Ryoga sighed. "I think she likes you. She's always teasing you."
Ranma thought quietly about this. It was true, Naru was always teasing him, but not in a flirty way.
"She is always teasing me, but I don't think that she likes me in that particular way. I don't know why, but she seems to see me like a sister sees her brother, not a girl sees a boy." Ranma patted Ryoga on the back. "I think you have a chance." He said, softly to his friend.
For once, Ryoga's face shone with hope. "I want to impress her in the fight next week. Can you." He hesitated. "Could you help me make a new variation of.?"
"Ryoga, I'll help you make a new variation of anything." Ranma grinned. "Come on. Let's go train."