Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2, but you already knew that. I own my stupid idea for a fic. But this fic is rated R, if anyone's parents catch him or her reading it the author (that's me) is not responsible. I also don't own Super Smash Brothers but it was my idea to use it as the name of an attack in this story.
Grimm: This fic IS rated R for a reason.
Nabiki: What's that reason again?
Ryoga: It seems PG-13ish to me.
Grimm: Shut up your mouths! Anyway kids there will come a point where your gonna have to stop reading or I'll get in trouble.
Ryoga: Now the kids will want to read it even more.
Ranma: Like they care if YOU get in trouble.
Grimm: . . . blast it!
Charlotte's Web
Chapter 2
All is fair in love, war, and blackmail!
Setting: Nabiki has just discovered that Ryoga is P-Chan. Can you say "Opportunity"? Good, I knew you could.
The rest of the Tendo household is still off doing their thing, but Akane is on her way home, having had a trademark agrument with Ranma. Can Ryoga make a deal with Nabiki before Akane walks through the door and sees him dressed only in an old pair of Ranma's pants? What would she think if she saw him like that?
"You cant tell Akane, I'm begging you!" Ryoga cried. "It wasn't like I asked to be her pet!"
"You didn't really put up a fight though . . ."
"You wouldnt understand . . ." Ryoga sighed.
"Don't worry, sweetie," Nabiki grinned. "I can keep a secret. For a price."
"But I'm broke." Ryoga sighed.
Nabiki gave him a "sympathetic" pat on the back. "There there Ryoga-baby, I feel your pain. I tell you what, I'll make you a deal. You be my slave for a week, not counting the time and labor you already owe me for those pants. After that I swear on my honor not to ever tell Akane that you are in fact her beloved P-Chan."
"Why do you need a slave?" Ryoga asked.
"Lets just say the next few weeks are looking pretty gray for me as far as manual labor goes." Nabiki shuddered as she thought of their spring-cleaning. Sure, Kasumi would do a lot of the work, and Akane and father would do their share, but there always seemed to be SOMETHING left over for poor Nabiki. But blackmailing Ryoga would really work to her benefit. It was really amazing how things just seemed to go her way.
"Well I guess." Ryoga said.
"A wise decision. Don't worry, working for me wont be a problem for you at all, considering how strong you are." Nabiki teased. "And you'll have plenty of time to spend with Akane. Just don't try and go piglet on me to get out of doing your work."
"You mean 'your' work." Ryoga frowned.
Nabiki laughed sinisterly. She fished into her pocket and pulled out a small rumpled up piece of paper. Another contract, which she promptly had Ryoga sign.
"Where did you get that? Why was it all ready and stuff?"
"I'm a very resourceful young woman." Nabiki sighed.
"I can see that." Ryoga said, shaking his head.
"I'm home!" Akane shouted. "And I found this adorable doggy outside!"
"Well, wouldn't you say you're out of character Ryoga-baby?" Nabiki asked.
"I'm what?" Ryoga questioned, but as he turned to face her, Nabiki splashed him with cold water.
"Where did you get---sqee!" P-Chan was P-Chan and Ryoga was gone.
That dog came running down the hall, barking like a maniac. P-Chan went running between the dog's legs and jumped into Akane's waiting arms.
The dog didn't stop moving, and barreled right into Nabiki. "Aaahhh! I'm starting to hate this mutt! Gerroff me! Gerroff!"
"You know this dog?" Akane asked. "That's great! I was so worried when I saw it outside, I thought it was lost. Uh . . . Nabiki, what happened to your door?"
Nabiki glared at the dog, which glared right back at her. There was a moment of silence, then the dog leapt at Nabiki and started humping her leg.
"Eeew!" Nabiki cried.
"He just likes you, that's all." Akane said happily. "But seriously, what happened to your door?"
"He likes me too much!" Nabiki scowled. She grabbed the dog by the collar, and dragged it to the door, and threw it out. There was a surprised yelp as the dog landed on a big soft panda.
Through it all P-Chan had a strange amused smile on his face.
The next day Nabiki snuck into the kitchen and stole a pot of boiling water from Kasumi. She then snuck into Akane's room with a nice pot of boiling hot water. "Rise and shine piggy!" She snickered as she grabbed Ryoga and threw him in the pot. Akane slept like a log through the entire experience, but Ryoga, still half asleep believed he was on fire, and attempted to stop, drop, and roll. He rolled around on the floor until Nabiki poured the rest of the hot water on him, and tossed him his normal cloths (He was wearing Ranma's, remember?)
"Rise and shine my friend. We, or should I say *you* have a lot to do today." Nabiki led him out of Akane's room and showed his the various tasks he'd have to do. "Oh, and one more thing. While I'm at school, you think you're going to be off doing . . . what ever it is you do. Well not today. Today I want you to go to school with me, and then wait for me until school is over."
"What? Why?" Ryoga demanded. "And how did you get a change of my own cloths?"
"Because you're my slave, and because I am not going to carry my books myself, and because if you start a fight with Ranma-and you will-I get to pool the bets."
Ryoga sighed, and went to work on Nabiki's various chores. Nabiki on the other hand, went to her room (her door was still broken apart) and went back to sleep.
Ryoga had barely slept at all last night, every time he closed his eyes, he envisioned that dog, that evil dog trying to eat him! As he did Nabiki's work for her, he could barely stay awake, and now as he carried her books to school for her his lack of a sense of direction coupled with his exhaustion caused him to walk out into the road several times.
Eventually Nabiki ended up holding his hand as if he were an infant . . . strangely he didn't mind it at all.
When they finally arrived at the school, he fell asleep against the wall, Nabiki was telling him something about challenging Ranma when he saw him and then losing, but Ryoga was far to sleepy to pay attention. Reflecting on it he decided he should have at least nodded every now and then because once he started to snore Nabiki kicked him in the shin, that woke him up just fine.
"Ouch!" Ryoga groaned.
"It's no good to nap during the day, you can sleep later." Nabiki scolded with an even tone.
"Yeah, but did you have to kick me?"
"I could have splashed you with cold water, but that'd bring up too many questions." Nabiki said with a wink. Ryoga forced himself to smile back, but really he was already falling asleep again.
"Hey!" Nabiki said. "Wake up!" She began slapping him back and forth.
"Way to go Nabiki, put that lower classman in his place! Jeez, you're acting like your little sister!" One of the seniors said as she passed.
Nabiki paid her no heed, but Ryoga had a strange urge to pull a bag over his head. Lower classman? He didn't even go to this school! He didn't even wear the uniform!
"Listen up!" Nabiki whispered harshly. "I'm strapped for cash today, I want you to fight Ranma and try to win at first."
"At first?" Ryoga asked.
"Well give everyone reason to bet on you. Then when I'm ready I'll give you the signal and you let Ranma beat you with one blow!"
"Not on your life!" Ryoga cried. "I have my honor if nothing else!"
"What good is your honor when Akane hates you Ryoga-baby?" Nabiki said with a falsely sweet smile.
"Uh . . . worth much less I agree, but I simply can't throw the fight!"
"How about if I cut you in for ten percent of our winnings?" Nabiki asked.
"Winnings? You mean losings. No, I won't purposely lose to Ranma, I'm sorry."
Nabiki looked around. "He'll be here any minute . . . with Akane. You have to make a choice, if you fail I just might let it slip that you're really P-Chan."
Ryoga frowned. "You're terrible, do you know that?"
"What a hurtful thing to say . . . and here I was only trying to make a little money, I would have shared it with you!" Nabiki lowered her head and began to cry.
"I-eh I didn't mean that! You're not terrible, you're uh . . . just really sinister!"
"Fair enough." Nabiki said simply. It seemed she was cured of her sorrow in an instant. "So when I give the signal you'll lose?"
Ryoga had to consider this for a moment. "I might do it . . . if I get sixty percent of *our* losings."
"Excuse me?!" Nabiki choked, "You may want sixty . . . and yet you only get thirty . . ."
"Forty." Ryoga said.
"Twenty." Nabiki snarled.
"Thirty!" Ryoga said, wondering why he was suddenly losing this argument.
"Twenty five." Nabiki said simply. "Or I walk."
"Done! Wait! I'm the one who walks!" Ryoga sighed. "So what's the signal?"
"When I shout 'Is that a duck!?' you let Ranma hit you and pretend you're out cold."
"Does it have to be so stupid?"
"It subtracts from the suspicion that it was a fixed fight." Nabiki informed him.
"Like fun it does." Ryoga sighed. "Okay fine, but if I beat Ranma before you shout that . . ."
"You better not, if you do I'll turn you into a pig--in front of Akane if I have too--and carry you around with me all day, and I have science class today!"
"Is that supposed to bother me more than the general idea of being revealed before Akane?" Ryoga said. "I was a bit of a science whiz myself you know."
Nabiki chuckled, and patted him on the shoulder, "Yeah right. Like fun you were." Nabiki said, mimicking Ryoga's early substitute for hell. "Don't you know what happens to little pigs in a science class?"
"Umm . . . no not really." Ryoga shrugged.
"We cut em up!" Nabiki snickered.
"Okay . . . I see your logic and I promise I will lose with all my might." Ryoga said calmly.
Ranma and Akane showed up no more than five minutes later. Ukyo was with them, but what surprised Ryoga was that Shampoo was clinging to Ranma's arm, oblivious to her love's attempts to get her off.
"Here they come. Go on, issue your challenge to Ranma, and no funny business." Nabiki said as she stood leaning against the wall next to Ryoga.
Ryoga nodded. "Okay, but what do you mean by 'Funny Business'?" He asked.
"Just do it." Nabiki said quietly. "Or do you want Kuno to beat you to it?" Nabiki asked, pointing to Tatewaki "Blue Thunder" Kuno who was already running towards Ranma.
"I wouldn't be opposed to him softening up Ranma for me." Ryoga said. Nabiki glared at him, and he bowed slightly. "But then what fun would that be? Okay, I'm off." He said.
Nabiki waited a few moments for Ryoga to cut off Kuno, and then challenge Ranma.
"I, Ryoga Hibiki challenge you, Ranma Saotome!" Ryoga cried, Nabiki noticed that his words were almost half hearted.
"What? C'mon Ryoga, it ain't bad enough I got Shampoo hanging on for dear life, d'ya really have to bother me this morning too?" Ranma asked.
"Were going to be late for class if you two fight!" Akane said impatiently.
"I eh . . . I'm sorry Akane but I have to challenge Ranma!" Ryoga said.
'Mention one word about me and I'll pound you into the ground.' Nabiki thought. 'After I turn you into a pig that is.' Not even in her fantasies would she try to pound Ryoga into *anything* unless she had some grossly unfair advantage over him.
"Okay then!" Ranma said. "If that's how you want it, I'll take you on!"
"And once you've defeated this one!" Kuno cried, "You can face me Ranma Saotome!"
"He won't defeat me!" Ryoga scoffed. Silently Nabiki applauded Ryoga for at least trying to act.
The two said something, then leapt into the air, people started crowding around, Nabiki wasted no time mingling with the crowd.
"I will defeat you today Ranma Saotome!" Ryoga said.
"I'm shakin' in my boots." Ranma scoffed. He leapt into the air, and Ryoga followed him. They traded blows for a few seconds as gravity tried to reclaim them, but Ryoga got his legs on Ranma's shoulders and used Ranma to jump into the air again, sending Ranma to the ground even faster.
Ranma landed on his feet, but looked stunned for a second or two, enough time for Ryoga to throw a pair of bandannas at him.
'I have to remember to lose' Ryoga thought. 'But . . . if I can defeat Ranma . . . then . . . oh curse you Nabiki! I hope you trip over your own piles of money!'
Ryoga landed on a tree branch, and watched as Ranma leapt towards him. Ryoga dropped out of the branch, and let Ranma karate chop it off. He sidestepped and avoided the falling limb, then picked it up (it was no problem for him) and threw it at Ranma. The branch flew and missed a ducking Ranma by a hair, it headed straight for the street where it landed making a perfect roadblock. Disgruntled drivers came rushing out of their cars as the traffic piled up to see what was the matter, and soon they were placing bets with Nabiki on who would win the fight.
"Five hundred yen on the kid with the bandanna!" One of the motorists cried.
"A thousand on the one with the pig tail!" Another one shouted.
Ryoga wasted no time launching another attack on Ranma! He leapt forward and side swept his companion, Ranma leapt into the air avoiding the sweep, and came down on Ryoga's head.
Ryoga gritted his teeth in pain but tried to make it look like he was unaffected, he grabbed Ranma's ankles and slammed him into the ground.
"Did you see that? Ranma's blow didn't even phase him!" One girl said. "I wanna change my bet to Ryoga!"
Ryoga was secretly proud that he'd fooled the crowd and raised their opinion of him, but he turned away for a second to shudder in pain.
"I'll get ya Ryoga! This aint no game now!" Ranma cried, he caught Ryoga off guard and kicked him in the back.
Ryoga fell on his face, then rolled to get to his feet. He threw another bandanna at Ranma, this one nicked the shoulder of Ranma's favorite red shirt and left a tare.
Ranma ignored the tare and lunged for Ryoga, and began launching punches and kicks most of which Ryoga dodged, but he didn't manage to get away from all of them.
"Go on Ryoga!" Nabiki cried from the sidelines. "You use that special attack you were telling me about!"
The crowd went into an uproar and started changing their bets, the resembled a flock of seagulls.
"Are you crazy woman!?" Ryoga cried. "I have no special attack! Be silent and let *me* deal with this fight!"
The crowd began changing their bets back to Ranma.
"Don't you remember the special secret attack!?" Nabiki asked, shaking her fist at him threateningly.
Ryoga growled to himself as he continued to dodge Ranma's attacks. He thought up a flashy name . . .
"You should just give up Ryoga, I'm gonna to be late for class and I still got Kuno to deal with!"
Ryoga glared at Ranma. To hell with Nabiki and her scheme, he'd crush Ranma! His days of disgrace at the losses Ranma had inflicted upon him would end here and now!
"Super Smash Monkey Fist!" he cried.
"Super what!?" Ranma asked, pausing for a second, all the time Ryoga needed. He launched a double kick to Ranma's chest, and flipped, landing on his feet. He lunged forward towards the fallen Ranma and kicked him into the air.
The people were massing around Nabiki who seemed to think Ryoga was following her plan. He wasn't, Ryoga was going to defeat Ranma once and for all!
"Take some of this Ranma!" Ryoga cried, leaping into the air after Ranma.
Nabiki was getting annoyed. Ranma's collective wins had earned him the crowd's respect so that most of them were still betting on him. "Go on Ryoga!" She cried. "You use that special attack you were telling me about!" As soon as she said it a wave of people came to change their bets to Ryoga, finally Nabiki felt ready to tell Ryoga to lose.
Ryoga turned to face her "Are you crazy woman!?" He shouted. "I have no special attack! Be silent and let *me* deal with this fight!"
"What?" Some one asked. "I'm changing my bet back to Ranma!"
"Blast!" Nabiki scoffed. She glared at Ryoga. "Don't you remember the special secret attack!?" She demanded, shaking her fist at him.
"Nabiki!" Akane cried. "You didn't put poor Ryoga up to this did you?"
"No way!" Nabiki cried defensively. She decided that this was the perfect time to continue playing the crowd, after all, why would she lie to her own sister eh? "I care about poor Ranma's safety, I don't want to see him get hurt. After all, since Ryoga's been practicing that new special attack of his, he can beat Ranma in a single blow!"
"Super Smash Monkey Fist!" Ryoga shouted.
"Super what?" Ranma asked, and Ryoga assaulted him mercilessly.
"That attack!" Nabiki pointed at Ryoga triumphantly. Luckily Akane turned her attention back to the fight and the crowd started changing their bets to Ryoga.
Nabiki giggled with delight as she accepted the last of the bets. Ninety percent of the school was voting for Ryoga!
Ryoga kicked Ranma into the air, then leapt up after him, and putting both fists together in a hammer blow he knocked Ranma to the ground.
Ranma made a crater!
Nabiki had wanted the last betters to change their bets but there was no time now, if Ryoga accidentally won she'd be ruined since she was one of the twelve people still betting for Ranma!
"Is that a duck?" She cried, but her shout was drowned out by the wave of cheers from happy Ryoga fans.
"Is that a duck?" She tried again.
Ranma got up as Ryoga was falling towards the ground. He jumped up and kicked him into the air, and it looked like Ryoga went orbital!
"The boxes are closed!" Nabiki cried as people swamped her with bet changes. "Can't you people just stick with one candidate?"
Ryoga landed making an even bigger crater, Ranma leapt into it and the crowd huddled around it to see what was going on. Nabiki had to force her way through several people before he saw the two continuing their fight inside the crater. Ryoga was still trying to win!
"Is that a duck!?" She cried again, as loudly as she could.
"Duck? Mousse not here!" Shampoo cried. Nabiki glared at her and promptly cut through the crowd to get to the other side of the crater.
"Ryoga!" She shouted. "What are you doing! Don't make me come down there! School is about to start!"
In the calamity of people still trying to place bets no one seemed to notice that Nabiki was actually speaking to Ryoga, not shouting side line criticism like they were.
"I have to win!" Ryoga cried. "I can't let Ranma beat me again!"
Nabiki growled and whipped out a canteen of water she'd prepared for this event. "You two cut it out before I douse you with cold water like the pair of dogs you are!"
"What!?" Ranma cried.
"She's bluffing! Fight me Ranma!" Ryoga cried, lunging forward again.
Nabiki growled and splashed the contents of the canteen into the small crater, but even as her brain sent the impulses to do so some one shouted "The one to beat Ranma shall be me! Not you!" and Mousse jumped into the fray.
His stay was brief though. The water hit him, and POP he became a duck.
"Hey!" Ryoga said in surprise. "Is that Mousse?"
"Yah!" Ranma cried, taking the advantage of Ryoga's sudden slip up to hit him in the gut and double him over.
Nabiki raised a fist in triumph. "Hah! Ranma is the winner!"
But Ryoga simply wouldn't be knocked out, get struggled to his feet and lunged for Ranma as Mousse/Duck was attacking Ranma's legs.
It was enough time for people to change their bets back to Ranma though, and Ranma easily side stepped and allowed Ryoga to hit Mousse, then simply finished Ryoga off with a quick blow to the head.
"That'll teach ya." Ranma scoffed.
Nabiki sighed and shook her head morosely as she handed out the winnings to the morons who bet on Ranma, when it was over she'd only made a thousand yen. "I'll just tell Ryoga that we didn't win anything." Nabiki said to herself.
Ryoga woke up to see the devil herself kneeling over him, shaking him roughly. "Wake up Ryoga!" She said sternly.
He recognized that voice . . . darn it the devil would have been nicer. This demoness was of course Nabiki.
"I hope you're not hurt bad, because I'm gonna strangle you!" She said.
"Nabiki!" Some one shouted. "It's time for class! C'mon before we're late!"
Nabiki frowned. "Okay Ryoga, c'mon, we're gonna be late."
"Where are we going?" Ryoga asked in a daze.
"To class." Nabiki said simply.
"I don't go to this school." Ryoga said, shaking his head to clear it. That only made things worse.
"I know that." Nabiki sighed. "But if I let you wander off you'll literally wander off and I'll have to do my spring cleaning myself! Who knows when you'd show up again. So you're just going to hang out with me today."
"Wont your teachers object?" Ryoga asked.
"Not bloody likely." Nabiki scoffed. "They *all* owe me something or other. Now pull yourself out of that ditch, you're lying on Mousse."
To Be Continued . . .
Next Chapter . . .
"Wow!" Akane said. "Ryoga and Nabiki sure are spending a lot of time together today."
"They're just up to something." Ranma muttered. He was pretty sure Nabiki had talked Ryoga into fighting him today, maybe convinced him that he could win.
"Maybe they like each other." One of Akane's friends said.
Ranma watched as Nabiki forced Ryoga to eat the rest of her lunch. "Oh yeah. I hear wedding bells already." He snickered. Ranma didn't really care about Ryoga and Nabiki, if they were together it didn't really affect him, and if they were plotting something, he'd just have to beat Ryoga down again.
Grimm: This fic IS rated R for a reason.
Nabiki: What's that reason again?
Ryoga: It seems PG-13ish to me.
Grimm: Shut up your mouths! Anyway kids there will come a point where your gonna have to stop reading or I'll get in trouble.
Ryoga: Now the kids will want to read it even more.
Ranma: Like they care if YOU get in trouble.
Grimm: . . . blast it!
Charlotte's Web
Chapter 2
All is fair in love, war, and blackmail!
Setting: Nabiki has just discovered that Ryoga is P-Chan. Can you say "Opportunity"? Good, I knew you could.
The rest of the Tendo household is still off doing their thing, but Akane is on her way home, having had a trademark agrument with Ranma. Can Ryoga make a deal with Nabiki before Akane walks through the door and sees him dressed only in an old pair of Ranma's pants? What would she think if she saw him like that?
"You cant tell Akane, I'm begging you!" Ryoga cried. "It wasn't like I asked to be her pet!"
"You didn't really put up a fight though . . ."
"You wouldnt understand . . ." Ryoga sighed.
"Don't worry, sweetie," Nabiki grinned. "I can keep a secret. For a price."
"But I'm broke." Ryoga sighed.
Nabiki gave him a "sympathetic" pat on the back. "There there Ryoga-baby, I feel your pain. I tell you what, I'll make you a deal. You be my slave for a week, not counting the time and labor you already owe me for those pants. After that I swear on my honor not to ever tell Akane that you are in fact her beloved P-Chan."
"Why do you need a slave?" Ryoga asked.
"Lets just say the next few weeks are looking pretty gray for me as far as manual labor goes." Nabiki shuddered as she thought of their spring-cleaning. Sure, Kasumi would do a lot of the work, and Akane and father would do their share, but there always seemed to be SOMETHING left over for poor Nabiki. But blackmailing Ryoga would really work to her benefit. It was really amazing how things just seemed to go her way.
"Well I guess." Ryoga said.
"A wise decision. Don't worry, working for me wont be a problem for you at all, considering how strong you are." Nabiki teased. "And you'll have plenty of time to spend with Akane. Just don't try and go piglet on me to get out of doing your work."
"You mean 'your' work." Ryoga frowned.
Nabiki laughed sinisterly. She fished into her pocket and pulled out a small rumpled up piece of paper. Another contract, which she promptly had Ryoga sign.
"Where did you get that? Why was it all ready and stuff?"
"I'm a very resourceful young woman." Nabiki sighed.
"I can see that." Ryoga said, shaking his head.
"I'm home!" Akane shouted. "And I found this adorable doggy outside!"
"Well, wouldn't you say you're out of character Ryoga-baby?" Nabiki asked.
"I'm what?" Ryoga questioned, but as he turned to face her, Nabiki splashed him with cold water.
"Where did you get---sqee!" P-Chan was P-Chan and Ryoga was gone.
That dog came running down the hall, barking like a maniac. P-Chan went running between the dog's legs and jumped into Akane's waiting arms.
The dog didn't stop moving, and barreled right into Nabiki. "Aaahhh! I'm starting to hate this mutt! Gerroff me! Gerroff!"
"You know this dog?" Akane asked. "That's great! I was so worried when I saw it outside, I thought it was lost. Uh . . . Nabiki, what happened to your door?"
Nabiki glared at the dog, which glared right back at her. There was a moment of silence, then the dog leapt at Nabiki and started humping her leg.
"Eeew!" Nabiki cried.
"He just likes you, that's all." Akane said happily. "But seriously, what happened to your door?"
"He likes me too much!" Nabiki scowled. She grabbed the dog by the collar, and dragged it to the door, and threw it out. There was a surprised yelp as the dog landed on a big soft panda.
Through it all P-Chan had a strange amused smile on his face.
The next day Nabiki snuck into the kitchen and stole a pot of boiling water from Kasumi. She then snuck into Akane's room with a nice pot of boiling hot water. "Rise and shine piggy!" She snickered as she grabbed Ryoga and threw him in the pot. Akane slept like a log through the entire experience, but Ryoga, still half asleep believed he was on fire, and attempted to stop, drop, and roll. He rolled around on the floor until Nabiki poured the rest of the hot water on him, and tossed him his normal cloths (He was wearing Ranma's, remember?)
"Rise and shine my friend. We, or should I say *you* have a lot to do today." Nabiki led him out of Akane's room and showed his the various tasks he'd have to do. "Oh, and one more thing. While I'm at school, you think you're going to be off doing . . . what ever it is you do. Well not today. Today I want you to go to school with me, and then wait for me until school is over."
"What? Why?" Ryoga demanded. "And how did you get a change of my own cloths?"
"Because you're my slave, and because I am not going to carry my books myself, and because if you start a fight with Ranma-and you will-I get to pool the bets."
Ryoga sighed, and went to work on Nabiki's various chores. Nabiki on the other hand, went to her room (her door was still broken apart) and went back to sleep.
Ryoga had barely slept at all last night, every time he closed his eyes, he envisioned that dog, that evil dog trying to eat him! As he did Nabiki's work for her, he could barely stay awake, and now as he carried her books to school for her his lack of a sense of direction coupled with his exhaustion caused him to walk out into the road several times.
Eventually Nabiki ended up holding his hand as if he were an infant . . . strangely he didn't mind it at all.
When they finally arrived at the school, he fell asleep against the wall, Nabiki was telling him something about challenging Ranma when he saw him and then losing, but Ryoga was far to sleepy to pay attention. Reflecting on it he decided he should have at least nodded every now and then because once he started to snore Nabiki kicked him in the shin, that woke him up just fine.
"Ouch!" Ryoga groaned.
"It's no good to nap during the day, you can sleep later." Nabiki scolded with an even tone.
"Yeah, but did you have to kick me?"
"I could have splashed you with cold water, but that'd bring up too many questions." Nabiki said with a wink. Ryoga forced himself to smile back, but really he was already falling asleep again.
"Hey!" Nabiki said. "Wake up!" She began slapping him back and forth.
"Way to go Nabiki, put that lower classman in his place! Jeez, you're acting like your little sister!" One of the seniors said as she passed.
Nabiki paid her no heed, but Ryoga had a strange urge to pull a bag over his head. Lower classman? He didn't even go to this school! He didn't even wear the uniform!
"Listen up!" Nabiki whispered harshly. "I'm strapped for cash today, I want you to fight Ranma and try to win at first."
"At first?" Ryoga asked.
"Well give everyone reason to bet on you. Then when I'm ready I'll give you the signal and you let Ranma beat you with one blow!"
"Not on your life!" Ryoga cried. "I have my honor if nothing else!"
"What good is your honor when Akane hates you Ryoga-baby?" Nabiki said with a falsely sweet smile.
"Uh . . . worth much less I agree, but I simply can't throw the fight!"
"How about if I cut you in for ten percent of our winnings?" Nabiki asked.
"Winnings? You mean losings. No, I won't purposely lose to Ranma, I'm sorry."
Nabiki looked around. "He'll be here any minute . . . with Akane. You have to make a choice, if you fail I just might let it slip that you're really P-Chan."
Ryoga frowned. "You're terrible, do you know that?"
"What a hurtful thing to say . . . and here I was only trying to make a little money, I would have shared it with you!" Nabiki lowered her head and began to cry.
"I-eh I didn't mean that! You're not terrible, you're uh . . . just really sinister!"
"Fair enough." Nabiki said simply. It seemed she was cured of her sorrow in an instant. "So when I give the signal you'll lose?"
Ryoga had to consider this for a moment. "I might do it . . . if I get sixty percent of *our* losings."
"Excuse me?!" Nabiki choked, "You may want sixty . . . and yet you only get thirty . . ."
"Forty." Ryoga said.
"Twenty." Nabiki snarled.
"Thirty!" Ryoga said, wondering why he was suddenly losing this argument.
"Twenty five." Nabiki said simply. "Or I walk."
"Done! Wait! I'm the one who walks!" Ryoga sighed. "So what's the signal?"
"When I shout 'Is that a duck!?' you let Ranma hit you and pretend you're out cold."
"Does it have to be so stupid?"
"It subtracts from the suspicion that it was a fixed fight." Nabiki informed him.
"Like fun it does." Ryoga sighed. "Okay fine, but if I beat Ranma before you shout that . . ."
"You better not, if you do I'll turn you into a pig--in front of Akane if I have too--and carry you around with me all day, and I have science class today!"
"Is that supposed to bother me more than the general idea of being revealed before Akane?" Ryoga said. "I was a bit of a science whiz myself you know."
Nabiki chuckled, and patted him on the shoulder, "Yeah right. Like fun you were." Nabiki said, mimicking Ryoga's early substitute for hell. "Don't you know what happens to little pigs in a science class?"
"Umm . . . no not really." Ryoga shrugged.
"We cut em up!" Nabiki snickered.
"Okay . . . I see your logic and I promise I will lose with all my might." Ryoga said calmly.
Ranma and Akane showed up no more than five minutes later. Ukyo was with them, but what surprised Ryoga was that Shampoo was clinging to Ranma's arm, oblivious to her love's attempts to get her off.
"Here they come. Go on, issue your challenge to Ranma, and no funny business." Nabiki said as she stood leaning against the wall next to Ryoga.
Ryoga nodded. "Okay, but what do you mean by 'Funny Business'?" He asked.
"Just do it." Nabiki said quietly. "Or do you want Kuno to beat you to it?" Nabiki asked, pointing to Tatewaki "Blue Thunder" Kuno who was already running towards Ranma.
"I wouldn't be opposed to him softening up Ranma for me." Ryoga said. Nabiki glared at him, and he bowed slightly. "But then what fun would that be? Okay, I'm off." He said.
Nabiki waited a few moments for Ryoga to cut off Kuno, and then challenge Ranma.
"I, Ryoga Hibiki challenge you, Ranma Saotome!" Ryoga cried, Nabiki noticed that his words were almost half hearted.
"What? C'mon Ryoga, it ain't bad enough I got Shampoo hanging on for dear life, d'ya really have to bother me this morning too?" Ranma asked.
"Were going to be late for class if you two fight!" Akane said impatiently.
"I eh . . . I'm sorry Akane but I have to challenge Ranma!" Ryoga said.
'Mention one word about me and I'll pound you into the ground.' Nabiki thought. 'After I turn you into a pig that is.' Not even in her fantasies would she try to pound Ryoga into *anything* unless she had some grossly unfair advantage over him.
"Okay then!" Ranma said. "If that's how you want it, I'll take you on!"
"And once you've defeated this one!" Kuno cried, "You can face me Ranma Saotome!"
"He won't defeat me!" Ryoga scoffed. Silently Nabiki applauded Ryoga for at least trying to act.
The two said something, then leapt into the air, people started crowding around, Nabiki wasted no time mingling with the crowd.
"I will defeat you today Ranma Saotome!" Ryoga said.
"I'm shakin' in my boots." Ranma scoffed. He leapt into the air, and Ryoga followed him. They traded blows for a few seconds as gravity tried to reclaim them, but Ryoga got his legs on Ranma's shoulders and used Ranma to jump into the air again, sending Ranma to the ground even faster.
Ranma landed on his feet, but looked stunned for a second or two, enough time for Ryoga to throw a pair of bandannas at him.
'I have to remember to lose' Ryoga thought. 'But . . . if I can defeat Ranma . . . then . . . oh curse you Nabiki! I hope you trip over your own piles of money!'
Ryoga landed on a tree branch, and watched as Ranma leapt towards him. Ryoga dropped out of the branch, and let Ranma karate chop it off. He sidestepped and avoided the falling limb, then picked it up (it was no problem for him) and threw it at Ranma. The branch flew and missed a ducking Ranma by a hair, it headed straight for the street where it landed making a perfect roadblock. Disgruntled drivers came rushing out of their cars as the traffic piled up to see what was the matter, and soon they were placing bets with Nabiki on who would win the fight.
"Five hundred yen on the kid with the bandanna!" One of the motorists cried.
"A thousand on the one with the pig tail!" Another one shouted.
Ryoga wasted no time launching another attack on Ranma! He leapt forward and side swept his companion, Ranma leapt into the air avoiding the sweep, and came down on Ryoga's head.
Ryoga gritted his teeth in pain but tried to make it look like he was unaffected, he grabbed Ranma's ankles and slammed him into the ground.
"Did you see that? Ranma's blow didn't even phase him!" One girl said. "I wanna change my bet to Ryoga!"
Ryoga was secretly proud that he'd fooled the crowd and raised their opinion of him, but he turned away for a second to shudder in pain.
"I'll get ya Ryoga! This aint no game now!" Ranma cried, he caught Ryoga off guard and kicked him in the back.
Ryoga fell on his face, then rolled to get to his feet. He threw another bandanna at Ranma, this one nicked the shoulder of Ranma's favorite red shirt and left a tare.
Ranma ignored the tare and lunged for Ryoga, and began launching punches and kicks most of which Ryoga dodged, but he didn't manage to get away from all of them.
"Go on Ryoga!" Nabiki cried from the sidelines. "You use that special attack you were telling me about!"
The crowd went into an uproar and started changing their bets, the resembled a flock of seagulls.
"Are you crazy woman!?" Ryoga cried. "I have no special attack! Be silent and let *me* deal with this fight!"
The crowd began changing their bets back to Ranma.
"Don't you remember the special secret attack!?" Nabiki asked, shaking her fist at him threateningly.
Ryoga growled to himself as he continued to dodge Ranma's attacks. He thought up a flashy name . . .
"You should just give up Ryoga, I'm gonna to be late for class and I still got Kuno to deal with!"
Ryoga glared at Ranma. To hell with Nabiki and her scheme, he'd crush Ranma! His days of disgrace at the losses Ranma had inflicted upon him would end here and now!
"Super Smash Monkey Fist!" he cried.
"Super what!?" Ranma asked, pausing for a second, all the time Ryoga needed. He launched a double kick to Ranma's chest, and flipped, landing on his feet. He lunged forward towards the fallen Ranma and kicked him into the air.
The people were massing around Nabiki who seemed to think Ryoga was following her plan. He wasn't, Ryoga was going to defeat Ranma once and for all!
"Take some of this Ranma!" Ryoga cried, leaping into the air after Ranma.
Nabiki was getting annoyed. Ranma's collective wins had earned him the crowd's respect so that most of them were still betting on him. "Go on Ryoga!" She cried. "You use that special attack you were telling me about!" As soon as she said it a wave of people came to change their bets to Ryoga, finally Nabiki felt ready to tell Ryoga to lose.
Ryoga turned to face her "Are you crazy woman!?" He shouted. "I have no special attack! Be silent and let *me* deal with this fight!"
"What?" Some one asked. "I'm changing my bet back to Ranma!"
"Blast!" Nabiki scoffed. She glared at Ryoga. "Don't you remember the special secret attack!?" She demanded, shaking her fist at him.
"Nabiki!" Akane cried. "You didn't put poor Ryoga up to this did you?"
"No way!" Nabiki cried defensively. She decided that this was the perfect time to continue playing the crowd, after all, why would she lie to her own sister eh? "I care about poor Ranma's safety, I don't want to see him get hurt. After all, since Ryoga's been practicing that new special attack of his, he can beat Ranma in a single blow!"
"Super Smash Monkey Fist!" Ryoga shouted.
"Super what?" Ranma asked, and Ryoga assaulted him mercilessly.
"That attack!" Nabiki pointed at Ryoga triumphantly. Luckily Akane turned her attention back to the fight and the crowd started changing their bets to Ryoga.
Nabiki giggled with delight as she accepted the last of the bets. Ninety percent of the school was voting for Ryoga!
Ryoga kicked Ranma into the air, then leapt up after him, and putting both fists together in a hammer blow he knocked Ranma to the ground.
Ranma made a crater!
Nabiki had wanted the last betters to change their bets but there was no time now, if Ryoga accidentally won she'd be ruined since she was one of the twelve people still betting for Ranma!
"Is that a duck?" She cried, but her shout was drowned out by the wave of cheers from happy Ryoga fans.
"Is that a duck?" She tried again.
Ranma got up as Ryoga was falling towards the ground. He jumped up and kicked him into the air, and it looked like Ryoga went orbital!
"The boxes are closed!" Nabiki cried as people swamped her with bet changes. "Can't you people just stick with one candidate?"
Ryoga landed making an even bigger crater, Ranma leapt into it and the crowd huddled around it to see what was going on. Nabiki had to force her way through several people before he saw the two continuing their fight inside the crater. Ryoga was still trying to win!
"Is that a duck!?" She cried again, as loudly as she could.
"Duck? Mousse not here!" Shampoo cried. Nabiki glared at her and promptly cut through the crowd to get to the other side of the crater.
"Ryoga!" She shouted. "What are you doing! Don't make me come down there! School is about to start!"
In the calamity of people still trying to place bets no one seemed to notice that Nabiki was actually speaking to Ryoga, not shouting side line criticism like they were.
"I have to win!" Ryoga cried. "I can't let Ranma beat me again!"
Nabiki growled and whipped out a canteen of water she'd prepared for this event. "You two cut it out before I douse you with cold water like the pair of dogs you are!"
"What!?" Ranma cried.
"She's bluffing! Fight me Ranma!" Ryoga cried, lunging forward again.
Nabiki growled and splashed the contents of the canteen into the small crater, but even as her brain sent the impulses to do so some one shouted "The one to beat Ranma shall be me! Not you!" and Mousse jumped into the fray.
His stay was brief though. The water hit him, and POP he became a duck.
"Hey!" Ryoga said in surprise. "Is that Mousse?"
"Yah!" Ranma cried, taking the advantage of Ryoga's sudden slip up to hit him in the gut and double him over.
Nabiki raised a fist in triumph. "Hah! Ranma is the winner!"
But Ryoga simply wouldn't be knocked out, get struggled to his feet and lunged for Ranma as Mousse/Duck was attacking Ranma's legs.
It was enough time for people to change their bets back to Ranma though, and Ranma easily side stepped and allowed Ryoga to hit Mousse, then simply finished Ryoga off with a quick blow to the head.
"That'll teach ya." Ranma scoffed.
Nabiki sighed and shook her head morosely as she handed out the winnings to the morons who bet on Ranma, when it was over she'd only made a thousand yen. "I'll just tell Ryoga that we didn't win anything." Nabiki said to herself.
Ryoga woke up to see the devil herself kneeling over him, shaking him roughly. "Wake up Ryoga!" She said sternly.
He recognized that voice . . . darn it the devil would have been nicer. This demoness was of course Nabiki.
"I hope you're not hurt bad, because I'm gonna strangle you!" She said.
"Nabiki!" Some one shouted. "It's time for class! C'mon before we're late!"
Nabiki frowned. "Okay Ryoga, c'mon, we're gonna be late."
"Where are we going?" Ryoga asked in a daze.
"To class." Nabiki said simply.
"I don't go to this school." Ryoga said, shaking his head to clear it. That only made things worse.
"I know that." Nabiki sighed. "But if I let you wander off you'll literally wander off and I'll have to do my spring cleaning myself! Who knows when you'd show up again. So you're just going to hang out with me today."
"Wont your teachers object?" Ryoga asked.
"Not bloody likely." Nabiki scoffed. "They *all* owe me something or other. Now pull yourself out of that ditch, you're lying on Mousse."
To Be Continued . . .
Next Chapter . . .
"Wow!" Akane said. "Ryoga and Nabiki sure are spending a lot of time together today."
"They're just up to something." Ranma muttered. He was pretty sure Nabiki had talked Ryoga into fighting him today, maybe convinced him that he could win.
"Maybe they like each other." One of Akane's friends said.
Ranma watched as Nabiki forced Ryoga to eat the rest of her lunch. "Oh yeah. I hear wedding bells already." He snickered. Ranma didn't really care about Ryoga and Nabiki, if they were together it didn't really affect him, and if they were plotting something, he'd just have to beat Ryoga down again.