Disclaimer: I don't own the book/movie Charlotte's web (which has so little to do with the actual story) or the Mang/Anime Ranma 1/2
Charlotte's Web
Chapter 4
"Charlotte's" Day Out
Setting: Azusa's house, her bedroom, if you've seen it in the anime, imagine it again only full of even MORE junk.
Azusa woke up bright and early the following day, she and Charlotte had so much to do! She skipped saying good morning to all her . . . 'friends'. "Oh wake up Charlotte! Wake up my dear, sleepy Charlotte!" She said.
Ryoga growled at her. She'd tied a pink bow around each of his ears, and then she put that damnable collar back on him! Ryoga wanted to go back to Akane! He didn't like Azusa at all, she wasn't cute, she wasn't nice and she wasn't very bright, all three of these things Akane was and thusly Ryoga would rather be Akane's pet pig! Doh! No he didn't want to be a pet pig; he wanted to love Akane as a human! Doh! He didn't want to love Akane as a human; he wanted to . . . no, no that's right.
Azusa waved her mallet menacingly, Ryoga ignored it. As the mallet came down Ryoga tried to bite Azusa's hand, but she was well practiced in hitting things, and managed to knock him senseless before he could do anything.
"Get all dressed up Charlotte!" Azusa said. "Azusa is taking you to the park!"
'The park? What planet do you come from? You're sixteen or however old and you dress up like a doll and go to the park and *whack* little pigs on the head with little mallets? You're nuts!' Ryoga thought. 'If there were an acid rainfall I'd die a happy pig! Wait, does acid count as hot water?' Ryoga grunted and made another go for Azusa's hands as she put a pretty pink dress on him.
"This is Azusa's doll dress, but Charlotte can wear it. It's stretchy not fitty so Charlotte cant take it off no matter how hard she tries!" Azusa said happily.
'He! I'm a . . . fitty? What the heck is fitty?' Ryoga wondered.
"And Azusa has a whittle leash for whittle Charlotte!"
'And whittle Charlotte has a whittle problem with whittle Azusa's imprisonment of whittle Ryoga!' Ryoga cried in his whittle head.
"Leaving early today Miss. Azusa?"
"Yes, Azusa is taking Charlotte to the park!"
"It looks like rain today, would you like one of the servants to take an umbrella?"
"Azusa can do it herself." Azusa said.
'If you can wield an umbrella as well as you refer to yourself in the third person, then those rain drops don't stand a chance.' Ryoga thought.
Ryoga briefly considered a good roll in the mud. 'What? Am I turning into a real pig?' he thought. 'No! If I get dirty, she'd have to clean me, and I'd turn back into a human and . . . I don't want this psycho seeing me naked and figuring out I'm a boy! Who knows what she'd do if Charlotte was Charles! Or a human yet!'
He considered the possibilities and unconsciously crossed his legs. Azusa however threw a Frisbee and kicked him "gently" towards it. "Go get it Charlotte!" Azusa said.
'I hate you.' Ryoga thought. 'I hate you. I hate you. Yuck!' He picked the Frisbee up in his mouth, then trotted back to Azusa. 'I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. Here. I hate you.'
"Oh! Charlotte brought back the whittle Frisbee for whittle Azusa! Azusa woves Charlotte!"
'I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.'
"Now go get it!" Azusa said, throwing the Frisbee off. Ryoga stood still.
'I hate you. I hate you. I . . . oh crap she threw it again. I'm not going after it!' He thought.
"Go on Charlotte! Get the Frisbee!"
'No, I hate this!'
"Go on Charlotte!" Azusa said, preparing her mallet for combat. Ryoga whimpered and ran back out into the rain to get the Frisbee.
When he got back, he sneezed. He was freezing!
"Oh no! Whittle Charlotte has a cold!" Azusa said. "Azusa should take Charlotte home for a bowl of soup-go get the Frisbee Charlotte!"
'She has the attention span of a child! And I thought being Nabiki's slave was bad!' Ryoga got the Frisbee, then before Azusa could throw it, he ran like mad.
"Oh! Silly Charlotte! Azusa hasn't thrown it yet!" Azusa giggled and threw the Frisbee. Ryoga didnt make any attempt to go after it. "Charlotte! Charlotte you're going the wrong way!" Azusa said.
'Wrong way my eye! For once I'm going the *right* way!' Ryoga thought.
"Oh!" Azusa cried. "Charlotte come back!" She ran after Ryoga in the rain, and then Ryoga heard a splash. Azusa had fallen into a puddle and was clutching her ankle and weeping.
He considered continuing down his course . . . but what kind of person would he be if he didn't check to make sure she was alright? He turned and trotted over to her, she was fine, but he didn't figure that out until she sprung at him and grabbed him. "Bad Charlotte! Running away from Azusa! Now Azusa and Charlotte are all dirty, we need to go home and take a long hot bath!"
'No! No! Throw the Frisbee again! I'll go after it this time, I promise!' Ryoga thought.
"Hey!" A familiar voice said. Ryoga turned to see Akane and Ranko. "That's MY pig!"
Ranko shook her head. "I should've known you'd be the only one stupid enough to kidnap P-Chan!" she scoffed. "Well, I mean you and maybe that pig farmer girl . . . whaz'er name?"
"Azusa doesn't know what you're talking about. This is Azusa's piglet, Charlotte!"
"Charlotte?" Akane cried. "No! That's P-Chan!"
"Miss. Azusa!" The butler cried. "The limmo is waiting."
"Since when did you get a limmo?" Ranko cried.
"Since forever! Azusa is very rich!" Azusa scoffed. She and Ryoga got into the limmo, Ryoga desperately biting at her arm, but Azusa not paying attention at all. "Bye!" Azusa cried.
'Akane!' Ryoga cried.
"P-Chan!" Akane cried out.
"Bye 'Charlotte'!" Ranko cried with a laugh.
"RANMA!" Akane yelled before attacking her.
Ryoga just whimpered.
"You're filthy Miss. Azusa." The butler said. "You should take a bath when you get home."
"Azusa wants to take a bath with darling little Charlotte!" Azusa proclaimed.
'No!' Ryoga thought.
"With that filthy thing? Perhaps, Miss. Azusa, we could have one of the servants wash the little pig."
'Listen to him!' Ryoga thought.
"No! Azusa wants to take a bath with Charlotte!" Azusa said sternly.
'She-devil!' Ryoga thought. 'If I had my middle fingers I'd use both of em to make a cross and keep you away from me!'
Nabiki got back from her strenuous search. She was honestly worried about Ryoga, she'd cut school today so she could search for him at her favorite cloths store, and ended up bribing of a truancy officer. Akane enlisted Ranma to search when they got back from school, even though the pigtailed boy didn't seem to care much.
Nabiki got back and saw them sitting around a table. "Did you find him?" She asked.
"Sort of." Akane said.
"Any sign of Ryoga?" Nabiki asked.
"No." Ranma said, he gave Nabiki a curious glance. "Is Ryoga's looking for P-Chan too?" Ranma said in a questioning, somewhat testing voice.
Nabiki ignored the question. "What did you mean by 'sort of' then?"
"We found him, but he's being help prisoner by Azusa!" Akane cried, bringing her fist down on the table.
Nabiki adopted a very annoyed look on her face. "And that means what to me? Who is this 'Azusa'?"
"She's some stupid girl with a fancy house. I don't remember her being rich, but it seems like she's got a limousine now." Ranma said. "I'd like to ride in that limousine, just once . . ." he sighed.
"Rich? Take me to her place!" Nabiki announced. "I'll get that piggy back, you try and stop me!" 'I'll get you back Ryoga, you still owe me some time and money.' Nabiki thought to herself.
Azusa splashed her face with the cold water. Ryoga was relieved about two things. First of all, the hot water heater for the house was broken, second, Azusa was the sort of girl who'd lived such a sheltered life that she thought it normal to take a bath with a bathing suit on. Ryoga Hibiki could only thank whatever god had smiled down on him!
"Splash Charlotte! Splash!" Azusa cried.
'Oh I'll splash you alright!' Ryoga thought bitterly, kicking water at Azusa. 'This water is freezing! Why won't you die?!' He thought.
Azusa came out of the bath. "Okay then darling little Charlotte, time for us to get all dried off!"
'Don't call me Charlotte! If you have to call me anything you can call me Ryoga, or P-Chan!'
"And we put Charlotte's little dress back on!" Azusa said.
'I hate you!' Ryoga cried.
"Well my little girl has quite a collection of little things she brings home." Azusa's father said. "I suppose a little black pig could have slipped under my radar. Oh, I'm sorry though, I can't stand to break her heart and take it away. But let me offer you a rather generous payment for the little creature."
It took all of Nabiki's self discipline not to slap Akane when she refused it.
"Well sir," Nabiki said sourly. "Are you a gambling man?"
"Sort of, yes." Azusa's father said.
"How about we play a little game, any game you choose." Nabiki said. "I'm willing to bet I'll beat you at anything."
"Strip poker?" Azusa's father asked, giving Akane and Nabiki appraising glances.
"I'm not interested in your cloths, only money." Nabiki said.
"Very well." Azusa's father said. "I know just the game."
"Mind you, if I win, I want my sister's pig back." Nabiki added.
"You said 'only money'!"
"Oh you'll run out of that in no time." The seventeen year old girl said simply, naturally Azusa's father didn't take her seriously . . .
Ryoga saw it before Azusa could close it! The window! Open! He was free! And so Ryoga Hibiki as P-Chan leapt from the bedroom window of Azusa's home to his almost certain death!
"This has never happened before! I invented this game, I'm supposed to win it no matter what happens, how could I lose?" Azusa's father cried. "Ten consecutive times in two minutes!"
"That's the breaks." Nabiki said, wearing his golden watch. "Pay up buddy."
"I don't have anything else!"
"The pig then." Nabiki said.
"Done!" Azusa's father cried.
P-Chan hurtled to his death (It wasn't REALLY that high . . . but he IS a piglet) but anything was better than that dress! Wait! He was still wearing the dress OH NO! 'I'm going to become a well dressed street pizza!' He thought. 'Except I'm not well dressed!'
The ground came closer, and suddenly it was far away!
'Ho ho? I'm flying!' Ryoga said happily. Then he realized he wasn't doing it under his power. 'What the . . . I didn't know there were bald eagles in Japan!'
"Where's my sla-eh I mean where is Akane's pig?" Nabiki demanded. Azusa was wailing in the corner.
"Charlotte jumped out the window and then the big tweedy bird carrier her away! Azusa wants a new Charlotte!"
"Daddy will by you a new Charlotte!" Her father cried.
"What?" Nabiki demanded. "You lost the pig?"
"Charlotte jumped out of the window!" Azusa explained.
Nabiki ran over to the window. There was a huge bird flying off with a little black thing in its talons, but what could be big enough to carry P-Chan? "C'mon Akane, it's getting away!"
Ryoga was pretty miserable as the bird flew around with him. He wriggled and writhed, eventually the dress was torn and he fell. He was happy for two seconds. Then he landed in the waiting hands of a hot dog bun. He was covered in mustard before he gained enough of his wits to start squealing like an idiot. That's when the hot dog's owner started squealing in surprise and dropped Ryoga. Ryoga was about to hit the ground when a huge dog appeared and caught him in its mouth.
'Aww crap.' Ryoga thought with a sigh. 'You again!'
Nabiki ran as fast as she could to the point where Ryoga had been dropped. She wasn't sure weather it was the run, or actual concern for Ryoga's well being, but her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might explode from her chest.
They were almost there when Nabiki tripped over a huge dog. She twisted as she fell and landed on her back, she kicked the dog out of reflex, but it easily sidestepped out of her way.
"It has P-Chan!" Akane cried.
Nabiki stood up. "Okay dog, you put P-Chan down now or I'll rip off your tail and use it as a duster!"
The dog obediently dropped P-Chan, who ran and jumped into Akane's waiting arms. Nabiki felt slightly jealous. "Oh P-Chan! You're safe!" Akane said. "I was so scared!"
"Now beat it Rover!" Nabiki instructed. The dog ran off obediently.
"You're good with dogs aren't you?" Akane said.
"I'm used to working with stupid beasts, I have classes with Kuno, remember?" Nabiki grinned.
"I bet P-Chan sure is thankful for you saving him from that dog!" Akane said.
"It probably would have dropped him anyway." Nabiki sighed. "Let's just go home!"
"But I bet P-Chan wants to give you a big kiss Nabiki!" Akane said happily.
"Well you tell P-Chan he can just go find some lady pig to kiss." Nabiki noticed Ryoga/P-Chan nod his head vigorously, and look quite pleased when she refused. "On second thought-" she kissed the little black piglet on the forehead "don't let yourself get kidnaped again P-Chan." She said sweetly.
P-Chan's ears stood up and his eyes were wide open. He was frozen like a statue for the rest of the walk home.
To Be Continued . . .
Next Chapter . . .
"Excuse me!" Kasumi said. "I have an announcement!"
"Yes Cook-Fo-Me, please go ahead." Saotome said.
Kasumi nodded. "I have startling news for you all! It seems that the ninjas who so recently attacked us and stole Akane's poor pet P-Chan, were in fact members of a rather dangerous group. They've sworn revenge on Akane, the pig, Akane's body guard, a dog that I know nothing about, and of course Nabiki." Kasumi said calmly. "They called this morning to tell me, they say they'll be here around noon on Saturday to smash all of our heads in and take all of our valuables.
"How wonderful!" Saotome said. With a slight degree of horror Nabiki realized he wasn't being sarcastic.
"Indeed, it just goes to show you what a civilized society we live in." Tendo agreed.
"What!?! Civilized? You have got to be kidding! Tell me you're kidding!" Nabiki demanded.
"Now, now Nabiki," Kasumi said with a smile, "father is right, in the old days we wouldn't get the phone call, they would just turn up in the night and cut our throats."
Charlotte's Web
Chapter 4
"Charlotte's" Day Out
Setting: Azusa's house, her bedroom, if you've seen it in the anime, imagine it again only full of even MORE junk.
Azusa woke up bright and early the following day, she and Charlotte had so much to do! She skipped saying good morning to all her . . . 'friends'. "Oh wake up Charlotte! Wake up my dear, sleepy Charlotte!" She said.
Ryoga growled at her. She'd tied a pink bow around each of his ears, and then she put that damnable collar back on him! Ryoga wanted to go back to Akane! He didn't like Azusa at all, she wasn't cute, she wasn't nice and she wasn't very bright, all three of these things Akane was and thusly Ryoga would rather be Akane's pet pig! Doh! No he didn't want to be a pet pig; he wanted to love Akane as a human! Doh! He didn't want to love Akane as a human; he wanted to . . . no, no that's right.
Azusa waved her mallet menacingly, Ryoga ignored it. As the mallet came down Ryoga tried to bite Azusa's hand, but she was well practiced in hitting things, and managed to knock him senseless before he could do anything.
"Get all dressed up Charlotte!" Azusa said. "Azusa is taking you to the park!"
'The park? What planet do you come from? You're sixteen or however old and you dress up like a doll and go to the park and *whack* little pigs on the head with little mallets? You're nuts!' Ryoga thought. 'If there were an acid rainfall I'd die a happy pig! Wait, does acid count as hot water?' Ryoga grunted and made another go for Azusa's hands as she put a pretty pink dress on him.
"This is Azusa's doll dress, but Charlotte can wear it. It's stretchy not fitty so Charlotte cant take it off no matter how hard she tries!" Azusa said happily.
'He! I'm a . . . fitty? What the heck is fitty?' Ryoga wondered.
"And Azusa has a whittle leash for whittle Charlotte!"
'And whittle Charlotte has a whittle problem with whittle Azusa's imprisonment of whittle Ryoga!' Ryoga cried in his whittle head.
"Leaving early today Miss. Azusa?"
"Yes, Azusa is taking Charlotte to the park!"
"It looks like rain today, would you like one of the servants to take an umbrella?"
"Azusa can do it herself." Azusa said.
'If you can wield an umbrella as well as you refer to yourself in the third person, then those rain drops don't stand a chance.' Ryoga thought.
Ryoga briefly considered a good roll in the mud. 'What? Am I turning into a real pig?' he thought. 'No! If I get dirty, she'd have to clean me, and I'd turn back into a human and . . . I don't want this psycho seeing me naked and figuring out I'm a boy! Who knows what she'd do if Charlotte was Charles! Or a human yet!'
He considered the possibilities and unconsciously crossed his legs. Azusa however threw a Frisbee and kicked him "gently" towards it. "Go get it Charlotte!" Azusa said.
'I hate you.' Ryoga thought. 'I hate you. I hate you. Yuck!' He picked the Frisbee up in his mouth, then trotted back to Azusa. 'I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. Here. I hate you.'
"Oh! Charlotte brought back the whittle Frisbee for whittle Azusa! Azusa woves Charlotte!"
'I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.'
"Now go get it!" Azusa said, throwing the Frisbee off. Ryoga stood still.
'I hate you. I hate you. I . . . oh crap she threw it again. I'm not going after it!' He thought.
"Go on Charlotte! Get the Frisbee!"
'No, I hate this!'
"Go on Charlotte!" Azusa said, preparing her mallet for combat. Ryoga whimpered and ran back out into the rain to get the Frisbee.
When he got back, he sneezed. He was freezing!
"Oh no! Whittle Charlotte has a cold!" Azusa said. "Azusa should take Charlotte home for a bowl of soup-go get the Frisbee Charlotte!"
'She has the attention span of a child! And I thought being Nabiki's slave was bad!' Ryoga got the Frisbee, then before Azusa could throw it, he ran like mad.
"Oh! Silly Charlotte! Azusa hasn't thrown it yet!" Azusa giggled and threw the Frisbee. Ryoga didnt make any attempt to go after it. "Charlotte! Charlotte you're going the wrong way!" Azusa said.
'Wrong way my eye! For once I'm going the *right* way!' Ryoga thought.
"Oh!" Azusa cried. "Charlotte come back!" She ran after Ryoga in the rain, and then Ryoga heard a splash. Azusa had fallen into a puddle and was clutching her ankle and weeping.
He considered continuing down his course . . . but what kind of person would he be if he didn't check to make sure she was alright? He turned and trotted over to her, she was fine, but he didn't figure that out until she sprung at him and grabbed him. "Bad Charlotte! Running away from Azusa! Now Azusa and Charlotte are all dirty, we need to go home and take a long hot bath!"
'No! No! Throw the Frisbee again! I'll go after it this time, I promise!' Ryoga thought.
"Hey!" A familiar voice said. Ryoga turned to see Akane and Ranko. "That's MY pig!"
Ranko shook her head. "I should've known you'd be the only one stupid enough to kidnap P-Chan!" she scoffed. "Well, I mean you and maybe that pig farmer girl . . . whaz'er name?"
"Azusa doesn't know what you're talking about. This is Azusa's piglet, Charlotte!"
"Charlotte?" Akane cried. "No! That's P-Chan!"
"Miss. Azusa!" The butler cried. "The limmo is waiting."
"Since when did you get a limmo?" Ranko cried.
"Since forever! Azusa is very rich!" Azusa scoffed. She and Ryoga got into the limmo, Ryoga desperately biting at her arm, but Azusa not paying attention at all. "Bye!" Azusa cried.
'Akane!' Ryoga cried.
"P-Chan!" Akane cried out.
"Bye 'Charlotte'!" Ranko cried with a laugh.
"RANMA!" Akane yelled before attacking her.
Ryoga just whimpered.
"You're filthy Miss. Azusa." The butler said. "You should take a bath when you get home."
"Azusa wants to take a bath with darling little Charlotte!" Azusa proclaimed.
'No!' Ryoga thought.
"With that filthy thing? Perhaps, Miss. Azusa, we could have one of the servants wash the little pig."
'Listen to him!' Ryoga thought.
"No! Azusa wants to take a bath with Charlotte!" Azusa said sternly.
'She-devil!' Ryoga thought. 'If I had my middle fingers I'd use both of em to make a cross and keep you away from me!'
Nabiki got back from her strenuous search. She was honestly worried about Ryoga, she'd cut school today so she could search for him at her favorite cloths store, and ended up bribing of a truancy officer. Akane enlisted Ranma to search when they got back from school, even though the pigtailed boy didn't seem to care much.
Nabiki got back and saw them sitting around a table. "Did you find him?" She asked.
"Sort of." Akane said.
"Any sign of Ryoga?" Nabiki asked.
"No." Ranma said, he gave Nabiki a curious glance. "Is Ryoga's looking for P-Chan too?" Ranma said in a questioning, somewhat testing voice.
Nabiki ignored the question. "What did you mean by 'sort of' then?"
"We found him, but he's being help prisoner by Azusa!" Akane cried, bringing her fist down on the table.
Nabiki adopted a very annoyed look on her face. "And that means what to me? Who is this 'Azusa'?"
"She's some stupid girl with a fancy house. I don't remember her being rich, but it seems like she's got a limousine now." Ranma said. "I'd like to ride in that limousine, just once . . ." he sighed.
"Rich? Take me to her place!" Nabiki announced. "I'll get that piggy back, you try and stop me!" 'I'll get you back Ryoga, you still owe me some time and money.' Nabiki thought to herself.
Azusa splashed her face with the cold water. Ryoga was relieved about two things. First of all, the hot water heater for the house was broken, second, Azusa was the sort of girl who'd lived such a sheltered life that she thought it normal to take a bath with a bathing suit on. Ryoga Hibiki could only thank whatever god had smiled down on him!
"Splash Charlotte! Splash!" Azusa cried.
'Oh I'll splash you alright!' Ryoga thought bitterly, kicking water at Azusa. 'This water is freezing! Why won't you die?!' He thought.
Azusa came out of the bath. "Okay then darling little Charlotte, time for us to get all dried off!"
'Don't call me Charlotte! If you have to call me anything you can call me Ryoga, or P-Chan!'
"And we put Charlotte's little dress back on!" Azusa said.
'I hate you!' Ryoga cried.
"Well my little girl has quite a collection of little things she brings home." Azusa's father said. "I suppose a little black pig could have slipped under my radar. Oh, I'm sorry though, I can't stand to break her heart and take it away. But let me offer you a rather generous payment for the little creature."
It took all of Nabiki's self discipline not to slap Akane when she refused it.
"Well sir," Nabiki said sourly. "Are you a gambling man?"
"Sort of, yes." Azusa's father said.
"How about we play a little game, any game you choose." Nabiki said. "I'm willing to bet I'll beat you at anything."
"Strip poker?" Azusa's father asked, giving Akane and Nabiki appraising glances.
"I'm not interested in your cloths, only money." Nabiki said.
"Very well." Azusa's father said. "I know just the game."
"Mind you, if I win, I want my sister's pig back." Nabiki added.
"You said 'only money'!"
"Oh you'll run out of that in no time." The seventeen year old girl said simply, naturally Azusa's father didn't take her seriously . . .
Ryoga saw it before Azusa could close it! The window! Open! He was free! And so Ryoga Hibiki as P-Chan leapt from the bedroom window of Azusa's home to his almost certain death!
"This has never happened before! I invented this game, I'm supposed to win it no matter what happens, how could I lose?" Azusa's father cried. "Ten consecutive times in two minutes!"
"That's the breaks." Nabiki said, wearing his golden watch. "Pay up buddy."
"I don't have anything else!"
"The pig then." Nabiki said.
"Done!" Azusa's father cried.
P-Chan hurtled to his death (It wasn't REALLY that high . . . but he IS a piglet) but anything was better than that dress! Wait! He was still wearing the dress OH NO! 'I'm going to become a well dressed street pizza!' He thought. 'Except I'm not well dressed!'
The ground came closer, and suddenly it was far away!
'Ho ho? I'm flying!' Ryoga said happily. Then he realized he wasn't doing it under his power. 'What the . . . I didn't know there were bald eagles in Japan!'
"Where's my sla-eh I mean where is Akane's pig?" Nabiki demanded. Azusa was wailing in the corner.
"Charlotte jumped out the window and then the big tweedy bird carrier her away! Azusa wants a new Charlotte!"
"Daddy will by you a new Charlotte!" Her father cried.
"What?" Nabiki demanded. "You lost the pig?"
"Charlotte jumped out of the window!" Azusa explained.
Nabiki ran over to the window. There was a huge bird flying off with a little black thing in its talons, but what could be big enough to carry P-Chan? "C'mon Akane, it's getting away!"
Ryoga was pretty miserable as the bird flew around with him. He wriggled and writhed, eventually the dress was torn and he fell. He was happy for two seconds. Then he landed in the waiting hands of a hot dog bun. He was covered in mustard before he gained enough of his wits to start squealing like an idiot. That's when the hot dog's owner started squealing in surprise and dropped Ryoga. Ryoga was about to hit the ground when a huge dog appeared and caught him in its mouth.
'Aww crap.' Ryoga thought with a sigh. 'You again!'
Nabiki ran as fast as she could to the point where Ryoga had been dropped. She wasn't sure weather it was the run, or actual concern for Ryoga's well being, but her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might explode from her chest.
They were almost there when Nabiki tripped over a huge dog. She twisted as she fell and landed on her back, she kicked the dog out of reflex, but it easily sidestepped out of her way.
"It has P-Chan!" Akane cried.
Nabiki stood up. "Okay dog, you put P-Chan down now or I'll rip off your tail and use it as a duster!"
The dog obediently dropped P-Chan, who ran and jumped into Akane's waiting arms. Nabiki felt slightly jealous. "Oh P-Chan! You're safe!" Akane said. "I was so scared!"
"Now beat it Rover!" Nabiki instructed. The dog ran off obediently.
"You're good with dogs aren't you?" Akane said.
"I'm used to working with stupid beasts, I have classes with Kuno, remember?" Nabiki grinned.
"I bet P-Chan sure is thankful for you saving him from that dog!" Akane said.
"It probably would have dropped him anyway." Nabiki sighed. "Let's just go home!"
"But I bet P-Chan wants to give you a big kiss Nabiki!" Akane said happily.
"Well you tell P-Chan he can just go find some lady pig to kiss." Nabiki noticed Ryoga/P-Chan nod his head vigorously, and look quite pleased when she refused. "On second thought-" she kissed the little black piglet on the forehead "don't let yourself get kidnaped again P-Chan." She said sweetly.
P-Chan's ears stood up and his eyes were wide open. He was frozen like a statue for the rest of the walk home.
To Be Continued . . .
Next Chapter . . .
"Excuse me!" Kasumi said. "I have an announcement!"
"Yes Cook-Fo-Me, please go ahead." Saotome said.
Kasumi nodded. "I have startling news for you all! It seems that the ninjas who so recently attacked us and stole Akane's poor pet P-Chan, were in fact members of a rather dangerous group. They've sworn revenge on Akane, the pig, Akane's body guard, a dog that I know nothing about, and of course Nabiki." Kasumi said calmly. "They called this morning to tell me, they say they'll be here around noon on Saturday to smash all of our heads in and take all of our valuables.
"How wonderful!" Saotome said. With a slight degree of horror Nabiki realized he wasn't being sarcastic.
"Indeed, it just goes to show you what a civilized society we live in." Tendo agreed.
"What!?! Civilized? You have got to be kidding! Tell me you're kidding!" Nabiki demanded.
"Now, now Nabiki," Kasumi said with a smile, "father is right, in the old days we wouldn't get the phone call, they would just turn up in the night and cut our throats."