Just A Little Time Chapter 12 Small Battles, a ranma fanfic

Just a Little Time
By Douglas Helm and "Tuxedo" Will Wolfshohl
Continuing a Ranma ½ story kernel by Dark Oni

Those characters that are original and the story "Just a Little Time" are copyrighted ©2003-2004 ShoujoFiction dot com domain by Douglas Helm and Will Wolfshohl. Original kernel copyrighted ©1998 by Dark Oni.

This story and dozens of our other stories reside at ShoujoFiction dot com . Comments are welcomed.

Chapter 12 - Small Battles

"How did you know?" Cologne, now ensconced on a chair in a small sitting room in the back of her café, stared mute at her questioner. Ranma, still wary when it came to the elder, was leaning beside the door with his arms crossed. "I mean, did you set this up, did you Old Ghoul?"

"No!" the old woman snapped sharply. She frowned. "Open the door, Son-in-law, and make sure that those two aren't lurking about." The teen sighed but complied. He opened the door and peered out into the hall.

"No sign of 'em," he announced as he shut the door.

"What I'm about to tell you is not for children's ears," she cautioned more sharply than she originally intended. Shampoo and Kasumi had been sent off to "play". It distressed the old woman that Kasumi did so happily. Shampoo grumbled at first but failed to resist following the little pigtailed brunette.

"Well?"

"First, I don't know what it is."

"Whatcha mean 'You DON'T know'?"

Cologne made a silencing motion with her hand. "I didn't say I didn't have any idea, Ranma. I just said I didn't know WHAT it was. It could be an oni or some other entity. We never found out."

"Oh... You mean you just don't know what KIND of monster it is." He cracked his knuckles.

"Who says it's a monster?" Ranma raised an eyebrow. "For all we know, it could just be lonely and simply want young playmates." The pigtailed teen rolled his eyes at this.

"We don't have time for this, Cologne. I say we go hunt it down and kill it."

"And what will that do, Son-in-law?"

"Change everything back." Cologne stared at him. After a moment, he added, "Won't it?"

The ancient Amazon held the male's defiant gaze for several seconds before speaking slowly, "I have a vague idea of what this creature might be. If it is..." and here Cologne looked stern, "IF it is, then killing it will simply make this reality permanent."

"Oh man!"

"So unless you like..."

"I don't!"

"So tell me EXACTLY what happened, Ranma," Cologne commanded.

The telling took several minutes. He described his own attack and then, what Nabiki had told him of her and her friends' attack. Kasumi's and Ukyo's he described in more vague detail. When it was done, the old woman appeared slightly troubled. Ranma didn't like it.

"I must do some digging."

"Great. So you've got a handle on this thing?"

"It might be..." She held her chin in her hand. "But our legends..."

"Not more of that 3000 year old Amazon stuff."

"Oh shut up, stupid boy!" Cologne thundered. "Don't you see?"

"This thing's gots you scared, huh Old Ghoul?" Ranma winced as the Amazon elder brought her staff sharply down on his head. "Hey..." He rubbed his head. "Well, it's got your hair in a knot anyway." The staff came up again but paused in mid-strike.

"Yes, and with good reason, boy. The creature I'm thinking of feeds off of 'Chi'."

He stood puzzled for a moment. "Oh... You mean battle auras like Miss Hinako?" Ranma asked, vaguely wondering if his age-shifting English teacher and the monster were somehow related. Cologne smiled smugly.

"No, Son-in-law... Ki - the Japanese meaning is spirit and this is where your battle aura originates. Chi, as we hold it, is your life being. Your life essence. In Japanese, Chi can mean blood." She shifted slightly to get more comfortable.

"So it's a vampire or something?"

"In a sense." The Amazon sighed. "Some say that the two words share the same meaning. For us, it would be easier to think them as separate."

The teenage martial artist blinked and then nodded slightly. "Okay, so is that why Miss Hinako needs a... whatchama-call-it... conduit to drain the battle aura?"

The elder, though not showing any external emotion, was mildly pleased. "Yes, Son-in-law. It's also why you can so easily disperse Hinako's energy using special pressure points." Easy was not how he'd characterize it. "If she absorbed Chi, life itself, she'd never run out and her first good charge would last her for decades."

"So why didn't the old freak teach her how to do that?"

"Hmmm... Happosai is a lot of things but truly evil is not one of them." The teen scowled, not completely buying that idea.

"So what do we do?"

Cologne sat still for a moment and then rapidly shifted from the chair to her staff. "First, you take Shampoo home with you for a few days. I'll send Mousse off somewhere and close the restaurant."

"HOME?" Ranma looked more than a little alarmed. "Akane will KILL me!"

"I truly doubt it."

"I ain't no babysitter."

"Don't be so thick-headed," Cologne chided, "Son-in... Ranma, listen to me. If this IS the creature I'm thinking of, then we have to stop it soon. Not kill it but stop it before it gets its fill of Chi."

"Why?"

"Because if we don't, then reality will stay the way it is right now and the stupid thing won't wake up for about a hundred years."

"Whoa..."

"Exactly. We know of six people who have been attacked. It might have attacked more we don't know about."

"But then why take Shampoo..."

"I need quiet to research our texts and if yesterday was any indication, she would be underfoot."

'She won't like Akane bossing her around.' But it could be fun watching them interact. "Ah all right... You know it's weird," Ranma remarked as they left the room with Cologne leading the way, "I'm not scared of Shampoo's c-c-c-cat form while I'm a girl now." The Amazon stopped and turned slowly to regard him. "The smaller me likes c... them things you know."

"Interesting..." Cologne said after about a minute of silence and then started moving again.

"MOUSSE!" Cologne shouted as they came into the restaurant proper. When the part-time duck came into the room, she spoke rapidly in Chinese. At the end of this, she added in Japanese, "Where's Shampoo and Kasumi?"

"Outside playing, HONORED ELDER," Mousse replied, "I'll get Shampoo's bags." He glared annoyingly at Ranma who shifted nervously before he left in room.

"Jeez, is Mousse in love with Shampoo still?"

"Not to worry, Son-in-law... He's hoping to wed her when she's old enough to gain social status within our tribe." Cologne gave Ranma a wicked grin. "But you'll likely beat him to it, knowing my little great-granddaughter."

"I love Akane," Ranma admitted. It took a second or two for him to really comprehend what he had just said.

"You only love Akane Tendo because reality has changed," Cologne explained gruffly but felt annoyance. She wasn't one hundred percent sure of this but if Shampoo was sixteen instead of nine, her great-granddaughter was bound to have a better chance to marry him even if it wasn't true.

'That's not true!' Ranma protested to himself. He preferred his much more violent, martial arts minded fiancée to the mild Kasumi-like one.

# # # # #

"Violent?" Akane asked her husband, eyebrows raised.

"Only to bricks, dear," Ranma commented which made his daughters giggle, "Although there was that one time you punted me all the way over to Juuban District."

"Now you're making things up, Ranma-honey," Akane sniffed but she had a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Aunt Nabiki?" the Saotome's oldest daughter interjected apparently trying to avoid the inevitable mushy scene between her parents. "Did you get spanked?"

Nabiki looked slightly scandalized and then stated with a wicked grin, "Uh... Minako, I think I'll leave that up to your imaginations." She gave her sister a wink. "Anyway, while your father was trying to stir up trouble..."

"Hey!" her brother-in-law protested.

"Well, it did cause trouble, Ranma," Nabiki replied, "Although interestingly enough not between Shampoo and Kasumi." Nabiki smoothed her hair and continued, "As I was saying..."

# # # # #

Nabiki had started to despair that Ranma and Kasumi wouldn't ever come back. She wanted to play but Akane had her dusting the items she could reach. She was in the living room making abstract patterns with the feather duster when the front door opened. Cropping the duster, the five year old rushed from the room. Her little feet made a quick path to the door and she grinned as Ranma came up. She did not launch herself at Ranma, however, since he was looking grumpy. Kasumi, on the other hand, was looking rather grubby, rather giggly, and had an expression that practically shouted that she had a secret. The youngster was just about to demand what it was when someone else entered the house. It was another girl about the same age as Kasumi. The vaguely familiar girl was carrying a small suitcase.

"Who's that?"

"Shampoo of course, Nabsy-poo," Kasumi replied in a tone that was a little condescending.

Nabiki's brain quickly considered the vocal expression to make and settled on something, uttering, "Holy crap!" There upon, she latched onto Ranma's legs and in a loud voice declared to the purple-haired child, "HE'S MY BOYFRIEND!" Shampoo's finely honed instincts kicked in and she immediately moved to crush her young rival. Nabiki let out an ear-piercing shriek and promptly soiled herself in fright. Meanwhile, Kasumi dove at Shampoo in defense of her little sister and with that, the battle ensued.

Both children toppled to the floor where they wrestled for a moment or two and then, much to the amazement of Nabiki and Ranma along with Akane and the two fathers who had rushed to see what all the commotion was all about, both stopped and broke into giggles.

"For Pete's sake, what's going on?" Akane demanded which produced more giggling from Kasumi. However, Shampoo developed a rather startled look on her face, and then she looked at Ranma and frowned. "Well?" Ranma sighed, wondering where on earth to start.

# # # # #

While Soun dragged his five year old daughter off to get cleaned up, a very nervous Ranma explained Shampoo's presence. Much to his surprise, instead of being angry, Akane smiled, gave Shampoo a massive hug, and said, "Kasumi, take Shampoo up to your room. I'll set out an extra futon for her."

"Right!" Kasumi chirped and led a bewildered looking Shampoo up the stairs.

"Sorry about this, Akane," Ranma began cautiously. As her teen fiancé grinned, she patted him on the head, and walked off humming. The pigtailed youth turned to stare at his father. "What was that about, Pops?"

Genma shrugged. "Beats me, boy... Women do really strange things, especially where kids are concerned." The man shook his head. "First time you threw up on your mother, she bawled her eyes out in happiness." His father sighed. "That type of thing spoils a man. That's why I took you with me."

"Ranma-honey, help me with this please," Akane asked. She was coming down the hall dragging a futon with both hands. Ranma moved to help her and paused at the bottom of the stairs.

For some unknown reason, it struck Ranma odd that sometime in the future, he might be doing this except then, Akane would be his wife. He decided to make father squirm for his comment. "I at least want Mom at our wedding," he shot at his father.

"What?" Genma asked. As if by magic, Soun was suddenly standing there with a very embarrassed looking Nabiki under one arm.

"Pops, I ain't gonna get married without Mom around."

"Oh happy day!" Soun started to dance about, much to Nabiki's terror.

"I'll go get her! You go get the priest, Tendo!" the part-time panda cried.

"Hold it, Father. It's much too early!" Akane protested, "And what about the curse?" The happiness drained from her father. Nabiki sighed in relief.

"Stupid boy!" Genma bellowed, "This is all your fault!" And with that, he punted Ranma through the roof. He landed as usual in the koi pond.

# # # # #

Shampoo looked mournfully down at her chest as she, Kasumi, Nabiki, and Ranma - now in male form - moved out onto the mat of the dojo. 'Violent tomboy has bigger hoo-hoos than me!' The Amazon wasn't pleased over this turn of events. Normally, there was no doubt in her mind that she was the most voluptuous of Ranma's fiancées. Akane looked like a little girl in comparison. She liked the envious looks she received. Things had completely flip-flopped in this crazy reality. "Why Shampoo wear this?" she asked Ranma tugging at the gi.

"'Cause this is a practice. 'Sides, Kasumi and Nabiki gotta to wear one too."

"Shampoo no like."

"Well, I think I saw a pink dress in your suitcase," Kasumi interjected lightheartedly. The once tall Amazon paled. "Gotcha!" the pigtailed girl chorused while giggling; her sister giggled too.

"Shampoo GET you!" With that, the duo started racing about the dojo. Nabiki tried to follow them but it wasn't any use so eventually opted to stand beside Ranma.

"Come on now you two," the pigtailed teen called.

"Shampoo got Kasumi." She had Kasumi in a headlock.

"AFTER we warm up," Ranma corrected.

The purple-haired girl frowned but when it became clear that her boyfriend was not going to budge on the issue, she started stretching like the others. "Shampoo like Ranma's girl-half." The little redhead had been entertaining and she had to admit extremely cute. She cuddled little Ranma until an angry Nabiki got her to stop "hogging HER friend". She turned her mind to other matters.

'Kasumi acting strange.' The Amazon considered as she bent backwards. 'She not prissy...' And their first "play" session had shown that Kasumi knew a few choice words. The part-time cat had been startled by this and had been even more surprised by Kasumi's relatively tomboyish behavior. What had happened to the prim homemaker she knew? She frowned slightly. 'This something monster do?' She glanced at Nabiki who was bending over touching her toes. 'Mercenary Girl even weirder. She only like money before but now wants Ranma.' It was obvious. What really irritated Shampoo was that Akane apparently did not practice "The Art". That meant that she couldn't honorably challenge her rival for Ranma's affection. She normally could kill Akane but given her present state, Shampoo had her doubts. It was also apparent, and this part tore at Shampoo's heart, that Ranma loved Akane openly and worse still, Akane loved Ranma as well.

"Let's go! Let's go!" Nabiki chanted as she tried, vainly, to speed through the warm-ups. The eight year old seemed anxious as well. Shampoo had wandered away from the spunky kindergartner. The little girl's squeaky voice was starting to make her teeth ache.

"Hey Shampoo?" Ranma called.

"What?"

"Wanna match against Kasumi?"

"Yes!" Shampoo would show Ranma who was better suitor and then, she'd think of a way to knock Nabiki out of the picture.

"Well then, come onto the mats. Nabsy, you park yourself over there out of the way." The five year old skipped off to the side and sat down cross-legged, watching intently. Advancing onto the mats, Shampoo produced her bonbori seemingly out of nowhere.

"Kasumi, you wanna a weapon too?" The pigtailed brunette shook her head. "Remember this is just training..." Both girls bowed to each other. "Okay then, ready?" Ranma checked the youngsters and then shouted, "BEGIN!"

Shampoo leapt upwards swinging her bonbori and Kasumi tried a sweep-kick. The Amazon snapped her leg forward in a kick but her opponent dodged and with her right hand grabbed the back of Shampoo's foot. Shampoo was startled when Kasumi shoved her foot higher, taking her off-balance. She fell to the mat with a thud.

Growling slightly, the little Amazon regained her feet quickly and jumped away as Kasumi pressed her attack. Deciding not to use her feet this time, Shampoo launched a barrage of blows with her bonbori. Some her diminutive enemy dodged but most landed as planned. Soon Kasumi was backpedaling trying to avoid the rapid onslaught. Still, the pigtailed girl did not go down.

Much to her surprise, the purple-haired youngster found herself starting to slacken. 'Can't be tired!' She knew she was in better shape than this. Her arms were starting to grow heavier as she swung on Kasumi who was trying to get closer. 'Have to end it!' she thought desperately. With a yell, she lunged at her brown-haired opponent who was just moving forward to attack. The Amazon watched in surprise as her bonbori plowed into Kasumi's stomach. The youth's mouth popped open as if all the air in her body rushed out and her eyes were wide with shock. An instant later, Kasumi had collapsed to the mat sucking in great gulps of air.

"Are you okay, Kasumi?" Ranma asked, coming over to Kasumi.

"Yeah," Kasumi panted.

"What about you?" Ranma asked Shampoo. By way of answer, she flopped down on the mat beside her opponent panting.

"Shampoo's arms feel funny."

"Younger body," he explained, "You two rest while I work with Nabsy." The two girls moved off to the side as their youngest member went to stand by Ranma. As Shampoo watched, her fiancé started running Nabiki through the basics.

'Not bad,' Shampoo thought as she watched. 'But still not good enough for Shampoo.' Perhaps, she could challenge Nabiki to a fight. 'Not death match... Ranma wouldn't permit that.' She frowned slightly as she scrutinized the kindergartner's technique. 'Nabiki trying to copy Kasumi.' Kasumi had regained her breath and was watching her sister in a distracted manner.

After several minutes, Ranma told Nabiki to go and rest. Nabiki thankfully walked over to a corner and flopped to the ground. "You two up for another bout?" Shampoo and Kasumi regarded each other and then both nodded. "Okay then. Shampoo, no weapons this time."

"No problem!" the little Amazon answered, "No outsider beat Amazon warrior."

"Ranma did!" Nabiki piped in.

"That okay. Ranma Shampoo's husband." The five year old shot to her feet but a quelling look from her boyfriend made her sit back down. Moving to the center of the mats, both girls bowed and waited. "BEGIN!"

Almost immediately, Shampoo realized that she was going to have a harder time this round. She only had a slight size and weight advantage. Without her bonbori, she didn't have the reach so she was forced to move in closer. Kasumi seemed to perceive this too and took advantage of it. Moments after the match began, Shampoo found herself in a rather painful hold. She managed to break free but it took a lot of effort. As the match progressed, it was the Amazon who was losing ground. The fact that she was retreating before Kasumi only fueled her embarrassment. And then Shampoo thought she saw her opening. Kasumi faulted slightly, apparently slowing.

"Shampoo get you now, 'Sumi!" she shouted and lunged. That's when Kasumi gave a little evil grin. The little Amazon tried to stop her lunge but her inertia was too great and she fell on the ground face-first. Kasumi stepped forward, twisted, and drove the heel of her hand between Shampoo's shoulder blades. Shampoo kicked Kasumi and jumped to her feet

Meanwhile in a move that completely surprised even Ranma, Kasumi snapped her right leg up and connected with both of Shampoo's calves. The net effect was for Shampoo to do a 180 before landing on the mat with a bone-shaking thud on her back.

"Shampoo, you okay?" Ranma asked while holding out a hand.

"Shampoo surprised."

"So was I," Ranma remarked. 'They are almost evenly matched. Whoda thunk it?' After Kasumi and Shampoo had bowed to each other to end the bout, he instructed, "Walk around a bit. I want 'Sumi to tackle me now." The eight year old suddenly looked apprehensive.

Nabiki at this point decided that she had had enough of a workout. She walked over to Shampoo, touched her, and shouted, "TAG! YOU'RE IT!" before racing out of the dojo. Kasumi, seeing a possible escape, raced after her sister.

"Shampoo get Nabiki!" The Amazon raced out of the dojo.

"Oh brother..."

# # # # #

Ranma gave up training for the morning. The game of tag was exercise enough in his view. Nabiki was surprising in that she managed to tag the older girls. He suspected that they were not trying very hard to avoid her. Meanwhile, the pigtailed youth felt restless. Akane was busy and both fathers were playing their typical shogi match (and cheating just as much as normal).

The game of tag ended after Akane came out to tell them to wash for lunch. At this point, Nabiki and Shampoo got into a quarrel as to who was going to sit beside Ranma. Ranma said that only Akane was earning him glares from all three little girls.

# # # # #

Ranma was considering if he should steal Genma's pickled plum or not when Nabiki leapt to her feet and announced in a very authoritative voice, "I challenge 'Poo!" At first, he wasn't sure who "Poo" was until Kasumi glanced towards Shampoo and giggled.

"Shampoo will crush enemy!"

"Hey now," Akane warned, "You shouldn't be mean to her. Honesty, Shampoo, it's only a training match." The Amazon frowned.

"That's right. Nabsy's only five."

"Yeah!" the youngster agreed. Ranma sighed.

Later, Soun and Genma had left the house and Akane went off to the market to pick up a few things for supper. The latter worried Shampoo to no end knowing firsthand Akane's infamous talent as a chef. The band of martial artists moved out to the dojo.

Walking around the dojo, Shampoo watched as Ranma and Kasumi sparred. At first, she was puzzled by the way Ranma was behaving. It took her a minute or two to figure out what he was doing. The teen was deliberately presenting fake openings to his little pigtailed opponent to see if she'd fall for them. By the time it was done, Kasumi was exhausted. Ranma had a rather smug expression on his face.

"Break!" Ranma instructed. Kasumi sighed and plodded over to the wall. She was ready to curl up with a book.

"Okay, Nabiki, you and Shampoo can have your match..."

"Really?" the five year old squeaked. 'I'll win and be Ranma's girlfriend!' After all, Kasumi had beaten her.

"Yes," Ranma said. He gave Shampoo a stern look and spoke at a level only she could hear, "Remember, Shampoo, she's only five." Shampoo just grinned and moved to the center of the mats. This would be a cakewalk. Both girls bowed.

Shampoo's confidence vanished almost instantly when her small opponent landed a punch that made Ranma wince. Dancing away, the Amazon scowled at the smug expression on the little girl's face. 'I'll use the same trick as Ranma.' She'd also teach the youngster not to act so cocky. After a moment, Shampoo rushed forward. Just as she had planned, Nabiki dove forward between Shampoo's open legs. The nine year old shut them quickly and squatted. The five year old squeaked in surprise when she realized that she was pinned to the mat, her knees were folded under her, and she couldn't gain any leverage with her feet. That left her arms but she wasn't quite sure what to do.

"Shampoo..." Ranma warned.

"Shampoo no hurt Nabiki bad." And with that said, the girl smacked Nabiki's rump. "Give up?"

"NO!" the child shouted and squirmed as Shampoo slapped her backside again. Ranma gave Nabiki a few moment's grace but it was becoming obvious that the youngster was in trouble and moreover, that Shampoo wasn't going to stop until Nabiki said she gave up.

"Okay," Ranma demanded starting forward, "Shampoo, let..."

"NO!" Nabiki shouted while wiggling vainly. 'I gotta win!'

"Say you give Ranma to Shampoo and Shampoo quit," Shampoo remarked conversationally. Her hand was just shooting down for another swat when she gave a yelp of pain and surprise. She scrambled away from the little girl.

"What happened?" Ranma asked looking concerned. Nabiki, teary-eyed but looking smug, got to her feet while rubbing her backside.

"She bite Shampoo!" she shouted while rubbing her big toe.

"That's why they call it ANYTHING-GOES Martial Arts!" Kasumi broke into a fit of giggles.

# # # # #

That evening in the furo, Shampoo announced firmly, "Shampoo no go school! Shampoo is warrior!"

"You havta, Shampoo," Kasumi argued. The youngest Tendo nodded in agreement. "Akane will make you."

"Shampoo no like this Akane."

"Why not?" Nabiki asked in a challenging voice.

"Akane not violent. Is too too close to Shampoo's Ranma."

"Ranma's mine!"

"Shhh!" the middle Tendo admonished. "We can't argue. Akane will marry Ranma." Nabiki didn't seem to catch that.

"Me wish monster not make Shampoo little."

"Don't worry. Ranma will beat that old monster," Nabiki interjected, "'N' we can be happy."

"You mean change back, Nabsy?"

"No, be happy."

"Back is happy. Shampoo get big again and have hoo-hoos."

"I wish I were big like Akane. She's so pretty..."

"Nabiki was big."

"Was not!" Nabiki disagreed, "Don't fib!"

The purple-haired youth decided to change the subject. "When violent tomboy learn how to cook, 'Sumi?"

"This Akane can," Kasumi said wistfully, "I know I can't." She then asked, "How's your toe?" Shampoo looked at the toe and shrugged.

"Sorry about that, Shampoo," Nabiki said shyly.

"Shampoo get BABY for that."

The kindergartner wasn't going to take that. "Oh yeah? You 'n' what army?"

"WATER FIGHT!" Kasumi declared and the war was on.

# # # # #

Below the dark canal waters, the subject of Cologne's research sighed. It was so close but the truly strong beings it sensed and wanted were eluding it. Perhaps, it should go up to Izumo, or maybe over to the Tomoeda City. It sensed powerful energies there.

End of Chapter 12

Concluded in Chapter 13 - Unexpected Deliveries