A Kiss to the Victor
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by Hound & Cabbit Productions (David "Fido"
Lindquist (fido@rma.edu) and June "KaraOhki" Geraci (karaohki@snet.net)
September 11, 2000
Revised October 7, 2000
Ranma 1/2 was created by Rumiko Takahashi. We're just borrowing her characters for a little while.
Earlier chapters can be read at
http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/rothko/228, or www.karaohki.com
Chapter 5
Nabiki stared at the telephone as if there was something wrong with it.
"Ranma and Akane were WHAT? You've got to be kidding!"
Nabiki's mind was reeling as the student told her what had happened in the girl's locker room. Once she had heard the whole story, the middle Tendo daughter mumbled a good-bye and hung up the phone.
*Ranma and my sister kissing is strange enough but in the girl's locker room?!? Have they lost their minds?!?*
*How many times have they kissed?* Nabiki wondered. *I know I caught them during the play--could Ranma possibly be that good a kisser?* Then the full scope of what all this meant came to her...and she smiled.
*This is it! THE mother lode!* her smile widened. *They are mine!*
The very idea of having Ranma under her complete control made her giddy. She'd never experienced such a feeling of power before. Her mind had already started to calculate how much she could make selling pictures of the two of them to Kuno, not to mention the pure profit the pictures of Ranma's male half would bring in when she sold them to the girls at school.
*Wait a second! I could sell HIM too! 'Buy a date with the best-looking hunk at school!'* Then she stopped and her eyes widened. *Why stop there? The girls can buy dates with Ranma, and Kuno would SURE love buying a date with his pigtailed princess!*
Yen signs practically danced in her head as she thought of it. The
dancing yen stopped when she felt a very slight pang of guilt, which
she quickly suppressed. This was not the time to think of guilt.
She was brought back to the present when she heard the voices of her intended victims as they arrived in the house. Ranma and Akane were walking up the stairs, and she could hear their conversation.
"Ranma, please don't be angry at P-chan. He was just trying to
protect me!"
"That's what you said before! I was only trying to kis--mmph!"
Nabiki strained to hear what Akane was saying.
"Watch what you say! What if someone heard?"
*Too late, little sister,* Nabiki thought. *Far too late!*
---------------
"See you later, Akane."
P-chan growled slightly as Ranma went into his room. Ryoga was
still angry that his nemesis had tried to kiss her in front of him.
"Quit that, P-chan!" Akane said as she walked over and entered
her room. "You are going to have to learn not to growl at Ranma!"
P-chan frowned as Akane set him on her bed. *She never yelled
at me before! Damn you Ranma! You deny me happiness even as a pig!*
He was so caught up in his self-pity that he didn't notice Akane
undressing until she was in her underwear.
The piglet started to turn away when he saw Akane open a drawer and pull out a bra and pair of panties.
*She's going to change her underwear? If Ranma finds out he'll
KILL me!*
"P-chan, where are you going?" Akane dropped the lingerie on the
bed and reached for her pet, but he had already jumped out of her window. Ryoga could hear her as he landed and scooted away.
"P-chan, come back!"
*I'm sorry, Akane, but this is for your own good.*
After a few minutes of running, he stopped and tried to get his
bearings.
*How in the hell did I end up at a shrine? Wait a minute--I've been here before. That crazy redheaded woman lives here!*
P-chan's thoughts were interrupted by a frighteningly familiar voice.
"Little pig, you're back! Come down to my lab and I'll get you some hot water. I really need to research your...condition."
P-chan just sobbed.
--------------------------
Ranma lay on his futon and stared at the ceiling. His usual trip to the roof was aborted when he heard Akane yelling for P-chan. That meant Ryoga was outside somewhere, and Ranma did NOT want to see him at that particular moment, especially since Ryoga was very much on his mind.
*I wish he would just stay lost! I'm not gonna put up with him biting me every time I get close to Akane!*
That forced Ranma to finally confront the question that had been floating beneath the surface of his mind.
*How would everyone react if they found out we're getting close?*
The scenario Ranma pictured wasn't a good one. First off, Ryoga and Kuno would try to kill him. That didn't worry him much. The heir of Anything Goes Martial Arts had proven on more than one occasion that he could beat both of them senseless. Of course, that didn't mean he actually wanted them to attack him all the time, but if push came to shove, Ranma could handle it.
The second problem would be their fathers. There was no doubt in
Ranma's mind that they would have a wedding ready within minutes
of finding out, and even if they did figure out a way to postpone it, he had a feeling that they wouldn't take 'No!' as an answer for long.
However, it was the third problem that worried him the most. Shampoo. There was no doubt in Ranma's mind that Shampoo's first reaction would be to try to kill Akane. The main problem was that the Amazon was very capable of doing it. Even worse was the fact that Akane wouldn't admit that she couldn't beat Shampoo on her best day.
That meant Ranma would have to protect her. While Ranma could
beat Shampoo, he also knew she would be relentless in her efforts to kill Akane. He'd have to be with her constantly to ensure her safety.
*Could I protect her all the time?* he thought, then he frowned. *Hell, if I tried we might as well BE married!*
Ranma sighed.
*I have two choices, try keeping it a secret or,* he swallowed a lump
that formed in his throat, *not try at all.*
Ranma's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. He got up and slid it open. Nabiki didn't wait for an invitation, but walked in and took a seat on the floor. Ranma eyed her suspiciously.
"What do you want?"
"What do I want?" Nabiki replied. "Ranma, I'm hurt! Can't I come and chat with my sister's fiance for no reason at all?"
The smile on her face sent a chill up Ranma's spine.
*What is she up to?* he wondered. *She HAS to be up to something.*
Nabiki tried to look innocent, but Ranma wasn't fooled. Not this time.
"So, how's it going?" When Ranma said nothing, she continued. "It
was a lovely day today. Is that why you ditched school?"
"Umm....yeah!" he stammered out.
Nabiki sighed wistfully. "It REALLY must be nice to roam around
Nerima all day with Ryoga, isn't it?"
"Ryoga? H-how did you know...?" The rest of the sentence froze in
Ranma's mouth as a terrible sinking feeling formed in his stomach. *Maybe she...* The color drained out of his face as he stared at her. Nabiki's smile seemed to widen in contrast.
*Oh NO!* he thought. *She knows!*
"So, lover boy, have anything to say about this afternoon?"
"Urk!"
"Very descriptive...I'm glad I got my information from the girls in
Akane's class. They had a LOT more to say."
Ranma tried to remember how much money he had stashed away in his hidey-hole. His frozen brain refused to respond. In any case, it
evidently wouldn't be enough.
---------------
Akane stood with her ear pressed against Ranma's door. It was a good thing she'd decided to listen in on Ranma and Nabiki instead of knocking and getting Ranma to help her find P-chan. She and Ranma were in trouble, unless she could think of a way to defuse the situation.
Akane thought hard. Nabiki always managed to have the upper hand over people, especially Ranma. That was the scary thing about her sister. She rarely lost her cool, and she always knew all the angles.
Akane mentally kicked herself. She should have seen this coming.
*What are we going to do?* she wondered. *She's holding this over our heads, and we don't have any way to strike back. We don't have anything on HER! Nabiki always covers her tracks too well.* Then something clicked.
Akane could hear Ranma stuttering on the other side of the door, and realized that she had minutes, if not seconds, before he'd agree to anything her sister demanded. Akane backed away from Ranma's door and hurried downstairs. She had an idea, but very little time to put it into action.
Seconds later she was in her room, searching through an old photograph album. A cry of triumph nearly escaped her when she found what she was looking for.
*Hang on, Ranma. I'm coming!*
---------------
"Um, I don't have much...I mean..."
Nabiki smiled as she watched Ranma squirm. This was much more fun than she'd anticipated.
"Who's asking for money, Ranma? I'd much, much rather have your
services."
"S-services?" Nabiki didn't think it was possible, but Ranma looked
even more frightened. "What do you want?"
"First? I'd say a little photo shoot is in order. After some cold
water, of course." When Ranma just sat there, Nabiki took that as
agreement and continued. "Then you can help me persuade Akane to pose for me. I've got plenty of buyers for photos of the two of you."
Ranma continued to stay silent, and Nabiki began to see little piles
of money floating in front of her eyes. They were even bigger than
the ones she had imagined earlier.
"Now take off your shirt, dear. I want to take a couple of beefcake
photos while I'm here."
Nabiki pulled a camera out of her pocket and waved impatiently at
Ranma.
"No," he said.
Reality seemed to crash in on Nabiki at the word.
"Excuse me?"
"I said no!" he barked out. "You ain't draggin' Akane into this!"
Nabiki smirked. "Now Ranma, you really don't want me telling Father and Mr. Saotome about this, do you?"
The look of anger on Ranma's face made Nabiki's smile disappear, and she began to wonder if she'd pushed things too far. But before anything else happened the door slid open and Akane came in.
"You're not making us do anything, Nabiki!"
Nabiki's smile returned. *Little sister, you don't get it, do you?* "Suppose I tell Daddy and Mr. Saotome what I heard today? We can hold a wedding tomorrow!"
Akane blocked the doorway. "No you won't. Not unless you want this distributed to everyone at school. If people are busy laughing at this, it might be difficult to make them take you seriously."
Nabiki took the photo from Akane. She took one look at it and immediately turned white.
---------------
Ranma tried to control his anger. He was having a difficult time
reminding himself that Nabiki wasn't a martial artist, and he couldn't
hit her. Then Akane came in, and somehow turned the tables. Ranma reached for the photo.
"Hey, let me see that!"
"NO!!!"
Nabiki tried to pull her hand behind her back, but Ranma was too fast for her. He grabbed the photo and looked at it. Seconds later he was on the floor, laughing so hard that he had to hold his stomach. Nabiki tried desperately to pry the picture out of his fingers, but was unsuccessful.
Ranma took another look, and dissolved into laughter again.
The picture showed a two year old Nabiki, enjoying a chocolate-covered cookie. She had the cookie stuffed into her mouth and another in her hand. She was also covered in chocolate from head to toe. But the funniest thing about the photo was that Nabiki was stark naked.
Ranma looked at his fiancee, who was also giggling.
"Akane, I don't know how you thought of this, but it's perfect!"
Before Akane could respond, Nabiki ran between them and out of the room. Ranma was surprised at the action, but Akane just smiled and waved him over. He got up and they both headed for Akane's room, where they found Nabiki frantically tearing through the pages of the album.
"Where's that negative!"
Akane folded her arms, looking completely confident.
"Where you'll never find it, Sis. Give up. You won't win this fight."
Nabiki looked at her sister. "I want the negative, Akane! Now!"
"Not likely," came Akane's reply. "I am sick and tired of you
constantly using me and Ranma and I think it's going to stop. Now."
Nabiki's expression became that of total innocence. "I...I can't
believe you would resort to blackmail. I'm shocked! I'm appalled."
"You're also overacting," Akane responded.
That was enough to make Ranma start laughing again. He barely noticed Nabiki's expression harden.
"I'm glad the two of you think that's so funny! I don't!" She turned
on her heel and left the room, slamming the door behind her.
---------------
Nabiki's departure allowed Akane to release the breath she'd been holding. She had come very close to losing her composure and totally breaking down.
Ranma was still chuckling somewhat, then he stopped.
"Akane," he said, "do you think that'll keep her from telling them?"
Akane nodded. "Yes. For now." She shivered. "I took a chance with that picture. I-I was scared it wasn't going to work."
"Are you okay, Akane?"
Akane stared at Ranma as if he was insane. "Okay? I just blackmailed my sister! Of course I'm not okay!" she almost shouted.
Akane looked like she wanted to cry, which was the last thing Ranma wanted her to do.
*I need to get her mind off of this!* he thought. *Well, I guess now
is as good a time as any to talk with her...but not here.*
Akane didn't seem to notice as he walked up to her. "Come on," he
said. "There's a place I want to show you."
"Wha--?"
Before Akane could say anything more, Ranma grabbed her around the waist and draped her over his shoulder.
"Ranma! W-what are you doing?"
"Akane, just trust me. Okay?" He felt Akane tense up as he walked
over to her window and opened it.
"Ranma--why did you...? RANMA, DON'T YOU DARE!!"
Just as Akane finished yelling, Ranma leaped out of her window and onto a nearby tree limb. Using it as a springboard, he rebounded up and landed on the roof.
Akane caught her breath as Ranma landed, and he set her down on the roof. He nearly laughed at her confused, frightened expression. "You brought me up to the roof? You scared me to death to bring me to MY OWN ROOF?!"
"Umm...yeah," he replied sheepishly. "I do all my thinking here and I
thought you'd like to see it."
---------------
Akane couldn't believe what Ranma had just said. He had scared her half to death just to show her own roof!
*It's not like I haven't been here before!* She was strongly
considering knocking Ranma into orbit when she noticed the look on his face. Despite her growing feelings for her fiance, Akane still had a tendency to think the worst about him. She expected his usual "I'm so good I even amaze myself" grin on his face. Instead, there was a nervous expression. It then dawned on her what he had said.
"I knew you come up here," she blurted out, "but I never imagined you actually think!"
Akane wanted to bite her tongue when she saw the glimmer of pain flash over Ranma's face, then disappear into a stony expression.
"Forget it," Ranma said in a slightly angry tone. "Sorry I bothered
you."
Ranma turned to leave but stopped when Akane grabbed his arm.
"I...I'm sorry, Ranma," Akane pleaded. She moved her hand to his and gripped it. "Nabiki has me so upset I can't think straight."
She watched his face return to its previous nervous look.
"O-okay."
---------------
Ranma walked to the center of the roof, sat down, and gestured for Akane to join him. As she came over, Ranma thought about what he was going to say.
*I have to do this right! If I screw this up she'll never forgive me!*
Akane bit her lip nervously as she sat beside Ranma.
*I can't screw up like that again. I nearly drove him away.*
Ranma sat there for a few minutes, quietly trying to figure out what to say. He could feel the tension building as Akane waited for him to speak. Finally, he took a deep breath and began.
"Nice day, isn't it?"
Akane just stared at him. "What???"
"That's not what I wanted to say!"
Ranma watched as Akane opened her mouth, closed it again, and clenched her fists. "I didn't think so," she replied. "Want to try again?"
"I'm not sure where to start, Akane."
"Try the beginning?"
"I w-was thinking. If you and me...I mean...if we were a c-couple, it would be kinda hard to do it openly. I mean...our fathers would be trying to get us married the moment they found out."
Akane looked thoughtful. "You're probably right. Look how Nabiki tried to hold that over our heads. B-but why are you telling me this?"
Ranma shrugged. "I-I just got to thinking about it, that's all," he replied.
"Well, I guess if we did decide to be a couple, we'd have to keep it a secret," Akane said, then hastily added "that is IF we were going to be a couple."
"That's what I was thinking," Ranma said, "but do we want to be a couple?"
Time seemed to freeze as the words hung in the air. Akane looked at Ranma.
"Oh, Ranma...I--"
"Dinner's ready!" Kasumi's voice shattered the mood.
Ranma fidgeted for a few seconds as he stared at his hands. Then he looked up at Akane. "I guess we'd better go to dinner."
"Y-yeah," Akane replied. As Ranma and Akane climbed off the roof, the pigtailed martial artist noticed that Akane had stopped.
"Oh no! I forgot about P-chan!"
"Oh yeah," Ranma said. "Why did the piglet jump out of the window anyway?"
"I don't know. I was in the middle of changing clothes and he just ran off!"
*So, Ryoga's keeping his word,* Ranma thought. *Good.*
"I wouldn't worry about him, Akane. P-chan is good at taking care of himself, y'know."
---------------
The next day found Kodachi smiling very happily in Home Economics class.
"The cookies smell wonderful," she said aloud as she pulled them from the oven. "These will be perfect for my Ranma!"
She then let out a short laugh. "Ohoho! Once Ranma tastes these cookies, he will be speechless!" she said, and then thought *And motionless as well!*
The thought of drugging her love dampened her good mood a little. *Oh Ranma, if only you would admit your true feelings for me, I could take care of your "problem" easily!* Visions of her killing Akane in every way imaginable flooded her mind.
"Did you hear about what happened at Furinkan?"
Kodachi was jolted out of her daydream. "Whatever are you talking about?"
"The ladies' locker room blew up!"
"Was anyone hurt?" she asked, secretly hoping that Akane Tendo was in the locker room at the time.
"Nobody got hurt, but it's just TOO bad that nobody got a picture of that last good thing that happened in there."
Kodachi looked down her nose at the girl who was speaking. She couldn't recall her name, but only that she had recently switched to St. Hebereke's from Furinkan High.
"And what would that be?"
"Akane Tendo had her fiance in there and they were kissing!"
The other girls in the room began to back away. The recent transfer student looked rather surprised at their reaction, but remained where she was.
The gymnastic martial artist didn't move, and her face showed only a fraction of the horror she felt inside. *That peasant kissed Ranma???*
The words rolled around in her mind. *Ranma had been kissed by a peasant? No, he wouldn't do that willingly. She must have...*
"No," Kodachi whispered as her eyes grew wide. Then she shouted "NO! My-my poor helpless Ranma!"
Instantly, a spotlight flashed onto the gymnast and she pulled a microphone out of the air. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she began to speak.
"My poor Ranma! To be dragged into the women's locker room--a place dedicated to the fairer sex--and to be FORCED into debauchery by that...that tramp!" Kodachi screeched. "I will NOT permit it! Teacher, I must leave to save my Ranma!" Before the teacher could reply, Kodachi was gone, leaving the air filled with black rose petals.
"Oh, great," one of the students complained. "I hate having to clean those up!"
---------------
"Achoo!" Akane scratched her nose. *There must be too much flour in the air.* She opened the oven door, put the cookies in, and re-checked the temperature. *This batch of cookies is going to be perfect. I followed my teacher's instructions exactly!*
Akane thought about the way Ranma usually reacted to her cooking.
*Maybe, just maybe Ranma will try them.*
---------------
*Stupid teachers!* Ranma thought as he put away the last of the books. *I had a good excuse for skipping school yesterday and they still punish me!* He let out a sigh.
"At least that's done," he muttered.
*I'm starved. Wonder if Akane wants to have lunch with me.*
With that thought, Ranma headed toward the Home Ec room to ask her. When he got there, Ranma couldn't get near the room. A huge crowd of boys blocked the hallway.
"What's going on?" Ranma asked.
"The girls are baking cookies!" one of the guys said. "We're waiting to get some of them!"
Ranma shuddered. *I gotta get out of here before Akane finds me.* He turned, and stopped when he saw Kuno, wearing a piyo piyo bib and carrying a knife and fork, standing in his way.
"Out of my way, foul knave! I must be the first in line to sample the wondrous cookies baked by the fair Akane!"
Kuno's words made Ranma pause. A part of him wanted to get away from Akane's cooking, but another part didn't want Kuno getting the cookies, even if he was 100 percent certain that they would make him sick as a dog for a week.
"Trust me, Kuno," Ranma replied. "You don't want the cookies Akane is making--not unless you like being sick."
It was obvious to everyone in the hallway that Kuno was furious. The smarter students began to back away. Being in the middle of a fight between Ranma and Kuno wasn't their idea of fun. The fight, however, never happened.
---------------
Every head in the Home Ec room turned toward the sound of the crash. Akane was the first to identify the intruder coming through the window, and she was NOT happy to see her.
"Kodachi! What are YOU doing here?
Kodachi finished brushing the little pieces of glass from her leotard and glared at Akane.
"I have come to free my Ranma from your perverted ways!"
"MY PERVERTED WAYS???" Akane screeched. *She thinks I'M a pervert?!*
Akane noticed that the other girls began a quick retreat out into the hallway, but were stopped by the guys trying to come in to see what was going on. Two boys were trying especially hard to get in, namely Ranma and Kuno.
Their reactions were completely different when they saw the scene in front of them.
"Sister, what are you doing here?" asked Kuno.
Ranma looked at Akane. She appeared to be unhurt. "Akane! Are you okay?"
Neither girl responded.
"Did you not drag my poor, helpless Ranma into the women's locker room?" Kodachi asked Akane.
Images of the locker room kiss passed through Akane's mind. She smiled inwardly as she relived it, but quickly pushed the feelings aside. Akane couldn't deny Kodachi's accusation, because people would want to know what really happened. She struggled to find a way to respond.
"Well...I..." Akane stammered.
"Who are you calling helpless?" yelled Ranma. Again, neither of the girls paid any attention to him.
"Now I am here to rescue him and end this unwanted 'engagement' once and for all!"
*Oh, NO you won't!* Akane thought, as she prepared for an attack. "So, you want another beating?" she asked confidently, her confusion gone. "Fine by me!"
"Beating? Ohohohoho! I have no intention of stooping to your level," the gymnast sneered. "Akane Tendo, I formally challenge you to a martial arts gymnastic match for the hand of Ranma Saotome!"
"WHAT?!" shouted practically everyone in the room.
" I said, 'I, Kodachi Kuno, challenge Akane Tendo to a martial arts gymnastics match.' Are all of you deaf?"
"Get real, Kodachi," Akane responded. "We've been through this before. You lost, and you kept that oath for a total of two seconds!"
Akane watched with satisfaction as Kodachi's face turned bright red. *Good, I got to her.* She tensed, expecting Kodachi to attack, but her rival took a step back, and it was obvious to Akane that Kodachi was struggling hard to hold onto her temper.
After a few seconds, Kodachi was in enough control to answer. She smiled at Akane, a smile that made her skin crawl, and offered another option.
"Suppose we make the prize something more...physical."
"What!?!?" Akane heard Ranma say.
She took a quick glance at him and saw most of the other boys trying to stop their noses from bleeding. Ranma, however, just stood there with his mouth hanging open. Then she turned her complete attention back to Kodachi.
"Exactly what do you mean by physical?" demanded Akane.
"Can't you guess? My darling Ranma will give a kiss to the victor! And when I win, he will know how a true woman's lips should feel!"
Ranma tried to say something, but all Akane could see was his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
*Which he is,* she thought. *Now you see what I go through!*
This only served to make Akane angrier at Kodachi. She wanted to pound the smug look off Kodachi's face. She exerted every bit of self-control to keep herself from doing just that.
"Fine!" she growled.
"We will hold it in a week at St. Hebereke's gym."
Ranma finally found his voice. "Wait a second!" he shouted. "I never said I'D be the prize!"
"No way, Kodachi!" Akane objected, completely ignoring her fiance. "We'll hold it here, where it'll be harder for you to cheat!"
"I do not cheat!" Kodachi replied "but it is acceptable." The tone of her voice, and the fact that she spoke through clenched teeth, made it clear that she wasn't happy about it.
"Hey! Wait a sec!" Ranma yelled.
"Now I must be off! I have a victory party to plan!" Kodachi cackled. The Black Rose turned and walked to the opening she had made before. "Farewell, darling Ranma!"
The look of fury on his face was enough to make Akane wince.
"Oh, and Akane?" Kodachi continued. "This time, no matter what the excuse, no substitutes."
Akane growled deep in her throat. "Don't worry. I'll be there."
"That," Kodachi quipped as she leaped through the hole, "remains to be seen."
"Hold on! Kodachi! I didn't..." Ranma's voice trailed off at the disappearance of Kodachi. "...agree...to...this? Oh, man..."
The rage Akane felt lingered, despite Kodachi's departure. *How DARE she? I'm gonna rip her apart!!!*
"Akane! Why did you agree to that?" Ranma asked angrily. "I ain't some kinda prize in a contest, you know!"
"Now you know how I feel! Why do you think I get so mad--" The rest of her sentence was cut off when she smelled something burning. "Oh no!" Her argument with Ranma forgotten, Akane turned around and ran for the stove. When she opened the oven door, black smoke billowed out. "MY COOKIES!!!"
Akane was holding a pan of what looked like pieces of coal when Ranma approached her.
"Sorry about your cookies," Ranma blurted out. "But at least now they look uneatable too!"
The next thing Akane knew, the cookies were on the floor and Ranma was flying through the roof.
"Ranma, you idiot!"
---------------
*Well, that was a stupid thing to say,* Ranma thought as he was sailing through the air. *I shoulda known better than to say that, even if it was true!*
He hit the ground, rolled a couple of times, and stopped. Ranma got up, dusted himself off, and started the long walk back to school.
"She's getting stronger. This is the farthest I've even flown!"
*I'd better get back to school. I have to get it through Akane's head that I'm NOT gonna be a prize!*
Ranma ran back to the school, trying to figure out how he was going to tell Akane that without having to take another unwanted long-distance trip.
---------------
As Akane placed the scorched tray into the sink, she frowned.
*Darn that Kodachi! She ruined it!* Then she smiled evilly. *Well, she'll get what's coming to her when we fight!*
Akane imagined the gym filled with her friends, all of them cheering as she clobbered the Kuno girl. Then she stopped short.
"Oh no!" she cried aloud. "We need the coach's permission to hold the match here!"
Akane left the dirty dishes in the sink and took off for the gym.
---------------
The sound of running footsteps echoed through the hallway.
*I hope I catch Akane before she talks to the teacher,* Ranma thought. *Otherwise, I'm stuck!*
The martial artist turned the corner and had to jump out of the way to miss colliding with his fiancee. "Hey, watch it!" he shouted, as he regained his balance.
"Watch it yourself!" Akane yelled back. "I've got to get to Ms. Kitami's office before she starts her next class."
"Akane, we need to talk about--" responded Ranma. Before he could say anything else, he felt Akane grab his collar and drag him towards the coach's office. "Hey! Leggo!"
"No time!" Akane shouted back as she increased her speed.
---------------
Akane and Ranma arrived at the gym teacher's office just as Ms. Kitami was leaving.
"Hello, Ms. Kitami," Akane said as she bowed.
"Hello...Akane, isn't it?"
"Yes, Teacher," she said.
"And this is your fiance, I assume?"
Ranma had just finished straightening his clothes when he heard the question.
"Yep! That's me!"
His directness took Akane by surprise, and instantly made her blush.
"So, what brings you here?" Ms. Kitami asked.
"Ummm...w-we needed to ask you a favor," Akane stammered out as she tried to regain her composure.
Ms. Kitami raised one eyebrow. "Oh, what would that be? I was going to lunch," she continued. "Why don't you walk with me and we'll talk on the way."
The three set off down the hallway, but after walking a few feet Ranma grabbed Akane's arm and forced her to slow down.
"Dammit, Akane! I never agreed to this!"
Akane looked guilty for a second. *Ranma's right, but it's too late. I've already committed myself to this match!* "I'm sorry Ranma, but I can't back out now! I'd look like a coward!"
Ranma looked like he was going to protest, but then Akane saw him slowly deflate.
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "But I still don't like it!"
Ms. Kitami walked ahead, not speaking at all. After their whispered exchange, Ranma and Akane followed behind until they turned the corner to the cafeteria. Then Akane got up the courage to speak.
"Ms. Kitami," she said. "We need to ask you if we could set up a gymnastics meet here next week."
The teacher looked surprised at the request, then her face become emotionless. "Come here, Miss Tendo," she said. "I have something to show you," she said coolly.
They walked in silence. Each step seemed to Akane as if she and Ranma were walking to their executions, rather than to the cafeteria. The fact that the other students were scurrying away from them and giving her and Ranma looks of total pity wasn't helping any. She then noticed that her fiance was also somewhat nervous. Akane found herself standing with Ranma in front of Furinkan High's trophy case. Akane smiled slightly at all the ribbons and trophies that lined it. She'd had a part in winning some of them, and couldn't help but be a little proud of her achievements.
"Do you see these?" Ms. Kitami asked. Her angry tone of voice made Akane's pride seem unimportant.
Akane looked where the teacher was pointing. There was a row of gymnastics awards, quite an impressive one, but none of them were for first place.
"These are the results of countless hours of training by students who dedicate themselves to the sport of Martial Arts Gymnastics."
"Yes, Ma'am," said Akane, wondering what was coming next.
"They gave their blood, sweat and tears to win those," the teacher continued, completely ignoring Akane, "and if it weren't for that evil, vile blight on the gymnastics world, Kodachi Kuno, they would be FIRST PLACE!"
"Eep!"
Akane and Ranma both jumped at the shout. They stared in horror as Ms. Kitami, the nice, quiet, demure teacher they had been talking to, performed a perfect demon-head attack.
Despite his apparent surprise, Akane found that Ranma had stepped in front of her.
"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU SHOULD STEP INTO SUCH HALLOWED GROUNDS?" Ms. Kitami roared.
"Because Kodachi Kuno challenged Akane to a martial arts gymnastics fight!" Ranma retorted.
At the words "Kodachi Kuno," the demon head's right eye began to twitch.
"SHE IS GOING TO FIGHT KODACHI KUNO?!"
"Ummm--yeah?" Akane responded as she peeked over Ranma's shoulder, unsure of whether she should stay or run.
The demon head disappeared, and they saw the confused yet somewhat hopeful look on her face. "C-could you be the one? The one that finally defeats that evil villainess and restores the honor of Furinkan High School?"
"Ahh..."
"You bet she will!" interrupted Ranma.
Akane's eyes bulged out as she heard Ranma's words. *He actually has faith in me? He actually thinks I can beat her?* Akane smiled, almost lost in her own dream world, as she tried to concentrate on what the teacher was saying.
"Yes! You are the one! You have to be! Oh, how I've dreamed of having Kodachi Kuno know the feeling of defeat!"
"Hey! She's been beaten before!" Ranma said.
"Yes, but she was beaten by a stranger, not one of Furinkan's own!"
"What??" Ranma shouted, but was drowned out by the teacher's rambling.
"But now--NOW we have a chance for redemption! A chance to remove the blotch that has tainted our lives for so very long...a chance to be free! Free forever!!!"
"Umm..." both Ranma and Akane said as they slowly backed away from Ms. Kitami.
"S-so," Akane finally said. "Do we get to use the gymnastic ring?"
"I don't know."
There was a collective THUD as every student and teacher within earshot, including Ranma and Akane, fell over.
"Drop by my office after school and I'll let you know then. I don't foresee any problems, but I have to make sure."
"Th-thank you," Akane replied as she got off the floor.
"Talk to you later!" Ms. Kitami said cheerfully as she entered the lunchroom.
The pair stared as she walked off. Once she was out of sight, Ranma spoke.
"That is a strange woman."
Akane found herself in total agreement.
The two martial artists turned and walked back towards their classroom, neither of them saying a word. They were almost there when Ranma broke the silence.
"Akane, I'm sorry for what I said about your cooking. It was just pure reflex."
Akane frowned slightly. She had almost forgotten about the incident.
"Well, you should at least give me a chance!" she muttered. She noticed that Ranma's face now had a frown on it. He also appeared to be very uncomfortable about something.
"Ranma?"
---------------
*What am I gonna do?* the pigtailed martial artist as the stared at his fiancee. *I can't tell her she couldn't boil water to save her life, but I do NOT want to eat any of her cooking either!* He pondered the problem for a few seconds until he was interrupted by Akane's voice.
"Ranma?"
"C'mon, it's lunch time!" he said quickly. "Let's go eat!"
With that remark, Ranma grabbed Akane by the hand and dragged her the rest of the way before she could say anything. *I'll figure this out later,* he thought. *I hope.*
---------------
The rest of the day passed by very quickly. However, after the excitement had died down, Ranma's confidence in Akane began to waver, and despite his show of support for her, he was having second thoughts.
*Kodachi is good,* Ranma thought as he glanced at Akane. *In a straight fight Akane could beat her, but in a martial arts gymnastic match she doesn't stand much of a chance.* The mental image of Akane wrapped up in her own ribbon made him shudder. *But she was getting a little better before she twisted her ankle.*
Ranma shifted in his chair and took another look at Akane. *Oh, man...we are in trouble!*
---------------
Akane sat at her desk and frowned. She had a week to train for her fight. For just a moment, she wished Ryoga was around so she could learn from him, but then she changed her mind. Considering the way Ryoga and Ranma got along, they would probably spend more time fighting each other than helping her train.
*I wish Ms. Kitami could have said yes instead of making us wait.* She sighed, then glanced over at Ranma. For the first time since the challenge, doubts began nagging at her.
*Can I beat Kodachi? Sure, I can take her in a fight but she almost beat Ranma in one of those matches!*
The Tendo girl turned and looked at her fiance. She immediately felt a hardened sense of determination rise in her.
*I've GOT to defeat her,* she thought. *She isn't going to touch my Ranma!* The ferocity of the thought shocked Akane, but only for a moment. Her anger was replaced by a sense of warmth.
*MY Ranma...I like that!*
---------------
The end of the school day found Ranma and Akane standing in front of the gym. They could already hear the sounds of the gymnastics team working out.
"So, you wanna go in first?" asked Ranma.
Akane shrugged, then opened the doors and walked in with Ranma tagging along behind. All of the girls stopped what they were doing when they saw them, and the captain of the team, a tall girl named Mayuri, immediately came forward to greet them.
"Hi, Akane!" she said. "You're here about the match?
"Yes," Akane replied, her voice sounding high and nervous. "How did you know about it?"
"Ms. Kitami told us. Besides that, everybody in the school is talking about the 'Kiss to the Victor' match.
Akane blanched at Mayuri's words, and one look at Ranma told her that he didn't like it either.
"Do you think we'll get permission to use the gym?"
Mayuri laughed. "I wouldn't worry about that! She'd blackmail the school board to make it happen! Ms. Kitami hates Kodachi so much that she has a dartboard with her picture on it. She changes the pic every two days."
Akane, Ranma and the team laughed. When their laughter died down, Mayuri looked directly at Akane. "Are you sure you're up to this?"
"Honestly? I don't know," replied Akane. Then she returned Mayuri's gaze with a determined glint in her eyes. "But she's going to have to kill me to stop me from beating her."
"Would you like our help?"
Before either one of them could answer, Ms. Kitami entered the gym. "There she is!" she cried. "The one who will make all our hopes a reality!"
Both Akane and Ranma's faces turned bright red, while Mayuri just shook her head and went back to practicing.
"Everything is set up, Akane," she continued, totally ignoring the looks on their faces. "You will have the gym this Saturday afternoon. Now run along home and practice!" Before either one could say a word, Ms. Kitami was pushing them out the door.
"Go! I don't want you picking up any bad habits from us! It might corrupt you, and make you lose!"
As they were being pushed out the door, Akane looked at the team. She saw Mayuri stop and look back, then wave good bye.
*****
As the doors swung shut behind them, Ranma waited for Akane to say something. She had the oddest look on her face.
"Something wrong, Akane?"
Akane turned and looked at him. "I have this bad feeling that if I lose, Ms. Kitami is going to have a breakdown."
"Either than or she'll kill you," Ranma replied. "Come on! We have a WHOLE lot of training to do if you are going to stand a chance against her."
"Oh, really?" Akane asked coolly.
"Well...umm...I didn't mean..." Ranma stuttered, not sure why Akane was acting the way she was.
"You know what? I think I'd better start practicing."
"Sure, we'll start--"
"No, Ranma," Akane interrupted as she gripped her bookbag and raised it over her head. "RIGHT NOW!"
"Eep!" Ranma ducked Akane's blow, and began to back away from her. "A bookbag isn't one of the standard weapons!"
"Whatever works! Now stand still and help me train, you pervert!"
Instead of standing still, Ranma fled the grounds of Furinkan High, Akane close behind, still swinging her bookbag. *Well,* he thought as he glanced back at her. *At least she's getting warmed up.*
--------------------------
to be continued
--------------------------
Thanks to all the people who gave us C&C, especially SabreBabe, Gary Kleppe, D.F. Roeder, and Diese
Oh! And we don't own Washu, either!
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by Hound & Cabbit Productions (David "Fido"
Lindquist (fido@rma.edu) and June "KaraOhki" Geraci (karaohki@snet.net)
September 11, 2000
Revised October 7, 2000
Ranma 1/2 was created by Rumiko Takahashi. We're just borrowing her characters for a little while.
Earlier chapters can be read at
http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/rothko/228, or www.karaohki.com
Chapter 5
Nabiki stared at the telephone as if there was something wrong with it.
"Ranma and Akane were WHAT? You've got to be kidding!"
Nabiki's mind was reeling as the student told her what had happened in the girl's locker room. Once she had heard the whole story, the middle Tendo daughter mumbled a good-bye and hung up the phone.
*Ranma and my sister kissing is strange enough but in the girl's locker room?!? Have they lost their minds?!?*
*How many times have they kissed?* Nabiki wondered. *I know I caught them during the play--could Ranma possibly be that good a kisser?* Then the full scope of what all this meant came to her...and she smiled.
*This is it! THE mother lode!* her smile widened. *They are mine!*
The very idea of having Ranma under her complete control made her giddy. She'd never experienced such a feeling of power before. Her mind had already started to calculate how much she could make selling pictures of the two of them to Kuno, not to mention the pure profit the pictures of Ranma's male half would bring in when she sold them to the girls at school.
*Wait a second! I could sell HIM too! 'Buy a date with the best-looking hunk at school!'* Then she stopped and her eyes widened. *Why stop there? The girls can buy dates with Ranma, and Kuno would SURE love buying a date with his pigtailed princess!*
Yen signs practically danced in her head as she thought of it. The
dancing yen stopped when she felt a very slight pang of guilt, which
she quickly suppressed. This was not the time to think of guilt.
She was brought back to the present when she heard the voices of her intended victims as they arrived in the house. Ranma and Akane were walking up the stairs, and she could hear their conversation.
"Ranma, please don't be angry at P-chan. He was just trying to
protect me!"
"That's what you said before! I was only trying to kis--mmph!"
Nabiki strained to hear what Akane was saying.
"Watch what you say! What if someone heard?"
*Too late, little sister,* Nabiki thought. *Far too late!*
---------------
"See you later, Akane."
P-chan growled slightly as Ranma went into his room. Ryoga was
still angry that his nemesis had tried to kiss her in front of him.
"Quit that, P-chan!" Akane said as she walked over and entered
her room. "You are going to have to learn not to growl at Ranma!"
P-chan frowned as Akane set him on her bed. *She never yelled
at me before! Damn you Ranma! You deny me happiness even as a pig!*
He was so caught up in his self-pity that he didn't notice Akane
undressing until she was in her underwear.
The piglet started to turn away when he saw Akane open a drawer and pull out a bra and pair of panties.
*She's going to change her underwear? If Ranma finds out he'll
KILL me!*
"P-chan, where are you going?" Akane dropped the lingerie on the
bed and reached for her pet, but he had already jumped out of her window. Ryoga could hear her as he landed and scooted away.
"P-chan, come back!"
*I'm sorry, Akane, but this is for your own good.*
After a few minutes of running, he stopped and tried to get his
bearings.
*How in the hell did I end up at a shrine? Wait a minute--I've been here before. That crazy redheaded woman lives here!*
P-chan's thoughts were interrupted by a frighteningly familiar voice.
"Little pig, you're back! Come down to my lab and I'll get you some hot water. I really need to research your...condition."
P-chan just sobbed.
--------------------------
Ranma lay on his futon and stared at the ceiling. His usual trip to the roof was aborted when he heard Akane yelling for P-chan. That meant Ryoga was outside somewhere, and Ranma did NOT want to see him at that particular moment, especially since Ryoga was very much on his mind.
*I wish he would just stay lost! I'm not gonna put up with him biting me every time I get close to Akane!*
That forced Ranma to finally confront the question that had been floating beneath the surface of his mind.
*How would everyone react if they found out we're getting close?*
The scenario Ranma pictured wasn't a good one. First off, Ryoga and Kuno would try to kill him. That didn't worry him much. The heir of Anything Goes Martial Arts had proven on more than one occasion that he could beat both of them senseless. Of course, that didn't mean he actually wanted them to attack him all the time, but if push came to shove, Ranma could handle it.
The second problem would be their fathers. There was no doubt in
Ranma's mind that they would have a wedding ready within minutes
of finding out, and even if they did figure out a way to postpone it, he had a feeling that they wouldn't take 'No!' as an answer for long.
However, it was the third problem that worried him the most. Shampoo. There was no doubt in Ranma's mind that Shampoo's first reaction would be to try to kill Akane. The main problem was that the Amazon was very capable of doing it. Even worse was the fact that Akane wouldn't admit that she couldn't beat Shampoo on her best day.
That meant Ranma would have to protect her. While Ranma could
beat Shampoo, he also knew she would be relentless in her efforts to kill Akane. He'd have to be with her constantly to ensure her safety.
*Could I protect her all the time?* he thought, then he frowned. *Hell, if I tried we might as well BE married!*
Ranma sighed.
*I have two choices, try keeping it a secret or,* he swallowed a lump
that formed in his throat, *not try at all.*
Ranma's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. He got up and slid it open. Nabiki didn't wait for an invitation, but walked in and took a seat on the floor. Ranma eyed her suspiciously.
"What do you want?"
"What do I want?" Nabiki replied. "Ranma, I'm hurt! Can't I come and chat with my sister's fiance for no reason at all?"
The smile on her face sent a chill up Ranma's spine.
*What is she up to?* he wondered. *She HAS to be up to something.*
Nabiki tried to look innocent, but Ranma wasn't fooled. Not this time.
"So, how's it going?" When Ranma said nothing, she continued. "It
was a lovely day today. Is that why you ditched school?"
"Umm....yeah!" he stammered out.
Nabiki sighed wistfully. "It REALLY must be nice to roam around
Nerima all day with Ryoga, isn't it?"
"Ryoga? H-how did you know...?" The rest of the sentence froze in
Ranma's mouth as a terrible sinking feeling formed in his stomach. *Maybe she...* The color drained out of his face as he stared at her. Nabiki's smile seemed to widen in contrast.
*Oh NO!* he thought. *She knows!*
"So, lover boy, have anything to say about this afternoon?"
"Urk!"
"Very descriptive...I'm glad I got my information from the girls in
Akane's class. They had a LOT more to say."
Ranma tried to remember how much money he had stashed away in his hidey-hole. His frozen brain refused to respond. In any case, it
evidently wouldn't be enough.
---------------
Akane stood with her ear pressed against Ranma's door. It was a good thing she'd decided to listen in on Ranma and Nabiki instead of knocking and getting Ranma to help her find P-chan. She and Ranma were in trouble, unless she could think of a way to defuse the situation.
Akane thought hard. Nabiki always managed to have the upper hand over people, especially Ranma. That was the scary thing about her sister. She rarely lost her cool, and she always knew all the angles.
Akane mentally kicked herself. She should have seen this coming.
*What are we going to do?* she wondered. *She's holding this over our heads, and we don't have any way to strike back. We don't have anything on HER! Nabiki always covers her tracks too well.* Then something clicked.
Akane could hear Ranma stuttering on the other side of the door, and realized that she had minutes, if not seconds, before he'd agree to anything her sister demanded. Akane backed away from Ranma's door and hurried downstairs. She had an idea, but very little time to put it into action.
Seconds later she was in her room, searching through an old photograph album. A cry of triumph nearly escaped her when she found what she was looking for.
*Hang on, Ranma. I'm coming!*
---------------
"Um, I don't have much...I mean..."
Nabiki smiled as she watched Ranma squirm. This was much more fun than she'd anticipated.
"Who's asking for money, Ranma? I'd much, much rather have your
services."
"S-services?" Nabiki didn't think it was possible, but Ranma looked
even more frightened. "What do you want?"
"First? I'd say a little photo shoot is in order. After some cold
water, of course." When Ranma just sat there, Nabiki took that as
agreement and continued. "Then you can help me persuade Akane to pose for me. I've got plenty of buyers for photos of the two of you."
Ranma continued to stay silent, and Nabiki began to see little piles
of money floating in front of her eyes. They were even bigger than
the ones she had imagined earlier.
"Now take off your shirt, dear. I want to take a couple of beefcake
photos while I'm here."
Nabiki pulled a camera out of her pocket and waved impatiently at
Ranma.
"No," he said.
Reality seemed to crash in on Nabiki at the word.
"Excuse me?"
"I said no!" he barked out. "You ain't draggin' Akane into this!"
Nabiki smirked. "Now Ranma, you really don't want me telling Father and Mr. Saotome about this, do you?"
The look of anger on Ranma's face made Nabiki's smile disappear, and she began to wonder if she'd pushed things too far. But before anything else happened the door slid open and Akane came in.
"You're not making us do anything, Nabiki!"
Nabiki's smile returned. *Little sister, you don't get it, do you?* "Suppose I tell Daddy and Mr. Saotome what I heard today? We can hold a wedding tomorrow!"
Akane blocked the doorway. "No you won't. Not unless you want this distributed to everyone at school. If people are busy laughing at this, it might be difficult to make them take you seriously."
Nabiki took the photo from Akane. She took one look at it and immediately turned white.
---------------
Ranma tried to control his anger. He was having a difficult time
reminding himself that Nabiki wasn't a martial artist, and he couldn't
hit her. Then Akane came in, and somehow turned the tables. Ranma reached for the photo.
"Hey, let me see that!"
"NO!!!"
Nabiki tried to pull her hand behind her back, but Ranma was too fast for her. He grabbed the photo and looked at it. Seconds later he was on the floor, laughing so hard that he had to hold his stomach. Nabiki tried desperately to pry the picture out of his fingers, but was unsuccessful.
Ranma took another look, and dissolved into laughter again.
The picture showed a two year old Nabiki, enjoying a chocolate-covered cookie. She had the cookie stuffed into her mouth and another in her hand. She was also covered in chocolate from head to toe. But the funniest thing about the photo was that Nabiki was stark naked.
Ranma looked at his fiancee, who was also giggling.
"Akane, I don't know how you thought of this, but it's perfect!"
Before Akane could respond, Nabiki ran between them and out of the room. Ranma was surprised at the action, but Akane just smiled and waved him over. He got up and they both headed for Akane's room, where they found Nabiki frantically tearing through the pages of the album.
"Where's that negative!"
Akane folded her arms, looking completely confident.
"Where you'll never find it, Sis. Give up. You won't win this fight."
Nabiki looked at her sister. "I want the negative, Akane! Now!"
"Not likely," came Akane's reply. "I am sick and tired of you
constantly using me and Ranma and I think it's going to stop. Now."
Nabiki's expression became that of total innocence. "I...I can't
believe you would resort to blackmail. I'm shocked! I'm appalled."
"You're also overacting," Akane responded.
That was enough to make Ranma start laughing again. He barely noticed Nabiki's expression harden.
"I'm glad the two of you think that's so funny! I don't!" She turned
on her heel and left the room, slamming the door behind her.
---------------
Nabiki's departure allowed Akane to release the breath she'd been holding. She had come very close to losing her composure and totally breaking down.
Ranma was still chuckling somewhat, then he stopped.
"Akane," he said, "do you think that'll keep her from telling them?"
Akane nodded. "Yes. For now." She shivered. "I took a chance with that picture. I-I was scared it wasn't going to work."
"Are you okay, Akane?"
Akane stared at Ranma as if he was insane. "Okay? I just blackmailed my sister! Of course I'm not okay!" she almost shouted.
Akane looked like she wanted to cry, which was the last thing Ranma wanted her to do.
*I need to get her mind off of this!* he thought. *Well, I guess now
is as good a time as any to talk with her...but not here.*
Akane didn't seem to notice as he walked up to her. "Come on," he
said. "There's a place I want to show you."
"Wha--?"
Before Akane could say anything more, Ranma grabbed her around the waist and draped her over his shoulder.
"Ranma! W-what are you doing?"
"Akane, just trust me. Okay?" He felt Akane tense up as he walked
over to her window and opened it.
"Ranma--why did you...? RANMA, DON'T YOU DARE!!"
Just as Akane finished yelling, Ranma leaped out of her window and onto a nearby tree limb. Using it as a springboard, he rebounded up and landed on the roof.
Akane caught her breath as Ranma landed, and he set her down on the roof. He nearly laughed at her confused, frightened expression. "You brought me up to the roof? You scared me to death to bring me to MY OWN ROOF?!"
"Umm...yeah," he replied sheepishly. "I do all my thinking here and I
thought you'd like to see it."
---------------
Akane couldn't believe what Ranma had just said. He had scared her half to death just to show her own roof!
*It's not like I haven't been here before!* She was strongly
considering knocking Ranma into orbit when she noticed the look on his face. Despite her growing feelings for her fiance, Akane still had a tendency to think the worst about him. She expected his usual "I'm so good I even amaze myself" grin on his face. Instead, there was a nervous expression. It then dawned on her what he had said.
"I knew you come up here," she blurted out, "but I never imagined you actually think!"
Akane wanted to bite her tongue when she saw the glimmer of pain flash over Ranma's face, then disappear into a stony expression.
"Forget it," Ranma said in a slightly angry tone. "Sorry I bothered
you."
Ranma turned to leave but stopped when Akane grabbed his arm.
"I...I'm sorry, Ranma," Akane pleaded. She moved her hand to his and gripped it. "Nabiki has me so upset I can't think straight."
She watched his face return to its previous nervous look.
"O-okay."
---------------
Ranma walked to the center of the roof, sat down, and gestured for Akane to join him. As she came over, Ranma thought about what he was going to say.
*I have to do this right! If I screw this up she'll never forgive me!*
Akane bit her lip nervously as she sat beside Ranma.
*I can't screw up like that again. I nearly drove him away.*
Ranma sat there for a few minutes, quietly trying to figure out what to say. He could feel the tension building as Akane waited for him to speak. Finally, he took a deep breath and began.
"Nice day, isn't it?"
Akane just stared at him. "What???"
"That's not what I wanted to say!"
Ranma watched as Akane opened her mouth, closed it again, and clenched her fists. "I didn't think so," she replied. "Want to try again?"
"I'm not sure where to start, Akane."
"Try the beginning?"
"I w-was thinking. If you and me...I mean...if we were a c-couple, it would be kinda hard to do it openly. I mean...our fathers would be trying to get us married the moment they found out."
Akane looked thoughtful. "You're probably right. Look how Nabiki tried to hold that over our heads. B-but why are you telling me this?"
Ranma shrugged. "I-I just got to thinking about it, that's all," he replied.
"Well, I guess if we did decide to be a couple, we'd have to keep it a secret," Akane said, then hastily added "that is IF we were going to be a couple."
"That's what I was thinking," Ranma said, "but do we want to be a couple?"
Time seemed to freeze as the words hung in the air. Akane looked at Ranma.
"Oh, Ranma...I--"
"Dinner's ready!" Kasumi's voice shattered the mood.
Ranma fidgeted for a few seconds as he stared at his hands. Then he looked up at Akane. "I guess we'd better go to dinner."
"Y-yeah," Akane replied. As Ranma and Akane climbed off the roof, the pigtailed martial artist noticed that Akane had stopped.
"Oh no! I forgot about P-chan!"
"Oh yeah," Ranma said. "Why did the piglet jump out of the window anyway?"
"I don't know. I was in the middle of changing clothes and he just ran off!"
*So, Ryoga's keeping his word,* Ranma thought. *Good.*
"I wouldn't worry about him, Akane. P-chan is good at taking care of himself, y'know."
---------------
The next day found Kodachi smiling very happily in Home Economics class.
"The cookies smell wonderful," she said aloud as she pulled them from the oven. "These will be perfect for my Ranma!"
She then let out a short laugh. "Ohoho! Once Ranma tastes these cookies, he will be speechless!" she said, and then thought *And motionless as well!*
The thought of drugging her love dampened her good mood a little. *Oh Ranma, if only you would admit your true feelings for me, I could take care of your "problem" easily!* Visions of her killing Akane in every way imaginable flooded her mind.
"Did you hear about what happened at Furinkan?"
Kodachi was jolted out of her daydream. "Whatever are you talking about?"
"The ladies' locker room blew up!"
"Was anyone hurt?" she asked, secretly hoping that Akane Tendo was in the locker room at the time.
"Nobody got hurt, but it's just TOO bad that nobody got a picture of that last good thing that happened in there."
Kodachi looked down her nose at the girl who was speaking. She couldn't recall her name, but only that she had recently switched to St. Hebereke's from Furinkan High.
"And what would that be?"
"Akane Tendo had her fiance in there and they were kissing!"
The other girls in the room began to back away. The recent transfer student looked rather surprised at their reaction, but remained where she was.
The gymnastic martial artist didn't move, and her face showed only a fraction of the horror she felt inside. *That peasant kissed Ranma???*
The words rolled around in her mind. *Ranma had been kissed by a peasant? No, he wouldn't do that willingly. She must have...*
"No," Kodachi whispered as her eyes grew wide. Then she shouted "NO! My-my poor helpless Ranma!"
Instantly, a spotlight flashed onto the gymnast and she pulled a microphone out of the air. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she began to speak.
"My poor Ranma! To be dragged into the women's locker room--a place dedicated to the fairer sex--and to be FORCED into debauchery by that...that tramp!" Kodachi screeched. "I will NOT permit it! Teacher, I must leave to save my Ranma!" Before the teacher could reply, Kodachi was gone, leaving the air filled with black rose petals.
"Oh, great," one of the students complained. "I hate having to clean those up!"
---------------
"Achoo!" Akane scratched her nose. *There must be too much flour in the air.* She opened the oven door, put the cookies in, and re-checked the temperature. *This batch of cookies is going to be perfect. I followed my teacher's instructions exactly!*
Akane thought about the way Ranma usually reacted to her cooking.
*Maybe, just maybe Ranma will try them.*
---------------
*Stupid teachers!* Ranma thought as he put away the last of the books. *I had a good excuse for skipping school yesterday and they still punish me!* He let out a sigh.
"At least that's done," he muttered.
*I'm starved. Wonder if Akane wants to have lunch with me.*
With that thought, Ranma headed toward the Home Ec room to ask her. When he got there, Ranma couldn't get near the room. A huge crowd of boys blocked the hallway.
"What's going on?" Ranma asked.
"The girls are baking cookies!" one of the guys said. "We're waiting to get some of them!"
Ranma shuddered. *I gotta get out of here before Akane finds me.* He turned, and stopped when he saw Kuno, wearing a piyo piyo bib and carrying a knife and fork, standing in his way.
"Out of my way, foul knave! I must be the first in line to sample the wondrous cookies baked by the fair Akane!"
Kuno's words made Ranma pause. A part of him wanted to get away from Akane's cooking, but another part didn't want Kuno getting the cookies, even if he was 100 percent certain that they would make him sick as a dog for a week.
"Trust me, Kuno," Ranma replied. "You don't want the cookies Akane is making--not unless you like being sick."
It was obvious to everyone in the hallway that Kuno was furious. The smarter students began to back away. Being in the middle of a fight between Ranma and Kuno wasn't their idea of fun. The fight, however, never happened.
---------------
Every head in the Home Ec room turned toward the sound of the crash. Akane was the first to identify the intruder coming through the window, and she was NOT happy to see her.
"Kodachi! What are YOU doing here?
Kodachi finished brushing the little pieces of glass from her leotard and glared at Akane.
"I have come to free my Ranma from your perverted ways!"
"MY PERVERTED WAYS???" Akane screeched. *She thinks I'M a pervert?!*
Akane noticed that the other girls began a quick retreat out into the hallway, but were stopped by the guys trying to come in to see what was going on. Two boys were trying especially hard to get in, namely Ranma and Kuno.
Their reactions were completely different when they saw the scene in front of them.
"Sister, what are you doing here?" asked Kuno.
Ranma looked at Akane. She appeared to be unhurt. "Akane! Are you okay?"
Neither girl responded.
"Did you not drag my poor, helpless Ranma into the women's locker room?" Kodachi asked Akane.
Images of the locker room kiss passed through Akane's mind. She smiled inwardly as she relived it, but quickly pushed the feelings aside. Akane couldn't deny Kodachi's accusation, because people would want to know what really happened. She struggled to find a way to respond.
"Well...I..." Akane stammered.
"Who are you calling helpless?" yelled Ranma. Again, neither of the girls paid any attention to him.
"Now I am here to rescue him and end this unwanted 'engagement' once and for all!"
*Oh, NO you won't!* Akane thought, as she prepared for an attack. "So, you want another beating?" she asked confidently, her confusion gone. "Fine by me!"
"Beating? Ohohohoho! I have no intention of stooping to your level," the gymnast sneered. "Akane Tendo, I formally challenge you to a martial arts gymnastic match for the hand of Ranma Saotome!"
"WHAT?!" shouted practically everyone in the room.
" I said, 'I, Kodachi Kuno, challenge Akane Tendo to a martial arts gymnastics match.' Are all of you deaf?"
"Get real, Kodachi," Akane responded. "We've been through this before. You lost, and you kept that oath for a total of two seconds!"
Akane watched with satisfaction as Kodachi's face turned bright red. *Good, I got to her.* She tensed, expecting Kodachi to attack, but her rival took a step back, and it was obvious to Akane that Kodachi was struggling hard to hold onto her temper.
After a few seconds, Kodachi was in enough control to answer. She smiled at Akane, a smile that made her skin crawl, and offered another option.
"Suppose we make the prize something more...physical."
"What!?!?" Akane heard Ranma say.
She took a quick glance at him and saw most of the other boys trying to stop their noses from bleeding. Ranma, however, just stood there with his mouth hanging open. Then she turned her complete attention back to Kodachi.
"Exactly what do you mean by physical?" demanded Akane.
"Can't you guess? My darling Ranma will give a kiss to the victor! And when I win, he will know how a true woman's lips should feel!"
Ranma tried to say something, but all Akane could see was his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
*Which he is,* she thought. *Now you see what I go through!*
This only served to make Akane angrier at Kodachi. She wanted to pound the smug look off Kodachi's face. She exerted every bit of self-control to keep herself from doing just that.
"Fine!" she growled.
"We will hold it in a week at St. Hebereke's gym."
Ranma finally found his voice. "Wait a second!" he shouted. "I never said I'D be the prize!"
"No way, Kodachi!" Akane objected, completely ignoring her fiance. "We'll hold it here, where it'll be harder for you to cheat!"
"I do not cheat!" Kodachi replied "but it is acceptable." The tone of her voice, and the fact that she spoke through clenched teeth, made it clear that she wasn't happy about it.
"Hey! Wait a sec!" Ranma yelled.
"Now I must be off! I have a victory party to plan!" Kodachi cackled. The Black Rose turned and walked to the opening she had made before. "Farewell, darling Ranma!"
The look of fury on his face was enough to make Akane wince.
"Oh, and Akane?" Kodachi continued. "This time, no matter what the excuse, no substitutes."
Akane growled deep in her throat. "Don't worry. I'll be there."
"That," Kodachi quipped as she leaped through the hole, "remains to be seen."
"Hold on! Kodachi! I didn't..." Ranma's voice trailed off at the disappearance of Kodachi. "...agree...to...this? Oh, man..."
The rage Akane felt lingered, despite Kodachi's departure. *How DARE she? I'm gonna rip her apart!!!*
"Akane! Why did you agree to that?" Ranma asked angrily. "I ain't some kinda prize in a contest, you know!"
"Now you know how I feel! Why do you think I get so mad--" The rest of her sentence was cut off when she smelled something burning. "Oh no!" Her argument with Ranma forgotten, Akane turned around and ran for the stove. When she opened the oven door, black smoke billowed out. "MY COOKIES!!!"
Akane was holding a pan of what looked like pieces of coal when Ranma approached her.
"Sorry about your cookies," Ranma blurted out. "But at least now they look uneatable too!"
The next thing Akane knew, the cookies were on the floor and Ranma was flying through the roof.
"Ranma, you idiot!"
---------------
*Well, that was a stupid thing to say,* Ranma thought as he was sailing through the air. *I shoulda known better than to say that, even if it was true!*
He hit the ground, rolled a couple of times, and stopped. Ranma got up, dusted himself off, and started the long walk back to school.
"She's getting stronger. This is the farthest I've even flown!"
*I'd better get back to school. I have to get it through Akane's head that I'm NOT gonna be a prize!*
Ranma ran back to the school, trying to figure out how he was going to tell Akane that without having to take another unwanted long-distance trip.
---------------
As Akane placed the scorched tray into the sink, she frowned.
*Darn that Kodachi! She ruined it!* Then she smiled evilly. *Well, she'll get what's coming to her when we fight!*
Akane imagined the gym filled with her friends, all of them cheering as she clobbered the Kuno girl. Then she stopped short.
"Oh no!" she cried aloud. "We need the coach's permission to hold the match here!"
Akane left the dirty dishes in the sink and took off for the gym.
---------------
The sound of running footsteps echoed through the hallway.
*I hope I catch Akane before she talks to the teacher,* Ranma thought. *Otherwise, I'm stuck!*
The martial artist turned the corner and had to jump out of the way to miss colliding with his fiancee. "Hey, watch it!" he shouted, as he regained his balance.
"Watch it yourself!" Akane yelled back. "I've got to get to Ms. Kitami's office before she starts her next class."
"Akane, we need to talk about--" responded Ranma. Before he could say anything else, he felt Akane grab his collar and drag him towards the coach's office. "Hey! Leggo!"
"No time!" Akane shouted back as she increased her speed.
---------------
Akane and Ranma arrived at the gym teacher's office just as Ms. Kitami was leaving.
"Hello, Ms. Kitami," Akane said as she bowed.
"Hello...Akane, isn't it?"
"Yes, Teacher," she said.
"And this is your fiance, I assume?"
Ranma had just finished straightening his clothes when he heard the question.
"Yep! That's me!"
His directness took Akane by surprise, and instantly made her blush.
"So, what brings you here?" Ms. Kitami asked.
"Ummm...w-we needed to ask you a favor," Akane stammered out as she tried to regain her composure.
Ms. Kitami raised one eyebrow. "Oh, what would that be? I was going to lunch," she continued. "Why don't you walk with me and we'll talk on the way."
The three set off down the hallway, but after walking a few feet Ranma grabbed Akane's arm and forced her to slow down.
"Dammit, Akane! I never agreed to this!"
Akane looked guilty for a second. *Ranma's right, but it's too late. I've already committed myself to this match!* "I'm sorry Ranma, but I can't back out now! I'd look like a coward!"
Ranma looked like he was going to protest, but then Akane saw him slowly deflate.
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "But I still don't like it!"
Ms. Kitami walked ahead, not speaking at all. After their whispered exchange, Ranma and Akane followed behind until they turned the corner to the cafeteria. Then Akane got up the courage to speak.
"Ms. Kitami," she said. "We need to ask you if we could set up a gymnastics meet here next week."
The teacher looked surprised at the request, then her face become emotionless. "Come here, Miss Tendo," she said. "I have something to show you," she said coolly.
They walked in silence. Each step seemed to Akane as if she and Ranma were walking to their executions, rather than to the cafeteria. The fact that the other students were scurrying away from them and giving her and Ranma looks of total pity wasn't helping any. She then noticed that her fiance was also somewhat nervous. Akane found herself standing with Ranma in front of Furinkan High's trophy case. Akane smiled slightly at all the ribbons and trophies that lined it. She'd had a part in winning some of them, and couldn't help but be a little proud of her achievements.
"Do you see these?" Ms. Kitami asked. Her angry tone of voice made Akane's pride seem unimportant.
Akane looked where the teacher was pointing. There was a row of gymnastics awards, quite an impressive one, but none of them were for first place.
"These are the results of countless hours of training by students who dedicate themselves to the sport of Martial Arts Gymnastics."
"Yes, Ma'am," said Akane, wondering what was coming next.
"They gave their blood, sweat and tears to win those," the teacher continued, completely ignoring Akane, "and if it weren't for that evil, vile blight on the gymnastics world, Kodachi Kuno, they would be FIRST PLACE!"
"Eep!"
Akane and Ranma both jumped at the shout. They stared in horror as Ms. Kitami, the nice, quiet, demure teacher they had been talking to, performed a perfect demon-head attack.
Despite his apparent surprise, Akane found that Ranma had stepped in front of her.
"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU SHOULD STEP INTO SUCH HALLOWED GROUNDS?" Ms. Kitami roared.
"Because Kodachi Kuno challenged Akane to a martial arts gymnastics fight!" Ranma retorted.
At the words "Kodachi Kuno," the demon head's right eye began to twitch.
"SHE IS GOING TO FIGHT KODACHI KUNO?!"
"Ummm--yeah?" Akane responded as she peeked over Ranma's shoulder, unsure of whether she should stay or run.
The demon head disappeared, and they saw the confused yet somewhat hopeful look on her face. "C-could you be the one? The one that finally defeats that evil villainess and restores the honor of Furinkan High School?"
"Ahh..."
"You bet she will!" interrupted Ranma.
Akane's eyes bulged out as she heard Ranma's words. *He actually has faith in me? He actually thinks I can beat her?* Akane smiled, almost lost in her own dream world, as she tried to concentrate on what the teacher was saying.
"Yes! You are the one! You have to be! Oh, how I've dreamed of having Kodachi Kuno know the feeling of defeat!"
"Hey! She's been beaten before!" Ranma said.
"Yes, but she was beaten by a stranger, not one of Furinkan's own!"
"What??" Ranma shouted, but was drowned out by the teacher's rambling.
"But now--NOW we have a chance for redemption! A chance to remove the blotch that has tainted our lives for so very long...a chance to be free! Free forever!!!"
"Umm..." both Ranma and Akane said as they slowly backed away from Ms. Kitami.
"S-so," Akane finally said. "Do we get to use the gymnastic ring?"
"I don't know."
There was a collective THUD as every student and teacher within earshot, including Ranma and Akane, fell over.
"Drop by my office after school and I'll let you know then. I don't foresee any problems, but I have to make sure."
"Th-thank you," Akane replied as she got off the floor.
"Talk to you later!" Ms. Kitami said cheerfully as she entered the lunchroom.
The pair stared as she walked off. Once she was out of sight, Ranma spoke.
"That is a strange woman."
Akane found herself in total agreement.
The two martial artists turned and walked back towards their classroom, neither of them saying a word. They were almost there when Ranma broke the silence.
"Akane, I'm sorry for what I said about your cooking. It was just pure reflex."
Akane frowned slightly. She had almost forgotten about the incident.
"Well, you should at least give me a chance!" she muttered. She noticed that Ranma's face now had a frown on it. He also appeared to be very uncomfortable about something.
"Ranma?"
---------------
*What am I gonna do?* the pigtailed martial artist as the stared at his fiancee. *I can't tell her she couldn't boil water to save her life, but I do NOT want to eat any of her cooking either!* He pondered the problem for a few seconds until he was interrupted by Akane's voice.
"Ranma?"
"C'mon, it's lunch time!" he said quickly. "Let's go eat!"
With that remark, Ranma grabbed Akane by the hand and dragged her the rest of the way before she could say anything. *I'll figure this out later,* he thought. *I hope.*
---------------
The rest of the day passed by very quickly. However, after the excitement had died down, Ranma's confidence in Akane began to waver, and despite his show of support for her, he was having second thoughts.
*Kodachi is good,* Ranma thought as he glanced at Akane. *In a straight fight Akane could beat her, but in a martial arts gymnastic match she doesn't stand much of a chance.* The mental image of Akane wrapped up in her own ribbon made him shudder. *But she was getting a little better before she twisted her ankle.*
Ranma shifted in his chair and took another look at Akane. *Oh, man...we are in trouble!*
---------------
Akane sat at her desk and frowned. She had a week to train for her fight. For just a moment, she wished Ryoga was around so she could learn from him, but then she changed her mind. Considering the way Ryoga and Ranma got along, they would probably spend more time fighting each other than helping her train.
*I wish Ms. Kitami could have said yes instead of making us wait.* She sighed, then glanced over at Ranma. For the first time since the challenge, doubts began nagging at her.
*Can I beat Kodachi? Sure, I can take her in a fight but she almost beat Ranma in one of those matches!*
The Tendo girl turned and looked at her fiance. She immediately felt a hardened sense of determination rise in her.
*I've GOT to defeat her,* she thought. *She isn't going to touch my Ranma!* The ferocity of the thought shocked Akane, but only for a moment. Her anger was replaced by a sense of warmth.
*MY Ranma...I like that!*
---------------
The end of the school day found Ranma and Akane standing in front of the gym. They could already hear the sounds of the gymnastics team working out.
"So, you wanna go in first?" asked Ranma.
Akane shrugged, then opened the doors and walked in with Ranma tagging along behind. All of the girls stopped what they were doing when they saw them, and the captain of the team, a tall girl named Mayuri, immediately came forward to greet them.
"Hi, Akane!" she said. "You're here about the match?
"Yes," Akane replied, her voice sounding high and nervous. "How did you know about it?"
"Ms. Kitami told us. Besides that, everybody in the school is talking about the 'Kiss to the Victor' match.
Akane blanched at Mayuri's words, and one look at Ranma told her that he didn't like it either.
"Do you think we'll get permission to use the gym?"
Mayuri laughed. "I wouldn't worry about that! She'd blackmail the school board to make it happen! Ms. Kitami hates Kodachi so much that she has a dartboard with her picture on it. She changes the pic every two days."
Akane, Ranma and the team laughed. When their laughter died down, Mayuri looked directly at Akane. "Are you sure you're up to this?"
"Honestly? I don't know," replied Akane. Then she returned Mayuri's gaze with a determined glint in her eyes. "But she's going to have to kill me to stop me from beating her."
"Would you like our help?"
Before either one of them could answer, Ms. Kitami entered the gym. "There she is!" she cried. "The one who will make all our hopes a reality!"
Both Akane and Ranma's faces turned bright red, while Mayuri just shook her head and went back to practicing.
"Everything is set up, Akane," she continued, totally ignoring the looks on their faces. "You will have the gym this Saturday afternoon. Now run along home and practice!" Before either one could say a word, Ms. Kitami was pushing them out the door.
"Go! I don't want you picking up any bad habits from us! It might corrupt you, and make you lose!"
As they were being pushed out the door, Akane looked at the team. She saw Mayuri stop and look back, then wave good bye.
*****
As the doors swung shut behind them, Ranma waited for Akane to say something. She had the oddest look on her face.
"Something wrong, Akane?"
Akane turned and looked at him. "I have this bad feeling that if I lose, Ms. Kitami is going to have a breakdown."
"Either than or she'll kill you," Ranma replied. "Come on! We have a WHOLE lot of training to do if you are going to stand a chance against her."
"Oh, really?" Akane asked coolly.
"Well...umm...I didn't mean..." Ranma stuttered, not sure why Akane was acting the way she was.
"You know what? I think I'd better start practicing."
"Sure, we'll start--"
"No, Ranma," Akane interrupted as she gripped her bookbag and raised it over her head. "RIGHT NOW!"
"Eep!" Ranma ducked Akane's blow, and began to back away from her. "A bookbag isn't one of the standard weapons!"
"Whatever works! Now stand still and help me train, you pervert!"
Instead of standing still, Ranma fled the grounds of Furinkan High, Akane close behind, still swinging her bookbag. *Well,* he thought as he glanced back at her. *At least she's getting warmed up.*
--------------------------
to be continued
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Thanks to all the people who gave us C&C, especially SabreBabe, Gary Kleppe, D.F. Roeder, and Diese
Oh! And we don't own Washu, either!