Intro: And here it is!!! Chapter Three of the Finishing Moves story! Amazing, I actually updated TWICE! In less than a WEEK!! Astounding!!! Anyways, I know it was a long wait, but I hope this chapter is worth it.
Disclaimer: Oh yeah, I guess I have to have one of these in here, don't I? Ok, then, Ranma and all related characters, locations, situations, quotes, and props are not mine. The character Randy Donahue is, though, as are any other new characters I may or may not bring into the story later on. Feel free to use him in any stories you might write (As if anyone would bother), on the condition that you let me know about it so I can read your story. Cut and Paste is fun. (Check the first chapter's disclaimer.)
I know you've waited a long time for this, so without further ado, I give you...
------------ Finishing Moves ------------
------ Day 02, Part B: Finishing Moves, or Chaotic Choices ------
"Where'd THEY come from?!?!"
"I have NO idea." Inside, Ranma stewed. It was just beginning ALL over again, and he was just plain SICK and TIRED of it. He watched as the squabbling crowd grew closer, indescision wracking his face. Finally, he settled on angry determination, "GRAAAH!!!" Clutching Akane tighter, he leapt onto the bridge and headed for the rooftops. The crowd followed.
Ten minutes into the chase, Ranma finally spotted the perfect spot to make a stand. A large vacant lot near the canal. Leaping from the rooftops, he touched down in the center of the lot, determined to end this once and for all. The small crowd jumped down around him, and he set Akane down, preparing for the fight. He didn't get the chance.
"You're early." The sound drew everyone's attention to a purple-clad youth laying against some concrete pipes, a black baseball cap covering his face. He flipped the front of his cap up and looked around, taking in the crowd and their fighting stances. He then stood and brushed off his pants, "Hey, back off. Let's not wear him down before I get a chance to fight him."
Ranma quickly glanced around them, recognizing the vacant lot where he was supposed to fight today, "You're-!!"
The purple-clad boy nodded and took off his cap, "Randy Donahue, at your service." He took another sloppy bow, sweeping his cap in front of him while folding his other arm behind his back.
Shampoo stepped forward, "Who you?? What you want with Airen?"
"Husband? You mean this guy?" the auburn-haired boy gestured at Ranma, "I don't know about -you-, but it looks to me like he's already GOT a girlfriend." All eyes were drawn to the pig-tailed boy, who had his arm around Akane's shoulder protectively.
"EEP!!" Upon noticing where his arm was resting, Ranma withdrew it almost fast enough to leave friction burns. Then he winced as he noticed Akane flinch in disappointment, and the side of him that had forced itself to the surface after the fight with Saffron kicked the rest of him into action and he returned his arm to it's rightful place.
Of course, this action elicited fiery glares from the rest of the girls directed at Akane. (And a glare from Kuno at Ranma.) She unconsciously leaned into Ranma for support and glared back.
Randy looked back and forth between them a few times, "Woah, lookit the sparks fly! That must be some harem you got there!"
"What?!?! I do NOT have a harem!!!"
"Yeah, Ran-chan's MY fiance!"
"Aiyah! Ranma Shampoo's Airen!!"
"Ah, but Ranma-sama is too good for you low-born servant-girls!"
"Saotome, have you no end to your womanizing ways?!"
"Shampoo is MINE and you know it!!"
The purple-clad boy's eyebrows rose, "Really? That's what four women attached to one man looks like to me. On the other hand, it looks like the only one you have any interest in at all is -her-." He gestured to Akane, who blushed prettily, but didn't protest. "You must lead an interesting life."
Ranma scowled, "Interesting is NOT the word."
Randy chuckled and stowed his cap away, "I'll bet. Anyway, you ready?"
The pig-tailed boy stepped away from Akane and nodded, "Yep."
Randy nodded in return, "Okay then. I challenge you to a fight. Winner by surrender or knock-out. No other terms."
Ranma slipped into a stance modified from kenpo to fit his style, "Let's go!" The auburn-haired boy crouched down into a stance of his own, a modified cat stance, and motioned for Ranma to make the first move.
Ranma obliged, leaping forward and preparing an Amaguri-ken. He had decided to stop holding back after his fight with Saffron, as Ryouga, Mousse, and Kuno could attest to. This new kid didn't know what he was getting himself into. "Katsu Tenshin Amaguri-ken!!!" Hundreds of punches pounded out a staccato rythm against hundreds of palms as Randy shifted into a defensive position and swatted every single strike out of the air. Without calling out a special attack.
Oh, SHIT! Ranma leapt back as soon as he finished his attack, but Randy followed him into the air. This proved to be his undoing as Ranma slammed a kick straight through the auburn-haired boy's defenses during the mid-air battle. Ranma flipped safely to the ground, while Randy twisted in mid-air and landed on all fours before dropping to his knees and clutching his stomach where Ranma had kicked him.
Ranma smirked confidently while Randy sat there for a moment, regaining his lost breath. Heh! He may be faster than I am, but he can't take a hit worth beans. I'd better wait for his next attack and see what his strength is like before I kick his ass.
Recovering, Randy leapt forward, skimming just above the ground toward Ranma, who waited until the last moment to react to the auburn-haired boy's powerslide by hopping over it. His plans were derailed as Randy snagged his ankle on the way under him, which resulted in both of their momentums' being stopped dead. This effect was more detrimental for Ranma than it was for Randy simply because Randy was not in mid-air before he was stopped. Ranma slammed into the ground ungracefully, while Randy rubbed his nearly dislocated shoulder. Both of them lay there for only a second before flipping to their feet again.
Randy waited for Ranma to move first this time, so Ranma obliged once more and leapt into the air, inviting his opponent to meet him. The purple-clad boy declined his offer and stayed firmly on the ground. Instead, he moved to Ranma's landing spot and waiting for him to come down. Several blows were exchanged with Ranma still in the air and Randy still on the ground. Neither one of them made a decisive hit.
Ranma landed again and they stared at each other for a moment, face to face. Ranma's face reflected excitement, frustration, and confidence, while Randy's face was calm and collected, his eyes the only sign of his underlying excitement. Even his slight smirk was still present. If anything it had -grown- during the fight.
Ranma's eyes narrowed, He's too calm for me to use the Hiryu Shoten Ha, so that's out. He's too fast for the Amaguri-ken, so -that's- out... What do I have left aside from the Mouko Takabisha? And why's he smirking like that? Must have somethin' up his sleeve yet. Well, so do I!
Randy spoke, backing away at the same time, "We both know we're holding back. So why don't we take this fight to the next level?"
Several of the on-lookers gasped in surprise, but Ranma nodded grimly, "Let's go!"
He leapt into the air again, and this time Randy followed him up. This was not a problem. The problem was the fact that he STAYED in the air afterwards! Ranma gaped with the rest of the crew this time and nearly messed up his landing.
Randy's smirk grew full-force now, "Ah, you want to know how I do this??" The entire group nodded as one. "Tough!!" He pulled down an eyelid and stuck his tongue out for emphasis.
Ranma recovered himself and jumped into the air again. This time Randy met him halfway, running downward through the air. This time Ranma was at a disadvantage, since his skill in mid-air was canceled out by Randy's speed and now his footholds in the air. It now seemed as if Ranma was fighting in the air and Randy was still on the ground, evening the playing field.
When Ranma hit the ground again, he was panting heavily. He had never used the Amaguri-ken for such a long period of time before, and it was wearing him out. Especially since it was taking a Full-body Amaguri-ken to let him keep up with the lightning-fast boy. I've got to end this quick!! Or I might.... Anyway, I've GOT to end it now!!
Istead of heading for Randy with his next jump, Ranma leapt straight up, his aura flaring to life. As soon as he reached an even level with Randy he unleashed it in the form of a fiery golden sphere of energy, "Mouko Takabisha!!!"
"Ack!!!"The purple-clad boy's eyes widened and he dropped out of the path of the Ki blast. He stopped and crouched just before he hit the ground, staring up at the spot where he had just dropped from with wide eyes, "Da-amn!! A Spirit Blast already??! Lucky I lost my concentration..." He stood to his full height and looked down at Ranma, "Looks like you wanna take it up another level, eh? Fine by me!"
His constant smirk reappeared on his face as he held up a single finger. Electricity crackled all over his body for an instant before gathering at his fingertip, which he then pointed at Ranma, "Lightning Spear!!!" It was Ranma's turn to drop to the ground, eyes wide, as a bolt of lightning stabbed through the space he had just been a moment ago.
"What the- How did you do that??!" He demanded as he stood.
Randy shrugged, still standing in mid-air, "No biggie. Your Element's Spirit, mine's Lightning. 'S all there is to it."
Ranma stared, bewildered, "Element?..." Never mind, I've got to pay attention to the fight. Indeed, Randy wasn't giving his time to think about it as he closed in again. Randy was on the offensive this time, and since they were both on the ground, Ranma found himself hard-pressed to keep up. He was wearing down fast, and on even ground Randy was simply faster than him.
That's when he realized; Randy was emitting a full-fledged Battle Aura!! What's got HIM so riled up?? He spared a moment to glance at the purple-clad boy's face, and his eyes widened in surprise. Randy's smirk was spread wide across his face, and his eyes sparkled with joyful excitement, even in the middle of his intense assault. Just for a split second, their eyes met, and Ranma saw something. Something he'd lost not too long after he'd come to Nerima. Maybe not lost; more like hidden, or drowned out. Something clicked. And Ranma grinned back.
"Haaaaaaaaa!!!" Ranma's own Battle Aura sprang back to life, and suddenly the tables were turned. It was now Randy who was on the defensive, his body desperately trying to block or avoid the incoming maelstrom. And yet, his smirk never left his face.
In a split second, Randy had taken advantage of an opening in Ranma's defenses and landed an open-palm strike on Ranma's chest. By the time Ranma had managed to stop his reverse momentum and recover from the blow, Randy had thrown his fists back and slammed them together in front of his body. Sparks of electricity flew from the point of impact, and Ranma's blood ran cold as he heard the words, "Lightning Speed!!!"
Despite utilizing a Full-Body Amaguri-ken, Ranma found that he could barely even SEE the attacks coming his way, let alone react to them. He quickly began giving way to the unrelenting blur of motion that was Randy. The hits that actually landed still weren't very strong, but they were quickly adding up, and Ranma knew that he couldn't take much more. That's when he remembered that Randy's Battle Aura was still going full blast.
Randy continued to press the pig-tailed boy backwards, his smirk never leaving his face. It even grew wider as he sensed that victory was near. It grew into a full fledged grin as Ranma suddenly dropped all attempts at defenses. Then it was wiped from his face completely as Ranma's wild uppercut landed at the same time as his blow to Ranma's solar plexus and the words, "Hiryu Shouten Ha!!!" pierced the air.
A half-hearted, "Huh?" was all he managed before the winds of the ki-generated whirlwind swept him off of his feet. Ranma watched tiredly as the purple-clad boy flailed desperately inside the tornado. His struggles were in vain as it carried him upward, gaining speed with each revolution of the spiral. Finally he vanished from sight as the whirlwind sent to high to be seen through the dust and dirt that had been kicked up by the violent winds. After a tense moment, the whirlwind dissipated. Another moment passed before a small speck could be seen through the settling dust, still flailing wildy. Ranma watched almost giddily as Randy dropped from the sky like a stone.
And landed on his feet.
Ranma's eyes widened in horror as he realized that Randy seemed to be perfectly fine, while he had just used up the last of his energy with the Hiryu Shouten Ha. Speaking of energy... His eyes rolled back and he finally fell over in a dead faint as his exhaustion finally caught up with him.
Meanwhile, Randy just crouched where he had landed, staring intently at the ground. His feet were nearly buried up to their ankles in the soil of the vacant lot. The group who had watched the fight now watched him intently. The seconds ticked by. Seconds turned to minutes. Finally Akane stepped foward and the purple-clad boy turned his attention to her.
She put a hand forward hesitantly, "Um..."
Randy looked at her, a neutral expression on his face, "The ground..."
She looked taken aback at his response, "Huh? What about it?"
He turned back to staring at the ground, "It's hard."
A group face-fault ensued.
Unable to hold the crouch any longer, Randy finally collapsed to the ground and closed his eyes, "I think... I'll just take a nap now." His feet were still embedded in the ground.
------ Some Time Later ------
"Ugh... What hit me?" Ranma groaned as he sat up. He glanced around, taking a moment to recognize Doctor Tufu's clinic. He was currently laying on an emergency cot.
"Ah, you're finally up." Ranma looked to his left, where the newcomer lay on another cot smirking at him cheerfully. "That was a good fight. Let's do it again sometime."
Ranma was taken aback, "Wha- Y-you mean you're... offering a rematch?" He just couldn't understand it. None of his previous opponents had ever offered him a rematch on their own before. He'd always had to challenge them for it. "B-but you won!"
Randy waved a hand weakly, "Nah. If I'd 've won I'd wouldn't be here beside you, now would I?"
"......" Ranma was speechless. This was unprecedented!!! ALL- And I mean ALL of his previous opponents had claimed victory over the smallest thing, and here was a guy who had turned down an obvious win!! "But w-why? I mean you were fine when I p-passed out!" He stuttered over the words, but it much easier to admit defeat when the victor wasn't gloating about it.
Randy shook his head from where he lay, still smirking, "I passed out right after you did. So basically it was a tie. I mean, I'd have to be able to walk away from the fight to win."
"......" Ranma was speechless once more. He suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that it would become commonplace in the next little while.
The purple-clad boy started to say something, but he was interrupted by voices outside the room, "Hello, Doctor Tofu! Is Ranma awake yet??"
Tofu's pleasant voice drifted back to their room, "Why yes. He is, Akane. I believe he woke up a few minutes ago. He and the other boy spent some time talking, but they seem to have finished now. Why don't you go on back and-" He trailed off as Akane quickly brushed past him into the back room.
Akane burst into the room and headed straight for Ranma's cot, "Ranma, you jerk!! How dare you make me worry about you again! Jerk! Idiot! Dumbass! You JERK!!" She collapsed against Ranma's chest, still pounding it weakly and sniffling. He looked down at her helplessly for a moment, then glanced over at Randy's cot. The purple-clad boy smirked at him and gave him a wink, then looked away from them toward the doorway. He smiled gratefully at the boy's back and gingerly put his arms around Akane's shoulders.
Dr. Tofu silently entered the doorway and saw them, but they were too engrossed in the feeling of being in each other's arms to notice him. Randy got his attention and shook his head, then motioned that he was okay and that the doctor should go back out front. Tofu looked at him for a moment, then nodded and left the room again. Randy glanced at the couple next to him and smiled, then closed his eyes and began meditating.
------ Later ------
Ranma awoke to the completely alien sensation of complete silence. Normally he woke up to the sensation of weightlessness, accompanied by his father's booming voice screaming in his ear, followed by a bellyflop in the Koi pond and the inexplicable sensation of changing into the opposite sex in an instant. Waking to complete and total silence was... unnerving.
He started to sit up, but a weight on his chest prevented him from doing so. Looking down, he froze as he realized that Akane was curled up next to him and was using his chest as a pillow. Thankfully he was still under the covers and she wasn't. Not that that helped his situtation any. He looked over at the other occupant of the room and saw that he seemed to be sleeping, and Doctor Tofu was nowhere in sight. He glanced down at Akane's sleeping face and stared.
He suddenly wished he had a better angle to watch her from, because words could not describe the beauty of that angelic face. The face that normally wore a frown or a mask or, sometimes, a smile was now completely relaxed, the corners of her lips turned up. The only thing he could think of at that moment was how much she resembled an angel, and how much he loved her.
Yes, he could admit it now, if to no one but himself. He loved Akane. He wasn't sure of the exact moment when he had fallen in love, but he knew that the moment he had cradled her in his arms and thought her to be dead, his whole world had crashed down around him, and he had realized that he couldn't live without his Uncute Tomboy.
"Incoming." Randy's quiet voice broke through his thoughts and he looked over at the boy in the other cot as he opened his eyes and stiffly sat up.
Ranma looked at him, confused, "What?"
Randy rolled off of his cot and began doing some stretching exercises, "You're gonna be havin' company in a minute. See ya around." He stretched one last time and strolled out the door.
Ranma stared after him for a moment, How does HE know I'm going to be having- He cut himself off and closed his eyes. Stretching out his senses, he finally noticed the hostile auras headed his way. "Great! Just what I need! More fighting." He glanced down at Akane again, wondering how to wake her without upseting her also.
His problem appeared to have solved itself as Akane stared back up at him and blushed when she saw him looking at her. He stiffened and blushed nervously, "Um, did ya hear?"
She nodded silently. He made motions to sit up, "Well, better get up and face the music, then." Akane looked disappointed, but nodded again and sat up herself.
The voices of the Fiance Brigade finally made themselves known outside the building, though at their volume, it was a suprise they hadn't been heard earlier. The walls of the clinic muffled the actual words but Ranma didn't have to hear them to know what they were talking about. Or rather, arguing about.
Doctor Tofu's mild voice sounded from the front room, attempting to calm the quarreling girls, but they barged straight into the back room anyway, squeezing through the door all at once. Ranma watched with growing ire as Shamppoo, Ukyo, and Kodachi fought one another to get through the door, then fought over who would get to hold which part of his body in "sympathy". Even Akane got caught up in the fight, although her enthusiasm wasn't as great as usual.
Through all the commotion, none of them noticed that Ranma had yet to say a word. In fact, he had yet to move. His head was down and his hair hung low in front of his eyes, obscuring them from view. Finally Akane noticed the heat from his aura and stopped to actually look at him for the first time since the fight had begun, "R- Ranma?"
"......" His words would have been too soft to be heard, even if there hadn't been an argument going on at the moment. A single tear fell from his bowed head to his lap, where it was absorbed into the material and faded away, leaving no evidence that it had ever fallen in the first place. Akane was the only one to see it fall and the image burned itself into her mind. She backed away from him, unsure of what to do.
"Get away." This time the words were loud enough to be heard, but the sounds of the ongoing fight drowned them out. Akane took another involuntary step back, but reached out as if to touch him. Tears of her own came to her eyes as she watched Ranma's aura slowly pulse into the visible spectrum. Then his aura faded away, but Akane could still feel the pressure building. She backed all the way against the wall, frightened of the way he was acting and feeling helpless to stop the impending explosion.
"I said... GET AWAY!!!" Ranma's aura burst forth and he jumped to his feet, shrugging off the clinging hands of his "fiances". They all looked at him in surprise as he stood there for a moment, his aura blazing around him. This was not his usual golden-red "confidence" aura. This one shifted and turned into a mess of colors, slowly turning into a swirling mix of angry red and a depressed blue. All of the girls shrank away from him.
"Ranma-sama..." Kodachi was taken aback for a moment, but then moved to grab his arm again.
He jerked away from her, his aura still blazing hotly, "Don't touch me!!" He glared at her, then at the rest of them in turn. His glare softened when he came to Akane and he looked at her for several seconds before renewing his glare at the rest of them, "You all think you can ruin my wedding and expect things to return to normal just like that?? Think again!! You all have never listened to me before, but now I'm going to have my say and you're going to LISTEN for once!"
He turned and pointed at Kodachi, "Kodachi, leave me alone. I don't love you. I never have, and I doubt I ever will. I know you think you love me, but I just don't love you back."
The red in his aura lessened as he turned to the next in line, "Shampoo, I don't love you. I will never marry you, even if you say we already are. We might'a had a friendship once, but you ruined -that- at the wedding also. I just can't trust you."
There was even less red by this point, "Ukyo, we were best friends once. But I just don't love you the way you love me. To me, you're still my best friend. I know we're supposed to be engaged, but I just can't think of you as anything else. Maybe if things had worked out different, we could have been happy, but that ain't what happened."
The red had all but faded out by now, replaced by the dark blue of sadness, "Akane, I- I'm tired of all the fighting. I'm just tired of it. I-" He broke off as his voice cracked, and his eyes filled with tears, "All of you... Please... Stop fighting. No more fighting. No more chasing. No more tricks. No more grabbing. No more hitting. No more... No more." He trailed off and abruptly sat down on the cot. Silent sobs wracked his body and he covered his face with his hands. The four girls looked on, unable to bring themselves to comfort him.
Akane watched the depressed boy pour his heart out and her own heart wrenched in response. Her mind wrestled with her heart, telling her to stay away from the volatile package of emotion sitting on the cot. Then her famous temper flared up and drop-kicked her mind into the next day. Her temper was gone as quick as it had come, leaving only her heart in charge.
She moved in front of the sobbing boy and knelt in front of him. She gently grabbed his hands and pulled them away from his face, which was streaked with tears. He raised his face and his overflowing eyes slowly moved up to meet her own glistening orbs, "A-" His voice caught and he started over, "Akane?" he asked hestitantly, wonderingly.
The short-haired girl put a finger to his lips and shook her head. Then she removed her finger and replaced it with something softer. Ranma's eyes widened as their lips met, but he didn't pull away. Quite to the contrary, in fact. He closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss, his arms coming up seemingly of their own violition and resting his hands on Akane's shoulders. The other girls saw this and knew in their hearts that they had just lost the battle for Ranma's heart. Not they had ever had a chance to begin with.
Kodachi stood there, frozen. Her mind refused to believe what she was seeing in front of her, but somehow she knew that she had just lost her last chance to win "Ranma-sama's" affections.
Shampoo stood rigidly, her fists at her side. She was attempting to glare at Akane- or maybe Ranma, she wasn't sure- but somehow she just couldn't muster the anger. Unbidden tears came to her eyes as she frowned half-heartedly at the kissing couple. Before- and even after- the wedding attempt, she had harbored a small flickering hope that Ranma hadn't chosen Akane, but the evidence to the contrary was sitting right in front of her, eerily sharp in its clarity.
Ukyo's heart broke as she realized the implications of what was happening. Her Ran-chan was voluntarily kissing his "uncute fiance", the one he had always complained about to her, the one who always assumed the worst of him, the one who always hit him with her mallet after said assumption. Somehow, the violent tomboy had managed to do what the "cute fiance" hadn't. Somehow, Akane had gotten Ranma to-
Ranma reveled in the new feelings washing over him as he lost himself in the kiss. It was soft and sweet. It was sharp and sour. It was beautiful. It was- It was- He couldn't find the words to describe it, but he knew it was nothing like the kisses that had been stolen from him by the other fiances.
He opened his eyes when Akane broke away and they both leaned back slightly, breathing a heavily. They looked into each others eyes for a moment longer. Then Ranma tightened his grip on her shoulders and leaned forward earnestly, "Akane, I love you."
Akane's eyes sparkled with joy and she smiled up at him, "And I love you, Ranma."
There was no denying it now. It was official. Ranma Saotome had chosen.
------End Day 02, Part B ------
Author's Notes: Well?? Was it worth the wait? I certainly hope so, as I doubt I'll ever write that much WAFF in one scene again. I'm not much for Romance, being more the Action/Adventure type myself, but that seems to be the way this story's headed for the most part, so wish me luck in bringing you more WAFF.
Anyways, the first clash between Ranma and Randy has resulted in a tie. What will their next encounter be like?? Look forward to the next encounter with the Lightning Master! Oh! And wish Ranma luck; he's going to need it.
If you're confused about the Elements, go read my other main story, Chaos OneHalf. I have mostly explained what the Elements are and how they work in that story already, although I will probably go over them again in this one. Eventually.
--- Current List of Finishing Moves ---
Ranma:
Katsu Tenshin Amaguri-ken: Ki is channeled to Ranma's arms and upper body to greatly increase punching speed.
Mouko Takabisha: Ki is channeled with Ranma's emotions and fired at the opponent in the form of a sphere.
Hiryu Shouten Ha: Ranma's cold Aura is injected into the opponent's hot Aura via an uppercut to generate a tornado.
Ryouga:
Bakusai Tenketsu - Ki is channeled into the tip of Ryouga's index finger, then jammed into the breaking point of a solid object to cause an explosion.
Randy:
Electro-Walk: Randy can walk on electro-magnetic platforms in mid-air using metal plates in soles of his boots.
Lightning Spear: Lightning gathers from all over his body to Randy's fingertip for a moment before firing at the opponent.
Lightning Speed: Ki is channeled through the whole body to greatly increase Randy's speed.
Hello?
Anyone out there?
Anybody??
sigh
Disclaimer: Oh yeah, I guess I have to have one of these in here, don't I? Ok, then, Ranma and all related characters, locations, situations, quotes, and props are not mine. The character Randy Donahue is, though, as are any other new characters I may or may not bring into the story later on. Feel free to use him in any stories you might write (As if anyone would bother), on the condition that you let me know about it so I can read your story. Cut and Paste is fun. (Check the first chapter's disclaimer.)
I know you've waited a long time for this, so without further ado, I give you...
------------ Finishing Moves ------------
------ Day 02, Part B: Finishing Moves, or Chaotic Choices ------
"Where'd THEY come from?!?!"
"I have NO idea." Inside, Ranma stewed. It was just beginning ALL over again, and he was just plain SICK and TIRED of it. He watched as the squabbling crowd grew closer, indescision wracking his face. Finally, he settled on angry determination, "GRAAAH!!!" Clutching Akane tighter, he leapt onto the bridge and headed for the rooftops. The crowd followed.
Ten minutes into the chase, Ranma finally spotted the perfect spot to make a stand. A large vacant lot near the canal. Leaping from the rooftops, he touched down in the center of the lot, determined to end this once and for all. The small crowd jumped down around him, and he set Akane down, preparing for the fight. He didn't get the chance.
"You're early." The sound drew everyone's attention to a purple-clad youth laying against some concrete pipes, a black baseball cap covering his face. He flipped the front of his cap up and looked around, taking in the crowd and their fighting stances. He then stood and brushed off his pants, "Hey, back off. Let's not wear him down before I get a chance to fight him."
Ranma quickly glanced around them, recognizing the vacant lot where he was supposed to fight today, "You're-!!"
The purple-clad boy nodded and took off his cap, "Randy Donahue, at your service." He took another sloppy bow, sweeping his cap in front of him while folding his other arm behind his back.
Shampoo stepped forward, "Who you?? What you want with Airen?"
"Husband? You mean this guy?" the auburn-haired boy gestured at Ranma, "I don't know about -you-, but it looks to me like he's already GOT a girlfriend." All eyes were drawn to the pig-tailed boy, who had his arm around Akane's shoulder protectively.
"EEP!!" Upon noticing where his arm was resting, Ranma withdrew it almost fast enough to leave friction burns. Then he winced as he noticed Akane flinch in disappointment, and the side of him that had forced itself to the surface after the fight with Saffron kicked the rest of him into action and he returned his arm to it's rightful place.
Of course, this action elicited fiery glares from the rest of the girls directed at Akane. (And a glare from Kuno at Ranma.) She unconsciously leaned into Ranma for support and glared back.
Randy looked back and forth between them a few times, "Woah, lookit the sparks fly! That must be some harem you got there!"
"What?!?! I do NOT have a harem!!!"
"Yeah, Ran-chan's MY fiance!"
"Aiyah! Ranma Shampoo's Airen!!"
"Ah, but Ranma-sama is too good for you low-born servant-girls!"
"Saotome, have you no end to your womanizing ways?!"
"Shampoo is MINE and you know it!!"
The purple-clad boy's eyebrows rose, "Really? That's what four women attached to one man looks like to me. On the other hand, it looks like the only one you have any interest in at all is -her-." He gestured to Akane, who blushed prettily, but didn't protest. "You must lead an interesting life."
Ranma scowled, "Interesting is NOT the word."
Randy chuckled and stowed his cap away, "I'll bet. Anyway, you ready?"
The pig-tailed boy stepped away from Akane and nodded, "Yep."
Randy nodded in return, "Okay then. I challenge you to a fight. Winner by surrender or knock-out. No other terms."
Ranma slipped into a stance modified from kenpo to fit his style, "Let's go!" The auburn-haired boy crouched down into a stance of his own, a modified cat stance, and motioned for Ranma to make the first move.
Ranma obliged, leaping forward and preparing an Amaguri-ken. He had decided to stop holding back after his fight with Saffron, as Ryouga, Mousse, and Kuno could attest to. This new kid didn't know what he was getting himself into. "Katsu Tenshin Amaguri-ken!!!" Hundreds of punches pounded out a staccato rythm against hundreds of palms as Randy shifted into a defensive position and swatted every single strike out of the air. Without calling out a special attack.
Oh, SHIT! Ranma leapt back as soon as he finished his attack, but Randy followed him into the air. This proved to be his undoing as Ranma slammed a kick straight through the auburn-haired boy's defenses during the mid-air battle. Ranma flipped safely to the ground, while Randy twisted in mid-air and landed on all fours before dropping to his knees and clutching his stomach where Ranma had kicked him.
Ranma smirked confidently while Randy sat there for a moment, regaining his lost breath. Heh! He may be faster than I am, but he can't take a hit worth beans. I'd better wait for his next attack and see what his strength is like before I kick his ass.
Recovering, Randy leapt forward, skimming just above the ground toward Ranma, who waited until the last moment to react to the auburn-haired boy's powerslide by hopping over it. His plans were derailed as Randy snagged his ankle on the way under him, which resulted in both of their momentums' being stopped dead. This effect was more detrimental for Ranma than it was for Randy simply because Randy was not in mid-air before he was stopped. Ranma slammed into the ground ungracefully, while Randy rubbed his nearly dislocated shoulder. Both of them lay there for only a second before flipping to their feet again.
Randy waited for Ranma to move first this time, so Ranma obliged once more and leapt into the air, inviting his opponent to meet him. The purple-clad boy declined his offer and stayed firmly on the ground. Instead, he moved to Ranma's landing spot and waiting for him to come down. Several blows were exchanged with Ranma still in the air and Randy still on the ground. Neither one of them made a decisive hit.
Ranma landed again and they stared at each other for a moment, face to face. Ranma's face reflected excitement, frustration, and confidence, while Randy's face was calm and collected, his eyes the only sign of his underlying excitement. Even his slight smirk was still present. If anything it had -grown- during the fight.
Ranma's eyes narrowed, He's too calm for me to use the Hiryu Shoten Ha, so that's out. He's too fast for the Amaguri-ken, so -that's- out... What do I have left aside from the Mouko Takabisha? And why's he smirking like that? Must have somethin' up his sleeve yet. Well, so do I!
Randy spoke, backing away at the same time, "We both know we're holding back. So why don't we take this fight to the next level?"
Several of the on-lookers gasped in surprise, but Ranma nodded grimly, "Let's go!"
He leapt into the air again, and this time Randy followed him up. This was not a problem. The problem was the fact that he STAYED in the air afterwards! Ranma gaped with the rest of the crew this time and nearly messed up his landing.
Randy's smirk grew full-force now, "Ah, you want to know how I do this??" The entire group nodded as one. "Tough!!" He pulled down an eyelid and stuck his tongue out for emphasis.
Ranma recovered himself and jumped into the air again. This time Randy met him halfway, running downward through the air. This time Ranma was at a disadvantage, since his skill in mid-air was canceled out by Randy's speed and now his footholds in the air. It now seemed as if Ranma was fighting in the air and Randy was still on the ground, evening the playing field.
When Ranma hit the ground again, he was panting heavily. He had never used the Amaguri-ken for such a long period of time before, and it was wearing him out. Especially since it was taking a Full-body Amaguri-ken to let him keep up with the lightning-fast boy. I've got to end this quick!! Or I might.... Anyway, I've GOT to end it now!!
Istead of heading for Randy with his next jump, Ranma leapt straight up, his aura flaring to life. As soon as he reached an even level with Randy he unleashed it in the form of a fiery golden sphere of energy, "Mouko Takabisha!!!"
"Ack!!!"The purple-clad boy's eyes widened and he dropped out of the path of the Ki blast. He stopped and crouched just before he hit the ground, staring up at the spot where he had just dropped from with wide eyes, "Da-amn!! A Spirit Blast already??! Lucky I lost my concentration..." He stood to his full height and looked down at Ranma, "Looks like you wanna take it up another level, eh? Fine by me!"
His constant smirk reappeared on his face as he held up a single finger. Electricity crackled all over his body for an instant before gathering at his fingertip, which he then pointed at Ranma, "Lightning Spear!!!" It was Ranma's turn to drop to the ground, eyes wide, as a bolt of lightning stabbed through the space he had just been a moment ago.
"What the- How did you do that??!" He demanded as he stood.
Randy shrugged, still standing in mid-air, "No biggie. Your Element's Spirit, mine's Lightning. 'S all there is to it."
Ranma stared, bewildered, "Element?..." Never mind, I've got to pay attention to the fight. Indeed, Randy wasn't giving his time to think about it as he closed in again. Randy was on the offensive this time, and since they were both on the ground, Ranma found himself hard-pressed to keep up. He was wearing down fast, and on even ground Randy was simply faster than him.
That's when he realized; Randy was emitting a full-fledged Battle Aura!! What's got HIM so riled up?? He spared a moment to glance at the purple-clad boy's face, and his eyes widened in surprise. Randy's smirk was spread wide across his face, and his eyes sparkled with joyful excitement, even in the middle of his intense assault. Just for a split second, their eyes met, and Ranma saw something. Something he'd lost not too long after he'd come to Nerima. Maybe not lost; more like hidden, or drowned out. Something clicked. And Ranma grinned back.
"Haaaaaaaaa!!!" Ranma's own Battle Aura sprang back to life, and suddenly the tables were turned. It was now Randy who was on the defensive, his body desperately trying to block or avoid the incoming maelstrom. And yet, his smirk never left his face.
In a split second, Randy had taken advantage of an opening in Ranma's defenses and landed an open-palm strike on Ranma's chest. By the time Ranma had managed to stop his reverse momentum and recover from the blow, Randy had thrown his fists back and slammed them together in front of his body. Sparks of electricity flew from the point of impact, and Ranma's blood ran cold as he heard the words, "Lightning Speed!!!"
Despite utilizing a Full-Body Amaguri-ken, Ranma found that he could barely even SEE the attacks coming his way, let alone react to them. He quickly began giving way to the unrelenting blur of motion that was Randy. The hits that actually landed still weren't very strong, but they were quickly adding up, and Ranma knew that he couldn't take much more. That's when he remembered that Randy's Battle Aura was still going full blast.
Randy continued to press the pig-tailed boy backwards, his smirk never leaving his face. It even grew wider as he sensed that victory was near. It grew into a full fledged grin as Ranma suddenly dropped all attempts at defenses. Then it was wiped from his face completely as Ranma's wild uppercut landed at the same time as his blow to Ranma's solar plexus and the words, "Hiryu Shouten Ha!!!" pierced the air.
A half-hearted, "Huh?" was all he managed before the winds of the ki-generated whirlwind swept him off of his feet. Ranma watched tiredly as the purple-clad boy flailed desperately inside the tornado. His struggles were in vain as it carried him upward, gaining speed with each revolution of the spiral. Finally he vanished from sight as the whirlwind sent to high to be seen through the dust and dirt that had been kicked up by the violent winds. After a tense moment, the whirlwind dissipated. Another moment passed before a small speck could be seen through the settling dust, still flailing wildy. Ranma watched almost giddily as Randy dropped from the sky like a stone.
And landed on his feet.
Ranma's eyes widened in horror as he realized that Randy seemed to be perfectly fine, while he had just used up the last of his energy with the Hiryu Shouten Ha. Speaking of energy... His eyes rolled back and he finally fell over in a dead faint as his exhaustion finally caught up with him.
Meanwhile, Randy just crouched where he had landed, staring intently at the ground. His feet were nearly buried up to their ankles in the soil of the vacant lot. The group who had watched the fight now watched him intently. The seconds ticked by. Seconds turned to minutes. Finally Akane stepped foward and the purple-clad boy turned his attention to her.
She put a hand forward hesitantly, "Um..."
Randy looked at her, a neutral expression on his face, "The ground..."
She looked taken aback at his response, "Huh? What about it?"
He turned back to staring at the ground, "It's hard."
A group face-fault ensued.
Unable to hold the crouch any longer, Randy finally collapsed to the ground and closed his eyes, "I think... I'll just take a nap now." His feet were still embedded in the ground.
------ Some Time Later ------
"Ugh... What hit me?" Ranma groaned as he sat up. He glanced around, taking a moment to recognize Doctor Tufu's clinic. He was currently laying on an emergency cot.
"Ah, you're finally up." Ranma looked to his left, where the newcomer lay on another cot smirking at him cheerfully. "That was a good fight. Let's do it again sometime."
Ranma was taken aback, "Wha- Y-you mean you're... offering a rematch?" He just couldn't understand it. None of his previous opponents had ever offered him a rematch on their own before. He'd always had to challenge them for it. "B-but you won!"
Randy waved a hand weakly, "Nah. If I'd 've won I'd wouldn't be here beside you, now would I?"
"......" Ranma was speechless. This was unprecedented!!! ALL- And I mean ALL of his previous opponents had claimed victory over the smallest thing, and here was a guy who had turned down an obvious win!! "But w-why? I mean you were fine when I p-passed out!" He stuttered over the words, but it much easier to admit defeat when the victor wasn't gloating about it.
Randy shook his head from where he lay, still smirking, "I passed out right after you did. So basically it was a tie. I mean, I'd have to be able to walk away from the fight to win."
"......" Ranma was speechless once more. He suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that it would become commonplace in the next little while.
The purple-clad boy started to say something, but he was interrupted by voices outside the room, "Hello, Doctor Tofu! Is Ranma awake yet??"
Tofu's pleasant voice drifted back to their room, "Why yes. He is, Akane. I believe he woke up a few minutes ago. He and the other boy spent some time talking, but they seem to have finished now. Why don't you go on back and-" He trailed off as Akane quickly brushed past him into the back room.
Akane burst into the room and headed straight for Ranma's cot, "Ranma, you jerk!! How dare you make me worry about you again! Jerk! Idiot! Dumbass! You JERK!!" She collapsed against Ranma's chest, still pounding it weakly and sniffling. He looked down at her helplessly for a moment, then glanced over at Randy's cot. The purple-clad boy smirked at him and gave him a wink, then looked away from them toward the doorway. He smiled gratefully at the boy's back and gingerly put his arms around Akane's shoulders.
Dr. Tofu silently entered the doorway and saw them, but they were too engrossed in the feeling of being in each other's arms to notice him. Randy got his attention and shook his head, then motioned that he was okay and that the doctor should go back out front. Tofu looked at him for a moment, then nodded and left the room again. Randy glanced at the couple next to him and smiled, then closed his eyes and began meditating.
------ Later ------
Ranma awoke to the completely alien sensation of complete silence. Normally he woke up to the sensation of weightlessness, accompanied by his father's booming voice screaming in his ear, followed by a bellyflop in the Koi pond and the inexplicable sensation of changing into the opposite sex in an instant. Waking to complete and total silence was... unnerving.
He started to sit up, but a weight on his chest prevented him from doing so. Looking down, he froze as he realized that Akane was curled up next to him and was using his chest as a pillow. Thankfully he was still under the covers and she wasn't. Not that that helped his situtation any. He looked over at the other occupant of the room and saw that he seemed to be sleeping, and Doctor Tofu was nowhere in sight. He glanced down at Akane's sleeping face and stared.
He suddenly wished he had a better angle to watch her from, because words could not describe the beauty of that angelic face. The face that normally wore a frown or a mask or, sometimes, a smile was now completely relaxed, the corners of her lips turned up. The only thing he could think of at that moment was how much she resembled an angel, and how much he loved her.
Yes, he could admit it now, if to no one but himself. He loved Akane. He wasn't sure of the exact moment when he had fallen in love, but he knew that the moment he had cradled her in his arms and thought her to be dead, his whole world had crashed down around him, and he had realized that he couldn't live without his Uncute Tomboy.
"Incoming." Randy's quiet voice broke through his thoughts and he looked over at the boy in the other cot as he opened his eyes and stiffly sat up.
Ranma looked at him, confused, "What?"
Randy rolled off of his cot and began doing some stretching exercises, "You're gonna be havin' company in a minute. See ya around." He stretched one last time and strolled out the door.
Ranma stared after him for a moment, How does HE know I'm going to be having- He cut himself off and closed his eyes. Stretching out his senses, he finally noticed the hostile auras headed his way. "Great! Just what I need! More fighting." He glanced down at Akane again, wondering how to wake her without upseting her also.
His problem appeared to have solved itself as Akane stared back up at him and blushed when she saw him looking at her. He stiffened and blushed nervously, "Um, did ya hear?"
She nodded silently. He made motions to sit up, "Well, better get up and face the music, then." Akane looked disappointed, but nodded again and sat up herself.
The voices of the Fiance Brigade finally made themselves known outside the building, though at their volume, it was a suprise they hadn't been heard earlier. The walls of the clinic muffled the actual words but Ranma didn't have to hear them to know what they were talking about. Or rather, arguing about.
Doctor Tofu's mild voice sounded from the front room, attempting to calm the quarreling girls, but they barged straight into the back room anyway, squeezing through the door all at once. Ranma watched with growing ire as Shamppoo, Ukyo, and Kodachi fought one another to get through the door, then fought over who would get to hold which part of his body in "sympathy". Even Akane got caught up in the fight, although her enthusiasm wasn't as great as usual.
Through all the commotion, none of them noticed that Ranma had yet to say a word. In fact, he had yet to move. His head was down and his hair hung low in front of his eyes, obscuring them from view. Finally Akane noticed the heat from his aura and stopped to actually look at him for the first time since the fight had begun, "R- Ranma?"
"......" His words would have been too soft to be heard, even if there hadn't been an argument going on at the moment. A single tear fell from his bowed head to his lap, where it was absorbed into the material and faded away, leaving no evidence that it had ever fallen in the first place. Akane was the only one to see it fall and the image burned itself into her mind. She backed away from him, unsure of what to do.
"Get away." This time the words were loud enough to be heard, but the sounds of the ongoing fight drowned them out. Akane took another involuntary step back, but reached out as if to touch him. Tears of her own came to her eyes as she watched Ranma's aura slowly pulse into the visible spectrum. Then his aura faded away, but Akane could still feel the pressure building. She backed all the way against the wall, frightened of the way he was acting and feeling helpless to stop the impending explosion.
"I said... GET AWAY!!!" Ranma's aura burst forth and he jumped to his feet, shrugging off the clinging hands of his "fiances". They all looked at him in surprise as he stood there for a moment, his aura blazing around him. This was not his usual golden-red "confidence" aura. This one shifted and turned into a mess of colors, slowly turning into a swirling mix of angry red and a depressed blue. All of the girls shrank away from him.
"Ranma-sama..." Kodachi was taken aback for a moment, but then moved to grab his arm again.
He jerked away from her, his aura still blazing hotly, "Don't touch me!!" He glared at her, then at the rest of them in turn. His glare softened when he came to Akane and he looked at her for several seconds before renewing his glare at the rest of them, "You all think you can ruin my wedding and expect things to return to normal just like that?? Think again!! You all have never listened to me before, but now I'm going to have my say and you're going to LISTEN for once!"
He turned and pointed at Kodachi, "Kodachi, leave me alone. I don't love you. I never have, and I doubt I ever will. I know you think you love me, but I just don't love you back."
The red in his aura lessened as he turned to the next in line, "Shampoo, I don't love you. I will never marry you, even if you say we already are. We might'a had a friendship once, but you ruined -that- at the wedding also. I just can't trust you."
There was even less red by this point, "Ukyo, we were best friends once. But I just don't love you the way you love me. To me, you're still my best friend. I know we're supposed to be engaged, but I just can't think of you as anything else. Maybe if things had worked out different, we could have been happy, but that ain't what happened."
The red had all but faded out by now, replaced by the dark blue of sadness, "Akane, I- I'm tired of all the fighting. I'm just tired of it. I-" He broke off as his voice cracked, and his eyes filled with tears, "All of you... Please... Stop fighting. No more fighting. No more chasing. No more tricks. No more grabbing. No more hitting. No more... No more." He trailed off and abruptly sat down on the cot. Silent sobs wracked his body and he covered his face with his hands. The four girls looked on, unable to bring themselves to comfort him.
Akane watched the depressed boy pour his heart out and her own heart wrenched in response. Her mind wrestled with her heart, telling her to stay away from the volatile package of emotion sitting on the cot. Then her famous temper flared up and drop-kicked her mind into the next day. Her temper was gone as quick as it had come, leaving only her heart in charge.
She moved in front of the sobbing boy and knelt in front of him. She gently grabbed his hands and pulled them away from his face, which was streaked with tears. He raised his face and his overflowing eyes slowly moved up to meet her own glistening orbs, "A-" His voice caught and he started over, "Akane?" he asked hestitantly, wonderingly.
The short-haired girl put a finger to his lips and shook her head. Then she removed her finger and replaced it with something softer. Ranma's eyes widened as their lips met, but he didn't pull away. Quite to the contrary, in fact. He closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss, his arms coming up seemingly of their own violition and resting his hands on Akane's shoulders. The other girls saw this and knew in their hearts that they had just lost the battle for Ranma's heart. Not they had ever had a chance to begin with.
Kodachi stood there, frozen. Her mind refused to believe what she was seeing in front of her, but somehow she knew that she had just lost her last chance to win "Ranma-sama's" affections.
Shampoo stood rigidly, her fists at her side. She was attempting to glare at Akane- or maybe Ranma, she wasn't sure- but somehow she just couldn't muster the anger. Unbidden tears came to her eyes as she frowned half-heartedly at the kissing couple. Before- and even after- the wedding attempt, she had harbored a small flickering hope that Ranma hadn't chosen Akane, but the evidence to the contrary was sitting right in front of her, eerily sharp in its clarity.
Ukyo's heart broke as she realized the implications of what was happening. Her Ran-chan was voluntarily kissing his "uncute fiance", the one he had always complained about to her, the one who always assumed the worst of him, the one who always hit him with her mallet after said assumption. Somehow, the violent tomboy had managed to do what the "cute fiance" hadn't. Somehow, Akane had gotten Ranma to-
Ranma reveled in the new feelings washing over him as he lost himself in the kiss. It was soft and sweet. It was sharp and sour. It was beautiful. It was- It was- He couldn't find the words to describe it, but he knew it was nothing like the kisses that had been stolen from him by the other fiances.
He opened his eyes when Akane broke away and they both leaned back slightly, breathing a heavily. They looked into each others eyes for a moment longer. Then Ranma tightened his grip on her shoulders and leaned forward earnestly, "Akane, I love you."
Akane's eyes sparkled with joy and she smiled up at him, "And I love you, Ranma."
There was no denying it now. It was official. Ranma Saotome had chosen.
------End Day 02, Part B ------
Author's Notes: Well?? Was it worth the wait? I certainly hope so, as I doubt I'll ever write that much WAFF in one scene again. I'm not much for Romance, being more the Action/Adventure type myself, but that seems to be the way this story's headed for the most part, so wish me luck in bringing you more WAFF.
Anyways, the first clash between Ranma and Randy has resulted in a tie. What will their next encounter be like?? Look forward to the next encounter with the Lightning Master! Oh! And wish Ranma luck; he's going to need it.
If you're confused about the Elements, go read my other main story, Chaos OneHalf. I have mostly explained what the Elements are and how they work in that story already, although I will probably go over them again in this one. Eventually.
--- Current List of Finishing Moves ---
Ranma:
Katsu Tenshin Amaguri-ken: Ki is channeled to Ranma's arms and upper body to greatly increase punching speed.
Mouko Takabisha: Ki is channeled with Ranma's emotions and fired at the opponent in the form of a sphere.
Hiryu Shouten Ha: Ranma's cold Aura is injected into the opponent's hot Aura via an uppercut to generate a tornado.
Ryouga:
Bakusai Tenketsu - Ki is channeled into the tip of Ryouga's index finger, then jammed into the breaking point of a solid object to cause an explosion.
Randy:
Electro-Walk: Randy can walk on electro-magnetic platforms in mid-air using metal plates in soles of his boots.
Lightning Spear: Lightning gathers from all over his body to Randy's fingertip for a moment before firing at the opponent.
Lightning Speed: Ki is channeled through the whole body to greatly increase Randy's speed.
Hello?
Anyone out there?
Anybody??
sigh