Over the Clouds
Akane stared balefully at Genma and Shampoo, as they trudged their way to breakfast; looking excrutiatingly worn out from their morning training session with Ranma.
The raveh-haired girl sullenly turned away, giving a derisive huff, "I don't see why you two humor him that way. He's not going to learn anything if you keep babying Ranma."
Shampoo's eyes narrowed, but chose not to reply as she sat down. Genma remained clueless to the Amazon's sudden irritation, and answered Akane's question with oblivious humor.
"Akane, was it?" he started, sitting down and adjusting his glasses, "If we were actually going easy on Ranma, we wouldn't be near as tired, would we?"
The youngest Tendou wanted to say more, but to coy glare of the the middle sister stopped it short of even finding breath through her vocal cords.
Kasumi set the first tray of food out, having not caught the previous exchange. "Has Ranma washed up for breakfast, yet?"
"He still outside, Shampoo get him in little moment." The amazon replied, trying valiantly to keep her labored breathing concealed.
Kasumi nodded in response. "Well, breakfast is almost ready, so if you could, I would... like... oh my..."
"Shampoo..." Ranma started with a slightly irritated tone from the doorway to the tearoom.
Akane had been facing the door, and was the second to meet the sight after taking a sip of her morning tea. Shampoo had turned around at the sound of her voice, and froze, before emitting a heavy groan. Genma and Nabiki had turned to the voice simultaniously, the former first taking the moment to wipe Akane's tea from his face, before rolling his eyes, while the latter's eyes held firm, before her mouth muttered about the loss of her appetite.
"I can't find my underwear," the girl complained, oblivious to the reactions he was recieving. Shampoo laborously gained her footing, before chiding Ranma in quickly flowing Mandarin, and leading the currently (and obviously natural) redhead back to the bathroom, confused as to what the whole commotion was about.
With a sigh, the elder Saotome turned back to the three sisters, "Ah... Ranma isn't quite used to being around other people. Um.." Genma gestured lamely to where his child had been, "Forgive him...her." The apology was somewhat in a weak and subdued tone.
"Gee," Nabiki replied in a tone of dishumor, "what a healthy toddler you have there." With that, she got up, and gathered her supplies for school.
Akane quickly followed her sister, forgetting about breakfast. Her posture had shown that she was also far from amused.
"Well..." Kasumi replied, fighting down her blush, "I guess no harm was done..."
"Kasumi," Shampoo's head poked around the door frame, "Is needing towel. Father nose bleed all over floor, stain wood, yes?"
_______________________________
Akane walked brisquely alongside her sister, fuming, "That was disgusting!"
Nabiki didn't stop, as she replied, "Would you prefer looking at his boy-half more?"
The girl almost tripped at her sister's inquery, before turning her burning expression towards her. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT, AND YOU KNOW IT!!!" Akane shouted at her sister, forcing Nabiki to pace her hands up in a placating gesture.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Nabiki backed away from Akane, before turning back towards their route, "I know what you mean, but you don't have to keep going on about it."
Akane continued, pouting in irritation, "You said you knew how to get rid of the Saotomes? What if whatever happens soon?"
Nabiki's own expression firmed, "Patience, Sis. Daddy's pretty happy about having the Saotomes with us..." the elder sister turned to the younger with a sharp glare, "and having you blow up at them like you almost did this morning wouldn't help our-your case any."
Nabiki's admonishment didn't help Akane's attitude at all, but was willing to abide by her older sister's warning for now. "As long as he's gone, soon. Not only is Ranma a jerk, but a pervert, too."
Nabiki kept continuing forward to school, unconcerned with her sister's reasons for wanting Ranma gone. Tailing them, but just out of sight, Shampoo scowled, deciding that keeping an eye on the both of the was a dire task.
_______________________________
Kasumi found it habit to watch Ranma 'play'. It was an entrancing dance he performed, and it was obvious, even to her lack of martial arts experience, his elaborating and furthering what was standard.
She attempted to think back to the last time she had felt such total freedom, such youthful exuberance that is found only in the games the young play. She ceased that thought almost as immidiately as it came; she was quite happy with what she had, and what she's doing now. No need for regrets of the past, or what was lost.
Another consideration came to her; she had a little time on her hands each day that she found used for nothing more than a quick inspection of what she had already done, and done meticulously. Maybe she should take up martial arts again. From the way Ranma seems to enjoy it, she could benefit from it.
She let out a resigned sigh. She also didn't need for any whimsical notions or passing flights of-
"RANMA! PREPARE TO DIE!!!"
Kasumi froze, hearing the list a little more than audible shout ring out to where she had been observing Ranma from inside. The one who made the command came from the far end of the grounds, apparently leaping from the bordering wall towards the hapless pigtailed boy.
Startled, Ranma twisted in the air, interrupting his airborne kata, and reajusted himself for landing. Just as he did so, the newcomer landed exactly where he was going to.
Her breath stopped short in her throat, like raging water against an impenetrable dam, as the immidiate area where the two were exploded, kicking up dirt into an visibly impenetrable cloud. She couldn't force the air out exhale, until the relief of Ranma leaping back a few seconds later from the dust cloud was experienced.
her relief was cut all too short, as Ranma's attacker also leapt in pursuit, weilding an umbrella as if it were a deadly blade. He quickly caught up with the pigtailed boy, jabbing at him while they were both airborne. Ranma was *almost* pressed to evade them in the air, twisting around like some sort of flying serpent, and even often inverting himself to dodge the strikes.
Kasumi noticed Ranma's attacker getting closer, readying his other hand for a strike, but found it a futile attempt, when Ranma grabbed his umbrella, and used it as leverage to pull himself into the aggressor, slamming both feet into his gut, and down into the ground.
As the umbrella weilder crashed into the compacted soil, forming a deep crater in the yard, Ranma was launched higher and directly upwards into the air, like a bird that had been freed of a lifetime of restraints. He began a lazy backflip, descending into a swandive, before cocking his fist back, while angling his body and tucking his legs in to resist the most wind, almost imitating that bird from his ascent, exept spying prey, and diving for its desperate meal.
The boy on the ground started to pull himself out of the body-shaped pit, and heard the whistling sound that heralded the descent of something akin to a bomb. He looked up, just as Ranma was upon him.
At the sound of the dull boom, the earth around them was launched into the air, repeating the maelstrom of sod from before. The sound also stirred Kasumi from her shocked trance; someone was attacking Ranma. How could anyone dare attempt to bring harm to someone as innocent as the younger Saotome?
With that question she audatiously thought to herself, she quickly ran to find Shampoo or Ranma's father, hoping nothing truly happened before it was too late.
"Mr. Saotome!"
Kasumi's urgent cry brought Genma and Soun up from their game of shogi, startled by the eldest Tendou daughter's concern.
"Something wrong, daughter?"
"What's wrong?"
Kasumi came up short, surprised that neither of the heard the sounds of heavy fighting outside, "Someone's attacking Ranma! Some boy with an umbrella!"
At Kasumi's statement, Genma's eyes widened. With as much speed as he could muster, the elder Saotome was up, and out of the room before either Kasumi or Soun could blink.
He arrived to find Ranma and his attacker locked in grappling combat. Ranma was twisting out of the other boy's grasp, not allowing him a clean hold, while raining blows upon him that could potentially dent steel. The other boy blocked as many as possible, while still attempting to either restrain or return one of the many blows he was recieving.
"RANMA!" Genma shouted, before raising his voice even louder, "RYOGA!!"
Both fighters stopped immidiately, holding onto each other's shirts, with their right fists cocked back to deliver the next blow.
"Pop/Mr. Saotome?' they both asked in unison.
Genma cleared his throat, once he had both their attention, "Try to be careful, boys, we're guests here, so leave the damage to a minimum."
"Okay Pop/understood, Mr. Saotome," they both replied, before returning to their attempts to pound the living daylights out of each other.
Genma walked back inside, and past Kasumi and her father, who stared into the yard with shocked disbelief. "Did... did I just miss something?" Kasumi asked her remaining parent, who seemed as dumbfounded as her.
Akane stared balefully at Genma and Shampoo, as they trudged their way to breakfast; looking excrutiatingly worn out from their morning training session with Ranma.
The raveh-haired girl sullenly turned away, giving a derisive huff, "I don't see why you two humor him that way. He's not going to learn anything if you keep babying Ranma."
Shampoo's eyes narrowed, but chose not to reply as she sat down. Genma remained clueless to the Amazon's sudden irritation, and answered Akane's question with oblivious humor.
"Akane, was it?" he started, sitting down and adjusting his glasses, "If we were actually going easy on Ranma, we wouldn't be near as tired, would we?"
The youngest Tendou wanted to say more, but to coy glare of the the middle sister stopped it short of even finding breath through her vocal cords.
Kasumi set the first tray of food out, having not caught the previous exchange. "Has Ranma washed up for breakfast, yet?"
"He still outside, Shampoo get him in little moment." The amazon replied, trying valiantly to keep her labored breathing concealed.
Kasumi nodded in response. "Well, breakfast is almost ready, so if you could, I would... like... oh my..."
"Shampoo..." Ranma started with a slightly irritated tone from the doorway to the tearoom.
Akane had been facing the door, and was the second to meet the sight after taking a sip of her morning tea. Shampoo had turned around at the sound of her voice, and froze, before emitting a heavy groan. Genma and Nabiki had turned to the voice simultaniously, the former first taking the moment to wipe Akane's tea from his face, before rolling his eyes, while the latter's eyes held firm, before her mouth muttered about the loss of her appetite.
"I can't find my underwear," the girl complained, oblivious to the reactions he was recieving. Shampoo laborously gained her footing, before chiding Ranma in quickly flowing Mandarin, and leading the currently (and obviously natural) redhead back to the bathroom, confused as to what the whole commotion was about.
With a sigh, the elder Saotome turned back to the three sisters, "Ah... Ranma isn't quite used to being around other people. Um.." Genma gestured lamely to where his child had been, "Forgive him...her." The apology was somewhat in a weak and subdued tone.
"Gee," Nabiki replied in a tone of dishumor, "what a healthy toddler you have there." With that, she got up, and gathered her supplies for school.
Akane quickly followed her sister, forgetting about breakfast. Her posture had shown that she was also far from amused.
"Well..." Kasumi replied, fighting down her blush, "I guess no harm was done..."
"Kasumi," Shampoo's head poked around the door frame, "Is needing towel. Father nose bleed all over floor, stain wood, yes?"
_______________________________
Akane walked brisquely alongside her sister, fuming, "That was disgusting!"
Nabiki didn't stop, as she replied, "Would you prefer looking at his boy-half more?"
The girl almost tripped at her sister's inquery, before turning her burning expression towards her. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT, AND YOU KNOW IT!!!" Akane shouted at her sister, forcing Nabiki to pace her hands up in a placating gesture.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Nabiki backed away from Akane, before turning back towards their route, "I know what you mean, but you don't have to keep going on about it."
Akane continued, pouting in irritation, "You said you knew how to get rid of the Saotomes? What if whatever happens soon?"
Nabiki's own expression firmed, "Patience, Sis. Daddy's pretty happy about having the Saotomes with us..." the elder sister turned to the younger with a sharp glare, "and having you blow up at them like you almost did this morning wouldn't help our-your case any."
Nabiki's admonishment didn't help Akane's attitude at all, but was willing to abide by her older sister's warning for now. "As long as he's gone, soon. Not only is Ranma a jerk, but a pervert, too."
Nabiki kept continuing forward to school, unconcerned with her sister's reasons for wanting Ranma gone. Tailing them, but just out of sight, Shampoo scowled, deciding that keeping an eye on the both of the was a dire task.
_______________________________
Kasumi found it habit to watch Ranma 'play'. It was an entrancing dance he performed, and it was obvious, even to her lack of martial arts experience, his elaborating and furthering what was standard.
She attempted to think back to the last time she had felt such total freedom, such youthful exuberance that is found only in the games the young play. She ceased that thought almost as immidiately as it came; she was quite happy with what she had, and what she's doing now. No need for regrets of the past, or what was lost.
Another consideration came to her; she had a little time on her hands each day that she found used for nothing more than a quick inspection of what she had already done, and done meticulously. Maybe she should take up martial arts again. From the way Ranma seems to enjoy it, she could benefit from it.
She let out a resigned sigh. She also didn't need for any whimsical notions or passing flights of-
"RANMA! PREPARE TO DIE!!!"
Kasumi froze, hearing the list a little more than audible shout ring out to where she had been observing Ranma from inside. The one who made the command came from the far end of the grounds, apparently leaping from the bordering wall towards the hapless pigtailed boy.
Startled, Ranma twisted in the air, interrupting his airborne kata, and reajusted himself for landing. Just as he did so, the newcomer landed exactly where he was going to.
Her breath stopped short in her throat, like raging water against an impenetrable dam, as the immidiate area where the two were exploded, kicking up dirt into an visibly impenetrable cloud. She couldn't force the air out exhale, until the relief of Ranma leaping back a few seconds later from the dust cloud was experienced.
her relief was cut all too short, as Ranma's attacker also leapt in pursuit, weilding an umbrella as if it were a deadly blade. He quickly caught up with the pigtailed boy, jabbing at him while they were both airborne. Ranma was *almost* pressed to evade them in the air, twisting around like some sort of flying serpent, and even often inverting himself to dodge the strikes.
Kasumi noticed Ranma's attacker getting closer, readying his other hand for a strike, but found it a futile attempt, when Ranma grabbed his umbrella, and used it as leverage to pull himself into the aggressor, slamming both feet into his gut, and down into the ground.
As the umbrella weilder crashed into the compacted soil, forming a deep crater in the yard, Ranma was launched higher and directly upwards into the air, like a bird that had been freed of a lifetime of restraints. He began a lazy backflip, descending into a swandive, before cocking his fist back, while angling his body and tucking his legs in to resist the most wind, almost imitating that bird from his ascent, exept spying prey, and diving for its desperate meal.
The boy on the ground started to pull himself out of the body-shaped pit, and heard the whistling sound that heralded the descent of something akin to a bomb. He looked up, just as Ranma was upon him.
At the sound of the dull boom, the earth around them was launched into the air, repeating the maelstrom of sod from before. The sound also stirred Kasumi from her shocked trance; someone was attacking Ranma. How could anyone dare attempt to bring harm to someone as innocent as the younger Saotome?
With that question she audatiously thought to herself, she quickly ran to find Shampoo or Ranma's father, hoping nothing truly happened before it was too late.
"Mr. Saotome!"
Kasumi's urgent cry brought Genma and Soun up from their game of shogi, startled by the eldest Tendou daughter's concern.
"Something wrong, daughter?"
"What's wrong?"
Kasumi came up short, surprised that neither of the heard the sounds of heavy fighting outside, "Someone's attacking Ranma! Some boy with an umbrella!"
At Kasumi's statement, Genma's eyes widened. With as much speed as he could muster, the elder Saotome was up, and out of the room before either Kasumi or Soun could blink.
He arrived to find Ranma and his attacker locked in grappling combat. Ranma was twisting out of the other boy's grasp, not allowing him a clean hold, while raining blows upon him that could potentially dent steel. The other boy blocked as many as possible, while still attempting to either restrain or return one of the many blows he was recieving.
"RANMA!" Genma shouted, before raising his voice even louder, "RYOGA!!"
Both fighters stopped immidiately, holding onto each other's shirts, with their right fists cocked back to deliver the next blow.
"Pop/Mr. Saotome?' they both asked in unison.
Genma cleared his throat, once he had both their attention, "Try to be careful, boys, we're guests here, so leave the damage to a minimum."
"Okay Pop/understood, Mr. Saotome," they both replied, before returning to their attempts to pound the living daylights out of each other.
Genma walked back inside, and past Kasumi and her father, who stared into the yard with shocked disbelief. "Did... did I just miss something?" Kasumi asked her remaining parent, who seemed as dumbfounded as her.