Unexpected Results
Part 6
"All right, Ranma," Akane said, "just what the heck is going on here?"
"Yeah, Saotome," Nabiki said, "spill it."
"Fess up, boy," Genma said, "this is all some plan to send me to an early grave. Oh,
that you would do such a thing to your own father breaks my heart."
Nodoka had just left with Kusumi to the store to pick up a few items for dinner.
That left Ranma and Ukyo alone to face the others. Now that Mrs. Saotome was safely away, they decide it was time for some answers. Ranma looked at them and frowned. She felt on edge, and emotionally drained. She did not feel like being interrogated, and wished they would just leave her alone. As she looked at them, though it wasn't really rational, she began to get angry.
"Well?" Akane asked.
"Well what," Ranma snapped. "I just thought that maybe Auntie would like to see her husband, even if he is a pathetic excuse for one."
"Insolent boy," Genma said, "show some respect!"
"Why don't you make me, old man," Ranma growled.
"Stop it now, you two," Ukyo said stepping between them before blows could be exchanged. Ranma looked at her for a moment, the looked away. "We met Auntie Saotome on the street, and she looked so sad that Ranchan decided she needed cheering up so we brought her here to see Genma."
"Okay," Nabiki said looking at Ranma. "That explains that, but why didn't you change back when Akane threw that tea on you, Ranma?"
Ranma glared at her.
"I did change," she said. "Do you see any tea stains on my clothes? What do you think I went upstairs for. And why the hell does everybody keep calling me Ranma? My name is Ranko Tendo, or did you all forget?"
Everyone looked at her stunned. Ranma gave them all a satisfied smirk.
"You don't really believe that do you?" Akane asked. Ranma winced at the sound of concern in Akane's voice.
"No, but, jeez, I've had a really bad day and I don't need this right now," Ranma said.
"You, jerk. That wasn't funny," Akane said. Ranma shrugged indifferently, causing Akane to growl.
"Well," Nabiki said, "if you've got that out of you're system now, why don't you answer the question?"
Ranma looked at Ukyo.
"I kind's drunk a potion of Shampoo's and..." Ranma began but was interrupted when the others all spoke at once.
"You what!" Akane yelled.
"Oh Ranma, Ranma, Ranma," Nabiki said. "I can't believe you fell for another one of Shampoo's amazon stunts."
"Come now, son," Soun said with a tsk. "You really should have known better."
"Foolish, boy!" said Genma.
"Hey," Ranma defensively, "I thought it was a cure for my curse."
"Shampoo used the waterproof soap to trick him that she was cured," Ukyo said. She had heard the full story from Cologne. "It wasn't Ranchan's fault."
"So let me guess," Akane said with a sigh, "they won't give you the cure to change back until you agree to marry Shampoo. Honestly, sometimes I can't believe what an idiot you can be."
Akane expected Ranma to make a snide come back, instead, a hurt look came into the red headed girl's eyes, and she looked away obviously hurt by the comment. Akane, feeling a little guilty, was about to apologize, when Ukyo put her hand on Ranma's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Instantly, all the guilt died in a stampede of anger.
"So, tell me son," Soun said. "What do you plan to do about this situation."
"I'm not sure yet," Ranma said quietly, a troubled expression on her face.
"Maybe we should call Doctor Tofu," Genma mused.
"Good idea Saotome," Soun said. "I'm sure that the doctor will be able to help."
"We've already been to see him," Ukyo said. "He said that Ranchan's...condition...is only temporary."
Everyone looked surprised.
"Really?" Akane asked. "How long will it last."
Ranma and Ukyo looked very uncomfortable.
"Only a few months," Ranma said.
"A FEW MONTHS," they all yelled at once. Soun and Genma both started crying, Akane looked ready to break something, and Nabiki frowned.
"That doesn't make sense," Nabiki said. "Why would Shampoo do something like that? I mean what would she have to gain? She's made it quit obvious in the past that she's not very fond of your girl form. It doesn't add up. I could understand if you had to marry her to get a cure, but why do it if it's only temporary?"
"There's something about this they're not telling us," Nabiki thought as she watched Ukyo and Ranma's expression. "Those two are definitely hiding something."
"Why does that bimbo ever do anything," Akane fumed. "Someone should teach her a lesson."
Ranma and Ukyo shared a look. Nabiki noted it, and added to her mental list.
"That's already taken care of, sugar," Ukyo said.
"What do you mean be that?" Akane asked curiously.
"I've challenged Shampoo to a duel," Ukyo said. "That's why Auntie is training me."
"You what?" Akane asked.
"I challenged Shampoo to a duel," Ukyo repeated.
"So," Nabiki asked thinking of the many possibilities. "When is the fight scheduled?"
Ukyo shrugged.
"I don't know," she said. "It all depends on how long it takes Shampoo to get out of the hospital."
There was a moment of stunned silence.
"Wh-what's she doing in the hospital?" Akane asked. Ukyo said nothing. They all turned to look at Ranma. Ranma looked away from them.
"Ranma," Akane said staring at the girl, her eyes wide. "You didn't fight Shampoo did you?"
Ranma flinched.
"Yeah, I fought her," Ranma said. Even after what Shampoo had done, Ranma didn't like admitting she had fought a girl. Especially since she had almost killed her.
"You didn't hurt her, did you?" Akane asked.
"She's in the hospital ain't she," Ranma snapped. "Look it's her fault I did it. If she hadn't trick me, I wouldn't of, she wouldn't have gotten hurt."
Ranma refused to feel guilty for hurting Shampoo. It was her fault after all. Even Cologne had agreed that Shampoo was to blame. Ranma was fully justified in what she had done. So there was nothing for Ranma to feel guilty about, right? Ranma grimaced and looked at the others pleadingly.
"Can we please stop talking about this," she said. "It's all in the past and there's nothing we can do about it now. Even if we wanted to."
Though the others still had questions, it was obvious looking at Ranma and Ukyo that no more answers would be gotten from them. So the matter was dropped for the moment. A short time later, Nodoka and Kasumi returned and began making proportions for dinner. Mrs. Saotome asked Akane if she still wanted a cooking lesson that night, but much to everyone relief, Akane declined. That Akane would turn down a chance at a cooking lesson showed just how disturbed and worried she was. Akane spent that evening covertly watching Ranma and Ukyo. Both of them were acting strange. Ukyo was practically hovering over Ranma, and was constantly squeezing her hand, or putting her arm around the smaller girl's shoulder. Instead of the feel jealous like she normally would, Akane found herself becoming more and more worried as she watched the two and couldn't figure out why. Ranma, for her part, was much more subdued than normal. During dinner, she even allowed Mr. Saotome to steal some of the food off of her plate with out a fight. Akane began to feel a cold ball of dread forming in the pit of her stomach.
Akane was not the only one to notice that something was not right. Nabiki had spent the evening watching everyone. That something had been left out of the story that Ranma and Ukyo had told them was apparent, and Nabiki was a fire with curiosity. She noted the strange behavior between the two, and the surprising fact that her sister had yet to go ballistic and knock Ranma into the next town. Being the expert in observation that she was, she even noticed the discrete looks that Nodoka was giving her disguised son.
"So," she mused. "Whatever's going on, Auntie Saotome knows the other half of this story, and from the way she's looking at Ranma it's something that's got her pretty upset. Now it can't be the fact that he can't turn back into a boy, because she doesn't know about that. And Ranma hates being a girl, but not enough to put Shampoo in the hospital, I mean it's not the first time an amazon has done this to him. I'm missing a very big piece of this puzzle."
Nabiki decided to do some snooping into the matter later.
The Hospital
Mousse squinted at the sign on the door of the hospital room. One of his eyes was swollen, and he had bandage on his nose that prevented him from wearing his glasses. Satisfied that he had the right room, he opened the door and walked in. There were two beds in the room. He walked over to the one by the window. He stood for a moment and listened to the breathing of the figure on the bed.
"Sleep well my darling," Mousse said taking Shampoo's hand and placing it placing it over his heart. "I swear that I will avenge you."
He gave her hand a squeeze and frowned.
"I never knew her hands were so large and callused," he thought to himself and then shrugged.
He looked down at her again and a thought accrued to him. He gave a nervous laugh.
"Of course a kiss might help me on my way," so saying he bent down and planted a kiss on the figures lips. It was at that moment that the figure woke up.
Cologne was making her way down the hall, when all of a sudden she heard a familiar voice yell pervert and then Mousse came crashing out of one of the doors and was imbedded in the wall across the hall. Cologne turned towards the ruined doorway.
"What's the big idea kissing me you pervert," said a black haired boy wearing a hospital gown and a black and yellow bandana. "And where the heck am I anyway?"
"Ryoga," Cologne said in shock, then thought to herself. "Well, well, who would have thought that the lost boy was right next to my grand daughter the whole time."
Ryoga looked at Cologne, then looked around in confusion.
"The ghoul?" he said. "But this doesn't look like the Cat Cafe?"
Cologne bonked him on the head with her can. Ryoga just winced and rubbed his head.
"Who are you calling a ghoul," she said. "And you're in the hospital."
"Hospital?" Ryoga repeated and then looked down at himself and screamed.
"Where are my clothes," he said.
"Calm down boy," Cologne said.
"That's easy for you to say," Ryoga said. "Your not standing around half dressed."
Cologne whapped him again. Ryoga rubbed his head.
"If you are finished," she said sternly, "then we must talk about what happened between you and Ranma."
Ryoga's eyes suddenly widened.
"Oh my god, Ranma," he said. "Has something happened to her? Where is she? Is she okay?"
Cologne stared at him and sighed.
"I guess it was too much to hope that the potion would have worn off," she thought.
"Perhaps it would be best if we talked in private," Cologne said as the hospital staff and a few of the patents began gathering in the hallway to watch.
"I knew it," Ryoga said. "She's in trouble isn't she?"
"Well, in a manner of speaking, yes, but..." Cologne began, but didn't finish because Ryoga was suddenly looming over her.
"Where is she?" he asked.
"She was with Ukyo the last I saw her," Cologne said. "Ryoga, there is something you should know..."
Cologne found herself talking to air.
"Don't worry Ranma, I'm coming!" Ryoga yelled as he took off down the hall, his gown flapping in the breeze. The girl he loved was in trouble, so he wasn't going to sit around waiting for something as trivial as the details of the situation. What was called for was action!
"Wait you fool!" Cologne called after him, but Ryoga was oblivious to her. He was also totally oblivious to the walls he was crashing through on in his attempt to make it out of the hospital. He was a man with a mission, and he was not going to be held back by such simple things as walls and common sense. Of course that he was also going in the opposite direction of Ucchan's, where he assumed Ranma was, was a given.
"I hope this hospital has good insurance," Cologne mused as she looked down the newly formed hallway. "At least we are on the first floor so we don't have to worry about the fool falling to his death when he finally makes it out."
"Oh, Sh-shamp-poo, how can you b-be so cruel," Mousse said as he crawled up beside Cologne. He looked up at her, the fainted. Cologne looked down at him and sighed.
"Ancestors save me from love sick fools," she said and grabbed him by the collar and dragged him into Shampoo's room.
"Grandmother, that you?" Shampoo asked as Cologne entered.
"Yes child, it is me."
"What was noise outside?""
"It appears that the lost boy was here in the hospital the entire time. What you heard was him leaving in search of Ranma. With his sense of direction it should be awhile before we see him again."
Cologne plopped Mousse on to a nearby chair.
"How are you feeling today, child?" Cologne asked as she came to Shampoo's bedside.
"Shampoo feel like she it by truck," Shampoo replied weakly. "Doctor, he say it amazing Shampoo still alive. He say Shampoo live, but it be long time before can leave hospital."
Cologne sighed and nodded.
"Shampoo there is something that we need to discuss," She said. "Our fears have proven true: Ranma is indeed with child. Needless to say she did not take the news very well. The girl, Ukyo, was with her when we found out and hopefully she will be able to console the former son-in-law. Well, to make a long story short, Shampoo, you have been challenged to a fight to the death."
Shampoo nodded. She did not look surprised, just strangely relieved and resigned.
"Shampoo no can beat Airen," she said. "At least Shampoo have honorable death."
Cologne looked at her great granddaughter for a moment.
"You misunderstand, Shampoo," Cologne explained. "It was not Ranma who issued the challenge to you, but Ukyo."
The room suddenly became deathly quiet. The only sound to be heard was the steady, electronic beep of the monitors that were hooked up to Shampoo. Suddenly, the tempo of those beeps began to increase. Shampoo lying in her bed began to glow a faint ghostly blue.
"Stupid spatula girl challenge Shampoo," she hissed. The monitors began to go crazy as the amazon's anger flared. "Shampoo NEVER lose to stupid spatula girl. Ukyo challenge Shampoo, then Shampoo kill. Grandmother, you help Shampoo heal fast so she can kill Ukyo, yes? If Shampoo die, then Airen will kill, not stupid Ukyo!"
A doctor came rushing in, drawn by the sound of the monitor going into fits. On look at the glowing girl in the bed, however, and he left the room and the hospital as fast as his feet would carry him. Cologne watched Shampoo and considered. If she worked the situation right, Shampoo might be able to regain some of the honor that she had lost. And if worst came to worst, at least Shampoo would escape the fate that awaited her if she were to return to their village. Cologne nodded.
"Alright, granddaughter," she said. "Let us begin preparations for your duel.
Slumped in his chair, Mousse listened to all that was said and began making preparations of his own.
End part 6?
Disclaimer: Don't own them, don't claim to. Just borrowing them for a while.
Ranma 1/2 Unexpected Results Part 7
By: J. Hunt
The Tendo Home-Late night
Akane stared up at the ceiling unable to sleep. Her mind was stuck on Ranma and he and Ukyo's strange behavior. The feeling that something was wrong, and that the two of them were deliberately hiding it from her frustrated her, and was making it impossible for her to relax and drift off to sleep. Of course, the fact that she had Ranma sleeping on the floor on one side of her bed, and Ukyo sleeping on the other could have also had something to do with her inability to sleep.
"Me and my big mouth," she thought. "I just had to tell Auntie Saotome that Ranko and I share a room whenever Ranma and Genma are home. Well, at least this way I can keep my eye on the two of them."
Akane sighed and rolled over to stare down at her fiancee. Ranma was sound asleep, but didn't look very peaceful. There was a scowl on her face and she shifted around restlessly while murmuring to herself.
"Must be having a bad dream," Akane thought. Just then, Ranma mumbled something and Akane was just able to make out the words, "wedding" and "stupid bride".
"He must be dreaming about on of us," she thought. She watched he obviously agitated state and grimaced. "That better not be me he's dreaming about. I wonder if I should wake him?"
Before she could, however, Ranma seemed to calm. Her face relaxed, and she settled down, though she still did not look completely peaceful.
"Oh, Ranma," Akane sighed. "What am I going to do with you, you big dummy?"
"Well, sugar, you can let me have him," came Ukyo's voice from the other side of the bed. Akane blushed beet red.
"U-ukyo, you're awake?"
"Yeah, I can't sleep," Ukyo replied. The two sat in silence, the only sound heard was Ranma's breathing.
"Akane, can I ask you something?" Ukyo asked at last.
"What?" Akane asked, though she had a good guess what the question was going to be.
"Why are you always so mean to Ranchan?"
"Huh," Akane asked and sat up to stare down at Ukyo. The chef was sitting on the floor and had her legs drawn in and her knees tucked under her chin. "Just what do you mean by that?"
"Akane, I know you like him," Ukyo said tilting her head to look up at Akane. "I just don't understand why you are always so mean to him and blame everything that happens on him."
"Because he's a rude, insensitive, selfish, perverted jerk," Akane said her voice raising slightly. "And everything that happens usually is his fault. And for your information, I do not like him."
Ukyo shook her head.
"It'll never work between you two," she said.
"Excuse me?" Akane asked.
"Akane, just let me have Ranma," Ukyo said. "It's obvious that the two of you will never be happy together."
"And you think he'd be happier with you.," Akane snapped, her temper starting to boil.
"Allot more than with you, sugar," Ukyo replied snapped back. "At least I can admit my feelings for him and can listen to his side of the story before I pound him."
Ukyo then took a deep breathe.
"Look, sugar, the plain and simple truth is that two of you were just not meant for each other, and if by some stroke of misfortune you were to end up married, neither one of you would be happy."
"I can't believe you!" Akane said. "How can you say that. In my own home, in my bedroom no less."
"I'm just being realistic," Ukyo replied.
"Well don't," Akane said. "Why don't you just mind your own business."
"This IS my business," Ukyo said, her own voice starting to show her anger.
"Why don't you stop being so stubborn!"
"Stubborn?" Akane said. "Look whose talking! You're the one who doesn't know when to quit. Ranma already has a fiancee, and yet you're still after him. Why don't you just leave him alone."
"Hey, jackass, I AM his fiancee," Ukyo said getting to her feet and glaring at Akane.
"Why don't YOU leave him alone."
"Ha. And let you have him, no way," Akane said, jumping off her bed to stand in front of Ukyo.
"Why not," Ukyo said. "It's not like you want him or anything. I think you just can't stand the thought of not having Ranchan around to bully anymore. You get some kind of sick kick out of being mean to him."
Ukyo crossed her arms in front of her and smirked.
"Why you," Akane growled as her left eyelid began to twitch.
"Admit it, sugar," Ukyo said poking Akane in the chest. "Why else won't you let me have Ranma, when you know it's the best thing for him?"
"Because I love him, damn it!" Akane snarled, then paled and covered her mouth with her hands. Ukyo threw her arms in front of her as if she was trying to ward off a blow, and stared at Akane in shock and disbelief.
Oh my God, I just admitted I love Ranma, Akane thought in a panic. -And-and it's true,
it's TRUE. Oh God, oh God, oh God. I'm in love with Ranma Saotome. What do I do, what
do I do.-
-This is most definitely NOT what I wanted,- Ukyo thought to herself.
"Mhey, you guys, wha's goin on?" came Ranma sleep slurred voice from the other side of the room.
-Oh God, PLEASE, don't let him have heard that!- Akane and Ukyo thought at the exact same moment.
"N-nothing," Akane said with a nervous laugh. "What makes you think something's going on?"
"I thought I heard arguing when I woke up," Ranma said, her voice still sleepy. "You two ain't fighting are you?"
"Who us?" Ukyo said and threw her arm around Akane's shoulders. "Perish the thought, Ranchan. You just go own back to sleep."
"Well okay, but I don't want you two fighting," Ranma mumbled. A few moments later, they heard her begin to snore slightly and both relaxed, then turned to glare at each other.
"I still say I'm the best choice for Ranchan," Ukyo whispered. This is bad, very, very bad. With Shampoo out of the way, I was sure Ranchan was all mine now.
"He was my fiancee first, and I'm not letting you have him," Akane whispered back. -Especially not now.-
"We'll see about that," Ukyo said. "Just remember this: I will love Ranchan unconditionally and will stick with him no matter what happens."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Akane asked narrowing her eyes.
Ukyo looked at Akane, then looked away.
-I can't do it,- she thought. -I know Ranma has some feelings for her, if she ends up hating him...I can't let that happen, no matter how happy it would make me. I don't want to win Ranma that way.-
Ukyo then surprised Akane by taking her hand.
"Akane, promise me something," Ukyo said. "Please. We've always been rivals, but for the most part we've always been on good terms. If we didn't have Ranma between us, I'm sure we could even have been friends."
Akane started to say something, but the seriousness of Ukyo's gaze stopped her.
"All right," she said quietly. "What do you want."
"Akane, in a few days you're going to hear something about Ranma that you aren't going to like," Ukyo said. "Promise me that you will listen to his side of the story and that you'll give him a fair chance before you do anything."
"What are you talking about," Akane asked, again feeling the cold ball of dread forming in the pit of her stomach.
"I can't tell you," Ukyo said. Akane was silent.
"Ukyo, does this have something to do with why Ranma put Shampoo in the hospital?" she asked at last. Ukyo knoded.
"All right," Akane said at last. "I promise to give Ranma the benefit of the doubt...this time."
Outside Akane's room, Nabiki leaned against the wall.
-My, my,- she thought. -This just gets more and more interesting.-
She then smiled down at the tape recorder and small microphone she had slipped under the door.
-This promises to be a very interesting week.- And with that she walked to her room.
End part 7