Disclaimer: See Prologue
"abc" - Spoken
"abc" - Thought
[abc] - Genma's Signs
A Tale Of Two Cursed Souls
Chapter Four: Introductions Part II
For any self-respecting class representative the fact that their classroom is nearly void of human life minutes before the bell might have them worried; but for Hikari Horaki it's business as usual. Once again, everyone has gathered to watch Akane make short work of her would be suitors, leaving her alone once more with the only other person not drawn to the spectacle.
"Ayanami?"
Hikari stops in the middle of her morning routine when she notices something completely out of the ordinary. Upon first glance, one may say that nothings changed, but when you've spent as much time as she has with Rei, even if it is in complete silence, you begin to pick up on things. So, imagine her surprise when she realizes that, for the first time that she can remember, her fellow classmate is actually paying attention to the commotion in the yard below.
Looking at the her watch, Hikari notices that it seems to be taking Akane longer than usual to deal with the boys. Listening to the gossip echoing from the hall, she picks up on an interesting piece of information.
"Somebody's taking on Kuno?!"
"Yeah! These two guys just showed up out of nowhere! The first one actually took over Akane's fight, saving her from those idiots then finishing them off for her, and now the second is challenging Kuno!"
"Wow, lets hurry! I don't want to miss this!"
Hearing what's going on, it doesn't take Hikari long to put two and two together.
"The transfer students?!"
Hikari wastes no time running to the window to see what's going on. There in the yard she sees two young men dressed in identical outfits, one's in blue and red the other in black and white. She watches as the one in blue and red avoids one of Kuno's attacks with great ease. A few feet away, Akane and the other boy seem to be watching the fight.
"Is he looking at us? Hikari says aloud, noticing that the one next to Akane is looking directly at them. "He is, isn't he? I wonder which one he is?"
"His name is Ikari, Shinji." a quiet voice informs her.
"What?!"
To Hikari's utter amazement, not only did Rei speak to her but she also knows the name of the boy currently looking at them.
"He's not looking at us... He's looking at Rei?!"
But, before Hikari can dwell upon this shocking revelation, her attention is drawn back to the scene below, as a sudden cry alerts her to the beginning battle.
"Silence, Fool! Have at thee!"
In a display of great speed, Kuno dashes forward and slashes at Ranma who narrowly avoids his attack. Much to the amazement of everyone watching, Kuno's attack completely destroys a section of the schoolyard wall.
While shocked that his attack missed, Kuno doesn't let it effect him long as he quickly follows up with another attack. He quickly slashes at the tree Ranma's hanging from, only to miss yet again.
"He's good, but this fight is over."
"What do you mean?!"
Akane is shocked by Shinji's declaration as she looks back to the fight to see Ranma landing next to the now fallen tree, as a rumble of thunder is heard over head. Shinji looks to the sky as the once clear sky is darkening by the moment.
"Hey, Ranma! It looks like rain, hurry up!"
"Yeah, all right, take Akane inside. I'll be right there! But, first..."
Ranma quickly dashes forward as Shinji takes Akane by the hand.
"Come on, this'll be over in a moment."
"But...?"
Akane looks back as Ranma appears before Kuno quicker than she or even Kuno can track and begins to speak.
"Now, let me make this perfectly clear! Akane means nothing to me!"
Akane comes to halt, stopping Shinji in his tracks, as she listens to Ranma's continued belittling of her.
"If you want a violent, psycho chick like her... you can have her!"
So quickly that Shinji completely misses it, Akane grabs Ranma's bag from his hands and launches it at Ranma.
"Why... you pervert!" Akane bellows, launching the bag at a tremendous velocity.
"Would you quit calling me a per..."
Ranma sensing Kuno's attack leaps over it as Kuno slashes threw the bag then launches a counterattack from the sky. But, Kuno is quicker than he realizes and follows with an attack of his own. But, none see this except Shinji, as everyone is focusing on the giant panda carrying a tea kettle dashing onto the school grounds..
"Mr. Saotome/Uncle?" Akane and Shinji say simultaneously.
The panda quickly knocks Kuno over as he grabs Ranma in the midair and dashes towards the school leaving a dazed but fully conscious Kuno behind. Who, while shocked by the sudden end of his dual, instantly notices something awry.
"How dare you hold the hand of Akane!"
The sudden declaration of a furious Kuno draws everyone's attention back to the schoolyard, as he charges at a confused Shinji and Akane. The duo look at their hands and suddenly realize that they never stopped holding hands, despite Akane's attack on Ranma. They quickly let go as they both begin to blush furiously, but before any apologies can be made a crash of thunder and lighting signals the arrival of a midmorning shower.
Despite the sudden downpour, Shinji is calm and aware enough to stand his ground. As, he quickly pulls Akane behind him and out of harm's way; sensing that in his current state of blind fury, Kuno might not avoid hurting Akane in the process of attacking him. In one fluid motion, Shinji releases Akane's hand, sending her falling to the ground, as he grabs the tip of Kuno's sword before launching himself into a flip over Kuno. Landing gracefully behind Kuno with his sword in hand, Shinji flips the sword into the air with his left hand, catching it with his right as he charges at Kuno. But, before anyone can realize what's happened Shinji dashes past Kuno dropping the sword at his feet, scooping up Akane and hoisting her up over his head as he vanishes into the school.
Left behind is a stunned student body as they stare at a frozen Kuno, who moments after their exit drops to the now vacant schoolyard unconscious. As the crowds start to disburse only three pairs of eyes remain on the unconscious Kuno, as one overwhelming thought crosses their minds...
"Who are these guys?!"
But, in the mind of one Rei Ayanami, a simple thought that can hold dire repercussions for who it concerns drives her thoughts...
"He has changed again."
In her countless hours within the halls of Furinkan High, Akane has experienced and witnessed many things. But, never before has she been carried over the head of a teal-haired girl.
"A teal-haired girl?"
Akane is shocked as she notices that the backside she's been starring at belongs to a girl, who's running desperately through the halls. Coming out of her daze from the sudden shock of hitting the floor before becoming airborne, she finally puts all the pieces together.
"Shinji was holding my hand when Kuno attacked... he pulled me out the way? It was raining as this happened and I fell to the floor. Next, I'm being carried by this girl... then this girl must be... Shinji?!"
Hearing a somewhat distraught calling of her name brings Shinji out of her current state of blind panic, as she slows to a stop and looks up surprised to come face to stomach with Akane. She gently puts Akane down and proceeds to apologize... profusely.
"She's not hearing a word I'm saying... why is she starring at me?" Shinji looks down at her hands and sighs, " I guess I didn't beat the rain... why does it always have to be like this?! I better get out of here before anyone else sees me."
Realizing that her apologizes are falling on deaf ears, Shinji tries a "new" tactic... running.
"Wait... Please..."
These words hold a lot of weight in the mind of Shinji Ikari, as they can lift the spirits of anyone, when spoken by someone who wants you around. Especially, if the number of people who do is limited. With this in mind, the fact that Shinji hesitantly turned around to find a "smiling" Akane shouldn't be surprising in the least or maybe it should.
"I'm sorry."
Another phrase that holds it's own special place in the psyche of Shinji Ikari, especially when he's the one it's being said to and not by.
"You're sorry? Why?" Shinji wonders, the newness of the situation sending her emotions into overdrive.
"You apologized and I... I stared. I'm sorry." Akane explains, her embarrassment at her actions clear.
Unused to this type of situation, Shinji says what comes natural: "It's my fault, no need to apologize."
Akane is thrown by his response, expecting anything but acceptance of blame from a boy.
"You changed?"
"Yeah, so you noticed." she replies, blushing, as she fidgets slightly. "I guess using you as an umbrella didn't quite work."
"Yeah, I guess so..." Akane blushes as Shinji smiles, returning Akane's smile with a surprising smile of her own, but quickly regains control... "Come on... Hurry, this way!"
Akane quickly grabs the other girl's hand and leads her away at a quickening pace.
"What? What is it?" a surprised Shinji yells, while being literally pulled along.
"I think I heard someone... we better get you changed back before anyone sees you."
"Yeah, you're right." she responds, but Akane doesn't notice as she's lost in her own thoughts...
"Remember she's a guy... a nice one, but still a guy!"
Moments later, they arrive in the P.E. equipment room to find a very female Ranma sitting with a kettle carrying panda..
"Hey, what took you guys so long?!"
"Um... nothing." Akane quickly answers followed by Shinji's brilliant reply of "Yeah... nothing."
"Well, it didn't seem like nothing to me." says Ranma.
"You saw!" Akane says, her surprise and worry clearly evident.
"Yeah, I saw how Shinji took out that Kuno-guy with one blow. Way to go, Shinji. Now, I'd have nailed that buffoon myself if Pop's and the rain didn't ruin it." Ranma says, pride dripping from every word.
"I'm not so sure about that." Shinji says, as he dumps some of Mr. Saotome's hot water over himself.
"Whatta you mean by that?!" Ranma asks on the defensive.
"He means your throat." Akane points out.
Ranma checks her neck as Shinji pours the rest of the tea kettle's contents over her.
"A bruise... from that?! Wow! And, he didn't even touch me!"
"Lucky for you, if he had you'd be breathing through a hole in your neck. I'd say your pretty evenly matched up."
"I wouldn't say that..." Shinji and Ranma say in unison, causing the two martial artists to burst into a fit of laughter as Akane looks to Mr. Saotome.
"Didn't you forget something or should I say someone?!" she asks.
[No, don't think so.] he replies, sign in hand.
"Shinji, you idiot! You forgot him when you grabbed Ranma."
[I didn't notice him!]
"And, that's supposed to make it, all right?!"
[Yeah.] he replies, unmoved by her indignant tone.
"You moron!" Akane shouts, bashing him in the head with the empty kettle.
Meanwhile, a certain samurai wanna-be is discussing this morning's events with a certain Miss Tendo, as they examine the handiwork of his opponents.
"Amazing... and you don't even remember being touched?"
"HMPH. And at first I thought Ranma Saotome was good... but, he can't even spell!" Kuno yells, with an indignant tone.
"Yes, but it appears the other one can." Nabiki points out, as she examines the crossed out misspelling of buffoon and the correct spelling just above it, nearly hidden under Kuno's bangs.
"Ah, yes, the noble Ikari. I confess that I was rash in my reaction to his holding of the fair Akane's hand. But, yet, I am glad that I did... for you see, I have learned that he is quite skilled with the sword."
"And how do you know that?" she asks, deciding to humor the self-proclaimed swordsman.
"When one is as formidable with the sword as I, one can sense these things." Kuno responds, sounding quite proud of his deduction.
"Yeah? And, the fact that he not only avoided your attack but corrected Ranma's poor spelling, all while taking you out, has nothing to do with it? And, did I mention he did all this with your own sword?" says Nabiki, sounding less than impressed by Kuno's boastful deduction..
Kuno and Nabiki lock eyes as silence descends upon their conversation.
"I detest you." says Kuno.
"I'm so glad." replies Nabiki.
At that same moment in classroom 1-A, introductions are about to be formally made.
"All right, class. We have two new students today: Ranma Saotome and Shinji Ikari. Please introduce yourselves to the class.
Before the class stands two young men, both the same age and both similarly dressed, but from the way they stand one can tell the similarities end there. One stands before with his fellow classmates with a carefree air about him, while the other seems to shrink in on himself as the eyes of those present lock upon him. The confident one, steps forward and begins to speak...
"Hi, I'm Ranma Saotome. I am heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts and I just returned from training in China with my dad and cousin. He's this guy over here." he finishes pointing to Shinji who flushes as the attention of everyone turns to him as he steps forward.
"Um... Hi... Good morning, My name is Shinji Ikari and I am also heir to the Saotome School. It's a pleasure to meet you all." he finishes with a bow and quickly returns to his place next to Ranma.
"All right, while it does appear to be true that you both where in China until recently... that doesn't change the fact that you two along with Akane Tendo where late. Go stand in the hall."
The teacher points to the door as the three students quickly make their way out to the hall, each grabbing two buckets as they do.
"This is your fault." Akane announces.
"Sorry." Shinji quickly answers.
"No! Not you... him." Akane states glaring at Ranma.
"My fault? It was your fight, remember? And, I wasn't the one who jumped into the middle of it." Ranma declares in his defense.
"Yeah, don't remind me." Akane bitterly replies.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Ranma asks, completely lost as to why she's angry at him.
"I think she's upset that you didn't try to help her." Shinji calmly states.
"I didn't say that!" Akane yells, causing Shinji to jump back nearly dropping his bucket. "Sorry, I mean... it was nice of you, Shinji, to help me like you did. I'm just used to dealing with them and Kuno alone every morning... and finishing before school starts!" Akane finishes getting louder and looking towards Ranma at the end.
"All right, I get it. But, what is this all about anyway?" Ranma asks.
"Kuno told them... "If you wish to date Akane, you must defeat her in honorable combat! I will permit no other terms!" ...and ever since then they've been challenging me."
At that same moment in classroom 2-E, Kuno is learning of a certain engagement and isn't taking the news all that well.
"Honorable combat, give me a break! And, you mean to tell me, you fight with Kuno every morning?!" asks a pissed Shinji.
"Yeah, and for some reason I always win!" answers a bewildered Akane, as she and Ranma are surprised by Shinji's outburst.
"Well, when a guy fights a girl... he often lets up a lot." Ranma flippantly announces.
"Don't underestimate me. Try me for real sometime."
"Yeah, Ranma, when are you going to learn not to take female fighters lightly. Does the word Amazon, mean anything to you?" Shinji asks, sounding quite upset by his cousin's attitude.
"Yeah... well... that's besides the point. All I'm saying is that there's no way I'm fighting you. Violent or not... you're still a girl and I couldn't do it." Ranma replies, his attitude unchanged despite his momentary paling at the mentioning of Amazon.
"How about if you're a girl?" Akane asks, lifting one of her buckets causing both boys to jump away from her.
"Now, wait a... Yah!" Ranma yells as he avoids a splash of water, only it didn't come from Akane's bucket but from the bucket of...
"Upperclassman Kuno?"
"Never, Ranma Saotome! I shall never accept your engagement to Akane!" Kuno yells, drawing the attention of the students of room 1-A. Who yell question after question at the involved couple, despite Hikari's desperate attempts to restore order to her class.
"Wait! It's not true! It's..." Akane begins.
"Our parents. They decided! We never..." and Ranma finishes before quickly avoiding an attack from Kuno.
Ranma quickly takes off with Kuno giving chase. Kuno demands that Ranma stands and fight, but Ranma says that a school is no place for a fight and leads him towards a suitable location. The student's quickly give chase following the spectacle with Akane in the lead. But, left behind is a baffled Hikari and a silent Shinji.
"Um, excuse me, but... why didn't you follow your cousin?" Hikari asks.
"Class is not over." Shinji replies.
"Oh, that's ok. I hate to say it, but once the teacher gets lost in his stories on life before Second Impact. He never really notices anything that's going on... see?"
Hikari points to the teacher who's still speaking, completely unaware that the only students remaining are Shinji, Hikari, and Rei.
"Well, anyway, Ranma can take care of himself, Miss... Horaki, was it?"
"Yes, but call me Hikari."
"All right, Hikari. May I ask... does this type of thing happen often?"
"Well, before those things fought in the city the other day... the daily occurrences her at Furinkan where the biggest news in town."
"I see... Can ,what goes on around here really be that odd?" Shinji wonders, as Hikari continues.
"Well, even if he doesn't need your help... going to see what's going on is defiantly better then holding buckets."
Shinji looks down at the buckets in his hands and smiles, conceding that she does have a point.
"But, what about you?"
"I'll stay here in case anyone comes back... some semblance of order must be maintained. You go and that way you can tell me all about it."
"All right. Thanks, Miss... I mean... thanks, Hikari."
"Your welcome, Shinji."
Hikari looks back into the classroom and sees that Rei is still in her normal position.
"I swear that she was listening in on us?!"
Little does Hikari know how right she is, as Rei heard their entire conversation despite her apparent disinterest. As for Shinji, it doesn't take him long to find his classmates. He pushes through the crowd and comes to stand next to Kensuke Aida.
"What happened? Where's Ranma and Kuno... and Akane?"
"Oh... hi! You missed it. Kuno chased Ranma to this window, when all the sudden he just jumps out and Kuno follows... I mean, this is the freakin' third floor! Luckily, they where over the pool and landed in there." Kensuke explains, barely containing his excitement.
"And Akane?"
"Oh, she ran off as soon as they landed. I guess she was concerned about them... surprising, since she's supposed to hate all guys."
"Really? She doesn't seem the type?" Shinji says, actually surprised.
"Yeah, well... hey, speaking of which?!" Kensuke suddenly yells, putting Shinji back on his guard. "Why did you jump into her fight this morning? And ,where did you two go after you took out Kuno? Now, that was amazing! Hey, where are you going?!"
"Sorry, got to check on Ranma... See ya!" Shinji yells as he quickly flees the camera touting boy.
"Man, guess I spooked him." Kensuke says, as he turns back to the window. "I wonder where they went?"
Outside in a field behind the school, Shinji searches for Ranma and Akane.
"Where did those two get to? If what that girl said is true... Kuno must know about Ranma's curse... that idiot! How does he let himself get grabbed like that? I better hurry!"
Shinji heads further away from the school when he spots who he believes to be Kuno, he decides to follow him only to find Kuno facing off with Akane.
"It seems that they're about to fight. I shouldn't get involved, but... If you wish to date Akane, you must defeat her in honorable combat! ...honorable combat, my ass, what he's doing to her just isn't right!"
And, with that decided Shinji dashes across the field towards the duo. He's completely unaware that Ranma's up in the tree near them, but soon realizes that he's to late to help as Akane grabs Kuno's sword mid-slash and flips him into the air.
"Wow! Your good."
"Shinji!" Akane declares, surprised by his sudden appearance.
"Hi, um... where's Ranma?"
"Huh... Oh, him? He's... you're still a girl?!" Akane yells, turning to look up in the tree.
Shinji looks up to see Ranma holding a crushed tea kettle with Kuno being held upside-down upon it.
"So, did you see where that boy in the pigtail went?" Kuno asks girl-type Ranma.
"He doesn't know that's Ranma. Thank God!" Shinji thinks to himself, as Kuno continues.
"Running from a fight! No doubt he feared my prowess! Bah! He is no man! He is no..."
He doesn't get to finish as Ranma drops him and the kettle to the ground below, before following with ease landing next to Akane and Shinji.
"I'm not gonna hang there and take this! I can take you anytime! Come on!" Ranma yells, dropping into a fighting stance.
Shinji quickly steps forward and whispers into Ranma's ear: "He doesn't know it's you. Let it go."
"No, he challenged my manhood. I'm taking this guy out!" Ranma declares, as Kuno accepts her challenge.
"Amusing. Well, should you win I will allow you to date with me!"
Kuno slashes at Ranma with a wide slash which she easily avoids and counters with...
"And who's asking to go out with you?!" as she delivers a devastating kick to the face followed by blows so quick they're hard to follow.
"Wow, he really is good." Akane says to Shinji.
"Yeah, but he doesn't have to go nuts every time someone challenges his manhood. You wouldn't believe how many fights we've been in over this!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, well just look!" Shinji says, pointing to the beaten Kuno and the triumphantly standing Ranma.
"And guess what, Kuno. Ranma Saotome's even better'n me!" Ranma declares dropping Kuno's sword as he turns towards his waiting audience. "Okay. Let's head home."
"School isn't over yet, you know." Akane responds, as the trio walks away from the beaten Kuno.
"Yeah? So?" Ranma replies with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Anyway, I think you may want this." Shinji states, as he hands Ranma the tea kettle he brought with him. Ranma gladly accepts the kettle, as they approach the edge of the school grounds, dumping it's contents over himself returning to his natural form.
"Thanks, cuz. Hey, why don't you come to the dojo with us?"
"I'd like nothing better but I've got testing this evening. And, I promised someone I'd tell them the outcome of your fight with Kuno." Shinji replies, sounding disappointed at the beginning ,but sounding more lighthearted at the end.
"Testing... what type of testing?" Ranma asks.
"Um... well..." Shinji freezes, as he tries to think of an excuse still not sure if he wants everyone to know about NERV and Eva.
"Too bad. Well, remember that your welcomed at the Tendo Dojo anytime." Akane cuts in, noticing Shinji's hesitance to answer.
"Oh... um.... thanks, Akane. That's really nice of you."
"Yeah! A little too nice... you didn't make me feel this welcomed." Ranma says, sounding displeased with her attitude towards Shinji.
"Well, maybe if you where more like Shinji and less of a pervert... you'd be welcomed, too."
"Stop calling me a pervert!" Ranma yells to no end, as Akane begins to walk away waving good-bye to Shinji as she does.
"Hey, wait! See ya, Shinji. Akane, wait up!" Ranma yells, as he quickly chases after her.
Shinji watches as they walk away, arguing the whole way, and laughs.
"Those two sure don't get along... and she's Ranma's fiancée?! Too bad, she seems really... nice. Well, I better get back, I've already missed enough class for one day."
Shinji quickly makes his way into the school and back to his new class, only to be surprised by what he finds.
"Where is everybody?"
Shinji looks over the empty classroom, only to find Hikari straightening out and lining up desk.
"Oh, Shinji! Everybody was dismissed early. It seems the ruckus Ranma and Kuno caused was enough to end classes for today."
"I see." Shinji replies, as he notices that Rei's desk is also empty. "Maybe, I'll see her at NERV later. Maybe, that'll make the place bearable?"
"Would you like some help?" Shinji asks, entering the classroom and helping Hikari lift the chairs atop their desk.
"Thanks. So, did you find your cousin?"
"Yeah, well, he wasn't that hard to find. If there's trouble Ranma's usually not to far behind."
"Really, is it all that bad?" she asks, telling by Shinji's tone there's more to this story.
"Yeah, well..."
As, Shinji and Hikari discuss the finer points of Ranma's habit for drawing the attention of all kinds of trouble. Back outside in the middle of the field, still lies Kuno who has visions of a certain pigtailed girl playing through his head.
"Who on earth... is she?"
And with that simple question, an obsession the likes of which has never been seen or heard of before begins.
To Be Continued...