Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or Sacrifice™ or any related characters, terms or concepts.
Author's Notes: I'm very happy this is turning out to be popular, but just one question: why have several people asked about the future pairings? I don't think I ever mentioned romance in the story. I've no problem with adding them, but I should mention that, when it comes to Ranma, I personally support some very rare and obscure pairing: Ranma/Harem (that's Ranma+Akane+Ukyo+Shampoo all at once- I've only seen it in one fic before; Cube of Chaos) and Nabiki/Ryoga. If you have a fiancée you'd like to "win" the war, then mention them in your reviews, I'll consider them. In other news, from this chapter on I may start putting "mini-polls" at the end of the chapter, a list of scenes I can think of to add to the next chapter that I want you to tell me whether you want them or not. See the end of this chapter for more details. Oh, and all the characters will be mentioned as being one year older; this is set after Season 7 of the anime, which means Ranma and Genma have been in Nerima for a year. The OVAs and Movies have not occurred, though I may use elements from them in my storyline.
Part 5: Chaos in Class! The Rising of the Storm!
Ukyo sighed as the teacher began to call the roll. Her fiancé, Ranma, had been gone for two months now, and it still hurt whenever the teacher mentioned his name in the rollcall.
"Ranma Saotome?"
"Present"
Ukyo's head twisted towards the sound of that sorely missed voice so fast her neck audibly cracked. There, sitting in his old seat, was her previously absent fiancé.
"Ran-chan!"
In a single swift move, she thrust herself from her desk and leapt at Ranma, arms open in a glomping style she'd… "borrowed"… from Shampoo. The romantic part of her mind (which, it had to be said, was a considerable portion of her psyche) foresaw that Ranma would return her passionate embrace with equal fervour, vowing never to leave her side again in between deep kisses. Her smaller and more logical mind recognized that that wasn't likely to happen, and the far more likely turn of events was that Ranma would be paralysed, remaining stiff as a board in her embrace until his most violent fiancée sent him into LEO via her mallet or foot. At least she'd still get the chance to have him in her arms, if only for a little while.
The very last possibility that could have occurred to her was that Ranma would somehow evade her Glomp, sliding out from her grasp like he'd been greased with butter (that thought promptly inspired a series of, shall we say, more pleasant but diverting images, which she quickly dispelled). She gazed up at Ranma with a rather hurt look, only to receive an apologetic grin and a glance towards the homeroom teacher.
"Miss Kuonji, please return to your seat."
Ukyo did so, though for the rest of the morning most of her attention was fixated on Ranma. But then again, so was most everyone's, especially when it came time to take the test they'd been studying for the past two months. Out of habit, the teacher put a test on Ranma's desk, despite the fact he'd been gone for two months and rarely did the tests anyway. To everyone's surprise, Ranma actually started studying the papers before grabbing a pen and beginning to write. To make things even more incredible, Ranma finished well before the rest of the class. Only Ranma knew that he'd been studying this particular topic for six months, and that was the way things were going to stay.
The moment lunch occurred, Ukyo was on Ranma like a shot, latching tightly as she could onto his arm whilst questioning where he'd been and what'd happened and what he'd been doing at a hundred miles an hour. Akane was extremely annoyed, because not only was Ranma "flirting" with Ukyo again even though he'd only just got back, he still refused to say anything about where he'd been. She and Ukyo began arguing, Ranma, for once, not saying a word, but before their argument could grow violent (which would have resulted in the inevitable LEO Punt for Ranma), they were interrupted by the sudden appearance of Tatewaki Kuno, Furinkan High's biggest pain-in-the-neck.
"What-hold! What is this? The foul sorcerer Ranma Saotome has returned! How dare you provoke the wrath of the righteous Tatewaki Kuno by returning to both this place and your perverted ways!"
Ranma somehow shook Ukyo off his arm, slapped his forehead and groaned theatrically.
"By the Storm Lord, I think my IQ dropped by 20 points just listening to that garbage! Who the hell are you anyway? What grudge do you bear against me?"
That remark prompted confused stares from everyone. Ukyo and Akane glanced at their fiancé, and were not especially reassured when he slyly winked at them. They had to admit though, Kuno did look pretty amusing with his mouth dangling open as he stood there gobsmacked. After a minute, he managed to pull himself back together, reassuming his pompous attitude and posture.
"Explain yourself vile knave! How dare you claim not to know the most noble Tatewaki Kuno!"
Ranma shrugged casually and replied
"Well, you know how it is: you climb all the way to the top, you tend to forget the name of each and every single insignificant little bug you've squashed on your way."
The look on Kuno's face was absolutely priceless. Akane quickly looked around, hoping to see her sister- to be more precise, her sister and her camera. She didn't care how much it'd cost her; she HAD to get a picture of this!
"Don't you know who I am!"
"Obviously not dumbass!"
Called someone in the crowd. Kuno was so focused on Ranma that he apparently didn't hear it.
"I am the rising star of Furinkan High! Tatewaki Kuno, age 18, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan Hi-yi-yi-yi-yi!"
That little statement had been just what Ranma was waiting for; the moment Kuno began declaring his title he lashed out with a Heaven's Wrath Streamer. Kuno shrilled and buzzed, engulfed in an aura of crackling sparks thanks to the coruscating stream of lightning that arced from Ranma's open hand to Kuno's head. As Kuno's spasmodic jerking began to grow feebler, Ranma cut off the flow of current, because
A: Kuno wasn't worth the effort to kill him,
B: Ranma didn't want to have to explain his new-found acceptance of killing just yet and
C: Ranma couldn't afford to waste the mana.
With the energy gone, Kuno silently fainted, falling with a faint sigh to the ground where he lay there and sizzled softly. Ranma walked up and idly gave the char-grilled body a kick.
"I swear by the Lord of the Heavens, I'll cure you of your delusional nonsense even if I have to kill you in the process."
"That's pretty much a given event if you keep frying him like that."
Said Ukyo.
"You say that like it actually matters."
Ranma replied, walking away from the two silent fiancées.
Meanwhile, in the Principal's Office…"No arguments Principal- I QUIT!"
Principal Kuno sputtered and waved his hands trying to think something –anything- to stop yet another teacher from leaving his employ. As usual, nothing occurred, leaving him unable to do anything but watch as Ranma's homeroom teacher walked out of his straw-hut-like office. He sighed in annoyance.
"Oh no. Now where me gonna get a new homeroom teacher from?"
He blinked as a memory of a particular teacher surged into his brain, a homeroom teacher who specialised in dealing with "trouble" students. He dove into his paperwork and pulled out a resume, laughing loudly at the name on it. Miss Hinako Ninomiya- if anyone could discipline that pest Ranma Saotome, it was she. He reached for the phone and began dialling.
Meanwhile, at the Tendo Dojo…"Why that snot-nosed little punk! How dare he! How dare he cure himself and ruin a poor little old man's fun like that! Well, I got news for you Ranma my boy, you ain't beaten me yet! I'll get you to model some underwear for me, just see if I don't!"
Happosai chuckled evilly as he read a Jusenkyo Products Mail Catalogue, focusing on the special, limited-time offer for Real Nyannichaun.
Meanwhile, in the Basement…The air suddenly split open, a shimmering wound in the dimensional fabric bursting apart in the reality of Nerima. A strange, formless, shadowy shape crept and scurried forth from the doorway before it shrank in upon itself, sealing itself away and trapping the creature in this reality. Eight pairs of eyes glowed in the darkness as the Beast from Beyond voiced its terrible cry:
"Nyaan!"
I know this is something of a short chapter compared to the previous ones, but I've so many ideas to choose from it isn't funny. So what I'm going to do is to let you, the reviewers, decide. Below is a list of scenarios that I've thought up to serve as the main focus of the next chapter. Once this chapter is posted, I'm going to wait 1-3 days and then note the reviews. The scenario with the most votes will be the basis of the next chapter. If I receive a lot of inspiration, or just think I can manage it, then I may cover the second-most popular choice in the same chapter. I'll set up a new poll once these are exhausted, though I'm likely to consider scenarios you post in your reviews. The arrival of every Ranma Anime fan's favourite Chi Vampire, Miss Hinako, and her subsequent battle with Ranma will occur, but at a later date- I need to repossess my copy of OVA #4 "Stormy Weather Comes to School! Growing Up with Miss Hinako" first.
Happosai gets his dose of Nyannichaun, and challenges Ranma to a battle where, if Ranma loses, he gets splashed with the cursed water from the Spring of Drowned Young Girl. Does Happosai have a clue what he's doing? Hell no! Does he stand a pickled egg's chance in hell of winning? Doubt it. Does he have any idea that Ranma can cure himself at will? Nope.
The Amazons discover that Ranma's back in town. How will Cologne deal with the fact Ranma can nullify and counter every mystical trinket or magical potion she comes up with? And how will Shampoo take the fact that Ranma can now evade her every Glomp Attack? As for Mousse, well, metal does conduct electricity you know…
Ryoga finally pushes the whole "P-Chan" thing too far for his own good. Ranma's sick and tired for getting smacked around because of Ryoga's cursed form, and finally reveals it to the whole Tendo Dojo. How will Ryoga seek revenge?
Ranma decides he's been separated from his mother long enough, and decides to invite her first to the Tendo Dojo and from there to Sliverspine… and he's going to tell her EVERYTHING about what happened on the training journey, including his father's multiple engagements and the trip to Jusenkyo. Naturally enough, Genma is extremely attached to his skin, so he tries to prevent this from happening. And how will his mother react to the fact her little boy is now the most powerful (and only) Martial Mage in existence?
On a "day-trip" out of Nerima, Ranma accidentally encounters Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts battling a Yoma. He destroys it effortlessly with a well-placed Crashing Shock Bolt spell, but now the Sailor Scouts are after him- someone that powerful just can't be allowed to run around without supervision, can they? And if they decided he's a threat to Crystal Tokyo… oh boy. Ranma has his hands full trying to dissuade the Sailor-Suited Soldiers of Love and Justice, but the price if he fails (death or wearing a fuku- and he's not sure which is worse) doesn't bear thinking about. Now, I know next to nothing about Sailor Moon, besides the fact they're magical girls who use elemental powers to fight monsters that feed on negative emotions and are time-warped (come from the past, fight for the future), so I'll need advice if you want me to use this scenario. I only mentioned it because a reviewer in chapter 4 (Shakeval) suggested it.
Herb, Mint and Lime come to Nerima, seeking their Opening Ladle (or whatever it's called- I only know the Anime, so I need info about it and the Musk Dynasty too). Herb may have the blood of a dragon flowing in his/her veins, but will that be enough to stand up to Ranma's Thunder Blast spell?