Ki Cutters: 3
The Parts
Friday, Ranma slouched across the top of the fence as his fiancée skipped along the sidewalk below him, humming a merry tune. Her sparkling glances were ignored, which didn't bother the girl at all. Akane was happy as a cat in a creamery. Ranma was going with her to the audition for Nutcracker Suite.
"You still cheated," he grumbled again. "I can't believe you did that." He blushed, again, in memory.
"Biida!" She showed him a red-eye. "You can say what you like, Ranma Saotome, but you're not getting out of this."
"Tomboy! Macho-chick!" He called up some of his old insults. "Flat-chested…"
"That's not what you implied last night," she interrupted primly. Had Ranma been wearing his red shirt, his face would have matched it.
Taro, who had been staying in the dojo the last few nights, had been off somewhere. Ranma, relegated to the dojo with both families in residence, had visited Akane's window to pursue the age-old (even if new to him) custom of cuddling. Akane, however, had this tendency to trap him once there, by the simple expedient of curling up in his arms and making sure his hands were full. He tended to go into brain-freeze at that point. He was now finding that petting was addictive and dangerous to plans outside of the bedroom.
"That's not fair!"
"You mean trying to make me angry enough to boot you into the next ward so you can miss the audition, is?" Akane smirked at him. "Ain't love grand?"
Ranma muttered under his breath as she twirled a graceful pirouette in practice for the tryout and then skipped a few steps past him before turning. "Get down here and look me in the eye and repeat what you just said," she challenged.
Ranma jumped down with a smirk. That was more like it! He marched up to her, leaned over and stared her in the face. "Tomboy!" he shouted.
"And?" Akane waited for the rest, her eyes large and dark and her smile tender. Her arms were straight with her hands clasped before her.
"And ah… um…" Ranma looked into her eyes and lost track of what he was saying. She laughed and spun away. "Ah? Arrgh! That's not fair!"
He raced after her, discovering again that she could nearly keep pace with him now. They raced up like a whirlwind to the school gate and…
"Hold!"
"Aw, man!" Ranma grumbled, as he looked Tatewaki Kuno up and down. "What are you doin' here?" He eyed the bokken and the kendo garb and sighed. The journal had implied an advance toward sanity for his old adversary, but this appearance boded ill for that concept.
"I seek…" Tatewaki frowned. "I seek…"
"Ta challenge me?" Ranma offered. Kuno seemed confused today. Ranma ducked what was obviously an irritable swing of the wooden sword.
"Nay, sorcerer, I seek an audience with the pigtailed one." Kuno looked Ranma in the eye. "You know what I mean, Ranma. Much has occurred in the past week and I mean to resolve it. Dare you tell me nay?"
"I dare, Kuno," Akane butted in. "Ranma agreed to audition for Nutcracker Suite with me and I don't plan to be late. If you want to talk, come along; but no fighting!" She grabbed Ranma by the arm and dragged him past. Kuno gaped for a moment, shrugged and followed.
Kuno gained their side in a few strides and actually managed to walk and talk at the same time, impressing Ranma tremendously. "Surely, Akane Tendo, you do not plan for this pitiful excuse of a man to portray the hero of the play? How can one so ill-suited to manhood…" Instantly becoming unimpressed, Ranma leaped gracefully over Akane and planted a foot in Kuno's face.
"Stop talkin' about my manhood," he snarled. "If ya have somethin' ta say to me, get on with it!" Kuno squirted him with a water pistol. Ranma shrank and counted to ten before snap-kicking the offensive piece of plastic into atoms. "All right, Kuno," she grated. "Where do ya want me to start breakin' bones?"
"Ranma," Akane snapped. "No fighting!"
"He started it!" they both yelled, pointing. Ranma froze and turned to the sitting kendoist. "You called me 'he'… That's the first time you've done that, when I'm like this."
"The martial arts competition was quite enlightening," Kuno said quietly. "Though I have moments of irrationality yet, I know you are Ranma, pigtailed one," he admitted. "I find it easier to speak with you thusly, as I have made your male form the focus of mine enmity."
"Uh-huh." Ranma stared at the blue-clad form and huffed. "Okay, then, walk with us." The three moved on, the stares of students sending irritating prickles across Ranma's awareness. "You were sayin'?"
Kuno considered, and then turned to Akane. "As I was saying, how can you consider having Ranma portray…" Ranma punched him.
"Not that, moron!"
"Ranma!" Akane grabbed her by the pigtail. "Use language! Don't hit!"
"Kuno. What. Do. You. Want?" Ranma grated, rubbing the base of her neck. A few more tugs on her pigtail and Akane would have a lovelock to end all lovelocks. "An' don't go off about this stupid play."
"It is a ballet, actually," Kuno corrected her.
Ranma opened her mouth to yell, since technically, Kuno had gone off about the stupid play. Then she paused, because 'ballet' in Japanese is pronounced almost 'Barry' as in the name of her 'house-guest' of the last few months. Then it percolated through that Kuno had just explained that she was on her way to try out for a performance that featured (in her mind at least) a bunch of pansy twits, running around on their toes with their hands in the air. She did a fanciful imitation of a bulbous-eyed goldfish and blew her top.
"No way!" she boggled. "I ain't prancin' around in one of them little frilly skirts! What the hell ya thinkin', tomboy?"
"Guys don't wear tutus, Ranma," Akane sighed. She should have explained this earlier. Now she was going have to deal with Ranma's tantrum and still get them to the audition.
"Damn straight they don't," Ranma screeched.
"You must admit your present form would be well suited to the costume, though," Kuno smirked. (badadadadaBoom!)
"Ranma, I said, 'DON'T HIT'!" (BAM!) Akane unleashed her mallet. "Kuno, you really shouldn't tease Ranma like that."
"I believe you may have a point, Akane," groaned Kuno from the sidewalk.
Akane heaved the unconscious redhead up on her shoulder and peered again at the twitching kendoist. "Do you want me to call Satsuke?"
"Unnecessary, fair one." He held up his cell phone. "Know also, I am coming to the audition. In the absence of my father, it has fallen upon myself to oversee such events until an alternative can be found."
Akane did a double take. "What? You mean you're the acting principal?"
"Principal? No, thank you! To be sure, Furinken consumes a significant portion of the Kuno fortune. As such, a Kuno Industries representative must always be included on the school board." He rolled over and slowly came to his knees. Popping sounds were heard as he began to straighten himself out. "I believe Miss Hinako is being asked to fill the role of principal. Her English classes will be taken over by the delightful Mrs. Morisato, who is eminently qualified." He stood up and stretched then leaned left and right. "With any luck, my despised sire will take the hint and transplant his hideous Hawaiian fantasies to some harmless government ministry."
"How is he, by the way?"
"He is giving Dr. Hashibara demonstrations on bokken shredding, haircuts and exploding Hawaiian foodstuffs. I believe the good doctor is personally, becoming more aware of the stresses in our lives." Kuno gazed at the Tendo girl and her burden. "Since our path is the same, could I not relieve you of your encumberment?" he offered.
Akane smirked, struck mute by the thought of Ranma awakening in Kuno's arms. She also considered the inevitable result of such an event. In a voice quivering with suppressed emotion she replied, "I think I better carry him, Kuno." She turned and moved along, Tatewaki once more falling in beside her. "How is your sister?"
"Not well." Kuno's lips pursed together and he frowned. "It was about her that I wished to speak to Ranma. Her… condition is causing considerable comment and I fear that her rehabilitation is in jeopardy in part due to this."
They moved past a group of students who boggled at them. "In part?" Akane asked.
"Kodachi's guest, Marller, was far more than she seemed. I believe she used magic on us both. For a time I was under the delusion, once more, that Ranma and the pigtailed girl were different people. Even Satsuke and Kodachi's curses only served to reinforce this delusion."
Akane interrupted him, waving with her free hand. Two figures waved and moved to join them. Shampoo and Ukyo glanced at Kuno, then at Ranma's slumped form over Akane's shoulder.
"What happen to Ranma?" Shampoo asked.
"He wouldn't listen to reason," Kuno supplied.
"Ah?" Shampoo eyed him, his hakama and bokken.
"Akane said 'don't hit'," Kuno elaborated. He rubbed his bruised jaw. "Perhaps a lack of native wit or the stress of the moment overbore good sense, for she gave him several opportunities to reconsider."
"Oh, Ranchan," Ukyo laughed, "On your head be it, then."
"In fact, that was literally the case." Kuno nodded.
They boggled a moment, each debating whether Kuno was trying to be funny before giving it up. Shampoo and Ukyo exchanged glances, as Akane grew red. "The Mallet of Doom!" they chorused and laughed.
"Told you Akane perfect for this show," Shampoo chortled cryptically. Akane opened her mouth to ask what the Amazon meant when Ukyo hurriedly interrupted.
You are headin' for tryouts, ain'tcha, Akane-chan?" asked Ukyo.
"Yes. Ranma freaked when Kuno told him it was a ballet." She grimaced and shifted her load. "I don't think he realized, till then, what it was."
Shampoo smiled wickedly. "You should have beaten him again."
"She did," Kuno said blandly. He became puzzled when the others broke into laughter. "Didn't she?" The girls were understandably unwilling to elaborate. Akane had broken down earlier and told the girls just how she got Ranma committed to the audition.
oOo
They marched into the auditorium at Furinken and deposited Ranma in a chair. There were many students in the seats chatting with one another, as well as a lighting control board set up halfway down the center aisle. Some had drinks and snacks and the overall atmosphere was one of anticipation. "Are you guys auditioning, too?" Akane asked her former rivals.
"I am," offered Shampoo.
"I hadn't planned on it, but Mama Nodoka insisted I needed to experience some sort of childhood," Ukyo sighed. "I told her, 'I've got a business to run', but she insisted." As they spoke, Kuno dialed his cell phone and spoke into it. He wandered off into the school as he conversed. "It's a pity Kodachi isn't here," Ukyo added, nodding after the departing man. "I bet she'd love this stuff."
Akane eyed her friend. "'Mama', huh? Are you going along with Ranma's adoption idea?"
"I haven't decided. It's just that she apparently has. Have you ever tried to tell her 'no'?"
"No."
"Don't waste your breath. She ignores anything she doesn't want to hear. I'm beginning to understand why Genma ran."
"Why?" asked Shampoo. "She sound like good Joketsuzoku mama to me."
"Ohhh…" Ranma wove back to consciousness. "What hit me?"
"Guess?" grinned Shampoo, kneeling down. Akane departed to get some hot water.
"A tomboy," Ranma winced. She looked about and realized she was in the auditorium. "Oh, kami!" She leaped to her feet. "I ain't gettin' in no tutu!" she screamed. At the wave of titters, she turned and realized she was making a scene before most of the Furinken senior class. She winced and looked embarrassed.
"Why not?" asked a slender woman who was speaking with a student at a light-board nearby. "You're a little busty for ballet, but otherwise you move well."
"Arrgh!" Ranma tore at her hair and stamped around in frustration despite the renewed attention from the peanut gallery.
The slender woman moved with almost exaggerated precision to meet them. "My name is Simone Marinara. I will be the director, choreographer and ballet coach for the production. Are you ladies planning to audition?"
Shampoo and Ukyo bobbed a bow to the woman. "Yes, ma'am."
"Also Akane, Marinara-sensei," added Shampoo. "She getting hot water for Ranma."
Marinara stared at the redhead now sitting, muttering in a seat. "Hot water?"
"You'll see," Ukyo said easily. "I'm Ukyo Kuonji and this is Shampoo. We're martial artists."
"Pleased to meet you," the woman replied. "That explains why you are all so athletic-looking. Besides ballet, I practice aikido, though I'm more a hobbiest than a student."
Ranma looked up with interest. "You do aikido?"
"Yes, and a little tai chi chuan," she replied. "I find it relaxing."
Ranma blinked. "And you do ballet?"
"What's wrong with ballet?" she smiled. "It's simply a form of dance."
Ranma started to answer, stopped, then opened her mouth again, but nothing came out. While this went on, Akane came down the aisle with a kettle from the nurse's office and Satsuke entered from the side door with a kettle, spotted the red hair and bobbed over smiling proudly. They faced off rather surprised, kettles poised to pour.
Ranma looked at them nervously. "Ya ain't gonna start fightin' over who's gonna pour, are ya?"
Akane glanced down, smirked and snorted, "You wish!" She gave way for Sasuke, who bowed, then poured.
Some of the hot water spattered and suddenly two male-type Ranmas stood before the startled ballet instructor. One however, was in considerable discomfort. The clothes that had fit so well on Satsuke's small frame now pinched horribly on Ranma's larger one. Ranma blinked and backed up a step to better see his doppelganger.
"I look like that?" he asked, shaking a few droplets loose.
"Well…" hedged Akane, "Only when you revert to male wearing one of your tighter-fitting girl disguises."
"Jusenkyo?" Marinara asked.
"You know about Jusenkyo?" they chorused.
"If I had cold water, I'd show you," she smiled. "And here I thought I'd have to explain to everyone…"
"What you turn into?" Shampoo asked in sudden comprehension. "I turn into cat. My friend, Mousse, turn into duck. Ryoga, another friend, turn into pig."
"Good heavens! Did I find the Jusenkyo Victims Support Group?" the instructor joked nervously. "I, uh… I turn into…" she blushed and finished weakly, "an elephant." Everyone stared at this tall, slender gaijin.
"You're kidding," Ranma said flatly.
"I wish," Marinara said bitterly. "I still had a career when it happened, but afterward I had to retire and go into teaching."
Tatewaki, who had disappeared earlier, wandered back in and froze, his attention captured by the sight of two male Ranmas. "What villainy is this?" he accused. He whipped out his bokken. "Is it not enough that fate conspires to place one Ranma in my path, that now two…?"
"No, no, no!" squeaked Satsuke, waving a hand desperately. "It is I, Satsuke, Master Kuno! I spilled some hot water and…"
"A likely tale!" snarled the bokken-wielding maniac.
"But true." Ranma grabbed a drink from a nearby student and splashed Satsuke with it.
"Eeuw." Satsuke stood arms out, as the sticky drink dripped from his clothes. He was normal again though. "Could you use diet cola next time?"
Tatewaki huffed a few times and put his wooden sword away. "I apologize for my outburst. I am Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Kuno Industries." He bowed and took Marinara's hand, kissing it. "It is my understanding that you have consented to grace us with your presence, Marinara-sensei. Your past performances and students speak well for our endeavor here."
Marinara laughed, charmed by this disturbed young man.
"Jeez, Kuno, what a suck-up!" Ranma snickered. "Ow!" he yelped as Shampoo and Ukyo smacked him across the back of his head. He rubbed his noggin and glared at them, then blanched when he saw Akane looking over their shoulders with a furious glare on her face. "What'd I do?" he exclaimed.
Simone Marinara frowned at Ranma's words but forbore to comment. Many of the very best performers were less than stellar examples of social humanity. The Kuno boy was charming, but was also obviously unstable. Water splashed down and Ranma reverted back to girl-type. Shampoo was also hit and changed to a small white cat with pink highlights to her fur. Entangled in her Furinken girl's uniform, she hissed and spat in a fury over her predicament. Ranma flinched away then sighed.
"Kogara!" roared Ukyo, Akane and Kuno.
Several rows up, the smirking senior suddenly realized the gravity of his prank. After a brief moment of 'deer-in-headlights', he raced away over the backs of the seats, the others in hot pursuit. Ranma sighed again, leaned over and delicately disentangled Shampoo from her useless clothes. Suppressing a shudder, she tucked the now purring feline into the crook of one arm and gathered up the Amazon's clothes as sounds of violence erupted from the main doors to the auditorium.
"This happens to you a lot, doesn't it?" Marinara asked gently.
Ranma shrugged. "Ya get used to it after a while. But then ya know about that, don't ya?" came the resigned answer. Shampoo heard Ranma's tone of voice and tried to rub against her reassuringly. "Eeep! Don't do that Amazon! Think where yer rubbin'!"
The innocent sounding 'miau' made the instructor grin. Shampoo obviously knew exactly what she was doing. She stopped though, as Akane, Kuno and Ukyo came back to the discussion. The girls were still irritated. Kuno was ecstatic.
"Indeed! The varlet who so besmirched your honor and caused you such grief has discovered the error of his ways. Ahhh, but I smote him well!"
He twirled his bokken in an escrima-style spin. Ranma started, recalling belatedly that move was part of Kuno's more recent training in the Anything-Goes style of swordplay. The redhead shifted uncomfortably as Kuno beamed at her. "Um, Kuno, remember who yer leerin' at."
Tatewaki's face went blank for a moment then flushed in embarrassment. "Arrgh!" the kendoist groaned, turning away. "My moment of victory is like ashes! Ashes!" He turned around again. "When will my soul be healed of this pain?" His glare could have killed and was directed solely at the pigtailed martial artist.
Normally, Ranma would have booted Kuno over the moon. At the moment, though, she was depressed and confused by how much had changed in the months she was gone. She sighed, not meeting his eyes, and shrugged. "I know how ya feel, man. Life sucks sometimes." She looked up again at the sweating bulge-eyed face. "Sorry 'bout that." Ranma watched curiously as Kuno gulped, paled, then flushed again. Slowly, the kendoist recovered his aplomb. Ranma frowned. "How did stupid-as-a-post Kogara besmirch my honor?"
Kuno straightened and waved a hand dismissively. "Think not of it, Saotome. I dealt with it long ago and any who know you, would not believe his calumny."
"If Kogara's been making comments about Ranma…" growled Akane.
"Excuse me?" Simone Marinara decided to interrupt. "This is an audition. Shall we get down to business?"
Beside Ranma, Akane, Ukyo and Shampoo, a lot of the girls from Amazon month were trying out for the ballet. Predictably, many guys were hanging around to watch the girls. Especially since many of them were wearing leotards or similar levels of undress. Hiroshi and Daisuke were there, as was Gosunkugi. Kogara was presently out in the hall, trying to recover from his injuries. Jiro sat in the front seats watching some of the girls warm up with an avid expression.
"All right, everybody!" Marinara clapped her hands. "Now I understand only a few of you are familiar with ballet. Could I have a show of hands?"
Shampoo, Akane and, surprisingly, Ukyo raised their hands. So did Yuka and Sayuri, Hiroko Kusinaro and Kaisha Timoosato and a smattering of others. The latter was in a classical pink tutu much to the delight of the male audience. Several other girls dressed to dance in leotards of green, blue and red, looked embarrassed, having dressed the part without having the training.
"Now, girls, don't be shy. I understand that many of you haven't danced this way before, but that's no reason to be afraid." She smiled and pirouetted gracefully. "While it does take years of practice to become great, a few weeks of training might begin to show you how much fun it can be, as well as how much it will improve your posture and trim your figures." She winked as the girls self-consciously put their hands to hips or waist and giggled nervously. "Now as to the men…" She looked around, but suddenly every male in the audience seemed to make himself scarce.
Except Ranma. Ranma sighed in disgust and looked around. She'd given her word. "I promised," she said resignedly. "Get me some hot water." Akane's sudden smile gave her a thrill of pleasure. Hot water was produced and Ranma stood tall and dark-haired once more. Kuno growled a mixture of disappointment and relief. Ranma gazed into Akane's eyes for a moment, then turned to Simone Marinara. "I promised Akane I'd audition. Ain't nobody gonna say Ranma Saotome goes back on his word."
Simone Marinara smiled. Ranma was of the lean, muscled build that male ballet stars were made from. Then, a miracle happened.
"Hey, Saotome's auditioning!"
"Ranma's trying out?"
"But Ranma would never get involved in something as sissy as ballet!"
There was a long silence in the murmuring whispers. "It must not be sissy then," someone decided. There was a thunder of footsteps.
"We want to try out, too!" a gang of hormone-laden boys demanded. Jiro was at the front yelling, "Me, too! Me, too!"
"My! Things are looking up, aren't they?" Marinara smiled. She had been expecting the usual male resistance to cause problems. Then, the jostling dumped someone's drink.
(sploosh!)
"BBBbbbRRRRYYYYAAAUGHH!" A gray elephant waved its ears apologetically, trumpeting and rumbling in embarrassment. Though small for an elephant it was easily large enough to dominate the space at the footlights. It sighed in frustration.
"Didja ever think of getting a job with a theme park?" asked Ranma from her position crushed against an auditorium chair.
Marinara-elephant reached around, found the martial artist with her trunk and shifting, extracted her from the seat by an ankle. She brought her around and lightly, just once, thumped her head off the floor of the stage. Dropping her, the trunk gave an authoritative wag under Ranma's nose, a sort of 'don't do it again'. Ranma sighed and turned her gaze toward Akane.
"Hot water?" she asked hopefully. Shampoo leaped up beside her and added her plaintive 'miau' of agreement.
oOo
They soon discovered that Simone Marinara had solved her clothing problem in a unique way.
"Velcro?"
"It eliminates the concerns about replacing my wardrobe on a regular basis," Marinara remarked. "I simply keep a large tarp and a thermos of hot water available and return to normal in relative privacy."
"Even your underwear?" Akane looked uncomfortable.
"With an animal my size, it's all or nothing." She sighed. "I do miss getting into an evening gown and going out on the town, though, but it's too dangerous should I become damp."
"Hey, Shampoo," Ranma toweled his hair dry while sitting on the stage. The Amazon had returned with Akane from the ladies room. "Does the Jusenkyo Combine, or whatever they called it, still make that waterproof soap?"
"I think so," Shampoo remarked. "Why you ask?"
Ranma jerked a thumb toward Marinara. "She'd like ta dress up like a girl for a change. She uses Velcro along the seams of her clothes and that'd probably make a dress look pretty tacky."
"Waterproof soap?"
"There's a whole industry profiting from people who have curse," explained Shampoo. "Waterproof soap helps avoid change to cursed form. Very popular, but a little expensive."
"Waterproof soap?" Marinara's eyes were round and her expression beatific. A glimpse of heaven had been offered after a long sojourn through hell.
Ranma shrugged. "It's not a cure and it does wash off if ya get too wet or fer too long, but…"
"Can I kiss you?"
Ranma backed up, eyes round and hands up defensively. "Hey! I'm jus' tryin' ta help ya! Don't get me inta trouble."
"And thus, Saotome steals yet another heart," Kuno muttered darkly.
Shampoo handed Marinara a business card. "You call here. Is Nekohanten. Great-grandmother, Ku Lon of Joketsuzoku, have some waterproof soap. She not give away, but not unreasonable."
"Her reasonability depends on whether ya have somethin' she wants," commented Ranma.
Akane's hand lifted, she thought a moment then dropped her hand as he flinched away. "That's true. But it's not necessarily a bad thing," Akane told him.
Shampoo glanced at them and added, "Tell Great-grandmother, Shampoo send you."
"I can't wait!" she smiled, but shook herself and got back to business. "Well, let's get started." Marinara directed everyone up on stage. She ended up with about thirty girls and about fifteen guys, including Ranma, Jiro, Hiroshi and Daisuke. She felt a presence beside her and turned to look up at the lanky frame of Hikaru Gosunkugi. "Are you trying out?" she asked. Inside she was rolling toward inspiration. This spooky-looking boy would be ideal for one particular part if she could just get him to try.
"M-m-me?" Gos was astonished she had even noticed him. Actually, a lot of people were noticing him lately, much to his discomfort. He had no idea that it was because his own confidence, slowly growing with the workouts Hiroshi and Daisuke had talked him into, as well as improved physical conditioning, were making him notable. He was still skinny as a rail, but he was beginning to move like a human being instead of the string-less puppet he had been before. "W-why?"
"I think you would be perfect as the uncle who gives the nutcracker to the little girl," Marinara said. "He was supposed to be a marvelous, almost magical, toymaker. Are you interested?"
Gos gaped. His throat felt dry. The part was… "I'll do it!" he yelped, before he could think further.
"Very good." She smiled and turned to the others. "Let's see what you can do."
From the orchestra pit, she demonstrated basic positions of first through fifth, and the necessity of a highly arched back, then coached all present through these positions despite snickers and comments from some of the male audience. The hecklers were put on hold when Kuno promised sore heads if 'this unwarranted hilarity failed to cease immediately'. It was quickly evident that of the six girls with past experience, Kaisha Timoosato was the most expert, as well as best suited to portraying a young girl. Shampoo came in a strong second in skill, but was too tall and too busty to portray the lead convincingly. Akane was about even with Yuka and Sayuri, while Ukyo came in after them.
Ukyo grimaced and massaged her calves. "I should have expected it," she remarked. "I haven't done ballet since I was six." The others grimaced as well, knowing exactly why. That was her age when Ranma and his father left with the yatai.
Ranma gazed at his disappointed fiancée and sighed, almost in relief. If she wasn't in, then he could bow out gracefully.
"All right, men, let's see what you can do."
They moved into the space left them by the girls and went through the movements Marinara-sensei had demonstrated. He reflected that Akane's failure was not due to speed or lack of balance, but simply that her ingrained habits still inhibited her from learning and taking advantage of a different set of movements. So musing, he didn't notice that Marinara was taking particular notice of him and one other.
"Ranma, Jiro? Could you do this movement?" She performed a simple run and leap. The two young men duplicated the movement almost letter perfect. She demonstrated a twirling step, half step, spin combination, with hand and head movements that had taken her a decade to perfect.
The two young men duplicated it exactly. Which was, frankly, frightening and annoying. Feeling only a little guilty, she did an entire five-minute routine, something that might be expected of a senior student for a recital.
They were letter perfect in tempo, hand movement and head movement. It wasn't fair! It was mind-boggling. It was exhilarating. If she could get even one of these prodigies to go on in ballet as her student, her reputation would be made for all time. Barishnikov, hell! Particularly Ranma, with his stunning looks (in either form) could be world renown! Jiro was just as good, but was too short, more the pity. "That's… quite enough, thank you," she said, one hand on her breast. She turned to the others and worked them through their routines.
oOo
Then the moment of truth had arrived.
"Kaisha, you will portray the little girl, Clara. Akane will be your understudy. Shampoo, if you're wondering, you're just a little… mature for the role." Marinara smiled as Shampoo stuck her assets out and huffed. "Besides, I want you as the ballet company lead dancer. Among other pieces you will do the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Yuka, Mio and Kimura will be in the company and will understudy you, Shampoo. Ukyo, you're the tallest of the girls. I want you as Clara's mother as well as in the company. Don't worry, dear. In a production like this, almost everyone will wear several hats." Akane and Kaisha immediately sidled up to her and dug in their toes like children about to ask for candy. Ukyo threatened them with a spatula and growled. "It helps visually. Sayuri will understudy you. Anyone not given a specific role will dance in the company to one degree or another. Nutcracker is a huge performance and we'll need everyone we can get to dance and manage the costume changes. As for the men…"
"ME?" Ranma stood aghast. "But…"
"You and Jiro were very good, Ranma," Marinara said. 'If you only knew how good,' she thought. "You will be the Nutcracker." She smiled. "Jiro, you're the Mouse King who is the Nutcracker's adversary. To back you two up…"
"I'd rather be the Nutcracker, " Jiro said a little obstinately. He eyed Ranma. "Flip ya for it."
"What are you talking about?" Ranma grumbled. "If ya want — Whoa!"
Suddenly, Ranma found himself twisting toward the ceiling. 'Damn! He's good!' he thought as he quickly oriented himself and came down lightly on the backs of the auditorium seats. "Ya know, I wasn't really interested in this, but since ya put it that way…"
"You're gonna be surprised, Ranma. You're not the only student these days of Mutsabetsu Kakuto."
"What!" Akane had been preparing to deliver a powerful blow to the seat of Jiro's pants when this statement made her hesitate. "What did you say?"
"Look at his stance, tomboy," Ranma said, smiling. "He's got to have trained under Happosai. Pops uses an almost identical one. This oughta be fun!"
"Take it outside," yelled Marinara, fearful of being blamed for damages to the auditorium. Tatewaki leaped for the side doors and threw them wide.
"Happy to oblige," shouted Ranma, side-stepping a sudden leap and kick from Jiro.
"Certainly," Jiro declared, landing lightly and springing after him. "First one unable to continue is the loser and none of that 'Saotome Secret Technique' I've heard about!" Everyone crowded after them.
"Any other rules ya wanna declare?" asked Ranma derisively. "This IS Anything-Goes, after all."
"I just want to be sure this fight is decisive," Jiro remarked. "We may both be nutcrackers, but only one of us will become the Prince."
Jiro was fast and slippery. Ranma was faster in punching, but his larger size and greater mass made him an easier target for his elusive opponent. He was taking punishment, too much punishment. Akane could tell Ranma was being pushed onto the defensive. Jiro tended to maintain superficial contact, letting Ranma's movement shift him here and there while taking advantage of opportunities. Ranma needed to break the pattern. A swift series of blows sent Ranma stumbling back into the watching students. Water splashed.
"Ha-ha!" Jiro jeered. "It looks like I'll be the Prince of this performance, Ranma! You don't look the part anymore!" Ranma gave the tie on her pants a quick tug, slipped her shoes and charged back in.
This time it was slightly different. Jiro didn't 'stick' as well and his brief hesitations and loss of blending with the smaller, faster version of Ranma was telling. Then Ranma trapped him into the chestnut fist. The shorter martial artist staggered and blocked as best he could.
In the time it took Ranma to get in fifty quick strikes, Jiro pulled out a Happodarikin bomb. Ranma boggled and kicked the bomb straight up, sending it to burst harmlessly overhead. She also, apparently, left herself wide open.
"No!" Akane saw an opening wide enough to drive a truck through and Jiro was leaping to take advantage of it.
(Wuck!) "Eeep!" muttered Jiro as the opening closed with a snap, Ranma's supporting leg kicking flat-footed from the ground to catch him at the juncture of his legs. Considering the fact that Jiro was about to hammer her in nearly the same place, the pubic arch, it was only fair. Ranma bounced on her derriere and hands as her maneuver left her without means of support.
"Who's the 'Prince' now, Jiro?" she said crudely from her seated position.
"You… you…" squeaked Jiro before he passed out.
"Thanks! Glad ya agree," Ranma smirked.
Akane who had gone from alarm to sympathy at the turn of events suddenly got Shampoo's comment from earlier in the afternoon — 'Nutcracker'— and 'Akane would be perfect'. She turned and gave her dear heart-sister a heart-felt glare.
Shampoo flinched. "What wrong, Akane?" Shampoo asked.
"I may be slow, but I'm not dead," Akane answered.
Shampoo giggled nervously, understanding perfectly what she was referring to.
"May I have your attention, people?" Simone Marinara was a bit upset. "I don't know what any of you thought this would accomplish, but I am not amused. Starting next week, I want to see my principals after school in the auditorium to learn their routines. We don't have the years that we need to do it right, so we'll have to make do with the month and a half we do have. Rehearsal times will be posted weekly on the boards. I expect punctuality, dedication and absolutely no violence! (sploosh!) BBBRREREAAAGH!"
The custodian let his bucket swing back and forth in his hand as he gazed at the large gray elephant. The elephant, dripping and twitchy, stared at the custodian. The custodian finally put it down to more of the usual Furinken craziness. This was nothing unusual for Furinken. Just another day where weird things happened and nobody got too upset about it…
It took all of the conscious martial artists to convince Marinara-sensei not to beat the custodian's brains out against the side of the building, and the offer of a bag of peanuts had very little to do with it.
oOo
"Unnngh… Where am I?" Jiro moaned his way awake and discovered he was reposing on a futon with a big bag of ice on his lap. He sat up gingerly and looked around. Where had he seen this place before?
"Awake, huh?" Ranma's voice held a bit of amusement in it. "You're tough all right. About what I'd expect from anyone who could survive training under the freak."
Jiro winced and turned around. Ranma and Akane sat a few meters away, facing each other. Jiro sensed the trailing of power and guessed they had been doing some ki training. "Why did you bring me here?" he asked after running through a number of possible comments.
"We didn't know where you live," protested Akane, "And we could hardly leave you lying there."
"Where do ya live, man?" asked Ranma. "Do we need to call someone?"
Jiro sighed. "No, there's no one to call."
"Yer livin' on the streets, ain't ya?" Ranma demanded. Akane gasped as Jiro's face failed to conceal his reaction. "Well, we can't let a student of the Mutsabetsu Kakuto Ryu go without a roof over his head. I just hope ya haven't picked up the pervert's habits or we'll have words."
"And mallets!" Akane added with steel in her eyes. She turned her gaze to Ranma and sighed in exasperation. "There goes our privacy again. And kami knows what this'll do to the budget."
"I can help out there, a little bit," offered Jiro, trying to look as if he really wasn't pleased at this turn of events. The streets had been getting old. "Uh… You said something about privacy?"
"None o' yer business," Ranma said shortly. He met Akane's eyes and blushed. To cover his slip, he rose to his feet and offered her a hand up. "C'mon, tomboy. Let's show him what it means when we say, 'you broke it; you fix it."
Akane slid into a combat stance and smiled. "Bring it on."