Ki Cutters: 16
The Performance
He had been looking in his references of magic and ki for something dark and dangerous or better, stupidly embarrassing to use on the younger Saotome. The scroll was old as dirt, but not older than he was. After all, it was written in his own hand. He had viewed the scribbles with some disgust; too late to take up brush work at this time in his life. He had almost tossed it aside when a diagram provoked a memory.
Old memories; the youngest son of a large impoverished minor samurai family, he had been apprenticed to a Buddhist Temple. The life of a simple monk hardly suited him at all, but he did excel in one area: martial arts. They taught kempo at the temple and had a rather un-buddhist attitude of pride over how quickly they could train warriors for the Shogunate. And when he had left – rather hurriedly – he'd taken the secret with him. A memory surfaced…
A temple yard – an old monk putting a class through a basic kata; their hesitant movements, their obvious mistakes, the constant patient correction – then the monk had walked between the students, touching each one briefly. When he returned to his platform, students and teacher began their kata again to the tempo of a beating drum.
After one repetition, half the class mirrored their sensei's instruction. After three repetitions, 40 students moved in perfect tempo and with impeccable technique to the old monk – puppets on his string. It was a very impressive performance for inept beginners finding themselves moving like experienced masters in a matter of hours. Completely under their master's control of course…
Happosai cackled gleefully. "Ranma! Soon you will know the terror of the Anything Goes Ultimate Technique of Domination!"
oOo
The Furinkan orchestra outdid itself. Though small, the musicians were as dedicated in their own art as many martial artists. Marinara was soothed by the strains and turned back to her performers. "All right, everybody! Places! Make me proud!"
The curtain rose on a darkened stage. The lights slowly illuminated what looked like a tall clock in the center of the stage. The white face of the clock showed 12:00. Chimes sounded the hour. Suddenly the clock shifted, revealing it to be, not a clock but the top of a tall top hat, and the performance began. A narrator dressed in a Christmas tree costume, stood at stage right and gave a running commentary of the story as the opening went on, telling of how Drosselmeier, Clara and the children were related to one another and how the story began.
Narrator: It is Christmas Eve and the Stahlbaum children await the arrival of their eccentric uncle, Doctor Drosselmeier. He is a learned man who makes wonderfully detailed toys to the delight of young and old alike. Many are clockwork marvels that can dance and perform. Many seem almost magical.
The face under the hat belonged to Gosunkugi, playing the eccentric Uncle Drosselmeier. He leapt from his perch, revealing the real clock, and bowed to the audience. He then danced with a high-stepping strut from one side of the stage to the other, very busily prancing and bowing, ending each run with a swirling of his wide, wing-like cape. As he moved away from these terminators, lights illuminated a dancer in the costume of a toy, which quickly came to life, dancing a short repetitive set of movements. As a new toy was revealed, the light faded from the old one. A half dozen toys were revealed this way: a marching soldier, a dancing harlequin, a twirling ballerina, an Arabian juggler, a proud horseman, and a performing bear balancing a ball on its nose. Each was in movement from a beat or two after its revelation until darkness claimed it once more.
Narrator: But this Christmas Eve will be even more fantastic. For on this night will a long tale find its end and a new one, its beginning. Tonight, of all the special toys, a simple Nutcracker will be the centerpiece for the greatest enchantment of all.
Center stage, Drosselmeier's cape swirled and revealed the Nutcracker. Unlike the other busy toys, it stood there, proud, erect, oversized teeth giving it a charming, if ugly countenance. Drosselmeier swirled again and darkness swallowed him up leaving the Nutcracker alone in the light, which soon faded to blackness.
As Gosunkugi and Ranma darted off under cover of darkness, the lights came up again and the children and parents rushed into the parlor in family groups, which split up into groups of parents and children, and the children into boys and girls. They swirled around the tree collecting presents — the girls, dolls and jewelry, the boys, hobbyhorses and toy swords. The girls, including Akane as Clara, danced in a circle, showing off their new toys while the boys marched slowly to opposite sides of the room. There, they quickly made up formations before galloping across the stage to swing their toy swords at one another in a mock cavalry charge. The battle was fierce, but Fritz, played by Hiroshi, declared himself victor in the end. The girls of course had scattered at the charge and then returned, complaining. The boys formed up again and chased the girls off the stage.
The parents paired off for dancing in the absence of their children. They moved in the dances of the period, the men showing off silk-clad calves and the ladies their sweeping dresses. This went on for several figures before they were interrupted by the returning children. There was a moment of choreographed confusion.
A cloaked form suddenly rushed to center stage capturing everyone's attention. It whirled in an alarming fashion and settled into a tent-like heap. Everyone took short, fearful, curious steps toward the form, which suddenly burst up, cape swinging wide like wings. It was Uncle Drosselmeier. As Drosselmeier was greeted by the children, he presented them with small gifts as some parents brought in a puppet stage.
Narrator: Drosselmeier is well loved by the children, for despite his strange appearance, he always brings them wonderful toys and sweets. He is a welcome guest in their home. He reassures everyone of his good will and presses additional presents on the children and parents. He then calls the children to order and waves them to sit down facing the tree. With puppets he tells the story of the Hard Nut…
'Once upon a time, a beautiful princess, named Pirlipat, was cursed with dreadful ugliness by the dreadful King of Mice. His subjects had met dire fates at the paws of the cats in the kitchen and this was his revenge. The court astrologer discovered that only if a young man could, in the Princess's presence, crack a special nut named Krakatuk in his teeth and after presenting her with the kernel, close his eyes and take seven steps backward, could the spell be lifted. The king ordered the astrologer to find this nut and this young man or face death and they sought high and low for many years.
Finally the nut was found, and the king announced that whoever cracked the nut and rescued Pirlipat would have her as his wife. Many young men tried, but the nut was a very hard nut to crack. Finally, the astrologer brought his nephew forward to crack the nut. He was a handsome young man and the Princess hoped he would be the one to free her. He succeeded in cracking the nut and gave the kernel to the princess to eat. Instantly the curse was lifted. But when the young man was just finishing his seventh step backwards, the Mouse King attacked the young man from behind. He fell to the floor. When he arose, the poor young man had become a grotesque Nutcracker.
The Princess would have nothing to do with her savior and he was banished from the court. So he was doomed to end his days unless he met a lady who could love him despite his ugliness. To make matters worse, the evil King of Mice still pursued him to this day, determined to kill the young man who thwarted his revenge.'
The Narrator continued as the puppets were put away.
Then the children rose up, wondering if the poor Nutcracker was doomed forever. Drosselmeier put a finger to his lips and moved in a mysterious circle as his puppet stage was removed. He reached under his cloak and drew out… the Nutcracker.
Ranma grinned from behind his mask in the wings. Unlike their original Clara, Akane could have literally lugged him around the stage while doing her ballet routine. It was simpler and of course traditional to use a nutcracker that duplicated his current costume.
The children drew back as if in awe of the lonely little figure. Drosselmeier mimed cracking nuts in the jaws of the Nutcracker doll, handing the kernels to Fritz (Hiroshi) and the other children. They gathered aroundreaching their hands out, then moving away with their treasures. Akane, as Clara, held herself back and when Drosselmeier would have cracked nuts for her, asked for the Nutcracker instead. Drosselmeier paused and eyed her speculatively before handing it over with many a shaking finger. She tenderly moved to a side table where she positioned the doll to gaze at it.
Fritz, looking for more nuts, tried to snatch it away but only succeeded in breaking off the arm of the Nutcracker. Drosselmeier scolded the boy and retrieved the arm. He approached Clara holding out his hand. She let him lead her to the table. There he bound the arm in place and promised, with gestures, to repair it as good as new. Then Uncle Drosselmeier returned to the other adults, leaving Clara to mourn her charge's misfortune.
oOo
In the rafters a tiny figure wove its way among the lights. Happosai was very familiar with the layout of the theatre. He knew where the girls' dressing room was and had already powered up on the underwear left there. Too bad his cover as Jiro was blown, but no use crying over spilled milk. Far better to get even over the spilling! Payback time! "Lets see… Ranma, Akane, Kodachi, Shampoo…" He slipped across to see an unfamiliar figure in the wings. "Even Lacy is here with that hot new body. How convenient…"
He thought a moment. "The only problem is Hmmm… That could work! I'll teach them to deny an old man the joy of his declining years. Maybe this play could use a new ending. Heh, heh!"
oOo
In the audience, Ninomiya sat next to Soun, one hand on his arm. "I've been too busy to watch the rehearsals," she whispered. "This is wonderful. Akane is so beautiful up there."
Soun sniffed. "Her mother would have loved to see this."
"I'm sure she would have," Nodoka agreed. She sat on the other side of Soun, mostly to separate him from Genma and keep the latter from complaining about the performance. Genma tended to view everything as martial arts. Ballet was definitely not martial arts. Bored and hungry, he was still whining about the fact that concessions were closed during the actual performance.
Genma glanced over his shoulder and saw Shampoo's sisters, Ling-Ling and Lung-Lung watching from seats in the back. Behind them, on her staff, crouched Cologne, eyes slit almost closed. In Genma's eyes, the only good thing about this evening was the look on Akane's face around Ranma. Somewhere in his head, wedding bells were ringing. He glanced at his wife. He could dimly remember her looking at him that way. Recently, every now and then, she had begun doing so again.
"Too bad they didn't use you for the dancing bear, dearest," Nodoka said drolly.
Genma winced. Of course there were still plenty of times she looked at him in other ways.
Around them were other members of the family, and friends not in the show. Ryu Kumon sat next to a gauze-masked Natsume. The tall girl was to have been dressed as a man in the opening scene, one of the 'parents' with a powdered wig and suit-coat, and then portray one of the soldiers. Hers were among the roles taken up by Taro. Natsume was well medicated and dressed warmly, but refused to miss her sibling's performance. Kurumi was on-stage portraying one of the children, and would soon reappear as one of the Mouse King's army.
Ryunosuke watched with interest as did his android sister, Atsuko. Originally a part of the production, she had shown an alarming tendency to chase the 'mice', even when dressed as one. She was a little unhappy to be excluded but her new programming patch (finished just in time) should allow her to watch without disrupting the performance. Beside them, his father and mother, as well as his mother's bodyguards, sat and watched calmly. His parents at least, had seen the real thing and could judge the performance intelligently. Atsuko was having difficulty understanding why there were so many arrangements of the ballet. She had accessed the subject before coming, only to discover that no production ever copied another. Ballet was certainly different from a book!
Kasumi and Nabiki sat next to Sakurida, Baradandya, Keiichi and Urudu, in that order. Tatewaki sat next to Urudu and looked uncomfortable. She leaned toward him familiarly and spoke quietly, showing a fair bit of cleavage and causing his face to blush.
oOo
As Clara sat beside the Nutcracker on the table, the lights began to dim and swirl. Parents and children alike drifted about the stage, as dim light reflected from a disco-globe scattered stars among the dancers. Slowly, she took the Nutcracker in her arms, cradling it. The walls of the parlor began to break up and spin and as they turned, the backs of the pieces were revealed to be angular mirrors like shards of crystal. Clara became the center of the whirling glittering ensemble as the all the lights faded except the glittering stars.
Narrator: Clara feels sorrow for her fallen friend. Poor Nutcracker. As if it wasn't enough to be rejected by Princess Pirlipat and hunted by the Mouse King! Now his arm is broken. She promises him to protect him while he's mending.
As the lights came up, Clara knelt at the feet of the Nutcracker, now replaced by Ranma in costume, his arm in a sling. They were alone in the parlor and the lights were blue and dim. Clara rose in this surreal scene to dance about the brave Nutcracker, moving in to comfort him and make certain his sling was firmly tied.
As Akane danced about Ranma, Daisuke was out in the wings getting ready for his entrance. The mask had been adjusted somewhat, but his head was a different shape than Jiro's. It was hot and uncomfortable in the damn getup to begin with. The saving grace was that it was over in five or ten minutes. Nearby, the girl's dance ensemble stood in their rodent costumes. Most of the men were across the stage in the toy soldier uniforms to support the Nutcracker. Ukyo, Shampoo, Kodachi and Kurumi were uncomfortable but resigned. Taro was irritated.
"Why do I have to be female for this?" she complained at Kodachi.
"The costume was designed for a girl, darling. Your male form wouldn't fit." Kodachi's voice sounded hollow in the mask.
"They can't tell what I am in these costumes," Taro insisted.
"Darling, you have a very manly body. Believe me, the audience would see the difference in size and bulk and think you were a mouse on steroids," she drawled. "Just relax. It's not as if they'll be ogling you."
"No. That happen later," Shampoo whispered, receiving an irritable grump in reply. Taro's roles included a turn as one of the Arabian dancers in the second act. Taro wondered if Hiroshi and Daisuke had designed those costumes. Dance of the Seven Veils, Oh my!
oOo
'Someone's ogling you now, sweet-cheeks,' Happosai thought as he cautiously initiated the first step of his technique. 'Very soon I'll be doing more than ogle." Dressed in black, and in his younger persona, he glided down the line, reaching out gently to touch the girls, sending forth a gentle surge of highly refined ki. He restrained himself from groping. If things went his way he'd have plenty of time for touchy-feely later. With each contact, he linked his ki to the girls'. All that was needed was the proper mind set and he would play them all like a puppeteer. Finally, he reached Daisuke. "Hey, Dai," he whispered. "I think I can make you more comfortable. Step over here where the light's better."
Daisuke didn't recognize the whisper. All he thought about was the distracting irritation of his headgear. He followed the guiding hand right up to where it touched him lightly along the throat. He would miss his grand entrance as the Mouse King, a fact that probably wouldn't trouble him in the least.
oOo
The music cued as Akane knelt again at the feet of Ranma. From the shadows, a form skittered across the darkened stage. Clara's hand lifted in alarm. A light came up to show a mouse standing poised on another section of the stage. Another form skittered out, and then another. Soon they were surrounded, and the mice began a circling, threatening dance. At the end of the first circuit, the Mouse King was revealed!
Marinara groaned to herself. She sat well to the front of the audience. The Mouse King was mimicking his 'subjects' movements when he should have been going counter to their circle. The performance was being professionally recorded, courtesy of Tatewaki and she hoped to use the tape to further her own career. She gasped slightly as, at the end of the first encircling maneuver, the Mouse King performed a simple but subtle counter to begin circling back the way he had come. Daisuke must have realized his mistake and corrected it. Yet, Daisuke usually wasn't that smooth… The footwork of the mice was better than normal as well – now she couldn't distinguish Taro from the other dancers. In fact, the footwork of the entire mouse ensemble verged on phenomenal, as if each was executing the steps with one mind.
By the time the first circuit was done, every mouse-dancer, including the martial artists, were under Happosai's hypnotic control, captured by ki and by the replication of activity required of their dance. "Heh-heh! A pity I didn't remember this before with all the trouble Ranma has given me," he snickered, wickedly. "Much better than that Master/Student Pill. I wonder what everyone will think if the Mouse King wins Clara's hand?"
The mice withdrew to let the Mouse King dance alone. Happosai was happy to let every leering body movement threaten Clara.
Akane, for her part, was furious. Both she and Ranma had soon become aware of Happosai's presence in the production as the Mouse King danced. "You're a fool to come here, pervert," she whispered as he swayed close.
"How sweet! You're worried about me?" Happosai whispered. "All the fancy young martial artists after poor little me?" he snickered. He pranced a defiant step not in the blocking, adding it in with precise and derisive movement. "You needn't worry, Akane-chan. Wouldn't want to ruin your production, would we, kiddies?"
Behind her, Akane could feel Ranma's ki coiling as if to strike. "No, Ranma!" she whispered. "We can't!" Her glance flickered back to Happosai. "What do you want?"
"Me? You think I want something?" the old pervert sneered. "I'm just playing my part! I'm the Mouse King, thirsting for revenge." He leaped back and the mice rushed in to carry off the Nutcracker. Akane danced her appeal to the toys and the boys rushed onstage in their soldier costumes to contend with the mice. The battle ensued. Though it remained stylized, the battle was far more real than the audience suspected. The mice gave the soldiers a graceful bum's rush, generally within the blocking of the dance.
oOo
Something was going terribly wrong. Marinara excused herself and hurried backstage. She hunted quickly along the back wall and discovered an unconscious Daisuke behind a short curtain. She slapped him awake and got confirmation of what she suspected: Jiro, or Happosai, had shown up for his role. She tried frantically to wave at the 'mice', Taro in particular, to warn them of their problem.
The toy soldiers were already well aware of a problem. Hiroshi gulped as he rose shakily off stage from where Kodachi had thrown him. It was a good thing there was only one scheduled performance. His costume was in shreds. It had to be the Nekoken, and while he was deliriously happy that she hadn't used the same technique on his hide, it meant something was seriously wrong. As the first performer offstage in the toy soldiers' defeat, he rubbed his bruises and waved the stage crew over. "Something's up!" They exchanged glances. "It's gotta be Happosai."
"What are we gonna do?" asked one of the black garbed crew, dodging aside as another soldier flew past.
Hiroshi grimaced. "We do what we can. Get some water. Maybe they'll wake up if we splash them."
"But…"
"Quick!" Hiroshi cut him off – they didn't have much time. "Go see Shampoo's sisters! Get hot and cold water. Changing forms always wakes Ranma out of Nekoken, maybe it'll work for this, too!"
"Hai!" They hurried off.
oOo
Ranma and Akane, as yet unaware of Happosai's control of the mice, communed in whispers about how to deal with the pervert's interference. 'Clara' nodded and lifted the slipper she would wield soon after the mice defeated the soldiers. She eyed Happosai grimly – who knew what the old pervert had planned – and rubbed the fabric between her fingers, nervously. "What do you want, grandfather?" Akane growled low.
Under the music, Happosai gloated. "Nothing much. In return for not screwing up the performance, we're gonna do a little dance."
Ranma and Akane were dumbfounded. "What?" she hissed.
"Just what I said," The Mouse King slashed the air threateningly with his stage sword. "Dance with me, just a bit, before you throw the slipper, and I won't wreck the rest of the performance. No one will even notice."
Akane glanced at the slipper she was to hurl at the Mouse King. Happosai frowned. "Consider it my Christmas present." Happosai allowed himself a brief fantasy of Ranma in girl form and Akane and Taro — Don't forget Taro! — dressed in skimpy bunny suits serving his every whim. "You know," he added as they hesitated, "maybe I should demand you finally acknowledge me as the Master of the School – which is long overdue by the way."
"Why you…," Ranma growled from behind the mask.
"You think our friends would let you –!"
Happosai shrugged eloquently and twirled his sword. "Your friends don't concern me at all." He snapped his fingers. The mice leapt to the edge of the stage and soared into the aisles, capering into position in the audience.
Ranma's ki sight could detect faint lines like strings trailing back to the old pervert. "What have you done?"
"They are linked to me, boy, and dance to a tune of my calling now." Suddenly each mouse held a ball of ki in her hands, some larger than others but each with the potential for violence. The orchestra's accompaniment faltered raggedly as they eyed the nearest mice nervously. This was definitely outside the script.
Ranma started to reach out with his aura to seek a weakness in the compulsion.
"Uh, uh, uhhh!" whispered Happosai. "Even if you broke one free, the others are still mine and the ballet goes south. Now about that dance…"
Akane stood, her fingers still nervously rubbing the slipper. She remembered the translation of Hoffmann she had read. Before the battle, the Mouse King had threatened the Nutcracker, demanding as tribute, the little girl's toys and presents from Christmas. What Happosai was demanding she didn't like to think, and her imagination probably made worse. She and Clara stood poised on the horns of dilemma. She hoped she had the right answer. That Happosai's arrogance was as great as she suspected... and that he was unaware of what she had done. Slowly her hand drew back.
Happosai stood erect and literally put his chin out, feeling confident. "Oh, you feel lucky tonight? You'll learn. Go ahead…" Then the mask tilted as he shook a finger their way. "Just remember – I warned you." His hand went back to his hip. "I win either way."
The slipper was hurled in a flat spinning trajectory that struck the gloating Mouse King squarely in the chest.
To the old pervert's senses, it was just a slipper, nothing more, but Happosai was hurled back as if hit by a wrecking ball. Akane had used Ryoga's ki-loading technique to build the ki energy of her slipper to phenomenal levels. Once it left her hand, the stored ki temporarily transformed into pure potential energy that mimicked mass. The slipper effectively weighed half a metric ton at impact. That potential was transferred to Happosai and the slipper fell to the floor with a gentle thump.
As Happosai flipped brokenly, the mice gasped, their ki techniques lost along with the old man's consciousness and link. They stood a moment in confusion and then fled back to the stage, the martial artists leading the way. "Keep playing, dammit!" snarled Taro as she passed the orchestra pit. She and Kodachi picked up the fallen Mouse King roughly and carried him off stage.
Akane slumped beside Ranma in relief. "Kami!" she whispered, "It worked."
"You okay, Akane? Who's got Happosai?" he whispered back. According to the music he was hearing, they were preparing for the second attack of the mice where the Nutcracker would defeat his rodent antagonist. Off stage, Daisuke was struggling back into costume.
"Taro's got him. Maybe we can finish the play without further interference from him."
oOo
The clock chimed.
The clock finished chiming and moved. Gosunkugi had been puzzled about the abrupt departure from the blocking, but had held his position like a trouper. As Drosselmeier, he swept his cloak out like great wings and leapt from his perch, much as he had at the beginning of the ballet. He whirled faster and faster, the great winged cloak showing its carefully crafted, colored flaps as he swept before Akane and Ranma. Ranma hurriedly snapped off the sling and caught a prop hurled to him with practiced ease. With a snap, Gos cloaked himself and disappeared into the shadows. The Nutcracker was revealed as whole once more and at his side was a bright silver sword.
The mice returned, Daisuke as their King this time at the forefront. He was armed with Happosai's stage sword and ready for battle. The conflict raged as scripted and the mice once again pushed back the tattered remnants of the Nutcracker's army. Finally, the Nutcracker struck down his old foe, and Dai died a very dramatic death with several turns and swoons before kicking up his heels to show his defeat. The leaderless Mice fled in retreat dragging their fallen leader with them.
Narrator: The magical Drosselmeier has repaired the Nutcracker as he promised. And Clara's champion has defeated his old foe. What lies in store for our poor cursed hero and his faithful companion?
Once again the lights faded and the parlor broke up into glittering mirrored shards. The lights faded to black except for a single light that illuminated the victorious Nutcracker and Clara, who joined hands and paced about each other clockwise to the shard's counter-clockwise rotation. Six great shards moved in close about the pair, concealing them, twirling and shifting, showing only their crystal faces to the audience, gleaming as if with magic. Then the shards retreated, forming with the others, a broken wall of ice. They left two still figures in the center of the stage: Clara in profile, a look of joy and astonishment on her face, and another figure, back to the audience, his costume white and gold where before, it had been blue and red. (Isn't Velcro wonderful?) A pigtail replaced the nut-cracking lever. He turned, revealing his handsome human face to his companion where before had resided the grotesque clamping jaws.
"Ready, Akane?" Ranma whispered.
"Make me fly, Ranma," she whispered back, meaning far more than the physical dance.
The reborn Nutcracker Prince and Clara began the pas des deux, a duet dance of discovery where the former Nutcracker introduced himself to the suddenly shy Clara. The dance became more familiar and unified, with Ranma lifting his love high as they leapt across the stage. Akane's face glowed. This was why she had wanted Ranma to audition. She could tell Ranma could feel it too, the aching excitement of movement and story, shared with each other and the audience in the performance. What had been wrong in Romeo and Juliet was so right here. The confidence and joy of their love displayed, unashamed. Intense, personal and beautiful...
Narrator: The former Nutcracker and Clara express their joy in his victory and deliverance. The young man informs her that he is indeed a prince. He reminds her of how she stood by him in his moment of need and how her love for him, despite his grotesque appearance, was actually what freed him from his curse. Together, they will journey to his Kingdom, the Land of Dolls.
As Ranma and Akane bounded together into the wings, the curtain fell on the first act of the Furinkan production of Nutcracker. They hoped their difficulties were behind them.
They were, of course, far too optimistic.
oOo
The pair hurried over to where they could sense Taro, Kodachi and the old man who was Master of Mutsabetsu Kakuto. Taro was tying him up with almost savage intensity. "Damn freak!" they heard Taro's female tones growl. "I think I've had enough of you. I don't even care about my name anymore. As soon as this play is over…"
"Ouch!" grumbled Happosai. "There's no need to get rough! Can't you see I'm injured?"
"Who gives a damn, after the crap you've dumped on us?" Taro planted a foot on Happosai's cursed form and strained, locking the ropes tight about the little man. "What the hell was that you pulled out there?" Jiro's face showed considerable pain.
"Taro, is everyone all right?" inquired Akane unnecessarily. They had both ascertained the lack of injury to the rest of the cast by ki vision, but she could tell they were rattled by Happosai's control technique. She turned her gaze on the young-old man. "How could you?" she demanded. "You know how much work we all put in. Didn't that mean anything?"
"Why should it? It's of no use to me, now that Jiro's unmasked," Happosai countered. He added, "I'm not getting anything back."
"You disgusting old man!" Shampoo stomped up and slapped him hard. "Shampoo ashamed to be related to you!" She trembled in rage. "How dare you offer challenge when not proper challenger?"
"You people don't understand a thing I'm trying to do. I don't have to explain myself." Happosai turned his head away and closed his eyes. He yelped when Taro's fist rocked him.
"I don't have time right now to deal with you as you deserve, freak," Taro snarled. She turned to the others and pointed to buckets and kettles lined up inside the stage door. "Hiroshi got the bright idea that maybe getting doused with water might snap us out of the trance the freak put us in. Figured if he activated our curses, it would be a sure thing."
"Hiro's all right, isn't he?" Ranma demanded. He shuddered at the thought of Kodachi getting doused in her condition.
"Yeah! I couldn't blame him," Taro admittedglancing aside at the young man. "It was a good idea. Just bad timing."
"Taro told me, Ranma," Hiro explained quietly. He turned to Kodachi. "I apologize for putting you at risk…"
"It's all right, Hiroshi-san," Kodachi said, a corner of her mouth twitching up. "You didn't know. I still don't know what to think about it, but Taro here…" She let her voice trail off as she stroked her lover's arm and smiled tenderly. "Don't let it get around, please?" she asked. "I haven't spoken with my brother yet."
"Brother? Oh, brother!" Hiroshi groaned. "He's gonna go ballistic."
"I'm not worried about it," Taro commented. "Understood?" She turned back to Happosai. "As for you, Grandpa…"
"Grandpa?" Shampoo spat the word in disgust. "He no deserve respectfullness. Shampoo wish she no related to panty thief!"
Taro glanced at her, then at Akane. "You too, huh?" She nodded to herself as Shampoo looked puzzled. "You want a laugh, cat-girl? I've been researching the old fart here, hoping to get something on him I could use to make him change my name. You're gonna love this too, Tendo." Akane perked up and looked at the neo-girl questioningly. "I have the honor to call you two 'cousin', as much as it may distress all of us. Happi here may be your great-grandfather, Shampoo, but he's also Akane's and mine." He watched their faces drop in shock. "The little fart was quite a ladies man, when he was younger, and got around quite a bit." She laughed ruefully. "Remember, fem-boy, when you were doing your kitty-training? The picture of Tendo's mother I borrowed?" Ranma nodded. "Seems Kimiko's older sister didn't die in that earthquake. She used the opportunity to run away with her lover, who wasn't acceptable to the family. Her grandfather helped them get to China, where she had… me."
"I think I'm going to be sick," Akane groaned. She glanced at Ranma, who patted her shoulder comfortingly.
"Don't worry, tomboy. Fer all I know, the little prick might be my great-grandfather, too."
"Baka!" she snapped. "That's exactly what I'm worried about. We might be too closely related to…" she blushed and groaned.
"Don't worry, Akane," Shampoo said patting her cousin on the shoulder. "We all at least second cousins. Is okay to marry even under law of Japan."
Ranma looked thoughtful. "I don't suppose…"
Shampoo sighed. "If Akane and Shampoo had women ancestors in common, maybe. But him?" She snorted in revulsion. "He is just old pervert, nothing more."
Happosai snorted, shifted in his bindings and grumbled. "I can't believe how worked up you people are over this. And I had hoped someone in this generation would have the brains as well as the skill to pass Mastery of the School to."
Ranma thumped him. "You needn't worry about that. As soon as this play is over, I'm going to give myself a Christmas present and challenge you for Mastery. You've screwed up everyone's lives long enough, old man." Happosai stuck his tongue out in disrespect.
Marinara-sensei slid past a curtain and found them at this point. "Is everyone ready?" she whispered. "What happened to… Oh!" She stared at the cocooned Happosai. "Oh, Jiro," she said with such sadness that Happosai actually looked abashed. She wasted little time on him though. "Alright! Let's keep our spirits high. On your marks, everyone. Well done, so far!" She reminded various dancers of certain difficult moves or blocking to watch out for and helped some of them complete their costume changes. Running out to double-check the work of the stage crew, she eventually departed for her seat in the audience. Her various students nodded and moved to their spots, leaving Happosai alone in the dark to dwell on his crimes.
oOo
"I can't believe you," Nodoka commented as Genma staggered back under a load of snacks. "Everyone will think I never feed you!"
"I'm sorry, dear, but I eat when I'm worried."
"Worried?"
"I may not know ballet, but if that wasn't Happosai up there as the Mouse King, I'll gladly give this all away to the audience." Genma started stuffing himself.
"If you feel that way, why didn't you do something about it?" Nodoka asked coldly.
Genma shook his head. "I tried once when Soun and I locked him in that cave. He's horrendously tough. It's up to Ranma and his friends now." He munched dejectedly.
"Excuse me?" The feminine voice came from just behind them. "Did I hear you say something about Happosai?"
"Oh, hello, Atsuko," Nodoka said. "Yes, my husband's old Master may have been interfering with the ballet. He may have replaced the Mouse King up on stage. I hope he didn't hurt the boy who was supposed to play the part."
"Mouse King?" Nuku-Nuku said thoughtfully. "Tell me more…"
oOo
The curtain rose on the second act and Ranma and Akane swept into a landscape of crystal and snow. The individual pieces of the set were arranged to act as natural barriers in this fantasy landscape. As the Prince and Clara move through this wonderland, their newfound happiness was evident in the smiles of Clara and the courtesy of the former Nutcracker. Ranma grinned as they 'met' his subjects, who danced with well-acted glee at his deliverance. In Taro's case, her low-lidded eyes and mysterious smile might have been alluring to the audience, but it gave him chills. Taro might have just such a satisfied look at the prospect of torturing someone. Slowly they gained their procession.
Narrator: The Prince and Clara journey through the land of make-believe toward his kingdom of dolls. Along the way, they meet with many of his subjects who are overjoyed by his deliverance. The prince introduces Clara to each, and the toys perform for their amusement before joining the procession.
'The dancing bear... Too bad my dad is too old for that,' Ranma thought. 'Arabian dancers,' among which numbered Taro. 'I don't know whether to be pissed or relieved about that.' Russian Hussars… French maids… 'Kurumi makes a nice maid.'
Ranma recalled again the martial arts dining. If he hadn't grown very fond of his sister, he might have steered her toward Chardin. She ate faster than Ranma did and would probably give Chardin a run for his money.
Proud cavalrymen… The Chinese tumblers were, humorously enough, played by Kodachi and Ukyo. A lion tamer and his lion, the latter was a one shot for a member of the sumo club. A Zulu warrior, jumping high with his spear had been one of the parents in the first act. He had spent most of the time since, applying dark makeup to his skin. The Harlequin was there, as were two jugglers. Hiroshi and Daisuke were surprisingly adept at juggling.
To the audience, it was quite a spectacle as all sorts of wonderful people seemed waiting behind each frozen crystal. Slowly, as the protagonists danced, the background became the Palace of the Dolls.
Akane needed little inspiration to act thrilled. Ranma was enthusiastically playing up to her and she loved it. She felt a slight surge as the crystal that hid the thrones began to turn. Shampoo as the Sugar Plum Fairy would be seated on the top throne. Akane smirked. She knew what was coming. Shampoo would make quite an entrance.
Shampoo smiled serenely, but inside she was overjoyed at the audience's reaction. Her hair was completely loose for this performance. She had suggested it to Marinara-sensei a month ago, and at first had been refused. Ballerinas never performed with loose hair that reached to mid-thigh. Shampoo had demonstrated what she wanted to do, and had even run through the blocking. Marinara-sensei had been intrigued and had finally given in. Shampoo's ki-supported lavender hair rose on a nonexistent breeze to drift and curl about her as if it were alive.
Mousse had not been let in on her intentions, perhaps very deliberately. He had been waiting patiently for her appearance, binoculars in hand, from the back. When he saw her, he was absolutely devastated. If he had been on stage he would have prostrated himself in worship. Ling-Ling and Lung-Lung nodded and nudged one another at the tears running down his face. He tremblingly tried to keep his binoculars focused on his siren, whose very being had charmed and lured him down through the years.
Narrator: They arrive at the Palace of Dolls and are greeted by the Queen of Fantasy, the Sugar Plum Fairy. She is ancient magic to which the dolls and toys owe allegiance. Beckoning the Nutcracker Prince forward, she descends from her throne with grace and beauty. The Prince bows before her and indicates Clara who curtsies deeply. She beckons The Prince forward and he begins to introduce her to his court.
Ranma almost grudgingly left Akane's side to escort to Shampoo in the pas des deux that was so widely popularized. He had to admit she was a sight for male eyes. Her heavily glittered, plum-colored boned costume was revealing, its skirt also acted much like Shampoo's hair, lifting, drifting, hinting… Poor Mousse! He could feel him back there. He wondered if Shampoo got a thrill over the hold she had on him.
To the audience it was clear that, lovely as she was, the Fairy had no hold on the Nutcracker's heart. His unconscious body language told everyone that his attention was still focused on Clara. Akane had trouble keeping her face still. Baka! He still hadn't developed a poker face. She shivered. It was so… wonderful. She straightened and her eyes brightened as Shampoo and Ranma returned to where she stood. When Shampoo pointed behind her, she turned and 'saw' the owl that became Drosselmeier, Clara's uncle. Gosunkugi winked at her as he led her to her Prince. The Nutcracker Prince bowed to the Fairy and indicated Clara. The Sugar Plum Fairy smiled, took his hands and nodded. Then the Prince turned to Clara, took her hand and knelt on one knee.
oOo
Backstage, Happosai growled as he squirmed. How dare they! Ignoring an old man like him! He sagged, defeated. Old man, hah! Taro may have ki locked the ropes that bound him, but if he could return to his natural form, he could still get out of them. He sighed and deflated somewhat. They just didn't understand. What good is a martial art if you didn't understand the underlying philosophy? The true strength of Mutsabetsu Kakuto lay in its flexibility and its ruthlessness. Of course Ranma was the pinnacle of flexibility of form, but ruthlessness? His one big failing was his generosity. He never destroyed his opponents. Look at that Kumon boy who was dating his sister… Well, maybe that wasn't a good example. Ryoga? He had abused Ranma's honor for years and look what it got him. A solid friendship, possibly a suitor to the fiancée who might become Ranma's sister… Damn! Where was a good example? Oh, yes! Copycat-Ken! Now calling himself Akanami, he might prove to be a deadly foe in the future. And all because of a little squeamishness...
"Besides, they're keeping me from having my fun!" Happosai, reassured of the correctness of his path, looked for a means of escape. His eyes kept coming back to the kettles and buckets beside the door. "Hmmm." There was no reason in the world this wouldn't work. He reached out with the ki-ribbon technique and snagged a kettle. "Lots left over, too. Heh-heh!" He shrank and began to wiggle out of the ropes. He'd show them.
Ling-Ling frowned as The Sugar Plum Fairy blessed the Prince and Clara. "You sure this not trick to make Shampoo give up groom?" she asked Cologne.
"Don't worry, dears. I have promises from Ranma's mother as well as from Akane. This is like the dreamtime dances. It tells a story. It's not even a real story, so it has no meaning in that way."
"T'ch! sister," chided Lung-Lung. "Akane is Shampoo's sister of heart. Would not cheat like that."
Ling-Ling sighed and nodded, chastened.
oOo
Narrator: Clara is asked by her Prince to become his bride and the co-ruler of the Land of Dolls. Her heart filled to bursting, she accepts. The great Fairy blesses their union as wily Uncle Drosselmeier gives away the bride. Joyfully, the two young lovers dance to their future together.
As Ranma and Akane reached the crescendo of their dance, the other performers began slowly turning, faster and faster. The outer edges of the crowd started first and the movement traveled to the center like a wave. Soon all are spinning, even the Sugar Plum Fairy, faster and faster. They began to move like battle-tops, whirling about the stage seemingly at random. The crystals too, began their dance, moving in spinning, circling patterns about the stage. One of the crystals cut between Clara and her Prince.
Akane was supposed to act as if she lost contact completely. 'Somehow, Clara is separated from her Prince. As she searches desperately, the glittering crystal closes in as does the darkness,' was how the script said it was supposed to go. She heard the Narrator call out the preceding line as her steps and Ranma's sent them out to arm's length from one another.
Narrator: But what is this? What darkness threatens their pure joy?
If only he knew.
A rumbling gave them brief warning. They leaped aside as Happosai, in his Mouse King costume, rose on a pillar of water out of the trap door in the floor, flinging buckets and kettles every which way. "Heh, heh, heh, heh!" he cackled as he targeted those performers he knew to be cursed. As the water sheeted toward its targets, he drew and brandished his favorite weapon, his pipe. Now they would pay! There was no way they could keep him from his revenge!
Six martial artists, skilled in ki manipulation and as powerful as hell, came to a simultaneous, unanimous decision. Soul of Ice stole the heat from the water even as it rained down. (CRA-A-A-A-ACKLE…!) Happosai found himself frozen solid in his pillar of water. Ice and frost crackled across the stage and the splashes and droplets of water from kettle and bucket seemed to shatter into drifting snowflakes that whirled about. Four glanced toward the fifth and Kodachi nodded back to them, her female form preserved. The set crew continued to whirl their mobile sets, trying to maintain their blocking. The lighting crew, dazed by the events, followed theirs. Ranma and Akane stood together at the base of a flower of ice growing out of a huge snowflake, their breath misting in the cold. Akane was supposed to be left alone during the transition between dream and reality, but Happosai's interference had messed that up. Still, they had acted so quickly that none of the Jusenkyo cursed had gotten wet enough to trigger their alternate forms. Holding one another, they disappeared behind their unmoving glacier as the lights came down.
The Narrator gulped, goggled and ad-libbed: The… ahh… final threat of the evil Mouse King's... ghost is neutralized… But at what cost?
Someone had the uncommon good sense to close the curtains.
oOo
"Sonofabitch!" exclaimed Taro. "Doesn't that old freak know when to stay put?"
"Shhh!" cautioned Akane. "We still have to finish the show."
"With this thing in the middle of the stage?" complained Ukyo. She had planned simply to take the heat out of the water to protect Kodachi. Looking at the others, they had all intended that, but ended up with this.
"Nekoken, Akane," Ranma said, snapping his fingers. Akane and Kodachi sliced through the ice, reducing it into chunks and clearing the trap door. Ranma did a speed drill, throwing the chunks of ice, out into the night. Someone ran downstairs to shut off the fire hose while the rest of the stage crew, having positioned their set pieces for the final scene, carted off more chunks of ice. Soon only the block with Happosai in it was left. "Now what do we do with him?"
"I'll handle that." They turned as Nuku-Nuku slipped past the curtain. "Wow! That was some special effect, huh?" She grinned and looked at the remains of the ice. The android cat-girl reached out and dug in extended claws. Easily she hefted the chunk with Happosai inside it up on her shoulder. "He won't get away from me. See ya after the show!" She turned with a wave and left.
"Okay… Now, what do we do about this?" Ukyo waved at the frost melting into puddles on the stage.
"Have you ever tried to dry your hair using ki, Ukyo?" inquired Kodachi.
oOo
The restive audience was briefly startled as a puff of steam escaped from under the curtains. It had been about five minutes since the curtain closed and some who had never seen a Nutcracker performance wondered if it was over. Then the curtain opened and the lights lit up the lonely figure of Clara, kneeling as if she had fallen asleep in that position beside the big clock in the parlor.
Slowly, the stage lights came up and Ukyo as Clara's mother and Gosunkugi as Drosselmeier came into the room. Clara startled and came to her feet as if lost and unsure of where she was. Then she ran to her elders and mimed confusion and excitement.
Narrator: Was it only a dream? Where is her champion now? Clara begs her uncle to tell her, but he laughs, pats her head and tells her he took the Nutcracker home to repair. She will see him again soon enough. Her mother scolds her gently and pushes her toward the wings. A lady is not seen in her nightclothes! She should get dressed! Quickly! Uncle Drosselmeier's nephew is coming, and she should look presentable! Clara glides off listlessly. Was it only a dream?
Clara, Drosselmeier and her mother interacted only briefly before she was sent to dress. More adults drifted in, laughing gaily, along with some of the children of the night before. The setting was a sharp contrast to the fantasy of the previous scene. Clara returned, moving slowly, sadly to the seat beside the table where the Nutcracker had stood.
Akane hoped they could finish the performance without further interruption. Stupid Happosai! She sighed and focused mournfully at the tabletop, running a finger over the smooth surface, as if to ask once again, 'was it only a dream?' She heard the murmur of the audience and knew they were wondering as well. It looked like they were going to pull it off. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw additional people drift into the parlor scene from the wings. Gosunkugi as Uncle Drosselmeier beckoned with an airy, circular wave.
Narrator: Was it only a dream? Clara rises to her feet, which feel like lead. She shuffles lifelessly to where a young man moves behind the adults, not clearly seen, to doff his hat and bow before her, kissing her hand, which she had offered without thought.
Ranma slid through the crowd, his features hidden from the audience by his tall hat. He bowed gracefully to Akane as Gosunkugi pantomimed introducing them, partly hidden by a deliberate screen of wandering characters. As he kissed her hand, the screening dancers swept aside and he looked up into her eyes, that damn-you mischievous smile illuminating his face. Akane felt warmed and had little difficulty in blushing in a maidenly fashion. The audience's tension could be felt.
Narrator: His gaze rises to meet hers and her hand leaps to her mouth. It is her Prince. His quick smile, and the way he takes her hand reassures her that this is real life, and they are about to begin their dance of love together.
'Clara is shocked beyond words that Drosselmeier's nephew is her Prince.' That was how the description had read. Ranma let Ukyo take his coat from him before reaching out to take Akane's hand, again. Slowly, they began to dance. As their dance grew more and more certain, the troupe not involved in the 'real world' sequence began to drift into view, in costume, dancing as they had for the court. Some of the 'Adults' left for quick costume changes, to return as more toys. The parlor spun to life once more, the pieces mixing the reality of the parlor with the fantasy of the crystal. Steadily, the center was cleared for the dancing couple who finally struck a pose showing their commitment to each other, Ranma on one knee as if proposing. Akane impishly dropped her lips to Ranma's as he knelt there and the lights dimmed. "This one counts," she murmured in memory of their attempt at Romeo and Juliet.
The lights went out and the curtain closed to thunderous applause.
oOo
The cast spent far less time than they would have liked accepting congratulations from family, well-wishers and Marinara-sensei. After the requisite curtain calls, the martial artists went looking for Nuku-Nuku and her charge. They still had Happosai-Jiro-Mouse King to deal with. They found him with Nuku-Nuku outside.
"Everybody here?" the girl-android asked. "Good!" She brought her fist down to hammer on Happosai's block of ice. (BAM!)
"D-d-did you have to l-l-leave me in there all this t-time?" he complained. As he shivered, the pipe in his hand made an odd squealing noise just before it shattered as a result of the stresses it had seen recently. "Aaugh, my pipe!" he exclaimed.
Taro, in male form again, punched down hard. "You're damn lucky you're not dead, old man," he snarled. He snatched him by the scruff of his costume on the rebound. "If Kodachi had been changed…" His teeth grated.
"What's with y-you, Lacy? You don't like it that your l-l-lover turns into a b-boy?" Happosai sneered through chattering teeth. Taro gave a barking laugh in reply.
"She's pregnant, grandfather," Akane said in a coldly respectful tone. She was angry herself and wanted nothing to distract her from that anger. "You would have killed the baby if you had changed her."
Happosai continued to shiver. Turning his gaze first to Taro and then to Kodachi he chattered, "Is this true?" Kodachi shrugged and nodded. The old man closed his eyes, looking even older and more fragile. "I'm s-s-sorry," he said simply.
Ukyo crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "Bet you're not sorry about the ballet."
"Nope!" Happosai replied with a hint of a grin. He looked at the boy holding him. "Now Lacy…"
"SHUT UP!" Taro roared. "Why do you torture me with these stupid names of yours?"
"Why don't you do something about it?" Happi snorted. They glared at one another.
"Okay. But I want you to know. I'm not doing this for you." Taro dropped Happosai contemptuously on the cold ground and turned to Kodachi. "I've been meaning to do this, anyway." He took her hand and went down on his knee in a manner so much like Ranma's in the ballet that no one misunderstood his intentions. "Kodachi Kuno, I love you. I'm hoping you would consider marrying me. I don't have much beyond my martial arts to bring to the marriage, so it's hardly fair to you. But I promise to love, honor and protect you for as long as I live. You don't have to answer right now, but at least I've asked." He remained waiting for Kodachi's eyes for a yes, no or maybe, his face revealing nothing.
Kodachi stood shocked. She swallowed and blinked back tears. "I accept your offer," she said in a tiny voice. The martial artists waited. They could sense this wasn't over.
"Thank you," Taro said simply. "Under your system of law we could take either your name or mine, were I Japanese…"
"But you are Japanese, dear," she said mildly.
"I was raised in a different system. I offer to you the right to name me. I would gladly become a Kuno for your sake. Name me as well. That has often been done when an outsider joins a family. I will accept whatever name you choose to call me."
Ranma opened his mouth, his eyes widening in mischief, just before Akane clapped a hand across it. She didn't want this moment interrupted by her fiancé's pathetic attempt at wit.
"Very well," Kodachi took a deep breath. "On our wedding day, you shall be called Taro Kuno." She smiled warmly. "When would you like it to be, darling?"
"Mmmrf!"
They glanced aside at the sound. Happosai struggled in Nuku-Nuku's arms. She had apparently decided Ranma wasn't the only one lacking wit. Smiling they turned back to face each other. "Should we allow him some input?" Kodachi inquired. "He is your godfather and great-grandfather."
"Not anymore," Taro said smugly. "I disown him. I learned most of my art from a monk named Citrus. There is very little of me and mine that Happosai has claim to, and if I have to go through the time from here to our wedding as 'hey, you!', then so be it."
"Let's make it short then. After the New Year?"
"Friday, the tenth?" Taro asked taking her hands again.
"Divine…"
Happosai sagged in Nuku's grasp. "You wanted to say something?" the android inquired. She stiffened, ears suddenly displaying and her tail putting in an appearance. Ranma grimaced. "Oh! You'll be happy to know that you've just been classified as a level Delta threat. If you even hint at violence, I'm authorized to 'play' with you, Mouse King."
Happosai shuddered and nodded his understanding. "I'll be good."
Nuku shrugged and her extras folded away. "I'm watching you."
The old man bowed to Taro and rubbed his hands together. "Finally, someone understands," he said. "Good work, my boy."
"What are you talking about?" Taro asked.
"You have made decisions for yourself, for your own benefit, despite what social conventions said were right. You made them because they were right for you," Happosai chuckled.
"So? I do that all the time, you old goat," Taro responded.
"Pay attention," Happosai snapped, looking very serious. "The difference between a man and a boy is the knowledge that your freedom is your own responsibility. You've finally taken that first step."
Ranma grinned. "And here I thought he was losin' his freedom not— (Whap!) Ow!" He stopped and glared at Akane who still held her hand up.
"You're not talking about me getting married," Taro said slowly, considering. "You mean about my name?"
"Exactly. You decided that your discomfort was not worth the empty trappings of honor. Had you said anytime in the past, 'Screw you, you old fart! My name is Stud-ly!', that would have been just as valid. Never let yourself be trapped in the chains of empty honor." Happosai beamed happily.
Taro frowned. "Are you telling me, you named me Pantyhose Taro, and then later Lacy Darlings, just to make a point?"
"Of course! Look at Shampoo! Chasing a boy who doesn't want her all because of tradition! She should tell her Elders where to stuff it!" Happosai dusted himself off as the martial artists tried to make sense of what he said. "Or what about Ranma and all four of his fiancées? If he just made a decision, any decision, hell with honor, everyone would have been happier," he added. "I believe being happy is the only reason for being."
"And that your only reason for doing bad pervert things?" demanded Shampoo. "Embarrassing everyone? You try to teach philosophy through hard example like sensei?"
"Of course," Happosai insisted. "And I am a sensei. I take my responsibilities seriously. There's a long tradition in martial arts teaching to back me on that. Well, that and I'd heard an American song about a man naming his child 'Sue'," he added in a lower mumble. "Helped him become a great fighter…" Taro loomed up.
"Tradition and honor don't matter? Then you should be happy I treat you like this," Taro snarled. "Merry Christmas!" Happosai didn't have time to make another sound before Taro delivered a short overhand punch that dazed him and drove him straight into the ground. With a snort, Taro turned and gently took Kodachi's arm.
"Does this mean you don't want to get married, darling?" she asked, confident of the answer.
"January tenth, you're mine," Taro returned. His gaze softened. "Or I'm yours." He looked over his shoulder. "You're all invited as soon as we figure out where it'll be." He turned back to Kodachi. "Now, let's go talk to your brother. I think its time he learns about the additions to the family."
"Hey, Taro!" Ranma had to butt in. "What if he tells ya ta get lost?"
Taro and Kodachi turned back and almost in unison said, "He'll only try that once."
Ranma opened his mouth again, but Akane was in his face immediately. "Not another word, Ranma! Or I'm taking back your presents!"
Ranma chose to look sorrowful. "Would I have to take yours back?" he asked mournfully.
"Better watch what you say, Akane," Shampoo warned grinning.
The teenagers began to walk away from where an old pervert was nailed feet-first and shoulder deep in the ground. He wasn't worth further effort. Ranma called back over his shoulder, though, "Hey, freak! Remember, you and me. Day after Christmas. Empty lot near the railroad yard. If ya don't show, I consider myself Master of the School. If you renege, consider yourself hash. See ya there."
"What did he get me?" Akane demanded of Shampoo. So far as she was concerned Ranma was already Master of the School. "Shampoo, do you know what he's getting me?"
"What? How I know what airen give pervert-girl?" Shampoo looked innocent. "How I know what he give? Probably cooking lessons," she said thoughtfully. "No! Maybe swimming lessons! Or water wings…"
"Shampoo!" Akane screeched.
Ranma grinned. His secret was safe for one more day. All in all, this had been special. They had gotten the ballet finished and everyone had delivered, despite the traps and pitfalls on the way, one of life's rare performances. Impishly, he suddenly burst out, "Hey everybody! Take a bow! You earned it!"