I don't own Ranma 1/2... Rumiko Takahashi does... she's great
.-Chapter five.-
Akane, Ryouga, and Ranma (who kept looking suspiciously at his "pig-pal") were all eating their breakfast -that Kasumi left in the fridge before going to the market- vigorously, they were starving... Ryouga from the trip, and the other two from the... well... confinement. They were alone... Soun and Genma went to the fair with Happosai, and Nabiki was at school.
Ranma started to swallow his tea while looking at Ryouga, who now was blushing for some reason... He looked a bit down and saw Akane's hand on his friend's...
Ranma spit out a bit of tea- "Hey! now!" -he fastly cleaned his mouth with his sleeve- "what's going on there?! Akane?"
" Come on Ranma! I can see he's worried about something, he looks sad, I wanna comfort him, he's my friend after all!! Besides! What do you care!!"
" WHAT DO I CARE YOU SAY!? Fine gurl, have it ur way..." -and he angrlily crossed his arms and looked the other way.
Ryouga couldn't understand a thing... Ranma... jealous? Yeah, like that's ever gonna happen... he kept calling his beloved those awful names, and made fun of her... But he didn't have time to think of that... he was busy enough trying to deal with the impulse that Akane's touch was generating in him.
Ranma was furious... he couldn't stand it any longer... Akane was now stroking Ryouga's hand with her thumb!!! He wouldn't let that continue! No way!
"Hmm... COUGH, so Ryouga, pal " he accentuated the PAL part "what did you wanna tell me?"
"oh, yes... Look Ranma... it'd be better if we discussed this alone... you and I..."
Akane frowned "Fine then, I'll leave you two alone" and she stomped her way to her room.
They both followed Akane with their eyes and when they heard the door closing loudly, Ryouga started talking
"Alright, my friend... This is it..." and he looked down, playing with his thumbs.
Ranma was impatient "... yeah?.."
"Well... the thing is..."
"...what?"
"You know... " he kept playing with his fingers.. he was visibly nervous.-
"No, I don't... what?"
"That thing... that's bothering me... you know..."-and he kept staring at the koi pond, speechless..-
"Argh! Ryouga! Come on and spit it out, stop fooling around!!"
"Ok then... I'm sorry, I'm just a bit nervous about asking your help... I don't want you to consider me inferior and weak... and I don't even know if you're going to accept..."
He didn't understand a thing "... now come on, tell me damn it!"
"Fine. I've been lost."
A huge sweatdrop appeared on Ranma's head and he rolled his eyes- "You know, I don't think that's new..."
"That's not it you jackass! Listen up!... I somehow found myself walking on a beautiful forest... in China, near the Jusenkyo springs... and I met someone... "
Ranma was very interested in what Ryouga was saying since he heard the name "Jusenkyo" "Yes...so? Go on..."
"Well, this person knew all about my dreadful curse... and called me "P-Chan" the moment he saw me..."
Ranma's face looked surprised, and he strightened, trying to think of how that man knew Ryouga's other face...
He started mumbling to himself "how... how did he..." then shook his head, clearing his thoughts "C'mon, continue on Ryouga!"
Ryouga continued "Then I got a bit closer, and grabbed my umbrella...just in case...he did look powerful, and a voice in my head kept telling me to be careful... so I gathered courage and asked..."
Ryouga's encounter:
Ryouga: Who are you?? Why did you call me that!?
Him: Why are you talking so angrily? What have I ever done to you?
Ryouga: Why did you call me P-Chan??
Him: That's your name... isn't it? Sweet Akane calls you that... when she squeezes you in her chest...
Ryouga: -blushing and angry- How do you know!! Are you one of Akane's stalkers??
Him: No... I'm not... I never even saw her... I just happen to know a lot about you...
Ryouga: -he shrunk his eyes, as an intense glow began to come out of the man- Are..Are you related to me?
Him: TO YOU? -his voice sounded annoyed- YOU'RE NOT UP TO MY BREED
Ryouga felt insignificant as this man grew bigger... he fell on his butt, but kept grabbing his bamboo umbrella in a defensive manner...
Ryouga: Alright! Alright! come on... I had to ask... you appeared from nowhere, and you know all this things.. but why?
Him: I just think you're a good candidate to become my student... my disciple...
Ryouga: oh? is that so?... what do you wanna teach me? ....and why me?
Him: I'm an ancient martial arts sensei... I'm 700 years old
Ryouga couldn't believe what the guy was telling him... he didn't look older than 25...
Him: And I've chosen you, because you've got skill, technique, and are very athletic and agile... But you also are filled with rage, resentment, and a desire of vengeance...
Also, 'cause you're noble, loyal, and incredibly passionate. You're willing to give up your life for those things you love, and you gain unmeasurable strenght when you're driven by an emotion.
Ryouga: -he felt slightly flattered.- But... you talked about rage, and vengeance... You want me to be a ... hmm... "mean" martial artist??
Him: -laughing- No.. I just want you to be able to beat me...so that you can take over my spot, 'cause I'm retiring...and the world needs a tough sensei...tougher than the well-known Happosai...so... if you beat me in six months, I'll know you're the chosen one, and I'll agree to coach you, in order to become the strongest man on Earth, so your suffering finally gets a pay off... And you'll also get to beat that kid, Ranma Saotome...
Of course Ryouga didn't tell the last part of that sentence to his... "buddy" as he decided to call him...
------(back at the Tendou's, where Ryouga finished telling the story to the young Saotome)------
"And that was it. I agreed, and decided to train on the mountains. I've spent five months there, on my own, until I thought I should come here and challenge you to a fight. But again, I wanted to ask your help..."
Ranma was surprised "My help??" he smirked " What for?? I most certainly don't want you to be the strongest man on Earth... you'd beat me up!"
Ryouga thought "DAMN! he figured it out!... well... moving on to plan B..."
"But... Ranma... I intend to share my knowdlege with you" he lied "so we both can be the" cough "strongest of men..."
Ranma grabbed his chin... he wasn't so sure about it... he made an incredulous gesture... and then put his hands on his waist... still thinking. Then he lifted his right hand and grabbed his chin. And he kept thinking.
A few minutes passed by, with Ranma still on that position, until Ryouga -who grew more and more annoyed- decided to break the silence...
"So?... Have you made up your mind yet??"
"mmm.... -he scratched the back of his head- well....mmm... " he now scratched his chin "yeah..." and he shut up-
Ryouga was very anxious "WELL??"
"oh, yeah... well, I'm not helpin' ya"
Ddissapointed and exalted "what! what!? but...why!?"
"I just... don't trust you... I knew you were up to something the minute we found you at Furinkan."
"Aww man!! You can't turn your back on me like this!!"
Ranma smirked "ah yeah? watch me!" and he walked away from his now extremely angry "pal" waving his hand "C-ya Ryouga!! Good luck with the unnatural-chinese-being!"
Ryouga clenched his hands 'til his knuckles went white.. he wasn't going to let that jerk get away...
He spoke quietly to himself "is that so, Saotome? fine then... wheater you like it or not... I WILL become the strongest man on Earth... and then you'll see... yeah, you will see.."
He grabbed his backpack and was ready to leave, when he walked right across a sprinkler's flow that was left on watering the garden... he screamed, very angry...
"Eeehhhh!!!! puiiiig puuuiiiiiiigggg!!!" (he was cursing)
Akane heard that familiar sound... and stuck her head out her window... she saw her pet on her yard!!! She rushed donwstairs to welcome her beloved P-Chan.
"Aaawww!! P-Chan!!! Long time no see!! I've missed you so much!" and she started kissing him "where did you go!?" and she continued kissing him, as she walked with him indoors. Ranma was watching everything from the roof... and he wasn't pleased...
He jumped down, and landed without making a sound. He then followed Akane through the house.
Akane kept saying sweet things to her piglet, as she saw Ranma following them both closely. She stopped suddenly, causing the young guy to hit her back and fall on his bottom. She turned 'round and faced her fiance.
"What?"
"Nothing... I wanted to take a look at that pork u're holdin'"
"Don't call him that! He's got a name!"
"yeah, Ryouga!"
"Stop calling him that! Ryouga's not a pig, nor this pig is Ryouga! His name is P-Chan!"
Suddenly the small piglet jumped on Ranma's face and started to scratch and bite him. Ranma fought the little slippery thing and finally grabbed it by it's bandana. He shook it wildly and angrily, and began chocking it, when a huge mallet landed heavily on his skull...
"Let him go!!!! you're unbelievable!!!" Ranma fell on the floor badly hurt, and let go the pig, who jumped right onto Akane's breast. Ranma was furious, but he couldn't move...it just hurted too much. "Come P-Chan... let's go..."
And Saotome watched the two of them go upstairst, to his fiancées bedroom...
" R...R...Ryouga... you... you bastard!" he gathered strenght and quickly got up and ran upwards Akane's room.-