Written by Psuriko.
Ranma½ and all its characters are created by Rumiko Takahashi and therefor I make no claim.
Battletime! Catastrophe for dessert.
"But no bad comes without something good within.." Cologne murmured silent. It wasn't often that westerners came to visit the cafe, yet a European of all things.
What could make them pay phoney-debts? Not that it concerned her.
Perhaps it could cover the repairer's costs to fix the broken walls(the insurance premiums will sky rocket!). Cologne hopped on her stick towards the office.
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The day seemed to go on faster then usual, almost like the clock was sugarated.
It was getting getting cloudy and the wind that blew during the day had calmed down.
A smell enveloped the neighbourhood in the district Nerima.
"Ahhh. That bath at the bathhouse was relaxing, eh Genma?" Soun said.
His old friend nodded as they reached the Tendo's. A cold wind went up their spines as Soun opened the frontdoor.
Sniff, sniff.
"What is that smell? I hope that Kasumi didn't…" Soun said.
"To me it smells like something foul, yet edible." Genma said.
Soun didn't finish the sentence as a horrifying thought struck his mind:
Soun's youngest daughter Akane was the one making the dinner tonight!
His hand was trembling when his hand let go of the doorknob. The scent became stronger the closer they came to the kitchen.
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In the kitchen it was turbulence as Akane through most ingredients available.
The table was already full of bowls with burnt food and eggshells poking out. Akane made room for things she wanted to try out to spice up tonight's dinner.
Kasumi was standing and tried to help her younger sister with the dinner.(which was rejected repeatly).
"Don't worry Kasumi! This time I will make a perfect dinner thanks to this cookbook: 'Western recipes and how to improve them for dummies' by Lake E. Bagmore." Akane said. She handed it over to her older sister
"Oh my ..."Kasumi said. She held her right over her mouth.
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Outside the house an old man and a little girl stopped and looked at the sign at front:
'Tendo Soun'
The man was dressed in a black suit. On his head was a brown with a red feather on it. And in the left hand he had a suitcase. In the other he had a walking stick.
The little girl was dressed in a red dress decorated with fish in various colours. Over it she had a brown jacket with side pockets and one in the front.
"Tensoldier? No, Nin-ten-do.. 'Tendo'! Good thing I took that Japanese for dummies when we were in Moscow, right Jackeline?" Fergus said. Something smelt good from inside the house hit his nose. His lips went up.
The little girl nodded and let out a sigh.
"Call me 'Jacky' when we are out, daddy. What are we doing here anyway?" Jackeline said.
The old man laughed heartily. "You shouldn't be embarassed about your name. Wear it proud!"
She looked down at the ground, and was touching something in her frontpocket.
The scent coming from the house wasn't something that tickled her fancy.
"Easy for you to say when your name isn't so wierd around friends." Jacky mumbled.
Fergus poked her with his stick. They went to the frontdoor. He stoved the walking stick in the other hand. The old man pressed the doorbell.
Di-ing dong Di-ing dong!
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"Was someone using the doorbell Akane? " Kasumi said.
Akane shoke her head and pointed at the microwave.
"I think it was the microwave's sound when finished cooking." Akane said.
The kitchen was a mess painted in the rainbow's colours.. Some of the bowls have started to drip. Several automatic fire alarms were in the dustbin, wrecked beyond repair.
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"Seems like we have to invite ourselves in then." Fergus said. He wasn't too happy when people didn't open the door in Asia. And now when Japanese people usually are home to boot.
Fergus opened the door. On the inside he could see that the house looked like most typical houses he has seen around Japan. It looked like there wasn't a soul in the house, only black smoke coming from behind a curtain.
"Oh my, these japanese sure knows how to take grilling to the next level! And in a wardrobe too with full automatics." Fergus said. His eyes were teared for these brilliant people.
The old man went upstairs to look at other marvelous rooms when someone opened the curtain.
"Are you sure there wasn't someone at our doorstep, Akane? I even hear the staircase creaking now." Kasumi said. She was a bit worried now. Who knows, it could be a burglar or something worse sneaking in their house.
Akane looked up from the freezer with chicken scraps in her face and on her apron:
"Yes sister, but the creaking comes from me. I try to tenderize the chicken just like the cookbook said it should be."
"It couldn't be Ranma, could it? I haven't seen him since you two came back from school." Kasumi said. She thought it could be for today's dinner, but why ring on the doorbell?
Akane resumed banging on the chicken with a mallet.
"He promised he would eat it and not do something else!" Akane said. Her thoughts were directed at something else when she broke the mallet in two pieces on contact with the frozen poultry.
Meanwhile in the dojo someone sneezed…
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"Achoo! Where did that come from? I hope it isn't a cold coming up soon… Buu-ut if it keeps me from Akane's cooking I don't object." Ranma said.
Ever since he came back from school Ranma has been training in the dojo. Training shadow boxing to improve himself until when Ryoga came back from Canada. In a corner of the dojo a small postcard with pancakes on the front saying'Hi from Toronto!', and a message on the back:
"It was difficult but well worth it finding the master in Sapporo. Lots of polarbears. I will challenge you in one week Ranma to show you how much better I have become since last time./ Ryoga Hibiki.
PS, It's very cold here."
Ranma smirked. The letter arrived over three weeks ago and no signs of the 'Al mighty Ryoga'. Perhaps he got lost in the snow and can't find his way home?
"Nah, if I know that guy right he will pop up sooner or later… even if he went to outerspace. Though I wonder what could he have learnt this time?" Ranma thought. He raised his arms behind his head and laughed.
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"Think it is safe to say that Akane decided to call it a day, Soun?" Genma said.
The duo had hidden themselves in the backyard when they first smelt thta it was Akane doingthe dinner today, playing GO. The rounds had been even until Genma decided to once too often.
When they felt it was safe to go inside, they made it with crawls.
Slooowly opening the door, peeking inside and scanning the whole area inside the house for casulties. No almost-dead bodies or even foodpoisoning (a highlevel one) could be spottted. Only a suspcicious ceramic bowl with a lid on top standing on the tabel in the living room. Plates and a set of forks and knives were being placed on it too.
"Oh, have you finally come back from the bathehouse? Please sit down. Dinner is almost ready now. " Kasumi said.
The duo sighed with a relief. It seemed like Akane's plans was for now averted for sake of health. Though it still bothered them that something wasn't alright with black smoke coming from the kitchen when Kasumi went inside again…
Genma and Soun sat around the table when creaking sounds came from the stairs. The sound became louder and louder.
An old man dressed in a black suit, brown hat and suitcase was coming down from the stairs..
"Who are you? A rude housethief coming to steal when its dinner!" Soun said. He was dressed in his samuraisuit at an instant, ready to strike down the theif.
The man went down the last stairs slowly.
"Intresting rooms you have, even with the patches… lovely." Fergus said.
Soun and Genma looked at each other: 'A thief that critizises the house before robbing it?'
"And the carpets! Now when I see it; where did you get that old armour? It must have been very valuable." Fergus said.
"If you are here to rob, forget it, we already have a fiend in disguise living here already!" Soun said.
"Oh-ho. That is quite rude to accuse me of aligning with the devil." Fergus said.
Soun lowered his sword and looked at Genma again.
Was this man new in thievery and perhaps a bit unorthodox?
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"I swear! Knew it would be a waste of time coming to this country. It's sooo boring here." Jacky thought. She had snuck from her father into the shack. When Jacky came in she realised it wasn't a shack; More like something from one of the boring movies her father liked to watch. There was someone there when she closed the door. Jumping and doing other things like in those movies, but without the noises. Jacky peeked around the corner at him for minutes in lack other entertainment.
Ranma threw kicks in the air, did a couple of back flips and finished with a flurry punches.
Practising in unregulated martial arts was a daily thing for him since young age. Getting better and never given in no matter challenge. There were few that could give a decent match these days after fighting all kinds of weirdoes.
"Strange… It's quiet, too quiet." Ranma muttered. "I can't hear any loud bangs from the kitchen. Maybe she finally gave up?" He stood still. Seconds felt like hours. Something was in the dojo, or was he just imagine?
"Ok, old man come out, come out where ever you are! I have blown your cover." Ranma said.
No one answered. He knew that someone was there, but who else would try and hide except for his dad. Perhaps came up with a new idea of 'training'? No matter what it was, the old man would be a goner. Ranma felt like beating up his old man.
"What's he yelling about? Delayed war cries?" Jacky thought. That fighter or whatever he looked like wasn't much to look at in her eyes. Maybe he needed some kind of motivation?
That strange feeling that someone was looking at him had disappeared suddenly. Perhaps the old man was giving up for this time? Ranma resumed his training .It bothered him a bit that Mousse threw that sucker punch this morning. He needed to shape up to avoid those kitchen sinks in the future... And give Mousse a good beating next time. Yet he couldn't shake off that feeling that someone was watching. It couldn't be Ryoga, since he would be heard quite easily. Ranma stopped with a leg in the air.
"Something glistening..." Ranma thought. He put down his foot a bit from the thing. "Looks like a tripwire. Pops! Now you have sunk even lower then possible, that trap is so obvious."
Ranma touched the wire. Tight. He could barely see it winding through the dojo, up on the wall and stopping in the ceiling. A bucket was attached to the other end.
Ranma whistled and went to fetch a mop. He touched the thread with the mop. The bucket fell to the floor with a bang.
"Hah! Didn't think I could spot a simple trap like that, pops?" Ranma said.
A different thread snapped.
"What the?" Ranma said. He jumped to avoid a second bucket coming from behind. Ranma landed firmly on the floor. Five buckets came swinging from nowhere. He jumped up to the beam in the ceiling. The buckets hit each other revealing confetti inside.
"Ok, now I am starting to get worried. I knew that the old man could make traps, but that's ridiculous!" Ranma said. He glanced at the floor, and the walls. No more traps he could see. Being a bit more secure he jumped down. The dojo-door closed.
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Phew, sorry about the delay. Please Read and review after you have read this far.
