Chapter 8
Ranma laid on his bed and looked at the ceiling. He just couldn't understand the thinking of his father, Mr. Tendo and Akane. He had just gotten through listening to the two adults complain about Akane getting her hair cut. How was it his fault that she got in the path of one of Ryoga's bandanas? She should have stayed back like everyone else. Also, it was that moron Ryoga who carelessly threw around the razor sharp projectiles.
Still, the fathers blamed him for not taking care of his fiancée. Ranma just scoffed at them and left the table which enraged them further. As he walked pass Nabiki's room, she heard the Tendo sisters talk. He heard Akane say some bad things about him. He was really pissed that she blamed her haircut on him. He instantly forgot about checking on her as she nothing more than an ungrateful brat.
He sighed and turned onto his side. He closed his eyes and went to sleep, forgetting about the day that he went through.
Ryoga appeared, standing over the sleeping Ranma. He gave him a dark look as he slept.
"Hey, get up Ranma. We have a score to settle." Ryoga said. Ranma ignored him and continued to sleep. 'Did you hear me Saotome? I said to get up!" Ranma continued to sleep, blissfully unaware of Ryoga's rising anger. "I said wake UP!" Ryoga shouted and brought his fist to his head. Ranma turned over and avoided the strike. Ryoga growled and was about to yell again when he and Ranma was kicked out of the room by Genma in his panda form.
The cold rain woke Ranma up and he noticed that he was getting wet and in his girl form. She looked over and saw Ryoga. She stood and faced him. She saw that he had his umbrella open. She sighed at him.
"So you did follow us to Jusenkyo. You have got to be the most stupid person alive. All this over some bread, you've really gotten pathetic." Ranma said.
"Shut up! It is your entire fault!" Ryoga shouted.
"How is it my fault when it was you who were late and you who followed us. Don't push your baggage on me." Ranma argued. Ryoga looked ready to charge but Ranma spoke. "Are you sure that you want to attack me? You may be strong but I am much faster than you. I get you let go of that umbrella and it is all over." That made Ryoga pause for two seconds before grabbing his belt and making it stiff. Ranma just prepared herself for battle.
Ryoga charged at her and swung at her with the belt. Ranma saw that the belt was cutting up the ground. However, Ranma was not worried. For every miss, Ryoga was hit several times by Ranma. Ranma sent him flying back with a spin kick to the chest. Ranma was curious as to what Ryoga was hiding. What did he turn into? She waited for Ryoga to charge at her again which she did not have long to wait. Suddenly, he felt something coming at her from behind. She ducked it and saw it to be one of Akane's dumb-bells. It hit the charging Ryoga square on and made him lose his grip on his belt and umbrella.
Ranma forgot about Ryoga for the time being and turned to glare at Akane.
"Did you just try to hit me with a freaking weight?" Ranma growled.
"I didn't know it was you! I thought you were a burglar!" Akane shouted. Ranma just turned back to see Ryoga missing and a pile of his clothes.
"So he turns into something small." Ranma said softly. She took off into the night, intending to find the cursed lost boy. Akane quickly followed her to find out what was wrong.
An hour passed when the two returned from the rain. Ranma was soaked to the bone. She saw Kasumi preparing some hot water. As she made her way to the kitchen, she felt an attack coming. She spun quickly and backhanded the attacker. It hit the wall with a thud. She investigated what it was with Akane and was surprised to see what it was.
"How could you do that to a piglet?" Akane yelled.
"Hey, the thing attacked me." Ranma countered.
"I found him after you two left." Kasumi said as she handed Ranma the tea kettle. Akane took the piglet and hugged it into her chest.
"Oh he's so cute." Akane cooed. Ranma saw the piglet blush.
"Dirty little pig, he's getting off on the close contact." Ranma joked. The piglet took offense to that and jumped at Ranma. Its fangs clamped down on his arm. Ranma howled in pain before ripping the piglet off and was about to launch him until Akane snatched him away.
"Stop picking on him, maybe if you weren't so perverted," Akane said and turned her nose up to him. She made her way upstairs with the pig. Before she was out of sight, he heard her say,
"Wow, you are soaking wet. Is this a collar? It looks a lot like that Ryoga guy's bandana." Akane said. Ranma shot his head up and looked toward the stairs. He quickly got up, surprising Kasumi, and ran upstairs. He looked to see Akane go into her room with the pig. He caught a glimpse of collar and saw that it was one of Ryoga's bandanas.
'So that's his curse?'
Ryoga was camped out in a vacant lot. He was having a very peaceful day. He had his first taste of heaven last night. That girl Akane, it was as if God was giving him his personal angel. She was so kind to him in his curse form. He felt so warm in her embrace. She dried him off and allowed him to sleep in her bed. His heart would beat faster every time he thought of her. Could it be? Yes, he was in love with Akane.
"So, there you are? You really had Akane worried, P-chan." A voice said. Ryoga spun around to see Ranma leaning against a post. His good mood instantly changed and snarled at him.
"You! What do you want?" Ryoga said.
"I know about your curse. I guess I can see the reason for your anger seeing that I at least turn human but why is your anger directed at me?" Ranma asked.
"It all started with you! I never got to lay you out flat because you ran! Then, it was you who knocked me into that pool! I knew that I recognized that form of yours! You were chasing someone and carelessly knocked me into that water! It's your fault that I've been through hell!" Ryoga ranted. Ranma looked at the angry teenager and turned away.
"I accept responsibility for you getting the curse but that's where it ends." Ranma said.
"What?" Ryoga exclaimed.
"You're just like my father in regard to me. You blame me for your problems because you're too much of a coward to place the blame on yourself. It isn't my fault that your family curse kept you from our duel. It's not my fault that you followed me to China because you lost by forfeit. Why don't you look in the mirror someday and look at who you should blame." Ranma said and walked off. He left Ryoga fuming with rage.
"GET BACK HERE!" he roared. Ryoga followed Ranma but was quickly lost again.
Ranma kept dodging Akane's mallet strikes with ease. He needed to practice his dodging ability in order to deal with Ryoga when he returned. He knew that the guy would not take his words seriously and would be out for blood. He stood with his arms folded as Akane was huffing and puffing.
"I think that's enough practice for me, unless you want to continue and embarrass yourself." Ranma said in mirth.
"I am going to knock that smug grin off your face." Akane said. Suddenly the two turned when they heard a loud squeal. Ranma jumped over the black blur and kicked it toward the ceiling. It bounced off the ceiling and hit the ground. The black blur turned out to be the same piglet from yesterday.
"P-chan!" Akane exclaimed. She quickly rushed over and picked up the piglet. "How can you do that to him?"
"Maybe if the little porker didn't attack me at every turn, I wouldn't have to kick it around like a soccer ball. Why are you calling it P-chan? Isn't that Ryoga's pet?" Ranma asked.
"The 'P' is for pig and the 'chan' is for little. I would give him back to Ryoga if you didn't keep teasing him." Akane said.
"Excuse me? Are you actually blaming me for his problems?" Ranma asked with an edge.
"Maybe if you waited on the fourth day, he wouldn't be so angry. You even said yourself that you should have shared your bread with him." Akane said. Ranma was beside himself with Akane.
"You have to be the most thick headed and stupid girl in the world. I can see why no REAL martial artist takes you seriously. I am just so glad that I will never join the schools because if you are the product, my school will become weak. You just stay the hell away from me for a while." Ranma said and stormed off. Akane just watched his retreating form with surprise. What was all that about?
A knock on the door took Ranma away from his homework.
"Come in." Ranma said. The door opened to reveal Kasumi. She had with her a plate with dinner.
"I saw that you were quite angry when you entered the house. Akane gave me her version of what happened." Kasumi said.
"I don't know why you guys allow her to act this way. Her way of thinking is just out there. She had the nerve to blame me for Ryoga's issues. I swear, she will fine any fault with me just because I don't kiss her ass like everyone else." Ranma ranted.
"I think that she is intimidated by you Ranma. She was always the center of attention and then you come along. I think that it will pass soon." Kasumi reassured.
"I won't hold my breath but if you say so. Thanks for the dinner." Ranma said. As he ate, something came to him. "So, is 'P-chan' still with her?"
"Are you jealous of a piglet Ranma?" Kasumi asked with mirth.
"You don't know the piglet as well as I do. If Akane ever finds out, she'll hate men more than she does now." Ranma said. That confused Kasumi and she looked at Ranma for answers. While he was responsible for knocking Ryoga in the pool, what he was doing was not right at all. Even if it was Akane, she didn't deserve that. "That piglet is a victim of Jusenkyo. The victim name is Ryoga."
"You can't be serious." Kasumi said.
"It seems that Nabiki was right. Ryoga didn't hunt me down because of the bread duel. The moron decided to follow me and my father to Jusenkyo. I do take responsibility for knocking him into the pool that turned him into a piglet but that's all I take responsibility for." Ranma said.
"We've got to tell Akane." Kasumi said with concern.
"If I tell her, she going to think that I'm jealous of Ryoga who she suddenly feels is a victim. If you or Nabiki tell her, she's going to think that you were sent by me. The best I can do, is keep the pig out of her bed." Ranma said.
"You do not have to worry about it Ranma. I will do something about it." Kasumi said. She stood and left the room, leaving Ranma to wonder what she was going to do.
It was lights out at the Tendo compound. Ryoga settled himself into Akane's embrace. He knew that it was wrong to do this but it was the only way he could get close to Ranma. He would wiggle his way out of her embrace but for now he was going to enjoy this little bit of heaven.
Suddenly, he was snatched out of Akane's embrace. His mouth was covered with a cloth. He struggled to get free but whoever had him, had a very strong grip. They entered the bathroom where he saw the tub filled with hot water. He was throw in the tub and immediately changed. When he turned to yell at whoever did that, he was white with fear to see Akane's sisters.
"Well, Ranma was right. What do you think that you were doing, snuggling up to my little sister pervert?" Nabiki asked coldly.
"I wasn't… I didn't mean…" Ryoga stammered.
"That will be enough out of you Hibiki Ryoga. Whatever issues you have with Ranma, have it with him. You will not drag my sister into it. You will not use her for your misguided quest for vengeance." Kasumi said.
"Hey, it was his fault that I'm like this." Ryoga said a little loud.
"Who was the idiot that followed him?" Nabiki asked.
"It doesn't matter. You will stay out of my sister's bed and you will not use her for you schemes. If you do, I will make sure you never stay here again. This is your only warning. There are your clothes." Kasumi said. The two sisters left him to get dressed. Ryoga sat there and seethed. He couldn't believe that Ranma told them about the curse. He was going to make him pay for this.