Ranma 1/2
Ranma and Hikaru
by: Kimura Ayame
(Not to be confused with my original character, Ayane. This isn't a self-insert!)
PART 6: Zugaikotsu-sensei's Rival
At Mishima's restaurant, Onna-Hikaru called into the kitchen, "Hey, Ayane!"
Her partner, a girl the same age, but just a bit smaller than her, with shoulder-length blonde hair and green eyes answered, "What's up, Hikari?"
"Can you cover for me while I take a break?"
"Sure, no problem."
Hikaru smiled, "Thanks."
---
When Hikaru actually exited the restaurant, he was back in male form, wearing his gi. He figured he'd drop by Furinkan, see how Ranma was doing, then go back to work. Ayane should be able to hold out that long.
---
Ranma was leaning against the wall of Furinkan. He saw Hikaru coming, "Hey, what's up, Hikaru? How's the job?"
"It's like attending an all-girls' school. There's not a single guy working there. And, of course, they expect me to act... well, like a girl."
"I guess that's part of the curse, huh?"
Hikaru sighed and leaned against the wall next to Ranma, "Tell me about it."
The two heard Kunou's voice, "Zugaikotsu Hikaru, I presume?"
Hikaru opened his eyes to see Kunou standing in front of him, "That's me."
Kunou dropped the stuffed panda into his hands, then glared at him, "Tell me why I must give it to you."
Hikaru was completely confused, "Excuse me?"
"'If you want to give her your panda, give it to Ranma-chan's friend, Zugaikotsu Hikaru,' quoth the mercenary Nabiki. Why?! How do you know the goddess of the lavender hair?!!!"
Hikaru tossed the panda back to Kunou, "Sorry. She's not interested." Kunou just stood there, confused, while Hikaru walked away.
Ranma, who was looking up at the windows, whispered, "Hikaru, not that way!"
He was too late. Hikaru was hit by a splash of water from above. Kunou rounded the corner, "Hikaru?" He froze. Somehow, Hikaru had disappeared. The girl that now stood there... was her, "You're..." He grabbed her in a tight embrace, "How I've pined for you!" Hikaru was too stunned to react. Kunou began to weep, "I shall never let you go, my goddess!!!"
Ranma caught a kettle of hot water Nabiki had tossed to him, "Here ya go, Hikaru!" He threw the hot water at Hikaru.
Kunou paused, confused, "Hikaru...?"
Hikaru grabbed him by the head and flipped him to the ground. He scoffed at the pitiful kendoist lying on the ground, "Get it yet, Kunou?! I've had enough of this." He turned to leave, "I've gotta get back to work."
Kunou stood up, "Zugaikotsu! What devilish trickery have you used to steal away my goddess?!"
Ranma shook his head, "Kunou, you really are dense."
Nabiki nodded, "Looks like we'll just have to spell it out for him."
Nabiki went over to Kunou, "Listen, Kunou-chan, that girl..." She paused, wondering how to put it, "Her body. Her soul. All belong to him. You get it yet?"
Kunou was fuming, majorly, "Her soul... and her body?!" He slashed at Hikaru, "Tyrant!!!"
Ranma sighed, "Great... just what we needed..."
Nabiki shrugged, "Kunou-chan isn't very bright."
Hikaru dodged Kunou's attacks, "I guess you don't understand."
"Silence!!! I can see it, you monster!" Kunou finally understood. Hikaru had somehow enslaved the girl and was using her for his own evil pleasures. He sobbed at the thought, "How terrible..."
Akane walked over -- she had heard Kunou and Hikaru, "What's going on?" She saw Kunou attacking Hikaru, saying something about enslaving women.
Hikaru replied, "So what if you lose? Will you give up?" He knocked Kunou down, sending pictures flying everywhere. He snagged one and looked at it -- a picture of him, in female form, trying on the Mishima's waitress uniform. He tossed it to Ranma, "Here, take care of these!" He grabbed and passed all ten of the photos.
Ranma turned and saw Akane coming, "Hey, you may want to see this." He handed her five of the pictures.
Akane stared at them, livid, "Why do you have pictures of me?!"
"Kunou dropped them."
"What?!" She turned to her sister.
Nabiki was smiling innocently, "Just making a little extra money..."
Meanwhile, Kunou had demolished half of the objects in the area with just the air pressure from his attacks. Hikaru frowned... he was getting pissed. His entire body became black and, two seconds later, Kunou fell. Ranma stared -- Hikaru had used much more speed than he really needed. He had also beaten Kunou senseless. Hikaru fell to his knees, "Damn... too much energy..." He stood up and brushed himself off, "I gotta get back to work. Ayane's probably getting tired." He walked away.
Ranma turned to Nabiki, "You know, you could have just said she was Hikaru. No need to get all poetic about it."
Nabiki calmly replied, "He saw Hikaru change. Do you really think that would have worked?"
"Guess not. But you didn't have to make things worse."
Nabiki supposed that was true. But... if Kunou knew Onna-Hikaru's true identity, she might lose a reliable source of income. "Let's just say the dojo's financial situation is still secure, Ranma-chan."
Ranma, of course, had no idea what she meant by that.
---
Later that night, Onna-Hikaru was getting ready to leave Mishima's restaurant. Ayane met her at the door, "You owe me, Hikari."
"I know. I'm sorry, Ayane. I didn't mean to leave you alone that long."
"It's alright. Just don't do it again."
Hikaru nodded and started to walk away, "Got it. See you tomorrow!" She ran into something and fell down, "Ow! What the..." She looked up and saw what she had walked into. It was a young man, about Ranma's height and build, with short, dark hair, and wearing mostly yellow and black.
The man reached down to help her up, "I am sorry, Miss. I wasn't watching where I was going."
Despite the fact that she was perfectly capable of getting up herself, she accepted his help. After all, he was only trying to be polite, and that was probably part of getting used to being treated like a girl. She replied, "I wasn't really paying attention either."
The man frowned as he looked her over, "You seem familiar. Have I seen you around before?"
Hikaru wasn't sure what to say. She had never seen him in Nerima before, "Um... maybe in China?"
The man nodded and snapped his fingers, "That's it! Zugaikotsu Hikari!"
So this person knew Hikaru's sister? "Uh... yes. And you are...?"
He didn't seem surprised that "Hikari" didn't remember him, so obviously he didn't know her very well. "Hibiki Ryouga. I have recently returned from China... in my quest for revenge against my rival, Saotome Ranma, I got into a fight with an experienced martial artist... your father's rival, Lee. He... defeated me soundly." He scoffed, "I should have known. Even your father didn't stand a chance." He shrugged and walked away, "Anyway, it was good to see you again, Hikari!"
Hikaru was still parsing through what Ryouga had said. Apparently, her father had a rival, named Lee, who defeated not only Ryouga, but Zugaikotsu-sensei as well. She continued to walk home -- she didn't have a good feeling about this.
---
When she got back to the Tendou dojo, Hikaru was about to go upstairs and change -- in more ways than one -- when Ranma stopped her, "Hey, look at this."
He had handed her a postcard -- "Zugaikotsu-sensei injured. Come to China immediately." It was signed, "Hikari."
Hikaru stared at the postcard, "Injured? How?" She remembered what that boy had said -- about Zugaikotsu-sensei's rival, Lee.
Ranma said, "We should go to the village."
Hikaru nodded, "Just let me change and pack a few things. We're leaving tonight."
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