Ranma Saotome: Transgender Warrior
Chapter 4
Ranma smiled as she enjoyed a walk through Nerima's commercial district on a gorgeous afternoon. She decided to treat herself to ice cream, and as she walked up to the vendor he said, "Could I help you, sir?"
Ranma's good mood disappeared. "It's 'miss,' and I'll have pistachio."
The vendor gave her a closer look, and wordlessly handed over a cone. She paid and gave her ice cream a halfhearted lick as she walked away fuming. It was Pop's fault; in the few weeks he'd been back she couldn't wear a girl's uniform or makeup, and in her Chinese clothes she was in-between boy and girl again. She jumped onto a fence and got off two kicks before she landed. After tossing her cone in the air, she launched into a flurry of punches, dropped for a sweep kick, carried the motion into a one-handed handstand, caught the cone with the other hand, and gave it a lick; it tasted better now.
On the other side of the fence, she could see three girls in leotards waving ribbons, twirling hula hoops, and juggling clubs. The scene looked even crazier since she was upside-down, so she kept watching as she ate her ice cream. Suddenly, a girl wearing a uniform Ranma didn't recognize leapt into the scene twirling a black ribbon and laughing maniacally. "No training shall prepare you to face me!" she shouted as she snapped her ribbons at the other girls. "I am Kodachi Kuno, The Black Rose, and a rising star in the world of Martial Arts Rythmic Gymnastics!" She concluded by tossing black rose petals in the air for dramatic effect.
It figures that Tatewaki's sister is just as crazy as him, thought Ranma as she vaulted into the fray and grabbed Kodachi's ribbon with her free hand.
"Who dares delay my inevitable victory!"
"Hold on a sec." Ranma scarffed down the rest of her ice cream cone. "Ow, brain freeze. Shouldn't have done that." Kodachi threw a club at Ranma in frustration, but she casually caught it with a smile. "My name's Ranma Saotome."
"The girl my brother has been pining for?" She let out a shrill laugh. "I thought he had better standards; you could pass for a boy."
Ranma struggled to think of a comeback and decided to go out on a limb. "Well at least I'm girl enough to have a guy fall in love with me. I bet you scare boys away by being so psycho."
Kodachi's expression told Ranma she'd guessed right. "I shall waste no more time on you, harridan! I must prepare for my coming triumph over Furinkan High School!" She leapt away scattering black rose petals and laughing as she went.
Ranma went with the girls who'd been attacked to the school nurse; they'd each been cut by Kodachi's ribbon. After getting bandaged, the team captain said, "It would have been a lot worse if you hadn't stopped her. You're a real hero."
"Oh, it was nothing."
"You are! I've heard Kodachi has put some girls in the hospital. I'd love to get a chance to beat her in the ring, but none of us will be healed in a week. Could you face her?"
"Not wearing one of those things," Ranma said pointing to the leotard she wore.
"Why not?"
"Uh... I'd rather not say."
"We can't forfeit... oh I know who to ask!" The gymnasts ran to get Akane, and they eventually talked her into filling in for them.
Later that evening, Ranma wandered over to the dojo to find Akane wearing a yellow leotard and practicing for the match. "How are you gonna learn to use all this junk in just a week?" asked Ranma as she gestured to the various Rhythmic Gymnastics "tools" scattered about the floor.
"It can't be too tough. I think you're just supposed to throw most of these things, but I can't figure out what to do with this stupid ribbon; what good is it in a fight?"
"It's your most valuable weapon because it has the greatest reach to attack, it can ensnare your foe, and it can grab ammunition to throw at them," answered a voice from the door.
Akane turned to greet the visitor, "Ryoga! How do you know about Rhythmic Gymnastics?"
"I've encountered many arts in my travels," said Ryoga as he picked up a ribbon and twirled it in a perfect spiral, "and I'd be happy to teach you what I've learned."
"Great! Thank you!" said Akane, and she grabbed his hand to shake it.
The simple gesture ruined Ryoga's concentration entirely, and he twirled the ribbon around his own neck while sputtering, "Let's... begin... your... training."
Ranma sat down and watched Ryoga disentangle himself to begin teaching. He trembled with joy as he took Akane's hand in his and showed her the right wrist motion to control the ribbon. Then they each began making their ribbons dance side by side as Akane worked to make hers move in time with Ryoga's. Ranma struggled to focus on the technique, but her eyes kept returning to look at the rapturous expression on Ryoga's face. He didn't look anything like Kuno did when he professed his love and gave her flowers; Ryoga's adoration was selfless. Ranma couldn't stand it any longer, and she left the dojo.
After hopping up to the roof of the Tendo Household, Ranma began a Yin Style Banguazhang form. She moved slowly with twisted fingers poised for penetrating palm strikes and let the dark feelings within her flow out. Why did Ryoga have to fall in love with Akane? She'd seen him first! When would she get someone who really loved her? Would she have to get surgery first? That was years away at least! It wasn't fair! Being a girl sucks! The form concentrated all her negative emotions and expelled them into a phantom opponent, but the effort was exhausting. Ranma pushed herself for hours, and finally collapsed to lie on her back once she finished. The stars were beautiful.
Her rest was interrupted as she heard something at Akane's window. Bending over the edge of the roof she saw the intruder: Kodachi. "You just don't know when to quit do you?" said Ranma.
The girl's eyes gleamed with pure hatred. "I'll tolerate your interference no longer, harridan!" She leapt up to the roof twirling her ribbon, but Ranma dodged it and delivered a kick that sent her flying. Akane and Ryoga were just leaving the dojo at that moment, and Ryoga looked up just in time to see Kodachi flying at him. He caught her reflexively with a confused expression on his face. "Who is this strong man who's saved me?" asked Kodachi.
"I... I'm Ryoga Hibiki." He seemed unsure what to do, so he just kept holding Kodachi as she snuggled into his arms.
Ranma jumped down and yelled, "Watch out! She's the one who attacked our school's team!"
"So you're Kodachi," said Akane. "What are you doing here?"
"Just come to meet my new opponent, but I seem to have found so much more. What is this man to you?"
"He's my trainer."
"Not anymore." Kodachi stuck some black roses in Ryoga's face and they released a white cloud. She slipped out of his arms as the paralysis took effect. "Now he's going to be my boyfriend."
"You can't just claim him like that!" insisted Ranma as she grabbed Ryoga.
Kodachi gave a haughty smile and said, "Fine then. We'll settle this with the upcoming match. If I win, Ryoga is mine! Speak up if you have a problem with that, darling." Ryoga desperately tried to say something, but he couldn't make a sound. Kodachi blew him a kiss and leapt away with her increasingly grating laugh and black petals.
Ranma avoided Ryoga and Akane as they trained over the next week, but she couldn't get them out of her mind. She didn't even plan on going to the match until Akane asked her to come and help make sure Kodachi didn't cheat. Ranma reluctantly agreed, and her spirits dipped even lower when she saw Genma and Soun were coming as well.
"This should be quite a match, eh Saotome?" asked Soun as they walked into the gymnasium.
"Indeed it will be," replied Genma. "Did you notice the girl Akane's up against is named Kuno? I wonder if she's any relation to the fool who placed that ad looking for our master."
Kuno was in the stands to watch the match and overheard their conversation as they walked by. He rose and angrily confronted the surprised men. "I am the one who searches for the devil Happosai! Any who call him their master or call me a fool shall taste the sting of my bokken!"
Ranma shook her head and left the trio as their argument escalated. She went into Akane's dressing room and found her doing some last minute stretches with Ryoga.
"Hi Ranma," said Akane as she leaned back. "Have you seen any sign of... Kodachi!"
With her signature laugh, Kodachi dropped from the ceiling and brought a huge wooden mallet down on Akane's ankle. She threw a black rose to the floor that produced a smokescreen, and said, "See you later, Ryoga darling," as she disappeared.
"Where is she!" said Ryoga furiously as he smashed the furniture in the room with his umbrella.
"We'll deal with her later. Stay with Akane while I get help," ordered Ranma. She found the school nurse and brought her to take a look at Akane's ankle. It wasn't broken, but the sprain was too bad for there to be any hope of competing today. All the nurse could do was bandage it up and find a crutch for Akane.
"Ranma, you've got to substitute for me in the match," said Akane as she shakily got up using the crutch.
"I can't wear a leotard out there, and I've never done Rhythmic Gymnastics before."
"They'll probably be okay with the clothes you have on now if we promise not to complain about Kodachi's attack."
"And I'll train you during the match," said Ryoga. "You've got to win, Ranma, or I'll have to date that horrible girl!"
"This is crazy," sighed Ranma, but she agreed. After a short conference with the referee, she was in the ring.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the main event!" proclaimed the announcer. "In today's Rhythmic Gymnastics Martial Arts match the defending champion is twelve-time undefeated Kodachi Kuno of Saint Hebereke's School for Girls!" Wild cheers came from the Hebereke section.
"Her challenger is a complete newcomer to the sport who doesn't even have a leotard! Give it up for Ranma Saotome representing Furinkan High School!" Polite applause and confused murmurs came from the Furinkan section that were drowned out by boos from Hebereke.
"I didn't realize this was a coed competition," mused Genma.
"Look out Saotome! He's spotted us!" exclaimed Soun, and the pair ran around the ring to escape Kuno.
"The rules of Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics are simple: the first combatant to be knocked unconscious or knocked out of the ring loses. There is no time limit, there are no rounds, and there is no way to stop the match. Combatants may only attack one another with weapons, and any direct contact will result in disqualification."
"Remember that, Ranma," said Akane. "You've got to use the Rhythmic Gymnastics tools."
"I know, I know," said Ranma as she snapped herself in the face trying to use her ribbon.
"Combatants, go to your corners. You may begin in 3... 2... 1... fight!"
Kodachi immediately launched a barrage of clubs at Ranma which she dodged by running around the ring. "Ryoga! Show me how to do that thing with the ribbon again!"
"It's all in the wrist," yelled Ryoga as he jogged around with her. He took off his belt and demonstrated. "See?"
"Okay," said Ranma, but she paid for taking her focus off Kodachi by getting beaned with a club.
The Black Rose advanced while the announcer breathlessly narrated her attack. "Wow! The Champion is attacking with that ribbon as if it were a steel bar. Hey, it IS a steel bar!" Ranma dodged most of the swings but hurt her arm when she had to block one of them.
"Referee! That's not a Rhythmic Gymnastics tool!" complained Akane.
"Maybe, but I can't stop to check until the fight's over."
"You're useless!" fumed Akane, and then she noticed Kuno, Genma, and her father running around outside the ring. "What the heck is going on here?"
Meanwhile, Ranma managed to catch Kodachi's bar and throw it out of the ring. It accidently hit Soun, and he tumbled to the ground. Kuno caught up to him and shouted, "Tell me where Happosai is or taste the full force of my wrath!" Akane wacked him with her crutch, and he flew into the ring hitting Kodachi.
"Do you think you can beat me with help from outside the ring?" screeched Kodachi. "Guess again!" She whistled, and the entire Hebereke Rhythmic Gymnastics Team emerged from under the ring. "Attack!" shouted Kodachi, and the battle was on.
"Look at the Hebereke girls go at it!" enthused the announcer. Genma and Soun climbed up into the ring and did their best to keep the hordes of gymnasts from overwhelming them. The Hebereke girls went after Akane too, but Ryoga protected her. It was getting crowded inside the ring, and a spiked club Kodachi threw nearly hit a teammate. Ranma was getting the hang of using the ribbon, but the melee was too thick for her to find an opening.
"There can't be more than two people fighting in the ring, right?" yelled Akane to the referee.
"There might be more than two people fighting here," said the referee as she ducked a gymnast jump kicking Soun, "but I can't stop to check until the match is over."
"This is ridiculous!" shouted Akane as she hopped up on her crutch to kick a gymnast with her good leg.
Ranma agreed, but she knew the chaos wouldn't stop until she beat Kodachi. She grabbed a club and thought she had an opening to hit Kodachi when she noticed Kuno had recovered and was about to attack Pop from behind. "I know I'll regret doing this," she muttered, and tossed her club to knock Kuno out.
"Amidst the confusion, The Champion outmaneuvers her opponent for a sneak attack!" cried the announcer as the Hebereke section shushed her.
"What the?" said Ranma as she looked around, but it was too late. Kodachi crept up from behind, got her ribbon around Ranma's neck, and began strangling Ranma as she cackled with glee. Ranma gasped for air and looked around frantically for a weapon, but nothing was in reach. She grabbed the end of Kodachi's own ribbon and snapped it her opponent's face. That distracted Kodachi long enough for Ranma to slip free.
"You can't run forever!" yelled Kodachi as she threw a razor-edged hula-hoop. Ranma grabbed the spiked club Kodachi had used earlier and batted the hoop up to the ceiling where it hit one of the spotlights.
"Look out!" yelled Ranma as the wreckage fell towards Akane, and Ryoga rushed to save her. He hugged Akane close and opened his umbrella just as twisted mass of metal hit. They recovered unscathed and blushed as they disengaged from the tight embrace.
"What devotion," sighed Kodachi.
"I know, and the worst thing is that she doesn't even realize how much he cares," said Ranma.
"The touching moment makes the fierce rivals bond over what they share in common," narrated the announcer.
"What? We're nothing alike!" shouted Ranma, but the announcer's words haunted her as the battle continued. Why did she want Ryoga to like her? It wasn't because she was really attracted to him, so did she just want the status and security of having a boyfriend? Her heart sunk as she realized she might want Ryoga for the same reasons as Kodachi.
The important difference is that I'm fighting to let Ryoga follow his heart, and Kodachi's fighting to put him in a cage, thought Ranma, and that gave her the passion to focus on winning the match. Kodachi was much more experienced with this style than she was, so how could she come up with an attack to defeat her?
The tide was turning against the other Hebereke gymnasts, so Genma took the time to offer some advice. "Hit her with a club, son!"
"Son?" said Kuno as he staggered to his feet, "Is that boy with an umbrella your son?"
"No, my son's right over -ow!" Ranma had tossed a ball to hit Genma and ricochet into Kuno.
"Your allies can't help you, harridan!" said Kodachi as she leapt high into the air, and Ranma saw her opening. Arial combat was one area where she had the edge on Kodachi. She tossed up a ball, and leapt to hit it just as it made contact with Kodachi. The blow sent Kodachi flying, and she whistled for her gymnasts to move the ring. The few that remained standing tugged at it, but there weren't enough of them to save Kodachi before she hit the gym floor.
"We have a winner!" yelled the announcer, and the enraged Hebereke crowd rushed onto the floor to meet the Furinkan crowd in a brawl. The Saotomes, the Tendos, and Ryoga fought their way out of the gym and ran back to the dojo.
That evening, Ranma sat on the roof thinking about the day's events when Ryoga joined her. "I wanted to say... thank you for what did today, Ranma." He awkwardly offered his hand, and Ranma shook it.
"Thanks, you did a great job protecting Akane."
Ryoga shook his head. "You're the real hero, Ranma: the one everyone can always rely on to save the day. I'm just a sojourner who'll be here one day and gone the next, and that's why I'm not worthy of Akane."
"Being the hero isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'll still be in-between boy and girl as long as Pop's around, and what chance do I have to be happy like this?"
"Nobody who really knows you would hold that against you."
"Even you?"
Ryoga paused. "I spent a long time thinking about what you said the last time we fought here, and I determined that my feelings don't have anything with you being half boy and half girl. I hate you because you're arrogant, sneaky, selfish..."
"Okay, I get the idea," grumbled Ranma. "You wanna spar?"
"Sure." They both shifted to fighting stances, and fought on the roof as the sun set on another day in Nerima.
Author's note: Thanks to my beta reader SoulCry
