DIVISIVE
Akane fastened the belt of her gi and started her morning routine.
She loved being up at daybreak, when everybody was still asleep and everything was therefore so peaceful.
No arguments, no aggressiveness, no bitter words… all in all, no violence of any kind !
It was ideal.
And although it would have seemed ironic to you, dear readers, who know all too well how hot-headed the youngest Tendo could be – since the very first day of her meeting Ranma, and even before… - it was nevertheless true that the future heir of the Tendo dojo was never so happy when it all was so quiet.
That or the moments of general harmony in their families… but these were rare, and alas never lasted long. And she hoped that the obvious tensions between both halves of Ranma wouldn't make things worse.
Akane practiced all the moves she knew, and even tried different ones, but even as focused as she was, she couldn't put her mind entirely into it, as it wandered over to a certain red-haired female…
She certainly has a strong nature, but she still doesn't seem to have a short fuse. She can get irate, yes, but she doesn't easily lose her temper, like Ranma-chan did. Well, except when Ranma is badmouthing her, calling her names and such : she's rather sensitive to his harsh behaviour. Also, Soraya is nicer than Ranma-chan : defending our couple, standing up for Ryoga, helping me to cook today, assisting Kasumi with chores, taking part in our little shopping trip… That's not things that the female Ranma would have done, or perhaps only reluctantly… if at all.
The short-haired girl managed a pretty complex sequence of movements in no time, her skill indubitably showing in that impressive series of moves.
Please with herself, she finally came to a halt, breathing fast and wiping her forehead's sweat.
"You're very gifted !"
The teenager's eyes shot to the left and stopped on a petite silhouette leaning by the entrance of the Tendo's training hall.
"Oh, good morning, Soraya ! You're already up ?"
"Morning, Akane ! Yeah, I felt like getting up early because… I had an idea yesterday evening. You know, when I mentioned that we wouldn't be adversaries, you and I, unless we would be fighting against each other while training ? Remember that ?"
"Yes, I do." replied her vis-à-vis as the pigtailed female walked in her direction.
"Ok, well, immediately after, I thought that it actually would be cool to train together. And, why not, have a little battle to assess our skills. So, say what ? Willing to have me as sparring partner ?"
Akane's eyes lit up.
"Sure, why not ? That's a pretty good idea !"
Then her enthusiastic expression melted into a sad pout.
"And it's not like Ranma really proposes me to train together anyway… And when we do, he often just avoids me instead of retaliating. And sometimes, he even read comics while avoiding my hits ! He's not even paying attention to me…"
Disappointment was all over her face.
A delicate touch on her shoulder…
Soraya's hand was there, in a comforting gesture.
Akane stared right into those tiny blue "lakes", which made such a beautiful contrast with the red hair.
"He can be a real ass, I know… but even for all his flaws, he still sincerely loves you, you know..." whispered Soraya.
"I know. And our relationship has actually got better, the past months, so… that's encouraging somehow."
"He'll mature over time. Well, we will mature, actually : I also need to, after all, being part of him. But yeah, it'll improve. Just leave him time."
Akane smiled gently.
"Thank you, Soraya. You're really nice… nicer than Ranma-chan, and really different from her. You still have some personality, we could all see that, but you're not short-tempered like her… well, except maybe when your "brother" gets you started." Both chuckled at that. "But your anger contains less aggressiveness than that of female Ranma, and is always justified, not wanton like hers. I think we might get along really good."
"Oh, I'm sure we will. And thanks, Akane. But hey, how about we start training, mmmh ?"
The Tendo martial artist nodded, and on they were !
Both sparring partners put all her heart into it, yet Soraya moved visibly faster than Akane, nimble-footed as she was. And she whirled around the dojo with elegance, even grace, while Akane was more the practical, efficient fighter, more focused on the power of her blows and getting to her opponent as fast as possible to deliver said blows.
But as fast as she was, the Saotome heir didn't merely tried to avoid the Tendo heir by merely jumping away and avoiding her fists and feet, like Ranma used to do (partly because he was kinda lazy and didn't really feel like fighting against his fiancée, knowing he was stronger than her) : no, Soraya didn't balk and instead accepted close combat, stimulated as she parried and countered, visibly enjoying that mutual training.
The red-haired girl even came up with original moves, such as doing splits in mid-air to avoid an incoming circling kick, tumbling forward then delivering a sweeping kick or doing a cartwheel to get away from a charging Akane.
The third sister of the family was impressed by suck skills, rapidity and grace combined with innovative movements.
"You're… very good…well done…" she panted as she looked at the female half of her beloved.
"Thanks ! Back at ya !" replied her challenger, not out of breath like her.
"But you're… holding back… aren't you ?"
Soraya had caught Akane's drift, yet she didn't answer.
"You're not… giving it all… right ?" insisted the black-haired teen.
Soraya sighed, not really willing to spit it out yet aware she would have to.
"I don't wanna hurt you by using my full strength. I hate hurting people who are dear to me."
The gi-clad girl blinked… then her mouth slowly bent upward.
"I'm dear to you, Soraya ?"
"Of course. You are dear to Ranma, even if that macho won't admit it, and you therefore are dear to me as well."
"Well… thanks for telling me. And it's reciprocal."
The pigtailed teen smiled softly.
"Ok, I guess I'll stop for today, if that's alright with you." Akane told Soraya, who nodded. "But please, next time, don't hold back, ok ? I'm not made of glass, and I don't mind being hit. So when we spar, just go ahead and do your best, right ?"
"I've always known you were a warrior…" the redhead replied with a wink.
Both girls shared an amused look… before laughing wholeheartedly.
"Mocking me again ?" asked a nearby voice.
At the entrance of the dojo, at the exact same spot Soraya was leaning earlier, Ranma was now leaning, arms crossed and an annoyed expression on his features.
"Don't be paranoid, Bro : that doesn't suit you…" the redhead replied as she walked in his direction, soon followed by Akane.
"One of you wanna challenge me ? And get a real fight ?" he proposed.
"Are you saying that our fight wasn't a real one ?" Akane replied, raising a brow.
A smug appeared on his lips.
"Female battling isn't that bad… but can't rival with male battling !"
"Sometimes you can be really ridiculous… or stupid… or both, Macho Boy !" the blue-eyed girl replied, slightly modifying her trajectory to jostle him in the shoulder.
"Hey !"
"Oh, how clumsy I can be…" she innocently dropped with a complacent smile, before continuing in a louder voice : "C'mon, Akane, let's go prepare that lunch… I know Ranma can't wait to stuff his face !"
Gritted teeth and daggers were the silent reply of her "target".
(…)
"But taste it, at least ! Please !" pleaded Akane, as her begging glance made a panoramic curve around the table, stopping on each male in turn : first Ranma, then Genma and finally Soun.
"Ladies first…" tactically offered Genma, sweat-dropping.
The third sister made a pout, but the second one didn't get flustered for all that :
"Alright, we'll start. But then, you'll have to follow ! Is that alright, Gentlemen ?"
That last word was her ironic counterpart to the 'Ladies' used by the panda-man.
"Naturally, naturally…" uneasily agreed Soun, sweat-dropping as well.
"Good, coz we won't let you go back on your word…" Soraya said on a smooth, slightly threatening tone, her slightly sarcastic blue orbs quickly moving over both fathers and Ryoga to stop and linger on Ranma.
The latter's nose let out a long deep annoyed snort in return, and as the boy briefly made eye contact with the fathers and with Ryoga, what he saw was on their faces was a mix of expectation and silent encouragement.
The interpretation was crystal clear : You go first, and if we don't see you spit out your food, we'll start easting as well.
Another look at Akane, who had now joined her hands in a mute prayer.
This time, it was his mouth which let out a deep sigh… but did he really have a choice ? They were clearly all waiting on him, and the fact that Soraya wasn't teasing him with any upsetting remark but let him be, along with the others, helped him to make up his mind.
He grabbed a morsel and took it up, slowly, very slowly… it was almost slow motion, and as he finally started chewing, all could hardly contain their impatience as they were forced to wait endlessly for his "verdict".
The male blue eyes widened, and after he had finally swallowed that food…
"It's… It's good ! Like, really good !"
Akane eyes sparkled joyously.
"Oh thank you ! I'm glad you like it !"
"See ? It wasn't that difficult, eh, Bro ?" a smirking Soraya teased him.
By way of answer, he rolled his eyes, which had her chuckle, which he plainly ignored.
Ryoga was the first to start eating, eager to taste good food prepared by Akane, and he then instantly complimented her.
"Thank you for this delicious meal !" Genma the gourmand**added immediately after.
**I was surprised to notice that 'gourmand', a French word, exists as such in English as well. Like other such as 'rendez-vous', 'bourgeois' or… 'fiancé(e)' ! ^.^ And we French-speaking also use Englidh words, such as 'weekend', 'fun', 'cool'… Being fascinated by language stuff in general, I've always been particularly interested in these cross-languages words, which show the richness of human language overall.
"Yes, well done, Akane !" Soun confirmed, with all now eating lunch with pleasure and visibly marvelling at the girl's cooking success… for a change.
"Oh, you're welcome, but you can also thank Soraya and Kasumi : they were really helpful and gave me clear instructions and advice !" modestly replied Akane.
And while that was pretty neutral and harmless info, that's still what (unwillingly) made the nice moment turn into an unpleasant one.
"Hum, Akane…" started the pigtailed teenager.
"Yes, Ranma ?" she asked, her smile still well present… but when he took a few more seconds to continue, her lips slowly loosened themselves, the smile gradually withering away, as she wasn't too sure she wanted to hear what he was about to utter.
"I said it was good and I mean it. But since Kasumi and Soraya also took part in it, I was wondering… how much did they do exactly ? And how much did you do ?"
Nobody spoke for some time, as all were trying to make sense of this, to guess what he was getting at with these questions.
But while the martial artist of the Tendo family could be dense about a few things (such as Ryoga being P-chan), she still wasn't that dense and did catch his drift.
"You're… you're implying that I didn't do much in the kitchen, and that it's the reason why it's good ?!" she asked him as a verification of her guess, her voice trembling in a presage of anger outburst.
"Well…" he started, yet went no further, a drop of sweat slowly rolling down his temple.
"Ranma, Akane carried out most of the recipes we used. I was the one giving instructions, and Soraya helped a little, but it's definitely Akane who crafted most of the lunch, and I think she did pretty good !" Kasumi informed him… and the rest of them.
"R-Really…?" he stammered uneasily.
Soraya glanced at the previously smiling girl and noticed her now troubled look, deducing that her eyes were now wet with tears of frustration and disappointment.
Her first reaction was feeling sorry for Akane… but it was soon replaced by a rightful ire.
"You're a bloody jerk, Ranma Saotome !" she yelled. "Your fiancée takes so much time cooking a delicious meal for all of us, and mainly to thank YOU for yesterday, and that's how you show your damn gratitude ?!"
He frowned at her.
"For yesterday ? What about yesterday ?"
She also frowned, but additionally gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, her whole body now clearly in offensive mode.
"You already forgot, didn't you ? Akane was grateful to you for openly admitting your feelings for her in front of Ukyo, Shampoo and Kodachi, driving them away from your couple. And she was willing to cook that meal primarily to repay you for this. And that's how you thank her for that : by questioning the quality of her cooking ?!"
"Look here –"
"It's okay…" Akane cut him, her face lowered, in a disappointed attitude which had replaced her initial angry frustration. "Maybe he still doubts I did it, but at least he finds it quite good." She wiped her eyes, raised her head back up and looked straight at Soraya, forcing herself to smile. "That's the main point, after all, no ?"
Ranma felt a wave of relief wash over him, before he awkwardly told his fiancée that, after all, he did believe that she had been the one cooking that delicious lunch.
"It's not because Akane had trouble learning cooking that it means she'll never be able to succeed one day !" remarked Ryoga, a critical look set on his long-term rival.
"Typical male stuff : hurting a girl's feelings then fumbling to patch it all up. Boys should learn to think before speaking." Nabiki sententiously uttered.
"Especially some boys…" Soraya confirmed on a snide tone, glancing at a certain someone out of the corner of her eye.
"Get lost, you critical witch ! " he merely hissed, earning a disdainful look in return.
(…)
The following evening, the whole family was gathered in the living room after dinner, watching a film… which was peculiar, as they were rarely ever all present together (meals excepted), and even more rarely to watch a film.
It was an adventure film, and they were all pretty caught up in the suspenseful plot when…
*knock knock*
"Oh, we have a visit this late ?" Kasumi asked, thus voicing out loud everyone's surprise, and she got up to go open the front door.
"Just when the plot thickened…" Nabiki sighed.
"I hope it's not bad news…" Genma ventured.
Soun cleared his throat.
"Actually, I know who is coming. And it's my fault if you're not informed : I received a phone two days ago, for a visit this evening, and I left shortly after for some business downtown. And then I totally forgot to let you know later on. My apologies for this."
He briefly hung his head.
"Ok, but who is it then ?" questioned Nabiki.
Before her father could answer, Kasumi was back with their guests, who turned out to be…
"My dear Cologne ! And you, Shampoo ! Welcome to you!" Soun greeted them.
"Good evening to all of you !" the Amazon matriarch told the "assembly", whose every member was staring quizzically at both newcomers. "We're sorry to disturb you that late, but we really wanted to come as soon as possible. We didn't really have the occasion before, so we asked Soun if it would be feasible tonight and he agreed."
Her eyes focused on a certain pair of pigtailed individuals.
"The reason of my presence is Shampoo's explanation about both Ranma's genders being now split and appearing together simultaneously. If you don't mind, I would like to know how this happened exactly and how it affected your personalities since then, if there were any side effects, unexpected or unpleasant consequences."
Ranma briefly hesitated, not sure he wanted to start explaining his encounter with Kay and Os all around, with more and more people being informed and somehow getting involved…
… but on the other hand, Cologne had often offered assistance, advice, training to the gifted martial artist, and he remembered it all too well.
And so, he could hardly refuse her this… all the more since the venerable woman might well come up again with precious help regarding his parting in two.
Therefore, he explained her everything that had occurred in the park, how he had found himself face to face with Soraya the next day, and concluded by saying that they both weren't bothered by the current situation, with none of them wishing to be reunited.
"And why not, if I may know your reasons ?" the wrinkled lady inquisitively asked.
"Well, that's pretty obvious : I don't wanna transform into a chick every now and then, and she enjoys her freedom."
"A chick…" Soraya repeated with patent repugnance.
"You, don't start again !" Ranma warned her angrily.
"Maybe you didn't know but-"
"I don't care."
"…'chick' is sexist."
"I. Don't. Care !"
She wrapped him in the cold embrace of her despising look.
"Idiot."
"You little-"
THUMP ! THUMP ! THUMP !
Cologne's gnarled staff loudly hit the floor to break the quarrel.
"Ok, that's enough !" Cologne intervened. "I can tell you two are not getting along very well. No wonder you don't want to be reunited in the same body. But I find it strange that these two warriors didn't do anything more serious to you. They were present to avenge their friends, and only separating the two of you seems… rather light a revenge. I wonder if it isn't more serious than that…"
An uneasy silence followed, each of them wondering if the Ranma's split was indeed grave after all… and how exactly it could be. What could be hidden behind all this…?
"We'll see, but if something else happens, something really concerning with both Ranma's, I kindly ask you – her gaze wandered around over all the other family members – to let me know. We must not underestimate the effects of that new curse !" concluded Cologne.
Before remembering something…
"By the way, Ranma… Shampoo told me that you had said, in front of her and other "love rivals", that you had feelings for Akane, and that you had asked them to give up on you, to stop trying to marry you. Any reason why you suddenly decided to do so, in front of all the girls involved ?"
He knew that he could get his revenge on a certain girl, and therefore pointed to the side at Soraya with his raised thumb : "She forced me to."
The ancient eyes switched to the redhead.
"And why did you force him, if I may ask you this ?"
Soraya didn't hesitate.
"Because it was time that these three girls understood that their efforts were pointless… and disrespectful, given that they dismissed the reality : that Ranma and Akane are in love, are officially engaged and that no one therefore has the right to pursue any of them, try to seduce any of them or use trickery to force a wedding out of any of them. They belong to each other, because they love each other. Period."
"I don't think that's for you to decide, I'm afraid…" the Amazon matriarch curtly retorted, not appreciating the pigtailed girl's definitive tone and words, especially the conclusive one.
"I'm part of Ranma, and what involves him involves me. It's not just his fate, it's also mine. He loves Akane, she loves him, despite their long-time bickering, and I appreciate her. Feelings are what matters the most in this… more than tradition, for instance."
The last bit was said in a slightly ironic manner that, added to the content itself, really displeased Cologne.
"Traditions are the foundations of people. We are meant to respect them. And if a tradition says that a woman is to marry a man who had defeated her, whether YOU like it or not, we will follow it and do our utmost for that wedding to happen."
Soraya felt her level of irritability gradually rise.
"That amounts to forcing the woman, as well as the man, and forced marriages are a nuisance. They are despicable." She noticed the widening of the ancient eyes, and the huge frown that followed, but didn't stop whatsoever : "People should marry out of reciprocal love, because of their feelings, and NOT because they were TOLD that they HAD to get married, for tradition's sake or for any other "arranged reason" !"
The tiny elder engaged in a staring-glaring contest with the young red-haired female, under the cautious gazes of the family and Shampoo. They dreaded that this might get out of hand, and wondered who would have the last word.
It was Cologne who eventually broke eye contact.
"I think this family will have problems with such an untamable tigress." Her look met Ranma's. "And I wish you good luck, Son-in-law : you'll need it."
Of course, the use of that nickname was a subtle provocation, which implied that the old woman hadn't given up the idea of Shampoo and Ranma uniting their destinies.
"He'll never be your son-in-law ! Never ! The untamable tigress won't let it happen !" thundered Soraya, sardonically quoting Cologne's nickname for her. "And in case you "forgot", Shampoo promised she would no longer try to seduce Ranma !"
The wrinkles tightened around the matriarch's eyes as she gave a nasty smile.
"These were words… not a written promise…"
"A promise is a promise. It involves honour. And I thought that Amazons had honour…"
The redhead was playing a dangerous game, and the widened eyes of Cologne, for the second time in just a few minutes, didn't augur anything positive.
The gnarled staff was raised and pointed right at Soraya's face.
"Be very careful about what you tell me, young one. Very. I have my limits, just like anybody, and if I'm more patient then others, I can still end up exploding… and you don't want to see that happen, trust me. You don't. So let's leave it at that."
The small yet powerful girl opened her mouth... but realizing the determination of the smaller woman, in her terrible frown and in the staff still pointing at her face, she deemed it preferable to back down for once.
That tiny body housed an immense magical potential, as Ranma could witness on several occasions, and should the two females fight, Soraya doubted she could win.
Seeing the red-haired fury renounce, Cologne lowered her staff, turned around, thanked Soun for the agreed visit, wished goodnight to the family, called her granddaughter after her, and with a last warning look at the female pigtailed teen, she walked away in a dignified manner.
(…)
"She'll get us all into trouble !" Genma complained.
"She has her temper, granted… but she still saved our children's marriage by having the other girls promise they'd drop their manoeuvres to get their hands on Ranma ! She definitely wants to favour their union, and therefore our dojos' union !" championed Soun.
They were around the kitchen table with the three sisters and Ryoga, the two absentees being the pigtailed teenagers, with Ranma practising in the training hall and Soraya sent to purchase something under a fake pretext… the goal being to talk about the "siblings" while they couldn't listen.
The Tendo patriarch cast a panoramic gaze all around the room.
"What do you all think about Soraya ? Do you enjoy her company or not ? And if not, what efforts should she make for the situation to improve ?"
"I admit she can be hot-headed, but I like her. She's far from the stereotype of the weak, obedient girl and knows how to prove her point and make herself respected. That's how women should be, really !" explained a smiling Nabiki.
"I concur. She isn't a bad person, but she definitely has a strong nature. And yet, she is always willing to help, always ready to lend a hand… She is very courageous." Kasumi spoke her heart out.
"And she defended our couple, which is something I will never forget. She is very nice to me, more then any of the two original Ranma's, and even helped me cook for you all. And she also sparred with me in the training hall, and did it very seriously, without making fun of me or merely avoiding my blows ! I really enjoyed our little session. So I'm pleased to have her around, even if she can be… quite straightforward, that's true…" Akane developed.
Then she cast a glance aside, at the black-haired boy who hadn't uttered a single word up to now.
"And you, Ryoga ? What's your opinion on Soraya ?" she kindly asked.
He almost jumped as she addressed him, obviously not expecting it, and visibly gathered his thoughts before formulating them into words.
"I can't complain. She hasn't been mean to me a single time, and on the contrary came to my defense two or three times already. She has been friendly, from the start, contrary to Ranma who -"
"…who is always so mean to you, right ? a voice butted in.
They all started and swiftly turned… to find an upset Ranma standing at the entrance of the living room.
"Oh, I haven't been eavesdropping, mind you. I'm not like that, as for me…"
His cold gaze briefly set on Nabiki, who perfectly caught his drift and narrowed her eyes at him yet preferred to remain silent… after all, there had been enough tension these past two years in this house – first Akane, then Ryoga, and now Soraya – to start another "war" with that difficult pigtailed boy.
"I simply happened to be arriving here when Ryoga was badmouthing me…" he explained.
"Hey, look…" started the Lost Boy, before Akane put her hand up and slowly shook her head at him.
He didn't insist, knowing why she did it… and eventually admitting she was right.
"So, I'm the bad guy here. And Soraya is the good girl, eh ? Then you might as well keep her in the family and kick me out…" the young Saotome proposed.
"No, please don't say that, dear Ranma !" Kasumi gently replied, almost looking hurt, as if she was personally affected.
"Nobody here wants you to go ! And I'm sure Soraya and you will get along over time, if you both make efforts !" Akane almost screamed.
As Ranma was about to reply, steps closing in could be heard in the hallway, and the smallest girl of the family showed up, a plastic bag in hand, which she lifted as she looked at the eldest Tendo.
"Here are your groceries, Katsumi."
"You were really quick…" replied the mentioned one, both surprised and slightly uneasy that the redhead had returned so soon, just in time to catch her conversation mainly centered around her.
"Quick enough to hear that I should make efforts along with my dear brother…" she merely replied.
"I… I wasn't implying you were a bad person or anything like that…" protested Akane, who certainly didn't want to hurt someone she had been getting along just fine with.
"I know. I didn't take it that way." calmly clarified Soraya.
"Well, you do have to make efforts. We all do, right ?" reasoned Genma.
"Maybe, yes. But I guess Ranma is the one who should work the most on his attitude –"
"Yeah, of course, as alw-"
"LET ME FINISH !"
"WHY ? TO HEAR YOU BLAME ME ONCE AGAIN ?"
"YOU NEED TO BE NICER TO OTHERS ! AND NOT JUST ME !"
"AND NOT YOU ? SHOULD WE ASK COLOGNE ABOUT IT, MAYBE ?"
Soraya got akimbo, visibly indignant.
"She was not correct. She said that there was no written promise, that it was an oral statement… implying that it had no value. But hell, a promise is a promise, be it written or not ! Cologne didn't behave honestly there."
Ranma crossed his arms, obviously ticked off as well.
"That wasn't a reason to mention Amazons and promises ! You could have been smoother when addressing her."
"Smooth… like you, dear Bro ?"
"Whatever ! Now she's mad at you, and who knows if she won't be trying to get a revenge…"
This time, she didn't counter and instead looked at him, then at the rest of the family.
"He's not wrong, you know…" admitted Nabiki. "Cologne has grown fond of you, Ranma-kun, but she doesn't know Soraya… although she also comes from you. And should she feel insulted or hurt, she might tried to find a way to retaliate. Or simply convince Shampoo that she should continue to go after Ranma-kun. We never know."
Ryoga cleared his throat.
"Honestly, I don't think she will. Cologne is wiser than that. She was incensed earlier, granted, but I doubt she'll plan something for a revenge. She knows better."
"Okay, but anyway, you two have to get along better with each other !" Genma scolded his children with an accusing finger in their direction.
Soraya's hands left her hips.
"Whatever, I guess… I'll just put the groceries in the kitchen, then I'll go repair the leak on the roof of the training hall. Someone's gotta do it, after all, no ?"
Her blue eyes met identical ones opposite.
"Then… do it." the pigtailed boy mocked his female counterpart.
"Yes, but a helping hand would make it faster done… if you don't feel toooo tired, that is ?" she smoothly replied, sarcasm literally dripping from her voice.
"Sure. Ryoga will be glad to help, coz he's suuuuch a nice guy…" he retorted, just as sardonically.
The Lost Boy's mouth opened up, and his eyes travelled from her to him and back at her, but he was too surprised to utter a single sound.
Getting a taste of her own medicine was something Soraya wasn't used to... hence her sour expression.
"Jerk…" she replied through gritted teeth before briskly turning around and hurrying away in an energetic pace.
He was pleased with himself, having the last word against her for the first time… but part of him wondered whether she, contrary to Cologne, would seek revenge…
(…)
"I'm not sure I should have come… I'm not really into these kinds of things."
"Oh, come on, Ryoga ! A bit of fun won't hurt, eh ?"
"Soraya is right : you should enjoy yourself every now and then ! Life's too short !"
Akane smiled at Nabiki. She knew her sister never missed an occasion to have some good time, and she was glad that Soraya and her "teamed up" to cheer up Ryoga and convince him that he had been right to accompany them to the fair.
She wanted to walk arm in arm with Ranma, but he didn't let her grab his arm.
"Oh, Ranma, please !"
"No."
"But we're a couple !"
"Ok, but I don't like that romantic stuff. It's mushy."
"That isn't true, Ranma-kun ! It's just sweet, not mushy. Don't exaggerate." Nabiki chimed in.
"Bah, my dear bro is once again playing his macho role, what can we do about that, uh…" Soraya remarked, not hesitating to lay into him.
He glared at her, then spat his "venom" :
"Who asked your opinion ?!"
"You're not aware of it, but you actually wanted to hear it…"
"Yeah right... Gimme a break, "Sis" !"
"Come on, why don't you let her hold your arm ? She's - "
"I said NO !"
The Red Pigtail didn't reply, but grumbled under her breath : "Stuck-up macho…"
"WHAT ?!" he shouted, having caught it anyway.
She stuck out her tongue at him and lifted her hand, fingers all up, then starting lowering each finger in turn, until only the index and middle finger remained, in the classic V-sign. Then she very slowly bent her index forward… and he groaned before looking away.
"Hey Ukyo !" greeted Akane.
The chef turned at them and smiled as she spotted Ranma.
Her smile remained intact until, scanning the group, her eyes stopped on the redhead : at that point, it faltered, as she remembered it was the small girl's impetus who had influenced her former fiancé and forced him to publicly admit his love for Akane. And she had been the one demanding all suitors to promise they would stop coming after the boy.
She had realized that the "new" female half of Ranma was not one to mess with… and therefore was wary of her.
"Hi, Ran-chan ! Hi, guys !" she greeted them, smiling at all, yet her eyes only quickly passing over Soraya, who noticed that and slightly frowned, yet said nothing.
"Wanna join us ?" proposed Ranma.
"With pleasure !" she beamed at him, and the frown of his female half deepened.
I hope she doesn't harbour any hope of conquering him no matter what… even if that implies ignoring her promise. Ukyo is not that type of person, I know, but with love… you never know. I should keep an eye on her !
"Welcome aboard, Ucchan !" Soraya purposefully exclaimed, to force the chef to look at her, which she did and briefly smiled… but only briefly.
They started trying attractions and the mood seemed to lighten a bit after all. Soraya was in a good mood and didn't even tease Ranma that much. She even was pretty friendly to Ukyo, who gradually relaxed and, to her own surprise, began enjoying the girl's company.
And the smallest girl of their group was also pretty hungry, purchasing a few food items.
"Don't eat too much or you're gonna have stomach ache !" warned Akane.
" 'ou 'in' 'o ?" the full-mouthed redhead gabbled.
"Swallow first and talk after !" Nabiki berated her.
The female pigtailed teen had a swig of soda and made a visible effort to send everything down.
Ryoga chuckled when he saw that.
"Not so fast ! You're gonna choke !" the second sister scolded again.
"Not that we'd complain…" Ranma whispered, then immediately looked away and whistled as his acute-hearing "sister" looked daggers at him.
"Yeah, that's it, play innocent, you moron !" And as he opened his mouth to lash out at her, Soraya quickly continued to block him out : "Anyway, I was saying : you think so ? That I'll get stomach ache, I mean ?"
"Of course you will ! So you'd better stop for now, or you'll explode !" Akane cautioned her about her gluttony.
The Red Pigtail noticed the Black Pigtail about to place some smart ass remark and properly "swept him off his feet", metaphorically speaking :
"Keep it shut, for fox's sake, instead of wishing for me to explode. Just. Keep. It. Shut."
"You –"
"NEVERMIND ! Let's continue our tour ! We're wasting time here !" Nabiki butted in.
"Yup !" agreed Ryoga.
"Off we go !" concluded Soraya.
They had a great time and laughed a lot. Things went globally fine for most of their lil' fun tour…
…until they arrived at the ghost train, and Ukyo's eyes lit up.
"Oh, look ! The ghost train ! How about we try this one ?" she excitedly proposed.
"Why not ? But I don't think we'll be afraid…" replied a somewhat unconvinced Ryoga.
"Will you go with me, Ran-chan ?" the chef asked her former fiancée… well, supposedly former, as the sweet nickname, coupled with her eagerness, left a doubt about the girl really renouncing on Ranma…
"Yes, if you want…" he replied with a friendly smile, as they arrived at the counter of the ghost train.
An alarm went off in Soraya's head, her eyes briefly reduced to slits as she glanced at Ukyo.
But she quickly changed expression, shifting to a made-up enthusiastic one.
"Oh, cool ! There are 4 spots in those little carts ! I'll go with you ! And who else wants to come ?"
"Akane, Ryoga and I can go together in the next one…" proposed Nabiki. "So yeah, the three of you can go first."
Ukyo's face crumpled.
"But… I wanted to go with Ran-chan…" she vaguely protested.
"You WILL be with Ran-chan !" Soraya pointed out. "But hey, the more the merrier, right ?"
"Actually –" started Ranma, but his "sister" didn't leave him time to develop :
"Oh, come oooon ! Don't be killjoys !"
The black-haired boy and the brown-haired girl exchanged helpless looks and their shoulders slumped.
" 'kay…" Ranma surrendered, the face of the okonomiyaki girl filled with utter disappointment.
"YAY !" Soraya screamed, but the reason why she was happy was all different…
Like that, I can keep an eye on you, dear Ucchan. I like you, I really do… but I still won't let you try to get Ranma back, against your promise. Although I'm not sure you are… but better safe than sorry, you won't remain alone with him, Ukyo !
(…)
Soraya had been really quiet during the ghost train ride, paying attention to everything. But there was nothing worth noting, both of her ride companions remaining still and silent : Ranma felt uneasy, because of the girls' eerie silence, and Ukyo bitter because her proposal had failed.
The childhood friend had promised to stop coming after Ranma, since her fiancé was in love with… another fiancée, her greatest rival : Akane. And she was a woman of her word, intending to keep her promise. But that didn't mean she couldn't share a few nice moments with the pigtailed boy every now and then : they were friends since childhood, after all, and she could still do things with him in a friendly, innocent way.
Or so she thought, at least… but perhaps she was subconsciously still in love with Ranma, and what she considered a mere friendly fun time was in fact her subconscious part trying to get tender moments with him anyway.
But if Ukyo had got slightly disappointed earlier, she got really upset when…
"Man, I'm hungry ! I think I'll buy something to eat !" Ranma said, to no one in particular.
"Oh, I wanted to buy a candy apple, coz I'm getting hungry too. But I don't know if I'll be able to finish it. Wanna share it with me, Ran-chan ?"
"Yeah, why not ! Thanks, Ucchan !"
Soraya raised a brow and got thinking.
Then a nasty smile briefly played on her lips.
And as Ranma handed the bitten apple** to Ukyo, for her to taste…
** No, this is not a product placement for Apple, duuuuh ! XD
"Oh, it's adorable !" the redhead said on a cloying tone. "You look like two lovebirds !"
All stared at her wide-eyed, noticing the overly sweet voice she had used.
"Are you… are you jealous ?!" Ukyo asked with sheer incredulity. "But you can't be ! I mean, you're a part of Ranma, so… so you can't possibly be jealous !?"
"Oh no, I'm not, mind you. There's no reason for me to be : after all, I'm not his fiancée, right ?"
And as she smoothly – too smoothly – smiled at the cook, her eyes briefly moved to Akane, then back to Ukyo.
The latter turned to see who Soraya had been looking at, and upon noticing it was Ranma's official fiancée… her jaw tensed and, as she resuming staring at Soraya, a frown appeared on her kind face.
There was a tense silence, as all sensed something bad was about to occur between the long-haired brunette and the pigtailed redhead.
"I was simply trying to be nice to Ranma, and not to seduce him or get all sweet for him. I promised I would leave him alone, and I will… but I think I can still be nice and close to a childhood friend, can I ? Or is that suspect as well?" she confessed in a hurt voice.
"I didn't mean to offend you, Ucchan." Soraya diplomatically replied.
"Don't call me that if you don't mean it !"
"But I mean it !"
"My friends call me that. But someone who suspects me and treats me almost like some intruder is not really a friend, no ?"
"Ucchan…" started Ranma, visibly worried.
"It's okay, Ran-chan. Or maybe I should call you 'Ranma' from now on, who knows… and although I wanted to put my hand on your arm, to comfort you, I guess I shouldn't even touch you, right ?"
Bitterness, sadness, hurt and sarcasm mixed in her voice.
"Come on, Ucchan…Ukyo…" Soraya pleaded, switching from nickname to real name when she got a glare from the chef.
"It's hard enough being forced to let… Ranma go, so if I get suspected even after I gave my word, all this on wrong assumptions based on right behaviours…" Her beautiful blue eyes were all shiny now, as her voice faltered. "…then I just can't take it anymore. Bye.
And with that, she turned on her heels and quickly walked away, ignoring the others' calls and soon disappearing into the anonymous crowd.
The young Saotome turned a dark gaze on his "sister".
"Thank you. Thank you very much. You can be proud of yourself."
"I was just trying to protect you !" she protested. "Protect the couple you formed with Akane. I thought she was trying to-"
"I don't care what you thought. Stay away from me." he warned her.
She crossed her arms.
"That won't be so simple. And anyway, I'm not against you, you kn-"
"I DON'T CARE !"" he yelled, before repeating in a low, threatening voice : "I don't care. I'm fed up with you."
With that said, the livid teenager walked resolutely away, Akane feeling sorry for him… yet knowing that Soraya had only wanted to ensure Ukyo wasn't trying to get back "Ran-chan", and therefore only meant protecting their couple once again, which she could only be grateful for.
While Ryoga told them all that, just as he thought, the fair perhaps wasn't the best idea, Nabiki took Akane aside.
"You know, Sis, I do enjoy Soraya's presence, especially because she's a girl of character, and also because she wants to protect your couple… oh, and she often helps for the chores at home, which I admire… but as much as I like her, I must say that she is also getting on some people's nerves : Ranma, Cologne, Ukyo… and certainly Kodachi and Shampoo as well. Some like her, some don't… and possibly even hate her. She's polarizing people, and while I would like her to stay… I don't know if that will be possible, in the long run."
Akane bit her lower lip and merely nodded.
Yes, living with Soraya wouldn't be easy at all….
(…)
(…)
Wow, did I just type over 7'500 words ?! Jeez, that's far more than I expected ! Maybe I overdid it, what d'ya say ? I was more aiming for a mark between 5'000 and 6'000 words… When you get carried away, ya know… ^^'
I do hope this story is not coming together too bad, but I honestly feel less confident about this one, for a change. I'm not excessively confident about my stories in general, preferring to remain cautious about the result, but this time, I'm even more cautious than usual. I'm not feeling uninspired, to be frank, but just… having more difficulty to craft it all. Maybe I'm getting too old for this $#!T, eh eh… -_-'
Hopefully you still find pleasure reading this, and as for this chappy's content, its goal is to show that Soraya is "blowing hot and cold", as the saying goes, and that she can be really cool and helpful… as well as really bossy and aggressive in other situations. Her behaviour has very positive as well as very negative outcomes. What could possibly come out of all this ?
She is a bit like a time bomb, ready to explode anytime, unexpectedly. And dealing with such a person, like Nabiki points out at the end, will be everything but simple… Good luck to Ranma and a few others – former suitors, notably – in their relationships with that red-haired "dormant volcano" !
A word on what Soraya says about forced/arrange marriages, as a result of tradition : it does reflect my opinions on that matter. I'm absolutely opposed to those kinds of marriages, seeing as they violate people's freedom and liberty of decision. Most of us know that marriage should be the natural result of reciprocal love, and nothing else (money, tradition and whatnot… all despicable reasons…). As for traditions, as important as they are to people worldwide, they are NOT always positive… which some often ignore, willingly or not, and want to preserve for the sake of ancient customs as identity reflex. But not everything is good in identity…
Oh, by the way: I just finished "Ranfic" titled TABULA RASA, by Rivyn Daniel, and I really recommend it to you ! Ok, it's a RxR (RanmaXRyoga) shipping, and I know it's not the most popular one, but it's really worth it ! The plot is very good, the ideas original, the language mastery remarkable, there are emotions, feelings (introspection), adventure, action, hurt/comfort/anguish, humor… it's a very rich and well-developed story, which can alternate moving and breath-taking moments. So, even if RxR might dissuade several of you to read it, you definitely should : it's worth one's time !
Ok, enough babbling, eh ! I wish you all the best and wholeheartedly thank you as always for your time and support, most precious motivations for a writer. :D
Take care and be happy, happy, happy !
+ Léo +