Ranma Half Moon chapter 44, Can Ranma get his Groove back?, part 2
Author's note: This episode happens around the same time as Sailor Moon episode 27, Love for Ami? A Boy who can predict the future.
Artemis smiles. "Well, Ranma, you seem happy tonight."
Ranma-ko blushes. "I do?"
"How did that date with Mamoru-san turn out?"
"Well, it started out with me bumping him into a fountain of water."
Artemis looks annoyed.
"But, after Mamoru changed into some dry clothes, we had a good time at the museum."
"He wasn't upset?"
"I don't know. For some reason, he seemed really relieved that I dunked him. No clue why that would be. It's not like he did something bad to me before."
"You know, Ranma, sometimes it easy to forget that you're really a guy."
"Hey, watch it, cool cat. The only reason I went was because I saw Mamoru take out two excellent fighters single handedly. I needed to know if he was a friend or a foe."
Artemis nods. "And, your conclusion?"
"Well, if he really was a great fighter, he would have anticipated my move and not gotten wet. I think he's just an ordinary guy."
"So, you won't be hanging out with him anymore?"
Ranma-ko blushes again and pushes her index fingers together. "Well, I did agree to a second date, for next week."
Artemis gives Ranma-ko an insinuating look.
"Hey, give me a break. I got him wet. I just don't want to owe him anything."
Artemis jumps up on the park bench to inspect Ranma's neck.
"You're not going to find a hickey. We didn't even kiss."
Artemis jumps down and smiles. "Well, you have one thing up on Minako then."
Ranma blushes. "Is Minako coming back?"
Artemis turns somber. "It was even more serious than I feared. She's in England now."
"What?"
"She's run away from her responsibilities."
Ranma sighs. The reality of Minako's running away sinks in.
"But, there's not much we can do about it now. We need to train and figure out a way to get at one of those Rainbow Crystals."
Ranma nods.
...
Akane puts a copy of the first paperback volume of Hana Yori Dango in Ranma's room.
Moe, that clerk didn't have to laugh about me not knowing the name of the series. What ever happened to the customer always being right?
Akane sighs. At least I didn't rearrange the guy's face.
...
Ranma-ko lies on the roof of the Tendo Anything Goes Dojo. Ranma-ko sees Minako's face in the sky.
Why did she break? That's not the Minako I know.
We had lots of the good times together, like us together training, fighting Yoma Monsters and hanging out. Or, the time Minako helped me pick out a dress for the formal ball, even though I don't like dresses. Or, the times Minako and I trained on the twister simulation so that our Dual Idol Star Projection would have maximal effect. Or, the time we met at the Furinkan High School Festival when I was dressed in drag and she appeared as Sailor V. Or, the time that Minako had me watch her run through a scene in the musical ten times to help her sort out the best way to act the scene.
That's odd. My checks are wet, but it is not raining.
...
Ranma-kun walks down the road. Was all of this work in his female form playing tricks with his mind?
"Watch out miss!"
Instinctively Ranma-kun stops and turns around. He sees an ordinary looking younger boy.
"Oh my god! I'm sorry."
Ranma-kun points to his nose. "Do I look like a girl or something?"
A car drives by and hits a puddle, sending a wall of water in the air that would have hit Ranma-kun if he had kept walking. However, with his back turned, he does not notice the splash.
"Not at all. I'm sorry."
"No big deal. Maybe you saw my pony tail or something?" Ranma-kun walks off.
Urawa sighs. In my vision, a red-headed girl got drenched by the splash of a passing car. Could my visions be failing him?
Suddenly Urawa gets another, even more terrifying, vision.
He looks around and sees the construction site. There was no time to waste!
Urawa sprints toward the construction site.
Mizuno Ami walks towards school absorbed in her book.
"Mizuno-san!"
Ami turns around to see the new boy in school racing towards her. "Yes?"
Urawa is too winded to speak.
A girder from the construction site breaks free and, just as Urawa's vision predicted, crashes into a truck and falls right where Ami would have been, had she kept walking.
Ami turns around to witness the terrifying sight, and her heart races.
When Ami turns around, Urawa is gone.
...
Ranma-kun gets home after school. I just want this day to end. All day long my mind had wandered off to think of what Mamoru and I could do together on their second date. Our first date had been fun and Mamoru is amusing, but should it have really been so that much fun?
He passes Soun and Panda-Genma. They are watching television. Ranma's dad holds up a sign that says "Baseball?"
"Sure, why not?" Maybe it would make me feel like one of the guys again.
The batter hits a line drive double.
Soun nods. "Good hit, right Ranma?"
"Ah, right." Ranma-kun runs out of the room in a panic. He hadn't even noticed the play because he was trying to decide who was cuter, the second baseman or the shortstop.
What is happening to me?
To Be Continued