From: Emily Siazon emily9@bellatlantic.net
"WASURERARENAI" (Unforgettable)
An alternative reality fanfic by Emily Siazon.
All characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.
< > are thoughts
# # pa system
**********************************************************************
Chapter 6
*********
"So, who are you going to partner up with?" Ranma asked as he
looked up at the quickly darkening sky nervously.
"Eh?"
"She challenged you to pairs skating," Shinnosuke informed Akane
as he glanced at her.
She looked up and noticed that
they were looking at her expectantly.
Before she could make a decision, Shinnosuke suddenly stopped,
almost running into a frustrated looking black piglet standing next to
a puddle of water. "Hey, It looks like someone left their pet."
Akane smiled as she saw the small animal. She walked up to it and
picked it up, cradling it in her arms. "It's so cute. How can anyone
forget it?"
Ranma blinked and took a closer look at the piglet. "Is that
thing blushing?"
Curious, Shinnosuke leaned over and confirmed his suspicions. He
took it from Akane and did a brief inspection. "No wonder, it's a
male."
Ranma jumped off the fence and tried to keep it from biting his
fingers off as he commented, "I never knew animals had such dirty
minds."
"Will you guys stop it?" Akane asked as she hugged it closer to
her. "I'd say it wasn't the pig who has a dirty mind."
"What's that supposed to mean?" the two boys asked in unison.
The only reply they got was her laughter as she ran the rest of
the way home.
* * *
"Shinnosuke, can you give P-chan a bath while I go shopping for
dinner?"
"P-chan?"
"Mm-hm. That's what I decided to name it. P for pig and chan for
little."
"Well, okay," Shinnosuke agreed as Akane handed him the
struggling pig.
"I'll be back in an hour."
* * *
"Quit it," Shinnosuke yelled as he led it to the bathroom,
careful not to put his hand anywhere near its mouth. He walked up to
a stool and poured cold water over the animal before dunking it into
the steaming bath.
It would be an understatement to say that he was a bit surprised
when a boy emerged in its place a couple of seconds later.
"W-who are you and what happened to the pig?!" he asked when he
found his voice.
The boy nervously scratched his head. "Er, I'm Ryoga Hibiki. The
piglet happens to be another form of mine."
"What?!"
"Well, it's a curse I got when I went to..."
"Wait a minute," Shinnosuke interrupted, his eyes narrowing as he
remembered the piglet's behavior earlier. "Why didn't you resist when
Akane was hugging you earlier?"
"I-I couldn't."
"What are you talking about? You had a lot of opportunities!"
"Wait, I can explain!" Ryoga said as he carefully backed away
from the other boy.
"Oh you're going to explain, all right. As soon as Akane gets
here."
"Please, no. I can't get her madder at me. The reason I came here
in the first place was to apologize to her."
"And that's what you're going to do when she gets back... Right
after you explain to her how you happen to be her new pet," Shinnosuke
insisted stubbornly as he left the room.
* * *
"I'm home."
Ryoga started to sweat as he heard Akane's voice echo throughout
the house. He and Shinnosuke were in the living room drinking tea as
they waited for her arrival. The other boy had ignored him the whole
time, obviously still disgusted at his less than honorable behavior.
A slightly damp Akane entered the room and was clearly surprised
at his presence.
"What are you doing here?"
Shinnosuke looked just as surprised as he glanced at the other
boy. "Excuse me, but who are you?"
Ryoga looked bewildered as he answered, "You told me to sit here
with you."
"I see... Why?"
"B-beacause you said I had to..." He stopped as his brain caught
up with the situation. If the guy couldn't remember his curse, then he
didn't have to explain it to Akane and there was no reason for her to
get angrier at him. "Er... I came here to apologize for cutting her
hair."
"It's okay. It was just an accident, right?" Akane said, taking a
seat across from him.
"Yeah... Well, now that I've said that, I better go."
"Why don't you stay for dinner?"
"Oh, I couldn't. I've taken too much of your time already. I'll
see my way out."
He walked away and smiled before closing the door behind him.
"Uh, Ryoga? That's the closet," Akane helpfully informed him.
"Oh. I thought it was a bit too dark," he answered as he got out
and tried another door.
"That's the door to the bathroom."
It was after a couple more tries that Ryoga was able to find the
front door. He waved at the two before closing the door behind him for
what he was sure was the final time.
His relief didn't last long as he instantly turned into his
cursed form. In his eagerness to leave, he had failed to notice the
rain.
* * *
Ranma impatiently looked at wall clock as he waited for Akane to
come downstairs. He was sitting in her living room with Shinnosuke who
was asking him his name as he played a beautiful tune on the piano
that Ranma didn't recognize.
"I'm Ranma. We met yesterday. Don't you remember?"
"No. Are you sure you're not mistaking me for someone else?"
Ranma looked like he was ready to throw his hands up in
exasperation. What was wrong with this guy? Yesterday he was acting
like Ranma was his mortal enemy and now he was asking for his name
while trying to keep him entertained.
"Sorry I'm late," Akane yelled as she made her way downstairs.
Her eyes were slightly red due to her lack of sleep the night before,
and she was busy stuffing her school bag with hastily done homework.
"Hey, Akane, you look like hell," he commented as he stood up and
headed towards the door.
"You don't look so dashing yourself."
He was about to protest, but stopped at the sight of her smile.
It was obvious that she was just joking.
"So, have you decided who you want to skate with?" he asked as
he followed her out the front gate.
Akane took a deep breath before answering, knowing that the
decision that had kept her awake for the night was going to hurt him.
"Yes. I decided that Shinnosuke should be the one to skate with me."
"I see," he answered, turning around so that she would be unable
to see his disappointment. Deep down he knew that she wasn't going to
choose him. After all, unlike him, Shinnosuke could stand on the ice
for more than two seconds. It didn't make her rejection any less
painful, though.
* * *
"What am I doing here?" Ranma muttered as he watched Akane and
Shinnosuke skate around the rink for the umpteenth time.
She had asked him during lunch if he could come along. He had
agreed, and they picked Shinnosuke up right after school ended.
And now, Ranma was at the rink bored out of his mind. "Might as
well practice," he muttered as he grabbed a nearby pair of skates.
* * *
Ranma felt his legs start to buckle as he tentatively took a step
in the ice. He was sweating bullets as he looked around, a slightly
panicked look on his face.
He had made it to the center of the rink after falling more
times than he'd care to remember. Unfortunately for him, his body was
unwilling to face more abuse to reach the other half.
He was about to try yet another step when he felt a foot bounce
off his back, making him lose his balance. His face met the ice,
making it sting as he slowly got up. A couple of feet away, Azusa
Shiratori stood with an apologetic look that was less than sincere.
Akane, who had been standing nearby saw what had happened and
quickly rushed to his side. "Are you hurt?"
He shook his head, each movement aggravating his sore cheeks even
more.
"That was low, Azusa!" Akane said as she glared at the younger
girl.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, but he was in my way."
Before Akane could retort, she felt two pair of hand gently
envelope her waist and take her away from the irritating girl.
She glanced up and found herself face to face with the other half
of the Golden Pair.
"Mikado Sanzenin?"
"You remembered my name? I'm flattered."
"I'm sure you are," she answered dryly. "Now let me go."
"I can't. At least, not until I have properly apologized for my
partner's behavior."
"I'm not really the one you should be apo..."
"But I insist," Mikado interrupted as he brought his face closer
for a kiss, only to smash against Akane's fist.
"Let go of her, jerk!" Shinnosuke exclaimed as he made his way
towards them.
Mikado sighed as he let Akane down, smiling and posing at the
same time for the sake of his fans. "What a shame that we have been
interrupted yet again. But after me and my partner win the match, I
promise that you will be able to kiss these lips of mine."
He then promptly skated off, delighting his fan club as he
approached them to sign more autographs and earning him a disgusted
look from three others.
* * *
"Are you sure you're ok?" Akane asked as she glanced at the pale
Shinnosuke. They had just stepped out into the rink and was waving at
the crowd while their names were announced.
#TODAY'S MATCH WILL BE OVER THE CUTE SPORTS BOTTLE AZUSA HAS
NAMED MARGUERITE!#
"I'll be fine," Shinnosuke answered faintly as he held on to her
to stop himself from falling to the ground. The three days without the
'Water of Life' had been very rough on him. He was too thin since he
hadn't been able to eat too much as of late and his skin was a sickly
shade of gray.
She was about to protest when he collapsed onto the ground in
pain.
"SHINNOSUKE!" she yelled worriedly, gently shaking him to see if
he was conscious.
"I'm okay," he muttered, trying to stand up.
"No, you're not." She grabbed his hand and held on to it tightly.
Don't strain yourself, please."
"Akane..."
* * *
Ryoga looked around in confusion. Where on earth was he now. He
remembered going through a forest about an hour before, and now he was
in total darkness.
"Don't tell me I got lost in a closet again," he groaned as he
walked around aimlessly.
A group of girls made shushing noises at him, surprising him and
making him look up.
He was shocked to find Akane in the room with him, apparently the
center of attention.
He made his way towards her wondering what caused the stadium full
of people to be so silent that you could hear a pin drop. When he got
closer, he noticed a tear trickle down her cheeks while she held the
hand of the boy he met earlier.
Ryoga felt his chest tighten at the sight of Akane in so much
pain. He was filled with this desire to go up to her and help as much
as he could. She didn't deserved to suffer like this.
His head jerked up after he realized that he could. There was no
one there to stop him, and she obviously needed to be comforted.
"Akane!" he waved, stepping towards her, breaking the silence.
The crowd gasped as he easily leapt above the ten foot wall
surrounding the rink.
With their attention on Ryoga, the crowd failed to notice Ranma
who was about to do the same on the other side of the rink. It was a
good thing, too, since a cup of soda was accidentally dropped on him
right before he made the jump.
The two martial artist seemed to defy gravity as they stayed in
the air a few moments longer than normal. They had the confident look
of someone who had done this countless times before as they fell.
The arrogant smirk was quickly wiped off their faces as they put
one foot on the ice and slipped, landing hard on their butts and
sliding towards the middle of the rink.
#A SUBSTITUTE PAIR FOR FURINKAN HAS JUST STEPPED ONTO THE ICE#
the announcer yelled excitedly while the six people on the rink
blinked in confusion.
"Substitute?" Akane asked as she looked at the two teenagers on
the ice. Her eyes widened as she realized who it was. "What do you
think you're doing?!"
Ranma-chan and Ryoga didn't hear her since they were too busy
yelling at each other.
"Who are you?" Ryoga growled.
"I'm Akane's alternate partner. What's your excuse for being
here?"
Ryoga's eyes lit up as he finally understood what was going on.
"Idiot. A girl
can't pair up with another girl."
"Who are you calling a girl?! I'm a guy!"
"Could have fooled me."
The enraged Ranma-chan suddenly grabbed Ryoga's head and put it
in a headlock. "I'm Ranma, you dope. I fell in a cursed spring at
Jusenkyo."
"What?!" Ryoga thought back to the time he had spent there. Come
to think of it, she did look awfully familiar. He never thought his
rival would be also be cursed. Damn. That meant he could have taken
care of this whole business sooner.
"I was there with my old man. Now I turn into a girl with cold
water and pop turns into a panda."
A panda? Now why did that sound familiar? Ryoga's mind replayed
the moments he had spent there and his face suddenly contorted in rage
as he remembered where he had seen Ranma's girl form before.
* * *
Ryoga Hibiki looked around his surroundings, too tired and lost
to notice how beautiful it was. His stomach grumbled loudly as it
reminded him that he hadn't eaten all day. He had run out of food the
day before and he prayed that he would soon come across a dining
establishment.
He heard some noise behind him. It sounded like a very angry girl
chasing something heavy, judging by the sound it made as it headed his
way.
He saw a huge panda bear pass him by and was about to turn around
to take a glimpse of its pursuer when he felt something jump on his
head.
It took him by surprise so he was unable to keep his balance and
he soon found himself falling head first off the steep cliff.
For a moment, he looked absolutely terrified but sighed in relief
as he noticed the many pools below him that would break his fall.
Maybe his luck was finally turning around.
* * *
"So... that was you!" he screamed as he easily broke out of the
headlock.
"Huh?" Ranma-chan asked, confused. "What are you..."
"Hey!" Akane interrupted angrily. "What are you two doing
there?!"
"I'm your new partner." Ryoga stated as he carefully made his way
towards her, ignoring his 'partner' as best as he could.
Ranma-chan immediately latched into one of his hands. "Oh no you
don't."
"Wow, this is even better than tv," a girl in the audience said
loudly as she watched the events on the rink.
"*sigh* This is so romantic. A girl jealous because her skating
partner is in love with someone else," her friend agreed, just as
loudly.
Ranma-chan's face turned an interesting shade of red when she
realized that they were talking about her.
"Hey! That's not..."
#LET THE MATCH BEGIN!# the impatient announcer exclaimed while
Akane and Shinnosuke were led off the ice.
Ranma-chan knew yelling was futile at this point and so decided
to just get this over with. "I don't remember ever seeing you skate.
I hope you know what you're doing."
"I'm a martial artist. How hard can it be?" Ryoga answered as
they were surrounded by bright light.
"We're doomed."
Ranma-chan narrowed her eyes as she watched Mikado Sanzenin make
his way towards them while his partner's attention was diverted to a
cute panda she saw near the front row. Seeing the sly smile on his
face, she just knew the jerk was up to no good.
Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw him change course and
head towards Akane. She couldn't stop fuming as she watched him
asually make his way towards the taller girl, brushing his hair back,
and putting a couple of breath mints on his mouth.
"C'mon Ryoga," Ranma-chan hissed as she grabbed his arm and
slowly started to skate towards the older boy. There was no way she
was going to let the pervert touch Akane.
Unfortunately, neither one of them learned how to skate in the
past couple of seconds and they ended up moving towards Mikado at a
snail's pace.
Seeing his opponents momentarily occupied, Mikado turned towards
Akane and quickly kissed her on the lips, much to her and everyone
else's surprise.
#I DON'T BELIEVE IT. MIKAD0 SANZENIN HAD JUST TRIED HIS KISS
ATTACK ON A GIRL WHO'S NO LONGER COMPETING AGAINST HIM. TALK ABOUT
AN UNEXPECTED TURN OF EVENTS.#
Both Ranma-chan and Ryoga turned a deep shade of red as they
helplessly watched the whole thing. The nerve of him, kissing Akane.
"The jerk's dead," Ryoga snarled, causing his partner to look up
in surprise.
Her thoughts were rudely cut off when Ryoga decided it was time
to go faster. He stomped towards the older boy, Ranma-chan not too far
behind.
Her thought were no longer on Ryoga's feelings towards Akane. All
she could think of now was how much pain Mikado was going to be in
after she was done.
They were only a couple of feet away when they suddenly lost
their balance and started to careen wildly towards the wide-eyed
Mikado. The older boy tried to skate away, but not before the
two slid through him, throwing him towards a wall and knocking him
unconscious.
The two martial artist didn't look any better as they also
slammed against a wall. Despite the pain, the two were grinning wildly
as they listened to the announcer declare them the winner.
#WITH ONE MOVE, THE SUBSTITUTE PAIR FROM FURINKAN MANAGED TO
KNOCK OUT MIKADO SANZENIN, MAKING THIS THE FIRST LOST OF THE GOLDEN
PAIR.#
Shinnosuke, seated next to the still shocked Akane, shook his
head in disbelief. "Unbelievable."
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AUTHORS NOTES: I'm really sorry this one took so long. School has
been keeping me very busy, and I didn't have time during winter break.
To make it up, I'm sending 2 parts this week.
And now for the Academy Award type speech:
I'd like to thank Scott, my prereader who made all this easier to
read, Gary, for helping me with my grammar, the stork, who brought me
to my parents and of course, the wonderful ice cream companies that
keep me in the eternal sugar high(but you knew that, right ^_^)
Send comments and criticisms to
(
geocities.com/timessquare/realm) (
geocities.com/timessquare)