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"Why won't you move?" Mikanma muttered.
The other martial artist just stood with arms behind back, feet planted firm, waiting.
Mikanma circled her opponent with a grace belying her small and dumply body. She studied her opponent's face. It was calm, betraying no motive, no fear.
As Mikanma circled, so did her dojo-mate. Both martial artists stared at each other, eyes never leaving the other's, never giving the other any openings.
And still the opponent waited.
"Come on! Dammit!" Mikanma growled.
The opponent's head cocked ever so slightly.
Mikanma moved fluidly, quickly, and flew at her opponent with a stiff outstretched leg and a strong "Hii-ya!"
Only to meet air.
Angered, Mikanma turned in midflight and grabbed for her opponent's gi.
Mikanma's opponent fluidly sidestepped and delivered a calculated hand chop.
But Mikanma, with a resounding battle cry, grabbed the chopping hand and flung its owner against the far wall.
The opponent rebounded and flew back at Mikanma with blinding speed.
Mikanma smiled grimly and launched herself to meet the charge.
The two opponents clashed.
"Kachuu Tenshin Amiguriken!"
Mikanma barraged her opponent with blows. But to her annoyance, her opponent blocked every one. With no blows in return. In disgust, Mikanma broke off. But as the two martial artists fell away, Mikanma's muscles suddenly spasmed and froze.
"Damn! Pressure points!"
Mikanma bounced onto the dojo floor, hard. Her opponent, Ono Kikuko, landed lightly about 3 meters away.
Kikuko smiled indulgently. "You really shouldn't leave yourself open like that, Mi-chan."
"Mi-chan." That baby name. Mikanma grated her teeth in frustration. Nobody took her seriously. Nobody! Not even Kikuko, who's only two years older!
"Ready for more, Mi-chan?" Kikuko's calm yet mischievous smile galled Mikanma more than anybody knew. Anger enflamed Mikanma's whole being until all she saw was a blue haze.
Mikanma heard Kikuko stop her cautious advance.
"Mikanma?" Kikuko's voice dripped with concern.
With a defiant scream, Mikanma broke her paralysis.
The chi-shield she held exploded outward, knocking Kikuko down.
"Yaaaaaaaah!" Mikanma shot into the air, tears streaming, voice and chi blasting full force.
*I am not a baby! I am NOT a BABY!*
Looking down, Mikanma could see Kikuko already rolling out of the chi blast.
Mikanma was not going to let her opponent rule over her every whim.
With a loud shriek, she plummeted from the rafters, chi radiating from all pores, forming a formidable fireball.
Kikuko regained her footing and looked up, unfazed.
And leapt out of the comet's path.
Mikanma screamed.
Timber and plaster rained. And thunder rolled over Nerima.
Ranma scanned the remains of the dojo, looking for his students.
The damage to the dojo was extensive but not abnormal for a typical year. Heck, Ranma himself had destroyed this dojo many times over during his short tenure here as the Tendos houseguest. What's more important was the welfare of his students.
Ranma first saw Hibiki Kouichi sprawled amidst some planks, blue and black checkered bandana askew, light blue shirt slightly rumpled, innocent doe-brown eyes staring wide-open in wonder. Dumbfounded but unhurt.
Next to Kouichi, a low rumble followed by a strong "Bakusai Tenketsu!" announced the emergence of Mitsuaki from the rubble. Unlike his younger brother Kouichi, Mitsuaki was shuddering with barely-controlled fury. His yellow shirt and black leggings were ripped and torn. Slight trickles of blood showed signs of deep scratches and possible gashes. Under the dust-covered face, Mitsuaki's dark brown eyes flashed with undisguised malice. His hands each gripped a whirling yellow and black checkered bandana, ready to throw with deadly accuracy.
At times, Ranma wished Ryoga's fiery nature had not been passed down to his eldest son.
"Baka na, Mikanma-chan! What did you think you were doing?!"
"Come off it, Mitsuaki-kun!"
Ranma looked over to the right and sighed with relief.
Nouma sat against the remnants of the wall he had been thrown against, rubbing the back of his head. Each rub brought a wince of pain, but Nouma stood and walked steadily over to where the Hibiki brothers were. Nouma's green gi was peppered with specks of plaster and layered with dust. But his light brown eyes sparkled with a vitality and wisdom that could only have come from a love for life and a willingness to observe it in all its aspects.
Nouma placed a strong hand on Mitsuaki's tense shoulders.
"Taking Mi-chan's head off is not going to solve anything," Nouma consoled.
"The hell it won't!" Mitsuaki grumbled but lowered his bandanas.
Ranma coudn't help feeling proud of his son. At only 13 years of age, Tendo Nouma had already won numerous martial arts competitions and was the envy of the whole Tendo Dojo. And yet, the fame had never registered in Nouma's head. He was still as good-natured as he had ever been and even a little bit wiser. The way Nouma handled Mitsuaki was not often expected from a young rambunctious 13-year-old. Ranma had always planned for Nouma to eventually take over the dojo, but in the face of Nouma's other talents...
"Kikuko-chan! Where's Kikuko?" asked a now-awake and frantic Kouichi.
The three dojo-mates and their sensei looked over to the far end of the dojo. Kikuko lay in a heap, brown hair splayed across the floor, head skewed at an odd angle. No breath from her could be discerned.
For a moment, Ranma feared the worst and wondered what Kasumi would say. Though Kasumi had always been supportive of her earnest daughter, Ranma knew Kasumi never completely approved of Kikuko's martial arts aspirations due to the inherent danger involved. Now her fears may be justly realized.
To Ranma's relief, Kikuko slowly sat up and brushed her hair aside, revealing serious brown eyes. Her crooked hair ribbon fell from her hair into her lap. Her dark blue gi was rumpled with a torn sleeve, but otherwise no other sign of damage could be found.
Kikuko's gaze focused on the center of the dojo where she stared contemplatively.
All looked to the center of the dojo where a little pile of timber was shaking and quivering like an egg about to hatch. Finally, the pile parted and an exhausted Mikanma clambered out to see the new "world" she had brought forth and now was brought into. Surveying the remnants of the dojo, Mikanma nervously looked over to her friends and made her proclamation:
"oops"