Stoner 3:17 Presents
Double or Nothing
A "Ranma 1/2" Fanfiction Series
Written by Jeremy Mullin (stoner317@hotmail.com)
"Ranma 1/2" characters and situations created by Rumiko
Takahashi. All rights reserved, used without permission. Please don't
sue, I have no money.
PART 7: Enter the Eternal Lost... Pervert?!
Ranma turned and looked at Kasumi in surprise. "I got a letter in
the mail? From Ryoga Hibiki?!"
"That's right," Kasumi said with a smile as she handed him the
letter. "It's so nice that you two are such good friends, isn't it?"
"Yeah, all my friends want to fight me over bread," he grumbled in
reply as he tore open the envelope and pulled the letter out to read it.
"So... what does he say?" Akane asked cautiously. She had a good
idea of the answer, and was a little afraid of it. If Ryoga were to meet
Ranma now, he would most likely have the advantage and use every bit
of it.
Ranma didn't reply at first as he read the letter, then again before he
frowned in annoyance. "I don't believe this! He wants to challenge me
to a fight!"
"What's the matter, Ranma?" Nabiki asked with a smirk. "Afraid
he'll beat you?"
"No, I can't get what he needs to fight me for," Ranma replied.
"Like it's my fault his life isn't going good. Other than the bread, which
wasn't that good to begin with, anyway, I've never done anything to
him."
Ranko looked over at her brother with a smile. "Well, c'mon. I
mean, you should know about Ryoga, right?"
Ranma frowned and nodded. "Oh, yeah. I know all about him."
Ranko's smile fell as she heard this. She suddenly had a bad feeling
of what could happen should Ryoga show up for the fight.
Akane observed the interaction between the twins, trying to figure
out what was the cause of the sudden tension between them. Unable to
figure it out, she gave up and instead looked over Ranma's shoulder at
the letter. She frowned a little bit as she read it herself. "Um, Ranma?
This challenge was set for two days ago."
Ranma snorted. "That's probably when he found the mailbox to
mail this thing. That guy couldn't find a trashcan he was standing right
next to without getting lost. I'll bet you right now he's stopped by some
road somewhere and asking..."
"Excuse me, sir, but could you tell me where the Tendo Dojo or
Furinkan High School is?"
The farmer stared confusingly at the haggard-looking young man
with the bandanna and heavy backpack who had stopped him on his
way to the market, asking for directions. "Didn't I just see you five
minutes ago, boy?"
His cow let out a "moo" in response.
* * *
(One week later...)
Ryoga Hibiki trudged his way down the street, a scowl on his face.
He was quite a sight, slightly dirty from all of his back roads traveling
and bent over from the weight of his pack and the present he was
bringing for Akane. He ignored the people who quickly moved out of
the way to avoid him, some even hustling their children out of the way
a little more quickly than others. He had other things to worry about
than what other people thought of him.
A week. It had taken him a whole week to find his way back to
Tokyo. And the whole time, he kept going in the wrong direction, no
thanks to people who couldn't give good directions. Not that he was
any better at following them, but those people could have at least been
a bit more helpful.
But it would all pay off in the end. Oh, yes. As soon as he found
the Tendo Dojo, and Ranma, they would settle things once and for all.
He would have his revenge, and Ranma would be lying broken at his
feet.
And Akane... Akane... The very thought of the girl brought a warm
feeling to his heart. Her smiling image entered his mind, bringing him
a rare moment of peace...
One that was shattered when someone accidentally collided with
him, sending him flat on his back to the ground. To add insult to
injury, he was practically run over as a pair of running feet impacted on
his body, the final step sending his face into the sidewalk.
"Whoops! Sorry, buddy, but I'm in a hurry!"
Ryoga growled as he began to pick himself up. Stupid pedestrians.
Why couldn't they watch where they were going, instead of always
causing accidents because they were "in a hurry"? If that had been
Ranma, Ryoga would show that girl the meaning of the word "sorry".
Wait a minute... A sudden thought entered Ryoga's head. He had
only gotten a quick glimpse, but didn't that girl have red hair? He
quickly turned to where the girl was headed away from him, and, sure
enough, she had red hair.
Which was tied into a long pig-tail that went straight down her back.
A nasty grin spread across Ryoga's face. Perhaps this was his lucky
day after all...
Having a rare moment where his sense of direction *didn't* fail him,
he ran down the street, following his target. Once he got close enough,
he drew his umbrella from its place on the top of his pack, and leapt
into the air.
"RANMA! PREPARE TO DIE!!!"
The girl stopped in her tracks as she heard the battle, then turned
around and looked up. Unfortunately for Ryoga, this allowed her to
quickly leap out of the way as he came crashing down onto the
sidewalk, smashing a small crater into the spot where she had been
standing. After the dust settled down, he stood to his feet and faced off
against his long-time rival.
"So, Ranma, long time, no see." An evil grin was spread across
Ryoga's face as he noticed that Ranma-chan actually had a worried
look on her face. He was getting luckier and luckier by the minute.
And her response made his day even more. "Er, I'm, uh, sorry,
mister," she stammered, "but I think you have me confused with
someone else."
Ryoga frowned and snorted. "Yeah, right. You think I'm stupid or
something, Ranma? If you think that disguise is going to fool me,
you're nuts. All that outfit and hairstyle does is make you look more
like a girl." He put emphasis on the last word, almost as though he
were sneering it out.
Now it was Ranma-chan's turn to frown as she *glared* at Ryoga
with a fury that was almost on par with Akane's. And Ryoga had seen
it enough times to know what that was like. "Listen, pal, I'm warning
you..."
"Ooooh, I'm scared," Ryoga sneered mockingly. He then got
serious. "But I'm tired of standing around and talking. Let's finish this.
NOW!"
With that, he lunged forward to attack, swinging his umbrella at
Ranma-chan, who dodged easily. Cursing himself for forgetting that
Ranma was faster in female form, he continued his pursuit as the girl
tried to get away. He wasn't about to let that happen, and he was able
to catch up and continue his attack. Or try to, anyway, since Ranma-
chan was able to dodge each swipe, thrust, and stab with ease.
"Hold still, damn you!" he snarled in frustration. What made it even
worse was that she wasn't fighting back, only dodging his attacks. Not
that he minded, but he at least was expecting something more of a fight.
"What? And let you hit me?" Ranma-chan gasped as she leaned
away from a jab aimed for her face. "No thanks!"
"That's the idea!" Ryoga shouted back and he continued. It went on
like that for awhile, Ryoga attacking and Ranma dodging, even as they
rushed through a crowd of people who ignored the combatants. They
finally stopped when they came to a wall that Ryoga cornered Ranma
at. His grin returned as he approached her with his umbrella pointing
straight at her, her back pressed against the wall.
"Here's where it ends, Ranma. After all this time, I'll finally have
my revenge. And I can say I did it without having you lay one hand on
me."
Through her gasping for breath, Ranma-chan had a slight grin on her
face. This, of course, made Ryoga a little miffed. His rival's cockiness
never seemed to end, even in defeat.
"This ain't over, yet, pal" she gasped out. "And you know what? I
can still win without even having to throw a single punch at you."
Ryoga just about had to hold his breath to keep from bursting out
laughing. "Oh, really? And just how do you plan to do that?"
Ranma-chan's grin spread further as she replied, "I didn't want to do
this, but you've left me no choice. Saotome Anything-Goes Attack,
Maken Dokoku Ha (1), revised..." She then took a deep breath, and...
"EEEEK!!! HELP! THIS GUY'S ATTACKING ME AND GOING
TO DO UNSPEAKABLE THINGS TO ME! HELLLP!!!"
This, of course, drew the attention of every bystander in the area,
who suddenly gathered around a surprised Ryoga in a typical mob-type
fashion. Martial artist battles were one thing. Attacks on innocent
young girls, however, where another. Especially when the girl was as
cute as Ranma-chan.
"You hear that? He attacked that girl!"
"The fiend!"
"I always knew those martial artists were trouble!"
"And he's cute, too! Why's it always the cute ones?!"
"GET 'IM!"
Ryoga suddenly became very worried. "No! Wait! I--" He didn't
get much further chance to explain as the crowd came down on him,
dispensing the proper justice upon him.
Unbeknownst to the mob, Ryoga's "victim" had snuck away during
all the commotion. Despite the disgust she felt with herself for doing
that, Ranko couldn't help but grin. She hated to throw a fight,
especially in the way that she had, but she grudgingly knew that there
was no real way that she could've taken on Ryoga. Besides, the
opportunity was just too good to pass up. Sometimes being a girl did
come in handy.
Too bad it didn't help her when she was late getting back to
Ucchan's from her lunch break.
* * *
Ryoga cursed Ranma again as he trudged his way down the street,
leaning on to the walking stick for support. He may have had
incredible endurance, thanks to both years of endless traveling and the
Bakusai Tenketsu training with Cologne, but even that wasn't enough
against a mob of angry people. At that moment, he was aching in pain
all over, which was only rivaled by the latest anger he felt for Ranma.
He didn't know what he hated the most, the fact that Ranma had
sunk so low to get out of a fight or that he could use his cursed form in
such ways that Ryoga couldn't. Best he could do was with girls who
were suckers for anything that was cute, and sometimes even that was
too much for him. Little black pigs weren't of much use for rallying
entire mobs of people against someone. And the fact that Ryoga had
*been* that someone made him hate Ranma even more.
*Just you wait, Ranma,* he thought to himself as he continued his
way. *Soon as I find you as a guy, you won't be so lucky. Then I'll--*
"Whoops! Sorry, buddy," he suddenly heard as he felt someone
bump into him, almost throwing him off balance and to the ground.
Ryoga was about to just tell the guy off and go on his way when he saw
who had bumped into him.
Ranma. In male form. And dressed in Japanese-style clothes with
his hair in a ponytail rather than a pig one. And looking at him with the
same surprise that Ryoga was suddenly feeling.
The feeling didn't last, though, as a mean pride swelled up in him.
He also suddenly felt his aches and pains go away.
"Found you again, Ranma," he sneered as he threw his walking stick
away.
"Ryoga Hibiki," Ranma replied, a frown replacing the surprised
look on his face. "It's been awhile."
Ryoga snorted as he reached for his umbrella again. "Some while.
It was just about an hour ago. You must have a short memory."
"I don't know what you're talking about. Last time I saw you was
junior high. I'd qualify that as a long time."
Ryoga blinked as he suddenly felt confused. Something wasn't
right. Why was Ranma acting like they hadn't seen each other since
their old school days? And then there was the way Ranma was dressed.
He shook his head. It was probably just some trick to throw him
off, just like before. But still...
"Look, Ryoga," Ranma began suddenly, startling Ryoga out of his
reverie. "I ain't got no beef with you. You were the one who was late
for the fight over bread that tasted lousy, anyway. Anything else you
*think* I did to you is probably your own stupid fault. So why don't
you just do me a favor and get lost." He grinned at the little pun he
made.
Now Ryoga was mad. Really mad. He now knew for sure that
Ranma was toying with him and making fun of him again like usual.
Bad enough he was acting like they hadn't seen each other in years, but
to treat their feud like something that could be brushed aside like dust
on a table? And to not take responsibility for his actions?
That would not do. That would not do, at all.
"I don't know what kind of game you're trying to play with me,
Ranma," he growled, "but it won't work this time. You've done plenty
to me over the years to make my life a living hell! And what you did to
me not too long ago..." He tightened the grip on his umbrella, almost to
the point of breaking it in his hand.
Ranma frowned questionably. "Huh? What are you talking about?"
Ryoga simply glared at Ranma in reply. "Enough talk! I'm going to
settle this once and for all! DIE, RANMA!!!"
With that, Ryoga charged forward, his umbrella swinging to strike
down at Ranma. Unfortunately, he missed, as the ponytailed boy leapt
out of the way. Undaunted, Ryoga continued to rush Ranma, attacking
with his umbrella while his hated enemy continued to leap and dodge
about.
"Dammit, Ryoga! Cut it out!" Ranma yelled as they continued
down the streets. He crossed his arms to block an attempted kick to his
mid-section. "Somebody's gonna get hurt if we keep this up!"
"Yeah! You!" Ryoga snarled back. "That's the idea!"
A bitter growl escaped Ranma's lips as he just barely dodged an
umbrella-jab to his head. "What'd I ever do to you, anyway?!"
"Shut up! Don't play dumb with me, Ranma! It won't save you this
time! I'll have my revenge for everything you've ever done to me! And
to Akane, as well!" Ryoga brought his umbrella up to it down hammer-
style on Ranma, who shot a kick to Ryoga's chest right through the
opening.
"You leave her out of this, pal," Ranma snarled as Ryoga staggered
back. "Me and Akane have settled our differences. Which is more
than I can say you've ever done."
Ryoga took several moments to catch his breath, gasping from lack
of air due to Ranma's kick. The earlier attack from the mob didn't
exactly help him, any. "Akane's too forgiving a person to really stay
mad at anyone," he smirked. "Not even an uncaring jerk like you. One
of her faults, I hate to admit.
"But one day," he continued, a dreamy look crossing his face, "one
day she'll finally see you for what you truly are. And I'll be there, to
comfort her in her time of need..."
He sighed as he began to envision the scene: Akane, her eyes wet
from crying, staring up at Ryoga with love and affection as he held her
in his arms, returning her look as he bent down to kiss her...
"Yeah, right," Ranma snorted, snapping Ryoga out of his daydream.
"Like Akane'd ever go for a guy like you? You get lost so much, you'd
never find your way to the first date, let alone the altar. And she
definitely don't go for guys who go around looking for a fight. Besides,
don't you already have a girlfriend or something?"
Ryoga felt something snap. Literally, since he'd just broken his
umbrella handle in half, causing the heavy, top part to fall right on his
foot. He hardly felt the pain, though, thanks to his training. And the
fact that he was becoming very angry.
"How... dare you..." he said in a low voice, his whole body shaking.
"After what you did... you dare to bring Akari into this...? DIE!!!"
He lunged right at Ranma, catching him off-guard as he rammed his
head right into the other boy's stomach knocking him to the ground. He
then jumped up and landed on Ranma's stomach before he had a
chance to get up, and then proceeded to pummel Ranma with punches
into his face, gut, and chest repeatedly, never giving a chance to
counter or fight back.
"You! Won't! Ruin! My! Life! Ever! AGAIN!" he said between
punches. He drew back his fist for one final blow, but unfortunately,
that was all Ranma needed to get himself free by throwing an uppercut
to Ryoga's chin that knocked him off and on to the ground. Ryoga got
up just as Ranma launched his own attack, throwing of flurry of
Amaguriken punches to Ryoga's face and upper body, followed with an
over-the-shoulder throw by taking hold of his shirt. Ryoga felt himself
fly threw the air, then impact with a nearby tree before landing on his
face to the ground.
"Alright, Ryoga," Ranma gasped. "It's over. Go home and leave me
alone, already."
Ryoga, however, chuckled as he got back to his feet. With a bit of
difficulty, of course. "No chance, Ranma. I'm not through, yet. You
haven't seen my new finishing move." He grinned as he saw Ranma
fall into a defensive stance, trying to ready himself for whatever was
coming at him. Like it would do him any good.
At least, that was what Ryoga hoped, anyway.
Shaking all doubt from his mind, Ryoga began to focus his energy,
focusing his depression, his hate, his rage... He felt his body surge with
energy as it flared with battle aura. "It was a mistake to make me
upset, Ranma! Because now... I can unleash my newest, strongest
technique, yet! Take this! SHISHI HOKO-TENKETSU
FUNKASURU!!!"
He raised his fist high into the air, all of his ki focused into it, then
brought it down to strike the ground with all his might. A quick flash
of light flared up upon contact, followed by, a second later, a huge
explosion of bright blue-green ki that erupted from the ground, at the
same causing a small, but powerful tremor within the surrounding
radius. While straining against the explosion to keep himself in place,
Ryoga looked up to see Ranma struggle to keep his footing through the
force of the shockwave. His efforts were futile, though, as the strain,
coupled by the various chucks of debris that went flying at him, striking
him in several places. It was one final, huge chunk of rock that hit him
square in the face that sent him flying through, bouncing off the ground
a few times before landing in a nearby stream.
Though drained from the attack, Ryoga was able to summon enough
strength to run after his hated rival and finish him off with a final blow.
In his battle-crazed state of mind, he was even more enjoyed by the fact
that, thanks to the water from the stream, Ranma was now a girl, and
would be easier to finish off. At long last, he would have what was
his...
Able to find his way to the stream with no problems, thanks to the
rush of adrenaline and the knowledge that victory was in his grasp,
Ryoga leapt into the air just a few feet away to come down on Ranma,
who was picking him, or rather herself, up. "Get ready to meet your
end, Ran--HUH?!" He was cut off in total surprise as he got a good
look at Ranma and took notice of one simple fact.
Though standing soaking wet in the cold stream, Ranma was still a
guy.
"Wh-wha-WHAT?!?!" was all Ryoga was able to cry out in
surprise, not even noticing an angry Ranma leap past him and land a
kick to his back, sending him straight down to the water. He didn't
even take real notice of the fact that he was sinking thanks to the
weight of his pack, the only thought on his mind being, *How...?*
"Take that you jerk!" Ranma snarled as he watched Ryoga hit the
water from where he had landed on the shore. He held his aching ribs
as he glared down at the water where Ryoga had fallen in. Bad enough
the jerk had attacked him while he had been on his way home from
work, but now he was also soaking wet in addition to the bruises and
cuts he had received. How Akane wound up being friends with a guy
like Ryoga he couldn't figure out.
A few minutes later, though, Ranma's anger changed to concern
when Ryoga didn't come back up. Tough as he was, even the lost boy
couldn't stay down there for too long. "Hey, Ryoga! You comin' back
up or what?" When he got no reply of any sort, not even a bunch of
bubbles breaking the surface, he realized that something was seriously
wrong and jumped back into the stream after his old classmate.
A moment later, Ranma came back up with the results of his search:
Ryoga's clothes, as well as his backpack (which Ranma had to strain to
carry to shore, since it was so damn heavy). But no Ryoga. Not even a
bandanna or two.
"Where the heck did he go?" he wondered aloud. He took a glance
in the direction the stream was going. Rather quickly too, he noticed.
"Aw, man. I hope that idiot didn't get taken downstream," he
grumbled, not noticing a little black shape on the shore sneaking away
from him.
* * *
Akane smiled as she walked around the neighborhood, just enjoying
the early evening weather. The evenings had become so much more
enjoyable now that the weather was finally cooling off, the heat of
summer finally a thing of the past. Wanting some time to herself to
enjoy it, she decided to take a walk, just by herself. She had thought
about inviting Ranma or Ranko to join her, but Ranma hadn't come
home from work yet and Ranko was busy working out in the dojo.
Again. Just as well, she figured. This way, she could enjoy herself
without having to hear those two bicker constantly.
She was approaching the Dojo when she heard a familiar snort. One
she hadn't heard in quite awhile. Not since the wedding disaster, in
fact. She looked around for the source, and finally found it, a little
black pig with a yellow bandanna wrapped around his neck, trudging
around with what appeared to be a scowl on his face. Even so, Akane
couldn't help but feel joy at the sight of the little animal.
"P-chan!" she cried as she rushed over to her pet. The pig looked up
at the sound of his name, and immediately brightened up at the sight of
Akane. He bounded over to meet her, leaping into her arms and
squealing happily as he snuggled into her embrace.
"Oh, P-chan! Where have you been, you naughty pig?" Akane
cooed. "So much has been happened since you were gone." She then
took a closer look at the little animal, and her eyes widened as she
noticed that P-chan looked a little banged up. It didn't seem like
anything too serious, just a few bumps and little bruises, but Akane still
couldn't help but gasp.
"P-chan, what happened? Did someone beat you up?" At the pig's
nod, she continued, "Well, let's get you home and fix you right up?
Okay?" As P-chan replied by snuggled closer to her--right up against
her bosom, in fact--Akane dashed into the house to give aid to her pet.
Akane's first stop, after announcing her arrival to whoever was
home, was to the hall closet to get the first-aid kit so she could patch up
P-chan's wounds. On her way there, she passed by the family room,
where she noticed out of the corner of her eye someone was sitting at
the low table. Another quick look saw that he had beaten her to the kit,
and was using it himself. Akane's eyes widened when she saw who it
was.
"Ranma!" she cried as she dashed over to the low table to kneel
down next to him. The scowling boy, already sporting some bandages
on his arms and face, was applying some anti-septic to a cut on his
elbow. Or trying to, anyway. As she set P-chan down on the table, she
didn't notice the little pig scowling at Ranma. "What happened?!"
"I ran into an old friend," was all Ranma said in reply as he
continued to try and properly apply the anti-septic. He let out a growl
of frustration as he missed and the clear liquid dribbled down his skin.
Akane sighed and shook her head. "Here, let me," she said, taking
the bottle and brush from Ranma. As she began to apply the anti-
septic, she added in a bitter tone, "I don't suppose you were fighting
with Ryoga again, were you?" On the table, P-chan smirked and let out
a series of squeals that sounded like a sing-song "Now you're gonna get
it!".
"Hey, it wasn't my fault! He started it!" Ranma replied defensively.
"I was just minding my own business when he came outta no where
and attacked me. Stupid jerk didn't even seem to care that he was
destroying property and could've hurt someone while he was fighting
me. Like as long as I got beat up, so what?"
Akane sighed as she applied a bandage to the cut. "As much as I
hate to admit it, you have a point." Not noticing P-chan's squeal of
surprise, she added, "He does tend to be pretty straight forward and
focused about things. Sometimes I think he can be as stubborn and pig-
headed as you are."
A smirk spread across Ranma's face. "Gee, thanks." Out of the
corner of his eye, he noticed that P-chan had fallen over on his back, as
if he had fainted dead away.
"There. All done," Akane said as she applied a bandage across the
bridge of his nose. She then leaned back and smiled sheepishly. "So,
uh, are you sure you're okay?"
Ranma nodded, moving his arm around in a circular motion to work
any kinks out. "Yeah. Shoulder's still a little sore, but I think I'll live."
"Well, that's good." She gave him a warm smile that he returned,
both of them blushing slightly.
Unnoticed by either of them, a recovered P-chan watched the two
with wide eyes. His gaze shifted back and forth between the two,
shocked at what was going on. The way Ranma and Akane were
talking and looking at each they almost seemed like a... He couldn't
finish the thought. The little pig then began to tense with anger, a tinge
of red starting to show upon his black fur. He then dashed off of the
table and out of the room, still unnoticed by Ranma and Akane.
"So... how was your day?" Akane asked, trying to strike up some
kind of conversation.
Ranma shrugged, only slightly due to his sore shoulder. "Eh, about
the usual. Nothing real excitin' about working at the docks, but it pays
the bills." It was then that he noticed that something was missing. Or
rather, someone.
"Hey, where'd the pig go?"
Akane turned to the now-bare table. "I don't know. He was here a
second ago." She stood up and called out "P-chan! P-chan, where are
you, sweetie?"
Before Ranma could make a quip of some kind, a scream rang
throughout the house.
"EEEEEEK!!! PERVERT!!!" A series of loud banging and
crashing sounds followed.
"That came from the bathroom!" Akane cried.
"I think Ranko's in there..." Ranma said absent-mindedly before he
and Akane dashed to the bathroom, followed by the rest of their
families. Upon arrival, they threw the door open and found Ranko,
buck-naked and covered with soapsuds (conveniently in all the right
places), repeatedly smashing a stool over a prone male form.
"Take that! And that! And that! And that!" the red-head yelled
with each smash of the stool.
"Ranko! What happened?!" Akane cried out as she grabbed the
other girl's arms to stop her. "You can stop, now! I think you got
him!"
Struggling against Akane, Ranko replied throughout clenched teeth,
"I was sitting here taking a bath when this... this... PERVERT came up
out of the tub and tried to grab me!"
"Well, I'm not sure I approve of how you handled it, but at least you
did react as a girl should in such situations," Nodoka said sagely. In
reply, Ranko turned and gave her mother a scowling look.
"Oh, my... I wonder how the heck he managed to get in here?"
Kasumi asked curiously.
"Perverts have their way, Kasumi," Genma replied sagely, Soun
nodding in agreement.
Nabiki turned and smirked at the two older men. "And of course,
you would know, right?" Her smirk widened to an all-out wicked grin
as she watched the two men squirm sheepishly.
Ranma shook his head, then turned his gaze back to the prone form
on the floor. Taking a good look, he then noticed something unusual
about his sister's attacker. A bandanna wrapped around his head.
Kneeling down next to the boy, he turned him over. "Well, look who it
is," he said with a grin.
Everyone turned their gaze, and a collective gasp rang out.
"Ryoga?!"
* * *
His head hurt. That was very clear to him. It was also dark out, so
much so that he couldn't see anything. How did he get this way?
"So what should we do with him when he wakes up?"
"I'm up for tying him up in a barrel and then dumping him in the
nearest river."
"That's a little extreme, isn't it?"
He tried to recall. He had gone to the bathroom, looking for some
hot water to change back. He'd had some business to settle with
Ranma, not to mention he didn't like the way he and Akane were sitting
so close together.
"I'm sure there's a good reason behind all this. I mean, he's not that
kind of person."
"Get a clue, Akane. We're talking about a guy who picks fights over
bread. How well do you think you know him?"
Those voices he was hearing were starting to get annoying. He'd
found the bath, surprisingly without too much trouble, and jumped in
without hesitation. One quick change from pig to human later, he stood
up, ready to charge out and find Ranma.
Then he noticed a familiar redhead sitting there on a stool, covered
with soapsuds, staring at him in surprise. Ranma, in female form.
How had Ranma gone female and then get to the bath ahead of him?
Had it taken him longer than he'd thought to find the bath? He shook
his head clear of any further stupid questions. It didn't matter how
Ranma had gotten ahead of him. He was there, right in front of him, so
he wouldn't have to search.
So, he did the only natural thing to do.
"Ranma, prepare to die!"
And as he lunged forward, Ranma did something totally unexpected.
She screamed.
"EEEEEEK!!! PERVERT!!!"
And that's when the pain began.
Ryoga decided to open his eyes, to see what was going on.
And saw several angry, scowling faces staring right at him.
"YAAHHH!" he cried, scooting around on the futon he was lying on
as he sat up. He absent-mindedly took notice that he was dressed, but
that wasn't the main thing on his mind. What was was the group that
was assembled around him in the Tendo living room. The Tendos were
looking on with concern, while the Saotomes... The Saotomes were
glaring at him with extreme anger on their faces.
"Ah, the pervert awakes," Ranma-chan said venomously.
"I hope you have a good explanation for your earlier actions in the
bathroom, young man," Nodoka immediately declared, her hand
gripping her sheathed--at the moment, anyway--katana. To her right
was Mr. Saotome, in human form and glaring at Ryoga like he was
going to inflict severe bodily harm on him. The lost boy couldn't help
but gulp in slight fear.
"Gee, Auntie. I thought you didn't mind that kind of behavior,"
Nabiki quipped. "After all, doesn't that show how manly someone is?"
"Not with my daughter, it doesn't," the older woman replied with
clenched teeth.
Ryoga didn't really catch all of the reply, instead focusing on
Ranma-chan. "I don't have to explain myself to any of you," he
snapped. "My business with Ranma is with me and him."
"Then leave my sister out of it, pal," a familiar voice said from
behind him as he felt a hand grab the knot in his bandanna and pull his
head backwards. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm over here."
An at-first irritated Ryoga felt shock register through his body as he
just saw who it was that was bending his head back. Ranma, still
sporting some bandages, and glaring at him with a vengeance. And
sitting right next to a concerned Akane.
Ryoga quickly pulled himself free from Ranma's grip, backed away
in surprise, and began to twist his head back and forth between Ranma
and Ranma-chan, both on opposite sides of him. "Huh--? How--?
Wha--?"
"Real conversationalist, isn't he?" Ranma quipped dryly.
"Leave him alone, Ranma," Akane scolded before turning to Ryoga.
"Ryoga, I'd like you to meet Ranko, Ranma's twin sister. She moved in
with Auntie Saotome over the summer."
"S-sister?" Ryoga stammered, staring closely at the angry-looking
red-head.
"Yeah, that's right," she nodded. "The one you tried to grab, you
pervert!"
Ryoga immediately began to do his other best form of defense, other
than fight blindly: panic. "N-no! I-I mean, I didn't--! I thought--!"
"What? That I was Ranma?" Ranko finished for him in the same
dry tone that Ranma has used earlier. At Ryoga's nodded, she added,
"Well, get into your thick head that I'm... not, okay? Just be lucky that
all I did to you was beat you up. I could've done worse, if you get my
drift."
Ryoga nodded, gulping loudly. He got the idea all too well. A
sudden thought then entered into his mind. "Hey, what about--?"
"What? My curse?" Ranma asked.
Ryoga nodded. "Yeah. How will I know if I come across Ranko
that it'll really be her, and not you playing some kind of trick?"
"No need to worry about that. I ain't cursed anymore."
"W-what?!" Ryoga gasped. As Ranma demonstrated by pouring a
glass of water over his head and still remaining male, Ryoga absently
recalled their earlier fight, when Ranma had fallen into the river and not
changed. "But... but how--?"
"We don't know, Ryoga," Akane replied. If Ryoga had been paying
attention, he would've noticed the slight strain in Akane's voice. "All
we know is that Ranma was somehow cured over the summer, and that
he lost his memory of everything after Jusenkyo in the process."
"R-really?" Ryoga asked, his gaze focusing on Akane. If Ranma no
longer had any memory, then that meant...
"Don't get any funny ideas, pervert," Ranko's bitter voice said
suddenly as it cut into his thoughts. "Just because my bro's lost his
memory doesn't mean you get the right to move in."
"Ranko, stop it," Akane chastised angrily. "Ryoga's not a pervert.
What happened was a misunderstanding."
Ranko smirked at the other girl. "Oh, like the time he invited you
over to his house to see his dog's new puppies? While his folks weren't
even home, if I might add?"
This intensified the glaring in the room, as the Tendos, even
Kasumi, looked none-too-happy at a now-worried Ryoga. "Is this true,
young man?" Soun asked, in a calm manner that was almost scary.
"Er, well, sort of," Ryoga stammered in reply, starting to laugh
nervously. "You see, uh, my parents have the same problems getting
around that I do, and--"
"I see," the Tendo patriarch nodded. Next thing everyone knew, he
was suddenly a giant, demonic-looking head, eyes glowing intensely
and his serpentine-like tongue waving around menacingly. "AND
JUST WHAT WERE YOU PLANNING TO DO WITH MY
DAUGHTER, BOY?!" he roared. Ryoga could only scream in reply,
and scramble to try and get away.
"Dad! Relax! Nothing happened! Ryoga's just a friend!" Akane
cried, trying to calm her father down. In the back of her mind,
however, she was starting to question Ryoga's sincerity.
"No! Of course not!" Ryoga quickly agreed. "I'd never do anything
like that to Akane!" He couldn't help but wince at her last statement.
Ranko snorted. "Funny way to say to someone that you're in love
with."
"Quiet you!" Ryoga snarled, lunging towards the red-head. He was
stopped, however, but one simple word said by one very important
voice.
"Ry-Ryoga...?" Akane gasped, along with the others in the room
except for Ranma and Ranko. "You... you're in love with me?"
Ryoga fell back to his seat, looking downcast as his face flushed red
with embarrassment. He gave a simple nod before reaching out to take
Akane's hands in his own. He took a deep breath to try and gather the
courage he needed to say what now had to be said. There was no
backing out.
"Akane Tendo, I-I've been in love with you for almost as long as I
known you. Just about everything I've done, I've done it for you, so
that I could win your heart. I've tried to tell you before, but either I
couldn't do it, or *someone* interfered." He threw a glare to Ranma,
who returned the gesture.
Trying to ignore his rival, Ryoga continued. "Akane, I can't offer
you much, but I know that I can be faithful and true to you if I try.
Please... please say you'll be mine."
"She most certainly will not!" Soun cried, answering for Akane.
"Akane is already pledged to marry Ranma and carry on the Anything-
Goes School of Martial Arts! You knew of this, and yet you still
persued her?! Why I have--!"
"Dad, I can handle this," Akane interrupted. Turning to face Ryoga,
she added, "Ryoga, I'm flattered that you feel this way about me, and
I'm sorry I never noticed before. But... aren't you going out with
Akari?"
"Yeah, I thought she was your girlfriend," Ranko sneered. "Or
were you planning on dating them both, 'Kuno'?" The question caused
everyone to begin frowning at Ryoga again.
Ryoga, however, let out a deep sigh. "I'm... I'm no longer involved
with Akari. We... we broke up."
"Gee, I wonder how that happened?" Ranko asked snidely. "Not
many women like the idea of their men two-timing them, y'know?"
"Shut up, you!" Ryoga growled.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Ryoga," Akane replied. "But, I'm also sorry
that I don't feel the same way about you that you do about me. When I
said you were a friend, I meant that. You're a friend, nothing more.
Besides... there's... already someone that I care about..." She lowered
her head at that last statement, her cheeks taking on a slight pinkish tint.
Everyone stared in surprise at Akane as she said that. Soun and
Genma would have begun dancing about the room, but a look from
Nodoka made them sheepishly remain seated. Kasumi and Nabiki
looked at each other curiously, though Nabiki had a rather unhappy
look on her face. Ranko took a moment to give a slight glare at Ranma,
who didn't notice it as he just stared at Akane and Ryoga.
Ryoga, in fact, was staring down at the floor, looking like the most
dejected person in the world. "I've lost Akane... And Akari..." he said
in a soft voice. Everyone began to back away from him nervously as
he began to start glowing with a blue-green aura. A look of absolute
anger and hatred then crossed his face, and he raised his head to glare at
Ranma. "I don't have anyone now! Ranma! This is all your fault!
Prepare to DIE!!!" With that he lunged towards his longtime enemy,
fist pulled back to attack...
Only to stop as the point of a katana blade that appeared suddenly
right in front of his face. Rather closely, too; another second and it
would have gone right through Ryoga's head. He let out an audible
gulp of relief that he had managed to stop himself in time.
Keeping her katana before Ryoga while kneeling beside her son
where she had leapt to, Nodoka said in a stern voice, "Young man, I
don't know all the details behind your history with my son, but
whatever grievances you have with him are apparently not his fault."
"It-it is, too!" Ryoga cried back as he regained some of his courage.
"He ran out on our man-to-man fight, just like a little coward!"
"I waited three days for you, you jerk!" Ranma shouted in his own
defense. "Not my fault you can't find your own backyard!" (2)
"My son is correct," Nodoka agreed with a nod. "If anyone is at
fault here, Mr. Hibiki, it is you, for failing to appear on time for the
challenge. A challenge that you issued, if I'm not mistaken?"
Ryoga turned away sheepishly, not wanting to admit that she was
right. And no way was he going to try and defy her with that katana
around.
Taking Ryoga's lack of response as an affirmative, Nodoka
continued, "And it is not Ranma's fault that Akane doesn't return your
feelings of affection the way you want her to. And whatever caused
you and her girlfriend to break up is your own fault, not Ranma's. So
unless you wish to dishonor yourself and your family further, I suggest
cease all grievances against my son and declare your feud null.
Otherwise, certain actions will have to be brought forth. Agreed?"
Ryoga hesitated for a long moment, letting out a bitter growl before
hesitantly replying, "I... hereby cease all actions of transgressions
against Ranma Saotome. On my honor as a Hibiki." He quickly turned
to give a fierce gaze at Ranma. "But that doesn't completely end our
rivalry, Ranma. I will defeat you one day, and prove who the better
fighter is."
With a grin, Ranma nodded in reply. "So long as it's just you and
me and everyone else stays out of it, that's fine with me."
"Good," Nodoka nodded in satisfaction. She put her katana away,
then reached behind her and pulled out a tray of cookies. "Now, then,
would anyone like some cookies?" she asked in a Kasumi-like manner.
Everyone promptly face-faulted.
"That's Mom for you," Ranko groaned with her eyes rolled up.
Ranma nodded in agreement with her.
"Thanks, but I think I'll pass," Ryoga responded as he got up. "I've
got to go and take care of some... important business." He grinned as
he finished. He not be able to have Akane as himself, but there was
always P-chan...
"Hold on, Ryoga," Ranma said suddenly as he also got up. "I need
to talk to you before you go. Privately." He put emphasis on the last
word, glaring at everyone else in the room, who tried to look innocent.
Not waiting for a response, he grabbed Ryoga in a headlock and
dragged him outside, where he then jumped up to the roof.
Once they were up there, Ryoga freed himself from Ranma's grip,
pushing himself away from his rival. "Alright, Ranma, what is this a--
URK!" He was unable to finish, as Ranma's hand suddenly planted
itself around his throat in a tight grip. Normally, he'd be able to break
away easily, but Ranma's thumb had itself pressed against a certain
pressure point that made that impossible. Especially since it was hard
to breathe.
With a nasty grin, Ranma said, "Alright, now, let's talk... P-chan."
Ryoga let out a gulp. He didn't know why, but for some reason, he
had a bad feeling about what was going to happen.
Now glaring at the lost boy, Ranma continued, "Okay, listen up. I
may have lost my memory, but thanks to my journal, I know all about
how you followed me to China and got cursed. And don't go saying it
was my fault, because you were the one stupid enough to follow me
there in the first place. I also know about how you've been pretending
to be Akane's pet. Well, guess what? That stops here and now.
Otherwise, Akane's gonna find out just how much of a 'friend' you
really are. Got me?"
With that, Ranma let go of Ryoga, who fell to the roof gasping. He
looked up at his longtime enemy with a look of hatred. "You can't do
that. You made a vow not to tell anyone about my curse. A vow of
*honor*, remember?" He almost sneered the keyword, a grin of
satisfaction crossed his face.
Ranma, however, was undaunted, as he smirked back. "I did, huh?
Gee, too bad I don't remember making that vow."
"You... you wouldn't dare..." Ryoga tried to counter, but was quickly
interrupted.
"Besides, you're one to talk about honor," Ranma continued. "You
lied to Akane, pretty much took advantage of her, took advantage of
my promise, pretended to be something you're not..." He narrowed his
eyes as he continued to glare at the lost boy. "Who do you think's
going to be in bigger trouble if she finds out?"
Ryoga let out another gulp. He hated to admit it, but Ranma was
right.
"P-chan disappears tonight, Ryoga," Ranma declared. "I so much as
get a glimpse of a walking little piece of bacon, it all comes out. Now
let's go." He jumped off the roof back down onto the porch below,
with Ryoga right behind him.
"Oh, you're back," Kasumi said as she saw them come in, looking
up from where she and the others were enjoying Nodoka's cookies.
"Get everything straightened out?" Akane asked as Ranma sat down
next to her, while Ryoga walked over to grab his backpack.
Unconsciously, she scooted over a bit closer to him, not noticing the
glare on Ranko's face.
"I think so," Ranma nodded in response, grabbing himself a cookie
off the plate and taking a bite.
"Well, I'd better be going," Ryoga said as he hefted his pack into a
comfortable position on his back.
"Are you sure?" Akane asked. "Why don't you stay for awhile? I'm
sure Ranma wouldn't mind putting you up in his room." Ranma nearly
choked on his cookie at that.
Ryoga, however, shook his head. "Thanks, but no. I need to go
clear my head for awhile, if you don't mind. Good-bye... Akane."
With that, he walked out of the living room, away from the Tendos
and the Saotomes.
"I sure hope he'll be okay," Akane said in a worried tone.
"He will as soon he gets out of here," Ranko snorted. "Ryoga, that's
the closet."
(1) the "Demon Dog Wail" is a technique that Genma taught to
Ranma as a counter against Ryoga's Shishi Hokodan. Basically, it
involves getting some distance from your opponent and then shouting
insults. Ranko "revised" the move a little to get away from Ryoga, and
it seemed to work. And while I know that she wouldn't have used it
that way, if at all, but it was too funny to pass up.
(2) I'm going with the anime version of Ranma and Ryoga's
backstory, with the lot they were supposed to be fighting in being
behind Ryoga's house. It just seems funnier that way to me.
Sorry that this took so long in getting out, but ever since I started
attending University, it's just been harder and harder to write. Doesn't
mean I don't try when I can, though. I'm going to try and set myself up
a deadline for each of the remaining parts, maybe a new part every six
weeks. I'm not making promises, but I'll at least try. Might be good
practice for me.
Well, Ryoga's finally here to make life a little interesting. I'll
probably have Ryoga fans jumping on my back for how I treated him,
but the idea came to me and I couldn't help using it. Besides, with how
he jumped Ranko in the bath, you didn't really think Nodoka would let
him get away with it, did you? Sure, she may have encouraged Ranma
to peep to prove his manhood (at Nabiki's suggestion, I hear), but like
she said, her own daughter is another story.
The scene with Ryoga and Akane may seem a bit mushy, even by
my standards. However, I couldn't think of any other way to have
Akane let Rygoa down easy after the truth about his feelings for her
came out, no thanks to Ranko. The way I did it was the best I could do,
even borrowing from other fics where similar situations happen, so bear
with me.
Why didn't I have Akane find out about P-chan? Just about every
continuation fic I've read has had Akane finding out Ryoga's secret in
some form or another, and I wanted to do something different. Besides,
I think it's a lot more interesting with the way Ranma keeps him under
control. That scene may seem a little dark, and it may seem a bit OOC
for Ranma, but try and remember how much he's changed for this story.
I took Akari out of the picture because, basically, I don't really know
that much about her other than what I've read in other fanfics. Besides,
it gave Ryoga an excuse to hate Ranma and go after Akane again. As
for what caused them to break up, I'm keeping that a secret for now,
but I think you can figure out for yourself what happened.
Yeah, I know the new attack I gave Ryoga, the Shishi Hoko-
tenketsu Funkasuru or Roaring Lion Point Eruption, combining the
Shishi Hokodan with the Bakusai Tenketsu, has been done to death.
But it seemed a lot easier than coming up with a whole new one for
him. At least I did it a little differently than other fics have done it,
making it look like Terry Bogard's "Power Wave".
In the next part, it's time for the Rhythmic Gymnastics competition
between Furinkan and St. Bereke's, which means rematch time between
Ranko and Kodachi. Can Ranko train enough in a style she's only used
once? And what sort of dirty tricks does Kodachi have up her sleeve
this time? I'll try to get this one out as soon as I can, but I'm not
making promises. Just try and bear with me until then.
And that's the bottom line...
(
geocities.com/tokyo/Teahouse/2236) (
geocities.com/tokyo/Teahouse) (
geocities.com/tokyo)