From metroanime@mindspring.com Tue Sep 7 23:45:11 1999 Received: with LISTAR (v0.123a; list ffml); Tue, 07 Sep 1999 23:45:12 -0400 (EDT) Received: from smtp6.mindspring.com (smtp6.mindspring.com [207.69.200.74]) by ffml.fanfic.com (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id XAA04785 for ; Tue, 7 Sep 1999 23:45:10 -0400 Received: from pavilion (user-38ldjju.dialup.mindspring.com [209.86.206.126]) by smtp6.mindspring.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id XAA22546; Tue, 7 Sep 1999 23:44:22 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <000301bef9ad$3ec970c0$7ece56d1@pavilion> From: "Gregg Sharp" To: "White Pheonix" , "Video Game Addicted Person" , "The Apprentice" , "Scott Jamison" , "Kevin D. Hammel" , "Jorge Antonio Flores" , "Jim Robert Bader" , "Ammadeau" , "Angus MacSpon" Cc: "fanfic list FFML" Subject: [FFML][Ranma][fanfic]Kuno Gets Lucky chapter 2/2? Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 20:50:00 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3155.0 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3155.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII X-archive-position: 323 X-listar-version: Listar v0.123a Sender: ffml-bounce@fanfic.com Errors-to: ffml-bounce@fanfic.com X-original-sender: metroanime@mindspring.com Precedence: bulk X-list: ffml part 2 of this little unintended story. not quite satisfied with the ending, but we'll see, ne? still debating whether i need to take it to a chapter 3, ah well... ---------------------------------- Kuno Gets Lucky PART 2: Lady luck returns. note: this story was an effort to write an Akane-less story, as everyone knows i'm not fond of the "i like you so i'll pummel you, not listen, and not trust you at all" philosophy of romance. Unfortunately, a significant number of responses wanted to see the Return Of Akane. *sigh* (and yes, next time i try this i'll simply kill her off which cuts down on the guest appearances.) Hence Akane leaves a happy home life in a distant school (Tanzania) to return to where she was abused... -----------March 14, 1992-------------- Nabiki became aware of the way Ranma kept scrutinizing her from his usual position atop the fence on the way to school. "Something up, Ranma-kun?" "Well, it's kinda..." Ranma's voice trailed off. Nabiki knew him well enough by now. She merely smirked and raised an eyebrow, waiting for Ranma to get around to saying what was on his mind. "Errr. Well. It's this bit with the engagement," Ranma began haltingly. "Oh? You want it to be a short engagement?" "yeah...no...I don't know," Ranma said, his voice a whisper as he looked confusedly at Nabiki. Nabiki reminded herself that she had come to terms with this over a couple of years, as opposed to Ranma dealing with it over breakfast that very morning. She and Kasumi had succeeded in becoming good friends with the boy, best friends in fact. There had been times, though, over the past two years where Ranma had obviously noticed that his housemates/friends had been of the female persuasion. One of the times he'd had her pinned demonstrating a martial arts hold had been QUITE obvious. And had made the boy quite embarrassed and nervous when he'd noticed. "Don't let it get to you, Ranma," Nabiki said, quite deliberately not using "little brother" or one of the other terms of endearment that she and Kasumi had used over the past two years. He had a lot to deal with, after all, and being gentle with him was the best approach. "You've got some breathing room, but I suspect that'll evaporate when Daddy gets home." "Oh? Mister Tendo's being released?" "Yeah, though they want him to continue taking Remeron." Nabiki stopped and tried to meet Ranma's gaze. She didn't want to force the issue, but she also couldn't leave him ignorant of this. It was putting too much pressure on him with the curse throwing his self-image all out of whack *and* the idea that he'd have to get married to one of his best friends. "Ranma, he'll be back in a week. If you haven't chosen me or Kasumi at that time, *he* will probably choose for you." "Oh." Ranma looked back into guileless brown eyes. As Nachan had once said, she'd run scams on anyone, EXCEPT family. After Akane's departure, family had become sacred ground. Ranma swallowed, his world seeming to be focussed entirely in on shining brown eyes. "YOU RETURN, VARLET!" Ranma recovered to glare at the bokken wielder. "What do *you* want, Kuno?" "To defeat you, and then on to my righteous vengeance upon the foul mercenary Nabiki Tendo, of course. Today is the day I shall avenge the smearing of my name, reclaim my honor, and then on to claim my bright (though tarnished) angel, Akane." "Whoa," Nabiki made a time-out gesture. The disgust and anger she still felt over seeing the kendoist was pushed back into a corner. Time for that later. "Last I heard you didn't want Akane after you'd gotten what you wanted from her. What made you change your mind?" "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, mercenary. Besides, once Akane has tasted of the noble Kuno loin, surely she can get no satisfaction from lesser sources." Ranma frowned, the Avenging Star seemed to be getting worse after all the poundings he'd gotten over the past year and a half. Some of the beatings had been pretty bad, too. Maybe you just couldn't pound sense into someone. "Actually, from what her sisters have told me, she's just sincerely repulsed." "You obviously do not understand the poor girl's heart as well as I do, but enough of this. HAVE AT THEE!" Ranma knocked down the bokken wielder and kicked him into the canal. It was far kinder than what Nabiki wanted to do. --------------------------- Two girls moved from different directions, each focussing on a single person. One held a newspaper clipping about a martial arts Carpentry brawl in the ward of Furinkan dealing with two exceptional fighters. This girl snarled slightly and made arrangements to attend school there. Vengeance would be hers at long last. One held a Chinese-Japanese dictionary and wondered where the heck her airen had fled to. She could remember it, just like it was a flashback! Shampoo posed atop her log, having defeated Dowel handily. The big woman was strong, but Shampoo was nearly as strong herself and faster. Now, at long last, the moment she had been waiting for. As Champion of the Nichieju, her first prize awaited. She would share, as was customary, with her shield maidens and proteges. Once she had, the feast and festival proper could begin. Except that there seemed to be a panda chowing down on the prize. And a young girl was trying to buy some tea at one of the stalls. Shampoo had become furious. Years of study and effort, and now - her moment of glory had been tarnished. She stalked forward, yelling at the girl to control her panda. And the girl had poured hot tea over her head. And a BOY had stood there, looking thoroughly befuddled and hadn't understood a thing that Shampoo had said. The boy had challenged Shampoo, and had managed to defeat her! He was cute, so he had gotten the Kiss Of Marriage. The boy had been puzzled by the whole thing, and he looked even cuter while confused. The boy didn't realize it but the village being the way it was right now, with most of the males having moved out or away, he would have been dogpiled by teenage Amazons if she hadn't moved quickly. Even if he'd remained a girl, there was an excellent chance that upon defeating Shampoo that someone else would have challenged and captured the prize. (Some Amazons *did* bend that way, after all. And no doubt some of the males would have challenged to get a cute Outsider bride - what a surprise THEY would have gotten!) So Shampoo watched the boy (any proprietary gleam in her eye was pure coincidence) try to barter for a thermos while the Guide had spoken to the father about dowries and the like. Then the panda-turned-human had told Shampoo to go pack her things. Shampoo had left, happy that she'd go on her honeymoon so soon! Once the marriage had been consummated (even now the thought caused Shampoo to blush) they could live anywhere, but the village would be their technical home. The villagers had later told her of the father beating the son over his head with a mallet and running out of the village a moment later. Why? This "Ranma" had seemed nice enough. The father, (Ginsu or something), had called out over his shoulder about Ranma having a terrible... Everyone had heard a different last word. Of course, the old man had been running out the village gates at the time. Discus? Dis Tease? Discourse? So her airen had a speech impediment AND a curse. There were worse things. (He could be nearly blind like Mousse.) Everybody had been so busy trying to figure out what he had said (diving for Chinese-Japanese dictionaries, except for Azure who had picked up a Chinese-Norwegian dictionary) that the panda-man had made it to the gates without being stopped. They'd noted his direction. And at one place (the Short Wok in Cloudgate Pass), Shampoo had learned that the panda-man was telling her airen that Shampoo had just promised to kill him! Shampoo's fist clenched as she considered the possibility. Stupid panda! All Shampoo needed was to explain things, then everything would be fixed. Now if she could just catch up with him. ------------------------------ Kasumi knew that Mister Saotome would be gone for some time, so she left off her reading to get the phone, setting down the copy of "Lawson's Guide to Cursed Springs Of The Far East" in the process. It gave more detail than the "Lurker's Magical Site Tourbook" or the "Curses For Dummies" book. "Hai, moshi moshi?" Kasumi was still pondering what she had been reading when the voice penetrated. "Akane?! Where are you?" "Sis, you wouldn't believe me if I told you." Akane snickered. How could *anyone* believe she'd been through adventures like this? First the Karate championships, then one foul-up after another. Honestly, getting on the wrong bus had been enough of a problem. "I don't know about that, Akane," Kasumi thought about the panda that had arrived yesterday. "I've run into some pretty strange things myself." "Anyway, I heard Dad's getting released in a week, so I'm heading back for a visit." Akane shook her head, Kasumi would *never* believe some of the neighbors. That disgusting Andre kid and what he did with that sheep... Not that all boys were revolting perverted low grade morons. An awful lot of them were, and it was a good policy to pummel first and ask questions later. "Oh good, it'll be nice to see you again." Kasumi smiled. It had been so long. "So what's the status of The Plan?" Kasumi paused, how to prepare Akane for the situation? "He's coming along nicely, Akane. He's a sweet boy, once you get underneath all the mental baggage that his father loaded him down with. Very nice young man, though recently he's gotten a rather unusual problem." "Kasumi? It sounds like you actually *like* him!" Akane sat back in her chair at Aunt Beru's and tried to picture her sister. Akane could just picture Kasumi blushing as she stammered out a denial. "R-r-r-eally? It's not as if, Akane. I mean, he's young. I mean, oh my." Akane gave a soundless whoa. It sounded like some emotional high-risk investment. She *had* to meet this boy and pass her own judgement. How could a Japanese boy NOT be a disgusting filthy pervert? "He must really be something to get to *you*, Kasumi. What about Doctor Tofu?" Kasumi sighed, this was at least more familiar ground. "Doctor Tofu No Baka. He still insists on acting silly whenever I'm trying to seriously get to know him. I can't get anywhere with him. Are you sure about him?" "He loves you a lot, Kasumi. Or at least he did. It *has* been over two years now and that may have changed. What about Nabiki?" "Nabiki likes Ranma as well." Kasumi didn't realize what she had confessed. "He had a lot of rough edges, but she's been his friend and confidante for a couple of years now. It's amazing how affection starved the boy was, Akane. He'd do almost anything for a friend's sake. Now he's a lot more 'rounded' than when he arrived. Still, he has to choose myself or Nabiki to be engaged to. Otherwise Father is likely to choose for him." "Not while he's on Prozac, one hopes. Oops, the bus is here. See you next Tuesday." "Next Tuesday, then. Mata ne, Akane." --------+-March 15, 1992-+---------- "AIREN!" Nabiki noted that Ranma had quite abruptly vanished. A purple haired girl raced past her a moment later. Nabiki blinked. "'Airen'?" Ranma zoomed past. "SorryNabiki!Gottarun.Gottahide!" The girl from earlier shot past Nabiki again. "Ranma! You wait!" "Excuse me," said Nabiki, running after the girl. "What did you mean by calling Ranma 'Airen'?!" The girl turned, suspiciously, towards Nabiki. She already put together that this stranger knew Ranma. Therefore, if she kept track of this girl, she'd be able to find Ranma. "Ranma is Shampoo's husband." "No he's not. He's my fiance!" Nabiki clapped a hand over her mouth. Oops. Might as well have put it over the PA system as yell it in the schoolyard. Yes, there was Ryonami rushing off to sell the news... "Ranma is Shampoo's husband. He defeat Shampoo when visit Amazon village. Shampoo ready to formally marry Ranma when stupid panda-man interfere." Shampoo paused and started going over the events in her village from a few days previous. Nabiki grimaced. It was Genma's fault, she was sure of it. Not that Ranma would be completely blameless, but the lion's share of guilt would be on the father. At least that was *her* opinion. "Well, then. Let's go find out what 'panda-man' has to say for himself, shall we?" --------------- The explanations had gone on for perhaps a half hour before: "It wasn't my fault! Besides, the path of a true martial artist is fraught with peril and hardship!" "Yeah, your choice of path, my peril and hardship!" "Stupid panda, take airen from Shampoo when Shampoo give Kiss Of Life to Ranma!" "Excuse me," Kasumi interjected, "but Ranma has prior engagements." "You explain already to me." Shampoo frowned. (Well, they are not warriors and they are also being reasonable, so maybe there's an alternative to killing the obstacles. Xi Fang? No, looks like there's real feelings both ways and the Xi Fang Gao shiatsu attack doesn't seal emotional memory.) "Shampoo have to kill female Ranma or marry male Ranma." "Your village laws don't hold much water here in Japan," Genma began haughtily. "No, Uncle Saotome, but they *do* effect her and limit her options." Kasumi cocked her head as if considering something. "Pardon me, Shampoo, that book of Chinese Amazon law, might I borrow it?" Shampoo thought for a moment, but these outsiders didn't seem to be the self-important idiots she'd expected. Except for the panda, and she'd already known he was. She handed the book to the elder girl, noting again the other girl's hands as she did so. (Both of them have the long fingernails and lack of callouses that marked them as non-martial artists even if their movements indicate a basic familiarity with the Art. Healer maybe? Priestess? Outsider women are supposed to be either slaves of brutish men or vicious gossipy sorts, but neither of them seem to be intent on giving me a lot of hassle. Maybe, just maybe, I can make some friends here when they understand my laws. That would make staying in this land a lot easier.) Kasumi set the book between her and Nabiki so that they could both study it. "Hmmm," Nabiki hmmmed. "Shampoo, do you have any place to stay while you're in Japan?" "No..." Shampoo began uncertainly. "Well, why don't you stay here, Shampoo?" Nabiki said, schooling her face to calm. "WHAT?!" Ranma was a little alarmed. "Certainly not!" Genma felt it was time he put his foot down. "And you can help teach classes while you're here, I'm sure some of the female students will be fascinated by the concept of martial arts Amazons." "But..." Genma said as the thought of more students penetrated. "I'm sure she'd rather sleep under the stars, back to nature and all." Shampoo frowned. Panda man wanted her gone? This was even more reason to stay. "You have Japanese style soaking tub?" "A furo? Yes," Kasumi said, a little puzzled. "Good. Shampoo spend way too much time out in rain lately. Nice long hot soak sound really good to Shampoo." (Besides, I can spend more time getting to know my fiancee- then maybe figure out what to do about these girls. Attacking people who don't know how to fight is against the Code.) "That's good, Shampoo, I'll just read through this and see what I can figure out," Nabiki said with a smile at the Amazon. (Besides, this way I can keep an eye on you and 'interrupt' anything you might try pulling on poor Ranma.) Ranma looked back and forth and swallowed. (Nabiki's got a plan. That means more work for me. How do I get myself into these messes?) ----+--March 18, 1992 --+---- Akane opened the door to her home, kicked her shoes off at the appropriate place and took in the changes. A poster from some martial arts competition was taped to the wall over the phone, and there were a few plaques showing in the entryway of martial arts tournaments won. "Tadai---ma?" "If you is here to challenge dojo you have to wait." Shampoo put the sword down and bowed. "Sorry, sometime Shampoo forget odd custom Japanese have of entering house to use phone. Is very strange." "I... who are you?" Akane tried to remember anything Kasumi had mentioned about strange pidgin-speaking purple haired girls in the house. Nothing. However this girl wearing one of Kasumi's aprons didn't seem that threatening. "Uhm, if you here to challenge dojo, should use rear gate. If you here to sign up for classes, Shampoo is sorry but you no can do right now." "You're one of Kasumi's friends, aren't you?" Akane nodded, mystery solved. Shampoo blinked. "Oh, you is 'Akemi'?! Kasumi tell Shampoo about that." "Akane. So where's my sisters?" "Kasumi and Nabiki go take panda man to get shots. He be bitten by dog, want to make sure he no catch anything." Shampoo started walking back to the kitchen. "Me is Shampoo. You pardon please, but Shampoo making too too delicious dimsum for airen and family." Akane frowned and wondered who 'panda man' was. (So Kasumi's friend has some kind of speech impediment. Figures, Kasumi always could attract weirdos. At least she seems nice.) "You study martial arts?" Shampoo's voice carried from the kitchen above what sounded like something frying. "Yeah, I'm runner-up in the InterSchool Karate circuit back home." Akane paused as she realized that this wasn't home anymore. A small farm in Tanzania, a small school, the Break game room, these were all home now. "Ah. So, your sister never tell me why you have to go away. They always say you tell story because it your story to tell. You tell Shampoo?" Akane pushed aside the curtain to the kitchen, and took a deep breath of many wonderful aromas. This "Shampoo" certainly knew her way around the kitchen! "Uhm, it's kind of a long story. "Well, it all started with this guy named Kuno, who started harrassing me and wouldn't take no for an answer." Akane tried to keep the anger and bitterness from her voice and was mainly successful. She'd learned a measure of control recently. "Aiyaaa. Sound like Mousse." Shampoo gave a look of sympathy over her shoulder at Akane before returning to her preparations. "Shampoo know what is like to have obnoxious pushy boy try to be more than friends!" "Yeah well, I went out with him once because I thought that would get it over with, then he'd lose interest." "That not sound like it would work." Akane frowned a little at the memory. "It didn't. Well, there was some sake and, well..." Shampoo turned partially towards Akane, stopping what she was doing. Idle comments and evasive answers had clicked into a picture. "He rape you?" Akane shuddered. She hadn't planned on actually saying what had really happened. She had been planning on using the typical story of 'moving away to escape from the rich boy's influence' but for some reason the other girl's red eyes seemed to fix her in place. Akane nodded. There came a loud 'chunk' as Shampoo's knife went through the cutting board. "Amazons have cure for man who do that to woman who no can fight back, then abandon! Change from boy to girl with no trip to Jusenkyo! If woman use love spell to bring out true feelings in man, is different story. Much precedence. For man to take pleasure from woman then drop. Kuno boy come dojo challenge next time, he not leave with all parts!" "The legal system tends to frown on that, you know." Akane still harbored some bad feelings towards Kuno, but she was a forgiving person at heart and it had been almost three years. Of course she'd been able to come to terms with what had happened to her, and to forgive Tatewaki Kuno for the impetuousness of youth. "I'll just break every bone in his body a couple of times accidently during a challenge match." "Ah, you is very kindhearted person!" Shampoo wondered if she could be THAT forgiving if Mousse had tried something like that. Probably not. Akane shrugged and looked over the tray of stuffed dumplings that Shampoo was finishing up. She wasn't going to bring up the therapy she'd been under after beating that one boy nearly to death after he'd asked her out. "So what's your story?" "Shampoo great fighter, best in village. Spend many years training in village style of martial arts. No have many friends. Just have annoying boy name Mousse act much like your Kuno, I think. Shampoo winning big tournament when interrupted." Shampoo then went on to describe how she had met Ranma, and that the panda had taken Ranma away from her. "But now Shampoo find you sisters interested in Ranma, much tangle of honor, yes?" Akane frowned as she considered the girl happily chatting about her troubles. "So what are you going to do?" "Shampoo still working on that. You sisters know little bit about fighting but neither warriors, you know? Warrior Code say no attack, no bully. Amazon saying is that 'obstacles are for killing', yes? Kasumi and Nabiki very nice to Shampoo, not give her excuse to pick fight, give 'Kiss Of Death'. Shampoo not sure." Shampoo turned to face Akane, her hands covered in flour from where she was making the outer wraps of another tray of dumplings. "Shampoo not used to have people be nice to Shampoo, try to understand Shampoo. Shampoo... kind of like this, they make Shampoo feel welcome. Not happen much in Shampoo's life. Shampoo like Kasumi. She very nice girl, good cook. Would make excellent husband if she boy. Shampoo also like Nabiki. She very smart, she explain many thing to Shampoo. Shampoo love Ranma. Ranma very strong, very nice, much honor. "Also have problem if Shampoo take action against obstacle because obstacle friend of airen. Nabiki and Ranma very much like each other. Kasumi and Ranma also very much like each other. Shampoo can tell Ranma like Shampoo. Kasumi and Nabiki also act like they like Shampoo." Shampoo sighed and turned back to making dumplings. "So Shampoo figure out other angle maybe work better." "Another angle?" Shampoo pointed at a small tray of dumplings off by themselves. "Special dimsum. Doctor person very interested in Kasumi. He no can overcome problem act funny around Kasumi. This help him no act funny. Kasumi interest in Doctor, Doctor interest in Kasumi. Everyone happy and is one less obstacle." "Does anyone else know about this?" "Shampoo not tell. Shampoo tell you because maybe you want give special mushroom to Kuno. Is okay?" Akane pictured Kasumi and a non-spastic Doctor Tofu having a long and serious talk. "Actually, it doesn't sound bad at all." The thud of an arrow striking the front door brought an interruption to their conversation. ----------------- An hour later, Ranma read the note, then handed it to Kasumi. "To: Ranma Saotome, foul lowborn cretin who is not fit to lick my sandals. From: Tatewaki Kuno, noble samurai and heroic legend in these Dark Times. Re: Letter of challenge Lest you try your usual trickery, I have taken the foulmouthed mercenary Nabiki Tendo as a lien on your behavior. Come to the old children's park on Higai street. None of your tricks. Today is the day I reclaim my reputation, the soiled dove Akane Tendo, and end your lucky streak. Tatewaki Kuno/dk" Kasumi looked up. "It's a trap." "I know. Kuno is so wonderfully obvious about such things." Kasumi read the note again. "It's the crowd he's running with now, you know. Hardly a good influence." "It was his choice. He didn't have to keep coming back to challenge the dojo so he could get back at Nabiki. He didn't have to get your sister drunk. He didn't have to associate with Yakuza wannabes and thugs. He did, he does, and now he's crossed yet another line." Ranma frowned at the second note. "That's your sister's handwriting?" "Yes," Kasumi admitted. "I expected her later this week but that's her luggage too." "So she and Shampoo are probably already on their way." Ranma's frown intensified. "You going to be okay here by yourself?" "Who's staying here?" Kasumi looked momentarily puzzled. "What if this is some sort of feint, and when you go rushing off to the rescue they come back here?" "Good point," allowed Ranma. "Stay with Doctor Tofu, he can help." "Doctor Tofu," repeated Kasumi, dubious. "This is the same Doctor Tofu that dances around with a skeleton and eats chinaware?" "I'm sure that if Kuno's goons try anything he'll snap out of it." (I hope!) "If you say so." Kasumi wondered how obvious she had to be. (He's being more dense than normal. Probably stress, but it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better.) "Please, Kasumi." Ranma cracked his knuckles. "Looks like that lesson I taught Kuno before the trip to Jusenkyo didn't learn him. I'll have to *further* his education, ya know." Kasumi considered pointing out that Kuno and his little group of hangers-on had been "taught lessons" repeatedly by Ranma and his father. They hadn't learned. Well, except for that Jinpai person. "I need to get going, Kasumi, your sister and Shampoo are likely already en route. Will you go to Dr Tofu's? Just leave a note for Pop, that way he knows where you'll be." Kasumi nodded, not happy with the situation but if this was what was required, she would do it. -------------------- "Okay Kuno, I'm here," Ranma spent a precious few seconds regaining breath from his run. Fortunately, it looked as if he'd somehow gotten here before that "Akane" girl or Shampoo. Fortunate in that Shampoo would probably be deported if she hospitalized some of the would-be warriors here. Also fortunate in that he didn't know how much of Kuno would be left if that Akane girl got ahold of the kendoist, and the police might not take a high view of the youngest Tendo killing the rich boy. Seven figures in the playground, not counting Nabiki. Ranma knew most of them, having encountered them on occasion before. The two new faces, a guy and a girl, were guarding Nabiki. The guy had a pair of butterfly knives. The girl had a wooden baseball bat where nine inch nails had been pounded in so that roughly seven inches of pointy were sticking out the other side. Nabiki was chained to an oil barrel against the far wall, between a tree and a set of similar barrels. Construction supplies had been neatly stacked around, but that wasn't unusual. A few vacant lots and playgrounds were used for such things all the time. "Sorry, Ranma, I guess I shouldn't have gone off to check on that sale." Nabiki frowned, she well knew that if it sounded too good to be true it usually was. Liquidation, Everything Must Go, Final Day Of Sale, from a girl's boutique she'd never heard of. And finding that flyer had been *too* convenient. "Indeed. The most obvious of traps but sufficient to draw in a foul sorceress and her pet servitor." Kuno drew his bokken. "And it has had the desired objective. Now I shall defeat your Champion without your trickery, and you will be forced to recant your scurrilous allegations." "Two extra fighters gonna make you that much better, Kuno?" "A rival group was folded into my own after being persuaded to see reason." Kuno smirked. "My forces are now a dozen strong!" Ranma's frown turned thoughtful. Five unaccounted for? "Where's the rest then? Afraid they'll get hurt?" "Not all of my new warriors are what you would call frontline fighters. But enough of these unpleasantries." Kuno made a gesture with his bokken, and two figures appeared behind Ranma. "Ninja?!" Ranma dodged as a stream of shuriken erupted from the squat little fellow while what looked like baling hooks and barbed wire came from the other. "Indeed, Saotome, one fights fire with fire. Your base trickery and the foul wench Nabiki..." "WHO'RE YOU CALLING A WENCH?!" The middle Tendo daughter began a streak of invective that would have done a sailor proud. She was intelligent, she was verbose, and she wasn't repeating herself at all. She had also turned the air blue by the time one of her captors started gagging her. It was a pity, as everyone was so focussed on the fight at front that they were completely neglecting the talented verbal performance. The captor in question finished gagging her captive then noticed that her partner was missing. Blinking in confusion, she managed to take two steps before a pair of arms reached out of the tree and hauled her up. By the neck. A brief and muffled sound of violence escaped from the branches shortly thereafter. Nabiki blinked as the face of a purple haired warrior girl briefly appeared and gave her a Cheshire Cat grin before vanishing into the leaves again. Nabiki blinked again, not sure how the Amazon could conceal herself, much less the two guards, in such a small tree. In the front part of the playground, Ranma was leaping and twisting as streams of deadly missles were tossed his way. He managed to get one of the thugs wrapped in one of the tangles of barbed wire thrown by the farmer-ninja, but doubted that trick would work more than once. He spun inside the farmer-ninja's guard, then knife handed the boy's Adam's apple. This was followed by a knee smash into that ninja's face. As the farmer-ninja dropped, Ranma leapt up above another set of shuriken. "How many of those things ya got, anyway?" Ranma asked before scooping up a convenient rock and throwing it at the traditionalist ninja. The pudgy boy wasn't wearing a night suit, and had just opened his mouth to answer when the rock proved to be just the right size to become lodged. "Jiro, Tatsuyuki!" Kuno pointed with his bokken as he ordered his two best fighters forward. Jiro drew his bokken. Tatsuyuki started twirling one end of his kusarigama. ------------------- Kasumi saw the three coming and acted appropriately. "Oh dear, Doctor Tofu?" "Oh, he-heh-heh, Ka-Kasumi, you're looking a bit thin." Kasumi smiled, stepped back, and avoided the punch sent in her direction. "Doctor Tofu, I could really use some help now!" "Wh-wh-why, Kasumi, you you..." Kasumi blew out an exasperated sigh. There was no help for it, then. She was a sweet, demure, kind-hearted girl. Hurting another human being was something that she usually went to extremes to avoid, the very thought of hurting someone on purpose just seemed so WRONG. Still, she *had* been taking lessons from a very talented sensei, who had recognized some of her limitations and had made adjustments as a result. The broom stabbed out, point first, and caught her first assailant by surprise as he stepped forward. The loud cracking noise that resulted was followed by the dull thud of a stunned body hitting the floor. "Sorry," Kasumi apologized as she twirled the broom again, bristle-side slapping the second one in the face. "Pardon me." "I'm so sorry." "Please don't think I'm rude." "Oh dear." Kasumi turned tearful eyes to the groaning threesome as they picked themselves off the ground. "PLEASE, please don't make me beat you up any more!" Doctor Tofu's glasses cleared. (There are three boys in my waiting room? Three boys with weapons? Three boys with weapons cautiously attacking Kasumi?) Doctor Tofu's glasses began to fog again, but this looked a little different. Said fog had a reddish tint to it for some reason. (Three boys attacking *KASUMI* with weapons?!) "At-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta -ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta. Wah-tah!" Kasumi blinked at the sudden change in the Doctor. Maybe it was the way his shirt and lab coat had exploded off him. Maybe it was the way that he had struck bodies hard enough to leave little fist shaped indentations in their bodies. Maybe it was the reddish battleaura surrounding him. This was a side of Doctor Tofu Ono she'd never seen before. "Oh my." "Hokuto One Hundred Strikes," remarked Doctor Tofu, unfortunately to his skeleton Betty. This was unfortunate in that it caused Kasumi's "impressed" to fade to "well, darn." --------------------- Ranma leapt, dodged, twirled, rolled, and in general made himself as difficult a target as possible. Jiro and Tatsuyuki had limped back to guard the playground's entrance, Kuno had moved to attack. Something was up, though, Ranma could see that. There was Nabiki in the back, still chained to the barrel. Kuno didn't seem to be aware of it though, he was counting on the roughly chiseled bokken to kill his opponent. It was coming close, as Ranma couldn't seem to get close to the kendoist. Ranma frowned and raced across the playground. He'd get Nabiki out of here. Something was definitely not right, and he needed to get the noncombatants clear. ---------------------- Daishiro Kitsune smiled evilly and lightly fingered the button. Jiro and Tatsuyuki were clear, but he still didn't see any sign of Tomoe and Kirano. Everyone else but Kuno, Saotome, and the hostage were out of the killing field. With a certain regret, he pushed the button anyway. He'd have to replace the two later. Now he, Daishiro Kitsune, would be the leader of this little band of thieves. No longer to play second fiddle to the laughingly stupid Tatewaki Kuno. NOW they could be a force to be reckoned with instead of playing at samurai and court. ---------------------- It was the work of a moment to snap the thin chain linking a girl to a large barrel. Ranma slung Nabiki over the block fence in the next moment, ignoring her squeal of protest, and turned to face Kuno as the would-be samurai charged. The tingle of danger was increasing, but from where? Then the world turned to flame and noise as most of the large barrels placed around the playground exploded. ---------------------- Nabiki struggled out of the darkness with the realization that the thick blocks of masonry whose remains surrounded her had absorbed enough of the force that she was still alive. Cut up, bruised, and with ringing ears, but still alive. Shampoo was there, looking bruised and cut up herself. She was asking Nabiki something but all that roaring seemed to drown it out. Nabiki shook her head, then realized this wasn't a terribly bright thing to do. A girl in a sweatsuit was leaning against another wall, looking in slightly better shape. Nabiki thought that there was something familiar about her. Then the girl's eyes caught Nabiki's and it clicked.(Akane? But she wasn't due back yet.) Nabiki looked around and her gaze fell upon what was left of the playground. The roaring noise was definitely fading at least. Finally she found what she was looking for, a pair of legs sticking out of another section of wall. "R-r-ranma?" "In there," Akane said with a jerk of a thumb. "Looks like he was right next to one of the barrels when it exploded." "No," Nabiki said, staring. "You can't do this to me, Ranma!" She wasn't aware of crossing the burning ground in between where she had been and where he was, but she was there nonetheless. With the presence of Shampoo right alongside her the entire way. ------------------- Ranma wasn't, despite the opinions of a few people, an idiot. He was quite focussed on a single activity/goal, and tended to discount anything that wasn't in keeping with that goal, but not stupid. Floating in a void, with a bright light beckoning him in with feelings of peace and love. Big boom, then he's here and not hurting at all. "This MEANS something," muttered the martial artist, knowing damn well it meant that he was a deceased martial artist. "Come into the light, there is peace and warmth in the light." "Yeah, yeah, I know the drill," grumbled Ranma. "Looks like I blew it." He glanced back, though, wanting to know if he'd at least saved Nabiki. There was Nabiki cradling his body. Shampoo really looked upset too. Hmmm. Looked like Kasumi would eventually get together with Doctor Tofu, though she wasn't completely satisfied with this. Ranma's attention went back to the scene behind him. He was a little surprised by Shampoo. Shampoo's expression was a combination of rage and sorrow, framed by tear tracks. Maybe he'd been wrong and it wasn't just some weird law, and she actually cared about him. Who'd have thought? Nabiki, though, was really surprising. The often-playful, frequently intellectual, sometimes moneygrubbing "buddy" he'd had over the two years was... crying. Ranma stepped closer, wishing that he could wipe those tears away. Wasn't that her sister over there, calmly breaking the bones in Kuno's hands and taking the bokken away from the kendoist? "I never got to tell you," Nabiki was saying to the broken body in her arms. "I never got the chance." "Hey, he was just a boy," Akane shrugged. "There's plenty more." It wasn't like she could feel much compassion for any member of their gender. "Ranmaaaaaa!" Nabiki howled despair from the broken wall. Ranma glanced at the warmth of the light, then back at the scene there. Over there was: eternal peace, answers to all the questions he'd ever had, oneness with the Universe maybe. Behind him was: a lot of pain if those wounds were any indication, probably months of recovery and physical therapy, uncertainty and questions that weren't answered. It would be far easier to just move into the Light, where he would know Love Eternal. And also, apparently, behind him were also people who genuinely cared about him. -------------------- Nabiki was wracked with sobs, holding the limp figure to herself when she heard the corpse in question gasp. Her eyes shot open to stare at the fluttering eyes that tried to focus on her. "Nachan? Don't cry, you gotta be the strong one and pr'tect investments, y'know." Ranma's voice faded out as he tried to speak. Nabiki glomped him, but very very gently. end chapter 2 ----------------------------------------- web: http://metroanime.home.mindspring.com/ mail: metroanime@mindspring.com "Shampoo going to have nervous breakdown. Shampoo has worked for it. Shampoo deserve it. Shampoo going to get busy on that right now." -The Bet: Lovestruck thanks for reading.gregg-san