Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Across the Stars ❯ Ranma, You Jerk! ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: *Sigh* Ranma does not belong to me, he belongs to the awesome mind of Rumiko Takahashi, but I do wish Ryouga was mine. That kawaii bishie!!!

Summary: Akane Tendou has always had unusual strength for a female, she does not know the true potential she actually has to be even better. Another marriage arrangement comes back to bite Soun in the behind. He's got some explaining to do.

Across the Stars

Episode 2-Ranma You Jerk!

She sighed, sitting at the desk in her room resting her chin upon her hand, recalling everything she had just learned. Akane had no idea how she would be able to accept any of this. She wasn't from Earth, she was engaged to some other boy long before that of her engagement to Ranma, she was expected to leave Earth, leave her family and friends and a life she loved behind for one she didn't have the faintest idea about. She picked up the hand mirror on the desk and looked at her reflection. "Who am I?" Akane asked herself.

"Careful that it doesn't crack," Ranma's voice said from in front of her.

Lifting her head she glared up at Ranma who was hanging upside down in front of her open window, "What do you think you're doing, Ranma?"

"Just hanging around," He teased.

"Ugh, just leave me alone." She reached up to close the window, but when her hand touched the glass, Ranma waved his hand in the air.

"Wait a minute Akane I just wanted to talk to you for a moment."

With another sigh she sat back down in her chair, "About what?"

Ranma pushed his fingers together gathering his thoughts, "Are you really going with them? It's not that I care or anything, I was just wondering."

"Yes I am, not that it's any of your business." She said, looking away from him. "We never wanted this engagement anyway it was our silly parent's idea, who it turns out really is not my parent. So guess what- you're off the hook." Akane sounded both snappy and disappointed at the same time.

'What if I don't want to be off the hook,' he thought to himself, but what she said had upset him, It sounded like she was happy about this whole arrangement while he was miserable. He laughed, "Well it certainly sounds like you're getting what you wanted, hey now I won't have to worry about some uncute girl like you…" Ranma didn't get to finish his comment for Akane balled up her fist and punched him out of her window frame and he sailed through the air, only to land on the hard ground face first.

"Ranma, you idiot." Akane whispered to no one in particular.

Ranma moaned in pain on the ground and he quickly sat upright, "Yeah well good riddens to ya I say!" He rubbed his chin, "Stupid Akane." He mumbled to himself. Hearing movement behind him Ranma turned his head to see that guy Tenchi standing there. Ranma narrowed his eyes in the other boy's direction. "Well I hope you enjoy getting beat up by an UNCUTE TOMBOY!" He shouted up at Akane's window. She disappeared and Ranma stood proudly, when a sloshing of ice cold water landed on him.

Tenchi's eyes widened at what he now saw standing there, was a red headed woman. "What in the-"

"Hey!" Ranma shouted, "It's just a curse all right, I got it while training at the cursed springs in Jusenkyo, China. So you can go ahead and put your eyes back in your sockets."

"You-you were male a moment ago, what I don't get it." Tenchi said in disbelief.

Ranma-chan wrung out the hem of her shirt, "I fell into a cursed spring of a drowned girl, now every time I get splashed with cold water I change into a girl. I really, really hate it."

"Yeah well I say he deserved it." A voice said from off to the side, it was Ryouga who was leaning up against the tree, "For all that Ranma has done to me, he has just begun to suffer."

Ranma-chan rolled her eyes as she poured a kettle of hot water over her head and immediately switched back from a girl to a boy. "Oh yeah P-chan, like what?"

Ryouga growled, "Who you callin' P-chan!"

"P-chan, P-chan, oinky, oink." Ranma teased.

Walking right up to Ranma, Ryouga hit him on the head, "Shut up!"

"OW! What'd ya hit me for?!"

"Hold knave." Kuno's voice hurried towards them, he stopped right before Tenchi and Ranma. "First it was only Saotome here bewitching my tigress Akane Tendou, now you stranger, has the gal to take what belongs to me."

Ranma turned to Kuno, "She don't belong to you stupid!" He shouted.

"Oh ho, Saotome, I beg to differ, she was under the spell of your sorcery, just like the lovely Pig Tailed Girl, who, once I rescue Akane Tendou from this fiend," He sneered at Tenchi, "I will then come after you to set free my second love." He twirled around, facing Tenchi and took his fighting stance, "Defend yourself."

Tenchi looked around and found a stick on the ground and kicked it up with his foot, was this guy really going to fight him. "Look, I had no intention of stealing anything, let alone anyone. I have no choice in this matter as well."

"I tire of your excuses stranger," Kuno shouted and started towards Tenchi and attempted to strike at him with his quick moving bokken, jabbing at him in quick motions but Tenchi was faster and knocked Kuno to the ground in just two moves. "Well you got the better of me once, you shall not again." Kuno repeated the same move to attack Tenchi.

Tenchi rolled his eyes and simply conked Kuno on the head with his stick and the poetic boy fell to the ground. He heard a giggling coming from behind the tree and he turned around to see Sasami coming from behind it and up to Tenchi. He would never get used to her looking much older than he had when she and her sister first arrived on his doorstep. Sasami when she had arrived looked like an eleven year old girl, now she looked about sixteen or possibly even seventeen.

"As if that boy could even attempt to beat you Tenchi," She giggled standing next to him.

Ranma looked at the girl with the green upside down triangle on her forehead, "Who are you?"

"Oh I'm sorry," Sasami said. "I'm Sasami Masaki Jurai. It's an honor to meet you." She bowed politely. "We are terribly sorry in interrupting your lives like this; I'm not very good with the diplomatic stuff. My sister Ayeka is, she is first princess of Jurai where as I am merely just second. I don't have any such responsibility to the crown yet."

"You are the ones that are taking Akane away from me." Ryouga said to the blue haired girl.

She nodded, "I'm afraid so, sorry really. It is out of our hands to do anything. There is an unbreakable contract. Believe me, we do not want to do this."

"Then don't." Ryouga said.

Tenchi sighed, "Sasami, are you Ayeka coming back with us right away?"

Sasami shook her head, "No, Ayeka and I have to stay here a few more days to console the family and friends of their loss. And then we will be leaving."

"Well then," Ranma said, "Why don't you start with him," Ranma started pushing Ryouga towards Sasami.

"Ranma let go of me," Ryouga threatened, "I don't need any consoling!"

Ranma disagreed, "Oh yes you do, stop being so shy." He reached down and grabbed Sasami's hand putting it around Ryouga's arm then leaning closer to Sasami's ear. "He really does, he's just being difficult. Just whatever he says do not believe it. He really is very distraught over this whole thing."

Sasami giggled, "If you say so." She started pulling Ranma's rival away from them Ryouga was struggling which he found her grip to be much like iron and he could not remove his arm from her hand. "Now what was your name again?" She asked pleasantly.

"Uh…it's Ryouga Hibiki." He said scratching the back of his head with his left hand.

"Well that is an interesting name." Sasami continued pulling him away from the small group.

Now with Kuno knocked out and Ryouga being taken care of, he snickered to himself, that just left him alone with this new man…no not a man, a boy, in Akane's life. "It seems that you knew more about this whole thing than you let on."

"I had only learned of it a few hours before you had I'm afraid," Tenchi shook his head, "I know what you're trying to get at, I too have affection for someone and because of this arrangement it has to be sacrificed for it. Much like you have affection for Miss Tendou."

"What, I don't have affection for that stupid mule faced tomboy." Ranma said automatically.

Tenchi blinked, "You don't really feel that way, do you?"

Ranma shrugged, "Why wouldn't I, I mean she's violent and is always calling me pervert and stuff. Plus she's so uncute."

Looking up towards Akane's window, he saw the girl looking out it at the stars, she was definitely not ugly in fact she was very pretty. "That's not what I see. She is quite appealing to other guys. Or else she wouldn't really have all these admirers, not like this strange person down here." He pointed to Kuno, "Or that poor misguided boy that Sasami is consoling. And there seems to be others." He noticed that Ranma's fists were clinched at his sides and he was holding back his extreme anger. "What have I upset you in some way?"

"No…" Ranma said through gritted teeth, "Not at all, she can have the whole male population of Nermia chasing after her and it wouldn't matter to me. Its not like they would have much to look at anyway, she's got no sex appeal and she's totally bland." He said not really meaning it, but he was angry and when he was angry often stupid things came out of his mouth.

"I see." Tenchi said, he of course didn't believe any of that. The girls were right; at least Miss Tendou was pretty. From above them, they both heard a loud growl it was Akane.

"I heard that Ranma!"

Ranma jumped, "Eh, whatever." He folded his arms across his chest and looked up towards the stars. He didn't even hear Akane come up behind him.

"Raaanma!" She stood there with her hands on her hips, glaring at him.

He jumped a foot in the air, "Geeze Akane, you shouldn't sneak up on people."

"I didn't you jerk."

Ukyou and Shampoo were arguing as they both walked up to Ranma holding food.

"Ranma, Ranma. Shampoo made food special for you, to too good pork buns." She purred pressing herself against Ranma.

Akane's eye twitched.

Ukyou grabbed the back of Shampoo's blouse and pulled her back, "Get off him ya hussy, Ranma is going to eat my special seafood Okonomyaki, aren't ya Ran-chan?" And she pressed her self against him. "Come on Ranma, you gotta choose."

"Yeah, which one you eat?" Shampoo said now pressing against his other side.

Ranma let out a loud sigh, "Oh come on you guys, gimmie a break."

All three of them could feel Akane's jealousy aura flare and turn a bright red behind them, Ranma turned around and took in a breath of air.

"A…Akane, I…" Ranma stuttered.

Akane growled…"Raaanma!" She lifted her hand to slap him hard across the face but her hand was stopped in mid air. Akane looked to see who stopped her and found that it was that new boy, that Tenchi. Her aura immediately dissipated.

"Now, now Miss Tendou, this is not his fault. It's these girls who were groping him. There is no need to injure the poor boy."

She pulled her hand away from his grip, Akane looked towards the ground. She knew he was right. But it was mostly just out of reflex. She looked up at Ranma who looked relieved, and the girls well looked smug. She narrowed her eyes in their direction, if only she could beat them in a fight, but she was nothing compared to Ukyou and Shampoo. She would have lost if she challenged any of them.

Tenchi noticed Akane looking rather solemn, "I think I know why you lash out at this guy, it's because you can, and he won't retaliate and fight a girl. These girls you think are a lot stronger than you."

Shampoo scoffed, "We no think, it true."

"I don't think that's true, Miss Tendou here just lacks the proper training is all." Tenchi said sticking up for Akane. These other girls irritated him.

Ukyou shook her head, "She could never best us in a match, it is true I am afraid. No matter what training Akane here has had, she will never be able to beat us. And Ranma here deserves to be with someone just as strong as he is."

"Ukyou I don't think we need to talk about this, because I really don't care of Akane is just as strong as I am, she's a girl and naturally girls are not as strong as guys." Ranma felt three pairs of eyes narrowing coldly at him, "Not that I mean insult to you two of course."

Tenchi couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Where did you come up with that ridiculous idea that girls can't be just as strong as guys? You should see some of the warriors that are female. In fact my mother was one of the strongest ever." Now this guy was irritating him, he was just so arrogant and pig headed, no wonder Akane lashed out at him. He probably deserves everything he gets. But he knew that underneath it all, that this Ranma had deep feelings for Akane, but he also understood that Ranma didn't want to hurt the other girls who seemed to via for his attention. He was in a much similar boat, but putting off a decision will only hurt them more the longer he waits.

"That is not point," Shampoo said, "What point is, that Akane not suitable for Ranma."

Tenchi shrugged, "Well Miss Tendou has other arrangements now, so it's not like either of you have to worry about her anymore." Tenchi saw both Akane and Ranma looked at each other, then quickly look away. He was about to say something to help the two of them at least establish that they meant something to each other before it's too late. At least they would know how each other truly felt so that they wouldn't always wonder about it when he was glomped from the side and nearly knocked over. Tenchi knew right away that it was. "RYOKO!!"

Ryoko was grinning as she gripped and groped him and Tenchi started jumping around

"Ryoko stop it!!" He cried out.

"Aww Tenchi," Ryoko said with a purr as she lightly stroked his chest with her finger. "I'm not doing something that I normally don't do." She moved her face closer to his, her nose not even half an inch away from his, "You know you like it." She pressed herself against him.

Turning as red as a tomato Tenchi could not find his voice, he just stood there speechless while Ryoko continued to grope him.

Akane, Ranma, Ukyou and Shampoo all stood their staring, Ranma thanked the fates that Shampoo and Ukyou weren't as extreme as this other woman was. They saw the purple haired woman gasp and shout coming towards them.

"Ryoko! Leave Lord Tenchi alone." She raced towards Ryoko and started pulling on her ear, "Release him at once devil woman."

"OW! Hey! Gerr off!!" Ryoko growled, as she was pulled off of Tenchi.

"How dare you Miss Ryoko, standing there doing such atrocities in the vicinity of others!"

Ryoko was sitting on the ground, her arms folded against her bosom, "You're just jealous that it wasn't you."

Ayeka blushed, "H-how dare you even suggest that I am capable of such a thing." She looked towards Tenchi who had this dazed look on his face. "Are you all right Lord Tenchi, she didn't do anything to you did she?"

"Huh? What was that, did you say something Lady Ayeka?" Tenchi said finally coming back to his senses.

The purpled haired girl growled and turned her angry sights on Ryoko, "You, you evil woman, how dare you try and steal Lord Tenchi from me."

"From you!? Ha!" Ryoko jumped to her feet, "As you plainly saw he wasn't complaining. In fact I know he rather liked it." She grinned.

Ayeka suddenly started laughing loud and harshly, "oh how misguided you are, you were practically mauling him out here on the lawn, its not like he had a choice, not when he can choose me from a fine upstanding, family with etiquette and a sense of honor, not from some old space cow like you!"

"Space cow!?"

Tenchi's voice was barely heard over the girls' argument, "Come on girls, can't you two get along just once."

"Stay out of it Tenchi, this is between me and Prissy Princess Pants." Ryoko glared at Ayeka, "You better start running for you life princess, for I am about to shorten it." Ryoko disappeared and then reappeared in the air.

"In your dreams maybe!" Ayeka shouted up at her.

Ryoko's hands were palm up and they started to glow golden, she was creating energy disks in her hands, she grinned and started throwing them at Ayeka, who automatically summoned her force field, many little cylinder things appeared around her deflecting Ryoko's golden energy disks, which crashed down all around the observers who all ran for cover.

Ayeka was laughing loudly, "Poor Ryoko can't even hit me."

Ryoko growled, "Just you wait." She put her hands together and was forming a very large white energy ball," She started laughing herself as she prepared to throw it.

From behind some fallen rubble which used to be part of the retaining wall, Shampoo and Ukyou were a little worried as they turned to Ranma.

"Just who are these people, Ranma, how can they do all this?" Ukyou asked as she looked around the corner and watched as the energy ball in the floating woman's hand was getting bigger, and bigger.

"Ranma, this to, too dangerous, even for Shampoo," the blue haired woman said also watching.

"Ryoko, Ayeka stop this!" Tenchi shouted to the both of them, "This is a useless battle and this isn't even our house!"

Ryoko turned and looked at Tenchi, "Tenchi, I love you. I'm going to fight for you. I would gladly give my life for you. That's how much you mean to me. Ayeka is going to feel just how much my heart aches for you."

"That is quite declaration of love." Shampoo said, and then turning to Ranma, "You make pledge like that for Shampoo, Ranma. Go on."

Ranma simply rolled his eyes and he quietly said under his breath, "You wish."

Of course Shampoo heard that as she glared hard at him, "Is that so!"

The pigtailed boy knew that look, "Uh, wait, Shampoo. I didn't mean it." He waved his hands wildly in the air.

"It's too late." Shampoo had a bucket of water in her hand and she dumped it over her head, and a little purple and white kitty replaced the once beautiful Chinese Amazon woman. She hissed as Ranma backed up away from her.

"Keep away from me, you c-cat!" He jumped up and raced out into the middle of the fight with Shampoo chasing after him meowing and hissing, she jumped onto his shoulder and clawed at him as Ranma spun around in circles. "Get it off, get it off!" Ranma shouted in complete terror.

It was Akane who appeared behind him with her very large mallet and whacked Shampoo with it and she sailed high up into the air and far away from the Tendou's residence.

"Thanks Akane," Ranma said and she smiled. He then noticed that his little fright had disrupted the space girls' fight and the one floating in the air lost her concentration and the energy ball was heading towards them, more directly it was heading towards Akane. With his quick reflexes he crashed into Akane as the energy ball hit the ground and exploded. Ranma was still covering Akane's body with his to shield her from any debris that might crush her. He could feel her breathing hard beneath him and it caused him to swallow hard.

After the dirt and rocks settled, Ranma lifted himself up a bit looking down at Akane, her eyes were closed and she was still panting hard from having been pushed out of the way of a mighty explosion. He could feel his body responding to hers and the position they were in.

"Ranma, what happened?"

His first reaction was he was happy that nothing happened to her, but he covered that up, he was not one that was very good with expressing his emotions. In fact he was down right frustrated the way his body was reacting to hers that he needed to start a fight. "What did you think you were doing? You're so stupid Akane, rushing out there like that!" Ranma quickly got off of her and her face twisted up in anger.

"I was helping you, you idiot! What did you think I was doing!?" Akane rose to a sitting position.

Ranma groaned, "I could have handled it Akane, I didn't need your help. I handle Shampoo on a daily basis. I don't need you, you're such a burden and I'm tired of having to save you all the time!" He was looking forward to this verbal sparring match; he needed to work off some of his frustration. At least he could always count on her with this. It was when he heard her sniffling that he realized that what he said was a complete and utter mistake. "Uh…Akane….I-" He was interrupted with a hard slap to his cheek which echoed through the back yard

Akane hadn't even looked up at him, but her hand having a mind of its own left its imprint on Ranma's cheek. Then slowly she lifted her head, and tears were streaming down her face. "Fine then…If…if I'm such a burden on you…" She couldn't even finish what she was saying and immediately jumped to her feet and ran away from Ranma and the observers of their argument. She raced into the house.

Ranma could feel many pairs of eyes on him, he turned around and found Ukyou and Kuno who was now revived both shaking their heads at him, and the strange guests, Ryoko and Ayeka both shaking their heads as well at him. "What!?" He jumped up.

Ryoko scoffed, "She was only trying to help you, the energy ball was my fault I should have had better control."

"Yeah," Ayeka said, "You didn't have to be so mean to her. Can't you see she cares about you?"

"Saotome, you truly are a cretin." Kuno said looking at Ukyou.

Ukyou agreed with Kuno for once, "Even I am never that mean to her Ranma honey."

Ranma stared at his feet, "But I…I didn't mean it." He watched as the four of them passed by him and made their way into the house. Ranma walked over to the koi pond and looked in and his reflection looked back at him. He had never felt this bad over Akane before and now well the guilt for what he had said was really eating away at him. Akane was right, he was an idiot. "Ranma, you jerk!" He said to his reflection. Turning away from the pool, he found Ryouga running towards him and skidding to a halt. The lost boy looked worried.

"Oh, I'm glad I found you right away Ranma, you should know that Akane is leaving, right now."

Ranma's brow crinkled, "What, I thought they weren't leaving till morning?"

"Yeah well whatever you said you jerk made her want to leave right now." Ryouga was extremely angry at what Ranma had said to Akane that he even threatened to avenge Akane's honor by attacking Ranma, but she told him not too and then she told him she had arranged for her to leave for Jurai right now and that she would miss his friendship.

"Hey it's not my fault she took it so personally." Ranma tried to reason with his guilt, but it wasn't working.

"Yes it is your fault Ranma!" Ryouga shouted.

Ranma didn't have time for this he pushed his way past Ryouga and ran towards the house. "Akane!" He shouted searching for her. "Akane, where are you!?" he raced all through the house searching for her, "Damn it!" He cursed loudly and then decided to check out front, as soon as he stepped outside he saw the Tendous, Ukyou, and Kuno and Tenchi's girls all standing around looking miserable, but the Tendous and Ukyou were the only ones waving good bye to a very large space craft, bigger than anything Ranma has ever seen before, Kuno was muttering to himself about theft.

"Akane!" Ranma shouted pushing his way through the crowd, but he didn't make it in time as the space craft blasted off and was gone with in the blink of an eye. "I'm sorry." Ranma whispered quietly, and man, was he ever sorry.

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Well that's it for Episode 2-I hope you all enjoyed it, and remember to leave a review.

Thanks,

Ryoko Blue