Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Winds of Change ❯ Equals ( Chapter 10 )
Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Romance / Comedy | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 01.20.2022 | Pages: 7 | Words: 11.0K | Visits: 338 | Status: Work In Progress
Winds of Change
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AN: This turned out to be a rather long one. Though as usual, I’m starting to move down a more serious route than I had intended at the outset. Have fun! Stay safe!
I still need one final proofreading on the chapter, so a few mistakes and changes are possible, but I decided to release it anyway as it is rather late. I'll delete this part of the AN once I have that part down!
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Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Ranma ½ in any way I just like to play around in the sandpit created by Takahashi Sensei. I don’t make any money by writing this so keep your lawyers at bay!
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Chapter 10: Equals
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A dog, a rather large one, rushed across a street. Yelping in terror as it scurried for safety. The canine looked back. Its eyes widened in fear. The animal took off at a full sprint desperate to get away from the area, away from its tormentor. The reason for this panicked flight was a simple, plain tabby cat. One with a black bandana adorning its head.
This was the ward of Nerima. The place where the impossible was possible. Where humans were able to perform incredible feats of martial artistry. Where man-eating crocodiles were kept as loving pets, and people turned into pets. The place where cats with extensive martial arts knowledge went after dogs twenty times their size.
The feline glanced around. Its face. Smug. The aura of superiority around the animal. Obvious. It checked its surroundings before suddenly scuttling away in another direction. The animal did not want to meet with the one approaching. A human of extremes. It was that human. The strong one. Also, the strange one that kept randomly changing her gender.
The one that was deathly afraid of cats. The one who would run in terror at the mere sight of a pair of whiskers. At least until he himself started to meow and yowl. Once that happened it was every man and feline for themselves.
Ranma stumbled forward, limping, using a stick to keep herself upright. She was in a sour mood. Her feet were aching as were the numerous bruises she sustained upon landing. That flight had been longer than what she was used to. On a normal day, she landed within the city or somewhere close by. Flying all over Tokyo bay and into the next prefecture was a new record. And of course, there was the problem explaining things to people who had not yet met a frequent flier of her type. One that needed no wings, no propulsion, no landing gear. To be honest she needed nothing to achieve this feat beyond the initial acceleration.
"If she would only hear me out only once!" muttered the redhead taking another step, emitting a small grunt. "But no! It's easier to jump to assumptions and start punching! " she exclaimed. "Stupid tomboy!" She barely finished the thought when the rather large stick she had been using snapped. The next moment red-haired girl ended up with her face in the dirt. With a few choice words on her lips, she struggled to her feet, and with a pained grunt, she resumed her voyage.
She was not far from the place she wanted to be, but her feet were just now starting to really throb. She shrugged it off. She was in no mood to go to the Tendo dojo. Not now. She was in no mood for the usual chaos. The misunderstandings and the usual spying done by one of the residents. Besides dinner had been hours ago and with her luck, a certain panda had helped himself to the food set aside by Kasumi.
Ranma was grateful to reach the posh street. Her destination, the place she wanted to reach was within arm’s grasp now. She felt a dire need for companionship. To be with someone who didn’t judge her. Someone who would just hear her out. Someone who didn’t treat her as some sort of prize.
The buildings here were different from the norm. Different from what one could see throughout Nerima. They were bigger, more impressive. Their design was more geared towards showing off wealth and prosperity. Sure, they were homes to their owners, but at the same times, they were monuments to success just as much. Ranma scoffed at the sight. She hated the pretense. The fake happiness some people got from playing keeping up with the Joneses. At the attempt made by the locals to appear more than what they were.
Finding the place she was looking for was easy. She remembered it from the time she had taken her home. It was the second house from the street corner. It was a house old in appearance with a wooden front mimicking a traditional construction. The windows were tall, immense, framed by delicate ornaments. The lawn, the front porch. Spotless, well kept. However, if someone looked more closely it was easy to find out that it was just a facade the wooden exterior hid barren, grey walls. The windows, while elaborate, their patterns felt overly complex. The garden, too clean, too perfect.
While in its entirety the sprawling single-floor house looked classy, impressive, it had an aura of overt, clinical cleanliness to it. No matter how perfect it looked. In Ranma’s eyes, it lacked what was the most important. The place, it felt empty, abandoned. As if there were no people living there at all.
The Jusenkyo girl silently crept to one of the many windows and peeked within. This was the place that much was for sure. However, waking up the entire household was certainly not what she wanted so late at night. This left her with only one option. She had to search the place window after window until she found the right one.
The first attempt was met with failure. When peeking the girl was met with the sight of a kitchen. It was modern, very much so. The place was well equipped. In some cases, Ranma had trouble trying to figure out what the bits and tools she saw were supposed to do. One thing she was for sure of. Just as the exterior of the house, the kitchen too felt clinical. It was simply too tidy. The length the owner had to go to keep it like this. Even Kasumi would have been challenged to achieve it.
Ranma moved on. The next window. An office. The next, the retreat of a rather young boy. The next was left alone after barely a peek. A bed with two people sleeping in it. The redhead didn't want to know more. She kept moving from window to window. Searching. The house was quiet. Dark. At least that part aided her in her quest. It wasn’t long before he was almost completely around the place.
The girl was starting to curse silently, thinking she had missed the room when she spotted something promising. A stack of books piled on top of a rather girlish desk. It was littered with trinkets of all sorts. The martial artist leaned closer to the polished glass surface and scanned the room. Some plants. A lot of stuffed toys. A girl’s uniform dangling from a hanger. The room had a homey feel to it even with all the girl stuff. "This must be the place!" she concluded.
Ranma ran a quick last scan of the interior trying to make more things out. Then she knocked. Three times. Three equal taps. The room remained silent. In the far corner, she saw what she suspected to be a bed. Though it was nothing more than a guess. It was just too darn dark in there to be sure. She saw movement there but nowhere near enough for any confirmation. Ranma repeated his action. Three taps.
The feeling of being too loud was ever-present in her. She hoped she was not alerting someone else to her presence. More movement. In the same place as before. Someone was clearly there, stirring. The martial artist could only hope she was the one she was looking for. If it wasn’t... The day that had been already eventful would only grow even more interesting. As in the police type of interesting. The part-time girl shrugged. Running now would be foolish. If she had come this far she was ready to see it through till the end. Once again Ranma knocked to get the attention of the one within. Three equal taps. Tap. Tap. Tap.
There was more movement. More prominent than before. Whoever had been sleeping in the room, was now fully awake. Ranma saw a figure sit up, though it was only an outline in the dark. The person was looking at her now, whoever it was. Ranma waved. The movement ceased. The redhead almost bolted believing she had gotten the wrong place.
Then, hasty movement within. A blanket was thrown to the side and a familiar brunette rushed to the window while trying to button up her nightshirt. She grabbed hold of the handle and jerked the window open. A wave of warm air escaped the house and brushed against Ranma's face. "Get in, quick!" came the instruction.
Ranma didn’t protest. She was happy to be somewhere warm.
"What are you doing here at this time of the hour?" Yuka whispered hastily, closing the makeshift entrance, shivering at the feel of the outside air.
"I just wanted to talk to someone. You know. Without my head getting bashed in." Ranma replied.
"At one in the morning?" asked Yuka glancing at the clock on her wall.
A nervous laugh escaped the part-time girl. “If it's not too much of a problem,” she said.
The brunette smiled. “No,” she replied amidst obviously mixed feelings. “Not at all,” she repeated with a small blush creeping to her cheeks.
An awkward silence settled between them as they stood still waiting for the other to talk. Neither really knew what to say. Barely a week ago they were basically strangers to one another. Now they were here. Standing in the same room, just the two of them. Both with complete trust towards the other.
Silence kept prevailing. Time passed. There were many things on Ranma’s mind as she made her way here. Things she wanted to say. Now, they all felt insignificant. She was just happy to be here. She felt her body yearn, the demand in her veins, in her blood. Even in her current form, she felt her body's growing need to grab hold of the brunette across her. To hold her. To kiss her. To ravage her. The pressure to do so was immense. Overwhelming. It took all of the martial artist’s willpower to yank on her inner demon's chain to make the vile creature come to heel.
Suddenly the brunette jumped. As if she got hit by a jolt of electricity. "What kind of a host am I?" she called out. “I’ll get you some hot water.” she blurted before racing off into the depths of the house.
Ranma tried to run after her. To tell that it was okay. That there was no need for hot water. Even worse was that she had no way telling how changing would effect her inner demon. What it would mean when she became a he once again. Would it make the pressure she felt stronger? More powerful?
However, the threshold of the girl's domain became a very clear marker of how deep she could and would dare to venture into the brunette’s home. From that point on the risk was too much. She did not dare follow the other girl. This left the redhead stranded in the room. Alone.
Having no other option, she turned around and walked back looking for a place to sit. The bed was off-limits of course. It was a place too intimate. Way too intimate. She glanced around and found an office chair. That was where she took up residence for the time being. It was, at least in her book, the safest spot. The one with the least amount emotions. She also couldn't resist playing with it a bit. She had never been in one and was not passing up the opportunity to see how it was like.
The sometimes-girl-boy slowly swung left and right as she studied Yuka’s room. It was a wast contrast to the rest of the house. It felt welcoming, like a real home the retreat of somebody who enjoyed being among people.
Walls were lined with a few posters and pictures. She saw a noticeboard full of photos and small sticky notes. As she turned taking everything in she noticed that one of the corners contained an assortment of pillows and blankets, more stuffed toys along with a lamp and a well stacked bookshelf. That part had eluded her so far.
Once again Ranma’s eyes landed on the bed. She blushed. A wave of awkward feeling raced through her body. She felt the demon stirring again trying to break free. The fluffy pink bed. It was Yuka’s bed. She quickly averted her gaze feeling rather embarrassed. She knew her face was probably beet red.
A minute passed. Then two. Ranma kept studying the place. Taking things in as they came. She was also getting a bit restless. Sitting around was not his style. Especially not in someone else’s home. She heard some noise from the direction of the kitchen. There was a loud ping. Then she heard the fragments of a conversation. Two females. One was Yuka. The other an enigma. The two were coming closer. Ranma became more alert at that. Alert soon turned into utter panic when she heard Yuka utter the word 'Mama'.
This was bad. Ranma’s eyes started to dart around the room in a desperate search for a safe place to hide. Her gaze ended up going back and forth between the reading corner and Yuka’s bed. The latter was quickly dismissed. The last thing she wanted was to be found there of all places. She jumped and dove into the pile of pillows, untangling one of the many blankets on the way. This was her best bet. Hiding among the piles and piles of fluffy things, pretending to be nothing but just another cushion.
Ranma heard the bedroom door open. She heard the footsteps of the women as they ventured into the brunette’s domain. She did not know why but the situation filled her with more dread than most other challenges she had faced before. She willed himself to be completely still. Unmoving. That was what she could to and of course she hoped for the best. And almost immediately she got the worst.
“Yuka what did I tell you about keeping your room tidy? Why is that blanket like that?” asked the woman who Ranma guessed to be the girl’s mother. A jolt of fear stuck the boy, or at least partial boy. In the entire room there was exactly one thing the older woman could be talking about. One blanket! She was under said blanket! Hiding. If the older woman decided to make Yuka tidy things up. Ranma did not even want to imagine what the consequences could end up being.
“I thought some reading to go along with the tea might help me fall asleep.” replied the brunette sounding casual.
"I can lend you some books on anatomy." Suggested the older woman, her voice hopeful. “That always helped me to fall asleep.
"Anatomy!? Really? Mama! I would rather jump off a cliff! You know I’m crazy about medicine like you!" remarked the girl eliciting a gasp from her mother.
“How can you say such a thing?” came the shocked reply. A clear sign that the mother was appalled by her daughter’s words. “Medicine is a fascinating subject!” she exclaimed.
“To you mama! To you!” came Yuka’s reply. “Can’t I be just different?” she asked, pleaded.
There was a long tired sigh. “My little girl. Don't you get it?" began the woman sounding tired all of a sudden. "Medicine, healing is our calling. We are The Kobayashi! Our family…”
“…is from a long line of healers, and some of our ancestors were doctors to the shoguns of old. Mama! I know that mantra by heart!” continued the girl taking the initiative from her mother repeating something that had clearly been said to her more often than she could care.
“I only want what is best for you dear!” replied her mother after a long drawn out sigh. The way she spoke the pleading yet stern tone. It surprised Ranma. There was something behind the mother’s words. A hint of sadness, something deeper. She could not tell.
“Do we really have to repeat the that conversation again?” asked the girl. Her voice also carried a feeling of exhaustion. "You save people's lives. I want to pamper them. It's not that different if you look at it!"
Ranma listened quietly trying taking shallow breath trying to stay still. “The same spiel as pops!” she noted solemnly. "Do this! Do that! Its for your own good! I want the best for you! Yeah right"
There was another sigh in the mother’s end.. The way it echoed. The sharp intake, the long drawn out release. One could hear the exasperation, feel it. "Yuka I just don’t believe you would enjoy it for long. Always the same people, always doing the same things... You are more than that! You can do so much..."
"Mama!" Snapped the girl, interrupting the woman's tirade came to an end before it could take off. There was a tense silence when she stopped. Ranma felt as if there were storm-clouds gathering above her head. As if a storm had begun to brew.
"Mama," Yuka repeated, this time the words were spoken more softly. "Not, now. Please!”
“No!” snapped the woman. “You are smart! You have some of the best scores in your year! I will not allow you to waste your potential!” she explained.
“And what if my real potential is making people happy!?” rebutted the girl. Just as her mother her voice too was starting to take on a harsh tone.
“You could do much more saving lives! Maybe as a pediatrician?” the woman reasoned.
“No!” snapped the brunette now clearly turning hostile.
“Yuka! You are destined to more than a mere hairdresser!” was the reply with barely contained anger.
“I said no, Mama!” Yuka shot back, “I will not!” The argument was obviously getting out of hand.
“You will go into medicine! I’ll not have my daughter becoming some low menial worker!”
“Really?” asked the girl with accusation. “You’ll do it just like grandpa made you marry dad?” came the question. It was met with nothing but a gasp. “Tell me Mama? Are you happy the way you are living your life? Are you? I know you wanted to marry someone else! You told dad many times over! Do you think Yuuji and I haven't heard it?"
"My little Yuka. Don't be foolish, marrying someone and your job are different things."
There was a loud huff. It was the younger half of the argument. "Really?" she asked. "How much time do you spend working? Fifty? Sixty hours a week? Running around the ER! Then you come home to argue with dad! You call the a life? Thank you very much for not forcing me to marry some creep, but work kinda takes up a large chunk of a person's life, also!"
Ranma couldn’t help but feel the pain in those words. They way they seemed to echo throughout the room around despite being said at a normal volume. The woman’s only reply was yet another gasp which was soon followed by a sniffle.
"Damn it Mama!” Yuka called out barely able to keep her volume civil. “Grandpa made you marry someone fifteen years older when you were eighteen! That's scummy, yeah! I get it! You didn’t love each other. You never did! You worked hard to prove to dad that you are more than some silly little girl. And now that you've surpassed him you argue day in and day out! As if it's a damn contest! You call that a life? Do you want to do the same thing to me? Are you going to marry me off to some old stinky guy because I have a will of my own? Let me make my own damn mistakes for crying out loud!"
Ranma heard the sobs. At this point both females were crying. She had to resist the urge to jump up to comfort Yuka. The desire to do so was so strong. As was the will to rip into the girl’s mother for making her own daughter cry. Then he heard a smack. Flesh hitting flesh. It was closely followed by hasty footsteps. The sound of someone escaping the scene. The only question was, who was the one to flee. Was it mother or daughter. If it was the former of the two and he revealed himself...
That thought alone was enough to keep the Jusenkyo cursed girl stay put. Then much to Ranma’s horror she felt a hand on his back. Small fingers grabbing hold of the blanket. She felt blanket slip from her form as the hand started to pull. There was no time to think. No chance to even attempt a getaway, to make use of some technique. Ranma just stood still, preparing herself for the worst. Knowing it was inevitable. The blanket came off her face and she almost screamed. Almost.
The only thing that stopped the redhead from screaming like a little girl that she currently happened to be was the sight Yuka’s twisted, contorted face face. The brunette girl didn't say a word. She threw herself at the redhead and grabbed hold of her, no his midriff, crying.
The scolding heat, the feeling of the almost boiling tea against his skin was everything but a pleasant experience. Ranma saw the discarded cup, but let it be. He had other matters to contend with. The hiccups and sobs made by the girl attached to him had priority. The beast, the demon within him had been banished thoroughly. This girl. She needed protection. She needed care and he was more than willing to give.
Slowly, carefully he encircled her with his arms before pulling her closer. The girl's reaction caught him off guard. The way she tightened her hold and pressed her face against his chest and if to bury herself within him. The way her hands clawed at the back of his shirt, desperate to get a tighter hold of him. He didn't know how or what to do in such a situation. It left him all but one option. That was to go by instinct. His instincts were telling him to stay put, to hold her, to comfort her. That was just what he did.
He placed a gentle hand atop of her head pulling the brunette close into a hug. Soon she found herself petting the girl. Enjoying the silky feeling of her hair. Hoping that the easing sniffles meant something good.
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Ranma awoke to a familiar, welcome scent. His nose buried in someone’s hair. Yuka’s hair. He had an arm resting under her her back, around her waist. The other across her stomach atop of her hand. His legs and her bare ones. They were an intertwined mess. The boy dismissed it all as a dream a game of his imagination. There was no way a girl would allow something like this after barely a week of friendship. It had to be a dream, a game!
It was a pleasant game though. His demon agreed roaring within with renewed strength. He breathed in enjoying her smell as he tightened his hold. He felt the girl return the favour and relished in the feeling. As it was only a dream he allowed a hand to roam south. To explore. Her form, her curves. The feel of the skin of her exposed thighs. Ranma sent out praise to whatever deity it was that made this dream come. The girl in his embrace released small mews. A clear sign of appreciation. Ranma smiled into her hair wishing this to be a reality. Soon another form of appreciation reached his ears. A long, drawn out, nasal moan. Then he heard her whisper his name.
It was lifelike. All of it. Almost as it it was all real. Then the last memories from the evening before filtered into his mind and a horrified realisation had come to him. This was not a dream! The girl he was currently fondling was the genuine article. The real deal. His hand currently surveying her inner thigh came to a swift and sudden halt. Even the victorious demon roaring within him had come to a standstill. This was real! He was feeling her up and doing so thoroughly! His eye snapped open to see light, a lot of light streaming in through her window.
He and Yuka jumped apart. Recognition hit them both at the same time. Both of them bore the same beat-red face. They stared at one another. Unable to say a word. At lest they were now both wide awake. Movements within the house finally reached them. The sounds of a family going through their morning routine. Embarrassment had been immediately replaced by fear. If somebody opened that door they were goners. If some one HAD opened the that door they would BE already goners
In that exact moment there was a knock. A series of irregular taps on the wood. It wasn’t loud but for the two of them it felt as if they had several ton bells ringing right at their ears.
Boy and girl stared at the thin slab of wood that separated them from certain doom with expectation. If whoever was behind happened to open it they would be goners. “Hey, sis!” called out the voice of a younger boy. “Dad says, it’s time for you to get up! Breakfast is ready!”
“Thanks! I’ll be out in a minute!” replied the girl showing ample amounts of awreness. The two could hear the sound of a young child’s footsteps. He was moving away in small skips.
After shaking off the initial fright both teens rushed for the windows. They agreed that it was high time for him to leave. Ranma got there first and opened it uncaring about the icy air rushing in. The chill actually helped him to focus. He turned to the girl on his heels. His face bore a guilty look. “Yuka,” he began. “I’m really, really sorry about what I did,” he said apologetically. “I understand if you think I’m a pervert. I know it’s no excuse, but I thought I was dreaming.”
To Ranma’s surprise the girl chuckled. “Actually, it was kind of nice,” she admitted. She leaned in close. So close that he could feel her breath. If he leaned down just a little bit he could have captured her lips. It would have been so easy. The desire in him to do it so great. He felt it. The desire, the demand. He ruthlessly pushed the feeling to the side.
Yuka smiled up at him. Her eyes now carrying a hint of mischief. “A quick tip Saotome. If a girl ends up moaning in that situation you are doing something right!” she said.
Ranma did not miss the playfulness in her voice, but the words were what had the real impact. He almost fell over at them. "Aren’t you mad?" he asked perplexed.
The girl grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down to her level. Her lips were now really close. Her expression was somewhat wolfish. "Actually," she said. "I really enjoyed it!" she admitted. Ranma’s world went blank. “Now get out of here before my dad comes in here to wake me up. Or worse, Akane does!” she said.
The boy nodded dumbly. He turned and was out the window in a flash. Yuka watched him leap out into the thick morning mist. She followed the boy as he leaped out into the street then atop of a nearby house, staring at the spot where she lost him in the every thickening haze. After a while she allowed her knees to buckle. She landed on her floor in a messy heap, fighting the myriad of emotions as they wreaked havoc within her.
Outside her open window the scrawny figure of Gosonkugi came by, running in full gym gear. Out of breath, panting. He was staggering with each step. The danger of him keeling over was real, yet somehow, he remained standing He was barely keeping it together. He stopped for a brief moment only to charge off with renewed fervour, refusing to give in to the demands of his tired exhausted body. "I'm tired of being a bitch!" he yelled as he went around the corner.
A mere hour later Ranma was making his way to school. In the short time since he had left Yuka’s home the fog which had descended on the land, grew even thicker. Now it was coating the world in a cold, wet grey. He was running in what was at least to him a casual gallop. His mood was not of the best. And with good reason. His arrival to the Tendo place had been not the best. In fact, it had been a disaster.
He got there just as the family sat down for breakfast and just as he expected he was pounced on. Questioning was followed up by accusations of him doing something inappropriate or something unlawful. There was screaming and yelling. Threats, warnings, demands that he should be going the right thing that he should know better, that he should get married. The works.
He was in no mood for any of it. After taking it with stride for a short while he blew up. Almost in the literal sense. The result was a smoking crater in the middle of Tendo living room's floor. A ghastly white Soun Tendo, a panda with four dislocated limbs and three shocked sisters to whom this outburst was a first. After this Ranma went through his normal morning routine with relative swiftness and was off to school before things had a chance to normalise. Or in his case before things could become chaotic again.
However, the boy was not really going to school. At least not in a straight line. He took a detour to clear his mind. A huge detour. He needed to think. To think about the mess that was his life. About the madness that it had become. About what he wanted.
First on the list was peace. Peace from the crazy. From the insanity. He had half a dozen ideas for that ranging from no longer accepting challenges to blowing up Tokyo. Second he wanted to make a living doing martial arts. To have a dojo of his own. For him that meant a university degree. He couldn’t believe his ears when the career advisor informed him about that little problem. "Stupid Pops!" growled the boy under his breath. The little detail of a university degree made one thing perfectly clear for Ranma. Namely that his years of studying were far from over. That there were many more left.
The first two were down. They were the easy part. One was thoroughly out of his hand while in the case of the other he just had to deal with it. The third on the other hand that one was a harder nut to crack. With that one he had trouble.
The problem was love. He wanted to find love, to experience it. There was just the slight inconvenience that he had no idea what the word really meant. What it entailed. The best he currently had was Yuka's own definition. He remembered those words well from when she tried to explain it to him.
"Love means loving a person just because." the girl said. Then she continued, making the rather simple answer insanely complicating for him. "Love is different for everyone, for every person, for every relationship. It always changes depending on age and situation. It can stem from many sources. It can be a raging inferno or a gentle hum. It can come to be from nothing but a spark and it can be extinguished just as easily."
Those were the girl's exact words. And they confused him to great lengths. He was never good with ambiguous things. He found them cumbersome and hard to grasp. In Ranma’s world something had to be this or that. Success or failure. Right or wrong. Yet here he was facing something that didn’t have a clear right or wrong. The answer was looking for kept eluding him. What he could make of it was hazy at the best. He was dumb-folded trying to find a clear cut solution. He was starting to suspect there was none.
As Ranma didn't seem to find anything better, he came the conclusion to use what he had, and so he did. He used it. And once he set out he actually found things to be easy.
Did he love Ukyo? Yes! He loved her like a sister. Not the way she wanted him to love her. The way a man loves his woman. Shampoo? No. She was a fellow practitioner. He respected her skill, but that was about it. The whole my enemy is there to be killed attitude did not sit well with him. And of course there as the Chinese girl's little furry problem. Elena, the newest member of the fiancé club? There he was not sure. She was flirty. She was not hiding her feelings and desires. She was attractive, classy. But she was also too much for him. Too wild for his taste. Could he come to love her in time? Sure! However, at this exact moment, it was a no. Last came Akane. Did he love her? The yes came out more easily than before. He admitted it to himself. He loved the girl. He loved her!
The boy slowed from his run, then he stopped. For the first time in his life he had come to term with it. He accepted it. He loved Akane Tendo. As a woman. Even with her faults he really loved her. Despite all the problems the two of them had h loved her. A goofy smile spread across his face. He loved Akane. There! He had his answer! He loved Akane.
He picked up pace once again, this time smiling. Just as he was about to put on some real steam another name rose in his head. One he had never really considered before. Yuka Kobayashi. He wanted to slap himself for thinking it. She was supposed to be nothing more than a friend. She wasn't even engaged to him, so why? Why did her name appear?
Did he love her? Of course he did! For the short while since the two of them started having meetings the girl had been always there. Her calm attitude and words a balm, an ointment fot his troubles. Her embrace a source of comfort. Ranma came to a stop. He wanted to punch himself. As he weighed both girls against one another. Their pros and cons. Akane kept him on his toes. She was energetic. Generally friendly. Yuka on the other hand was calm. She had a silent strength to her. She had a quick wit he hadn't seen before in any other woman. This was his problem!
As his thoughts kept crystallising and becoming clearer he once again battled not to inflict pain upon himself. "I love them both!" He said to himself in a low voice. He couldn’t believe it. "Oh, shit! Am I turning into Kuno or something?" he he called out once the truth had really hit home.
Then, almost the same time, he heard it. A chime, the school's bells. The signal which announced the beginning of the day. The one that served as a last warning for the students to get to their classes. Letting out a curse Ranma broke out in a run. The school was not that far. He knew if he was fast enough he might just get there in time. Within moments Houses were passing by him in a blur. He rushed past a number of pedestrians making scarfs billow in the wind of his own make.
The silhouette of the gates came into view. Dark shapes in a world of grey. The building behind it had yet to emerge from the mist. His thoughts were still revolving around his bigamic problem. He had to chose one or the other. Picking both girls was not an option. How he would solve the problem, he had no idea.
He was so engrossed that he never noticed the slender form in front of him. She too was running, doing considerable speed. Unlike him she was muttering on about teasing little brothers. The accident was unavoidable.
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The impact, the collision staggered the boy, but the girl in turn bounced off him like a small rubber ball and sent her flying across the air. He reacted more on instinct than anything else. Diving after the falling female to save her from a nasty landing.
He managed to stop the girl's descent mere moments before she could slam into the cold pavement. He grabbed hold of her and rolled to bleed the momentum he gained while jumping to save the girl. The girl in return latched onto him more out of surprise and reflex than anything else. They rolled a few time before ending up on the cold ground in a comprising position with him on top. Ranma felt grateful at the thick fog. Without that protective cover. Without the chance to hide in the grey mist. He knew he would be in trouble. The very same could easily be said about the girl. His fiancés, did not like competition. Some of them, tended to be rather hostile to said competition.
Upon stopping he let out a sigh of relief. As he took a breath his nostrils were almost immediately filled by a familiar scent. Peaches. Lavender. There was no mistaking it.
Ranma looked down into the now familiar eyes. Chocolate depths. He had one arm around her waist holding her inches above the ground. His other limb on the rough concrete, bearing the weight of both of them. "We really should find another means of having these meetings, Yuka!" he remarked. His voice cocky. Acting as if this was normal. Technically it was.
"Shouldn't you be trying to do this with Akane?" came the girl's rebuttal.
"It's good practice!" he shot back with a grin.
The girl pouted. "So that's all I am to you? Practice!?"
The boy felt his body tense. His arms and legs stiffened. His eyes landed on her lips. It was by mere accident, but it made thinking harder for him. The demon was awake. The girl's lips, they were so close. If he leaned forward just a bit. At that moment his mind became an overloaded mess of contradicting thoughts. Emotions, beliefs, hormones. "I... I... I..." he stuttered unable to formulate a coherent answer.
"Well, you've caught me!" she said smirking. "Aren’t you going to kiss me?" she teased.
Confusion increased. Ranma knew she was teasing. It was obvious. It was her style. He felt the demand, the urge. He knew the two of them were alone. The last echoes of the bell had subsided long ago. The school's entrance was empty. The fog, was still strong, it maintained their cover.
The boy's gaze moved from her eyes to her lips then back again. To the girl’s pinkish lips and back to her brown orbs. A triangle like pattern was starting to emerge as his focus kept on shifting. He wanted to repay her for messing with him. He wanted to kiss her. Question was: 'Does he dare?' She dared him to kiss her. Ranma Saotome considered himself to be many things. A coward was not part of that. He refused to loose to her in this game. The demon within roared in agreement. He had the opportunity at hand. One had to be stupid not to take it.
A glance to the left, then to the right. Nobody. Nothing but the vast grey of the fog. An empty walkway. The school ahead obstructed. Nothing by a dark shade in the void. The two of them were alone. Hidden from the world at large. Ranma knew the dangers. The catastrophe that could come from this. The disaster that this could and would become if anybody in general and one if his brides in particular finds out anything about this.
With one stout shove he brought him and the girl back to a standing position. To his surprise she didn't step away once she had the chance. For some reason he felt elated because of it. He knew why. He loved her.
"Thank you!" she said looking up at him.
He made the mistake of looking down. His eyes once more landed on her lips. His gaze travelled to her eyes. Then back to her lips. He felt a rush of heat across his body. He could feel the blood racing through his arteries. His hand refused to leave her waist. It felt so right. He tightened his hold. She did not protest. He noticed that she too was studying him with intent. He felt the irresistible urge to lean down to her. He saw her cheeks reddening. She saw her turn away, looking shy. However, he only had to lift a hand, he only needed a single finger running up across her neck, passing over her throat, over the lower half of her jaw to make her look up at him. Her eyes, they were so beautiful. She closed her eyes waiting for him to close the small gap. He hesitated for a few moments. One last act of defiance against his demon. Then he submitted to the urge and leaned down casting all caution out the window.
"Hey! You! How dare you try bewitch yet another maiden!" And there was the problem. There always was,
Ranma stopped dead in his tracks. The Yuka’s eyes snapped open.
"How dare you ply your evil magic in the presence of myself, the mighty Blue Thunder of Tokyo University! Tatewaki Kuno! Age nineteen!"
Ranma couldn’t believe it. His lips were almost on hers. His fingertips brushing against her neck as a lone finger was gently tilting her hear up to give him better access. The girl who had been staring up at him dreamily a moment ago now had an aura of annoyance in her eyes. Kuno's declaration broke the moment, it broke the spell in an intrusive obnoxious way. In a way neither of the two appreciated.
Yuka stepped away from Ranma, glaring at the intruder. Hesitating to release her hold on him. Her face a picture of controlled anger. Ranma also stared at the swordsman annoyed, enraged by the interruption. "Tokyo University?" he asked. His tone carrying equal amount of amusement and disdain. "Your graduation from this place is two days away. You aren't even enrolled yet! " he snapped back.
"Details, details!" replied Kuno acting casually. "I'm sure that the staff at my new campus is delighted to have the honour, of working with somebody of my greatness!"
"Rather major details!" rebutted Ranma with a hint of amusement. "Like not yet being actually enrolled. Like paying your way in and not earning it." rebutted Ranma. He couldn't help but chuckle. "By the way, oh mighty samurai... Hear you had some visitors last week!"
The Kendoist bristled visibly, his muscles tensed, his nostrils flared. "You'll pay for casting your spells on the commoner law enforcers!" he screamed "Making them pester us of high birth with laws meant for the lower classes! They usually know better!" Kuno lifted his bokken in dramatic fashion. "Your treachery ends now!" he bellowed.
Ranma let out another chuckle. The scorn in it could not be overheard. He took up stance for what was surely to be a brief exchange. A gust of wind raced across the soon to be battlefield scattering much of the mist and the haze. With the school no longer hidden behind a protective layer it wasn’t long before students started to notice the drama unfolding under their nose.
"You'll pay for everything vile sorcerer! Today is the day I bring you down!" screamed Kuno as he raced forth. Ranma prepared to give his opponent a warm, welcome on greeting.
"Hold it right there!" screamed a female voice bringing everything to a standstill. It was Yuka. She wasn’t idle while the boys argued. At the first sign of hostility, she placed herself in a favourable position while trying to think of a way to make the fight not happen. Now she was in between the would be combatants, an arm raised towards each of the two.
The boys, both of them, came to a stop at her call. Surprised at the sudden interference. "We have to get going! If we don't we'll be late for class," she informed them. "I don’t know about you but I really want to avoid any trouble. So why don't we all calm down, meet at lunch, talk this out. What do you say?" There was silence after her words. Almost as if the warring parties had decided to agree and parley.
The brunette felt hopeful. She truly believed that she had made a point. That the long drawn conflict could be ended by negotiating a truce. She had yet to experience the crazy that was Tatewaki Kuno first hand.
Unlike her, Ranma was less confident. He had more experience with his delusional upper-classman. He knew there was no use talking. His suspicion was confirmed when he heard Kuno chuckle then laugh.
"Foolish woman!" cackled the older teen. "What do you know about honour and justice?" he continued amidst laughter. He didn’t notice the scowl on the girl’s face. "Of course how would you understand?" called out the kendoist. “You are nothing but the offspring of a healer. And a woman at that! Balms, potions, herbs. That is all you have!"
Kuno didn’t notice the girl’s glare. The slight tremor running through the slender form.
The upper-classman came to a halt. As if realisation had hit him. His laughter lessened. "Ah..." he called out. "Of course! Now I understand! You wish to offer your services, you wish to bask in my glory!"
Ranma's palm met his forehead. "This guy is not for real!" he spoke to nobody in particular. Yuka felt like retching.
"You are just too shy to speak the words. I understand! Coming from a family of quackers it must be daunting!"
"Why you little..." growled the girl under her breath, her face a picture of utter fury.
"Fear not maiden for I shall deal with this sorcerer then I shall allow you to date me!" called out Kuno in a grandiose manner.
Ranma would have laughed if he didn't already know that his counterpart was serious. The girl, Yuka. She was positively seething with rage. "Quackers?" she growled. "Are you idiot for real? You called my family a bunch quackers?” she said with venom in her voice.
Kuno didn't take notice of the brunette’s state. His only focus was Ranma. "En garde, evildoer!" he yelled and launched himself at his enemy. Ranma moved into stance. He saw the opening. His means to overwhelm the samurai boy charging at him. He smirked. It was all too easy.
However the situation didn’t last. To the shock of both boys a third party joined the contest. It was the brunette. It didn’t take her long to position herself between the conflicting fighters and in Kuno’s path. That small act was enough to make the swordsman turn away.
"Out of the way maiden!" he yelled as he came in again. Of course she did not comply. She got in his was again. Yet again Kuno turned. Veering away from his target yet again.
"Are you daft girl?" Kuno bellowed. " This is a fight between men!" He came in again charging at his nemesis. Yuka used her advantage, her close proximity to Ranma, and easily got into the kendoist's path, who once more turned away from her.
Ranma stared at Yuka. First in disbelief, fearing for her safety, then realisation. She was doing it on purpose counting on Kuno treating her as some weak girl. As someone beneath him who needs to be protected.
Kuno tried to get passed the girl again and again. Only to be turned back by the seemingly insignificant obstacle in his path. "Saotome, you coward! Hiding behind the innocent!" He bellowed in frustration.
Windows across the school were opening one after the other in a fury of clatters. The upper-classman's shout; like a dinner-call. Soon said windows were filled to the brim with students gawking at the unusual fight. Some arguing over one or another prime location.
"Are you crazy!?" Ranma asked, more like screamed, fearing for the girl's life. He knew just how dangerous the kendo captain could be. "Get out of here! I can handle him!" he insisted.
Kuno lunged with a scowl on his face. "Yield woman!" he demanded before breaking off his attack again. "I have no time for your infatuation at this hour!"
Yuka wished she had the power to strangle the boy. His pompous attitude. It rubbed her the wrong way.
The kendo practitioner came to for another pass. Yuka did her best to keep her face serene. She saw it, the small signs in the boy’s features. His anger shining through the cracks.
"Nobody calls my family that and gets away with it!" she hissed under her breath. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small cannister as preparation.
Ranma also saw it. The cracks in Kuno's patience. He knew what kind of danger it meant. He tried to get in front of her, to shield her from the onrushing kendoist and. "This is my fight!" she warned her voice taking on a threatening nature. The martial artist stopped dead in his tracks. He did not know why but he did so going very much against his nature.
"Last warning, silly girl! Stop interfering or I'll consider you Saotome's accomplice and treat you as such!" roared Kuno.
This was what Yuka had been waiting for. She knew that this time around it will be different. The samurai boy will not evade. He will try to plough right through her. She wanted him to try just that.
She placed her finger on the brightly decorated cannister's plastic cap and pushed. The cover fell off with an ominous pop. The plastic fell, landed on the ground and bounced away harmlessly.
Kuno was coming at her, getting dangerously close. "Your choice witch in training!" he yelled while raising his wooden sword in preparation for attack.
Ranma roused from his stupor at the sight. He could not allow this. The girl is going to get herself killed! There was an audible metallic click as he rushed to intercept Kuno's downswing. He blocked the wooden blade as it came down for the girl. The force behind the strike was weaker than usual, but it didn’t hurt any less. At the same time he heard a prominent hiss. It was just like a somebody using spray-paint or deodorant. The putrid stinging smell however, that part was new. Ranma felt his nostrils protest almost immediately. His nose, his throat, his lungs burned with a flame he had never felt before. Simple breathing became a challenge. Tears rode into his eyes, obstructing much of his vision. His entire body revolted against whatever it sensed. It demanded to be out the area.
There was a white cloud right in Kuno's face the pig-tailed martial artist winced at the sight. If only being close was enough to cause him such discomfort. If only getting a small hint had such effect. The sting, the pain, the tears. The martial artist didn't even want to imagine what it must have been like to feel the full brunt of whatever Yuka was packing.
The wooden sword fell from the Kuno’s hand. It clattered on the ground, now harmless. The boy in question followed the example suit. He fell to the ground, screaming, clutching his face. Cries about foul, magics, witchcraft could be heard all over. There were demands for retribution and vengeance. All of it surrounded by pained howls.
"What kind of stuff did you use on him?" asked Ranma through watery eyes and a barely servicable nose.
Yuka turned to him with a gas mask on her face. She quickly removed the thing to reveal a bright smile. "Every girl’s best fried!" she replied, her voice chirpy. "If the creeps keep coming and you want them going! Bring Mr Ghost Chili!" she stated holding out the bright yellow container. The way she stood with imaginary waves at her feet and an also imaginary explosion at her back she could have passed for the end frame of some commercial.
However, the girl only remained in that pose for a few short seconds. What she saw, Ranma's bloodied arm. The sight turned her face pale, her eyes worried. For a second she stood still, horrified. "You took a hit for me!? When?" she asked, gasping.
The boy smirked at her. "What kind of a man would I be if I let him hurt you?" he replied. He was trying to look confident, but it was clear that with the adrenaline high leaving his system it was starting to show on his face.
Yuka stood still for a moment, gasping for air. Moments later she grabbed hold of his unhurt arm and proceeded to drag the boy towards the nurse's office. Kuno was left to his own devices, to his flailing and screaming.
The students still gawking in the windows were whispering. Rumours, the news was starting to spread. The most repeated talk was of Kobayashi taking down Kuno. It was soon replaced by another, more prevalent one. A rumour saying that Yuka and Ranma came to school together, holding hands. Many swore they had seen it with their own eyes even if they didn't.