[Ranma][Fanfic] A Definite Change

[Jason L. Langlois]

Jason L. Langlois
02/03/97 11:06 AM

Friends, I have a confession to make.
I have commited the ultimate sin. I have written... a self-insertion fic!!
AAAAAHHHHH!
However, I think this is at least a new TWIST on the self insertion fic.
Please, read on, hopefully enjoy, and send comments!
I posted this for the above reason, and one other: This is the first Fanfic
I ever wrote. I wrote it on paper, forgot about it, and, in a self induced
slump after 7 other fics, decided to type it up and submit it. May god
have mercy on my soul.

The Charater of Ranma Saotome belongs to Takahashi-sama, and if anyone says
that I claimed it was mine, I'll hunt you down and slap you with a pink
pickelled herring!! HUZZAH!

A Definite Change

By Jason 'Jai-kun' Langlois

It was just a simple walk!
My girlfriend had needed something from the store to add to dinner. I
volunteered, having missed my evening walk ritual from my old home. Since
the store was a short distance away, I told her I would be maybe ten
minutes. She told me to be careful, and I joked that even if I _did_ get
attacked, it would be good 'training'. She punched me in the arm lightly,
and repeated that I should be careful.
Now, my martial arts skill is... rudimentary at best. But the
neighborhood is safe for the most part, I wasn't worried. Besides, the
only martial arts skill I might need would be balancing on the slightly
raised edge of the sidewalk.
I was taking martial arts for exercise only. In fact, before my
wonderful girlfriend had introduced me to Anime in general, and Ranma 1/2
in particular, I had no interest in martial arts. Now, I am hooked. I
watched the show everyday, I took up martial arts, I even wrote stories
about the characters, trying to emulate Ms. Takahashi. I actually had my
girlfriend braid my ponytail, which I had kept from my highschool days.
She had thought it ridiculous, but grew to like it. I keep it in a braid
to this day. I guess I became obsessed, but I hadn't let it interfere with
anything... a mild obsession, at best.
The trip _to_ the store had been uneventful. The streets were rain-
slicked, but the rain had stopped, and the night was warm. I had grown
used to this weather pattern. She had warned me of it before I moved to
Texas.
I had cut through the alleyway between the market and a laundromat, so
I saw no problem doing so to come home. It would cut my travel time in
half.

"You're in our territory."
My blood froze. I am not a very brave soul, despite my large size. I
turned to see six rather tough looking people coming from the shadows.
"I- I just want to go home... I don't want any trouble." My voice
quavered, embarrassing me, but matching my trembling knees perfectly.
Behind me, I heard a short laugh. I whirled around, startled.
The man in the middle of the five who had appeared behind me was large,
with stringy, long black hair and a maniacal look in his eyes. His gang
was dressed in a variety of leather and cotton, making them look... like
something out of a bad movie. But the tattoo under the leader's eye, the
word 'BLADE' with a wicked looking knife underlining it, sent shivers up
and down my spine.
"You just wanna go home?" He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, as if
he had been my best friend for years. "Oh, don't worry, guy. We'll let
you go home." His smile was sickly-sweet, and a cruel giggle from behind
me told me he was lying.
Right that moment, I became aware of every emotion I was feeling. My
knees were trembling in fear, my mind was reacting in confusion, my
stomach...
Calm.
As suddenly as that, I felt a deep calm, almost confidence. These guys
couldn't hurt me, it seemed to say.
I wasn't convinced. <This must be what it feels like just before you
die...>
It was a strange feeling, not at all what I had expected. The
confidence building inside of me was familiar, but I didn't recognize it
as my own. It was as if something were awakening inside of me, as these
evil men moved to do me harm.
It was almost... excitement?
Yes! That was it... _excitement!_ I _wanted_ these idiots to attack
me!
Even as I dropped into my stance, I was arguing with myself. <What are
you doing?!? You're no fighter!>
Evidently, Blade thought the same thing. "Hey, lookee here, boys.
Someone thinks he's Bruce F***in Lee!" The gang members laughed at their
leader's wit and continued to surround me. "Yeah, we'll show him a thing
or
two about fightin'!" called one confident punk.
"I'm not Bruce Lee," I said calmly, the smile in my voice nearly
showing through to my face. The little voice in the back of my mind chose
that moment to pipe up again. <Don't taunt them, just give them your
wallet and get the hell _out_ of here!>
Evidently, I wasn't listening to myself.
"Oh no?" sneered Blade, making his tattoo wrinkle under his eye. "Who
are you then?
If you were to ask why I said what I said, or how I did what I did, I
would have had only three words for you.
I. Don't. Know.
I jumped high in the air, my body twisting in to a graceful backwards
arc over the gang members who had circled behind me. While I was in the
air, my voice rang out, "I'm Ranma Saotome of the Saotome School of
Anything Goes Martial Arts..."
<Where in the HELL did that come from?!?>
I landed two feet behind the closest tough in a perfect back leg
fighting stance and continued my monologue. "...and I accept your
challenge!"
<Oooohh boy! I've gone NUTS!>
The gang looked absolutely shocked, staring at me. Then Blade's face
screwed up in rage. "Get him!!!"
Whatever part of me that had been arguing before must have decided to
find a safe corner to hide in. All doubt and questions fled from my mind,
leaving me confident that _I_, at least, would walk home under my own, if
newly found, power.
I met the first unfortunate thug with a spinning backfist, increasing
his momentum to carry him past me and into the wall of the laundromat. As
he slumped to the ground, a second and third victim met hard beneath my now
airborne feet. I kicked each in the shoulder to get them out of the way so
that I could land.
"Awww, c'mon. Can't you do better than this? I was hoping for a
workout..."
Two and three stood back up, shaken, and staggered toward me, trying
their groggy best to accommodate my request. Almost without thinking, my
foot flicked to either side, sending them into unconscious rest from the
night's activities.
Blade could not have been more angry at his gang's seeming
incompetence. "He was shakin' in his sneakers five minutes ago, you
a**holes!! GET!!! HIM!!!" He was still screaming obscenities as he
shoved three others into the fray. The first two stumbled toward me. The
third hung back, obviously not afraid, but still none too eager to face
me.
His companions weren't eager to face me, either, but were more afraid
of Blade than me. They tried to attack in concert, but couldn't decide who
should go first.
I decided for them.
I thrust my right leg to the left, balancing by flinging my left foot
to the right, twisting my body around and catching each opponent in a
vulnerable spot. The attacker to my right reeled to the ground with a fist
print in his face, while the one to my left doubled over as the nerve
endings of his groin fired simultaneously with my foot's contact. I
reached down, pulled him out of his fetal position, and poised to allow him
to sleep through his pain.
The third foe joined in. He pulled a chain from his jacket and flicked
his wrist, wrapping the weighted end around the hand that held his comrade,
pulling my grip away, and sending his friend back to the ground.
"All right!! A challenge!" I held the chain taut with my captured
wrist, counter-balanced so that he could not pull me off of my feet. Sweat
poured from his forehead as he tried to yank me down. With strength that
still surprises me, I jerked the chain and pulled _him_ through the air
toward me. Time slowed as he seemed to float away from my extended foot
with a resounding thud. He twisted slowly in the air, his thumb,
forefinger, and pinky of each hand extended.
Blade's red face screamed out "GET HIM!!!" again, but no one came
running after me. I looked behind him, smirking, until he did the same.
Just in time to see the last four members of his gang dashing around the
corner.
"COWARDS!!" He tore his leather jacket off and dropped into a deep
fighting stance, challenging me to advance with twitching fingers and
clipped "c'mon"s.
I advanced on him slowly, also in fighting position. I didn't want to
get cocky, especially after dispatching what must have been his best
fighters, but I knew there was no way I'd let him beat me.
Not that I was going to knock him out too quickly. I still wanted that
workout!
He came at me with his right foot, extending it from his hip. As I
blocked, he countered with a backfist that was meant to take my nose, but
that missed by a hair's breadth. I continued to stay on the defensive,
instinctively gauging his skill. I hated to admit it, but he was pretty
good.
His attacks became more furious as I either deflected or dodged them.
He began to kick harder, punch faster, only to have me successfully turn it
aside and tap him as a counter. Finally, he screamed in rage, "STRIKE,
dammit!! Quit fighting like a WOMAN!"
Something inside me snapped. Blood rushed to my face as I attacked in
earnest. "Take that BACK!" I screamed, not understanding my own anger, but
being driven to furious speed because of it. Blade was the one forced to
defend, barely blocking most of my strikes, and failing to block the rest.
Finally he jumped out of my range, reached behind him, and pulled out a
knife that looked like the knife on his tattoo. A cruel smile played on
his lips.
"Ain't none of your moves gonna get around my blade, Karate-boy," he
sneered menacingly.
It was time to end this.
"It's Kenpo, you moron."
His blade slashed forward, skillfully tracing shining arcs of light
reflected from the streetlights above. I skipped backward, avoiding the
first two, then ducked under the third and rose just past his extended
blade.
"KATCHU TENSHIN AMIGURIKEN!!"
My arm became a blur of motion, striking him over and over in spots I
somehow knew were vulnerable. When it finally stopped, his face was only
then registering shock and pain. I placed my finger on his forehead and
pushed gently.
He fell over, still staring straight in front of him.
I picked up my dropped groceries, and stepped over the fallen bodies,
continuing my journey home. The events of the night raced through my mind,
giving a special look to everything. The clouds in the sky, the puddles on
the street... everything looked... more alive.
My wildest fan- <hem> My _second_ wildest fantasy had somehow come
true. Though I tried, I could not think of a disadvantage to this
predicament. I was faster, stronger, more confident... I had the skill I
needed to feel safe, and to protect my girlfriend if _she_ was ever in
trouble. Even explaining things would probably not be a problem...
I wasn't looking in the right place for this disadvantage.
A truck sped by, striking a large puddle and sending a wave of
extremely cold water right on top of me.
I stared down at the ground that was a few inches closer, then at my
chest, which was noticeably more... pronounced.
"This is gonna be a bit harder to explain..."

FIN

I'd like to thank:

GOD, for the talent to write and the ability to post.
My bosses, who casually turn their heads while I write. (Thanks, y'all!)
My Girlfriend, the beautiful San-chan, for both being my proof-reader AND
my inspiration.
J. Austin Wilde, for ALSO proof-reading and giving suggestions to make this
story flow so much better!
Three others at my office who ALSO proof-read, one of which hadn't even
HEARD
of Ranma 1/2. Thanks, guys!
Chris Wilmore, who, (though you can't necessarily see it in this work ^^^^;;)
has pushed my ability to it's limits and beyond, and who continues to do
so!
Finally, you, the reader, for reading and commenting (wink wink, nudge
nudge.)