Ranma's Timeslip (Part 4)
christian gadeken
Ranma Nibunnoichi : Actor in the Mirror
[That evening, in Ranma's room. He's lying on his futon,
staring at the ceiling.]
Ranma:[sitting up and counting on his fingers] Kasumi
almost certainly will tell me I'm too young. Nabiki
[shudders] is out of the question. Akane...
how can I tell her I can only pick her without getting
her back up? Hmmm...
[Cut to the next morning, with Ranma and Akane walking
to school.]
Akane:I still think it's a silly idea.
Ranma:Well, your father was delighted, Kasumi was pleased,
and Nabiki was just miffed, so it seems to be working.
And it's not like I've *really* picked you, I told you
this is just to keep everyone off my back until...
Akane:Okay, you explained all that last night. I still
think you might be some kind of weirdo, though...
Ranma:Arrggh! Will you stop that, I apologized already!
I told you I got confused and thought-Huh?
[Loud noise from up ahead. Akane sighs, charges ahead, and,
as she has every morning, defeats half the male population
of Furinkan High School.]
Ranma:[to himself] Right, I forgot about that... Kunou should
show up right about...
[A rose comes flying through the air. Akane catches it.]
Kunou:[appearing from behind a tree] What a bunch of-
[breaks off] Akane-kun, who is this man who stands so
close to you?
[Akane glances at Ranma, who's right behind her shoulder.
He hands her his pack, then walks between her and Kunou.]
Ranma:I'm heir to the Saotome school of unlimited martial
arts... I'm Saotome Ranma... And I'm Akane's fiance'.
Kunou:WHAT!
Ranma:[to himself] This is probably inevitable... [smirks]
so I'll just enjoy it.
Kunou:I will never allow this engagement! [raises his bokken]
Ranma:[sarcastically] It's not your place to allow, jerk.
Kunou:Damn you! [charges]
[Ranma basically humiliates Kunou up and down the yard, dodging
all his thrusts, smart-alecking a blue streak, and finally
breaking Kunou's bokken and knocking him out with two perfect
roundhouse kicks.]
Ranma:[grinning at Akane] You're popular here, aren't you.
[Cut to the hall outside class 1-A. Ranma and Akane are
standing holding buckets of water.]
Akane:[glaring at Ranma] This is *your* fault, I've been
winning every morning without being late *once*.
Ranma:[looking bored] Well, now you won't have to win
anymore... as soon as word gets out you're engaged, no
one will ask you out. Is a contest the usual method
for asking someone on a date around here?
Akane:No, Kunou told them they had to beat if they wanted-
hey, you said we'd just pretend to be engaged!
Ranma:[rolling his eyes] We can hardly tell Dad and Uncle
we're serious and tell everyone else we're not...
Akane:Hmmmph. I was getting tired of fighting *every
single morning*...
[Cut to the Tendou house, at dinner.]
Nabiki:Heh, I heard what happened with Kunou-chan... He's
likely to challenge you to a duel, he really hates to lose.
Ranma:[bored] I hope I don't have to beat him too many times
before he gives up...
Nabiki:Hehe... don't bet on it. And don't forget to give
your fiancee' a good-night kiss. [Akane chokes on her rice.]
Ranma:Hmmmph.
[Cut to an angle on Ranma asleep. Slow dissolve to:
Ranma stands in darkness. A vague impression of slowly
revolving walls makes it seem he's caught in a gigantic
vortex. He looks around.]
Voice:[thin and weak, from a *very* long way off] Ranmaaaaa...
Ranma:Who's there?
Voice:[slightly stronger] Ranma... help me...
Ranma:Where are you? *Who* are you?
[Off to one side, an image begins to form in one of the
"walls" of the vortex.]
Ranma:[staring] Who...? [His eyes widen in horror] Akane...?
[ The image clears, and we see it is indeed Akane; the short-
haired girl who went back in time with him, not the long-haired
one who's just met him. She seems wavery and faded like a photo
left under running water.]
Akane:Ranma... I'm so cold...
Ranma:[starting to run towards her] Akane!
Akane:Ranma... help me, I'm lost...
Ranma:Akane! [curses as he realizes he's not getting any
closer] Akane, how do I reach you?
Akane:[starting to fade] I don't know... Ranmaaaaaa...
[vanishes]
Ranma:[leaping awake] Akane--------!!!
[Angle on Ranma's room, he's on his feet, clasping Akane to
him. As he comes all the way awake, he realizes the girl
he's holding has long hair. He lets go.]
Akane:[stunned] .....
Ranma:I, uh...
Akane:I was coming to get you up...
Ranma:I was just having a bad dream... sorry...
Akane:Um...[leaves the room]
[Akane stands outside the room a moment, blushing and
holding her heart, then hurries off down the hall.]
T S U Z U K U . . .
--
C h r i s t i a n G a d e k e n
Yakumo: "But I really did destroy a monster in Hong Kong!
Saru : "Ahem, ahem"
Yakumo: "Saru, do you believe me?"
Saru : "Where's my Hong Kong souvenir?"