[Ranma][FanFic] Past and Future, Chapter Seven
Kat...@aol.com
from this, so don't sue me, I have nothing!
<thoughts>
The fight had a lot of things going for it, and a lot of things going
against it. It would finally decide the outcome of their lives. Who would
leave? Who would stay? Who would come out the victor? Who would get the
pig-tailed martial artist? How would the ice cream pallor fair after such a
fight? Well, the last question was easily answered as the shop owner began
screaming and begging for mercy. The two fighters simultaneously leaped to
the door and ran side by side, each eyeing the other dangerously, until they
rounded off in the deserted lot nearby and faced the other down once more.
Ranma Saotome stood to the side, tense, his blue-gray eyes turbulent with
distress. < I never should of agreed to this. . she's gonna lose, she's not
good enough, she hasn't trained. . and with the tricks that Amazon always
seems to have up her sleeve? > He eyed Shampoo with distaste.
"Ready when you are Shampoo!" OAkane relaxed into the stance she had
perfected in the future, namely, not really a stance at all to others. She
appeared totally calm, relaxed, but inside, was ready to leap left, right, to
react in any way that was needed.
"Violent girl too confident, Shampoo fix that!" In mid sentence, she
struck. <This should be easy. . what? > OAkane felt a slight tingling
sensation in her scalp. <Oh no! The Shiatsu Technique! > OAkane spun around
clumsily; her body not really accustomed to such a speedy reaction, and
knocked the formula 110 out of her opponent's hands, her opponent who smirked
nastily at her.
"You lucky Shampoo already use this attack before, next time you not be
so lucky." OAkane backed up slowly, desperately holding on to her future
strength, hiding her growing fear. < I didn't even see her. . . I didn't even
notice. . this could get bad. . >She looked over at Ranma, quickly noting
the clenched fists, the worry in his eyes, and felt the fear growing even
stronger. <If I. . if I lose this. . I could lose you. .> A smiling Ryo and
Ranko being held by a mature Ranma passed behind her eyes. <No. . no, I
won't, I can't. . Ryo, Ranko. . I won't lose, I can't. . > she tightened her
resolve, and the steel was back in her gaze as she launched her own attack.
* * * *
ONodoko Saotome gave her grandson a beautiful smile as he and ORanma
bounded up the path to her home. "Ranma, Ryo, what brings you two here?"
"Hey Mom," he leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on her cheek,
"promised Pop I'd stop by. . " the eyebrows quirked good naturedly, "he still
in the 'panda house?'" She gave a sigh and look heavenward as she stroked
the familiar katana at her side.
"Grandma, what's a matter?" ONodoka reached down to cup Ryo's chin.
"Nothing to concern yourself with little one," she crouched and grinned;
the slight wrinkles caused from frequent use of the expression came through
faintly. "Why don't you go look in the kitchen.. . If I remember correctly,
there should be a plate of cookies in there somewhere-" Ryo was gone at
'cookies.' "Hmm, just like his father at his age. . "
"Heh heh, seriously though Mom, what happened last night?"
"Oh nothing more than the usual, I try and speak with him seriously for a
change, and he decided it was time for a cold shower. So. . " she looked
down, shame coloring her still vibrant skin, "I made him sleep outside. . "
"No kidding. . did you let him back in yet?"
"Unfortunately yes. Honestly Ranma, I don't know what's worse to listen
to; the moaning groaning 'feel sorry for me' form of your father, or the
heaving sobs of Soun Tendo when he doesn't have a partner to play GO with. .
I just couldn't take the noise anymore." ORanma winced.
"Ya know Mom, maybe having Soun move in with you two wasn't such a good
idea, maybe he should-"
"No Ranma, he's fine here."
"But Akane and I could handle the extra person. ."
"You and Akane have enough to handle, with Ryoga, Ranko, and all those
classes. Another person would just be entirely too much to ask."
"But-"
"Besides, Soun isn't a burden. Of course, there is the crying, but it's
very seldom, and it does give me joy to see how happy the two men are
together. Trust me, my son, if that man weren't here, every time I open my
mouth Genma would be running off to your house to see him." ORanma gave a
small laugh and took the arm his mother offered and allowed himself to be led
into the house.
* * * *
As OAkane began her dash towards the Amazon, she noticed that Shampoo had
suddenly brought out her bonboris in a very Mousse like fashion. OAkane
swiftly changed course, reaching down to the outside to pick up a fairly
good-sized broken tree branch. Her white sandals scraped roughly against the
rocky dirt as she slid to a halt, the branch rested relaxed in her palms, one
end in front of the other. <Good thing hand-to-hand combat wasn't the only
thing Ranma and I trained for. . >
"Akane crazy if think she can beat Shampoo with puny stick!" A slight
change in her posture alerted OAkane, and then they were both moving.
Shampoo's left bonbori swung down in a perfect arc, aimed for OAkane's
right shoulder, her intent to stiffen the joint of the dominant arm. OAkane
used both her hands to plunge the stick into the ground for leverage to send
out both her legs. Her feet smashed heavily into the bonbori, knocking it
off its base. At the split second Shampoo used to look at the broken ball
rolling away in shock, OAkane quickly jammed her stick to her left side and
rammed her feet into the other multicolored ball, sending it too, to it's
death.
Shampoo narrowed her eyes at the broken pieces of wood in her hand, and
threw the shorter one to the side. Her purple gaze gave off a deadly heat, a
deadly fury. She arced her weapon down with a feral growl toward OAkane's
right wrist. OAkane blocked easily with her own stick, grinning slightly at
the familiar shock as wood clashed with wood. She then changed her grip and
tried for a trap, but Shampoo whipped her own stick out of the way and was
facing her once again, as if she'd never moved in the first place. OAkane
fainted towards her left wrist and then went for a leg sweep. Shampoo leaped
over it and smiled. <She knows, she knows I'm not fast enough. . > She went
for a head strike that was blocked with a sharp whack from the other stick.
"Nice try, now Shampoo's turn." The strikes came to quickly. Ranma
looked on, restraining himself from launching into the fro, watched helpless
as OAkane could do no more that block and evade the Amazon's furious attacks.
<Think Akane, think. . how can you win this without speed. . > she
vaguely noticed that she was being backed into the corner of the lot, where
the two bordering fences met each other.
"Face it Akane, you no strong," she drove her stick upward, forcing
OAkane to pull her guard up. Before she knew it, Shampoo had gotten through.
The sickening thud of wood against human flesh echoed through her head
painfully. A hand came forward reflexively to cover the bruised ribcage
while the other hand frantically tried to obtain a steady grip on her own
weapon. Shampoo eyes gleamed coolly, unmercifully, as she immediately took
advantage of the injury by slamming her stick into the elbow of the arm that
was cradling OAkane's front. "You is weak girl, you going to lose airen
without Shampoo trying hard!" <Why that-wait a sec, weak? That's it! > She
continued backing until her back came against the fence.
OAkane dropped her shoulders, caving her body inward and viewed the spark
of absolute triumph in Shampoo. <That's it, see? I'm tired. I hurt too
much.> She lowered her free arm, the stick almost dangling from limp
fingers. She winced as the stick hit against her once more. <That's it
Shampoo, believe it, I'm not the strong ox Ranma always says I am, you hurt
me. . . > The wire of the fence bit into her back and OAkane looked down at
Shampoo's purple shoes with a barely perceptible smirk. <Just another
second, then I make my move. . gotta use everything I've got left. . which
isn't much, so don't screw this up . . >
"Akane!!! Get out of the corner!! Now!!" Shampoo turned towards
Ranma's shout and gave a small giggle.
"To late airen, Akane already beaten. Now Shampoo finish and we get
married, yes?" <Now!> Shampoo's mouth gasped in shock as she felt the sharp
sting of OAkane's stick deeply hitting her side. She quickly went for the
legs again, this time succeeding in sending the Amazon to her back.
Straddling her, OAkane threw her hands out, fingers hitting the nerves on
the inner sides of Shampoo's arms, numbing both limbs easily. Shampoo
struggled feebly and threw up her head to scream in frustration.
"How you-" OAkane shoved a tight hand over her mouth.
"Quiet!" She let the heat enter her voice, but kept it soft enough so
Ranma would not here. "Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way," the
purple eyes narrowed, "you give up on Ranma and I will not give you anymore
humiliation, or I make you hurt, your choice." She released her hand.
"Shampoo not give up, is Amazon law to marry Ran-" OAkane cut her words
short when she slammed the blunt end of her weapon up under the jaw, knocking
her into unconscious instantly. The proud Amazon's head rolled backwards,
her long hair flowing over her face as it hit the ground with a soft thump.
<It's over. . .> The pains from Shampoo's earlier hits were suddenly dragged
to the front of OAkane's mind causing her to double over in pain. <Not
having the same speed as I do in the future. . without that numbing
technique, I never would have made it.>
Strong hands moved around her waist to lift her to her feet. Her eyes
moved upward to face cool blue-gray.
"R-Ranma? What's the matter. . ? I won. . " His hands gripped her
shoulders.
"I know that, and that's the problem. So I want you to tell me right
now," the hands released their grip harshly, causing her to crumple to the
ground, <Why is he looking at me like that?>, "who are you and what have you
done with Akane?!?"
* * * *
"One Falsehood Spoils A
Thousand Truths."
-African Proverb
* * * *
A.N: Fianally got that fight scene done!! ::sighs, feeling the great weight
being lifted off her shoulders:: ^_^ Anyways, C&C always welcome e-mail:
Kat...@aol.com
or visit the web page: http://kachiekodachi.tripod.com/index.html
-Kachie