[Ranma][FanFic] Ranma's Fiancees - Part 6
jstai...@earthlink.net
So there! 8P
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Ranma 1/2: Ranma's Fiancees
By Lady Tesser and Jack Staik
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Kodachi Kuno sat dejectedly in the dark on her bed.
They had taken her belts, her hoops, her clubs, her scarves, her ribbon. There
was nothing she could use to escape the Nerima Rehabilitation Center and go
home.
She didn't mean to ingest so much venom. She was just trying to figure out the
exact dosage it took to render a person incapacitated for a while. Oh, well,
at least her system was now flushed of the poison. Who cares about the gajin
Twelve Step Program for drug abusers, she wasn't one of them.
Her father told the doctors she was trying to commit suicide because her
Ranma-sama had decided to marry some other girl.
The young woman sighed, and played with the medical tape she had picked off
one of the orderlies. She pulled the thick, cloth-like tape from the roll, and
twirled it in her fingers.
An idea formed.
She pulled all the tape from the roll and doubled it all up, forming an
incredibly long stiff ribbon. She ripped it in half, then fourths, creating
four ribbons. Kodachi then searched her room thoroughly and located long
cotton-tipped swabs, perfect to be held in the hand. She attached the ribbons
to the ends of the cotton swabs, then tested out their aerodynamic and
potential destruction on her room.
The results were quite pleasing. Pleasing enough to make her laugh.
The orderly heard the demented maniacal laughter from the Kuno room, and
(since he was new and didn't know any better) went to open the door to see
what was going on.
The end of an improvised combat ribbon smacked across his face, and he
squealed in pain. Kodachi leapt out of her room, landing on top of the young
man, screaming, "YATTA!"
"Kodachi Kuno is breaking out!" a nurse shrieked.
Several orderlies attempted to restrain the gymnast; diving and bear holding,
but the nubile girl slipped out of the grasps before they could catch hold.
All the while, her new ribbons were crippling and injuring the staff.
"Time to check out of here and find my Ranma-sama!" she cried, pirouetting
down the hall, leaping over the diving orderlies.
<But first, a trip home to change out of these shapeless rags and into
something more appropriate for meeting my darling Ranma.>
* * * * * * * * * *
Ryoga stood at the door of Dr. Tofu's clinic, forlornly watching the wind whip
the rain over the streets. Doctor Tofu placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Come in, Ryoga. The electricity's out, and I've no more hot water for you."
"Aw, Doc, I was *this* close - "
He watched Tofu shake his head sadly, and Ryoga sighed.
"You abused Akane's trust for almost a year." Tofu said. "I think her reason
is legitimate. Who sent you back here?"
Ryoga scratched his head. "Eh, Ranma's curse - that redheaded girl - or guy -
whatever. She - or he - whatever - says 'hi' to you."
Tofu smiled gently. "She's a 'she', just as you're a human even though you
change form to a piglet. And her name is Ranko."
"Sorry." Ryoga said. "It's kinda confusing - I mean ... how? Is Ranma still
cursed? I don't understand this."
Tofu sighed, and sorted out what he could tell without violating
doctor/patient confidentiality. "From what I can gather, the Jusenkyo curse
not only gives a new form, and the ability to change between the forms with
water, but it also grants a second soul."
"Nani?" Ryoga asked.
"Ranko came into existence the instant that Ranma was cursed. They struggled
for dominance for a while, but Ranma almost always won. Then they established
contact, and began a friendship. For unknown reasons, they separated yesterday
and became independent beings - albeit with complementary curses."
"Yeah, I noticed her curse." Ryoga said. "And Ranma still has his curse?"
Tofu nodded. "So attacking either of them trying to beat a 'cure' out of them
is a fool's errand."
"Does that mean that I ..."
"Have a piglet's soul inside you?" Tofu finished. "I checked you ... and the
answer is yes. If you didn't have the discipline from your martial arts
training, the piglet would become dominant every time you changed."
"So every time I change, a small animal is ... tortured. Gazing out my eyes,
but having no control of his own body."
Tofu nodded sadly, and left Ryoga to gaze outside. The moral ramifications of
this discovery could be resolved only by the victims.
Ryoga looked out into the storm, his soul darker than ever before. The very
first person he ever beat up was a neighbor who kicked a puppy. Now he
personally was responsible for causing a small animal to suffer.
Two figures whipped by. He did a double-take and recognized Akane and Ranma
... wearing a dress?! No, that's probably that curse-girl, Ranko.
Who was formed from Ranma. She's probably as big a pervert and reprobate as
Ranma! She's probably luring poor Akane away as part of a plot to take
advantage of her!
He ran into the clinic and looked for a rain slicker, an umbrella - anything
to use.
* * * * * * * * * *
Ranma came to, feeling the ache at the back of his head. He found himself
blindfolded and bound, trapped inside a waterproof tarp, slung over someone's
shoulder.
He estimated the gait of the run, the strength, and the feel of the hands
holding him.
Ucchan.
"Lemme go, Ukyo!" he screamed.
"Ran-chan, I'm saving you from that monster!"
"What monster?" he struggled against his bonds, wriggling in her grasp.
"Akane Tendo, honey! That jackass father of yours is still wanting you to
marry her, huh?"
He relaxed his movements, and grinned, sighing, "Yeah ... "
"Well, I'm going to save you from her! Marry *me* instead!"
"What? OW!" he exclaimed as he landed on his backside on the floor.
Ukyo unwrapped him and pulled his blindfold down.
"Sorry to do that to you, Ran-chan, but that Akane and some other tramp girl
had their arms around you."
"That other girl is my *sister*." he snarled. "And I don't appreciate you
bad-mouthing her! Or Akane!"
Ukyo looked embarrassed. "Gomen, Ran-chan. I - wait a minute! You don't have a
sister!"
"I do now!" he protested.
"Then how come I never saw her before?" she asked, being somewhat jealous
(after that stunt Ranma pulled once trying to convince her that he and Akane
were married, she'd been wary of such tricks.)
"You have!" he said, grabbing a suspiciously-convenient glass of water and
upending it. "Look familiar?" Ranma-chan commented.
Ukyo's eyes grew wide. "Ohmigod ... she looks - I mean you look - oh my." She
lowered her head. "Gomen nasai - and I *mean* that."
Ranma nodded. "And now that that's out of the way - WHY HAVE YOU
KIDNAPPED ME!?!"
Ukyo flinched, then went to turn on the gas ring to heat some water. "I just
wanted to save you from that - Akane!"
"She's your friend, Ukyo! Or she was - I don't think she's forgiven you for
throwing those bombs at the wedding."
"I'm sorry about that - but I couldn't let you get trapped in a loveless
marriage!"
"It won't be a loveless marriage! Not now!"
"Oh no ... they *brainwashed* you!!"
"What??" Ranma-chan started to edge toward the door. "Um ... it's been fun,
Ucchan, but I think I should get home -"
"OH NO YOU DON'T!!" she cried, pulling a mass of ultra-sticky okonomiyaki
dough out and hurling it at Ranma-chan's feet.
"What are you - UGH!!" Ranma-chan cried as Ukyo's battle-spatula walloped her
upside the head.
"I really am sorry Ranchan," Ukyo said as she tied her unconscious fiance up
with super-elastic yakisoba, "but they obviously did something to you. Until I
can deprogram you, I've got to keep you safe."
* * * * * * * * * *
"Now," asked Nodoka after Kasumi had served the tea. "Who was that girl who
looked so like my son. She referred to Ranma as 'Niichan'?"
"Well, yes." Kasumi said. "Ranko -"
"Is she Ranma's sister?" Nodoka asked.
Nabiki and Kasumi looked at each other. The mere fact she would ask that
question hinted at all sorts of things. "Well ... yes." Kasumi admitted. "You
see -"
"So Ranma knows." Nodoka sighed.
Nabiki arched an eyebrow. "And he's been rather upset, too." she commented.
(Of course, Ranma had been upset about Akane's nervous breakdown, but Nabiki
couldn't be responsible about what Nodoka assumed - or what she spilled as a
result of that assumption.)
"But-" Kasumi began.
"Hush!" Nabiki hissed.
Nodoka slumped where she sat. "I had dreaded this day." she whispered. "I
should have known better. I should have -" She took a deep breath. "Does Genma
know?"
"I don't think so." Nabiki commented, waving at Kasumi to keep silent.
"I know I shouldn't have, but Genma was gone for so long on his training, and
Ichiro was so caring ... Genma never noticed that Ranma was conceived when he
was gone. Or that Ranma didn't even look like him." She smiled grimly. "Even
that girl - Ranko? - she looks like Ichiro, also. I can't believe that Genma
hasn't figured out that they have the same father."
"Oh my." Kasumi commented.
"Um - he thinks that Ranko is *his* daughter." Nabiki commented.
"Has Ranko mentioned her real father?" Nodoka asked. "It would be good to hear
of Ichiro-san."
"She thinks *Genma* is her father." Nabiki commented.
Nodoka smiled. "Somehow, it doesn't surprise me that Genma would be
unfaithful. It seems appropriate."
"Since you were?" Nabiki asked.
Nodoka nodded, looking ashamed.
"Oh my." Kasumi repeated.
"So this 'Ichiro' is Ranma's *real* father?" Nabiki confirmed.
Nodoka nodded again, blushing.
Kasumi tried to look sympathetic. <It seems Ko-chan was right.>
* * * * * * * * * * Ryoga found his way into Dr. Tofu's private apartment.
He wasn't quite sure how, but he didn't think about it for long.
His search for something completely waterproof was still in vain. He trudged
on, his need to defend Akane-san from the perverted attentions of Saotome and
his new sister fueled his quest.
At last, he opened a trunk, and pulled out a black and magenta suit, complete
with breathing tanks, mask, hood, and flippers.
"I didn't know the doc was into SCUBA diving," Ryoga murmured.
(Light-bulb flash)
"Hey! With this on, I bet I could go out in the typhoon and not get a drop on
me!"
Ryoga stripped our of his clothes and struggled into the wetsuit, cursing the
fact that Tofu was too tall and skinny to have such a tight suit. And
*magenta*! What kind of a color was that?
He glanced at the tanks and flippers and mask.
<Why the hell not?>
He pulled the tanks on and slipped his feet into the flippers. He positioned
the mask over his face and inserted the mouthpiece, flipping the switch on.
<There. I'm ready for action.>
He placed one flipper out to take a step - and fell flat on his face.
<Okay, this is going to take some getting used to.>
* * * * * * * * * *
Meanwhile, Akane and Ranko-kun raced through the wet streets of Nerima toward
Ucchan's.
"I'm going to break that bitch in two!" Akane hissed under her breath into the
wind. "I'm going to pound her into the form of - of - *applesauce*! And then
I'm going to - "
"Calm down, Akane-chan," Ranko-kun said, catching up to her and running
alongside.
"She kidnapped my Ranma!" Akane wailed. "First she ruins our wedding, now she
does this! Who the hell does she think she is?!"
"You both knew something like this was going to happen once you two decided to
finally love each other." Ranko-kun pointed out.
Akane closed her eyes, squeezing the tears out. She wiped her face of the
stinging rain.
Ranko-kun shook his head sadly. <She's way too fragile - it's too soon after
her breakdown. After we get Niichan back, we have *got* to get Akane-chan away
from all this for a while. Somewhere quiet.>
Shampoo let the little monkey (er, Hiba-chan) guide her as they were heading
into the wind, as she had to place the umbrella in her face to keep the water
from washing the soap off. She briefly wondered what effect it would have on
her skin by leaving it on for so long, but she distracted the thought with
visions of her Airen in intimate embraces with her. (She may not really love
him, but the thought of getting naked with him and doing something involving
dessert toppings and ostrich feathers was not without its appeal.)
Cologne pogoed ahead on her staff, keeping a swift gait as she trailed the
two. The oddness of her future son-in-law not having his curse take effect in
the rain (never mind that he wore a dress) was tumbling around in her ancient
head. The only theories she could entertain were water from Spring of Drowned
Boy or he had found a cure - one less risky and time-consuming than the one
she knew. If so, then he *should* share it with her granddaughter! What a
lovely groom's gift to his bride! (Not to mention avoiding the hazards of the
cure she knew about.)
She pressed ahead, mindful of the debris swirling about them.
Behind them, unnoticed, a figure in a black and magenta SCUBA suit waddled
after them, waving a big umbrella.
* * * * * * * * * *
The Old Pervert hopped the sealed fence of the Tendo Dojo, reaching his aura
out to feel for his kawaiikochan.
"Come to Happi-san, little girl, I am here to take you away as my eternal
bride! I won't hurt you, I promise. I need you."
The girl's presence was gone.
Happosai relaxed and allowed his perceptions to expand beyond his flesh. The
swirling forces of the typhoon were like an aurora to him ... and in the
distance, several bright flames, converging on one place.
<Ucchan's,> he thought. <And wherever there's an impending disastrous battle,
Ranma - and most likely my kawaiikochan - are in the middle of it. As usual.>
With a demented cackle, he hopped away into the storm, heading for his
youthful bride.
* * * * * * * * * *
Konatsu was the first to be aware of the knocking on the back door of
Ucchan's.
He got up from the lotus position he was seated in, and went to the door. He
wondered who would it be, considering the typhoon was getting stronger, and
his heart melted at the fact that it could be a poor child without a home,
caught in the storm.
Instead, he found a soaking wet and extremely angry Akane Tendo and a soaking
wet and serious looking Ranma wearing a dress.
He did a double-take. Ranma usually had better fashion sense (although that
particular dress would look *fabulous* on his female form).
"Aren't you supposed to be in the cafe with Ukyo-sama?" Konatsu chirped.
"So, my brother *is* here," Ranko-kun stated, brushing past him. "Thanks,
Konatsu-san."
Konatsu stood in the doorway, watching the tight-lipped Akane and what
appeared to be Ranma's twin brother in drag march into the dining area, with
complete puzzlement. Then closed the door and gave up trying to figure it out.
It was no place for him to question what was going on.
"What do you think is going on in there?" Cologne absently mused, watching the
two enter the restaurant's back door.
"Shampoo think party!" her great-granddaughter replied. "Shampoo think *dry*
party." <Gah, I want to get out of this and get this gunky soap off. Then
maybe have a hot soak and slip into bed and relax with a guy - or three. I
wonder if the Misasoto brothers are available tonight?>
Cologne cleared her throat, and pogoed ahead to the back door, saying, "Come
along, time to get him. You're sweating off the Jusenkyo Soap already."
"It hot in raincoat, Hiba-chan," Shampoo replied, following her. <If this
ruins my skin, you little monkey, I'm going to kill you!>
Ryoga barely managed to keep up with the damned flippers on his feet, but he
kept the Amazons in sight the whole time. After all, when Amazons trail
someone, that someone is usually Ranma.
He hefted his umbrella. <I'll save you from the hentai Saotomes, my darling
Akane.> he thought, flopping through the rain toward Ucchan's.
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To Be Continued
(Next time: The First Big Fight Scene!)