[Ranma] "Scarlet Spring" (4/?) By Henry J. Cobb $Id: scarlet_spring4.txt,v 1.6 1997/01/09 14:52:19 hcobb Exp hcobb $ The Ranma 1/2 characters and situations are the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. No infringement of her copyrights is intended. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- So far: 10 year old Akane Tendo was unable to return home from her training trip in China in time to see her mom alive, because she had caught a nasty fever from a new cursed spring. (She met her best friend, Xian-ko at this time) Six years later, Ranma and Genma showed up after their trip to China. Akane has created a cover story that she and Ranma are happily engaged, in order to protect her father and get rid of the nuisance fights at school. Akane has discovered that Genma is cursed to turn into a panda and Ranma is cursed to turn into a girl, but she hasn't gotten a very good look at the girl form. Akane has photographic proof that she and her pet pig P-chan won the match with Kodachi that she had to concede due to her sprained ankle. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday afternoon, he came up the stairs and stopped, right in front of her door. Three minutes later Akane looked up from her book. "Come in daddy!" Then she went back to her reading. "You make me so happy, my little girl. Your martial arts skills improve every day." As if anybody else would have Soun's mournful shuffle. "Yes, Ranma's been teaching me. Thanks for picking him out for me. We're so very happy together." Well, Ranma hasn't been teaching me much. His dodging is getting better a lot faster than my accuracy's improving. I need some excuse to get him to help with my defence. I think I'll tell him that I need the practice, in case I'm attacked while he's not around. If anything happens to me, there goes his free meal ticket. He'll explain that we always go out together and I'll complain that he always runs away when he gets wet. He'll have to show me the cursed form or give in the point. "About Ranma," Her father interrupted Akane's contemplation. "you two don't seem to be going out on dates and such." "Well, I don't need to go out to see Ranma. He's always right here. And we've been so busy with schoolwork and training that we really haven't had the time." "That isn't a schoolbook you're reading now. Is it?" "But this does seem like a perfect day to go out together. No sense staying cooped up in the house all day." Akane found Ranma down in the living room, watching a martial arts show. "Get ready Ranma, we're going to the mall." "What's up?" Akane leaned down to whisper in Ranma's ear. "Daddy's just getting suspicious. Don't worry, it's not a date." Ranma seemed almost relieved to hear that. Akane changed into her skating outfit, grabbed her skates and P-chan and met Ranma at the door. "Do you have to bring that pig along?" "Yes. Everytime I leave P-chan at home alone he gets lonely and wanders off." As they approached the mall, Akane gave Ranma his instructions. "You don't have to watch, you'd only get bored. Just hang out for a few hours and I'll come get you when I'm done skating." "Sure, that's OK. I'll just try that new racing game." Ranma pointed at a two player game in the arcade, with a real cutie in one of the seats, her long blonde hair tied back with a red bow. "Say, aren't those your buddies from the school going into that ramen shop? Why don't you hang out with them?" "Sure, I'll brag about my exploits with my fiancee." "Don't get too excited." "You just wait right here honey, while mommy skates." Akane gave P-chan a kiss on the snout, then placed him on the bench. The pig blushed. As she got into the rhythm of ice skating, Akane thought over her recent "victory" against Kodachi. It isn't a question of my sanity. I was physically unable to even walk to the match that day. And yet, the girl in the photographs didn't favor either ankle. What girl looks enough like me to pull off this deception? And her martial arts skills, she must be better than Ranma. P-chan was there. If only that pig could talk... "Hi Akane." Two girls from Furinkan High skated up to Akane. They invited her to take a break and talk. It seemed they had a proposition for her. "Me, join the skating team?" "We saw what you did for the gymnastic team." "And you're even more graceful on skates." "You could be the school representative in no time." "What do you say Akane?" "Oh! P-chan!" "P-chan, isn't that your pet pig?" "Yes, you have got to work him into the act. He's so cute!" "No, I left him at the rink." Akane asked at the rink and heard that there had been a small black pig there, but some girl had taken it away. There was no alternative to calling in the cavalry. "Ranma!" Akane stormed into the Ramen shop, "Find P-chan!" "What?" Ranma got up from where he had been sitting with his buddies. "You lost him again?" "He was kidnapped." The girls from the skating club explained. "There were witnesses." "What's that over there?" Ranma pointed at a small black pig in the arms of a girl. Akane wished she knew how he did that. Akane got into an argument with the girl, who insisted on calling P-chan "Charlotte". Fortunately, another boy intervened and handed Akane's pig back, but the girl challenged her to a skating match over the issue. It was only at this point that Akane's new friends in the Furinkan High skating club remembered that these two were Azusa Shiratori and Mikado Sanzenin, Kolkhoz High's freestyle skating "Golden Pair", the regional champions. Mikado attempted to give Akane a kiss to "apologize" for Azusa's behavior, but Ranma challenged him. It was arraigned that the match would be pair skating, at Kolkhoz High, in a week's time. On the walk back home, Akane complemented Ranma on his timing. "You picked just the right moment to act. You were the very picture of the jealous boyfriend. So I take it that you're an expert skater?" "How hard can it be?" "Well P-chan, it's been nice knowing you. I hope you'll be happy in your new home." Akane kissed her pig goodbye. Back at home, Nabiki was also skeptical about their chances. "Aren't figure skating partners supposed to be in perfect harmony?" But a glance towards Daddy's study silenced her. "We are in perfect harmony. Right Ranma?" Akane held out her hand to him. "Of course Akane." He took her hand in his own. "Akane!" Ryouga sat down between her and Ranma. "Let me be your partner. I've even skated the Ross Ice Shelf." This just won't do. Akane thought. Pair figure skating is just too romantic. If I have a partner other than Ranma, it'll undercut my position. And Ryouga isn't even a student. "Don't be silly Ryouga! This ``Charlotte Cup'' business is Ranma's challenge. Unless, you'd like to take my place?" "Well, let me help teach him." "Oh thank you Ryouga, you're always such a dear friend to us both." Sunday at the mall rink, Akane took a breather as Ryouga taught Ranma the moves. Ryouga was pushing Ranma through the girl's moves, but Ranma was too distracted, trying to remain upright, to notice. Mikado skated right up to Akane. "I did not get a chance yesterday to properly express my apologies." He took her hand towards his lips. "Klonk!" Ranma landed head-to-head on Mikado, exactly where Ryouga had thrown him. Azusa grabbed her stunned partner and headed out on the ice. "Please clear the rink, it is time for the assault of a hundred foes." A hundred skaters attacked the golden pair and were defeated in as many seconds. "This is combat skating?" Ranma asked. "If it's got martial in it, we can win!" "Of course we can, if you'll just learn how to skate." Akane put an arm under Ranma's, to keep him upright. "What a cute pig!" A group of adoring girls were chasing P-chan on the ice. "I want to hold him." Akane tossed Ranma aside, and raced to P-chan, but Azusa got there first. "Charlotte, here's a present from mommy." Azusa snapped a collar on P-chan. "Give me back my pig!" Akane snarled. "This is no time to fight. Just look at your friend." Azusa pointed to where Ranma was flailing backwards towards the wall. Akane raced toward Ranma, but was intercepted by Mikado. "So, we meet again miss." He pulled her towards himself. "Smash!" Ranma butted Mikado aside. He seemed to have finally found his footing. "Stop going after my girl! We settle this now." "As you wish." Mikado used his dance of death, but Ranma jumped in and took him with shear speed and determination. As Akane helped Ranma back to his feet, she noticed that Azusa had already left, with P-chan. "Don't worry Akane." Ranma placed a hand on her shoulder, without instruction, but it was a public display, so it was OK. "We'll get P-chan back at the match." They came to the rink to practice every evening that week, but did not meet the Golden Pair again. Akane imagined P-chan being kept in a wire cage in a dank basement, sniffling as he started to run up a fever. On Friday, the evening before the match, Akane and Ranma were practicing the dance part of their routine. "I'm so disappointed that Ryouga hasn't shown up, but you've improved so much in this past week Ranma, maybe we do have a chance." Ranma did seem to have a knack for picking up new tricks. "You've been the best instructor I've ever had darling." Ranma pulled Akane in for the finale. It was nice, being held by Ranma like this. Akane considered that it must just be her love of skating, with the novelty of finally having a decent partner for figure skating. On Saturday, they arrived at Kolkhoz High, for the match. Most of the crowd was from Kolkhoz, but there were several dozen spectators from Furinkan High, plus Akane's family and Ranma's father, in his human form, thank goodness. P-chan was there, chained to the trophy cup, with the collar Azusa had given him. Mikado and Azusa, as the challenged pair, did their dance routine first, to a romantic classical piece. Their performance was perfect, cold and elegant. Afterwards they received polite cheering from their fan clubs. Then Akane and Ranma did their routine to "Dance Away". Akane closed her eyes at the end, and waited in Ranma's arms. A thunderous applause sounded from both sides of the hall. Akane looked up at her father. He was in tears as usual, but he seemed to be happy. Then she looked for one other. "Ranma, P-chan's missing!" The trophy cup still had a chain attached, but there was no pig on the end. "Don't worry Akane, I'm sure we'll get him back." Then it was time for the martial part of the match. Akane sped towards the pair and swung Ranma like an axe, but Mikado ducked under to grab her and attempted again to kiss her. Ranma attempted to pry him away, but Azusa kicked him down, then Akane flipped Mikado away. As the two pairs recovered, Ranma shouted at Mikado. "Akane is my fiancee, lay a lip on her and I'll kill you!" After this public display, nobody could doubt their sincerity. "Your fiancee?" Mikado asked. "Such a bond is fragile and I shall do everything in my power to break it!" Well, few could doubt their sincerity. Akane and Ranma attacked again, throwing a double kick, but Mikado ducked under to grab Ranma's ankle and throw him to Azusa. Akane skated back to grab him away and found herself at the end of a "Good-bye whirl". Ranma held onto her and outlasted Azusa. Then as Akane and Ranma were flying towards a wall, he twisted around to take the impact. "Ranma." Akane knelt over his prone form. Why was he was taking their act to such an extreme? Ranma got painfully to his feet and they attacked again, this time Ranma scored a kick on Mikado, getting a KO. As Mikado was carried off, Azusa came up to concede. Then Ryouga walked up. "Goodbye Charlotte." Azusa hugged Ryouga tightly, pressing her body against his. "I'll, I'll miss you." Then she wiped tears from her eyes and walked away. "What was that all about?" Akane asked. "I have no idea." Ryouga said. "I just got here." He seemed torn on some inner dilemma. "And where's P-chan?" "I'm afraid that's my fault Akane." Ryouga explained. "I saw him leaving as I arrived, and I didn't think to grab him and bring him to you. Here, I'll go fetch him." He wandered off. As Akane and Ranma were leaving, after changing out of their skating outfits, Akane thought about what had happened. She was now clearly the top girl at Furinkan High, with a fiancee the envy of every other girl there and her father was happy, with no grounds to complain about their vague future plans, but Ranma seemed to be taking the game more seriously than seemed reasonable. Why does he go so far? Sure, it must be great to have free room and board, but why does he risk his life? BOOM! The wall shattered inwards from some explosion. "Akane!" A girl, with purple hair in a Chinese outfit, wielding Bombori shouted. "I kill!" Akane hadn't seen this girl in six years, but she placed her instantly. "Xian-ko!" "Akane no right, call Shampoo that. Akane kill!" Ranma ripped a poster off the wall and threw it over Shampoo, then grabbed Akane and leapt out the hole and onto the roof. "Ranma?" "Shh!" He whispered. "She's a killer. We have to hide." Akane nodded at the truth in Ranma's words, as she silently cried. Xian-ko's eyes had been full of such rage. What could have turned her best friend into such a vengeful hunter? Henry J. Cobb hcobb@slip.net http://www.io.com/~hcobb