[Ranma] "Scarlet Spring" (9/11) By Henry J. Cobb $Id: scarlet_spring9.txt,v 1.7 1997/05/11 21:18:24 hcobb Exp $ The Ranma 1/2 characters and situations are the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. No infringement of her copyrights is intended. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Cast: Akane Tendo: 16 year-old violent tomboy, wears her bluish-black hair in a ponytail. She fell into a Chinese spring a while back, but all she got was a cold. Ranma Saotome: Akane's fiancee of convenience, he's also 16 and wears his jet black hair in a ponytail. He picked up this curse in China a few months ago that turns him into a girl that he's never shown Akane. Shampoo: Chinese amazon, great friend of Akane since her visit to China. Recently she picked up a curse from a Chinese spring that turns her into Akane. These days she wears her hair in a ponytail, it's purple when she's in her own form, bluish-black when she's another Akane. Has been hooked on Ranma, ever since he beat her up. His lips may say "No, No!", but his fists say "Yes, Yes!", right? The other Akane: Another girl has Akane's form and has tangled with Shampoo in the past. Cologne: Matriarch of the Chinese amazons and Shampoo's great-grandmother. Is even more insistent that Ranma marry her descendent and he's never even tagged her. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday morning, Akane came downstairs to breakfast with Shampoo, in her cursed form. "I thought you said it wasn't proper to go around with Akane's face, Shampoo?" Ranma asked. "It isn't her fault. Tell them X'ian-ko." Akane sat next to Ranma. Shampoo sat in the remaining empty spot, next to Ranma. She braced herself for a moment then said. "Great-grandmother poke Shampoo's cat's tongue spot. Now no can stand hot water, so no can change back. She say Shampoo not to return without Ranma. OWWWW!!!!" "Oops! Sorry about that." Ranma picked up the teacup he had spilled onto Shampoo's arm. "That was deliberate!" Akane sprang up to comfort her friend. "Oh, my!" Kasumi got up and walked to the kitchen, then returned with some ice in a towel, which Akane applied to Shampoo's arm. "Well, at least we know that part of the story's true." Ranma got up and started to walk to the phone. "Abandonment? Should be enough to get the lot of them deported..." "Yes officer", Akane said, "my name is X'ian Pu." "You wouldn't." "Try me." "OK Akane, you win. What do we do?" "This, this is my cousin Ami. She's been living in China for the last decade, so her Japanese isn't very good, but her parents died in an accident, so she's come to live with us." "Daddy! Are you going to put up with this?" "Yes Nabiki. Whatever our current troubles, Shampoo is the one who saved Akane's life. We at least owe her shelter." "What?" "Yes, I stood there helpless, then Shampoo threw Akane a rope and I helped pull her from the spring." "It's time for school. Come on ``Ami'', let's get dressed." Ranma was shocked. "You're taking her along?" "Yes, I won't abandon her." Ranma walked behind the two Akanes, on the fence, then hopped down just before the school gate to stand next to the real Akane. "Saotome, you foul sorcerer! You have captured not one, but two of my fair Akane!" "Upperclassman Kuno, this is my cousin Ami." "You can have that one. I hear she's available." "Ranma!" "Both so beauteous, how could I choose just one?" Tatewaki attempted a double glomp, but was met by Shampoo's fist. "Good move Shampoo." "Ranma really think so?" "Ranma! Watch what you call her, in public. And Ami, next time say: ``Ranma, do you really think so?'', OK?" In class, Shampoo got the seat on the other side of Akane from Ranma. "The reign in Spain falls manely on the planes." "That was quite good Ami", Hiniko-sensei noted, "Your English is much better than your Japanese." "Sha-- Ami got dub." "Oh, I see." At P.E., Akane introduced "Ami" to the track team, while Ranma played soccer. "Ranma!" A long haired boy in Chinese robes leapt over the fence and confronted Daisuke, "What have you done with Shampoo?" "I don't want to do anything with Shampoo", Ranma replied. Shampoo looked a little hurt as Akane grabbed her hand and walked towards the disturbance. "What have you done with her, you fiend!" The Chinese boy turned to Ranma. "Why, she's right..." Ranma turned and saw Akane's glare, "...I haven't seen Shampoo's face since Monday. Why don't you ask the old bat? I hear she threw Shampoo out. Who are you anyway?" "I am Mousse. I am to be Shampoo's groom." "What you talk about? We just friends from old times!" Shampoo saw the worried look Akane gave her. "I mean, you just Shampoo's friend, or so I've heard." Mousse took out a pair of thick glasses and looked at Shampoo then at Akane and then back to Ranma. "Ranma, I challenge you for Shampoo!" "Hey, I'd love to help you out, but I haven't seen your girlfriend's face lately." "You lie! I will have truth this Saturday at noon." Mousse leapt back over the fence. "Nerima is just crawling with weirdos. Are you sure you want to stay here Ami?" "Ranma!" That evening, Shampoo dropped her book onto Akane's desk. "Is too hard." "Ami, do you know why Ranma doesn't like you?" "Akane know?" Shampoo turned to Akane. "I think it's because he thinks you're stupid." "Is not true. Sha-- Ami just not know Japanese." "Then we can show him, can't we? Will you try and show Ranma?" "Yes, Ami study hard for Ranma!" "Now, which part is too hard?" "Not know this word." As Shampoo pointed in the book, Akane heard Ranma noisily practicing in the Dojo. She had been skipping out on their practice sessions, but this was more important. Saturday, a boxing ring had been setup in the schoolyard and a cart from the Nekohanten was setup nearby to serve ramen. "They're making a circus of this." Akane noted. "It's my father." Shampoo pointed at the man tending the cart and started to walk towards him. "Did he object to Cologne's order?" Akane grabbed Shampoo's hand and held her back. "No." "Then let's respect her wishes too, right?" "You two seem to be getting along well", Cologne pogoed up to Akane and Shampoo, "but where is Ranma?" "He'll be along shortly." "Ranma, you have come to our fight!" Mousse faced Hiroshi. "Put on your glasses fool!" Cologne rapped Mousse with her stick. "A ghoul!" Ranma walked up to the two Akanes. "Ranma come, fight for me?" "No way Ami. It's just that I've never turned down a challenge, and I'm not going to start now." "Ranma be careful. Mousse master of hidden weapons!" "Thanks", Ranma walked into the ring, "Anytime you're ready Mousse!" The fight seemed to be a fairly even match. But Mousse took more solid hits. Most of the attacks he had landed on Ranma had only torn at his clothing. Ranma was down to a tattered pair of pants when it started to rain. "No!" Ranma screamed, landed a knockout kick on Mousse and leapt away. "Very interesting", Cologne said as Ranma passed her. That evening, Ranma met Akane alone in the Dojo. "So, do you want to get back to our practice sessions? Let me guess, you want to include ``Ami'' now, right?" "No, I've got something very important to ask you. I'm afraid that Cologne has something awful planned for Shampoo. Please marry her." "No." "You won't move to China. I'll get daddy to adopt her. That way he and Genma can keep their promise. She won't mind helping to run the Dojo. She loves martial arts." "No, I don't love her. Damn it Akane, you're the one I love." "She can keep my face forever, I don't care." "That's not the same." "OK, OK, you can have us both. Marry her, live here, she keeps my face and I stay. You get to sleep with two Akanes every night and nobody will ever know." "Akane", Ranma took Akane into his arms. She didn't resist, he had to see the sincerity of her offer. He planted a row of kisses starting at her adam's apple and working along to her earlobe, which he gently nibbled on before whispering into her ear, "Akane, why are you offering me bigamy?" "Ranma!" Akane pulled back, "What a horrid way to put it." "That's what it is, isn't it?" Ranma kept his arms around Akane's waist, "Why is she so important to you? You have to live your own life sometime." "Please think about it", Akane disentangled and moved to the door. "I think I've already thought about more than you have", Ranma said to her back. Henry J. Cobb hcobb@slip.net http://www.io.com/~hcobb