Travels, Training and Trials, Chapter 3
Travels, Training and Trials
A Ranma 1/2 fanfic by June "KaraOhki" Geraci
December 1, 1999
Ranma 1/2 was created by Rumiko Takahashi, and its characters belong to her. I'm merely borrowing them. The story below is for entertainment purposes only, and may not be used commercially.
Note: [ ] indicates thoughts
Chapter 3
Akane struggled vainly. Ranma had her pinned.
"I yield," she said.
Ranma released his hold on Akane and offered her a hand up. She accepted his help but pulled her hand out of his as soon as she was on her feet. Then she retrieved her bag and ran into the school as if a horde of demons was after her.
Kuno and Ranma watched her departure with totally different feelings. Kuno had always been completely confident that he would be the one to defeat Akane. Now this stranger had come out of nowhere and done so. He was disappointed, humiliated, and angry. Whoever this Ranma was, he would live to regret what he had just done.
Ranma was confused. Why had Akane run away like that? He was only trying to help. He'd have to catch up with her and find out. Without giving Kuno a thought or a glance, he ran after her.
*****
Nabiki nearly fell out of the window. She made it a point of watching Akane's battles every morning. Her little sister was very talented.
The last thing she'd ever expected to see had just happened. Akane had been defeated. What really disturbed her, though, was the look on her sister's face as she ran into the school. It wasn't the one she expected, which would have been rage. What she'd seen was fear. Pure, total fear.
*****
Ranma ran up the stairs and spotted Akane down the hallway. He caught up to her before she entered the classroom.
"Akane, wait up!"
By this time Akane had managed to control her expression, if not her feelings. The face she turned to Ranma was carefully neutral.
"This is our classroom. We'd better go inside before we're late."
"No. I want to know why you ran out on me just now."
The neutral mask began to crumble. Akane made an effort and controlled herself, but for just a second Ranma caught a look in Akane's eyes that he had never seen on a human before. It was the look of a trapped animal. Ranma instinctively reached out a hand to comfort Akane, causing her to practically jump out of her shoes.
"Don't touch me!"
"What? What did I do?"
The classroom door opened to reveal an annoyed teacher.
"Young man, since you are more interested in arguing with Miss Tendo than coming in to introduce yourself, you may stay out here with her."
He pointed to the janitor's closet.
"Get the buckets."
*****
Kuno marched into the classroom with a minute to spare and sat down. He didn't look at anyone or say a word, although he was very aware of their stares. The person staring at him the hardest was Nabiki Tendo, whose mind was racing.
[I don't care what Daddy said about 'pretending to like Ranma' now that he defeated Akane. I have to take advantage of this now!]
"I see you've met Akane's new boyfriend."
Kuno twitched.
"Boyfriend?"
Nabiki draped herself across Kuno's desk.
"Oh yes. Seems Daddy's been keeping a little secret from us. He and Ranma�s father agreed that Ranma would marry one of the Tendo girls. Ranma asked for time to decide, but it looks to me as if he already has."
Nabiki knew that her remark would make an impression on Kuno, but she didn't get the reaction she'd expected. First he looked as if someone had hit him over the head with his own bokken. Then he looked murderous.
What Nabiki didn't know was that Kuno had been living in a private fantasy for months. He had convinced himself that Akane was waiting for him to defeat her and would willingly become his girlfriend. They would go everywhere together, hand in hand, perfectly happy. It never occurred to him that she would reject such a magnificent specimen of a man.
Now Ranma was endangering that fantasy. His first reaction was grief; his second rage.
"I will NOT permit it!"
The door slammed behind him as he ran from the room.
*****
Ranma patiently waited for Akane to break the silence. She stood beside him staring at the floor. Her whole body was so quiet that he had to look carefully to see if she was breathing. When it became evident that Akane had no intention of speaking to him, Ranma decided it was up to him to begin.
"Akane?"
No answer.
"Akane?"
"What?"
"Why are you mad at me?"
Akane lifted her head and looked at Ranma. She looked like she wanted to cry.
"Why did you DO that? I thought you were my friend."
"I AM your friend! I figured if I beat you the other guys would leave you alone."
The look directed at Ranma was filled with distrust.
"So you say."
The look of hurt on Ranma's face made Akane feel very guilty, but not enough to remove the distrust. She was relieved when the teacher opened the door and asked them to come inside, where Akane went directly to her seat. The teacher asked Ranma to remain standing and introduce himself.
"Good morning. My name is Ranma Saotome, and--"
The classroom door burst from its hinges.
"I will NOT allow it!"
All of the eyes in the room were instantly focused on Kuno, who stood glaring at Ranma. The teacher opened his mouth to send Kuno away, but he thought better of it and moved aside. He already knew how skilled Kuno was, and the way the new student held himself told him that yet another martial artist was attending Furinkan High School.
"You won't allow what?"
"We have been battling for months for the exquisite privilege of dating Akane Tendo, honing our skills in order to earn the right to stand beside her. Now you've defeated her, and I've learned that you are to marry her! I cannot allow that!"
"MARRY?"
The word was repeated over and over by Akane's stunned classmates. Akane turned bright red and began stuttering.
"NO! I mean, it's Daddy's idea!"
Without realizing that she'd done so, Akane gave Ranma a look that plainly said "Help me!"--a look that was so piteous he couldn't help but obey. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. He had to get Kuno away from Akane before she fell apart.
"This is a private matter, Upperclassman. Do you think we should be discussing it in front of everybody? I'm out of here!"
Ranma took off down the hallway, pursued by Kuno.
"You won't escape me that easily, Saotome!"
"Who's trying to escape? You want to talk? Follow me!"
With those words, Ranma jumped out of a window. Akane had left her desk and was standing in the doorway wondering whether she should get involved or not when she realized where the window led.
Kuno followed, so intent on catching Ranma that he forgot they were on the third floor. He looked down in time to see Ranma land in the swimming pool. Seconds later, he too was in the pool.
[Oh no, Ranma's curse!] Akane flew downstairs, causing a storm of whispers.
"She must really like him if she's following him outside like that!"
"But I thought Akane HATED boys!"
"He's a lot cuter than Kuno!"
The teacher moved to the front of the classroom, and cleared his throat.
"Now that our distractions have left us, I suggest we get some work done."
*****
Nabiki watched Kuno rush out of the classroom. He'd reacted just as she'd planned. Ranma would have his hands full now.
Confident that she no longer had to worry about being forced to marry Ranma, Nabiki settled down at her desk. Her boyfriends sat on either side of her, glaring at each other. Nabiki smiled at both.
So far she had everything under control.
[I don't really care WHO marries Ranma, so long as it isn't ME. Maybe Daddy needs to hear about Ranma's little battle with Akane this morning...]
A slight twinge of conscience was quickly suppressed, and Nabiki put her mind on her studies.
*****
[Damn,] thought Ranma as he hit the water. [I should have looked first.]
He felt his body change at the same time he heard Kuno hit the water.
[Oh great...I've got to get out of here.]
Unfortunately, Kuno had other ideas. He grabbed Ranma, but instantly let go when he realized that the person he was touching was most definitely NOT male. Ranma pulled herself from the pool and was about to run off when Akane arrived.
"Now I know you're crazy."
"Gee, Akane, thanks a lot."
"Who-who are you? And where is Saotome?"
Kuno pulled himself from the pool and looked from one girl to the other. He was impressed by the fact that the lovely Akane had taken the trouble to follow him outside, but he was even more impressed by the second girl. Her soaked clothing clung to her curves, and the fire in her eyes told him that she too was interested in him. Had she thrown herself into the pool for his sake?
[Now what do I do? I can�t keep this curse a secret forever, can I?]
Lost in indecision, Ranma involuntarily backed up a step. Kuno immediately came two steps forward, holding out a hand.
�Fair one! You must not go!�
His hand was slapped away.
�Who are you calling �fair one�?�
Kuno reached for Ranma again, but was met with a fist. He regained consciousness in the semi-darkness of the janitor�s shed. Akane was standing over him.
�He�s awake. Are you ready?�
�Yeah.�
The strange girl was standing there with her hands on her hips. She looked extremely annoyed. Kuno wondered how he�d come to be in the shed, and what he could have done to anger the lovely lady. He tried to rise, and realized he was bound hand and foot. He opened his mouth to speak, but one look from her stopped him.
�I�m going to show you something. You might not understand it, so I�ll explain it.�
She nodded at Akane, who poured water from a steaming kettle over her head. Kuno watched in disbelief as her form shifted and she became...male? No, not just male, a specific male. Ranma Saotome.
�Wha---what?�
�It�s a problem I got a few weeks ago. I fell into a cursed spring in China. Now cold water will change me into a girl. Hot water will bring me back.�
�That�s not possible! This is some kind of trick. What kind of fool do you two take me for?�
The only answer he got was visual. Akane poured a bucket of water over Ranma, and Kuno saw him change back into a girl. They repeated the process three more times before he spoke again.
�All right. I believe you. Release me.�
Ranma untied Kuno, who immediately shoved him aside and left the shed. Akane began to follow but Ranma blocked the doorway.
�Not so fast. I want to talk to you.�
�We need to get to class!�
�Why bother? We�ll just end up in the hallway again. We can start again tomorrow.�
Ranma found a dry place to sit down, and patted the space beside him. Akane hesitated for a second before sitting. She looked extremely anxious.
[What am I supposed to say to her?] wondered Ranma. [She�s acting so weird, and I don�t know why.]
[Stupid, stupid, STUPID!] thought Akane. [Why didn�t I just stay in the classroom where I belonged? Then I wouldn�t be alone with him.]
Akane looked so upset that Ranma couldn�t help patting her hand. When she jumped backward and started to shake, he became concerned.
�Akane?�
Akane burst into tears. �Don�t hurt me. Please, don�t hurt me.�
*****
Kuno stood in the hallway holding the buckets. Thanks to Saotome, he was going to be spending the rest of the week cleaning toilets after school. That annoyed him, but his biggest concern was Akane.
[She must not marry that monster. I, Tatewaki Kuno, will not allow it!]
*****
�Hurt you? What makes you think I�d hurt you?�
[She must be running a fever or something,] thought Ranma, and he reached out to feel Akane�s forehead. Akane�s reaction stunned him. She stopped crying, a look of sheer fury crossed her face, and she slapped his hand away.
�I said not to touch me!�
�Okay, okay!! But you better explain what you just said!�
�My friends said...they said--�
�What?�
�You�re going to laugh at me!�
Ranma didn�t know what to do. One second Akane was afraid of him, then she was angry, and now she was frightened again. Whatever friendship they�d developed the night before seemed to have vanished. He took a deep breath and tried to speak as gently as possible. Dealing with irrational people was something he had no experience with.
�It�s okay, Akane. I�m not going to laugh at you, and I�m not going to hurt you. We�re supposed to be friends, remember? You can trust me.�
[Can I really trust a boy? I guess he�s not going to let me out of here unless I tell him the truth.]
She looked at the floor, trying to find the right words.
�I�ve been fighting the boys every morning for months now. They never gave up, and neither did I. Do you understand why?�
Ranma shook his head. �You didn�t like any of them?�
�That�s not it! I�ve known some of these boys since we were in grade school! I don�t want to be FORCED to be with a boy because he�s stronger than me! That�s what my girlfriends said--that if I got defeated by one of them, he could...he could...and I wouldn�t be able to do a thing to stop him!�
By this time Akane was beet red and looking at the floor again. Ranma looked at her in confusion, and then what she HADN�T said got through to him.
�Oh my God...so you�re afraid of ME because you think I�d...�
He turned away, desperately trying to think of the right thing to say. He just wasn�t good at talking to girls.
�I�m not that kind of guy, Akane. The only time I�d ever hit you is if we were sparring. I might hurt you then, but that�s part of who we are--martial artists. As far as that other stuff is concerned, I would never--I mean...�
Ranma trailed off, unable to put what he meant into words. Akane finally lifted her eyes to his. She studied his face carefully, noting that he was red with embarrassment.
�I�m sorry, Ranma,� she said softly. �I guess I jumped to conclusions. But we�re really in trouble now.�
�We are? Why?�
�You didn�t think, did you? Everybody in the school is going to think I belong to you now. That�s going to get back to our fathers. They�re going to think you made up your mind.�
Akane wouldn�t have thought it possible, but Ranma looked even more embarrassed.
�Well, um, I didn�t think. But maybe I have sort of made up my mind.�
�WHAT?�
�Let me explain! I already told Doctor Tofu that I�m not interested in Kasumi. I think it was Nabiki who told Kuno you�re supposed to marry me. Is that right?�
�Probably. That�s something my sister would do.�
�Then I wouldn�t want to marry a girl like that. I like you, Akane. I want to be your friend, and I want to know you better. Then we can decide if we want to get married.�
Ranma�s use of the word �we� made Akane smile. He was including her in the decision-making process.
�I�ll be your friend, Ranma. Just don�t tell our fathers anything, or they�ll have us down at City Hall before the day is over.�
Akane�s smile made Ranma�s heart thump uncomfortably. He was attracted to her. Very attracted. Perhaps more than was good for him. Once again he was reminded of Midori, and the sweetness of her kiss. What would it be like to kiss Akane?
That train of thought brought Ranma to his feet. Being alone with Akane like this was going to get him in trouble fast.
�I�m getting hungry, Akane. Want to go for ice cream?�
The abrupt subject change startled Akane. She took Ranma�s outstretched hand and allowed him to help her up.
�Sure.�
*****
The only thing that travels faster than light is gossip. Furinkan High School was filled with it. The problem was that no one knew what to believe.
Was Akane engaged to the new student, Ranma?
If Ranma defeated Akane, did that mean the morning battles were over?
Did Ranma really have a curse that turned him into a girl? This last question was the biggest topic of conversation, especially since no one wanted to believe Kuno when he described Ranma as some sort of monster.
*****
The two people with the answers to the questions were too busy ingesting huge amounts of ice cream.
�Ranma, can I ask you a couple of questions?�
�Sure, go ahead.�
�This morning you complained and fussed about going to school, but then you winked at me. Why?�
Ranma couldn�t help laughing.
�I was trying to let you in on the act. Pop doesn�t care much about how I do at school. Most of the education I got was because I went looking for it, not because he sent me. If he knew how happy I was to be going back to a regular school he�d say I was being distracted from the Art.�
Akane was very quiet while she digested this information.
�That explains a lot. You act one way when you�re alone with me, and another way when your father is around. How long are you going to keep this up?�
�I don�t know. I�m not ready to go off on my own yet, but I think about it a lot. I keep thinking maybe I can find a cure for this stupid curse.�
�Is there a cure?�
Ranma shrugged. �Supposedly there�s a Spring of Drowned Man at Jusenkyo, and if I jump into it I�ll go back to normal.�
�So why didn�t you do that right away?�
�Our guide wasn�t sure where it was. His father died before he could complete the chart he was making.�
Akane licked the hot fudge off her spoon and thought for a minute.
�So why didn�t you just experiment? You could have jumped from pool to pool until you found it.�
�Heh. That�s what I wanted to do, but he wouldn�t let me. Seems some other guy tried that. He overloaded his system and dropped dead.�
�Does that mean you�re stuck this way forever?�
�Maybe. Maybe not. He�s been experimenting with mice, and if he finds the spring he�s going to let us know. Pop gave him your address.�
Ranma polished off the rest of his sundae before he spoke again.
�I don�t know how long that would take. There are a lot of springs. Maybe the Spring of Drowned Man is just a legend...or maybe there�s another cure out there waiting for me to find it.�
Akane reached across the table and patted Ranma�s hand.
�There has to be.�
Ranma clasped Akane�s hand and squeezed it.
�Thank you.�
[That felt good,] thought Akane. [Just a friendly squeeze. It didn�t feel threatening at all.]
[Damn, I wonder if she knows what it does to me when she touches me. It�s Midori all over again.]
Kasumi Tendo was on her way home when she happened to glance in the window of the ice cream parlor. Her sister Akane was holding hands with Ranma? This was something her father had to be told about.