Ranma 1/2 A Saiyan tail.
part 4
Kuno's declaration of love.
Ranma glanced at Akane nervously, she looked angry again. He wasn't sure
if he did something to her or not at the moment. "Maybe it was Nabiki?"
he wondered to himself. She brushed her hair off her forehead and glared
at the front of the room. "I guess she's cute and all, but I still don't
see what the big deal is."
"You know, you looked smaller on TV," said one of the boys sitting
behind Ranma.
"Huh?" gasped the boy looking startled as he turned his attention
towards them.
"On TV, you know, when you fought in the Tenka ichi budokai?"
"Oh, I grew up allot since then," muttered Ranma as he looked to see
most of the boys had gathered around him.
"But it was just last year," said one of the other guys.
"Pop says the same thing happened to him, he shot up like a weed when he
turned eighteen," said Ranma looking thoughtful. "Maybe it's one of those
genetic things the Biology teacher was talking about?"
"I don't buy it, that kid looked to be about ten years old when I saw
it, no way it could have been you," muttered one of the boys in the
front.
"You don't believe me? I have a picture of me with my mom and pop after
I won," said Ranma as he reached over and lifted his bag. He rummaged
around for a moment and came out with a small photo of him in his orange
tunic with the turtle sign embroidered on it. He was being held on his
father's shoulder and his mother was standing next to them with a tight
smile. She looked happy, but very reserved and formal.
"Wow! That's your mom? She's a babe!" said one of the nearer boys.
"Uh, thanks?" muttered Ranma unsure of what to say. "I never really
thought about it, but I guess she is pretty."
"It really was him? I thought he was just jerking Kuno's chain!"
exclaimed another of the boys.
Ranma lost interest and looked at his fianc�e again. She was still
fuming over something, "If I think about it long enough I'm sure I'll
figure it out."
"What is he staring at?" growled Akane as she stared ahead as hard as
she could.
"I wish he'd look at me like that," sighed one of the girls next to her.
"Yuka!" exclaimed the other girl sitting with Akane.
"Sorry Akane, but it's true. He's a real catch. Good looks, great body,
he's sweet, modest, and he's rich," said Yuka with a giggle.
"He's not rich, he's freeloading off my family!" growled Akane.
"Akane don't be stupid, he's the champion of that stupid tournament my
brother watches every couple of years. The cash prize for that is
enormous! He's got to be loaded!" said the other girl.
"That doesn't make him any less of a jerk Sayuri," replied Akane curtly.
It was strange that her father had not said anything about them not
paying rent or even griped about a bill since they arrived. There would
be no real reason to tell her if they were paying to stay. She quickly
pushed the thought out of her head and glared at her giggling friends.
"What do you mean? Are we talking about the same Ranma? He's so sweet
it's impossible for him to be a jerk! I wish anyone would look at me the
way he's looking at you now!" said Sayuri almost angrily.
"What is he looking at anyway?" muttered Akane as she spared another
angry glance back at him.
"Jeez Akane, if you have to ask..." said Yuka looking jealous.
"What the hell were you looking at all day?!" growled Akane as they
walked home.
"Huh? Nothing, I was just wondering what I did to make you mad at me
again," said Ranma as he walked along the fence mimicking Akane again.
"I was angry because you were staring at me!!!" yelled Akane.
"Oh, that's kind of funny then isn't it?" said Ranma with a pleasant
chuckle. "I'm sure glad I didn't do something dumb again."
Akane stopped and looked at him in shock, he always apologized and
listened to her when she blamed him for something. She did it all the
time since his arrival a few weeks ago, but she didn't realize just how
serious he had taken it. Not until right at that moment.
"Hey Akane, are you OK?" said Ranma as he noticed her sudden stop.
"It...wasn't your fault. You were just worried about me," she said with
a small smile.
"What wasn't my fault?" said Ranma questioningly.
"Dummy, when I was angry earlier. It wasn't your fault," said Akane a
little impatiently.
"Oh, OK," replied Ranma as he continued to walk.
"R..Ranma? Why do you want to marry me?" asked Akane suddenly after they
went on for a moment.
"Huh? I donno, I just do I guess," said Ranma after a moments thought.
"I mean, are you doing this just because of the agreement?" asked Akane.
"Well, yea. I wouldn't even know you if it wasn't for that; right?"
replied Ranma without a moment's thought.
"So it's not like you're in love with me or anything right?" said Akane
with a small blush forming.
"Love?" said Ranma as he stopped and squat on the fence. "Well, I like
you. You've been real nice to me since the other day, and your family
feeds me pretty good. Pop says I have to learn to love people, that it
doesn't just happen."
Akane looked at Ranma oddly. "What?"
"That's what he told me in China," said Ranma with a large grin.
"Why would he tell you that?" asked Akane with a small glare.
"Because of Sh--" started Ranma but he was interrupted by a bokuten
slash. Kuno had rushed up behind the pair while they were talking.
"Ranma Saotome, I would have a word with you," said the Kendoist.
"Sure," said Ranma as he floated down between Kuno and Akane in a
defensive stance.
A few yards away mere moments later Kuno stood next to Ranma and glared
at him. "I need you to deliver this important information to your
sister," said the boy looking embarrassed.
"Sister?" said Ranma dumbly.
"Yes, the fiery haired goddess, the one who floats in my tortured
dreams! I must have this delivered to her," said Kuno dramatically.
"But I don't..." stammered Ranma in confusion. Nabiki appeared behind
him suddenly and covered Ranma's mouth.
"She's staying with my family Kuno, you could have given it to me."
"And have the vast fortune of the Kuno family lost forever on the cost
of a delivery? I think not," snorted the boy arrogantly.
"Just for that, I'll only charge you double for your prints tomorrow,"
said Nabiki with a sly grin.
"As you wish, but my heart felt scrawl must still be delivered this very
day," said Kuno as he handed Nabiki the envelope with a small roll of
bills. His eye brows were twitching slightly as he said it.
"I'll make sure she gets it," said Nabiki happily.
"But Nabiki, I don't have a sister," said Ranma in confusion as he
entered the home with Akane and her sibling.
"He means your other half, your cursed side. He doesn't realize that
you're the same person," said Nabiki curtly as she handed him the letter.
"And I won't even charge you for holding it."
Ranma looked at it for a moment and did nothing. Akane finally got tired
of waiting and snatched it away.
"This is a formal letter of challenge to your girl side Ranma!" she
exclaimed as she read it.
"Great, so I should go as a girl right?" muttered Ranma. "I don't want
to beat up that dope again! It isn't even any fun!"
Ranma stood in his female form in the middle of a field. She sighed as
she waited for Kuno to arrive. "Man, not this again! I had enough trouble
last time this happened." she muttered as she looked at the sun as it
began to disappear below the horizon.
Kuno appeared dramatically in the ball of light as it descended. Ranma
frowned as he walked up slowly with his head bent down and his arms
crossed behind his back. He wasn't carrying his Bokuten with him.
"All right Kuno, lets get this over with," muttered Ranma as the boy
finally stopped in front of him.
"Yes, this day is too long in coming," said Kuno as he tossed Ranma a
bouquet of roses.
"Huh?"
"Pigtailed girl, I love you," said Kuno as he turned and walked off.
Ranma just looked at him oddly.
"You mean I came all this way, and we're not even gonna fight?!"
Ranma sat at the table with Akane and Nabiki sitting around him. Nabiki
slammed her fist on the table. "What do you mean there was no fight?!
I've got allot riding on this information!"
"The stupid jerk just gave me some flowers and told me he loved me. I
didn't even get to throw a punch!" cried Ranma a little bitterly. It was
obvious he was disappointed.
"He...what?" said Nabiki as she calmed suddenly.
Akane just stared in disbelief. "This is great!" she thought to herself.
"That jerk! I was looking forward to pounding him again. I've never seen
anyone but pop recover that fast, he could be a good sparing partner if I
get him trained a little," grumbled Ranma angrily.
"Maybe you still can," snorted Nabiki with a small smile, Ranma didn't
seem to notice.
"Akane? I was wondering if you could drop off some books I borrowed from
Dr.Tofu this morning for me?" said Kasumi at the breakfast table.
"I don't think I can today Kasumi," muttered Akane as she turned away
from her sister with an odd look on her face.
"Why not Akane? We could stop by on the way to school," said Ranma
dumbly.
Akane snagged his arm and drug him out the door in a mad sprint. "Come
on we're gonna be late!" she growled.
"What's the hurry?" muttered Ranma as she regained her feet and began to
jog beside Akane without any trouble at all.
"Look just stay out of this!" growled Akane as she turned her head away
from him.
"Great now what did I do?" muttered Ranma as they passed the old lady
who promptly splashed Ranma right in his face. "Hey wait!" he muttered as
he lost his balance and was drug along my Akane again.
Inside the gates of Furinkan the usual crowd stood waiting. Akane barged
through the gates and pushed Ranma against the wall surrounding the court
yard. "You don't need to go blabbing your big mouth!" she growled
angrily.
"What are you talking about Akane?" said Ranma in confusion.
"I mean about me and Dr....when did?!" said Akane as she finally noticed
Ranma's condition. She opened the pigtailed girls shirt just to be sure.
"I told you to wait, we could have stopped by that Dr.Tofu's on the way
and got some hot water," muttered Ranma a little bitterly.
Akane realized that the school was staring from behind her and quickly
stood between them and Ranma.
"All right I'm ready!" she cried angrily as she turned to face them. She
stopped when she realized that they were all crying.
"Akane Tendo, we have decided to swallow our pride and accept your
engagement to Ranma Saotome," said one of the boys near the front.
"Kuno was the greatest fighter at Furinkan high!" said one of the other
boys. "No way could we ever beat Ranma."
"Uh, yea," said Akane nervously.
"So, you have all heard this rumor...this falsehood that Ranma Saotome
has bested me in combat? I Tatewaki Kuno shall never accept defeat!"
growled the angry Kendoist as he walked up behind the crowd.
"Hey! I beat the crap out of you fair and square!" cried Ranma angrily.
"Ranma!" said Akane in a warning tone.
"Oh yea, and so did my brother!" said Ranma unconvincingly.
"My love! How I have longed to see you!" cried Kuno as he rushed to
embrace the young girl. Ranma floated up out of his reach and turned to
face him. The school gasped collectively.
"She's Ranma's sister all right," muttered one several of the students.
"What a babe!" and "I wonder if she's dating anyone?" were also common
amongst the boys.
"What the hell are you doing?! I thought you liked Akane!" cried Ranma
as she glared at Kuno.
"I do," was the reply.
"Well, she's right there!" growled Ranma as he pointed at Akane.
The girl had her own ideas however. She put on her best disappointed
gaze and turned away. "Upperclassman Kuno, If you truly love this
girl...I won't stand between you," she gasped dramatically as she started
off.
"AHH! Such a noble act! Pigtailed girl, so full of healthy beauty! Akane
Tendo, so pure and demure! Both so dear to me, I cannot bear to part with
either!" cried Kuno as he looked back and forth between the pair and
pulled at his hair. "I would date with both of you!"
Akane punched Kuno and sent him to the ground hard. Ranma landed and was
crowded by a large number of boys. She glanced around in confusion as she
was bombarded with questions. "Huh? Wha?"
Nabiki quickly took control of the situation. "Gentlemen, please. I have
vital information and statistics for the lovely Miss Saotome right here,
for only ten thousand yen," she called with a megaphone over the crowd.
"Why would they want information about my mom?" wondered Ranma aloud.
Akane sat and stared at the spectacle in disbelief. Kuno stood and shook
the blow off. He turned and stormed next to Nabiki and snatched the
microphone away from her. She smiled and allowed it. "Allow me to make
this proclamation! If you wish to date the Pigtailed girl...You must
defeat her in combat! I, Tatewaki Kuno, will permit no other terms!" he
was belted by wads of paper and shoes from the crowd as they groaned
collectively. Nabiki shoved one of the information folders at Ranma and
winked at her.
Ranma floated above the mess and landed next to Akane just outside the
mob with the folder tucked under her arm. "What was that all about?" she
muttered in confusion as she walked towards the building. Akane smiled
and produced a tea kettle with the word 'Janitor' written across the
front of it.
"You'll find out tomorrow."
TBC...
C&C to carrotglace@juno.com
That's it for the Re-post of A Saiyan Tail. After I finish posting
Permanent tomorrow the fics will begin their all new chapters. Woohoo!
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