InuYasha Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Inu-Ra-Ken: Affections Touching Across Sense ❯ Ranma Taken ( Chapter 4 )
"Ranma Saotome! Get back here right now and apologize to Akane!"
"No."
"YES!"
"No."
Ranma sat perched on the roof of the house, arms crossed angrily and a scowl firmly fixed on his face. Below him, he heard his father growl in frustration and stomp off.
"Hmnph," he muttered under his breath, pulling his knees closer to his chest and blowing a frustrated breath out his nose. "Why should I be the one to apologize?"
After a few moments of silence, the sound of footsteps could be heard walking up to the house and pausing on the ground beneath him.
"I won't apologize," he informed the person loudly. The only reply was a wave of cold water from below, which washed over his head with a splash. His father's laughter drifted close behind.
Ranma roared in anger, his voice now that of a young girl's. Where, seconds before, had sat an angry, dry young man, there was now a furious, soaked young woman.
"I'll get you for that!" she shouted, shaking her head like a dog and sending water droplets flying in all directions. With one smooth motion, she jumped to her feet and leapt from the roof, hitting the ground running. Before her father knew what was happening, she had grabbed a bucket from beside the pond, filled it with water and tossed it over his head. The instant the water hit him, he transformed into a large, fat panda.
"Ha! Got you!" the female Ranma crowed triumphantly. The panda's only reply was an angry scowl. "What, got nothing to say?" Ranma asked with a laugh. Without a pause, the panda held up a sign with writing on it.
"APOLOGIZE TO AKANE."
Ranma stuck her tongue out in reply.
The panda paused to write a response.
"BE A MAN."
"Is that supposed to be funny?"
Another pause.
"YES."
"Well, it isn't. And I will not apologize. If anything she should apologize to me!" Ranma's face was the picture of indignation.
The panda began to write a response, then hesitated, staring at Ranma with a strange expression for a moment. After a pause, he crossed out what he had already written and began again.
"YOU'RE GLOWING."
Ranma hesitated. "Eh… what do you mean?"
"YOU'RE GLOWING."
Ranma blinked in confusion.
Heaving a large sigh, the panda put down his sign and shuffled over to the girl, lifting her glowing hand up to her face.
Ranma blinked once again. "Oh." She wiggled her fingers experimentally. "Huh. I wonder what that's about…"
"WHAT DID YOU DO?"
"Huh?"
"YOU MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO BE GLOWING."
"And just what do you think that something would be?"
"HOW SHOULD I KNOW?"
A concerned look crossed Ranma's face. "Eh… it's starting to tingle… I don't think that's a good sign…"
The panda reached out and touched the girl's glowing nose daintily with one paw. Ranma's eyes crossed as she looked at the paw.
"Just what do you think you're doing, old man?!"
The panda had started to glow as well. Ranma backed away from the panda's touch. The panda stopped glowing.
"HUH."
Another touch and the panda began glowing again. Several experimental pokes on the nose later, Ranma slapped his hand away with an exasperated growl.
"Do you mind?"
The panda fretted over what to do for a moment, then suddenly seemed to reach a decision. He hesitated just long enough to write one more word.
"HOSPITAL."
With that he grabbed the girl and unceremoniously tossed her over his shoulder. He took off for the hospital at a run, leaving a trail of purple light behind him as he ran. Ranma's loud protests were ignored.
He barely made it two hundred meters before fading into nothingness.