Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Initial D Fan Fiction ❯ Initial D: Anything Goes Drift Racing ❯ Season 2: Chapter 1: Potatoes Shouldn’t Bounce. ( Chapter 10 )

Initial D: Mt Furinken. Anything Goes Drift Racing.

Season 2: Chapter 1: Potatoes Shouldn't Bounce.

She was gone and there was nothing Ranma could do, he gave a last long look at the bright green S15 that had been his key into a whole new world and sighed. What would he do now, was the dream over. There was always Kuno Ranma thought but that would mean transforming into his girl form again which apart from when he had washed his car he had managed to avoid recently.

As if on cue the big lug appeared at that moment standing at the Tendo gateway and staring in disbelief at the disfigured drift car. Ranma cringed.

"Hello Kuno, what do you want?"

"There is no need to be so surly Soatome, I was merely passing and had heard some disturbing rumours I wanted to, confirm." Ranma shifted uncomfortably on his feet, he had been here before.

"What rumours."

"That you and Akane Tendo have official confirmed you're engagement." Kuno said this matter of factly enough but never the less Ranma dropped into a combat ready stance and awaited the attack."

"Yeah it's true, come on then Kuno I'm ready for you." Ranma said oozing confidence.

"What are you doing?"

"You don't want to fight?" Ranma was off balance for a moment and realised his mistake once again readying himself for the inevitable attack. There was none.

"As much as it breaks my heart I must admit defeat and congratulate you Soatome but be warned break her heart and I'll strike a thousand revenges upon you."

"You're being very good about this Kuno." He said cautiously. Kuno giggled slightly.

"Well if you and Akane are getting married, then the pigtailed girl will be mine." Kuno said suddenly bursting into maniacal laugher throwing his head back to bask in his own glory. Ranma could feel the unsurprised humiliation like an enormous drop of sweat stuck to the side of his head threatening to pull his body to the floor like a sack of bricks. `Well that rules out going to Kuno as `her' for help.' He thought. `He'll propose there and then.' Ranma sighed there was no way he could afford a new car, Kuno meanwhile had calmed down.

"The other rumour, was that you're car has been totalled, that I see also to be true and I can not allow it." Ranma didn't know what to make of this. "Trying to back out of our rematch in such a manner is cowardly."

"Hey I wasn't…" Ranma started angrily but Kuno held up a hand.

"So I am here to offer you a proposal, defeat me in combat and I will provide you with a new car of your choosing, fully loaded so that we may have our rematch on the mountain."

"Kuno, I don't know what to say."

"Well you have to beat me in combat, if you can't do that there is no reason for me to race you."

"Very well, when and where." Kuno smiled at Ranma.

"Now is fine." And with a death cry Kuno charged, his wooden Kendo practice sword appearing as if from nowhere.

Ranma waited till the sword tip was only an inch from his chest before he moved deftly to one side then ducking as the blade rotated and swiped across the horizontal and jumped as the blade returned landing clean behind Kuno. Ranma felt exhilarated, it had been a long time since he'd had a proper match even if this was with Kuno it was better than practising kata's alone. Ranma had always felt burdened by his martial arts as if it was an obligation but now he was beginning to feel why it was considered an art form. The smooth sweep of the body, the fluidic movements of dodging and countering, it reminded him of drifting even more this way round than the other. The precision control and focused concentration required at every moment.

Ranma suddenly had an idea and as Kuno charged him down again Ranma to charged and at the last second threw all his weight down his left hand side letting his feet slide on the loose gravel just gripping with his toes and balancing his limbs against the natural motion causing his body of drift gracefully in a wide arc under Kuno's reach and with his trailing foot rising up to catch the Kendo'ests midriff a hard blow. Kuno doubled over the wind knocked from his body while Ranma shifted his weight the other way to drift back right so he could hook a foot through Kuno's legs and pull them away leaving him flat on his back. Ranma came to rest his fist holding just above Kuno's throat. Kuno grimaced.

"Once again you have defeated me in physical combat but then our techniques are unevenly matched, only on the street are we even." Kuno stood and dusted himself down. "I will keep my promise, come find me when you have decided what car you desire." And with that he left leaving Ranma still a little confused and wondering where he left his tuning magazines.

Inside the house he found Akane in the kitchen. She had been out of the hospital for almost a week but she still looked a little banged up, a large bruise on her arm was taking longer to fade than usual and small scar above her right eye obstinately refused to heal, Nabiki had said it was Akane scowled too much which was when Akane had offered to make dinner for everyone.

"What are you making?" He asked nervously.

"It's one of my mother's recipes for chicken." She said absent minded reaching for the bottle of white wine between the bottle of vinegar and the bottle or ketchup. Ranma watch her hand wave between the three before grabbing the ketchup. He coughed gently and she looked at the bottle in her hand. "Woop's, good job that didn't go it." She said replacing the ketchup and grabbing the vinegar. "On second thoughts there's probably already enough wine in this." She replaced the other bottle and Ranma sighed, she was getting better but she was still too carefree with the ingredients.

Ranma walked up behind her and gently ran his hands down her bare arms, instantly they felt four or five pairs of eyes trained on them through doors and windows. Akane sighed, they never felt uncomfortable together but with the rest of the household glued to their actions like a good movie it made things tricky at best.

"I'm sure it'll taste great." Akane pressed back into his body's warmth.

"I doubt that but I'll be better then yesterday's. How is you're stomach now?" She asked apologetically.

"Oh much better, I think it was probably the eggs." Akane blushed deeply.

"Well I didn't know they were supposed to be cooked before you added them to the soup." Ranma shrugged but said nothing, from here he was he could smell the fragrance of her hair and found he couldn't resist giving her exposed ear a gentle kiss, she giggled. "There watching us again."

"Let em." Ranma found himself saying, surprisingly daring. Normally their parents gaze killed any mood but this evening it didn't seem to mater so much and Akane noticed it too.

"You get some good news?" She asked him.

"Kuno came by earlier, to congratulate us."

"You're kidding?"

"Nope, he said it broke his heart but he conceded my victory, before breaking into one of his rants about the pigtailed one." Akane had to wait a moment before replying since Ranma's kissing had moved down to her neck and was starting to have a greater effect on her.

"What did you tell him."

"Nothing but it's safe to say if I do accidentally transform I'll be staying as far away from him as I can."

"I should think so."

"There was something else. He said he'd sort me out with a new car so we could have our re-match."

"That was generous, I wonder what's got into him lately."

"Well he's right, it's the only place where we're fairly evenly matched. He could beat me in a race." Akane was thoughtful for a second.

"So if you're getting a new car, can you teach me." His arms were round her by now and she turned in the embrace to look into his face, he could see the hope in her eyes and he knew he could never deny her anything now.

"Of course." He said carefully. Akane could be a klutz all too easy sometimes and Ranma was worried how she would be at something that required such precision but then she could be graceful when needed and if he taught her slowly then she would surly be alright.

The sound of a pot boiling over brought their attention back to the kitchen.

"Damn!" Akane swore loudly as she busied herself with the slightly over ready meal while Ranma did his best to be out of the way.

When the meal was over the two of them went up to lye on the roof together, the only place they could get at least partial privacy without a `search/spying party' coming after them.

"Definitely you're best so far." Ranma said encouragingly.

"The potatoes were over done."

"They weren't that bad."

"They bounced."

"Potatoes do that." Akane smiled at this.

"Not twice the height you drop them from they shouldn't." Ranma laughed.

"Well our fathers enjoyed them. You don't see a lot of ping pong played with potatoes." There was a comfortable silence between them.

"What will you do tomorrow?"

"Go see Kuno."

"You've chosen a car then?"

"I think so."

"Good."

"You don't want to know what it is then?" Akane smiled and snuggled closer.

"Surprise me."

"He'd probably give you one two you know."

"You think so? My own car would be cool. I always thought the one eighty was nice looking."

"Well we'll ask him tomorrow though we'd better watch out of Kodatchi she's never been the most gracious looser."

Ranma looked over at Mt Furinken in the distance and watched a single set of headlights dance and weave down its side, then a strange realisation hit him. The road was on the other side of the mountain. He made a mental note to ask Edy about it when he next saw him. Meanwhile he cuddled up with Akane in the cool evening air and watched the stars begin to shine.