Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ An American Dragon in Nerima ❯ Chapter the Ninth ( Chapter 9 )

"Dai Ryuujin no Nishi got into fight last night.  He no die until he ready to," Shampoo said as she jumped down from the tree she was hiding in.  Ranma moved into his no stance ready stance in case she attacked.  "Nihao, Airen," she said, without the requisite glomp.  That threw the pigtailed teen for a loop.

"Shampoo, what are you doing here?"  Kasumi asked.

"Shampoo do favor for Dai Ryuujin no Nishi's loved ones, and make sure that nothing bad happen to them while he go fight enemy thought long dead."  The purple-haired Amazon looked at the injured form of the Lieutenant.  "Look like he get worse end of stick."

"What's the problem," the good doctor said, as Akane led him to the injured party.  "K-K-K-Kasumi, what are you doing here?"

"I live here, Doctor Tofuu.  I need you to help my fiancé," Kasumi said, irritated that the respected Doctor would act like a fool right now.

"O-of course.  Where is he?"

"The dragon right in front of you, Doctor."

"Oh, yes of course."  The good doctor straightened himself out and began examining his patient.  He suppressed a chuckle at the level of weirdness that Nerima was experiencing since Ranma and his father showed up.  And now here he was treating a dragon-a dragon that the young lady he had a crush on was engaged to.  "Hm, this is fascinating.  His aura is similar to the rest of the Jusenkyo-cursed residents of the ward.

"Kasumi, did your fiancé ever go to Jusenkyo?"

"Yes, but…"

"Could you get me some hot water then?  I believe treating him will be easier in his non-cursed form.  Similar to treating Ryouga, and the others with animal curses."

P-Chan squirmed in Akane's arms when Tofuu mentioned his name.  "Dr. Tofuu, what does Ryouga turn into?"

He caught the look from both the piglet in her arms and her fiancé.  "Um…I'm actually not sure."  Kasumi reluctantly offered up the kettle of water for tea.  The good doctor poured some over the dragon…and nothing happened.  Except for the involuntary reaction of the injured dragon's forelimb knocking Doc Tofuu down. 

The doctor released his grip on the kettle, and it went flying.  Ranma, his father and P-Chan's eyes tracked the course of the kettle as it flew in slow motion towards its accidental target.  Both Ranma and Genma were on the other side of the dragon, too far away from being able to intercept the kettle. 

With nary a drop being released since it was launched, the lid finally opened up and the contents poured itself out.  Akane's eyes went wide as her pet piglet got splashed and turned into a very naked, very embarrassed Ryouga Hibiki.  "A-Akane," he began to stutter out.

"You pervert!"  Akane shouted.  Reaching into weaponspace, she withdrew her preferred weapon of feminine retribution and knocked the terminally lost boy out of the yard.  Ranma smirked, as he wasn't on the receiving end of Akane's wrath for the first time since he arrived at the Dojo.  That is until Akane turned on her fiancé.

"You had something to do with this, didn't you?"  Akane began advancing towards the pigtailed martial artist, her malicious intent rolling off her in waves.

Doctor Tofuu was gently prodded back to his patient by Shampoo, and away from the spectacle of Akane chasing Ranma with a mallet around the yard.  The good doctor resumed his examination and, despite the unsanitary conditions, began stitching up Marx's open wounds.  Or at least tried to.  The needle just refused to penetrate his thick hide.  Sighing in frustration, Tofuu pulled out gauze and bandages and proceeded to dress the wounds.  He was at least able to debride the second and third degree burns on Marx's hide, before covering them.  "Kasumi, make sure that you keep your…fiancé dry and change the dressings at the most every 24 hours until they are healed.  Try to keep the burns clean as well."  He handed her a salve.  "Apply this salve on the burns in twelve hours, and again in thirty-six hours."

"Hai, Doctor.  And thank you for coming."

"It was my pleasure, Kasumi."  Tofuu looked the young woman.  "If he's been to Jusenkyo, then why didn't he change back with the hot water?"

"He is…"Kasumi thought how best to phrase the truth.  "He is Dai Ryuujin no Nishi."

"He's the Great Dragon of the West?  When I was in China on my sabbatical I read ancient scrolls that dated back to the Zhou Dynasty that vaguely mentioned a large silvery dragon from the west.  The scrolls were uncertain about his size, but it's funny, I thought he'd be bigger."  Tofuu turned to leave.  "If there are any complications, do not hesitate to call.  I'll be back in a couple of days to check up on him."

"I do have one other favor, Doctor.  He's in the American Air Force, as the person who fell into the First Spring of Jusenkyo.  If you would be so kind as to contact his squadron and tell them that Lieutenant Marx has been injured and is under your care."

"Certainly.  I'll make the call when I return to the clinic."

"Thank you for all your help, Doctor."

"It was no problem," Tofuu replied.

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Over the next several days, Kasumi kept a vigilant watch over her fiancé.  And because her obligation to Marx hadn't yet been discharged, Shampoo had all but moved into the Dojo, taking over Kasumi's old room.  Which was of little comfort to Akane.  If anything, it made her more aggressive towards her fiancé, finding an excuse to pound him for any little thing.

The news media had found out about the fight between the dragons and were having a field day with them.  Interviews with Firespur's former captives added spice to the story about how a silvery beast challenged their captor and, although wounded, freed them before leaving.  JASDF and the Defense Agency's stance about the scrambling of a pair of F-15s was staunchly "No comment", particularly when pressed about reports that about a Sidewinder being launched.

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It was early Friday evening when Marx opened his eyes.  The dragon blinked a few times to clear the gunk from his eyes.  "Gods, what hit me?"  He muttered, as he looked himself over.  Bandages covered most of his flanks, his wings, and his limbs.  He looked more like a poor attempt at a mummy than a dragon right now.

"You're finally awake," Kasumi cried, as she ran out of the dining room.  The rest of the families, and Shampoo, followed her, but at a much more…sedate pace.  She glomped her draconic fiancé in a manner that it made Shampoo proud.

"No harm has come to your loved ones, Dai Ryuujin no Nishi," the purple-haired Amazon said.

"Thank you," he replied in Mandarin.  "All that is left of your obligation is to hear my side of the story."

"When you are ready to tell it, contact me at the Nekohanten."  Shampoo, the proud Amazon warrior that respected few men, bowed to the dragon.  "Kasumi," she said in flawless Japanese, "thank you for your hospitality."  She leapt over the privacy wall, and started roof hopping to her Great-Grandmother's restaurant, fully cognizant of that she might be punished for consorting with the "enemy".  But she gave her word of honor to defend the Tendos, consequences be damned.

Kasumi didn't notice any of the commotion behind her; she was too involved in welcoming her fiancé back to the land of the living.  And Marx was reciprocating.  As much as his current, and currently damaged, form would allow.  For the young woman, she couldn't be happier.  She'd seen the routine side of treating patients, if she ever had wanted to be a nurse.  But with his regaining consciousness, Kasumi wanted to spend almost every minute just holding him.

Just breathing in Kasumi's scent was acting as a balm on the dragon's still frayed nerves.  When he last fought Firespur, they were more or less on an equal footing.  But three thousand years after that last fight, one dragon had been a great wyrm for millennia; the other regressed back to the draconic equivalent of a teenager.  But the teenager had the advantage of having studied modern air-to-air tactics and had a more familiar lay of the land, whereas the wyrm had the advantage of age and magic spells.  It was by sheer luck that Marx had survived the encounter.  His fiancée's scent tickled his sensitive nostrils, enticing him with the combined scents of her shampoo, the spices that she had cooked with, that smell that was just Kasumi, and even the medicinal odor of the salve that Dr. Tofuu had given her.

Soun looked at the two lovers.  With a flash of paternal insight, he looked at his family and other tenants.  "Ok, nothing to see here."  Which left Kasumi and Marx with just the crickets chirping and the occasional traffic noise in the background.  Reluctantly the Kasumi let go of her fiancé.

"Christopher-kun…anata," she said, "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."  With a gentle claw, Marx wiped away the tears that were falling down her face.

"Know this, Kasumi," he said, quietly.  "I'll never leave you until we're both so ancient that it's our time to die together.  I've given you my heart, and have taken you into mine."  He closed his eyes for a moment, briefly concentrating.  There was a slight wavering, but eventually it settled down into a platinum ring with a small, flawlessly clear diamond surrounded by small, perfect sapphire chips.  "With this ring, I ask if you will marry me."

Kasumi was speechless.  "Of…of course I'll marry you.  I love you with all my heart and soul."  As she let her draconic fiancé slide the ring on the third finger of her left hand, Kasumi looked him in the eye and smiled.  "Now if only my youngest sister would admit that she loves Ranma."

"Loves to hit him, you mean," Marx replied after shifting back to his public form.  Noting the look he was getting, he continued.  "Before you lash into me or jump to the defense of Akane, my love, hear me out."

As the older engaged couple walked down towards their shared room, Soun looked at his friend.  "Well, Saotome-kun, it seems that my little Kasumi is growing up."  The panda nodded his large furry head, and placed a stone on the table.  Soun looked at the placement and smiled.  In four moves, he'd have most of Genma's pieces captured.  "Now if only we could do something about your son and Akane."

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