Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Past and Future ❯ Chapter Seven ( Chapter 7 )

The fight had a lot of things going for it, and a lot of things going against it. It would finally decide the outcome of their lives. Who would leave? Who would stay? Who would come out the victor? Who would get the pig-tailed martial artist? How would the ice cream pallor fair after such a fight? Well, the last question was easily answered as the shop owner began screaming and begging for mercy. The two fighters simultaneously leaped to the door and ran side by side, each eyeing the other dangerously, until they rounded off in the deserted lot nearby and faced the other down once more.

Ranma Saotome stood to the side, tense, his blue-gray eyes turbulent with distress. I never should of agreed to this. . she's gonna lose, she's not good enough, she hasn't trained. . and with the tricks that Amazon always seems to have up her sleeve? He eyed Shampoo with distaste. I don't care if ya do win. . I aint leavin' her.

"Ready when you are Shampoo!" OAkane relaxed into the stance she had perfected in the future, namely, not really a stance at all to others. She appeared totally calm, relaxed, but inside, was ready to leap left, right, to react in any way that was needed.

"Violent girl too confident, Shampoo fix that!" In mid sentence, she struck. This should be easy. . what? OAkane felt a slight tingling sensation in her scalp. Oh no! The Shiatsu Technique! OAkane spun around clumsily; her body not really accustomed to such a speedy reaction, and knocked the formula 110 out of her opponent's hands, her opponent who smirked nastily at her.

"You lucky Shampoo already use this attack before, next time you not be so lucky." OAkane backed up slowly, desperately holding on to her future strength, hiding her growing fear. I didn't even see her. . . I didn't even notice. . this could get bad. . She looked over at Ranma, quickly noting the clenched fists, the worry in his eyes, and felt the fear growing even stronger. If I. . if I lose this. . I could lose you. . A smiling Ryo and Ranko being held by a mature Ranma passed behind her eyes. No. . no, I won't, I can't. . Ryo, Ranko. . I won't lose, I can't. . she tightened her resolve, and the steel was back in her gaze as she launched her own attack.

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ONodoko Saotome gave her grandson a beautiful smile as he and ORanma bounded up the path to her home. "Ranma, Ryo, what brings you two here?"

"Hey Mom," he leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on her cheek, "promised Pop I'd stop by. . " the eyebrows quirked good naturedly, "he still in the 'panda house?'" She gave a sigh and look heavenward as she stroked the familiar katana at her side.

"Grandma, what's a matter?" ONodoka reached down to cup Ryo's chin.

"Nothing to concern yourself with little one," she crouched and grinned; the slight wrinkles caused from frequent use of the expression came through faintly. "Why don't you go look in the kitchen.. . If I remember correctly, there should be a plate of cookies in there somewhere-" Ryo was gone at 'cookies.' "Hmm, just like his father at his age. . "

"Heh heh, seriously though Mom, what happened last night?"

"Oh nothing more than the usual, I try and speak with him seriously for a change, and he decided it was time for a cold shower. So. . " she looked down, shame coloring her still vibrant skin, "I made him sleep outside. . "

"No kidding. . did you let him back in yet?"

"Unfortunately yes. Honestly Ranma, I don't know what's worse to listen to; the moaning groaning 'feel sorry for me' form of your father, or the heaving sobs of Soun Tendo when he doesn't have a partner to play GO with. . I just couldn't take the noise anymore." ORanma winced.

"Ya know Mom, maybe having Soun move in with you two wasn't such a good idea, maybe he should-"

"No Ranma, he's fine here."

"But Akane and I could handle the extra person. ."

"You and Akane have enough to handle, with Ryoga, Ranko, and all those classes. Another person would just be entirely too much to ask."

"But-"

"Besides, Soun isn't a burden. Of course, there is the crying, but it's very seldom, and it does give me joy to see how happy the two men are together. Trust me, my son, if that man weren't here, every time I open my mouth Genma would be running off to your house to see him." ORanma gave a small laugh and took the arm his mother offered and allowed himself to be led into the house.

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As OAkane began her dash towards the Amazon, she noticed that Shampoo had suddenly brought out her bonboris in a very Mousse like fashion. OAkane swiftly changed course, reaching down to the outside to pick up a fairly good-sized broken tree branch. Her white sandals scraped roughly against the rocky dirt as she slid to a halt, the branch rested relaxed in her palms, one end in front of the other. Good thing hand-to-hand combat wasn't the only thing Ranma and I trained for. .

"Akane crazy if think she can beat Shampoo with puny stick!" A slight change in her posture alerted OAkane, and then they were both moving.

Shampoo's left bonbori swung down in a perfect arc, aimed for OAkane's right shoulder, her intent to stiffen the joint of the dominant arm. OAkane used both her hands to plunge the stick into the ground for leverage to send out both her legs. Her feet smashed heavily into the bonbori, knocking it off its base. At the split second Shampoo used to look at the broken ball rolling away in shock, OAkane quickly jammed her stick to her left side and rammed her feet into the other multicolored ball, sending it too, to it's death.

Shampoo narrowed her eyes at the broken pieces of wood in her hand, and threw the shorter one to the side. Her purple gaze gave off a deadly heat, a deadly fury. She arced her weapon down with a feral growl toward OAkane's right wrist. OAkane blocked easily with her own stick, grinning slightly at the familiar shock as wood clashed with wood. She then changed her grip and tried for a trap, but Shampoo whipped her own stick out of the way and was facing her once again, as if she'd never moved in the first place. OAkane fainted towards her left wrist and then went for a leg sweep. Shampoo leaped over it and smiled. She knows, she knows I'm not fast enough. . She went for a head strike that was blocked with a sharp whack from the other stick.

"Nice try, now Shampoo's turn." The strikes came to quickly. Ranma looked on, restraining himself from launching into the fro, watched helpless as OAkane could do no more that block and evade the Amazon's furious attacks.

Think Akane, think. . how can you win this without speed. . she vaguely noticed that she was being backed into the corner of the lot, where the two bordering fences met each other.

"Face it Akane, you no strong," she drove her stick upward, forcing OAkane to pull her guard up. Before she knew it, Shampoo had gotten through. The sickening thud of wood against human flesh echoed through her head painfully. A hand came forward reflexively to cover the bruised ribcage while the other hand frantically tried to obtain a steady grip on her own weapon. Shampoo eyes gleamed coolly, unmercifully, as she immediately took advantage of the injury by slamming her stick into the elbow of the arm that was cradling OAkane's front. "You is weak girl, you going to lose airen without Shampoo trying hard!" Why that-wait a sec, weak/ That's it! She continued backing until her back came against the fence.

OAkane dropped her shoulders, caving her body inward and viewed the spark of absolute triumph in Shampoo. That's it, see? I'm tired. I hurt too much. She lowered her free arm, the stick almost dangling from limp fingers. She winced as the stick hit against her once more. That's it Shampoo, believe it, I'm not the strong ox Ranma always says I am, you hurt me. . . The wire of the fence bit into her back and OAkane looked down at Shampoo's purple shoes with a barely perceptible smirk. Just another second, then I make my move. . gotta use everything I've got left. . which isn't much, so don't screw this up . .

"Akane!!! Get out of the corner!! Now!!" Shampoo turned towards Ranma's shout and gave a small giggle.

"To late airen, Akane already beaten. Now Shampoo finish and we get married, yes?" Now! Shampoo's mouth gasped in shock as she felt the sharp sting of OAkane's stick deeply hitting her side. She quickly went for the legs again, this time succeeding in sending the Amazon to her back. Straddling her, OAkane threw her hands out, fingers hitting the nerves on the inner sides of Shampoo's arms, numbing both limbs easily. Shampoo struggled feebly and threw up her head to scream in frustration.

"How you-" OAkane shoved a tight hand over her mouth.

"Quiet!" She let the heat enter her voice, but kept it soft enough so Ranma would not here. "Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way," the purple eyes narrowed, "you give up on Ranma and I will not give you anymore humiliation, or I make you hurt, your choice." She released her hand.

"Shampoo not give up, is Amazon law to marry Ran-" OAkane cut her words short when she slammed the blunt end of her weapon up under the jaw, knocking her into unconscious instantly. The proud Amazon's head rolled backwards, her long hair flowing over her face as it hit the ground with a soft thump. It's over. . . The pains from Shampoo's earlier hits were suddenly dragged to the front of OAkane's mind causing her to double over in pain. Not having the same speed as I do in the future. . without that numbing technique, I never would have made it.

Strong hands moved around her waist to lift her to her feet. Her eyes moved upward to face cool blue-gray.

"R-Ranma? What's the matter. . / I won. . " His hands gripped her shoulders.

"I know that, and that's the problem. So I want you to tell me right now," the hands released their grip harshly, causing her to crumple to the ground, Why is he looking at me like that?, "who are you and what have you done with Akane?!?"

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"One Falsehood Spoils A

Thousand Truths."

-African Proverb

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