Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Unlikely Alliances ❯ Fallout and Surprises ( Chapter 15 )

This was originally published by me under the name Anduril at Anime Addventures, with the only changes being a few corrections in spelling, punctuation and the occasional word choice. If you like the beginning of my story but think I've gone off the rails, or have your own ideas for a great branch-off, or think I'm taking too long to update and want to continue the story yourself, come to Anime Addventures and join in the fun!

I claim no ownership rights to any of the works of Rumiko Takahashi.

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Half-day over at school, Ranma walked out of the building in the same confused daze he had been in off and on all day, oddly both hyper-aware and barely noticing the raven-haired Tendo walking at his side. Once again, the thought of the bombshell dropped on him at breakfast floated to the surface of his mind. Akane and Kasumi. Both Akane and Kasumi. They both want me! I can understand Akane, a little. Sure, we fight, an' yeah, I stick my foot in my mouth every so often, an' maybe she isn't as dedicated ta the Art, but we're a lot alike. But Kasumi? “Akane and Kasumi,” he murmured to himself.

Beside him, Akane glanced over at his bemused expression and rolled her eyes, fighting down a spurt of jealousy. At least he mentioned me first, the idiot, she told herself firmly. Kasumi's right, we're going to need her to civilize him. Besides, it isn't like I'm going to get any of the other boys around here, assuming I notice one I actually want. Not after Kuno this morning.

Her mind turned back to the flowery speech Kuno had greeted them with when she and Ranma, and Nabiki, had arrived at Furinkan High. He had been truly humble, begging her forgiveness for the attacks he had encouraged, for the way that he had sought to come between her and her fiancé — and her true love, the pigtailed girl, essentially labeling her a lesbian in front of the watching students. And the audience had been larger than normal, as well. Nabiki was right, word of what had happened yesterday had spread like wildfire.

Akane had managed some damage control during the day. It was Kuno, after all, and she was able to point out that that by Ku Lon's own admission she'd been drugged the previous day, and that she'd initially been passionately kissing a very male Ranma. Still, there are always those that will think the worst, and the atmosphere in the locker room during gym class had been very uncomfortable.

Still, at least Kuno wasn't harassing them anymore. Now she just had to figure out if it was worth the price.

The two distracted teenagers looked up at a shout from the front gate, to see Nabiki waving at them with one hand, the other hand holding her cell phone to her ear. Akane felt her heart sink at the sight. If that's Kasumi calling ... I don't trust that old bitch, but if Kasumi thought that us two would be enough, she'd just wait `til we got home. Please don't let that be Kasumi!

The two joined Nabiki, and she shot her stiff-faced younger sister a sympathetic look. “It's Kasumi,” she said, and Akane winced.

Ranma looked back and forth between the two girls, confused and increasingly worried. “What's wrong?” he asked sharply. “Did somethin' happen ta Kasumi?”

“No, no, Kasumi's fine,” Nabiki hastily reassured him, then glanced around. “It's about ... well, about last night, sort of.”

“Last night?” Ranma repeated, blushing.

Akane sighed. “Yeah, sort of. There's ... well, there's ...” She broke off, unable to finish, deadlocked as jealousy, paranoia, distrust of the other would be fiancées and fear of losing Ranma warred with her trust of Kasumi, the older sister that had finished raising her and would now be sharing her bed.

“There's more waiting for you,” Nabiki finished after a moment, when Akane failed to continue, “at the Cat Café.”

“What's Kasumi doin' at the Cat Café?” a now totally confused pigtailed boy asked.

“She isn't — Ukyo and Shampoo are,” the mercenary Tendo said dryly, and Ranma froze.

“No way, forget it!” he shouted, glaring at the middle Tendo. In a lower tone, he added, “I already got the girls I want, I don't need any more.”

At those words, Akane's deadlock broke. Taking a deep breath, she reached out and stroked Ranma's arm. “Just this once, Ranma, please. It's ... it's necessary.”

Ranma had stiffened at the touch, then whirled to stare at Akane. “Akane, are ya sure?” he asked in bewilderment.

“Yes, Ranma, I'm sure.”

“Really sure?”

“Yes ...” Akane growled, stiffening.

“But ... I don't ...”

“Will you just go!” the raven-haired girl shouted, then blushed as she looked around at the other teenagers trying to listen in without looking like they were listening in. “Ranma, take our word for it, it's necessary, okay? We'll be able to explain everything later. Just ... I'll be waiting for you when you're done.”

Ranma gazed at his new lover for a long moment, then nodded. “All right, Akane, if ya say so. See ya later,” he said, then dashed across the road and leaped for the nearest rooftop and disappeared out of sight.

“Good job, little sis, I don't think — I know I couldn't have talked him into it without you,” Nabiki said. “Now, why don't you head home and collect Kasumi? I have some business to take care of,” — like paying off all the money you cost me, darn it! — “so I'll meet you two at the Cat Café, okay?”

Akane nodded, still staring at the spot Ranma had last been visible, the warmth of Ranma's trust and Nabiki's praise pushing aside her worries about Ukyo and Xian Pu for the moment, and after a moment Nabiki shrugged and headed back toward the school.

With Nabiki gone, Sayuri and Yuka quickly moved in. “Okay, girlfriend, what was all that about?” Sayuri asked.

Akane shook herself out of her reverie and looked over at her two friends. She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, closed it again, and finally just stared at her friends. When the two simply waited patiently, Akane finally shook her head and chuckled. “Just the usual Ranma insanity,” she said as nonchalantly as she could as she started to walk toward home, her friends falling in beside her. “I'll tell you about it later. Let's just say ... Ranma's mother is as weird as everyone else that shows up looking for the idiot.”

Then, casting about for some way to change the subject, she asked, “By the way, what happened to Ryoga after Ranma and I ... left, yesterday? I hope he's still around, I owe that boy ...” she finished with a heartfelt growl.

Sayuri and Yuka exchanged glances, Yuka blushing furiously while Sayuri smirked. “We'll tell you when you tell us about what's up with Ranma,” the ponytailed girl said. “Let's just say ... some guys improve with sake.”

Akane stumbled, head whipping around to stare at her friends. Yuka was staring at her feet while Sayuri simply looked back, cocking an eyebrow as if daring Akane to make something of it. After a moment, Akane shook her head with a laugh. “All right, you got a deal. But now, I gotta get home. I'll see you two Monday,” she said, and turned to run toward the dojo. She needed to collect Kasumi and get to the Cat Café as fast as she could — she wasn't leaving Ranma alone with those conniving sluts any longer than she had to!