* * *

Magic never works quite as advertised.

This might not seem much of a secret to the martial artists who seem to
have been drawn to Nerima. After all they had witnessed with
everything from black magic mushrooms to instant Jusenkyo powders,
there was plenty of evidence that Murphy's law worked over time
when magic was present.

Despite all these. . .unfortunate incidents no one ever seemed to be
concerned about any possible side effects of using potions, powders
or any other enchanted items which they managed to lay their hands
on.

At least, they did until one day the consequences of one such item
came back to haunt them all.

* * *

"Ranma no Baka!"

You know ever since I've met Akane, I've come to truly detest those
three little words. I can just be minding my own business when I hear
those words and then a second later, wham, she's laying into me with a
punch, kick or hitting me with something.

Being violent isn't that bad a thing for a martial artist, just look at
Ryoga. He's even more violent than that girl, but at least he does
something with it. He lets him it drive him on to become better in the
art, but she just lashes out. I swear she hasn't improved one bit since
that first sparring match I had with her.

Oh here she is now, her face showing only righteous fury and her
battle aura flaring around her like a sapphire flame. I'd be more
impressed with that aura if she actually tried to do something with it.

For brief moment I wonder what she thinks I've done now, but I give
that futile line of thought. She's probably upset by some random thing
that I did recently. Knowing my luck it's something to do with
Shampoo.

Akane's finally reached me after storming across the entire school
yard, leaving a space now empty of people where the other students
have cleared out of her way.

A simple tap to the side of her arm diverts her punch and also knocks
her off balance so she can't follow up with that the kick like she always
does.

I see a look of complete surprise cross her face for a moment. A second
later, it's wiped away by shock as I follow up my momentary advantage
with a punch.

Normally I don't like to hit girls, and now is no exception, so I don't
actually land the blow with full force. I still let enough of it through to
force the air from her lungs and knock her back a couple of feet.

"What the hell do you think your doing?" I yell at her while she lies on
the ground trying to catch her breath. Inside I feel start to guilty about
hitting a girl, but quickly squash the feeling. After all she's hit me more
times than any of the other girls, even including Kodachi.

"RANMA. . ." she begins but I cut her off before she can go any
further.

"That's my name, now just shut up and listen." I say and I'm gratified
to see that she actually does so for once. It probably just shock that
her favorite stress toy did just stand there and get hit.

"I don't know why in the world I've put up with you before now, but it
ends here and now. You tried to hit me one more time and that's it."

I turn to leave, my vague threat just hanging there, and it's only then
that I notice the silence and stares of all the people around me.

* * *


Notes :

Before anyone starts yelling at me about OCC I'd better explain what's
happening here. This little teaser came about after I read a novelization
of the Koi Fishing Rod story and started thinking about exactly what
happens.

At the end of the story arc a magical mark representing love which has
appeared over Ranma's heart due to an enchanted fishing rod is pulled
off. Now, the interpretation which I'm taking for this story is that
pulling off the mark didn't just remove the love spell that Ranma was
after, but also literally ripped love from him.

Can you see where this is going now?

If I had time enough then I'd write this myself, but I'm busy trying to
get other stuff done. I've got a story which has been awaiting part two
for about eighteen months so if any one wants to run with this idea
then it's yours. (You'll probably not want to use what I've written, but
I'd appreciate being mentioned for the idea.)

- Richard Drysdale (merior@wintermute.co.uk)
   Who will get part two of Soul in the Machine done . . . sometime.