A Little Earlier
A Ranma Fan Fiction by Stephen Ratliff
Part 2: Add Ryoga and a challenge
In which I add a ongoing thread and continue a common ending.
The next morning, Akane lingered in the school yard, waiting for
Ranma to arrive. Just a couple minutes before the bell, Ranma appeared at
the gate, dragging another guy along. The newcomer appeared to be in the
same grade as Akane and Ranma. He was built rather stocky, and wore a
rather big backpack.
"Hurry up, Ryoga, I don't want to be late," Ranma said. "And pay
attention, you don't want to be lost again."
"Good morning, Ranma," Akane said, coming up beside him. "Who is
your friend?"
"Hi ya, Akane," Ranma said. "This is my friend Ryoga Hibiki. He
lives next door to me and has a real problem with finding places."
"I do not!" Ryoga said.
"Then explain why you ended up in the closet when you were trying to leave
your house by the front door," Ranma said.
"The doors were too similar," Ryoga replied.
"A pine plywood sliding door verses a solid oak swinging one...
really similar, Ryoga," Ranma said. Ryoga slumped. "We better get to
class."
"Right," Akane said. "Say, Ranma, do you have chocolate pudding
again today?"
"If you've got cherry pie, it's a trade," Ranma said.
Akane watched in awe as Ranma did a set of maneuvers on the uneven
bars. Sure she'd fought Ranma in the Dojo, but the grace and difficulty he
accomplished in Gym was amazing. She hadn't been impressed with the
balance beam, his walking on the fences had shown that would be a breeze
for him.
The rings were expected. They were an air born kanta. But something about
the splits turns and twists captivated Akane. Her attention was centered
on Ranma to the exclusion of all else as Ranma made his finish, a double flip
with a quarter twist, so he ended up facing the teacher.
"Was that the demonstration you desired, Sensei?" Ranma asked with a
smirk. The teacher had caught him talking to Ryoga and suggested that if
he believed he had no need to learn how to use the equipment, perhaps he
would demonstrate. So he had done three excellent routines, to which his
class
had given him spontaneous tens. This time was no different.
"I believe that will be enough for now, Saotome," the teacher said.
"You may return to your place. Mr. Hibiki, perhaps you would like ..."
The bell rung for class change, cutting off what ever the teacher
was going to say. There would not be much time for the class to change and
get to their next class, but they spent as much as possible gathered around
Ranma asking questions. As Akane waited for him, both were late for lunch.
Akane was really enjoying her chocolate pudding, but she really was
enjoying Nabiki's expression of desire. Akane had finally found Nabiki's
weakness, and it was chocolate. And thanks to Ranma, she had really big
bowl of chocolate pudding in front of her.
"Ranma, are you sure you don't have any more pudding," Nabiki asked
for the fourth time.
"No, I gave Akane the last pudding," Ranma said, as he ate Akane's
cherry pie. "There won't be any more until Dad buys food at the end of the
week."
"Darn, can't I have even a taste, Akane?" Nabiki asked.
"Okay, you can have a taste, Nabiki, but I get to chose what to watch
on television tonight," Akane replied.
"It's a deal," Nabiki said. "So, Ranma I heard about Gym today. How long
have you been into gymnastics?"
"I just remembered what I saw on television once and modified some of
Dad's training methods," Ranma said, as he finished up the pie.
"You never have done the balance beam, rings or uneven bars before today?"
Nabiki said. "Pardon me, if I find that unlikely. The descriptions I've
been hearing have been most impressive."
"Well, it's the truth," Ranma said. "The balance beam is just like
fighting on the fences or on logs. The rings... well I've never fought in
that type, but holding your body in set positions is a foundation for
several styles... not that I'd get stuck in any one style. As for the
uneven bars,
I had to fight in a tree once. The bars are a lot easier."
"I still think you shouldn't have shown up the Sensei," Akane said.
"Hey, she was asking for it," Ranma said. "With at least three
martial artists, and that champion gymnast, Kuno what's her name..."
"Kodachi," Nabiki supplied.
"... In the class, she should know better than to say that none of us
would be considered good gymnasts at the end of the month," Ranma said.
"Give me that month, and I'd have most of the class up to Kodachi's level,
at least."
"And you'll get that chance, Mr. Saotome," the gym teacher said, as
she poked her head between Ranma and Akane. "We'll see if you end up
eating your words."
Akane relaxed in the furo. The sparring today had been on balance. Akane
had little trouble with matching Ranma on the rings, in their after
school practice session. The uneven bars hadn't been that hard either...
but for some reason, she couldn't stay on that beam. So, Ranma had set up
a two by six over the pond in the garden, and Akane had spent the next half
and hour falling into the pond, until finally she had sent Ranma into the
pond.
Akane looked forward to gym the next three weeks. The Sensei was
giving Ranma nearly free reign in teaching the class, and Ranma had
appointed her "Chief Assistant in Charge of the Girls." She was going to
have so much fun!
Akane noticed that her fingers were beginning to get a little wrinkled, so
she rose to exit the furo. Just as she picked up her towel, the door
opened to reveal Ranma, also naked.
"Sorry, Akane, Nabiki said you were done," Ranma said, as he blushed
and began to retreat.
"I am now," Akane said, blushing as she took in the view Ranma was
offering. "It's all yours." Ranma entered the bath, and Akane exited,
neither remembering to cover themselves. As Akane dressed, she thought,
"I've got stop Nabiki from doing this... still, it does have it's
advantages." Then blushing at the last unbidden thought, she exited the
changing room to find Nabiki.
-----
Next time: History Class and Ranma's Gym Class.
As usual, any and all C&C accepted, but please try not to sound hostile.
(Ranma Fan Fiction is not going to be totally destroyed just because I
started writing it... I get the strangest e-mail. Oh well, it takes all
kinds of Critique to make a good story.)
Stephen Ratliff
--
Stephen Ratliff
FAQ & Index Maintainer for Alt.StarTrek.Creative
http://www.runet.edu/~sratliff/FAQs
http://www.runet.edu/~sratliff/ascindex