| What End May Come |
| Part One: Some Things Never Change By Richard LeBlanc |
| It was early in the day in the training hall of the Tendo Dojo. A tired Ranma stood impatiently waiting for his father who insisted that Ranma not be late. |
| "Fine example that old man sets," he muttered. It was then that Genma - together with Soun walked in. "Alright - what's going on here?" he asked suspiciously. Soun took a puff on his cigarette and nudged Genma. |
| "Ah yes. Soun and I were talking the other night," Genma began. |
| "If this is another wedding thing," Ranma began. |
| "Are you saying you - don't want to marry my daughter?" Soun asked seriously. Ranma blushed and backed up. |
| "I never said that! It's just - I have my training and school - and this - curse," he rationalized. |
| "So - if you were free of your curse - and finished school?" Genma asked. |
| "Why are you asking me this now?" Ranma asked defensively. |
| "The future may seem far away Ranma - but there will come a time when you have to put aside your indecision. You will have to make choices. Then - you will have to see what you want - know what you want. When that time comes - we can only hope - there will still be time to act," Soun stated. |
| "What are you two talking about?" Ranma asked. Genma sighed as he walked over to where his son was. |
| "Ever since we got here boy - I have been trying to get you to do right. I know I made mistakes along the way - but I know that you will do the right thing," he stated calmly. Ranma blinked as he looked at Soun and his father. |
| "What? What are you two up to?" Ranma asked suspiciously. |
| "Nothing. We have tried everything to bring you and my daughter together. Nothing has worked," Soun began as a tired Akane entered the training hall. "You slept in Akane," he stated. |
| "What is this about? Did you do something Ranma?" she asked sternly scowling at her fiancee. |
| "We told him to be here just as we wanted you here," Genma answered. |
| "What is this about?" Akane asked. |
| "I haven't a clue," Ranma muttered. |
| "We debated this - Soun and I. We had hoped - that the two of you would stop acting like squabbling children by now - but it has become painfully clear that - we - were mistaken," Genma stated seriously. The direction of the conversation was taking sent a chill down the spines of Ranma and Akane. |
| "Mistaken?" Akane asked. |
| "About what?" Ranma asked. |
| "A great many things - but mainly - your engagement. We were wrong to arrange this. As of this moment - we - free you of that bond - and - no longer will we try to impose our will on you," Soun said as he broke down and began crying. Ranma and Akane stood in stunned silence. |
| "Just like that?" Akane asked. |
| "It's a trick - they're up to something," Ranma retorted. |
| "Boy - it is clear that - our training is far from done. Come the end of this school year - we will be heading out," Genma stated. The color drained from his son's face. |
| "Heading out? For how long?" Akane asked. |
| "Until your training is done. It could be a year - probably more. The life of a martial artist is uncertain like that," Genma replied seriously. Soun walked over to where the stunned teens were. |
| "The two of you should get ready for school now," Soun suggested. The two noticed the change in their posture as they left the hall. "If this doesn't work," he whispered. |
| "The way those two go on - if they have but one excuse they will milk it. The main reason they cling to was us - our meddling - our involvement," Genma stated rationally. |
| "True that. But - there is that little matter of - his other fiancees. Genma this could backfire," Soun warned. Genma closed his eyes. He knew that what his best friend was saying was true - but what other recourse did they have? |
| "We both know - that no matter how much they protest it - we know that they do care for each other. Every time one of them is in the presence of a possible suitor the other flips out. The way the two go on - they think that they have forever to play this game," Genma stated seriously. |
| "And informing - everyone of this?" Soun asked. |
| "They need to know what is at stake here. Soun - we have tried everything bring them together. Yet as insistent as we become - is as stubborn as they remain," Genma added. |
| "I hope you are right about this old friend," Soun said as the two made their way out of the training hall. |
| * * * |
| At the Cat Cafe Cologne was reading the announcement that Genma and Soun had put out the night before. |
| "An interesting gamble you make," she remarked. |
| "What is gable great grandmother?" Shampoo asked. Cologne hopped over on her staff and handed the notice to Shampoo. "Aye ya! Akane is no longer obstacle," she remarked happily. Mousse - hearing this made his way over to where the small gathering was. |
| "What do you mean?" he asked hesitantly. |
| "Soun and Genma have retracted the engagement between Akane and the son in law," Cologne replied. Shampoo danced around happily hugging the notice as though it were a stuffed toy. |
| "With Akane out of way - Ranma is all for Shampoo," she said happily as she hurried out of the restaurant. Mousse was about to follow when a bucket of water splashed over him. The duck protested as it looked over at Cologne who was balancing the bucket on the end of her stick. |
| "I think it would be best if you stayed here," she suggested. |
| * * * |
| At that moment at Ucchan's, Ukyo was reading the announcement in modest disbelief. Of all the other rivals she had for Ranma - the only one that really gave her cause for concern was Akane - and that rival was seemingly uprooted from the equation. |
| "If this wasn't given to me by his own father I wouldn't have believed it," she remarked. It was then that Ryoga wandered in and looked around. |
| "This isn't the Tendo Dojo," he muttered. |
| "Of course it isn't! Didn't you notice the sign?" Ukyo asked. |
| "My mind must have been elsewhere," he said as he took out the same notice that she was reading. "I found this sick idea of a joke on a telephone pole," he said showing her what had him so distracted. "When I find out who is behind this," he began. |
| "I got one too - near as I can tell it's legit," Ukyo replied. |
| "You're lying! You are just trying to get my hopes up!" he protested. |
| "Why would I do that?" she asked seriously. |
| "You have a point there," he admitted. |
| "Besides - the person that gave me this was his father. As of this morning my Ran-chan is a free man," she said happily as she tossed him an okonomiyaki. "This one's on me," she said with a smile as she hopped over the counter. |
| "Where are you going?" he asked hesitantly. |
| "Well, it is almost time for school. I thought I'd leave early and maybe bump into that fiancee of mine," she mused. |
| "The school? Akane will be there," he said in a distant voice. Ukyo sighed as she held onto his arm. |
| "I'll take you there - but only because I'm in such a good mood," she offered as the two left her shop. |
| * * * |
| At the Kuno Estate - Tatewaki Kuno and Kodachi the Black Rose were reading copies of the announcement that had been delivered to them. |
| "At long last - Akane my love is free of that vile wretch," Kuno stated triumphantly as he imagined the perfect life between him and Akane - a life free of his vile vindictive rival. Kodachi giggled insanely as danced around the room. |
| "At long last my precious Ranma darling is all mine!" she said contently. Kuno looked over at his sister and put his hand on her shoulder. |
| "I know that we have had our differences in the past - but in light of this good fortune - I give you my blessing to date with Ranma," he said gallantly. |
| * * * |
| Unaware of just how much the seemingly quiet area was buzzing - Akane and Ranma were walking to school. Neither of them had said much upon leaving the dojo. For more times than the two could remember - they had looked to their engagement as a hassle - an inconvenience. Now after everything they had been through - it was over. The two looked at each other for a moment then quickly looked away. |
| "It has to be a trick," he rationalized. |
| "I don't know - they seemed pretty serious," Akane replied. |
| "You'll believe just about anything," he remarked. She scowled at him. |
| "And you are so sure?" she asked as she stopped walking. She froze as she saw a notice posted to a light post. It was a notice that advertised of the ending of the engagement between Ranma and Akane. "Ran-ma?" she muttered. |
| "What?" he asked - looking back. He hopped down from the fence he was walking on and landed beside her. When he saw what she was staring at - he turned pale. "Oh my god - maybe they weren't joking," he muttered. The reality of everything began to sink in. |
| "Then that would mean," she began. |
| "Me and pop will be out of here in about two months," Ranma concluded. An uncomfortable silence began to well between the two as they imagined how things would be - with the other gone. Just then the two heard the familiar sound of a bicycle bell. |
| "Nihao Ranma! Shampoo heard good news!" Shampoo said - the front tire of her bike planted firmly in his face. "Now that you no stuck with green eyed Akane you can date with Shampoo," she rationalized. Ranma hopped back - sensing that Akane was about to attack. |
| "And just how pray tell did you learn of this - good news?" Akane asked. Shampoo pulled out the notice from between her breasts and waved it around. "My father gave that to you?" she asked in disbelief. Shampoo stuck her tongue out at Akane and glommed onto Ranma. |
| "And just what do you think you are doing with my Ran-chan?" a voice shouted. Ranma leaped to the side as several knife-like spatulas stabbed into the ground where they were standing. |
| "Ranma save Shampoo! Shampoo so lucky!" she said happily. Ranma and Akane looked over and saw Ukyo and Ryoga perched on the wall. |
| "Well Ranma - it seems you had no trouble moving on," Ryoga began as he tried to control a building rage. |
| "It isn't what it looks like," Ranma protested. |
| "Wo ai ni," Shampoo whispered as she kissed Ranma on the lips. For a second - everyone froze. |
| "Get away from my precious Ranma darling you brazen hussy!" a shrill voice shouted. Everyone looked up and saw Kodachi coming down with a large wooden hammer in her hands. Shampoo managed to dodge - but poor Ranma caught the hammer right in the face. |
| "How dare you hit my Ran-chan!" Ukyo shouted as she drew her giant spatula and leaped at Kodachi. Akane was about to intervene when someone hugged her! |
| "Oh Akane Tendo! At long last you are free of that vermin Saotome!" Kuno exclaimed. Akane was getting ready to send the obnoxious into orbit when she saw a shadow descending her way. |
| "Get your hands off her now!" Ryoga shouted as he attacked Kuno. Akane groaned as she turned her attention back to Ranma who was once again in Shampoo's arms. Her hands twitched. She reached over and grabbed a garden hose and sprayed it at Ranma and Shampoo - changing Ranma into a girl and Shampoo into a cat! |
| "CAT! Cat! Cat! Cat! Cat! Cat! Cat! Cat!!" Ranma exclaimed as he bolted away blindly. Shampoo clung on not releasing her grip on him. |
| "Why do I keep forgetting what a PIG that Ranma is?" she hissed to herself as she threw the hose aside - inadvertently spraying Ryoga - turning him into P-Chan. She was about to return to school when she heard P-Chan cry out. She looked over and saw Kuno getting ready to attack the pig. "Leave P-Chan alone you brute!" she shouted as she kicked Kuno up and out of sight. She looked over and saw Ukyo and Kodachi still fighting - oblivious to the fact that the man they were fighting for had vanished. "Honestly," she muttered as she picked up P-Chan and headed towards the school. |
| * * * |
| A short while later Akane neared the school. Having her pet pig with her calmed her down a bit - but the image of Ranma in Shampoo's arms and her kissing him still made her fume. |
| "Why does he put up with her?" she muttered to herself as she looked up. there she saw a large mob of boys from her school charging towards her. "They told my school too?" she groaned as she effortlessly knocked her would be suitors aside. Within minutes - every one of them was twitching and flat on their backs. "My nerves? What is that fool father of mine trying to accomplish?" she asked in disbelief as she walked over the field of broken bodies. |
| A short while later - a panting girl-type Ranma arrived at the school and saw the carnage that was left in Akane's wake. He knew it could only mean one thing. |
| "That idiot father of mine told the school about this too? What kind of sick game is he playing here?" she muttered to herself as she headed towards the school to continue with her stranger than usual day. |