Part V: Samurai-boy’s True Identity ^O.O^

 

            “Let’s go then, pigtails.”

            “You got it, samurai-boy.”

            Inu-Yasha didn’t know what to expect next so he kept all of his senses tuned.  The pigtailed kid suddenly came at him with a burst of speed and the fist flying began.

 

            “You know what, Akane?”

            Akane blinked and turned to Kagome.  “Mm?”

            “Nevermind.  Forget that Hirryu-Shouten-whatever.  I don’t want them to kill each other or for me to end up bandaging Inu-Yasha afterwards.  They’re already pretty bad.  Let’s go.  I want to stop this now.”

            Akane sighed in relief.  “Thank goodness.  You don’t know what the move can do to someone, and Inu-Yasha isn’t in full form tonight.”

            Kagome nodded.  “But you do know that when we interrupt, they’re going to want to finish the fight later.”

            Akane shrugged as she got up and headed to the side of the roof, ready to make her way down.  Kagome got up and followed.  “I know.  So, let them finish it later.  Ranma might think twice when he realizes Inu-Yasha is actually half demon… Then again…maybe not.  But that’s his problem.”

            Kagome giggled.

            Everyone watching the fight knew what was coming.  With each punch, the new guy lost more and more of his cool.  Ranma was going to blow him away with the Hirryu-Shouten-Ha and everyone was at the edge of his or her seats.

            Inu-Yasha and Ranma were facing each other off, Inu-Yasha looking more irritated than usual.  The damn human just wouldn’t stay down, no matter how many times he knocked him about.  That was it.  The fight had taken long enough.  He had to get back to finding Kagome.  At least now, he had plenty of people to ask.  One last move.  Inu-Yasha was going to end the fight here.

            Ranma was exhausted.  He’d never fought someone so damn tenacious.  He was like a dog that bit down hard and then just wouldn’t let go [another dog joke—I like these don’t I?].  Not even Ryoga had ever given him this much of a work out!  But he could feel the guy’s irritation.  Ranma took a deep breath and kept his cool.  The spiral was practically complete.  All he needed was one more move… One more move and he’d have him.

            When Akane and Kagome arrived at the front gate, Inu-Yasha headed straight at Ranma just as he completed the final step of the Hirryu-Shouten-Ha—

            “OSUWARI!!!”

            Ranma blinked in shock when something suddenly glowed around his opponent’s neck sending the guy crashing into the pavement.  Startled, Ranma lost control and fouled up the last step sending himself crashing onto the floor and rolling about until he hit a nearby wall.  What…what the hell?!

            A murmur ran through the crowd.  Someone had screamed “sit” and suddenly the fight had come to an abrupt halt.  What was going on…?

            Inu-Yasha suddenly pulled himself from the pavement with a curse.  His eyes flew wildly about, searching for… someone.

            “KAGOME!!  Where the hell are you, wench?!”

            Kagome smiled and stepped out of the shadow of the gate and into the street light.  Akane was next to her.  “Right here, Inu-Yasha.”

            Inu-Yasha stood up abruptly and stomped over to where she was.  “What the hell did you do that for?!  I was about to finish him off!!  Chikusho, Kagome!  First you ditch me to come on a vacation, when you know we don’t have the time, and then you humiliate me with your damn…damn…damn…”

            “Osuwari?”

            CRASH!

            Inu-Yasha hit concrete again with a slam.  Everyone watching winced.  Including the now standing Ranma.  He stepped forward.  “What the hell…?!  Kagome?  Akane?  What the hell is going on?  Do you know this guy?  And what’s wrong with him?”

            Akane smiled at Ranma as Inu-Yasha shot up again, stiff as a board.  “Ranma, this is Kagome’s boyfriend, Inu-Yasha.”

            “EH?!” was the collective shocked reaction from everyone present.

            Inu-Yasha glared at Kagome, his face flaming.  “K-k-kareshi?"

            She shrugged.  “They couldn’t come up with a better word for our relationship.  And I know you’re embarrassed about…”

            “Don’t you DARE say it!”

            Ranma blinked.  “Say what?”  The entire crowd was paying very close attention.

            Akane grinned.  “I’ll say it.  Inu-Yasha has a little curse like you, Ranma.  But his is directly related to Kagome.  Whenever she says the word ‘sit’ the rosary around Inu-Yasha’s neck reacts and makes him…well… sit.  It drags him straight to the floor.  The problem is the rosary can’t be removed, ne, Kagome?”

            Kagome shook her head.  “Iya.”  She turned into Inu-Yasha whose face was blazing red.

            “Ono-re, Kagome…”

            “Ma, ma.  Don’t get so mad.  Your sparring partner has an even worse curse that that.  Consider yourself lucky that you don’t have his problem.”

            Inu-Yasha blinked.  “Who is he?  You know him?  And he has a curse worse than me?”

            Kagome nodded.  She turned to Akane.  “Inu-Yasha this is Akane Tendo, my best friend.  The guy you were fighting is named Ranma Saotome and he’s her fiancée.  His curse is—”

            “Don’t say it, Kagome!” Ranma called out.

            Akane grinned.  She had a bucket in her hand.  “Fine, then we’ll show him!”  She took a step toward Ranma.

Ranma shook his head and took a step back.  “No…Akane…don’t do it!”  She tossed the water and him…unfortunately because of his crash landing he wasn’t able to avoid the splash of cold water.  “Ack!!  That’s cold!  What’d you do that for?!”

The crowd groaned.

Kuno shot up.  “My beautiful pigtailed girl!”

Kodachi was right after him.  “You harlot!  What have you done with my Ranma darling?!”

Everyone ignored them.

Inu-Yasha stared at his opponent in disbelief.  The dark-haired pigtailed boy had just turned into…a redheaded pigtailed…girl.  Inu-Yasha turned to Kagome.  “On-na da?”

            Kagome nodded.  “Sort of.  When splashed with cold water, Ranma gets transformed into a girl, and when he gets splashed with hot water, he turns back into a guy.  That’s his curse.  See?  You already have something in common.”

            Inu-Yasha turned to the fuming boy/girl and promptly burst out laughing.  Ranma snapped.  “What the hell are you laughing at, sit-boy?  My curse wasn’t my fault!  You probably asked for your curse!”

            Kagome nodded.  “He did.”

            Inu-Yasha turned back to Kagome.  “Oi, Kagome!”

            CRASH!  Suddenly a boy broke through a wall nearby.  He was out of breath and his eyes were looking about.  Then they settled on Ranma.

            “THERE YOU ARE, RANMA!!  HOW DARE YOU PICK A FIGHT WITH SOMEONE ELSE OTHER THAN ME!  I’M YOUR OPPONENT!”

            Inu-Yasha lifted an eyebrow at the sudden explosion and then looked at Ranma back to the guy.  Kagome groaned.  Akane shook her head.

            Ranma rolled his eyes.  “You’re a little late, Ryoga.  The fight’s over and it ended in a stalemate.  ‘Curse’ results.”

            “A stalemate?!  Ranma, the only one allowed to beat you, is me!!  I will win Akane from you by defeating you and then you go and pick a fight with someone else?!!  DIE, RANMA!!”  Ryoga charged at him.

            Both Inu-Yasha and a hot water soaked male-once-more Ranma punched Ryoga into the wall across the street.  Ranma looked up at Inu-Yasha in surprise.

            “Why’d you do that?”

            Inu-Yasha cracked his knuckles.  “He’s a severe pain in the ass that won’t leave you the hell alone, ne?  Acts just like the pain in my ass back home and looks like him too.  And didn’t he just say he wanted your woman?  I got the same problem with the idiot that hounds me.  That, and I felt like punching something.”

            Ranma lifted an eyebrow.  “Really?”  Ranma grinned and put out his hand to Inu-Yasha.  “Well, you are Kagome’s boyfriend, and she’s Akane’s friend.  I guess you and I should try to get along.  We already have a lot more in common than we thought, huh?”

            Inu-Yasha took the offered hand.  “I’ve never met a human that gave me as much trouble to beat as you.”

            “Whatever.  My last move would have probably killed you, you know,” Ranma said as they shook hands.

            Inu-Yasha lifted an eyebrow.  “Eh?  Honto?  I’ll let that slide considering I’m not myself tonight.  You might have actually done… but more than likely not.”

            Ranma blinked.  “You’re not…yourself tonight?”

            Inu-Yasha just smirked and turned back to Kagome.  “Can we go now?  I came all the way here to drag your ass back, Kagome.  I still can’t believe you ditched me like that!”

            Kagome crossed her arms over her chest.  She knew this had been coming.  “Gomen nasai, Inu-Yasha.  I know getting the Shikon no kakera and defeating Naraku are top on your priority list, but I won’t be much good to you if I’m exhausted physically and mentally.  I needed a vacation and I wanted to see my friend Akane.  If you want to go so bad, you can go… But you’re going alone.  I’m staying here and you know there’s nothing you can do to make me go.”

            Inu-Yasha cursed.  He looked next to Kagome and saw her friend Akane.  Kagome had really wanted to see this friend.  His gaze shifted to her fiancée.  And the guy she was engaged to was interesting.  He’d never met a human who could stand up to him before.  Maybe he would just indulge Kagome.  He couldn’t do much without her back home anyway.  He would just have to wait for her.  Inu-Yasha cursed again and nodded.

            Kagome gave a little squeal of joy and leapt at him for a hug.  Inu-Yasha stiffened and then relaxed, putting an arm around her.  She smelled so nice…

            Suddenly, the people that had been watching the fight surrounded the two.

            “So, you’re Kagome’s boyfriend? Want some okonomiyaki?”

            “You cute!  You lot like Ranma!”

            “Will you be staying long?  I could really make some profit out of you!”

            “How the hell did you counter Ranma’s Chestnuts?!”

            “I’ve never seen anyone give my son such a challenge!”

            “Oh, I do hope you will be staying with us. It would be wonderful.”

            “I’m glad Kagome picked such a fine young man.”

            “Do you use your sword?  And what did you do with the pigtailed girl?!”

            “You’re not as handsome as my Ranma darling!”

            “I don’t sense any demon in you, boy.”

            Veins popped all around Inu-Yasha’s head.  “Oi!!  Kagome!!  Who the hell are all these people?!”

            Kagome and Akane giggled.  Kasumi stepped forward and got everyone’s attention.  “All right, everyone.  It is already very late and I’m sure Inu-Yasha is tired from his long trip here.  You can get to know him tomorrow nice and calmly.  But right now, he and everyone else is going to bed.  Now, off with you.”

            Everyone grumbled but complied with Kasumi.  No one ever disagreed with her.

            Inu-Yasha just blinked in amazement.  She turned to Inu-Yasha with a smile.  “Please, come inside.  I’m sure you’re hungry and you might as well get to know Akane’s family first before you meet everyone else.”

            He only nodded.  Akane, Nabiki and Kagome giggled.  Ranma rolled his eyes and the Tendos, Saotomes, Inu-Yasha and Kagome entered the Tendo home.