(C&C welcome. Not to mention needed)
THE PROTECTOR
By Angela Jewell
An Alternate Reality Fanfic:
Same beloved characters, but whole new twists...
Standard Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the property and creation of Rumiko Takahashi—there are lots of other names that are supposed to go here as well, but sadly, they all escape me. And more importantly, none of them are mine.
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Chapter 3
Enter: Ranko?!
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Ranma stood before the Tendos, her hair slightly dripping and her clothes, too large for her now feminine torso, sagging loosely around her body.
"So, stranger," Soun coughed, clearing his throat with authority. "Mind telling us how you ended up in our bathroom?"
Ranma could feel her face turning red, her wet hair obscuring her vision. "I hope I didn't surprise ya too much earlier," she began nervously, pulling the tie on her pants tighter with one hand while pushing the hair out of her eyes with the other. "I'm Ranma's partner, uh, Ranko."
"What a nice name," Kasumi smiled pleasantly.
"Heh, thanks!" Ranma smirked, pleased.
Akane looked at Ranko suspiciously for a moment, and then turned to her father, scowling. "Really, dad!" she sighed, "One bodyguard is bad enough, but do you really have to insult me with two?"
Soun frowned, pulling uncomfortably at the collar of his dull brown dogi. "Partner?" he asked, ignoring Akane's question as he turned to the girl before him. "Is there some reason Ranma might need your help?"
"Yeah," Nabiki intoned. "I thought your agency 'sent us the best'."
Ranma's eyes widened as she realized her mistake. "Oh, they did!" she assured them, a bit too vehemently. "I mean, Ranma's very dependable! He's the best!" She laughed nervously. "But sometimes he has business to handle back at the office—you know, boring paper-work an all that—so they, uh, send me here to fill in for him." She paused, scratching her head; it felt like she was rambling. "I'm more of a backup than a partner really… and ya don't gotta worry either. I match Ranma perfectly in skill, and I have the same amount of experience."
"How nice," Kasumi said. "Isn't that good news father?"
Soun nodded his head. "Very good news, Kasumi."
"Where is Ranma anyway?" asked Akane, looking around the room. "I haven't seen him since our spar in the dojo."
Ranma cringed, unsure what to say. "Well," she began uneasily, looking around the room for inspiration. "Like I said, the boss sent me over to cover for him—but just for a minute. They, uh, needed him back at the agency. He still had some last minute paperwork to take care of from his last case. I just let myself in since no one was answering the door."
"That's strange," Kasumi interrupted thoughtfully. "Usually I can hear when someone's at the gate."
"Yeah, well…" Ranma continued uneasily, frowning. "no one answered it, and since nobody was around, I just let myself in. Anyways, I ran into Ranma on his way to the bath and let him know 'bout the boss's orders. But, don't worry! I promised him I'd watch after Akane while he's gone, so everything's fine. He should be back soon."
"Alright, then," Nabiki drawled, looking at the girl before her suspiciously. "Now that we know who you are, mind telling us how you ended up in our bathroom? I, for one, didn't sense any danger there."
Ranma laughed nervously. "Well, uh, danger lurks everywhere," she replied, smirking.
Nabiki raised an eyebrow, not amused.
Geez, what is with her? he thought, dejectedly.
"Anyway," she continued, trying her hardest not to look at the middle Tendo sister. "On my way over here a *big* truck splashed me with muddy water."
"Aren't you a martial artist?" Nabiki interrupted, frowning. "Couldn't you just dodge it?"
Ranma glared at her. This girl was beginning to get on her nerves.
"Nabiki!" Akane admonished, glaring. "Don't be rude. She's our guest!"
Ranma smiled in gratitude and Nabiki shrugged lazily.
"Go on, Ranko," Akane said, smiling at her.
"Err, anyway," she continued, less confident than before. "I didn't want to be all dirty when I introduced myself, so, I just figured I'd clean up a little beforehand. I'm sorry if I startled ya," she added, glancing quickly at Akane. "I didn't think anyone would come in. I mean, I *thought* Ranma was on his way to the bath, so the fact that a girl walked in kinda startled me..."
"Oh my." Kasumi started guiltily. "I completely forgot to warn Akane about the bath."
"Thanks a lot Kasumi," Akane replied, giving her sister a dirty look. "Mind giving me a little warning next time?"
Kasumi had the good grace to look embarrassed.
Nabiki, however, looked anything but. She shook her head sadly as she observed her younger sister with a frown.
"Gee Akane," she chided. "What are you so worked up about? You almost got to walk in on Ranma in the bath. You should be happy."
Akane glowered at her sister. "Oh, really?" she asked. "And why would I want to do a stupid thing like that?"
"Don't worry Akane," Kasumi interrupted. "You'll have plenty of time in the future. But are you sure you really want too? You are still young after all…"
"What in the WORLD are you talking about?" Ranma and Akane yelled in unison.
Akane looked at Ranma in surprise. Then her confused expression softened as she slowly began to smile.
"Oh, I'm sorry Ranko," she said, blushing furiously. "They were just teasing you know, they didn't mean anything by it. Besides, we didn't even know! I mean, we just met today so he hasn't had a chance to mention you yet…"
Ranko looked at her strangely.
"Huh?"
Akane gave her a weird look, and then cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Well, you are, aren't you?" she asked.
"Are *what*?"
"A couple, stupid."
Ranko had to fight the urge to laugh.
"Oh! Heh. Well yeah, now that you mention it, me and Ranma are inseparable. I'm surprised ya noticed."
"Well, it _was_ kind of hard not too." she smiled.
Ranma stepped up to Akane and placed her hands on her shoulders determinedly. "So I can trust you then, right?" she asked, staring intently into Akane's eyes, her voice desperate and hopeful. "You won't try to steal Ranma for yourself? I mean, I can't be here all the time, and I can't stand the thought of Ranma fooling around on me."
"No trouble there," Akane assured her, "I don't even like boys."
Ranma quickly removed her hands from Akane's shoulders, giving her an awkward smile as she slowly backed away. "Uh, don't like guys, huh? Um… hey, whatever. To each their own, an all that. Just remember, I'm taken!"
"What in the world are you talking about?" Akane yelled angrily, ignoring Nabiki's laughter and her father's uncontrollable weeping. "I don't like girls like that you idiot!"
"You don't? But ya said you don't like guys…"
Akane's body tensed as she stood up, her brown eyes blazing.
"I didn't mean it like that!" she yelled defensively. "I said I don't like *boys*! BOYS! I never said I don't like *men*! Besides," she said softly, turning around to face the koi pond. "I already have someone I like."
"That's wonderful, Akane," Kasumi smiled, leaning over her sister's shoulder. "What's her name?"
"It's a *HE* OKAY?"
"Sure thing," Ranma said, patting her on the shoulder. "But that still don't explain why ya said ya hate guys. I mean, I know they can be idiots sometimes, but what'd they ever do to you? Steal your lunch money or somethin'?"
"Nothing," Akane insisted. "Just something at school. Nothing, I can't handle," she added quickly.
"School, huh?" Ranma asked, her voice thoughtful. "Damn. I'm gonna have to go with ya to school tomorrow. Shampoo could try an attack ya there."
"You? But what about Ranma?"
"Ranma?" she questioned, her eyes wide with confusion. "What do you—I, I mean," she stammered, her face turning a dark shade of red. "That's what I meant! It's just that me and Ranma are so close, and so alike, that sometimes it's like we're almost the same person…"
Akane looked at her strangely.
"Uh, anyway," Ranma replied, standing up quickly, "I'd better get goin', Ranma should be back any minute, and I got another agent I gotta cover. It was nice meeting you all! Sorry about that whole incident with the bath. I promise it won't happen again."
"Nonsense," Soun laughed, clapping Ranma on the back, "No harm done. If you're a friend of Ranma's, you're a friend of ours."
"Yeah," Akane agreed, smiling. "Besides, I should be thanking you. If it weren't for you I would have walked in on Ranma in the bath. Now THAT would have been a disaster!" she laughed good-naturedly.
"Heh, really, don't mention it." Ranma relied, blushing at the memory. "Anyways, like I said, I'd better get going. Ranma should be here any minute, so I'll be seeing ya!"
"Goodbye," said Kasumi, waving pleasantly. "See you next time!" "Heh, sure thing," Ranko said as she hastily exited the room, anxious to get some place where she could return to normal.
The Tendos watched as she quickly disappeared, and then heard the door slam shut behind her. "She sure seemed in a hurry," Nabiki replied. "I wonder what was so important that she had to run out of here."
"Now, Nabiki," Kasumi scolded, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Ranko wasn't running away. She said she had to get back, so naturally we couldn't expect her to stay longer than she did. Besides, Akane doesn't seem to be in any real danger yet."
"Exactly," Akane agreed. "And I will never be in danger, so there's really no point in even worrying about all of this. Besides, she probably felt like she was being interrogated—I can't blame her for wanting to leave."
"Forget I said a thing," said Nabiki, waving her hand dismissively. "But I still think there's something strange about her."
"Honestly, Nabiki!" Akane said in exasperation. "You make it sound like she's got some deep dark secret or something. Besides, so what if she does? Unless she's secretly working with that crazy Amazon from China I don't think we have anything to worry about."
Akane stood up and began to walk out of the room.
"Where are you going Akane?" Soun asked, watching his youngest daughter with concern. "I don't think it's safe for you to go outside at night without Ranma."
"Geez, dad! I'm not leaving the country! I'm just taking a bath. A bath in the next room," she added in irritation. "Is that alright with you or do you think I should wait for Ranma to get back so that he can walk me there?"
"What a great idea Akane!"
"Yeah," Nabiki grinned. "Besides, if you wait for him to get back, maybe he'll even join you…"
"Nabiki are you INSANE?"
"Insane?" Nabiki asked, pretending to ponder the question. "Nope, not lately," she replied, grinning. "But really Akane, lighten up. I _was_ only joking. I don't see why you're getting so worked up anyway. Usually when we tease you, you just go and break a brick or something…"
"Oh, this is ridiculous," Akane complained as she stalked angrily out of the room. "I'm taking a bath. You know where to find me."
"Don't take too long," Soun yelled after her. "We're going to have a family meeting when Ranma gets back!"
"Sure, great," Akane replied over her shoulder. "Can't wait."
Nabiki watched as Akane finally disappeared from the room, "Geez, she's testier than usual."
"Really?" Kasumi asked, sounding shocked. "Isn't she always like this?"
"Now girls," Soun gently chided, crossing his arms against his chest with authority. "Please don't tease your sister. She's been very stressed lately. So please, for your father's sake, try not to push her too far. You know how proud she can be… it must be hard for her to have to depend on someone like this."
Nabiki laughed. "I'm not sure if 'depend' is the right word," she replied dryly.
"We're sorry, father. I'm sure Akane appreciates what you've done for her. And I just know that her and Ranma will get along fine."
"Well," Soun replied, coughing uncomfortably. "Let's just hope that Amazon woman doesn't find her way here after all. Then we can put this whole incident behind us."
As much as Soun wanted to believe his own words, he still couldn't shake the distinct feeling that his daughter was in danger. And if Soun Tendo knew one thing, it was bad omens.
* * *
Ranma poured the hot steaming water over his head, sighing in contentment as he felt the change wash through him.
It wasn't so much that he hated his girl side—he'd been cursed long enough to know both its benefits and its rewards—yet there was still no greater feeling in the world than when he returned to normal.
Ranma dropped the hot water kettle on the floor and stretched, adjusting the ribbon on his pants for what seemed the hundredth time. "Well, better get back," he told himself, frowning.
He wasn't exactly looking forward to the 'family' meeting they'd mentioned, but there was no helping it. Ranma sighed. Oh well, he thought, at least I'll get a few answers to some of the questions I was wondering about.
And with that, Ranma took off in the direction of the Tendo Dojo—running along the fence as he went.
* * *
"Hey," he announced, entering the room, "I'm back."
"Welcome home Ranma!" Kasumi smiled, looking up at the young martial artist. "Did you get everything taken care of?"
"Yup," Ranma replied, plopping himself down on the floor. "Piece a cake! Did ya all meet Ranko then?" he asked, feigning indifference.
"Yeah," said Akane. "I was surprised. Your girlfriend seemed pretty nice—the complete opposite of you!"
"Heh. Whatever," he replied, grinning slightly. "At least I got a girlfriend."
Soun coughed uncomfortably, hoping to prevent a fight. "Yes, well, I believe there are some things we need to discuss. After all, I'm sure Ranma has some questions he'd like answered…"
"Well, there is something I was wonderin'," Ranma said, leaning forward. "How exactly did Akane beat that Amazon?" he asked, curiously. "I mean, if she defeated her, then why do you need me? If she was able to beat her once, shouldn't she be able to do it again?"
"Well," Soun began uncomfortably, throwing a quick glance in Akane's direction, "the truth is Akane did beat her—but, well… you see,"
"It was an accident."
Ranma turned towards the voice, surprised to see Akane glaring back at him, her fists clenched tightly, her face red.
"An accident?" he repeated dumbly. "How do you *accidentally* beat an Amazon?"
"What difference does it make?" Akane demanded, tearing her gaze quickly away from his. "The important thing is that I did beat her. Who cares how it happened."
"Now Akane," Kasumi said, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Ranma has a right to know these things. You never know what might be important later on."
"Important?" Akane didn't even try to mask her frustration. "How many times do I have to say this?" she yelled. "There's NOTHING to worry about! There's no way she's going to follow me all the way to Japan!"
"Yeah, about that," Nabiki said, stretching lazily. "That's not entirely true."
Akane turned her angry gaze on Nabiki. "What do you mean, 'not true'?" she demanded, a nagging suspicion forming in the back of her mind. "Please tell me you didn't do something stupid…"
"Come now, Akane, I may be a lot of things—but do you really think stupid is one of them?"
"Well what did you mean then?"
"Well, we *were* in China," she replied casually, shrugging. "It was a great business opportunity. And it's not like I knew you would end up fighting that Shampoo girl, and actually beat her."
"N—Nabiki…" Soun began worriedly.
"Come on, Daddy, even you can't blame me for leaving them my business cards. After all, it doesn't hurt to have connections over seas. And," she added, smiling, "that Amazon village can be very profitable if you know the right people."
Akane quickly saw red. "Business cards?" she shrieked, not believing what she was hearing. "Geez Nabiki! Why didn't you just draw them a map."
"Oh dear," Kasumi said, blushing with embarrassment. "I did give a map to this nice lady I met when we were leaving."
Akane looked at her oldest sister, aghast. "Kasumi," she said slowly, carefully. "You do realize that they're trying to *kill* me, right?"
Kasumi smiled apologetically. "Well, it would have been rude for me to refuse after we ate their prize. I just thought we could make it up to them..."
Akane's eyes widened in disbelief. "Make it up to them? HOW?"
"Well," she replied thoughtfully. "I thought it would be nice if I invited them all over for one of my home-cooked meals. But don't worry, Akane," she added, as she patted her younger sister's hand reassuringly. "It didn't sound like they were interested in coming."
Soun's body went rigid and his vision began to swim… and then he caught sight of Ranma. That's right, he thought with a smile, from what I saw of his fighting ability, he should be more than a match for that Amazon woman. "Well," he said, laughing good-naturedly, feeling more confident by the minute. "It's a good thing we have you here to protect her then, right Ranma?"
"Heh. Right." Ranma said, feeling smug. With a superior smirk, he turned his attention on Akane. "Well, guess you're going to need my help after all, huh?"
Akane said nothing. Her eyes were glued firmly to the floor, and her hands were curled into tight fists at her sides. He could see the anger radiating from her, as he looked on, impressed.
"So, Ranma," Nabiki said, smiling mischievously. "Don't you think it's a good idea for you to stay in Akane's room tonight? That way, if Shampoo tries to attack her, you'll be right there—ready to lay down your life to protect her."
"No way!" Akane screamed, her face red with embarrassment. "I'm NOT sharing a room with him, dad!"
"Of course not," Soun replied, a tinge of authority entering his voice. "After all, at the moment, Ranma is just a precaution—Akane isn't in any real danger—there's no need for him to stay in her room. At least not yet," he added thoughtfully. "Right Ranma?"
Ranma nodded in agreement. "I can work just as well in a room next to hers for now. Like you said, she ain't in any immediate danger."
"But what if someone tries to come in through her window," Nabiki asked, leaning forward.
"Aww, that's easy," Ranma said, waving his hand in dismissal. "I'm gonna be setting up an alarm that connects in my room. That way, if anyone tries to break in, the alarm would be activated and I'd be there in seconds."
"You sure know your stuff," Soun said, nodding his head approvingly. "Have you done many of these cases before?"
Ranma nodded his head. "Yup. Tons," he replied, trying to sound nonchalant, and failing. "And I ain't lost a case yet," he added proudly.
"Wow!" said Kasumi. "You must be very talented. And at such a young age too."
Soun smiled in agreement. "We are very lucky indeed."
"Yeah, yeah, lucky us," Akane grumbled.
"Anyway, it's been fun," Nabiki said, standing up, "but I've got school tomorrow so I'm afraid I must be going. Oh yeah," she said, stopping briefly to glance at Ranma. "Are you going to be going to school with Akane and me tomorrow?"
"Yup. At least for a little while," he replied quickly. "The agency already called ahead, so everything's set up."
Nabiki's smile brightened. "Great!" she replied sweetly. She could practically see money signs dancing before her eyes. "I'll see you at school tomorrow then, and don't be late." Whistling happily, she walked out of the room.
Ranma's eyes followed her as she left; a strange suspicion creeping into the back of his mind. He couldn't explain why, but he had a bad feeling about that girl. And if he knew anything, it was to trust his instincts.
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End of Chapter 3
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