Ranma payed the diminutive demon behind the balustrade no further heed as she turned around to check on whoever she'd landed on. She wasn't entirely sure why, exactly, but she had a strange certainty that it was one of her friends/bloodthirsty enemies. Which was not entirely correct, but still got the gist across.
Not one, but two people lay on the floor, both unconscious. One was immediately recognizable; dressed in little more than a simple shift, Akane rested peacefully, her head propped up on a... a penguin?
Ranma blinked, then revised that opinion. Not exactly a penguin, it was more like a slightly morbid stuffed toy meant to resemble one. As toys didn't normally breathe, it had to be something else, though Ranma couldn't even hazard a guess as to what it was. She took note of it's strangely familiar yellow-orange color, and the bandanna wrapped around it's domed head and found herself thinking of Ryoga.
"That'd figure..." she muttered under her breath, half-expecting the lost... penguin to bolt upright at any second, bellowing accusations about how this was all her fault. She brutally shoved aside the gnawing sensation that it somehow actually was her fault, and continued examining the unconscious figures.
Ranma's wary examination of Ryoga-Penguin was interrupted as Akane shifted, then rolled over onto her back. Tentatively, Ranma crawled over to her side, worry playing over her features. A brief inspection revealed that the girl was unharmed, unchanged, but Ranma was no less concerned. For some reason, she had the strangest feeling that she had done something terrible to ensure Akane's safety.
But she couldn't exactly... remember...
She shook her head to clear away the troubling feeling, before giving Akane a light shake. "Hey, 'Kane, wake up." She felt her spirits soar at the resulting groan, a soft smile subconsciously playing at the edges of her lips, but Akane did not wake.
The girl snored softly, and scratched her cheek, which was the only forewarning Ranma received. It was enough, though barely, as Akane suddenly broke into her usual sleep-fighting.
"Jeez..." Ranma muttered, now a foot or two farther back. "I forgot how violent that chick is when she sleeps..." Her forearm stinging slightly from where Akane's foot had slammed into it, she watched as the Tomboy rolled over, elbowing Ryoga (she was absolutely certain it was him) into wakefulness with some force.
The penguin released a shocked cry before Akane somehow booted him out from underneath her head, sending him skidding across the floor. Bereft of support, Akane's head then conked onto the hard stone floor, achieving what Ranma's gentle shake had not.
In short, Akane woke up. "Ow!"
Above them, Ranma could hear the demon kid, Laharl, laughing his skinny ass off. Ranma, not one to particularly enjoy playing the fool, felt her hackles rise as she ground her teeth together. Angrily, she spun to face the little jerk, only to find that he had crossed the space between them at an extraordinary pace. Ranma, used to such nonsense, swiftly shifted back, bringing her arms up as she fell into her usual stance.
Laharl, feeling not at all threatened, favored her with an amused chuckle.
"Hmhmhm. You smell like a human."
"Er..." Ranma began, not entirely certain how to reply, but she needn't have bothered; Laharl had not yet finished speaking.
"I don't know how you got here. But if you want to keep your friend safe, you'll do as I say."
"Is that a threat?!"
Laharl chuckled, eliciting an angry snarl from Ranma.
"Hardly. But it's a dangerous Netherworld out there, and I'm it's Ruler..."
"Or will be." Interjected the other redhead from above, her voice teasing. Ranma glanced up at her, noticing Akane out of the corner of her eye, backing towards the wall and the other minion, the oddly out of place blonde.
"Quiet, vassal!" Laharl bellowed, eliciting a mischievous giggle from the target of his kingly ire. "Anyway, as I'll soon be in charge, I can keep her safe..."
"So can I!" Ranma declared, ever defiant, a sentiment echoed by the penguin, which practically confirmed that it was Ryoga.
"Hmph! What can you do? Whatever sin you committed to get that demonic form, you're still a human. Still weak."
Ranma practically glowed in fury. "I ain't weak ya little shrimp! Come on! Let's go!"
"Hmhmhm. When I win, you'll do whatever I say, right?"
"Like that'll happen!" Ranma snorted.
Laharl's arrogant smirk grew a notch. "So we have a deal?"
Ranma scowled, and nodded, her expression fierce. From the sidelines, Akane and Ryoga watched, as the blonde stepped forward, clearly trying to calm things down.
"Um, maybe we should..." She began, but the Prince cut her off derisively.
"Quiet, Love Freak!"
The girl ermmed, apparently unthreatened by the outburst. She scratched a cheek, uncertainly, and turned to the other vassal, who was now walking down the stairs for a better vantage point. "Um, Etna, what should I do?"
"Why, Flonne, that should be obvious."
There was a rather significant pause, then, "... popcorn?"
"Popcorn."
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Sat, 06 May 2006 22:33)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.