To say that Akane was shocked to find a dazed, naked Nabiki talking to herself, surrounded by fading stains and not so fading structural damage is akin to saying that the surface of the sun is a mite warm.
Akane groaned and opened her eyes. Nabiki was crouched over her with a concerned expression. "Nabiki? Oh, I just had the most horrible nightmare. You were possessed by a pervert and doing stuff in the dojo...that's not my bedroom ceiling." She glanced over her sister. Yes, Nabiki was naked.
Nabiki frowned at her again unconcious sister. "We're going to be late at this rate."
"A substitute?" Kodachi asked, her eyes darting from her (apparently former) opponent to the pageboy-cut girl and the redheaded spirit.
"Yes, I injured myself," Akane said. "My sister will take my place."
"Indeed. Very well. May the best girl win," she said, extending her hand.
Nabiki may not have been at her peak, but it would be a cold day in hell before she fell for that. And the Ice Queen knew cold. "I intend to," she said, her hands crossing her chest. She went into the changing room that was given to the Furinkan team. "Ranko?"
"Three tacks in her right hand," the sometimes-spirit reported, "seven roses in her skirts, about a dozen packets of powder on her body, and about a dozen clubs hidden in her sleeves, some with spikes inside."
Akane followed inside and winced at the tail end of the recitation. "Kodachi was growling out there, sis. You made her mad."
"Good," Nabiki said. "If she's not thinking straight, so much the better. Oh, the roses are poisoned."
Akane and Ranma looked at a bouquet of black roses, left in the room before their arrival. "Are you sure?"
Nabiki snorted. "In the week we've known her, do you doubt it?"
Akane and Ranma both considered Kodachi's behavior. "The roses are poisoned," they said together.
"Where is St. Bacchus School for Girls!?"
"I told you already, this is St. Bacchus!"
Ryoga growled. "Don't play with me! St. Bacchus is not in Kansas!"
"They don't speak Japanese in Kansas!"
Ryoga blinked. Yes, they were speaking Japanese. "I'm not in Kansas anymore?" he asked, crying tears of joy. "At last, I can watch my AkaneBWEEEE!!" Splash.
"Hey! What if you hit someone with that?"
"It was just a pig."
Ryoga glared at the bucket-wielding window woman when suddenly he was lifted up by a gaggle of girls.
"He's so cute!"
"Let me hold him!"
"That pig! OH-HOHOHOHOHOHO!"
And thus Ryoga's ears told him that he was about to face Hell, again. "Bwee! Bwee bw bwe bwe BWEE!"
"IN THIS CORNER! Kuno! KODACHI!! And in this corner! Tendo! NABIKI!!"
The stunned silence was almost crushing. "What happened?" Ranma asked, safely tucked inside Nabiki's mind.
"They've never seen me fight, or really do anything that would suggest this is less than suicide on my part. And they know I'm too smart for that."
Ranma frowned mentally, leaving Nabiki's Ice Queen smirk unmarred on her face. "So...what do they think is going on?"
"They have no idea at all," said Nabiki with a tinge of satisfaction. "If I knew confusion felt that good, I would do this kind of thing more often."
Ranma shivered a bit. The confusion-feeling was a bit like a blowing wind that didn't go anywhere, surrounding her from all sides. She didn't like it. She moved Nabiki's gaze to Kodachi and tried to focus. Beat the girl, win the challenge.
That's when she felt it. The winds were the hurricane, and she was the eye. Focus against confusion, the contrast of the blade. "Yeah. I like it too."
"Champions to the center!" the ref called.
"Careful," Nabiki warned, growing passive so Ranma could take over. "This is her last chance at a trick. She'll take it."
"Shake hands."
Ranma studied Kodachi's hand briefly and took it.
Klik.
"What?" Ranma asked, looking at the chain on her wrist.
"Wrong hand," Nabiki groaned. "Next time, check both."/
Ranma looked at the end of the chain. "Oh no."
"P-CHAN!" Akane screamed.
"Ryoga, you just live to louse me up, don't you?" Ranma asked silently.
The black piglet looked at Nabiki and bweed helplessly. He didn't know Nabiki well, but he didn't think she was at Akane's level.
The ref recited the rules, and Ranma struck. "Gotta end it fast!" Her ribbon whipped out to grab Kodachi, but the taller girl batted it aside with her rope and counterattacked.
P-chan's eyes flashed. That's not a rope! That's how my belt moves! He leaped from Nabiki and overbalanced the girl, twisting her enough that the disguised rod smacked shoulder rather than skull.
Kodachi scowled. The pig was not the distraction she had hoped. She struck out with her spiked club, but the bruised Tendo turned her stumble into a roll around Kodachi. P-chan ran the other way and into Nabiki's arms. Ranma grabbed the chain and heaved, pulling it through Kodachi's ankles and sending the girl to the floor.
"For the love of my Ranma-sama!" Kodachi cried, springing up to a combat stance.
"Grrr," Ranmabiki growled. "You stay away from, er, Ranma."
Kodachi blinked. "Why would you care?"
"Swear it! Swear that if I win, you'll leave Saotome Ranma alone!"
"Oh hohohohoo," Kodachi mused, charging into Nabiki. Half the audience vacated at the laughing. "You want Ranma, too!"
"Oh fortheluva...YES DAMMIT!" Nabiki screamed. "Yes, I want Ranma! I told you that from the beginning!"
"Easy there, Nabs."
"Hoop!" Kodachi yelled to her second. A moment later Ranma was cartwheeling around a circular razorblade.
Akane threw Ranma a pair of clubs and the possessed girl spun them around her hands. "Ranma and I are one mind and one body."
"Wretch! Witness the attack of the Black Rose! THOUSAND CLUBS!" Kodachi's arm was a blur and a seeming army of clubs beat at Ranma.
Ranma saw through the technique easily enough and jumped into the air. Akane tossed her a ball, which she kicked into Kodachi. "Roses wither in the cold," Nabiki sneered as Ranma made a graceful landing. "Think twice before you challenge the Ice Queen."
"You are really getting into this, Nabs."
"No wonder you martial artist types talk so much. That was very cathartic."
"Cawhat?"
"Bell."
"Huh?"
"BELL!"
Ranma focused on the outside world and reacted.
KLONG
Ryoga was not pleased to be yanked into the path of the bell.
"Didn't have a choice," Ranma snapped at the disgruntled piglet.
The battle dragged on with both combatants trading blows. Kodachi whipped chairs desks and her brother at Ranma, who parried each with lighter objects. Nabiki may have been fit and toned, but she wasn't a martial artist and didn't have the raw strength needed to fling around such detritus.
The battle became interesting when Kodachi acquired a kettle of boiling water. "Nabs, what happens if we get hit with hot water like this?"
"Probably nothing, but we don't want to find out."
"BWEEEEE!!!"
"It seems your piggy doesn't like the water," Kodachi sneered.
"Don't react, Ranma," Nabiki snapped. Ranma felt a chill wave from her bodymate and their mouth opened. "What are you going to do? Make us tea?"
Kodachi scowled and threw the kettle, slashing it open with her ribbon!
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(Posted Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:23)
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