Chapter 6: A Turning Point in Akane’s Life
It was morning, the sun was shining. And it looked to be a beautiful day.
"Too slow!"
Akane yawned. "Looks like Ran and Ranma are up."
Ranma quickly fell into the pool, and growled. "You win this time, Ran!"
Soon after, during breakfast, and Ranma drying off and changing back to normal, the gang were eating when Panda Genma did a cough.
“I, Genma Saotome, have a big announcement!” signed Panda Genma.
“Can you actually turn human to say it?” asked Ran, “I don’t think anyone wants to take the time to read the signs.” Everyone snickered at that.
Panda Genma groaned, took a kettle with hot water, and pored it onto himself, returning to his true form. “As I was saying, I have a part time job.”
Cologne gave out a laugh, and then said, “My, what a coincidence. Today is the day I open my restaurant.” Everyone but Shampoo and for some reason Belle looked at her in surprise. “I wanted to keep it a surprise, but I bought a restaurant that serves ramen and Chinese food.”
“So does that mean you’re going to be moving out?” asked Nabiki.
“While it does have an apartment, it will not be used as such.”
“It’s going to be used a dressmaking shop and studio,” said Belle.
“That’s great, Rarity!” said Hikaru in a cheer.
“I know. I already have a few offers from some of the girls at school.”
“Good for you,” said Alex, who seemed depressed for some reason.
“Applejack, what’s wrong?” asked Momo.
Before the pony posing as an American farm girl could say anything, Hikaru suddenly yelled out, “Look at the time, we’re going to be late!” And with that, she teleported out of the room.
“So…she brainwashed half the town, just to make sure a lesson wasn't turned in late…,” said Akane to the other ponies turned humans.
Everyone else sweat dropped.
“You should start heading off to school,” suggested Kasumi. “It is getting late.”
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And so the eight of them (Ranma, Shampoo, Akane, Momo, Alex, Ran, Belle, and Chiyo) ran to school. Along the way, Ranma got splashed, but shortly before arrival, she used a thermos to change back. When they got to the school, they saw Hikaru seemingly waiting for them (as they weren’t late yet) not only that but they saw the Hentai Horde waiting for them.
“Oh, I forgot to do my distraction,” said Momo before running off a random direction.
They shrugged and got to the school gates. Akane was ready to fight as usual, but then she saw that all of them were crying.
“It’s okay,” assured Hikaru. “They don’t want to fight.”
“What… why?” asked Akane.
“Akane, we’re giving you up,” cried an American football player.
That's when they heard music. And Pinkie showed up, playing the Parasprite Polka.
Everyone who saw this sight sweat dropped. Save for the Hentai Horde, who either flinched or started freaking out.
“THE POLKA PONY HAS RETURNED!” yelled a sumo wrestler.
“Please tell me you see it?” asked a rugby player who appeared to be having a breakdown, “Please… we need to know if you can see it too! Please!”
“We do...” sighed Akane.
The other students began to take pictures of Pinkie Pie as she played the polka, including the Otaku boy.
Hikaru made the kill sign and Pinkie got it. She ran into a random direction and then returned less than a second later as Momo.
“That was fast,” remarked Ran with a sweat drop.
“Sure was!” said Momo.
All of the Hentai Horde then turned to Ranma. “You are the best man for Akane,” said the baseball player.
“Take care of her well,” said a sumo wrestler.
“Wait… why are you guys stopping?” asked Akane.
That was when Kuno showed up… in bandages.
“Whoa!" gasped Momo. "Look at him! He’s just like a mummy!”
“Upperclassman Kuno was our greatest fighter,” explained a boxer.
“And our greatest pervert,” the rugby player added under his breath.
“I will never admit defeat!” said Kuno slightly muffled. “Not to you, Ranma Saotome.”
He then removed his bandages, revealing that his body was covered in bruises.
“So you’re just going to ignore the bruises all over your face?” asked Ran. “That’s pretty stupid.”
“Oh, my beautiful rainbow-haired goddess.” Kuno went in for a hug, but Ran made a quick sidestep, causing him to fall on his face.
“You know you’re not my type, considering you’re in love with me and my friends.”
“She’s right." agreed Alex. "You have to choose.”
This one sentence broke Kuno, and he began to debate to himself which girl he loved the most.
“Let’s go to class,” said Akane as he did that.
“Good idea,” agreed Ranma.
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Later that day, during phys ed, Ranma had just finished a complicated gymnastics move.
He then sat down on the ground when a classmate with greenish-black hair came over and sat down with him. His name was Daisuke.
“You are one lucky dog Ranma,” he told him.
He was accompanied by a brownish-black haired boy named Hiroshi. “Yeah. Not only are you skilled, but you live in a house filled with beautiful girls,” he said.
They then turned their attention to the girl’s phys ed class, where they were playing softball.
“You know I’m just friends with most of them, right?” said Ranma.
“Yeah, yeah,” agreed Hiroshi offhandedly. “So you did it yet?”
“Did what?”
“Who have you fu…” Daisuke was about to say a certain word.
“You know what?" Ranma cut them off, blushing madly. "Let’s just talk about my friends.” He did not want to have THAT discussion. The three boys looked at Shampoo, who was on base.
“She’s hot.”
“Yeah,” agreed Hiroshi. “There’s just something about her.” Ranma shook his head, thinking, Are these guys...
That was when the girl who was at bat hit the ball and sent it in the outfield, where Chiyo was playing. The pink-haired girl froze and braced herself for impact.
“I’m not one for Moe,” said Daisuke.
“I think she’s cute though.” remarked Hiroshi. Ranma face palmed. Yep, they're perverts.
Fortunately for Chiyo, Ran caught the ball.
“Wow… Ran is amazing. I heard that the track team has been begging her for days.”
“I don’t know," argued Daisuke. "She’s too flat-chested for my tastes.”
Ranma groaned. Rainbow doesn't mind being petite, but I'm sure even she'd get mad at these guys.
“No way!” A scream came. They turned to see that it was Belle’s turn at bat. She looked like she didn’t want to hold the bat.
“Honestly, Perle." said the gym teacher. "You have to play.”
“But it’s so dirty!" Belle was keeping the bat at arm's length. "Can I use something else?”
“She’s beautiful…” sighed Hiroshi.
“But I don’t know if I’ll ever ask her out,” said Daisuke. “Too high maintenance.”
Ranma stifled a snigger. Like she'd even THINK of dating you guys...
After some arguing, she finally went to bat and struck out, which meant the team switched. The three boys saw that it was Momo’s turn at bat.
“She’s cute…” sighed Hiroshi, “Not to mention her enormous...." Hiroshi winked at Daisuke, "Talent, if you know what I mean.” Ranma face palmed again.
“But there’s something off about her,” wondered Daisuke, “Plus she’s too hyperactive.”
She managed to hit it to the outfield and get to first base, which Belle played.
It was Hikaru’s turn at bat, although she did have to do a few things to get it right.
“So…what about her?” Daisuke asked Hiroshi.
“She is cute.”
“But too much a bookworm. I mean, have you seen her during breaks? Unless someone talks to her, she’s already reading ahead.”
Ranma double face palmed. Great...These guys are almost as bad as Kuno.
Hikaru managed to hit the ball into the outfield, but Alex caught it. This resulted in her getting an 'out'.
“Alex is hot.”
“But she’s a blonde American." said his friend, "That's like saying the sky is blue. Find one that isn’t, and get back to me!” Ranma simply let out a massive groan.
On first base, Momo felt something weird.
“What’s wrong?” asked Belle.
“It’s a weird feeling on my butt,” answered Momo.
Belle realized what it meant. “Is it where your tail should be?”
“Yes… how…” Suddenly, she realized what it meant… and whom it was for. “Ranma! Look out! Something’s going to fall on you!”
The three boys just stared at her, not understanding what she meant.
“What?” asked Hiroshi.
“Is she kidding?” asked Daisuke.
Uh-oh… Ranma thought. Twitchy tail. But before he could react, the softball hit his face.
“Sorry!” yelled Akane, who was the one at bat.
The two otakus, the boy getting water, the girls happened to running an errand for the teacher
The otaku boy said, "She should've yelled fore!"
The otaku girl dope slapped him. "That's golf!"
The otaku boy retorted, "That's where it was going to land.. the "fore" head!"
The girl stared at him, “Oh yeah, I have to take these papers to the gym teacher…” she mumbled.
“Oh come! IT was funny!” said the otaku boy.
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Later that afternoon, Ran had decided to join the track team for one practice to try it out, while Rarity and Shampoo had work. So it was Akane, Hikaru, Momo, Chiyo, and Alex who took Ranma to Dr. Tofu’s. When they got there however, they had a surprise; there was a panda sweeping the walkway. But it wasn't just any panda.
“Pop?” asked Ranma.
Seriously, why would a panda even do that unless they were Genma? After all, there are probably laws against forcing endangered species into labor.
"Who knows?" Momo replied to the narrator. "Rule of funny?"
Everyone else stared at her for a moment, then shrugged it off.
Ranma smirked. "Pay up, Twilight. I knew he'd be here."
Hikaru handed Ranma a 500 yen coin, grumbling.
“You bet that I would be working here?” signed Panda Genma.
“Dr. Tofu seems to be the only one unfazed by everything going on.” Said Hikaru.
“I see…” signed Panda Genma.
“Oh, hello,” said Dr. Tofu. “I see you met my new assistant, Mr. Saotome.”
“Actually, Ranma’s my son,” signed Panda Genma.
“Oh, is that so?”
“You know about Jusenkyo, don’t you?” inquired Ranma.
“Yes, I do.”
“Then why are you letting him be a panda while he’s working?” asked Alex.
“There’s no harm in it.”
Well as long as there’re no animal rights protestors showing up...
"No need to worry about that," replied Momo, earning her stares from the others once again.
“Who is she talking to?” asked Ranma.
“I don’t know…” sighed Hikaru.
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They went into the waiting room while Dr. Tofu got the balm he needed ready. That was when the phone rang. Panda Genma picked it up, causing everyone to sweat drop, and Ran to face palm.
“That’s right!" signed Panda Genma. "Panda’s don’t talk!”
Akane, having grown up in the neighborhood and being well known, picked up the phone. “Can I help you?” she asked. Her eyes then widened. “Oh yes. I’ll tell him you’re coming over. Bye.” She hung up the phone, looking a little concerned. Then again, what was going to happen wasn’t going to end well.
That was when Momo’s right arm suddenly began to move uncontrollably.
“Momo, what’s wrong?” asked Akane.
“Oh just the Pinkie Sense,” Momo suddenly turned serious with the air turning black around her “This one means that someone will be in a lot of pain and there's no stopping it.”
Everyone froze and gaped when she said that.
“Who… who is it?” asked Chiyo.
“Ranma.”
“Great…” grumbled Ranma. “Why is it always me?”
“It’s not always you. It’s just today. Usually, it happens to Twilight.” Momo suddenly shifting moods.
“Please don’t bring that up,” sighed Hikaru. I do not need to remember getting hit with everything but the kitchen sink.
“Wait… I don’t get it.” said Akane.
“I have the ability to predict the future," Momo explained. "For example, if my tail twitches (or my butt in human form), it means something is going to fall just like with what happened earlier.”
“Considering who’s going to show up, I wouldn’t be surprised if you can predict the future.”
Everyone sweat dropped when she said that.
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Not too long later, Dr. Tofu began to examine the mark the ball left. “Judging by how deep the stitching is, the patterns of the bruises it was Akane who hit the ball,” he guessed.
Everyone sweat dropped. “You’re joking, right?” asked Hikaru.
“I was right again, wasn’t I?”
Everyone nodded. It was getting weird. Dr. Tofu laughed nervously and sweat dropped with the others.
“Akane, what was that phone call about?” asked Alex.
“What?”
“After the phone call, the Pinkie Sense went off,” said Hikaru, “It’s connected, isn’t it?”
Akane sighed, “Did any of you overhear the conversation I had with Rarity last night?”
“Oh the one about you having a…” Momo said, but was cut off by Akane, who put a hand over her mouth.
“Yes, that one.”
“What are you talking about?” Alex wanted to know.
“You see, Dr. Tofu is in love with…” Before she could finish her sentence, Kasumi came into the room. The second he saw her, Dr. Tofu's glasses fogged over…and that was when he began to act strangely, even by Pinkie Pie standards. He kept mistaking someone for someone else (or in one case, mistaking his model skeleton which he named Betty for a living person). He mistook Kasumi’s gift (a plate of cookies) for a mask (the handkerchief covering them). Then he began to eat the plate they came on.
Of course, in his state, Dr. Tofu wasn’t the best doctor. As a matter of fact, he couldn't even be described as a doctor at this point. How bad was it? He bent Ranma’s neck. In a way it shouldn’t be bent, how bad was it, the let’s say the normal human head is a 90 degree angle… it was bent below 0.
“Ranma… are you okay?” asked Chiyo.
“I am in a lot of pain,” Ranma deadpanned, trying to keep calm about it.
“Oh let me fix that,” said Dr Tofu.
He proceeded to straighten his neck, then bend it the other way (the degree was higher than 180), making Chiyo go pale and shake with fright.
“Maybe you should get Fluttershy out of here,” Ranma suggested.
With that, Ranma’s friends all left, praying he'll survive this ordeal, and that what just happened would be the worst. That is, hopefully there wouldn't be anything worse than the neck bending.
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The girls left the clinic…only to find that a crowd had gathered just outside, most of them old people who had appointments that day.
“You’re not surprised about this, are you?” asked Hikaru.
“This happens a lot,” said Akane. “Whenever my sister visits, expect this to happen.”
They pushed their way though the crowd, all of them whispering prayers to protect the poor fool was being treated at that moment.
“What going on?” a voice came. The girls turned to see Shampoo on a bicycle.
“You don’t wanna know,” answered Alex.
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Sometime later, in the Tendo residence, Akane was outside of the dojo, chopping some blocks in half.
“Want to spar?” a voice suddenly came out of nowhere. Akane turned to see Alex in her gi.
“Sure.”
Akane started by charging at Alex, who dodged and countered with a high kick. Akane caught it, and Alex went, "Oops." After being thrown into a wall, Alex landed another kick. Akane quickly grabbed Alex's legs. "No more kicks!" Alex simply head butted Akane, who let go, and was dazed.
Akane said, "Okay, Okay... draw." Alex quickly poured hot water on herself, and became her normal self again.
“What’s wrong, Applejack?” asked Akane as the two wandered about in the residence.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve been down today. Do you have a problem?”
Applejack sighed, “Remember what we told you about cutie marks?” Akane nodded. “I’m the only one…who can’t do her special talent while we’re here.”
“It has to do with apples, don’t they?” Applejack gave her a deadpan look that indicated that that was obvious. “Sorry… stupid question.” Akane laughed, a small sweat drop on her head.
“Back home, my family runs an apple orchard, Sweet Apple Acres. The best in Equestria, if I do say so myself.”
“Your cutie mark is about gathering apples, is it?” asked Akane.
Applejack nodded. “Everypony else… Rainbow Dash’s is about her love for speed.”
Speaking of which… Rainbow Dash showed up. Well, in her human form, that is. “Hey guys,” she said. “I just wanted to give you the heads up that I have joined the track team.”
Akane and Applejack exchanged looks. “That was weird timing,” remarked Applejack.
“Yeah.” agreed Akane.
Applejack gave out another sigh, “Fluttershy's is her ability to befriend animals.”
Meanwhile, at the garden, said Pegasus was singing with birds that flew in. Not only were the birds flying, but many of them were singing along with her.
It’s like a Disney movie… Akane thought with a sweat drop.
“Twilight’s is magic, Rarity has her dress making… and Pinkie… You know… I’ve never known what Pinkie’s special talent is. I think it’s either party planning or making ponies happy.”
That was when Pinkie ran into the room, yelling, “I just saw the coolest show! It was about a pirate, and he can stretch, and he wore a straw hat, and he beat up all these bad pirates! And it was awesome!” She then ran off to tell Fluttershy… and inadvertently scare off the birds singing with her.
“That makes so much sense…” Akane then got a massive sweat drop on her head.
“It’s not just that. You see I’m honest by nature. I’m a terrible liar, and if I didn’t lie, I’d probably run away just to keep it a secret.” Applejack seemed to be trembling now. “I hate the fact that I turn human and I hate the fact that I have to pretend to be some girl from who knows where. I feel like I’m lying to myself.” Applejack slammed a hoof into the ground. "I hate having to lie like this! It's just… not me!"
Akane bent down, and looked Applejack in the eyes, “Don’t worry, it will be fine.” She then gave a gentle smile, “I know Twilight is working on curing the curse and even a way home. It might take a while, but I know she can do it.”
“Thanks, Akane. I really needed to hear that.” And from this point forth, the two became very close friends.
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In the room where Twilight uses to examine the water, she was helping Ranma, who had returned home. Ranma’s neck was still bent in its strange awkward position. Then again, something like that is not easily fixed… or even easily done. It's best not known how Dr. Tofu did that.
“Okay, take a deep breath. This might hurt,” warned Twilight.
“Twi… I’m already in a lot of pain,” replied Ranma. “Whatever you do probably won’t hurt as much as this.”
“Oh, right…” Her horn glowed and Ranma’s neck glowed in the same aura. It was then properly straightened. “It might be sore for a few days,” she told him.
“After that, I think I can handle it. Thanks Twilight.”
She nodded in reply. “Could you please close the door? I have to change…”
Ranma nodded in response, knowing what she meant. As he left the room, he ran into Akane, who was headed to the bathroom. “Oh, hey. I was thinking about talking to you about something.”
“I’m sorry about the ball…” Akane began with a sweat drop.
“It’s not about that.”
“What about, then?”
“I’ve been thinking…we don’t know each other that well, so I was thinking we should go out on a date.”
Akane stared at him, then said with a shrug, “Well you did stop the horde. So, why not?”
Ranma blinked at that. “Okay…how about Sunday?”
“Sure.”
Soun and Genma were listening. They smiled… And got bonked on the noggin by Cologne.
“What was that for?” asked Genma.
“Please don’t meddle in their affairs, if you do, then they will only pull apart.” She said.
Genma and Cologne began to glare at each other, causing Soun to sweat drop.
And so Ranma and Akane would go out on their first date…but it was only Tuesday…so it was still a few days away. Who knows what would happen before then?