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From: stoner@elycion.geology.ualberta.ca (Stoner)
Subject: [FANFIC] Ranma - Fall of the Eagle 7
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Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 03:53:34 GMT
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Ranma - Fall of the Eagle Part 7
by James Stone
stoner@elycion.geology.ualberta.ca
(c) 1996 Stone Age Productions  All Rights Reserved
----------------------------------------------------------------
Kitty Field

        "Allright, tomboy, now that you're checked in, lets get you to your 
quarters."

        Akane forced herself not to scowl.  Tomboy! she thought to herself.  
That arrogant....American!  Her mind couldn't seem to come up with an epithet 
more suitable at the moment.  Glowering slightly, the girl followed Ranma out 
of the commisionaires office, and out to the hot, dusty road in front of the 
building.

        Kitty Field, as usual, was bustling with activity.  Everywhere she 
looked were uniformed men and women marching quickly between the numerous 
neat white buildings.  The occasional cargo truck rumbled through the dirt 
roads, throwing up thick clouds of dust, while smaller, more nimble 
motorcycles rushed around the perimeter of the base, keeping everyone on the 
sprawling airfield in touch.

        The transition from war to a relative peace, from danger behind every 
tree to safety, had come hard to Akane and the surviving members of her 
platoon.  Her injured man had handled it the best:  by being taken to the 
hospital immediately on arrival, he had been spared the culture shock the 
rest of her men had suffered.

        Akane scanned the scene nervously.  On one hand, everything seemed 
exactly as it should be, for an airfield in the midst of war.  Activity was 
high, the men and women dressed in their fatigue uniforms, moving to quickly 
and efficiently complete whatever tasks they had.  Overhead, constant fighter 
patrols roared over the base, and in the distance, Akane could hear the 
sounds of more fighters and bombers landing on the fields twin runways.  But 
everything seemed just a bit too...clean.  As Ranma led her down the road, 
Akane couldn't help but compare their appearance with the people around them.  
Their combat fatigues were rumpled, covered with dirt, leaves, and mud.  The 
uniforms that surrounded them were all neat and clean, turned out exactly as 
the book prescribed.  The looks the pair got as they wandered the base told 
Akane that she wasn't the only one who noticed, although the American seemed 
oblivious to it.

        He's just too wrapped up in himself to notice it, Akane thought to 
herself.  But deep down, she knew that probably wasn't true.  The American 
ignored the looks because he was used to it.  But she was scared.

        Ranma piped up suddenly, breaking her thoughts.  "Your quarters are 
almost on the other side of the base, I'm afraid, with the other women.  
You've got a room to yourself, the last one on the floor."  His pace slowed 
slightly as he talked.  "There's a common shower area all the quarters, so 
you'll probably want to wash up and change.  You'll feel a bit more 
comfortable, right?"

        Akane felt the hot blush in her cheeks.  How did he read her mind 
like that?  Because, that insistent part of her mind spoke up, he's had to go 
through the same thing.  You can't blame him for that, can you?

        So she snapped at him.  "Change?  What will I change into, Monsieur 
American?  I'm afraid we didn't have the space to carry many extra clothes."

        Watching the American wince, Akane's anger drained away, replaced by 
shame.  Why did you have to go and snap at him like that? she mentally 
yelled at herself.  He's just trying to help you out, and make you feel 
better!

        "Uh, yeah, that's right," the American mumbled.  "Well, let me worry 
about that for now.  We'll get you down to the base stores after we've had a 
chance to get washed up a bit."  Akane opened her mouth, about to insist that 
they go to the stores _now_, thank you, when he stopped.  "Here we are.  
Building 1-F."  He walked in the front door of the building.  Hesitating a 
moment, Akane followed him inside.

        Inside was nothing but a long hallway, with white walls, and a 
polished and waxed white floor.  The American was just inside the door, 
talking to a young woman, British by her accent.  "Ah, here she is.  Akane, 
this is Corporal Unryuu, a nurse here.  She'll take you to your quarters, 
'K?"  He looked somewhat uncomfortable.  "I, uh, really can't go past this 
point, this being a girl's dorm and everything."  He backed towards the door 
hastily.  "Well, I gotta go get cleaned up myself.  I'll be back in an hour 
to take you to the stores, tomboy!"  With that, the American beat a hasty 
retreat out of the building.

        As the door slammed shut behind him, Akane felt a wave of fear and 
loneliness sweep over her.  Ranma was gone.  Now what was she supposed to
do?  She was alone on this base, she didn't know what to do.  Her head 
swimming, Akane felt her knees start to buckle under her.  Oh no! she thought, 
horrified.  I'm going to faint!

        A light touch on her shoulder snapped her back to reality.  The 
British nurse was there, looking up at her concernedly.  "Miss Akane, ma'am?" 
she asked timidly.  "Are you allright?  You look a bit pale...."

        Akane forced herself to stand up straight, willing the blood back to 
her face.  "O..oh, yes, fine.  Just, very tired."

        The other girl nodded.  "Of course, Miss Akane.  I'll get you to your 
quarters so you can clean up and rest before the Lieutenant comes back for 
you."

        "Just call me Akane..."  Akane blushed a bit.  "I'm sorry, I forgot 
your name?"

        The other girl oh-ed! in surprise.  "Oh, certainly Mi...I mean, Akane.  
Corporal Unryuu.  Akari Unryuu."

        The Resistance leader smiled at the smaller girl.  "Can I call you 
Akari then?  I'm not used to calling people by rank, we never used them in my 
cell."

        Akari nodded.  "Certainly, Akane.  But we mustn't stand here talking.  
You've got to rest."  With that, the girl turned, and led Akane down the 
hallway.  A short distance down was the door to her room.

        "Here we are, Room 18.  I'll just wait here, while you drop off your 
bag, and then I'll show you to the shower area, allright?"

        Akane smiled gratefully.  "Perfect.  I'll be right out."  Opening the 
door to the small room, Akane realized that telling the nurse she was tired 
hadn't been a lie after all.  She was exhausted.  Gratefully, she walked over 
to the small cot, and let her rucksack, constant companion for the past year, 
drop onto it.  Straightening up again, she rubbed her shoulders and neck, 
trying to work out the stiffness carrying a third of her own weight imposed.

        A sudden, blaring wail cut through her momentary reviere.  Danger!  
What was happening?  She turned quickly, reaching instinctively for the 
weapon she was no longer carrying.  The sight of Akari in the door startled 
her out of her reaction to the wail.

        "Oh no!" the other girl wailed.  "The mission is back!"  Seeing the 
confused look in the Resistance leaders eyes, she explained hastily.  "The 
latest bombing mision into Germany is back, and they have casualties.  I have 
to go!"  She pointed down the hallway.  "The showers are down this hallway, 
to the very end, and then go to your right.  You can't miss them!"  A second 
blare from the horn cut her short.  "I've got to run!"  The girl turned, and 
sped off down the hallway.  Other women streamed down the hallway after her, 
and withing minutes, the building was completely silent again.

        Akane swallowed nervously.  Okay, she thought to herself.  You're 
alone, but you're safe.  There aren't any Nazis on this base, after all, so 
you've got nothing to worry about.  Not a thing.  So just go, take a shower, 
put on your least dirty uniform, and wait for the American to come back.

        Opening her rucksack, she extracted her other set of combat fatigues.  
Unrolling them, she compared them to the set she was currently wearing.  Not 
much difference, except what she was wearing were less wrinkled, not having 
been stored in a bag for over a week.  Tossing the rumpled clothes on the 
bed, she decided to make do with what she had, and made her way to the 
shower, grimy towel in hand.

        Fortunately, at the shower, there were plenty of clean, thick, _dry_ 
towels.  Gladly, Akane dropped the square of cloth she had used for months in 
France, kicking it into a corner.  Boots and uniform quickly followed, and in 
under a minute, steam billowed in the room, the girl happily humming to 
herself as she scrubbed away the grime.

        At the other end of the base, Ranma was just stepping out of his 
shower.  Fortunately, the hot water was still working today, so he was 
able to stay male.  Drying himself off, he thought about all the ways that 
stupid curse had of getting him.  Having to avoid swimming was one thing...
walking out of the showers as a woman was another.

        The siren caught him by surprise.  It must have been a short mission 
today, just into Belgium, or France  And that meant that Akane would be left 
alone in the nurse's barracks.  Better hurry up, he told himself...don't want 
to leave her alone for too long, not when she's just arrived on base.  Hasn't 
fit in yet.  Yeah.  She probably doesn't want to be left alone either.  So 
I'll get there early.  Dressing quickly while rationalizing to himself, the 
Lieutenant jammed his feet into a spare pair of combat boots, and began to 
head out the door.

        Wait! his mind commanded.  You've still got to get her something to 
wear!  Scanning the room, he frowned.  He didn't have anything that a _girl_ 
could wear.  Searching quickly, he discovered that the only clean thing he 
had left, in fact, was another set of fatigues.  Well, he thought to himself, 
I wear them myself when I go female, they just need adjusting.  And it's not 
like a tomboy like that isn't used to it.  Grabbing the clothes in hand, he 
rushed out the door, and jogged off up the street.

        When he reached the nurse's quarters, opened the door, and stepped 
just inside.  "Hey!!" he called out.  "I've got some clothes to drop off for 
the new lady, Akane!"  He waited.  After several moment, with no response, he 
tried again.  "Hey!!  Is anybody here?!"

        Nothing but silence, and a distant hiss answered him.  Where could 
they all be? he thought to himself.  Oh! Stupid, they're all at the hospital 
now!  You'll have to do it yourself.

        But, but, his mind stammered.  I can't do that!  I'm a _guy_!  But 
how else are you going to get these clothes to her? the rest of him asked, 
implacably.  Besides, you don't _have_ to be a guy...

        "Oh shut up," he mumbled to himself, not even aware he was doing it.  
But still, he _did_ have to get these clothes to her, and well, if _she_ was 
here....  The young man stepped out of the building quickly, and before the 
door had finished swinging shut, a short redheaded figure walked back in, 
quickly adjusting her uniform.

        She'd better appreciate what I do for her, Ranma grumbled to herself.  
Stalking down the hall, she checked the door numbers.  What room was she in 
again?  Coming to an open door, she stopped.  Oh yes, Room 18.

        "Hey, tomboy?  I've got those clothes for you, that I...oh, jeez."  
Empty.  Where could she be now?  And what was that hiss?  It sounded like 
someone left the water running.

        Running water?  "Oh!  The showers, of course!"  Pulling her head out 
of Akane's room, Ranma ran down the hall, turning the corner, and stepping 
into the atrium of the shower.  The steam was fairly thick here, still 
billowing from the shower itself, even though the hiss of water had stopped.  
"Hey, tomboy!  I've got those clothes you uh....ulp.  I...ah..."  Her 
pigtail sticking straight out on end, Ranma slowly backed up, her face as 
red as her hair, from the figure emerging from the steam.

        "You.....you......you......."  Akane couldn't seem to finish the 
statement.  Her face was flaming red, although from anger or embarassment it 
was difficult to tell.  One hand was crossed over her chest, in a mostly 
futile attempt to cover herself, while her other hand was raised in the air, 
palm open, fingers spread, twisting backwards for that extra bit of power.  
Ranma stared at this hand, not interested in the least in anything else at 
the moment, just waiting, waiting....

        "PERVERT!!!!!"

        Akane stalked out of the shower, her uniform, the American's donated 
uniform, and two towels clutched around and in front of her body, her face 
still burning with anger.  The _nerve_ of that American!!  Thinking he could 
peep on her in the shower, using the pretense of giving her a uniform!  And 
turning himself female to get into the barracks unmolested, OOOOOH!  If she 
wasn't so embarassed she would have given him the beating of his life!!  
Reaching her room, she slammed the door hard enough to knock splinters out of 
the frame.

        Back in the shower, Ranma pulled her face out of the wall, wincing at 
the sounds of porcelain shards tinkling on the floor.  Raising her hand to 
her cheek tentatively, she winced.  "Uncute tomboy," she muttered to 
herself....  Plopping down onto the floor, she sulked for a few minutes.  
"Geez," she muttered to herself...getting all worked up over that...I mean 
it's not like I _wanted_ to walk in on her or anything..."  Unbidden, a 
picture of the girl, her arm upraised to sprike appeared before her.  
"ARGH!"  Ranma jumped up to her feet before the image could sink in.  "I've 
got to get out of here," she muttered to herself.  Hurriedly, she steped back 
into the hallway to wait for the other girl.

        She waited, and waited...and waited.  What was she _doing_ in there?  
It couldn't possibly take her that long to get dressed could it?  Ranma 
checked her watch irritably.  "Hey, tomboy, you die in there or something?!"

        Before the echo had died away, the door to the room jerked open.  
"Don't you have _any_ patience?" Akane growled.  "You don't have to yell, I 
was coming already."

        Ranma scowled.  "Sheesh.  What is it with you anyways?  It shouldn't 
even take you that long to get ready.

        Akane got defensive.  "Hey, I was trying too make myself look 
presentable, ok?  Forgive me if it takes a little longer, I haven't been on a 
base as much as you have."  Her jibe missed, Ranma just shook her head.

        "C'mon already, stores won't be open all day."  Without pause, Ranma 
reached out and took the other girl's arm by the wrist, pulling her along 
after her as she hurriedly left the building.

        "H-hey!" Akane protested.  "I'm coming already!  You don't have to 
pull my arm off!"  Ranma ignored her, and merely continued to rush along the 
dirt roads of the base.  Akane fumed silently to herself...there wasn't a 
damn thing she could do about it, not when she didn't have the first clue 
where the American was taking her.  She moved so quickly, turning apparently 
at random, that Akane knew she'd have to get her help just to get home again.  
But next time, she thought grimly to herself, I'll make him go slower.

        Finally, the pair rounded the a corner, and Ranma stopped.  In front 
of them was a large, white building, three stories tall.  The front and side 
of the building Akane had seen were gleamingly clean, but as Ranma led her 
in, Akane spotted blackened timbers protruding from the roof of the building.

        Ranma nodded to her query about the timbers.  "Yeah," he nodded.  "A 
bomb landed right behind stores in the attack last week.  Noone was hurt by 
that bomb, but about half the building was blown down, and a bunch of stuff 
was destroyed."  She offered a brief smile, surprising Akane.  "Shouldn't be 
too hard to get you some clean stuff though."

        "WHAT?!" Ranma exclaimed, leaning over the quartermaster's 
counter.  "What do you mean you haven't got any spare uniforms?!"

        The quartermaster backed away from desk nervously.  Despite the 
Lieutenant's diminutive stature, the look in her eyes, and the way her pigtail 
twiched was distinctly unnerving.  Nervously, he wiped a film of sweat off of 
his forehead, and pushed the aviator goggles perched there up a bit.  "Ju-
just what I said!  Our fatigues were totally wiped out by the Black Rose.  
Ma'am!" he added hastily.

        To his surprise, the Lieutenant only got angrier.  "Don't call me 
ma'am!!  I'm a sir!"  Turning white, the quartermaster nodded.  "Now," Ranma 
continued, calming slightly, "surely you must have _one_ set of fatigues back 
there.  This woman needs a new one, hers simply aren't acceptable."  Akane 
opened her mouth to comment on this, but a flap of Ranma's hand quieted her.

        The quartermaster hesitated.  "We...well..."

        Ranma leaned forwards again staring him in the eyes.  "You _do_ have 
one."

        He nodded.  "Well, yes, ma...sir!" he corrected hastily, seeing the 
flash in the womans eyes.  "But..."

        "Is it a set of combat fatigues?" Ranma asked.

        "Well, yes..." the quartermaster nodded.

        "British or American?"

        "British.  But I really..."

        The officer waved him silent.  "Nevermind the buts.  We'll take 
them."

        The quartermaster sighed, and nodded.  Disappearing into the 
backroom, he returned a moment later with a bundle of green cloth.  "One 
uniform battle dress, double-extra large," he stated tonelessly, dropping the 
volumnious pile onto the counter in front of the women.

        Ranma winced, and sighed.  "Nevermind, it'll have to do.  I'll sign 
for them myself."  Signing the card the quartermaster handed out to her, 
Ranma gathered up the clothes.  "Let's go, Akane."

        Wearily, the two stepped out the door.  Pausing at the top of the 
steps, Ranma grumbled.  "That idiot...couldn't manage his own footlocker, let 
alone the stores for this whole base."

        "Then why did they make him quartermaster?" Akane asked.

        "He's a former bomber gunner," Ranma explained.  "After his plane, 
the 'Caravan Kidd' I think it was called, was gunned down, he was the only 
survivor.  He went a bit crazy from it, so they stuck him into the stores."  
She shrugged.  "Oh well, with so many things destroyed, at least he won't be 
losing as many of them.  C'mon, let's go!"

        Ranma began to jog away, but Akane caught up with her, grabbing her 
by the hand and jerking her to a stop.  "Hey, stop it!"  She glared as the 
American looked at her, confused.  "At least take me back home slowly so I 
can get there myself next time."

        "Oh, sorry," Ranma blushed slightly.  "I keep forgetting you've never 
been here before."

        Akane shook her head.  "I left from a base near Pony Canyon."

        Ranma looked at her sharply.  "Whaddya mean, left?"

        On no! Akane thought to herself.  Trying to cover her mistake, she 
turned red and fumbled around slightly.  "Oh, uh, nothing.  It's a long 
story."  She looked at Ranma, praying silently that the American wouldn't 
press her.

        After looking into her face for a long moment, it seemed her prayers 
were answered.  "Alright," she nodded.  Starting to turn away to lead the 
Resistance leader back to her new home, she paused.  "But you'll tell me 
sometime, right?"

        Akane hesitated, then nodded.  After all, she thought to herself, if 
he told me about his problem...I can trust him with my story, can't I?  
Satisfied, the American began to lead the other girl along, taking her by the 
hand back to her barracks.

        Walking slowly, the pair made their way through the base, Ranma 
pointing out landmarks along the way.  "Okay, your barracks are on the south 
side of the base, one road over from Center Street.  Got that?"  Ranma waited 
for the other girl's nod, and continued.  "Okay.  Center Street is the 
biggest road on the base...it runs from the main gate to the airstrips.  If 
you're ever lost, make your way towards the middle of the base, and you'll 
find it.  Easy, right?  Okay, then, this street..."  Ranma's voice was 
abruptly cut off as she led Akane around the corner of a building.  "AWK!  
Sh...Shampoo!"

        Turning red from embarassment, Ranma raised one hand in greetings. 
"Y...yo." she smiled weakly.  "Ho...how's it going?"  Shampoo didn't answer, 
but she glared daggers at the American.  "O..oh!  Right...where are my 
manners...Shampoo, this is, um, Akane.  She's...a friend."  Moving stiffly, 
Ranma released Akane's hand, and motioned her to the Russian.  "Akane...meet 
Shampoo...part of our Soviet Liaison."  Laughing nervously, Ranma put her hand 
behind her head.

        Akane took a half step forwards.  "Ho..how do you do?"  Shampoo 
didn't give any indication that she had even seen Akane yet.  Her eyes 
continued to bore into Ranma, and her shoulders began to shake with rage.

        "You....how you know Shampoo's name?!"  She stepped forwards 
menacingly, flames burning in her eyes.

        Ranma stepped back, raising her hands defensively.  "What do you 
mean..how do I know your name?  Shampoo, that's not funny!"

        "You...you girl who humiliated Shampoo when she arrive here...you I 
no can forgive!  And now you know Shampoo's name!  I kill you!!"

        Ranma blinked.  "Girl..who....ACK!  I forgot!"  Ranma shrieked as the 
Russian came at her, hands balled into fists.  "Hey...I told you...it was an 
accident!"  Ducking under Shampoo's punch, Ranma bolted past her, grabbing 
Akane as she ran by.  "C'mon!!"

        "He...hey!"  Akane was hauled after the fleeing American again, while 
the Russian girl regained her balance and turned to chase after the pair.  
"Don't get ME involved in this!!"

        "Just shut up and run, already!" Ranma yelled back.  "That girl's 
dangerous!"

        Dangerous?  That was certainly easy enough to believe as Shampoo 
chased the pair around the base.  Once again Akane was thoroughly lost as 
Ranma fled, taking every random twist and turn she could in order to lose 
their pursurer.  Finally, risking a glance over her shoulder, Ranma breathed 
a sigh of relief.  "She's gone!  Quick, in here!!"  Without pause, Ranma 
swung into a half-open doorway, pulling Akane around her, and slamming the 
door shut behind them.

        Ranma leaded against the door for a moment, and listened.  Nothing...
apparently, they were safe.  She let her breath out.  "Finally, we're 
safe....um?"  As the thrill of the chase gradually faded, she noticed that 
she was still holding onto Akane...more than that really.  When she had 
pulled Akane in, and pushed the door shut, she had also pulled the other girl 
against her, protectively.  Hurriedly, Ranma opened her hand on Akane's 
shoulder, letting her pull away.  Ranma's heart thudded heavily in her 
chest...from exertion, she told herself.

        For her part, Akane was glad for the relative darkness of the room, 
hiding the blush she felt on her face.  "S...so, who WAS she, anyways?"

        Ranma slumped against the doorframe.  "Like I said, her name's 
Shampoo.  She's a Corporal, I think...part of the liaison from the Soviet 
Union."

        "Seems like a pretty bad choice," Akane remarked.  "Are you always 
this popular with women?"

        Sitting up straighter, Ranma glared through the darkness at Akane.  
"What's that supposed to mean?"

        Akane rolled her eyes.  "Oh, nevermind.  Why's she so angry at you 
anyways?"

        "That's the thing, I don't really know..."  Ranma recounted the story 
of her first meeting with the Soviet Liaison.  "Seems like a pretty minor 
thing to be giving a 'Kiss of Death' over."

        With a nod, Akane agreed.  "Yeah...but then why didn't you run when 
you saw her, if she's so out to get you?"

        Nervously, Ranma laughed.  "Well, I guess she doesn't know that the 
male body is mine too.  Y'see, the next day..."  Carefully, Ranma told Akane 
the story of the Black Rose's attack the following day, with a few, minor 
changes.  "So, well, after the bomb went off, she was pretty disoriented and 
all, so I, sort of took her around the base, uh, just like now, sorta.  And, 
well, I've been her friend here....just."

        Ranma could hear the frown in Akane's voice.  "Friend?  You SURE 
that's it?"

        "Yeah, I'm sure!  Not that it'd be any interest of YOURS, anyways..."

        "Not that I'd want it to be any of my business anyways," Akane 
retorted.

        A barb seemed to peirce Ranma's chest, followed by a strange glumness 
at that.  Yeah, she thought, not that's she'd want to anywa....what am I 
thinking??  Shaking her head, Ranma regained her feet.  "Enough talk," she 
cut in brusquely.  "Let's find out where we are, and we can get going from 
here."  Fumbling for a lightswitch, Ranma flipped it up.  "Cover your eyes."

        A second later Ranma opened her eyes to see...."Oops," she said 
meekly.

        Akane looked at her curiously.  "What do you mean, oops?"

        Ranma blushed.  "It's my barracks," she mumbled.

        Akane blinked, and looked around the small, single-bunk room.  "Um...
officers' quarters?"

        Ranma nodded.  "Well, at least it'll be easy to show you the way to 
your barracks from here."  At the murderous light that flared in Akane's eyes, 
Ranma flinched, and backed up slightly.  "Because it's just down the street, 
dummy!  Nothing else..!?"  The Lieutenant spun suddenly as the door to the 
rest of the barracks was suddenly kicked down, to reveal a familiar, purple-
haired shape beyond.

        "That very interesting story, Ranma," Shampoo began.  Ranma smiled a 
bit...at least she knew that she was the same person now.  But her smile 
quickly faded as the Russian continued.  "Shampoo see now how evil women 
disguise herself to trick Shampoo!  Shampoo no even want to think about what 
evil woman want kiss another woman!"

        "Kiss?"  Akane was suddenly between Ranma and Shampoo, glaring into 
the American girls eyes, while her aura burned behind her.  "Is this TRUE, 
Ranma?!"

        "He...hey!  It wasn't like that!" Ranma protested, backing away, 
looking for escape.  "SHE kissed me!  I didn't mean to..it was an accident!"

        "An...accident??" Akane scowled deeper.  "How can you ACCIDENTALLY 
kiss someone??"

        Ranma swallowed, sweat trickling down the back of her head.  "Um....
just lucky?"  She tried to laugh, a weak sound that abruptly ended as her 
eyes went wide.  "Look out!!"  Pushing Akane down with her, the Lieutenant 
collapsed to the floor, just ahead of the bonbori that flashed through the 
air above them.

        Shampoo growled and turned to face the pair, another bonbori clutched 
in her hand.  Ranma bounced to her feet, standing between Shampoo and 
Akane.  "Shampoo, will you listen to me?!  It's not what you think!  It's a 
curse!"

        "You no trick Shampoo!" she cried.  "You think Shampoo believe you?  
Hah!"

        Ranma stiffened up.  "What do you mean you don't believe me?  Akane, 
tell her!"

        "Me?  Why do you have to drag me into this?"  Ranma turned, glaring 
angrily at her, causing her to shrink back down slightly.  "Fine, alright..."

        Carefully, Akane got to her feet, keeping herself behind and to one 
side of Ranma.  "It...it's true Shampoo.  I saw it."

        Shampoo considered Akane.  "Where you see?"

        "In France...just before he came back and knocked you over."

        "Hey!" was Ranma's only protest on the matter.

        Akane shushed him.  "It's the truth, Shampoo...Ranma is really a guy 
cursed to have a woman's body, for at least part of the time."

        "Part-time?"  Shampoo frowned.  "How you mean?"

        Relaxing a bit, Akane nodded.  "Yeah, part-time.  If you throw hot 
water on him, you'll see for yourself."

        Shampoo thought about this for a minute.  "Fine then.  You come!"  
Grabbing the others by their arms, she ran back into the barracks, towards 
the common washroom.  There, she turned one of the sinks hot tap on full 
blast, waited a moment, and shoved Ranma's head under it.

        "I-OWOWOWOWOWOW!!"  Ranma shrieked.  "That's hot!" he bellowed, 
forcing his head out of the steaming stream of water.  Angrily, he stared at 
Shampoo.  "You believe me now?"

        The Russian backed away..."Oh no...you really...."  her eyes 
softened, then became hard.  "But you also to be killed."  The hard mask 
broke away..."I...I confused!!"  With that, the girl broke, and ran from the 
room, a lost look on her face.

        "Sham-" Ranma started after her, only to be blocked by Akane.  
"Akane!  Get outta my way, I gotta..."

        "You gotta what?" she mocked.  "You gotta take me back to my 
barracks, right?"  She turned and sniffed.  "After that, Monsieur American, 
you can chase whatever girls you like."

        Ranma scowled.  "Fine then.  Lets go, tomboy."  Jerkily, he turned, 
and strode from the room, Akane following silently behind him.

        This time, the walk was silent, Akane noting the landmarks to herself 
as they walked to her door.  The American was right, she thought...it was all 
the way across the base, but it was still easy to find.  Finally, after only 
a few turns, they arrived at the nurses barracks.

        Ranma motioned to her door.  "Well...here we are.  Goodnight, 
tomboy."  Ranma finished, spiritlessly, and turned away, to shuffle back to 
his own barracks.

        Watching him, Akane blurted, "I'm sorry, Ranma.  That was uncalled 
for."  Ranma stopped, and looked up in surprise.  Hesitantly, Akane 
continued.  "What...what I said about Shampoo, I mean."

        Ranma looked confused for a moment, then smiled slightly, and shook 
it off.  "No, it's okay, really."  He turned, looking up at the sky.  "I 
guess I should be glad that she's not..after me anymore.  Not wanting me 
dead."

        Akane nodded slowly.  "Yeah...I understand."  Ranma nodded, and began 
to walk off again.  "Hey, Ranma..?"

        "Yeah?" Ranma looked around.

        "Do you think...you could show me around some more tomorrow?  Help me 
get my men sorted out?"

        Ranma nodded.  "Yeah, I think I can find time to do that."  He 
smiled.  "Maybe our second date will work out a bit better than the first."  
Winking at her, he turned, and walked back up the dusty road, whistling 
something tuneless, while Akane gaped after him.

        Date?  Hmpf.  The nerve of that American.  Akane turned around 
quickly, and marched back up the steps of her building, trying to ignore the 
little smile on her face...
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Ooh, a part out in less than 2 months.  I amaze myself sometimes...

BTw, this should be about the midpoint of the series.  Anyone out there still 
with me?  Hope so...only another year to go.  @_@


--
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James Stone - stoner@elycion.geology.ualberta.ca / stoneja@ren.gmcc.ab.ca
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://elycion.geology.ualberta.ca/~stoner
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tifosi, NINie, otaku, amateur author, wizzie, and a bunch of other titles.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Akane@Anime, Ukyou@Ranma, Stoner@Baka, Karin@Spirit, Nabiki@Furtoonia,
Geobaldi@Furry, Mendo@AMUSH, Kylania@Delusions, Mousse@Avalon,
Nanami@Fiction, Noa@DahlingMUCK Shampoo@NeriMUX Ryouga@Cyber
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