"Song of the Arrow ": Start         Previous: Chapter 04       Next: Chapter 06

Revelations, Part Two: "The Song of the Arrow"

Chapter Five

Akane kept P-chan with her through morning classes – the teachers were used to him now. At gym time, though, P-chan left her at the lockers and wandered over to Ranma’s group. Akane grinned as she went in to change; P-chan usually stayed outside the door when she was changing, but apparently today Ryoga didn’t want to put up with all the girly attention he normally got at gym time. Sometimes he liked it, usually he didn’t; but before he always put up with it to stay with Akane. As she changed her clothes, Akane’s smile faded, Ryoga… I’m losing you, aren’t I? I made my choice – I chose Ranma; and it means that I have to lose you. It’s not fair to you. I have to let you go so you can have a life of your own. But Akane knew a guilty satisfaction as she remembered his promise. Ryoga will always come back to me. I have his promise. She swallowed, but will I always have his heart? Bowing her head as she put on her shoes, Akane hid her expression from her classmates, Do I have the right to his heart? She knew, logically, that the answer should be ‘no’, but she had lived for so long accepting his love without question… A year was a long time when it involved emotions. Ryoga loved her. Akane had always known that he loved her. And she let him, because it made her feel good to have that warm feeling surrounding her. But Ranma had stolen her heart from her first, and… She loved Ranma. Akane sighed – it had been easier when they were all at odds with each other. They had all been too young to really make a decision, and that’s what she had told herself. But now a decision had been made. And she would have to let Ryoga go.

"Akane – are you okay? You’ve been awfully quiet." Yuka looked down at her friend in worry, "Nothing happened between you and Ranma, did it?"

Forcing a smile, Akane stood up and made small talk. Her friends all knew that she and Ranma were a lot closer than before, and they watched the young couple carefully.

The group of boys all looked at Ranma strangely when the small black pig wandered into their midst, but Ranma ignored them. He glanced down, "Got tired of hanging out with the girls?"

The pig bared his teeth. Ranma laughed, "Calm down, runtling. You did, didn’t you?"

Next to him, Hiroshi sighed, "To be in with the girls and held by them and petted and cuddled… Who wouldn’t want to be a pig in those circumstances?" He looked over at P-chan, "You’re crazy to be over here with us when you could be with them."

Daisuki pulled his shirt on over his head, "I donno – I’ve got three sisters, and when they’re being ‘cuuute’, they can be pretty insufferable."

"Those are sisters, Dasisuki – not girls."

Daisuki glanced quickly around the guy’s locker room, "Shh! Don’t let them hear you say that! I’ll be black and blue for the next week if they find out!"

Hiroshi also looked around, "Daisuki – you’re paranoid!"

"You don’t have three sisters!"

Ranma finished changing, "Is it really that bad?" He was genuinely curious and it showed in his voice.

Daisuki blinked, and then answered seriously while putting on his shoes, "Uhh, well, no… I wouldn’t ever admit it in front of them, but most of the time, having sisters can be really fun. Having a family… At least I always know that they’re on my side, and I can trust them. And they all look up to me, though they won’t admit that either. I’m always helping one or the other of them out."

"Hummm," Ranma glanced out the window. Are Nabiki and Kasumi on my side? Ranma thought about it for a moment and realized, they're not on anybody's side, either one. Not even Akane has her sisters' unswerving support, though they do help her. That reminded him, and Ranma glanced down at Ryoga, "By-the-way, why was Nabiki being so nice to you this morning?"

His friends glanced at the pig, at Ranma, then at each other. And down at the pig as P-chan shrugged in answer to Ranma’s question. And back at each other. "Let’s go out to class now." "Yeah."

It was gymnastics today. The group all settled down, prepared to watch Ranma show off as usual. The teacher would usually let him do what he wanted to at his turn at the bar. And Ranma always obliged the audience by trying out the spectacular moves he’d seen in China. He hadn’t intended to learn them when he was there, but he had a good memory and such agility that it wasn’t hard for him to recreate the forms. And then the teacher would make him teach some of them to the rest of the class.

Over on the other side of the gym, the girls were playing volleyball. When they weren’t watching the guys. Their teacher tended to be fairly tolerant of the periodic inattention.

"Akane, what’s P-chan doing over there?"

"I think he’s watching them."

"Oh…" The tone of voice said Sayuri didn’t understand at all but was willing to drop the subject.

The boys started off tamely enough. Ranma warmed up with what for him were the lesser moves – and he had to spend some time with a couple of the advanced students teaching them his ‘lesser’ moves. Finally, he started in on some of the tougher ones. After one spectacular combo, the class made appreciative noises, while the girls all sighed and went back to their volleyball, and P-chan snorted in derision. Ranma walked across the mat and bonked him, "I heard that."

The small pig glared up at him and snorted again, half-turning away. Ranma flushed angrily, "Well if you think you can do better – go right ahead!"

Ryoga bounced up to his four stubby hoofs and growled.

The rest of the class stared at them.

Ranma waved to the bar, "Well, I’m waiting… Go ahead, pig! I’d like to see you try!"

The pig was a small blur of movement as he charged Ranma, who dodged and threw a kick out. A volleyball bounced off his head and rebounded directly onto P-chan. "Ow!" Ranma rubbed his head as he turned to look. So did P-chan.

Akane placed her hands on her hips, "No fighting in school, bakan!! P-chan, I’d expect it out of Ranma, but you? Both of you – grow up!" She turned her back on them.

Ranma and Ryoga looked at each other, sheepishly. The pig half-shrugged and trotted out of the gym. Ranma stared after him for a moment, then sat down and waited for his turn again. The rest of the class stopped their snickers and conversations and went back to training.

They were interrupted again as Ryoga came back in human form in his tanktop and loose pants, stomped up to Ranma and twapped him on the head, "Uncivilized Beast!"

Ranma glared up at him, "Oh, you really do think you can do better, do you?"

Ryoga snorted in the exact same manner as P-chan had, "Of course. I saw that! —You were trying for a triple-bi-loop, half-twist with spin-check. But you didn’t have the momentum to finish the second loop and changed it to a double-bi, spiral bat with a forward flip dismount."

Ranma flushed red.

The class looked around at each other. Ranma’s friends in particular were staring – almost all of them knew about P-chan/Ryoga the same as they knew about Ranma’s two forms, but they had never seen it so directly. And for Ryoga to be catching Ranma out…

The girls were all staring too. And trying very hard not to look at Akane. She took her gaze off the boys to glance at them, "Settle down mina," she hissed, "I told them I knew – they’ve stopped trying to hide it."

"Oh. That’s why P-chan didn’t come with us today." Ayishi sighed, she rather liked the little pig – and Ryoga was almost as cute.

The teacher cleared his throat, "If you can do it… The class would appreciate a demonstration."

Ryoga blushed – he’d forgotten about the teacher. Then he turned and bowed, "Of course, Sensei." He walked over to the bar as the student who had been waiting his turn hurriedly backed away. Ryoga put chalk on his hands and glanced back at Ranma, "The trick is to get a bit more momentum at the beginning for the bi-loops, but then apply the brakes just before the half-twist so you don’t go spiraling off." He hopped up and caught the bar, swinging up to place easily. Then he easily did the complicated maneuver he’d been talking about – and the class could all see where Ranma had deviated from it.

The girls all sighed in appreciation, not even pretending to do volleyball anymore. The boys were impressed but also highly amused at somebody showing Ranma up. They waited for the fireworks.

Ranma blinked a couple of times and then walked over to the bar. He waited until Ryoga made his dismount and then got up and did it again – perfectly. Ryoga grinned. Ranma dismounted and looked at his friend, "Okay, I’ll bite – where did you learn it?"

"Same place I learned Rhythmic Gymnastics."

"That’s no answer." Ranma frowned, "And you can’t tell me China, ‘cause you were talking way different then they do.

Ryoga grinned again, "No, not China. Russia." He watched his friend’s expression and then shrugged, "Long story."

"They all are."

"Did I ever tell you where I picked up my umbrella?"

"No…"

"Tell you later."

"Ryoga…"

The teacher cleared his throat and both boys instantly turned, Ryoga making a half-bow. Eyeing them before deciding the pair weren’t going to be fighting soon, the teacher said, "Ranma, perhaps you can show your friend that one that we were trying to teach the class yesterday."

"Oh yeah." Ranma hopped back up on the bar. There was one form that looked really nifty, and should have been simple enough for a lot of the students to pick it up, but so far nobody could do it like he did. His body whirled around, muscles bunching and loosening as he shifted his weight. The girls all sighed again.

"Akane, you are so lucky."

Instead of protesting like she used to, Akane just grinned.

Yuka nudged her, "So, how’s the physical side of the relationship going?"

Akane went scarlet, "Yuka-chan!" 

Sayuri grinned, "We thought so – you get a real good appreciation of those muscles close up, huh?"

"Shh!" Ayishi hushed them, "Ryoga-kun is up!"

Ryoga moved over to the bar as Ranma dismounted. Ranma raised an eyebrow in question. Ryoga half-shrugged in embarrassment, "Nobody else can do that one, Ranma – you’re using your super-speed to switch your grip around thoughout it."

Ranma blinked and then flushed, embarrassed because Ryoga was right; he hadn’t even noticed he was doing it.

Ryoga hopped up again and demonstrated the correct handgrip.

"Oh!" came the general cry from the sidelines, and several other students moved up to try it. Ranma and Ryoga backed off a bit.

"You never actually were taught the moves, were you? You just picked them up from watching the gymnasts in China?" Ryoga asked quietly.

Ranma shrugged, "Yeah – we were Martial Arts training, not training for gymnastics – but everybody over here likes it so much…" He glanced over and moved a half-step closer to Ryoga, "Ryoga; is there anything you can’t do?"

Ryoga snorted, "Yeah – I can’t find my way." And I can’t have you. Ranma was so close to him… and leaning closer. Swallowing, Ryoga went to help one of the students who was having trouble with the dismount.

For the rest of the class, Ryoga stayed with them, helping, teaching, explaining, and demonstrating. And periodically he and Ranma would get into competitions, each trying to see if they could come up with something the other couldn’t do. Ranma found out that Ryoga didn’t know every move, but, like Ranma, only needed to see it done once to be able to duplicate it.

The girls stopped playing volleyball altogether and bunched up on the sidelines. They even divided into two camps when Ranma and Ryoga started competing, each section cheering on their favorite. The first time Ryoga’s camp had called out his name cheering, he fell off the bar in surprise, and then Ranma fell down laughing. That almost started a fight, but since Akane had carefully turned her back not to see it, Ryoga let it go when the teacher interceded. 

Akane herself was in neither camp, prudently staying neutral, though it gained her some odd looks from both groups, who had expected her to root for Ranma.

And then the second gym class filtered in.

"What the hell is going on here?!" A furious voice filled the soundwaves and a battle-aura filled the air.

"Ah, Shit," Ranma ducked behind Ryoga, "I do not need this. I am outta here," and then he slipped away with most of the rest of the class. Leaving Ryoga standing there.

Ryoga’s mouth was still open, "Ukyo???" He didn’t blame Ranma for ducking out.

"Why are you being so nice to Ranma?!" Ukyo stood with her hands on her hips, staring angrily at Ryoga, "Or haven’t you heard what’s he’s done to your fair Akane?" She dropped her pose and clenched her fists, "We’re suppose to be partners, Ryoga! Or have you forgotten?"

"Partners?" Ryoga blinked, "Ukyo…"

"I get Ranma, you get Akane, and it all works out."

"Uhhh…."

"That’s not the way it works," purred a soft voice behind Ryoga.

Ryoga turned his head, "Akane?"

"You lost, Ukyo. And Ryoga is not your partner."

"Well, he’s certainly not your pet!"

"Of course not!"

Ukyo grinned tightly, "No, of course not. That’s why you call him P-chan, and cuddle him, and show him off to all your schoolmates, and sleep with him – AND NEVER ONCE TELL HIM YOU KNOW!"

"Gee," Hiroshi remarked to Sayuri, "News travels fast around here." Sayuri nodded.

Akane turned beet red. And her battle-aura, which had been contained, flared out.

Ryoga backed away.

Both girls turned to him, "YOU STAY RIGHT THERE!"

Ryoga stood very, very still.

The battle-auras flowed through the gym. Most of the students left quickly.

The girls each took a step towards each other.

"Hello mina!" A very chipper, bouncy voice cut through the layers of tension. "Oh! Look at all the nice juicy battle-auras here! Are they all for me??"

Akane hurriedly stuffed hers back under her control.

Ukyo did the same.

Miss Hinako sighed in disappointment, "Those nice auras brought me all the way from my History Class just in expectation of a good fight to interrupt – and here I find there’s no fight at all. Such a shame."

Both girls bowed low. 

"Sorry to disturb you Miss Hinako," Akane said.

"We wouldn’t possibly think of fighting during school hours," agreed Ukyo.

The short teacher looked from one to the other, "I suppose you instead are thinking about being at your appropriate classes…"

"Hai!" Both girls bowed low again and dashed off to the gym lockers.

Miss Hinako’s mouth curved up in a smile. And then she turned to Ryoga.

"Uhhh…"

The teacher looked him up and down, "Normally it’s Ranma-kun who has all the female attention around here. But I can’t say I’m totally surprised." She turned around, "Don’t let it happen again."

Ryoga blinked. Like how am I suppose to do anything about it???

"At least not during school hours," Miss Hinoko added. She tossed a grin back, "Just avoid them and you’ll do fine." She left the gym. The few students still around started to emerge from the woodwork.

"You know," Daisuki started thoughtfully.

"She seemed almost," Yuka continued.

"Human," finished Hiroshi.

"Or at least normal," added Sayuri.

The four friends looked at Ryoga.

"It’s curious," Sayuri started thoughtfully.

"You’re actually," Hiroshi continued.

"Rather nice," Yuka grinned.

"When you’re not fighting Ranma," finished Daisuki.

Ryoga stared at them all, "Do mina-san practice that, or what?"

The friends broke up laughing. They looked at each other, then the girls sighed, "We better get back to Akane," and they left for their part of the gym.

The two boys grinned at Ryoga, "Nah – we were just talking while Uc-chan and Akane were screaming at each other and it was amusing. Come-on."

Ryoga blinked, "Excuse me?"

Daisuki scratched his head, "Well, if we don’t hurry up, we’re going to be late for our next class."

"Uhh," Ryoga hesitated.

Hiroshi grinned, "Come on, Hibiki-san – what else were you planning to do?"

Ryoga had to admit that one. And followed them back to the gym.

"Hey, I heard you were in Russia? What’s it like?"

"Did you really follow Ranma all the way to China?"

"What’s it like being P-chan?"

"What’s it like being hugged by Akane?"

"So why are you and Ranma getting along now?"

"Which Junior High did you go to?"

"What other sports do you do?"

Ranma glanced over to where his friends were grouped around Ryoga. Poor Ryoga was looking overwhelmed – and almost ready to run away. Ranma thought about intervening, but decided not to; if Ranma got involved, he was going to start being jealous again. Of his friends, of Ryoga… I think I have to work on that. If I can be jealous of Akane and Ryoga both – when I love them both… there’s something wrong.

Most of the class had English next and so they went. And they took Ryoga with them. The teacher just glanced at him and didn’t say anything when he sat down between Hiroshi and Daisuki. "Let’s try again class, ‘This is a pen’." The class obediently recited it. Ryoga reflected that it was going to be a long class. They’re in second year high-school and they’re still on the first English phrase?

At lunch time, Akane came over to join them, standing next to Ranma and smiling up at him before turning her attention to Ryoga, "Ryoga-kun, you’re still here." She smiled brilliantly at him, happy to see him. Happy to see him as him.

And Ryoga took a step backwards. He glanced from the arm Ranma had put around Akane’s waist back up to her cheerful face… And his heart twisted inside out. Akane – stop being so nice to me. Please… If I can’t have you at all… Akane, I worship you, I love you – and I can’t be near you because Ranma is the person you’re going to marry, and I’ll never be more than your friend or his and it hurts so badly… Ryoga took another step back.

Akane and Ranma both instantly recognized the look on his face and Ranma’s arm dropped from Akane’s waist and they each took a step away from the other and towards Ryoga. The rest of the lunch crowd stilled, recognizing an Event and waiting to see what would happen.

Ryoga turned and dashed out of the room via the window.

"Ryoga!" Akane and Ranma both rushed forward, but when they got to the window Ryoga wasn’t in sight anymore.

"Damn you, Ryoga…" Ranma muttered, "why do you have to get hurt so easily?"

Akane turned to him and buried her head in his chest as he put his arms around her, "I didn’t mean to hurt him."

Ranma sighed, "Neither did I." But how can it be helped when we both love you so? Briefly, Ranma thought of giving Akane up to Ryoga. But Akane was in his arms, and Ryoga’s voice was in his mind, ‘It would break her heart if you left her.’ Ranma couldn’t hurt Akane. There was no way that he could hurt Akane. But he’d just hurt Ryoga… Ranma sighed and pulled Akane close to him, holding her tightly.

The other students quietly went back to their lunches, trying hard to give the couple by the window some privacy.

Sayuri, Yuka, and Ayishi huddled in one corner.

"It’s so romantic," sighed Ayishi.

"It’s so sad," sniffed Sayuri.

"That’s what makes it romantic," Ayishi pointed out.

"They both love her so much," Yuka sighed.

"If Ryoga-kun would see anybody but her, I’d volunteer in an instant," Ayishi lamented.

"He won’t," Yuka shook her head.

"Do you think he’ll come back?" wondered Sayuri.

"Do you think he’ll challenge Ranma?" Yuka was more practical.

"Not now that Akane’s official with him – he won’t hurt her," Ayishi was sure of that.

"It’s so romantic," they all sighed.

 Notes to Chapter 5:

- Okay, so I don't know the names of advanced Gymnastics moves either. ;p Plus which, I wanted to stay vague because they were working with different languages, and I didn't want them to be things we see in the Olympics every year.

- Yeah, the class still on the first sentence is highly unlikely… but I stuck it in because I'd just found out that that is the first phrase that is usually taught in English classes, and I thought it revealed a lot about the teaching and learning style differences, which helps in understanding the people. And originally I'd had a much longer sequence planned detailed how Ryoga was with the students and interacting with them and helping. ... I decided to leave it with the one example and move the story along.

"Song of the Arrow ": Start         Previous: Chapter 04       Next: Chapter 06