Ayumi stood in a stance that indicated his complete readiness to fight, directly atop the widening crack in the ice he had caused out of sheer anger. "Prepare yourself!" he snarled, leaping high into the air with the intent to bring both fists crashing down on Mikado in what very well could have been his most powerful air-strike. Ayumi didn't know; more often than not his training focused on confronting an opponent at ground level. That wasn't an option here. Mikado had guessed right - Tendo Ayumi did not know how to skate, despite having challenged Mikado to a pair-skating match in response to Mikado's attempts to put the moves on Ranma. Stupid playboys... Yet he couldn't admit to his foe he had an important weakness that would definitely rule him out of the fight! *Then* what would Mikado learn? Nothing. Since he couldn't skate well enough, attacks from ground level were out. Which was the precise reason why Ayumi settled upon an air attack. In training, the main thing Ayumi learned about air attacks was their highly risky nature. Miss, and you risk losing it all because you're left vulnerable to a counterattack. An air attack such as Ayumi's pounce depended on one very crucial detail: an opponent foolish enough to walk into the attack... or not move out from under it. Mikado remained steadfast, barely concerned with the approaching attacker. When Ayumi's fists were less than a foot from his head, Mikado gained momentum by pushing away in an almost imperceptible move, casually skating out of harm's way. In the largest explosion of ice most of the crowd in the rink had ever seen Ayumi crashed headfirst *through* the ice. Those left over from the One-Hundred Man Attack who remained conscious applauded Mikado's skill in dispatching Ayumi - done for show, for the most part - and the fact that Ayumi had gone and broken through the ice with his head hadn't escaped the notice of Azusa... and Ranma, who once again held P-chan in her arms. Both girls stood near the Attackers, not bothering to pay any attention to them. Support was all too easy to drum up for the Golden Pair... "What stupidity..." concluded Mikado, touching a finger to his forehead in a farewell salute. "As I predicted, his anger was the end of him. He began and ended all in one ill-planned move." Apparently, no one had told Ayumi that his previous attack was his last. He burst out of the ice to his feet just shy of Mikado's right shoulder. For a split-second Mikado's eyes widened in fear. As Mikado reacted Ayumi shot a left hook toward his jaw. The blow narrowly missed... but the momentum carried Ayumi forward until he cartwheeled onto his face and slid like a bowling ball into a recovering band of Attackers, tearing up more ice. Again Ayumi dragged himself up, not about to let his anger leave him. As long as he could stand, he could fight! All of a sudden a tear opened in Mikado's sweater where Ayumi's last attack had passed. It was Ayumi's own version of the trick Ryomi had used to slice Ranma's cheek during a fight. So if his punch failed to connect, at the very least he could still cause some damage. Mikado inspected the tear. "Hmmmm...... I see. I normally reserve my next maneuver for more skilled opponents, however, you leave me no choice. Always remember this honor I am about to grant you." Ayumi's eyes narrowed. What did the windbag have up his sleeve now? The skater began to spin on one foot. His arms and free leg moved in and out in precise, practiced motions... almost hypnotic, growing faster along with the spin. "Oh! What great form!" The Attackers nearest Ranma were praising Mikado's moves again, and it was starting to grate heavily on Ranma's nerves. "Look - it's one of Sanzenin's special signature attacks, the Death Whirlwind!" "The 'Death Whirlwind...?'" Ranma asked with concern. P-chan's eyes were on the fight. The Whirlwind had drawn Ayumi in to a dangerous fate, caught at every turn by a fist, arm, leg or foot. Yet Mikado continued to spin faster... Ranma could no longer pick Ayumi's image out of the blur. Just look at what that fool let his macho pride get him into this time! Oh......... She couldn't do it. She couldn't play indifferent at a time like this. Not when Ayumi was in trouble. Could she break the Death Whirlwind to free Ayumi? "Nothing human has been able to break free of that spin yet!" she heard one of the Attackers comment. Unbreakable, huh? That kind of assumption she had heard before, right before breaking whatever the heck it was supposed to be unbreakable. All she needed was a good opening and... *there*! Ranma skated in toward the fray. The Attackers moved to block her path. "Get out of my way!" she snapped. They shook their heads, some glancing back at the Death Whirlwind in action. "No. There's nothing you can do. Sanzenin is completely in control; all that boy can do now is accept his painful punishment. That's what the 'Death Whirlwind' is all about." Ranma snorted derisively. Boy, did this Mikado guy have a flair for the dramatics or what? At last the Whirlwind ended. Ayumi was sent reeling from the spin while Mikado's momentum died. The Tendo boy fell to the ice, once more leading the way with his head. Time froze both opponents in their final poses. The Death Whirlwind's toll seemed evident. Ranma skate-sprinted to Ayumi's side and lowered herself to her knees in front of him. He was locked in a rigid headstand... his face doing most of the standing. "You okay, Ayumi? Need any help?" P-chan added a question in the form of a squeal. With remarkable determination Ayumi braced his shaking hands to push himself up from the ice. He succeeded in doing so - Ayumi spun awkwardly three feet into the air, Ranma and P-chan tracking his ascent, then crashed back down to the ice. The Attackers were truly impressed. "I don't believe it! He actually survived the Death Whirlwind!" Sighing, Ranma grabbed Ayumi by the hood at the back of his sweater and started to drag him from the rink. Azusa skated alongside them. "Hope San-chan didn't hurt him too much." Ranma looked away. "Why? Ayumi's the one who won." Oddly enough Mikado hadn't moved at all from the position he had concluded his attack in. That had never happened before... Surely holding his arms and right leg hurt like crazy by now. Azusa decided she would check on her partner's condition. Could that Saotome girl be right? She waved a hand in front of his face, made a few faces of her own. When Mikado did not react she lightly prodded him. This, too, had no effect. Azusa pulled out a thick permanent marker. One last test... she drew cat's whiskers on Mikado's face, whistling an upbeat tune. The Attackers crowded around Azusa and Mikado. "Wouldja look at that? Sanzenin's out like a light! That kid must've gotten in a few blows of his own!" By now Azusa was having a ball doodling all over Mikado, and everyone else clamored to have a turn at writing on the great Sanzenin Mikado... Destiny's Wish Part Thirteen: All This for a Kiss? written by Mike Koos ----------------------------------- "I can't believe you did that. It was so stupid!" "Oh, shut UP, Ranma! Why is it so hard for you to understand that what I did makes complete sense?" Ayumi sat in one corner of the Tendo family room applying bandages from a first-aid kit to the scrapes on his arm. "*Complete sense*!?" echoed Ranma incredulously from the table. "What I understand is that you let your *stupid* macho pride push you into a fight! And *why* did you let yourself get hit five hundred and eighteen times before doing anything about it?" Ayumi grumbled. "I said, shut up! What makes you think I'm done teaching that guy a lesson? I'd've given him more than one punch if you hadn't dragged me away!" Kasuga was quietly watching Ayumi and Ranma argue from his seat at the table, and Naka was currently lying on the floor with yet another bag of potato chips, a soda and a videogame magazine, so Ranma paid no attention to them. She scoffed at Ayumi's suggestion that the fight could have continued beyond the point at which Ranma had pulled him out of the rink. "Yeah, right! You were in no shape to continue that fight!" Suddenly, the door to the yard behind Ayumi slid open. "She's right, you know." It was Ryomi, calmly leaning against the edge of the open door. "Ryomi......" Ranma wondered where Hibiki Ryomi had come from and when this time. Ryomi counted herself lucky that Ranma was seated too low at the table to see the collar locked around her neck. Ayumi angrily hopped to his feet to face Ryomi. "What's it to you, P-chan?" This time, Ryomi ignored the name-calling. She had come with a much more important purpose in mind. "How could you let that... *girl* kiss you?" Now *this* was of interest to Kasuga and Naka! Ayumi was telling Ryomi that it would never have happened if he hadn't been wearing skates... when his two elder brothers decided to join the conversation. "Someone kissed you, Ayumi?" "I'll bet it was Ranma!" said Naka, getting his hopes up. Separately, Ranma and Ryomi were attempting to keep their composure. "It wasn't Ranma!" insisted Ryomi. "It was another girl entirely!" "Another girl?" asked Kasuga. "You aren't two-timing Ranma, are you?" "My little brother's growing up so fast," Naka smiled. "No! That isn't what happened at all!" The suspicion in Kasuga's voice eased away. "It isn't? Well, then you've got nothing to worry about, right? If it was just a harmless little kiss..." "Unless it was your first kiss," laughed Naka. "To have a meaningless kiss be your first with a girl..." "Naka!" Kasuga admonished Naka. Ayumi ran out of the room. "Now see what you did?" Ranma and Ryomi looked at each other and blinked. ** ** ** Whenever Ayumi wanted to be alone, he sat by himself in the middle of the dojo after closing all the doors. Too bad none of them had locks... but it mattered little, as hardly anyone ever bothered him in the dojo. He held his knees tightly against his chest and screwed up his face. "They all think it's *so* funny. No one ever understands at all..." Hardly anyone ever bothered him here in the dojo... except for Ranma. The cursed girl - the one he knew who was engaged to be his wife against his wishes and hers, too, at any rate - came up from behind him to slap the back of his head. "You always leave your back unguarded like this?" That he had left his guard down was true enough; Ayumi hadn't even heard her approach. He glanced peripherally up at her. Neither of them had changed out of the clothes they had put on to go to the rink. Ranma had been kind enough to bring the first-aid kit Ayumi had left behind. "Gonna sulk in here all evening, huh? I thought you were supposed to be a man but you're acting like a big baby!" Ayumi turned away. He was right - the baka didn't know how to mind her own business. "Boy, I bet you're having a ball with all this. So go ahead and laugh it up--" She broke out in laughter to spite him. "What are YOU laughing at?" Ranma drew a breath, leaning closer to better gauge the expression on Ayumi's face. "That wasn't really your first kiss, was it?" Ayumi paused. "S-so what if it was?" He turned away again. "Well, it's not *that* big a deal," Ranma rummaged around in the first-aid kit for a few bandages to apply to Ayumi's face. She peeled the backing from one and applied the bandage to the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe you let that kiss upset you so much! Whatever happened to 'I've trained for every possibility!'? Some training." She covered the scrape on his left cheek with a larger bandage and prepared another one. "You talk big, but when it comes down to it, you fall flat on your face." As she raised the bandage to Ayumi's face, he prodded her left shoulder to distract her... ...and in one swift motion swept her into his lap with his other hand. She yelped in surprise. "And *you're* always on guard?" He leaned in close, saw her eyes widening... could almost feel the pounding of her heart... Ayumi retreated, separating himself from her. "It's not what you think! I wasn't going to kiss you, if you were wondering..." Ranma put a hand to her heart. There were ways to regulate her heartbeat and breathing, but she was too worried about what Ayumi had or hadn't attempted to do to fully recall them. As meeting his gaze was making her nervous, she averted her eyes. "I... I thought so. I'll bet you don't even have enough nerve to kiss a girl." "If you don't shut up, I'll show you how much nerve I've got!" Ayumi raised his voice. Ranma answered in the same tone. "Really? Well, then, do it!" They were inches from each other now. "Well, okay... Close your eyes. That's the way it's supposed to be done..." Ranma studied him for a second, trying to determine whether or not to do as he asked. She shut her eyes. Ayumi brought himself closer to her once more. A tense moment passed between Ayumi and Ranma. Ayumi retreated again. "Um, maybe we shouldn't be doing this unless we really are in love..." His iinazuke formed a smile. "Guess I never have to worry about being kissed by you, then." "I didn't mean it that way!" His embarrassment was by now patently obvious. "I just thought that... you know... that if we were gonna kiss it should be for real..." The words brought a significant blush to Ranma's face. She locked her fingers together. Ranma could no longer bring herself to look into his eyes. Another moment or two passed between them without anything happening. Until the door at the close end of the dojo was thrown open, and both could see to their extreme horror that the rest of the inhabitants of the Tendo household had been eavesdropping there for quite a while. Naka formed a fist and brought it down on the varnished wood floor. "Are you going to kiss her or not? Some of us have things to do, y'know!" he shouted impolitely. "Now, Naka," were Kasuga's only words. "We mustn't rush them." Meanwhile, Sanzenin Mikado was walking home from the rink, having missed the last bus of the evening. It had taken him a few hours to regain consciousness... after which he had had to pay a visit to the pseudo-clinic at the rink to have his wounds from his clash with Ayumi attended to. Which had been a daunting task, as Azusa and the Attackers had taken great pleasure in writing and drawing in permanent marker over nearly his entire body, clothes and all. From what he could read of his sweater whoever had done the writing must carry a grudge against him. Most of the 'drawings' were insults directed at him. Others seemed to imply that he was obsessed with the opposite sex. That was wrong. They were obsessed with him. Every last one of his problems this night could be traced to one person, and one person only. "How dare you, Tendo Ayumi! For this humiliation you shall pay with your very life when we meet at the rink!" ** ** ** The day of the match arrived at Koruhoz High School. Almost the entire student body discussed little else all morning long; whenever Sanzenin Mikado and Shiratori Azusa squared off against anyone else there was bound to be an interesting show... one to talk about for days afterward. Several of the girls of Koruhoz High were excited to have the chance to see Mikado in action and cheer for him... er, him and his partner. Some of them wished they could be his skating partner. An unusually large sign urged people toward the rink, announcing to one and all that a special pair-skating fight would take place there today, in which the winners claimed not only the trophy but something named Charlotte as well. It was obvious what had happened. Azusa had tried to claim something 'cute' as her own, but when she wasn't allowed to keep it, she dared the true owner to a skating match. Azusa's penchant for finding things cute and taking them home with her - perishable or not - had gained notoriety throughout the entire school, and anyone with anything Azusa would conceivably think of as cute was well-advised to keep those possessions far from Azusa's sight. Ryomi pushed her way to the front of the crowd gathered before the sign. She read the sign. The pink collar around her neck seemed to tighten for a second. She pushed back through the crowd. Unless, of course, her would-be partner dumped a bucket of cold water over her. "I'm so glad I found you, Charlotte!" Ayumi gingerly picked P-chan from the ground by the collar Azusa had locked onto her. For some reason her bandanna wouldn't quite cover the despised collar. "No one'll be able to beat me and Ranma, so you can just sit back and put that little head of yours at ease." P-chan squealed in anger, more at Ayumi's mocking tone than what the boy had done. One potential problem out of the way, Ayumi headed for the waiting room where the boys competing in the match - he and Mikado - were to prepare for the show. In Ayumi's opinion that was what the entire match truly was... nothing but Mikado's show. Why else would Mikado insist on holding the match on his home turf? A rink was a rink, wasn't it? All the playboy had to do was show his teeth, perform some flashy moves and all the girls in the building would swoon over him. Well, almost all the girls. Ranma and Ryomi didn't care much for him, and from what he'd seen Azusa was too busy being herself to spend a lot of time fawning over her partner in skating. They still managed to make a formidable team, however. Mikado was waiting for Ayumi when Ayumi entered the room. "I'm glad you could assemble the courage to come, Tendo Ayumi. So few make it this far." Darn fool even struck *poses* like a model... hand casually placed in his pocket as he stood, putting all his weight on one leg, the dress jacket of his school uniform draped over his shoulder. Peeking out from his shirt pocket was the ever-present comb Mikado used to keep his hair in place. No doubt about it; this guy was as obsessed with his looks as he was with the opposite sex. "Oh, hi, Mr. Skirt-chaser," Ayumi minced, not in the mood to debate the way things were with anyone in Mikado's limited frame of mind. "My *name* is Sanzenin Mikado. Is your memory as poor as your skating?" Poor skating, huh? "So, have you recovered from all those injuries yet?" "Hmph," snorted Mikado. "I allowed you to survive that fight so that you can receive your proper punishment in the rink today." He took out his comb and ran it through his hair - more a gesture than anything else. A gleam entered his eyes. "I believe your fair partner's name was Saotome Ranma?" Ayumi narrowed his eyes. "What about it?" "I really haven't accorded her a proper... *introduction*." "She already knows who you are." Mikado put the comb in its resting place. He pointed a finger at Ayumi in utter sincerity. "Hear my declaration, and remember it, Tendo! During today's match, I will certainly succeed in stealing a kiss from the fair Saotome Ranma's lips!" "What? I figured you would say something like that! Can't you ever think of anything else?" Mikado put a hand to his head proudly. "I am proud to give exclusive priority to these thoughts!" <*Now*, he starting to scare me!> Ayumi felt himself reflexively withdrew and went with it. At that very instant, in the more private girls' changing room, Ranma sneezed. She was down to her underwear and tennis shoes, one step away from putting on the costume given her for this event, and the first thought that entered her mind was, Then she reconsidered, recalling an old legend... She rubbed a finger underneath her nose to make sure. No sense in letting the onset of a cold endanger her participation in the fight. That spoiled brat Azusa would just love it. And she'd love P-chan, too. There was no way Ranma would let Azusa steal her pet pig again... ** ** ** Privately, the Koruhoz High rink-side announcer believed the entire match to be a ridiculous waste of time. Someone had attempted to justify it as an unscheduled competition match between Fuurinkan High and Koruhoz High, and to that end they had even come up with a simple bronze trophy cup. But the truth of the matter was that this match was probably nothing more than an effort to keep Azusa happy - hence the little pig chained to the trophy - and satisfy Mikado's pride and honor. Sanzenin Mikado may have been sought after by a majority of the girls at Koruhoz High - but for the very same reason, a majority of the Koruhoz High boys disliked him. Still, the announcer knew he had a thankless, nonpaying job to do... "Again, we would like to thank you for coming. Today's match will begin shortly, as we dim the lights to introduce our stars..." The lights dimmed. Two spotlights converged on a pair of skaters entering the rink in their usual grand style. The Golden Pair was making their debut, Mikado hefting Azusa upon his outstretched right arm, to the various cheers from fan members of the Shiratori Azusa Fan Club and the Sanzenin Mikado Fan Club. Although Azusa was gracefully perched upon Mikado's arm like a bird, a hint of strain was detectable on the boy's face. Awaiting their turn to make an entrance, Ayumi frowned. "Geez, do they have someone *choreograph* their entrances?" Mikado definitely did have skill in skating, but his flair for putting on a show for the benefit of everyone watching outshined those skills. Both Ayumi and Ranma wore costumes patterned after styles found in Chinese clothing; Ayumi's long-sleeved top was emblazoned with a dragon coiled across front and back, ending at the clasped collar. A yellow sash kept the top secure at his waist and provided a decorative contrast to the dark colors of the rest of his simple costume. Ranma, on the other hand, wore white, as Azusa did... though no outfit was as blinding as Mikado's tuxedo-costume. Ranma's butterfly-print leotard also sported a clasped collar and - similar to Azusa's costume, flared into a partial skirt at her waist, though not nearly as extravagant. Sleeves made of chiffon and for the final touch, a lily tucked in the hair behind her ears on both sides of her head, making her familiar ponytail seem somewhat insignificant. Ayumi had stared slack-jawed at her on seeing her in her costume for the first time... Ranma's costume accentuated her - ahem - features in a way he hadn't expected. The tomboy actually looked *attractive*... He'd checked himself then and started anew. Stupid *hormones*... he was NOT in love with that sex-changing tomboy freak, and that was final! Okay, time to make their first move! If the Golden Pair wanted to be such big showoffs, the least Ayumi and Ranma could do was outdo them! Ayumi picked Ranma up, setting her atop his shoulder. "H-hey! What d'ya think you're doing!?" she protested. He stepped out onto the ice - and promptly lost his footing, going into a tailspin... and taking Ranma with him. "And here we have the opposing pair of Saotome Ranma and Tendo Ayumi, in the most unusual entrance this announcer has ever seen!" When the pair's spin came to a halt Azusa approached, and burst into a fit of laughter. Even one of Ranma's well-practiced glares couldn't convince Azusa to stop laughing. Ayumi was currently bent over backward on the ice in the most excruciatingly uncomfortable position he could think of at the moment, being careful to hold Ranma aloft out of harm's path. At least *she* had come out of the spin without getting hurt. "Oh, stick a sock in it!" demanded Ranma, imposing herself in front of the giggling Azusa. Azusa switched emotions in midstream and became coldly serious, twirling a finger in the curls of her permed hair. "Why fight it? Why not just hand my Charlotte to me now and save yourself the embarrassment?" Across the arena, P-chan made an attempt to figure out what Ranma and Azusa were saying. No doubt they were discussing her... "I will *NEVER* let you get your sticky hands on P-chan!" Ranma hopped down to the ice. But what if she was the only one on her team who could skate? Disqualification aside - Azusa *had* challenged her to a one-on-one match, *alone*, hadn't she? Pairing off was Mikado's idea. As long as she could do anything about it, she was going to do whatever she could to keep her pet away from Azusa. Let Ayumi and Mikado squabble! This had nothing to do with them. A bell sounded to signal the beginning of the match. The disdain for the overall purpose of this competition was evident in the announcer's voice. "This is for the trophy and the right to own a little black pig as a pet! A full knockout is the only way this battle can be won, so you can bet the action will be fast and furious today!" He sighed. Mikado skated forward, carrying Azusa behind him like a javelin he were about to throw. Ranma grasped her partner's hands to pull him, a grim look of determination coming over her. "C'mon, let's get in the first blow!" As their opponents rushed toward them to greet them Ranma turned a few degrees and used the momentum to swing Ayumi into the air. Hopefully, those big feet of his would connect with something. The attack separated Mikado from Azusa; however, the male half of the Golden Pair saw his opening. He ducked under Ayumi's foot and in between Ranma's open arms to sweep her off her feet, leaning in for a kiss. No matter if the girl maintained her hold on her partner's hands... he had her right where he wanted her. "Your beauty increases every time I gaze into your eyes..." he murmured, brushing a thumb gently against her cheek. What, did he expect her to melt in his arms? She grit her teeth and screamed. So, too, did several members of the Sanzenin Mikado Fan Club, which was mostly made up of the female half of the student body. How dare he kiss someone other than one of them! "We're witnessing Sanzenin's trademark maneuver in action, folks!" Who else would dare to kiss his female opponents in the middle of a fight? The fact that Ranma had continued to hold on to him after Mikado came between them gave Ayumi the opportunity to latch his skates around Mikado's head and yank him away from Ranma. She was practically lying on the ground now, thanks to that kiss-happy fool. Guess Mikado liked to give the term 'point of no return' new meaning... "Gotcha!" Because she was practically facing the ceiling as it were, Ranma was in a position to see what was coming. "Ayumi!" she exclaimed. "Heads up!" Her cry came too late. Azusa dived in to plant a foot in Ayumi's face and break his hold on Mikado. Ayumi fell none too softly to the ice on his back. Mikado leaned Ranma back even further. "Now there is nothing that can come between us." Ranma caught him by the lapels and intentionally fell backward, catapulting him with all the strength she could muster. So much for *that* attempt at a kiss! To counter his fall Mikado gathered his arms and legs to him and began to roll. He landed neatly on his feet, his skates making dull clicking sounds against the ice. Azusa skated her way to his side. "She denies herself the pleasure of my kiss? I wonder if she is well." "She's just thoroughly disgusted," Azusa exhaled, as Mikado brought her into the fray again. It was good to know there were other girls who didn't swoon in the boy's presence. Elsewhere, Ranma had pulled Ayumi up and led him back to the center of the rink, her arm around his back to support him. Ayumi was still a bit in shock from having had the metal blade of an ice skate buried in his face. "Pull yourself together!" ordered Ranma. "We've got a fight to win!" As they approached Ranma noticed Mikado had taken a cue from her earlier move... he swung Azusa full circle around him at high speeds. "I will not let anything else come between myself and her!" The remark had been meant for Ayumi, who was almost recovered from the blow to his face. He picked Ranma up by the waist and lifted her over his head. "Ranma... prepare for takeoff!" She didn't have time to voice her concerns. Ayumi threw her like a paper airplane or glider past Mikado to distract him. Mikado lost control over his spin. Ayumi rushed to catch the airborne Ranma - giving Mikado a punch to the ribcage as he passed. The taller boy staggered, swallowing his breath. Ayumi strained to put himself in Ranma's path so she could grab on to him. Which she did; she wrapped her arms around his neck. Had Ayumi been a better skater he might have tried to catch her the proper way. She fell into place. Ayumi shouldered her and kept skating... as he was sliding too fast to maneuver into a stop in time - another thing about skating he knew he should have practiced. Ranma forced her eyes open. They were heading directly for the plexiglass fence at the rink's edge! "We're heading for the *fence*!" she frantically yelled. "I can *see* that!" he yelled back. "Well!? Stop!" Ayumi felt nervous beads of sweat forming on his forehead to be snatched away by the air whipping past them. "You think I can!?" So if he couldn't stop, why not *go faster*? He whipped his legs back and forth as fast he could. Through an extreme stroke of luck - or what Ayumi thought to be a lucky break - his feet found purchase on the wall. Instead of slamming full-tilt into the wall he and Ranma skated straight *up* the wall. Then, he ran out of wall. As long as his feet weren't limited to the ice he had a measure of control. Once he had gone as far up as he could go Ayumi violently shifted his weight and Ranma's at the same time so that they arced up and over... finally spinning to an awkward touchdown two feet from the fence. Ranma was grateful the boy had managed to land on his feet, although it took her a handful of seconds to remember to breath again. Ayumi was in the process of catching his breath and keeping his eyes from dropping out. Sanzenin Mikado had fared worse. After Ayumi's blow to his side Mikado had doubled over, suppressing the pain he felt. Azusa joined him on her knees. "San-chan... where does it hurt? Where does it hurt?" Already everyone in the crowd was whispering. The great Sanzenin Mikado had been brought to his knees by a single blow from an amateur skater... Azusa jabbed at Mikado's side to determine where her partner felt pain. "Does it hurt now?" she asked with each punch. "Of COURSE it hurts! You keep hitting me there, you stupid girl!" growled Mikado in pain, miniscule tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he rose to confront Azusa. "Why are you mad at me?" Azusa cried. "I was concerned for your well-being!" The Golden Pair turned to see Ayumi and Ranma skate their way. Mikado stood. "You have the nerve to bring a superior fighter like Sanzenin Mikado to his knees? It will *never* happen, ever again!" "If you dare make another move on Ranma..." Ayumi advanced. A surprised Ranma watched. "Falling to your knees will be the *least* of your problems." "Really? And why is that?" "Because I'll send you to your death! In case you don't know, Ranma happens to be my *iinazuke*! You so much as *touch* her and I'll kill you!" Ranma's heart nearly stopped. Mikado smiled. "So she is your iinazuke... it matters not." He began to laugh, wringing his knuckles. Azusa pulled down an eyelid and stuck her tongue out at the betrothed pair. "You are joined only by weak bonds. As my service to you... I will see to it that those bonds are broken!" <...to be continued...> -------- Credits: Written by: Mike Koos Pre-readers: Richard Beaubien, Tom Williams, David Wills With apologies to Rumiko Takahashi... All parts of this series are available at the RAAC archives at ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works or from my WWW pages at http://www.fanfic.net/~makoto/ Comments and questions welcome. * Mike ('Kino Makoto') Koos: makoto@cal.net * http://www.fanfic.net/~makoto * * "I can do nothing to stop you. Your background music is too strong * for me." - Sam Johnson, Whose Line is it Anyway?