Ayumi had done it. He'd really, truly done it. He had made a declaration Ranma had never expected to hear from him, for Mikado, Azusa and the entire audience to overhear. <"In case you don't know, Ranma happens to be my *iinazuke*! You so much as *touch* her and I'll kill you!> Ranma had been so taken aback that she hadn't heard Mikado's response. In her entire life Ranma had *never* had a boy declare that he would *kill* anyone to keep her safe. Seriously injure, maybe, but then she wasn't counting one Kunou Tatewaki in the equation. She could only wordlessly watch Ayumi... waiting, wondering if he had seriously meant what he had said. Destiny's Wish Part Fourteen: Separation Anxiety written by Mike Koos ----------------------------- Mikado snorted. "My, you do like to talk *big*, don't you? But those words mean nothing to the Golden Pair. For not only are we famous for being the best skaters..." Azusa took hold of her partner's shoulders, as the boy initiated a new attack. "...we are also known for ripping asunder every pair we have ever faced!" "Uh-oh, the Fuurinkan pair is in for it now, folks!" the announcer leaned forward. "The Golden Pair is gearing up for their favorite tactic of all time: divide and conquer!" The crowd cheered; the Golden Pair took great pleasure in the various methods they used to separate their opponents... perhaps for good. Ayumi began to move forward. "You're really full of it, you know that?" He motioned for Ranma to join him. "C'mon, Ranma!" She had trouble saying the words to agree with him... Had a blush formed anywhere on her face? Ranma fell in beside Ayumi, shaking her head to clear it. His mind made up, Ayumi chose to initiate their new plan of attack with a two-person simultaneous drop-kick to the face - in this case, Mikado's - a variation on the move which had worked so well in taking Kunou out of the running, so to speak, one morning after Ranma's transfer to Fuurinkan High. The circumstances were similar: Ranma had been fairly angry at Kunou at the time and Ayumi was allowing his anger to influence his actions now. Ayumi's half of the attack came closer to connecting than Ranma's. Mikado ducked under the kick, at the same time helping his partner catapult high above them all. With nothing to stop her Ranma continued her flight through the air... only Ayumi wasn't with her. That meant... She craned her head to look back. Mikado had caught Ayumi's ankle while the Tendo boy sailed past, holding him in place long enough for Azusa to literally fall into his embrace. That alone was bad enough... then Ranma saw the smaller girl lean in to kiss Ayumi as they fell. She hastened to land on her feet. How *dare* Shiratori try such a move! Come to think of it, how dare Ayumi *let* her kiss him! "Ayumi!" she yelled, skating back to his side - her raised temperament evident in both her voice and her stride. As she drew close Ayumi clambered to his feet. He thought to point a finger to his nose in an effort to show Ranma that Azusa had kissed him on the nose, not his lips. But was that the answer Ranma would be looking for? Now was *not* a good time to encourage Ranma to be ticked off at him. Of course, watching Azusa to make sure she didn't attempt any other tricks might have been a better thing to worry about. Azusa immediately latched onto his ankles. While Ayumi stumbled Ranma dove to catch him - desperately, he made a grab for her hands. Anything to keep from crashing to the ice yet again. Meanwhile, Mikado had grabbed Azusa by *her* ankles and, in an amazing show of strength, lifted Azusa's end of the human chain over his head. Ayumi and Ranma were surprised to find themselves along for the ride. Then Mikado began rotating in place, and they were airborne... This was what the audience wanted to see. Sort of. Mikado and Azusa physically breaking another pair apart. A pair engaged to be married, at that. "The end is near!" shouted the announcer, as he was expected to do at this point. He had almost been required to memorize and rehearse the lines. "The move to end all moves, the move that turns the term 'divide and conquer' into a reality! Yes, it's the fearsome test of trust, the 'Betrayal Merry-Go-Round!'" At the outer edge of the Merry-Go-Round Ranma felt the full effects of the spin. She shut her eyes tightly against her better judgment. Ayumi grit his teeth and strained to keep a tight hold on Ranma. If he were to lose his grip on her hands... "Tendo Ayumi! I will stop this spin if you release your partner's hands!" Ayumi couldn't believe Mikado would suggest such a thing. "Then keep spinning!" Both he and Ranma could endure this spin, easily! To think that Mikado would insist that he betray Ranma after making it clear he wasn't going to let anything bad happen to her... So this was why they called the move the 'Betrayal Merry-Go-Round.' The cursed girl was trying to pull her hands free from his. "Ayumi, let me go!" "Baka!" he replied. "I'm not going to let you get hurt!" The audience was on the edge of their seats. "Only one person can escape this trap, by betraying his or her partner!" explained the announcer, while P-chan anxiously strained to break the chain connecting her to the trophy. "I'll be fine!" Ranma shakily assured her partner. "Just let go!" "Forget it! I am NOT gonna let go!" "Fools," scoffed Mikado. "Your fates were sealed once you fell victim to our trap! By continuing to be faithful you are only deepening the pain you will feel when one finally betrays the other!" "Don't listen t-to him, Ayumi!" Ranma fought the centrifugal force to say. "You don't have to worry about me! So let--" "*NO*! I can't leave a slow girl like you to fend for herself!" Ranma's anger intensified. "Is THAT what you think!?" Azusa felt her grip on Ayumi's ankles loosening. "Azusa-chan can't do this anymore!" She let go. So much for this grand spin... Hand in hand, Ranma and Ayumi flew with the full force of the spin toward one of the rink's cement border walls, Ranma first in line. She reflexively screamed. So did the audience. Then, as the pair neared the wall Ayumi snapped his arms downward so that Ranma took his place and he took hers. Her eyes widened to their limits after she heard and felt him impact loudly upon the wall behind her. On the ground at last she turned in time to see him slide out of the crater he'd created, limp as a rag doll, to the ice. Except, she noticed, that his hand still held hers. "Ah......" The audience - not to mention the announcer - were in awe. "Their hands never separated! This means that Tendo Ayumi and Saotome Ranma are the first pair ever to come out of the Betrayal Merry-Go-Round with their trust in each other intact! However, there's no way Tendo Ayumi could have come out of that impact completely intact!" Ranma pulled her hand from Ayumi's and knelt over his prone form. "Baka! Why do you have to show off all the time and do things like this?" Ayumi didn't respond. She moved closer. "Ayumi......?" His eyes remained closed. "C'mon, Ayumi..." Silence. "I wouldn't be surprised if he shattered every last bone in his body," Mikado remarked flatly. "He'd have to be superhuman to live through that," added his sidekick. On her hands and knees, Ranma quivered, unable to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes. She rested her arms on Ayumi's chest and buried her head there, crying. "Ayumi no... *BAKA*!" How could he do this to her? How? After all the terrible things she had said and done to him... he turns around and throws away his own *life* to spare hers! Oh...... her tears came more freely now, but she did nothing to stop them. Saotome Ranma, second-most powerful student of the Saotome class of martial arts, was crying and everybody in the entire building could see her doing so. So what? She didn't care any longer... Ayumi's eyes popped open. He forcefully sat up to displace Ranma. "Hey, cut that out! You're getting my shirt all wet! What's wrong with just saying 'Thank you' or 'I'm sorry'?" Ranma slowly pushed herself up and looked into Ayumi's annoyed features. The last few tears trickled down her cheeks. "You tricked me!" "Of course! And to think you called me a baka! Hmph... I'm surprised you cry like normal girls." "What!?" She choked back the remainder of her sadness. "Why do you do this to me? Make me worry like that?" Ayumi brought his legs up - the first step in snapping to his feet. "You should know it'll take a lot more than *that* to get rid of me." Unfortunately, when Ayumi made it to his feet his body neglected to stop snapping. He wasn't dead, but the pain jolting haphazardly through his joint like electricity might have made that a welcome alternative. Ranma inhaled sharply; she could almost *feel* the pain from the sight of Ayumi's face alone. He'd practically swallowed his entire lower lip... and his suddenly bloodshot eyes, too, if that was at all possible. "You simply cannot admit you're well out of your league and give up, can you?" Mikado folded his arms, a bemused smile crossing his lips. "You're... the one who's outmatched," Ayumi managed. "Give up... now, while you've... got the chance." Concerned, Ranma advanced a step toward her partner. "Since both pairs are willing and able to fight, the match will now continue! Everyone, including the little pig acting as the prize of this contest, is wondering who will emerge victorious!" The announcer turned to glance at the trophy which rested on a table a few feet away... however, P-chan had broken free of the chain and vanished. Apparently the animal wanted to have some control over its own fate... "Charlotte!?" called Azusa. Her precious pet Charlotte - gone? Hibiki Ryomi crouched on a darkened narrow ledge above the audience at the rear of the rink. They hadn't noticed her absence until now? She had almost lost her way searching for a little hot water to douse herself with. But now... she couldn't think of a better time to make her entrance. "You're in no shape to continue!" Ranma was telling Ayumi. "You'll get yourself killed - for real, this time!" "Forget it, Ranma! I'm not quitting until that super-pervert gets what's coming to him!" vowed Ayumi, regardless of the pain still exploding at various points throughout his body. "Good," Mikado hadn't moved. "It would be a shame for you to withdraw before I made good my promise to honor the fair Saotome Ranma with the pleasure of my kiss!" Had Mikado not chosen that declaration as his call to action he might very well have seen the look of disgust that washed over Ranma's face. The guy had promised to *kiss* her? No wonder Ayumi was getting so worked up over this fight... that and other reasons. A shrill voice caught Mikado off-guard. "Stop everything! Time out!" The next thing he knew he had tripped forward onto the ice. Azusa's method of catching his ankles in mid-stride to get his attention left a lot to be desired. "What in the world did you do THAT for, you little brat?" he turned on her, asking the question as he did almost on a daily basis. Was there anyone in this world who would have no problems when Shiratori Azusa was his or her skating partner? "You HAVE to get my Charlotte back! NOW!" Ranma knew she had to do something. If not, then Ayumi would go on stubbornly believing that he was able to finish this fight... and it would be a finish, too. Ayumi's. However, it would take a major show to convince Ayumi not to go through with the fight. Maybe - if she was lucky - it wouldn't come to that. She walked over to Ayumi's side and gave him a simple finger-flick in the ribs, similar to the one she'd given him when he claimed a blow from Kunou's sword hadn't injured him in the least. First Ayumi paled, dropping to the ground in convulsions of pain. Once that had passed he glared up at her from where he lay. "What was that for!?" "I'm not gonna let you kill yourself on my account!" she raised her voice. Ayumi hesitated. She... Ranma actually cared about what happened to him? Ranma dropped to her knees beside him. She couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes; she took his hand in hers and clasped it tightly. "Please don't do this..." A handful of tense seconds passed. Ranma brought Ayumi's hand closer to her eyes to avoid having to look at his face... and so he couldn't see the blush coloring hers. Every last one of the lights in the arena clicked off at once. Ryomi backed away from the building's circuit breaker. Step two was the bucket of water she held ever so carefully... While the audience complained about not being able to see whatever action was taking place - the announcer didn't mind; since the PA system needed power to run, he could take a break! - Ayumi and Ranma heard a familiar voice. Right before one of them was splashed with a bucketful of cold water. "Time you sat this one out as a guy, Ranma. Hope this doesn't ruin your costume," the voice uttered a low laugh. Ryomi's voice continued. "C'mon, Ayumi-san! It's time we paired off!" Ranma felt someone grab her and carry her to another location. The lights clicked on once the power was restored to the building. On the ice stood a new pair - Hibiki Ryomi, dragging along a suitably wet... and annoyed Tendo Ayumi. Ranma, still in her proper form, had been relegated to the sidelines to watch, as Ryomi had insisted. But Ayumi was none too happy about the switch. He yanked his hand out of Ryomi's grasp. "You idiot!" he seethed. "Couldn't you pick a BETTER time to interfere!?" "Who's interfering? *I* belong out here with you, not Ranma!" Mikado and Azusa stared in minor confusion at the new pair. "What an unusual view of femininity." Mikado's sharp intake of breath indicated he'd found another girl to chase after - namely, Ryomi. "What femininity?" asked Azusa. "They're both boys!" Ryomi appeared next to her. "I am NOT a boy!" She skated back to Ayumi. "Oh, what the heck," Ayumi sighed. "Let's get this over with!" "That's the spirit!" Ryomi grinned and clapped Ayumi on the shoulder. Which turned out to be a big mistake, as it set Ayumi's hair-trigger shooting pain in motion again. "Thanks a lot!" The audience began to jeer. "What's going on here?" "Oh, my, It looks like the audience is upset! Could this be about the Fuurinkan team's substitute?" The answer was a resounding "Yes!". "What's with that girl's outfit!? It makes her look like a boy!" "It DOES NOT!" Ryomi shouted. Privately, however, she knew they were right. Her 'outfit' was practically the same as the all-terrain clothing she normally wore - in fact, it *was* her normal clothing, with cloth legwarmers in place of the leather straps binding her pants at the lower half of her legs. Ryomi dressed to be prepared for the elements, not to impress anyone... her choice of clothing more often than not made her look like a boy. A mop of hair that obscured part of her face also contributed to that image. "We'll handle this one!" announced a boy, who along with a small squad of girls pushed a portable changing room onto the ice. They pulled Ryomi by the hands into the closet-sized room... Out of courtesy the announcer spoke to cover the noise from the impromptu wardrobe change. "And now, the Koruhoz Stylists' Club moves into action!" A short period of time later a spotlight focused upon the new Fuurinkan High pair. Technically, Ryomi wasn't even attending Fuurinkan High... but no one here had to know that. This was the first outfit she'd had to wear in a remarkably long time with a feminine influence to it. She detested it. Her costume resembled Ranma's in a sense - a two-tone, dark red and yellow flower-print Chinese-style leotard. Unlike Ranma, Ryomi's costume featured true sleeves, secured below the shoulder and at her wrists by black studded bands, in contrast to Ranma's sleeves of chiffon. A single, smaller arrangement of flowers were nestled above her right ear. Oh, well - at least no one could mistake her for a boy in these clothes. What mattered more to her was that she had finally been given the chance to pair off with the man she loved! If only this getup didn't make the collar around her neck so much more visible... "Now that both pairs of skaters are ready to compete, our match will continue!" Both members of the Fuurinkan team kept their eyes on their opponents. "Ryomi. I trust you're not going to slip all over the ice and make a fool out of yourself?" "Well..." She blushed slightly. "It's not like I was able to find the time to practice. I spent all my time just getting here." Noting Ayumi's perplexed expression, she added, "I don't have a problem standing and walking..." Meanwhile, Mikado had decided to take advantage of the lull by paying a visit to where Ranma stood. "I would like to apologize, dear Ranma," he said, sliding to one knee before her. She blinked. "Huh?" "Regrettably, I never had the chance to offer you my kiss while we were opponents." Oh, *this* again. "Forget it. I know I will." "I cannot. I owe you this much... after the match, we shall go on a date the likes of which you may never experience again!" As proof he raised her hand to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss. Ranma cringed in repulsion. Enough was enough! She'd told Ayumi earlier that had he not interfered, she would have punched Mikado in the mouth for his attempt to kiss her. Now, Ranma planned to follow through on that threat! Before Mikado withdrew his kiss, and before Ranma could pull back her free hand to form a fist, Ryomi brought everything screeching to a halt... by coming down head-first on Mikado's head. Ayumi had thrown Ryomi at Mikado to cut the boy's kiss short. Mikado came to the startling realization that there was a semi-conscious girl doing a headstand on his head. He gently brought her down, while Ayumi rushed back to Ranma. "Goodness! My dear, are you okay?" Mikado put the question to Ryomi. Ranma stepped out onto the rink. "Why don't *you* sit this one out, Ryomi? Ayumi and I'll finish this!" She still wanted to pay Mikado back for his little kissing stunt. Not to mention P-chan... it wasn't like Ryomi had any reason to care what happened to P-chan. "C'mon, Ranma! Let's go!" said Ayumi, out of breath. She placed her hand in his. "Okay!" "*Charlotte*!!" Azusa's squeal caused Ranma to break away from Ayumi to see what the other girl had found. Azusa had noticed the collar Ryomi wore around her neck. "Are you Charlotte?" "Huh!?" From Ryomi and Ranma both. Ranma was to Ryomi's right; Azusa to her left. "That collar is the same as the one Azusa-chan gave to her little Charlotte!" Azusa pointed to the collar. "See, I have the key here..." Ryomi nervously watched as Ranma moved in for a closer look at the collar. "I think you've mistaken me for someone else," she told Azusa. "My name is not 'Charlotte.' It's--" "P-chan," Ayumi finished Ryomi's statement for her. "*Who*," Ryomi shoved Ayumi away, "is P-chan?" Ayumi managed to catch himself and skated back. "Why, you..." But before he could do anything in return to her, Mikado slid in to snatch Ryomi into his arm. "What do you think you're doing? Leave my girlfriend alone!" As Mikado stood there with Ryomi within his reach he allowed himself the luxury of a fantasy. Soft-colored bubbles of light and mist obscured the edges of his daydream. "Oh, Sanzenin-sama..." gushed Ryomi. "*Thank* you ever so much for rescuing me from that uncultured *brute*, Tendo Ayumi! How can I ever repay you?" Ryomi's eyes softened; they met Mikado's gaze. "Oh, how silly of me! I know..." And so they kissed... Back in the real world, Ryomi, Ayumi, Ranma and Azusa each looked as if they wanted to be somewhere else. Ryomi reached up to grab Mikado... and threw him across the rink. "GET REAL, PERVERT-BOY!!" While Mikado landed from the throw Ryomi grabbed Ayumi's wrist to lead him out into the rink... until she lost control of her legs. She fell onto her back and slipped forward, taking Ayumi with her. "What kind of move was *that*!?" growled Ayumi. "Didn't I tell you I forgot to practice?" To which Ayumi sighed. *Ranma*, at least, knew how to skate. Something took hold of Ayumi's ankles. In one quick motion Azusa placed his ankles upon her shoulders, and Mikado lifted the chain by Azusa's ankles. "It can't be..." The Betrayal Merry-Go-Round began anew. "Again, the Golden Pair attempts to divide and conquer right off the bat! The 'Betrayal Merry-Go-Round is back!" "You know the rules, Tendo!" shouted Mikado over the force of the spin. "Release the girl's hands and I will stop spinning!" Ayumi looked into his new partner's face. "Hurry up and let go!" Ryomi couldn't believe what she was hearing. "How *dare* you think I'm gonna let go!" She pulled herself closer and bit Ayumi on the wrist, her canine fangs almost drawing blood. "I'm staying with you!" What a terrible way to put it. In response, he pushed her away. Ryomi separated from him and was sent flying. "That HURT, you moron!" "Guess lightning won't strike twice tonight, folks! It looks as if the Merry-Go-Round has destroyed the faith of another pair in each other!" "Maybe it's just me," a boy in the crowd was heard to say, "but I thought it looked like they weren't getting along to begin with." The girl sitting next to him shushed him. Mikado, sensing an opportunity to console a girl's broken heart, moved to catch Ryomi - at the same time whipping out his comb to straighten his hair - leaving the still-connected pairing of Azusa and Ayumi to continue spinning in the opposite direction. Ryomi landed in Mikado's arms at precisely the same instant Ayumi crashed face-first to the ice. "You're safe now, my dear," Mikado breathed, bringing his face closer to Ryomi's. "Such a pity... your partner *abandoned* you so freely. You must be *devastated*, my poor, unfortunate friend." Ryomi frowned. The guy was definitely a lousy actor. "Nonetheless, you needn't worry. From this point on, I shall be your one and only love." "Sanzenin-sama..." Mikado's fantasy-Ryomi embraced him, teary-eyed. Flowers sprouted forth everywhere around them. Sorry, but she had a different candidate in mind for her 'one and only love...' The Lost Girl wound up and gave Mikado a powerful shot to his gut. "Will you WAKE UP!?" she yelled. "Do you ALWAYS talk in your sleep?" She cast a glance Ayumi's way. Azusa had left Ayumi to rejoin her partner. Ryomi figured it was time she did the same. Ayumi was sitting on the ice, checking himself for injuries. Ryomi started toward him. For a moment it seemed as if she had finally gotten the hang of skating - until she shifted her balance in the wrong direction. She careened forward, transforming her body into a human air-to-ice torpedo that came to a halt next to the seated Ayumi. Ayumi mockingly applauded the maneuver. "Stupid ice!!" Ryomi swore softly. "Stupid, *stupid* ice!" She buried a fist two-and-a-half inches deep into the ice, sending cracks extending outward for several yards. "I'd do a lot better without all of this STUPID ICE around!!" Ayumi merely stared at her. There was a low rumbling in the ice beneath Ryomi's fist; she hastily withdrew it to be safe. She was grateful to have done so when water came spurting out from the hole she'd made to drench Ayumi. Naturally, the water was freezing cold. Ayumi yelped as the water struck him. "Uh..." Ryomi's eyes widened. "That isn't..." "Cold water?" the boy replied. "Yeah." "Correct! This rink actually serves double-duty as a swimming pool, frozen during the fall for the benefit of our school's skaters!" offered the announcer to anyone who cared to listen. Everything at once fell deafeningly silent. Then, the rink self-destructed underneath the two pairs. The ice was reduced to an array of floating chunks of ice, small and large. Mikado and Azusa stood two islands apart from the ice island Ayumi and Ryomi were struggling to maintain their foothold on. "The surface of the rink has been destroyed! But the fight must continue, even though all that is left are floating ice fragments!" Ryomi wrapped her arms around Ayumi's waist to steady herself. Mikado's island drifted closer. "Poor, misguided souls..." he shook his head. "Well, what now, Ryomi?" she heard Ayumi ask. "Cold water doesn't bother me. I'm not the one who's cursed." *That* would be a sign of weakness... She did not want to show any weaknesses in front of Ranma - her rival in love and everything else. "Ayumi-san," Ryomi said after a short pause. "A challenge. If you go down for the count before I do, you'll break up with Ranma." What in the world was running through Ryomi's mind? "Why would I want to take a challenge like that? You're starting to sound like Mikado." The idea of comparing her to that air-headed playboy hentai made Ryomi feel queasy. "You man enough to take the bet or not?" *Man* enough? What the heck kind of stupid challenge was this? Of all the times for Ryomi to think about her vendetta against him and Ranma! If he ignored her now the matter would only become worse. Not only would he have to contend with the Golden Pair but Hibiki Ryomi as well. All out to make sure he never won... or lived. With his luck they would all band together against him. As for Ryomi's 'challenge?' No big deal. Ryomi couldn't remain on her feet, let alone skate. If anyone was going to fall first, Ryomi would! So this was what it had all come down to. "Yeah. You've got a bet." <...to be continued...> Credits: -------- Written by: Mike Koos Prereaders: 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?