"Ranma!" The cursed girl blinked, forcing her thoughts back to the present and discovering that she had chosen to prop herself against a desk for her mid-day daydream break. It had been a really nice daydream, too. Something about Ayumi actually getting up off his tail end and doing some actual work for once... with a little 'persuasion' on her part. But that would *never* happen, not even after they were married - *if* they were married, Ranma corrected her mental slip - Ayumi would just leave *her* to do all the work... She was tempted to dart her mop at his head, then thought better of it. Why waste a perfectly good mop against a head as dense as steel? For his part Ayumi was sitting off in a far corner of their classroom, playing some kind of card game with those two friends of his while she, along with Yuka and Sayuri, were making sure the room was relatively clean. Here, they had volunteered their entire lunch period to work and the three morons only wanted to sit there, watching them do all the work? She could only hope they were playing poker... if one of the teachers happened to walk in and see them playing poker, oh, they'd really be in for it! Ranma stared at Ayumi's back for a handful of seconds. Oh, well - she could always yell at him later. At least Sayuri had stopped Hiroshi from making idiotic comments about their work with a well-placed withering glare. Ranma didn't doubt that as annoyed as she currently felt, she might have punched someone instead. Namely, Ayumi. Yuka was still calling her name from across the room; she figured a distraction might be welcome after all the work she and the two sisters had put into cleaning. Destiny's Wish Part Thirty-Two: What a Tragedy written by Mike Koos ------------------------------- "These two want to talk to you," Yuka said, gesturing toward a pair of costumed boys with a glance. Ranma studied them. They were part of the Drama Club, both more than likely from one of the higher classes - since nearly all of the Drama Club's few members were seniors. A minute later, Sayuri paused in her argument with Hiroshi to look at another argument taking shape on Ranma's side of the room. "I don't want to be in any play, and that's final!" Ranma smiled, gritting her teeth. The boy dressed in a Kabuki costume dropped to his knees alongside the boy in the Godzilla costume as Ranma pretended to go back to mopping a section of the floor she'd already covered. "Please, Saotome Ranma, we need your help!" "No one has volunteered to be in our play, and we're running out of time!" Whether that was true or not, Ranma didn't care. That the two seniors were down to begging first-year students for help was a clear sign of their desperation. "The answer's still no!" she replied. "Why don't you try out for the play, Ranma?" asked Yuka. Ranma hesitated. "Yeah!" Sayuri agreed. "You might make a great actor!" Neither sister could figure out why Ranma was so reluctant to join any club or try out for an activity, such as this play. Certainly, it wasn't just her curse - if that had anything to do with Ranma's refusal to begin with. No, there were other concerns on Ranma's mind than her curse. For Ranma to keep to herself all this time... Ranma *did* want to keep from calling attention to herself to a degree, but that couldn't be her only reason, either. She struck the palm of her left hand with her fist. "I've got a better idea," Ranma said abruptly, a vindictive smirk taking shape from her lips. Before Yuka or Sayuri could wonder what kind of weird idea Ranma had invented, she was already striding over to Ayumi's corner of the room. "Oh, *Ayumi-kun*..." Nearly everyone understood from Ranma's sing-song tone of voice that Ayumi was about to find himself in over his head. Everyone except Ayumi. "What?" Irritated, he set his cards face-down on his desk. If the tomboy was coming over to gripe at him again... Ranma indicated Ayumi with a sweep of her hand. "He'll be happy to try out!" Ayumi glanced at her, then the two Drama Club representatives. "What!? Try out for what?" The girl's smile unnerved him. "Their play, of course! You've always said you wanted to be an actor! This is your big chance!" "I never said that!" Ayumi narrowed his eyes. What in the world was Ranma up to? "I've never heard anything spoken with such passion, such--" "*Hey*!" The representatives shrugged, having no idea how to proceed. Oh, well; word had it around school that Ranma was one of the few people at Fuurinkan High to avoid annoying at all costs. They turned their attention to Ayumi. "Tendo Ayumi, from all we've heard about you, you would be perfect for our play!" And Ranma as well, though she was proving to be impossible to convince. Ayumi turned a suspicious stare on the pair. "What have you heard about me?" He would never find out. Ranma continued her pitch, resting a hand against Ayumi's shoulder. "Don't be so modest, Ayumi-kun!" she gave him a smile so large it had to be fake. "See? Everyone's heard about your skills as an actor." Oh, so she was trying to get whomever these two weirdos were to pester him instead of her, then. Ranma was undoubtedly still miffed that he'd decided to stick around and not do any of the work that she was sending the geek squad to aggravate him. "*Ranma*..." Her friends were watching the scene with interest. Ranma at least had *some* experience in acting, the way she was shamelessly hoping to shift the focus onto Ayumi. "You *sure* you don't want to audition, Ranma?" Yuka called to her. "We *would* be grateful if you auditioned for the cast," the boy wearing the Kabuki costume remarked. Ranma let out a soft, annoyed sigh, then rounded on him. "Don't tell me. You need someone to play the role of a really butch, tough girl or something like that, right? Forget it. I don't need the embarrassment." Or the added reputation of being more of a 'tough girl,' which she wasn't sure she needed. She'd always wondered what it would be like to be 'normal.' Not cursed to transform into a boy. Not having to worry about fighting, training or challenges. Most of all, not having to worry about prearranged marriages. Neither Sayuri nor Yuka had to directly concern themselves with that sort of thing, did they? They liked to believe her life was so exciting... that she was so lucky to have Ayumi watching out for her... "You're just afraid everyone'll find out what a lousy actor you are," Ayumi interjected, seeing a chance to turn the tables. Yes... Ayumi was definitely one part of this life she could live without. She began swinging her mop about her in wide arcs, trying to hit Ayumi as the boy sprang away from his desktop. Yuka and Sayuri, thankfully, had the good sense to drag Hiroshi and Daisuke away from the battleground. There was a temporary lull in the chaos when the head of Ranma' mop caught Ayumi full in the face, sending droplets of water flying everywhere. Ranma backed away a few steps to avoid the water. "Stupid tomboy...," growled Ayumi. "I'll get you for that." "I'm not done yet," she returned. The chase resumed. "Won't you reconsider auditioning, Saotome Ranma?" "I said, NO!" The cursed girl tried to bring her mop down on Ayumi, which only led to Ayumi pulling his mouth wide to stick his tongue out at her. The Drama Club representatives shrugged to themselves. "I guess we have no choice, then." "Yes. But we still might have a chance of convincing Tendo Ayumi to play a part." His Kabuki costume-clad partner nodded. "Tendo Ayumi," he raised his voice, "we think you would definitely be perfect for the lead role of Romeo in our play!" Ranma abruptly froze in her tracks. Her eyes nervously went wide. "R-Romeo...?" she whispered to herself. Could it be? With hope rising in her features, she turned to look at the representatives. "You're... you're not doing 'Romeo and Juliet,' are you?" she nearly stammered. The pair was unsure how to respond. "......Yes." Ranma's eyes widened even larger with hopefulness. "Is there anyone playing Juliet?" Kabuki blinked. Hadn't he already asked Ranma if she wanted to portray the 'heroine?' "No." As soon as the word was out of his mouth, Ranma turned into a blur... haphazardly piling most of the desks and chairs into a pile in the center of the room to form a makeshift pedestal - or rather, a balcony. She scrambled to the very top. "Oh, Romeo," she pleaded, holding her arms open as though longing for someone's embrace. "Wherefore art thou, Romeo?" "Very impressive!" remarked Kabuki. "That's the fastest turnaround I've ever seen," Yuka commented in an aside to her sister, who promptly shushed her. Ranma allowed herself the luxury of a faint smile. She couldn't believe her incredible luck! The blood was rushing to her cheeks, but for once she didn't care who witnessed her blush... An instant later, Kunou Tatewaki popped up immediately next to her. "Oh, my Juliet!" Tears streamed freely from the Kendo swordsman's eyes. A startled Ranma instinctively punched him in the face - a move that sent Kunou tumbling end over end back to the tiled floor. "Kunou-sempai!" she exclaimed upon collecting her senses. "What are YOU doing here!?" It was true, she supposed; she was a bit more tolerant of Kunou's presence these days than Ayumi, although *she* was the one Kunou insisted on overwhelming with his affection. Maybe it was because they largely ignored him these days - the Kunous were less of a threat than Ryomi, Shampoo and her great-great grandmother, or Happosai. Or maybe it was because Ranma was aware the boy wouldn't truly do anything to hurt her. He'd do anything she asked, just as Shampoo would do anything for Ayumi... She forced the thought from her head. No, Kunou wouldn't do practically anything for her like Shampoo would for Ayumi. Kunou had been even more desperate to prove his love for Ranma lately, since Ranma's mother had ordered him to stay far away from her daughter and to - in Nodoka's words - never 'harass' Ranma again. He had thought to convince Nodoka otherwise, though the older woman refused to speak to or meet with him, except to state one thing. Her decision was absolutely, irreversibly final. Any further 'harassment' of Ranma, and she would have the authorities take Kunou away. Kunou could tell she meant it and would not be swayed. But Kunou also believed that Ranma loved him exclusively, almost as much as he loved her. He was hoping Ranma could convince her mother for him, telling Nodoka who she truly loved. Saotome Nodoka would then have no choice but to allow them to be together. To believe that someone as successful as Nodoka, whom Kunou knew to be a prominent businessperson, could endorse marrying her only child to a buffoonish, street-trash peasant such as Tendo Ayumi... oh, what a cruel joke brought to him by Fate! The woman of his dreams... beautiful beyond any possible description, a capable fighter... and, before he could learn her name she had already been engaged to his truly evil foe. Unless... what if Nodoka was somehow being forced to allow Ayumi to marry her daughter? What sinister hold did Ayumi or others in his family have over the Saotome family? Kunou was well aware of the manipulative skills of middle Tendo brother Naka. Did *he* have a part in coercing Ranma to marry Ayumi against her wishes? If so, nothing in the heavens or on Earth would prevent Kunou from unleashing his ultimate fury. A precious jewel such as Ranma deserved a setting worthy of her beauty and class... But for now, he had other things on his mind. "It is I, Romeo," Kunou spoke even before he had pried his face away from the floor, "answering the call of my one true love." Ranma stared at him in sheer disbelief. Kunou's reputation as a over-dramatic dramatist was well-known throughout the entire school. "What makes you think YOU'RE playing Romeo?" Kabuki grated. Kunou had had his chance - not that they'd wanted someone with such a high opinion of himself to be Romeo - along with the rest of the higher classes. The more important point, however, was that everyone except Kunou knew how much Ranma disliked him. How was she supposed to pretend to show love to someone she hated? "I am without a doubt far more talented than that hack, Tendo Ayumi," snorted Kunou. Ayumi frowned. <*Sure* you are.> Kunou leveled his bokutou at the kabuki-costumed boy. "Unless you believe you can somehow dispute my claim..." "I-I'll take your word for it." A sudden sensation of approaching danger flooded the young man's senses. He pivoted to one side... ...And froze as the railroad spike Gosunkugi Hikaru gripped tightly in hand pierced the air where he had stood. The willowy, lanky boy proceeded to drive the spike into a straw doll upon a nearby desk. "*I* want to play Romeo!" he said with an intensity that seemed out of place in his eyes and voice. A cold shiver ran along Sayuri's spine. "Gosunkugi-kun...?" Yuka snorted. "Oh, c'mon! You *knew* those two would show up the moment Ranma agreed to try out for the play!" That, Sayuri had known. She hadn't been prepared for the image of the pale Hikaru holding Ranma fondly in his arms - being Romeo to Ranma's Juliet - that had found its way into her thoughts, however. Sayuri made up her mind not to mention it to Yuka or Ranma... no sense making *them* sick as well. Hikaru brought his hands up to conceal the reddening of his cheeks. Before anyone could attempt to counter his claim - particularly Kunou, who was debating whether or not to show Hikaru the utter pointlessness of crossing him - a new voice could be heard. "This is the opportunity of a lifetime!" Ranma recognized the voice instantly. She scanned the room from her high perch. Now where... Everyone in the room reflexively backed away from the diminutive martial-arts master standing near the base of Ranma's mountain of desks. Why did he insist on interfering, she wondered? The old lech was worse than Ayumi in that regard. Happosai was making it a point to insinuate himself into as many details of her life as he could, even faced with the threat that Nodoka might dice him into tiny pieces with that katana of hers somewhere down the line. "You don't even attend this school!" Kabuki exclaimed, accusingly. If he'd known all they needed to do was sign up the Saotome girl to bring in the volunteers... Happosai ignored him, lost in his own visions and dreams. He imagined himself sharing the spotlight with Ranma. How he wanted Ranma to be *his* Juliet... well, at least without all that tragic death stuff. But there were still a fair number of scenes in which he and Ranma could declare their eternal love for each other... "It's my chance to share a love scene with Ranma-chan!" he cried while bounding up the mountain to place himself within her arms. Suddenly, Ayumi stood next to Ranma, having clawed his way to the top of the desks. He was about to move to shield Ranma from Happosai when she took care of the decision for him, intercepting Happosai with a fairly powerful place-kick in mid-air. That done, Ranma dropped back to her knees and sighed. She was almost... depressed, Ayumi saw. What was wrong with her? "You wanna play Juliet if one of THEM is gonna be Romeo?" She didn't answer. He figured he had better act now if that was going to be the case. An angry Ranma he could deal with. An emotional, crying Ranma, on the other hand... "If you do, then..." Ayumi patted her on the shoulder. "good luck." Her eyes widened in surprise. "Eh?" she said, her jaw dropping. "R-really?" Ranma locked her fingers together above her chest. "Thanks! I can't believe this is happening to me..." A look of pure elation crossed her face. "Huh?" Ayumi withdrew a step or two from her. He had clearly not expected this kind of reaction from Ranma. In fact, it was rather rare for anyone to see her in such an extremely good mood. Ranma's unusually high spirits remained fixed in place for the rest of the afternoon, despite her choices for co-stars and the bewilderment of Ayumi, Hiroshi, Daisuke, Yuka and Sayuri. ** ** ** Nodoka was waiting in the foyer for Ranma and Ayumi when they returned from school. "So, what happened in school today?" she asked them. Ayumi watched Ranma take off her shoes and carefully place them in the corner behind the door. She was still fairly happy, too. Why? All this just because she had the chance to play a character in a stupid play? "Ranma signed up to be Juliet in a school play." Her face fell slightly; Ayumi guessed she had been looking forward to telling her mother about the play. "What!?" Nodoka, Ayumi and Ranma brought their heads up as Genma dashed into the room. "Ranma, what did I tell you about--" Nodoka silenced him with a stern glare, one that promised dire consequences if he continued to treat Ranma the way he had before her arrival. What ridiculous restriction had he tried to place on her daughter's life *this* time? Genma retreated. The last time Nodoka had... *disapproved* of his treatment of Ranma, she had arranged to have him locked up as a panda in the zoo for a week. He'd managed to escape before the week's end, of course, but clearly Nodoka would not hesitate to use harsher methods in making her point if she had to. "You did?" Nodoka returned her attention to Ranma. Not even her father's attempts at control had destroyed Ranma's good mood. "Yes," she absently nodded. "That's wonderful!" her mother exclaimed. "Let's go up to your room. You can tell me all about it." Ayumi made no attempt to follow Nodoka as she led Ranma upstairs. Would Ranma tell her mother why she was so uncharacteristically, deliriously happy to be in a mere play? If she would - he was willing to bet she would, anyway - then this was a conversation he should be eavesdropping on. he smirked. Maybe if he could figure out how to keep Ranma from getting angry, she wouldn't try to beat him up as often... well, that was a long shot, anyway. "I swear, that man needs professional help. I'll bet he's doing this just to get close to you." "I know he is," Ranma replied. She sat on the edge of her bed, reclining. "That's the only reason he would do it. But I can take care of myself." Nodoka took a seat next to her on the bed. "I know, dear. But you were taught by your father, and he was never able to stand up to that pervert." It went without saying that Genma was something of a bully, intimidating those he believed to be weaker than him and cowering in the presence of those who were obviously 'stronger' than him, like Happosai. Ranma briefly gave her a quizzical look. "I'm not Dad, Mom. And I'm not afraid of Happosai, either." "You shouldn't have to be forced to put up with that lecher." Nodoka relented. It was easy to talk about what should be done with Happosai, but in practice... Happosai managed to wreck any plan they invented to get rid of him. "Ranma? You mentioned that three people were interested in playing the part of Romeo opposite you? You've only mentioned two. Who is the third?" Ranma hesitated, withdrawing her breath. She had been hoping to avoid discussing the candidates to be Romeo, as she knew exactly how her mother would react on hearing the name of one candidate in particular. Worse, she hadn't had a chance to come up with someone else's name or an excuse explaining why that candidate would be there in the first place. "......Kunou Tatewaki," she finally said in a subdued voice. "That Kunou boy, again?" snarled Nodoka. "M-Mom, calm down!" The younger Saotome's mind raced to come up with an appropriate lie. "I... I didn't know he had already asked to be Romeo when I signed up. I was so excited about being able to play Juliet that I didn't check the prospective cast list." Nodoka studied her for a moment. "Okay," she said. "I won't object this time. But if he tries anything..." Why was Ranma defending the boy, she wondered? As far as Nodoka could tell, Kunou constantly bothered Ranma with gifts and advances that she did not want, in addition to trying to beat Ayumi up with the aid of a bokutou. So why would Ranma want her to let the boy continue with that kind of behavior? Did she pity him? Well, perhaps this was Ranma's half-hearted attempt to get her to give Kunou the benefit of the doubt. "I'm sure he'll behave himself." He probably wouldn't, come to think of it. Perhaps what Tatewaki and Kodachi needed was to spend some time in therapy? Brute-force tactics only made them more annoying. Nodoka snorted, focusing her gaze on what was visible of the late-afternoon sky through the bedroom windows. "He had better. And I will try to be there on opening night," she resolved. Ranma didn't object. The cursed girl leaned forward and wordlessly began to stare at her toes. Time for a minor change in subject, then. "You said you were excited about playing the role of Juliet, Ranma. Why? I didn't know you had an interest in acting." "I do," the girl off-handedly shrugged. "But Dad never let me try out for anything." Outside, in the hall, Ayumi repositioned the drinking glass he was using to eavesdrop on the conversation against Ranma's door. Another question that stubbornly refused to leave his mind was whether or not either Saotome could sense his presence while he was standing just outside the door. Ranma probably could, if she was paying attention, though Ayumi had no idea how far Mrs. Saotome had developed her fighter's senses. "Is that why you signed up for this play?" Nodoka was asking. "Well, uh... not really... When I was - well, I don't remember exactly how old I was or what grade I was in at the time - but I know I was about... maybe six or seven..." Ranma seemed to drift for a few seconds. "Um... anyway, they made us go through a few plays as school assignments, so Dad couldn't order me not to be in them." "I take it one of those assignments was 'Romeo and Juliet?'" asked Nodoka, making an effort to second-guess where her daughter's story was going. "Yeah." A measure of sadness and anger crept into Ranma's voice. "They thought that since I was so much of a tomboy, I'd be a better Romeo than Juliet. They had me playing guys in the other plays, too!" She continued, snorting. "All my classmates said I was a good Romeo. Dad even said it was a good character-building experience for me. I just wanted to play a regular girl - but *no*, they didn't want me to! Nobody wanted to let me be who I wanted to be!" Nodoka finally understood. If anything, Ranma had the secret desire to live the life of a 'normal girl,' apart from all the madness her father had brought upon her... from fighting and Jhusenkyou curses. It had definitely been a tremendous mistake to let Genma take Ranma away from her. Well... Ranma *had* developed more of an edge than she would remaining at home, but... Nodoka's influence had been absent from Ranma's life far too long. She wondered if asking Ranma to live with her instead might not be such a bad idea, after all. "Please don't take this the wrong way, Ranma," Nodoka ultimately announced. "I don't want to spoil any dreams you might have of being an actor, but... I'm sure you're aware that in the Shakespeare plays, men would assume the women's roles as well?" "Yes, but..." "Were you the only girl cast as a boy in all those plays?" Ranma shook her head. "No." "I understand you're angry that your father tried to control every aspect of your life as well as how much of a girl you were, but that does not mean the school and your classmates intended to do the same. Correct?" "They didn't think I was enough of a girl to play Juliet," Ranma said, far from convinced. "I'm not sure if that was the case. However, I'm sure that this time, you'll prove to everyone just how good a Juliet you can be." The smile returned to Ranma's face. "Thanks, Mom." Ayumi left his post at the door, with a better idea of why Ranma wanted to play Juliet - even opposite Kunou, Happosai or Gosunkugi. There were a few portions of Ranma's past she was reluctant to share... and to be brutally honest, it wasn't his place to pry, even if she was his iinazuke. he frowned. Thoughts of Ranma's possible childhoods insisted on playing themselves out in his mind, so Ayumi ventured downstairs to the dojo in the hope that a workout would help him change that line of thought. Here he was, Tendo Ayumi, getting himself all worried about Ranma. They had come to be a lot closer since their first meeting - and that disturbed him. Maybe he did care for her, but did he really *love* her? Ah, that was the important question, now, wasn't it? A question he still refused to completely address. Well... Ranma wasn't dwelling much on the issue, either. Both of them tolerated each other - more or less - and maintained a habit of sniping at one another. It occurred to him that in some ways, he and Ranma could be considered alike. He broke into a punch-and-sidestep routine. But if that was true, why would he have put himself through countless hassles for her sake? He had helped Ranma face her first few weeks of school and Kunou. He'd stepped onto the battlefield to fight Ryomi, been in Ranma's corner for her match against Kodachi, and defended her in a skating match against the Golden Pair. When Shampoo had used a special technique to make her forget him, he had been ready to swim to China to search for a cure. After that, it was Ranma's turn to help him through some unusual circumstances. She'd helped him weather being trapped in a girl's body and discovered that she was one of the few people who could safely bring him out of the state of mind induced by his training in the Nekoken technique. Having Happosai around promised to lead to many different situations involving Ranma, too. No doubt he would be spending a lot of time saving her from the old pervert. Ayumi stopped for a moment to catch his breath and cast a glance out the door that led from the dojo to the yard. The stars were out; dwelling on Ranma had preoccupied him into the evening. So much for distractions. "Ayumi!" "Huh?" He turned to see that his father and Mr. Saotome, ever the panda, were entering the dojo from the house. "Oh... hi, Dad, Mr. Saotome." What did *they* want? "I assume what I've heard about Ranma volunteering to be Juliet in a school play is true?" Ayumi wondered what his father's true intent might be. The man had never been known for his subtlety. "...Yeah," Ayumi admitted, somewhat warily. "Why haven't you volunteered to be her Romeo?" Oh, so *that* explained his father's questions. The meddling duo only saw this play as a means to try to bring him and Ranma closer together. "Why should I? It's just a stupid play." Soun looked as though her were about to break into tears. "It's true," he shook his head. "My son has no pride, no shame." "What? Hey! I do too!" "Then you would know better," his father seemed to have a response already prepared to give him. The panda nodded. "You must be Ranma's Romeo... to keep her safe from those who would take advantage of her, like our Honored Master." frowned Ayumi. "He's not my master. And Ranma can take care of herself." "Perhaps she can. Nonetheless, you must be there for her." "Why?" "Because she is your iinazuke. That's why," Soun declared. Ayumi gave the fathers a suspicious glare. "You wouldn't happen to have some other reasons for wanting me to be in this play, would you?" "Us? No!" [We only want you and Ranma to be happy.] Inwardly, Ayumi snorted. Ranma leaned against the railing of the outdoor balcony that lay at the end of the upstairs hallway, breathing a wistful sigh as she stared up into the evening sky. The balcony was *her* private spot, a place other than her bedroom where she could be alone and think. Kasuga had such a spot of his own in the kitchen; Ayumi considered the dojo his place to work through whatever was on his mind. As for the remaining four members of the household, Ranma didn't know. Wait... what about P-chan? Did little P-chan have any stress, sadness or depression to deal with? The thought brought a fleeting hint of a smile to Ranma's lips. Wondering how animals would cope with human qualities and problems was occasionally fun - though a certain panda and cat did *not* count in that line of thought. She decided to change the subject. All thinking about her father or Shampoo would do was make her angry at one or both of them, and she didn't need that right now. If only her mother hadn't had to leave to take care of business... "I still don't know..." Her thoughts wandered, traveling back to her childhood. She saw a classroom through the eyes of a child, who wore coveralls... one of the last times she would wear such clothes in her life. None of her classmates' faces were as clear as their voices. "Why don't you be Romeo, Ranma-chan?" someone suggested. "You'd be a better Romeo than Juliet." Chibi-Ranma blushed. "Eh? Really...?" "Yeah! You'd be great!" "I should've said something, then. Why didn't I?" Ranma asked herself. "I wanted to play Juliet, but *no*..." Her child-self was dressed in a Romeo costume, defeating an opponent at swordpoint among the desks... "Wow! That was awesome, Ranma-chan!" "Uh, really?" Chibi-Ranma blushed again. Her hopes were sinking. To her, it always seemed the fact that she was training to become a fighter was all anyone cared about. "You're so cool, Ranma-chan!" "Ah?" she blinked. "Uh..." "I didn't know you could do that!" "But it's different this time," insisted Ranma, resting a hand over her heart. "This time, I get to realize my dream and play Juliet!" Suddenly, she became aware of a familiar presence on the balcony beside her. She immediately turned her head to her side to see who it was. "Oh, *Romeo*...," Ayumi said mockingly. He'd been a little upset over being forced to participate in the play... and naturally, he thought he would transfer some of that annoyance to Ranma, if only to make himself feel better. Ranma angrily punted him into the sky. ** ** ** Two days later, she stood within a makeshift balcony constructed in the branches of one of the taller trees of the Fuurinkan courtyard. The Drama Club had gratefully built the 'set' for her after learning that they wouldn't be able to use the auditorium for rehearsal sessions. Ranma excitedly clasped her rolled-up copy of the script to her chest, feeling the blood rising in her cheeks and practically hearing her heart beat faster with her anticipation. She wasn't sure if she could recite her lines as Juliet entirely from memory; Ranma had been memorizing her lines as often as possible, and figured that a rehearsal would be as good a test as any to see how much she was able to recall. The rehearsals had a second purpose as well - to attempt to narrow down the choice of actors demanding to play Romeo. With the addition of Ayumi, there were now *four* candidates, none of whom wanted to give way for any of the others. Many wondered who would be next to volunteer for the role, assuming the four already competing for the role would let anyone else enter the running. But then, why were Kunou and Ayumi allowing the somewhat weaker Gosunkugi to remain a candidate? Perhaps they were sure Gosunkugi wouldn't be much of a threat when it came down to it. There were those who were jealous of Ranma's popularity; how she could have so many people fawning over her without really trying... and how the Saotome girl certainly wasn't trying, even when her dislike for the prearranged marriage between her and Ayumi was well-known. Were Ranma ever to make herself available for dating, there were a number of guys who would line up for the chance to date her - provided Ayumi or Kunou would ever allow such a thing. Kunou, in particular, would definitely threaten anyone who dared show such interest in Ranma with bodily harm. Ranma had to admit that she had no real experience when it came to the subject of dating. Her father had chased away everyone who might have shown interest in her in the past, or anyone whom Ranma might find attractive. Eventually, he chose to place her in a private school despite the amount of money that option demanded he spend... the school in which Ranma would later meet Hibiki Ryomi before heading off to Jhusenkyou and - though she hadn't known it until she was trapped within it - her engagement to Tendo Ayumi. Ranma's thoughts at the moment were on the play, however. She was being given the chance to realize a dream Ranma hadn't known she was still carrying with her, locked safely away all these years. Now that her father couldn't exert as much control over her life, more so that her mother's influence was at long last returned to her, she was finally being allowed to explore some of the dreams she'd had all her life. Why, if this worked out, who knew how far she could take it? A career as an actor? Maybe she could be the first idol singer to have an extensive knowledge of the martial arts... Ayumi, unlike his three opponents, remained in his school uniform, as Ranma was wearing hers. He'd situated himself upon a branch close to Ranma's pseudo-balcony and was crunching the occasional senbe from a plastic bag, content to let his 'rivals' embarrass themselves before him. When the relentless crunching and bag-ruffling came to be too much for Ranma to ignore, she gave him an icy glare and darted her copy of the script at him. "Who said you could eat those here!?" Ayumi dodged the script-turned-weapon. Ranma was taking this role far too seriously, wasn't she? It was just a *play*, for crying out loud... "Okay, you four!" he heard the Drama Club member who practically seemed to live within a Kabuki costume shout. Uh-oh - that was his cue. "It's time to determine exactly who will be playing the part of Romeo!" For some reason neither Ayumi nor Ranma could understand, Kunou, Gosunkugi and Happosai had each come to the rehearsal in costumes that had absolutely nothing to do with the character they wanted to play. "Me! Me!" Hikaru, dressed as the wicked witch from Snow White in disguise, was one or two steps away from jumping up and down. "Pick me!" Even if he was the least likely to be picked for the role, he still had to try. How *else* would he be able to get close to that vision of loveliness, Saotome Ranma? Did any of the other Romeos deserve to be with her? No. Ayumi didn't know what a treasure he had within his reach and insisted on treating Ranma like dirt. Kunou assumed Ranma was already his, yet knew nothing of the proper way to treat a woman. The idea that someone as intelligent and beautiful as Ranma could be in awe of... *Kunou*! It was insane to think of such a possibility! Hikaru shook his head to clear it. If he didn't keep his mind on the play, he'd lose the chance to be close to Ranma before it even began. As for the old man, he was rumored to be a pervert around campus. No doubt he was only here to grope Ranma, run off with her underwear or something like that. Ranma could probably stop him, but if the pervert was Romeo... she would have to act opposite him in the play. Well, he would just have to out-do Happosai in the Romeo competition... ...Happosai, who was currently, laughably drunk. "Oh, my lovely Juliet!" the perverted old man slurred... a bottle of some kind of alcohol held in a death-grip beside him. "We'll share such wonderful times together..." Maybe, making sure the pervert didn't become Romeo was going to be easier than he thought. With the threat of Happosai neutralized, only Ayumi and Kunou remained. "There is only one obvious choice for the role, and that is none other than I," asserted Kunou. Ayumi approached the trio of would-be actors, snorting a laugh. "Only because you spout as much poetry as a reject from a Shakespeare play," he folded his arms. "Not that someone as lowly as you has any talent to speak of, Tendo Ayumi." "Enough to pound the you-know-what out of you anytime, anywhere," Ayumi retorted. Kunou was doing his best to restrain himself. "You see? An uncultured street brawler such as you cannot hope to assume this noble role." Each of the four glanced up as Ranma's voice floated down to them from her balcony. "Why are you here, anyway, Ayumi? You've probably never read a Shakespeare play in your life!" Ranma had guessed right; he hadn't, but she and everyone else did not need to know that. "I have," he lied, keeping his eyes trained on his rivals. "Is that so?" Kunou, who was dressed to look as the samurai nobility he often believed he was, asked in mild interest. "Then you won't mind proving your aptitude for Shakespeare to me." Ayumi frowned. "Why bother? I'll bet you've got all of those plays memorized." "Exactly," Kunou replied, putting on airs. He coolly swept his dark hair away from his forehead with one hand. Great literature was to be appreciated, and certainly never forgotten, or the works of all the greatest writers throughout time would no doubt fade from the world's sight. A nagging sense in Ayumi's instinct was telling him to step to one side. It was an ability fighters such as himself and Ranma developed, the ability to second-guess where the next attack was coming from or to sense approaching danger. In this case, the latter. Ranma could 'feel' the area around her with her senses and detect hidden presences or an incoming threat. Though her senses weren't perfect, she claimed they were more refined than Ayumi's, even if he refused to see anything which would make him weaker or less 'perfect' than Ranma. Hikaru was rushing toward him with another stake held in his outstretched hand. Ayumi thought, his hopes receding. He'd been hoping for a 'real' challenge... "You mustn't interfere, Tendo Ayumi!" Ayumi was long since tired of these sudden 'attacks' from Gosunkugi, which had almost become an accustomed greeting of sorts. It obviously meant that Hikaru had gathered enough nerve to start resorting to physical attacks. He easily caught the stake between his forefingers. "Oh, really?" Ayumi challenged. Hikaru's fixation with Ranma was infamous among the student body, but at least he wasn't fawning over enlarged, poster-size pictures of the tomboy as Kunou was... Come to think of it, Hikaru could very well have been a Kunou-in-training. His weapon lost, Hikaru had the sense to retreat a few steps. "You don't have enough class to be fighting for the right to be Romeo alongside us." Kunou hmphed. "If that is the case, Tendo Ayumi would not have enough class to play the fool on the stage of life." That the Gosunkugi boy was considering himself to be an equal to the unparalleled Kunou Tatewaki was laughable; let the pathetic fool taste the greatness he would never achieve while he could. "Think so, huh?" retorted Ayumi. "Why don't we have a free-for-all to determine exactly who's gonna be the *real* Romeo?" For emphasis, he snapped Hikaru's wooden stake in half. The idea brought a thin smile to Kunou's lips. "A contest I cannot lose. Very well; I accept!" "Me, too!" Happosai added a smile of his own. There was no choice any of these three would be able to defeat a true master of musabetsu kakutou... "Ah..." stammered Hikaru. Ranma leapt from the balcony to bring her mallet down on Ayumi's head. "BAKA!" she yelled, tears welling up in her eyes. "Why do you ALWAYS have to turn *everything* into some stupid macho fight!?" She turned and ran out of the courtyard, upset, not waiting for an answer to her question. "Mou - you're all IDIOTS!" Ayumi watched Happosai bounce out of the courtyard after her in an obvious attempt to worm his way closer to Ranma by pretending to comfort her. "Poor Ranma-chan... I'm here for you..." Other people, yes. Like a certain Kendo swordsman who spoke in what he perceived to be a regal manner, yet was generally just as annoying as a faucet with a steady drip. "I only hope you can forgive me, Saotome Ranma," Kunou was saying in a subdued voice. "I only do this for your love." Ayumi sighed. Of *course* Ranma was the only reason any of them were interested in this stupid play. ** ** ** He raised his hand to knock on Naka's bedroom door. "Naka? Are you in there?" "No," came the answer from the opposite side of the door. Ranma peeked her head around the frame of her door and saw Ayumi standing outside Naka's room. *Now* what was the baka up to? One usually didn't go to Naka unless one happened to have a lot of unnecessary loose change. "C'mon," Ayumi persisted. "I wanna know if you've got any books with that Romeo play in it." Ranma bit her lip, resisting the urge to correct him. "It's 'Romeo and Juliet,' stupid. And I *do* have a book or two..." Naka told him on opening the door. "Great! Can I borrow one of them? I need to know what to rehearse for the fight scenes." Naka paused. "One thousand two hundred yen," he said at last. Ranma drew herself back into her room. ** ** ** Surprisingly enough, the afternoon of the play arrived with nothing truly of interest taking place beforehand... as far as those who weren't participating in the play were aware. "You're kidding! *Ranma's* who they got to be Juliet? I never would've thought she'd do it." Though, the girl reasoned, the unusual popularity - or was that infamy? - that Ranma was unaware she had gained could explain the considerable length of the ticket line they stood in now. The play was due to start in an hour and forty-five minutes - at least it had been the last time Yumemi checked her watch, anyway. Any school event that Saotome Ranma participated in promised to become quite a show, and this play was no exception. Why, rumor had it the four guys who had jumped at the chance to be Romeo once Ranma became Juliet were *still* fighting over the role. One of those would-be actors just happened to be Ranma's iinazuke, Ayumi. Would *he* be her Romeo? A large sign to the left of the line caught Yumemi's attention, as well as that of her friends. "You think maybe they forced her to do it?" Kikuko, who wore her short black hair in an almost masculine cut, asked on reading the sign. At her side, Chizuko snorted. "I didn't think anyone could force her to be in a play." Ranma, meanwhile, was indeed searching for Ayumi. She wanted to make sure that he knew his lines - Ranma was almost willing to bet that he had concentrated exclusively on the fights rather than memorizing anything. *Almost* willing; living in the same house with Naka tended to make most anyone swear off gambling forever. she wondered. He'd told her after school that he was going to make a stop in the restrooms... and then vanished. Had the Romeo quartet set up another fight? And how had Gosunkugi managed to stay in the running to this point? She wasn't too happy about having to be paired off with Ayumi; it meant that her experience as Juliet would leave some things to be desired. Still, having Ayumi play Romeo was better than having to worry about bouncing lines off Kunou, Gosunkugi or Happosai the entire play. A hasty search of the schoolyard and halls yielded no trace of the youngest Tendo boy. There were no indications of a fight among skilled martial artists, either. Maybe Ayumi had learned better than to dedicate himself only to the fights, after all. She shook her head. Yeah, right. That, if it ever happened, would be a miracle. Ranma sighed. Ayumi had to be with the other losers - er, *Romeos* - in their dressing room, then, barring any idiotic turn of events. If only they'd let *her* decide, things would've been a lot easier! She snorted. For a change, she would pick someone other than the four idiots to play Romeo... though all that would *really* accomplish would be to place the guy's life in mortal danger. Again she sighed. There was no sense in putting someone else through that kind of problem. Ranma knew from experience what having each member of that group of four out to pester her for one reason or another was like. Well... actually, that Gosunkugi guy wasn't really out to annoy her, but Ayumi. The problem was she usually happened to be in the way when the boy's ridiculous schemes to hurt Ayumi backfired. Kunou, Happosai and Ayumi were far more dangerous than Gosunkugi. If *they* wanted to hurt someone, they likely would. Her only choice was to continue playing Juliet to four Romeos and hope they wouldn't screw the play up *too* much. Hesitantly, she knocked on the door to the boys' changing room. Ranma asked herself. A moment or two passed without any indication that someone had heard her knock. She closed her eyes, counting to herself in an effort to control her temper. Were they ignoring her? Well, if they were, there was one method she knew which was practically guaranteed to get their attention. "AYUMI, YOU IDIOT!" When in doubt, yell. "I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!" The call brought the sound of someone running to open the door. Hopefully it would be Ayumi who came to the door... No such luck. Kunou threw the door open and caught her in his arms. "Oh, how my heart leaps! My pig-tailed goddess has come to wish me luck before the curtain's rise!" Ranma broke free of the embrace with the aid of a sharp uppercut to Kunou's chin. She was in no mood to put up with anyone's advances. "Get your ears checked, *sempai*. I was calling for Ayumi, not you. So where is he?" "So, you cannot locate Tendo Ayumi?" If there was one thing about Kunou Ranma found of interest, it would be his ability to endure considerable attacks and then snap back as though he wasn't hurt in the least. Of course, most of that endurance was due to extreme stubbornness and a rather thick skull, in others' opinion. Whatever the case, Kunou had an infuriating habit of not learning much from past experiences or ignoring them entirely. "If it is as you say..." He embraced her once more. "Oh, Juliet, you must be heartbroken! Obviously, Tendo Ayumi knew he could not stand before--" She threw him into a row of tall lockers. "I'll find him *without* your help, thanks!" growled Ranma. Atop the nearby makeup desk, Happosai took a second to apply a layer of lip balm to his lips. "How dare that Ayumi worry our tender Juliet so..." He tossed the balm aside and sprang toward the only girl in the room, readying his lips for a kiss. "You don't have to worry, Ranma-chan! I'll be your Romeo--" Ranma spun to face the source of the voice. She was already berating herself for not maintaining her full guard when she was well aware of the old pervert's presence. He drew closer, apparently intending to kiss her... she recoiled at the thought. It was such a shame, really, leaving his mouth unguarded and vulnerable like that... She never had the chance to take advantage of that opening. A familiar figure crashed through the frosted wire-reinforced glass window at the far end of the room - Ayumi, who had somehow arranged to have most of his body encased in a block of concrete, encircled with thick iron chains. He kicked Happosai out of the air before the man could realize his goal. Ranma abruptly realized she was holding her breath. "A-Ayumi?" she stammered. What was going on here? The baka had gotten himself caught in a trap... probably Happosai's doing; trapping Ayumi in a block of concrete wasn't Kunou or Gosunkugi's style. As she'd half-expected, Ayumi began his rant against Happosai by calling him a 'stupid old pervert.' He shattered the block and let the fragments fall everywhere about him. "It's amazing you still live!" the martial-arts master chided him. "No thanks to you, old man! How DARE you put a trap like that in the bathroom! You could've hurt someone!" "Just you." Ranma was about to add her own thoughts to the argument when someone behind them interrupted. "Oh, thank goodness you're all right, Tendo-kun! I was afraid you would miss the play!" It was Hikaru. Dressed in a girls' uniform from another school and looking for all the world as though he were about to hyperventilate while raising his voice as high as possible - all for a terrible approximation of a girl's voice. "I'm your number-one fan!" Ranma withdrew along with Ayumi. "Gosunkugi..." She recalled the time Hikaru had pretended to be *her*, dressing in a standard Fuurinkan High girls' uniform jumper at the time - where *was* he getting all these girls' uniforms, anyway? - and Ranma had wanted to pound him for it. She was working her way up to doing so now; Gosunkugi wouldn't have fooled anyone in his 'Ranma' disguise then, except perhaps a temporarily-addled Ayumi, and he wasn't fooling anyone *now*. "H-here...," the boy pushed a wrapped package into Ayumi's hands. A package... with a rather obvious burning fuse protruding from its top. "I made this food just for you. I hope it gives you strength for the play tonight!" Hikaru made a mad dash for the door, clasping his hands to his cheeks and squealing in glee. "Ganbatte kudasai, Tendo-kun!" Once out in the hall he allowed himself the luxury of a sinister laugh. he grinned. And in the next second, Ayumi was beside him, shoving the package back into his hands. "I'm sorry. I can't accept this, but thanks anyway." "How can you toy with a girl's emotions like that?" were the last words out of Gosunkugi's mouth before the bomb exploded in his grasp. "What a loser," Ayumi muttered under his breath, casually strolling away from what was now a small blast crater. Ranma was waiting for him in front of the door to his assigned dressing room. They stared into each other's eyes, waiting for the other to speak first. Ranma finally opted to break the silence. "Ayumi... are you sure you want to go through with this?" "Hmph. Who better?" Did she even need to ask? He wasn't the type to pass on a challenge, no matter how insane, though this one wasn't quite as unusual as many of the challenges he had been facing in recent days. "'Sides, I'm not just doing this because our dads said I have to." He could see the indecision wavering in her eyes. Ranma honestly wanted to be in this play, for the night to pass without something happening to bring it all crashing to the ground. She was nervous and vulnerable, a side the girl rarely let show - even more so since her mother had had to leave for Kyuushuu on business at practically the last minute. Ayumi's instincts were telling her to keep her safe. Make sure her dreams weren't endangered... for tonight, Ranma wasn't a fighter but a girl who was being given the chance to realize an old dream... This play meant a lot to her, no matter what the public thought of Ranma for appearing in a school play. The best thing of all? She wasn't doing this to one-up him or prove her would-be superiority, so why not let Ranma have her fun? Ayumi took her hands in his. "I know how much this play means to you," he chose his words, "and I won't let anyone ruin it for you." Ranma fought to keep the blood from rising in her cheeks. "Ah... Ayumi..." Wait a minute. Something was still nagging at her mind; she knew the nature of the play and wondered if her 'hero' was aware of what he'd have to do opposite her. "Umm..." she began, once she had collected herself. "Can I ask you something? What kind of relationship do Romeo and Juliet have?" He blinked. Why would Ranma ask him such a stupid question as that? Oh... she was testing him. She wanted to know if he'd memorized his lines. Well, if he opened his mouth, Ranma would find out he hadn't memorized a thing. Ranma definitely wouldn't let him get away without answering her question, either. Damn. He needed to give her an educated answer. What kind of names were 'Romeo' and 'Juliet,' anyway? "They're... family?" Ranma gave him an incredulous stare for a few seconds, then slammed her copy of the script in his face. "The curtain goes up in about an hour. I suggest you use that time to actually READ THE SCRIPT!!" ** ** ** By the time the play was scheduled to begin, nearly every seat in the auditorium was filled. The announcer hesitantly cleared his throat and began speaking his lines into the microphone. This situation wasn't exactly one he had forseen when the Drama Club thought it would be a good idea to do 'Romeo and Juliet.' "We would like to thank you all for coming tonight. In just a few minutes, our show will begin." Kabuki shut off the microphone. It had been to much to hope for a *normal* play on *this* campus, hadn't it? He wondered if anyone in the audience actually knew how much madness rotated around Saotome Ranma wherever she went... although she didn't recognize all of it herself. She only wanted to be an actor for the night, yet four people were making that difficult for her and everyone else associated with the play. Maybe it would've been a good idea to stick with the simpler plays after all... He shot a glance toward stage right. Ranma stood in position on the balcony, waiting for her cue. When she saw that he was looking at her, she gave him a quick nod. Next, he peeked around the side of the velvet curtains at the audience. They had lowered their voices to whispers. No doubt waiting for Ranma's performance to begin. Where were the Romeos? He could only hope they were in position and not fighting among themselves, as they had been twelve minutes ago. If they weren't in position, that was their problem. They couldn't delay the play any longer on the account of four love-sick Romeos. Another click, and the PA system was again active. Kabuki gave the signal to raise the curtain. "And now, Fuurinkan High School is proud to present... our own special version of *Romeo and Juliet*!" They would discover soon enough why they were putting on a 'special version' of the play... A single spotlight found Ranma. She clasped her hands to her bosom and gazed off into the horizon. "Oh, Romeo..." she called, sadness and longing evident in her voice. "Wherefore art thou, Romeo?" The clapping which met Juliet's introduction soon turned to catcalls and whistles. Ranma ignored all of it. "The story of..." Kabuki hesitated. There *was* more than one Romeo, after all. Should he embellish the line? No, better to stick with the script. "...two tragic lovers who must keep their love hidden..." A dust cloud from another scuffle was forming behind him. "......because their houses are at war with each other!" Only in this case, it wasn't just the characters in the play who were at war with each other... Ranma made for a wonderful Juliet, stealing the scene even though that was not her intent. "But not even such conflict can turn away the love--" He suddenly found a little over half of the microphone lodged in his mouth. Happosai, the first Romeo to break free of the off-stage fight, wasted no time in bounding onto the stage - starting by springboarding from the announcer's head. "Juliet!" the martial-arts master cried as he grabbed one of the imitation vines tied to the scenery and used it to swing toward Ranma. She withdrew a step, fighting her revulsion. "R-Romeo-sama......" The audience wasn't exactly convinced, either. "HE'S Romeo?" a girl yelled. Even in costume Happosai remained recognizable to every last girl he had terrorized. Fortunately, there were other choices. "Imposter!" yelled Kunou, severing Happosai's vine with a katana in mid-swing. "*I* am the true Romeo!" "No, I'M Romeo!" Ayumi made his entrance while stomping Kunou head-first into the stage. Ranma rolled her eyes and sighed as the three Romeos exploded into another all-out brawl, this time on-stage. Honestly... when would those four idiots learn? But only *three* of the Romeos had made their entrance. She gazed peripherally out into the audience to see that some people were holding up numbered signs to indicate who they thought was the better Romeo. One person raised a sign with the number one on it - long enough for the girls sitting near him to yank the sign out of his hands and threaten to beat him up with it. There were no 'four' signs, as far as she could see. She rested her hands carefully on the balcony before her, remembering that it was only a wooden set built to look like chiseled marble... Happosai, Kunou and Ayumi were accounted for. Time to activate her martial-artist's senses. Where was Gosunkugi, Romeo number four? The balcony beneath the railing she was resting her hands upon would answer that question. "Juuuuliett..." Ranma yelped, starting in surprise and leaping back a couple of steps. Hikaru had been pretending to be a part of the balcony since the beginning of the play, by painting himself to match the balcony's columns? If anything, the white paint the boy had used made him appear even more pale. Hikaru laughed. "While those pretenders beat themselves up... the *true* Romeo has waited for you to come out onto your balcony!" Ranma scowled internally. What was preventing her from pounding a few dozen measures of sense into the weirdo? She heard the cheers of the audience rise above the sound of the fight on the stage. The audience! She had completely forgotten that they were there! Tonight, on this stage, she was suppose to be Juliet Capulet... *not* Ranma. Juliet did *not* go around beating people up, malleting them, or so forth. Here she was, finally getting a chance to play the role she'd always wanted to play, and she was letting these four idiots make her break character? Not that the elaborate costume dress and hair extensions she wore would be of much help to her in a fight. That left trying to keep her cool and letting the four Romeos drool over her for the night. How would Juliet react to Hikaru as her Romeo? "Let us depart from this balcony and fly away on the power of our true love..." Sheesh, the guy was starting to sound like Kunou... While Hikaru pressed forward to kiss her, Ayumi sprang upward into the air just short of the balcony and snap-kicked the willowy boy away from Ranma. That done, he landed on the balcony with a cry of, "Juliet!" "Ah..." Ranma reflexively began to say Ayumi's name, then caught herself. She locked her fingers together above her chest in order to feign true love. "Romeo-sama!" His makeup was smudged from the fighting and she could see the beginnings of a tear or two forming in his costume, but out of all her choices Ayumi was the best candidate to be Romeo. An uncomfortable amount of silence was to follow. Silence - from Ayumi, the audience... and Ranma, as she waited for this Romeo to speak his line. Another minute later the sound of murmuring rose among the audience. "Haven't they been quiet a little too long?" "Maybe it's something they added to the play?" A girl dabbed away the tears in her eyes with her handkerchief. "They're so filled with love for each other, they're speechless!" Her comment sent everyone in the neighboring rows of seats crashing to the auditorium floor in disbelief. "Romeo-sama," Ranma whispered, intensifying her stare in the hope that it might help Ayumi remember what he was supposed to say. Had he at all listened to her when she'd told him to read the script? "Did you forget your lines?" His shrug told her that he had. Wonderful, and the play was barely underway! Maybe Kunou or Gosunkugi weren't bad choices for acting opposite her after all... She become aware of a trap door opening to her left. <*Now* what?> Was there anyone *else* in the cast out to possess her as either Ranma or Juliet? Ranma told herself. A man dressed as a black-robed kuroko emerged from the trap door and immediately shoved Ayumi toward her. She turned to one side to avoid the threat of Ayumi forcing her to the balcony floor. "Romeo, embrace your beloved Juliet!" That voice! What was *he* doing on-stage? Soun removed his mask, uttering a stage laugh. "Just think of me as a simple servant who wishes to help bring the two of you together." Great. Now her 'uncle' was helping as well. "Uncle!" hissed Ranma. "Never fear, Ayumi," the man leaned closer to Ayumi and whispered in his ear. "I'll tell you what to say." "Ah...... well, okay." Ayumi drew Ranma closer to him. "Juliet," he said, repeating the words as his father spoke them. "R-Romeo-sama." Ranma resumed her act. "Once we are married, the dojo will at long last be ours." The audience was confused. "The dojo?" someone muttered. "What are they talking about?" Again, Soun pushed Ayumi toward Ranma. As Ayumi already held Ranma at arm's length, little effort was needed to place them face-to-face. "And now," crowed the man, "the kiss!" "Huh?" Ayumi yelped, and Ranma was as equally surprised. Cheers and applause erupted from the audience. "It's about time!" a boy cupped his hands to his mouth and yelled. "I've always wanted to see them kiss!" "What a great scene!" several boys chimed at once. Ranma was the most difficult girl in the school to strike up a relationship with, so if anyone could get close to her, much less *kiss* her... that would be quite a feat, indeed. Ayumi felt the blood rush to his face. Were they cheering for the *characters* kissing, or Ranma and Ayumi? "What the...?" he managed as he looked out upon the crowd. "Nothing happened!" Ranma frantically waved her arms in a warding gesture. It was rather obvious that all of this was for Ayumi kissing her, not Romeo kissing Juliet. But why? "Nothing happened!" She turned a glare on Soun, who suddenly had a giant panda leaning out the trap door next to him. "What's going on here?" Her father held up a large billboard of a sign. It was an advertisement for the play, telling everyone to come to see the passionate kiss Romeo and Juliet will share... "So THAT'S why you wanted me to be here!" Ayumi no longer cared who heard him. "You're trying to force us together again!" "Absolutely! Can't you see? Our houses must be joined!" And with that, the two fathers made an effort to push Ayumi and Ranma back into an embrace... until Ayumi back-kicked them both into the scenery. "KNOCK IT OFF!" he practically exploded. "I didn't sign up for this so I could kiss her!" Ayumi rounded on the two fathers while the anger steadily rose in Ranma. "Get it through your heads! I'm NEVER gonna kiss her!!" she let the rage take over. Ranma ripped the tree branch hidden behind her balcony and swung it toward the boy like a baseball bat. "Yeah!? Well, I don't want to kiss you, either!" she retorted through her teeth. Genma raised a new sign. [Your actions are unforgivable!] "You're not the ones who are supposed to be fighting!" Soun fought back his tears to cry. Meanwhile, the audience breathed a collective sigh. "What a weird play..." (...to be continued...) ------------ Credits: Written by: Mike Koos Pre-readers: Richard Beaubien, Jonathan Ng, Tom Williams, David Wills With apologies to Takahashi Rumiko... 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?