http://www.uh.edu/~rpm/fanfic.htm ======================== The Pursuit of Happiness Act 1 Part 4 Circle of Friends or Akari In Furinkan Land! ======================= "Class, we have a new student. This is Akari Unryuu." A girl in the Furinkan High school uniform stepped into the room, brushing her long black hair back nervously. She gave a small smile to the classroom and said a quiet "hi." "Miss Unryuu... have a seat over there." The women glared at the men, who were looking at Akari like wolves would look at a sheep. She was new, rather innocent looking, and probably unattached. Usually, pretty new students in Furinkan were somehow linked to martial artists in dangerous ways, and it'd be a blessing if this one wasn't. Akari took a seat next to Ukyou, near Akane, and right in front of Hiroshi and Daisuke "Hi there, I'm Hiroshi." "And I'm Daisuke." "Nice t'meet ya," they both said. "Um, hi," she replied, smiling. "You dating anyone?" asked Hiroshi bluntly. "Guys, I think you're getting a little too personal," said Ukyou. "Yeah, you PERVERT!" said Yuka, accentuating the point with a swift book-whap to his head. "Hi, I'm Akane," said the Tendo girl, "if you need any help getting used to this place, don't be afraid to ask any of us." "Thanks," she said, smiling demurely. It wasn't bad so far, being schooled here. The boys were nice, although a little funny. * The sight which Tatewaki Kuno beheld in this daylight time was one of unspeakable horror. He had sent his manservant, the good Sasuke, on an errand to retrieve for him a lunch worthy of someone of his high social status. However, today he had an appetite for... something exotic. Something different. "Sasuke, get me something... foreign," spoketh Kuno. "Foreign?" wondered Sasuke. The loyal servant merely shrugged and went off to his task, to find something Foreign for his master. Fifteen minutes into lunch, The Noble Kuno was wondering whither his Foreign Meal? With that query in mind, he stomped around the grounds of Furinkan until he stumbled upon the horror of horrors. It was an ogre. The frame it sported was incredibly massive, causing even the Great Kuno to step back in trepidation. It also wore the guise of a pig, but Tatewaki Kuno was not fooled. No, a true pig of this earth would not grow to such a blasphemous size, would it? And it was sitting on Sasuke. "Maaaaster!" whimpered Kuno's loyal servant. "Good Lord!" cried Kuno. "My manservant hath been squatted upon by an ogre!" Then he noticed something else. "And it dares to feast on my lunch as well!" roared Kuno. "Have at thee, fiend!" With a swing of his legendary blade, Kuno struck at the beast. And a most unpleasant thing happened. -CHOMP- "Aaargh! Foul Daemon! Cease thy biting of my blade!" -GRUNT- "Dare you grunt at ME?! Malevolent spawn of evil! Prepare to DIE!" Bringing forth his backup legendary blade, he swung again, this time smiting the creature on the snout. It was not amused. * Lunchtime in Furinkan had social dynamics, just as any large grouping of humans did. Bullies patrolled the fringes, preying on the weak. A frenzied pack was around the food distribution points, searching for the ever-so-elusive and legendary Perfect Sandwich. Tables and shady spots under trees were quickly claimed by varying factions and circles. One particular circle was welcoming a new member into its fold. "So, moved here from the countryside?" asked Yuka. "Yes, just recently," said Akari. "So, how do you like it 'round here?" asked Yuka. "It's great! There's so much to see and do here," said Akari, bubbling with enthusiasm. "It's been fun so far!" Their talk was interrupted as everyone heard a loud yell from above. They looked up to see Tatewaki Kuno being hurled across the sky, landing in the Furinkan pool. "Um," said Akari, pointing towards Blue Thunder's general direction. "Oh, that?" said Ukyou. "That's Tatewaki Kuno, local kendo champion. Gets tossed around like that all the time." "All the time?" wondered Akari. "Yeah, but you get used to it," said Akane. "Don't mean to get too personal, Akari, " said Yuka, "but are you dating someone?" She was quickly elbowed by Sayuri and Ukyou, who thought it was a rather inappropriate thing to ask. "Well, no," said Akari. "At least... not yet." "Looking for someone?" wondered Manami. "Well... sort of." "Oooh, really?" said Nabiki. "For a small service fee, I might be able to find someone that'll match your description." "Well, it'd be nice of he was a gentlemanly, kind, loyal man," said Akari, sighing. "Heh, aren't we all wishing for that?" said Sayuri. "And of course, he has to be strong enough to beat Katsunishiki." "Who's that? Your ex? Big brother?" asked Ukyou. "My pet pig!" said Akari proudly. The girls blinked. "How hard could that be?" wondered Akane. From several meters away, they heard a deep, loud grunt. They all turned to see the very top of some _thing_ peeking over a brick section of fence on the edge of the courtyard. "Katsunishiki!" yelled Akari, frowning. The thing grunted in reply. "I told you to wait at the front gates for me! Now go back!" The large thing behind the fence slumped down and out of sight, then could be heard slowly trotting away, shaking the earth as he trotted. Few noticed an irate and soggy Blue Thunder chase after it with his backup backup legendary blade. "THAT was Katsunishiki?" asked an alarmed Ukyou. "Mm-hm. He's the best sumo pig the Unryuu ranch has ever produced," said Akari with a certain glint of pride in her eye. "Ah... sumo pig?" asked Manami. "Sumo pig," said Yuka. "Now I've heard everything." "Why," asked Ukyou, "does your boyfriend have to be strong enough to beat that... that... really big pig." "It's Grandfather's wish," said Akari. "My husband and I will be the heirs to the Unryuu estate, including the sumo pig ranch." A bit of a distance away, Ranma, Hiroshi, Daisuke, and Ryouga walked past. "Hi Akari!" yelled Hiroshi and Daisuke. Akari smiled and waved back while Sayuri and Yuka stuck their tongues out at the boys. "Saaay, we oughta let Hiroshi and Daisuke try to... 'date' Akari," said Sayuri. She had a particularly wicked gleam in her eye. "But then they'd have to," said Akane, just before realization dawned on her. "Oooh. That's evil," she said, giggling. "I hope I'll catch up to things easily," said Akari. "It'll be hard, since I wasn't here for the start of the semester." "Hey, we'll help you out," said Akane. "We're gonna have a study group tonight at my house. Wanna come?" "Who, me?" said Akari shyly. "If... if it's okay with everyone else." "Hey, sure, no problem with me," said Yuka. "Wouldn't mind at all," said Ukyou. * Meanwhile, at the sandwich counter, another round of sandwiches were being readied to be tossed to the crowds. The usual pool of sharks circled around, waiting for that elusive Perfect Sandwich. Off to the side, Hiroshi, Daisuke, Ranma and Ryouga watched. Hiroshi and Daisuke were great fans of rough contact sports, and sandwich grabbing was included. They looked at the crowd getting ready, and evaluated odds. Fuji was on a hot streak this week, averaging a sandwich for every two attempts made. Right on his tail, Ryuuji was averaging one for every three, but he'd been improving dramatically from one every ten at the start of the week to the point at which he was now. Mathematical models suggested he'd take the top spot today. Of course, the new contender from the sumo club, Yojojimbo, a really big fellow, was a bit of an X factor. He had bulk and knew how to use it in his favor. Last week he managed to pull off some rather impressive sandwich catches, mainly due to his massive girth bopping the competition out of the way. The addition of Rodumanu, the leading rebounder for the Furinkan High basketball team and a known user of dirty tactics, added to the possibility of an upset. Ryouga wasn't thinking of much, just studying a map of Furinkan in hopes that one day he'd be able to walk around without getting lost. Ranma's thoughts were going in other directions. The first sandwich went out. Fuji and Ryuuji jumped for it. it fumbled from their fingers and landed in the frenzied masses of students below. The second sandwich flung out in the air. It was seaweed. Nobody jumped, and it landed with a sad little *thwap* on the floor. Another sandwich flew out. Fuji and Ryuuji jumped, but they were elbowed aside by Rodumanu, who managed to snag the sandwich after tipping it up in the air several times. Ryouga seemed a little uncomfortable, as if something was bothering him. Ranma continued mulling while Ryouga glanced at the sandwich stand in moderately deep thought. A curry bread sandwich flew in the air. Rodumanu jumped for it, but didn't see Yojojimbo's bulk, which he immediately ran into. Ryuuji springboarded off of Rodumanu's head and snared the sandwich. As the next sandwich was held up, the crowd gasped. It was the right shape... the right form... the right fold on the paper... it was the Perfect Sandwich. Everyone jumped as best as they could as it took flight. Ryuuji and Fuji elevated above the others, while Rodumanu and Yojojimbo cleared a path using their own natural talents. As quick as a blink, Ranma sprang high above everyone and grabbed the sandwich. He felt his foot bonk on something, but ignored the sensation. After all, it was crowded. Lots of body contact was bound to happen. He landed, pleased that he hadn't lost his touch, and began happily munching on the sandwich. "RANMAAAAA!" Saotome blinked. "wrff fvu fnmt, vmga?" he asked with his mouth full. Then he turned around to see an irate Ryouga. With a footprint in his face. "You... you... YOU DID IT AGAIN!!!" bellowed the irate Hibiki. So _that_ was what he bumped into while jumping. Oh my. *Gulp* "Oops. Sorry, man. Um... want the rest of it?" Hiroshi sighed. "So this is how it started for those two, huh?" "DIE, RANMA!!!" "Amazing, isn't it?" said Daisuke. "Aw, c'mon, man! It's just a sandwich!" yelled Ranma as he dodged Ryouga's onslaught. "Feels like a time warp, doesn't it?" asked Daisuke. "How much property damage you figure we'll get today?" asked Hiroshi. "SHUT UP AND FIGHT!!!" bellowed Ryouga, chasing after Ranma. "Oh... let's see," said Daisuke, "a few walls, at least six windows, one parked car... aaaaaand maybe a tree." * [The Tendo Dojo, nightfall] For three solid hours, Akane, Ukyou, Sayuri, Manami, Yuka, and Akari were doing what could honestly be called a study session, sitting around various parts of the Tendo Dojo. After the third hour, boredom overcame determination. "Need a break!" yelled Sayuri. "Definitely a good idea," said Ukyou, stretching. "I'm a little hungry," said Akane. "Any of you guys want something to eat?" "Soda'd be nice." "Got any chips?" "How about cookies?" "So that's... everything but dinner," said Akane with a joking grin. "Okay, I'll be back in a sec." A minute later the girls were in full relaxation mode, talking, eating, and even getting a poker game started. It would have been a nice, relaxing sort of atmosphere. It almost was. "DIE, RANMA!" *WHAM* "C'mon, Ryouga, that the best you can do? Ha!" Akane and Ukyou frowned. Sayuri and Yuka rolled their eyes up. Manami smiled. Akari was rather puzzled. "Ah... I think there's a fight going on outside," said Akari with much concern. "I know, believe me I know," said Ukyou, grabbing her battle spatula. "C'mon, Akane, let's cool the boys down." The other girls followed as Akane and Ukyou out to the backyard, where two boys were swinging at each other and managing to miss, making it all look rather skillfull. "Ranma! Stop picking on Ryouga!" yelled Akane. "Ryouga! Cut that out NOW!" shouted Ukyou. Both boys froze, very much like the sun didn't. "Aw, c'mon Akane! We were just having fun!" protested Ranma. "What'd you interrupt for?" Ryouga asked Ukyou. "I almost had him!" Ukyou snorted. "Yeah, right." "Who are these people?" asked Akari quietly. "The one in the pigtail is Ranma Saotome," whispered Yuka, "and the one with the bandanna is Ryouga Hibiki." "Hibiki? I've heard about him," said Akari. This caused Sayuri, Manami, and Yuka's eyebrows to raise a bit. They were distracted enough not to notice Akane giving the boys the Ultimate Chastisement Attack. "Oh? What'd you hear?" asked Sayuri "He's the boyfriend of one of my co-workers," said Akari. "I didn't know he was dating someone, did you?" asked Sayuri. "Not me," said Yuka. Manami quietly looked away. Nobody noticed as a glass of water nearby began to ripple with movement. There was a low sort of rumble, kind of like distant thunder, but it was too low to be heard by them. "So, you hear anything else?" asked Yuka. In the distance, people screamed and car horns honked. "Um, that's all, really," said Akari. There was a grunt. It was a really loud, low, beastial sort of grunt. It was menacing enough to make Ranma and Akane stop bickering. "What... what was that?" asked Ranma. "I don't know," said Akane, looking around carefully. The hair in the back of Ryouga's neck began to stand. There was a menace nearby, he could feel it. Suddenly, a part of the brick fence shattered. In the moonlight, only a dark massive form could be seen, rushing towards them at a speed remarkable for something of its massive girth. What happened next said a lot about the people who were there. Unfortunately, nobody appreciated the symbolism. Manami, Sayuri, and Yuka immediately retreated to the dojo. Akari yelled, "Katsunishiki, NO!" Ranma immediately took Akane into his arms and leapt for the roof. Ryouga, in several quick and smooth motions, stepped in front of Ukyou, pulled out his umbrella, and nailed the creature right on its skull, causing it to collapse immediately. After a tense moment where nobody moved, Ryouga slowly stepped forward to examine the beast. "It... it's a pig," said an astonished Ukyou. "A really big pig." "He... he beat Katsunishiki," said Akari in a hushed tone. All the girls jaws dropped. The equation she laid out before was, after all, very simple. Beat the pig, win her love. It all seemed so... so... so Ranma-esque to them. Manami in particular seemed rather distressed, frowning and biting her lip. Meanwhile, Ukyou had an 'uh oh' sort of look on her face. "Ah... this doesn't mean what I think it means, does it?" asked Yuka. Akari smiled, with just a little melancholy. "He's... cute. But he's already with someone." She tsked and tended to the large pig, stroking its head tenderly. "Oh Katsunishiki, why can't you behave yourself?" Amazingly, nobody noticed as Ukyou and Manami sighed in relief. "Um, what's everyone looking so weird about?" wondered Ryouga. Nobody answered him. Meanwhile, up in the tree, still with Akane in his arms, Ranma was puzzled about things. "Hey, Akane, what was everyone looking so tense about?" She told him. "Beat the pig, win her hand in marriage? Man, I've heard it all now," said Ranma. "Good thing she isn't as obsessed as Shampoo, huh?" Ranma dropped to the ground gracefully with Akane in his arms, landing as well as any martial artist with a fiancee in his arms could hope to land. "Hi there," said Ranma. "Don't think we introduced ourselves. I'm Ranma Saotome and this," he said, nudging a still somewhat confused Ryouga, "is Ryouga Hibiki." "Um, hi," said Ryouga. "Sorry about your... ah... pig." "It's alright," said Akari, still tending to her pig, "he just likes to fight all the time." Without much further disturbance, the boys went off to clean up after a full day's worth of fighting while the girls resumed their talk, snacking, and general gossip. * Akari strolled home happily, humming a little tune. The day went well. School was fun, especially since she managed to make so many friends so quickly. Things in general were looking up for the last Unryuu. As they walked across a badly lit street, disturbingly quiet and with no people in sight, Akari began to feel a chill run down her spine. Someone was there. Watching her. Katsunishiki grunted angrily, stepping in front of his mistress to protect her. In the dark there was a hint of movement. The pig charged, disappearing into the night. "Katsunishiki don't leave me!" cried Akari. She stepped back in fright as she saw a brief flicker of light, heard the sound of flesh and bone being struck, and felt the ground shudder as Katsunishiki fell to the ground. "Who... who's there?" she asked fearfully. From the edge of the shadows a figure stepped forward. She couldn't see any of his features clearly at all, only that he had a briefcase. "Hello there," said a refined voice, "you shouldn't walk around here alone at night. You never know who you'll meet here." "W-who..." "Good night," said the figure. He stepped back and disappeared into the night. Akari quickly rushed to Katsunishiki's side and roused the unconscious pig to its feet. "Come on," said Akari urgently, "let's go home." * From high above the streets, peering down from a rooftop, Ryo Muhoshin sighed with a cat-like grin. "Oh, look at her run," he said quietly. "I do think I scared her." He turned away, briefly opening his briefcase to check on the contents within, then resumed hopping from rooftop to rooftop. "Must be getting soft," he muttered. "Didn't even threaten to rob the girl. Shame on you, Ryo." The error was rectified a few blocks later by way of robbing and bludgeoning a street mime. Ryo felt much better after that. * Akari and Pig walked further, through crowded streets and empty passages, realizing just now exactly how long of a walk it was from the Furinkan area to her apartment. After that incident, Akari was anxious to go home. "Ah HAH!" someone bellowed. Akari shrieked in surprise. Katsunishiki grunted in annoyance. He knew that voice. "Foul beast that consumed my legendary blade, thou shalt be sent back to the very pits of hell that thou hadst emerged from by mine OTHER legendary blade, which shall avenge its brother lost in battle and smite thee with a force guided by the vengence of heaven!" The pig grunted, impressed. That was an awfully long sentence. Tatewaki Kuno appeared, high in the air with one of his many legendary blades, bearing down on Katsunishiki's head. Akari stepped aside, waiting to see the result. Katsunishiki looked up at the rapidly descending Kuno... and swallowed him. Not entirely, but almost. The legendary legs of the Blue Thunder flailed around furiously, still protruding from Katsunishiki's massive maw. Akari shrieked in alarm. He'd bitten people before, but _swallowed_? "Katsunishiki! Don't!" she cried. "Bad boy! Spit him out! SPIT!" The pig didn't seem to notice her as it tried its first experimental chew. Then suddenly, there were a multitude of muffled 'dadadada's accompanied by Katsunishiki's eyes bulging in discomfort. It quickly spat Kuno out, sending him flying into a wall, impacting with a thunderous boom. "*HACK*COUGH* Vile eater of man! Now thou knowest better than to feast upon one such as I, Tatewaki Kuno, Blue Thunder of Furinkan High!" proudly proclaimed Kuno, managing to strike a bold pose even though he was covered, head to toe, in pig slobber. "Katsunishiki! Apologize right now!" demanded Akari. The pig gave her a look of disbelief, then seemed to sigh as it saw she was serious. It gave a polite bow to Kuno, although it still seemed irritated. "Ah HA! The creature doth submit to the forces of virtue!" said Kuno proudly. "And you," he asked Akari, "who might you be, fair damsel that bringeth a gentle demeanor to even this, the most violent of creatures?" "Akari Unryuu," she replied. "Are you okay?" "Am I well? Ha! I have never been better! Did you fear that this fierce creature actually had managed to do true bodily harm to I, Tatewaki Kuno, heir to the great and noble house of Kuno? Worry not, fair maiden, it taketh more than such a creature to injure Blue Thunder." Akari giggled. This guy was funny. Katsunishiki just couldn't take it anymore. After all, even pigs had their pride. With a quick grunt he headbutted Kuno into a nearby canal. "Oh Katsunishiki, that was rude!" chided Akari. "He was a nice boy... although a little weird. He could have walked us home!" *grunt* "He wasn't _that_ bad, now was he?" *snort* "Katsunishiki, now you're being picky." *snort*snort* -end part 4-