The Anatomy of Her Anger
A Ranma Fanfiction
by Mintaka14
Ranma scowled at the pond, and the stone skipped across the water before disappearing in a circle of ripples. The next one skittered all the way across and ricocheted off the water. There was a chink as it knocked a chip off the stone lantern.
A voice behind Ranma said, "If you're going to start breaking up the garden, too, I'm going to have to add it to your tab."
Ranma glared up at Nabiki, and picked up another flat stone. This one skipped and sank without doing any more damage.
"What's up?" Nabiki asked. "Kuno giving you trouble?"
Ranma didn't dignify that with a response.
"Akane?"
A flick of his wrist sent another stone to sink precisely in the middle of the ripples. He could feel Nabiki nudge his shoulder.
His frown deepened. "It's just… why is she always so… angry?"
Nabiki sat down on the step next to him, tucking her skirt under her legs.
"Do you know what it was like for Akane, before you guys turned up?" she asked.
"Huh?"
"Before you came here," she repeated with exaggerated patience. "Do you know what things were like? Remember Kuno's challenge? Well, every day for two years, Akane had to deal with almost every idiot in the school with a y chromosome trying to take her down so they could 'date' her." Nabiki snorted. "She was supposed to be some sort of prize for whoever was too strong to have to take her 'No!' seriously. She got really good at fighting, back then."
Ranma realised he was staring at Nabiki, his mouth hanging open. "But… didn't anyone even try to stop it?"
"Who? The teachers? You know what they're like – they didn't want to know, and Kuno's daddy, the principal, was just egging everyone on. I managed to shut down the worst of it, and you don't want to know the methods I had to use; I got them to keep it to the school grounds and before the bell went, but…" Nabiki shrugged, her own expression darkening. "There are limits to what even I can do."
"What about your dad?"
Nabiki just rolled her eyes at him, and Ranma found himself in silent agreement. No, Tendo wouldn't have been much help in any sort of crisis.
"It got better once you started going to Furinkan High," Nabiki continued, "but then again, it's pretty galling to know that those idiots all backed off, not because Akane didn't want them but because they figure you're tougher than all of them. See, it's never about what Akane wants. Only what she's strong enough to enforce. She spent two years being very scared that she wouldn't be strong enough to stop them, and I'll tell you this for free, Ranma." Nabiki stood up. "Being scared makes Akane very angry."
"Yeah, but… why is she always so angry at me?" Ranma asked plaintively.
And Nabiki's hand caught him across the back of the head. "Figure it out, dimwit."
He turned to stare at her, horrified, as she headed back into the house.
"She can't be scared of me…"
Nabiki paused in the doorway. "There are more ways to hurt Akane than physically, you dummy."
And she went inside, leaving Ranma to think that one through.