The Nodoka Gambit
Chapter 2
The engagement
'I hate boys. Hate boys. Hate boys.' Akane's mental mantra continued as she ran towards the school entrance. She glanced towards the fence hoping to see him again this morning. She was rewarded by a wave and a smile from the boy. He was here again to watch her do battle. She smiled back quickly and mentally amending her mental mantra. 'I hate most boys.'
The battle was joined. Many of the boys went down quickly, as Akane showed off her skill. Dipping into the more advanced techniques of the anything goes school. She could feel his eyes on her, studying her, measuring her. Then it was over. A record time, she shaved more than 20 seconds off. Kuno wasn't present for once, so Akane turned around and smiled at the boy as he smirked at her. Then she turned and walked into the school, putting a little more hip into her walk as she went.
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Kuno watched as the boy he noticed the day before left. This person had curried more favor from his Akane than he. She never smiled like that for him. She never walked like that for him. The boy was infatuated with that walk. So was Kuno. Who almost lost himself as he drooled at the way that his love walked
Kuno turned around and walked off the school grounds. 'I must defeat Akane soon.' Kuno thought. 'I must prepare for the battle. I must purify myself. The day after tomorrow I will defeat her, for only I am worthy of her and she belongs to me." With that last thought Kuno walked back to his mansion.
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Akane walked into her homeroom and greeted her friends. She saw the speculative glances from the two. Sayuri, a tall thin girl with medium brown hair, and Kyoko, a medium height girl with long dark brown hair, motioned for Akane to come over to talk. They were her friends since grade school, and they were practically her only friends left after the morning battles started. While her edginess drove some of her friends away, jealousy drove the rest away.
Akane smiled brightly at her two friends and walked over. She saw them give each other a knowing look and giggle.
"So Akane, who is the new guy you ensnared into your little harem." Sayuri said. Akane glared at her.
"It's not like that. He was just watching me fight, like when Nabiki took me to watch him before finals last year. He is really good." They could hear the open admiration in her voice. "I think he studies the same style as I do."
"Come on Akane, we all saw you wiggle into the school building. The poor boy almost fell down watching that extra sway." Kyoko giggled.
With an indignant glare and a slight huff, Akane turned around. "I did not wiggle for him!" She said with even tones and took her seat. The teacher walked into start class a second later.
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Nabiki had to hurry, but she caught up with Akane at the gate of the school to walk home with her. She had watched the morning events from her classroom window.
Nabiki smirked at her younger sister's antics this morning. "You were in rare form this morning Akane." Akane smiled at this. Praise from her sister was rare and far between. "If you practiced I bet you could have all of Nerima chasing after those active hips of yours."
The glare Akane gave Nabiki made her smirk even more. "I mean if you really want some lessons, I'm sure I can give you some pointers." With her arms held high over her head, Nabiki started an exaggerated swaying of her hips.
The glare softened as Akane started to laugh at Nabiki's antics. "I'm just glad that Kuno didn't show up." The thought occurred to her at that moment. "Where was Kuno any way. He doesn't usually miss his morning beatings."
Nabiki laughed at that. "He watched you from behind those bushes on the left side of the school entrance. After you swayed for that boy, he left. I have some people working on where he went and why he missed school. I will have something for you tomorrow for a small donation."
The face Akane made when Nabiki explained how Kuno watched her showed her disgust for the young man. They were coming up to the bridge over the canal, when Nabiki noticed the young man in question pacing around on all fours. 'I wonder why he slipped into the nekoken so early?'
Pointing down at him, Nabiki giggled a bit. "I think you new boyfriend is getting a little weird down there.
"I don't have a boyfriend." Akane stated as she looked down the embankment and saw the boy pace around on all fours like an animal under the bridge. Her confused look melted into a look of concern as she watched the boy.
"It is okay if you like him you know. It is only natural. Go see if he needs help." Nabiki gave Akane a small push towards the opening in the fence. With an irritated look at her sister, Akane walked down the embankment towards the strange boy.
Nabiki couldn't resist one last jab before Akane left. "I'll cover for you if you decide to stay out late!" She laughed when her sister glared at her and left before she the temptation to tease her sister again.
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Neko-Ranma watched as Akane approached him. He felt at ease around her. The anxiety and tenseness he felt as he paced along the waters edge lessened as she approached. On a deeper level he saw something that his higher brain couldn't. It was all about instinct. She was almost to him now, stopping just a few feet away. He just did what came naturally. For again it was all about instinct.
Akane stopped and looked at the boy pace around by the waters edge. His eyes were on her and then they changed a little, as if he came to a conclusion. She wasn't prepared for him leaping at her. The next thing she knew was that she was sitting down with the boy curled up next to her. She felt something on her right thigh. Looking down, she saw that this boy had laid his head in her lap.
Many emotions ran through her at that moment and she tensed. Ranma feeling her tense up looked up and raised his head and licked her on the tip of her nose. This has been the most intimate encounter in Akane's young life. She froze for a second.
Lust, desire, and anger, these were the emotions Akane was feeling. She didn't know how to handle the first two, so she gave into the third. Her hand balled into a fist and she stood lifting Ranma as she went. Ranma lifted his head in confusion, making a perfect target for Akane's fist.
It would have been a perfect arc to the other side of town, if it weren't for the bridge. Ranma arced up and slammed into the bottom of the bridge and fell down into the canal.
Ranma came to when he hit the cold water. The change came over him and he felt his center of balance change. He swallowed several gulps of water before he could get himself orientated. When he stood up, he saw the girl from the high school standing there. From the confused look on her face and her fist still in the air, Ranma thought that he might owe her an explanation.
Akane just stood there stuttering as she watched the girl get out of the water. The short, well built red head, looked embarrassed as she looked at the ground. Curiosity overcame the shock and she stuttered the question. "How."
Ranma sighed and went through his whole life history; well just the parts he remembered. He told her of leaving home, the cat fist training, his old friend Ukyo, his many travels to learn martial arts, the duel that never happened with Ryoga, the trip to Jusenkyo, the fight in the Amazon village and the flight from Shampoo, and finally the run in with the cats when looking for his old man. Akane just stood there, not believing that one boy could go through so much.
Akane told him how she found him pacing under the bridge next to the canal, how he jumped at her, placed his head in her lap and how he licked the tip of her nose. The both were blushing as Akane finished. They didn't say anything for a moment; this allowed Akane a moment to think over his story.
She noticed that other than Ukyo and this Ryoga boy, Ranma had no other friends. She didn't know where it came from, but she was speaking before she knew it.
"Hello, I am Akane. Do you want to be friends?" When she saw Ranma's face light up at the prospect, she new it was worth the problems. But it was the hope that she saw in the red heads eyes that touched her. This was a person who needed a friend. She almost missed the slight nod as the girl smiled shyly at her.
Then almost as if she noticed something, Ranma looked around her and noticed that her story took over an hour and she was late. The note her mom sent said that she would arrive this afternoon. She looked at Akane again and waved at her.
"I have to go home. My mom should be coming home today. I'll see ya tomorrow!" He turned around to leave when he heard Akane ask. "What is your name?"
Ranma winced at his manners. He turned and quickly bowed. "I'm Saotome Ranma." With that he turned and leapt off toward the road, not noticing the expression on Akane's face as things clicked together. Ranma, his Father, China and the postcard her father got.
In shock, Akane walked slowly home. She sorted out the emotions she was feeling. She had to talk to someone. She went through all of her options. Her friends were too flighty. Kasumi was supportive, but she didn't always help her with her problems. Nabiki would help her for a price. As she walked home she wondered how much it would cost her this time.
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When Akane arrived she smelled Kasumi's cooking. This caused her stomach to growl. She usually had a small snack after school, but her encounter with Ranma changed all of that. Ignoring her complaining stomach, Akane went up the stairs to talk to Nabiki.
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Kasumi heard Akane come in the front door. Akane usually came into the kitchen for a small snack after school and Kasumi would greet her at that time. Akane was late enough this time that dinner was almost done and Kasumi was going to inform her of that when she came into the kitchen. It surprised her when she heard her go up the stairs. Now she would have to go up and tell them to get ready for dinner.
She made a last check on her food and went to get her two younger sisters.
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Nabiki was looking thru her material on the Nekoken when she heard a knock on her door. She quickly turned off her monitor and adjusted her chemistry book before answering the door.
It wasn't a big surprise when she found Akane standing there. She had to bite her lower lip to keep from laughing at the confused look on her younger sister's face.
Akane came in and sat on the foot of her bed and looked down as she collected her thoughts. Nabiki couldn't resist after a minute of silence. She didn't notice Kasumi coming up the stairs.
"So Akane how was it?"
Akane gave her a look that was even more confused.
"Ranma has a few problems Nabiki, but he seems to be nice."
Nabiki smirked at this.
"By my count you two worked through the problems quite well to get back home that fast, I mean the nearest love motel is 30 minutes away. I'm proud of you sis!"
Akane looked outraged for a second, before catching the smirk on her sister's face. "It's more like 20 minutes away, when you're in a hurry."
Nabiki gaped at her for a few seconds. She didn't hear Kasumi walk back down the stairs.
Akane started to giggle and Nabiki joined her. After a few moments they stopped and Akane told her sister about the Nekoken, Jusenkyo, and everything else Ranma told her.
"He has had a rough life sis. I offered to be his friend. You should have seen his face. It was like he received the best news of his life. I am curious about the nekoken, the Chinese Amazons, and Jusenkyo. Could you find me some information on these?"
Nabiki tapped a pencil on her desk as she thought about it. "I maybe able to find something on the nekoken rather quickly. I think I saw something about the cat fist in a library I was studying in. The others would require some research." Reaching for a small ledger, Nabiki smiled at Akane. "If you pay me half of your allowance next week and half of your allowance on the first week of the next three months, I will find the information for you."
They heard Kasumi call them down for dinner before Akane could answer. "Just get me that information and I will pay you."
Nabiki smiled. "It was nice doing business with you."
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Half way through the evening meal, the phone rang. Akane sighed when her father went to get the phone. Soun didn't like his family's meal interrupted by phone calls. They were surprised when their father came into the dining room with a smile on his face. He finished his meal before addressing his daughters.
"The wife of an old friend is coming to visit with her son tonight. They should be here in an hour or so."
Kasumi immediately got up and left for the kitchen. "I have to get ready for the guests."
Soun looked at his eldest daughter and found that he was too excited to eat. He started to gather the few dishes and take them into the kitchen.
The hour passed quickly, as they prepared for company. Nabiki heard a knock at the door and went to answer it. When she opened the door she saw Ranma and Nodoka standing there. She was slightly surprised that they arrived two days early, but she knew that quirks along the way were to be expected. She would just have to try to control the results.
Soun entered the foyer and greeted Nodoka with a deep bow. Nodoka introduce Ranma to him and they went off to talk quietly to the side. Ranma just stood there and looked uncomfortable, until Nabiki motioned him to follow her into the family room.
The look of surprise on Akane's face was priceless. Ranma and Akane just looked at each other for a second before Akane got over her shock.
"Hi Ranma." She smiled shyly at him. "It's kind of weird that we meet twice in one day."
Ranma nodded and joined her at the table. They started to talk about their past. Ranma told more detailed stories and Akane recounted why she fought the boys every morning before school. Without the pressures of people throwing them together and a better first meeting, led both of them to be less defensive and less combative.
Kasumi watched them and heard that Ranma was the one who met Akane after school today. A few things clicked together in her head. She quietly brought in a few snacks and some hot tea for their guests and sat down at the other end of the table. Nabiki quietly joined her and waited for her father to come in and formally introduce them.
It was a couple of minutes before Soun and Nodoka came in. Nodoka sat down across from the teens and Soun sat between and a little to the side of the two groups. Ranma got up and sat next to his mother and she put the bundle she was carrying on the opposite side of her son.
"This is my best friend's wife, Nodoka Saotome," Soun gestured towards the good-looking middle-aged lady in a traditional kimono, "and this is her son Ranma. He turned slightly towards the Saotome's'. "These are my three beautiful daughters Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane."
The three girls bowed as their father introduced them. Nodoka and Ranma, with a nudge from his mom, returned the bow.
"Genma help me out of many situations and I owe him my life as it is today. He introduced me to your mother and he arranged for us to get out from under the thumb of our master. After he met Nodoka, we decided to bring our families closer together. So we made a contract on our family honor that our children would one day marry and bring the two anything goes schools together."
Kasumi, Nabiki, Ranma and Akane looked shocked. Nodoka nudged Ranma and gave him a silent message that he would be quiet. Nabiki was the first one to speak out. "Why are you forcing an outdated idea on us? I don't want to get married to a man that I barely know, and I believed that Kasumi and Akane agree with me!"
Akane and Ranma nodded. While Kasumi had a far away look on her face and then she got a look of determination. "I think that Akane would be perfect for Ranma."
Akane gave Kasumi a betrayed look and started to protest. "Why would I be best?
"Well," Kasumi explained, "I know that you two met earlier today and got to know each other better.
Akane interrupted her. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"It sounded like you were getting close."
Akane glared at her older sister. "He only licked me."
This time Soun interrupted her. "He licked you."
Kasumi blushed. "So that was what you two were doing at the love hotel."
Nabiki groaned, while Ranma blushed and was for a lost of words. Akane just looked helplessly at her older sister.
"My son is so manly." Ranma's blushed even deeper. "I approve of the match."
Soun nodded crying, agreed with Nodoka. "My little girl is growing up." He turned towards Ranma. "With a bit more practice and she'll make you into a true man." Ranma bowed his head at this; he was about to respond when he felt another warning nudge in his ribs.
Akane looked around helplessly at her family got up in a huff and walked out the door. A few minutes later they heard some bricks being broken.
"Well with that taken care of." Nabiki smirked at Ranma and left.
Nodoka whispered something in her son's ear. He looked reluctant, but after a few words of advice from his mother, he got up and walked slowly towards the noise.
Ranma walked out into the back yard when he saw the dojo. The breaking of the bricks was coming from there, so he started towards it. Nabiki intercepted him halfway there.
"What ever you do, just be yourself. Don't make a pass at her, don't' insult her, and don't make fun of her. Just talk to her. Tell her the truth and you will do okay. You may even tell her what your mother told you to do."
Ranma gave her a strange look. "Ya whatever."
Nabiki rolled her eyes at him and started back towards the house. "Be wise and listen to me. Oh, by the way don't lick her either."
Ranma quietly entered the dojo and watched Akane work off her anger by breaking bricks. He admired the fire she showed and the power he saw in her punch.
He walked in just as she started to clean up the mess of the latest bricks to die at her hands. She looked up, blushed and quickly looked away. Ranma walked over and sat with his back to a wall near her.
"My mother said that I should come in here and put my arms around you and let you cry into my shoulder." The look of anger on Akane's face told him that that would have been the wrong thing to do. "I think that you need to work out your anger against someone. Lets spar."
Akane nodded and attacked. Ranma dodged gracefully, while gauging his opponent. He saw several openings as he bobbed and weaved. He was tempted to taunt her, but the words of advice from Nabiki stuck in his head about no insulting.
The frustration Akane was feeling was growing as Ranma dodged her blows. She didn't really expect to hit him, but he wasn't striking back. This was making her angry. The angrier she got, the more power she put into her punches and the bigger holes in her defense became. Finally after the last combination, Akane stopped and looked at him. "Why can't you take me seriously? Attack me!"
Ranma looked at her sadly. "I can't." He whispered and left.
Chapter 2
The engagement
'I hate boys. Hate boys. Hate boys.' Akane's mental mantra continued as she ran towards the school entrance. She glanced towards the fence hoping to see him again this morning. She was rewarded by a wave and a smile from the boy. He was here again to watch her do battle. She smiled back quickly and mentally amending her mental mantra. 'I hate most boys.'
The battle was joined. Many of the boys went down quickly, as Akane showed off her skill. Dipping into the more advanced techniques of the anything goes school. She could feel his eyes on her, studying her, measuring her. Then it was over. A record time, she shaved more than 20 seconds off. Kuno wasn't present for once, so Akane turned around and smiled at the boy as he smirked at her. Then she turned and walked into the school, putting a little more hip into her walk as she went.
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Kuno watched as the boy he noticed the day before left. This person had curried more favor from his Akane than he. She never smiled like that for him. She never walked like that for him. The boy was infatuated with that walk. So was Kuno. Who almost lost himself as he drooled at the way that his love walked
Kuno turned around and walked off the school grounds. 'I must defeat Akane soon.' Kuno thought. 'I must prepare for the battle. I must purify myself. The day after tomorrow I will defeat her, for only I am worthy of her and she belongs to me." With that last thought Kuno walked back to his mansion.
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Akane walked into her homeroom and greeted her friends. She saw the speculative glances from the two. Sayuri, a tall thin girl with medium brown hair, and Kyoko, a medium height girl with long dark brown hair, motioned for Akane to come over to talk. They were her friends since grade school, and they were practically her only friends left after the morning battles started. While her edginess drove some of her friends away, jealousy drove the rest away.
Akane smiled brightly at her two friends and walked over. She saw them give each other a knowing look and giggle.
"So Akane, who is the new guy you ensnared into your little harem." Sayuri said. Akane glared at her.
"It's not like that. He was just watching me fight, like when Nabiki took me to watch him before finals last year. He is really good." They could hear the open admiration in her voice. "I think he studies the same style as I do."
"Come on Akane, we all saw you wiggle into the school building. The poor boy almost fell down watching that extra sway." Kyoko giggled.
With an indignant glare and a slight huff, Akane turned around. "I did not wiggle for him!" She said with even tones and took her seat. The teacher walked into start class a second later.
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Nabiki had to hurry, but she caught up with Akane at the gate of the school to walk home with her. She had watched the morning events from her classroom window.
Nabiki smirked at her younger sister's antics this morning. "You were in rare form this morning Akane." Akane smiled at this. Praise from her sister was rare and far between. "If you practiced I bet you could have all of Nerima chasing after those active hips of yours."
The glare Akane gave Nabiki made her smirk even more. "I mean if you really want some lessons, I'm sure I can give you some pointers." With her arms held high over her head, Nabiki started an exaggerated swaying of her hips.
The glare softened as Akane started to laugh at Nabiki's antics. "I'm just glad that Kuno didn't show up." The thought occurred to her at that moment. "Where was Kuno any way. He doesn't usually miss his morning beatings."
Nabiki laughed at that. "He watched you from behind those bushes on the left side of the school entrance. After you swayed for that boy, he left. I have some people working on where he went and why he missed school. I will have something for you tomorrow for a small donation."
The face Akane made when Nabiki explained how Kuno watched her showed her disgust for the young man. They were coming up to the bridge over the canal, when Nabiki noticed the young man in question pacing around on all fours. 'I wonder why he slipped into the nekoken so early?'
Pointing down at him, Nabiki giggled a bit. "I think you new boyfriend is getting a little weird down there.
"I don't have a boyfriend." Akane stated as she looked down the embankment and saw the boy pace around on all fours like an animal under the bridge. Her confused look melted into a look of concern as she watched the boy.
"It is okay if you like him you know. It is only natural. Go see if he needs help." Nabiki gave Akane a small push towards the opening in the fence. With an irritated look at her sister, Akane walked down the embankment towards the strange boy.
Nabiki couldn't resist one last jab before Akane left. "I'll cover for you if you decide to stay out late!" She laughed when her sister glared at her and left before she the temptation to tease her sister again.
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Neko-Ranma watched as Akane approached him. He felt at ease around her. The anxiety and tenseness he felt as he paced along the waters edge lessened as she approached. On a deeper level he saw something that his higher brain couldn't. It was all about instinct. She was almost to him now, stopping just a few feet away. He just did what came naturally. For again it was all about instinct.
Akane stopped and looked at the boy pace around by the waters edge. His eyes were on her and then they changed a little, as if he came to a conclusion. She wasn't prepared for him leaping at her. The next thing she knew was that she was sitting down with the boy curled up next to her. She felt something on her right thigh. Looking down, she saw that this boy had laid his head in her lap.
Many emotions ran through her at that moment and she tensed. Ranma feeling her tense up looked up and raised his head and licked her on the tip of her nose. This has been the most intimate encounter in Akane's young life. She froze for a second.
Lust, desire, and anger, these were the emotions Akane was feeling. She didn't know how to handle the first two, so she gave into the third. Her hand balled into a fist and she stood lifting Ranma as she went. Ranma lifted his head in confusion, making a perfect target for Akane's fist.
It would have been a perfect arc to the other side of town, if it weren't for the bridge. Ranma arced up and slammed into the bottom of the bridge and fell down into the canal.
Ranma came to when he hit the cold water. The change came over him and he felt his center of balance change. He swallowed several gulps of water before he could get himself orientated. When he stood up, he saw the girl from the high school standing there. From the confused look on her face and her fist still in the air, Ranma thought that he might owe her an explanation.
Akane just stood there stuttering as she watched the girl get out of the water. The short, well built red head, looked embarrassed as she looked at the ground. Curiosity overcame the shock and she stuttered the question. "How."
Ranma sighed and went through his whole life history; well just the parts he remembered. He told her of leaving home, the cat fist training, his old friend Ukyo, his many travels to learn martial arts, the duel that never happened with Ryoga, the trip to Jusenkyo, the fight in the Amazon village and the flight from Shampoo, and finally the run in with the cats when looking for his old man. Akane just stood there, not believing that one boy could go through so much.
Akane told him how she found him pacing under the bridge next to the canal, how he jumped at her, placed his head in her lap and how he licked the tip of her nose. The both were blushing as Akane finished. They didn't say anything for a moment; this allowed Akane a moment to think over his story.
She noticed that other than Ukyo and this Ryoga boy, Ranma had no other friends. She didn't know where it came from, but she was speaking before she knew it.
"Hello, I am Akane. Do you want to be friends?" When she saw Ranma's face light up at the prospect, she new it was worth the problems. But it was the hope that she saw in the red heads eyes that touched her. This was a person who needed a friend. She almost missed the slight nod as the girl smiled shyly at her.
Then almost as if she noticed something, Ranma looked around her and noticed that her story took over an hour and she was late. The note her mom sent said that she would arrive this afternoon. She looked at Akane again and waved at her.
"I have to go home. My mom should be coming home today. I'll see ya tomorrow!" He turned around to leave when he heard Akane ask. "What is your name?"
Ranma winced at his manners. He turned and quickly bowed. "I'm Saotome Ranma." With that he turned and leapt off toward the road, not noticing the expression on Akane's face as things clicked together. Ranma, his Father, China and the postcard her father got.
In shock, Akane walked slowly home. She sorted out the emotions she was feeling. She had to talk to someone. She went through all of her options. Her friends were too flighty. Kasumi was supportive, but she didn't always help her with her problems. Nabiki would help her for a price. As she walked home she wondered how much it would cost her this time.
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When Akane arrived she smelled Kasumi's cooking. This caused her stomach to growl. She usually had a small snack after school, but her encounter with Ranma changed all of that. Ignoring her complaining stomach, Akane went up the stairs to talk to Nabiki.
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Kasumi heard Akane come in the front door. Akane usually came into the kitchen for a small snack after school and Kasumi would greet her at that time. Akane was late enough this time that dinner was almost done and Kasumi was going to inform her of that when she came into the kitchen. It surprised her when she heard her go up the stairs. Now she would have to go up and tell them to get ready for dinner.
She made a last check on her food and went to get her two younger sisters.
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Nabiki was looking thru her material on the Nekoken when she heard a knock on her door. She quickly turned off her monitor and adjusted her chemistry book before answering the door.
It wasn't a big surprise when she found Akane standing there. She had to bite her lower lip to keep from laughing at the confused look on her younger sister's face.
Akane came in and sat on the foot of her bed and looked down as she collected her thoughts. Nabiki couldn't resist after a minute of silence. She didn't notice Kasumi coming up the stairs.
"So Akane how was it?"
Akane gave her a look that was even more confused.
"Ranma has a few problems Nabiki, but he seems to be nice."
Nabiki smirked at this.
"By my count you two worked through the problems quite well to get back home that fast, I mean the nearest love motel is 30 minutes away. I'm proud of you sis!"
Akane looked outraged for a second, before catching the smirk on her sister's face. "It's more like 20 minutes away, when you're in a hurry."
Nabiki gaped at her for a few seconds. She didn't hear Kasumi walk back down the stairs.
Akane started to giggle and Nabiki joined her. After a few moments they stopped and Akane told her sister about the Nekoken, Jusenkyo, and everything else Ranma told her.
"He has had a rough life sis. I offered to be his friend. You should have seen his face. It was like he received the best news of his life. I am curious about the nekoken, the Chinese Amazons, and Jusenkyo. Could you find me some information on these?"
Nabiki tapped a pencil on her desk as she thought about it. "I maybe able to find something on the nekoken rather quickly. I think I saw something about the cat fist in a library I was studying in. The others would require some research." Reaching for a small ledger, Nabiki smiled at Akane. "If you pay me half of your allowance next week and half of your allowance on the first week of the next three months, I will find the information for you."
They heard Kasumi call them down for dinner before Akane could answer. "Just get me that information and I will pay you."
Nabiki smiled. "It was nice doing business with you."
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Half way through the evening meal, the phone rang. Akane sighed when her father went to get the phone. Soun didn't like his family's meal interrupted by phone calls. They were surprised when their father came into the dining room with a smile on his face. He finished his meal before addressing his daughters.
"The wife of an old friend is coming to visit with her son tonight. They should be here in an hour or so."
Kasumi immediately got up and left for the kitchen. "I have to get ready for the guests."
Soun looked at his eldest daughter and found that he was too excited to eat. He started to gather the few dishes and take them into the kitchen.
The hour passed quickly, as they prepared for company. Nabiki heard a knock at the door and went to answer it. When she opened the door she saw Ranma and Nodoka standing there. She was slightly surprised that they arrived two days early, but she knew that quirks along the way were to be expected. She would just have to try to control the results.
Soun entered the foyer and greeted Nodoka with a deep bow. Nodoka introduce Ranma to him and they went off to talk quietly to the side. Ranma just stood there and looked uncomfortable, until Nabiki motioned him to follow her into the family room.
The look of surprise on Akane's face was priceless. Ranma and Akane just looked at each other for a second before Akane got over her shock.
"Hi Ranma." She smiled shyly at him. "It's kind of weird that we meet twice in one day."
Ranma nodded and joined her at the table. They started to talk about their past. Ranma told more detailed stories and Akane recounted why she fought the boys every morning before school. Without the pressures of people throwing them together and a better first meeting, led both of them to be less defensive and less combative.
Kasumi watched them and heard that Ranma was the one who met Akane after school today. A few things clicked together in her head. She quietly brought in a few snacks and some hot tea for their guests and sat down at the other end of the table. Nabiki quietly joined her and waited for her father to come in and formally introduce them.
It was a couple of minutes before Soun and Nodoka came in. Nodoka sat down across from the teens and Soun sat between and a little to the side of the two groups. Ranma got up and sat next to his mother and she put the bundle she was carrying on the opposite side of her son.
"This is my best friend's wife, Nodoka Saotome," Soun gestured towards the good-looking middle-aged lady in a traditional kimono, "and this is her son Ranma. He turned slightly towards the Saotome's'. "These are my three beautiful daughters Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane."
The three girls bowed as their father introduced them. Nodoka and Ranma, with a nudge from his mom, returned the bow.
"Genma help me out of many situations and I owe him my life as it is today. He introduced me to your mother and he arranged for us to get out from under the thumb of our master. After he met Nodoka, we decided to bring our families closer together. So we made a contract on our family honor that our children would one day marry and bring the two anything goes schools together."
Kasumi, Nabiki, Ranma and Akane looked shocked. Nodoka nudged Ranma and gave him a silent message that he would be quiet. Nabiki was the first one to speak out. "Why are you forcing an outdated idea on us? I don't want to get married to a man that I barely know, and I believed that Kasumi and Akane agree with me!"
Akane and Ranma nodded. While Kasumi had a far away look on her face and then she got a look of determination. "I think that Akane would be perfect for Ranma."
Akane gave Kasumi a betrayed look and started to protest. "Why would I be best?
"Well," Kasumi explained, "I know that you two met earlier today and got to know each other better.
Akane interrupted her. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"It sounded like you were getting close."
Akane glared at her older sister. "He only licked me."
This time Soun interrupted her. "He licked you."
Kasumi blushed. "So that was what you two were doing at the love hotel."
Nabiki groaned, while Ranma blushed and was for a lost of words. Akane just looked helplessly at her older sister.
"My son is so manly." Ranma's blushed even deeper. "I approve of the match."
Soun nodded crying, agreed with Nodoka. "My little girl is growing up." He turned towards Ranma. "With a bit more practice and she'll make you into a true man." Ranma bowed his head at this; he was about to respond when he felt another warning nudge in his ribs.
Akane looked around helplessly at her family got up in a huff and walked out the door. A few minutes later they heard some bricks being broken.
"Well with that taken care of." Nabiki smirked at Ranma and left.
Nodoka whispered something in her son's ear. He looked reluctant, but after a few words of advice from his mother, he got up and walked slowly towards the noise.
Ranma walked out into the back yard when he saw the dojo. The breaking of the bricks was coming from there, so he started towards it. Nabiki intercepted him halfway there.
"What ever you do, just be yourself. Don't make a pass at her, don't' insult her, and don't make fun of her. Just talk to her. Tell her the truth and you will do okay. You may even tell her what your mother told you to do."
Ranma gave her a strange look. "Ya whatever."
Nabiki rolled her eyes at him and started back towards the house. "Be wise and listen to me. Oh, by the way don't lick her either."
Ranma quietly entered the dojo and watched Akane work off her anger by breaking bricks. He admired the fire she showed and the power he saw in her punch.
He walked in just as she started to clean up the mess of the latest bricks to die at her hands. She looked up, blushed and quickly looked away. Ranma walked over and sat with his back to a wall near her.
"My mother said that I should come in here and put my arms around you and let you cry into my shoulder." The look of anger on Akane's face told him that that would have been the wrong thing to do. "I think that you need to work out your anger against someone. Lets spar."
Akane nodded and attacked. Ranma dodged gracefully, while gauging his opponent. He saw several openings as he bobbed and weaved. He was tempted to taunt her, but the words of advice from Nabiki stuck in his head about no insulting.
The frustration Akane was feeling was growing as Ranma dodged her blows. She didn't really expect to hit him, but he wasn't striking back. This was making her angry. The angrier she got, the more power she put into her punches and the bigger holes in her defense became. Finally after the last combination, Akane stopped and looked at him. "Why can't you take me seriously? Attack me!"
Ranma looked at her sadly. "I can't." He whispered and left.