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Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
All That We Have Known
Chapter 3
Ranma walked on the ground next to Akane for once. With his
broken arm, Akane convinced him that the fence wasn't a good idea. What
if he fell?
Ranma snorted at that, but after waving her mallet around, he
conceeded.
More and more lately, he found himself unable to say no to
Akane. Mostly since a `No' got him a mallet, and a `Yes' got him a kiss.
That, and he really didn't want to get her really mad at him anymore.
School had been remarkably normal. Too normal. He was half
hoping to get drained by Miss Hinako or attacked by Ryoga or Kuno. Maybe
the fates had decided to lay off until his arm healed, he thought.
He glanced over at Akane, realizing that she seemed to be lost
in her own thoughts as well. [Probably thinking about the duel at the
end of next week. She's got a lot of potential, she just needs to focus
it.] That's something he never really wanted to admit. After seeing how
good she was when he first arrived, and how little she actually trained,
he was able to tell how good she could be if she really put her mind to
it. Almost as good as him.
Again, something he'd never admit out loud.
Akane suddenly turned and noticed him gazing intently at her.
He quickly turned away, blushing and trying to hide it, and she smiled.
She suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him off to one side.
Ranma was caught off guard, but let himself be pulled along.
"Huh, Akane, whatcha doin'?"
"Well, we hardly get any time to ourselves," she said. "So I
thought we could make use of some right now. Look familiar?"
Ranma glanced around and realized it was the same park they
were in last week, when they finally decided to stop playing games with
each other, and confirm to the other what was really in their hearts.
The small park was deserted at the moment, as was the familiar park
bench. He knew what she had in mind when she pulled him down on the
bench and kissed him.
After pulling away, Ranma feigned disinterest."Aw, who'd wanna
make out with a tomboy like you..."
"Baka." She punched him lightly, then moved in on him again. She
loved kissing him, it stirred up so many wonderful feelings. At times
she needed this, as if to confirm that yes, things had changed. When
they came up for air, Ranma took the opportunity to ask her something
that was on her mind.
"Akane," he began. "There's this, uh, little restaurant that
just opened and I was, uh, kinda wondering if you'd maybe like to go out
Friday?" [Hope Nabiki was right about this...]
Akane smiled and hugged him. "I'd love to Ranma!" She realized,
as well as him, that they really hadn't had much time together, on a
date. They'd been places together, but the family was always with them.
They also had a small date once before, after the garden maze incident
where Akane became Ranma's fiancee again.
This, however, would be a more romantic-type date, at least,
that's what she hoped for.
"There is a condition," he stated, holding a finger up.
She backed up and frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Ya haveta work extra hard in your training and be able to focus
your ki enough to project it," he explained. It was really the only
thing he could really teach her at the moment with his arm still
healing. She was real close to fully mastering and controlling her ki,
being able to form a small ki ball with the Moko Takabisha, but holding
onto it and projecting it was still a problem. "That is, if you think
you're up to it."
She smirked. "Challenge, huh? You're on!" Then her expression
became softer and a little serious. "I know you're worried about me
Ranma. I promise you I won't let you down. I can't lose you now that
I've finally found you." She wrapped her arms around his waist and
rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
"I don't wanna lose you either," he replied quietly. "Shampoo's
a strong fighter, but she doesn't think you can focus your ki.
Hopefully, you'll have a couple of surprises in store in the way of a ki
blast and that Tora Dokiken thing you do." He frowned. "You never did
tell me how you came up with that."
She smirked. "Jealous that I can do something you can't?"
"What me?" He laughed. "Of course not! I could easily learn to
do it if I wanted."
"Baka." She sighed. "Well, I know you want to know, so I'll tell
you after I beat Shampoo. Think of that as my challenge to you. Train me
right so I win, and I tell you what I know about the technique."
A chance to learn a new technique, even if it was from Akane.
There was no way he could turn this down. "Deal."
She smiled warmly up at him. "Now, where were we..." Her face
move up, even as he moved his lips down to hers.
He was able to kiss her without losing mental capacity now, and
he thoroughly enjoyed it, feeling it was much better than being kissed
by Shampoo. He couldn't figure out really why, except that this was
Akane. Shampoo had always forced her lips on him, anytime she could get
the opportunity. But Akane's kisses were usually more of a challenge to
get, and that made them all the more sweeter.
Ten minutes seem to fly by in a matter of moments, before it
was mutually decided that no more time could be spent. It was time to
get home for dinner.
Nearby, a small shadowy figure watched them leave. [Yes,
tonight will be the night. They must be ready now.] He grinned to
himself as he recalled their passionate make-out session, then thinking
back on all the times he had waited for them to reach this point,
goading and teasing them. [It's about time!] His mind drifted to the
thought of how nice the pretties that Ak-
He smacked his head. [No! Must keep focused! I have more
important things to think about!] Sighing for lost opportunities, he
hopped off after them, taking care to keep out of sight.
"Keep your guard up!" Ranma commanded.
They were in the dojo after dinner now, working through another
sparring session. Well, Akane and Yuri were sparring while Ranma, Kenji,
and Ukyo looked on. Ranma was actually somewhat thankful for his broken
arm, since it meant he couldn't spar with her. After all, he still
didn't want to be the one hitting her. So, Ukyo and Yuri had
volunteered.
"And keep moving, don't became a stationary target," Ukyo added.
Akane fought to control her anger. [I know they're only trying
to help me,] she told herself. [Still...] She jumped over a leg sweep
and kicked Yuri in the face lightly before landing on the other side of
her. Yuri was up again and throwing various level punches that Akane
worked to avoid.
She was getting better at that; she used to just try and block
everything, but Ranma was trying to teach her to be more mobile.
Unfortunately, a punch to her midsection got through and backed her up.
Akane ducked under the next one and shot up with an uppercut
when Yuri over-extended. Following up as Yuri staggered backwards, Akane
delivered a spinning kick to the ninja girl's stomach and causing her to
double over. A chop to the back of the head dropped her and finished it.
"You're gettin' slow, imoutochan!" Kenji hollered from the
sidelines where he was sitting next to Ranma and Ukyo. He knew quite
well how Yuri prized her speed over strength and skill. She was as fast
as Ranma, but made too many mistakes, becoming sloppy at times.
Yuri groaned as Akane helped her up. "You okay, Yuri-chan?"
"I'll be better as soon as I pound on my brother," she replied
tersely. "No offense Akane-chan, but I think I'm beat for the night."
She smiled. "It's okay, I wanted to thank both you and Ucchan
for helping me to train."
"Ready to head back, Yuri?" Kenji asked. She nodded. "Okay then,
I guess we'll call it a night." He stood up with Ukyo.
"Good idea," Ukyo agreed. "We got some homework to finish up.
See you guys tomorrow!"
Ranma and Akane waved good-bye to the trio as they marched back
to Ucchans, then Ranma turned to Akane. "I take it you're still ready
for more?" She nodded. "Good! Why don't you start with that kata I
showed you yesterday, then we'll work more on your ki techniques."
Akane walked to the center of the dojo, inhaled slowly to calm
herself, and began. A bit clumsy at first, but she soon began to feel
the flow and her movements became as gentle as a dancer's. When she
finished, Ranma was actually quite impressed. He was about to comment on
it the heard the sound of clapping echoed from the doorway. A short
young man walked in as they turned, and they were stunned when his face
came into view.
They both recognized it instantly, but Akane was first to
speak. "Happosai!?"
Ranma leapt to his feet. "What do you want?"
"My boy, I thought you would've been more grateful to your old
master," he said.
Ranma laughed. "Well, I am grateful for your help back at the
compound, but you haven't taught me anything to be considered my
master."
Ranma was expecting some sort of retort, but was surprised when
Happosai agreed. "You're right Ranma, I haven't been a good master to
you. That's going to change." He sighed. "There are techniques I need to
pass on to you and Akane-chan before I am gone, so that they survive to
the next generation."
Ranma and Akane were surprised by the old man's attitude, but
Akane spoke up first. "What do you mean gone? Surely you'll live even
longer now that you're young again. We surmised it was the Nanniichuan
water you drank at the wedding that did this to you."
Happosai nodded. "That's true, however I only look young. For
many years now I've been actively using my ki to lengthen my life span.
The damage and the drain from the last battle finally got to me. I
estimate I only have a couple of weeks left at most." [A little half-
truth, but it will do.]
They were stunned again. [The old freak, gone?] Ranma thought.
[I always thought he'd be around forever.] "So what do you have to teach
me? How to steal underwear?"
Happosai laughed. "In a way. Do you ever wonder why I do that?"
Ranma shrugged. "We just thought you were a hentai."
"That's mostly it now, but it wasn't always like that," he said.
"You may find it hard to believe, but I was actually a decent guy once,
before I discovered the technique."
Akane's face was uncertain, as if she wondered where this was
heading. "What technique?"
The old master's eyes narrowed. "A technique to charge my ki by
simply making contact with the opposite sex." Ranma and Akane's eyes
widened. "That's right. But I wasn't strong enough to control it, and I
had no one who loved me who could've helped me. As I began to get old, I
used my ki to slow the aging process. So, naturally I had to make
frequent contact to restore my ki, thus, that's what led me to my
perversion. It just became a part of my nature." He took a puff on his
pipe. "I've resolved to control it, however, until I go."
"This is the technique you wanted to pass onto us?" Akane asked
in disbelief.
Ranma held his hands up. "Forget it, old man. I ain't havin'
nothin' to do with your perversions."
Happosai sat down. "Ranma-chan, Akane-chan, do you truly love
each other?"
Both teens looked at each other and blushed. The idea that they
loved each other was still quite new to them.
"You didn't deny it, so I'll take it as a yes," Happosai said at
last while the couple looked at each other. "You are both stronger than
I was at your age, and you are together. As long as you have each other
and do not fear growing old, you need not give in to the temptation." He
turned to Ranma. "So, do still think you can't handle this, Ranma m'boy?
I thought you could master anything?" [When it doubt, go for his ego!]
And it worked.
"Hey, I can handle anything you throw at me, freak," he boasted.
Happosai grinned. "Good, then it's time we started. It should
only take a few days for you two to learn the basics. After that, you
can develop it as you see fit. All I ask is that you keep this to
yourselves. Never teach anyone this except your children, or the ones
who you pass your legacy onto. This should be a technique that only a
very chosen few know. It should never fall into the wrong hands or
you'll end up with another me, or even someone worse than me."
Akane shivered. "I don't see how that's possible."
"Think about it, my dear," he told her. "The worst I did was
steal underwear and grope. I could've used my power to steal or kill at
will. You should know by now that when I'm determined to do something,
no one could stop me, even Cologne."
[He's right,] Ranma thought. [I may have been able to get the
best of him a few times, but when he wanted to be mean and wanted to
win, I couldn't stop him.]
Happosai took another puff on his pipe. "So, are you ready to
start?" They nodded after a bit of hesitation. "Good. Now don't worry,
we won't go stealing underwear or glomping on strangers. Unless of
course you want to."
They both stared at him and he chuckled.
"Okay, that's why I want to teach both of you, so you can use
each other to practice and recharge. Now, sit down and face each other."
They did as instructed. "Good, now take each others hands and close your
eyes. Breath from your diaphragm, in and out, and feel your partner's
life force. This technique is based on the reactions between yin and
yang. Your ki will charge naturally on it's own, but when you combine
your essence with a member of the opposite sex, you temporarily make a
stronger yin-yang balance. As a result, your ki recharges faster.
"Now, I'm going to hold onto your hands and draw a little from
Akane-chan." Their eyes shot open as they turned their glares upon.
Happosai merrely chuckled. "Calm down. I don't need to touch anything
private. This can be done through simple skin contact, though the effect
is less. The greater the intimate contact, the greater amount of ki you
can charge, since you're completing the yin-yang balance more fully.
He took a puff on his pipe, then set it down. "Okay, back to
the exercises. Close your eyes and try to feel your partner's ki. I am
going to grab both of your wrists and charge a little ki off Akane-chan
since I can't draw any from Ranma; unless he becomes a girl. The amount
you'll lose is a fraction of what I'll get. Now feel what happens."
He reached out and lightly grabbed their wrists. Ranma felt
Akane's ki drop by a minute fraction, but mainly he detected something
else he couldn't describe. Happosai was taking something else, but it
wasn't something vital. And the effect it had on the old man's system
was remarkable. Akane felt almost the same thing.
Ranma's eyes flashed open. "I felt that! I think I know what
you were doing!" Happosai motioned him to continue. "I don't think it's
so much a matter of what you did to Akane, but more what happens to you
because of it."
Happosai grinned. "You are remarkable Ranma. It took me half a
year to understand the process. Of course I was still developing it.
Every living thing secretes nearly indetectable parts of their...
essences, if you will. When you learn to detect them, you can absorb
them, and then only if you let it affect you, will it work. You've heard
that laughter is the best medicine, well this is similar. Your body will
unconsciously emit certain chemicals under the right conditions. When
you feel emotions of love or lust for the opposite sex and absorb the
essence they leave, it will be converted and added to your ki. Why don't
you give it a try, Ranma-chan."
He nodded and held Akane's hands. He concentrated until he
began to sense what he did before. He found his love for Akane and
suddenly felt a small surge in power. It surprised him so much that he
let go and gasped.
"I did it!" he exclaimed. "I felt it! That's incredible!"
"Well done, m'boy!" Happosai was impressed. "I was right in
choosing you two as my heirs. Now, when you two have the hang of that,
I'll come back and teach you some more of the advanced fighting
techniques. Go ahead and practice. I'll be around." And then he was
gone.
"Well that was wierd," Akane said at last. Ranma agreed. "I've
never seen him like this. It seems his mind has changed, as well as his
body."
"I kinda wonder if the death of the old gh-Cologne has something
ta do with it," Ranma thought out loud. He had been trying to honor the
old woman's memory by referring to her by her name instead the `old
ghoul'. [Guess I'll have to do that with Happosai as well.]
"Yeah." Akane turned to him with a mischievous gleam in her eye.
"Okay, now that you have it, it's my turn!"
They reassumed the positions they had before as Akane took her
turn. Ranma tried to help her through it, since she went for several
minutes without success. Then, on impulse, she bent foreword and cupped
Ranma's head in her hands while she kissed him.
That worked.
When she broke off the kiss, they both knew she had done it. Of
course, when that was realized, their training session rapidly
degenerated into another make-out session. After fifteen minutes, they
were both actively glowing from the ki they had charged. It was then
decided to work on ki blasts in the yard to drain off the excess.
"Okay now, just like yesterday, create the ball and try to hold
onto it," Ranma coached.
Akane nodded, cupped her hands six inches apart in front of her
and concentrated. She reached down and found the calm inside her and
willed her ki to form. Soon, a small blue ball began to grow in her
hands. It became the size of a baseball and Akane held it for several
minutes before it winked out.
"Very good, you held it longer than yesterday," he commended
her.
Akane blushed. "I think it's just because of all the extra ki
we generated."
Ranma grinned back at her. "Probably, but don't sell yourself
short. Now do it again, but this time try to throw it at the practice
dummy. Remember, it's based on confidence, so find that on which your
most confident in. Then, push it with your mind, as well as your body."
Ever since Ranma had come to Nerima, Akane's confidence had
never been that high. Not only was he better than her in martial arts,
but he had a better looking female body. Then, many other indviduals
came to Nerima after him, each of them better fighters and, in the case
of the females, better looking than her (at least to her point of view).
As a result, she wasn't very confident about much. That was one
reason why she fought with Ranma so often, she was deathly scared she
wasn't good enough for him.
Closing her eyes, Akane flashed through several subjects:
schoolwork, friends, martial arts skills, trying to find something to be
confident in. Her mind eventually settled on the fact that Ranma was
hers. She became confident of her love for him and his love for her.
With that thought, the ball became bigger in her hands until it was the
size of a basketball.
Opening her eyes, she brought her hands back slowly, then
pushed them rapidly foreword again.
"Moko Takabisha!"
The ball went foreword several feet before dropping into the
ground. With a small flash, it burned itself out. Akane felt a wave of
enthusiasm, followed by disappointment. She was happy because it worked,
yet it wasn't nearly on the scale as her iinazuke.
Ranma noticed her look of disappointment, and tried to cheer
her up. "That was pretty good. Now that ya seem ta have found your
focus, you're improving your skills more rapidly. By learning to use
your ki, you've become nearly twice as fast and a whole lot stronger."
He had always known Akane had a strong ki, the tremendous battle aura
she generated when provoked proved that. But auras were an unconsciously
generated form of ki, and Akane just needed to tap it.
She smiled and flashed her eyelids at him. "Arigato, Rama-
sama," she purred sweetly, causing Ranma to turn red and face away. She
giggled. She loved playing with him like this. It was so much better
than hitting him. Then, a new thought entered her mind, something that
she wanted to ask earlier. "I've seen you use both a ki ball and a beam
form before. Why is that?"
"Well, ya know I started out with just a ball, `cause it was
easier to form and and helped me gain control," he replied. "A beam can
be more powerful, like Ryoga's Shishi Houkodan, but for most situations,
a ball takes less ki and works just as well. You've never been hit by a
ki blast, but it works kinda like a distance punch. Basically, you're
hittin' an opponent from a distance with a solid object." He grinned
suddenly. "Sort of like when you throw a barbell or a statue at me."
Akane couldn't help but smile. "Baka. Yeah, I think I
understand now." She turned back to the practice dummy and concentrated,
the ball forming in her hand. "Moko Takabisha!" This time the ball
traveled at a faster speed and smacked the dummy dead center, and making
a nice round hole in it.
Ranma nodded from the sidelines. "Okay, I think you've almost
got it. Now I think it's time you practiced the Tora Dokiken again. You
need to work with it and see what's capable of." [Not to mention I wanna
get a better idea on how you do it.] "As you do it, let me know what
you're feelin' and what your reactions are."
Akane nodded at him then closed her eyes. She struggled to
bring the power up but it wasn't responding. [Strange, what's wrong? It
came to me so easily back at the wizard compound.]
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I don't know!" [Wait a minute, Ranma said emotions are the key
to controlling one's ki, so what was I feeling?] She smiled as it came
to her.
"Tora Dokiken!"
Ranma watched as she began to glow her golden color. Then, her
eyes snapped open and she took the time to study herself.
"Wow!" she exclaimed. "I never realized what I looked like." She
looked back up at him. "It was my determination that did it. Back at the
compound I was determined to save you and all our friends. Then I felt
this wierd warping in my ki and it happened."
Ranma walked around her, studying the effect. His gaze
eventually returned to her face and his breath caught in his throat at
the sight of her glowing facial features. "An angel..." he whispered
quietly in awe.
Akane turned a shade of red as her fiance's eyes traversed her
body, and also when she heard his whispered comment. She was about to
say something when Ranma reached out his hand for hers. Their eyes met
for a second and she took his hand.
A sizzling jolt washed over them as the connection was made,
but neither one let go. Ranma closed his eyes as he felt the ki of his
iinazuke wash over him and mingle with his; the same glow spreading over
his body. A strange tingling feeling was left in it's wake, but somehow
Ranma felt that it was a good thing and he liked it. His eyes opened and
met hers again and and it was clear they were experiencing the same
phenomenon.
Akane reached out her other hand and Ranma clasped it
automatically. She then got the same impish idea from earlier in the
dojo, and closed the distance between their bodies. As his face came
down to meet hers, their lips met halfway in a kiss that could only be
described as... well, it was really indescribable. Mouths opened,
increasing the fuzzy, tingling feeling they shared.
With a final flash, they parted and the glow disappeared. For a
full minute, they gazed into each other's eyes, trying to figure out
what just happened. Finally, Ranma spoke.
"Wow, Akane, that was..."
"Incredible, I know," she finished for him. "I didn't know that
would happen." She blinked. "Normal kisses are going to seem boring
compared to that."
Ranma turned an interesting shade of red as what happened
managed to impact his conciousness. A yawn forced it's way out of his
mouth, despite his efforts to contain it. Akane matched it.
"I feel so tired all of a sudden," Akane said sleepily.
Ranma nodded. "Me, too. I think that technique really takes it
out of you."
Akane nodded and then leaned into him as they started into the
house. Ranma unconciously put his good arm around her as they headed
inside. A short kiss at Akane's door, then they parted and Ranma went
back to the guest room to spend the night.
As Ranma lay there, he couldn't help but feel good. [This is so
much better than fighting all the time! And that kiss was incredible!]
He absently touched his lips as the memory played out.
[At last, my life seems to be normalizing. Me and Akane gettin'
along, multiple fiancee problem almost cleared up. Haven't been attacked
by Ryoga in awhile. Still, I kinda miss fighting with him. He's the only
one who could really challenge me. Of course, if Akane keeps up with her
training...] He let the thought hang as he went to sleep.
His last thought was of how much better his arm was feeling.
From the darkness, Happosai had watched the event. [In all my
years, I've never seen anything like that.]
From his persepective, their ki energies had actually merged
for the few minutes they were liplocked. Even when they parted, parts of
each other's ki remained in the other, strengthening a unique bond that
they seemed to have between them. [If only I had more time, an indepth
study of this Tora Dokiken technique would prove most interesting.] He
sighed. [But, I have other things to do; other problems to solve and
deeds to atone for.]
He leapt away into the night, never noticing the second figure
that had watched the event.
The second shadowy figure now kept almost constant surveillance
over Ranma and Akane, only leaving to report, as per his mistress's
orders. He was now on his way to report after watching them enter his
mistress's house.
[I really wish I could get out of this. There is no honor in
this.] He sighed. [Well, the mistress isn't exactly known for her sense
of honor. The master maybe, but not her.] He arrived at his destination,
easily hopping over the outer wall and making his way inside the
mansion. He quickly found the door to the greenhouse. Knocking twice, he
was bidden to enter and he did.
"So," purred a female voice from the figure in front of him. She
had her back to him. "What have you to report?"
He cleared his throat and told her all about the couple's
kissing session on the way home from school, the training, and the
strange glowing event that happened afterward.
The female was still for a minute or two, as if pouring over
this new information. The short little man wondered if his life was now
forfeit. Then she resumed her work on the plants in front of her.
"This is not good," she said finally. "We must do something to
end this now and pry him loose from the clutches of that vile woman. I
knew there was a reason he wouldn't show his love for me, and now I find
out it's because of some magic the Tendo girl has over him. I need a
plan and an opportunity to strike." She paused and smiled.
"Tell me more about this challenge match..."
"[Shampoo, are you alright in there?]" Mousse asked in their
native language through the closed door. He got no response.
For the past several days, Shampoo would stay locked in her
great-grandmother's room (now hers), only emerging to get something to
eat. Mousse could only imagine what was going on in there.
[Probably reading through Kuh Lon's training manuels,] he
thought. [And getting ready for the match.] He had heard that Akane was
training hard, and with a lot of luck, she might almost be ready for
Shampoo by Saturday. [Still, it's not going to be easy for Akane.
Shampoo won't go down without giving it everything she has. For once, I
hope you lose, my beloved.]
Thankfully, the same law which forbade him to help Akane, also
prevented him from helping Shampoo. So he didn't have to tell her about
the training Akane was getting.
He repeated his inquiry and when he still got no response, he
did the only thing he could do; he walked away.
Shampoo had told him outright to not enter her room or bother
her at all unless she failed to emerge for 48 hours or for the match. As
he went back to his room, he couldn't help but feel strong magical
forces at work on the other side of the door.
[Still, I would like to know what she is doing.]
--------------------------------------------------------------
Author's notes:
Will Akane be able to train enough to beat Shampoo? My analysis of
Akane's fighting abilities reveals that she has the same knack for
improvising on the battlefield that Ranma does. Need proof? Read the
part of the manga where Taro shows up for the first time. Ranma was able
to beat his monster form, only through Akane's help. What did she do?
Also, take a closer look at her fight with Kiima. Interesting use of the
bamboo poles, ne?
The battle doji shows latent potential, and the OAV, "The One to Carry
On" shows learning fast improvement rate. Akane lost to Kurumi, then
after only a couple days of training, she came back and was able to
match her move for move. Most likely would've beat her if Natsume and
Ranma hadn't joined. This leads me to believe she can advance as fast as
Ranma when she puts her mind to it. Plus, she's focusing her ki now and
has a few ki moves. Still, who knows what Shampoo is doing behind the
door!
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000
DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters okay! SO LEAVE ME ALONE!
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
All That We Have Known
Chapter 3
Ranma walked on the ground next to Akane for once. With his
broken arm, Akane convinced him that the fence wasn't a good idea. What
if he fell?
Ranma snorted at that, but after waving her mallet around, he
conceeded.
More and more lately, he found himself unable to say no to
Akane. Mostly since a `No' got him a mallet, and a `Yes' got him a kiss.
That, and he really didn't want to get her really mad at him anymore.
School had been remarkably normal. Too normal. He was half
hoping to get drained by Miss Hinako or attacked by Ryoga or Kuno. Maybe
the fates had decided to lay off until his arm healed, he thought.
He glanced over at Akane, realizing that she seemed to be lost
in her own thoughts as well. [Probably thinking about the duel at the
end of next week. She's got a lot of potential, she just needs to focus
it.] That's something he never really wanted to admit. After seeing how
good she was when he first arrived, and how little she actually trained,
he was able to tell how good she could be if she really put her mind to
it. Almost as good as him.
Again, something he'd never admit out loud.
Akane suddenly turned and noticed him gazing intently at her.
He quickly turned away, blushing and trying to hide it, and she smiled.
She suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him off to one side.
Ranma was caught off guard, but let himself be pulled along.
"Huh, Akane, whatcha doin'?"
"Well, we hardly get any time to ourselves," she said. "So I
thought we could make use of some right now. Look familiar?"
Ranma glanced around and realized it was the same park they
were in last week, when they finally decided to stop playing games with
each other, and confirm to the other what was really in their hearts.
The small park was deserted at the moment, as was the familiar park
bench. He knew what she had in mind when she pulled him down on the
bench and kissed him.
After pulling away, Ranma feigned disinterest."Aw, who'd wanna
make out with a tomboy like you..."
"Baka." She punched him lightly, then moved in on him again. She
loved kissing him, it stirred up so many wonderful feelings. At times
she needed this, as if to confirm that yes, things had changed. When
they came up for air, Ranma took the opportunity to ask her something
that was on her mind.
"Akane," he began. "There's this, uh, little restaurant that
just opened and I was, uh, kinda wondering if you'd maybe like to go out
Friday?" [Hope Nabiki was right about this...]
Akane smiled and hugged him. "I'd love to Ranma!" She realized,
as well as him, that they really hadn't had much time together, on a
date. They'd been places together, but the family was always with them.
They also had a small date once before, after the garden maze incident
where Akane became Ranma's fiancee again.
This, however, would be a more romantic-type date, at least,
that's what she hoped for.
"There is a condition," he stated, holding a finger up.
She backed up and frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Ya haveta work extra hard in your training and be able to focus
your ki enough to project it," he explained. It was really the only
thing he could really teach her at the moment with his arm still
healing. She was real close to fully mastering and controlling her ki,
being able to form a small ki ball with the Moko Takabisha, but holding
onto it and projecting it was still a problem. "That is, if you think
you're up to it."
She smirked. "Challenge, huh? You're on!" Then her expression
became softer and a little serious. "I know you're worried about me
Ranma. I promise you I won't let you down. I can't lose you now that
I've finally found you." She wrapped her arms around his waist and
rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
"I don't wanna lose you either," he replied quietly. "Shampoo's
a strong fighter, but she doesn't think you can focus your ki.
Hopefully, you'll have a couple of surprises in store in the way of a ki
blast and that Tora Dokiken thing you do." He frowned. "You never did
tell me how you came up with that."
She smirked. "Jealous that I can do something you can't?"
"What me?" He laughed. "Of course not! I could easily learn to
do it if I wanted."
"Baka." She sighed. "Well, I know you want to know, so I'll tell
you after I beat Shampoo. Think of that as my challenge to you. Train me
right so I win, and I tell you what I know about the technique."
A chance to learn a new technique, even if it was from Akane.
There was no way he could turn this down. "Deal."
She smiled warmly up at him. "Now, where were we..." Her face
move up, even as he moved his lips down to hers.
He was able to kiss her without losing mental capacity now, and
he thoroughly enjoyed it, feeling it was much better than being kissed
by Shampoo. He couldn't figure out really why, except that this was
Akane. Shampoo had always forced her lips on him, anytime she could get
the opportunity. But Akane's kisses were usually more of a challenge to
get, and that made them all the more sweeter.
Ten minutes seem to fly by in a matter of moments, before it
was mutually decided that no more time could be spent. It was time to
get home for dinner.
Nearby, a small shadowy figure watched them leave. [Yes,
tonight will be the night. They must be ready now.] He grinned to
himself as he recalled their passionate make-out session, then thinking
back on all the times he had waited for them to reach this point,
goading and teasing them. [It's about time!] His mind drifted to the
thought of how nice the pretties that Ak-
He smacked his head. [No! Must keep focused! I have more
important things to think about!] Sighing for lost opportunities, he
hopped off after them, taking care to keep out of sight.
"Keep your guard up!" Ranma commanded.
They were in the dojo after dinner now, working through another
sparring session. Well, Akane and Yuri were sparring while Ranma, Kenji,
and Ukyo looked on. Ranma was actually somewhat thankful for his broken
arm, since it meant he couldn't spar with her. After all, he still
didn't want to be the one hitting her. So, Ukyo and Yuri had
volunteered.
"And keep moving, don't became a stationary target," Ukyo added.
Akane fought to control her anger. [I know they're only trying
to help me,] she told herself. [Still...] She jumped over a leg sweep
and kicked Yuri in the face lightly before landing on the other side of
her. Yuri was up again and throwing various level punches that Akane
worked to avoid.
She was getting better at that; she used to just try and block
everything, but Ranma was trying to teach her to be more mobile.
Unfortunately, a punch to her midsection got through and backed her up.
Akane ducked under the next one and shot up with an uppercut
when Yuri over-extended. Following up as Yuri staggered backwards, Akane
delivered a spinning kick to the ninja girl's stomach and causing her to
double over. A chop to the back of the head dropped her and finished it.
"You're gettin' slow, imoutochan!" Kenji hollered from the
sidelines where he was sitting next to Ranma and Ukyo. He knew quite
well how Yuri prized her speed over strength and skill. She was as fast
as Ranma, but made too many mistakes, becoming sloppy at times.
Yuri groaned as Akane helped her up. "You okay, Yuri-chan?"
"I'll be better as soon as I pound on my brother," she replied
tersely. "No offense Akane-chan, but I think I'm beat for the night."
She smiled. "It's okay, I wanted to thank both you and Ucchan
for helping me to train."
"Ready to head back, Yuri?" Kenji asked. She nodded. "Okay then,
I guess we'll call it a night." He stood up with Ukyo.
"Good idea," Ukyo agreed. "We got some homework to finish up.
See you guys tomorrow!"
Ranma and Akane waved good-bye to the trio as they marched back
to Ucchans, then Ranma turned to Akane. "I take it you're still ready
for more?" She nodded. "Good! Why don't you start with that kata I
showed you yesterday, then we'll work more on your ki techniques."
Akane walked to the center of the dojo, inhaled slowly to calm
herself, and began. A bit clumsy at first, but she soon began to feel
the flow and her movements became as gentle as a dancer's. When she
finished, Ranma was actually quite impressed. He was about to comment on
it the heard the sound of clapping echoed from the doorway. A short
young man walked in as they turned, and they were stunned when his face
came into view.
They both recognized it instantly, but Akane was first to
speak. "Happosai!?"
Ranma leapt to his feet. "What do you want?"
"My boy, I thought you would've been more grateful to your old
master," he said.
Ranma laughed. "Well, I am grateful for your help back at the
compound, but you haven't taught me anything to be considered my
master."
Ranma was expecting some sort of retort, but was surprised when
Happosai agreed. "You're right Ranma, I haven't been a good master to
you. That's going to change." He sighed. "There are techniques I need to
pass on to you and Akane-chan before I am gone, so that they survive to
the next generation."
Ranma and Akane were surprised by the old man's attitude, but
Akane spoke up first. "What do you mean gone? Surely you'll live even
longer now that you're young again. We surmised it was the Nanniichuan
water you drank at the wedding that did this to you."
Happosai nodded. "That's true, however I only look young. For
many years now I've been actively using my ki to lengthen my life span.
The damage and the drain from the last battle finally got to me. I
estimate I only have a couple of weeks left at most." [A little half-
truth, but it will do.]
They were stunned again. [The old freak, gone?] Ranma thought.
[I always thought he'd be around forever.] "So what do you have to teach
me? How to steal underwear?"
Happosai laughed. "In a way. Do you ever wonder why I do that?"
Ranma shrugged. "We just thought you were a hentai."
"That's mostly it now, but it wasn't always like that," he said.
"You may find it hard to believe, but I was actually a decent guy once,
before I discovered the technique."
Akane's face was uncertain, as if she wondered where this was
heading. "What technique?"
The old master's eyes narrowed. "A technique to charge my ki by
simply making contact with the opposite sex." Ranma and Akane's eyes
widened. "That's right. But I wasn't strong enough to control it, and I
had no one who loved me who could've helped me. As I began to get old, I
used my ki to slow the aging process. So, naturally I had to make
frequent contact to restore my ki, thus, that's what led me to my
perversion. It just became a part of my nature." He took a puff on his
pipe. "I've resolved to control it, however, until I go."
"This is the technique you wanted to pass onto us?" Akane asked
in disbelief.
Ranma held his hands up. "Forget it, old man. I ain't havin'
nothin' to do with your perversions."
Happosai sat down. "Ranma-chan, Akane-chan, do you truly love
each other?"
Both teens looked at each other and blushed. The idea that they
loved each other was still quite new to them.
"You didn't deny it, so I'll take it as a yes," Happosai said at
last while the couple looked at each other. "You are both stronger than
I was at your age, and you are together. As long as you have each other
and do not fear growing old, you need not give in to the temptation." He
turned to Ranma. "So, do still think you can't handle this, Ranma m'boy?
I thought you could master anything?" [When it doubt, go for his ego!]
And it worked.
"Hey, I can handle anything you throw at me, freak," he boasted.
Happosai grinned. "Good, then it's time we started. It should
only take a few days for you two to learn the basics. After that, you
can develop it as you see fit. All I ask is that you keep this to
yourselves. Never teach anyone this except your children, or the ones
who you pass your legacy onto. This should be a technique that only a
very chosen few know. It should never fall into the wrong hands or
you'll end up with another me, or even someone worse than me."
Akane shivered. "I don't see how that's possible."
"Think about it, my dear," he told her. "The worst I did was
steal underwear and grope. I could've used my power to steal or kill at
will. You should know by now that when I'm determined to do something,
no one could stop me, even Cologne."
[He's right,] Ranma thought. [I may have been able to get the
best of him a few times, but when he wanted to be mean and wanted to
win, I couldn't stop him.]
Happosai took another puff on his pipe. "So, are you ready to
start?" They nodded after a bit of hesitation. "Good. Now don't worry,
we won't go stealing underwear or glomping on strangers. Unless of
course you want to."
They both stared at him and he chuckled.
"Okay, that's why I want to teach both of you, so you can use
each other to practice and recharge. Now, sit down and face each other."
They did as instructed. "Good, now take each others hands and close your
eyes. Breath from your diaphragm, in and out, and feel your partner's
life force. This technique is based on the reactions between yin and
yang. Your ki will charge naturally on it's own, but when you combine
your essence with a member of the opposite sex, you temporarily make a
stronger yin-yang balance. As a result, your ki recharges faster.
"Now, I'm going to hold onto your hands and draw a little from
Akane-chan." Their eyes shot open as they turned their glares upon.
Happosai merrely chuckled. "Calm down. I don't need to touch anything
private. This can be done through simple skin contact, though the effect
is less. The greater the intimate contact, the greater amount of ki you
can charge, since you're completing the yin-yang balance more fully.
He took a puff on his pipe, then set it down. "Okay, back to
the exercises. Close your eyes and try to feel your partner's ki. I am
going to grab both of your wrists and charge a little ki off Akane-chan
since I can't draw any from Ranma; unless he becomes a girl. The amount
you'll lose is a fraction of what I'll get. Now feel what happens."
He reached out and lightly grabbed their wrists. Ranma felt
Akane's ki drop by a minute fraction, but mainly he detected something
else he couldn't describe. Happosai was taking something else, but it
wasn't something vital. And the effect it had on the old man's system
was remarkable. Akane felt almost the same thing.
Ranma's eyes flashed open. "I felt that! I think I know what
you were doing!" Happosai motioned him to continue. "I don't think it's
so much a matter of what you did to Akane, but more what happens to you
because of it."
Happosai grinned. "You are remarkable Ranma. It took me half a
year to understand the process. Of course I was still developing it.
Every living thing secretes nearly indetectable parts of their...
essences, if you will. When you learn to detect them, you can absorb
them, and then only if you let it affect you, will it work. You've heard
that laughter is the best medicine, well this is similar. Your body will
unconsciously emit certain chemicals under the right conditions. When
you feel emotions of love or lust for the opposite sex and absorb the
essence they leave, it will be converted and added to your ki. Why don't
you give it a try, Ranma-chan."
He nodded and held Akane's hands. He concentrated until he
began to sense what he did before. He found his love for Akane and
suddenly felt a small surge in power. It surprised him so much that he
let go and gasped.
"I did it!" he exclaimed. "I felt it! That's incredible!"
"Well done, m'boy!" Happosai was impressed. "I was right in
choosing you two as my heirs. Now, when you two have the hang of that,
I'll come back and teach you some more of the advanced fighting
techniques. Go ahead and practice. I'll be around." And then he was
gone.
"Well that was wierd," Akane said at last. Ranma agreed. "I've
never seen him like this. It seems his mind has changed, as well as his
body."
"I kinda wonder if the death of the old gh-Cologne has something
ta do with it," Ranma thought out loud. He had been trying to honor the
old woman's memory by referring to her by her name instead the `old
ghoul'. [Guess I'll have to do that with Happosai as well.]
"Yeah." Akane turned to him with a mischievous gleam in her eye.
"Okay, now that you have it, it's my turn!"
They reassumed the positions they had before as Akane took her
turn. Ranma tried to help her through it, since she went for several
minutes without success. Then, on impulse, she bent foreword and cupped
Ranma's head in her hands while she kissed him.
That worked.
When she broke off the kiss, they both knew she had done it. Of
course, when that was realized, their training session rapidly
degenerated into another make-out session. After fifteen minutes, they
were both actively glowing from the ki they had charged. It was then
decided to work on ki blasts in the yard to drain off the excess.
"Okay now, just like yesterday, create the ball and try to hold
onto it," Ranma coached.
Akane nodded, cupped her hands six inches apart in front of her
and concentrated. She reached down and found the calm inside her and
willed her ki to form. Soon, a small blue ball began to grow in her
hands. It became the size of a baseball and Akane held it for several
minutes before it winked out.
"Very good, you held it longer than yesterday," he commended
her.
Akane blushed. "I think it's just because of all the extra ki
we generated."
Ranma grinned back at her. "Probably, but don't sell yourself
short. Now do it again, but this time try to throw it at the practice
dummy. Remember, it's based on confidence, so find that on which your
most confident in. Then, push it with your mind, as well as your body."
Ever since Ranma had come to Nerima, Akane's confidence had
never been that high. Not only was he better than her in martial arts,
but he had a better looking female body. Then, many other indviduals
came to Nerima after him, each of them better fighters and, in the case
of the females, better looking than her (at least to her point of view).
As a result, she wasn't very confident about much. That was one
reason why she fought with Ranma so often, she was deathly scared she
wasn't good enough for him.
Closing her eyes, Akane flashed through several subjects:
schoolwork, friends, martial arts skills, trying to find something to be
confident in. Her mind eventually settled on the fact that Ranma was
hers. She became confident of her love for him and his love for her.
With that thought, the ball became bigger in her hands until it was the
size of a basketball.
Opening her eyes, she brought her hands back slowly, then
pushed them rapidly foreword again.
"Moko Takabisha!"
The ball went foreword several feet before dropping into the
ground. With a small flash, it burned itself out. Akane felt a wave of
enthusiasm, followed by disappointment. She was happy because it worked,
yet it wasn't nearly on the scale as her iinazuke.
Ranma noticed her look of disappointment, and tried to cheer
her up. "That was pretty good. Now that ya seem ta have found your
focus, you're improving your skills more rapidly. By learning to use
your ki, you've become nearly twice as fast and a whole lot stronger."
He had always known Akane had a strong ki, the tremendous battle aura
she generated when provoked proved that. But auras were an unconsciously
generated form of ki, and Akane just needed to tap it.
She smiled and flashed her eyelids at him. "Arigato, Rama-
sama," she purred sweetly, causing Ranma to turn red and face away. She
giggled. She loved playing with him like this. It was so much better
than hitting him. Then, a new thought entered her mind, something that
she wanted to ask earlier. "I've seen you use both a ki ball and a beam
form before. Why is that?"
"Well, ya know I started out with just a ball, `cause it was
easier to form and and helped me gain control," he replied. "A beam can
be more powerful, like Ryoga's Shishi Houkodan, but for most situations,
a ball takes less ki and works just as well. You've never been hit by a
ki blast, but it works kinda like a distance punch. Basically, you're
hittin' an opponent from a distance with a solid object." He grinned
suddenly. "Sort of like when you throw a barbell or a statue at me."
Akane couldn't help but smile. "Baka. Yeah, I think I
understand now." She turned back to the practice dummy and concentrated,
the ball forming in her hand. "Moko Takabisha!" This time the ball
traveled at a faster speed and smacked the dummy dead center, and making
a nice round hole in it.
Ranma nodded from the sidelines. "Okay, I think you've almost
got it. Now I think it's time you practiced the Tora Dokiken again. You
need to work with it and see what's capable of." [Not to mention I wanna
get a better idea on how you do it.] "As you do it, let me know what
you're feelin' and what your reactions are."
Akane nodded at him then closed her eyes. She struggled to
bring the power up but it wasn't responding. [Strange, what's wrong? It
came to me so easily back at the wizard compound.]
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I don't know!" [Wait a minute, Ranma said emotions are the key
to controlling one's ki, so what was I feeling?] She smiled as it came
to her.
"Tora Dokiken!"
Ranma watched as she began to glow her golden color. Then, her
eyes snapped open and she took the time to study herself.
"Wow!" she exclaimed. "I never realized what I looked like." She
looked back up at him. "It was my determination that did it. Back at the
compound I was determined to save you and all our friends. Then I felt
this wierd warping in my ki and it happened."
Ranma walked around her, studying the effect. His gaze
eventually returned to her face and his breath caught in his throat at
the sight of her glowing facial features. "An angel..." he whispered
quietly in awe.
Akane turned a shade of red as her fiance's eyes traversed her
body, and also when she heard his whispered comment. She was about to
say something when Ranma reached out his hand for hers. Their eyes met
for a second and she took his hand.
A sizzling jolt washed over them as the connection was made,
but neither one let go. Ranma closed his eyes as he felt the ki of his
iinazuke wash over him and mingle with his; the same glow spreading over
his body. A strange tingling feeling was left in it's wake, but somehow
Ranma felt that it was a good thing and he liked it. His eyes opened and
met hers again and and it was clear they were experiencing the same
phenomenon.
Akane reached out her other hand and Ranma clasped it
automatically. She then got the same impish idea from earlier in the
dojo, and closed the distance between their bodies. As his face came
down to meet hers, their lips met halfway in a kiss that could only be
described as... well, it was really indescribable. Mouths opened,
increasing the fuzzy, tingling feeling they shared.
With a final flash, they parted and the glow disappeared. For a
full minute, they gazed into each other's eyes, trying to figure out
what just happened. Finally, Ranma spoke.
"Wow, Akane, that was..."
"Incredible, I know," she finished for him. "I didn't know that
would happen." She blinked. "Normal kisses are going to seem boring
compared to that."
Ranma turned an interesting shade of red as what happened
managed to impact his conciousness. A yawn forced it's way out of his
mouth, despite his efforts to contain it. Akane matched it.
"I feel so tired all of a sudden," Akane said sleepily.
Ranma nodded. "Me, too. I think that technique really takes it
out of you."
Akane nodded and then leaned into him as they started into the
house. Ranma unconciously put his good arm around her as they headed
inside. A short kiss at Akane's door, then they parted and Ranma went
back to the guest room to spend the night.
As Ranma lay there, he couldn't help but feel good. [This is so
much better than fighting all the time! And that kiss was incredible!]
He absently touched his lips as the memory played out.
[At last, my life seems to be normalizing. Me and Akane gettin'
along, multiple fiancee problem almost cleared up. Haven't been attacked
by Ryoga in awhile. Still, I kinda miss fighting with him. He's the only
one who could really challenge me. Of course, if Akane keeps up with her
training...] He let the thought hang as he went to sleep.
His last thought was of how much better his arm was feeling.
From the darkness, Happosai had watched the event. [In all my
years, I've never seen anything like that.]
From his persepective, their ki energies had actually merged
for the few minutes they were liplocked. Even when they parted, parts of
each other's ki remained in the other, strengthening a unique bond that
they seemed to have between them. [If only I had more time, an indepth
study of this Tora Dokiken technique would prove most interesting.] He
sighed. [But, I have other things to do; other problems to solve and
deeds to atone for.]
He leapt away into the night, never noticing the second figure
that had watched the event.
The second shadowy figure now kept almost constant surveillance
over Ranma and Akane, only leaving to report, as per his mistress's
orders. He was now on his way to report after watching them enter his
mistress's house.
[I really wish I could get out of this. There is no honor in
this.] He sighed. [Well, the mistress isn't exactly known for her sense
of honor. The master maybe, but not her.] He arrived at his destination,
easily hopping over the outer wall and making his way inside the
mansion. He quickly found the door to the greenhouse. Knocking twice, he
was bidden to enter and he did.
"So," purred a female voice from the figure in front of him. She
had her back to him. "What have you to report?"
He cleared his throat and told her all about the couple's
kissing session on the way home from school, the training, and the
strange glowing event that happened afterward.
The female was still for a minute or two, as if pouring over
this new information. The short little man wondered if his life was now
forfeit. Then she resumed her work on the plants in front of her.
"This is not good," she said finally. "We must do something to
end this now and pry him loose from the clutches of that vile woman. I
knew there was a reason he wouldn't show his love for me, and now I find
out it's because of some magic the Tendo girl has over him. I need a
plan and an opportunity to strike." She paused and smiled.
"Tell me more about this challenge match..."
"[Shampoo, are you alright in there?]" Mousse asked in their
native language through the closed door. He got no response.
For the past several days, Shampoo would stay locked in her
great-grandmother's room (now hers), only emerging to get something to
eat. Mousse could only imagine what was going on in there.
[Probably reading through Kuh Lon's training manuels,] he
thought. [And getting ready for the match.] He had heard that Akane was
training hard, and with a lot of luck, she might almost be ready for
Shampoo by Saturday. [Still, it's not going to be easy for Akane.
Shampoo won't go down without giving it everything she has. For once, I
hope you lose, my beloved.]
Thankfully, the same law which forbade him to help Akane, also
prevented him from helping Shampoo. So he didn't have to tell her about
the training Akane was getting.
He repeated his inquiry and when he still got no response, he
did the only thing he could do; he walked away.
Shampoo had told him outright to not enter her room or bother
her at all unless she failed to emerge for 48 hours or for the match. As
he went back to his room, he couldn't help but feel strong magical
forces at work on the other side of the door.
[Still, I would like to know what she is doing.]
--------------------------------------------------------------
Author's notes:
Will Akane be able to train enough to beat Shampoo? My analysis of
Akane's fighting abilities reveals that she has the same knack for
improvising on the battlefield that Ranma does. Need proof? Read the
part of the manga where Taro shows up for the first time. Ranma was able
to beat his monster form, only through Akane's help. What did she do?
Also, take a closer look at her fight with Kiima. Interesting use of the
bamboo poles, ne?
The battle doji shows latent potential, and the OAV, "The One to Carry
On" shows learning fast improvement rate. Akane lost to Kurumi, then
after only a couple days of training, she came back and was able to
match her move for move. Most likely would've beat her if Natsume and
Ranma hadn't joined. This leads me to believe she can advance as fast as
Ranma when she puts her mind to it. Plus, she's focusing her ki now and
has a few ki moves. Still, who knows what Shampoo is doing behind the
door!
