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Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
All That We Have Known
Chapter 7
"No really, how do you do it?" Ranma asked.
"I told you, I don't really know," Akane replied, setting their
homework assignment aside for the moment. "I was just upset at how you
and all our friends were getting beat up. I became very determined and
focused to save you guys, and then it happened." She really didn't want
to tell him the bit about her being cursed. She didn't want him to
worry; besides, she was cured.
Ranma tapped his chin. "So, you finally were able to focus your
ki, and the technique activated." He thought for a moment. "Well, if you
don't know how you got it, I know one person we can ask."
Akane cocked her head. "Who? Certainly not Happosai or
Cologne." She named the two most knowledgeable people they knew. If
anybody knew, they would.
"No, I mean your father. During your fight with Shampoo, he
seemed upset and worried when you used the Tora Dokiken. I think he
knows something."
Akane thought about this. [Is daddy hiding something? But why
hasn't he said anything about it?] She looked up. "You're right. Now
that I think about it, there has been something funny with daddy lately.
He keeps asking if I'm alright, and I catch him studying me. Let's go
talk to him."
"My thoughts exactly," Ranma agreed as the two left Akane's room
where they were studying and went downstairs to where Soun and Genma
were wrapped up in a game of Go.
Akane approached her father and stood over him. "Okay, daddy,
spill it."
Soun looked up. "What are you talking about, daughter?"
"We're talkin' about what you know of Akane's new technique, the
Tora Dokiken," Ranma said.
Soun paled. "H-how do you know that name?"
"It came to me when I used it for the first time during the
battle with Krynn," Akane replied. "Ranma said you recognized it during
my fight with Shampoo."
Soun sighed, as if he was wrestling with a terrible decision,
then made it. "I-It has to do your mother," he said softly.
Nabiki had been sitting in the room reading a manga, but
focused her attention on the current conversation when she heard it turn
to her mother. [This could be interesting.] She noticed Kasumi enter the
room, obviously wanting to hear about their
mother as well.
"I never really told you how you lost your mother," Soun said.
"I remember her getting weak, but I assumed it was some
disease," Akane stated.
Sound nodded. "That was partially it. You see, there was an old
story passed down in her family about one of their ancestors who
practiced Shaolin Kung-fu, specifically, he mastered the moves of the
tiger. The story goes that he used his skills to save many lives. As a
reward, he was given the chance to undergo a special trial that would
increase his power. He did so, and received the knowledge of the Tora
Dokiken, a nearly invincible technique. Your mother told me this shortly
before she died."
Miraculously, he hadn't yet gone into total emotional
breakdown. Needless to say, everyone was impressed. "She said the
technique had been passed down through her family in the form of a
latent talent, and that she had only seen it done once, by her mother
who was a talented martial artist."
He sighed, and a few tears began to show on his face. "It was
late one night. You three girls were being taken care of by a neighbor
while you're mom and I went out. We were beset by a large gang of
thieves. After we gave them our money, they decided they wanted my wife,
too. Said they could fetch a good price for her."
He turned away to face the sky. His daughters could see the
inner turmoil appear as on his face as he recalled that night.
"Daddy..." Akane said softly.
"No, I'm alright," he replied. "I just didn't think recalling
that night would be so difficult." He sighed and continued the story
after a minute.
"I... was enraged. I loved Kimiko very much and I never would
have let them have her. I attacked them while defending your mother as
best as I could. Eventually, someone got a knife passed my defenses and
I went down, taking a few more knife wounds. I heard her scream, then,
and there was a flash of light. When I finally was able to turn and take
a look, I saw her. She was bathed in golden flames."
The Tendo patriarch faltered then, and Kasumi handed him a
tissue which he used to wipe his eyes. "She wasn't an adept martial
artist, she had just learned the basics. She could probably take one or
two of the gang, but she shouldn't have been able to handle all of them.
When they attacked, none of the thieves could touch her, though."
He paused again to collect his thoughts. "Afterwards, she was
weak and exhausted, yet somehow we got to a hospital. My wounds would
heal with time, but your mother... she told me... her time was short.
That the technique extracted a price from martial artists who hadn't
learned to focus their ki, like herself. With very little ki to draw
upon, it had consumed her life force. Physically, she was alright, but
her life span was drastically shortened. She didn't last for more than a
year and a half after that. She made me promise to remember, but not to
tell anyone unless it came up again."
Nabiki leaned foreword. "So, you're saying all three of us have
the capacity to use
this technique?"
Soun hesitated. "I don't really know. Your mother was an only
child, so I don't know if the trait passed to all of you or just Akane.
But neither you nor Kasumi have the martial art or ki abilities of your
sister. If you were to use it, the results would be disastrous. You have
to promise me you will try your best not too!"
"I would never think of it, father," Kasumi replied.
"Don't worry daddy," Nabiki said. "I wouldn't have the slightest
clue how to do it, nor do I care about learning how. I use my brain, not
my fists."
"So this skill Akane's got can only be done by her and her
sisters?" Ranma asked.
"That's correct," Soun answered. "I don't think you would be
able to do it unless you somehow went through the same trial as their
ancestor."
"Shoot," Ranma grumbled.
Akane looked at him and giggled. "Ha! I can do something you
can't!"
Soun grabbed Akane's shoulders and became serious. "I know I
can't stop you
from using it, but promise me to be very careful with it." He turned to
Ranma. "And as her fiance, it's your duty to teach her how to best use
it."
Ranma rolled his eyes. [Several months ago that would have
really bugged me, him calling me her fiance. Now, I don't really mind.
In fact, I kinda like it.] "Fine, we'll work on it some more later."
"Careful Yuri, maintain your focus," Kenji admonished his sister
as they glided through the air.
It was night, so there wasn't much chance of them being seen.
Though Ukyo had told them not many people would notice if they trained
during the day with all the strange things that go on. Kenji wasn't
about to take any chances, though.
"I think I've got it, `niichan," Yuri replied. They could both
feel her air shell stabilize. "I think I'm ready to go solo."
Kenji nodded reluctantly. "I'll stay close. Be sure to speak up
if you need help." Slowly, he released her hand and she floated away
from him.
The technique they were employing, used one's ki to form an
aerodynamic air shell around the target. It functioned much like an
airplane's wing, forcing wind currents below them to keep the body up.
Needles to say, it needed some method of propulsion for the intial take-
off, so that meant jumping off a tree or high place and using the
descent to start the process. It was vastly similiar to one-man gliders
that relied on thermal updrafts and wind currents.
"Wheeee!" she exclaimed, very child-like. "This is fun!"
Kenji couldn't help but smile at Yuri's cry of glee. He looked
over to see her rocking ever so slightly, but otherwise doing fine. This
was the first time she had been able to go on her own, and it had only
taken her a week. After his first flight at the compound, Kenji's
subsequent attempts had proven easier and he had gotten the basics down
with one exception: The only way he was able to land was to crash,
preferably into something soft. The scroll that taught them the air
shell technique, didn't mention landing at all.
Yuri floated back over to him. "Thanks `niichan, this feels
great!" Her expression changed."Okay, so now it's my time to help you
with your problem."
He frowned. "What problem?"
She shook a finger at him. "I know something's on your mind and
it has to do with Ukyo-chan. You two rarely speak with each other unless
you have to, and you don't spend much time together anymore."
He sighed. He couldn't hide anything from his sister and it
really tended to freak him out. After a short deliveration, he decided
to go with the truth. "Well, I guess I have sort of a problem." He
paused and she motioned for him to continue. "You know the party coming
up in a few days?" She nodded. "Well, I sort of have a date for it. I
was kinda tricked into with this other girl at school. It was while
Ukyo-san was unconscious. I feel kinda bad now that I think she knows
about it."
"Ah, so that's it," his sister said with a slight smiled. "You
feel like you're cheating on her."
"Why would I be cheating on her!?" he retailiated. "We're just
friends!"
She shrugged. "Suuuure. Well, since it's not like you two are
exclusive or anything. You've only been on one date."
"It wasn't really a date, I told you!" he countered. "Ranma and
Akane never showed up."
Yuri smiled. "Right. So you should have nothing to worry about.
It wouldn't be right to just break off this date with this other girl.
And Ukyo is just a friend, so you shouldn't care much what she thinks.
Just go and have a good time!"
"Right!" But somehow, he still didn't feel quite right about
that statement. [But what's really wrong about it?]
(Because you care what Ukyo thinks, but you don't want to admit
it.)
[Shut up.] Changing the subject, he said, "In the meantime, I
think it's time to land. We'll circle to the back of the restaurant and
set down in the alley behind it." They began the descent to their
landing zone. Fortunately, he had managed to work out a way to go about
this difficult task. "Remember, you'll need to create a retro wind
current to slow you down; I'll go first."
He shifted his feet downward as the ground approached. Cupping
his hands downward, he let loose a minor wind blast that spiraled upward
when it ricocheted off the ground. As the mini-tornado engulfed him, his
descent slowed enough that he hit the ground no harder than a
paratrooper. Rolling to his feet, he glanced up at his sister.
She had begun her descent and was following his lead. Feet
first, hands cupped downward, and forming the whirlwind. She got the
angle wrong, however, and the whirlwind missed her. Knowing she was
dropping too fast, Kenji moved quickly to get underneath her. She
dropped into his arms as he caught her, the extra force driving him onto
his butt.
"Ouch!" he exclaimed. "You ever think of going on a diet,
imoutochan?"
She scowled, then the next thing he saw was her fist.
Ryoga was lost.
The fact that it was overly cliched, didn't change the fact he
had no idea where he was. The people in the last village he had run
across spoke Japanese, so he was still in Japan. [I hope.]
Right now, he was walking through a forest. Even if he knew
where he wanted to go, he still wouldn't get there. The fact of the
matter was, he didn't know just where he wanted to go. It was really a
toss-up of finding one of two people.
Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out his wallet, then a
half-torn picture. The girl in the picture smiled back at him. [Akari.]
She said she loved him and would wait for him. He supposed that since
Akane was most likely lost to him, he should go talk to Akari. He did
have feelings for her, but only time would tell if it was love.
He replaced her picture and thought of the other person he
still needed to see. Or rather beat the living crap out of. A young
martial artist by the name of Saotome Ranma. He still needed to prove to
Ranma that Ryoga was the better man. And to repay him for all the misery
he'd been through.
Now if only he could find one of the two, then...
"Hi Ryoga-kun!" came a familiar voice.
"Heya, bacon breath!" came another all-too familiar voice.
He looked up to see Ranma and Akane looking back at him.
"Akane-san! Where am I?"
"You just wandered into Furinken High school, silly," she said.
He looked around and spotted the grove of trees he had just
emerged from. "You mean, I'm in Nerima!?"
"Yep, way to go pig-boy!" Ranma taunted. "This must be a new
record for you!"
Ryoga's rage began to bubble inside him. It was a familiar
feeling.
Akane elbowed him in the stomach to shut him up. "Knock it off,
Ranma!" That was familiar too.
And guess what else is familiar? "Shut up Ranma!" He pulled his
umbrella and charged. "Prepare to Die!"
I don't think I need to tell you exactly what happens now, so
I'll just sum up.
Ryoga attacks Ranma. Ranma dodges and taunts `P-chan'. Akane
yells at them to stop. Ranma tells her to butt out of a fight between a
man and a pig. Akane gets angry. Ryoga gets angry and tells him to leave
Akane alone. They fight for real. They pass out of sight. When Akane
finds them again, Ryoga is gone and nowhere to be seen, but oddly, a
small black pig is attacking Ranma-onna. Akane calls P-chan who happily
bounds to her to be snuggled into her bosom. Akane yells at Ranma some
more.
But this time, P-chan notices something different. When they
get home, they apologize to one another and then Ranma kisses Akane!
Then they talk about their date!
"Bweee!?" [Translation: What's going on!?] The black piglet
begins to squirm.
"Hey, what's wrong with P-chan?" Akane asked, slightly worried.
Ranma smirked. [This is going to be fun.] "I think he's jealous
of the fact that I love you." He kisses her on the cheek.
She smiles. "I love you too, Ranma." Akane frowns. "But, why
would he be, he's only an animal."
The heart of a black piglet shatters into a million pieces.
True, he had kinda given up Akane to Ranma because of what happened at
Jusendo, but to see them so freely admit their feelings and... and...
KISS! Is was just too much.
P-chan squirmed from Akane's grasp and ran blindly... which
happen to take him straight into the house. Akane made to follow, but
Kasumi called her and Ranma said he'd go find him instead.
"Okay, but Ranma?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you at least try to talk to Ryoga-kun?" she asked. "I'm not
really sure why you guys fight all the time, but can you try to be
friends, for me?"
Ranma sighed. "But, Akane, the guy's pigheaded and stubborn. He
won't listen to me!"
She frowned. "Well, maybe if you try being patient with him, he
will! Just once, next time you see him, try talking to him."
He sighed again, but one look at the imploring face Akane was
giving him, broke his resolve. "Oh, alright. I promise I'll try to talk
to him. But I can't promise anything else!"
She smiled at him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"Thank you, Ranma. Now I better go see what Kasumi wants."
She left and Ranma headed inside. Predictably, he found the
little pig in the bathroom, trying to turn the hot water faucet. Ranma
hoisted him up by his bandanna to keep the little pig from biting or
scratching his face, which Ryoga was trying to do.
"Now listen here Ryoga, `cause I'm only gonna say this once. No
more P-chan. I don't wanna ever see you in Akane's bed again; I don't
care what you have against me, leave her out of it. You know by now how
we feel about each other."
P-chan stopped suddenly, `bweee' sadly as the life seemed to
drain out of him. Ranma could tell the fight looked driven from the lost
pig for the moment.
"Good. Now I'll still keep your secret. I won't tell anyone, but
neither will I help you to hide it. That means if you're headed for
water where she can see you, I won't do a thing to save you. If she
decides to give P-chan a hot bath, you're on your own. Got it?"
Ryoga nodded slowly.
[Well, whatta ya know, he actually seems ta be listening ta me.]
"Good. It isn't fair to her, me, or Akari. That's the girl you should be
goin' after. She knows about your curse and doesn't care. I don't know
why, but she loves you pig-boy."
P-chan snarled.
Ranma chuckled. "Calm down. Tell you what, you can stay here as
Ryoga `til tomorrow. I'll take you over to Akari's place then, okay?"
The piglet `bweee'ed his agreement, not really seeing any other
choice, and Ranma set him down, turning the hot water on in the furo.
"I'll let you get cleaned up, and I think we've got some of your
old clothes that you left last time you were here. I'll get them."
P-chan hopped into the tub and reformed. Ryoga looked up at his
rival. "Uh, I guess I should say thanks, Ranma."
Ranma smiled. [Maybe Akane was right. This might work.] "Hey,
what are friends for?"
"You'd call me a friend?" Ryoga asked, surprised.
Ranma shrugged. "Sure, why not. You were one of the few friends
I had growin' up."
The lost boy was aghast. "But-but, you cursed me! You ran away
from our fight! You took Akane away from me! Because of you, I've-"
"Seen hell, I know," Ranma finished for him. "Listen, it was an
accident when I knocked ya in. I wish I could take it back, but I
can't." He sighed. "Look, even if you manage to beat me in a fight, what
does it change?"
"It'll prove I'm the better man, that's what!"
[What does it take to get through to him?] Ranma wondered.
"Look, I'll fight ya anytime ya want. But doncha think you should spend
some time with Akari first?"
Ryoga stopped. [He's right. I could lose Akari if I spend all
my time fighting Ranma. If I haven't lost her already.] "Akari..."
[Uh oh,] Ranma thought. [I know that look. Like he's gettin'
ready to do a major Shishi Houkodan.] "Yo! Ryoga! Snap out of it!" He
hated to do it, but he slapped him.
"Ranma!" the lost boy growled.
"How about I take you to Akari's place?" Ranma said suddenly.
Ryoga stopped. "You'd do that? For me?"
"Sure, We're friends ain't we?" He held out his hand.
Ryoga looked at it. It would mean a lot of things if he took
the hand of friendship Ranma was offering. It would mean Ryoga was at
least partially at fault for all the things that had happened to him,
and that all debts were settled.
His face became serious. "No, not yet. Not until we have at
least one decisive fight. I'll spend some time with Akari and train. But
when I come back, we will fight. Okay?"
Ranma nodded slowly. "Sure. I understand. But we do it in a
place where no one else gets hurt and we don't damage nobody's
property."
Ryoga thought about it. "Agreed."
"Good, then I'll go grab your pack and stuff where you left it
and bring you your clothes."
They settled it with a handshake, and Ranma left him; returning
only to deliver his pack and clothes. When he went out into the living
room for the second time, Akane and Kasumi were waiting for him with
downcast looks on their faces.
"What's wrong?" he asked, suddenly worried.
Kasumi spoke up. "I'm sorry, Ranma-kun. Dr. Tofu was called
away on an emergency visit, so we won't be able to go tonight. Also, the
restaurant where we had reservations closed down for repairs." She bowed
slightly, then left to cook dinner.
Ranma tried to say something, but Akane waved him off. "It's
okay, Ranma. I won't hold it against you. I'd rather do some sparring
with you tonight, anyways. We can also work the Nekoken some more. Plus,
we always have the party tomorrow."
Ranma relaxed some. "So you're not upset, then?"
She shook her head, then got an evil look in her eye. "That
doesn't mean you're off the hook, though." She started up the stairs to
her room. "I'm going to change into my gi, and when I meet you in the
dojo, you're going to spar with me for real!"
She left and Ranma gulped. He knew what that meant. She wanted
him to actively attack her instead of just dodging. He did want to train
her for real, but he knew how powerful his punches could be even if he
pulled them.
Officially, he didn't fight girls, but that wasn't entirely
true. The only girl he didn't want to fight was Akane because he didn't
want to hurt her. He'd gotten away with it during the two weeks before
Shampoo's fight, since his arm was broken. So he either directed her
actions, or she sparred with Yuri and/or Ukyo. Neither one would be
available tonight.
Now, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the dojo, he
meditated while considering this dilemma. The simplest answer was to
turn female, of course, to lessen the damage he could do. He looked to
the bucket of water sitting to his right.
"Moko Takabisha!"
The attack surprised him and he was on his feet and moving as
the ki-ball slammed into the bucket he was sitting next to.
Instinctively, he dodged the spray of water and, for once, managed to
avoid it. Then he looked to his attacker.
It was Akane. She was standing in the doorway with her hands
still cupped outward.
"What'd you do that for!?" He said the line reserved for when he
got wet, though this time he didn't.
"You are gonna fight me as a man," she replied evenly. "You've
fought me as a girl way too often and you're too fast for me to hit you
like that."
He looked down. "Akane, you know I don't fight..."
"Ranma!" she growled. "Don't give me that! You've fought Kodachi
and Shampoo. You also fought Natsume and Kurumi. So you DO fight girls
when you have to. You just don't fight ME! Now tell me why?" She crossed
her arms over her chest and waited for his answer. She had an idea why,
but she wanted him to say it.
Ranma sighed. [How can I tell her?] "Akane... It's not that I
don't want to fight you. It's just that... I-I... I can't stand to see
you hurt, alright? And I couldn't live with myself if I was the one who
hurt you!" He turned his back to her. "I'm scared Akane... I don't
want... can't bring myself to do that." He dropped his head and awaited
the inevitable outburst.
For a few minutes there was nothing, then he felt arms wrapping
themselves around him from behind as Akane spoke into his ear. "Ranma, I
can understand that, but as a martial artist, I won't get any better if
you don't hit me." She sighed. [How can I get him to take me seriously?]
She turned him around and kissed him. "That attitude is sweet,
if a bit chauvinistic, but I'll be alright; I've taken hits before. I'm
not a china doll and I won't break. If you don't do this, there may come
a time in the future where I take a hit that kills me, because you
didn't toughen me up. How would you live with yourself if you knew I
could've lived through it, but you didn't do anything about it?" She
could see him war with himself over this piece of logic. "Please, Ranma,
do this for me."
She watched him grind his jaw as he mulled it over. He then
closed his eyes and clenched his fist. "Akane. I-I still really don't
want to do this, but... I know you're right, dammit! And I hate it!" He
opened his eyes and sighed. [But here I go, giving in yet again.] "But,
if ya really want me too, I'll... I'll hit ya."
He pushed her back and brought up his fist. Akane saw this and
knew that he was about to take an important step. Understanding
completely, she dropped her arms to her side and nodded. A second later,
Ranma punched her stomach. It was pulled, but it was enough to double
Akane over as she gasped for breath.
Ranma dropped down to his knees in front of her. "Akane, are
you alright?" he asked, extremely worried. "Was that too much? I'm so
sorry Akane, I..."
She recovered enough to look up at him and put a finger to his
lips. She then kissed him again. "Thank you, Ranma. I know that wasn't
easy for you." She stood up straight, as did he. "Now, let's spar for
real, okay? I don't expect you to use full force, but you can make an
effort."
Ranma nodded slowly as Akane assumed her stance. She studied
her opponent, noting the relaxed stance he always took when fighting
her. It never failed to infuriate her. Well, this time he was in for a
surprise. She would control her anger, focus her ki, and she would also
use every single trick in the book and every piece of knowledge she knew
to win. No longer would he question her martial art prowess.
And she would win.
Thirty minutes later, she lost.
She was bruised, beaten, and totally out of breath as she lay
on her back. She felt miserable... and strangely happy. Because he had
hit her! Now, normally this was not something someone should be proud
of, but she was. True, he was pulling his punches, but they still hurt.
She estimated he was hitting at about half his normal strength.
Also, she had pulled out several pictures of cats during the
fight and Ranma had become startled enough for her to get some hits in.
She had even purred or meowed, to distract him, though it didn't affect
him as much as it used to. Apparently, the Nekoken fear training was
coming along nicely.
Almost every night, she would hold pictures of cats, or a real
cat, and Ranma would try to approach her. She used the reasoning that he
would overcome anything for her, would save her from any monster or
prince that came after her so he better be able to save her from a small
furry cat. That challenge went directly to his ego, goading him into
proving her wrong.
Eventually, he got to the point of getting right up next to her
to place his hands on her shoulders while she held the next door
neighbor's cat in her arms. It took all his willpower and he was still
shaking somwhat, but Akane thought he was slowly overcoming his fear. Of
course she knew that once Ranma got his mind into something, he tended
to show remarkable progress.
She looked up to see Ranma kneeling over her, concern and worry
etched heavily onto his face. She would've laughed if she had the
strength.
"Akane, I-I'm sorry," he apologized. "I went too far. I didn't
mean too..." He began to check her over for injuries.
For the first fifteen minutes, he stayed true to form, dodged
and blocked mainly. When Akane started to fence him in and deliver hits,
he started to counterattack. For the last five minutes, Akane was
carefully channeling all of her strength and skill, and Ranma had to
step it up again, using more advanced maneuvers. During those last five
minutes, with the exception of pulling his attacks, he was going nearly
all-out. Akane had improved enough to push him to that point.
"Stop apologizing, Ranma," she said as she laughed a little. "I
still love you, and... thanks. I think I learned a lot today." That
seemed to placate him some.
"You've been gettin' better, and..." He put a hand behind his
head. "You were startin' to push me a bit at the end. You ain't as
clumsy as you were when I first arrived." He covered his mouth. "I
didn't mean that!"
She debated getting angry, but her good mood decided against
it. "That's okay, I know you didn't mean it." She looked back into his
face. "There is one thing you can do for me."
"What's that?"
"Pick me up and carry me. I can barely move." It wasn't totally
true; she could move, but with quite a bit of pain from the sore
muscles. It was enough, though, to put the fear back in his eyes. "I
told you I'm not mad at you, Baka! Now pick me up!" She cocked her head.
"Though if you make one comment about my weight, I'll kill you." He
gulped, but gently picked her up and cradled her in his arms. She smiled
at him. "Mmmm. This feels nice."
He reddened some as he took her into the house. Soun was gone,
over at the Saotome house playing shogi with Genma most likely. Nabiki
was out with friends and Kasumi was in the kitchen, cooking up some
dinner. Ryoga was most likely setting up his stuff in the guest room
where he would spend the night with Ranma.
"You know, I've been thinking," Ranma said. He wanted to train
her while fighting her as little as possible, and he had some training
ideas, but couldn't do them here. "I was thinkin' of goin' on another
training trip this summer break. I think you're good enough, if ya want
to come with me. It'd probably help you more than training in the dojo."
Akane's heart soared. He wanted her with him on a training
trip! "That sounds wonderful, Ranma!"
"It wouldn't be more than a week or two and summer break is
only a week away."
"Sounds good." She paused. "Nope, not up there," she said,
redirecting him when he started to head up the stairs. "Take me to the
bathroom! I desperately need a bath. No comment from you."
Ranma gulped and did as she commanded. He set her down in the
changing room and prepared to leave.
"I'll let you know when I'm done so you can take your bath," she
said, sniffing the air. "You definitely need one."
"Hey, you're the one who worked up a sweat," he retorted.
"Sparring with you is still a light exercise for me!" He stuck his
tongue out at her.
Akane's anger control vanished. "Ranma!" she yelled menacingly
while knocking him out of the changing room. She slammed the door
afterward.
[That baka just had to do it again.]
Find my stories at: www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000
DISCLAIMER: To write a disclaim is mainly a pain.
Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
All That We Have Known
Chapter 7
"No really, how do you do it?" Ranma asked.
"I told you, I don't really know," Akane replied, setting their
homework assignment aside for the moment. "I was just upset at how you
and all our friends were getting beat up. I became very determined and
focused to save you guys, and then it happened." She really didn't want
to tell him the bit about her being cursed. She didn't want him to
worry; besides, she was cured.
Ranma tapped his chin. "So, you finally were able to focus your
ki, and the technique activated." He thought for a moment. "Well, if you
don't know how you got it, I know one person we can ask."
Akane cocked her head. "Who? Certainly not Happosai or
Cologne." She named the two most knowledgeable people they knew. If
anybody knew, they would.
"No, I mean your father. During your fight with Shampoo, he
seemed upset and worried when you used the Tora Dokiken. I think he
knows something."
Akane thought about this. [Is daddy hiding something? But why
hasn't he said anything about it?] She looked up. "You're right. Now
that I think about it, there has been something funny with daddy lately.
He keeps asking if I'm alright, and I catch him studying me. Let's go
talk to him."
"My thoughts exactly," Ranma agreed as the two left Akane's room
where they were studying and went downstairs to where Soun and Genma
were wrapped up in a game of Go.
Akane approached her father and stood over him. "Okay, daddy,
spill it."
Soun looked up. "What are you talking about, daughter?"
"We're talkin' about what you know of Akane's new technique, the
Tora Dokiken," Ranma said.
Soun paled. "H-how do you know that name?"
"It came to me when I used it for the first time during the
battle with Krynn," Akane replied. "Ranma said you recognized it during
my fight with Shampoo."
Soun sighed, as if he was wrestling with a terrible decision,
then made it. "I-It has to do your mother," he said softly.
Nabiki had been sitting in the room reading a manga, but
focused her attention on the current conversation when she heard it turn
to her mother. [This could be interesting.] She noticed Kasumi enter the
room, obviously wanting to hear about their
mother as well.
"I never really told you how you lost your mother," Soun said.
"I remember her getting weak, but I assumed it was some
disease," Akane stated.
Sound nodded. "That was partially it. You see, there was an old
story passed down in her family about one of their ancestors who
practiced Shaolin Kung-fu, specifically, he mastered the moves of the
tiger. The story goes that he used his skills to save many lives. As a
reward, he was given the chance to undergo a special trial that would
increase his power. He did so, and received the knowledge of the Tora
Dokiken, a nearly invincible technique. Your mother told me this shortly
before she died."
Miraculously, he hadn't yet gone into total emotional
breakdown. Needless to say, everyone was impressed. "She said the
technique had been passed down through her family in the form of a
latent talent, and that she had only seen it done once, by her mother
who was a talented martial artist."
He sighed, and a few tears began to show on his face. "It was
late one night. You three girls were being taken care of by a neighbor
while you're mom and I went out. We were beset by a large gang of
thieves. After we gave them our money, they decided they wanted my wife,
too. Said they could fetch a good price for her."
He turned away to face the sky. His daughters could see the
inner turmoil appear as on his face as he recalled that night.
"Daddy..." Akane said softly.
"No, I'm alright," he replied. "I just didn't think recalling
that night would be so difficult." He sighed and continued the story
after a minute.
"I... was enraged. I loved Kimiko very much and I never would
have let them have her. I attacked them while defending your mother as
best as I could. Eventually, someone got a knife passed my defenses and
I went down, taking a few more knife wounds. I heard her scream, then,
and there was a flash of light. When I finally was able to turn and take
a look, I saw her. She was bathed in golden flames."
The Tendo patriarch faltered then, and Kasumi handed him a
tissue which he used to wipe his eyes. "She wasn't an adept martial
artist, she had just learned the basics. She could probably take one or
two of the gang, but she shouldn't have been able to handle all of them.
When they attacked, none of the thieves could touch her, though."
He paused again to collect his thoughts. "Afterwards, she was
weak and exhausted, yet somehow we got to a hospital. My wounds would
heal with time, but your mother... she told me... her time was short.
That the technique extracted a price from martial artists who hadn't
learned to focus their ki, like herself. With very little ki to draw
upon, it had consumed her life force. Physically, she was alright, but
her life span was drastically shortened. She didn't last for more than a
year and a half after that. She made me promise to remember, but not to
tell anyone unless it came up again."
Nabiki leaned foreword. "So, you're saying all three of us have
the capacity to use
this technique?"
Soun hesitated. "I don't really know. Your mother was an only
child, so I don't know if the trait passed to all of you or just Akane.
But neither you nor Kasumi have the martial art or ki abilities of your
sister. If you were to use it, the results would be disastrous. You have
to promise me you will try your best not too!"
"I would never think of it, father," Kasumi replied.
"Don't worry daddy," Nabiki said. "I wouldn't have the slightest
clue how to do it, nor do I care about learning how. I use my brain, not
my fists."
"So this skill Akane's got can only be done by her and her
sisters?" Ranma asked.
"That's correct," Soun answered. "I don't think you would be
able to do it unless you somehow went through the same trial as their
ancestor."
"Shoot," Ranma grumbled.
Akane looked at him and giggled. "Ha! I can do something you
can't!"
Soun grabbed Akane's shoulders and became serious. "I know I
can't stop you
from using it, but promise me to be very careful with it." He turned to
Ranma. "And as her fiance, it's your duty to teach her how to best use
it."
Ranma rolled his eyes. [Several months ago that would have
really bugged me, him calling me her fiance. Now, I don't really mind.
In fact, I kinda like it.] "Fine, we'll work on it some more later."
"Careful Yuri, maintain your focus," Kenji admonished his sister
as they glided through the air.
It was night, so there wasn't much chance of them being seen.
Though Ukyo had told them not many people would notice if they trained
during the day with all the strange things that go on. Kenji wasn't
about to take any chances, though.
"I think I've got it, `niichan," Yuri replied. They could both
feel her air shell stabilize. "I think I'm ready to go solo."
Kenji nodded reluctantly. "I'll stay close. Be sure to speak up
if you need help." Slowly, he released her hand and she floated away
from him.
The technique they were employing, used one's ki to form an
aerodynamic air shell around the target. It functioned much like an
airplane's wing, forcing wind currents below them to keep the body up.
Needles to say, it needed some method of propulsion for the intial take-
off, so that meant jumping off a tree or high place and using the
descent to start the process. It was vastly similiar to one-man gliders
that relied on thermal updrafts and wind currents.
"Wheeee!" she exclaimed, very child-like. "This is fun!"
Kenji couldn't help but smile at Yuri's cry of glee. He looked
over to see her rocking ever so slightly, but otherwise doing fine. This
was the first time she had been able to go on her own, and it had only
taken her a week. After his first flight at the compound, Kenji's
subsequent attempts had proven easier and he had gotten the basics down
with one exception: The only way he was able to land was to crash,
preferably into something soft. The scroll that taught them the air
shell technique, didn't mention landing at all.
Yuri floated back over to him. "Thanks `niichan, this feels
great!" Her expression changed."Okay, so now it's my time to help you
with your problem."
He frowned. "What problem?"
She shook a finger at him. "I know something's on your mind and
it has to do with Ukyo-chan. You two rarely speak with each other unless
you have to, and you don't spend much time together anymore."
He sighed. He couldn't hide anything from his sister and it
really tended to freak him out. After a short deliveration, he decided
to go with the truth. "Well, I guess I have sort of a problem." He
paused and she motioned for him to continue. "You know the party coming
up in a few days?" She nodded. "Well, I sort of have a date for it. I
was kinda tricked into with this other girl at school. It was while
Ukyo-san was unconscious. I feel kinda bad now that I think she knows
about it."
"Ah, so that's it," his sister said with a slight smiled. "You
feel like you're cheating on her."
"Why would I be cheating on her!?" he retailiated. "We're just
friends!"
She shrugged. "Suuuure. Well, since it's not like you two are
exclusive or anything. You've only been on one date."
"It wasn't really a date, I told you!" he countered. "Ranma and
Akane never showed up."
Yuri smiled. "Right. So you should have nothing to worry about.
It wouldn't be right to just break off this date with this other girl.
And Ukyo is just a friend, so you shouldn't care much what she thinks.
Just go and have a good time!"
"Right!" But somehow, he still didn't feel quite right about
that statement. [But what's really wrong about it?]
(Because you care what Ukyo thinks, but you don't want to admit
it.)
[Shut up.] Changing the subject, he said, "In the meantime, I
think it's time to land. We'll circle to the back of the restaurant and
set down in the alley behind it." They began the descent to their
landing zone. Fortunately, he had managed to work out a way to go about
this difficult task. "Remember, you'll need to create a retro wind
current to slow you down; I'll go first."
He shifted his feet downward as the ground approached. Cupping
his hands downward, he let loose a minor wind blast that spiraled upward
when it ricocheted off the ground. As the mini-tornado engulfed him, his
descent slowed enough that he hit the ground no harder than a
paratrooper. Rolling to his feet, he glanced up at his sister.
She had begun her descent and was following his lead. Feet
first, hands cupped downward, and forming the whirlwind. She got the
angle wrong, however, and the whirlwind missed her. Knowing she was
dropping too fast, Kenji moved quickly to get underneath her. She
dropped into his arms as he caught her, the extra force driving him onto
his butt.
"Ouch!" he exclaimed. "You ever think of going on a diet,
imoutochan?"
She scowled, then the next thing he saw was her fist.
Ryoga was lost.
The fact that it was overly cliched, didn't change the fact he
had no idea where he was. The people in the last village he had run
across spoke Japanese, so he was still in Japan. [I hope.]
Right now, he was walking through a forest. Even if he knew
where he wanted to go, he still wouldn't get there. The fact of the
matter was, he didn't know just where he wanted to go. It was really a
toss-up of finding one of two people.
Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out his wallet, then a
half-torn picture. The girl in the picture smiled back at him. [Akari.]
She said she loved him and would wait for him. He supposed that since
Akane was most likely lost to him, he should go talk to Akari. He did
have feelings for her, but only time would tell if it was love.
He replaced her picture and thought of the other person he
still needed to see. Or rather beat the living crap out of. A young
martial artist by the name of Saotome Ranma. He still needed to prove to
Ranma that Ryoga was the better man. And to repay him for all the misery
he'd been through.
Now if only he could find one of the two, then...
"Hi Ryoga-kun!" came a familiar voice.
"Heya, bacon breath!" came another all-too familiar voice.
He looked up to see Ranma and Akane looking back at him.
"Akane-san! Where am I?"
"You just wandered into Furinken High school, silly," she said.
He looked around and spotted the grove of trees he had just
emerged from. "You mean, I'm in Nerima!?"
"Yep, way to go pig-boy!" Ranma taunted. "This must be a new
record for you!"
Ryoga's rage began to bubble inside him. It was a familiar
feeling.
Akane elbowed him in the stomach to shut him up. "Knock it off,
Ranma!" That was familiar too.
And guess what else is familiar? "Shut up Ranma!" He pulled his
umbrella and charged. "Prepare to Die!"
I don't think I need to tell you exactly what happens now, so
I'll just sum up.
Ryoga attacks Ranma. Ranma dodges and taunts `P-chan'. Akane
yells at them to stop. Ranma tells her to butt out of a fight between a
man and a pig. Akane gets angry. Ryoga gets angry and tells him to leave
Akane alone. They fight for real. They pass out of sight. When Akane
finds them again, Ryoga is gone and nowhere to be seen, but oddly, a
small black pig is attacking Ranma-onna. Akane calls P-chan who happily
bounds to her to be snuggled into her bosom. Akane yells at Ranma some
more.
But this time, P-chan notices something different. When they
get home, they apologize to one another and then Ranma kisses Akane!
Then they talk about their date!
"Bweee!?" [Translation: What's going on!?] The black piglet
begins to squirm.
"Hey, what's wrong with P-chan?" Akane asked, slightly worried.
Ranma smirked. [This is going to be fun.] "I think he's jealous
of the fact that I love you." He kisses her on the cheek.
She smiles. "I love you too, Ranma." Akane frowns. "But, why
would he be, he's only an animal."
The heart of a black piglet shatters into a million pieces.
True, he had kinda given up Akane to Ranma because of what happened at
Jusendo, but to see them so freely admit their feelings and... and...
KISS! Is was just too much.
P-chan squirmed from Akane's grasp and ran blindly... which
happen to take him straight into the house. Akane made to follow, but
Kasumi called her and Ranma said he'd go find him instead.
"Okay, but Ranma?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you at least try to talk to Ryoga-kun?" she asked. "I'm not
really sure why you guys fight all the time, but can you try to be
friends, for me?"
Ranma sighed. "But, Akane, the guy's pigheaded and stubborn. He
won't listen to me!"
She frowned. "Well, maybe if you try being patient with him, he
will! Just once, next time you see him, try talking to him."
He sighed again, but one look at the imploring face Akane was
giving him, broke his resolve. "Oh, alright. I promise I'll try to talk
to him. But I can't promise anything else!"
She smiled at him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"Thank you, Ranma. Now I better go see what Kasumi wants."
She left and Ranma headed inside. Predictably, he found the
little pig in the bathroom, trying to turn the hot water faucet. Ranma
hoisted him up by his bandanna to keep the little pig from biting or
scratching his face, which Ryoga was trying to do.
"Now listen here Ryoga, `cause I'm only gonna say this once. No
more P-chan. I don't wanna ever see you in Akane's bed again; I don't
care what you have against me, leave her out of it. You know by now how
we feel about each other."
P-chan stopped suddenly, `bweee' sadly as the life seemed to
drain out of him. Ranma could tell the fight looked driven from the lost
pig for the moment.
"Good. Now I'll still keep your secret. I won't tell anyone, but
neither will I help you to hide it. That means if you're headed for
water where she can see you, I won't do a thing to save you. If she
decides to give P-chan a hot bath, you're on your own. Got it?"
Ryoga nodded slowly.
[Well, whatta ya know, he actually seems ta be listening ta me.]
"Good. It isn't fair to her, me, or Akari. That's the girl you should be
goin' after. She knows about your curse and doesn't care. I don't know
why, but she loves you pig-boy."
P-chan snarled.
Ranma chuckled. "Calm down. Tell you what, you can stay here as
Ryoga `til tomorrow. I'll take you over to Akari's place then, okay?"
The piglet `bweee'ed his agreement, not really seeing any other
choice, and Ranma set him down, turning the hot water on in the furo.
"I'll let you get cleaned up, and I think we've got some of your
old clothes that you left last time you were here. I'll get them."
P-chan hopped into the tub and reformed. Ryoga looked up at his
rival. "Uh, I guess I should say thanks, Ranma."
Ranma smiled. [Maybe Akane was right. This might work.] "Hey,
what are friends for?"
"You'd call me a friend?" Ryoga asked, surprised.
Ranma shrugged. "Sure, why not. You were one of the few friends
I had growin' up."
The lost boy was aghast. "But-but, you cursed me! You ran away
from our fight! You took Akane away from me! Because of you, I've-"
"Seen hell, I know," Ranma finished for him. "Listen, it was an
accident when I knocked ya in. I wish I could take it back, but I
can't." He sighed. "Look, even if you manage to beat me in a fight, what
does it change?"
"It'll prove I'm the better man, that's what!"
[What does it take to get through to him?] Ranma wondered.
"Look, I'll fight ya anytime ya want. But doncha think you should spend
some time with Akari first?"
Ryoga stopped. [He's right. I could lose Akari if I spend all
my time fighting Ranma. If I haven't lost her already.] "Akari..."
[Uh oh,] Ranma thought. [I know that look. Like he's gettin'
ready to do a major Shishi Houkodan.] "Yo! Ryoga! Snap out of it!" He
hated to do it, but he slapped him.
"Ranma!" the lost boy growled.
"How about I take you to Akari's place?" Ranma said suddenly.
Ryoga stopped. "You'd do that? For me?"
"Sure, We're friends ain't we?" He held out his hand.
Ryoga looked at it. It would mean a lot of things if he took
the hand of friendship Ranma was offering. It would mean Ryoga was at
least partially at fault for all the things that had happened to him,
and that all debts were settled.
His face became serious. "No, not yet. Not until we have at
least one decisive fight. I'll spend some time with Akari and train. But
when I come back, we will fight. Okay?"
Ranma nodded slowly. "Sure. I understand. But we do it in a
place where no one else gets hurt and we don't damage nobody's
property."
Ryoga thought about it. "Agreed."
"Good, then I'll go grab your pack and stuff where you left it
and bring you your clothes."
They settled it with a handshake, and Ranma left him; returning
only to deliver his pack and clothes. When he went out into the living
room for the second time, Akane and Kasumi were waiting for him with
downcast looks on their faces.
"What's wrong?" he asked, suddenly worried.
Kasumi spoke up. "I'm sorry, Ranma-kun. Dr. Tofu was called
away on an emergency visit, so we won't be able to go tonight. Also, the
restaurant where we had reservations closed down for repairs." She bowed
slightly, then left to cook dinner.
Ranma tried to say something, but Akane waved him off. "It's
okay, Ranma. I won't hold it against you. I'd rather do some sparring
with you tonight, anyways. We can also work the Nekoken some more. Plus,
we always have the party tomorrow."
Ranma relaxed some. "So you're not upset, then?"
She shook her head, then got an evil look in her eye. "That
doesn't mean you're off the hook, though." She started up the stairs to
her room. "I'm going to change into my gi, and when I meet you in the
dojo, you're going to spar with me for real!"
She left and Ranma gulped. He knew what that meant. She wanted
him to actively attack her instead of just dodging. He did want to train
her for real, but he knew how powerful his punches could be even if he
pulled them.
Officially, he didn't fight girls, but that wasn't entirely
true. The only girl he didn't want to fight was Akane because he didn't
want to hurt her. He'd gotten away with it during the two weeks before
Shampoo's fight, since his arm was broken. So he either directed her
actions, or she sparred with Yuri and/or Ukyo. Neither one would be
available tonight.
Now, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the dojo, he
meditated while considering this dilemma. The simplest answer was to
turn female, of course, to lessen the damage he could do. He looked to
the bucket of water sitting to his right.
"Moko Takabisha!"
The attack surprised him and he was on his feet and moving as
the ki-ball slammed into the bucket he was sitting next to.
Instinctively, he dodged the spray of water and, for once, managed to
avoid it. Then he looked to his attacker.
It was Akane. She was standing in the doorway with her hands
still cupped outward.
"What'd you do that for!?" He said the line reserved for when he
got wet, though this time he didn't.
"You are gonna fight me as a man," she replied evenly. "You've
fought me as a girl way too often and you're too fast for me to hit you
like that."
He looked down. "Akane, you know I don't fight..."
"Ranma!" she growled. "Don't give me that! You've fought Kodachi
and Shampoo. You also fought Natsume and Kurumi. So you DO fight girls
when you have to. You just don't fight ME! Now tell me why?" She crossed
her arms over her chest and waited for his answer. She had an idea why,
but she wanted him to say it.
Ranma sighed. [How can I tell her?] "Akane... It's not that I
don't want to fight you. It's just that... I-I... I can't stand to see
you hurt, alright? And I couldn't live with myself if I was the one who
hurt you!" He turned his back to her. "I'm scared Akane... I don't
want... can't bring myself to do that." He dropped his head and awaited
the inevitable outburst.
For a few minutes there was nothing, then he felt arms wrapping
themselves around him from behind as Akane spoke into his ear. "Ranma, I
can understand that, but as a martial artist, I won't get any better if
you don't hit me." She sighed. [How can I get him to take me seriously?]
She turned him around and kissed him. "That attitude is sweet,
if a bit chauvinistic, but I'll be alright; I've taken hits before. I'm
not a china doll and I won't break. If you don't do this, there may come
a time in the future where I take a hit that kills me, because you
didn't toughen me up. How would you live with yourself if you knew I
could've lived through it, but you didn't do anything about it?" She
could see him war with himself over this piece of logic. "Please, Ranma,
do this for me."
She watched him grind his jaw as he mulled it over. He then
closed his eyes and clenched his fist. "Akane. I-I still really don't
want to do this, but... I know you're right, dammit! And I hate it!" He
opened his eyes and sighed. [But here I go, giving in yet again.] "But,
if ya really want me too, I'll... I'll hit ya."
He pushed her back and brought up his fist. Akane saw this and
knew that he was about to take an important step. Understanding
completely, she dropped her arms to her side and nodded. A second later,
Ranma punched her stomach. It was pulled, but it was enough to double
Akane over as she gasped for breath.
Ranma dropped down to his knees in front of her. "Akane, are
you alright?" he asked, extremely worried. "Was that too much? I'm so
sorry Akane, I..."
She recovered enough to look up at him and put a finger to his
lips. She then kissed him again. "Thank you, Ranma. I know that wasn't
easy for you." She stood up straight, as did he. "Now, let's spar for
real, okay? I don't expect you to use full force, but you can make an
effort."
Ranma nodded slowly as Akane assumed her stance. She studied
her opponent, noting the relaxed stance he always took when fighting
her. It never failed to infuriate her. Well, this time he was in for a
surprise. She would control her anger, focus her ki, and she would also
use every single trick in the book and every piece of knowledge she knew
to win. No longer would he question her martial art prowess.
And she would win.
Thirty minutes later, she lost.
She was bruised, beaten, and totally out of breath as she lay
on her back. She felt miserable... and strangely happy. Because he had
hit her! Now, normally this was not something someone should be proud
of, but she was. True, he was pulling his punches, but they still hurt.
She estimated he was hitting at about half his normal strength.
Also, she had pulled out several pictures of cats during the
fight and Ranma had become startled enough for her to get some hits in.
She had even purred or meowed, to distract him, though it didn't affect
him as much as it used to. Apparently, the Nekoken fear training was
coming along nicely.
Almost every night, she would hold pictures of cats, or a real
cat, and Ranma would try to approach her. She used the reasoning that he
would overcome anything for her, would save her from any monster or
prince that came after her so he better be able to save her from a small
furry cat. That challenge went directly to his ego, goading him into
proving her wrong.
Eventually, he got to the point of getting right up next to her
to place his hands on her shoulders while she held the next door
neighbor's cat in her arms. It took all his willpower and he was still
shaking somwhat, but Akane thought he was slowly overcoming his fear. Of
course she knew that once Ranma got his mind into something, he tended
to show remarkable progress.
She looked up to see Ranma kneeling over her, concern and worry
etched heavily onto his face. She would've laughed if she had the
strength.
"Akane, I-I'm sorry," he apologized. "I went too far. I didn't
mean too..." He began to check her over for injuries.
For the first fifteen minutes, he stayed true to form, dodged
and blocked mainly. When Akane started to fence him in and deliver hits,
he started to counterattack. For the last five minutes, Akane was
carefully channeling all of her strength and skill, and Ranma had to
step it up again, using more advanced maneuvers. During those last five
minutes, with the exception of pulling his attacks, he was going nearly
all-out. Akane had improved enough to push him to that point.
"Stop apologizing, Ranma," she said as she laughed a little. "I
still love you, and... thanks. I think I learned a lot today." That
seemed to placate him some.
"You've been gettin' better, and..." He put a hand behind his
head. "You were startin' to push me a bit at the end. You ain't as
clumsy as you were when I first arrived." He covered his mouth. "I
didn't mean that!"
She debated getting angry, but her good mood decided against
it. "That's okay, I know you didn't mean it." She looked back into his
face. "There is one thing you can do for me."
"What's that?"
"Pick me up and carry me. I can barely move." It wasn't totally
true; she could move, but with quite a bit of pain from the sore
muscles. It was enough, though, to put the fear back in his eyes. "I
told you I'm not mad at you, Baka! Now pick me up!" She cocked her head.
"Though if you make one comment about my weight, I'll kill you." He
gulped, but gently picked her up and cradled her in his arms. She smiled
at him. "Mmmm. This feels nice."
He reddened some as he took her into the house. Soun was gone,
over at the Saotome house playing shogi with Genma most likely. Nabiki
was out with friends and Kasumi was in the kitchen, cooking up some
dinner. Ryoga was most likely setting up his stuff in the guest room
where he would spend the night with Ranma.
"You know, I've been thinking," Ranma said. He wanted to train
her while fighting her as little as possible, and he had some training
ideas, but couldn't do them here. "I was thinkin' of goin' on another
training trip this summer break. I think you're good enough, if ya want
to come with me. It'd probably help you more than training in the dojo."
Akane's heart soared. He wanted her with him on a training
trip! "That sounds wonderful, Ranma!"
"It wouldn't be more than a week or two and summer break is
only a week away."
"Sounds good." She paused. "Nope, not up there," she said,
redirecting him when he started to head up the stairs. "Take me to the
bathroom! I desperately need a bath. No comment from you."
Ranma gulped and did as she commanded. He set her down in the
changing room and prepared to leave.
"I'll let you know when I'm done so you can take your bath," she
said, sniffing the air. "You definitely need one."
"Hey, you're the one who worked up a sweat," he retorted.
"Sparring with you is still a light exercise for me!" He stuck his
tongue out at her.
Akane's anger control vanished. "Ranma!" she yelled menacingly
while knocking him out of the changing room. She slammed the door
afterward.
[That baka just had to do it again.]
