Heart of Fire, Soul of Ice
By: DemonSaya
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 does not belong to me. I've merely kidnapped them and am holding them for a large sum of money. Rumiko Takahashi get's her characters back on weekends and holidays only. Other than that, I am in possession. If you would like to borrow one, please e-mail me.
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Part 10: What is Love?
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She walked into the restaurant, and a hush took over the place. Mousse looked up at her and she watched his eyes widen and pupils dilate dramatically. She smiled at him, and disappeared up to her room.
Mousse simply watched her go, his mind having one thought. She understands.
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Shampoo dug through her closets her face somewhat perplexed. This was getting downright annoying. She knew that Mousse cared for her, but he wasn't advancing on her. In fact, he seemed to be avoiding her. She sighed, pulling out a cute, short tea house dress and pulled it over her head, her eyes melancholy.
She heard a soft knock at her door and glanced over her shoulder, suprised to see the object of her thoughts there. "Mu Tsu..." She murmered, smiling a bit.
"Shan pu." He returned. He noticed that she hadn't finished buttoning her dress yet and flushed a bit, then looked away. "Akane and Ukyou are here to see you."
She frowned a bit, then nodded. "Okay." She buttoned the buttons across her chest and to her neck, nodding at herself in the mirror. She wouldn't love Ranma, she didn't. She knew he didn't love her either. But maybe Akane and Ukyou could help explain what love felt like. She knew what it was, but she wasn't sure about the feelings. But she was sure of one thing. She cared for Mousse, he was a precious friend.
So from now on, she would pursue HIM...
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Akane didn't know what to expect when Shampoo came down the stairs, wearing a determined expression. For a minute, she was worried the Amazoness would want to fight her. She wrung her hands out, and took a deep breath. "S- shampoo."
Shampoo looked at her. "Shampoo think she need to talk to you. But we talk like civilized people. We go elsewhere. Nuetral ground. Kawaii Cafe, okay?"
Ukyou, who was not quite as used to Shampoo's choppy Japanese looked over to Akane for some help. "Um...?"
Slowly, the short haired girl nodded. "Alright. We'll go with you. But before we go, I think we should call each other by our names when we talk." Hesitantely, she extended her hand to Shampoo. It shook just a bit. "I'm Akane." A tiny, worried smile.
Shampoo's eyes widened. She looked from the girls hand to her face and took it firmly, giving it a strong shake. "I Shampoo."
Ukyou relaxed greatly. "And I'm Ukyou. Call me Ucchan." She winked, pushing open the door to the Nekohanten open. As they walked out, none of them saw Cologne standing in the doorway to the kitchen, watching them through narrow eyes.
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When the three girls were seated in the cafe, each having a nice sized parfait in front of them, each of them giggling and gossiping like old friends. Akane was suprised that Shampoo had set aside the grudge after having so recently tried to kill her. After awhile, she decided to broach the topic. "Shampoo...I'm greatful for you being friendly towards us...but I don't understand. What about the kiss of death?"
Shampoo smiled, somewhat sadly. "Shampoo was never truely competition. She was just...just annoyance." She lowered her eyes to her chocolate dessert. "She wanted Ranma, but...Ranma loved Akane. So Shampoo give up." She looked up at their shocked expressions and smiled again. "Is wiser to make friends. To make truce."
Akane leaned towards her and patted her hand. "I'm glad."
Ukyou looked up at the ceiling, slouching a bit. "So, what did you need to talk to us about?"
"Shampoo need to ask you what love feel like."
"EEP!" Akane and Ukyou blushed brightly. Ukyou swallowed hard. "Um, I've got a skewed view of it, so it's probably better to let Akane tell it..." She said, swallowing.
Akane thought for a moment, a far off look in her eyes. Love was such a curious emotion. It had so many different feelings, depending on the situation, depending on the circumstances. She sighed, smiling. "Love feels...well, mostly it's like confusion, not being sure about anything...Like getting annoyed with someone, even though you know it's not just their fault. It's...wanting to be able to share everything with them, but not being sure how..." She giggled.
"It's..." Ukyou began to smile now. "It's flying at breakneck speed down a street, on a motorcycle. It's...like having the most incredibly sweet treat you could ever imagine."
"And laughter..."
"And pain..."
"And frustration..."
"And..." They both grinned. "Not understanding why the HELL you care about that person!"
Shampoo blinked. "Love is...confusing..." She frowned taking a small bite of her parfait and pointing at them with her spoon. "You think Mousse love Shampoo?"
They nodded, their eyes sympathetic. "We've known since he came here."
"Aiya!" She put her hands to her cheeks. "Such a fool Shampoo has been! She kept chasing after Ranma for strength, when Mousse was there, loving her..." Her eyes saddened. "May be too late for Shampoo already."
Akane frowned. "Why do you say that?" She blinked, noting the sadness in the Chinese girls eyes.
"He avoid Shampoo since Shampoo saw Akane and Ranma embrace in dojo." She said, her voice sad, too.
Ukyou's eyes lit up with a savage glint. "Then I guess we'll just have to make you unable to avoid. You always managed to find Ranma. I'm sure we can figure out a way to do the same with Mousse. Akane, do you think Nabiki would be willing to help?"
A grin flashed across Akane's face. "I think she just might..."
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Mousse walked through the streets, his face frustrated. He didn't know what to make of Shampoo anymore. Everything was so much easier when he could just blame everything on Ranma. But right now, this new agressiveness in her was a bit frightening, even to him.
True, he'd doted after her since he'd been a young child, but now she was so different. Now...now she was openly showing her feelings for him. He'd never felt so confused in his life. Never before now had he ever not been sure about how to treat Shampoo. She was the thing he loved more than his own life, but she hadn't given him the time of day until recently.
Now, it was like trying to pull off a leech.
He winced at the analogy. He didn't like to think of his Shampoo as a leech. It didn't suit her a bit.
He glanced around, then ducked into Ucchan's, hoping he may be able to find either Ukyou or Ranma their. He was relieved. Ranma was at the bar, talking to Ryouga. He walked towards them, his face tense.
Ranma looked up first, and grinned.
"Mousse, you look like shit!"
"Gee." Mousse said, his face disgusted. "I really give a damn about your opinion, Ranma."
Ranma noticed the obvious sign of strain around the boy's eyes and elsewhere on his body. His shoulders were drawn tighter than a wire, his face was tense, his eyes were darting around nervously. He remained silent for a moment, then gestured for Mousse to join them. "We were just talkin about what Fushicho and the other's told us the other day." He said softly when Mousse joined them.
"Hm..." Mousse looked towards the door, somewhat distracted.
"What's up?" Ryouga asked, arching an eyebrow. "Were you followed?"
Mousse shook his head. "I'm having a few problems with Shampoo. She's suddenly become openly agressive towards me. I'm not sure what to do about it, either." He frowned a bit. "She's...well...she's different. She came home a few days ago and it was like all of a sudden, I was her focus, her goal. Since then, she's been devoting every single day to trying to catch me. It's...I don't like it. I liked it when I was the agressive one."
Ranma blinked. "You mean...she's...SWITCHED?!" Relief washed over Ranma's face. "Now maybe you know that it wasn't always my fault all those times!" He half-grinned, then noticed that Mousse looked rather upset.
"It really bothers me, Ranma. I'm not used to her acting like this. She's...like a different person..." He stared down at the bar, sighing heavily.
Ryouga, who was still uncomfortable with befriending any of his old 'enemies', wasn't sure what to make of the chinese man. He seemed extremely tired and much older than he looked. Yet, they knew Mousse was as old as they were. "Man, if you're having such a problem with it, TELL HER."
"Secrets between two people who love each other are no good." Ranma said, poking at his okinomiyaki. "It's better to 'bear all' so to speak."
"That's an indecent thing to do in front of a woman!" Ryouga hissed.
"I didn't mean get naked, Ryouga. Geeze..." He shook his head. "Tell her what you're thinkin. It'd be better to do that, trust me. Keepin secrets got me into a hell of alot of trouble with Akane. It would be better to get it over with and tell her the truth about how you're feelin, rather than holdin it in and makin her guess."
Mousse looked at the martial artist and arched an eyebrow. "You know, Ranma, I think I underestimated your mental capacity."
"Most people do." The mournful reply made all three of them start laughing their asses off.
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Ranma rubbed his shoulders as he walked home, his eyes closed. The tension was gradually getting worse, and his ability to cope with little things worse and worse. He was worried about Akane. He knew Shampoo wasn't going to attack her, but he hoped she at least had the sense to walk back to the dojo with Ukyou or-
He shook his head harshly. Akane was, by far, stronger than Ukyou now. She was wonderfully fast, and she didn't realize that her abilities had increased to the point where he wasn't sure who was teaching who anymore. He was actually struggling to keep up with her. True, he knew she had the natural abilities, in fact she was probably born with them, but she was still advancing at an almost disturbing rate.
What would happen when she was starting to get trained by Fushicho?
He sighed heavily. He liked being the best. He liked being able to protect her, he always wanted to protect her, but she was getting so...
Strong...
He looked at the pavement, his eyes somewhat melancholy. Sugoi yo...He gave a tiny, ironic smile. Sugoi soshite...Kirei na...
"Saotome Ranma..."
A disturbingly calm voice broke through Ranma's thoughts. He looked towards the speaker, his eyes narrowing. The man wore a gi, with an open top, as well as a rather cocky grin. "Teme..." Ranma growled, jumping back, landing in a ready position.
"Watashi wa Quan..." The man grinned, a gold tooth showing perfectly in the smile. Something about the grin made Ranma shiver. "I'm here to challenge you."
Ranma glared at him. "I decline..." He said, and began to walk down the street, turning his back on the challenger.
"You don't have that option!" The man launched himself at Ranma, his foot extended, his face in a feral grin. The kick grazed Ranma's side.
Ranma winced, turning towards the man as he landed. It barely grazed me, but it's powerful...I'd better watch those feet. He grinned his own feral grin, then darted towards the man. He quickly took notice of the man's build. He was tall, and had a build similar to Ryouga's, somewhat stocky, but that could be used against him...provided he wasn't built like a sherman tank...
Another kick, arching through the air caused Ranma's train of thought to briefly break as he caught it carefully and with a quick jerk, he used it to flip the guy. His martial training kicked in, and soon, he was engaged in the dance he so loved, the dance of attack and defense, of kicks and punches. The dance known as Martial Arts. It had been the first thing he felt at ease with, the first thing he knew he could grasp easily. Thinking had never been his strong suit. Neither had talking. But give him a girl to protect and an opponent to fight and he was happy.
Quan was getting annoyed. Saotome was stronger than he'd expected. He'd expected one of the little weakling humans like those other's he'd fought, making the plucking order for the battles shrink and shrink. The boys defense was like going up against a brick wall. Well, bricks could be broken...He jumped up, launching a kick at Ranma's mid-section.
The rest of the fight was a blur for Quan.
Ranma's eyes met his, and all of a sudden, he felt twenty different points on his leg go numb and then, twenty solid punches to his stomache. He coughed violently and blood flew from his mouth. A solid kick sent him flying back into the wall and he lay there, motionless.
Ranma stood there, looking at the kickboxer, his face serious. "You're about five years too early to fight me." He said, then turned, leaving the battered fighter laying in a pile on the ground.
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Fushicho looked up as Ranma walked in, his eyes serious, and knew immediately that something had happened. Akane looked up at the same time, as did everyone else. Akane gasped, noting Ranma's hand against his side and ran to him, her eyes worried. "Ranma?!" She whispered, laying her hand against his. "What happened?!"
He smiled at her, ruffling her short hair and pressing a tender kiss to the top of her head. "Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll tell you later..." He promised, then they went over to stand againsh the wall with the others. Ryouga and Ukyou looked over questioningly, but didn't ask. He'd tell them later, he was sure.
Oukami grinned at his human counter part. "Today, we're going to tell you who you're going to be working with. You know who you 'spiritual teacher'- shall we say-is going to be, but it wouldn't be training if you didn't have someone to spar with, who was your equal."
Akane looked at the floor. She was probably going to get stuck with Ukyou or something. She wanted to work with Ranma, but she was nowhere near that level. Not yet, at least.
"Shampoo, you and Mousse will work together, under the instruction of Taka and Yuki." Oukami ordered, then looked towards Ukyou. "You, Ukyou shall work with Ryouga, under the instruction of Hotaru and Ryu."
Akane's head jerked up in suprise. Huh...?
Ranma grinned towards her. "Looks like you're with me, Akane..." He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
She was having trouble breathing. She was working with Ranma?! But...she couldn't be that fast yet! She was nowhere near his skill! "Oukami- kun...are you sure about that?" She asked uncertainly.
Oukami grinned. "Spar with him and you'll see the reason I put you two together."
Ranma arched and eyebrow as everyone backed against the walls of the dojo. He looked towards Akane and gave her a gentle smile, stepping out into the middle of the floor. As he reached there, however, he grew serious.
Akane hesitantly followed him, her hands shaking. It had been awhile since she'd sparred seriously with Ranma. Awhile since she'd tested her skills against another person. So she stood there, in a ready stance, feeling nervous and full of self-doubt.
Ranma made the first move.
He darted towards her, and aimed a perfectly placed kick at her face. Without thinking, she cleanly danced out of it's way, letting it fly past her and spun aiming a reverse punch at his face. He caught it, and used it to propel her into a throw. She saw the wall coming and performed a neat flip in the air, using the wall to propel herself back at him.
She didn't notice he was smiling at her.
She didn't notice he was beginning to sweat just a bit.
She didn't realize...she was matching him punch for punch.
And he wasn't pulling them, either. He was going top speed and everyone watching could tell. Everyone who'd ever fought against Akane stared in shock. She and Ranma were nothing but blurs. They'd never seen such a fast paced fight in their lives.
However, it still ended quickly.
Ranma noticed a place where she had let her defense slip and smiled sadly, saying a mental apology. He spun, aiming a kick, and sending her back into the dojo wall.
Akane landed hard, and slid down the wall, panting hard. Her heart fell. "See?" She whispered, lowering her head in shame. She didn't deserve to be Ranma's partner.
"No, Akane, do you?"
She looked up, staring at Ranma in shock. He was on his knees, grinning at her from ear to ear...and panting as hard as her. His shirt was soaked with sweat, as was hers. His chi was flaming around him like a halo, as surely hers had been. "Ran...ma?" She questioned, suprised. She'd never seen him like that after any fight, even after fighting Ryouga. He looked...tired...? "I don't understand..."
"Lesson number one, my pupil." Fushicho said with a grin. "You wont notice how much you've improved until you go all out on someone you could never touch before."
"I...I thought he was just trying not to hit me on purpose...like he used to."
Ranma flashed her a proud grin. "Akane, believe it or not, I was going almost all out on you. I was at top speed and I wasn't pulling my punches. YOU were avoiding every kick, every punch, and almost every throw. Ask anyone else. I have nothing left to teach you, sweatheart."
She sat there, wide-eyed and shell-shocked. "B-but what about...Kachuu Tenshin-"
He held up a hand. "Akane, that was merely teaching a technique. All I've done to improve you is gradually speed moves up and hit just a bit harder each time, making you stronger and faster. That's it."
Oukami grinned wryly at them. "Okay, starting tomorrow, we begin your REAL training. It's not going to be easy. And we're not going to go easy on you. None of you have reached your maximum potential yet, and we don't have much time left. Mentally prepare youselves. This is going to be the hardest week of your life."
They believed him.
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Akane sat on the roof of the house, staring up at the stars. She felt so...incredible. Although she didn't want to admit it, knowing that Ranma had gone all out, knowing he'd fought her seriously, made her feel like she could take on the world.
Mind you, she had bruises forming and lots of sore muscles, but she was used to this since Ranma had started training her.
Her eyes softened at the thought of her fiancee. She really did love him, but it wasn't the best time to answer him yet. She just wanted to be a girlfriend for awhile. This was still too new, too fresh. Too...raw...
No doubt, she wanted him, though. She had his heart, but Ranma was still wild. She'd seen it when they'd fought this afternoon. That untameable glint that he got whenever he was fighting. That feral grin that always touched his lips, everytime they argued. It made her heart pound thinking she held captive the heart of so powerful a man. Yet, something stopped her from letting her give into him, to accept the proposal. Perhaps it was her own fear that he would still run away from her, or maybe it was the uneasiness from the upcomming battles. She didn't know.
But she couldn't say yes yet.
She closed her eyes and saw a whisp of blue. "Ranma..." She said softly, smiling.
"Akane..." His voice said he was smiling too. "How do you feel?" He asked, sitting beside her and putting an arm around her shoulders. He saw her smile and felt his heart skip a beat. She looked towards him, her eyes twinkling slightly, her face bright.
"I feel..." She began, staring at the stars again. "Like I'm flying..." She admitted, smiling wider. "Thank you, Ranma..." She put her arm around his waist, sighing heavily.
He rested his head against hers, rocking her back and forth. "Hey, it's what I'm here for, right?" He said softly, putting his other arm around her. He wanted to ask her if she'd thought about his proposal, but he didn't want to rush her. He didn't want her to feel like he was forcing her, but-
"Ranma...I've been thinking..." She said softly.
He blinked, staring at her. "Akane...?" He gulped. "A-about what?"
She hooked her arms around her knees, staring across the darkened yard. "I love you, Ranma. You know that...but it's still too raw...too...new." She looked towards him, begging for him to understand. "I...I need the stuff that's supposed to come before the engagement." Her eyes searched the skies. "We never got that because our parents engaged us...I need...I need chocolates...and-" She blushed, looking down. "I guess what I'm trying to say is...I love you, but right now, I think we shouldn't get really-REALLY- engaged yet..."
He lowered his eyes. Yet, he remained smiling. It wasn't a complete rejection. It was just a step. Another step that they needed to take. A step he would have to take if he wanted to be with her. A step that she wanted. With a gentle movement, he caressed her cheekbone and lifted her face, smiling down at her, his eyes twinkling. "I think I can deal with that..." He whispered, then lowered his lips to hers, caressing them gently with his, coaxing them open and the kissing her fully.
As usual, his kisses left her more breathless than her most vigorous workout.
He pulled back slowly, then took her left hand, pulling the ring off. She stared up at him in confusion, but he just smiled, pulling a chain from the pocket. "Just until you're ready to answer me..." He promised, kissing her lightly, then putting his arms around her, clasping the chain around her neck.
She felt the slight weight on her neck and saw the ring was nestled between her breasts, hanging from the chain. Her heart throbbed and she looked up at him, then threw her arms around his neck, embracing him tightly. "Oh, Ranma!"
He held her to him, resting his face against her collarbone, his eyes closing as he inhaled her scent. "Aishiteru, Akane..."
"Suki daze, Ranma..." She whispered in return, trying not to notice the happy tears running down her face. He'd accepted her decision. He loved her enough to start with the little things, and work up to the wedding. She sighed happily, resting her head against his, praying they'd get to live their happily ever after.
By: DemonSaya
Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 does not belong to me. I've merely kidnapped them and am holding them for a large sum of money. Rumiko Takahashi get's her characters back on weekends and holidays only. Other than that, I am in possession. If you would like to borrow one, please e-mail me.
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Part 10: What is Love?
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She walked into the restaurant, and a hush took over the place. Mousse looked up at her and she watched his eyes widen and pupils dilate dramatically. She smiled at him, and disappeared up to her room.
Mousse simply watched her go, his mind having one thought. She understands.
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Shampoo dug through her closets her face somewhat perplexed. This was getting downright annoying. She knew that Mousse cared for her, but he wasn't advancing on her. In fact, he seemed to be avoiding her. She sighed, pulling out a cute, short tea house dress and pulled it over her head, her eyes melancholy.
She heard a soft knock at her door and glanced over her shoulder, suprised to see the object of her thoughts there. "Mu Tsu..." She murmered, smiling a bit.
"Shan pu." He returned. He noticed that she hadn't finished buttoning her dress yet and flushed a bit, then looked away. "Akane and Ukyou are here to see you."
She frowned a bit, then nodded. "Okay." She buttoned the buttons across her chest and to her neck, nodding at herself in the mirror. She wouldn't love Ranma, she didn't. She knew he didn't love her either. But maybe Akane and Ukyou could help explain what love felt like. She knew what it was, but she wasn't sure about the feelings. But she was sure of one thing. She cared for Mousse, he was a precious friend.
So from now on, she would pursue HIM...
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Akane didn't know what to expect when Shampoo came down the stairs, wearing a determined expression. For a minute, she was worried the Amazoness would want to fight her. She wrung her hands out, and took a deep breath. "S- shampoo."
Shampoo looked at her. "Shampoo think she need to talk to you. But we talk like civilized people. We go elsewhere. Nuetral ground. Kawaii Cafe, okay?"
Ukyou, who was not quite as used to Shampoo's choppy Japanese looked over to Akane for some help. "Um...?"
Slowly, the short haired girl nodded. "Alright. We'll go with you. But before we go, I think we should call each other by our names when we talk." Hesitantely, she extended her hand to Shampoo. It shook just a bit. "I'm Akane." A tiny, worried smile.
Shampoo's eyes widened. She looked from the girls hand to her face and took it firmly, giving it a strong shake. "I Shampoo."
Ukyou relaxed greatly. "And I'm Ukyou. Call me Ucchan." She winked, pushing open the door to the Nekohanten open. As they walked out, none of them saw Cologne standing in the doorway to the kitchen, watching them through narrow eyes.
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When the three girls were seated in the cafe, each having a nice sized parfait in front of them, each of them giggling and gossiping like old friends. Akane was suprised that Shampoo had set aside the grudge after having so recently tried to kill her. After awhile, she decided to broach the topic. "Shampoo...I'm greatful for you being friendly towards us...but I don't understand. What about the kiss of death?"
Shampoo smiled, somewhat sadly. "Shampoo was never truely competition. She was just...just annoyance." She lowered her eyes to her chocolate dessert. "She wanted Ranma, but...Ranma loved Akane. So Shampoo give up." She looked up at their shocked expressions and smiled again. "Is wiser to make friends. To make truce."
Akane leaned towards her and patted her hand. "I'm glad."
Ukyou looked up at the ceiling, slouching a bit. "So, what did you need to talk to us about?"
"Shampoo need to ask you what love feel like."
"EEP!" Akane and Ukyou blushed brightly. Ukyou swallowed hard. "Um, I've got a skewed view of it, so it's probably better to let Akane tell it..." She said, swallowing.
Akane thought for a moment, a far off look in her eyes. Love was such a curious emotion. It had so many different feelings, depending on the situation, depending on the circumstances. She sighed, smiling. "Love feels...well, mostly it's like confusion, not being sure about anything...Like getting annoyed with someone, even though you know it's not just their fault. It's...wanting to be able to share everything with them, but not being sure how..." She giggled.
"It's..." Ukyou began to smile now. "It's flying at breakneck speed down a street, on a motorcycle. It's...like having the most incredibly sweet treat you could ever imagine."
"And laughter..."
"And pain..."
"And frustration..."
"And..." They both grinned. "Not understanding why the HELL you care about that person!"
Shampoo blinked. "Love is...confusing..." She frowned taking a small bite of her parfait and pointing at them with her spoon. "You think Mousse love Shampoo?"
They nodded, their eyes sympathetic. "We've known since he came here."
"Aiya!" She put her hands to her cheeks. "Such a fool Shampoo has been! She kept chasing after Ranma for strength, when Mousse was there, loving her..." Her eyes saddened. "May be too late for Shampoo already."
Akane frowned. "Why do you say that?" She blinked, noting the sadness in the Chinese girls eyes.
"He avoid Shampoo since Shampoo saw Akane and Ranma embrace in dojo." She said, her voice sad, too.
Ukyou's eyes lit up with a savage glint. "Then I guess we'll just have to make you unable to avoid. You always managed to find Ranma. I'm sure we can figure out a way to do the same with Mousse. Akane, do you think Nabiki would be willing to help?"
A grin flashed across Akane's face. "I think she just might..."
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Mousse walked through the streets, his face frustrated. He didn't know what to make of Shampoo anymore. Everything was so much easier when he could just blame everything on Ranma. But right now, this new agressiveness in her was a bit frightening, even to him.
True, he'd doted after her since he'd been a young child, but now she was so different. Now...now she was openly showing her feelings for him. He'd never felt so confused in his life. Never before now had he ever not been sure about how to treat Shampoo. She was the thing he loved more than his own life, but she hadn't given him the time of day until recently.
Now, it was like trying to pull off a leech.
He winced at the analogy. He didn't like to think of his Shampoo as a leech. It didn't suit her a bit.
He glanced around, then ducked into Ucchan's, hoping he may be able to find either Ukyou or Ranma their. He was relieved. Ranma was at the bar, talking to Ryouga. He walked towards them, his face tense.
Ranma looked up first, and grinned.
"Mousse, you look like shit!"
"Gee." Mousse said, his face disgusted. "I really give a damn about your opinion, Ranma."
Ranma noticed the obvious sign of strain around the boy's eyes and elsewhere on his body. His shoulders were drawn tighter than a wire, his face was tense, his eyes were darting around nervously. He remained silent for a moment, then gestured for Mousse to join them. "We were just talkin about what Fushicho and the other's told us the other day." He said softly when Mousse joined them.
"Hm..." Mousse looked towards the door, somewhat distracted.
"What's up?" Ryouga asked, arching an eyebrow. "Were you followed?"
Mousse shook his head. "I'm having a few problems with Shampoo. She's suddenly become openly agressive towards me. I'm not sure what to do about it, either." He frowned a bit. "She's...well...she's different. She came home a few days ago and it was like all of a sudden, I was her focus, her goal. Since then, she's been devoting every single day to trying to catch me. It's...I don't like it. I liked it when I was the agressive one."
Ranma blinked. "You mean...she's...SWITCHED?!" Relief washed over Ranma's face. "Now maybe you know that it wasn't always my fault all those times!" He half-grinned, then noticed that Mousse looked rather upset.
"It really bothers me, Ranma. I'm not used to her acting like this. She's...like a different person..." He stared down at the bar, sighing heavily.
Ryouga, who was still uncomfortable with befriending any of his old 'enemies', wasn't sure what to make of the chinese man. He seemed extremely tired and much older than he looked. Yet, they knew Mousse was as old as they were. "Man, if you're having such a problem with it, TELL HER."
"Secrets between two people who love each other are no good." Ranma said, poking at his okinomiyaki. "It's better to 'bear all' so to speak."
"That's an indecent thing to do in front of a woman!" Ryouga hissed.
"I didn't mean get naked, Ryouga. Geeze..." He shook his head. "Tell her what you're thinkin. It'd be better to do that, trust me. Keepin secrets got me into a hell of alot of trouble with Akane. It would be better to get it over with and tell her the truth about how you're feelin, rather than holdin it in and makin her guess."
Mousse looked at the martial artist and arched an eyebrow. "You know, Ranma, I think I underestimated your mental capacity."
"Most people do." The mournful reply made all three of them start laughing their asses off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranma rubbed his shoulders as he walked home, his eyes closed. The tension was gradually getting worse, and his ability to cope with little things worse and worse. He was worried about Akane. He knew Shampoo wasn't going to attack her, but he hoped she at least had the sense to walk back to the dojo with Ukyou or-
He shook his head harshly. Akane was, by far, stronger than Ukyou now. She was wonderfully fast, and she didn't realize that her abilities had increased to the point where he wasn't sure who was teaching who anymore. He was actually struggling to keep up with her. True, he knew she had the natural abilities, in fact she was probably born with them, but she was still advancing at an almost disturbing rate.
What would happen when she was starting to get trained by Fushicho?
He sighed heavily. He liked being the best. He liked being able to protect her, he always wanted to protect her, but she was getting so...
Strong...
He looked at the pavement, his eyes somewhat melancholy. Sugoi yo...He gave a tiny, ironic smile. Sugoi soshite...Kirei na...
"Saotome Ranma..."
A disturbingly calm voice broke through Ranma's thoughts. He looked towards the speaker, his eyes narrowing. The man wore a gi, with an open top, as well as a rather cocky grin. "Teme..." Ranma growled, jumping back, landing in a ready position.
"Watashi wa Quan..." The man grinned, a gold tooth showing perfectly in the smile. Something about the grin made Ranma shiver. "I'm here to challenge you."
Ranma glared at him. "I decline..." He said, and began to walk down the street, turning his back on the challenger.
"You don't have that option!" The man launched himself at Ranma, his foot extended, his face in a feral grin. The kick grazed Ranma's side.
Ranma winced, turning towards the man as he landed. It barely grazed me, but it's powerful...I'd better watch those feet. He grinned his own feral grin, then darted towards the man. He quickly took notice of the man's build. He was tall, and had a build similar to Ryouga's, somewhat stocky, but that could be used against him...provided he wasn't built like a sherman tank...
Another kick, arching through the air caused Ranma's train of thought to briefly break as he caught it carefully and with a quick jerk, he used it to flip the guy. His martial training kicked in, and soon, he was engaged in the dance he so loved, the dance of attack and defense, of kicks and punches. The dance known as Martial Arts. It had been the first thing he felt at ease with, the first thing he knew he could grasp easily. Thinking had never been his strong suit. Neither had talking. But give him a girl to protect and an opponent to fight and he was happy.
Quan was getting annoyed. Saotome was stronger than he'd expected. He'd expected one of the little weakling humans like those other's he'd fought, making the plucking order for the battles shrink and shrink. The boys defense was like going up against a brick wall. Well, bricks could be broken...He jumped up, launching a kick at Ranma's mid-section.
The rest of the fight was a blur for Quan.
Ranma's eyes met his, and all of a sudden, he felt twenty different points on his leg go numb and then, twenty solid punches to his stomache. He coughed violently and blood flew from his mouth. A solid kick sent him flying back into the wall and he lay there, motionless.
Ranma stood there, looking at the kickboxer, his face serious. "You're about five years too early to fight me." He said, then turned, leaving the battered fighter laying in a pile on the ground.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fushicho looked up as Ranma walked in, his eyes serious, and knew immediately that something had happened. Akane looked up at the same time, as did everyone else. Akane gasped, noting Ranma's hand against his side and ran to him, her eyes worried. "Ranma?!" She whispered, laying her hand against his. "What happened?!"
He smiled at her, ruffling her short hair and pressing a tender kiss to the top of her head. "Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll tell you later..." He promised, then they went over to stand againsh the wall with the others. Ryouga and Ukyou looked over questioningly, but didn't ask. He'd tell them later, he was sure.
Oukami grinned at his human counter part. "Today, we're going to tell you who you're going to be working with. You know who you 'spiritual teacher'- shall we say-is going to be, but it wouldn't be training if you didn't have someone to spar with, who was your equal."
Akane looked at the floor. She was probably going to get stuck with Ukyou or something. She wanted to work with Ranma, but she was nowhere near that level. Not yet, at least.
"Shampoo, you and Mousse will work together, under the instruction of Taka and Yuki." Oukami ordered, then looked towards Ukyou. "You, Ukyou shall work with Ryouga, under the instruction of Hotaru and Ryu."
Akane's head jerked up in suprise. Huh...?
Ranma grinned towards her. "Looks like you're with me, Akane..." He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
She was having trouble breathing. She was working with Ranma?! But...she couldn't be that fast yet! She was nowhere near his skill! "Oukami- kun...are you sure about that?" She asked uncertainly.
Oukami grinned. "Spar with him and you'll see the reason I put you two together."
Ranma arched and eyebrow as everyone backed against the walls of the dojo. He looked towards Akane and gave her a gentle smile, stepping out into the middle of the floor. As he reached there, however, he grew serious.
Akane hesitantly followed him, her hands shaking. It had been awhile since she'd sparred seriously with Ranma. Awhile since she'd tested her skills against another person. So she stood there, in a ready stance, feeling nervous and full of self-doubt.
Ranma made the first move.
He darted towards her, and aimed a perfectly placed kick at her face. Without thinking, she cleanly danced out of it's way, letting it fly past her and spun aiming a reverse punch at his face. He caught it, and used it to propel her into a throw. She saw the wall coming and performed a neat flip in the air, using the wall to propel herself back at him.
She didn't notice he was smiling at her.
She didn't notice he was beginning to sweat just a bit.
She didn't realize...she was matching him punch for punch.
And he wasn't pulling them, either. He was going top speed and everyone watching could tell. Everyone who'd ever fought against Akane stared in shock. She and Ranma were nothing but blurs. They'd never seen such a fast paced fight in their lives.
However, it still ended quickly.
Ranma noticed a place where she had let her defense slip and smiled sadly, saying a mental apology. He spun, aiming a kick, and sending her back into the dojo wall.
Akane landed hard, and slid down the wall, panting hard. Her heart fell. "See?" She whispered, lowering her head in shame. She didn't deserve to be Ranma's partner.
"No, Akane, do you?"
She looked up, staring at Ranma in shock. He was on his knees, grinning at her from ear to ear...and panting as hard as her. His shirt was soaked with sweat, as was hers. His chi was flaming around him like a halo, as surely hers had been. "Ran...ma?" She questioned, suprised. She'd never seen him like that after any fight, even after fighting Ryouga. He looked...tired...? "I don't understand..."
"Lesson number one, my pupil." Fushicho said with a grin. "You wont notice how much you've improved until you go all out on someone you could never touch before."
"I...I thought he was just trying not to hit me on purpose...like he used to."
Ranma flashed her a proud grin. "Akane, believe it or not, I was going almost all out on you. I was at top speed and I wasn't pulling my punches. YOU were avoiding every kick, every punch, and almost every throw. Ask anyone else. I have nothing left to teach you, sweatheart."
She sat there, wide-eyed and shell-shocked. "B-but what about...Kachuu Tenshin-"
He held up a hand. "Akane, that was merely teaching a technique. All I've done to improve you is gradually speed moves up and hit just a bit harder each time, making you stronger and faster. That's it."
Oukami grinned wryly at them. "Okay, starting tomorrow, we begin your REAL training. It's not going to be easy. And we're not going to go easy on you. None of you have reached your maximum potential yet, and we don't have much time left. Mentally prepare youselves. This is going to be the hardest week of your life."
They believed him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Akane sat on the roof of the house, staring up at the stars. She felt so...incredible. Although she didn't want to admit it, knowing that Ranma had gone all out, knowing he'd fought her seriously, made her feel like she could take on the world.
Mind you, she had bruises forming and lots of sore muscles, but she was used to this since Ranma had started training her.
Her eyes softened at the thought of her fiancee. She really did love him, but it wasn't the best time to answer him yet. She just wanted to be a girlfriend for awhile. This was still too new, too fresh. Too...raw...
No doubt, she wanted him, though. She had his heart, but Ranma was still wild. She'd seen it when they'd fought this afternoon. That untameable glint that he got whenever he was fighting. That feral grin that always touched his lips, everytime they argued. It made her heart pound thinking she held captive the heart of so powerful a man. Yet, something stopped her from letting her give into him, to accept the proposal. Perhaps it was her own fear that he would still run away from her, or maybe it was the uneasiness from the upcomming battles. She didn't know.
But she couldn't say yes yet.
She closed her eyes and saw a whisp of blue. "Ranma..." She said softly, smiling.
"Akane..." His voice said he was smiling too. "How do you feel?" He asked, sitting beside her and putting an arm around her shoulders. He saw her smile and felt his heart skip a beat. She looked towards him, her eyes twinkling slightly, her face bright.
"I feel..." She began, staring at the stars again. "Like I'm flying..." She admitted, smiling wider. "Thank you, Ranma..." She put her arm around his waist, sighing heavily.
He rested his head against hers, rocking her back and forth. "Hey, it's what I'm here for, right?" He said softly, putting his other arm around her. He wanted to ask her if she'd thought about his proposal, but he didn't want to rush her. He didn't want her to feel like he was forcing her, but-
"Ranma...I've been thinking..." She said softly.
He blinked, staring at her. "Akane...?" He gulped. "A-about what?"
She hooked her arms around her knees, staring across the darkened yard. "I love you, Ranma. You know that...but it's still too raw...too...new." She looked towards him, begging for him to understand. "I...I need the stuff that's supposed to come before the engagement." Her eyes searched the skies. "We never got that because our parents engaged us...I need...I need chocolates...and-" She blushed, looking down. "I guess what I'm trying to say is...I love you, but right now, I think we shouldn't get really-REALLY- engaged yet..."
He lowered his eyes. Yet, he remained smiling. It wasn't a complete rejection. It was just a step. Another step that they needed to take. A step he would have to take if he wanted to be with her. A step that she wanted. With a gentle movement, he caressed her cheekbone and lifted her face, smiling down at her, his eyes twinkling. "I think I can deal with that..." He whispered, then lowered his lips to hers, caressing them gently with his, coaxing them open and the kissing her fully.
As usual, his kisses left her more breathless than her most vigorous workout.
He pulled back slowly, then took her left hand, pulling the ring off. She stared up at him in confusion, but he just smiled, pulling a chain from the pocket. "Just until you're ready to answer me..." He promised, kissing her lightly, then putting his arms around her, clasping the chain around her neck.
She felt the slight weight on her neck and saw the ring was nestled between her breasts, hanging from the chain. Her heart throbbed and she looked up at him, then threw her arms around his neck, embracing him tightly. "Oh, Ranma!"
He held her to him, resting his face against her collarbone, his eyes closing as he inhaled her scent. "Aishiteru, Akane..."
"Suki daze, Ranma..." She whispered in return, trying not to notice the happy tears running down her face. He'd accepted her decision. He loved her enough to start with the little things, and work up to the wedding. She sighed happily, resting her head against his, praying they'd get to live their happily ever after.