Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma or Inu yasha.
Chapter 4It was a quiet evening at the Tendo home. Genma and Soun were absorbed in a game of shoji. Nabiki was tallying accounts in her room. Kasumi was washing the dishes from dinner. Ranma was doing a kata in the dojo, and Akane was just stepping out of her room in her training gi, a determined look on her face. It probably wouldn't stay quiet for long.
When she reached the dojo, Akane slid the door open and slipped in, shutting it behind her. She watched Ranma for a while; his movements were fluid and powerful. She was instantly reminded of a storm at sea, dangerous but with an underlying calm and a control that did not restrict actions or movement. Biting her lip in uncertainty, Akane moved into the room.
"Ranma…?" she called, hesitantly.
"Yeah, what is it?" he slowed, but didn't miss a beat.
"Spar with me?" asked Akane. Ranma stopped his kata and cocked his head at her questioningly.
"I guess so," he shrugged, falling into an unassuming stance. Akane paused before attacking. It was Ranma's second day here. Tomorrow they would be going to school. And while it wasn't a school day then, Akane had woken up early to the sounds of Ranma and his father sparring. The normal morning sounds, like the groans of the house and Kasumi's breakfast making, she had learned to ignore. That morning, however, the sound of Ranma's taunts and Genma's insults, the pounding of fists, the splash as they both fell into the koi pond, had all joined together in attacking her sensitive ears and rousing her from sleep. She had watched the two spar that morning and come to a conclusion: Ranma was a much better fighter than she was. And even as she began their sparring session, with a swift punch that should have connected with Ranma's midsection, she knew he could wipe the floor with her.
Ranma dodged her first punch and her follow- up kick easily. Akane took it up a notch and tried again. He dodged it and she went faster, but still he dodged all her attacks. Soon she was going at her highest speed, but still he dodged. And, as if it weren't enough that she couldn't touch him, he began talking to her as if they weren't fighting at all.
"Hey, Akane," he began. Akane cut him off.
"If you're going to talk" – her voice became too low for any human ear – "Then do it quietly. Or Nabiki will hear it."
"Wha – Nabiki isn't around here," Ranma sounded skeptical, but he lowered his voice nonetheless, and ducked her high, sweeping kick.
"She has bugs all over the house. Everywhere but the shrine," Akane said absently, while she threw another punch at him.
"Oh. Anyways, where'd ya learn to, you know, look human?"
"I guess my parents – my real ones – taught me. I've just always known it. Why?" Akane was starting to run out of breath, but Ranma hadn't broken a sweat. She gritted her teeth and kept going.
"It's a pretty good trick, but I know a better one," he said and finally blocked a punch instead of dodging it. Akane stopped attacking and stared at the fist he had just blocked. Then she looked up at Ranma.
"You want to teach it to me?"
"Ah – well – if you want…" he scratched the base of his pigtail nervously. Akane smiled at him. He was just like a kid sometimes, but he could also be serious, or understanding, or a jerk…but…. She caught some of his scent, it was kind of a light, teasing fragrance, always bordering between sweet and sour and always changing subtly. He's not that bad.
"Ranma, could you teach me something else, instead?" she asked. Ranma's nervousness seemed to vanish instantly in replace of curiosity.
"What is it?"
"I want to… be able to fight like you."
Ranma appeared, first, to be shocked. Then, he looked almost thoughtful, and then a familiar smirk grew on his face. Akane frowned inwardly. I don't even know why I asked, if he's just going to be mean about it.
"Heh. So, you want to learn from the best, eh?"
"If I wanted to learn from the best," Akane said, her voice deceptively calm, and still for Ranma's ears alone. "I wouldn't have come to an idiot like you!"
Instead of making a defensive retort, Ranma's face became solemn as he asked her: "Why do you want to learn? You can fight already."
"I'm not good enough."
"According to who?" he asked, and Akane had to think about that for a moment.
"Well… myself."
"How many times have you been beaten?" Again, Akane had to think about it. She hadn't been beaten ever that she could remember. She was the best in Nerima. When she said as much Ranma stared at her, pointedly, and when he spoke again his voice was soft, even in the low tones they were using, and sober.
"Then why aren't you good enough?"
"Because I was beaten by you," she said. And Ranma seemed to think this over. He looked at the ground between them, and a short time passed before he looked up and gave her a cocky grin.
"Do you like to fight?" he asked, falling into a stance before finishing his sentence.
"Yes."
Then they fought. Ranma blocked most of her blows, and dodged some of them, but she never really landed a blow. He corrected the holes in her defense with pulled punches and sent her flying when she got really sloppy. And he taunted her mercilessly. The sounds of their insults echoed around the dojo and through the house. Genma and the rest of the Tendos wisely decided not to investigate. With the exception of Nabiki, who decided she would review the recording later on.
Ranma woke early, as he was accustomed to doing. It was hard enough to sleep with his father sawing logs in the same room, so when Ranma heard Kasumi get up and begin breakfast he didn't even make an attempt at going back to sleep. He had school today, anyways.
Ranma stretched and thought of the night before. He didn't like to hit Akane, he didn't like hitting girls in general, but she wouldn't get any tougher if he didn't, and it wasn't like she couldn't take it. The girl was a hanyou; she wouldn't even bruise. Still, he felt guilty, even though she did ask for it. He sighed thoughtfully. No one had ever asked him to teach them before. He wasn't really supposed to be teaching any one, he wasn't a master and he didn't have a license, but there wasn't anything really wrong with helping someone out a bit. Genma certainly wouldn't train her, and neither would her father it seemed. When he asked about it Akane had told him that her father stopped training her a long time ago. Considering how long she had been training herself, she wasn't half bad. Nowhere near as good as him, really – who was? – but she could probably be very skilled if she was trained properly. He just hoped their parents didn't find out and take it as a sign that they actually liked each other. It wasn't about friendship; it was about the Art… right?
Ranma got up. He may not like to hit Akane, but he had no such qualms about his father. Ranma proceeded to boot Genma out the window and into the Koi pond. They started their morning spar once Ranma leapt out after him.
The next sequence of events was one that would become very familiar to the Tendos and their guests. Ranma and Genma ended their sparring session in the koi pond. Akane berated Ranma for his lack of feminine modesty. Breakfast was eaten. Nabiki left for school. Ranma and Akane left for school.
It wasn't often that the morning ritual varied, but not one trip to school was ever the same. As soon as Ranma and Akane left the house, the world was a place of chaos again. And amidst that chaos, a lost boy tried to find his way to Furinkan High and a pair of eyes watched the Tendo shrine.
A/N: I think if Akane was serious about it Ranma would help her train. If they were OOC I'm sorry, but I'm not the greatest writer and this is the my first fic. Anyway, Ryouga will show up next. Thank you, to those of you who reviewed, ANY suggestions are welcome. (stuff will happen next chap. I promise!) Bye now. (This chapter seemed short and pointless, but I'm just trying to show the changes in the characters, since this is an AU)