Disclaimer: If only these characters belonged to me.
------------------------+++++++++++++++++++++++----------------------------- -----------
".One thousand yen."
Akane gasped. Only one person would say this. She twirled around, a smile replacing her frown.
"Nabiki onee-chan!"
"Right," Nabiki said.
The two hugged. Or at least, Akane hugged her sister while Nabiki protested.
"What're you doing here?"
Akane was so happy that she couldn't describe the feeling. First she'd Yuka and Sayuri, now she also had Nabiki with her!
"Otousan told me to come. He was worried about you."
Akane scowled deeply. "If he was worried, he wouldn't have sent me to Hell."
"Now, now, it isn't so bad here, is it?"
"Bad?" Akane said, shaking her head from side to side, keeping her eyes on her sister all the while. "It's horrendous!"
Akane told her all that had happened.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Sazara-chan, what're you doing here?" Saone yawned, rubbing her green eyes which were still dazed from sleep.
The Monday morning had brightened everybody's mood with a dazzling sun and beautiful singing of the birds.
"Whaddya mean?" Akane herself yawned. She was holding some china in her hand, carrying them towards a table.
Saone frowned. "Have you forgotten?"
"Forgotten what?"
"Forgotten that-"
Suddenly, Nabiki appeared, causing Akane to go nuts again. "Nabiki! There you are! Did you have a good night's sleep? I bet not. Nobody can in the nobility's house."
Nabiki causually tossed her head and looked at Akane.
"Hmm?"
Akane dragged Nabiki back into the kitchen.
"Come, I'll fix you breakfast."
Nabiki, having heard that, ran away as fast as she could, leaving Akane with no choice but to chase after her.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ranma looked at his watch. The maid was late already! Class was supposed to start at eleven. But it was already half and hour past twelve.
In the dojo, there were lots of little children. He'd ordered them to do warm-ups a few minutes before, which earned him several anxious stares. The kids didn't know how to do warm-ups, thus, Ranma had to teach them.
"Sensei! Makoto's pulling my hair! It hurts, sensei, it hurts!" a little girl cried out from a corner.
Ranma sighed and hopped to the corner. "Makoto, stop that this instant!"
Makoto stuck out his tongue. "I shan't!"
Ranma raised his hand to strike the little boy, then stopped himself. What was he doing? Venting his frustrations on this child?
"If you don't do as I say, I'll tell your parents."
"Tell away, tell away! Mommy says she won't listen to anyone but me coz she loves only me! Besides, Daddy's the Lord of Osara House! He'll punish you for ordering me about!"
Boy, this lad was a stubborn thing.
"Ma-ko-to," Ranma gritted out slowly through his teeth. "The reason you're here is because your parents entrusted you to me," he smiled dryly. It was time for payback. "Now fifty push-ups!"
"But I don't know how to do them," Makoto whined.
"Ahhh, you weren't listening to my demonstration just now, right?" Ranma asked. "All the more you should do seventy push-ups!"
"That's not the way to treat a young boy, SENSEI," a female voice remarked.
Ranma turned, surprised, and saw the maid staring at him with a raised eyebrow. She was there, at long last. He'd gotten tired from waiting for her.
He smirked. "You're late."
"Not my fault. Another close friend of mine arrived."
"You seem to have a lot of friends here, don't you?"
Akane frowned. Did the lord know her secret? She decided to lead him away, just in case.
"That's because I'm a friendly and open person." (A/N: like real. Friendly? Yes Open? Definitely not.)
Ranma ignored her and looked around the room. The children were looking at Akane, wondering who she was. He decided to introduce her to them.
"This is Tendo sensei. She's also your sensei."
The students bowed and greeted Akane, introducing themselves in return. Akane beamed and felt proud. She'd hated doing this but being the boss here made her feel good. She saw Ranma standing beside her and her smile disappeared. Correction, second boss around here.
Akane first did a kata, teaching the students each step.
"First you punch, see?" she tried to punch Ranma, who evaded her blow. "Then you do a jump and kick!" She kicked at Ranma successfully who fell back and scowled at her.
Akane shrugged and grinned. "Sorry," she apologised, still smiling, with no intention of being sorry at all; she turned her attention back to the students. "No, Natsumi, your jump should not be too fast or you'll slip. And Sekana, don't jump like a ballerina, this isn't ballet."
Ranma, meanwhile, was getting onto his feet, brushing dust off his gi. The maid had to annoy him, didn't she? He watched her teach the kids a few steps of her kata.
"Saotome sensei?"
Ranma snapped out of his reverie. "Yes?"
"I'm taking a break. Your turn."
Ranma nodded and went off to help the kicks correct some of their wrong positions.
Akane sighed. The kids were tiresome and absolutely restless. You had to bribe them just to keep them still for a moment.
"Good work, Makoto, and stop moving. Don't pull that girl's hair!"
Akane laughed as the 'girl' told Ranma.
"I'm not any girl, sensei, I'm Karika, Saotome sensei."
Ranma, having heard Akane laugh, turned around curiously.
"What're you laughing at?" he grouched.
But inside, Ranma somehow felt relieved at the thought that the maid could laugh. She'd been acting rather cold and cool towards him before. Laughter could only mean one thing. She was loosening up.
He smiled and turned his attention back to Karika. "Ka-ri-ka," he said methodically, "correct?"
Karika nodded her head furiously.
"Okay, people, we'll have a break of ten minutes before we continue. Get a drink or anything, but don't seat!" Ranma commanded.
Noise buzzed again as the children complained about how tiring and hard it was to have to keep on punching and kicking; and if they didn't have a break, they'd be dead by the time they reached home.
After the break, the two teachers got the kids running around and learning how to defend themselves by blocking. Pretty soon, it was three in the afternoon and lesson was over. Ranma gathered up his towel and watch and walked up to Akane to catch a word with her. However, Akane, back to her old self, stiffened up the moment he neared her and quickly ran away.
Ranma was confused. "Why did she do that?"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=
Akane put on her clothing after her bath. She felt utterly refreshed and anew. She plopped herself upright on the bed and sighed. Tomorrow she'd have to head to the dojo again for another class. How tiring, everyday would be the same thing except for Fridays, which she was looking forward to.
Her hand rested on her chest, which supported a pendant on a chain. Akane felt the smooth surface of the dove. It was so comforting and soothing just to be reminded of her childhood friend, Ukyo.
Akane had met Ukyo as a child. She was an okonomiyaki chef who was an expert at cooking. It all happened one night.
*flashback*
The wind howled angrily over the buildings and trees. Rain pattered heavily down onto the rough road. A young girl, no older than seven, limped down the road; her feet were pierced by the rocks on the road and contained blisters; she was also bleeding. The child was crying pitifully but to no avail. Hardly anybody could hear her cries through the strong wind.
"Daddy? Where are you Daddy?" Akane wailed as she held on to her right ankle. She'd had sprained it when she'd fallen in the crowd. Her hand had slipped from her father's when she'd tripped.
"Daddy?"
"Excuse me, are you all right?" a shy voice asked from behind her.
Akane turns, feeling eased at hearing a new voice. "Can you help me?"
The bashful girl nods.
"I'm lost and hurt," she explains. "I don't even know where I am."
"I'll bring you to my father. He'll help you."
*end flashback*
From that time on, they'd been friends. Ukyo's father had bandaged her feet, stopped the bleeding and fed her. Luckily, Akane's father was hungry and had wanted to get okonomiyaki for dinner, which sped up his search for Akane. For when he stepped up to order, he saw his daughter's tiny face!
The two fathers travelled together for a while before they had to depart. Akane had bought two doves and gave one to Ukyo. Ukyo on the other hand, had given her a ring.
She'd treasured the two objects and turned to it for advice whenever she was down. Akane closed her eyes and a feeling of contentment grew inside her.
She fell asleep.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ranma walked into the dojo and saw the maid. She was early for once.
"Yo," he greeted and started doing warm-ups.
Akane simply nodded and continued meditating. The students arrived one by one- fine, some of them arrived two by two (and even three by three), and the dojo was filled up with people.
The routine was the same as the day before. The people were taught how to punch, kick, and do a kata, the usual. They were also instructed on how to do a front and back roll.
The day went by faster than the day before and before she knew it, a boy by the name of Heki suggested something.
"Tendo sensei, why don't you spar with Saotome sensei?"
Akane pondered the idea. She'd never thought of doing something like that before. But it was a good idea.
"Sure!"
Ranma raised his hands to stop them. "Wait, I don't want to do this."
Akane tilted her head to one side, which had to make Ranma admit make her look.not that closed up and mysterious, but open and as if she had no secrets.
"Why?"
"I don't fight girls."
Akane was taken aback. He didn't want to fight her? Just because he thought that he was stronger than her? She received the comment and shot it back.
"I don't think I'm a girl but a lady," she argued. "So you'll have to spar with me."
Ranma froze in his spot, he didn't know what to do. But what he'd heard from her lips was a challenge and he never turned down a challenge.
"Okay, I will," he took on a fighting stance.
The students sat down and crossed their legs, watching intently with excited faces.
"Hiyaa!" Akane cried out as she advanced towards Ranma. He evaded it easily by jumping over her and landing behind her. Akane spun around right away and bent down, shooting out her leg to trip him. He was too fast for that, too. He jumped up, landed gracefully, grabbed Akane's arms and pinned them behind her.
"Gotcha," he murmured, knowing that he was definitely more skilled at martial arts than she was.
"Not quite," she whispered back. She raised her right leg, wrapped it around his right leg, and tripped him. He lay on his back with her on top.
He was on the defensive again.
Akane raised her hands to punch him in the stomach when Ranma reached around to her back and pressed a point which paralysed her.
Not being able to move, Akane fell down towards the ground. Ranma hurriedly grab her and turn her around, so that this time he was on top of her.
Now she was on the defensive.
Akane could only move her head. She stuck out her tongue and scolded him. "You cheated."
"I didn't and you know that," Ranma chuckled softly.
Akane avoided his gaze and turned her head to the side. 'The nobility cheat. They always do.'
"I guess it's game set."
"This is a game to you?"
Ranma ignored her rambling and said loudly so that everybody could hear him.
"I win."
Akane sneered again. "I told you, you cheated!"
"Did not," he smiled. "You were just too weak."
Akane sniffed. "I won't lose to you next time, I assure you."
Ranma leaned in closer to tell her. "And I'll make sure that I won't lose to you, I assure you."
He laughed softly so that only the two of them could hear it.
"Uh, sensei? Why are you still on top of Tendo sensei?"
"How romantic."
"They're not in love, Saotome sensei is only using her."
"Who says they're not?"
"That's what my father does to all women, including my mother."
Akane's eyes widened. She didn't want her reputation to be ruined. She whirled her head to face Ranma.
"Unhand me, scum."
Ranma raised his palms, acting innocent. "Don't worry, don't worry."
Akane remained on the floor, still paralysed. She growled out, "Could you at least hit the counter pressure point?"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Really, Kagi-kun? You want to know how I'm related to Akane-chan?" Nabiki asked, raising an eyebrow.
The yellow haired boy nodded his head repeatedly. "Yes!"
"Five thousand yen," she raised out her hand. The boy hesitantly put the money into her hand.
"Thank you," she said, tucking it into her pocket. "I'm her sister. Her older sister who is senior by a year."
Kagi gasped, his eyes as big as fish's. "Truly?"
"It's your choice if you want to believe me or not."
Kagi staggered out the room, thinking that if he could charm Nabiki, he'd get closer to Akane.
"Next!" Nabiki called out and a young girl daintily walked in.
"You aren't wearing the maid's uniform," Nabiki said.
The girl laughed dryly. "How observant."
"What's your question?"
"I don't have a question, but a proposition."
"What is it? And first of all, give me your name."
"Shampoo of the Amazon tribe."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Akane sat down by the fireplace and put in more logs to make the fire stronger. The room was chilly and she was shivering.
The logs didn't seem to do any good. The temperature remained as low as usual. Akane groaned and shifted her legs. She was very tired from the lesson that day and her muscles were aching; her mind suffered from homesickness even though Nabiki was there. What she missed was the surroundings of her home, the koi pond which she'd sat by when younger; the dojo, which solved her every problem and relieved her of frustrations; her small but comfortable room, where everything was perfect.
Her hands moved along the grate of the fireplace and massaged a small knob. She didn't know why she pushed the knob but that was exactly what she did. The knob stayed down and the fireplace opened up to reveal: a passageway.
Akane gasped, air rushing into her lungs. There was a secret passage? Did anybody know about it?
Akane entered the hollow and musty tunnel, holding a lamp in her hand, and walked. What was five minutes seemed like an eternity. The passageway never ended and Akane shuddered at every step she took. The passageway had not been used for a long time. Who had built it? But most importantly, where would it take her?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Knock, knock, knock.
"Please come in," Ranma instructed boredly. He'd informed his mother that he would not be present for dinner, but up in his room doing some work. The door opened and in came Yuka who had Ranma's dinner set atop a silver platter.
"Your dinner, my lord," Yuka mumbled and placed it down on the table beside his stool.
"You may take your leave now."
Yuka bowed her head sincerely, curtsied ladylike and left.
Ranma scooped some soup into his mouth and fingered the carrots around the plate. He had not appetite at all. When he'd refreshed himself with a bath, he'd realised something: the Underworld thief had not struck for a few days already.
What was the cause of this? Had the thief thought that what she did was too dangerous and stopped?
Ranma forced his mouth to chew the mushrooms and swallow, then forced his stomach to accept the food. He rubbed his temples, thinking hard. Who was the mysterious thief?
He took out a piece of paper and wrote down all that he'd discovered already. The hair; the fragrant rose, which was mistaken for a sakura; the fact that the thief knew martial arts.
Ranma used his palms to lean on and let out the gush of air he'd been holding. Who was the thief?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Water trickled and dripped off the ceiling of the musty tunnel and there was no light at all save the lamp. Akane tightened the shawl around her shoulders and kept on walking forward.
The passageway was ending soon, she could sense it. She was coming close to either an end or a choice between two passageways. Akane bet on the first one- an end.
She walked faster, picking up speed, and could see a wall ahead of her. The end! Akane smiled happily; her adventure was just beginning. She ran towards the wall and put down the lamp, which was her only source of light and heat. Akane examined the wall and could find nothing. There was no button or lever or knob to push or pull.
How was she going to get out?
"Am I going to be stuck here forever?" Akane asked, exasperation coming into her voice.
That was when she saw it; there was something on the wall.
It was built between two pieces of wood so that a person could slide it in and out. Akane, of course, slid it out and looked out. She could see a room and the clatter of a plate.
Her eyes wandered to the noise. She gasped when she saw lord Ranma sitting on his bed, sighing.
Akane's eyes flashed angrily before she reminded herself not to get mad over a lazy fool like him.
He was having dinner, she supposed, in his room. Akane observed Ranma for a long while. He did nothing but remain on his soft sleeping furniture, eat, close his eyes, open his eyes again and sigh.
Akane slapped her forehead. "Is that all he's going to do?"
He'd made her explore the hidden tunnel and find his room. Now, he did nothing exciting and was wasting her much needed time.
"Stupid idiot."
Akane felt like going out there and giving him a scolding.
If only she could find the way out.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ranma licked his spoon and ran his free hand through his hair. He was getting nowhere with the thief. He had to discuss this with someone. Someone who could disagree and agree with him or he'd never know who the thief could be. An idea entered and slapped itself into his brain, pestering him.
"Ryouga. I can visit him!"
Ranma got off his bed and left through the window, which made him feel very much like the thief. But he shook himself and reminisced that he was doing it to find the thief herself.
Ranma hopped onto the tall lamppost outside his window and onto a tree. Ryouga's house wasn't that far and on his way there, he could think about the clues again. Maybe they held a hidden meaning; a 'read between the line' meaning. Whatever it was, he didn't know.
He could see the rooftop of Ryouga's home and hopped onto a post-box. He looked into the room which belonged to Ryouga and saw the lad there, lying on his stomach on the floor, reading a book.
Ranma tapped the window furiously, which scared his friend. Ryouga jumped up and aimed a kick at the window. He stopped when he saw who it was.
"Why did you frighten me like that?" Ryouga asked when he'd let Ranma in. "And why didn't you use the front door?"
Ranma replied dryly. "What a great way to greet me," he put his hands on his hips. "And expect more knocks on the window in the future, because I'm too lazy to walk all the way to the front door."
Ryouga glared at Ranma before shaking his head and sighing. "You'll never change."
Ryouga looked up at his buddy. "Why are you here anyway?" he asked before quickly defending. "Not trying to hint anything, okay?"
Ranma nodded, understanding what his pal was trying to say. "I wanted to discuss something with you."
"What?"
"Remember the Underworld thief? Has she struck your home yet?"
"No," Ryouga slowly shook his head, before his eyes turned back to Ranma's. "Why?"
"Because-"
"Did you say 'she'? How do you know that the thief is a woman?"
Ranma went to describe what he found in great detail. When he was done, he'd expected lots of praises from his friend on how smart and absolutely clever he was. But all he received was folded arms and a scowl.
"What? It makes sense, doesn't it? Long hair makes the thief a woman."
"No, it doesn't."
"Excuse me? What do you have to oppose my theory?"
"It's not proven true yet, so it's a hypothesis."
"Whatever. So why are you disagreeing with my statement?"
Ryouga stood up proudly and raised his left hand up into the air before bringing it down to point at Ranma. "You, my friend, left out another important thing."
"What?"
Ryouga looked down at the ground before he smirked at Ranma. "Can't men have long hair, too?"
+++++++++++++------------------------------------------------ ++++++++++++++
A/N: Don't worry. The men-can-have-long-hair,-too isn't a big thingy, just a way to end this chapter. Well, school has been tough and caused me to lose twenty cents, but I know I can cope (from copying homework and brainstorming ideas during class) by doing better.
Sadly, tonight's a Sunday and there's 'I know what you did last summer' and I know that my Mom won't let me watch television. Apparently, in the next part, Akane figures out how to get out of the tunnel and into Ranma's room but she doesn't dare do it again (reason will be written).
Nabiki goes around asking people if they want to know Akane's deepest, darkest secret and people want to know really badly so Nabiki tells them.
The proposition that Shampoo has is nothing big. You'll know in the next chapter when Nabiki reveals it to Akane. Oh, and I know in the real show, Akane's family has the dojo, not Ranma but this is just fiction so he can also have a dojo, yes?
Darn, I really haven't finished my schoolwork. I lost the list of things I must bring to school somewhere and I can't find it. But I can remember some stuff like bringing red packets to decorate my class and three questions for math, character analysing for literature and lots more, which I forgot.
If there's any extremely silly or stupid mistake I made, tell me so I can correct them and all. If you have any suggestions or ideas, tell me (don't worry, if you don't want me to write it down, I can disclaim the idea. J.j.). Well, and one more thing, if any of you others out there are suffering from pressure from school, let me tell you one thing. Clear all your messes up, start all over again (if possible, or else just clear most of your messes up. Those which can be cleared), and thirdly: relax.
Okay, maybe that's three things.
Well, I know people say that those who relax and have that 'whatever' attitude or the devil-may-care attitude will never succeed in life. But if you're too 'so not whatever' attitude and stress yourself out too much, you're gonna hurt those around you, too.
So chill, and Happy Chinese New Year!
------------------------+++++++++++++++++++++++----------------------------- -----------
".One thousand yen."
Akane gasped. Only one person would say this. She twirled around, a smile replacing her frown.
"Nabiki onee-chan!"
"Right," Nabiki said.
The two hugged. Or at least, Akane hugged her sister while Nabiki protested.
"What're you doing here?"
Akane was so happy that she couldn't describe the feeling. First she'd Yuka and Sayuri, now she also had Nabiki with her!
"Otousan told me to come. He was worried about you."
Akane scowled deeply. "If he was worried, he wouldn't have sent me to Hell."
"Now, now, it isn't so bad here, is it?"
"Bad?" Akane said, shaking her head from side to side, keeping her eyes on her sister all the while. "It's horrendous!"
Akane told her all that had happened.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Sazara-chan, what're you doing here?" Saone yawned, rubbing her green eyes which were still dazed from sleep.
The Monday morning had brightened everybody's mood with a dazzling sun and beautiful singing of the birds.
"Whaddya mean?" Akane herself yawned. She was holding some china in her hand, carrying them towards a table.
Saone frowned. "Have you forgotten?"
"Forgotten what?"
"Forgotten that-"
Suddenly, Nabiki appeared, causing Akane to go nuts again. "Nabiki! There you are! Did you have a good night's sleep? I bet not. Nobody can in the nobility's house."
Nabiki causually tossed her head and looked at Akane.
"Hmm?"
Akane dragged Nabiki back into the kitchen.
"Come, I'll fix you breakfast."
Nabiki, having heard that, ran away as fast as she could, leaving Akane with no choice but to chase after her.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ranma looked at his watch. The maid was late already! Class was supposed to start at eleven. But it was already half and hour past twelve.
In the dojo, there were lots of little children. He'd ordered them to do warm-ups a few minutes before, which earned him several anxious stares. The kids didn't know how to do warm-ups, thus, Ranma had to teach them.
"Sensei! Makoto's pulling my hair! It hurts, sensei, it hurts!" a little girl cried out from a corner.
Ranma sighed and hopped to the corner. "Makoto, stop that this instant!"
Makoto stuck out his tongue. "I shan't!"
Ranma raised his hand to strike the little boy, then stopped himself. What was he doing? Venting his frustrations on this child?
"If you don't do as I say, I'll tell your parents."
"Tell away, tell away! Mommy says she won't listen to anyone but me coz she loves only me! Besides, Daddy's the Lord of Osara House! He'll punish you for ordering me about!"
Boy, this lad was a stubborn thing.
"Ma-ko-to," Ranma gritted out slowly through his teeth. "The reason you're here is because your parents entrusted you to me," he smiled dryly. It was time for payback. "Now fifty push-ups!"
"But I don't know how to do them," Makoto whined.
"Ahhh, you weren't listening to my demonstration just now, right?" Ranma asked. "All the more you should do seventy push-ups!"
"That's not the way to treat a young boy, SENSEI," a female voice remarked.
Ranma turned, surprised, and saw the maid staring at him with a raised eyebrow. She was there, at long last. He'd gotten tired from waiting for her.
He smirked. "You're late."
"Not my fault. Another close friend of mine arrived."
"You seem to have a lot of friends here, don't you?"
Akane frowned. Did the lord know her secret? She decided to lead him away, just in case.
"That's because I'm a friendly and open person." (A/N: like real. Friendly? Yes Open? Definitely not.)
Ranma ignored her and looked around the room. The children were looking at Akane, wondering who she was. He decided to introduce her to them.
"This is Tendo sensei. She's also your sensei."
The students bowed and greeted Akane, introducing themselves in return. Akane beamed and felt proud. She'd hated doing this but being the boss here made her feel good. She saw Ranma standing beside her and her smile disappeared. Correction, second boss around here.
Akane first did a kata, teaching the students each step.
"First you punch, see?" she tried to punch Ranma, who evaded her blow. "Then you do a jump and kick!" She kicked at Ranma successfully who fell back and scowled at her.
Akane shrugged and grinned. "Sorry," she apologised, still smiling, with no intention of being sorry at all; she turned her attention back to the students. "No, Natsumi, your jump should not be too fast or you'll slip. And Sekana, don't jump like a ballerina, this isn't ballet."
Ranma, meanwhile, was getting onto his feet, brushing dust off his gi. The maid had to annoy him, didn't she? He watched her teach the kids a few steps of her kata.
"Saotome sensei?"
Ranma snapped out of his reverie. "Yes?"
"I'm taking a break. Your turn."
Ranma nodded and went off to help the kicks correct some of their wrong positions.
Akane sighed. The kids were tiresome and absolutely restless. You had to bribe them just to keep them still for a moment.
"Good work, Makoto, and stop moving. Don't pull that girl's hair!"
Akane laughed as the 'girl' told Ranma.
"I'm not any girl, sensei, I'm Karika, Saotome sensei."
Ranma, having heard Akane laugh, turned around curiously.
"What're you laughing at?" he grouched.
But inside, Ranma somehow felt relieved at the thought that the maid could laugh. She'd been acting rather cold and cool towards him before. Laughter could only mean one thing. She was loosening up.
He smiled and turned his attention back to Karika. "Ka-ri-ka," he said methodically, "correct?"
Karika nodded her head furiously.
"Okay, people, we'll have a break of ten minutes before we continue. Get a drink or anything, but don't seat!" Ranma commanded.
Noise buzzed again as the children complained about how tiring and hard it was to have to keep on punching and kicking; and if they didn't have a break, they'd be dead by the time they reached home.
After the break, the two teachers got the kids running around and learning how to defend themselves by blocking. Pretty soon, it was three in the afternoon and lesson was over. Ranma gathered up his towel and watch and walked up to Akane to catch a word with her. However, Akane, back to her old self, stiffened up the moment he neared her and quickly ran away.
Ranma was confused. "Why did she do that?"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=
Akane put on her clothing after her bath. She felt utterly refreshed and anew. She plopped herself upright on the bed and sighed. Tomorrow she'd have to head to the dojo again for another class. How tiring, everyday would be the same thing except for Fridays, which she was looking forward to.
Her hand rested on her chest, which supported a pendant on a chain. Akane felt the smooth surface of the dove. It was so comforting and soothing just to be reminded of her childhood friend, Ukyo.
Akane had met Ukyo as a child. She was an okonomiyaki chef who was an expert at cooking. It all happened one night.
*flashback*
The wind howled angrily over the buildings and trees. Rain pattered heavily down onto the rough road. A young girl, no older than seven, limped down the road; her feet were pierced by the rocks on the road and contained blisters; she was also bleeding. The child was crying pitifully but to no avail. Hardly anybody could hear her cries through the strong wind.
"Daddy? Where are you Daddy?" Akane wailed as she held on to her right ankle. She'd had sprained it when she'd fallen in the crowd. Her hand had slipped from her father's when she'd tripped.
"Daddy?"
"Excuse me, are you all right?" a shy voice asked from behind her.
Akane turns, feeling eased at hearing a new voice. "Can you help me?"
The bashful girl nods.
"I'm lost and hurt," she explains. "I don't even know where I am."
"I'll bring you to my father. He'll help you."
*end flashback*
From that time on, they'd been friends. Ukyo's father had bandaged her feet, stopped the bleeding and fed her. Luckily, Akane's father was hungry and had wanted to get okonomiyaki for dinner, which sped up his search for Akane. For when he stepped up to order, he saw his daughter's tiny face!
The two fathers travelled together for a while before they had to depart. Akane had bought two doves and gave one to Ukyo. Ukyo on the other hand, had given her a ring.
She'd treasured the two objects and turned to it for advice whenever she was down. Akane closed her eyes and a feeling of contentment grew inside her.
She fell asleep.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ranma walked into the dojo and saw the maid. She was early for once.
"Yo," he greeted and started doing warm-ups.
Akane simply nodded and continued meditating. The students arrived one by one- fine, some of them arrived two by two (and even three by three), and the dojo was filled up with people.
The routine was the same as the day before. The people were taught how to punch, kick, and do a kata, the usual. They were also instructed on how to do a front and back roll.
The day went by faster than the day before and before she knew it, a boy by the name of Heki suggested something.
"Tendo sensei, why don't you spar with Saotome sensei?"
Akane pondered the idea. She'd never thought of doing something like that before. But it was a good idea.
"Sure!"
Ranma raised his hands to stop them. "Wait, I don't want to do this."
Akane tilted her head to one side, which had to make Ranma admit make her look.not that closed up and mysterious, but open and as if she had no secrets.
"Why?"
"I don't fight girls."
Akane was taken aback. He didn't want to fight her? Just because he thought that he was stronger than her? She received the comment and shot it back.
"I don't think I'm a girl but a lady," she argued. "So you'll have to spar with me."
Ranma froze in his spot, he didn't know what to do. But what he'd heard from her lips was a challenge and he never turned down a challenge.
"Okay, I will," he took on a fighting stance.
The students sat down and crossed their legs, watching intently with excited faces.
"Hiyaa!" Akane cried out as she advanced towards Ranma. He evaded it easily by jumping over her and landing behind her. Akane spun around right away and bent down, shooting out her leg to trip him. He was too fast for that, too. He jumped up, landed gracefully, grabbed Akane's arms and pinned them behind her.
"Gotcha," he murmured, knowing that he was definitely more skilled at martial arts than she was.
"Not quite," she whispered back. She raised her right leg, wrapped it around his right leg, and tripped him. He lay on his back with her on top.
He was on the defensive again.
Akane raised her hands to punch him in the stomach when Ranma reached around to her back and pressed a point which paralysed her.
Not being able to move, Akane fell down towards the ground. Ranma hurriedly grab her and turn her around, so that this time he was on top of her.
Now she was on the defensive.
Akane could only move her head. She stuck out her tongue and scolded him. "You cheated."
"I didn't and you know that," Ranma chuckled softly.
Akane avoided his gaze and turned her head to the side. 'The nobility cheat. They always do.'
"I guess it's game set."
"This is a game to you?"
Ranma ignored her rambling and said loudly so that everybody could hear him.
"I win."
Akane sneered again. "I told you, you cheated!"
"Did not," he smiled. "You were just too weak."
Akane sniffed. "I won't lose to you next time, I assure you."
Ranma leaned in closer to tell her. "And I'll make sure that I won't lose to you, I assure you."
He laughed softly so that only the two of them could hear it.
"Uh, sensei? Why are you still on top of Tendo sensei?"
"How romantic."
"They're not in love, Saotome sensei is only using her."
"Who says they're not?"
"That's what my father does to all women, including my mother."
Akane's eyes widened. She didn't want her reputation to be ruined. She whirled her head to face Ranma.
"Unhand me, scum."
Ranma raised his palms, acting innocent. "Don't worry, don't worry."
Akane remained on the floor, still paralysed. She growled out, "Could you at least hit the counter pressure point?"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Really, Kagi-kun? You want to know how I'm related to Akane-chan?" Nabiki asked, raising an eyebrow.
The yellow haired boy nodded his head repeatedly. "Yes!"
"Five thousand yen," she raised out her hand. The boy hesitantly put the money into her hand.
"Thank you," she said, tucking it into her pocket. "I'm her sister. Her older sister who is senior by a year."
Kagi gasped, his eyes as big as fish's. "Truly?"
"It's your choice if you want to believe me or not."
Kagi staggered out the room, thinking that if he could charm Nabiki, he'd get closer to Akane.
"Next!" Nabiki called out and a young girl daintily walked in.
"You aren't wearing the maid's uniform," Nabiki said.
The girl laughed dryly. "How observant."
"What's your question?"
"I don't have a question, but a proposition."
"What is it? And first of all, give me your name."
"Shampoo of the Amazon tribe."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Akane sat down by the fireplace and put in more logs to make the fire stronger. The room was chilly and she was shivering.
The logs didn't seem to do any good. The temperature remained as low as usual. Akane groaned and shifted her legs. She was very tired from the lesson that day and her muscles were aching; her mind suffered from homesickness even though Nabiki was there. What she missed was the surroundings of her home, the koi pond which she'd sat by when younger; the dojo, which solved her every problem and relieved her of frustrations; her small but comfortable room, where everything was perfect.
Her hands moved along the grate of the fireplace and massaged a small knob. She didn't know why she pushed the knob but that was exactly what she did. The knob stayed down and the fireplace opened up to reveal: a passageway.
Akane gasped, air rushing into her lungs. There was a secret passage? Did anybody know about it?
Akane entered the hollow and musty tunnel, holding a lamp in her hand, and walked. What was five minutes seemed like an eternity. The passageway never ended and Akane shuddered at every step she took. The passageway had not been used for a long time. Who had built it? But most importantly, where would it take her?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Knock, knock, knock.
"Please come in," Ranma instructed boredly. He'd informed his mother that he would not be present for dinner, but up in his room doing some work. The door opened and in came Yuka who had Ranma's dinner set atop a silver platter.
"Your dinner, my lord," Yuka mumbled and placed it down on the table beside his stool.
"You may take your leave now."
Yuka bowed her head sincerely, curtsied ladylike and left.
Ranma scooped some soup into his mouth and fingered the carrots around the plate. He had not appetite at all. When he'd refreshed himself with a bath, he'd realised something: the Underworld thief had not struck for a few days already.
What was the cause of this? Had the thief thought that what she did was too dangerous and stopped?
Ranma forced his mouth to chew the mushrooms and swallow, then forced his stomach to accept the food. He rubbed his temples, thinking hard. Who was the mysterious thief?
He took out a piece of paper and wrote down all that he'd discovered already. The hair; the fragrant rose, which was mistaken for a sakura; the fact that the thief knew martial arts.
Ranma used his palms to lean on and let out the gush of air he'd been holding. Who was the thief?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Water trickled and dripped off the ceiling of the musty tunnel and there was no light at all save the lamp. Akane tightened the shawl around her shoulders and kept on walking forward.
The passageway was ending soon, she could sense it. She was coming close to either an end or a choice between two passageways. Akane bet on the first one- an end.
She walked faster, picking up speed, and could see a wall ahead of her. The end! Akane smiled happily; her adventure was just beginning. She ran towards the wall and put down the lamp, which was her only source of light and heat. Akane examined the wall and could find nothing. There was no button or lever or knob to push or pull.
How was she going to get out?
"Am I going to be stuck here forever?" Akane asked, exasperation coming into her voice.
That was when she saw it; there was something on the wall.
It was built between two pieces of wood so that a person could slide it in and out. Akane, of course, slid it out and looked out. She could see a room and the clatter of a plate.
Her eyes wandered to the noise. She gasped when she saw lord Ranma sitting on his bed, sighing.
Akane's eyes flashed angrily before she reminded herself not to get mad over a lazy fool like him.
He was having dinner, she supposed, in his room. Akane observed Ranma for a long while. He did nothing but remain on his soft sleeping furniture, eat, close his eyes, open his eyes again and sigh.
Akane slapped her forehead. "Is that all he's going to do?"
He'd made her explore the hidden tunnel and find his room. Now, he did nothing exciting and was wasting her much needed time.
"Stupid idiot."
Akane felt like going out there and giving him a scolding.
If only she could find the way out.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ranma licked his spoon and ran his free hand through his hair. He was getting nowhere with the thief. He had to discuss this with someone. Someone who could disagree and agree with him or he'd never know who the thief could be. An idea entered and slapped itself into his brain, pestering him.
"Ryouga. I can visit him!"
Ranma got off his bed and left through the window, which made him feel very much like the thief. But he shook himself and reminisced that he was doing it to find the thief herself.
Ranma hopped onto the tall lamppost outside his window and onto a tree. Ryouga's house wasn't that far and on his way there, he could think about the clues again. Maybe they held a hidden meaning; a 'read between the line' meaning. Whatever it was, he didn't know.
He could see the rooftop of Ryouga's home and hopped onto a post-box. He looked into the room which belonged to Ryouga and saw the lad there, lying on his stomach on the floor, reading a book.
Ranma tapped the window furiously, which scared his friend. Ryouga jumped up and aimed a kick at the window. He stopped when he saw who it was.
"Why did you frighten me like that?" Ryouga asked when he'd let Ranma in. "And why didn't you use the front door?"
Ranma replied dryly. "What a great way to greet me," he put his hands on his hips. "And expect more knocks on the window in the future, because I'm too lazy to walk all the way to the front door."
Ryouga glared at Ranma before shaking his head and sighing. "You'll never change."
Ryouga looked up at his buddy. "Why are you here anyway?" he asked before quickly defending. "Not trying to hint anything, okay?"
Ranma nodded, understanding what his pal was trying to say. "I wanted to discuss something with you."
"What?"
"Remember the Underworld thief? Has she struck your home yet?"
"No," Ryouga slowly shook his head, before his eyes turned back to Ranma's. "Why?"
"Because-"
"Did you say 'she'? How do you know that the thief is a woman?"
Ranma went to describe what he found in great detail. When he was done, he'd expected lots of praises from his friend on how smart and absolutely clever he was. But all he received was folded arms and a scowl.
"What? It makes sense, doesn't it? Long hair makes the thief a woman."
"No, it doesn't."
"Excuse me? What do you have to oppose my theory?"
"It's not proven true yet, so it's a hypothesis."
"Whatever. So why are you disagreeing with my statement?"
Ryouga stood up proudly and raised his left hand up into the air before bringing it down to point at Ranma. "You, my friend, left out another important thing."
"What?"
Ryouga looked down at the ground before he smirked at Ranma. "Can't men have long hair, too?"
+++++++++++++------------------------------------------------ ++++++++++++++
A/N: Don't worry. The men-can-have-long-hair,-too isn't a big thingy, just a way to end this chapter. Well, school has been tough and caused me to lose twenty cents, but I know I can cope (from copying homework and brainstorming ideas during class) by doing better.
Sadly, tonight's a Sunday and there's 'I know what you did last summer' and I know that my Mom won't let me watch television. Apparently, in the next part, Akane figures out how to get out of the tunnel and into Ranma's room but she doesn't dare do it again (reason will be written).
Nabiki goes around asking people if they want to know Akane's deepest, darkest secret and people want to know really badly so Nabiki tells them.
The proposition that Shampoo has is nothing big. You'll know in the next chapter when Nabiki reveals it to Akane. Oh, and I know in the real show, Akane's family has the dojo, not Ranma but this is just fiction so he can also have a dojo, yes?
Darn, I really haven't finished my schoolwork. I lost the list of things I must bring to school somewhere and I can't find it. But I can remember some stuff like bringing red packets to decorate my class and three questions for math, character analysing for literature and lots more, which I forgot.
If there's any extremely silly or stupid mistake I made, tell me so I can correct them and all. If you have any suggestions or ideas, tell me (don't worry, if you don't want me to write it down, I can disclaim the idea. J.j.). Well, and one more thing, if any of you others out there are suffering from pressure from school, let me tell you one thing. Clear all your messes up, start all over again (if possible, or else just clear most of your messes up. Those which can be cleared), and thirdly: relax.
Okay, maybe that's three things.
Well, I know people say that those who relax and have that 'whatever' attitude or the devil-may-care attitude will never succeed in life. But if you're too 'so not whatever' attitude and stress yourself out too much, you're gonna hurt those around you, too.
So chill, and Happy Chinese New Year!