Chapter two: Akane's Rage and the Misguided Suitors.

Teenage martial artist Ranma Saotome lay on his futon, sleeping peacefully. Morning descended upon Tokyo as he snored away, promising yet another busy day of activity and strange occurrences. It was seven forty a.m. Friday morning and the Tendo household was already bustling with activity. The occupants of the large training hall had set a up a routine for themselves over the year or so since Ranma and his father had come to live there and today they were going about it just as they had every other day: Akane and Nabiki were getting ready for school in their rooms, Genma and Soun were sitting in the open hallway playing their never ending game of Shogi, and Ranma was sleeping in far too long, as usual.

A soft, musical tune could be heard from the kitchen as Kasumi prepared breakfast, filling the house with a delicious, mouth-watering aroma. The only family member absent from the household was Ranma's mother, Nadoka. Her mother had fallen ill and she had gone to a small town just outside of Sapporo to take care of her until the worst of it had passed.

Nadoka had been staying with the Tendo's ever since she had found out about her son and husband's secret about four months prior. Her house had been destroyed during one of the usual mishaps that surrounded Ranma's life, and Soun had generously allowed her to move in to be with her husband and son, reunited the Saotome family for the first time in over a decade. While this didn't do anything to slow down the insanity of their lives, it was soon apparent that no one welcomed this change more than Ranma. A mother's influence in his life was what he desperately needed despite his unconvincing protests otherwise.

Ranma's hyper sensitive nose breathed in the aroma from the kitchen, causing his brain to kick start into awareness. This dragged him out of a deep, restful sleep. "Breakfast…?"

Yawning loudly, he jumped up, stretched for a few moments before slipping into his regular red shirt with wooden buttons down the center and then a pair of blue pants. Flicking his pigtail off his shoulder with his thumb, Ranma felt ready to face another day. He opened the door to the room his family was using, inhaling the delicious scent that hung in the air for a second time.

Making his way down the short hall to the stairs he made some minute corrections to his clothing, rolling his sleeves up to just past his wrist. He never liked having to dress like everyone else so school uniforms were naturally out of the question now that he was in high school. He was just too high spirited and original to be assimilated into the regular Japanese school society. No one dared to try and stop him so the school faculty just overlooked the minor problem with helpless exasperation. His clothing served as a symbol for who he was, though he probably never contemplated it at so deep a level. In his mind it was just an act of stubbornness and determination to rebel.

Buttoning the wooden button's on his shirt, Ranma grabbed his school bag from its resting place on a table by the banister and hopped down the stairs two at a time. He eagerly bounced into the dining room, knowing a delicious meal awaited his growling, bottomless stomach. Cheerful as he ever was with a meal awaiting his consumption, his eyes naturally zeroed in on his father, who would surely fight him for his food at some point that morning. Genma met his look and the two exchanged glances one might normally see two warriors exchange before they fought a match in a ring.

"Mornin' everybody!" The teen sat down at the kitchen table.

Soun acknowledged him with a nod but continued to concentrate on the game at hand; sweating slightly as he contemplated the strategic pinch he was currently in. Genma waved turned back around, taking a puff from his thin tobacco pipe and pushing smoke high into the morning sky as he analyzed the board.

Soon after, Akane and Nabiki filed down into the dining room and took their assigned places at the large table, equally hungry but far less vocal about it than Ranma. As was custom, everyone took to their assigned seating spots as Kasumi brought in breakfast. The men of the household came last, reluctantly putting their game aside to join their family at the table.

As usual, Genma and Ranma began to wolf down their food savagely, all the while ignoring the annoyed glances from Nabiki and Akane. Soun paid them no heed and just sat silently, flipping through the morning paper and occasionally taking in a bite of food. He carefully concealed his disgust at Ranma's appalling table manners. Perhaps when they were married, Akane would set him straight. One could only hope.

Suddenly something caught his eye that made the thought of table manners slip from his mind. After reading intensely for several minutes he turned to look at the youth, grabbing him by the shoulder. "Ranma, look at this!"

He dropped the paper in front of the boy, and while Ranma didn't know it at the time, Soun had effectively delivered the first warning of the life threatening situation that was soon to plague his life as well.

Ranma picked up the paper while sipping a glass of tea. He instantly saw the cause of Soun's alarm. The headline chilled him to the core.

Chinese lord attacked in Nekonron by a mysterious intruder!

He spit out the tea that had been in his mouth, soaking Genma and transforming him into a panda almost instantly. The perturbed father whacked his son over the head with a sign that said: [GROSS!]

"I'm sorry, ok?! This just took me by surprise," Ranma cried, dodging another sign attack from the angry bear.

[WHATEVER.] Grumbling angrily, the panda stomped out of the room to take a hot bath and regain his human form.

Returning his attention to the matter at hand, Ranma continued to scan the article, a bit more frantically this time, reading aloud. "Despite area searches by both Nekonron and Chinese police and militia forces, no traces of the assailant have been found. The suspect is still at large and possibly hiding in the mountains to the east of the Musk Dynasty."

For a moment he sat there in stunned silence, grasping the paper tightly. Then he abruptly tossed it down beside his plate, returning his attention to the helpless food that lay before him. When he was finished with it, he snatched Genma's food and proceeded to finish it off as well with the same rabid enthusiasm. Any reaction to the news he had just read was gone from his face, replaced with a look of casual neutrality.

"You know, you don't look very worried," Nabiki commented evenly, resting her chin on one delicate hand.

Ranma shrugged and swallowed a mouthful of rice. "It sucks but there isn't anything I can do. I can't just take another airship ride to Nekonron or anything."

When he didn't offer to let her read, Akane grabbed the paper and read the remainder of the article herself. "I hope he'll be ok," she whispered with concern. An unhappy frown creased her lips and her eyes shone with worry.

Ranma snapped out of his food-destroying mode and resumed his regular rude and cocky attitude. He wouldn't admit it but the worried tone in her voice seriously pissed him off. After all, he had almost lost his life several times as he'd fought his way up to Kirin's palace to free her. What was more, Kirin had come dangerously close to taking over Akane's life completely. He didn't have much pity given the facts. But regardless of said truths, Ranma Saotome never really needed a reason to be a complete and total jerk.

"Don't tell me you're actually worried about a loser that kidnapped you and came within an inch of forcing you to marry him Akane!" He folded his arms across his chest, leaning back to stare at her incredulously.

"Oh, are you jealous, Ranma? Honestly! At least he had the guts to admit his true feelings for me. This, if I recall, is far more than I can say for you!" She shot him a hard, challenging look, daring him to retort.

"Feh, whatever!" Ranma huffed, crossing his arms and turning his head away. "I can't admit to feeling something that I don't."

Akane blew out an angry breath and turned her head away so she wouldn't have to look at him. Why did he have to go and get her annoyed all the time with his childish antics? Kirin and Ranma may have fought savagely but she had been under the impression that the two had parted as friends or at the very least friendly rivals. How could he be so cold and heartless when a person they knew had been brutally attacked? What's more, Ranma was treating the incident like it was nothing when Kirin could be in the hospital suffering from an untold number of injuries.

"Why would I be jealous anyways?" Ranma asked, snapping her out of her thought trance and adding fuel to the raging fire in her mind. "You are so un-cute! Plus you're a tomboy but we all know that already. I'd say that doesn't leave me much to be jealous over, don't you?"

"What did you call me?! I'm so sick of you calling me a tomboy all the time! At least Kirin was brought up with manners and taste! I wish a bit of his refined charm had rubbed off onto you! What about the times you called me attractive?! Forget about that?!" She struggled to control herself, and it took all she had to not beat his brains in.

"What I really want to know is who said I was even remotely attracted to you in the first place? Those words never came out of my mouth, I'll tell you that much."

Her eyes narrowed with seething anger but she could no longer keep the hurt out of her voice. "It was when I was in the wedding dress. You know, like two months ago? I believe your words were 'You look really beautiful Akane'. Honestly Ranma, sometimes you're really a moron."

He felt her words backing him into a corner and he lashed out in an effort to save face as the eyes of the Tendo household bore into him. "Jeez, Akane, you're far from perfect yourself! Maybe I should go ahead and secure my engagement to Ukyo seeing as she's twice the woman you are!"

That hurt Akane deeply, but it wasn't the first. He had hurt her before, always to the point where her heart felt like it was being torn apart inside her breast. She knew he often spoke without thinking. She had come to expect it. That was just the way he was. But it was still no excuse for such a low blow. He knew her feelings and he especially understood how she felt about his little female fan group. He had purposely brought that up to get to her, hoping to really make her mad.

It worked. She grabbed her trusty wooden mallet and slammed it down on his head with the force of a falling redwood tree. "Ranma, you jerk! I hate you!"

The word cut through Ranma like a knife through his heart and gave pause to any retort he might have otherwise used, just as it had every other time. This time however, it hurt just a little bit more, made him feel just a little bit sadder. He sighed almost inaudibly as he assessed the situation, not even attempting to remove her weapon of revenge from his face. Why did he push her so with his teasing? Why did he take both pleasure and pain from her discomfort and sadness?

The hammer planted into his face. An explosion of pain burst in front of his eyes.

The rest of the household ignored this particularly brutal fiasco. They had gotten quite used to the near constant fighting between the two long ago. They ate in silence, keeping their eyes on the plate in front of them and waiting for the storm to die down. Soun continued to eye the paper he'd snatched back when the two started fighting. His only response to the incident came in the form of a quiet, almost inaudible sigh.

Ranma dove deeper into his own self musing as he worked to escape the pain of her attack. He might bully Akane, but didn't she always respond rashly and impulsively too? How many times had he been forced to endure bodily injury because of her? If anything, he realized suddenly, she was at least half responsible for everything.

"Run out of things to say, Ranma? Did I finally knock some sense into your thick skull?"

With a backwards heave he removed his face from Akane's mallet and tried to stifle his own rising anger as it bubbled to the surface. "Why you!"

Akane gave him an evil stare then walked out of the room with her arms crossed. "Hmph! I don't have time for this! I'll be late for school."

"Un-cute tomboy," he muttered, putting his head in his hands, letting his anger drain away as quickly as it had come. Another mallet whistled through the air and slammed into the side of his head, forming a large bump that quickly swelled to painful proportions. "Owww!"

Akane's voiced trailed back to his ears as the irate girl walked upstairs to retrieve her school bag. "I heard that, Ranma! Just shut up for once!"

He muttered something unintelligible under his breath and stood up from the table. "I'm goin' to school," he yelled, louder than necessary. Stomping out the hallway, he jammed his feet into his black slip-on martial arts shoes. Turning to glare up the stairs he sprinted out the door, feeling the cool air sting the skin where he had been injured.

Akane and Nabiki gathered their things and followed soon after. As Kasumi cheerfully started to clean the dishes, Soun put down his newspaper and sighed deeply, casting his gaze out at the Koi pond as it gently reflected the sun's warm rays across its surface.

It's shaping up to be just another regular day. He lit a cigarette to ease his troubled nerves. "Kasumi, do we have any Tylenol left?"

Ranma's head start had come to an end when the old women down the street caught him with a scoop of water she'd been spreading out across the street. A quick visit to Dr. Tofu's had provided Ranma the hot water he'd needed, but by the time he resumed his walk to school Akane and Nabiki had caught up.

Nabiki went ahead to school to take care of some outstanding debts some people owed her before the final school bell rang. This left Ranma and Akane to walk silently by beside one another, both refusing to make eye contact with the other. It was a childish routine, the same one they had been dancing to for far too long now. Fellow classmates passed them on the way, laughing at the tell-tale signs that the two displayed after they fought. Flushing with embarrassment, Akane's anger tripled in magnitude.

Ranma slowed his walk and looked at his still fuming fiancée' in wonder. It never ceased to amaze him how long she could stay mad. He realized suddenly that she was angry a great deal of the time, probably half the time he'd known her at least. It was a wonder she didn't have health issues because of it.

Man, it ain't my fault she gets angry and violent all the time! Still... I guess I did get outta' hand this morning. This incident with Kirin must be upsetting her more than she's letting on. Bringing up Ukyo was a really stupid thing to do too. Damn it! Why can't I keep my mouth shut?!

He kicked himself mentally and sighed, looking down at her, his steel blue eyes softening visibly.

He cleared his throat. "Ummm… Akane, look, about what happened at breakfast… I, uh..."

"Save it," Akane growled, cutting him off without looking up at him. "I couldn't care less about what you have to say you... you perverted cross-dresser! Go on! Go be with Ukyo, she's such a great woman remember!?"

The distraught girl took off down the street towards Furinkan at a fast sprint. Hot angry tears streamed down her cheeks, falling to the pavement behind her. The sound of her sobs found their way to his ears as guilt stabbed into his heart over and over again.

Well, so much for a restart on the morning pleasantries! "You dummy! I was tryin' to apologize," he called after her. He was hoping she would stop to retort but for once she didn't take the bait and ran into the school, ignoring the concerned expressions of her friends as they stopped to greet her.

"Damn, damn damn damn damn!" Sighing heavily, he shoved his hands into his pants pockets and continued walking with a scowl on his face. Frustration welled up inside of him until it got to the point where he just wanted to scream. He always ended up feeling like crap when he hurt Akane's feelings. Kicking a rock savagely, he approached Furinkan's main gate. His moral dropped even further at the idea of spending an entire day cooped up at a desk.

He sighed. "At least things can't get any worse."

"Ranma Saotome, prepare for death! Thou have entered the den of the lion!"

"I was so wrong." Ranma groaned and held his face in his hand. "Why the hell do these things always happen to me?"

He turned to see his samurai-wannabe nemesis, the tall, brown eyed and as handsome as he was stupid Tatiwake Kuno who stood before the main gate with his bokken at the ready. Having all the bravery but none of the intelligence of the sword wielding warriors of old, Ranma had a hard time taking him seriously. It might have been because Kuno currently looked so cocky despite the cuts and scrapes that adorned his face, given to him from their previous scuffle the day before. Ranma was sure his older rival was just stupid enough to forget about his own defeats time after time. It was either that or he was a glutton for continual punishment.

"Come on, Kuno! I ain't in the mood to play today! Besides, I don't feel like getting energy drained by Miss Hinako for being late to class again!"

His point was justified; the woman seemed to love to single him out for "student correction" on a daily basis.

"You seek to escape? Never! I, Tatiwake Kuno, feared by many as the 'Blue Thunder' of Furinkan High, will not allow it! The art of fleeing may be your specialty, but I will act as the solid door of vengeful justice and lock you in!"

"Kuno, I kick your butt every day! Don't you ever get tired of it?!" He dropped his bag to free up his hands for the fight he felt sure was becoming unavoidable.

"Talking will not get you out of your punishment, Saotome. The vengeance of heaven is slow but sure! However, if you agree to release your hold on my two beloved girls, then I will let you pass unscathed. Refuse and you will taste my wrath in battle!"

Ranma dropped into a low combat stance. Oh well, maybe now I can take out a little of my frustration. "Ok, upperclassman 'totally warped blue buffoon', let's get this over with."

"You mock my name and title as Blue thunder? Ha! You speak such bold words for a spineless cretin. Alas, thy jests have no effect on the mighty Kuno. Let's do this!"

He grinned, holding his wooden blade up against the light of the early morning sun. If his ego had been a weapon it would have hit Ranma from a mile away.

"Who are you calling spineless?!" Ranma jumped up and kicked Kuno solidly in the face, leaving behind a noticeable footprint mark and a fair amount of pain to boot. Kuno backed up, rubbing his face with a mixture of anger and frustration.

Ranma rebounded backwards, loosened up his muscles, and performing a few quick stretches. "Bet you'll feel that one later in the day! Are we done yet? This can still end without you going to class with the taste of pavement in your mouth."

"Such weak attacks have no effect on me! Hear me! Today is the day I take my women from your poisoned grasp! Prepare yourself!"

"Prepare myself for what? A nap? I can dodge your attacks in my sleep."

Undeterred, Kuno dropped into his final attack position: feet shoulder width apart, sword held low at his side. He lunged forward, swinging his weapon at blinding speed. The blade seemed to come at Ranma from every direction at once and yet he dodged these intensely quick strikes with ease. As fast as Kuno was, his swings were still absurdly predicable.

Beside them, a statue of the demented principle who just so happened to be the swordsman's father, shattered from the powerful winds created by the swings of the wooden sword. A group of passing students cheered and pointed. Ranma grudgingly admitted that the attack did serve a practical purpose after all.

One thing that had increased was Kuno's endurance. Almost a year of battling had increased his stamina considerably. Whereas the attack had lasted on a few seconds the first time he used it, Kuno was now able to attack unrelentingly for almost a minute. Ranma was forced to give ground and he acrobatically fell back across the front of the campus, dodging strikes too fast for most of the students to even see.

"Say Kuno, ain't it about time you learned a new technique or two? You never beat me with that move the first time we fought so why in the world would it work now?"

"This time-"

"Concrete time. Nom nom." Ranma waited for an opening in Kuno's attack to appear then round-house kicked him in the head again, knocking the now unconscious warrior to the ground face-first.

Good, now that that's done… Dusting himself off, Ranma continued walking through the front gate and into the courtyard. The warning bell rang, signaling that the students had only a few moments more to find their way to their classroom seats. Ranma quickened his pace, glad for the chance to finally make it to class on time.

Suddenly, several large chains with large spiked balls at the end flew down at his feet, smashing the pavement with a loud metallic clash. He skidded to a halt faster than his attacker had predicted and, after performing a back-roll, avoided a second set of spike-headed chains as they too plunged to the ground. A growl from the treetops hovering over the school cursed Ranma's amazing agility.

Ranma sighed, scratching an itch on his cheek. "Mousse! Come on out! Let's get this over with."

"Saotome, release your vile hold on Shampoo!" Mousse flipped down from a tree and landed with the grace of a gymnast between his target and the school. His long black hair swayed gently in the wind as his ice blue eyes sized Ranma up with contempt.

Ranma moaned and looked up at the heavens imploringly. He knew someone up there didn't like him very much. He could almost hear the laughter. "Mousse, I told you a million times, I don't like Shampoo as anything more than a friend! Ok!? Just leave me alone!"

"Liar!" Mousse shook his fist at a nearby rose bush. "You may be able to fool others with your evil lies, but I'm different! Prepare to die!"

"Put your glasses on you jerk! I'm over here!"

Mousse slid his coke bottle glasses on his nose and turned around, trying without success to maintain his threatening pose. Unfortunately for him, a near blind martial artist with giant glasses was about as intimidating to Ranma as a Pokemon.

"Fight me like a man, Ranma!"

"If you insist! Just remember that you asked for it." He curled his hand into a fist. Damn, I'm really getting sick of this day after day!

Mousse flung out his arms. "When I'm done with you, you'll be asking for a hospital visit!"

"After dealing with guys like you every day maybe it'll be a mental hospital!" Ranma dodged to the left as a dozen sharp ended chains flew past him. Despite being nearly blind, the Chinese boy somehow had impeccable aim. The attack was followed up with ten knives which he pulled from the depths of his robes and threw with equally deadly accuracy. Ranma effortlessly caught them in midair and tossed them to the ground.

A sneer crossed his face. "Come on Mousse! Don't you ever get tired of losing?"

"I won't lose this time! Fist of the White Swan!" Mousse swung his arm at blinding speed, knocking Ranma off balance with a well-placed blow to the cheek. The move was considerably fast, far faster than it had been in the past. Mousse must have been working out to prepare for the battle ahead of time.

Ranma's eye's narrowed as he caught his balance and shifted into a new stance. This would be a dangerous signal to any observant man. Unfortunately, Mousse wasn't as observant as he should have been. It was a mistake to put Ranma in a foul mood, especially after the morning disaster with Akane. "Now you've done it!"

Mousse paid the comment no heed and attempted to finish the fight without thinking things through. Ranma had noticed this was very common among all his foes and, surprise, surprise, always led to their defeat. The Chinese warrior pulled a series of knives from his robes and flung them with all his might followed by a duck-shaped training potty.

"Where in the hell do you put all this junk!?" Ranma dove to his right side to avoid the unusual projectile. Mousse had the uncanny ability to conceal even the largest of objects in his robes. It was no wonder he was the master of hidden weapons. It was one ability Ranma felt obligated to admire.

Mousse hurled his extensive collection of chains next, strand after strand topped with iron balls or sharp points. Ranma dodged, weaving and spinning until the storm of iron ceased. He snarled, weaved inside Mousse's defenses and raised his fist, about to land a punishing blow to the unfortunate warrior when suddenly his face brightened and he halted in mid-pose.

"Hi, Shampoo," he said, looking over Mousse's shoulder. "Mousse, look, here she comes!"

Mousse sneered. "Ha! I'm not that stupid, Saotome! You'll have to come up with something better than that! Your cheap tricks are for the weak. I'd even go so far to say-"

A familiar bell rung throughout the midmorning air as a bicycle wheel embedded itself snugly into Mousse's head. "Nihao, Ranma!"

Shampoo jumped down, ignoring Mousse as he lay comatose on the ground. She latched onto Ranma, pressing her toned, curved body against him and purred contently against his ear. This sent waves of shivers down his back that, try as he might to deny it, were not entirely unwelcome. It was hard to not be attracted to the buxom, purple-haired girl. Her lackluster grasp of the Japanese language notwithstanding, Shampoo knew how to be seductive as hell when she wanted to be.

"Ranma fight Mousse to date Shampoo? Ranma really do love Shampoo! I so happy!"

"It's not like that and you know it! Come on, let go!" Ranma tried to pry the Amazon cutie from his arm. "Shampoo! Let go! It was him who... I've got to get to class!"

Shampoo grudgingly released her hold on him. "What good book learn do Ranma anyway? All Ranma do in class is sleep! You date Shampoo after school then?" She wiggled seductively, long purple hair fluttering slightly.

"Well, I uh..."

At that moment the final bell rang out, saving Ranma from having to reply. "Damn! I'm late! I'll see you later Shampoo!" He took off for the school building at a dead sprint.

She sighed. Why is he always avoiding me? She just didn't understand it! She always gave him nothing short of her absolute love and attention and he still refused her.

Her mood fouled. What could Ranma possible see in that Akane witch anyways?! What does the short-haired girl possibly offer him that I couldn't? I don't understand.

She sighed again and turned to see Mousse slowly rising to his feet, rubbing his head. "Mousse, how many time Shampoo tell you?! You no win against Ranma! Stop trying!"

"But, Shampoo," he protested, "I did it for you! I was trying to prove my love for you! Why do you always chase after a man who will never love you and deny one who does?"

Shampoo grimaced and decided to sidestep the painful question for the time being. "Mousse you too, too stubborn. Here." She offered a hand. "I help you home. Work start soon."

She took his arm and placed it around her neck. She had been the one that injured him so she felt obligated to do so. Grabbing her bike with her other hand, she towed it along in midair using her impressive strength.

Mousse smiled happily to himself as they slowly made their way back to the Neko Haunten. She may not admit it, but Shampoo was actually worried for him. Mousse counted his victories where he could, no matter how slight. If she was worried there was potential for things to develop from there. Clinging tightly to this hope, he enjoyed the closeness of Shampoo as she helped him home.

Ranma was late to class and was instructed to go stand in the hall and balance a water bucket on his head as punishment. Humiliating as it was, it sure beat getting energy drained. Pointing at him as he left the classroom, Miss Hinako gave the class several reasons why Ranma wasn't a good student and how to avoid becoming like him. The scene was embarrassing. To his credit, Ranma had faced such situations before and could deal with it better each time it occurred.

Akane gave him a disgusted look from her seat as he meekly left the classroom, ignoring the snickers and sneers of his peers. He stood in the hallway with a bucket of water in each hand and clenched his fists around the handles in frustration, once again fighting back the urge to destroy something. It hadn't been his fault for being late to class. Why then did he have to be punished for it?

It wasn't my fault that I was late! If those two jerks had just given it a rest for once... He slammed his fist holding one of the water buckets into the wall and instantly wished he hadn't. As he cradled his smarting right hand against his chest, the balanced bucket of water splashed up onto of him and activated his curse.

Now female, the irritated red head sighed and spit out a mouthful of water. "Great. Just great." She took off her top and sighed again, standing in the hallway with a wet tank top on.

Today's turning out to be just another regular day. She sighed glumly, wringing out her top.