Ranma, Akane and Andreas were walking up a steep mountain with Ranma grumbling to himself about how Akane was the only source of food for a week. Andreas stopped and turned and said, "Now Ranma this is not just training for you but Akane as well. I will be teaching her how to cook as you train to fight Foron."
Akane looked up at Andreas and smiled and bowed thanking him, "Thank you. Thank you."
Ranma put his arms behind his head and said, "Don't know how good it will do her."
After he said that a frying pan nailed Ranma in the face nearly knocking him out cold standing up. As the pan was pulled away a round red mark was left. Andreas shuttered as he heard the frying pan shot. Ranma slowly fell to the ground and Andreas went over and picked him up on his shoulder and continued walking up the mountain followed by Akane.
As they walked Andreas began to speak, "You know Akane no matter how much you are in love with Ranma you should never lose that independence of yours. It's what sets you apart from other girls and it's what Ranma likes the most about you."
Akane blushed and asked, "So why did that guy want challenge Ranma and not you since it seems you two have a score to settle?"
Andreas answered, "That is the reason he challenged Ranma he knows that he can somehow draw me into protect Ranma and end up getting killed myself or atleast injured."
"Then why don't you just fight him and leave Ranma out of this!" Akane yelled as she ran in front of him.
Andreas stopped and watched as a tear rolled down her cheek and looked to the ground and said, "I wish I could but even if I could get Ranma out of this challenge there is no guarantee that I would be able to beat him and after that he would go after Ranma anyway. So I must train him so that he could at least fight him if I should die when I interfere. So I am sorry but Ranma must fight."
Akane stood there silent as tears welled up under her eyes. Andreas walked up and placed his hand on top of her head and said, "Please do not cry I will not allow Ranma to die."
Akane nodded and began to walk again up the mountain. Many times Andreas thought to himself about how his meddling dragged them into this. The rest of the journey up the mountain side was silent. Akane occasionally looked back at Ranma and Andreas but kept walking without saying a word.
It was several hours before Andreas finally found a good spot to set up camp. Akane placed her things down and began to set up her tent. Andreas placed Ranma against a tree and set up his tent. Ranma shook his head and stood up asking, "Where are we?"
"We are at the camp
site and we start your training once we get something into our
stomachs." Andreas answered as he began to try starting a
fire.
Ranma froze when he heard those words and saw Akane
beginning to take out some ingredients she packed away. Ranma went to
speak but then just held his insult back and for the first time in a
long time he did not insult his fiancé's cooking. Andreas
saw this and began to stoke the growing flame a bit then allowing it
to die down a bit. He walked over to Akane and sat down and began to
look over the things she brought. Akane watched as Andreas looked at
everything and began to separate them into groups. He looked up at
her and said, "Ok I put these into categories based on what works
best with which and I took the liberty of clearly labeling everything
so that there is no mix up."
Akane blushed as he got up and placed a few more sticks and twigs on the fire. Ranma looked around and noticed there were only two tents. He looked at Andreas and asked, "Hey where the hell is my tent? You said you brought enough for everyone!"
Akane looked and noticed what he was talking about and said, "Yea where is the third tent?"
Andreas looked into the fire and said, "There is no third tent. A third tent would have taken room away for the amount of food we needed. So Akane I will have to trust you and Ranma to share a tent."
Bothe Akane's and Ranma's face turned bright deep red and without thinking Ranma said, "What are you crazy me share a tent with that Uncute tomboy? I would rather sleep on a bed on nails."
A pot flew at Ranma and he dodged it and saw an infuriated Akane glaring at him. Ranma started stuttering nervously as he saw this slowly backing away as she walked towards him with pan in hand. Andreas ignored this as he began to unpack the food ingredients he had. Akane saw this and her attention changed to what Andreas was doing. He began to cut the vegetables. He turned to Ranma and tossed him a pair of buckets and pointed down the hill saying, "Down that way about five-hundred feet is a small mountain creek fill those up with water and come back up the hill without spilling a single drop. This will train you on your balance."
Ranma picked the buckets up and walked down the mountain. Akane watched as he walked down and then asked, "Wait does his training go along with mine?"
"Yup it does you are a smart one. This week is not only training for him to beat Foron or for you to learn how to cook but it is also so is both of you learn to rely and trust one another. So his bringing the water up without spilling any will allow you to learn your first lesson in cooking." Andreas answered smiling as he continued cutting the vegetables.
Akane then turned to watch for Ranma to come up the hill. Andreas smiled and continued his work on the vegetables.