To help Akane learn how to control her ki energy, Ranma has chosen a rock quarry as the ideal place to train, on a lovely Saturday afternoon.
His instructions sounded simple enough, "First thing you need to do is build up your confidence. Feel it rising up inside yourself, flowing through your body. Focus all that built-up confidence to your hands, almost force it there. Put your hands forward and then release it at your target."
She took a big breath, closed her eyes and loosened herself up.
Standing still, she repeated the phrase, "I can do this."
After a minute, she puts her hands together, pushes them forward and releases her feelings. Opening her eyes she looked over at him and asked, "Anything?"
He shook his head to answer her.
"Keep trying, you'll get it eventually," he tells her.
She tried again, repeating all the movements. After a few more failed attempts she complains, "I'll never get it to work."
"There's your problem, you're thinking it will fail, so it will. You have to be confident and believe it will work. Only then will it succeed," replied Ranma.
She tried once more and failed again. Then the boy got an idea.
He said, "Come here and stand in front of me."
She did what she was told. He turned her around so her back was to him. He pressed his body against her's and said, "Let's see if this helps."
He wraps his hands over her's and moves them around. The closeness of the two of them is making Akane a little uneasy.
"Just relax and keep in time with my hands," he told her as he focused his energy.
Pushing both pairs of hands forward, the boy releases a Fierce Tiger Shot thru her hands hitting one of the walls of the quarry. The feeling she got from the energy blast felt like nothing she ever felt before. The amount of confidence she received made her feel like nothing could hold her back from reaching her goal.
Ranma quietly asks, "Did you feel it?"
"Yes, it was wonderful," replied Akane, sighing.
"Do you think you can do it now?" he wondered, backing away.
"I'll try," she said.
She closed her eyes focused on the feeling the Fierce Tiger Shot gave her and went through the motions. She pushed her hands forward and released the feeling.
"Did it work?" she asked, turning her head to look at Ranma before opening her eyes.
"See for yourself," he answered, pointing at something.
That something was a small orb of energy floating a few feet off the ground.
"I did it!" she exclaimed.
"Yes, but it was only a little bit. You should try for a bigger one next time," he told her, smiling.
The girl's celebration was cut short when a single black rose sliced the energy orb into oblivion.
"What the-?" said Akane, looking around.
They knew that rose was the calling card of Kodachi Kuno, another one of Ranma's female suitors. They found her standing on the outer rim of the quarry. She was dressed in a black, v-neck dress cut at the knees, with a red sash tied around her waist. She jumped down and slid all the way to the bottom. She almost looked like she floated, flapping in the wind behind her was a pink gymnastic ribbon she always carried around with her. She walked over to the awaiting couple.
"That is so precious seeing both the student and the teacher happy over the student's achievement," she said.
"What do you want?" asked the boy.
"Nothing from you, at least not yet my darling," replied the other girl, "I came here for her," and she pointed at Akane.
"Me? What do you want me for?" she wondered.
"My brother is waiting for you and I planned on delivering you to him," answered Kodachi.
"Then you'll have to go thru me to do it," said Ranma, stepping in front of his girlfriend.
"I won't have you interfere, my darling. This is a problem only us ladies can resolve," responded the girl in the black dress.
"Are you saying you want to fight me?" asked Akane.
"Yes, but not in the vulgar sense of the word. I challenged you sounds better," replied Kodachi.
"Alright, I'll accept your challenge on one condition. If I win you will no longer be able to pursue after Ranma ever again," said the girl.
"Fine and the same goes for you after I win," responded the other girl.
The boy grabs his girlfriend's arm and pulls her to the side. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he wondered, sounding worried.
She gave him a peck on the cheek and said, "I'll be okay. This won't take long."
She stepped away from him feeling confident.
"Let's do this," said Akane, cracking her knuckles and getting into a battle stance.
"Whenever your ready," replied Kodachi, feigning a yawn.
Not wasting anymore time Akane charged forward, cocking back her fist. Launching her punch she hits air, while her opponent countered with a sidestep and kick to her sternum. She fought back with a Roundhouse Kick, but missed thanks to her opponent doing a split.
Kodachi quickly brought her back leg forward and used both legs to trip up her enemy. Getting back on her feet, Akane tried another punch. She missed again because Kodachi ducked down and the attack soared over her head. Again she used both of her legs to trip her enemy once more.
Kodachi used the opportunity to get some distance between the two of them. Rising to her feet, Akane saw her opponent was a good ways away. She ran to meet her, only to stop when Kodachi snapped her gymnastic ribbon like a whip, halting the girl in her tracks.
"This is becoming boring," she said, feigning another yawn.
Snapping her ribbon again, she was caught off guard when Akane grabbed it mid-snap.
"That's mine," she cried, trying to tug it loose.
Yanking hard, Akane took the ribbon away from her opponent and threw it aside.
Launching herself at Kodachi, she tried another punch. Again her opponent ducked down and this time grabbed both of the girl's ankles and pulled her off her feet. Keeping hold of her rival's feet, Kodachi prevented her from being able to attack or defend.
"Let me go!" shouted Akane, trying to kick herself free.
The girl in the black dress attacked by planting her heel into her opponent's gut three times. Akane clenched her fists and tossed some of the gravel into her opponent's eyes. Using her hands and arms to protect her face, Kodachi released her hold on the girl's ankles. Seizing the moment of her opponent's vulnerability, Akane got up and attacked with a knee to the gut. Then she chopped at the back of Kodachi's head, putting her on the ground. She used her foot to turn her opponent over.
Pulling her fist back, she was ready to land the blow, when Kodachi put her hands up over her face and shouted, "No!"
Akane lowered her fist, turned and walked away.
Meanwhile her opponent slipped her hand behind her back and pulled out a tiny pouch. Inside the pouch was some of the paralyzing powder she specialized in. Standing up, she threw the bag at her opponent.
"Akane, look out!" shouted Ranma.
Spinning around, she caught the bag without it busting. Quickly, she tossed it back to it's owner. Kodachi tried to catch it, but thanks to her long fingernails, the bag popped open. A cloud of powder circled around her head. Coughing loudly, Kodachi inhaled some of the paralyzing powder. The effects were almost instant, she couldn't move her arms or legs no matter how hard she tried.
Picking up the gymnastic ribbon, Akane says to Ranma, "I've got an idea."
------------------------------------------------------------
Some time later, the doorbell to the Kuno residence rings. Tatewaki comes to the door with a bouquet in his one hand, his bokken at his side. Grabbing the knob, he opens the door.
"Akane Tendo, how nice to-" he says, before realizing it wasn't her.
Instead, the person at the door was Kodachi who was hog-tied with her own gymnastic ribbon. It was also tied over her mouth. Her muffled screams couldn't be understood.
"Sister, how did this happen?" he asked, removing the ribbon from her mouth.
"That wretched little girl did this and my Ranma helped her!" she replied, struggling in her bindings.
"Saotome, I swear the next time we meet, you will feel the sting of my blade!" he proclaimed, thrusting his bokken skyward.
"Forget about your blade and help me!" shouted Kodachi.
"Sorry," apologized Tatewaki, returning his attention to his sister.
------------------------------------------------------------
"Did you see the look on her face as we tied her up?" laughed Akane, walking hand in hand with Ranma.
"Yeah I did, it was golden," he agreed, laughing with her.
"That's one down, only two more left," she said, counting them off with her free hand.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Nothing," she replied, smiling at him.
"Come on, tell me. What are you doing, for real?" he repeated.
"Really?" she starts, "I was just figuring out who was left. The ones that have to realize your my boyfriend and have to get over it, too."
"Yeah, Shampoo and Ukyo, right?" he wondered.
She nodded.
"Ukyo might be the easier of the two. And Shampoo won't give me up without a fight," he told her.
"Which is why I have to get stronger, she's way better than me," she pointed out.
"But you have one thing she doesn't," said Ranma.
"What?" she asked.
"Me," he answered, giving her a smile, "And what I'm going to teach you."
She put her head on his shoulder and sighed.
"Akane?" he said, "Can I ask you something?"
"What is it?" she wondered, lifting her head up to look him in the eyes.
"Well, I was um... wondering if you'd like to uh..." he replied, mumbling the last part.
"What did you say?" she said, giving him a quizzical look.
"A date!" he shouted, startling her slightly.
He softened his voice, "A date. I wanted to take you on a date."
She giggled, "Sure. What time?"
"How about next Friday at six? We could have dinner and do some other dating-type things," he said, nervously.
"Okay," she answered, kissing him on the cheek again.
'That was easy,' he thought.
'About time he asked,' thought Akane.
They continued walking and made it home in time for supper. Opening the front door, the two teenagers could hear two people crying. Entering the common room, they find both Soun and Genma sobbing while playing a game of shoji.
"I guess your dad told mine what it was you told him the other day," whispered Ranma.
"Looks that way," she whispered back.
"Let's leave them alone," said the boy, backing away.
She followed him into another room.
"It's pathetic seeing two grown men cry," he told her.
Biting her lower lip she replies, "Maybe we should let them plan another wedding."
"Are you crazy? You remember what happened the last time those two planned a wedding, don't you?" he asked.
"Of course I do, it's just hard watching them act like that. They should be happy we're together. Instead they're sad because I told them we're not ready to be married yet," she pointed out.
"And we're not ready," he agreed, adding, "Someday soon we will be, but not right now."
"So, what do we do about those two?" wondered Akane.
"I don't know. If we let them plan the wedding, they'll want to have it as soon as possible. We want to wait and they don't, there might have to be a compromise between the four of us," he answered, "It's up to us when we'll get married, not them."
"Dinner time, you two. Come and get it," interrupted Kasumi.
"Okay," they reply in unison.
"We'll talk to them after dinner and come to some sort of agreement, how's that sound?" asked the boy.
"Anything to get them to stop crying," added the girl.
Walking into the common room again, they see the two old men still sobbing as they ate their dinner.
"Just remember, it's our choice, not their's," said Ranma, under his breath.
"Right," she agreed, under her breath as well.
------------------------------------------------------------
"Are you sure your plan will work, great-grandmother?" asked the girl with long, purple hair.
"Yes, after this you'll have your husband," replied the old lady.
The two women; one young and one old; were rinsing and drying the dishes from that day's customers of the Nekohanten as Mousse wiped down the tables. Shampoo's great-grandmother; Cologne; may be over a hundred years old, but that doesn't stop her from trying to make Ranma marry her great-granddaughter as it says in their amazon laws.
"Is something wrong, my child?" wondered the old hag, concerned over the girl's silence.
"Maybe plan too much? Maybe we try other plan?" responded Shampoo, rinsing a dish.
"Your not afraid of that Akane girl, are you?" asked Cologne, drying the dish her great-granddaughter handed her.
"I never afraid," answered the girl, "It just every plan we try has failed. What make this one different?"
"Because," started the old lady, "I have never seen this one fail. And we're running out of options, to tell you the truth. If this plan fails, we may have to go home to China empty-handed."
"Can I think about this first?" wondered Shampoo.
"You can have a little time to think it over, but not too long," said her great-grandmother.
------------------------------------------------------------
"Why did you two want to see us?" asked Genma.
Ranma and Akane had asked the two fathers to meet them in the dojo after dinner.
"We wanted to talk to you," said the boy.
"We were thinking about letting you plan another wedding," added the girl.
The two old men's attitudes immediately changed for the better upon hearing that statement.
"Really? You won't regret it," replied Soun, before turning his attention to his friend.
He asked, "How many people should we invite?"
"Hold on for one second, now," interrupted the boy.
At once they stopped talking and looked at him. Before he could say anything else, the front door of the dojo slides open and Nodoka steps in.
"Kasumi said I'd find you here," she said.
"Mom, I'm glad you came, you can hear what I have to say too," said the young man.
She sat down next to her husband, who sat opposite of their son.
"Spit it out, boy. What is it?" wondered his father.
"We will allow you to plan our wedding-" started Ranma.
"That's wonderful, dear," responded his mother.
"Only," he continued, "Only if you allow us some time to adjust to being a couple. Then we'll go through with a wedding."
"Don't be dumb," argued Genma.
"We should get it out of the way as soon as we can. You can adjust later," agreed Soun.
"I believe we should give them the time," answered Nodoka.
"Why should we?" asked her husband.
"Did we get married right after you proposed to me? Did Soun and his wife get married right away? No, we didn't. We allowed our love the time to blossom and our children deserve that time as well," she explained.
"Fine," huffed the boy's father, "One week."
"Five months," said Akane.
"Three weeks," replied her father.
"Four months," responded the boy.
"A month and a half," said his father.
"Three months," answered the girl.
"Two months," argued Soun.
"Two and a half," said Ranma, "After she accepts."
"You mean she hasn't accepted the engagement yet?" asked Nodoka.
The girl sheepishly replied, "Not yet."
"No, two and a half months from now," argued Genma.
"Dear, why not wait until after she accepts?" wondered the boy's mother.
"For all we know the whole thing could be called off by next week," he answered her.
"That's not going to happen, we've gotten past the arguing point in our relationship," the boy assured his parents.
"Very well, after she accepts, but she better soon," said Genma.
"Don't worry, you three will be the first ones to know when I do," Akane told them.
"Shall we go home then?" asked Nodoka, rising off the floor.
"I guess so," agreed Genma, getting up as well.
Saying their goodbyes, Ranma's parents leave the dojo and head for home. Soun gets up as well and walks back into the house, leaving the young couple alone in the dojo.
"That reminds me," started the boy, "When are you going to accept my proposal?"
"Soon, there are a few things we need to do before I'll accept," she replied, beginning to get up.
Ranma quickly grabs her hand and pulls her back down.
"Is this one of them?" he asked, kissing her before she could answer.
Akane loosened up after a second and then embraced the kiss the next. Wrapping their arms around each other, the two of them didn't want to let go of the other. Opening their mouths, their tongues begin to dance back and forth between their mouths. Laying down on top of him, the kiss continued, until Ranma tried to lift her shirt up.
She released the kiss and said, "I don't think so."
Sitting on his stomach, she started pulling her shirt back down. There was a flash of light and then a whirring sound. They look and find Nabiki standing in the dojo's doorway with a camera in her hands.
"A picture is worth a thousand words, or in this case, a thousand yen," she says, leaving the startled couple alone.
"Nabiki!" they shout as they scrambled to their feet.
She was already locked in her room by the time they got there.
Pounding on the door, Ranma says, "Open this door or we'll break it down."
"Not for all the yen in Japan," she replied.
"Nabiki, please open the door. We'll gladly pay you for that picture," said Akane.
"Speak for yourself, I'm liable to hit her for what she just did," argued the boy.
"You won't if you know what's good for you," snapped the girl.
"I've got plenty of people who will pay top yen for this picture. It's pure gold," the older girl tells them.
"Please don't spread that picture around, we'd never be able to live it down," pleaded her sister.
"What's in it for me?" asked Nabiki.
"A knuckle sandwich," answered Ranma.
Akane slaps his chest, "Stop that!" she tells him.
"How about three thousand yen says you'll destroy that picture?" wondered the younger of the two girls.
"Make it five and I'll think about it," said her sister.
"Alright five, but you have to destroy the picture," replied the youngest.
"I want the money up front first," responded Nabiki.
"You'll get your money," she assured her older sister, "So, will you open the door?"
"Not going to happen, sorry," apologized the middle sister.
"You want me to break it down?" asked Ranma.
"No, if you do, we'll owe her not only the five thousand, but also for the broken door," answered his girlfriend.
"So what do we do?" he wondered.
"We pay her," said Akane, "Before someone else does."
Looking around, the boy says, "Since we're upstairs, I guess we should call it a night."
"Guess so," she agreed.
They said goodbye to each other and headed in different directions to their rooms, for a good night's rest.