Draxon's Review Corner Presents
   An In-House Production
        Ranma 1/2
    A Demon's Delight

Chapter 1: Sugoiken, Hell's Fist

	Gimme fuel!
	Gimme fire!
	Gimme that which I desire!
	YEAH!
			--Metallica, Fuel

	Ranma stood with determination as a cold January wind washed across his face. 
His pigtail flapped in the wind as he considered how to complete his objective. 
Eight feet in front of him stood his opponent, Genma, and Ranma knew exactly
what he had to do.  He was going to kick his sorry ass.
	The pair, as if reading each other's minds, took flight at the same time and
collided above the koi pond in a raging flurry of kicks and punches.  They
aborted the engagement by instinct when gravity began to take hold, and landed
on opposite ends of the pond.
	Round 1: Tie
	"Boy, you must be getting slower in your old age.  I haven't seen you fight
that sloppily in months!" He stretched his arms in preparation for the next
attack as he spoke, "You're never going to be good enough to take over the
Anything-Goes school if you don't take this simple training seriously!"
Ranma stepped to the side of the pond in preparation to take the more direct
ground approach, "Well maybe if you hadn't stolen my last five meals I'd be
moving a bit faster," he ran forward, "You lousy *thief!*"
	Genma blocked the first few shots of Ranma's Amaguriken attack with general
ease.  Unfortunately for him though, Ranma was *not* going to let him get off
that easy.  Genma took two seconds to look for an opening and when he thought he
found it *THWACK*
	Round 2: Ranma
	Ranma watched his father take flight for a few seconds, "That's what you get
for stealing my food, next time get some bamboo and I'll shove it down yer
throat!"  He winced a bit in sympathy pain when Genma slammed into the ground,
then waited for his father's inevitable attack.
	Genma flipped back to his feet, "Boy, you've been playing too much Street
Fighter.  Since when did you start using flying uppercuts?"
	"Hey, I won't get any better if I wait for *you* to teach me anything," he
paused for a second and held his stomach, which growled angrily, "And at least
the TV has the common decency to not steal food!"
	Kasumi watched Ranma and Genma for a few seconds with a smile on her face -
they were so *good* at what they did.  *Sniff* *Sniff*, "Oh my, what's that?"
She looked toward the kitchen and saw a cloud of greenish gas wafting in her
general direction.  She looked at it for a few moments, but a loud thud and a
lot of yelling caught her attention and she looked where Ranma and Genma had
been fighting.
	"AHH!  GET OFF A' ME!!!" Onna-Ranma screamed in writhing agony.  Kasumi noted
that Ranma and Genma had apparently met with the forces of the koi pond while
she had been distracted.  Kasumi's face twitched with sensed pain when she saw
Ranma being crushed into the ground. She was one with the Earth, literally. 
Genma-Panda laughed triumphantly as he sat on her back, then pulled her legs
into an impossible twisted position and held them.
	Ranma screamed and tried every possible movement to escape from Genma's
impossible hold, then fell limp with hunger and defeat.  Genma, sensing that his
point was made, released Ranma and stood up.  *Mistake*  
	Ranma bolted back to her feet and nailed the panda in the face with a jumping
crescent kick, then gave him a medically unsafe combination of 227 Amaguriken
punches to the stomach and 41 snap kicks to the face. Ranma finished the combo
and  landed the giant panda on the ground with a powerful sweep/throw maneuver.
	Round 3: Ranma
	Kasumi turned her attention from the fight to the more immediate issue of Akane
cooking. It was so sweet of her to work this hard to make Ranma another
breakfast, but-ErRrK-!  She doubled over, coughing herself nuts in the process
as the fumes washed across her face.  She produced a gasmask from hammerspace
when Akane ran out of the kitchen with... *IT*  Kasumi looked at the pulsating
sludge that oozed out of the bowl and realized that if Ranma were to survive
this day it would be because of religious intervention.  Not that Akane hadn't
tried, mind you.  She was so sweet when she wanted to be.
	Akane looked at the monster that somehow resembled her sister, "Kasumi, why the
gas mask?  Is there a bomb threat?"  
	Kasumi nodded, "North Koreans again," Okay, so it wasn't nice to lie, but she
wasn't going to be rude to her sister, geesh...  Genma-panda flew past the two
and slammed into the living room wall with a loud crash, then a very female
Ranma immediately leapt in for the attack.
	"Since when did you start up with these ridiculous holds, huh?"  Ranma spat as
Genma flopped to the floor in front of her, "You been messin' with games too?"
	Genma-panda squiggled on a sign and held it up, "No, WCW wrestling!"  He then
found the sign crashed over his head rather violently.
	Round 4: Ranma
	"No wonder I never learn anything useful from you - huh? What's that - oh
no..."  Ranma finally noticed Akane (and why was she wearing a gas mask?)
motioning for him to eat... *IT*... This stuff, which could be called nothing
but *IT*, oozed and happily bubbled out of its ceramic bowl... And oh god it
looked bad.
	Ranma pointed at the food with a look of terror on her face, silently asking a
question who's answer could strike fear into the hearts of men and gods alike. 
The question that Ranma finally managed to stammer out in a broken sentence,
"D-did y-ou, m-m-m-ake... thathatha... THAT?"
	Akane nodded proudly, "Yup, looks good, *DOESN'T* it?"  She shoved the bowl in
Ranma's face, which turned a sickly color normally reserved for the elderly.
	"Wha.. eew... What's the-" She exploded into a fit of coughing, "the mask,"
HACK HACK, "for?"  She fell backwards and tripped over her father, which had the
effect of making her fall flat on her ass while feeling rather nauseous. Ranma's
stomach threatened to relieve her of its contents, but she managed to get it
under control.  Barely.
	"Oh yeah, I forgot!  Put this on!"  Akane pulled another gas mask from
hammerspace and tossed it to Ranma, "Kasumi said the Koreans are invading or
something," she looked at the fumes which filled the house now, "They must be
using bio-weapons this time."
	Ranma hastily put her gas mask on, "Yeah they're invading all right.  They
musta' sent you one *hell* of a cookbook," She managed to gain the courage to
approach the... *IT* that Akane had cooked, "So, what all did you put in this
thing?"
	"Ranma you JERK, Japan is under attack and your worried about what I put in
your breakfast?  Who did you learn your priorities from?"
	"That idiot," Ranma pointed at the panda, which nodded affirmatively before
slumping over.
	"Oh, no wonder," Akane ran to the front door and looked out to see if any
wartime events were occurring in Nerima, then ran back to the living room.
	"Akane, it's really important.  What did you put in that... That *stuff?*"
	Akane huffed, "If you *must* know, I made pancakes!  I went out and bought the
batter last night because *you* were complaining about being so hungry.  I guess
you're not so hungry after all! HMPH!"
	"Akane, you had to have put something else in there... I mean, look at it! 
It's breathing, which means it's *alive*.  Pancake batter does *not* come to
life just like that, even you couldn't do that without putting more junk in
there.  Now c'mon, just tell me what's in it so I know if we need to call poison
control."
	Akane began to grow a little sheepish, "Well, umm, I *did* use some stuff
called Anthrax... Guess it didn't work the right way."
	Ranma began to shake slightly, "You're joking Akane."
	Akane shook her head, "No, I'm sorry if it didn't work but you don't have to
be-
	"AKANE.  You.  Are.  Joking."  Ranma nodded her head, "AREN'T you, Akane?"  She
pointed at the *IT*, "And ya know *why* you're joking?"
	"Ranma, if you don't like my cooking just say so!"  She threw the bowl of *IT*
on the table, cracking it open.  *Big* mistake.
	"This is beyond cooking!  You used *ANTHRAX*!  Anthrax is a freakin'
city-killing weapon!"  She looked at the panda, which appeared to be quite dead,
"I don't know how on earth these gas masks are making a difference, but I'd say
it's safe to assume the Anything-Goes school is gonna be pretty dead in a few
minutes!  Thanks, Akane, you just made my day!"
	"*R*ANM*A*!!!!"  Ranma had two seconds of warning before her body set a course
for geo-synchronous orbit, courtesy of Akane's fist.
	Round 5: Akane
	Then *IT* stood.  Kasumi screamed in terror when... *IT* began to move around. 
Akane bolted to the side and turned around to se-- oh my god.
	"R...Ran-ma... You can, uhh, come *back* now!!"
	The *IT*; a mass of syrup, batter, Anthrax, and home cooking ingredients grew
to near-human size and lunged at Akane.  She had only enough time to scream
before *IT* plastered her into a nearby wall and enveloped her body.
	Ranma shivered as the cold air of the stratosphere stripped away her already
non-existent body heat.  She could make out the shape of Japan below her, and
she swore by the Kami that Akane would never hear the end of this.... If she
survived impact.
	A teenager with a pock-marked face struggled frantically to keep his pencil
moving at the pace of his brain.  The event he was witnessing was totally
unparalleled in the history of chemistry!  Akane Tendo was *truly* one of the
greatest chemists on Earth.  Nobody, *nobody* could take a vial of the Anthrax
vaccine and mix it with household ingredients to create... *IT*.  He watched as
Akane's creation turned on her, and for a second the thought crossed his mind
that he could help her, and save her!  She would be forever in debt to him! 
Maybe even...  His mind began to take a hentai turn, and he began to fantasize
about his future with Akane.  Unfortunately for him, his fantasizing causing him
to ignore the high squealing sound in the sky above and Ranma crashed into him
with a nuclear payload.
	Ranma managed to stand after impaling one of those chem-club freaks, and set
about the task of getting at least three of her five senses working again.  She
wobbled around in her quest for balance, but was brought back to herself by a
series of screams from the dojo.  She ripped off her gas mask and... d-AMN!
	"*WHEN* *I* *COOK* *SOMETHING* *IT* *DOES* *NOT* *EAT* ***ME***!!!!"  The *IT*
exploded outward, and a very pissed-off-looking Akane emerged and peeled it off
of the other wall, "Mutant pancake or not, badly cooked or not, city killing
virus or not, YOU ARE STILL JUST A PANCAKE!"  She grasped the pulsating blob and
pulled it into the back yard, "Now, DIE!"
	Ranma was decently sure that Akane had the situation under control so she took
a few seconds to look over that geek's notes.  She sighed with relief when she
saw the word vaccine attached snugly after Anthrax and turned the page.  Eew,
some badly written sex scene involving Akane.  ErK.  Well, Akane would want to
see it so she could further impale the baka at school, so Ranma grabbed the
notebook and ran to meet her most-uncute fiancee.
	"DIE DIE DIE!!!"  Akane, mallet pounding like Thor's Hammer, screamed at the
now not-so-big pancake.  She heard a clicking noise and nearly went nuclear when
her gas mask was pulled off of her.  She turned with murderous intent, but
allowed her anger to ebb when she saw Ranma looking rather... pathetic.
	"Akane, I think the pancake is dead.  Listen, one of those chem-club guys was
spying on us a few minutes ago.  I got his notebook, and that stuff we thought
was Anthrax is supposed to be a vaccine."
	Akane snatched the notebook and began reading, "...and I watched in amazement
as Akane's 'golem' pancake turned on her and attacked.  I must sa-," and the
pencil marks deteriorated into scribbles.  Akane looked back to Onna-Ranma, "I
don't believe this.  Next time I cook something I'll get it right!"
	"Akane, maybe you should consider letting Kasumi cook the food from now on.  I
can't handle being threatened with this toxic stuff every day," she wrapped her
arms around herself to rebuild her supplies of body heat, "I already have to
rescue you from some weird pervert at least once every two months or so, I've
got this curse to deal with which is harder than you might think, and I can't
handle the thought of you cooking up another space mutant every day on top of
that!"
	"Don't you appreciate anything I do for you?  Do you think I like messing up so
much when I cook?  Maybe if someone would try to help me instead of insulting me
I'd get better!"
	"Kasumi's tried to help you before.  It didn't do any good, and she's probably
still having nightmares about being in the kitchen at the same time as you."
	Akane started to give Ranma a piece of her mind but she stopped.  Her angry
expression withered away and was replaced by a look of... defeat?  "Ranma, I've
put up with you being a pervert and a jerk for the past year because
occasionally you manage to act like a decent human being.  I... I can't keep
going like this anymore.  You are... well, I think you're okay sometimes, but I
can't spend my life waiting for those few moments when you're not a total jerk. 
Don't say anything, you'll just run your mouth if you try.  I can't make you
learn how to be nice to me, but if you don't figure it out soon you're going to
live the rest of your life in a restaurant."
	Pervert?  Jerk?  Just who does she think she's talking to, anyway?  And... why
is she being so calm about it... "Akane I know you think I'm a perverted jerk. 
I know that you think I enjoy fearing my next meal.  On top of that, to you it
seems like I enjoy having to fight off Shampoo every day, and I know you can't
understand what this curse really does to me.  That leads me to one conclusion,
Akane:  You don't know me.  Maybe nobody really does."  She began to pace around
in the cold, not minding that her skin was getting a nip of frost bite, "If you
don't at least try to understand me, Akane, I *will* end up running an
Anything-Goes Okinomiyaki restaurant, because even though I don't really think
of Ukyou the way she thinks of me I know I can trust her to listen to me, and I
can tell her nearly anything.  If you think I've spent the last year in the Dojo
with you just because I had nothing better to do or someth'an you're wrong."
	Akane stormed off toward the Dojo for a few seconds but halted when she reached
the entrance, "Ranma, I'm going to change into another uniform.  When I finish
changing I'll spend an hour trying to get to know you, since you seem to think I
don't already.  I don't see why you think you can tell Ukyou stuff that you
won't tell me, it's not like I haven't seen you at your worst."  She disappeared
into the Dojo.
	Ranma stood like an old, weary statue.  Her wet clothes flapped with a gust of
wind and her very bones chilled like ice.  It felt strangely appropriate to her,
and mirrored the emotions that seeped slowly from her heart.  She held her
position, not having the motivation to move to warmer territory, "Akane you just
don't understand... There are some things I just can't tell you..."  She looked
at the ground where a dying mutated pancake wriggled with its last desperate
movements.  Appropriate.
	Final round: Akane
	Then *IT* attacked.

[...]  Fuurinkan High School, Lunch Time

	"Listen Akane, I know you've been wanting me to say this for a long time, so
I'll just up and say it!  I'm SORRY!  I'm sorry that your freakish cooking made
you miss a mandatory test!  I'm sorry if I wasn't able to kill the damn thing
without a trip to doctor Tofu's afterward!  Of course it's all my fault!  I
should be strong enough to handle being used as a long range missile, and after
that I should still have it in me to kill off your cooking projects before we
come to school!  I'll work out more!"  Ranma prepared to continue his onslaught,
but stopped himself.  Akane's little session of talking had been turned into a
war of survival against the mutated pancake, which had ended up being a lot
harder than expected.  Ranma had come out of that fight half-dead and only the
wrath of Akane's mallet had saved him from a worse fate.  Of course, after Akane
remembered that she'd missed a test while saving Ranma's sorry ass she took it
out on him.  Typical.
	"Ranma the best thing you can do is just go off and spend some time with the
fiancee you actually like.  Either that or learn to shut up while you're ahead. 
I've still got that mallet and I think maybe another trip to Dr. Tofu's clinic
would do wonders for your ego."
	Ranma threw his backpack to the ground next to the tree that Akane was sitting
under, "Go ahead Akane.  Hit he and make it hard.  C'mon, you know you want to. 
That's your solution to everything these days, isn't it?  I've already seen what
happens when you get really mad.  Japan looks beautiful from up in space but I
must say the fall is a real pain."  He stepped forward so he could lower his
voice signifigantly, "How can you ask me to be nice and caring and open with you
when you hold everything against me?  How can you expect me to be the great
reliable guy that you want when I can't get you to so much as listen to me when
there is a problem?  If you truly knew me you would either kill me or you
wouldn't bother to talk to me.  This may sound weird but I *want* us to at
*least* manage some kind of a weird friendship.  The person that you offered a
friendship to last year still exists, and although I'm not quite as female as
you thought back then I still want at least that friendship."  He threw himself
down and rummaged through his backpack until he found the lunch Kasumi had
prepared for him.
	Akane looked at Ranma; the man she liked... or, loved?  She hoped that she'd
have the time to figure that out, but that wasn't going to happen with the pace
of current events.  Her mind raced through several trains of thought... Unless
Hinako gave her a major break she had failed English, and the same went for
Ranma.  She began to regret what she'd said earlier, and her emotional fortress
began to collapse under the pressure of a continuing siege.  She began to
formulate a response to Ranma's emotional opening, but couldn't bring herself to
speak without allowing her defenses to collapse.  After a few seconds of trying
she pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face in them.
	"Akane, in case you didn't notice I just gave you a chance to take back all
that stuff you said earlier.  What's the deal?"
	Akane wrenched with an emotionally-induced shudder, then her fears, doubts, and
frustrations broke through the castle walls and slaughtered the stability that
had lived within.  Her eyes began to water, and that very fact led her to
surrender to pain.  It could be so much easier much easier to cry sometimes...
	"Whoa, Akane - hold up a second.  It's not that bad-
	"How would you know?"  She shot back, "You don't have to live my life!"  her
sobs continued quietly, and she hoped that nobody had noticed her little
breakdown.
	"Akane, what's wrong?  Maybe I can help you or something..."  He noticed a
flickering blue battle aura that said in a clear threatening tone 'Akane is
pissed right now so leave her the hell alone' but if Akane was actually feeling
bad he had at least a small chance of getting inside her head for a while...
	"Just go," Akane muttered softly between sobs, "All you can do is make things
worse."
	"No, tell me why you can't stick with one mood for more than an hour and I'll
be satisfied at that; but I can't sit here and just watch you freak out without
at least trying to help."  To his surprise Akane's battle aura exploded in size
and strength, and the girl bolted to her feet with a look of sadness and anger
plastered onto her face.
	"Ranma you jerk!  Can't you at least see when I want to be left alone?  When I
actually want to be around you you're always off with one of those other girls,
but when I need to be alone you can be counted on to be there, agitating me
until I just want to DIE!"  Her expression changed quickly from anger and
sadness to something that resembled... Realization?  She brought her hands
together in front of her and began to channel energy into a ball of chi... 
Ranma stood and backed off a few steps - No way!  Akane was actually channeling
her chi?  Waitasec - didn't that mean she was about to hit someone?
	Ranma's fears proved invalid, as Akane lost her concentration the ball of chi
simply dispersed harmlessly into the air.  Akane stumbled forward on her way
with a meeting with the ground but Ranma had the good sense to catch her in
mid-fall.
	"Akane," he said as he set her down next to the tree, "Don't worry, things'll
work out, somehow."
	Akane decided not to respond.

[...] Fuurinkan High School, 3:32 P.M.

	After the second half of her school day proved uneventful Akane began to walk
home, not really sure exactly how she felt.  She just hoped that nothing else
went wrong... She really couldn't handle anymore on this particular day.
	Rule number one of being Akane: Don't hope that nothing else goes wrong.  The
laws of reality inherently worked against her.  How else could she have ended up
with a perverted aqua-transsexual for a fiance?  Well anyhow, Akane had broken
the golden rule and the universe had to choose a punishment of some sort.
	"Akane my dear, you're looking rather, uhh, pathetic."  Happousai.  Go figure. 
The elder martial arts master perched himself on Akane's right shoulder and
began to speak;
	"I've heard that you nearly executed a special technique today, is it true?"
	Akane grabbed Happousai and slam-dunked him into the concrete wall that
surrounded the school, "Yes I did, and if you even start being perverted with me
today I will personally beat you into a bloody pulp."
	Happousai recovered and hopped in front of Akane, "Let me guess - that ingrate
Ranma made you mad and you came close to plastering him."  Akane nodded, "Akane,
I'm not a total fool.  I am growing old, and I may not have too many years left
in me.  I can't teach Ranma the techniques of the Higher Arts of the
Anything-Goes school of martial arts because he just does not learn, but *you*
might be a different story!"
	Akane found a bench and sat down, "You've got five minutes to convince me not
to seriously hurt you."
	"Ahh, Akane!  It isn't about hurting me.  It is about teaching you to deal with
your problems through the power of the art!  Within this aging mind of mine are
locked the secrets to devastating techniques.  Techniques that dwarf all of
Ranma's attacks combined.  Techniques that you may be able to learn *if* you do
a little work for me first..."
	Akane sighed - she did *not* have time for this nonsense, "I am not helping you
steal some poor girl's underwear.  I am not going to model for you - unlike
Ranma I have some modesty.  I am not going to help you sneak around in the hot
tubs and I am most definitely not going to stick around long enough for you
trick me into doing any of that stuff.  Goodbye!"
	"Akane," the seriousness of the old man's tone managed to halt Akane's planned
departure, "Although you refuse to take part in what I consider to be basic
training for Anything-Goes martial arts I am willing to make a compromise of
sorts.  There is a clothing store just down the road that has an excellent
selection of dearies.  All you have to do is push a shopping cart around while I
handle the rest.  Deal?"
	Akane stood and stared at the little freak, "You must be out of your freaking
mind, I knew you'd snap someday, and now that you're into *new* underwear I
guess you must have finally lost it.  Go feed your fetish somewhere else, old
man.  I have better things to do."
	Happousai hopped onto the bench as Akane began to walk off.  Teaching her a
technique of the higher arts was *mandatory,* and he had to do it *today*.  If
he didn't... he didn't want to consider what was in store for him.  Time for
some persuasion.
	"Akane, don't you at least want Ranma to see that you can be strong?  Does your
heart not burn with desire to show the world that Akane Tendo is not a person to
be run over?  I spent a good deal of my younger days being rejected and being
run over by those who were stronger than myself.  I *know* how you feel, Akane. 
I can make you strong.  I have the knowledge that will become raw power once you
are in possession of it.  If you trust me for just this day I will give you the
key to that knowledge and you will become the Akane Tendo that you want to be so
much.  An Akane Tendo that is worthy of the name Saotome.  An Akane that can
carry on the Anything-Goes school despite having to live with the likes of
Ranma."
	Akane wanted to storm off and leave the old pervert eating dust.  She *wanted*
to show everyone that she was already not someone to be run over - but was she? 
She wanted to ignore the pervert's lies... But did he somehow tell the truth
through those lies?  True, the stronger she was the more she could stand up for
herself; but what if she humiliated herself for the old man's sick pleasures
only to be betrayed and hurt?
	Whether she knew it or not, her mind was set.  To the higher arts - and god
help Happousai if he was lying.

[...] 5:27  

	Akane's heart thumped and crashed about in her chest in protest of the
most-unnecessary levels of stress she was feeling.  The last two hours or so had
been any girl's worst nightmare!  Basic training?  Yeah, right.  Akane shook
with nervousness.  The police would probably be stopping by the Dojo within the
next few hours to arrest her after her supposed 'training', which consisted of
helping the old man rob about 10 clothing stores back to back while raising
general hell through the city.
	"Well, now that I won't be able to face my friends again for a few years I
guess you can go ahead and teach me this higher technique of yours."  She
continued to shake nervously; now she'd dropped to the level of her father and
Mr. Saotome...  Ugh...
	Happousai looked over his most-awesome collection of lingerie and feminine
intimate wear.  If only they had been graced by the touch of a female's fine
skin he would feel content, but for now he had a more immediate issue to deal
with.  He decided he'd give the clothes to Ranma and maybe even snatch them back
later - He'd heard increasing rumors that Ranma had been checking out his 'other
self', but he hadn't had time to confirm the rumor yet.  Either way, the look on
Ranma's face would be classic.  Now to deal with Akane...
	"Akane, you have proven today that you are indeed enough of a student to hold
the secrets of the Higher Arts.  As a reward for your faithful work you will
learn a technique of power beyond that which Ranma has *ever* mastered.  Behold
the power of... *Sugoiken.*"
	The old man approached a large tree.  The tree's presence was one of
durability, of strength, and of determination.  Its size indicated that it had
stood for at least one hundred years, through even the wrath of the second World
War and of the modernization of Japan.  Now a two foot tall old man stood at the
base of the tree and decided its fate.
	"Anything-Goes Higher Art - SUGOIKEN!"  Happousai tapped his fist on the side
of the tree and watched with satisfaction as a blue aura of destructive power
aligned itself in a line next to the symbol of stability.  The wave of energy
completed its formation and began to move through the tree - depositing small
inklings of explosive energy throughout the plant as it moved.  The wave of
energy dissipated once it moved through the entire body of the plant, and Akane
waited.
	"Well, so far it looks just great, but I don't see why you consider a light
show to be a higher art."  Akane's pulse rate dropped back to an acceptable
level and she prepared herself to kill the old lech if he didn't have something
better to show her.
	"Akane, you fool.  I have not even executed the damaging part of the technique
yet - I could have done it immediately but the damage would have been dealt too
quickly for you to see the true power you are soon to command."  He held his
right hand in the air, waved it to his left to get Akane's full attention, then
turned his side toward the tree.  He aimed his palm at the tree and pushed on
the air.
	Akane fell out of the bench she had been sitting on as a violent shaking
overcame the very Earth.  She regained her bearings and focused on what was
happening to the tree which had been the target of Happousai's attack, and for
the first time she was in utter awe of the old man's power.  Beautiful blue
streams of energy encircled the tree's entire height for a few seconds, then
jetted off into the sky in a looping maneuver.  The streams of raw power
coalesced into a single star-like ball of chi which held its position about 20
feet from the tree like a predator ready to hunt.
	"Akane, observe carefully.  I am executing this technique painfully slowly so
that you can see the kind of power you will soon posses.  Do not blink your eyes
for even a second - for if you do you will miss the true meaning of power."  He
held his concentration and pushed the stolen shopping cart away from what was
about to become ground zero.  He looked at Akane, who was staring intently, then
he looked at the ball of chi that waited for his command to trigger the
Sugoiken's true power, "May the Kami forgive me if this technique is ever
mis-used..."  He triggered the final phase of the technique.
	The bolt of chi energy shot forward, ripping the earth beneath it with pure
force.  Akane bolted to her feet in shock when the energy once again met with
the tree.  The side of the tree that Happousai had tapped began to warp and arc
inward, then a wave of pure heat erupted from the tree's innards and washed
across its surface.  The tree began to glow like a Supergiant star in the final
stages of life, and a sharp screeching sound began to scream forth from the
force of the attack.  Akane covered her ears but nothing could stop the
sensations of pain that threatened to overcome her consciousness.  Just as she
prepared to surrender to physical pain the noise ceased and another wave of
energy appeared next to the tree.  This time the energy slammed into the tree
like the shockwave of a nuclear blast and promptly shredded the tree on the
cellular level.  The ground shook again with the power of the blast, and this
time Akane, having been too paralyzed with awe and anticipation to keep her
balance, fell flat on the ground.
	"Akane.  THAT is power.  Now observe the technique at full speed."  He walked
to another tree and tapped it.  This time, however, the wave of energy bored
through it voraciously and less than a second later the tree was shattering into
sawdust...
	Akane's mind was set - that technique was going to be hers at any cost... It
held the potential to maybe, just maybe put her on Ranma's level if she mastered
it...
	"Happousai, how should I go about learning that technique?  I *will* learn it."
	Happousai nodded sagely, "Are you so sure that you want to go through the
training?  You may find it to be a bit emotionally, hmm, stimulating."
	Akane approached the old lech, knowing full well what he meant, "I don't care
what kind of training it is.  I'll do anything."  She waited for a second, then
added "Almost," to keep Happousai from getting any lecherous ideas.
	"Very well Akane.  We must go to a location where we can have absolute privacy,
where I will proceed to teach you the power of the Sugoiken."

[...] 5:37 Ucchan's Okinomiyaki Restaraunt

	Ranma inhaled another round of Okinomiyaki with record speed.  His mouth moved
with speed and power that could only be produced by a world-class martial
artist.  His hands moved at Amaguriken speed and danced with the harmony if a
pure eating machine... Nothing was to avoid the wrath of his stomach on this
night.  Or as Ukyou put it; he was stressed out and damn near starving.  Ukyou
had already closed the restaurant in order to fill Ran-chan's noisy stomach but
something told her that the one she loved wanted to let off some steam, and she
had a pretty good idea of what was troubling him.  After all, the big talk
around school after lunch had been about Akane nearly blasting Ranma into
oblivion.  That, and one other little rumor...
	Ukyou brought another batch of Okinomiyaki to the table that Ranma had occupied
for the past 20 minutes and sat down in front of him.  She watched him quietly
and waited for either his appetite to ebb or for him to exhaust his food
supplies.  Of course, the food ran out before his appetite was satisfied - but
despite the room for more food Ranma sank back into his seat feeling like a
king.
	"Have you been trying out some new recipes Ucchan?  That was awesome."
	Ukyou smiled, "I'm glad you like it so much, but it's the same old
Okinomiyaki," her expression dimmed a bit, "Why didn't you come in here a few
days ago?  You look like you haven't eaten in weeks."
	"I dunno," he said as his cheeriness left for better places, "That damn thief
father of mine is trying to starve me to death, and this morning Akane cooked me
what she swears up and down was supposed to be a pancake.  It nearly killed me,
then Akane got mad at *me* for not being able to fight off her kitchen-made
hordes of hell."
	"She's not *that* bad now, is she?  Are you okay?"
	"Ucchan - I don't think you really understand what I meant.  The pancake stood
up and *attacked* me.  It's dissolved in the koi pond now, but tomorrow I'll
probably have to deal with mutated fish or something just as ridiculous.  I'm
also trying to figure out how I'm going to spend the rest of my life with this
curse and Akane is not helping me one damn bit in that area."
	"Whoa - what's there to figure out about the curse?  You turn into a girl with
cold water and turn back with hot water," wow, as if Ranma wasn't well aware of
that little factoid, "I thought after you all trashed Jusenkyou you decided to
just kinda live with it."
	Ranma fidgeted a bit, "It's not so much that I need to figure the curse out...
It's more like I need to figure out what it means to me.  Do I need to just
ignore what form I'm in at a given time?  Should I avoid being a girl at all
costs?  I've got a few hundred of those kinds of questions floating around in my
head and you're probably the only person that can help me figure this mess out. 
I... I do have, uhh, feelings for Akane - but she just doesn't understand me the
way you do.  She's still convinced I'm a perverted jerk and with the way she's
acting now she may never get the picture."
	"I've got a feeling this is going to be one of those long talks... Hold on
honey, I'll get us something to drink."  With that Ukyou slid out of her seat
and hopped behind the counter.  A moment later she returned with a few pitchers
full of various types of soft drinks - from sweet iced tea through the more
popular ranks of the Coca-Cola beverages.  One more quick run and she was armed
with a set of glasses with which to drink from.  She checked the setup - All
set!
	"Okay.  Ran-chan, do you know about the rumor that's been floating around
recently?"
	"If you mean the thing with Akane trying to blow me up at lunch today it's not
much of a rumor.  Actually, hard fact would probably be a better term for it." 
Ucchan gave him one of those 'not that rumor' looks and had to fight off a smile
to keep the conversation on-track.
	"Ranma-honey, not that... Everyone knows that Akane's finally starting to get
one of those chi blast attacks down.  I'm talking about last Friday."
	"Uhh," he laughed innocently, "What about... last Friday?"
	O-boy.  At this point Ukyou was sure that the rumor was true.  Time to break
the news, "A couple of my more reliable customers said they saw you running
around last Friday wearing girl's clothes.  I mean, *real* girl's clothes."
	Ranma filled his glass from the Mountain Dew pitcher and took a long drink,
"Okay, so there's a rumor running around.  What did they say I was wearing and
did they say anything else?"
	Ukyou took a sip of Doctor Pepper, "One of the guys said you were wearing a
full length black silk dress and that you went by yourself to see a movie."
	"Note to self - Find and destroy the source of that rumor - oh, I uhh, kinda
said that out loud didn't I?"  Ranma finished off his drink and began pouring
another,
	"Ranma, you need to loosen up a bit.  Think about who you're talking to!  I'm
not exactly the most normal person around, and think - I'm around Konatsu almost
every day.  You're almost normal by comparison.  So did you actually do it? 
Without some mind altering drug or some mind controlling force?"
	"Well, yeah...  It wasn't my idea.  Nabiki wanted to collect on an old debt and
for once I wasn't able to pay her back when we'd agreed.  Let's just say she
managed to get some, uhh, incriminating pictures of me and she said that if she
didn't get some kind of payment she was going to start posting them up on every
telephone pole in Tokyo.  Well, I asked her if there was anything I could do to
at least get some more time and she decided to go for the humiliation factor."
	"Wow, really?"
	"No - I mean yes!  Ah damnit, I can't keep this stuff up.  I did it on my own
to see what it was like.  Nabiki... had nothing to do with it."  Ranma slumped
forward and suddenly found that he couldn't bring his eyes to meet Ucchan's.
	"Well, the first thing to do is get your reputation cleaned up.  So, do you
wanna say it was a drug or mind control?"  Ranma shook his head, took a drink of
Mt. Dew, and laughed,
	"I don't care about a reputation anymore.  I've tried to patch it up for the
past year and every attempt just backfires.  Just let people think what they
will.  I've gotta start worrying about myself, and I can't handle all of this on
my own.  If I told anyone but you about that movie thing I'd probably find
myself sitting next to my good-for-nothing father within a week thinking of the
quickest way to kill myself, but rumors just don't have the same effect.  Nobody
seems to understand that I am a girl almost half the time, and nobody can really
know what that means to me."
	"Well, do you like being a girl?"
	"No, I'm kinda neutral to it now, but still... It's like I've been denying
myself something over the past year, and I can't figure out what or why.  I
think it has to do with the curse, which is why I did that movie gig.  I should
have done something slightly more private, but I'll have to forgive myself for
being stupid.  If the only way for me to finally get over all of this is to
'play dress up' not only am I going to very unhappy but all hell will break
loose when people start to notice.  Akane will send me into orbit, pops will
probably try some stupid training trick on me, and Nabiki will have a field
day.  So the question is - What am I supposed to do?"
	Ukyou took a few seconds to develop some advice, and sipped her drink, "Okay -
Here's what ya do.  You need to figure something out that has everything to you
with *you* and nothing to do with anyone else.  Take your time, figure out what
you want to do with your life, and go for it.  If things get really bad and you
need to get away from everyone you can always stay with me.  I don't want to
sound like I'm meddling, but if something small like that is enough to keep
Akane from loving you after all you've done for her and all you've suffered for
her sake then she isn't worth it.  Tell me, is Akane the reason you're suddenly
starting to change?"
	"I haven't really thought about it, but maybe.  Sometimes I think she would
have been happier all along if I'd just been a girl to spar with occasionally. 
But then again, It can't all center around Akane."
	"Well, I hope you figure this all out.  If your dad keeps stealing your food
just stop by tomorrow and I'll keep you fed.  Is there anything else?  I can
always make you some more food if you're still hungry."
	Ranma finished off a pitcher of coke, "Nah... I feel better already.  Listen,
in case I made myself sound like some kinda freak, I'm still 100% guy, and I
always will be.  That outfit thing was probably a mistake anyway, I need to
think this stuff out more before I start running around making an idiot of
myself."  He stood up, "I'll see you tomorrow, Ucchan.  Thanks, you've done more
than you know."
	Ukyou stood and gave Ranma a quick hug, "Anytime Ran-chan.  Listen, if Akane
tries to cook anything else call me and I'll make you something to eat.  I
couldn't bear to stand by while she tried to make you eat that... stuff."
	Ranma looked at Ukyou and smiled, "I'll have to take you up on that offer. 
Well, I wanted to get home by 6, but that isn't going to happen.  I'd better
head on out so Akane doesn't feel too abandoned."  He walked out of the cozy
little restaurant feeling much better than he had when he first decided to visit
Ukyou.  Somehow he wasn't worried about the curse anymore, and although he
expected hellfire from Akane over something or another he really didn't give a
damn.
	He felt like the guy he wanted to be, and somehow that made everything seem
better.

[...]  8:39  - Forested area just outside of Tokyo

	"So, how do I use the Sugoiken?"  Akane was primed and ready to learn how to
kick ass, and if one word would describe her it would have to be 'anxious'. 
Happousai sat nearby and puffed on a pipe as he considered exactly how he was
going to get Akane in the correct mood to channel her chi and draw upon the
power of the Sugoiken.  Actually, he knew exactly what he was going to do.
	"Now Akane, the version of the Sugoiken which you witnessed earlier today was
fueled by the power of concentration.  It fits me perfectly because I can
channel great power into it quickly, and I do not have to rely on an emotional
trigger to use that power.  I believe that at this point, at least, you will
need to find an emotional trigger to harness the power of chi.  Think of your
most powerful emotions, clench your fist, and try to fill your fist with that
energy."
	Akane closed her eyes and began to think of stuff that made her mad... nope. 
No effect.
	"Well Akane, you're just going to have to find the proper trigger.  I'll supply
the motivation!"  With that the perverted old man attached himself to Akane's
chest.  Akane  reached to pull him off of her but before she could get to him he
was bouncing off of a nearby tree in preparation for his next 'attack'.  Akane
punched at the old man, but was rather surprised when the lech threw her into a
nearby tree with her own momentum.
	"Akane, you're just not understanding this exercise, are you?"  He watched as
Akane slumped to the ground and groggily made her way back to her feet, "The
point is to learn a new technique, not to fight with me!"  Akane attacked again,
and Happousai promptly plastered her into another tree.
	"You jerk!  If I can't even fight back how am I supposed to try out this
technique?"
	Happousai puffed on his pipe, "That's exactly what you're here to find out." 
Akane immediately attacked, and Happousai replied by knocking her feet out from
under her and feeling on several places old men aren't usually well versed in. 
Akane stood up and dusted herself off to have the appearance of a normal mood,
then became hell-bent on killing Happousai.  Needless to say, the old lech
didn't appreciate that one bit, so he sent Akane flailing into another tree
	Minutes passed, and minutes soon became hours.  After almost three hours of
waging a futile war against Happousai, Akane collapsed to the ground; and this
time she had no intention of trying to get up again.
	"Akane," Happousai said as he tapped her on the back of her head, "Get up. 
This little session isn't going to be over until you are throwing Sugoikens. 
Drill that into your head - I am not going to let you off this easy.  I've
already wasted too much time on you to walk away without having taught you the
technique."
	Akane just wanted to die - the old lech had made a total fool out of her and if
he really was trying to teach her the Sugoiken she wasn't exactly picking it up
very quickly.  She tried to pull herself to her feet but her body wasn't
complying.  Happousai noticed this little weakness and decided to offer the
ultimate in motivational tactics.
	"Akane.  The Sugoiken is a very powerful technique, but I have one that is even
more powerful and if you don't get up I'm afraid I'll have to use it."
	Akane brought herself back to her knees and locked her eyes onto the aging
martial arts master.  If she could just get ahold of the freak...
	"Too slow Akane!  ANYTHING-GOES ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE, *PROM NIGHT SPECIAL*" 
Happousai unloaded with a small volley of Happo-Firebursts, which had the
unfortunate effect of burning Akane's clothing off of her, "Phase two!  Bean Jam
Blowout!"  Akane found herself in a position normally reserved for Ranma as she
exploded into the atmosphere on a ballistic course for the moon.  If anything,
she felt hopeless now.  Her skin burned from the bombs and now it seemed that
Happousai was just going to beat the shit out of her for a while before he gave
up on her.
	Happousai ran to the shopping cart and quickly pulled a set of intimate wear
from his new collection.  Time for the phase that would really leave a mark.  He
jumped into the air and matched speed with Akane.  By the time the pair fell
back to the ground Akane looked like she should have been doing a model shoot
for Victoria's Secret.  Happousai looked at her and laughed hysterically.  "I
never thought I'd have to resort to *that* attack, but I must say the pink teddi
is definitely you!"
	Akane stood and looked over herself.  What she saw made her sick.  She looked
at Happousai for a few seconds, her mind numb from the recent turn of events. 
Finally the words came to her, and she spoke them slowly, smoothly, and
matter-of-factly.
	"You're dead.  Sugoiken."  She drew her fist back and felt the fire of her hot
chi energy coalescing within.  She threw the punch with a power that even she
had never used and somehow she knew that within the next few seconds the old man
would be nothing more than a pile of dust on the ground.  Happousai had other
plans, and dodged Akane's punch, but that didn't stop her from releasing the
energy.  She reveled in a rush of pure power as a shockwave of energy began to
tear a path of nuclear destruction through the forest.  Happousai watched - the
feelings of pride and sadness competing for expression.  After watching Akane
stand motionless for a few seconds he decided he had best leave, and went to his
shopping cart.
	"Oh yeah, Akane.  Since you'll have to go back to the dojo here's something
slightly more covering to wear."  Akane looked at him for a second - since when
did the freak *ever* offer to put more clothing on a female body?  Akane
pondered the question for a second but was snapped from her trance by a trench
coat that happily slammed into her face.
	"Uhh, thanks," she slipped the coat on, "Hey, thanks.  I mean, for the
technique.  Maybe now I can get Ranma to at least respect me."
	"Akane.  You must be careful when using that technique against a human.  The
Sugoiken is not a killing technique - when it hits a human being it will knock
them a distance proportional to the energy you channeled into it.  You can smash
almost anything that isn't alive with the Sugoiken, but beware of showing off
with this new power.  Goodbye."
	Akane's sense of touch kicked in, and suddenly she began to freeze.  She pulled
the trench coat tighter around her, and looked down at her fist.  On her mental
command it began to glow lightly, and she drew unmeasurable comfort from the
fact that  Ranma was no longer the only indispensable martial artist in Tokyo,
Japan.
	"Look out world, here comes Akane Tendo," she laughed and began walking toward
the Dojo, and like Ranma she strangely felt better as she closed the distance to
the Dojo.  She tried to put her finger on it... Maybe, just maybe it was because
she now had a chance at being the Akane Tendo that she'd always to be...

[...]  Tendo Dojo, 11:00 PM

	Akane quietly slid into the front door of the Dojo and checked the living room
for anyone who might still be waiting on her.  Nope, oh well.  That just meant
she didn't have to bother explaining her absence to anyone.  She made her way up
to her room and once she was safely within its confines she slipped off the
trench coat and collapsed onto her bed.  She thought about the hellacious day
she'd had and on cue her body began to ache and cramp in every possible manner. 
She thought about taking Happousai's 'gift' off, but found that she didn't have
the energy to pull herself out of her bed.  She pulled her blanket over her and
allowed her body to hurt and complain, but despite her physical pain she felt,
well... Damn good.

Note: For those of you who never read the original ADD, this chapter is pretty
much a more detailed and better worded version of the original.  The Ukyou scene
is totally new, and I am using it to increase the effect of a scene from later
on that I call the 'pajama' scene.  No, Ranma is not going to turn into an
emotional wreck over the curse - I am actually getting setup to give him the
surge in confidence that makes him the person he is in Crash-Course With
Destiny.  Chapter two is going to be pretty much the same as it was in the
original version last year, except I am going to toss Kuno into the fray, and
Ranma's nagging of Akane will be a tad less cheesy than it was originally.

For those of you that read the original - Chapter three will be a good place to
start looking for more obvious modifications.  I'm increasing the intensity of
the chapter 3 fight by a few hundred percent, and Apsu's going to have a new
approach to dealing with his troubles, namely by being more pissed and less
insane.  Oops, bad language by moi.  Sorry :P  Anywayz, once I get this plot
engine rolling into chapter 3 it will become just a bit more interesting,
although I'm *sure* I will come up with a few twists for chapter 2 before I
finish it.

Hmm, why is Happousai acting so weird?  This was an issue I never really touched
on in the original ADD.  In ADD I just accepted that he was OOC because I had
really dug myself into a hole with him, but this time around I've got a little
story that will be built around just why he feels so compelled to teach Akane a
technique that you would think he would save for himself...

C&C Absolutely desired - especially by those of you who read the original
version of the story, but all comments are of course welcome.  I wrote nearly
all of this in a single sitting and for those of you who might be interested,
I've got some numbers from the story that I thought were cool.

Chapter 1 - Original version: 7 pages
Chapter 1 - New Version: 14 pages
The old version also had a line between every paragraph - whereas this one
doesnt.  Well, hopefully you all enjoyed the beginning of what will eventually
be an epic-length fanfic series. (I just *love* saying the word epic :)

-- 
Draxon-X@Bellsouth.Net
"Normal is what everyone else is and you are not."
			-- Dr. Sauron, Star Trek Generations