The  characters  of the Ranma �  universe  are  the
creation   and   possession  of  the  brilliant   Rumiko
Takahashi.  They  belong  to Rumiko  Takahashi  and  her
licensees   (Shogakukan   Inc.,   Kitty-Fuji   TV,   Viz
Communications   Inc.)  No  copyright  infringement   is
intended.     


I would like to thank my pre-readers, Angel-san, Jane-san, and  Megan-san.
Without their dedicated and tireless efforts this fanfiction
would have been much poorer.  I can not thank you enough. So I wrote
you into the story.
     I would also like to add that they are talented
writers in their own right, and I hope that they will consent to a
MSTing of Friends. (Their C&C was better than the story. ^_^)
   Additionally I would like to thank my newest pre-reader Ruthless-san,
who helped straighten out my fractured grammar and pointed out several
problems in the dialogue. ^_^
     Many thanks also to the readers who contributed C&C to the first
few chapters of Friends that I sent to the mailing list. Thank you
all for your help.

 As always, any errors or omissions are mine.

C&C is appreciated and encouraged.  

***********************************************************

      With Friends Like These . . .

     


Chapter 2 of 8

       A loud cry shattered the quiet and a cloud of stone dust billowed out
into the morning air.

     "Ahhhhhh. That felt good."

     "Brick no hit back."

       Startled, Akane spun to see Shan Pu smirking at her, hands on 
hips. Her lips tightened at the realization the overly endowed Amazon 
had managed, _again_, to sneak up behind her. 

     "Easy break brick. No move, no hit back. Hit warrior not so
easy."

     "Ranma's not here, Shan Pu. Uncle Satome took him off for
more training."

     "Shan Pu  already know that."

     Akane waited for Shan Pu to elaborate.  And waited. The silence
lengthened. Akane's anger grew. Shan Pu's smug look just _begged_
Akane to wipe it off. 

     "All right Shan Pu, what do you want?"

     "Why want something? Why not just visit?" 

     Akane took a heavy step forward, hands raised. "You've got about 3
seconds to tell me what you want or---"

     "Or what? Clumsy. Violent. Pervert. Girl. ---what do?"
   
     "AAAAAAAA!!!" With a scream of outrage Akane launched a
bone crushing blow---that crushed---air, as Shan Pu moved just a
fraction.  Insultingly Shan Pu smacked Akane on the rear as she 
stumbled past. With a snarling growl Akane whirled, launching a high 
spin kick that would have snapped the top off a fire hydrate. 

   Being somewhat faster than the average fire hydrate, Shan Pu again
shifted just slightly---Akane was thrown off balance; would have fallen
had Shan Pu not caught her.

     "No get so angry no miss so much."

     "When I want your opinion" Akane snarled, shrugging free
of Shan Pu's grip. "I'll give it to you."

     "O-key Do-key." Shan Pu agreed cheerfully. Springing
forward Shan Pu launched a flurry of hand and foot strikes, at first
driving Akane backwards.  One pace, two paces back. Then Akane
regained her equilibrium and started to counter attack. 
 
   Dropping suddenly forward Akane caught herself on her hands,
scything her legs around in a smashing leg sweep. Laughing, Shan Pu
leapt over Akane's legs,  only to double over as Akane caught her
 in the gut with an iron palm strike. Landing hard Shan Pu rolled 
quickly away, coming to her feet facing Akane. 

     "Ha . . .pretty good trick." Shan Pu eyed Akane narrowly.
"But no catch that way twice."

   Breathing heavily, Akane noticed with satisfaction that Shan Pu
slightly favored her belly. Slightly. Before she could savor the sight
Shan Pu attacked---and Akane was too busy fighting to think about
anything else. Five minutes later Akane found herself face down in
the dirt, one arm twisted past her shoulder blade, Shan Pu's knee
digging into her spine.

     "Pervert girl give up?"

    Akane's answer was to bring her head sharply back into Shan Pu's
face. There was a flat meaty sound of bone on flesh then Akane
cried out involuntarily as Shan Pu twisted savagely on her arm.

     "Pervert girl make bad mistake." Shan Pu informed cheerily. "Give 
up now. Say, Shan Pu winner."

     "GO . . ." Akane panted through the pain. "TO . . .HELL!!"
Akane cried out again as Shan Pu twisted harder, digging her knee
into Akane's spine.

     "You no can win. Admit Shan Pu better. Surrender or Shan Pu
break arm."

     "Do it. DO IT!" Akane twisted futilely in the dirt. Tears of
humiliation cutting tracks in her dirt smeared face. "I don't care
what you do . . .I'll never give up. NEVER!"

     "You brave girl. Maybe brave like Amazon." 
   Shifting her grip Shan Pu flipped Akane onto her back so that Shan
Pu straddled her waist, pinning Akane's arms to the ground with her
knees.

   "But Shan Pu have to teach lesson, so pervert girl know Amazon best
fighter." Akane stared defiantly up at Shan Pu, but the intense look
in the Amazon's violet eyes gave her pause.

     "Shan Pu WILL make you surrender." With those stern
words Shan Pu launched her final attack.

*******************************************************
     "N . . .no more . . .please no more." Akane whimpered. 

   Gasping with exertion Shan Pu dashed sweat from her eyes and
crawled over to the still weakly writhing girl.

     "Akane surrender now?"

     "I . .I . . ."

   Shan Pu raised a hand trembling with fatigue and made as if to
launch another attack . . .hoping the other girl wouldn't suspect she
had reached the end of her endurance. Who would have thought this
silly Japanese girl could last so long. Any of her Amazon sisters
would have been pleading for mercy long since . . .or reduced
to babbling idiots.

     "S . . .surrender . . .or Sh . . .Sh . . .Shan Pu show no
mercy." She raised her hand sharply in the air with the last of her
strength. 

   Squealing in fright Akane wrapped her arms around her
abused and sensitized ribs.

     "NO . . I give . . .I give."

     "Goo . . .good." Shan Pu gasped, dropping to the ground
beside Akane. "If you no give . . .then Shan Pu have to give up. No
fighting left."

   There was silence. A long, long silence. Then Akane rolled over in
the dirt to face an equally prone Shan Pu.

     "I hate you."

     Shan Pu opened her eyes, gummy with sweat, blood and fatigue. In
front of her was Akane's face. Bruised, bloody. One eye swollen
almost shut. Lip split, hair tangled and matted. 

   Shan Pu ran a tongue around inside her mouth, wincing as she
touched her own split lip. Her ribs protested with every breath and her
rear was probably a mass of bruises. 

     "You pretty good . . .for Japanese. We do again tomorrow? Okay?"

	There was another silence. Louder than the last one.

     "W . . .why?" Akane waved her hand limply to indicate the
broken dojo walls, torn up yard.

     "Shan Pu bored. Nothing to do.  Ranma gone. You only
one give Shan Pu decent work out." Narrowly Shan Pu watched for
Akane's reaction to this statement. This one phrase she'd worked
so hard to deliver---at precisely the right moment. Akane's face flushed
with pleasure---and Shan Pu knew she'd won.

     "Okay." 

   Akane appeared to think for a moment. "You better come upstairs
and get cleaned up." Rolling to her knees Akane struggled to her
feet. Bracing herself Akane reached a hand down to Shan Pu.  Shan
Pu had NOT anticipated this and hesitated for a moment before
allowing herself to be helped to her feet. Staggering slightly the two
battered and filthy girls limped into the Tendou home and toward
the bath.

*******************************************************
     "Here's soap and towels." 

   Akane gathered up Shan Pu's
clothing. "I'll go put these in the wash and be right back."

   Sitting on the low wooden bench Shan Pu rinsed herself off, then
started working lather into her  hair. She was inordinately 
proud of her long, thick mane, but it was a pain to care for. It was at
times like this that she especially missed home. Back in her village,
as the undefeated champion (before Ranma anyway)  she would
have had her pick of young, up-and-coming warriors vying for her
favor . . .eager to run errands, prepare her food . . .she winced 
as her fingers caught in another tangle . . .wash her hair--- 

     "Aaaaaaaaa." Shan Pu jumped with a strangled cry when a small hand
unexpectedly covered her own. Her combat reflex launched her
away from the perceived threat---soap splashed into her eyes. Inhaling
sharply she gagged on water, her sudden motion sending her skidding on
the slick soapy floor.  Blind, gasping and helpless Shan Pu fell
 toward the hard tiles---Strong arms wrenched her to safety.

     "Wait---wait---" Akane grasped Shan Pu's flailing arms
in one hand while the other gently wiped her stinging eyes with a
clean wash cloth.

     "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

     "Shan Pu Amazon warrior. She no scared . . ." Her
indignant voice trailed off as she realized she was laying cradled in
Akane's arms having her face washed like an infant. Flushing in
anger she started to berate Akane for her clumsy stupidity. As her
mouth opened for a stinging retort she met Akane's eyes. Eyes filled
with concern and remorse. Eyes that reminded Shan Pu of a puppy
waiting to be kicked. Shan Pu smiled inwardly as she realized how
well this accident suited her purpose. Guilt was a perfect key to open
the door to Akane's friendship. 

     "Shan Pu no scared." Struggling to sit up Shan Pu sank
back, bravely suppressing a groan of pain. 

     "Oh no! What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

     "Nothing wrong. Shan Pu leave now." Shan Pu replied,
allowing a slight spasm of pain to appear on her face. Akane appeared
completely fooled.

     "You strained something when you slipped, didn't you?"
Without waiting for an answer, Akane pulled Shan Pu more securely
onto her lap and began to finish Shan Pu's interrupted bath. Closing
her eyes, Shan Pu allowed Akane to bathe her. Relaxing, she sighed with
pleasure as Akane finished and tenderly carried her over to the
steaming furo.  

   Properly prepared, Shan Pu thought dreamily, young tender puppy
was a great delicacy.