Ok, chapter 3 is ready for your reading pleasure. C&C are welcome
andappreciated.
HPackrat and I, X-ile, will be taking a break from SBS so next
chapterwon't be release
until late January. We do have other fanfics in the work, so stay
tune.
X-ile
http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/BookStore/7706/
Sight Beyond Sight
<Chapter 3>
******
Ranma entered the clinic just as Dr. Tofu's patient left. It was easy
for the doctor to see that his assistant was distraught about
something. "I take it all didn't go well with your talk with Akane?"
After pulling up a chair, Ranma sat down and began to rub his temples.
"You could say that. I think congratulations are in order though. It
seems I've gotten myself engaged to be married," he spoke with little
emotion.
Dr. Tofu dropped the pen he'd been using and stared at Ranma in shock.
"I think you'd better tell me what happened."
*******
In the shadows of a store, a stranger quickly dialed a number on the
payphone and waited for his call to get through. After a few minutes,
words were exchanged quickly before the stranger hung up and
disappeared into the shadows.
*******
Akane had quickly and furiously cleaned herself in the shower room
before changing her clothes, all the while trying to avoid thinking
about the kiss, her first kiss even. But she couldn't get it out of
her mind.
Every schoolgirl has always wondered what it would be like to be
kissed on the lips by a boy. While the guys avoided it like the plague
until hormones set in, the girls would read books, watch movies, grill
their older sisters or even experiment with each other to learn what
it's like.
Akane had read the manga, the doujinshi, and the novels. She watched
the movies and grilled her friends when they went on dates, but
nothing, absolutely nothing, prepared her for THAT kiss. She doubted
that her friend or even her sisters had ever had a kiss like this.
But even though she was still reeling from the kiss, she was FURIOUS
with Ranma! He had stolen her first kiss. A kiss she had been saving
for someone else and he took that away from her.
How dare that-that PERVERT embarrassed her like that!? And in front
of the entire school! How was she ever going to live this down? What
will her friends think of her? Hell, what will the students think of
her? She didn't want a reputation as a Hentai! And what about the
boys? This might encourage them to molest her even more!
She needed to talk with that Hentai. Heck, why talk? She'll just go
and beat him up into a pulp! Yeah, that's it. She'll head over to the
clinic, drag him out and go medieval on his ass until he's nothing
more than a smear on the pavement. He deserved being pounded for what
he did to her.
And maybe then she'd find out what the deal was with his eyes.
With a burst of speed, Akane was out the door and on her way to the
clinic faster than the fastest track star in Furinkan. She even
ignored her sister who was on her way for the clinic herself.
In a tiny, dark portion of her mind, rarely seen or acknowledged by
her, a dark old fear was presently at a quandary. Something new had
been added. Something that could threaten its very existence.
Something small and newly formed was invading its territory where it
had ruled supreme for the last few years. It had appeared yesterday,
barely a glimmer that was ignored as not being worth its full
attention. But now, something had changed as it had grown enormously
in a few mere minutes.
The old dark fear was facing something it had rarely encountered
before. Opposition.
*******
".So then I jumped away and limped back here." Ranma shifts in his
seat uncomfortably as he was reminded of the final blow to his, er,
manhood. That had hurt, really really hurt. He decided it was best
to forget that image and sipped his tea as he finished his tale. It
had a calming affect on him, plus the tea had some herbs in it to
counter the chemicals still in his system.
Dr. Tofu leaned back as he played the fight in his mind. "But how
come you didn't detect the chemicals in the rose, Ranma? You've shown
me the sensitivity of your senses. Most substances with those
properties tend to have a distinct odor to them."
"I'm not sure, but from the angle of attack, it most probably was the
wind that prevented me from smelling the rose. A good sense of smell
isn't much help if the scent isn't there to detect."
The doctor nodded his understanding to the logic of the explanation
and smiled at his assistant. "So now what? Will you seduce Akane and
whisk her off to your village?"
Ranma shook his head as he chuckled weakly at Dr. Tofu's attempt at
witticism. "No, the law allows me a bit of leeway in how I'm to catch
my bride. Personally, I would've preferred to be older and in love
before I married, but it seems fate has other ideas."
He touched his lips as he remembered the effect the kiss had on both
him and Akane. "But I have to admit that kiss with Akane had been.
extraordinary. The kiss almost makes it worth being engaged to Akane.
Almost."
"WHAT?" The door slammed open as Akane flew in and latched her hands
around Ranma's neck as she started to shake and strangle him. "You
pervert! How dare you say that we're engaged? I never agreed to
anything like this!"
As she continued to scream dire threats and promises of extreme pain,
the doctor skillfully maneuver behind and applied some pressure to a
shiatsu point between her collar and her neck, greatly mimicking a
certain Vulcan from TV.
After he caught a suddenly unconscious Akane, Ranma began to massage
his sore neck. He must've been more unsettled than he thought. His
senses weren't working at their peak at the moment. "Not exactly how I
thought she'd take it, but understandable all things considered."
"My, my, my. Isn't this a cozy image?" A girl with short brown hair
stood leaning against the door jamb. "If it weren't for Dr. Tofu over
here, I'd say that you were taking advantage of my little sister."
"Ah, Nabiki! I assume that you wish to know what is going on, yes?"
Dr. Tofu motioned for her to join them. "Please help us make Akane
comfortable on the cot and I'm sure that Ranma can explain everything
to your satisfaction."
After making Akane comfortable, Ranma gave Nabiki a booklet with the
Japanese translation on the laws of Joketsuzoku to avoid having to
repeat himself. She started to giggle madly halfway through the
booklet as she saw the implication in it.
"I knew that Akane's temper was going to get her into trouble one day,
but I never expected THIS." Nabiki laid down the booklet as she wiped
her eyes with a hanky. "You do realize though that she didn't really
defeat you, right? Someone else interfered with the fight."
Ranma shook his head to refute this. "It doesn't really matter,
Nabiki. Outside interference is to be expected in an Amazon fight. We
must often overcome this to win. Only if you can prove that Akane
invited a secret third party into the duel can the law be invalid and
I doubt she's the sort to do that."
Nabiki raised a brow in confusion. For someone who'd just arrived
here, Ranma seemed to know Akane well. "How can you be so sure of
that? You've only been to Furinkan for a couple of days after all."
Ranma looked at her as though it were obvious. "She insists on taking
on a mob of boys by herself every morning. That implies either great
confidence or great pride. A person like that isn't likely to ask for
help, especially to a fight that wasn't to the death or one she
initiated."
"So what now? I seriously doubt Akane's going to simply allow herself
to be hauled to the altar so that you can follow your laws." Nabiki
leaned back as she crossed both her arms and legs while cocking her
head slightly sideways with a sardonic smile on her face,
unconsciously assuming a fetching pose.
Ranma shrugged. He knew that it wasn't going to be easy, but he didn't
have much of a choice. At least, he wasn't going to use some of the
more controversial methods to catch Akane. "I suppose I'll have to ask
your father for permission to woo Akane then."
It was then that Akane chose to wake up. With a groan, she got up from
the cot, holding her head in her hand. It was obvious that the
technique Dr. Tofu used had given her a headache.
Ranma got up and placed his hands upon her scalp as he applied some
pressure to various points. "This'll make it better, Airen. Just relax
and let me finish."
"Airen?" Nabiki raised a brow at the unfamiliar word.
"It's a term of endearment meaning loved one." Ranma pressed a few
more points before stepping back. "There you go, Airen. Good as new."
Akane tried to glare at Ranma but couldn't seem to work up the anger
for some reason. "What'd you do to me? Why do I feel so. calm?"
"I pressed a few shiatsu points that'll slow down and delay the
buildup of anger somewhat, Airen." Ranma made a show of rubbing his
throat. "It's a temporary thing that'll give me time to explain what's
going on without you trying to kill me."
"Wow! I can see that you're going to be good at handling my little
sister if you can do that." Nabiki was impressed. Good looks, great
body and, from what she could tell from his grades, a good head on his
shoulders. Plus, he's got a nice ass. Good prospects. Too bad
according to him he's already taken.
"Could someone please tell me what's going on and why does Ranma keep
calling me 'Airen'?"
Nabiki smirked. There was no way she was going to miss seeing the look
on Akane's face when she hears the news. "Well, sis, it seems that
when you defeated Ranma in the fight, you accidentally made him your
fianc�."
"WHAT?"
It took a bit but Nabiki and Dr. Tofu managed to explain her situation
and the seriousness of it. "But that's crazy! Who'd ever heard of
marrying someone who defeated you?"
As soon as she said it, Akane knew that she'd just stepped into it as
Ranma pointed out the obvious. "I don't know, Airen. Didn't someone at
your school say that the only way they could date a certain girl was
if they defeated her?"
Akane sputtered as she rallied to defend herself. "That's totally
different! I never agreed to that stupid announcement. They just never
listened to me!"
"I don't particularly like the idea of being married at sixteen
either, Airen." Ranma shrugged indicating that his hands were tied.
"But like it or not, I'm still of the Joketsuzoku so I'm obligated to
follow the laws."
"Well, you can take your laws and shove it! This is Japan. Your laws
mean nothing here!" Akane stood up and headed for the door. She turned
around to get one final word in. "And there's nothing you or your laws
can do about it!"
Ranma, Nabiki and Dr. Tofu winced back as Akane slammed the door on
her way out. All of them could see that she wasn't pleased at all.
Nabiki turned to the two. "Well, that could've gone better. So now
what? Does the Joketsuzoku practice bride-napping?"
"Now, I have to make preparations to court your sister, Nabiki." Ranma
stood up and nodded to them. "Please tell your father that a.
matchmaker will be dropping by to make the proper arrangements."
*******
Nabiki walked home with a pensive frown on her face. Although she had
made light of Akane's situation with Ranma, she wasn't ignorant to the
danger that might be involved.
The small amount of information she'd gleaned from her research
combined with what she read in that booklet of Ranma's gives a bleak
picture of Akane's chances in avoiding him. The Joketsuzoku had a
reputation for being totally ruthless and unrelenting in the pursuit
of their prey.
On the bright side, Ranma seems to be cut from a slightly different
sort of cloth than the average Joketsuzoku. He might be relentless,
but he didn't seem to be the ruthless sort. Plus, the Joketsuzoku was
a matriarchal society. This meant that the women called the shots.
Nabiki imagined what it'd be like to live in a society where women
were the ones who ruled as images of a dozen handsome men, serving her
hand and foot, floated thru her mind. She'd always liked it when the
guys lavished affection on her.
Suddenly, the images in her mind changed to that of Ranma as she
imagined him without his shirt on and she felt a shiver run thru her
as her breath quickened. "Slap! Slap! Get a grip, girl! He's already
taken and doesn't look like the type to bow to anyone. Despite how he
was brought up."
But still, why was she thinking about him? He wasn't exactly her type.
She usually preferred them rich and stupid, so why.
Nabiki shook her head and continued her walk home. She had other
things to think about like telling her father and Kasumi that a guest
will be arriving for dinner.
*******
Akane slammed the door to her room after rushing by Kasumi and sat
heavily on her bed. She didn't like ignoring her like that, but she
just wasn't up to handling her questions at the moment.
Where had everything gone wrong? Just a while ago she went to fight
Ranma in order to prove to herself that she was still the best in
Nerima. She'd been so confident that the date issue didn't even slow
her down in her desire to fight Ranma.
Now she found that not only was he leagues better than her and that
her defeat of him was just an accident, but according to his village's
laws, she was now his fianc�e whether both of them liked it or not!
She was damned either way. If he won, then that means he could date
her if he wanted to, but if she won, he becomes her fianc�. There was
no way for her to win. Damned if she won, damned if she doesn't. Akane
rubbed her temples to ease the beginnings of a headache when a thought
occurred to her.
Ranma didn't want to be engaged to her? What was wrong with her that
he didn't want to be engaged to her? Did he think she was ugly or
something? Does he think she wasn't good enough to be his fianc�e? Why
that arrogant, no good.
Akane's thoughts turned to her fight with him. The way he moved was
like a dancer's, so. so fast and graceful. It was like trying to land
a blow on a delicate, butterfly. But when she held him, his muscles
felt like iron, hard and tough.
And yet, the kiss was so tender and soft, like the kiss of dew on a
Sakura tree's leaves early in the morning. It seemed to last forever
and was probably the most intense sensation she'd ever experienced in
her life.
Akane bopped herself on the head twice. "Get a grip, girl! What the
heck are you thinking?"
Akane collected her thoughts and tried to figure out a way out of this
mess. Maybe if she ignored him, he'd just go away eventually. Yeah,
that's it. She'd just ignore the whole thing then, in about a week or
two, it would all go away.
Now that she'd figured out what to do, Akane relaxed and laid down to
rest, today had been tiring after all. She'd expended a lot of energy
fighting Ranma.
Thinking about the fight made Akane remember the sight of his eyes.
She didn't know how it was possible for him to see with that kind of
injury, but he didn't act like he was blind, so he must be able to
see. But those scars.
*******
A young redhead calmly made her way to the Tendo dojo, her cane
tapping the sidewalk to guide her steps. She was dressed in a brightly
colored poncho with the hood thrown back. Even to the casual observer,
it was easy to see that she was blind.
Of course with this being the case, the pedestrians gave her a certain
allowance when she bumped into a ladder which dropped on a fruit stand
and spilled its contents in front of the fleeing pickpocket, thereby
making his feet slide out from under him due to the bananas and
mangoes strewn about the ground.
This was viewed as a fortunate occurrence by the policeman chasing the
thief and by the public at large. It was always a good thing for the
community when thieves were caught.
On the other hand, the person hanging from the rafters, wondering
where his ladder went, was definitely not pleased. Neither were the
pickpocket and the fruit-stand owner. Those pineapples were
particularly prickly and expensive today.
They couldn't do anything about it though. The blind girl had
disappeared.
*******
A bit later, we found the blind girl in front of the Tendo dojo. She
rapped on the gate with her cane and waited for the inhabitants to
answer. When the gate opened, Kasumi greeted the stranger. "Good
evening, may I help you?"
The redhead bowed to the heart of the Tendo family. "Good evening. My
name is Ranko of the Joketsuzoku. I'm here on behalf of my tribesman,
Ranma. May I be allowed to speak with the patriarch of the Tendo
family regarding his daughter, Akane?"
"Oh my!" Kasumi covered her mouth in surprise. When Nabiki had said to
expect a guest this evening, she'd never expected a matchmaker and for
Akane, no less. "Please come in."
Ranko nodded her thanks and reached out a hand. Kasumi stared at it
for a moment before realizing that her guest was blind. To makeup for
her social gaff, she grabbed her guest's hand and quickly led her to
the house.
As they entered the house, Kasumi announced the guest's arrival before
making her comfortable. "Please make yourself at home while I go get
the refreshments. My father shall be with you shortly."
When all had arrived at the table, Ranko bowed deeply before she
extracted a cask of well-aged sake and a large Tai wrapped in
rice-paper from her poncho then placed it on the table before the
family.
"May these gifts please the family Tendo. My name is Ranko of the
Joketsuzoku. I am here on behalf of my kinsman, Ranma, to request the
Tendo patriarch's permission that my kinsman may pay court to your
daughter, Akane Tendo, with the intention of marriage should she
accept his proposal."
Kasumi smiled while Nabiki smirked as both had either guessed or been
told of the visitor's mission, but Soun and Akane were flabbergasted
by this. And before either one could say a word, Ranko swung her cane
in an arc, nearly swiping Akane and Soun in the head before she placed
it next to her and laid down documents, photographs and portfolios
upon the table.
"Please, if the patriarch has any doubts about my kinsman's fitness as
a suitor, these documents shall show that Ranma is an accomplished
healer and the Grandmaster of the Unseen Light school of Martial Arts.
At present, he is assisting a local physician by the name of Dr. Tofu
Ono."
"And if the patriarch is worried about by what means my kinsman shall
support his daughter, rest assured that he possesses sufficient
assets, that will be available to him upon his majority, to support
your daughter comfortably if she chooses to accept him."
As soon as Ranko had finished her spiel, Nabiki and her father were
already busy poring through the documents before them while Kasumi
poured more tea for their guest. Akane, on the other hand, was in a
state of shock at finding out Ranma's ranking, not hearing the rest of
Ranko's words.
No wonder she couldn't lay a finger on him during her match. If he was
a grandmaster of his school, then Ranma was leagues better than she
was. Hell, he might even be better than her father. But how could he
be a grandmaster? He was so young!
Nabiki rubbed her chin as she studied the papers before her. According
to this, Ranma had inherited several small businesses and properties
from his predecessor. These were being managed by several highly
reputable firms until the advent of his majority.
In terms of pure monetary wealth, he was by no means rich, but he had
sufficient funds to be considered well off. On the other hand, his
potential wealth could be substantial as several of the businesses and
properties were of considerable value.
Nabiki's brow twitched as she silently cursed. Why couldn't she catch
a juicy morsel like this? Wasn't she just as good looking as her
sister? After all, they had the same genes. Why does Akane have all
the luck when it comes to attracting men?
The patriarch of the Tendo family, Soun Tendo, blinked as he tallied
up the pros and cons. Although he felt that his baby girl was too
young to be dating yet, something he thought of all his daughters, he
was worried about her dislike of boys. Maybe this was what's needed to
change that.
Still, he knew nothing about this Ranma. What if he was like that
Tatewaki Kuno who had made things difficult for his baby girl? He had
stayed out of it to let Akane save face by herself, but he would've
smeared the pustule if the boy had harmed his daughter.
"Your proposal is interesting, Ranko-san, but I know nothing of your
kinsman. What's his relation to my little girl? How did he meet her?
Why does he wish to court her?"
"Ah! Now there's a saga all by itself." Ranko proceeded to weave the
tale of how Akane had challenged Ranma on the second day of school and
how she rejected his desire not to fight. She told of her village, its
laws and how they affected Akane.
"So you see, Ranma doesn't have much of a choice. For him to remain a
Joketsuzoku, it's a matter of duty, giri if you will, to marry your
daughter. But since he doesn't wish to enter into a loveless marriage
at such a young age, he's willing to court Akane to see if there might
be anything between them."
Akane was about to stand in protest but stopped as Kasumi placed a
hand on her shoulder in admonishing. Soun nodded to his daughter in
thanks for her support. He might be their father, but his daughters
all inherited their mother's stubborn will thus making it difficult to
control them.
Soun turned his gaze on his fidgeting daughter. "Is this true, Akane?
Did you persist with the challenge even when this Ranma asked you to
withdraw it?"
Since she couldn't meet his eyes, Soun took that as a yes and returned
his attention to his guest. "I see. Hmm, I suppose there would be no
harm in letting your kinsman court my daughter. But I would like to
meet with him first to see what sort of man he is."
"Thank you very much. Ranma would be most pleased with your decision."
Ranko bowed deeply from where she sat. "On another matter, may I ask
who is presently in charge of your daughter's training?"
Soun laughed and began to rub the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Ah, I was the one who began her training, but I'm afraid I've been
lax the past two years."
"Ah. Then if it won't impinge on your honor, may my kinsman and I
continue with her training? Our village is proud of our martial
tradition and we would wish to pass some of this on to your daughter."
Akane frowned at this. That sounded like an insult to her abilities as
a martial artist. "Hey, I'll have you know that I'm a very good
martial artist!"
Ranko nodded her head to her in agreement. "I'm sure you think you
are. But with our help, you could become an even better martial artist
than you are now."
"Think I am?" The Tendo family wasn't sure but it looked like wisps of
steam began to rise from Akane's head. "Before your Ranma came along,
I was considered the best in Nerima!"
Ranko cocked her head to the side as she regard Akane, skepticism
evident on her face. "Oh, really? So you consider yourself better than
your father in the Art?"
"Uh." This brought Akane up short. She didn't know how to respond to
this. If she said yes, she would be insulting her father, but if she
said no, then that would mean she was wrong.
Before Akane could make up her mind, Ranko presented her with an out.
"Why don't we have a little match then? If you can throw me, I will
admit that you do not need to be taught by us, but if I can throw you,
then you will agree to become our student, agreed?"
Ranko turned to Soun and bowed to him again. "As you are her teacher,
I apologize for over-stepping over my bounds but your daughter needs
to be taught some humility and restraint. Please forgive my
presumption. It is your decision whether or not your student and I may
spar."
Soun thought about that for a moment. The idea had its appeal after
all. He hadn't been training Akane as much as he used to and even then
he couldn't make himself train her in some of the more extreme forms
of the Anything-Goes school. "Very well. If you defeat Akane, then you
may train her."
Ranko nodded her thanks and stood up before turning towards Akane.
"Shall we?"
*******
As Akane faced her opponent, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable
about the fight. When Ranko had stood up from the table, she had asked
to be led towards the place where they were to fight. It was then that
Akane realized that Ranko was blind.
Ranko was idly standing there with her thin bamboo cane, waiting for
her to make the first move. If it weren't for the cane, shades or the
way she acted, it would've been easy to assume that she could see.
"Well? Come on, come on. Let's find out how good you really are."
Ranko suddenly smirked as though a thought just occurred to her. "Or
are you afraid of losing? Maybe you aren't as good as you think you
are."
Akane took the traditional karate stance and prepare her attack.
Instead of charging in like she usual did, she waited for Ranko to
attack. But she became frustrated after a minute when Ranko refused to
make any move. She tensed her body and charged the redhead with a
feint.
Unfortunately, Ranko didn't fall for the feint and caught her foot in
a death grip. Before she knew what happened, she was planted against
the wall in the opposite side of the Dojo. She heard Kasumi calling
to her through the haze as well as her father wailing in the
background. It really embarrassed her to see her father breaking down
like that, especially in front of guests.
Once she opened her eyes, she found Ranko standing over her with her
hand outstretched. She reluctantly grabbed it and pulled herself up.
Biting down her pride, she bowed deeply to the redhead. "Thank you,
Ranko-sensei."
Akane watched as Ranko bowed to her father who was wailing something
about her finally having a proper sensei. She absently shook her head
and left the dojo. Outside the dojo, she dropped her mask and walked
away as tears fell from her eyes.
Once, she thought she'd been the best, now she couldn't even beat a
blind girl. Ranko had defeated her with one move and she was positive
Ranma would've done the same if he hadn't been distracted.
Ranma. What was she going to do about him? Now that he had her father'
s permission to court her, what could she do? How was she going to get
out of this mess? It was all Ranma's fault!
However, that anger quickly disappeared when she realized that she had
her part in this mess. She placed her gi in the laundry basket and
soaked in the furo. She felt her muscles relax and allowed the tension
to ease. It had been a long day. Maybe tomorrow would be better.
"I'll talk with Ranma tomorrow about the marriage laws. Maybe there's
a way around them." Set with a plan of action, she smiled and drifted
off.
*******
Akane walked out of the house early the next morning and strode
through the street as she thought about the events that provided her
with a newly acquired, and perhaps secret, fianc�.
She wanted so much to blame Ranma for the situation, but couldn't.
She had a part in the series of events. Thanks to her pride, she'd
refused to listen to Ranma when he tried to talk to her. Still, she
believed that Ranma could've done a better job of informing her about
it.
Akane visibly sighed as she recalled the fight. Even though she won,
it's one victory she didn't want. Not because of the engagement, but
because she didn't win it fairly. She only won because of outside
interference. That was something she hated. She wanted to win fairly
and on her own.
Involuntarily, her hand reached up and touched her lower lip. The
tingling feeling she felt all so clearly returned full force. Blushing
deeply, she shook her head as she attempted to deny what had occurred.
It didn't help, however.
She closed her eyes as she felt Ranma lips pressed fully on her dry
lips and the eruption of emotions that flooded her consciousness. Her
chest tightened and her knees suddenly became weak. She hurried over
to the side of the road and clutched to the railing for support.
She swallowed hard and shook her head to clear the cobwebs. She
scanned the area and swallowed. She found herself staring at a figure
by the riverbank a few meters north of the bridge
She wasn't quite prepared for what was ahead of her. Her mouth became
dry, and the tingling feeling returned as the shirtless martial artist
performed his kata with such grace that it was breathtaking.
Slowly, almost hesitantly, she approached the martial artist. Though
she only stood about 30 meters away, it felt like 30km at the rate she
was walking, every step heavy and tiring. At 10 meters away, she
stopped when she noticed him pause in mid-kick.
"Hi, Akane." Ranma greeted her before continuing where he left off.
"Err. Hi." Almost shocked, she sat down a few feet way from Ranma and
watched him perform some of the most unusual kata she'd ever seen.
After finishing his workout, Ranma grabbed the towel and wiped the
sweat from his face.
Ranma decided to take advantage of the moment. "Can we talk? It's
about the marriage law."
"I'm not marrying you!" she shouted defensively.
Ranma raised his hand and looked at her sternly, "Then you should have
withdraw from the match like I suggested."
"Well,.. I-I didn't know about those stupid law!"
"I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen!"
"That's your fault. You should have done better!"
Ranma opened his mouth to retort again, but found that it would end
with an endless battle of will. Furthermore, he was getting a
headache. He swallowed his pride and said softly, "You're right. I
could have done better."
"Huh?" Akane blinked in surprise at this. She hadn't been expecting
this. Actually, she didn't know what to expect from Ranma. Everything
she knew about boys tended to fly right out the window with regards to
him. Anger forgotten, she sat on the grass and watched him carefully.
Ranma sat down next to Akane and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about
the law, but you didn't give me much of a chance to explain."
Deflated, "I-I know. it's just that I thought. Well, I thought you
didn't take me seriously and that's why you want me to back down."
Ranma chuckled at their mutual problem. "I guess we're both at fault
in some way."
Akane laughed nervously for a moment before asking the question that
needed to be confirmed. "Ranma, is. is there any way out of the
marriage law?"
"I'm afraid not, Akane." Ranma shook his head to emphasize his answer.
"It'd take something pretty major to invalidate the law. Even if you
were married and with kids, the law would still be valid. The tribe
allows for adoption and bigamy in cases like that."
Though she expected the answer, it still didn't help her mood. She
really didn't need something like this in her life right now.
Sensing her mood, Ranma decided that a little compliment was in order.
"If it makes you feel any better, I think you'd make a great Amazon."
Akane looked at Ranma and laughed nervously, but stopped suddenly as
she finally remembered something. The scars she saw at the end of the
fight. Could it be?
"Ranma? Ah." How does she ask him? He couldn't possibly be. But he
doesn't act like it, plus look at all that he could do. He just couldn
't be. Akane looked at Ranma again and sighed.
"Yes, Akane?" Ranma knew what she wanted to ask. He was surprised that
she didn't ask him sooner last night back at the clinic or at the
dojo.
It wasn't something he wanted to be made public if he could help it.
It was bad enough in junior high when a few people found out. He never
liked the stares or the pity people gave. He was independent and not
as helpless as people believed.
"I. Can you see?" She was nervous about his response. If he was indeed
blind then he might be a bit sensitive about other people finding out
about his condition.
"Of course!" He didn't exactly lie, but it wasn't the truth either.
Though he didn't like it, he had to look out for his best interest in
this matter.
Akane kept her gazed fixed on Ranma. She didn't quite believe him. Her
gut told her that even though Ranma did tell the truth, it wasn't the
same truth to the question she asked. It made her frustrated.
"Ranma, please tell me the truth. What happened to your eyes?" She
tried to be stern about it, concerned and curiosity foremost in her
mind.
Ranma remained silent as he debated on how to approach his problem. He
noted the concern in her voice and was pleased. There was none of the
annoying pity that he usually got from those who learn of his
disability.
Noting his silence, Akane pressed the issue. She was going to get the
truth out of him sooner or later. "Ranma, you owe me an explanation."
Ranma looked in her direction and raised his brow. For someone who
didn't want to be engaged to him, she was being awfully persistent
about knowing his secrets. "How do you figure that?"
"W-Well, I mean. We're engage and all. And we shouldn't keep secrets
from each other." Akane blushed crimson red at the words she spoke.
They weren't exactly the ones she wanted to use.
He looked thoughtful for a moment before looking away and stared into
the slow moving river. After a while, he simply nodded and gave his
assent. "Yes."
Akane was a bit affronted by the abrupt answer and wordlessly wondered
if he'd be more talkative after they'd married. The thought of
marriage made her pause and mentally kick herself as she silently
repeated, with a distinct lack of intensity, that she wasn't getting
married.
"Before I begin, promise that you'll never repeat what I'm about to
tell you to another soul. I don't want anyone to find out about this.
It's a part of my past and I want to keep it there."
"I promise." She eagerly moved closer and sat across from him as she
prepared to listen intently.
"Several years ago, I was taken on an extended training trip. During
this trip, my old man acquired a booklet that described an
undefeatable fighting technique called the Neko-ken."
Even though the memory made him involuntarily flinch, he forced
himself to continue. "Being the idiot that he was, he followed the
instructions word per word. It told him to wrap the trainee in fish
sausage and toss the trainee into a pit full of hungry cats."
Akane eyes widened in shock and anger as she clenched her hands until
the knuckles turned white. What sort of monster would do such a thing
to a child? She vowed to herself that if she ever saw that man, she'd
make him wish that he were tossed into that pit instead.
Ranma ignored Akane's reaction. "Well, being the genius he was, he
tossed me in again and again since I didn't learn the technique the
first time. It was there that I-I received my scars."
"I.I'm sorry." Akane wasn't entirely certain on how to console his
pain and anger, but without hesitation, she reached out and gathered
Ranma into her arms as she held him tight.
Though he held onto her as he took comfort in her warmth, Ranma didn't
cry. He cried a long time ago and he didn't need to shed any more
tears for what happened, but he still held her tightly.
After a moment, they released each other, blushing at the intimate
contact. Akane refused to look at Ranma even though it was a useless
gesture. He laughed heartily and smiled at her. "Thank you, Akane. I
really appreciated that. You can stop blushing now."
The comment only made her turned a few shades darker and quickly
turned in opposite direction before she realized another fact.
"H-How?"
"Well, that's another story." He smiled as he detected disappointment,
exasperation and resolve emanate from Akane. He could tell that she
wasn't going to leave it at that.
"Well, I have time." She wasn't going to let him walk away without
learning how he did that. It must be part of some martial arts
technique she never heard of.
"Heheh, Ok. Lemme return to the clinic first and shower, then we'll
talk."
Akane quickly agreed as she stood up and waited for him. Ranma shook
his head and obeyed the impatient fianc�e he recently acquired. He
wouldn't admit it just yet, at least not out loud, but she was really
beginning to grow on him.
She wasn't like the other girls back at the village. There, they only
saw their husbands as a prize to be won and indigent servant to the
female half. Even if they raised him, he couldn't see himself in such
a situation. He was too much like his namesake. He was a free spirit
and he liked that freedom.
"Welcome back, Ranma, did you have a nice workout? I see you brought
someone back with you." Dr. Tofu smiled a greeting at Akane as she
flushed slightly. Although slightly surprised, he was glad that she
was getting along fine with Ranma.
"Yeah, it gave me the chance to workout some kinks. Will you be
needing me today, Tofu-sensei? If not, I think I want to grab some
food after I shower. Also, Akane and I need to discuss a few things."
"That's fine, Ranma. I don't expect to have that many patience today.
You better hurry up though. Mustn't keep her waiting." After Ranma had
run up to shower, the doctor turned to Akane. "So, how are you doing,
Akane-chan?"
"Morning, Tofu-sensei." Strange, although she felt slightly
embarrassed, she didn't feel flustered like she usually did when she
was in front of the doctor. "Ok, I guess. Um.Tofu-sensei? What does
Ranma do here? I mean."
Dr. Tofu smiled. He was pretty proud of Ranma and wasn't afraid of
extolling his virtues. Plus, he really got a kick out of making people
gawk when he told them what Ranma does for him. "He's my assistant."
"A-Assistant?" She hadn't expected that for an answer. She reasoned
that Ranma was here to help, but not actually helping Dr. Tofu
directly. "B-But.But. He's so young. and he can't. well, err, I
mean."
"Well, he's young but that doesn't affect his skills as a healer and
as for his sight, um, he has other senses that compensate for it. He's
very good plus his knowledge of herbs and spices is outstanding."
"Oh." Even with the doctor's assurances, it still boggled the mind
that Ranma was his assistant. Never mind the fact that Ranma was
blind, being a doctor's assistant implied that the person was just a
short step away from being a doctor himself.
Just then, Ranma entered the room, refreshed and smiling. But before
he could say anything, his stomach showed its ugly face and growled
loudly, causing him to laugh nervously in embarrassment. "Hehehe,
guess I'm a little hungry."
His stomach decided to correct his statement with louder growl. "Make
that very hungry."
Dr. Tofu chuckled as Akane took pity on the flustered Ranma and
dragged him out of the clinic towards a hamburger joint. Once inside,
Ranma ordered four mega-burgers, much to Akane's shock and the
proprietor's amazement.
A mega-burger was a serious meal comprising a pound of ground beef,
bacon, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and bread. The thought that
anyone could pack away more than one was mind-boggling.
They left the store, and its incredulous proprietor, for the park
where they settled to eat quietly. Well, Ranma ate with his usual
enthusiastic behavior while Akane watched, very amused as well as very
awed by his capacity.
Ranma patted his stomach as he lay back to digest his meal, fully
sated. "Ahhh, that hit the spot!"
"I can't believe you ate that much." Akane shook her head at the
amount he consumed. Just one mega-burger was enough to leave her
feeling stuffed and Ranma ate three! She wondered where it all went as
her mind's eye wandered over the rangy, well-muscled frame hidden
under his loose clothes.
Ranma propped himself up on his elbows and gazed at her. "Hey, I'm a
growing boy."
"Haha, you certainly are." Akane poked the side of his rib, which
caused him scurried away from the ticklish feeling.
"Hey, don't do that!" His weak retort only caused Akane to break into
a fit of laughter. Unable to remain angry, he soon joined her. Later,
both settled down and laid on the grass near the bank of the river as
they stared at the clear sky above.
"It sure is a beautiful day." Akane smiled but quickly gasped in
dismay as Ranma remained silent. She realized what she had just said
and tried to apologize. "R-Ranma, I'm sorry. I."
"It's ok, Akane. I know you didn't mean anything by it and you're
right, it IS a beautiful day."
A moment of silence descended on them as they just soaked in all the
good karma. Then, Akane remembered their discussion earlier. "Ranma,
how are you able to fake being able to see? Does it have something to
do with person's sixth sense?"
"Kind of. Your sixth sense allows you to become aware of any danger in
your environment, but my senses go beyond that. I've developed my
senses to such a point that they can substitute for my eyes. A
seventh sense, if you will, that acts much like a radar for me."
"For an instance, I'm looking at you now and all I can see with my
seventh sense is a vague outline of your body and your individual chi
signature." He chuckled briefly at an idea. "So if you tossed me into
a costume party with masks and all, I'll be able to find you blind
folded."
"So, you can't really tell what something looks like." She paused for
a second. "Um. You don't know what I look like, do you?"
"Nope." He shook his head to emphasize his answer. "I know all the
other things that make up you. Your smell, your voice, and your chi
signature, but that's about it." Ranma immediately noticed the changed
and furrowed his brow. "What's wrong, Akane?"
"N-Nothing." She turned her face away in reflex. Akane didn't know
why, but the idea that he didn't know what she looked like almost made
her. sad.
"Don't lie, Akane. You can't do that with me around." Ranma placed a
comforting arm on her shoulder. "Akane, I-I've been like this for most
of my life and in none of those times have I care about what a person
looked like, well maybe with the exception of my mother."
Akane stayed silent and looked towards the river to reflect. She felt
her heart sink as tears welled up in her eyes, but she remained
steady, looking away to hide her turbulent emotions.
"But. I want to see you, if you let me that is." He didn't know why he
whispered this, but it was true, surprisingly enough. He really did
feel a desire to see her.
Her head jerked upright as a feeling of intense joy filled her heart
and quickly turned to Ranma who gave her a grin. "Y. You mean it?"
"Yeah." Ranma nodded at her. He could feel the hope that tinged her
voice and it gave him a funny feeling deep inside.
"H-How?" Akane didn't know why, but she felt. giddy and excited at the
thought of Ranma knowing what she looked like. It really confused and
frightened her, but she couldn't seem to muster the desire to push him
away.
Without a word, Ranma slowly reached for her face and cupped her
cheeks as she winced involuntarily. He easily felt the warmth that
radiated from her face and knew that she was blushing just as much as
he was. That thought brought him some comfort in his task.
Gently, he roamed over her face with hands hardened by years of abuse
and rough treatment. They ran over her nose, up the rim to her eyes,
then along her forehead, through her long hair, and down the side of
her cheeks and ears where they rested momentarily before moving to her
lips.
Akane gulped as she felt the tingling feeling running rampant through
her body and nearly exploded when his thumb traced and caressed her
lips. Her mouth became dry and her throat sore as if she'd been
talking for hours endlessly.
She was secretly disappointed when his hand moved away and rested on
her cheeks near the jaw line, but that was something she kept to
herself. She wasn't prepared for the feelings that his touch evoked
within her, so she chose to ignore them for now.
"Hmm. Interesting." Ranma frowned slightly he ran his fingers along
her smooth cheek.
"W-What?" Akane tried to focus on the worry she felt and ignored the
shiver that ran thru her as his touch caused her to feel unusually
warm and constricted like her clothes were too tight.
"I think I feel some wrinkles." Even before he had the chance to tell
her that he was joking, a fist neatly impacted into his face, barely
missing the shades. Then, Ranma shook his head a bit and muttered a
complaint at the treatment. "I was just kidding. You didn't have to
hit me so hard."
"Baka." Akane's muttered protest hid her disappointment. "It's your
fault anyway."
"I'm sorry. You're right, I shouldn't have said something like that as
a joke." He paused as he waited for her to face him before admitting
something. "I do think you're pretty though."
"Y-You mean it, Ranma?" Her eyes gleamed as she stared at him, her
heart raced like a jackrabbit.
Suddenly, he lost his confident as his senses picked a variety of
emotions that radiated from Akane telling him not to screw up or he'd
be dead. Face flushed, he mumbled his reply. "Y-Yeah."
"Thank you." Akane stuttered as she also blushed at his admittance.
The warmth she felt on her cheeks a moment ago seemed to spread all
over her body like wildfire.
Ranma felt uncomfortable with the emotional high being generated and
decided to change the subject before things got out of hand. "Um. So
who's been training you? He must be a good teacher."
She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at the praise. "Well, my dad
taught me, but he hasn't been training me for the last few years now.
E-Ever since my mother died, he hasn't been himself lately."
"I...I'm sorry to hear that." Looking away, Ranma took a deep breath
as he felt the warmth of the day and drew strength from it. "I haven't
seen my mother since I was little. I-I can't even remember what she
looks like."
"Why not? I'd do anything to see my mother again!" Akane was amazed
that they had that much in common. She also felt sad for him. At least
she remembered what her mother looked like.
He smiled knowingly at her. "So would I, Akane. That's why I left the
village. I needed to find my blood-mother."
"Really!? If you need some help, I can ask Nabiki. She's great at
finding information about anything." Her eyes sparkled as she let her
excitement get away with her.
"Thanks, I'd appreciate that." He smiled warmly at her, thankful for
the offer. He was still quite the stranger in this country where he
was born. It would be good to have a native guide. Besides, her
excitement was infectious.
"I-it's nothing." She stared at her feet for a moment, debating
whether or not to tell him. "There's something you should know about
my sister though. S-She tends to charge for the information."
Ranma chuckled for a bit. "Don't worry, Akane. I kinda realized that I
'd need cash to help me find my mother. That's one of the reasons why
I'm working with Dr. Tofu. Once I have enough money, I'll ask your
sister about it."
Akane laughed weakly along with him, but still felt slightly guilty
about her sister's mercenary ways. Nabiki even sold pictures of her to
the boys at school despite her objections. "What will you do when you
find her?"
"I-I don't know." Suddenly, he became uncertain as his mind tried to
imagine the future. "So much had happened to me over the last eleven
years, I'm not really sure how she'll react or what I'll say."
He looked at Akane. "How do you greet someone when you can't even
remember her face?"
In a way, she understood Ranma's dilemma and sympathetic with his
situation. If she had the chance to see her mother again, she wouldn't
know what to say or how to act either. "I wished I knew, Ranma. But if
I had the chance to do the same, even for a second, I wouldn't
hesitate."
"Neither would I, but I guess I'm just worried about how she'll
react." He forced a smile as he banished those worries for another
day. "Well, it doesn't matter right now. Until the time comes, I'm not
going to worry about it. Hmm, getting back to what we were talking
about."
"Err. what about?" Akane had already forgotten the topic as the
discussion about their mothers had eclipsed it.
"We were talking about your training, of course." Ranma grinned at her
puzzled look. Since she was supposed to be his fianc�e, she needed to
be brought up to a decent level. "Since your father stopped training
you, how about I help you train instead?"
"Y-You want to train me?" Shocked and disbelieving, she could only
stare at him. No one had ever offered to train her before. Then again,
she had never found anyone as good as Ranma before.
"Sure. Is there something wrong with that?" There shouldn't be any
problems with him taking over her training. After all, since her
father had stopped teaching her, someone had to take up the slack.
"No, no. Nothing. I-I mean, thank you." Akane bowed deeply from where
she sat. After all, for a grandmaster to offer to train someone was a
great honor. Even if he was a boy her age.
"Great." Ranma stood up and motioned for her to do the same. "How
about we start right now?"
Akane scrambled to her feet even as it occurred to her that she wasn't
prepared to train at the moment. "Now? But I don't have my gi!"
Confused, Ranma cocked his head to the side as he stared at his new
trainee. "Gi? What for?"
"B-But, I'm. well, I'm wearing a dress. and what if. you know. someone
might see." Akane fidgeted nervously with her dress, giving an
indication of what was bothering her.
Understanding struck Ranma as to what was bothering Akane so much. He'
d have to work on that a bit. "Oh, don't worry about it. It's not like
its something I can see."
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!"
Ranma balled over on the ground laughing as she stomped back and forth
frustrated until she couldn't resist the contagious laughter. After
the laughter settled a bit, he decided to have some pity on the
blushing Akane.
"If it makes you feel any better, you can borrow my workout clothes. I
think it'll fit you pretty good since I wear it for both. err,
nothing." Ranma mentally bopped himself for the slip-of-the-tongue.
She was not ready for that yet.
Akane noticed the slip but dismissed it for later. She didn't expect
to learn all of his secrets in one sitting. It can wait for tomorrow,
but for now, the thought of resuming her training again blotted
everything out. "Are you sure? I mean, you're bigger than I am."
"Positive." Ranma stuck on the most guileless expression he had. He
didn't know what he looked like but his Amazon mother said it was
pretty impressive. Of course, it worked better in his other form.
"Trust me."
"Well, ok." Akane tried one last time to change his mind. "But wouldn'
t it be better for me to get my gi?"
"Nope, inconvenient. The clinic is closer and you don't usually fight
in your gi, so it's best to wear normal clothing when you practice."
"I guess." Akane gave in and followed Ranma to the clinic. She didn't
have any more arguments to use anyway.
"Come on, let's get going so we can get started with your first
lesson. Next time, start wearing some shorts under those skirts.
Cycling shorts would be the best since they're pretty much
undetectable."
Both Ranma and Akane disappeared in the distance as the scene panned
out to view the city from high above the tallest building in the ward.
****
In the mist of the vast forest outside Hokkaido, two figures darted
between the obstacles at great speed. At closer inspection, the leader
was a younger man wearing a dragon-skin leather-vest while the other
was older man with a white bandanna over his baldhead.
They continued running until they reached a cliff that stretched
nearly a thousand meters straight up at about 80 degrees from the
base. Near the top, a large spherical boulder surrounded by wards and
an ofuda covered the entrance of a cave.
"So, that's where the old freak is trap. Finally, I can get revenge
for what that old freak did to me. Soon, very soon!" He started to
laugh maniacally as he saw the possibilities before him.
Silently, Genma watched the young man made his way up the mountain and
slowly disappear around a bend. A gleamed crossed his face as he
performed one of his forbidden techniques of the Umisenken, the ghost
walk, and faded from the scene.
He had no intentions of becoming a prisoner to the lunatic master of
his again. He had other plans, more important plans, that must be
carried out if he wished for a future where he could relax from his
days of travel. But in order to do that, he had to find his no good
son.
Without further adieu, he made his way across the landscape and soon
found his way out of the clearing before making a beeline for the
coast.
He had to move fast or risk being captured by that monster again. That
was something he couldn't afford at this moment. Too much was at stake
and he had very little time. He needed to get his son away from those
Amazon weaklings and retrain his son in the art.
A large explosion on the mountain foretold of future danger, so he ran
as quickly and as far as his legs could carry him.
Not far away, in a small village below the mountain, the residents
cowered in fear from the disturbing growl that vibrated across the
valley as visions of monsters and demons ran rampant through their
minds.
Muffled cries from the children as well as teenagers were heard when
the fear became too great. Some even went to the shrine and prayed for
the survival of the village from whatever horrible creature roamed the
slopes.
Again, the mountain shook and another explosion was heard thru the
village before a deafening scream vibrated across the valley. The poor
saps hid under their beds as a gush of air ran swiftly thru the
village, causing a number of buildings to sway and crack.
*******
"Are you sure about this, Ranma?" Akane plucked at the outfit that
Ranma was presently adjusting for her. "I mean, isn't it a bit.
stylish for working out?"
Akane was wearing a muscle-shirt and cycling shorts combo with a
sturdy, sleeveless, gi-like long vest over it while a wide sash held
everything together. The whole outfit seems designed to accentuate her
thighs, hips and waist while it lifted up her bosom to increase the
cleavage.
"Stylish?" Ranma's head looked up from where he was braiding her hair.
"What do you mean? This was the plainest outfit in the village. Most
of the other Amazons wore outfits heavy with embroidery when they
workout."
"Oh, I see." She had to admit that the entire ensemble was very
flattering. Maybe she could ask Kasumi to help her modify an old gi to
match this one. "Why are you braiding my hair into a pigtail?"
"Well, since you went to all this trouble to grow it this long, you
aren't likely to cut it any time soon. So I might as well show you how
you can use it like a whip." Ranma finished tying off her hair. "This
way, your hair can be used in a fight with instead of just being there
for looks."
"Ah. Ok."
*******
It'd been several years since he last saw his arch-nemesis, but that
didn't matter, nothing else mattered. One way or another, he'd find
him and unleash the torment he'd suffered because of him. It's just a
matter of finding him.
He'd been able to locate his prey over a year ago in China and
recently when he heard someone shouting that accursed name a few weeks
ago. Unfortunately, he misjudged the location and got lost. It was
just another reminder of his goal and revenge.
He stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking a beautiful, yet mystic,
valley in the evening light and grinned. He would find Saotome soon
and then his revenge will be satisfied.
With one large breath, he shouted pledge to the world. "YOU HEAR ME!
I WILL FIND YOU!"
His glorious dream was interrupted by a snap of a branch from behind
him. He quickly turned and found a pair of deadly eyes boring deep
into him. He faltered for a millisecond before he took an offensive
stance and grinned at the coming fight.
"So we meet at last." The person in the shadow muttered venomously as
he grinned.
Bandanna clad boy muttered to himself silently. It had to be Ranma. He
'd probably come out to finish their fight. Good! "Heheh, so you
finally come to meet your doom, you coward."
"In your dreams, you pustule on the face of humanity!" The figure
shouted before launching an attack with a giant weapon. "You're going
to wish you'd never heard of me, you jackass!"
The boy easily dodged the weapon and shouted insults in mockery. "Is
that the best you could do? And you call yourself a man."
The other growled in anger and launched again. "Die!"
Again, the boy dodged and taunted his opponent for the next few
minutes. "Come on, is that it? You're pathetic. I thought you'd be
more of a challenge."
This time the stranger released a multitude of sharp objects along
with a round ball, which exploded in mid-air and blanketed the area
with flour. Taking advantage of the camouflage, he leaped in to
attack, but a well-placed punch landed in his gut causing a rushed of
air to escape.
The impact of the punch caused him to roll back to the edge of the
cliff. Clutching his gut with one hand, he pushed to his feet and
grinned. He extended his hand out in a gesture and waited.
"For what it's worth, at least you didn't run away." The bandanna clad
boy walked up to his opponent. He ignored the low growl and reached
out for his hand to help him up only to be pulled into a tight hug.
"W-What the hell?"
"Today, you'll die for what you did to me, Saotome!" Grinning
deviously, the figure leaned over the edge and jumped off the cliff,
dragging the bandanna boy with him.
"W-What? Saotome?" The bandanna boy was confused as he shouted in
fear. "Are you crazy? NNOOOOOO!!!!"
SPLASH!
SPLASH!
The earth fell silent and soon only one voice could be heard. "Ah, we
have many customer come. You come to Curse Spring of Jusenkyo. Very
tragic story.."
*******
"Lets stop for a bit." Ranma motioned with his hand for her to stand
down. "You're pretty good, but you're relying too much on your anger
and frustration to attack. That indicates a lack of self-control and
proper training."
"I do to have self-control!" Indignation coursed thru her veins at the
mere suggestion that she wasn't in control of herself.
Ranma merely raised his brow and turned his head to the side as he
cupped his ear with a hand. "What were you saying again?"
She realized she had just proven his point and deflated as she kept
quiet.
"As I was saying, you need to gain your self-control or you'll never
reach your full potential. So, what can we do?"
Akane bit her lips to keep from retorting again since she knew it was
useless and she had to admit that he was right, but she won't say it
out loud. "Train?"
"Nope, we meditate." Ranma sat down and crossed his legs into the
classic lotus position.
"Mediate?" Uncertain of its effectiveness, Akane, never the less, sat
down in front of him. She hoped that the lotus position wasn't as
uncomfortable as it looked cause she had the feeling she'd be assuming
it very soon.
"Yep. Thru meditation, you'll gain discipline and thru discipline, you
'll gain control. With control, you'll be able to improve your martial
arts skills and bring it to a higher level, but not until you gain
that control."
She just nodded, not really understanding his explanation but agreed
to follow it anyway.
"First, sit in a lotus and close your eyes." Ranma waited until she
had struggled into the correct position. "Good. Now, block out all
other sounds and concentrate on my voice. Once you've done that, I
want you to picture a peaceful valley."
"As you walk thru this valley, feel the gentle wind as it caresses
your body. Feel the sturdy ground and the soft grass that comfort your
feet as you take each step. Listen to the low rumbling of the
waterfall in the distance. Walk towards it until you're at the edge of
the stream. Good."
"Step into the water. Feel how the cool water and allow it to cleanse
your spirit. Feel how it envelops your body and lifts you. Now, let
yourself immerse to your waist in the water and relax."
"I want you to think about your life. Think about your childhood.
Think about family and those close to you. Think about you and what
you want out of life."
He allowed Akane several minutes of silence before he continued. "What
do you want, Akane?"
>From deep within, the answer came out. "I.I want to see my mother
again."
Ranma nodded his head on the logic of this. The death of her mother
must've been tragic to her for the grief to last this long. "What
else?"
>From the corner of her mind where dreams lie, another answer came. "I
want to be the best and."
Understandable. Most people want to be the best at whatever they like
to do. "And?"
>From deep within a dark, fenced-off corner of her mind, an answer
slipped out. "And I want you."
Stunned and at a lost for words, he sat silently for a few minutes
before he regained his senses and cleared his throat. "Well, lets
continue on. This is your center, sanctuary, or private domain. Every
time you feel like you're losing control, look into your mind and find
your center."
After Akane nodded, he started her on the path of gaining her
self-control. "I want you to stay in this position until I say
otherwise. During this time, I want you to find the source of your
anger or any other negative emotions that have reared its head during
your life."
After she nodded, Ranma watched Akane for a little while longer before
he continued with the session. After two hours of practice, he sat in
front of Akane. "Akane, awake."
She opened her eyes and blinked back the glared as she pushed back the
slight nausea she felt.
Ranma steadied her as he studied her aura. "How do you feel?"
Akane worked her muscles a bit, stretching them to remove the kinks
before answering him. "Refreshed, I think."
Ranma nodded his head as his scan turned up nothing untoward.
Sometimes, a first timer might injure themselves overdoing the
exercise. "Good. Did you find your answer?"
She sat thoughtfully for a moment. "Umm. I think so, but I can't be
sure."
"Well, that's ok. The important thing is that you looked for it. So
every time get angry, look for the cause and don't lash out in anger."
Akane looked slightly depress. "Akane, I know you get angry easily. So
did I."
"R-Really? About what?" Akane stared at him as she tried to picture
Ranma as depressed or angry and failing.
"After the accident, my old man blamed me for not overcoming my
weakness. Even though I was getting better, I still wasn't anywhere
near where I can effectively defend myself. After each loss, I became
more depressed and angry with myself for not being able to do better.
You know what?"
Akane shook her head as she listened intently to what Ranma had to
say. "What?"
"I lashed out in anger because I felt powerful every time I was angry.
In the end, it was for nothing. I didn't get better, I got worst and I
let my own depression and anger control me. So, I'm telling you right
now, don't let your negative emotions control you, use it, but don't
let it control you. Understand?"
Akane was uncertain but she thought she got the gist of it. "I.I think
so."
"Don't worry." Ranma smirked as a mischievous idea sprang up in his
head. "If you ever get out of control, I'll just punish you."
"W-What you mean by that?" A slight shiver ran down her back as Akane'
s imagination started its dance.
"Don't know, but I've been trained in all sorts of herbs, spices, and
potions as well as shiatsu points." He tapped his chin in thought.
"You know, combinations of some of those do have some interesting side
effects to the human body."
Again, he shrugged and looked thoughtful, completely ignoring the
stunned expression on Akane. "Of course, I've never tested them on
human before, but my mother always told me that I experiment too
much."
Akane half listened to Ranma as he droned in great detail about
various reaction of the body to certain herbs and spices. She suddenly
felt a dread and gulped as her imagination took control. She worriedly
wondered what she had gotten herself into.
*****
[End of Chapter 3]