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Ashura's Fingers.
A Ranma 1/2 one shot by Carrot Glace.
It was the start of a typical day at the dojo. Ranma sat at the table
lazily with his father and Mr. Tendo. Not much was happening at the
moment, and that's just the way he liked it. Unfortunately, times like
that didn't last long.
"Hey Saotome, Remember that technique we searched for all those years
ago. What was it called?"
"There were many," pointed out the elder Saotome.
"Hmm," agreed Soun with a nod. "This is the one we never found. An
ancient secret that was said no man could stand against."
"Ah, you mean Ashura's Fingers?" Genma slapped his palm and chuckled
slightly.
Ranma almost fell over. All the color drained from his face.
"Yes, that's the one. I've been thinking of taking a trip to find this
lost technique. It will be like old times," said Soun with a wistful
sigh.
"Don't bother," replied Genma.
"Eh?"
"Please no," muttered Ranma as he edged away from the pair slowly.
"I found a woman who had knowledge of the technique. It was about a week
after the unfortunate incident in Jusenkyo. My son, failed to acquire the
knowledge." Genma leveled a glare at the boy and frowned.
"Only girls can learn it," replied the pigtailed boy in retort.
"Well, if any boy can do it, it would be you," said Nabiki as she walked
into the room with a magazine in her hand.
"That technique. You say the son in law has had training in Asura's
Fingers?" Cologne pogoed into the room from the yard.
"Gah! How long have you been there? You ghoul!" snapped Ranma as he fell
over and clutched at his chest.
"That's right. He failed to learn its secrets," said Genma over
dramatically.
"Most interesting. When was he trained? My understanding was that no man
could ever learn that technique."
"A martial arts technique that's only for girls?" Akane entered the room
with a cheerful smile on her face.
Ranma tried his best to quietly slink away from the room.
"Did you learn it?" said Akane.
Ranma froze. Kasumi appeared in front of his escape route with a pot of
tea in her hands. "No."
"A technique that Ranma couldn't learn? That's hard to believe,"
commented Nabiki as she looked up from her magazine.
"Indeed," said Cologne as she narrowed her eyes at the boy. "I've got to
be going." She hopped away chuckling to herself. As she bounded over the
wall her grin widened to enormous proportions. "That boy can't fool me.
He does know the technique. If it was to fall into Amazon hands, we could
become quite powerful."
+++++++++++
"You say Shampoo ask Ranma to teach her famous technique of Asura's
Fingers?"
"That's right, Shampoo. If we could learn this powerful technique, we
could finally become a true power within China, or even the world."
"Aiyah! This very strong?" said the girl quietly.
"Yes. If one of us was to learn of this, the entire tribe could be
taught. I am certain the Son in law knows the technique."
"Why Ranma no use against Great Grandmother then?"
"Heh. Once you find out about the technique, you will understand."
++++++++++++
"Ranma ... I want you to teach me this 'Fingers' thing," Akane looked up
at her fiancee.
He had been sitting against the wall at school eating his lunch. The
moment the words were out of her mouth, Ranma's food became a spray in
the air. He coughed for a minute and turned to face her. "No way! I ain't
teaching you nothing!"
"Ranma, please! You saw Cologne! If I could learn this technique, then I
could handle Shampoo, no problem!"
"Akane, you don't know what you're askin. I don't even know the stupid
technique," Ranma stared at the ground as he said this.
"You're a bad liar Ranma," said Nabiki as she walked up to the pair from
nearby.
Ranma looked at her for a moment. "Even if I did know it. I couldn't
teach it to anyone. I would have sealed it away."
"So, you don't think I'm strong enough? Is that it?" snapped Akane with
a sudden anger appearing in her eyes.
"That ain't it at all! Jeez, you are so uncute!" retorted Ranma. For the
first time in his life, he was relieved when she kicked him into the air.
+++++++++++
"I said no damn it!" snapped Ranma at the two girls chasing after him.
Shampoo had appeared right after school. Within moments, Ukyo had
discovered his secret, and now both of them were chasing him down
demanding that he train them.
"That is enough." Both girls whirled around and glared at Cologne for a
moment. She stood between them and Ranma.
"I ain't leaving until Ranchan decides to teach that move to me! There's
no way he'd trust a secret like that to this hussy!"
"You will do as I say. Both of you leave, now," said the old woman. Her
face was stern and gave no room for argument. "Unless you think you can
get by me."
Ukyo looked like she might try it for a moment, but turned away in the
end. Shampoo immediately left the scene.
"Son in law. I want a word with you."
"What is it?" snapped the boy irritably. He was already in a combat
stance.
"I did not come to fight you. Please, let's take this inside. I have
sent Mousse away on an errand." She hopped over to the nearby entrance of
the Cat Caf�.
Once inside Ranma sat on a stool at the bar. Cologne set a cup of tea in
front of him and sighed. "Son in law. I know of Asura's Fingers. It is a
most powerful technique. Listen well to what I am about to offer."
Ranma paused at the serious look on her face. "What's up ghoul?"
"I am willing to force Shampoo to return to China without you, if you
teach her the technique."
Ranma's eyes went wide. "Wha?"
"Do not answer now. Consider your options carefully."
"No. It doesn't matter what you say. I ain't training nobody," said the
boy with a sudden anger in his eyes, he stood up and walked out.
+++++++++++
Ranma's life grew steadily worse over the next few days. The whole
fiancee crew had joined into the melee, but it had gotten steadily worse.
Now even Ryoga and Kuno had jumped on the bandwagon. Once they heard of
the technique he demanded that Ranma at least show it to them, so they
could develop counter moves for it.
Soun and Genma sat at the table discussing the events.
"Saotome, how did this all begin?"
"It started with a woman in Hong Kong. I had learned of her from a
fellow traveler. I thought I had at last found what we searched for all
those years ago. An invincible technique."
"I see."
"We found the woman and she told us that no man could ever learn the
technique. So, I had Ranma turn into a girl and returned. She seemed
upset with my wanting him to learn the technique, but relented in the
end. I had to pay a considerable amount of money."
"The things we endure for the art!" lamented Soun.
"Indeed, Tendo. She took Ranma away from me for a few days and attempted
to train him. I returned several days later. The first thing the
ungrateful boy did to me was attack me. I beat him in the end, and he
told me that he had failed when I asked him to share the technique."
"How tragic."
"Yes it was, Tendo, Ranma hasn't been the same since."
++++++++++
Ranma was cornered. Akane stood glaring at him in his room with her arms
crossed.
"Akane, I said no," he said quietly.
"Why not? You're willing to teach Ukyo and Shampoo, but not me?"
"I ain't teaching that to nobody!" cried the boy angrily.
"You don't think I'm good enough? Is that it?" Akane was on the verge of
tears.
"Akane. Please ..."
The girl looked up at him again. "Fine. Be that way. I hate you!" She
turned away and started towards the door.
"Take off your clothes."
Akane stopped cold and turned to face him. His head was hung low and his
fists were clenched at his sides. "WHAT?!"
"You really want to learn this? Fine. Take off your clothes."
Moments later Ranma found himself face down on the ground with a mallet
in his head.
"It's part of the training Akane," he grumbled. "You want to know it so
bad, do as I say."
A look of total and complete fear crossed the girl's face. Slowly, her
hand rose to her shoulder and started to pull on her shirt.
Ranma closed his eyes and grabbed a glass of water from a small table in
the room.
++++++++++++++
To say Akane was pale, was like saying the sun was dim. She staggered
down the stairs with an odd look on her face and sat down at the table
staring off into space. She looked up and saw Cologne standing in front
of her with a small frown on her face.
"So. You have gone through the training?"
"I..." Akane couldn't move her mouth to finish.
"I see. So, have you mastered it yet girl?"
Akane slowly shook her head from side to side. "It took Ranma three
days. I'll probably take a few more than that at least."
"You plan to continue. Even knowing what it is?"
"Do I have a choice?" said the girl in reply.
"I suppose not. Mind control is dangerous. I suspect Ranma will be most
cautious."
Akane nodded and said nothing in reply.
"Don't worry child. I will speak nothing of this to Shampoo."
"Thank you."
"All this time, I thought he was simply just shy. I suppose it makes
sense." She smirked again as she hopped away from the dojo. Perhaps all
was not yet lost. It may take some work, but perhaps this would work out
in the end. After all, it didn't matter to her who taught Shampoo the
technique, but it would take some convincing on both sides, and quite a
bit of time. "Time is something I have."
++++++++++
Ranma dried his hair off in the bathroom with a smirk on his face. He
knew he could make her do things, but it wouldn't really be her. After a
while, he wouldn't even need to use the technique. Her attitude would
change after the first few lessons, even without him suggesting it to
her. He often found himself still thinking back to his teacher. It was
hard to force himself to forget, but that was part of it.
Genma walked into the furro and paused as he saw his son.
"So, Pop. Did you tell Mr. Tendo exactly where you brought me to learn
that technique?"
"Don't be so na�ve son. I haven't said anything about that! What does it
matter? You failed!"
"Just wondering." Ranma smiled slightly. Soon Akane would be begging him
again. He would have to hold out to ensure that she actually learned it
rather than simply become enslaved to it. Chi Su Ko, the whore who had
taught him the technique, and made him a woman in the process had made it
clear how important that was. He flexed his hand in front of his face. A
man's fingers were much too large to use the pressure points involved. It
required the delicate touch of a woman's hands, and a woman's charms so
that the victim would willingly submit. Ranma snorted as he started to
brush his teeth. A slight look of disgust crossed his face as he stared
at his reflection. "Manly indeed. Perhaps I can do something about that
stupid contract after all?"
The End.
C&C to Carrotglace@juno.com
This is bordering on Lime, but a warning would have spoiled the ending.
Tell me what you thought!