Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Nekoken is Out of the Bag ❯ The Pain of Love ( Chapter 2 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Lord Archive 
Anger and guilt grips Akane and Ranma respectively as they deal with the aftermath of Ranma's cat personality proving his love.
Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Martial Arts / Hentai / Drama / Comedy | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 11.20.2012 | Updated On: 11.22.2012 | Pages: 6 | Words: 5.1K | Visits: 1.2K | Status: Completed
Anger and guilt grips Akane and Ranma respectively as they deal with the aftermath of Ranma's cat personality proving his love.
Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Martial Arts / Hentai / Drama / Comedy | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 11.20.2012 | Updated On: 11.22.2012 | Pages: 6 | Words: 5.1K | Visits: 1.2K | Status: Completed
Nekoken Is Out Of The Bag!
by Lord Archive
Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.
This story takes place after manga volume 38. While at times darker than canon, this series has its share of Takahashi styled humor.
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Chapter 2 - The Pain of Love
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The sounds of Akane smashing brick after brick was not unusual, especially on the days she cooked. So, three of the residents did not notice, nor did it concern them that Akane's door had a hole ripped in it. These were common enough events that occurred between Ranma and Akane.
Nabiki, however, thought something wasn't exactly right about this. She didn't think Akane would be that angry about her cooking after learning that Ranma actually loved her. Unless she was more upset at herself for botching it than Ranma for insulting it. Still, there was a tangible edge to the girl's anger that should've been smoothed out by her fiance's confession. Matters were not improved with Ranma being nowhere in sight either. Best to find out what pissed off Akane before she caused some expensive property damage.
Nabiki walked toward the dojo. The door was opened and she could see Akane setting up a stack of several bricks. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ranma sitting in a shadow watching Akane.
From the permanent glare on her little sister's face, Nabiki decided Ranma would be easier to talk to. "So, what happened this time?"
"Something really bad," he replied without trace of emotion.
Nabiki's interest peaked. "Care to tell me about it?"
"No," Ranma answered in a dead tone.
Akane yelled, "Kyaa!" Yet another dozen bricks were turned to powder. She looked up and saw Nabiki talking to a shadow. She looked closer and saw that Ranma had hidden himself in it. She smiled inwardly as Ranma's hidden presence showed in an odd way that he cared. She was still upset, though. She had been violated. If the date on Saturday had gone as perfectly as she wanted, she might have had sex with him then. She might have even encouraged it, knowing how Ranma felt about 'not being ready.' But then Shampoo came in... and she tried to seduce him for herself... and then she sent Ranma into... DAMN HER! Thanks to Shampoo, she would always remember her first sexual encounter as being one filled with pain, the man she loved would always feel responsible for it, and neither one of them would have experienced any sort of pleasure out of it, since Ranma wouldn't even remember having done it. Akane sighed. The lack of more bricks to destroy made her realize that it was probably time to go to bed.
Akane closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, hoping to clear her thoughts. When she opened them, she decided to approach Ranma and Nabiki.
"Come on, Ranma, tell me what happened. I promise I won't tell anyone. Maybe I can help," Nabiki implored, sensing this might actually be more important than money.
Ranma was ignoring her, his eyes focused on Akane.
The youngest Tendo decided to answer as she passed them, "Nekoken happened."
Nabiki stood there in shock as she remembered what Akane told her and uttered, "Oh, shit!"
"Did Akane tell you why I acted strangely while in Nekoken?" Ranma asked.
Nabiki shuddered. "Yes." She became VERY concerned for her younger sister, and decided to try and help her. First she needed to find out something. "How?"
"Shampoo," Ranma spat out like a curse.
"She was here as a cat, and you went..." Her voice began to betray her.
Ranma nodded in agreement.
"I-I'll go h-help her," Nabiki stammered as she went after Akane.
Ranma nodded and turned his gaze to the pile of concrete dust that sat in the dojo.
----------------------------------------------------
Akane entered her room and sat on her bed. Nabiki entered shortly afterward.
"Leave me alone, Nabiki," uttered Akane.
"Now Akane, I think you should talk to someone about this," Nabiki replied.
"What is there to say?" was Akane's cold rhetorical reply.
"Well, how did it happen?" Nabiki insisted.
Akane sighed. Why did Nabiki have to choose now to be a caring older sister? "Ranma was taking a bath and Shampoo came by, probably to seduce him. She was a cat at the time and-and it sent him into N-Nekoken. I was in here changing and then he-he...," Akane began to cry.
After several minutes and Akane's tears stopped flowing, Nabiki asked, "Do you blame Ranma for this?"
Akane tensed up and screamed, "YES!" But then she softened and meekly said, "I mean it was him, but.... it wasn't. This happened because of how he feels, and... he couldn't really control it."
"So, do you blame him?" Nabiki repeated in a soft tone.
Akane shook her head. "No, I guess not."
"Do you blame anyone?" Nabiki wondered.
"Uncle Saotome for teaching him Nekoken, and Shampoo for sending him into it," Akane answered fiercely.
Nabiki nodded. Those two certainly did hold a fair bit of blame for this. "Do you want me to do anything about them?"
"Oh, no. I want to deal with them myself," Akane snarled as she cracked her knuckles.
Nabiki smirked. "I'll make sure their medical insurance is paid up."
Akane let out a cold laugh. "You do that. Now I'd like to get some sleep."
"Sure thing, Sis," Nabiki replied, expecting that neither Akane nor Ranma would get any rest tonight.
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Kasumi nodded to herself at a job well done as her kitchen once again shined. She didn't exactly like it when Akane cooked, but the girl needed the practice if she wanted to be a good wife. Not that her youngest sister would ever admit that's why she wanted to learn. She then sighed and looked down at the floor of the hallway and saw an odd stain.
Kasumi bent down and tried to clean the stain. Living with Ranma for about a year she could tell part of the stain was blood, but the other part of the stain she couldn't identify. She noticed the stain was part of a barely noticeable trail that continued down the hall in both directions.
Kasumi decided to follow the trail towards the stairs, but was sure it was to Akane's room. She guessed Ranma might have gotten cut from being knocked through the door or something similar.
When the eldest Tendo daughter came to the end of the trail she was at Akane's door. She peeked through the hole in the door and saw Akane was awake and sitting on her bed, causing her to wonder if the trouble wasn't a typical spat over the young girl's cooking.
Kasumi knocked on the door.
Akane looked at the door, seeing Kasumi's dress through the hole, she said, "Come in."
Kasumi entered and saw that her little sister had been crying. She looked to be on the verge of tears again. "Akane, what's wrong?" she asked with concern.
Akane looked down into her lap and said nothing.
"Did Ranma hurt you?" Kasumi questioned.
"He didn't mean to," Akane answered in a whisper.
Kasumi frowned. "What happened?"
"He was in Nekoken," Akane answered as she fought back her tears.
Kasumi blinked. "I thought you could control him."
"As his loved and trusted friend I could, but not as his..." Akane swallowed hard. "...mate."
"Mate?" Kasumi screeched, stunned.
Akane nodded.
"You don't mean he... oh, my!" Kasumi could NOT believe what she just heard. That Ranma would attack her in such a matter. It was just unthinkable.
Akane nodded again.
Kasumi went over and sat next to her little sister on the bed. She was at a lost for words, but Akane didn't want words at the moment, hugging her tightly as tears started to flow again.
"Why? Why can't anything be normal between us? Why does this have to happen?" Akane cried.
"I don't know," Kasumi answered. "I wish I did. I wish I did." She cradled her little sister in her arms. "Do you hate Ranma for this?"
"No. It was caused by his love for me. How can I blame him for that? I've wished to have proof of his true feelings for me. But the way I got it...." Akane's words were choked off by tears.
Kasumi could not figure out what to say. She held onto Akane, who cried herself to sleep in her arms.
Kasumi placed Akane carefully into bed. She wished she knew how to help her little sister through this. While all the books she had borrowed from Dr. Tofu talked about healing the physical body, few talked about healing the mind of a rape victim.
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Akane entered the dining area. She was wearing her gi, looking like she slept in it. Ranma in female form and Genma were sparring over the pond. Nabiki watched, trying to keep her calm demeanor.
>*SPLASH*<
"You're getting sloppy, boy! Get your mind on the fight!" Genma shouted.
"I'm not in the mood to fight right now. I've got too much on my mind," Ranma retorted as he jumped through the open window of his room.
"We're not done yet, boy!" Genma bellowed.
Akane approached Genma. "Uncle Saotome, since Ranma doesn't want to spar with you, why don't you spar with me." It was more of a statement than a question.
"It would not be wise. You are not good enough of a martial artist to fight me," Genma scoffed.
"Won't know until I try. Besides if I don't spar against better opponents how will I ever be a proper heir to the Anything Goes Martial Arts?" Akane replied with a cold calmness that seemed so very unlike her usual behavior.
Genma blinked at this and thought this may be a sign she was excepting her role which meant she would also marry Ranma, and so decided to except, "All right, but don't expect me to go soft on you because you're a girl."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Akane said with a malevolent look in her eyes. She strode over to the other side of the pond, bowed, and began sparring.
"Akane's sparring with Genma?" Kasumi said as she entered the dining room.
Nabiki nodded. "You better call Dr. Tofu. I think we'll need him."
*WHAM*
>SPLASH<
"Grrr...."
*WHAM*
>SPLASH<
"GROWL!"
*WHAM*
/*CRACK*\
>SPLASH<
Kasumi turned and rushed to the phone.
"I thought you said I wasn't good enough," Akane mocked smugly as she entered the house. There was neither a drop of water nor sweat on her.
Nabiki approached the panda in the pond, its limbs bent at odd angles. "Are you all right?"
'No,' read a sign held in the panda's teeth.
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Almost a half-hour later Akane, now dressed for school, stood at Ranma's door and knocked.
"Yeah," said Ranma.
"Breakfast is ready... Would you please... come down and join us?" Akane pleaded.
Ranma opened the door slowly and gave Akane a sorrowful look. "Akane, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Now let's go down stairs and get some breakfast," Akane insisted.
He nodded and followed Akane. If anyone else asked him to get breakfast, he would have said, 'no.' He wanted to talk to her, but didn't know what he could possibly say to her now.
When he entered the dining area, he noticed that his father's left arm was in a sling.
"What happened, Pop?" Ranma asked.
Genma rubbed his arm tenderly, looking a bit sheepish. "Your fiancee proved to me that one should never underestimate an opponent."
Ranma looked at Akane who had a smug look on her face. This frightened him. If she severely hurt his father, who else would feel the wrath of her anger? He nervously asked, "You did that?"
Akane nodded. "Since you weren't up to sparring with him, I decided to. I got a little carried away."
"Akane, you should learn how to control yourself. You might seriously injure someone if you don't," Kasumi admonished, but then wanted to slap herself for saying something like that to her little sister after what happened to her last night.
Ranma and Akane blanched at her words.
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"Akane, I'm really sorry about, you know, yesterday," Ranma said meekly trailing behind the girl as they walked to school.
"You don't have to apologize," Akane replied, coldly.
Ranma sagged. "But I..."
"Ranma, it really wasn't you who did it," Akane told him flatly.
Ranma shook his head. "But it was me, if-if... I well... if..."
"If what? If you didn't love me it wouldn't have happened?" Akane asked angrily.
Ranma blinked. Part of him wanted to nod yes, but he just stared at her.
Akane growled. "You're asking me to forgive you for being in love with me. Like it is wrong. I can't do that, Ranma, because it is NOT wrong. Do you understand? It was NOT your fault."
"You don't blame me?" Ranma asked in shock. She always blamed him before if anything bad happened, even if it didn't involve him. This time he felt it was all his fault.
"No, I don't," she answered with an icy calm that would do her sister proud.
"But, you're still upset," Ranma observed.
Akane turned away. "Not with you. I'm upset with your father and Shampoo."
Ranma blinked. "Why?"
Akane clenched her fist. "Your father taught you Nekoken, and Shampoo induced it."
Ranma frowned. "So that's why you hurt pop."
Akane nodded. "Yes."
"And you plan on fighting Shampoo," Ranma figured with a sense of dread.
"Yes." Akane smirked evilly.
"But Akane, she's better than you," Ranma protested.
Akane laughed coldly. "Funny, your father said he was better and you saw what I did to him."
Ranma shook his head, while Akane acting like some angel of vengeance was not new to him. She rarely held a grudge for very long, and somehow he knew she wasn't going to let this go. Adding that to the fact she blamed someone besides him for something he felt was his fault, this made Ranma even more concerned about Akane.
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"Hello, Ranma, Akane. What seems to be the problem today?" Dr. Tofu asked. He knew by the their looks of the two teens entering his clinic that they weren't there for a social visit.
"Hi, Doc. Um, I was wondering if you knew how I could be cured or gain better control of Nekoken?" Ranma asked.
Dr. Tofu sighed. "I'm afraid I don't."
Ranma looked at Akane with a lot of concern. "Are you sure?"
Dr. Tofu thought about it for a moment. "I could refer you to a psychologist that specializes in curing fears. I don't know if he'll be able to help in your case."
"I'll take any chances. I don't want to hurt Akane again." While the idea of going to a head shrink wasn't something Ranma would like to do, it was better than the alternative.
Akane backed away and blushed.
"Again?" Dr. Tofu asked, stunned.
Akane sighed, "Last night, Shampoo paid us a visit as a cat while no one else was home." She looked down at the floor. "There was no way to stop what happened."
"Akane, are you all right?" Dr. Tofu asked, concerned.
"I'm fine. I just wished something in our relationship would be normal," Akane replied, trying to blow off what had happened.
"I don't think anything about me is normal," Ranma said gloomily.
Akane placed her hand on Ranma's shoulder. "I guess it's a good thing I don't want a boring normal life then."
Ranma blinked. "Huh?"
"A few normal moments wouldn't hurt, though." Akane gave Ranma a reassuring smile.
"I'll make an appointment for you to see a psychologist," Dr. Tofu said, not expecting to be heard.
"Akane, I-I'm going to go away for a while. Just until I'm cured of Nekoken," Ranma told her sadly.
"No. I am not going to let you run off. You need me," Akane said firmly.
"But, I don't want to hurt you," Ranma pleaded.
Akane's position didn't budge. "I know you don't. While we're working on curing you, we could come up with some plans to try to prevent last night from happening again."
Ranma shook his head. "I really think I..."
Akane interrupted him with a fierce glare. "Ranma, I'm staying with you and that is final."
Ranma still wanted to leave, but the girl was too stubborn for her own good. If he left, she would follow. "Okay. Okay, I'll stay."
Dr. Tofu returned a moment later to inform them Ranma's appointment was set for Monday afternoon.
----------------------------------------------------
Akane wandered around the schoolyard. Since Monday, when she found out what might happen if Ranma went cat, she did not like having Ranma out of her sight. Since Wednesday, when she knew very well what would happen, she hated it. Right now, she didn't even know where he was.
"Ranma!" she screamed, looking around for any sort of reply. She then muttered, "Where is that idiot?"
Akane's attention, and those of many other students, was drawn to an explosion in the sport's shed.
A deep dread consumed Akane as she saw a flash of a red and black figure moving toward her. She could hear it 'meow.'
The Tendo girl screamed internally, not wanting to deal with this here and now.
Akane's martial arts reflexes took affect and reached behind herself and pulled out a water gun she had hidden. She fired at the figure, but it dodged. The figure landed right in front of her.
"Meowr?" emitted Ranma, standing on all four limbs.
Akane tried to figure out how to get him wet and fast. She smiled a little, noticing the swimming pool wasn't too far away.
Akane fired several times at Ranma. He continued to dodge it, acting as if he was playing some game. She made it to the pool and leapt in, cannonball style. The splash missed Ranma.
Akane, thankful for diving into the shallow end, stood up, saying, "You want me? Then come here."
"Meowr," Ranma emitted as he jumped in.
"What happened this time?" Akane asked as Ranma emerged from water.
Ranma blinked. "Last thing I remember was seeing Gosunkugi in the sport's shed."
Akane became a little worried. She became VERY worried when she heard someone shout, "Somebody call an ambulance!"
Ranma shook, uttering, "Please tell me I didn't hurt him?"
Akane moved towards a ladder. "Ranma, stay here. I'll go find out."
Ranma nodded as he moved to the edge of the pool.
Akane returned a moment latter and sat down next to Ranma at the edge of the pool.
"I'm sorry, but it was him," Akane sighed. "He doesn't look badly hurt. I think he'll be okay."
"I'm losing control," Ranma said, staring into the pool.
Akane shook her head. "Ranma, there were a dozen cats there. There was no way you could've controlled yourself."
Ranma looked at Akane, hoping she would understand what he had to say. "You don't understand. I'm slipping into Nekoken more often. After I first moved here, it was over a month before I went into Nekoken, and it took a tiger to induce it. In the past week it happened three times."
"You slip into Nekoken whenever you're really scared and there is a cat present. I noticed the cat does not have to be the source of the fear. It's just the trigger. We can prevent Nekoken by working to reduce your other fears." Akane looked into the pool. She wanted to beat herself up for being the source of many of Ranma's fears. If only she had told him how she felt about him.
Ranma couldn't look at his fiance. "How can I, when I'm afraid of losing control?"
Akane sighed. "Then we have to work on you gaining control."
Ranma shook her head. "Akane, I'm going away now. I can't risk hurting you or anyone else."
"How about WE go on a training trip? We can go somewhere that doesn't have any you-know-what running around," Akane suggested.
"But...," Ranma tried to protest.
"I know it wasn't the date we planned, but it should help," Akane tried to smile at him.
"I'll go alone. I don't want to hurt you," Ranma insisted.
"NO!" Akane retorted with growing frustration. "We're going together, and that's final. And... you're not going to hurt me. In fact, Ranma, I think I-"
"I can't risk it," Ranma broke in.
"You're right, Ranma," Akane almost growled. "You can't, but I CAN, and I will, because I-"
Ranma didn't care about the reasons. "Akane, please, I love you, and I just can't-"
This time, it was Akane, frustrated at not being able to say something VERY important to her, who broke in. "I LOVE YOU TOO! I am NOT going to let you out of my sight, if I can avoid it. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"
"You love me?" Ranma fell face first into the pool. After the... incident... he thought he'd lost any chance with her.
Akane pulled Ranma out of the pool and looked into her eyes. "Yes, I love you. And I'm not going to let you try and do this alone."
Ranma nodded. "Okay, but we leave now."
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Ranma, still in female form, tried to understand how Akane could love her after what she had done. Her fiancee held onto her, trying to give her some emotional support. When they arrived home, Akane let go of her. Neither wanted their parents know how close they really were to each other.
Kasumi was surprised to see the two of them home so early. "Why are you back from school already?"
"Ranma accidentally hurt someone while in Nekoken, and we thought it would be best for him to come home," Akane explained.
Kasumi gasped, staring at the pair as they went upstairs and to start packing.
----------------------------------------------------
"So where are you and Akane going, boy?" Genma said with a goofy grin.
"I notice I'm losing control of Nekoken, so I'm going to train to regain control," Ranma explained.
Genma nodded. One always needed to control themselves. "Akane's going along in case you slip."
Ranma shuddered. "Something like that. We'll be back sometime Monday."
Genma then grinned dementedly. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Ranma scowled. "Don't you mean 'do anything you wouldn't do.'"
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"So, where are you going with Ranma?" asked a teary eyed Soun.
"We're going on a training trip. He needs to regain control of Nekoken. I'm going because I can control it," Akane answered. She didn't want her father to know she had lost the ability and why.
"Maybe someone should go with you?" Soun suggested.
Akane shook her head. "No. It would only put the other person at risk. We need to do this alone."
"Are you sure?" Soun questioned with concern.
Akane nodded firmly. "Positive."
"Just be careful. I don't want to lose my little girl." Soun gave his youngest daughter a bear hug.
Akane flushed in embarrassment. "You can let go of me now, Dad."
----------------------------------------------------
As Ranma and Akane walked downstairs with their camping gear they saw that Kasumi was on the phone while Genma and Soun waited by the door.
"Thank you. I'll tell him," Kasumi said as she hung up the phone. "Ranma, that was Nabiki. She says the boy you injured is fine. He only needed a few stitches and bed rest."
Ranma released a breath he didn't know he held. "That's good. I guess we'll be going now."
"Now you two be careful, and come back safe and sound." Soun hugged them.
"If you two want to elope, you have our blessing," elated Genma.
Ranma kicked him in the face. "Shut up, old man!"
Kasumi handed the young couple a bag. "Here is some food for the trip."
Ranma and Akane walked out the door and waved.
Akane said, "Good-bye. See you Monday."
Ranma added, "Bye."
"Good-bye," returned Soun, Genma, and Kasumi.
Ranma and Akane raced down the street toward the train station.
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Nabiki was not a happy camper as she stomped towards Saotome shortly after he decimated the sports shed. She would have to make sure Gosunkugi didn't decide to sue the pants off Ranma as the money to pay for that would come from HER family's account. It was times like this she REALLY hated the whole arranged marriage bit. At least she had enough on the voodoo boy to keep him quiet. Nabiki shook her head at the lovebirds, thankful that Akane had managed to keep Ranma from giving the entire school a porn show.
"I LOVE YOU TOO!" Akane screamed. "...NOT..."
Nabiki eyes widen in shock, and cursed her sister's lack of intelligence.
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Akane's voice echoed over the school grounds.
Nabiki rubbed her forehead. She certainly understood the situation. Her little sister was going to be married, killed, or both within a week once word of her confession got out.
Nabiki shook her head as the lovebirds quickly finished their argument and left. She noticed, thankfully, only a few people had heard Akane, since most of the students had swarmed around the sport's shed.
"Can I have your attention," Nabiki called out in a loud commanding voice. "None of you will speak of what you just heard. If I find out someone talked about it, I will be very angry with them." The middle Tendo daughter knew someone would talk, but the threat would at least slow the rate of word spreading.
The students shivered at Nabiki's words. Getting Ranma or Akane angry at you meant a trip to the hospital. Getting Nabiki angry at you meant a trip trough hell.
by Lord Archive
Characters are own Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.
This story takes place after manga volume 38. While at times darker than canon, this series has its share of Takahashi styled humor.
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Chapter 2 - The Pain of Love
----------------------------------------------
The sounds of Akane smashing brick after brick was not unusual, especially on the days she cooked. So, three of the residents did not notice, nor did it concern them that Akane's door had a hole ripped in it. These were common enough events that occurred between Ranma and Akane.
Nabiki, however, thought something wasn't exactly right about this. She didn't think Akane would be that angry about her cooking after learning that Ranma actually loved her. Unless she was more upset at herself for botching it than Ranma for insulting it. Still, there was a tangible edge to the girl's anger that should've been smoothed out by her fiance's confession. Matters were not improved with Ranma being nowhere in sight either. Best to find out what pissed off Akane before she caused some expensive property damage.
Nabiki walked toward the dojo. The door was opened and she could see Akane setting up a stack of several bricks. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ranma sitting in a shadow watching Akane.
From the permanent glare on her little sister's face, Nabiki decided Ranma would be easier to talk to. "So, what happened this time?"
"Something really bad," he replied without trace of emotion.
Nabiki's interest peaked. "Care to tell me about it?"
"No," Ranma answered in a dead tone.
Akane yelled, "Kyaa!" Yet another dozen bricks were turned to powder. She looked up and saw Nabiki talking to a shadow. She looked closer and saw that Ranma had hidden himself in it. She smiled inwardly as Ranma's hidden presence showed in an odd way that he cared. She was still upset, though. She had been violated. If the date on Saturday had gone as perfectly as she wanted, she might have had sex with him then. She might have even encouraged it, knowing how Ranma felt about 'not being ready.' But then Shampoo came in... and she tried to seduce him for herself... and then she sent Ranma into... DAMN HER! Thanks to Shampoo, she would always remember her first sexual encounter as being one filled with pain, the man she loved would always feel responsible for it, and neither one of them would have experienced any sort of pleasure out of it, since Ranma wouldn't even remember having done it. Akane sighed. The lack of more bricks to destroy made her realize that it was probably time to go to bed.
Akane closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, hoping to clear her thoughts. When she opened them, she decided to approach Ranma and Nabiki.
"Come on, Ranma, tell me what happened. I promise I won't tell anyone. Maybe I can help," Nabiki implored, sensing this might actually be more important than money.
Ranma was ignoring her, his eyes focused on Akane.
The youngest Tendo decided to answer as she passed them, "Nekoken happened."
Nabiki stood there in shock as she remembered what Akane told her and uttered, "Oh, shit!"
"Did Akane tell you why I acted strangely while in Nekoken?" Ranma asked.
Nabiki shuddered. "Yes." She became VERY concerned for her younger sister, and decided to try and help her. First she needed to find out something. "How?"
"Shampoo," Ranma spat out like a curse.
"She was here as a cat, and you went..." Her voice began to betray her.
Ranma nodded in agreement.
"I-I'll go h-help her," Nabiki stammered as she went after Akane.
Ranma nodded and turned his gaze to the pile of concrete dust that sat in the dojo.
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Akane entered her room and sat on her bed. Nabiki entered shortly afterward.
"Leave me alone, Nabiki," uttered Akane.
"Now Akane, I think you should talk to someone about this," Nabiki replied.
"What is there to say?" was Akane's cold rhetorical reply.
"Well, how did it happen?" Nabiki insisted.
Akane sighed. Why did Nabiki have to choose now to be a caring older sister? "Ranma was taking a bath and Shampoo came by, probably to seduce him. She was a cat at the time and-and it sent him into N-Nekoken. I was in here changing and then he-he...," Akane began to cry.
After several minutes and Akane's tears stopped flowing, Nabiki asked, "Do you blame Ranma for this?"
Akane tensed up and screamed, "YES!" But then she softened and meekly said, "I mean it was him, but.... it wasn't. This happened because of how he feels, and... he couldn't really control it."
"So, do you blame him?" Nabiki repeated in a soft tone.
Akane shook her head. "No, I guess not."
"Do you blame anyone?" Nabiki wondered.
"Uncle Saotome for teaching him Nekoken, and Shampoo for sending him into it," Akane answered fiercely.
Nabiki nodded. Those two certainly did hold a fair bit of blame for this. "Do you want me to do anything about them?"
"Oh, no. I want to deal with them myself," Akane snarled as she cracked her knuckles.
Nabiki smirked. "I'll make sure their medical insurance is paid up."
Akane let out a cold laugh. "You do that. Now I'd like to get some sleep."
"Sure thing, Sis," Nabiki replied, expecting that neither Akane nor Ranma would get any rest tonight.
----------------------------------------------------
Kasumi nodded to herself at a job well done as her kitchen once again shined. She didn't exactly like it when Akane cooked, but the girl needed the practice if she wanted to be a good wife. Not that her youngest sister would ever admit that's why she wanted to learn. She then sighed and looked down at the floor of the hallway and saw an odd stain.
Kasumi bent down and tried to clean the stain. Living with Ranma for about a year she could tell part of the stain was blood, but the other part of the stain she couldn't identify. She noticed the stain was part of a barely noticeable trail that continued down the hall in both directions.
Kasumi decided to follow the trail towards the stairs, but was sure it was to Akane's room. She guessed Ranma might have gotten cut from being knocked through the door or something similar.
When the eldest Tendo daughter came to the end of the trail she was at Akane's door. She peeked through the hole in the door and saw Akane was awake and sitting on her bed, causing her to wonder if the trouble wasn't a typical spat over the young girl's cooking.
Kasumi knocked on the door.
Akane looked at the door, seeing Kasumi's dress through the hole, she said, "Come in."
Kasumi entered and saw that her little sister had been crying. She looked to be on the verge of tears again. "Akane, what's wrong?" she asked with concern.
Akane looked down into her lap and said nothing.
"Did Ranma hurt you?" Kasumi questioned.
"He didn't mean to," Akane answered in a whisper.
Kasumi frowned. "What happened?"
"He was in Nekoken," Akane answered as she fought back her tears.
Kasumi blinked. "I thought you could control him."
"As his loved and trusted friend I could, but not as his..." Akane swallowed hard. "...mate."
"Mate?" Kasumi screeched, stunned.
Akane nodded.
"You don't mean he... oh, my!" Kasumi could NOT believe what she just heard. That Ranma would attack her in such a matter. It was just unthinkable.
Akane nodded again.
Kasumi went over and sat next to her little sister on the bed. She was at a lost for words, but Akane didn't want words at the moment, hugging her tightly as tears started to flow again.
"Why? Why can't anything be normal between us? Why does this have to happen?" Akane cried.
"I don't know," Kasumi answered. "I wish I did. I wish I did." She cradled her little sister in her arms. "Do you hate Ranma for this?"
"No. It was caused by his love for me. How can I blame him for that? I've wished to have proof of his true feelings for me. But the way I got it...." Akane's words were choked off by tears.
Kasumi could not figure out what to say. She held onto Akane, who cried herself to sleep in her arms.
Kasumi placed Akane carefully into bed. She wished she knew how to help her little sister through this. While all the books she had borrowed from Dr. Tofu talked about healing the physical body, few talked about healing the mind of a rape victim.
----------------------------------------------------
Akane entered the dining area. She was wearing her gi, looking like she slept in it. Ranma in female form and Genma were sparring over the pond. Nabiki watched, trying to keep her calm demeanor.
>*SPLASH*<
"You're getting sloppy, boy! Get your mind on the fight!" Genma shouted.
"I'm not in the mood to fight right now. I've got too much on my mind," Ranma retorted as he jumped through the open window of his room.
"We're not done yet, boy!" Genma bellowed.
Akane approached Genma. "Uncle Saotome, since Ranma doesn't want to spar with you, why don't you spar with me." It was more of a statement than a question.
"It would not be wise. You are not good enough of a martial artist to fight me," Genma scoffed.
"Won't know until I try. Besides if I don't spar against better opponents how will I ever be a proper heir to the Anything Goes Martial Arts?" Akane replied with a cold calmness that seemed so very unlike her usual behavior.
Genma blinked at this and thought this may be a sign she was excepting her role which meant she would also marry Ranma, and so decided to except, "All right, but don't expect me to go soft on you because you're a girl."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Akane said with a malevolent look in her eyes. She strode over to the other side of the pond, bowed, and began sparring.
"Akane's sparring with Genma?" Kasumi said as she entered the dining room.
Nabiki nodded. "You better call Dr. Tofu. I think we'll need him."
*WHAM*
>SPLASH<
"Grrr...."
*WHAM*
>SPLASH<
"GROWL!"
*WHAM*
/*CRACK*\
>SPLASH<
Kasumi turned and rushed to the phone.
"I thought you said I wasn't good enough," Akane mocked smugly as she entered the house. There was neither a drop of water nor sweat on her.
Nabiki approached the panda in the pond, its limbs bent at odd angles. "Are you all right?"
'No,' read a sign held in the panda's teeth.
----------------------------------------------------
Almost a half-hour later Akane, now dressed for school, stood at Ranma's door and knocked.
"Yeah," said Ranma.
"Breakfast is ready... Would you please... come down and join us?" Akane pleaded.
Ranma opened the door slowly and gave Akane a sorrowful look. "Akane, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Now let's go down stairs and get some breakfast," Akane insisted.
He nodded and followed Akane. If anyone else asked him to get breakfast, he would have said, 'no.' He wanted to talk to her, but didn't know what he could possibly say to her now.
When he entered the dining area, he noticed that his father's left arm was in a sling.
"What happened, Pop?" Ranma asked.
Genma rubbed his arm tenderly, looking a bit sheepish. "Your fiancee proved to me that one should never underestimate an opponent."
Ranma looked at Akane who had a smug look on her face. This frightened him. If she severely hurt his father, who else would feel the wrath of her anger? He nervously asked, "You did that?"
Akane nodded. "Since you weren't up to sparring with him, I decided to. I got a little carried away."
"Akane, you should learn how to control yourself. You might seriously injure someone if you don't," Kasumi admonished, but then wanted to slap herself for saying something like that to her little sister after what happened to her last night.
Ranma and Akane blanched at her words.
--------
"Akane, I'm really sorry about, you know, yesterday," Ranma said meekly trailing behind the girl as they walked to school.
"You don't have to apologize," Akane replied, coldly.
Ranma sagged. "But I..."
"Ranma, it really wasn't you who did it," Akane told him flatly.
Ranma shook his head. "But it was me, if-if... I well... if..."
"If what? If you didn't love me it wouldn't have happened?" Akane asked angrily.
Ranma blinked. Part of him wanted to nod yes, but he just stared at her.
Akane growled. "You're asking me to forgive you for being in love with me. Like it is wrong. I can't do that, Ranma, because it is NOT wrong. Do you understand? It was NOT your fault."
"You don't blame me?" Ranma asked in shock. She always blamed him before if anything bad happened, even if it didn't involve him. This time he felt it was all his fault.
"No, I don't," she answered with an icy calm that would do her sister proud.
"But, you're still upset," Ranma observed.
Akane turned away. "Not with you. I'm upset with your father and Shampoo."
Ranma blinked. "Why?"
Akane clenched her fist. "Your father taught you Nekoken, and Shampoo induced it."
Ranma frowned. "So that's why you hurt pop."
Akane nodded. "Yes."
"And you plan on fighting Shampoo," Ranma figured with a sense of dread.
"Yes." Akane smirked evilly.
"But Akane, she's better than you," Ranma protested.
Akane laughed coldly. "Funny, your father said he was better and you saw what I did to him."
Ranma shook his head, while Akane acting like some angel of vengeance was not new to him. She rarely held a grudge for very long, and somehow he knew she wasn't going to let this go. Adding that to the fact she blamed someone besides him for something he felt was his fault, this made Ranma even more concerned about Akane.
----------------------------------------------------
"Hello, Ranma, Akane. What seems to be the problem today?" Dr. Tofu asked. He knew by the their looks of the two teens entering his clinic that they weren't there for a social visit.
"Hi, Doc. Um, I was wondering if you knew how I could be cured or gain better control of Nekoken?" Ranma asked.
Dr. Tofu sighed. "I'm afraid I don't."
Ranma looked at Akane with a lot of concern. "Are you sure?"
Dr. Tofu thought about it for a moment. "I could refer you to a psychologist that specializes in curing fears. I don't know if he'll be able to help in your case."
"I'll take any chances. I don't want to hurt Akane again." While the idea of going to a head shrink wasn't something Ranma would like to do, it was better than the alternative.
Akane backed away and blushed.
"Again?" Dr. Tofu asked, stunned.
Akane sighed, "Last night, Shampoo paid us a visit as a cat while no one else was home." She looked down at the floor. "There was no way to stop what happened."
"Akane, are you all right?" Dr. Tofu asked, concerned.
"I'm fine. I just wished something in our relationship would be normal," Akane replied, trying to blow off what had happened.
"I don't think anything about me is normal," Ranma said gloomily.
Akane placed her hand on Ranma's shoulder. "I guess it's a good thing I don't want a boring normal life then."
Ranma blinked. "Huh?"
"A few normal moments wouldn't hurt, though." Akane gave Ranma a reassuring smile.
"I'll make an appointment for you to see a psychologist," Dr. Tofu said, not expecting to be heard.
"Akane, I-I'm going to go away for a while. Just until I'm cured of Nekoken," Ranma told her sadly.
"No. I am not going to let you run off. You need me," Akane said firmly.
"But, I don't want to hurt you," Ranma pleaded.
Akane's position didn't budge. "I know you don't. While we're working on curing you, we could come up with some plans to try to prevent last night from happening again."
Ranma shook his head. "I really think I..."
Akane interrupted him with a fierce glare. "Ranma, I'm staying with you and that is final."
Ranma still wanted to leave, but the girl was too stubborn for her own good. If he left, she would follow. "Okay. Okay, I'll stay."
Dr. Tofu returned a moment later to inform them Ranma's appointment was set for Monday afternoon.
----------------------------------------------------
Akane wandered around the schoolyard. Since Monday, when she found out what might happen if Ranma went cat, she did not like having Ranma out of her sight. Since Wednesday, when she knew very well what would happen, she hated it. Right now, she didn't even know where he was.
"Ranma!" she screamed, looking around for any sort of reply. She then muttered, "Where is that idiot?"
Akane's attention, and those of many other students, was drawn to an explosion in the sport's shed.
A deep dread consumed Akane as she saw a flash of a red and black figure moving toward her. She could hear it 'meow.'
The Tendo girl screamed internally, not wanting to deal with this here and now.
Akane's martial arts reflexes took affect and reached behind herself and pulled out a water gun she had hidden. She fired at the figure, but it dodged. The figure landed right in front of her.
"Meowr?" emitted Ranma, standing on all four limbs.
Akane tried to figure out how to get him wet and fast. She smiled a little, noticing the swimming pool wasn't too far away.
Akane fired several times at Ranma. He continued to dodge it, acting as if he was playing some game. She made it to the pool and leapt in, cannonball style. The splash missed Ranma.
Akane, thankful for diving into the shallow end, stood up, saying, "You want me? Then come here."
"Meowr," Ranma emitted as he jumped in.
"What happened this time?" Akane asked as Ranma emerged from water.
Ranma blinked. "Last thing I remember was seeing Gosunkugi in the sport's shed."
Akane became a little worried. She became VERY worried when she heard someone shout, "Somebody call an ambulance!"
Ranma shook, uttering, "Please tell me I didn't hurt him?"
Akane moved towards a ladder. "Ranma, stay here. I'll go find out."
Ranma nodded as he moved to the edge of the pool.
Akane returned a moment latter and sat down next to Ranma at the edge of the pool.
"I'm sorry, but it was him," Akane sighed. "He doesn't look badly hurt. I think he'll be okay."
"I'm losing control," Ranma said, staring into the pool.
Akane shook her head. "Ranma, there were a dozen cats there. There was no way you could've controlled yourself."
Ranma looked at Akane, hoping she would understand what he had to say. "You don't understand. I'm slipping into Nekoken more often. After I first moved here, it was over a month before I went into Nekoken, and it took a tiger to induce it. In the past week it happened three times."
"You slip into Nekoken whenever you're really scared and there is a cat present. I noticed the cat does not have to be the source of the fear. It's just the trigger. We can prevent Nekoken by working to reduce your other fears." Akane looked into the pool. She wanted to beat herself up for being the source of many of Ranma's fears. If only she had told him how she felt about him.
Ranma couldn't look at his fiance. "How can I, when I'm afraid of losing control?"
Akane sighed. "Then we have to work on you gaining control."
Ranma shook her head. "Akane, I'm going away now. I can't risk hurting you or anyone else."
"How about WE go on a training trip? We can go somewhere that doesn't have any you-know-what running around," Akane suggested.
"But...," Ranma tried to protest.
"I know it wasn't the date we planned, but it should help," Akane tried to smile at him.
"I'll go alone. I don't want to hurt you," Ranma insisted.
"NO!" Akane retorted with growing frustration. "We're going together, and that's final. And... you're not going to hurt me. In fact, Ranma, I think I-"
"I can't risk it," Ranma broke in.
"You're right, Ranma," Akane almost growled. "You can't, but I CAN, and I will, because I-"
Ranma didn't care about the reasons. "Akane, please, I love you, and I just can't-"
This time, it was Akane, frustrated at not being able to say something VERY important to her, who broke in. "I LOVE YOU TOO! I am NOT going to let you out of my sight, if I can avoid it. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"
"You love me?" Ranma fell face first into the pool. After the... incident... he thought he'd lost any chance with her.
Akane pulled Ranma out of the pool and looked into her eyes. "Yes, I love you. And I'm not going to let you try and do this alone."
Ranma nodded. "Okay, but we leave now."
----------------------------------------------------
Ranma, still in female form, tried to understand how Akane could love her after what she had done. Her fiancee held onto her, trying to give her some emotional support. When they arrived home, Akane let go of her. Neither wanted their parents know how close they really were to each other.
Kasumi was surprised to see the two of them home so early. "Why are you back from school already?"
"Ranma accidentally hurt someone while in Nekoken, and we thought it would be best for him to come home," Akane explained.
Kasumi gasped, staring at the pair as they went upstairs and to start packing.
----------------------------------------------------
"So where are you and Akane going, boy?" Genma said with a goofy grin.
"I notice I'm losing control of Nekoken, so I'm going to train to regain control," Ranma explained.
Genma nodded. One always needed to control themselves. "Akane's going along in case you slip."
Ranma shuddered. "Something like that. We'll be back sometime Monday."
Genma then grinned dementedly. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Ranma scowled. "Don't you mean 'do anything you wouldn't do.'"
----------------------------------------------------
"So, where are you going with Ranma?" asked a teary eyed Soun.
"We're going on a training trip. He needs to regain control of Nekoken. I'm going because I can control it," Akane answered. She didn't want her father to know she had lost the ability and why.
"Maybe someone should go with you?" Soun suggested.
Akane shook her head. "No. It would only put the other person at risk. We need to do this alone."
"Are you sure?" Soun questioned with concern.
Akane nodded firmly. "Positive."
"Just be careful. I don't want to lose my little girl." Soun gave his youngest daughter a bear hug.
Akane flushed in embarrassment. "You can let go of me now, Dad."
----------------------------------------------------
As Ranma and Akane walked downstairs with their camping gear they saw that Kasumi was on the phone while Genma and Soun waited by the door.
"Thank you. I'll tell him," Kasumi said as she hung up the phone. "Ranma, that was Nabiki. She says the boy you injured is fine. He only needed a few stitches and bed rest."
Ranma released a breath he didn't know he held. "That's good. I guess we'll be going now."
"Now you two be careful, and come back safe and sound." Soun hugged them.
"If you two want to elope, you have our blessing," elated Genma.
Ranma kicked him in the face. "Shut up, old man!"
Kasumi handed the young couple a bag. "Here is some food for the trip."
Ranma and Akane walked out the door and waved.
Akane said, "Good-bye. See you Monday."
Ranma added, "Bye."
"Good-bye," returned Soun, Genma, and Kasumi.
Ranma and Akane raced down the street toward the train station.
----------------------------------------------------
Nabiki was not a happy camper as she stomped towards Saotome shortly after he decimated the sports shed. She would have to make sure Gosunkugi didn't decide to sue the pants off Ranma as the money to pay for that would come from HER family's account. It was times like this she REALLY hated the whole arranged marriage bit. At least she had enough on the voodoo boy to keep him quiet. Nabiki shook her head at the lovebirds, thankful that Akane had managed to keep Ranma from giving the entire school a porn show.
"I LOVE YOU TOO!" Akane screamed. "...NOT..."
Nabiki eyes widen in shock, and cursed her sister's lack of intelligence.
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Akane's voice echoed over the school grounds.
Nabiki rubbed her forehead. She certainly understood the situation. Her little sister was going to be married, killed, or both within a week once word of her confession got out.
Nabiki shook her head as the lovebirds quickly finished their argument and left. She noticed, thankfully, only a few people had heard Akane, since most of the students had swarmed around the sport's shed.
"Can I have your attention," Nabiki called out in a loud commanding voice. "None of you will speak of what you just heard. If I find out someone talked about it, I will be very angry with them." The middle Tendo daughter knew someone would talk, but the threat would at least slow the rate of word spreading.
The students shivered at Nabiki's words. Getting Ranma or Akane angry at you meant a trip to the hospital. Getting Nabiki angry at you meant a trip trough hell.