Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Ranma 1/2: The Truth and the Tempest ❯ Portents, Purges, and Boot Camp ( Chapter 20 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

[Author’s Note: The characters and setting herein- with the exception of one or two O.C.’s of my own design- are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. The slight delay in posting can be attributed to life handing me a few extra work loads- that and some R&R I was needing. That said, on with the show.]

Ranma ½: The Truth and the Tempest

Chapter 20: Portents, Purges and Boot Camp

--------------------

Far from the streets of Nerima, in a place beyond the sight of man, a mind was stirring. A mind long saturated in darkness, filled with vengeful thoughts and a myriad number of plots and designs. A patient mind, but irked by its sheer inability to act directly, imprisoned as it was. Long years had passed since the seal had been placed, long years spent in quiet contemplation and action through indirect means. Years spent planning revenge. Manipulating countless minions to bring news of the outside world. Watching minute machinations working towards its own designs.

The owner of the mind frowned, unsure what to make of the images brought by the imp before it. Part of the mind was disgusted, while another part calculated the ramifications and smiled.

It would appear they are indeed drawing closer together. And their blood is awakening as well.

It is as I had expected. It was a rather high expectation for me to think they could be driven apart; the bond between them is just too strong. Even those who actively prodded into their affairs have failed… as foreseen.

So. Akureiko has fallen, dispelled by one of those accursed Hunters. And she truly thought she could keep the boy all to herself… such a gullible succubus. Cunning, but easily swayed. Seized the chance to possess that youth and thwart the threads of destiny, all because of his looks. I almost feel guilty about sending her to her doom. Almost.

Still, her death will serve my purpose, as will the death of Onibuta. That avaricious hog never could see beyond his tusks…

Only a few more seals remain. Only a few more spirits to break the bond… whether they be human or demon, so long as they are marked, they will serve my purpose.

Once that is accomplished, I will finish what should have been done long ago… and then extinguish those two lights before their flame grows any brighter. Yes… it will be pleasing sport to toy with them once I am free.

A violet eye opened in the darkness. Go now, my servants; be my eyes and ears. Watch those that bear my mark, and let the game run its course.

The eye closed again as the mind fell into deep meditation. The only sound was the scuttling and chirping of numerous imps as they fled the darkness, heading for the surface world to obey their master.

From the heart of the darkness, the mind laughed quietly to itself.

--------------------

Early Friday morning found most of the Tendo household awakened by the sounds of combat. Kasumi, being awake already, took little notice of the battle cries and occasional thumps that echoed from the training hall; she merely nodded her head and returned to her morning chores. It wasn’t until the sound of a board being smashed wafted through the air that Soun made his own entrance to the dining room, semi-awake but panicked. Nodoka and Genma soon followed, with a very groggy Nabiki bringing up the rear.

“Kasumi! What in the world is going on? And at such an early hour!” Soun demanded. Kasumi opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by another battle cry; the second it pierced the air, Soun blinked and began to tremble. “That… that wasn’t…”

“That sounded an awful lot like Akane,” Nodoka mused. Genma nodded in agreement.

“Oh, she’s with Ranma right now,” Kasumi replied with a nod. Another crash rent the air, followed by a growl of aggravation that wasn’t Akane’s.

Soun’s jaw hung open, followed by his tear ducts switching to overdrive. “OH NO!!! They’re fighting again!” he bawled, prompting Nodoka to shake her head in shame. “And t-they were getting along so w-well, too! Now what do we do?” He whirled on Genma, his eyes suddenly ablaze. “Saotome, if that son of yours has hurt my baby again…”

“He wouldn’t dare, Tendo!” the balding fat man shot back. “I should think he’d know by now that…”

“Father! Mr. Saotome!” Kasumi snapped. Both men froze and glanced in her direction; she had her arms folded and a distressed look on her face. “Before you start getting ideas, they’re not fighting. They’re sparring! They said so when they came down a short while ago… besides, don’t you remember? They did the same thing last night after Ukyo left and you didn’t so much as raise an eyebrow then! Don’t tell me you forgot!”

Both men blinked and then grinned sheepishly. “Um… well…”

“Still sleepy, Kasumi… sort of slipped my mind…” Kasumi sighed and turned around, heading back into the kitchen.

“Sparring again after last night?” Nabiki mumbled, stifling a yawn. “Woulda thought they’d sleep in, not be up at the crack o’ dawn for another round. They gotta be sore as hell by now.”

She shook her head, remembering how they’d spent a good three hours in the dojo the previous night, running through speed drills, several different katas and a host of other exercises before finally calling it a night. Nabiki had peeked in at one point and was astonished by the sight she had seen- Akane sparring with Ranma in his girl form, and despite the fact that the redhead was pulling her punches, Akane was holding her own exceptionally well. Every once in a while Ranma-chan would toss out a playful taunt- “Couldn’t hit a snail at that pace, Akane!” “Cmon, think a little tap like that’s gonna faze me?” “That can’t be all ya got, try kickin’ for real this time!” And with every taunt, Nabiki had been amazed that not only was Akane not bashing Ranma’s skull in, she was shrugging it off and tightening up her moves at the same time. By Nabiki’s calculations, Akane was maybe two to three times faster and more focused than she had been before she and Ranma had ever met.

“Still amazed she’s even letting him train with her,” she muttered to herself. “Guess people really do change over time.”

“It’s not right, though,” Genma scoffed, arms folded. “The boy can’t be getting a decent enough workout just sparring with her. I’d better have a go at him once they finish.”

“Genma, I think perhaps you’d best rest up today,” said Nodoka calmly. “From what I understand, young Yamashira-san has what he needs to treat your condition… and you wouldn’t want to be worn out when you do get treated, now would you?” She looked at him with a pleasant smile and steely eyes. “It could be painful if you wear yourself out beforehand…”

Genma blanched, then quickly composed himself. “On the other hand, the boy has been pretty active as of late and two sparring matches in succession does do wonders for the circulation, so I suppose I could let it rest for today. Though I will expect him to face me for a real workout the moment he comes home.”

“You might have to wait on that, too, dearest,” Nodoka said with another smile. “Don’t forget that he and Akane are going on that short training trip as soon as they get back from school.”

“WHAT?” Soun cried. “When was this decided? A training trip? But they only just returned from China not long ago… and what about school? What about… what… what if my baby gets hurt???”

“Dad, cut it out, you’re embarrassing me,” Nabiki groaned. “Akane’s been on training trips before and she dealt with it just fine. Besides, I thought you knew about this; she told us about it last night, remember? You and Mr. Saotome both approved of it, and if memory serves you also mentioned giving your consent if they decided to elope.”

Both men glanced at each other and blinked again; apparently they had made one too many trips to the sake bottle the previous night. Nabiki shook her head in exasperation. Nodoka just sighed.

“Well… I suppose if we approved of it, then there’s not much else to do but give them our blessing, eh, Tendo?” said Genma as he patted his best friend heartily on the back. “Indeed, it could be the thing that draws them together at long last.”

“Perhaps, but I would not recommend that either of you begin any wedding preparations in their absence,” Nodoka said sweetly. “You do remember what happened last time, and I’m sure you remember the chat we had earlier this week. No funny business.” Both men paused a moment, then nodded with a resigned sigh and plodded to the breakfast table. Nodoka remained where she was, turning her attention back to the sounds of sparring. A concerned air shone in her eyes.

If they only knew what this trip of yours entailed, they’d likely go to pieces, she thought to herself. I’m still having a hard time believing it myself… my boy and my future daughter-in-law, both with the potential to become just like Shingen-kun? It… it’s beyond anything I’d ever thought could happen to those two, even counting what’s already happened to them… and more than that, how did it happen? Is there something more to the Saotome clan or the Tendo clan than I knew about? Or… or was there more to my father’s bedtime stories than I thought? She shook her head slowly and brushed a few errant auburn hairs out of her eyes.

This all seems just so dangerous… the very idea that not only do they have the potential, but the desire to tap this ‘gift’ Shingen told me about… I can understand my son wanting to explore it, but Akane as well? I always thought she’d prefer to stay away from such things, not embrace them. It certainly can’t lead to a peaceful life if they pursue it. She pursed her lips for a moment, noting that the sounds of combat in the dojo had died down. A moment later a smile passed her face when she heard Ranma say something- through the walls she couldn’t make it out- and Akane replied with a happy-sounding laugh, joined quickly by a laugh of his own.

Then again… perhaps I’m underestimating her. I just hope they both know what they’re doing, and can keep each other safe.

“Nice bit o’ footwork there, ‘kane. You almost had me with that leg sweep… almost, but not quite,” Ranma said jovially as he entered the main house, sweaty and more than a little disheveled. Akane was much the same way, and wore a big smile on her face.

“Just you watch, Ranma; one of these days I’ll pin you instead of the other way around.”

“Oh, really? Maybe, but you gotta long way to go before you get the best of me.”

“Is that what you think?” Akane quipped, the smile never leaving her face. “That’s not what you said when I got you with that ‘special’ technique and pulled you into a shoulder throw when your guard was down!”

“Hey, that was a cheap trick and you know it!” Ranma shot back, his face flushing slightly.

“Uh-uh, Ranma. We are Anything Goes, after all.” Akane playfully spun on her heel and darted for the bathroom, leaving an embarrassed looking Ranma standing next to a bemused Nodoka.

“Um… not that it’s any of my business, son… but what did she mean by ‘special’ technique?”

Ranma turned beet-red and looked at the floor. “It’s nothing, Mom…”

“That’s not how it looks to me. What happened?”

He sighed; obviously he wasn’t going to get out of this one. “She… uh… geez, Mom, this is ridiculous…”

“Ranma…”

̶ 0;She… uh… shekissedmeinthemiddleofourmatch,” he blurted out in a very low voice. “Didn’t expect it in the midst of a fight, so I kinda lost my cool… an’ whatever you do, don’t tell Pops or Mr. Tendo about this,” he finished, his red face now almost purple and eyes locked to the floor. Nodoka blinked in surprise, but said nothing and slowly smiled from ear to ear.

So even my brave, manly son has a tiny weak point, she mused to herself with a quiet chuckle.

--------------------

Okay. Now, I’ve officially seen everything, Nabiki thought to herself. She glanced up and to her left, shaking her head in disbelief at the sight of her sister doing something she never thought she’d see in her life- walking the fence a few steps ahead of Ranma, and with only an occasional wobble or two.

They were walking home after one of the strangest school days at Furinkan within the past year. Not because of any impromptu panty raids by a certain aged lecher, or the principal doing spot inspections on hairstyles. Nor had there been any strange spirits, carnivorous plants, transfer students with agendas or even random challenges. In fact, nothing had happened that day- with the exception of Ranma and Akane dropping the façade of mutual tolerance a few more notches- which made it the strangest day they’d had in a long time. Even Kuno’s poetry-spouting presence had been silenced; he had been conspicuously absent from all his classes on grounds of ‘ill health’. About the only really odd thing that had happened, in Nabiki’s eyes, was seeing Akane and her future brother-in-law on the fence together.

“Never would’ve thought you’d have the guts to try something like that, imotochan,” she said at length.

Akane shrugged slightly but continued walking. “I wasn’t too sure about it myself at first, Nabiki,” she said, “but it really isn’t that hard once you get the hang of it. Actually, it’s kind of fun- like a game.”

“Still, it’s gotta take a lot of nerve to get up there in the first place.”

“Yeah, at first,” said Ranma with a shrug. “Same thing I went through when Pops pushed me into doing this years ago. But ya get over it; it helps not to think about it an’ just do it.”

“Which isn’t too hard for you, since you don’t do too much thinking anyway,” Akane giggled.

“Hey, just remember who taught ya how to do this in the first place,” Ranma replied with a mock glare.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it,” she answered with another giggle.

“Actually,” Nabiki drawled, “I wasn’t talking about getting the nerve to balance on the fence per se.” She threw a sly glance upward at Akane’s skirt. “Just the guts to be up there when soooo many people could walk up and take a nice loooong look…”

“NABIKI!”

The older girl laughed. “Just pointing out the obvious, sis. You’re in a prime position to put on quite a show there.”

“For your information,” Akane huffed, “I took that into consideration when Ranma and I started training like this; I’ve been wearing my jogging shorts under my uniform for the past few days just in case.”

“Ohhhh… I see,” said Nabiki. “Not a bad idea, Akane… though I bet Ranma must’ve been disappointed when he found out,” she finished with a wink. Both Akane and Ranma flushed at once and each skidded to a halt on the fence before hopping down.

“What’s THAT supposed to mean?”

“Hey, chill out little bro, I was just teasing.” Nabiki shot him a sly glance. “Though the thought had to have crossed your mind, at least.”

“I hate to burst your bubble, oneechan,” Akane sighed, “but it was actually Ranma’s idea that I wear the shorts.”

Nabiki blinked and slowed a bit. “His idea?” She glanced at Ranma, who looked away, then back to Akane, who simply nodded. That goofball actually thought about her modesty? Okay, now this is getting to be a bit much; first he takes her seriously as a martial artist, then he has the sense to suggest an embarrassment deterrent instead of sneaking a peek himself. Either he’s done some serious growing up since that last trip to China, or he’s trying real hard to avoid a mallet to the gourd… She coughed a bit and picked up the pace. “Well… not bad thinking there, Saotome. Guess you didn’t get that from your dad,” she added with another smirk.

“There’s a whole lotta things I’m glad I didn’t get from him,” Ranma muttered. “An’ a few things I wish the fat baka had kept to himself.” The trio turned a corner and started the last quarter-mile back to the dojo.

Akane stretched her arms over her head with a relaxed sigh. “I still can’t believe we get a full day off tomorrow,” she said. “I mean, not that we won’t be busy all day anyways…”

“Yeah, something tells me we’re gonna be in for it big time, ‘kane,” Ranma mused. “You got anything planned, Nabiki?”

Nabiki frowned. “Eh, probably not a whole lot… might go see a movie or something, or do a little work on my applications; I still haven’t finished the paperwork for Waseda University yet. Or I might check in on Kuno-baby, see if he hasn’t been committed yet after that stunt you pulled.” She paused, then rolled her eyes towards the other two again. “What about you two? Got anything… ‘special’ planned for this little training trip of yours?”

Akane shook her head, her cheeks bright pink. “Would you STOP already, sis? It’s just a short two-day thing so we can get away and learn a few things about ourselves…” Oh damn, that still sounded bad…

“Yeah, what she said,” Ranma sputtered. “The dojo’s fine an’ all, but we could use some more space to focus and get a little more physical… I mean… um…” OH HELL, I didn’t mean that the way that sounded!

Geez, that sister of mine’s got both of us too damn flustered to think straight, Akane thought furiously, feeling her cheeks burn red-hot.

I know, Acchan, an’ I’m getting sick of soundin’ like a perv when I ain’t tryin’ to… Ranma started to mentally ramble, but then froze. He’d heard Akane perfectly clearly, but from the corner of his eye, he realized he hadn’t seen her lips move. For a brief second, he felt like they’d been holding a conversation in his own head. His eyes widened and he glanced at Akane just as she turned to him with equally saucer-sized eyes.

“Um…” he started.

“What was…” Akane began, and stopped just as he stopped.

“Did you just…” they both started simultaneously before clamming up again. Nabiki stared at them tiredly.

“Geez, what’s the big deal, you two? I was just pulling your chain a bit, it’s not like I’m really expecting you to fall all over each other while you’re away or anything. Besides, I already know Shin-kun’s going with you, and in most cases, three does tend to be a crowd.” She shook her hair out and folded her hands behind her back. “Now what say we just get home and…”

A sudden, violent scream ripped through the air, stopping Nabiki in mid-sentence. Ranma’s head snapped up, as did Akane’s, as a powerful pulse of energy rippled through the sidewalk and resonated in their heels. Another scream reached their ears- a high-pitched, agony-laced scream that one would normally associate with horror movies involving college sorority girls and a recluse with a predilection for large pointed objects. Glancing down the street, the walls of the dojo were clearly visible, and winds were beginning to pick up over the backyard. A gust of wind whipped along the sidewalk, accompanied by another shriek which snapped all three high school students out of their reverie.

“Oh gods…” Akane whispered. “What if that’s Kasumi… or your mom, Ranma? What if they’re…”

“This ain’t the time for ‘what if’s’, ‘kane,” Ranma said sharply. “We gotta get home and find out for sure. Let’s move it!” Without a second’s hesitation, the two of them slammed their heels into the concrete and began sprinting like mad. Nabiki stared for a split second, then began running herself, praying her older sister wasn’t in trouble.

Energy whorls began to pick up over the backyard, and the squeals of pain became more and more frequent the closer Ranma and Akane got to the front gate. Their shoes pounded the pavement faster than either of them had ever run before, except in a few very dire circumstances. Ranma winced as warm blue light began to emanate from the center of the backyard- and then his jaw dropped as the two of them reached the near wall of the dojo and a cyclone of ki erupted merely yards away, creating an ear-piercing shriek and a backwash of energy that sent vibrations through both their bodies. A quick hop, and both of them had cleared the wall and were sprinting towards the back of the house, leaving a very anxious and aggravated Nabiki to make her way through the main gate.

Akane was struck by a sudden thought that the ki vibrations seemed more than a little familiar, just as she and Ranma turned the corner and stepped into the backyard proper. The moment they did, they drummed their feet to a halt and stared.

They weren’t alone in their stares. Soun’s jaw had hit the back porch and his knees had given out beneath him. Nodoka stood nearby, her hand to her mouth in surprise. Kasumi merely shook her head.

Shingen was standing over Genma’s limp, twitching body, releasing a slow even breath as his arms lowered; Dr. Tofu sat nearby keeping Genma’s ankles locked to the ground. The ki hexagram just below Genma’s torso was fading already. For a few moments, Ranma merely stared at his father in disbelief. Those were HIS screams? An’ that clown accuses ME of being unmanly? He didn’t notice Akane giggle very slightly, but he did notice when she gasped and tapped his shoulder. Looking up, he noticed something that would normally be very hard to miss under normal circumstances.

Sitting in the backyard was the biggest, fattest, stupidest looking panda Ranma had ever seen in his life. Ten feet tall, and almost as wide, with stubby arms and legs and vacant eyes that inexplicably reminded Ranma of the fat behemoth of Kirin’s Seven Lucky Gods team. The only other notable feature about the beast was two bizarre red dots on its forehead, just above its eyes. That small feature aside, it was essentially a giant, bloated fur ball. For a few moments, nobody said a word, but stared in disbelief at the mass of flesh that had materialized in front of them. A slight movement caught Ranma’s eye; glancing over, he noticed his mother’s shoulders shaking ever so slightly.

The giant panda gazed levelly at the motley group of people before them… and with a ‘growf’, flopped onto its back with a loud thump and began snoring.

A second or two passed in silence, which was then broken by a snicker. Akane clamped her hand over her mouth in an attempt to stifle her reaction to the absurd sight before her, with only marginal success. A second giggle quickly joined it as Nodoka’s own suppressed laughs edged out from behind her hand. Shingen shook his head and chuckled, his hand drifting towards his ever-present naginata. “I don’t believe it…” Ranma murmured before a guffaw worked its way out of his mouth as well. “Actually, check that… I DO believe it! Is that what the old man had to deal with? Cause it kinda suits him!”

“That looks more like a joke than a demon!” said Akane, trying desperately to recover a straight face through her giggles. “What is that thing anyway?”

“My word, Saotome… that must have been quite a burden to carry with you,” Soun mused with a marvelously cool demeanor, marred only by the corner of his mouth twitching upward.

“If I remember correctly, this is probably an Immovable type,” said Shingen, glancing the mammoth animal over. “Once they settle into an inconvenient place for others, they can’t be moved until they decide to move.” The panda’s arm suddenly reached out, interrupting Shingen as it broke off a section of the tree by the koi pond; everyone but Shingen stared as the beast began lazily chewing the branch. “Notorious gluttons, too,” Shingen added.

“It… it’s eating our tree…” Soun stammered before a fainting spell overcame him.

“Oh, my…” Kasumi sighed. “What happens now?”

“I think we need to just get rid of that thing, unless ya want it stuck in the backyard eating the foliage, Kasumi,” said Ranma quietly.

“How?” Akane asked. “That thing’s so fat it’s gonna be pretty hard to find a weak spot; all that padding.” The giant panda shifted again and snored even louder.

“Normal punches or slashes do squat against any Immovable, you’re right about that,” said Shingen as he gave his naginata a quick flip. “So we give him one good solid whack that he can’t ignore.” Suddenly he sprang into the air, spun once and planted his feet, heels first, into the blubbery beast’s belly. Another twirl of his polearm and the blade began to scintillate with white light, seconds before he raised it over his head. The panda snorted and cracked its eyes open ever so slightly, just in time to see Shingen drive the point into its flesh with a loud- yet almost bored- cry. “TENBATSU!”

Ki poured through the blade and two seconds later the panda emitted a strangled ‘eep’ and imploded on itself, blasting white shimmering particles across the entire backyard. Shingen spun his weapon twice more and the cloud of ex-panda particles evaporated. Turning back to face the others, he rested the naginata on his shoulder and smiled. “No sense wasting energy on one of those bastards if you don’t have to. Their defense is great, but no demon is immune to the Tenbatsu strike.” He paused, then shrugged. “Well, none that I know of, anyway.”

Ranma nodded as he crossed the lawn slowly, kneeling down near Genma’s head. “Is he gonna be okay? Sounded like he wasn’t that happy a minute ago.”

“I hate to say it, Auntie, but when we heard that shriek I was afraid it was you or my sister,” Akane said sheepishly. “After what apparently happened to Ukyo yesterday…”

“There’s no need to explain, dear,” Nodoka replied, sitting down on the porch and shaking her head. “I was just as surprised as you were. What with all his talk about braving the trial better than his own son and all… I have a feeling he didn’t know quite what he was getting into.” I certainly didn’t have any idea he would react the way he did mere seconds into Shingen’s ritual; is this really the same Genma I married? Is THIS the one who swore to raise my son to be a man among men? She stared at Genma’s lolling head in disbelief, but said nothing further.

“His aura appears to be fine,” Dr. Tofu said as he manipulated several pressure points on the elder Saotome’s upper body. “Admittedly, it’s very weak at the moment, but for its present condition it appears to be stable.” Kasumi took a step closer to get a better look; Ranma noticed the doctor’s glasses begin to fog up before his right hand snapped up, reflexively touching a spot on the side of his own neck before relaxing again. Akane noticed it as well, especially when the fog left his glasses.

“Must be that pressure point Cologne mentioned,” she whispered.

“Hey, whatever keeps him from goin’ nuts, I guess,” Ranma whispered back. Shingen examined Genma for a moment or two longer, then looked up and nodded to the others.

“Looks like he’ll be fine, given time,” the Hunter said. “Let’s get him inside so he can rest up, and then you two had better come with me. We’ve got a lot of work to do and not much time to do it in,” he continued, pointing to Ranma and Akane as he did so.

--------------------

“You say you heard each other say something, but neither of you was speaking?” Shingen asked as he leaned against the door. The three of them were in Ranma’s room as he grabbed several shirts and pants and stuffed them into a backpack. Another backpack sat on the floor next to Akane, who had changed out of her uniform and into a set of jean shorts and a blue and white polo shirt. Shingen’s duffel bag lay directly by the door.

“Yeah, it’s like she was talkin’ to me… but she didn’t,” Ranma replied, confusion in his voice. “All I know is I heard her mention something about bein’ too flustered to think straight, and I agreed.” He grabbed a bedroll and slid it into the cargo loops on his backpack.

“All I know is I was pissed at Nabiki for teasing us about the trip, and then…” Akane continued, shaking her head. “I thought I was telling myself something private, and then I heard Ranma’s voice agreeing with me, but he wasn’t moving his lips at all…”

“Sounds like you two inadvertently created an Astral Link,” said Shingen, one eyebrow raised. “I didn’t think you’d have reached that point yet; must’ve been the emotion of the moment that triggered it.”

“Astral what?” Ranma asked, standing up.

“A form of Hunter communication. My father and I use it to stay in contact, but we’ve never gotten it to work outside a certain distance, even with amplification wards.” Which makes me think Reika might be right, maybe it’s time I started using a cellphone instead.

Akane stared at him. “Are… are you saying that… that Hunters can read minds?”

“Not… exactly. Astral Links can’t be made with non-Hunters; it’s just a form of silent communication,” Shingen replied. “It’s kind of hard to explain- it can’t really be taught to anyone. Like the Naosu Kousen or the Tenbatsu, it’s something that’s engrained in all Hunter bloodlines and requires awakening.”

Akane blinked and glanced over to see Ranma with a dumbfounded expression on his face. This wasn’t what she had been expecting at all. Great Kami… actually hearing each other’s thoughts? That… that means I… I’m totally defenseless now! If he can hear what I’m thinking, I can’t hide any secrets from him! I can’t surprise him with anything anymore, and… oh no… if he looks hard enough… what if he finds out about… about some of those dreams I’ve been having about him on and off for the last few months… Her face flushed a bright crimson.

“Uh… Akane? You okay?” Ranma’s voice snapped her back to attention- but just as quickly made her eyes go wide.

Oh, kuso… “Um… that wasn’t… I didn’t mean…”

“Didn’t mean what? What’re you talkin’ about? Ya looked like you were wrestling with a math problem or something,” he replied easily.

Akane blinked. “You mean… you didn’t hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“Um… nothing,” she stammered, looking down at the floor.

“I think she was scared you were prying into her thoughts,” Shingen said with a smirk. “Fact is, under normal circumstances, you have to be actively trying for a Link if you want to hear anything at all- and there‘s no secrecy about it, a Hunter knows when another one sets up a Link. If you heard each other while you were flustered earlier, it was probably a fluke. Stress and emotional situations can cause accidental Links sometimes.” At his words, Akane visibly relaxed.

“Sorry,” she murmured. “I’m just a little amazed at this, I didn’t think telepathy was on the menu when learning about this power… so I guess I got a little scared.”

“Scared of the power, or scared that another Hunter might pry into your privacy?”

“Um… both, actually.”

“Hey, I wouldn’t try to sneak a peek in yer privacy and you know it, Akane,” said Ranma in a slightly hurt tone. “Unless ya think I really am like my old man.”

“Ranma, I didn’t mean it like that,” she answered. “You’re right, I do know you… I just got a little unnerved, that’s all.”

“Ya don’t think this weirds me out, too?” Ranma said, the warmth returning to his voice slowly. “Least it ain’t like we’re hearing each other’s thoughts 24/7, you know?”

“All we need to do now is teach you both some better control over it,” Shingen interjected. “I didn’t think you’d be able to Link this soon, so that might expedite some of our training… but I still won’t be able to teach you two much more than combat techniques.” He folded his arms and sighed. “Two days isn’t nearly enough to learn some of the more complex incantations, or how to scribe a ward properly.”

Ranma shrugged. “Eh, whatever. I prefer the hands-on approach, anyway.”

Akane nodded. “Me too, I guess…”

“You both know it won’t be easy from this point on, right? It’s going to be a lot of work; I have to gauge what you can do and then push your limits as far as they can go.”

Ranma cracked his knuckles and looked Shingen straight in the eye. “Look, man, I’ve been through plenty o’ hell for the sake of training. I survived the Neko-ken… how, I still don’t know… an’ I survived all the old ghoul’s training techniques, too. I can handle a few more pushes.” He paused, then glanced at Akane with a concerned look in his eyes. “How ‘bout you, ‘kane? You said you wanted to get better.”

Akane nodded slowly, and for a brief second she caught a glimmer of the feeling behind his eyes. You’re still worried about me, aren’t you… worried I might get hurt. But… but you’re more worried that I might back down because of that possibility… and you don’t want me to back down, either! She looked up again, and nodded a second time, more firmly. “You’re right, I do want to get better. And I’m not backing out on this… even if it does seem a little weird at times.”

“Excellent,” said Shingen as he kneeled down and opened the top of his duffel bag. Reaching in, he rummaged around for a few seconds and then grabbed something. “Might as well start training right now,” he continued as he pulled several sets of smallish wrist and ankle weights out of the bag, setting them on the tatami floor mats with a heavy thump. “Put those on.”

Ranma and Akane glanced at the weights, then at Shingen. “Right now?”

“Right now,” he answered firmly. They looked at the weights again, then shrugged and reached for the pile simultaneously.

“Whoah, what’re these things made of?” Akane gasped as she hefted an ankle weight; clearly, size was no measure of how heavy or light the weights were.

“Bit much, dontcha think, Shingen?” said Ranma as he strapped a wrist weight onto his left hand.

“I told you it wasn’t going to be an easy time,” Shingen said as he stood up to his full height. “From now until we get back, you two don’t take those weights off. You’ll be building up your stamina at the same time you build strength and speed. Remember, this is a crash course.”

“I know,” Akane huffed as she fitted her ankle bands in place, “but still… these things have to be two pounds each, and you want us to wear these for two days straight?”

“Two and a half pounds each, actually,” Shingen replied. “And for two experienced martial artists like yourselves, ten extra pounds of weight shouldn’t be that big a deal. Besides, it’s not like you’re the only ones.” He then reached down and grabbed the cuffs of his jeans; pulling them upward, Ranma and Akane both noticed something they hadn’t seen him wearing before- but hadn’t had a chance to, given that he always wore long pants.

“Those… those are steel shin guards, aren’t they?” Ranma asked slowly, staring at the cobalt blue plates etched with Nordic runes that adorned his lower legs.

“Good eye, Ranma,” said Shingen as he folded his pant legs back down. “And that’s not all.” He straightened up and shrugged his leather jacket off. It dropped to the floor and hit with an exceptionally loud thunk.

Akane stared. “What the…”

“That… was way too loud. Last thing I heard that sounded like that was Mousse‘s robes,” Ranma said with equal surprise. “What the hell ya got in that friggin‘ jacket, Shingen?”

“Well, I do keep my throwing knives in there…”

“Oh, gimme a break, I saw the size of those knives and there’s no way those things weigh enough to make that kinda noise.”

“Not even thirty of them?” Shingen replied easily. “Of course, I have a few other things in there as well… some keys, wallet, comb, about twenty-five pounds of chain mail and semi-rigid armor plates woven into the lining, a handkerchief…”

He stopped talking and grinned as both teens in front of him face-faulted. “You see, ten pounds of extra weight is nothing,” he said with a wink.

--------------------

A short while later, both had recovered sufficiently to finish packing their respective backpacks and grab a quick snack before meeting the rest of the family at the front door. Genma was out cold in the living room under a blanket, but Soun was kind enough to give well-wishes for both of them, with the end result that Ranma and Akane got hugged twice as hard and drenched with twice as many tears. Akane blushed madly and quickly pried her father off the two of them, with some assistance from Nodoka. Kasumi handed them both a packet of trail snacks and gave them a warm hug and a kiss. “Just make sure you don’t push yourself too hard, and do try to have some fun if you can,” she told them, and both nodded in agreement.

“And I thought you were against that kind of ‘fun’ before they’re even married,” Nabiki quipped with a sly look in Kasumi’s direction.

“Na-Nabiki! That isn’t what I meant; I’d never suggest something so… so improper! Shame on you!” Kasumi replied, giving Nabiki the evil eye. Akane blushed again; Ranma groaned.

“Geez, you people are so easy!” Nabiki chuckled before stepping up and giving the two a hug of her own. “Seriously, though, I hope you guys have fun at wherever the hell you’re going… and for Kami’s sake, don’t come back here looking like punching bags, you two.” She gave them a quick double hug and added in a whisper, “I’ll want to hear all the details when you two get back.” She let them go, smiling as they each shook their heads in disbelief.

“You be careful now, son,” said Nodoka as she stepped forward and gave Ranma a fierce hug, which he quickly returned. “I hope this experience goes well for you both,” she added before releasing him and turning to hug Akane as well. “Take care, and watch out for each other.” Neither one of them noticed it, but there was a troubled look in her eyes.

“Thanks, Mom,” said Ranma. “We’ll be back before you know it.”

“We’ll be just fine, Auntie,” added Akane. “Don’t worry about us.”

“I don’t mean to cut things short, but we do need to get moving,” Shingen interjected from outside the doorway. He hefted his duffel bag over his left shoulder, next to his naginata. In his right hand, he held the package that had been delivered to the dojo earlier that day- a black plastic travel case that looked like it was designed to hold a musical instrument of some kind, possibly a keyboard. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

--------------------

Two minutes and a few last-second goodbyes later, the three of them were out the front gate and settling into an easy jog down the streets of Nerima. Akane was starting to sweat under the burden of her backpack and the weights on her limbs, but shrugged it off as best she could. Should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy if I want to get close to Ranma’s level, she thought quietly. I just hope this training doesn’t kill me first! She paused her train of thought and glanced over at her fiancé, noting he didn’t seem to be having as much trouble with the weights but was still a bit slower than usual. He glanced in her direction and flashed her a quick smile.

Of course you wouldn’t be having as much a problem with it, would you, Ranma, she thought as a twinge of jealousy struck her. This isn’t anything new to you, is it… Akane blinked. Just as quickly as the jealousy hit, it had vanished and been replaced by a sudden realization of why Ranma was taking it so well. After ten years of hellish training techniques, of course he was taking it in stride; it was like he expected it. As if all his life had been nothing but combat and pain, with no time for fun. She suddenly felt a new level of respect for him, and no small amount of sympathy.

Her thoughts snapped back to the trip when Shingen suddenly picked up speed and bounded up a fence towards the rooftops. Akane gritted her teeth and sprang up after him, desperately trying to ignore being weighed down. Don’t think, just do, she chanted mentally as she landed clumsily on the first roof; her foot slipped and she very nearly would have fallen if Ranma hadn’t shot a hand out and caught her before she completely lost her balance.

“Hey, you okay?”

She stopped for a second to get her footing and took a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m okay now; just give me a second.”

“No time to rest, kids,” Shingen hollered from the neighboring roof. “We’ve still got some ways to travel before the real training begins.”

“Geez, you think we coulda taken the train for part of the trip…” Ranma groused as he stretched his arms up above his head.

“No point in taking the train, our destination’s right on the outskirts of Nerima,” the Hunter replied, pointing over the ward’s skyline.

Akane looked in the direction he was pointing and blinked twice. “That’s near the industrial center,” she said incredulously. “Why in the world are we going down there?”

Shingen hefted the black case in his right hand and gave her a knowing nod. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

To Be Continued.

--------------------

Author’s Note 5/11/05: It’s been a busy week for the Ronin but I managed to bang out what I could; hopefully it’s proved both amusing and intriguing at the same time. I apologize if it seems to progress a little slowly at times, but with the amount of detail and plot points I have in mind, it’s going to take time to resolve the issues at hand. I thank you for your reviews; they keep me going and help me refine some of my ideas.

Yes, I know the confrontation with Genma’s demon was a little anticlimactic, but this is Genma we’re talking about here. I felt the Immovable reflected not only the typical lazy panda, it suited Genma’s personality as well- lazy, fat, and generally pathetic. For those who were expecting more action, future chapters should provide what you’re after.

I’m not sure when my next update will be; I’m busy doing some yard work and my job keeps me hopping, not to mention I’ve got new anime to break out of the shrinkwrap. Next chapter- our favorite duo begin training in earnest, Nodoka learns something that causes her quite a shock, and we revisit the Neko Hanten. How is Shampoo dealing with things? And what is inside the black case Shingen was carrying? Stay tuned, and send me a review or two.

Until next time. -Neon Ronin



Converting /tmp/phpCM8rf7 to /dev/stdout