Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Ranma 1/2: The Truth and the Tempest ❯ Friday Night Workout ( Chapter 21 )

[ 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. This is for fun and no money is being made off this fanfiction project- unfortunately. Now, on with the show.]

Ranma ½: The Truth and the Tempest

Chapter 21: Friday Night Workout

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To say Akane and Ranma were surprised by their destination was something of an understatement. They’d expected something on par with their usual training trip locales- a forest grove, a remotely located dojo, maybe a plateau in the hills. Instead, after twenty minutes of high-speed roof hopping and a two-minute water break, they found themselves outside a bedraggled and abandoned warehouse that looked large enough to house a small private airplane or two. The corrugated walls of the building had seen better days; in some places the rust streaks appeared to have eaten hand-sized holes in the metal. The outer fence was padlocked and the top strung with barbed wire, and off to one side was a rusty sign identifying it as property of Ishida Enterprises.

“Wait a minute… this is where we’re gonna be training?” Ranma blurted out, staring at Shingen as if he had grown a second head.

“Shingen, this is private property, we can’t just walk in like we own the place!” said Akane. “Besides, this place is probably full of broken junk and gods know what else; it can’t be safe!”

Shingen just smiled. “Relax, both of you; I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t know what I was doing.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a key; in seconds, the padlock was open and the gate swung inward. Noting their widening eyes, he continued. “First off, Ishida Enterprises- or more appropriately, the Ishida clan- happens to have close ties to the Yamashira clan. We’ve helped them out many times in the past, just as they’ve helped us. They more than anyone else know how hard it can be to find training space. So in regards to your first point, we can walk in like we own the place… we do own the place.”

Ranma blinked, glanced at the building, then glanced back at Shingen. “You mean… you mean the guys who own this warehouse… they’re Hunters, too?”

Shingen nodded. “They’re one of three other currently active clans in Japan besides my family. We try not to advertise this, of course.”

“Great Kami…” Akane breathed, staring up at the building before her, figuring it would easily accommodate the entire Tendo house and dojo with a little space left over. Several blue plastic drums sat off to one side on wooden pallets, while off to the left she could make out a pile of PVC piping wrapped in a tarp. “Wait… does this mean you keep this place for training purposes, and nothing else? Good grief, even with the place deserted the lot fees must be outrageous- and what about upkeep?”

Shingen shrugged. “The Hunter network is a lot more extensive than you think, Akane… to say nothing of the business enterprises and investments that keep us funded. Of course, you’ll find out more about that eventually- and I’m sure your business-minded sister would just love to hear the details,” he added with a wink. “Come on, it’s time we got started.” He ducked through the chain link gate and waved them in; they both paused for a moment, looked at each other, shrugged and stepped into the compound. A rattle of chain and the gate was locked again.

“Still doesn’t look very safe,” Akane murmured, her mind still reeling over what they had heard.

“I know what ya mean, ‘kane,” Ranma said. “Hey Shingen, not ta give you a hard time or nothin’, but is this place actually safe to be in? Or train in? We’re not gonna have the roof fall on our head or something, are we?”

Shingen smirked. “You should know as well as anyone, Ranma… appearances can be deceiving.” Ranma bristled; the taller man chuckled and pulled the warehouse door open.

The interior wasn’t quite as full of junk as Akane had surmised. Nor was it completely Spartan, with no furnishing whatsoever. Nearly half the building was open space, with smooth wooden flooring much like the dojo. Several sparring dummies of varying sizes sat in the corner to their left, and long racks of wooden practice weapons adorned the far wall. The far half of the building was occupied with a motley assortment of equipment- a rack of hand weights, a punching bag and speed bag setup, and a bizarre series of raised platforms at the far end that Ranma quickly recognized as balance poles. There also appeared to be an enclosed section with a door at the far end of the building that gave the appearance of barracks or a bunk room, and finally an area just to their immediate right that held a long table and a series of sturdy cabinets and chests. Several large boxes rested on the table; from Akane’s angle they looked to have the logo of a local sporting goods store on them.

Akane took a few hesitant steps into the building, then froze as a shiver shot up her spine. For a brief moment, a slow, even pulse echoed in her ears, and on either side of her peripheral vision the walls and floor seemed to throb with energy- faint, but unmistakably there. She glanced down at the wooden flooring directly in front of her and could barely make out a series of discolorations in the wood. They were too evenly spaced to be knotholes, too wide or in some cases too narrow. Her eyes raced along the discolorations and she gasped as she realized it was a gigantic warding circle directly under their feet.

“Ranma…” she breathed. “This place… it feels like…” She glanced in his direction and noticed he was sporting a similar expression on his face.

“Yeah, I felt it too, just a second ago,” he said in a low tone. “The place must be warded from top to bottom; I can almost see the flow of ki traveling along the walls.” Akane blinked and turned to stare at the wall to her left, suddenly noticing the subtle pulses of white energy that flared up now and again in set patterns. Her eyes widened and she stifled a gasp. I’ve never seen anything as complex as this in my life…

“We have several training grounds such as this in Tokyo and other cities,” Shingen was saying as he set the long black case on the table near the door. “The wards shield us from outside interference and subtly dissuade trespassers… as well as provide inner shielding for some of our more intense exercises.”

“Really…” Ranma glanced around the warehouse again. “Surprised ya didn’t just camp out here when you came to town. I mean, if ya had the place to begin with…”

“No dice there, Ranma; we have strict rules, this place is for training and high ritual work only. I couldn’t have even come here before I cleared it with my father and let him know I’d be working on your abilities.,” Shingen replied. He stretched his neck out a bit and cracked his knuckles. “Go put your things in the bunk room, then get changed into training clothes and meet me back out here.” The duo paused for a moment, then shrugged and headed towards the walled-off section of the warehouse while Shingen began opening several of the boxes on the table.

The bunk room, as it turned out, wasn’t exactly a four-star accommodation, clearly designed to be utilitarian. Several low steel-framed beds were pushed against one wall, prompting the two teens to glance at each other and nod in agreement. Yep, this definitely feels like army barracks. One or two rolling hospital screens sat idly in one corner near a door that apparently led to a Western-style bathroom, while the far end of the bunk room held a stove, sink and other basic kitchen appliances. The walls were off-white, and what light there was came from flickering fluorescent bulbs above them.

Akane sighed. “Well, it’s not like we were expecting much anyways, right?”

“You kidding?” Ranma replied, taking in every inch of the room. “Compared to some of the dumps Pop an’ me stayed in, this is luxury; hell, we won’t even have to use our bedrolls in here.”

Akane blinked and nodded, mentally slapping herself for forgetting some of their previous trips. You’re right, this is ages better than camping out in the open- especially if we have running water. She shrugged her backpack off and set it on the middle bed. “Bet your dad would accuse you of going soft if he saw us now,” she said with a smirk.

“Boy, don’t I know it,” said Ranma as he tossed his own backpack onto the bed to the right of hers. He opened the clasps and pulled out his gi, but then stopped where he was and frowned, an unreadable mix of emotions crossing his face. “Uh…”

Akane looked up as she retrieved her own gi, blinking as she saw a flush grow on his cheeks. “Ranma? Are you okay?”

“Uh… yeah, I just thought o’ something…” He crossed to one corner and grabbed one of the white rolling screens, pulling it between his bed and Akane’s. From behind the screen, Akane heard him let out a sigh. “There, that oughta do it.”

Akane stared. “Do what? What’re you trying to do, claim part of the room as yours or something?”

“No, that’s not what I meant, ‘kane, I just thought it might work out a bit better if I put that there!” The sound of him removing his shirt and putting on his gi caught her ears.

“What might work out better?” Akane was starting to bristle.

“This room doesn’t have much in the way o’ privacy, in case you hadn’t noticed…”

“Of course I noticed, but since when have you cared about being modest? What, now that we’re not at home you’re suddenly developing a sense of self-consciousness or something?” The irritation in her voice began to give way to confusion; she could almost feel a sense of nervousness- or was it fear?- emanating from the other side of the screen. “What’s the deal, Ranma, is the ‘man among men’ now too scared to change his shirt in front of…”

“Dammit, I put that screen there so ya wouldn’t think I’d try peekin’ at you while you’re changing! Okay? That’s all! I just… just…” There was a pause, then another long sigh. Akane’s eyes widened; she’d been so focused on the training ahead of them, she hadn’t even thought about the consequences of changing in the same room.

“I just wanted to make sure you felt comfortable in here, Acchan. I know ya don’t like it when I get an eyeful, even when it’s an accident, which is most of the time anyway. It’s not much, but at least it’s something… didn’t wanna risk makin’ you mad before we start training…”

Akane bit her lip. The fear she’d felt from his side of the screen was starting to make sense. Oh gods… you’re still afraid I’ll hit you if you happen to catch sight of me- even if it‘s just a glimpse? No wonder you flinched the way you did when that imp pulled my pants down in the dojo two days ago… you think I might still lose my temper, like I used to before that last trip to China… She was well into her train of thought by the time she noticed she was ‘sending’ her thoughts in his direction, but by that time she didn’t care.

Huh? Ranma’s head perked up as her words echoed inside his mind, with the exact same inflection and timbre he’d heard the day his curse was purged and he’d heard her screaming in desperation. Akane, was that you just now? he thought, wondering if she could hear him in return.

“Yes… yes, it was me just now,” she said in a soft voice from the other side of the screen. “I didn’t realize you still felt that way about… you know… looking at me…” She pulled her polo shirt and shorts off and began donning her yellow gi.

“Look, um… it’s not that I… um… don’t like lookin’ at you or nothing…” Ranma stammered as he tied his belt around his waist. “It’s just that… I’d rather ya have whatever privacy you want than… than have you think I’m a pervert or something like that.”

“Stop it, please,” Akane admonished gently. “I already told you once before, I know you aren’t really a pervert… and I appreciate the thought, but please, don’t think you have to keep flinching if you happen to… well… see something by accident.” She paused. Might as well prove it to him, she thought as she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and nudged the privacy screen hard enough that it fell over. It clattered onto Ranma’s bed, causing him to jump… and promptly stare. Akane had her yellow gi on but was still in the process of closing the front, allowing him a good look at a white sports bra that didn’t leave very much to the imagination. Ranma froze as she blushed slightly, then finished closing her gi.

“Wha… I don’t… you just… oh geez, I’m sor…”

“Ranma, stop,” she said, cutting him off with a shy smile. “It’s not like we haven’t seen each other already… besides, we are engaged… and even though I do like some privacy, it’s not… not that big a deal…” She started fumbling and pressing her fingers together. “I guess what I’m trying to say is… I d-don’t really mind it so m-much as I used to… and I promise, I’m not going to hit you anymore over something like that.”

The two of them looked at each other in silence for a moment longer, unspoken words passing between them. Akane’s face was flushed and somewhat scared, Ranma’s was tense and slightly confused. Gradually, though, the lines of his jaw softened and the confusion disappeared. Akane noted this and visibly relaxed, smiling back at him just as he smiled at her. They might have fallen into each other’s arms at that moment were it not for the sudden rapping of knuckles on the door.

“Have you two changed yet? We’ve got an exercise to run through.” The two blinked, then chuckled and gave each other a brief but firm hug. “Yeah, we’re on our way out,” Akane hollered back.

Thirty seconds later they were on the open hardwood floor, loosening up and testing their weighted-down arms and legs. “Okay, so what are we gonna do now?” Ranma asked. “Calisthenics? Freestyle sparring?” He paused and blinked, noticing the near walls were now covered with hastily-placed dropcloths and tarps, as well as parts of the floor..

“Nope. This is where we gauge and improve your speed and reaction time,” Shingen replied. Several sporting goods boxes lay on the floor near the long table, packing material all over the place. “And for this exercise, you’re going to be wearing some more gear.” He bent down and picked up the items laying by his feet- two full-face gray motorcycle helmets, which he tossed easily into their hands. “Put those on.”

Akane stared at the visored thing in her hands. “What the… what are we supposed to wear these for?”

“It’s for your own protection. You’ll find out once the exercise begins, Akane. Put the helmet on.” Akane blinked, then slid it over her head and adjusted the chin strap. Ranma did the same.

“Smells kinda funny in this thing,” Ranma quipped, folding his arms. “So what do we do now?”

“The object of this training exercise is simple,” Shingen replied with a smirk, crossing to the table and picking up something that Ranma couldn’t see at first. “Don’t get hit.”

“Don’t get hit? What do you…” Akane started, but stopped as soon as she noticed what he had picked up, one in each hand- a pair of wicked looking metallic green paintball guns, each with a full hopper and CO2 canisters in place. Akane audibly gulped as she saw his thumb flick the safety catches off before he swung both devices into firing position; almost on instinct, she dropped into a low crouch, legs coiled to spring at any moment. She could barely see Ranma out of the corner of her helmet’s visor, but somehow could sense he was doing likewise.

“No special tricks or ki techniques, either of you,” Shingen said calmly. “And as I said… don’t get hit.” And he squeezed both triggers.

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“It’s awfully nice of you to join us for dinner, Dr. Tofu,” Kasumi said sweetly as she placed several dishes on the dining table. The doctor merely smiled and nodded, scratching a spot on the back of his neck and pressing the tsubo point Cologne had showed him. Soun sat next to him, with Nabiki and Nodoka on the other side of the table.

“Well, young Mr. Yamashira did say it would be a good idea to keep an eye on Saotome-san for the night; I hope I’m not imposing,” Dr. Tofu said nervously. Silently he thanked the Amazon elder for giving him a means to overcome his nervousness around Kasumi- a nervousness he had been ashamed to learn he was afflicted with months before. I’d heard so many tales of Love Hysteria before, but I kept telling myself it couldn’t happen to me… talk about being a fool…

“Oh, it’s no imposition at all; you’re practically family here, son!” Soun said, giving Tofu a hearty slap on the back. He winced slightly at the slap, but smiled.

“Yeah, with all the times you put Ranma and my kid sister back together, this is almost your second home, doc,” Nabiki added, resting her chin on her palm.

“Well, I’m not sure I’d go that far…” Tofu swallowed and glanced across the room at Genma’s prone form; the shock seemed to have worn off on his face and the elder Saotome now appeared to be sleeping peacefully. “He seems to be faring well; with a bit of rest he should be back on his feet before long.”

“I would certainly hope so,” said Nodoka calmly. “Perhaps once he does he could tell me just what happened to him over the last ten years,” she added in a lower tone.

“I beg your pardon, Auntie Saotome?” Kasumi asked as she placed the last of dinner on the table.

“Oh… I’m sorry, I was just thinking out loud,” Nodoka replied before looking down at her dinner setting. “It’s not that important, really…”

“Still have some catching up to do, Auntie?” Nabiki asked.

“Maybe… I just… I’m not really sure right now.”

“If it’s anything to do with his reaction to that ritual, I was just as surprised as you, Nodoka,” Soun mused as he took a bite of boiled potato. “I’ve seen him stand up to multitudes of foes before and barely bat an eye; indeed, he did just that months ago, on an ill-fated ocean voyage,“ he continued, remembering the ordeals at Toma’s island. “But in all honesty, if I were in his shoes, I might have reacted much the same way; even the strongest man does have one thing that can reduce him to tears or howls of anguish.”

Nabiki coughed, fighting hard to not say something along the lines of certain men being reduced to tears at the drop of a hat. Thankfully, she succeeded and swallowed her mouthful of food without choking.

Nodoka sighed. “I know, Soun. I know that nobody is invincible, but I’ve never seen Genma cry out or thrash about the way he did, not once. Yes, I’m well aware that ritual must be brutal, but you’re forgetting that I saw someone else go through it before… and he, my son, held back his pain fifty times better than his father did. He didn’t budge more than an inch; it was all Tofu-sensei and I could do to keep Genma in place, and I’m not even sure we succeeded there.” She shook her head and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. It’s as if all that was strong and manly when he left me had grown weak… indeed, when he did return, he hid himself and Ranma from me for so long out of fear of that damnable contract. Kami help me, I do care deeply for the man… but is he even the same man I married?

And there’s more, too… I’m the first one to condemn eavesdropping, but I can’t help but wonder about something Ranma was saying before they left. It sounded like Shingen was warning him about rough training when I was passing their room, and he was accepting the idea with little hesitation. Then he said something… something about surviving the ‘Neko-ken’? Dearest never mentioned anything about a Neko-ken before, and certainly not when we finally reunited…

“So what exactly was it Shingen warned you about again, Doc?” Nabiki’s voice brought Nodoka back out of her reverie; she blinked a few times and looked up.

“I think he mentioned something about not spilling cold water on Saotome-san, just in case,” Tofu replied after taking a sip of tea. “He said he’d only had a chance to glance at his aura, but he was worried about the way Saotome had flopped around on the casting circle.”

“Oh, that’s right… I remember Shingen-kun mentioning something about that before he put Ranma through the Purge,” Kasumi piped up. “That if the person being treated left the casting circle, it could prove dangerous?”

“Or unpredictable,” Nabiki added. “He said if something screwed up in the midst of the ritual, the patient could get battered senseless, or scarred, or cursed for life… maybe even killed…” She shrugged and took another bite of her food. “But hey, Saotome’s still breathing, and Shingen did say he looked stable, so what’s the problem?”

“That may be so, but still…” Dr. Tofu trailed off before looking at Genma again- who was beginning to snore. “It might be best if we heed the young man’s warning until he gets back. Just to be safe.”

“Did he say when he’d be back?” Soun asked, a slight worried look on his face.

“He, Akane and my son should be back by Sunday evening, if I remember correctly,” Nodoka replied.

“That isn’t much time for a training trip,” Tofu mused. “You said it was something of a… what was it again? Crash course?”

“That’s what they alluded to before they left,” Nabiki drawled. “Personally, I’ll bet it’s just them getting out for some highly needed R&R. They’re probably having the time of their lives right now.”

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Akane whipped her hand up and brushed several sweat-soaked strands of hair out of her eyes, wincing in the process. This is definitely not what I’m used to, she thought before snapping her hands back into position and continuing her exercise. I’m gonna be sore as hell in the morning- but it’s definitely going to be worth it!

It had been two hours since their training had officially begun, but it felt far longer. Their first unorthodox exercise had certainly got their adrenaline pumping, what with Shingen advancing on them and unleashing a veritable hailstorm of paintballs. Felt like we were in the middle of a John Woo movie, Akane mused; she and Ranma had tumbled, flipped and spun like mad dervishes, only to be countered at every step by Shingen’s two-fisted assault. Some of the wall tarps had been literally coated with purple and green paint, and for all her dodging and leaping around, she’d still gotten her shins, one shoulder, both forearms and a spot on her helmet tagged with purple and green dots. Ranma had fared better, as she’d begrudgingly expected, but had still gotten tagged with green paint twice on his back and purple three times on his forearms. The barrage had only lasted five minutes, but had felt like an eternity to her. The paint had left welts and Akane’s limbs ached from the weights on her ankles and wrists, which somehow felt heavier than they had before, but Akane couldn’t erase the smile from her face. I never could have done all this a month ago… let alone a year ago. But… how much longer am I supposed to be doing this? I’m getting kinda tired…

She snapped her left leg out in a high roundhouse, smacking a target pad on a large wooden training post in front of her, following with a series of rapid punches and a reverse roundhouse with the same leg. The post was similar to the smaller rope-wrapped post Ranma trained with so often, but was set on a pivot pole and contained several concealed spring-loaded ‘arms’ in addition to the target pads. The harder and faster Akane punched and kicked, the more the post rotated and ‘retaliated’ by randomly shooting out a rod that would smack or trip her up if she wasn’t careful. In fact, she’d sustained a fair number of bruises in the time she’d been attacking the dummy, but was getting struck far less often as time passed.

“Just a few minutes longer, Akane; you’re doing just fine!” Shingen hollered from the sparring area.

“Come on… I’ve been… at this for… twenty minutes solid,” she gasped in response, her speed beginning to waver. “Can’t we just… take a break already?”

“Just a little longer, ‘kane; you can do it!” said Ranma before returning to his own exercise. He and Shingen were squared off against each other in the sparring area, each one wielding kendo shinai… only Shingen held one in each hand as opposed to Ranma’s single weapon. The two clashed and sprang apart repeatedly, each one trying to gain the upper hand and knock his opponent out or disarm him. They had been going at it for a considerable period of time, practically since Akane had begun working on the wooden post. Ranma was faring better against the weights he wore, but facing off against two shinai was forcing him to move faster as well- not to mention the fact that Shingen had removed his weighted jacket prior to the match. Even so, the two appeared evenly matched as sword cracked against sword or random body part. There were no kendo forms or patterns at work, it was straight out improvisation and brawling at its finest.

“You’re better at this than I thought you’d be, Ranma,” Shingen said as he ducked in and struck three times, only to be blocked each time by Ranma’s shinai.

“Eh, this ain’t really my style,” Ranma shot back, fighting off fatigue and countering with five lightning-fast strikes to Shingen’s head and torso, all of which were blocked. “I know a bit ‘bout certain weapon styles, but unarmed’s always been my best bet,” he added with a low swipe that Shingen barely managed to leap over. He countered with a strike to the head and the ribs- and smirked when Ranma somehow managed to block both strikes at the same time, rolled to the left and came up swinging.

After another minute of both their exercises, Shingen abruptly threw down his two shinai and called for a dinner break, which both Ranma and Akane were happy to agree to. After two straight hours of first getting shot with paintball guns, then some of the most intense stretches Akane had ever endured, some heavy calisthenics followed by freestyle sparring, another round with the paintball guns(this time Akane only got hit twice and Ranma didn’t get hit at all), two coordination and balance katas, and finally the sparring post and shinai exercises(Ranma had practiced with the post first while Akane fought Shingen with the shinai, after which they had switched places), both of them were sore, tired, and very, very hungry.

Akane stepped away from the training post and slumped to her knees, letting out a long sigh. “I think… this qualifies… as the most intense two hours I’ve ever spent,” she breathed, stretching her arms out.

“Not quite what yer used to, huh?” Ranma asked as he crossed the room and sat down next to her. “You feel okay? I saw you when you were fightin’ him with the shinai, you got whacked pretty hard a few times.”

“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” Akane replied through clenched teeth, pressing a spot on her ribs. “Though I bet I’ll look terrible in the morning.”

“As opposed to looking the way you do now?”

She gave him a light swat, prompting a laugh out of both of them.

“Yeah, I know I look like a fright right now, Ranma,” she said with a groan. “But you don’t look so great yourself, you know. You need a bath.”

“So do you.” Akane nodded wearily in agreement, then flinched as she prodded a few more sore spots and stretched out her stiffening arms.

“Ow… talk about your cramps…” She tensed up, fire shooting across her back.

“That bad, huh?” Ranma asked. She nodded, yet continued to try and stretch out some more. Ranma frowned and shifted himself so that he was sitting cross-legged behind her, then reached out and rested his hands on her shoulders.

“Huh? What are you…” Akane began before drawing in a quick breath, then a long sigh of relief as Ranma began gently massaging her back and shoulders. He’d only ever done it a few times before, midway through the week once they’d begun sparring together, and Akane was still getting used to it. It was unfamiliar to her after all the times she’d pushed him away, but after the first massage she found herself looking forward to it. His hands deftly moved over her back muscles, melting away tension with varying levels of pressure. The cramp in her lower back vanished rapidly, and a warming sensation washed over her from head to toe. She closed her eyes and reveled in the sensations he was giving her.

“Mmm… that feels a lot better… thank you, Ranma,” she said softly.

“No problem; after a workout like this one I figured you’d need it,” he said with a smile. She leaned back into him, allowing him to brush his hands along her upper arms and parts of her neck. He gladly obliged, with firm yet tender strokes that allowed her to ignore the welts and bruises and pushed her heart rate up a few notches. She pondered pulling her gi top off so that he could massage her shoulders directly, when suddenly the massage stopped and the warming sensations faded.

“Ranma? What’s wrong?” There was a long pause. Then his hands on her back once more, moving lower. The warmth began to return, wrapping around her body like a hot bath. “Ranma, why did you stop just then?”

“I… I just noticed something,” he murmured in an awed voice. “Look at my hands.”

She opened her eyes just as he brought his arms around her, resting his palms on her forearms. The warmth permeated her skin, and Akane gasped as she saw a yellowish-gold aura surrounding his hands. It was faint and barely more than a few millimeters thick, but it was there. He ran his palms up and down her forearms, and right before her eyes, the bruises she’d received from the paintball guns faded and vanished. Blinking, she prodded her arms and realized the pain had gone too.

“Ranma…” she breathed. “Did… did you just do what I think you did?”

“If what you think I did is the same thing I think I just did, then yes, I did.” He flexed his hands and the aura intensified slightly. “I think… I was trying to read your feelings, see if I could find some way to dull some o’ those bruises… and then I kinda felt my aura start to reach out to you.”

Akane nodded, hesitantly, remembering the last time the warming sensation had washed over her. “The same thing happened the day after that fight with your curse demon,” she said. “When I brought you out of your nightmare and we… you know…” She blushed, remembering the kiss they had shared, and how her bruises from the night before had vanished. “And it was just the same after you and Shingen fought on Monday, and he healed you.”

There was one other time I can remember… but that was I time I’d rather we need not remember, she thought silently. Phoenix Mountain… just before I woke up in your arms…

Ranma nodded to himself, retracing what he’d done in his mind. “So that’s how that Naosu Kousen thingy works. Positive energy from one person’s aura, transferring to someone else’s aura and boosting their healing process… that‘s simpler than I thought it‘d be.”

“You catch on pretty quick,” came Shingen’s voice from the general direction of the bunk room. “Come on, both of you; I’ve got dinner on the stove, so you each have time to get cleaned up.” He turned and stepped back into the bunk room. Ranma and Akane looked at each other a moment longer before getting to their feet and following Shingen hand in hand. A slow smile spread across Akane’s face as she realized she wasn’t sore at all anymore.

That was absolutely amazing… I have got to learn that so I can return the favor, she thought to herself with a grin.

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“Order up on table three, two beef ramen and one seafood special.” Three bowls slid onto the Neko Hanten’s counter, and just as quickly were scooped up and carried off by Mousse. It was busy that night, with almost every table filled, pushing the nearsighted waiter’s skills to their limit. Fortunately, months of practice had allowed him to memorize table placement, thus enabling him to reach his destination with little or no problem.

“Enjoy your meal sirs, madam,” he said, bowing politely as he set the bowls before the diners. He turned and darted over to another table to take the orders of some new arrivals; meanwhile the diners at table three traded their bowls. Apparently he still had a problem with which customer ordered which bowl.

Cologne sighed, exasperated. That boy may be fast, but if he keeps giving people the wrong dish our reputation will plummet, she groused to herself. Why isn’t Shampoo keeping up the pace? She cast a steely eye over the restaurant, finally coming to rest on a certain purple-haired waitress. “Great-granddaughter! I’d like to see you for a moment!”

Shampoo looked up from the table she’d just served and heaved a sigh. “Yes, great-grandmother, I be with you in a moment,” she said in a dull voice. It matched the rest of her appearance perfectly- dull, drab and overall lifeless. Her hair was flying away in places, giving the impression it hadn’t been combed very well, if at all. Her uniform apron was tied clumsily in one place, and her shoulders were slumped forward- nowhere near the bubbly, vibrant girl most male customers expected to see. Grumbling, she shoved her bill pad into her apron and slouched off to the kitchen, rubbing a hand against her right temple.

“Child, what is going on? We’ve got one of the busiest nights of the week to deal with, and you’re moving slower than ever before!” Cologne said in a reprimanding tone. “You know full well that Mousse can’t wait on the entire room at once; what in the world is wrong with you?”

Shampoo said nothing at first, but looked away and leaned against the doorframe. Cologne narrowed her eyes, wondering how she could be so insolent as to not answer… then noticed she wasn’t leaning by the door out of arrogance, but more like she might fall over otherwise. Shampoo’s eyes were bloodshot, as well- something Cologne only noticed when she looked back up.

“I sorry, great-grandmother. Shampoo try to work harder from now on.”

Cologne’s expression softened. “Child, what is it? I can tell, something’s amiss and it’s obviously affecting you physically; have you come down with something? A cold, maybe?”

Shampoo shook her head. “It nothing. Shampoo not sick, always have tribal cold remedies for that.”

“Then what is it?” Another pause, followed by Shampoo averting her eyes again.

“Just tired, great-grandmother. Is nothing to worry about.”

Cologne frowned. “Is it about you and Ranma?”

Shampoo shook her head violently. “No! Is nothing to do with Ranma! Shampoo not pining over stupid pigtail boy; he make choice long ago and Shampoo no listen, is all! Shampoo know he always go to Akane, just not understand why before now… besides, Kisses of Death and Marriage now gone because of Right of Refusal, why bother wasting time over stupid boy?”

Cologne couldn’t help but notice an errant tear slip down the side of Shampoo’s face, nor could she ignore the tremble in the girl’s voice. You poor girl, she thought to herself as she shifted her perception to examine her aura. You pursued him for so long, and so blindly, it’s only natural some feelings might linger on long after the issue was put to rest. It might be a long time before you forget him completely, but in the end you will be a better person from this experience. He may never be one of the tribe now, but I doubt he ever would have been… and this way, we may still be able to retain him as a powerful ally. Her thoughts trailed off as she got a closer look at Shampoo’s aura.

My word… your energies are going up and down like ocean waves, no wonder you look the way you do. Cologne shook her head slightly and sighed. “Child, whatever it is that’s troubling you, it’s obvious to me that you won’t do yourself any good running around here tonight. Why don’t you go upstairs and have a rest.”

“But great-grandmother, if tonight so busy then…”

“Then we shall just make do,” the Elder replied firmly. “I don’t want you pushing yourself tonight, not in the condition you’re in right now. Mousse and I will handle things down here, you go up and rest. That’s an order.”

“But…” Shampoo began, then stopped at the look in Cologne’s eyes and sighed in resignation. “Okay… if you say go rest, then I go rest…” She turned and headed slowly for the stairs to her room.

Cologne nodded to herself, then turned towards the doorway slightly. “I know we’re busy right now, but when we close up down here… look in on her for me, will you?”

Mousse’s head poked around the doorframe. “Of course I will, but why not check on her yourself?”

“Because I know you’re probably concerned about her, too, otherwise you wouldn’t have been lurking near the door all this time,” Cologne replied with a chuckle. “Besides, she could use some company later on… and not a crotchety old woman like me, either. Someone her own age… but whatever you do, don’t go overboard, boy. Just be there for her.”

Mousse stared for a moment, then nodded slowly before turning his attention back to the restaurant. Cologne returned to the stove and began cooking anew.

He may make a decent match for her yet, if he manages to settle down, she thought. Still… I’m a bit worried about her, especially with the way her ki was behaving. Perhaps I should contact that Yamashira boy… then again, perhaps I’d be best served to look at her myself in the morning first.

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

“Now why in the world does that stubborn husband of mine still keep his things like that?” Nodoka stopped straightening the double futon she and Genma used and crossed the room, coming to a halt in front of his bedraggled and much-abused backpack. “Honestly, he and my son have been living here for over a year, one might think he’d at least put his clothes away.”

She let her eyes wander over the room, noting it hardly looked lived in at all. With the exception of the futons and a dresser, there was practically nothing in the room to make it inviting. Very little in the way of decoration, something Nodoka vowed to correct at some point in the near future. “A few calligraphy prints might help,” she mused as she carried the backpack over to the dresser. “He might object, of course, but maybe a small plant on the dresser as well… even a martial artist can’t live like an ascetic his whole life.” She undid the clasp on the backpack. “I do hope he won’t mind me putting his things away for him… come to think of it, I’m surprised he hasn’t asked me to do so already.”

It really doesn’t make sense to have things packed up like this, ready to leave at a moment’s notice, she thought as she turned the backpack over. Soun would never ask him to leave… but then again, with all the training excursions he’s taken Ranma on, I suppose that… Her thought train halted suddenly as something fell out of the backpack, half-buried beneath several white gis and various items of clothing. Nodoka blinked, then brushed an errant sleeve out of the way to reveal a smallish book of sorts. It was slightly battered, but the thing that struck her most about the book was the kanji title. She didn’t pay much attention to most of the characters, just two in particular that caught her eye immediately.

Neko-ken.

Memories of what she had heard earlier in the day flashed through her mind, and she found herself in a sudden quandary. On the one hand, this was part of Genma’s personal belongings and thus his own business, and besides, snooping was high on her list of dishonorable acts. On the other hand, several other members of the household had already snooped here and there… by accident, she reminded herself… and she herself was guilty just from overhearing Ranma. Besides, Genma would likely have asked her to put this away at the same time she put his clothes away… wouldn’t he?

A sudden thought struck her, and memories of some of Genma’s less than honorable actions began to replay themselves in her mind- not merely hiding Ranma’s curse, but also the broken deal with Kuonji and several other ‘fiancées’ that Ranma had been saddled with. A wave of concern hit her and promptly pushed her hesitancy out the window. Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened the book.

Several minutes later she had dropped the book, her hands trembling and her face ashen.

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

“Ranma, I’m going to fall if you keep making faces at me.”

“C’mon, ‘kane, I’m just tryin’ to have a little fun here, an’ you should, too.”

“You baka,” Akane chuckled, “I can’t concentrate; I’ll lose my balance if you make me laugh any harder!”

“Hey, remember what I said? Don’t think, just do! You balanced perfectly well on the fence rail, so this can’t be that much harder!”

Shingen smirked from his position on the other side of the warehouse. He had laid out several rolls of parchment and a pot of ink on the long table near the door, and was deftly scribing a new Purge ward. Dinner had been a short affair, little more than instant ramen in Styrofoam cups; much to Akane’s chagrin, most of the food in the bunk room was pre-made, heat and serve foods. “No time for home-cooked meals when we’re training like this,” Shingen had said. Ranma, mercifully, had refrained from commenting on Akane’s lack of skill in the kitchen, thus dinner had gone without much fuss.

The balance poles the two were currently practicing on seemed almost too easy for Ranma’s taste- they were set at varying heights at the far end of the warehouse, made of PVC piping with removable one-foot-square platforms set on top. This alone made it a cake walk for Ranma- not so for Akane, who was struggling with the way the poles flexed and swayed.

“C’mon, it’s not that big a deal, just a hop, skip and a jump and you’ll be all the way across!” Ranma said in a coaxing tone.

“More like a hop, slip and a crash if you ask me,” Akane replied, looking down at the floor. Padded as it was with gym mats, it still looked imposing.

“Stop looking at it so negatively, tomboy! You can do it! Just believe in yourself, stop thinking about it an’ just DO it!” Ranma shouted.

“I can’t…”

“Okay then, I guess we might as well go home if you’re gonna be a quitter,” said Ranma in a bored tone.

“WHAT? I’m not a quitter! I’m in this for the long run, just like you!”

“Yeah, but you’re not even trying to get over here… an’ I was planning to give you a reward if you made it this far.” Akane blinked, then smiled as she felt Ranma open an Astral Link. Make it all the way over to me and I’ll give you the best kiss of your life… A sudden warmth spread through her body and all at once she found herself bounding over the tops of the poles, barely causing them to sway even once before one final leap that brought her easily onto the pole directly next to Ranma. She turned to him and instantly caught the smile on his face; it matched the one she was sporting.

“You see? I knew ya could do it,” he said with a laugh; she responded by throwing her arms around his neck and pulling closer to him with a giggle.

“I guess I just needed the right motivation,” she whispered in his ear.

“Oh, yes,” he replied, a mischievous grin on his face. “About that reward…” He reached over and grabbed her waist, lifting her off the balance pole and pulling her close to him. She squeaked in surprise and pleasure, then sighed contentedly as they pressed their lips together in a deep, passionate kiss.

Shingen smirked. Talk about your couples, he thought to himself. Seems like the harder they train, the closer they get… and from what I’ve seen in their auras, they could prove to be two of the greatest Hunters I’ve ever seen. He shook his head and added a few more lines to the parchment before him. Besides myself, that is.

Their progress is faster than I thought it would be, certainly. It’s strange, though… it feels like Ranma’s holding back. I felt it when he and I fought with the shinai; he was showing definite restraint when he was attacking. Like… like he was forcing his ki to remain dormant; if he’d fought at full power, he could have used the Sekkai Katto Sutoraiki and broken both my swords at once. And I haven’t even demonstrated how to do that move yet…

Shingen frowned. Something must have happened… something that’s making him hold back the way he does. The more I see him in action, the more I see it in his aura… if he’d fought me with everything he’s got when he and I first met, I could very well have fallen instead of him… but he held back, and I drew his blood because of it.

The calligraphy brush continued to move over the ward.

Perhaps the thing that holds him back is tied to the scar in Akane’s aura, Shingen mused at length. Something happened to both of them, I’m sure of it now. He did say he’d fought Saffron, the Phoenix God. That could very well be it. It must have been a battle that involved both of them- he did say it was the only way to save her. To make sure she didn’t die.

Well, my friend, that aura scar proves you’re luckier than you thought you ever were… by all rights, Akane should be dead. I’ve never seen a scar of unlife like hers before… not in a living person, anyway. She pulled back from the brink of death just in time. Any longer…

Shingen froze. His eyes widened and slowly tracked to the unopened 4-foot long black case that rested on the table.

One will overcome the icy grip of death… one will challenge the gods himself… it couldn’t be???

He set the brush down abruptly and stood up, reaching across and pulling the case closer to him. He flipped two latches on either end open, then snapped open the middle latch easily. Gingerly he rested his hands on either side of the case, then slowly opened the lid. A long breath escaped his lips as a gentle golden glow emanated from within.

The light centered around two objects within the case, nestled in foam rubber- two sheathed wakizashi, placed parallel and in opposing directions to one another. One had a mottled black and red saya and similar colored cords on the hilt, with a gold pommel and tsuba bearing the motif of a charging stallion. The other had deep blue hilt cords and a blue saya, with a silver pommel and tsuba carved in a tiger motif. Intricate gold or silver runes danced along the length of each sword’s sheath.

Shingen gazed at the two swords in wonder. “So this is what Father meant,” he breathed.

“Great Kami… so that’s where their blood comes from…”

To Be Continued.

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Author’s Note 5/25/05: I wanted to post this chapter sooner, but had to deal with a few snafus at work, not to mention other real-world dilemmas that kept pushing me back. As it is, I had a lot of detail I wanted to put in this chapter, hence the delay. I would like to mention first and foremost, the next chapter may take longer than usual- not only do I need time to recuperate from the past week, I’ll be heading out to Project A-Kon in Dallas next weekend- something I’ve been planning for a while. I’m already brewing chapter 22 in my mind, so hopefully the delay won’t be too long- I just need a battery recharge and my upcoming trip should do it.

Second, regarding the two swords in the case- some of you may say, ‘why not two katanas? Why wakizashi?’ Rest assured, there is a reason behind it, which will be revealed in time. As for their purpose… you’ll have to wait and see.

Thanks for stopping by and reading. As I said, I’ll be in Dallas late next week, so don’t expect an update too soon… but I promise it won’t take too long, either. Until next time.

Neon Ronin





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