Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Shadows are Stirring ❯ Ki Kunren ( Chapter 7 )

Chapter Seven: Ki Training

The Dojo was quiet in the early morning. Ranma was sitting with his legs crossed across from Akane, who was sitting the same. They were quite close, but neither could quite reach the other.

"Now, Acchan, about ki attacks..." Ranma said slowly, setting the blue stone between them to allow them both to use their ki freely. "Ki, as I told'cha earlier, is about emotion. Control over emotions grants control over ki. Attacks take a lot more control, but if ya jumped down that mountain, then I have no doubt of at least a moderate control."

Akane's eyes narrowed at the perceived slight, but she let it go. He was trying to help, and he had to point out mistakes sometimes. Whenever he saw them was best, but it didn't mean it didn't hurt at all. "I understand," she said softly.

"Besides, you seem to be able to draw out that damn mallet of yours whenever I tick ya off, don't'cha?" he asked with a smile.

"Mallet?"

"Yeah, the one you always hit me with when ya're really mad..." he said, trailing off. "I thought ya knew it was ki... why else would it be so powerful?"

Akane looked carefully at the ground between the two of them. "I thought I was just really strong when I was angry..."

Ranma smiled and waited for her to look back up. "Yer that, too, don't worry. But that mallet is even stronger. Ki is very powerful. Controlled ki is better, though."

"Okay." Akane smiled to herself as he spoke. She knew that she couldn't control the mallet, but she also knew that the very fact that she could summon it, even in a fit of rage, meant she had talent for ki.

"To start off with, you are going to try and summon a ball of ki to hover before you," Ranma instructed. "Feel your ki, feel your emotions, and concentrate."

Akane held her hands out before her as though to cup a ball as he was demonstrating, and then she closed her eyes to concentrate. Her ki was quite cool again this time, and as she opened her eyes and focused on her anger at his criticism, she found that she was holding the cool blue ki in her hands. As soon as she started to stare at it, the ball vanished, and she slouched.

"Don't worry, Acchan. That was very good," he smiled to her. He leaned forward and inched towards her on his knees to give her a quick kiss on the forehead, making her look up. "Few people can even get the ball to appear at all. You have the skills," he explained.

As he sat back, Akane could feel her face turning red. Not only had Ranma complimented her abilities, but he had kissed her again. It always made her feel so warm and fuzzy inside. She closed her eyes again, and this time her ki felt warm... hot even. As she opened her eyes again, she found herself looking at a large ball of red glowing ki energy. She fell backwards in shock, but sat up quickly.

"Tell me, Acchan, what emotion was that?" Ranma asked with a grin.

"Never you mind, Baka," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him. "So, I can make a ball of ki now. How do I throw it?" she asked.

"You don't," Ranma replied. She looked at him, startled. "Not yet. First, I want you to keep trying to make the ball. Try to make small ki balls, and large ones. I want you to know which you are going to make before you make it. It is all about control. When you can do that, then we'll move onto the next step."

Akane sighed but looked back down. He was right, and she knew it. Just like the katas that they always did in the mornings and evenings, you had to start with the basics before moving onto more advanced positions.

They spent most of the morning on the ground, Ranma giving an encouraging word every now and then, and Akane drawing on her ki, trying to perfect the energy. Just when she thought she might have had it, the door to the Dojo burst open and the students and teachers all came in. Akane sighed and stood to leave, but Ranma shook his head.

"Sit, Akane," he commanded. Too startled to argue, she did as she was told. "Try it again," he instructed. She nodded, unsure of herself suddenly with an audience like that. With a deep breath, she focused her energy into making a small ball of ki energy. When she opened her eyes again, she found that she had done it very quickly, and had done it right.

There was a hush over the crowd of students and teachers as the ball formed, but when she looked up to Ranma, they burst into applause. Akane was so startled that the ball vanished as she looked over to them and smiled, more than a little embarrassed.

Ranma tapped the floor, which got her attention again. "Once more. Make it small. This time, make two of them, though," he instructed.

"But I can't..." she started, but Ranma cut her off.

"Not if you say you can't. But I know you can. Don't think too much. Just do it," he told her. She nodded and blinked. She was amazed by the fact that that was all it took to create the two ki balls, one in each hand. "I knew you were thinking too much..." Ranma said with a grin.

"What now?" she asked, holding the energy steady in her hands.

"Throw them. Straight up."

"How?" Akane asked.

"Just do it."

Akane's hands flung upwards as though she was throwing a baseball. The two balls of energy shot up through the ceiling, causing wood and dust to settle down on them slowly. "I... did it!" Akane cried, excited by her victory. It was a small achievement in the grand scale of things, she knew, but it was important. She gave Ranma a quick hug, and then stood up. He stayed sitting on the ground as the students and teachers surrounded him. "What's going on, Ran... ma?" she asked, stammering over his name as she almost called him Ran-chan in front of everyone else.

"Saotome Ranma has agreed to teach us a few things while you are staying with us, Tendo Akane," the closest student explained. "A new sensei adds new life to a dojo." She looked to him, surprised by the reverence in his voice and the fact that he used their full names. The villagers knew their full names, but they hadn't called them by them until just now.

"He has?" she asked, looking to Ranma in surprise.

"Just a few katas," he explained quickly. "Improve stamina and balance, ya know," he added. "Nothing like what I'm giving ta you." A few of the younger students giggled at his words, and Akane reddened. He put his hand over his mouth quickly. "I mean... nothing in the way of training that I giving ya. I'm not hucking rocks at them and all that." The snickering died down as he looked back to the class.

He had the group start a few basic katas, and was next to Akane suddenly. "Did they think I meant..." he trailed off as he looked to her. She was smiling, and started to giggle.

"I'd say so," she whispered. "Most of them still think we are married, remember," she added. "So it wasn't that far a step for them to take. You've got to do better with talking, Ranma..."

"You mind just hitting me now so I can get back to teaching?" he asked her suddenly. She looked at him, not sure what he was talking about. He looked back at her. "You always hit me when I embarrass you, remember?" She shook her head.

"Sorry, Ran-chan," she whispered. "I want to do a few things to you right now, and hitting you is not really on that list," she said slyly. She laughed as he turned bright red, and then she pushed him back to the front.

He led the group through a few complex katas in more or less of a daze, and then stopped them. "Now, with katas, just like with the Art, you can't think about them too much. Ya just gotta do them. Feel them, not think them. Got it?" he asked. He received a murmur of replies, all saying they understood, and he smiled. "Good. I'll turn it over to the masters, then." He bowed to the class, who bowed back. The teachers then went to the front, while Ranma joined Akane in the back.

The two made their way back to the Kotara's house, which Ranma had won fairly, after all. Inside, Akane poked Ranma in the side suddenly. He looked to her, surprised. "Ticklish anywhere, baka?" she asked him.

"You wish, tomboy," he replied with a grin.

"We'll just see about that, won't we?" Akane launched herself at him, and ran her fingers along his sides, trying to find a place where he was ticklish.

He stood there and waited, and then looked down to her and grinned. "What about you?" he asked, tickling her sides. She giggled, but not much.

"That's not where I'm really ticklish..." she suggested, telling him to keep looking while she did the same on him. Under his arms wasn't ticklish, and neither was his neck. He was still standing, so she couldn't check his feet. With that thought, she threw him at the couch and attacked his feet.

Before she knew what had happened, he was on top of her instead of the other way around, fingers roaming her sides, looking for ticklish areas. "Higher," she suggested, and he stopped just below her armpits.

"How about here?" he asked, tickling her lightly.

"Close..." she moaned softly. The thought of repaying his earlier concern suddenly flared in her mind as she felt tendrils of flame licking her sides from where he had just been touching. She moved his hands up a little, stopping them right over her breasts, his fingers brushing her nipples through her shirt and bra. "Try there," she suggested softly. When he started moving his fingers over her breasts, another moan escaped her lips. "Yeah... right there..."

Ranma leaned down and kissed Akane lightly on the lips as she moaned again at his touch. He then stopped. "When are we getting married, again?" he asked her. She smiled and nodded.

"We'll plan everything when we get home. Get rid of the others first..." she sighed. "But if you wanted to keep tickling me..." she suggested with a large smile. She moaned her delight when he obliged her wishes. She closed her eyes, and just let him continue.

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"Ran-chan?" Akane called quietly. She hadn't realized that she had fallen asleep awhile ago. After he had finished... tickling her... he had left her on the couch to relax as he did a few katas of his own, and as she watched his fluent, vibrant form going through the motions as though he was one with them, she must have dozed off.

"Yes, Acchan?" Ranma's voice was behind her. She sat up and groaned.

"Would you mind... using that Cream on me again?" she asked, lying back down.

"Uh... sure," Ranma said after a moment. "I'll go get it," he suggested. Akane smiled and pulled off her blouse and rolled over on the couch. She took off her bra carefully, and put her ring on her finger rather than leave it with her clothes. She pulled her pant legs up to expose as much of her legs as possible, and sighed as she waited for Ranma to return.

"Here we are," Ranma-chan's voice said, coming back into the room. Akane looked up in surprise. Ranma-chan shrugged. "Sorry. Figured it would be easier on us both this way," she grinned wryly.

Akane nodded and laid back down. "You are probably right, Ranma," she sighed. She had hoped to feel his strong hands on her back again. It had felt so good the last time... his female hands would have to be enough, though.

"How's this?" Ranma-chan asked quietly as the cool cream came in contact with Akane's skin. She sighed at the relief that it brought to her tired muscles. Ranma-chan smiled as she heard Akane's quiet moans as each muscle was slowly and carefully relaxed. Ranma-chan stopped when she reached her legs. "Akane?" she called. She thought the taller girl might be asleep, but wasn't sure.

"Hmmm?" came a very tired response.

"Feel good?" she asked as she grasped one of Akane's thighs and started pressing the pressure points. "I understand you worked quite hard the other day."

"When?" she asked sleepily.

"When you climbed that mountain to get the stone," Ranma-chan whispered. "Ya know, when ya saved my life..."

"I... thought you said that it would have taken more than a simple blast from Ryoga to keep you down," Akane replied, opening her eyes to look up to Ranma-chan.

"Normally, it would have. But Tzusu explained everything to me," she said. "Thank you," she whispered, leaning down to say the words right into Akane's ear.

Akane blushed, not used to such close contact with anyone, let alone Ranma. "Would you mind..." she started, and then stopped herself.

"Sorry," Ranma-chan said quickly, sitting up and starting in on the other leg.

Akane sighed. "That's not what I was going to say," she whispered quietly so Ranma-chan couldn't hear her. "I just wanted you to hold me for a bit..."

Ranma-chan continued with her other leg until reaching the toes, and then she put the bottle of cream aside. Sitting back down on the couch, she leaned over and drew a finger along the bottom of Akane's feet.

Akane shrieked in surprise and kicked to get away. "Sorry," Ranma-chan smiled. "Wanted to check `n see if you were ticklish there or not..."

Akane rolled over a bit so she could look at Ranma-chan. Not enough to expose herself, but enough to give a pretty strong hint. She saw Ranma- chan look away immediately, and she kicked herself mentally. She was really starting to wish she hadn't conditioned him not to look at her. She then found herself wishing for a kettle of hot water right then and there. The sensation of his hands on her back was one thing... but on her bare front...

There was then a knock at the door, and Ranma-chan stood quickly and tossed a blanket to Akane to cover herself with. Akane stuffed her clothes under the blanket and laid down as Ranma-chan opened the door to admit Tzusu.

"Ah, Ranko. I was starting to wonder where you had gone. We've seen quite a bit of Ranma recently, but not as much of you," Tzusu said as he walked through the doorway.

"Well, I've been out and about. Tryin ta find a way outta this valley, if ya really wanta know," she explained, flicking a hand at their surroundings exasperated. "Haven't come up with much yet, though."

"And you won't be able to." Tzusu looked over to Akane's form on the couch, and saw that she appeared to be asleep under the blanket. He then leaned in to speak quietly with Ranko. "Look, Ranko, you can't tell this to Akane, or even Ranma, alright?" he asked as quietly as he could. When Ranko looked to Akane quickly, she nodded after a moment's thought. "Good. The Lord of the Shadows is coming closer. They don't really stand a chance against him. If I were you, I'd take off for the next few days. You will always be welcome in this village," he suggested to her.

Ranma-chan looked steadily at Tzusu, trying to remain calm. Finally, she managed a small nod, hoping that she looked scared and not angry. She felt angry. Leave Akane indeed...

Tzusu smiled and nodded. "Good. I'd leave tonight, while they are... otherwise occupied," he suggested with a grin. "The way those two behave, I'd assume that at night, they are completely oblivious to everything but each other. Though truth be told, I haven't heard any loud noises, so maybe they aren't as good to each other as I thought..." He looked to Ranma- chan as though hoping she could fill in some details for him.

"Uh..." Ranma-chan stammered. "I... uh... don't think they are at that stage just yet. I understand that they are waiting until they are married first," she managed, a blush creeping onto her cheeks as she looked back to Akane.

"Ah, pity," Tzusu sighed. "To die without ever having experienced each other..." He shook his head and looked back to Ranko. "Remember my warning. Tonight would be best." He then left as quietly as he had entered.

As soon as the door had closed and Ranma-chan was sure he was out of earshot, she turned and punched the floor hard. The wood splintered at the impact, leaving a hole in the entrance. "Damn him!" she cursed. Akane sat up quickly, keeping herself covered by the blanket. "Leave you indeed..." she said, walking back over to Akane.

"Ran-chan," she said softly, looking deep into Ranma-chan's eyes.

"Don't even think it, Acchan," she said quickly. "We are not going to die here. Not like this. So don't even think it," she repeated.

Akane nodded and closed her eyes slowly. She was suddenly very glad that Ranma was female at the moment, or she would have been more tempted than she already was to do something she knew she shouldn't.

"I'm going to bed," Ranma-chan said after a moment. "Come whenever you're ready," she suggested as she entered the bedroom they shared. Ever since arriving, Akane had slept in the same bed as Ranma, though she thought it was getting a little too difficult to sleep in the same bed without partaking in other activities as well. If Ranma was female, though, the temptation should go down a bit. Though Ranma-chan was still Ranma.

Akane pulled on her pajamas quickly and came into the bedroom to find Ranma- chan sitting in the windowsill, looking out at the night sky. She came over to her quietly, and sat down across the window ledge from her. "What's wrong, Ran-chan?" she asked her.

"Just thinking about Ukyo, Shampoo, and Kodachi," she said, not looking back to Akane. It looked like she was looking up at the new moon. Akane felt her temper rise immediately, and she hit Ranma-chan with her mallet. Hard. Looking down, she saw what Ranma had meant about her mallet. She then mentally kicked herself. She shouldn't have hit him with the mallet like that... he must have had an explanation.

Ranma-chan peeled herself off the wall on the other side of the room and stood slowly, a little dazed. "What'd I do now?" she asked, rubbing her head.

"Thinking of?" Akane spluttered. "And you don't know?" she demanded.

Ranma-chan caught on quickly enough and shook her head, shaking her hands as well to try and emphasis the point. "Not in that way, Acchan! No way!" she said, putting a lot of feeling into the words. "I was trying to figure out a way to get them to stop chasing me without hurting them."

Akane took a deep breath, and found herself calming down quickly. She knew that Ranma had had a difficult childhood. With moving so often, and then going away for ten years of training with his father, he never had much of a chance to make friends. Although she wanted nothing to do with any of his other fiancées... Akane stopped herself. Ukyo really wasn't that bad. But the others... she nodded. "I understand, Ran-chan." She sighed. "Sorry for hitting you like that."

"Nah, I deserved it," she said, catching Akane off guard. "I should have phrased it better."

"But you weren't doing anything wrong, Ran-chan!"

"Maybe not, but..." she shrugged. She then frowned. "On second thought, I really don't care about hurting Kodachi. I think that's the only way she'd listen anyway." Akane grinned. She knew how much Ranma hated hitting girls, but still, she could picture him decking Kodachi. The image brought an even larger smile to Akane's face.

"Come on, baka. It's getting late," she said, flopping down on the bed.

"Oh?" Ranma-chan replied. "Thought you had enough sleep this afternoon. You slept through most of it, after all..."

"You never told me how tiring using ki energy was!" Akane protested.

"Didn't think I had to, neither," Ranma-chan shrugged. "Ya knew that it was energy. That has to come from somewhere, right?" Akane rolled her eyes and mentally kicked herself again. She felt like someone should use her mallet to drive some sense into her. She really should have known.

Ranma-chan laid down in bed next to Akane. "I think we'll have to figure out a different way to sleep in the same bed when I'm a girl," she said slowly.

Akane curled up behind Ranma-chan and wrapped her arms around the other girl. She then brought her body in close so she could feel her warmth from her head down to her toes. "How's this?" Akane asked once she was spooning Ranma-chan completely.

"Good..." Ranma-chan sighed and closed her eyes. Before she was asleep, however, she heard Akane's soft breathing steady and become slower. Akane really had been tired. Ranma-chan placed her hands over Akane's, which were on her stomach, and gave them a little squeeze. She then fell asleep herself.

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