Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Shadows are Stirring ❯ Shadou-sama ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter Nine: Lord of Shadows

After three days of a relative routine, it started to rain in the valley. Hard rain, too. It didn't look like it would be letting up any time soon. Ranma spent most of his time in the Dojo because of it, since once he was there, he could change and keep training. He always returned at night, and Akane spent most of the day with him in the Dojo, but she still was a little hurt that he was there more than he was with her at home.

The third night of rain, Akane stopped Ranma-chan as she stepped in the doorway. "It has been too long since I've had a good massage, Ran-chan," she demanded, handing her the bottle of cream as she walked in. "I think I deserve one today, too," she said. She had won the morning practice fight - though, she did admit that, since they were stuck inside, most of Ranma's best moves were useless.

Ranma-chan laughed and ushered her into the living room and onto the couch. Akane sat down, but then stood up. "I think it would be better in the bedroom, Ran-chan," she suggested. Before Ranma-chan could object, Akane was already in the bedroom getting ready.

When Akane called to her, Ranma-chan stepped through the doorway to find her sprawled out on the bed, face down. She was wearing a pair of shorts, and that was it. Her ring was on her finger again. Ranma-chan shook her head. She wished she had any idea where Akane kept it most of the time, but she didn't want to ask. She understood why she didn't always wear it. Couldn't get used to it.

As Ranma-chan sat on top of Akane and started to rub in the cream and start the gentle massage, Akane started to moan almost at once. "You really needed this, didn't you?" she asked the relaxing girl.

Akane nodded. "Hey Ran-chan?" she called after a few minutes. Ranma-chan stopped the massage halfway down the back and looked up to listen. "Any idea how long we've been stuck here?" she asked. Ranma-chan shook her head. She had thought about it, but really didn't know how long she had been out of it. Akane sighed. "Neither do I. At least a week, though. Our families are going to start getting worried soon," she sighed again.

Ranma-chan shook her head. "I doubt it. Knowing them, they'll probably be celebrating the union of the two houses any day now. Assume that, since we're late, we must be... ah... otherwise occupied." She grinned. Akane smiled too, but didn't say anything.

She had been getting more and more tempted to do just that every day. She was very happy that Ranma was sleeping with her as a girl, or she was sure they might have done something. Although the massage felt really good, what Akane really wanted suddenly was to be tickled again. She grinned as Ranma-chan started in on her back again. Tickled. More like groped, or felt up, or... she stopped. All those terms sounded like it was unwelcome. Caressed. That was more like it. It wasn't really tickling, but caressing. And she really wanted to be caressed suddenly. Even if it was by a female Ranma.

She sighed deeply as Ranma-chan started in on her legs. She really hadn't realized how sore she had gotten, and was starting to wonder how she had ever done without getting daily massages like this... She shrieked as Ranma- chan ran a finger along the bottom of her feet.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself," Ranma-chan said with a grin. "Just had to do that."

"Anything else you'd want to do?" Akane asked suddenly. Ranma-chan looked away. "What's wrong?" she asked the smaller girl.

"Don't want to impose or nuthin," she said quietly.

Akane's mind was racing. Did Ranma-chan want to do something... naughty, or not? She really couldn't tell. "Would you mind..." Akane started, and smiled at Ranma-chan. "Tickling me again?" she asked.

Ranma-chan's eyes opened wide as Akane rolled over slowly, and she just sort of... stared at her. "You sure?" Ranma-chan asked, leaning forward so she could straddle the half naked girl beneath her. Akane nodded, holding her breath. Maybe Ranma was still turned on by her body, even if his own female body was better built. The raw emotions that were displayed on Ranma-chan's face said just that. She could practically feel Ranma-chan's fingers on her already.

Ranma-chan leaned forward and ran her fingers over Akane's exposed nipples. Akane moaned her delight, and thrust her chest forward as Ranma-chan continued. She swirled her fingers all around Akane's nipples, and then cupped both breasts in her small hands. "Ohhh," Akane sighed loudly.

Ranma-chan continued for a few minutes, eliciting more moans from Akane, and then pulled back. Akane opened her eyes to ask what was going on, but Ranma-chan was sitting close to her feet, looking away from her. "Sorry, Acchan," she whispered.

"What's the matter?" Akane asked, sitting forward until she was sitting next to the red-haired pigtailed girl.

"I shouldn't be doing that as a girl," Ranma whispered. "I shouldn't."

"Ran-chan," Akane said forcefully, making Ranma-chan look to her. "I was the one who invited you to do it in the first place, remember?" she asked.

"Yeah... but," Ranma-chan started, but was cut off by Akane.

"Ranma," Akane said firmly. "I told you I love you, didn't I? No matter what. Curse or no. I love all of you." She then faltered. "And... uh... I'll prove it to you later..." Ranma-chan could only stare at Akane. "You know... once we're married and all," she added at the continued silence.

Ranma-chan wrapped her arms around Akane and held her close. There were tears in the shorter girl's eyes. "I love you too, Akane," she said after a while. She then pulled away. "It's gettin late. Let's bed down, and sleep in a bit in the morning. I'm beat after today. I think Tzusu might have seen me earlier as a girl..."

"He probably thinks he imagined it, that's all," Akane said with a grin as she grabbed her pajamas and pulled them on. Ranma-chan had on her boxer shorts and white tank top, and she was happy sleeping in that. The two laid down and closed their eyes to sleep.

The next morning as the two sat across from each other to work on ki energy again, Ranma stopped her before she could start. "Have you wondered yet why no one flings these bits of ki energy at enemies?" he asked her.

Akane looked at him in shock as she realized just what he meant. The simplicity of the attacks... the ease of summoning... the power behind them... she stopped. "Not much power behind them?" she asked.

"Oh, there is power there," Ranma corrected her. "But not enough power to injure something living," he explained. "Or a large, non living thing - like a boulder, or a stream of water..."

"Then why are you bothering to teach me all this stuff?" she demanded, standing quickly and looking down at him. Ranma just sat there until she sat down again. She was starting to realize that every time she was angry during training, he would just sit and not move an inch. She had to realize how dangerous being angry could be in a match.

"Because if you can't control the little stuff, how can you expect to control dangerous attacks and shields?" he asked her calmly. "Think about it. If I couldn't control my Hiryu Shoten Ha, then what would happen every time I use it?"

Akane could picture the carnage easily. Injured friend alongside injured foes. Or worse still, injured friends while foes were left unharmed. She gulped.

"See the point?" he asked.

"So when can I learn some actual attacks that can be used?" she asked.

"First, now that ya've a pretty good control over your energy, ya've gotta make a ki shield. This is very important if you want to avoid being hit by another ki attack. They can not stop a full blast, but they are enough to weaken the blow enough so ya can keep goin," he explained. He suddenly stood up. "Let's see your battle aura," he instructed.

She stood and did as she was asked. They had practicing summoning her aura a few times recently, although she didn't know why. When she could feel the cool blue surrounding her, she decided to change it to a dark red. She felt that it seemed a bit more imposing, and if it was a battle aura, then it might as well be imposing. "What now?" she asked.

"Spread the aura around you," he told her.

She looked at him. "That's what I'm doing," she said after a minute.

"No, the aura is coming from you right now," he pointed out. "I want it to be around you instead. See the difference?" he asked, summoning his own aura to demonstrate. The warm red oozed from his form, and then she could clearly see that he was inside the aura, and it was no longer coming from him.

She nodded, and did likewise. As soon as she had separated it from herself, she wondered just how she had done it. The aura faded instantly.

"What did I tell you about thinking too much?" Ranma asked with a grin.

Akane swatted at his hand and summoned her aura again. This time, when she pushed the aura away from her, it encircled her, and stayed there. It took a bit of effort to get it to stay, but it did. "How's this?" she asked him.

Ranma nodded. "Excellent." When she released the shield, Ranma motioned to the door. It had stopped raining outside. "Want to practice aura summoning at the house?" he asked. Neither of them really called it home, for it wasn't. It was sort of like a hotel for them.

"Why? Why not do it here?" she asked.

"You know my theory on the kisses..." He trailed off. She waited for him to continue patiently, though she thought she could see what he was suggesting. "If our auras are surrounding us both, not shielding, but coming from us, then they mix. If we..." he trailed off.

"I get to kiss you for training?" Akane asked, her smile broadening. That sounded like a good idea. As they started towards the exit to the Dojo, she stopped him. "However, if you ever think of training anyone else like this..."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Acchan," he said quickly.

Before she could reply, they both noticed the sky darkening again, as though there were more rain clouds overhead. They ran to the exit to try and beat the rain home, but when they got outside, they saw that there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was just very dark out suddenly.

"So, wielder of the purple insignia," a deep voice said from behind the pair. Whirling around, they could see no one standing there, though the voice continued. "Girl. What's your name... Akane," the voice said slowly. "Yes, I think I'll like making you a part of me."

"Over my dead body!" Ranma said, standing forward. Akane elbowed him to the side so she could stand next to him. She looked quite upset by his comment. "Sorry. Over our dead bodies..." he amended, making Akane smile again.

A quiet laughter erupted from the place of the voice, and a figure appeared suddenly. The man was tall... much taller than Ranma. The two doubted that two Ranma's standing on top of each other would be as tall. He wore a long black cloak which covered most of his body. Both saw the hilt to the katana at his side.

"You dare to stand before the Lord of Shadows?"

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