Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Silent Lies and Closed Hearts ❯ Double Duty ( Chapter 3 )

Double Duty

Her brown eyes darted back and forth, checking all corners for her master. Still cautious, she

slowly tiptoed out of her hiding spot and dove into the dojo. Nobody was in there and she

breathed a sigh of relief while closing the doors shut. She had stuck an 'Out of Order' sign on

the door for good measure, just in case if Ranma decided to look in the dojo. If she was going

to fight for her freedom, then she needed some serious practice time. She did a few

combinations to warm up, then started on the real practice. The techniques she had seen

Ranma use were incrediblely strong and lacked any flaws, it also had a taste of China to it.

She'd try it out first then make a few adjustments here and there to better suit her body. After

half an hour she dropped to the ground in frustration. She needed to see the routine a few

more times before she could get the gist of it. And worse still, there was no partner to try it

on. How was she going to free herself if she couldn't master the techniques that Ranma used?

Maybe she wasn't the best Japan had. Was that why she had gotten caught by those amateurs?

She pulled her knees up to her chin and rested her cheek on them, looking sideways at the

rundown dojo. She still had to get to the emperor. Her information was vital and nobody else

could give it to him except her. Japan could fall while she slaved around for some baka!

Letting the self pity pass, she slowly got up. Failure was not an option for her, not when Japan

needed her the most.

"Stupid Ranma." she said and tried to imitate the technique again.

"I'll have to agree on that." said a voice from the doors.

She whirled around to see Ryoga closing the door behind him.

"I thought I'd put in some practice myself. You're not half that bad." he remarked, his feet

creating muffled echoes as he walked. She rolled her eyes.

"Are you going to tell Ranma I'm here?" she asked tentatively. "I just wanted some time

without him complaining or insulting me."

"How about we practice together? I heard about your deal with Ranma. Deals are something

Ranma uses often." Ryoga began to stretch his arms and legs.

"Why? I thought that as a noble, he would just demand something if he wanted it."

Ryoga quickly jabbed at her left side and she moved away just in time. His speed was good.

She thought he was pretty slow but it was because Ranma was moving so much faster. And he

was careful to limit his strength if one of his punches or kicks landed on her. Altogether, it

was a good practice and both got something out of it. But she wasn't going to improve unless

they started with something difficult.

"Do you know any special moves that could beat Ranma?" she asked while they sat down on

the dojo floor.

"I'm still learning myself. And Ranma likes to use deals to trap people, he doesn't strike one up

unless he's sure he'll win."

"What?! Does that mean he knows he'll win against me?! she jumped to her feet and growled

through her teeth. "That jerk, if he thinks that I'm so weak that I ca-"

"Calm down." Ryoga pulled her down. "If I can't beat him, then I'd say you can't. I've been

trying for years but it ends up in either a stalemate or he wins."

She frowned at Ryoga's words.

"I can't give up, there is no way I can't. If I don't beat him soon, then the emp-then I'll have to

spend an eternity with Ranma." she grimaced at the thought and started stretching. "What I

can do is practice and practice till I'm sure I'll beat him."

"Which will take weeks and weeks." Ryoga said while getting up. "Good luck, servant, but I

can't guarantee a win." He slid open the door and walked out. Was he right? Was this an

obstacle too big for her to overcome? All this self doubt was so new to her, she never had to

question her prowess in martial arts before. But ever since meeting Ranma she had felt that

the skills she possessed were not exceptional but ordinary. If there was one thing that scared

her, it was being an ordinary girl. A girl that lacked goals or dreams and did nothing but order

servants and pick what clothes to wear. A girl who was like any other girl. She had never

shined in beauty but she had always shined in fighting. Without her martial arts, she was

nothing. Just a plain face in a crowd of thousands.

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Ranma was stomping near the dojo when his ki felt someone inside. The person was emitting

strong emotions, strong enough to be felt. *Sadness? Who could be sad?* He silently opened

the door an inch and peered inside. It was his servant sitting on the floor, looking more

forlorn than he had ever seen him. His hair was mussed and chestnut eyes looked down on

the wooden floorboards in deep thought. For the first time, Ranma realized how shabby his

servant's clothes were. And also how young as well, perhaps he had been a little too harsh on

him? Did he even know the boy's name? Suddenly he felt guilty for treating him so bad. True,

servants were meant to follow orders but this boy never seemed like the kind of person to

follow. Ranma closed the door and stepped a few feet away from the dojo. He had been taking

his anger at his father and everybody else and had been centering it on this boy. He took a

deep breath. The least he could do was treat the little guy somewhat nicer. Though what kind

of servant would poison their own master with terrible cooking? Just thinking of that tray of

food made him shudder. Clearing his throat he began to yell.

"OY! Servant!!!! Where'd you go?!" Ranma stomped on the wooden steps and threw open the

door. The dojo was empty and Ranma scanned the area, only to see an opened window.

Someone poked the back of his head and he turned around to see his servant.

"Come on, let's go." Ranma muttered and shoved his hands in his pockets. What could he do to

be more nice to his servant? *Clothes, that's right, clothes. Something other than those

samurai rags he wears* He tipped his head. Why was his servant wearing samurai clothes?

Was she some kind of assassin? No, too young but she did hold some talent...

"Eat something wrong today?" his servant asked from behind.

"No, why?" he asked.

"You look like you're thinking." his servant answered.

"Whaddya mean-kora! That's no way to talk to your master!" he bellowed, turning to grab his

servant. The boy skipped off in front of him, keeping a short distance away from his hands.

"I know I know. I've already heard the 'that's no way to act or talk to your master' lecture a

hundred times already. Where are we going?" he asked while dodging another swipe.

"Clothes, the ones you have on are terrible and don't befit the station of a servant to the royal

prince." he explained as he opened the door to the clothes making woman. He shoved his

servant in front of her and watched as the woman clucked her tongue at the raggy material.

"Y-you're a prince?" the boy exclaimed while the woman began to pick at the material with a

frown.

"Your royal highness Prince Ranma from the Chinese Empire." he drawled. "Give him a decent

wardrobe of clothes. And when you're done, send him to my room."

"Hey, wait, my clothes are fine-" she was going to follow him when the woman pulled him back

with surprising strength.

"Forget it laddie, nobody goes around dressing like you while I'm here. Now take off those

abominable clothes, they make my very eyes hurt." the woman cackled, already starting to

pull the clothes down. Before she could protest it was too late, her gi slipped down to reveal a

breast band and a chest that couldn't be missed. The woman's eyes grew round with

astonishment.

"Eh, um.....well...." the embarassed girl stammered, trying to think of an excuse.

"No wonder!" the woman exclaimed. "I thought you looked to be too slender for a boy, even a

young 'un!"

"Grandmother, please don't tell anybody about this! I can explain everything but don't give

away who I am!" she pleaded. The woman gave a huff.

"Who do you think I am, one of those gossiping kitchen women? But you will tell me your

story while I fit you for some clothes, my old ears haven't heard a good tale in decades."

The girl confessed that she was just a rurouni who had gotten caught in a trap and Fumiko,

the clothing woman, lapped it up while measuring her arms and legs. She exaggerated the

story, saying it was over a dozen well trained warriors who had outnumbered her in a well

planned trap. Then of how she was sold to cruel slave traders who had beaten her

mercilessly. After an hour of great elaborating, she was wearing a loose uniform made of a

creamy yellow cotton that hid her female body.

"I'll send more clothes to you when I've finished 'em. Bye dearie." Fumiko waved to her as she

jogged back to Ranma's rooms.

"It's laddie, not dearie!" she shouted back, reminding the woman.

"Tadaima! Where's lunch?" she shouted, sliding the door shut behind her. Only silence greeted

her and she curiously looked around but he wasn't in his quarters. "Where did that baka go?"

she murmured to herself. Shrugging her shoulders she stepped out into Ranma's private

garden. She spotted the huge pile of Ranma's trash by the window of his sitting room and

cringed, hoping that Ranma rarely came out to his garden. His garden had high walls about a

15 feet high for privacy and there was a large clear pond in the middle. It had an artistic and

well carved bridge leading over the pond, and in the waters were fishes of all colors

swimming about. There was a forest of bamboo that grew high in thick clumps everywhere so

that the sun could only shine through in slivers. It was so quiet that she could hear her own

footsteps as she explored the garden. When she reached a wall she was surprised to find a

small door. She pushed and it slowly opened to reveal another garden. Getting even more

curious she stepped into the new garden and nearly ran into a well dressed lady.

"Ah, my apologies, lady." she quickly bowed her head and was trying to inch back to the door

but was stopped by a curt command.

"Wait." the lady said. "And hold your head up, I can't see your face at all."

She reluctantly lifted her head. The lady was quite beautiful, the same height as her but

managing to look tall and imposing. Long black hair was tied back in a simple bun and she

held a no nonsense air with almond colored eyes.

"I like you. You don't seem as docile and stupid as most of the women in this palace. You'll be

my maid from now on but perhaps a friend as well." the lady stated.

"Um, excuse me, lady, but-"

"Ukyo. Call me Ukyo, not lady. I just arrived here and I need a companion as well as help. So

you'll be my maid?" Ukyo opened her eyes as wide as she could and made her lips tremble.

"Er, I guess so-" she mumbled, unsure of her choice. But was swept away by Ukyo's hug.

"Wonderful, so what is your name?" she asked.

"Akane." the girl grumbled.

"Akane-chan, you are my first friend in this palace!" Ukyo exclaimed and began to drag her

towards her own rooms. How could Akane refuse? Not only was Ukyo the first person to not

mistake her as a man but the first female who actually wanted to befriend her. With a sigh she

let the desperate noble drag her around. Now she was a servant AND a maid, how did she get

herself into these situations???

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Ukyo was crazy about feminine things. Absolutely, positively CRAZY. The second Akane was

innocently led to Ukyo's sitting room she was pounced on by servants and had her clothes

pulled off a second time that day.

"Kora!! What are you doing?!" Akane shouted from beneath the dogpile of servants. Ukyo

calmly watched it all with glittering eyes.

"I can't have my maid looking like a man, you will be dressed to fit the station of the most

esteemed Lady Ukyo Kuonji."

*Good grief, first a suit of clothes for his ROYAl highness, and now another suit of clothes for

her ESTEEMED lady???*

After being stripped to her birthday suit Akane was promptly thrown into a bathtub that had

come out of nowhere. Once she was scrubbed from head to toe with the heavenly scents of

flowers she was ordered to stand in silk underclothes in front of Ukyo and another servant.

Ukyo stroked her chin in thought as she looked at Akane up and down.

"What do you think of the light pink with that border of sakura blossoms?" Ukyo asked the

woman standing beside her. The woman began to stroke her chin just like Ukyo.

"Hmm, perhaps a nice shade of blue, it will bring out the color of her hair. And a cream

colored obi to bring out the skin tone, such beautiful skin. It could almost rival yours, Lady

Ukyo, you have done well to choose this maid."

Ukyo gave a high and mighty smile and nodded her approval at the woman's choice, in which

it was brought out and put on Akane in lightning speed. An hour later, Akane had been

scrubbed, powdered, pulled, and tweaked to the perfect lady. When she turned to look at a

tall mirror, she almost gave a gasp. She....she.....she looked like a GIRL. A real honest to kami

girl! They had artfully curled her hair so that it tumbled into waves of blue, giving the eye an

image of the ocean. A touch of some strange powder here and there to make her skin glow

and a silvery eye shadow that made her eyes seem impossibly large. The kimono was of the

finest silk and was a two shades lighter then her own hair with a border of cranes. Ukyo

clapped her hands with happiness.

"You clean up so nicely, Akane-chan! I don't think anybody could mistake you as a maid but a

fine lady made by my very own hands. Come, I must show you off to everybody." Ukyo took

her hand and once again began to drag (*goodness, people really seem to love dragging

Akane around in this story!) her outside the building. However when they both burst outside

of the building they ran into someone, literally. Ukyo tripped over her feet but gracefully

caught herself in time. Akane wasn't as lucky was because of the uneven weight of Ukyo

pushing her forward she almost flew towards the ground, if an arm hadn't grabbed her waist.

Wincing from her own clumsiness (Ukyo pushing her forward to prevent her own fall) she

looked up at her savior and her mouth dropped. Ranma was staring down at her with

astonished eyes, still holding her steady with his arm.

"Uh....uh.....I can explain?" she weakily said.

*Tadaima-i'm home, i'm back

*Kora-hey! (commonly used when angry or annoyed)

lili boom: hehehe, well, akane is an elite spy, but that doesn't mean she isn't like any other normal 16 year old girl. and yeah, i want ryoga and akane to be friends, but ryoga won't be the eternally lost boy in this story.

tigerrelly: hey! tons of thanks for the long review! and yup, i'm still considuring the princess thing. and you got a quick mind, yes, akane IS some kind of nobility. but still, the princess thing, i dunno, i'm thinking about it! and his reason of not trusting any of the emperor's servants is partially true, but ranma doesn't really trust anybody at all. at least not completely. the whole not trusting the emperor's servant was just a believable excuse for cologne so she would get off of his back. and i thought the poking forehead thing was pretty funny too! ^^ and it would be so great if you could tell me some good ranma stories!!