Nabiki sighed and rubbed her temples, trying to massage away the building headache, leaning back against the dojo wall. Getting away from school had been good (all those negative emotions aimed at her were no fun), introducing Xian Pu to Kasumi had been a joy (as had been watching Genma sweat when he realized where she was from), and basking in Ranma’s love when he got home from school had been divine (even if she’d had to go out and collect his — or rather, “her” at the time — clothing and book bag from by the fountain in the park).
But now Xian Pu had turned down Kasumi’s offer to stay the night and left for her camp, and Nabiki’s part-time sort-of lover and little sister were ruining what had been a wonderful afternoon, and she had to leave soon to pick up the books she was borrowing from Nodoka.
“I said NO!” the aforementioned little sister shouted at the top of her lungs. “I don’t need someone fighting my battles for me! And I definitely don’t need some pervert using training as an excuse to grope me!”
Nabiki shot upright, shocked at the emotional mix she’d picked up from Akane — anger and revulsion were no surprise, but shame? But why ... “Akane, have any of the Hentai Horde been using the morning fights as cover to try and grope you?” she asked in a tightly controlled voice. Akane fell silent and looked away, but the blush on her cheeks and the intensification of her shame and revulsion answered for her, and Ranma growled, hands clenched into fists.
“You just point out the boys, and I’ll see to it that they never bother you again!” he ground out, and Akane shrugged uncomfortably, now staring at the floor.
“It was only a few, at the very beginning. After that I was on guard, but they won’t stop trying!” she responded, her voice starting barely above a whisper and rising to a shout.
Nabiki strode over to her and grabbed her shoulders. “Alright, that’s it, nobody messes with my little sister like that. Either you let Ranma fight with you, or I fight for you! Your choice.”
“And how are you gonna to do that? I can take you down without breaking a sweat,” Akane said.
“There’s more ways to fight than just your fists,” Nabiki said. “In this case, I think a few mornings with my video camera, and then if the Horde doesn’t take the hint a call to the police.”
Akane stiffened and look up — that might actually work! “But ... why haven’t you done it before?” she asked, and it was Nabiki’s turn to stare at the floor in shame as her hands fell away from Akane’s shoulders.
“Because I was enjoying watching Daddy’s favorite daughter get attacked every morning,” she mumbled. “It wasn’t until I noticed what it was doing to you that I started getting worried. I’m sorry.” Then, not giving her stunned sibling a chance to respond, she straightened up. “Anyway,” she said firmly, “those are your choices — Ranma trains you and fights with you, or I and my video camera shut it down for you.”
Akane stared at her for a long moment, then reluctantly nodded. “Alright, I’ll let Ranma train me, and join me against Kuno and the Horde.”
“Good,” Nabiki said, then turned to Ranma. “Ranma, I have to leave, to pick up some research materials. Go ahead and get Akane’s training started, but don’t use your father’s training methods — you survived them, but Akane might not be so lucky. Instead, think back to how your other teachers did it, okay?”
Ranma chuckled and nodded. “Right, she’s a bit old for the C-C-Cat Fist, anyway. And after the way you and Mom reacted, I’ll leave that ta Pop — I wouldn’t want you guys mad at me!”
Nabiki winced, then shook her head, smiling wryly, while Akane looked back and forth between the two in confusion. “ ‘Cat Fist’? ‘Mom’?” she asked, and Nabiki nodded.
“Right, I’ll explain later. Just take it that Genma put Ranma through pure hell for ten years, not just a few weeks, and that he’ll get his. Oh, and don’t tell Genma that we’ve found Ranma’s mother. Later, kids, have fun!” And with that and a wave the middle Tendo walked out of the dojo. Okay, so Ranma’s problem with keeping secrets isn’t just an inability to act, something to remember.
The two watched Nabiki disappear through the door, then turned to look at each other. “Okay, now what?” Akane asked grumpily, defensively folding her arms across her chest.
Ranma frowned thoughtfully, scratching the back of his neck. Great, ya got your first student, and she really doesn’t want ta be here, thinks she already knows it all. Reminds me a’ Pop, he thought with a snort of amusement, then stiffened. That’s it! That time that Pop got a good thumpin’ from that sensei in Fukui ...
Akane had stiffened at Ranma’s snort, and was now glaring at her erstwhile sensei. “What’s so funny?” she asked suspiciously, and Ranma shrugged.
“Just thinkin’ how ya resemble Pop,” he said nonchalantly.
“What!?” Akane roared. “There’s no way I’m like that lazy no-good pervert!”
Ranma shrugged. “Can’t disagree with yer description, but ya both think ya can’t be taught. So, let’s do somethin’ about that — attack me.”
“What?” Akane asked, her anger replaced by confusion.
“Attack me,” Ranma repeated, “pretend I’m one a’ the Hentai Horde, one a’ the ones that groped you, gimme yer best shot.”
“Okayyyy,” Akane said uncertainly, and took her basic stance, turned sideways with one arm forward ready for quick strikes or blocks, then frowned at Ranma, standing in front her with his hands lightly clasped behind his back, bouncing on his heels. “Well, aren’t you going to get ready?” she asked, and Ranma shrugged.
“I am ready,” he said. “Go for it whenever you’re ready.”
Alright, if that’s the way he wants to play it, let’s get this over fast, Akane thought, then approached him carefully and threw what she thought to be a lightning-fast punch only to have him avoid it easily, bouncing straight up with his legs tucked underneath. Quickly, trying to take advantage of his hang time, she side-kicked up only to have Ranma again avoid what should have been a sure hit with a mid-air splits. She fell back as Ranma landed, then charged forward with a flurry of punches and kicks, only to have Ranma avoid them all easily, this time with his feet staying in the same spot as if nailed there.
Finally, a now sweating Akane again fell back and glared at the boy in front of her — he still looked as fresh as when they’d started! Okay, that’s it, no more going easy on him, she thought through the familiar anger building up. If he wants to play games, let’s see him shrug this off! And she again slowly moved forward toward her tormentor.
Ranma carefully kept the smile off his face as he watched Akane’s slow approach. Good, she’s gotten angry and finally decided to get serious, he thought. Wait for it, wait for it... Then Akane again struck like a viper, only to wince as her punch smashed into and through the wall, as Ranma again bounced straight up, then pushed off the wall to land behind her and lightly tap the back of her head.
“And you’re unconscious or dead,” he said, and stepped back as Akane turned and stared at him in shock. “You’re fast enough,” he continued, “but I’d say you haven’t had a decent sparring partner in forever — you’re telegraphing your attacks and putting so much effort inta them that you’re leaving yourself wide open ta counterattacks. Against the Horde, or your average martial artist, that’s not a problem — you’re moving fast enough that they can’t catch up ta ya even if they see ya comin’. But against someone like Kuno that really know his stuff you’re toast.”
“I’ve held my own against Kuno so far,” Akane ground out, “and I didn’t see you doing so well when he was chasing you through the halls — you actually dove out of a window to get away from him!”
Ranma just shrugged. “I was fightin’ a nutcase splittin’ desks and knockin’ holes in walls an’ floors without caring about all the civilians around us — I was lookin’ for a place ta fight him where everyone else would be safe. Besides, he couldn’t hit me, could he? Ya have to know he’s been pulling his punches with ya — don’t ya?”
Akane continued to glare at Ranma for a long moment, before her gaze faltered and she looked away. “Yes, I know,” she whispered.
“So how’d ya like ta be good enough that he isn’t pulling his punches and still losing?” Ranma asked. “It’ll take awhile, but there’s no reason ya shouldn’t get there — Kuno focuses too much on looking good instead a’ winning. So, ya ready ta actually learn instead a’ showing off?”
Akane continued to stare at the dojo wall, but finally gave a quick nod.
Ranma gazed at his first student for a long moment and thought back to what had followed his father’s ass-whupping, then said, “Good enough — for now. Let’s start with your stance....”
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:29)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.