Sparring with Ranma was humbling for Akane, but no longer humiliating. After being thoroughly dominated for days on end, shame is replaced with a simple realization that she wasn't, and probably never was, in Ranma's league. The boy was supportive, though, and he took the time to explain her weaknesses, rather than just exploit them like Genma would.
There was one day where Genma decided to get in on the sparring. Akane accepted the challenge, and Ranma watched from the sidelines. It had barely reached the second exchange of blows when Ranma was suddenly between them, Genma's outreached hand in his son's grip, a few pressure points at the wrist freezing the man with no small amount of pain. "If this blow had connected," Ranma said calmly, anger clear in his face, "Akane wouldn't wake up for hours and be sore for days."
Before Genma could protest his son's coddling his pupil, Ranma had him out the door and in the koi pond.
Akane looked at Ranma with wide eyes. "Were you serious?"
Ranma looked back, still fighting off anger at his father. "Yeah. That's why I don't spar with you 'for real'. You're not ready for that, not yet." He smiled. "When you are, you'll show oyaji just what it means to be a student of the great Saotome Ranma!"
Akane gave her sensei a flat look and gently malleted him to the floor. "Ranma no baka."
"Gomen."
Ranma, for the most part, had no interest in learning rituals or spells or anything like that, but he sat with rapt attention as Nabiki described how a summoner exacted service from a spirit.
"So wait," he said as the memory of their first encounter came back. "You were trying ta bind me that first time we met."
Nabiki nodded. "At the time, I had no idea what you were or what you would do to me. My circle was broken, so the only way I could protect myself was to bind you against hurting me and mine."
Ranma thought that over a bit. "That makes sense. Gives me an idea about what not to say if someone else makes a try at me."
Nabiki held the Ice Queen as a mental security blanket while she debated letting Ranma know how likely that was. "Ranma, remember that night my wards flared? You said you felt a tug?"
Ranma nodded in confusion, then his face fell slack. "That was a summons!?" he yelled.
Nabiki motioned for him to keep his voice down. Akane and Soun only knew Nabiki was learning about spirits since she was engaged to one. If they knew she was an accomplished summoner well before she had ever heard of Saotome Ranma... "Yes that was a summons, and a powerful one. I've been researching ways to block them without the elaborate wards I've set up here."
"Why didn't ya tell me?"
"Because I didn't want you to freak out," Nabiki admitted. "I still don't have any good idea how to stop it."
Ranma nodded glumly. "Well, what are your bad ideas?"
Nabiki smiled wanly. "Binding you to me, to the house or dojo, or to some other object would prevent any other binding. The problem is, of course, that you couldn't get too far from whatever you were bound to."
Ranma made a face at that. "No offense, Nabs, but I don't like the sound of that. If I go ta train in the wild, I don't wanna hafta drag you along." His eyes shot wide as he realized what he said. "Not that I wouldn't like ta be with-"
Nabiki's giggles cut him off. "That does it, next thing I'm researching is a spell to fix foot in mouth," she teased. "Ranma, I know what you mean. Frankly the idea of binding myself like that isn't high on my list of things to do either. I'm still looking for solutions, and I asked auntie to look into it, too. But as far as either of us know, no one has ever tried to protect a free spirit from being summoned. Congratulations, Ranma, you're unique."
Ranma tried to smile at that.
"He's doing better," Soun said suddenly. "He kicks Ranma into the pond so he can practice against an invisible opponent."
Nabiki blinked and turned more attention to the fight. The redhead's blows did seem to be hitting blocks more often. Had she been as martially inclined as her father, she would have seen how Genma reacted to the blow to turn it as it came, carefully concealing his vitals from debilitating blows.
Ranma did see this and waited after the last blow. Sure enough, Genma reacted, spreading his stance to allow for a blow from the side, as if Ranma was circling him. Ranma was smarter than to crow over the new opening, instead silently launching her attack.
The instant her foot touched the man's belly, his hand was around her ankle and Ranma found herself hurled to the grass. "What's the matter, Ranma?" Genma taunted. "You're fighting like a girl today!"
Ranma saw red. Part of it was the fraying but still present "girls are weak" lessons from her past. Part of it was his newer respect for Akane as a martial artist -- he took pride in his pupil. And part of it was the fact that, at that moment, she was a girl. And, dammit, she liked it! "Let's see what a 'girl' can do, oyaji!"
Nabiki stared as Ranma's form...changed. She couldn't quite put her finger on it as the redhead resumed her furious attack. Genma was just watching, stunned, as Ranma delivered a kick that sent him flying.
Wait.
Genma was watching?
Nabiki looked over her father and sister. Both were staring at the redhead.
She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Well, I guess we can add 'visibility' to your list of powers, Ranko!" she called.
Ranma looked over at the audience and saw Soun and Akane staring at her, and Nabiki taking a picture. Instantly her hands went to her breasts and crotch. "YOU CAN SEE ME!?"
Soun fainted.
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(Posted Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:17)
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