Pleasing the Master

“Ok Ranma, now I want to spar for real, no pulling punches or fooling around.” Akane stood in a defensive stance, determination shining on her face. ‘Finally, I’ve got him where I want him.’ Ranma stood expressionless across from her, completely at ease. She ran at him and sent him flying across the room to flatten against the wall, with a single punch. She looked at her fist and then to the prone form of Ranma sliding down the dojo wall.

For one brief second she was bursting with pride, she Beat RANMA! Then realization hit, ‘the jerk didn’t even move.’ She rushed forward as his body slumped to the floor, not even attempting to defend himself.

“What’s the big idea?! You didn’t dodge or block or anything.”

“You beat me, isn’t that what you wanted.” Ranma said rubbing the back of his head in mild pain.

“I wanted you to spar with me for real, not for you to stand there while I pummel you.” She stood up and walked across the hard wood floor to stand in the middle of the dojo, shaking her head all the while. Ranma looked up at her retreating form, a skeptical look on his face. He rose and they faced off again.

This time, she faked a punch to his stomach catching him by surprise with a leg sweep that sent him sprawling to the ground. She frowned, assuming he was still acting defenseless, until he rolled back and sprung to his feet and charged her. He threw a few punches, which she blocked and she smiled. ‘He’s still not really hitting though,’ she thought to herself ruefully. ‘What am I going to have to do to make him take me seriously?’

Before she realized it, Ranma was sent flying against the wall again with a kick to the chest. Her brow furrowed in confusion, replaying the volley of strikes they exchanged. She sent a punch to his face which he sidestepped, then she spun around to deliver the kick, which she now knew was a stupid decision since he was already moving out of position from where she sent the kick. ‘I should have hit air and he should have seen the opening.’ Then she realized he must have moved into the path of her kick. ‘That JERK!’

She stalked over to Ranma anger seething from her pores. He sat on the floor propped up against the wall holding his chest with one arm the wind knocked out of him, the other arm slung over his raised knee.

“I told you not to hold back, what are you doing turning INTO a kick?!” He turned up to look at her a grimace on his face, eyes squinting, but said nothing.

“Well.” She stared down at him tapping her foot.

“Your winning.” He answered simply.

“I don’t want to win because you threw the match, I already told you that.” Her angry glare followed him as he rose to his feet, until she was looking up at him.

“It’s been my experience that women never say what they mean.” He said with more conviction then his experience could back up.

“Honestly, you can’t do anything right!” She stomped out the door leaving Ranma alone with his thoughts.

Grumbling angrily Akane slammed the door to her room shut, throwing off her gi and pulled on a pair of shorts and a loose t-shirt. Her head whipped to the side at a gentle knocking at her window. Tearing the window open she glared out at Ranma’s face upside down.

“What are YOU doing here?” She shouted reaching for the lamp on her desk.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” He asked meekly, twiddling his fingers.

“STOP asking me that and get lost!” She thrust the lamp at him, knocking him from the drainage pipe and into the pond below. He floated back up to the surface unconscious. Akane sighed and started toward her door.

“I better drag him out so he doesn’t drown. Honestly, I can’t believe him.” Akane grumpily made her way down the stairs.

“Hello Akane, my dear.”

“Hi.” Replied Akane tersely to Happosai as they passed each in the hall. He puffed lazily on his pipe. “Wait, grandfather Happosai!”

“You have to snap Ranma out of the slave spell the necklace put on him.” Akane pleaded with him while they sat at the table being served tea by Kasumi.

“Makes a pathetic slave, eh? That’s what I was afraid of.” Happosai blew smoke into the air sparing a glance to Ranma’s unconscious form sprawled out on the lawn where Akane had left him after dragging him out of the pond. “Thank you Kasumi, my dear.”

He smiled up at the eldest Tendo daughter. “I’m sorry Akane, but Ranma is going to be your slave for the rest of his life.”

“What?!” She yelled hitting the table. “That can’t be true. Tell me how the pendant works, I’ll figure out how to cure him.”

“Well actually, I lost the directions to the thing twenty years ago. Look, it won’t be so bad. Since you have him under your control could you make him do a little dance for me in this baby.” He stood holding a red see-through negligee.

“I can’t believe you! And you call yourself his master!” She chased him around the room and out into he yard.

“If you make him do something kinky with you, can I watch? Hehe.” She screamed in outrage as he bounced over the wall and made his escape over nearby rooftops.

Akane continued to fume the next day throughout school. Ranma was as tentative as he had been the past four days. She relaxed slightly spending her lunch with her friends. Ranma was at least out of sight sitting behind her with his friends. She knew he was sitting there waiting for orders, but she chose to ignore him for the moment and enjoy the peace.

Unfortunately, said peace was extremely short lived, as Moose bellowed through the school courtyard for Ranma to show his face. “Saotome, you have put your hands on my sweet Shampoo for the last time!”

Akane and Ranma were already on their feet. Moose surprisingly had his glasses on and was facing the right direction. He sent a cinderblock on a chain soaring at Ranma and hit him dead in the stomach, throwing him into the stone wall that crumbled on impact. Gasps of surprise echoed through the crowd.

“What happened?” One of the girls asked.

“He didn’t even move.” Ranma’s friend replied. Akane watched Ranma slowly rise to his feet, Moose approaching totally aghast. The cinder block was soaring through the air again and Ranma wasn’t making a move. Suddenly the block was shattered into a million pieces and Akane was standing in front of Ranma massaging her knuckles.

“What are you doing Ranma? Fight back!” Akane glared over her shoulder to Ranma.

“But you’re always getting in the middle of my fights, so I thought you wanted to fight instead.”

“You are such an idiot!” She shouted bonking him on the head, putting her back to Moose.

“Um, you might want to avoid that.” Ranma commented pointing toward a large halberd heading their way. She yelled out in shock taking Ranma down to the ground with her.

“This is just great. I have to handle your fight with Moose and you’re not even going to help me?!” She frowned down at him once they stopped rolling on the ground, Akane on top of Ranma.

“Yup. I think you’d rather have it this way.” She growled in frustration and dragged him to his feet. The glint of steal flashed in her eyes and Akane sprang into a run, hauling Ranma away by the front of his shirt, evading the thirty or so throwing stars Moose launched at them.

“Akane Tendo, I am trying to kill Ranma, would you kindly get out of the way.” Moose adjusted his glasses, staring the couple down. Akane’s mind raced. She had improved, but she was skeptical that she would be able to beat Moose and keep Ranma from being uninjured since he seemed to refuse to do anything to defend himself. ‘Leave it to Ranma to get me stuck in a position like this.’ Just looking at him made her stomach sour. Then an idea struck her and she got ready.

“Hey Moose, do you remember that move I used to level the Gold Dragon?” She held her hands out concentrating on her anger building the feeling up in her body and soul.

“Yeah, dragon fire or something like that…” Moose seemed to shake the question off, then realization hit and a green aura started to surround Akane.

“If you leave now Moose, without anymore fighting, I’ll forget about using it on you.” A small ball of fire started to collect in her hands and Moose became more nervous, sweat dripping from his brow.

“Very well Akane Tendo, as I’ve said my fight is not with you, I’ll be back to settle the score with Ranma another time.” Moose couldn’t hoof it back to the Nekohaten fast enough.

The ball of energy dissipated in Akane’s hands and she collapsed into Ranma’s awaiting arms.

“I can’t believe he fell for that.” Ranma marveled.

“No kidding, a few seconds more and I couldn’t have been able to hold it.” She looked at her hands still feeling the heat that once surged around them. “It’s a good thing I wore short sleeves today or I would have burnt them off.”

Ranma helped Akane back to class where she could ponder the days’ events. ‘I can’t protect Ranma from all the people who want to kill him.’ Sparing a glance in his direction she continued her thoughts. ‘There are a lot of people who want to kill him. How does he deal with it so calmly…’ She let out a sigh. ‘Got to think of a way to get rid of this slave curse. Maybe Cologne can think of something!’ She laughed to herself silently. ‘She’ll probably tell me to have him marry Shampoo…but still she’s my only option and I can’t stand this kind of Ranma for much longer.’ Her eyes filled with remorse as she looked over at Ranma again. He stared back at her with an empty pleasing expression that drove her mad. ‘It just isn’t Ranma.’

As soon as school was out Akane ordered Ranma home to wait for her and she ran as fast as she could to the Nekohaten.

“What you want Akane? Ranma no with you?” Shampoo seemed very disappointed.

“I’d like to speak with your great grandmother.”

“Great grandmother, violent Akane girl here to see you.” The purple haired Amazon yelled to the back of the restaurant, then turned back to Akane unenthusiastically. “She be out in minute.”

“Thanks.” Akane replied behind clenched teeth.

“Yes, what is it child? Son-in-law is not with you?” Cologne asked coming out of the kitchen.

“No, Ranma isn’t with me, why does everyone keep asking me that? He, well, I sort of have a problem.” She proceeded to explain the events of the last four days and of Ranma’s behavior.

“I see Happi is causing trouble as usual.”

“Can you think of anything that I can do?” The old woman took a long inhale of her pipe and contemplated the situation while Akane sat waiting in suspense.

“It would seem to me since Ranma wants to please you that if he were content that the pendant should be able to be removed.”

“Do you really think so?!” Akane asked excitedly, clapping her hands together in hope.

“I do not know for sure, but it would be a logical assumption.”

“Alright I know exactly what to do, thanks a lot!” Akane smiled brightly and ran straight home. ‘Dinner should be starting soon, one of Ranma’s favorite things, he’ll definitely be content.’

“I’m home!” Akane positively beamed, she even allowed Ranma to remove her shoes for her and take her books without getting angry and hitting him. Akane was in anxious anticipation until dinnertime arrived. Ranma appeared to be enjoying the meal so she scooted next to him and tried to find the clasp of the necklace without disturbing him. Then Genma tried to steal some of Ranma’s pickles and then some of his pork and then his rice and of course Ranma retaliated and the clasp was nowhere to be found.

Akane was disappointed, but still determined. She continually watched for the clasp to appear, shooing Ranma aside when he wanted to do something for her. The evening seemed to fly by and Akane was flustered as she lay in bed having made no progress at all. ‘Who knew Ranma was so unhappy, he wasn’t content even once today.’

Like a flash another idea struck her and she sprang from her bed not even remembering to don her robe. ‘Ranma’s other favorite thing, SLEEP!’ Quietly she snuck into the guest room of the Tendo home occupied by the Saotomes. Genma, in panda form, was snoring in the corner of the room while Ranma was sprawled out on a bedroll on the floor dressed in what appeared to be his boxers and a tank top, the covers concealing his lower half.

She swallowed hard and kneeled down beside him. ‘I can do this, it’s a piece of cake.’ She leaned over him snaking her hands under his neck feeling for the clasp of the silver chain. Ever a keen martial artist, even in his sleep, Ranma seemed to sense her presence and pulled her down into a roll, stopping with his upper half on hers and also making a rather loud thud.

Akane gasped, red faced, trying to push the unconscious boy off her. After a few minutes of panicked struggling her determination returned to her. ‘It’s actually better this way.’ She tried to convince herself. ‘I can feel around for the chain like this more easily.’ Again she started to feel around his neck, this time with slightly trebling fingers. Ranma began his rolling around again and Akane started to curse. The noise started to rise waking the rest of the household, but Akane was too deadest on her mission to even notice them entering the room until she heard a female voice.

“Geez, can’t you two ever do anything quietly, some of us would like to sleep. I can get you a room real cheap if that’s what you need.” Nabiki said, first to enter the room and find Ranma lying on top of Akane his arms around her, their legs tangled together. Pajamas and hair in disarray, Nabiki yawned groggily.

“Oh my, maybe we should plan another wedding.”

“Excellent idea we can work on the details in the morning.” Soun agreed with his oldest.

‘Couldn’t you at least have waited for me to leave?’ The panda scribbled on one of his wooden signs. Ranma took this moment to wake, slowly focusing on at the woman underneath him, on his bed.

“Is there anything I can do for you, Akane?” She was sure that her face had turned so red that it might actually spontaneously combust.

“Get off of me!” Akane let out a frustrated growl before she launched him off of her with her legs and sent him crashing through the window.

Akane seethed the next morning at breakfast, Nabiki’s chiding didn’t let up for a second.  “I guess you can’t call Ranma a pervert anymore Akane. A few days as your slave and you’re already having your way with him.”

“It was nothing like that, I was trying to get that stupid pendant off of the jerk!”

“Please no more shouting at the table, I don’t think any of us got enough sleep last night.” Genma smiled at Soun’s statement and they both nodded knowingly. Akane let out a frustrated sigh and grabbed Ranma by his pigtail.

“Come on Ranma, let’s practice. You will still at least practice with me won’t you?” She was happy that it was Sunday and they didn’t have to go to school, she could hear Nabiki and her rumor squad already. She buried her face in her hand then pushed her short hair away from her face. Ranma stood across from her with an unreadable expression.

“OK Ranma, I think I’m getting closer to being able to do that dragon bullet, it definitely has something to do with channeling my anger, but there is more to it. Lets spar for a bit then I’ll try it again. Do you think you can do that?” He nodded wordlessly and they began, he continued to pull his punches, but he wasn’t allowing himself to be hit either. She started to focus the anger she felt and grabbed the front of his shirt for a throw but suddenly her feet were knocked out from under her and they both fell to the floor in a painful heap.

Her head hit the floor and she groaned in pain, her eyes closed. Both his hands came up to hold her head.

“Are you all right?” He asked softly.

“Yeah fine, but why did you-” She was stopped short by the unusual expression on his face, his hands slowly caressing her hair. “Um, what are you doing?”

“Well, I thought after last night…” He trailed off beginning to move his eyes down her body.

“You thought-NO! That’s not what I was doing, that’s definitely NOT what I want!” He started to tug at the tie of her gi, but she grabbed it. Her voice caught in her throat, she swallowed hard trying to regain it, her heartbeat becoming deafening in her ears.

“I mean, you’re always so upset when I insult your body, so I thought you’d like to know how much I appreciate it.” He moved his head down to her neck, nuzzling his nose in her hair.

“Ah, hehe, you’re twisting what I did, and what I’ve said, all around.” His movements were starting to tickle which sent vibrations down her body like she had never felt before. She tried wiggling up and away from him while checking behind her. When she returned her nervous eyes to him he was staring at her chest. She eeped and scrambled to get away, but he pulled her back to him by her gi belt, somehow managing to undo it in the process. Her arms automatically covered her chest protectively. Smiling down at her he paused before he lunged at her. Quickly she shoved him off her and ran in the opposite direction straight into a dead end, the corner of the dojo.

In a whirlwind of motion she found herself facing the opposite direction, her back against the wall, her hair obscuring her vision. Ranma’s hand gently moved the hair from her eyes, his body mere inches from hers. He hadn’t used an ounce of force to get her where she was, leaving her completely aghast. A warm breeze worked its way into the dojo and wound its way through both their hair and across the bare skin of Akane’s arms.

She looked down at herself noting that her gi top was gone and that she was now standing in her tank top and pants. ‘When did he do that?’ She silently marveled to herself, forgetting her predicament in a moment of bizarre clarity. Turning to find his face nose to nose with her own snapped her right back to the present.

“Akane…” He whispered letting his eyes half close. She quickly sucked in her breath placing a barrier between them with her hands on his chest, his warmth pulsing through her hands matching the thundering of her own heart.

“Look, Ranma. I know why you are doing this.” She rolled her eyes closed for a moment and breathed in deeply, trying to sober up a bit. “In your very warped reasoning you are doing what you think I want. Which by the way, I don’t. But I want you to know, for when I get you back to yourself, that I know that’s all it is. I know that its not really you wanting this…so don’t worry about it or anything.”

His face clouded for a moment, enough to allow her to push him away and bolt from the dojo. She raced inside the house and upstairs to her room where she locked herself away to think.

The day was an uneasy one for Akane Tendo, trying to avoid one enamored Ranma Saotome. He always seemed to be around trying to do what ‘she wanted.’ Well she certainly didn’t want THAT she shouted to herself. Anxiously she wandered around town trying to think her way through a solution until she found herself at the entrance to the Nekohaten. The old woman sat in the corner of the dinning room enjoying some oolong tea before the dinner rush.

“So child did you find a cure for my son-in-law?” The comment raised the temperature in Akane’s blood momentarily, but she contained herself for sanity’s sake.

“Not really. He NEVER seems content and he’s got some messed up ideas on what he thinks I want him to do.”

“Well if he want marry Shampoo, go head and let him.” Shampoo said gleefully, refilling her great grandmother’s tea. Akane frowned but ignored the younger Amazon.

“Let him do what he thinks you want then praise him for it. Most assuredly he will be content.”

“I am NOT going along with what he’s thinking.” ‘The damn pervert!’ She added to herself.

“It seems like the only way to release him from your service.” Cologne looked at the young girl fussing nervously before her and became curious. “What is it that he thinks you want child?”

“Oh, nothing…” She said turning red. “But he’s WRONG, dead wrong!”

“The choice is yours, but it seems that giving a small amount of recognition for his tasks should be within your reach, my dear.” Akane let out a frustrated sigh and began to leave the restaurant cursing her fiancée to herself. ‘Why does he always have to cause me so much grief?’

“Perhaps he would not be so eager to please if you simply thanked him once in a while.” The old woman noted to her as she walked out the door.

Feeling moderately guilty Akane walked home slowly picking up a few materials she needed to work on for a school project due at the end of the week. ‘I am so far behind in school I really don’t need to be dealing with Ranma and the messes he gets himself into.’ She beat the little voice in her head that was telling her that she did play a part in putting the necklace on him into the back of her mind. ‘I’ll work on my project now and work on Ranma later.’

Her choice of words made her chuckle softly. ‘Let him do what he thinks you want then praise him, she says.’ A comical scene rose in her mind of Ranma standing above her in a loincloth, arms on his hips, a wide grin on his face. She is wrapped in a sheet her hands clasped together on her knees before him with a look of adornment on her face. ‘Oh Ranma, you’re a GOD!’

“Yeah right, that’ll be the day.” She scoffed, and then reddened for even thinking up such a situation. ‘Definitely out of the question.’

Back at the house she busied herself making her demonstration material for the fake company Nabiki helped her work on for Economics. She stretched her arms in the air tensing every muscle in her body yawning, the day almost spent, when she spotted movement from the corner of the room. Spinning around in her chair she was now face to face with Ranma. Yelping in fright, holding a hand to her chest feeling the quickened beat of her heart.

“Ranma, you scared the heck out of me.” She breathed a little easier, but her heart continued to pound.

“Sorry, I just wanted to surprise you and see what you’re up to.” She jumped from her chair as he tried to get even closer to her.

“Just working on some homework.”

“Need any help?”

“I don’t think so.” She said smugly.

“Need me to do anything else?” There was an unmistakable gleam in his eye when he said this.

“Ah, no.” She drawled.

“You sure you don’t need me to do anything?”

“Yes.”

“Positive?”

“YES! Now get out!” She clobbered him and sent him flying out the window. When she looked down he landed lightly on the ground much to her surprise. The next thing to surprise her was the fact that when she moved she felt much more bouncy the she normally did. Letting out a loud gasp she crossed her arms before her chest and glare down at her martial artist fiancée.

“Ranma! How did you-” She was too furious to continue, below he was twirling her brassier round his index finger.

“Umisenken¹.” He grinned and she yelled in outrage.

“Y-You PERVERT! You’re worse than Happosai!” She started toward the windowsill then stopped remembering all the times she caught Ranma and Happosai with her underwear and she clobbered him for saying he didn’t want some uncute tomboy’s panties.

“Grrrr, RANMA, can’t you get anything right?!” With that she was out the window and pursuing him in a large circle around the back yard.

Hours later, after Akane chased Ranma all around the backyard and finally sent him soaring through the skies, she sat at her desk in her room studying. She heard Ranma arrive home a few minutes early and out of nowhere Cologne’s words came back to her ‘…perhaps he would not be so eager to please if you simply thanked him once in awhile…’ and a pang of guilt hit her.

Calmly Akane strolled into the dinning area of the Tendo home thankful that Ranma was alone. Breathing deeply she decided she could do it. She could thank him, it would be acting after all she didn’t really have to mean it. ‘I just have to keep from getting mad,’ a long sigh through gritted teeth, ‘at Ranma.’ Clearing her throat she spoke, “Oh Ranma, be a dear and pour me a cup of tea?” Smiling he immediately rushed into the kitchen and was out in a flash with her beverage. Steadying herself she accepted the cup.

“Thank you so much.” She smiled reaching for behind his neck. Ranma in turn drew her into a hug. She groped around the chain for the clasp and froze in solid fury as his hands that were around her back had made their way to rest on her backside. ‘Almost there I can make it.’ She silently struggled with the extreme desire to strike him down with the most solid object she could find in the room. “Thank you AGAIN, Ranma.”

“Your welcome.” He breathed into her neck, nuzzling against her skin.

“Oh and Ranma?” The chain necklace fell to the ground between them.

“Yeah?” He answered in a throaty voice.

“Get your hands OFF my ASS!” And the bludgeoning began. Ranma didn’t even have a chance to throw a single insult her way. “You absolute pervert! How dare you think all that stuff about me!”

“But-”

SMASH

“Akane-”

CRACK

“I-”

SLAM

“Ahhhhhhhh!”

CRASH

She could feel it burning within her, the energy caused by her anger. Internally, she focused on it forming it into an almost solid form, separate from herself. Then she tried pushing it away and could feel the small sphere leave her hands. Her eyes shot open in amazement as the ball of swirling green flame like chi shoot from her hands. In the instant she opened her eyes her concentration crumbled to nothing and the ball seemed to be drawn back to her dissipating and enlarging as it came. The heat of it swirled around her body as she tried to focus it minimizing the damage somewhat.

“Are you all right?” Ranma rushed to her side helping her up from the kneeling position that she hadn’t even realized that she’d dropped to. “Yeah, I just have to remember to keep my concentration, that isn’t exactly the easiest moves to perform.

“It’ll get easier with time.” Ranma said consolingly and she suddenly realized she did it, and would be able to do it again now that she knew how.

“I did it, Ranma.” She said astonishing even herself. “I did it!”

She jumped up attaching herself to his body. They jumped up and down together giggling like two insane people, until they finally settled into a hug.

“Yes you did.” Ranma whispered to her, filling with pride, never even remembering his whole motivation for helping her, to find a counterattack. She pulled away just enough to look up into his face, giving him a wide grin. It was good to have him back to himself. The urge to give him a kiss on the cheek washed over her, the she remembered being pressed up against the wall by his body and she began to tremble. Pulling away, she turned hoping he hadn’t seen her blush.

“Look Akane, about the other day.” Ranma said vocalizing her thoughts.

“What about it?” She tried to sound nonchalant but failed miserably.

“I wanted to apologize for acting like I did after sparring with you.” She turned back and he turned around hanging his head slightly.

“Oh…well, I told you that I understood and that it was just the pendant thingy warping your brain into thinking that’s what I wanted, as totally wrong as that was.” She caught herself babbling and stopped short. His eyes turned up and gazed into hers once again and she was sure her checks must have been flaming.

“O-Of course.”

“Right, I know that was something you would never do.”

“Yeah.” They stood looking at each for several minutes without speaking until Kasumi called outside announcing breakfast and scaring the wits out of both of them.

They headed inside to the breakfast table together. The sight before them caught them both off guard and left them standing on the back porch.

“A little more sugar Mr. Saotome.”

“Yes, of course Nabiki.” Genma bustled around the room adjusting the pillow behind Nabiki’s back propping up her feet, dishing out her food and generally just bending and scraping at her feet.

“Ahh, now this is the life. Really grandfather this is a wonderful little bobble. I can’t wait to get it on Kuno-baby.” Happosai nodded his approval.

“Nabiki, dear, could you ask Saotome to get my paper.”

“Hmm, if it’s not too much trouble the water heater needs fixing.” Kasumi asked sweetly.

“All of a sudden I’m not hungry. How about you Ranma? Ranma?” She looked to her side and he was gone, already seated at the table a grin on his face.

“Cool! Nabiki, tell him to give me all his breakfast.”

“It’ll cost you.”

“Ugh!” Akane walked outside and left her family to their own devices, wanting nothing to do with it.

¹ Umisenken-Ocean 1000 Fists/Genma’s silent thief techniques, see manga volume 28

I finished this story up a little faster than I thought I would, but now I will continue on with the Akane Chronicles.  The next story Role Reversal won't be out for a little while.  I am trying to finish the problem with Never, then I won't feel so tortured.  ^_^
Disclaimer:  Standard stuff, I'm not in the mood to write it.  Its not mine, I don't get any money.
Email - jlee011@sprintmail.com

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Last updated June 17, 2001