The Horse and the Butterfly
By Jim Robert Bader
(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi)
Chapter Twelve.
Trips and Pratfalls
"That's very good, Akane," Ryoga said approvingly, "You're getting the hang of it, now just stay tight on your tumbles and be mindful of your execution."
Akane did a successful triple somersault then grinned wide as she extended her arms with bowling pins held up at the ready. After fifteen consecutive tries she had finally completed the maneuver flawlessly and felt ready to meet any attack that an opponent might hurl against her.
"I did it!" she declared with a happy whoop, "Ryoga, I've got it down! I know I can do this!"
"You're making great progress, Akane-san," Ryoga complimented, "Just a few more days and you should be ready for your match. Just work a bit more on your timing and you can defend yourself while readying an attack. You still need to do a little more work on your footing, but you've got the basics down, and that's what's important."
"And I owe it all to you for helping me get this far, Ryoga-kun," Akane said happily, taking a step forward without watching where she was going, "If you hadn't offered to help, I don't know what I'd-WHOOOPPP!"
"Akane-san!" Ryoga saw the girl he considered a good friend take an accidental misstep as her foot connected with a ball that she had not see underneath her. Without hesitation he lunged forward and scooped her up into his arms before she could hit the floor and possibly injure herself.
"Ryoga-kun?" Akane blinked, having found herself only moments from disaster, only to discover herself swept up into the arms of her current teacher.
"Are you all right, Akane-san?" Ryoga asked.
"Um...sure...fine..." Akane said off-handedly, wondering why her heart was racing so fast, as if she had been in genuine danger rather than comfortably safe in the arms of the powerful young man who had rushed to her rescue, "Thanks to you..."
"Hey, no need to thank me," Ryoga said as he helped her to stand upright, "But that's what I was talking about...you have to watch your footing at all times. Failure to compensate in time could cause you to twist an ankle or do other kinds of damage that will render you incapable of fighting. Just because this isn't a full contact sport is no reason to be careless."
Had Ranma spoken those words to her Akane knew that she would have gotten very angry and resentful, yet with Ryoga there was no sense that he was trying to one-up her or put her down as a fighter, only a genuine concern for her welfare, which caused Akane to feel a warmth flushing her cheeks, glancing down and realizing that this was another favor that she owed the Jusenkyo-cursed lost boy.
"I'll...try and remember to be careful in the future, Ryoga-kun," Akane said with more shyness than she might use around anyone else but Doctor Tofu, "I'm just glad you were here or who knows what might have happened..."
"You're school would probably have to forfeit," Ryoga smiled, then added wistfully, "Or Ranko would have to take your place. She is rather agile and could probably learn the basics in next to no time."
Akane frowned at that, not saying aloud what she thought about being replaced by "Ranko" as her designated alternate. Ryoga was not aware of the redheaded girl's exactly connection to Ranma, other than the crude lie that she and her other self were actually "cousins," which Nabiki had concocted to prevent anyone else from learning Ranma's secret. Since Ryoga had a Jusenkyo curse of his own he might initially sympathize with the pig-tailed "girl's" unfortunate problem, but NOT if he knew that "Ranko" was none other than his hated rival, and that could lead to even more troubles for the Tendo property values should it ever slip in conversation.
"Just forget about her," Akane growled, "Kami knows I try to. I can manage by myself without her help just fine, thank you."
"All right then," Ryoga smiled, "Well, I think that's about enough training for tonight. Better get a good night's sleep, Akane-san, and we'll start this up again when you get back from school tomorrow."
"Ryoga-kun," Akane said as she saw the lost boy start to turn away, "You really don't have to sleep out here in the dojo if you don't want to. I don't mind if you sleep as a pig in my room..."
Ryoga did not turn around to look at her as he said, "Thanks, you're too kind, but...it just wouldn't be proper for me to do that, Akane-san. Knowing about my problem as you do..."
"But I trust you, Ryoga-kun," Akane assured him, "I know you'd never deliberately do anything improper around me..."
"I know," Ryoga replied, "But it matters to me. Some things...they're just not right, even between friends. I'll be fine out here, Akane-san...I've slept in lots of place that weren't as comfortable as a dojo, and at least I have a roof over my head in case it rains."
"All right then," Akane sighed, "If that's the way you feel, Ryoga-
kun...but...you take care, all right? And let me know if you need more blankets..."
"I'm sure your older sister will be able to get me whatever I need," Ryoga turned to smile at her, "But thank you for caring enough to ask. You have no idea what that means to someone who's wandered alone as long as I have."
Akane felt a slight skip of her heart upon hearing those words, but she managed to say, "You don't have to be alone anymore, Ryoga-kun. You have me..."
"I know," Ryoga replied, "And I'll always be grateful for your friendship, Akane-san."
Friendship. The word landed on Akane's shoulders like a sack of rice grains. That's all he thought of her right now, a friend who wanted to help him, and nothing more than that. She turned away to hide the way her cheeks flushed in embarrassment over how conflicted she was on that subject, thinking of how unfair it was to finally meet a boy as nice and polite as Ryoga, who was most definitely NOT a pervert like Ranma, and who actually cared enough about her feelings to respect her modesty at the cost of his own comfort. In truth she did not mind having him as a little piglet in her bed, she rather enjoyed the company and the warmth his small body could provide her, and being with him made her feel safe, cared for and protected, like she did not have to always be on her guard against possible encroachments on her privacy and her personal freedom.
Working closely around him for the past few days had only intensified her respect for Ryoga as both a human being and a martial artist. He had shown her so much about posture and balance, things he tended to take almost as second nature, not having to think about it at all until forced to explain to Akane some aspect of his skills in any real detail. He was strong, brave and kind, and he had a very nice face and a pleasant voice to listen to, and he only got angry when something provoked him, like a matter of honor or a personal issue. In a lot of ways he could also be so annoyingly dense and-like every other boy she had ever known-quite clueless about women, such as his clear infatuation with both Nabiki and "Ranko," the latter of which particularly incensed Akane since it implied that Ranma's cursed form was even more attractive to Ryoga than Akane!
She decided to fetch a late night snack from the kitchen and to get ready for bed at once, skipping a trip to the furo until morning, even though she was hot and sweaty from her strenuous hours of exertion. Normally a hot soak was just the thing she needed for her tired muscles, but ever since Ranma had come to live in the Tendo house the furo had all but become his private personal refuge. Honestly, the number of times that boy got soaked with cold water was amazing, and no doubt their heating bills would climb through the roof on account of that freeloader...
Odd thing was, Kasumi had insisted that Ranma and Nabiki both scrub out the furo together just the other day, as if they had done something to get it dirty. Akane did not want to speculate just **what** that might be, but when she approached Nabiki on the subject her sister was unusually evasive (okay, evasive even for Nabiki!) and preferred to tell Akane that it was none of her business.
On second thought, maybe a dip in the furo might be just what the doctor ordered, but Akane was frankly too tired to even work up much enthusiasm on the subject. A nice nap was definitely the thing she most needed, her rumbling tummy notwithstanding. At least she could have some privacy in her own room while she blissfully allowed the numbness of sleep to overcome her, and-unlike Nabiki-she did not anticipate having nocturnal visitors hanging upside down by their heels knocking on her window at all sorts of ungodly hours (and by the Kami, Akane swore, if Ranma tried anything perverted like that with her sister...)...
On second thought, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to encourage Ranma to go the extra step with Nabiki. Akane was torn between a desire to see those two get closer together (and thus bring an end to any talk by their parents of possibly switching the engagement her way) and her reluctance to have someone like a Saotome for an in-law. If Ranma's father was any example of what he might himself turn like in a few more years, then Nabiki was more than welcome to have him, not that she could wish such a fate on her worst enemy, not even a Kuno.
Fortunately for her, Kasumi had very thoughtfully left something out for Akane to munch down on her way to the stairs. That was just like her older sister, always thoughtful and caring about others, not a conniving huckster like her other sister tended to be, and as she munched down on the riceballs that Kasumi had left out for her (amazed that "Uncle Genma" had not snagged them for himself) she indulged in some private speculation over just what sort of a match Ranma and Nabiki would make for one another. Truth to tell there were a lot similarities in their personalities that underlay their stark differences, pride and stubbornness being but two things which they shared in common. Nabiki was not given to a violent temper like Ranma, but when she held a grudge it could be pretty intimidating, and she always got even with people who crossed her in underhanded ways that were not nice to contemplate. Ranma was more direct in the way he dealt with problems and challenges, more physical than intellectual, which was actually Nabiki's forte more than Ranma's.
In fact it was rather odd what a good couple they could potentially make if they ever learned to set aside their differences and work together like a team. Surely Ranma could use someone with brains on his side to guide him away from his usual rude and impulsive behavior, and Nabiki seemed to have a real knack for putting him in his place either verbally or physically, a trick Akane greatly envied in her sister. Of course the last two days had seen a strange alteration in the personal dynamic between these two clueless baka, as though something eventful had already happened that changed the chemistry in some fundamentally different way. Ranma and Nabiki had been acting very strangely towards one another since the night following Akane's acceptance of the challenge to represent their school's gymnastic team. Akane could not quite put her finger on what it was that was different, but she had not heard either one of those two exchange a single insult or condescending line, and they even seemed to be going out of their way NOT to say anything offensive to one another.
If anything they seemed to be walking on eggshells the last few days, and Akane was starting to wonder if they really HAD gone the extra step of consummating the feelings that they so obviously had for one another. Somehow Akane did not think this was the case, however, as her instincts suggested something well short of such a monumental stage forward in the curious relationship these two had with one another. Ranma might be a pervert in other ways but he tended to act like a gutless and clueless na f whenever the subject of human sexuality reared its head, and she doubted he would have the nerve to try anything so bold as to put the moves on Nabiki. The alternative would be to suspect Nabiki of having seduced him, which certainly sounded more plausible since Akane had no illusions regarding Nabiki's moral inclinations. Still...Nabiki was the one acting hesitant and shy these days, which would hardly be the case if she had gotten her way with a hapless Ranma. Rather Akane would have expected to see a grin worthy of the cat that ate the canary if her sister had scored in such a dramatic manner...so what could it be that had these two so much on edge these days? Did they actually TRY and get it on together, only to have something go wrong at the last second? If so, then it could explain just why those two appeared so confused and deeply frustrated.
Deep thoughts such as these made Akane's head hurt, and she was much too tired to indulge in wild speculation regarding the affairs of her older sister. Better to put off until tomorrow the things that were likely to drive you crazy today was her motto, a saying she had coined as a coping reflex for adapting to the crazy affairs that came from living in a place like Nerima.
She trudged back to her room and immediately flopped down on the bed, feeling her tired muscles protest even this mild an exertion, though relief flooded through her the moment her head hit the pillow. She sighed to herself as she rolled onto her back, intending to let sleep overtake her into its comforting embrace, and only by the slightest sense of nagging urgency did she happen to open her eyes and glance up towards the figure perched over her bed, braced against the rafters...
A pony-tailed girl in a green leotard with a black rose clenched between her lips, an with a long-handled mallet braced against her back, staring down at Akane with violet-colored eyes and an intensely wild predatory expression...
Try as she might Nabiki could not get to sleep, her mind too full of wild speculations of her own, though the answer to every one of her questions invariably turned upon the point of how her own conduct reflected poorly upon her, especially in light of a just-concluded conversation between herself and Kasumi on the subject of her engagement to Saotome Ranma...
Once again she could hard Kasumi's gentle reprimand as they sat upon Nabiki's bed together, much as though her older sister really was assuming the role of a surrogate mother: "Nabiki, I want you to promise me that you'll be more careful the next time that you feel the need to do something physical with Ranma..."
"But Kasumi," Nabiki had protested for the twelfth time in two days, "Nothing happened between me and Ranma-kun. We just took a bath together...no harm in that..."
Her weak protest had died on Nabiki's lips as she saw the look Kasumi gave her, a gentle reprimand that as much as came near to calling Nabiki a blatant liar.
"I know that I haven't had that much experience around men, Nabiki," Kasumi calmly noted in her usual understated tone of voice, "But cleaning a man...down there...could hardly be regarded as proper behavior, even if he is your iinazuke..."
Nabiki had winced at this, recalling only too vividly the circumstances in which she had been caught in the act, and what her hand was doing gripping the manhood of her fianc e. Trust Kasumi to have the knack for turning even so mild a reminder as this into a hard reprimand that-for anyone but Kasumi-might have been conducted at mega-decibels interspersed with the words, "Shameless" and "Harlot."
"Ah..." Nabiki had managed to say, "About that...Ranma-kun and I were...uh...well...comparing anatomy and..."
She suddenly had a flash of what that sounded like, but before she could say anything to correct the false impression she created she heard Kasumi reply, "The Furo is not the sort of place where conduct like that should be conducted, Nabiki. For one thing it is unsanitary, for the other, what if father or someone else had fought you two together? I know for a fact, considering how intent father is about this engagement, that you would have been married on the spot with poor Ranma, and well before either one of you has had time to graduate from high school."
Nabiki blanched at the thought of this, realizing at once that it was EXACTLY what their father would have insisted upon, a literal shotgun wedding (though more likely their fathers would have used clubs instead of shotguns to enforce their will), and that meant she could kiss her single days goodbye forever if word of this should reach the ears of either Soun or Genma.
Kasumi's gentle hand laid upon Nabiki's caused the latter to look up and meet her Oneechan's expression, "I understand how it is, Nabiki, and I'm not criticizing you for wanting to do things with your future husband that might seem...a bit premature. If you really can't wait to do that with him, then I suppose I should help you out by suggesting a few place where it would be safer for you to consummate your love without causing a scandal."
"C-Consummate?" Nabiki stammered, even though she knew very well that it was EXACTLY what might have happened had Kasumi not interrupted her in the act of seducing Ranma.
"I've taken the time to read some books that I borrowed from Tofu-sama to help inform me of what to do in matters such as this," Kasumi continued as she produced a few booklets that she had brought with her for this meeting, "These will fill you in on what you should be mindful of, Imotochan, books on venereal disease, teenaged pregnancy, prenatal health care, special diets for pregnancy what signs to look out for to know if you are pregnant..."
"Pregnant?" Nabiki's eyes got even wider.
"I've also gotten the number of some support services that council women and can help provide voluntary care and guidance of when and if you do become pregnant," Kasumi went on as if uninterrupted, "Tofu-sensei also recommended to me a few gynecologists whom you may wish to consult with so that you know how to take care of yourself while nursing a baby..."
"But I'm not-!"
"Of course the odds are only one in four of your getting pregnant during the first year of having sexual relations," Kasumi blithely noted, "But it never hurts to be on the safe side, which is why you should start keeping track of your periods, so you can estimate which days you may be more fertile, which are days to be avoided unless you intend on getting pregnant..."
"But I'm..."
"There are a number of things about a woman's body that you have to be aware about even in the event that you want to get pregnant, Imotochan..."
"But..."
"For one thing, your hips and pelvis may not have widened sufficiently at this time to present an unobstructed path through her cervical cavity, the place where the baby must pass through in order to be safely delivered, unless you got for a Caesarian section..."
"And, of course," Kasumi continued, "It's better to wait a few years for this reason, to improve the chances that you'll enjoy a smooth and normal pregnancy, thus giving a strong son, or daughter, to the future of both of our houses..."
Nabiki's eyes just stayed wide open with shock, her rational self momentarily at a loss to say anything useful.
"But, then again, that may be getting ahead of ourselves somewhat," Kasumi noted, "It's always a good idea to be prepared and to plan ahead, but these things happen in their normal time and it would be pointless to speculate in advance of the day when you and Ranma-kun become parents together. I guess we can both assume that you would have a healthy child since the Saotome line does appear to be healthy. Of course, considering some of the wild places where they have been you can never be too sure that they haven't picked up anything contagious..."
"Contagious?" Nabiki managed to blurt out.
"Of course, I can't speak for Uncle Genma," Kasumi continued, "But I rather doubt that Ranma-kun could have picked up on any STDs...that's Sexually Transmitted Diseases in medical parlance...but as I said, I don't think it's too likely that he would have contracted anything unless he's been to one of those places in Asia where they aren't very careful about such things..."
"But..." Nabiki sputtered, wanting to protest that Ranma was entirely healthy, at least so far as she could determine such matters on a close, intimate inspection...
"Still, it never hurts to err on the side of caution," Kasumi said pleasantly, then handed Nabiki something else that left her younger sister totally speechless, "Just keep a few of these on hands in case they become necessary. It won't totally block out the transmission of diseases through the semen, but anything that diminishes the chance of something undesirable happening can only be a good thing, hai?"
Nabiki had just gawked at the object that her sister had given her so blithely, wondering where in all of Japan Kasumi could have gotten a hold of a box of latex condoms. Most Japanese spurned the things and would not even mention them in polite company. Nabiki would sooner have expected to be given a live hand grenade from Kasumi than anything so...so...so...practical and yet daring...
Even now thinking of how flustered she had been during that encounter, Nabiki had to grudgingly concede that Kasumi had a very valid point. It was much too early in their relationship for Ranma and Nabiki to be fooling around in such a manner, and not just because it might lead to something...unintentional on both of their parts. There was the little matter of their both being too young for settling down just yet, and with school still an issue for both of them, to say nothing of the possible scandal and the loss of employment opportunities for the career Nabiki might once have enjoyed...
She flushed crimson, unable to help herself for thinking such things even in the privacy of her own bedroom. The issue of premarital sex aside, Nabiki had to squarely confront the fact that she had provoked a situation whose consequences could have proven to be disastrous for both parties, and-worse still-she had dragged a clueless Ranma along for the ride (she winced at her unfortunate choice of metaphors) and had subjected him to cruel and thoughtless teasing, all so she could prove to herself that he was a pretty nice guy after all and not just some opportunistic jock out for her body...
...Well...she was rather certain that he did rather favor her body, but Ranma had not been the one to initiate matters, and that made Nabiki experience a rare and unusual bout of guilty conscience, knowing full well what her actions would make her out to seem like in the eyes of another. If Akane were to hear of this then Nabiki would never hear the end of it, and if her father were to learn that she had dragged her reluctant fianc e into an ALMOST sexual encounter...
Nabiki paused to think about it. Would it really be so bad getting married to Saotome Ranma? She blushed to think of it, but she was having a difficult time seeing a downside to becoming his wife. After all, the boy was brave, handsome, rudely chivalrous and had a really nice...ah...and then the rest of his endowments were certainly nothing to scoff about. (She could still remember the way her mouth had watered at the almost-prospect, and here she would have thought that women only behaved like that in porn movies and adult-labeled anime and manga...)...
"What is wrong with me?" Nabiki said aloud, "He's just a guy, he's not very mature, and he's a barbarian in every other sense of the word...so...why do I like him?"
She heard no answer to her softly spoken entreaty, nor had she expected to hear a voice from above explaining for her benefit what great cosmic plan was behind the seeming string of coincidences that had brought her into a relationship with a boy like her Ranma-kun...
HER Ranma-kun? Now she definitely knew that she was in trouble!
"If it had been anybody else but Ranma..." she left the rest of her sentence go unspoken, knowing that another boy with more **normal** impulses would not have been so slow to react to her subtle charms had she invited one to take a bath with her in the furo. Had it been another boy, Nabiki knew well that she would have been in serious trouble. As it was she had felt safe and control the whole time that she was with Ranma, even after her foiled attempt at seduction, when the both of them had soaked in the hot water for over an hour trying desperately hard not to think about what ALMOST had happened.
Ranma had been the perfect gentleman the whole time (well, nearly perfect since he tended to stick his foot in his mouth with every other sentence...but Nabiki was starting to admit that she found this aspect of his nature rather charming). He had not tried to initiate anything, had stayed on his side of the furo and was polite to her (well, polite for him anyway) the whole time, even as Nabiki tried furiously NOT to think of his hard physique and raw animal magnetism while pretending to engage him in idle chatter until they both had started to relax a bit and get used to being naked with one another. After that it had become a lot easier to ignore the way her pulse raced whenever she thought he was about to move closer towards her, every shift in his position being magnified into an attempt to ravish her...not that she would need much persuasion to be ravished at that point since the longer she was with him the more Nabiki felt secure in calling him her fianc e...
She lifted one hand in the now of the present and stared at it, remembering what it had been like to hold Ranma's cock between her slender fingers. It had been surprisingly firm and hard in her grasp, almost like an arm being flexed with no hint of soft flaccidness or the squishy feeling that she would have expected. He really must have been unconsciously aroused at that moment because it really did feel like a "boner" in her grasp. It was the first time that Nabiki had ever looked upon a man's naked organ and she had been fascinated at its attractive quality, the mystery it represented, the feeling of a fifth appendage that all men were equipped with (yet few knew how to control with any fervor). In most men it was the part that did the majority of their thinking, and yet for Ranma it was an organ sorely in disuse, and one that needed exercise, and it just so happened that Nabiki had a socket that would fit it nicely, a warmth sheath in which to rest such a large Katana, especially if she slid it in and out a few times to work his blade properly into her scabbard...
Nabiki caught herself once again, this time noticing the way her other hand had absently drifted down to a spot just nestled slightly lower than her belly. She felt a tingling sensation down there, a sensation that made her uncomfortably squirm with the need for relief. She willed that hand to proceed with what it had been doing and waited with hushed breath as her fingers found their way to that magical spot that was most need of their attention. She closed her eyes and moaned very softly, surrendering herself to the caress of her own hand as she sought relief from the soreness of privation...
"What are you doing here?" Akane's voice demanded through the thin wall that separated their bedrooms, "Quit it!"
Nabiki halted in what she was doing, her eyes flying wide with shock. Could Akane have heard her moan just now? Did her little sister have any idea what was going on in Nabiki's mind, or was she suspecting the (not quite unthinkable) possibility that she had slipped Ranma into her bedroom in the dead of night?
"Let me go, you!" Akane cried again.
This time another voice calmly answered, "Oh no, I think not. I rather like seeing you this way, Tendo Akane. I want to remember you just the way you are..."
Nabiki was already out of bed and on her feet even as she placed that second voice, realization of what was happening banishing all thought of her erotic fantasies concerning herself and her iinazuke as the more immediate concern for her little sister took precedence. Ordinarily she would prefer to leave Akane to fight her own battles, but as the second voice belonged to Kuno Kodachi (about whom Nabiki had neglected to give sufficient advanced warning) Nabiki felt the urgency to make up for lost time and lend what support she could to Akane...
Akane, meanwhile, was struggling against the ribbon that had wrapped itself around her body. Her assailant wielded the thing like it was a thing alive, and with its serpentine coils holding her arms pinned to her sides there was little that Akane could do but fume helplessly at her crazed attacker.
"Fight fair!" Akane growled, "You're cheating?"
"Cheating?" the dark haired girl in the green leotard responded, uttering a crazed laugh before saying, "I have merely come to test your worth as an opponent, and if you can't work yourself free from so simple a maneuver, then you are not worthy of being my rival. But I shall be lenient with you and spare you the worst of my wrath...if you promise to pull out now from our rhythmic gymnastics match."
Akane grit her teeth and growled, "You're Kuno Kodachi...my sister warned me about you..."
"Obviously not well enough or you would know better than to cross paths with the beautiful flower of innocence, the Black Rose of Saint Hebereke, Captain Kuno Kodachi..."
"Cross paths with you?" Akane fumed, "Hey, who's ambushing who in whose room, huh?"
"How absurd," Kodachi sneered, "You truly are a pathetic opponent..."
"Akane-chan!" Nabiki cried as she burst into the room wearing nothing but her nightie, "Are you all right? Is Kodachi...oh dear..." she halted in her tracks as she caught sight of Akane's wrapped up condition.
"Couldn't be better," Akane said as she felt the tension on the ribbon slacken, allowing her to shrug free of its embrace, at which point she gripped the ribbon between her own hands, adding, "Time for a little payback..."
"Huh?" Nabiki belatedly realized that there had been some resistance behind the door when she had pushed it open, and now she realized that a hand was projecting out from behind the door, twitching slightly with muscle tension, and the manicured fingernails of that hand were sporting an off-green color of nail polish.
"Opps," she belatedly said, moving the door back in order to see Kuno Kodachi pressed up against the wall like a smashed bug with an appropriately stunned expression.
"Er...I meant to do that," Nabiki said after a pause of only a moment.
Kodachi started to recover her wits just as Akane looped the ribbon around the other girl's own arms, then with a nasty smile said, "You like playing with ribbons, here, have a spin on the house!"
And with that the youngest Tendo sister yanked hard on the ribbon, pulling Kodachi forward and spinning her around like a top. When Kodachi was in position Akane lashed out with a side-kick and sent her unwanted nocturnal guest crashing through her window and soaring out into koi pond one flight down.
"Oh...wonderful aim, Akane," Nabiki said sarcastically, "Now who do you think is going to be paying for that window?"
"Put it on my tab," Akane snorted, "And send the bill to the Kunos. By the way, thanks for helping out back there..."
"Um...don't mention it," Nabiki said, "So...about Kodachi...I meant to tell you before that she likes to ambush her opponents before matches, and she's even been known to sneak up on them while they sleep..."
"Gee, really?" Akane asked, "I never would have guessed. Next time maybe you could tell me that before she pays me a visit?"
"Right," Nabiki said, "On the whole you got off lucky this time. Usually Kodachi prefers to use toxins, sleeping powders, muscle relaxants and paralyzing powders, all derived from Black Rose extracts, to put her opponents out of commission. I guess she was just trying to scare you off with a warning, or possibly just mess you up a bit to render you hors de combat."
"Gee, that makes me feel soooo good," Akane snorted, "What a nutcase. She's even worse than her brother."
"And that's what you'll be up against in your coming match," Nabiki patted her sister on the shoulder, "Just wanted you to know what to expect since she'll be taking you a lot more seriously in your next encounter."
"I'll keep that in mind," Akane said, "Let's hope the pond cools her off so she doesn't cause any more trouble."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that too much," Nabiki said, "Kodachi may not be long on good sense, but she has sense enough to slink back home with her tail between her legs rather than risk losing what's left of her dignity...that is, unless she finds something else to catch her interest."
"Heh, not much chance of that," Akane shrugged, "Only thing out there are the boys, Ranma and Ryoga."
"Oh yeah," Nabiki said, "I think Ranma's out on the roof right now doing his meditations, or something like that, and Ryoga's sleeping in the dojo if I remember right..."
There was a brief pause before both sisters turned to look at one another with shocked expressions, then as one they chorused, "THE BOYS...!"
Several minutes before this...
"Oh man..." Ranma sighed as he studied the stars, laying back on the roof over Nabiki's room and thinking of ways in which he might break the verbal log-jam that seemed to have hovered between them since their time in the furo, "What am I gonna say to her? I ain't no good at this stuff...why can't I say what I mean when I talk to Nabiki?"
He had been aware of the tension between them over the last few days, just as he knew that Nabiki was feeling as much of the weight of their impasse as he himself was, though he could hardly frame it in those terms. In truth he was confused because this was a level of sparring for which he had no training. It was not that there was any hostility felt in the time they were together, it was rather that they were trying desperately NOT to say anything offensive, and for someone raised as Ranma had been, to treat verbal insults as though they were a backhand form of compliment, it was not a natural situation. Same with Nabiki, whose acid tongue and razor wits could do more damage than fists when applied with her usual incisive humor, and though Ranma was often the target of such barbs he would have much preferred that to silence or the kind of mincing delicacy that had Nabiki had employed around him since what happened in the furo.
In truth they had gotten along very well while floating naked in the warm water, slowly easing up and growing more comfortable around one another as they talked about stuff and started to relax a bit and accept their mutually naked status. Even so Ranma had been very much consciously aware that an extremely attractive girl was sitting only a meter away from where he was sitting, and that she did not have a stitch of clothing about her. Nor had he for that matter, and it was only by the grace of the hot water that he was in the right gender, though he probably would have felt safer had he been female.
Odd how much that had bothered him, seeing as he was used to seeing his own naked body when his cursed turned him into "Ranko." It was not that he was offended at the sight of her-far from it! He had thought her beautiful even before he saw Nabiki without any clothes on, but seeing her in the flesh with her breasts projecting outward, looking down the length of her lean body to the patch of brown fur that covered her sex, he was overcome by indescribable sensations, ones that caused his manhood to stiffen up like a rod, and that definitely had made him glad that he was sitting down instead of standing above water. Nabiki had acted strangely to seeing his dick curving upward and had even felt compelled at one point to reach out with a hand and...
Ranma swallowed and shifted his legs, feeling the stiffness return to his loins as he thought about the feel of Nabiki's hand gripping his manhood. At first he thought she would rip it off for frightening her, but then he had seen the hungry expression in her face, the emotion of lust in her eyes, and the way her attention seemed riveted on his hardened prick, and the way she licked her lips in anticipation almost made him think that she was going to bite it off and swallow it whole! He even had a mental image of Nabiki taking his rod between her lips and...doing things that caused his mind to go into full shutdown. With an effort he wrenched his mind away, but still he felt a quiet thrill at knowing Nabiki had praised him afterwards, even if, at the time, he had no real idea of what she was saying.
"Oh man..." he sighed, resigned to spending the rest of the night under the stars with no decision, much as he had done the previous two evenings, sleeping above Nabiki's bedroom, afraid to venture to her window and yet strangely reluctant to leave the place of his silent vigil. They had oddly become closer on account of (if not in spite of) what happened, and yet still there was a wall of separation between himself and his iinazuke that he thought he might never be able to cross. She was just too beautiful, intelligent, witty and yet infuriating for him to ever figure out, and the most he could hope to do was to hover near to her and hope that she might one day notice that he really and truly liked her...
"Yeah, right," he sniffed, "Like I could like a cobra...or a mercenary like her," he turned to one side and rested his chin on one hand, "Why does she gotta be so difficult? It ain't like I started all that or tried to take her clothes off or nothing weird like that...so why's it my fault all of a sudden? Does she even still trust me?"
What a joke that was, even as he said those words. Nabiki had not accused him of anything, yet he felt as though he had been accused of doing SOMETHING wrong, especially after the way Kasumi had come to talk to him, which was really, really confusing...
"Ranma-kun," the older Tendo sister had said, "It's all well and good if you want to be with Nabiki since you are her iinazuke, but...please be careful. You're both so very young, there's no reason to rush into things. I know Nabiki may act mature for her age, but she's still just a teenager and she doesn't fully grasp everything that could happen..."
What followed then was a lengthy sermon, interspersed with admonitions of social responsibility and the medical terms about pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases and other stuff that Ranma only half understood, though a lot of it did sound pretty important. Ranma might not have known what all the fuss was about had he been slow to pick up on the fact that Kasumi obviously believed that something HAD happened, but that just further piqued his curiosity since he had no real idea what he was supposed to do that could generate such intense interest.
"I'd never do nothing to hurt Nabiki like that," Ranma murmured softly to himself, falling up one fist with his other hand, "And if anybody tried...I'd kill 'em..." his mind briefly flashed to the image of Senzenen Mikado attempting to kiss his iinazuke, and the churning rage that boiled up inside him at the memory of that encounter. Mikado had gotten off light, and if he ever tried that again he'd get pounded into hamburger.
Ranma's anger came and went like a cool breeze, leaving him even more confused than ever as he marveled at the intensity of his own emotions. Why did he feel such a strong territorial urge whenever he was around the middle Tendo sister? Nabiki could be really annoying and rude to him at times, and there were days when he almost wished she was a man so he could show her how to be civil...but the thought of doing any violence around her just left him numb with revulsion. He could never harm a head on her head, no matter what she might do or say that might make him angry. She meant a lot more to him than he had ever realized until now...and without some challenge or distraction to keep him from thinking hard about it he also made a startling discovery, one that called into question his belief that he was NOT a hentai.
The realization that he wanted to see her naked again...to take another bath with her and...maybe even find out what it was that he was missing from the picture...
The sound of breaking glass and splintering wood brought Ranma to his feet with a jolt, just in time to see someone go flying out one window of the Tendo household. Instantly his combat senses warned him that there had been an attack on one of the Tendo sisters, and before that thought was fully framed in his mind he was leaping from the roof of the second story, seeing a form go splashing in the koi pond and having a momentary dread that it might be Nabiki...
Meanwhile Ryoga was still sitting up and staring off into the night, wondering what a wanderer such as himself was doing camping out in the dojo of a nice family like the Tendos. He liked and respected them individually and thought that the deserved a better fate than what life appeared to have dealt them, what with losing the mother of the household at an early age for Mr. Soun's three lovely daughters. Not having seen his own mother or father in quite a while he was quite naturally concerned about the effect this must have had on each of the sisters, Kasumi assuming the role of the mother while her two younger sisters had drawn somewhat inward to face life in two very different directions.
For Akane the result had obviously been a desire to smash out at the world, to throw herself into the art and to use it as a means of gaining control over her life. Ryoga knew that feeling well and could identify with her obsession, even if he could see that, in her it had not proven sufficient motivation to teach her what she needed to know about fighting.
With Nabiki on the other hand...ah...there Ryoga was at a loss what to do or say about the middle Tendo sister. Nabiki had drawn inward even as Akane externalized her anger, and she had buried her pain beneath a layer of dissemble and evasion. Instead of lashing out at everything she used her wits to manipulate others indo doing what she wanted, a sad state of affairs that could only serve to reinforce her paranoia. In the brief time that he had known her, Ryoga had come to realize that the middle sister not only had a heart but also was supremely lonely and was in desperate need of a friend, someone whom she could trust not to take advantage of her vulnerability and isolation. She needed a sympathetic shoulder to lean upon, someone who could be her faithful ally and who could reassure her that there were others who cared about her and would look out for her welfare.
By what cosmic jest of the fates she should be bound in pledge to marry a creep like Ranma was simply beyond Ryoga's ability to comprehend. Ranma had all of the wrong qualities and could only be trusted to break a promise once it had been given. Such a wretch did not deserve the affections of a beautiful girl like Nabiki, in fact, had Ryoga not promised to withhold from violence, for this reason alone he would seek to rid the world of the annoying pest by pounding him so flat that he would resemble road kill...
All at once the sound of a loud crashing drew Ryoga around to stare in the direction of the Tendo household, and that was when he saw a figure go plummeting into the koi pond. Not knowing the identity of the hurtling body he quite naturally leaped to his feet and started racing to the rescue.
Fortunately for him the spray of water was long since spent by the time he arrived there, but as he started to detect a body floating among the fishes he sensed the arrival of his rival, who doubtlessly also had been drawn to the sounds of a commotion. Ryoga flashed an annoyed look at Ranma when the latter said, "Hey, what happened here, Man? Did somebody get hurt?"
"I don't know," Ryoga scowled, trying his level best to keep his temper in check, pointing to the feminine body only just then rising up to the surface, "But I think she's unconscious."
Ranma started to reach towards the water only to hesitate at the last second. He belatedly realized that he would change in front of Ryoga's eyes if he let himself get wet and-to his disgust-imagined the derisive snort that his rival would hurl at him if he discovered the connection between Ranma and "Ranko." He was so disgusted that he failed to see a similar hesitation pass across the features of the other boy, but-fortunately for the both of them-
the next moment the apparent victim of the fall managed to recover consciousness and broke her way back to the surface.
Kodachi gasped for air and started coughing, feeling the delayed effect of being kicked in the stomach by a mule, or-in this case-an irate martial artist. She just starting to sputter aloud, "The never of that hussy...doing that to me...!"
"Are you all right?"
Kodachi froze and looked up in surprise, seeing a friendly hand being extended towards her, and by following the arm attached to that hand she discovered a very attractive young man looking down at her with concern in his expression.
"Nani?" she asked in faint surprise and interest.
"What are you waiting for, Ranma?" another male voice, this one sounded faintly disgusted, drew Kodachi's eye to see yet another handsome boy standing off to one side glaring at the first boy with undisguised jealousy and derision, "Can't you see she needs help, or are you too unmanly to care about how wet she is?"
"Hey, mind your own business, Ryoga," the first boy snapped, "I don't see you rushing forward to volunteer yourself. Besides, she looks like she's healthy enough, though maybe you could do something useful like go fetch her some towels to dry off with."
"Why don't you do that, Ranma?" the second boy snorted, "I can stay here and see if she'll be all right."
"Um...excuse me?" Kodachi asked, looking from one boy to the other while continuing to wade shin-deep in the koi pond.
"She looks all right to me," Ranma turned to squarely confront the other boy, "She's just a little wet is all, so go fetch Kasumi."
"You go fetch her, you...Hentai!" Ryoga shot back.
Ranma's eyes got very side at that, "What did you just call me?"
"You already have a wonderful girl like Nabiki...and you want me to leave you alone so you can spend time with another woman?" Ryoga glared while baring his fangs, his accumulated resentment boiling at once to the surface.
"What are you talking about?" Ranma shot back, "What has this got to do with Nabiki?"
"I knew it!" Ryoga cried as he balled his fists, "You're trying to go behind her back, you scum!?
"That's it!" Ranma swore, "I ain't putting up with any more out of you, clown! You're going down hard for that!"
"Like I'm so impressed," Ryoga declared, and then he drew back a fist and cried, "Ranma, for what you've done and what you're about to do YOU DESERVE NO MERCY! DIIIEEE!"
With that the two boys rushed at each other and began exchanging furious punches and kicks, even as Kodachi stood to one side and stared appreciatively at the sight of the two handsome young men going at it with powerful blows that were exchanged with great speed, coordination and timing.
"Oh my..." she murmured faintly, "Are they fighting over me? Oh dear...my beauty has finally done it, driven men to distraction! But what is a fair, untouched flower such as I to do when I have clearly afflicted two such fine specimens of manhood with the spell cast by my charms? Oh...how could I even choose between them? They both are so very...handsome..."
Ryoga connected with a fist that knocked Ranma back for several meters, but the other boy shrugged off the punch like it was nothing and came back with a flying leap that connected with a foot to Ryoga's face, which tumbled the other boy over.
"Oh, this is so exciting!" Kodachi declared with girlish glee, "They move with such supple ease and daring. But if the goes on one of them might damage the other...I simply must put a stop to this before they hurt each other...this much energy could be put to better uses. But what to do that could affect to regain their attention? Men in the aroused embrace of Ares are so difficult to manage...my dear brother, for example..."
Kodachi considered several options even as Nabiki and Akane raced to the bottom of the stairs, drawn by the sounds of the commotion in the gardens. Kodachi had her roses on hand, but those had gotten wet during her landing and most probably would be less than effective. Fortunately she did have a bag of sleeping powder that was in a waterproofed container, and that sounded like just the thing she needed to bring an end to things, so she fished this out and prepared to hurl it even as the two Tendo sisters arrived on the scene and took sight of the ensuing mayhem.
"Oh no," Nabiki groaned.
"Are those at it again?" Akane asked in dismay, only to catch side of the third figure as she pointed and said, "Hey...what's Kodachi up to...?"
Unable to choose which man to use her powder upon, Kodachi simply lobbed the bag into the space between the two combatants, choosing a moment when there was a sufficient lull to allow her lob to fall into position just as the two rushed at each other again and collided in the center. The bag got pressed between a fist and an arm raised to block the punch, and it burst open wide in a cloud of dust that was immediately inhaled by the two combatants.
Almost at once Ranma and Ryoga lost consciousness, sleep causing their eyelids to droop even as their muscles became relaxed and they slumped to the ground like a couple of stringless puppets. Kodachi stepped out of the koi pond to admire her handiwork, then caressed her chin with a hand and said, "Well, at least they're quite now, but it's no good for me having them both be like this..."
"What the heck are you doing?" Akane demanded as she came lurching out of the house and into the garden, "Get away from them, you Witch!"
Kodachi glared and said, "You again? You try my patience..."
"I'm trying YOUR patience?" Akane said incredulously, "And what the heck did you just do to Ryoga and Ranma?"
"I merely quieted these boys down a bit so they didn't hurt themselves," Kodachi assumed a sultry air and posed herself accordingly, "Is that a problem for you?"
"I warned you about her, Akane," Nabiki said as she caught up with her sister, "Don't let that lucky kick you got in fool you. Kodachi's quick and resourceful and most definitely NOT to be trusted..."
"Oh my...is that Tendo Nabiki I see at your side?" Kodachi fanned herself with a hand, "How droll. A common mercenary who employs her wits to scrounge for the crumbs and leavings of her fellow students, not least of whom is my idiot brother..."
"Mercenary?" Nabiki bridled, "I may let Ranma-kun get away with saying that, but..."
"Ranma-kun?" Kodachi said with more interest, glancing down at the two fallen boys and taking notice of the one with the red shirt, not the yellow, "Ah yes...one of these two...that one, I believe, the handsome boy with the warrior's pig-tail. What is he to you, might I ask?"
"My client," Nabiki said stiffly.
"She means her iinazuke," Akane revealed, unable to resist watching Nabiki suffer a major eyebrow twitch as this was mentioned, "It was arranged by our Dad and Mister Saotome..."
"Iinazuke?" Kodachi reacted with dismay, "You, a scrawny, skinny wretch like you? You would dare stake a claim to such a handsome specimen of masculinity? How dare you! How dare you, I say! Such a thing is inhuman! I simply must rescue this poor boy from your foul clutches..."
"HEY!" Nabiki started to lunge forward but for a restraining arm thrust in her past by her sister.
"Let me handle this one, Nabiki," Akane assured the older girl before turning a glare at the pony-tailed gymnast, "For your information, Kuno-san, Nabiki and Ranma happen to be in love with one another..." she ignored the strangled noise of Nabiki choking on those words and continued, "...And you don't have a claim on anybody, so why don't you leave while you can still do so upright?"
"No claim you say?" Kodachi mused, indicating Ryoga with the toe of one bare foot, "Then what of this handsome young bull? I believe his name is..."
"Ryoga-kun?" Akane reacted with surprise.
"Oho," Kodachi smiled in amusement, "So that's the way it is, eh? You want this worthy for yourself. Well then...how about we make things interesting, set down terms for our impending match?"
"Terms?" Akane blinked, "What...?"
"You want this boy for yourself?" Kodachi declared haughtily, "Then you'll have to fight me for the privilege, and the winner will have the honor of dating him, and this other boy as well can be the extra incentive to go along with the package."
"What?" Nabiki reacted, "That's ridiculous, insane! Ranma-kun isn't any part of your game..."
"Yeah, and Ryoga's got nothing to do with this either!" Akane insisted, "You can't make people into bargaining chips for your games!"
"And why not may I ask?" Kodachi asked, "Are you afraid of losing your claim when you meet defeat at my hands? Or have you given up already? If so, then you are unworthy of such fine specimen of warriors and should renounce your claims altogether!"
"Hey, I'm not afraid of you!" Akane insisted, "I'll meet you anytime, anywhere, and I'll send you packing!"
"Splendid," Kodachi smiled, "Then you accept my challenge. Meet me in three days, Tendo Akane, and you will learn who is truly worthy of being the girlfriend of your Ryoga. And Nabiki...you're a gambler by trade, the same will go for your claims as Ranma iinazuke."
And with that the gymnast produced a ribbon and began twirling it in a spiral, unleashing a swarm of black rose petals that were tossed up into the vortex and spat towards the two Tendo sisters in a hail of flower power. That the petals were still wet made them stick to articles of clothing and bare skin as Nabiki and Akane raised their arms to protect their faces, but at last the storm grew weaker and passed, and in its wake they opened eyes to find no Kodachi anywhere in evidence within their garden...only the haunting lilt of her maniacal laughter, which echoed down the street for a few more lingering moments.
"Ugh," Nabiki winced as she stared at the petals now adhering to her nightgown, then with a sigh she turned to Akane and said, "Now you see what you're up against? I told you she wasn't playing with a full deck, Akane. Akane-chan?" she blinked upon seeing her sister's furious expression.
"That...Witch!" Akane swore, "No way am I gonna lose to the likes of her in three days!"
"Ah...right," Nabiki paused before asking, "Mind telling me what that business was about you and Ryoga-kun?"
"Huh?" Akane went from wrathful to startled, then a trace of guilt shone about her eyes as she said, "Uhhh...ah, well..."
"Never mind," Nabiki sighed, "Help me get the boys inside the dojo, then let's tie them up with something until they agree to calm down and behave for the rest of the night...and then we can talk strategy for how you're going to kick that Psycho-bitch's rich ass all the way from her to the Kuno mansion."
"Ah...right," Akane agreed at once, grateful, for once, to her sister for giving her such a convenient excuse to quietly change the subject...
Continued.
Comments/Criticisms/Claim Forms for Boyfriend Exchanges: shadowmane
The battle lines are drawn as Akane and Kodachi face each other in the arena and at stake are the fates of Ranma and Ryoga, who are wondering just how they got turned into the ante for this particular catfight. Be here next time as Nabiki counts the proceeds in, "As you Lick It," or, "A Shrewing of the Tame!" Be there!
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