The Three Fiancés Arc

8

らんま½

Come Monday morning, the middle and youngest Tendo sisters returned to school as if nothing had happened over the weekend. Both knew that this was a falsehood, of course. If Akane's worry for Ranma's current condition wasn't enough proof that something was wrong, then Nabiki's own would be. Though she didn't wear it on her sleeve the way her sister seemed to, Nabiki's coldness was far more chilling then her usual facade.

"Do you really think we should be going to school today?" Akane found herself asking, voicing her thoughts without thinking. Nabiki gave her a look that said "Are-You-Serious?" and the girl blushed lightly, "I mean, it's not like I'm worried about Ranma and Ryoga, but - "

Nabiki swatted the girl on her butt with her book bag. "EEP!"

"Knock it off." Nabiki said, "Both Dad, and Grandpa Roshi said that we should go to school to take our minds off what happened. And we'll need to get Ranma's school assignments. And I am not carrying them around."

"But what if that creep that assaulted Kasumi comes back?" Akane asked.

"Grandpa chased him off once, and he can do it again." Nabiki said, looking at her sister as they neared the school, "Have a little faith in the man. You know what he's capable of, and a hell of a lot more than I do for that matter since you've seen him in action."

Akane frowned, "I know that, but he openly admitted that he's called someone else for help to deal with Ranma's problem," she said, "I mean, how can I not think about that since he's so powerful?"

Nabki took a deep, calming breath. [I swear, if these two don't end up as some sappy old married couple I'll give out information and money shots for free!] She thought in annoyance. "Look, li'l sis, everyone's got something they're good at, and probably two or three things that they're bad at. From the sound of things, Ranma's problems are on the side of things that Gramps is bad at, considering he's a martial artist, and all of things wrong with Ranma sound like they're magic related."

Akane bit her lip, "I suppose I can understand that." She sighed when they neared the gate, and saw a horde of males at the front, obviously waiting for Ranma. Since his declaration that anyone that wanted Akane had to go through Ranma first, it had been easier on Akane personally since it took almost all of the heat off of her back when it came to the boys of Furinkan High.

"Ah, my beauteous Akane Tendo!"

But not all of it.

Tatewaki Kuno was still a constant thorn in hers and Ranma's side. She let out a sigh of, "Good morning, Upperclassmen Kuno."

The flamboyant kendoist sidled up to her with his usual offer of a blooming rose that somehow seemed to sparkle in the light. "I see that you have rid yourself of that odious Saotome. Might I do you the honor of having a quiet luncheon with you? Then we may discuss our future together."

"Pass."

"Ah, but a shy thing you are, aren't you?" Kuno went on dramatically, whilst Akane and Nabiki moved toward the school, leaving him behind for a moment. "Wait!" He jumped to catch up to them, "You need not fret about being seen one such as I for I have no qualms about being in your glowing presence."

Nabiki deadpanned at the teen, "Gee, Kuno, the way you said that would make any girl without a brain swoon." She said, her voice laden with sarcasm.

"Wouldn't it? I do practice daily." Kuno said, missing it completely.

Akane looked at her sister pleadingly, "Don't encourage him, Nabiki."

"Just because he can't catch a hint doesn't make it encouragement, Akane, it makes it something else entirely." Nabiki said sagely, "And for your information, Kuno-baby, she didn't rid herself of Ranma, he's simply staying at home today because a bad injury he got over the weekend we spent in the mountains."

"WHAT!?" Kuno grew as pale as paste, "Say it isn't so, my love!" He turned to Akane, "You spent a romantic weekend getaway in the mountains with that illiterate boor!?"

Akane finally took offence, "For your information, Ranma can read just fine!" She snapped, her anger making the older teen take a step back, "And I don't see how it's any of your business what I do with my time, or who I spend it with! Where do you get off sticking your nose where it doesn't belong?!"

"I only meant that that beast may have chosen to attack you, my dear Akane Tendo." Kuno said without a hint of remorse, "That man is obviously a wild animal on the inside, though he hides it well."

Nabiki snickered, "Kuno-baby, you have no idea."

"Nabiki!" Akane hushed her, but it was too late as Kuno was at her side in a moment.

"And what, pray tell, does that mean, Mercenary?"

Nabiki held out her hand and rubbed her fingers together, "That'll cost you five million yen, Loverboy." She grinned at the ludicrous price she had just given him, before she fell a stack of bills fall into her palm. "Eh?"

"Sold. Not tell me what you meant." Kuno demanded.

Akane shook her head pleadingly, while Nakbiki looked at the huge amount of money and gave her little sister an apologetic look, "Well, you see, Kuno, Akane and Ranma - "

"Nabiki!" Akane realized what she was going to say and turned beet red.

" - kissed all hot and heavy last weekend." Nabiki finished, taking slight pleasure in seeing the look of disgust on Kuno's face before making a gesture of apology toward Akane. "Sorry, Sis!"

"I want half of that," Akane growled at her, pointing to the wad of bills in her hand.

"Outrageous!" Kuno roared, "How dare that lowly dog lay his foul face upon Akane's luscious virgin lips!"

Akane ground her teeth, "On second thought, I want it all, now, Nabiki!"

Nabiki gave her sister a puppy-eyed look, "Now, now, Sis, I know - Eep!" Akane cracked her knuckles menacingly, "R-Right, here you go!" Akane snatched the cash out of her hands. "Sorry again."

Akane paid her no more attention as she marched herself into the school, her face still flaming red as Kuno continued to roar his highly inappropriately sounding accusations.

らんま½

Ranma was actually happy to be back in the city. Now he knew what to expect instead of all the surprises he had had thrown at him during the trip to the mountains, which didn't even sound right in his own mind. He had lived in the mountains for most of his life, yet now he was feeling...safer in the city within the confines of the Tendo Dojo.

Normally it would have been the exact opposite. In the mountains, and the forests, he could run, jump and go where he please. The only rules that mattered were those of survival. In the city, there were laws to follow. Places he couldn't go without someone saying something about it. Or things he had to worry about breaking if he wasn't careful

[So why do I feel more at peace here?] Ranma wondered as he sat in meditation in the training hall while Roshi and Ryoga sparred behind him. Roshi had continued their combined training as soon as they returned, even though he had asked Akane to return to school to keep her grades up, while Ranma remained behind for his own safety and that of the other students. With his Demonic side active, there was no telling when he might have been pushed too far, or how quickly it could happen.

As the boy was thinking, Roshi caught a kick aimed at his head by Ryoga, "Alright, Ryoga, that's enough for now." He said much to the boy's relief, and released him, "Go wash up for lunch. I'll start Ranma up for a while, and send him to eat once we're done."

"Yes, Master," Ryoga bowed, the sword, Tessaiga, shifting on his back where it was now a constant companion. The boy left the dojo in a bit of a hurry.

"And stay on the patio!" Ryoshi hollered at him, "You don't want to get lost like you did this morning!"

Ryoga tripped. "Yes, Sir." He bemoaned.

Roshi chuckled, "I'll have to do something about that boy's sense of direction." He turned his attention to his other student, "Ranma, my boy, you're up!" He called, but the boy remained where he was, "Ranma?" He went over to him, and frowned when he saw the boy's face. He took his stick and lightly bonked him on the head.

"Ow! Hey!" Ranma yelped.

"Oh, come on, I didn't hit'cha that hard." Roshi chuckled as the boy rubbed his head. He took a seat next to him, "What's eating you, Ranma? And don't try to say it's nothing because I saw your face laced with worry lines while you were trying to meditate, and you were so caught up in that you didn't hear me calling for your training to start."

Ranma frowned, "I'm sorry...I guess I've just got a lot on my mind since coming back to the city."

"I would imagine," the old man chuckled, "Is the air not agreeing with you anymore now that you've been back in the mountains?"

Ranma shook his head, "No, just the opposite." He said, "It feels like I'm...I don't know, more comfortable here, now." He sighed, shaking his head against, "And that doesn't feel right!"

"You went through a lot in the forest, my boy, no one can fault you for wanting to be here in the city where you don't have to worry about giant flesh eating ogres," he said, reaching over to pat the boy on the shoulder, but to his surprise he shrugged away from it.

"Master, don't you get it!" He snapped, "That is the problem! I shouldn't feel this way! I should've been able to go through those ogres like there were paper, and yet I - "

Roshi bonked him on the head again, "None of that. That's your father talking."

"Still, though," Ranma mumbled, rubbing the bump on his head.

Roshi sighed, "Tell me something, Ranma. What are you feeling right now? In this exact moment?"

Ranma frowned and reached to his chest, clutching at his chest, "Honestly?" He gave the man a sideways glance, "My...my chest feels kind'a tight...and my stomach kind'a hurts...but I think that's because I might be hungry."

"Bet you've been feeling dizzy, too." Roshi muttered.

Ranma looked at him, shocked, "How did you - ?"

"Ranma," Roshi hushed the boy, "What you're feeling right now? It's fear. Plain and simple." The boy looked like he was ready to argue, but the man went on, "I know you want to deny it, but the simple fact of the matter is that you've been pushed your entire life to not feel such things as fear, or any emotions for that matter. All your father wanted from you was a powerful, and nigh unbeatable martial artist." He patted his back again, Ranma accepting the gesture this time, "You are indeed strong, Ranma, and would have been a prime student back when my school still had many fine students. But, as I learned when they all fell, no one is unbeatable. There's always going to be someone stronger at one point in time, whether they're an enemy, or someone you will someday train."

"And your fear is natural. If something bad happens to you, and you can't find a way to control the situation, it's only natural to become afraid of it." He said.

Ranma looked at him, "What if the something I'm most afraid of now is always looking back at me when I look in the mirror?" Ranma asked quietly, "I'm terrified of cats, but in the back of my mind, I know that I can get away from them so I run whenever I see one." He sighed, "I didn't even know I was afraid of small spaces until that ogre threw me down into that pit, but I could have easily avoided that if I'd been quicker. And my old man..." he palmed his face, not wanting to openly admit his underlying fear of the man that had raised him, "I could beat him up and run away from him, too, if I wanted to."

Roshi understood, now, and smiled, "But you can't beat yourself up, nor can you really run from yourself," he nodded as the boy sighed, "I had a student like that once. He was the son of one of my other students. He was a gentle soul that didn't really like to hurt others at all, yet he kept up with his martial training under his father and myself. But the boy had a massive amount of Ki in his body, even more than his father at the time."

Ranma frowned, "So what was the problem?"

"It scared him," he said, "He had enough power in him to destroy a continent, and then some if he wasn't careful. So he repressed it, and never fought to his full potential." He smiled, "But it leaked through every now and again. You see, the kid had one hell of a temper, and like most Ki users, his Ki was more powerful the more passionate and emotional he was, but when he was angry, and I mean well and truly furious, he was a warrior to behold."

Ranma looked at him in interest, "Did he ever get over it?"

"He did, but it cost him the life of a dear friend, another gentle soul like himself who preferred the company of animals to people," Roshi sighed, "He watched him die right in front of him whilst he was telling the poor boy not to be afraid of his own power, that it was his to use, and his alone to control." Roshi sat back with a smile, "I saw something truly special that day. He let loose all of his fury upon his foe, and completely obliterated him with his strongest Ki blast, one of my techniques, too, ehehe."

Ranma smiled, but it was a sad smile, "Yeah, but I bet he didn't have a murderous voice in his head, did he?"

"Can't say that he did," Roshi said, "but it went down hill for him as a warrior from there. He was eleven when this happened to him, but as he grew older, you could say that he went to seed." He smiled, "He went to school like a normal boy, graduated high school, fell in love with and married his high school sweetheart." He sighed, "But he abandoned his training, and eventually, he needed his power again, but he just wasn't strong enough to pull out a win."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Ranma said.

Roshi shook his head, "Don't be, Son, it happens to all of us at one point or another unless you're like me and has a way to the Fountain of Youth!" He laughed. "Now, we've talked enough. What say we get to sparring?"

Ranma smiled and nodded as the Master and student got up and moved back into the dojo. Ranma dropped into his Fist of the Wolf Fang stance as Roshi held his staff in a defensive stance, "Hold nothing back, Ranma. I want to see you at your best!"

"You want it, then you got it!" Ranma grinned. The young martial artist was on the move at once, a blur of motion the eyes of many as he clashed with the old Master. The motions of his technique flowed flawlessly as small blasts of Ki erupted from the contact between his fists and Roshi's staff.

Roshi grinned as he pushed the boy back, "Better! Much better!" He laughed, "But still not fast enough!" He hurtled forward with blinding speeds, barely giving Ranma enough time to block the rounded end of his staff from crashing into his ribs. The sheer force of the impact made his hands go numb as he backpedaled from the assault.

Bar getting back into his proper stance, he threw caution to the wind and started using his legs, knowing the speed of his kicks to be superior to his fists. He launched a flurry of kicks at the Master, each one being blocked by his open palm. But it was just enough to start pushing the man back and regain his momentum in the spar.

Roshi smiled, [He's gaining the speed he needs to complete the technique.]

Ranma's fists came back into play as his clawed hands slashed and cut against Roshi's staff. Finally -

"Wolf Fang Howling Wind!"

- Ranma's fists crossed in an x-pattern against the Master, and blasted him back with a large amount of Ki. Roshi braced himself against the attack as it scored and cracked his staff.

Ranma fell back, sweat pouring from his face as the technique took its toll on him, and hit his knees. "I...I'm...out of...sh-shape!"

Roshi chuckled while inspected his staff, "Not so, my boy," he smiled at the boy, "As a matter of fact, these few restful days may have been just what you needed." He said as he went over and helped the boy back to his feet, "A week ago, you couldn't perform the full-powered Howling Wind technique." He reminded the boy, "But now your speed is just at the turning point. You'll only get faster at this point as you channel you Ki into your technique. It'll become as natural to you as breathing in time."

"That's the way of all training," Soun said as he and Ryoga stepped into the room, "Forgive the interruption, Master, but you've been sparring for a few hours. Akane will soon be home from school."

"Ah, seems we got carried away, didn't we?" Roshi chuckled as Ranma's stomach gave a loud rumble, "Better go have a snack, else you'll only be hungry again later."

Ranma nodded and left the dojo, bumping fists with Ryoga on the way out. Soun smiled at the gesture as he turned back to the Master, "How's he faring?"

"Better, but the problem is still there," he sighed, "The sooner my friend arrives, the better."

"Speaking of friends," Ryoga said, "I haven't seen Shampoo since we got back from the mountains."

Roshi chuckled heartily, "She's gone off to prepare a place for her great grandmother to stay for when she arrives," the elder said, "That'll be something. Khu Long is sure to put you boys through your paces." He smiled, "She should be back in time for dinner, so long as you don't mind another guest?"

"Think nothing of it," Soun smiled, "The girl is a welcomed guest. She did, after all, help the boys when those ogres attacked. Not to mention that she is your great grandchild."

"She still wants to fight with Ranma once more," Ryoga frowned. "Is that gonna be alright?"

Roshi just chuckled, "Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about Xi'an Pu." He said, "That girl knows what she's doing, and I rather think that she wouldn't mind losing fairly to Ranma."

Ryoga gave the man a look, [You say that, but I smell some kind'a scheme going on here.]

Roshi suddenly rounded on him and swiped at the Lost Boy with his staff, "You just thought I was scheming something, didn't ya?!"

"Nooo-ooo," Ryoga drolled out. "Why would I think that some crazy old martial arts master has a a scheme involving me and my friends?"

Roshi lifted his sunglasses, showing off a gleam in his eyes, "Crazy, eh? Just for that, I'll work you twice as hard after Akane gets home." He laughed, "Before supper, we'll work on individual techniques to give you three a boost in power."

らんま½

Ranma was just coming into the kitchen as Akane came home, looking extremely grumpy, "Are you alright?" He asked, flitting right to her side, "Kuno didn't give you any trouble, did he?"

Akane was taking off her shoes while Ranma spoke and had to look up at him to answer, "Trouble doesn't even begin to describe it," she frowned up at him, promting the boy to look angry. "Nabiki let it be known that you an me spent a 'romantic weekend in the mountains' to get 'hot and heavy' as my sister put it." She huffed angrily, "And it didn't end there. Kuno was shouting embarrassing stuff about it all day, and my friends wouldn't shut up about it!"

Ranma, for the most part, understood what was said, but he didn't know the meaning of something, so naturally - "What does hot and heavy mean?" Ranma asked, prompting a fierce blush from the girl, "I mean we were up there to train, but all we did was get our butts kick by some weird guy and a bunch of ogres."

Akane's blush could have rivaled the hair of Ranma's female form, "Er, I'm not sure how to answer that one," Akane frowned, "It...kind'a has to do with us kissing. And a lot more." She said as Ranma began to blush himself, understanding what it meant now.

He stood up, waving his hands uselessly, "Bu-bu-but we didn't do anything like that!"

"I know, I was there, remember?" She found herself giggling as she stood up, "But you know Kuno. He had all the students in an uproar. Half of them were baying for a lynching. The other half wanted details." She blushed.

Ranma snorted, crossing his arms loosely, "If they knew what really happened then they'd want nothing to do with me," he sighed looking away from her, "I have half a mind to tell Kuno about - "

"Ranma," she stopped him with a touch of her hand against his cheek as she made him look at her, "I'm stronger now, thanks to you and Grandpa Roshi, so you don't have to worry about Kuno getting tired of his beatings and actually taking me seriously."

Ranma smiled shyly, [Strange.] He thought as Akane took her hand away, and moved passed him, [The tightness in my chest and the pain in my stomach was still bothering me until...] His cheek still felt warm as the girl went up to her room to change into her gi. [I should ask Master Roshi about it.]

Nabiki came in shortly after he decided to speak with the elder, the girl looking haggard for once. [Ugh, why did Kuno have to open his big mouth?] She groaned internally, [I've never had so many chances to make money off of information on Akane, but I can't risk making li'l sis any angrier with me than she already is!]

Ryoga came in just as she was entering the kitchen, "Uh, are you okay, Nabiki?"

She shook her head, "Just tired after a long day," she said as she took a seat at the kitchen counter, reaching back to pound on her shoulders, "It feels like someone put a hundred kilo training vest on me." She sighed as she tried to relax, only to feel a pair of rough hands on her shoulders, "Hey!"

"Relax," Ryoga sighed, "I can at least do this for you since..." he trailed off as he began kneading her shoulders, "...since you looked after me."

Nabiki almost moaned as his hands worked out the kinks in her shoulders, "If you're talking about that kiss, Ryoga, you shouldn't expect anything from it." She sighed, refusing to lean into his heavenly touch, "I was just thanking you for saving my sister. That's all."

Ryoga nodded, having thought of that already. "Alright, but I still owe you this at least."

Nabiki frowned, "And then I'd owe you something back."

"No," Ryoga chuckled, "We'd be even."

"I don't do even," Nabiki sighed, "Either I owe you, or - Ooohhh, that's good!" She moaned, and immediately regretted it as she covered her mouth with both of her hands in embarrassment. Her face reddened as she heard a snort from behind her, even though he continued his massage. "You better forget ever hearing that!"

Ryoga chuckled then, "I think I owe you one for that, now."

"For what?" Nabiki huffed whilst swatting his hands away and rising, "I didn't do anything for you to owe me, so just forget it!" With that she swept out of the room, leaving Ryoga smiling after her.

A chuckle startled him as Roshi came into the room, unseen by either teenager. "Trying to win her over, my boy?"

Ryoga shrugged, "No, I was just returning a favor." He said, frowning, "Besides, I don't have time for - "

"Ryoga, if you finish that sentence, then I'm afraid that I'll have to give you a few lumps on your head," Roshi cautioned him, "You take it from a man that's several hundred years old. There is time for everything. That includes love."

"Love?" Ryoga scoffed, "I'm not even sure I like her enough to date her!"

"But enough to do something nice for her without any ulterior motives." Roshi said smiling at the boy, "It may not seem like much, Ryoga, but small things can have great effect on a person's life. Take your old grudge against Ranma. To most, it would seem like a petty rivalry between two youngsters, but who could have known that you would eventually end up here under my tutelage?"

"Well, I never thought Ranma could act civilized toward someone." The boy joked, "When I knew him in middle school, he was nothing like he is now."

Roshi nodded, "We both know why he was the way he was," he sighed, "Now, let's get to training. Kasumi should getting ready to start supper, and we need to work with Akane before it gets too late."

らんま½

Xi'an Pu returned right around the time the trio finished their training in a technique that Ryoga would come to rely on greatly. Muten Roshi had taught his three students the art of Ki Sensing. The art of finding someone just by sensing the energy in their bodies, however small of an amount there was.

They practiced in way that made it both fun, and embarrassing.

Fun because Roshi blindfolded the three of them, and tasked them with finding one another without making a sound. Surprisingly, Ryoga was able to pick it up right away. Unfortunately for him, when he reached out to tap Akane's shoulder, his aim was way off. Granted, Akane wouldn't stay mad at him considering he couldn't see where his hand was touching, but she wouldn't forgive him for the unnecessary experimental squeeze he gave her.

Ranma had fared a little better.

When Roshi had instructed him to find Akane, he had walked right to her. But his luck ran out when he startled her by placing his hands on her hips, and Akane had yelped in surprise before grabbing his offending arms and hurling him with shocking aim right in to the Koi pond.

Akane had apologized immediately as she took off her blindfold and helped the redhead out of the pond while Ryoga and Roshi laughed at the incident.

When Akane's turn had come up, she found it a little surprising. Her instructions; find Ranma while both he and Ryoga had their Ki flared up. There was a very distinct difference between the two boys. At the moment, Ryoga, who had unconsciously been using Ki in his fighting style, had a larger amount stored up than Ranma did, but that wasn't to say that Ranma's wasn't strong.

Compared side by side, she could clearly see that their individual Ki signatures were not just different in size, but different in color. Ryoga had a bloody red Ki that flickered and swayed like a fire. Ranma's seemed to flow out of him in wisps and small flickers of gold and blue. How she could tell the difference, she didn't know, but she unerringly found her way right to her betrothed.

Her hands landed on his chest, she could tell because her fingers touch the neck of his dogi, and his hands came up and lightly touched her upper arms. That was all fine...until -

"Nihao!"

The sudden flaring of Xi'an Pu's Ki, along with her shouted greeting spooked the pair apart.

Ryoga was laughing himself silly over the look on his former rival's face as Xi'an Pu latched onto him. What happened next confused the poor aquatransexual even more than before. Akane took off her blindfold and found the Chinese strumpet attached to her fiancé like a burr and immediately went on the offensive.

"Shampoo, stop clinging to Ranma like that!" Akane roared as the poor teenager tried to dislodge himself before a fight that he did not want to be in the middle of broke out.

Shampoo pouted, "Shampoo just say hello to Ranma, is okay, yes?"

Normally, that would have been find if she had just been saying "hello" like a normal person tended to. But the fact of the matter was that she was all but plastered against Ranma's chest with her (to Akane at least) overly large boobs pressed tightly against him. The whole experience was making the inexperienced, and highly hormonal teenage boy very aware that, between Akane and Xi'an Pu, there was a significant size gap.

"It would be if you weren't trying to molest him!"

Xi'an Pu's Japanese was not all that good, but she understood "molest" and took great offense to it. "Shampoo never do that!" The Amazon huffed, finally letting go of the boy, who scrambled out of harms way, and turned on the other girl, "Akane know better! Amazon tribe no allow such thing!"

"Pushing these in his face counts!" Akane jabbed her in her left breast, making her squeak.

"Akane no touch unless share!"

"I told you I'm not sharing!"

"Then no touch Ranma either!"

As the two bickered, Ranma slunk over to Roshi and whispered, "How do we stop this?"

Roshi laughed, "Ranma, if there's one thing I've learned in all my years, it's never throw water on a pair of hissing cats."

"CATS?!" Ranma yelped looking around frantically as Roshi and Ryoga sweatdropped at his antics.

Ryoga came to the rescue, "He means them, Ranma," he jerked his thumb toward the girls, who were now at the cheek-pulling stage of their argument, "Fights between girls like this are usually referred to as 'Cat Fights' because of a lot of scratching and hissing."

"Oh...okay...so there's no cat?"

"No cats." Ryoga assured him, and turned him toward the kitchen, "Come, I can smell Kasumi cooking. Let's go grab a plate."

らんま½

After dinner came the fight.

Ranma and Xi'an Pu stood across from each other, stances at the ready. Roshi, Akane, Ryoga and Soun sat off to the side while the two squared off. Ranma was not going to simply let the girl win She had already promised not to give him the Kiss of Death again in his male form, so there was no need to hold back. It would also be disrespectful to Xi'an Pu if he didn't fight at his full strength the way he knew she was going to.

She held no weapons that he could see, but that just meant that she could be hiding them for later in the fight instead of broadcasting what she would use aside from her bare hands.

"Alright," Roshi said, "This fight will be between Ranma Saotome of the Saotome style Anything Goes Martial Art, and Xi'an Pu of the Joketsuzoku. The winner will be determined by knock, surrender, or by my call should the fight become too intense for my liking, is that understood?"

"I got it, Gramps," Ranma nodded.

Xi'an Pu nodded as well, "Shampoo understand, Zēngzǔfù."

Roshi sighed, "Alright then, if both combatants are ready you may begin...NOW!"

Ranma shot forward in a blur of speed, showing off just how fast he was on the ground. But the blow he had intended to knock her out with was blocked rather easily by Xi'an Pu lowering her chest so that his fist struck her chest plate instead of her vulnerable stomach. She then grabbed his outstretched wrist and whipped around to hurl him in a shoulder throw.

Ranma went with the momentum of the throw and flipped himself around back onto his feet as he attempted to do the same thing to Xi'an Pu. The Amazon twisted in his grip and freed herself before he could initiate the throw, and swept her left leg beneath him, knocking from his feet. He didn't hit the floor, instead utilizing the Dancing Sky technique to ram his full weight behind his shoulders into her torso as she tried to flee.

She caught most of it on the breast plate, but the strength behind it had knocked the wind out of her, Ranma took his chance to follow up.

Xi'an Pu had never been on the receiving end of Ranma's Fist of the Wolf Fang technique, but soon she would never forget it. His hands formed into claws, he rushed her with blinding speeds and attacked.

It was over in a matter of seconds as she was thrown to the dojo floor, her chest plate shattered.

"Enough!" Roshi called out as Xi'an Pu tried to rise, "That's the match. Any further would lead to unnecessary injuries. Ranma takes the duel."

Akane breathed out a sigh of relief while Ryoga and Soun clapped at the display by the two martial artists. Ranma went to help Xi'an Pu back to her feet, hoping that she wouldn't be too upset over the loss, but he was surprised to see that she was smiling when he reached for her.

"Ranma too-too strong," she said as he helped her back to her feet. "Great grandfather teach you too-too well."

Ranma nodded in thanks, "You're not bad yourself, Shampoo, I - Hmph?!"

"HAH?!"

"OH WHAT THE HELL!?" Shouted Soun and Akane simultaneously. The reason? It had a great deal to do with the fact that after he had helped her up, Xi'an Pu had locked her arms around Ranma's neck and kissed him soundly on the lips.

Roshi was laughing himself sick at the sight of his great granddaughter making her claim on him, while Ryoga look highly amused.

"You floozy!" Akane roared jumping in between them with her Crimson Demon Fan blazing like a bonfire. "I told you, I'm not shar- Mph!?"

Now Ryoga and Roshi were outright cackling as Akane was given the same treatment as Ranma. Soun looked like he was ready to break.

Xi'an Pu, feeling a little catty, shoved her tongue into Akane's mouth for good measure before pulling back smiling like a cheshire cat. "Amazon law absolute." She told the two stunned teenagers, looking pleased with herself. "Amazon defeated by man, give Kiss of Marriage. He already have woman? Also give Kiss of Marriage."

らんま½

AN: Well, Akane and Ranma now have a new fiance. :P

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