Steel Hearts

Chapter 1: Ore

Disclaimer: Ranma ½ is owned by Vis Video, Rumiko Takehashi, and the respective companies associated therein. I do not own this work, and am using it purely for the joy of writing. Furthermore, I do not own any other works, games, and/or characters that may, or may not, appear within this story. All original characters will be noted at the end of the chapter.

Ranma wasn't really sure what had brought him to the Bazaar that fine Sunday morning; perhaps it was a general state of apathy with his environment, or perhaps he had decided to take up an interest in curios and assorted random knick-knacks, or perhaps it was one of three places that his conglomeration of suitors, foes, generalized hangers-on, and random challengers-for-the-title would never think to look for him in.

Yeah, defiantly the third one.

However, what occupied his attention at that moment was not the assortment of random doo-dads and gee-gaws on display. Rather, it was the unusual increase in missing persons reports. At first, everyone had assumed that it was the yakuza trying to beef up the "clubs" prior to the tourist season, or maybe some random new enemy of the Sailor Senshi that was snatching up people to use as cannon-fodder, or maybe even demented servants of a hyper-intelligent lemming abducting citizens to use as breeding stock.

The truth of the matter is that the yakuza had learned the hard way not to mess around in Juuban, Tomobiki, or Nerima, so they were out; the Sailor Senshi reported that their intelligence assets were not tracking any new threats, nixing them as well; the hyper-intelligent lemming was unavailable for comment, but one of his demented servants stated that apples were the bane of existence and could only be defeated by coating them in a puree of tripe and shredded sports magazines that were not less than five years out of date; he was promptly ignored.

No, the source of the abductions wasn't any of the previously mentioned groups, and the authorities still had no clues. Ranma, in spite of his obliviousness to the goings-on of the world, knew that sooner or later the martial artist community would be tapped for this particular nuisance and that he would be the one "volunteered" to deal with it.

Sadly, we know he's right.

Ranma's continued musings were cut short as an elderly voice called out to him.

"Young sir, what troubles you?"

Ranma was a little startled. The old man, for that's what the owner of the voice was, was wrapped in a fairly heavy cloak, draped in such a manner that only his mouth and hands were visible. He sat at a fairly non-descript table with an assortment of trinkets and random things scattered about it. All in all, he was someone who didn't attract a whole lot of attention, even with the whole cloak thing.

In the middle of June.

Under a bright and sunny sky.

No, defiantly nothing noticeably unusual about him, right?

"Pardon?" Ranma asked.

The old man laughed in a dry, gasping sort of manner.

"I said, what troubles you? One so young shouldn't bear the weight of the world."

Ranma sighed. "Well, I'm Ranma Saotome." he said, as if it explained everything.

Oddly enough, it did.

The old man seemed to freeze up in surprise.

Well, not so much freeze as stop the random movements and assorted quivers that the elderly are prone to. The old man got a hesitant sort of questioning tone in his voice.

"Um… are… ah… are you…"

Ranma sighed. "No, to the best of my knowledge I'm here alone."

The old man sagged in relief.

"Well, young master Saotome, what brings you by the bazaar this fine day?"

Ranma looked around for a moment.

"The daily routine over in Nerima, to be honest. It's always the same pattern, wake up by getting splashed, get thrown out of a window, fight pops for breakfast, get splashed on the way to school, fight Kuno to get in class, try not to let my sleep deprivation make me miss class, get malleted for something random, get molested by you-know-who, try to dodge the fiancé brigade, fight the random challenger of the week, get malleted for 'showing off', fight Pops for my dinner, get fleeced by Nabiki for something, get malleted for getting fleeced, get yelled at by pops and Mr. Tendo for getting malleted in the first place, look at the stars and try to find some sort of hope that things will get better so I can do it all the next day."

He sighed in a forlorn sort of manner.

"Seems the only thing changing in my life, are the faces that I end up fighting."

The old man smiled.

"I know about the Nerima Wrecking Crew, as the youngsters call it, and I have to ask you this: What do you want? Not from me, mind you, but from life in general. Do you want any of the fiancés? Do you want this life? What do you want, for yourself?"

Ranma paused. Nobody; and he means nobody, had ever asked him what he wanted. Everyone just assumed that he would do what they wanted him to, and he'd be just peachy-keen okay with it.

But, what did he want?

"Honestly? I want friends. Real, honest, and true friends that are actually on my side, and not out for themselves. Ones who won't be friends one minute and then turn on me the next, real friends, you know? Too bad all the people I know have some sort of agenda, even Hiro and Dai are friends with me so they can try to get closer to the girls."

The old man smiled.

"While I cannot help you with that, I can give you something to help you help yourself, as it were." The old man reached under the table and withdrew a small box. It was some sort of cheap wood, and didn't seem to have any sort of hinge or clasp. What was apparent, however, was that a lot of time and effort had gone into its construction and decoration. So much so, that a plain, cheap box was turned into a beautiful work of art.

It's kinda like me, I think. Cheap material turned into something both beautiful and functional.

"Now, keep in mind, young Master Saotome, The contents of this box are all that remain of my wilder days. I'll not tell you what lies within, that will be your task to figure out, but I can guarantee that once you do, you'll be able to make true, honest friends. Maybe you'll even figure out what your heart wants, hmm?"

Ranma was honestly curious at this proposal. Honest friends? Figure out what his heart wants? Either the old guy could make good on his word, or this he was goonier than a fancon! Either way, Ranma was intrigued.

"So, how much for it? I know that it isn't free, nothing ever is."

The old man chuckled. "Well said, young man. 'Nothing is for nothing', as my old mother used to say. I'll give you the box for, say, 500 yen?"

Ranma nodded. "It's a deal. Here you go." The elderly man nodded and accepted the coin, handing over the box.

"Two bits of advice before you go; Remember that after all is said and done, the only person you really have to make happy is the one that you see in the mirror. The other bit of advice is this: Don't go looking for love, it will find you when it's good and ready. Take care, young Master Saotome." Ranma bowed and thanked the kindly old man and began the return trip to his sort-of home.

Ranma arrived back at the Dojo a few uneventful moments later, and took the time to scan the area with his nascent Ki-senses.

Let's see… There's Kasumi, Pops and Mr. Tendo aren't around, neither is Akane… Hmmm… Where's Nabiki?

As if summoned by his thoughts, Nabiki walked around the corner dressed in an incredibly daring black bikini, ready for an afternoon of sunning.

Ranma took a moment to wrap himself in the Thief's Veil before settling into a more comfortable position. He watched with interest as Nabiki flipped out a towel on the grass and began spreading suntan lotion on her arms. Not for the first time, he found himself admiring the middle Tendo's trim body, graceful arms, and smooth legs. Her generous assets also drew the eye, as did her sensuous face and its lovely crown of rich chocolate-brown hair. At least, he admitted to himself, her face was sensuous when it wasn't twisted into a scowl or predatory smirk. As the lotion spread down her taut belly, he wished she'd let him do that for her. Not a first time for that, either. Ranma decided to take a gamble and give it a shot. At best, she'd let him and he could try to get to know her a little better. At worst, she'd refuse and he'd get charged for the "show". So, he dropped the veil and came off the wall.

Nabiki was immediately aware of his presence the instant he hit the ground, and wondered what was going on in his mind as he approached her. His smile was genuine and infectious, and Nabiki found herself smiling a little in response.

"Hey, Nabiki. Mind if I take over with the lotion?" Clear out of the blue, that was.

Nabiki was a trifle stunned, and didn't resist as he took the bottle of lotion from her and poured a little on his hands. Very carefully, he started lightly massaging the lotion into her thighs, calves, and feet, taking the time to get between her toes and absently noting that she was ticklish there. A few pleasant moments later, he asked her to flip over so he could get her back. In spite of being semi-blissed out, she had enough mental where-with-all to form a question. Mind you, of course, that she flipped over first so he could continue his "tender ministrations".

"Ranma? When did you learn to do this? And why are you doing it for me?"

He chuckled a little. "Well, I've always known how to do massage; it is a large part of Shiatsu, Reiki, and sports therapy. Why I've never shown it? Well, has your sister ever WILLINGLY let me touch more than her hand? Or touch anyone else's, for that matter? If the word 'massage' even approached my lips, it'd be a one-way ticket to mallet-town."

He took a small breath and continued. "As for why you, is it really so hard to guess? I remember the first night here; it was raining, I had just been told about a fiancé, and the idiot was carting me around on his shoulder. We get to this wonderful house and instead of letting me down to ask for hot water, he just pushes on in. What I remember the most, though, was a beautiful young woman in an exquisite kimono, with the most heart-wrenching look of loneliness and loss in her eyes; the same thing I feel every day." A soft pause occurred, and Ranma seemed lost in thought for a second. Nabiki, for her part, was absolutely flabbergasted. He would have chosen her? Naiki, the Ice-queen? Nabiki, the Mercenary? Ranma had wanted HER over either of her other sisters? Damn…

"Anyway, that's your back. Want me to get anywhere else?"

Nabiki pouted cutely for a moment when his hands left her back, but she knew that it had to happen eventually. Now, if only her traitorous body would stop responding to his presence for a moment…

"Actually, yes, there is one thing. Could you lean down here a moment?" she asked. Ranma cautiously leaned down to her, their faces only inches apart.

"Yes, Nab-!" was all he managed to get out before the mother of all kisses was planted square on his lips.

"Just so you know, ", she began, "I got scared and it made me hostile that night. If things had gone a little differently at the start, you and I would be the ones engaged."

Ranma smiled. "I would have liked that a lot."

He stood up and collected the somewhat forgotten box from the bazaar.

"Well, mistress," he began in a playful tone, "if you'll allow me a moment or two, I'll drop this off in my room and your Cabana Boy will be with you shortly."

In spite of herself, Nabiki laughed.

"Alright, Cabana Boy. Bring some iced tea with you, if you would please."

Ranma laughed, and in the span of a few moments was back at her side with a tray of iced tea and condiments, Kasumi (after no little amount of cajoling) in her swimsuit, himself in a pair of trunks and tank-top, and a large fan. One quick application of suntan lotion to Kasumi and himself, and both girls were stretched out in the sun, enjoying the quiet of the afternoon and the breeze produced by the fan.

It took less than fifteen minutes of peace for the Gods of Irony to decide that it was time for the permanent PMS cloud that is Akane Tendo to come storming around the corner. She had been volunteering at the local theater and had gotten told that in order for her to audition for the part she wanted, she'd have to get used to the idea of getting kissed.

The character was, quite naturally, the female lead and was portrayed as a shameless floozy who got what she wanted by any means necessary, but hated herself for it. The whole story was supposed to be a touching drama about forgiveness of the self and redemption. The director agreed that she'd be good for the part, if she let go of the pervert-bashing mindset. To that end, she had decided to have her slave…er, fiancé help her out whether he wanted to or not. Akane was not, however, prepared for what greeted her when she got back home.

The scene she saw was of Ranma standing over her poor, defenseless sisters, about to commit horrible acts of perversion upon them! With a fan, no less! While they were stretched out and lying in the sun? With Iced tea and snacks?

"RANMA! Just what is going on here?" she screeched.

"Jeeze, Alane, relax. Saotome here is working off part of his debt by playing Cabana Boy for me. Speaking of which… Cabana Boy!"

"Yes, Mistress Nabiki?" Ranma responded, getting into the role.

"My tea is empty, please refill it." She commanded.

"Of course, mistress. Would Mistress Kasumi care for a refill?"

"Yes, Cabana Boy, I think I would." Kasumi responded, enjoying the byplay.

Ranma propped the fan on his shoulder and leaned over them to reach for the pitcher of iced tea.

Akane, for her part, was left to gape like a landed fish. Shock turned to confusion. Confusion turned to Jealousy. And Jealousy turned, inevitably, to Rage. With the rage, came the mallet, and with an inarticulate scream of fury, she slammed him into the ground and stormed off, all thoughts of beating back the pervert-pounding attitude gone.

Nabiki was pissed. An entire afternoon of sunning and relaxation came to an abrupt end because her sister couldn't reign in her emotions. The tea was spilled all over the ground, her towel was wet and cold and Ranma had been turned to Ranko again because of it.

"Damn that girl! Does she ever even stop and THINK before swinging that thing around? I swear, if I thought I could get Daddy and Mr. Saotome to agree… Ooohh!" Nabiki stood up and collected her towel, lotion, and tea glass before helping Ranma stand up.

"Nabiki!" Kasumi took a scolding tone. "I really don't think that switching the engagement would solve this problem. Not only that, but watch your language! Even if she does frustrate me to no end." Kasumi stood and collected her glass, towel and the pitcher.

"No, I agree with Nabiki." Ranma said, shaking off the after effects of the mallet strike. "This is the last straw, Kasumi. I've tried being more polite, I've been patient, I've broken what was left of my honor for her, I've even KILLED for her, and she still hasn't changed. Something has got to give, or this engagement is over. She gets a week, and if nothing changes, I'll break it off from my end and let the panda deal with the fall-out." Ranma had a fierce look of concentration and determination that told the Tendo girls he was deadly serious about this.

The trio walked into the house, Ranma's declaration clear in their minds. Nabiki, for her part, felt it was fair; and while finances would take a major drop, actual costs would go down as well. Ranma did eat a lot, and between the fiancé brigade, Akane's temper-tantrums, and the mass of rivals, the house and grounds needed a lot of repair work. The other side to that sen, however; was that Ranma did bring in a lot of money. He let her take the pictures (she was under no illusion that he didn't know what she was up to), he gave the money from his random odd jobs to her as "payments on his debt", and sales of the field guides for the tourism department in the district were a nice bonus as well.

Who was she trying to kid? If Ranma'd have her, she'd jump in his bed in a heartbeat. Two heartbeats if he wanted something… kinky. She'd have to prepare for whatever it was, you know.

Meanwhile, Kasumi was humming in an effort to calm herself down and find her center. It was true, Ranma had been making an obvious effort to try and be more polite to Akane, he was helping out around the house, and doing everything short of out-right begging the assorted nut-jobs that made up his peer-group to stop with the insanity. Or inanity. Whichever was more appropriate for the situation.

A small frown crossed her face as her humming trailed off. The house was spotless, and the garden was weed-free and coming along nicely, there actually wasn't anything that needed doing today for a change! This, coincidentally enough, was the only reason she agreed to the whole sunbathing event in the first place. That, it did feel nice to be the one being taken care of for a change.

Kasumi heaved a small sigh.

The situation between Ranma and Akane really couldn't keep going like this. One of these days, she was going to seriously hurt him, and then she'd be left in a very bad spot, and without Ranma to bail her out of it. Despite her love for her baby sister, she whole-heartedly agreed with what Ranma had said.

One week, it was more than fair. Truthfully, it was better than anyone else in this situation deserved. Especially considering that she'd had him dancing on a hook for almost two years now.

Ranma, for his part, had calmed down and decided that the best course of action here was to talk with Akane and discuss her time limit. Now would be the optimal time, seeing as both fathers were out at the moment, and he could likely bribe Nabiki into silence with promises of another massage. An internal grin for that thought, he'd wanted to get his hands on the middle Tendo for far too long to pass this one up. The internal grin took a decidedly lecherous turn. Now the only problem was how to get Akane to actually sit down and have a heart-to-heart with him without pulling the mallet. Ranma focused on that particular problem for a few more minutes, and then decided on a plan.

Ranma nodded and walked over to Nabiki's bedroom door, knocked lightly, and waited.

"Come on in." was the response.

Ranma opened the door and paused for a moment, drinking in the sight of Nabiki's long legs and dainty feet idly waving in the air as she laid belly-down on her bed.

"Hey, Nabs, I got a proposition for you." He said.

This immediately got her undivided attention for two reasons. One being profit, in case it was financial or she could add more money to the failing Dojo, the other being shock. Since when did Ranma know the word proposition?

She shifted around to a sitting position and indicated the computer chair at her desk, all the while mindful of the way Ranma's eyes drank in her movements and the interesting things her snug shirt and very tight shorts did during them.

"Go ahead Ranma-kun, I'm all ears." She said in a curious tone.

Ranma took the indicated seat after quietly closing and locking the door.

"It's like this: I need to have a heart-to-heart with Akane, but she won't talk to me if she even suspects that there might be a chance anything we say could get back to the fathers. I need you to tell her that anything we talk about won't be recorded or otherwise reported, No matter how much is offered."

Nabiki was a little stunned. She knew, of course, that one of the problems between Ranma and Akane was the fact that their respective parents would take any sign of them getting along as a confession of love and dump them in front of a priest faster than you could say "shotgun wedding". However, she also knew that her father had pretty much ordered her to tell him of anything like that, for that specific reason. It left her in a bit of a quandary, to be honest.

"That's a tall order, Ranma. What are you offering for this?" she finally responded.

Ranma smirked a little. "Well, for starters, I'll agree to twenty-four photos for a calendar, at the usual modeling rate, one calendar per form. I'll also give you no less than three full-body massages, in guy-form, replete with hot oil, shiatsu, reiki, and acupressure. However, keep in mind that while I said not less than three, I also mean not more than five. I do have to get at least a little sleep, right?" he responded with a wink.

The offer was too good to pass up, to be honest. There were always the details to hash out, and they'd need a little time to get everything in order, but he could provide the "down payment" tonight. Nabiki nodded.

"Alright, Ranma. You got a deal. We'll work out the details later, and I'll be taking you up on one of those massages tonight. When did you want to talk to Akane?"

"Well, the sooner the better, to be honest. Now is good, what with the fathers out of the house for the time being. Never know when they'll show up next, right?"

Nabiki nodded. Those two had a knack for showing up at exactly the wrong moment.

"Then again, it might be better to wait for a while and set things up in advance. What, with the random crazies popping up and all."

Nabiki nodded again.

"I have to say that I'm impressed, Ranma. This level of thought is almost unheard of for you. What's the secret?"

Ranma gave a self-depreciating chuckle.

"When, exactly, do I get time to plan anything out? It's always react, react to that reaction, react to THAT reaction, and so on. I almost never have half a moment to actually work something out, let alone completely analyze a plan. Also, if you're making a 'dumb jock' crack, just remember that I'm ignorant on a lot of things, but not stupid. Heck, I had to extensively study anatomy and physiology before I even attempted to learn any sport massage techniques!"

Nabiki smiled. Not a smirk, or a grin, but a genuine smile. This put a whole new spin on Ranma's desirability. He may not be a genius, but with the right support and motivation, he could be a valuable ally or partner. Now, the only problem was her sister.

"Well, Ranma-kun, let's table that one for now. Alright, I think that we ought to get Kasumi in on this plan, because between her and I, we could likely get rid of the Dynamic Duo for at least a couple of hours. After that, it's probably best to have this discussion in either the attic or Kasumi's room. Nobody would even think of looking for you in either place. Also, I can personally guarantee that I haven't planted any bugs or cameras in either place. Agreed?"

Ranma nodded. "Agreed. Also, I think I might need to make my escape out your window, 'cause I hear Akane on her way over here."

Ranma stood and approached the window, pausing long enough to cup Nabiki's cheek with a rough, calloused palm and lay a short, searing kiss on her lips before opening the window and vanishing out onto the roof. Nabiki was stunned for a moment, at both the intensity of that kiss and that Ranma had initiated it.

Unfortunately, the moment of bliss was interrupted by Akane's voice outside the door.

"Nabiki? Have you seen Ranma? I want to talk to him."

Nabiki took a moment to compose herself and unlock her door before responding.

"C'mon in sis, I was just thinking about you."

Akane hesitantly opened the door and peered inside.

Nabiki made a beckoning motion to her sister and indicated the computer char for her to sit in.

"Now, you may not know this, Akane, but Ranma was very, very mad at you earlier. He wants to talk to you as well, but he's worried that anything that even looks like affection between you and him will result in an immediate wedding, or at the very least another round of the 'the schools are gonna join!' dance. He asked me to try and find somewhere you two can talk things out at and not be observed, overheard, or interfered with. Now, I can talk to Kasumi about you two taking in her room, but I honestly think that the attic would be a better place. Now, the question is when do you want to do this?"

Akane blinked with a combination of confusion and surprise. Ranma wanted to talk?

"Umm… tonight? I think that would be for the best, right? Get it out and over with first-thing, you know?"

Nabiki nodded "Alright, I'll make sure that the father's don't come looking for you while you're talking. Now, It's going to have to take place in the attic, because I don't have any bugs or cameras up there. Also, Daddy and Mr. Saotome won't try looking for either of you up there. However, if they hear you shrieking, yelling, screaming, slamming things around, punching things, kicking things, and so on, then this spiffy little chat-nook will end up getting bugged faster than you can say shallow grave. You with me so far?"

Akane nodded, vigorously.

Nabiki continued, really driving the point home.

"That means that no matter what you two talk about, no matter how upset or angry you are, no matter how much he sticks his foot down his throat, you cannot, I repeat: cannot react the way you normally do! You absolutely have to at least try to remain calm, understood?"

Akane nodded again.

"Wonderful. Now, go find Ranma and tell him that I want to talk to him and you'll meet him under the arch in fifteen minutes, ok? This will throw off any pursuers and make it just a little more secure for you two. Now, go on, I have to figure out how to bill this one to Saotome."

Akane thanked her sister and left to go and find Ranma.

Nabiki's thoughts were awhirl for a few moments. Ranma was attracted to her, this much was certain, and honestly she felt the attraction, too. But, how did she feel about him and Akane possibly repairing things? Could she stand back and let him go to her, if they managed to patch things up? Or would she try and destabilize things so that she could snatch up Ranma from her little sister when they fell apart? A sudden attack of conscience caught her and Nabiki found herself admitting that if Ranma and Akane were to somehow work things out, she'd step aside and let them have each other, as much as it might hurt to have to do that. Further thought was interrupted by Ranma's head appearing in her window, upside down.

"What's up, Nabs?" he asked.

"Akane just asked me to set things up so you and her could talk tonight. Come on in."

Ranma gracefully flipped inside the room and sat on the edge of her bed, close enough to touch her, but still a good distance away.

"Did she? I wonder why… Although, I'm not really surprised. Rumor has it she's trying to get the lead in a play and probably wants me to help her rehearse. Is that what the 'Meet me at the arch in 15 minutes' was about?"

Nabiki nodded and smiled. "A little bit of misdirection to throw off you suitors. You can thank me for it later. Anyway, Akane knows that she needs to keep her cool and not start yelling, screaming, and so on. So, that should help you be able to actually talk to her about things without fear of attack. Also, I think you might want to wait until after you clear the air before bringing up the time limit, okay?"

Ranma nodded in thought. "I don't know about that, I think if I tell her about it and then explain why it will make more sense than just a heart-to-heart and then an ultimatum, ya know? But, there's a couple of complications to take into consideration as well…"

Nabiki nodded in compreshension. "One of them being the fiancé brigade, another being the rival squad, what others do you mean. Ranma-Baby?"

Ranma gave her a look out of the corner of his eye. "Ranma-Baby?" he queried.

Nabiki gave him an impish smirk and nodded.

"I'll let it slide because you're hot. The other complications, aside from the fiancés and rivals, are the curse, the parents, and you. The curse because I'm most likely going to have it my entire life, and whomever I end up with is going to have to at least be open to the idea of intimacy with me when I'm like that, otherwise it just won't work. The parent's because they'll fight tooth and nail to keep this engagement going, no matter what." He trailed off after that, struggling to find a way to express the next part.

Nabiki blinked and gave Ranma an odd look. "How am I a complication, Ranma?" she asked.

"Because I desire you, I want to be with you, and when you're not in business mode, I have fun with you. I feel that if we had been given a chance, then we could have made something of our life together, and some of this craziness could have been avoided. Because even if she and I somehow manage to make this engagement work, I'll still be thinking of you and desiring you from afar. And, no matter how much you and I might want to be together, it would not, could not, ever be. And that's not fair to anyone involved. But honor doesn't care for fair, or want, or desire, or love. Honor only cares for duty." He finished with a sigh.

And just for a moment, Nabiki was able to glimps just what sort of burden was resting on Ranma's shoulders. Honor demanded he follow through with all of the engagements, but honor also forbade him from following through with any of them.