[Ranma][Fanfic] the bet Akane unleashed

[Gregg Sharp]

Akane Unleashed.
or giving up the anger in order to pursue more productive lines.
this came from some NICE feedback that was forwarded to me about the Ranma
telepathy story i'd done up (unintentionally).

this is NOT to be distributed to the FFML, your one stop shop for all your
flame needs. if i wrote something nice about Akane and posted it there, i'd
be rewarding 'em for that sort of behavior. i'd like to think i'm a little
more responsible than to do something like that.
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Pain was the first thing she was aware of, which made her reluctant to
awaken any further. Still, she was a fighter, and so bit by bit managed to
convince herself that she wanted to be up NOW.

Second came the sensation of something wet, no, wet cloth being laid across
her forehead.

Voices began to register, which almost caused her to abandon all her hard
work so far as the voices were not terribly quiet.

"Sure, Saotome, sure. Like you'd miss dinner for Ryouga or Kuno..." *Well,
maybe if one of them had a cure.*

"It ain't like that, Nabiki!" Ranma's irritation caused his volume to
increase slightly.

A stab of greater pain brought a moan to Akane's lips.

"See, Saotome, you're making things worse." *Though I was a little
surprised to see you listening to Kasumi and trying to take care of Akane.
Maybe you've actually got a heart in there with all that macho bravado.*

"Shhhh. Keep it quiet and get Kasumi." *Of course, Akane will probably will
probably blame me for this. Somehow it's always my fault.*

"Why don't you? I certainly wouldn't want to leave you alone with her while
she's helpless." *Not that Ranma'd do anything about it anyway. What a
jerk.*

"....uhm, cause..." *Aaagghh. How can I leave Akane when she's hurt and
helpless like this?*

"Ranma," moaned Akane. "Keep it down, will you?" Who was he calling
helpless, anyway?

*SHE'S ALIVE!!!!!! Happy/relief/pleasure/love/tenderness.* "S-sure, Akane,
I'll just go get Kasumi." *She doesn't want me here anyway, why do I bother?
She's always been upfront about how much she hates and resents me, but then
she can turn around and be so damn nice...*

"Don't go...just keep it...quiet." Her curiosity was aroused anyway. Maybe
she could finally figure the jerk out.

*Wow. A tender moment about to happen. Oh well, got to do it before
something happens that my sister regrets.* "Well, well, Saotome. Maybe I
should tell Daddy to schedule the wedding?"

"WHAT?! Like I'd want to marry an uncute tomboy!"
*Embarrassment/shame/fear/desire. She looks so cute when she smiles.*

THAT brought Akane's eyes open and she looked up to see Ranma looking down
at her.

Contact.
---------------------------
//Crying one night. Friends abandoned yet again. His Ucchan, his best
friend ever, though the other boy was a little clumsy. Still, if it were
necessary to be a better martial artist, he'd do it! He would NOT be weak!
He would be strong and not hafta depend on nobody! Besides, letting people
get close to you just got you hurt.//

//Pleading with his father, not again, not into the pit again! Tied up,
helpless, and thrown into a restless and hungry dark. Betrayed.//

//A slap from his father, the older man yelling about getting him a dress.
He was weak, he was stupid, he was fearful, therefore he was acting like a
girl and should dress the part. Ranma swearing he would never be weak, that
he would yet make his father proud.//

//Ranma's shock as a giant panda shot out of the pool, landing on one of
the bamboo poles. The Guide explaining quickly about the horror of Jusenkyo.
The panda attacking. Cool water enveloping his form. The unpleasant
sensation as muscles and internal organs shifted into a slightly different
configuration. The horror of all the work of ten years being undone in an
instant. His father had told him often enough. Girls were weak, stupid,
silly. And now he was one.//

//Three girls sitting across from him at a table. Shock and disgust on the
faces of two, anger on
the third. Appreciation for the mature beauty of the eldest, the sensuality
of the middle, and the cuteness
of the youngest was pushed aside by resentment at being forced into this.
Another friend lost, he noted
as he saw the youngest continue to get angrier. The two slightly older girls
taking the opportunity to throw
their youngest sister off to the lions. The realization that, as in all his
life, he was unwanted and resented.//(1)

//Squatting on the railing of a fence, feeling shy and overwhelmed, but
finding courage within.
Stammering out that he liked the way Akane looked with short hair, not that
it mattered what HE thought.
The way he felt when looking at her smile, the way she spoke to him without
hostility. Maybe... The
moment lost as it turned out that it was just another trick she was playing
on him.//
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Akane stared at the face above her.

*Oh crud. What'd I do now?*

*Now that's interesting. Akane looks horrified and guilty. What did Ranma
do that I don't know about? Hmmm. I guess that _I_ had better get Kasumi.
I'll want witnesses.*

Akane noticed Ranma's mouth hadn't moved, but she'd heard his voice. "Uhm,
Ranma, maybe... you ought to go? Nothing personal, but I'd really like to be
alone right now." Akane silently added that now she needed some time to sort
all this out.

*I'd better not catch P-chan coming in here.* "Sure, Akane....I mean OK."

Akane blinked. P-chan. P-chan was... Ryouga?! Spring of drowned black
piglet? All this time? All those hints Ranma had thrown her way and she'd
never...

Pain was lessened as endomorphins and adrenaline went to work. Nausea made
its presence felt but decided a prudent withdrawal in the face of this flush
of anger might be a good idea.

Ranma took one look at the anger on Akane's face and fled, certain that it
was directed at him. *What'd I do?*

That was right, Ryouga had set off a Shishi Hokoudan to take care of yet
another annoying challenger. The building collapsing around her. That was
TWO things for her to take up with pigboy.

She was sure Ranma would have shown up eventually to take care of this
Akuma guy. Just another big fellow going around challenging martial artists,
big deal. And so Ryouga decides to prove that he could protect her as well
as Ranma could. Not that she couldn't have taken him on, just another big
ugly dojo challenger, right?

Gee, and it turned out so well, too. The big guy moved pretty fast and had
been stomping Ryouga into the ground when Akane had understandably lost
track of how the fight was going.

Kasumi and someone unexpected came in. Akane blinked as she realized who it
was.

"Is okay, Kasumi not get ahold of family doctor, she know we have many many
Chinese herbs help Akane get strength back." *Besides, it's not like it's
the first time I've helped her out, not that I'll ever expect Akane to
understand.*

Akane blinked again. Shampoo hadn't said that last part aloud. Shampoo was
actually concerned about her chief rival? "Oh, something to take away this
headache?"

*?!?!?! She isn't immediately hostile and suspicious? Akane must really be
hurt badly.* "Oh, so Akane try? Akane lose much blood, scalp wound very
messy."

*Which is why I added them to chicken soup.* Kasumi smiled at her sister.
"Come on, Akane, try some."

Akane closed her eyes briefly and decided that whatever this latest bit of
weirdness was, she might as well go with the flow. "OK, Shampoo. I'll give
it a try."

Akane looked up to see the surprise in Shampoo's eyes.

Contact.
-----------------------------------
//Crying as her great-grandmother told her the story of how her mother
died, brutalized by the Musk at the Fjord Of Standing Stones. Her father, a
weak male, could only watch as the Elders decided her fate.//

//Mousse. Again and again and again. Instead of taking the hint he
continued to press his attacks on her. Why couldn't he understand. She just
was NOT interested! Ah, now Tai Za on the other hand. A little weird, and
not much of a fighter, it was true, but then SHE was the warrior. It wasn't
unheard of for a strong amazon to choose and defeat a male, far more common
than the other way around! Tai Za was cute, a good farmer, a decent forager.
Shampoo thought about it, she was six years old. Tai Za was eight. Close
enough.//

//Shampoo glaring at Mousse. He'd gone too far. Too far! It had been an
"accident" they said. Mousse's thrown dagger missing a target to cut through
a support rope while Tai Za worked on the Challenge Log. The crushing weight
landing on the poor farmer/carpenter. She vowed she would NEVER let Mousse
have her. NEVER!//

//Giving this stranger girl the Xai Fang Gao. This was kinder than killing
her, and the girl had said often enough that she didn't want the engagement.
She could get this mission over with, and bring her husband back to the
village. She could get out of this noisy, smelly, artificial environment
with the cold eyed hostile people and save her airen from becoming one of
them.//

//Shampoo defeated by the boy Ranma. The revelation that boy was girl.
Fleeing in horror with a broken heart.//

//Her Grandmother explaining the law to a broken hearted Shampoo. Failing
once was Jusenkyo. Failing twice... Exile was the LEAST punishment she could
expect.//

//Watching Ranma train. Feeling her heart soaring in her chest as she
watched him move, as he demonstrated the strength and skill that had given
him the right to marry her, as he looked back at her with the gentle look
and crooked smile that had captured her heart.//

//A lonely night with a gentle word from her great-grandmother. Knowing
that her airen loved someone, someone who didn't love him. She'd save him,
SOMEHOW she'd save him.//
--------------------------------
Akane blinked again. She allowed herself to be fed while she tried to sort
things out. Shampoo wasn't a bimbo? She actually DID love Ranma? She was
still a filthy gaijin, but now Akane understood her to some extent. She
opposed her rival, but would aid a fellow warrior. Allowing for the cultural
differences...

How could she have been wrong? Ranma insecure? Ryouga deceptive? Shampoo at
least halfway intelligent? If it didn't hurt so much, she'd have been
convinced it was all some weird dream.

*Wow. Things are quiet. A state of affairs I haven't seen since a panda
and a girl showed up here on a rainy day in March.* Nabiki's smirk even
showed in her thoughts. From Nabiki came faint
concern/annoyance/distrust/curiosity.

Kasumi's thoughts gave the exact area, length, diagnosis, and possible
repercussions. Telepathy was not on the list. From her came a wave of
affectionate concern that left Akane feeling rather overwhelmed.

"So what _did_ Ranma do?" Nabiki's curiosity came to the forefront. *Must
have been really something to have gotten that reaction out of her. And now
she's not fighting with Shampoo, is she injured that badly or is it shock
over what Saotome did? I'll have to hit him with another really degrading
photo shoot or something equally painful. He'll pay.*

"Ranma didn't do anything." Akane said quietly. Not nearly as much as she
thought he had. "I just realized something about...P-chan."

*Oh, don't tell me she finally realized that Ryouga is P-chan...*

Akane blinked. That had been nearly simultaneous from all three others in
the room. EVERYONE else had known? "Why didn't anyone tell me about Ryouga?"

"If you'd offered me money," started Nabiki. *Besides, watching Saotome
squirm with jealousy was entertaining.*

*It wasn't my place,* came Kasumi's thought, tinged with regret. She didn't
say anything out loud.

"Shampoo understand what it is to be cursed. If airen not afraid of cats,
Shampoo might have done same thing." *If anyone would let me get away with
it. I'm sure Mousse would have clued everyone in, he's always been like
that, no trick that he won't do to get what he wants.*

Akane was beginning to get sore from biting her tongue. It helped to take
her mind off the headache at least.
--------------------end 1--------------------------

(1)- yes, i know. Akane was furious because she walked in on him in the
furo. however most of her insults and complaints were about his changing
into a girl. An obvious conclusion for Ranma to arrive at: it was his curse
that was causing all the hate directed at him.

next chapter 2 (way,way, long time from now)
Akane learns the dangers of telepathy with a madman (T.Kuno),
Tries to figure out why everyone else's picture of herself is so different
from her OWN self-image,
Akane's got ALL of Ranma's memories and experiences, oh dear, did Shampoo
get wet on her trip over this morning?