Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They belong to the wonderful
Romiko Takahashi and her licensees (Viz Communications in North
America). This work is strictly for the non-profit enjoyment of fans.
No copyright infringement is intended.

My thanks to Greg Young who has been the pre-reader for this series.
Also my thanks to those others who have given me feedback and pre-
read chapters. Unforunately I lost your e-mail addresses when I
switched machines or I would give you all the credit you deserve
for writing those thoughful critiques that I ignored.

Thought of the Mongoose
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by Tom Wrensch
Part 2: Kodachi
=================================

Ranma quietly peeked into Akane's room. He sighed in disgust when he
saw the bed was empty. Again.

 Ranma wondered as he headed for the dojo.


He sighed again as he stepped into the dojo and saw Akane starting the
same kata she'd been doing for the last six weeks. At least she was
doing other training now - for a few weeks she'd done nothing but this
one kata and a bunch of meditation. He had to admit that the mediation
had helped her calm down a little. Or maybe she was just be too
exhausted from all the training to get angry.

Knowing she wouldn't stop partway through, he sat down to watch. She
looked so graceful doing this kata, it's smooth flowing motions seemed
to suit her in a way he found hard to explain. Her habit of wearing the
black fighting pants and sleeveless white shirt combination that looked
so sexy on her just enhanced the picture of graceful femininity.

She finished the kata and looked over at him. "What do you want Ranma?"

"It's after midnight. We've got school tomorrow, you gotta get some
sleep."

Akane stuck her tongue out at him. "What are you, my mother?" she
taunted.

"Come on Akane! You've been pushing yourself too hard. *Please* go to
bed." Ranma blushed a little at the note of pleading in his voice.

"Well, okay." Akane conceded. "You time me once and then I'll go to
bed."

Ranma nodded, happy to get her to agree so easily. She handed him the
stopwatch and went to the middle of the dojo. Ranma didn't really
understand the training Mokoyashi-sensee had started Akane on. All he
knew was it was some kind of speed training. Unlike the chestnut fist
he'd learned from Cologne, this seemed to involve the whole body. While
he could see how that would be useful, there was no way to get your
whole body moving as fast as his chestnut fist technique let him move
his arms and hands.

He watched Akane stand in the middle of the dojo, motionless, a look of
intense concentration on her face. He stared the stopwatch as she began
the first move, then watched wide-eyed as Akane whirled through the the
kata at incredible speeds. A week ago she'd managed fifty-eight
seconds. This time...

He clicked the stopwatch as she finished and stared at it in amazement.
Twenty-seven seconds. That was impossible!

"So how did I do?"

Ranma just held up the stopwatch, too surprised to say anything. Akane
looked at it, blinked, and looked again. Then she squealed in delight
and danced around the dojo with a triumphant smile.

Despite his shock Ranma had to grin at her antics. She'd been a lot
more open with her emotions the last few weeks - Kasumi had commented
that prolonged lack of sleep could do that. But this! this made her
look like a five year old. A very cute five year old.

Akane finally plopped down in front of Ranma. She leaned forward until
her face was just a few inches in front of his.

"I. Did. It." she said solemnly. Then she kissed the tip of his nose
and giggled happily.

"Mokoyashi-sensee would be very proud of you." Ranma told her.

Akane sobered quickly at the mention of her late sensee, and Ranma
mentally kicked himself for bringing her up. Ranma had sat with Akane
through the old woman's death watch three weeks earlier. He had hardly
met the woman before she died. Akane, on the other hand, had obviously
loved the old woman and had taken her death very hard.

Akane smiled at him, but now it was tired rather than giddy.

"Hey Ranma, how many times have you carried me up to bed the last few
weeks?"

"Umm... three."

"How about making it four? I think I overdid it." Her voice faded out
and she pitched forward into his arms.

Ranma shook his head as he carried her upstairs. He was really getting
worried. She was pushing herself right to the edge. He knew that
sometimes you had to do that. Good training required you to push your
limits so you knew what they were and to try to extend them. Keeping it
up day after day for weeks though, that could be dangerous.

He elbowed her door open and placed her in bed. For a few minutes he
just watched her sleep. Then he bent down and kissed her forehead.

"Good night Akane-chan." he whispered.

"How sweet."

Ranma spun around to see Kasumi standing behind him. "Umm..." he
managed to get out.

Kasumi gave him her patented Kasumi smile. "She fell asleep in the dojo
again?"

"Yes. Well no, not exactly."

Kasumi's smile dropped a notch. "What do you mean?"

"It was more like she collapsed."

"Oh my."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too." Ranma said. "Would it be okay if I
turned off her alarm and we let her sleep in tomorrow?"

"I don't know, she shouldn't miss school."

"Do you really think she's going to be in any shape to learn stuff?"

Kasumi considered. "All right. You have to bring her homework, and help
her with it."

"Deal." Ranma reached down and shut off the alarm.

"Thanks Kasumi. I'd better get back to sleep. You should too."

"Yes, as soon as I make sure you go back to sleep in *your* room."
Kasumi said gently.

"Kasumi!"

"Now Ranma, don't think I've missed the way you've been watching her
the last few weeks."

"Umm...I..."

"It's all right Ranma. You *are* her fiancee." Kasumi put a hand on his
shoulder. "Look all you want, just don't touch. Now, I'll see you in
the morning." Kasumi gave him a gentle push toward his room.

Ranma took the hint and headed for bed. <*Damn*> he thought. 

* * * *

"It is *not* my fault!" Ranma said hotly.

"Oh?" Akane replied, her tone angry. "And who's idea was it to let me
sleep in?"

"If you weren't pushing yourself so hard I wouldn't have to take care
of you!"

Akane stopped walking and stared at him. Ranma took a few more steps
before he realized she wasn't following. He turned to see her giving
him a blank look.

"What?" he asked.

Akane's face softened into a warm smile. "You *have* been taking care
of me, haven't you. Thank you Ranma."

"Ah..." Ranma blushed and played with the end of his pigtail. "Akane,
I..."

"Oh ho ho ho ho!" Maniacal laughter interrupted Ranma, quickly followed
by an equally maniacal gymnast.

"Great. Kodachi." Akane sighed.  she thought.

"Ranma-sama! How wonderful to see you again." Kodachi tried to give
Ranma a Shampoo-style glomp. He managed to avoid the worst of it,
ending up with one arm captured in a vice-like grip.

"Leave him alone you hussy." Akane yelled. "Can't you see he only
humors you?"

Kodachi looked down her nose at Akane. "Quiet peasant. You should not
speak to your betters so."

"Akane felt anger well up. Rather than giving in to it as she normally
would, she tried some of the mediation techniques Mokoyashi-sensee had
taught her. It worked, the anger turning into an icy fury that left her
shaking, but still in control.

"My betters?" Akane said, outwardly calm. "In what way?"

"Please." said Kodachi with a sneer. "You are nothing but a poor,
low-born third daughter. What could you offer my Ranma-sama?"

"Am I." Akane's voice took on a dangerous edge. "My mother's family
were minor nobility, my fathers family are Samurai who were once in
service to the lord of my mother's family."

Kodachi frowned, this was not how she expected Akane to react. Besides,
if she was telling the truth, her family had roots nearly as noble as
the Kuno family.

"It is true that I am the youngest daughter, but as the only
practitioner of the families art I am heir to the dojo, house, and most
of the other family holdings."

Akane stepped forward, hands on hips. "And what about you? Your brother
will inherit the family fortune and you will be forced to live off his
generosity. He *hates* Ranma. If you married Ranma your brother would
leave you destitute."

Kodachi was standing there, her mouth opening and closing with no words
coming out. She let her grip on Ranma loosen, and he immediately took
advantage of it to slip from her grasp.

"Now please explain to me how you are my *better*." Akane finished by
turning with a flip of her head and walking away, followed by a silent
Ranma. Behind them Kodachi finally recovered from Akane's verbal
assault.

"Akane Tendo I challenge you!" She screamed. "I challenge you for the
right to marry Ranma Saotome."

Akane stopped. She turned slowly, the icy fury that burned in her
stomach intensified.

"No". She said flatly.

"What!"

"Why should I?" Akane asked. "I'm already Ranma's fiancee, so I gain
nothing if I win. You, on the other hand, have nothing."

"H-How dare you!"

"Are you up for a *real* challenge?" Akane snapped out the words and
advanced on Kodachi. "One where you might actually lose something?"

"Of course." Kodachi said uncertainly, backing up a step.

Akane grabbed Ranma's hand and pulled him along side her. "If you win,
Ranma will take you on a date, my treat."

"Wait a..." Ranma stopped when Akane glared at him.

"Okay." He said in resignation.

Akane turned back to Kodachi. "If I win, you will turn yourself in for
psychiatric evaluation. If that evaluation determines you should be
placed in a mental hospital, you will allow yourself to be committed."

"That's ridiculous. Why should I do such a thing?"

"I see." Akane said with a hint of amusement." You're not up to a
*real* challenge."

Kodachi growled. Her face purpled and she literally shook with anger. 
Finally it seemed she couldn't take it any more. "I accept!" she
shouted and immediately launched herself at Akane.

Akane was too surprised by the suddenness of the attack to bring up the
mindset need for her new high-speed techniques. She was forced to dodge
a ribbon attack by leaping into the air, then she blocked a baton with
an arm sweep from the kata Mokoyashi-sensee had taught her. That gave
her an idea and she started using as many moves from that kata as she
could.

Kodachi seemed to be thrown off by Akane's uncharacteristic moves. A
smooth leg sweep almost caught the gymnast, forcing her to cartwheel
away. She prepared a ribbon but Akane pivoted with the leg sweep and
leapt after Kodachi, getting inside her guard before the ribbon could
be put to use. Kodachi dropped the now-useless weapon in time to block
a simple forearm smash to the face.

Kodachi never had another chance to attack. Akane seemed to turn into a
whirlwind of graceful arm and leg strikes. Kodachi was forced to switch
to a completely defensive fight. Even so, some hits got through. It
wasn't long before Akane was standing over Kodachi's unconscious form.

Akane felt Ranma's hand on her shoulder.

"That was a little too close. I *really* didn't want to go on a date
with her."

Akane was stung, she'd beaten Kodachi. Something she wasn't sure she
would have been able to do without Mokoyashi-sensee's special
technique. 

"Close? I *creamed* her." She said.

"Yeah, but only after you got into the weird high-speed mode you've
been learning. If you'd waited another three seconds she would have
gotten you first."

"Umm... I guess you're right."

"You couldn't do it right away, could you?" Ranma asked.

"No." Akane looked down at her feet. "I had to start using moves from
the training kata before I could pull it up." she admitted.

"Hmmf. Well, I've got no idea how this thing you're doing works, but I
guess we better start training you to use it anytime, anywhere." He
said seriously.

"You want to train me?" She asked.

"Umm... yeah. What's wrong with that?"

Akane looked up at Ranma's face her eyes lighting up in happiness.
"Nothing. Nothing wrong with it at all."

"Ohhh, what..." Kodachi sat up, holding her head with both hands as if
she was keeping it from splitting in half.

Akane reluctantly turned from Ranma to face her. "You lost."

"What? How! How could I lose to *you*." Kodachi hissed.

"You did. Now if you have any honor at all you will abide by the terms
of the challenge."

Akane turned her back on the gymnast. "Come on Ranma, let's go home."

* * * *

On a nearby rooftop Mousse watched with interest as Akane beat the crap
out of Kodachi. There was nothing special about her moves, if anything
they were simpler and less powerful that she normally used. Her speed
and precision thought, those were nothing short of amazing.

He didn't miss the interaction between Ranma and Akane either. Nor did
he miss the look of adoration Akane gave Ranma when he said he wanted
to train her. Though, of course, Ranma missed it completely.

 Mousse
thought. 

Mousse sat on the roof and pondered. 

=== END PART 2 ===

C&C *very* welcome, flames ignored. Please send comments to 
twrensch@geocities.com. My completed stories and relatively complete
drafts are posted at http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Dojo/5201/.

    Source: geocities.com/twrensch