Quoting Loki-L <loki.laufeyjarson.ffml@gmail.com>:

"Don't be stupid, you tomboy!" Ranma was not in a very charitable
mood as
he dodged Akane's kicks and strikes through the Dojo.

"So I am stupid now, am I?" Akane was not very happy either. "And
why?
Because I asked you to help me become a better martial artist? I
guess it
was stupid of me to ask you for help."

"I am just saying that you don't need to be able to fight. You have
me!"
Ranma tried to explain. "You just sit tight when some prince or
pervert
abducts you, and your father will make me rescue you in no time"

Ranma's comfortable assumption that Akane only has to worry about
people abducting her because nobody will ever actually want to hurt
her is a dangerous one.  

"At Jusenko I swore, that I would no longer idly stand by while

stray comma.  Also, I believe you are misspelling that placename,
although I haven't read the story in question.  

you
fight." Akane brought up the vow she had made while she was a
prisoner of
the phoenix people.

As phrased is a trifle redundant.  Perhaps "She'd made the vow
while being held captive by the phoenix people".  And is "phoenix
people" a proper name?   

"And look what it got you: You knocked out the poor guide and
almost got
yourself killed when you got into a fight way over your head."
Ranma did
not understand this. Couldn't she see, that she would only get hurt
if she
started to take on the idiots by herself?

"If you don't want to train me I will find someone else," Akane
declared.

Ranma really did not like the idea of someone else training Akane.
Not one
bit. So he shot back: "Fine if that makes you feel better, do
whatever you
want. Not that it makes any difference. We both know, that I will
have to
rescue you again the next time some prince from a lost kingdom with
a
tomboy-fetish comes looking for a bride."

"You think that I can't take care of myself? I am a martial artist,
too!
I don't need your help you stupid pervert!" Akane was so angry by

Needs a comma after "help".  

now that
she had stopped trying to hit him and was just shouting at him.

"If that is what you think, then no more rescue missions for you,"
Ranma
would make her admit that she needed him.

"I would not dream of it. In fact I forbid you to interfere in my
fights.
And I will tell daddy not to waste any of your precious time by

Daddy

making you
go out and watch me defeat my next challenger!" Akane was in full
stubborn
tomboy mode right now.

"Fine!" Ranma declared. Sooner or later she would back down and
admit that
she needed him.

"Fine!" Akane did not sound like she would back down anytime soon.


                             * **  ***  ** *


Ranma had been regretting his fight with Akane for over a week now.
Why
did she have to be this stubborn? Why couldn't she just get over
her "I am
martial-artist, too!" nonsense?

What if she really tried to take on the next idiot to kidnap her?
She
would get her ass kicked. And possibly worse.

Ranma would have to make sure to just be coincidentally in the area
and
challenge the guy to a fight on a totally unrelated reason. Just
because
the stupid tomboy was so stubborn he would have to make up some
lame
excuse to ensure, that he would not be going back on his word.

And what if he wasn't there to save her? If Akane had managed to
convince
her family, they might not make him go after her in time. She might
even
convince her kidnapper not to send a challenge letter to him. Ranma
might
never learn about her abduction until it was to late!

Ranma was really worried.

And it looked like the next idiot might already be in town.
Ranma's
intelligence network (Konatsu) had informed him that a group of
foreigners
from some tiny semi-mystical Kingdom were setting up a lair in
Nerima.
They probably were looking to kidnap a bride for their prince.

Maybe they just want someone to impersonate their kidnapped
princess, or kill Happosai.    

Europeans were a nice change of pace after all these mystical
Chinese
kingdoms that nobody had ever heard about. At least Ranma assumed
they
were Europeans. They could be Americans for all he knew even if
they
looked more like knights than cowboys. Did they have any tiny
kingdoms in
America?

Yes, but the inhabitants are Mayans according to Doc Savage.  

Those question and others Ranma mused on as he slowly worked his
way
through the guards.

Ranma was starting to have doubts about this being the lair of a
foreign
noble with ambition to abduct himself a tomboy bride, when some of
the
commanders started giving orders and the guards retreaded. Ranma

retreated

could not
make out much of what they were saying, but it certainly sounded
like they
had recognized his superior strength and were now preparing to flee
back
to whatever micronation they had come from.

Ranma only made some token attacks as he allowed the remaining
guards to
collect their unconscious fellows and flee upwards. Through the
glass
ceiling of the office-building he could see them pile into an
airship
anchored to a spire at the top of the building. He watched them
flee with
satisfaction before he began to investigate the now empty castle.

Ranma soon found something that dispelled all his doubts about
having hit
the right target. In a briefing room there were plans of the
Tendou
compound and photos of its inhabitants pinned to a wall. They even
managed
to get some good shots of the failed wedding. It felt good to be
proven
right. Another threat defeated and Akane would never even know that
he had
saved her again!

The downside was, that Akane would never know that he had saved her
again.

This would not be any help in convincing Akane to give in and stop
her
stupid act of claiming to be able to defend herself.

Ranma had been lucky this time finding out about the abductors in
time.
Next time he might not get them before they got to Akane and she
would be
end up getting hurt if she did not admit that she needed him to
rescue
her.

Ranma needed a way to convince Akane....

As he sat in the empty room in the empty castle an idea occurred to
him.
He picked up the shattered remains of one of the guards armor.
Poking two
holes into the bend metal plate with a broken pike he held the
result in
front of his face.

Ranma could show Akane how helpless she really was without
endangering her
or breaking his promise not to interfere in her fights.

He had a secret lair that nobody was using at the moment and all
the other
props he needed. A prince in an iron mask from some faraway country

far-away

could
easily abduct Akane to this castle and show her how helpless she
was. Such
things were known to happen. And once Akane realized that she could
not
get out of this herself she would scream for help and Ranma would
come to
her rescue.

Perfect! Nothing could possibly go wrong with this plan.


                             * **  ***  ** *

                        Part 3: Meet the Prince


"What do you mean, you won't go?" a menacing Nabiki wanted to know.
"Your
fianc�e has been kidnapped and you plan to just sit here and do
nothing?"

"Exactly! That is what I am saying." Ranma congratulated her for
getting
it right.

The two older Tendo daughters and his mother had him cornered in
the
Tendou living room. The fathers were at the moment out cold after a
less
diplomatic attempt to convince Ranma.

"This hardly seems very manly, son." Nodoka reproached him.

"You heard her. She is a martial artist too, and can take care of
herself." Ranma defended himself. "She actually forbid me from
coming to
her rescue. It is an honor thing. Until I hear otherwise from her
herself,
there is nothing I can do."

Nodoka seemed to consider this. Nabiki was less easily convinced.

"And how is she supposed to tell you that when she is held a
prisoner
somewhere?" the middle Tendo daughter demanded.

"I am sure that she will manage to get out a message if she changes
her
mind." Ranma was indeed very sure of this as his entire plan rested
upon
the fact that Akane would sooner or later do this.

Meanwhile Kasumi tried to calm things down a bit by changing the
subject.
"Who was it that took her, somebody we know? If it is one of
Ranma's
friends, maybe we could send a message and explain things them."

to them

And I'm not sure what things Kasumi has in mind.  
Now if it was a stranger looking to draw Ranma out into a duel,
then they could just explain that Ranma isn't rescuing Akane this
week, but is willing to accept any and all challenges.  

"No dice, Sis." Nabiki immediately crushed Kasumi's plan of solving
this
crisis by peaceful means. "It was not somebody we know. Witnesses
describe
the kidnapper as wearing an iron mask. He had what has been
identified as
the crest of Lichtenburg on his cape and was dressed in
European-looking
armor."

"Lichtenburg?" Kasumi wondered.

"The Duchy of Lichtenburg is a tiny European nation in the Alps."
Nabiki
promptly replied. "Main exports: cheese, nail clippers and drunken
tourists. Main imports... err... sober tourists." She guessed the
last
part, but was still clearly satisfied with having impressed
everyone with
her vast knowledge of things she had just looked up.

"Actually," Nodoka corrected her. "Lichtenburg is a principality
and they
are far more well known for their mercenaries than for their
multi-purpose
manicure tools."

Ranma was glad to finally have found out where those idiots had
been from.
He had fashioned a cape from one of their flags as part of his
disguise.

"Do you remember making any enemies from there?" Nabiki addressed
Ranma
wanting to bring this discussion back on track.

Ranma tried to look thoughtful for a minute. He had not had any
enemies
from there until he stormed their secret headquarter and disrupted

headquarters

their
tomboy-napping operation. He probably had some enemies there now.

"Forget it Saotome," Nabiki obviously did not put great stock in
his
powers of recall. "Just get out there and get back my sister!"

"I am not going" Ranma persisted.

"Do you want to find out just how miserable I can make your life if
you
don't get out of here right now," Nabiki was getting better at
intimidating him.

"Fine then I will go on a training trip until this whole thing
blows
over." Ranma made for his room where his already packed bag was
waiting
for him.

"And if you happen to come across Akane's abductor, you can just,
you
know, challenge him for looking at you funny or something." Nabiki
commented with a knowing smirk.

With the well wishes of Kasumi and his mother Ranma left the Tendo
home
sprouting denials.

                             * **  ***  ** *

Later in his recently conquered castle Ranma was on his way to the
dungeon
in which Akane was held. But not to rescue his fianc�e. Far from
it.

Ranma was in his Iron Mask outfit: a metal mask covering his entire
face
and muffling his voice, a red tunic with a high collar hiding his
pigtail
from view. He wore black trousers and heavy boots that he had taken
from
what the previous owners of the castle had left behind. Large
metal
shoulder pads, a gilt breastplate and a cape completed the
ensemble.

Ranma was certain that the shoulder pads made him look broader, and
the
heavy boots made him appear both taller and disguised his walk.
Nobody
would recognize him like this.

Confident in his disguise, Ranma opened the cell to tell Akane what
would
happen next.

A chamber pot shattered on his armor and Ranma reflexively caught
Akane's
fist in his hand.

Akane really appeared to be serious about this "fighting her own
fights"
thing. Ranma was just glad the chamber pot had been empty.

After a brief struggle during which Akane tried to hit, kick,
scratch,
bite and finally knee her captor in the groin, 

Fortunately the outfit comes with a codpiece, disguising another of
Ranma's proportions.  

Ranma managed to

subdue her
and chain her to some convenient shackles on the cell wall.

After another attempted kick below his belt Ranma even remembered
to stay
out of the reach of her chains.

"Welcome to my castle, my bride to be," Ranma finally boomed over

bride-to-be

Akane's
chain-rattling and cursing in what he hoped would be a suitable

suitably

pompous
voice.

Unless you counted a thrown chamber pot shard and continued demands
to be
freed as an answer Akane did not respond to this.

"I am Prince Wildpferd Tarpan the First of Lichtenburg," Ranma
continued
to introduce himself. He had tried to read some of the stuff the
Lichtenburgers had left behind to make up a suitable backstory, but
could
not make much out of the foreign gibberish except for some names.

"You may address me as 'My Lord', 'Master' or simply Wildpferd if
you
wish. You may also stand and don't have to kneel in my presence,"
he
allowed magnanimously. "I have come to this island in search of a
woman
worthy to be my bride. Are you Akane Tendou, who proclaimed that
she would
marry anybody capable of defeating her in battle?"

That made Akane take notice. "I never said that, it was Kunou who
made
this stupid proclamation and it was only about dating," Akane
evaded.
"Besides you never beat me in a fair fight. Ambushing me and
knocking me
out to kidnap me does not count!"

Ranma did not understand this. Many of his fights started with an
opponent
jumping him without warning, but he was willing to give Akane
another
chance, if that was what it took to make her admit that she needed
Ranma
to defend her.

"In that case we will have another match here in the courtyard of
my
castle. You have two hours to prepare." Ranma declared.

Ranma was about to leave the cell to make preparations himself when
Akane
complained. "Hey!" she rattled with her chains. "How am I supposed
to
prepare like this?"

Ranma was tempted to leave her hanging. The tomboy was certainly a
lot
more manageable this way, but he did not want to give her any way
of later
claiming that it had not been a fair fight.

"Fine," he acknowledged. "I will let you loose if you promise to
behave."

After a moment of weighing her options, Akane finally agreed. "I
promise,
I will not fight you outside a challenge."

                             * **  ***  ** *

Two hours later prince Wildpferd returned to Akane's cell. She was
already
regretting having given her word not to fight him, but she could
not go
back on her promise. She would have to escape by following the
prince's
rules.

As he wordlessly led her from the dungeon, Akane marveled at her
surroundings. Where was she? She could not have been out for more
than a
few hours, but she appeared to be in a genuine European castle.
None of
the windows she passed had a view of the outside, so she could not
be sure
of its actual location. Had she been transported all the way to
Europe?
Ranma would never find her, she despaired until she reminded
herself that
she did not actually want to be rescued by Ranma. If Ranma came,
she would
tell him to stay out of it.

Akane also wondered why there were no servants or guards about. The
entire
castle being empty felt somehow very spooky.

Coming from the dark dungeon she had to shield her eyes against the
glare
of the sun overhead when they finally reached the courtyard inside
the
castle's walls. 

Glare of the sun overhead?  They're inside a building.  At most there'd
be the glare of a spotlight overhead.   

Not wanting to ruin her vision before the fight she

kept
herself from looking up at the sky and studied the arena for her
upcoming
fight instead. There were no spectators here either, maybe the
prince was
afraid to have witnesses to his defeat?

"Here we are," the masked prince announced, bidding her to take her
place
opposite him in the improvised arena.

"So, if you lose this fight, you will agree that I have rightfully
and
fairly beaten you in accordance with your 'dating challenge?" the
arrogant
noble asked her.

Akane considered repeating again that it wasn't her who had made
the
challenge, but that would have sounded cowardly.

"I agree!" she simply said. She would win this fight.

Nothing happened for some time until suddenly a voice, that
sounded
suspiciously like one out of a popular computer game, boomed from
hidden
speakers: "Let the fight begin!"


                             * **  ***  ** *

                        Part 4: Wildpferd Wins! 


"Wildpferd Wins!" the unseen voice announced just as Akane came
back to
consciousness again.

Ranma had hidden the remote for the sound system back under his
armor
again before Akane's head had cleared enough to allow her to see.
He
tried to look like he was not relieved that Akane appeared to be
OK. He
had hated having to fight Akane. Ranma really did not like
fighting
girls.. well, he hated fighting some girls...  OK, what he mostly
hated
was fighting Akane, but this had been for her own good.

"Do you admit that I won the challenge?" Ranma asked.

"No fair! Let's fight best two out of three!" Akane demanded.

A little while later:

"Best three out of five!"

Another little while later:

"First one to win four matches?"

And then:

"I admit! It you win! Are you happy now?" Akane finally relented.

Ranma was relieved, he had been beginning to worry, but before he
could
start to gloat over his fallen opponent Akane continued in a small
voice:
"Are you going to make me marry you know?"

now?

This was not how it was supposed to go! First she was too stubborn
to
admit defeat and now she was kneeling in front of him defeated,
looking
at him with big eyes like she was about to cry and willing to go
along
with whatever her captor said just because she had lost a fight.

Five fights.  

Ranma had
to stop himself from either picking her up to hug and comfort her
or to
shake some sense into her.

"I will," he told her instead, "but this match was only to satisfy
your
own terms. The official match that will confirm you as my
bride-to-be in
my own traditions will be later."

Ranma saw the renewed hope in Akane's eyes and quickly went for the
kill.

"Of course," he explained, "you will be able to field a champion to
fight
in your stead if you desire. Is there somebody you would like to
have
notified? A close friend, family member or suitor of martial powers
that
might be a match to mine?"

"No!" Akane called out, "I will fight my own fights!"

This answer hit Ranma harder than any of her hits or kicks during
their
fights had.

"What do you mean no?" he angrily wanted to know almost slipping
out of
character and calling her a stupid tomboy.

"You said that the official match is still some time of. That means

off

I can
train and get better." Akane reasoned. "You will allow me to train
won't
you? It is not like you are afraid that I might beat you, is it?"

Ranma could not believe it. True he had held back to keep from
really
hurting her and he had looked less capable then he really was as a
result
of disguising his style, 

I doubt his restricted field of view as a result of wearing the stupid
mask helps much either.  

but still it had been a clear and

decisive
victory every time. What had given the stupid tomboy the idea that
after a
loss like this all it would take for her to win were some time of

would be a bit of 

intensive training?

"Facilities and equipment for your training will be provided. I
will
personally make sure that you are given every chance to improve
your
fighting abilities. You can train all you want," Ranma declared,
"but
there is no way you can beat me. Remember there is no shame in
fielding a
champion and you can announce one any time you wish."

                             * **  ***  ** *

After Akane again was safely locked back in her cell Ranma planned
his
next move.

Things were not going according to plan. It looked like Akane would
rather
marry him than allow him to rescue her. Well marry him-Wildpferd
and be
rescued by him-Ranma. Why did she have to be this stubborn?

And the worst part was the training. True he had only agreed to let
her
train, but Ranma knew very well that Akane by herself had little
chance of
actually improving. In order for the training to be meaningful
someone was
going to have to train her and his honor did not allow him to not
help her
in her training after what he had just promised. 

And refusing to train Akane was just the thing that had gotten him
into
this mess to begin with. It wasn't just the fact that it would
only
encourage Akane to take on enemies by herself and get herself hurt
or
worse. There was also the problem that he could simply not bring
himself
to train with Akane the way he had been trained.

All the advanced training methods Ranma knew were close to torture.
Not
just banging your students into rocks or having them burn their
hands like
the Amazons did. All the techniques his father had used had been
pretty
painful, too. Ranma really dreaded having to do anything like that
to
Akane. It would be torture for the student and there was no way he
could
torture Akane. 

Ranma thought about that for a while. He could possibly use some of
the
lighter training methods on her. The ones that were mostly
humiliating and
not really dangerous. No dark pits full of little monsters or
anything. If
it came to that he could use it to convince Akane to give up and
also
correct some of her worst habits in the dojo. Maybe he could even
do
something about that temper of hers.... 

Before Ranma could get too enamored with that idea he reminded
himself
that the plan was to make Akane say uncle as fast as possible.

"uncle"

Wildpferd
by himself was apparently not a dreadful enough prospect to make
her
change her mind.

A second character was needed a 'good cop' to Wildpferd's 'bad
cop'
perhaps or maybe an 'even worse cop'. Ranma eyed a glass of water
that was
standing innocently on a table nearby just waiting for the first
unwary
Jusenkyou victim to come within splashing reach.

His curse could be useful in some situations.

Ranma could fashion himself a disguise for his girlside and use it
to
influence Akane. Ranma knew he was good at disguises since Ryogua
fell
for Ranma's acts every time. Having Akane meet another person would
also
serve to dispel any questions about the lack of inhabitants of the
castle
that Akane must surely have by now.

A sympathetic servant girl would be just the thing to start with.
Someone
non-threatening and none too bright that she could trust. Ranma
could
interact with Akane and make sure she was all right without making
his
Wildpferd character look weak. He could tell her just how bad the
fate was
that expected her if she did not give up and let Ranma take care of
her
fights.


                             * **  ***  ** *

                            Part 5: The Maid


Some time later Ranma admired herself in the mirror. She had had

delete second "had".  It isn't actually grammatically incorrect,
but it looks like crap.  

less to
work with for a disguise for her girlside, but the results were
certainly
impressive.

Ranma had decided on a servant's outfit fashioned from some parts
of an
old apron and some very thin red cloth. The results looked like a
French
Maid costume by way of the Arabian Nights. A black dye-job and a
veil
covering most of her face would hide her identity.

In fact the veil was almost the least transparent part of her
outfit. A
quick shave that Ranma really hoped would not carry over to her
male side
had been necessary to keep from giving away the dye-job. Had Ranma
been
trying to fool a boy the veil wouldn't even have been necessary. No
male
would actually look at her face in an outfit like this.

All in all this was an outfit that only a complete and utter
pervert of
the sort that Akane really despised would make a girl wear.

                             * **  ***  ** *

"Please, Mistress," Ranma begged as she carefully opened the cell
door,
"don't throw anything at me. It is just me. I  bring you your
food."

Keeping her head bowed she came in and set down the tray she had
been
carrying in front of Akane and then wordlessly began to gather up
the
shards of Akane's erstwhile chamber pot.

Akane eyed her and the food warily. "Who are you?"

"I am just me -- Little Ashes the kitchen drudge -- nobody of
importance,
Mistress." Ranma replied submissively.

Normally Ranma would have felt uncomfortable acting this way, 

Probably not.  Ranma regards his female side as a license to abandon
all dignity

but

she had
decided that this was a contest:
Anything-Goes-making-Akane-admit-that-she
-needed-Ranma-to-protect-her martial-arts. It was a battle between
Akane's
wrongheaded stubbornness and Ranma's ability to outwit her and
convince
her of the truth. And with that justification Ranma threw herself
with all
her being into the role even if it was that of a soft, slow and
weak
servant-girl. 

Seeing Akane eyeing the door Ranma hastened to add: "Please don't
try to
run, Mistress. The prince would recapture you very quickly and
punish me
terribly for letting you escape."

Just as Ranma had expected this caused Akane to deflate. Had Ranma
made
any boasts or threats to stop her, Akane would have been sure to
try
something, but with a seemingly harmless opponent she did not know
what
to do. And Akane would not want the servant girl to suffer for her
escape
attempt. The Tomboy was just too sentimental at times.

Now if Ranma was in that situation, he'd probably kidnap the maid and
take her home to become another fiancee.  

After poking at her food for a bit Akane finally began to eat.
Ranma
stayed with her head bowed watching her eat.

Head bowed suggests that Ranma is looking at the floor, not at Akane.  

Obviously uncomfortable with the attention Akane tried to make some
small
talk: "So you are a follower of this Wildpferd guy?"

"I am just a lowly servant of His Royal Highness." Ranma answered
meekly.
"I am to serve the mistress. I bring her food and help her with
anything
she needs."

"Can you tell me more about this prince of yours?" Akane asked
between
bites. "Why does he wear the mask? Is he hideously scarred or ugly
or
something?"

"No, no, the Prince has no scars. He is said to be quiet handsome."

quite

Ranma
assured her. "There just was a doppelg�nger of the prince and some
argument about the royal succession. Imprisonment, iron mask, you
know --
the usual. It happens all the time back home."

This did not really explain anything, but it must have sounded like
it
should make sense the way Ranma said it. Akane seemed to believed
it did
or at least did not ask Ashes for any further explanations.

"And you, do you wear a veil because you have a doppelganger, too?"
shef
wanted to know instead.

"Oh no, The veil is part of traditional Lichtenburger women's
clothing."
Ranma made up an excuse for her disguise. "All the women keep their
face
covered back home. It is only proper."

This little bit of set up would come in handy if Ranma wanted to
introduce
further female characters.

Akane gave no indication as to what she thought about this piece
of
information. She had not spend much time trying to look at Ranma's
face
anyway. Most of her attention had been focused on Ranma's breasts,
which
were only hidden by some very thin cloth.

Had Ranma been Ranma in her eyes, Akane would have been sure to
mallet her
for this perverted getup, but now with Ranma being a stranger Akane
had
only been trying unsuccessfully not to stare too obviously.

Finally she asked: "And your get up is that traditional clothing
too?" The
'or are you an exhibitionistic pervert'-part of the question
remained
unspoken.

"This," Ranma gestured to herself, "is what the Prince likes his
servants
to wear."

"He sounds like a pervert," Akane opinioned her gaze unwavering on
Ranma's assets.

This was exactly the opening Ranma had been waiting for!

"The Prince," she told her, "is a very manly man. It is only his
right to
be delighted by the bodies of his female servants."

Akane did not seem so sure about this and was obviously wondering
if the
delighting stopped at just looking.

"Of course," Ranma continued, "Your dress will be far finer and
more
elegant than mine. Befitting a prince's consort. It will surely  be
much
less covering."

"Huh?" Akane seemed to have problems switching from seeing the
servant
girl in revealing clothes to imagining herself in them.

"As a future Prince's consort you must be far more beautiful than
little
old me, so he would want to see much more of you." Ranma reasoned.
"He
might even keep you totally naked."

On the inside Ranma was laughing. Akane's weakness was her loathing
of
perverts and fear of perverts she could not beat. This guy was the
greatest pervert that Ranma could make him out to be. When Ranma
was
through with Akane she would think twice about risking loosing to
him. And
as an added bonus once this whole mess was over Akane would also
think
twice of accusing her fianc� of being a pervert now that she had
something
to compare his behavior with.

"Oh yes," Ranma mused further, "you're so beautiful, you're sure to
become
the favorite wife out all the wives in his entire harem."

Two-timing and having a harem was another thing that Akane usually
accused
Ranma of. She would make sure to give the Prince all of her
supposed worst
traits that Akane usually got angry about and malleted her for.

"Wives? Harem?" Akane wanted to know, big eyes staring in shock.

"That's what His Majesty is being here in Japan for." Ranma
explained.
"To collect an entire harem of strong fighting girls. The girls
back home
are far too meek and weak for him, he says."

She gave Akane a moment to let that information sink in.

"He only wants strong warrior women. You are a warrior, right?"
Ranma came
to the point. "Because if you wasn't, I'm sure the prince would let
you
go."

"I am a martial-artist and I will not deny who I am to get out of
this!"
Akane screamed.

Ranma could have smacked her. Why did this stupid tomboy refuse to
take
this easy way out? All she had to admit was the truth: that she
could not
handle herself in a real fight.

Akane mistook her reaction. "I am sorry, I screamed at you, but
being a
martial-artist is something very important to me."

Ranma gathered up the remains of Akane's meal. This had been a
failure.
Akane was shaken but not yet ready to call it quits. It looked like
simply
verbal illustrations of the evils of Prince Wildpferd were not
enough, it
seemed like she would require some more hands on encouragement to
give up.

Luckily Ranma had already prepared a Plan B. She smiled evilly
behind her
veil. Akane was about to get a workout that would make her regret
ever
having asked anyone for training.> 

                             * **  ***  ** *

                              Part 6: Gymnos


"In that case, I will show you the gymnasium so you can prepare for
your
match," Ranma said in response to Akane's stubborn insistence that
she
was a real martial-artist who would fight her own fights.

Ranma would make her give up. If the threat of ending up in the
hands of a
real pervert was not enough to make her say uncle, Ranma would be
forced
to use his alternate plan. Luckily she had already prepared most of
this
earlier.

The building, that housed the castle Ranma had conquered, had
originally
contained a small company gym. When the Lichtenburgers had removed
the
insides of the office building to make room for their castle, they
had
left most the gym as it was and build the castle around it.
Probably
because of all the support columns that its walls contained. Either
that
or they had wanted to stay fit too.

Still in her kitchen drudge disguise, Ranma now lead Akane from
the
dungeons to where the Gym was located. On the way they passed

gym

several
corridors and windows where guards could be seen from a distance.

But only from a distance. Ranma had made sure of that when she had
plotted
this route. If you got to close it would be easy to tell that the
guards
were mannequins. Ranma had found a whole batch of them stored in
the lower
levels of the building and decided to dress them in uniforms the
previous
owners had left behind to liven the castle up a bit.

Akane appeared to be fooled.

"This," said Ranma as they finally reached the gym, "will be your
locker
room, mistress. The guards outside are forbidden from entering here
and
the gym itself as long as you are in it."

"This door leads to the gymnasium and the showers are over there,"
pointed
Ranma out, "You can undress here. If you give me you clothes, I
will wash
them while you are training."

Akane slowly began to undress as Ranma watched and waited. The
effort
Ranma had put into playing her role really was paying off. Ranma
hardly
could believe that she was for once not getting bashed for seeing
Akane
undressed.

"The underwear too," she added after several moments deciding to go
for
broke.

After Akane was completely naked and Ranma had collected all of
her
clothes Ranma went to leave. She had almost reached the door when
she was
brought up short by a cry from Akane.

"Hey! What am I supposed to wear for training? Where are my
exercise
clothes?" the girl demanded to know.

"This is a traditional Gymnasium. You exercise 'gymnos' -- in the

gymnasium

nude,"
Ranma explained innocently as she hastily made her escape. "Surely
you
would not want to go in there clothed. They say it is unhygienic
and
unaesthetic as to wear clothes while exercising."

"But... but... ,"Akane tried to stop her.


Akane gaped.

And she certainly should! Ranma had put quiet a lot of effort in

quite

creating
this disguise and the role she was currently playing.

Akane probably did not even know that she was using her chi to
boost her
strength. Ranma would have had to convince her that she was
actually doing
it and then find a way to make her stop doing it. Tricking her and
saying
that it was something else was just faster for now. 

I doubt being honest with his student played much of a role in Genma's
training philosophy.  

Besides it was

exactly
the sort of training method that Akane would feel really
uncomfortable
with.

Removing her finger from Akane's lips Ranma finished "Now, do you
want me
to remove them?"

Akane's anger was gone again and she looked chagrined as she shook
her
head, "no."

"Good," Ranma smiled even if Akane could not see it, "one other

"Good." Ranma smiled even though Akane could not see it.  "One other

thing.
While I train you, you will always call me 'Mistress'. Is that
clear?"

Ranma stood waiting for an answer in a way that was somehow very
obvious
about not trying to draw attention to the whip clipped to the side
of her
belt.

Akane felt her eyes drawn there nonetheless. She gulped.

"Yes," she answered and then added without prompting
"...Mistress."

"Perfect! Now let's begin with doing some push-ups" Ranma told

delete "doing"

her.

This really was perfect, Ranma thought as she watched Akane go down
on
the ground before her. As she loudly counted out Akane's push-ups
Ranma
watched fascinated the rise and fall of her rear and the general
play of
her muscles. Such a beautiful sight!

Ranma had not said how many push ups she should do. Akane was

push-ups

trusting her
to tell her to stop at some point. She was at her feet clad only
in
shackles and a collar and willing to do whatever Ranma told her.

Ranma almost could not believe it.

If Ranma had come in here as himself he would have been
immediately
malleted before he could even open his mouth. Had he tried to play
the
role of a drill instructor and told Akane to 'give her twenty' and
call
her Sir or Miss, Akane would have tried to fight. Violence and
open
threats would have made matters worse.

But the way Ranma had played her role had left Akane unsure how to
respond. Violence and insults she could handle, sexuality was
something
she did not feel at home with. The feeling of naked defenselessness
and
the desire to actually advance in the art must have finally
prompted Akane
to go along with her rather than call her a pervert and try to hit
her.

And Ranma had every intention of not disappointing the trust Akane
put
in her by submitting to her mistress' training . Ranma would make
Akane
improve. Ranma would take her to her limits and beyond.

                             * **  ***  ** *

Several eternities later Akane had reached her absolute limit.
Akane had
reached her limit several times before but the sadistic bitch of 
a
trainer had not been ready to let her stop. Akane had come to the
point
where she no longer cared about the pain she felt in every muscle
of her
body. Akane could not remember ever having felt this exhausted or
ever
having trained this hard.

Akane had done push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and whatever else-ups
mistress
Severa could come up with. She had run on the treadmill, rowed on
the
row-machine, cycled on exercycle and stepped on the stepper. She
had
pushed, lifted and jerked up all kinds of weights in all kinds of
positions. The weights her trainer made her use were childishly
small,
they just did not feel that way to Akane.

Mistress Severa had shown special interest in the machine with all
the
pulleys and levers. She had impishly removed the handles and
clipped
Akane's  manacles directly to the cables. When Akane had reached
her
limit and could not pull the cables down anymore, she simply hung
from the
manacles unable to let go and collapse on the ground. Akane had
begged to
be let down, but the Mistress had not relented she would only
unfasten her
if she finished her exercise. And then she had swatted Akane on her
bare
behind until she continued the exercise. So Akane had continued.

And later during a different when Akane had reached her limit again

during a different what?  

Little Ashes the Maid was waiting for her in the showers. The
little girl
looked a bit silly wearing only her veil and not the rest of her
outfit,
but Akane let it pass without comment. The maid scrubbed and washed
her
as Akane was by now far to lethargic to do it by herself. Normally

too

Akane
would have malleted, object or at least felt embarrassed about

objected

being so
close to another naked (except for the veil) girl. 

I doubt it.  Akane's accustomed to communal bathing with girls.  

But after being

exposed
to mistress Severa's attention for comparison she had problems
accusing
Ashes with her buisnesslike scrubbings any ulterior motives.

Akane sat down as Little Ashes began doing her hair. Perhaps not
so
little she mused as she watched the breasts swaying beneath the
bend
over maid.

Something seemed strangely familiar about those globes.

Hadn't she seen them somewhere before?

But Akane was so exhausted and thinking felt so hard while Ashes
hands
felt so good. Akane was slowly drifting off....

                             * **  ***  ** *

Ranma fondly watched the sleeping tomboy. She had really fallen
asleep as
Ranma had finished washing her hair.

Gently picking her up he began carrying Akane back to the dungeon.
She did
not brother with clothing herself or the passenger in her arms.

bother

There was
no one in the castle besides the two of them and an army of
mannequins.

Luckily Ranma had managed to finish the Xi Fang Gao technique
before
Akane dozed of. Ranma had been getting worried that Akane might
recognize
her. Ranma might not have been as good as Shampoo and without the
formula
it would normally be difficult to achieve anything, but Akane was
so tired
that she already was half in trance and Ranma had taken the
opportunity to
clean up her memory a bit.

Ranma did not want Akane to forget him completely or anything like
that.
She just wanted to keep Akane from realizing how much the various
females
in the prince's fellowship looked like Ranma's cursed form.

If anyone asked Akane what Ranma's girlside looked like she would

girl-side

still
be able to describe it, but if everything had worked she would not
be
able to recognize her in Ashes or Severa unless someone ripped of
their
veils and shouted: "Can't you see? This is Ranma!"

With a bit luck Akane would also fall for any disguises Ranma might

bit of luck

The competition over Ranma Saotome was one of the few times when
Kodachi
really felt like she belonged. She was no leader or outsider, just
one
among others. The other girls would not just associate with her for
her
families money and connections or exclude her over slight
eccentricities
like her schoolmates did. They accepted her as she was and even
respected
her as a rival. 

Your expository lump explaining Kodachi is nicely characterised but
perhaps a little long.

This is promising stuff 




             .---Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List----.
             | Administrators - ffml-admins@anifics.com |
             | Unsubscribing - ffml-request@anifics.com |
             |     Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject     |
             `---- http://ffml.anifics.com/faq.txt -----'