Path of Destiny: Part Two: Love, Hope and Desires
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 (Like I could be so lucky). The character's names and likeness along with locations are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am only borrowing the characters and plan on giving them back when I'm done. All other characters and places that don't appear in the actual series (Anime and/or Manga) are of my own creation and are my property. Enjoy.
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Chapter One: Coping With Change
Walking passed the stairs, Ranma continued to rotate his left shoulder, amazed at how fast the nurse's healing cream was. Even though Captain Johza nearly tore the boy's arm off yesterday, today the teenager was pain-free. Strolling into the common room, he sees Kasumi and her father sitting around the coffee table, minding their own business. He then notices Soun is crying into his coffee cup.
Whispering to the eldest Tendo daughter, "What's wrong with him?"
She replied, "Akane told him about wanting to wait before getting married."
"I see," said Ranma. "Hello, sir," said the teenager to the girl's father.
"Huh? Oh, good afternoon my boy," responded Soun, not really looking at the teen.
"Where's Akane anyway?" the boy asked Kasumi.
"She's outside. I think she's practicing," she answered.
He thanked her and went outside. He finds Akane standing in front of the tree nearest her window. She was indeed practicing, sending a punch at the tree.
"Moko-Ken!" she shouted, but nothing happened.
She tried again, "Moko-Ken!" Still nothing happened.
Ranma snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her neck. She instinctively grabbed the back of his shirt and flung him over her head and onto his back. A second later she realizes who it was.
"Hello," he groaned.
"Sorry, that was total reflexes at work," she apologized, helping him up.
"What are you trying to do?" he asked.
"I was trying to do one of the moves I knew when I was wearing that armor," she explained.
"I get it. You're trying to do a Tiger Punch," agreed the boy.
"Yeah, but it won't work," she complained, trying once more, "Moko-Ken!" And once again, nothing happened, "See?"
"I do. Let me try," said Ranma, turning towards the tree.
He focused his energies and shouted, "Moko-Ken!" punching the tree. The fist hit the tree trunk, but nothing else happened. He tried several more times. His last try produced a flash of energy when he landed the punch.
"I get it now," he said, looking at his fist.
"What is it?" she asked.
"It's different than my Dragon Punch. The Dragon Punch is a punch enhanced by a individual person's battle aura, while The Tiger Punch is a fist powered by someone's confidence energies like my Fierce Tiger Shot. It takes more effort to do a energy-laced punch than to release it as a ball," he explained.
"Then why couldn't I do it? I was putting in the effort," wondered Akane.
"Effort alone won't make the attack work. You're problem is you don't have any control over your ki energy. I'm able to control my ki energy and shape it into a physical form; i.e. my Fierce Tiger Shot; but it takes more control to hold it and use it with your fist instead of just releasing it as a burst of energy. I think it might also be because you're not used to using your ki energy like that, at least not yet," answered the boy.
"How do I get control over it?" she asked.
"It won't be easy. I'll need you to pay close attention to my instructions and do what I tell you to," he replied.
"When do we start?" she wondered sounding anxious.
"Soon," he told her, "First there was a reason I came out here. I wanted to ask how much of the homework have you completed?"
"No, what you wanted was to copy off me," she corrects him, crossing her arms.
"Yeah, I did," admitted the boy, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.
"For your information I haven't even started yet," said Akane.
"Why not?" he asked.
"Because," she started, uncrossing her arms, "My schoolbooks are ruined, remember?" She emphasized her response by poking him in the ribs.
"Oh, right. I forgot," replied Ranma. He added, "Then, do you want to do the homework with me? We can use my books."
"I don't see why not," answered the girl, walking past him.
She headed for her room and grabbed a sizable handful of the paperwork that needed to be done and went to the dojo to lay it all out. He went to his room and grabbed his backpack and a larger handful of work than she did. He also went to the dojo and sat down next to her.
"Let's start with math, okay?" she said.
He agreed and took his math book out of his backpack and laid it in front of the two of them. She opened the book and began doing her homework. Ranma noticed Akane had opened the book to a section he had already learned. It didn't take long for it to dawn on him that she was gone longer than him and she needed to catch up before he could even start. So, he just watched her while she finished one assignment and went on to the next one. It only took her an hour and a half to complete the two extra days worth of math work she had.
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The differences between them was evident: he had one day's worth of homework from all his subjects, while she had eight day's worth of math homework with her. She told him she took the time that morning to sort her work by subject to make it easier. When he went on to a different subject she continued with the next day's math assignment. By the time Nabiki came home from school the two of them were nearly finished their respective piles of work they had grabbed. The middle sister handed them that day's homework. They thanked her and went back to work.
"I don't see why I have to bring home your work now that you guys are back," she complained.
"We've got a ton of homework to do and we need a few extra days away from school to complete it all," answered Akane, looking up at her sister, "It's not a problem, is it?"
"No, there's no problem, it's just that I may have to start charging you two to bring your work home," replied Nabiki with a slight smile, "Maybe a thousand yen a day."
"You'll do anything for some quick cash, won't you?" wondered Ranma.
"You know me," said the middle Tendo sibling. She added, "I'd love to stay and chat some more, but I have my own homework to do," and she left without another word.
When dinnertime rolled around the two teenagers stopped to eat. After they finished eating the both of them went to their rooms and grabbed some more work off their piles. When they called it a night they had completed an amount equal to two days of schoolwork. They started bright and early the next day and again they stopped only to eat. It took them to Thursday night to finish all the work they were assigned, including the three days of work they received after returning home.
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On Friday morning, Ranma and Akane got ready for school. Having finished all the work, the two teenagers were glad it was over. They were in no hurry to walk through the two stone pillars marking the entrance for the school, because of their relationship's new status. Walking together was no problem, they did that quite often. But now the two of them were holding hands as well. As usual, there were groups of teenagers standing around the front of the school, having polite conversations with each other. A few of the students looked over at the couple as they passed the stone pillars. The students nudged the person next to them and pointed over at Ranma and Akane.
One guy from the crowd says, "Look, they're holding hands."
A girl adds, "Then that means they're together."
A few murmurs followed the realization of the fact.
"This isn't going to be easy," said Akane, raising her eyebrows.
"Yeah and it just got harder," replied Ranma, releasing her hand.
He had good reason to say it: approaching them thru the crowd was the ever-dense Tatewaki Kuno, in all his glory. He stopped when he was standing in front of them.
Turning his attention to his rival, he says, "Know this, Saotome: even though you and I shared an experience together, that doesn't change anything between us. Our status as rivals still stands."
"Agreed. Now kindly step aside so we can continue," responded Ranma.
The older teenager ignored him and turned his attention to Akane. He asked, "Would you like to walk with me to the front door of the institution?"
He reached for her arm, only to be stopped by not one, but two feet to the face, one from the girl and the other from the younger boy.
She answers him, "Thanks, but no thanks."
Never to be deterred, Kuno wonders, "Why must you beat around the bush? Like the tide meeting the shore, it is destiny that you and I are meant to be together."
To prove her point, she grabs both of the older boy's ears and pulls him close.
She tells him, "We are not meant to be together. I don't love you and I never will. I love Ranma and I choose to be with him."
She releases her hold on him, hoping he understands.
"Nonsense," he replies, patting her on the head, "I know that is only the spell Saotome put on you talking. Your true feelings have not only spoken to me, but they tell me you love me."
With a twitch in her eyebrow and a clenched fist, she sternly says, "You want my true feelings? Here they are: I don't love you!" and emphasizes the statement with an Uppercut Punch to the upperclassman's jaw, forcing his gaze skyward.
For a split second he looked unfazed and the next he falls; like the mighty redwood after being chopped down by a woodsman; landing flat on his back.
Straightening her composure, Akane says to Ranma, "Come on, we're going to be late," and grabs his hand.
They walk over the downed teenager and head for the front doors.
Standing in the doorway was Ukyo, who had seen the entire episode occur. She turned and quickly went inside before they got there. The couple just make it in before the late bell rings.
And remaining in the schoolyard was Kuno, still out cold.
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By lunchtime, the entire school knew Ranma and Akane were officially together. All eyes were turned in their direction as they looked for a table. Sitting down alone, they started to eat. It wasn't long before Ranma's two friends, Daisuke and Hiroshi sat down with them.
"I told you they were together," said Hiroshi.
"I see it and I still don't believe it," added Daisuke.
"Believe it, guys," responded Ranma with a smile.
Daisuke asked him, "Now that you picked one, can I have Shampoo?"
Choking back a laugh, the teen opens his mouth, but is interrupted.
"No man, I wanted Shampoo, you can have Ukyo," argued Hiroshi.
The boy answers both of them, "Why ask me? Why don't you ask them?"
"Because we wanted to know if you would care about us asking them out," said Daisuke.
"Well," started their friend.
"Tell them. Would you care if they asked them out?" Akane asked him, with a humorless tone.
"Why would I care, it's not like either one of them is my girlfriend," he replied with a nervous chuckle included.
"Thanks, man. I'll ask Shampoo out right after school," said Daisuke.
"Not unless I do first," Hiroshi tells him.
"Why do you want the same thing I want," responded one of them.
"No, you always want what I want," argued the other.
Ranma cleared his throat and said, "Guys, could you leave? We wanted to be alone."
They apologized, got up and walked away still arguing.
Akane asked with a hint of worry in her voice, "Would you care if they asked them out?"
He assures her, "No, I wouldn't care. You're my girlfriend, not them."
"Thanks," she said, smiling slightly.
Finishing their meal, the two teenagers returned to their class.
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After school, they walked home holding hands. When they reached the Nekohanten they saw Shampoo leaning against the building waiting.
"Nihao, husband. Shampoo glad you are back," she said, smiling brightly at him.
Rolling his eyes, he says, "Hello, Shampoo."
"Shampoo not glad violent tomboy back," she says, turning her attention to Akane and losing the smile, "Tomboy should've stayed lost."
"Well, I didn't. I'm so sorry to disappoint you," snapped the girl.
Looking down, the purple-haired girl asks, "Why you two hold hands?"
"Because we're together now," replied the Japanese girl.
"Why date tomboy when you can have Shampoo?" wondered the amazon, posing seductively.
"Cause we love each other," answered Ranma.
"But Shampoo love Ranma too," stated Shampoo in an almost whiny tone of voice.
"You love the way I fight," he corrected her.
The amazon girl starts to cry, "We amazons love strong fighters, is that wrong?"
Before either he or Akane could say anything, Shampoo's tone became cold and her tears stopped, "You will be Shampoo's. Sooner or later."
She turned with a, "Hmph" and walked inside the Nekohanten without looking back.
"She's up to something," said Ranma.
"Yeah. Whatever it is will mean trouble for one of us," agreed Akane, adding, "Come on," pulling him along.
A fair distance away stood Ukyo, keeping an eye on the two lovebirds as they made their way home. 'Oh, Ranma,' she thought, sighing out loud.
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At the Kuno residence a certain 'kendo master' is telling his dear sister the bad news.
"Brother, are you sure they were holding hands?" she asked.
"Quite sure, sister," replied Tatewaki, "That Saotome is getting to be a huge problem."
"No, the problem is the girl and it looks as though I will have to remedy this situation," said Kodachi, laughing a little.
"You're not going to hurt my beloved Akane, are you dear sister?" he wondered.
"Do not worry, my dear brother. When I'm done you will have her for yourself, as I will have my Ranma for myself," she assured him.
"Thank you, sister," he said, leaving his sister to her work.
"No one shall have my Ranma but me and this annoying little girl will feel the total weight of sorrow and disbelief, when my darling proclaims his love for me," Kodachi announced out loud to herself.
"It won't be long until you're in my loving arms, my beloved Akane. And that cur, Saotome will be begging for my forgiveness, for thinking him and you were meant to be," Tatewaki said to himself out loud, walking to his room.