Akane's Wish
The sun hanging low in the sky, Akane and Ranma walked together through the warm and vibrant park. Children played, couples kissed, and the birds chirped. She should have known Ranma couldn't appreciate it.
"Can we go home yet?" Ranma whined, dragging his feet.
Akane walked in front of him, strangely happy and content. "Don't be a baby. It's such a beautiful evening- why don't you enjoy it?"
Before Ranma could reply a little boy ran up to them holding a Polaroid camera. "Say Cheese!" he said to Akane.
"Cheese!" she said, smiling.
The camera clicked and a moment later the picture rolled out. The boy coughed and held out his hand, making a little gesture.
"Oh," Akane said, understanding. "Of course. Let's see here…" She checked her pockets but found them empty. "Ranma?"
Ranma sighed. "How much?" he grumbled.
The boy looked at the photo carefully. "This is a very beautiful woman sir…I think it's worth at least a hundred yen."
"A hundred yen?" Ranma repeated incredulously. "I wouldn't pay that much for a picture of a pretty girl, let alone an uncute, unsexy tomboy like her!"
"Fine," Akane growled, her good mood slipping away. "See if I care." She walked off ahead, leaving him behind.
A few minutes later she heard him trying to catch up. "Hey Akane, wait up, willya? You don't need to get so upset; I thought you'd be used to it by now!"
If that was his idea of an apology, she didn't want to hear it. "Ranma, you jerk!" She yelled, running away. She wanted him to appreciate her for once. "Why does he always tease and insult me; always take me for granted?"
Fighting back tears, she yelled back. "I wish…I wish you had to live without me, Ranma!"
But he wasn't listening. Instead, he was looking past her. "Akane, watch where you're going!"
"Huh?" Akane turned her head back forward, but it was too late. She ran into a large statue.
The pain in her head and chest was intense, but she managed to get another look at the statue. It was some sort of gargoyle with the face of a man; its unsmiling face and narrow eyes seemed to be looking straight at her.
"Where did that come from?" she thought before collapsing.
Akane heard someone scream her name, but it dissolved into a whisper. She felt consciousness slipping away as a warm fog enveloped her mind like a thick blanket. Suddenly tired, she gave in to its comforting warmth.
***
"Ooh…" Akane moaned, sitting up and rubbing her aching head. She didn't know how long she'd been out, but the afternoon sun was long gone and she was alone in the park.
"You dummy, Ranma." She said to herself, suddenly upset. "Just leaving me here in the park like that. What a jerk."
Even as she spoke the words, she knew something wasn't right. That just wasn't like him.
Pushing the feeling aside for now, she stood and brushed herself off, noticing the statue again. It was just as imposing and scary as before- even more so in the dark. Giving it one last glance, she turned and left.
The streets were just as quiet as the park. That wasn't too unusual; it was probably pretty late, but the heavy silence was still unsettling.
Finally, she arrived home. The door was locked, and she noted with dismay that she had forgotten her key. Hoping she wouldn't wake everybody up, she knocked on the door.
Her father answered a few minutes later. "Do you know what time it is?" he asked gruffly.
Akane gasped. His jet black hair was now noticeably grayer, and he had more wrinkles than she remembered.
"Have you no shame?" he continued. "Waking up a poor old man who's-"
"Dad?" Akane interrupted. "Is…is that you?"
Mr. Tendo looked at the late night visitor in confusion for a moment until his eyes widened in shock. "Akane? My…my little girl!" He yelled happily, hugging her. "I always knew you would return to me someday!"
Akane was as confused as ever. "Dad, I've only been gone since this morning!"
He choked back his tears. "Akane, you've…you've been missing for almost ten years!"
***
Akane sat with her father at the table as he poured the tea. "Ten years." She was still shocked. "Have I really been gone for ten years?"
"So," he said. "You got knocked out and just woke up in the park?"
She nodded numbly. "And than I find out ten years have passed."
Mr. Tendo rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Time travel, I should have known. You haven't aged a day…you look just as I remember." He said, the tears starting to well up again.
Wiping his eyes, he continued. "We had never considered time travel…"
Akane looked at him, puzzled.
"We had assumed you'd been kidnapped again or somehow transported somewhere." Her father explained. "There wasn't anything to go on, but everyone helped in the search.
"Besides the police and your friends from school, Ryouga used his Breaking Point technique to tunnel under the park in case you had fallen in a sink hole of some kind. Nabiki talked to every contact she had, offering all of her savings for any information. Kasumi spent weeks, almost nonstop, cooking meals for the search teams."
He paused, as if considering his next words. "And Ranma…Ranma did his part as well." Her father said softly, shifting in his seat. He seemed eager to change the subject. "Your sisters will be so glad to have you back. I can't wait to tell them the good news."
Akane felt a sudden heartache. "Where's Nabiki and Kasumi now?" she asked.
"Oh, they moved out ages ago. Nabiki is on a business trip in the States, and Kasumi lives with Dr. Tofu now."
"They finally married?"
"Yes." He said, happily. "They even have a child together."
"So much has changed…ten years is practically a lifetime."
The ache subsided when she heard that her sisters were alright, but something still felt wrong.
"What about Mr. Saotome and Ranma?" She asked.
Her father's smile faded, and he took a long sip from his tea. "Saotome left on a…training exercise a few years ago." He took another sip and stared intently into his cup.
"And Ranma?" she asked, fearing the answer. Her father's expression troubled her. "Did Ranma run off with another one of his fiancés? Is that why daddy is so upset?"
"Ranma is here." He said finally, not meeting her gaze. "More or less." He added quietly.
Akane's eyes lit up. "So, he's not married? He waited?"
Mr. Tendo looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Yes, he…he waited. He's upstairs in his room now."
Akane jumped up, ready to go see him.
"Wait," her father said somberly, standing up and gently putting his hands on her shoulders. "Ranma never gave up hope on you, Akane. He traveled the world and spent countless time in libraries searching for some sort of clue, but…but it took its toll on him."
A cold shiver crept up her spine. Her father's words scared her. What was he talking about? Ranma was the strongest person she knew.
Gently stepping away from his grasp, she headed for the stairs. "I still want to see him."
Before her father could protest she ran upstairs, but slowed as she approached Ranma's room. Akane heard him talking to himself.
His voice sounded hoarse and much older. "You've already read that scroll, moron...shut up, I might have missed something…you'll never see her again, just give it up already… NEVER! SHUT UP!"
Akane slowly peaked into his room. Ranma was sitting with his back to her, his eyes locked onto an aging scroll. His conversation continued, but in a low mumble.
Several shelves had been moved in, holding a variety of exotic looking talismans and potions. The walls were covered with maps, parchments, and newspaper articles. A lone Polaroid photo hung in the middle of it all, wrinkled and missing a corner. It was of herself, from that day in the park.
"Oh, Ranma…" She thought sadly to herself. Akane cautiously stepped into the room, wondering what to say as the tears stung her eyes.
Ranma's senses were still as sharp as ever though. "Go away!" He said angrily without turning around. "I told you I'm not hungry!"
Her throat had tightened, but she managed to choke out his name. "Ranma…"
He froze at the sound of her voice. Slowly turning around, his eyes met hers.
Ranma's appearance, like everything else, had changed. But this was the most drastic yet.
His clothes were frayed and tattered, and she saw tattoos of various magical symbols inscribed on his skin.
There was a scar over his right eye, and his mouth was nearly hidden by long, unruly facial hair. His boyish youth was gone, replaced by premature age lines. But his eyes are what affected her the most.
They were still the deep blue she remembered, but the sparkle that always warmed her heart- even when she was furious with him- was gone. They seemed blank and lifeless.
"A…Akane?" He asked softly.
She nodded.
For a long moment no one spoke. He stood and slowly walked towards her. Gingerly, with a shaky hand he stroked her cheek, cupping her chin. "You're so beautiful." He breathed before he broke down sobbing.
"It's okay, Ranma." She said, taking him into her arms. "I'm back now."
He abruptly shook himself loose from her embrace. Pacing the room, he violently slapped his forehead repeatedly. "Wake up Ranma, wake up, WAKE UP!"
"No," Akane said desperately, grabbing his shoulder. "Ranma, I'm really here."
He roughly pushed her arm away. "Send all the misguiding spirits you want!" he shouted at the walls. "I won't give up my search!"
"But-" She felt a hand on her wrist and turned to see her father's saddened expression.
"I'm afraid he's too far gone, Akane. He won't listen."
She turned back and saw Ranma curled up in the fetal position, shaking. "I'll find her…I'll find her…" He repeated softly, tears streaming down his face.
Mr. Tendo gently guided his daughter from the room, sliding the door shut behind them.
They soon found themselves seated at the table again. Mr. Tendo refilled his teacup and felt an ache in his heart at seeing his daughter's expression. She look liked she'd been struck.
"I'm sorry you had to see that," he began. "But he's just not the same person anymore. As I said, he never gave up hope of finding you- none of us did. But as time passed, Ranma became less…logical. He started finding 'clues' to your disappearance everywhere- in the clouds, hushed whispers between strangers…even on the back of a cereal box."
He took a deep breath before continuing. What he was about to say obviously pained him. "On one of his searches for you, Ranma showed up in a small fishing village, convinced you were there. He…tore the place apart. He even…attacked some of the locals who were trying to protect their homes and families.
"After the carnage ended and he finally realized what he had done, Ranma returned and hasn't left his room since. That was three years ago. Saotome, disgraced and saddened by his son's actions, left. I…I can't say I blame him."
Akane had been listening to all this incredulously. "Ranma hurt innocents trying to find me? Did…did I really mean that much to him?" She jumped up, the heavy feeling in her chest unbearable. She wanted to sort out her feelings, but gave up. There was just too much. The need to get away consuming her, she ran from the house.
"Akane!" her father cried from the porch. "Please, don't leave me again!"
She couldn't stop. If she did it would all come crashing down on her and Akane knew she wasn't strong enough to withstand it.
"It's all my fault." She thought, the tears flowing freely. "Ranma's gone insane because of me!" The phrase 'Be careful what you wish for' kept repeating in her mind, over and over like a broken record.
Hours must have passed before she found herself back in the park where it had all started. The statue was there, glowing softly in the moonlight. Its eyes still seemed to stare at her, its mouth a grinning smirk.
She felt like she was going to collapse from exhaustion, but the anger rising from the pit of her stomach pushed her forward. It all started with that…thing- she knew in her heart that it was somehow responsible for bringing her to this unfamiliar world.
Her fists clenched involuntarily as she slowly marched toward it. With a yell, she punched it with all her strength.
The statue cracked like drying mud, beams of green light bursting out from somewhere within.
Akane took a step back, shielding her eyes.
Moments later, it exploded. Bits of marble stung her face as the shockwave blew her backwards.
She lay on her back, blinded by intense light. It took her a moment to realize
it was the sun.
"Jeez, how clumsy can you be, Akane?" a condescending voice said from above her.
"Ranma?" Her vision cleared enough to see Ranma offering her a hand.
She grabbed it, and he pulled Akane to her feet. She couldn't believe it- Ranma was back to normal. She was back!
He started blushing under her stare and rubbed the back of his head with one hand. "Tripping over your own feet like that; what kind of martial artist are you?"
"I didn't trip. I hit the statue…" She trailed off when she noticed the spot where it had been was empty. There was no trace of it even existing at all.
"What statue?" he asked.
Akane looked back at Ranma, feeling a rush of emotions when she looked into his worried, sparkling blue eyes. Grinning, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.
Ranma's blush deepened until his entire face was crimson. "Uh- You must have hit your head or something. I think we should take you to Dr. Tofu."
"No way," she said, smiling. "I've never felt better."
They stood in silence for a few moments before Ranma spoke. "I'm…uh, I'm sorry about calling you an uncute tomboy. I mean, you're still a tomboy and all, but…" He stopped and took a breath. "Anyway, I bought you this…"
She felt her heart soften as he pulled out the Polaroid photo taken what seemed like a lifetime ago. "You hold onto it." Akane said, gently pushing the photo back.
"Um, Okay."
"Come on," she said, hugging his arm. "Let's go home."
Resting her head against his shoulder, they began the walk home as the sun lazily set behind them.