Chapter Two
Akane felt the warm sun on her face. She let out a wide yawn and smiled as she could hear the blue birds chirping on the tree branch outside her window. Something told her it was going to be a wonderful Thursday. Akane's eyes slowly slid open. She rubbed them and when she finally looked above her, she screamed. Akane threw a punch, knocking the person off from ontop of her. She shot up, her brow knitting together. She froze, her fist still clenched together when she realized she had punched Drager, who was now rubbing his cheek. Ranma and Nabiki came racing into Akane's room.
"What's going on?" Ranma asked, putting his hands on his hips. He eyed his insane brother, then looked at Akane for an answer. "Oh. So you snuck up on her?" Nabiki rolled her eyes and shut the door as she muttered something about needing more sleep. "You can't just sit and wait for a girl to wake up like that, y'know." Ranma lowered himself to the ground to where his big brother was.
"He's a pervert just like you, Ranma!" Akane said, pulling herself from her bed. She was wearing her baggy yellow pajamas.
"Hey!" Ranma shot up now. Drager stared at the couple who were piercing each other with their glares. "I'm not a pervert! I wasn't sitting next to your bed waiting for you to wake up!"
"Why are you two fighting?" Drager stood up. His innocent eyes stared down on the shorter and younger people. "Aren't you two together... Unless..." His eyes lit up in excitement. He hopped back and forth, clapping in true gay delight. "Brother! Are you giving Akane up for me?"
"What?" Ranma glared at Drager. He then blushed and shook his head. "Whatever. Think what you want, Drager." Ranma rolled his eyes and began for the door.
"Akane, I'll buy you whatever you want!" Drager was telling Akane. She stood there, her hands on her hips, looking completely unamused. This made Ranma smirk. That's what he loved about her. The past seven months together had really cleared the air between them. Less frequent fights, more precious memories.
"Come on, Akane." Ranma said from the door. "I'm sure Kasumi is already making breakfast."
...
"School?" Drager cocked his head to the side as the entire family ate their breakfast. Ranma and Akane nodded in unison as they ate in a rush. "What is school, Big Brother?"
"A place of... learning." Ranma told him. "I don't like it there."
"It's required from kids four through eighteen." Nabiki told Drager from across the table.
"Akane, do you go to school, too?" Drager asked. Akane only nodded, afraid of saying something to set him off in anger or in mad-love. "Oh! Maybe I should go, too!"
"Hey, numb-skull," Nabiki cocked an eyebrow up at him, "Didn't you hear what I just said? Four through eighteen. You are too old." Drager narrowed his eyes at Nabiki.
"How old are you anyway?" Ranma asked. Genma shrugged from behind Drager. Ranma rolled his eyes and looked at Drager who was counting.
"Twenty-five." Drager told him. "How old are you, Big Brother?"
"Sixteen." Ranma replied, wiping his mouth clean of crumbs.
"Akane, how old are you?"
"Sixteen." Akane said in the same tone as Ranma. Drager twitched slightly. Akane and Ranma both rose. "Bye! We're going to school!" They both jogged and grabbed their school bags off the racks.
"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!" Drager raced out of the house after Akane and Ranma. He was almost lightening fast, which frightened Akane and Ranma. Just then, Akane tripped and slammed onto the concrete, letting out a light cry as she hit the ground.
"Way to go, dummy!" Ranma called, kneeling beside Akane. Drager stopped and turned, his eyes glistening as he watched Ranma just squat beside Akane, who was coming to her knees.
"Akane, I'm so sorry!" Drager went racing over to Akane, but then screamed like a little girl and went racing inside. Akane's whole left arm was covered in blood. She cringed at the sight of the gushing wound. The rubble making it sting more.
"Ouch." Was all Ranma said. He helped Akane up. "Let's get you to Dr. Tofu. And quick. School will be starting soon."
...
"He's completely insane." Akane ranted as Dr. Tofu cleansed and wrapped her arm. "Who leans over someone, waiting for them to wake up! Seriously!" Akane shook her head. "Not too mention, it's creepy! He looks like a crazy non-sleeping version of you, Ranma!"
"Hey, you're preachin' to the choir." Ranma told her, absently directing his air upward to make his bangs float. "Who knows how long he'll stick around. He's said he's been out of the asylum for close to five years. I wonder where he's been that entire time." He looked at Akane for a reaction, but she seemed to just be registering this. "Dr. Tofu, is there an asylum here in Tokyo?"
"Well," Dr. Tofu cut the wrap free and tied it securely to Akane's arm. "There is the Tokyo House for Insane. It's located on the very outside of Tokyo." Dr. Tofu now stood and turned to Ranma. "You should ask your father."
"That seems to be the only way these days..." Ranma mumbled. "So, is Akane all checked out?"
"Hm?" Dr. Tofu looked up from logging in Akane's medical file. "Oh- yes. Akane, it was just a road rash. It'll scab up real nastily on your forearm." He turned back to Ranma, "By any chance, could you talk your brother into visiting me? I have never studied a critically insane person in real life. Only books. I am fascinated in how his brain functions."
"Sure thing, Doc." Ranma said, tossing Akane her school briefcase. "I'm sure Akane can sweet talk Drager into something." Akane turned a deep scarlet as Ranma laughed and exited the room.
"Rannnmmaaa!" Akane screamed after him.
...
"We're home!" Akane shouted throughout the house. Ranma and her both leaned against opposite walls by the door. The afternoon light was shedding inside, lighting the hallway up. "Hello? Kasumi?" Akane called, setting her briefcase down. She peaked around the corner to see the quiet hallway. "HELLO?" Akane screamed louder this time. Ranma walked right past her any how.
"Nobody's home." Ranma said, putting his hands behind his head. "Hope someone left food though!" Akane followed after Ranma as they rounded into the living area. There were steaming rice bowls and clattering from the kitchen. "Oh, well, Kasumi is home." Ranma looked over at Akane. She nodded and they seated themselves for rice.
"Mmm, it tastes different." Akane smiled as she ate the rice. "Akane must of gotten a new recipe." Ranma nodded in silence as he ate his rice. "HEY, KASUMI! THIS RICE IS DELICIOUS!"
There came foot steps and coming out of the kitchen, clad in a woman's lacy apron was Drager. He had a wide smile on his face as he set steaming stir fry on the table. Ranma and Akane stared intently at Drager, then at each other.
"What... the hell are you doing?" Ranma asked slowly. Drager undid the bow on the back of his apron and threw it to the side, folding it delicately. He seated himself and smiled.
"Akane, Ranma, welcome home. How is your food?" He seemed to bat his eyelashes as he said this, completely ignoring Ranma's question. "Would you like seconds, Ranma? You need the food, since you're such a growing boy."
There was a moment of silence. They could hear the bubbling from the kitchen from the boiling water. They could hear the faint breeze outside the door. "Ranma, can I talk to you... in the dojo...?" Akane said slowly as Drager dished out more food. He then stared down at Akane.
"Yeah." Ranma and Akane rose and filed out of the room as calmly as possible. When they entered the dojo and Ranma had securely slid the door shut, he snapped. "What is going on with him!"
"He is acting just like Kasumi!" Akane told him. "Remember? He has a personality-disorder. Who knows if we've even seen the true him." Akane paced back and forth, truly freaked out by this. This guy. Ranma's brother, was impersonating her sister. "Wait." Akane turned to Ranma, her eyes wide. "Where was Kasumi? You don't think-" She couldn't get the words out.
"What?" Ranma cocked an eyebrow up at her, but then froze, remembering what she was talking about. "No- You don't mean..." Ranma thought for a moment, "knocked her... six feet under?" Ranma's eyes glazed over in a far off look. He could imagine the very moment now.
Drager creeping down the hallway. The sky was dark and filled with thundering clouds. Gusty winds chilled the hallways as Drager crept into the kitchen, sharpened butcher knife hidden behind his back. There was loving Kasumi, humming a tune as she stirred and mixed away. Innocently unaware of the critically insane murderer behind her. Drager would take a step over, towering close to over six inches over little Kasumi. She'd turn and then freeze, pot sloshing in hand.
"Hello, Drager." She'd smile lovingly. "Are you hungry? I'm making a rice stew." Kasumi then would cross to the sink and drain the sticky rice. Drager would smile widely, a demonic and crazed smile. She'd turn and there he would be, holding the dagger up. Kasumi's face drained of color, she would scream and flinch backwards. "DRAGER! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" And just like that, it would be over. Kasumi limp in his arms, her white apron stained of blood. Her head would be lolled back as he dragged her from the kitchen. He then would toss her into the pond behind the house and then take on her personality, as if that would trick people into thinking he was Kasumi.
Ranma shook back to reality, not wanting to share that vision with Akane. She was popping her knuckles, trying to think something rational. She'd occasionaly glance at Ranma, as if expecting a revelation. None came to the two.
"We should go back inside," Akane told him boldly. "We have to make sure he didn't do anything stupid while we were at school." Ranma agreed and so they trudged back indoors together and saw Drager in the same spot, reading a cooking magazine. They could see the subscription tag, 'Kasumi Tendo'. Akane tensed and followed behind Ranma as they reentered the room.
"Ah," Drager stood and bowed deeply. "I hope all business was taken care of in the dojo. Now please, sit and eat. I bet you're starving." He gestured to the steaming, mouth-watering food sitting on the table. Ranma glanced at Akane whos' eyes were glued to Drager.
"Where's Kasumi?" Ranma asked, seating himself as if nothing was wrong. He pulled the bowl into his hand and began shoveling the buttery rice into his mouth. Akane hesitently copied.
"Oh, she went... out." Drager said. They both tensed. "She went to the market I believe. I think we're having... fish tonight." Drager nodded and set the magazine down on the table. "Oh, the girl is so lovely. Why, I spent all day with her!"
"I'm glad you're getting on so well with my sister," Akane told him behind a mouthful of rice. "She's closer to your age, y'know."
"Akane," He stared intensly at her. It seemed his old persona just evaporated. "My heart belongs to you. How could you... think I'd be off sneaking around with your sister behind your back?"
"I didn't..."
"My love for you is endless. I love you more than I loved Anna. Truly, I mean that." Drager leaned forward, placing his hand to his chest as a sincere gesture. Akane's cheeks burned red. She lowered her rice bowl and held a gaze with Drager.
"I... I..." Akane stuttered, not exactly sure what she wanted to say. "Uhm... Drager, who is Anna?"
"Yeah?" Ranma said, chomping away on his rice. "Who is this 'Anna' gal?"
"Anna and I were just... mere friends." It was Drager's turn to have the scarlet cheeks. "She was energetic. Spastic almost. She stole my heart at first, I must admit. She came into the asylum after my seventeenth birthday. She was brought in after she murdered her parents. Of course... she was barely twelve." Ranma inhaled some rice, slamming his bowl onto the table, while Akane spilt hers all over her dress. Embarssed she picked the rice up, grain by grain, and put it into her bowl.
"Ahem..." Ranma said, getting his bearings. "You fell in love with a girl five years younger than you?" Drager only shrugged.
"We got older." He said slowly. He twirled a gold ring on his right middle finger, slowly. "By the time I was released she was seventeen. We had our flings inbetween though."
"I didn't need to know that." Ranma shook his head. Akane finished dusting the rice off of herself. She now stared between the two Saotome boys. "Uhm, anyway." Ranma ran his fingers through his dark hair. "Drager, I'm sure you're tired. Why don't you go lay down and Akane and I will clean up here."
"No." Drager interjected quickly. "You go lie down. I'll stay here with dear Akane." He smiled lovingly at Akane who looked at Ranma. Ranma sighed huskily. He gave in and back into the hallway.
"Alright. If you need me, I'll be upstairs... Akane, I'm going to go... check on that loose leg of yours on your desk." Akane nodded, playing along with Ranma's plan. It meant to go straight to her room afterwards. And with that, Ranma was gone.
Akane turned to Drager collecting the dishes and wheeling them back into the kitchen. Akane took her share and dropped them beside the sink. She then filled the sink wit warm water and dipped her hands in. Akane looked over her shoulder at Drager, who was leaning against the wall, admiring her from a distance.
"I'll wash if you dry." Akane offered. Of course, Drager accepted. He danced across the room and stood love struck beside Akane. She busied herself, hoping not to strike up conversation. Just do your work and get out. Akane told herself. She snuck a glance at Drager as she handed him a plate. He did a few circle around on the plate, in a complete other world. Then, with the half dried plate, he set on the counter, to be replaced in the cabinet at a later time. "You know, if you don't try them all the way, they will collect dust easier." Drager now snapped back to reality. His eyebrows knitted together. She pointed to the plate that still had droplets on it.
"Maybe if you washed better it wouldn't be like that." He mumbled, moodily. Akane bit her tongue, telling herself it was the personality disorder. She never met someone who suffered from it so badly. "What do you see in Ranma?" Came the dreaded conversation she was afraid he would strike up.
"Uhm." Akane said, slowly and articulant. "Drager, it's really nothing personal. It was an arranged marriage. My father and your father set it up for us." Akane told him, handing his another plate. He absently dried it, setting it atop the last plate.
"That's bullshit and you know it." Drager said, nastily. He snapped the plate from Akane's hand and roughly dried it. "You love him. Don't feed me crap just because I'm insane! I can take a little trauma every now and then! Don't lie to me like Anna did!" By now, Drager's face had turned red. He gripped the plate so hard that it cracked. Akane gasped and backed up. He was incredibly strong. He then threw the plate. It shattered over Akane's head. She ducked, then looked up to see Drager now collasped to the ground, sobbing.
"Drager..." Akane whispered. She looked at the broken plate pieces around her. "I'm telling the truth. Honest." Drager shook his head, the tears falling freely from his eyes.
Just then, Ranma raced in. He gasped when he saw the glass because of his bare feet. Quickly he did a front flip over the shards and landed flawlessly on the other side. "Hey!" Ranma shouted, "What the hell are you..." He froze when he saw his sobbing brother. He looked at Akane for an answer. She could only shrug and remain speechless.
"Brother!" Drager wraped his arms around Ranma's legs. "I want a gal just like Akane!" Ranma sighed, rubbing his temples. He was beginning to think inviting his brother to stay was a bad idea.
"Look," Ranma said. Drager stopped crying and listened. "There's no one quite like Akane in this world." Akane blushed a little. "She's a tom-boy. Macho-girl. She is mean and rude. Sometimes she can be nice, but trust me. She's totally un-cute. Not too mention she can't cook." Akane clenched her fists.
"Ranma!" She huffed, crossing her arms. "I thought you were gonna be nice!" She glanced to see him giving her the look to play along. She nodded, but she was still hurt that Ranma would really say those things.
"NO NO NO!" Drager shoved Ranma over. He fell onto the shard of glass. Ranma's eyes bugged out.
"OWWWWWWWWW!" Ranma kicked Drager off of him and leapt to his feet, trying to get the glass out of his skin. "Ouch, ouch, ouch!" He pulled a shard of glass punctuated into his arm out. "Dammit, Drager! You've done enough!"
"I will not allow you to talk about Akane this way!" Drager crossed his arms, puffing his chest out. He was now acting like he was some sort of playground bully. "I'm bigger than you and if you are really going to talk about Akane this way, I'll hit you so far into the Earth, you'll end up in the United States."
"Hah." Ranma rolled his eyes. "Real clever aren't you?"
"What's all over the floor?" All eyes went to Kasumi. She was holding a paper bag full of her store-bought goods. Her mouth was ajar as she looked at the counter full of dirty dishes. The full sink that has sloshed onto the tile floor. The shards of broken plates all over the ground. "What did you guys do to the kitchen?" She set the bags on the counter and gently touched her cheek in concern. "My, my, my." Her eyes went to Drager first. Then she understood. "Well, everyone, please." She pulled a mop and broom out. "Please... while I clean this up."
Once the three were sent out, they sat in the hallway. Drager sitting between Ranma and Akane. The two were both silent though, silently thanking God that Drager hadn't committed murder again. Drager then looked up at the sky.
"Little Brother," His eyes shown curiousity. "Do you think there is such thing as fallen angels?"
"Uhm," Ranma shrugged, "Maybe. Why?"
"There's one among us." He smiled lovingly at Akane. Her face flushed to a scarlet red while Ranma rolled his eyes melodramatically.
"You need to work on your flirting skills..." Ranma mumbled.