"Taro" was the only thing that escaped through Ranma's lips as he remembered who the man was before him.
Taro chuckled slightly to himself. "So… you do remember me."
"Y-Yeah… it's been a while." Ranma answered hesitantly.
Akane moved her gaze up at Ranma. He appeared to be very nervous for some reason. She also noticed his grip tightened up a bit.
'Why does Ranma look so nervous around his so called best friend,' Akane thought to herself suspiciously. 'Shouldn't they be happy to see each other after such a long time?'
Then there was absolute silence. Not a single word escaped from Ranma's or Taro's lips. It was just a complete staredown between the two of them. The atmosphere became uncomfortable and tense.
What seemed like long minutes, Taro finally breaks the staredown by moving his gaze towards Shampoo and Akane. He let out yet another chuckle then proceeded to say, "My, I see you've brought some company to... witness our fight."
Ranma let out a sigh. "Look, man," Ranma began. "I do not want to fight you. I never did and I don't want to now. Let's leave all this in the past, alright?"
"Now, now, if you were really my best friend," Taro said unleashing his sinister grin. "You would remember that I do not let things go… must I remind you of what you did?"
Ranma was unresponsive. Ranma's silence triggered Taro's calm attitude to turn 180. Akane felt like she just witnessed a Jekyll and Hyde moment. One second he was calm and now he's just flat out pissed off.
"Ranma, you better answer me or I'll kill you and your friends!"
Ranma then snarled under his breath and pushed both Shampoo and Akane behind him. "Look pal, these two ain't my friends, so you'll just have to kill only me!"
"Fine with me, Saotome!" With that said, Taro then started running towards Ranma with a sword.
As Taro swings his sword towards Ranma's torso, Ranma jumped high in the air, completely dodging his attack. While he was still in the air, he performed a perfect 540 kick and kicked Taro's hand, which knocked his sword out of his grip and onto the ground.
Akane watched in awe as Ranma performed one of the best martial arts moves she's ever seen.
Ranma manages to land on his feet and turns towards Akane and Shampoo. "What are you two still doing here?! Make a run for it!"
"But what about you?!" Akane said in full concern. "What if you get hurt again?"
"Just run for it! Don't worry about me!"
Without notice, Taro then sliced his sword across Ranma's arm. Ranma screamed out in pain and jumped backwards.
"Ranma!" Akane called after.
"Hmph, stupid girl, look what you done." Shampoo scoffed. "Shampoo protect Ranma!"
Shampoo then brought out her daggers and ran towards Taro. Soon, the two began sword fighting.
"Hey, you better leave her out of this!" Ranma yelled as he ran back, joining the fight against Shampoo and Taro.
Akane stood on the sidelines, watching the three of them fighting to the death. Akane stood there, paralyzed and unsure what to do.
'Ranma did tell me to run away… but is it right to just leave them? Then again… they are equally as good... so what do they need me for?' Akane thought to herself, feeling completely hopeless and useless. 'I'm no good as they are… so I wouldn't be much help.'
Akane felt a tear roll down her cheek and hit the ground. She didn't like feeling useless. She wants to help, but she doesn't have the courage to… or the skill.
"Akane."
Akane looked up as soon as she heard someone call her name. No one was around. Then she heard someone's voice call out her name again.
"Akane."
"W-Who's there?!" Akane asked frantically. "What do you want?!"
"Akane… I know you can do it."
That voice sounded so familiar to Akane. She's definitely heard it before. It somehow brings comfort to her. But who could that voice be?
"You're strong, Akane. I know you can do it."
Not only did it bring comfort, but it gave her the courage; the courage to help out her new friends. She waited for the right moment to strike. While Ranma and Shampoo were fighting against him, she waited till Taro's back was turned so she can attack.
'Okay Akane… you can do this,' Akane thought to herself, fully trying to concentrate. 'Think of this like it's one of your training sessions.'
Finally, that moment came when Taro finally turned his back.
'Go.' Akane thought to herself as her queue.
She then ran towards Taro's back as fast as she could. Once she got close enough, she sat on her hip and quickly moved her foot in a 360 degree angle, performing the Tiger Tail Sweep method. Taro loses his balance and falls on his lower back, once again losing his grip on the sword he was holding. Akane got up from the ground and quickly grabbed the sword from the ground.
"Guys let's go!" Akane said as she made a dash for it.
Ranma and Shampoo followed suit and followed after Akane. Together they followed Akane to an old doll house she used to play with as a child. They all followed her to a pink bedroom with nothing but the doll's bed and armoire.
They all stopped for a second to catch their breath.
"I… I think we lost him." Akane said panting.
"For now…" Ranma said also panting. "You know, you two should've stayed out of it. It ain't one of ya's concerns."
"I think a thank you would suffice." Akane said, becoming irritated with his attitude, especially after she saved him and Shampoo.
Ranma looked up at Akane and noticed that Taro's sword was in Akane's hand.
"Stupid! You took Taro's sword?!"
"Oh yeah… looks like I did."
"Oh yeah looks like I did," Ranma repeated mockingly. "He can use that to track us you know!"
"Well excuse me, jerk," Akane said in full rage. "How the hell was I supposed to know that?!"
"Hmph, stupid girl," Shampoo said, getting close to Ranma's side. "Ranma right."
"So what's the big deal if he tracks us?! I'm sure it'll take him a while to get he―"
All of a sudden, a loud bang could be heard outside of the dollhouse. Because of the loud bang, the whole dollhouse shook violently.
"Shit, Taro is nearby!" Ranma exclaimed then ran towards the hollow wooden dollhouse door and shut it quickly.
"Oh yeah, like shutting the door is gonna help us!" Akane said rolling her eyes.
"Well idiot, have anymore bright ideas?!"
Akane searched her surroundings and looked at the bed on the other side of the room.
"Quick, help me move this in front of the door!" Akane said as she ran towards the bed.
Ranma had no other choice but to go with what Akane suggested. "Come on, Shampoo."
He and Shampoo ran to where the bed was and helped Akane move it in front of the door as a barrier.
"So what is this supposed to do?" Ranma asked rolling his eyes. "How is this gonna help us escape?"
"This is a barrier to buy us some time! I'm still thinking of a plan." Akane said, as she continued to observe her surroundings. As each second passes by, the loud bangs are getting closer and closer.
Ranma rolled his eyes once more and sighed in frustration. "Yo Shampoo, got any bright ideas to save us from dumbass's stupid mistake?"
"Excuse me?! Without me, you wouldn't even be here right now!" Akane yelled as she glared at Ranma.
"Maybe I would've been, you never know! I didn't need your help!"
"Why you ungrateful―"
"Ranma! Stupid!" Shampoo called out to the bickering duo. She stood in front of the dollhouse's armoire and opened it up.
"Look Shampoo, as much as I love your idea of hiding in that tiny space in there, it ain't gonna work." Ranma said, once again rolling his eyes.
Shampoo shook her head and took the blanket from the dollhouse's bed and put it over the armoire.
"Shampoo, this is not a game! A blanket won't make it unnoticeable to Taro!" Akane said, crossing her arms and huffing.
Shampoo shook her head. "No stupid. Portal."
"A portal?" Ranma and Akane asked in complete confusion.
The thuds got closer and closer to the dollhouse then all of a sudden, a huge bang was heard downstairs as Taro made his entrance by barging down the dollhouse's front door.
"W-Whatever Shampoo, just work your magic! Taro is downstairs!" Ranma yelled as he stared at the door making sure Taro doesn't get in here.
The thuds got louder and louder and sounded like it was going up the dollhouse's staircase. Shampoo got to work right away and covered the blanket over the armoire and placed her both of her hands on it. She chanted a few words over and over until the armoire started glowing up. All of a sudden, hard knocks started banging on the dollhouse's room door.
"Come back here, you bitch!" Taro said on the other side of the door. "Give back my sword!"
"U-Uh Shampoo, wanna hurry it up there?!" Ranma said as he kept watching the door.
Shampoo said her chant once more then uncovered the armoire. As soon as she uncovered it, Taro's hand knocks through the door. Akane screamed as she slapped his hand.
"Idiot! You're gonna piss him off even more!" Ranma yelled as he took Akane's hand and quickly dragged her close to the armoire.
Shampoo opened the doors to the armoire and instead of revealing a rack full of doll clothing, it revealed a combination of pastel colors all squished together. It looked like a crazy paint project on a single canvas. The colors were moving back and forth, as if it was water in the ocean.
"Let's go Ranma!" Shampoo said as she grabbed Ranma's hand and jumped into the portal with him following after.
"H-Hey wait for me!" Akane yelled as she grabbed the sword. She was about to enter inside of it until something caught her ankle. It was Taro who grabbed onto it.
"Give back my sword you bitch!"
Akane screamed and tried to kick him away, but he had too much of a strong grip. Ranma heard Akane's scream and went back to grab her wrist and tried to pull her as hard as he can. Soon enough, it was like a tug-of-war between the two men as they fight over Akane.
"Stupid! Let go of the sword!" Ranma yelled from the other side.
"F-Fine! You want the sword, you can have it!" With that said, Akane used the sword to cut Taro's wrist. Taro yelled out in pain as his wrist starts bleeding out. As soon as he let go of Akane's ankle, she let go of the sword, then quickly closed the armoire's doors making sure Taro doesn't enter in with them.
Taro gets up from his spot, holding his bleeding wrist and opens one of the doors to the armoire. Pitch black. They managed to escape him. He let out a frustrated yell at the top of his lungs. Then looked down at the very sword he was cut with and looked at his reflection the blood red jewel embedded onto the sword.
"I'll get you for this… Ranma."
Ranma and Akane landed on a soft patch of grass as soon as they got out of a square-shaped portal. The portal closes up behind them, which means that Taro didn't get in with them.
Ranma and Akane laid on the grass for a while, panting. Akane slowly turned her head towards Ranma.
"Ranma?" Akane said, trying to get Ranma's attention. "I… I just wanted to say thank you for… saving me back there."
"Y-Yeah… you're welcome." Ranma said, looking back at Akane.
Akane gave a warm smile towards Ranma, which immediately made him sit straight up.
"T-This doesn't dismiss the fact that you almost killed us!" Ranma said, crossing his arms and turning away from Akane.
Akane sat straight up and glared at Ranma. "Killed you?! I saved you! Why can't you just thank me for it and move on already?!"
"Thank you?! Oh right, I'm so sorry, thank you so much for almost getting us killed!" Ranma said, yelling at the top of his lungs. "There, is that better, ya idiot?! Huh?!"
All of a sudden, Ranma felt a strong force move his face to the side and felt a sharp sting on his cheek. His eyes widened in shock when he realized he was slapped by a woman, for the first time in his life. He gently placed his hand on his cheek and looked back at Akane, who had tears in her eyes and run down her cheeks.
"Look, I know I'm not the most strategic person out of the both of us… or I'm not as skilled in the martial arts as you and Shampoo are," Akane said, sniffling through her tears. "But… you don't have the right to call someone an idiot for trying their best to save you! You're nothing like the prince I'd imagine you to be… and that… disappoints me."
"I… I…" Ranma stuttered, as he couldn't find the words.
Then Shampoo's gasp could be heard from behind them.
"Ranma!" Shampoo called out as she ran towards him and hugged him. "Stupid girl, get away from Ranma!"
Akane stood up from her spot then said, "You don't need to tell me twice." Then walked away leaving the two of them alone.
Shampoo scoffed towards Akane's direction. "Good, we no need her, right Ranma?" Shampoo said as she snuggled up against him.
Ranma watched as Akane walk away from them. He then felt a wave of guilt come over him as he watched her walk away.
'Well she did try to save me… eh, she'll get over it hopefully.' Ranma thought as he tried to push Shampoo off of him.
(A/N: That's it for this chapter, my readers! I hope you liked it and please remember to R&R, I love reading them! Gives me much motivation to write more! :^) New chapters coming up very soon!)