Here we are! And it hadn't been two months yet since the last update (heheh). Honestly though, this was a very tough chapter to write due to the background story. Thinking about the future chapters and a possible sequel/spin-off (I repeat, POSSIBLE) also slowed down this chapter's production. Nevertheless, it's done! I'm relieved!
Another frustrating thing was that I had to keep reminding myself that Akane had lost an arm; her right arm to be specific. I tend to forget about that while writing this chapter and I suspect maybe some of you might too. So, as a reminder, Akane only has her left arm alright (haha). Now, on with the story.
The Curse of Jusenkyo
Part 2
The Valley of a Thousand Springs
The words rang over and over in Ryoga's ears but he couldn't believe it. Akane had said it so unexpectedly that he even began doubting she had really come back. He started to fear that what he was seeing was just a trick of his mind, brought out by reminiscing the past and visiting Ranma's grave.
But her embrace had felt real. The light exchange they had felt real. Yet, the next few words she had uttered seemed so unbelievable.
"I've found a way to cure it," Akane repeated. Ryoga's doubts began to disappear as he forced himself to believe Akane. There was no way she would lie, not about something that important.
"Really?! That's great!" Ukyo said and then she looked at Ryoga. "Isn't that great?!" she said, excited for him. He on the other hand didn't seem so.
"Are you okay, Ryoga?" Akane asked.
He looked dazed but then shook his head once he realized the two looking concerned for him.
"Nothing, nothing. I'm just … It's just …"
"Um, didn't you hear? She found the cure," Ukyo said.
"Yeah, I heard. I'm surprised to hear that," Ryoga replied, trying to sound happy about it. "I don't know what to say." Akane only smiled as a response.
At her smile, Ryoga began to feel the old shivers and nerves again but he pressed them down hard so that they won't show.
"How'd you find it?" Ukyo asked, to Ryoga's relief.
"It took some thorough searching of Jusenkyo but I want to gather up everyone first before I explain further," Akane answered.
"Can I see it though?" Ryoga asked, still hiding his nerves.
"It's not movable unfortunately but don't worry. I'll explain everything later on."
"Well, let's get to rounding them up!" Ukyo said.
"You're pretty enthusiastic," Ryoga said.
"I'm just happy for you guys. Aren't you?"
"Yeah, I am."
"Very convincing."
"Alright, let's go get Shampoo and Mousse next," Akane said. At that, Ukyo's sudden exuberance instantly vanished and she seemed to literally deflate.
"Oh man," she whined.
"What?" Akane asked.
"Their café may not have been as successful as it used to but they're still my rivals," Ukyo replied with a distasteful tone. Then she sighed.
"But, yeah I know. They've been cursed too," she said.
Ryoga and Akane stared at Ukyo in reaction to her monologue.
"Talk about mood changes," Ryoga said. Ukyo glared at him.
"Let's just get on with it," she said, turning her gaze to Akane, her spirit suddenly back in place.
"Okay." Akane dragged the word a little, finding Ukyo's behavior funny. "Come on. We'll gather at my house."
The trio exited Ucchan's and walked towards the Nekohanten. It didn't take them long to reach the restaurant and just like Ucchan's, it was closed. Ukyo caught on the reason why but noted that she never saw Shampoo, Mousse or Cologne at the Saotome burial grounds. It was probably better that way as there were still ill-feelings between them.
Akane knocked on the door and let a few seconds pass before knocking again. She then heard a couple of slides and clicks before the door slid open.
"Hello, you three," Cologne greeted sweetly. "I assume you've recently returned from a long journey, Akane."
"Yes Cologne," Akane replied respectfully.
"What have you come here for?"
"I've found a way to cure Jusenkyo's curse."
Cologne was momentarily surprised but then she became wary.
"In all my years there has never been a discovery of the cure," she said.
"There is," Akane asserted. "I've been to Jusenkyo and I've learned of its lost history."
Cologne was impressed that this young girl had gone to such lengths to reverse a curse she didn't even have. Even though she was old, Cologne admitted that there were still matters out there eluding her knowledge so she still wished to hear about this hidden story of Jusenkyo.
"Come in first you three," Cologne said, holding the door open. Akane walked in, followed by Ukyo and Ryoga. "If what you say is true then tell me what you've found."
"I'd rather tell everyone at the same time. So if you don't mind, I'd like us all to gather at my house so that I can explain further," Akane said.
"Who is there that's left?" Cologne asked.
"Umm, Genma," Akane answered.
"Ah, right," Cologne blinked. "That foolish panda. Very well. It would be more efficient to have everyone gathered first."
"Who that?" Shampoo interjected, coming out from behind the curtains hiding the kitchen. She saw Akane and immediately frowned before looking away. Mousse then appeared from behind the curtains, joining everyone in the dining hall.
"Akane!" he said.
"Hey," she replied, smiling a little.
"As we are unoccupied today, let's head over to your house right now," Cologne said.
"Good," Akane nodded.
"Why we go to her house?" Shampoo asked, sounding spiteful. Cologne turned to face her great-granddaughter.
"She's returned from Jusenkyo with a way to cure your curses," she said.
"What's her problem?" Ukyo whispered at Akane. She expected at least a shrug from Akane but the girl remained still, trying to not look at Shampoo.
'Did something happen between these two?' Ukyo thought.
"That's great news!" Mousse said. "We should hurry!" he looked at Shampoo, surprisingly without mistaking anything as her. She huffed in response and looked away, only to find her sights resting on Akane again. Akane, as if sensing Shampoo's hard gaze, looked up and returned the stare with steel but fragile eyes. The exchange was intense between the two and everyone in the room could feel it.
"Fine," Shampoo quietly said, looking away.
No one said a word under the heavy air. Shampoo held her eyes against Akane again but without the hatred from before. Akane stared back but with sadness this time.
"We should get going," Ryoga suggested. He hoped to break the uncomfortable silence. At that everyone snapped back to reality and the gloom suddenly lifted.
"Right, let's go," Akane said.
The group now expanded from three to six walked down the road and towards the Tendo home. There was a faint nostalgia washing through each of them. After all, for nearly a year none of them had been to the once famous dojo. It was the very center of whatever that had happened to each of them in their personal recent history. There were countless memories, all stacked up in the house and none of them could ever be forgotten. Especially …
Akane's home came to view. She grew ecstatic and ran ahead. The rest were unprepared for her change of pace but rushed along and caught up with her at the main gate. Akane tried pushing the large gates open but they were locked. Frantically she slammed her fist on the gates. Akane then backed away, flicking her hand to shake the soreness off.
"I'm home!" she yelled excitedly.
Soon the gates opened, revealing Kasumi, with Nabiki and Soun closely behind. Akane beamed while her family froze on their feet. She closed the small gap quickly and virtually pounced on Kasumi.
"I'm home," Akane said again, clinging onto her sister's shoulder. Kasumi smiled and held her youngest sister tighter.
"Welcome home," she said. Nabiki then joined to embrace Akane but only for a while before Soun suddenly pulled Akane away into a strong hug.
"Oh, my Akane! You're alright!" he cried, torrential tears streaming down his face. Akane grimaced at the powerful grip her father had on her.
"Yes, daddy. I'm fine," she struggled to say. Soun then let her go and held her at arms' length. "I'm fine," Akane reassured.
"So, you found what you're looking for?" Nabiki asked. Akane looked over at her sister and nodded.
"Yes."
"I'm sure there's a lot to tell," Kasumi said. "Everyone, come in first."
"Oh, can you get Ra – … Mr. and Mrs. Saotome to come here right now please?" Akane said.
"Okay, sure."
The rest followed the Tendos into the house. They filled up the living room and waited for Genma and Nodoka to arrive. Kasumi, after contacting them, went into the kitchen to prepare refreshments for the guests.
Behind the blinds covering the kitchen, she began shaking. It was so bad that even settling the kettle on the stove was hard to do. Kasumi pulled her hand back and covered her trembling lips.
It was the first time since that day to see them all gathered in the same place.
The memories came in a rush and were overwhelming. Suddenly it felt like the old days again when everyone was together - back in the time when the gang would face all sorts of ridiculous events and perilous adventures. Then reality crashed down on her, saying that it was not and could never be the same again.
All sorts of emotions swirled in her chest that it threatened to burst. But she held it in long enough to retreat to a more private space where she could briefly let it out before masking herself again.
Soon everything was done and she took a few calming breaths before placing the tea and some leftover buns on a tray. She carried it out and set it on the table. Just as she did, she heard Nodoka calling from the front door.
"Kasumi!"
"They've arrived," Kasumi said and hurried to the door. Genma and Nodoka were brought in and were ushered to the table. Akane then stood up and walked over to Nodoka.
"Hi auntie," Akane said.
"Akane!" Nodoka said happily, pulling the girl into a hug. "It's been so long since I last saw you."
"Yeah," Akane nodded. She pulled away. "I've got news."
"Let's all hear it Akane," Cologne lightly demanded. Akane looked back at Cologne and nodded. Genma and Nodoka took their places at the table and Akane sat at the end of it, directly opposite of her father.
"Right. I'll begin with the origin of Jusenkyo," she said. Everyone leaned in to listen carefully. Akane took one look at everyone before continuing.
"I learned of its story from inside a hidden cave somewhere in the mountains around the valley. I only stumbled upon it after many months of being there."
Akane tried peering into the small cave but it was too dark to see anything. Luckily she brought with her a flashlight. She switched it on and shone it into the cave. She saw that the cave went deep inside the mountain as she couldn't see the end of it. Akane looked back at the valley below her, feeling as if she might not see it again. Bravely, she stepped into the cave, lowering her head a little as the ceiling was low.
She felt a little claustrophobic as the cave was only a few feet wider than her body as well as dark. She could only see as far as the beam of her flashlight went. She could hear the light echoes of her steps and was getting shivers from it. She had to consciously remind herself that she was alone in here.
Then her light shone on something on the floor. Slowly, she moved closer and froze when she realized that it was the bones of someone's foot. A sudden chill ran up her spine and she almost panicked. Quickly she caught herself and breathed slowly. She coughed though, finding the air tasting funny. It was inside a cave after all.
Akane moved her beam of light up along the person's foot, to the leg, the rest of the body and finally the head. Soon she didn't feel scared anymore, knowing that it was just a pile of bones now. She wondered though, what was this person doing deep in this cave.
'Was this person hiding from something?' she thought.
Akane began looking around the body. She looked around at the walls, thinking that maybe there were markings on it. Then she looked around the corpse, at the same time wondering where the person's clothes were. She felt like an archaeologist, searching for any information on past civilizations. A little silly, she felt. But then something on the floor brought out her curiosity. A package wrapped in cloth sat behind the person's remains. From the looks of it, this person was sitting against the cave wall, hiding the item behind him.
Gently, Akane pulled the item from behind the skeleton. There was a little weight to it but she couldn't tell what it was. She wondered if the person had wanted to give whatever it was inside to someone. Akane knelt down in front of the dead person and looked into its hollow eye sockets as if hoping for a response.
"If I may, I'd like to take this," Akane said.
She figured she should go back to the Jusenkyo guide and look at the item with him. Akane placed the package into her bag. She stared into the corpse's eyes again before walking away. She hurried back out of the cave and made her way down the mountain side back to the guide.
"Mr. Guide!" Akane called out as she entered the guide's office. "I found something in a cave at the farther end of the valley."
"What is it?" the guide asked.
Akane then laid down her bag and brought out the package.
"Hm, curious. Let's open it and see," the guide said.
Akane nodded and walked over to the guide's desk. Gently, Akane untied the knot of the string holding the item together and pulled the string away. The dirty brown cloth was folded neatly around the item inside. It must've been so long as the cloth felt stiff and was permanently bent according to the shape of the package.
The cloth came off, revealing a book, just slightly bigger than Akane's hand. It had no cover but the pages were intact. The book was held in place with a piece of string piercing through two holes at its longer side. Akane lightly ran her fingers on the front page and felt the crisp of the paper. She was careful to not put too much pressure on it, fearing it would suddenly disintegrate.
"This must be very, very old book. Probably thousands years," the guide said.
"Why do you say that?" Akane asked, looking up at him.
"The writings on it. I no recognize them. It may be ancient Chinese writing. I barely see resemblance with today's characters," he said.
Akane looked down at the book again. Carefully she turned the page. She was amazed that the pages were perfectly intact even after many centuries. And the person who wrote this had the characters written so clearly and sharp as if to ease someone else reading it.
"We need to find a way to translate this," Akane said. "Do you have any references that could help?"
"Let me see," the guide said walking over to the bookshelf near his desk. He ran his finger along the many books he had. He then pulled out one and flipped it open. He skimmed through the pages but then closed it and replaced the book. He searched for another book but again it wasn't helpful either.
"Maybe we get help from the Joketsuzoku," the guide said. "They may have more knowledge on this."
Akane hesitated at first but then remembered that she wasn't that accustomed to the springs. She knew nothing more about Jusenkyo than the curses themselves and that she had a pool of her own. All she was doing was to complete what Ranma would've done – to find the cure.
"Alright," Akane nodded.
The next day, the two went off to the Joketsuzoku village to search for someone who would know the language of the book. It would be even better if they could find a book to be used as reference. Akane and the guide stayed at the village for a couple of days but they found nothing. Not even the elders knew the language nor did they know of anything else about Jusenkyo but they did allow Akane to take back a few books to look through again.
She stayed up the night they returned from the village looking through the books. It was ridiculous since she didn't understand a single character and yet she was trying to find the meaning of the person's book. Nevertheless, she remained awake in the guest room the guide had placed her in with the lights on. It was already well into the night but Akane didn't want to check the time. It didn't matter to her anymore.
"It's late."
Akane jumped at the sudden unfamiliar voice coming from behind her. She didn't want to look but slowly she turned her head around. There was a man about her age wearing a long-sleeved light green top. It looked too big for him as he was rather skinny. His black pants were even baggier and a red cloth wrapped several times around his waist, securing the pants.
"H-How'd you get in?" Akane asked, already taking a stance with a stick in her hand.
"I can tell you what's written in that book."
Akane was still tense and held the man's gaze. It was strange that she could only faintly feel his presence and his voice seemed to echo around the room.
"Who are you?" Akane asked, calmer now. The man didn't answer which made Akane tense up again.
"I wrote it," he said. Akane frowned, confused at his words at first but then her eyes widened in realization.
"You're the man from that cave?" she asked.
"I'm from a people that existed thousands of years ago. We lived here, long before the curse was created."
"Curse? You mean, Jusenkyo?" Akane was shaking, both in excitement and anxiety. She then put down her stick, seeing that it wasn't needed.
"You know about Jusenkyo?" Akane asked again.
"First, I will tell you about my people."
"Is it important?"
"For you to understand."
"Okay then," Akane relented and sat back down. She wanted to offer the man a seat but he had already begun.
Thousands of years ago, during a time where magic still existed widely, there lived a tribe of very peaceful people nestled in a valley hidden from the rest of the world. The valley they resided in was lush with greenery and wildlife and all that they needed to sustain themselves, like their own little garden of eden.
People lived merrily and everyone was kind to one another. Children played around all day as their mothers watched out for them while chatting amongst themselves. The men went to work at the farms, hunting in the woods and foraging for useful items. Boys in their teen years tagged along with their fathers so that they too would grow up to be men.
The village was kept in place by a council of sorcerers of not more than five. They looked after the villagers and often helped them in matters requiring magical interventions.
Only the council was able to wield magic. They forbade others to practice it, unless guided directly by the sorcerers themselves.
The council of sorcerers placed a specific rule upon the villagers and that no one was allowed to go through the South Eastern Pass, the only passage to the outside world. Anyone who left the valley was forbidden to ever return to the village.
The sorcerers explained that it was for the village's own good and the people accepted that as part of their lives. Leaving did not even cross their minds. To turn away from this valley would mean to foolishly give up a heavenly life for something more. How greedy. So for many generations the tribe remained in their valley of wonders.
One day though, a small group of men from the outer world stumbled upon the village. They were lost and had been wandering close to the outskirts of the valley. Eventually, walking into the pass, they found the village. People quickly found out these men were from beyond the valley. The villagers panicked, not knowing how to handle such a thing. Some even pointed fingers at others for disclosing the village's location.
Amidst the growing panic, the men were brought to face the council. The sorcerers debated and then eventually decided to have the men stay. It immediately caused uproar among the villagers.
The council hastily added a few conditions upon the newcomers.
They must never leave the village and they must abide by its rules or they would face dire consequences.
The men agreed to those conditions but their obedience did not last long. Over time they began to take advantage of the peace in the village, refusing to cooperate or work. The people complained to the council and soon, the outsiders were brought to face the sorcerers again.
The sorcerers this time were not so forgiving. They decided on a curse to be placed on these men.
They travelled to a nearby valley – a valley littered with thousands of springs. The sorcerers cast powerful spells on the springs and threw in different animals into them. The men were then thrown into those cursed pools, transforming them into those animals but hot water would change them back, only temporarily though.
Those men now served the council and each time they failed they would be locked in their cursed forms for as long as the sorcerers wished. It was some time before the men were considered to have atoned for their improper behaviors. But their curses remained, serving as reminders.
The men, fearing the sorcerers, continued their lives in the village and even married the women there. They had families and were essentially a part of the society. But many of the villagers still viewed them as 'outsiders'. Initially they only treated the family differently but as generations follow, their hatred grew. People began doing terrible things to the families.
None of this of course went unnoticed by the council. More and more people were given what was known now as the Jusenkyo Curse – named after the valley of a thousand springs of Jusenkyo.
The village was not the same as it had been long ago. It had evolved into quite a thriving town but was terribly wounded on the inside. People were corrupted by the evil growing within themselves. Not even the sorcerers escaped that fate.
Among the sorcerers, one stood out as being a visionary but extreme as well. The sorcerer grew and became more powerful than the others. Eventually, he became such a strong influence in the council and changed their system so that there would be only one ruler. He placed himself on that seat and began a tyrannical reign.
The people lived in fear under his harsh rule. Those who fell short were given a curse. Those who seemed to disobey suffered the same fate. Some even tried to escape the village but only to be caught and given a curse.
It came to a point where people started to rebel against the ruler. It started small but rapidly grew as the citizens took on the ideal. It wasn't long before word reached the dictator. To counter this, he passed a death penalty to those caught rebelling against him.
But it was no ordinary penalty.
The ruler cast a death curse on one pool and was later known as The Spring of Death. Those thrown into the spring will be cursed to die after a certain time determined by the caster. No one was able to escape that death curse unless it was removed by the Grand Sorcerer as he called himself.
And it was not a normal death. The sentenced, once his time was up, will die by drowning. There would be signs of the victim being unwillingly attracted to water as his time of death got closer. And no matter where he was, even in a desert, water would find him. The victim would then meet a horrible watery end.
Everyone had been listening intently to Akane's story up to that point when a sudden chill swept through each of them.
"The tribe began to fall," Akane continued after pausing a while. "Civil riots spread and the whole village rose against the Grand Sorcerer and his army he had built to defend himself. After so long, eventually the Grand Sorcerer's life was put to an end. But it was a pyrrhic victory for the rebels as only a handful survived and most of their lands were destroyed. They decided to leave the valley to start a new life somewhere in the outside world. No one's been back to the valley ever since."
"What a tragic story," Kasumi said breaking the pause that threatened to drag on.
"And what about the springs?" her father asked.
"The curse of the springs remained till this day," Akane answered.
"But Ranma fell in the Spring of Drowned Girl. Why did he …" Ryoga asked.
"Over time, Jusenkyo was hit by numerous floods," Akane said. "The positions of the springs would sometimes change and some would be mixed with each other, depending on each spring's magical energy. But the death curse was a powerful spell so it's virtually present in every spring. And the … expiration time if you will, can't be truly determined as the springs today have unpredictable levels of magic."
Everyone in the room paled, especially the ones with the curses as they realized what that meant.
"The cursed victims of Jusenkyo have their lives shortened and no one can ever truly know how much until the signs begin to show," Akane finished. The room fell into a tense silence, knowing there were members of the crowd heading towards a terrible, unforeseeable end.
"Guess there was something much more sinister to Jusenkyo," Ryoga said.
"Good news though, I've found a way to counteract this curse," Akane began again. Everyone returned their attention to her. She grabbed her backpack and pulled out a piece of folded paper. She revealed it to be a map of the thousand springs of Jusenkyo.
"Here," she said, placing her finger on the map. "At the edge of the valley. There's a spring with an entirely different spell cast upon it. And since it's located higher than the other springs, it remains untouched by the others."
"How did you know of its existence?" Cologne asked.
"From the man's book," Akane answered. "The man who appeared before me … he was a magician, secretly trained by one of the sorcerers during the period of tyranny. He recorded his progress in it as well as the information about this spring. It still exists and despite all the years the magic still works. I've gone there myself and tested it."
The mood began to lighten up as everyone learned that there was in fact a way out of this.
"I want to hurry up and bring you guys there," Akane continued. "Who knows how much time you have so I hope we could leave as soon as possible."
"She's right!" Ryoga said. "There's not a moment to lose!"
Mousse then stood up. "Let's leave right away!"
Everyone else began to grin and chatter excitedly. Even Shampoo who had a sour expression most of the time eased up and smiled a bit. Cologne had some questions though but she knew the honesty of the girl and was happy with Akane's explanation.
"I refuse!" Genma suddenly said. Everyone abruptly stopped and stared in confusion at the grown man sitting with his arms crossed in front of his chest, strengthening his hasty disagreement.
"For all we know, it could be just another dead end like the others," he added.
"B-But I went there myself. And I've tested the spring. It works!" Akane asserted.
"You most probably tested only on animals. What makes you think it'll work on us?"
"Genma!" Nodoka said but her husband's resolve didn't allow her warning to reach him.
Akane stared at the older man in the eye.
"You don't believe me?"
Genma didn't answer but just hung his head and closed his eyes.
"Consider it Akane, why was the book found in a cave, hidden behind a corpse's back? Don't you feel a little suspicious?"
"He lived during a very bad time. He was hiding from the tyrant."
"I wonder though, did such a time even existed? How do we know you're not just making up stories?" he said, looking sharply at Akane.
"Genma! Stop!" Nodoka said.
"Why would I? What could I possibly gain from that?" Akane said, raising her tone.
"Maybe it's the result of your grief. Maybe you just can't let go of what happened that you started becoming delusional, imagining some magician of the past saying things to you, creating a false hope that there is in fact a cure out there."
"There is! Why won't you believe me?!" Akane said, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
"That's enough Genma!" Soun bellowed, instantly silencing the crowd. "How dare you speak to my daughter that way?! What's gotten into you?!"
"You're not making sense. Why would I lie?" Akane asked shakily, holding back her tears of hurt.
"Because of him," Genma finally said. Everyone gasped at Genma's words, shocked that he would say such things. Akane continued looking strong but then she looked down at her lap.
"What are you saying?" she said shakily. "Ranma's already gone. And no matter what I do, I can't bring him back."
Everyone looked at her with sympathy.
"But I know better than you," Akane continued, casting a sharp look at Genma. "He wanted to do the same. He wanted to find the cure. Sure it may be for himself at first but if he learned the truth then that would change. He would risk everything to not let what happened to Taro repeat itself. I wanted to realize what he couldn't do. I wanted to save you all as much as he would've wanted to save you."
She paused a while before adding.
"Ranma would've believed me."
The tense silence that followed dragged on but no one dared to speak. Genma then stood up and left the table without a single glance or word to anyone. He went to the front door and showed himself the way out with no hint of where he intended to go.
When he had gone everyone sighed in relief as the tension was now over. But the damage was done to Akane and they knew she had been deeply hurt. Nodoka was the first to walk over to Akane and sat down facing her.
"Akane," she began, lightly nudging the dejected girl to turn to her. Tears had begun to fall off her eyes. Akane turned to face Nodoka but didn't meet her eyes.
Nodoka went on. "Akane I'm sorry about what he said but I know he didn't mean any of it. It's just that … things have been very hard for him. He tries to hide it and not talk about it but I know deep inside he's hurting."
Akane sniffled and wiped her tears away. Her mouth opened but she couldn't say anything. Instead she just nodded her head a little.
Nodoka then cupped the girl's face and gently lifted it up so that they were looking at each other. With her thumbs she wiped away the remaining tears off Akane's face. The older woman then smiled.
"I believe in you Akane," she said. "And thank you. You risked yourself getting cursed so that you could save your friends and my husband. I don't think I could be grateful enough to you."
"Yeah Akane," Ryoga said, smiling as well. Akane looked at him. "Thank you."
"Thank you, Akane," Mousse said.
Her eyes then met Shampoo who gave her a small sad smile. She didn't say it out loud but Akane saw Shampoo mouthing 'thank you' to her. That made her smile and forced her tears to flow again. But quickly she wiped them away again. She looked at everyone and saw them all smiling at her. She couldn't help but mimic them.
"Thank you everyone," she said.
The sun was setting, indicating that he had been there for a long time now. The water flowing in the canal reflected the yellowish light of the sun and he marveled at how nice it looked. Despite sitting under the bridge for hours, he didn't find himself feeling lonely. He wanted to be alone.
Just then, he felt a presence behind him but he didn't react, knowing who it was.
"Genma," Soun said to the sitting man. When his friend didn't respond he went over and sat beside him. They sat in silence, listening to the water rushing by for a while.
"Look at that," Genma said. "Water. The very substance in which life originated is the same one that could bring about death. Gentle by nature but could turn harsh without us even noticing."
He chuckled sadly.
"Even life itself is ironic."
Soun looked at his friend, unsure of where he was trying to tell him. Genma then went on.
"I talk about letting go of what's happened. I talk about leaving the past behind and moving on. But that's just it. Just talk. The truth is I can't ever let it go."
"Genma, you can't do that to yourself," Soun said to his friend.
"No, you don't understand," Genma quickly cut him off. He sighed heavily. "I killed my own son."
Soun looked at his friend in surprise but wasn't able to say anything as Genma went on.
"I brought us to Jusenkyo without knowing well enough about it. I was only thinking of making him the 'man among men' and that was even to save my own skin."
He formed his hand into a fist.
"I've never did anything for him. I've always only thought of myself."
He slammed his fist on the ground, creating a small impact crater.
"And in the end, it killed him."
Moments passed before Soun spoke.
"It's not your fault Genma. You couldn't have known."
Genma smiled sadly and shook his head.
"There's no need for that Soun," he said. "My wife's had a hard time already convincing me of that. But I'm as stubborn as my son was and nothing you say will change my thoughts."
"I-I see," Soun said.
"But what I said back there," Genma continued. "I was way out of line. At the mention of Jusenkyo my anger welled up and before I knew it the words were already flying out of my mouth. I don't have any excuses for that."
"No, Genma, I understand," Soun said. "I understand it's been hard for you."
"But Akane didn't deserve those harsh words," Genma interrupted. He then looked at Soun. "You should be proud of her. Among us all, I think she's the only one who was strong enough to do something despite her traumatic loss. She went to such great lengths to hopefully bring an end to this curse while carrying the weight of those painful memories."
He averted his gaze back at the flowing water.
"I'm sorry for what I said."
"It's not me who you should be apologizing to," Soun replied. He then placed a hand on his depressed friend's shoulder.
"Come on, it's getting late," he said. "You're welcome to stay the night."
Genma looked at his friend, hesitating at his gesture. He smiled eventually and reluctantly replied,
"Thanks."
The sun had set and the sky had only little traces of its light but Akane remained at her place, staring at the koi pond of her house. Everyone had gone home hours ago except for Nodoka as she waited for her husband. Soun had gone out to look for him but Nodoka had gotten a little worried as they weren't back yet. The sisters assured her that it'll all be fine and that she just needed to wait a little while. To settle her worries, Nodoka offered to help Kasumi in the kitchen which the younger woman graciously accepted.
Akane had decided to sit at the outer hallway, facing the lawn. The sharp words she had been bombarded with still bothered her despite her trying to understand what Ranma's father was going through. She refused to talk about it to anyone, instead opting to isolate herself for a while to her own thoughts.
"Hey Akane," Nabiki then came, interrupting her webbed mind.
"Hey sis," Akane responded, giving a small smile. Nabiki walked over and sat beside her sister. "Say, how come you haven't left yet?"
"What do you mean?" Nabiki asked.
"Well, don't you plan on going to college or something?"
Nabiki smirked in response.
"I guess with current circumstances, I can't leave yet," she replied. "I'm not sure if daddy is ready to let go of all of us. It was painful enough for him when you left. I can't imagine what the rest of us leaving would do to him."
Akane took on a sad face.
"Hey, but what you did isn't bad," Nabiki quickly said. "He understood what kind of weight you were carrying and was proud you were willing to make such a decision. So don't look so sad now okay."
At that Akane smiled but it still had a gloomy feel to it.
"I wonder what it'll be like when this is over," Akane said, casting her glance back to the pond.
"Of course, things will go back to the way they were," Nabiki replied, smiling encouragingly. "Well, maybe not exactly but at least everything will go back to normal again."
Akane closed her eyes and smiled dreamily.
"Yeah," she sighed. She opened her eyes and smiled at her sister. "Thanks Nabiki."
Just then they heard someone coming through the front door and they stood up just as Soun and Genma came in. At the sight of Genma, Akane lowered her glance and stepped back a little. The older man sighed before he spoke.
"Akane, I want you to know that you didn't deserve those words I said. I had been so angry with myself for so long that it turned my emotions into a mess. My reaction was out of place and I regret that you had to be the victim of it. I'm sorry Akane."
Akane then looked up at Genma, meeting the old man's sad eyes. She recognized those eyes, seeing them before. The same sadness and self-loathing. She hadn't seen it back then but this time around she understood those eyes. The weight of guilt that threatened to crush him was very apparent, affirming that there were other people blaming themselves for what happened. She wouldn't dare to try and convince Genma otherwise because she carried that guilt as well.
"I know it would be hard for you to forgive me and I understand that," Genma went on. "But you've come this far bringing us all a solution and it would be a dishonor to not take this opportunity. It wouldn't matter if you couldn't forgive me but I will follow you back to Jusenkyo. I believe in you Akane."
Akane finally smiled and nodded.
"Alright then," she said, taking a deep breath. "We should leave in the morning. The quicker we get this done, the better."
"Very well then," Genma replied. "I would need to return home for a while to prepare."
"I'll alert the others then," Akane said.
Soun smiled, seeing that they were now on good terms. But knowing that Akane would be leaving again saddened him. Even though it wouldn't be for long, he felt he needed to make sure that he didn't waste this short time with his youngest daughter.
"Oh I just remembered!" Soun suddenly said. "We haven't properly celebrated your return, Akane."
Akane seemed distressed about the idea.
"Umm …"
"Let's call everyone back here!" Soun said excitedly. "We'll spend the night celebrating your return and success before you leave for the morning! In fact, all of you can spend the night here!"
"Uhh, I don't think that would be necessary," Akane said. Nabiki's hand on her shoulder then startled her.
"Come on Akane," she said. "It wouldn't hurt to have one great night here at home."
Akane looked back at her gleeful father and smiled. Even though a little reluctant, she could at least give one more happy night for her father to have with the whole family and their friends.
Everyone was called back to the Tendo house where a hasty but joyous party was held in celebration of Akane's return as well as a sending off party for those leaving in the morning. Soun and Genma drank furiously and although Nodoka was annoyed by that, she let it be for just this time. Ukyo was enjoying herself as well and would pull Ryoga in with her no matter how much he protested. She had decided that she would be following the group to Jusenkyo and wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. The Chinese amazons weren't shy to have some fun too except for Shampoo though who opted to be more subtle. Nabiki became a sort of moderator of things, making sure everyone was entertained while Kasumi, with the help of Nodoka, made sure their stomachs were delighted too.
Akane watched on, smiling and laughing along with everyone. It had been a while since she did. At that moment she felt completely at ease, forgetting all that had happened and joined the party.
There we are. I hope you all liked it. I was satisfied with this chapter but of course there may be some mistakes here and there which I've missed. I apologize for that. I have some questions here.
Do you think the dialogues are a little … strange? Seriously after looking them over a few times, I can't help feel they're kinda … weird.
Does Akane seem out of character here? In fact, all of them seem so. But I guess that's justified considering what they've been through. There are of course things needed to be cleared up and that'll be in the future chapters so stay tuned.
By the way, I'm kinda loving Akane in this chapter (uhh, self-praising much). No, really! I don't know about you guys though (haha).
Well, see you in the next chapter, not too far in the future.