Forever Bound
Chapter 13, Keep Your Friends Close, Keep Your Enemies Closer...
Author's Notes: Nothing really to say, except that the fight in the last chapter was needed. I mean Ranma and Akane just couldn't *get* together. The air needed to be cleared and things needed to be layed in the open. Now all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.
Disclaimers: I do not own Ranma 1/2, Rumiko Takahashi does. Before you walk out of my life belongs to Monica.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Akane walked into the Tendo home, Belldandy in her arms. That talk with Da-chan had really made her spirits better. Akane carried Belldandy upstairs to her room and laid her down in bed. Akane knew she couldn't sleep now, so she decided to go downstairs and watch a little t.v. When Akane entered the living room she couldn't help but give a smile at the sight before her. Ranma laid on the couch asleep with his head on his arms.
Akane kneeled down and shook Ranma awake.
"Huh? Hey Akane, what time is it?" Ranma asked.
Akane smiled, he really looked so adorable like that, "I don't know, I just got in. Have you been sleeping here all night?"
Ranma sat up and she sheepishly, "Naw, I just went downstairs to get something to eat and...um...fell onto the couch...and...fell asleep. Yeah!"
Akane sat next to Ranma on the couch and whispered, "Sure, Ranma."
They both studied the floor for a minute, waiting for what they did not know. Ranma finally broke the silence, "Hey, Akane...um..."
Akane looked up at him, "Hm?"
Ranma took a deep breath and said, "Akane, look I'm sorry, about what happened. I was just tired and after everything that happened I took it out on you. Forgive me?" Ranma hoped desperatly that Akane would believe the lie.
Akane smiled that brillant smile of hers, the one that made Ranma feel all fuzzy inside. "I will if you forgive me for being all...um..."
"Honest?" Ranma asked.
Akane shook her head, "No...I mean yes...I mean I shouldn't have said it like that. I really wanted you to find someone that you would love."
Ranma inwardly flinched at that. *What would I do, if I already found it...*
"It's getting late, I guess we should go to bed," Akane said as she gave Ranma's hand a squeeze and stood up.
Ranma whimpered slightly at the absence of Akane's hand but said, "Yeah..."
The two walked upstairs and parted at Akane's door.
Akane took a deep breath, "Ranma...about what you said earlier...could you ever love me like you loved Shan Pu?"
Ranma silently touched her cheek with his hands and whispered, "Akane...What I had felt for you and what I had felt for Shan Pu are different and nothing can change that."
"But, Ranma-" Akane whispered helplessly, her delicate handcovering Ranma's hand on her cheek.
"Don't Akane,...If you could love me like you loved Belldandy's father?"
Akane shook her head and closed her eyes and she whispered softly, "No..." *...because I already do...*
Ranma smiled knowingly, a smile full of pain, "See, we are not who we were, let's just cherish what we do have for each other, o.k?"
Akane opened her eyes and Ranma dropped his hand, "What? A friendship built by lost memories?"
Ranma shook his head and bent down to whisper in Akane's ear, "A love built between friends."
Akane's heart screamed out at him *Friends, Ranma?! Friends!?! I don't want to be friends...* Ranma's heart yelled at him *Well aren't we unselfish...friends...hah!...do you really think you can keep your distance from her...be her friend and watch her either fall in love with someone else or pin after a guy that left her...* They both blocked out their hearts' truth.
Ranma gave a light kiss on Akane's cheek and a tremble went through them both.
"Good-bye, Ranma," Akane whispered, her face flushed and her eyes sparkling either from the unshed tears or the light.
"Not good-bye, just goodnight," Ranma whispered back. Akane looked into his eyes one last time before running into her room and closing the door. Ranma looked at Akane's door and minute before walking towards his room.
Akane changed into her nightgown and looked out her window. The stars sparkled brightly seemingly taunting at her pain. She gave a sigh beforelaying down in bed. A voice entered her thoughts and she didn't mind for a dream was all it was...or not.
Do you love him? the voice asked her.
*Why does it matter* Akane asked it.
Because if you do, you'll remember. the voice stated.
*What if I don't want to remember?* Akane questioned not sure what it was exactly she would be remembering.
You don't have a choice. said the voice matter-factly.
*Will he love me back if I remembered*
That is your choice the voice said.
*If I said "no", would you make me remember anyway?*
Yes. the voice said.
*Fine then, I want to remember.* Akane said softly, defeated. Akane could almost swear she saw the voice smile and a wisp of platinum hair.
#######Memory, 1500 years ago##########
Marshidi heard the sound of someone trying to break into her dreams.
"Go away," she mumbled before she turned her head deeper into her red pillow.
The person continued to shake her and Marshidi thought *I am going to kill whoever woke me up...* Marshidi sat up in her large conopy bed and rubbed her eyes, her hair disarray around her. She finally opened her eyes to see a smiling Larchlarn sitting beside her in bed, a large smile on his face.
"Tell me the palace is under attack or die," Marshidi growled as Larchlarn just pouted at her.
"Aw wake up, Shidi, it's light outside. The sun's come around and you're still in bed. You know if you were still on Earth, you would be up already," Larchlarn said jokingly.
"If we were still on Earth I would have strangled you for climbing in bed with me. It's improper and we would have been forced to marry already. You have to remember we're not on my planet, are we?" Marshidi pointed out as she started to fall back onto her bed asleep.
Larchlarn woke her up again and shook her.
At seeing Larchlarn's scowl, Marshidi smiled and said, "Okay, I'm awake, I'm awake, now get out unless you want to see me undressed-" but Larchlarn smiled and interrupted her, "Well, now that you'd offered..." Marshidi just laughed and pushed him out of her room.
Marshidi ran into the large dining room, she knew she was late, and saw everyone look up at her. Marshidi noticed the glares she recieved from the King and Princess and sheepishly sat down next to the Queen.
"I am so sorry, King, Queen, Princess, Prince," Marshidi said in a huff. The Queen just pated Marshidi's arm and said, "It's fine, my dear." The King just looked at Marshdi, "Just see that it doesn't happen again. Now, I thought we had sent Larchlarn here to wake you."
Larchlarn just laughed and said, "Well you know, Shidi doesn't sleep, she hibernates. You could scream in her ear and she'll keep sleeping." Marshidi growled at Larchlarn and kicked him under the table.
"Ow! What'chu do that for. That was a compliment!" Larchlarn yelled which earned him another kick. Soon, breakfast resumed, Marshidi with a satisfied grin on her face and Larchlarn with an appointment to see the palace doctor later.
########End of Memory########
Akane rolled over in her sleep as the dream continued...
#######Memory, 1500 years ago, Palace garden############
Marshidi stood inside the chrystal walls of the dome. She couldn't sleep and had wandered the garden only to find in a secluded area a chrystal dome. The dome did not have a door, but she was able to just pass through. Inside the dome was a beautiful garden, one with the plants and flowers of earth, and a large sparkling lake. Marshidi heard movement behind her and she spun around to be captivated in a pair of dewy green eyes.
Marshidi quickly averted her eyes in guilt. "What are you doing here?" Larchlarn's tone failed his accusing words.
Marshidi looked around the chrystal dome, "I couldn't sleep and decided to look around the garden. You know you people have very beautiful flowers."
Larchlarn stood next to her and said, "Yeah, but there's this one flower that is more beautiful then all the others."
"Really, what is it?" Marshidi asked still afraid to look in those eyes.
Larchlarn held out his hand and 4 different forms of water appeared in the air in front of his hand. The for waters shifted to form the same shape and color filtered through it creating 4 magnificent shapes with four different colors: red, yellow, white, and pink. Marshidi gasped and held out her hands as the four flowers floated into them, the soft wet petals brushing her skin.
"What is it?" she whispered as she looked awed at the four flowers in her hands.
Larchlarn smiled at her, "The're roses. Each color has a meaning. The white one is purity, the yellow is friendship and the pink one is innocence."
Marshidi studied the most mysterious one, the red one, "What about the red one?"
Larchlarn scoffed and said, "Love."
Marshidi looked up at his tone. "Why do you scoff the red one, isn't it the most beautiful?" Larchlarn just looked at her and gave his crooked grin as he said, "It is beautiful, but it is decieving."
########End of Memory#######
Akane turned around in her bed, sweatdrops forming aroun her head...
#######Dream##########
Akane ran through...nowhere? The fires ripping at her every turn, the heat scorching her skin. She did a flip and penetrated deep into a blazing fire. Everything went black until a fire apopeared and from the fire walked Ranko.
"What do you want?" Akane screamed her skin still tinged with the pain of the fire.
Ranko circled Akane and she spat out, "Poor, pitiful Akane, Ranma doesn't love you. Ha!"
Akane looked fearfully, yet angrily at the red-haired girl, "Shut up! Who are you?!" Ranko stood straight in front of Akane, "I am Ranma's wife and his destiny. Let him go, he loves me!" Akane shook her head and she remembered that red hair.
"Ranko?! No, you're not, your face looks different and your eyes are red!" Akane said calmly.
Ranko clapped her hands, "Yes, bravo, give the girl a prize. Ranko, that's my name. Why stay at all, Akane, why not leave? Take Belldandy and go."
"No!" Akane yelled. Ranko scowled and fire shot from her body towards Akane. Akane was enveloped in a scorching burning heat and she screamed.
"Burn, Akane, burn Marshidi, I told you before, stay away from Ranma!" chanted Ranko and Akane screamed from the pain of the fire.
Suddenly, it was all black and Akane saw a light Akane opened her eyes to see herself on a stratcher in an ambulance. A paremedic sat and Ranma sat beside her holding her hand.
"Akane?! Akane, wake up!" Ranma said urgently and Akane opened her eyes all the way. Akane opened her mouth and said into the round plastic dome over her mouth that was connected to a machine that had helped her breathed, "What happened?"
Ranma looked down at her and his eyes held a fury that Akane rarely ever saw in him before, "Your room caught on fire. Somehow it didn't spread to the rest of the house, they stopped it before it did."
"Where's-" Akane began, but Ranma cut her off, "Everyone's okay, their driving to the hospital now."
The paremedic spoke up, "You should probably let her sleep." Akane finally moticed that she was sleepy and so she let her eyes drop knowing fully well she would wake again with Ranma beside her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh oh oh, oh yeah yes, oh oh oh, my, my
Here we are face to face
With the memories that can't be erased
Although we need each other
Things that changed, it's not the same
Sometimes it makes me wonder
Where would I be, if you hadn't discovered
Which I did, inside of me
I know there was something, that we could compare
Oh, well, I,
1-Never meant to cause you no pain
I just wanna go back to being the same
Well I, only wanna make things right
Before you walk out of my life
Remembering the good times
From a portrait hung on high
It's filled with so much color
And the laughter we left behind
I made the choice and you couldn't decide
I made the choice, I was wrong you were right
Deep down inside, I apologize
Though I made plans with you
To always have time for you
(Before you walk out of my life)
I guess it's true, cannot live without you
Don't ever go away, ooh oh yeah
Before you walk out of my life
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Notes: Hey, keep on reading. All comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com. Confused? Send me an e-mail.
Chapter 13, Keep Your Friends Close, Keep Your Enemies Closer...
Author's Notes: Nothing really to say, except that the fight in the last chapter was needed. I mean Ranma and Akane just couldn't *get* together. The air needed to be cleared and things needed to be layed in the open. Now all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.
Disclaimers: I do not own Ranma 1/2, Rumiko Takahashi does. Before you walk out of my life belongs to Monica.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Akane walked into the Tendo home, Belldandy in her arms. That talk with Da-chan had really made her spirits better. Akane carried Belldandy upstairs to her room and laid her down in bed. Akane knew she couldn't sleep now, so she decided to go downstairs and watch a little t.v. When Akane entered the living room she couldn't help but give a smile at the sight before her. Ranma laid on the couch asleep with his head on his arms.
Akane kneeled down and shook Ranma awake.
"Huh? Hey Akane, what time is it?" Ranma asked.
Akane smiled, he really looked so adorable like that, "I don't know, I just got in. Have you been sleeping here all night?"
Ranma sat up and she sheepishly, "Naw, I just went downstairs to get something to eat and...um...fell onto the couch...and...fell asleep. Yeah!"
Akane sat next to Ranma on the couch and whispered, "Sure, Ranma."
They both studied the floor for a minute, waiting for what they did not know. Ranma finally broke the silence, "Hey, Akane...um..."
Akane looked up at him, "Hm?"
Ranma took a deep breath and said, "Akane, look I'm sorry, about what happened. I was just tired and after everything that happened I took it out on you. Forgive me?" Ranma hoped desperatly that Akane would believe the lie.
Akane smiled that brillant smile of hers, the one that made Ranma feel all fuzzy inside. "I will if you forgive me for being all...um..."
"Honest?" Ranma asked.
Akane shook her head, "No...I mean yes...I mean I shouldn't have said it like that. I really wanted you to find someone that you would love."
Ranma inwardly flinched at that. *What would I do, if I already found it...*
"It's getting late, I guess we should go to bed," Akane said as she gave Ranma's hand a squeeze and stood up.
Ranma whimpered slightly at the absence of Akane's hand but said, "Yeah..."
The two walked upstairs and parted at Akane's door.
Akane took a deep breath, "Ranma...about what you said earlier...could you ever love me like you loved Shan Pu?"
Ranma silently touched her cheek with his hands and whispered, "Akane...What I had felt for you and what I had felt for Shan Pu are different and nothing can change that."
"But, Ranma-" Akane whispered helplessly, her delicate handcovering Ranma's hand on her cheek.
"Don't Akane,...If you could love me like you loved Belldandy's father?"
Akane shook her head and closed her eyes and she whispered softly, "No..." *...because I already do...*
Ranma smiled knowingly, a smile full of pain, "See, we are not who we were, let's just cherish what we do have for each other, o.k?"
Akane opened her eyes and Ranma dropped his hand, "What? A friendship built by lost memories?"
Ranma shook his head and bent down to whisper in Akane's ear, "A love built between friends."
Akane's heart screamed out at him *Friends, Ranma?! Friends!?! I don't want to be friends...* Ranma's heart yelled at him *Well aren't we unselfish...friends...hah!...do you really think you can keep your distance from her...be her friend and watch her either fall in love with someone else or pin after a guy that left her...* They both blocked out their hearts' truth.
Ranma gave a light kiss on Akane's cheek and a tremble went through them both.
"Good-bye, Ranma," Akane whispered, her face flushed and her eyes sparkling either from the unshed tears or the light.
"Not good-bye, just goodnight," Ranma whispered back. Akane looked into his eyes one last time before running into her room and closing the door. Ranma looked at Akane's door and minute before walking towards his room.
Akane changed into her nightgown and looked out her window. The stars sparkled brightly seemingly taunting at her pain. She gave a sigh beforelaying down in bed. A voice entered her thoughts and she didn't mind for a dream was all it was...or not.
Do you love him? the voice asked her.
*Why does it matter* Akane asked it.
Because if you do, you'll remember. the voice stated.
*What if I don't want to remember?* Akane questioned not sure what it was exactly she would be remembering.
You don't have a choice. said the voice matter-factly.
*Will he love me back if I remembered*
That is your choice the voice said.
*If I said "no", would you make me remember anyway?*
Yes. the voice said.
*Fine then, I want to remember.* Akane said softly, defeated. Akane could almost swear she saw the voice smile and a wisp of platinum hair.
#######Memory, 1500 years ago##########
Marshidi heard the sound of someone trying to break into her dreams.
"Go away," she mumbled before she turned her head deeper into her red pillow.
The person continued to shake her and Marshidi thought *I am going to kill whoever woke me up...* Marshidi sat up in her large conopy bed and rubbed her eyes, her hair disarray around her. She finally opened her eyes to see a smiling Larchlarn sitting beside her in bed, a large smile on his face.
"Tell me the palace is under attack or die," Marshidi growled as Larchlarn just pouted at her.
"Aw wake up, Shidi, it's light outside. The sun's come around and you're still in bed. You know if you were still on Earth, you would be up already," Larchlarn said jokingly.
"If we were still on Earth I would have strangled you for climbing in bed with me. It's improper and we would have been forced to marry already. You have to remember we're not on my planet, are we?" Marshidi pointed out as she started to fall back onto her bed asleep.
Larchlarn woke her up again and shook her.
At seeing Larchlarn's scowl, Marshidi smiled and said, "Okay, I'm awake, I'm awake, now get out unless you want to see me undressed-" but Larchlarn smiled and interrupted her, "Well, now that you'd offered..." Marshidi just laughed and pushed him out of her room.
Marshidi ran into the large dining room, she knew she was late, and saw everyone look up at her. Marshidi noticed the glares she recieved from the King and Princess and sheepishly sat down next to the Queen.
"I am so sorry, King, Queen, Princess, Prince," Marshidi said in a huff. The Queen just pated Marshidi's arm and said, "It's fine, my dear." The King just looked at Marshdi, "Just see that it doesn't happen again. Now, I thought we had sent Larchlarn here to wake you."
Larchlarn just laughed and said, "Well you know, Shidi doesn't sleep, she hibernates. You could scream in her ear and she'll keep sleeping." Marshidi growled at Larchlarn and kicked him under the table.
"Ow! What'chu do that for. That was a compliment!" Larchlarn yelled which earned him another kick. Soon, breakfast resumed, Marshidi with a satisfied grin on her face and Larchlarn with an appointment to see the palace doctor later.
########End of Memory########
Akane rolled over in her sleep as the dream continued...
#######Memory, 1500 years ago, Palace garden############
Marshidi stood inside the chrystal walls of the dome. She couldn't sleep and had wandered the garden only to find in a secluded area a chrystal dome. The dome did not have a door, but she was able to just pass through. Inside the dome was a beautiful garden, one with the plants and flowers of earth, and a large sparkling lake. Marshidi heard movement behind her and she spun around to be captivated in a pair of dewy green eyes.
Marshidi quickly averted her eyes in guilt. "What are you doing here?" Larchlarn's tone failed his accusing words.
Marshidi looked around the chrystal dome, "I couldn't sleep and decided to look around the garden. You know you people have very beautiful flowers."
Larchlarn stood next to her and said, "Yeah, but there's this one flower that is more beautiful then all the others."
"Really, what is it?" Marshidi asked still afraid to look in those eyes.
Larchlarn held out his hand and 4 different forms of water appeared in the air in front of his hand. The for waters shifted to form the same shape and color filtered through it creating 4 magnificent shapes with four different colors: red, yellow, white, and pink. Marshidi gasped and held out her hands as the four flowers floated into them, the soft wet petals brushing her skin.
"What is it?" she whispered as she looked awed at the four flowers in her hands.
Larchlarn smiled at her, "The're roses. Each color has a meaning. The white one is purity, the yellow is friendship and the pink one is innocence."
Marshidi studied the most mysterious one, the red one, "What about the red one?"
Larchlarn scoffed and said, "Love."
Marshidi looked up at his tone. "Why do you scoff the red one, isn't it the most beautiful?" Larchlarn just looked at her and gave his crooked grin as he said, "It is beautiful, but it is decieving."
########End of Memory#######
Akane turned around in her bed, sweatdrops forming aroun her head...
#######Dream##########
Akane ran through...nowhere? The fires ripping at her every turn, the heat scorching her skin. She did a flip and penetrated deep into a blazing fire. Everything went black until a fire apopeared and from the fire walked Ranko.
"What do you want?" Akane screamed her skin still tinged with the pain of the fire.
Ranko circled Akane and she spat out, "Poor, pitiful Akane, Ranma doesn't love you. Ha!"
Akane looked fearfully, yet angrily at the red-haired girl, "Shut up! Who are you?!" Ranko stood straight in front of Akane, "I am Ranma's wife and his destiny. Let him go, he loves me!" Akane shook her head and she remembered that red hair.
"Ranko?! No, you're not, your face looks different and your eyes are red!" Akane said calmly.
Ranko clapped her hands, "Yes, bravo, give the girl a prize. Ranko, that's my name. Why stay at all, Akane, why not leave? Take Belldandy and go."
"No!" Akane yelled. Ranko scowled and fire shot from her body towards Akane. Akane was enveloped in a scorching burning heat and she screamed.
"Burn, Akane, burn Marshidi, I told you before, stay away from Ranma!" chanted Ranko and Akane screamed from the pain of the fire.
Suddenly, it was all black and Akane saw a light Akane opened her eyes to see herself on a stratcher in an ambulance. A paremedic sat and Ranma sat beside her holding her hand.
"Akane?! Akane, wake up!" Ranma said urgently and Akane opened her eyes all the way. Akane opened her mouth and said into the round plastic dome over her mouth that was connected to a machine that had helped her breathed, "What happened?"
Ranma looked down at her and his eyes held a fury that Akane rarely ever saw in him before, "Your room caught on fire. Somehow it didn't spread to the rest of the house, they stopped it before it did."
"Where's-" Akane began, but Ranma cut her off, "Everyone's okay, their driving to the hospital now."
The paremedic spoke up, "You should probably let her sleep." Akane finally moticed that she was sleepy and so she let her eyes drop knowing fully well she would wake again with Ranma beside her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh oh oh, oh yeah yes, oh oh oh, my, my
Here we are face to face
With the memories that can't be erased
Although we need each other
Things that changed, it's not the same
Sometimes it makes me wonder
Where would I be, if you hadn't discovered
Which I did, inside of me
I know there was something, that we could compare
Oh, well, I,
1-Never meant to cause you no pain
I just wanna go back to being the same
Well I, only wanna make things right
Before you walk out of my life
Remembering the good times
From a portrait hung on high
It's filled with so much color
And the laughter we left behind
I made the choice and you couldn't decide
I made the choice, I was wrong you were right
Deep down inside, I apologize
Though I made plans with you
To always have time for you
(Before you walk out of my life)
I guess it's true, cannot live without you
Don't ever go away, ooh oh yeah
Before you walk out of my life
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Notes: Hey, keep on reading. All comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com. Confused? Send me an e-mail.