Disclaimer: The great one Rumiko Takahashi owns all rights to Ranma and Co.
Well, at least this didn't take me as long as the last chapter. I tried to infuse something new here with a senario that has been done quite a few times before. Hopefuly I pulled it off. My pre-reader Angela thought so, so once again I"m going to trust her. Hope you all enjoy!
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At first, Akane was in too much shock to fully comprehend what she'd just heard. Then slowly, a burning white rage began to descend upon her. She felt her aura spike and build as the humiliation, pain, and anger began to swirl together—her mind going over all the times she had undressed, confided, and confessed her most intimate secrets to her beloved pet. Now to discover it had all been a lie, her most trusted friend not a friend at all, but a mere illusion taken on by a boy she had also trusted—the betrayal was almost too much to bear.
Ranma could feel the air around them begin to crackle with the static buildup of Akane's ki. He cursed himself silently for his outburst and Akane's uncanny timing. Although he wouldn't have wished it this way, he was actually glad the truth was finally out. Now if he could just figure out a way to keep her from killing Ryoga.
He was up in an instant, releasing Ryoga's shirt and letting the lost boy tumble back to the dojo floor with a hard thud.
He crossed over to where Akane stood, still frozen in place, and tried to give her a reassuring look. She took no notice as her eyes were still transfixed upon Ryoga, her gaze a mixture of pain and fury.
Ryoga felt his heart crack at the look she was giving him. It was his worst nightmare come true. He'd never wanted to hurt her and yet the evidence was all there in her beautiful eyes. Her faith gone, her trust shattered, a form of innocence lost. It was a look that told him nothing would ever be the same again.
He opened his mouth to say something, anything. To offer up his most sincere apology and beg for her forgiveness, but he found no words would come. The shame was simply too great, the dishonor weighing heavily upon his shoulders.
"Akane…" Ranma's voice sounded thunderous in the sheer silence that had descended upon them. He took another step towards her and watched as her gaze turned slowly upon him, as if really seeing him for the first time. The stark look of pain was like a dagger to his heart, and he watched as her aura flared once again at the sound of her name.
He knew she was on the brink of explosion, and only the techniques he'd taught her for controlling her temper were now keeping her in check. He had to find some way to defuse it before she completely destroyed the dojo and Ryoga along with it.
He reached a comforting hand toward her, only to have her glance down at it as if it were something foreign. Slowly her gaze slid back upward, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, the anger blazing starkly just underneath.
Ranma watched in fascination as her aura spiked once more, this time with a brilliant white light that shown brightly against the dark blue. The static charge also grew, making the hairs on his arm stand on end. But it was her voice and the two simple words that fell from her lips that cut through his heart like glass.
"You knew…"
It was barely a whisper, as it took all her control to get the words out.
Ranma opened his mouth to reply, his guilt already leaden in his gut, when he was stopped as her aura flared once more, so bright now that both boys drew their arms up to shield their eyes.
The total reality of the situation was slowly starting to get through Akane's defenses, as she found herself struggling to contain a power that desperately wanted to escape her. The charge in the air had grown so thick you could almost cut it with a knife, and there was a buzzing sound in her head that was growing louder with every second that passed.
She once again turned her attention toward the lost boy, who now simply sat staring at her, his gaze one of utter despair. For Akane, the look only made her more angry. How dare he, she though bitterly. I was the one betrayed, if anyone deserves to be upset it's me!
"Akane…" he croaked, finally finding his voice. "I swear I never meant to hurt you."
The buzzing inside Akane's head grew louder as his words washed over her, her anger blocking out the sentiment behind them.
She shook her head, trying to clear it, as a slow and steady pounding now accompanied the buzzing noise.
"I'm so sorry…"
His apology was hollow in her ears and she merely glared at him, her aura once again flaring brightly.
"You're SORRY!" she bellowed, her fury vibrating off the walls of the dojo. Ranma winced visibly at the sound. "What exactly are you sorry for Ryoga!? For lying to me this whole time!? Or for getting caught!?"
Ryoga simply gaped at her last accusation. He knew he deserved her contempt, but he'd been sincere in his apology, and it hadn't been given simply because the truth had come out. He truly was sorry, sorry for it all. In actuality he'd never wanted to be her pet. More than anything he'd wanted to find a cure for his curse, so that he could finally confess how he truly felt about her, and be worthy of her love in return.
He had tried several times to leave, his mind set to accomplishing this task, only to find himself back in Nerima. He'd wondered absently if it had been a sign that he and Akane were meant to be together. He knew what he'd been doing was wrong and yet…
Ranma had been right about one thing. Once she had him in her arms he didn't have the will to resist her.
He looked at her now, her large brown eyes blazing with anger, her aura flaring so bright it was almost blinding. For a moment he couldn't breathe, for even in all her pain driven fury she was still beautiful.
Without thinking he suddenly blurted out the words he had so longed to tell her.
"Akane, I… I… love you…"
The words washed over Akane like oxygen over a blazing fire. She couldn't believe she was actually hearing them. Love! Her mind reeled. After what he did to me he dares to claim it was out of love!?
It was the final straw. Before she could stop herself her ki was flying from her outstretched palms, aimed straight at Ryoga. He managed to gather his wits long enough to make a giant rolling leap sideways, barely escaping serious injury.
The blast hit the floor where he'd been only moments before, exploding in all it's heated glory. The concussion was enormous, furiously shaking the walls of the dojo, as smoke streamed upward from the newly formed crater-sized hole.
"Akane stop!" Ranma yelled, rushing forward to grab her from behind. He wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms to her sides, as he pulled her back against him.
She struggled fiercely against him, still too furious to allow Ryoga to get off so easy. It was only for a moment however, as the buzzing in her head suddenly grew to a fever pitch.
All at once images began to swamp through her brain, flooding her senses so thoroughly that it left her feeling dizzy. It was as if she were seeing a movie of her life as it related to Ranma, all done in a series of flashes, and accompanied by all the intense feelings she'd experienced at the time of each event.
They ran by in rapid succession, hanging just long enough for her to get a clear vision, before dissolving into the next image. It began with her first encounter with his girl half… I'm Akane, do you want to be friends? Then his boy half… I'm Ranma Saotome, sorry 'bout this.
In his arms Ranma felt Akane give a sudden shudder.
Another flash… this one of their skating match against the golden pair and Ranma's bold declaration… Akane is MY fiancée. You touch her and I'll kill you!
Slowly dissolving… now it was the time when he'd first gone neko and had found refuge in her lap, his cat persona holding no inhibition as it boldly kissed her full on the lips.
More images came, dissolving quickly into one another… the Romeo and Juliet play… fighting the dojo destroyer… Ranma mastering the hiryu shoten ha… battling Kuno and his ill fated phoenix… going through the tunnel of lost loves… her trapped inside the vengeful spirit doll… the challenge to inherit mother's recipes… giving the scarf she'd made him for Christmas… the reversal jewel… the Higo forest and their battle against the Orochi… I'm going to go help Ranma… he's my… he's my fiancé… lying lifeless in his arms high atop Mt. Phoenix…
Ranma watched in fascination as the white light that surrounded her suddenly flared once again, then pulled inward and wrapped itself tightly around her blue aura, giving off a soft pulsating vibe.
The images slowly faded, the buzzing noise inside her head settling now into a low and steady hum as a new vision began to swim before her. It came in fleeting pictures that were all jumbled together, making it hard to decipher. Akane knew instantly that what she was seeing was something that hadn't happened yet, something she suspected was in their near future. She concentrated hard, trying to retain as much of it as she could.
She saw caverns, deep and dank, surrounded by a feeling of foreboding… this was followed by a thick surreal fog and a sense of freefalling… still more images flew by, faster and faster, only allowing her a quick glimpse before disappearing once again.
Images of Shampoo and her bonbori poised in a ready stance, of Ranma followed by an army of cats, of her searching for him through a maze of underground tunnels, and Jin… with him it was more a feeling than a picture—a feeling of finally confronting a deep and unending loss. She felt herself sag against Ranma with the weight of it.
"Akane?" his voice was full of concern as he watched the white light begin to leave her aura, slowly and fully dissolving into the blue, which continued to burn, but less brightly now.
Akane closed her eyes, reaching upward to touch her forehead with a soft groan.
She felt rather than saw Ryoga take a concerned step towards her and her eyes flew open instantly, pinning him with an angry stare. She struggled in Ranma's embrace and he let her go instantly, sensing she wasn't going to go after the lost boy again.
Instead she made her way to the door, suddenly wanting to get some much needed air for her spinning head. She turned briefly, her angry filled gaze falling instantly upon Ryoga. He swallowed hard, bracing himself for whatever was about to come.
Nothing could have prepared him though, for the pain her next words would cause.
"Get out Ryoga," she voice was harsh, laced with her own pain and anger. "I can't even look at you. You make me sick!"
He felt his heart drop as he watched her go, her words echoing painfully inside his head. He'd really blown it. Even if he couldn't have her he'd still wanted to remain her friend. Now that was gone. She would never trust him again.
"I've never seen her that angry," Ranma commented, breaking the silence that had descended upon them like stone. "That light… did you see it just wrap itself around her aura?"
Ryoga said nothing, his gaze still transfixed on the door where Akane had been only moments before. Ranma saw the look on his face and winced inwardly. It was a mixture of guilt and longing, laced with sorrow. Again he wished it hadn't had to come to this, especially the way it had all played out.
He sighed inwardly. He knew he would have to go after Akane and face the consequences of his part in all this. To explain to her exactly why he'd kept Ryoga's secret, and hope that she could somehow forgive him, but first he needed to make sure the lost boy stayed put.
"Look Ryoga," he said waving a hand in front of his face, finally managing to get his attention. "Just stay here and keep out of sight okay? Let me go talk to Akane."
For a moment Ranma wasn't sure if his rival was even listening to him, as his expression remained the same, almost as if he were looking straight through him.
"Ryoga?" Ranma pressed. "Did you hear me? I said stay here and keep out of sight."
Ranma waited for a long moment before Ryoga finally acknowledged the request, nodding slowly, his eyes still empty and far away.
Knowing it was as good a reassurance as he was going to get, Ranma nodded in return and then went after Akane.
He found her sitting by the koi pond, her eyes closed, taking deep and even breaths. Her aura was no longer visible, much to his relief, though he could tell by the rigidity of her shoulders that she was still tense and ready for battle. He would have to tread carefully.
"Akane?"
At the sound of her name she turned slightly and opened her eyes, staring fixedly at him. Her expression was one of hurt and betrayal, and he felt his heart squeeze painfully at the sight. It was the same look she'd had that time he'd found her on the roof after his fight with Jin. When he'd accused her of…
He cursed himself for his stupidity. He should have told her, his honor in this instance be dammed.
He approached her slowly, noting that her eyes were following him the whole way. Carefully, he sat himself across from her and reached to take one of her hands. She made no protest, simply stared down at where his hand held hers, then back up to his face, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"How could you Ranma," she asked simply, her voice a harsh whisper as she choked back a sob. I won't cry, she thought to herself. I won't…
He gave her a pained look and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I can't tell you how sorry I am Akane. I know I should have told you."
"Then why didn't you!" she blurted, cutting him off. "How could you let him…" She shivered at the thought of all the times she had undressed in front of P-chan. Of all the secret thoughts she'd shared with him. She felt her fury begin to build again and did her best to hold it back. She wanted, no needed to hear Ranma's explanation. She knew their relationship depended on it.
"I tried Akane," he told her. "Kami knows how I tried, but my honor…"
"What about your honor?" she demanded angrily. "What does that have to do with any of this?"
Ranma took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It's my fault that Ryoga's cursed," he admitted ruefully. "He followed Pop and I to China. I had just been cursed myself, and was chasing Pop in a blind rage for getting me into the whole mess. I was so angry that I didn't even see Ryoga standing there. In my flight I accidently knocked him into one of the springs. I wasn't even aware I had until he showed up in Nerima."
Akane took in this information, turning it over and over in her mind. She frowned thoughtfully.
"I still don't see what your honor has to do with it."
He looked at her then, his beautiful gray-blue eyes imploring her to understand.
"I made him a promise Akane," he explained. "On my honor."
When she looked doubtful he continued.
"I promised him I would keep his secret. I felt I owed him that much. I didn't know then that he would use his curse to sneak into your bed."
"And when he did?" she accused. "You thought your honor was more important than me?"
He shook his head fiercely. "No, not more important," he insisted. "I tried to tell you. I dropped hint after hint. I even snuck into your room a few times to try and make him leave."
Akane remembered the few times Ranma had dared to sneak into her room. Neither had ended well for him. He had put himself at risk, knowing how she'd react if he were caught, and had gone ahead anyway, all for her honor.
So many little things made sense now. All the open hostility between the lost boy and her fiancée, the pig-boy references, and Ranma's outright calling Ryoga p-chan. She had dismissed it as petty stuff between two childhood rivals, nothing more. And now—now she felt like a complete fool.
He still should have told me, her mind reasoned stubbornly. And would you have believed him? It answered back. Akane sighed inwardly. Probably not, she reckoned. At least not at the time. In P-chan she had found the ultimate friend and confidant. She knew she would have fought to preserve that, no matter what.
"You must think I'm the biggest idiot."
He smiled softly at her. "No Akane," he admitted, reaching out to lovingly stroke her hair. "I saw how much you needed P-chan. And though I hated the thought of what Ryoga was doing I also saw how happy he made you."
Akane sniffed back her tears at his words. He was right. P-chan had made her happy. Anytime she'd been lonely or sad, or after one of her blowouts with Ranma she could always count on him to make her feel better.
She sighed deeply, her heart heavy with despair.
No, she couldn't really blame Ranma for this. She knew how important his honor was to him. The fact that he tried to warn her, while still keeping his promise spoke volumes for his character. She now realized that he'd been looking out for her even way back then.
"I swear to you Akane," he implored her, squeezing her hand once more to emphasize his point. "I was going to see to it tonight that you knew. One way or another."
He let the implication hang between them, his eyes conveying his conviction behind the words. The fact that he had been willing to make such a sacrifice on her behalf was enough for Akane.
"Okay Ranma," she said, squeezing his hand in return. "I believe you."
Ranma let out a breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding, as relief washed through him.
"But," she continued. "You have to promise me that if you have information detrimental to my well being, you won't hold your honor above it again. I need to know that I come first Ranma, just like I put you first when I broke my promise to come find you. Can you do that?"
Ranma gave her a soft smile then nodded. "Hai Akane, for you I promise."
She returned his smile then, it was just a small one, but he felt his heart flutter at the sight. Everything was worth it if she'd just continue to smile at him like that.
She gave his hand another squeeze and then turned serious once more.
"I meant what I said Ranma," she told him. "I want Ryoga out of here. I'm so angry at him I can't trust myself not to hurt him."
Ranma stared at her solemnly. "For what it's worth Akane, I honestly don't think he meant to hurt you. I mean it can't be easy for him being lost all the time. Even when I was on the road I had Pop with me. Who does Ryoga have?"
When she remained silent he pressed on.
"You were the first person to show him affection and he latched onto it like a lifeline. Don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning what he did. It was inexcusable. But maybe the reason he did it was more out of loneliness than any sort of hurtful intention." He paused for a moment, wondering if she'd even heard him. "Just think about it okay?"
It was a long moment before she finally nodded.
She then frowned thoughtfully once again, her brow furrowing as she tried to come to grips with the other thing that was bothering her.
"Ranma," she said, a troubled note creeping into her voice. "Something happened to me back there… " She shook her head, trying to find the words to explain it to him.
He stared at her, his own frown forming, as he remembered the white light that had suddenly intertwined around her aura.
"What do you mean something happened?"
She shook her head again. "I don't know how to describe it. There was this buzzing noise inside my head. The angrier I got at Ryoga, the louder it became. When you grabbed me it grew thunderous and then I was suddenly bombarded by all these images."
"Images?" he asked, his frown deepening.
"Hai," she nodded. "Of us, of all the things we've been through. And then…"
"What?" Ranma asked, a note of trepidation sounding in his voice.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"The images became very vague," she replied, struggling with the words to explain it to him. "It was almost like a dream, sort of surreal, and yet I knew what I was seeing was more of a premonition, something that hasn't yet happened."
Ranma took in this information with much interest. That white light, he thought again. When it intertwined with her aura that must have been when she had the vision.
She had been tapping deeper and deeper into controlling her aura's energy, ever since he'd been teaching her how to fire her ki. Did that somehow have something to do with this? Did she tap into another hidden part of herself she hadn't known existed? Or had the same force that had sent him those dreams been behind it? Ranma wasn't sure, but he suspected either one was a possibility, perhaps even both. Whichever it was, he knew it could only benefit them in the battle ahead, especially if she could learn to control it.
"Akane," he said, a look of fascination dawning on his handsome face. "What exactly did you see?"
She closed her eyes then, willing the images to return. They did so, slowly drifting to the surface of mind.
"I remember seeing caverns, and trying to find you in them."
Ranma frowned again. "Find me?" he asked in obvious confusion. If she had been trying to find him then it meant that they had somehow been separated. And the only one who would want to separate them…
Cologne, the thought was clear and instantaneous.
"Akane," he said, reaching out to grasp her by her upper arms. He stared at her then, his gaze intense as it bore into her own. "This is important. In the vision did you see Cologne? Could it possibly be a warning about the upcoming fight?"
Akane thought for a moment, the image of Shampoo and her bonbori poised in a ready stance flashed before her eyes. She remembered the feeling of foreboding that had accompanied the vision, how the fog had descended, separating them. No, she hadn't seen Cologne, but she could say with almost certainty that it had something to do with the old woman. She could just feel it.
"Hai Ranma," she finally replied, "I think it was a warning. Only I couldn't really decipher what the images meant. They were so fleeting and they didn't make much sense, almost like broken pieces of a puzzle."
"I see," he replied, his brow furrowing in thought. "When you had the vision something funny was happening to your ki. Maybe if we could figure out what, you might be able to make the images come at will."
She stared at him with wide-eyed surprise. "My ki?"
"Hai, a crazy white light intertwined around your aura," he told her, giving a soft shrug. "Maybe Jin will have some ideas."
She merely nodded in response, feeling the exhaustion wash over her. With everything that had happened with Ryoga, and now this new ability she had to contend with, she was finding it all a bit overwhelming. Not to mention she was also still in a bit of shock, the hurt and vast feeling of betrayal still weighing heavily upon her.
She knew it would take her awhile to come to terms with finding out her little P-chan was actually Ryoga in cursed form. It was a double blow that left her feeling both lost and empty.
She so wanted to find it in her heart to forgive Ryoga for what he'd done, for her own sake as well as his. To believe in Ranma's words that he hadn't done it out of spite or malice, but out of sheer desperation. She just wondered if that were possible. If there was even anything left to start over with. It saddened her to think that there might not be.
Ranma watched the inner turmoil play out in her soft brown eyes. He knew what a shock it must have been finding out her darling pet was not what she thought. Almost like a death of sorts. Coupled with the fact that a friend she'd believed in had betrayed her most intimate trust. His heart ached with what she must be going through. He cursed himself silently for letting it go on as long as it had.
"Come here Akane," he said holding out his arms. She stared at them for a moment before falling into them. All the emotion she'd been holding back suddenly bursting forth in a heated rush.
Just like she'd done for him that night after his encounter in Nabiki's hot seat, Ranma held her close, stroking her soft hair and whispering reassuring words of comfort and love.
When she'd finally cried herself all out, Ranma gently scooped her up in his arms and headed for the house. She wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes, allowing the sheer exhaustion to overtake her.
He got to the porch and paused for a moment, his sense of danger suddenly spiking, making the hairs stand up on the back of his neck.
He turned, his eyes narrowing, as he began to scan the yard for any hidden intruders.
The sense was steady and he knew that something lay in wait, even if he couldn't see it. What "it" was exactly he wasn't sure, but he knew he wanted to get Akane to safety just in case. He was bound and determined to have this fight on his own terms and no sooner. Plus he knew Akane was in no emotional state to handle another crisis right now.
With this in mind he slid the door open and closed it quickly behind him.
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From her place in the tree Shampoo glared at the retreating back of her love. He should be holding Shampoo like that, she thought bitterly, then cast the thought aside. He would be hers soon enough and not even a tomboy like Akane Tendo was going to stop her.
Of course this bit of news that Akane had had some sort of vision would very much interest her great-grandmother. From the look on Ranma's face she knew he'd sensed her. Better to retreat with the knowledge she had gained. As good as she was, she knew she was no match for her airen.
She bounded out of the tree with one easy swoop, hopped quickly upon her bicycle and headed off into the night.
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Ranma carried Akane up to her room, laying her gently on her bed and pulling the covers up over her. He watched her sleep for a few moments, his heart nearly bursting at the sight.
She was beautiful, and she was his, and he would fight the whole world for her. Carefully, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss upon her forehead, thankful that she'd finally found a modicum of peace, even if only for a little while.
"I love you Akane," he whispered softly. "Sleep well."
He stood up, staring down at her for a moment longer before retreating from her room and returning to the yard once more.
The feeling of alarm was gone now. Whoever or whatever had been there had made themselves scarce. While this relieved him it also had him worried. If it had been Cologne, how much had she heard? He pushed the thought roughly away. He would think about that later. Right now he had Ryoga to deal with.
As he made his way over to the dojo, he knew he had to make Ryoga understand that it would be impossible for him to stay here. Akane just couldn't handle it right now. Maybe Ukyo would put him up until they could sort all this out?
They still needed him for the upcoming battle. Surely Akane would see that? Ranma sighed. He knew how stubborn his fiancée could be. He just hoped that after all was said and done something could be salvaged from all this. They had been friends for far too long.
"Yo, Ryo…" he started to call as he entered the dojo, only to be stopped short.
The room was totally empty. The lost boy was gone.
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Well, there ya go... did I pull it off?? I'd be interested in hearing your opinions! Till then Ja!