Wheel of Fate
AN: Hi all! Chapter two is done! Hope you like it! Thank you for all the reviews. Once I'm done posting I'll answer some questions in PMs. Also, if there are any inconsistencies please tell. English is not my native tongue and while the guys at work consider me a magician at the language, it doesn't mean I don't mess things up at times.
On a sadder note; this whole coronavirus deal is one messy business. Italy is neck-deep along with Spain. As far as I hear it is starting to get nasty over in the US. too.
Hope all you guys are in good health. I know it sounds like a broken record, but please take the instructions of the local leadership seriously. Most importantly! Keep calm, hunker down and wait it out. If you get infected, bar all doors and call professional help.
What I say here won't matter much, but it's better than nothing. My prayers go out to all! Good luck!
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½, neither do I get any money from writing this story, so do not sue me!
Recommended music for the chapter (For those who like to read to tunes):
"Welcome To The Jungle" from Guns 'n' Roses and "Beyond The Time" from TM NETWORK
Chapter 2: Change / Consistency
Cologne, one of the most important and influential leaders of the Amazon nation, was standing in the middle of an empty lot. A light breeze ruffled her silver hair. It made her shiver. This place will be it. Here she will get rid of the pesky girl. The foreboding feeling from before was still nagging at her. Eating away at her resolve. It has been a full day since she made her choice. That didn't mean she had made peace with it. If possible the feeling of imminent doom increased. She didn't want to do it. Despite this, pure logic and need dictated that she go ahead with the plan.
She chalked up to conscience. "I'll make sure to never befriend an adversary ever again!" she mumbled under her breath. She beat down her feelings ruthlessly. This was not the time to go soft! It had to be done! Akane Tendo had to go.
The piece of land she stood on was familiar to her. She used it often for projects that would have endangered the restaurant because of their nature. Most of the place was plain grass bearing a beautiful emerald-green shade. It was well kept with only a few flaws here and there. In the western corner, there was a large paved area. It was perfect for the elaborate runes and magical circles she needed for the spell to work.
The neighbours on both sides had a neat row of trees along the edge of their yards. The trees were more as a decoration than anything else. Their shadows were large and welcome during the hot parts of the year. Under other circumstances, she wouldn't have cared much about them. But now, those trees would provide her with some much-needed protection against prying eyes. Not that there would be any people crazy enough to spy on her activities. Not after she finished setting up the decoy operation.
It was a place she had used before. Usually to cook up some of her special sauce. The brew was quite tasty if one knew how to make use of it, but it was hot. Hellishly hot! The creation of it was similar to the substance's mood. It was simple in design, the byproducts, however, were a different story. Tolerating the fumes that came with making the sauce. That was not the easiest of feats. One was better off never getting a whiff! The neighbours were not that lucky. This ensured that there won't be any nosy onlookers. They have smelt the stench before. They also remembered the time a teen-aged kid that made a move and stole a fresh serving.
The poor lad! He had bragged to his friends. He thought he had a good tolerance when it comes to spicy food. Then he took an entire mouthful of it thinking it was just an every-day hot sauce. He swiftly learned the meaning of the term: "Hell on earth." If Cologne had felt even a little less grim she would have laughed at the memory. The poor boy had an interesting six hours before the pain eased. He was also stupid enough to call the police. That was an entire story on its own.
The story of the sauce thief was just another reason for the neighbours to stay well away. It was just what the matriarch wanted. Privacy, an alibi, and plausible deniability should things go awry. She hoped they didn't. The magic she was about to call to life was dangerous enough. A mistake could cause death to the one doing the casting or the one being transported. It had to be perfect. Every aspect of it. The sauce was secondary. If by some miracle she happened to mess up she can still sell it as heavy-duty pest repellent.
Cologne slammed the heavy bags on the ground and went to work. She had to set up the decoy first. The mere sight of her getting ready to make her dreaded sauce should ensure that the neighbours close every window and evacuate their beloved pets to save the animals from the torture that was about to be unleashed on the area. Once total secrecy became assured she would be able to work in peace.
By the evening had rolled in the sauce was bubbling away merrily in its tub. The nauseating fumes released by it were filling the air chasing away every sane person. The neighbours? They went into full chemical lockdown long ago.
The sun was slowly reaching the horizon painting it orange. Cologne was finishing up yet another rune. She was carefully applying the last touches of magical sand making sure it was just the way she wanted it to be. What few grains which didn't land in the right position were forced into their place by her brush. It was a painstaking and slow task.
Finally done with the rune she stood up releasing a long sigh. If she managed to keep at it through the entire night she could start charging up the runes the next day. She raised a hand aimed at the half-finished construct. The individual sections flared up. The flow of magic was good. The new parts were accepted into the system. There was no explosion. It was a good sign. Satisfied with the response she moved to the pamphlet to check on the next step.
She carefully retraced each instruction on the booklet making it sure to double and triple check each of her actions. She went to painful ends to make sure that everything is as it should be. This spell was uncharted territory to her. In more than one way. Most of its magic had been lost to time. The spell she was about to use was in all actuality only a secondary, follow up spell. It was intended as a way to return to one's point of origin. It needed a primary spell to respond to. Without that, it would be useless. Luckily there was one such spell. It had been cast aeons ago.
She did not know much about it, save for the reason it was created for. A mage of old wanted a glimpse into the future. He had the knowledge and the power, so he fabricated something just for that purpose. For one reason or another, the magic-user had never returned leaving this loophole.
Cologne was satisfied with her progress. Things were going well. If she can keep working through the night she could start charging the runes in the morning. She may even be able to take a quick nap while the needed power is gathered by the construct. "The designer of this thing was a genius!" she mused getting ready to add the next part. She was about to start when a confident yet polite knock reached her ear. It was a familiar one. The signature knock of her great-granddaughter. "Come in Shampoo!" she called out knowing well how much respect the younger Amazon had for her and her work. She knew if need be the girl would wait hours for the permission.
The heavy steel gate separating the empty lot from the street swung open. A young girl bearing a gas-mask leaned in. "Is safe great-grandmother?" she asked, voice muffled by the protective gear.
"Yes," answered the matriarch. "The worst of it boiled off already. But don't get too close to the pot. It's not completely safe yet!" True to her words there was still a considerable odour lingering around the lot that would leave many running to call the emergency services.
On this reassurance, the young Amazon entered. "Shampoo brought great grand-mother too-too delicious dinner!" she announced with a smile. Though, her face was masked by her breathing apparatus. The lilac haired girl was still in the dark on how the elder managed to tolerate the fumes. The smell... No! The stench was unbearable! It reminded her of a peculiar mix of vinegar, sulphur and urine.
Cologne was happy for the company. It finally gave her a valid reason to take a break. During the day she refused to stop. It had been at least a ten-hour haul for her and she was only half-way through with the job. "Thank you, child!" she responded placing down her tools. The bag of magical sand let out a soft thump while the wood of the brush was considerably louder.
Her growling stomach agreed with the decision. Her mouth was already watering at the prospect of a home-cooked meal. It had been a long time and the extra energy was much appreciated. She also had a few instructions to give. Shampoo was the only one she could trust. Anyone else would have been a liability. Mouse especially. He had to be kept in the dark or he could cause a lot of trouble. She did not like the idea of sending the young girl, but there was nothing she could do. Someone had to be on the lookout.
Ranma was on the top of the Tendo dojo. His thoughts were focused on the day. It was one of those ones. Fights, arguments, Genma, misunderstandings, awkwardness, challenges, Genma, insane teachers trying to drain him of life force, a perverted martial arts master stealing panties, a crazed headmaster out to cut his hair and of course Genma. In that order. That part he learned to accept and to live with. It was something akin to a routine. Then something new came up. It was something he should have gotten used to by now. It was also the proverbial straw. A new fiancé. It was a Korean girl for a change. Upon informed of the situation he lost it. Years of tolerating his father's antics. The pent up anger. Getting threatened and kept in check with speeches about honour. It all boiled over when his prospective father-in-law hugged him and called him son. At first, the boy went stiff. When the foreigner finally released him he went berserk. It was certainly a bad day to be Genma Saotome.
As for the girl? She was in all actuality thankful for the refusal. It turned out she was already in a relationship. A good one at that! Her father tricked her into going to Japan by lying about a secret tournament that is only open to the best of the best. The beat-down she delivered after learning about the ruse was none too pretty.
All the Tendos could do was to stare at the scene with mouths agape. Seeing Ranma slap his father around the garden was old news. Seeing a man Genma's size getting thrown not over but through the thick concrete, brick fence of the dojo. That was new. All they could do gawk in disbelief as the impressive feat of strength was achieved by a petite girl half of Akane's size. It was surreal.
"What was the old man thinking?" hollered the boy's mind. The question came to him much too often during the last month. Ranma was fully and thoroughly fed up with Genma's antics. The things he went through because of his father's stupidity! It was too much! Simply beating the old man up was no longer enough. He wanted to find something more permanent. He wanted a way to keep Genma in line and off his back. And of course, there were all the other deals the fool had made in his name. He no longer wanted to entertain any of those.
Ranma didn't need to be a genius to know the consequences. The panda-man will throw a hissy fit once he learns of his decision. It was obvious as the sun rising above the horizon in the morning. Genma was known for many things. He was a lazy drunkard, a scam artist of epic proportions, and a pathologic liar. He was also as greedy as hell. Losing his favourite get-out-of-jail-free card was not something he would take lightly. He would fight back.
"It will be a shit-storm!" mumbled the boy to nobody in question. He never took his eyes off the stars. It was starting to get late. The air was getting colder than welcome, but he didn't want to go in. Not yet. He feared her would do something to his old man that would go beyond the usual bodily harm.
A shooting star streaked across the sky. He closed his eye thinking about what he wanted. It was not as hard as he thought. He wanted things to change. An end to the madness. He also wanted more control over his life. To be able to make decisions for himself. He wanted a morning when he wasn't throw in out of bed at the crack of dawn. To many, those were normal things. For Ranma, they were dreams.
What surprised the boy was that he no longer really cared about his curse. He didn't wish to get rid of it anymore. After two years he no longer cared who finds out about it and who doesn't. His train of thought was brought to a sudden and unwelcome halt by a folded blanket smacking into his chest. His body went alert, his senses honed by years of training came to life. When he turned to meet the assailant the alert was immediately called off.
The culprit was his live-in fiancé. That didn't mean he liked getting startled. "What was that for, you tomboy?" he barked louder than intended.
"To keep you from catching a cold! You jerk!" countered the girl matching his tone.
Her outburst took the wind from his sail. He deflated. The defensive attitude was forgotten. "Thanks!" he grumbled bottling up his anger.
"You're welcome!" came the response. Her voice seemed to become more accommodating. She seemed nervous somehow. The way she kept playing with her hands, massaging her fingers. The nervous face she tried to hide. It was a dead giveaway. The girl didn't speak. Instead, she undid the blanket she had brought for herself and proceeded to fold it around her body.
Ranma stared at her. Admiring her form. He liked the way she looked. Her feminine curves. The rosy hue of her skin. Her serious yet compassionate, warm gaze. To him, she looked perfect. Not that he would admit it to her face. Not with the dreaded chance of being sent skywards looming over his head.
Akane settled on the rooftop taking up the spot next to him. She gazed up at the full moon. It was quiet. Very quiet. The residents of the ward have all retreated to their homes. Nerima was never a place renowned for its nightlife. Most preferred it that way. The rumble of a car's engine could be heard in the distance. It faded as the vehicle got further away.
"Sorry about the day," he mumbled trying to apologise.
"Not your fault!" responded the girl.
More silence followed. The two returned their attention to the heavens. Ranma wanted to continue, but had no real idea what to say. Not that he didn't want to speak. He had at least half a dozen things on his chest. This opportunity was as good as any other. It was just that... He knew too well how it usually played out. Things became awkward. He would say something stupid. She would get mad. He would double down and she would send him flying. It was what usually happened. He didn't want to risk it. Not this time. For this evening just being there would suffice.
Minutes passed in silent contemplation. Ranma shuddered. The air was starting to get colder than welcome. He didn't want to leave. Not yet. And there was a neatly folded blanket next to him. "If she went through the trouble of bringing it up here, I might as well make use of it." he thought.
Of course, the actions that followed his decision were all in typical Ranma fashion. Complete, with full use of his borderline inhuman skills. At least it looked like that to most people. To him, it was just a convenient way to do things.
With one hand he grabbed a corner of the blanket and jerked at it hard. The sudden input of momentum sent the loose ends of cover flying. It unravelled completely in a heartbeat. The far-end of the thick fluffy fabric let out a whip-like crack as it fought to keep its velocity. The sudden noise made Akane turn towards the boy, who was in the process of guiding the sheet onto the tiles.
Just as, the fabric finished settling, he launched himself into the air. The time he spent airborne was short. His landing site was near the far edge of the blanket. There was just enough fabric open for it to go around his body once. He yanked it up and onto his form. Then he proceeded to roll back into his point of origin. He ended up as a human burrito. The entire process took less than three seconds. Now he only needed to wait for enough warmth to be captured.
"Show-off!" muttered Akane under her breath.
Ranma smirked.
The girl, however, didn't. She seemed nervous above all. "We need to talk!" she said slowly, hesitantly. Her voice carried a certain amount of uncertainty, even fear. "About us I mean." she continued, her voice was barely above a whisper.
That caught Ranma's attention. The way she spoke was too out of her character not to be noticed. Akane was never one to be hesitant. She wasn't the subtle type either. He turned towards her with an inquisitive expression on his face. "Yeah? What about us?" he asked. A knot of fear was forming in his stomach.
The girl turned back to the starry sky. "The last two years. The madness. We can't go on like we did."
"So you want to break up! Is that it?" responded Ranma feeling the knot tighten.
Akane directed her gaze down, towards the garden. She stared at the small pond he had landed in so often. It no longer contained any fish. It was torture to keep the creatures in there. They had been relocated to a zoo long ago. "If you want to," she mumbled silently. Ranma could swear he heard her voice buckle at that sentence. "I want to change things between us," she said sounding nervous. "I want things to get better!"
"Really? So what do you want to change?" asked the boy. He was trying to hide his anxiety.
"I don't know myself." she began, her words were hesitant. Tentative. "We never had a chance to be a normal couple. It was always this or that." She paused not really sure how to continue. "I really want to try and see how we work out."
The boy nodded in agreement. In many ways, he was on the same sentiment. He remembered all the crazy fights. The repeated kidnappings. The overpowered, sometimes crazy, often criminal people they had to deal with. They never had the chance at a normal relationship with all the things around them.
Akane kept hesitating. Speaking the words was getting harder. Her hand was shaking. She was glad she was not having this conversation while standing. Her quivering knees would make things so much worse. Of course, she couldn't hide it from Ranma. He saw the way the fabric around her hand kept quivering.
"Akane are you all right? Is there something wrong?" he asked getting concerned about her.
The girl shook her head and clasped her traitorous appendage with her free hand, fighting to regain control over it. "No! Everything is fine. Just the two of us..." She paused for a second trying to find the right words. "I want us to be like a real couple. We are supposed to get married and we haven't even been on a single date. At least not one that wasn't rigged." Akane risked a glance at him but almost immediately averted her eyes when their gaze met. "If we are going to stay together... I want things to work out between us."
"So do I!" Ranma blurted before thinking, before his mind could filter his thoughts. When his blunder finally registered he had a minor seizure.
While the answer made the boy run through a minor existential crisis Akane felt relief. Ever since she set foot on the roof to have this talk she was fighting against the need to run like a coward. His words gave her the power to go on. "It would be nice if we could go on a real date." she whispered. "One without parents, or suitors, or you know... without all the stupid things around us. Like a real couple!" Her words were still barely above a whisper, but at least now she had the courage to say them.
Ranma found himself nodding to the idea. In all truth going on a date with her didn't sound too bad to him. It was quite the opposite. Akane pressed on.
"I would also appreciate it if you could stop calling me all those things. I've caught you gawking at me a few times. I know you find me attractive." Ranma did his best to hide his embarrassment. He failed badly. "I want to hear what you really think about me. Please!" Akane turned her gaze to him. This time she managed to keep eye-contact. Her orbs were not just asking. They were pleading.
"Okay! I'll try," he responded. There was no way he could refuse such a request. However, he was not sure if he'll be able to fully comply with it. Habits were a hard thing to leave behind.
"One more thing," she said, her hesitance was returning. She ruthlessly snuffed it out. It was too late to back out. "I want you to train me! I want to become a better martial artist! I'm sick of being the third wheel in a fight! I want to be able to pull my weight."
The last request was something Ranma hoped would never come up. Hitting girls was below him. Of all the things Akane wished for, this one was by far the hardest one. "But what if I hurt you?" he reasoned.
Akane kept looking at with the pleading eyes from before. She needed to get her message across. "I know you won't." Her words were soft, reassuring even. "How would you feel if you were in my place?" she asked. "I'm good! I know it! But compared to you... I look like a rank amateur!"
"I'll think about it!" he responded mumbling the words. This relieved the girl. She knew that even this much was a step in a good direction. It was more than what she would have dared to wish for. "But…" continued the boy, making her tense up. "…there are a few things I'd like you to do for me."
The girl stiffened. Her anger was on the rise. "Ranma!" The way she growled his name left no doubt. She was close to a meltdown. The underlying threat was hard to miss.
"There it is again!" declared the young Saotome.
"What is there? You want me to do perverted things, don't you?" yelled the girl.
"Oh really?" he asked, outraged. "I bet you want me to do that! You are obsessed with that word! Perverted this! Perverted that!" Akane's face darkened as anger spread out even more across her body. "Besides! I was not asking for anything like that!" he added by the end he too was growling.
Akane's anger deflated at the news. The only sound she let out was a startled "Oh…" She blushed furiously when her mind realized that she sounded more disappointed than relieved. Ranma smirked again. He knew he had won this one!
After a short silence, which he had spent enjoying the bliss given by his victory, he continued trying to reign in his raging emotions. "Akane… What I want from you is to hear me out! You always jump to a conclusion and boot me into the air before I can explain."
"I do not!" she responded heatedly.
"You just did!" mumbled Ranma under his breath. "You un-cute tomboy!" A slap echoed across the Tendo compound. "Okay, that one I deserved!" he remarked.
Akane was floored by his admission. Ranma continued.
"So next time Shampoo glomps onto me, or somebody accuses me of something will you hear me out?"
The girl quieted down her expression became pensive. She was contemplating his words. Her memories spoke for themselves. There were many times he was trying to talk to her before one or another way she sent him flying. She remembered them well. "Okay! I admit. I tend to overreact." she admitted guiltily. "I promise to hear you out from here on."
Ranma nodded. He was happy with her promise. A sudden thought crossed his mind that left him blushing. "One more thing, 'Kane" he spoke.
"What is it?"
The boy's cheeks reddened, but he didn't really care anymore. He was past caring about being embarrassed. "Do you remember the time we wanted to try how kissing felt?" he asked. After he spoke those words his resolve faltered. He started to examine his palm as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.
Akane felt her cheeks heat up. Against the cool spring air, it felt like fire. "Yeah!" she responded. "It was so embarrassing!"
"Do you want to try again?" he asked forcing himself to raise his eyes to meet hers. His usual confidence had fled long ago. Neither of the two heard the popping sounds from one of the nearby trees. They wouldn't have noticed an earthquake.
"If you want to," she responded sheepishly not daring to look at him.
Ranma couldn't find his voice. He made the smallest of nods. He slowly pulled himself closer to her. He felt strange. Nervous, shaky. An unusual occurrence for him. If possible Akane blushed even more. She sat up to meet his advance. "I hope we don't have an audience this time," she whispered.
"I'll bust the camera on my father's head if he tries anything," responded Ranma. Akane giggled. Another crack echoed from the old oak. Neither of the two cared. Their faces were so close they could feel the other's breath on their skin. They halted just as their lips were about to meet, not daring to close the minuscule distance left. Both were bright-red and knew it well. Their bodies were shaking with equal measures of dread and anticipation.
Akane closed her eyes trying to calm her nerves. She has thought of many possibilities when she set out for this conversation. Kissing Ranma was not one of those.
The boy deemed her action as permission and leaned forward making contact. Their lips barely brushed together before he made his retreat. There was no firework as many people had described it to him, just a warm, welcome, fuzzy feeling. A feeling of trust and security. A feeling of completion. As if he finally reached a safe harbour. He liked it. A lot.
After the first quick brush, he did not need much contemplation to decide that he wanted seconds. This time the contact was more firm. Both leaned into the kiss, enjoying the feeling. Akane was the one who was most surprised. The feeling of tranquillity spreading across her was unlike anything she had ever felt. There was no demand, no fighting. Neither really knew what they were really doing. It was just a simple contact, but to them it was bliss.
Another crack came from a nearby tree. A mangled branch tumbled towards the ground. The teens on the roof didn't pay attention. They didn't want to.
Akane was left with longing when Ranma finally pulled back. She slowly opened her eyes to meet his. The teens flushed. Their cheeks were burning. They glanced into each other's eyes, but weren't able to keep the contact for more than a few moments before they turned away. They remained like that for a long time, not sure what to do.
Someone nearby closed a sliding door. The rattle was distant, but to the betrothed, it sounded was like a train-horn. They finally managed to snap out of their dazed state. They desperately wanted to look at the other, but couldn't bring up the courage to do so. More mangled branches fell from the nearby tree.
After what they felt to be an eternity, Ranma risked a glance at her. When his eyes fell on her lips, he immediately turned away. She was too inviting. Akane slowly raised a hand. She brushed two fingers across the tender skin of her lips. Still half-dazed she raised her eyes to Ranma's face. He was staring at the tiles of the roof as they bore the most interesting pattern in the world.
"I kind of liked that," she muttered.
Ranma smiled at the admission. "Me too!" he whispered.
This time they did notice the crack. There was no way couldn't. It was too loud not to. The top half of the old oak wobbled but remained standing. A series thumps reached the pair. It was reminiscent of someone bouncing along the rooftops. Since there wasn't anybody charging at them they dismissed it as nothing important. It was probably Happosai. Leaving for another raid.
Akane managed to gather enough courage to speak up. She desperately wanted to find some new topic. Anything that wasn't so personal. The amount of inner turmoil was more than enough for the day. Her nerves could only take so much. Her eyes fell on a training manual. It was occupying a spot just within Ranma's reach. She remembered it well. "Is that the guide that Korean girl gave you?" she asked.
Ranma nodded. He was happy about the change of topic. "Min-Su said it's a manual on basic hapkido techniques."
"Who?"
"The girl from the afternoon. She gave it to me as an apology for her father's behaviour."
"Is it any good?" asked Akane. She was relieved that they were now on safe waters.
Ranma also relaxed. It felt nice to be discussing a topic he liked. He smiled at the question. "I didn't read too much into it," he informed. "It has a few interesting moves. Grapples and chokeholds mostly."
"Mind if I take a look?" asked Akane moving closer to get a glimpse at the instructions.
The boy contemplated for a few seconds. "I wanted to spend some time going through it," he said. "But..." he began just as Akane was about to pout. "... If you don't mind sharing we could check it out together."
The girl's lips curved up into a broad smile. "I'd love to!" she responded.
Her next action left Ranma perplexed. She moved even closer invading his personal space then proceeded to snuggle against his side. He didn't dare to move away. Not that he wanted to. The way she pressed against him felt too nice. Even through the several layers of fabric. He wordlessly reached for the manual and opened it on the first page so they can fully explore it together It didn't take long for them to get lost in its teachings.