Wheel of Fate
AN: Hi all! Got you another chapter. Hope you like it!
Suggested Music for reading: Okay, this is not an exact pass for the chapter, but my suggestion is "Sweedish Pagans" from Sabaton.
Disclaimer: I don't make any money out of writing this story. Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, not me.
Chapter 8: Running / Fighting
It was well into the afternoon when the small group stopped running. Shadows were already getting longer as the sun slowly reached the horizon. Ranma collapsed into the thick grass with satisfaction all across written across her face. The campfire she just finished setting sprung to a roaring life. She stared into the flames. Her eyes tired, they were demanding sleep. Her body ached all over from all the activities, but she was satisfied. Even if things turned more then a little pear-shaped a true disaster had been averted. "Let's see how they find us after that!" she declared with a grin. Those Weida-De following them? The chance of that was minuscule to none. She had made sure of that.
Running was not a thing he ever liked. But when she decided to do it she was a goddam genius at it. Someone tracking the three of them down after what they did? Not a chance. She had made sure of that. The part-time girl used every trick and then some to lose those people. Crossing the same river back and forth? Using streams and waterways to mask their trail? Going vertical and hop between trees? Going around in circles for the sake of confusing the pursuer? Backtracking their steps and heading off in another direction? She made her small group do them all. And then some!
Ranma's reason for going over the top in such a way was simple. This guy. Cinna-something his name. He was different. The casual way he talked about killing. It left her with a bad feeling. Ranma had her share of fights but never before was it so clear that taking up the gauntlet would result in an actual life or death struggle. It was a risk he simply didn't want to take. Not with Akane's life hanging on the line. If anything happened to the girl… She didn't know if she would be able to live with it.
While Ranma was down and trying to fill her exhausted reserves her girlfriend immediately used the chance to hang a pot of water over the flames. The girl-turned-boy felt grateful. She wanted to be back in her normal, male body, as soon as humanly possible. The curse might be a thing she got used to, but that didn't mean she had to like it. Sure, she was not above using it to further her goals, but that was only a means to get to certain ends. No matter how she was like on the outside, no matter how complete the change was, she was and always remained a male on the inside.
She liked male things. She liked goofing off, making silly jokes, and so forth. She also liked admiring the fairer end of the populous. Even if there was no way of her ever admitting it. Especially to a certain group of women. Shopping for new clothes gave her the chills. Frilly clothes made her want to run for it. At least most of the time. There were some fantasies. Fantasies about Akane showing off some frilly clothes that could be barely called that.
The only thing Ranma didn't like that she would be only second in returning to his birth form. Ryoga had seniority. More out of practical reason than any other. A little black piglet was not much of a use when it came to setting up a campsite. Ranma had also done a bulk of carrying the gear after the pig-boy went from speaking to oinking and had his feet and hand replaced by hooves. The only upside was the fish that wanted pork for lunch. Instead, the aquatic creature was what ended up on the menu.
"You really overdid it by making us swim across that lake," Akane remarked.
Ranma shrugged. She knew that decision was questionable. That was the whole idea. If one wants to get rid of a persistent pursuer the best idea is to always take the most insane route. It had worked for her before. The redhead contemplated answering and decided against it. It was not worth the effort. She simply gazed into the flames trying to relax her aching muscles.
"Are you even listening to me?" Akane asked with irritation. "We could have just gone around the dammed thing. It wasn't that big!"
"I know!" Ranma replied with a hint of annoyance.
The Tendo girl's anger flared at the frivolous response. "I know?" she asked. "You had to swim across the damn lake three times! Do you know how much time we lost there!?"
"Well I think it was worth it!" responded the part-time-boy. "Those whackos would never guess we'd do that!"
"Of course not! Who would do such a stupid thing?"
"We!" responded Ranma with a smirk.
Akane glared at her boyfriend. As much as she wanted to smack Ranma she just couldn't bring up the justification needed for it. She opted to let out a long frustrated sigh. "I hope at least your muscles are nice and sore after that stunt!"
"It was just a few measly miles," Ranma responded trying to act tough.
"With all our gear on your back! Going as fast as you can!" Akane countered.
"Would you have preferred to leave it all behind? Or should we have burned our tents?"
Akane backed up. Her currently female boyfriend did have a point. She checked the water and frowned. It was not yet warm enough. Both she and Ranma became silent. The only source of noise was Ryoga's insistent oinks and the blazing campfire.
Ranma rolled over onto his back to stare at the darkening sky. "Just when things were starting to look good!" she remarked. "I really liked that town!"
A girl, the real one, nodded. Her face turned pensive. "Yeah…" she spoke softly. "You know I seriously considered settling down there. You know… in case we don't find a way home."
"We still can! Those whackos will be out of there soon. Then we can go back!" remarked Ranma trying to cheer her up.
Akane shook her head. "I doubt it!" she responded. "You've seen the faces, right? Sure the people there may have wished us 'Good luck!', but they were terrified! I don't think we should go back!" at her words even Ryoga went silent. The short-haired girl checked the water again. It was lukewarm at best. "So what do we do now?" she asked.
"Guess we can't go back," responded Ranma. "Well… first we have to find some place to make it through winter. We have enough money for one, maybe two months of food."
"I doubt that with your bottomless pit of a stomach!" Akane remarked. Pig-like snickers escaped Ryoga's snout in the wake of her comment.
Ranma glared. Her inner pride was severely upset. "Yeah?" she asked. Then he smirked as an idea popped into her head. "And how long would it last with your cooking?"
Akane head snapped to her boyfriend. Old, tested methods of response came to life. With a growl, she approached the doomed man. There was no question. She had learned to tolerate Ranma's rather volatile remarks. However, there were things, remarks that simply could not go unpunished. There had to be retribution. She lashed out only to find her right hook blocked. Her anger grew further.
"Come on Akane you can do better than this lame attack!" the redhead taunted. She only had a second to smirk. The next punch made it home. Ranma's flight was cut short by a rather unfortunate tree. The impact accelerated the plant's shedding. Leaves fell all around the unlucky martial artist.
Ryoga's snickers turned into a cackle. Akane angrily stomped over to the fire for another test. Finally, the water was warm enough. She grabbed then container and splashed some of the water onto her former pet. Much to her relief, Ryoga's clothes made an appearance along with his human shape. "Thanks!" the newly reformed boy uttered still fighting his amusement.
Akane acknowledged it with a simple nod. Then she approached her quite feminine boyfriend, who was clutching her abused cheek. The Tendo girl was doubtful. She knew her powerful her boyfriend was. She knew for a fact that he had taken much more and walked away with a smile on his... her lips. "Come on Ranma! I'm not that strong! You probably took hits far worse than that!" she called out turning her thoughts into words.
"Man Akane!" the part-time-girl groaned. "You always punched like a gorilla, but now you are like a gorilla on steroids!"
The girl stared at her boyfriend. Her mind was in deep contemplation. Were those words a compliment or an insult? she liked being called strong. The other part of the message. The packaging. Being called a gorilla. It was less than a flattering comparison. For a few short seconds, the Tendo girl stood silent. Ryoga was fighting desperately to keep his mouth shut. A few snickers and faint signs of amusement made it out.
Akane's eyes slowly, but surely narrowed. Her gaze focused on her man. She clutched the simple ceramic in her hand with enough force to break bones. Luckily, the container withstood the test. A low growl escaped her. Slowly, deliberately she lifted the cup into the air. Then she flung it at the source of her irritation along with the water within.
The magic of the curse took effect changing Ranma's moans of pain from a female soprano to a rich baritone. The container struck him on the forehead and miraculously bounced off without shattering into untold pieces. Akane wasn't done at this point. She jumped at her man with every intent to inflict pain. He rolled away from the first punch. Her fist sank several inches into the dirt. It wasn't the only one she threw that day.
"Stop and take your punishment like a man!" she yelled one outrage while trying to inflict significant pain on him. Sure, she loved the guy, but there were things actions that had to have consequences.
Ryoga for one really enjoyed the show. The sight of one of the world's arguably top martial artists getting pummeled and thrown around the place by a small petite girl was so darn entertaining. It had become something of a guilty pleasure of his. The two martial artists were hopping around the place like a couple of grasshoppers high on some really effective stimulant. They kept bouncing from one end of the clearing to the other using the trees as leverage. He had to admit that Ranma was a really good teacher. Mere months ago Akane simply wouldn't have had the speed needed to keep up with him.
The pig boy sometimes wondered if his rival was just using the insults to make Akane train more. With Genma Saotome as a role-model, it wasn't an idea too far fetched. He would have loved to enjoy the show more, the martial arts demonstrated was really impressive, but he knew that the longer it went the more danger the little tiff presented for their small group. With a heavy heart, the boy approached the quarrelling pair. He had to put an end to the conflict before a certain Saotome was sent flying. Searching for him in the dark would be a pain in the but.
The last thing Ryoga wanted was to be forced to search for Ranma in the dark. He knew the dangers. Getting separated was the last thing they needed. "Hey!" he called out bringing Akane's assault to a halt. "I really don't want to interrupt your lover's quarrel, but what about that mage?"
The couple turned to him. "What's up with him?" asked Akane recovering from her mid-swing posture.
"Yeah, what about him?" inquired Ranma. He used his chance to create some distance in case Akane decided to renew her attempts at pummeling him.
Ryoga remained silent for a few seconds organising his thoughts. "Well, since we already had to leave…" he began not sure how his suggestion would be received. "…we really could check out the rumour. You know… the one with the mage. It's not as if we have anything better to do."
Ranma looked doubtful. His eyes never left Akane, but it was obvious that he did think about that particular possibility. "Winter is around the corner. I don't know about you Ryoga, but I have a problem with freezing to death! We have to find shelter and some source of food. We can't just fly south for the winter." he responded.
For a time the creating went silent. All parties were In deep thought about their options. "And that place is even further North," remarked Ryoga in deep thought. "I guess we could take a shot at taking that warlord. I heard he's a real cretin. The locals would probably be happy to be rid of him!"
The other two stared at the pig. "Are you listening to yourself?" Ranma asked. "We are talking about a warlord. You know the kind with a couple thousand soldiers!"
"If we pull it off we'd have a mage to back us up!" came the response.
"If he exists!" Ranma added.
"If he exists." Ryoga agreed.
The two males kept shooting back and forth. Proposals and counters were fired away without any real conclusion. Akane just listened trying to come to some conclusion on her own. Both males had valid arguments. Uncharacteristically it was Ranma who was opting for a safer route. She understood the merits behind both sides. If Ryoga's idea works they would get one step closer to finding a way home. But if for some reason it backfired they would be in trouble. Big trouble. She also knew that it would be her vote that would decide their actions.
"It can't get much worse now, can it?" asked Ryoga. "If we have a tribe of maniacal warriors hunting for us. Sure we managed to give them the slip, but for how long? I say we find a way home!"
"By fighting our way across an army?" asked Ranma. "I'm not doing that shit with Akane's life on the line!"
"Do you think I like it any more? But let's face it we just don't have the money to hire a mage! It could take years to make enough and even then the guy could just be a fraud! We need one that is competent and owes us big time!"
The girl found herself nodding to both sides' reasoning. There was no simple answer. Sure she missed her family. To her the question was. What would they tell her to do? Her father would probably turn into a fountain and refuse to give her an answer. Kasumi, she would tell her to play safe. Nabiki would probably tell her to make the best of it. And bring home a truck-load of money.
Akane's thoughts were interrupted by a strange feeling in her gut. She tried to push it to the side, but it always returned like some persistent itch. Something deep down was trying to warn her. She had no idea what it was, but it felt important and urgent.
Suddenly Ranma tore himself from his verbal conflict. His eyes started to scan the forest. He was looking for something. Akane heard a rustle. She sensed danger. To her left, Ranma dodged some unseen attack. Akane felt the immense need to move. She relented and leapt to the side. Her ears recorded a faint whistling sound. The girl didn't know what it was, but she was sure she just avoided something unpleasant and painful. Ryoga used the plate in his hand to stop a projectile meant for him. The remnants some broken projectile fell to the ground at his feet. The bronze tip of an arrow remained embedded deep in the wood.
More arrows came their way. This time Ranma heard the distinctive snapping sound of the launch. He dodged once again. As did his companions. Two questions came to him. First; how will he protect his girlfriend? Second; how in nine hells did those people find their way here? For one he was sure of. The identity of their attackers.
Akane avoided yet another attack. The projectile flew passed her. It landed some distance from her disappearing in the undergrowth. She resisted the smirk that was threatening to make its way on her face. Dodging those attacks would have been an impossibility for her mere months ago. Now it was a breeze. Then she felt another threat approaching from behind. Her gut told her to dodge. The girl listened to it.
She leapt to the side. A rather large sword sailed passed her. Her eyes only noticed the danger after the fact. Without reacting to the feeling deep within her she would have been done. She saw Ranma take on four opponents at the same time. There was no way he could have come to save her in time. The feeling came again this time she trusted it more. She dropped to the ground letting gravity do most of the work. Sure enough. A horizontal strike swished passed above her. It was a follow-up attack. There wasn't even a second between the first and the second.
The feeling came again. This time it told her to go on the offensive. She glanced towards her prospective target. A leather-clad leg was just touching down. Akane went on the offensive. She lashed out with her foot giving it all. The sweeping kick knocked her assailant's feet from underneath their owner. Akane's second attack was delivered with more confidence. It was aimed at the sword-wielding hand of the warrior. The weapon left it's disoriented owner's hand. The Japanese girl smiled. This was just too easy. She launched a third strike. The sole of her shoe made contact with a head. Akane heard a feminine groan and that was it. Her opponent collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. She had won the engagement.
Akane didn't feel any immediate threat. She came to a stop while trying to digest what she just did. She couldn't really believe it. It all happened so quick. There was no room to think. All of it was pure and simple action. One simple strike after the other. Sure her speed and coordination had improved a lot, but this was something different. This was not some fancy technique. Neither did she read the moves of her enemy. She just acted on some unexplainable instinct. And it worked.
Finally, many of Ranma's more esoteric lessons clicked into place. Learning to use kii was only a small part of it all. He was always talking about some sixth sense. This was the first time she had really experience it. And it pretty much saved her life. The girl slowly got to her feet. Her heart was filled with confidence. She knew she'll be able to pull her weight this time. There was another spike of danger. She leaned her head to the side. An arrow whizzed past her. It would have been a hit right between her eyes. It was so easy! The young Tendo smirked. She finally figured it out. The secret behind Ranma's insane speed. No wonder he was so fast. He knew what his opponents were doing even before the attack was on the way.
A large group of leather and fur-clad warriors charged from the forest. With a grin on her face, the girl charged into the fray. It was time to put her new abilities to a thorough test. That night her bruised confidence regained much of its earlier shine.
A small river was running along in its rocky bed. Its water was white with fury as it splashed from one end of its causeway to the other. It formed all kinds of dangers as it went. Strange currents, sudden stops, followed rapids that would smash any unfortunate soul it caught against the walls of its confinement again and again. Most dangerous of them all were whirlpools. Many were strong enough to keep even the most powerful swimmer from even making it to the surface. While deadly, this waterway was also a place nourishment. The only source of safe water for miles and miles. A lone deer was licking at the foaming currents. Enjoying the taste. Its ears locked onto a distant noise. Something out of the ordinary. It was not a wolfpack, nor a bear. The noise made by those adversaries was well known to the animal. This was different. Unusual. At some instinctual level, the animal knew. That noise meant danger. The deer's head shot up, ears perked trying to identify the source. Those sounds were foreign. Too foreign. The majestic creature contemplated. Mere moments later it turned tail and galloped for the safety of the trees.
A loud snap echoed across the small valley housing the creek. For a few seconds, it eclipsed the sounds of the waterway. It echoed between the slopes among hills and cliffs. Then there was another. And another. Louder. Suddenly, a young woman burst from the foliage. Her eyes were hardened, searching for any threat. Her clothes had seen better days. They were in tatters with numerous cuts and rips marring their surface. Strangely, unlike her clothing, she was completely unharmed. It was a testament to her abilities. Her abilities in the arts of battle and the teachings she had absolved during her life. The latest damage to her attire was a nasty looking gash across her chest. The girl glanced around her surroundings before using a pin to secure her clothes. She got lucky. There was no blood. However, her grab was now a write-off. The girl let out a frustrated growl. She was just starting to like the thing. Now it was a loss. She too had seen better days. Her face was dirty and her expression talked about fatigue. Days of running trying to shake an unshakable enemy had taken its toll.
This last week was one long disaster. Most people would have given up long ago, but she and her companions kept going despite their losses. These new enemies were different from what she had experienced. No matter what she did, these people just kept coming for more. They were simply not backing off. Three times they have attacked. Three times she and her friends managed to shake those people. Somehow. She could only hope they'll manage to pull it off the fourth time.
She scanned the treeline. There was no movement. Everything was silent. She didn't relax her stance. Her hands were ready to react to any danger. She knew there was no way she was out of it. Not without giving those bastards a good beating. If her boyfriend finally managed to beat the boss of these people. Then, maybe, these Weida-De would finally back off. At least so she hoped.
A lone bush just at the edge of the forest rustled. The sign was not lost on her. Was it an animal? Was it an adversary? Was it a trap? The girl glanced around again. Her focus remained on the suspicious-looking shrub. "What are you bastards planning?" she murmured to herself. There was no way her enemies would be that obvious about their intentions. When she was about to dismiss it as her imagination a figure holding a spear broke from the cover. It was a man from that accursed group. He was charging forward with every intent to bury the weapon into her.
Akane resisted the urge to smirk. That attack was just too obvious. Too easy. She did another quick glance trying to find anyone else. That lame attack. It had to be a trap, she was certain. The triber got closer. The short-haired girl remained still. She kept searching for the trap. She waited till the last possible second. Then, when the attacker was almost upon her, she snapped into action. It was only a sidestep, but it was executed with such speed that she almost blurred for a split second. The tip of the spear sailed passed her without ever posing a true danger. Then the martial artist struck. A blow into the gut of her opponent.
The triber wheezed trying to breathe. He involuntarily dropped his weapon. Akane smiled. It was just like her first fight with her boyfriend. The only difference was that she was on the delivering end. The principle of the idea was rather simple. Let the other side commit to an attack. Let them put their strength into it. Let them think they've got you. Then budge at the last second. One needed skill and coordination to execute it. Against a slower opponent, it worked like a charm.
The punch meant to end the fight was already on its way. It was aimed right at the triber's nose. One of the many small weak-points on the human body. The man tried to put up a futile defence when he noticed the strike, but he never had a chance. The impact was nasty. It was accompanied by a cracking sound.
"That's one broken nose!" thought the Japanese girl and smiled as her enemy became airborne. The victim flew back into the forest from which he had emerged moments ago. A beech stopped his flight in a most unwelcome way. The triber didn't move. The only sign of his survival was a steadily rising and falling chest.
Akane grinned with satisfaction. With the Saotome technique fighting off most people became a simple thing. Even these people, who could take out most modern-day martial artists. Even they were relatively easy pickings for her. Four other of her opponents broke out from the treeline it was clear that they aimed to overwhelm her with numbers. Her previous victim had been apparently overzealous and didn't wait for backup. "Not my problem!" the Japanese girl mused while she prepared herself for the next round.
All four came from different directions timing their attack perfectly. Suppressing a curse, Akane moved to intercept the one she thought to be the weakest of the crowd. She had to thin their numbers or risk getting overwhelmed. It was a thing easier said than done. She pressed hard doing her best to neutralise her opponent. Both jumped into the air and duked it out as they were descending back down. The aerial exchange didn't go too well. The girl's assessment was off. Not only did her enemy fight her off, but the young Tendo was also rewarded with a good blow to her jaw. Her first plan was a loss. It was time to switch to something different.
The others were getting closer. She ran. All the way to the shore of the river. There the girl decided she would make her stand with the water at her back. Akane turned to her enemies. A silent curse left her lips. These guys were faster than the previous one. Their attacks were almost simultaneous.
They were all in the air already descending to attack her at the same time. One was wielding a short sword. It was the same female who had pretty much destroyed her clothing mere minutes ago. She was a dangerous one. The man on her left moving in for the kill. Those gloves ending in cat-like claws looked frightening. Those two were her primary concern. The other two were unarmed fighters. Akane quickly weighed her options. As she did so time around her seemed to slow to a crawl. She had to wonder. Was this how Ranma felt when he cut loose. Was it like this for him when things started to become ugly? To her things certainly were getting bad. Two attackers, she could take on. Four was a number she had a problem with. It was time to reach into her treasure trove of surprises.
The ones with the weapons took priority. They were the ones who could inflict the most damage. Akane glanced around one last time. Then she acted. The man with the claws was selected as her primary target. He seemed to be the slowest one of the bunch. Lunged at him making sure to avoid the dangerous-looking tool. Under other circumstances, she would have shuddered at the very thought of being cut with a weapon like that, but she didn't have time for such thoughts. She grabbed his incoming hand pulled him forward, hard. The triber's own momentum made it almost too easy. Careful to avoid the claws, she manoeuvred the man on top her. He was to be her shield. The woman descending on her with the sword was forced to break off her attack. It all went just as Akane had planned.
The Japanese girl swung her makeshift weapon at her bladed opponent to launch her offensive. The woman tried to avoid her comrade, but surprise and speed made it an impossibility. Once the swordswoman and the clawed-man made contact Akane relinquished her weapon. Simple physics took over and the momentum threw them both into the raging river.
Akane's real problem was the other two. Or at least they would have been if they weren't up against a practitioner of the Tendo style. Her family carried a technique that was more than enough to deal with such situations. The concept was rather simple. One had to tighten their muscles in a certain way and a surprising amount of blunt force trauma could be warded off. A true master could turn him or herself into a juggernaut that can simply weather the storm and make anybody stupid enough to challenge them to regret that decision.
The technique was not easy. Learning to throw insanely hard punches was the first and easy step. Then came the real crux of the matter. It was this training that finally made Soun quit teaching her. He just wasn't able to do what was necessary for her to master the proper technique. Akane had seen it on her father's face every time he hit her. He felt more pain than she did. At some point, she simply asked him to leave it. It was also the point at which her growth had stalled out. Without a trainer giving her advice, Akane simply had no means to keep growing.
However, Akane did learn enough of that technique to be able to use it. It was by far not perfect, but, it was still potent enough. On more than one occasion, her opponent came to regretting ever landing that punch. Many students of Furinkan High learned this the hard way when they had to visit the nurse's office to seek treatment for their sprained or broken wrists. It was only later, thanks to Ranma, that she learned the last part of the entire technique. If someone used just a touch of ki… The results could become quite impressive.
The girl smirked darkly when she was rewarded with two yelps. She wasn't unphased, impacts stung like hell, but her attackers fared much worse. Both pulled back clutching their abused hands trying to figure out how and why. She didn't stay idle. Their surprise was her opening. Without hesitating, she delivered a series of punches and kicks to them. In both cases, the final hit sent them flying back into the forest. It would be some time before those come back for seconds. Akane could finally relax. As she was checking her surroundings for danger she came to a sudden and abrupt halt. With the immediate threat gone she had time to think about what just took place. She had just taken down four opponents. Of those four two were on par with her. If not a bit better. She would have jumped around in joy if she wasn't so tired.
"I'll get you for this!" hollered a female voice from downstream. The owner sounded pissed beyond belief.
Slowly Akane glanced turned towards the source. The two she had knocked into the water earlier. They were in the process of pulling themselves from the waves. They got lucky. The currents didn't drag them too far away. They stared at her with water dripping from their clothes and murder in their eyes. Akane knew this was far from over. She readied herself for another round. The conflicting sides measured each other up contemplating their options.
Their standoff was rudely interrupted by several loud banging explosions. Akane risked a peek as did her opposition. A series of trees on the slope above them fell down in quick succession. A bolt of bright red ki shot into the sky only to disappear in the distance. Almost at the same time a similar projectile, a blue one, was also launched. It impacted some distance away blowing a hole in the dense vegetation of the slope. She knew that attack. It was Ranma's signature move.
The main event of the battle was in full swing. Again. The punches and kicks exchanged in the fight created a noise loud enough to be heard far into the distance. More trees fell to the conflict. Akane glanced back to her own opponents. The two she had sent into the forest emerged once again with bruised and battered faces. They weren't out of it as she had hoped. Judging from their angry glares they were itching for a rematch. The other pair, those she had sent for a bath in the icy waters were already charging at her with deadly intentions.
This was not good. Sure she managed to get them this time, but it took every little trick in her book. She ran. Back into the woods in order to create some distance between herself and her enemies. The girl's idea was simple. By playing a game of hide-and-seek she wanted to cut the fight into a series of skirmishes. To avoid fighting all four at the same time.
As she dove deeper into the bushes, a huge blast echoed across the valley. Akane caught a glimpse of the cause. A human shape burst from the treeline. By the look of it, someone got launched into the stratosphere. She could only hope it was not her boyfriend. Her opponents gave chase. She had to lose them. Somehow.
As the girl rushed across the undergrowth she dodged vegetation left and right. She didn't want to give away her path that way. By leaving any signs of her presence. Soon she was deep in the forest. The exchange between Ranma and Cinnamon got louder. Akane guessed she must have gotten closer to them. The noise relaxed her a bit. The one sent flying was not someone close to her. The girl jumped up into the foliage of a tree. She had a plan. The shroud of branches and leaves would provide her with some much-needed cover. With some luck, she may be even able to launch a surprise attack.
Akane hung onto the trunk looking for any sign of a target. While the situation was not as bad as at the beginning things could still go either way. She was still outnumbered. Those people were not stupid. They were more than capable of putting her under. She had come a long way to end up dead, getting killed. In a stupid brawl to the death that took place before she was even born.
The forest remained silent. As silent as it can be with and overpowered martial artist and an equally overpowered warrior tearing it up. She heard wood creaking. Another giant tree fell victim to the conflict. More blows were exchanged. Akane didn't move. She waited and waited. The racket caused by Ranma's fight went on. She turned towards the rough direction of the conflict. She couldn't believe how powerful her boyfriend way. She had seen some of his stunts, but she was still awed by his abilities.
Then her attention was drawn to rustling closer by. Someone stumbled close to her hideout. She glanced down and saw some bushes moving. Then she spotted somebody wearing fur and leather. It was one of the Weida-De The lone man was scouring the forest below. There was nobody there to provide backup. A perfect opportunity to take another out of the fight. She glanced around again. She was positive. There was no sign of any single sign of backup. Then she turned back to the lone warrior. She hesitated. This was too easy. There had to be someone watching his back. These people were not some idiots playing games. They were killers. Again the girl searched for the ambush. Nothing.
She contemplated. Was it a good idea to attack? By all appearances the man was alone. But what if he was just the bait in a trap? The first rule of any ambush was not to be seen by the victim. But what if he was really alone? Then she would let a grand opportunity slide through her fingers. She remained still. The man walked closer to her tree. Then walked passed it. Now she had his back. He kept moving. Perfect attack angle. She was above and behind him. Akane closed her eyes trying to keep calm. The opportunity was so good. If she didn't make her move soon her chance would be gone. One had to be a fool not to take it. She jumped.
Her victim didn't react. He probably wasn't even aware of the attack. As she got closer Akane's gut started to scream danger. It was not yet on Ranma's level, but the last few days she had to make ample use of it to survive. She had learned to trust it. Her head snapped over to her left. Her eyes widened. Her heart stopped for a second. The woman with the sword was right on top of her. The blade's target; Akane's neck.
The Japanese girl manoeuvred midair. Her hope was to have her shoulder take the hit. She could and turned to her father's hardening technique once again. Sure, it was not designed against cutting weapons, but what else could she do? Even a flimsy defence was better than nothing. It was the best she could do. And in the end, she preferred a nasty cut over getting her head chopped off. She glared at her assailant with defiance. She was determined to fight it out to the bitter end. To make it through one way or another. Then her world became one blur. Her ears registered to bangs as something, rather someone removed her from the line of fire. She felt two strong arms cradle her against a firm chest. Her nose was filled by the smell of sandalwood. It was the scent of her long-time fiancé. It was accompanied by a hint of sweat, just the way she remembered. While many would have felt repulsed by the second fragrance, to her it was relaxing. It was the way he always smelled after a long workout. To her, it was part of who he was.
"You okay?" he asked avoiding a tree in their path.
Akane raised her head to look at him. His face was serious albeit bruised and battered, there was a trickle of blood running from a tear right over his eyebrow. "Ranma what happened to you?" she asked in shock.
"No time to talk!" he answered as his eyes kept scanning the forest around them. "I managed to send spice-guy on a trip, but he'll be back soon! We have to get out of here!"
"But what about Ryoga?" asked Akane concerned about the other boy.
Ranma focused his attention on her for a short moment. She saw his inner turmoil. She saw his concern. His attention snapped back to their surroundings. "Pig-boy can look after himself!" he answered flatly. "You know how he is. It's like he's a damn homing beacon! If he's alive, he'll find us!"
Akane didn't argue with that. There was a certain truth to those words. And if Ranma decided to run for it he probably had a good reason to do so. She knew things had to be really dire to make Ranma run for it. She had to admit. Ryoga was no child. He was more than capable to take care of himself. And he always seemed to find his way back.
Ranma sprinted on, across the undergrowth at his best possible speed. She had no idea where he was heading. With him, behind the wheel, there was no telling what he had planned. One thing she was sure of. While her man was not the sharpest tool in the proverbial shed, he did have a remarkable ability to make crazy, but good ideas on the fly.
Soon his destination was starting to become clearer to her. He was making his best speed towards the clearing that housed that roaring river. If he wanted to get away that seemed to be the worst possible idea. There was no real cover out there. No place to hide. If he really wanted to lose their pursuers it would have been more logical to stay in the forest. There they could use the vegetation to play hide quietly slip away.
Before the girl had a chance to look deeper into the problem Ranma reached the edge of the forest and charged into the clearing. It was just as she had suspected. There it was a lone Weida-De warrior guarding the escape route. "Kick him! As hard as you can!" Ranma whispered into her ear. Akane stared at the boy. She was not sure how he meant it.
Their enemy didn't hesitate. He immediately reached for his horn to signal to his friends. Two loud bellows left the object before the Japanese teens could do anything. Akane knew they had to keep moving. Stopping would have been suicide. With the alarm bell ringing, it won't be long before the entire hunting party gathered on top of them. They had to get out of there as soon as possible. Ranma didn't slow down in the slightest. He rushed at the lone guard with every intention of taking him down.
The girl was still trying to figure out what her boyfriend told her when he shifted his hold on her. Then she found herself getting thrust forward at the warrior with her feet going in first. His previous request… It finally became clear. She growled with annoyance but pushed back against her temper. She might not like it, but his idea was brilliant. There was no way their victim could have anticipated this one. That he would use her as a weapon. She did as she was told. She kicked. With all she had.
The surprised Weida-De didn't have a chance. Akane's kicks were already impressive on their own. With the added inertia given by Ranma, she became a force strong enough to bring down castle walls. The impact was devastating. The poor man was unconscious before he hit the dirt far, far away, on the river's opposite bank. Not even a second after she executed that kick she was back, safe in Ranma's hands. The girl's anger was subsided. They were in the clear. It also allowed her to release some of her pent up anger. Everyone was happy. Save for the one seriously hurt warrior.
However, she had serious doubts about Ranma's next action. He jumped. Into the icy waters of the raging river. She couldn't believe it. Screaming? She was too stunned to do so. All she could do was to stare in stunned silence. Then came the shock of the icy water. The damn river was barely above the freezing-point. Her entire body was in agony, she had trouble thinking clearly. It all felt like some weird dream. It didn't even take a second and she was tingling all over. Each of her nerve endings was screaming at her. It was almost as if her skin was pierced by untold numbers of small needles. All she wanted was to get out of there, but she just couldn't. All the sensations put her in a complete shut-down. All she could do was to cling to her boyfriend and hope for the best.
That was not all she felt. Ranma's curse immediately reacted to the cold wetness. Within seconds his body started to shrink. His strong arms became less muscular. His frame became smaller, more delicate. At the same time, other parts of his body underwent an impressive growth. To Akane, this was a new experience. Seeing the change caused by the curse was one thing. Experiencing it first hand, feeling it as the curse took hold of him was something completely different. The entire thing was just absurd and in many ways surreal. There were many basic laws of physics that were downright discarded by that curse. She was left wondering. What was it like to experience it all on your own body?
Akane didn't have much time to muse about it. Her initial shock caused by the cold water and the secondary caused by Ranma's curse activating was soon replaced by another problem. The violent and unpredictable currents of the river tossed the two of them all over the place. There were many large boulders and even the occasional fallen tree-trunk making life interesting. Ranma was doing his… her best to keep them safe, but there was only so much she could do. It didn't help things much that the Saotome heir too was adding to the problem by trying to swim downstream as fast as humanly possible. Thanks to this they only had mere moments to avoid any obstacle in their path. Often the only right answer was to take the hit and move on.
This was the state of things for some time. Ranma paddling, weaving while Akane held onto him for dear life. Ranma smacking into an obstacle then paddling more. This wasn't all, Akane soon started to feel another problem. She felt a pressure build up within her chest. It felt more demanding by the second. Her body wanted fresh air to replenish its reserves. For the time it was a need she would not be able to fulfil. All she could do was hope and put her trust into Ranma. That her boyfriend would carry both of them through this ordeal. No matter how much her body demanded it, she refused to budge on the topic. Her longing after a deep gulp of fresh mountain air was getting stronger and stronger. She kept fighting her body, refusing to breathe and fill her lungs with nothing but water. Each second she managed to keep from acting on the desire made it exponentially harder to resist the urge. She fought on. If she surrendered the only thing she would get was a long breath of fresh spring water.
More obstacles were avoided as far as she could tell Ranma took at least two more hits for her. She opened her eyes to see what's going on but all she managed to catch were a few shadows here and there and of course a lot of bubbling water. She had no idea how Ranma was managed to keep going. She felt strange. Anything recorded by her ear was muffled at first. Then her hearing went missing altogether. Not that there was much to be made use of. For minutes all she got was the rumble of water. Her arms and legs felt numb. Her sight started to haze. The demand set by her lungs started to subside. Her thoughts started to become clouded. It was then that Ranma finally brought her to the surface. She would never forget that breath. She could almost taste the air. It was wonderful. It was like being born anew.
The girl's senses slowly rebooted. Once more the cold of the waters around her became a thing. She started to shiver. She wanted to get out of there. She also wanted to hit Ranma, to scream at her. She just didn't have the power. At least not yet. Her breaths came in short puffs as her body was doing it's best to get rid of the used-up gasses and replace them with much-needed oxygen. "Breath!" Ranma ordered. Akane didn't argue. She didn't have the strength. If she had she would have most certainly smacked him a few times.
Her vision cleared up, her world started to expand from the small bubble it had shrunk to. Her ears were once again working. As she glanced around she knew that they were still not out of it. The river was just as bad if not worse than before. The waves certainly looked more frightening than previously and there seemed to be more boulders on both sides. A spray of water caught her right in the face. It got into her mouth and nose making her cough. Once again she was reminded why she hated swimming.
When she looked around more carefully she noticed that the hills that were spread around sides of the ravine were different. She glanced back upstream. The distance the two of them travelled under a few minutes was insane. Ranma had carried her almost a mile during that time. Akane almost slapped herself. Of course! Once she had regained the ability to think it wasn't so hard to figure out Ranma's brand of crazy. He wanted to shake their pursuers. The forest was too obvious. He used the river instead. It was the craziest route. That single fact made it their perfect exit. Her thoughts were cut short by Ranma.
"Breathe in!" the sometimes-girl barked. She didn't leave any chance for her protest. Akane had only seconds to comply. She needed air. Fresh cool, tasty, life-giving air. She inhaled rapidly filling her lungs with much as possible. Then it was back to the icy depths once again.
The two of them were thrown around yet again. The turmoil of the river was insane. Suddenly the water yanked the two of them to her side. Ranma swam against the current while doing some frantic manoeuvres. Then, they came to a sudden stop only to speed off again. Ranma took another hit for her; was Akane's conclusion. She tightened her hold on her sex-changing man. Vowing again to find a way to repay for all the things he was doing for her.
At the moment, however, the couple had other problems. The insane currents of the mountain-river were not relenting. Despite this, Akane felt more secure the second time around. At least this time she knew what was going on. She resisted the urge to move. She knew the best she could do was to hang on and stay still. No matter how much stronger she had become, water was simply not her element. Here, she had to rely on Ranma to make it through. For this ride, she was nothing more than a passenger.
Finally, when her body was once again starting to send her serious demands for air Ranma brought her to the surface. The scenery around her was vastly different once more. The mountains around seemed to be less imposing, their peaks less jagged. She guessed they were close to the valley's mouth. Probably another mile or so away from their pursuers. "That oughtta do it!" Ranma remarked with satisfaction. She smirked at her girlfriend. "Let's see how they find us after this one!" he remarked smugly. Then she went still. He turned around and gawked. Not at her girlfriend, but something behind her. Akane was half expecting Ranma's mouth to fall open. By some miracle, it didn't. Then Ranma did something he rarely if ever did. She let out a long string of curses. The worst mix of Japanese gutter language known to exist.
A distant roar reached Akane's ears. It was loud enough to overshadow the racket made by the swirling water around them. The girl turned to investigate the cause and almost followed the example set by Ranma. The accelerating water was carrying to two of them directly towards what she identified as a waterfall. There was no use swimming against the currents. Even with inhuman capabilities, it was a lost cause. For the two of them, the easiest way out was to go for it. Go right through the meat-grinder and hope for the best.
Akane tightened her hold on her boyfriend. The edge was right upon them. Ranma finally got to the end of his rant. When they got so close enough to see what was coming the part-time-girl had to resist the urge of going off on another round of cursing. It was not a single great waterfall as she had anticipated. Instead, they were presented with a series of smaller ones. There were several rocks sticking out from the waves providing ample opportunities to break their bones on them. Avoiding the ride down was also out of the question. The river was too wide. The currents too unpredictable.
Just as they got to the edge the boy turned girl made her gambit. She noticed a boulder further down. It was perfect. She launched herself into the air in the hope of making a safe landing there. The unpredictable waters pulling on her and her girlfriend made it a hazardous move, but tumbling down without control was something she did not want to risk. The two of them cleared the water. There was no sudden change in the currents. The first part of her plan worked. For a second or two, the couple sailed through the air safely.
Then, as they started to descend, another curse escaped Ranma's lips. While the river didn't throw him another curveball there was a problem. Her judgement was off. She used too much force to send her and Akane flying. Their trajectory was too long. It would take them right over the boulder. Ranma glanced at their destination. It was not at all to his liking. The two of them were heading for a world of hurt.
Their new landing site was right in the middle of a jet of water. If they landed there the currents will no doubt drag them down, across the next fall and right onto a nasty looking rock-face further down. Even for people like them, that would be a definite bone-breaker.
"Hold on!" Ranma yelled as the two of them started to descend. Ranma was not one to give up easily. She turned around mid-air with the hope of finding leverage some form of a hold of the slippery surface or the ungodly rock and clamber on top. The fall got faster. Just as Ranma predicted, she and Akane were just shy of landing in the right spot. It was so darn close. They sailed past the edge and fell down below.
The redhead could do only one thing. That was to hope and pray to find a grip. There was simply none. There was nothing to grab. nothing to stop their descent. There was no way to avoid the splash-down and the date with the boulder. All she managed to achieve was scratching at the surface. Soon the window of opportunity was gone.
Ranma moved over to plan B. Namely saving at least one of them. She might get away with smacking against that boulder. She could survive a broken arm, but she didn't want the same for Akane. With grim determination, the martial artist searched for a place for Akane to land. His idea was simple. To fling Akane into the air and to safety. Once the girl was clear the redhead would try to make the best of it. It was not much of a plan, but there was no better option.
The Saotome heir barely got passed that point when he felt some force pulling on her waist. Her and Akane's descent was interrupted by some unknown force and the two of them were gaining height once again. Their new flight route took them over the fall and instead of smacking into the rockface, they landed right on top. They were safe.
Upon landing Ranma immediately scanned the area. She wanted to find their saviour. "Who did it? Who saved their hides?" Were the biggest question in front of her mind's eye. It was definitely not the Weida-De guys. Those people would have simply leaned back and enjoyed the show. Then they would have finished the job. Ryoga? Sure the pig-boy would do anything to save Akane. But why would he disappear after saving their lives? There was no way he would pass up a chance to brag. Not by a long-shot.
Ranma felt a small hand on her back. Gently tenderly it travelled up his spine towards the back of his neck. A shiver ran through him. He knew that hand well. It was Akane. "Relax Ra-kun. We made it!" she spoke soothingly in a soft tone. Ranma could only nod and smile. He had no idea how she did it, but the girl was always able to calm him down.
"Was it Ryoga? Did you see him?" Ranma asked.
"See who?" asked Akane, who seemed to have become confused at the question.
"The guy who got our fat out of the fire," Ranma responded.
"What do you mean? It's just the two of us!" she answered.
Ranma was starting to get miffed. "Then who the hell launched us away from that death-trap!" she yelled. She lifted his head to glare at Akane. "Did a fairy-god queen swoop in, or something? Something happened there! And it saved our hides!"
The Tendo girl bristled. "It was me you jerk! While you stared at the water like an idiot, I had an idea! Kicking is not that hard you know!"
Ranma deflated. The stress of the last few days had caught up with him. "Sorry," he muttered resisting the alluring prospect of collapsing.
Akane's eyes softened. "I'm not a helpless flower you know!" she warned, but her tone was significantly lighter.
"Sorry," Ranma repeated. "Sometimes I forget." for his words, he was rewarded with a smile.
"I might be not as strong as you!" she continued.
"Sorry."
"But I'm damn well up there among the best martial artists you can find!"
"Sorry."
"Now you're doing it!" she snapped. "Stop saying "sorry" all the time!"
"So…" Ranma stopped for a second. The entire situation felt familiar, yet reversed. She lifted her head and stared at her girlfriend. Akane stared back. Both chuckled. Then laughed. Soon they got louder as relief crashed into them.
The waterfalls around them kept roaring. Every now and then a wayward spray of water splashed against them. They didn't care. The worst was over. At least until those tribers figure out how they escaped.