Wheel of Fate

AN: Yo all! Hope the holidays were nice to you guys. 2020 sure went out with a bang around where I live. F-ing earthquake. Scared the living bejesus out of me. Heard the Croats down South had it worse. My prayers go out to them. (Good people, like 'em a lot!) As for my thought on the matter: An earthquake, migrating freeloaders, the damn virus, ex-communist politicians. (Yeah, we have those around here!) What's next? Alien invasion? Seriously!

Secondary note: It came to me that many people don't know how to pronounce Chinese words written with Latin letters. Thought I clear it up.

So here it goes. There are two letters that are vastly different from what you are used to. X is pretty close to English "sh". Think about Shampoo's true name. Xian-Pu, Shian-Pu, Shan-Pu. I think you get it. The other nasty problem is Q. (Not the Star Trek one!) It represents a sound roughly equivalent to "ch". I can't really think of a character using that sound but considering there are a few names I have yet to make up it could come out at some point.

Sorry for the ramble, but I couldn't leave it be. Linguist's instincts and all.

Suggested Music for reading: Sora no Tamoto (Source of the Sky) by Taja.

Disclaimer: I don't make any money out of writing this story. Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, not me.

Chapter 9: Cold / Warm

The day had been one of those. Running and more running through the unforgiving fields and forests of what was ancient China. A quiet but persistent rain made it all the worse. Ranma didn't have the luxury to care about it. The second she and Akane reached the bottom of the waterfalls she threw her girlfriend across her shoulder and floored it. At first, the girl protested against being manhandled. She pounded her quite female boyfriend's back with her small fists. The latter took the blows and kept moving. He knew, if Akane truly wanted to get off she had all the strength to make it happen.

It was late in the day when Ranma finally started to slow down. She hoped they finally managed to gain enough distance from their enemies. If not… he did not want to think about that. She felt it. The fatigue caused by the near-constant skirmishes. Even he had his limits and those limits were put through a thorough testing.

Fatigue was not his only concern. They were in a bad spot. In many ways, they were worse off than when they were first sent to this world. Their tents. Gone. Torn to shreds or abandoned. Much of their gear lost or destroyed. Their food reserves, down to two slices of dried meat, hidden under her soaked clothes. Their money, down to a few bronze coins.

The soaked clothes on Akane's and his back were the redheads biggest concern. Were it any other season the two of them could have roughed it out easily. But it was late autumn. Mid-November she guessed. The weather was not showing any kindness. The nights were starting to get really long and dangerously cold. Staying outside without a shelter was starting to get a really bad idea. Even in dry clothing.

A gust of wind ran across her form. Ranma shivered. It was cold, so cold. The little stunt with the river sapped much of her strength. Now he was wet, tired and in desperate need of a hot bath that was at least a thousand years into the future. She felt Akane quiver on her shoulder. The Tendo girl tried to snuggle closer to her boyfriend in hope of even the smallest amount of warmth. She too was feeling the effects fatigue. It was not a good sign. Both of them needed a warm place. Ranma knew if they didn't find a place, and soon, the night ahead of them could easily become their last.

In the distance, Ranma spotted something. They appeared to be buildings of some sort. The cursed girl hastened her steps. The sooner they got there the better. They needed shelter. Any shelter. Even if the locals only allowed them access to the barn it would be heaven. A safe place from the elements.

Getting closer those hopes got more and more mixed. There was no smoke billowing in the sky. It meant no hearthfire. It was not the best of signs. In such a weather anyone with half a brain would have one going in their home. Getting even closer Ranma noticed that many of the buildings were in dire need of repair. The roofs had holes big enough for cars to pass through. What once was pretty decent thatching was no more than a few leftover strains of some vegetation marred by time's jagged teeth. The structure of the buildings did not look much better. The entire place seemed to be wrecked and abandoned.

That in itself wasn't all bad. With the place empty there was no chance of the two of them getting turned away. However, the condition of their prospective residence had the boy wondering. Would those buildings be of any use? If not he and Akane were back to square one. Their chance of finding any place within a reasonable time was almost non-existent. Not a happy thought!

When she finally got close enough to get a decent estimate Ranma slowed to a stop. The place was one huge mess. The barn, while standing, didn't look promising at all. The structure looked ready to collapse. "One poke and it goes down!" she mumbled examining the place. While the hay inside did look inviting there was no way he was risking the entire thing coming down on top of her.

On her shoulder, Akane started to wriggle. The Tendo girl's legs were kicking around, madly. "Let me down!" she demanded rather harshly. Ranma complied. Slowly, carefully she lowered the struggling girl's feet to the ground.

When Ranma rose back up she was presented with a glaring girlfriend. It was a look she had learned well. That look was almost always followed up by a slap. This time the blow did not come. Akane let out a long and exasperated sigh. "Never, ever, do anything like that river stunt again! Got it!" she warned. Ranma nodded dumbly. "And!" the Tendo girl continued. "Do not! Never ever, ever again try to carry me around like that!" she declared with a force that promised pain to come.

Suddenly Akane Akane's anger seemed to evaporate. Her scowl got replaced by a faint blush. She took a step closer to Ranma. Her currently female boyfriend stared. Trying to figure out what was going on. If running was still an option.

Akane grabbed the front of her Ranma's mangled shirt and yanked the smaller girl close for a kiss. It was a chaste one, lasting almost less than a second, but Akane did her best to put all her feelings into that single moment of contact. "And that was for saving me back there!" she informed. "Thank you!" she added. With that done she released the stunned girl-boy and set off towards one of the buildings to inspect it from closer up.

Ranma just stared at her girlfriend's retreating form, dumbfounded. This was not how it usually played out. Sure, she was happy with the results. She did not get slapped around. That in itself was a good thing. This, this was different. She liked it. A lot! Her attention to the here and now was brought back by another merciless gust. Her teeth chattered, a strong shiver ran through her entire form reminding her of more urgent matters. They needed a warm place. The sooner the better. The redhead rushed after her girlfriend.

The buildings around them did not look good. Basically, the entire place was a dump. They passed what was probably some kind of storage. It was a complete ruin. There were some tools scattered around the place haphazardly. Looters. Was Ranma's guess.

The couple approached what seemed to be the most well-preserved building. Its walls were made up of thick logs and even the roof seemed to be better off. Or the thatching was just thicker than with the others. It certainly looked sturdy enough. There was also another feature to it. A stone chimney of all things attached to the side of the house. That was unusual. Those things were not supposed to be a thing yet. Neither of the two cared much. It meant a fireplace. They only needed to find some dry wood and they were in the clear for the night.

Ranma took off in a run to get to the door which he guessed was on the other side. Akane was right on her heels. Both came to an abrupt stop at the corner of the cabin. The reason why the place was abandoned stared right in their face. Ranma shuddered, but not from the cold. The girl on her side took a step back.

Graves. Nine in total. Right in front what looked like the front porch of the dwelling. Five larger four smaller ones. No gravestones. Just the mounds. The teens stared. The almost eerie silence was broken by a loud hoot. It was followed up by flapping wings. By sheer luck, Akane managed to get a glance at the lone owl as it disappeared between the barren branches of a tree.

A few snowflakes trickled down from above mixing into the drizzling rain. Ranma steeled herself and took a step. This was no time for them to be scared of the dead. If they didn't act they might as well start digging their own. The entrance to the hut was right behind the nine mounds. She guessed whoever buried these people wanted them to be close to the place where they once lived.

The door to the hut was no longer in place. Somebody or something tore it off its hinges long ago. This allowed Ranma to peer inside. What he saw was not to his liking at all. By the looks both animal and human had made use of the dwelling in the past. The interior was a mess. Broken furniture and spiderwebs were everywhere. There were even a few gnawed bones scattered around the place. It was downright inhumane.

Not that they had much of a choice. It was this or taking the risk and tackling the night and the elements headfirst. Not a good idea! At least here they had a roof over their head. A safe haven from the elements. There was no question. They had to take it.

While Ranma hesitated Akane entered the hut. She glanced around with distaste and grabbed an old, barely serviceable broom. She knew it would be not much, but she had to make an attempt to make it at least a tad more acceptable. She turned to Ranma who was still standing outside. "What are you looking like that?" she asked. "I'm not that bad with housework! Go get some firewood or something!"

The boy turned girl didn't argue. The mere thought of a flame made him already feel warm on the inside. He turned and ran off to search the ruins. There had to be some piece of dry wood. Somewhere.

Xi-no-mu, high lieutenant of the Weida-De, warrior of extraordinary abilities, lover of strong drinks and fine women sat at the bank or the roaring river. He stared at the turbulent waters beneath. Not for the first time during his long and impressive career, he was thinking. Thinking of what to do with his life. Almost twenty years earlier he was just an average village boy. He had nothing more than a quiet life to look forward to. A brief and simple existence. Doing nothing but toiling away for a meagre gain. Then his village got attacked. He didn't why and by now he did not care, but thanks to some reason he got spared while most others were put to the sword.

Back then his five-summer-old self did not understand why some people were like that. Why they attacked and murdered. He didn't know what power or ambition was. The life of a farmer was all he knew.

Things have changed so much since then. Gone was the naive child. Replaced by a man who knew nothing but the ways of war. A warrior with the capability to single-handedly lay waste to entire communities.

The path to his current lot in life was not easy. It was filled with hardship and peril. At the start, he was nothing more but a mere servant. Every day was a challenge. A fight for food, clothes, mere survival. Somehow he always made it out alive. With time he came to enjoy it. The strength he gained. The thrill of constant battle. Its rewards. The feeling of coming out on top after a fight that could have gone either way. Putting his very life on the line for the single glorious moment of victory. To ever increase his abilities. It had become the sole thing that really mattered to him now. Finding his next fight!

The problem was that he was starting to get too strong for his own good. It was getting harder and harder to find the challenge he needed. To once again feel the thrill of a life and death battle. He was seriously contemplating betraying his tribe. To turn them into enemies so he would not have to search for the thrill anymore. He was getting close to turning that thought into a reality when those three came to him.

They were different from the norm. They were skilled. Confident. And most importantly not afraid. The man with the strange red clothes. The one he guessed to be the leader. He was the one he was most interested in. While he was lacking in raw power he had knowledge to compensate. Intricate and interesting techniques. Small tricks designed to exploit the many weaknesses of the human body. For Cinnamon the hunt was on again. A hunt he would not give up at any cost.

There was one slight problem. The playing field. It was not even. While the man's companions were strong they were outnumbered. Again and again, that warrior slipped away to protect his companions. And they sure proved to be a slippery bunch! Cinnamon knew to find a means to keep that red-robed warrior around. To force him to fight to the bitter end. Only then would he get what he wanted.

"Leader!" came the confident voice of a woman interrupting his thoughts. Her sudden presence startled the Weida-De leader. He turned to meet the source to find his second in command. An attractive red-haired female with gorgeous green eyes that promised one thing in abundance. Danger!

"What is it Ro-Xe?" he asked admiring her form. He often contemplated having his way with her, but always refrained from going through with the thought. He knew it was not worth it. If he ever did she would sink her teeth into him in ways and with a force, he would be never rid of her.

This woman, while she was not as powerful as him she had means to make more than up for it. She was elegant, cunning, ruthless. And she had a way with words that could make a lesser person do the impossible. She had a skill-set he learned to be vary of. Those skills, even if less potent on the field of battle, could become just as dangerous as his raw power. Usually, he avoided people like her like the plague. However, in her case, that was not a possibility. He needed her for those vile skills.

Cinnamon got to her feet to meet his subordinate. The woman's emerald eyes locked onto his. They didn't waver at all. He had to fight to maintain that contact. To not look to the side. Or worse. Down at her well-endowed chest. The last thing he wanted was for her to figure out what kind of effect her physique had on him. Some women were just too darn dangerous to get too close to.

"We didn't find them!" she declared in a sultry voice. "We checked everywhere! Nothing but animals! At least we now have meat for supper." she remarked. Her eyes turned almost hawk-like before she continued. "If you want I can compensate you for our failure!" she finished. The suggestive way she said those words would have left many knees weak. And he wasn't an exception.

On the outside, Cinnamon remained passive. He was no fool. If he ever accepted that offer… The last thing he wanted was to get trapped. As good as it sounded, he knew what her goal was. He was not falling for it. "Check everything again!" he ordered in a cold voice. "There's no way they left no trace behind!"

The woman shook her head. "No use!" she explained grabbing the hem of her clothing. "We did everything we could! We turned over every single rock. I must accept whatever punishment you have in mind for me!" she explained in a while lifting the fabric of her garment to expose generous amounts of her leg. Her other hand moved up and unbind the strap that kept her red locks in a neat ponytail. She shook her head to spread her hair out. Cinnamon trembled at the sight but remained strong.

He was not falling for this trap. Sure the view was beyond promising. But he was not falling for it! After a short staring contest. Seductive eyes meeting cold ones. She let go of her clothes. The heavy furs fell down obstructing the generous view. The man almost let out a sigh of relief. "Search everything again!" he ordered flatly. Trying to maintain his composure.

"I told you leader there are no trails. There's nothing to be followed."

"You didn't search hard enough!" he responded. His words were starting to get irritated.

"I will give no such order!" the woman responded. "The cohort is tired. Asking everyone to do their best is one thing. But even for our people! There are limits!"

Cinnamon stepped closer. His form towered over the woman, but she remained firm. "You dare to defy me?" he asked feeling the irritation getting hold of him.

The red-headed woman met his gaze head-on. "Yes!" she responded with an almost chirpy attitude. "There's no use!" she continued. "I too have a score to settle with them! That female! She embarrassed me! She threw me into that dammed river! Then, when I almost got even, her mate smacked me to the side. He broke my sword! Do you know how rare swords made from that fabled 'iron' material are? It cost me an arm and a leg to acquire that thing!"

"Not my problem!" he responded in a booming voice.

"And tracking down an enemy that you allowed to get away is not mine!" she retorted with a smirk.

Rage ran across the man's entire form. He grabbed the woman and yanked her close. He was rough about it. She let out a surprised yelp. He stared deep into the woman's eyes. She met him with her own defiant one. "Are you toying with me?" he growled squeezing her arm to emphasise his point.

The woman smirked. "Oh, great leader! Why ever would I do that!" she retorted fanning her superior's anger. She knew she was playing with fire. She just couldn't resist it. Getting under the skin of those more powerful than her and outsmarting them was her addiction.

"You want to die?" roared cinnamon.

The woman remained calm in the face of the man's wrath. "Sure don't!" she answered calmly, almost cheekily. "But it's just a threat!" she continued playfully. Cinnamon remained silent boiling with rage. The woman pressed on in a seemingly suicidal manner. "I know you won't hurt me. Without me you are lost! You are no leader! All you have is brute force!" She smirked when she saw the shock on his face.

"Besides," she spoke with almost a childish amusement. "I'm the best deputy you are ever going to find! And you are still more interested in fighting than politics! You need me if you want to keep your position. Like it or not!"

Cinnamon growled. His face was red with anger. He wanted to punch the woman so much. He wanted to beat her until she was all blue. But he couldn't. Not without risking everything he had. He felt it. The utter need to break someone or at least something. When his eyes landed on a boulder on the river's shore he found the conduit he needed for his release and he struck. His punch was colossal. The rock shattered launching debris everywhere. He slowly started to turn back to the woman who finally flinched and took a step backwards. He didn't finish the turn. His head snapped right back to the speeding currents. His eyes widened. He had his answer. He knew how they got away.

As he turned back to his lieutenant a malicious smile formed upon his lips. He stared into her eyes. "You might have a hand over me now woman!" he responded menacingly. "But remember! I could kill you in a heartbeat if I ever decided to do so! Now gather everyone and be fast about it! Unless you want to be the one in the first line in scouting out our enemy! Or should I say water?"

Ranma let out a content sigh. The feeling of hot water against his skin was bliss. The discomfort and slight pain caused by the change didn't matter to him. He was male again. That was all that mattered. He was also happy to be rid of his wet clothes. Or rather rags. All of it was damaged beyond belief. All save for his boxers which were the only piece of attire on him.

The wooden structure of the hut creaked a bit as the a gale force gust of wind clashed against it. The patter on the roof completely ceased which could have meant two things. Either the rain finally came to an end or, what was more likely, completely gave way to snowfall. Either way, he couldn't care less. Akane was safe. That was what really mattered. The fire would soon heat up the rest of the small hut and they would have a relatively peaceful night. With some luck.

His only real concern was Akane. The girl was once again acting strange. Almost as if she was in some form of trance. The way she sat in front of the fireplace. Her mannerisms were so unlike her usual self. In a way she reminded him of the night they had spent together next to the inn's bed. She looked timid, cautious, even frightened a little bit. He had a hard time believing that this was the girl that had ordered him around to find this and that within the ruins just mere minutes ago.

Cautiously he moved closer with one goal in mind. Figuring her out. However, even he knew that he had to be careful about how he went at it. The last thing he wanted was to get thrown out into the night because he something he said. "Akane, what's wrong?" he asked deciding to keep things simple.

The girl's eyes snapped over to Ranma then moved back to the blazing fire. She hugged the white linen material of her clothes closer. The fabric of her clothes was so soaked it stuck to her body almost like a second skin leaving little for the imagination. Despite this she refused to let it fall further than her shoulders. If she only knew the effect it had on her boyfriend. To Ranma, the way she sat there. Hugging her clothes, acting all innocent. She looked so… so… inviting.

The boy shook his head to clear his thoughts. This was not the time. He was also sure she would murder him on the spot if she were ever to see his thoughts. "Listen Akane…" he began hesitantly. He knew he was treading on dangerous ground. Though that hardly mattered to him. He couldn't let her stay like that, shivering in those wet clothes for the night. "I don't know what's wrong with you," he began. "...but you can't stay in those wet clothes all night! Okay?"

The previously frightened, almost deer-like Akane's head snapped over to him with fury in her eyes. To a certain degree the reaction made Ranma relax. This was how his Akane usually acted, what he expected. Now he just had to disarm her before she blew up into his face. A thing easier said than done.

"It's not what you think Ka-chan!" he hastily stated trying to keep from going into complete panic mode. "I'm just worried about you! Don't want you to catch a cold. Besides, you still have bra and panties under that thing! Don't you? That's gotta be something! Right?" he reasoned.

After saying his words Ranma closed his eyes. He aviated the inevitable. The punch of retribution. It never came. Silence prevailed. Another gust of wind came. The shutters of the hut rattled violently. He hesitantly opened one eye then the other. Akane was glaring at him in a way that would have most run for their lives. Seconds passed in silence. She made no move to crack his skull. Instead, she opted to observe him in silence.

He was already drawing up possible plans of escape when she finally spoke up. "Bras and panties haven't been invented yet, you jackass!" she informed him with an underlying tone of annoyance.

Ranma stared at her for a few seconds. The data had a hard time getting through. A small "Oh…" left his mouth followed by a longer, louder one. The realization had dawned on him. Embarrassment was not far behind. The girl was naked under that thing. "Sorry…" he muttered turning away from her. The spiderweb in the far corner suddenly became the focus of his world. Or rather the small critter owning the thing. Busy doing some maintenance to the intricate construct.

"What if I blindfold myself?" he asked suggested not daring to look even in her vague direction. "Then y… you can take that thing off! I won't peek! On my honour!"

The edges of the Akane lips curved up. That promise was so typical of him. Always turning to honour to show how serious he was about something. She knew he would keep his word even if it killed him. That was just how he rolled. She gazed at his back. He was waiting for her answer. Fidgeting every now and then.

Keeping her eyes on his back she started to think. About their engagement. The time they had spent together and with hope the years still ahead of them. She and Ranma had been engaged for more than two years. When she really thought about it more, she realized that it was starting to get closer to three. The two of them had been through tough some tight situations. Some of those she would cherish for life. Others she wanted to forget. They had probably experienced more than some people do in their entire lifetimes. And most important of all, she remembers that he was always there for her.

It was true; he was an obnoxious jerk. Arrogant to the extreme, insensitive, self-important and egotistical. But he was her obnoxious jerk. Her arrogant and insensitive boyfriend. And he was always there when things really mattered. He was honest. And, at times, he was even patient. Most boys would have left her long ago. Most boys would have demanded things of her. Not Ranma.

Ranma was not most boys. He was interested in her. That much she was sure of. But he never took more than what was offered. Even now; he just sat there. Waiting for her answer. She saw him fidget again. He was no doubt trying to contain some remark. Or he was just bored.

Akane took a deep breath. Those clothes were so damn uncomfortable. Even if she kept them on they were not worth much. She'll probably end up catching a cold if she kept going the way she did. And there were those annoying fears. Why was she afraid of such a thing like being naked around her boyfriend? Her classmates have done much more than that. And it was not as if he didn't already get a glimpse. So does it even matter anymore? A shiver ran through the girl as she came to a conclusion. It was time to face those fears.

The opportunity was too good not to make use of. The two of them were alone. There were no rivals, not meddling fathers to disturb them. No camera-wielding older sisters. No perverted martial arts masters. They were rid of their enemies for now. And a nice, long hug did sound about right.

Slowly, she got on all fours and took a few tentative steps towards his form. Her mind was in complete turmoil. Trying to figure out how to go about things. She felt her tunic slip. She didn't care. If she really planned to go through with what she had in mind it made things a bit easier. If she had to uncover herself. No… she just wouldn't have been able to bring up the courage. It was better this way.

Akane almost laughed at the thoughts. Martial Arts challenges? No problem! Taking on bandits? Easy as pie! Painful and dangerous training methods? Bring it on! Removing clothing around her boyfriend who was also her fiancé? Er… Help…? It was certainly a rather… unique problem to have.

When she got to the boy she sat back down. There were barely a few inches between them, but that small distance felt like miles. She raised a hand to grab his shoulder, to make him turn around. To let him see her the way she was. At the last possible second, she shied away.

She glanced down at herself. Her clothes slipped all the way to her waist. If it went any further… she was not sure she would be able to muster the courage if that happened. She was already embarrassed enough. And there was the feeling of dread. Fears that he might not find her body satisfactory. There were many memories flooding her mind. Memories of her overreacting. Him throwing insults at her. Memories of both of them jumping to conclusions.

She saw Ranma fidget. It was a giveaway. She wasn't the only one embarrassed. More memories came to her. Memories of her unleashing unnecessary wrath upon him. Retaliating only to learn that he had not a single malicious or perverted thought in mind. And what if he had. They were engaged! And a healthy interest in the opposite gender was expected of anyone of their age.

"Yeah…" she thought. "It's about time I drop that whole "pervert" thing. It's so dumb to begin with…" She gazed at the boys back. Her eyes roamed his form. Taking in the sight of his well-developed muscles. "And I do want him to do perverted things to me in the future," she admitted to herself. "Maybe make me do perverted things..." she snuffed out that thought quickly as it came.

Slowly, after gathering her courage, she re-initiated her advance. Her hands crept around his form. Her right over his shoulder. Her left around his waist. With a gentle yet firm tug, she puled him against her. She felt her breasts touch the skin of his back. It felt so right. The contact became more firm as she pressed herself against him.

Ranma on his end first went rigid. "A… Akane…" was all he could utter before his body shut down. His mind was unable to process what was going on. Sure at times kissing turned into something more, but it was always a gradual thing. It was always something they had slipped into. This was different. A deliberate action on her end. An action that was in many ways more forward and intimate than anything they had shared before.

Akane smiled to herself. In all actuality, she enjoyed it all. The feeling of his rough skin grazing against her own. She leaned close to his ear. "Ranma!" she whispered. She shivered with excitement and fear. "Turn around!"

If possible Ranma stiffened more. He was unable to form one coherent thought let alone answer or act. "Turn around! Look at me!" came Akane's voice once again.

"What?" asked the boy still unable to fully process the request.

"I want you to see me!" she responded releasing him to give him free movement.

"But!" he responded making Akane sigh.

She knew he was not to blame in this one. She was the one who always hit him on the head at the slightest sign of what she considered to be perverted. Now it was her burden to undo it all. Undo what she had done to him and to some degree herself. "Ranma!" she said gathering all her tattered nerves. "Look at me! All of me!" she said almost pleading with him to do so.

Her words finally had their desired effect. Mechanically almost like some robot, Ranma started to turn. His eyes were locked onto the ground unable to meet hers. When her body entered the edge of his vision he hesitated. It was at this point where she had enough. She grabbed his shoulders and made him do what she wanted. Ranma's eyes widened as the sight. He received a full frontal of her chest. His eyes snapped up to meet hers. His cheeks turned beet red. He needed all his willpower not to look down. And how much he wanted to surrender to that want... To his utter astonishment, she didn't scowl. Her face didn't promise imminent death.

The girl slowly pulled him close. He didn't resist. Both teens relaxed. It wasn't so bad. It was a new experience for both and they liked it a lot.

There was no groping no pushing. She felt his arms wrap around her and embrace her, but that was it. He didn't demand more. He simply accepted what she had to offer. They remained silent. The only sound in the room was a crackle of the fire and the howling of the wind outside.

Despite their dire situation both felt content. Their interaction that night. The sights and feelings. It was something both vowed to commit to their memories for life. Sure they had nothing but the clothes on their back. But at least they had each other. Akane leaned forward to rest her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes to enjoy his warmth. For the first time in a long while, she was content. She felt safe and secure.

Ranma hugged her closer, tighter. "I take everything I ever said back!" he spoke. "You are beautiful!"

Akane stiffened at the remark. She pulled back a bit to be able to look at his face. He smirked at her. "I saw a lot!" he remarked. "Almost had a nosebleed!" The girl's cheeks took up a slight hue of pink at the remark. "Do you really think that I'm…" she asked unable to finish the sentence.

Ranma smiled down at her. "Yes, you are! You were only un-cute when you slapped me for no good reason."

"Jerk!" she muttered without really meaning it. The boy laughed and tightened his hold on her more.

"So what's with the sudden change?" he asked. "Not that I'm complaining! But minutes ago you were all scared and stuff!"

Akane loosened her hold on him. Ranma allowed her to back up a bit. As she was thinking old habits returned and her hands moved to cover her chest. She gazed into his eyes for a few seconds with a light blush. The pink hue of her cheeks darkened. Then inch by inch she gave up her defences.

"I... I am afraid," she admitted. "I just… I thought about things. Me getting myself all worked up over you seeing me like this. I mean with us being a couple and all. I was acting kind of silly." she stopped for a few short seconds trying to gather her thoughts. "You are not like all those boys. You know, Kuno and the hentai horde."

"What of them?" asked Ranma.

"It's a long story," she answered.

"We got time."

Akane nodded at the answer. "Okay!" she responded before going into deep thought. "I'll try to give you the brief version. Then you'll understand!"

"One thing!" came Ranma interrupting her. "Can I hug you again?"

The question was never really answered. She lunged at him with enough force to knock him over. The embrace was almost too tight for Ranma's taste. Almost. He felt Akane's lips on his own. That was all that mattered. Things descended into a playful scuffle with both sides fighting to be on top. A few smacks echoed across the small room. Hasty kisses in the midst of battle. Ranma came out at the victor after finding a means to trap the girl's hands against the ground. "I love you!" he whispered roughly.

Akane smiled up at him. "And I love you!" she responded a bit out of breath. Her fear almost completely gone.

He leaned down to place a quick kiss on her lips. "Now you can tell your long story!"

"Are you going to let me go first?" she asked.

"Nope!"

"Why no?"

"Because you look really beautiful the way you are!" he responded diving down for another kiss.

"You know, I've changed my mind! Ranma, you really are a pervert."

"I don't hear you complaining!"

"You must be starting to rub off on me!"

"Or you are more perverted that you'd like to admit!"

"Am not!" she protested.

"Says the girl showing off her chest!" he retorted.

"You say it as if you don't enjoy the show!"

"Sure do!" he said taking a deliberate glance South making her blush. "Now, was there something you wanted to tell me?"

Akane nodded. "Okay," she spoke. "Well, when I was little Kuno and I used to be good friends."

A chuckle broke out from Ranma at the thought.

"It's not funny, we were really good friends. Back then, to little me, he was so impressive."

Ranma shook his head. "Was he just as crazy?" he asked.

"He was worse! Trust me!" Akane responded with a smile. "But I had fun always playing "Samurai" with him. I might even had a little crush on him. It's just that…"

"… you moved on and he got stuck as a kid?" Ranma finished when he saw Akane had trouble finding the right words.

"Yeah, pretty much," she responded with a nod. "Funny thing is; a hundred years ago he would have been all right with all that theatrics."

"But this is not a hundred years ago," remarked Ranma. "Or was… or will be… or… Ah, you know what I mean Ka-chan!"

"Funny thing this time travel business," she remarked.

"So what happened Akane?"

"Well at first we just drifted apart, kind of. Probably a normal thing to do when growing up." she sighed. "We were still on friendly terms and all. He came to visit at times and all was good. We were just not that close anymore. Then, in my second year of junior high, we had an… How should I say it? An accident, I would call it. Kuno was already in Furinkan and he came back to my school for some kendo performance. You know, one of those where schools try to lure in students. Talking about the opportunities and bragging with their sports teams…"

"Seen a couple of those," remarked Ranma. "Never seen the purpose."

Akane didn't answer. She closed her eyes falling into memories she would have preferred to forget.

Ranma released her hands. He figured keeping her pinned was not the best idea. Not with all the memories, she was re-living. "You don't have to continue if you don't want to," he said sitting up to give her some space.

"Um... it's nothing bad. It was just… embarrassing. Very embarrassing!" Akane responded.

"So what happened?" asked Ranma. He had a feeling that despite her reassurance it would be something he would not like.

"Well, I really wanted to see Kuno's performance. As odd as he was… even back then. I still considered him a friend. I was the captain of the martial arts club in my school. I had training to supervise... You know how it is. Duties and all…" once again Akane went silent.

"Go on!" Ranma encouraged leaning back to sit on his heels.

Akane let out another sigh."Well, I left training early. I wanted to freshen up a bit and decided to have a shower. If just got out, when… well… to be short I was all alone. Kuno walked in on me. He just sort of stared at me with eyes open. I threw his out of course. But…"

"Things changed didn't they?" Ranma asked.

A nod was all Akane gave as an answer. "It turned out it was all an accident. The school authorities apologised a million times. But the idiot thought that… that I offered myself to him. His words, not mine. Next day I even got a bouquet of flowers. Roses. He knew those were my favourite. At first, I thought that was it. Well, it wasn't. In his twisted world, he thought… I don't know what he thought. He started talking about love and devotion. He also got really obnoxious. And I mean really obnoxious!"

"More than the time I first met that cretin?"

Akane nodded silently. "You don't know half of it!" she began silently. "He started asking me for dates left and right. I even went on a few in hope he'd, I don't know… get tired of me? That one backfired! He always tried to walk me home after school. When I told him to buzz off he thought I was playing hard to get. I could do nothing to stop him. I bet he had his ninja watch me whenever he couldn't. Kuno also made sure to scare any boy off I found a liking to. Hell! Once he even made an attempt at having me married to him. He went to father. Tried to pressure him into it. I was fourteen!" she almost yelled the number the emphasise her point. "That backfired spectacularly! Dad banned him from the house after that stunt."

"So that's why he usually kept away from there!" remarked Ranma.

"At least most of the time!" countered the girl. "Then came Furinkan. The school was so close there was no question where I would go for senior high. I thought Kuno would give up after almost two years…" Akane came to a halt once more. Her hands had been sprawled out on both sides of her head till this point. Slowly she relocated them to her stomach. Her eyes were on the ceiling above but her gaze was directed at some faraway spot in the far distance.

For a few seconds, she glanced at Ranma before turning back to the wooden beams above. The boy was about to add his thoughts on the matter when she continued. "I thought things would calm down after all that time. With my father throwing him out," she explained. "They didn't! The very first day Kuno marched into the girl's changing room as if he owned the place. At least this time I had some underwear on… I also wasn't alone. That was one experience I don't want to repeat. He… he declared I was under his protection and some other garbage… It's for the best you don't know all of it. If we ever get back you'd murder him on the spot!"

"I already want to!" remarked Ranma.

Akane turned her gaze to him. Then back to the ceiling. "Well, I don't want my boyfriend in prison for murder, so please don't."

"I'll try!" answered Ranma calmly. Then he flashed a smirk at her. "I'll just beat him within an inch of his life!"

"I guess I can live with that," she responded. "Anyway, after that, there was that speech of his. You can probably guess what happened next."

"The Martians attacked. Right?" asked Ranma with a completely serious face making the girl giggle.

"You know what I mean!" she answered laughing.

"The hentai horde joined in with him. And Kuno thought they are his comrades-in-arms on some 'righteous quest'." Ranma answered with a set of air-quotes.

"That sounds about right. With that, it didn't take long before I was thinking that every boy was a pervert out to get me! Seriously a few more weeks of that and I'd gone full lesbian!"

"Good thing I came along then!" Ranma answered jokingly.

"Yes. By the way, I never properly thanked you for getting them to back off."

"Happy to help whenever you need me Ka-chan! Your very own knight in shining armour!" he declared in a grandiose manner. "Your saviour in the hour of need!"

"Jerk!" she retorted playfully. "You're lucky we don't have a pillow on hand! I would have smacked you so hard!"

"Now that's my violent tomboy!"

"Ranma!" yelled the girl in rage as she lunged at him. She didn't notice that in the process she lost the rest of her attire.