The Eye of the Beholder ~ Chapter Three
DISCLAIMER: All characters except for Nayami, who is introduced in later chapters, do not belong to me. *ponders Ryoga's fangs wistfully* Unfortunately. C&C always welcome, feel free to email me at saezuru@hotmail.com if you've got any comments. Thanks for reading!



The Eye of the Beholder
Chapter 3






Ranma sighed and mentally ran over what he'd accomplished so far. These trials had seemed pretty easy so far. There had been two quick, smooth fighters clad in black, who had somehow disappeared from view after he had defeated them, and numerous traps and pitfalls that he'd had to avoid. Now, he was fighting an octopus. At least, that's what it looked like. It had a giant, bulbous head, and flailed about with numerous giant arms, each tipped with a sort of suction cup. However harmless and even comical the thing looked, despite its giant size, Ranma had quickly learned that those suction cups were razor sharp; he had a new gash in his shirt, just barely missing his shoulder, to prove it. While this creature was by far the hardest thing he'd had to fight so far, Ranma was having no trouble beating it using his speed. The thing relied mostly on the fact that its many tentacles, if flailed around fast enough, were bound to hit someone eventually. So though Ranma was not able to get close enough to the creature to land any punches or kicks, the creature also wasn't getting him. And Ranma could keep going at this rate for hours.
After another fifteen minutes of the fight, Ranma managed to kick one of the arms into a tree trunk. To his surprise, his foot went right through the tentacle, severing the sharp suction cup at the end. "Feh . . . this really isn't all that hard. The book mentioned trials to face in order to gain the state of true sight, but these sure are easy."
Having discovered his new trick, Ranma quickly sliced off the rest of the tentacles, the stubs of the arms dripping a foul-smelling, greenish substance. The octopus wobbled backwards for a moment, and then toppled over with a crash. Ranma relaxed and straightened out of his fighting pose, wiping his brow free of sweat. "Mess with me, why don't you?" Ranma was so busy looking down with a perverse interest at the feebly moving octopus-thing that he didn't see what was coming up behind him. He had missed one of the tentacles, and it and the little barb on the end were moving slowly and falteringly towards his unprotected back.
"Ranma! Look out!"
Akane? What's she doing here? I didn't want her to follow me . . . I didn't tell her where I was going! Ranma turned, with the intention of yelling at the tomboy, but what he saw froze him in his spot. The barb, picking up speed now, was racing towards him. So was Akane. Before he could react, Akane had thrown herself between the tentacle and him.
"Akane!" He moved faster than he had in the fight, kicking the tentacle hard enough to sever it, but was a fraction of a second too late. A look of shock crossed Akane's face, and she looked down at her stomach, where the tentacle had gone in through her front and out through her back. The rest of the monster must have died then, for it disintegrated. "Akane, you dummy!" Ranma knew wounds fairly well, and although it was painful and would put Akane in bed for a long time, it wasn't going to be life-threatening if he got her to a doctor before she bled too much. Ranma caught her as she began to sway, and let her down to the ground, gently.
"R-Ranma . . . Ranma, I had . . . had to come and . . . warn you . . ." Akane was having trouble shaping the words, and Ranma's brow furrowed to see her in so much pain. "There's . . . there's something wrong about . . . about the yáma . . ."
Ranma glared furiously down at her. "Shut up! Talking's just going to make it worse. Hang in there, I'm going to take you . . . to a . . . doctor . . ." Ranma's voice trailed off as he saw what was happening to the wound. The edges of it were turning a green color, and there was a weird smell in the air, rather like that of the blood of the monster. Ranma's face paled, and he quickly bent over Akane, tearing her shirt down the middle so he could examine the wound.
Akane struggled to raise her hand, eyes snapping with anger. "H-hentai . . ."
Ranma silenced her with a glare, and looked back at the wound. It was just getting worse. He could see the slight green color where whatever poison that had been in those tentacles was spreading into the rest of her body. Soon, it would reach her heart, and then . . . Ranma's throat closed, but he was determined not to let Akane know what he had seen. There was no use frightening her and making her heart beat faster. "Akane . . . We have to get you to a doctor. Are you strong enough to be carried on my back? I don't think we have enough time to put you on a litter."
Akane smiled, weakly, but it was the old smile she always gave him when he was in an odd enough mood to be nice to her. "Ranma . . . I know. You don't have to hide it. I can feel that thing's poison-- I'm not an idiot. There's no civilization around here for miles, and I know and you know I won't make it that far. I'd much rather just sit here peacefully."
Ranma stared at her, mouth partly open. "But . . . but I have to save you! I . . . Akane, I'm not doing this 'cause I like you or nothin' . . ." Ranma swallowed. It was getting harder and harder to say that, as Akane's facial expression showed signs of weakening.
Akane started to laugh, winced as the blood flowed more freely for a moment, and then settled for glaring at him. "Who's asking you, huh?" Her voice was wobbly, whether from physical weakness or something else entirely.
"You're so uncute," Ranma whispered, watching her. Forgotten was the fact that he was still leaning over her, and was actually quite close to her.
"Jerk." Akane closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them again. "Ranma . . ." And now a few tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. "Ranma, I don't want to die . . ."
Ranma took her by the shoulders and gave her such a fierce look that she quieted down into submission. "You are not going to die. That poison or whatever is probably not even fatal. Hey, we've gotten out of worse scrapes than this, right?"
Akane, who had looked as if she might slip over the edge into panic and hysteria, gratefully held onto the lifeline Ranma had thrown her. "Yeah, of course." Again she closed her eyes. "This is actually a nice place . . . if you discount the . . . monsters."
Ranma smiled. "Yeah." His face was troubled. "Akane . . . how'd you find me? And why did you follow me?"
Akane rolled her eyes. "It wasn't hard, dummy . . ." Akane suddenly began to cough, violently, rolling over onto her side and sending a small spray of crimson onto the ground. Ranma held onto her shoulders, supporting her frame until the coughs subsided. Then he wiped the blood from her lips and lifted her torso gently and placed her head on his knee so she'd have something like a pillow. Akane looked grateful, and continued, "Besides . . . how could I let . . . my fiancé go off . . . and get himself killed . . . at some distant mountain?"
Ranma swallowed. "No one made you go?"
"They tried to stop me. Ukyo and Shampoo especially. They didn't want . . . didn't want me to get to you first . . . Please Ranma, promise me you'll go back home after . . . after . . ." Akane closed her eyes. "Don't continue on to the mountain . . .. please . . ."
Ranma nodded. "Whatever you say, Akane." Several moments of silence passed, and Ranma began to get worried. "Akane?" He shook her slightly, and said more urgently, "Akane?! Akane!"
Akane opened her eyes, taking several moments before she could focus. Even then her gaze looked odd; as if she wasn't really seeing what was going on around her. "R-Ranma . . . please let me go to sleep . . . I'm so tired . . . you can talk to me tomorrow morning . . . let me rest, or I'll oversleep tomorrow and we'll be late for school . . ."
Ranma stared down at her. He was losing her. He squeezed her shoulders, hard. "Akane, listen to me! You have to hang on, have to stay awake!"
"Don't want to." She brought her knees up slightly and curled up with her head in Ranma's lap. "Want to sleep . . . sleep . . ."
Ranma had to try something else. He reached a hand and slapped her on the cheek, harder than he had first meant. "You are SO uncute! I hate you! You ruined my life! See if I care whether you die or not . . . and I will just keep going to the mountain! The cure to my curse means a million times more than you, any day."
Akane's eyes snapped open angrily, but they were intelligent once more. That was better than that blank, unseeing stare of a couple moments ago. "Oh, so? If I'm such . . . such a bother to you . . . then I'll just go home . . ."
Ranma nodded fiercely, containing his glee at getting an intelligent reaction from her. "You do that, dummy!" There was no sound for the next few moments, but Akane's eyes were open and she was watching him, so Ranma didn't worry. "Akane . . ." he whispered.
"R-Ranma, I . . . to tell you the truth, I followed you because I had to tell . . . had to tell you before something . . . happened to one of us . . ."
"Hush, Akane. Stop talking. Didn't I tell you to shut up already?"
"Hai . . ." The wind stirred her hair, and she watched the leaves swirl in an updraft with dull eyes. "I don't want to die, Ranma. Not yet."
Ranma was losing his grip on composure and sanity, and he squeezed her shoulders again. "You're not going to! See, I'll prove it to you." He leaned down and kissed her, on the forehead. "There, you see?"
Akane looked puzzled. "How is that supposed to prove that . . . I'm not dying?"
Ranma shrugged, as if that should be common knowledge. "Idiot," he said absently. "Think about it; would I ever fall in love or whatever with someone who's going to die before I can marry her?"
Akane's eyes widened slightly. "Ranma . . ."
Ranma continued with, "And anyway, you're macho and a tomboy to boot, and you're tough enough to survive any dumb poison."
Akane looked slightly angry, but only briefly. She smiled up at him and whispered, "Arigato, Ranma. Thank you." And she closed her eyes, her head sliding from Ranma's knee.




"Akane!" Ranma sat bolt upright to a dark room, staring in a near hysteria all around himself. "Akane . . . Where are you? Where am I?" After a few more moments of blind panic, Ranma suddenly realized that it had been a dream. He'd dreamed it all. "Kami-sama . . . that was one of the most disturbing dreams . . ." Ranma lay back down on his pallet, staring up at the angled ceiling of his tent. "What was that supposed to mean?" he wondered aloud. "Was it a premonition? Or a warning?" The Akane in his dream had warned him that the mountain was not at all what it seemed, but he could have just dreamed it because of his own anxiety about the mysterious place. The whole thing could just be due to nerves, and of no significance at all. "But it had felt so real. I felt her die . . ." Ranma shuddered. "Well, at least I didn't tell her where I had gone, and there's no way she's going to figure it out herself. She won't be able to follow me."
Tomorrow, he'd begin the final ascent to the peak of the mountain, where supposedly his "prize" of the true sight would be waiting for him. It would take him about a day to reach the summit, if he moved quickly. And so far, he'd seen nothing of the trials mentioned in the text book. Perhaps those explorers who had started the myth had wiped all the trials out? Ranma rolled over. I'd better get as much sleep as I can. If there's going to be any of these 'trials' tomorrow, I'm going to need plenty of rest tonight.
Just before he dropped off to sleep, Ranma sensed something; a change in the air currents, perhaps, or in temperature. Perhaps it was just instinct that told him to roll over and get the hell out of there. So he did, and a nanosecond later a sword followed by a black-clad human figure plunged through the top of the tent, slicing into his pallet and the ground beneath where his unprotected back had been.
"Ah. Took you long enough." Ranma bent his knees, holding out his hands in a ready position. "Come and get me, you jackass." And the so-called trials begin, thought Ranma with a slight smirk on his lips, as he waited for the fight to begin.




Akane sat bolt upright, holding her head in one hand. "Again!" She'd had that dumb dream where Ranma died again. She kept having it, every couple nights or so. She glanced down at her western-style bed and noticed that the sheets were twisted and tangled from her tossing and turning. She sighed, slid out of bed, and straightened out the linens. Then she remembered what had happened last night, and looked around. "P-chan? P-chan, where'd you go?" Akane sighed. The little pig was always running off like this; you'd think the pig would remember where she lived and not wander off all the time, getting lost all over the city.
As Akane got dressed, she noticed how quiet the house was. Usually, Ranma and Genma would be fighting, perhaps over some food, or Nabiki would be closing some deal over her cellular phone. And if no one was awake, you could usually hear Ranma snoring from any room in the house. Akane smiled, stretching luxuriously. "It's so peaceful!" She paused, mulling over that thought. Perhaps she shouldn't have said that out loud; usually when someone said something like that, something horrible soon happened just to disturb the peace. Well, there was that and then there was, 'Well, what else can go wrong?' or 'It can't get any worse!' Akane chuckled at her thoughts and headed towards the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. And came face to face with Nabiki. "Onéesan! Er . . . good morning . . ."
Nabiki smiled, tilting her head to one side. "Morning, sis." The middle sister gave Akane a strange, almost calculating look for a moment, and then sauntered on down the stairs.
Akane blinked. That was . . . odd. Even for Nabiki. She shrugged and continued into the bathroom.




At the breakfast table, things were unusually quiescent. The heavy silence was broken by the occasional "Pass the rice balls, please," and Kasumi's "Would you like some more tea?" Akane almost found herself uneasy at the calm table; was she so used to disorder and chaotic squabbling that she couldn't do without it. She stood up rather suddenly, startling the rest of her family and Saotome-san. "I . . . I've got a date with some friends of mine. I'll be back later. Seeya!" And she headed out the door. At this rate, she'd be a half hour early for her council of war with Ukyo and Shampoo, but she just didn't want to stay in the house anymore. It was a beautiful day, at that-- not a cloud in the sky, the kind of day you can only get after a thunderstorm clears the air. Akane decided that she'd go for a walk, but didn't really plan where she would go. She found herself near the river, and climbed down the cement wall to the bank. She watched the water go by for a while, and then lay back in the grass. Breathing deeply, Akane closed her eyes, and was soon asleep.




"Where the hell is that girl?" Ukyo paced near the doorway of Ucchan's, fingering her combat spatula and fuming audibly.
"Maybe she oversleep?" Shampoo suggested quietly from where she sat. She didn't really like the way Ukyo was getting angry. The chef might decide to take it out on her.
Ukyo let out a long breath, slumping her shoulders. "Maybe we should just start without her. She probably decided not to come after all, the dolt."
Shampoo stood up and took a few steps towards the door. "Let's go, then. Where we go? Shampoo not want stay here; restaurant too too noisy."
Ukyo nodded thoughtfully. "We could always go to the park. I'll close down the restaurant for a while."
Shampoo smiled, but it wasn't a friendly smile at all. "Is good."
So the two girls went to the park, and began to walk down the many paths. For a long time, neither said anything. Finally, Ukyo decided to break the silence. "So you're sure you don't know where Ranchan's gone?" Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Shampoo suspiciously.
"I tell you thousand time, dummy, I not know! If Shampoo know where Ranma gone, Shampoo would follow him!"
"Well excuuuse me for asking!" Ukyo could feel her fragile temper fraying. "I'm just as worried about him as you are, if not more. After all, the only reason you want him is because of that stupid Amazon law. I want to find him because I love him."
Shampoo's eyes flashed. "Miserable spatula girl not know how important is Amazon law! Is law that has been followed for many thousand year!"
Ukyo crossed her arms and leaned forward belligerently. "That's no reason to try and cheat a girl out of the man she loves, now is it?"
"Shampoo not cheat anyone! Stand and fight, spatula girl!"
"My pleasure, you Chinese bimbo!"
"Stop it, you guys!" Akane appeared from the cement slope down to the river. She was rubbing her eyes, as if she'd been asleep, and had a few discreet pieces of grass in her hair. "We need to figure out where that idiot's gone this time, not try and kill each other."
Shampoo and Ukyo were still glaring at each other, but they both grudgingly replaced the weapons they had whipped out. Ukyo nodded and seated herself in the shade with her back to a tree. "Yeah. So, any clues as to his whereabouts?"
Shampoo didn't reply, and Akane had to think a long time before she said, "Well, he did have a mythology textbook, which he had taken from school, with him on the day before he disappeared. I don't know what that has to do with anything, though. He seemed really excited about something on our way home from school; and mythology and all that never really interested him at all, much less excited him."
Ukyo smiled fondly. "Yeah, the only thing that excites Ranchan is a new form of training, or some way to get better at martial arts. D'you think he knows he's already the best at least for many miles?"
Shampoo shrugged. "Either training or cure for girl-type. Ranma go nuts when hear about cure."
Ukyo's smile faded, and she got a look of intense concentration on her face. "Say that again?"
Shampoo looked puzzled. "Shampoo say, Ranma go nuts when hear about cure."
Ukyo jumped to her feet, slapping her fist into the palm of her hand. "That's it! C'mon you guys, we have to make a trip to Furinken High." And she was weaving her way back through the trees before either Akane or Shampoo could say anything. Shampoo followed out of curiosity, and Akane trailed behind with a bemused expression.
When they arrived at school, they got one of the janitors to let them in. Although he wasn't supposed to let kids in on the weekends, the janitor didn't really like the looks of any of them. One of them had something strapped to her back that looked like the unholy union of a cooking utensil and a blade, another was holding a club-like weapon in either hand, and the last one-- well, everybody around the school knew Akane Tendo. "Just be sure to put everything back where you found it!" He called after them as they sped off down the darkened hallways. "Are you even listening to me?" The janitor drooped. "I didn't think so."
Ukyo was leading them towards the home room that Ranma, Akane, and Ukyo were in. "Quick, in here. Come on, hurry up. I want to see if I'm right. Akane, can you find a copy of the book Ranchan had with him in here?"
Akane nodded slowly, and began looking inside the desks. Not too much later, she brought up the mythology book that had so captivated Ranma the day before.
Ukyo opened it and flipped to the very front, where the index was. She ran a finger down a page, turned it, and ran her finger down that page. "Crickets . . . crosses . . . ah, curses!" Her jaw dropped. "Whoa, this list goes on for nearly a whole page!" Akane and Shampoo leaned over to read over her shoulder. "Let's see . . . is Jusenkyö listed? Nope. Shape-changing? Nope. I'd better just read through the whole list." After several moments of three pairs of eyes roaming over the list of curses in the mythology textbook, Ukyo angrily threw the book onto the desk and rested her chin in her hands. "Well, so much for that idea." She sighed. "And I had been so sure it was going to work, too!"
Akane smiled. "Ah, don't worry, Ukyo. It was a good idea." She patted the disconsolate okonomiyaki chef on the shoulder.
Shampoo, meanwhile, had picked up the discarded textbook and was leafing through the pages of the index. "Ahem?" she called out, hesitantly. "Although there nothing on 'curse', there some listing on 'cures for' . . ."
Ukyo and Akane snatched the book from Shampoo's hands at the same time. They glared at each other, each tugging back and forth as hard as they could. "Give it to me!" Ukyo said loudly, yanking on her half the book. "It was my idea, let me look!"
Akane scowled darkly and said through clenched teeth, "Oh, no you don't! I reached it first, so I get to look!" She punctuated her words with an extra hard haul on the book. Soon the argument progressed (or perhaps regressed) into the usual 'insult me, I insult you back; hit me, I hit you back' situation. Desks overturned and chairs cracked ominously as Akane and Ukyo hammered away at each other, a slight cloud of dust rising. Shampoo watched them a moment before walking over and picking up the now-battered book from where it lay forgotten by the combatants. She checked the page number that she had seen earlier and flipped through the pages until she reached the right chapter. Then she sat down at one of the desks, shut out the noise of the fight going on, and began to read.




Akane looked up at Ryoga with shining eyes. "Really, Ryoga? You'd do that for me?"
Ryoga smiled down upon her, feeling the wind rustle dramatically through his hair. "I'd do anything for you, Akane. Because . . . because I love you."
"Oh, Ryoga!"
"Akane . . ."


Ryoga sighed, shaking his head to clear the fantasy from it. Some day Akane would see how he felt. Some day . . . He pushed his way out of his tent, letting the flap close behind him as he stepped out into the forest-dappled sunlight. He had run away from the Tendo house the previous night, without noticing where he was going, and had ended up in this forest. What was Akane doing now? He wondered to himself as he broke camp, packing away the tiny, one-person tent and set a pot of water boiling for tea. He was feeling kind of muddled and drowsy this morning. It's all Ukyo's fault, making me go out in the freezing cold rain like that. If I don't get sick, it'll be thanks to Akane drying me and warming me up like that. At least she didn't try to give me a bath. Ryoga clenched his fist in determination. Some day, he would find a cure to his horrible curse, and never have to take the shape of the black piglet ever again. Some day . . . just not today. Ryoga finished packing up his camp, made his tea, and set out towards Nerima again. He hoped.




"Yama no Hontou no Shiryoku? What a strange name. Something just doesn't sound right about this." Akane tapped one finger against her chin as she thought hard, and winced as it struck a bruise. She threw a quick glare towards Ukyo.
Shampoo shrugged, pointing to the page in the book that mentioned the mountain. "Is what book says. Is you calling Shampoo a liar?"
Ukyo ignored Akane's look, voicing her disagreement. "I'd say it's definitely enough to attract Ranchan's attention, enough to make him pack up and head over there to check it out. Remember that business with the 'spring' under Nerima and all those colored vases he tried to track down? That was even more tenuous than this, and he was nearly frantic to get at that spring."
Akane huffed quietly, and said sullenly, "I still think it's just a little too easy. Why wouldn't everyone with a physical disorder go there and be cured of it? Not to mention just normal people who don't like the way they look. Which is just about everyone."
Ukyo paused. "I don't really know. Maybe it's the trials to be passed. While they wouldn't pose a threat to Ranchan, they might to ordinary people, and especially to physically disabled people."
Akane sighed. "Yeah, maybe." She had a sudden thought. "Why don't we go ask Dr. Tofu about this? He's pretty well versed in medical mythology and folk tales . . . so maybe he's read something about this legend in his studies."
Shampoo nodded, standing up. "Is good. We go now? Shampoo want find Ranma soon."
Ukyo nodded as well, decisively. "Yep, lead the way, Akane."
Akane slid the poor, dilapidated book back inside the desk, opened the classroom door, and strode out of the room.




"Hmm, yes, Yáma Hontoo no Shiryoku." Dr. Tofu nodded, eyes closed in thought. "I haven't heard about that place in a long time. I have done reading on it, yes. Why do you want to know about it? I hope you three aren't planning to go there; it's very dangerous."
Akane shook her head. "No, we're not." Well, it was only partly a lie. They weren't planning to go there yet. We just read something in a book at school and were . . . curious. Why's it dangerous?" She tried as best she could to hide the anxiety in her voice. The three had decided, on the way there, not to let Dr. Tofu know about Ranma's disappearance.
"There are many trials one has to face in order to reach the summit, and those alone could kill someone."
Akane breathed a sigh of relief. Those trials had sounded easy. Ranma would be able to handle them.
Ukyo wasn't convinced, however. "You mean that's it? Any martial artist worth their salt would be able to beat whatever trials were there."
Akane nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and Ranma would be able to beat them easy." She quickly clapped her hands over her mouth, hoping that Dr. Tofu wouldn't notice her slip.
Dr. Tofu gave Akane a long look and then said very carefully, "Don't ever take Ranma there. While you three going by yourselves would merely be dangerous and life-threatening, Ranma's life would be gone as sure as the fact that the sun will rise tomorrow. Ranma must never go there."
All three girls stared at him. Dr. Tofu blinked. "What? What'd I say?"
Ukyo leaped forward and grabbed the doctor's collar. "What do you mean, Ranchan's life'll be gone?! Why him and not us?!"
Dr. Tofu chuckled nervously and gently tried to push the girl away from him."Ah . . . well, you see, it's like this. From time to time, people have traveled to the mountain in search of various things: fame, fortune, health, that sort of thing. All the women have been found battered and barely clinging to their lives at the bottom of the mountain, presumably from the trials mentioned in the legend. All the men, however, have disappeared completely. Without a trace. Never seen or heard from again. And some were very good martial artists indeed."
While Ukyo rocked back on her heels, absorbing this quietly, Akane's thoughts were in a tumble; did this mean whatever had happened to those people would happen to Ranma? And if it did, where would he be taken? Would he be able to get himself out of it? Akane stood up and executed a small bow to Dr. Tofu. "Arigato, Dr. Tofu. Come on, guys, let's go."
Ukyo nodded and stood up as well, followed closely by Shampoo, who gave Dr. Tofu a long, suspicious glare. "I think doctor not telling all about evil mountain," said the Amazon warrior.
Dr. Tofu looked rather chagrined, and began waving them out the door earnestly. "No, no, I assure you, I've told all I know about it, young lady."
Shampoo sniffed and followed the other two girls out the door. Once the door was safely closed, Dr. Tofu let out the breath he'd been holding and stared after the trio through the window.




"Just where do you think you're going?" Ukyo said testily, putting her hands on her hips and blocking the door out of Ucchan's, where they had returned so Akane could collect the things she'd left there the day before.
"To go get Ranma, of course," Akane stopped just in front of the young chef, and continued speaking calmly. "He's sure not going to be able to get himself out of this mess, and if he's really in danger, I can't sit back and let him go, can I?"
Ukyo looked surprised for a moment and then grinned craftily. "You've finally admitted it, then?"
Akane raised an eyebrow. "Admitted what?"
Ukyo kept grinning. "That you're in love with my Ranchan."
Akane's face turned bright crimson and for a moment, she just stared at Ukyo with her mouth hanging slightly open. Then she lashed out with her fist, shouting, "I am NOT in love with ANYONE!" Then, as an afterthought, she added, "And he's not your anything."
But Ukyo had been prepared for violence and dodged out of the way, laughing. "Of course not. I was just kidding with you. Anyway, it doesn't matter . . . I'm going to be the one to save Ranma. Until then, though, wanna travel with me? We'd be better as a team, and would travel faster with more than one person to set up camp at night and stuff."
Akane relaxed a little, dropping her hand from where it had been aiming for a blow to Ukyo's face and taking a few steps back into the restaurant. She looked curiously at the other girl for a few moments. She seemed almost . . . embarrassed, or something like that. Akane shrugged, and nodded. "Yeah, okay. Sounds fine to me." She suddenly thought of something. "Hey-- don't you think we should ask Dr. Tofu to come with us? He'd be able to heal Ranma if he's hurt or something, and he'd certainly be a help when we reached the mountain, so I'm sure he wouldn't be a burden."
Ukyo nodded, tapping her fingers against her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, that does sound like a good idea. Let's ask him before we go."
"Shampoo come too?" Shampoo stood in the doorway behind Ukyo, silhouetted by the afternoon sunlight.
Ukyo and Akane exchanged glances and then sighed. Akane gave Shampoo as friendly a smile as she could muster. "Sure. You can come too."
Shampoo smiled wide enough for the expression to be seen even through the sunlight. "Meet at edge of town at dusk next day, is okay?"
Ukyo grinned at Shampoo's impatience, feeling it herself. "Yep! Meet you there tomorrow night."




Akane sat down on the fallen tree, setting her pack next to her. She was ten minutes early-- but she didn't mind. If she'd stayed any later, she'd have been at the house for dinner and her family would have stopped her from going out at night. She'd talked to Dr. Tofu a few hours after leaving Ukyo and Shampoo, and persuaded him to come along after telling him the whole story. Though reluctant, he'd agreed to come when Akane had begged him to, using that little-girl voice of hers. Akane grinned to herself, remembering how soft Dr. Tofu was when it came to children; and the man still thought of her as a child. A piece of her still resented the fact that he didn't see her as a woman, but she'd long left that part of her behind. She began to get restless, waiting for the others, so she got up and began to pace back and forth. On a whim, she glanced back towards the forest; and froze at what she saw, shock stopping her in her tracks.
"Well, well, well, sis. Where are you off to in such a hurry and without telling your family, too?" Nabiki's head was down and her eyes were in shadow, so Akane was unable to determine her sister's expression beyond the smirk that traced her lips.
Akane forced herself to relax and look completely inconspicuous. "Oh, I was feeling restless, and decided to take a walk before dinner."
Nabiki lifted her head, looking her sister squarely in the eye, letting Akane see that her eyes were no warmer than that smile. "With that pack?" she asked, pointing at the large camping backpack Akane had brought, arching an eyebrow.
Akane's eyes followed the direction of Nabiki's finger, and she swallowed. "Er . . . how did that get there? I have no clue what it might be. It's not mine.
Meanwhile Nabiki had walked towards the log, crouched down, and was reading something written on the pack. "Akane Tendo," she read aloud, and glanced up. "Or at least I think that's what it says. This embroidery's kind of hard to make out."
Akane's hands balled into fists in anger. "So I'm not good with my hands! So what?"
Nabiki straightened up again, giving Akane an almost friendly smile. "You're no good at lying. You just don't have the face for it, sis. So I'll ask you again; where are you going? No, wait; you don't have to answer me. I already know. You're going to find Ranma, aren't you?"
Akane swallowed, trying to gather her scattered wits enough to come up with a plausible reply. Then she drooped, a feeling of utter defeat washing through her. There was no way she'd be able to lie to Nabiki. So she'd tell her the truth, and Nabiki would stop her and take her home before she could leave, and Ranma would be trapped in that mountain thing forever. No, Ukyo and Shampoo would go on without her and get to him first . . . Akane closed her eyes. "Yeah. I'm going to find Ranma."
Nabiki crossed her arms across her chest. "I don't think you should go. Those trials sound dangerous, and all the women who have gone have either been found dead or almost dead."
Akane's temper began to flare. "Yeah, well, I'm not like other women, and I'll have Ukyo and Shampoo and Dr. Tofu with me-- hey, how'd you know where I was going?"
Nabiki waved a hand distractedly. "I have sources. Dr. Tofu is going too? Why is that?"
Akane watched her sister nervously. Sometimes she was actually a nice person, with a great sense of humor, but at other times, like this one, she was completely unnerving. "He knows things about the mountain that we don't. And he's a doctor; we may need him when we find Ranma. Or on the way to finding Ranma."
Nabiki nodded thoughtfully. "You may have a chance at succeeding. So, if you are set on going, I'm going with you." She flashed Akane a toothy smile, reminding Akane of a predator when it knows it has caught it's prey.
Akane shook her head firmly. "Absolutely not. You're not a martial artist, so you'd just be in the way. You're one person that we'll have to defend, so we'd have to watch over more than just ourselves. And the more people that come, the less chance we'll have of surprising--"
Nabiki interrupted smoothly and quietly, "Let me come, or I'll let everyone know about the picture."
Akane stopped short, her heart skipping a beat. Was Nabiki talking about that picture of Ranma asleep that Akane had kept all this time? Akane swallowed, her mind racing. Or maybe Nabiki had an even worse picture of her, a picture that would make the whole trip a living hell with all the teasing she'd get.
Nabiki watched Akane's reaction with dimly concealed amusement. She didn't really have a compromising picture of the girl; she'd never do that to her own sister. But most people, especially when dealing with Nabiki Tendo, had some sort of monster hiding in the closet that they don't want to share. As long as Akane believed that her sister had an embarrassing photo of her, Nabiki was quite safe.
Akane sighed, sinking down to sit on the fallen tree again. "You win, Nabiki. You can come. But you'll have to explain yourself to the others, not me."
Nabiki nodded with a much more sisterly smile, sitting down on the log next to Akane. "Deal. And I'm really not as helpless as you think. I am the equivalent of a black belt level in martial arts, you know. I had to learn some just by being our father's daughter. I just don't compare with all you martial arts jocks that have been coming recently. And I have other ways, too."
Akane nodded dully, putting her chin in her hands. Everything was turning out wrong already, and they hadn't even begun the trip. Something was going surely to happen to Nabiki, and although the girl could be cold and even cruel sometimes, she was still Akane's sister. So Akane would have to look out for her, using the valuable time and attention she needed to find Ranma. Maybe she could get Dr. Tofu to look out for her. Akane suddenly stood up, causing Nabiki to look at her with one raised eyebrow. "I have to go . . . I have to go collect Dr. Tofu. I told him I'd meet him and then we'd come up here together." Akane laughed, a tinny sound. "Stupid of me to forget, isn't it?"
Nabiki stood up as well. "If you're going, then I'm going to go make a few preparations myself. Let some people know I'm leaving, pack my bag, that sort of thing." Nabiki paused, and then called out as Akane turned to go, "Oh, and one more thing, Akane."
Akane turned back, curiously, and asked, "What now?"
One corner of Nabiki's mouth turned up in a kind of smirk. "Don't even think about gathering the others and slipping out of here without me. I have eyes everywhere. If I choose, not the slightest movement of yours will go unnoticed, not the tiniest lifting of your little finger. And if I hear about you leaving, I can follow you in an instant. And if I don't, I can make your life a living hell."
Akane swallowed, backed up a few steps, and then suddenly turned and fled the area. Once she was far enough away, she stopped, bending down and putting her hands on her knees, breathing heavily. She wondered, idly, if Nabiki could read minds; it certainly seemed like it at times. It was true, what she'd said; she did have to go get Dr. Tofu. But it was also true that she had been thinking of rounding up Ukyo and Shampoo and skipping out of there as fast as she could. It wasn't that she thought Nabiki would ruin their plans, it was just that . . . well, Akane was worried for her sister. She didn't want to put her in needless danger. At any rate, Akane thought to herself as she began walking again, I better get to Dr. Tofu's before he comes looking for me. And she continued towards his clinic.




Nabiki watched Akane flee the area with mixed emotions. It was true that she did get a rise out of scaring her little sister, but for once Nabiki was having a twinge of an unknown feeling in her chest. Guilt? No, Nabiki Tendo is known for being shameless. So what was it? Nabiki sighed and sank down onto the log, an unconscious imitation of Akane's behavior. Preparations . . . Preparations . . . Let's see, I'll have to inform my people where I'm going, so they can pass the word. Nabiki reached into her denim jacket and pulled out a small, black cellular phone. She dialed the number and then waited for the answer. One ring . . . Two . . . Three--
"Moshi moshi?"
"Ah, Hasano. Tendo-san here. I'm going to be leaving on a little . . . vacation . . ."




When Akane arrived at Dr. Tofu's office, she felt like leaving again at once. Outside his clinic, near the gate, were several patients cowering in near fear, one of them so urgent as to be on a stretcher. That there were this many patients waiting to be seen could only mean one thing; Akane strained to hear what was going on in the clinic, and she could faintly hear her eldest sister's voice saying, "Oh, you're so silly, Dr. Tofu!" Akane steeled herself, strode through the gates, and went through the door to the clinic.
Dr. Tofu was reverently holding a covered dish, and speaking raptly to the counter-top. "Kasumi, I can't tell you how much I appreciate this!"
Kasumi was standing off to one side, smiling benevolently. "You're very welcome, Dr. Tofu."
"No, really, it's too much! You have too much to do looking out for your household to spend time making me dinners!"
Kasumi tilted her head to the side, still smiling. "You say that every time, Dr. Tofu. Don't be silly! I know you're always so busy treating patients that you don't have time to fix yourself proper meals."
The couple was interrupted as Akane cleared her throat. "Kasumi, I need to talk to Dr. Tofu. Privately."
Dr. Tofu was still muttering something under his breath. "Yes, yes, privately, Kasumi. Hee!" The dish holding the dinner Kasumi had made for him suddenly began to crack under the pressure of his hands.
Kasumi looked puzzled. "Oh? Whatever for?"
Akane sighed, sagging a little. "It would take too long to explain, Kasumi, but I really can't talk to him intelligently while you're here."
"Heehee!"
Kasumi hesitated for a moment and then nodded reluctantly. "Well, alright, Akane. Make sure you're back in time for dinner in half hour!" And the young woman went quietly out the door after giving Dr. Tofu a small bow.
Dr. Tofu set the cracked dish down on the counter and then picked up the bony hand of Betsy, the skeleton. "Kasumi, thank you ever so much for this--"
Akane was losing her patience. "Dr. Tofu! Kasumi's not even here anymore; you can stop!"
Dr. Tofu turned and peered at Akane through the glare on his glasses. "Oh?"
Akane nodded, putting her hands on her hips. "Yes, oh. Look, we need to hurry and get out of here. Ranma could reach the mountain at any time; we need to get ourselves moving, now!"
Dr. Tofu cleared his throat and straightened up. "Yes, yes, of course. Sorry, Akane. I don't know what came over me. Just a moment, and I'll get my bag." And with that, the doctor disappeared though the door into the back room.
Akane sighed and flopped into one of the chairs set out for waiting patients. She was not having a very good day so far. Everything just seemed to be conspiring against her, what with Ranma's disappearance, Shampoo and Ukyo's involvement, the reminder of Dr. Tofu's feelings for Kasumi, and Nabiki's interference. It was all so unfair-- why couldn't she just go back to being a relatively normal high school student, with normal friends, and an (almost) normal family? It was all Ranma's fault; if he hadn't shown up, then all those people that tried to fight him or marry him wouldn't have shown up, and Nerima would just be a normal town. Akane began to feel something rising in her, and felt tears of frustration and tension begin to fill her eyes, threatening to spill over and down her cheeks. There was just too much going on, and all she wanted was to spend one day without any of these dumb interruptions.
"Akane? Oh my, what's wrong, Akane? Is it Ranma?"Kasumi was peering anxiously into her little sister's face, bent over slightly.
Akane stifled startled yelp and drew back away from Kasumi's face. "Eek! Don't sneak up on me like that, Kasumi!" She wiped away the angry tears as surreptitiously as she could. "There's nothing wrong. I'm just tired."
Kasumi didn't look convinced, but smiled anyway. "Oh, alright then. Well, I brought you some food to take with you on the trip."
"Oh, thank you, Kas--" Akane suddenly stopped short as she reached for the bag Kasumi was holding out to her. "My trip? How'd you find out about it?"
Kasumi smiled cheerfully. "I overheard you talking to Dr. Tofu about it. I hope you don't mind."
Akane blinked in surprise. She hadn't thought Kasumi was the eavesdropping type. "Oh, no . . . of course not. Um, thanks for the food, onéesan."
Kasumi inclined her head to one side. "You're most welcome, imootó. I have my own in my pack." The older girl gestured to the traveling pack on the doorstep, which Akane had not seen before.
Akane blinked again. "You're coming with us?"
"Yes."
"Oh . . ." It didn't really seem right to question Kasumi, so Akane struggled for a long time with her conscience before asking, " . . . Why?"
Kasumi laughed quietly. "You're so silly, Akane. You're going to need someone to cook and clean and tidy for all of you on the trip, aren't you?"
Akane took all of this in stride. It was Kasumi, after all. "Oh. Okay."
At that moment, Dr. Tofu came out of the doorway, took one look at Kasumi, turned, and walked into the wall. "Oh, Kasumi!" he said, his voice muffled by the slightly cracked wall. "You're still here!"
Kasumi nodded, smiling again. "Yes! I'm coming along with you all. Akane says it's alright, and you don't mind, do you?"
Dr. Tofu's eyes widened. "B-B-But it's going to be dangerous! You could get hurt!" Even through the lovesick haze he was in, he had some sense.
Kasumi took a step forward, handing Dr. Tofu a wrapped package like the one containing food that she had given to Akane. "Oh, don't be silly. There will be a lot of people there to protect me. It'll be fine. I can come, can't I?"
Dr. Tofu tried to escape the gaze of the young woman, a sweat drop appearing near his temple. After a few moments, his resolve crumbled beneath that smile and he gave up. "Of course you can, Kasumi." He reached out in order to place a hand on Kasumi's shoulder. "It'll be fun!"
Akane surreptitiously guided the poor, confused Dr. Tofu's hand from her shoulder to Kasumi's. "Okay . . . I think we should get going now." Before we pick up any more unwanted companions.




The five of them, Ukyo, Shampoo, Akane, Dr. Tofu, and Kasumi, regrouped at the meeting place, and settled down to wait for Nabiki. Ukyo and Shampoo were still angry about the two additions of Akane's sisters, but were at least sulking about it quietly now.
"Six is too much slower than four!" Shampoo had cried, in outrage. "We be so slow now, and never catch up to Ranma!"
Ukyo had felt compelled to her two cents worth. "Yeah, and Ranma's all by himself. And you know how far and fast her can run when he has reason!"
Akane had already tried to explain to them several times when Kasumi had taken over. "Come on, you two, the more the merrier, right?" And she had turned such a buoyant, sunny smile on the pair that their indignation crumbled like a cookie.
Now, they were all waiting and showing various signs of impatience. Kasumi was standing with her back to a tree, watching in cheerful amusement while Dr. Tofu proceeded to have an avid debate with a tree. Ukyo had unstrapped her spatula and was fidgeting nervously with it, her hazel eyes scanning the horizon restlessly. Shampoo was pacing back and forth, muttering under her breath in Chinese. Akane was smashing rocks, in the absence of handy cinder blocks.
"Hiiiiiiyah! Ooh, where is she? She told me she was going to be right back!" Akane wiped a bit of sweat from her brow and surveyed her destruction of the terrain, and was looking around for more suitable targets to hit when a movement caught her eye. "Nabiki! There you are!"
"Yes, yes, here I am. I'd say I was sorry to have taken so long, except that what I was doing was actually useful." Nabiki set down her pack, which looked considerably emptier than everyone else's.
Akane frowned at her older sister. "You're going to need more stuff than that. Because I'm not going to give you my stuff when you need it."
Nabiki waved a hand, negligently. "Oh, I've brought all that I'm going to need."
Akane raised an eyebrow, not convinced. "Oh? And where is it?"
For answer, Nabiki turned and called out, "Hey, come on up here! What's taking you so long!" Then, turning back, she muttered to herself, "Slowpoke."
Akane blinked and peered through the fading light at the figure that was approaching with growing horror. "Nabiki! You didn't!" she gasped, unable to tear her eyes from the sight that was staggering towards her.
"I did. He'll be useful when it comes to fighting, and hey, I need a bodyguard, like you said. He'll work quite nicely, and he makes a good packhorse."
"You hired Kuno to be your bodyguard?"
"Correction, my dear sister. I'd never pay anyone to be my bodyguard. I can take care of that myself. No, all I had to do was mention that the pig-tailed goddess was in trouble, and he was all but leaping to join us. You've got to admit it, Akane, he will be useful."
Kuno reached the rest of them, allowing the double load of gear slide from his back. He straightened, his back popping from the strain of having been bent beneath the weight of two people's supplies. "Akane Tendo . . . thou art as fair by night as you are by day. Your sister Nabiki has invited me to come along on your quest, and I could not help but join you, for I must protect such uninhibited beauty, such--"
"Stuff it, Kuno!" Akane shouted, ending his rhetoric with a fist in his face. "I am NOT in the mood for this!" And she stomped off into the woods a ways, from whence began to emanate various noises of destruction.
The rest of the group looked after her curiously. Shampoo stopped her pacing. "What get into dumb macho girl?"
Kasumi, with a slightly worried wrinkle marring her forehead, felt compelled to add, "Oh my."




Ranma wiped the sweat from his brow. This was turning out to be easier than he had thought. He had been expecting it to be at least a little challenging to get up the mountain in one piece, but he was spotting all the supposed trials before they could touch him, and was beating them before they knew what was hitting them. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of a cave, tired but very much alive and unharmed. He didn't know how, but he could tell that he was supposed to go into the cave. It didn't feel like any of the trials. No, he was fairly sure that the Hontoo no Shiryoku thing was in this cave somewhere. Ranma smiled, assuming a pose of combat readiness as he stepped over the threshold of stone into the cavern. "Here goes nothin'."




Two days; they'd spent two days on the road, and so far, Akane had managed not to kill anyone out of frustration. With the possible exception of Kuno, anyway; a fact that hadn't been determined yet. After numerous attempts to glomp onto Akane, Akane had finally just given him a series of kicks in several tender places. The boy was now lying on a litter which was being dragged by Dr. Tofu. Ah, Dr. Tofu; he had somehow managed to learn how to control the insanity that came upon him whenever he saw Kasumi. Oh, he still talked to the wrong people and even to things every time, but he had learned to carefully stay away from all objects, animate or inanimate, so he wouldn't cause any lasting damage to anything. They were setting camp right now, and Akane, as usual, was doing most of the work. Ukyo and Shampoo were arguing over who would get to cook dinner, Kasumi was cooking dinner while they argued, Dr. Tofu was happily talking to a bramble bush named Kasumi, Nabiki was chattering urgently over her cellular phone and trying to stay far enough away from Dr. Tofu so as not to be mistaken for her older sister, and Kuno . . . well, Kuno was still out cold.
Akane, after setting up the last of the tents, felt the ground begin to shiver, imperceptibly at first. Then the movement grew more and more pronounced, until the others stopped their various activities and had to sit down before they toppled over.
"Wha . . . What is that?" Ukyo wondered aloud, echoing everyone's thoughts.
They soon got their answer. Just before an explosion of light and sound and debris, all seven heard a distinctive yell. "Shi . . . Shi . . . HOKODAN!"




Ryoga sat, wrapped in a blanket, just inside one of the tents. He was sniffling. Akane, feeling rather sorry for the nice boy, had made him some soup which he had tried to eat, but the spoon had got stuck in the gunk that she had given him. So now Akane was examining the bowl and its contents, muttering aloud, "Where did I go wrong? What went wrong here?"
So Kasumi, ever the motherly soul, took over Ryoga's nursing. "How are you feeling, Ryoga? Perhaps you should get some rest. Whatever did you do to get so sick? I've never seen you with a cold before."
Ryoga sniffled again, sounding quite pitiful. "I wad oud ind dhe rwain."
Kasumi nodded sympathetically. "Well, you just get some sleep, alright? I'm sure you'll feel better in the morning."
Ryoga lifted his head. "Waid a midute. Where are all you people goind? All togedder like dhis?"
Kasumi smiled cheerfully. "We're going to find Ranma, who said something about finding a cure for his girl/boy curse."
Ryoga's eyes lit up a little. "Can I come alond?" A cure for the curse . . . too good to be true! But even if it's not true, it's a good excuse to be with Akane.
Kasumi tilted her head, puzzled. "Why should you want to come along, Ryoga? Surely you're not worried about Ranma."
Nabiki popped her head inside the tent before Ryoga could respond, her eyes sly. "Oh," she said flippantly. "I'm sure Ryoga has his reasons. Don't you, R-chan?" She flashed him what could only be called a smirk, and then left the tent again. Ryoga grinned nervously-- that was cutting just a little bit close to his ulterior motive for his comfort.
Kasumi smiled at him. "Well, I'm sure no one will mind. But get some sleep, you look just exhausted." She stood up gracefully and slipped out, letting fall the tent flap behind her.
Ryoga tossed and turned for a long time, unable to get himself comfortable. Finally, he just lay on his back and listened to the sounds of the people outside near the fire. He did a bit of fantasizing about Akane, but for some reason, Akane had long hair again. I think I liked her better with long hair, he mused, staring up at the ceiling. After a while, his eyes closed and his breathing slowed into the regular rhythm of someone asleep.




Ukyo glanced back at the darkened tent occupied by Ryoga for about the fiftieth time that night. She felt awful for him; after all, although the nice boy hadn't said a word, it was Ukyo's fault that he was so sick, for sending him out in the rain in the middle of the night like that. Kasumi caught her glancing backwards and slipped up to the girl. "If you want to wish him to get well, why don't you go in and talk to him for a while?"
Ukyo blinked, and then nodded. "Alright. I can apologize." She got up and slipped away from the rest of the camp without anyone noticing, and went through the doorway of the tent, letting the flap fall shut behind her. "Hey . . . Ryoga? You awake?"
There was no answer. Ryoga was on his back, the cold compress Kasumi had given him having slid off onto the pillow. He didn't look too sick, beyond a slightly runny nose. But maybe Ryoga wasn't used to having a cold.
Ukyo cleared her throat and tried again. "Um, hello? Ryoga? Are you sleeping?" There was still no answer, so Ukyo decided that he must have indeed fallen asleep. Even so, she continued talking. Even if he couldn't hear her, it made her feel better in a strange way. "Well, I just wanted to say, well, sorry. Yeah. For making you go out in the rain like that. Well, um, I guess that's it . . ." Ukyo started to leave, but glanced behind her. She stayed that way for a while, debating something in her mind, and finally reached out, picked up the compress, and replaced it on his forehead. "Um, yeah. Bye now." And she darted out of the tent as if she had a herd of wild horses behind her.
Ryoga watched her leave through lowered eyelashes, his thoughts in a turmoil.




The Eye of the Beholder, by Tori-chan: email me at saezuru@hotmail.com