Ranma 1/2: New Challenges
Transistions Part 2
Understandings
Akane walked to school that morning, her mind full of the life-
changing events of the past few weeks.
And that was the crux: life-changing. But were they really? Or
would life go on unchanged? Her life had almost changed yesterday. If
all had gone according to her father's plan, she would have been Ranma's
wife. She smiled inwardly at that. A year ago that concept would've been
unthinkable, but now, she could see it happening.
She looked to her right to see Ranma, not on the fence, but
walking beside her. And what was going through his mind? He hadn't said
anything to her since the wedding, and during the event he said she was
beautiful. In Jusendo, he said he loved her... hadn't he? No, she knew
she had heard those words. True, Ranma never actually denied it, but
neither did he confirm it. If he did say it once, why couldn't he say it
again?
Ranma was lost in his own thoughts. He was scared, not of any
monsters or enemies, but of his own feelings. He looked at his hands and
recalled that time not too long ago, when Akane lay in these very same
hands, seemingly lifeless. For the second time, he thought she was
dea... gone.
He remembered how a part of him inside died, a part he never
knew he had. In that instant, all his buried feelings, that he had tried
so hard to suppress, had come to the forefront. He could remember the
longing he felt, the desire to give up anything if she would just...
come back to him. Why had it hurt so much to know she was gone?
Then he had said those three little words. At least, he thought
he did. Akane said she heard them, but his mind told him that he only
said the words in his head, that's as far as they got. So how had Akane
heard him? Had she read his mind?
He looked over at her and wondered if she could read his mind
now. If she could, she gave no sign. The familiar ache in his heart
returned as he admired the beauty he had tried so hard to deny. She
wasn't cute, no, she was absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful.
He so wanted to tell her how he felt, but part of his mind
argued back with so many reasons why he should not. Ucchan, Shampoo, and
Kodachi were three of them. If he declared his love for Akane, she might
be hurt or killed with the jealous rage from just one of them. Shoot,
they had almost done that with the wedding.
And it was almost certain he would be married soon afterward.
He wasn't ready to be a husband, but he didn't want Akane out of his
life either.
Also, what if she didn't return his feelings?
"Ranma?" Akane asked.
"Yeah?"
"Do you want to talk?"
Ranma was silent for a few moments. "What about?"
"You know, about the wedding?"
"What's to talk about," he replied. "I..."
"SAOTOME!" came the call of the Kuno. "The Blue Thunder has
thwarted your foul scheme to marry the beautacious Tendo Akane. Never
shall she be yours! For mine power is the righteousness of heaven which
shall ever triumph over thy evil sorcery." He turned his attention to
Akane. "As for you, my love, I will save you and then you shall become
my bride! Saotome, have at you!"
Akane was upset; the moment was ruined. It always seemed to
happen. Whenever they started to have a conversation about their
relationship, something interrupted. She was about to attack the idiot
by herself, when Kuno struck.
Ranma reached out and grabbed the bokken in mid thrust. Kuno
blinked as the weapon was yanked out of his hands, then watched as Ranma
snapped it in two with his hands. He dropped it, then took three seconds
to grind Kuno into paste.
The couple stepped around him and continued on their way as
Ukyo approched
them.
"Hey Ranchan!" she called. "That was a close one yesterday. I'm
sorry I didn't get there sooner." She glomped onto him, much to Akane's
dismay, then attempted to take it one step farther by kissing him.
Ranma, knowing what the reaction from Akane would be if Ukyo
succeeded, stopped her. He then disengaged himself from her grip and
took a step back. "Not now, Ukyo." Sensing, more than seeing, the scowl
cross Akane's face, he knew that came out wrong. "I mean, I've got a lot
on mind. As for yesterday, you really surprised me. A lot of people
could have been hurt by what you and Shampoo did yesterday. I'm not real
upset since nobody did and you're my friend, but..." He shrugged and
shook his head.
"It just seems nobody listens ta me or asks what I want." He
turned his back and resumed the walk toward school with Akane.
Akane decided their talk could wait. She had seen the hurt look
on Ukyo's face, but she was still angry at the chef's role in her
destroyed wedding. Ranma didn't seem as upset, merely a bit dismayed and
preoccupied.
They entered their classroom and sat down in silence. Akane's
two closest friends, Yuka and Sayuri, started chatting with her, but she
could see Ranma sitting alone. It seemed no one wanted to get close to
him at the moment.
The school bell rang and the students went home. For Ranma and
Akane, it was another trip in silence, with the exception of Shampoo
bicycling in. For once, Ranma stepped aside so the bike missed him, then
dodged the Amazon glomp.
He was still a little angry about Shampoo's role in the whole
Jusendo affair. He knew it wasn't really her fault, since she was under
the egg spell. But he could still recall her holding Akane's doll body
in her hand, and threatening to kill Akane unless he had sex with her.
It still seemed too much like Shampoo to be completely the egg spell's
fault. Ranma could remember a few other incidents where Shampoo had
threatened Akane's life, and the old `Obstacles is for killing' rang in
his head.
"Shampoo, I'm only gonna say this once," he said, putting one
hand up to keep the Amazon away. " I'm sick and tired of your little
games. I ain't your husband, fiance or anything else. I don't wanna to
fight you, but I ain't ever gonna marry you." He turned to the only girl
he considered his iinazuke. "Come on, Akane. Let's go home."
Akane glanced back once with pity and sadness on her face, then
ran to catch up
to her fiance.
As they walked away, Shampoo's angry voice rang out from behind
them, a tinge of fear mixed in. "It no matter what Ranma say. Shampoo
love you and Amazon law say we must marry!"
When Akane arrived home, she went straight up to Nabiki's room
and knocked. After receving permission, she entered and her older sister
swiveled around in her chair to face her.
"Well now, what can I do for you, Akane?" Nabiki asked, her face
betraying no emotion.
Akane grinned. "I'm here to discuss payment."
Nabiki frowned slightly. "I don't believe you owe me
anything..."
"Oh no, I'm not talking about me owing you," she said. "You owe
me."
"For what?" Nabiki had a suspicion of what this was about, and
feared it.
"You destroyed my wedding," Akane said simply, then waved for
her sister to be quiet when she tried to speak. "You knew what was going
to happen when you sent out all of those invitations. Yet you did
anyway, just because you wanted the money and gifts." Her eyes narrowed.
"I'm disappointed in you."
Nabiki looked unimpressed as she defended her actions. "But I
thought you didn't like him? And he doesn't like you. Even if he did,
you deserve better..."
Akane's angry voice cut her off. "That still doesn't excuse
what you did! If I had wanted it stopped, I could've done it myself!"
Nabiki blinked at her sisters outburst. She only had some
inkling of the way the two fiancees felt about each other, but to hear
Akane say this. "I knew daddy was bribing you with the nannichaun water
for Ranma and..." She paused as she realized the implications. "You were
doing it for Ranma. You were willing to marry him to cure the curse he
hates."
Akane turned to look out the window. "I... I know he love me,"
she said quietly. "But the suddenness of the situation must have scared
him away."
Nabiki inwardly sighed. The twinge inside her had returned
during the conversation. She knew most people called that particular
twinge a concience, though she considered it a nuisance. It tended to
get on the way of money-making opportunities. She had found out, though,
that she could make it go away if she did something nice. At least a
very little something nice.
"Fine," Nabiki said at last. "I won't interfere in our next
wedding unless it's what you want. Happy?"
Akane turned back around, a small smile on her face. "Thanks,
but I believe you still owe me. After all, it wasn't your wedding,
therefore it wasn't your wedding gift money. Unless you want to pay back
everybody who showed up..."
Nabiki inwardly grimaced. "I... suppose I could, ah, help you
out some with Ranma."
Akane's smiled widened. "Thanks, oneechan. I knew you had it in
you."
The middle Tendo shrugged. "Well, you're the only one." She
turned around in her chair to face her desk and the ledgers laid out
upon it. "Now get out of here, I've got work to do."
Akane had an irresistible impulse and wrapped her arms around
her older sister. When Nabiki started to protest, Akane let her go and
left the room
Nabiki gazed at her closed door. "I hope this wasn't a
mistake." She felt the twinge rumble and she looked down.
"And you can go away, I'm doing something nice, already!"
As the week passed, Akane became more and more concerned about
Ranma. He seemed to be acting more strangely as the days went by. He
rarely said much, and his sparring sessions with his father were short,
meaning his father ended up in the pond, beaten up pretty bad every
morning. After awhile, Genma stopped challenging his son. Even Nodoka
was at a loss on what to do.
Akane was beginning to doubt that Ranma loved her at all, when
it happened. Ranma came home late Saturday while Akane was sitting on a
rock by the koi pond. She looked up as Ranma approached her on all
fours.
"Meowr?"
Akane sighed. "Here kitty, kitty! Come here kitty!" Ranma
happily bounded over to her and plopped onto her lap. Akane began to
stroke her neko-fiance's head. "What happened to you, hmm? I guess I'll
never know." Ranma simply purred contentedly. "Why can't you just tell
me what's on your mind? I... suppose a small part of it is my fault.
Neither of us is very good with words, so the moment our relationship
comes up, we always end up figthing. It's no wonder you won't talk to
me." She smiled. "Well, at least I know you do still like me." A part
knew that he really did show his true feelings while he was in this
nekofied state.
Ranma suddenly hissed and jumped off her lap. "Ranma? What's
wrong?" She turned around to see Ranma's parents behind her. Genma
looked afraid and Nodoka was shocked.
"Wh-what's wrong with our son?" she gasped as Ranma hissed and
swiped at them, forcing them back.
"Auntie Saotome!" Akane called. "Just back up slowly and he
won't hurt you. As for what's wrong with him, you can ask the man next
to you."
She turned. "Genma? Would you care to explain this?"
Genam visibly sweated. "Well, you see No-chan, I..." He
swallowed and Akane sighed.
"He tried to train him in a technique called the Nekoken," Akane
explained. Then she went on to explain the particulars of the training
and Ranma's current condition. She also mentioned how he didn't fully
read the manual. Nodoka looked shocked, then turned to her husband with
a vexed look on her face. It was the same type of vexed look one would
find on Kasumi if she got mad enough.
Genma was trying to sneak away but... *SHING* (for any who
don't know, that's the sound of a rapidly drawn katana). "We are going
upstairs right now, Anata, and we are going to have a nice long chat."
He hung his head in defeat. "Yes, dear."
She turned to Akane. "Will he be alright?" She gestured to the
pacing Ranma.
Akane nodded. "He'll come out of it, just leave him to me. It's
probably best you leave right now anyway."
Nodoka nodded and dragged her husband off. Akane sat down again
and coaxed Ranma back to her lap. He soon fell asleep to Akane's
soothing voice and her hand on his head. What can I do? she asked
herself. There must be something I can do to help you. You don't talk
to anyone much anymore. You've always kept pretty much to yourself
before, but now... She cocked her head. It's too bad Ryoga isn't here.
You seem like you need a good friend and you won't talk to me...
That's when she got her answer. Part of her didn't like the
idea, but she knew it had to be done.
She gently scooped up her sleeping fiance and carried him to
his room. She set him down on his futon, then headed out into the night
for a restaurant named Ucchans.
"Hey, I thought I'd find you up here," Akane said as she landed
on the roof.
Ranma was already laying up there, staring at the night sky. It
had been a week since Akane had her talk with Ukyo, and now she had to
get Ranma to talk to his old friend. He wouldn't admit it, but she knew
he missed Ukyo.
The week had been a quiet one, with the exception of a visit
from Kodachi. She had tried to sneak into Ranma's room, but he sensed
she was there and the meeting went similiar to Shampoo's. Only Kodachi
didn't look angry, merely a bit confused. She left, saying she would
return to prove herself to him. Akane watched the whole thing from a
crack in the door, then left as well. Ranma never knew she was there.
"Hiya," Ranma said as Akane sat down beside him. "Ya know I
always liked lookin' at the stars. No matter where me and pop were, the
stars were always there. They were one of the few reliable things in my
life.
This was one of the few moments Ranma really opened up to her
and she treasured it. She hoped he would say more, but when was silent
for awhile, Akane got up the courage to speak. "Ranma? What's wrong? You
haven't been yourself these past week. You're family's worried about
you." Her voice dropped to almost a whisper. "I-I'm worried about you."
A minor blush covered her cheeks.
When he didn't respond right away, she thought he was ignoring
her. Then he sighed. "Akane... I don't even know where to begin. I used
to understand things, but now..." He shook his head. "Just so many
things have happened recently. So many people I thought I could
trust..." he trailed off helplessly.
How can I say it? Ranma asked himself. How can I tell her of
all the people who betrayed me? Shampoo and Ukyo are just two of them.
From the destruction of my momma's house, to Jusendo and the egg spell,
to the wedding that nobody asked me if I wanted... He sighed.
Everybody expects me to do something for them, and nobody asks me. And
I... I want Akane, but does she want me? Nabiki told me Tendo-san bribed
Akane with the Nanniichaun water, so does that mean she really didn't
want to marry me?
Akane furrowed her brow, trying to understand what he was
talking about. "Ranma, you can talk to me, if you like. I know I haven't
exactly been the easiest person to talk to, but I want to understand, I
want help if I can. At least as my way of apologizing for trying to
force you to marry me..."
Ranma shook his head and looked at her, anger in his eyes,
though Akane thought she saw some confusion and longing as well. "Is
that all? You're bein' nice just `cuz you feel guilty? Well, I don't
need your sympathy!"
"You insensitive baka!" she spat out. "I'm not doing this
because I feel guilty!" , then covered her mouth. "Sorry, I-I didn't
mean that." She looked down, touching the tips of her forefingers
together. "And I just, sorta... you know, careaboutyou." She could feel
her cheeks were burning and her heartbeat was threatening to burst out
of her chest. There, I did it.
Ranma froze, the sound of silence deafening in the cool night
air. With the exception of the occaisonal cricket sounds and his own
heart which had decided to speed up it's pacing. He slowly turned to
look at her. "Y-you do?"
Akane nodded her head, still unable to meet his gaze.
Ranma gulped. "Oh."
Akane frowned. That was not really the response she had what
she had wanted to hear. Her head came up. "Well!?"
"Well what?" Ranma asked nervously, but he knew that she knew
that he knew what she meant. He suddenly found his hands in his lap very
interesting. "Well, I guess I kinda, sorta, careaboutyou, too."
Relief and happiness flooded Akane's heart. "Ranma..." She
squeezed his hand.
The contact made Ranma's head swim and he managed to send her a
small smile. She released his hand then and returned her gaze to the
stars, somehow knowing that she shouldn't push anymore at the moment.
I guess this is a good start, she thought. For now.
The two emotionally charged teens returned to stargazing for
the next several minutes. Neither one speaking as they each tried to
deal with their feelings, and not quite succeeding.
Shevling the emotions for the moment, Akane remembered the main
reason she came up on the roof. "Well, in the meantime, you need to talk
to Ukyo. You should go see her."
The comment caught Ranma off-guard. "You're not jealous?" he
asked, amused and surprised.
"Yes! No! I don't know." She looked down. "Well, maybe a
little." She looked back up at him. "But... It's the right thing to do.
She's hurting and you can help her."
Ranma sighed. "I suppose so." He stood up slowly. "I guess I
should get going then."
She stood up, too, sighing. "Okay."
Akane met Ranma's gaze and they spent a few moments looking
into each other's eyes, trying to figure out what was behind them.
Greatly daring, Akane wrapped her arms around him and gave him a short
hug. When she released him, Ranma had a small smile on his face. Then he
was gone, bounding across the rooftops.
Akane watched him go, then jumped to the ground to get ready
for bed.
Nabiki took her earphones off and smiled. Well, what do you
know... Maybe he has feeling for my little sis after all. I'll have to
see how this situation develops.
---------------------------------------------
Author's notes:
I don't think Ranma and Akane are too OOC here, since it's clear they
both love each other by the end of the manga, and each one can't live
without the other. At the end of the Herb saga, Akane hugs Ranma. Right
after that comes Ryuganzawa, where Ranma holds Akane's hand. Form then
on, they seem more free to hold hands or hug, and they seem to get along
better. Well, except for the start of the Bust Battle episode, when
Ranma's inability to understand (and to speak tactfully) caused some
more fights between them.
All in all, it's easy to see them go from tentative friends, to best
friends, to people who can't live without each other, yet are willing to
submerge their own feelings and desires if it means the other will be
happy.
Transistions Part 2
Understandings
Akane walked to school that morning, her mind full of the life-
changing events of the past few weeks.
And that was the crux: life-changing. But were they really? Or
would life go on unchanged? Her life had almost changed yesterday. If
all had gone according to her father's plan, she would have been Ranma's
wife. She smiled inwardly at that. A year ago that concept would've been
unthinkable, but now, she could see it happening.
She looked to her right to see Ranma, not on the fence, but
walking beside her. And what was going through his mind? He hadn't said
anything to her since the wedding, and during the event he said she was
beautiful. In Jusendo, he said he loved her... hadn't he? No, she knew
she had heard those words. True, Ranma never actually denied it, but
neither did he confirm it. If he did say it once, why couldn't he say it
again?
Ranma was lost in his own thoughts. He was scared, not of any
monsters or enemies, but of his own feelings. He looked at his hands and
recalled that time not too long ago, when Akane lay in these very same
hands, seemingly lifeless. For the second time, he thought she was
dea... gone.
He remembered how a part of him inside died, a part he never
knew he had. In that instant, all his buried feelings, that he had tried
so hard to suppress, had come to the forefront. He could remember the
longing he felt, the desire to give up anything if she would just...
come back to him. Why had it hurt so much to know she was gone?
Then he had said those three little words. At least, he thought
he did. Akane said she heard them, but his mind told him that he only
said the words in his head, that's as far as they got. So how had Akane
heard him? Had she read his mind?
He looked over at her and wondered if she could read his mind
now. If she could, she gave no sign. The familiar ache in his heart
returned as he admired the beauty he had tried so hard to deny. She
wasn't cute, no, she was absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful.
He so wanted to tell her how he felt, but part of his mind
argued back with so many reasons why he should not. Ucchan, Shampoo, and
Kodachi were three of them. If he declared his love for Akane, she might
be hurt or killed with the jealous rage from just one of them. Shoot,
they had almost done that with the wedding.
And it was almost certain he would be married soon afterward.
He wasn't ready to be a husband, but he didn't want Akane out of his
life either.
Also, what if she didn't return his feelings?
"Ranma?" Akane asked.
"Yeah?"
"Do you want to talk?"
Ranma was silent for a few moments. "What about?"
"You know, about the wedding?"
"What's to talk about," he replied. "I..."
"SAOTOME!" came the call of the Kuno. "The Blue Thunder has
thwarted your foul scheme to marry the beautacious Tendo Akane. Never
shall she be yours! For mine power is the righteousness of heaven which
shall ever triumph over thy evil sorcery." He turned his attention to
Akane. "As for you, my love, I will save you and then you shall become
my bride! Saotome, have at you!"
Akane was upset; the moment was ruined. It always seemed to
happen. Whenever they started to have a conversation about their
relationship, something interrupted. She was about to attack the idiot
by herself, when Kuno struck.
Ranma reached out and grabbed the bokken in mid thrust. Kuno
blinked as the weapon was yanked out of his hands, then watched as Ranma
snapped it in two with his hands. He dropped it, then took three seconds
to grind Kuno into paste.
The couple stepped around him and continued on their way as
Ukyo approched
them.
"Hey Ranchan!" she called. "That was a close one yesterday. I'm
sorry I didn't get there sooner." She glomped onto him, much to Akane's
dismay, then attempted to take it one step farther by kissing him.
Ranma, knowing what the reaction from Akane would be if Ukyo
succeeded, stopped her. He then disengaged himself from her grip and
took a step back. "Not now, Ukyo." Sensing, more than seeing, the scowl
cross Akane's face, he knew that came out wrong. "I mean, I've got a lot
on mind. As for yesterday, you really surprised me. A lot of people
could have been hurt by what you and Shampoo did yesterday. I'm not real
upset since nobody did and you're my friend, but..." He shrugged and
shook his head.
"It just seems nobody listens ta me or asks what I want." He
turned his back and resumed the walk toward school with Akane.
Akane decided their talk could wait. She had seen the hurt look
on Ukyo's face, but she was still angry at the chef's role in her
destroyed wedding. Ranma didn't seem as upset, merely a bit dismayed and
preoccupied.
They entered their classroom and sat down in silence. Akane's
two closest friends, Yuka and Sayuri, started chatting with her, but she
could see Ranma sitting alone. It seemed no one wanted to get close to
him at the moment.
The school bell rang and the students went home. For Ranma and
Akane, it was another trip in silence, with the exception of Shampoo
bicycling in. For once, Ranma stepped aside so the bike missed him, then
dodged the Amazon glomp.
He was still a little angry about Shampoo's role in the whole
Jusendo affair. He knew it wasn't really her fault, since she was under
the egg spell. But he could still recall her holding Akane's doll body
in her hand, and threatening to kill Akane unless he had sex with her.
It still seemed too much like Shampoo to be completely the egg spell's
fault. Ranma could remember a few other incidents where Shampoo had
threatened Akane's life, and the old `Obstacles is for killing' rang in
his head.
"Shampoo, I'm only gonna say this once," he said, putting one
hand up to keep the Amazon away. " I'm sick and tired of your little
games. I ain't your husband, fiance or anything else. I don't wanna to
fight you, but I ain't ever gonna marry you." He turned to the only girl
he considered his iinazuke. "Come on, Akane. Let's go home."
Akane glanced back once with pity and sadness on her face, then
ran to catch up
to her fiance.
As they walked away, Shampoo's angry voice rang out from behind
them, a tinge of fear mixed in. "It no matter what Ranma say. Shampoo
love you and Amazon law say we must marry!"
When Akane arrived home, she went straight up to Nabiki's room
and knocked. After receving permission, she entered and her older sister
swiveled around in her chair to face her.
"Well now, what can I do for you, Akane?" Nabiki asked, her face
betraying no emotion.
Akane grinned. "I'm here to discuss payment."
Nabiki frowned slightly. "I don't believe you owe me
anything..."
"Oh no, I'm not talking about me owing you," she said. "You owe
me."
"For what?" Nabiki had a suspicion of what this was about, and
feared it.
"You destroyed my wedding," Akane said simply, then waved for
her sister to be quiet when she tried to speak. "You knew what was going
to happen when you sent out all of those invitations. Yet you did
anyway, just because you wanted the money and gifts." Her eyes narrowed.
"I'm disappointed in you."
Nabiki looked unimpressed as she defended her actions. "But I
thought you didn't like him? And he doesn't like you. Even if he did,
you deserve better..."
Akane's angry voice cut her off. "That still doesn't excuse
what you did! If I had wanted it stopped, I could've done it myself!"
Nabiki blinked at her sisters outburst. She only had some
inkling of the way the two fiancees felt about each other, but to hear
Akane say this. "I knew daddy was bribing you with the nannichaun water
for Ranma and..." She paused as she realized the implications. "You were
doing it for Ranma. You were willing to marry him to cure the curse he
hates."
Akane turned to look out the window. "I... I know he love me,"
she said quietly. "But the suddenness of the situation must have scared
him away."
Nabiki inwardly sighed. The twinge inside her had returned
during the conversation. She knew most people called that particular
twinge a concience, though she considered it a nuisance. It tended to
get on the way of money-making opportunities. She had found out, though,
that she could make it go away if she did something nice. At least a
very little something nice.
"Fine," Nabiki said at last. "I won't interfere in our next
wedding unless it's what you want. Happy?"
Akane turned back around, a small smile on her face. "Thanks,
but I believe you still owe me. After all, it wasn't your wedding,
therefore it wasn't your wedding gift money. Unless you want to pay back
everybody who showed up..."
Nabiki inwardly grimaced. "I... suppose I could, ah, help you
out some with Ranma."
Akane's smiled widened. "Thanks, oneechan. I knew you had it in
you."
The middle Tendo shrugged. "Well, you're the only one." She
turned around in her chair to face her desk and the ledgers laid out
upon it. "Now get out of here, I've got work to do."
Akane had an irresistible impulse and wrapped her arms around
her older sister. When Nabiki started to protest, Akane let her go and
left the room
Nabiki gazed at her closed door. "I hope this wasn't a
mistake." She felt the twinge rumble and she looked down.
"And you can go away, I'm doing something nice, already!"
As the week passed, Akane became more and more concerned about
Ranma. He seemed to be acting more strangely as the days went by. He
rarely said much, and his sparring sessions with his father were short,
meaning his father ended up in the pond, beaten up pretty bad every
morning. After awhile, Genma stopped challenging his son. Even Nodoka
was at a loss on what to do.
Akane was beginning to doubt that Ranma loved her at all, when
it happened. Ranma came home late Saturday while Akane was sitting on a
rock by the koi pond. She looked up as Ranma approached her on all
fours.
"Meowr?"
Akane sighed. "Here kitty, kitty! Come here kitty!" Ranma
happily bounded over to her and plopped onto her lap. Akane began to
stroke her neko-fiance's head. "What happened to you, hmm? I guess I'll
never know." Ranma simply purred contentedly. "Why can't you just tell
me what's on your mind? I... suppose a small part of it is my fault.
Neither of us is very good with words, so the moment our relationship
comes up, we always end up figthing. It's no wonder you won't talk to
me." She smiled. "Well, at least I know you do still like me." A part
knew that he really did show his true feelings while he was in this
nekofied state.
Ranma suddenly hissed and jumped off her lap. "Ranma? What's
wrong?" She turned around to see Ranma's parents behind her. Genma
looked afraid and Nodoka was shocked.
"Wh-what's wrong with our son?" she gasped as Ranma hissed and
swiped at them, forcing them back.
"Auntie Saotome!" Akane called. "Just back up slowly and he
won't hurt you. As for what's wrong with him, you can ask the man next
to you."
She turned. "Genma? Would you care to explain this?"
Genam visibly sweated. "Well, you see No-chan, I..." He
swallowed and Akane sighed.
"He tried to train him in a technique called the Nekoken," Akane
explained. Then she went on to explain the particulars of the training
and Ranma's current condition. She also mentioned how he didn't fully
read the manual. Nodoka looked shocked, then turned to her husband with
a vexed look on her face. It was the same type of vexed look one would
find on Kasumi if she got mad enough.
Genma was trying to sneak away but... *SHING* (for any who
don't know, that's the sound of a rapidly drawn katana). "We are going
upstairs right now, Anata, and we are going to have a nice long chat."
He hung his head in defeat. "Yes, dear."
She turned to Akane. "Will he be alright?" She gestured to the
pacing Ranma.
Akane nodded. "He'll come out of it, just leave him to me. It's
probably best you leave right now anyway."
Nodoka nodded and dragged her husband off. Akane sat down again
and coaxed Ranma back to her lap. He soon fell asleep to Akane's
soothing voice and her hand on his head. What can I do? she asked
herself. There must be something I can do to help you. You don't talk
to anyone much anymore. You've always kept pretty much to yourself
before, but now... She cocked her head. It's too bad Ryoga isn't here.
You seem like you need a good friend and you won't talk to me...
That's when she got her answer. Part of her didn't like the
idea, but she knew it had to be done.
She gently scooped up her sleeping fiance and carried him to
his room. She set him down on his futon, then headed out into the night
for a restaurant named Ucchans.
"Hey, I thought I'd find you up here," Akane said as she landed
on the roof.
Ranma was already laying up there, staring at the night sky. It
had been a week since Akane had her talk with Ukyo, and now she had to
get Ranma to talk to his old friend. He wouldn't admit it, but she knew
he missed Ukyo.
The week had been a quiet one, with the exception of a visit
from Kodachi. She had tried to sneak into Ranma's room, but he sensed
she was there and the meeting went similiar to Shampoo's. Only Kodachi
didn't look angry, merely a bit confused. She left, saying she would
return to prove herself to him. Akane watched the whole thing from a
crack in the door, then left as well. Ranma never knew she was there.
"Hiya," Ranma said as Akane sat down beside him. "Ya know I
always liked lookin' at the stars. No matter where me and pop were, the
stars were always there. They were one of the few reliable things in my
life.
This was one of the few moments Ranma really opened up to her
and she treasured it. She hoped he would say more, but when was silent
for awhile, Akane got up the courage to speak. "Ranma? What's wrong? You
haven't been yourself these past week. You're family's worried about
you." Her voice dropped to almost a whisper. "I-I'm worried about you."
A minor blush covered her cheeks.
When he didn't respond right away, she thought he was ignoring
her. Then he sighed. "Akane... I don't even know where to begin. I used
to understand things, but now..." He shook his head. "Just so many
things have happened recently. So many people I thought I could
trust..." he trailed off helplessly.
How can I say it? Ranma asked himself. How can I tell her of
all the people who betrayed me? Shampoo and Ukyo are just two of them.
From the destruction of my momma's house, to Jusendo and the egg spell,
to the wedding that nobody asked me if I wanted... He sighed.
Everybody expects me to do something for them, and nobody asks me. And
I... I want Akane, but does she want me? Nabiki told me Tendo-san bribed
Akane with the Nanniichaun water, so does that mean she really didn't
want to marry me?
Akane furrowed her brow, trying to understand what he was
talking about. "Ranma, you can talk to me, if you like. I know I haven't
exactly been the easiest person to talk to, but I want to understand, I
want help if I can. At least as my way of apologizing for trying to
force you to marry me..."
Ranma shook his head and looked at her, anger in his eyes,
though Akane thought she saw some confusion and longing as well. "Is
that all? You're bein' nice just `cuz you feel guilty? Well, I don't
need your sympathy!"
"You insensitive baka!" she spat out. "I'm not doing this
because I feel guilty!" , then covered her mouth. "Sorry, I-I didn't
mean that." She looked down, touching the tips of her forefingers
together. "And I just, sorta... you know, careaboutyou." She could feel
her cheeks were burning and her heartbeat was threatening to burst out
of her chest. There, I did it.
Ranma froze, the sound of silence deafening in the cool night
air. With the exception of the occaisonal cricket sounds and his own
heart which had decided to speed up it's pacing. He slowly turned to
look at her. "Y-you do?"
Akane nodded her head, still unable to meet his gaze.
Ranma gulped. "Oh."
Akane frowned. That was not really the response she had what
she had wanted to hear. Her head came up. "Well!?"
"Well what?" Ranma asked nervously, but he knew that she knew
that he knew what she meant. He suddenly found his hands in his lap very
interesting. "Well, I guess I kinda, sorta, careaboutyou, too."
Relief and happiness flooded Akane's heart. "Ranma..." She
squeezed his hand.
The contact made Ranma's head swim and he managed to send her a
small smile. She released his hand then and returned her gaze to the
stars, somehow knowing that she shouldn't push anymore at the moment.
I guess this is a good start, she thought. For now.
The two emotionally charged teens returned to stargazing for
the next several minutes. Neither one speaking as they each tried to
deal with their feelings, and not quite succeeding.
Shevling the emotions for the moment, Akane remembered the main
reason she came up on the roof. "Well, in the meantime, you need to talk
to Ukyo. You should go see her."
The comment caught Ranma off-guard. "You're not jealous?" he
asked, amused and surprised.
"Yes! No! I don't know." She looked down. "Well, maybe a
little." She looked back up at him. "But... It's the right thing to do.
She's hurting and you can help her."
Ranma sighed. "I suppose so." He stood up slowly. "I guess I
should get going then."
She stood up, too, sighing. "Okay."
Akane met Ranma's gaze and they spent a few moments looking
into each other's eyes, trying to figure out what was behind them.
Greatly daring, Akane wrapped her arms around him and gave him a short
hug. When she released him, Ranma had a small smile on his face. Then he
was gone, bounding across the rooftops.
Akane watched him go, then jumped to the ground to get ready
for bed.
Nabiki took her earphones off and smiled. Well, what do you
know... Maybe he has feeling for my little sis after all. I'll have to
see how this situation develops.
---------------------------------------------
Author's notes:
I don't think Ranma and Akane are too OOC here, since it's clear they
both love each other by the end of the manga, and each one can't live
without the other. At the end of the Herb saga, Akane hugs Ranma. Right
after that comes Ryuganzawa, where Ranma holds Akane's hand. Form then
on, they seem more free to hold hands or hug, and they seem to get along
better. Well, except for the start of the Bust Battle episode, when
Ranma's inability to understand (and to speak tactfully) caused some
more fights between them.
All in all, it's easy to see them go from tentative friends, to best
friends, to people who can't live without each other, yet are willing to
submerge their own feelings and desires if it means the other will be
happy.