Organizer's Note: WFROSE, I must offer my apologies. Time and life got away from me, and I forgot to post your fic. It's probably too late now for it to make a decent run, but I'll post it in such an effort anyway. Good luck, my friend. You've won my vote.
The 2nd Bet
'Into Dreams'
Ranma/NiGHTS into Dreams crossover
The more Toltiir thought about 'Foxie's' idea, the less he was beginning to like it. Having another bet would be a good way to shake out the conundrum of constant Ranma and Sailor moon mergers and crossings (Why in the infinite planes did that particular crossover tend to happen so often anyhow?), but the most grating thing about the situation was that the lesser spirits could enter. Keeping the Gods in line was bad enough, but now the workload was just going to overflow.
The cat groused, as it felt the presence of something with way too little power for his tastes. "Goody, another one. So you think you can play with the big boys?"
An androgynous character, dressed in a purple harlequin's outfit, with lush eyes that held a child's joy, and a knowing smirk of a wise man that knew the way and nature of things, glided towards its feline host. Spinning once, then bowing in a way an ostentatious showman would, the would-be entriest presented him/herself, and awaited acknowledgement. Toltiir cocked his head once he realized what type of spirit was before him.
"Interesting, a dream spirit, Nightmeran I believe. What do you plan to do?" The dream spirit just shrugged in a jovial manner and gestured to the pool, awaiting the power boost that would provide him/her access...
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Three weeks.
It's been three weeks and the nightmares weren't easing any. Ranma rocked in a fitful slumber, disturbing imagery and words assailing him in the dream plane. No one in the household bothered to come check up on him, assuming it was just his usual reoccurring nightmare about cats at the times he shot up screaming. Most times he awoke frantically but silent, the despair he felt holding a lifeless girl in his hands, eyes closed to the world forever...
No matter how hard he fought, and each night he dreamed he had fought harder than before, but he still failed her. Each time he would *just* get to the fountain and both would awash in the mystical waters, and each time her eyelids would twitch, but never flutter open. Her breathing would never return, her skin remained pasty, as a doll's.
It was a despair that rotted the very core of Ranma Saotome; in his dreams he would die right with her, or at least he wanted to. Unfortunately he felt the sneers and looks of contempt upon his back; their taunts wrapping around him like a python crushing, and in paradox, sustaining his life.
"Pathetic Ranma! You LET Akane die! She didn't deserve that, OR you!" An unfelt tear slowly trailed down the pigtailed boy's cheek, no matter how much he wanted to tune it out, he was going to be made to hear every word. "I should kill you for this, rip you to shreds and leave you as lifeless as the girl you failed," Sneered Ryoga, but then continued, "but you're not worth my rivalry. You're just as garbage to me."
"Aiyah, Aire... Pigtail boy not strong as Shampoo thought," came an ironically perky voice that was tinged with consideration and contempt, "Shampoo happy to find out soon. Ranma too weak to marry strong womens."
"The kiss of Marriage... is annulled," proclaimed a withered voice, as Cologne pogoed out of the darkness, her eyes emotionless and cold to Ranma, as if she was observing a specimen in a petri dish. "Come Shampoo, Mousse, it is time we returned. Let us leave this... boy... to his misery."
Mousse looked like he was going to say something, but almost immediately his demeanor changed as he realized it just wasn't worth it. Bugs that small were to be ignored, not worth the energy to crunch them under the heel.
"Shampoo ready, Spatula Girl can have weak male now."
"Nu-uh, Sugar. I've already spent enough time on this two-bit loser. Feh, couldn't even save one of his fiancées, you think someone like that is worth bothering over? And he thought it was his curse that made him less of a man..."
Ranma worked up the energy to speak, desperation in his voice like salt in the sea, "Ucchan, are-aren't we friends?" Everyone was beginning to abandon him, he needed someone.
Ukyo strode up to him, her eyes shadowed, but her mouth pulled into a smirk and cheerfully said, "Why, Ranchan, who would want to be friends with trash like you?" With that she bent down and patted him on the back, then strode away, fading into the darkness with the Amazons and Ryoga.
"Ranma, Ranma, Ranma," Kasumi was next to come into view from the darkness, followed by Nabiki. Kasumi wore her usual cheery smile, but it felt different, like the difference between the rays of the sun and the emptiness of the abyss, "and to think I cooked, cleaned, and looked after you for all this time. I'll now have time to do other things it seems.
Nabiki's scowl spoke volumes. Her righteous anger combined with her usual countenance that made Ranma's Soul of Ice seem like a summer breeze. He could imagine the waves of mist flowing around her.
"Ranma, you're not welcome into our house no longer. If I had known back then what I know now, I would have stayed sober the night I made that pledge with your father," Soun's voice was solemn and sterile of emotion as he spoke.
"This... refuge is not my son," simply stated a speaking panda
Others had shown up; Ranma's mother didn't even acknowledge him as he cried out for her attention as she walked by. Even if it was in demand that he commit seppuku for his failure, he just wanted her words. She continued by, her back straightened at his wails and she shifted the Saotome honor sword in her grasp; never bothering to turn back around. Kuno couldn't have sounded more contemptuous towards Ranma as his sister disclaimed him. Friends of Ranma and Akane's from school showed no fear as they told him exactly their feelings on the matter. All Ranma could do was sit still as the constricting feeling around him tightened with each venomous word hurled towards him. But the coupe de grace came from the rapidly cooling figure in his arms...
"I should have known better than to believe in you."
That was the point Ranma had woken up every time, but this time was different. Ranma felt a glimmer of something. Something that he thought had died when Akane never took another breath...
Hope
The pigtailed boy turned towards the direction he felt the now foreign seeming emotion originated. A pinprick of light, barely perceptible to his eye at first, began to grow, drawing a beam of light that turned into an illuminated path.
Ranma looked back down at the body of Akane just in time to see it sifting from his grasp like sand. Everyone that had tormented him in his dream grew into ogres and devils, pointing and taunting the emotionally wounded boy as he felt the need to escape.
Ranma dashed onto the path with all his might, knowing wherever it lead to would be much better than here. As he ran, the darkness around him warped into a primarily violet light show, with wisps of white lights flying about.
Ranma found his destination just in front of him. The pinprick seemed like an exit, or an entrance to another place. Ranma desperately reached for it...
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Akane dreamt of her prom. For several weeks after the last wedding incident, she had been preparing for it, and she looked dazzling. She nervously awaited her date for the night she was supposed to remember for the rest of her life.
Ranma strolled down and lazily walked into the living room to sit in front of the TV. Akane would have been irked at his gall, if it weren't for the fact that he wasn't dressed to go.
Slowly, extreme surprise was replaced by growing anger when she finally spoke, "Ranma, why aren't you ready for our prom?"
The pigtailed boy looked towards Akane with a dumbfounded look, "Who said I was going to go with you?"
Akane once again stood shocked, she had assumed...
"Look at you, a tomboy all gussied up and ready to go, sorry but I got other plans."
Akane paused, that sounded like one of his usual taunts, but there was something missing. No, replaced by... by contempt? The raven-haired girl focused on Ranma's face, and stepped back with a gasp. The expression there was totally alien to her from him, and she didn't know how to handle it. Ranma didn't look like his usual smug self after a shot at his fiancée; he looked more annoyed and contemptuous towards her.
"Ranma, you jerk!" Even to her own ears, the words seemed to lose their potency as she brought her mallet out of hyperspace preparing to deliver her rightful vengeance. As soon as she brought it down to strike, without turning from the TV Ranma's hand snaked out and ripped it from her grasp and tossed it away. Akane shivered, realizing that he had NEVER done that before, and that he could have at any time.
"My dear *little* sister, did you really think you could keep treating him like that and get away with it?" questioned Nabiki's voice behind her. Akane turned to see her look with an expression almost the same as Ranma's, except her eyes were laughing at her.
"But, but, HE DESERVED IT!" Akane yelled indignantly, knowing that argument always won for her. This time though, it lacked its finalizing conviction.
"Oh my, Akane, when will you grow up? In that dress you look just like a little girl playing princess," Kasumi's words were a bit confusing to Akane. She wasn't sure if she was being insulted, or if Kasumi was just being her usual aloof self.
"Ha! Kitchen destroyer never grow up! She spoiled brat that can't cook, can't fight, can't..."
Ranma's voice joined Shampoo's
"...do anything right, built like a brick, thighs too thick..."
Ukyo suddenly appeared and the three continued in chorus.
"Ugly as a mule, twice as strong!"
The trio and the rest of the Tendou family, Soun and Kasumi included, laughed, as tears streaked down Akane's cheek. Every insecurity she felt was brought to the forefront, along with the main one that cut the deepest.
"Ranma, please..." Akane gasped, suddenly emotionally overwhelmed and desperately grasping for even the smallest bit of approval from Ranma.
The pigtailed boy scowled at her and turned away, putting an arm over Shampoo and Ukyo, "Comon, you two, why don't we go and see what this prom thing is all about?"
Suddenly all three of them were dressed in regal outfits. Akane looked around to see her sisters and her father wearing expensive dresses and suits, accompanied by everyone that would be at her Junior Prom. Akane realized that she also was in Furinkan High's gym, where the prom was to be held. Everyone seemed to be sneering at her before she caught the whispers of 'little girl' floating around.
The raven haired girl looked down at her own gown, noticing that it lost its luster, and hung down on her like an old drapery. Her esteem dropped to danger levels as she turned with teary eyes away, looking for an escape.
She pushed through the crowds of people who wouldn't spare her the courtesy or the effort to part for her, as her eyes caught a glimmer at the other end of the school gym-turned-dancehall. She fought furiously to reach the other end, the task seeming to be infinite as the gym seemed to fill with more people (she could have sworn she had seen many of the same people twice and even three times) and the gym grew longer.
Finally, after enduring the gauntlet, she reached it, and the comforting light from the other end beckoned her...
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Awake...
Ranma let out a silent scream as he shot up from bed. He had escaped the torturous hell that his own mind submitted him to every night, since after they returned from battling the Phoenix Tribe and Saffron. The pigtailed boy shook in remembered horror and frustration; they had won, the now infantile demi-god wouldn't be a threat for years to come, if ever. Akane was safe and among the living, despite how close of a call it had come to, the status quo is back to where it should be in Nerima.
Then why did he still feel damned?
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Ranma drearily made his way down to breakfast, earning only a few concerned, yet terse glances from everyone else at the table.
"Oh my, Ranma, are you okay this morning?" Kasumi enquired as she set the plates out for the morning meal.
"I'm fine," Ranma lied, though as tired and bedraggled as he felt and sounded, it couldn't be disclosed if it were truth or not by anyone else.
Everyone else that is, other than Kasumi. The eldest Tendou sister gave the young man a concerned look, before returning to the kitchen.
Ranma looked around, and realized the absence of someone. He began to feel the panic that usually overcame him, the morning after the nightmare whenever he didn't see her almost instantly. Maybe it wasn't a dream after all, maybe he had failed the girl he lov... he deeply cared for.
Hiding his nervousness, Ranma inquired, "Wha, where's Akane?"
"She's in the bath still, I don't believe she had much sleep either," Soun stated, glancing over his newspaper.
"Boy, have you been keeping your fiancée up all night?" Genma asked sternly, peering intently at his son, "because I fully endorse it!" The bald martial artist produced a pair of victory fans.
"Oh, yes indeed! Though you may want to finish early on school nights, Ranma-kun," Soun threw in, only paying token attention to local matters.
"Oh my, Ranma. I'm afraid that isn't proper behavior. You should at least wait until you're married!"
Nabiki came down the stairs, dressed for school, and managed to catch the topic of conversation, "Or at least until prom night. You're off to a false start, Ranma."
"Hah? Prom?" Ranma inquired, minutely confused from the morning fog in his head. Akane happened to walk in at that moment, and heard Ranma's inquiry. A pit in her stomach that she had barely noticed made itself apparent to her, emptying her insides in favor of a hollow feeling.
"Yes, Prom, that big dance everyone in high school considers attending, that big dance that my dear little sister's been running herself ragged to prepare for? The one that's only three days off?" Nabiki continued to drop hints, after eyeing her younger sister's response.
"It's okay, really, Nabiki," Akane interrupted, trying to sound nonchalant about it. Only a completely dense fool could miss the hollow tone in her obviously faked sanguine attitude.
Ranma felt the anxiety leave him at Akane's voice; she was still with him. He then found it again once he saw Akane's face. There was a bit of disappointment there, from what, he could not place. It served to make him all that more nervous, "Is, is it because of me? What did I say this time?"
"Something wrong, Akane?" he said, as if testing the waters of a boiling lake. Akane seemed like she had been jolted from a trance, and gave Ranma a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Ranma focused on her dual orbs, noticing a lack of luster; onyx in blue light that had failed to be polished.
"I'm fine, Ranma, have you decided if you're going to go..." Akane's eyes flickered away from Ranma's intense gaze at them, "...or not?"
Ranma looked around pleadingly for help, none would be given, as everyone seemed to be on the edge of their seats for his answer. Ranma considered how Akane was acting, and found himself more than a little concerned.
"I should have known better than to trust in you"
Ranma blinked, and felt his chest clench, "What did you say, Akane?" His question was rather hesitant, and laden with a heavy undertone of weary caution.
Akane perceived Ranma's inquiry as evading her own question. The girl gave a sigh, before speaking again, "Never mind, Ranma. I think you'd be bored with a normal school dance anyway." Akane sat down, as her oldest sister arrived with the morning meal.
It was slightly more subdued around the table than previous, everyone seeming to absorb the atmosphere that was emanating from Ranma and Akane. It was common for the two to grouse, but there was something different. Akane didn't seem to fume as she usually did, and Ranma was extremely placid. Every so often the two would glance between themselves, each time just missing catching each other.
"He... is he ignoring me?" Akane thought, looking back from her fiancée to her meal. Suddenly she wasn't hungry.
"Excuse me..." Akane mumbled, removing herself from the table.
Ranma looked up in slight panic, anxious over what he had done wrong, "Akane?"
"I'm going on ahead to school," Akane replied, not turning to look at Ranma, "I'll see you there." Akane gathered her supplies, and headed for the front door, each step she took hammering something away in Ranma.
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Ranma knew he did something, but he couldn't figure out for the life of him what it was. It was apparent to him that he managed to hurt Akane, but whatever it was, she kept it close to the vest. Ranma watched his fiancée during lunch from a distance, as she talked with her group of friends. She didn't seem to contain her usual sanguine attitude; her smile was strictly cosmetic, her voice held a completely forced cheeriness. The pigtailed boy focused closer, he could almost see Akane becoming... smaller, in a withdrawn sense.
Realization came to Ranma; he had to have done something truly terrible to do this to Akane. A reoccurring dream came to the fore of his mind, and began to hungrily eat further away at the seemingly infinite confidence of Saotome Ranma.
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Akane listened to her friends at the edge of her conscious. They were animated and vibrant, talking about their plans for the upcoming dance; a stark contrast to Akane, whose participation in the chatter of her friends was token at best. She imagined that they were silently noting her flaws, and though on an intellectual level she knew otherwise, she couldn't help but feel as if she were being found wanting.
"I envy Akane; just imagine, Ranma in a tux!" one of the girls squealed excitedly.
Akane refocused at the mention of her name. She had caught the sentence, and almost smirked at the memory of Ranma in a white tux, standing at the end of a wedding isle, awaiting her.
Suddenly, Akane felt more elated than she had in weeks, since the dream started. Ranma was waiting for *her*! Not for Shampoo, not for Ukyo, but for her. It may have taken knocking him unconscious and dressing him while he was out cold...
That's just it, wasn't it? Akane knew that he wouldn't have willingly gone through it... for her. He had to be forced into doing so through physical subduing and bribery (the bribe not mentioned until later notwithstanding). It wasn't for her benefit. Akane knew then, that Ranma couldn't possibly want her. Things had become calm between them, with their fathers no longer pressuring the two together. The other two fiancées were giving Ranma a good amount of berth, but Akane knew it wouldn't last for long. Ranma would forgive them, no doubt, and once again they'll begin to slowly impose themselves between Akane and him.
"A-Akane? Are you okay?" Yuka drew the quietly sobbing girl into her arms, looking at her equally puzzled friends.
Ranma would have been compelled to do something, if he were in the area at the time.
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Throughout the rest of school, Ranma's deduction had been made completely valid in his mind. Everyone at school had looked upon him with cold eyes, condemning him for whatever crime he had committed against his fiancée.
Akane's circle of friends formed a conclusion to the reason of Akane's breakdown; Ranma did something BIG. News, as usual about the couple, spread throughout the school. And again, as usual, everyone sided with Akane.
Ranma kept his head covered on the desk, feeling almost as bad as when he had thought Akane dead back at Jusendo. He decided he would rather wallow in his own misery, than face any of the accusing stares that he was getting occasionally from his schoolmates. He had been used to them before, but with recent events, they hurt quite a bit more.
Not too far, one person was elated at the state of affairs between Ranma and Akane. The girl with flowing brunette hair saw an opportunity appearing. She didn't quite know how to approach Ranma at the moment, but soon, he'll need a friend.
Akane kept her head down, not wanting to see the pity in anyone's eyes. She had cracked, she couldn't help it. It was like a pressure on her heart had been increasing, until she couldn't help but give it outlet. All she could do was ride the rest of the day out, and then get home and relax, maybe some intense training will help steady her nerves. Nobody bothered Ranma or Akane through out the rest of the school day.
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"I'm home," Akane called out in a weary voice that told anyone paying attention how her day went.
"Hello Akane, do you know what's wrong with Ranma? He came home rather upset," Kasumi called from the kitchen. Her little sister's mood hadn't been lost on her, and she presumed it might have been something shared between the two. A bit of prying may help clarify things.
Akane didn't answer, worrying Kasumi even further. The eldest Tendou daughter stepped out from the kitchen to confront her little sister, and found her already heading upstairs.
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Ranma had holed up in his room, saturating it with his own angst. His worry had grown steadily since getting home. Everyone knew it was his fault now, he had heard Akane arrive, and was pretty sure that know Kasumi was privy to whatever Ranma did to thoroughly upset her. Eventually the whole household would find out, he wouldn't stop it, he knew he had failed her, and deserved whatever beratement they would throw upon him.
Saotome's confidence continued to dwindle.
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Brooding in his room had gotten old, but he wasn't ready to face Akane just yet. Ranma steeled himself out the door, just in time to meet face to face with Akane heading downstairs in her gi.
"Ra-Ranma..."
"Akane..." neither knew what to say after that, a palette of emotions thrown precariously onto a canvas, and displayed upon their faces. Akane was the first to find her voice.
"I... I have to go train," with that, the young girl quickly headed down stairs. Ranma raised a hand in consideration of stopping her, to find out what he had done wrong, but he just couldn't deal with any of the anger, betrayal, or sadness that his fiancée may feel.
Akane berated herself for running. She needed to confront Ranma, because the uncertainty was slowly consuming her. She needed to desperatly, but she wouldn't dare face the contemptuous look that he could have; looking down at the half-rate play martial artist that seemed to believe he had some sort of intrest in her.
He quietly went back into his room, and didn't bother to come out for dinner. Akane practiced until it was time for bed.
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Akane lay in bed, fighting sleep, and berating herself for it.
"Ugh, it's just a stupid dream. Why is it bothering me so much?"
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"Look at me, scared of a stupid dream, the great Ranma Saotome," Ranma thought snidely, staring up at the ceiling of his room. "Yeah, great. I can't even keep myself from hurting Akane" His thought became cooler and more agonizing the longer they went, "Maybe she's better off without me..."
Neither Akane, nor Ranma would know the time they finally submitted to slumber.
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Akane pushed her way through the thick prom crowd, trying desperately to reach the light. They were much more dense than before, and their taunts and jeers felt much more deeply cutting than last time. Akane forced her growing insecurity down, and continued to swim through the ocean of people between her and her goal.
Finally, after much trial, she ran into the blue light that beckoned her like a savior.
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Ranma fiercely fought off his father, Ryoga, Cologne, Happosai, and others that impeded his run for sanctuary, the light that lay just beyond him in a slight distance. He failed Akane, but something told him that he would find salvation if he could just reach the light. Akane had already scorned him in her death, but he would keep fighting for her. Slowly dragging the chain he was wrapped in, and fighting against the combined might of his foes trying to drag him back towards misery; Ranma stumbled through the portal to another realm.
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Ranma/Akane found him/herself in a land that was so breathtaking. The beach/flowered field Ranma/Akane found him/herself in left the pigtailed boy/raven-haired girl in awe. It was a glorious contrast to his/her prior predicament that almost seemed to wash away his/her current pains. Ranma/Akane noticed his/her attire, he/she was wearing his favorite red and black outfit/ her school uniform, and found that there wasn't anything else he/she would have preferred to wear. Ranma's/Akane's observations were cut off as they noted a squad of fantastic creatures heading their way, beings only found on the edge of a dream. Ranma/Akane looked for a direction to flee, and saw on a sandy dune/flower dressed hill a parasol with a harlequin that seemed to be trapped within it.
The jester's large and expressionate eyes pleaded with Ranma/Akane, as it spun around and flipped in its confinement, ignoring the laws of physics as a dream only can. Ranma/Akane rushed/wearily approached it; the pigtailed boy/short-haired girl knew it was his/her duty to help those in need. Without hesitation/with heavy caution, Ranma/Akane attempted to punch through/reached out a hand to feel the barriers of the captive's confinement. To his/her surprise, Ranma's/Akane's fist passed right through it/hand pushed easily through it, causing/allowing him/her to stumble forward/push her arm through. The harlequin quickly reached for Ranma's/Akane's outstretched fist/hand...
The jester's voice sang akin to a whistle with an optimistic tune, as it shot into the air, spinning in gleeful and joyous freedom.
Prepare to Fly
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Akane's first Dream; The Befriendment
Akane attempted to laugh, but her voice had caught in her from the overwhelming feeling of excitement. The exhilarating feeling of flight had taken her so fully; all her troubles of the waking world had been left on the ground. Akane barrel rolled as fast as she could, then shot straight up into the air, then sharply dropped down, flipping herself to her upright position before she hit the ground.
She had now taken a look at her environment; it was, so simply yet eloquently put, beautiful and surreal. She rose higher into the air to see more. If the feeling of flying left her breathless...
Mountains that stretched to the crystalline blue and sparsely clouded sky surrounded the massive flower field filled with oversized daffodils and sunflowers. In the midst of it all, a mighty pine tree stood in the center, pristine and as perfect as any such tree could be found. Erasers for pencils rubbed out any flaws that could be seen about. Akane wanted to giggle when one of the erasers approached her, orbited around her, and zoomed on it's way, but found her laugh a lyrical and pleasant cluster of bell chimes and whistles.
Akane scrunched her face, as a flower pedal that was for a peculiar reason falling from the sky landed against it. She couldn't comprehend why the sight of such beautiful things that dwindled to the earth below upset her slightly.
Akane looked down upon herself. Her sleeves were cuffed with yellow and violet triangles, like the strange jester's attire she had seen only a few instances ago. She looked further down and saw herself in a leotard of matching violet, with the legs muffed in a lighter purple and blocked off at the top of the foot to the heel with a yellow tracing line. It was vested in purple at the chest with four yellow stars, two at each side. What really caught the transformed girl's attention was the glowing purple gem in her chest. Akane spun in the air, trying to look about herself to fully view the changes on her.
Before Akane could contemplate the transformation, she heard weeping. Akane looked up to see one of the fantastic creatures she had seen earlier, a small alligator with wings of a large fly, heading towards her. Akane lifted into the air quickly, as the creature got within range to attack. Like a darting fly, the beast quickly changed direction to cut her off. Akane looped back, just barely missing her foot being bitten off. To her surprise, a black hole appeared from where she had looped, swallowing her pursuer and placing it in parts unknown. Akane imagined she blinked, and smiled. The transformed girl made several more loops; sounds of shifting air accompanied the portals she created.
Akane decided to take more joy out of her flying, dancing precariously in the air without care, before she felt an urge, like another part of herself telling her she had tasks elsewhere. Akane looked off into the distance, and saw a rose pink sphere of radiance, trapped in a glass floating dome. It was slowly shrinking and losing it brilliant vibrancy, and Akane knew that the dome was siphoning it away until it was a withered shadow of what it used to be. Akane knew she had to stop it.
Akane dashed in the air towards the objective, delighting in the speed she traveled through the air, weaving through the floating mandalas, and indulging in the twinkle of the bells she touched. She reached the dome, and pushed as hard as she could, finding that the smooth glass would not budge. She resorted to pounding on it, and it remained just as stubborn. Akane backed off from the dome with a spin. From its reflection she saw her face. She had become the strange being she had found in the parasol. The soft and friendly eyes looked back at her with a twinkling of mirth, which seemed out of place from the comically small mouth she had that presently formed an 'o' from her surprise. Akane couldn't resist the urge to take her index fingers and stretch her mouth apart, wagging her tongue at the reflection. After a fit of bell twinkling giggles, Akane went back to the task at hand, finding a way to destroy the dome that held the beautiful orb of energy.
A thought came unbidden to the fore of her mind, "a song of joy will shatter the dome of sorrow." Akane didn't know what the reference was referring to, but rationalized that she needed to find a song. In the distance, a faint melody made itself known, and the girl-turned-harlequin flew in the direction it originated to investigate.
Akane found herself much more hindered by the mountains in her flight, but still almost effortlessly maneuvered through them. She found herself opposed to more creatures, such as a badger with grasshopper hind legs, and dealt with them in the manner she had learned; looping them and sending them into the black oblivion.
Akane cleared the mountains and dropped down low, skimming over the rolling sea of grass and flowers. A trail of flower petals that were spurred up from flowers was left in her wake, dancing in the air in the motions the wind currents lead them. She was approaching the sound of what appeared to be a violin playing en solo, but off key and in broken notes. She quickly hit breaks at the sight of who was playing the instrument rather poorly; a redheaded girl in a pink and flowery dress sitting cross-legged on a log in front of a dark and untidy looking fortress. Akane cautiously floated down to confront this dream Ranma-chan, when the girl noticed her and giggled, and then gestured to the violin she was holding.
Before Akane could respond, Ranma-chan laughed and started to run away. Akane blinked, then gave chase after the other girl. The farther she ran, the larger she became until she was overwhelmingly large. Akane noticed that the inside of the building was a long corridor of interweaving willow trees and leaking plumbing. Vaguely she could hear "do you want to be friends?" whispered in the background.
Suddenly, the giant Ranma-chan giggled and spun, flaring the skirt of her dress out and sending pansies and wilted yellow roses flying through the air. Akane dodged and weaved through the barrage, attempting to get close to the girl.
"Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Ranma-chan cried out in a surreal voice, her oversized fists blurring beyond the visible realm. Akane fought against the wind generated from the attack, trying to keep stable in the air. As valiant as she fought, Akane couldn't help but be pushed into a wall made of faulty lead piping and sickly tree branches. She managed not to touch it, but felt the heat from it. Akane's already enlarged eyes opened wider, and her face became akin to a child's wonder and surprise; there was hot water in the pipes. She looked around and saw several valves that were slightly leaking, possibly extremely weak.
Akane smirked as she got her bearing straight, the trick may not be to attack this mock Ranma-Chan directly.
Ranma-chan started to run gleefully away again, sporting away the violin in her grasp. Akane caught up with the large redhead, and flew right past her. Ranma stopped and blinked in confusion, watching her playmate shoot past her instead of trying to take the musical instrument away. Akane flew into a valve, putting her hands forward, and breaking it off.
Ranma-chan yelped in surprise, dodging out of the way of the steaming stream of water that shot towards her. She spun again, flaring her dress and sending flowers flying about. The pansies altered the course of the jet of hot water, no longer making it a danger to the girl.
Akane now knew the girl was afraid of the hot water. She rammed into another valve, and once again Ranma dodged it, but this time much more narrowly. She again spun about, sending flowers around to protect her, and called out her attack to impede Akane. The harlequin would not be deterred, as she coasted against the wind and rammed another valve. Ranma just barely dodged it, and spun more flowers out. Again she was protected, but it was apparent she was now trapped, and running out of maneuvering room. Akane looked around, and plotted her next move. She quickly rammed another valve, ricocheting off and ramming another one, which in turn sent her on another course into a third valve. Ranma-chan managed to dodge the first two streams, but was enveloped by the third.
With a squawk of surprise, the girl dropped the violin. Akane swooped in and caught the instrument when it shrunk to size, and turned to see what happened to the other girl. In her place stood a handsome young man in a pigtail, nodding to her with a smirk, before fading away.
Akane looked around again, finding herself back in the flower field again. Without hesitation, she flew with the violin towards the dome in the distance. When she arrived, she felt the violin stir by itself. Startled, Akane let go of it, and it began to play. Its song was beautiful, uplifting Akane's mood even more as the concert of the single instrument went on. Under the melody, the dome began to buckle, then crack, then finally shatter; allowing the rose pink ball of energy to expand, and envelope the area...
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Akane turned on her side and smiled slightly in slumber, feeling better than she had in a while.
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The next morning, Akane felt more refreshed then she had in a while. Akane took her bath and headed for the table for breakfast. This time it was her who noticed someone was missing from the table.
"Uh, where's Ranma?" Akane enquired, trying not to sound too concerned.
"He said something about having to go to the Cat Cafe. He needed to talk with one of the Amazons.
"Oh," Akane replied in a small voice, Ranma must have gone to see Shampoo. With her sigh, a tiny ember of the negative feeling she originally felt began to grow again within her heart.
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Ranma's first dream; 'The affection'
Ranma exalted in the feeling he hadn't felt since he was so young, before that fateful training trip. The incredible feeling that he was experiencing, as he soared as high as he wanted into the air, then dropped down low to just barely skimming the sands of the beach.
Ranma glided the loose sand , idly noting the bare footprints appearing in the sand from invisible feet , and finding it curious that there were no seashells on the beach. He rose into the air, allowing a stampede of eleven pale horses to run where he had been flying. A black horse trailed behind them, intensely trying to catch up, Ranma felt sympathy for it as it raced on.
Ranma glanced at the mingled white and red coral reef that jutted from the waters, while weaving through the unfinished houses that floated in the air. Ranma began to consider where he was; it seemed so familiar, like he had come here for a task. Fortunately, a voice inside reminded him of what he needed to do.
Ranma didn't go far before something caught his eye. A cluster of musical notes floated in the air, which Ranma sped towards and collected in one fail swoop. A small contented feeling told Ranma that he was doing what he had come here for.
Doing a tight loop in the air, Ranma shot to the ground. He stopped as he heard a 'shooping' sound, like air rushing to fill a vacuum behind him. Putting the mystery off, Ranma set to his task of finding a song that he could vaguely recall. He felt himself directed back to the sandy shore, meandering around the pieces of a large western game he recalled by the name of 'Chess' , and also noted that the invisible players were cheating severely in it . The event earned a chuckle from Ranma, who immediately hushed himself once he noticed the sound of it; like tiny bells and pan flutes. His laugh also attracted another, a gargoyle that had been perched atop one of the immobile chess pieces. It made a beeline for Ranma, who caught its approach and went to guard immediately.
The creature approached, and then dove for Ranma, who easily circled around it, finding the Saotome School of martial arts humorously appropriate in this combat. Ranma now got to see the phenomenon that the rushing air sound succeeded, as the gargoyle gave an indignant howl to being sucked into a pit formed from Ranma's loop in mid air. Ranma warily approached the spot, puzzled to where it had disappeared.
Again, an instinct within him told Ranma that he needed to hurry. Putting his newfound speed to the test, Ranma rushed off on a seemingly predestined path. Ranma floated between the chess pieces, avoiding their moves and collecting scattered music notes as he came across them with haste. Ranma encountered another one of the gargoyles, and dealt with it in the same manner as the other before. Ranma also found that looping around the notes attracted them to him, making their collection much easier.
The trail of notes lead from the shore to the crests, Ranma danced and flitted to avoid the waves from the sudden turbulent waters that matched the suddenly turbulent skies above. Ranma carefully avoided being swallowed into the water, collecting musical notes that were placed high and low, here and there. On top of having to watch for the high waves, the martial artist turned harlequin was forced to evade giant leaping carp that were intent on having him as a meal.
As if it grew extremely irritated at it's lack of success towards hindering the flying harlequin, the ocean rose into a massive tidal wave that rolled towards Ranma. The harlequin's eyes went wide as it saw the giant wave rise above him and began to descend upon him. Ranma felt himself swallowed in it, finding it impossible to gain his bearings as he was thrown about in the tumbling, angry water, he had began to despair as he was thrown head over heals, unable to recover himself. Without even realizing it, Ranma found himself surfing the massive wave on an anchovy that acted like a surfboard . Ranma maneuvered the crest, managing to collect the musical notes that were hung inside, all the time dodging the leaping carp that attempted to impede his way.
Before the wave crashed onto the shore, Ranma flew out from under it, performing barrel rolls in celebration of escaping such a potent trial. He once again spotted the black horse he had seen prior, but this time it was so far behind the rest that it almost had no hope of catching up. Ranma felt almost guilty because of this, but decided that the black horse really didn't belong with the rest of the pale horses.
Ranma flew towards a massive but ruined sandcastle , and set to explore it. Miniature cannons fired at him, though they were not a threat to one who could precariously drift in the air between the mauve cannon balls. Though the artillery was hostile, the drawbridge descended, seeming to beckon Ranma into its maw. Never one to disappoint, Ranma entered, unhindered.
Ranma was surprised to see the insides of the castle made of mirrors, that reflected everything normally, except himself, which his reflection was in various colors . He found himself quite angry at the yellow reflection .
Ranma flew through out its chambers, the mirrors warping as he flew by them, causing an aesthetic and pleasing ripple in them. Ranma noticed that though the space around him seemed empty, if he looked in the mirrors, he would see many musical notes, and when he looped their general area, they would appear and be gathered by the vortex for his collection.
"Impressive, Son-in-law. Your tactical mind seems to meet no bounds."
Ranma stopped flying, and looked around, only to find no one there. He wanted to call out for whom he knew it was to show herself, but felt deeply chagrinned at the sound of his voice at the moment.
"I'm right here, Groom." Ranma turned and looked towards a mirror, and saw almost cat-like Cologne riding on a crane.
"Or perhaps I'm right here?" Ranma turned to see another Cologne on a crane in the mirror opposite the one he was just looking at.
"Maybe even here," Ranma looked up at the ceiling in surprise, "I guess now this is the part where I am supposed to keep you from your goal, you prepared?" Ranma flew back a couple of feet warily. Cologne chuckled and faded from the mirror.
With out so much a warning, Ranma instinctually dodged a miniature tornado that flew horizontally towards him. He turned towards its origin in time to see Cologne smile and fade from the mirror. Ranma again dodged another tornado, and didn't even bother to pause, as he flew full tilt towards the mirror it originated from. Cologne barely had time to fade out as Ranma ran into the mirror she was currently in, causing it to indent, then spring forwards, sending Ranma flying away. Ranma's attempt at catching Cologne did not go unrewarded, as Cologne was spit out of the mirror and into the open.
Ranma moved to attack her, when suddenly, Cologne split into two, then four then six. Ranma found himself surrounded by a dozen Colognes riding cranes, circling around him and brandishing their staffs menacingly, he doubted the chicken leg would work once again.
Ranma remembered that he could fly, and flew straight up, much to his chagrin, the cranes began to flap their wings, and the circle of Colognes rose with him. He flew around, trying to make it difficult for the old woman to attack him while circling around him, and in a fit of desperation, looped. Many of the circle of Colognes were caught in the vortex, causing them to vanish, leaving the real Cologne present. The old woman quickly ran the crane towards a mirror, but didn't make it in time, as Ranma ran full tilt into the back of her. With a squawk, the Amazon matriarch was sent flying off the giant bird, and into the mirror.
Ranma flew in circles, anticipating an attack. Once again, a vortex of wind flew towards him, and he evaded. This time Cologne faded immediately after creating it, and Ranma grit his teeth, waiting for another attack. Out of the corner of his eye, Ranma saw Cologne reappearing in a mirror right before she could begin another attack. As Cologne started to spin her staff towards Ranma, she gasped as the harlequin started to fly straight for her. Cologne ceased her attack and tried to fade from sight, but once again didn't make it before Ranma rammed the window.
Cologne learned from the past, and used the momentum of the springing mirror to launch herself towards the one across it. Ranma had managed to recover in the air, and with a start forward on the old woman, created a loop that completed once she reached its center.
Cologne's eyes went wide, as she was absorbed into the vortex in space, and chuckled, "Not bad, not bad at all Son-in.... Ranma." With that, she vanished.
Ranma quickly approached the spot he had seen the elderly Amazon disappear in, making sure that she had indeed disappeared. The harlequin felt something warm about him, and looked around to see musical notes floating from him. Ranma turned to see a giant music sheet, devoid of any music on its scales. The musical notes Ranma collected flew quickly towards the sheet, and covered it. Once they were all in position, music began to play from what sounded like a music box, replicating what was on the sheet. As the music played, everything began to go white...
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Ranma grinned, and snuggled a bit more comfortly into his pillow, content that the rest of the night would be peaceful.
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Ranma woke up much more early than usual, for some reason feeling so much more refreshed than he had in days. Though he felt quite a bit relaxed, his mood darkened a bit at the dream he recalled from last night. He was going to have to have a little chat with a certain Amazon Elder.
Ranma got dressed, and gave a curt 'good morning' to Kasumi, as he ran out the door, not even giving the eldest Tendou daughter time to return the greeting.
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Intermission
Ranma rushed out of the house with his school supplies in hand, and in a single bound from near the front door, he was on the wall of the dojo grounds; with another leap, he was carried over to a nearby roof and sprinting towards his destination.
There was something about his dream last night, something just too peculiar about it. It may have been the fact that it was the first break he had gotten while he was asleep. Instead of the slumbering in a nightmare built from his own self-conciousness, concerns, and fears, it brought him different emotions.
He felt exillaration far beyond anything other than the art had been possible to him. He *felt* the wind caress him as he danced in the sky, he experienced a gleeful joy only the naive innocent should be able to experience as the dream reality's beach sun washed his transmorphef form, regardless of the turbulant dangers that saught to end his slumber prematurely.
The pigtailed boy stopped, just as he reached the edge of the roof, how did he know they were attempting to wake him up? He actually didn't realize that he was aware of the consequences if their attempts were successful.
The though of the final one he had to face brought him back to his current task. Cologne must have had some knowlege of what this was all about; the dream he could feel was laiden with hidden meaning and subtle truths that he needed to face; she should be able to shed some light on it. The final part that was the confrontation with the Amazon Elder riding a large bird did prove one thing; a confrontation between him and the old Ghoul was coming.
Ranma leapt much higher than nessesary, finding a small satisfaction in the elavation that was but a small twinge of what he had found in his dream. Almost like the sweet mild scent of jasmine tea with a touch of honey before the initial soothing sip on a crisp winter day. The burst of emotion gave him an energy that asserted his confidence in a way he had been missing since after the wedding. Ranma landed with a running start, speeding as fast as possible and savoring the rush of air by him, and then once again jumped into the air like he was attempting to soar among the clouds.
Among the experience, Ranma hadn't noticed that the weights that had bound him down were missing. In fact, if he had been paying attention, he would have stopped himself from the embarrasing, childish giggle he was emitting.
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"HEY! OLD GHOUL!" Ranma shouted, as he strode into the front door of the Cat Cafe.
"Ranma!" a femenine voice that was heavily accented with Mandarin called out. Barely without notice, Ranma dodged the lavender projectile with unconcious ease; something that took said projectile by surprise, as she found herself having to recover into a roll to arrest her momentum..
"OLD GHOUL, I NEED TO TALK TO YA !" Ranma called out, and once again surprising an Amazon, by dodging the downswing of a knarled cane.
"Hmm, good reflexes, Son-in... Ranma," Cologne stated, as she came to resting on her cane, "What brings you by this time of morning? I believe you have school not too soon."
"What do you know about dreams?" Ranma asked, his voice losing the sanguine lilt along with his bearing.
Cologne took a moment of pause to consider the question, before replying, "That is a complicated subject, and although I have much in the way of knowlege, I'm not a trained psychologist in the least. Am I to presume that you have something rather complex to discuss?"
Ranma nodded, ignoring the purple haired girl stalking up behind him.
"Why Ranma dodge Shampoo?" The young Amazon whined, "You avoid Shampoo for too, too long!" Shampoo launched herself at Ranma, and found herself evaded again.
"Yeah, it was a pretty weird dream, and you were in it," Ranma stated, his voice not showing any form of exertion, as he continued to dodge away from Shampoo's attempted glomps.
"Ranma, don't you think I'm a little too old for you?" Cologne replied with a teasing tone.
Ranma slightly only baulked at the implication, "Nothing like that, you were riding a giant bird, A stork or something, and trying to attack me, while going in and out of these mirrors."
Cologne paused once again, "That isn't much more peculiar than any dream I have ever heard. Is there some circumstance that brings you to me to discuss this?"
"Well, you were attacking me in it, and..." Ranma trailed off, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.
"And you presumed I had something to do with it?" Cologne enquired with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, yeah. I mean, it could have been some sort of Amazon trick of yours, to get me to marry Shampoo, I guess," Ranma replied, while lifting one of his legs high into the standing splits, that caused Shampoo to barely pass by him.
"RANMA HOLD STILL!" Shampoo screeched, and then resumed her attempts to snuggle against her beloved's chest. Cologne's eyes narrowed slightly at Ranma's cavalier fashion of avoiding her heir.
"Ranma, I do not go out of my way to make your life uncomfortable," Cologne answered, "Take advantage of situations, yes, but never exert much energy towards you. I want what's best for my Great Granddaughter, and she seems to want you. You can forgive an old woman wanting to make her Great Grandchild happy?"
"RANMA! HOW DARE YOU TEASE SHAMPOO SO?!?"
"Ah, I guess," Ranma replied before tilting his head and grabbing one of the chains launched at him, and then twisting to pull it into an arc that sent the person holding the other end into a wall, just under a heavy shield that fell on top of the myopic boy's head. Cologne used her staff to parry the other projectiles launched after her and Ranma with barely acknowleging their presence, while Shampoo just hid behind Ranma. "Anyhow, you got an idea what was going on there?"
"I cannot say that I have a clue," Cologne said with a slight smirk.
"Well, I guess it's not important anymore, since you said you didn't use any funky Amazon tricks to cause it, I just wanted to be sure." Ranma turned to Shampoo with an irritated expression, causing the girl to stop her latest attempt only inches from his face, "WOULD YOU CUT THAT OUT?!?"
"You're awfully trusting, Ranma," Cologne replied, warily, the pigtailed boy turned away from Shampoo's bewildered expression and shrugged, "But if you're willing, we could discuss this further before your classes?"
"Ah, afraid I gotta get to school now, sorry to bother you!" Ranma replied, dashing out of the Cat Cafe.
Cologne waited until she was sure Ranma was out of earshot, and then sighed, "It was a crane, not a stork." She had not missed the cavalier way that Ranma evaded Shampoo, instead of freezing up as he usually did during her advances. It seemed as if the boy was starting to sort his feelings out, which probably didn't bode well for her Great Granddaughter.
The elder Amazon then went back to her restauranting duties, leaving a bewildered Shampoo standing and wondering what brought on Ranma's reaction to her affections.
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Akane kept ther thoughts off of Ranma as she walked to school. The dream she had last night made her feel more alive than she could ever recall. The sudden onrush of emotions when she came into contact with that jester that seemed to be trapped were not unpleasant. Her feelings of insecurity were replaced by vibrant expressions of joy, infinite laughter, and all consuming warmth. Even now, she could almost savor the happy feelings paint vibrant colors over the dark gray canvas that she held inside. The raven-haired girl relished in the mere shade of what she had experienced, and still it brought a slight smile to her face.
"It's good to see that you're smiling again, Akane!" Sayuri stated behind the girl, almost causing Akane to jump in startlement.
"Huh? Well, I had a nice night."
"Oh? You get back at Ranma for whatever he did to you yesterday?" Yuka asked from the other side, and then broke into a grin "Or did he finally ask you to the prom?" Both companions notice Akane's expression immidiately darken.
"A-Akane, Where's Ranma anyhow? Don't you usually walk with him to school?" Sayuri enquired, not particularly noticing that she may be stepping onto turbulant lands.
Akane bowed her head, not allowing the other two girls to see the hurt that bled black ink over the lovely canvas that she had been indulging. After a few moments, she managed to gather herself, "Ranma? That jerk went to the Cat Cafe this morning, not that I care."
Akane suddenly bolted, leaving two confused girls. They hadn't bothered to move, as they were trying to figure out why Akane's outburst sounded of feigned emotion.
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"Hmph, they've already discovered what needs to be done, your plans to hinder the two failed considerably," A phantom-like woman wearing fine velvet burgundy and teal robes with shock red hair that stood out like a cone from the back of her head. She turned to meet with a jester, one garbed in violet and red with a porcelyn painted face.
Reala turned back to the woman that stood over him like an ancient oak to a sapling, even while sitting, "Patience, we did not expect to subdue either of them in the first try, though it would have been nice if we had. NiGHTS assuradly knew enough to keep us from a quick victory."
Zmartwan, the younger sister of Wizemon, turned her blank, featureless face to the harliquin, and spoke in a voice that was heard everywhere, but came from nowhere, "My patience is not finite. I will succeed with my older brother had failed. He lacked the proper might to control all of Nightopia, and with these two subjects, I will have the key to a compatible power that would allow me to subdue any resistance. I want them both adequately quelled so that we may use the boy to syphon the source of his curse energy."
"Yes, Reala is well aware of your plans to use the boy as a direct line to Jusenkyo's energy." Another jester wearing a parka and gloves of all red; his arms, legs, or neck could not bee seen, as if they were invisible or just not there. He casually flipped a trio of playing cards in his hand, before continuing, "And for what has been promised us, we'll do everything we can to ensure that it does not fail."
"See to it that it does not," Zmartwan replied coldly, "As it will be your turn to make an attempt at the boy. I will see to the girl myself."
"Oh, and I have just the way to deal with Ranma," Jackyl smirked sinisterly, and flipped a playing card over to view it's face. It was an ace of spades, with the spades being mini spactulas.
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Ranma sat in bed, wondering why Akane had avoided him all day, even going as far to switch places with Kasumi at the dinner table so that she wouldn't sit next to him. The sanguine mood he had felt earlier during the day after his confrontation with Cologne had melted away. Ironic, since it was his fiancee's rather cold shoulder which caused it.
The pigtailed boy sighed for another day, and decided that his thoughts could be left for another time. Just like Akane had not too many minutes prior, Ranma laid his head down to rest for the night, anxiously anticipating, and deeply fearing, what dreams may come.
The 2nd Bet
'Into Dreams'
Ranma/NiGHTS into Dreams crossover
The more Toltiir thought about 'Foxie's' idea, the less he was beginning to like it. Having another bet would be a good way to shake out the conundrum of constant Ranma and Sailor moon mergers and crossings (Why in the infinite planes did that particular crossover tend to happen so often anyhow?), but the most grating thing about the situation was that the lesser spirits could enter. Keeping the Gods in line was bad enough, but now the workload was just going to overflow.
The cat groused, as it felt the presence of something with way too little power for his tastes. "Goody, another one. So you think you can play with the big boys?"
An androgynous character, dressed in a purple harlequin's outfit, with lush eyes that held a child's joy, and a knowing smirk of a wise man that knew the way and nature of things, glided towards its feline host. Spinning once, then bowing in a way an ostentatious showman would, the would-be entriest presented him/herself, and awaited acknowledgement. Toltiir cocked his head once he realized what type of spirit was before him.
"Interesting, a dream spirit, Nightmeran I believe. What do you plan to do?" The dream spirit just shrugged in a jovial manner and gestured to the pool, awaiting the power boost that would provide him/her access...
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Three weeks.
It's been three weeks and the nightmares weren't easing any. Ranma rocked in a fitful slumber, disturbing imagery and words assailing him in the dream plane. No one in the household bothered to come check up on him, assuming it was just his usual reoccurring nightmare about cats at the times he shot up screaming. Most times he awoke frantically but silent, the despair he felt holding a lifeless girl in his hands, eyes closed to the world forever...
No matter how hard he fought, and each night he dreamed he had fought harder than before, but he still failed her. Each time he would *just* get to the fountain and both would awash in the mystical waters, and each time her eyelids would twitch, but never flutter open. Her breathing would never return, her skin remained pasty, as a doll's.
It was a despair that rotted the very core of Ranma Saotome; in his dreams he would die right with her, or at least he wanted to. Unfortunately he felt the sneers and looks of contempt upon his back; their taunts wrapping around him like a python crushing, and in paradox, sustaining his life.
"Pathetic Ranma! You LET Akane die! She didn't deserve that, OR you!" An unfelt tear slowly trailed down the pigtailed boy's cheek, no matter how much he wanted to tune it out, he was going to be made to hear every word. "I should kill you for this, rip you to shreds and leave you as lifeless as the girl you failed," Sneered Ryoga, but then continued, "but you're not worth my rivalry. You're just as garbage to me."
"Aiyah, Aire... Pigtail boy not strong as Shampoo thought," came an ironically perky voice that was tinged with consideration and contempt, "Shampoo happy to find out soon. Ranma too weak to marry strong womens."
"The kiss of Marriage... is annulled," proclaimed a withered voice, as Cologne pogoed out of the darkness, her eyes emotionless and cold to Ranma, as if she was observing a specimen in a petri dish. "Come Shampoo, Mousse, it is time we returned. Let us leave this... boy... to his misery."
Mousse looked like he was going to say something, but almost immediately his demeanor changed as he realized it just wasn't worth it. Bugs that small were to be ignored, not worth the energy to crunch them under the heel.
"Shampoo ready, Spatula Girl can have weak male now."
"Nu-uh, Sugar. I've already spent enough time on this two-bit loser. Feh, couldn't even save one of his fiancées, you think someone like that is worth bothering over? And he thought it was his curse that made him less of a man..."
Ranma worked up the energy to speak, desperation in his voice like salt in the sea, "Ucchan, are-aren't we friends?" Everyone was beginning to abandon him, he needed someone.
Ukyo strode up to him, her eyes shadowed, but her mouth pulled into a smirk and cheerfully said, "Why, Ranchan, who would want to be friends with trash like you?" With that she bent down and patted him on the back, then strode away, fading into the darkness with the Amazons and Ryoga.
"Ranma, Ranma, Ranma," Kasumi was next to come into view from the darkness, followed by Nabiki. Kasumi wore her usual cheery smile, but it felt different, like the difference between the rays of the sun and the emptiness of the abyss, "and to think I cooked, cleaned, and looked after you for all this time. I'll now have time to do other things it seems.
Nabiki's scowl spoke volumes. Her righteous anger combined with her usual countenance that made Ranma's Soul of Ice seem like a summer breeze. He could imagine the waves of mist flowing around her.
"Ranma, you're not welcome into our house no longer. If I had known back then what I know now, I would have stayed sober the night I made that pledge with your father," Soun's voice was solemn and sterile of emotion as he spoke.
"This... refuge is not my son," simply stated a speaking panda
Others had shown up; Ranma's mother didn't even acknowledge him as he cried out for her attention as she walked by. Even if it was in demand that he commit seppuku for his failure, he just wanted her words. She continued by, her back straightened at his wails and she shifted the Saotome honor sword in her grasp; never bothering to turn back around. Kuno couldn't have sounded more contemptuous towards Ranma as his sister disclaimed him. Friends of Ranma and Akane's from school showed no fear as they told him exactly their feelings on the matter. All Ranma could do was sit still as the constricting feeling around him tightened with each venomous word hurled towards him. But the coupe de grace came from the rapidly cooling figure in his arms...
"I should have known better than to believe in you."
That was the point Ranma had woken up every time, but this time was different. Ranma felt a glimmer of something. Something that he thought had died when Akane never took another breath...
Hope
The pigtailed boy turned towards the direction he felt the now foreign seeming emotion originated. A pinprick of light, barely perceptible to his eye at first, began to grow, drawing a beam of light that turned into an illuminated path.
Ranma looked back down at the body of Akane just in time to see it sifting from his grasp like sand. Everyone that had tormented him in his dream grew into ogres and devils, pointing and taunting the emotionally wounded boy as he felt the need to escape.
Ranma dashed onto the path with all his might, knowing wherever it lead to would be much better than here. As he ran, the darkness around him warped into a primarily violet light show, with wisps of white lights flying about.
Ranma found his destination just in front of him. The pinprick seemed like an exit, or an entrance to another place. Ranma desperately reached for it...
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Akane dreamt of her prom. For several weeks after the last wedding incident, she had been preparing for it, and she looked dazzling. She nervously awaited her date for the night she was supposed to remember for the rest of her life.
Ranma strolled down and lazily walked into the living room to sit in front of the TV. Akane would have been irked at his gall, if it weren't for the fact that he wasn't dressed to go.
Slowly, extreme surprise was replaced by growing anger when she finally spoke, "Ranma, why aren't you ready for our prom?"
The pigtailed boy looked towards Akane with a dumbfounded look, "Who said I was going to go with you?"
Akane once again stood shocked, she had assumed...
"Look at you, a tomboy all gussied up and ready to go, sorry but I got other plans."
Akane paused, that sounded like one of his usual taunts, but there was something missing. No, replaced by... by contempt? The raven-haired girl focused on Ranma's face, and stepped back with a gasp. The expression there was totally alien to her from him, and she didn't know how to handle it. Ranma didn't look like his usual smug self after a shot at his fiancée; he looked more annoyed and contemptuous towards her.
"Ranma, you jerk!" Even to her own ears, the words seemed to lose their potency as she brought her mallet out of hyperspace preparing to deliver her rightful vengeance. As soon as she brought it down to strike, without turning from the TV Ranma's hand snaked out and ripped it from her grasp and tossed it away. Akane shivered, realizing that he had NEVER done that before, and that he could have at any time.
"My dear *little* sister, did you really think you could keep treating him like that and get away with it?" questioned Nabiki's voice behind her. Akane turned to see her look with an expression almost the same as Ranma's, except her eyes were laughing at her.
"But, but, HE DESERVED IT!" Akane yelled indignantly, knowing that argument always won for her. This time though, it lacked its finalizing conviction.
"Oh my, Akane, when will you grow up? In that dress you look just like a little girl playing princess," Kasumi's words were a bit confusing to Akane. She wasn't sure if she was being insulted, or if Kasumi was just being her usual aloof self.
"Ha! Kitchen destroyer never grow up! She spoiled brat that can't cook, can't fight, can't..."
Ranma's voice joined Shampoo's
"...do anything right, built like a brick, thighs too thick..."
Ukyo suddenly appeared and the three continued in chorus.
"Ugly as a mule, twice as strong!"
The trio and the rest of the Tendou family, Soun and Kasumi included, laughed, as tears streaked down Akane's cheek. Every insecurity she felt was brought to the forefront, along with the main one that cut the deepest.
"Ranma, please..." Akane gasped, suddenly emotionally overwhelmed and desperately grasping for even the smallest bit of approval from Ranma.
The pigtailed boy scowled at her and turned away, putting an arm over Shampoo and Ukyo, "Comon, you two, why don't we go and see what this prom thing is all about?"
Suddenly all three of them were dressed in regal outfits. Akane looked around to see her sisters and her father wearing expensive dresses and suits, accompanied by everyone that would be at her Junior Prom. Akane realized that she also was in Furinkan High's gym, where the prom was to be held. Everyone seemed to be sneering at her before she caught the whispers of 'little girl' floating around.
The raven haired girl looked down at her own gown, noticing that it lost its luster, and hung down on her like an old drapery. Her esteem dropped to danger levels as she turned with teary eyes away, looking for an escape.
She pushed through the crowds of people who wouldn't spare her the courtesy or the effort to part for her, as her eyes caught a glimmer at the other end of the school gym-turned-dancehall. She fought furiously to reach the other end, the task seeming to be infinite as the gym seemed to fill with more people (she could have sworn she had seen many of the same people twice and even three times) and the gym grew longer.
Finally, after enduring the gauntlet, she reached it, and the comforting light from the other end beckoned her...
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Awake...
Ranma let out a silent scream as he shot up from bed. He had escaped the torturous hell that his own mind submitted him to every night, since after they returned from battling the Phoenix Tribe and Saffron. The pigtailed boy shook in remembered horror and frustration; they had won, the now infantile demi-god wouldn't be a threat for years to come, if ever. Akane was safe and among the living, despite how close of a call it had come to, the status quo is back to where it should be in Nerima.
Then why did he still feel damned?
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Ranma drearily made his way down to breakfast, earning only a few concerned, yet terse glances from everyone else at the table.
"Oh my, Ranma, are you okay this morning?" Kasumi enquired as she set the plates out for the morning meal.
"I'm fine," Ranma lied, though as tired and bedraggled as he felt and sounded, it couldn't be disclosed if it were truth or not by anyone else.
Everyone else that is, other than Kasumi. The eldest Tendou sister gave the young man a concerned look, before returning to the kitchen.
Ranma looked around, and realized the absence of someone. He began to feel the panic that usually overcame him, the morning after the nightmare whenever he didn't see her almost instantly. Maybe it wasn't a dream after all, maybe he had failed the girl he lov... he deeply cared for.
Hiding his nervousness, Ranma inquired, "Wha, where's Akane?"
"She's in the bath still, I don't believe she had much sleep either," Soun stated, glancing over his newspaper.
"Boy, have you been keeping your fiancée up all night?" Genma asked sternly, peering intently at his son, "because I fully endorse it!" The bald martial artist produced a pair of victory fans.
"Oh, yes indeed! Though you may want to finish early on school nights, Ranma-kun," Soun threw in, only paying token attention to local matters.
"Oh my, Ranma. I'm afraid that isn't proper behavior. You should at least wait until you're married!"
Nabiki came down the stairs, dressed for school, and managed to catch the topic of conversation, "Or at least until prom night. You're off to a false start, Ranma."
"Hah? Prom?" Ranma inquired, minutely confused from the morning fog in his head. Akane happened to walk in at that moment, and heard Ranma's inquiry. A pit in her stomach that she had barely noticed made itself apparent to her, emptying her insides in favor of a hollow feeling.
"Yes, Prom, that big dance everyone in high school considers attending, that big dance that my dear little sister's been running herself ragged to prepare for? The one that's only three days off?" Nabiki continued to drop hints, after eyeing her younger sister's response.
"It's okay, really, Nabiki," Akane interrupted, trying to sound nonchalant about it. Only a completely dense fool could miss the hollow tone in her obviously faked sanguine attitude.
Ranma felt the anxiety leave him at Akane's voice; she was still with him. He then found it again once he saw Akane's face. There was a bit of disappointment there, from what, he could not place. It served to make him all that more nervous, "Is, is it because of me? What did I say this time?"
"Something wrong, Akane?" he said, as if testing the waters of a boiling lake. Akane seemed like she had been jolted from a trance, and gave Ranma a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Ranma focused on her dual orbs, noticing a lack of luster; onyx in blue light that had failed to be polished.
"I'm fine, Ranma, have you decided if you're going to go..." Akane's eyes flickered away from Ranma's intense gaze at them, "...or not?"
Ranma looked around pleadingly for help, none would be given, as everyone seemed to be on the edge of their seats for his answer. Ranma considered how Akane was acting, and found himself more than a little concerned.
"I should have known better than to trust in you"
Ranma blinked, and felt his chest clench, "What did you say, Akane?" His question was rather hesitant, and laden with a heavy undertone of weary caution.
Akane perceived Ranma's inquiry as evading her own question. The girl gave a sigh, before speaking again, "Never mind, Ranma. I think you'd be bored with a normal school dance anyway." Akane sat down, as her oldest sister arrived with the morning meal.
It was slightly more subdued around the table than previous, everyone seeming to absorb the atmosphere that was emanating from Ranma and Akane. It was common for the two to grouse, but there was something different. Akane didn't seem to fume as she usually did, and Ranma was extremely placid. Every so often the two would glance between themselves, each time just missing catching each other.
"He... is he ignoring me?" Akane thought, looking back from her fiancée to her meal. Suddenly she wasn't hungry.
"Excuse me..." Akane mumbled, removing herself from the table.
Ranma looked up in slight panic, anxious over what he had done wrong, "Akane?"
"I'm going on ahead to school," Akane replied, not turning to look at Ranma, "I'll see you there." Akane gathered her supplies, and headed for the front door, each step she took hammering something away in Ranma.
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Ranma knew he did something, but he couldn't figure out for the life of him what it was. It was apparent to him that he managed to hurt Akane, but whatever it was, she kept it close to the vest. Ranma watched his fiancée during lunch from a distance, as she talked with her group of friends. She didn't seem to contain her usual sanguine attitude; her smile was strictly cosmetic, her voice held a completely forced cheeriness. The pigtailed boy focused closer, he could almost see Akane becoming... smaller, in a withdrawn sense.
Realization came to Ranma; he had to have done something truly terrible to do this to Akane. A reoccurring dream came to the fore of his mind, and began to hungrily eat further away at the seemingly infinite confidence of Saotome Ranma.
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Akane listened to her friends at the edge of her conscious. They were animated and vibrant, talking about their plans for the upcoming dance; a stark contrast to Akane, whose participation in the chatter of her friends was token at best. She imagined that they were silently noting her flaws, and though on an intellectual level she knew otherwise, she couldn't help but feel as if she were being found wanting.
"I envy Akane; just imagine, Ranma in a tux!" one of the girls squealed excitedly.
Akane refocused at the mention of her name. She had caught the sentence, and almost smirked at the memory of Ranma in a white tux, standing at the end of a wedding isle, awaiting her.
Suddenly, Akane felt more elated than she had in weeks, since the dream started. Ranma was waiting for *her*! Not for Shampoo, not for Ukyo, but for her. It may have taken knocking him unconscious and dressing him while he was out cold...
That's just it, wasn't it? Akane knew that he wouldn't have willingly gone through it... for her. He had to be forced into doing so through physical subduing and bribery (the bribe not mentioned until later notwithstanding). It wasn't for her benefit. Akane knew then, that Ranma couldn't possibly want her. Things had become calm between them, with their fathers no longer pressuring the two together. The other two fiancées were giving Ranma a good amount of berth, but Akane knew it wouldn't last for long. Ranma would forgive them, no doubt, and once again they'll begin to slowly impose themselves between Akane and him.
"A-Akane? Are you okay?" Yuka drew the quietly sobbing girl into her arms, looking at her equally puzzled friends.
Ranma would have been compelled to do something, if he were in the area at the time.
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Throughout the rest of school, Ranma's deduction had been made completely valid in his mind. Everyone at school had looked upon him with cold eyes, condemning him for whatever crime he had committed against his fiancée.
Akane's circle of friends formed a conclusion to the reason of Akane's breakdown; Ranma did something BIG. News, as usual about the couple, spread throughout the school. And again, as usual, everyone sided with Akane.
Ranma kept his head covered on the desk, feeling almost as bad as when he had thought Akane dead back at Jusendo. He decided he would rather wallow in his own misery, than face any of the accusing stares that he was getting occasionally from his schoolmates. He had been used to them before, but with recent events, they hurt quite a bit more.
Not too far, one person was elated at the state of affairs between Ranma and Akane. The girl with flowing brunette hair saw an opportunity appearing. She didn't quite know how to approach Ranma at the moment, but soon, he'll need a friend.
Akane kept her head down, not wanting to see the pity in anyone's eyes. She had cracked, she couldn't help it. It was like a pressure on her heart had been increasing, until she couldn't help but give it outlet. All she could do was ride the rest of the day out, and then get home and relax, maybe some intense training will help steady her nerves. Nobody bothered Ranma or Akane through out the rest of the school day.
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"I'm home," Akane called out in a weary voice that told anyone paying attention how her day went.
"Hello Akane, do you know what's wrong with Ranma? He came home rather upset," Kasumi called from the kitchen. Her little sister's mood hadn't been lost on her, and she presumed it might have been something shared between the two. A bit of prying may help clarify things.
Akane didn't answer, worrying Kasumi even further. The eldest Tendou daughter stepped out from the kitchen to confront her little sister, and found her already heading upstairs.
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Ranma had holed up in his room, saturating it with his own angst. His worry had grown steadily since getting home. Everyone knew it was his fault now, he had heard Akane arrive, and was pretty sure that know Kasumi was privy to whatever Ranma did to thoroughly upset her. Eventually the whole household would find out, he wouldn't stop it, he knew he had failed her, and deserved whatever beratement they would throw upon him.
Saotome's confidence continued to dwindle.
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Brooding in his room had gotten old, but he wasn't ready to face Akane just yet. Ranma steeled himself out the door, just in time to meet face to face with Akane heading downstairs in her gi.
"Ra-Ranma..."
"Akane..." neither knew what to say after that, a palette of emotions thrown precariously onto a canvas, and displayed upon their faces. Akane was the first to find her voice.
"I... I have to go train," with that, the young girl quickly headed down stairs. Ranma raised a hand in consideration of stopping her, to find out what he had done wrong, but he just couldn't deal with any of the anger, betrayal, or sadness that his fiancée may feel.
Akane berated herself for running. She needed to confront Ranma, because the uncertainty was slowly consuming her. She needed to desperatly, but she wouldn't dare face the contemptuous look that he could have; looking down at the half-rate play martial artist that seemed to believe he had some sort of intrest in her.
He quietly went back into his room, and didn't bother to come out for dinner. Akane practiced until it was time for bed.
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Akane lay in bed, fighting sleep, and berating herself for it.
"Ugh, it's just a stupid dream. Why is it bothering me so much?"
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"Look at me, scared of a stupid dream, the great Ranma Saotome," Ranma thought snidely, staring up at the ceiling of his room. "Yeah, great. I can't even keep myself from hurting Akane" His thought became cooler and more agonizing the longer they went, "Maybe she's better off without me..."
Neither Akane, nor Ranma would know the time they finally submitted to slumber.
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Akane pushed her way through the thick prom crowd, trying desperately to reach the light. They were much more dense than before, and their taunts and jeers felt much more deeply cutting than last time. Akane forced her growing insecurity down, and continued to swim through the ocean of people between her and her goal.
Finally, after much trial, she ran into the blue light that beckoned her like a savior.
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Ranma fiercely fought off his father, Ryoga, Cologne, Happosai, and others that impeded his run for sanctuary, the light that lay just beyond him in a slight distance. He failed Akane, but something told him that he would find salvation if he could just reach the light. Akane had already scorned him in her death, but he would keep fighting for her. Slowly dragging the chain he was wrapped in, and fighting against the combined might of his foes trying to drag him back towards misery; Ranma stumbled through the portal to another realm.
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Ranma/Akane found him/herself in a land that was so breathtaking. The beach/flowered field Ranma/Akane found him/herself in left the pigtailed boy/raven-haired girl in awe. It was a glorious contrast to his/her prior predicament that almost seemed to wash away his/her current pains. Ranma/Akane noticed his/her attire, he/she was wearing his favorite red and black outfit/ her school uniform, and found that there wasn't anything else he/she would have preferred to wear. Ranma's/Akane's observations were cut off as they noted a squad of fantastic creatures heading their way, beings only found on the edge of a dream. Ranma/Akane looked for a direction to flee, and saw on a sandy dune/flower dressed hill a parasol with a harlequin that seemed to be trapped within it.
The jester's large and expressionate eyes pleaded with Ranma/Akane, as it spun around and flipped in its confinement, ignoring the laws of physics as a dream only can. Ranma/Akane rushed/wearily approached it; the pigtailed boy/short-haired girl knew it was his/her duty to help those in need. Without hesitation/with heavy caution, Ranma/Akane attempted to punch through/reached out a hand to feel the barriers of the captive's confinement. To his/her surprise, Ranma's/Akane's fist passed right through it/hand pushed easily through it, causing/allowing him/her to stumble forward/push her arm through. The harlequin quickly reached for Ranma's/Akane's outstretched fist/hand...
The jester's voice sang akin to a whistle with an optimistic tune, as it shot into the air, spinning in gleeful and joyous freedom.
Prepare to Fly
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Akane's first Dream; The Befriendment
Akane attempted to laugh, but her voice had caught in her from the overwhelming feeling of excitement. The exhilarating feeling of flight had taken her so fully; all her troubles of the waking world had been left on the ground. Akane barrel rolled as fast as she could, then shot straight up into the air, then sharply dropped down, flipping herself to her upright position before she hit the ground.
She had now taken a look at her environment; it was, so simply yet eloquently put, beautiful and surreal. She rose higher into the air to see more. If the feeling of flying left her breathless...
Mountains that stretched to the crystalline blue and sparsely clouded sky surrounded the massive flower field filled with oversized daffodils and sunflowers. In the midst of it all, a mighty pine tree stood in the center, pristine and as perfect as any such tree could be found. Erasers for pencils rubbed out any flaws that could be seen about. Akane wanted to giggle when one of the erasers approached her, orbited around her, and zoomed on it's way, but found her laugh a lyrical and pleasant cluster of bell chimes and whistles.
Akane scrunched her face, as a flower pedal that was for a peculiar reason falling from the sky landed against it. She couldn't comprehend why the sight of such beautiful things that dwindled to the earth below upset her slightly.
Akane looked down upon herself. Her sleeves were cuffed with yellow and violet triangles, like the strange jester's attire she had seen only a few instances ago. She looked further down and saw herself in a leotard of matching violet, with the legs muffed in a lighter purple and blocked off at the top of the foot to the heel with a yellow tracing line. It was vested in purple at the chest with four yellow stars, two at each side. What really caught the transformed girl's attention was the glowing purple gem in her chest. Akane spun in the air, trying to look about herself to fully view the changes on her.
Before Akane could contemplate the transformation, she heard weeping. Akane looked up to see one of the fantastic creatures she had seen earlier, a small alligator with wings of a large fly, heading towards her. Akane lifted into the air quickly, as the creature got within range to attack. Like a darting fly, the beast quickly changed direction to cut her off. Akane looped back, just barely missing her foot being bitten off. To her surprise, a black hole appeared from where she had looped, swallowing her pursuer and placing it in parts unknown. Akane imagined she blinked, and smiled. The transformed girl made several more loops; sounds of shifting air accompanied the portals she created.
Akane decided to take more joy out of her flying, dancing precariously in the air without care, before she felt an urge, like another part of herself telling her she had tasks elsewhere. Akane looked off into the distance, and saw a rose pink sphere of radiance, trapped in a glass floating dome. It was slowly shrinking and losing it brilliant vibrancy, and Akane knew that the dome was siphoning it away until it was a withered shadow of what it used to be. Akane knew she had to stop it.
Akane dashed in the air towards the objective, delighting in the speed she traveled through the air, weaving through the floating mandalas, and indulging in the twinkle of the bells she touched. She reached the dome, and pushed as hard as she could, finding that the smooth glass would not budge. She resorted to pounding on it, and it remained just as stubborn. Akane backed off from the dome with a spin. From its reflection she saw her face. She had become the strange being she had found in the parasol. The soft and friendly eyes looked back at her with a twinkling of mirth, which seemed out of place from the comically small mouth she had that presently formed an 'o' from her surprise. Akane couldn't resist the urge to take her index fingers and stretch her mouth apart, wagging her tongue at the reflection. After a fit of bell twinkling giggles, Akane went back to the task at hand, finding a way to destroy the dome that held the beautiful orb of energy.
A thought came unbidden to the fore of her mind, "a song of joy will shatter the dome of sorrow." Akane didn't know what the reference was referring to, but rationalized that she needed to find a song. In the distance, a faint melody made itself known, and the girl-turned-harlequin flew in the direction it originated to investigate.
Akane found herself much more hindered by the mountains in her flight, but still almost effortlessly maneuvered through them. She found herself opposed to more creatures, such as a badger with grasshopper hind legs, and dealt with them in the manner she had learned; looping them and sending them into the black oblivion.
Akane cleared the mountains and dropped down low, skimming over the rolling sea of grass and flowers. A trail of flower petals that were spurred up from flowers was left in her wake, dancing in the air in the motions the wind currents lead them. She was approaching the sound of what appeared to be a violin playing en solo, but off key and in broken notes. She quickly hit breaks at the sight of who was playing the instrument rather poorly; a redheaded girl in a pink and flowery dress sitting cross-legged on a log in front of a dark and untidy looking fortress. Akane cautiously floated down to confront this dream Ranma-chan, when the girl noticed her and giggled, and then gestured to the violin she was holding.
Before Akane could respond, Ranma-chan laughed and started to run away. Akane blinked, then gave chase after the other girl. The farther she ran, the larger she became until she was overwhelmingly large. Akane noticed that the inside of the building was a long corridor of interweaving willow trees and leaking plumbing. Vaguely she could hear "do you want to be friends?" whispered in the background.
Suddenly, the giant Ranma-chan giggled and spun, flaring the skirt of her dress out and sending pansies and wilted yellow roses flying through the air. Akane dodged and weaved through the barrage, attempting to get close to the girl.
"Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Ranma-chan cried out in a surreal voice, her oversized fists blurring beyond the visible realm. Akane fought against the wind generated from the attack, trying to keep stable in the air. As valiant as she fought, Akane couldn't help but be pushed into a wall made of faulty lead piping and sickly tree branches. She managed not to touch it, but felt the heat from it. Akane's already enlarged eyes opened wider, and her face became akin to a child's wonder and surprise; there was hot water in the pipes. She looked around and saw several valves that were slightly leaking, possibly extremely weak.
Akane smirked as she got her bearing straight, the trick may not be to attack this mock Ranma-Chan directly.
Ranma-chan started to run gleefully away again, sporting away the violin in her grasp. Akane caught up with the large redhead, and flew right past her. Ranma stopped and blinked in confusion, watching her playmate shoot past her instead of trying to take the musical instrument away. Akane flew into a valve, putting her hands forward, and breaking it off.
Ranma-chan yelped in surprise, dodging out of the way of the steaming stream of water that shot towards her. She spun again, flaring her dress and sending flowers flying about. The pansies altered the course of the jet of hot water, no longer making it a danger to the girl.
Akane now knew the girl was afraid of the hot water. She rammed into another valve, and once again Ranma dodged it, but this time much more narrowly. She again spun about, sending flowers around to protect her, and called out her attack to impede Akane. The harlequin would not be deterred, as she coasted against the wind and rammed another valve. Ranma just barely dodged it, and spun more flowers out. Again she was protected, but it was apparent she was now trapped, and running out of maneuvering room. Akane looked around, and plotted her next move. She quickly rammed another valve, ricocheting off and ramming another one, which in turn sent her on another course into a third valve. Ranma-chan managed to dodge the first two streams, but was enveloped by the third.
With a squawk of surprise, the girl dropped the violin. Akane swooped in and caught the instrument when it shrunk to size, and turned to see what happened to the other girl. In her place stood a handsome young man in a pigtail, nodding to her with a smirk, before fading away.
Akane looked around again, finding herself back in the flower field again. Without hesitation, she flew with the violin towards the dome in the distance. When she arrived, she felt the violin stir by itself. Startled, Akane let go of it, and it began to play. Its song was beautiful, uplifting Akane's mood even more as the concert of the single instrument went on. Under the melody, the dome began to buckle, then crack, then finally shatter; allowing the rose pink ball of energy to expand, and envelope the area...
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Akane turned on her side and smiled slightly in slumber, feeling better than she had in a while.
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The next morning, Akane felt more refreshed then she had in a while. Akane took her bath and headed for the table for breakfast. This time it was her who noticed someone was missing from the table.
"Uh, where's Ranma?" Akane enquired, trying not to sound too concerned.
"He said something about having to go to the Cat Cafe. He needed to talk with one of the Amazons.
"Oh," Akane replied in a small voice, Ranma must have gone to see Shampoo. With her sigh, a tiny ember of the negative feeling she originally felt began to grow again within her heart.
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Ranma's first dream; 'The affection'
Ranma exalted in the feeling he hadn't felt since he was so young, before that fateful training trip. The incredible feeling that he was experiencing, as he soared as high as he wanted into the air, then dropped down low to just barely skimming the sands of the beach.
Ranma glided the loose sand , idly noting the bare footprints appearing in the sand from invisible feet , and finding it curious that there were no seashells on the beach. He rose into the air, allowing a stampede of eleven pale horses to run where he had been flying. A black horse trailed behind them, intensely trying to catch up, Ranma felt sympathy for it as it raced on.
Ranma glanced at the mingled white and red coral reef that jutted from the waters, while weaving through the unfinished houses that floated in the air. Ranma began to consider where he was; it seemed so familiar, like he had come here for a task. Fortunately, a voice inside reminded him of what he needed to do.
Ranma didn't go far before something caught his eye. A cluster of musical notes floated in the air, which Ranma sped towards and collected in one fail swoop. A small contented feeling told Ranma that he was doing what he had come here for.
Doing a tight loop in the air, Ranma shot to the ground. He stopped as he heard a 'shooping' sound, like air rushing to fill a vacuum behind him. Putting the mystery off, Ranma set to his task of finding a song that he could vaguely recall. He felt himself directed back to the sandy shore, meandering around the pieces of a large western game he recalled by the name of 'Chess' , and also noted that the invisible players were cheating severely in it . The event earned a chuckle from Ranma, who immediately hushed himself once he noticed the sound of it; like tiny bells and pan flutes. His laugh also attracted another, a gargoyle that had been perched atop one of the immobile chess pieces. It made a beeline for Ranma, who caught its approach and went to guard immediately.
The creature approached, and then dove for Ranma, who easily circled around it, finding the Saotome School of martial arts humorously appropriate in this combat. Ranma now got to see the phenomenon that the rushing air sound succeeded, as the gargoyle gave an indignant howl to being sucked into a pit formed from Ranma's loop in mid air. Ranma warily approached the spot, puzzled to where it had disappeared.
Again, an instinct within him told Ranma that he needed to hurry. Putting his newfound speed to the test, Ranma rushed off on a seemingly predestined path. Ranma floated between the chess pieces, avoiding their moves and collecting scattered music notes as he came across them with haste. Ranma encountered another one of the gargoyles, and dealt with it in the same manner as the other before. Ranma also found that looping around the notes attracted them to him, making their collection much easier.
The trail of notes lead from the shore to the crests, Ranma danced and flitted to avoid the waves from the sudden turbulent waters that matched the suddenly turbulent skies above. Ranma carefully avoided being swallowed into the water, collecting musical notes that were placed high and low, here and there. On top of having to watch for the high waves, the martial artist turned harlequin was forced to evade giant leaping carp that were intent on having him as a meal.
As if it grew extremely irritated at it's lack of success towards hindering the flying harlequin, the ocean rose into a massive tidal wave that rolled towards Ranma. The harlequin's eyes went wide as it saw the giant wave rise above him and began to descend upon him. Ranma felt himself swallowed in it, finding it impossible to gain his bearings as he was thrown about in the tumbling, angry water, he had began to despair as he was thrown head over heals, unable to recover himself. Without even realizing it, Ranma found himself surfing the massive wave on an anchovy that acted like a surfboard . Ranma maneuvered the crest, managing to collect the musical notes that were hung inside, all the time dodging the leaping carp that attempted to impede his way.
Before the wave crashed onto the shore, Ranma flew out from under it, performing barrel rolls in celebration of escaping such a potent trial. He once again spotted the black horse he had seen prior, but this time it was so far behind the rest that it almost had no hope of catching up. Ranma felt almost guilty because of this, but decided that the black horse really didn't belong with the rest of the pale horses.
Ranma flew towards a massive but ruined sandcastle , and set to explore it. Miniature cannons fired at him, though they were not a threat to one who could precariously drift in the air between the mauve cannon balls. Though the artillery was hostile, the drawbridge descended, seeming to beckon Ranma into its maw. Never one to disappoint, Ranma entered, unhindered.
Ranma was surprised to see the insides of the castle made of mirrors, that reflected everything normally, except himself, which his reflection was in various colors . He found himself quite angry at the yellow reflection .
Ranma flew through out its chambers, the mirrors warping as he flew by them, causing an aesthetic and pleasing ripple in them. Ranma noticed that though the space around him seemed empty, if he looked in the mirrors, he would see many musical notes, and when he looped their general area, they would appear and be gathered by the vortex for his collection.
"Impressive, Son-in-law. Your tactical mind seems to meet no bounds."
Ranma stopped flying, and looked around, only to find no one there. He wanted to call out for whom he knew it was to show herself, but felt deeply chagrinned at the sound of his voice at the moment.
"I'm right here, Groom." Ranma turned and looked towards a mirror, and saw almost cat-like Cologne riding on a crane.
"Or perhaps I'm right here?" Ranma turned to see another Cologne on a crane in the mirror opposite the one he was just looking at.
"Maybe even here," Ranma looked up at the ceiling in surprise, "I guess now this is the part where I am supposed to keep you from your goal, you prepared?" Ranma flew back a couple of feet warily. Cologne chuckled and faded from the mirror.
With out so much a warning, Ranma instinctually dodged a miniature tornado that flew horizontally towards him. He turned towards its origin in time to see Cologne smile and fade from the mirror. Ranma again dodged another tornado, and didn't even bother to pause, as he flew full tilt towards the mirror it originated from. Cologne barely had time to fade out as Ranma ran into the mirror she was currently in, causing it to indent, then spring forwards, sending Ranma flying away. Ranma's attempt at catching Cologne did not go unrewarded, as Cologne was spit out of the mirror and into the open.
Ranma moved to attack her, when suddenly, Cologne split into two, then four then six. Ranma found himself surrounded by a dozen Colognes riding cranes, circling around him and brandishing their staffs menacingly, he doubted the chicken leg would work once again.
Ranma remembered that he could fly, and flew straight up, much to his chagrin, the cranes began to flap their wings, and the circle of Colognes rose with him. He flew around, trying to make it difficult for the old woman to attack him while circling around him, and in a fit of desperation, looped. Many of the circle of Colognes were caught in the vortex, causing them to vanish, leaving the real Cologne present. The old woman quickly ran the crane towards a mirror, but didn't make it in time, as Ranma ran full tilt into the back of her. With a squawk, the Amazon matriarch was sent flying off the giant bird, and into the mirror.
Ranma flew in circles, anticipating an attack. Once again, a vortex of wind flew towards him, and he evaded. This time Cologne faded immediately after creating it, and Ranma grit his teeth, waiting for another attack. Out of the corner of his eye, Ranma saw Cologne reappearing in a mirror right before she could begin another attack. As Cologne started to spin her staff towards Ranma, she gasped as the harlequin started to fly straight for her. Cologne ceased her attack and tried to fade from sight, but once again didn't make it before Ranma rammed the window.
Cologne learned from the past, and used the momentum of the springing mirror to launch herself towards the one across it. Ranma had managed to recover in the air, and with a start forward on the old woman, created a loop that completed once she reached its center.
Cologne's eyes went wide, as she was absorbed into the vortex in space, and chuckled, "Not bad, not bad at all Son-in.... Ranma." With that, she vanished.
Ranma quickly approached the spot he had seen the elderly Amazon disappear in, making sure that she had indeed disappeared. The harlequin felt something warm about him, and looked around to see musical notes floating from him. Ranma turned to see a giant music sheet, devoid of any music on its scales. The musical notes Ranma collected flew quickly towards the sheet, and covered it. Once they were all in position, music began to play from what sounded like a music box, replicating what was on the sheet. As the music played, everything began to go white...
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Ranma grinned, and snuggled a bit more comfortly into his pillow, content that the rest of the night would be peaceful.
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Ranma woke up much more early than usual, for some reason feeling so much more refreshed than he had in days. Though he felt quite a bit relaxed, his mood darkened a bit at the dream he recalled from last night. He was going to have to have a little chat with a certain Amazon Elder.
Ranma got dressed, and gave a curt 'good morning' to Kasumi, as he ran out the door, not even giving the eldest Tendou daughter time to return the greeting.
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Intermission
Ranma rushed out of the house with his school supplies in hand, and in a single bound from near the front door, he was on the wall of the dojo grounds; with another leap, he was carried over to a nearby roof and sprinting towards his destination.
There was something about his dream last night, something just too peculiar about it. It may have been the fact that it was the first break he had gotten while he was asleep. Instead of the slumbering in a nightmare built from his own self-conciousness, concerns, and fears, it brought him different emotions.
He felt exillaration far beyond anything other than the art had been possible to him. He *felt* the wind caress him as he danced in the sky, he experienced a gleeful joy only the naive innocent should be able to experience as the dream reality's beach sun washed his transmorphef form, regardless of the turbulant dangers that saught to end his slumber prematurely.
The pigtailed boy stopped, just as he reached the edge of the roof, how did he know they were attempting to wake him up? He actually didn't realize that he was aware of the consequences if their attempts were successful.
The though of the final one he had to face brought him back to his current task. Cologne must have had some knowlege of what this was all about; the dream he could feel was laiden with hidden meaning and subtle truths that he needed to face; she should be able to shed some light on it. The final part that was the confrontation with the Amazon Elder riding a large bird did prove one thing; a confrontation between him and the old Ghoul was coming.
Ranma leapt much higher than nessesary, finding a small satisfaction in the elavation that was but a small twinge of what he had found in his dream. Almost like the sweet mild scent of jasmine tea with a touch of honey before the initial soothing sip on a crisp winter day. The burst of emotion gave him an energy that asserted his confidence in a way he had been missing since after the wedding. Ranma landed with a running start, speeding as fast as possible and savoring the rush of air by him, and then once again jumped into the air like he was attempting to soar among the clouds.
Among the experience, Ranma hadn't noticed that the weights that had bound him down were missing. In fact, if he had been paying attention, he would have stopped himself from the embarrasing, childish giggle he was emitting.
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"HEY! OLD GHOUL!" Ranma shouted, as he strode into the front door of the Cat Cafe.
"Ranma!" a femenine voice that was heavily accented with Mandarin called out. Barely without notice, Ranma dodged the lavender projectile with unconcious ease; something that took said projectile by surprise, as she found herself having to recover into a roll to arrest her momentum..
"OLD GHOUL, I NEED TO TALK TO YA !" Ranma called out, and once again surprising an Amazon, by dodging the downswing of a knarled cane.
"Hmm, good reflexes, Son-in... Ranma," Cologne stated, as she came to resting on her cane, "What brings you by this time of morning? I believe you have school not too soon."
"What do you know about dreams?" Ranma asked, his voice losing the sanguine lilt along with his bearing.
Cologne took a moment of pause to consider the question, before replying, "That is a complicated subject, and although I have much in the way of knowlege, I'm not a trained psychologist in the least. Am I to presume that you have something rather complex to discuss?"
Ranma nodded, ignoring the purple haired girl stalking up behind him.
"Why Ranma dodge Shampoo?" The young Amazon whined, "You avoid Shampoo for too, too long!" Shampoo launched herself at Ranma, and found herself evaded again.
"Yeah, it was a pretty weird dream, and you were in it," Ranma stated, his voice not showing any form of exertion, as he continued to dodge away from Shampoo's attempted glomps.
"Ranma, don't you think I'm a little too old for you?" Cologne replied with a teasing tone.
Ranma slightly only baulked at the implication, "Nothing like that, you were riding a giant bird, A stork or something, and trying to attack me, while going in and out of these mirrors."
Cologne paused once again, "That isn't much more peculiar than any dream I have ever heard. Is there some circumstance that brings you to me to discuss this?"
"Well, you were attacking me in it, and..." Ranma trailed off, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.
"And you presumed I had something to do with it?" Cologne enquired with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, yeah. I mean, it could have been some sort of Amazon trick of yours, to get me to marry Shampoo, I guess," Ranma replied, while lifting one of his legs high into the standing splits, that caused Shampoo to barely pass by him.
"RANMA HOLD STILL!" Shampoo screeched, and then resumed her attempts to snuggle against her beloved's chest. Cologne's eyes narrowed slightly at Ranma's cavalier fashion of avoiding her heir.
"Ranma, I do not go out of my way to make your life uncomfortable," Cologne answered, "Take advantage of situations, yes, but never exert much energy towards you. I want what's best for my Great Granddaughter, and she seems to want you. You can forgive an old woman wanting to make her Great Grandchild happy?"
"RANMA! HOW DARE YOU TEASE SHAMPOO SO?!?"
"Ah, I guess," Ranma replied before tilting his head and grabbing one of the chains launched at him, and then twisting to pull it into an arc that sent the person holding the other end into a wall, just under a heavy shield that fell on top of the myopic boy's head. Cologne used her staff to parry the other projectiles launched after her and Ranma with barely acknowleging their presence, while Shampoo just hid behind Ranma. "Anyhow, you got an idea what was going on there?"
"I cannot say that I have a clue," Cologne said with a slight smirk.
"Well, I guess it's not important anymore, since you said you didn't use any funky Amazon tricks to cause it, I just wanted to be sure." Ranma turned to Shampoo with an irritated expression, causing the girl to stop her latest attempt only inches from his face, "WOULD YOU CUT THAT OUT?!?"
"You're awfully trusting, Ranma," Cologne replied, warily, the pigtailed boy turned away from Shampoo's bewildered expression and shrugged, "But if you're willing, we could discuss this further before your classes?"
"Ah, afraid I gotta get to school now, sorry to bother you!" Ranma replied, dashing out of the Cat Cafe.
Cologne waited until she was sure Ranma was out of earshot, and then sighed, "It was a crane, not a stork." She had not missed the cavalier way that Ranma evaded Shampoo, instead of freezing up as he usually did during her advances. It seemed as if the boy was starting to sort his feelings out, which probably didn't bode well for her Great Granddaughter.
The elder Amazon then went back to her restauranting duties, leaving a bewildered Shampoo standing and wondering what brought on Ranma's reaction to her affections.
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Akane kept ther thoughts off of Ranma as she walked to school. The dream she had last night made her feel more alive than she could ever recall. The sudden onrush of emotions when she came into contact with that jester that seemed to be trapped were not unpleasant. Her feelings of insecurity were replaced by vibrant expressions of joy, infinite laughter, and all consuming warmth. Even now, she could almost savor the happy feelings paint vibrant colors over the dark gray canvas that she held inside. The raven-haired girl relished in the mere shade of what she had experienced, and still it brought a slight smile to her face.
"It's good to see that you're smiling again, Akane!" Sayuri stated behind the girl, almost causing Akane to jump in startlement.
"Huh? Well, I had a nice night."
"Oh? You get back at Ranma for whatever he did to you yesterday?" Yuka asked from the other side, and then broke into a grin "Or did he finally ask you to the prom?" Both companions notice Akane's expression immidiately darken.
"A-Akane, Where's Ranma anyhow? Don't you usually walk with him to school?" Sayuri enquired, not particularly noticing that she may be stepping onto turbulant lands.
Akane bowed her head, not allowing the other two girls to see the hurt that bled black ink over the lovely canvas that she had been indulging. After a few moments, she managed to gather herself, "Ranma? That jerk went to the Cat Cafe this morning, not that I care."
Akane suddenly bolted, leaving two confused girls. They hadn't bothered to move, as they were trying to figure out why Akane's outburst sounded of feigned emotion.
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"Hmph, they've already discovered what needs to be done, your plans to hinder the two failed considerably," A phantom-like woman wearing fine velvet burgundy and teal robes with shock red hair that stood out like a cone from the back of her head. She turned to meet with a jester, one garbed in violet and red with a porcelyn painted face.
Reala turned back to the woman that stood over him like an ancient oak to a sapling, even while sitting, "Patience, we did not expect to subdue either of them in the first try, though it would have been nice if we had. NiGHTS assuradly knew enough to keep us from a quick victory."
Zmartwan, the younger sister of Wizemon, turned her blank, featureless face to the harliquin, and spoke in a voice that was heard everywhere, but came from nowhere, "My patience is not finite. I will succeed with my older brother had failed. He lacked the proper might to control all of Nightopia, and with these two subjects, I will have the key to a compatible power that would allow me to subdue any resistance. I want them both adequately quelled so that we may use the boy to syphon the source of his curse energy."
"Yes, Reala is well aware of your plans to use the boy as a direct line to Jusenkyo's energy." Another jester wearing a parka and gloves of all red; his arms, legs, or neck could not bee seen, as if they were invisible or just not there. He casually flipped a trio of playing cards in his hand, before continuing, "And for what has been promised us, we'll do everything we can to ensure that it does not fail."
"See to it that it does not," Zmartwan replied coldly, "As it will be your turn to make an attempt at the boy. I will see to the girl myself."
"Oh, and I have just the way to deal with Ranma," Jackyl smirked sinisterly, and flipped a playing card over to view it's face. It was an ace of spades, with the spades being mini spactulas.
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Ranma sat in bed, wondering why Akane had avoided him all day, even going as far to switch places with Kasumi at the dinner table so that she wouldn't sit next to him. The sanguine mood he had felt earlier during the day after his confrontation with Cologne had melted away. Ironic, since it was his fiancee's rather cold shoulder which caused it.
The pigtailed boy sighed for another day, and decided that his thoughts could be left for another time. Just like Akane had not too many minutes prior, Ranma laid his head down to rest for the night, anxiously anticipating, and deeply fearing, what dreams may come.