SINS OF EDEN
Chapter 6
*****
Akane passed a horrible night. She barely got any sleep at all, and what little sleep
she did get was plagued with the scene she had lived the day before. Only this time,
it was more vivd and cruel...
She yawned as she looked at her small alarm clock. It read that it was only 4. A.M.,
which did not surprise her. She could usually see the sun through her bedroom window,
but it was yet to be out. She had figured that since it was almost winter, the sun
would be up later, so she had gotten up.
Without any sleep left in her, she got off the bed, turned on the light in her room
and streched. She decided, with a lack of anything better to do, to take a long shower,
and freshen up. It was Monday, after all. She would have to get to work at eight anyway.
Slowly walking through the dark apartment, she made her way to the kitchen, and turned on
her coffee maker. Within a minute, she had a hot cup of coffee in her hands and was sipping
at it slowly. She again made her way to the bedroom, already sheeding her shirt-
"Might not want to do that with me around," a voice in the dark said.
Akane jumped, nearly spilling the hot coffee all over her. "Who's there!?" she demanded.
"If you wanna get out of here in one piece, get the hell out now!"
"Ohhh, testy, aren't we? Not exactly a morning person, if I ever saw one. Guess I can't blame
you. After all, I'm like that myself." The comment was followed by a measured laugh.
"I'm warning you..." she said as she located the kitchen counter, set down her coffee
and turned on the hall light.
Akane flicked the switch to 'ON', and saw from her position behind the counter. She half
expected a guy in a mask of some kind to be there... but there wasn't. In fact, now that
she thought about it, the voice WAS female...
"Ah, much better, thanks!" said a woman, who was sitting on Akane's couch and had a magazine
in her hands. "It's a bitch to try and read this in the dark."
"Who are you!?" Akane demanded. She looked at the woman, trying to link her to somewhere, but
she came up wanting. She was a tall, buxom bruinette with a slightly pouty expression.
She was flipping throught the pages of her magazine as if nothing was going on.
"What are you doing in my home?" asked Akane, her fear deppleating a little now that she knew
she was better off fighting a woman, but she still kept her edge.
"That's a pronounced question, but difficult to answer. I'm reading."
"Don't mess with me! What do you want?"
"What do YOU want, Tendo Akane?" said the woman as she put down her magazine on the couch.
She leaned on her arm in Akane's direction and stared at her.
"I'm warning you..."
"Oh, enough of that! Come, sit! I have much to tell and so very little time." She gestured
at the small couch in front of the larger one.
"If this is some kind of trick..."
"Look, please understand this. If I wanted to hurt you, then I would have already. I am
only here to talk."
Akane walked out from behind the kitchen counter; for some strange reason, she knew she was
safe, at least for now. She walked slowly to the couch, never breaking eye contact
with her. She finally sat on the small one person couch.
"First of all," the woman said, "..don't bother asking how I got in. That would take up too
much time. Let me introduce myself first."
Akane raised one eyebrow, but kept listening.
"My name is Chijaru. Saotome Chijaru." She extended her hand to Akane, who shook it slowly,
as if in a trance.
*Saotome Chijaru? Saotome?* thought Akane.
"You're..."
Chijaru smiled. "Yes, guilty as charged. Ranma's so called, 'wife'. I believe to have heard
you and my husband bickering yesterday. He let himself get caught up, so I ask of you to
not take it seriously."
Akane was at a loss of words. This woman was Ranma's wife? Then, what was she doing here,
and at this hour? And more importantly, how did she get in without being noticed by her?
"Before you try to label all rationally, I would like to reinterate that my visit was
scheduled. I DID leave a note here yesterday. You must have seen it."
Akane gaped. She did see and read the small note, but she had given little importance to it.
"That was you? But how..."
"Again I say that for me to explain that would take up much time. Let us just get to the point.
You need, no, deserve some answers as to explain Ranma's behavior, so I will give them to you."
Akane shut the rest of the world off. This was going to be interesting.
"As you probably know, he is still slightly hurt about that incident all those years ago."
Akane wanted to speak but was silenced. "He told me all about it. I can tell you, that is
PART of his behavior, but not the major portions of it."
Akane wondered for a second. Chijaru answered Akane's unasked question.
"I do not want to get into the boring details that are our life, so I will do my best
to explain.
"We met around 2 years ago. He was a traveler, or as he put it, a kid on a post-college trip.
He was most kind and helpful. He stayed with me for the time he was in my home town.
In that short span of time, we got got to know each other, and a great friendship was
born. The man does have some interesting stories to tell...
"Anyway, let's just say that our marriage was and is based in mutual interests. That, I
believe, was one of your questions to him.
Akane felt numb. "Mutual interests, then..."
Chijaru sighed dreamily and made the classic, 'Girl-in-love' hands to the cheek. "He is
such a handsome man. I did fancy him for a time, but that quickly went away. I guess I'm
the kind of girl that marries the wrong man, only to turn out right. He is the right man,
but not for me."
"Wait a minute," said Akane. "Then that means you don't love him, then why..."
"That, I'm afraid, is one of the many things you will have to work out with him. And that
is all I can tell you about that subject.
"I'm afraid his resentment towards you is rootted to something much more serious."
"Huh?" said Akane.
Chijaru sighed sadly. Her demeanor turned very serious. "This you must keep to yourself.
You cannot tell anyone else. Do you understand?"
Akane nodded, completely absorbed in the conversation.
"Good, then I will begin." She drew in a few quick breaths. "For the past year and a half,
we have been in hiding."
"Hiding?"
"Please, let me finish. I can't say much at this time, but I'll let you in on some things.
We stumbled onto a very secret legend of times unknown." She reached into her pant pocket
and pulled out a small envelope. "This is what we found. Please, read it alone and tell
no one about it."
Akane nodded and picked up the small envelope. She didn't open it though, still keeping her
attention on her.
"Ever since then, we have been on the run. That is the main reason of our marriage.
He needed protection, only the kind that I could provide, and I needed his expertise
in order to resolve this little matter."
"HE needed protection? He's Ranma! People need to be protected from him!" Akane said
seriously, but with a hint of humor.
"True to fact, but that's beside the point. Well, from what he has told me, I assume you
are not unfamiliar with magic and it's effects."
Akane nodded.
"Good, then you can understand my situation better. You see, I was born from a line
of pagans. For 30 generations, my family has practiced magic to no end. I'm even familiar
with some of the spells and magic he knows."
"Pagans huh? That's great," said Akane.
"I know, that is why he needed me. I can generate a rather strong protective spell from
the energy of the enviroment. It is energy that surrounds us, but few people can
see and even fewer can ever manipulate. That is why he needs me. I generate a barrier
for him, he helps me out with... stuff. Mutual benefits."
"But, why does he need you to make a magic barrier?"
Chijaru smiled. "That is one of the many answers you will find within that envelope.
Well..." she said as she stood, "I must be off. That is all I needed to tell you."
"Wait!" said Akane as she stood. "What if I need some more answers?"
"Those you will find on your own. But, if you want some girl talk, you know where I live."
"Chijaru..."
"Oh! One more thing. Don't trust things just by the way they look. There is a great danger
all around us now, so be on your toes at all times. In them, you will find an enemy or a
friend." The light suddenly went out, and Chijaru's sillouett in the dark slowly began to
vanish. Akane tried talking to her, but her voice would not come out. Chijaru was gone.
Akane stood transfixed in the dark. After Chijaru's figure was gone, the lights came back on.
*That was strange,* she thought to herself, and yet it all made some creepy sense. But
what was it that they were hiding from? And what about Ranma.
She decided she would need her answers straight from him. She looked at the envelope
on the table. She picked it up adn stared at it. Inside would be her answer, but
that could wait. After all, they had been talking for some time now, and she wanted to take
a bath. She went to her room and placed the envelope inside her purse. It'd be safe there.
But for now, she wanted to take a shower.
-----
She became bored with waiting, so Akane decided to get to her dojo early and work out a bit
before it all began.
Traffic was really light at seven, so she made it in a few minutes. The street was only used
by a passing jogger or the occasional nut that went at that hour to work... like her.
She came inside and looked around. The place was clean and empty; perfect for a peaceful
workout session.
She opened the door to the changing room, not expecting to see what she saw.
Akane jumped back a bit. Nui was there, sitting on some guy's lap, seriously into a kiss.
They did not even acknowledge her, completely oblivious to her presence.
Akane blushed crimson. She hated it when she walked in on people.
"Morning?" she said uneasily.
Nui jumped and turned, seeing Akane. "Oh, 'morning girl! Here early, aren't we?"
"Same to you. Sorry," she said.
"No harm done," she responded, turning back to the guy. "Now, where were we?" she said
as she resumed the kiss.
Akane pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head with a defeated sigh. Nui would never
change. She went next door to change in the empty men's locker.
Once changed into her gi, she made her way to the training area, intent on not disturbing
the two. She'd rather not know what they were doing. She was rather frustrated to find
that the two had apparently gotten tired of kissing and were sparring in the training area.
Akane leaned on the wall and watched the two.
Nui was a great fighter, like Akane, but she was obviously no match for the much larger man.
She was throwing out a lot of energy, but he threw away her punches and kicks effortlessly.
After a while, she was panting and sweating, exhausted, while he was neither tired nor
had a drop of sweat anywhere.
"Wow," said Akane as she came near the two. "You're good."
"Thank you. I have been practicing since I was ten."
"Don't rub it in!" said Nui as she stood. "So you beat me, big deal!"
"Um, by the way, who are you?" asked Akane.
"Sorry. My name is Shin." He offered his hand, which she shook.
"He's my new guy," said Nui as she nuzzled at his chest. "Ain't he cute?"
Shin sighed. "Please tell me this is not her normal behavior."
Akane laughed. "Sorry."
Shin sighed, looked to the side, but raised his shoulders and smiled.
"Nui has tols me all about, Miss Tendo."
"Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't tell you my name!"
"It is quite alright." He looked at Nui, who pouted at him. "I must be off."
"Ohhh!" she protested. "Do you have to?"
"Yes, I have work. I shall pick you up at lunchtime."
"Okay..." she said. She kissed him quickly.
He turned to leave. "Miss Tendo." he said. She nodded and followed his figure until he left.
She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was just something about him... Maybe it
was his unsettling green eyes.
Nui put her hand on Akane's shoulder-
"Don't." Akane said firmly. "I do not want to know."
"Awwww, but I wanna tell!"
"No! Not now. Later okay? Just help me stretch, then we'll listen."
Nui sighed annoyingly, a quality she was strangely proud of, but accepted Akane's proposal
to help her stretch.
-----
Shin leaned to the side of a building, an alleyway at least, and laughed softly. In his
hand he had a small envelope.
"Most interesting, your choice of literature, Miss Tendo. I shall see to it that it is returned
to you in the proper time."
He sighed, a smile on his face as he looked up at the morning sky.
"Such a lovely day. What to do, what to do?"
End of Chapter 6
Authors Notes
Just keeping you guys on your toes.
BlackDragon
Chapter 6
*****
Akane passed a horrible night. She barely got any sleep at all, and what little sleep
she did get was plagued with the scene she had lived the day before. Only this time,
it was more vivd and cruel...
She yawned as she looked at her small alarm clock. It read that it was only 4. A.M.,
which did not surprise her. She could usually see the sun through her bedroom window,
but it was yet to be out. She had figured that since it was almost winter, the sun
would be up later, so she had gotten up.
Without any sleep left in her, she got off the bed, turned on the light in her room
and streched. She decided, with a lack of anything better to do, to take a long shower,
and freshen up. It was Monday, after all. She would have to get to work at eight anyway.
Slowly walking through the dark apartment, she made her way to the kitchen, and turned on
her coffee maker. Within a minute, she had a hot cup of coffee in her hands and was sipping
at it slowly. She again made her way to the bedroom, already sheeding her shirt-
"Might not want to do that with me around," a voice in the dark said.
Akane jumped, nearly spilling the hot coffee all over her. "Who's there!?" she demanded.
"If you wanna get out of here in one piece, get the hell out now!"
"Ohhh, testy, aren't we? Not exactly a morning person, if I ever saw one. Guess I can't blame
you. After all, I'm like that myself." The comment was followed by a measured laugh.
"I'm warning you..." she said as she located the kitchen counter, set down her coffee
and turned on the hall light.
Akane flicked the switch to 'ON', and saw from her position behind the counter. She half
expected a guy in a mask of some kind to be there... but there wasn't. In fact, now that
she thought about it, the voice WAS female...
"Ah, much better, thanks!" said a woman, who was sitting on Akane's couch and had a magazine
in her hands. "It's a bitch to try and read this in the dark."
"Who are you!?" Akane demanded. She looked at the woman, trying to link her to somewhere, but
she came up wanting. She was a tall, buxom bruinette with a slightly pouty expression.
She was flipping throught the pages of her magazine as if nothing was going on.
"What are you doing in my home?" asked Akane, her fear deppleating a little now that she knew
she was better off fighting a woman, but she still kept her edge.
"That's a pronounced question, but difficult to answer. I'm reading."
"Don't mess with me! What do you want?"
"What do YOU want, Tendo Akane?" said the woman as she put down her magazine on the couch.
She leaned on her arm in Akane's direction and stared at her.
"I'm warning you..."
"Oh, enough of that! Come, sit! I have much to tell and so very little time." She gestured
at the small couch in front of the larger one.
"If this is some kind of trick..."
"Look, please understand this. If I wanted to hurt you, then I would have already. I am
only here to talk."
Akane walked out from behind the kitchen counter; for some strange reason, she knew she was
safe, at least for now. She walked slowly to the couch, never breaking eye contact
with her. She finally sat on the small one person couch.
"First of all," the woman said, "..don't bother asking how I got in. That would take up too
much time. Let me introduce myself first."
Akane raised one eyebrow, but kept listening.
"My name is Chijaru. Saotome Chijaru." She extended her hand to Akane, who shook it slowly,
as if in a trance.
*Saotome Chijaru? Saotome?* thought Akane.
"You're..."
Chijaru smiled. "Yes, guilty as charged. Ranma's so called, 'wife'. I believe to have heard
you and my husband bickering yesterday. He let himself get caught up, so I ask of you to
not take it seriously."
Akane was at a loss of words. This woman was Ranma's wife? Then, what was she doing here,
and at this hour? And more importantly, how did she get in without being noticed by her?
"Before you try to label all rationally, I would like to reinterate that my visit was
scheduled. I DID leave a note here yesterday. You must have seen it."
Akane gaped. She did see and read the small note, but she had given little importance to it.
"That was you? But how..."
"Again I say that for me to explain that would take up much time. Let us just get to the point.
You need, no, deserve some answers as to explain Ranma's behavior, so I will give them to you."
Akane shut the rest of the world off. This was going to be interesting.
"As you probably know, he is still slightly hurt about that incident all those years ago."
Akane wanted to speak but was silenced. "He told me all about it. I can tell you, that is
PART of his behavior, but not the major portions of it."
Akane wondered for a second. Chijaru answered Akane's unasked question.
"I do not want to get into the boring details that are our life, so I will do my best
to explain.
"We met around 2 years ago. He was a traveler, or as he put it, a kid on a post-college trip.
He was most kind and helpful. He stayed with me for the time he was in my home town.
In that short span of time, we got got to know each other, and a great friendship was
born. The man does have some interesting stories to tell...
"Anyway, let's just say that our marriage was and is based in mutual interests. That, I
believe, was one of your questions to him.
Akane felt numb. "Mutual interests, then..."
Chijaru sighed dreamily and made the classic, 'Girl-in-love' hands to the cheek. "He is
such a handsome man. I did fancy him for a time, but that quickly went away. I guess I'm
the kind of girl that marries the wrong man, only to turn out right. He is the right man,
but not for me."
"Wait a minute," said Akane. "Then that means you don't love him, then why..."
"That, I'm afraid, is one of the many things you will have to work out with him. And that
is all I can tell you about that subject.
"I'm afraid his resentment towards you is rootted to something much more serious."
"Huh?" said Akane.
Chijaru sighed sadly. Her demeanor turned very serious. "This you must keep to yourself.
You cannot tell anyone else. Do you understand?"
Akane nodded, completely absorbed in the conversation.
"Good, then I will begin." She drew in a few quick breaths. "For the past year and a half,
we have been in hiding."
"Hiding?"
"Please, let me finish. I can't say much at this time, but I'll let you in on some things.
We stumbled onto a very secret legend of times unknown." She reached into her pant pocket
and pulled out a small envelope. "This is what we found. Please, read it alone and tell
no one about it."
Akane nodded and picked up the small envelope. She didn't open it though, still keeping her
attention on her.
"Ever since then, we have been on the run. That is the main reason of our marriage.
He needed protection, only the kind that I could provide, and I needed his expertise
in order to resolve this little matter."
"HE needed protection? He's Ranma! People need to be protected from him!" Akane said
seriously, but with a hint of humor.
"True to fact, but that's beside the point. Well, from what he has told me, I assume you
are not unfamiliar with magic and it's effects."
Akane nodded.
"Good, then you can understand my situation better. You see, I was born from a line
of pagans. For 30 generations, my family has practiced magic to no end. I'm even familiar
with some of the spells and magic he knows."
"Pagans huh? That's great," said Akane.
"I know, that is why he needed me. I can generate a rather strong protective spell from
the energy of the enviroment. It is energy that surrounds us, but few people can
see and even fewer can ever manipulate. That is why he needs me. I generate a barrier
for him, he helps me out with... stuff. Mutual benefits."
"But, why does he need you to make a magic barrier?"
Chijaru smiled. "That is one of the many answers you will find within that envelope.
Well..." she said as she stood, "I must be off. That is all I needed to tell you."
"Wait!" said Akane as she stood. "What if I need some more answers?"
"Those you will find on your own. But, if you want some girl talk, you know where I live."
"Chijaru..."
"Oh! One more thing. Don't trust things just by the way they look. There is a great danger
all around us now, so be on your toes at all times. In them, you will find an enemy or a
friend." The light suddenly went out, and Chijaru's sillouett in the dark slowly began to
vanish. Akane tried talking to her, but her voice would not come out. Chijaru was gone.
Akane stood transfixed in the dark. After Chijaru's figure was gone, the lights came back on.
*That was strange,* she thought to herself, and yet it all made some creepy sense. But
what was it that they were hiding from? And what about Ranma.
She decided she would need her answers straight from him. She looked at the envelope
on the table. She picked it up adn stared at it. Inside would be her answer, but
that could wait. After all, they had been talking for some time now, and she wanted to take
a bath. She went to her room and placed the envelope inside her purse. It'd be safe there.
But for now, she wanted to take a shower.
-----
She became bored with waiting, so Akane decided to get to her dojo early and work out a bit
before it all began.
Traffic was really light at seven, so she made it in a few minutes. The street was only used
by a passing jogger or the occasional nut that went at that hour to work... like her.
She came inside and looked around. The place was clean and empty; perfect for a peaceful
workout session.
She opened the door to the changing room, not expecting to see what she saw.
Akane jumped back a bit. Nui was there, sitting on some guy's lap, seriously into a kiss.
They did not even acknowledge her, completely oblivious to her presence.
Akane blushed crimson. She hated it when she walked in on people.
"Morning?" she said uneasily.
Nui jumped and turned, seeing Akane. "Oh, 'morning girl! Here early, aren't we?"
"Same to you. Sorry," she said.
"No harm done," she responded, turning back to the guy. "Now, where were we?" she said
as she resumed the kiss.
Akane pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head with a defeated sigh. Nui would never
change. She went next door to change in the empty men's locker.
Once changed into her gi, she made her way to the training area, intent on not disturbing
the two. She'd rather not know what they were doing. She was rather frustrated to find
that the two had apparently gotten tired of kissing and were sparring in the training area.
Akane leaned on the wall and watched the two.
Nui was a great fighter, like Akane, but she was obviously no match for the much larger man.
She was throwing out a lot of energy, but he threw away her punches and kicks effortlessly.
After a while, she was panting and sweating, exhausted, while he was neither tired nor
had a drop of sweat anywhere.
"Wow," said Akane as she came near the two. "You're good."
"Thank you. I have been practicing since I was ten."
"Don't rub it in!" said Nui as she stood. "So you beat me, big deal!"
"Um, by the way, who are you?" asked Akane.
"Sorry. My name is Shin." He offered his hand, which she shook.
"He's my new guy," said Nui as she nuzzled at his chest. "Ain't he cute?"
Shin sighed. "Please tell me this is not her normal behavior."
Akane laughed. "Sorry."
Shin sighed, looked to the side, but raised his shoulders and smiled.
"Nui has tols me all about, Miss Tendo."
"Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't tell you my name!"
"It is quite alright." He looked at Nui, who pouted at him. "I must be off."
"Ohhh!" she protested. "Do you have to?"
"Yes, I have work. I shall pick you up at lunchtime."
"Okay..." she said. She kissed him quickly.
He turned to leave. "Miss Tendo." he said. She nodded and followed his figure until he left.
She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was just something about him... Maybe it
was his unsettling green eyes.
Nui put her hand on Akane's shoulder-
"Don't." Akane said firmly. "I do not want to know."
"Awwww, but I wanna tell!"
"No! Not now. Later okay? Just help me stretch, then we'll listen."
Nui sighed annoyingly, a quality she was strangely proud of, but accepted Akane's proposal
to help her stretch.
-----
Shin leaned to the side of a building, an alleyway at least, and laughed softly. In his
hand he had a small envelope.
"Most interesting, your choice of literature, Miss Tendo. I shall see to it that it is returned
to you in the proper time."
He sighed, a smile on his face as he looked up at the morning sky.
"Such a lovely day. What to do, what to do?"
End of Chapter 6
Authors Notes
Just keeping you guys on your toes.
BlackDragon