Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon
Chapter 3, Favors That We Owe
Author's Notes: I just seem to be on a writing streak now. One minute I had these writer's blocks, then bam! Ah, well, hope you enjoy this chapter. Send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Independent Women belongs to Destiny's Child.
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Akane walked into the coffee shop and sat at her usual seat in the corner, by a window. Sheloved this seat, where she could see whoever enters the shop and what goes outside the window without anyone seeing her without trying. She almost looked ordinary and now in this place, she wasn't the Scarlet Phoenix, mysterious crime-boss, or Akane Varshardi, wealthy sophisticated owner of Falcon Companies. No, now she was just Akane, a reguler girl in a coffee shop. Too bad fantasies can't be real.
"So, what will you have, today, Akane?" the Roslynn, the red-haired, part Scot waitress asked.
Akane smiled, "Just the regular, thanks." Roslynn smiled and went to the counter. Akane put her head on her palm and her elbow on the table staring at the people outside. Strangely, she remembered the night before,...and the kiss. She could still remember the tingling sensation it caused and she scowled. Only Ranma could make that tingling sensation...not that he kissed her, but once. Ranma. Akane gave a sigh. What would he think of her now? He was the only thing, unruined, the only innocent memory left that she held onto when it was just too much.
Suddenly, just like always, she felt the gut-wrenching pain. It was the regret again and she felt it tear at her. *If he hadn't left...I wouldn't be here...he was supposed to be there...he wasn't...* she thought. So in the end she came to the conclusion she always came to: Your only hero is yourself. Sure, there were exceptions: Kasumi, Tofu, her nieces, Ucchan. Yet, in the end, if she wants to survive, there's no one to trust, but herself. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and she learned that firsthand.
"Fe-fe, is that you?" someone asked behind her. Akane turned around to see a long green-haired, green-eyes girl. Akane looked her over and saw the girl was wearing a pair of ripped jeans and an oversized t-shirt. Something was familiar about this girl, though. *Wait, did she just call me Fe-fe?*
"Sandy?!" asked Akane surprised, her visage brightening as she stood up. The girl nodded and they hugged before they sat down across of each other.
"Gosh, what did you do to your hair and when did your eyes become green?" Akane asked, still in shock at seeing her friend.
Sandy laughed, "Well, I wanted a change. You should have seen my last color. Was that a disappointment or what?" Akane gave a hearty laugh, mostly just because of the familiar warrm face.
"So, what are you doing here?" Akane asked.
"Thanks for the warm welcome, Fe-fe. I came here with Ma'am-" but she was interrupted by Akane, "Mel's here? Is-is-is-"
Sandy smiled, "Well, she was curious what little Fe-fe has made of herself." Akane grinneed from ear to ear and tried desperatly to keep from jumping with joy. Since, Mel had let her go three years ago, she thought she would never get to see her again. Mel had a rule, when she was sure, somebody should be let go, they can't come back to her unless she wants them to and she never did. Akane never gave her respect to anyone, no one deserved it, but she gives Mel her utmost respect.
"Where is she staying?" Akane asked eagerly.
Sandy smiled mysteriously, "Are you lacking in your training, Fe-fe? Or, maybe you forgot that we don't give away any information to anyone." Akane blushed, she had obviously forgotten in her eagerness.
"In fact, I didn't even know I was going to meet you here, but I was supposed to find you. That was harder then I thought it would be, too hard, I almost gave up hope. Here's the address where Ma'am is staying. Don't visit until the end of the week, by the dawn..."
"No more, no less," Akane mumbled as she looked down at the simple grey card with an address on it.
"Well, I need to get going if I am to make it on time," Sandy said as she dashed off. Akane chuckled, to Mel, "on time" was the exact hour, minute, and second. No sooner, no later.
Akane turned her head towards the window again as Roslynn brought the coffee.
This time, the busy people on the streets were gone and an empty alleyway appeared...
######Flashback, 7 years before########
Akane sat in the empty alleyway, leaning against the wall, her ripped bag of belongings beside her. She knew her hair was dirty and disarray and her clothes were ripped and dirty to. Her hunger was so great, it seemed as if the hunger ate at her insides. She never knew finding a job in the city was going to be this hard. She had a highschool diploma, but obviously nobody wanted that, but she couldn't go home. No, they were depending on her at home, Kasumi was depending on her. Suddenly, Akane heard a scream and looked up to see a rich lady held by the throat with a knife. Obviously, it was a robber attempt, but the lady refused to give up her bag. *Doesn't she know, he'll kill her?* Akane couldn't take it anymore and despite the hunger she got up and attacked the man, having him on the floor in a second.
Akane saw a group of men come from different directions towards her and the lady who on closer inspection had midnight black hair and cold pitch-black eyes.
"We are so sorry, Ma'am," the leader of the group apologized, but the lady had her eyes on Akane.
"You, come with me," the lady commanded. Akane started to walk away as she said, "No." She was desperate, but she still had her pride.
"You, hungry, girl?" the lady asked undaunted. As much as Akane would like to continue walking, she couldn't. The mention of food made her remember the pain in her stomach after several days without it. She turned around and said stiffly, "Yes." The lady smiled victoriously and snapped her fingers saying, "J, get her a sandwich."
One of the heavyset guys went to get it and returned in a second handing it to Akane. Akane had it finished in half a minute.
"You got a home, girl?" the lady questioneed as she put her hand under Akane's chin and moved her face around to inspect it. Akane looked at the lady's black eyes and she found that she couldn't lie.
"No," she mumbled as she felt tears enter her eyes. She did have a home, once, in a beautiful home with a dojo, a garden, and a pond.
"Then, I'll give you a home as well as food and clothes," the lady stated.
"What do you get out of all of this?" Akane asked suspiciously, all her life she knew one thing, nothing was for free.
The lady's pitch eyes twinkled, "You work for me. Think about it girl, I won't require you do anything that will harm your virtue, don't worry."
Akane didn't know why she trusted the lady, but she did. Maybe it was her clothes, or her hair, or the fact that she seemed to high to stoop that low. Akane nodded silently and the lady led Akane into a group of cars and she and Akane walked into one. As the car drove Akane asked, "Don't you want to know my name?"
The lady look at Akane, "Don't need to know your name. Whoever you were before I found you is dead in that alleyway. Who you were, what you did, or how you acted, is going to change. Your morals will change. Your outlook on life and people will change, for the better and the worse. I guess I need to start your training by telling you to call me Ma'am. Everyone else that works for me does."
Akane asked, "Can't I call you something else?" Strangely, the lady smiled and knew that the girl meant no disrespect by it.
"Melpomene," Akane whispered, not sure if the lady even knew who the name belonged to.
The lady laughed, "So, you want to compare me with the Greek muse of tragedy."
"Sorry," Akane mumbled.
"No, you can call me that if you want. Just wouldn't it be a little long?"
Akane brightened, "No, I'll call you Mel."
########End of Memory########
Akane sat up and walked out of the coffee shop. As soon as she exited the door she saw her people scattered around. No more innocent memories of Akane Tendo, no more fun memories of Fe-fe, just the dangerous life of the Scarlet Phoenix and the brutal life of Akane Varshardi.
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Author's Notes: Send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.