Disclaimer: Ranma ½ and all its characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi and have been used without permission. This fanfiction was written for personal enjoyment, and hopefully the enjoyment of the readers.
Key:
"speech"
::thoughts::
flashback
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Usotsuki
by Rain
Part Eight.
"Where are you going?"
Ranma brushed past Nabiki abruptly, too absorbed in his impatience with always ending up having to deal with that stupid old crazy woman.
"Ranma!" Nabiki grabbed his arm.
"What?" He really didn't feel like dealing with Nabiki now. He needed to find out how to cure Akane.
::Or if there even is a cure to be found:: he reminded himself.
Trying not to think about things like that, he turned sharply to Nabiki.
"What are you doing? You're not going to see that old bat are you?"
"What do you think I'm doing? She's the only one who can-"
"Wrong. She's the only one who absolutely won't. She'll do what she always does; find out what it is you want from her, and make you run all over the damned country for it for days until you get it. Or you don't. You don't have time for this," Nabiki said plainly.
"Well, what am I supposed to do? Just sit around and watch her die?"
"No! One word: Shampoo."
"Come again? Nabiki, why in hell would I talk to her? She's the one who did this in the first place!"
"Exactly."
* * *
::This is ludicrous:: Ranma thought, agitated, as he searched around for the purple-haired Amazon. ::How the heck am I supposed to find her? She wouldn't go back to the old crone, that's the last person she wants to see right now. Besides me:: he added darkly.
A strange noise, and he whipped around, searching for the source. He was somewhere in Suburbia Hell, Nerima, in the small space between one row of houses and another. It was fairly dark, and all he could make out was a pair of yellow, glowing eyes.
From the shadows came a frightened "meow."
::Dammit:: Ranma cringed, feeling the all too familiar sense of dread creeping up his spine. Suddenly, he caught sight of another pair of golden, shining dots in the blackness. ::Bells? Wait a minute…::
* * *
A few minutes, a few miles, and one empty, steaming kettle later, a rather wet and frightened Shampoo sat across Toufuu's office table from Ranma. She was looking at the books on the shelves, the ceiling, the walls, the door, the wood patterns on the table, her lap, anything really but Ranma or Toufuu.
"Shampoo, I need your-" Ranma started.
"Gomen," she said in a tiny voice.
"What?"
"Gomen. Shampoo… Shampoo so sorry. Shampoo no mean to kill crazy pervert girl. Shampoo-"
"Her name is Akane," Ranma cut her off sharply. "And she's not dead. Yet. That's why I brought you here. I need your help."
"Need help? Airen need-" Ranma stopped her with a frown. "Ranma need Shampoo help? But… Shampoo no understand. Shampoo one who hurt per- Akane," she corrected her verbal slip quickly.
"I know that," Ranma prompted. "And that's why you're the only one who can help us."
"But… But what can Shampoo do?" she asked, still uncertain.
"You can tell us if there's any way to cure Akane," Ranma answered, hanging on the silence that filled the air.
"There only one thing to do," Shampoo said quietly.
"There is?" Ranma was suddenly his over-confidant self again. "What? What do we do?"
"Id special ki charm Shampoo must do with Akane. Is found in ancient Amazon warrior scroll. We find scroll, Shampoo fix Akane."
"Where," Ranma asked evenly.
* * *
Ranma stood over Akane's bed, the rucksack he had never got around to unpacking slung over his shoulder, watching the covers rise and fall softly with the rhythm of her thin breathing.
The door to her room opened.
"Ranma-kun?"
"Hai, sensei," Ranma replied, not turning around.
"Shampoo is ready now. We'll be waiting for you."
"Hai." Toufuu shut the door again.
"Well," he said quietly, more to himself than anything. "I guess this is it. I'm leaving again."
He moved close to Akane's side, crouching low to the floor.
"But this time, I'm coming back. I promise. I will always come back for you."
He smoothed her covers unnecessarily, then reached down and gently took her small hand in his, running a finger over her ring.
"I will always come back for you," he said again, getting to his feet again, "Because I love you."
Akane's eyelashes fluttered delicately in her sleep.
"Always," he whispered in her ear, kissing her gently on the forehead before he slipped quietly out of the room.
* * *
Outside the clinic in the harsh afternoon sunlight, Toufuu stood beside Shampoo, who looked nervous but determined. Ranma felt something similar.
"Ok," he took a deep breath. "Let's go."
End Part Eight.
I know, that was a short chappie, but there'll be more tomorrow.
Until my next post; next day delivery or sooner, guaranteed!
::Rain
P.S. Contact me at creepyoldmanwink@yahoo.com
I am not a creepy old man. I am a teenage girl. It's a joke with a friend. So there. ^_~