Chapter 1 – Unknown Sayonara
Akane sighed tiredly. God, she felt so tired, exhausted bone
weary. Sitting on the front porch, the wind gently billowed her hair around her
face as she stared away into nothingness.
"I'm home" the words brought her back to the present.
Her eyes met Ranma's, held them for a few seconds, then moved away. And what Ranma saw frightened him. He felt a sudden shiver run down his spine of foreboding and immediately shook himself out of it.
"Hey, what are you up to?" he peered over her shoulder before settling down next to her and staring into the sunset-lit skies.
Long silent moments slipped by and a feeling of deep ease and comfort settled down on both of them. They felt well together, peaceful, happy.
"Ranma," Akane said slowly.
"Mmm..." he turned his head and found himself staring down a pair of beautiful brown eyes, shining up at him. And he could help himself as a smile blossomed just for her and she smiled back for him.
"Don't you feel tired of the whole situation, Ranma?" she asked.
"Yeah... I do" and he reached for her hand clasping it in his and feeling the fragile softness of it engulfed in his strength.
"'Kane... I ... likeyoualot" it all came out in a single breath.
She stared at him, lost in his words, words she had never thought she would ever hear.
"I like you too," she smiled back with tear-filled eyes.
And he grinned at her, the warmth in his heart engulfing his body as her laughter tinkled in the late afternoon air.
Shampoo watched from her perch on the tree. -The bitch! - she thought, -holding Ranma's hand. No! Ranma was hers. Only hers! She had fought for him. Time to break up the pretty tableau, - she thought smilingly and threw herself on the ground running to Ranma.
"Airen, airen go to date with Shampoo ?" she cried out and then stopped before the two, her brows drawn together, malice glinting in her eyes as she turned to Akane.
"Bitch, let go of Airen," and then swinging her hip, she walked to Ranma, saying slowly,
"Or does Airen want to marry Violent Girl? Shampoo tell Airen's father and we celebrate wedding?"
Ranma's shut mind woke with a start. He dropped her hand like it was suddenly on fire and jumped back yelling.
"Me marry that tomboy? Never! She can't cook, she's got thick thighs, she's clumsy and nothing to look at. And I"M BETTER BUILT TO BOOT!"
The last words were uttered in a loud booming scream.
A tray crashed on the floor and cookies scattered everywhere as Kasumi lifted a hand to her throat staring at Ranma before her gaze slowly came to rest on Akane. Kasumi looked at her sister and knew that something was changing. She went on her knees and started to gather up the pieced of cookies.
"I'm sorry, I tripped," she smiled blandly at Ranma and her eyes grew hard as they rested on Shampoo even as her bland smile was kept in place. Shampoo never noticed, all her attention was strained on Ranma.
Akane felt a sense of déja-vu. He had told her the same words on the day he had arrived at the Dojo. And she had created by crashing the table on his head out of anger. But this time, there was no anger, just a sense of losing something, like something that was rapidly slipping out of her grasp even as she fought to hold on to it. And the coldness that was replacing it and gradually engulfing her. And then reality checked back in.
She turned away to Kasumi.
"Kasumi, wait let me help you" and her sister smiled painfully as she looked
into Akane's hurting eyes.
"Thank you Akane," was her only answer.
Ranma stared at Akane's back, not understanding and yet glad that she was being reasonable. Shampoo lost no time but immediately glomped Ranma.
"Now Airen take Shampoo to date?" she purred.
"Shampoo leggo," he half-protested.
There was a knock at the door a few second before Ukyo bounced in an okonomiyaki box in her hands.
"Ranma-honey", she called out in sweetened tones and grew still on seeing Shampoo wrapped around Ranma.
"You bitch!" she swore and lurged for Shampoo.
"Girls, there's no need to fight," Ranma placated them eyeing the okonomiyaki box hungrily.
"Ranma-honey, I brought you some okonomiyaki. I thought you might get hungry, having to take that awful cooking from Akane and all," she smiled.
"Mmm," Ranma smiled and left for the dojo his mouth watering at the smell wafting off from the okonomiyaki box while Shampoo and Ukyo continued to insult each other from each side of Ranma.
Akane stared at Ranma's retreating back and sobs rose in her throat. Huge sobs that broke her spirit and tore at her heart. Pain, like she had never felt before closed over her as her knees buckled and she fell forward on the floor. She curled up, crying like her broken heart asked, like her dead emotion asked. Pain radiated from her and she hugged herself, trying to protect herself from her own pain.
Kasumi came to her and pulled her in her embrace and that was the way that Nabiki found them when she came home. Once look at Akane's face and she dropped her bag and joined Kasumi on the floor, hugging Akane.
"So, it finally happened," she whispered to Kasumi as her eyes met Kasumi's tear-filled ones over Akane's head.
And Akane went on rocking gently on the floor, trying to will back the pain even as it ate at her.
The damage was done and the sands of time would bring the consequences of it.
