Chapter 3 – Cherry blossoms in the wind

Akane stood at her window staring at the barely lit sky. The sun was beginning to rise and she quickly shed her nightclothes for her jogging suit. She lifted up her hair and slipped on a headband and then went downstairs. Kasumi could be heard humming in the kitchen as pots and pans gently rattled.

"Morning 'Sumi" Akane smiled.

"Oh hello Akane, going out for your jog?" she asked.

"Yeah, I am" Akane was already by the door when a shout stopped her. She turned around and there was Ranma.

"Morning Ranma, what is it?" she asked surprised at his early appearance.

"Hi Akane, are you going for your jog?" he shuffled his feet.
"Yeah," she peered at him.

"Can I run with you?" his eyes were wide as he waited for her answer and she smiled back.

"Sure, com'on" she waved a hand at him and ran out.

His smile illuminated his face as he followed her. It felt good to be with her. It felt right. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and murmured to himself, "I'm too young to get married, I'm too young to get married."

Akane gulped down her grin but couldn't help it from spreading over her face. She threw him a glance as they ran and found him still muttering his "Too young to get married mantra". Somewhere inside of her pity welled up for this boy that she had loved, that boy who had lived such a different life from hers.

"Ranma," she called out gently.

"Yeah?" his head shot up.

"What's wrong?" she knew she had to ask even if he was pretty obvious. He had to want to talk, she couldn't just bring it crashing down on his head even if he was an open book.

"Nothing," he looked away.

"Hey, I'm your friend, I'll be here for you," came her soft answer and he found his hand enclosed in her soft one and her beautiful eyes staring warmly at his.

Ranma stopped dead in his tracks and stared at her with wide eyes. In his mind he could see a girl saying: "Want to be friends?" to a redhead. And the same expression that had been in that girl's eyes was present right now in the same girl's face. Only this time it was asked of a young boy instead of a red-haired girl.

He looked at her for so long, stared into her deep brown eyes and deep down the truth came. Akane was changing. The caterpillar would soon bloom into a butterfly. She was growing up, she was taking back her life. Soon she would no longer be his. For those small moments in time that she has been his, when they had looked in each other's eyes and blushed, when they had smiled and grinned together, when they had fought for each other, she had been his and only his. And now she was taking back her life. Yes, he would protect her, yes he would look after her but she was slipping away in the way that it mattered, in the way that made the sun shine gloriously and the skies light up.  And the Ranma who had never been able to say the right words opened his mouth,

"Would it ever be the same if everything changes 'Akane? Would you ever hold my hand again? Would you ever help me s-st-stand a-aga-gain?" he asked, his blue eyes shining brightly and stuttering lightly at the end. Akane stared up at him and swallowed her tears. His memories were hers too. And yet time had caught up with them. Two long years had gone by, two long years of joys and excitement. Two long years to love and fight. And now this time was over. Those days were gone and even though it saddened Akane and tore at her heart, she had to go on with her life. She was too strong, too fiery, too passionate. The need to live just caught up one day and she knew sadly that it was time to get her life back. She caught his hand and both stepped into a bone-crushing hug. Ranma wrapped his arms around Akane as tight as he could and buried his face in her scented hair. And Akane melted into Ranma as deep as she could, lifted her face to the skies and closed her eyes. His strong body beckoned their safety to her and her scent enticed his senses and brought back the rightness of her in his arms. They stayed that way forever and until time began again. There was no hesitation in Ranma's mind. There had never been. He had always done what he wanted but he refused to hurt anyone he cared for. And Akane knew that and she was too strong to wait in the shadows and watch life go by. She wanted to jump into life and live. And now the time had come to make the jump. Twin tears ran down Akane's cheeks and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"But I'll always be here for you Ranma, always," she whispered to the skies and a sob escaped Ranma.

"'Kane, 'Kane," he murmured back and then they stepped back and their eyes clung to each other.

"You know, you're everything to me and..." her fingers against his lips stilled the rest of his words.

- I could never see the two of us apart – Ranma finished silently. But he did not say the words anymore. He did not tell her that he had given himself to her a long long time ago and that he had built his world around her.

It was too late, it had always been too late, too late when Shampoo had shown up, too late when Ukyo had shown up, too late. Too late because these girls were his friends and he had never known how to hurt a friend. He took her hand and she followed him to the park. He would glance and her and smile and Akane would smile back. They sat down beneath one of the cherry blossom trees, side by side and watched the sky as it was tainted into glorious colors. Akane lost herself in the contemplation of the sunrise and the peace around them and Ranma leaned back against the tree-trunk and watched her. He had so much to tell her and he had no right. He had dedicated his life to her, he had promised her his heart and he would die for her. But those words would not escape his lips, he was not ready to say those words, he was not ready to let go of the life he had, he was not ready to change. Things would stay the same for him and a bitter smile lit up his face as he realized that he had yet to grow up. She caught his smile and smiled back saying gently, "It will come in it's own time". His smile was sad at the way she read his mind and brought strength. Oh Akane, his heart sighed.

Morning had completely broken when Akane jumped up and extended her hand to him.

"Come on, let's go home. I'm glad today's not a school day," she grinned down at him.

He grabbed her hand and she pulled him to his feet. Together they went back home.

"I sure am hungry," she rubbed her tummy and started to jog home and Ranma joined her. Everyone was already at the breakfast table and they quickly joined the family before all the food could disappear. The morning slipped away as Ranma practiced in the dojo and lunch brought around his fiancées; Shampoo trying to feed him ramen and Ukyo proclaiming the virtues of okonomiyaki which ended in a fight between the two girls while Ranma gobbled up his food before it got lost in the fight too. When he finished, the Tendo girls had disappeared and his father and Soun were playing Go as usual.

Akane walked, a spring in her step flanked by Nabiki on one side and Kasumi on the other as the sisters chatted lightly.

"We have not done this for a long time," Kasumi smiled.

"Ever since Ranma came," Akane smiled back.

"Well, it's good to be doing things normally again," Nabiki attested, slipping her hands in her trousers' pockets and grinning back at her sisters.

The discussion turned to the movie to be watched and finally Kasumi and Akane tried to bribe Nabiki into a romantic flick that both wanted to watch. Nabiki gave up shaking her head and muttering about softening up and needing to built up fortress walls. They went in and spent a great two hours, laughing and trying to hush Nabiki's dry comments up and all three cried in the end, even Nabiki who surreptitiously wiped away a tear all the while scanning her surroundings for anyone who might see that. She spluttered into laughter when she found Akane's hand on Kasumi's arm and both girls watching her with huge grins. Then they went out for ice cream and the afternoon just slipped away as Akane's life started to slip back into place. Slowly she was getting her life back. Life was changing but it had been so long since she had had that much fun. She stared out of the window with a beautiful smile.

"Akane?" Kasumi's voice brought her back.

"Mmm?" she murmured and Kasumi stared into her eyes for a long time before releasing a sigh of relief. She took her sister's hand and in her musical voice, there was pride.

"You're a very courageously girl Akane" escaped her lips and then she turned to Nabiki, "I'm proud of you too Nabiki. Thank you for your support and your strength," she added.

Both younger sisters stared at Kasumi before they grabbed each other and the three hugged together over ice cream, their arms around each other's shoulder to complete the circle. "Thanks 'Sumi, Biki-chan," Akane whispered.

"Anytime 'Kane-chan" both sisters replied with smiles. The bond between them closed again and slowly they walked home chattering endlessly.

Kasumi glanced at the note on the kitchen table saying that her father and uncle Saotome would be back for dinner and Nabiki disappeared up the stairs.

Akane wandered alone in the living room and that was where she found Ranma on his back sleeping the late afternoon away. His face was turned towards the setting sun and the rays caressed his features. Akane folded her legs under her and sat down beside him silently, not wanting to disturb his sleep. She reached out and touched his cheek, then gently cupped her hand around his cheek, before brushing his bangs off his forehead. She stared at him, sleeping like a child and slowly smiled. A light wind blew his bangs back and she lifted her head. Her breath caught as the cherry blossoms floated in the wind. The tree was shedding its flowers and the wind swirled the cherry blossoms before gently depositing them on the ground. They bathed in the golden light of the sun before slowly descending to the ground and she got to her feet and stepped outside, lifting her arm and opening her palm and the wind gently deposited a cherry blossom in her hand. Her light laugh tinkled in the afternoon air.

Ranma opened his eyes when he felt her leave his side. Now he watched the beautiful girl standing, a hand outstretched as cherry blossoms swirled around her and one of them came to lie in her hand. She lifted her head and laughed before returning on her steps and he quickly closed his eyes and evened his breathing. She went to her knees before him and laid the blossom on his chest.

"Goodbye Ranma," her voice was so low that his ears had to strain to catch them and she lifted her eyes towards the cherry blossom tree that was shedding its flowers to let time know that life was changing. And Akane got to her feet and walked away.

My notes :

Thanks everyone for your reviews. They encouraged me on to the next chapter ^_^

Thanks for the suggestions too.

To Animecartoons : I don't know yet if Ranma and Akane are going to get together – but they're my fave couple too :o))

To Gorgo/Fred : Thanks for the suggestions, in a way that is what I'm planning to do but I believe that Ranma does not want to grow up yet but they are going to get seperated. Whether they'll meet again, I dunno ^_^