Disclaimer: The characters of Ranma ½ belong to Takahashi Rumiko but I hold the rights to Habikashi Tomoko and her story.

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Seventy-Nine Mondays

Chapter Four

A Quiet Life

By Ame

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The house was quiet. Not even the normal clang of dishes came from the kitchen. No floorboards creaked, no clicking of the pieces of Chinese chess, no yelling about something completely trivial.nothing. I crept up the stairs hardly breathing, fearing I might disturb the eerie silence. The question (What is going on?!!) nagged in the back of my mind. Fortunately, I came across Nabiki as I reached the second floor and she filled me in.

"Ranma and Akane had a fight," she whispered. (Of coarse) "They called off their engagement."

"So! That's happened a million times before.!"

"Both Akane and Ranma were crying," she continued down the stairs. I stood there shocked.

(Ranma...crying...?)

Nearly loosing my balance, I steadied myself and walked to Ranma's room. I pressed my ear to the door. Sure enough muffled sobs trickled out of the room. I wanted to run in and cry with him. I wanted to comfort my big brother....Ranma....but I couldn't. Everything I knew screamed against my urge, flooding out my thoughts until I turned and walked away.

(He's not my brother...not anymore at least.) My throat constricted and eyes stung with threatening tears at the thought.

My room was warm and filled with all the things I held dear but now brought me little comfort. I reached into a drawer and pulled out my gi. Akane would be in the dojo trying to sweat away her tears. I pulled the uniform over my head, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I didn't stay like a kid forever.

By the time I was fifteen, grown out of my childish body and into one even superior to Ranma-chan's. I was tall though, towering over most girls at five feet eight inches but most boys didn't seem to mind.especially Kuno.

* * *

Now just thinking of his name sends shivers down my spine - bad shivers. He was a last year high school student when, as Nabiki says, I 'lived up to my name as a female Saotome'. Luckily for Nabiki, Ranma wasn't around to hear this particular comment.

The days were going normally as I...um...developed. No catcalls, no groping, no unnecessary confessions of love...I did get a few more 'looks' in the halls. The ones where a boy's eyes fly up and down over your body REALLY FAST...they think you never saw it. The 'looks' slowly increased in number and length - some boys' eyes even took a double take - and Ranma's temper shortened. Out of the corner of my eye, I would see him flinch every time, and laugh to myself. It sort of became a game for me to see his reaction. I wondered if he would ever do anything about it; if is patience would ever run out...it did.

It happened on a particularly testy Tuesday in April. 'April showers bring May flowers' so the saying goes, and Ranma was none too happy about it. Akane and I arrived at school soaked while Ranma-chan ran ahead. She managed to get into the girl's bathroom and break the hot water line without being seen. After being thoroughly scalded, he ran out of the bathroom. Squealing and screaming 'PERVERT' coming from down the hall announced his return.

After the torturous classes, we met and walked out together. Even making way through the crowed halls, watching Ranma became entertaining. Look. Flinch. Look. Flinch. Look. Grunt. Look. Glare. Look. *CRASH* Patience was no more.

The fifth guy definitely wasn't as lucky as the other hundreds before him. Ranma tackled him full on without any attempts at an explanation.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING LOOKING AT MY LITTLE SISTER LIKE THAT?!!!!" Ranma bellowed at the top of his lungs. Akane turned crimson as the students stopped to stare. I shook with uncontrollable laughter at the sight of the poor boy's terrified face. "WELL?!! WELL?!!" Ranma was practically on top of the boy shaking him like a pair of maracas.

"Ranma...!!!"Akane yelled, then glanced at me nervously. It was a touchy subject. Ranma's anger was perfectly understandable but his reaction, inexcusable. I'm sure Akane was wondering whether I was glad Ranma attacked him. I smiled at her before breaking into another fit of giggles and Akane turned back to the raging Ranma.

"RANMA!!!" Akane screeched and everything got silent except for me, quietly laughing. I couldn't have stopped if I wanted to. Both boys looked up at Akane, their faces plastered with utter fear. The boy crawled from underneath Ranma and ran off as fast as he could. Ranma just sat there, staring into Akane's blazing eyes like a deer caught in the headlights. The suspense was killing me. Either Akane would pull out her hammer an give him a fair beating or, more likely, Ranma would make a break for it and run for his life.

One minute passed, then another. A few of the students left. Ranma was still sprawled on the floor, his eyes glazed in panic but Akane's eyes were figuring everything out. It didn't look too good for Ranma.

Suddenly, Ranma's foot moved, maybe only half an inch but it was enough. Akane's face changed as she concentrated all her energy on that foot. Then Ranma bolted! Akane pulled out the infamous hammer and shot after him. I followed, laughing all the way.

It wasn't long before my long legs caught up to Akane.....and passed her. Now I sprinted after Ranma, only hoping I could get in my last words to him before Akane's hammer came crashing down on us both - I was fraternizing with the enemy.

"Ranma!" I panted when I finally reached him (Racing him home everyday finally paid off). "Follow me! Haiyaku!" I turned sharply down another hallway and Ranma trailed behind me. We both heard the screeching and crashes of Akane's failure to stop and smiled at each other.

Lately I'd been siding with Ranma, sort of evening the odds against Akane--- but Ranma still managed to get smacked-around pretty good sometimes. We just might get out of this one alive.

The hallway's end was drawing ever closer. Ranma glanced nervously at me.

"We'll turn right." He nodded. We turned right--- *CRASH*

I had run into somebody as I speeded around the corner. My head pounded as I slowly opened my eyes, sat upright then jumped to my feet. I had knocked into an upperclassman student. He too gradually got to his feet.

"Hey, Tomoko, hurry up! Akane is still onto us!" Ranma yelled from a few paces away.

"Saotome Ranma, we meet again." Mr. Upperclassman pulled out a wooden sword and pointed it at Ranma. For a moment I was going to laugh, thinking that anyone would dare to take on my brother - especially in public - but then I realized who he was.! His eyes strayed and fell on me. "And who, pray tell, is this?" he didn't seem to be asking anyone in particular but Ranma volunteered.

"This is my LITTLE SISTER," Ranma emphasized obviously, "Saotome Tomoko. Tomoko, this is Kuno."

"N-Nice to m-meet you." I extended my hand nervously, wondering if he could read through my lie. Ranma snickered.

"The pleasure is all mine, fair maiden." Kuno turned my hand in his and brought it to his lips. I recoiled before his lips touched any part of me. My disgust must have shown on my face because Ranma started laughing again.

"Fear not my sweet, I understand your gentle heart all too well. Come and date with me and we shall---"

"Save the rest for some other time, Kuno. We gotta go!" Ranma grabbed my hand and dragged me out of there. *Crash* I looked back to see Akane - who had FINALLY caught up - streaking after us and the flattened Kuno she had left in her haste.

Ranma and I managed to escape Akane's wrath with no more than a few scratches and by the next day, everything was all but forgotten--- everything except for Kuno. Unfortunately for me, Kuno perused me everyday after that. I took the knack of kicking him off somewhere into the universe as Ranma-chan and Akane had.

* * *

I finished dressing and left for the dojo. The sky was clear but the cold wind bit at my bare skin. I shivered slightly listening to the wind rustle the leaves. The shining dojo floors were sprinkled with sweat and tears. Akane attacked the air again and again in a far corner. For a minute I just watched, wondering what I was going to say to her.

"What?" Akane snapped as she stopped her assault on space.

"I just c-came to t-train," I tried to sound as innocent as possible. Akane rolled her eyes but just turned around, walked a few paces away and stared at the wall before her.

"You know---" Akane's back was still turned, "Ranma can be such a JERK!!!" Her fist flew at the wall. I winced.

*Thunk*

No crash---

Akane should have broken through the wall with ease. Akane should have sent pieces of shattered wood flying. Akane could have done it...if her heart had been in it.

This was it. This was the huge thing Nabiki had predicted. She said it could either be good or bad. I wanted it to be good and if anything of being raised in this house for four years I learned to be irrationally stubborn. There was no way I could just sit back and watch Ranma and Akane throw away their love for each other just 'cause of their own stupidity (Harsh I know but true). I was going to try to stop it...somehow.

Akane's head hung low over the floor as a fresh weight of tears spilled from her eyes. I started over with unsteady and unsure steps. (One foot in front of the other). When I reached her I put my arms around her waist and pulled her into a hug. Her body shook with new sobbing. For a while we just stood there until her eyes had dried. Then she stiffened. I would have rather died than listened to what flashed through her mind but I knew she was through with being sad.... and ready to be angry.

A sight improvement I had to confess but it didn't make my situation any easier. Now I had to fight her. Not to difficult a task however it would make things a little more difficult to talk through.

* * *

After my body FINALLY matured, my training began to skyrocket. In a matter of weeks I could run faster, jump higher, and punch harder. Quick, daily spars with Kuno also helped me to improve.

Ranma took a real passion in teaching me everything I know. Akane checked on us now and again to make sure Ranma didn't take anything too seriously. She might exchange punches with me once in a while but she really wasn't a large part of my coaching. I didn't become a master over night. Everything was frustrating, provoking and aggravating but I loved it. I took a passion for martial arts that Akane had never attained. So it wasn't long before I beat her.

Akane was furious that I had won over her. I was ecstatic and Ranma didn't show much surprise. She challenged me that day again and again and again until she lay exhausted on the floor unable to even stand. Our relationship changed that day. I was no longer a little girl who had always looked up to her; I was a threat. I managed to smooth things over a bit - we never spared again - but things were never quite the same. Some things never can be.

* * *

Akane spun around and threw her first punch. I didn't want to fight her. I knew I'd win. I didn't want her to hurt any more than she already did... but she left me no choice and little room to escape that first attack. I managed to duck under it and compose myself before another came at my face. I dodged. She tired an upper cut but I jumped back. I fared well enough but evading didn't work so well when Akane started kicking.

I jumped from side to side avoiding kicks aimed at my head, up and down at attacks intended to trip me and backwards at those designed for my stomach. It all became very tiring and I found myself barely dodging in time. When one of her punches finally connected I put some distance between us.

Now a safe fifteen feet away I could finally get a chance to breathe - something I commonly forget to do when I'm concentrating so hard. Ranma occasionally has to stop my training if he sees me turning colors. Akane wasn't coming after me just yet. She just stood there watching me, as I tried to catch my breath.

She had gotten better since our last sparring, which I suppose is to be expected. She no longer just tossed her punches willy-nilly, she actually thought them through. Surprisingly enough, her thoughts were betrayed in her eyes. I could see her planning every move with her cold eyes locked onto my face. Her stare pierced my soul as I saw her think of nothing but the fight. Everything for the fight, everything for the moment, never a then, never a when, there was only now.

She still watched me but her look had softened. The tear-streaked cheeks now glistened with sweat, watery eyes were harsh and stubborn but the fight was over. I watched stunned as her stiff mouth gave way to a small smile. I never once hit her, I never once tried to and I had expected her to be at least irritated. I expected wrong and I was glad. Grinning back, I came and took a seat on the hard floor. Akane sat beside me.

We talked a bit about Ranma, a little about school, a lot about life.

"Life always manages to get in the way---"

"---Only if you let it."

In the end it didn't quite go the way I predicted but then again life never does. The present is spur of the moment, the future holds only disappointment and ironic happiness, and the past is a haze of memory. Life is bittersweet but I'd be damned if I just sat back and watched it go by.

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Author's Notes:

Pease review and let me know what you think. A lot of it was late night rambling that ended up fitting with the story. Expect next chapter by next week at the latest!

~Ame