The Royal Servant
Chapter 7, Princesses Don't Sing To The Moon
Author's Notes: Actually, I wrote this chapter on the last minute 'cause Animefreak suggested I give you guys a Christmas present. :) Here it is...
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.
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"Oh, Ranma!" the Queen exclaimed. "Are you alright?"
"Y-yeah," the girl said shakily as she bent down to pick up the pieces of glass. Akane, her eyes worried, bent down to help the girl. *...how much did she hear...* the gypsy thought in wonderment. She had dismissed Kasumi's words as purely the ravings of a pregnant woman. The mid-wife in her gypsy camp had told her how emotional women can get when they were with child.
When they were done picking up the glass, the two stood up...but though Akane's eyes were centered on the other...Ranma would not meet her own.
"Ranma, are you okay?" the blue-haired girl asked, her eyes clouded. Why was Ranma acting to strange about this? It wasn't as if he didn't already know this. Shoot, the whole castle knew about Kasumi's determination in saying that Akane was the former Princess of Jyuan.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Besides, I have to go..." and with that the Prince mumbled something about the kitchen being on fire and quickly exited the room.
Akane turned to Kasumi but the Queen just smiled and said, "Go, I can handle it from here." Smiling gratefully at Kasumi, the girl ran from the room to chase after her friend.
She found Ranma quickly walking down the corridor, not too far from the Queen's room.
"Hey," she said as she placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder. "What was that all about?"
The shorter girl searched the gypsy's swirling, brown eyes for a second before shaking her head. Her small lips tightened and it almost seemed as if she was angry with herself about something.
"Nothing," Ranma grumbled before turning around again.
"Fine then! Be that way!" Akane shouted as she threw her hands up in the air and marched the other way. Ranma watched her angry form down the hallway before turning the other way and leaving also.
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{...a long, long time ago...a time so near and yet so far...people forget...until brought back by a memory...}
The boy fidgeted on his velvet chair at the head table. The robes were making his back itchy and the gold crown was weighing down his head. The lights were too bright in the room and the all the people's smiles down below at the other tables were making him uncomfortable. Pulling at his shirt, the young Prince scowled at how hot it suddenly seemed.
"Stop fidgeting and sit up straight," the woman beside him reprimanded. If it hadn't been his mother, the boy would have stuck his tongue out at the woman. Too bad it had been his mother though.
Ranma leaned forward and looked down the long table at his right. Ugh...grown-ups. Then, he turned his head and looked to his right. At least there were children on that side. His eyes wandered and landed on his betrothed. She sat up tall and straight on her chair, immaculate...but every now and then...she would look at the older sister by her side and sit up straighter...as though imitating the older Princess.
Akane Tendo.
Ugh! Ranma had to keep from gagging. She was so weird! She kept running around in the woods and for all the time that he stayed here...this was the only time that he saw her dress and face clean. Usually she was running around somewhere all day and would come back home with dirt all over. Then, she had the nerve to argue with him! That...that...girl...even fought him! It was his first time at the castle and he had wandered into the kitchens. There she was, with soot on her face, peering over the boiling pot from her perch on the high chair. She had been smiling and asking the cook all sorts of questions. Curious, the Prince had walked over and demanded to try and piece of what she was cooking since she looked like a servant. The girl had gotten all indignant and said that 'nobody commanded her to do anything.' He had naturally, gotten angry that a servant would dare talk back to him and had insulted her.
Next thing he knew he was on the floor with bruises and the cook was clutching the screaming maniac of a girl in his arms.
Hmph! Ranma leaned back in his chair with a pout. He did not like Akane Tendo! She was a violent, crazy, ugly...tomboy! Why did he have to be betrothed to her? Why couldn't he be betrothed to Ukyo who was so much more nicer and sweeter? The meals started and soon all thoughts of the violent Princess vanished from Ranma's thoughts and mind.
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The Prince woke up with a start in the middle of the night. Something had just banged outside his door. Ever the one for adventure, he slowly crept from his bed, and careful not to awaken his maid, he opened the door a crack. A small form with a candle in her hand crept from the shadows and when it passed the moonlit window, he could see it was the youngest Princess. What was she doing here in the middle of the night? She should be in bed so that she could wake up early the next morning and say good-bye to him!
Angry and slightly miffed, Ranma decided to follow her and find out what she was up to. Careful to stay near, but not too close, the Prince of Teria followed her down to the main hall down on the first floor. From there, she went to the back kitchen and opening a latch...she left the castle. His curiosity getting the better of him, Ranma followed her into the woods, barefoot.
Akane entered the dark woods and searched for a warm, dry spot. The warm dry spot proved to be at the large, root of an old, oak tree. Softly, she laid down and curled up next to the root and closed her eyes. The forest and woods were around to lull her to sleep.
"You're going to get in trouble," a voice broke through her peace. Akane's eyes flashed open and sitting up, she glared at the young boy not too far from her. Even though the night masked his face, she could tell from his stance and voice that it was that dorky Prince.
"Not if no one tells on me," she said in a warning tone.
Ranma rolled his eyes as he walked over and sat down next to her.
"Pipe down, Princess. No one's going to tell on- ewww...what is this?"
Akane gave a laugh as she saw what had happened. The Prince had just sat on some dead tree leaves that had gotten soaked by the rain.
"Have a seat, it's nothing more then leaves and mud," she gorlwe,d although she couldn't keep the humor out of her voice. The Prince gave another scowl before scooting in a seat closer to her at the dry side.
"So, what are you doing here this late?" he asked.
"You promise you won't telling anyone, right?" she said just to make sure.
"Yeah, yeah, now are you going to tell me or not?"
"I will if you'll stop talking for a minute! I come here...because...it feels right. I can't sleep in the castle...it's not cool like the forest or half as comforting," the child explained.
"You prefer this to a nice, warm bed?" Ranma asked skeptically as he held up some globs of dirt.
"Actually, yes, I do," Akane said in a high-handed tone. "Now, if you'll excuse me I have some sleep to get to. I do have to send a bratty Prince off tomorrow."
"Yeah, well, I'm gonna be glad to leave you too, Princess," the Prince countered but instead of getting up to leave, he settled down beside her.
After awhile the boy whispered before he closed his eyes, "Good-night Princess." The girl was already asleep.
And the next morning when he woke up...she was gone...and when he left she wasn't there to greet him good-bye. He left Jyuan angry that day...and a few months later...the King died...and the Princess Akane was reported missing.
Sadly, the boy never returned to Jyuan or those woods again.
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{...the present is here...and the boy remembers...}
Ranma, piles of books around him, looked furiously through one large volume. On the front were the words 'Portraits of the Jyuan Royal House.' Numerous books like this were scattered all around him. He was searching for something...a picture...a portrait of that child he met so many years ago. The lost Princess of Jyuan. He had just brushed it off like everyone else when Kasumi claimed Akane was her sister. Yet now...now he wasn't so sure. That one moment...that one moment when he had been outside Kasumi's door...the light had hit the blue-haired gypsy's face in a way...a way that made it look more softer...yet more wild at the same time. Only once had he seen a look like that. For an instant, it was as though he had gotten a glimpse at the past...and the future...immersed into one. Then, it was gone...but somehow Akane had changed...and he couldn't rest until he was certain. Certain of what he still was not sure.
There was only one thing he was sure of now...Akane had to go back to Jyuan.
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The Duchess stood by the archway to the garden, staring sadly at the boy fixing his tent. He hadn't noticed her yet and she could tell by his stance that he was scowling. He was an enigma...this boy...this gypsy with the broken heart. She shouldn't be here...she should just forget about him and go to Ranma...but there was something about him. There was something so much more...vulnerable...about him. He didn't have that 'I'm-a-tough-guy-nothing-can-harm-me' act that Ranma always carried for as along as she knew him. Ranma always seemed as though he had to prove himself to some invisible person...he had to be strongest, smartest, quickest...in one word...best. Yet, this boy...he acted as though none of that mattered. He acted as though you can not be the best and still be happy about it.
A servant walked by and bowed to her.
"Your grace," the girl curtsied. Ukyo nodded at her and she walked on.
Ryoga turned around and stared at her with his piercing, black eyes. His face was set in a scowl, just like she knew it would be.
"What do you want?" he growled out in suspicion. She could see the bracelet hanging from his wrist.
"What? No thank you?" she asked.
Ryoga looked down at the bracelet in his hand a second before saying, "Why? It was mine to begin with. You should have given it to me."
Ukyo stood by, her slaw hanging. How utterly...ungracious and rude of him!
Seeing her speechlessness, Ryoga turned around and waved a hand dismissively.
"You can go now, your grace. There is nothing for you here," he said offhandedly.
Now Ukyo was angry.
"In case you haven't noticed, gypsy, this is more my palace then yours," she said in an offhanded tone. She instantly regretted it. This wasn't like her. She should just apologize right now and leave.
"Well, of course. How dare I tell the Grand Duchess what to do," Ryoga snarled. That just brought back Ukyo's anger and frustration tenfold. She marched up to him until she was directly in his line of vision and he couldn't help but look at her.
"Listen, sugar, why don't you just lay off this whole I-hate-all-nobles act and deal with the actual issue. You like me! Admit it!" she shouted. There was not a second that she believed her words, but anger sometimes had a habit of making you say things just for the benefit of saying it.
She hadn't expected all that color to come to his head and have that cute face scrunch up in anger though. She, also, didn't know that anger was directed at her.
He pulled away from her and started to walk away.
"I got to go. I got to find Ne-ne," he mumbled.
The Duchess couldn't stop him and so she did the only thing she knew how.
"You coward! Go ahead! Go running off to precious Ne-ne! She won't always be there to protect you and listen to your problems, you know! One of these days she's going to wake up and realize she could do better! She doesn't need you...you need her! Guess what, Ryoga? Guess where she is? She's probably with one of us! She's probably with the Queen, Kasumi, or my fiancee, Ranma! Who do you think she'll choose...you or us?" The words were meant to hurt Ryoga anyway that it could.
The sad thing was...even though Ryoga tried to deny it...
...when he found Akane...
...she was with the Queen...
...and she was laughing...
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{...a time not so long ago...years before...a time...when that the girl...the gypsy...remembers...}
The girl crawled out of bed. Silently, she crept out of the caravan, pass the sleeping women and snoring men. The child did not want to get caught. Somehow, some instinctive part of her told her that she would get yelled at if they discovered she was not asleep. After all, it was dark and didn't everyone sleep when it was dark? Everyone except her that was. She could not sleep in the confining walls of the caravan...for some explicable reason...she knew she could only sleep outside. Maybe she'll make it back in time before morning and won't get in trouble. With that happy thought, Akane made her way outside.
She hadn't expected to find what she did.
There was a roaring fire in the middle of the circle of caravans and people slept all around it...some in the dark, some in the light...some with pillows and blankets...others on the dirt floor. Around the fire sat some of the mean-looking gypsies who kept sneering at her ever since she woke up and found herself here. That old woman who explained to her that she lost her memory and that she could stay with them didn't bother to tell her how cold the others would be. She had been with them for a few days now and they all seemed to ignore her presence.
Akane stood by the caravan wondering if she should go near the fire or go back to her caravan. It was getting cold and she couldn't help but shiver. So far none of the people around the fire have noticed her yet, but she couldn't help but feel eyes on her. This is stupid, she thought. Finally gathering up her courage, the child lifted her head and walked over to the fire. She did not dare look at the others as she sat down at a nice, warm place in front of it. No one spoke a word to her and Akane avoided eye contact with any of them.
"Here," a soft voice said before a steaming cup was pushed in front of her face. Akane looked to her right to see a kid like her wrapped up in blankets and holding a cup. She looked up and peeked into the cup. The smell was delicious and it did look rather tasty.
She took it in her hands and gave a small smile at the boy.
"Thank you," she said and watched as his face blushed brighter then the fire.
"Y-you're welcome," he stammered. "But don't thank me...they told me to give it to you."
"Who?" the girl asked curiously. The boy looked pointedly at the people around the fire who Akane suddenly noticed had cups in their hands too. One of them winked at her.
"Drink it," the boy beside her said.
"But what's our name?" Akane asked. She was tired. She didn't know who she was and she didn't know who any of these people were. She knew they must have names just like her...if only she could find out what it was.
"Drink first," he said earnestly and she could see that his eyes sparkle. How strange, she thought, I didn't know someone could have black eyes. She looked into the tempting cup once more before closing her eyes and bringing it to her lips. She waited slowly before the liquid touched her lips...and then spit it out. The stuff was disgusting...it tasted like grass...only...worse...so much worse.
Akane's eyes hot wide open when she realized what she had just done. Now they'll never act nice to her!
She felt something drape over her shoulders and looked up to see a gypsy man putting a large blanket over her. Akane felt something warm at her arm and looked to see it was that little boy's hand.
She turned questioning eyes to his laughing ones which seemed so dark before.
"My name is Ryo," he said lightly. Not understanding Akane looked around at the other gypsies who were smiling indulgently at her now like she saw them smile at the other children.
"What happened?" she asked.
"You're one of us now," a woman to Akane's left said.
Akane didn't understand what happened...and she would not for many years...but she knew something important *had* happened. The next day she would get her name from the Matriarch and in the next couple of weeks she would get her training and her lessons. But now...now she was just a tired, little girl. The fire was so warm and the blanket so comforting...she didn't notice it when she fell over on the little boy's shoulder...fast asleep.
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{...the present...}
Ryoga lay in his tent, thinking...though some would call in brooding. It was dark outside but the Duchess's words from earlier haunted him. With her parting words, she had hit straight center into his fear. He had thought about it all day and finally he came to a decision. He knew it was not the gypsy way, what he was about to do. The gypsy's single teaching had been 'Let things be as they naturally should and things that should be will present itself.' By doing this, he was not allowing things to go as they naturally would and that was wrong...but he could not bare to lose Akane. They would surely understand...after all... he was only changing the natural way slightly.
With that determination in his mind, Ryoga searched through his bags for a paper and some ink. He needed to start his letter to the Matriarch and the tribe.
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"Focus all of your energy on that one point, Ranma," Akane said in exasperation as she threw another barrage of stones at the Prince. Ranma stood his ground, refusing the strong urge to dodge, and tried to hit all the stones with one finger and make them explode. They all ended up hitting him. Truly frustrated now, Akane stomped over and smacked Ranma at the back of his head.
"Pay attention! Do you want to fail or something!" Now, Ranma was pushed past endurance too. He had been training under the hot sun for most of the morning with a cranky Akane (that even Shampoo knew to avoid) and his patience was wearing thin.
"Hey, I'm trying here, okay?" he shouted back at her. Akane's lips tightened.
"Fine, if you want to be that way, I won't help you anymore. Learn to be a gypsy by yourself! See if I care, you jerk," Akane cried out before walking off.
"Stupid tomboy," Ranma muttered. What was wrong with her? He knew that the first few days after his realization, he had acted strangely towards her...true. But after he got over the weird feeling and suspicion he learned that no matter who she may have been...she really *was* just Akane. He still hadn't broached the subject about going to Jyuan with her yet...not without trying. He couldn't bring it up with her acting so bad-tempered and irritable. What *was* the matter with her? *She probably told her gypsy friends* Ranma thought bitterly. He could just go ask them, but he didn't want to admit to pig-boy that he didn't know something about Akane. He didn't know Mousse or whatever his name was well enough to ask so that left only one option.
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Akane sat by the stream, berating herself for her behavior towards Ranma...but too stubborn to go and apologize. She knew she's been kind of hard to deal with lately, but she couldn't help it. Even Shan had said this morning that Ryo wasn't going to want to marry a sour girl. Naturally, she had run off before Akane could retaliate.
The blue-haired girl sighed as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Some deep gut feeling kept telling her that Ranma was going to be taken away from her.
With an angry and frustrated swipe, Akane hit the water and stood up. What did she care if she was going to be separated from that stupid Prince. She didn't care. She was going to miss Kasumi and the Palace and Mamees...but not that stupid jerk of a Prince.
The blue-haired girl started to make her way towards the large Palace. The Queen, Kasumi, kept smiling and telling her to get ready for her tip to Jyuan...no matter how many times Akane tried to tell her that she wasn't going. Kasumi seemed to have implanted it into her head that there was no way Akane could resist. That this was somehow fate. Well, as much as she hated to disappoint the lovely, pregnant Queen, Akane was not going. She was going to fulfill her nine months here with Shan then leave. It would hurt, of course, there were always strings and it always hurts. Hiba-chan and the other older gypsies had told her that parting with someone will always hurt...but you must learn to get pass that and grow from it. That was the difference between gypsies and ordinary people. Gypsies knew that in the natural course of things...there will always be someone new to love...and someone new to care about or hate.
She just didn't see how in the world she was going to find another Ranma.
Suddenly, Akane heard a cackle of laughter nearby. Her eyes widened. There was only one person with that hideous...and endearing laugh. There it was again! Akane swung around so fast it was a surprise her bones didn't break. There on the hill slightly above her stood an old, wrinkled (quite wrinkled) old crone. With a shout of joy (that was all sincere), all thoughts disappeared from Akane's mind as she ran towards the old woman and hugged her with all her might.
"There, there, little girl, put me down," the old woman laughed.
Akane did as she was told, but her eyes glimmered with barely repressed excitement.
"I missed you so much, hiba-chan!"
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Ranma was pacing the room when the purple-haired servant entered. Shan Pu grinned as she slyly shut the door and sneaked up to the Prince. With a shout, she jumped up and grabbed Ranma from behind, hugging his neck tight.
"Oh, Ranma call for Shampoo?" she asked in an innocent, happy voice.
"Yes, I wanted to ask you some-would you please let me go for a second?" Ranma asked in annoyance seeing as how his attempts to disentangle the gypsy from his body failed. Every time he removed one of her limbs from his own, it would crawl right back on again.
"W-why? Ranma no like Shampoo no more?" the girl asked as her lips started to quiver and her eyes to water.
"No, I didn't mean it that way. I just-"
"Great!" with that Shan Pu gave a large grin and knocked Ranma onto the bed.
"Ugh! Get off of me!" Ranma shouted as he tried to find a spot on the girl's body that he could push away without giving her any ideas.
"Ranma don't be shy. Shampoo Ranma future wife. She take care of Ranma, ne?" If Ranma didn't know better, he would think that large smile on her face was anything but innocent. He had to get out of this situation! Well, he might as well get his question answered.
"About what I wanted to ask you..."
"Yes?" the gypsy said brightly. Now, if only she could maneuver so that they were near the center of the bed. The elders of the camp will have to approve of Ranma once she tells them that she was in bed with him. Not that she needed their approval, of course. Just like she didn't need Ranma's approval. He was still a boy...he'll learn to appreciate her and what she did to get him after they got married and he grew up. At that, Shan Pu almost sighed.
"I wanted to ask you about Akane and why she's been acting so moody lately," the Prince questioned.
"Oh, Ne-ne always act moody," Shampoo said absently, more interested in Ranma's shirt then the conversation.
"Yes, but she's been extra moody lately," the owner of the room said earnestly. "She's never been so...temperamental before. She keeps snapping at me and I want to know why...not that I care of course. Why should I care what that tomboy thinks? It's just I'd like to know that's all. Yeah. That's it...I'm just curious."
Ranma watched as Shan Pu stopped whatever she was doing to his shirt and look at him. She sat up straighter and her shiny, child-like eyes seemed to cloud over. The gypsy looked as though she was trying to work out a hard puzzle in her mind as she looked down at Ranma.
Whatever, the violet gypsy was thinking, Ranma didn't find out that day because the door burst open and another certain gypsy entered.
"Shan! Nyia told me you were in here. You would not believe who just...came," Akane said the last word very softly. She had burst into the room and ran straight to where she saw Shampoo was...not thinking about the situation or the circumstances until she saw Ranma under her best friend on the bed.
She gulped.
All three of them stared at each other.
Ranma turned deer-caught-in-rush-hour-traffic eyes towards Akane.
Shampoo's eyes were guarded.
Akane looked first from her friend...then down to the Prince...then up at her friend again.
"I'm sorry to interrupt. I-I'll tell you late, Shan."
With that, Akane turned around and walked very quickly out the door.
With a cross between a sigh and a groan, Shampoo got off of Ranma and with a hard mouth...ran after her friend.
The Prince slammed his head down on his cushy bed. He wasn't going to run after them. That seemed to be happening a lot lately. Someone was always running after someone...and someone was always leaving. Well, he had enough. He was tired of running after people.
Sometime in the later future...
...Ranma would wish he had chased after Akane.
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Author's Notes: Geez, I'm repetitive. Don't anybody knock anymore? *sigh* Well, this was going to be a present for Christmas for you guys but I got held up. Hope ya still enjoyed it...even if it is a little late.
