Thanks for the reviews. I don't own Ranma 1/2, all belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, a woman I envie greatly for all the good ideas she always has.
Special thanks to those reviewers who encouraged me enough to go back to this old fic and eventually continue with it. After having revised this very chapter I will work hard on finally getting chapter 3 out. Don't worry, the whole story is planned out completely, I just have to write it down. It shouldn't take too long, yet don't expect it too soon either. I'm no Rosefire and heck if I know how she does her updates so fast...
~ kit
--------------
The Second Try
chapter 2
--------------
"Well then, Akane." he started after a few minutes of thoughtful but comfortable silence. "Lets get you home."
"Huh??" adressed girl said, oh so wisely for a second time.
"Well, I very very sure as he...very surely will not take you with me to the springs." he said in what he hoped was a tone that said 'no discussion', while he picked up the mirror that lay on the ground.
"What? But I could be of some help!" Akane said, secretly hurt that he didn't want her with him when he finally got his cure and share that obviously oh-so-great happiness with her.
"Because you could get cursed. Do you want to get cursed? I mean, you nearly drowned there the last time you were there, do you really want to risk anything again?" he reminded her, wincing at his own thoughts and where they led him "I have nothing to lose here." *But you* he wouldn't dare to add though it was clearly on his mind. "At worst I just change my curse, or ...I could get my cure."
*Or best, I prevent myself from falling into that damn pool in the first place.* he, wisely, let not slip.
"But I want to help" Akane insisted, whining a bit and distracted by the strange look that her fiance wore.
Ranma sighed inwardly. *She's like a little girl.*
Before he would smile at that thought he gave her another sigh, this one audible for her to hear, then said: "No"
Again the 'No-discussion' tone.
Again no result.
Akane started to get into her 'get-angry-routine' when suddenly Ranma's voice sounded loudly from a very totally different direction than where he stood.
"Wait up, Pop!!" it shouted clearly, and not really that respectful.
The questions marks that appeared above Ranma and Akane's head popped away as they both remembered that they were in the past, and namely right before Ranma once happened to fall into the spring.
"Oh no" Akane turned her head in the direction the shout came from, knowing that at any second the younger version of her fiance would appear and soon get himself cursed.
Ranma on the other hand was having different thoughts, like "Already here?" or "How am I supposed to change the past without Akane knowing?!"
But with Ranma never being the fastest at thinking he felt his own aura, just a very weaker one, nearing quickly. It was, to say the least, a very odd feeling.
Giving into temptation to briefly just concentrate on that wholy alien feeling, everything seemed to be slow-motion for a few seconds.
Two birds chirped their way along the sky, the wind ruffled softly through the trees. Ranma didn't remember that the weather was so beautiful when he got his curse. He remembered rather that the weather was grey, cold and rainy - all adding to the bad mood he did have since he got cursed...
"You've been lazy again, boy! I've seen you running a lot faster! Hurry up, if you arrive as second I'll get your dinner tonight!" - Genma's voice, not far away anymore.
Before Ranma could think to react in any different way, he grapped Akane at the shoulders and practically threw the both of them out of the way. And not a second too late. At exactly the place they were standing just seconds ago Genma appeared, having jumped down and immediately jumping further ahead in the direction of the springs, Ranma remembered all too clearly. He also remembered why he had been behind Genma at that time - his dad had made him wear heavy weights in his pockets, a few securly tied to his wrists and ankles as well. And running with them, uphills, for well over 4 hours...still, the young Saotome was keeping up, running right behind his father.
"Stay!" the Ranma from the present said to Akane who seemed about to protest but that protest died on her lips at the glimpse of white she caught running further down out of the trees.
If she would have said something, apart from holding present Ranma back here behind some bushes, she would have stated that with her fiance throwing her and himself out of the way, he threw them also into a little hardly dried out creek and that Ranma was currently Ranko.
[AN: yRanma = younger Ranma from the past
Ranma/Ranko = Ranma from the present ]
However, Akane kept silent. The reason, as said, she had caught sight of the younger boy that once Ranma was and somehow she was so surprised that she couldn't move. First of all, he was younger! Of course he was younger, but Akane was used to a nearly 18 year old Ranma and not a, what was he, 15 year old? And well, he wore a gi. He never wore a gi -maybe once or twice, okay, she remembered. But he never somehow looked like this in it. He had his hair in a pony tail not wearing his usual braid, as far as Akane could see. What startled her the most was his face, he was smiling or grinning or whatever he did at his dad, and he looked so ...carefree. Nothing mattered to him. He was just a normal boy who did what he liked the most - he trained the Arts. No worries. No nothing at all.
Suddenly Akane understood why Ranma had wanted this cure so badly...
It was not that the female body bothered him so much, he got quite used to it by now, she was sure. He may be hurt from Kodachi but it was just that he wanted to go back to this, going back to having no troubles and worries in the world. He looks so happy, she thought.
"Stop!" a female voice cried out demandingly, "Ranko"'s no doubt.
Though that brought Akane out of her inability to move, she stayed lost in yRanma and her previous thoughts about him. So she prefered to stay hidden to look at him a bit more, thus not really getting what Ranko actually was doing there.
"Don't get in our way girl!" Genma yelled harshly as he looked back over his shoulder.
yRanma however did stop in front of her.
Suddenly Ranma felt very strange, as if he knew this would lead to trouble. That he was _not_ supposed to meet himself. His own aura from yRanma pushed at him in a way it never did when Ranma's clones from that strange mirror castle were around. It felt nearly...aggressive.
"What is it? You're hurt or what?" he heard his own voice ask of him between pants, a voice which was just a slight tone more boyish than his own, if he had been male at the moment that is.
"Ah, no." Ranma answered, stunned somehow.
"Kay then" yRanma said, about to pass the red-head.
"No, wait!" Ranma finally brought out, turning around and missing yRanma's arm just about a few inches. Desperate he jumped after yRanma and with an outstreched foot and a midair turn, he kicked yRanma's feet out under him.
Before however yRanma could fall he streched his hands out, made a kind of cart-wheel and while coming up again he turned around to face his opponent. All in all it rather looked like a move out of the Chinese Circus. Then again, knowing Genma...this move could be out of the Chinese Circus over one way or another.
Ranma's body reacted instantly to the stance of yRanma and fell into a fighting position, arms ready for either attack of defense.
"forget it" yRanma said, somewhat arrogantly "I don't fight girls."
"as if you could beat me" Ranma instantly answered, once again, automatically.
"hey little girl, leave me and my student alone to trai-" Genma who had approached couldn't finish as the 'little girl' gripped his arm and sent him flying to the ground. yRanma tried to attack in order to defend his dad but soon found himself dealing with a lot of punches directed at him.
"Ranma! Stop it, what are you...?" Akane cried finally, trying to make her way out through the bushes.
*Another girl?* young Ranma thought, briefly distracted.
Ranma knew he had to act fast, whatever he was to do.
"KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN" he cried out and sooner than Ranma thought good (his own pride here nagging at him again) yRanma passed out.
"Ranma!!" Akane shouted, tugging small leaves out of her hair. "Look what you did! Why are those two both unconcious! Care to explain that?? You said you weren't going to change the past!" she set her hands on her hips demanding an answer.
"I... look, ..." words failed Ranma, he was never one to be eloquent and while slightly leaning away from Akane he raised one of his hands in the typical Takahashi way.
Since the martial artist didn't elaborate though Akane chose to show him what she thought of this situation by bonking him on the head, muttering an 'idiot' while being at it.
"I want to talk with them first" he finally continued, encouraged enough by the young girl's fists. "Maybe I could -"
Akane's immediate reaction was to interrupt him, and she was about to do so when Ranma quickly put a finger on her lips.
The action shut her up all right.
Though her warm exhale against his finger made it a 'tough bit' harder for him to actually remember what he wanted to say, he finally made himself get the words out.
"I only want to make things better, Akane." he said seriously "Between us and for me. Please, let me. For once."
Akane unsecurely stepped back, his touch leaving her lips. Strangely she didn't argue, not even try to negotiate.
Instead she looked sorrowful into his eyes. "I don't like it and I have a bad feeling about it."
She paused briefly, waiting if he would say something. When he didn't she finally looked down and, will surprises never end, gave up.
"But if you need to do this, hate this body so much...I hope it'll turn out for the best." She faked a smile at him, trying to not show of her fear to lose him in the future. "And I support you if you let me." she added, knowing that she didn't want to be left out of this.
Ranma threw a glance back at the Nanban Mirror that once again, had carelessly dropped to the ground and was now lying there in the grass. He went towards it, picked it up and _knew_ right there that he couldn't make Akane leave here now, no matter what he would try.
Well, then he would make sure that nothing happened to her, he swore that.
It scared him how often he desperately had repeated this very promise now to himself.
"Well, how about we set a camp out right over there then" Ranma said to the raven haired girl in front of him. "I know that those two morons over there have the stuff we need with them, let's get everything ready and set and I can talk to them when they wake up." he continued, pointing his thumb back over his shoulder at the two unconcious Saotome males when mentioning them.
Akane nodded, and went straight to take Genma's backpack. Not commenting once.
------
The two girls set the tents up and Akane started to make a fireplace while 'Ranko' returned to the two still unconcious forms still lying on the path from earlier.
Ranma poked his younger version a few times until success finally showed and yRanma groaned. After fixing his eyes on the red-head he sat up abruptly. He looked around him and found his old man next to his side, out of it as well, and their backpacks missing.
"You are thieves or somethin?"
Ranma just snorted and was about to answer when yRanma cut her to it.
"Do you understand me? Talk Japanese? Nihao?"
Ranma's eyes narrowed at his younger self's stupidity. "Hey you dolt, I've spoken to you already before!"
"Well, then gimme back my backpack" yRanma answered.
"I haven't stolen it. We made camp a few feet over there because we need to talk."
"Why should we talk with ya?" yRanma snorted in a similar way that Ranma had done earlier.
"Because" Ranma responded harshly, the patience toward this other himself wearing thin.
*How could Akane ever deal with me like that?* Ranma thought but as soon as this thought was out Ranma wanted to beat himself for thinking it.
"Ya were pretty fast with yer punches before" yRanma commented.
"Well, I did beat you, didn't I" Ranma answered snotty.
"Care to tell me about that move?"
"I won't tell you a word before we haven't finished with an entirely different topic" Ranma said sternly, closing her arms over her well defined chest.
yRanma showed no reaction to said impressive chest. "Come on, I'll leave you alone then, you can even keep one of the backpacks. Tell me, how'd you do it??"
Ranma kept silent, seriously annoyed with his younger self. Gods, was he really that much of an idiot when he was 15? Couldn't you actually have a straight normal conversation with him? Unbelieveable that now he was just about 2 1/2 years older - he must have changed a lot!
The red-head kneed down to throw Genma over her shoulder and carry him to the camp, knowing that a few pokes wouldn't wake his old man.
"Come on, shorty!" yRanma threw in
His older version just ignored him.
Finally Genma on his back, Ranma stood up and trotted towards the camp. No need to say something like "come" or "Follow me" to yRanma because he was already bouncing up and down and everywhere and around the pigtailed girl, making faces at her, demanding to be told about that Katchu and so on move from earlier.
---
"NOO!!!" Ranko's voice screamed, sounding more that a bit annoyed by the second "Leave me alone already! I won't tell you that move!" the girl screamed at yRanma.
"But I need to know! Come on! I'll be a good student!" yRanma pleaded at her.
"No!! Shut up already! Gosh, you're one annoying brat!"
"So?! And you're the uncutest twarf of a girl I've ever seen!! Why won't you teach me?! Just tell already!"
Ranma caughed twice before regaining composure "Uncute twarf??! Are you nuts??! How dare you insult me like that!!" the red head shouted getting angrier and angrier.
"Because when it's truth it doesn't count as insult, you *are* a kawaiikune halfling!!"
"grrrr...HALF-LING?"
"You wanna fight?!" yRanma challenged and got into a fighting position.
"I don't fight weaklings like you!!" Ran-chan screamed back, frustrated that his voice sounded so high-pitched - however with that he forgot completely the fact that he insulted himself...indirectly of course.
"A big mouth ya got but I wouldn't fight girls anyway, they're just not up to real men"
Ranma had really to control himself there - he couldn't beat his younger self to a pulp for the _second_ time, they needed to talk first...but then...after that he would get his stupid fight!! "Then don't challenge me, baka!! Besides I already defeated you! Moron!"
"Tomboy!"
"Arrgh.." Ranma's finger curled in anger *how dare he use my own insults against me?!*
"You two stop shouting already!!" Genma screamed who had the greatest head-ache at the moment. He was still carried over the girl's shoulder and Ranma had the strangest feeling that if Genma had already been cursed and if he had happened to be a panda at the moment he certainly would have smacked both of his sons with one of his wonderously appearing wooden signs.
"Ahh, shut up old man!" Ranko commented.
yRanma decided to emphasize and hit Genma over the head making him unconcious again.
-------------------------------
The camp was all set up, two small tents neatly positioned around a clumsily built up and yet unlit fire place.
"Wasn't there a second girl?" yRanma wondered without further introduction.
"Yeah, she went for some fire wood. She promised to stay in ear-shot though."
"What, you and your sister out for a bravery test? Camping out all alone without your daddies?"
Ranko bit down, hard, trying to _not_ beat yRanma. No wonder Akane did it so often, it was a tempting thing to do! Focusing and calming, Ranko threw the unconcious Genma uncerimoniously over her shoulder to the ground and sat down herself next to him. YRanma took place a little off Ranko's side.
"Now what?" yRanma continued impatiently.
That annoying brat surely wouldn't take him seriously if Ranma just started out of the blue to threaten him to not go to Jusenkyo. He needed some background to built around the storyline. Living with Nabiki payed off, finally.
Typically that even in Ranma's thoughts Nabiki's name was uncuttably connected with 'pay'... Oh well.
"Hey tomboy," -oh, how Ranma hated that insult already! "how izit with ya move now?"
"Listen, you jerk." Again Ranma caught himself using insults that were strangely familiar...
"I've got this brother and he went training here too, at the Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo and he went there with our father you know..." while thinking up this gracious background story Ranma congrulated himself for his creative ideas "who didn't have any clue about anything"
"like father like daughter" yRanma threw in.
"Listen You JERK!" Ranma's temper snapped and he grapped yRanma at the collar of his gi. The second when a mallet crossed Ranma's thoughts a giant sweat drop ran down his forehead and he let loose.
"Listen, no beating around the bush"
"What is this?" Genma groaned all of the sudden, getting up in a sitting position as if he was drunk. Finally he narrowed his eyes at the strange girl besides him.
"And who are you?"
"I am the one to beat some SENSE into you!" Ranko screamed at Genma frustrated. So far the mission was not really anything you might call success.
"Listen, for the last time! Both of you" - strangely enough they did.
Ranma felt suddenly uncomfortable by the stare of his younger self.
Not showing any insecurity Ranma went on. "I know that the two of you want to train at Jusenkyo, but you can't, I forbit it. Because it will ruin your whole future. You will NOT go there, you won't even get ONE step nearer to it than you already have"
"And who are you to tell me and my son anything?" Genma demanded in the tone he usually reserved for scolding his son, Ranma knew all to clearly. He really missed the adressing "boy" at the end.
"I" Ranma shot a brief look at yRanma and quickly changed his mind.
"I'm Ranko."
"Let's go, Pop" yRanma said, getting up.
"Get Down!" Ranma pulled the youngest Saotome down again, sharply, and content about that. "I know more than you do, trust me on this. Jusenkyo will nearly ruin your both lives. Really, I just want to prevent that."
yRanma focused his eyes on the red-head who again recognised that fixing gaze as the one yRanma would later dedicate to Ryoga.
"As if you could know what would happen to us" he accused
Ranma shot a glare back, challenged. "You baka will fall in, that's what! Both of you will fall in and you'll get a Jusenkyo curse that will make especially _your_ life a misery!" and the red-head pointed at the youngest Saotome.
"How can you know that, we haven't even ever met!" Genma added, sure of victory. As so often.
"Your name is Genma Saotome" Ranma told him, sure of _his_ victory. As so often.
"Since he's 6 you're here on a 10 year training trip with your son, Ranma, 15 years old. And you managed a FEW very idiotic things, might I pick out a certain contract with your wife Nodoka and a certain hell of a cat pit interfering with that? Might I also add a certain Okonomiyaki Cart and Training Hall Inheritance?! Or how about wanting to train in that CURSED Jusenkyo when you speak no word CHINESE ??!!"
Genma seemed to panick slightly whereas a shocked Ranma stopped listening at the point of the C-Word.
Genma finally looked at his son, yRanma looked back at his dad, shaken, and a smug grin graced Ranko's features. One that yRanma should find very cool, deep down, and who subcounciously noted for future use that smug grins made one look superior.
-------------------------------
Ranko and Genma had changed places so that yRanma and Genma sat besides each other now, thinking about what to do. Both seemed impressed that the red-haired girl knew so much about them, the situation obviously was about something serious. The fact that Ranma was still present didn't prevent the two Saotome's from the past to talk openly about the red-head.
"I don't trust her at all, Pops. It's not as if she would know the future...though with her small person and red hair and all, maybe she's a witch?" yRanma tried to tease.
Ranko put up all her self-control -yet again- for not punching him into the face now. Convincing the two that they shouldn't train at Jusenkyou was more important! Just repeat that! And it might just work now too!
"How would you know that something bad is going to happen?" Genma asked. "Knowing the future is impossible."
"Ah heck - I just know it, okay!" Those two were infuriating. Simply convincing them by talking didn't seem to help any. So, change in tactics. "How about this: Ranma, you study among your father, right?"
the 15 year old nodded.
"Okay, then how about this: when I beat your dad thrice in the line at Martial Arts then you promise me on your honour that you won't go training there."
"Hah!" Genma gave a laugh "you wouldn't be able to lay a finger on me and you want to beat me thrice in the line??"
Ran-chan gave just a self-confident smirk in responds.
"What do we get if you don't succed then?" Genma asked.
"Feh, that won't happen. But if so, you can have whatever you want"
"How about you have to teach me your best move then" yRanma demanded, seeing his chance.
Ran-chan gave her younger self a knowing half-grin. Strange as it was Ranma felt as if he would be proud of his own future son for behaving like yRanma did just now...strange thoughts indeed...
"Fine with me"
"Fine with you? Haha" Genma said sarcastically, full of self-confidence.
"I beat you already today, old man." Ranma contered.
"Old man?? We'll see about that, you'll choke on your words" Genma bluntly ignored the statement of defeat earier that day.
"There's someone coming..." yRanma suddenly interrupted the talk.
True, Genma and Ranma could sense the presence of a fourth person, a girl and she was headed straight for their place.
Of course a girl!, Ranma thought, It was Akane, he knew immediately. Still he wondered why his younger self had noticed her presence earlier than he had but he didn't have to search long for his answer: he was so used to her, wherever he was Akane was near him. When he would make a training trip he would miss her intensly, lately so bad that he didn't leave without at least a photo of her, and even then he still wished she were by his side. And whenever the two where hanging around somewhere together he was used to her presence, with the pleseant knowledge that she was by his side. The lack of her aura around him made him less at ease than when she was with him, or like in this case, when she neared him.
However. Genma and yRanma still waited for a reaction of him. "It's my fia..rend. My friend, Akane. She's with me on this training trip, I mentioned."
"Ha!" yRanma laughed at Ran-chan, "I see, the one from earlier, hiding wasn't she. Two girlies on a 'training trip'. What do you train? How to stay a night out without breaking your nails?"
There was that again. He told them already that she was collecting firewood, too!
"Quit it, you..." Ran-chan growled, balling her fist.
yRanma of course went on. "Hope you didn't forget your lip-sticks and powder"
Ranma put all his control together and concentrated on not beating his younger self into a pulp. AGAIN.
" - You. Are. Annoying. - " Patience, patience! You lasted so long, focuse!
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I should have noticed sooner. Of course ya have no make-up with ya, with the ugly type it's no use anyway"
That did it finally. Ran-chan jumped to her feet, hissing: "Fine you jerk! You wan a fight, you get it!"
yRanma grinned full of self-confidence and got into a ready stance, but still commented with an arrogant "I don't fight weak gir-"
Akane chose this time to enter their camping place, by that stumbling out of the bushes in a quite clumsy way and losing half of the loggs she'd been carrying.
YRanma stared at the newcomer unable to tear his eyes away from her, and Akane... Akane just stared back at him.
*What...what is happenening? I...I..this girl...* yRanma's mind tried to form a thought but without much success. All he could do was stare at her, the way she stood there with the two remaining loggs clenched to her chest as if she was shocked, the way her eyes held his stare, the way the soft breeze tucked at several hair strains, the way the glow of the fire reflected on her creamy skin...
*Kawaii*
Akane couldn't help but stare back at the younger version of the Ranma she knew. He looked slightly different; clearly younger, a bit rougher maybe, like earlier still unusually clad in a white gi and his hair not in the braid Akane was used to but simply tied together with a piece of thin white cloth. However, this bit of a difference wasn't what made Akane stare at him, after all things like his features and moreover, his wonderful blue-grey eyes remained the same. But it was the way he looked at her, so openly - in a way that _her_ Ranma would never look at her - without any defense or resistance he let her have a look directly at his very soul.
*What a gorgeous body* she suddenly thought.
The second that thought came up she wondered where it came from, but she couldn't help it. The thought entered her mind as if she had no control over it. Her eyes travelled a little south, again she didn't intend to do that in the first place - she just did it ...until she suddenly realized what exactly she was staring at, and full of self-conciousness again she turned her head towards the ground, blushing furiously one might add.
*What was that?? What was I thinking staring at him like that??*
yRanma found himself catching up with his mind when Akane dropped her glance to earth. Completely forgotten about the fight he was about to start with Ran-chan he let himself plop on the ground, staring at some imaginary point in front of him, blushing just as much as Akane, and still in a hot chase with his thoughts.
"Ah..., Akane? You okay?" Ranma finally cut the silence noticing her strange mood and not liking her blush at all.
Akane finally snapped out of it "Ahm, yeah, sure. I'm fine." She picked up the loggs that she had dropped earlier and finally settled down next to the camp fire with them. She still wore a slight blush but if you didn't look close enough you didn't notice it with the dimming light of the dusk.
Still, Ranma noticed it very much.
*Her cheeks are still rosened? What is it with her? She sees him and stares like that? What is it with that jerk nearly raping her with his eyes, that hentai, lousy - WAIT, that's ME!...What was she thinking when she looked at him all the time; heck what am I thinkin anyway? She stared at ME, for god's sake! Indirectly at me for that matter but still! She blushed because of ME! I should be laughin at her for I've got proof now that I _can_ have some effect on her... still I'm feeling strange and... not good at all. ...It can't be...I'm jealous over, ...over myself?!*
They sat for a few more moments in uncomfortable silence, until Genma was tactless as usual.
"What's with you guys; boy, joke with these girls later. Now we make something to eat."
Both Ranmas knew that Genma's 'we' was a synonym for the name 'Ranma'.
So both, yRanma and Ran-chan moved to make something similar to soup. One of them because he was used to making dinner (or lunch or breakfast for that matter) for him and his dad, and the other because he wanted to prevent Akane from cooking.
----------------------------------------
The fire crackled soundly, the cool summer night a pleasant change of the hot day in China.
It was settled that the training of Genma and yRanma should depend on the battle the next day, the match between Genma and -unknowingly to the latter- his own 17 year old.
Akane talked quite a bit with Genma, inventing stories, much better ones than Ranma, about their 'training trip' so far. Ranma on the other hand said few things if any at all, he seemed to be sulking about something, the tension between him and Akane was more that annoying to him to top that.
Maybe it was so annoying because there was hardly any tension between Akane and yRanma. She glanced every now and then at the younger version of himself and then quickly averted her eyes again, only to guiltily look at Ranma himself, blush again, and look away again. Didn't she think he would notice how often she looked at him, that is the _other_ him?
What was he supposed to think of that anyway??
After a good dinner everyone agreed to sleep so they could stand up early tomorrow. Both Ranmas were used to this and also Akane was a morning person, so no problems there, for a change.
While yRanma and Genma shared Genma's tent for the night, the girls -that is Ran-chan and Akane- shared the other one.
It was narrow enough as it was and Ranma was certain to sleep outside, so Akane could have the tent for herself. she already made some sleeping arrangements inside.
But first there was this question to be resolved that nagged at him ever since Akane met his younger self.
"What was that earlier?" Ranma finally said after steading himself quite a while. It was the first thing that both of them said since he entered the tent.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean your minute of adoration when you came falling out of the bushes for example"
"Arrgh no! Don't you tell me you're jealous over yourself, Ranma !?"
"Who said I'd be ever jealous, and because of somebody like you on top!"
"Ranma no ba-" Akane began to glow, concentrating her anger in her center and preparing for the blow she was about to deliver as usual.
However this time Ranma did not care. "Why did you stare so??" it contained so much jealousy that not even Ranma could have denied it.
The tone even made a violent tomboy stop in her tracks. Still, she didn't know what to answer him.
Apart from: "What do you care anyway"
...silence...
"I'm just curious" Ranma said in a low tone, without looking at her and instead pretending to prepare the sleeping bags Genma and yRanma had given them.
Akane still didn't know how she should answer. She wasn't even sure she herself knew what had happened there, she just had this feeling - but how should she tell Ranma about a feeling? Him, of all people!
"Please?" he added, even more silent than before.
*What?? Ranma actually asks me to? Is this so important to him??* the young Tendo wondered surprised but moved by his pleading.
"Ahm," she finally answered "I'm not sure myself. ...Ahm, it was...as if..aah..as if I saw you for the first time, you know. I mean it sounds strange but I couldn't help it."
Ranma just raised his eye-brow to show he had no clue what she wanted to say.
She sighned heavily. "How should I explain this..."
She had to think about this first.
*It felt like..the way you looked at me...It felt..good* she thought *very good. I mean my real first meeting with you was horrible, I thought you were a girl and when you stood there in the bath tu-... it was...! It was like that time, it was the same when I met with you, just a different location! Gosh, the look, the stare, how you stood there... even how I must have held the bricks - that time I had a towel with me - ...oh my god! It really was a repetition of Ranma and me meeting!*
"What is it, Akane?" Ranma's question brought her out of her train of thought.
"Ahm...I..I'm sorry, Ranma, I think I don't know how to explain it to you, I'm afraid." she excused, not wanting to talk more about it now.
He just let his eyes travel somewhere on the ground and nodded slightly. He seemed to be disappointed somehow, though Akane could not be sure that she didn't just imagine it.
Finally he looked up and directly into her eyes. "Do you think this is how it would have been?... If we had met under different circumstances?"
Akane was first a bit startled that Ranma would ask so bluntly such a question. Anyway, carefully she thought about her responds, taking quite some time for it. However, eventually she answered:
"don't know...when I met you the very first time I didn't like boys at all and.. and had f..feelings for ahm..Dr.Tofu; aah yes, and now...I mean I know you already and I already...now I already..., I doubt that like today..like this." She let out a breathe "I doubt this is how we would have met, Ranma. It's different now. If you were a stranger to me I would greet you probably different than it was today."
*I wish we would have met more like today, Akane* Ranma allowed himself to think before turning off the gasoline lamp, needing for once to sleep next to Akane, he didn't really understand why.
But she didn't oblidge either.
- tbc
please review.
Special thanks to those reviewers who encouraged me enough to go back to this old fic and eventually continue with it. After having revised this very chapter I will work hard on finally getting chapter 3 out. Don't worry, the whole story is planned out completely, I just have to write it down. It shouldn't take too long, yet don't expect it too soon either. I'm no Rosefire and heck if I know how she does her updates so fast...
~ kit
--------------
The Second Try
chapter 2
--------------
"Well then, Akane." he started after a few minutes of thoughtful but comfortable silence. "Lets get you home."
"Huh??" adressed girl said, oh so wisely for a second time.
"Well, I very very sure as he...very surely will not take you with me to the springs." he said in what he hoped was a tone that said 'no discussion', while he picked up the mirror that lay on the ground.
"What? But I could be of some help!" Akane said, secretly hurt that he didn't want her with him when he finally got his cure and share that obviously oh-so-great happiness with her.
"Because you could get cursed. Do you want to get cursed? I mean, you nearly drowned there the last time you were there, do you really want to risk anything again?" he reminded her, wincing at his own thoughts and where they led him "I have nothing to lose here." *But you* he wouldn't dare to add though it was clearly on his mind. "At worst I just change my curse, or ...I could get my cure."
*Or best, I prevent myself from falling into that damn pool in the first place.* he, wisely, let not slip.
"But I want to help" Akane insisted, whining a bit and distracted by the strange look that her fiance wore.
Ranma sighed inwardly. *She's like a little girl.*
Before he would smile at that thought he gave her another sigh, this one audible for her to hear, then said: "No"
Again the 'No-discussion' tone.
Again no result.
Akane started to get into her 'get-angry-routine' when suddenly Ranma's voice sounded loudly from a very totally different direction than where he stood.
"Wait up, Pop!!" it shouted clearly, and not really that respectful.
The questions marks that appeared above Ranma and Akane's head popped away as they both remembered that they were in the past, and namely right before Ranma once happened to fall into the spring.
"Oh no" Akane turned her head in the direction the shout came from, knowing that at any second the younger version of her fiance would appear and soon get himself cursed.
Ranma on the other hand was having different thoughts, like "Already here?" or "How am I supposed to change the past without Akane knowing?!"
But with Ranma never being the fastest at thinking he felt his own aura, just a very weaker one, nearing quickly. It was, to say the least, a very odd feeling.
Giving into temptation to briefly just concentrate on that wholy alien feeling, everything seemed to be slow-motion for a few seconds.
Two birds chirped their way along the sky, the wind ruffled softly through the trees. Ranma didn't remember that the weather was so beautiful when he got his curse. He remembered rather that the weather was grey, cold and rainy - all adding to the bad mood he did have since he got cursed...
"You've been lazy again, boy! I've seen you running a lot faster! Hurry up, if you arrive as second I'll get your dinner tonight!" - Genma's voice, not far away anymore.
Before Ranma could think to react in any different way, he grapped Akane at the shoulders and practically threw the both of them out of the way. And not a second too late. At exactly the place they were standing just seconds ago Genma appeared, having jumped down and immediately jumping further ahead in the direction of the springs, Ranma remembered all too clearly. He also remembered why he had been behind Genma at that time - his dad had made him wear heavy weights in his pockets, a few securly tied to his wrists and ankles as well. And running with them, uphills, for well over 4 hours...still, the young Saotome was keeping up, running right behind his father.
"Stay!" the Ranma from the present said to Akane who seemed about to protest but that protest died on her lips at the glimpse of white she caught running further down out of the trees.
If she would have said something, apart from holding present Ranma back here behind some bushes, she would have stated that with her fiance throwing her and himself out of the way, he threw them also into a little hardly dried out creek and that Ranma was currently Ranko.
[AN: yRanma = younger Ranma from the past
Ranma/Ranko = Ranma from the present ]
However, Akane kept silent. The reason, as said, she had caught sight of the younger boy that once Ranma was and somehow she was so surprised that she couldn't move. First of all, he was younger! Of course he was younger, but Akane was used to a nearly 18 year old Ranma and not a, what was he, 15 year old? And well, he wore a gi. He never wore a gi -maybe once or twice, okay, she remembered. But he never somehow looked like this in it. He had his hair in a pony tail not wearing his usual braid, as far as Akane could see. What startled her the most was his face, he was smiling or grinning or whatever he did at his dad, and he looked so ...carefree. Nothing mattered to him. He was just a normal boy who did what he liked the most - he trained the Arts. No worries. No nothing at all.
Suddenly Akane understood why Ranma had wanted this cure so badly...
It was not that the female body bothered him so much, he got quite used to it by now, she was sure. He may be hurt from Kodachi but it was just that he wanted to go back to this, going back to having no troubles and worries in the world. He looks so happy, she thought.
"Stop!" a female voice cried out demandingly, "Ranko"'s no doubt.
Though that brought Akane out of her inability to move, she stayed lost in yRanma and her previous thoughts about him. So she prefered to stay hidden to look at him a bit more, thus not really getting what Ranko actually was doing there.
"Don't get in our way girl!" Genma yelled harshly as he looked back over his shoulder.
yRanma however did stop in front of her.
Suddenly Ranma felt very strange, as if he knew this would lead to trouble. That he was _not_ supposed to meet himself. His own aura from yRanma pushed at him in a way it never did when Ranma's clones from that strange mirror castle were around. It felt nearly...aggressive.
"What is it? You're hurt or what?" he heard his own voice ask of him between pants, a voice which was just a slight tone more boyish than his own, if he had been male at the moment that is.
"Ah, no." Ranma answered, stunned somehow.
"Kay then" yRanma said, about to pass the red-head.
"No, wait!" Ranma finally brought out, turning around and missing yRanma's arm just about a few inches. Desperate he jumped after yRanma and with an outstreched foot and a midair turn, he kicked yRanma's feet out under him.
Before however yRanma could fall he streched his hands out, made a kind of cart-wheel and while coming up again he turned around to face his opponent. All in all it rather looked like a move out of the Chinese Circus. Then again, knowing Genma...this move could be out of the Chinese Circus over one way or another.
Ranma's body reacted instantly to the stance of yRanma and fell into a fighting position, arms ready for either attack of defense.
"forget it" yRanma said, somewhat arrogantly "I don't fight girls."
"as if you could beat me" Ranma instantly answered, once again, automatically.
"hey little girl, leave me and my student alone to trai-" Genma who had approached couldn't finish as the 'little girl' gripped his arm and sent him flying to the ground. yRanma tried to attack in order to defend his dad but soon found himself dealing with a lot of punches directed at him.
"Ranma! Stop it, what are you...?" Akane cried finally, trying to make her way out through the bushes.
*Another girl?* young Ranma thought, briefly distracted.
Ranma knew he had to act fast, whatever he was to do.
"KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN" he cried out and sooner than Ranma thought good (his own pride here nagging at him again) yRanma passed out.
"Ranma!!" Akane shouted, tugging small leaves out of her hair. "Look what you did! Why are those two both unconcious! Care to explain that?? You said you weren't going to change the past!" she set her hands on her hips demanding an answer.
"I... look, ..." words failed Ranma, he was never one to be eloquent and while slightly leaning away from Akane he raised one of his hands in the typical Takahashi way.
Since the martial artist didn't elaborate though Akane chose to show him what she thought of this situation by bonking him on the head, muttering an 'idiot' while being at it.
"I want to talk with them first" he finally continued, encouraged enough by the young girl's fists. "Maybe I could -"
Akane's immediate reaction was to interrupt him, and she was about to do so when Ranma quickly put a finger on her lips.
The action shut her up all right.
Though her warm exhale against his finger made it a 'tough bit' harder for him to actually remember what he wanted to say, he finally made himself get the words out.
"I only want to make things better, Akane." he said seriously "Between us and for me. Please, let me. For once."
Akane unsecurely stepped back, his touch leaving her lips. Strangely she didn't argue, not even try to negotiate.
Instead she looked sorrowful into his eyes. "I don't like it and I have a bad feeling about it."
She paused briefly, waiting if he would say something. When he didn't she finally looked down and, will surprises never end, gave up.
"But if you need to do this, hate this body so much...I hope it'll turn out for the best." She faked a smile at him, trying to not show of her fear to lose him in the future. "And I support you if you let me." she added, knowing that she didn't want to be left out of this.
Ranma threw a glance back at the Nanban Mirror that once again, had carelessly dropped to the ground and was now lying there in the grass. He went towards it, picked it up and _knew_ right there that he couldn't make Akane leave here now, no matter what he would try.
Well, then he would make sure that nothing happened to her, he swore that.
It scared him how often he desperately had repeated this very promise now to himself.
"Well, how about we set a camp out right over there then" Ranma said to the raven haired girl in front of him. "I know that those two morons over there have the stuff we need with them, let's get everything ready and set and I can talk to them when they wake up." he continued, pointing his thumb back over his shoulder at the two unconcious Saotome males when mentioning them.
Akane nodded, and went straight to take Genma's backpack. Not commenting once.
------
The two girls set the tents up and Akane started to make a fireplace while 'Ranko' returned to the two still unconcious forms still lying on the path from earlier.
Ranma poked his younger version a few times until success finally showed and yRanma groaned. After fixing his eyes on the red-head he sat up abruptly. He looked around him and found his old man next to his side, out of it as well, and their backpacks missing.
"You are thieves or somethin?"
Ranma just snorted and was about to answer when yRanma cut her to it.
"Do you understand me? Talk Japanese? Nihao?"
Ranma's eyes narrowed at his younger self's stupidity. "Hey you dolt, I've spoken to you already before!"
"Well, then gimme back my backpack" yRanma answered.
"I haven't stolen it. We made camp a few feet over there because we need to talk."
"Why should we talk with ya?" yRanma snorted in a similar way that Ranma had done earlier.
"Because" Ranma responded harshly, the patience toward this other himself wearing thin.
*How could Akane ever deal with me like that?* Ranma thought but as soon as this thought was out Ranma wanted to beat himself for thinking it.
"Ya were pretty fast with yer punches before" yRanma commented.
"Well, I did beat you, didn't I" Ranma answered snotty.
"Care to tell me about that move?"
"I won't tell you a word before we haven't finished with an entirely different topic" Ranma said sternly, closing her arms over her well defined chest.
yRanma showed no reaction to said impressive chest. "Come on, I'll leave you alone then, you can even keep one of the backpacks. Tell me, how'd you do it??"
Ranma kept silent, seriously annoyed with his younger self. Gods, was he really that much of an idiot when he was 15? Couldn't you actually have a straight normal conversation with him? Unbelieveable that now he was just about 2 1/2 years older - he must have changed a lot!
The red-head kneed down to throw Genma over her shoulder and carry him to the camp, knowing that a few pokes wouldn't wake his old man.
"Come on, shorty!" yRanma threw in
His older version just ignored him.
Finally Genma on his back, Ranma stood up and trotted towards the camp. No need to say something like "come" or "Follow me" to yRanma because he was already bouncing up and down and everywhere and around the pigtailed girl, making faces at her, demanding to be told about that Katchu and so on move from earlier.
---
"NOO!!!" Ranko's voice screamed, sounding more that a bit annoyed by the second "Leave me alone already! I won't tell you that move!" the girl screamed at yRanma.
"But I need to know! Come on! I'll be a good student!" yRanma pleaded at her.
"No!! Shut up already! Gosh, you're one annoying brat!"
"So?! And you're the uncutest twarf of a girl I've ever seen!! Why won't you teach me?! Just tell already!"
Ranma caughed twice before regaining composure "Uncute twarf??! Are you nuts??! How dare you insult me like that!!" the red head shouted getting angrier and angrier.
"Because when it's truth it doesn't count as insult, you *are* a kawaiikune halfling!!"
"grrrr...HALF-LING?"
"You wanna fight?!" yRanma challenged and got into a fighting position.
"I don't fight weaklings like you!!" Ran-chan screamed back, frustrated that his voice sounded so high-pitched - however with that he forgot completely the fact that he insulted himself...indirectly of course.
"A big mouth ya got but I wouldn't fight girls anyway, they're just not up to real men"
Ranma had really to control himself there - he couldn't beat his younger self to a pulp for the _second_ time, they needed to talk first...but then...after that he would get his stupid fight!! "Then don't challenge me, baka!! Besides I already defeated you! Moron!"
"Tomboy!"
"Arrgh.." Ranma's finger curled in anger *how dare he use my own insults against me?!*
"You two stop shouting already!!" Genma screamed who had the greatest head-ache at the moment. He was still carried over the girl's shoulder and Ranma had the strangest feeling that if Genma had already been cursed and if he had happened to be a panda at the moment he certainly would have smacked both of his sons with one of his wonderously appearing wooden signs.
"Ahh, shut up old man!" Ranko commented.
yRanma decided to emphasize and hit Genma over the head making him unconcious again.
-------------------------------
The camp was all set up, two small tents neatly positioned around a clumsily built up and yet unlit fire place.
"Wasn't there a second girl?" yRanma wondered without further introduction.
"Yeah, she went for some fire wood. She promised to stay in ear-shot though."
"What, you and your sister out for a bravery test? Camping out all alone without your daddies?"
Ranko bit down, hard, trying to _not_ beat yRanma. No wonder Akane did it so often, it was a tempting thing to do! Focusing and calming, Ranko threw the unconcious Genma uncerimoniously over her shoulder to the ground and sat down herself next to him. YRanma took place a little off Ranko's side.
"Now what?" yRanma continued impatiently.
That annoying brat surely wouldn't take him seriously if Ranma just started out of the blue to threaten him to not go to Jusenkyo. He needed some background to built around the storyline. Living with Nabiki payed off, finally.
Typically that even in Ranma's thoughts Nabiki's name was uncuttably connected with 'pay'... Oh well.
"Hey tomboy," -oh, how Ranma hated that insult already! "how izit with ya move now?"
"Listen, you jerk." Again Ranma caught himself using insults that were strangely familiar...
"I've got this brother and he went training here too, at the Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo and he went there with our father you know..." while thinking up this gracious background story Ranma congrulated himself for his creative ideas "who didn't have any clue about anything"
"like father like daughter" yRanma threw in.
"Listen You JERK!" Ranma's temper snapped and he grapped yRanma at the collar of his gi. The second when a mallet crossed Ranma's thoughts a giant sweat drop ran down his forehead and he let loose.
"Listen, no beating around the bush"
"What is this?" Genma groaned all of the sudden, getting up in a sitting position as if he was drunk. Finally he narrowed his eyes at the strange girl besides him.
"And who are you?"
"I am the one to beat some SENSE into you!" Ranko screamed at Genma frustrated. So far the mission was not really anything you might call success.
"Listen, for the last time! Both of you" - strangely enough they did.
Ranma felt suddenly uncomfortable by the stare of his younger self.
Not showing any insecurity Ranma went on. "I know that the two of you want to train at Jusenkyo, but you can't, I forbit it. Because it will ruin your whole future. You will NOT go there, you won't even get ONE step nearer to it than you already have"
"And who are you to tell me and my son anything?" Genma demanded in the tone he usually reserved for scolding his son, Ranma knew all to clearly. He really missed the adressing "boy" at the end.
"I" Ranma shot a brief look at yRanma and quickly changed his mind.
"I'm Ranko."
"Let's go, Pop" yRanma said, getting up.
"Get Down!" Ranma pulled the youngest Saotome down again, sharply, and content about that. "I know more than you do, trust me on this. Jusenkyo will nearly ruin your both lives. Really, I just want to prevent that."
yRanma focused his eyes on the red-head who again recognised that fixing gaze as the one yRanma would later dedicate to Ryoga.
"As if you could know what would happen to us" he accused
Ranma shot a glare back, challenged. "You baka will fall in, that's what! Both of you will fall in and you'll get a Jusenkyo curse that will make especially _your_ life a misery!" and the red-head pointed at the youngest Saotome.
"How can you know that, we haven't even ever met!" Genma added, sure of victory. As so often.
"Your name is Genma Saotome" Ranma told him, sure of _his_ victory. As so often.
"Since he's 6 you're here on a 10 year training trip with your son, Ranma, 15 years old. And you managed a FEW very idiotic things, might I pick out a certain contract with your wife Nodoka and a certain hell of a cat pit interfering with that? Might I also add a certain Okonomiyaki Cart and Training Hall Inheritance?! Or how about wanting to train in that CURSED Jusenkyo when you speak no word CHINESE ??!!"
Genma seemed to panick slightly whereas a shocked Ranma stopped listening at the point of the C-Word.
Genma finally looked at his son, yRanma looked back at his dad, shaken, and a smug grin graced Ranko's features. One that yRanma should find very cool, deep down, and who subcounciously noted for future use that smug grins made one look superior.
-------------------------------
Ranko and Genma had changed places so that yRanma and Genma sat besides each other now, thinking about what to do. Both seemed impressed that the red-haired girl knew so much about them, the situation obviously was about something serious. The fact that Ranma was still present didn't prevent the two Saotome's from the past to talk openly about the red-head.
"I don't trust her at all, Pops. It's not as if she would know the future...though with her small person and red hair and all, maybe she's a witch?" yRanma tried to tease.
Ranko put up all her self-control -yet again- for not punching him into the face now. Convincing the two that they shouldn't train at Jusenkyou was more important! Just repeat that! And it might just work now too!
"How would you know that something bad is going to happen?" Genma asked. "Knowing the future is impossible."
"Ah heck - I just know it, okay!" Those two were infuriating. Simply convincing them by talking didn't seem to help any. So, change in tactics. "How about this: Ranma, you study among your father, right?"
the 15 year old nodded.
"Okay, then how about this: when I beat your dad thrice in the line at Martial Arts then you promise me on your honour that you won't go training there."
"Hah!" Genma gave a laugh "you wouldn't be able to lay a finger on me and you want to beat me thrice in the line??"
Ran-chan gave just a self-confident smirk in responds.
"What do we get if you don't succed then?" Genma asked.
"Feh, that won't happen. But if so, you can have whatever you want"
"How about you have to teach me your best move then" yRanma demanded, seeing his chance.
Ran-chan gave her younger self a knowing half-grin. Strange as it was Ranma felt as if he would be proud of his own future son for behaving like yRanma did just now...strange thoughts indeed...
"Fine with me"
"Fine with you? Haha" Genma said sarcastically, full of self-confidence.
"I beat you already today, old man." Ranma contered.
"Old man?? We'll see about that, you'll choke on your words" Genma bluntly ignored the statement of defeat earier that day.
"There's someone coming..." yRanma suddenly interrupted the talk.
True, Genma and Ranma could sense the presence of a fourth person, a girl and she was headed straight for their place.
Of course a girl!, Ranma thought, It was Akane, he knew immediately. Still he wondered why his younger self had noticed her presence earlier than he had but he didn't have to search long for his answer: he was so used to her, wherever he was Akane was near him. When he would make a training trip he would miss her intensly, lately so bad that he didn't leave without at least a photo of her, and even then he still wished she were by his side. And whenever the two where hanging around somewhere together he was used to her presence, with the pleseant knowledge that she was by his side. The lack of her aura around him made him less at ease than when she was with him, or like in this case, when she neared him.
However. Genma and yRanma still waited for a reaction of him. "It's my fia..rend. My friend, Akane. She's with me on this training trip, I mentioned."
"Ha!" yRanma laughed at Ran-chan, "I see, the one from earlier, hiding wasn't she. Two girlies on a 'training trip'. What do you train? How to stay a night out without breaking your nails?"
There was that again. He told them already that she was collecting firewood, too!
"Quit it, you..." Ran-chan growled, balling her fist.
yRanma of course went on. "Hope you didn't forget your lip-sticks and powder"
Ranma put all his control together and concentrated on not beating his younger self into a pulp. AGAIN.
" - You. Are. Annoying. - " Patience, patience! You lasted so long, focuse!
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I should have noticed sooner. Of course ya have no make-up with ya, with the ugly type it's no use anyway"
That did it finally. Ran-chan jumped to her feet, hissing: "Fine you jerk! You wan a fight, you get it!"
yRanma grinned full of self-confidence and got into a ready stance, but still commented with an arrogant "I don't fight weak gir-"
Akane chose this time to enter their camping place, by that stumbling out of the bushes in a quite clumsy way and losing half of the loggs she'd been carrying.
YRanma stared at the newcomer unable to tear his eyes away from her, and Akane... Akane just stared back at him.
*What...what is happenening? I...I..this girl...* yRanma's mind tried to form a thought but without much success. All he could do was stare at her, the way she stood there with the two remaining loggs clenched to her chest as if she was shocked, the way her eyes held his stare, the way the soft breeze tucked at several hair strains, the way the glow of the fire reflected on her creamy skin...
*Kawaii*
Akane couldn't help but stare back at the younger version of the Ranma she knew. He looked slightly different; clearly younger, a bit rougher maybe, like earlier still unusually clad in a white gi and his hair not in the braid Akane was used to but simply tied together with a piece of thin white cloth. However, this bit of a difference wasn't what made Akane stare at him, after all things like his features and moreover, his wonderful blue-grey eyes remained the same. But it was the way he looked at her, so openly - in a way that _her_ Ranma would never look at her - without any defense or resistance he let her have a look directly at his very soul.
*What a gorgeous body* she suddenly thought.
The second that thought came up she wondered where it came from, but she couldn't help it. The thought entered her mind as if she had no control over it. Her eyes travelled a little south, again she didn't intend to do that in the first place - she just did it ...until she suddenly realized what exactly she was staring at, and full of self-conciousness again she turned her head towards the ground, blushing furiously one might add.
*What was that?? What was I thinking staring at him like that??*
yRanma found himself catching up with his mind when Akane dropped her glance to earth. Completely forgotten about the fight he was about to start with Ran-chan he let himself plop on the ground, staring at some imaginary point in front of him, blushing just as much as Akane, and still in a hot chase with his thoughts.
"Ah..., Akane? You okay?" Ranma finally cut the silence noticing her strange mood and not liking her blush at all.
Akane finally snapped out of it "Ahm, yeah, sure. I'm fine." She picked up the loggs that she had dropped earlier and finally settled down next to the camp fire with them. She still wore a slight blush but if you didn't look close enough you didn't notice it with the dimming light of the dusk.
Still, Ranma noticed it very much.
*Her cheeks are still rosened? What is it with her? She sees him and stares like that? What is it with that jerk nearly raping her with his eyes, that hentai, lousy - WAIT, that's ME!...What was she thinking when she looked at him all the time; heck what am I thinkin anyway? She stared at ME, for god's sake! Indirectly at me for that matter but still! She blushed because of ME! I should be laughin at her for I've got proof now that I _can_ have some effect on her... still I'm feeling strange and... not good at all. ...It can't be...I'm jealous over, ...over myself?!*
They sat for a few more moments in uncomfortable silence, until Genma was tactless as usual.
"What's with you guys; boy, joke with these girls later. Now we make something to eat."
Both Ranmas knew that Genma's 'we' was a synonym for the name 'Ranma'.
So both, yRanma and Ran-chan moved to make something similar to soup. One of them because he was used to making dinner (or lunch or breakfast for that matter) for him and his dad, and the other because he wanted to prevent Akane from cooking.
----------------------------------------
The fire crackled soundly, the cool summer night a pleasant change of the hot day in China.
It was settled that the training of Genma and yRanma should depend on the battle the next day, the match between Genma and -unknowingly to the latter- his own 17 year old.
Akane talked quite a bit with Genma, inventing stories, much better ones than Ranma, about their 'training trip' so far. Ranma on the other hand said few things if any at all, he seemed to be sulking about something, the tension between him and Akane was more that annoying to him to top that.
Maybe it was so annoying because there was hardly any tension between Akane and yRanma. She glanced every now and then at the younger version of himself and then quickly averted her eyes again, only to guiltily look at Ranma himself, blush again, and look away again. Didn't she think he would notice how often she looked at him, that is the _other_ him?
What was he supposed to think of that anyway??
After a good dinner everyone agreed to sleep so they could stand up early tomorrow. Both Ranmas were used to this and also Akane was a morning person, so no problems there, for a change.
While yRanma and Genma shared Genma's tent for the night, the girls -that is Ran-chan and Akane- shared the other one.
It was narrow enough as it was and Ranma was certain to sleep outside, so Akane could have the tent for herself. she already made some sleeping arrangements inside.
But first there was this question to be resolved that nagged at him ever since Akane met his younger self.
"What was that earlier?" Ranma finally said after steading himself quite a while. It was the first thing that both of them said since he entered the tent.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean your minute of adoration when you came falling out of the bushes for example"
"Arrgh no! Don't you tell me you're jealous over yourself, Ranma !?"
"Who said I'd be ever jealous, and because of somebody like you on top!"
"Ranma no ba-" Akane began to glow, concentrating her anger in her center and preparing for the blow she was about to deliver as usual.
However this time Ranma did not care. "Why did you stare so??" it contained so much jealousy that not even Ranma could have denied it.
The tone even made a violent tomboy stop in her tracks. Still, she didn't know what to answer him.
Apart from: "What do you care anyway"
...silence...
"I'm just curious" Ranma said in a low tone, without looking at her and instead pretending to prepare the sleeping bags Genma and yRanma had given them.
Akane still didn't know how she should answer. She wasn't even sure she herself knew what had happened there, she just had this feeling - but how should she tell Ranma about a feeling? Him, of all people!
"Please?" he added, even more silent than before.
*What?? Ranma actually asks me to? Is this so important to him??* the young Tendo wondered surprised but moved by his pleading.
"Ahm," she finally answered "I'm not sure myself. ...Ahm, it was...as if..aah..as if I saw you for the first time, you know. I mean it sounds strange but I couldn't help it."
Ranma just raised his eye-brow to show he had no clue what she wanted to say.
She sighned heavily. "How should I explain this..."
She had to think about this first.
*It felt like..the way you looked at me...It felt..good* she thought *very good. I mean my real first meeting with you was horrible, I thought you were a girl and when you stood there in the bath tu-... it was...! It was like that time, it was the same when I met with you, just a different location! Gosh, the look, the stare, how you stood there... even how I must have held the bricks - that time I had a towel with me - ...oh my god! It really was a repetition of Ranma and me meeting!*
"What is it, Akane?" Ranma's question brought her out of her train of thought.
"Ahm...I..I'm sorry, Ranma, I think I don't know how to explain it to you, I'm afraid." she excused, not wanting to talk more about it now.
He just let his eyes travel somewhere on the ground and nodded slightly. He seemed to be disappointed somehow, though Akane could not be sure that she didn't just imagine it.
Finally he looked up and directly into her eyes. "Do you think this is how it would have been?... If we had met under different circumstances?"
Akane was first a bit startled that Ranma would ask so bluntly such a question. Anyway, carefully she thought about her responds, taking quite some time for it. However, eventually she answered:
"don't know...when I met you the very first time I didn't like boys at all and.. and had f..feelings for ahm..Dr.Tofu; aah yes, and now...I mean I know you already and I already...now I already..., I doubt that like today..like this." She let out a breathe "I doubt this is how we would have met, Ranma. It's different now. If you were a stranger to me I would greet you probably different than it was today."
*I wish we would have met more like today, Akane* Ranma allowed himself to think before turning off the gasoline lamp, needing for once to sleep next to Akane, he didn't really understand why.
But she didn't oblidge either.
- tbc
please review.
