Slumber
by Amaterasu
Part Three: Surrender to Sleep
" Akane! " Ranma shook her gently, hoping it'll wake her up. But she neither stirred nor made a sound, which made him rather nervous. Members of the family were clustered at the door by now. " Dr. Tofu!" he shouted. The good doctor immediately hurried to him and started checking Akane for signs. He hovered impatiently, driven by fear and anger. Why won't she wake up?
After a few minutes, Tofu motioned to Kasumi and whispred a few words to her. He started making Akane comfortable and made Ranma roll out a futon. The doctor gently laid his charge on the bed, his face quite serious and grave.
" What is is doctor? Is she sick or something? " The blue eyed boy demanded, staring frantically at his fiancee's still form.
Ono Tofu sighed and shook his head. " No Ranma, she's not sick. But she is in a very serious condition." When nobody said anything, he continued. " It seems that Akane doesn't want to wake up anymore and had therefore locked herself within sleep."
Ranma took a step back and stared at the doctor, aghast. " What d'you mean? She's gotta come back! " He reached out and shook Akane. "Hey you uncute tomboy! Wake up! Wake up!" Pressure built up in his chest and heat pricked his eyes. " You can't do this! Wake up I say! Beat the crap out of me and say 'Ranma, you idiot!' Ne, Akane!"
One by one, the other members of the family filed out of the room, conversing in hushed but terse tones with the doctor. They left Ranma to tend to his fiancée.
Akane floated about in space, knees drawn up and curled into a ball. She was tired. Tired of all the fights, the lies, the scheming, and the struggle to get Ranma's love. She remembered trying to be very still as she waited for her sister to come. She remembered feeling no ki drawing near. She remembered a puff of smoke that she inhaled, knocking her unconscious in mere seconds. She remembered seeing a flash of a pointed stick and silver hair before she completely surrendered to the darkness. Then and there is hit her that Shampoo was there and that Cologne had released that powder.
The curled more tightly unto herself, as if warding herself from more pain. She imagined Ranma being married to the Chinese girl without his knowledge. She imagined him being relieved. After all, there really weren't any declaration of love from him. He just asked her to marry him and she was the one who jumped to conclusions. Akane smiled bitterly. What if Ranma asked her to marry just to rid himself of the troubles that plagued him? What if it really didn't matter if the one he married was Akane or not? Fresh tears slipped down her cheeks, wetting the white silk.
{I don't want to wake up anymore.}
[Why's that?]
{So that Ranma will be finally free.}
[Free?]
{Yeah. Free to choose from his cute fiancées. I'm holding him back.}
[Are you sure?]
{Sure? *bitter laugh* Yeah, I'm sure. I'd rather he be happy than marry me and be miserable for the rest of his life.}
[Don't you think he'll be miserable without you?]
{Nah. He has lots of other pretty and rich girls to choose from. Besides, he doesn't love me. He said so.}
[He did?]
{Yeah. He said that I'm an uncute tomboy who can't cook. Is there a man alive who wants an ugly, useless wife?}
[Is that your final decision?]
A pause. {Yeah.}
[Then I will grant your wish.]
{Huh? Wait a minute, who are you?}
In the enveloping mist around her, Akane watched as a large silhouette emerged and found herself face to face with slitted, tawny cat eyes.
" I'm the deity of Slumber. Inari. "
The next day, the Tendo-Saotome family found Ranma sprawled beside Akane, one hand still on her shoulder. With gentleness he rarely showed, Genma rolled out another futon and laid his exhausted son on it. His wife handed him a towel and he wiped the tears tracks on his cheeks. Fear, frustration, sadness, disbelief. Whatever of these prompted his son to cry, it was sure strong enough to make the toughest of the toughs, Ranma, to break down his defenses. Turning to Dr. Tofu, he asked, " Is there nothing we can do? "
Kasumi's husband looked haggard and tired. " I've pored over all the books I have last night. There isn't really any mention of something like this." He clenched a fist and smashed it into his open palm. " I'm sorry, I feel so helpless."
The eldest Tendo sister knelt down beside her husband and cradled his head to her. " I'm sure we'll find a way." She whispered.
They were all silent until Happosai spoke. " I think I could find someone who knows."
"And who would that be, master?" Soun asked wearily, an eye still on his daughter.
" Cologne."
Understanding dawned in Soun's eyes, as well as in Genma. Without words, they stood up and followed their master to the door. In mere minutes, they were outside the Nekohanten. Happosai knocked once and then opened the door.
Shampoo stared, horrified, at the three men who arrived. She sensed something in them that wasn't normally there. A sense of purpose, perhaps and an air of determination. She clutched her tray tight as she asked stiffly, " May I ask what is it you want?"
She was pierced by a look from Happosai, which was neither lusty nor obsessed. Instead, his gaze was cold and indifferent. " Where's your grandmother? "
" I'm here, " replied Cologne as she appeared from the kitchen. " What brings you here Happy?
" I need help. "
---
- wow, this is going to be a long, serious fic *blinks*
- nyahaha.. so, is it a bit in character now? Given that the situation is grave and all that I wanted to put a little more into Genma, Soun and Happosai's character than that's normally implied.
- yes, i know Inari is a fox and that he/she is the deity of the mountain. i can't think of a name though. anyone, any ideas?
by Amaterasu
Part Three: Surrender to Sleep
" Akane! " Ranma shook her gently, hoping it'll wake her up. But she neither stirred nor made a sound, which made him rather nervous. Members of the family were clustered at the door by now. " Dr. Tofu!" he shouted. The good doctor immediately hurried to him and started checking Akane for signs. He hovered impatiently, driven by fear and anger. Why won't she wake up?
After a few minutes, Tofu motioned to Kasumi and whispred a few words to her. He started making Akane comfortable and made Ranma roll out a futon. The doctor gently laid his charge on the bed, his face quite serious and grave.
" What is is doctor? Is she sick or something? " The blue eyed boy demanded, staring frantically at his fiancee's still form.
Ono Tofu sighed and shook his head. " No Ranma, she's not sick. But she is in a very serious condition." When nobody said anything, he continued. " It seems that Akane doesn't want to wake up anymore and had therefore locked herself within sleep."
Ranma took a step back and stared at the doctor, aghast. " What d'you mean? She's gotta come back! " He reached out and shook Akane. "Hey you uncute tomboy! Wake up! Wake up!" Pressure built up in his chest and heat pricked his eyes. " You can't do this! Wake up I say! Beat the crap out of me and say 'Ranma, you idiot!' Ne, Akane!"
One by one, the other members of the family filed out of the room, conversing in hushed but terse tones with the doctor. They left Ranma to tend to his fiancée.
Akane floated about in space, knees drawn up and curled into a ball. She was tired. Tired of all the fights, the lies, the scheming, and the struggle to get Ranma's love. She remembered trying to be very still as she waited for her sister to come. She remembered feeling no ki drawing near. She remembered a puff of smoke that she inhaled, knocking her unconscious in mere seconds. She remembered seeing a flash of a pointed stick and silver hair before she completely surrendered to the darkness. Then and there is hit her that Shampoo was there and that Cologne had released that powder.
The curled more tightly unto herself, as if warding herself from more pain. She imagined Ranma being married to the Chinese girl without his knowledge. She imagined him being relieved. After all, there really weren't any declaration of love from him. He just asked her to marry him and she was the one who jumped to conclusions. Akane smiled bitterly. What if Ranma asked her to marry just to rid himself of the troubles that plagued him? What if it really didn't matter if the one he married was Akane or not? Fresh tears slipped down her cheeks, wetting the white silk.
{I don't want to wake up anymore.}
[Why's that?]
{So that Ranma will be finally free.}
[Free?]
{Yeah. Free to choose from his cute fiancées. I'm holding him back.}
[Are you sure?]
{Sure? *bitter laugh* Yeah, I'm sure. I'd rather he be happy than marry me and be miserable for the rest of his life.}
[Don't you think he'll be miserable without you?]
{Nah. He has lots of other pretty and rich girls to choose from. Besides, he doesn't love me. He said so.}
[He did?]
{Yeah. He said that I'm an uncute tomboy who can't cook. Is there a man alive who wants an ugly, useless wife?}
[Is that your final decision?]
A pause. {Yeah.}
[Then I will grant your wish.]
{Huh? Wait a minute, who are you?}
In the enveloping mist around her, Akane watched as a large silhouette emerged and found herself face to face with slitted, tawny cat eyes.
" I'm the deity of Slumber. Inari. "
The next day, the Tendo-Saotome family found Ranma sprawled beside Akane, one hand still on her shoulder. With gentleness he rarely showed, Genma rolled out another futon and laid his exhausted son on it. His wife handed him a towel and he wiped the tears tracks on his cheeks. Fear, frustration, sadness, disbelief. Whatever of these prompted his son to cry, it was sure strong enough to make the toughest of the toughs, Ranma, to break down his defenses. Turning to Dr. Tofu, he asked, " Is there nothing we can do? "
Kasumi's husband looked haggard and tired. " I've pored over all the books I have last night. There isn't really any mention of something like this." He clenched a fist and smashed it into his open palm. " I'm sorry, I feel so helpless."
The eldest Tendo sister knelt down beside her husband and cradled his head to her. " I'm sure we'll find a way." She whispered.
They were all silent until Happosai spoke. " I think I could find someone who knows."
"And who would that be, master?" Soun asked wearily, an eye still on his daughter.
" Cologne."
Understanding dawned in Soun's eyes, as well as in Genma. Without words, they stood up and followed their master to the door. In mere minutes, they were outside the Nekohanten. Happosai knocked once and then opened the door.
Shampoo stared, horrified, at the three men who arrived. She sensed something in them that wasn't normally there. A sense of purpose, perhaps and an air of determination. She clutched her tray tight as she asked stiffly, " May I ask what is it you want?"
She was pierced by a look from Happosai, which was neither lusty nor obsessed. Instead, his gaze was cold and indifferent. " Where's your grandmother? "
" I'm here, " replied Cologne as she appeared from the kitchen. " What brings you here Happy?
" I need help. "
---
- wow, this is going to be a long, serious fic *blinks*
- nyahaha.. so, is it a bit in character now? Given that the situation is grave and all that I wanted to put a little more into Genma, Soun and Happosai's character than that's normally implied.
- yes, i know Inari is a fox and that he/she is the deity of the mountain. i can't think of a name though. anyone, any ideas?