Chapter 4 - The Vines of Friendship

Shinosuke woke her up early next morning. Akane moaned loudly, reaching for the coverlet and he tugged it away, grinning as she popped open one eye and glared at him. She grasped the coverlet and pulled harder and he just stood with a bunch of it in his hands grinning as the coverlet stretched taut between them.
"Oh, what is it?" she finally gave up the coverlet and he smiled.
"I thought you wanted to spar?" he watched her as sleep completely left her face to be replaced by hope.
"Now?" she gasped and he nodded at the lovely young woman before him. She jumped out of bed and shouted, the bathroom door banging shut behind her.
"Just give me a few minutes to wash up."
He settled himself comfortably in the armchair preparing himself for a long wait, only to jump up when she emerged three minutes later, fresh and full of energy.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" she questioned him as he stared at her and he shook his head in wonder at this woman.
She followed him, full of happiness out of the door of her chambers for the first time since she had been here. She stared in awe at the long winding corridors as he guided her to a huge empty room with long windows by one side, allowing the sunrays in.
"Don't try anything Akane or else there will be no more sparring," he warned her as he held the door open for her. Akane was only too happy to be out of her bedchambers and she nodded happily at him. She was wise enough to know that she would get lost in this corridor maze. The sparring began and moved faster and faster. Laughter could be heard as a special coup went through. And the match ended with both fighters sweating heavily and lying on their backs on the floor.
"You're good Akane," Shinosuke tried to catch his breath.
"You're better," she gasped back.
"You'll soon catch up," he grinned at her from his position on the floor.
"Oh I hope so!" she grinned back.
"Time to get back," he got to his feet and gave her his hand. She grasped it immediately and was pulled to her feet. She let go of his hand and he smiled and took her back. She smiled as he brought her breakfast an hour later and immediately got down to some serious eating.

And so began a routine for them. Shinosuke sparred with her in the morning and both loved it. Akane's skill was improving at an incredible pace and she gave him quite a match. Then she would be back in her chambers and spend the day reading and on some afternoons when he had some free time, Shinosuke would stop by and they would talk. He had ended up asking her about the history books and she had grinned at him and answered that they were fascinating. He had only been able to shake his head in wonder at this woman. Evening inevitably brought Ranma and they would sit and talk too. Ranma was deeper, his words went deeper, often had double-entendre. Still she enjoyed their conversations immensely. He was so complex with so many facets and Akane enjoyed his company as he surprised her time and time again, with his knowledge, his dry sense of humor or his open-mindedness. And he smiled more often and sometimes, he would even laugh as she told him about her antics as a child.
She sometimes wondered what would happen when the time came but she refused to dwell on it. Just as she refused to dwell on her family. She knew that they must be looking for her, that they must be worried sick but she couldn't do anything about it. And she took things as they came and did not think about the future. Shinosuke admired her for it. But one morning as she gobbled down her breakfast, he couldn't help himself.
He watched her smiling and asked the question that was burning his lips, "Akane, are you happy?"
She started and lifted her head regarding him as she answered, "As happy as I can be. I miss my family but I seem to have no choice, do I?" For just one second her lips trembled, then she pulled herself together and he was facing a happy Akane once more. He nodded unhappy at himself for having saddened her and murmured, "Sorry," She shook her head and smiled at him as she answered, "It's ok."
He left her, not wanting to see her smiles anymore. But her sadness was ingrained in his mind. He was falling in love with her, he knew it. For the first time in his life, he was falling in love. But it was with the wrong woman. And now it was too late. Too late to take back his heart for it did not belong to him anymore. He would stand by her as her friend and protect her with his life. He could do no more. He knew what the future held for her. And even though his heart rebelled against it, fought so hard against it, he knew it was a lost fight too.
He could not change her destiny. Ranma was his friend, his prince, his king and this was his kingdom too. And he knew that war would tear apart the kingdom. He did not want to see his people suffer and die. And if a sacrifice was needed to end it all, then so be it. Even if the sacrifice was Akane, even if it made his heart bleed. The bleeding would stop one day. And he walked away.

Then one morning as they sparred, the door burst open. They had been circling each other, Akane's laughter ringing in the room as he made growling noises, when the door banged open and Ranma stood in the doorway.
"What the hell..." his voice died as he regarded the two and Akane's laughter died abruptly to give way to silence. He surveyed them with a stone face before barking out, "Take her back to her chambers! Then we need to talk!" And then he stormed out. Shinosuke silently took Akane back to her room and her worried eyes followed him. He knew she was worried. And he smiled at her as he told her, "Don't worry." He couldn't understand Ranma's reaction as he walked back to see his friend.
Ranma paced his room, his fists clenched, jealousy eating at his insides. When he had heard her laughter and seen her laughing with Shinosuke, all he had felt was a roaring jealousy. Jealousy that she was sharing her smiles with Shinosuke. Jealousy, because she never laughed like that with him. Never that carefree way. They were all the same, all those bitches couldn't look at a man without trying to get into their pants! And yet even as his thoughts tortured him, deep down a voice told him that he was being unfair to Akane, that she was not that kind of woman. Damn! He swore to himself. Damn her!
Shinosuke entered and Ranma turned his fury to his friend.
"What the hell were you thinking of?" he shouted. Shinosuke regarded his friend calmly and answered.
"It was only exercise for her. She wanted to train and I thought it was a good idea to spar with her."
"And if she had knocked you out and escaped?" Ranma's voice was deadly.
"She gave me her word," Shinosuke replied.
"And you believed her?" incredulity shone on his face.
"Yes, I believe her," Shinosuke's reply was strong.
"Why?" Ranma stilled as he asked the question and Shinosuke looked into his friend's eyes as he replied,
"Because she is my friend and she is honest. But you are my brother and you come before her. If you ask me to stop, I will." Shinosuke felt the bittersweet taste of the words even as he said them to his friend. The man who had always stood beside him, the man he considered as a brother. Ranma gazed at his friend and slowly turned away. His sigh was long as he finally nodded, "You are right brother. But she means peace for us and if she escapes, war will be ours to fight."
Shinosuke nodded back, "Akane will keep her word Ranma."

Ranma regarded his friend and slowly smiled, "As you wish Shinosuke."
And Shinosuke smiled at his friend, even as his heart ached. Ached for a wish that would never come true. A wish that even Ranma could not make come true. And he accepted his friend's embrace. I hope you understand one day what a gift from the heavens she is, Ranma - he wished it with all his heart. Maybe the heavens will make this wish come true. But he did not know if he wanted to be there if that happened. He did not know if his heart would understand it and learn to accept it as he was doing. He did not know if he would be able to stand losing all of her, even the friend. Especially the friend. And he clasped his friend close and swallowed the sudden tightness in his throat. The ways of friendship sometimes became intricate ways.