In the Arms
Chapter 2: Land of the Fairy in the Tale
Disclaimer: I forgot a disclaimer for the first chapter. Damn. Well, not really, because for one chapter I got to own Ranma and Akane!!! Shyeah right. I don't own them…and never will…but can I own Prince Charming instead? Unlikely…
*This can't be happening. Any second now, I will wake up from my dream in my own bedroom, safe and sound. There will be no Prince Charming Ranma, or the seven little dwarfs and that nonsense about the Land of the Fairy in the Tale or something*
Akane closed her eyes against the wind. Ranma's arms were around her waist, her back pressed to his hard chest. His hands were gripping the reigns tightly, controlling the speed and movement of the beautiful white horse.
*Damn it! Why am I not waking up? I'm supposed to be dreaming here. I mean, if this is reality – though it is very, very, very unlikely – then it is so screwed up because there is no way in heaven, earth and hell that Ranma can be such a gentleman besotted with me!!!*
A small grin floated on Akane's face. The thought of Ranma actually acting entranced with her made her entire body warm with pleasure. Then she frowned again. Her eyes were still closed and Akane unconsciously pressed her back further on Ranma's chest.
Ranma grinned.
*You moron! What are you thinking! Although that thought is quite nice, it is also totally impossible! Maybe this is just one of those really long dream sequence where the bizarre isn't bizarre at all! I wonder what time it is already…I'm getting strangely hungry and I hope I wake up soon. I have a feeling that it's almost breakfast…*
"Akane-sama, oh my fair betrothed, look yonder. You shall see the splendor of your future home…where we shall spend the rest of our lives in matrimonial bliss," Ranma babbled with the accent of those Shakespearean actors long, long ago.
Akane opened her eyes and looked upward, only to meet Ranma's idyllic blue eyes looking down at her. Her face colored.
Deciding that this dream Ranma should receive better treatment than the real Ranma because he was much nicer, Akane acted along.
"Uh, hai, Ranma-sama! We shall have a grand life in matrimonial bliss!" Akane agreed enthusiastically, giving him a brilliant smile that made his face color too. Taking those acting classes when she was younger really was one of Nabiki's more good, wholesome ideas.
Following Ranma's advice, Akane looked at the distance and her breath caught in her throat. Rising like a majestic marble and gold outline, the pinkish-orange rays of the setting sun serving as the beautiful backdrop, the castle looked just like something out of a fairy tale. It was the most beautiful thing Akane has ever seen.
*Hmmm, maybe this dream isn't so bad after all. Ranma acting like a lovesick prince charming, a breathtaking castle for a home and no annoying fiancé glompers in sight!* Akane thought, very pleased. Her wide brown eyes were still in awe of the majestic castle the horse and Ranma was taking her to…
Until she heard a familiar voice…her face fell immediately and the sparkle in her beautiful eyes dimmed…
"Aiya! What you doing here, Ranma-sama?"
It was Shampoo. Ranma pulled the reigns and the horse stopped to a slow trot. Shampoo emerged behind thick trees, wearing a peasant dress with her thick purplish-blue hair in a low ponytail. She was holding a woven basket filled with vegetables and fruits. Shampoo looked very beautiful, looking sort of innocent in her dress.
Ranma smiled politely. "Hello, fair Shampoo, and how is thy day?"
Shampoo smiled brightly. "Oh, it was lovely, Ranma-sama! Mousse-chan asked Shampoo out for dinner tomorrow night!!! Aiya, Shampoo so excited!!!" Her purple eyes practically glowed with ecstasy.
Akane's mouth dropped open at what she heard. Wait a second. Was this actually happening? Ranma was in front of Shampoo, and she's not even thinking of taking him away? She's thinking of Mousse, of all people! Now Akane was really sure that she was dreaming. No way would Shampoo feel something personal and passionate for Mousse.
She was indeed in Bizzaro Land.
Shampoo noticed Akane and smiled warmly at her. "Hello, Akane-sama." She then did something that totally blew away Akane's mind.
She curtsied respectfully!
Akane's jaw dropped open, her eyes nearly identical to that of very big circular plates. After a few seconds, Akane snapped out of her shock and closed her mouth, managing a stiff, but startled smile.
"I am pleased to see you, Lady Shampoo."
Shampoo gave another curtsy, a genuinely pleased smile on her exotic face.
"Is Ranma-sama going to the castle?" Shampoo inquired without batting her eyelashes or smiling invitingly that always seems to capture boy's attention. It was quite unnerving to see someone as wily as Shampoo act so nice and sweet. Very unnerving.
Akane couldn't help feeling wary. After all, anything was possible in dreams and Shampoo could just be pretending to act sweet so that when Akane had her guard down…then BAM! Ranma gets stolen!!!
But Shampoo looked so sincerely kind and polite that Akane couldn't help but relax a little.
Ranma nodded in answer to his question, eyes raised to the darkening sky and a gleefully content look on his handsome face.
The sun had already hidden behind the shadowed hills that circled around them, like a massive barrier. The translucent orange-pink strands contrasted nicely with the velvety darkness of the sky and the stars were liked scattered diamond dust on an infinite canvas of dark blue.
Akane blinked once then sighed. *Being in this unusual dreamland has made me poetically descriptive* she thought with a hint of wry amusement.
"Aiya!" Shampoo cried suddenly, noticing that night had fallen on them, "Shampoo must get home or Mousse-chan might get worried!!!"
She gave another curtsy, hurriedly but nonetheless graceful. This was her third curtsy in front of Akane and Ranma.
"Shampoo must leave, Akane-sama, Ranma-sama." She then ran back into the trees she had emerged from earlier, but before disappearing completely, she looked over her shoulder at the couple atop the royal horse. "Maybe Shampoo see you during your wedding! Ja ne!"
Then she was gone.
Akane was once again shocked. How many times has she been startled this day?
Wedding? No way!
Akane opened her mouth to give Ranma a stinging diatribe when he – as if sensing impending doom – cracked the reigns against the horse who gave a high-pitched neigh and began to gallop into the forest, following the wide gap between the trees that led to the main town.
The small road was rocky and uneven; causing Akane to gave a small yelp and snuggled deeper into Ranma's chest. His arms tightened reassuringly around her waist, making sure that she wouldn't fall.
After five minutes, with Akane clinging to Ranma for support, they arrived in a big busy city teeming with people.
Akane looked around, fascinated. The large city looked very picturesque, exactly as those you would see in fairy tale books.
"Wow! This is really pretty," Akane commented with sincerity in her voice.
"This is one of the greatest cities in the Land of The Fairy in the Tale, blue Thunder."
Akane looked at Ranma over her shoulder, one slender eyebrow arched. The horse was trotting around the city, and the people stopped at streets and ogled at them. But Akane and Ranma were oblivious to them.
"Blue Thunder? What kind of city name is that?" Akane asked curiously.
Ranma shrugged. "My cousin, Tatewaki Kuno, has been called a many things. But 'idiot' hits the target dead on. Kuno-sama is a great leader to his army, but my beloved Akane-sama, he does not know in the proper giving of names or mingling with his people."
Akane's eyes rounded in astonishment. Kuno-sempai was here?! And he was king?
"Kuno-sempai? He is king of Blue Thunder? No wonder the city is called that!" Akane cried out exasperatedly, her delight in seeing such a beautiful city disappearing quickly. She has got to wake up!
Ranma looked mystified. "Hai, my dear Akane-sama. You do not know Kuno-sama is the king of Blue Thunder? But you two are best friends and you live here! Impossible, the curse must have made you forget."
Ranma was babbling now, but Akane paid no heed to the rest of his words. Her interest had been piqued with the words 'best friends', 'you live here', and the 'curse must have made you forget.'
Curse? She had been in a curse? Good god, did Ranma mean those Curses of Drowned Whatevers?
But then, Akane recalled that in the story 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs', the evil queen stepmother with a shiny red apple cursed Snow White. If it were up to Akane which curse to inflict on herself, she'd chose the shiny-red-apple incident over any curse similar to that of Ranma's.
"Uh, Ranma-sama, does Kuno-sama have a wife?"
Ranma shook his head. They were passing over a wooden bridge that arched over the wide, crystalline lake like a rainbow. The people watched them from the foot of the bridge, in awe.
"Iie, Kuno-sama does not have a wife. But his sister, Kodachi-sama, is queen," Ranma answered dutifully, a slightly bitter tone in his voice when he said Kodachi's name. Akane didn't miss this and her eyebrows rose.
"Kodachi…sama? She is queen." Akane sighed, wishing for the hundredth time that she'd wake up. This was getting too bizarre, even for her!
*Figures it would be Kodachi who cursed/poisoned me,* Akane thought with a wry smile.
Then Ranma spoke up, "But Kuno-sama is engaged, now, my dearest Akane-sama. And you should be proud. I think."
"Why?" Akane had a sinking feeling who Kuno's fiancé was…but not even in dreamland was that possible…right?
Ranma nodded. "Hai, for Kuno-sama is to be wedded at the same day of our wedding. To a esteemed treasurer in the Land of the Fairy in the Tale."
Akane's hopes plummeted down.
"The wedding is on a fortnight from now, with both king's in the two great kingdoms getting married to the most respectable and beautiful brides," Ranma babbled on, and Akane wanted to hit him with her mallet for taking such a long time in telling her who Kuno's fiancé was!
"And Kuno-sama will be wed to none other than your older sister, Tendo Nabiki."
Oh shit.
