She fills my heart
With very special things
With Angels voice
With wild imaginings



***

The rain stopped in the dawn. All night long the wind would hit the cold water of the rain into the cave, wildly and furiously. Whenever a few drops came dangerously close to them Ranma had tightened his embrace of Akane to protect her. It was only a slight rain in the storm, yet he did not allow only one tiny rain drop to touch her skin once more that night. Several times she growled in her sleep. Nevertheless her sleep was unnaturally tight. Even the loudest wind blows could not wake her up.


When the first rays of sun got on his face he began to carefully let go of Akane, and then lay her head on his bag so that she could sleep a little longer. Backwards, he crawled a few meters away from her. He looked at her and for a moment felt slightly paralysed. Then he stood up to his feet and looked at her as if he was trying to figure out whether or not it was a dream, while brushing off the dust and dirt of his clothes.

He welcomed the new day with a loud yawn and stretched his arms. He had not slept only one minute that night. The thought of looking after Akane would not allow it, although he was actually quite tired after all. Not because of the time but because of the warmth which came from the two bodies and their close embrace. Somehow it made him very sleepy just as if someone would have laid a soft carpet on him. It was that weird warmth that told his senses to rest a little from all the trouble he had gone through that day. But eventually his will to manage the task he gave himself was stronger.

 
The storm of the previous night had left its signs. For there lay a cool fog all over the rocky landscape. Ranma blinked when he stepped out of the cave and watched against the mild light of the morning sun. Something was different that day. Something had changed. But all he knew was that for some strange reason he used to feel different when he got up. Pensively he looked over his shoulder at Akane. She was still sleeping. The fire had gone out hours before but to keep her warm he covered her with her jacket that was fortunately dry by then. She appeared to be alright. Ranma took a deep breath of the fresh air and then with a shrug left the cave completely. Finally he could at least move again. Full of energy, he hopped from one leg to the other, jumped on a tree and then up the little mountain from which's cave he just came out. Inside he felt a bubbling that he wanted to let out for good. He felt energy that all his muscles wanted to burn in hasty, powerful motions so badly. With growing speed he ran and jumped, faster, further and higher - until he eventually reached the highest point of the rocky little mountain. At this point he felt himself so close to the sun like probably never before. It was not really a high mountain, yet having climbed it up filled his veins with unexpected euphemism.  The view was simply gorgeous: Glowing tree tops in the delicate morning sun, a small valley that was surrounded by a narrow river. Its calm sounds of splashing water reached his ear even from that distance. That had to mean that the flow was probably quite strong for some reason. Ranma liked the thought: A narrow stream that flows in the deserted nature, alone and calmly and yet wildly and freely. Once more he broke out into the craziest thoughts. If he was a lifeless object of nature then he'd like to be that river. "So much life in something that is actually lifeless" he whispered with childish excitement. With a smile on his lips he filled his lungs with the fresh air and breathed in a loud sigh. Colourful butterflies where hitting their wings against his tummy from the inside. Gently laughing he lay a hand on his stomach and tried to suppress the slightly importunate kittle a little. Then though, he started to think about it for a second. Indeed, it was some strange that his mood changed from one extreme to the other within such short time. It was getting worse lately. The previous night he was all worked up and concerned about Akane's well-being only because some tiny water drops had touched her skin and now he suddenly felt… good. Just good. A simple word that is mostly underestimated. Good. Maybe everything was even 'perfect' but he didn't dare to use that word too often. For there was still the fact that he didn't even know the reason for his sudden euphemism. He was nothing like a philosopher or scientist, in other words no one who always had to find a reason for everything, but his thoroughly good vibrations were almost scary.

He threw all kinds of dumb thoughts away with a good head shake. A smile placed on his face again and with fascination he watched the awesome view once more.

Golden tree-tops, pink glowing clouds, a meandering wild river that freely and uncontrollably forced its way… and air. Lots of fresh, clear in his respiratory tract so pleasant air. Was it that what people use to call 'being one with yourself'? To open your eyes and to breathe in the wonderful world or to close your eyes and to smile of the exciting memory? For a few moments he was captured by the urge to stay on that mountain forever and to become one with the incredible force of nature, with that overwhelming freedom and to be carried away by its magic. With a smile on his lips he pointed his face at the sky and stretched this arms over his head. If he'd be able to touch a cloud? He would pull it down to him and then take a seat on it in order to fly far, far away. He would feel the wind in his hair, the wind in his face, he would fly faster than all the crazy butterflies in his tummy. He would feel fulfilment, deep and pure and true. And then he would scream something with all his power.


something

Just like something was different on that truly strange day.

 
 
***
...

~You remember.

Who are you?

~You know me.

~She was surrounded by daisies that smiled at her in appreciation.

~And in the middle of this pleasant dance of nature she was crying.

~You wanted her to laugh like all the other flowers did.

Why did I want it?

~Despite her tears you still considered her as the most beautiful flower of all.

I don't remember.

~You saw her short, dark hair and you wanted to touch it.

~You wanted to take her in your arms and stop her from shaking.

Who was she?

~An angel…


***


With empty eyes he looked down at Akane while she was sleeping. She seemed so calm and peaceful. Hard to believe she was such a tomboy when she was awake. She was pretty when she was sleeping. He noticed it. But there was no smile on his face when he did. Something was strange. Something was different…

"Hey Akane… Wake up." He spoke to his fiancée in a low voice after stepping closer and bowing down to her.

*You remember*


For a moment he believed to hear a voice and rubbed his eyes with one hand. What's wrong with me anyway? He sighed and shook his head. Cleaning his throat, he tried to find back to his usual, stern voice. "Don't ya hear me? Wake up alrea--"

Nothing.

 
In the middle of his sentence he trailed off. Something stopped  him. He could not put a finger on where it came from and in what way exactly it influenced him. All of a sudden he silently cursed himself for speaking that sharply to her. Almost angrily he looked down at himself and then let his  gaze wander over Akane once more. What was with that weird shine that suddenly came from her, anyway? The light that she radiated was not really visible like the one of a  candle. It more looked like her aura was rising up her body. I couldn't have been her ki though. Her shape was far from good enough for controlling her fighting spirit like that.


"Akane..." he whispered in a tone that surprised himself. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked at him like he never saw her do before. Many different questions lay in his face but he was paralysed by her strange magic that captured him from one second to the other, and he could not speak out a single one. "I remember..." The urge of freedom and a slight resistance were fighting in his  head, his gaze and his voice. Confusion was coming over him. 

She looked up into his face in surprise. She opened her mouth to say something but just in this moment a loud crack was drowning out her tender voice. A  shrill squeal mixed in the sound from before. Then both sounds trailed off, instantly. Hasty foot steps sounded on the wet earth. 

"Kids! Finally we found you!!"

Astonished, Ranma and Akane looked at the exit of the cave.

"Dad?" asked Akane in disbelief when she recognized the voice of her father whom, against the sunlight, she could only see the silhouette of.

"We were so worried about you. News were warning about a Taifun in that area. It destroyed big parts of the forest. I am so happy you're alive and healthy." With tears in his eyes he pulled Akane in a bone crushing hug and showered her with kisses.


Akane seemed to be even more confused now. "Ranma… What were you going to s--?"

As soon as her fiancé noticed the demanding tone in her voice he hastily turned away from her. Suddenly thousands of question ran through his mind. Questions that she probably was about to ask him. But what in the world was he supposed to answer? "Why did I do this? What should I be rememberin' all the sudden anyway?" he wondered. His Confusion soon mixed with deep embarrassment when he realized that Akane would now feel to have any right to call him a pervert once more. And he was getting angry. Angry about himself, about his stupidity to speak out words that weren't meant to flow out already. Or ever. Angry because of the fact that those things probably didn't even exist and he only believed in a split second that they were real. Angry about losing his martial artist's honour.

Man, he never wanted to be that weak and miserable before Akane. He turned to her again. But she was not there anymore. There was only his backpack left at the spot where she was sleeping only a few minutes before.

"Come, my dear. We will go home this very instant. They said there'll be an even stronger storm tonight."


When he heard Soun's voice he whirled around. Soun, still crying, had put his Arm around his daughter's shoulder and gently pushed her to the outside. Ranma did not know how to react on that at first and therefore stayed where he was for a few seconds and just looked at their backs. Then he hastily grabbed his backpack and ran after them.

"Hey! Does this mean trainin's over already?"

Now what was he talking all of a sudden? He never wanted the dumb training trip with Akane in the first place. All he wanted was to be alone. His head tried to slow down his pace and to close his mouth, in vain.

"Hold it, my boy!" Abruptly, Ranma came to a halt when someone stood in his way and made a stopping gesture toward him. Ranma blinked against the light. "Oyaji. You're here, too?"

Genma looked at his son in a mix of seriousness and disappointment. "You should feel ashamed of yourself. Are you going to tell me you want to steal your fiancée's seat?"

Ranma hesitated only a brief moment before he shouted: "What's with all the rot anyway?! I dunno what seat you're talkin' about, stupid!"

Cleaning his throat, Genma pointed at a big object that was about 20 meters to his right. It was only then when Ranma noticed the dark green pick-up. "What? Where'd you get this from?"


Genma did not care to answer and instead warned him in a strict voice: "You hopefully won't do any troubles and instead just take a seat on the back. There's not enough space in the front car." Pushing him heavily, he forced Ranma to climb up. But he only stumbled a few steps forward until he furiously turned around. "You nuts, old guy? Since when do we need such things?? Go 'n use it for all I care - I'll rather walk!"

Suddenly he heard Akane's voice. A little surprised he turned to where he heard the sound come from. Soun was about to help his still weakened daughter onto the passenger seat when Ranma turned to them. In her face lay a confusion that seemed about as big as the one that he felt inside of himself. He was not entirely sure but he even believed to see a small trace of despair in her eyes. All the fuss had been starting so instantly - just like everything in their lives - that they felt totally surprised. Still not really understanding how things have changed within only a few minutes, she pointed her gaze at him and as far as her strength would allow it, defended herself from the constant pushing of her ignorant father.

"Ranma? What were you going to tell me?"
 
His jaw dropped when he looked after her. "I…" he started. Suddenly he felt a hot blush growing on his cheeks when their gazes met. It was only now that he realized the intimacy they had changed the previous night. They had spend several hours holding each other warm… without any fights, without any insecure or other bad feelings. It was calm and actually kind of nice to draw new strength and energy from the other's warm body that was strange enough both, well known and yet so strange.

"Ranma, please tell me! I know it's something important. I can feel it." Again Akane's hoarse voice sounded.


"I... I don't remember…", murmured Ranma after thinking a few seconds and he did not lie. Hopefully she did not believe after the night before that he was about to propose to her or anything! He did not embrace her of his own free will after all. The only reason why he did it was that he permanently had to look after the clumsy. Insecurely he turned his face to his side while his eyes were starting to madly roll from one corner to the other. What was with all the weird thoughts that popped up out of nowhere anyway? Why did he want to stay? Why did he want to take her from her father's grip? He could not stand her. She was the brutal macho chick after all, wasn't she? An annoying, brutal, always complaining tomboy. New confusion rose up in his mind. Lost in his thoughts he did not really notice Akane sitting down on the passenger seat at last. Through the dirty window she looked at him with eyes that he could no longer read from like he did before. He frowned while just letting his father pull him onto the trailer. 

 
"Can we take off already?" a stranger who appeared to be the driver called in impatience.


***


Ranma sat leg-folded on the wet, metallic ground of the trailer, his chin rested on his knees. All during the long ride home he did not talk to his father, nor did he dare turn around to see Akane once more. Maybe the wind would have helped him, taking a bit of his confusion from him to carry it far away.


 
***

...

~You remember.

Who are you?

~You know me.

~You have observed her for quite a while without speaking.

~After some time you went toward her

~and tenderly took her hand in yours.

What was her reaction?

~With a warm smile you let her sobs fade away

~and drew a smile on her lips.

~Your face reflected in her shiny eyes

~but you did not recognize yourself because you never knew that expression of yours.

Why did I look like that?

~Because I stepped into your life. She made you a great present.

Who was she?

~An angel…

- To be continued… -

---

Hey there! I'm so sorry I haven't uploaded my story for so long. Actually I was planning to read it all over again and again before publishing it this time and then when it's too late finding way too many mistakes. The scenes on the mountain were just so complicated, but I can't tell you why. At least not now. You'll just see. ^^ However, neither do I have the time nor the energy to do so and therefore I hope you'll be fine with the unedited version. Thanks for reviewing my first chapter! Luv ya, guys! ^.^ And as soon as I'll be having some free hours I think I'll read some of your  recommendations, too. Thanks for reading. And stay tuned for the next part!

Chiyo *not only dying but also killing for reviews* ;)