***
To receive gifts is to lose freedom --Sandi
***
"That Akane, she was something, huh?" Ryoga asked, trying to sound calm. What he didn't want Ranma to find out that the girl had made quite an impact on him, in such a short amount of time.
"Yeah, if you go for that type," Ranma commented, sarcasm rich in his voice, "she wasn't really the kind of girl I'm used to, and I only stick to what I'm good at."
Ryoga's cheeks became faintly pink, "She was beautiful though," he tried, staring at Ranma for some expression as they walked through the woods.
Ranma shrugged, "Sub par."
"Sub-par?" Ryoga became slightly angrier, "What do you want from a woman, Ranma?"
Ranma shrugged again and sighed, "I don't know, a figure would be a good start," Ryoga felt Ranma's remark like a stab to the chest, "and she could stand to lose a little weight," Ryoga's heart panged again as Ranma continued, musing over the many things he'd want to change, "and of course her personality would have to go."
Ryoga stopped him, "Ranma! Stop it, you're being an ass."
Ranma raised an eye brow in astonishment, "Ya don't actually have feelings for this girl, do ya?"
Ryoga's face turned beat red and Ranma laughed, "And if I did?"
Ranma still looked on, astonished. He hoped over a fallen tree, trailing a bit behind Ryoga and quickly caught up, "It's just," Ranma tried to word it so his friend wouldn't go berserk, "well, you knew she was a her for a good seven minutes," Ryoga looked down, and Ranma pointed out another thing, "and most of those seconds were spent talkin' to me."
"Well, true love doesn't take minutes, or hours, or seconds. It takes a different kind of unit of measurement! You don't hear people talking of how the met their husband or wife and knew they were in love after twenty-five minutes and thirty-six seconds of their company," Ryoga tried to counter but Ranma waved him off.
"So what is this other measurement then? Love time?" Ranma questioned lightly.
Ryoga dismissed the previous comments and continued walking hopping and trailing through the forest, "Never mind Ranma, you'll understand when you grow up."
Ranma laughed, "Then you might as well tell me now because I'll never grow up. You know our curses are their strongest when we are fully adult."
Ryoga stopped and turned to face Ranma, "You are serious?"
Ranma nodded, staring away to hide the distress on his face.
"You can't be young forever y'know," Ryoga tried to explain but Ranma just pushed ahead, 'you can't live in fear of what's next."
Ranma swiveled around, fire in his eyes, "I'm not afraid! Don't you ever say that again!"
His warning was not hollow, Ryoga could sense that, so he shut his mouth and just kept walking in silence, "I still say Akane is cute."
Ranma, enjoying the change of subject, smirked, "I believe I am the last person in the world that would agree."
***
"That's adorable! Akane, you really are a delicious dish," Liquora complimented as Akane came out of the dressing room the dragoness had thrown her in. She had managed to pull on a dark pink satin gown that look almost like a slip, gloves to match and all.
"It seems rather thin," Akane exclaimed. She was used to big frilly dresses but underneath this she wore nothing except her undergarments.
Liquora explained, "I had someone in here for quite a while that enjoyed making dresses. I didn't have much fabric so I brought some from China, vibrant beautiful colored ones, and she made this one and others," Liquora paused for a second, reminiscing a forgotten dream; "I sure do miss her."
"She was human?" Akane gasped. Liquora had put her in a gown while the fire grew, but if she had held house with a human perhaps history could repeat itself.
"Yes, but don't get any ideas, princess," Liquora warned, eyes so thin they looked like sheets of paper.
Akane stiffened, 'Please don't call me that. You are about to eat you so you may as well count that as my last request."
Liquora hummed to her self and pretended not to hear, "Last requests are so old, I don't do them."
"Well then, you should start," Akane attempted, "maybe if you did you wouldn't be such a mountain yak."
Liquora became furious, "Do you not understand how powerful I am? I could crush you in a second!"
"See, back to the anger issues! You're so depressed, why so down? You're a dragon, a very powerful one I assume, with much power. Yet you live alone, why?" Akane asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
"Because there is no one willing to stay with me," Liquora said in a huff and went back to the fire to put the water on to boil.
"I would!" Akane exclaimed.
She scoffed, "I highly doubt it, the moment I let you free you'll run off."
"I will not," Akane defended, "if I promise to stay I will, I am not a liar!"
She smirked, "Fine, I'm going to let you go, if only to prove a point. The night will soon come and I can prey upon a few travelers, lost on an adventure when you leave."
"But if I stay will you promise not to eat me?" Akane asked, regretting it but still holding her head high.
The dragoness mused over this, "Yes, I presume I would if you decided what you will not decide to do."
"Then set me free," Akane commanded.
The fire breathing fiend stood back and Akane watched her circle in, take the shackles she had attached after the dress had been put on off, rubbing her hands gently.
"Thank you," Akane said gratefully.
"Go ahead now little one," the dragon smiled, "you were worth the inconvenience."
"You know, you are the second person to tell me that in the last week," Akane told her grinning and thing back to Garon, "now what's for supper?"
***
It had been ten days since Ranma and Ryoga had embarked on their journey to the top of the mountain the dragon obviously resided in. The bones of dead travelers lay on either side of the make shift path they had found. Berries, springs and small animals had been their food and Ryoga didn't mind one bit. At the end of each day he would smile and say, "We are getting closer. I presume we'll make it by morning!" Then morning would come, their destination not made yet, but he still continued to be persistently positive.
"Would you just shut up about that mornin' junk?" Ranma complained loudly as night fell.
Ryoga kept staring up and they were indeed almost there, but Ranma didn't want to know.
"I'm dying here and your traveling vixen is probably dead. Why should we have to suffer on account of a person without a last name to our recollection?" Ranma continued, "What's the point?"
Ryoga shot a glance at him and explained again, "Because we are princes, it's our sworn duty! Besides, bad things happen to good people, you know that, we can't just let this go by."
Ranma stared down to where Ryoga was nodding, his chest. His hair got in his eyes as they were bit by the cold but he nodded bitterly, "fine," Ranma caved, in a very feminine voice.
***
"Breakfast Quora," Akane yelled over her shoulder. She had had a hard time choosing a nickname for the dragon but had decided on Quora.
The dragon bellowed as it stretched itself out and got up groggily, "Hello Akane darling, how are you this morning?"
Akane smiled and stared back at the scaly queen in front of her. In the past few days she had formed a stable, sweet relationship with the dragon. Liquora would tell her good night every time the sun went down and threaten to kill her in the morning, and then in the morning pretend she never said a thing. Akane had found a sort of serenity here, she was not expected to be anything but a cook, and that suited her fine. She had figured out soon after their first encounter that the dragon and she had more than she had first thought in common. They both were expected to be things they were not, and it made them both happy to share the burden with each other.
"Fine, thanks," Akane picked up a large bucket, "I'm just going to get some water, I'll be back in a bit."
The dragoness nodded, "Will do."
Akane smiled at her again and lugged the big bowl closer to the door. She picked it up and juggled with the bowl until she had walked down to a nearby spring. She had chosen it over all the other ones because everything that came from it tasted better. She bent down to fill the bowl and was startled to feel two hands, on wither side of her hips, pulling her into the underbrush.
"What in the King's name!" Akane exclaimed.
"Finally, c'mon, we've gotta get to Ryoga and get outta here," Ranma told her as he pulled her farther into the bushes and away from the water hole.
Akane pushed him away, angrier than ever, "What do you think you're doing?"
Ranma fell back in confusion, "Saving you, you could at least show some appreciation to the guy that saved your life!"
Akane swiftly got up and folded her arms over, still as upset as before, "Well I don't need saving," Akane explained, walking back to the watering hole and filling up the jug again.
"Wait, what?" Ranma asked, fury beginning to build up inside him. If he had taken all this time to get up here and save this psycho only to have her decline his help, somebody would pay.
"I'm perfectly fine here, thanks," Akane told him again, having trouble with the heavy bowl. Ranma charged over and bent down, watching her fill the pot in astonishment.
"Listen princess, I didn't come all this way to get sent the other way. It wasn't even my idea to come save you, I'd much rather have gone on," Ranma told Akane, gritting his teeth.
"So you would have left me in danger, at the clutches of a fire breathing dragon?" Akane asked, irately.
Ranma rolled his eyes, "You're fine though."
Akane butt in, "But you couldn't have known I would have been fine. You sir, have no heart," Akane deduced and started trying to fill the jug again.
Ranma sighed and reached to help Akane, "C'mon, Ryoga's waiting. I had to leav3 him by himself, which is never a good idea, and I have to be getting back."
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you and your friend but I'd much rather be here," Akane politely stated, standing and dragging the jug across the dirt.
Ranma followed fast behind her, "Babe, listen, it's not my decision, come talk to Ryoga. Besides, it's dangerous for a girl up here."
Akane turned and pointed a finger to Ranma's face, "If I were you, I'd be the one worried about my safety up here."
Ranma took her finger in his hand and stared right into her eyes, letting his curse take over. He hated using it, hated not giving himself and the person he used his gift on the choice, but he had to. Leaving Ryoga alone for ten minutes was insane, yet alone an hour, "Please," Ranma began, in his most seductive, wonderful voice, "come with me."
It was only a matter of a few seconds until she would pick her self up and follow him anywhere he wanted her to go. Every time he did this, something died inside of him, something he could never get back.
Akane stared back and everything went quiet, "No."
Ranma's jaw dropped.
A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone who has reviewed! Please review or I might forget to write the next chapter. Next chapter hopefully up soon!
To receive gifts is to lose freedom --Sandi
***
"That Akane, she was something, huh?" Ryoga asked, trying to sound calm. What he didn't want Ranma to find out that the girl had made quite an impact on him, in such a short amount of time.
"Yeah, if you go for that type," Ranma commented, sarcasm rich in his voice, "she wasn't really the kind of girl I'm used to, and I only stick to what I'm good at."
Ryoga's cheeks became faintly pink, "She was beautiful though," he tried, staring at Ranma for some expression as they walked through the woods.
Ranma shrugged, "Sub par."
"Sub-par?" Ryoga became slightly angrier, "What do you want from a woman, Ranma?"
Ranma shrugged again and sighed, "I don't know, a figure would be a good start," Ryoga felt Ranma's remark like a stab to the chest, "and she could stand to lose a little weight," Ryoga's heart panged again as Ranma continued, musing over the many things he'd want to change, "and of course her personality would have to go."
Ryoga stopped him, "Ranma! Stop it, you're being an ass."
Ranma raised an eye brow in astonishment, "Ya don't actually have feelings for this girl, do ya?"
Ryoga's face turned beat red and Ranma laughed, "And if I did?"
Ranma still looked on, astonished. He hoped over a fallen tree, trailing a bit behind Ryoga and quickly caught up, "It's just," Ranma tried to word it so his friend wouldn't go berserk, "well, you knew she was a her for a good seven minutes," Ryoga looked down, and Ranma pointed out another thing, "and most of those seconds were spent talkin' to me."
"Well, true love doesn't take minutes, or hours, or seconds. It takes a different kind of unit of measurement! You don't hear people talking of how the met their husband or wife and knew they were in love after twenty-five minutes and thirty-six seconds of their company," Ryoga tried to counter but Ranma waved him off.
"So what is this other measurement then? Love time?" Ranma questioned lightly.
Ryoga dismissed the previous comments and continued walking hopping and trailing through the forest, "Never mind Ranma, you'll understand when you grow up."
Ranma laughed, "Then you might as well tell me now because I'll never grow up. You know our curses are their strongest when we are fully adult."
Ryoga stopped and turned to face Ranma, "You are serious?"
Ranma nodded, staring away to hide the distress on his face.
"You can't be young forever y'know," Ryoga tried to explain but Ranma just pushed ahead, 'you can't live in fear of what's next."
Ranma swiveled around, fire in his eyes, "I'm not afraid! Don't you ever say that again!"
His warning was not hollow, Ryoga could sense that, so he shut his mouth and just kept walking in silence, "I still say Akane is cute."
Ranma, enjoying the change of subject, smirked, "I believe I am the last person in the world that would agree."
***
"That's adorable! Akane, you really are a delicious dish," Liquora complimented as Akane came out of the dressing room the dragoness had thrown her in. She had managed to pull on a dark pink satin gown that look almost like a slip, gloves to match and all.
"It seems rather thin," Akane exclaimed. She was used to big frilly dresses but underneath this she wore nothing except her undergarments.
Liquora explained, "I had someone in here for quite a while that enjoyed making dresses. I didn't have much fabric so I brought some from China, vibrant beautiful colored ones, and she made this one and others," Liquora paused for a second, reminiscing a forgotten dream; "I sure do miss her."
"She was human?" Akane gasped. Liquora had put her in a gown while the fire grew, but if she had held house with a human perhaps history could repeat itself.
"Yes, but don't get any ideas, princess," Liquora warned, eyes so thin they looked like sheets of paper.
Akane stiffened, 'Please don't call me that. You are about to eat you so you may as well count that as my last request."
Liquora hummed to her self and pretended not to hear, "Last requests are so old, I don't do them."
"Well then, you should start," Akane attempted, "maybe if you did you wouldn't be such a mountain yak."
Liquora became furious, "Do you not understand how powerful I am? I could crush you in a second!"
"See, back to the anger issues! You're so depressed, why so down? You're a dragon, a very powerful one I assume, with much power. Yet you live alone, why?" Akane asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
"Because there is no one willing to stay with me," Liquora said in a huff and went back to the fire to put the water on to boil.
"I would!" Akane exclaimed.
She scoffed, "I highly doubt it, the moment I let you free you'll run off."
"I will not," Akane defended, "if I promise to stay I will, I am not a liar!"
She smirked, "Fine, I'm going to let you go, if only to prove a point. The night will soon come and I can prey upon a few travelers, lost on an adventure when you leave."
"But if I stay will you promise not to eat me?" Akane asked, regretting it but still holding her head high.
The dragoness mused over this, "Yes, I presume I would if you decided what you will not decide to do."
"Then set me free," Akane commanded.
The fire breathing fiend stood back and Akane watched her circle in, take the shackles she had attached after the dress had been put on off, rubbing her hands gently.
"Thank you," Akane said gratefully.
"Go ahead now little one," the dragon smiled, "you were worth the inconvenience."
"You know, you are the second person to tell me that in the last week," Akane told her grinning and thing back to Garon, "now what's for supper?"
***
It had been ten days since Ranma and Ryoga had embarked on their journey to the top of the mountain the dragon obviously resided in. The bones of dead travelers lay on either side of the make shift path they had found. Berries, springs and small animals had been their food and Ryoga didn't mind one bit. At the end of each day he would smile and say, "We are getting closer. I presume we'll make it by morning!" Then morning would come, their destination not made yet, but he still continued to be persistently positive.
"Would you just shut up about that mornin' junk?" Ranma complained loudly as night fell.
Ryoga kept staring up and they were indeed almost there, but Ranma didn't want to know.
"I'm dying here and your traveling vixen is probably dead. Why should we have to suffer on account of a person without a last name to our recollection?" Ranma continued, "What's the point?"
Ryoga shot a glance at him and explained again, "Because we are princes, it's our sworn duty! Besides, bad things happen to good people, you know that, we can't just let this go by."
Ranma stared down to where Ryoga was nodding, his chest. His hair got in his eyes as they were bit by the cold but he nodded bitterly, "fine," Ranma caved, in a very feminine voice.
***
"Breakfast Quora," Akane yelled over her shoulder. She had had a hard time choosing a nickname for the dragon but had decided on Quora.
The dragon bellowed as it stretched itself out and got up groggily, "Hello Akane darling, how are you this morning?"
Akane smiled and stared back at the scaly queen in front of her. In the past few days she had formed a stable, sweet relationship with the dragon. Liquora would tell her good night every time the sun went down and threaten to kill her in the morning, and then in the morning pretend she never said a thing. Akane had found a sort of serenity here, she was not expected to be anything but a cook, and that suited her fine. She had figured out soon after their first encounter that the dragon and she had more than she had first thought in common. They both were expected to be things they were not, and it made them both happy to share the burden with each other.
"Fine, thanks," Akane picked up a large bucket, "I'm just going to get some water, I'll be back in a bit."
The dragoness nodded, "Will do."
Akane smiled at her again and lugged the big bowl closer to the door. She picked it up and juggled with the bowl until she had walked down to a nearby spring. She had chosen it over all the other ones because everything that came from it tasted better. She bent down to fill the bowl and was startled to feel two hands, on wither side of her hips, pulling her into the underbrush.
"What in the King's name!" Akane exclaimed.
"Finally, c'mon, we've gotta get to Ryoga and get outta here," Ranma told her as he pulled her farther into the bushes and away from the water hole.
Akane pushed him away, angrier than ever, "What do you think you're doing?"
Ranma fell back in confusion, "Saving you, you could at least show some appreciation to the guy that saved your life!"
Akane swiftly got up and folded her arms over, still as upset as before, "Well I don't need saving," Akane explained, walking back to the watering hole and filling up the jug again.
"Wait, what?" Ranma asked, fury beginning to build up inside him. If he had taken all this time to get up here and save this psycho only to have her decline his help, somebody would pay.
"I'm perfectly fine here, thanks," Akane told him again, having trouble with the heavy bowl. Ranma charged over and bent down, watching her fill the pot in astonishment.
"Listen princess, I didn't come all this way to get sent the other way. It wasn't even my idea to come save you, I'd much rather have gone on," Ranma told Akane, gritting his teeth.
"So you would have left me in danger, at the clutches of a fire breathing dragon?" Akane asked, irately.
Ranma rolled his eyes, "You're fine though."
Akane butt in, "But you couldn't have known I would have been fine. You sir, have no heart," Akane deduced and started trying to fill the jug again.
Ranma sighed and reached to help Akane, "C'mon, Ryoga's waiting. I had to leav3 him by himself, which is never a good idea, and I have to be getting back."
"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you and your friend but I'd much rather be here," Akane politely stated, standing and dragging the jug across the dirt.
Ranma followed fast behind her, "Babe, listen, it's not my decision, come talk to Ryoga. Besides, it's dangerous for a girl up here."
Akane turned and pointed a finger to Ranma's face, "If I were you, I'd be the one worried about my safety up here."
Ranma took her finger in his hand and stared right into her eyes, letting his curse take over. He hated using it, hated not giving himself and the person he used his gift on the choice, but he had to. Leaving Ryoga alone for ten minutes was insane, yet alone an hour, "Please," Ranma began, in his most seductive, wonderful voice, "come with me."
It was only a matter of a few seconds until she would pick her self up and follow him anywhere he wanted her to go. Every time he did this, something died inside of him, something he could never get back.
Akane stared back and everything went quiet, "No."
Ranma's jaw dropped.
A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone who has reviewed! Please review or I might forget to write the next chapter. Next chapter hopefully up soon!