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"The greatest gift is a portion of thyself."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Akane watched as Ranma's eyes glazed over. There was a long pause until he broke the silence with a blink and in an instant his peepers were back to the startling blue she had remembered.
"So," she began, "what's with the face?"
Ranma shrugged but kept his eyes on her, quite suspiciously, "I've got no clue what you're yakkin' about."
Akane stifled a laugh at the word "yak" reminiscing her times with her wonderful, joyful friend; her friend that breathed fire, her friend that ate princes like Saotome for lunch, literally. Akane smirked; she had an idea.
"I suppose," Akane mulled, walking closer to Ranma, inches away, "that since you've done oh-so-much for me I should accept."
Ranma nodded and smirked in triumph, "I like the way ya think."
"Of course, I'll need my affects," Akane stated, staring up at Ranma, twirling her fingers around the top of the water jug.
Ranma nodded obligingly, "I guess, but do it quick!" He stared at her again, his eyes clouding over for a second. Akane opened her mouth in atonement until he quickly turned and the clouds disappeared.
"Thank you," she acknowledged, slightly derailed by his appearance.
He was one of those men, the kind that if they were chewed up by a rabid bear, kicked into a pit of dirt, rolled around with pigs, and had their hair colored orange in a spell of utter incompetence would still look like a million bucks. So, to no surprise, he looked good now, very good. His hair was frayed, he was dirty from the rough camp he slept in every night, and he looked tired, but the kind of tired some men only dream of.
What?" Ranma asked, unable to notice her surprise in how well he kept himself, even in the harsh terrain.
Akane rolled her eyes, "You look tired."
She noticed his face go a shade paler and laughed, "What is it?"
Ranma felt his face, "I've never looked tired in my life," he explained, worrying a wrinkle could have tarnished his youthful face.
"Maybe because you've never broken a sweat working in your life," Akane muttered, rolling her eyes, slowly starting to walk back to the lair she had called home for the past week and a bit.
"I have so!" Ranma countered defensively, looking quite hurt, "I train for more than four hours per day! Ya know, it's not all fun and games being a goddamn prince! It's not like the freakin' fairy tales, I have problems too!"
Akane shrugged again, trying to make herself look as steadied as possible, but to no avail. Her eyebrows perked and she met his gaze and they realized they had something in common.
"You do too?" Ranma inquired, almost listlessly.
"Yes, how did you know I was a martial artist too," Akane asked, taken aback. She was worried she was starting to look too buff. If anyone found out she trained, because she had been prohibited at a very young age, she could get in loads of trouble.
"Your eyes," Ranma explained, deadpanned, "but that wasn't what I was talking about," he took a large step forward and overtook Akane.
They were at the opening to the cave now, "I'll umm . . . be back," Akane promised, nervously fumbling with her dress.
"I'll be here," Ranma said, Akane unable to read his expression.
As she stepped forward, ready to make her entrance to the cave, she heard a shrill scream and stared forward in horror.
Liquora stood, with a pot in front of her, a boy in a cage, and a few dozen carrots lying on the ground. She had slumped herself over a large cookbook and was studying it furiously, chewing on one of the many carrots as she did, 'Hello dear," she welcomed, "I'm going to need that water." She pointed to Akane's jug with a carrot.
Akane gaped in astonishment as the boy stood up. In fact, he wasn't a boy at all, but a young man.
The young man looked up and his eyes grew larger, "Akane?"
She gaped and almost fell over, "Ryoga? Liquora let him go!"
"Run Akane, this is no place for you!" Ryoga warned, straining his voice.
"What are you doing?" Akane asked, backing away from the sight, confused beyond belief.
Liquora laughed delighted, "Having lunch sweet pea. Be a dear and pass another carrot."
Akane didn't move, "He's my friend," she explained gingerly, "what are you doing to him?" Her eyes were beginning to blur, face turning red, and her legs buckled beneath her.
Liquora turned around, concerned, "Akane, are you okay?" She pushed the book aside and came toward Akane, to comfort her.
"NO!" Akane screamed, pushing herself away and curling into a ball.
"Get away from her, you beast!" Ryoga warned from the cage.
Liquora backed away, baffled by her attitude, "What is wrong dear? Are you sick?"
"You're the one that's sick! You," Akane screamed, her legs regaining composure, tears spilling, "are a monster!"
Liquora stepped forward again and put a talon on Akane's shoulder, "I'm a dragon Akane, it's what I do. I've been having take-out since you came but I thought it was time you got used to me coming back," she explained, in the most motherly way she could, "with game."
"No. Just," Akane hid her head, "get AWAY from me!"
At that point Ranma burst in and took in the scene: Ryoga in a cage, a pot boiling and Akane in the grasps of a dragon. He started to get a little mad.
"Get your hands offa her," Ranma said slowly to the dragon. It took its scaly claw off Akane and turned around in amazement.
"Why should I?" It asked sweetly, but began to circle, just as Ranma did.
"Cause if ya don't," Ranma grinned devilishly, "you're in for a whole lotta pain!"
"Oh really?" Liquora mused, "Don't make promises you can't keep honey!"
Ranma took of the jacket he had been wearing to reveal a red shirt, ready to fight. Liquora swooped in fast, catching him off guard. Akane shrieked and Ranma turned around, slightly too late. Liquora smirked evilly.
"Pinned ya," she hissed, letting steam seep out of her scaly nostrils and onto Ranma coughing face.
He squeezed his eyes shut, crinkling up his face so as the burning steam wouldn't hurt him. He felt the tingle, the sensation of it. It felt as if it wasn't burning but seeping through him. Going from one layer to another and he opened his eyes, screaming in pain. He stared into one big scaly eye of Liquora's and she suddenly stopped.
Abruptly, Liquora's expression changed. She sympathetically, and extremely guiltily, picked him up in her arms and rocked him back and forth, "Oh love of my life, reason I exist," Liquora breathed, "how could I ever had done this to you?" She stroked his hair gently and ran, still grasping him in her arms, to one of her many filing cabinets.
She chose one and opened it, revealing a small packet of orange crystals. She ripped off the top of the clear bag and dumped it on top of Ranma. She whispered, hovering above Ranma's face, inaudible to human ears. Suddenly, his face morphed from tarred to normal, in seconds. He reached up in astonishment and sighed in relief.
"You're welcome, darling," Liquora said sweetly, "can I get you something, lover, anything?"
Ranma, Akane, and Ryoga stared dazedly, just catching up with the situation.
"What?" They all asked in unison.
Liquora smiled earnestly at Ranma and he rolled his eyes, finally understanding what had happened.
Ryoga burst out laughing, figuring out second. He fell down, banging his fists on the stone floor.
Akane just stared on, a puzzled look on her face.
Ranma stood up, on his own, and placed his hands on his hips and a stern look on his face. He turned to Ryoga, mid full-blown laughter, and turned to his new admirer, "I suppose you're hungry, no?"
Ryoga stopped and clamored up, tripping and falling next to Akane. He blushed wildly and smiled nervously. Akane watched Ranma and the dragon, Liquora chasing him around the room making all sorts of proposals.
"Get away ya freak!" Ranma screamed, trying to command the love-struck dragon.
"But my sweet," she persisted, "it's destiny!"
Akane tried not to but suddenly started to giggled. Everyone seemed to stop dead in their tracks, staring at her. She turned her gaze to just Ranma, grinning madly, "You sly fox, you!"
At this Ryoga burst out laughing again and Akane joined in. Liquora looked on confused and Ranma stomped out of the cave furiously. Ryoga walked over to Liquora and started quizzing her on all her knowledge of her "soul mate". Having fun with it, he told her she should write down the directions to the cave, in case they ever got lost and needed to find a way back. She nodded earnestly and they set to making one.
Akane sighed, sitting on a small ledge of rock at one side of the cave. She kicked the ground and got up, swiveling in a circle and walking towards the exit. When she got outside she stretched her arms up high and was overjoyed she still had the satin pink dress on. It was light and kept her cool, she decided she would never wear a big dress again.
She heard a sniff on her right and noticed Ranma, sitting on a stump throwing rocks at a tree. She tilted her head and watched him for a second. His head hung back and his hair covered his eyes.
She slinked over and sat down beside him, staring forward.
"D'ya know why I started practicing martial arts?" He asked, still staring forward, sounding kind of distant.
Akane stammered, not knowing if the questioned was addressed to her, or anyone at all for that matter, "Ummm."
"I wanted to show everyone," Ranma told no one in particular, "show 'em I didn't need my curse, didn't need some fairy's pity present, to help me win a fight. I trained everyday, every night of my life. My pop helped, but only made my life more complicated," Ranma stopped for a second, as if he was waiting for someone to finish his explanation, "And for just one fight," his voice became raspy, "Just one goddamn fight, I want it to be me that wins, not my stupid gift."
"What is your gift?" Akane inquired, "If you don't mind my asking."
Ranma laughed spitefully, "I, have the gift of "being undeniably irresistible to the female kind" or somethin' like that."
Akane shrugged, "That doesn't sound too bad."
Ranma shot a glance at her, "Ya don't know what your talkin' about. Some gifts suck, even though they might sound fun, they're not."
Akane shot an even worse look back, "What? You think my gift's so great? Just because I don't brood around all day it doesn't mean what I was given was good!"
Ranma stayed silent for a second, "Go on."
Akane smiled sarcastically and continued, "Mine is, "to see what is unseen and learn by the sword, to fight for what's right and never want to get bored." She even sucked at rhyming!"
Ranma stared listlessly ahead, "Okay, so that does sound kind of bad, but still, nobody ever takes me seriously, they all just wanna wed me."
"I imagine that's someone's dream out there," Akane said, nodding at the fading sun ahead of them. Ranma smirked.
"Ya, yours too," he deduced.
"Well," Akane told him, grasping his hand and tugging it gently, "I think I can cheer you up."
Ranma raised an eye brow, "And how's that?"
"If it's any help, I hate your guts," Akane explained, beaming.
A/N: Okay so I bet you're all wondering why Akane seems immune to Ranma's gift. Well, all will be revealed in upcoming chapters! Review or I might forget to write the next chapter! Next chapter hopefully up soon!