---------------
The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers. -- M. Scott Peck
---------------
They had gotten out of there quickly. Liquora had started proposing to Ranma and he yanked Ryoga and Akane out of the cave.
"Nice to see you're finally pulling your weight around here Saotome," Ryoga quipped. Ranma swiveled around, sneered, and turned back again.
Akane watched the little exchanges the two had every so often. One would start something then they would fight about it and after get quiet. In another few minutes the other one would start something else and they would be off again. 'Honestly,' Akane thought, 'boys just can't stop fighting!'
"Hey Ryoga, there's a farm comin' up, why don't we stop there and say "Hi" to some relatives," Ranma innocently proposed. Ryoga's face flushed and he paled.
He laughed nervously and turned to Akane, "That Ranma needs pills, and such a joker! He loves making things up," he glared at Ranma, "never trust him."
Akane laughed, "Well, that'll be easy."
Ryoga stared into the forest, "It's getting darker, is there really a farm coming up?"
Ranma nodded, walking a few paces ahead. This annoyed Akane beyond end because every time she tried to be a step ahead of him he would quicken his pace just slightly, enough to get ahead of her. Frustrated and upset, she tried pestering him.
"Ranma, what is your obsession with being first, ahead of everyone?" Akane asked, miffed.
Ranma grinned cheekily, Akane was starting to get used to that, "I was a natural born leader, baby."
Akane rolled her eyes and stared deadpanned at him, "Never," she emphasized, "Ever call me that again."
Ranma took the warning lightly and continued, "Why sweet pea? Gonna cry?" He continued to taunt her as she stopped walking and something brown and shiny materialized in her fist. Ranma craned his neck to get a better look, walking backwards.
Akane smiled, this was her time to shine, if she could only lift the damn thing this time. It came faster than she thought it would and as she felt the heavy blade drag her down, Ranma swooped in and lifted it up, stealing it out of her grasp.
"Nice sword," he complimented. Akane couldn't decide who he was complimenting, the sword or her. He stared at the emblem, "who gave it to you?"
Ryoga stared on as they argued lightly over the sword, both completely calm with the situation while he looked on exasperated, "Is everyone missing the fact that that came out of nowhere?"
Ranma and Akane turned, confused. He looked to Ryoga snickering, "Why? Afraid I'll gut ya?" Ranma swooped forward, swatting at Ryoga with the heavy blade. It flopped and fell threw the air unsteadily, but after a few minutes Ranma got a hold on the blade and swung it.
Ryoga turned to Akane, "Never give him any weapon, he's like a child." Ranma came at him again. Ryoga screeched, "A very dangerous, insane, and inane child!"
Ranma laughed again and held the sword up high. Akane snatched it from his hands and Ranma quickly felt the emptiness in his hands, "Hey! Give it back!"
"It's mine, jerk!" Akane yelled back, holding on to it seemingly well, "I just needed someone to help me pick it up."
Ranma smirked, "What would ya do without me?" He sauntered over next to her, grinning like an idiot.
"Not have homicidal urges," Akane deliberated almost immediately, with no time to think.
"Wow," Ranma responded, almost awestruck, "didn't take ya long to figure that."
"Well," Akane explained, stepping over a log, grasping Ranma's hand. She felt the pressure she was holding over to him through their hands, "I've had ample time to mull."
"Right," Ranma said, trying to sound distinguished.
Ryoga did not notice the crack in Ranma's voice. It was almost inaudible, except if you were paying close attention to him, which Ryoga was not. Akane was though, smiling widely now, staring back at Ranma as she kept walking, watching him hesitate for a second, trailing after her.
---------------
Ranma's mind spun. The thing he didn't want to tell the others was slowly haunting him. He didn't want to admit what Liquora told him was true but it made so much sense. Akane had been extra nice to Ryoga and increasingly mean to him, she had also been unable to be bended by his curse, which still confused him but could be a factor.
See, what he didn't want his fellow comrade, and basically his brother, to know was: while Ryoga and Akane had been busy raiding Liquora of assets such as bread and such, he had been in her clutches. Mostly she had yelled empty promises, but when she saw they were not working, her mind reeled. She decided to let him in on a secret, dragons could seem the future, although minimally. She had told him some things, horrible things. Things that he pretended didn't affect him and some things he couldn't help but notice did.
She had told him there was more to every person's gift and that if he wanted to understand it, and in the meantime retract his curse, he should find a man named "Kuno". Ranma asked why and she explained that, unbeknownst to this gentleman, he contained the knowledge of every person's gift.
She had also told him other things; things to do with Ryoga and a certain newly acquired fiancé. He had not known what the word meant and she laughed knowingly, telling him he soon would and would have wished he'd never asked. Ranma was confused by the grin the beast gave as she fed him the information, it seemed jealously ran through it, but it was becoming slightly immune.
"I adapt," it explained before Ranma could ask.
Things were so complicating but Ranma came to a few conclusions: Never mess with dragons He had to find Kuno, but he didn't know where to look Akane was Ryoga's new fiancé
It had made so much sense and yet it came as sort of a surprise to Ranma. He didn't like the girl, but obviously he felt bad that Ryoga had to be tied down to such a nitwit. He also came to one more conclusions after more mulling: Akane knew.
That's what had hit him hardest, what had hurt him the most. He would never admit to anyone, even himself, but his contradicting feelings had been the center of his attention, pushing his wants and needs aside for once. Now, he watched Akane glance to Ryoga and smile, he'd grin back but not know any of the information Ranma did.
Ranma felt awkward, like a third wheel. For the first time in his life he felt a little hollow, and no matter how many distractions fell his way, he couldn't explain it. He couldn't forget that what was happening was already done, already set in motion, and no matter what side tracked emotions he might have had, they would be laid to rest. Ryoga was his friend, and Ranma would never hurt his own honor in exchange for a brush off from a girl he barely knew.
That was when Ranma had bolted, grabbed the two lovebirds and fled, not caring if he hurt them. He had hurtled himself and the others as far as he could from the cave, from the monster inside.
Liquora's last words rang true in his head still now, "Love is not a mastered art; it is an event in time, something you cannot just erase. It's stronger than anything else, and it will never, ever leave you."
Ranma stood strong, he'd prove her wrong.
---------------
The farm was rickety. It seemed rusty and uninhabited, but the three wayward heroes went on, the tone the farm set striking no fear in their hearts. Tears bitten back, unnoticed by her companions, Akane strode quickly up to the farm. She had never been away from home for this long before and it was starting to catch up with her. She thought she could handle it, but the harsh reality of it all was slowly setting in. She gazed to either side; Ryoga fiddled with the straps of his backpack and, feeling the heat of Akane's gaze, turned nervously to her, laughing uneasily. She smiled back genuinely and then turned to her other side. Ranma quickly shot his head in the opposite direction in an attempt to make it seem like he had never been staring at her.
"What?" She asked, irritated. He had probably been mocking her behind her back again. The last time she had caught him doing it, he just stuck out his tongue and called her a "weakling".
"Huh?" He asked, seeming genuinely shaken, as if out of a trance, "What's your problem?" His defenses rose quickly, always had and always would.
"Why do you keep staring at me? What? Do I have something on my face?" Akane asked, feeling for anything hanging from her mouth or nose. Ranma laughed.
"No, ya freak, you're," he took a second to phrase his answer as Ryoga waited for his response, ready to strike at the mere thought of a bad word. Akane waited, wondering why she was in such anticipation. He licked his parched lips and coughed, staring to Akane and Ryoga, "fine," he coughed again, hoarsely, "you're good."
Akane felt somehow disappointed. She knew it was the first time in a while Ranma hadn't dismissed her entirely and it actually could count as a compliment, but it seemed to fail her.
"Just . . . good?" Akane asked, acknowledging that what she felt inside was pain, hurt.
Ranma stared back, seeming to weigh scales in his mind, staring from Akane to Ryoga and back again. Not able to make eye contact, he nodded and ran his fingers through the front of his hair, staring back coldly, "Ya, what were ya expectin'?"
Akane felt herself physically deflate. Now that hollowing, eating away at her was turning into something else, passionate rage, "Nothing of course, it is you were talking about." She spat the words bitterly and then stopped walking; noticing they had been busy discussing . . . other matters and didn't notice they had arrived at the front of a large barn.
Ryoga stared at Ranma, knowing Akane's mood change had to be Ranma's doing, and for once, he was right, "Ranma, what did you say?"
"Nothing." Ranma said impersonally. He stared back at Akane for a second and then remembered the door. Just as his knuckles were about to graze it, it swung open and a burly man with a bushy beard answered, grinning widely and enveloping Ranma in a hug.
"My son," he barked, "finally!" Ranma tried to escape the clutches of the man but could not. He leant into Ranma and whispered, "You've got a lot of explaining to do!"
Akane raised an eyebrow, questioning Ranma and he shrugged distantly, noticeably unable to feel the warmth around him. Akane became worried, why had he been acting so detached?
"So Ranma," a voice from the back uttered, more confused than his party, "we meet at last."
A/N: So should Ranma believe Liquora? And who is the mystery person? Review or I might forget to write the next chapter! Next chapter hopefully up soon!
The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers. -- M. Scott Peck
---------------
They had gotten out of there quickly. Liquora had started proposing to Ranma and he yanked Ryoga and Akane out of the cave.
"Nice to see you're finally pulling your weight around here Saotome," Ryoga quipped. Ranma swiveled around, sneered, and turned back again.
Akane watched the little exchanges the two had every so often. One would start something then they would fight about it and after get quiet. In another few minutes the other one would start something else and they would be off again. 'Honestly,' Akane thought, 'boys just can't stop fighting!'
"Hey Ryoga, there's a farm comin' up, why don't we stop there and say "Hi" to some relatives," Ranma innocently proposed. Ryoga's face flushed and he paled.
He laughed nervously and turned to Akane, "That Ranma needs pills, and such a joker! He loves making things up," he glared at Ranma, "never trust him."
Akane laughed, "Well, that'll be easy."
Ryoga stared into the forest, "It's getting darker, is there really a farm coming up?"
Ranma nodded, walking a few paces ahead. This annoyed Akane beyond end because every time she tried to be a step ahead of him he would quicken his pace just slightly, enough to get ahead of her. Frustrated and upset, she tried pestering him.
"Ranma, what is your obsession with being first, ahead of everyone?" Akane asked, miffed.
Ranma grinned cheekily, Akane was starting to get used to that, "I was a natural born leader, baby."
Akane rolled her eyes and stared deadpanned at him, "Never," she emphasized, "Ever call me that again."
Ranma took the warning lightly and continued, "Why sweet pea? Gonna cry?" He continued to taunt her as she stopped walking and something brown and shiny materialized in her fist. Ranma craned his neck to get a better look, walking backwards.
Akane smiled, this was her time to shine, if she could only lift the damn thing this time. It came faster than she thought it would and as she felt the heavy blade drag her down, Ranma swooped in and lifted it up, stealing it out of her grasp.
"Nice sword," he complimented. Akane couldn't decide who he was complimenting, the sword or her. He stared at the emblem, "who gave it to you?"
Ryoga stared on as they argued lightly over the sword, both completely calm with the situation while he looked on exasperated, "Is everyone missing the fact that that came out of nowhere?"
Ranma and Akane turned, confused. He looked to Ryoga snickering, "Why? Afraid I'll gut ya?" Ranma swooped forward, swatting at Ryoga with the heavy blade. It flopped and fell threw the air unsteadily, but after a few minutes Ranma got a hold on the blade and swung it.
Ryoga turned to Akane, "Never give him any weapon, he's like a child." Ranma came at him again. Ryoga screeched, "A very dangerous, insane, and inane child!"
Ranma laughed again and held the sword up high. Akane snatched it from his hands and Ranma quickly felt the emptiness in his hands, "Hey! Give it back!"
"It's mine, jerk!" Akane yelled back, holding on to it seemingly well, "I just needed someone to help me pick it up."
Ranma smirked, "What would ya do without me?" He sauntered over next to her, grinning like an idiot.
"Not have homicidal urges," Akane deliberated almost immediately, with no time to think.
"Wow," Ranma responded, almost awestruck, "didn't take ya long to figure that."
"Well," Akane explained, stepping over a log, grasping Ranma's hand. She felt the pressure she was holding over to him through their hands, "I've had ample time to mull."
"Right," Ranma said, trying to sound distinguished.
Ryoga did not notice the crack in Ranma's voice. It was almost inaudible, except if you were paying close attention to him, which Ryoga was not. Akane was though, smiling widely now, staring back at Ranma as she kept walking, watching him hesitate for a second, trailing after her.
---------------
Ranma's mind spun. The thing he didn't want to tell the others was slowly haunting him. He didn't want to admit what Liquora told him was true but it made so much sense. Akane had been extra nice to Ryoga and increasingly mean to him, she had also been unable to be bended by his curse, which still confused him but could be a factor.
See, what he didn't want his fellow comrade, and basically his brother, to know was: while Ryoga and Akane had been busy raiding Liquora of assets such as bread and such, he had been in her clutches. Mostly she had yelled empty promises, but when she saw they were not working, her mind reeled. She decided to let him in on a secret, dragons could seem the future, although minimally. She had told him some things, horrible things. Things that he pretended didn't affect him and some things he couldn't help but notice did.
She had told him there was more to every person's gift and that if he wanted to understand it, and in the meantime retract his curse, he should find a man named "Kuno". Ranma asked why and she explained that, unbeknownst to this gentleman, he contained the knowledge of every person's gift.
She had also told him other things; things to do with Ryoga and a certain newly acquired fiancé. He had not known what the word meant and she laughed knowingly, telling him he soon would and would have wished he'd never asked. Ranma was confused by the grin the beast gave as she fed him the information, it seemed jealously ran through it, but it was becoming slightly immune.
"I adapt," it explained before Ranma could ask.
Things were so complicating but Ranma came to a few conclusions: Never mess with dragons He had to find Kuno, but he didn't know where to look Akane was Ryoga's new fiancé
It had made so much sense and yet it came as sort of a surprise to Ranma. He didn't like the girl, but obviously he felt bad that Ryoga had to be tied down to such a nitwit. He also came to one more conclusions after more mulling: Akane knew.
That's what had hit him hardest, what had hurt him the most. He would never admit to anyone, even himself, but his contradicting feelings had been the center of his attention, pushing his wants and needs aside for once. Now, he watched Akane glance to Ryoga and smile, he'd grin back but not know any of the information Ranma did.
Ranma felt awkward, like a third wheel. For the first time in his life he felt a little hollow, and no matter how many distractions fell his way, he couldn't explain it. He couldn't forget that what was happening was already done, already set in motion, and no matter what side tracked emotions he might have had, they would be laid to rest. Ryoga was his friend, and Ranma would never hurt his own honor in exchange for a brush off from a girl he barely knew.
That was when Ranma had bolted, grabbed the two lovebirds and fled, not caring if he hurt them. He had hurtled himself and the others as far as he could from the cave, from the monster inside.
Liquora's last words rang true in his head still now, "Love is not a mastered art; it is an event in time, something you cannot just erase. It's stronger than anything else, and it will never, ever leave you."
Ranma stood strong, he'd prove her wrong.
---------------
The farm was rickety. It seemed rusty and uninhabited, but the three wayward heroes went on, the tone the farm set striking no fear in their hearts. Tears bitten back, unnoticed by her companions, Akane strode quickly up to the farm. She had never been away from home for this long before and it was starting to catch up with her. She thought she could handle it, but the harsh reality of it all was slowly setting in. She gazed to either side; Ryoga fiddled with the straps of his backpack and, feeling the heat of Akane's gaze, turned nervously to her, laughing uneasily. She smiled back genuinely and then turned to her other side. Ranma quickly shot his head in the opposite direction in an attempt to make it seem like he had never been staring at her.
"What?" She asked, irritated. He had probably been mocking her behind her back again. The last time she had caught him doing it, he just stuck out his tongue and called her a "weakling".
"Huh?" He asked, seeming genuinely shaken, as if out of a trance, "What's your problem?" His defenses rose quickly, always had and always would.
"Why do you keep staring at me? What? Do I have something on my face?" Akane asked, feeling for anything hanging from her mouth or nose. Ranma laughed.
"No, ya freak, you're," he took a second to phrase his answer as Ryoga waited for his response, ready to strike at the mere thought of a bad word. Akane waited, wondering why she was in such anticipation. He licked his parched lips and coughed, staring to Akane and Ryoga, "fine," he coughed again, hoarsely, "you're good."
Akane felt somehow disappointed. She knew it was the first time in a while Ranma hadn't dismissed her entirely and it actually could count as a compliment, but it seemed to fail her.
"Just . . . good?" Akane asked, acknowledging that what she felt inside was pain, hurt.
Ranma stared back, seeming to weigh scales in his mind, staring from Akane to Ryoga and back again. Not able to make eye contact, he nodded and ran his fingers through the front of his hair, staring back coldly, "Ya, what were ya expectin'?"
Akane felt herself physically deflate. Now that hollowing, eating away at her was turning into something else, passionate rage, "Nothing of course, it is you were talking about." She spat the words bitterly and then stopped walking; noticing they had been busy discussing . . . other matters and didn't notice they had arrived at the front of a large barn.
Ryoga stared at Ranma, knowing Akane's mood change had to be Ranma's doing, and for once, he was right, "Ranma, what did you say?"
"Nothing." Ranma said impersonally. He stared back at Akane for a second and then remembered the door. Just as his knuckles were about to graze it, it swung open and a burly man with a bushy beard answered, grinning widely and enveloping Ranma in a hug.
"My son," he barked, "finally!" Ranma tried to escape the clutches of the man but could not. He leant into Ranma and whispered, "You've got a lot of explaining to do!"
Akane raised an eyebrow, questioning Ranma and he shrugged distantly, noticeably unable to feel the warmth around him. Akane became worried, why had he been acting so detached?
"So Ranma," a voice from the back uttered, more confused than his party, "we meet at last."
A/N: So should Ranma believe Liquora? And who is the mystery person? Review or I might forget to write the next chapter! Next chapter hopefully up soon!