(REPOSTED BECAUSE THE OLD ONE GOT KILLED BY THE NEW FORMATTING)
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic Trilogy:
"The True Meaning of Love"
By: s16thunderjet
Story 1
"The Search for Atlantis"
Chapter 7:
New Found Love
Part 1:
A Promise Kept
Akane walked about the palace after breakfast. Every where she went, people kept on bowing and saluting her. It was starting to annoy her. She sighed. She should get used to it because she is their future queen.
*What a laugh!* she thought.
Merian insisted on coming with her but she asked to be alone. She needed to think for a while. She needed to think about her dreams, why she's having them and what they mean.
She had already talked to Atlas about the most recent ones, but he didn't seem to have any explanation. Aside from the legend of the earth's forces, he didn't have anything else to say.
Except saying that they were only dreams. She sighed again. She had been walking around for most of the day, but she still couldn't think of any explanation.
Or any other thing she could do to get her mind off her dreams. Then she stopped. She called one of the servants who was moping the floor. He immediately dropped the mop and bowed her.
"Good afternoon Lady Akane." he greeted.
"Good afternoon. Could you please tell me where the kitchen is?" she asked.
The man nodded and led her across the long hallway. They passed the dining room and stopped in front of a door smaller than the usual ones in the palace, just beside it.
"Here." said the man and opened the door for her.
"Thank you." she said and went in. The man bowed and closed the door behind her. She looked at him and sighed.
*I should really get used to all that bowing.* she thought. Then she turned to look at the kitchen.
"Good afternoon, Lady Akane." greeted everyone.
"Good afternoon." she greeted back.
She made her way to one of the tables in the middle of the room, with everyone bowing as she passed. She placed her hand on top of the table, feeling its smooth surface.
It was almost like their kitchen at home. Except that this kitchen is three times bigger. Well, it should be. Considering the number of people that eat in the palace.
Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. She turned to one of the cooks and asked, "Can I cook?"
They set up camp under the tree Shampoo made. Inside a tent, they got Ryoga onto a futon, braced with rolled blankets so his injured side is facing up, Ukyo keeping a firm hold of his hand.
Shampoo retrieves some gear from her bag, arranges them in easy reach, then places her hand on either side of the wound.
She takes a deep breath, then a gentle light glows from under her palms and into the gash. Ryoga twitches, scowls and blinks groggily.
"Ukyo?" He whispers.
"I'm here." She gives his hand a squeeze.
"Are you O.K.?" he asks as he focuses on her, distressed at what he can see of her clothing and the bruises coming up on her face and chest.
"Yes." she said.
"What happened?" he asked.
"You don't remember?" she asked. Ryoga shook his head 'no'.
"I don't really know either. But Artemis is outside explaining to Mousse and Ranchan." she said.
"But how?" He coughs, then groans as that restarts the fire-filled throb in his side.
"We don't know. When the ground opened up, she was with you inside the ball of light." she said.
"How are the others?" he asked.
"They're all OK." she answered.
"Good." He mutters, then sinks back into the quiet, pain free darkness of unconsciousness. Shampoo removed her hands from his sides and fell back.
"Are you alright?" asked Ukyo.
"Shampoo fine. Only bit dizzy." she answered. Artemis entered the tent along with Mousse and Ranma.
"You should get some rest Shampoo. You used up a lot of energy a while ago." she said. Shampoo nodded and tried to stand up.
She was successful in standing, but staggered as she took the first step and almost fell. As usual, Mousse was there to catch her. Mousse decided to hold her for a second when she didn't hit him.
"Thank you, Mousse." she said instead. He helped her stand. She smiled at him and he smiled back.
"Mousse, would you please assist Shampoo to their tent." she said.
Mousse nodded and began to walk beside Shampoo. He offered his arm as he held open the flap of the tent, and she took it. They walked outside until they reached Shampoo and Ukyo's tent.
Mousse helped Shampoo get inside. He set her to sit down as he laid down her futon for her. Shampoo watched as Mousse laid down her futon.
He was always so caring and loving to her. He was always fumbling when she's around and, most of the time, mistaking her for a plant, an animal, or another person.
There were also times when he would be over protective of her. Fighting battles that he wasn't supposed to, just for her. Even causing her to lose a battle or himself to turn into a duck.
She hated him for that. She hated it when she treats her like a fragile "thing". After all, she is a warrior. She didn't need his protection. And if she needs it, she would ask for it.
She didn't need him to hang all over her to the point of obsession. Then she giggled. Mousse noticed this and looked up from what he was doing.
"What is it?" he asked, switching to their native language.
"Oh, nothing." she answered back, still giggling.
Giggling because that was how she acted with Ranma. And she found it so funny yet so sad. Funny because now she feels how Ranma feels. Sad because... if she hates Mousse for it, then how would Ranma feel towards her.
Her giggling turned into a frown. Mousse tensed. He wanted to comfort her there and then. He wanted to embrace her just like he used to ( or tried to ).
But he stopped himself. He fought the urge to hold Shampoo in his arms knowing it would lessen his chances even further. He found it very disturbing, but didn't push.
Things are going fine now and he didn't want to destroy the mood. Since the first trip, he had managed to control himself. And it had brought wonders.
Shampoo has been treating him better since, actually respecting him. And he didn't want to lose that respect. If he can't have her love, at least have her respect.
*Then her love would follow.* he thought, prayed and hoped. Then Mousse noticed a waving hand in front of his face. He blinked twice and then focused on the person in front of him.
"Mousse, why are you staring at me like that?" asked Shampoo.
"I... I was going to tell you that... that..." he paused...
*...what to say, what to say...* he thought hurriedly, then he remembered the futon...
"Oh, yo... your futon is ready." he managed to say. Shampoo looked down at the well laid futon before her and smiled.
"Thank you." she said and slowly made her way to the futon. She tucked herself in, and in a few minutes, was asleep.
Mousse just sat there, beside her, watching her even when she's asleep. Shampoo suddenly shivered. Mousse stood up and got a blanket. He placed it gently over Shampoo's sleeping form.
"Goodnight, Shampoo." he whispered and got a futon and a couple of blankets for himself.
Mousse went out and laid his futon in front of the tent. There, he lied down to guard his beloved Shampoo. In a few moments, he was at last within the sheltering arms of Morpheus.
( Inside the other tent, about five minutes ago )
Back in the tent, Ranma had been telling Ukyo about how Artemis appeared.
"So, she had to make herself disappear for a while." he said.
"Just to avoid that Bismont guy?" she asked.
"Uh huh." said Ranma. They both looked at Artemis, both waiting for the reason for her disappearance.
"In time Ukyo, Ranma. In time." she said and went out.
"And about her being with Ryoga, she created the ball of light through Ryoga's power to protect him." he said.
"She says it's the least she could do." he added.
Ukyo just nods, then starts to clean Ryoga's dirty face with a damp towel. Ranma watched with amusement as she carefully ran the towel over Ryoga's wounds. Then he placed his hand on Ukyo. This startled her.
"You should sleep, Ucchan." he said. Ukyo squeezes Ranma's hand, a way of saying thanks for his concern.
"It's alright. I'll just finish cleaning his wounds. You go on ahead." she said and smiles at him.
"OK." he said and sets his futon beside Ryoga. He turns his back to them, and goes to sleep.
Ukyo's smile faded into a sigh. She knew she didn't have any chance of having Ranma. And she just has to accept the fact that he loves Akane and not her.
But is was better this way. She has to let go of her dreams of Ranma. She has to start now, so that it won't hurt that much in the future.
Taking Ryoga into her life was a start, now she had someone to take care of. She could do to him what she wanted to do with Ranma. Cook for him, take care of him, cleaning his wounds... she sighed again.
It definitely was a start.
*A way to forget Ranma, the start of a beautiful friendship, and maybe... something else.* she thought.
Ukyo smiled and finished cleaning Ryoga's wounds. She just sat there beside him, staring at his handsome though wounded face, and then drifted off to sleep.
"In here Merian." said a servant as they entered the kitchen.
She looked at the nervous and worried faces of the cooks and other servants looking down at the chief cook who was sprawled on the floor, unconscious.
"What happened here?" she asked. No one answered her.
"Could someone tell me what hap..." she drifted off as Akane's face came into her view.
"Lady Akane, what are you doing here?" she asked.
"Um, I cooked something and asked him..." pointing at the chief cook, "...to taste it." she answered.
Merian looked at the cook. Then she pointed to three of the cooks.
"You three, bring him to the infirmary." she said. They carried him out of the kitchen and into the hall. Merian turned to Akane.
"Why didn't you tell me you wanted to cook?" she asked.
"I'm sorry. I didn't expect him to react that way." she said.
"It's alright, Akane." said Merian. Akane sat on one of the stools while Merian took the seat beside her.
"I thought Ranma was only exaggerating when he said my food was toxic." she started. Merian just looked on and listened.
"I mean, I know that I don't cook well. I try to learn, really, but I might as well give up." she said, leaning her head on the table. Merian put her hands on Akane's shoulders.
"Don't give up. I may know someone who can help you learn more about cooking." she said. Akane's eyes lit up.
"You do?" she asked. Merian nodded.
"His majesty, King Atlas cooks well." she said.
"He does?" asked Akane, thoroughly amazed.
"Yes... and if you ask him, maybe he can teach you." she said. Akane thought of the different delicacies she could learn to cook.
"But I think you should rest. It is already night." suggested Merian. Akane realized that it was already night.
"OK." she said and they both walked out of the kitchen.
In the hallway, they were again greeted by bows from everyone. Then she remembered something that Atlas asked her on her first day there. Something about...
"Merian..." she said.
"What is it?" asked Merian.
"I've been meaning to ask you something." said Akane.
"Ask away." she said.
"Remember the day when I first came here..." she started.
"Oh, the day you returned?" asked Merian.
"Yeah, Atlas asked me something about this hallway... wait a minute. What do you mean I returned?" she asked, confused. Merian looked back at her, confused herself.
"You really don't remember anything do you?" she asked. Akane shook her head.
"Very well, I shall tell you of your memories in this palace." she said and led Akane to her room. On their way, they passed a warrior who immediately bowed at the sight of Akane.
"Good evening, Lady Akane, Merian." he greeted.
"Good evening." said Akane as they continued to walk to her room.
The warrior stood up as Akane and Merian passed and walked up to Astevaes's room. Looking out for anyone who would notice him, he knocked and slipped into the room.
"What is it?" asked Astevaes. The warrior bowed.
"Lord Astevaes, I have discovered great news about Lord Herion." he said. Astevaes sat on his chair and held a wine glass with his right hand.
"Speak up." he said. The warrior told him of Herion's words.
"That traitor." said Astevaes. Pieces of broken glass and a stain of wine could be see on his carpet.
"What should we do, Lord Astevaes?" asked the warrior.
"We shall do nothing. I can still use his skills for my plan and then dispose of him after." he told the warrior. Astevaes thought for a moment as he sat.
"Go back to the chamber and watch over him. Report anything suspicious." he commanded.
"Yes Lord." bowed the warrior and started to leave.
"Wait." he called.
"Lord?" he asked.
"Call the servants to clean this stain on my carpet." he said.
"As you wish, my Lord." said the warrior and went out.
*Trying to double cross me won't work Herion. You will pay for your treachery.* he thought.
"Shampoo! Shampoo! Where are you?" cried Mousse.
Shampoo has been missing for the past hour. They have searched everywhere but they couldn't find Shampoo. The blazing sun was now high above them in the Sahara desert.
"Where could she be?" asked Mousse. He looked for Shampoo for another fifteen minutes and then went back to camp.
"I can't find her." he told Ukyo.
"We can't find her either." said Ranma as he and Ryoga returned to camp. Mousse suddenly turned his back to them and looked at the opposite direction.
"What is it?" asked Ukyo. Mousse took a step forward, trying to determine the sound he was hearing.
"Can you hear that?" he asked. Ranma stood beside Mousse, and so did Ryoga.
"It sounds like, rumbling." said Ryoga. They waited for a few seconds, and then saw an image running towards them.
It was a unicorn, the same unicorn at the Temple of Patrios. It was coming towards them at a fast speed. It passed in front of Mousse as it ran by, and he saw Shampoo on the unicorn.
"Shampoo!" he screamed. They all turned.
"Where?" they asked.
"There." he pointed at the unicorn. But Shampoo wasn't there.
"Nobody's there." said Ukyo. Mousse turned to look again, Shampoo is there. But the others can't see her.
"I'm gonna follow her." he said and ran after Shampoo and the unicorn.
"Mousse wait." pleaded Ryoga but Mousse wasn't listening.
"C'mon." said Ranma and they ran after Mousse.
He ran after her, pleading, begging for her to stop. But it seemed she couldn't hear him. Or is it doesn't want to hear him.
*Maybe she's avoiding me...* thought Mousse.
But it didn't matter, he ran after Shampoo with the others hot on his trail. Then from out of nowhere, a mountain appeared.
"Shampoo look out." he screamed, still running after her. Then he saw Shampoo vanish from his eyesight.
"What tha..." he said as he approached. He stopped at the foot of the mountain as the others caught up with him.
"Mousse, what is wrong with you?" asked Ryoga.
"She was right there. She vanished somehow." he said. Ukyo walked along the foot of the mountain, and stopped in front of a cave.
"Here." she said. Mousse started to run but Ranma held him.
"Where are you going now?" he asked.
"Let go of me Ranma. I have to find Shampoo." he said and ran into the cave.
"Let's go." said Ryoga, a bit frustrated at Mousse's stubbornness.
They all entered the cave. It was dark, but somehow, Mousse's aura was lighting up the cave. They continued walking inside the cave. Mousse started to run as he saw a source of light.
"C'mon, that should be the end of the cave." he said and ran.
They followed him and ran, not wanting to be left behind again. As they reached the end of the cave, a different view greeted them. There were a lot of mountains and hills, and the place was covered with snow.
"Where are we?" asked Mousse. The wind howling like hounds. And it was freezing them, too.
"You are where your heart has taken you." answered someone.
"What? Whose there?" Mousse asked. But no one answered.
"You are here to find your greatest treasure." it said again.
"What treasure?" he asked Ranma and the others.
"The power." supplied Ukyo.
"Come, wise falcon." it called.
Then from out of nowhere, just like how the mountains appeared, there came out a boulder. And on that boulder, a white falcon landed. Mousse started walking towards it, having forgotten all about Shampoo.
As he was about to reach it, there was a cry.
"Help!" someone screamed.
Mousse turned to the source of the plea for help, and saw Shampoo. She was holding on to a small branch that was hanging on the side of a cliff.
He tried to ask the others to help her while he got the falcon, but they were frozen solid in the snow. Mousse eyes opened widely in disbelief
"No..." he whispered.
"Help!" she screamed again.
Mousse was torn between getting the power to help save Akane, and saving his one true love from falling off the cliff.
"Hurry wise falcon, there isn't much time." the voice said again. Mousse didn't know what to do.
"Mousse, please help me!" cried Shampoo. She was slowly slipping away.
"Wise falcon, your greatest treasure is slipping away." said the voice. Mousse thought for a second.
"Forget the treasure... Shampoo!" he screamed and ran after her. He bent over the cliff and reached out.
"Grab my hand." he said. Shampoo gladly took his hand and smiled at him.
"Hold on." he said as he hauled her over. He pulled her up with all of his strength. Shampoo landed on top of Mousse.
"Are you alright?" he asked. Shampoo nodded and embraced him.
"Thank you." she said.
"What about the power?" asked Shampoo. Mousse suddenly remembered.
"The power!" he said and turned back to the boulder. He turned just in time to see the falcon fly off.
"No! Come back!" he screamed. But the falcon kept on flying away from him. He sank down to his knees.
"I lost the power." he whispered.
The winds blew harder and the snow fell faster before it hit the ground. After a while, Mousse was covered with snow. He was covered until he saw nothing at all.
Shampoo awoke in a cold sweat in her futon. She had only been asleep for an hour and she already had a dream. But it wasn't meant for her, it was meant for Mousse.
Speaking of Mousse, Shampoo looked around the tent. No Ukyo, and no Mousse. She sighed and sat up on her futon. She was a bit disturbed by the dream, considering it was about her and Mousse and his power.
"You mean that I really am a princess?" asked Akane.
"Yes. You and his majesty were destined to be together, forever." said Merian.
"But I'm telling you Merian, I'm not your future queen." insisted Akane.
"King Atlas's parents died when he was two years old, exactly when you were born." said Merian.
"Astevaes and I took care of the both of you. But before we could even give you a name, you were taken away. That was the last time we ever saw you." she continued. Akane sipped from her tea, listening carefully to Merian.
"When King Atlas was twelve, he led the warriors to find you." said Merian.
"What happened?" asked Akane. Merian sighed.
"Their mission failed. But Atlas never stopped looking for you. Until one day..."
"Your highness!" there was a cry from the hall. Atlas turned and saw Astevaes running towards him.
"What is it? Have you found her?" asked Atlas.
"We felt an energy source leaving Atlantis without permission." he said.
"How many?" he asked.
"Only one, sire. But it is powerful." said Astevaes.
"Go after it. It might be her." said Atlas.
"And do not come back without her." he commanded.
"As you wish." he said, bowed, and left.
"When Astevaes returned, he had you with him." finished Merian.
Akane remembered being at Dr. Tofu's office, lying on the bed. And then there were men with white robes. The next moment, she was in Atlantis.
"Atlas was so happy to find you." said Artemis. Akane was lost in thought.
"So what's with the hall?" she asked.
"That hall was where you were taken away." she added.
"Since I was a baby when I was kidnapped, how come Atlas asked me about the hall?" she asked.
"We, the people of Atlantis, are known to have been blessed with tremendous memories." she said.
"So that's why..." said Akane.
*...that's why Atlas asked me about it.* she finished in her mind.
*I remember being taken away from Dr. Tofu's clinic, but I don't remember the others she told me about.* she thought.
"I'm not their future queen, am I?" she asked herself.
Outside her room, a warrior slowly walked away after listening to their conversation. He walked until he reached Astevaes's room. Then he entered.
Africa during the day feels like hell.
The scorching temperature could fry an egg. Yet in the night, it can be so cold. The bitter cold could make you shiver like you were trapped in an iceberg.
But Mousse didn't care about the freezing winds. He slept outside of Shampoo's tent, guarding her.
Artemis had caught sight of him as she walked out of Ryoga's tent. She wanted to suggest a more comfortable place, but didn't bother. Mousse can be really stubborn when he wants to.
A few minutes after Mousse slept, she approached him and placed her hands on his body. He was shivering.
Artemis concentrated and let energy flow into Mousse through her hands. The heat flowed into Mousse's body which caused the shivers to lessen. Artemis smiled at him.
That was the least she could do to help him. She too took a rest under the tree. She sat down and leaned against it, radiating heat from her body to keep herself from shivering.
An hour later, she saw Shampoo come out of the tent.
"Awake already?" she asked herself. She kept quiet and watched Shampoo.
*This might be interesting.* she thought. She stepped out of the tent.
"It's freezing out here." she said.
Shampoo took a step forward which caused her to fall. She managed to put her hands in front of her, and didn't hit the ground. She turned her head to look at what had caused her to trip.
It was Mousse.
Even with Shampoo tripping on him, he was still sleeping like a rock. Shampoo stood up and was about to scream at Mousse when she stopped herself. She brushed off her shirt and took a few, deep breaths.
*Why is he sleeping in front of my tent?* she asked herself.
Then Mousse shivered a bit. Shampoo bent down to touch him. She quickly pulled her hand away as she felt Mousse's skin. It was cold. Very, very cold.
"You're so stupid Mousse. You know how cold it is out here." she said in frustration. Mousse was still a rock in front of him. Shampoo stood up and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Why do I even bother..." she drifted then sighed.
"C'mon Mousse. I'll take you inside the tent." she said, trying to wake him up. She was about to use her powers to teleport him inside the tent when a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"I'll do that." said Artemis.
Mousse, along with his futon and blankets, was slowly lifted into the air, and then taken into the tent. Shampoo was surprised with what Artemis did, but didn't comment.
"Thank you." she just said. Artemis nodded and smiled. Shampoo went back inside the tent.
*This might be even more interesting.* thought Artemis as she went back to her position beside the tree.
Inside the tent, Shampoo sat beside Mousse and added another blanket. She watched as he shifted endlessly in the futon.
"I think he's having the dream." she said. She looked at him and for a while. Then a few thoughts crossed her mind.
*He's been OK since the trip, no glomping and glorifying or any other stuff like that. Maybe I finally knocked some sense into him.* she thought, smiling to herself.
*He really is a nice and caring person, when he's not his usual "Shampoo, my love, my goddess!" self. I hope he stays like this, I'm starting to like him as a friend. OK, he is... kind of handsome.* she admitted to herself.
She was shocked out of thought when she heard someone crying. It was Mousse. He was still asleep, but he was crying.
"No! Come back!" he screamed.
"I lost the power." he whispered. Shampoo realized that he was having the dream she had earlier.
"Poor Mousse." she said. Shampoo gently rubbed his back.
"It's alright, Mousse." she whispered continuously into his ear even though she knew he couldn't hear her.
A few moments later, Mousse woke up, eyes still wet from all that crying. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. When he put back his glasses, he saw Shampoo smiling down at him. He immediately sat up, and tried to speak.
"It's alright, Artemis and I brought you here." said Shampoo. Mousse looked confused, but managed to thank her.
"Did you have the dream?" she asked. Mousse nodded and turned his eyes away from her.
"I lost the power Shampoo, I'm worthless." he said.
"But you saved me from falling, Mousse. And I thank you for that." she said, trying to comfort him.
"Besides, it was just a dream." she added.
"I know, but what if..." he trailed off as Shampoo put a hand on his shoulder. Mousse turned to see Shampoo looking at him.
"You saved me even in a dream, Mousse. And you were never worthless." she said and smiled the sweetest smile for him. Mousse blushed as red as an apple.
"Shampoo, thanks." he managed to say. Shampoo removed her hand from his shoulder and placed it on top of his.
"I should be the one thanking you." she said. Mousse would've died of blushing if it was possible. But their sort of romantic situation was interrupted by a cry from outside.
( Inside the other tent, just a few moments ago )
It was only after a few hours when Ukyo is roused from her light sleep, Ryoga's uneasy tossing waking her.
She glances over at Ranma's sleeping form, Ranma doing his best impression of a log, then sits up, pulling her blanket up around her shoulders against the chill, Ryoga's fever bright eyes meeting hers.
"Ryoga, what's wrong?" she asks quietly, so as not to disturb anyone else in the tent.
"It hurts." he answers her, shifting again on the cot, trying to find a comfortable position.
Ukyo places her hand against his forehead, his skin hot against her palm. Ryoga couldn't take the heat anymore and fell back to sleep.
"You're burning up." she tells him.
"Let me go get Artemis." she stands up and runs out of the tent.
"Artemis! Artemis where are you? Ryoga needs your help." she cried out. Artemis, who was sitting beside the tree immediately stood and ran to her.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Ryoga's running a fever." answered a panicky Ukyo. Artemis runs into the tent and sat beside Ryoga. She repeats the forehead feeling, looking down at Ryoga's sleeping form.
"Let's see, Ryoga." she says, rolling him onto his side with gentle strength and raising his shirt and bandage. She breathes a sigh of relief, seeing his wounds starting to heal.
"He will be fine. Just place this towel over his forehead." said Artemis. Ukyo nodded and got hold of one of the damp towels and put it on Ryoga's head.
"Isn't there something else we can do?" she asked. Artemis shook her head.
"Until Shampoo can regain her complete strength, the least we can do is put this towel over his forehead. Later, when he settles down, I want you to wipe his body with this cold towel." she said, indicating the towel soaked in cold water. Ukyo looked uneasy.
"His whole body?" she asked.
"Mostly his arms, stomach, back and legs. Yes, his whole body." said Artemis. Ukyo swallowed hard.
"He's going to be all right, isn't he?" she asked, a strange little tremble, formerly reserved only for Ranma, starting in her heart at Artemis's serious expression.
"Do not worry, I know he's in good hands." she said as she held Ukyo's hand in hers. Ukyo nodded and prepared another bowl, a bigger one for her to use with Ryoga's body later.
"I'll try and see if Shampoo is getting better." said Artemis and went out. Outside, she saw Shampoo and Mousse walking towards her.
"What happened?" asked Mousse.
"That was Ukyo. Ryoga's having a fever." she said.
"Ryoga alright now, yes?" asked Shampoo.
"He will be fine, with Ukyo's help. I want you two to sleep, you both need a lot of rest." said Artemis.
"Especially you," she points at Shampoo, "because you used a lot of your energy." she said. Shampoo merely nodded.
Artemis left them and went into her own tent thinking she might need rest herself. Shampoo and Mousse turned to each other and shrugged.
"I guess its back to the tent for us." said Mousse as they started walking back to the tent.
Suddenly, Shampoo stopped and raised an eyebrow at him. Mousse immediately turned to her and waffled his hands in front of him as a sign of defense.
"I mean, its back to the tent for you." he said. Shampoo lowered her eyebrow and giggled.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"Actually, it's alright if you stay in the tent with me..." she said, stopping in the middle of her sentence. Mousse looked on, hopeful.
"...that is, if you promise to stay on one side of the tent, opposite me." she finished.
Mousse sighed a bit, another chance wasted. But at least he was staying with her in the tent. They walked slowly and closely, their hands almost touching.
They went into the tent and divided it, Shampoo on the right and Mousse on the left. Shampoo was first to lie down and was watching Mousse prepare his futon. Then she stared straight up when he noticed her looking.
Mousse sat on his futon, and then asked, "Shampoo, why?" Shampoo turned to him.
"What do you mean 'why'?" she asked.
"Why are you letting me stay in here?" he asked, his heart now pounding in his chest. Shampoo could sense the nervousness in his voice.
"I let you stay in here because I can't let you freeze out in the cold." she said. Mousse relaxed, but was a bit disappointed with the response he got.
*Oh well, can't stop a guy from hoping.* he thought.
"Come to think of it, why were you sleeping outside my tent?" she asked. Mousse struggled for an answer, sweat now covering his face.
"I... that is..." he couldn't finish. Shampoo sat up and looked at him.
"You wanted to protect me during my sleep." she supplied for him. Mousse looked for a way out, but found none. He simply nodded, sweat now slowly dripping off his face.
He knows how much Shampoo hates it when he protects her like that. He swallowed and prepared for a blow. It never came. He opened his eyes and saw Shampoo looking at him.
"Mousse, you have to understand that I can take care of myself. And you have to take care of yourself. If you stayed there, you might have a cold or fever or worse." she explained, hoping that he would finally understand. He sighed.
"I know that Shampoo. But I have to make sure that you're alright." he said. Shampoo started to raise her voice.
"Do you even know how hard it is to travel when you're sick, let alone fight?" she asked.
Mousse bowed his head in defeat. He didn't want to aggravate Shampoo anymore. He was about to apologize when Shampoo interrupted him.
"I'm sorry." she said. Mousse raised his head and looked at her in shock.
"I shouldn't have raised my voice." she added.
"No, it's my fault. I never listen to you and I'm sorry." he said.
Then they stared at each other for a while. After a moment which seemed to last a lifetime, both looked away, blushing furiously. Shampoo slipped into her blanket and looked straight up once more.
"Good night Mousse." she said. Mousse turned off the lamp and settled into his futon.
"Good night Shampoo." he said. Both were smiling to their sleep, but neither noticed the other in the dark.
Inside Astevaes's room, another spy of his had returned from his duty. The warrior bowed and then knelt before him. Astevaes turned to look at the warrior - spy.
"Lord, Astevaes." he said. Astevaes sat on his chair.
"What is it?" he asked, still enrage by the other warrior's news.
"Lady Akane and Merian are talking about my lady's past." he reported.
"So, Akane is starting to become a little curious." he said.
*Curiosity killed the cat...* thought Astevaes with a wicked grin.
"Good work. I want you to return to your post." he ordered.
"Yes Lord." the warrior said and stood up. He turned to go out, but stopped just as he was in front of the door.
"Lord." he said as he turned around. Astevaes, now in a better mood than before, spoke in his normal tone.
"What?" he asked.
"May I ask a question?" he said, swallowing the lump that formed in his throat.
"Proceed." said Astevaes.
"What of Artemis?" he asked, bowing his head.
"She is still on the loose. Bismont has already been disposed for his incompetence." he said.
"Artemis will be exterminated once she is captured. No one must interfere with the royal wedding. Atlantis will rise again." he said.
"Thank you, Lord Astevaes. I mean, King Astevaes." said the spy and left. Astevaes laughed to himself.
"King Astevaes, that's something I should get used to." he said and laughed once more.
Ukyo sighed as she wrung the small towel. She had already finished Ryoga's arms and face with the cold towel just as Artemis said. Wiping Ryoga's legs were hard, considering she had to fold his pants.
She couldn't take it off, you know. Ranma, having been awaken by Ukyo's constant movement ( due to nervousness and tension ), had helped her take off Ryoga's shirt.
She was a bit calmed after that, but Ranma went out of the tent to sleep elsewhere ( Ukyo's shaking was uncontrollable ). Now was the hard part. She couldn't get her eyes off Ryoga's lean and muscular body.
"No, I have to have control." she said to herself and did a few breathing exercises. She closed her eyes.
"I guess that helped." she thought. She opened her eyes, swallowed and then lifted the towel over Ryoga's chest.
The trembling started again. She was about to have a nervous breakdown when Ryoga took her hand into his own. She froze, and then looks at Ryoga who, by the way, had been staring at her for some time now.
"Hi." she blurts out and then smiles at him. He frowns back, looking confused.
"Are you alright?" he asks, concerned. Ukyo finally relaxes.
"I should be asking you that question." she said. She starts wiping his chest with the cold towel. He flinches a bit as she applies it.
"Sorry." She winces with him.
"It's OK. Just a bit cold." he said and squeezed her hand.
Ryoga studies her as she gets another towel ready, Ukyo pretending not to notice. He reaches up to touch the nasty bruise on her left cheek, from where one of Bismont's men had punched her, with gentle fingers.
"Ryoga!" she catches his hand, letting herself sound annoyed.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help you guys better." he tells her quietly, looking embarrassed.
"Oh, Ryoga." she sighs.
"It's not your fault Ryoga. We can all defend ourselves. You don't have to blame yourself for anything." she said and gave his hand a little squeeze, then placed it back down onto the blankets underneath him.
"Still..." he started to argue, but Ukyo interfered.
"Ryoga it doesn't matter anymore. What's more important is that we're all safe, you've got the power, and..." she drifted for a while. Ryoga squeezes her hand, willing her to continue.
"You kept your promise." she said. She squeezes his hand back, and then he smiles.
"And I restored my honor." he added.
"By the way." he starts, then reaches somewhere in his pants. Ukyo looks on, curious of what he was holding.
"I'm returning this to you. And I hope you will always remember me when you see that." he said and gave her the dagger. Ukyo reaches for the dagger and then smiles at him.
"I'll remember your suicide attempt if that's what you mean." she said, jokingly. Ryoga frowned a bit.
"No, seriously. Thank you for what you did. I'll never forget it." she said. Ryoga's smile returned and then he sighs, letting go of Ukyo's hand as she resumed wiping his chest.
"You don't have to do that you know." he said.
"This is the least I can do to thank you for everything." she said. Ryoga again reaches up to touch her face.
"Just seeing you smile makes everything worth it." he said.
Ukyo blushed furiously at that. Ryoga doesn't notice as he closed his eyes and settles back down.
*Oh Ryoga.* she thought happily.
She touches his face gently with one hand, while the other wipes his chest. She finishes wiping and then pulls the blanket over Ryoga.
"Ukyo, you should get some sleep." he said as he opened his eyes and smiled.
"I will, when you're OK." she said.
"Thank you Ukyo." said Ryoga. Ukyo kissed Ryoga on the forehead and smiled.
"You're welcome." she said.
Ryoga smiles at her and then drifts off to sleep. She takes one last look at him before standing up.
*Ryoga, I hope you get well soon.* she thought.
Ukyo places the basin of water with the towels on top of the table. She opens the flap and looks for Ranma, who was sitting by the fire.
"Ranchan." she called. He looks up and sees her.
"You can come back in now." she said. Ranma stands up and walks back to the tent, a bit sleepy.
"Night Ucchan." he said as he brushed past her.
Ranma slumps down to his futon and instantly fell asleep. Ukyo closed the flap of the tent and turned around. She walked to Ranma and pulled the blanket over him. Then she stood up.
Ukyo looked down at the two people in the tent and felt terribly confused. Ryoga was to her right and Ranma to her left. She sighed. It was like being torn between two lovers. She shrugged and sat beside Ryoga.
*I should stay with you, you're the one who's wounded.* she thought. She pressed her knees against her chest and tucked her head in. Eventually, she fell asleep.
Artemis smiled to herself and lied down on her futon. She watched the whole scene inside the other tents in her mind, sort of like ESP.
Ever since Mousse changed, Shampoo started to like him. For now, just a friend. In the future, maybe something more.
Ryoga is getting better in everything, thanks to Ukyo. She's torn between Ranma and Ryoga, though she favors Ryoga a bit more now.
For Ranma, still a long way to go, before he's reunited with Akane.
( Camp site, next morning )
Shampoo yawned groggily as she opened her eyes. She reached for her watch and saw that it was already 7:00 A. M.. She stretched her arms and legs on the futon.
Turning to her left, she was surprised to see Mousse's futon and things already fixed. *He must be up early,* she thought. She shrugged and fixed her futon.
She was feeling better already, considering she slept most of the time the day before. She fixed herself up and walked out of the tent.
"Oh, good morning Shampoo." greeted Mousse as he flipped some eggs in the pan. Shampoo was surprised to see quite a spread on the table. Pancakes, bread sausages and the eggs.
"Why are you cooking?" she asked. Mousse flipped the eggs out of the pan and into the plate. The he turned to Shampoo.
"Since we left, you and Ukyo have been cooking. So I thought I should cook today." he answered. He took off his apron and wiped his hands.
"Besides, we've been eating ramen and okonomiyaki for the last..." she paused to think, "... thirteen days. I think we should try something different." he finished.
Shampoo just shrugged and rolled her eyes. Mousse got a plate and got some pancakes for Shampoo.
"Here." he said and gave it to her. Shampoo took it and started to eat.
"It's good." she said.
She turned to Mousse and said, "Thanks, Mousse."
Mousse smiled at her, "You're welcome." he said.
"Mornin'." said Ranma as he approached them, Artemis and Ukyo just behind him.
"Good morning everyone." greeted Mousse and Shampoo, simultaneously, in a very happy tone. They sat down as Mousse served their breakfast.
"What's with the cooking Mousse?" asked Ranma. Mousse placed some pancakes and eggs on his plate.
"I just felt that Shampoo and Ukyo needed a break." he said and then turned to Ukyo to give her her share.
"Thanks Mousse. Um, could you place Ryoga's food in my plate. I'm bringing his food to him." she said.
"No need for that." said Ryoga who just came out of the tent, still a little woozy.
Ukyo immediately stood and ran to him, supporting him as he walked. She drapes his arm over her shoulder and encircles his waist as he sways, steering him toward the table.
"Thanks." he managed.
"You shouldn't be up yet, you know." she scolded. She settled him beside her.
"But I'm already feeling fine..." he paused to take a deep breath, "...thanks to you." he finished with a slight blush.
"You're welcome Ryoga." she said and smiled. It made him blush even more. Lucky for him, they were all seated in one row and Mousse's back was turned so no one saw him.
"Nice to... see you're... alright." said Ranma in between mouthfuls.
"How do you feel?" asked Artemis. Ryoga put a hand behind his head and smiled.
"Actually, I feel kinda funny." he said, which gave him a sour look from Ukyo.
"But I'm OK, really." he said. Ukyo's face lightened up a bit with that last statement.
*You'd better be OK.* she thought.
"Excuse me." said Mousse as he placed Ryoga's pancakes on his plate.
"Thanks. By the way, why are you the one cooking?" he asked. Mousse sighed, the third time he was asked the same question in a matter of minutes.
"Mousse cook, because he want give us break." Shampoo answered for him. Mousse turned to give Shampoo a wink. Ryoga scratched his head.
"But after the dream last night, I thought you..." he drifted as he saw both Mousse and Shampoo tense.
Mousse's happy mood slowly vanished. Ukyo gave Ryoga a punch on his shoulder and a disappointed look.
"What?" he asked.
"You shouldn't have said that, you know." whispered Ranma and pointed at Mousse.
He had really been in a good mood ever since this morning. Cooking breakfast for them was the least he could do to get his mind off the nightmare and Ryoga just had to bring up the dream.
"I'm sorry." he said in a low, wistful voice. Mousse gave a snort.
"You don't have to be sorry for my sake. I'm useless." he said and took off his apron.
"I'll be in the tent if anyone needs me." he said over his slumped shoulder. If looks could kill, Ryoga would've died with the look Shampoo gave him.
"What? I said I was sorry." he defended himself. Shampoo stood up.
"Sorry no good enough." she said and ran after Mousse. Ryoga's shoulder slumped as well. Ranma patted him on the back.
"Just give them time. They'll get over it." he said.
"What was your dream about anyway?" asked Artemis. Ranma, who had finished eating, started to tell.
Merian left after Akane had told her of her latest dream This time, about Mousse... they were in the mountains and all that. But she wasn't that concerned of her dream anymore.
Atlas said that they are only dreams, so she might as well treat them as dreams. Still, she was kind of worried about them. Thoughts of her dreams flowed into her mind until she reached Atlas's door.
Akane knocked on the door. She waited for a few seconds but no one answered.
*He must still be asleep.* she thought.
*Oh well...* she shrugged and entered the room.
Atlas's room was definitely bigger than hers. But the design was pretty much the same. It was filled with fine furniture made out of brass and wood.
The walls were painted with different designs, ranging from landscape, to people, to the Greek Gods, just like hers. She made her way to the left side of his bed.
Akane looked down at him, confused. His whole body, including the head was covered with the bed sheet. She slowly lifted the sheets, and was surprised to see pillows under it.
Then there was a hand on her shoulder...
"Ahh!" she screamed with full force and fell back on the bed.
"Shhh... it's just me." said Atlas. Akane's breathing began to slow down.
"How did you know?" she asked.
"A servant told me what happened in the kitchen. Merian has told you of my cooking abilities and said that you couldn't wait." he answered.
"So much for the element of surprise." she said. And both of them started laughing. Atlas offered his hand and she took it.
"Come, we shall head for the kitchen." he said. Akane nodded and followed his lead.
"Hmm... interesting." commented Artemis as she drummed her fingers onto the table. They fell silent, waiting for Artemis's decision. She looks at her watch, and then back at them.
"It is almost 8:00 A. M.. Prepare yourselves, we shall be leaving in an hour." she said.
"Where to?" asked Ranma.
"To the Himalayan mountains." answered Artemis.
Artemis stood up and headed for the tent where Mousse and Shampoo were in, obviously to inform them of their departure. Ranma stands up and stretches his arms.
"I'll just do some katas. You guys go ahead." he said.
Ukyo and Ryoga nodded, and both stood up. They headed for their tent, this time, Ukyo letting Ryoga walk on his own. Going into the tent, they both started packing their things.
Meanwhile, Ranma was on his way to practice when he crossed Artemis.
"Hi." he said. Artemis just looked at him.
"Shouldn't you be packing your things?" she asked.
"I just need to practice a bit." he said.
"OK." she said. Artemis started to walk off when Ranma called.
"Um... Artemis." he said. Artemis turned back to him.
"What is it?" she asked.
Ranma had a lot of questions in his mind. Like "Who are you, really?" or "Why did they get involved in this conspiracy?" or "When will I be able to see Akane again?" and a lot more. But nothing would come out.
"Uh... never mind." he said and turned away. I know you have a lot of questions Ranma.
*Don't worry Ranma, everything will be revealed in time.* she thought.
"What did you try to cook yesterday, anyway?" asked Atlas.
"I tried to cook Chicken and Prawns with Mushrooms." she said and pointed at the recipe. Atlas scanned it.
*Hmmm, it seems simple enough.* he thought, wondering where Akane went wrong. He looked at her, as if asking.
"I followed everything." she declared. Atlas looked at her still.
"See, I got the prawns, chicken, mushrooms, salt and sugar." she stated. Atlas scanned the recipe again, noticing the ingredients that Akane left out.
"OK, I couldn't find any Japanese stock so I used chicken broth. And there wasn't any shoyu so I used marinate." Atlas's eyes widened as Akane continued.
"I used green peas cause there wasn't any snow peas. I exchanged the red wine for the sake and I used laurel leaves instead of the bamboo shoot." she finished. Atlas put the recipe down on the table.
"But we have bamboo shoot here." he said.
"Oh, yeah, I know that. But the garden is too far away from here so I just used laurel." she said, starting to look sheepish.
"So that's why it tasted..." Atlas thought of a word, "...bad." he said at last.
"I know. I'm just not good at this stuff." she admitted, the look on her face showing embarrassment and disappointment. Atlas looked at her and sighed.
"Don't worry. I'm gonna help you with your cooking." he said and smiled for her. She nodded and smiled herself, her spirits raised with what he said.
"OK, put on your apron. You're gonna cook the same dish." he said.
Akane prepared the ingredients, this time, with Atlas carefully watching her. Akane noticed that Atlas was just staring at him. He wasn't preparing his own ingredients.
Back in Japan, she always had competition when it came to cooking. Shampoo, Ukyo, Kodachi and even Ranma tried to prove that they were better than her in cooking, and they all succeeded.
Well, it is the truth. Akane in the kitchen was like running a marathon. She doesn't take her time to read the instructions carefully, the ingredients and their measurements.
From the very start, she expected her dish to be perfect. But that isn't how it is. Cooking is a lot like martial arts. You need practice and patience to perfect it.
And patience is not one of Akane's strong virtues. She just had to ask.
"Why aren't you preparing your ingredients?" she finally asked. Atlas just looked at her, dumbfounded.
"Because back in Japan..." she started to tell him of her cooking competitions in Japan. Those being with Shampoo, Ukyo and just about everyone who cooks better than her. Atlas chuckled.
"I am not here to compete with you. I'm here to, shall we say, train you in cooking." he said, now a serious expression in his face. Akane nodded. Atlas clasps his hands together as he stands beside her.
"The first thing you need to do is..." the cooking lesson started.
Ranma - chan put down his pack beside Mousse's pack. He was the last one to finish packing, considering he had to take a short splash after his practice ( that turned him into a girl, by the way ).
Ukyo, Artemis and Shampoo were talking about their traveling plans while Mousse was sitting on a boulder, apparently thinking. Ryoga slung his pack over his shoulders and held Ukyo's in his hands.
Ranma - chan saw Ryoga look at Mousse, and then turn away. Ranma - chan sighed.
"I hope they get over this mess soon." he said to himself.
*They are starting to become good friends and I hate to see everything go to waste.* thought Ranma - chan. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice Ukyo come up behind him.
"Hey..." she started, placing her hand on Ranma - chan's shoulder. Ranma - chan jumped a bit, then realized it was Ukyo.
"Don't scare me like that." he said. Ukyo eyed him, then giggled.
"This, coming from the Great Ranma Saotome. One of the best martial artists in..." she drifted when she saw Ranma - chan's face starting to redden.
"Hey, I had something on my mind." he said, defending himself. Ukyo's continuous giggling was somewhat halted when Ryoga came into the picture.
"Hi." he greeted. Ukyo and Ranma - chan looked at him, he raising Ukyo's bag high enough for her to slip her arms into the strap.
"Thanks." she said.
"You're welcome." he said back.
"Mousse!" they heard Shampoo call.
Mousse looked at them and then stood up, slowly making his way towards their packs. He passed by Ukyo, Ranma, and a nervous Ryoga in the process. Mousse looked at him, but Ryoga wouldn't meet his eyes.
He picked up his pack, along with Ranma - chan's and Shampoo's. She walked up to him, and he raised her pack behind her, just like Ryoga did with Ukyo. Finishing, he held Ranma - chan's pack in his hand.
"What? Are you waiting for me to raise your pack for you, too?" asked Mousse. That broke the tension. Everyone, including Artemis, started laughing.
"Very funny." snorted Ranma - chan.
"Why are you in your girl form anyway?" asked Ryoga.
"I had to take a splash after my short practice. Didn't want to get all stinky you know." she answered.
After a few more moments they all settled down and were divided into two groups. Ryoga, Ukyo and Ranma - chan made up one group, while Shampoo and Mousse made up the other.
Artemis still can't join their teleportation, due to her huge exertion of energy, so she teleports alone.
"OK. We meet at Jidda, Saudi Arabia. It's on the Red Sea coast." she announced.
"Wait. Shouldn't we be able to teleport a bit farther than that since we've already got two of the powers?" she asked, confused.
"Yes, we can. But that would drain Ryoga and Shampoo. It would take at least one full day for them to get their powers back." answered Artemis. Now that got Ukyo confused, too.
"So what's the difference?" she asked.
"The difference is their restoration period. Going to Saudi Arabia will take a lot of energy, but not all. It will probably take them 12 - 15 hours to get their powers back." she replied. They finally understood.
"Anything else?" asked Artemis. They all shrugged.
"Good. Hold on to each other, OK. Now let's go." she said.
Ryoga and Shampoo started to glow as they build up energy. In a blink of an eye, they disappeared, leaving only the sand blowing with the howling wind, and a huge tree in the middle of the Sahara desert.
"Where was their last location?" asked Herion. One of his men checked the computer and produced a print out.
"Lord, the Sahara desert in northern Africa." answered one of his men.
"Any traces?" Herion asked. His men discussed their data and then turned to him.
"We were able to do an energy scan and found huge amounts of energy..." he paused. He pointed at the map and graphs, "... from that region, slowly moving towards the east." one reported. Another stood up and pointed at the map.
"Possible destinations are Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and their neighboring countries." he said.
"Possible time of arrival?" asked Herion. Another man checked his computer and then turned to him.
"Lord, between 9:00 A. M. to 9:05 A. M., Egypt and Iran respectively." he answered. Both men sat down with the others, waiting for Herion's decision. Herion was thinking.
*Hmm... Egypt and Iran the extremes, the others between them. Five possible locations, two men each.* he decided.
Herion stood from where he was seated. He looked over his men who awaited his orders.
"You two, go to Egypt. You two, to Turkey..." he gave out his orders and sent his men off, still leaving about ten warriors at his disposal.
"The rest, continue your duties." he commanded and sat down again. Like before, no one noticed a warrior go out of the room to report to Astevaes.
Part 2:
Setting Things Straight
Ranma - chan and Co. arrived at Jidda almost six hours ago. They checked into a small lodge where they would spend the night. This time, they only got one big room for all of them, knowing they could trust each other.
After having a very late lunch, Shampoo and Ryoga headed straight for their beds and slumped down to sleep. Meanwhile, Ranma - chan took the chance to take a bath and turn back to a guy.
After his bath, Artemis had invited Mousse to go with her to a store and get some supplies. Mousse agreed. With a kiss on Shampoo's forehead, he followed after Artemis.
That left Ranma and Ukyo to take care of Ryoga and Shampoo. Ranma and Ukyo sat facing each other. They have been playing poker since Artemis and Mousse left. It was a friendly game, no bets.
Ranma smiled. He had a good chance of winning this time. He laid out his cards on the table.
"Hah! Two pair, I win." he said, already celebrating. Ukyo giggled and pressed her cards lightly to her mouth.
"I'd really like to celebrate with you Ranchan. But..." she paused, showing him her cards, "... I've got a full house." she finished, laughing. Ranma shrunk in his seat, his face contorted.
"I'll beat you next time." he declared, trying not to look embarrassed.
Ukyo smiled and stood from her chair. She walked up to Ryoga's side and sat beside him. She brushed the bangs out of his face and smiled.
Ranma watched her as he shuffled the cards, or tried to shuffle. Eventually, he gave up. He sat back on his chair and crossed his arms.
"It's nice to see you like this." he commented. Ukyo turned to him, and slowly removed her hand from Ryoga's face.
"Like what?" she asked.
"Happy, with Ryoga." he said. Ukyo shifted her body on Ryoga's bed, making her whole body face Ranma.
"He's a good guy." she said, looking down at Ryoga. Ranma uncrossed his arms and let his elbows drop on the table.
With his hands clasped together, he leaned forward and rested his chin. Ukyo looked at him, a little worried. She should've known this would happen sooner or later.
"Ucchan..." that broke her line of thought.
"Huh?" she mumbled as she took her eyes off Ryoga's sleeping form. She was now facing Ranma, but his gaze seemed off, as if staring into nothingness.
"Have you ever felt a certain emptiness inside, that you want to scream. Or maybe search the whole world, or even the whole universe, just to fill that emptiness." he asked, but not quite sounding like a question.
"I have." she answered nonetheless. Ranma was surprised to hear a response from her. His gaze suddenly shifted and he looked at her.
"It happened ten years ago, when I..." she wanted to say 'we', but stopped herself, "...when I was in my home town. Everything was going fine, until I lost my fiancé and best friend." she said. Ranma looked downcast. He knew that she was talking about the two of them.
"Ucchan... I didn't mean to..." Ranma was cut off by Ukyo.
"I know you didn't. You didn't even know I was a girl." she said and tried to laugh, but couldn't get herself to do so. And now the tears were threatening to flow.
"I lost everything that day y... my fiancé and best friend left. And I promised myself I wouldn't stop until I find him again and restore my honor." she said, not looking at him. She looked up at the ceiling, trying to hold the tears in her eye lids.
"I found him eventually, and I wanted to punish him for leaving me. But when he said I was cute, I couldn't hate him anymore." she said and now looked at him, finding strength to smile.
Ukyo suddenly stood up and ran into his arms just as the tears she had been holding back broke free. They fell off the chair but Ranma managed to control his balance and sit up on the ground, holding Ukyo in his arms.
"Please Ranchan, don't leave me. I love you. You're the most important person in my life." she said.
Ranma's arms went around her and held her tight, but Ukyo knew it was only for friendship and nothing more.
"Ucchan, please... " he pleaded with her.
"I don't want to be alone again, I can't bear it. Please..." she pleaded back.
Ranma's hand reached up for the back of her head and he held her, like a brother to a sister.
"It's OK, Ucchan. I'll always be here for you. You're my best friend." he started.
Ukyo's cries turned into sobs. She slowly slipped out of Ranma's arms and sat back. Ranma's hand reached out to touch her cheek and wipe her tears.
"I love you, as a friend, my best friend. But I love her more than that." he explained. Ukyo nodded.
"I think I understand." she said.
"Thank you." he said and smiled at her. He was about to pull back his hand when she caught it.
"Please Ranchan. One last hug... as fiancés." she asked. "Sure." said Ranma and took her into his arms.
Ukyo didn't want to let him go, she wanted to hold him in her arms forever. But she knew that is was wrong. They held that pose for a moment which seemed to last a lifetime for Ukyo.
"Thanks. Just remember that I'll always love you." she said and sniffed. Ranma offered her some tissue and she accepted. After blowing her nose a couple of times, she turned to him.
"What was that about an emptiness?" she asked. He smiled, seeing his good - old Ucchan back.
Atlas looked nervously at the meal in front of him. After guiding Akane in her cooking, he had promised to eat it. He removed his apron and placed it on the table.
Akane watched his every move, waiting for him to taste it. Atlas sighed. He didn't want to disappoint Akane. Sure, the chicken was a bit over cooked and some prawns still had its shell.
The sauce that was supposed to be yellowish was almost brown and the green peas aren't green anymore. He just had to try it, for Akane's sake.
He took a fork and, although it was against all the systems of his body, he got a piece of chicken and slowly raised it towards his mouth. He opened his mouth and chewed, slowly.
Akane watched the whole sequence and smiled when he didn't vomit. But she was a bit disappointed when she saw him flinch and wince every now and then.
"What do you think?" she asked.
"It's alright. Just a bit..." he stopped when he saw her expression change. He smiled and offered her the fork.
"Why don't you try it?" he said in a gentle voice, very much unlike the usual Ranma reaction she gets.
She took the fork and got a piece of chicken. She noticed herself flinch and wince now and then as she chewed, just like Atlas.
"Now, what do you think?" he asked her.
"It's a little sour and bitter at the same time." she said. Akane started to have that hopeless look again. She put down the fork and took off her apron.
"I told you I can't do it." she said, bowing so he couldn't see her eyes.
"But you can." he said, raising her head by the chin with his hand.
"I believe in you. Starting tomorrow, I'll guide you in cooking until you can do it on your own." he said, trying to encourage her.
"You will?" asked Akane, hope now visible in her eyes.
"I will." he said.
Akane smiled and was suddenly hugging him. Atlas blushed and slowly let his arms wrap around her. After a moment, she let go, and so did he.
"Thanks." she said.
"You're welcome." he replied, still blushing.
After another four hours, Artemis finally returned with Mousse.
"What took you guys so long?" asked Ranma.
"We had a little trouble with money." said Artemis.
"What happened?" asked Ukyo as she dealt the cards.
"We had to go to the bank and change our money for theirs." answered Mousse as he placed the two shopping bags on the table.
"What'd you guys get?" Ranma asked as he received his cards.
"Food, first aid and other stuff." said Mousse as he unloaded the bag. Some bread, sandwich spreads, water, juices, a first aid kit and some soap could be seen.
"I'll just go out for a while, OK. You guys should be able to take care of dinner." said Artemis as she headed out the door.
"OK." said Ukyo.
"How are they?" Mousse asked.
Ranma looked over to where Mousse was. He was now standing over Shampoo's sleeping form, brushing the bangs out of her face.
"They've been asleep this whole time." he answered.
"Hey guys! I'm gonna take a bath, OK." announced Ukyo as she stood from her seat. Ranma jerked a thumb and started gathering the cards. Ten minutes had passed before either spoke a word.
"You did the right thing." finally said Mousse, breaking the silence that has formed between them. Ranma looked at him, clueless.
"What do you mean?" he asked. Mousse turned to him, a small smile on his face.
"Making a decision, a choice." he said. Ranma looks at him, surprised.
"How did you know?" he asked. Mousse snorted.
"It doesn't matter how I found out." he said. Ranma stands from his seat, walks over to the window and crossed his arms.
"I had to end it. Things have been really crazy between all of us, and I want all of this to stop." he said, looking down at the street from their room. Mousse tensed a bit.
"Then you'll..." he left that hanging.
"Yes, I will." supplied Ranma who is now facing him. He walked over to where Mousse was and stood beside him.
"She has to understand, too." he said, looking down at Shampoo. Mousse turned to Ranma and looked into his eyes. He stretched out his hand and offered a handshake, which Ranma took happily.
"Thanks." he said.
"You're welcome." he replied with a smile.
"Hey, what are you guys doing?" asked a sleepy eyed Ryoga. They let go of the others' hand and looked at him.
"Hey, how're you doing?" asked Ranma, moving over to his side.
"Better, I think." he answered, yawning.
"That's good." commented Mousse from Shampoo's bedside. Ryoga looked at him, a faint flush forming in his cheeks.
"Mousse, about what happened earlier today. I didn't mean to..." he was cut off by Mousse.
"It's alright, I understand. I might have said the same thing if I was in your place." he said.
"Thanks." said Ryoga, sitting up on his bed. Ranma sat beside him on the bed.
"Ryoga, I need to know something." he started, looking at the ground.
"What is it?" asked Ryoga.
"Do you still love Akane?" he asked, still looking down at the ground. Ryoga looked at him, surprised and confused.
*Why is he asking me this question all of a sudden?* he thought.
"Wha.." he was about to reply but Ranma interrupted.
"Ryoga, I need to know." he said, now looking him straight in the eye. They saw Mousse slowly moving out of the room.
"It's alright, Mousse." said Ryoga. He leaned back on the headboard and looked up at the ceiling.
"You know, if you asked me that question before any of this had happened, I would have hit you for asking me a question with an obvious answer." he answered.
"But now, I don't know." he started. Now, their eyes met. Ryoga looked away from Ranma, hoping he wouldn't see the tears forming in his eyes.
"I would've moved heaven and earth if she asked me to, I still will. But I know she'd love it more if you were the one to do such a thing for her, and not me." he continued.
Ryoga looked at the ceiling again, desperately trying to hide the tears, just like what Ukyo did.
"Ryoga..." Ranma started but stopped when he saw Ryoga's tears as he lowered his head.
"Ranma, I want you to make her happy." he said. Ranma was about to open his mouth to say something when Ryoga spoke again.
"Listen to me Ranma. I've loved Akane from the first day I met her. Maybe I'll love her forever. But I know she'll be happier with you." he finally admitted.
Ranma just nodded, still a bit in shock. Ryoga leaned forward and grabbed the front of Ranma's shirt and pulled his face even with him.
"Just remember, if anything bad happens to her, I'll kill you." he said.
"Come on Ryoga, as if I'm gonna let anything bad happen to her." he replied with a smile in his face.
"Good." said Ryoga, slowly letting go of his shirt. Ryoga reached out to offer a handshake, and Ranma gladly accepted. They both looked at Mousse, who nodded in appreciation.
"It's Ukyo, isn't it Ryoga?" asked Mousse from his sitting position beside Shampoo.
"Yeah..." Ryoga answered, without completely understanding the question.
"I... that is..." he tried to say something but nothing would come out.
"Don't worry Ryoga, she won't know, at least not yet." said Ranma, placing his hand on Ryoga's shoulder. He looked at Ranma, at little worried and confused.
"Is it alright, I mean..." he paused, seeing Ranma snicker.
"She's not my fiancé anymore. And even if she is, it's alright." he stops, tightening his grip on Ryoga's shoulder a little.
"Take good care of her Mr. Pig." he said.
"I will." he replied again without understanding what Ranma said. Ranma released his grip on his shoulder and moved away. Suddenly, it hit Ryoga.
"Hey. Who are you calling Mr. Pig?" he said along with a backhand that would've hit Ranma if he didn't move.
Ranma waggled his tongue at him, punctuating his insult with a, "You, Mr. Pig." he said.
"Ranmaaaaaaaaaa." Ryoga screamed, and then smiled.
"I'll let that one slide." he finished.
They all started laughing at each other. Ukyo came out of the bathroom just as Ryoga screamed and was surprised with the scene in front of her. Mousse, Ranma and Ryoga laughing with each other.
"Did I miss something?" she asked them, wrapping her hair in a turban - like form with her towel.
"Oh, nothing." they all answered in unison, and continued laughing.
"Oh, Mousse - honey, could you fix dinner?" she asked.
"Certainly." he answers as he stands from his seat.
"Thanks." said Ukyo as she entered the bathroom again, bringing fresh clothes with her. As soon as Ukyo was out of sight, Ryoga was up from his sitting position and grabbed Mousse.
"Honey?" he screamed.
"Since when did you become her honey?" he snarls at him.
"Easy Ryoga, that's how they all talk. Ukyo uses either sugar or honey." he explained.
"Yup! Kodachi uses darling and Shampoo uses airen or something like that..." added Ranma.
Ryoga slowly releases him, his hand moving to the back of his head.
"Oh... ah... hehehe... I forgot. Sorry." he said.
"That's alright." said Mousse and started fixing dinner.
For the first time since her so - called abduction, Akane was happy. She watched with an amused smile as Atlas demonstrated how to make blueberry cheesecake.
His hands were moving with gentle and graceful moves that would almost make him look like he was dancing. Almost. She had to giggle at that. She never had so much fun during cooking.
Atlas was so funny the way he was acting, no one would even think of him as a king. In a while, it was finished. Atlas gave Akane a slice of the cake. She took a bite and then chewed.
"It's good." she said.
"Well, I'm glad you liked it. I made it especially for you." he said, taking off his royal apron.
"Hmm... I wonder if Ranma would like this." she whispered.
But it was loud enough for Atlas to hear. Atlas sighed. She never noticed this because a much louder sound became audible from outside the kitchen.
The sound of glass breaking.
Atlas also noticed it and forgot his own sadness for a moment. He and Akane went out and saw one of the large mirrors shattered.
"What happened?" he demanded.
The servants bowed in front of him, trembling, not one daring to face his enraged expression. Akane put a hand on his shoulder, which, for some reason, helped calm him down.
"What happened?" he asked in a more mellow tone than before. One of the servants managed to look up and spoke.
"We don't know. We have just finished dusting the walls when we passed the mirror." he explained.
Atlas looked at him, an incredulous expression on his face. The servant bowed once more in terror. Akane removed her hand from his shoulder and bent down to touch the servant on the shoulder.
"Tha... that's the t... tr... ruth La... Lady A... Akane." he stuttered. Akane put her hand on his.
"Don't worry. It's alright." she said in a soothing tone. The servants managed to smile a bit. She gave his hand a last squeeze and then rose to face Atlas. He sighed.
"I apologize for the outburst." he said.
"It's OK." she said and started to walk back into the kitchen. He turned to follow, but turned back instantly to the servants.
"You..." he pointed at one of them.
"Sire?" he asked.
"Get Astevaes to fix this." he commanded.
"Yes, your majesty." he answered. Satisfied, Atlas followed Akane into the kitchen.
Later that day, after dinner, Akane and Merian passed by the mirror that was broken earlier. Akane stopped in front of it and studied it, Merian standing beside her.
"Looks brand new. Didn't even seem that it got broken." she commented, touching the mirror's surface.
Merian didn't say anything. She just tensed at the mention of the incident. Akane felt this and turned to her.
"What is it?" she asked, curious.
"Nothing." said Merian, almost reflexively. Akane raised an eyebrow at her, seeing that she was hiding something.
"C'mon, what is it?" she pressed. Merian sighed, finally giving up.
"Let us at least talk about it in your room." she said. Akane nodded and they hurried to her room.
"OK, what gives?" she asked.
"I'm just nervous." she admitted. Akane looked at her, obviously confused.
"A broken mirror means bad luck, you know, like an omen." she explained.
"What do you mean?" she asked, still not understanding.
"Whoever was standing in front of the mirror, or was near it and thinking about something might be affected." she said.
Akane thought back to the incident. She was thinking of Ranma when the mirror broke. She tensed.
*Oh no, what if something happened to him...* she thought worriedly.
After a while...
*No. This is Ranma I'm talking about, nothing happens to him...* she thought back. But she can't quite get that sinking feeling out of her system. Like she was sure something had or will happened.
"Hey." Merian said, placing her hand on her shoulder.
"Huh." said Akane.
"Are you alright?" asked Merian.
"Yeah..." said Akane.
*No...* she thought deep inside.
"So that's why Atlas was pissed." she said, trying to change, or in this case, make a conversation.
"Yeah..." started Merian, explaining everything to Akane.
But she wasn't listening. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Ranma.
*I hope he's OK.* she thought. Just like before, she had a sinking feeling that he wasn't.
In fact, something had happened to Ranma. Aside from the fact that he was now back in girl - form, thanks to Ukyo who woke him up with a splash, he had already made his decision.
Ranma had chosen Akane, the same girl who offered him friendship the first day they met at the dojo when everyone, except Genma, was complaining about Ranma being a girl.
The same girl who always pounded him into a pulp. The same girl he saved time and again. The same girl who always complained about their engagement. The same girl with a smile that could melt his heart.
That very girl.
He already talked to Ukyo about his decision. And Ukyo, being the very caring, understanding and loving girl she is, accepted and respected his decision, even though it would hurt her.
But she wanted Ranma to be happy. She wanted to keep Ranma all to herself, but she knew better. And letting him go was the best thing to do.
After a little crying session, she was back to her old, cheerful self. Of course, she was still hurting.
That same night, while the others were sleeping soundly, Ukyo stayed in the bathroom for hours, weeping, crying her eyes out. She cried herself to sleep, feeling all the pain, the ache of losing Ranma.
But when she woke up the next day, she was a new person, a new Ukyo. She was still the same actually, only without the Ranma fixation. Ranma also talked to Ryoga about his decision.
He was surprised that Ryoga didn't kill him or anything. Instead, he sort of gave up on Akane. Not that he really made progress with her or anything.
Ryoga loves Akane more than anything in the world. He knew he could never have Akane for himself. Her happiness was the only thing that mattered.
If he were to give up on her, he would want her to end up with someone who can protect her and make her happy. He never would've thought of Ranma before, but now, seeing how much he really loves Akane, Ranma is the guy.
And they are engaged. Ranma thanked Ryoga for that. But he knew he wasn't finished yet. He still had to talk to Shampoo about the engagement. He already told Mousse about it and he was mighty thankful.
After that, he only needed to do one more thing. He needed to save Akane and tell her the truth. The truth that he loves her.
But the true danger of losing Akane is still at hand, a journey he must survive, a fight he must win, and a test of true love he must pass.
End of Chapter 7
From the author:
The words in UNDERLINE are spoken or thought in Chinese in this chapter.
Is it really Ranma - chan or Ranma - onna for Ranma's girl - type form?
If you ask me what I think, I think Ranma - onna is more proper because onna is the Japanese word for girl. "Ranma - onna" literally means "Ranma - girl". But I would still prefer "Ranma - chan" which literally means "Ranma - cute and small". Ranma or Ranma - chan, I still treat him as a guy. You may see some parts where Ranma is in girl form, but I'm using words like he, him, his, etc.
Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams. Just wanted to be a little "Tatewaki Kuno - like" for once.
About the treatment for the fever, different people in different countries treat fever differently. Did that make any sense? I hope it did. Don't bomb me if I did a different treatment of fever from yours. Some people make a big deal out of that.
Shoyu - Japanese style soy sauce.
OK, so I didn't put a fight or power scene in here. This chapter is really a part or a major turning point in the story, and most especially for the sequels. One is for Shampoo and Mousse and one is for Ryoga and Ukyo as the major stories.
Oh, one pre - reader said that this chapter is a bit heavy, you know, sentimental. I'm really sorry but like I said, this is part of the story. This is sort of like the foundation of their new relationships after being in love with Ranma ( Shampoo and Ukyo ), and with Akane ( Ryoga ). Mousse is a constant.
Another pointed out the names of the spirit guardians: Patrios ( nature ), Koseiden ( earth or land ), Hurrias ( wind ), Ferrion ( fire ), Proteus ( water ) and Dragos ( dragon god ). All these names were just invented by yours truly. I didn't do any research on ancient names or anything like that anymore. Besides, I always wanted to use those names for some reason.
Yes, a broken mirror means seven years bad luck. I kinda twisted that idea here. I needed a sign or an omen, and I can't exactly have dogs or wolves howling inside a palace. Other omens will show up in the next chapter. This omen - thing will give the fanfic a twist, I think. Whatever! It will definitely do something to the Ranma - Akane relationship.
All comments, suggestions, criticisms and the like, please click the link below.
All Ranma 1/2 characters copyright to Rumiko Takahashi. They are used without permission. Please do not sue me, I don't have money.
©1999 Shirley Joy Gadia, all other characters mentioned above and the story, all rights reserved.
Thank you!