Disclaimers: I do not own Ranma ½
Chapter Three: A Fiery Incident
Two tired figures were making their way down the dusty road. The female looking somewhat disgruntled and the male equally mad, rubbing the red mark on his cheek that resembled a hand print.
"Look, I said I was sorry," Ranma grumbled his hundredth apology. Akane just straightened up, and stalk off ahead of him.
"You're nothing but a pervert!" She threw at him, her face flushing in anger.
"How was I suppose to know that you were going to wash while I was," Ranma pointed out. "Besides, if you look at this reasonably, you were the one to walk in on me," Ranma said, trying to get Akane to just see his way. But he was just digging himself a deeper grave.
"Me! You're calling me the pervert?!" Akane asked incredulously.
"No!" Ranma rushed out. "I'm just saying that no one is at fault, and so we have no reason to be angry with each other," Ranma tried to save himself.
"Hmph! You don't understand do you pervert," Akane snapped.
"That's it! I'm sick of you calling me pervert! I wasn't trying to get a peek at your body… not like there's anything worth looking at," he mumbled. Akane's eye twitched at the comment. Her hand was clenching and unclenching, not a good sign.
"What's that suppose to mean?!" Akane screeched, whirling around.
"Meaning that you're built like a brick!" Ranma shouted back, having a feeling of déjà vu.
"Why you… jerk!" She yelled, hitting his head with her magic staff.
"Ow! That hurts!" Ranma shouted in pain.
"That's what's suppose to happen when you hit someone!" Akane countered, moving down that path again.
"Tomboy," Ranma grumbled, following her. "How do you know where to go?" He asked, noticing that Akane always seemed to know in which direction they should head.
"I don't," she commented. Ranma almost tripped upon hearing that.
"Then why are we going this way?" He asked, receiving an annoyed sigh from Akane.
"Listen," she muttered, turning to face him. "I may be here to guide you, but I don't know exactly where all the shards are. So I'm just heading to the closest own to see if they heard of anything."
"You mean we're walking aimlessly around with no destination?" Ranma shouted.
"Yeah, you could look at it like that. So what, you've got a problem with it?" She asked, raising an eyebrow curiously at him.
"Yeah, actually I do!" Ranma retorted, getting into her face.
"What are you going to do about it?" She sneered, moving towards him, noses just inches apart.
"I'm going to…" Ranma started, but stopped as his nose picked up a foul smell. He sniffed the air and his eyes widened. "Fire!" He shouted, jumping over Akane, and running down the road.
"Huh?" Akane looked confused until she could smell the distinct smell of smoke. She moved her staff into a more comfortable position, and took off after Ranma.
The two didn't have to run far until they came upon the scene of a burning house. The flames were licking the roof, and engulfing the whole bottom floor. The two teens rushed to what looked like the family, standing in front of the flame in-cased house. The father seemed to be holding a grief stricken looking woman from running into the death trap.
"What's going on?" Ranma questioned as soon as he reached them. Looking from the man to the woman and back to the man.
"Help! Please help us!" The woman screamed with wild eyes, looking at Ranma. "My daughter is…" But her yell was over powered by a high pitch scream coming from within the house.
"What the hell?!" Ranma shouted. Looking toward the flames. On the upper level he squinted towards the open window and saw the faint outline of a body.
"My daughter and son are still in there!" The mother screamed frantically, trying yet again to wriggle out of her husband's tight grip.
"Please stop Megumi!" The man yelled, holding her tighter. Now that Ranma looked at it, it seemed more like he was hugging her rather than holding her back. "I don't want to lose you along with them!" His tear streaked face cried into her hair. "We can have more kids," he moved a hand to her stomach. "But don't leave me too! Please don't leave me too!" He yelled in a begging tone.
"My… babies…" she murmured, calming somewhat, falling to her knees with her husband in tow. "My… babies… I want them… to be safe… and live long… lives…" She cried into her husbands shoulders, hugging him like a life line.
For some reason, watching this woman, he saw his own mother in her and how she must of felt when his pop took him away… Her not knowing he was safe except the few letters pop sent. He looked towards the house, to the crying couple, and back to the house. He nodded his head as if to say yes to some unasked question, and ran towards the house.
"Ranma, what are you doing?!" Akane screamed, worry taking over.
"I'll be back, just stay here Akane! Just trust me, I'll be back!" He yelled to her as he jumped up, and through the window.
"Idiot! Are you trying to kill yourself?!" She screamed, feeling more worry. She threw his words to the wind and ran towards the house.
Ranma lightly landed on the rotting hay lain floor. He took a quick glance around the room, and squinted towards the back corner. He could see the outline of a small body cowering in the corner, next to a body lying on the floor. The two encircled by flames. Ranma jumped high into the air and landed in the middle of the fire circle.
"Don't be afraid," Ranma said gently, walking slowly to the frightened girl. "I'm just here to help," he said.
"Where's my mama?" The little girl asked, obviously scared.
"She's outside waiting for her little girl," Ranma said.
"Are you going to take me and Katsu to mama?" She asked, before going into a fit of coughs from inhaling too much smoke. Ranma could tell the situation would get worst if she inhaled anymore, so he took off his red Chinese shirt and gave it to her.
"Cover your mouth with this," he explained to her questioning look. She smiled and did as she was told. "Yes I am going to bring you guys to your mom, so just give me your hand," he said smoothly. The girl just gave a small nod and put her small hand in his.
"Watch out!" She screamed suddenly, her eyes widening in horror. Ranma gave her a confused look as the fallen beam fell. It hit Ranma hard against the head. The girl screamed as Ranma's limp body fell to the floor. "Mister! Mister! Wake up Mister!"
Akane's ears perked up as she heard a child's voice scream.
"Mister! Mister! Wake up Mister!" Kept ringing through her mind.
'Oh no!' She thought the worst. "Ranma!" She screamed, closing near the firs. She raised her staff, which was a plain black rod, on top were three ovals connected in a triangular formation, and on the two lower ovals were two rings each. The top oval had wing like patterns coming from it, and on the top was a white crystal. "Gods of the age of old, hear my plea and let it be… Waterwheel!" She shouted. Suddenly her staff stared to glow, and her crystal was turning and whirling and turned an ocean blue-green color. Dark black clouds began gathering and swirling above the burning building, then rain began to fall from the overfilled clouds.
"Soon the fire was extinguished, and all that was left from the damage was a barely standing building with smoke resonating from it. Akane rushed through the burnt archway where the door used to be. She looked quickly around, trying to find any sign of Ranma. She heard a noise from above and her head whipped in the direction.
"Who are you?" A little girl asked down to her.
"My name is Akane Tendo," Akane answered softly. "Is everyone okay?" She asked in a little too enthusiastic voice.
"I'm fine, but my brother had passed out early… and this Mister… he got hit on the head," she said in a worried voice. "Do you know the Mister?" She asked, seeing the horror on Akane's face.
"How do I get up there?" Akane asked, oblivious to the question.
"There's a ladder, but it got burned," the girl explained.
"Is there rope up there?" She asked, panicking. "Ranma needs medical attention and fast."
"Ranma? Is that the name of the Mister?"
"Yes, now is there rope up there?" Akane asked again.
"Um… I'll have to check," she called down. Akane watched as her head disappeared.
"Are they okay?!" The father asked, running into the open aired room. Megumi not far behind.
"Daddy! Mama!" The little girl yelled happily, as her head reappeared.
"Sayuri you're okay?! Thank the heavens you're okay!" Megumi called out, beginning to cry a little.
"Sayuri what's going on?" The father yelled.
"Well, there's two sleeping boys up here," she told her father. "Oh! Also there isn't any rope up here," she called to Akane."Are there any ways up there?" Akane asked the man.
"There's a ladder up at the house," the man told her. Akane looked at him as if he were crazy.
"This is your house…" Akane spoke what was on her mind.
"What… this is our barn… you see…" The man was about to explain, but Megumi cut her off.
"Kentaro, we can explain later, right now we need that ladder!" She demanded in a high pitch voice. The man jumped, and nodded, too afraid to answer.
"Akane impatiently tapped her foot against the hard dirt ground. She let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding as she saw Kentaro make his way back, in his grip was a ladder. He quickly propped it against the loft and climbed up. He soon appeared on the ladder again, with Sayuri on his back clinging to his neck and Katsu was in his arms.
"Is Ranma okay?" She asked him as he touched the ground. He gave her a confused look.
"Ranma?" He questioned. Then the realization dawned on him. "Is Ranma the name of the at fellow un-conscience up there?" He pointed a thumb up to the loft.
"Yes, yes… Is he okay?" She asked again, not really sure why she cared so much.
"Well… we need to get him down fast, and treat him. He gots a mighty fine lump on his head and looks like he, like Katsu, passed out from inhaling a little too much smoke," Kentaro explained worriedly. "But that fellow looks a bit heavy… I'm gonna need some help."
"No, I'll goo up there, you just stay there," Akane commanded, beginning to climb the ladder, staff in hand. She rushed to his unmoving form once she reached the top. "Ranma!" She called out, shaking him gently. "Ranma wake up! Come on Ranma, you can't die before you even start the journey!" But Ranma didn't answer, he just lay there, just the moving of his chest assured Akane he wasn't dead. Akane rushed to the edge and looked down at Kentaro. "Listen, I'm sending him down, so just stand there ready to receive him," Akane rushed an explanation, ignoring Kentaro's confused look.
"What are you going to do, throw him down?" Kentaro asked, scratching his head. But he didn't get a reply.
Akane walked over to Ranma, and lifted her staff above his chest. "Gods of the age of old, hear my plea and let it be… Floating wind,' she murmured softly.''
Suddenly the wings on the top oval moved and flapped lightly, while the crystal turned a misty white color. Akane was mumbling soft words while concentrating hard on Ranma. Soon a light breeze floated throughout the loft, miraculously picking up Ranma.
She pointed her staff in the direction of the ledge, and the wind began moving his body over there. Kentaro's and his family's eyes widened, seeing the young man floating in the air. Akane whispered a few more words and Ranma's body began to descend. Kentaro finally caught on to what Akane was saying and reached up and picked him out of the wind.
"Okay, I've got him!" Kentaro shouted up as he gently placed Ranma on the ground. Akane herself began making her way down the ladder. She rushed over to them. "We'll take him up to our house and take care of his injuries there," Kentaro answered the question in Akane's eyes. Kentaro picked up Ranma and made his way out.
"Come on dear, everything will be all right," Megumi said kindly, she herself was holding Katsu.
"I hope so…" Akane murmured, still worried.
"Come on, let's follow daddy," Sayuri said, pulling on Akane's hand. Akane felt a small smile tug at her lips as she willingly followed the child.
Ranma's eyes slowly fluttered open, to look at a low wooden ceiling. The room's lighting was very dim, seeing the source was just a candle on a small table located next to the bed.
'What happened?' Ranma asked himself, before memories began to flood through his mind. 'How did I get out?' He looked confused as he tried to lift his right arm to scratch his throbbing head, but it was a little difficult with some added weight on it. Ranma moved his head to find out why his arm was so heavy.
His eyes softened at the sight of a sleeping Akane hugging his arm, their fingers entwined. Ranma used his other hand and brushed some hair out of her eyes, and stroking her cheek. 'Wonder how long she's been there?' He thought, smirking somewhat.
He was broken out of his thoughts as the door on the far side of the room opened. The little girl from before shyly poked her head into the room, and her face brightened seeing Ranma awake.
"Nice to meet you Mister! I'm Sayuri Nikomachi!" She explained, bounding into the room.
"I'm Ranma Saotome," Ranma whispered quietly, shaking the girl's hand with his free arm.
"Why are you whispering?" Sayuri whispered playfully. Ranma just nodded his head towards Akane. Sayuri looked at Akane's sleeping form and smiled. "Oh, I was wondering why she never came out. She's been in there since the doctor left."
"Do you know what time it is?" Ranma questioned.
"It's night."
"What time?" Ranma asked again.
"Night time," Sayuri said again.
"But what time at night?" Ranma asked exasperated only to be answered by a confused look. "Where's a clock?"
"What's a clock?" Sayuri asked curiously.
"Wha…" Ranma was confused, until realization dawned on him. 'There's no technology in this land!' He yelled in his mind.
"Thank you Miser Ranma for trying to save us," Sayuri said.
"Just call me Ranma, 'Mister' makes me twitch and feel old," Ranma explained.
"Okay Ranma," Sayuri said happily. "Mama said that if you're awake you should get some dinner," Sayuri said, hopping off the bed and making her way to the door. "Are you coming?"
"Yeah," Ranma replied, gently prying Akane off himself, and placing her on the bed. He followed right behind Sayuri when he was done.
"Oh you're awake!" Megumi exclaimed as she was bustling around the kitchen, placing dishes on the table. "The ki… Sayuri already had dinner, now it's time for the adults."
"Where am I?" Ranma asked confused.
"Why you're in our kitchen," Megumi smiled, pulling out a chair for him.
"But it burned down… didn't it?" Ranma scratched the back of his head, getting more confused.
"Ah, we'll discuss that at dinner, shall we?" Megumi said winking. She moved to the door and called out. "Kentaro! Dinner is ready!" Then she moved over to Sayuri and bent down to her level. "Sayuri honey, it's time for the grown-ups to eat and talk about big news. So sweetie go play with your dolly in your room, okay sweetie?" She coaxed, slightly pushing her towards her bedroom.
"Okay mama," Sayuri said happily, skipping the rest of the way.
"So it's chow time eh? What are we having tonight?" Kentaro asked, walking towards them, throwing his hat aside.
"Rice, pork, the usual," Megumi smiled. "With a hint of answers." She winked. Kentaro caught what she was saying and took on a more solemn look.
"Look Ran-ma I think it was. First off we'd like to thank you for risking your life to try and save our children from our burning barn," Kentaro thanked.
"Bran?!" Ranma questioned with wide eyes.
"Yes… Megumi and myself were working in the fields while Katsu and Sayuri were playing in the barn like always. We were making quite a lot of progress when we smelt smoke in the air. We ran to the barn and our hearts froze. Somehow it had caught on fire," Kentaro said sadly.
"Do you have any idea how it might of happened?" Ranma asked. The couple exchanged a nervous glance, before both nodded.
"We think it might be…" Megumi started, but was cut off as she broke into tears.
"It's okay honey," Kentaro said soothingly, rushing to her side. It took a while to calm Megumi back down. Afterwards, he gave Ranma a stern look as he said, "We believe the culprits are The Bad Boy Wolves…"