The Mask of Saotome Ranma
Chapter Four
A/N- It's been a while, a long while! Almost six months?! Yikes… Sorry, but writer's block plus me working on different things equals slow updates. Plus, the little muse has been rather flighty…
"Are you telling me that you offered my hand in marriage to whomever could defeat Kuno?!" A young woman's irate voice shrieked; the volume raising as she came to the end. Akane had recently discovered that her father and conniving sister had put her up for sale, so to speak, and she was not happy. Rather than extract her out of the undesirable match with lord Kuno, she had been set as a prize for anyone who could beat him. It was almost worst to not know one's fate, especially compared to being married to Kuno. But, not by much. An unknown fate versus one that was certain to be unpleasant; it was basically a toss up and the odds were not good.
"Akane," her father pleaded with his usual show of tears streaming down his face. "Please understand that I did not wish to place you in such an uncomfortable position, but for the good of the dojo and this family, I had to. Please forgive your foolish father for trying to better his family!" Soun cried out, finishing with exaggerated signs of begging for forgiveness.
"Besides, the deal is off now, isn't it?" Nabiki interjected nonchalantly. "I mean, you beat Kuno, so now he can't marry you and since you can't marry yourself, you're free."
"That's right!" Soun suddenly brightened; all signs of tears had completely vanished. "See, your father isn't as stupid as he may seem. This is the best of both worlds! We don't have to pay the debt and you don't have to marry!"
"Yeah, so you can stop huffing and puffing." Nabiki added, taking pains to ignore the angry glares from her sister's glowering face.
"You don't get it! I know I'm free from this obligation, but the principle of this is that you felt that you could offer me up like some kind of object. I am not a possession, I'm your daughter!" Akane argued, still in shock that her own father would consider giving her up to such a heinous person for a wife.
"I agree with Akane, I don't think you both acted in a rightful manner. I suppose it is father's right to do as he thinks is best for this family, but it wasn't right to offer Akane's hand in marriage without even telling her." Kasumi argued, trying to debate for both sides at the same time. Fighting was never good and such a fight could undermine their little family. It was up to her to stop it!
"But Akane, surely you can't be still mad! I mean, luck must be on our side! You don't have to marry Kuno!" Her father said cheerfully, although he was starting to shrink back from his fuming daughter. She was a force to be reckoned with, especially when she was mad. At those times, Akane was no longer known as simple Akane. No, she wielded a power that rivaled the natural disasters of this world. 'Hurricane Akane' was a thing to be afraid of and rightly so.
"I was lucky this time," she admitted, "But what about the next time? What will happen then? I need some time to think." Akane shook her head in disgust and stormed off while her father stuttered, searching for a suitable answer. Kasumi rose to stop her, but she refrained herself. At times like these, it was best to be left alone. Soun burst into a fresh river of tears while Kasumi tried her best to soothe him. Nabiki idly chewed on some dried fruit, her thoughts wandering about her little sister's words. Perhaps they did go too far.
Akane ran off, her feet pounded against the hard wood floors. Thoroughly distraught and angry, she felt the need to break something or do something drastic. She needed some busy work to keep her consuming anger in check. She thought of helping Kasumi with the dishes, but knew that her clumsiness would be more of a nuisance than a help. Her footfalls slowed and the once harsh sounds of her heels pounding against the floor had quieted to the normal sound of walking. Akane wandered aimlessly around the house, replaying her father's words and growing angrier each time. How dare he do such a thing!?
A small groan stopped her in her tracks. Akane found herself in front of the room where the stranger rested. She had almost forgotten about the red-haired stranger when she found out about her father's dimwitted ploy. Anger did that, often ignoring everything in its path to vengeance. Akane stared dumbly at the door and wondered if she should go in. This strange girl was most intriguing and the style of clothing that she wore was even more perplexing. Akane wondered where this girl had traveled and where did she come from. But most importantly, why was she fighting Kuno? Surely, she did not want to marry Akane! Akane laughed at her train of thought. Most likely, she was fighting off one of Kuno's not-so-subtle advances of which he was infamous for. It also looked like she was winning; until she fainted, that was.
Akane slid the door open a bit and was surprised to find the girl sitting up and wolfing down her food. 'Such manners!' Akane thought to herself. She was shocked to see anyone eat food so fast. The poor girl must be famished! Akane observed the girl's frantic consumption quietly, thinking it better to leave her to finish before disturbing her. The girl finished in record time and busily wiped her mouth clean with the back of her hand when she suddenly froze, aware for the first time of another presence in the room. Akane took it as her cue to announce herself.
"Hello, I didn't want to disturb you while you were eating. You looked…hungry." She laughed feebly at her lack of words to describe the other's eating…skills. The young girl blinked dumbly at her. Akane continued uncomfortably, "I'm sorry! You're probably wondering where you are and who am I."
"I know who you are, I think. You're that Akane girl being offered on those posters, right?" Akane's jaw suddenly clenched in anger, her teeth ground against each other. Even this traveling drifter knew about those wretched posters! The other girl drew back at the sudden change in her host's demeanor. Akane's face relaxed and she sighed deeply.
"Yeah, that's me! How'd you guess?" She asked with a falsely cheerful tone in her voice that was clearly forced. Akane hoped the other girl would take her previous scowl as displeasure at something else.
"Guess you didn't know about it, huh? You got a pretty raw deal. No wonder you're mad. Makes sense."
"I just can't believe that my own family would try to pawn me off to any stranger! It's like my happiness means nothing to them! And me being the prize to any idiot who can beat Kuno! HA!" The girl seethed as she paced relentlessly on the floor, unaware of the other being in the room. Finally she stopped herself, "I'm sorry. Here I am, rambling like a lunatic. I forgot to ask you your name."
The girl jumped, finally noticed that she was addressed. "Oh, my name's Ranma, Saotome Ranma."
"I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Ranma."
"Oh, by the way, whatever happened to that Kuno nut?" Akane smiled at her description of the lordly Kuno.
"He got knocked out and is presently resting in some room in this house."
Ranma gaped at her, "You knocked him out?" Disbelief and something akin to jealously tinted her voice.
"Yeah." Akane smiled brightly, not noticing the skepticism that hung in the air.
"So, I guess that means you're freed from that silly marriage clause."
"Yes I am, thankfully. But the thing is, I don't understand why father and Nabiki had to make that tournament. I mean, if all I had to do was defeat Kuno to be freed of that…arrangement. You saw him fight. He's not even that good of a fighter!" Ranma flinched, conscious of the slight insult to his skills.
"Yeah, yeah. A girl like you should have no trouble at defeating a person like that," Ranma started slowly, "especially with your build, you've got to be the strongest girl around."
Akane stared at the girl, was it possible that Ranma just insulted her? And why? Baffled she answered slowly, "Yes…thanks…for the compliment."
"Sure, sure, think nothing of it. I mean, girls like you need a talent too. Some people are gifted with appearances, others with skills and finally, people like you are gifted with inhuman strength." Ranma tried to make her insult not too pointed, but she hoped the other girl understood what she meant.
"How dare you?! Who are you to insult me? You don't even know me!" Akane exploded in all her fury.
"What are you getting all angry about? I'm just being honest!" Ranma insisted, trying to look innocent.
"While, we're being honest, let me be one to say that I have never seen someone with such a lack of manners." Akane retorted haughtily.
"What about my manners?" Ranma asked, her voice dangerously low. She wobbled slightly as she spoke, but managed to keep herself upright.
"Manners?" Akane laughed, "You don't have any. And since you are a guest in my home, I would expect more respect from a guest who we fed and clothed." Then she stopped talking and a look of chagrin passed while she spoke, partly to herself. "What am I doing? You're probably still delirious from your fever and here I am just arguing away with you. I'll send Kasumi later with some food and medicine. Please excuse me." And with that, she slipped out of the room and slid the door shut to the astonished face of her guest.
After exiting the room where she found herself in an increasing heated quarrel with a stranger, Akane was angry at the girl, but angrier at herself. True, the girl was insulting and rude and not only that, she was ungracious. But, still she was a guest and a stranger who was probably still in the grips on her fever induced delirium. Akane pondered over her own actions, there was something about this girl and her actions that irritated her so easily, but what exactly was it? Perhaps it was her own temper, which she grudgingly admitted was easily provoked and when angered, it was not exactly a simple task reasoning with her. She envied Kasumi's eternally patient manner and yet, when she tried to emulate her sister, Akane found that she could not remain quiet while her sister would only smile cheerfully. No, she would say something, anything and usually that something was rash and never came out quite the way she wanted to. Akane had been known to say rather hurtful things when provoked and although she had as many outbursts as she grew, she never grew out of the habit. Hurting someone felt surprisingly good when she was in her spiteful mode. It was only afterward when she would be terribly contrite for her words, but even as she apologized, there was always the lingering feeling of victory of hurting someone.
Hours later, after arranging and rearranging the few heavy pieces of furniture in her room, Akane reemerged calm and ready to face her family without anger. She walked toward the family room where her father was entertaining a guest or more like guests by the sound of the different voices. Idly curiously, she went to peek at them. If her father was planning something foolish again, she would stop him before he sold their house and his daughters in another gamble. Just thinking about the fate that nearly befell her made Akane walk faster. Life as Kuno's wife! The mere idea was enough to give her a month's worth of nightmares.
"That disgusting pervert," she muttered when she turned the corner and crashed head-on into another person.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Akane stammered, aghast at her own clumsiness. She scrambled back onto her feet, bowing to show her apologies toward the other person and not looking at the other person.
"It's okay, Akane." A soft boyish tone reached her ears and she looked up, startled to see a boy with black hair. However she could not see the rest of his face clearly for it was obscured by a black mask. Akane stared into his eyes, a clear deep blue that fairly twinkled and shone in something close to amusement. They were beautiful.
She blinked out of her staring. "Do I know you?"
"Um…You could say that." He seemed to smirk at her. Akane was thoroughly perplexed. First he was amused, and then he was smirking at her. She examined him closely and those intelligent eyes stared back at her, causing her to lose her train of thought.
"Oh, I'm sorry." She apologized again. "I met you before, didn't I? I'm not that good with matching names with faces, so don't take it personal."
He seemed to relax, "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll see each other soon."
The way he said "sure" made Akane slightly uncomfortable for some reason. She was sure that her face was quite red by the warmth that seemed to radiate from it. Something about this stranger made her suspicious and it wasn't even the fact that she couldn't see his face. It was the familiar way he acted and she still had no idea where she met him.
"Well, I have to go now, but it was a pleasure to see you again." With a quick bow, he swept away to disappear with the rising winds. Akane opened her mouth to ask him his name, but found that he was gone.
'Who was that masked man?' She asked herself as she felt her face with her relatively cool hand. It was indeed rather warm. She walked away from the spot of that strange incident, in search of her family and answers. Perhaps Nabiki knew, as she always did. Of course, for a small finder's fee. Akane wondered if she had enough money to loosen her sister's tongue.
"Might I inquire why my liege fights so hard over a girl he has only met twice? Even if she is a princess?" The prince did not answer and so he continued. "Is it possible that you have fallen in love with her?" He breathed, scarcely believing his own audacity to ask such a question. Even his heart beat slightly faster, but was it because of the question or the answer, he was unsure.
"No," The prince replied firmly and his companion breathed a little easier. "But she is my bride and our marriage will bring union to our two nations," The prince concluded. He had spoken the truth. If allowed, he would rather marry one he loved, but his position and politics demanded something quite different. To be royalty was not to have control over one's life, no matter the other great powers one might wield, he reflected sadly.
Turning back to his friend, he smiled, "You knew the princess, did you not?" He hoped to distract himself and his friend from thinking too much about the disappearance of the princess and the terrible civil war that ripped across the country as a result. He pondered briefly over the conversation he had with his parents and the promise he made, but how could he risk the wrath of the princess's family and nation? His companion spoke, interrupting his dark thoughts.
The young man smiled, his gaze drifted out of focus while he recalled the days of his youth. "Yes, I knew her when she stayed in my native village. But that was so long ago. I'm sure I would not even recognize her now." He answered, still somewhat lost in his memories. Still he was conscious enough to belittle his once strong friendship with the princess. It would not do for anyone to be too familiar with the prince's future bride and he knew this well.
"Tell me about her." The prince asked, even though an authoritative undercurrent rang through his courteous request.
The young man paused and reflected on his many memories and the fantastical stories he might share with his prince, if he dared. But no, he shook his head; such stories were unfit to be told as they showed the princess as a less than obedient granddaughter and even perhaps an unsuitable bride. He smiled as he recalled the night they went "camping" and later stole hens out of a nearby farm. They roasted them and had a midnight snack near the river. It was most delicious, perhaps more because what they were doing was forbidden. Imagine a princess and a commoner, stealing chickens! When the village elder caught them the following day, they were both swiftly punished, but somehow the night before made it less painful. He was truly happy then.
"Please tell me," The prince asked again, with a light pleading tone. The young man laughed, it was hard to think of this young prince as anything other than the military brain that he usually was. Most of the time, he almost forgot that Prince Tenchu was still a young man.
He nodded his head, showing that he would try his best to tell a befitting tale, but he warned, "I'm not sure it is proper to portray the young and sometimes foolish girl that she was, but alright." And with that he started his story.
A few moments later, the small room was filled with unrestrained laughter of two young men, who were both unaccustomed to laughing so hard. One told his story while the other leaned forward on his chair with his eyes shining, evidently enthralled by the comical tale being told.
"And she chased that duck for over half a mile!" The young man added, laughing at the prince whose eyes were wider than he thought possible.
"She chased it?! But, how so? Why didn't it just fly away?" The prince asked, between gasps of air.
"Well, the duck's wings were bound, but its feet were not, which started this whole mess in the first place. And she, being stubborn, kept on running after it, even though she kept on tripping on her long dress!" He explained.
"And where were you during this wild duck chase?" The prince asked skeptically, even though he thought he had an idea.
"Oh, I was not ten feet away, laughing my guts out, much like you are now!" The young man confessed, holding his stomach which was sore from laughing so hard. They burst out laughing anew.
"Ah, that really was a silly story. I'll never be able to look the princess straight in the eye again without remembering this story and laughing at her face. Thanks a lot!" The prince smiled, after he finally able to speak coherently again and wiped out tears from his eyes. He could not remember the last time either of them laughed so much. It felt good. A small knock at the door, broke the merry atmosphere. The prince's attention snapped to the timid head that poked out of the doorway.
"Enter," He commanded, slightly annoyed to be interrupted. However, his words merely scared the poor page, who fairly trembled in fear.
"S-sir? Y-y-your parents re-request your presence. Immediately." The boy stuttered. His knees knocked together loudly. It was his first job and he had already angered the prince!
"Did they say why?" The prince's voice was suddenly hard again. Even his close friend could not read any emotions from his voice.
"An emergency, they said." The page squeaked.
"Fine, tell them I will be there in a few moments." The page bowed and quickly rustled out of the room, shutting the door silently behind him.
"You should come with me; you might see something that we've all missed." Prince Tenchu turned to his friend who nodded.
"As you wish my liege." He followed the prince out of the room that was once filled with laughter and happiness. Now, it seemed darker and even colder, if that was possible. The door closed with a heavy thud and while he shuffled silently behind his prince, his thoughts returning to the lost princess. Where was she now?
A/N- There, now. That's done! Finally, the prince is revealed! But who is he?? And his friend? Wait and see.
