Yay! I'm on a roll here, people!! Thank you so much for all of your
reviews, I have individual comments at the end of the chapter :D
Again, Lost Time Illustrations can be found on my ff.net author page! Please check them out and let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Ranma ½ or Inuyasha characters... though I wish I did... hehe.
Lost Time Chapter 6
The day trudged on as the group made their way to where Naraku had last been seen. Inuyasha had guessed that he would probably be somewhere in the area, and Kagome had thought she sensed the Shikon shards somewhere in that direction.
The sun was almost setting when she glanced over at Inuyasha, who walked in front of her. "You do know what tonight is, don't you, Inuyasha?" she asked, and watched as his shoulders tensed.
He didn't respond, and she took it as a hint that he didn't want to discuss the matter. Not many people knew about the life of a half demon. Once a month, Inuyasha's human blood took over, and he lost all of his demon qualities. Inuyasha didn't like to tell anyone about it because he considered the night of a new moon to be his weakest night, and he had far too many enemies to let his secret get out. The worst part of it was the fact that he could no longer use Tetsusaiga when he was in his human form, which meant that he couldn't protect any of his companions. Inuyasha never closed his eyes on such nights.
"We're halfway there," Inuyasha finally spoke up loud enough so that everyone could hear him. "Let's stop for the night."
Kagome could see that he had his eyes on the lowering sun that was quickly making its way down the horizon.
Ranma pushed past her and gave Inuyasha's shoulder a shove. "Are you kidding me, moron? It's barely sundown. We could still go a long way today."
Inuyasha's expression was serious as he looked back at Ranma. "We're stopping, and that's final. Put down your stuff, MORON."
Ranma raised his fists and looked like he was about to start a fight, but Inuyasha turned around and continued walking. "I think there's a clearing up ahead," he said, leaving Ranma standing there in shock.
Kagome, Akane and Ranma followed after him, only to find the clearing and no Inuyasha.
"Where did he go?" Akane wondered, looking around.
Kagome gave a nervous chuckle. "Oh, don't worry about Inuyasha. I'm sure he's around here somewhere. Let's make dinner!"
*****
Because of the absence of the moon, the night was so dark that if it wasn't for the glow of Akane's necklace, he wouldn't have been able to see his hand in front of his face. It had been a whole day since they arrived in feudal Japan, and he didn't feel any closer to resolving the situation.
Inuyasha was still missing, and Kagome had gone into the forest to look for firewood for the next morning. Ranma guessed that Inuyasha had either followed her or was off somewhere in the distance keeping an eye on Akane's shard.
He sat next to Akane's sleeping bag, watching her sleep. He felt tired himself, but didn't want to sleep. Being out in the middle of nowhere with a psycho coming after them, wasn't a very settling feeling.
"Why are you watching me, pervert?"
Ranma jumped. He thought she was sleeping! "Inuyasha told me to watch the shard," he lied, and he wasn't sure why.
"Feh," he heard from the tree above them.
Ranma looked up to where the voice came from. "Quit spying on me, you asshole!" he called.
"I'm not spying on you," Inuyasha's voice replied. "Unlike you, I'm keeping my eyes on the shard."
Ranma felt his blood pound in his ears as he jumped to his feet. "I'm getting really sick of you!" he yelled. "Come down here and fight me like a man!"
"I won't fight you. You're a puny human." He paused. "And a girl, no less."
"Come down here, or I'll come up there and rip you out of that tree!" Ranma growled, but Akane grabbed a hold of his pant leg, and he had to fight to keep his balance. "What the hell?" he exclaimed, turning around to glare at her.
"Kagome told us to leave him alone tonight," she reminded him.
"I don't care!" Ranma yelled at her as he shook away her hand. "He's pissing me off!"
There was a rustle from up above, and a shadow fell from the tree, landing firmly next to Ranma on the ground. Inuyasha stood up slowly, giving Ranma a stern look. "Are you happy?" he wanted to know.
Ranma grabbed a chunk of black hair and pulled it forward to inspect it. "Who the hell are you?" he wanted to know. "You sure sound like Inuyasha, but..." he said as he took hold of the boy's human ear and pulled it closer.
"Ow, quit it, moron!"
Ranma let go, confused. "What happened to your white hair? And your ears... they're... normal."
"I told you I'm half demon," Inuyasha said, folding his arms across his chest and turning his nose in the air. "Isn't it obvious?"
Akane's hands wrapped around Ranma's arm, and she squeezed him. "He doesn't look half demon anymore," she told him.
A small smile appeared on Inuyasha's face, and his brown eyes met Ranma's blue ones. "At least I don't turn into a girl," he gloated. "That's gotta be rough."
Ranma gritted his teeth and balled his fists so hard that his nails dug into his palms. "I'm going to pound you into the ground!" he screamed, but it was too late. Inuyasha had already leapt back onto the tree's lowest branch and looked down at them.
"Forget about me and go back to staring at your woman while she sleeps," he said, his face curling into a fangless grin. "I'm sure she appreciates it." And he disappeared into the branches.
"Get back down here!" Ranma demanded, but received no answer. He waited for a moment, and then stomped over to the base of the tree. "Damn you, Inuyasha!" he yelled.
"Why did you lie to me?"
Ranma spun around to see Akane standing there beside her sleeping bag. The wind blew her hair in her eyes and she brushed it away. He blinked at her. "What?"
"You lied. When I asked what you were doing, you told me Inuyasha said that you should watch the shard, but that was a lie, because Inuyasha has been up in that tree watching it the entire time."
"That bastard," Ranma growled as he tilted his head in Inuyasha's direction. "I wish he'd MIND HIS OWN BUSINESS!"
"Stop it, Ranma! You lied to me!"
The shard on her neck was shining bright in the darkness, and Ranma cringed. "Here we go again..." he muttered.
She sat down on her sleeping bag and put her face in her hands. "Don't make fun of me," she sobbed. "I don't know how you can just lie to my face like that!"
Ranma went over and knelt in front of her. "What's wrong with you, Akane?" he asked. "That shard is doing something to you, but I can't figure out what it is." He reached for the shard and picked it up, holding it in front of his face and studying it. "Akane..." he said, letting it fall back to her chest. "Tell me. Tell me what this is doing to you!"
Akane didn't move. She didn't even look up at Ranma.
He grabbed her chin between his fingers and forced her to look at him. "Tell me, Akane. I want to figure out what's—"
Akane threw her arms around him so suddenly, that she knocked him back on his heels and to the ground. His head landed in the dirt with a thud, and he tried to get up, only to realize that she was on top of his chest. Her legs straddled his waist, holding him down so tightly, that he couldn't get up if he tried.
"A-Akane!" he gasped when she put her hands on either side of his face. Her face was so close to his, that he could barely breathe much less move. "Akane..." he tried to say. "Inuyasha... he's watching us!"
But Akane didn't seem to care. Her knees pinched his hips even tighter than before, and when she sealed her lips to his in a searing kiss, Ranma's eyes flew wide open.
*****
Akane felt dizzy and off balance. She suddenly realized that she had Ranma pinned to the ground and was actually kissing him. Quickly, she pulled away from his lips. She had just untangled her hands from the sides of Ranma's head, when he grabbed her waist with both hands and flipped her gently onto the ground.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he demanded in a hushed voice as he leaned over her with tense shoulders.
Akane blinked at him. More tears were beginning to sting at the corners of her eyes.
Ranma sat down beside her and sighed, running a hand through his bangs. "That look on your face just now..." he mumbled. "You looked so confused... Just tell me. Tell me what's going on, Akane!" His eyes looked back into hers, searching for some sort of answer.
Akane didn't know what to say to him. She leaned into his reluctant body as hot tears fell onto her cheeks. He must have realized that she wasn't going to kiss him again, because he put his hand on her back after a moment or so. "I'm scared, Ranma," she whispered into his ear. "I can't explain the way it feels."
"Th-the way what feels?" he stuttered.
She buried her face in the crook of his neck. "When I think about the necklace, I start feeling lightheaded and dizzy... and then when I look at you, it gets worse. It feels like... like you're holding my heart."
He gulped. "Really?"
She nodded as she slipped her arms beneath his and pulled him even closer. "When you tell me things like you don't love me, or my cooking is horrible, or anything mean, I just want to cry! But then, when you're nice to me..."
*****
Ranma's eyes went wide. Was Akane hitting on him!? She held him so tight... and it didn't seem like she'd be letting go anytime soon. He put his other arm around her waist and found his own fingers tightening to her dress. It wasn't as though he enjoyed holding her... it was only because the night was so cold.
If that was true, then why did he feel sweat prickling at his brow?
"Ranma..." she said in his ear, and a chill ran down his spine. "I'm scared."
He tried to remind himself that Inuyasha was watching from above, most likely thinking up insulting things to say to him tomorrow, but it wasn't working, and he pulled her even further into his arms. "I'm scared, too," he told her, and it wasn't a lie. Half of him would have done anything to get rid of the stupid necklace and take Akane back home through the well, where everything could go back to normal. But the other half... the other half didn't want to move.
All he could think about was the way her lips felt on his, and the feeling that flooded his veins as her heart pounded against his own... and he didn't want to let go. He buried his face in her hair and was about to tell her that everything would be okay, when he noticed that her body had completely relaxed. He lifted his head. "Um, Akane?"
No answer.
She hadn't fallen asleep, had she?
With a sigh, he slipped his arm under her knees and lifted her from the ground. She didn't even flinch when he set her back in her sleeping bag and pulled the top cover up to her chin. He sat back down beside her and stared down at her sleeping face. His heart beat as quickly as it did when he was engaged in the middle of an intense martial arts fight, but this was different.
"So?"
Ranma jumped at the voice next to his ear, and spun his head around to realize that Inuyasha was sitting next to him. "What the hell?!" he hissed.
"Are you gonna admit it yet?"
Ranma stood up and grabbed Inuyasha's collar, dragging him away from Akane and to the other side of the tree. "Do you make it a point to stick your nose into other people's business?" he asked once he was sure they wouldn't disturb Akane.
"There's nothing else to do," he retorted as he grabbed Ranma's wrist and threw his arm away. "Let go of me, you moron. I don't want your nasty human smell all over me."
Ranma glared at him. "Leave me the hell alone," he growled, spinning around on his feet and making his way back toward Akane. "I'm going to sleep. You should go back to your tree, and next time, keep your big mouth to yourself."
Comments to Readers:
All Readers – ~MANY of you have voiced your opinion that you think Ryoga should be in this story. Originally I wasn't planning on having him anywhere but in Nermina, but since so many of you want him in the feudal era, I'm seriously considering changing my mind. So, keep an eye out for Ryoga making his way down the well in later chapters! ;) ~Also, a lot of you have mentioned the fact that I've sorta put Inuyasha and Kagome on the backburner... Inuyasha fans, don't worry, they will have their time, too! It's coming up soon :D
Alex Ultra – You're probably right about Tetsusaiga... I'll make sure that he doesn't do anything but scare Ranma with it :D Thank you for your comment!!
InuMiko – You're awesome!!! Hehe. And yes, Ranma will figure that out soon. He's getting sick of being constantly picked on by Inuyasha (especially after this chapter!), so he'll come up with something of his own :D
Ranmaownsme – Thank you so much! I'm really glad you're enjoying my stuff :D And yes, I'm one of those who's confused about the Tetsusaiga, but I think I understand now.
Black Hammer Girl – Thank you for reading!! (and see my above comment about Ryoga ;)
Elysium and Lonely Soul – Lonely Soul, once again, you're an AWESOME reviewer! I don't mind your rambling at all, in fact, I quite enjoyed it! If my story gets you thinking, then I think that's a great thing!! I really hope you liked this chapter, seeing as you asked for some Ranma/Akane kissing. Hehe. Miroku and Sango WILL be in the story later, I just can't write a ton of characters at a time, so something has to happen (but I won't say what!) before they return :D (see my above comment about Inuyasha/Kagome scenes!)
dragon_game – Thank you for reading! You're right about the Tetsusaiga, I'll keep that in mind :D
Dragon-eyes22 – Yay! I'm so glad you like my art, too!! I have so much fun both writing and illustrating this story, you have no idea! :D Keep reading!
Nichole Hibiki – I'm really glad you still like the story! And ooooo... a Ryoga/Kouga story! I'm interested! Let me know when it's posted! :D
Again, Lost Time Illustrations can be found on my ff.net author page! Please check them out and let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Ranma ½ or Inuyasha characters... though I wish I did... hehe.
Lost Time Chapter 6
The day trudged on as the group made their way to where Naraku had last been seen. Inuyasha had guessed that he would probably be somewhere in the area, and Kagome had thought she sensed the Shikon shards somewhere in that direction.
The sun was almost setting when she glanced over at Inuyasha, who walked in front of her. "You do know what tonight is, don't you, Inuyasha?" she asked, and watched as his shoulders tensed.
He didn't respond, and she took it as a hint that he didn't want to discuss the matter. Not many people knew about the life of a half demon. Once a month, Inuyasha's human blood took over, and he lost all of his demon qualities. Inuyasha didn't like to tell anyone about it because he considered the night of a new moon to be his weakest night, and he had far too many enemies to let his secret get out. The worst part of it was the fact that he could no longer use Tetsusaiga when he was in his human form, which meant that he couldn't protect any of his companions. Inuyasha never closed his eyes on such nights.
"We're halfway there," Inuyasha finally spoke up loud enough so that everyone could hear him. "Let's stop for the night."
Kagome could see that he had his eyes on the lowering sun that was quickly making its way down the horizon.
Ranma pushed past her and gave Inuyasha's shoulder a shove. "Are you kidding me, moron? It's barely sundown. We could still go a long way today."
Inuyasha's expression was serious as he looked back at Ranma. "We're stopping, and that's final. Put down your stuff, MORON."
Ranma raised his fists and looked like he was about to start a fight, but Inuyasha turned around and continued walking. "I think there's a clearing up ahead," he said, leaving Ranma standing there in shock.
Kagome, Akane and Ranma followed after him, only to find the clearing and no Inuyasha.
"Where did he go?" Akane wondered, looking around.
Kagome gave a nervous chuckle. "Oh, don't worry about Inuyasha. I'm sure he's around here somewhere. Let's make dinner!"
*****
Because of the absence of the moon, the night was so dark that if it wasn't for the glow of Akane's necklace, he wouldn't have been able to see his hand in front of his face. It had been a whole day since they arrived in feudal Japan, and he didn't feel any closer to resolving the situation.
Inuyasha was still missing, and Kagome had gone into the forest to look for firewood for the next morning. Ranma guessed that Inuyasha had either followed her or was off somewhere in the distance keeping an eye on Akane's shard.
He sat next to Akane's sleeping bag, watching her sleep. He felt tired himself, but didn't want to sleep. Being out in the middle of nowhere with a psycho coming after them, wasn't a very settling feeling.
"Why are you watching me, pervert?"
Ranma jumped. He thought she was sleeping! "Inuyasha told me to watch the shard," he lied, and he wasn't sure why.
"Feh," he heard from the tree above them.
Ranma looked up to where the voice came from. "Quit spying on me, you asshole!" he called.
"I'm not spying on you," Inuyasha's voice replied. "Unlike you, I'm keeping my eyes on the shard."
Ranma felt his blood pound in his ears as he jumped to his feet. "I'm getting really sick of you!" he yelled. "Come down here and fight me like a man!"
"I won't fight you. You're a puny human." He paused. "And a girl, no less."
"Come down here, or I'll come up there and rip you out of that tree!" Ranma growled, but Akane grabbed a hold of his pant leg, and he had to fight to keep his balance. "What the hell?" he exclaimed, turning around to glare at her.
"Kagome told us to leave him alone tonight," she reminded him.
"I don't care!" Ranma yelled at her as he shook away her hand. "He's pissing me off!"
There was a rustle from up above, and a shadow fell from the tree, landing firmly next to Ranma on the ground. Inuyasha stood up slowly, giving Ranma a stern look. "Are you happy?" he wanted to know.
Ranma grabbed a chunk of black hair and pulled it forward to inspect it. "Who the hell are you?" he wanted to know. "You sure sound like Inuyasha, but..." he said as he took hold of the boy's human ear and pulled it closer.
"Ow, quit it, moron!"
Ranma let go, confused. "What happened to your white hair? And your ears... they're... normal."
"I told you I'm half demon," Inuyasha said, folding his arms across his chest and turning his nose in the air. "Isn't it obvious?"
Akane's hands wrapped around Ranma's arm, and she squeezed him. "He doesn't look half demon anymore," she told him.
A small smile appeared on Inuyasha's face, and his brown eyes met Ranma's blue ones. "At least I don't turn into a girl," he gloated. "That's gotta be rough."
Ranma gritted his teeth and balled his fists so hard that his nails dug into his palms. "I'm going to pound you into the ground!" he screamed, but it was too late. Inuyasha had already leapt back onto the tree's lowest branch and looked down at them.
"Forget about me and go back to staring at your woman while she sleeps," he said, his face curling into a fangless grin. "I'm sure she appreciates it." And he disappeared into the branches.
"Get back down here!" Ranma demanded, but received no answer. He waited for a moment, and then stomped over to the base of the tree. "Damn you, Inuyasha!" he yelled.
"Why did you lie to me?"
Ranma spun around to see Akane standing there beside her sleeping bag. The wind blew her hair in her eyes and she brushed it away. He blinked at her. "What?"
"You lied. When I asked what you were doing, you told me Inuyasha said that you should watch the shard, but that was a lie, because Inuyasha has been up in that tree watching it the entire time."
"That bastard," Ranma growled as he tilted his head in Inuyasha's direction. "I wish he'd MIND HIS OWN BUSINESS!"
"Stop it, Ranma! You lied to me!"
The shard on her neck was shining bright in the darkness, and Ranma cringed. "Here we go again..." he muttered.
She sat down on her sleeping bag and put her face in her hands. "Don't make fun of me," she sobbed. "I don't know how you can just lie to my face like that!"
Ranma went over and knelt in front of her. "What's wrong with you, Akane?" he asked. "That shard is doing something to you, but I can't figure out what it is." He reached for the shard and picked it up, holding it in front of his face and studying it. "Akane..." he said, letting it fall back to her chest. "Tell me. Tell me what this is doing to you!"
Akane didn't move. She didn't even look up at Ranma.
He grabbed her chin between his fingers and forced her to look at him. "Tell me, Akane. I want to figure out what's—"
Akane threw her arms around him so suddenly, that she knocked him back on his heels and to the ground. His head landed in the dirt with a thud, and he tried to get up, only to realize that she was on top of his chest. Her legs straddled his waist, holding him down so tightly, that he couldn't get up if he tried.
"A-Akane!" he gasped when she put her hands on either side of his face. Her face was so close to his, that he could barely breathe much less move. "Akane..." he tried to say. "Inuyasha... he's watching us!"
But Akane didn't seem to care. Her knees pinched his hips even tighter than before, and when she sealed her lips to his in a searing kiss, Ranma's eyes flew wide open.
*****
Akane felt dizzy and off balance. She suddenly realized that she had Ranma pinned to the ground and was actually kissing him. Quickly, she pulled away from his lips. She had just untangled her hands from the sides of Ranma's head, when he grabbed her waist with both hands and flipped her gently onto the ground.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he demanded in a hushed voice as he leaned over her with tense shoulders.
Akane blinked at him. More tears were beginning to sting at the corners of her eyes.
Ranma sat down beside her and sighed, running a hand through his bangs. "That look on your face just now..." he mumbled. "You looked so confused... Just tell me. Tell me what's going on, Akane!" His eyes looked back into hers, searching for some sort of answer.
Akane didn't know what to say to him. She leaned into his reluctant body as hot tears fell onto her cheeks. He must have realized that she wasn't going to kiss him again, because he put his hand on her back after a moment or so. "I'm scared, Ranma," she whispered into his ear. "I can't explain the way it feels."
"Th-the way what feels?" he stuttered.
She buried her face in the crook of his neck. "When I think about the necklace, I start feeling lightheaded and dizzy... and then when I look at you, it gets worse. It feels like... like you're holding my heart."
He gulped. "Really?"
She nodded as she slipped her arms beneath his and pulled him even closer. "When you tell me things like you don't love me, or my cooking is horrible, or anything mean, I just want to cry! But then, when you're nice to me..."
*****
Ranma's eyes went wide. Was Akane hitting on him!? She held him so tight... and it didn't seem like she'd be letting go anytime soon. He put his other arm around her waist and found his own fingers tightening to her dress. It wasn't as though he enjoyed holding her... it was only because the night was so cold.
If that was true, then why did he feel sweat prickling at his brow?
"Ranma..." she said in his ear, and a chill ran down his spine. "I'm scared."
He tried to remind himself that Inuyasha was watching from above, most likely thinking up insulting things to say to him tomorrow, but it wasn't working, and he pulled her even further into his arms. "I'm scared, too," he told her, and it wasn't a lie. Half of him would have done anything to get rid of the stupid necklace and take Akane back home through the well, where everything could go back to normal. But the other half... the other half didn't want to move.
All he could think about was the way her lips felt on his, and the feeling that flooded his veins as her heart pounded against his own... and he didn't want to let go. He buried his face in her hair and was about to tell her that everything would be okay, when he noticed that her body had completely relaxed. He lifted his head. "Um, Akane?"
No answer.
She hadn't fallen asleep, had she?
With a sigh, he slipped his arm under her knees and lifted her from the ground. She didn't even flinch when he set her back in her sleeping bag and pulled the top cover up to her chin. He sat back down beside her and stared down at her sleeping face. His heart beat as quickly as it did when he was engaged in the middle of an intense martial arts fight, but this was different.
"So?"
Ranma jumped at the voice next to his ear, and spun his head around to realize that Inuyasha was sitting next to him. "What the hell?!" he hissed.
"Are you gonna admit it yet?"
Ranma stood up and grabbed Inuyasha's collar, dragging him away from Akane and to the other side of the tree. "Do you make it a point to stick your nose into other people's business?" he asked once he was sure they wouldn't disturb Akane.
"There's nothing else to do," he retorted as he grabbed Ranma's wrist and threw his arm away. "Let go of me, you moron. I don't want your nasty human smell all over me."
Ranma glared at him. "Leave me the hell alone," he growled, spinning around on his feet and making his way back toward Akane. "I'm going to sleep. You should go back to your tree, and next time, keep your big mouth to yourself."
Comments to Readers:
All Readers – ~MANY of you have voiced your opinion that you think Ryoga should be in this story. Originally I wasn't planning on having him anywhere but in Nermina, but since so many of you want him in the feudal era, I'm seriously considering changing my mind. So, keep an eye out for Ryoga making his way down the well in later chapters! ;) ~Also, a lot of you have mentioned the fact that I've sorta put Inuyasha and Kagome on the backburner... Inuyasha fans, don't worry, they will have their time, too! It's coming up soon :D
Alex Ultra – You're probably right about Tetsusaiga... I'll make sure that he doesn't do anything but scare Ranma with it :D Thank you for your comment!!
InuMiko – You're awesome!!! Hehe. And yes, Ranma will figure that out soon. He's getting sick of being constantly picked on by Inuyasha (especially after this chapter!), so he'll come up with something of his own :D
Ranmaownsme – Thank you so much! I'm really glad you're enjoying my stuff :D And yes, I'm one of those who's confused about the Tetsusaiga, but I think I understand now.
Black Hammer Girl – Thank you for reading!! (and see my above comment about Ryoga ;)
Elysium and Lonely Soul – Lonely Soul, once again, you're an AWESOME reviewer! I don't mind your rambling at all, in fact, I quite enjoyed it! If my story gets you thinking, then I think that's a great thing!! I really hope you liked this chapter, seeing as you asked for some Ranma/Akane kissing. Hehe. Miroku and Sango WILL be in the story later, I just can't write a ton of characters at a time, so something has to happen (but I won't say what!) before they return :D (see my above comment about Inuyasha/Kagome scenes!)
dragon_game – Thank you for reading! You're right about the Tetsusaiga, I'll keep that in mind :D
Dragon-eyes22 – Yay! I'm so glad you like my art, too!! I have so much fun both writing and illustrating this story, you have no idea! :D Keep reading!
Nichole Hibiki – I'm really glad you still like the story! And ooooo... a Ryoga/Kouga story! I'm interested! Let me know when it's posted! :D