Chapter Twenty One: Searching For an Edge

The sun was just a slight sliver on the horizon when Ranma awoke to train himself in the backyard. Stiff from sleeping on the hard wood all night, he stretched thoroughly, working the kinks from his body. He knew he had to keep up his rigorous training in the morning, but it would be hard trying to compensate for Ryoga's absence. Training was always easier with two people.

The day wore on. Kuno challenged him at school and got beat up as was custom, but, as Ranma past to enter the school, Kuno had actually wished him good luck in his fight with the Warrior. Ranma didn't turn around. He knew that if he had seen a look of pity in his rival's eye he would have lost it then and there. He hated when people felt sorry for him, it made him feel weak.

He struggled to stay awake in class, and Akane whacked him with a pencil when he dosed off.

At lunch time, Ukyo came and sat with Ranma and Akane and the three friends joked and horsed around, throwing a bit of rivalry in for flavor. It was the best lunch Ranma had had in a long time and it did wonders for his rising anxiety. He was even able to ignore the looks of jealousy that his fellow male peers gave him. Akane was still the most popular girl in the school, against her will of course. Though they now kept a safe distance away because of her fiancée, it was no secret that most of the male student body still wanted to date with her.

"I'm going to go see Ryoga today," Akane told him, smoothing her sky blue dress out on the ground around her. "I'm sure he must be getting lonely in there all by himself."

Full from lunch, Ukyo lay down on the grass and sighed, watching the lazy clouds float overhead. "Tell him I said hi, will you?"

"Sure. Say, Ranma, what are your plans for today?"

Placing his hand over his heart, he wondered if he would have what it took to beat the most fearsome enemy he'd ever encountered. Alone. "To find an edge against this bastard."

Akane and Ukyo stared at one another in confusion but left him to his thoughts.

After school Akane left for the hospital, bidding her friends farewell for another day. Signing in at the visitor center's main desk, she walked down the 324 hall and knocked on Ryoga's door, adjusting her dress and brushing a hand through her hair.

"Come in."

"Hi there!" She said, opening the door and smiling warmly at her friend lying in bed. "How are you feeling today, Ryoga?"

He looked up at her and smiled back, trying to raise himself up a bit. "Akane, hi! Much better today, thanks. The nurse just gave me some pain killer/knockout medicine."

Her soft expression, the light sheen of her hair, the glow in her eyes… Even now, after all that had happened, it was hard to not take her hand and try to confess his feelings for her. She was a beautiful girl and for two years, winning her over had been his only goal in life. But he was a better man now, and he acknowledged Ranma's claim on her. But a man's feelings were strong indeed and it would take quite some time for him to get adjusted to viewing her as just a friend.

Akane pulled up a stool and sat down next to his bed. "You must get lonely with no one around to talk to all day."

"Well, I do miss my friends but it's not so bad. When you get lost and wander around as much as I do, you learn to get used to isolation. Besides, I'm asleep most of the time anyway."

Akane nodded as Ryoga's eyes droop slightly. His medicine was powerful, and had probably started to take effect already. "I'm glad you and Ukyo found each other. Although, I wish it had happened under different circumstances."

"I just hope I can make her happy." He sighed doubtfully.

Akane shook her head. "You already have, Ryoga. You're all she talked about at lunch today. She can't keep you out of her mind."

"R-really?"

Akane smiled at him. "Yep. You two are a match made in heaven! I expect invitations to the wedding."

Ryoga blushed. "It's a bit early for that, Akane. It took all my willpower just to tell her I had feelings for her."

She giggled. "You are the only boy I know who can smash down telephone poles without a second thought and yet when it comes to a girl you like, your clueless. But its who you are, and I know you have a good heart."

"Hey, I'm not about to rush into anything here, that's all! How are things between you and Ranma?"

"Great! He's showing me how to fight with ki!"

"Good for you Akane! Ki can be a valuable ally in a fight so long as you don't misuse it. Martial artists have died because they tried to harness too much power too quickly, so keep that in mind. It makes you feel so strong and many people crave that feeling, so they train more and more to heighten their strength. It can be as deadly and addictive as a drug."

"I'll be careful. After all, Ranma's teaching me. He says that learning your guy's ki attacks wasn't possible."

Ryoga thought for a second before answering. "That makes sense. My Shishi Hoko-Dan is very powerful, and its perfect form is even more powerful than Ranma's Moko Takabisha." There was a trace of bragging in his voice.

"But it's not a move a person should really want to master. It's because it feeds off my darkest emotions and thoughts. Dark feelings are usually more powerful than positive emotions, at least in the beginning. But it isn't a really practical attack because the full version drains too much of my strength too quickly. Ranma's Hiryu Shoten Ha is also out of the question because you have to have complete control over your emotions. You have to stay cool in battle and feel no fear, no rage, just the calm energy around you. That's something you and I don't always know how to do, especially in combat. You are probably better off to just create your own attack."

"That's going to be tough," Akane noted.

Ryoga nodded. "It does take a lot of determination." He yawned deeply. "Sorry. That was rude of me."

Akane smiled down at him and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. It look's like your fighting to stay awake. You get some rest. I have to go home and do some homework anyway."

"Ok. Bye, Akane. I'll see you later. I'll be out of here soon and I'll come by to see you again." He laid his head back down on the pillow and fell fast asleep, succumbing to the drowsy pull of the drugs within his system. Akane in an almost sisterly fashion, pulled his blanket up around his shoulders.

Ryoga was a true fighter, she decided on the way home. To survive so many situations within a mere week's time was a true test on a person's soul and he had survived it all, maintaining his sanity and kind emotions just as she knew he would.

She gently stroked his cheek for a moment. Rest up, good-hearted Ryoga, my dearest friend. You will never be alone again. Always remember, you have friends here who love you.

Brushing a rouge strand of hair back behind her ear, Akane began to hum a tune, warding off the fear for her fiancé's life that had been plaguing her mind during the quiet moments of the day.

After dinner Ranma and Akane went off to train again. Ranma applied even more effort into his teachings than before, and he was far stricter with her than he had been the previous night. The impending fight was only a hairsbreadth away, which left him very little time to help her train. Ryoga was going to be released sometime in the late morning before the fight but in his weakened state he wouldn't be of any help.

This time, he'd be going at it alone. He couldn't afford to make mistakes again, because there would be no relief to cover for him if he did. Coldness settled in the pit of his stomach as he watched Akane train. He'd be fighting one-on-one against a warrior who seemed to be invincible in all forms of the word. All week he had trained and gone about his normal life, trying to push the feeling of doom from his mind. But as the hour of fate approached, he couldn't avoid it any longer. He felt trapped, like a caged rat. He had run clear out of options and plans. He didn't have an ace in hole this time.

He shook his head violently. Akane, as the successor of the Anything Goes School needed his help and he once again began to instruct her, filling her head with as much knowledge as she could possibly handle. By the time they stopped for the night, she could stay focused for over ten minutes, more than enough time to start harnessing the power inside of her body into something marvelous. He made a mental note to ask Cologne or Happosai to instruct her further in the event of his death.

"You're doing very well, Akane! By tomorrow we'll be able to start harnessing ki so you can invent an attack."

"Sounds good!" I'll finally be better than Shampoo! After that, she went to go take a shower, and for some reason, her exaggerated, egotistical laughter all the way up the stairs gave him the chills.

Still, it occurred to him that she was trying overly hard to appear brave in his presence. The fact that the fight was coming hadn't been lost to her. She clearly fought her own fear with her love for her fiancé'. He had always been there to save her, time after time and besides, though he had lost fights before, he never lost a second time to the same person.

He always bragged how the same attack never worked on him twice. I believe in you, Ranma. Akane felt a resurgence of confidence, and she tried to convince herself that he would win against his most resourceful and mysterious opponent yet.

The warm, soothing water fell across her lithe, toned body, revitalizing and refreshing her. It cheered her up tremendously and she turned up the hot water a notch, as the hot water un-kinked her muscles.

Heaven, she thought, throwing her short blue hair back, simply heaven.

Drying her body off, she went down to the living room where Ranma was watching TV at the kitchen table, munching on some popcorn. She came into the room smelling of shampoo and dried off her hair with a yellow towel, wrapping it around her head like a turban. "Whatcha' watching?"

"Some scary movie 'bout some dead guy in a hockey mask. Kinda cheesy really," Ranma answered.

Akane sat on his lap, surprising him. Inside she wanted to cry. What if she never got to hold him again? "Scary movies frighten me."

"Are you sure it's ok to do this?" he whispered. "I mean, with our parents in the house, they could come in and see us like this. You know they'd try to have us married on the spot."

Akane nuzzled against him, needing him so badly. Looking into his eye's she almost couldn't contain her affection for him. Her Ranma, her protector and her lover. "It's ok this time."

Ranma nodded as she wrapped her arms around his trim waist. He enjoyed snuggling with her, and held her close. She smelled so sweet, especially after a refreshing bath and he could feel the heat from her body radiate onto his. She was so intoxicatingly beautiful and he found himself watching her more than the movie.

As they watched the movie and it drew into more graphic and gristly scenes, Akane's grip on him gradually tightened. He didn't really notice until her loving embrace had turned into something resembling a strangle hold. "Erk! Akane...loosen up your grip! I can't... I can't breath!"

Akane released her grip and flushed a furious red. "Oh! Sorry, Ranma. It's just..."

"Scary movies and monsters scare you. Yeah, I know. So do ghosts and demons." Ranma continued to drone on, ticked off items on his fingers.

Akane bit her lip. Those things scare me but the fear of losing you scares me even more... That's all I could think about as I watch these people die on TV.

Ranma cleared his throat. "Listen, it's getting pretty late and the movie is almost over so why don't you go to bed?"

She opened her mouth to protest.

"Akane," Ranma said cutting her off, "You trained real hard today and I don't think you know how tired you really are. If you don't go and get your rest you won't be able to concentrate in school tomorrow. You're the brains in this outfit, so learn all you can."

He's right but... "Ok, Ranma, I guess your right. I'll see you in the morning."

Ranma blinked in surprise. (She's actually listening to me! I can't believe it!) "Uh, right. G'night Akane."

She rose from his lap gently and winked at him, as she adjusted her pajama bottoms and softly padded out of the room and up the stairs. The sweet smell of her body and the shampoo from her hair trailed back and he inhaled, listening as she closed the door to her room and went to sleep.

He diverted his attention back to the movie. "Geez this movie is corny! How in the world could Akane be scared?"

He watched as the killer got chained down at the bottom of the lake. He yawned and turned off the TV, stretching. "All these movies end the same. I'm not missing much."

His fear returned like lighting as his mind was once again free from distraction. Flipping to his feet, he went outside and jumped onto the roof to think in peace. The light from the full moon radiated across his form as if to sooth him with its mystical light. Leaning back, he put his hands behind his head and stared up into the stars, searching through the vast creation for a key to victory. He relaxed despite himself, listening to the distant sound of a train as it passed through on the other side of the city. From the edge of the neighborhood, a dog called out.

"There's got to be something I can do. I have to find an edge..."

A shape landed silently several feet away from him. Bathed in moonlight, Ranma had no trouble telling that it was Happosai. The ancient man's impressive aura alone gave that away. Sitting down beside Ranma, he lit his tobacco pipe and puffed smoke into the night sky, relaxing with an audible sigh of comfort. He sat looking up at the stars, saying nothing, enjoying the sound of the insects and distant traffic throughout Tokyo.

"Hey, old freak."

Happosai did not respond. He seemed content to just sit there, staring off into space, and it annoyed Ranma to no end since he had come up to the roof be alone.

"What do ya' want, old man?" he asked with a rich dose of irritation.

"I'm here to comfort you," Happosai said nonchalantly, looking at his fingernails. "I know what you're going through right now. I've been there many times in my long life. It's hard not to worry about dying in battle. It never gets any easier to deal with, and I don't want you to lose your head over all this."

Ranma chuckled. "Don't tell me you're actually worried about me?!" He was about to make a smart ass remark when he saw Happosai's truthful expression. It was rare for Happosai to take anything seriously unless he was pissed off and for once, Ranma had the good sense to keep further comments to himself. He was old and, as the general rule went, the few times he uttered good advice it had been in Ranma's interest to pay heed to it.

"Everyone forms attacks based on how they've been raised, who they keep in contact with on a day-to-day basis, the environment in which they've spent the most time in, and how their body and mind operates. You, for example, cannot master the perfect Shishi Hokodan, just as Ryoga could never master the Hiryu Shouten Ha. It doesn't fit your characters or personalities. I wish I had a technique I could teach you to tip the balance in your favor, but the Hiryu Shouten Ha is the most powerful move I know of."

He sighed, gripping his tobacco pipe tightly. "You'll be on your own, I'm afraid. And despite our differences, that's one situation a master never wants to leave his student in."

"What the hell can I do?!" Ranma ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

Happosai didn't respond immediately. Taking several long puffs, he leaned back and closed his eyes. "The power is in your fists. That is where you'll find an edge. The Anything Goes School draws heavily from techniques which focus on punches, as you well know. Use that knowledge to your advantage."

Ranma's hopes fell. "I don't understand."

Happosai patted Ranma's leg with his small hand. "You will, eventually. For what it's worth, I don't think you are going to lose. You have the aura of a winner around your soul, always have. This opponent can be defeated despite his impressive battle aura and skill. You will find a way, just as you did against Kirin, Toma, Herb, and countless others who were stronger and faster than yourself. So long as you hold onto your ferocity, you should be fine."

"You really think so," Ranma cocked his head and looked down at the little master.

"Of course, m'boy!" Happosai slapped Ranma's leg. "Some of the greatest martial arts attacks were invented in the heat of a life or death battle. When you are backed into a corner with nowhere to go is when you're most likely to save your own life.

Ranma gave him a half smile. "Thanks, old man. You just gained a little bit of respect from me."

"Does that mean you'll be joining me on tonight's raid?" Happosai asked hopefully, eye's growing large with hope. "I spotted a really sweet pair of panties hanging out to dry about three blocks away!"

Ranma rolled his eyes and turned his head away. "I think you should go before I retract my last statement old man…"

Ukyo finished setting the tables for the following morning and collapsed into one of the chairs with a loud sigh, wiping the sweat from her brow. Uh! this is tough to do day after day! Of course no one ever said that running a restaurant was easy work. I think I'll give Ryoga's offer to help me out some serious consideration.

She got up and walked past the kitchen to the stairs and slowly walked up to her bed room, removing her work clothes and putting them in her hamper by the door. She picked up a framed picture of Ryoga and Ranma posing at the last Christmas party as she passed her dresser.

"He is so handsome! And he looks so much like Ranma it's uncanny!"

Is that why you like him? She asked herself. Is it because he looks like the man you lost?

"No, that's not it," she decided. "Ranma is handsome but too tough acting sometimes. Ryoga's handsome and tough, and certainly determined and honorable… but he has a nervous, shy side that is just so appealing. It was frustrating to deal with when I used to try and use him to break Akane and Ranma up, but when I view it in a different light, it fits him."

She went and sat on her bed. Reaching under the bed she pulled out a newly built spatula she had been constructing and inspected its craftsmanship. She had spent the last few nights creating it, molding it with a craftswoman's touch. Being a chief, as every member of her family before her had also been, she had learned to make spatulas as a small child and only the utmost care could be applied to a combat spatula as big as hers. It was a family tradition, passed down through all the chefs, and she didn't have the right to disrespect the art.

The first one she had made had been destroyed when the "Ghost of Furinkan high" had attacked. She had been devastated then but had almost immediately begun construction of a new one to raise her spirits. Then that one had been destroyed at Ryoga's hands. Hopefully this one would enjoy a better fate.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out one of Ryoga's bandanna's that she had found imbedded into the wall of the school after one of his and Ranma's fights. She tied it in a knot around the end of the Spatula, patting it affectionately. She set the finished weapon against the wall and undressed, slipping gently into her silk Pj's. The whisper of the cool cloth sliding over her soft skin bought a contented sigh to her lips.

Ryoga's getting out the day after tomorrow. She thought trying to control her excitement and apprehension. She didn't know what would come out of all this mess and she didn't know how long it would take to get over the guilt at having almost killed him. The jumble of emotions left her lightheaded and she fell back into her bed, sighing and draping her forearm over her eyes.

I'm going to spend every free moment I can with him to make up for everything! She curled up on her bed, allowing her warm thoughts to carry her to sleep.