A Taste of True Love

A happy hello to you all! I'm finally updating. Usually I like to keep my story up to date with at least one chapter per day, but I have to admit that I've been getting lazy. I came back from my camping trip a few days ago, it was very fun. We got lost for a while when we went hiking but luckily we found our way back. Hehehe, as always, a big thank you to all those we reviewed. A GREAT BIG THANKS! For those who asked why Mousse is with the Saotomes, instead of with the Amazons, it will be revealed in future chapters soon, so please be patient. Oh, and he does not have glasses. I think he's actually cute ignoring the fact that he is kinda a ditz in the manga. Now for the story!

Sea-chan

Disclaimer: I don't own them but I sure can write about them!

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Chapter 12

"So you've spent almost half your life looking for this man?"

Akane nodded.

"I've tracked him down several times but he always escapes somehow," she said.

Ranma looked at Akane; her eyes seemed distant and determined.

"I won't rest until I find him," she swore.

"I don't even know why I'm talking to you," Akane said, adjusting herself for more comfort. "You're as much of a fool as that Mousse."

"Hey!" Ranma glared at Akane.

"I'm just stating what's true." Akane unraveled the white ribbon on her lower arm and bit a part of it in her mouth. She wrapped her hand around Ranma's clump of hair and combed her hand through it.

"What are you doing?" Ranma asked curiously. Akane looked up at him and started to braid his hair from the side.

"Just trying to pay back a bit of my dept," she said.

"You don't owe me anything," Ranma told her. She shrugged and continued to braid his hair. She took the ribbon from her mouth and tied it around the end, leaving a tail at the end.

Akane patted it and dropped it onto Ranma's shoulder.

"There," she said looking at her handy work. His ponytail had large cunks hanging out and most of it was loose except for towards the end where Akane had tugged the hair together tightly.

"Great job," Ranma said sarcastictly, picking up his pigtail. He swung it in a small circular motion and the ends loosened, a strand falling out of the braid.

"You broke it," Akane said to him.

Ranma rolled his eyes.

"Sure," he threw the pigtail behind him.

Akane gave a yawn.

"We really have to get out of here," she said pulling on the net.

"Uh-huh," Ranma agreed. "But this this is pretty strong." He tried to tug the ropes on the net.

"Yeah, seem so," Akane rubbed her neck. "And I feel my neck starting to ache." She nodded her head side to side. Her eyes slowly closed and her head fell on Ranma's chest. The words, "I hate this place...", tumbled from her lips before she fell asleep.

Ranma signed deeply and looked at Akane. His hand came up and he brushed it slightly over her cheek. Akane moved and Ranma jerked his hand away.

"Papa..." Akane snuggled herself closer to Ranma.

'What a strange girl,' Ranma thought, glancing at Akane. He looked up into the night sky. 'She'll kill me when she finds out who I am.'

Ranma leaned against the net and soon, the two were sleeping soundlessly under the bright moon above them. The night quickly passed as they hug from the tree.

Akane closed her eyes tighter to try to block the shining light. After her failed attemped, she blinked her eyes open to see the sun shining brightly through the trees above her. She tilted her head to the side and was surprised to see Ranma's head drooped on her shoulder. Akane quickly pushed his head off.

Ranma groaned and opened his eyes.

"Whadda you do that for?" he said, rubbing his eyes.

"You were sleeping on me!" Akane told him angrily.

"You fell alseep on me first!" Ranma agrued, now fully awake.

"I did not!"

"Did too!" Ranma said.

"I so did not and would not!"

"You-" Ranma was cut off as the net was suddenly cut and the two fell. Ranma twisted himself and landed flat on his feet. He looked behind him and was quite surprised to see Dice. Akane was in his arms, unharmed from the fall.

"Thanks," Akane said. "You're back quickly."

"The crew decided to follow you guys here since you were gone longer than usual and so we met the Lily halfway on sea. It took us much less time getting here," Dice told her. He looked up at the tree where a string still hung and then at Akane. "And it was a good thing we got here sooner."

Akane smiled.

"Dice, this is Ranma, he was our recent captive," she said jesturing towards him. "He helped me while Salt and Pepper came to get you guys."

"And Ranma, this is Dice," Akane said.

Dice gave Ranma a nod which he returned with his own.

"Come on then," Dice told Akane. "Let's get your wounds properly treated." Dice walked ahead with Akane still with him. He turned around and saw that Ranma remained where he was. Dice looked at Akane.

"Come on Ranma," she said. He shrugged and followed the two out of the forest. It didn't take long for them to come up to a large ship on the shore.

Ranma's eyes widen at the sight. It was a bit smaller than the Saotome's ship but so much life could be seen just from looking at the color and the beautiful flower painted on it. He was quite amused as he walked behind them up onto the ship.

Salt and Pepper saw Akane and quickly ran over to hug her. The other crew members quickly ran to be reunited with their captain. Akane patted them and grinned widely. Ranma could tell she was very joyous to be united with her crew again.

"Come on guys, give her some room," Dice told them. The crew parted and Dice took Akane below deck.

"Hey, Ranma," Salt said coming over to him. Pepper waved at him. "Thanks for taking care of Akane."

"No prob," Ranma said.

"She's not always easy to care for," Pepper added.

Ranma gave an agreeable nod.

"You try to save her and she kicks the hell out of you," Ranma said.

Salt and Pepper laughed.

"Come on," Pepper slapped Ranma on the back. "We'll show you to a room. Then we could have lunch."

Ranma grinned at the sound of food and followed the twins.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

"I found him and tried to recapture him, but ..."

"He beat you didn't he?" Dice asked, looking at Akane.

"No! He did not!" Akane agrued.

"Kane, I know when you're lying and you are now," Dice said walking to the other side of the room to pour some water into a mug. "Here."

Akane took the mug and gluped down a large amount..

"He just sorta... ah-caught me unguarded," Akane finished lamely.

"Yeah, right. Kane, you know why you lost," Dice came and sat on the bed next to Akane. "You've been lacking in your trainings with these chases of the Saotomes."

Dice glared at Akane. Akane felt something bad coming her way any second.

"I'm sure you wouldn't mind training with Ranma."

Akane looked at Dice as if he had lost his mind.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Sea-chan's note: This chapter is quite short and I'm sorry! I'm really busy. I'll update as much as I can but I have much to do. I just got a job so I can save up enough dough to trade my laptop for a more updated one. The really bad thing is that school is starting and I have full classes. I'm gonna be a senior next year. (I'm in high school) I'll be working after I come home from school too so I'm gonna be so worn out. I could tell already. But I'll try as soon as I can to get the next chapter up and I'll try to make it longer as well. Thank you ALL so much with a big red cherry on top! Remember to review now! Bye-bye!