The warm spring breeze wafted the scent of cherry blossoms in and out of
the rooms of the Tendo home as all windows had been opened that day as a
form of greeting for the season. The sun's rays filled Akane's room that
afternoon as the shadows of blossoming tree branches danced across floor.
Akane stared out the window wistfully, deeply inhaling the gentle sakura
blossoms. This was her favorite time of year. The family had left the
home in the early hours of the morning, on their way to the town's cherry
blossom festival, and she would have given anything to have gone with them.
Akane grabbed a tissue at the sensation of a sneeze coming on, and caught
it just in time. Kasumi had been concerned with the cold she had recently
caught, suggesting to the family that the youngest sister stay out of the
cool air. But it was Dr. Tofu, who had recommended that she stay indoors
for the next couple of days, who had sealed her fate. And so she was left
at home with the promise of presents and plenty of pictures of the
blossoming trees.
She didn't need photos of the blossoms. She could see them as clear as day from her window. The one thing they couldn't bring home was the experience. Akane stared dreamily past the fenced in yard, imagining herself walking through the park, surrounded with blossoms as thick as snow. She smiled content as she recalled the sensation of petals falling upon her face. There would be no sensation this year. The blossoms only lasted for a few days, and Akane would not make it outdoors in time to enjoy them. She signed quietly to herself, with a smile on her face but a sinking heart. Being indoors today was like being in prison.
"Come back here you stupid pig!!" roared Ranma, his threats tearing through the quiet of the home. Akane's smile was quickly replaced by a scowl. If being indoors was like prison, she truly could not stand its warden. Her father had decided that it was Ranma's duty to keep watch over his fiance in her ailing health, and his father could not help but agree. Akane had adamantly protested his presence for the day. "Honestly dad, I can take care of myself. It's just a little cold."
The only one who had protested more than Akane was Ranma himself. "Yeah," he chimed in uninvited. "Why would I want to be stuck at home all day with some uncute tomboy?"
Ranma had obviously recovered from the head wound caused by the kitchen table following his comment, as he ran throughout the house continuing his threats upon the squeaking black ball of fur. Akane's head whipped towards the direction of her door at it flew open at the presence of P-Chan. The tiny pig took one leap into the room and another into Akane's arms upon her bed as he was followed closely behind by Ranma. Akane held her pet closely against her chest as Ranma halted just inches away from her face. "You pervert!" she accused. "Haven't you heard of knocking?! What if you burst in here and I hadn't been dressed?"
"Common Akane! It's not like you're dressed anyway," he challenged, eying her yellow pajamas. "You just keep that porker the hell away from me!"
Akane noticed Ranma clutching his left arm in his right. "What happened to you?" she asked in a half-caring manner.
Ranma held his left arm in front of her face, removing his right to reveal the deep bitemarks embedded into his forearm. Akane gasped lightly at the sight of it, and started him with her sincere reaction. She carefully took his arm in her hands as she studied it more closely, with P-Chan sitting in her lap growling at the intruder. Ranma relaxed his fist in her grips, with her touch sending goose bumps up his arm. They both noticed his reaction at the same time and blushed slighly as a result. "Does it hurt?" she asked with concern.
Ranma stuck his right hand behind his head, trying to play it cool. "Nah, it's not so bad," he replied. "After going up against Hopposai on a regular basis, you think that light weight can hurt me?"
P-Chan growled in response and lunged at Ranma's arm for a second shot. This time, Ranma was on guard. He swung his left arm around and slammed his fist against the top of its head. "Look here, Bacon Bit, if you wanna start again..." he warned.
Akane's face darkened in response, as if she suddenly recalled that Ranma was there as a hindrance instead of someone to help her. Her fist shot out instinctively, but Ranma was still on top of his game. He leaned backwards just enough for her hand to breeze past his forehead, aimed for right between the eyes. "Keep your hands off of P-Chan!" she demanded. "Didn't your father ever teach you not to pick on the weak?"
Ranma stared at her in disbelief. "The weak?! Am I losing it or did I not just show you where he made his mark?" he retorted, shoving his arm in front of her face once again.
This time he was met with indifference, as Akane turned away, her nose in the air. "Well, you must have done something to provoke him."
Ranma pulled his arm back as P-Chan lunged for him once again, catching the pig by the ear this time and tossing him back into Akane's lap. "Fine, side with the livestock! You just make sure that holy terror stays away from me," he growled as he turned away, heading back out of the room. "And you keep that in mind, Ryoga."
Akane cocked her head at his response. "Why do you insist on calling him 'Ryoga'? You just sound crazy when you do that."
Ranma turned back towards her briefly. "Crazy for a boy who turns into a girl?" he questioned in a telling response and left the room to allow her to think it over.
She didn't need photos of the blossoms. She could see them as clear as day from her window. The one thing they couldn't bring home was the experience. Akane stared dreamily past the fenced in yard, imagining herself walking through the park, surrounded with blossoms as thick as snow. She smiled content as she recalled the sensation of petals falling upon her face. There would be no sensation this year. The blossoms only lasted for a few days, and Akane would not make it outdoors in time to enjoy them. She signed quietly to herself, with a smile on her face but a sinking heart. Being indoors today was like being in prison.
"Come back here you stupid pig!!" roared Ranma, his threats tearing through the quiet of the home. Akane's smile was quickly replaced by a scowl. If being indoors was like prison, she truly could not stand its warden. Her father had decided that it was Ranma's duty to keep watch over his fiance in her ailing health, and his father could not help but agree. Akane had adamantly protested his presence for the day. "Honestly dad, I can take care of myself. It's just a little cold."
The only one who had protested more than Akane was Ranma himself. "Yeah," he chimed in uninvited. "Why would I want to be stuck at home all day with some uncute tomboy?"
Ranma had obviously recovered from the head wound caused by the kitchen table following his comment, as he ran throughout the house continuing his threats upon the squeaking black ball of fur. Akane's head whipped towards the direction of her door at it flew open at the presence of P-Chan. The tiny pig took one leap into the room and another into Akane's arms upon her bed as he was followed closely behind by Ranma. Akane held her pet closely against her chest as Ranma halted just inches away from her face. "You pervert!" she accused. "Haven't you heard of knocking?! What if you burst in here and I hadn't been dressed?"
"Common Akane! It's not like you're dressed anyway," he challenged, eying her yellow pajamas. "You just keep that porker the hell away from me!"
Akane noticed Ranma clutching his left arm in his right. "What happened to you?" she asked in a half-caring manner.
Ranma held his left arm in front of her face, removing his right to reveal the deep bitemarks embedded into his forearm. Akane gasped lightly at the sight of it, and started him with her sincere reaction. She carefully took his arm in her hands as she studied it more closely, with P-Chan sitting in her lap growling at the intruder. Ranma relaxed his fist in her grips, with her touch sending goose bumps up his arm. They both noticed his reaction at the same time and blushed slighly as a result. "Does it hurt?" she asked with concern.
Ranma stuck his right hand behind his head, trying to play it cool. "Nah, it's not so bad," he replied. "After going up against Hopposai on a regular basis, you think that light weight can hurt me?"
P-Chan growled in response and lunged at Ranma's arm for a second shot. This time, Ranma was on guard. He swung his left arm around and slammed his fist against the top of its head. "Look here, Bacon Bit, if you wanna start again..." he warned.
Akane's face darkened in response, as if she suddenly recalled that Ranma was there as a hindrance instead of someone to help her. Her fist shot out instinctively, but Ranma was still on top of his game. He leaned backwards just enough for her hand to breeze past his forehead, aimed for right between the eyes. "Keep your hands off of P-Chan!" she demanded. "Didn't your father ever teach you not to pick on the weak?"
Ranma stared at her in disbelief. "The weak?! Am I losing it or did I not just show you where he made his mark?" he retorted, shoving his arm in front of her face once again.
This time he was met with indifference, as Akane turned away, her nose in the air. "Well, you must have done something to provoke him."
Ranma pulled his arm back as P-Chan lunged for him once again, catching the pig by the ear this time and tossing him back into Akane's lap. "Fine, side with the livestock! You just make sure that holy terror stays away from me," he growled as he turned away, heading back out of the room. "And you keep that in mind, Ryoga."
Akane cocked her head at his response. "Why do you insist on calling him 'Ryoga'? You just sound crazy when you do that."
Ranma turned back towards her briefly. "Crazy for a boy who turns into a girl?" he questioned in a telling response and left the room to allow her to think it over.