The Head Priestess tapped her shoe impatiently as she waited worriedly for her young apprentice to show up. It was already two in the afternoon and there was no sight of the energetic girl sprinting through the hallways. She turned to the statue of Maya, the Goddess of Mercy and Love, and pleaded silently that the young priestess would arrive safely. She was aware of the dangers that loomed ahead of her precious one so she took it upon herself to ensure that the young apprentice was well trained under the teachings of the best martial artistes in their country. She had to admit that the girl had shown extraordinary talent in this area and had surpassed her masters to be one of the best martial artistes in the country. Despite all these, she still could not put her mind at ease when she saw the lust behind the eyes of the men whenever the girl walked passed them.
'If only she would find a husband- a warrior strong enough to protect her from the evil that the future might bring, I would not have to worry about her day and night. Although he must be a priest or healer, I hope the destined man have the spirit and skills of the warrior. Oh Goddess of Mercy and Love, please guide the princess to the temple and protect her from whatever dangers that she might be saving. Please let her find her destined partner of life soon so that she would be well protected from the evil and temptations the future might bring.'
Elsewhere in the heart of the town, a pigtailed martial artist and a princess sneezed as their path of destiny began to reveal.
The sound of footsteps echoing through the hallways crushed the doubts that were haunting her and she quickly regained her composure before turning to greet her apprentice. Glaring at the cloaked figure in front of her, she took a deep breath she began.
"Your highness, please forgive me for what I am going to say to you. I am afraid this unpleasant speech I have prepared is for your own good so listen up, young lady. Your highness, WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG TO GET HERE? You should have taken the initiative to send a messenger to inform us that you are running late for the afternoon class here. I would not tolerate such behavior from you. You are chosen from the gods above to strengthen the faith of the people and lead the people through the prosperous age. If I am to hand over the country to you right now, the pillar of faith will collapse. Please take your responsibility seriously, Princess Akane. You must learn to…"
Akane stared at the floor meekly. She knew that the head priestess was waiting for an answer but she could not tell her the truth. She was fed up with being inside the palace for too long and yearned to mingle around the crowd. She certainly did not regret her decision even though she had an unpleasant experience a few minutes ago. She had a great time observing the people in the town doing their daily work. As she thought about the experience that she had a while ago, her mind wandered back to the time when she first met Ranma and she blushed.
'The name seems so right for him. I don't know how to place it but it fits him perfectly. He looked so strong yet his eyes are so vulnerable. No, I could not have like him. I should hate him like the rest of the boys. But…the look he gave me was that of admiration, not desire or lust. He seemed so innocent yet so mysterious. What am I doing? It is not like I love him or something like that. He must have some bad points. Like…uh… being an arrogant jerk. Yes, this must be it. An arrogant and egoistic guy. No difference from the rest. But he is so…handsome. Tall and lean but muscular. I must be crazy.'
She tried to listen to the head priestess but her mind is too distracted to capture what was being said.
'I wonder what style he studied. I must admit he is a very skilled martial artist. Judging from his tattered clothes and skills, he is definitely not a warrior. A warrior's training causes a man to develop big muscles. Very few could attain a balance of speed and strength through the training but not agility, speed and strength at the same time. He had a combination of all three which, I must say, is impressive. My guess is he's a commoner just like the rest of the people.'
A thought struck her.
'And that's mean...'
Akane's smile faltered.
'…we are not destined to be together.'
'She is really a priestess? I never thought that the priestesses were trained in martial arts. Guess she is telling the truth. Judging from the moves she had executed on the deserving fools, I bet that she has a good master to learn from. She is definitely refreshing change from those dizzy girls who tried to seduce me. Not that I want them in the first place. They are nothing but weak-willed creatures. An assassin must have a clear mind to sense his surrounding. These temptations would taint it once you get addicted to them.'
Ranma looked at the scene in front him through the window with amusement. He saw the old woman, whom he presumed to be the teacher, scolding Akane. He had decided to follow the girl secretly.The mission can wait.He reasoned to himself that the fools would attempt to trap her again for revenge and she might not be able to protect herself. However, his heart seemed to whisper otherwise.
'You fool! Youwant to follow her because you want to know more about her.You are fervently hoping that you are wrong about her identity- that she is not a lady. You prayed that she would turn out to be a common folk like you and me so that there will be a chance for both of you to be together. You know that she is the missing puzzle to your life even though you only met her for the first time.'
The fragile hope he was clinging onto shattered when he saw her entering the temple. The two guards at the entrance bowed low at as she approached the gate. To be welcomed so formally into the temple, she must be a priestess of high rank. He felt the urge to see her again. He circled around the temple inconspicuously to avoid the guard's attention in hope of finding a way to enter the holy place.
After a few minutes of searching, he finally caught sight of a tall oak tree near the gate. With the agility of a monkey, he jumped from one branch to another soundlessly and effortlessly. He was rewarded with a clear view of Akane through a window. The thick concrete brick walls prevented the sounds from reaching his ears but he was contented to stay hidden in the tree and watch the scene unfold. Ranma saw her head bow in submission when the teacher scolded her. He smirked.
'So submissive. Is that the same girl I met just now? The old lady really got a lot of air in her lungs. She has been yelling since I came. What's wrong with Akane? She is blushing. I wonder what she is thinking. Or maybe she is embarrassed. So beautiful. What am I thinking? There is no way that I would fall for a girl. I will not give up my life of an assassin for her. Definitely not. Besides, she would be betrothed to a warrior, a healer or someone with equal status. There is no way that she would love…'
His smirk died. His hands rested limply on the branch as reality hit him.
'…a bloodthirsty assassin like me.'
Author's note. Sigh. The fourth chapter. I try not to make RaAk OCC but I guess I already had in this chapter. Let just say I am a true blue RaAk fan and I would not read stories that does not have the RaAk romance in it ( So sorry but it can't be help -). It is RaAk and just RaAk alone. No third parties or temporary girl/boyfriend. Ok. Back to the story. I prefer Ranma and Akane to develop their feelings for each other faster ( love at first sight) but whether they would reveal their feelings in the early part of the story is one matter I am contemplating. I don't know how the story will go but I will finish it with an RaAk ending. Definitely. I am not entirely sure whether the other casts would be given a part so………..Reviews Please. I need motivation.