AN: First of all, I'm completely and totally sorry for such a late update. I got carted to my grandparents and got back last night, and I'm kinda tired from all the traveling...To my reviewers, all I have to say is AISHITERU! You make everything so much better (Course, so does Xiao Lang, - shameless -).

A special note to The Empty Set: I feel so happy! You gave me a long and very wonderful review with all sorts of good questions and advice and you've even figured out mah cool title thing!- thinks she was clever - Ha, I'm actually a dork. Thanks for the especially wonderful review, and I hope you like this chapter with a bit more info on things that won't come up until later.

5. Sacrifice

Though Ryoga was reluctant to endanger Akane, he eventually agreed. Even he could tell he sucked at trying to find his way around, and it would be nice to have Akane around.

Now all he had to do was get that stupid Ranma out of the way.

Ever since he'd agreed, Ranma had stayed around Akane like a moth to a flame. It was quite annoying. Half the time, Akane didn't realize that Ranma was there, but Ryoga knew. And it was becoming a pain.

Akane looked up at Ryoga as they packed the last of their things. "What is it?" she asked, oblivious, watching Ryoga glare at the ceiling.

"Nothing," he answered, blushing under her stare. He turned away from her, once again looking for Ranma, who he knew was here somewhere.

Just then, Ranma strolled through the door, whistling innocently. Ryoga stared in shock while Akane gave him a slightly welcoming and slightly scolding look.

"Ranma, we were left packing!" she said, in a surprisingly good mood. "You couldn't help out a little?"

Ranma scowled a little, then looked away from her. "Can we talk?"

She looked a bit confused, but nodded. Ryoga listened in not so subtly, which Ranma took notice of.

"Um, I kinda meant…in private." He gave a look over his shoulder at Akane.

"I gotcha." Akane nodded, then shooed Ryoga away. Of course, he was still outside, which Ranma knew. He gave a soft sigh, contemplating how to do this without getting punched into the next new year. Finally, he shrugged and picked up Akane, jumping out of the window just as she let out a soft 'Oh!' of surprise.

Ryoga listened outside the door impatiently. What was that Ranma doing to his Akane?

Outside, Akane just clung to Ranma, looking down with a small tremble. She knew Ranma was strong, but that didn't stop her fear of being dropped.

"RANMA! RANMA WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" she shrieked, clutching him tighter and burying her face into his clothes in an attempt to calm herself. He flushed and subconsciously held her tighter, but shook his head.

"Oh, chill out. I can't talk with that idiot there. Now shut up," he said gruffly, ignoring the way she relaxed just a little bit.

He sat her down on a roof far from where Ryoga was ("WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HER RANMA!"), and faced her with a serious disposition.

"Akane, whatever we're going into may be dangerous. You could…you could very well die. All of this for some heir you've never met?" he asked, looking at her with something she couldn't define.

"Of course. I'm being useful for once, and saving this kingdom is something that will honor me, no matter if I die," she honestly answered, staring at him in confusion.

He sighed, gave her a half sigh and reached inside his shirt. "I knew you'd say that," he said with half pride, half disappointment. He pulled out a scroll and handed it to her, showing her his prize.

"A binding spell? But these are nearly impossible to come by now!" she exclaimed, reading the kanji with something akin to awe and joy. "But wha-"

"I just want to make sure I can find you. I'll be able to tell where you are with it, so it'll be perfect in case something happens." He was careful not to look at her, his face tinged a light red.

"Oh, Ranma," she gave a small smile, and placed the scroll between them. Taking a breath, she looked at him. "Now?"

He shrugged. "Why not?" She took the scroll and began to read in an old dialect, translating with ease and precision. After minutes of chanting she tore the scroll in half and pressed one half to his forehead.

"So I bind you to me." She murmured, and pressed her lips to the paper on his forehead. It disappeared in a small flash of light. She handed him the other half scroll and closed her eyes, ignoring the red blush across her face and the one hotly spread across his.

"S-So I bind you to me." He whispered, placing the scroll to her forehead with a kiss. A small flash of light appeared again, and a pulse flowed through them simultaneously. Ranma was suddenly pounded with awareness of Akane. He could feel almost everything about her, and tried to calm down the rush of feelings swarming him.

He didn't like those feelings he'd suppressed just popping up like that…

-

The next day they started out for who knows where. Ryoga said that the Elder had felt the stirrings in the North, towards King Soun's land, but Ranma and Akane refused to go too close. They began traveling in a companionable silence, Akane occasionally commenting. Ranma sulked and silently thought off to the side, and Ryoga was forced to follow. Akane figured they had about…two months maybe, if you counted the late summer months. Not a lot of time, but hopefully enough.

She was extremely happy, though, for one of the first times. She was traveling, she was in good company, and there were no men out to get her. Boy, this girl has got to stop getting happy. Bad things always come then.

"OH HO HO HO HO!"

Ranma froze, twitching slightly. "Chikuso," he commented, turning around with a bit of fear and a bit of annoyance. A young woman stood there, in the dress of a noble, but it was uniquely cut so that it allowed her to move around freely. She was wickedly smiling at Ranma, taking no notice of the others, though she did regard Akane with some sort of glare.

"Ranma-sama, how ARE you?"

"Oh, after I recovered from that last batch of poisoned roses, I think I've been okay," he said, as if talking about the weather. Akane whipped around.

"You know her?" she asked, eying the girl with trepidation.

"Oh, didn't you know? This is Kodachi. KUNO Kodachi."

Akane was about to faint. "KUNO?"

"His sister. While you were hiding, she found me looking for you. She started stalking me about the fourth day. Her specialty seems to be poisons and potions." He started warily edging away from the demurely smiling girl.

"Oh, my dearest Ranma. I have pined for you, my love, my-"

Akane dusted her hands off and watched the large pot she'd thrown drop from Kodachi's face. A slow smirk spread across her face, and Kodachi stared in anger and slight shock. This common girl dared to hit her? She was of the highest breed, besides those of the royal family. And this…vulgar, rude street brat had thrown a pot at her!

"Who are you, wench, and why do you follow my dearest?"

"Follow who? Oh, Ranma? You mean…me follow Ranma?" That was sort of strange, she thought he followed her…

"Of course, vile witch! You must have poisoned or deluded my poor love, for he is too high in stature to allow you to stay in his presence for long."

Akane fumed. She was happy to not be called a princess, but to disregard her family name, her honor without so much as a reason why, had her boiling. She silently slipped into a stance, which Ranma immediately recognized. After all, he had taught it to her.

"I, Tendo Akane, challenge you, Kuno Kodachi."

Kodachi's eyes flashed, as she whipped out a ribbon and held it aloft.

"So you are the one who my elder brother searches for…well, I'm sorry to say he'll have to see you in pieces. I accept the challenge."

-

To say that Ranma was worried was an understatement. He couldn't interfere, especially since the challenge was issued from Akane, but he knew Kodachi was talented.

As he watched Akane evade a blow from the deadly looking ribbon, he felt a sort of pride sink in that mingled with something else, and for a moment, he felt sure that maybe Akane could win. Then the blade-like ribbon whipped across Akane's peasant dress, creating rips along the torso. The ribbon she used to hold it together was cut, and her dress was dangerously close to coming off.

Ranma watched in a sort of anger and satisfaction as Ryoga promptly fainted. Good, the stupid boy was a waste of time anyways.

Akane ignored her dress and ran at Kodachi, her fists ready. Kodachi easily dodged, but Akane was ready for this and swung her right leg at the noble girl, causing her to fly into a nearby tree. Akane watched with a smirk as the girl woozily stood up, then gave the princess a glare.

"I see. Well, I need time to prepare for you, Tendo Akane. Our challenge has been postponed. Until we meet again, Ranma-sama…I will save you!" With that and a high pitched cackle, she was gone.

Ranma turned to Akane to congratulate her, and then realized her state of undress. He flushed a bright red and hurriedly grabbed Ryoga, mumbling something about clothes and stupid girls who couldn't avoid ribbons.

-

After the excitement of Kodachi, things went back to normal. Another two weeks was spent looking, and Akane was disheartened. She had thought it would be easy to find the heir, but no such luck.

They'd been as close to Soun's castle as Ranma dared, and a few of the guards had almost recognized them. Akane now knew the definition of flying, since Ranma had carted her out of there faster than the men could say, "Oh my."

Needless to say, tensions were high in the group, and Ryoga and Ranma couldn't go anywhere without fighting, it seemed. Most of the time, Akane ignored it and tried to pretend she didn't know them.

-

It was the night that began the third week of searching, and Ranma stared desolately at the campfire. His connection with Akane pulsed and he saw flashes, perhaps of what she was dreaming…but that had been his Chinese shirt, so maybe it wasn't.

And then the Chinese shirt was gone, but Ranma certainly wasn't. He could see himself in Akane's dreams, he realized. He allowed the connection for about two more minutes before blushing hotly and furiously closing it.

That had not been him. Perhaps Akane was just…using his figure as a model. For some reason, the thought disappointed him.

No it didn't…it didn't…it didn-

"Airen!"

He had never seen Akane fly out of her tent so fast, he noted, before he was smothered by Shampoo.

So, sorry for ranting here too, but later chapters include heavy cussing. Yeah, the 'F' word, my duckies. Should I up the rating for that? Just more of an opinion thing, so ya know.

And please don't abandon my story cause you think I'll cuss all over it. Its only like...twice.

Well, must sleep, my loves.

- AA -