CLOSED DOORS
A Ranma 1/2 Alternate Universe
Story by:
Kristin-a-dette
Characters, trademark and inspiration by: Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma 1/2

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Chapter 4: "Consequences"

"Stay away from foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they grow into quarrels." 2 Timothy 2:23

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'Akane frozed when she heard Ranma's words, "We're not done with you yet, Miss Grouchy..."

She shrugged and walked away...'

Akane ran as fast as her short legs would carry her, and dashed inside the girls' washroom and leaned against the door. She let out a nervous exhale, and stared at the mirror on her side. A wide-eyed girl looked back at her. Her long blue-black hair were all over the place, her sunken face and thin lips pale with exertion and shock, and she was breathing hard. Akane closed her eyes and peeked again. Oh no, that girl really IS me...

She sighed and laugh hysterically. "Hahaha... I... I yelled at them... at... the... frikin'... stupid... jerk... popular... STUPID... playboys!" she spat out. She sauntered over to the sinks and opened the taps. She splashed her face with cool water, closed the taps, and then wiped her dripping face with her sleeve.

Now what am I going to do? She asked herself worriedly. Slowly her heart was speeding into a panic. I... didn't... mean... to yell at them! I... oh my gosh... they're like, the most infuential people in school... She cringed. Why did I blow up like that? Why? Why? Then she remembered. YEAH. They were insulting Ukyou... no wait, that RANMA was insulting Ukyou... she sneered at his absent face in disgust. Who does he think he is, getting away with that? HE FRIKIN' THINKS THAT MY BEST FRIEND IS A FRIKIN' DOG! What does Ukyou see in him! I don't care if they went to the same stupid martial arts school, that doesn't mean he can say those things! One thing I hate about people is when they talk about them behind their backs... as if they were GARBAGE or something!

Akane took a deep breath and did her breathing exercise. One, two... This is not good. What's going to happen to her? She remembered Ranma's threat. What are they going to do...?

Someone knocked on the door.

Akane turned her troubled-filled eyes towards the new occupant as she opens the door and looked at Akane.

"Akane..." Ukyou started. "I... what happened? I saw you yelling at Ranma, Ryouga and Mousse, but I thought it was someone else... Someone told me that it was some girl named Akane, but... it wasn't really you, right? I mean," Ukyou smiled nervously. "You would never lash out like that."

Akane gave her a sarcastic smile. "Believe it or not, Ukyou. I really do have a temper."

"So, it was you?" Ukyou gave her a shock expression.

Akane frowned and she turned away. "Yeah, it was me... why do you look like you're surprised?"

"But... you were... fighting with Ranma and his friends! You know the consequences to that!"

"What consequences?" Akane turned back to her friend, and stared.

"They would... just do something, OK!" Ukyou cried out and stepped closer to her. "I heard... rumours..."

Akane crossed her arms. "Why are you even worried about some dumb rumours? Do you even know why I was screaming at them in the first place?"

Her best friend shook her head, her pretty face tainted with a frown. "No, why did you?"

Akane looked at her friend for a moment, and weighed the possibilities. I can't tell her what Ranma said, she'll just freak out. But if I don't tell her, someone who overheard us would tell her, and she'll freak out even more... I don't want to see my friend getting hurt... "They... were..." she took a deep breath. No, I won't tell her. "They were... just insulting me. Guess Ranma couldn't take the fact that there were at least one girl who's not interested in him. Ha-ha." she gave out a forced laugh. "Serves him right.

Besides, I just yelled at them." Akane continued. "What are they going to do to me? It's not like I did something so terrible that, ooh, suddenly everything is going to get nasty later." She grinned. "I'm sure they can take a few insults here and there."

Ukyou shook her head vigorously. "You don't get it. You humiliated them, Akane. In front of everyone. Ranma doesn't take that too kindly. He'll find a way to get back at you."

"Geez," Akane rolled her eyes. "I'm really scared now. Honestly, Ukyou," she placed her hands on her hips. "If he even tries to do something, then I know for sure that he's really a spoiled little boy. Who gets so mad after a girl yells at them? That's stupid, I tell you." She started to walk out from the washroom.

"Akane..." Ukyou followed. She turned around.

"Relax, Ukyou. You know me. I'm nobody. They'll probably forget that I even screamed at them. Geez, it's not like it's the end of the world or something." Akane gave her a wave. "Bye. See you tomorrow."

Ukyou stared after her best friend, frowning. "Yeah... but I'm having this bad feeling..."

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Ranma stepped into the exercise room and started hitting the punch bag. "Who.. does... that... stupid... girl... think... she's... dealing... with... here?" He emphasized every word as he threw a punch. "No one... insults... me like... that... without... getting away... with it..." He gave a final grunt and pushed the bag away.

He threw himself on the mat and began performing his daily push-ups. "Why... am... I... getting... so... uptight... about... this?" He asked himself as he huffed his way through 100. "It's just a... stupid girl... who's... too... loyal and loud... to her... best friend... Geez, Ranma... stop getting... so... mad... it's stupid..."

"Talking to yourself again, little brother?"

Ranma gave a yelp as he collapsed on the mat. He turned his head around to meet his older brother's amused eyes. "No." he spat out. "It's my new routine."

"Oh," Tofou chuckled. "So, 'stupid girl, stupid girl' is the new '1,2,3' now?" He bended his knee to stretch.

Ranma sprung up and landed nimbly on his feet. "Yeah. Stupid girl. Works out perfectly, doesn't it?" He followed Tofou as they perform their usual martial arts work-out routine.

Tofou gave a small laugh. "Who is it this time?"

"Who is what?" Ranma gave his older brother a blank look.

Tofou ignored his reply and turned around to face him. He took a fighting stance, and smiled at his brother. "You know who, 'lil bro. You're the women-hogger in this family. I assume your new problem is about a certain girl, right?"

Ranma scowled and took a stance as well. They started to spar. "Pfft. As if. This girl just started yelling at me in class today, and then at lunch she was eavesdropping on my conversation with the guys, and then she just started ranting on me like a mad woman. Honestly," Ranma rolled his eyes. "First time I've seen a woman so mad like that, except with Mom. I didn't even do anything." He landed a kick at Tofou's side, who countered back with a cuff on his arm.

"Hmm..." Tofou attempted a high kick. Ranma dodged it. "Are you sure you didn't do anything? Like, I don't know, opened your big mouth again?" He gave out an impressed whistle as he watched his little brother knocked his right arm with his hand.

"My mouth is always open. See?" Ranma opened his mouth to prove it. He blocked another hit from Tofou.

"Idiot." Tofou chuckled. "Stop taking me too literally. Answer your older brother. What did you do?" He put up his hands to signal the end to their spar.

Ranma protested. "But... come on! Let's finish it!"

"No. I'm too tired, and I have homework to do. I still have to help out Dad. Why don't you come too?" Tofou asked as he took a towel and wiped himself. Tofou stood a head taller than Ranma, but the little guy was growing up too fast, and soon, he would be the same height as him, maybe even more. He shook his head ruefully at the thought. And he was better than him at any form of exercise, proven everyday at their spar. I guess... Tofou took on a familiar thought. I'm really destined to be a doctor...

"Naw." Ranma shook his head. "I don't wanna. You know I'm not good with any of that." He dropped his eyes to the ground. He seems to be really interested with the floor patterns. "I guess... I'll do my homework..." Or think up of ways to get back at that bad-tempered, blue-haired, shiny brown-eyed, short girl...

Tofou noticed the glint in his brother's eyes and smiled. "You never did answer my question. What did you do?"

"N-nothing." Ranma denied, unwillingly to let his older brother know what he did, or said. He'll call me a big mouth again... "I'm telling you, this girl just yelled at me for nothing." He smirked.

Tofou narrowed his eyes. "Do I know her? I heard lots of people talking about how you were yelling at some girl at lunch today. Was that the girl?" He frowned at him.

Ranma thinned his lips. "Perhaps. But anyways, I don't think you know her. Heck, I don't even know her name."

His brother narrowed his eyes at him again. "You better not do anything stupid. Don't let your pride get in the way of common sense."

"Oh, come on, Tofou." Ranma snorted. "What do you think of me? A jerk? Honestly, I never do anything stupid. It was just a silly thing. Nothing to get all hyped up about." He crossed his fingers behind his back.

"I sure hope so..." Tofou's words trailed off as he leave the room.

"You're not the one who was called a spoiled brat, a half-man, a jerk, and a thousand more things, Tofou. And to me, that's good enough for something..." Heaving out an evil laugh, Ranma returned to his push-ups, and his contemplations...

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The next day, Akane wished for the sun to go back to the other side of the world.

And for her sister to stop banging on her door, which looks like it was going to break soon.

Lastly, she wished for her sudden temper from the day before to disappear, so that the feeling of forebodeness in her heart would also disappear as well.

Argh, she dreaded going to school today.

"What's the big idea," she muttered to herself. "It's not like he would care if I insulted him. What a stupid ego..." She remembered Ukyou's words from the day before, and then remembered her own responses, and she began to relax a bit. "Well, if he still is so hanged up about what happened, then I'm right. He's just a stupid, spoiled guy." She squeezed her eyes and then got up.

After changing to her school clothes, Akane bounded down the stairs and headed straight for the kitchen table. She suddenly stopped in surprise as she saw her father sitting at the table, sipping his usual black coffee.

"Father...?" Akane asked. She took a plate from the cupboard and began pouring rice on it from the rice cooker.

"Good morning, dear." Soun Tendou smiled at his youngest daughter, who frowned at him with concern.

"Father, you should be resting. You just had your attack the other day." Akane reminded him as she took a chair across the table.

"Feh," her father scoffed. "Akane, please don't think of me as a bedridden old man. I'm quite strong, if you wish to know, and a little attack like that won't possibly kill me." He gave her a forced smile. He knows that that wasn't quite true, but he didn't want Akane to start worrying over him.

"Father..." Kasumi entered the kitchen, carrying her school bag. Nabiki followed after her. "Please don't go to work today. You're not well yet. Please wait till Dr. Gen said you could go."

Akane glanced at her father worryingly, wishing to God that he wouldn't go to work, and didn't notice her other sister Nabiki pinching some of her bacon.

"Hey, Dad." Nabiki said, her mouth full. "Listen to your daughters." She frowned at him, as if her father was behaving like a disobedient little boy. "Besides, we're not going bankrupt yet. I can use my savings from my jobs to help out with the bills and everything."

Soun suddenly felt like he wanted to cry. Oh, his wonderful daughters. So thoughtful. But they cannot do this. They're too young, and they musn't worry. They must live normal teenage lives, complete with a mother and father who is able to provide for them... not a widowed father who's constantly sick every day. Oh, my poor daughters... he felt his heart breaking into pieces. Oh, Kimiko... our daughters are growing up to be wonderful women... if only you could see them now...

But Kimiko was never coming back, and every time Soun would get his attacks, he would feel a sudden happiness to just give up on life and follow her, but then he would remember his girls, and suddenly he would feel guilty and sorry that such a thought had even passed his mind. Lord, I'm terribly, terribly sorry... I... I just felt so lost without her...

Each time, God didn't answer.

Lost in his own thoughts, Soun Tendou didn't notice his daughters looking at each other with concern in their eyes, and no one was talking.

"Akane," Nabiki finally broke the awkward silence. "I saw you fighting with Ranma Saotome yesterday at lunch. Why?"

Akane looked up and grimaced. She had avoided talking to her sisters the night before, and had completely forgotten all about it this morning when she saw her father. Now, she has no choice but to tell them what happened. Well, they're sure to find out sooner or later. Better to hear it from me...

"Oh, my, Akane." Kasumi exclaimed quietly, looking at her younger sister with concern. "What happened?"

"N-nothing." Akane flushed. "They were just making fun of Ukyou and I got mad and yeah..." she trailed off into a mumble.

"Tsk tsk," Nabiki clicked her tongue. "That temper of yours is going to get you in trouble one day. I'd thought you would leave it behind when we go to school. Apparently, I assumed wrong."

"Shut up, Nabiki!" Akane glared at her. "You don't understand! They were making fun of Ukyou!"

"Oh, you mean your rich friend who always rides in a limo every morning to school?" Nabiki sneered. She didn't like Ukyou as much as Akane would like. OK, Nabiki didn't like most people in school, because they were all high up in the money scale, while she and the rest of her family were well, pretty darn low.

Akane flushed once more. "Whatever." She turned away.

Kasumi looked at her sisters and sighed. "Nabiki, please stop aggravating Akane, OK?" She's getting really tired with their constant bickering. She glanced worriedly at her father, who was staring at her sisters with sadness.

Nabiki shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Whatever. But just so you know, Akane," she looked at her. "Ranma Saotome and his gang of rich snobby friends would never let anyone yell at them like that. So I'd better watch my back if I were you."

"Oh, gee, thanks so much Nabiki. You're always so helpful." Akane said sarcastically. Inside, she felt hurt. Why can't Nabiki be a much nicer sister? She's always so mean... She looked at her father, whose face was suddenly pale. "Father, what's wrong?"

He looked up and smiled. "Nothing." I can't stop my girls from fighting each other anymore... I'm so useless... He glanced at the clock. "Oh, aren't you girls going to be late for school? Look at the time."

Three sets of female Tendou eyes looked up at clock, gasped with horror, and began to scramble to get ready to leave.

"Father, I left some food for you to eat at lunch. So don't try cooking anything, OK? Love you, Father." Kasumi said and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Bye, Dad! I won't be coming home till eleven tonight. I'm working." Nabiki cried out from the door.

"Bye, Father." Akane said quietly and gave him a hug. "See you later."

Then they left. Soun stared after his daughters as they hurriedly walked to school. He smiled and said, "Look how mature our daughters are getting, Kimiko..."

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For the first time in the history of Furinkan High School, ever since they started attending there, the youngest of the Saotome brothers had finally came to his first period class without a single late slip.

To say that this was the most miraculous thing that had ever happened to him was an understatement.

Miss Hinako watched her most irritating, yet gorgeous, student suspiciously as he sat down on his table without showering her female students with his usual cocky, charismatic smiles. She doesn't know what's going on with him, but she likes this sudden change, for now.

Ten minutes later, another shocking thing happened.

Her favourite never-been-late-to-class A-student, Akane Tendou, had come rushing in, late.

What in the world is going on here? Miss Hinako wondered in amazement as she marked 'late' besides Akane's name. Did they suddenly switch bodies or something?

Little did she notice the growing tension between her two shocking students of the day as she continue on with her lecture.

However, the other occupants in the room did, and delighted in whispering about it.

"Hey did you hear? You know that girl sitting beside Ukyou Kounji? I heard she was fighting with Ranma yesterday..."

"Yeah, yeah I did. I think they were having a lover's quarrel or something..."

"Oh, my gosh. They didn't! I thought he was single!"

"I thought so too! But that's what everyone is saying..."

"Ha, you guys are wrong! They were fighting because that Akane girl suddenly went ballistic and started taking out her craziness on poor Ranma..."

"You know, I've never noticed her before. I think I knew her from Grade 3..."

"Phew... I really hope they're not dating or anything..."

"I agree... poor Ranma..."

They shut up when Akane's gaze, filled with venom and surpressed hurt, glared towards them.

She turned back to her books, ignoring Ukyou's look of concern, and concentrating real hard to also ignore Ranma's undisguised hate-filled gazed aimed at her back.

It wasn't fair, she wailed inside. They didn't know what happened! Now they're spreading rumours about me being crazy... oh my frikin'... !

Ukyou dropped a note on her table.

'I'M SORRY YOU HAD TO LISTEN TO THAT BULL.'

Akane glanced at her friend. For the first time, she wasn't talking or even flirting with Ranma. In fact, she was practically ignoring him. Akane felt a glow growing inside her, grateful for her friend's loyalty, and wrote back,

'NO, IT'S OK. IT'S NOT TRUE ANYWAYS. SO I'M NOT GOING TO GET ALL WORKED UP OVER IT.'

'BUT... THEY'RE SO STUPID... I'M SORRY AKANE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND, BUT RANMA IS MY FRIEND TOO. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? HE'S JUST A STUPID GUY RIGHT? HE HAS NO RIGHT TO INSULT YOU.'

Akane stared at Ukyou's note for a moment until she remembered her lie. 'OH, IT'S OK. YOU CAN... STILL... TALK... TO HIM I GUESS.' Akane wrote this, but inside she didn't want her best friend to talk to the guy who thought that she was a dog just for him to play with.

She looked at her friend as she read the note, and Ukyou's face light up. She gave her a sunny smile and turn around to face Ranma, giving him a frown.

He looked at her blanky.

"What is it, Ukyou?" He let his eyes roam over to Akane, who was trying hard to copy down her notes.

Ukyou leaned in and whispered, "Apologize to Akane."

He frowned at her. "Why?"

Akane stiffened as she heard his response. No, I don't need that stupid jerk's apology... why the heck is Ukyou even telling him that... didn't she know that he is supposed to apologize to HER?

Ukyou froze in confusion, as she realized that she didn't know the whole story. Akane didn't tell her exactly how they fought. She recovered and replied, "Be a gentleman and just do it."

Ranma crossed his arms. "Fine. I'm sorry, Akane." Everyone in the room, except Miss Hinako who was busy writing on the board, heard his apology. To them, his apology sounded sincere enough, but to Akane, she could hear the hidden words behind the apology. I'll deal with you later...

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