Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Ranma ½. Many references are from various mythologies, as well as some random Xena: Warrior Princess Easter eggs.
AN: This is a complete rewrite to Amazons. Ranma POV. After the manga series.
From Somewhere Within
Chapter 4
The End
We ran even faster, stopping for a moment at the hut for Akane to grab her kama.
Hikari was in the middle of the village shooting fireballs from her hands, while people ran around.
Some people had buckets with water, trying to dose the roaring flames. Some had weapons and were charging her, but were being thrown back by fire or some other unseen ki blast.
Alroy was running with Mei, who had collected the children and was trying to get them to safety.
Akane went with them, showing them a safe way escape while I narrowed my eyes on Hikari.
"Helllllo, boy!" She called to me. "What do they call you?"
She stopped her fire flinging and let me get close.
"I am Ranma Saotome Tanka of the School of Anything Goes Martial Arts and I am your reckoning!" I bellowed, pointing the dagger at her.
"Tanka… Tanka… ah! You're Haruko's spawn! She was weak. Tried to stop Aunty Sakumi from taking care of me. Tsk, tsk, not nice!" She shrieked, bolting a ball of fire towards me.
I jumped to the side, and barely missed getting scorched.
"Akaaaaane. Where is my precious girl?" Hikari taunted.
Stay hidden, I pleaded. I can do this.
"Hello Hikari."
Akane came forward, her tunic and pants smeared with ash, her kama at her hands, ready to move.
"Oh sweet child. Look at you. The madder girl. So tell me, who got Aunty's name? Hmm?
No, no, let's see." Hikari closed her eyes and I saw Akane lurch forward.
"Akane, Nabiki, ah Kasumi. Did mommy ever tell you that? Her mother who forsake her for me, named her first born after her. Sakumi, Kasumi. How sweet. Tanka… Ah!" Hikari pointed a finger to the air.
"I remember now. After Sakumi and I left, little abandoned Kariko was taken in by the Tanaka family. Her and Nodoka, I think, yes they were raised as sisters. And now look! Hikari threw a hand towards both me and Akane.
"Their brats are fighting together. But…" Hikari flicked her tongue out as if tasting the air.
"Oh Akane. You hate Ranma right now, and you're all he's thinking about darling. So sweet, sweet, sweet. Here Ranma, you can have this!"
She flung her hand at me and I moved to dodge it but nothing happened. Then the pounding started, and the visions. I saw a thousand different endings for me and Akane. We were married, we have twins; we died right here; we fight, we divorce; I drink, she leaves me. It overwhelmed my head having so many future memories flashing through all together.
The pounding became overwhelming. I dropped the dagger, and it vanished in the sunlight.
I dropped to my knees, trying to feel it with one hand, but the visions were too many.
Akane marries someone else, I become my father; she dies at 20 in an accident; Shampoo kills her; I die; I'm in a coma; I was never born; Akane was never born; Nabiki is my wife; Kasumi is my wife, Akane kills herself.
A mixture of past possibilities meld with the future possibilities and I can barely keep up on my knees.
Hikari is so memorized by me she doesn't see Akane shrink down and run towards me. Akane slides forward and grabs the dagger.
She returns to normal size, slides the dagger in the waistband of her pants.
"Excuuuse meee!" Hikari stops pointing at me and the pounding stops. I panted trying to catch my breath and remembered where I was and which timeline was real.
"Precious one. Where did you go?"
Akane made herself appear tiny or invisible. I wasn't even sure where she is. I tried to focus on where I last saw her. See if I can find her eyes.
A kama flied from the left but Hikari stopped it mid-air and flicks it away.
A staff flied from the right, but Hikari stopped it as well.
Weapons were flying in from all directions now.
Akane must be leading the assault. I couldn't help but smile through the aching in my brain.
"Enough!" Hikari shouted, and throws a circular field around her knocking everything to the ground.
Then the rocks started raining down on her. Rocks, fruit, sticks, come flying in from all directions.
And I see her.
She's not one-hundred percent invisible. I didn't know if she's doing it on purpose or was just exhausted.
She sneaked up on Hikari but is spotted.
Hikari scooped Akane up by her neck and holds her high off the ground.
"Oh precious one. You could have been by my side."
Akane smiled and tried to choke out something.
"What honey? I can't hear you. You're being suffocated."
Akane nodded despite turning blue.
I forced myself to stand and start towards Hikari.
I saw a bucket half full of water and know what to do.
"Hey!" I shouted, getting her attention.
She turned with a slightly bemused look as I dump the water over my head.
Her jaw dropped as I shift down into a red-head girl, and her grip loosened just enough. Akane, kicked out of the grasp, knocking Hikari down to the ground. Before she could sit up, Akane drove the dagger into Hikari's chest.
Hikari looked down at the dagger and laughed.
While giggling she began to shake, her body moving faster than anything on earth. The skin melted off her face yet her skeleton still seemed to grin as it crumpled into dust.
Akane grabbed the dagger, stood up, and walked towards me.
Those hiding come rushing forward and surround Akane.
I watched her for a moment and smiled. Alona was right. I'm scared I need Akane more than she needed me.
I went back to the hunt and find Alona collapsed. She's either in her older form or time has finally caught up.
I made sure she was still breathing and run back into the village center and get as many people as I can. Akane was immediately by my side.
We were sitting by Alona when we're told there's nothing that can be done and when Alona died later that night we were still there.
Akane had a few tears in her eyes but didn't cry. I snuck away later that night, still a girl and let myself cry. Sometimes you just need a good cry.
When I returned Akane was awake in our hut and waiting. She held me till I fell asleep in her arms.
The harvest festival became a rebuild festival. Amazons from all over the world worked together to rebuild the town and we were still able to have a decent festival to honor the few lives lost from Hikari's final reign of terror.
Akane was the hero of the Amazons. She even got a letter from Cologne telling her good job and we were welcome to visit anytime.
When the guests left, I sent a letter home saying we're okay and we would be coming home soon, though I left out that I didn't think Akane would be coming back with me.
The Council offered Alona's place on the council to Akane. She'd be free to travel around and recruit or find others that have been lost.
The book Alona always had her nose in was a record of her life and the lives of everyone who came through the town. Akane started learning to read the ancient language.
Aren teaches us the chant to go to the spirt realm. We found Kariko and set her free. She was so happy to see her daughter as such a respected member of the Amazon community. She was saddened by her teacher's death but peace was found in it as well.
We checked in from time to time after Kariko passes on, for Alona. We hoped she didn't have leftover baggage but also wanted to give her a proper goodbye and thank her for everything.
I had only wished I had listened earlier to her about Akane.
It's turned into winter faster than I expected. We had been gone for close to 6 months. It was time to go back.
I said my goodbyes, promising I would return each summer to teach and help and learn. People ask if Akane was going with me but I honestly didn't know.
We were supposed to meet our guide back through the portal to Japan at noon. I waited nearby.
I closed my eyes tight, hoping for a positive vision that Akane was coming with me, but Jingu Kogo hadn't visited me since before the final battle.
I heard a twig break and snapped my eyes open.
Her hair was almost to her shoulders and was blowing in the wind. Her eyes were lively and bright. Her cheeks pink from the cold air.
Her now trademark, madder dyed, ruby tunic was long sleeved and layered with a fur vest. Her pants were a heavier material, and she was wears boots instead of slippers. She had no pack on.
She stopped only an arm's reach away. I wanted to reach out and bring her close to me but I couldn't bear the thought of her pulling away.
"I take it you're not coming with me then."
She dropped her head in a no.
"Can I ask why?"
She looked sad but answered.
"This is what is right for me, Ranma. I need to know who I can be without you. And right now you're holding me back. I," she breathed in deeply. "I love you, but being with you makes me weak."
I felt my legs turn to jelly and my insides sloshed around. I almost expected to see Hikari using magic on me.
"And I love you too! I can finally say it. I've loved you since the first time we fought Ryoga. When you slapped me, I felt fire and passion and I fell in love with that." I kept praying that all the feelings below the surface, could finally be obvious. That she could see from somewhere within me how desperate I was for her to come back with me.
"I'm not the same girl who left Nermia. There's a whole other world apart of myself and I've only touched the surface. I've always been under your shadow and it's time to be my own person now."
"But we love each other. I can stay. We can learn together. We can be together." I reached for her but she holds her hand up. I could see her trembling, and if I said the right thing she might change her mind and come with me.
"No. Go home. Tell my dad, Kasumi and Nabiki I am safe and okay. Tell them what we accomplished here. Maybe someday I'll come back, but not today, and not with you."
She brushed my shirt lightly, I could feel the heat from her hand, and savored it. Then she was gone.
Seconds passed when Hoshi showed up.
"Ready to go home?"
I nodded, giving one last look over the village.
Some huts were still under construction but the village was bigger and better now. I watched Mei run around as a dot of red, teasing the younger kids.
Alroy was helping prep lunch that day as tables were moved into place for lunch.
Hoshi ducked into the tree, and I followed.
The trek home was lonely but quick.
I couldn't decide if I just wanted to get home, or if I needed some time alone.
I made it home in ten hours.
I'm greeted by Mom who is so happy to hear that Kariko is in a better place. She's so excited to see me she doesn't notice Akane's absence till Kasumi asks.
Kasumi is crestfallen. Tendo-san cries for a week. Nabiki tries to pump me for information to sell Akane's whereabouts to the highest bidder. Pop is Pop. I can't help look at him and wonder if he is a future for me. I don't think I've ever seen my parents act affectionate once. I wonder how long it took for me to come around, because I don't see them as a lovey couple.
A few months later I am warming up and a young girl I recognize comes to the dojo, she's the oldest of the three girls who are related to Akane.
Akane is doing well there. She turned down the position on the Council for now, but teaches ki based attacks and defense and is traveling. She's already been to Brazil and Ireland with Licia and Aren respectively.
She sends her best wishes and ends the letter abruptly. There is something scribbled out at the bottom but I can't decode it. I think, I hope it says she misses me, but I guess I'll never know.
Despite the sadness, Doctor Tofu proposes to Kasumi, which she accepts. I send the news back with Rekka, whose name I finally know, and hope for a response soon.
After the New Year, I try to go to the spirit world. I surprisingly make it there okay and find Alona.
She's actually pretty happy. As a spirit she's dealt with a lot of her ancestors who are holding grudges but wasn't ready to pass on; she was waiting for me.
Akane visits her every week and lets her know that the Amazons: her children, are doing well. That her book is already filling gaps into the history and making it easier to keep alive with song and story.
Alona tells me she's sorry for being hard on me and hopes she didn't ruin me and Akane. But a little bird in a kimono told her Akane and I will be together one day.
I watch her spirit pass to paradise and feel a bit more at ease.
For now, I'll finish up school, I have two terms to catch up on before my final year. I've convinced Pop and Tendo-san to open the school back up and I teach part time after school and on weekends. Pop has become a decent sparring partner again and I have Mom teach me a few tricks with the katana.
I move back in with Mom and Pop who got the house fixed while I was gone. It's fine. Quiet. I spend most nights on the roof looking at the sky, hoping that while I look at the moon, Akane pauses to look at the moon too. Sometimes I get a feeling, from somewhere within, that she is.
THE END
AN:
Well hot-diggity-daffodil.
This went from a story that I first posted back in 2009 and then started to update in 2017 to being finished in a single day (and then edited in a day a few weeks later…)
This story is heavily influenced by the song Oceans by Seafret. There's just something about the lyrics that spoke to me as Ranam and Akane.
[I want you
And I always will
I wish I was worth
But I know what you deserve
You know I'd rather drown
Than to go on without you
But you're pulling me down]
Plus I loved the base idea of Amazons, just hated how I wrote it. The joys of aging and growing up. Which I hopefully conveyed well with the characters.
I hope you enjoyed the very different life of Akane and Ranma after Saffron. If there is good reception I will consider an update/when they meet again chapter. But for right now I am pretty happy with the ending. Even when things got happy for Ranma and Akane earlier on, the story just lead me back to this ending which I probably wrote before I even finished the first chapter.
Thank you so much for reading and please leave a review if you'd like!
Happy Reading
Dess