A/N: I thought exams were bad, but I didn't expect the after-exam period to be that bad. Things have been very busy lately, despite having the holidays kick in. But here's another chapter! (: It's been great reading the reviews though. Thanks!
Kismet
A Ranma ½ Alternate Universe
By Andrina
Chapter 4
"No trumpets sounds when the important decisions of our life are made. Destiny is made known silently."
-Agnes de Mille (1909 – 1993)
Akane stiffened up immediately at the sight of Ranma.
In response, the pigtailed young man shot the meanest, toughest glare he could muster at that moment and spun around, gritting his teeth. "Ukyo!" he said accusingly, and she blinked up innocently at him. "What's the big deal, bringing her to dinner?"
Ukyo retaliated with a pretty little confused wrinkle of her adorable nose. "What do you mean, Ran-chan?" she pondered vapidly.
If he didn't know her so well, he would have thought either Ukyo really were confused, or she had somehow been put under a spell and had morphed into an airheaded bimbo. As it was, she was putting up an act. Right, he knew that. Or so he would like to think. Ukyo was giggling and simpering now; it was getting mildly creepy.
"Oh, don't worry, there's enough food for you, me, Ryoga and Akane," she added meaningfully.
You, me, Ryoga and Akane.
Ryoga never came for dinners at Ukyo's. Not that he didn't like her food, but he came from the north of Nerima, and had always insisted on having his own northern Nerima food. Makes me think of home, he'd like to say, and Ranma and Ukyo had always shrugged it off. Ryoga probably spent more time in the neighboring Kingdom of Zia than in his own home, so it made sense that he would like to get his hands on whatever reminded him of home. And besides, everyone had their little quirks, didn't they? So Ryoga's quirk could very well be his (huge) collection of spices and gravy recipes from the north, however weird that was.
But that was the point, see? Ryoga never ate with them if he could have the time to prepare his own food, and as far as Ranma knew, Ryoga was pretty free today. So even if Ryoga were to join them for dinner, he would always lug along a bag of meat and spices and pots, not just sit there and eat Ukyo's cooking. On another day, Ranma might have shrugged and dismissed it. But then Ukyo had to include Akane in it… so that meant…
He looked over at the girl standing at the edge of the clearing, who stood there clutching something burnt in her hands. Her stance was rigid, her lips pressed into a thin hard line; she looked ready to blow any second now. Then he looked back at Ukyo, who was now gazing at him in a look of mixed apprehension and hope.
So he made his decision. "No," he said simply. "I reject it. Akane cannot join us."
It could be said that the look in his eyes froze all discussion, for Ukyo fell silent and returned to her cooking. Ranma looked around briefly, before disappearing out of the clearing. Akane, now filled with mounting confusion and unease, retreated to a corner, watching Ukyo's skilled yet mechanical movements with a sharp eye.
When Ryoga came, Ukyo only shook her head and passed him a plate of grilled meat mutely. It was then that Akane finished her own food as quickly as she could, having lost most of her appetite, and excused herself to return to Sango's cottage. You can stay here for a few more nights, Ukyo told her. I don't care what Ranma says.
So Akane left, and it was with quick steps that she fled the gloomy atmosphere in Ukyo's quarters.
She was no more than halfway across the village when she stopped. It was the soft, barely discernable crunch of rough dirt that stopped her, and she glanced up instinctively. In the darkness before her, she could make out the now-familiar figure of Ranma. She tensed slightly, unsure of what she was to do. Then he took a slight step forward, out of the shadows and into the pale sheet of moonlight that had spread out across the night.
For a moment, they locked gazes. Akane was the first to look away, and quietly, the tenseness in her shoulders drained away.
"Come with me," he said abruptly.
She didn't think she would have moved towards him as he turned and stepped neatly into the bushes. She thought she would have kicked up a fuss, or outright refused, just for the sake of annoying him, at the very least. But perhaps it was late, and she had had a long tiring day. Perhaps she was too tired to put up a fuss. Perhaps she had sensed that he wouldn't be seeking to taunt her at this moment in time. Perhaps, perhaps…
Perhaps she had seen something when she looked at him, and perhaps she had seen that there would be no more fights today.
Whatever it was, she did follow him.
The first thing that struck her was that Ranma knew his way around this area very, very well. It was in the way he slipped in and out of the thick bushes effortlessly, knowing exactly which to avoid and where the slight openings were, even in the dark. He knew when to sidestep the thorny ones, and he weaved through the plants easily. Akane, on the other hand, was not so lucky. She seemed to be getting parts of herself caught and scratched by the plants everywhere and more than once she had tripped and stumbled blindly in the darkness. In fact, it almost seemed as though Ranma had intentionally chosen the most prickly and thorny bushes to lead her through.
She sighed, wincing as something snagged in her top and with a resounding rip, her sleeve tore.
Actually, she wouldn't be scratching herself and tearing her clothes so much if Ranma didn't walk so fast. And that brought one to the second point. Not only was Ranma weaving his way through the forestry with remarkable ease… he was also moving with remarkable speed. She was pretty sure he could hear her breathless panting behind him, but instead of slowing down, he just kept walking. In fact, he seemed to be picking up speed. Biting her lip, she muttered darkly underneath her breath and trudged forward as quickly as she could.
He kept walking, so she kept following. She had no idea where he was taking her, but she did not really feel much like being the one to break the stony silence between them, so she continued on as best as she could.
Time passed. They were still walking.
Then abruptly, they burst into a small opening in the forest. Without warning, Ranma halted in his steps. Akane gave a startled gasp and stumbled, not expecting the sudden stop.
Then he turned to her, and in that moment, she straightened, still sucking in deep breaths and trying to get over her breathlessness. Then he spoke.
"How long will you follow me?"
Akane drew in a deep breath, and then scowled. "Here you are, telling me to follow you…"
"No," he interrupted. "How long will you follow me?"
She opened her mouth to answer him flippantly, but then something about his tone made her think twice. Finally she looked over at his dark figure. "Until you stop," she responded simply. "Or maybe until I fall down and break a leg and can't get up again." It was meant to be teasing, to lighten up the somber mood that had fallen, but she bit her lip as soon as the words left, feeling an odd alteration in the atmosphere.
Something was shifting, she could feel it.
Then, without warning, his leg swung forward in a vicious kick at her.
Ranma watched as Akane let out a startled shriek and threw herself wildly to one side as he moved his leg past her. But instead of relenting, he moved himself into a punch towards her head, and it was with another yell and wild duck that she barely avoided his fist.
"Saotome!" she shouted, even as he raised his other fist towards her. "Hey, have you gone crazy?"
He sent his arm flying forward, and she leapt clumsily away, gasping. She was yelling now, hissing angrily at him. He could hear the note of confused terror in her voice, and he could see the way she tried to prevent her shock and fear from paralyzing her as she tried to avoid him.
She couldn't see it, of course, not when she was untrained, and not when it was so dark, but Ranma was very much pulling his punches and kicks.
But he didn't say anything, and only continued to attack her. Eventually, she fell silent, focusing her efforts only on evading his punches. He smiled slightly, knowing that she wouldn't be able to see it in the dark anyway. Clever girl. For minutes, nothing was said, and nothing could be heard, except the sounds of her harsh breathing and her panicked steps on the forest floor.
He never did hit her. Always, at the last moment, if she could not sidestep in time, he would change his direction minutely. Enough for her not to notice, but also enough for him to miss her just slightly. She was still confused, and still frightened. But it came to a point, where instead of just ducking, she began to raise her arms to block him, although she certainly wasn't doing it correctly, judging from the way she winced every time one of his pulled blows landed.
And it was enough. It was what he had been looking for.
Akane might not have known it then, but he was testing her. And he would have liked to go on with it too, to see how far he could go. But it was in that moment that she gave a sudden startled gasp and tripped over a large root behind her, toppling backwards comically.
He relaxed his stance then, grinning slightly. Her balance would be something for them to work on.
But all in all, she had passed.
Akane was wary. Very wary.
Pressing a hand to the back of her neck lightly, she bit back a groan of pain, before directing a dark glare to the young man in front of her.
She still didn't know what was going on.
One moment, Ranma was being all mysterious and grave, the next moment, he was trying to kill her, and in the next, he helped her up and asked her to follow him. So she was following him, although she had no idea why she would. It would probably be more logical to pick up a rock somewhere and chuck it at him, instead of following him about the forest in the middle of the night.
She had been scared, back then, when he had started attacking her. Not that she would ever admit that to anyone. Akane didn't get scared, period.
It was then that Ranma slowed his steps. Turning around slightly, he beckoned to her, and she quickened her pace to catch up with him. Satisfied, he stopped and reached down to pick up something on the ground.
"We're at a lake," Akane said finally, not caring if she were stating the obvious. Anything to break the silence. "Why…?"
If she had not been so preoccupied, or if she had not had questions burning to be answered, she might have taken time to look out at the lake. Night had turned the water into a smooth gleaming sheet of black, ruined only by the occasional ripple. In the water, she could see the reflection of the rounded moon above them, and the faint dotting of the stars. She would have looked out at the water, and she would have marveled at it, and she would have liked it very much.
But she didn't, for she was too busy staring at Ranma in questioning.
He didn't say much, but he did bend down and dip something into the lake water. Straightening, he held it out to her, and Akane looked at it distrustfully. He must have seen the tenseness in her form, because he made a visible effort to relax his stance. "Take it," he said simply, and it was a request. Then: "Look, I'm not going to bite you."
She couldn't resist. "Says you," she muttered darkly, but she took it from him. For a moment, Akane sighed in relief as she felt the cold wet cloth touch her bare fingers, and a little, just a little, of her hostility faded away. Carefully, she raised the dripping cloth and pressed it against her cuts and bruises, hissing at the slight sting.
Ranma cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Sorry about all this," he offered awkwardly. "Didn't mean to hurt you." It was true. He did not like hurting girls. Especially girls who had no training in the Art whatsoever. It just wasn't fair.
Ranma liked things to be fair.
Akane gave him a long hard look. "I thought you had gone crazy," she answered finally, truthfully. "I thought you were going to hurt me." An uncomfortable silence ensued, and eventually she turned her face up towards the moonlight. "You don't like me very much, do you, Saotome?"
He looked over at her. For a moment, he said nothing, only watching as she pressed the cloth to a particular angry cut on her right arm. "You don't like me much, either."
She pursed her lips at him. "Hey, you insulted me, and the women I've lived with all my life," she retorted, feeling the start of her anger creep in. But she let it drop; there were more burning questions at hand. "So, would you like to tell me why you tried to kill me just now?"
She sank to her knees then, dipping the cloth into the water once more. So he dropped into a sitting position easily, some distance away from her. Instead of answering her question, he asked, "Have you heard of the rebels in the south of Nerima?"
Akane thought for a moment. "We hardly get news from down below, but occasionally someone who has been on a trip down the mountains brings news with her. I don't know much about the rebels, but I've heard about them a little."
"Would you join the rebels?" he asked then, dead serious.
She looked at him, unbelieving. "You mean…" Then understanding dawned, just as the pieces began to fall in place. Finally, in a small voice, she answered. "You mean, you and Ukyo and Sango and Ryoga are…?"
"Would you join the rebels?" he asked again. "And just so you know, it's a dangerous commitment. Soldiers won't even think twice about killing you, and sometimes we don't have enough money to run our operations," he continued.
Akane was silent. She wasn't stupid. On one hand, by joining a rebellion, she was risking her life. There would be death, she knew. There was always death.
But on the other hand, she had no family, and no friends. Dasier had taken it all away. What was life worth, now that it was ruined? She could die, maybe, but in the course of that, she could do something to give Dasier the fate he deserved. It was, she thought, the last thing she could do for her sisters. If Nabiki were in her shoes, she would have no qualms about exacting revenge. Kasumi might appear to be peace-loving, but Akane knew that if anything had happened to her or Nabiki, Kasumi would stop at nothing.
And now that Akane thought about it… so would she. This wasn't just a matter of selfishly wanting payback for her own grievances. She had heard much about Dasier's incompetence and greed, and she had seen how many were suffering because of him. And she realized… she hated the King. It was time for something to change; Nerima had stopped flourishing years ago.
And he was extending an invitation to her right now, leaving it right within her grasp. How could she be stupid enough not to take it?
"Yes," she said firmly, decisively. "Yes, I want to join you."
Ranma looked at her slowly. "Are you sure?" he said carefully. "Think about it."
But she had made up her mind, and when Akane truly made up her mind about something, nothing short of an apocalypse could change it. "Yes," she answered, just as carefully. "You will overthrow Dasier?"
Ranma straightened then. "Of course," he replied, and she could hear conviction and determination in his voice. It was then that Akane knew that something bad must have happened to Ranma. No one could speak with such an amount of hardened strength otherwise.
"Then I will join you," Akane said, standing up, and she realized, with a start, that as she said those words, something seemed to lift from her shoulders. She had been empowered, she understood, empowered with a purpose, and it burned within her.
Ranma got to his feet, straightening. "And I will be your leader."
He offered his hand then, and hesitantly, she grasped it tightly. It was in that contact that a new beginning of sorts was forged, and grudgingly, they put their differences away, at least for the time being.
"Ready to go back?" he asked.
Akane stifled a yawn and nodded. They had sat by the lake for quite some time, quietly watching the water. But judging by the position of the moon, dawn would be approaching some time soon. It was time to go back before anyone missed them. She got to her feet, trailing after Ranma as he began to walk back towards the bushes.
"By the way," the pigtailed young man added. "Remember King Tendo?"
The last king. Akane nodded.
Ranma gazed out towards the lake. "They say that this lake is linked to the large river running through the Kingdom, where he chose to drown himself at. They say that every year, on the night of the Queen's death, the King's spirit would appear, and he'd be crying for his wife and daughters."
Akane felt an odd sensation creep over her. Shrugging it off, she turned to Ranma. "Come on, that's just a rumor," she replied.
Ranma shrugged. "Guess so. But it's a cool story, ain't it?" he paused, and then chuckled. "Do you think those princesses are still alive?"
"Don't be silly," Akane told him, but for an odd reason, she felt sadness seeping in. "They're nothing but myths. I don't even think the King and Queen had any daughters."
"Yeah, I know," Ranma said. Then, in a teasing tone, he added, "Won't it be nice if the princesses just turn up and claim the throne? Dasier would have no choice but to give in. I heard he took some kind of blood oath to return to the throne to the Princesses when they return to claim it."
Ah, a blood oath. The strongest oath of its kind. Bound by magic, breaking it would kill the oath-giver immediately. Akane had heard stories about how it worked, and frankly she found them all too elaborate to be true. "I don't even know if blood oaths are real. Anyway, even if he did take the oath, he would have killed the princesses already, before they have a chance to claim the throne from him," she answered.
Ranma gave a bitter laugh. "You're right. Would be neat though. If they turned up then all our problems would be solved straightaway." Shrugging, he beckoned. "Come on, let's go."
She stared at him for a moment. Slowly, she turned her gaze out towards it, taking a long sweeping look before she finally turned back and trailed after Ranma as he made his way back into the bushes.
They returned to the village, and Akane slipped into Sango's cottage quietly. Sango was fast asleep, but she had set up a bed for her. Gratefully, Akane beamed over at the sleeping form of the young woman and slipped into the bed.
Sleep took her shortly.
"Sir!"
He looked down at the soldier running towards him, waving his spear about madly. Foolish boy. Didn't he know that doing something like that not only made him look like a complete idiot, but it also increased the chances of him poking his eyes out tenfold?
"Sir! Sir!"
Ah, but the boy was excited. He nodded to him as pleasantly as good, before peering up to where the sun was gradually rising out form behind the mountains. It was a good omen, perhaps…?
"What news have you got, Suzuki?" he demanded.
The boy was positively glowing. "Sir, they've identified the rebels' hiding spot!"
He sucked in a breath. Ah, now that was good news. The king had been hounding them for ages. This was a good day. "Positive, Suzuki?" he questioned. "Have you been discovered?"
"No, sir!" the kid crowed. "It was a successful operation!"
The general leaned back, smiling broadly now. As much as he personally disliked Dasier, he had two kids and a pregnant wife to feed. This was good news; he was pretty certain that a bonus would be headed his way sometime soon.
"A job well done, Suzuki!" he boomed. "Ready the men. We leave in one hour's time. We'll storm them and take them by surprise, and then the rebels will be no more."
"Very good, sir!" the boy enthused, and before the general could say anything, he scuttled off excitedly.
The general blinked and sighed. Someday, Suzuki would understand that war and invasions were not as glorious as Dasier liked to make them out to be. Someday, Suzuki would understand too that the king they were fighting for was no more than a fraud.
But by then, Suzuki too would have resigned himself to the fact, and Dasier would continue his rule, as he had done for many years.
"Ranma!"
There was no reply. Then:
"Damn you, wake up, Ranma!"
In an instant the door flung open, and an irate, sleepy Ranma loomed. "Ryoga…" he growled. "If this is about you running out of spices for your food again…"
Ryoga shook his head agitatedly. "Don't be a bastard; I only did that once!" before Ranma could retort, he gestured wildly to the scene behind him.
It was then that Ranma noticed the sudden flurry of action in the village. Behind Ryoga, the rebels were running out of their quarters, grabbing large bundles as they did. They were obviously pulling out, and he could see an odd mix of both fear and determination stretched tightly around their eyes.
"Remember, on the night Akane arrived, we lost the Kasshin store because of an ambush?" Ryoga said hesitantly.
Ranma glared. "You got lost," he pointed out, voice rough from sleep.
"Yeah, whatever," Ryoga muttered, clearly embarrassed and guilty. "I forgot to mention that the ambush happened somewhere in the vicinity…"
Ranma was beginning to see the light now. Tensing, he glanced at Ryoga. "And?" he asked.
"They've found us, Ran-chan," Ukyo answered for Ryoga, appearing by his side. She had a bundle slung over his shoulder. Her voice was tight. "We need to leave now."
In response, Ranma seemed to shut his eyes in deep concentration for a moment. Seconds later, he opened them, revealing focused clear-headed blue. "The soldiers," he said. "Where are they?"
"The last we heard, they're just over the mountains," Ukyo answered.
Ranma narrowed his eyes. That was not a good piece of news. "So that means…We've got less than two hours," he calculated quickly, before straightening and gesturing. "You all know what to do. Spread out and disperse, immediately."
Normally he would not have backed down so quickly. If they had had ample warning, then Ranma would arrange for most of the rebels to disperse, before leading a small group of experienced and trained rebels to meet with the soldiers. It was not so much of holding the soldiers at bay, but more of confronting and taunting them.
But this had come without warning. It would not do to assemble his men immediately and meet with the soldiers; they had not had time to prepare themselves yet.
So they would disperse. His men knew what to do. He had confidence that none would be injured, of course; they were trained much better than those fumbling idiots known as the soldiers from the Imperial Army.
But all in all, it didn't seem like it was going to be a good day for Ranma.
She awoke with a start when Sango grabbed her suddenly and yanked her into a sitting position. Rubbing her eyes blearily, Akane focused sleepy eyes on Sango. It took a moment for the tense expression on Sango's face to register, and with that she straightened, awakening fully.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Bad news," Sango said grimly. "We've been discovered by the soldiers. We have to leave now." Before Akane could even ask her anything else, Sango pulled her up and pushed her towards the door. "Grab your stuff, quick. We've got to evacuate."
"Hang on," Akane protested, even as Sango pushed her on. "Where are we going?"
Sango stared at her, and then proceeded to smack her head with her hand. "Damn," she muttered. "I forgot. You're not part of us, are you?"
Akane shook her head. "Now I am," she corrected. "Although I'm new, I guess. Care to enlighten me?"
Sango frowned, grabbing necessities as they moved towards the door. "No one told you about emergency evacuation plans?" she asked incredulously.
Akane shook her head, beginning to get more than a little confused. this was getting too much for her to take. Just last night she had been stuck in the forest with Ranma acting like some kind of loony, and now, five hours of sleep later, Sango was rambling about some extremely important evacuation plan that she was supposed to know.
"Here." Sango tossed her a bundle. "Get changed."
Akane unfolded the bundle, holding up a set of traveling attire. "Let me guess," she said slowly. "Something tells me we're going into the forest."
Sango nodded an affirmative. "Hurry up," she hastened. "There isn't really much time left for us. The soldiers are already on their way to the village."
Akane was halfway out of the room before she froze, something coming to her that she never really thought about. "Sango?"
"Yeah?"
"If all the rebels are fleeing… then who's going to be left in the village when the soldiers arrive?" Her question was cautious.
Sango opened her mouth to answer, and then abruptly shut it. Saotome had never covered this part of the evacuation plan when he had briefed the recruits… Frankly she had no idea. "Just the villagers, I think…"
As soon as the words left her lips, her eyes widened, suddenly understanding the importance of the question. Apparently Akane had gotten it too, because the young woman's face was now filled with a mix of incredulous disbelief and horror. "You have got to be kidding me…" Akane breathed. Then: "I'm going to look for that moron Saotome."
Before Sango could say anything else, Akane was running out of the cottage.
Out of the cottage, she could see how the village was in upheaval. Most doors of the cottages had been flung open; rebels were running out of their quarters, clutching bundles. Some were already disappearing into the forests surrounding the village. Akane had no idea where they were heading. Around them, she could see the villagers peering curiously at the rebels.
Halfway to Ranma's quarters, a little boy wandered into Akane's path.
With a startled shriek, she skidded to a stop, barely missing from knocking over the toddler and trampling him. Oblivious, the chubby boy grinned up at her and flopped down on his butt. Relieved that she had avoided crushing him, Akane picked him up, unable to keep herself from smiling when he grinned at her.
"Shin-chan!"
Glancing up, she saw a young mother running her way. Panting, the mother stopped before Akane, and wistfully she handed the baby over.
"Thank you," the mother laughed. "He's just learnt to walk, and he likes to show off." Turning to return to her cottage, she began to scold her baby. "Shin-chan, you shouldn't have blocked the pretty lady…"
The baby giggled then, and the mother laughed, unable to keep up her gentle chiding.
Akane stared at the mother and her baby for a long moment, watching quietly as they headed back to their cottage some distance away. Turning in the direction of Ranma's quarters, she broke into a sprint with renewed energy and determination.
—
"Saotome!"
He was already outside his quarters when she arrived. For a moment, Akane wanted to blurt out the question that was bothering her. Then she got a close look at Ranma's face. She paused in her steps. The day didn't seem like it was going well for Ranma Saotome. She could see it in the tense pull of his lips that he was troubled, even though he was trying his best not to show it.
"Why haven't you left yet?" he asked, upon noticing her arrival.
She fidgeted, ignoring his question. "Tell me," she began insistently. "Sango said we were all to evacuate. In that case who's going to be in this village when the soldiers arrive?"
He thought about it for a moment. "The villagers…?" he answered sarcastically. "This is, after all, their home."
He could not understand why Akane was staring at him with a look of complete disgust.
"You… you dummy!" she finally gritted out. "Can you imagine what will happen when the soldiers arrive? You're putting the villagers in a lot of danger, you know that?"
Ranma's brows furrowed briefly. Then: "He wouldn't."
Akane stared at him challengingly. "How do you know? Are you going to take the chance?"
"He wouldn't," Ranma repeated, this time less convincingly. "He wouldn't resort to harming innocent civilians just to take out his anger. Dasier's not that stupid, I think."
"He killed the Maidens," Akane said softly, and he looked down at the hopelessness in her voice. "He killed them just ten days ago, and like you said, he took the young ones as whores."
…Damn. She was right. Ranma himself had been shocked with news of the massacre came about. Dasier was greedy and harsh, but he had never gone right out and caused so much bloodshed for no reason before. Maybe, he thought grimly, maybe Dasier had really cracked. It wasn't safe enough leaving the village to bear the brunt of whatever the soldiers might dish out. It just wasn't right.
Looking around him, he realized that while he had been talking to Akane, most of the rebels had already fled into the forests. In fact, if he were correct, only Ryoga, Ukyo and himself were left, overseeing the evacuation process. And the three of them couldn't stay to sort out the mess. It was too risky, with them being the heads of the entire rebel operation. They ran the chance of being identified.
This was getting from bad to worse.
"Akane!"
Ranma glanced to his right, seeing Sango run up to them. The young woman's lips were pressed into a hard line.
And, Ranma realized with mounting dread, there was Akane and Sango left.
He couldn't… No way… Sango could hold her own in a battle, that he was sure. Akane, on the other hand, was the newest addition to the ranks. There was no way he could leave the two of them to handle the daunting task of ensuring the safety of the villagers.
"I'm not going," Akane said quietly.
Ranma felt a migraine coming on. Well, Akane had just volunteered herself for the task.
"I'm not going if you're not," Sango said firmly.
Akane looked at her, and then she smiled.
Ranma felt his migraine intensifying. Now, Sango had volunteered.
That was when the little light bulb in his head flickered on. Ranma felt a smirk coming on, as the beginnings of a plan took shape in his mind. Granted, it was going to be risky, but with a bit of luck, it might just work.
"Ukyo! Ryoga! Get over here!" Ranma yelled. Within moments, the two jogged over, joining Ranma, Akane and Sango.
"This is what we're going to do…"
"They're coming," Ryoga announced grimly. "Come on, it's time for us to get ready."
Ukyo nodded, adjusting the strap of her spatula across her back. For a moment, she hesitated. Then she turned to Akane and managed a brief smile.
"I haven't got to know you well yet, sugar," she said. "But I hope there'll be time in the future for us to talk. Be careful." Turning to Sango, she smiled. "You too, hon. Be careful."
Akane smiled, and Sango gave a warm nod. "We'll do our best," Sango answered, and after another brief yet warm smile, Ukyo headed off in another direction, disappearing effortlessly into the forest as she took up her post.
The two young women looked at Ranma.
Ranma looked at them, fidgeting slightly. Then: "I ain't going to sugarcoat it," he declared. "It might turn ugly. No one knows. Be careful, and don't do anything stupid. We'll be right there if you need us."
Sango smirked. "Why, Saotome, you sound concerned," she chuckled, trying to sweep off the gloom.
Akane laughed, but it was a somewhat tight laugh. "Relax, dummy. If anything, Sango and I should be the ones worried. Now stop being a control freak, and take up your post." Stepping forward, she pushed at his shoulder.
He paused, feeling cold clammy hands make contact with his shoulder.
She was scared, then, even though she was trying not to show it by putting up a cheery relaxed front.
"Consider it my thank-you present to you guys for taking me in." Her breath breezed past him softly, he could feel it wafting lightly across the back of his neck, where his hair was now standing slightly. "I wanted to see the people who tore up my home and family anyway."
"Don't get carried away." His reply was firm.
A pause. "All right," she agreed quietly. "I won't do anything stupid."
Then she pulled away, and for a brief second, he was rewarded with the barest glimpse of a sincere smile. Then it was gone, replaced by a bright cheery grin that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Get going, dummy!" Akane said cheerfully, making shooing motions. Before Ranma could reply, Akane had taken Sango's arm and made their way into the crowd of villagers.
He stared at their retreating backs for a long moment, suddenly very much aware of his surroundings. Finally he turned and in a few long strides, made his way to his post just within the forest. Slipping behind a tree, he let himself fall into the shadow of the tall sturdy, a troubled expression on his features.
What had that been?
The general was not a happy man.
"Suzuki!" he roared. "Get your sorry butt over here right now!"
Cowering, the young man ran over, clutching his spear to his chest. "I swear, sir, I don't know what happened! We saw the rebels; we heard them talking ill of His Majesty!" By this time, the poor kid looked positively heartbroken, quivering in a mix of disappointment and confusion. "I swear, sir, they were in this village!"
The general frowned, and his moustache quivered threateningly. There went his bonus. Still, he had to salvage the situation somehow. If Dasier got wind of this fiasco, then the general would most definitely not be a general any longer. He didn't know what was up with his king, but as of late, Dasier had been twitchier than ever. If he had been a harsh greedy ruler in the previous years, then he was a tyrant right now. He didn't know what Dasier might do.
"Bring me the damn Headman!" he shouted, finally losing his temper. "I want to speak to the Headman!"
The group of whispering women in a corner of the village square burst into renewed frightened whispers as they eyed the horses and weapons warily. Immediately, they scurried off, running towards one of the larger cottages in the village. Presently, an old man made his way slowly to the general, backed by a large group of wary villagers.
The general sniffed, peering down at the old man. "What is your name, old man?" he demanded.
The old man bowed slightly. "Suzu Matsushita. I am the Headman," he introduced calmly. "What might the general be looking for, coming to this village of mine?"
So, pretending not to know a thing, eh? The general frowned. Generally he didn't like to use force on the elderly, but maybe a bit of a scare might help do the trick. He just hoped the old guy wouldn't kneel over and croak from the shock.
"Don't play dumb with me, old man!" he bellowed. Before the Headman could react, the general drew his sword and slashed at the air in front of the old man with careful precision.
The crowd behind the old Headman erupted into horrified screams and gasps.
The old man, on the other hand, peered up at the general with an uncanny clearness in his eyes. Stepping closer to the sword, he gave the general a long searching look with those unnerving eyes, before giving a small odd smile. "Come, sonny," Suzu Matsushita said softly. "The eyes of the old see what the young refuse to admit. Right now, these eyes of mine tell me that you are very much in struggle with yourself."
For a moment, the general felt a peculiar rush of something that bore a strong resemblance to shame. The sword shook, just slightly, for a moment. Then it was gone, and the general straightened proudly on his horse.
"Do not fool around with me, Matsushita," he threatened. "Perhaps force will bring you to your knees?" With a grunt, he heaved his sword and slashed it through the air once more, eliciting more gasps from the frightened villagers behind.
Suddenly, a young woman pushed herself to the front of the crowd. The general swung a sharp gaze over at her, taking in her appearance suspiciously. She was young, with long blue-black hair tied behind her back. Nothing too alarming, really. Stumbling and breaking out from the crowd, she raised honeyed eyes to stare at the general in a mix of fear and anger.
"Who are you?" the general barked, slightly taken back by the look. No matter how many times he had met up with villagers all across Nerima, he had never failed to be slightly cowed by the looks they gave him and his armies, the looks that spoke of underlying hate for the king.
The girl pressed her hands tightly together as she turned to face him fully. Straightening, he could see stubbornness in the set of her jaw. When she spoke, however, the fear and anger melted away, replaced by calm, much like that of the bent Matsushita beside her.
"My name is Aka — Akako," she said after a moment. "Akako Matsushita. Suzu Matsushita is my, uh, father."
The villagers were whispering now, most looking shocked. The general couldn't agree with them more. "Old man," he directed. "Don't you know that women should be seen and not heard? You ought to teach your daughter better."
Matsushita merely smiled. "Akako is a spirited child," he said serenely. "We should not seek to curb this life in her."
The general shrugged. "Very well," he answered. Truth be told, he did not want to carry on a conversation with this old man. He unnerved the general too much for his liking. "You, girl! You are his daughter, are you not?"
The woman named Akako nodded.
The general smirked, and swung his sword away from the elderly Matsushita. In one fluid motion, he swept it through the air and aimed it at the dark-haired woman.
Akako started at the motion, flickering her gaze over the blade of the sword, inches away from her face. The crowd behind her burst into flurried nervous whispering.
The general stared down at her. In a calm voice, he announced, "Since you are his daughter, then you will take your father's place in this discussion."
Edited, 3/5/2014.