Disclaimer: You know what? I really don't care IF I own Ranma. I couldn't afford to feed him with his appetite.
Authors Note: (amended) To anyone who read my story before, this is where I switched formats. It seems that the format I used got my story pulled off 7 Two of hearts
Nodoka looked at the young man who at one time had pretended to be her son. To his left was the son he had pretended to be. On the other side of Ryu was her second 'son' Chi. She had invited them in and asked them to sit on the couch.
:"Chi dear, what is going on?"
"I challenged Ryu to a fight and beat him pretty bad."
"You cheated and used the Sen-kens."
Nodoka looked at Ryu and smiled, she still remember how polite the boy had been when she thought he was her son Ranma.
"Now Ryu-kun, I'm trying to find out what this is all about. Go on Chi."
Chi looked at the three faces turned to him and knew it was time to start telling them just what he had been up to these last 2 years, the last few months specifically.
"I beat Ryu and then talk with him about the martial arts style he was trying to create. Your husband-"
"Your father dear, You can say it."
Ryu's eye bugged out "FATHER! YOU'RE A SAOTOME! I thought that Ranma was an only child?"
"I'm adopted. Long story. Anyway, Pop gave one of the sen-kens to Ryu's father. It was because he wanted to share one of his greatest arts with a friend. Pop owes Ryu the art he offered Ryu's father. I suggested learning the Saotome Anything Goes martial arts and building on that. I left him to think it over. Well Ryu?"
Ranma spoke up for the first time since Ryu arrived.
"You want to learn our School?"
Ryu bowed his head down. He was still a little embarrassed being back in Nodoka's house.
"Yeah, I thought about it for months. I didn't really think that you'd agree because I didn't think you knew Chi here. He didn't say that you or your father made the suggestion. Did you send him?"
"No... But I think it's a great idea."
Ryu's head shot up. He stared at Ranma for a moment.
"Really?"
"Yeah, I could use a real sparring partner."
Chi just smiled an enigmatic smile at that comment.
"You won't be hurting for sparring partners soon."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Ryu wasn't the only person I had a little chat with in the last few months. He's just the first person to get here."
"Who else did you talk to?"
"You'll see when they get here."
"It's good that you boys are working so well together, but lets talk more about that later. For now lets talk about Ryu-kun here. You will of course be staying here with myself and Chi."
"Huh? But?"
"No but young man. You'll need the place to stay while you learn our family's school. I've missed you."
Ryu and Ranma both just stared at Nodoka as she said that last part.
"But I'm not your son. I lied to you and even kept him away from you. I... I don't deserve you being kind to me."
"A mother never abandons her son. For a few days you were my son and I loved you. You helped me get through the absence of my child. I was over joyed the day I was reunited with Ranma, but I still hold a place for you. Please, stay here."
Nodoka had tears in her eyes as she admitted to a secret she had kept from herself and her real son Ranma. Ryu walked over to her and put an arm around her, hoping it was the thing to do. He was the reason she was crying after all.
"Please, don't cry. I'll stay, just please don't cry."
"Spoken like a true son."
Ryu looked over his shoulder and saw a hint of tears in the eyes of both Saotome boys. He knew for the first time that he was truly welcome here, not as 'Ranma' but as Ryu. It had been a long time since he had felt a part of a family. He smiled, and nodded.
At the Tendo Dojo...
Akane looked around the dojo. She started looking at things and remembering thing that had changed in the last two years, since Ranma had come. She remembered what it had been like before he had come and farther back, before her mother had died. It had changed after her death, but it was back. It was a real dojo again.
Akane let a couple of tears flow as she realized this. Ranma and his father had brought a real life back to the dojo. It had gone the way of her training those last few years before Ranma's arrival. It, and her training, had become a shadow of what it was suppose to be. It had changed gradually as time had passed. She had once been a truly gifted and talented martial artist as a child and the dojo had been a proud place of learning the art. She had ignored the warning signs for a long time, even after Ranma had come, even after those two girls claiming to be Tendos.
Akane had kept pretending that she was still a real and gifted martial artist. She had forgotten one of her first lessons in the art. You had to keep practicing and learning from yourself and your surroundings. She had kept practicing, but she had stopped learning. She had blamed her problems in the art on Ranma. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't spar with her for real. She knew now that she was suppose to figure it out on her own.
Akane sat down and closed her eyes. Chi's words ringing through her mind. "Now is the time to decide if you are a true martial artist or not. How did I beat you?"
"I was mad. I was slow. He was better."
Akane said the words out load hoping that they would grant wisdom but it didn't feel right. Something was wrong with her answer.
"Why?"
That was what he must have wanted her to really think about.: Why was he better, why was he faster, why was she mad. She had seen Ranma training for years and had not tried to really learn from him. She had seen him train in the Chestnut Fist and hadn't tried to learn it. She had blamed everything on everyone else because she couldn't face herself being out of control.
She had stopped truly observing the outside world the way she was train a long time ago. Why?
Her mother died. That was what happened. She couldn't deal with the pain so she shut everything off and turned blindly to the art. She had tried to deal in her own way. She wasn't the only one. Her father had fallen to pieces and to this day still hadn't fully recovered. Nabiki had turned to money and kept the bills paid. Kasumi had turned to the house and took over for their mother taking care of the family...
Akane opened her eyes slowly as her thoughts brought her to an ugly truth that she had never noticed before. Her tears started flowing again and she felt that they might never stop this time. When their mother died Nabiki turned to being the bread winner and Kasumi turned to being the homemaker. Akane had fallen apart just like their father had. She had gotten angry and self absorbed. When Ranma came she had kept him distant, had yelled at him, had hit him... hit him?
How? How did she hit him? He was a skilled martial artist. He must have... let... her...
Akane started to fall deeper into depression as she started seeing things she had only ignored before. How much did she really miss about the world around her? How much was happening that she didn't notice? What else has she actually been wrong about? Was she really such a horrible person?
"NO!"
Akane punched a fist into the dojo floor and took a deep breath. This is how it had happened. This is how she lost what and who she was. It had become too much for her and she had become too self-absorbed to deal with it. Doing so had stolen years from her life. She had been happy, but it hadn't truly been her. It had been a vain and angry princess. It had been who she had become.
Akane stood up.
Akane walked to the center of the dojo.
Akane started a kata. It was the first kata her father had taught her.
She realized she had lost her way. It was time to start over. It was time for her to choose who she was, and who she will become. It was time to start learning again.
Lesson one, learn from yourself and your surroundings. She had seen many amazing things since Ranma had arrived. It was time to look back on them and try to learn what she missed. It was time to think of everything. She knew where to begin, the begining. She thought back to the day Ranma had arrived. What had she not noticed that day?
Outside the dojo...
Happosai looked in as Akane continued her kata. He had seen her go into the dojo and had quietly watched her unobserved as she fought her private demons. He had seen a person in meditative thought before. This was the first time Akane had shown the patience required for such a thing.
He had almost charged in to pretend to grope her when he had seen her depression grow to levels that would have terrified Ryoga. She would have beaten him senseless, but it would have ended whatever train of thought threatened to over come her. He had stopped when she screamed.
She had won. She had beaten her first demon when she refused to give into depression. He was proad of her. He watched as her pain and depression slowly grew again while she was performing her kata. It was different this time. She was controling it. Happosai knew that she may never let her depression control her again.
Now she was ready to be an heir of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. He watched as she not only continued her thoughts, but began subconsciously correct her form. She was returning to who she once was when he watched her as a child. She was becoming who she could be. Chi had been right. She had been treated like a princess and had only suffered from it. She was stronger than even she knew. She would need a teacher, but who?
Her father wasn't much of a teacher anymore, Genma was... no, Ranma would die before he would consider harming her, and she would never really trust Happosai. She had already learned of some of her own faults from Chi. Maybe...
Happosai watched as Akane slowly stopped and started to sink to her knees. He was worried when the tears started. He barely her her whisper.
"I'm sorry Ranma..."
He had had enough. Happosai entered the dojo and walked over to Akane. He had realized who it had been at the lot when he got home and found Ranma already gone. He had a pretty good idea what was going on. It was time to move things along. He had his own plans beyond what Chi was expecting.
"He's at his mother's house with Chi."
Akane was startled when she heard Happosai's voice. She hadn't even heard him arrive. She was about to ask who when she realized who he meant. She looked at Happosai for a moment and for the first time ever, saw understanding in his eyes. She got up and ran.
The Saotome house several minutes later...
"Are you sure this is alright with you Ranma?"
"Yeah, I'm fine with this. Mom wants you both here. This way you can train with Chi in the mornings before school and with both of us after."
"How exactly did she talk me into going to school? All I remember was saying yes."
"I'll tell you that when I figure it out myself. I don't have any records here. Who is it she went to see with that dvd?"
Chi was annoyed. His mother had told him that he had spent too much time out of school already and that he was going to school starting tomorrow. He had things to do and training to finish. He didn't have time to waste on school. It was driving Chi crazy.
Nodoka had taken her DVD, since it had copies of paperwork, with her so that she could make Chi her son, again. He was going to legally be a Saotome in this time if he wasn't already. While she was gone he, Ranma, and Ryu had retrieved Chi's things from the lot and he and Ryu were moving into the room that his mother had given the both of them. They were going to be roommates. There were only so many rooms and She had insisted that Ranma still have his own room in case he spent the night. A private one so he could be 'manly' with Akane if he wanted.
Ryu and Chi had embarased Ranma for a few minutes about that. They were coming back into the front room when there was an urgent knocking on the door. Ranma rushed to answer it and was shocked to find a crying Akane holding him in a hug that would make Shampoo look weak.
"ImsorryImsorryImsorryImsorry!"
"Huh?"
Ryu was confused.
"What's going on? Who is this?"
"Akane? Are you alright?"
Akane continued to cry until she felt Ranma put his arms around her and start to lead her somewhere. She sat on the couch in the front room and when Ranma tried to sit down beside her, she quickly scooted over into his lap. She took a few deep breaths and took control of herself. She slowly raised her head and looked into Ranma's deep blue eyes. Eyes that both showed his concern and betrayed his love for her. In them Akane was able to see into Ranma's soul. She saw a love they had both been denying existed for years. She would never doubt him again. She felt her strength growing and realized she had just lost much of the pain tying down her heart and soul. He loved her, and she loved him as well. She knew she had him just as he had her. She also knew that this talk was long over due.
"It was my fault."
"Huh? What was?"
"The bathroom the day you arrived. It was my fault. I shouldn't have walked in on you. I was angry when I shouldn't have been."
"You're... you're admiting it? Now? Why?"
"Because I've been blaming it on you. It wasn't your fault. It was never your fault."
"It's been my fault most of the times."
Akane look at Ranma and realized what he was doing. She was talking like she was blaming herself for everything and he was trying to take away her pain.That was a surprising notion. Ranma actually knew subtlety. He just didn't use it often, just when it wouldn't be noticed. It was like when he let her hit him. She looked into his eyes again and saw his love there. She now remembered when she had first seen it in his eyes. She had been a fool and never knew what it was when she saw it..
"Ranma, if I had ever given you a chance to explain yourself then it might have been your fault, but I never gave you a chance to ever let it be your fault. I just blamed you. That made it all my fault."
"Akane I.."
"Ranma, when did you learn about our engagement?"
Ranma was surprised by her question. Akane had learned a lot about Ranma on his first day at the dojo. When Akane thought back and actually tried to learn what was really going on, she remembered things she had over looked.. Some of what she realizeded had hurt her. She and her sisters had made a mistake the day Ranma had arrived. Although none of the three sister had ever said it, they had always assumed that Ranma had learned about the engagement at about the same time that they had. They were wrong, the Gambler King incedent had been evidence of that. Nothing about Ranma's arrival had been as it had first seemed.
Ranma was caught off gaurd. He had been caught off guard on the day he had arrived at the Tendo Dojo. It had hurt him to realize tht they weren't expecting him the way he thought they were. He had his own opinions on the engagement with his new curse...
"Why do you wanna know that?"
Akane had also figured out some other things about Ranma as she had been running over here. She had remebered some cookies she had once made, and other incedents with Ranma when he did things he didn't really want to. She hoped that she was right. It was time to see if she was. She wiped her face with one hand and then smiled the most beautiful smile at Ranma. He had once said she was cute when she smiled. This was the kind of smile reserved by a person for the one they loved.
"Please?"
Ranma never stood a chance. He knew that she had figured out how to control him. He had been raised as an heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. That had meant being engaged before he was born. It meant he would always listen to the one he would spend the rest of his life with. He would honor his wife. He had given his heart to her on the day he had arrived. He had lost the last of his choice in his future, so to speak. He was hers, to love and serve.
"I always knew. Pops told me when I was a kid. I was to be three things: The best martial artist in the world, a man among men, and the husband of the daughter of Soun Tendo. I have been yours since before I knew what that meant."
"Why did you want to leave when you finally arrived after so long?"
At this Akane got the reaction she was expecting and felt the pain of past judgements she had made. Ranma's face grew pained and his voice grew quiet.
"What kind of person forces a girl to marry another girl. You know what kind of things people would say about you if we were out in public together and I was in my cursed form. I didn't think I could marry you while I was cursed. I still don't."
"Ranma? Look at me."
When Ranma brought his eyes back to hers, Akane leaned forward and kissed him. It was a shock at first, but soon they were putting their hearts in it and years of repressed passion was soon passing between the two of them. They had never said the words right to each other, but as of this moment neither of them could deny how they truly felt about each other, how much they loved each other.
Akane didn't wanna stop, but knew that she had to do this now or else it wouldn't mean the same thing, that it wouldn't seem honest. There are some things that have to happen at certain moments in life to be truly understood and accepted. Akane reluctantly pulled back from Ranma and got up. She took his hand and with out a word she lead him to the kitchen. She got a glass of water and turned to Ranma. Ranma looked at the water nervously. No, she wouldn't...
Akane slowly poured the water on Ranma and triggered his, now her curse. Akane never took her eyes off Ranma's. With out a word being said Akane leaned forward once again and kissed Ranma. It had the same fire and passion that was felt in the kiss they had first shared a few moments ago. Ranma was nervous at first, but Akane wrapped her arms around Ranma and Ranma did the same for Akane.
Akane held Ranma tighter as Akane felt Ranma's tears on Akane's cheeks. Akane ignored them and kept kissing the woman she loved. After what seemed like an eternity they separated. Akane looked into Ranma's eyes and remembered the first time they had spared.
Akane had asked Ranma to be friends and they had gone to the dojo together. They had spared and Ranma had won. Akane had looked into the other girl's eyes as they had started to laugh together. To Ranma, Akane was a friend who loved the art as Ranma did, she was Ranma's age, she was perfect to him, and she didn't care that Ranma was a girl. Ranma would have married Akane just for honor, but in that moment as they laughed together Ranma Saotome fell in love for the first time in his life. He had left everyone he had ever known because he had been training to be the husband of one of these three girls here. It had feared rejection or anger for a stranger. If he had any choice in the engagement this was the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with...
Akane had seen the love come into being in the eye's of this red head she had made friends with, but she didn't know what that look was. Akane then did some thing that earlier today as she was performing her kata would cause her to feel more pain than when she lost her mother. She said the absolute most wrong thing she could have ever said: "I'm just glad you're not a boy."
Ranma had fallen for her that first day and she had put a knife in his heart. A knife that she would keep twisting and driving deeper. And he never left. She repeatedly hurt him, and Ranma never let her down. Ranma stayed and waited. Ranma had been there for her when she had needed him. Ranma did anything that she needed him to do. He had been loyal, he had been honorable, he had been patient.
Akane now knew how much pain she had put him through. She had insulted him. She had abused him. She had threatened him. She had even once given him to Nabiki in anger.
And he was still with her. He had waited for her to accept him. He still loved her.
Right now Ranma could ask anything in the world of her. He could ask her to bare his child and she would drag him to the nearest bed and not allow either one of them to leave until Ranma was a father.
"I love you."
"I love you."
"I'm so happy. My son is so manly."
Ranma and Akane turned to Ranma's mother in unison. They were shocked. They had only been vaguely aware that Ryu and Chi and left them to talk alone a long time ago. Now Nodoka was home and crying at the couple before her. She was happy.
Akane decided to change the subject when her newly returning powers of observation finally got a couple of memos though that she had been ignoring, again. She would have to stop doing that, ignoring things.
"Ranma, what's Chi doing here?"
"Um, well, you see..."
Akane looked straight into his eyes and silently asked Ranma to tell her. Ranma obeyed without question.
"He's my brother."
Author's Notes:
I had gotten a complaint about how I handled the akane and Ranma scene. I hope this is better. Please read and review.