Note: I don't own Ranma ½ or it's characters. For real. I'm serious.
Ch. 4
"W-WHAT?!" Ranma exclaimed. "B-but aren't those springs over like a thousand years old?!"
"Just how old do you think I am?!" Cologne incredulously shrieked, the shrillness of which knocked the two teenagers off their seats. Cologne took a moment to collect herself. "I may be ancient but I'm not a fossil….That stupid guide just likes to exaggerate for the tourists."
Ranma slowly picked himself up off the floor. "G-gotcha." He said, staring the ancient, non-fossil down. "So…let me get this straight. This whole time…all our curses…mine, my pop's, Mousse's, your own granddaughter's, Ryo…" Ranma did a quick glance back at Akane before catching himself on that last one…"uh P-pantyhose's….they were all caused by your… sister. And you just felt like keeping all that to yourself, huh?" Cologne curtly nodded. Ranma folded his arms. "Somehow I feel like I should be less shocked than I am…"
Akane also rose to stand.
"But, Ranma's not the only person we know who's fallen into the Nyannīchuan before...what sets him apart?"
Ranma nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Like that Herb guy…I can definitely say we don't look a thing alike…"
Cologne furrowed her brow and glanced again at the photo.
"Yes…and though, as we all made note of, Ranma's other half does indeed bear an…uncanny resemblance to my sister, I can share from first-hand experience that the two are not entirely a perfect match." The old crone brought a finger to her chin. "If I were to make an…educated…assumption, it's possible that Perfume may have fully intended to create a way for her own physical body and spirit to return with her curse…though, her weakened state may have caused a slight hiccup in that plan.
However, it's still possible that some of her traits may carry over to the forms of the spring's victims. Though again I'm just guessing….but I don't believe in coincidences." She pointed at the pig-tailed martial artist's head. "And that red hair of yours in your other form is a dead ringer…"
Akane shook her head. "Sure, but what I really meant was…why is she targeting Ranma? I mean, the Musk used to throw animals into the spring…why not take any of their bodies?" She glanced over at Ranma, but then failed to meet his gaze. "I mean…I-I get that his other form is now an empty…vessel," she paused on that last word, as if it felt awful for her tongue to say. "….But you said you had gotten a premonition of this before now."
"Well, first off, my sister was always highly allergic to animal fur….but, if I were to hazard another guess," Cologne continued. "Someone with a power like Ranma's may be the ticket she's been looking for…" She stared at her former future Son-in-law…who stared right back. "Your defeat of the Phoenix King was no meager feat. She may be intent on using that power…if she intends to stay, permanently…"
"But how could she do that?!" Ranma shouted, his anger rising at the implication. "There's no way in hell I'd let her take over the half of me that's still…me!"
"I don't KNOW, Son-in-law," the crone returned, with more than ahint of exasperation in her voice. "Even I don't exactly have a lot of experience with the dead coming back to life!"
"Arghh!" Ranma swiftly ran up to the old ghoul and lifted her off her cane by her collar. "As far as I'm concerned, this is still your fault! The lies, the tricks, the secrets! First your granddaughter, now your sister?! You've got to fix this!"
"Ranma!" Akane exclaimed, shocked at his reaction. Cologne started into the furious eyes of the Anything Goes Martial Arts student.
"Ranma, I've been doing all I can!" she said, keeping his gaze.
Ranma huffed. He returned the crone to her cane, crossed his arms, and turned away. Akane placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Sorry, Elder…this is obviously very stressful, given what we've just been through." she said. Cologne let out a long sigh.
"Yes…yes, I know. My apologies. It's clear we're all a bit on edge, given the circumstances." she said, solemnly, the bite in her voice diminishing. "For now, you should return home. Get some rest." The crone's eyes then narrowed. "But once again, I must urge you, keep a close eye out. Be careful. And do not let Ranma get wet…"
The two teenage martial artists stayed mostly silent during the trip home. Thankfully, they'd managed to avoid any splashes of water through the bulk of it. And a boiling teakettle had managed the rest…this time. Which was for the best, as both had a lot on their mind.
Akane for certain was understandably uneased. For starters, she was having to deal with a half-enthralled Ranma, for which she felt a double pang of guilt. Even though she of course played no real part in doing this to him to begin with, (unlike her blue-haired rival and her great grandmother)…she couldn't help but feel awful about her role in all of this. Being a "mistress" certainly didn't sit right with her.
But…more importantly, she felt real guilt for remembering how she reacted when the shoe was on the other foot. The young girl thought back to how she had pummeled her fiancé during the bedroom incident the other day. Her temper, as per usual, got the better of her during that whole ordeal. But she remembered Ranma's words, just before he snapped at her…forced her to apologize against her will.
'Why is it that I always have to be the one doing the apologizing? It's not like you're Saint Tendo over here! Why can you never apologize to me, huh? What, you think I don't have feelings, too?'
Now she really understood firsthand the toll that it all must of taken on him. That ALL of this must take on him.
That's not even to mention this newest trial, this ominous threat now looming over them. An evil spirit bent on taking over Ranma's body…if Cologne was right. But she probably was…Of course something like this would happen. Something like this always happened. They never could seem to catch a break…
The youngest Tendo stole a quick, unnoticed, sideways glance at Ranma as he walked on the fence beside her. How many times had they made this same walk over the years? How many more times would they get to?
She hadn't really put much thought before into time. Not like this. But now, in this moment…it seemed precious. She felt her heart beat fast and hard in her chest, as the realization of what she was about to do finally caught up to her.
But that realization came along with a thought that she had, up to now, tried hard to ignore. She had died….back on Phoenix mountain. She had stopped breathing. Whether it was the waters that had brought her back or Ranma's voice, it didn't matter. She had died.
And then, when she was under the full effects of the Slave Pill…she might as well have been dead….but once again, Ranma saved her. Ranma always found a way, overcame any challenge….but for how much longer? How did all of these recent brushes with death make a man like Ranma Saotome feel?
She had always buried her feelings. Denied them. She was young, there would be plenty of time to deal with them later….but what if there wasn't? What if time was no longer a commodity either of them could count on?
As they rounded the final corner before reaching the Tendo Dojo, it was Ranma who broke the silence…and broke Akane from her thoughts.
"Something still doesn't add up," Ranma said. Akane snapped to her senses, as if coming out of a daze. She gave her fiancé a questioning look.
"What do you mean?" the young Tendo replied.
"Well, the Old Ghoul claimed that Junsekyo wasn't cursed until her sister's execution, right?"
Akane nodded. "Yeah…and?"
"Something clicked when she mentioned Saffron…but I was too angry to think about it then. What about those Phoenix guys? They've been using the springs for way, way longer…and the waters are supposedly tied to the same source." The pig-tailed youth stared at the ground. "Kinda odd for her not to mention that…"
"Maybe she lied…again…" Akane posited, almost hand waving the thought away. This should have been more of a problem for her. However, her tone once again seemed distant. Ranma kept his downward gaze, involved in his own thoughts, failing to notice his fiancé's indifference.
"Hmm…I dunno…"
Suddenly, Akane Tendo stopped in her tracks. Ranma stopped, too, and pivoted to face her. "Akane?" he began. "What's…"
"Ranma….I love you."