With only three days until the citywide imperial test, Akane had thought the castle would be busy with activity or swarming with people, but to her surprise, that wasn't the case at all. As Ukyo and Ryoga explained, the week before the tournament was a designated holiday in Wistalia, allowing most high-ranking officers to take a break to visit family and friends.
Most of her future comrades wouldn't even be returning until the eve of the tournament.
And now she understood why.
The castle was empty because everyone was out celebrating in the streets.
Since they'd arrived in the middle of the night, Akane hadn't noticed at the time, but in the daylight, the streets of the city were filled with booths, music, and games as a citywide festival took place. Festive lights lit up the alleyways, and performers could be found on every street corner, busy entertaining visitors and residents alike.
Akane couldn't help but be drawn in by the atmosphere, even as guilt quietly gnawed at her. She hadn't even been officially sworn in yet—not to mention, she was still in training—but Ukyo and Ryoga had tasked her with being Ranma's bodyguard for the afternoon, too busy shadowing Ranko to follow them both.
"Don't worry, Akane. He may not look like much—"
"Hey!" Ranma had protested.
"—But he can be pretty tough when he wants to be," Ukyo assured her. "Plus, the city and taverns will be packed with off-duty guards, so if anyone tries anything, just scream really really loud!"
"Or not. No great loss either way," Ryoga claimed with a shrug.
"Gee, thanks, blockhead," Ranma had said with a smack to his head.
"Hey! Thathurt!"
"Don't worry," Akane had assured them both after rolling up her sleeves. "I'll guard him with my life!"
And she meant that.
She would rather die than lose another person she cared about!
Of course, Akane knew the two guards could've easily split up, but she suspected they might have wanted to enjoy the festivities free from their annoying heir . . . not that she could blame them.
After an exhausting trip down memory lane herself, Akane had been desperate for a distraction. Not to mention an escape from Ranko's stifling (though well-meaning) presence.
Ever since that morning, her friend had been stuck to her side like a barnacle, forcing Akane to repeatedly pry her off. It wasn't until she'd promised to meet her again later that Ranko finally, reluctantly agreed to give her some space.
Which is how she'd found herself shadowing Ranma instead.
Not that Akane was completely inexperienced: She had lived all these years looking over her shoulder while trying to protect her sisters.
If nothing else, her stellar record spoke for itself.
Besides, Ranma was strong. She was only there as a formality—he could easily take care of himself. Kuno had proved that. But since she didn't want to disappoint the Queen, Akane was determined to take her job seriously.
"Are you sure this is alright?" She asked again, careful to stay close but not too close. She had no idea what she was doing. Was there some sort of protocol?
Ranma rolled his eyes. "We're not going into enemy territory. So yeah, we'll be fine."
Akane scoffed. "You weren't on enemy territory back when I met you either, but look what happened. You couldn't even make it over a wall without getting into trouble!"
"Uh-huh. And remind me again—WHO was it that stood there gawking like a dork rather than get out of the way?"
"I'd been sleeping!"
"Anyway," Ranma went on. "We'll be fine. We're just swinging by the blacksmith's shop so I can get a new sword since someone destroyed mine with their inhuman brute strength."
If she wasn't currently on duty and taking it very, very seriously, Akane would've smacked him for that one.
"I said I was sorry," she muttered again, not sincere at all. "At least I warned you before I did it, didn't I? Honestly, Ranma. Most people would've kept that kind of attack a secret!"
"Yeah, well, it's a good thing you're cute. If anyone else had tried that kinda stunt, I would've broken their sword and their arm."
Akane stopped walking as her mouth fell open. "W-what did you just say?"
Ranma stopped to look back at her, surprised to find she'd stopped. "What?" he asked, and then, seeing the very noticeable blush on her face, grinned knowingly. "Jeez, Akane. You act like nobody's ever called you cute before."
At the compliment, her face turned even redder, and she looked away, embarrassed.
Both Kuno and Mikado had implied as much, but for some reason, when Ranma said it, she couldn't control the heat that rushed to her cheeks or the way her heart sped up.
Slapping her face with her palms, she tried to will the shame away.
Which is right when she heard Ranma laughing. Turning back, she saw he'd moved closer, and somehow their faces were now only inches apart. This close, she noticed his blue eyes were even bluer.
Akane stared back, her heart very much in her throat.
"Just kidding. You're passable at best," he told her with a grin, and straightening to his full height, crossed his arms behind his head and started laughing even louder.
Like her namesake, Akane saw red.
Out of instinct, she reached for her sword.
"Oh, there's the blacksmith's shop," Ranma announced as he turned and practically skipped towards a large wooden hovel several buildings down, leaving her behind.
Hand twitching, Akane pushed the murderous thoughts away and ordered her bloodlust to stand down.
She couldn't KILL him.
She was pretty sure that would be frowned upon. So instead, she resigned herself to quietly seething.
Feeling petty and humiliated, Akane remained right where she stood, not bothering to do her duty and ensure he entered the shop safely. She was too embarrassed and hurt to worry about that jerk anymore.
He could protect his own stupid self for all she cared. Maybe a harmless stabbing was just what he needed!
She thought this, but honestly, Akane wasn't sure who she was angrier at . . . herself, for falling for his pathetic trick in the first place, or Ranma, for making her lower her guard and feel something.
"Honestly!" she muttered, incensed. "I'm so over this."
Not one for introspection, Akane leaned against the wall of the closest shop and closed her eyes against the harsh sun. Waiting.
How long did it take to order a fancy sword anyway?
But the longer she waited, the more guilt-ridden she became. Responsibility started creeping in. She had given Ukyo and Ryoga her word, after all.
It wasn't right to slack off on the job.
"I suppose I should go in there," she sighed, resigned, as she opened her eyes and took her first few steps back towards the blacksmith's shop.
But Akane was so distracted that she didn't notice the other passerby until she'd walked straight into them.
"Oh! Sorry," she apologized, backing up quickly and glancing up.
Wow. How had she missed them?!
Despite the heat, the stranger was dressed in a black cloak with a drawn hood that obscured their face. "Forgive me," they said in a masculine voice that was oddly familiar.
Akane realized too late that he wasn't apologizing for the run-in. In the next second, a pale hand shot out of the giant sleeve, and something wet and foul-smelling was thrust over her mouth before she could react.
She didn't even have time to scream.
With his free hand, he pulled her into the darkness of the deserted alleyway behind the shop—though with some difficulty as he fought to keep the rag in place. Still, the concoction was potent. Immediately, Akane's vision began to blur, and her limbs felt heavy. She slumped against the wall, her eyes struggling to stay open as she fought against the hand still clamped over her mouth, trying desperately to get a breath or a look at her assailant.
"Shh. Sleep, princess."
That voice, she thought to herself again, hazy but certain. I know that voice. . .
But then her eyes closed completely.
…
When Akane awoke, it was to a splitting headache and a heavy dose of confusion, though as the events in the alleyway came trickling in, confusion turned to annoyance, heady and intense.
"Seriously?!" she snapped, glaring at her captor.
Hikaru Gosunkugi was crouching before her, his hood down to expose his sickly white face. "G-greetings, princess!" he said with a shy little wave. "Are you comfortable?"
Comfortable?! He'd tied her to a tree!
Though mixed with the frustration was a slight touch of pride because at least the dummy was learning. The last time he abducted her, he'd forgotten the restraints and suffered a black eye for the trouble.
"Really, Gosunkugi? Again?" she complained, annoyed and incredulous. "Are you going for some kind of record?"
If it were possible, the pale, wispy servant grew even paler. "Oh," he gasped excitedly. "You remembered my name!"
"Of course I know your name," she told him, exasperated, though she felt more relief than anger now. Out of all the spies from her stepmother's kingdom, he may have been the most persistent, but he was also the easiest to handle. "You've served me since we were five!"
"Five wonderful years," he sighed happily. "I'm so honored you haven't forgotten a lowly peon like myself."
"Yup, it's great," she muttered as she strained against the ropes that still refused to budge. Knowing the Amazons, it was probably enchanted. Wonderful. "Now, would you hurry and untie me already? I'm getting really tired of being kidnapped!"
"I'm sorry. I can't," he told her, and at least had the good sense to look abashed.
Akane took a deep breath and held it, fighting back the urge to snap and yell and make demands. That wasn't the right approach here.
Besides, she didn't blame him entirely.
After escaping the castle with her family, he'd been left behind, only ten years old, forced to fend for himself. He'd been well aware of the terrifying power her stepmother wielded . . . so was it any wonder fear and desperation had turned him into Hinako's sniveling lapdog instead?
It was better than an empty husk.
However, the ropes were beginning to chaff, and Akane had better things to do with her time than sit here all day humoring him. She was done playing. Time for the usual approach—the same one that had worked every other time he'd caught her by surprise.
"Please, Gosunkugi?" she asked, lips trembling, trying hard to sound as cute and harmless as possible. "These ropes are really, really tight."
He was next to her in a second, trying to make them looser.
"I-is this alright?" he asked, looking to her for approval.
"Um, just a little more, maybe?"
"L-like this?"
When Akane could finally move her arms again, she nodded, and with an easy shrug of her shoulders, slipped out of her restraints and stood. "Yes. Perfect," she told him as she triumphantly stepped away from the tree.
"Oh," he said forlornly, the rope pooling in his hands.
"Just how many times are we going to do this?" she demanded, dropping the cute act. "I don't have time for you to keep abducting me, you know!"
He reared back as if he'd been struck. "I-I'm sorry, I just want to help! If I can find you, so can they—it's safer to stay here in the forest with me. We can live off berries and fruit, and there's water somewhere, probably."
Akane sighed deeply. She knew his heart was in the right place—sort of—but Gosunkugi wasn't that great at thinking things through. "Please, just pretend you didn't see me," she requested again, certain he could do that much at least. He may have been forced to work for her stepmother, but his loyalty was still to her and her family. "I'm safe here, Gosunkugi. I promise."
She could tell he was still torn, so Akane decided to do something drastic.
Stepping up to him, she laid a hand gently on his shoulder, and at the sudden contact, the other boy froze, hearts in his eyes as he gave her a dopey, besotted grin. "You'll protect me if they come looking for me, won't you?" she asked him.
Right before her eyes, he seemed to melt, and she was shocked he didn't turn into a puddle right there at her feet.
"Of c-c-course!" he assured her, and then tilting his head to the side, away from her, gushed quietly to himself, "P-Princess A-Akane is t-t-touching me!"
Used to his fits of hysterics, Akane ignored them. "Thanks again. I appreciate your help," she told him as she patted his shoulder in gratitude. But at the continued contract, he looked close to convulsions, so Akane very carefully retracted her hand and stepped away.
Maybe it was wrong to use his obvious crush against him, but drastic times called for drastic measures.
"AKANE?! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"
Oh great. The cavalry was here.
Now, she'd never live this down.
"I'm right here!" She called back, sensing from Ranma's voice that he was somewhere close by. Fearing for Gosunkugi's safety, she glanced over her shoulder and warned him, "You might want to run, Gosunkugi," only to realize that he probably couldn't hear her.
Her "abductor" was standing like a statue, a blissful look on his face as he reverently touched the shoulder she'd been patting.
Oops. Perhaps she overdid it just a bit.
Happy to take advantage of his distraction, though, Akane headed across the glade, having spotted her sword leaning against a nearby tree trunk.
It was right when she'd bent to retrieve it, actually, that Ranma came rushing through the grove, sword drawn and looking furious. At the sight of him, Akane startled; she hadn't known his gaze could get that dark. But the second their eyes met, he visibly relaxed, and after looking her over, he asked quietly, "You alright, tomboy?"
"Yeah. I'm fine." Having been reunited with her sword, she hugged it happily and then quickly placed it back in its scabbard.
However, looking away had been a mistake. The second Ranma saw she was safe, that deadly gaze turned on Gosunkugi, and his eyes zeroed in on the forgotten rope dangling from his hand.
"YOU BASTARD!" he shouted right before he dropped his sword and launched himself at the oblivious boy.
"Ranma! Stop!" Akane ordered as he went to town on the pathetic weakling, letting loose his frustration in a series of painful strikes that never missed their mark. Though she supposed she should be grateful that at least he'd dropped his sword, not that it made much of a difference.
Ranma's fists could cut just as deep.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Gosunkugi pleaded while cowering on the ground, his arms covering his head as he absorbed the blows as best he could. It was a sad sight to behold, actually; the gangly boy was nothing without the element of surprise and his weird concoctions.
"That's enough, Ranma," Akane said, physically pulling him away before he accidentally killed him. "I've already scolded him enough!"
"Oh, you scolded him?" he repeated, incredulous, though he didn't protest as she led him away. "That's rich! Did you wag your finger at him, too?!"
Honestly, he was such an ass!
"No. In case you didn't notice," she told him with surprising calm, though beneath the surface, she was ready to snap. "I had everything under control."
"If you had things under control, Akane, you wouldn't have been taken in the first place!"
Okay, fair point. But Akane was too annoyed by his curt tone to actively acknowledge it. Of all the nerve! "Well, maybe if YOU weren't such a JERK, I wouldn't have been distracted IN THE FIRST PLACE?!"
"Oh, so now it's MY fault?!"
The two would've continued glaring at each other all night if Gosunkugi, beaten and bruised, hadn't gathered his courage to awkwardly ask, "Um, I-I think I've learned my lesson. C-can I go now?"
"Of course," said Akane, her voice purposely sanguine. "Thank you for being reasonable."
Ranma's jaw dropped to the floor. "Y-you're THANKING him?!"
"Oh, honestly. Do you have to make a big deal over everything?"
As Gosunkugi began to quietly slither away, Ranma's voice froze him in his tracks. "Stay right there!" he ordered. "She may have forgiven you, but I'm still pissed as hell."
"Ignore him," Akane shot back, pointing in what she hoped was the general direction of the city. "You can go, Gosunkugi."
"Try it, and you'll be breathing through a hole in your neck," Ranma warned him, and Gosunkugi quickly sat up, kneeling contritely.
"Ranma!"
Ignoring her, he walked over to her abductor and knelt before him. "So, why the hell did you take her anyway?" he asked, getting right to the point. "Sure, she's cute, but she's not that cute. What's Kuno really after?"
Gosunkugi looked panicked and confused. "I, umm? K-Kuno?" he questioned uncertainly, not sure what to say.
Before he could utter another word, Akane dropped to the forest floor beside him and quickly covered his mouth with her hand, shutting him up before he could destroy their perfect excuse.
"YES! That's right! Kuno sent him. That's exactly what he told me. Right? Right?" she pushed, looking meaningfully at Gosunkugi as she slowly removed her hand.
Only too late, Akane realized what she'd done.
Gosunkugi wasn't looking at her or anyone—his eyes had gone glassy, and once again, he was wearing a ridiculous smirk on his face. Her touch had given him sensory overload, putting him in a comatose state . . . so without answering, he slumped to the floor at their feet. Out cold.
Akane stared at him in surprised guilt. "Oh," she said softly. "I think he passed out."
"Fine, then we're taking him with us," Ranma said and stood.
"Is that really necessary?" Akane demanded, standing slowly. "I already talked to him, Ranma. He won't tell you anything useful . . . he was just told to bring me back to Kuno. That's all."
Cracking his knuckles, Ranma smirked. "I'llget something useful out of him. You just watch me."
As Akane's brain struggled to find a way out of this mess, she sighed heavily, her thoughts racing. There was no way she could let Ranma interrogate him. He'd break like a brittle twig and spill everything! Then she'd have an impulsive, head-strong Ranma trying to break down the door to her stepmother's palace, and all that planning, all those sacrifices, would be for nothing. In the end, he'd die like all the others.
No matter what it took, she had to get Gosunkugi out of there.
This was war; anything goes!
She almost cried in relief when she saw the pale boy finally beginning to stir.
Hoping to keep Ranma from noticing, Akane wandered over to the tree across the glen that she'd been tied to earlier, knowing it would force Ranma to turn his back on their prisoner. Then, she leaned her forehead against the tree trunk and sighed dramatically to herself, loud enough for him to hear.
As expected, Ranma wasn't heartless. He came to stand beside her, looking concerned.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked.
"I-I guess it just hit me," she said, sniffling pathetically. "I can't believe this is happening again. . ."
"Dummy, I knew you were acting too calm about all of this. . ." Sweetly, he laid a hand on her shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze.
Akane knew this was the perfect moment. Desperate times called for desperate measures!
"Oh, Ranma!" she wailed and, whipping around, buried her head in his chest, her arms encircling his waist—probably tighter than necessary after recalling what a jerk he'd been—and willed the tears to come. It wasn't hard. Akane had a lot of awful memories to draw from.
Soon, her shoulders were shaking, and she was clutching the back of his cloak in two firm fists, the tears falling freely and fast.
To her surprise, Ranma didn't stiffen in fright or turn awkward like he would have when they were kids. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back, even going so far as to stroke her hair, just like her own mother would've done. At the kind, familiar gesture, once again, her cheeks turned rosy and hot, her heart humming a pleasant beat as she clutched at his cloak tighter.
Maybe he had grown. Just a bit. Aunt Nodoka was clearly doing something right.
Still, Akane hadn't forgotten her main objective. When her tears had died down enough, she slowly pulled away and glanced in Gosunkugi's direction, grateful to find his spot was empty.
It looked like his survival instincts had kicked in after all.
She almost cried in relief again.
Wiping at her eyes with the sleeves of her cloak, Akane stepped away from Ranma, still determined to keep his attention firmly on her. "Sorry," she said, embarrassed and strangely shy. "I didn't mean to lose it like that. . ."
"Yeah, well, it's not like I can blame you. Youarejust a girl."
And there it went! All that goodwill he'd miraculously managed to restore.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Akane demanded, her ears ringing from the insult. "Boys cry too!"
She would know.
Her father has been well-known for his bouts of sentimentality after her mother had passed—it was one of the reasons all of his people, even the servants, were so happy when he remarried. The tears had finally lessened.
"Jeez, I'm just messing with you," Ranma replied and then finally seemed to remember their prisoner. Spinning around, he cursed softly when he noticed the other boy had slipped away when they'd been distracted.
Feigning surprise, Akane gasped. "Oh no. He's gone. . ."
"Dammit," Ranma muttered and picked up his sword, prepared to go after him. Akane stopped him by grabbing his arm. "Ranma, wait!"
He glanced at her incredulously. "What is up with you?" he demanded, shaking off her restraining hand. "Don't you want to know what's going on? I mean, hell, Akane—I'm ROYALTY, and even I'VE never had that many abduction attempts made against me! I'm starting to think the one that needs a bodyguard here is you!"
Well, he wasn't wrong, Akane thought ironically but said instead: "That's just it, though. This involvesme—and since I'm the one responsible for your safety, maybe I don't WANT you traipsing around the woods with a dangerous criminal on the loose!"
Ranma scoffed. "Dangerous criminal, my foot! A five-year-old could take on that ass!"
"And how do you know he was alone?" she replied, gesturing to the vast forest surrounding them. "How do you know he hasn't gone for backup right this second? If Kuno is behind this like we suspect, do you think he'd be satisfied sending only one person? When Mikado came, he basically brought an army!"
Akane couldn't help but be impressed with herself—this lie was practically selling itself!
Was this how Nabiki always felt?
"I don't know," Ranma muttered as he walked over to retrieve his sword. "If Kuno was trying to be discreet, this would've been the perfect way to go about it. Not that it matters now . . . thanks to you, he's probably long gone."
Though he didn't look happy about it, Ranma must've finally given up on the search for Gosunkugi. He had started leading them back in the direction of the town, and though it was faint, she could already hear the sound of revelers in the distance.
"Well. I take my job very seriously," she told him, choosing to ignore Ranma's look of derision. He had no room to judge, anyway. He got abducted the first day they met!
"Sure you do," he told her with an amused chuckle and a look that was oddly fond. "That's why you let me enter a building with sharp, dangerous objects all by myself, huh. . .?"
At the accusation, Akane flushed scarlet. "Y-you were clearly fine," she blustered as he stared right back, taunting and superior. "Anyway," she continued, needing a change of topic because this one wasn't cutting it. "How did you manage to find me so fast?"
"Oh. That jerk wasn't subtle at all," he told her. "There were a bunch of witnesses who saw the whole thing but thought it was some sort of crazy street performance. Apparently, after pulling you into the alleyway, you were too heavy to drag any further, so he ended up asking a local to borrow a wheelbarrow."
"You're joking," Akane deadpanned.
"Nope," said Ranma, finally smirking. "Ask anybody."
After hearing that, she was prepared to go hunt Gosunkugi down herself. She didn't weigh THAT much!
"Bet you wish I'd caught him now, don't you?" Ranma teased, reading her easily.
Akane flushed and coughed to hide her embarrassment. "Well, in any case, I guess I should thank you for coming to rescue me. Even though I DID have everything under control."
"Suuure you did," said Ranma in a tone that meant he didn't believe her one bit. "But you're welcome."
As they finally entered the town, Akane allowed her chaotic thoughts to drift untethered. She couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Two times now, Ranma had come to her rescue. How was she supposed to handle her stepmother if she couldn't even handle a couple of simpering fools without magic? The thought was disheartening. What if she never became strong enough to enact her revenge and save her sisters?
Her pride stung as she glanced enviously at Ranma.
He was strong and brave, and annoyingly capable. Why couldn't she be more like him?
Shaking her head at the thought, Akane quietly berated herself. If she dwelled on the maybes and what-ifs, she'd only drive herself crazy. She needed to remain positive.
Good, encouraging thoughts that would help lift her spirits!
After all, it wasn't Ranma who had outwitted Gosunkugi and managed to free themselves; she hadn't needed his rescue one bit! And her quick-thinking had helped her pathetic manservant escape an interrogation, which in turn, had protected the Saotomes.
It was a win-win!
But even more important than all that was a small, secret joy that was drowning out all the other noise and clutter filling her head.
Ranma had called her cute again.
And this time, he hadn't taken it back.
…
Ranma would never understand women—hell, even if he was one, he doubted that fact would change. Despite being drugged, abducted, and bursting into tears, for some reason, Akane seemed in a surprisingly good mood. As they walked back to the castle, she was light on her feet and couldn't seem to stop smiling.
"Alright," he said, at last, the curiosity killing him. "What gives? What are you so happy about?"
"Oh, nothing," she said and then giggled quietly to herself.
Nothing, my ass, Ranma thought, eyeing her suspiciously.
Thankfully, she didn't seem capable of keeping the secret to herself. "It's just, you called me cute," she reminded him, and then, narrowing her eyes, added severely, "And don't you dare deny it, Ranma! I heard what you said back there to Gosunkugi."
Ranma furrowed his brow, trying to remember. Honestly, he'd been so angry he couldn't recall most of what he'd said to the stupid runt. "Huh. Must've been the adrenaline. I never would've said something so insane if I was thinking straight."
"Maybe, but that's not a denial," she said cheerfully, grinning wider, and then skipped on ahead.
Ranma watched her go, smiling despite himself. If she acted like this every time he called her cute, he may need to say it more often. In any case, thanks to the tomboy's sudden good temper, the walk was a pleasant one, so nice in fact, that halfway back, Ranma decided he wasn't quite ready to return to the castle just yet.
"Hey, turn left up ahead," he called on a whim.
Akane glanced over her shoulder. "Why? That's not the way back."
"I know, but there's someplace I wanna take you first."
Akane shrugged but did as told, though she did slow down her gait a bit as if finally deciding to take her bodyguard duty seriously—not that she needed to. Ranma could easily protect himself, and if the events from earlier told him anything, it was that she still had a whole lot of training to do.
All the fancy sword tricks in the world couldn't make up for her crummy observation skills. If some lame, weak jerk could catch her off guard, then anybody could!
"Where are we going anyway?" Akane asked, walking beside him now. "It's going to get dark soon."
"I know, but it's best when the sun's setting."
She looked thoughtful for a second, but then her eyes lit up excitedly, and she looked around again as if seeing the little storefronts and stone-lined path with new eyes. Ranma raised an eyebrow curiously, surprised by her reaction. It almost seemed like she knew where they were going. "What? Have you heard about the hedge gardens before?"
She nodded her head excitedly. "Yeah, of course. Ranko mentioned them!"
"Huh," he said and wondered why. His sister wasn't the romantic, sappy type; she couldn't care less about a bunch of boring old shrubs. Not that he was either, but after the awful day Akane had suffered, he figured she might appreciate the view.
He knew right away he'd made the right call.
Even without telling her the way, Akane seemed to know it instinctively.
Forgetting all about him, she navigated the winding paths of the city with ease, her steps eager and sure, and just a little bit impatient as she tried to outrace the sun.
When they finally reached the top of the slope, Akane stopped and stood at the apex of the stairs that led below, the sight appearing to steal her breath away.
And maybe, just maybe, the sight of her face, enraptured and glowing, managed to steal his breath away too.
…
Akane couldn't believe it: The gardens were just like she remembered them. The labyrinth of hedges sloped down a steep hill, and at sunset, the sun struck the bushes and covered the incline in a lovely blanket of pink and orange light, creating an ethereal view.
Ranma had been right—although she'd already known that.
They didn't have anything like it back home. The sight made her feel nostalgic and warm but also a little sad. The hedge gardens had always been her favorite spot in Wistalia. It was another simple pleasure that had been stolen from her.
"We might as well sit down," Ranma told her as he led her towards a bench high up on the hill, overlooking the stunning sight below. Akane followed slowly, distracted by the view.
"Like what you see?" Ranma teased.
"Of course," she said, humoring him. "Don't you?"
Ranma shrugged as he turned his eyes to the horizon. "I haven't been out here for a while," he admitted, a hint of sadness dimming his words as he looked out over the hills. "It reminds me of someone."
Surprised, Akane glanced at him and couldn't quite stifle the niggling hope that he was talking about her. "Um, really?" she asked, biting her lip. "Like who?"
"Just an old friend. She used to drag me and Ranko out here all the time when she'd visit."
Again, her heart tightened, though she didn't allow herself to believe it. Ranma had many friends, and it's not like this was a spot they came to exclusively—even now, other people were wandering throughout the maze below, enjoying the sights and the clean air the gardens provided.
"You remind me of her a little," he admitted as he looked away from the sight to glance back at her.
Akane blushed and shyly looked down at her hands. So it was me, she thought happily, smiling to herself.
Ranma, noticing how pleased she looked, flicked her lightly on the forehead. "What are you so happy about?"
"Oh, nothing," she hummed, still smiling, and at that moment, she looked just like his Akane.
Ranma stared at her intensely, unable to shake the crazy thought loose. "Um, are you sure you haven't been here before?"
"Of course," she evaded, motioning to the living canvas before her. "I think I'd remember a view like this."
Despite her reassurances, Ranma wasn't sure he believed her. He couldn't shake the feeling she was hiding something. After all, she'd come right to this spot without any help, as if she'd already memorized the path. Was it just a coincidence?
But before he could question her further, she stood, stretching her arms to the sky as she smiled brilliantly at him. "Thanks for bringing me here, Ranma. I feel better already."
"Oh. Um, r-really?" he asked, swallowing slowly, finding it impossible to tear his eyes away from her.
It was the sun, that's all.
It wasn't his fault it lit her up like a star and made her shine.
"Honestly, don't you think this would be a great place to train?" she asked him and then swung an arm through the air as if slicing at an imaginary opponent.
And just like that, the illusion shattered.
Nope, definitely not his Akane. She may have been a bit of a tomboy like Ranko, but she'd never been that bad—this Akane was a force of nature all on her own. Besides, there was no way his mom or Ranko could've kept quiet. The second they saw her, they would've fallen apart.
Ranma grinned, relieved by the change of topic. "It might be fun," he agreed lightly. "But there's something else I've been curious about." Akane stared at him, her smile strained, heart racing in fear and trepidation. Oh no. Had he figured her out? "What was training under Master Happosai and Saffron like anyway? Are they as awesome as they sound?"
Akane released the breath she'd unconsciously been holding. And with suddenly weak legs, plopped back down onto the bench beside him.
"Not even close," she confided with a laugh and then shuddered at the memory of some of Happosai's 'training.' "Happosai-sensei is a huge pervert. He was more interested in trying to grope me than teaching me anything useful, and Saffron-sensei was always very strict. I don't think I heard one kind word from him in all the years he trained me."
"Huh," said Ranma thoughtfully. "I guess if you're that powerful, you're bound to be a bit eccentric."
"I guess that would explain you then, Ranma."
"Oh? You think I'm powerful?" He teased back, eyes gleeful and bright. "Huh. Looks like I've left quite the impression."
Akane's face grew red, embarrassed by the unintended praise. "Well," she began, recovering quickly. "It must just be the company you keep. I did manage to thwart my kidnapper after all."
Ranma scoffed. "Maybe, but he sure didn't look like much."
"Maybe, but that's what you said about me too," she reminded him sweetly as she lightly touched his shiny new scabbard. "Right before I broke your sword in half."
At the reminder, he laughed, and Akane felt a well of pride spring up within her. "That was some technique, though," he admitted, scratching his cheek. "So, how long have you been their student anyway?"
"About eight years," she told him, though it took Ranma just a bit longer to do the math.
"Eight?" He repeated in surprise because that meant she would've been around ten at the time—and that made even less sense. Why would one of the greatest fighters in the world agree to train a child, a nobody? He'd figured two years, three years, tops. "Wait a sec. Just how old are you?"
For some reason, Akane blanched at that question and paused as if it were somehow more difficult to pull that number from her memory than the other. "Almost—err, nineteen?" She replied uncertainly, her eye slightly twitching as if she couldn't even believe what had come out of her mouth. But determined to commit, she nodded her head more confidently and repeated brazenly now. "Yes. Nineteen."
Ranma didn't believe her. "Nineteen?" He repeated, dubious, because there was no way in hell she was older than him. "No, you're not. Why are you lying?"
Akane flushed, annoyed at having her lie exposed so quickly, but really, what choice did she have? She'd panicked in the moment, afraid he'd do the math and realize she was the same age as the lost princess and finally use his brain to connect all the dots.
She should've gotten her story straight days ago!
"W-what makes you think I'm lying?" She asked, feigning a curious kind of innocence as she stretched out her legs and looked anywhere but at him.
"Because you're an even worse liar than Ranko," Ranma told her. "And she's really, really bad. Is there . . . I don't know. Some reason you can't tell me how old you are?"
With a sigh, Akane frowned, realizing she'd been caught out. "Of course not," she told him bluntly. "I just wasn't sure if there were any age requirements to join the imperial guard, so adding a couple of years seemed like a good idea. But I only turned seventeen a couple months ago," she told him, lying yet again because she was eighteen and her birthday had already passed. "What about you?"
"Eighteen," he told her, even though Akane already knew he was only one month older. "You must've been named after the youngest Princess of Lumeria then, huh?"
"That's right," she agreed quickly because, honestly, if he was giving her an out, she was taking it. "How did you know?"
"Just a guess," he said, preening. "Lots of kids were named after the royals of the eight kingdoms, so I've met quite a few Akane's even before you came along."
The relief she felt at that moment was immeasurable; he was making lying easy. "Yeah," Akane replied vaguely, chuckling. "They're everywhere."
"Yeah, but I don't mind," Ranma told her, smiling softly to himself as he shifted his gaze back to the hedge maze below.
Akane felt herself blushing at the sight, her face pleasantly warm as she watched him. But feeling foolish and flustered, she turned her head and followed his gaze back down the slope.
They sat that way for a while, in the peaceful glow of the setting sun, no fighting, teasing, or talking necessary; just two old friends, enjoying a comfortable, easy silence.
And for a second, Akane began to wonder if maybe she'd regained just a little of what she'd lost after all.
Because even with all the ugliness in the world, the hedge maze was still beautiful.
End of Chapter 6
(You can find the fanart for this chapter on my AO3 account - my username is AJEWELL)