The only times Ranma had walked through the countryside were with his old man, off to distant mountains and far-off plains on training trips. He was so used to this fact of life as a seasoned martial artist that the rhythmic walking of his feet became monotonous and the lush natural scenery felt dull and old. However, the initial walk back from Ryugenzawa had been completely different. He noticed the verdant grass, the oversized animals, power lines and tents, and distant hills and mountains, each and every one of these brimming with life. Ranma even thought the pebbles and dusty trail had a vivacious feel, like they were encouraging him to continue his sightseeing with Akane.
With Akane.
The Tendo girl's hand was still interlaced with his, their fingers locked together. Ranma thought about how soft her pale hand was, holding his gruff battle-worn hand like a pillow. He didn't dare turn around to face Akane—he knew the hue of his face was in sync with his red Chinese shirt, and he felt the heat pool around his cheeks. His hand grew stiff at the thought of Akane seeing him in this state, but he didn't want it to end. He was scared that his infamous foot-in-mouth would strike again, and that he would feel that soft and tender hand harden into a forceful slap, followed by an all-too familiar, "Ranma, you jerk!"
Taunting his favorite tomboy and getting the occasional hit for it wasn't what bothered Ranma right now, though. He remembered all too vividly the same feeling he felt sear his face when she intervened in his fight with Shinnosuke. Her slap froze time as he thought his world had shattered in an instant. His mind quickened as his thoughts immediately recalled Akane in the maw of the Oriochi underwater and his gripping fear of the worst. Similar scenes cluttered his mind, all the while he kept treading, mute and unable to speak up against the threats. Had that been the end—no, no, I can't think about that. Not now, he tried reasoning with himself.
Sensing Ranma's uneasiness, Akane readjusted her palm slightly, cushioning the tense muscles in his hand. She didn't need to see his tomato-red face to know he was blushing. Her view of his black pigtail and cumbersome backpack was enough to paint a rosy picture for her. She held a soft smile across her lips, content with just who it was walking her back—her fiancée.
When Akane went to readjust her hand, Ranma sucked a breath in. He feared she wanted to break the contact, but the reality that her fingers remained within his comforted him. He breathed a small sigh of relief. They had been walking together in silence for the past hour, and Ranma felt compelled to say something to his fiancée after they both risked each others' lives for the other battling against the Oriochi.
"Y'know, A-Akane…" he stammered, daring to turn and look her in the eyes.
She turned to him, her brown eyes gazing back into his blue eyes, tenderly inviting the conversation. "Yeah, Ranma?"
"I-I'm happy. I'm really happy like this. Y'know, I don't wanna stop, but if you wanna stop, we can, I just—"
She brought a teasing finger to Ranma's lips, quieting his nervous mouth. "I'm happy too, Ranma. I feel safe right now. Thank you." She returned a reassuring smile to him, but not before noticing that familiar red return to her fiancée's cheeks.
Ranma's heart soared at her soft words. He was exceedingly glad he hadn't botched his request to Akane to continue to hold hands on the walk back. Hearing her confirmation soothed his tense nerves. Ranma relaxed his muscles, allowing his hand to follow suit.
They continued their journey back for a little while longer, as late afternoon approached, orange streaks lined the sky like rockets. A gentle but colder breeze brushed past grassy rows and dancing flows, sending a slightly brisk feel down the duo's cheeks. The wind was not unwelcome, but clashed against the warm countryside summer, and Ranma had a sneaking suspicion it meant something no good. Turning behind, Ranma looked up and saw dark grey clouds gather in the distance. The rainfall had blurred the landscape behind them like a mirage, and Ranma couldn't believe his ill-gotten luck. At least this time, a cold front had announced itself before a sudden gender-changing downpour drenched him.
"Hey, 'Kane, we should find a place to make camp. There's a big storm comin'," he said to her, pointing her with his free right hand to the incoming gale.
"Yeah, good idea. Let's find a cave or something." She agreed. "But I don't see one around here."
"Well, we better hur—hey, GAH, what are you—?" Ranma managed to fumble the words out of his mouth as Akane picked up her pace, starting to jog but still locked her hand in his.
"C'mon, Ranma!" Akane giggled, turning to him. "If you're too slow, I might just find a spot before you!"
Ranma grinned. "Oh? Sounds like you're challenging me. Like hell I'll lose!" He caught up to Akane and matched her pace. He was intent on winning this little competition before the storm caught up to them, but he couldn't deny how much fun he was really having. Akane's continuous laughing when Ranma would leap past her infected his face with her radiance, and he couldn't help but laugh along. After a mix of, "Hey, look over there! What's that?", "Dummy! You cheated! No fair!", "Gotta be faster, tomboy!", Ranma and Akane had arrived at a cave nestled in a little nook under one of the surrounding taller hills, which, unsurprisingly, Ranma had found first. Sweat licked both of their faces lightly, but it was a much more welcome bargain than having the rain coat them instead.
Ranma had scoped out how far the cave extended into the hill and hadn't gone more than twenty-five feet before his searching hands found the back wall.
"Hey, Akane, looks like this cave isn't too deep."
"That's good news. Let's unpack a little. We don't know how long this storm might last."
The pair laid their backpacks on the patchy, earthy floor and set up camp. Ranma had taken out his sleeping bag, but propped it bound and upright on the wall. Akane had taken out a cooking pot she had borrowed from the Tendo dojo and looked over at Ranma.
"Ranma, could you get some firewood?"
He gulped. "Oh, uh, y'know, why don't we just eat, oh, I don't know…berries, or somethin'?" Anything to get away from Akane's cooking.
She sighed, unimpressed. Wordlessly, she held out a thermos to Ranma.
"Whuzzat?"
"It's some of the water of life I bottled up. So my cooking won't taste…terrible." She turned her eyes downward at her last word, still embarrassed at how irreparable her culinary skills seemed to be.
Ranma nodded, relieved at her foresight. He noted her rejected demeanor in her last comment, though. I'll tell her how her curry was actually edible at dinner—before she took off for that Shinnosuke guy.
Shinnosuke's name still slightly rattled Ranma but he was determined to not let it get to him yet. He darted out of the cave, hearing the rumbling of thunder growing louder and closer. One thing about his lifelong commitment to the Anything-Goes Martial Arts style certainly came in handy: his ability to chop wood was immaculate. As he carried a small stack of readymade firewood, he heard the soft pitter-patter of rain start to grace the forest ground. He doubled his pace, jumping and leaping over rocks before reaching the mouth of the cave. He set aside portions of the firewood before setting up the fire. Akane, meanwhile, was preparing the canned soup she brought in her backpack. Setting the pot hovering over the fire, Akane poured in the water of life and let it come to a boil before adding the rest of the mix. Pretty soon, the mixture had a pleasing aroma that made both their stomachs growl in anticipation. Akane reached into her bag to take out a travel cup for Ranma. She poured some of the soup into Ranma's cup first, then helped herself with another portion into her thermos. Ranma took it eagerly. He thanked her for the meal before slurping some of the soup into his mouth. Akane watched him before tasting her own, nervous of what he might think of it.
"Akane, this is delicious." She grinned slightly, encouraged by those scarce words, before tasting it herself. She marveled at the properties of the water of life, somehow turning her vile cooking into a five-star dish.
They continued their meal, tossing up occasional bits of chit-chat about the events of the day. They laughed about just how silly Shinnoshuke's grandfather had looked that day, and how bizarre Ranma had looked with Akane when they had switched uniforms to fight the Oriochi.
"I can't believe the old man had even set up a table right at the Oriochi's den! Lined with beer! I can't even drink legally yet!" Ranma laughed.
"I can't believe it actually worked. I thought we were out of options, then boom, you went and did that and blinded their eyes." Akane smiled in return before taking some last sips of her soup.
"Y'know, it might be worth doin' all of that again for that water. I can't believe how good dinner was. I could probably fight another monster or two again if it meant I never had to taste your—"
Ranma glanced over at Akane and alarm bells rang. Oh, shit. She looked down, sulking. Akane felt her eyes begin to dampen, but she refused to let her emotions win the battle.
"Ranma," she whispered. "Why?"
Ranma knew he had said the wrong thing and cursed his thoughtlessness. He decided to proceed gingerly. "Why, what, Akane?"
"I can't say it." She exhaled shakily. "I'm…I'm scared, Ranma."
Ranma's body acted on its own in the next few seconds, but he didn't mind. He had scooted from his seat across from Akane and gently laid his right arm over her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Akane. I won't make you," He said softly. "I jus' don't want you to be scared."
She looked up at him when he had wrapped his arm across her upper back. Stifling a breath, she muttered, "Why do you choose me over the other fiancées? I'm not as strong or attractive as Shampoo and, unlike Ukyo, I'm a lousy cook. I mean, I practically poison you every time I try making something so simple. And, I'm not even cute to boot. Ranma, please, be honest," she uttered as her body shook. "What do you see in me?"
Ranma uncharacteristically waited a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking. He wasn't about to let his mouth run or stammer again, not when he had accidentally hurt the Tendo girl.
"It's not like that, Akane. I see a strong but tender girl who always puts her friends and her family above herself. I got little glimpses of that from when I first got dragged to the Tendo dojo by Pop. I can depend on you, I really can. You didn't even think twice about putting your life at risk back there for me, 'Kane. Shampoo, Ukyo, and ugh, Kodachi—they'd only do that to get something from me. I ain't interested in that. And, you're…different. And I really l-l-like that."
Akane leaned into him, wrapping her arm around Ranma's back. Her free arm went to wipe away some renegade tears that had escaped onto her cheek. Her fiancé's uncharacteristically heartfelt words had disarmed her, and she let down her guard to the boy-girl sitting next to her, whose arm was now caressing her back.
"What if I'm always a lousy cook, Ranma? What if I never get better?"
"Don't worry about it. I know you will. That curry you made before you left—I never got to tell you that it was edible."
"But what if I'm always thick-thighed or some macho chick?"
"Dummy. Do you think that would change what I jus' said? I mean all of it."
Those last words would live rent-free in Akane's head for the rest of the trip. She blushed, grateful for his honesty. "Thank you, Ranma."
They stayed a while in the quiet, still holding each other as they listened to the downpour just a few feet away from them. The occasional belligerent flashes of lightning and peals of thunder contrasted nicely to the homely cooking fire now warming the two and the solitude of their position. The whole episode in Ryugenzawa had been non-stop action. This was Ranma's first chance to really slow down and be still after all that had happened between him and Akane during the trip. He couldn't sleep when he thought Akane had chosen Shinnosuke over him. His warring emotions coupled with his shock denied any peace from entering. Now Ranma decided to tell Akane what was on his mind.
"Hey, when Shinnosuke told you that he l-l-loved you…how did it make you f-feel?" He fidgeted nervously, looking down on the ground. That L-word was already too difficult to say, but he couldn't bear to look into his fiancée's eyes when he thought someone else had told her those same words.
"He saved my life when I was a kid," Akane began tenderly. "I don't hate him. I like him as a friend. But I couldn't reject him like that when I knew his life was at stake. Everything was moving so quickly, and then you showed up…I knew how bad it looked, especially after I told you I was going to stay with Shinnosuke, but I couldn't tell you why."
Ranma exhaled a breath he had kept at bay, now relieved. "Akane," he started, "I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. I was so scared, y'know, that…well," he began to stammer. Ranma wasn't prepared to articulate his feelings about the Tendo girl to her. His world had almost come to a grinding halt when she slapped him had it not been for the sudden intrusion by the Oriochi. In the moments before, he had begun mentally preparing himself to abandon the Tendos, school, his friends, even all of Nerima because of what he thought he saw between Akane and Shinnosuke. As much as martial arts was a part of his identity, the thought of resigning himself to another training trip somewhere in the mountains unsettled him, like he was leaving behind something good. He had desperately wanted Akane to suddenly pop out of the foliage and do nothing more than simply ask him to stay.
"I was so angry at Shinnosuke, and when you stopped me, I just felt so…powerless."
Ranma, of all people, was allowing himself to be vulnerable around the girl whom he always called macho chick or uncute tomboy. Ranma—the master of the Tenshin Amaguriken, Moko Takabisha, and the Soul of Ice to name a few—was admitting his fear of paralyzing defeat to the Tendo girl. Akane leaned her head against his broad shoulder in a comforting gesture.
"I'm sorry for making you worry, Ranma…" she looked up at the pigtailed boy, his blush spread wide across his cheeks.
"Akane…" he began, gazing down into her glowing hazel eyes. "I'm always gonna do everything I can to keep you safe. I promise." Flashes of his panic and crying out for her ran across his mind as he had battled the Oriochi, fearing the worst. The unpleasant memories of the day had played in his mind agonizingly on the walk back, but Ranma felt now he was able to break his mute spell and defy the sinister movie that threatened their peace.
Their cooking fire had given an encouraging crack as it whittled down on the remaining firewood while the rain had begun to let up. In that brief moment, Ranma saw Akane's eyes flutter, but he wasn't ashamed or embarrassed—even if he would never say so out loud, Ranma wanted this more than anything. He put his hand under her chin, closing his eyes in tandem with her, bringing her pink lips closer to his. This is perfect.
Their lips may have barely been an inch away. Suddenly, a loud earthquake quickly jerked their attention as the ground rumbled. Ranma felt a very similar, lost aura on him. You've got to be jok—
"WHERE THE HELL AM I NOW?"
Following a loud CRRRRK, the imposing and familiar frame of Ryoga broke through the cave walls as rubble gathered around his feet. The lost boy took a few seconds to register the scene—Ranma was still holding Akane's face, and their arms were wrapped around each other closely. Ryoga's body tensed up instantly and a fiery dark orange aura engulfed him.
"RANMA!"
"R-Ryoga! What are you doing here?"
"You're going to take advantage of Miss Akane! Have you no shame?!"
"I'm not—WHAT? You wanna fight, pig?"
Akane quickly got up. "Ryoga, Ranma wasn't doing anything wrong! Stop your fighting!"
Ryoga's livid expression wilted at Akane's words. "Then, Miss Akane, you surely don't mean—?"
"Butt out, bacon brain! This ain't any of your business!" Ranma snapped back at the lost boy before Akane had a chance to respond.
The air cooled as Ryoga's once fiery hot battle aura dropped low. He hung his head below his shoulders, defeated at Akane's admission. Depressing thoughts of P-Chan and his hopeless sense of direction poured into his mind. Ranma noticed the sudden change in Ryoga's demeanor and his eyes widened. Akane quickly retreated to a safe distance, too familiar with what would happen next.
"Ryoga! C-calm down! You don't need to—"
"SHI SHI HOKODAN!"
The small cave under the hill had its entire earthen roof eviscerated within seconds as Ryoga's powerful blast kicked Ranma upwards. Rain began to pour into the clearing. Ranma, soaked, found some footing and landed on the hill before jumping down to the cave floor. She winced as she felt the rain fall onto the fresh cuts.
"Hey, P-Chan," the new redhead began, "Sure you wanna stay depressed?" Ranma kicked a small puddle towards Ryoga.
Ryoga realized the danger immediately, reflexively jumping backwards to dodge the rainwater. His cheeks were red-hot with embarrassment, praying Akane would neither see nor understand why. She just looked at Ryoga, still bewildered as to why he had come bursting through in the first place.
"Ryoga—" she began.
"We'll continue this later, Ranma," he cut Akane off, turning to the cursed boy-girl. "BAKUSAI TENKETSU!"
Saying thus, he retreated into the wall as he smashed his way into the mountain, desperate to avoid the water. Ranma cursed in the Jusenkyo voice under her breath at her miserable luck. Damnit. I was so close, too.
"Bad news, Ranma…" Akane looked over at the fire, having been extinguished by the incoming rain. "The fire's gone and the logs are wet. It'll be a while before we can turn you back."
"Oh, great." Ranma might have proceeded in her self-pitying had she not noticed a little grin creep across her beloved tomboy's face. "Hey!" she said teasingly, "What's so funny?"
"Nothing," she said unconvincingly before she began to laugh boisterously.
"Hey!" Ranma moved towards Akane, but she hopped back, still laughing.
"Come get me, pervert!" She giggled to the redhead, running out into the rain.
"Oh, you are so not cute!" Ranma ran after her, but she wasn't upset at all. That giggle was infectious. She found herself grinning like an idiot as she chased Akane in the rain. Any pain from the wounds, nagging worries from the days before, or irritation over her curse evaporated from Ranma's mind, leaving just one thought.
I'll do anything for her smile.
