Chapter 20 - Rise and Shine
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Cherry blossoms.
Ranma found himself in the middle of a field, amidst a few cherry trees. He was seated on a red and white checkered blanket, with a basket of food next to him. The scent of cherry blossoms was in the air. Ranma breathed in the aroma and found it to be quite refreshing.
Hearing a small noise behind him, Ranma slowly turned around, noting as he did so that he felt no danger, merely a serene presence. Standing behind him, wearing a modest dress that only slightly enhanced her figure, was Kasumi. A light wind caused her dress to flow more closely against her body, giving more of a hint of what lay beneath. The breeze also forced her hair to sway a bit, and the pink and white leaves from the cherry trees floated gently down around her. It was, quite simply, one of the most beautiful images that Ranma had ever seen.
Soon, Kasumi had joined him, and the two were enjoying a fabulous meal together. They chatted, the conversation flowing freely, never once feeling forced. They joked and they teased, but also spoke about their hopes and dreams, but most importantly, their feelings. Before long, Ranma found that Kasumi was in his arms and he was looking into the brown pools of her eyes. He bent forward, and soon the two kissed.
It began slowly and gently. Both seemed completely relaxed as they let their lips communicate the depth of their emotions; this time without words. As the kiss progressed, the intensity of it began to flare. Ranma began to feel a heat spread from his heart to his entire body, and he found that his arms wrapped even more tightly around Kasumi, as if he couldn’t hold her close enough. He felt her arms tighten as well, and soon they became consumed by the fire that the kiss had ignited.
Just before it could intensify any further, Ranma pulled back. Kasumi opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly.
“Are you sure?” he asked softly.
Rather than answer with words, Kasumi leaned forward and began kissing him again. Soon, both of them were lost in one another.
Ranma’s eyes slowly blinked open, and the first thing he noticed was the slight scent of cherry blossoms. In his hazy condition, he couldn’t quite grasp where the fragrance was coming from. As he became more aware, several things began to filter into his mind.
First, he felt something tickling his nose. As his eyes focused, he found himself looking at a head full of brown hair. He faintly remembered that Kasumi used a shampoo that was scented with cherry blossoms, and he figured that the head of hair must belong to her.
Once comprehension hit, many other things became all too apparent. He suddenly realized that he was lying down next to Kasumi in his tent. Just before he was able to go into full panic mode, Ranma remembered that Kasumi had been the one to recommend that they do this. This helped ease his mind somewhat, but not entirely. His dread began to rise again when he realized that they were now in the exact opposite position from where they started. They were still in a spoon-like position, but she was now facing away from him while he was pressed into her back.
This wouldn’t have been too bad, but unfortunately the situation produced two unfortunate side effects. One was that he had his arm draped over her, and Ranma found that his hand was grasping onto something that it shouldn’t be, something quite soft. This was bad enough, but he also realized that he was experiencing that common problem most men have when they wake up, and that it was currently jabbing Kasumi in the posterior.
‘Oh dear kami! She’s gonna kill me!’ The fact that he was going to die a happy man was small comfort to Ranma at that moment in time. Again, he was about to panic, but there was something about Kasumi’s presence, and the comforting position he was in, that helped soothe him. ‘Okay, I gotta think this through. If I just jump away, she’s gonna wake up and realize what’s goin' on. But if I slowly move away, she won’t wake up and everything should be fine. Okay,’ he thought, psyching himself up, ‘that’s what I’m gonna do.’
The way Ranma saw it he had three objectives. First, he had to stop poking Kasumi. Second, he needed to slowly remove his hand from her chest. Third, once they were no longer in contact, he needed to slowly move away. Concentrating on his first goal, Ranma began to slowly scoot his hips away from Kasumi. After a few moments, he was no longer in contact with her backside. Letting out a tiny sigh of relief, he began to move to the second phase of his plan. However, before he could start to move his hand, a gentle voice totally derailed both his mind and motions.
“Are you finally awake, sleepyhead?”
As Kasumi woke from her nap, she felt quite refreshed and relaxed. For some strange reason, she also felt wholly comforted. It took her a few moments, but she suddenly understood the reason why. She felt Ranma holding her tight, his arm draped over her in a protective gesture. His steady breathing, which caused his chest to press into her in a rhythmic pattern, left her feeling quite peaceful. For several minutes, she just laid there enjoying the sensation, before she realized exactly what Ranma’s hand had a hold of.
‘Oh my! This really isn’t proper, even if it does feel nice.’ Kasumi tried to quash that feeling, knowing that he shouldn’t have his hand there, and was about to wake Ranma up, when she paused. ‘Well, it’s not like he’s doing it on purpose. Besides, the poor dear must be exhausted from all his training. I should just wait until he moves himself and then I can get up without waking him.’
For the next ten minutes, Kasumi tried to avoid feeling guilty about the fact that she was immensely enjoying being held by her fiancé in such an intimate manner. It wasn’t as hard as she would have thought, because she felt so warm... so safe... so... so... cherished. She couldn’t prescribe a greater description to the feeling; it wasn’t love, at least not yet, but it was easy to see how it might be heading into that direction.
Thoughts of Ranma’s training brought home to her the immensity of exactly what it was he was doing for her. ‘He’s going through all of this to protect me. He could just marry Shampoo and then I would be safe, but instead he’s going through the hardest training he’s ever done... for me.’
That line of thinking caused Kasumi to consider the relationship she and Ranma were slowly developing. ‘He’s still very rough around the edges, but at least he’s trying so hard when he’s around me. I know a lot of that will be undone when we’re back home and he’s around everyone else, but at least some of it will certainly stick.’
Knowing she would still have her work cut out for her, she considered whether it was worth the effort in the long run. “Yes,” she whispered to herself without hesitation. ‘Despite all his faults, he’s still one of the most honorable and noble people I have ever met. He’s also warm, caring, and considerate; to me at least. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s incredibly handsome, that it’s a lot of fun kissing him, and that it feels so wonderful when he holds me. And I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Ranma will encourage me to pursue whatever dreams I may have.’
Her contemplation was cut short as she felt her fiancé suddenly stiffen up behind her. ‘I wonder if he’s finally woken up?’ she asked herself. The question was answered shortly when she felt Ranma slowly, yet deliberately, move his torso away from her. It wasn’t until that moment that her mind truly understood what had been pressing against her. ‘Oh... OH MY!’ The small, relieved sigh Kasumi heard allowed her to understand that Ranma must be just as embarrassed, if not more so, than she was feeling. She decided to defuse the situation before her poor fiancé became totally unnerved.
“Are you finally awake, sleepyhead?” she asked gently.
 |
“Uh,” was about the only coherent response that Ranma could form. ‘She don’t sound angry like Akane or nothin', but she’s gotta be pissed.’ “I asked if you were awake,” she said. “I’ll take that as a yes.” “I’m sorry! It was an accident, I swear!” Whatever Ranma was expecting, the small giggle that Kasumi let out wasn’t it. “Don’t worry about it Ranma, I know you weren’t doing anything on purpose. And after all, I was the one who recommended that we rest together.” The relief that Ranma felt was palpable, in fact he was sure it was coming off him in waves. ‘Man, if only Akane would’ve listened to me like this, who knows |
“Of course, I think it would be a good idea for you to remove your hand from my chest now.”
“Gah!” Ranma yanked his hand away as if her torso was made of molten lava. Immediately afterwards, he jumped away from her and nearly knocked the tent down onto both of them. He prostrated himself on the ground and began repeating over and over, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
When Kasumi giggled even louder than before, Ranma peeked up from where his head was bowed to the floor and noticed the radiant smile on her face. “I told you it was alright Ranma,” she said, once she had her tittering under control. Ranma took in her expression and began to breathe a small sigh of release, which caught in his throat as she began speaking again.
“However...” she said in a chiding tone, “I expect that we’ll need to have a more solid commitment between us before you make a habit of touching me there again.”
“Ack!” Ranma sat up straight and began making warding motions in front of him with his hands. “I didn’t mean nothin',” he insisted. “You gotta believe me!” Internally, he couldn’t help but berate himself, even part of him was trying to tell him that it was an honest mistake. ‘Jerk! Pervert! Akane was right about you. This is Kasumi for cryin' out loud! Yer worse than the old letch.’
“It’s okay Ranma,” he heard Kasumi repeat once again. To emphasize this, she reached forward to place her hand on his cheek. Unfortunately, all of his time at the Tendo’s home had conditioned him too well. He immediately equated this action with pain, and his instinct forced him to close his eyes and cringe.
‘I deserve this,’ he thought, believing in his heart that it was true. ‘It don’t matter that I didn’t mean it. It still happened.’ After several seconds of not receiving a beating, Ranma hesitantly opened his eyes and looked at his fiancée. The frown she was directing towards him made him feel even worse, at least until she began to speak.
“Ranma,” she said quietly. Her voice was low, but it was devoid of her usual cheerfulness, as well as the anger Ranma would have expected in this situation. In fact, it sounded rather exasperated. “Do you truly think that I’m going to hit you for this?”
Moments ago, Ranma was absolutely sure that she was going to do just that. Now, he wasn’t quite so sure. “Umm, I guess,” he said weakly.
“Do you truly think so little of me?” Kasumi asked. The hurt that crept into her voice and was beginning to manifest on her face tore at Ranma’s heart.
Forcing himself to take a deep breath, Ranma evaluated the question. He considered the circumstances that led up to this encounter. ‘Kasumi asked ta rest with me. I was asleep when we ended up like that, so I didn’t do it on purpose or nothin'.’ He thought about what Kasumi had said after waking up. ‘Even Kasumi said it wasn’t my fault. I just couldn’t help it because I’m so used ta being hit when somethin' like this happens. But this is Kasumi. The only time she ever hit me was when I nearly killed myself for her. Because she was... worried... about me. Because she really does... care for me.’
The entire concept shocked Ranma to the core. ‘When was the last time someone cared about me? I think pops did before even the neko-ken training, but I ain’t even sure of that. And how could my mom care if she let pops drag me off like that for ten years. Plus, she wants to make me commit seppuku if I don’t turn out the way she wants. Mr. Tendo only cares about me upholding that stupid pledge. Nabiki only seems to care about makin' money off me.’ He understood that the last thought might not be entirely accurate, but he wasn’t going to argue with himself at the moment.
His thoughts then turned to the girls who were after him. ‘To all of 'em, I ain’t nothin' but a piece of property. Kodachi couldn’t care less about what I want. Shampoo expects me to honor her stupid laws and be her trophy husband. Maybe she does really care, but if she did she wouldn’t treat me the way she does. U-Chan is my friend, but she still always held that agreement over my head, not caring one bit whether or not I loved her in the same way. And Akane...’ Ranma had the equivalent of a mental sigh. ‘Akane always calls me a jerk and a pervert and said the engagement wasn’t real and that she didn’t want me. But she always blew up when another girl was nice ta me or I was nice ta another girl. Again, she didn’t care about what I wanted or how I felt.’
Finally, Ranma’s thought turned to his latest fiancée. ‘Kasumi... she is the most caring and gentle person I know. She’s kind, and sweet, and beautiful. She doesn’t force herself on me, and she always considers my feelings. Plus, she worked it out so that when the engagement was transferred to her that we had a way out, rather than try and trap me like the other girls woulda.’ Once again, Ranma was struck with what an incredible person she truly was. As he looked at her again, where she sat waiting for him to answer, Ranma couldn’t keep his thoughts from drifting into the inevitable direction.
‘I don’t deserve her.’
Kasumi sat there and watched the myriad of emotions play across Ranma’s face. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, and she was beginning to feel bad the way she had asked him the question. ‘It’s not poor Ranma’s fault. He’s just been conditioned to be this way. We’ll have to work on it.’
“I-I’m sorry Kasumi,” her fiancé said, breaking Kasumi out of her reverie. “You... don’t deserve ta have people think of you like that. You deserve someone better than that.” His voice dropped to a near whisper. “Someone better than me.”
The utter conviction in his voice tore at Kasumi’s heart. ‘He can’t believe that! He can’t!’ Before he had a chance to react, Kasumi lunged forward and grabbed him in a fierce hug. “Don’t you ever say that!” she cried. “Don’t even think it. You are a wonderful person. I don’t want you to doubt that for a second.”
“But...” Ranma said, and she could feel him begin to choke up. “You’re so much better that I-”
“Stop,” Kasumi interrupted. “Please. I think you’re one of the most wonderful people I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing. Are you suggesting that I’m lying to you about that?”
“N-No. It’s just... I mean...”
“Shh,” Kasumi said. “Please... just believe me. Okay?”
Feeling Ranma nod slightly, Kasumi loosened her embrace enough so that she could look into his eyes. She saw the disbelief that was still there, but at least it had lessened somewhat. ‘Since actions seem to have such an effect on him, I guess that’s the best way to show him how serious I am.’
Keeping her eyes fixed on his, she slowly moved her face towards him. She tried to project as much love and acceptance as possible, and even though she moved slowly, she never hesitated. Finally, her lips were pressed against Ranma’s, and she proceeded to demonstrate what she felt. After she insured that Ranma was beginning to get into it as much as she was, she closed her eyes and deepened the kiss.
After several minutes, Kasumi broke away slightly and adjusted their position to make them both more comfortable. She then continued kissing her fiancé. The amount of time this went on was hard to estimate, but Kasumi figured they had been at it at least twenty minutes when she finally pulled away.
She sat back a little and looked into Ranma’s eyes. “Now,” she said sweetly, “do you believe me when I say that I think you’re a wonderful person.”
“Yea,” Ranma said, with the barest hint of a silly grin on his face. “I still don’t get why, but I do understand.”
“Good. Whenever you begin to feel differently about yourself, I want you to remember how I feel. Can you do that for me?”
“O-Okay,” Ranma said. She thought the matter settled, but then his grin diminished and he looked down at his lap.
“What’s wrong Ranma?”
“Well... It’s just... I mean...”
Kasumi watched as he wrung his hands together. ‘Why is he so nervous?’ she wondered. She thought about prodding him for information, but decided it would be best if he worked out whatever was bothering him on his own. After several minutes of this though, she considered changing her mind and prompting him, but he finally took a deep breath and spoke.
“While we’ve been out here,” Ranma said, finally raising his head to look at her again, “I’ve been thinkin' a lot about our engagement.” When he paused, Kasumi smiled at him and nodded her head, and he continued. “I’m really glad ya worked in those deals with our dads, but I’m real worried about how ya said it, and knowing those two jerks, they’re gonna hold ya too it.”
Cocking her head to one side, Kasumi gave him a questioning expression. “I don’t follow you Ranma.”
“Well, ya told 'em that if I decided I wanted ta marry you, that I would hafta. But you never said anything 'bout you.”
“I’m still not sure I understand,” she said, though mentally she figured where he might be going with this. ‘This is going to end up like that same conversation that I had with Nabiki.’
“Kasumi,” he said softly, and reached forward to take her hands in his. “Ya only said that I had ta wanna marry you, and not the other way around.” He took another deep breath and she could see him steeling himself for something big. “It’s just... In the short time we’ve been engaged, it’s been... wonderful. I know we still have a long ways ta go, and I don’t think we’re really in l-love or nothin', at least... not yet. But by the time I’m outta high school, I can’t imagine that I wouldn’t wanna marry you. Hell, what idiot in their right mind wouldn’t?”
The eldest Tendo daughter found herself simply glowing at his words. ‘It’s amazing how he can force himself around that foot in mouth disease to come out with something truly as heartwarming as that.’
“But, here’s my problem,” he continued. “Ya say all these nice things about me right now, and you might even believe 'em when I graduate, but that don’t mean you’ll wanna marry me then. And there’s no way I’m gonna let you force yourself into that; agreement be damned.” He held up one hand to forestall her from saying anything. “Now, I know what you said about honor and all, and I believe you one-hundred percent, but my honor will not allow you ta marry someone you don’t love. So what I’m sayin' is this... If, when I graduate, you don’t wanna marry me, I’m gonna tell our pops that I don’t wanna marry you. Yes, it’ll probably be a lie on my part, but there is no way in hell I could live with myself if that happened.”
‘It’s just like I told Nabiki,’ she thought again. ‘I knew he would never force me into anything. He’s much too honorable and noble. It feels so wonderful to have someone care about me so much again, it’s been a long time.’ The warmhearted feelings seized her, and she found herself starting to cry.
“Ack!” Ranma cried. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean whatever it is that I said that made ya cry.”
‘Poor Ranma,’ Kasumi couldn’t help but think while he squirmed. ‘We really need to work on how he interprets other people’s emotions.’ She let out a giggle amidst the tears.
“It’s okay Ranma,” she said. “This is one of those good cries.”
“Oh,” he replied, placing one hand on the back of his neck in embarrassment. “I didn’t realize I said anything that would make ya so happy.”
“And that, my dear fiancé, is one of the traits about you that I admire so much. You simply speak from the heart, not hoping to gain anything from it, but merely telling things the way you see them. That makes them all the more special.”
“Umm,” he said, with that nervous titter in his throat, “if ya say so.”
“I do,” Kasumi said and then giggled some more. “In fact, I’ll do more than tell you how much I appreciate it.”
Without waiting for a response, Kasumi dove forward and tackled him on the floor of the tent. She then proceeded to give him the most passionate kissing session the two had to date.
In a place far removed from all romantic intentions, one Kodachi Kuno sat on the small bed of her cell and contemplated her revenge. It was after ten at night, and in the background a few of the inmates were still awake, screaming out obscenities or making many other unpleasant noises.
‘Fools,’ she thought, ‘don’t they understand that they are only prolonging their stay here?’ It’s true that when she was first brought here several days ago, she acted in much the same way. ‘How could it be helped though? They told me that I cannot see my beloved Ranma and that I must spend my time in this kami-forsaken place.’
It hadn’t taken her long to realize the futility of struggling, at least until she was ready. Therefore, she immediately forced herself to be calm, and had made it a point to do everything in her power to lull the guards and other staff into a false sense of security. She didn’t work out while they were around, but rather waited until after lights-out to do so.
She had just finished her workout minutes before, and was spending this time planning before going to sleep. ‘I shall continue to feed these doctors whatever drivel they wish to hear. I will also continue to palm the medicine that they are trying to give me to dull my mind. I will be courteous and friendly to the guards, not too great a feat since I had to act that way towards my brother and father on occasion. Then, once they believe that I am completely under their sway, I will strike.’
Kodachi had no illusion that she might have to seriously injure some people to escape; in fact she was quite willing to do much worse. In her mind, staying in this place would mean that Ranma would fall under the spell of the eldest Tendo girl and be lost to her forever. Consequences no longer mattered; only taking vengeance against those who had wronged her and rescuing Ranma were even considered these days.
‘Once I escape, I shall go home to obtain my gymnast’s tools. Should I deal with Sasuke and my family then?’ She pondered the question for a few moments. ‘No, it’s possible that they might escape and then the alarm will be raised too quickly. I shall disconnect the phone lines from the house first so that they won’t receive any calls about my escape. Then I will gather what I need. Afterwards, I will immediately make my way to the Tendo house. I will kill the oldest one to prevent her from ever getting her claws into my darling Ranma again.’
Her imagination allowed itself full reign as she imagined Ranma gathering her up into a great hug and giving her a passionate kiss as a reward for rescuing him. Then the two could escape and live together, planning their revenge against everyone who had kept them apart. They would strike from the shadows without mercy, and once done, they would be able to live happily ever after.
The raven-haired gymnast nearly let out one of her infamous laughs, but managed to catch herself in time. She found that, for some reason, it caused the doctors and guards to be more on edge around her, and she couldn’t imagine why.
‘They are probably just jealous of how happy I am. Well, they shall also feel our revenge Ranma darling, since they are trying to keep us apart as well.’
Settling for a wide grin instead of a laugh, Kodachi laid back in her bed and was soon asleep; dreaming dreams of her beloved and the happy life they would lead together.
| Ukyo sat in her bedroom, which was situated above her okonomiyaki restaurant, not even bothering to restrict the tears that were poring down her face. In her hands was the letter she had received from Ranma earlier that day. When she had first received it, she had been in the middle of serving a customer. She had been tempted to throw everyone out and rip open the letter, but as she imagined what it contained, she managed to refrain. Therefore, Ukyo had closed the restaurant at the normal time, locked up, performed her normal cleaning routine, got ready for bed, and then finally sat and read the letter in her room. At first, she had fought the tears, but then realized how futile it was and let herself go. After several minutes, she forced herself to read through it one more time. |
 |
I can only hope that you’re doing well. After the way I treated you, it might surprise you just how much I want you to be happy. I told you the truth that day in class, I would do almost anything for you, but as I said, marriage just can’t be one of those things. I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but if there is anything else I can do to make up for what I’ve done, please tell me. You are my best friend, and no matter what, I don’t want that to change. I hope that you’ll be able to forgive me in time.
Anyhow, I’m sure you’ve heard by now what’s going on. If not, please keep this to yourself. Because Akane canceled our engagement, I am now engaged to Kasumi. I challenged both Kodachi and Shampoo in an effort to get them to leave me alone and to protect Kasumi. I won against Kodachi, but I still don’t trust her. Nabiki is continuing to work on things from that end. I can only pray that she finds some way to deal with that maniac.
As far as Shampoo goes, I have been training non-stop with Mousse and Ryoga. Things have been going well, but I’m still worried about what the old ghoul might do. I have developed one new special technique and will be focusing on a few more before we come back from our trip. If you are able to attend the match, and aren’t still angry at me, I would like to have you there for support. It would mean a lot to me.
Well, I need to go. I still have homework to do (Kasumi is quite the task-mistress). Remember, I will always consider you my friend, even if you hate me for what I’ve done.
Love always, Ranma
‘Jackass,’ Ukyo couldn’t help but think. ‘I know he means well, but it still hurts damn it. It doesn’t really help that he obviously had Kasumi help him write this thing. It might mean something more if he actually wrote the whole thing himself.’
Again, she wanted to be so angry with Ranma, or even Kasumi, but in either case, she was having difficulty mustering what it took. ‘How the hell can I be angry at Kasumi? And even though he’s a jackass, Ranma did tell me constantly that I was just a friend. Of course, that doesn’t help when I’m going to have to deal with my family.’
The fact that she hadn’t been in contact with any of them in the last five years meant that she wasn’t overly concerned with what they thought. Her whole quest for vengeance had been more for herself than her family honor. While she found family honor important, she had begun to realize that her own personal honor, and being true to herself, were much more important.
With that in mind, Ukyo folded up the letter and set it next to her futon. After crawling under the covers, she stared at the ceiling and let out a long sigh. Before finally managing to fall asleep, she muttered something under her breath that she wouldn’t likely remember the next day.
“Ranma, you jackass.”
Akane laid in her bed, contemplating the rather interesting pattern on the ceiling of her room, in an effort to ignore the maelstrom of emotions that she was feeling. On the one hand, she was elated at the training she was undergoing now that her father had agreed to instruct her again. The warm feelings she was experiencing revolved around several aspects of that fact.
‘It feels really good to actually spend some decent time with dad again. Also,’ she thought with a rueful chuckle, ‘it’s nice that he’s finally starting to act like a grownup again. The best part though, is that it’s great to finally have someone help me improve in my martial arts again. Especially since that jerk Ranma wouldn’t...”
This immediately led her into the other predominant emotion she was undergoing; extreme sadness. Contrived situations of what was happening at a certain campsite kept surfacing to torment her. Ranma eating and immensely enjoying Kasumi’s cooking, while he complimented her on what a great wife she would make. Ranma sitting by the firelight holding Kasumi’s hand. Ranma and Kasumi kissing under the stars...
“Argh!” she grunted. ‘There’s no way Kasumi would let that pervert do that.’ It didn’t take long for Akane to remember that, with Nabiki’s help, she had already determined that Ranma was not, in fact, a pervert.
‘Old habits die hard,’ she thought with a sigh. This led her back to the conversation she had with her father not too long ago in which she agreed to treat Ranma better if they became engaged again. ‘Can I really do it? Can I stop hitting first and asking questions later? Can I give him the benefit of the doubt?’
These questions were not easy for her to answer. A small consolation was that Ranma wouldn’t have Ukyo or Shampoo hanging all over him anymore. ‘That’ll certainly help. The same goes for Kodachi.’ This caused her to shudder. ‘I’m glad that psycho is locked up. At least we don’t have to worry about her for a while.’
As her thoughts continued to swirl, Akane realized that she was doing exactly what she had been trying to avoid. Apparently her ceiling wasn’t interesting enough to distract her from her problems and she found that her distress over Ranma was actually winning out over all else. This had the unfortunate effect of leaving her more depressed than when she had first laid down.
Breathing out another sigh, Akane turned her lights off and rolled onto her side in an effort to get to sleep. It took a long time, but throughout, one thought kept circling through her mind.
‘I hope they hurry up and get home.’
 |
Ryoga laid in his sleeping bag and regarded his tent, once again thanking all that was holy that he had purchased the highest quality one available and that it did such a good job keeping the water out. It had stopped raining before dinner, but he really didn’t want to have to worry about puddles on the floor of his little shelter. He really had no interest in spending any more time as a pig than necessary. The only exception to this had been when he was masquerading as Akane’s pet. This train of thought managed to leave him quite depressed, not enough for a Perfect Shi Shi Hokodan, but still enough to be very impressive. ‘Dammit, it’s all Ranma’s fault that I became P-Chan in the first place. If that hadn’t happened, I... that is...’ It was no use though. The verbal tongue lashing that Kasumi had given him several days before still haunted him. ‘Even if she’s wrong and it wasn’t my fault for following Ranma, I still didn’t have to be Akane’s pet. I also could’ve told her myself instead of waiting for it to come out like it did.’ |
Fortunately, Ryoga was able to remember that things weren’t nearly as bad as Akane had portrayed them when she found out. ‘I never did watch her u-un-undress,’ he thought with a gulp. ‘And I never tried to take advantage of her physically. But what is it she said to me? 'You listened to all my secrets and then used them against me.' What did she mean by that?’
It was difficult for Ryoga to understand, but he did his best to apply his meager intellect to the problem. ‘I never told anyone her secrets. And the only time I ever reacted to any of them was when she was talking about her relationship with Ranma. But what does... that... have...’
For poor Ryoga, the answer hit him like a lightning bolt. ‘No! It’s not possible. She couldn’t have meant that! That would mean that she l... lo...’ The thought was too much for him to even finish. He tried to deny it, but too many one-sided conversations between Akane and P-Chan came to the fore. Talks where she would let out her frustrations regarding Ranma, only to have Ryoga go and try to hurt his pig-tailed nemesis, or at the very least where he would try to convince her, when he was human again, what a jerk Ranma was. Or talks where she was particularly happy with Ranma, where Ryoga would then go and try to outdo him in an effort to win Akane’s love.
Try as he might, Ryoga was unable to come up with another explanation for what Akane had been referring to. ‘She really did lo... care for him.’ He tried to blow it off though. ‘It doesn’t matter, that jerk doesn’t deserve her. But if that’s true, then why don’t I care that he’s with Kasumi? Is she less of a person than Akane?’
The answer was an immediate no, and this line of thinking brought back the memories of his conversations with Mousse earlier in the day. As much as he didn’t want to think about it, he was forced to ponder the question that Mousse had posed. ‘Did I really think that Ranma wasn’t good enough for Akane? Or was the only reason I got so upset because I wanted her for myself?’
“No,” he whispered without as much conviction as he would have liked. “That can’t be the truth.”
Closing his eyes, Ryoga did his best to focus on something else, anything else, in an effort to avoid looking further into that vein of thought. He was able to partially succeed, and soon found himself in the middle of a troubled sleep.
Off somewhere in the mountains, in the opposite direction from Nerima where Ranma and his companions were currently residing, an old woman cackled with glee. She sat by the firelight performing two tasks simultaneously. The first was watching as her granddaughter trained. It was amazing how far the girl had come. Her determination was beyond commendable, and the vast knowledge of 3000 years of Amazon martial arts techniques was shining through. Cologne had no doubt that at the pace they were proceeding her granddaughter would win her match against Ranma.
A small noise from the fire drew her to her second task. Amongst the troves of lore that her tribe possessed was a formula for a potion that would allow someone to remain awake for an indefinite period of time. This meant that she was able to train Shampoo all day and all night. Unfortunately it had a few drawbacks. First, the ingredients were very difficult to acquire, and this trip was going to exhaust her entire supply. It would likely take a training journey of a year or more to replenish them.
‘Well,’ the old crone thought to herself. ‘I can make that one the first things that Shampoo and Ranma do together after their married. It will make an excellent honeymoon.’ She let out another shrill sounding laugh at that.
The other drawback to the potion was that long-term use could have lasting harmful effect. Fortunately, a month wouldn’t cause too much trouble. To be safe though, she would use shiatsu points to force Shampoo to sleep for two full days right before they were to return. This would make sure that she was in absolute top form for the duel.
A flash of light drew her attention away from the concoction. She looked up in time to see her granddaughter finish one of her new special attacks with the exceptional, and quite distinctive, set of bonbori that Cologne had provided for her.
‘With those bonbori, the new special techniques I’ve taught her, and all of the training she’s doing, son-in-law won’t know what hit him.’
Thank you for taking the time to read Aijou & Aitou. I hope you have enjoyed yourself. I would love to hear all feedback, positive or negative (as long as it’s constructive). Please take the time to leave a review on fanfiction.net or send me an email letting me know your opinion. Thanks.
