“Excuse me, have you seen Ranma?” Akane asked Hiroshi, his friend, calmly. She hadn’t seen him since early morning,now being lunch hour, and was beginning to get suspicous.
“Y-yes about 10 minutes ago he was with Shampoo,” Hiroshi smiled, and finished “maybe he is on a date?” Akanes’ face went cross with anger, and a familiar green-eyed monster took over her mind. She ran off down the hall, leaving Hiroshi standing in her dust.
“Shampoo, what is it now?!” Ranma complained, fidgeting nervously in the tree. Every week it was something else with that girl. He didn’t mind too much though, after all, she was cute...
“you eat Shampoo’s cooking right?” she smiled, and opened a container. “Is too too delicious Chow Mein!”
“Fine fine, whatever, but YOU eat some first.” Ranma demanded. “I ain’t fallin’ for that again!” Shampoo promptly took her chopsticks and ate some. Ranma didn’t notice that she ate directly from the center of the noodles. She handed the sticks to Ranma, starving, who began to gobble the food down, taking short breaths of air between breaths.
“Ranma come date Shampoo after school!?” Shampoo smiled, batting her eyes.
“Oh yeah, RIIIGGHT.” Ranma laughed and hopped off the tree. Shampoo didn’t give up, she dropped down from the tree, and next to Ranma, just as Akane walked out, and absorbed the scene. Shampoo grinned evilly, noticing Akane, and snapped her fingers.
“Ranma, kiss Shampoo now.” whispered Shampoo, and Ranma, confused for a moment, felt himself moving towards Shampoo, his body moving, but not under his own control.
“What the--” he thought, trying to overpower himself. He couldn’t believe he fell for it again, and the herbs became stronger. He kissed Shampoo, right in front of Akane, his eyes shut, but not for the kiss, for what Akane was going to do to him. He struggled with all his might, but couldn’t free himself. Shampoo broke the kiss, and they looked towards Akane. Ranma had fear in his eyes.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Akane demanded, plowing towards them. Shampoo, not hesitating, whispered to Ranma,
“Tell Akane you love Shampoo, and go away!” Ranma resisted hard, trying to control his brain, but it was impossible. Whatever Shampoo had used on him, it was working. He angrily blurted out,
“Get outta here Akane, go away! TOMBOY! M-Macho! Can’t c-come to hurt Shampoo, o-or els-e I can’t LOVE SHAMPOO, I DO LOVE SHAMPOO NOT!!” he screamed stressfully, Sweat poured down his forhead, and his brow was wrinkled with anger. Akane didn’t even think Shampoo had drugged him. She saw his cross expression, and ultimately assumed it was directed at her.
Akane stopped dead in her tracks. She looked at Shampoo, who grinned deviously at her. The words echoing through her ears.. she turned, and left, shoulders sagging in loss. She lost, and this time, she couldn’t do a thing about it. Ranma couldn’t do anything, he was practically watching someone else impersonate him.
For the rest of the day, nobody could find Akane.
“aw, she’s just off pouting!” Ranma remarked haughtily, as Soun hovered above him, screaming
“FIND MY LITTLE GIRL NOOOOO0WWWWWWWWW!!!!”
Ranma ran out of the house, and searched the streets angrily. Stupid Akane, he thought, why did she hafta run off like that?! Finally, he crossed the water bridge, and saw her. She was sitting on a boulder, hugging her knees. Ranma hopped down to her.
“Idiot, come home!” he yelled, and grabbed her arm. Akane jerked her arm away, and looked up at him. Her eyes confused Ranma, a mixture of anger, pain, and something else... all directed to him. She turned away, and faced the water, tossing a pebble into the blue waves, and trying to withstand her sorrow.
“Go away, you said, so I did.” she mumbled.
“Akane I,”
“No! This is it, tell me right now, do you love Shampoo?”
Ranma was shaken, “....of course NOT!”
“Then WHY did you kiss her!?” Akane screamed, and got off the boulder.
“she drugg--”
“No excuses! I want the truth, Ranma!” Akane screamed. “You said you loved her, so that’s it. You know, we aren’t in love, so... so...”
“...so I would have rather kissed Shampoo then you!!” Ranma teased, but it was bad timing. It was the worst timing. Akane turned and began to walk away.
“Akane w-wait!” he called, but she turned, smiling to hold back what appeared to be tears. “Ranma, I am calling off the engagement, this time, for good. I, I hope you will be h-happy with Shampoo. I’m sorry.” she cried, and Ran out of the park, leaving a handprint burned into Ranmas’ cheek.
Ranma standing there, stunned by the words alone. “YEAH, WELL, SEE IF I CARE!” he called out, smashing the boulder she had sat on.
“HYAAAAAH!” Akane cried out, bringing her fist down hard through a stack of cement blocks. They crumbled to the floor easily. “I can’t fall for this... . I won’t.” she thought to herself, staring at the bricks. No matter what happened, it was over now, and she wouldn’t accept an apology. Tears silently rolled down her cheeks, and dripped onto the dusty dojo floor. She stared at the alter, and tapped her feet, grabbing her knees and sobbing silently, not noticing a miniature black shadow run from the door, and into the bathroom.
“Why am I so sad?” she thought, but already answered the question herself. “W-we weren’t in LOVE or...or anything... I guess some things are better left... unsaid.” she questioned the alter outloud, as the paper screen door slid open.
“He isn’t worth your tears, Akane...” Ryoga spoke, silently staring down at her puffy eyes, and trembling lips. A sudden nervousness took over his mind.
“ Oh, Ryoga, I’m sorry I didn’t see you come in!” Akane stuttered, standing up, and covering her face, trying to hide the tears. She smoothed out her gi, and began to walk to the door. Ranma crossed the wooden deck, and stood, face to face with her. Akane gazed through him, trying to ignore the concern on his face. An excuse. She needed something... “Uh, Ryoga, d-do you wanna practice?” Akane blabbed, ignoring Ranma.
“Y-y-yeah, sure SURE!” Ryoga stammered, smiling at Akane. Ranma snorted, and stomped off. Ryoga watched Ranma stomp into the house and heard the pace of his feet as he slammed his door. He turned to face Akane, but she was below him. She had lost her strength, and to the floor, she covered her face, cradling back and forth. Ryoga, was stunned, and hesitated before he came to her aid. “Akane are you okay??” He cried out, to shy to aide her physically. “This is my chance to prove to her how strong I... love her...” he thought, gathering up his courage, and ever-so-quietly placing his large hand on her shouldler , and squeezing it gently. She looked up at him, and dove into his arms, sobbing loudly, and clinging to his soft shirt, wetting it with tears.
“I-I’m so sorry Ryoga, I can’t handle this...” she sobbed, as Ryoga gently hugged her, staring up at invisible stars, and thanking god he was alive. He hated to see her cry over slime like Ranma, but he already knew why she shed tears, he had slept in her bed before in his cursed form, and while she slept, he listened to her dream conversation.
It was two nights ago that made his heart hurt the most. The moonlight reflected off his tears as he relived the night. Akane, who lay peacefully in slumber, muttered words that made Ryogas heart wrench in agony. “R-Ranma, Do... do you feel the way I do... about you?” she whispered into her dreamland. “I think I love... you.” she trailed off into her slumber.. That was the last night Ryoga slept in her bed. He couldn’t bear hearing the words.
“Ryoga?” Akane questioned, looking up from his tear-stained shirt. Tears ran down his face silently, as he reawakened from the brief daydream.
“Oh, A-Akane, I...” He stammered, looking into her deep brown eyes. He didn’t dare make a move.
“Ryoga, thank you.” Akane cried, hugging his waist, and resting her head under his neck. He could feel the soft black hair on her head under his chin. It smelt fantastic, like flowers in spring. The paper door slid open loudly, as Ranma entered the scene, a red aura flickering around his tense body.
“Excuse me. Would you please TAKE IT OUTSIDE!” Ranma demanded, tightening the belt on his gi, and stomping past Akane and Ryoga. He could feel his ki building, demanding expulsion. He was going to explode... Ranma dropped into stance and began a violent kata. He pictured Ryoga at the end of his fists after every blow. Then he thought of Akane. Why was she so damn stubborn about this? Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Ryoga put his arm around Akane and walked outside with her.
“Who cares about HER.” he thought. “It’s not like *I* Was in love.. was it?” he questioned his conscience. He relived a few memories of Akane. Mostly his head being mashed into the floor or his entirety being BOOTED into the sky. Then another memory coursed through his brain. Akane smiling, and laughing. The way her hair would blow in the wind... How she could make him feel... It always lit up her face, and made him feel weird, like he wanted to...like he wanted to never let her go... Why did he...? Ranma slumped down in the middle of the dojo floor, and thought about the past year gone by. He really blew it this time. He flopped down on his back, and put his arms behind his head, staring at the alter.
“Why?” he questioned it, thinking about her more...He could remember when they first went to school together, how he felt, watching her beat the crap out of all those boys... he smiled remembering. She never really stuck to him like Shampoo of Ukyo, she was so independent. Ranma realized how tired he was, and didn’t bother controlling himself as sleep took over his mind.
He dreamed about her. This wasn’t the first time he dreamed about her, but it was much different then his usual dream of Akane smashing him. He dreamed about her smile, her soft personality (when she wasn’t smashing him), and her.. she was smiling in his dream, and held her arms out open at him. He ran to her, inches from her embrace, when Shampoo, Ukyo, Ryoga, Kuno, and Kodachi plowed between them. Ukyo and Shampoo clung to Ranma’s arms, Kodachi to his legs, and pulled him away from her. Ryoga and Kuno took Akane. It was so vivid, her voice calling out for him, needing him. “Raaannnnmmmmaaaaa!!” she cried out, but her face went from the need to the jealousy, as the dream-Akane noticed the three girls. Her face twisted with anger like before, she turned and walked away with Ryoga and Kuno. Ranma exploded, bursting out of his slumber.
“DAMNIT!!!! Can’t you see I love--!!!!!!” he cut himself off, as he realized where he was. the hard wood floor had creased his back, and he stood up, wiping the sweat from his brow. Ranma felt something fall off him, and looked down to see a very tattered blanket. He picked it up, and examed the exterior. He found two small blue letters, crooked, but ledgible. “A.T.” he read aloud, and looked up. Akane wasn’t there, but he knew she was before. He smiled, and folded up the blanket. Maybe.. maybe it was time to apologize.
Ranma walked up the stairs, still in his gi, and looked toward her room. He was afraid to enter it. He was afraid of what she might say. Reluctantly, he approached the door, and knocked. No answer. He tried again, but still nothing. Ranma opened the door, and stopped dead. Akane was fast asleep, atop the matress. She was still in her gi, and hair brushed atop her face. She was so adorable when she slept. He saw something in the shadows of her chair though. He glared, at the object, and realized what it was. Ryoga had sat up with her, and as she slept, he too had fallen asleep in her desk chair. He had his hand atop hers, although it was hard to tell. Ranma boiled up, his head telling him to kill Ryoga...but his heart closed the door.
It was time for revenge.