These characters are not mine. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and
her licensees (Shogakukan Inc., Kitty-Fuji TV, Viz Communications
Inc. that I know of). No copyright infringement is intended.
=============
COUNTDOWN
Akane glanced at the clock again, sighed deeply, and turned back
to her tea.
[11:15]
She just sat for a few more minutes, cupping her hands around her
teacup to capture its small warmth.
She thought she added bitterly.
Akane sighed again, then closed her eyes, her pretty face
twisting in a mask of pain. She'd put off thinking about it all week,
but now...
Unconsciously she glanced back up at the clock.
[11:25]
...And now it was going to end.
she scolded herself.
The marriage had degenerated quickly after that. He'd spent more
and more time traveling, leaving her to handle the dojo's students
and grounds. She never would have made it without Kasumi's help.
Akane smiled a little. Kasumi had been so helpful over the last
year. She had even realized how difficult tonight would be and
invited her over to dinner. Little Midoko had sat in her Aunt Akane's
lap all evening. She was such a little treasure. Akane wished she'd
had children, but under the circumstances it was probably better she
hadn't.
Akane listened to the wind whip leaves around outside - it was
the only sound she could hear. Suddenly she realized just how quite
and empty the house was. It had been so full of noise and life
before... before Kasumi got married, Nabiki moved to the States,
Daddy married again and moved out. He'd said it was to 'get out of
her way', but she was pretty sure it was because he didn't completely
approve of her husband.
Mr. Saotome had moved back with Auntie Nadoka, and to everyone's
surprise they had a daughter who was just a little older than Midoko.
And Ranma...
She hadn't seen him in six years, not since the wedding. He still
wrote a few times a year - long, rambling, chatty letters that always
brought a smile to her face. She never told anyone, but over the last
year she had found herself thinking more and more him, wishing he
would show up and somehow make everything better like he used to.
He'd always been there when she really needed him back in the old
days.
She glanced down at her long cold tea and decided to get some
more. She wouldn't be getting any sleep for a long while yet. Once in
the kitchen she changed her mind and took out a bottle of sake, maybe
that would help her sleep.
Holding a small cup and the bottle she walked back to the main
room and looked up at the clock.
[11:45]
She looked carefully at the clock. It was beautifully
hand-carved, a wedding gift from Ranma. She hadn't found out until
two years latter that he had carved it himself. Ukyo had finally told
her how he had spent weeks slaving over it in her back room.
Good old Ukyo. She should really go visit her again. She and
Mousse lived on the other side of the city now, but it was only an
hour by train. But not tonight.
Tonight she was alone. Fitting, since she would be officially
single after midnight. A tear worked its way down her cheek and she
brushed it away angrily. She had shed enough tears two weeks ago when
she had signed the papers.
She sipped at the sake some more and tried not to think.
When she couldn't stand it any more she looked at the clock
again.
[11:59]
She poured herself another cup and took a few deep breaths. As
the clock ticked the last few second to midnight she stood and held
up the cup.
"Well," Akane said in an unsteady voice. "He's yours now Akari,
take good care of him. Kampi!" She drained the cup.
She took another deep breath. "Ryoga you pig! How could you do
this to me!." She screamed at the top of her lungs.
She stood with her eyes closed for a minute, breathing heavily.
Finally the sharp pain in her hand brought her back to reality. She
had crushed the sake cup and her hand was bleeding rather badly. She
felt a bit dizzy as she looked down at the blood dripping onto the
table, forming a little pool next to the half full bottle.
She continued staring as the pool slowly grew and surrounded the
sake bottle. Part of her realized she was in shock, but the rest just
watched the bright red pool grow...
A hand moved into her view and gently grabbed her wrist. Another
appeared and began to slowly wrap a long white bandage around her
wounded hand.
"Jeez..." said a familiar voice. "Six years and your *still* a
clumsy tomboy."
She turned and looked up into the slate blue eyes of her
ex-fiance. he smiled slightly at her, turning his implacable look
into one of warm concern.
"Come on."
Ranma led her to the couch and made her sit down, then ran
lightly up the stairs.
Akane continued to stare into space for a moment before blinking
and looking around.
She wondered.
She looked around again, and was about to conclude it was her
imagination, when she spotted a worn backpack by the door. A few
seconds latter Ranma came back down the stairs carrying a blanket.
She took a good look at him while he carefully wrapped her in the
blanket.
He had changed. Part of it was that he had filled out as he
matured, his shoulders were *really* broad now. But there was more.
His eyes held something different than the arrogant pride they'd held
before. Now she could see peace, and behind that the weariness of
someone who had been carrying a heavy burden for a long time. She
knew that look. She had seen it in the mirror often enough in the
last few months.
"Ranma, what are you doing here..." Akane stopped when she
realized how that sounded. "I mean, how did you know I would need..."
"Shhh." Ranma hushed her, then sat next to her on the couch.
"I was in Jusyenkyo a week ago when I ran into Ryoga." Ranma said
in a quiet voice. "He told me the whole story."
"Oh."
"So I helped him get to Akari's farm, beat the crap out of him,
and came here as fast as I could."
"You...you didn't hurt him too bad, did you?" Akane asked.
"Broke both his legs" Ranma answered cheerfully. "Figured I was
doing Akari a favor by keeping him from wandering off for a few
months."
"You actually broke his legs?"
"Yup. The pig deserved it... hope you're not mad about it."
"Umm..." Akane thought about it for a moment. "No!" she finally
said. "He does deserve it!".
They sat together in silence, getting used to each others
presence again.
Some time later Akane decided she was feeling a little better,
and decided to ask Ranma a question she had asked herself many times.
"Ranma?"
"Hmm?"
"If...If Ryoga hadn't asked me to marry him, do you think we..."
Akane let her voice trail off, now sure now how to ask the question,
or if she really wanted to know the answer. Ranma was silent for a
long moment.
"Akane, if Ryoga hadn't asked you I would have. I... I'd already
bought the ring when you told everyone you had accepted his... I
guess I waited too long."
Ranma looked away, but not before Akane saw the tears.
"Oh, Ranma. I didn't know."
"I still have it you know."
"Huh?"
"The ring. I still have it"
"You do? Would it be okay if I saw it?" She asked timidly.
"No."
"I... I understand Ranma." Akane said, her voice tight with
disappointment.
"It wouldn't be proper to show it to you before I asked you."
Akane let that sink in, not sure if he meant what she thought.
"Ranma, do you still want to marry me?" she finally asked.
"Of course I do you silly tomboy! But it's only been a little
over an hour since your marriage ended, I have to wait a while before
it's proper to ask you."
"Oh."
Akane sat there, thinking about all the times she'd secretly
wished she'd married Ranma. Not *all* of those times were in the last
year.
"So, Ranma, how long do you think would be 'proper'?"
"I don't know" Ranma answered slowly, trying to hide a grin. "At
least a couple hours I guess."
"Oh."
Akane glanced up at the clock.
[1:15]
She settled down to wait. Somehow she thought this countdown
would be a little easier than the last one.
=============
Authors Note:
Things have been kind of slow on rec.arts.anime.creative recently, so
I decided to dig this little thing out of my notebook. Hope you find
it enjoyable. C&C welcome, flames... well... I was acquitted of those
hacking charges, and the other charges were never pressed after that
strange computer crash at city hall... :-)