Second Chances
Chapter 21 - Portents
Ranma 1/2 and all characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi-sensei,
Shounen Sunday, Viz Entertainment, and yet more companies. I have
borrowed them through an exorbi...
(Nabiki taps her foot)
...ah... mutually beneficial contract with Nabiki-sama. Which she can
nullify at any time.
Author's Pre-notes:
If you haven't read Chapters 1-20 recently, I suggest you do so before
reading this part. This builds on previous parts and you might be
confused on a couple of the things I referenced from those parts.
While I'll be following Manga continuity, I won't be using the stories
in the order depicted. This chapter begins the day after chapter 20,
meaning it'll be four to five weeks before Shampoo could return. Of that
time, only one week was depicted. Changing when some stories occurred
will help to solidify the timeline.
----------------------
"Um, Nabiki, can I ask you a somethin'?" Ranma fidgeted at the 'middle'
Tendo sister's bedroom door. He knew there was something wrong with
Akane, but no one had told him what it might be. Of anyone that could
know about it, it seemed that Nabiki knew the most.
Nabiki raised an eyebrow. She had been expecting him to approach her a
long time ago. Had he finally gotten it together? "Of course. Come on
in."
Ranma nodded and nervously shut the door.
"So..." Nabiki peered at Ranma. "What is it that you want to know?"
"It's about Akane...." Ranma trailed off.
"What about her?" Nabiki pressed.
"Well...." Ranma scratched the back of his head. "Do you know what's
with her?"
Akane's from two years in the future, where the love of her life, you,
died in her arms. Nabiki couldn't tell him that, of course, so she
folded her arms and asked, "What do mean by that?"
"I... I... I don't know." Ranma groaned in frustration. "There's
something... off about her."
"Don't you mean there's something SPECIAL about her?" Nabiki smirked.
"Not like that." Ranma waved his hand as if to wipe away the comment.
"In order for Akane to master Gansekiken like she did, part of her soul
has ta be dead or frozen. How did she get like that?"
Nabiki frowned. "You really should be asking her that."
"How can I ask HER when I have trouble asking you?" Ranma returned.
Nabiki shrugged. Time for some creative truth telling. She would have to
talk to Akane about this so their stories would be the same if Ranma
ever brought it up. "Well, I don't know the full story, Ranma, but I do
know more than anyone besides Akane."
"So, will ya tell me?" Ranma almost begged.
Nabiki nodded curtly. "Seems that a while back, Akane had a couple of
male friends. One was a lot like you, a complete jerk."
Ranma scowled.
Nabiki grinned. "Anyway, Akane liked him more than she would admit to
anyone, including herself. The other friend acted like a protector to
her. She trusted him, but he didn't like the guy Akane had a crush on.
Playing on Akane's insecurities, he kept her from ever expressing those
feelings she had."
"So, what happened to them?" Ranma questioned.
"The guy she had a crush on died, and her other friend left her. Akane
was only then able to realize her feelings, but it was too late to tell
him," Nabiki explained.
Ranma nodded and then sagged. "So I'm just someone ta fill in for her
first love."
Nabiki frowned. "That's a harsh way to put it. I won't deny there is
some truth to that, however Akane knows that you aren't the same guy.
She's just been more willing to accept her feelings, and is more than a
little afraid that you'll leave her, too."
Ranma didn't know how to reply to that. "Well, thanks." He turned to
leave.
"By the way, Ranma, Kasumi and Daddy never met these boys and Akane
never talked to them about what happened so they don't know anything,"
Nabiki mentioned quickly.
Ranma shrugged and left the room.
Nabiki waited to make sure Ranma had gone down the stairs before heading
over to Akane's room to talk to her 'new older sister.'
----------------------
Akane's hand shook as she used the railing to walk down the stairs. Her
version of the Gansekiken was very powerful. It allowed her to sense how
Shampoo was going to attack her, but what was the cost of the move?
Akane's eyes darted around, making sure that every part of the house was
there, that it was real. When she used the technique in the fight, it
was like she died emotionally again. The wounds to her soul she suffered
from her Ranma's death reopened anew. Last night she practically had to
be pried off this Ranma, not wanting to let him go in fear that he would
leave her as well.
Clinging to Ranma had been a mistake. He now suspected that she wasn't
normal. That something was wrong about her. She didn't quite like
Nabiki's story, however it was true enough that confirming it wouldn't
exactly be a lie.
Akane shakily made her way into the dojo. She smiled upon seeing Ranma
there, practicing a kata. However, as soon as he noticed her there, he
stopped. Without a word, Ranma walked pass her and left.
Tears leaked out of Akane's eyes. He hadn't even looked at her. It was
like she wasn't even there. What had she done?
----------------------
Kasumi frowned noticing Ranma rummaging through the refrigerator.
Strangely, he wasn't pulling anything out of it. "Is something wrong?"
she asked.
Ranma looked up. "Ah, nothin'."
"Well, it looks and sounds like something," Kasumi noted sweetly.
Ranma sighed, shutting the refrigerator door. "Did you know Akane had a
first love?"
Kasumi frowned. "I knew of one, but I suspected another as well."
"She loved two guys?" Ranma questioned in surprise.
Kasumi nodded. "Well, her first love was really just a school girl crush
for Doctor Tofu."
"She liked him?" Ranma shrugged. "Didn't notice that."
"Well, Akane has grown up since then," Kasumi pointed out.
"What about the other one?" Ranma asked.
Kasumi paused with a finger pressed against her cheek. "I don't know how
to say anything about that."
"Well, do you think Akane is using me to replace him?" Ranma questioned.
"If she is, she's being smart about it," Kasumi replied.
Ranma blinked. "What do ya mean by that?"
"How should I put this?" Kasumi hummed to herself. "How long was it
before you two first shared a kiss?"
Ranma blushed. "I... her... well...."
"How long?" Kasumi demanded demurely.
"'Bout two months," Ranma chirped nervously.
Kasumi smiled. "Have you done more than that?"
Ranma shook his head fiercely.
"If Akane had just been using you to replace him, she'd have done...
inappropriate things with you already," Kasumi noted. "She's taking her
time to get to know you and isn't rushing anything. The feelings she has
for you are genuine enough. Please don't feel that just because she has
loved before means that she doesn't love you or that her love for you
will fade away."
Ranma turned DEEP red. "Who ever said anything 'bout her lovin' me?!"
Kasumi frowned. "Ranma, I know my sister, and despite her deep feelings
for her former loves, she has never cared so much for anyone as she has
for you."
Ranma stared blankly and then bolted out of the kitchen.
"Oh, my." Kasumi covered her mouth. "I think I said too much."
----------------------
Soun stood on one side of the dojo dressed in a white gi. His usual
brown one was in the wash.
Genma was on the other side watching his opponent warily, waiting to see
what move his old friend would use.
As one they charged at each other but froze hearing a loud crash.
Soun looked over in horror. "The Family Shrine?!" He sagged on the verge
of tears. "An ill omen."
Genma tried to make light of the situation. He laughed, "Maybe a demon
is coming."
"Oh! Right! A 'demon!'" Soun attempted to laugh with his friend. "A
DEMON, Saotome?!" the Tendo patriarch sweated, grabbing Genma.
Saotome tried to back away, forcing his laughter. "Just a joke, Tendo."
"This may not be a joking matter." Soun dropped his friend. "HE may be
coming."
"Please don't say that!" Genma cried out.
"We have heard reference of HIM twice in the pass month," Soun noted.
"Yes, because YOUR daughter was meddling with things she shouldn't have.
If HE does come, it is Akane's fault," Genma stated bitterly.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Soun's demonic head filled the dojo.
Genma cowered. "NOTHING!"
----------------------
Darkness surrounded her. There was nothing at all around her. "Ranma?
Where are you Ranma?"
A high pitched clownish laugh filled the air. A pink-skinned,
enormous-eared demon with a multicolored Afro appeared over head. The
demon brandished his long lime-green claws and asked, "Where is Saotome
Ranma?"
When she first saw the beast, she had laughed. For a demon, it looked
damned stupid. Considering Happosai had summoned it, that wasn't a real
surprise. But she didn't laugh at the demon now. She would never laugh
at seeing this monster again.
Akane heard Ranma laughing from behind her. He held his side, almost
rolling on the floor from his laughter. "What the hell are you supposed
to be?" he asked between chuckles.
The demon seethed in rage. "That perverted one was correct, you have no
respect." A ball of energy formed its hand and then hurled it. The sound
of the energy ball as it moved sounded like clown shoes squeaking, but
the damage it did to the house was no joke as the ball ripped straight
through.
"Hey, you could hurt some with that!" Ranma yelled.
"That's entirely the point!" the demon grinned. "Now DIE!"
Akane tried to cry out when Ranma charged the demon. She tried to tell
him to not fight it, or at least take it seriously. All she could do was
watch as Ranma vainly tried to even hit the demon. The monster kept
countering the attacks, ripping open Ranma's flesh. Now the stupid
looking lime-green claws didn't look stupid anymore covered in blood.
Akane tried to scream 'stop' or 'Ranma,' but nothing came from her
throat. Then she watched the man she loved attempt a desperation move, a
move that should have killed the demon like she remembered, but it
didn't. Instead the demon's claws pierced through Ranma's chest, ending
his life.
"Why are you so upset?" the demon asked Akane. "It's not like you ever
loved him. You beat him, you insulted him, and you never trusted him.
The life you live now is a lie. You hate Ranma and always did. I did you
favor, and yet you try to get him back so you can keep hurting him."
"That's not true!" Akane cried out, finally able to speak.
"It is true. I was summoned to fulfill your wish. And I will be back to
claim this Ranma as well. Count on it." The demon's high pitch laugh
assaulted her ears, but then the laughter changed into a deep cackle of
an old man. The demon had changed into the form of Akane's worst
nightmare who was approaching her. "And I'm coming for you too,
Akane-chan!"
Akane screamed bloody murder. "Stay away!"
"It's all right."
Those words weren't from the demon or the old man. They sounded
soothing, but Akane still trembled like a leaf in a hurricane as two
slender arms hugged her.
"Akane, everything is all right," Kasumi tried to assure her.
Akane's vacant eyes scanned the room and locked on Ranma standing at her
door with a concerned look on his face.
"Akane, dear, what was that dream?" Soun questioned.
"He's coming," Akane's voice shook. "Dear gods, Ranma, Happosai is
coming for us."
Soun and Genma froze in terror and fainted dead away.
Nabiki looked disturbed.
Kasumi frowned.
Ranma didn't like this. "Who's Happosai?"
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Author's Notes:
I told you it'd be some time before I got to this.
Coming Soon: Chapter 22
Just a reminder on chapter size, most chapters of Second Chances are
four to seven pages long. This one is just over five pages, well within
normal range. I'll keep them short so I'll be able to update the story
quicker.
I know Happosai isn't suppose to show up until Viz volume six, when I
should be at volume four. The problem is that it would take four plus
weeks for Shampoo to get to Jusenkyo and back and volume four started
only one week before her return. To fill up the three or so weeks, I
decided to bring Happosai in early. Happosai has more interests than
just Soun and Genma and is often gone for weeks at a time. When Cologne
and Shampoo returned, Happosai was busy elswhere.
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