Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Distance ❯ Chapter 10 ( Chapter 10 )

Four hours later, his only belongings that hadn't been ruined packed into a small travelling pack, Ranma set out for the train station with Akane, saying goodbye to everyone with grateful tears in his eyes.

The station was a twenty minute walk from the Tendou-Tofuus', but Ranma barely noticed the distance. He was watching Akane's back, watching the strong muscles of her legs and arms. He wanted those arms around his waist, or her fingers running gently through his hair.

When she dug in the leather satchel hanging down near her waist, the silvery scar on her neck caught the light from a street lamp and Ranma's stomach lurched.

When they reach the station, Akane paid for the ticket despite his protests. No amount of pleading got her to change her mind, and so he stood there obediently on the platform, waiting, feeling sixteen again as she took a seat on a bench nearby.

They waited in pregnant silence. There was no one else waiting with them, just the ticket seller. Ranma dared a glance at her. She was checking a watch in her purse, her short hair stuck to her cheek with sweat - it was almost eighty degrees out, and somehow hotter in the train station. It was certainly hotter in Ranma's sweatpants, and he wondered if the jeans would have been cooler.

“My roommate is gone for the summer, and she won't care if you use her room,” Akane spoke so suddenly that Ranma was a little startled.

“Um, that's good,” Ranma paused, clearing his throat, “I'll uh… I'll have a job with Master Gyaru as soon as he's better, y'know, an' then I'll… I'll prolly be able t'move back into my apartment.” He was trying to put her at ease; she was so tense in his presence he wanted to assure her that she wasn't going to have to deal with him for very long.

“Why didn't you go stay with them, didn't they offer?” Akane asked quietly. Ranma stiffened and felt his heart break a little - she really, really didn't want him around.

“I… didn't wanna impose.” He said lamely, perfectly aware of how stupid of an excuse that was given the circumstances.

Silence stretched between them a mile wide.

“I'm sorry about your dog. Kasumi said he was really sweet.” Ranma hung his head and stared at the cement under his feet at the mention of Kaibutsu.

“He was a really good dog,” he said softly; he opened his mouth to say something else, but the announcement of their train came over the loudspeaker and drowned out anything he was going to say, so he didn't bother to say anything else.

The train pulled up a few moments later, and he and his new “roommate” got on the train and took seats near the back. Sitting next to her, Ranma's chest began to constrict. He felt giddy, high; having her so close… He could smell the flowery shampoo she used, and the musky, slightly-sweet smell of her sweat. Their shoulders were brushing, and Ranma wished the entire forty-six minute train ride that he was wearing a tank top and not a t-shirt, because the feel of her bare skin would have been an excruciatingly excellent treat in this hideous day he was having.

But… maybe not all hideous, he thought, studying Akane's profile as she stared out the window. He traced the line of her jaw with his eyes, wishing he could trace it with his hand, or his mouth. He thought about all the differences he saw in her; she seemed calmer, but there was a firmness about her gaze, a “don't fuck with me” attitude that he hoped she'd never lose.

Eventually, his eyes came to rest on the scar, and he forced himself to look at it. Ranma Saotome forced himself to not run away from his past as he stared at the hair-thin ridge marring the creamy flesh of the neck of the girl he was still in love with. His mind swept backwards through time, using the scar like a trail through the thick stands of memories he tried to wedge between himself and the past.

Four Years Ago, the Tendou Dojo

Ranma sat in the dojo, hands gripping the metal bucket on the floor in front of him so hard he heard the metal give a little. Around him sat Mousse, Ryouga, Genma, and Shanpu, all with similar buckets in front of them.

The dojo was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop on a down pillow. They had waited and planned for this day for weeks after Nodoka had sent the NyannÄ«chuan and the NannÄ«chuan from her trip to China. She had decided to go herself to make sure there were no mix-ups or problems this time, and it was Genma's job to make sure “the Master” was gone, believing his beloved “Ranko” to be going back to China to rid himself of his voluptuous curves.

He had to hand it to his mother: she was a master of disguise.

Knowing that his mother would return that evening to her son being a “full man” made him so happy he could jump out of his skin.

And then… there was also Akane. She had never really been as bothered by his curse over the last year, hugging him no matter what form he was in as though he was he. Ukyou and Shanpu always seemed to want him to be a man when they glommed onto him, but Akane… well, she didn't glom, but she knew who he was.

Smiling, Ranma looked around at the others, knowing that, Shanpu, at least, was going to be disappointed at the end of the day, but that didn't matter in the larger scheme of things. She would get over it.

His eyes fell on Ryouga, a young man who was slowly becoming his friend. He'd insisted that he would tell Akane about his curse when he was a full man. He wanted her to find out from him, so that she could decide for herself if he was worthy of being, at least, her friend. Ranma watched as Ryouga let out a small yell, his face split in a grin, and upended the bucket over his head. He remained Ryouga, wet and grinning like an idiot, but Ryouga nonetheless.

“It works!” Mousse shouted, following suit. Ryouga was laughing and dancing around the dojo like a crazy person, and Ranma had to laugh at their antics. Shanpu was giggling as she turned the bucket on herself, and ran around wet and happy, but careful not to touch anyone else - who knew how much of the water could curse you, really?

“Woohoo!” Ranma's father shouted, dunking his head in the bucket and sitting up with it on his head.

Ranma was the only one left still clutching his bucket. His arms didn't seem to want to move; he saw that it worked, but nerves were making it difficult. Ryouga was shouting and running out of the dojo now, screaming “I'm a man! I'm a man! WAHOO!”

Gritting his teeth, Ranma whispered a quick prayer and dumped the magic water on his head and felt… nothing. Just cold water. He sat there, unblinking, unbelieving.

He was cured.

“HOLY SHIT!” Ranma screamed, and ran over to hug his father, and Mousse, and even Shanpu after some hesitation, both of them relieved when the cursed water didn't seem to do anything to either person.

Shanpu opened her mouth to say something, but a surprised yelp outside interrupted her. “A-Akane, what are you doing here!?” Ranma's stomach went into his throat and he looked out the open dojo doors at his fiancée standing in front of a flailing, cold, wet Ryouga.

“Oh, hey, Ryouga. I got out of my club meeting early - why are you all wet? Are you and Ranma fighting again?” Akane sounded concerned, and she looked over Ryouga's shoulder at Ranma, Shanpu, Mousse and Genma all in the doorway, all wet, all human.

Her eyes widened considerably. “Are… are you guys… cured!?” she shouted, a happy smile on her face. Ranma forgot about the danger for a moment and nodded, running out into the yard to be swept up in a wonderful hug from his fiancée.

And then, because nothing ever seemed to go right when it was supposed to, everything came crashing down.

Akane pulled away from him, her eyes sparkling, and then she looked over at Ryouga, and her face started to fall into confusion. “But why is Ryouga… wet… too… oh my god…” her voice was small, and her face was white. She looked quickly at Ranma, and he knew he couldn't lie to her.

Her expression turned to one of quiet rage and she shoved him away. “He's P-Chan?” Akane asked, her voice quavering as she pointed at Ryouga without even looking at him. Ranma's eyes darted to Ryouga and he saw the Lost Boy start to glow a sickly green color as he watched his friend, his crush, turn her wrathful gaze on him for the first time since he'd cut off all of her hair.

“Akane, please, I was gonna tell you, but—” Akane cut Ryouga's already-emptying voice off, and he flinched away as though struck.

“Shut up! Shut up! I don't want to hear it, from either of you!” Tears were streaming down her face, and she lashed out physically, finally, punching Ryouga in the chest with little strength.

Ryouga stumbled back, barely even looking shocked. “I just wanted to be close to you.” He said softly, crying stoically.

“Akane, y'gotta understand, he didn't mean nothin'!” Akane whirled on him and Ranma actually took a step back.

“Didn't mean anything!? Didn't mean anything!? Fuck you! Fuck the both of you!” Akane, seventeen years old, stomped her foot like a child and ducked her head. “I should… I should…” she was breathing heavily. Ryouga reached out, one last time, the green glow fading slightly, but he stepped away at the black and blue force that was Akane's anger. She screamed and sprang at them both, and all they could do was put up their arms, and Ryouga barely even did that, acting as though he deserved the punishment.

“Aiyah, violent girl hurt husband!” Ranma heard Shanpu, and he honestly wanted to move to stop her, but he also wanted to stop Akane, make her listen. His father was conspicuously absent.

And then, all hell broke loose.

“Shanpu, wait, I can be your husband!”

“Ranma-honey, you're cured? We can finally get married!”

“Oh ho ho! Ranma-darling, come away with me!”

It was as though the universe was conspiring against him. Shanpu launched an attack with her chúi, but Mousse caught the Chinese mace with a chain. However, at the same time, Ukyou threw a small spatula at Kodachi coming over the back wall. Kodachi lashed out with her ribbon to block the projectile, and Shanpu managed to swing out toward Akane with her other chúi despite the chain. The spatula glanced off of the smooth surface of the mace, which was intercepted by the trailing pink ribbon. Kodachi's ribbon tangled with Shanpu's mace, and the spatula continued its descent towards Akane, who was pulling back her fist to bury it in Ranma's face, but Ryouga saw it. Ranma saw Ryouga see it, saw the Lost Boy pull out one of his bandanas, saw the throw - straight and true to spin the small spatula off-course.

The objects collided, bouncing harmlessly away just as Akane's fist met Ranma's face, and as he stumbled back, he bumped into a water spigot. A spigot that had been smashed so many times it was barely even a spigot anymore, just shards of metal held together by plumber's tape and a prayer. The spigot exploded, for the last time, and several of those shards shot out, missing Ranma, missing Ryouga, but one, a large, angry looking one, slashed Akane's neck so deep she gasped and fell to her knees.

Clamping her hand over the wound in surprise, her face crumpled. Everyone froze, watching as she seemed to collapse with tears. Akane was no stranger to pain, but Ranma knew it wasn't the cut that was the problem.

“Akane, I—” she cut him off viciously.

“Get the hell out! Get the hell out of my house and never come back!” she didn't even look at him, just pointed in a random direction. Ranma felt a hand fall on his shoulder as he moved towards her, to reason with her, and turned to see Souun Tendou staring at him, a cold look on his face.

Ranma whirled back around to glare at the woman he loved. “Fine! You'll never see me again!” he realized he was crying, but he also realized he was tired. “Who'd want t'marry such a violent psycho anyway!?” Akane looked up at him with the expression of someone watching someone else dig their own grave.

“I said get out! The engagement is off!” the words would have been more of a slap in the face, but Ranma was already angry enough that they barely even stung. Heaving with anger, he whirled, shoving Souun rudely out of his way.

He ran upstairs, shoving everything he owned into a pack, scrubbing away tears. He didn't have much, even after a year of staying with the Tendous, he didn't have much. He raced back downstairs, tears blurring his vision, stumbling slightly. Souun was by the door, barring his way. “Get outta the way, old man,” Ranma said angrily, “I'm leavin'!”

Souun glared at him. “Yes, you are. And you are never coming back.” And then he stepped aside and watched Ranma coldly as he walked out without even glancing back, the sounds of Akane's sobs like a needle in his spine, over and over.