Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Life of Chaos ❯ Journey - Forging a New Path ( Chapter 12 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Lord Archive 
Ranma and Akane have an arguement unlike any they've had before.
Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Comedy / Drama / Martial Arts / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.31.2012 | Pages: 5 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 726 | Status: Completed
Ranma and Akane have an arguement unlike any they've had before.
Anime/Manga: Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Comedy / Drama / Martial Arts / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.31.2012 | Pages: 5 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 726 | Status: Completed
Life of Chaos
Journey Part 1 - New Beginnings
Chapter 1 - Forging A New Path
By: Lord Archive
Most characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.
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"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"
Ranma blinked. This wasn't how he expected to be greeted upon entering the dojo. He expected that Akane would ignore him, yell at him for being a perverted jerk, inform him of the latest threat, or something like that. Well, he couldn't rule out the perverted jerk one, but for some reason he doubted that was it. "Enough of what?"
"Everything!" Akane screeched. "The fiancees, the pointless fighting, girls fighting over you, the chaos, girls flirting with you and every other damned thing that happened today."
Ranma held his hands up defenselessly. "Calm down. There ain't much we can do about that stuff. They aren't going away. Besides, things will settle down in a few days."
"Settle down?!" Akane's fists clenched. "Sure they'll calm down, maybe even for a week or two, and then something happens to stir it all back up again."
Ranma shook his head. "You're exaggerating."
"I AM NOT!" Akane seethed. "When was there ANY time last year that we knew any peace? When wasn't there a week someone hatched some plot to win your heart or some bizarre incident happen?"
Ranma's brow crinkled in thought. "Um, well.... What do you suggest we do, Akane? We can't just run away from here."
"Why not?" Akane asked flatly.
Ranma looked blankly at his fiancee. "Ah, because, um, well, we just can't."
"Give me one good reason?" Akane's eyes stared through him.
"Um, we don't got the money to do that," Ranma offered.
Akane extended one finger. "We can go to our parents and get the money. You know they'd give it to us." She extended another one. "If they don't give us enough, you know how to live off the road with no money, and can help me do that same."
"Come on, Akane. It's not that bad here. Why do you want to leave?" Ranma questioned.
"Where to start?" Akane asked rhetorically. "Do you know what fight Shampoo was referring to when she asked you to wish her luck?"
Ranma shrugged. "Yeah."
Akane's eyes flatten into a deadly gaze. "And you don't care?!"
Ranma scratched his head. "Should I? Sure, if she had won, it would've caused some problems."
"Caused problems?!" Akane's eyes went wide. "Wait a second, IF SHE HAD WON? You mean someone else... WON?"
Ranma stared at her, wondering what she was talking about. "Actually, neither of them did. Konatsu dumped Shampoo into a pool and declared it a draw to make sure he doesn't have to marry her."
"What are you talking about?!" Akane yelled.
Ranma blinked. "Shampoo's fight with Konatsu."
Akane raised an eyebrow. "Why would they fight?"
"'Cause he cut her hair," Ranma replied simply.
Akane walked over to a wall and punched it. "I don't think that's the fight she was 'wishing luck for.'"
Ranma was starting to worry. "What do you mean?"
"I think she wants more than luck to help YOU win your little challenge with Ryoga and Mousse," Akane growled.
"C-challenge? What challenge?" Ranma gulped nervously.
Akane turned toward her fiance with a look that would freeze water. "The one to see who'd score first. Who were you planning on attempting to win with, anyway?"
Ranma edged backwards. "Um, it was all Mousse's idea. He got me upset and made that challenge. I, ah, wasn't thinking straight when I agreed. I don't plan to follow through with it."
Akane's eyebrow twitched. "Oh, really?"
"Yes, really." Ranma waved his hands defensively. "I have NO desire to have sex with an uncute girl like you or anyone else for that matter."
Akane screamed in rage and launched a kick at the wall taking out part it. "DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULLSHIT!!!"
"A-Akane, calm down, please." Ranma froze at the door. Her angry glare told him he'd wish he were dead if he ran.
Akane's fists opened and closed several times. "You do realize Shampoo is planning on paying you a visit tonight to help you win."
Ranma hadn't but he nodded anyway.
"What do you intend to do about that?" Akane asked in a deadly serious tone.
"Ah, um, sleep as a girl, and reject her when she wakes me up?" Ranma meant it to be a firm statement, but it sounded like he was asking for his fiancee's approval.
Akane nodded firmly. She had better keep an eye on him to make sure. She turned away from him. "How many fights were there today?"
"Um, you verses the twins, Akari and Azusa, Kumon and Dan, and Konatsu against Shampoo." Ranma looked at his outstretched fingers. "Four."
"What about the girls' gym class, Mousse verses Kuno or the pervert horde against me? That's at least seven fights, Ranma, SEVEN! That was just today. We're suppose to be going to school, not a free-style martial arts tournament," Akane complained.
"But, Akane...." Ranma tried to interrupt.
"What about all those girls hounding you?" Akane folded her arms. "There has been so much crap going on about your relationships that some of the girls think you're available. Can't forget the freshmen who don't know better."
Ranma's shoulders slumped.
"Then there's all the other craziness going on! Konatsu scaring Tsubasa. Taro doing a kata in the swimming pool. Shampoo's haircut. The fact too much shit happened to even have a math class. Ms. Hinako losing her shirt. One of our teachers going AWOL. And you know Kodachi is planning something; why else would she practically ignore you?" Akane listed.
Ranma bowed his head. "Akane...."
Akane wheeled towards him. Her eyes brimming with tears and yet were set with determination. "I can accept some chaos and insanity. I know you attract it, and I'll have to deal with that. But... but Furinkan is way too much. I don't want to go another day dealing with that level of weirdness or having to watch my fiance being hounded by half the school for a date! I can't take it, Ranma. I can't. I'm leaving tomorrow, with or without you. Please... please come with me."
"I, ah, okay." Ranma let out a long breath. "We'll leave, but Akane what are we going to do about girls that we meet? I mean, they're going to flirt with me."
Akane suddenly found her feet very interesting. "They'll stop flirting once they know you're married."
"Huh?" Ranma blinked. "Akane, we aren't married."
Akane's face turned beet red. "Not yet, but if we elope before leaving...."
Ranma's legs gave out and he fell on his ass. "WHAT?!"
"Well...." Akane fidgeted. "If we're married, they'd have to stop flirting with you."
"Akane, that would only work if they know of it," Ranma pointed out.
Akane nodded. "Which you would tell them if they start flirting."
"You know that won't stop all the girls," Ranma retorted.
"It should." Akane stood firmly.
Ranma shook his head. "There's no reason we have to get married."
Akane nodded. "No reason we HAVE to, but I, ah, well... want to."
"Why?" Ranma asked wide-eyed.
Akane blushed. "Because you love me."
Ranma hoped to his feet. "I never said that."
"You might not have, but there is no way you can tell me you don't love me after what you did at Jusendo," Akane retorted.
Ranma's legs wobbled. "B-but... Akane, why do you want to marry me?"
"I already told you," Akane replied.
"No, you told me why _I_ might want to marry you. Why do _you_ want to marry me?" Ranma demanded.
Akane paused for a moment. Her hands clenched. She knew she had to give him a good reason or he wouldn't go through with it. There was only one she could come up with. Why couldn't she just say it, even when she knew it to be true? She wanted to say, but part of her made her think she would be losing something if she did. But losing Ranma to someone else wasn't something she wanted to risk and she didn't want to lose her chance to make him hers forever. Akane looked at Ranma with firm determination. "I want to marry you because _I_ love you."
Ranma fell to the ground. "Y-you what?"
"I love you." Akane was amazed how much easier it was to say the second time.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Ranma asked not believing his own voice.
Akane nodded. "Yes, Ranma. This is what I want."
"Do you have any idea of how we go about this or where we're going?" Ranma questioned.
Akane's smile lit up the room. "I have a few ideas, but you have more experience at this."
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Soun carefully placed his shogi piece. "It's been quiet in the dojo for a while now. Think they're done with their argument yet?"
'Maybe.' The panda held up a sign. 'Better to wait. Less hazardous.'
"Quite true, Saotome-kun. I do believe it's my turn."
'Didn't you just move a piece?' the panda's sign questioned.
Soun looked at the board. "I don't think so."
Nodoka shook her head. She hoped nothing had happened to interfere in her son's relationship with Akane. The girl had been quite willing to marry Ranma, but she had to wonder if that was still the case considering how upset Akane had been right after school.
Ranma scuffed his way into the main room, looking like a beat dog. While he showed no signs of being hit, Soun and Genma assumed Akane had struck him at least a couple times. Ranma plopped against the far wall from the room's entrance. He muttered something, balled his fist, and slammed it against the wall.
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Akane stood in the hall and gulped hearing the thump. That was Ranma's signal that it was safe to talk to Kasumi. She tried to calm her nerves as she entered the kitchen.
Kasumi smiled at her younger sister. Noticing her nervousness, she thought of a probable reason as to why. "Akane, do you want to help cook as a way to make up with Ranma?"
Akane briefly considered taking Kasumi up on the offer. But she remembered how often she had botched the attempt. If she tried to cook now and messed it up, there was no way Ranma would elope with her tomorrow. The idea of losing Ranma over a plate of food had gripped her in fear. "Me cook? Are you out of you're mind?!"
"Akane!" Kasumi gasped at her outburst.
The youngest Tendo shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Sorry. I'm really nervous about something. I'd like to talk to you about it."
Kasumi stared at her little sister in growing shock. Fight with Ranma... nervous... refuses to cook.... "You're not pregnant, are you?"
Akane kissed the floor as she fell. "What?! No! I've never even been with him! How could you think that?!"
"Well, it just that you're acting strange and I thought that maybe.... Silly me." Kasumi sighed in relief.
"Right, anyway...." Akane was interrupted by the sound of two strong thumps against the outside wall. "I... I'll tell you later."
"Is everything all right in here?" Soun asked from the door.
"Oh, everything is find. Kasumi is letting me help cook." Akane smiled at her father. If he noticed her lips quiver he didn't show it.
"C-cook? Ah... um... are you sure that's wise so soon after a fight with Ranma?" Soun questioned.
Kasumi looked confused, but decided to go along with Akane. She seemed to have something to say that she didn't want their father to know about. "I thought it'd be a good idea to teach her something simple to make. It would help Ranma and Akane to make up."
"But if she messes it up?" Soun was on the verge of tears.
Akane glared at her father. "I'll taste it before serving it, Daddy. If I can't eat it, we'll throw it out."
"Really? Then by all means." Soun started to cry tears of joy. She's finally learning.
Kasumi looked over at Akane. "Do you want the lesson?"
Ranma stood at the outside window. "Akane, I'd suggest you take it. If for no other reason than to keep our fathers away from you talking to Kasumi and give me a chance to talk to Mom. Besides, you need the lesson."
Akane had to reminder herself not to hurt the man she planned to marry tomorrow despite that she hated having her cooking ridiculed even if she could, very grudgingly, admit that it was sometimes bad. "Who's going to watch out for them eavesdropping while you talk?"
Ranma frowned. "I have an idea." He then jumped on top of the roof and then down to the yard next to the koi pond. He hoped his mother didn't kill him before he could explain anything.
"Ranma, is there something I can help you with?" Nodoka asked, pulling down one of Nabiki's shirts off the clothesline.
"Um, yeah, well, you see...." Ranma fidgeted.
"Does this have anything to do with your fight with Akane?" Nodoka prompted.
Ranma shook his head. "Not really. I wanted to go to Akane to talk about this since you've put so much importance on being manly, but I've got to know something. But I can't go to Akane 'cause she's still upset at me." His checks were blazing red.
"It has something to do with your curse?" Nodoka questioned.
Ranma nodded.
Nodoka's hands nervously twitched. "Well, if it's your curse, you can't really control it, can you?"
"R-right. You see, I've, well, been b-b-bleeding...." Ranma couldn't believe how much his cheeks were burning.
Nodoka dropped the shirt and her eyes bulged out of her sockets. "You've been menstruating?!"
Soun and Genma fell off the porch.
'Bar?' the panda asked.
"Bar," Soun confirmed.
The two fathers were gone before the shogi board, which they had knocked over, hit the ground.
Ranma let out a long sigh. "Well, y-yes... but that's not what I want to talk to you about. I just didn't want Pop or Mr. Tendo to listen in."
"H-how long have you been...." Nodoka trailed off.
"About a month after I got the curse. Kasumi helped me a lot," Ranma replied.
Nodoka's head swam with the notion that her son has had periods. It sounded so unmanly, but the curse wasn't something he could control. She clamped down on her thoughts and shelved that information deep into her mind, hopefully to never see the light of day. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?"
Ranma gulped. He wondered where the momentary courage to let his mother know about his somewhat monthly visits had gone. He could use all he could muster to tell his mother that he was leaving her again. "Well, it's about what me and Akane, well, fought over. You see, um, well, Akane wants to leave. She doesn't want to stay here with all the girls chasing after me."
"Akane is leaving you?" Nodoka frowned.
Ranma shook his head. "She wants me to go with her, and well, I agreed. But we need money to start off with."
"Y-you're leaving me... with Akane." Nodoka's legs shook. The last time Ranma left it had been for ten years. How long would it be this time?
"Y-yeah. It'll only be for a few months to a couple years." Ranma shrugged. "At worst after college, if we go to college that is."
Six years. Ranma might be leaving her again for up to six years. He would be twenty-three then. To have a twenty-three year old son and to have only been a part of his life for less than five years; she didn't want that. She didn't want to lose him again. "Do you have to go?"
"Mom, Akane made it clear how she felt about school. And she's right that it was insane. Coming from me, that says a lot. I might be able to convince her to try staying a bit longer, but another day remotely like today and she will leave, with or without me," Ranma told her.
"Maybe Akane should go for a few weeks. You know, as a vacation, so she could better handle bad days," Nodoka suggested.
Ranma shook his head. "I doubt that would work."
"Ranma...." A tear streaked down Nodoka's cheek. Ranma was a man and could decide his own future. She knew there were a lot of problems for him here, but she didn't want to lose him again. Maybe if she made a large, but reasonable, demand they might delay going away. "If you leave with Akane, you will marry her first."
Ranma slouched. He had hoped to talk Akane out of that later tonight, but it'd be harder if his mother was also pushing for it. "Yeah, we already planned to do that."
Nodoka took Ranma into a fierce hug, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, I'll miss you so much! You will write every week or call, won't you?"
"I'll try," Ranma failed to fully promise.
"I'll have to make sure Akane reminds you." Nodoka sniffed while pulling back from her son to get a good look at him. "I love you, son. Please don't be gone too long and come back safe."
Ranma nodded. "I will, and we aren't leaving until tomorrow."
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Akane's tongue curled over her upper lip. The knife in her hand slowly lowering into the carrot making another, somewhat, evenly cut piece.
Kasumi would comment that Akane didn't have to be that careful, but past experiences with her little sister's cooking told her otherwise. "Now, Akane, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"
Akane gulped while the knife was pressed deeply into the cutting board. "It's, um, well, Ranma and I are eloping tomorrow and we're going to wander around Japan for a couple years as our honeymoon. But in order to do that, we need some money to get started."
Kasumi blinked a few times and then Akane had to catch her as she fainted.
"Are you okay?" Akane's voice shook nervously.
"Akane?" Kasumi stared at her little sister in shock. She wondered if Akane was joking, if Nabiki had said anything remotely like that, she'd know it was a joke. "Are you really going to elope with Ranma and leave us?"
Akane nodded.
"Why?" Kasumi wondered.
Akane began to cut the carrot into another piece. "I can't take being here any longer. All those girls chasing after Ranma are driving me crazy. They either ignore that I'm his fiancee or they attack me to get me out of the way. Not to mention all the insanity."
"Are you sure? What about school? How will you survive? What are you going to do?" Kasumi questioned.
Akane sighed. "Yes, I'm sure. We'll transfer to the local schools and work at odd jobs to pay our bills."
"You just can't leave all of us. What about Father, Nabiki, me, your friends, and everybody else?" Kasumi reminded.
Tears started to form in Akane's eyes. "I'll miss all of you, but I can't stay. You have no idea how hard today was for me. Watching Ranma being surrounded by girls. Shampoo shamelessly flirting with him. Got into trouble for keeping Ranma awake. Fought with Double Trouble. My gym teacher is a certified nut-case who attacked me. And that just what has happened to me. I can't begin to go on about what happened in class!"
"Just take a few days. I'm sure you'll find that it's not so bad," Kasumi offered.
Akane shook her head. "No. I can't stay. I'm leaving and I want you to be there to witness my wedding. Please don't make me shut you out. I want to be able to contact you and tell you how I'm doing and find out from you how things are going on here."
Kasumi looked down at her stubborn sister. She didn't know how to talk her baby sister out of this. Tears tumbled down her cheeks. "Oh, Akane.... If you have to go, I can't stop you. I wish you all the luck in the world."
"I'm really going to miss you." Akane hugged her sister.
Kasumi returned the embrace. "I'll miss you, too. Don't be gone too long."
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Author's Notes:
Well, Akane's last straw was placed in prologue chapter 8 and now we have seen the result. She has gotten Ranma to agree to leave with her. This was where things took a left and a right turn at Albuquerque. LoC - Journey was to follow Ranma and Akane's adventures away from home, while LoC - Furinkan followed the Nerima crew as they continue on without Ranma and Akane.
In case you wanted to know, this was my answer to the fanfict cliche 'Ranma gets fed up and leaves.' While one can make an argument about anime Ranma splitting town, Ranma from the manga series wouldn't leave since he has worked to maintained the status quo and seems to enjoy it to a degree. He has even gone out of his way to keep some of the more insane parts of his life. However, Akane is a different matter- she has been shown to get stressed out from some of the insanity and has attempted to gain control of the chaos around her. If the stress from her daily life got too bad, like it had in the prologue, then not even having family support would be enough to keep her from leaving. Besides, Akane hasn't recovered emotionally from her failed wedding that happened only the week before.
Not counting the Konatsu/Ranma sparring match, there were technically eight fights. One of the first fights was the twins verses Katsunishiki. Some incidences may be considered fighting by some and would raise the total number.
Journey Part 1 - New Beginnings
Chapter 1 - Forging A New Path
By: Lord Archive
Most characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Shogakukan and are used without permission. All rights reserved.
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"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"
Ranma blinked. This wasn't how he expected to be greeted upon entering the dojo. He expected that Akane would ignore him, yell at him for being a perverted jerk, inform him of the latest threat, or something like that. Well, he couldn't rule out the perverted jerk one, but for some reason he doubted that was it. "Enough of what?"
"Everything!" Akane screeched. "The fiancees, the pointless fighting, girls fighting over you, the chaos, girls flirting with you and every other damned thing that happened today."
Ranma held his hands up defenselessly. "Calm down. There ain't much we can do about that stuff. They aren't going away. Besides, things will settle down in a few days."
"Settle down?!" Akane's fists clenched. "Sure they'll calm down, maybe even for a week or two, and then something happens to stir it all back up again."
Ranma shook his head. "You're exaggerating."
"I AM NOT!" Akane seethed. "When was there ANY time last year that we knew any peace? When wasn't there a week someone hatched some plot to win your heart or some bizarre incident happen?"
Ranma's brow crinkled in thought. "Um, well.... What do you suggest we do, Akane? We can't just run away from here."
"Why not?" Akane asked flatly.
Ranma looked blankly at his fiancee. "Ah, because, um, well, we just can't."
"Give me one good reason?" Akane's eyes stared through him.
"Um, we don't got the money to do that," Ranma offered.
Akane extended one finger. "We can go to our parents and get the money. You know they'd give it to us." She extended another one. "If they don't give us enough, you know how to live off the road with no money, and can help me do that same."
"Come on, Akane. It's not that bad here. Why do you want to leave?" Ranma questioned.
"Where to start?" Akane asked rhetorically. "Do you know what fight Shampoo was referring to when she asked you to wish her luck?"
Ranma shrugged. "Yeah."
Akane's eyes flatten into a deadly gaze. "And you don't care?!"
Ranma scratched his head. "Should I? Sure, if she had won, it would've caused some problems."
"Caused problems?!" Akane's eyes went wide. "Wait a second, IF SHE HAD WON? You mean someone else... WON?"
Ranma stared at her, wondering what she was talking about. "Actually, neither of them did. Konatsu dumped Shampoo into a pool and declared it a draw to make sure he doesn't have to marry her."
"What are you talking about?!" Akane yelled.
Ranma blinked. "Shampoo's fight with Konatsu."
Akane raised an eyebrow. "Why would they fight?"
"'Cause he cut her hair," Ranma replied simply.
Akane walked over to a wall and punched it. "I don't think that's the fight she was 'wishing luck for.'"
Ranma was starting to worry. "What do you mean?"
"I think she wants more than luck to help YOU win your little challenge with Ryoga and Mousse," Akane growled.
"C-challenge? What challenge?" Ranma gulped nervously.
Akane turned toward her fiance with a look that would freeze water. "The one to see who'd score first. Who were you planning on attempting to win with, anyway?"
Ranma edged backwards. "Um, it was all Mousse's idea. He got me upset and made that challenge. I, ah, wasn't thinking straight when I agreed. I don't plan to follow through with it."
Akane's eyebrow twitched. "Oh, really?"
"Yes, really." Ranma waved his hands defensively. "I have NO desire to have sex with an uncute girl like you or anyone else for that matter."
Akane screamed in rage and launched a kick at the wall taking out part it. "DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULLSHIT!!!"
"A-Akane, calm down, please." Ranma froze at the door. Her angry glare told him he'd wish he were dead if he ran.
Akane's fists opened and closed several times. "You do realize Shampoo is planning on paying you a visit tonight to help you win."
Ranma hadn't but he nodded anyway.
"What do you intend to do about that?" Akane asked in a deadly serious tone.
"Ah, um, sleep as a girl, and reject her when she wakes me up?" Ranma meant it to be a firm statement, but it sounded like he was asking for his fiancee's approval.
Akane nodded firmly. She had better keep an eye on him to make sure. She turned away from him. "How many fights were there today?"
"Um, you verses the twins, Akari and Azusa, Kumon and Dan, and Konatsu against Shampoo." Ranma looked at his outstretched fingers. "Four."
"What about the girls' gym class, Mousse verses Kuno or the pervert horde against me? That's at least seven fights, Ranma, SEVEN! That was just today. We're suppose to be going to school, not a free-style martial arts tournament," Akane complained.
"But, Akane...." Ranma tried to interrupt.
"What about all those girls hounding you?" Akane folded her arms. "There has been so much crap going on about your relationships that some of the girls think you're available. Can't forget the freshmen who don't know better."
Ranma's shoulders slumped.
"Then there's all the other craziness going on! Konatsu scaring Tsubasa. Taro doing a kata in the swimming pool. Shampoo's haircut. The fact too much shit happened to even have a math class. Ms. Hinako losing her shirt. One of our teachers going AWOL. And you know Kodachi is planning something; why else would she practically ignore you?" Akane listed.
Ranma bowed his head. "Akane...."
Akane wheeled towards him. Her eyes brimming with tears and yet were set with determination. "I can accept some chaos and insanity. I know you attract it, and I'll have to deal with that. But... but Furinkan is way too much. I don't want to go another day dealing with that level of weirdness or having to watch my fiance being hounded by half the school for a date! I can't take it, Ranma. I can't. I'm leaving tomorrow, with or without you. Please... please come with me."
"I, ah, okay." Ranma let out a long breath. "We'll leave, but Akane what are we going to do about girls that we meet? I mean, they're going to flirt with me."
Akane suddenly found her feet very interesting. "They'll stop flirting once they know you're married."
"Huh?" Ranma blinked. "Akane, we aren't married."
Akane's face turned beet red. "Not yet, but if we elope before leaving...."
Ranma's legs gave out and he fell on his ass. "WHAT?!"
"Well...." Akane fidgeted. "If we're married, they'd have to stop flirting with you."
"Akane, that would only work if they know of it," Ranma pointed out.
Akane nodded. "Which you would tell them if they start flirting."
"You know that won't stop all the girls," Ranma retorted.
"It should." Akane stood firmly.
Ranma shook his head. "There's no reason we have to get married."
Akane nodded. "No reason we HAVE to, but I, ah, well... want to."
"Why?" Ranma asked wide-eyed.
Akane blushed. "Because you love me."
Ranma hoped to his feet. "I never said that."
"You might not have, but there is no way you can tell me you don't love me after what you did at Jusendo," Akane retorted.
Ranma's legs wobbled. "B-but... Akane, why do you want to marry me?"
"I already told you," Akane replied.
"No, you told me why _I_ might want to marry you. Why do _you_ want to marry me?" Ranma demanded.
Akane paused for a moment. Her hands clenched. She knew she had to give him a good reason or he wouldn't go through with it. There was only one she could come up with. Why couldn't she just say it, even when she knew it to be true? She wanted to say, but part of her made her think she would be losing something if she did. But losing Ranma to someone else wasn't something she wanted to risk and she didn't want to lose her chance to make him hers forever. Akane looked at Ranma with firm determination. "I want to marry you because _I_ love you."
Ranma fell to the ground. "Y-you what?"
"I love you." Akane was amazed how much easier it was to say the second time.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Ranma asked not believing his own voice.
Akane nodded. "Yes, Ranma. This is what I want."
"Do you have any idea of how we go about this or where we're going?" Ranma questioned.
Akane's smile lit up the room. "I have a few ideas, but you have more experience at this."
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Soun carefully placed his shogi piece. "It's been quiet in the dojo for a while now. Think they're done with their argument yet?"
'Maybe.' The panda held up a sign. 'Better to wait. Less hazardous.'
"Quite true, Saotome-kun. I do believe it's my turn."
'Didn't you just move a piece?' the panda's sign questioned.
Soun looked at the board. "I don't think so."
Nodoka shook her head. She hoped nothing had happened to interfere in her son's relationship with Akane. The girl had been quite willing to marry Ranma, but she had to wonder if that was still the case considering how upset Akane had been right after school.
Ranma scuffed his way into the main room, looking like a beat dog. While he showed no signs of being hit, Soun and Genma assumed Akane had struck him at least a couple times. Ranma plopped against the far wall from the room's entrance. He muttered something, balled his fist, and slammed it against the wall.
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Akane stood in the hall and gulped hearing the thump. That was Ranma's signal that it was safe to talk to Kasumi. She tried to calm her nerves as she entered the kitchen.
Kasumi smiled at her younger sister. Noticing her nervousness, she thought of a probable reason as to why. "Akane, do you want to help cook as a way to make up with Ranma?"
Akane briefly considered taking Kasumi up on the offer. But she remembered how often she had botched the attempt. If she tried to cook now and messed it up, there was no way Ranma would elope with her tomorrow. The idea of losing Ranma over a plate of food had gripped her in fear. "Me cook? Are you out of you're mind?!"
"Akane!" Kasumi gasped at her outburst.
The youngest Tendo shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Sorry. I'm really nervous about something. I'd like to talk to you about it."
Kasumi stared at her little sister in growing shock. Fight with Ranma... nervous... refuses to cook.... "You're not pregnant, are you?"
Akane kissed the floor as she fell. "What?! No! I've never even been with him! How could you think that?!"
"Well, it just that you're acting strange and I thought that maybe.... Silly me." Kasumi sighed in relief.
"Right, anyway...." Akane was interrupted by the sound of two strong thumps against the outside wall. "I... I'll tell you later."
"Is everything all right in here?" Soun asked from the door.
"Oh, everything is find. Kasumi is letting me help cook." Akane smiled at her father. If he noticed her lips quiver he didn't show it.
"C-cook? Ah... um... are you sure that's wise so soon after a fight with Ranma?" Soun questioned.
Kasumi looked confused, but decided to go along with Akane. She seemed to have something to say that she didn't want their father to know about. "I thought it'd be a good idea to teach her something simple to make. It would help Ranma and Akane to make up."
"But if she messes it up?" Soun was on the verge of tears.
Akane glared at her father. "I'll taste it before serving it, Daddy. If I can't eat it, we'll throw it out."
"Really? Then by all means." Soun started to cry tears of joy. She's finally learning.
Kasumi looked over at Akane. "Do you want the lesson?"
Ranma stood at the outside window. "Akane, I'd suggest you take it. If for no other reason than to keep our fathers away from you talking to Kasumi and give me a chance to talk to Mom. Besides, you need the lesson."
Akane had to reminder herself not to hurt the man she planned to marry tomorrow despite that she hated having her cooking ridiculed even if she could, very grudgingly, admit that it was sometimes bad. "Who's going to watch out for them eavesdropping while you talk?"
Ranma frowned. "I have an idea." He then jumped on top of the roof and then down to the yard next to the koi pond. He hoped his mother didn't kill him before he could explain anything.
"Ranma, is there something I can help you with?" Nodoka asked, pulling down one of Nabiki's shirts off the clothesline.
"Um, yeah, well, you see...." Ranma fidgeted.
"Does this have anything to do with your fight with Akane?" Nodoka prompted.
Ranma shook his head. "Not really. I wanted to go to Akane to talk about this since you've put so much importance on being manly, but I've got to know something. But I can't go to Akane 'cause she's still upset at me." His checks were blazing red.
"It has something to do with your curse?" Nodoka questioned.
Ranma nodded.
Nodoka's hands nervously twitched. "Well, if it's your curse, you can't really control it, can you?"
"R-right. You see, I've, well, been b-b-bleeding...." Ranma couldn't believe how much his cheeks were burning.
Nodoka dropped the shirt and her eyes bulged out of her sockets. "You've been menstruating?!"
Soun and Genma fell off the porch.
'Bar?' the panda asked.
"Bar," Soun confirmed.
The two fathers were gone before the shogi board, which they had knocked over, hit the ground.
Ranma let out a long sigh. "Well, y-yes... but that's not what I want to talk to you about. I just didn't want Pop or Mr. Tendo to listen in."
"H-how long have you been...." Nodoka trailed off.
"About a month after I got the curse. Kasumi helped me a lot," Ranma replied.
Nodoka's head swam with the notion that her son has had periods. It sounded so unmanly, but the curse wasn't something he could control. She clamped down on her thoughts and shelved that information deep into her mind, hopefully to never see the light of day. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?"
Ranma gulped. He wondered where the momentary courage to let his mother know about his somewhat monthly visits had gone. He could use all he could muster to tell his mother that he was leaving her again. "Well, it's about what me and Akane, well, fought over. You see, um, well, Akane wants to leave. She doesn't want to stay here with all the girls chasing after me."
"Akane is leaving you?" Nodoka frowned.
Ranma shook his head. "She wants me to go with her, and well, I agreed. But we need money to start off with."
"Y-you're leaving me... with Akane." Nodoka's legs shook. The last time Ranma left it had been for ten years. How long would it be this time?
"Y-yeah. It'll only be for a few months to a couple years." Ranma shrugged. "At worst after college, if we go to college that is."
Six years. Ranma might be leaving her again for up to six years. He would be twenty-three then. To have a twenty-three year old son and to have only been a part of his life for less than five years; she didn't want that. She didn't want to lose him again. "Do you have to go?"
"Mom, Akane made it clear how she felt about school. And she's right that it was insane. Coming from me, that says a lot. I might be able to convince her to try staying a bit longer, but another day remotely like today and she will leave, with or without me," Ranma told her.
"Maybe Akane should go for a few weeks. You know, as a vacation, so she could better handle bad days," Nodoka suggested.
Ranma shook his head. "I doubt that would work."
"Ranma...." A tear streaked down Nodoka's cheek. Ranma was a man and could decide his own future. She knew there were a lot of problems for him here, but she didn't want to lose him again. Maybe if she made a large, but reasonable, demand they might delay going away. "If you leave with Akane, you will marry her first."
Ranma slouched. He had hoped to talk Akane out of that later tonight, but it'd be harder if his mother was also pushing for it. "Yeah, we already planned to do that."
Nodoka took Ranma into a fierce hug, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, I'll miss you so much! You will write every week or call, won't you?"
"I'll try," Ranma failed to fully promise.
"I'll have to make sure Akane reminds you." Nodoka sniffed while pulling back from her son to get a good look at him. "I love you, son. Please don't be gone too long and come back safe."
Ranma nodded. "I will, and we aren't leaving until tomorrow."
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Akane's tongue curled over her upper lip. The knife in her hand slowly lowering into the carrot making another, somewhat, evenly cut piece.
Kasumi would comment that Akane didn't have to be that careful, but past experiences with her little sister's cooking told her otherwise. "Now, Akane, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"
Akane gulped while the knife was pressed deeply into the cutting board. "It's, um, well, Ranma and I are eloping tomorrow and we're going to wander around Japan for a couple years as our honeymoon. But in order to do that, we need some money to get started."
Kasumi blinked a few times and then Akane had to catch her as she fainted.
"Are you okay?" Akane's voice shook nervously.
"Akane?" Kasumi stared at her little sister in shock. She wondered if Akane was joking, if Nabiki had said anything remotely like that, she'd know it was a joke. "Are you really going to elope with Ranma and leave us?"
Akane nodded.
"Why?" Kasumi wondered.
Akane began to cut the carrot into another piece. "I can't take being here any longer. All those girls chasing after Ranma are driving me crazy. They either ignore that I'm his fiancee or they attack me to get me out of the way. Not to mention all the insanity."
"Are you sure? What about school? How will you survive? What are you going to do?" Kasumi questioned.
Akane sighed. "Yes, I'm sure. We'll transfer to the local schools and work at odd jobs to pay our bills."
"You just can't leave all of us. What about Father, Nabiki, me, your friends, and everybody else?" Kasumi reminded.
Tears started to form in Akane's eyes. "I'll miss all of you, but I can't stay. You have no idea how hard today was for me. Watching Ranma being surrounded by girls. Shampoo shamelessly flirting with him. Got into trouble for keeping Ranma awake. Fought with Double Trouble. My gym teacher is a certified nut-case who attacked me. And that just what has happened to me. I can't begin to go on about what happened in class!"
"Just take a few days. I'm sure you'll find that it's not so bad," Kasumi offered.
Akane shook her head. "No. I can't stay. I'm leaving and I want you to be there to witness my wedding. Please don't make me shut you out. I want to be able to contact you and tell you how I'm doing and find out from you how things are going on here."
Kasumi looked down at her stubborn sister. She didn't know how to talk her baby sister out of this. Tears tumbled down her cheeks. "Oh, Akane.... If you have to go, I can't stop you. I wish you all the luck in the world."
"I'm really going to miss you." Akane hugged her sister.
Kasumi returned the embrace. "I'll miss you, too. Don't be gone too long."
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Author's Notes:
Well, Akane's last straw was placed in prologue chapter 8 and now we have seen the result. She has gotten Ranma to agree to leave with her. This was where things took a left and a right turn at Albuquerque. LoC - Journey was to follow Ranma and Akane's adventures away from home, while LoC - Furinkan followed the Nerima crew as they continue on without Ranma and Akane.
In case you wanted to know, this was my answer to the fanfict cliche 'Ranma gets fed up and leaves.' While one can make an argument about anime Ranma splitting town, Ranma from the manga series wouldn't leave since he has worked to maintained the status quo and seems to enjoy it to a degree. He has even gone out of his way to keep some of the more insane parts of his life. However, Akane is a different matter- she has been shown to get stressed out from some of the insanity and has attempted to gain control of the chaos around her. If the stress from her daily life got too bad, like it had in the prologue, then not even having family support would be enough to keep her from leaving. Besides, Akane hasn't recovered emotionally from her failed wedding that happened only the week before.
Not counting the Konatsu/Ranma sparring match, there were technically eight fights. One of the first fights was the twins verses Katsunishiki. Some incidences may be considered fighting by some and would raise the total number.