Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Ranma 1/2: The Truth and the Tempest ❯ To Earn a Right ( Chapter 8 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

[Author’s Note: The characters and setting herein- with the exception of one or two O.C.’s of my own design- are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I will admit, it’s not easy writing this tale when you don’t have access to the majority of the manga or anime, so I’ve fudged as best I can using web info. Hope it’s still enjoyable. Now, on with the show.]

Ranma ½: The Truth and the Tempest

Chapter 8: To Earn a Right

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For a few moments, nobody said anything. One pair of elderly eyes gazed levelly… almost mischievously… at the two pairs of younger eyes before them. Akane’s heart began racing as she realized that her and Ranma’s arms were still wrapped around each other, and Cologne had likely been sitting in front of them longer than they had thought. Damn it! she screamed inside her mind, I knew it was too good to be true! She probably heard what we were saying, saw what… what we were doing… oh gods, now what’s she going to do??? For her part, Cologne merely sat back beside her cane and breathed out a long sigh. Ranma said nothing verbally, but his expression was speaking volumes; from the moment he had seen the Amazon, he had made the transition from surprise, to shock, to worry, and finally to anger in rapid succession.

“You!!!” he growled, his voice low. “What the hell d’you think you’re doing in here, old ghoul?? Haven’t you done enough damage already, the way ya keep messin’ in my affairs? You have any idea how much trouble that damned great-granddaughter o’ yours caused BOTH of us, not just yesterday, but at Jusendo as well?? An‘ now you have the gall to show up here an’ butt in on us ONCE AGAIN!”

Don’t bait her… just deny anything is happening. It’s worked before, just laugh it off. Tell her it was all play-acting. Surely you don’t want to feel her wrath over an insignificant matter as this? You don’t want to incite another battle… least of all over this pathetic, un-cute tomboy in your arms. She isn’t worth it…

Ranma’s eyes went wide for a second, and he paused in his tirade to catch his breath. The words in his mind kept rolling around, growing fainter each moment; they were words he had often said to himself, his usual defense mechanism against bigger fights. But this time they were different. They were harsher, yet at the same time, seductive. They didn’t quite sound like his own inner voice, either. And the words, ‘pathetic, un-cute tomboy’, were jarring against his heart like a rusty knife. A wave of self-disgust washed over him. Dammit, that isn’t right! I won’t do it! Not after what I’ve already told her, not after all I’ve done and given up, I’m not gonna lie! I do that, and I’m no better than my old man!!! He swallowed hard, unconsciously tightening his arms protectively around Akane; she glanced at him in surprise and stared as she saw the tenacity burning in his eyes.

“So what’s it gonna be now? Another one of your games? Another challenge? Huh?”

“Ranma, stop it,” Akane whispered gently. “Do you really want to risk her anger right now? I don’t know how much she knows or saw, but I don’t think we should add to it…”

“I’m not afraid of her,” he replied evenly. “Not anymore, anyways.”

“Please,” Cologne sighed, holding up a hand. “I am well aware that over the past year I have known you two, I have given you little reason to trust me. However, I promise you, I did not come here to pick a fight. No one else is here, only me. You have my word as a warrior and a Tribal Elder, I mean you no harm this evening. I’m only here to talk.”

Ranma stared at her for a moment, fire still in his eyes. “No harm? To either of us?”

“None whatsoever. To either of you.”

Another moment passed.

Ranma’s breathing slowed, the anger fading. “Alright. If all ya wanna do is talk, I’ll listen, but if this turns out to be some kinda trick an’ Akane gets hurt…”

A sharp squeeze of his hand cut him short; he glanced at Akane who shook her head ‘no’ sharply. “Don’t push it, please. Just hear her out,” she whispered.

Cologne chuckled slightly. “It’s alright, child,” she said, causing Akane to look up and blush a bit. “After all this time, I’ve gotten quite used to his… shall we say… brusque attempts at manners. And besides…” She heaved another sigh and looked at the floor. “I’m well aware of how he feels. In the time we’ve known each other he’s been through an awful lot, much of it my own doing. Gods know I’ve done more than my fair share… all for the sake of tribal honor. Still, there are right ways of approaching matters of honor, and there are wrong ways. And there are times when those ways… whether right or wrong… go too far.

“I had no intention of things escalating to the point they did. In retrospect, and given what information I have recently gleaned from my great-granddaughter and a communiqué from the tribe that arrived today, I have acted foolishly. In my own desire for honor to be satisfied, I limited my options and ignored the feelings of those directly involved. I chose the wrong way.” She bowed her head to a very surprised and shocked Ranma. “I am sorry.”

Ranma blinked, the anger drained from his face completely. “Wha… huh? Um, you’ll have to excuse me, but I wasn’t expectin’ that from you.”

“M-me neither,” Akane stammered. “I would’ve thought you’d be bursting in, demanding to know what was going on, not apologizing to us!”

“I know it’s unexpected; I hardly ever expected it from myself,” Cologne replied with a weak laugh. “But I’ve watched you both very carefully over time, and it wasn’t hard for me to notice that with every plan I devised to bring Ranma and Shampoo together, it was driving them further apart… and bringing you two closer.” At that comment, the two of them began stammering and exchanging silly looks, causing Cologne to cackle more warmly.

“Oh, please! Don’t even think about brushing that aside or denying it to me, children, you’re a hundred years too early! Besides, if the hints I’ve seen over time hadn’t been enough, your little late-night confessions in the upstairs hall last night would have sufficed.”

Ranma’s attention snapped back into focus. “What? You were SPYING on us?”

Cologne sighed. “I wasn’t attempting to lurk, mind you. What happened yesterday… that was a grievous error in judgment. I merely wished to return and reassure myself that no permanent damage had been done… and in the process, learned what my heart had told me was the case all along. There was no malice intended.” She smirked, rolling her eyes towards the doorway. “Though it’s hard to say whether our current audience has malice in mind or not.”

Akane’s head snapped up. “Someone else is here?”

“I think perhaps he followed me,” Cologne mused with a grin. “If such is the case, then he would make a most formidable ally; I hardly sensed his presence till just now.” She waved a hand. “You may as well come in; it would do well for a witness to be present anyway.” She lowered her hand. Ranma was beginning to wonder what she meant by witness when a hand in a fingerless glove grasped the door, pushing it open wide enough to allow the owner of the hand entrance.

“Shingen?” Ranma asked. “What were you doin’ out there?”

“Force of habit,” the taller man replied, sliding the sheath back on to his naginata blade. “I felt a pretty strong aura pass through here a short while ago, so I came out to see what it was. Didn’t know if she was a hostile or not, but at least it means my senses are getting better.” He bowed his head towards Cologne briefly. “Please excuse my intrusion, grandmother… and if you don’t mind my saying so, what I felt of your aura in passing was truly impressive.”

Cologne gazed up at Shingen with an appraising eye. “Hmm. You seem to be quite the fighter yourself, young man. Quite the fighter indeed. Are you a friend of theirs?”

“Hopefully,” he answered, laying his weapon on the floor and sitting down cross-legged. “In my… profession I don’t make friends that often. This might be an exception.”

“Me an’ Shingen sorta got off on the wrong foot earlier today,” Ranma said with a smirk, before turning serious again. “So what were you talking about when you said it’d be good to have a witness?”

“Yeah, I didn’t really like the sound of that either,” Akane muttered.

“Rest easy, both of you,” the elderly Amazon admonished. “What I have to say is simple. By my pursuit of you, which at times has involved the use of rather unorthodox methods, I have ignored what other options exist within our tribal laws when a union by the Kiss of Marriage is unwanted by at least one party. These options have so seldom, if ever, been enforced, that I simply pushed the thought aside and ‘conveniently forgot’. In doing so, I have risked dishonoring the tribe as a whole even more, especially through some of my more underhanded means.” Fresh memories of the Reversal Jewel incident flashed through both Ranma and Akane’s mind, causing them both to wince- and in Ranma’s case, shut his eyes in shame. “I know it is a roundabout way of saying it, but what I have to say boils down to this.

“I know now that you would never become my son-in-law, Ranma… and I shall refrain from referring to you as such in the future. By your actions- which have been supported by both Shampoo and Mousse, who witnessed what you did at Phoenix Mountain, and also by the Tribal Council, who witnessed the aftereffects- I feel you have more than earned Right of Refusal.”

Akane gasped. Ranma stared, slack-jawed. Shingen glanced at Cologne, several thoughts joining together in succession. She must be the Amazon elder he told me about earlier, the one who’s always on his case to marry her great-granddaughter because of an outdated tribal custom. He stroked his chin in thought. I wonder…

“Right of Refusal?” Akane wondered aloud. “Does that mean…”

“It means just what it is, child,” said Cologne. “The right to refuse an outsider’s union with the tribe.”

Ranma’s jaw re-engaged as he blinked twice. “You mean… you mean that option was there the whole time, and you never said anything about it?”

“You must understand, it is a very old and seldom invoked right, usually reserved for our tribe’s greatest female warriors,” Cologne continued. “If a union by Kiss of Marriage is unwanted or inconvenient, the warrior may satisfy honor by performing a sufficiently taxing ordeal, proving the strength of her convictions through her actions. If the ordeal is completed, the warrior may refuse to obey the law of defeat by an outsider male, and no honor is lost on either side. It is possible for a male to earn such a right, but it has been few and far between since such a deed has occurred.” She sighed heavily. “That is part of the reason why I did not explore such an option; my great-granddaughter had no desire to refuse… and I underestimated how deeply your convictions lay, Ranma.”

“In other words, if I’d come to you and known about this rule in the first place, and then done some stunt to prove myself, I woulda been off the hook?” Ranma asked flatly.

Cologne nodded slightly at his words. “Obviously I wouldn’t have given you an easy task, boy… but after reading about the explosion at Phoenix Mountain, and hearing Shampoo recount what happened… I’m not so sure I could stand between the two of you anymore. I’ve already sent a message back to the Council to confirm my decision.” She sighed again, and Akane noted that Cologne suddenly seemed a lot older than she had in a long time.

Ranma’s expression softened, a look of pain creeping into his eyes. “So it’s really over. And to think, all I had to do to convince you was… was…” He swallowed hard. “Was kill someone,” he finished with ice in his voice.

Akane took his hand and squeezed it. “Ranma, don’t…” I know you hate talking about it, you don’t have to bring it up now, she thought quietly, almost hoping he could read what she was thinking. He glanced at her, relaxing slightly.

“I know it was not your intent to harm anyone,” Cologne admonished. “I know you’re a good boy at heart, even if you are a little rough around the edges at times. You just don’t have it in you to do what you did on a whim, I can tell. The important thing is, you didn’t do what you did for power, or for a cure for your condition, or any other reason than this. You defeated Saffron for the sake of one person. One woman. One I know you care about more than any other, no matter how you may deny it.”

A moment of silence passed before Akane felt Ranma squeeze her hand gently. “I… I’m done denyin’ it,” he said, almost in a whisper. “After what happened up there, I can’t deny it anymore. An’ if I had to fight him over again… I would.”

“Ranma…” Akane whispered, a smile emerging on her face.

“Wait a moment… did you say Saffron?” Everyone glanced over at Shingen, who was looking at Ranma with wide eyes. “Are you talking about the God-King of the Phoenix clan? The being with the powers of life and fire at his fingertips? Are you saying you faced him in combat… and defeated him?”

Ranma sighed. “I had to… it… it was the only way for me to get ‘kane back safely… to make sure she didn’t… die…” His words faltered and he began to find the floor very interesting for some reason. Akane’s hold on his hand tightened slightly. Shingen blinked a few times before settling back. There is definitely more to his story than he told me on the way over here, he thought.

Cologne cleared her throat. “I must tell you both, there may still be hard times ahead with my great-granddaughter. I have not yet told her of my ruling, nor does she know of our discussion here this evening. She believes I’m paying a visit to an old friend regarding some new herb therapy treatments. Once I do tell her, though, she may not take it very well; just because you have earned the Right, it does not mean she will not still pursue you. Shampoo still has much to learn of the tribe’s ways and those of the rest of the world, but she did come to care for you, despite the law. I do believe she fell for you quite fast, Ranma, and fell hard. I would ask that you try and be understanding if she approaches you again; she doesn’t have much in the way of friends here in Japan. Please don’t be too rough with her.”

Akane sighed. “I don’t know… after all that’s happened, it might take some time before I could really trust her again. I’d have to be sure she won’t up and attack me the way she has in the past.”

“That goes for me, too,” Ranma added.

“I understand,” said Cologne. “I’ll do what I can to set her heart at rest; if I can do that, would you be willing to consider her at least a casual acquaintance, if not a friend?” Ranma and Akane glanced at each other, then nodded in unison.

“Very well. Again, I apologize for the trouble I’ve brought to your doorstep… and I do hope we can be friends when all is said and done.” She straightened her green robe and looked at the two of them more seriously. “I did not come here for this reason alone, mind you. There is another, more serious matter that I must discuss with you. I have not yet broached the subject with either Shampoo or Mousse, as I fear they will not take it any better than you will.”

“What are you talking about?” Akane asked, suddenly concerned.

“I mentioned the communiqué I received from the Council regarding the explosion at Phoenix Mountain, correct?” At their nod, Cologne let out a long sigh. “Their message said more than just that; it also detailed something else that transpired, most likely the night of that incident- after you had likely left the area.”

She drew in a deep breath. “The valley of the Jusenkyo springs has been purged of its aura. Somehow, every last spring has had its patterns disrupted; even the training poles have been thrown into shambles.” She shook her head. “I’m afraid there is no chance for anyone to be cured of their curses anymore.”

Ranma groaned. “THAT’s the other matter? Well, I hate to burst your bubble, old gh… uh… er… Cologne, but we already knew about that. An’ from what I’ve picked up, those springs wouldn’t have helped that much anyway, aside from the transformation aspect...”

“I beg your pardon? What are you talking about?”

“They’re talking about the fact that they already know the Jusenkyo cursed springs have been destroyed, grandmother,” Shingen interjected, turning to face her. “And I’m not really sure what it is your tribe understands about the nature of those springs, but with all due respect, you most likely didn’t know half of what was going on.”

“And how would you know much about this, young man? Our tribe has lived in close proximity to the springs for well over a thousand years, what makes you think you know more about the springs?”

“Because not only has my family and other clans fully analyzed the nature of that place, I personally went to Jusenkyo not long ago and am also the one responsible for their disruption.” He paused, giving her a moment to soak in what he had said. “I apologize for intruding upon your tribal lands, but the springs had to be destroyed. They’d sat unattended for long enough.”

A look of utter shock settled on Cologne’s face. “You did WHAT???”

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Inside the main house, things were rapidly getting tense. Kasumi had quickly decided the best thing would be to start preparing dinner, leaving Genma and Soun at the mercy of Nabiki and Nodoka. In their state of inebriation, it was impossible for them to make any reasonable objection, or even an intelligible one. “Itsh the prinshiple of the thing,” Genma was slurring, much to his wife’s disgust. “A Marshull Artisht’s life ish phull of many trialsh, and thish is one of them. Wether it be trial by fffire… hic… or by liquid… de more one putsh himshelf through, de more he withshtandsh over time…”

“That’s about the dumbest excuse I’ve ever heard for going out and boozing your brains out,” Nabiki said with half-lidded eyes. “Trying to break your tolerance for sake or something? I said take your mind off the problem for a bit, not drag it through a fermenting tank, Mr. Saotome.”

“Oh, what’re we gonna do… the future of de houshesh ish at steak…” Genma moaned, oblivious. “We gotta show dose two how much dis means to everybuddy… Tendo, ya got enny ideash yet?”

A sudden click and a shining inch of sharpened steel caught Genma’s attention, sobering him and Soun up faster than a preacher on Sunday. He glanced nervously at Nodoka, who was gazing at him severely, sword at the ready. “Genma, right now you are not in any position to walk in a straight line, let alone make a rational decision about the future of the houses. In fact, I very seriously doubt any of your decisions about our families’ agreement have been rational; just look where your last attempt landed everything. We practically weathered a war under this very roof thanks to your ‘rational decision’ to hasten their marriage along! And to make matters worse, I had my own misgivings that it might be too soon but I said nothing, I trusted that perhaps maybe things would work out, and look what happened! No, I don’t think you should be thinking up any more new plans for their wedding, especially since it concerns THEM more than it does YOU!” She paused, taking in a deep breath. “I should have realized a long time ago that the only proper way to encourage them is to step aside and let them alone; the last thing they need is more parental pressure forcing them in one direction when they have enough pressure to deal with as it is.”

Genma blinked. “Huh? You mean jus’ do nothing? But No-chan…”

“Genma, I am in no mood to be called that this evening. It’s been a very long, very tiring day for all of us, especially our son. After what happened yesterday and further events of today, both he and Akane are exhausted. They don’t need any more grievances added on by their parents, so once they come in from their chat in the dojo, I would deeply appreciate it if we could set this matter aside. They deserve that much.”

“But… but…”

“I’m afraid she’s right, old friend,” said Soun weakly, placing a hand on Genma’s shoulder. “We’ve done more than our fair share of meddling in their lives, and where has it gotten us? Nothing much but a lot of bad blood, angry words and carpentry bills. It’s getting to be too much; I’m not sure I could weather another storm like the one we had yesterday.” He heaved a sigh. “I just want my baby girl to be happy, Saotome… of course, a pledge is a pledge, especially between our schools… but I’d rather not put her own happiness at risk at the same time. I’ve done enough. I’m tired.”

Nodoka smiled. “Thank you, Soun. I’m glad to see at least you understand.”

Nabiki smirked. I probably shouldn’t tell Auntie Nodoka about my little morning arrangement with Daddy; he can’t afford to lose me as the family financial planner, and he will if he keeps buggin’ Ranma and sis about getting married. I’d like to see Dad try and manage our stock portfolio, what with it being our only regular income and all…

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Inside the training hall, Cologne was wearing an expression of utter shock. She had listened very carefully to Shingen’s explanation of his bloodline, the ley line concentrations which ran beneath the valley floor of Jusenkyo, and the connections the springs held to the underworld. For a long moment, she just sat still, shaking her head as countless Amazon myths and legends about the springs flashed through her mind. She tried to rationalize it, deny what Shingen had said, replace his theory with one of the old legends about divine will and a place of learning ordained by the gods, but it wasn’t working. Several rare moments in her long life were flashing before her, memories of long-lost friends who had succumbed to a Jusenkyo curse and subsequently gone mad.

“The legends… they said those who train at Jusenkyo and become cursed are in need of spiritual training… that the curse is a lesson from the gods in disguise… something the warrior must learn from…” she muttered, almost a whisper.

“That may be what your legends say,” Shingen replied, “but if someone infected learns something from the curse, it may not always stick the longer the infection remains. The weaker the will, the faster the madness approaches. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is. Nothing godly about it, regardless of anything the Phoenix clan might think.”

“How… how is it that you know these things, and none of our tribe’s Elders have been aware in all the time we have lived at Joketsuzoku? Or the Musk? Their tribe’s been associated with Jusenkyo just as long as we have, if not longer!!”

“My guess is the longer you lived with it, the more used to it you got,” said Shingen. “Live near something long enough, and before you know it, you hardly even notice it’s there anymore. Once that occurs, why bother questioning it? Why bother trying to find a real explanation when a quick glance and a reasonable legend or two will suffice? It’s the same everywhere; people still don’t have any idea what really lies behind Stonehenge, or the Sphinx in Egypt, so they create legends around them. Some of which hold a grain of truth... but not all.”

Cologne gazed levelly up at Shingen. “You are sure of all this?” she asked in a wavering voice.

“Dead certain,” was the reply.

“I wasn’t expecting any of this either, ya know,” said Ranma in a soft tone. “An’ here I thought I’d seen most everything under the sun as far as curses; goes to show ya never can tell, right?”

“I’m still curious about something,” said Akane. “If these ‘Hunters’ have such a record of Jusenkyo and what its nature was, why wasn’t anything done about it ages ago? Why wait till now, when there’s about five or more people wandering around Nerima with Jusenkyo curses as we speak?”

“Akane-chan, you have to understand that the Hunters can’t do everything,” said Shingen. “We can’t be everywhere at once; our numbers are far too thin. We do what we can within our own territories, assisting abroad when needed, but sometimes all we can do is watch and wait. The last Chinese Hunter clan disappeared over seventy years ago, either because they fell in battle or married into other clans to escape their bloodline and lead normal lives. If they had survived, they might have acted sooner… but as it is, their disappearance left matters sorely unattended until my Father decided our clan had to intervene.”

“So… so the legends are not all they would appear…” Cologne murmured, a look of sadness entering her eyes. “Oh, good gods… my great-granddaughter… that poor blind fool, Mousse… if what you’re saying is true, their minds might be turning even as we speak.” She glanced up, fire burning in her eyes. “What can we do? And moreover, how are we going to break this to them?”

Ranma stood up. “Um… I know it’s not my place, but I really don’t think we oughta tell them at this point. Not that I’m not concerned, hell, this is as much my monkey as it is theirs… but they’ve already got one thing to deal with; do we really need ta saddle ‘em with another? I’m still getting used to this whole ‘Right of Refusal’ you just granted me, old gh… er… Cologne; if Shampoo doesn’t take it too easily that I’m not bound to her, tellin’ her about this might just cause her to snap completely. I don’t think any of us needs that on our hands.”

Akane nodded, slowly at first, then faster as she thought his words over. “You know, that actually does make sense, the last thing we need to do is start a panic. But the question is, can we actually do something in time?”

Shingen nodded slowly. “I may have a technique that will help, as I mentioned earlier… but I need to think about it at least overnight. As for time, hopefully it’s on our side; depending on the victims’ will, we may not see any effects for a good long while.”

“Is there anything I could do?” Cologne asked. “I am my tribe’s foremost expert on magic treatments and remedies, perhaps we could combine our techniques. Though… I have to say, honestly, you do seem awfully young to be this versed in arcane lore, especially lore which I’ve only ever heard of in variant tales.”

Shingen smiled. “My Father was the best sensei a Hunter could hope for. He taught me everything I know.” He took a deep breath. “As for combining skills… with all due respect, I’d rather hold off on that until I’ve had a chance to review what I have at my disposal. If you have any means to keep them calm or relaxed if they start to get angry, that might be of help.” Cologne pondered for a second, then nodded in response.

“I just hope whatever you’re planning is better than what’s been done before,” said Akane.

“I beg your pardon, Akane-chan?” Shingen asked.

“Just remembering something,” she replied with a shudder. “Happosai… our schools’ Grandmaster… once tried to split Ranma’s male and female sides apart, and it didn’t work out very well.”

Shingen nodded. “Unless he’s a Hunter himself, of course it wouldn’t have worked well. My guess is he probably used a flawed method of separation, combined with the fact that he most likely had no idea what he was dealing with.”

“Knowing that old goat, I’d have to agree with you,” Cologne muttered with a chuckle. Just then there was a knock on the door.

“Ranma, Akane, dinner will be in a few minutes,” came Kasumi’s voice. “Are you both okay in there?”

Ranma straightened up. “Uh, yeah, we’re okay Kasumi. We’ll be out in a moment.”

“Have you seen Shingen by any chance? He went out back a few minutes ago; I’m not sure what he was looking for.”

“He’s here, sis,” said Akane. “He… um… thought there was something prowling outside; he didn’t find anything. There’s no problem.”

There was a pause for a brief moment. “Oh, okay then. We were just a little concerned, that’s all. Tell him he’s welcome to join us for dinner if he wishes.” The sound of Kasumi’s footsteps wafted through the closed side door, followed by the swish and clack of the tearoom doors.

“Well, I suppose I should be on my way,” Cologne sighed, grasping her cane. “There’s much I have to do back at home; I don’t want Shampoo waiting up for me.” With a quick motion, she was balanced on the tip of the cane, hopping closer to Ranma. “You’ve given me much to think about this night, young man. And if you don’t mind my saying so… you really have been a great source of joy to this old woman over the time I’ve known you. I do hope we can put hard feelings aside, especially now.”

Ranma paused, then nodded. “I’d like that. I’d rather have you as an ally anyway… but no more tricks, right?”

“No more tricks. You have my word.” She reached forward, shaking his hand before turning and pogo-sticking her way out of the training hall.

Akane blinked, smiling. “I never thought she’d do something like that,” she said softly. “After all this time, I figured she’d be even more gung-ho about you and Shampoo getting hitched.”

“I think she may have realized I’d fight off the whole damn Amazon tribe if that’s what it took,” said Ranma. “An’ if she’s true to her word, I think we could really use her help right now. Things could get ugly faster than we thought they would, especially with this whole demon mess cropping up.”

“Let’s not talk about that right now,” said Akane, lacing the fingers of her right hand with those of Ranma’s left. “Dinner’s waiting, and we’ve got an even bigger challenge after that.”

Ranma smirked. “Our homework… or our dads?”

Akane nodded, an identical smirk on her face. “Let’s just hope Nabiki and Auntie Nodoka went easy on ‘em,” she laughed as she pulled Ranma towards the doors. He chuckled and caught up to her quickly; together they pushed the side doors open and headed back into the house. Shingen followed close behind in thought, pausing to turn out the training hall lights and shut the doors.

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Dinner, for once in the Tendo household, was a peaceful one that night. Nodoka’s watchful eye and ever-present katana kept Genma on a short leash through much of the meal; consequently Ranma didn’t have to fight over his portions and was able to enjoy a slower-paced dinner. Akane sat next to him, casting the odd glance in his direction every now and then, which he would return with a smile. Genma might have noticed their glances were it not for the fact that his sake-soaked brain was still on the dizzy side, despite his wife’s earlier sobering chat. Soun was slightly more receptive, but too confused by the presence of a new dinner guest to say much of anything about it. For his part, Shingen ate in silence, casually observing the interplay between the families.

Eventually the conversations moved to where Shingen was staying while he was in Nerima. It soon transpired that he had no current residence and had been planning to go to a hotel, which prompted Kasumi to offer the guest bedroom instead- Happosai still had not returned from his latest excursion and the room was almost completely vacant. “Besides, hotels in this section of town are practically highway robbery; you’d be better off staying here,” she had added.

Soun had almost had an apoplectic fit at the thought of another guest in the house… especially once Shingen mentioned he intended to stay in Nerima for at least a few weeks. “Until I finish my job here.” Soun’s jaw was practically touching the floor before Shingen dug into his jacket and retrieved a wad of bills; he counted several off the top and pressed them into Soun’s hands, telling him to consider them as both rent and compensation. Everyone’s eyes went wide, especially Nabiki’s, who quickly made a mental note to see if she could find out more about him.

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Akane had finished her homework and was just getting ready for bed when she heard a knock on her door. “Yes?” she asked as she crossed to open it. “Who is it?”

“Just a local stubborn baka,” came the lighthearted reply. She smirked as she opened the door to reveal Ranma standing there, one hand awkwardly behind his head as he glanced down the hallway. “I, uh… just wanted to tell you thanks for earlier,” he said softly. “I kinda lost my cool after Shingen dropped that bombshell about Jusenkyo… and, well… you bein’ there for me helped out a lot… and I’m glad we finally got a moment or two to ourselves.”

Akane smiled, blushing a bit. “Yeah, me too…” I wish we’d had that moment sooner, he’s a really good kisser… “Look, I’m not really sure what may be in store for us after tonight, but I think the last thing we need to do is worry about it. If something happens, we’ll deal with it, right? And I do mean we. Not just one or the other. Both of us.”

Ranma nodded slowly. “Both of us… I like the sound of that.” He reached up and brushed the hair at her temple gingerly, prompting another blush to cross her face. “Hey… I’ve got an idea.”

Akane blinked. “What’s that?”

“D’you think you could set your alarm about half an hour earlier for tomorrow?”

“Huh? Why? I have a hard time getting up for my morning jog as it is!”

“Because I was thinking that maybe I could get a jump on helping you out on a few things… um… I mean, that is if you don’t mind… you know… what I was talking about earlier today…”

Akane nodded. “You mean training?”

Ranma nodded. “Nothin’ fancy, I just wanna try and see what you can do and what I might be able to help ya with. I know it’s sudden, but if things are gonna get messy I’d rather make sure you can be the best ya possibly can.”

Akane’s smile was practically glowing. “Okay, I think I can manage a little earlier than usual… I just hope I don’t interfere with your morning sparring with your dad.”

“Don’t worry about him, I can always knock him around after school if need be.” Several noises from downstairs wafted up to them; it sounded like Nodoka was escorting Genma out the front door. “Besides, I think he’ll be too busy dealing with Mom; she said she was taking him home for the night… for a ‘little chat‘.” They both laughed.

Akane took a deep breath. “So… I guess I’ll see you bright and early, Ranma?”

Ranma nodded, gazing back into her eyes. “I’ll be looking forward to it, ‘kane.”

“Me too…” She paused for a moment, just looking at him. “Thank you.”

“What for?” he asked, slightly confused.

“For this,” she replied, pulling him closer and pressing her lips to his. Ranma wrapped his arms around her back and held her close, while she did the same to him. The kiss was brief, but every bit as passionate as the one they had shared just a few short hours before. As their lips parted, they hugged each other closer, shutting out the sounds from downstairs for a few moments.

“I’ll see you in the morning… my handsome baka,” Akane whispered tenderly.

“Sleep well… my beautiful tomboy,” Ranma replied in identical tones. Gradually the two separated, looking into each other’s eyes as Akane reluctantly closed her bedroom door. With a sigh, each retreated to their respective beds, both aware that things would likely not be easy in the near future. In fact, the likelihood for things to get far worse was looming in both their minds.

For that moment, though, it didn’t seem to matter.

To Be Continued…

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Author’s Note: This chapter went a lot longer than I had initially planned, but as I get further along in my story I find there is little other option. There’s a lot I’m trying to accomplish herein, and that’s going to require a lot of detail. Some of what I’ve written I’m not perfectly satisfied with, but it’s the best I can do. I’m well aware that some of the characters may be behaving in an OOC-fashion, but there is a method to my madness. I hope this chronicle is entertaining.

Thank you to everyone who’s read so far. I hope this installment has proved enjoyable; stay tuned for the next chapter and let me know if I’m making any sense story-wise. -Neon RoninConverting /tmp/phpHR181z to /dev/stdout