Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Second Chances ❯ Anger, Sorrow, and Regrets ( Chapter 5 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]
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5 - Anger, Sorrow, and Regrets
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Everyone sat quietly at the Tendo household, eating breakfast. The reason no one was talking was that Akane was angry. Actually she was more than angry, she looked ready to kill. No one knew why she was angry. Sometime last night she screamed, "I'll kill him!" but had said nothing since then.
Akane sat there fuming. She wanted to tell the others why she was mad, but she couldn't. To tell them would mean Akane would also have to tell them she's from two years in the future. She'd have to deal with her anger by herself. Akane could not believe what she read in Ranma's journal she had brought from the future. She didn't want to believe it, but thinking back to her previous life, she saw it was probably true.
Akane shook her head to clear her thoughts. It was getting late and she needed to get to school. "Come on, Ranma. Let's go." Her voice carried the chill of an arctic wind.
"Ah... okay." Ranma got up nervously. He was a little afraid he was the 'him' she was going to kill.
Genma leaned over and whispered to Ranma, "What did you do to her, boy?"
"I don't know. I asked her for a date, that's it," Ranma whispered back, before grabbing his book bag and chasing after Akane.
Genma shook his head. He then grinned.
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Ranma walked on the fence, a little further away from Akane than he had walked the day before. "Um... Akane?"
"Yes?" Akane's tone still held the anger she felt.
"Who's the guy you're gonna kill?"
Akane turned and glared at Ranma. Seeing his concerned look, her anger lessened. She realized she needed to say something to him.
Akane sighed. "He was a friend. Someone I trusted implicitly. I found out he'd been lying to me. Worst than that he made me think... someone who was a very close friend of mine was really a bad person a lot of the time. I accused... that friend of being wrong about so many things that were the fault of others. For that, I'm really sorry... to that friend."
"Well, you can apologize to that friend, and when you see that guy, you can tell `em what you think of him."
A tear rolled down Akane's face. "I wish I could. That friend is gone now, and that guy... well, is gone too. I will never get to say what I want to say to them."
Ranma jumped down in front of Akane. "If you can never talk to them, then forget `em. There's no point to thinkin' about things ya can't change."
Akane gave him a weak smile. "I guess you're right. I can at least make sure not to repeat that mistake. Um... Ranma?"
"Yeah?"
"Kuno's mine to deal with today." Akane brought back her anger. It was so much easier to deal with than her sorrow and regret.
"I thought we got him to stop chasing after you."
Akane laughed. "I hope he has, but I doubt it. He can be pretty stubborn."
"He doesn't care about honor?"
"He does, but he'll try to warp it to fit his view of reality."
"Are you sure you want to fight him?"
"I'm sure. If he challenges either of us, I'll make him eat grass." A predatory gleam was held in Akane's eyes as they approached the school.
Nabiki stepped out of hiding, trying to understand what Akane just said.
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Akane shook her head at the sight of her assembled 'suitors.' They all looked ready to fight, which meant no one had yet to inform them of Kuno's defeat at Ranma's hands. They all shouted their 'love' for her in their battle cries and were quickly mowed down.
Ranma leaned against the front gate. "When do they learn?" he mused.
Kuno strode towards Akane. "Ah fair goddess, it pains me to see your fiancee does not seek to protect you from your attackers. For this I must take it upon myself to URK!"
Akane held Kuno by the collar. "Kuno-sempai! I'm already in a bad mood. I thought the challenge made it clear. Ranma defeated you, and you leave us alone. He did and you apparently aren't. Where is your honor?"
"My honor is to protect fair maidens."
"The person I need to be protected from is you! You will call off these morning fights and you will leave us alone!"
"Let me save you from your unwanted engagement!"
"Who said it was unwanted? It may be forced, but we haven't made up our minds if we want it or not."
"How can you want to be engaged to the foul cur?" Kuno demanded.
"You don't know him and you insult him?! Kuno die!" The next thirty seconds was filled with completely mindless violence Akane enacted on Kuno's personage.
Akane stomped off to class followed by Ranma.
Nabiki walked over to Kuno and tsked. "You are really pathetic." She grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the nurse's station.
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Akane sat at her desk, ignoring her teacher. She had too much on her mind. She sighed.
Akane glanced at Ranma, who had fallen asleep.
Akane noticed her text book started to get a couple drops of water on it.
Akane looked at the board.
Akane tapped her pencil on her lips. Akane scribbled down some ideas.
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"It's your fault we had detention," Akane said coldly.
"You didn't have to skip school with me," Ranma retorted.
"I know, but it's kind of fun to blame you," Akane giggled.
Surprised at this response Ranma turned around and saw her smiling. "Well, ah, whatever."
Suddenly, water mysteriously fell from the sky onto Ranma. A voice from above shouted, "Sorry, didn't think anyone was down there."
"How did that just happen?" onna-Ranma asked.
Akane laughed, "You have a water curse. You're going to have to expect to find water inexplicably drawn to you. If someone tosses water out a window, you'll be under it."
Ranma sighed. "Oh, joy."
"Ah, Tendo Akane, I see your cowardly fiancee is once again not by your side," Kuno said.
"Just who are you calling cowardly?" Ranma snarled.
"If it isn't the fair maiden who mightily tossed me from the pool. Let me introduce myself, I am the rising star in the Kendo world of martial arts, known to my peers as the..."
"I know who you are, Kuno the true blunder."
"That's Blue Thunder, my Dear."
"We don't care Kuno, leave us alone," Akane said coldly.
"But how can I stay away and deprive you of your true love? I must stay by your side and protect you from your unworthy fiance."
"Unworthy?! Who are you to say who's worthy? A cat would be more acceptable than you!" Ranma retorted.
"You challenge my word?" Kuno drew out his bokken, holding it at the ready.
"I challenge your word and your sanity!"
"If you win..."
Kuno said no more since before Ranma punched him in the jaw. They both attacked, parried, and dodged. Ranma's inexperience in fighting in her female body allowed Kuno to land a blow to her shoulder. Ranma returned that blow two dozen fold, knocking Kuno to the ground.
Kuno thought before fading into unconsciousness.
Akane looked at Ranma's shoulder. "You should get Dr. Tofu to see that."
"Who?"
"He's our family doctor and friend. He patches me up whenever I get hurt."
"It's not that bad."
"Isn't it?" Akane tapped the wound.
Ranma crumpled onto the ground.
"Come on, he'll fix it up like you've never hurt it before. He is very good."
"All right," Ranma grumbled.
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"Hello," Akane called, entering the clinic.
"Why hello, Akane. What brings you here today?" Dr. Tofu greeted friendly.
"Ranma, here, decided to play pound the Kuno, and Kuno got a lucky hit in," Akane answered.
Dr. Tofu raised an eyebrow. "She must be very good if Kuno could only get a lucky hit in. And did you say her name was Ranma?"
Akane nodded. "Ranma's better than I am."
Dr. Tofu looked at them quizzically. "I thought I heard Ranma was your fiance."
Akane blushed slightly. "Um... he is. Ever hear about Jusenkyo?"
"Akane?!" Ranma uttered.
"You can trust him, Ranma. He might even be able to help you," Akane said reassuringly.
Ranma didn't answer, she just stared at the floor.
"I'm afraid I haven't heard about Jusenkyo," Dr. Tofu said, confused.
"They're a group of magical spring in China. If you fall into a spring and you'll take the cursed form of whatever drowned there when splashed with cold water. Hot water returns you to normal. In Ranma's case it was spring of drowned girl," Akane informed him.
If it was anyone else besides Akane had said it, he would've thought it a joke. "It must be difficult for you to adjust to the curse," Dr. Tofu said, concerned.
"That's an understatement. Getting engaged didn't help any," Ranma grumbled.
"Well, let's take a look at your shoulder, and then I'll see what I can find out about your curse."
------------------------ The next day-
"Hey Ranma, here," Nabiki said, handing Ranma a letter.
"This is to me?" Ranma asked.
"'To the girl side,' Kuno said. I don't think he believes you're the same person."
Ranma opened the letter marked, "To the Water Sprite Girl." He read aloud, "On Sunday, in the tenth hour meet me in the second field of Furinkan High School."
Akane twitched as she heard this. "Sounds like either a duel or a date."
"A date? Come on this is Kuno were talking about," Nabiki said flatly. "The same guy who's obsessed with you."
"Yes we are. He only showed interest in me after I beat the crap out of him. Seeing as Ranma has done the same in his girl form, he may have 'fallen in love' with 'her.'"
"I can't just ignore this," Ranma said flatly. "If this is a challenge, I have to fight. If it's a date he'll be sorry."

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