Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Second Chances ❯ Reflections ( Chapter 11 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Second Chances

Chapter 11 - Reflections

By Lord Archive

Characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Video, and several other
companies and are used without consent. I'll return them... I just need to
get Urd to send them back into time....

"Ranma!" Akane yelled and grabbed a man with red hair.
He looked at her, confused. "Oro?"
"Kenshin! Who is she?!"
"Oro!"
"You're not Ranma." Akane let go of him.
"Oops, over did it. Bye." Urd left 19th century Japan.

--------------------

Ranma was sitting upside down in the lotus position. His weight balanced on
his head and his folded legs set firmly in the air. <It's been almost a
month, and Pop isn't showin' any signs of gettin' ready to move. In fact...
it seems... he's settling in. It's almost like he doesn't expect to ever
leave here. He's got a job, a respectable one even. He even bought a piece
of furniture for himself. Sure its just a mini-dresser an' mirror and he put
all that 'age-defying' crap in it. He actually expects to gain some of his
'youthful looks' with that gunk. But you don't buy stuff like that if don't
plan ta stay since you can't take it with you.>

Ranma sighed. <Mr. Tendo wasn't kidding about knowin' Pop. Watchin' them
play shogi and gettin' drunk off their ass like they do. They're the best o'
friends. Mr. Tendo even helped Pop when he got caught after runnin' out on a
bill, first by coverin' for him and then payin' the bill. They
even joked about it being like 'old times' except Mr. Tendo didn't pay the
bills back then.

<Pop ain't goin' to leave. He's actually gonna stick this out.

Ranma flipped and was now sitting in the lotus position, right side up. <Pop
may want to stick this out, but do I?>

--------------------

Akane looked at the journal in front of her with tears in her eyes. She had
been avoiding reading this part of it as it brought back a lot of bad
memories. There were other parts she was avoiding, particularly the entries
concerning Jusendo and Ryugenzawa.

The problem though was she wanted to understand this Ranma better and that
meant she had to read everything her Ranma had written in his journal. She
wished her Ranma hadn't died and that she didn't have to relive her life,
but she wasn't going to pass up the chance to correct her past mistakes.

One passage particularly bothered her.

I can't stand her! That bitch manipulated me at every step. There is
no way in hell I'd ever want to marry her. I'd sooner be with Kodachi than
that money grubbing mercenary.

The following passage Akane could smile at since it was about Ranma making
up with her. He even called himself a coward for how he reacted after
saying, "I love you." But, whatever chance Nabiki had to marry Ranma before
their engagement had become nothing after that.

Akane knew why it bothered her. Because she was manipulating the new Ranma.
She was changing things to how she thought things should be. If he ever
found out, how would Ranma react? Would this Ranma hate her as much as her
Ranma hated Nabiki? Would it kill any chance for her to marry Ranma?

Akane closed the journal, her eyes set with determination. She stormed out
of her room and into Nabiki's. "I won't manipulate him anymore."

Nabiki blinked and looked at her sister like she grew a second head. "Excuse
me."

"I won't try to manipulate him. You know damn well he hates that. You read
this journal too."

Nabiki nodded. "And what brought this on?"

"I just read about the time he was engaged to you."

Nabiki glanced up to the ceiling. "So? You've manipulated him. You did that
in your past life. How does this change anything this time around?"

Akane scowled. "I never went as far as I've done here."

"True. However, tell me how can you not change and manipulate things? You
know what is going to happen."

"But if Ranma finds out how I've changed things he might hate me."

Nabiki shook her head. "In case you've forgotten, oneechan, your Ranma was
never attracted to 'me' in the first place. By doing those things, Ranma's
opinion of that Nabiki lowered. Besides, he didn't hate 'her' for long,
after all he did state much later that he saw that Nabiki as an annoying
older sister."

Akane nodded, remembering he did write that.

"One other thing, the only way I can see you keeping Ranma from being upset
about your little secret, you would have to tell him everything. How would
he react to that?"

Akane paled. "If he knew who I really was, it'd scare him away."

"Exactly. Ranma is the type of guy who likes to take relationships slowly.
If you tell him you're his love from a future where he died, he'd be in
China before you know it."

"But what am I supposed to do?"

Nabiki thought for a second. "Well, you can't stop minor manipulations of
events, you know too damn much. Just be careful to avoid giving him any
reason to be suspicious of you."

"I guess." Akane walked out of the room.

Nabiki smirked. While Akane might not want to manipulate things, it didn't
mean the new youngest Tendo couldn't.

Nabiki liked the idea of being the youngest daughter. After all Akane had
the mind of an eighteen-year-old. Too bad she couldn't tell anybody about
that.

--------------------

Ranma kicked and punched his imaginary foe. <Do I want to get married? Akane
is a nice enough girl and she has some martial arts skill. And she is cute.
However, there are times she seems... well... cold. I don't know how to
place it. It just seems like part of her is dead. I don't see much fire in
her except when she gets upset.>

Ranma increased the difficulty of his kata. <Aw, why am I even thinking
about getting married. I'm sixteen and that's way too young to consider
settling down for the rest of my life. I'll just have to give this time.
Maybe in two years I will want to marry Akane, but if not, I would at least
know what it was like to have a home.>

--------------------

"Saotome-kun, why don't we..." Soun's brow crinkled in thought. "...ah, go
out to dinner. I know a great place."

"Why? Kasumi is a great cook."

Soun whispered to Genma. "But she's not the one going to be cooking. Akane
is, and she hasn't exactly learned how."

"How bad could it be?"

"I'm paying."

Genma stood up. "Lead the way."

Nabiki nodded and walked into the laundry room. "Hey, Sis."

"Yes, Nabiki?" Kasumi expertly folded a towel.

"I was thinking it would be a good idea to give Akane and Ranma a little
private time. They can't let down their guard with anybody here."

"Well, that would be a good idea. But what if they try to do anything...
inappropriate."

Nabiki shook her head. "I really doubt that. Ranma isn't that type of guy."
Akane was a different matter entirely, but she knew better than to try
anything.

"Are you sure? He did sneak into Akane's room before."

"Positive. You have nothing to worry about from Ranma. He was only trying to
protect Akane from Ryoga."

"Well...."

"Akane has already decided that she wants to cook tonight."

Kasumi paled. "M-my k-kitchen...."

"Your kitchen will be fine. Let's go out to eat. Okay?"

"I have to stay, to teach Akane...."

Nabiki waved her off. "Ranma knows how to cook, and he can help her."

"He does? He can?"

Nabiki nodded. "It'll help them get together. Wouldn't it be nice to fulfill
Daddy agreement with a love marriage."

"Well, yes."

"Then let's go." Nabiki grabbed Kasumi's arm and dragged her out of the
house.

--------------------

Akane read the note again and blinked.

Akane,

Everybody is out of the house except you and lover boy. So guess
who's going to have to cook. Don't try anything you haven't mastered yet and
try to involve Ranma. We'll be back before you get any ideas of doing
anything 'inappropriate.'

See ya
little Sis.

Akane shook her head. After talking about manipulating things, Nabiki went
and did it anyway. Somehow she couldn't get upset about this.

Akane couldn't help but laugh a little about how Nabiki signed the note.

Now to make dinner. Curry, Akane decided quickly. It was the first meal she
mastered. She walked down stairs and into the kitchen and began.

--------------------

Ranma walked into the house and took one whiff of the air. His taste buds
drooled. He peeked into the kitchen. "How long before dinner, Kasumi?"

"Wrong Tendo, Ranma." Akane smirked at her fiance. "It won't be much
longer."

Ranma scratched the back of his head nervously. "Sorry. How come you're
cooking tonight?"

"Well, we're the only ones home now, and someone had to cook."

"Oh."

"Can you do me a favor and set the table?" Akane smiled sweetly.

"Ah, yeah, sure." Ranma shook his head and started to get some plates.

Akane added a couple spices and then tested the curry. Her eyes bulged and
quickly grabbed got herself a glass of water and downed it.

"Something wrong?"

"Put too much spices in it. Sorry."

Ranma shrugged. "I like it hot. Do we have any bread?"

Akane nodded.

"Good it'll help better than water would."

--------------------

Akane and Ranma were laughing about something when the patriarchs returned
home.

Even after a large meal, the panda eyed the curry on the table hungrily. He
reached down and took a ladle full of it. The panda breathed fire into
Soun's face. [Good stuff.] He plopped down and began eating heartily.

Soun sweat dropped. "Did you make dinner?"

Akane nodded. "Yes. It came out a lot spicier than I wanted it to, though."

Soun carefully took a spoonful of the curry to see for himself. His eyes
watered and then tears streamed out. "Oh, the power of love! It almost cured
my daughter's cooking!"

Ranma blinked. "What did he mean by that?"

Akane blushed. "Well, my earlier attempts at cooking failed miserably. But
I've been improving with my home-economics class."

--------------------

Kasumi looked at her kitchen. It was a mess, but it wasn't the disaster she
had expected. But what surprised her the most was that her father was
cleaning it. "Father, why are you cleaning?"

Soun chuckled. "Lost a bet to Nabiki. Akane made something edible, so I have
to clean. But it was worth it, to taste what my little girl made for her
fiance out of love. The family lines will be joined!"

Kasumi looked down in dismay at the increasing large puddle of tears on the
floor. She then smiled. Ranma and Akane seemed to be made for each other. "I
can finish for you."

"No, Sis," Nabiki said flatly. "He made the bet and lost, so he has to pay."

"It's all right, Kasumi."

"If you say so." Kasumi knew she would have to spend time tomorrow correct
what her father did to her kitchen, but she doubted she could convince them
to let her finish the cleaning.

--------------------

Author's Notes:

Well, here it is, FINALLY, chapter 11 of Second Chances. I apologize for the
wait.

Coming in chapter 12: The Black Rose.