Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ The Ultimate Challenge ❯ Chapter 10

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

TITLE: Real Love

BY: Jessi

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the R 1/2 characters.

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

Akane lied still. Mousse had sat up and stretched his arms and back. She pretended to sleep, hoping against hope that they would not send her home. Even with her eyes shut, Akane could feel Mousse's gaze on her.

She sighed, and pulled herself into a sitting position. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and met Mousse's cold gaze.

"Good morning, Akane," Mousse said, with a slightly bitter tone.

"Ahah... hello, Mousse?" Akane replied with a nervous laugh that would have made Sailor Moon proud.

Mousse looked at her for a moment with stern eyes, and then stood up to shake Ryoga awake. Ryoga looked around to get his bearings, and then stared Akane with eyes that matched Mousse's.

"Hello, Akane. It's nice to see you again. Although I didn't expect we would meet so soon," Ryoga said coldly, not anything like his usual self. "Please explain yourself."

Cowering under Ryoga's uncharacteristically bitter attentions, Akane drew a deep breath and began.

"Well... ummmmm... I followed you here, from Nerima. And.. well.. you aren't going to send me home are you!? Please let me go with you! Don't send me home! I want to find Ranma! I want to help him.. I'm in love with him.." Akane finished quietly.

Ryoga looked astonished, and then crushed at Akane's declaration of love for Ranma. He looked at Mousse, who looked stunned. Silently, they reached an agreement. Akane was trying to rescue her love; they would not stop her.

"Well, Akane. We found you sleeping, and snoring rather loudly, in the brush not far from here. Apparently, you dozed off because your body could not handle the exertion. If you think you can make it, I suppose you can come along. Besides... we wouldn't want you making the trip to Nerima all by yourself, you'd probably collapse or something," Mousse told Akane.

Her eyes widened, shining with tears, and she grasped Mousse's hand and then Ryoga's.

"Thank you. Thank you for everything," She whispered. And Ryoga smiled through his tears.

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

The sun rose, as it did every morn, without great ceremony. It shone upon a couple, fast asleep, but not for much longer. Instinctively, Shampoo's eyes shot opened and she immediately climbed out of bed.

"Ranma! Wake up! We need start work!" She yelled harshly at her sleeping husband.

Shampoo was very much the type of girl who longed for things out of her reach, and when she got her claws on whatever it was that she wanted, she tossed it aside like a dirty dishrag. Of course, she couldn't just throw away a human being. Especially after everything Cologne had went through to get Ranma for her.

Shampoo had longed for Ranma for two reasons, and only two. He had defeated her in battle, and she was bound by honor to marry him. And she knew that he didn't love her, which was why Shampoo was so persistent in getting Ranma. She was more interested in the chase than the final outcome.

She was a selfish human being, with the tact of a 7-year-old girl. She had long since tired of Ranma's affections, becoming annoyed with his absolute devotion to her. She wished he could do something without seeking her approval. Shampoo was not an ideal Amazon. She was, in a battle sense, but the ideal Amazon would bask in the attention of a man, and use him for all he was worth. The ideal Amazon would have no problem with utter devotion from a man because of the notion that women were above men. But Shampoo was young and impressionable, and having spent so much time away from the tribe, she had picked up ideas of the outside world while in Nerima.

"Ranma!!!! Get out of bed!!!!" Shampoo screeched when Ranma did not move.

Ranma opened his eyes, and wearily climbed out of bed. He still loved his Shampoo, but lately, she had been cold toward him. When he asked her what he was doing wrong, she brushed him aside.

*Perhaps I am not following her direction close enough. I must follow her orders more precisely and ask her approval more often.* Ranma mused.

Shampoo rolled her eyes and stalked out of the hut. Ranma sighed and followed her out the door with nothing to look forward to except a day of horrendous manual labor.

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

The sea breeze stung Ryoga's eyes slightly as he watched the moon's reflection on the wind-harassed waters of the ocean. He tore his eyes away from the water, and rubbed his tearing eyes on his sleeve. If anyone had asked him why his eyes were watering, he would have said that the wind was stinging them, but that was not the case.

Ryoga was heartbroken; Akane had dashed any hopes that he had had concerning the two of them. Of course, Ryoga only wanted Akane to be happy, and he would do anything to make sure she was, even if that meant rescuing his rival from China.

*Hibiki, you wear your heart on your sleeve. Of course Akane loves Ranma. You knew it before she knew it herself.* He berated himself.

And it was the truth. In the back of his mind, Ryoga had known for a while that Akane was in love with Ranma. But he had always pushed that knowledge aside, praying that maybe things would change and that maybe Akane would look at him like she looked at Ranma when she thought no one was watching.

But now Ryoga had no reason to continue pursuing Akane. She loved Ranma, and Ranma, no matter how much he would try to deny it, loved Akane, and that was how things were going to be. There was nothing he could do about it.

A tear fell on Ryoga's wrist, and at that moment, he made a vow that he would rescue Ranma, and that he and Akane would get married.

"Saotome, you truly are the luckiest man in the world," Ryoga whispered to the winds.

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

Mousse watched Ryoga from the crow's nest on the ship. It was so apparent, so disgustingly obvious, that Ryoga was in love with Akane. Mousse could see his love for her even without his glasses, it was not a matter of eyesight, but of the heart, and Mousse had 20/20 vision in matters such as that.

He sighed; knowing that Ryoga was crushed. Mousse could literally feel Ryoga's heartache; his aura was nothing BUT depression.

In many ways, Shampoo and Mousse's relationship was much like Ryoga and Akane's, except that Shampoo knew of Mousse's feelings. Mousse knew that Shampoo didn't truly love Ranma, she was just a puppet of Cologne's. He also knew that as soon as Shampoo got Ranma, she would brush him aside, just like she had done with several pairs of bonbori that she had wanted for so long. She treated human beings as toys, playing with them until the latest model came out, and then she would toss the older one away and replace it with the new one. But Mousse looked past all of Shampoo's faults, he knew that underneath that bimbo/tough girl/brat exterior, there was a person worth getting to know. Mousse was working to bring out that person, and that was why he hadn't given up on her yet.

Mousse turned his attention back to Ryoga and said a silent prayer for him. He turned and hopped from the crow's nest effortlessly, and silently entered his cabin, but not before throwing one last sympathetic glance at Ryoga.

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

Akane stood by the captain at the wheel. She had found him to be a kindred spirit, and was telling him about her life since Ranma arrived. He was a wonderful audience, laughing and crying in all the right places.

"Miss Tendo, you have led quite a life the past year. I praise you for being the person you are. You are quite extraordinary," he told her.

Akane blushed, "Thank you, Captain. But it's getting late; I really should get to my quarters. Thank you for granting me an audience, Captain. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Miss Tendo," The captain replied.

When Akane had shut the door behind her, the captain let out a low whistle.

"Amazing. How did she manage to remain sane after all that? What a crazy lot of people. But of course, I work for complete loons. I have to get a new job," He sighed.

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

Chilly air swept around Akane's legs as she headed in the direction of her cabin. She gazed out towards the ocean, and saw a lone form leaning on the railing of the Kunos' ship.

*I thought Ryoga and Mousse had gone to bed??? Well, that obviously isn't Mousse. Must be Ryoga..* Akane thought as she walked toward the railing.

Ryoga was staring at the water and Akane tried not to startle him. She walked up behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder, smiling when he turned around.

"Oh.. hi Akane. Nice night, isn't it?" Ryoga asked without emotion.

Akane smiled and nodded. She leaned on the rail next to Ryoga, and they were silent for a while.

"Ryoga?" Akane said abruptly.

"Hmm?"

"Umm.. yeah. I was thinking.. I really wanted to know. You, being Ranma's friend and all.. has Ranma ever said, err, mentioned me to you?" Akane asked bashfully.

Ryoga frowned, and then let out a deep breath.

"No, Ranma has never mentioned you to me. But I know the answer to what you want to know. Ranma loves you," Ryoga said, but with an edge in his voice.

Akane's hand flew to her mouth. "But... are you sure? He always calls me uncute.. and tomboy.. and that isn't how you treat the one you love!"

"Then why did you treat Ranma the way you did?" Ryoga asked coldly.

"....."

"Look, Akane. I know that Ranma is in love with you. He didn't need to use words to tell me, it's just obvious. I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Akane." And Ryoga turned on his heel, leaving Akane pondering.

*Ryoga says Ranma loves me.. Is he for real? But he was acting pretty strange. I wonder, is something the matter?* Akane thought.

She looked to the sky, as if searching for an answer.

*Wow! The stars, you can see them so beautifully out here on the ocean! Look, there's the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, and, hey, is that Orion? Ahh... I never could find any other constellations except the dippers. No shooting stars tonight, guess I can't make any wishes. I want to, I want to wish that Ranma loves me, somewhere in his heart that the spell didn't touch, I wish that Ranma loves me.* Akane closed her eyes, a slight smile on her face.

*Ranma could be looking at this same sky, at this same moment. Maybe, he's making a wish, too. It might not be the same as mine, but it's nice to think about.* She smiled again, and left the railing, walking to her cabin.

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

The captain could see her from his position at the wheel.

"Ahhh... to be young and in love... and then to have that love taken away from you. What a sad state of affairs," He said to himself.

Turning his attention back to the sea, he murmured to himself. "We should be there in a day or so.. I hope that's soon enough,"

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

Once again, Ranma climbed to the "sunspot" after the day's chores. He stretched his weary muscles and relaxed a bit.

"Boy, the work is getting harder everyday. But somebody has to do it while the women are training. I'm just glad that I have a place to go when the day is done. Some unfortunate men have to return home and just sit in boredom. The stars really are amazing. Even if I had to work through the sunset, the stars make up for it. I wonder if I'll see a shooting star... What would I wish for if I did?"

Before long, Ranma had fallen asleep; he was exhausted from the day's work. Dreams filled his head, and he once again saw the navy haired girl in his mind.

*She's so beautiful and I feel like I know her. But where from? I've never seen anyone besides Amazons... and none of them have her beauty. Shampoo is gorgeous, but this girl rivals even her beauty. A..Akkaa.. Akane? That name is Japanese, just like mine! But is that her name? Do I even know her!?* Ranma's subconscious mind was reeling with the thoughts of the girl.

"RANMA!!!! Airen!!!!" Shampoo's voice carried to the "sunspot".

"Huh? Akane?" Ranma thought as he woke up.

"Ranma!!"

"Shampoo! I'm coming!!!" Ranma called as he scrambled down the side of the mountain. Shampoo came into his line of vision, and he dashed to her side, putting his arm around her waist.

"I'm so sorry, Shampoo. I lost track of time," Ranma said earnestly.

The hardness in Shampoo's eyes faded slightly, and she smiled at her husband.

"Shampoo understand. Let's go home," She said.

"Shampoo, I had a dream when I was up there. Do you know of a navy haired girl named Akane?" Ranma asked.

Shampoo stopped and whirled around to face Ranma.

"What you talk?! Shampoo no know any Akane. There is no Akane in village. There is no such person as 'Akane'. Forget her and never mention again," Shampoo said harshly.

As the Shun Cong De spell guaranteed, Ranma followed Shampoo's every command. Any idea of Akane was erased from his mind and all he saw was Shampoo. But the spell could not touch the deepest part of his heart or his dreams....

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

To be continued...

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So, what do you think? Good, bad? Let me know! Review or e-mail me!

jfossmeyer@hotmail.com