The glowing ember of the sun had slowly climbed it�s way into the fierce azure sky, and like so many things that soar along with the clouds, it eventually began it�s slow trek downward in it�s eternal arc.... plumetting to earth as Icarus did in some long passed tale.
The city of Tokyo was thriving that day, as the Sun began it�s lumbering descent, Yet the largest city on the island of Japan was always rushed and busy. There was a saying that solemnly stated that if a man was late in getting where he was going, his soul could be sold by the time he got there.
Needless to say, the people of Tokyo were very hectic this day. Especially on a certain road, where a certain child of the Saotome lineage was patiently awaiting his lady love.
Not to mention the high speed buzz of people down the main thoroughfair was a thing Ranma could do without. Of course, she also had a faint complaint of all the grocery bags that Akane had kindly bestowed upon her.
The people hurried by as Akane took her time looking for some games to play at the slumber party. Ranma, who was sitting on a bench waiting patiently, let out a slow, weary sigh. *I don�t get it, why does she have to have all THIS for a slumber party??? Icecream I can understand. Hey, actually, she�d better hurry up.*
Akane walked out several moments later, a small white bag in her hand. "Okay, I�m ready to go Ranma." She said in a cheery voice. The bright smile that she had worn on her face since that morning having never left her complexion, to Ranma�s delight.
Akane silently thought about hwo the day was going, very commendable on Ranma�s part. Not once had her erstwhile fiancee commented about her own femininity. Which did worry Akane. It just seemed as the more time passed that Ranma just wasn�t Ranma anymore, but some whole different person.
Shaking off that thought, she drew her introspection back to their current outing.
She didn�t get to go out with Ranma by herself all that much. Ever since Shampoo got married to Mousse, things had been next to quiet. Not even Ukyou had tried to get between her and Ranma.
The thought of Ukyou slowly brought a brief worried expression onto her face.... mixed with a dose of Sadness. Akane knew that Ukyou loved Ranma, she knew that Ukyou would do anything to make Ranma happy, even...
Give him up.
Ukyou was a friend, in Akane�s eyes, and she knew that giving up Ranma would hurt her. The girl deserved to be happy, in Akane�s opinion.
Looking up at Akane, Ranma blinked, wondering what the other girl would be thinking about. Ranma gently lifted the two bags of groceries. She stood up ready to make haste on their way home. "Uhhh.. so what did you get??" Ranma asked, curious what she had taken so long to buy.
Shaking herself out of her contemplation, Akane returned her attention to Ranma. "Deck of Cards, a Ouiji Board.... I�ve always wondered if these things work," She giggled, and slowly let her gaze meet Ranma�s. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Ranma," She said as she turned and began walking down the Street.
*....Two...things?! She kept me waiting for all that time for two things?!?* Ranma thought in a faint bit of anger. Moments Later, Ranma followed her, a definite scowl forming on her face.
"You mean you-" Ranma began, then had to mentally rip the sentance before she could finish. The jerk part of Ranma�s mind was grumbling about how a woman could take so long and buy two things that were OBVIOUS slumber party cliche�s.
"..Urr..." The half that had been taught of Hiroshi�s caring and concerned philosophy decided on a bit more tact than Ranma was usually used to. The two halves Struggled for a moment in Ranma�s head, until the more polite of the two bound and gagged the jerk-mouth.
A Moment later Ranma smiled. "S�okay, Akane, I don�t mind, just so long as I spend my time with you." A blush crept into Ranma�s cheeks as she spoke.
Akane felt her heart shift and flutter a moment at those words. *Will I ever get used to him saying that??? Kami, I love him so much....* "Don�t be so flattering, Ranma, it�s weird for you." She smiles.
Ranma blinked for a moment, then let a smile similar to Akane�s drift slowly across her face. "Okay, Kawaii-"
"Raaanmaaaaaa....." Akane started, feeling a slight rush of anger spread through her. WHY Ranma kept insulting her femininity she could not understand. *He always picks on me for-*
Ranma�s smile grew from her response. "-Iinazuke." She finished with a certain finality.
Akane slowly came to a halt in the middle of the crowd. The wind seemed to gently breeze by for a moment as all the disquiet of the cities tempest seemed to fade for a moment. *Did he say that?*
Ranma walked on, oblivious to the fact that there was a definite something missing. It took her all of a minute to realize that Akane had ceased following her. Blinking again, she turned and began trekking back towards the shop they had left. She stopped on the way as she saw Akane standing in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at her. "What?? Did I say something wrong?"
Akane just shook her head slowly. "Was that some kind of proposal?" Akane asked in a voice that shook with anticipation. Her heart surged and pounded in her chest, echoing that loud rhythmic sound in her head.
Ranma blinked, yet again, in a slightly confused expression. *What does she.....* Then her own words played back to her. *....oops.....* A quick run of excuses ran through her mind.
*What are you doing?!?!!* Her mind screamed with legitimate frustration. *You LOVE her, don�t you??* It asked her in a tone demanding an answer.
Ranma blinked at the voice yelling in her head. *Yeah. but...... I�m not ready. It�s... it�s too soon. I need to sort some things out.*
The voice gagged for a moment, making it�s obvious disgust and offense known. *Ohhh, you mean that OTHER Love problem....*
*What does Ucchan have to do with this??* Ranma asked, getting a stern look on her face. If anyone were to note, it was a look as if she had forgotten something important and was upset with herself.
The voice laughed at Ranma�s ignorance. *Oh please, this has nothing to do with Ukyou... I can�t believe you are so dense.*
Ranma, feeling somewhat defensive, began to retort to the strange voice in her head. *What are you-*
"Ranma?" Akane asked, looking concerned as she watched emotions flash across Ranma�s face. *...maybe...maybe he didn�t mean it..* A heavy sigh slowly escaped her lips.
Ranma focused her eyes again and noticed the sad look on Akane�s face. "Huh?? Oh..... Oh. Akane.. I... I�m sorry. I.. uh...." Ranma articulated with apt skill, her eyes finding a place of comfort as she concentrated heavily on her feet.
"It�s okay, Ranma... I understand. Sorry I overreacted." Akane felt her heart sink into her stomach as she spoke, and she continued walking, this time leaving Ranma behind.
*Dammit! Now see what you�ve done???? Akane is hurt....* the voice murmured in her mind.
Ranma shook her head. *....I.......you�re right...* She finally admitted with a firm level of defeat in her heart. Ranma caught up with Akane. "Akane, waitasec.... I... I did sorta mean it."
Akane stopped and looked at Ranma again, her eyes and heart filling up with a sense of hope once more.
Her gaze met the redhead�s, a slight hope welling up where her heart had plumetted and causing it to lift a little higher. *No.... no, he said SORT OF.....* She reminded herself, just to keep the reality of the situation close at hand. "...what.. do you mean, Ranma?"
Ranma looked at Akane, struggling to get the words out of her mouth. "..I....I would sort of.... like to consider you... I mean... I don�t want to... be engaged again or nothing....,"
Turning away, Akane lowered her eyes. "...Oh..." Akane let herself say, feeling her heart sinking again. *I guess I�m not worth enough to ask.... not yet, or something....*
Ranma saw that smile on Akane�s face starting to slip away again."....No, wait!! But.. i am really really considering it, Akane, okay?? I mean, I�ve almost asked ya, so could ya wait just a little longer?" She said quickly... trying to salvage the situation before she ruined Akane�s cheery mood.
Akane looked back up at Ranma, and seemed to consider her carefully for a long moment. *...I Love him, I know he loves me.... I can wait a little longer.... it�s not like the world is going to end tomorrow.* Akane slowly forced herself to relax, letting the tension of the past several moments drain from her, her eyes locked on Ranma as she carefully considered his words.
Ranma suffered the critical stare Akane used on her... her eyes staring back at Akane�s gentle brown orbs. A tense feeling tightening within her chest, and Ranma waited for the world to stop and listen to them.
Gleefully, for the world, it was keenly oblivious to the two lovers that spoke on a street in Tokyo.
"....Ranma...." Akane said gently... almost so gently Ranma couldn�t hear her. ".....Thank you...." She followed with, in a soft, comforting tone.
She turned and began her slow voyage home, a little more spring in her step than before.
Ranma followed her for quite a while, just watching Akane carefully. *She is very cute......... when she wants to be. I�m so happy Hiroshi helped me get her back....*
The thought of Hiroshi suddenly brought back all the tension that Ranma had kept in the box within her soul. *Hiroshi.... oh, Kami, Hiroshi.... why must you suffer so much. You�ve done so much for me.. so much for others, and you�ve never asked for a thing... nothing at all but for a single girl to love you.*
Ranma made a silent vow that she would do everything possible to make this girl give Hiroshi a chance.... even if just for a day, she KNEW that Hiroshi could win her over. *...I swear I won�t abandon him to the darkness..... I�ll make sure that he has a chance, like he�s given me.*
Akane, on the other hand, was planning out the night�s events. *Let�s see, I�ve got Yuka, Sayuri, Ami, Kiyomi, and Shiyori coming over tonight...... and I have Ranma joining in on the fun... I have icecream, snacks, Fruits, whip cream, chocolate syrup, cherries. I�ve got The Ouiji Board and a deck of cards..... okay...*
Akane mentally checked off each thing as she ran through her shopping list. She didn�t take much notice of the dust cloud on the horizon as they began entering Nerima�s outer area.
Ranma, however, did notice the telltale signs of a certain perverted master of the Art. "..urr.... Akane????" Ranma said tenatively, seeing Akane�s deep thoughtful expression.
Akane waved Ranma off with her free hand. "Not now, Ranma, I�m trying to think." She said gently. *Okay, now am I forgetting anything??*
Ranma attempted to Point with the two bags in her arms, not entirely successful. "Uhm... but Akane.... there�s-" Ranma was cut short.
"Please, I�m trying to see if we forgot anything." She said in a shorter tone than she would have preferred. *He can WAIT just a second...*
Ranma noticed that the Dustcloud was heading straight for them. *Typical, he runs towards Tokyo, then hops down an alley and heads back to the Dojo...........*
"Akane, Happosai is coming this way." She said, rushing ahead and standing in front of Akane. "...here, you take these back to the Dojo.... I�ll take care of the old pervert." Ranma held out the bags.
"Huh??? Happosai??" Akane looked around, and finally noticed the cloud of dust that was closing on them, then she carefully narrowed her eyes. "Oooh, so he�s on his daily pillaging."
Ranma still held out the bags. "...I can take him.... don�t worry �bout it.. you take these and get home, or that Icecream is gonna melt."
"But Ranma, I Can-" Akane didn�t get to finish as she was forcibly handed the bags and Ranma jumped up onto the wall, running at full tilt towards the cloud of Dust. *He didn�t even let me finish. Baka...* She sighed heavily, shaking her head. *He�s probably right anyways..... I guess I should be going home.*
Akane turned and began walking down a side street towards the Tendo household.
Ranma hesitated after several moments of Running and looked back, the wind gently playing through her hair as she stood for a moment, looking back at where Akane had been moments before. *Good... at least she listened to me just once.....*
Turning, Ranma began once more the rapid staccato rhythm of her feet *Front, front, heel to toe, heel to toe..... front front.... balance, continue, heel, toe....* She gently chanted in her head in succession to the rapid beating of her feet on the stone walls.
The cloud of dust moved just as rapidly towards her as she did towards it..... chaos running towards chaos.
Fate rippled outward with each passing moment..... and the world hardly took notice as the two lovers travelled further and further away from eachother.
* * * * * *
The dust rose behind him, as if some mighty storm had been stirred into being by the countless feet of his pursuers.
He could feel the adrenaline rush through him as he thrilled at the excitement of the chase.... his back heavy with the goods of countless young flowers purged of their belongings by his adept hands. Age had never touched his heart, though it had shrivelled his body.
*What world would there be without Happosai to give it life???* He wondered, a mad Lecherous grin on his face. *What world, indeed....* His thoughts silently murmured.
Shouts of �Lecher!�, �Pervert!�, and �Come back here!� pursued him. His purpose clear, and his skin tingling from the rush of pure life running through him as he followed the firm and peaceful rhythm of his own steps.... drowning out the girls following him as he revelled in his freedom.
None made Happosai do their bidding, he was master, and he was the one in control. None could stop him from his daily routines, and none had the power to try.
*Well.... maybe one....* His sharp mind contemplated. *Yet he is too unskilled yet to match me in battle..... though he will learn.*
A moment later Happosai saw a descending shadow in a familiar, female sillhouette. His skilled eyes watched the figure, locking on it�s ki as it descended.. *....Ranma...* It chortled inside.
Then the shock of shocks, Happosai stopped in his escape as his mind visibly locked up. "..panties??"
Happosai saw Ranma descending in a graceful flying kick straight for his aged and weathered face, yet all his mind could fathom or take note of was the fact that Ranma was wearing a dress, and under that dress was PANTIES.
A moment and a half later, Happosai felt a violent surge of pain flash through his chest as Ranma�s foot connected, sending him sprawling back through the air in a smooth arc towards the group of pursuing girls, the wind in his lungs quickly escaping him. "Ranma....wearing....panties...?" Was all his mind could muster, and his breath could relay.
It took several more moments for his mind to comprehend the trajectory of his flight, and that he was now lying on solid pavement, looking up at a large group of beautiful, yet angry faces. All of which who�s hands were hefting mallet�s, brooms, bokken, and various other instruments of pain Happosai had become accustomed to over his time knowing women.
He attempted to use his most innocent, cute expression in hopes to divert the obvious torment that would follow, knowing that it was a nigh useless attempt at hope. "...Hee hee... now ladies, don�t overreact...." He begged, more than asked, in a pleading tone.
"POUND!" A young brown haired girl cried out in righteous anger.
A pretty black haired beauty added to the cry, "HIM!"
"DEAD!!!" A brown eyed vixen finished with a certain finality as they all raised their instruments of destruction.
"...urp..." Happosai managed before blow after blow of unending pain was rained on him from above. He felt the pain lancing through is limbs with every blow, his bones rattled in their foundations from the graphic violence the Girl�s anointed his small form with.
With a heavy heart and a angry twinge in his demeanor, he bundled up the remains of his gathering and left them in the group of girls as he crawled slowly out, his body bruised and battered from the afflictions of the various girls.
He panted for a moment, hiding behind a trashcan to avoid the girl�s eyes from catching him... wondering how the day could have turned out such a disaster after such a beautiful and fulfilling morning. The sun was bright, there wasn�t a cloud in the sky, and he had felt extra vigorous that morning when he returned to the Tendo Dojo.
A familiar silhouette suddenly shadowed his little form, and he gaze up in anger at those fierce blue eyes. "..Ranma... how dare you interrupt an old man�s enjoyment!!!" He said, his body shaking.
He was furious. Every time he had begun feeling even a moderate amount of enjoyment, Ranma had returned to thwart his peace. Just when he was beginning to feel the core of the art, too.
He watched Ranma as she looked down at him, the obvious contempt in her eyes. His fury was mounting, as it so often did when his daily excursions were interrupted by the Heir to his school.
"Bet you�re upset that I foiled your little game, aint�cha gramps?" She said with a healthy bit of bile in her voice and words. He hated it... that the boy showed him no respect.
Inside he laughed a moment from his own folly. *Boy he is not..... hee hee... boys don�t wear panties.* With that thought, his cool demeanor suddenly returned, and he smiled a lecherous grin. His heart suddenly calmed, and he realized that perhaps today WASN�T so bad.
"No, my Student, in fact you�ve provided me with quite a bit to think about... none of which is unpleasant...." He chortled, looking up at Ranma as he spoke in his calm, cool, collective way.
Happosai noticed her flinch when she didn�t get the response she expected. *Always good to surprise someone.. hee hee...*
"Quit staring at me, ya dirty old man..." He heard her say, her voice a little tinged with confusion as she fell into the fighting stance she had become so familiar with.
Obviously he couldn�t startle her for long. It was no matter.... "...Ranma... I don�t wish to fight you..." Happosai murmured, turning his back and folding his arms in a smug pose. "It�s not in my nature to assault pretty young things..."
Happosai could almost imagine Ranma�s face twisting in anger at that comment.... "Tha�s funny, I could swear that�s ALL you do every day." Happosai could hear the barely controlled bile in her voice as she spoke.
*Odd, that�s new. Ranma, controlling his anger? Oh, my error, HER anger, heeheeeheee.* Happosai looked over his shoulder at the pretty redhead who was shaking with half-controlled rage. His eyes drifted across the firm and supple swell of her bosom, so likely to be encased by a bra.
Drifting down across her wide flaring hips and flat belly. Images of the panties he had stolen a glance of firmly in his mind.
"Stop ogling me, you perverted old freak!" Ranma snapped into motion, her leg cutting through the air towards Happosai.
Happosai saw it as if it were in slow motion, bringing his pipe from out of his gi he caught Ranma�s ankle and hopped into the air, using the momentum from his jump to pull Ranma�s ankle upwards, tossing her off balance.
Happosai bounced off of Ranma�s head as she began to topple backwards, and landed standing behind her.
Little to Happosai�s surprise, Ranma turned the fall into a roll, giving Happosai a choice view of the silk-encased bosom he had intended to see..... Happosai chuckled, feeling a faint trickling of energy rush through him at the sight.
Ranma was on her feet again in and back in her defensive stance. Happosai chortled internally, finally feeling a sense of unbidden rapture flood through him. Ranma was wearing both PANTIES *AND* a BRA!
"Ranma, you disappoint me. The Heir to the Musabetsu Kakutou Ryuu should be much more prepared for a counterattack!!!" Happosai smirked self appreciatively. Happosai, seeming to stand at a relaxed position at all times, was ALWAYS prepared for an attack from anywhere.
It was one of the many things that had kept him alive in his youth, and on his toes. It was what urged him to found the School... the need to defend himself from those he relieved of items, or those who tried picking on him since he was so diminutive. *Never again...* Happosai mentally noted. *Now I am the Master.*
Happosai snapped out of his reverie when Ranma started in on a series of rapid punches and Kicks. Happosai dodged nimbly as a kick came close to his head, leaping up over a punch and thwacking Ranma in the head with his pipe, chuckling to himself.
"You�ll have to be faster than that to beat me!!!" Happosai hopped on top of Ranma�s head, stealing a glance down her dress he chuckled and launched himself up into the air, where Ranma followed.
"Shaddup, ya dirty old man!!!" Ranma spat out as she flew into the air after him, a firm look of concentration on her face.
There was a quick exchange of several punches and a kick, then they landed back on the ground, Happosai used the kinetic force as a spring and literally bounced right through Ranma�s defense and attached himself to that full. soft, maidenly amount of flesh attached to Ranma�s chest.
Happosai felt a wild surge of energy suddenly FLOOD into him as he sapped from Ranma�s resources. NEVER had he felt so much raw Ki!!! "Ohhh Ranma, how I�ve waited for this day...." He sobbed into her bosom, fondling them and squeezing them, rubbing them and massaging them in a few short seconds.
He could feel Ranma shiver at the new sensation..... could see the sudden revulsion pass over her face as she felt something being violated deep inside of her, something being TAKEN from her unlike all the other times Happosai had attached himself to her bosom.
"..you...." Ranma shivered, rage beginning to build. He knew she felt violated in a way she�d never felt before, the essence of her ki being sucked out of her in a single groping.
Happosai knew he should have let go about then and made a run for it, but... his weakness had always been for the female body, and this time it was RANMA he was groping.... while she was wearing a bra!!!
How often could that happen in Happosai�s life??? So he held fast to his quarry, trying to drain as much as he could before he was sent to LEO. The sweetness of Ranma�s vigorous ki swelling within him, filling him so fully he could not recall when last he felt so young.
"...PERVERT!!!!" Ranma howled out, her voice carrying over several blocks of the Nerima district. The people wise enough not to ask questions or spare curious glances in exchange. They had grown accustomed to Nerima�s subsequent oddities.
Happosai felt the solid steel punch of Ranma�s ki enforced fist.... and as he soared into the sky, he thought he had at last found true happiness in Ranma�s lovely bosom.
*Oh wonder of wonders!! Rapture, Joy, Bliss!!!* Happosai recited to himself as he began his downward arc, back towards the cruel and unforgiving earth. *Now all I need to do is find some way to get Ranma to stay female!*
* * * * * *
Akane was startled when she heard the front door slam with a resounding finality. She turned back to the phone as Yuka asked her if everything was allright. "Yeah.... I think Ranma�s upset. I�ll see you at 7, okay?"
There was a slight pause before Yuka answered, surprising Akane, who had expected a modest amount of sulking from Yuka. The girl was offish about Ranma. "Sure, Akane..... I guess I�ll call Sayuri and make sure she�s bringing the tapes over, okay???" Akane�s friend asked on the other side of the line with a carefully sweet voice.
"Yeah, Yuka... do that, I got to go see what�s wrong with Ranma," Akane knew she sounded slightly distracted, but didn�t care much.
Yuka sighed into the receiver, probably thinking how bad of Ranma it was to worry Akane so much. "Sure thing, see you later, Akane!"
"Bye," Akane said as politely as she could.
Akane gently let the phone connect with the receiver, and looked up just as Ranma walked past. "Ranma, what is..." She stopped at the look on Ranma�s face. It was an expression she was used to giving him, one that she could read very well from years of experience.
Sheer and unmitigated anger. There was something else under that mask..... maybe a strange fear or self loathing ran deeply through Ranma.
Akane could only guess what had happened. She put a hand on Ranma�s shoulder, trying to put a calm into her voice. "Ranma, did Happosai.. did he-" Akane jumped when Ranma grabbed her hand in a hard grip.
"..please, Akane... not now, please don�t touch me right now....." Ranma said, her voice quavering both with anger and barely controlled frustration.
Akane looked at Ranma�s eyes, which were shimmering with angry tears. There was a fire burning in them, one that Akane knew quite well. Perhaps too well, she noted with melancholy disposition.
Akane could only nod her head, sure that she wore a shocked expression on her face. *But why??? Happosai never upset him so much before!!!* She asked to herself, unable to ask Ranma, she found that she had to wait for an answer.
Ranma let go of Akane�s wrist, and turned... walking upstairs, then into the the room where the Furo resided. Moments later water was heard.
Akane sat down, once more mulling over what had just happened. For some strange reason, she concluded, Happosai had somehow upset Ranma.
She spared a glance back at the stairs where Ranma had vanished. Happosai had DEEPLY upset Ranma. That had never happened before. Sure, Ranma had been upset with Happosai before.... the instance with the Moxibution came to mind.
The little old man had often been purposefully hurtful, especially towards Ranma. He had even tried seperating Ranma�s female half from his body, Akane recalled. To very bad effect.
*What could he have done that.....* Akane trailed, off, suddenly latching onto an idea. *Maybe nothing HAPPOSAI did was different.... maybe it was something Ranma did?*
Akane shook her head. *I have to go call the others, make sure they�re still coming over....* With that, Akane pushed the thoughts of what could have happened to the back of her mind.
An hour passed as Akane double checked to make sure her friends were still on for the slumber party. As she hung up the phone from the last call, she found her mind wandering back to Ranma.
*What could have upset him so much????? Honestly, he shouldn�t get so worked up about Happosai.* Akane found herself standing at the bottom of the stairs, and her face took on a slightly worried expression. *I hope he�s alright.... It�s rare if ever to see him so upset.*
"Going to stand there all day, Akane, or are you going to go talk to him?" Nabiki�s voice caused Akane to almost jump out of her skin.
She had noticed Nabiki reading in the corner of the room when she began her phonecalls, but had forgotten about her after Ranma walked in. Akane�s sister could be disturbingly quiet when she wanted to be.
Akane turned, putting on her practiced expression of feigned annoyance. "Excuse me, Nabiki, but since WHEN do you give me free advice?" Akane knew her sister, there had to be something the older Tendou girl wanted.
Nabiki raised an eyebrow, setting her book down on the table. Akane noted, strangely, that it was a book on something called Gender Dysphorics in Love. Whatever that meant.
"Scuse for trying to give my little Sis some good advice, but Ranma needs you more than ever since Auntie started her psychologically disturbing plan to train him as a woman. Sometimes I wonder if anyone in the Saotome family is sane," Nabiki turned her cool gaze on Akane.
Akane was normally just as adamant with expression as Nabiki was, but recently there had been something in her Sister�s eyes that made her turn away from that gaze. Determination, and fear. Nabiki was afraid of something, and that scared Akane to no ends.
Akane steeled herself, and while not looking directly back at Nabiki�s eyes, she did manage to look TOWARDS her sister. "Don�t say that.... Auntie Saotome means well, Nabiki. You know that. She�s not trying to hurt Ranma," Akane had heard how out of control Ranma felt his life was becoming. How both his Father and Mother trying to push him towards her, his Father wanting him to be a man among men, and his mother wanting him to be a woman�s woman. Ranma was strong, but Akane had seen.... confusion in Ranma lately, but Nabiki couldn�t be right, Nodoka wasn�t as bad as Genma. Not by a longshot.
Nabiki smirked and looked down at her book, then back up at Akane. "I have my own views, Akane. You don�t have to share them. I just told you to go talk to the idiot upstairs, because he likely needs it."
Akane had nothing to say to that, so turned back towards the stairs. On a second thought she turned back to Nabiki. "Shouldn�t you be going to that Business Convention you were talking about?? It�s in an hour, and it�ll take a while to get through Tokyo."
Akane didn�t wait for a response, she headed upstairs to go talk to Ranma.
* * * * * *
The door creaked ever so slightly as Ranma opened the door to her room. She had been about to step out, yet instead blinked in shock at Akane who was standing in the doorway getting ready to knock.
Akane stood there blinking back at her, her hand raised and a confused expression on her face. Both of them stood there for a while, just blinking and staring at eachother before some motion was made to dispell the awkwardness.
Ranma let an uneasy smile drift across her lips. "So, we gonna stand here all day or what?" She asked, falling into a relaxed mode.
Akane giggled a bit and blushed. Ranma saw Akane�s eyes drift across her Pajamas, which started a slight flush in Ranma�s cheeks. *I can�t believe I agreed to this.... this is so embarrassing.*
Akane looked back up and into Ranma�s eyes. Ranma saw Akane bite her lip, a sign of nervousness. "Ranma," Akane murmured as gently as she could, "Are you alright?"
Ranma shivered at the question, and the dark anger returned to her face. "I don�t wanna talk about it, Akane." The redhead turned her back and padded back into her room.... sitting down on the futon facing the window.
Akane watched for a moment, unsure as she lowered her hand and stepped into Ranma�s room. Her eyes drifted back and forth for a moment or two.
The room contained very few personal items. It seems Ranma had always been on the go, and no matter the length of time spent at the Tendo household, she was always prepared to leave in a hurry. Akane had known this for a long time.
There were a few odd objects that stood out. One was the Gundamn poster hanging from the ceiling, a gift from Hiroshi, according to Ranma. There was a dresser that Kasumi had put in as soon as Ranma and his Father had come to stay with them. It used to be barren, only a convenience to hold Ranma�s clothing, nothing of real importance.
Now, though, there were some oragami puppets and lumps of clay resembling animals that decorated the top of the dresser, as well as a carved oak box, simple in design... but from it�s placement something of value.
Akane returned her gaze to Ranma on her futon. Her hand gently caressed a stuffed Cabbit, as if absent mindedly.
"What�s that?" Akane�s sudden question caused Ranma to jump.
Ranma lifted her head instead of looking at Akane, looking out the window instead. "What�s what??" She said, attempting to sound innocent of whatever Akane was accusing her of. *That�s the old Akane....* He told himself. *This one�s... different.*
Akane gently sat down aside Ranma, a fluid, almost floating motion. "I mean what�s this, Baka." She said, putting her hand on Ranma�s as the redhead caressed the Cabbit.
Ranma snatched her hand, and the cabbit away, hugging it to her in a protective embrace, her fingers running through the artificial fur. "It was a present from..... Kaehmi-chan. She spent her allowance on it, I got her one to match." Ranma looked down at the stuffed animal, then set it in her lap.
Akane tilted her head to the side. "You really like that little girl, don�t you?" She asked tenatively. Her eyes were intently locked on Ranma as the redhead looked down at the cabbit�s face.
A gentle nod, just slightly, almost unnoticable. Akane noticed, being who she was. Being who Ranma was.
"I dunno.... she�s such a sweetheart. I just find myself acting all childish around her, I guess that�s kinda stupid of me, huh Akane..." Ranma�s eyes drifted up, meeting Akane�s gaze in their own time. Hanging there for a long moment.
Akane shook her head, the hair framing her face swaying like a ocean breeze for half a moment. "No, Ranma.... there�s nothing wrong with that. It means... well.." Akane pursed her lips in a somewhat puzzled expression, striving to find the right words, fearing that she would choose the wrong ones, she drummed her fingers for half a moment as she thought.
Cautiously, she opened her mouth again to speak. "It means that you�re good with Children, Ranma. You can relate with them," Akane nodded, half to herself and half to Ranma.
Ranma brushed some hair from her face, the slightly wavy red mane was wild at best, though Akane held a certain envy of it, Ranma was sure. "Do you really think so, Akane??? I mean.... some people might think a guy was weird for acting so.... so...."
"Caring?" Akane offered, mostly sure it wasn�t the word that Ranma was looking for.
Ranma nodded without skipping a beat. "Yeah..... caring, I guess."
Akane let a smile assault her calm expression, winning over it. "Ranma, every woman wants a man who can feel. A man who is all guts and no heart isn�t really worth marrying anyone. Caring is..... it�s a big part of family. Of the future, I guess you could say."
Ranma half nodded, then a sigh escaped her lips. "I dunno. I really don�t want to talk �bout much right now.... I need to calm down after...." Ranma�s expression turned a bit white, and her eyes flickered angrily for a moment.
Akane likened it to a Dangerous Fire that was almost out of control. It caused her to feel on edge herself. "Ranma, was it Happosai that-"
"I DON�T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!" Ranma suddenly screamed, then her eyes flickered to a distant setting, seeing through akane.
In a flash, several emotions fell like night over Ranma�s face. Anger, Fear, helplessness, then finally revulsion. A mere moment. She was gripping the Cabbit firmly in her hands, as if she would tear it apart.
Then calm. Calm as ice. Ice that could cut. Ranma looked down with a silent expression and relaxed her grip again on the stuffed animal. She stroked it several times while looking into it�s glass brown eyes.
Akane had jumped after the scream.... then winced at the expression Ranma shot her. "..o..okay.. okay." Akane nodded, noticing she had cringed away from Ranma, and that there was a good foot and a half between the redhead and herself.
Ranma turned her body away from akane. "S� not okay, Akane. It�ll never be okay so long as I�m..." Ranma stood up abruptly, cutting herself off in midsentance. "Gomen, Akane.... I.. please leave. I need some.. I�ve got to calm down." Ranma was hugging onto the cabbit as if her life depended on it. It seemed more like she was clinging to the cabbit than she was simply holding it.
Akane reached out to Ranma, to simply touch her hand, but didn�t come within five inches. Ranma�s entire aura felt like steel.... sharp steel razors. All danger and threat. Akane could feel the stinging threat of tears and the burning at the back of her throat and nose.
She drew her hand back with a sadness in her heart and nodded slowly. Just a little. Most people wouldn�t notice. Ranma wasn�t an exception at this point.
Akane placed her hand on her chest, fingers clenched in a gentle fist as she fought back the worry for Ranma. She drew herself up from the ground, a gentle uncertaintly caused her to reach out to Ranma again, and for a moment she thought she could touch him.
"Don�t." Ranma said in a voice that shook with barely suppressed emotion. Akane couldn�t place what emotion, but she knew it wouldn�t be good if she pressed anything. Not good at all.
Akane found the strength to walk away. She didn�t know how, but she reached the doorway. *I have to turn back... just to ask.*
"Yes, I will." Ranma said slowly, still facing away from Akane. "I�ll be there tonight, just go."
Akane wondered if she should ask Ranma how he knew what question she would ask. Then those icy eyes returned to her mind.
Dangerous Fire.
* * * * * *
There was a soft, rhythmic chopping in the kitchen. The sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a sillouhette across the floor of the matronly figure at the counter. Slowly, she chopped the vegetables with a steady, rhythmic beat.
There was a moment where the beat was accompanied by three very wooden, and echoing, knocks. Kasumi blinked for half a moment, and paused in mid chop, raising her head a little and waiting for several moments.
There was no response to her silent inquiry.... so she began her steady pace until again she heard the stoccato of someone�s hand upon the door.
Kasumi blinked, and set the knife down. She went to the kitchen and quickly rinsed her hand as she heard the knock return again. "Just a minute, I�ll be right there," She called, as she does so often. Just loud enough for someone to hear her.
*I wonder who it could be?* Kasumi inquired to herself, as she slowly turned, drying her hands, and walked out of the kitchen.
She opened the door, and a young girl about Akane�s age greeted her eyes, with brown hair up in a pony tail. "Konnichiwa, may I help you?" Kasumi chimed in a cheerful tone.
The young girl had a dazzling smile, and was carrying a brightly multicolored backpack with various patches all over it from different places in the world, she held it in front of her with both hands.
She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a loose fitting sweatshirt was an anime girl with a somewhat distant look on her face printed on the front. Below the picture of the girl was a caption that said "Key: The Metal Idol."
"Hai, Akane�s home, right?" The girl asked, tilting her head slightly to one side and causing her pony tail to sway in the process.
Kasumi smiled a gentle, matronly smile. "Of course she is. Yuka, was it??? How have you been recently?" Kasumi stepped aside, gesturing for Yuka to come in.
Yuka gave a bright laugh. "Oh, I�ve been fine, school and all. Nothing really bad, how about you, Kasumi?" She inquired, stepping inside and slipping off her shoes.
Kasumi gave a slow nod. "I�ve been okay. One of my best friends, Memeko Miramoto, moved back home to live with her brother," Kasumi padded back into the living room, with Yuka on her heals.
Yuka blinked, turning and looking at Kasumi as they both walked , "Oh really, isn�t that Hiroshi�s oneechan he�s always talking about??? I thought she was in Europe somewhere?" Yuka carefully took a seat as Kasumi gestured for her to sit, folding her hands in her lap and fiddling with the ring on her pinkie.
Kasumi stood, looking at Yuka carefully for a long moment. "Hai, she was in Europe since she moved out of Japan... but her husband died about a year and a half back, and her parents asked her to come back home," Kasumi�s eyes focused on some point far in the distance, a sad, wistful look in her eyes. For a moment Kasumi could almost imagine how Memeko and Connor had been, such a short time ago... yet somehow it seemed much longer.
The wind chime on the porch twinkled with sound as the wind silently blew. "It can be pretty lonely in a big house all by yourself," She murmured, drifting out of her reverie then nodded to herself as much as Yuka. Kasumi bowed her head. "Scuse me, I must be getting back to Dinner," And with that Kasumi bustled back to the kitchen to finish her daily routine.
Yuka stared after her, wondering what Kasumi could have been thinking about. *I hope I didn�t upset her.* Yuka wondered as she brushed a strand of her hair back behind her ear.
"Yuka!" Akane�s voice rang out from the foot of the stairs.
The girl turned her head to cast her eyes upon Akane, her brown ponytail swishing behind her for a brief moment before a smile seemed to ease it�s way into her features. "Heya, Akane!!! How is it going?? Hey, are you ready for tonight??? Lotsa fun, ne?" Yuka�s smile brightened as she recalled how much fun they had had at last year�s sleepover.
Akane smiled half heartedly, or that is how it seemed to Yuka. "...Sure, it�ll be lots of fun and just like old times. I�ll love it," Akane took a seat across from Yuka, looking at her hands that were folded neatly in her lap. To Yuka, it was very obvious that Akane�s mind was not at all with her at the moment, and that it was likely on her baka fiancee.
Yuka chewed thoughtfully on her lip, wondering if she should say anything to Akane, or if she should mind her own business. She brought a hand up, drumming her fingers on the table�s surface for half a moment before opening her mouth to speak.
"Okay, what did he do this time??" Yuka tried to keep the half controlled anger out of her voice, after all, Ranma had been going through a lot recently. In fact, Yuka had come to the conclusion that Ranma wasn�t the huge chauvinistic jerk she had pegged him for.
Akane blinked, looking up at Yuka. "Oh, No, Yuka... he didn�t do anything..." Akane raised a hand, shaking it in a gesture of negation. A worried breath ushered from Akane�s lips. "I guess something happened with Happosai, and it really upset Ranma for some reason. I tried talking to him about it, but he was... well, in a somewhat defensive mood." Akane�s shoulders slumped as she recalled how she had upset him with just a few simple words.
Yuka shook her head, her eyes closed and her head bowed slightly. She fidgeted with the ring on her pinkie, which Sayuri had given her for one of her Birthday�s, turning it on her finger absently. "I don�t know why you bother sometimes, Akane. Ranma is nothing but trouble, it seems," Yuka looked back up, and right into Akane�s eyes.
"No, he�s not Yuka... sure, he is a handful, but you don�t know all the things he�s been through. Even I only half understand. I mean, sure, I�ve been around him for so long.. but that just makes it even more tragic, because I really hardly know him." Akane sighed, rubbing her head with one hand.
She�d been getting headaches more often in the last week and a half, since all the tension with Ranma�s identity had begun. She felt utterly useless in a battle that she needed to help Ranma win. Several times she opened her mouth to tell Yuka of what had happened uptairs, but instead she said nothing about it when she finally chose to speak.
"I don�t know, maybe I just worry too much about the baka...." Akane said in a half tired tone of voice. She WAS tired... worrying so much all the time had worn her down. Not only from the past month, but just as much since Ranma first entered her life.
Worrying if she wasn�t good enough, worrying over whether Ranma would win a battle, worrying over whether Ranma would save her from the madness that seemed to follow him everywhere, and worrying if perhaps she was pushing Ranma away too hard.
That last was a very recent fear.
Yuka frowned. "Well, at least you have tonight to relax and get away from it all, Yuka said she was going to bring some of the tapes over..." Yuka Trailed off as she noticed that Akane was once again staring down at her hands.
For several moments there was a long silence, Yuka watching Akane in the interim. "What�s wrong?" Akane�s friend finally asked.
"Yuka... I.. sort of invited Ranma to stay the night with us," Akane�s head slowly moved up, her hands interlocked on her lap clenching eachother as she saw the startled look on her friend�s face.
Yuka shook off her shock after a long moment. "Uhm.... Did you just say you are letting RANMA stay the night in our girl�s slumber party???" Yuka gaze Akane a cross look, she had NOT planned on having any men in a girl�s only slumber party, no matter the circumstances.
"Is there...a... problem, Akane?" Ranma was standing at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in her pajama�s and a pair of house slippers. She had her arms folded behind her, and a unsure, almost tense mood about her. "I wouldn�t want to make any trouble for ya.... I mean, it *IS* an all girl�s thing, Akane."
Ranma�s head was bowed slightly, and her eyes were fixed on a floorboard several feet in front of her, the whole picture one of nervous aprehension.
Ranma didn�t want to impose, he didn�t want to ruin a night where Akane could relax and forget all the problems recently. She wished that she could give Akane time out from the strange calm unsurety that seemed to invade her life as of late.
Akane fixed her gaze on Ranma, and then turned it back towards Sayuri. She couldn�t tell Ranma to leave at a time like this, not after whatever had happened with Happosai.... besides, she liked having Ranma around. She would have hated even admitting it only months ago, but lately Akane had wondered what kind of friend she had given up on that first day, in exchange for a fiancee.
Akane shook her head suddenly, her eyes softly closed. A moment after she opened them and gazed directly at Sayuri.
"No, you�re staying the night and that�s final. You are going to have fun with the rest of us, Ranma, and you promised you would stay for me. You PROMISED," Akane looked at Ranma sternly, but with a certain pleading in her eyes, her hands hurt from where she was clenching them so hard.
Yuka opened her mouth to utter some words of objection, until Akane looked at Yuka with those worried eyes. The brown haired girl sighed, shaking her head. *I... guess we can pretend.* Yuka thought absently to herself.
Yuka could tell SOMETHING had happened, it didn�t seem to be an argument. Or at least not the type she would expect of Akane and Ranma.
"I don�t have a problem with Ranma staying with us, Akane, but if he starts getting perverted....." Yuka�s voice trailed off in a tone of implied warning. Her face matched her unspoken threat with her brow furrowed and a stern look plastered across her face.
Ranma walked a bit closer, her eyes looking from Akane back to Yuka. "I.. I�m a girl for tonight, Yuka. Akane said that she wanted me to be her friend, not her fiancee for tonight," Ranma fidgeted unsurely.
Ranma didn�t know where to go if Akane decided to make her leave. She instantly thought of Hiroshi, but didn�t want to impose on her friend. Hiroshi seemed to prefer being alone a lot in the past several days. She found herself hoping that Akane DIDN�T change her mind, and that she kept her to her promise, even though she wasn�t used to being around other girls, especially when it was an only girl sleepover.
Sure, she had played her fair share of pranks, going into the girls locker rooms at times, but she�d never SOCIALLY been around girls. She�d always hung around the macho guy crowd.. well, when she wasn�t fighting of course...
Yuka looked up at Ranma and growled internally. *What, am I some guilt target now??? Sheesh....* Yuka looked back at Akane. "Okay... I will PRETEND that Ranma is a girl for tonight, but he�d better ACT it, or he�s out, okay???" Yuka smirked slightly and crossed her arms. *Heh, let�s see if Ranma can survive the night.*
Akane and Ranma exchanged a look, and both nodded... seemingly to eachother, yet also in response to Yuka�s query.
"Sure, I can handle it..... it can�t be that hard, right??" Ranma grinned with a pompous smile, she was worried that getting the girls to go along with Akane�s wishes would be harder.
"Well then, Yuka, I guess we have to get ready for the others to arrive," Akane smiled up at Ranma, as did Yuka. Yuka�s smile was one of mischief.
Ranma blinked. *Somehow, I feel as if tonight is going to be very long....*
* * * * * *