Hi, everyone.
It's been a while, but, finally, here it is:
Chapter 5! (like the header didn't tip you off. . .)
Previously: Akane was found, but was conjured to
the Dimension of Magic via a little. . . mistake, and
spent a whole lotta time discussing the theories of
perception with an "Evil Demon." Now Ranma is going
at last to look for her. Dramatic, isn't it? ^_^
In all seriousness now, enjoy the installment and
please send me your comments. And to those who have
taken the time to respond, thank you, everyone. You
have my immeasurable gratitude.
And now, the story...
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Note: Ranma 1/2 is the creation of the incomparable
Rumiko Takahashi.
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Ranma 1/2: LoveSpell
by Anna Lvovsky
Chapter V: No Place Like Home
****************************
Ranma clutched the amulet, dangling by a chain
around his neck. Attuned especially to him, it was a
precaution, allowing him to return to this dimension
whenever he wished.
"To use it, just say �invoke'," Keita explained,
"And it, well, invokes."
Ranma adjusted the pack on his shoulders and let
the amulet fall inside his shirt. "All right."
"Now, let me explain how this works. There are two
main dimensions. The dimension of Science, which is
the one you live in, and the dimension of Magic. It's
sort of like all the modes of reality are a string,
and these two represent each end. In between them are
thousands of minor dimensions. The thing is that
anyone can create a dimension. There's, so to say,
�potential matter' everywhere. When a mind shapes it
a certain way, it bends to its wishes. That's how
this dimension was formed; I sent myself out inbetween
Magic and Science, and my mind created it. These
dimensions are sustained only so long as there is a
mind to keep the image of it. If everyone in this
dimension were to leave, then it would deteriorate
over a matter of days or hours. Anyway, when we send
you out there, you have two ways to go. You can
either go to an existing dimension, which includes
both the major and minor ones, or you can create your
own. You *want* to go to an existing one, because
Akane can't possibly be in a dimension you just
created. But if you *do* create one, I have to warn
you: this dimension can be formed from both thoughts
you are aware of, and those you aren't. It can be
formed of both your dreams and nightmares, and quite
often, your fears. So be careful. Also, a straying
thought can have more effects than one. If a thought
you have creates a dimension with a history, you will
find yourself remembering things you never thought you
knew. Your mind will supply you with everything you
*need* to know about the dimension and the people in
it, if any. However, it won't necessarily supply you
with little unimportant details. I know that's
stupid, but it's the way it works. I've never
experienced that, but I've heard it's a bit unnerving.
Just had to warn you; don't think you're crazy if you
start remembering strange things."
"All right," Ranma repeated.
"All right," Keita echoed.
Everyone stood in a circle around him, watching,
waiting for the spell to be cast.
"Good luck, Ranchan!" Ukyo called to him
encouragingly.
He smiled. "Thanks, Uchan. I'll try to get back
in one piece."
"See that you do," said Nabiki.
"Best you come back with Akane," Kuno declared,
"Although I fail to see how you can possibly have so
strong a connection to her."
Ranma pretended not to hear him and turned to where
Keita was looking over the spell one more time. He
was ready. He nodded.
Keita glanced at him, then back to the tome, then
back to him again, and started whispering the
syllables. Ranma looked around at everybody and...
They disappeared. Everything around him was
white, was whiter than white, silent, empty,
intangible; like the void, waiting to be shaped. Like
he was told, he focused on Akane, on everything that
made her Akane, her hair, her eyes, her smile, her
anger, her happiness, her character...
And suddenly, breaking the chain, another thought
appeared.
*Jusenkyo! I want to go to Jusenkyo, to the Spring
of Drowned Man! I want to reverse this curse, to be
normal again, I want to be able to face the world
without shame, I don't want to be a freak, a freak of
nature, an atrocity. I want to go to Jusenkyo, to the
springs...*
Ranma pushed the thoughts down, away, because that
wasn't needed right now, what was needed was to be
with Akane, in the same dimension as Akane...
And he felt it. The fibers of life knitting
together, meshing to form something substantial,
drawing on his soul to create something to fit his
images.
There was a blinding flash as the world jumped, and
he suddenly became aware. Aware of gravity, pulling
him down, of air, circulating in and around him, of
temperature and moisture against his skin.
He opened his eyes, although he hadn't even noticed
they were closed. Intercrossing wooden bars blurred
into view, and he recognized the familiar ceiling of
the guest room at the Tendo Dojo. For a second, the
thought that maybe the whole dimension business had
been a dream and everything was normal passed through
his mind. But them he felt the cold amulet against
his chest. Grimacing with disappointment, he started
to get up.
Someone's hands applied a moist cloth to his
forehead.
"Careful, Ranma, dear."
Ranma froze. That voice... "Mom?"
"Why, who else would it be?"
He turned to see Nodoka sitting beside him. "What
happened?"
"Don't you remember? That strike to the head must
have been even harder than I thought. You were
sparring with your father, and you crashed into the
wall. You should be more attentive, dear! If you had
paid more attention to things your father would never
had been able to get through your defenses like that."
He supposed that this was an unimportant detail,
since he had absolutely no recollection of it. He
shrugged apologetically. It was a good thing his
mother didn't stress the Art as much as she stressed
honor in the family, or he'd probably be in trouble.
He suddenly felt the importance of everything catch
up to him. His mother was *here*. And she knew that
he was here also. That would mean she'd be bound to
find out about his curse. And that would mean...
The katana she always wore on her shoulder gleamed
menacingly.
Ranma swallowed nervously.
"You were certainly unconscious for a long time,"
Nodoka was saying. I had to resort to pouring cold
water onto your face, and it still didn't work."
"Cold water...?" Ranma's eyes widened in fear. His
hand felt around on the futon. It was cold and moist.
Cold. Not warm. Which would mean that nobody
splashed him with hot water afterwards. And he was
still a guy.
"Would you like a glass of water, dear?" his mother
asked.
Ranma slowly took the cup she proffered. The water
was cold. "Just a sec."
He climbed to his feet and ran out the door.
Something was different about the hallway, but he
barely noticed. He made sure his mother couldn't see
him, and poured the water out over his head. It
soaked into his hair, trickling down his neck and
absorbing into his clothes. But he didn't change.
The water was cold, he was sure...and he stayed a guy.
Could the curse be gone?
"Yes!!!"
The glass was crushed in his hand.
But...why *didn't* he change?
Then a memory flooded back. Him and Pop going to
train in China. Them coming to Jusenkyo...starting to
spar against their guide's protests...him knocking Pop
off his pole...his father managing to kick off another
one to jump atop the post again...himself falling
off...straight into a spring...the guide crying how
lucky he had been...because he had fallen in the
Spring of Drowned...Man.
It was impossible. How could he so clearly
remember both that and the fact that he had fallen
into the Spring of Drowned Girl?
<a straying thought can have more effects than one>
<don't think you're crazy if you start remembering
strange things>
That would account for why he was suddenly
remembering the Drowned Man thing. But it still
didn't make sense. The dimensions changed, but he
wasn't supposed to. Was he? He had thought that
nothing that changed could have an effect on him
physically. After all, it didn't affect his prior
memories; his mind stayed the same. Why didn't his
body?
Well, this dimension traveling stuff was
complicated. He expected that. He didn't understand
it at all, and it wasn't his main concern at the
moment. What mattered was that this probably wasn't
where Akane was. He had created it himself, as was
proved by the curse situation. That meant he had to
go searching for her again.
Still. Who knew? Maybe she *was* here, and
wouldn't it be ironic if he left without checking?
Maybe she created this dimension first, and then when
he came, the dimension shifted to fit both her
thoughts *and* his.
All right, maybe that wasn't the way dimensions
worked. But who knew? These stupid dimensions were
so unpredictable that it wasn't safe to develop any
theories. And besides, even if Akane wasn't here, it
would be good to get some practice adjusting to the
dimensions before he went out looking again, so as to
learn not to make the same mistakes he made in this
try.
He dropped the fragments of the cup on the floor
and walked back into the room.
Nodoka stared at him, baffled. "Ranma, dear, why
on Earth did you do that? And why were you yelling?"
"Um, it's nothing." Ranma glanced around. "So,
Mom, what are you doing at the Tendo Dojo?"
"The Tendo Dojo? What are you taking about, Ranma?
Why would we be at the Tendos'?"
"If this isn't at the Tendos', where else are we?"
Nodoka sent him a look of concern and pity. "Oh,
that must have been quite a hit to the head. Ranma,
we're home. Home. In your room."
"My room?" He saw for the first time that Pop's
futon wasn't lying next to his. "Then where are the
Tendos'?"
"They're right next door."
"Next door?" Ranma started for the door again.
"Ranma, dear! I really think you should lie down
for a while!"
"I have to see the Tendos, Mom!"
Ranma left and saw clearly how the hall was
different from that of the Tendo's. It led to less
rooms, and the stairway was positioned in the opposite
direction. He jogged down the steps and looked at the
first floor. It seemed like a perfectly typical
house. He went straight to the door in front of the
stairs and stepped outside. The gates surrounding the
house were an exact copy of the ones at the Tendos',
only he saw that rather than encircling one house
alone they extended to enclose a neighboring house.
He recognized it as the Tendos'. Inbetween the two
houses, was a large training hall. The sign on the
door read: Saotome-Tendo Training Dojo.
He stared at it. For a moment, he thought that
maybe in this dimension his parents had somehow gotten
him and Akane married. But then he "remembered." His
father and Mr. Tendo had decided to join their dojos
for convenience, combining them into one school. Was
it to--
That didn't matter right now. What mattered was
Akane.
Ranma ran past the Dojo to the Tendos' house and
rang the doorbell. The door opened and he saw Akane
in the doorway. Every detail about her was perfect.
Could it be that he had found her, temporarily living
in this new dimension? He grinned.
"Akane!"
She looked at him, a bit taken aback. Then she
laughed her soft laugh. "I'm glad to see you too,
Ranma. Come in."
He followed her to the dining room.
"Kasumi is making some tea. Do you want some?"
"Sure."
Kasumi saw them from the kitchen and smiled. "Oh,
hello, Ranma! Are you all right? Mr. Saotome told us
you had hit you head in a training session."
"I'm fine."
"Really, Ranma," Akane said teasingly, "How did
you manage to drop your defenses enough to get slammed
into the wall?"
That was a bit strange. He had almost never seen
Akane so relaxed. All of this was strange. He was
unwillingly starting to become positive that this
wasn't what he was looking for. He wasn't sure how to
talk to them. They were exact clones of the people he
knew. They looked the same, acted the same, and
thought the same, he was sure. But they weren't. Yet
didn't all of the similarities make them no different
from the real people? After all, everything that made
Akane who she was the same in this Akane, and
everything that made Kasumi herself was present in
this one also. Should he treat them the same as he
would the real ones? Finally, he decided on yes. By
this time he had already forgotten the question, and
replied with a more or less safe answer. "I don't
remember, actually."
"Yeah, I'm su--oh, look, the tea's ready." Akane
lowered herself to the table, and Ranma sat down
beside her.
Kasumi served them two cups and placed another two
on a tray. "I'll drink mine with Father."
Ranma watched her leave. "What's with Mr. Tendo?"
Akane blushed and sipped her tea. "He's not
feeling too good. He keeps saying that it's a stomach
flu. You may find this funny, but I think that he's
actually allergic to some of the new ingredients and
herbs Kasumi bought recently. You see, I made him
breakfast today, and right afterward the stomach pains
started acting up. It's strange that he wasn't
affected by them when Kasumi cooked them. Maybe they
were all right when they were fresh, but then they
started spoiling."
"Herbs don't spoil, Akane. And I somehow don't
think it was the ingredients..."
"Oh, be quiet," she snapped.
Ranma expected her to throw something at him, or
the like, but she merely shrugged and returned to her
tea.
"So," she finally remarked. "Where's Shampoo?"
Ranma stared at her. Was she testing him to see
how he would answer? Or was she rubbing in the
fiancee mess like she often did? "How should I know
where she is?" he replied with an indifferent tone.
Akane looked at him with a surprised expression.
"Ranma! That's no way to talk about your fianc�e!"
*My fianc�e?* This was not the right dimension. He
would have to leave as fast as he could, before it
went to his head. And he remembered. Him, a male
him, and Pop coming upon her village in their travels.
Just like in reality, they ate the prize and angered
Shampoo. He fought her, and won. And she kissed
him... Not the Kiss of Death. A real kiss. And she
declared that he was her husband. But wouldn't that
lead to exactly the same thing as it really did?
The next line of events surged through his mind.
Shampoo had followed them across China, and then to
Japan. Had traced them to their home, which had been
in Kyushu. Had met his mother. Who had taken an
instant liking to her. He remembered her words.
"In her law, you two are already engaged. And after
all, you defeated her, and so you had as much to do
with this engagement as she did. It's a matter of
honor. And you wouldn't do anything dishonorable,
would you?"
And so he had become engaged to Shampoo, both in
the eyes of Chinese and Japanese laws.
Great. Well, wasn't this a wonderful development.
He tried to change the subject. "Where's Nabiki?"
"Nabiki?" Akane paused. "Um, well, she's out, you
know, talking with Kuno...I think she's selling photos
again..."
"Photos?"
"Of, you know...of Shampoo."
"Of Shampoo?!"
He had simply been surprised, but she must have
taken it as anger.
"I'm sorry! I mean, that my sister is doing this.
Nabiki really shouldn't. I talked to her about it
once, but she said that ever since that one day that
they fought, Kuno kept raving about his Violet Haired
Girl. And she said that it was a great way to make
cash. You know how Nabiki is. Oh, but if she never
had started telling Kuno all these wild stories he
wouldn't keep attacking you for keeping his �Venus'
confined with �evil sorcery'. Shampoo has told him to
get lost millions of times, but he keeps insisting
that you use magic to make her say it."
How amusing, Ranma thought dryly. Unfortunately he
wasn't in a position to appreciate the dimension's
sense of humor. "It's okay, Akane. It's not your
fault or anything. Who cares, anyway?"
"Ranma! How can you say that? I know that if
Nabiki hadn't stopped selling *my* pictures, my fianc�
would definitely have objected!"
"Your fianc�?" he demanded.
"I know that there's an age difference, but it's
only about six years. You don't have to act so
shocked."
Who was it...
Doctor Tofu, his mind supplied helpfully.
Doctor Tofu? Of course, Akane did once have a
thing for him. And the age difference didn't matter
at all. The thing that confused him was why Dr. Tofu
was engaged to Akane, when he loved Kasumi. And it
wasn't just that he loved Kasumi; it was that Ranma
knew that he loved Kasumi. Why wasn't this the same
in this dimension? After all, his mind had created
it, and his mind was fully aware of the doctor's
feelings for Kasumi.
Well, at least it wasn't Ryoga.
Ryoga... Something clicked. This was what was
wrong with this dimension. He had no reason to be
worried about Akane marrying Dr. Tofu...because, if
anyone, it would be Ryoga...
Of course, that was it! How stupid of him not to
notice it be--
Something happened. He grit his teeth, trying to
keep the unexpected pain at bay. It felt like
something was pushing into his mind from every
direction, seeping into his brain. He sensed his
equilibrium slip, as if he was falling, only he
wasn't, he was sitting down, and then... It all went
away. He became aware of a worried Akane peering into
his face.
"Ranma! Ranma, are you okay?" she was asking.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied shakily. "What were
you saying?"
She flashed him a puzzled look. "I was saying how
you shouldn't be so shocked that I'm marrying Ryoga.
I mean, I know you were enemies once, but..."
"Oh, I'm not shocked at all. Except maybe at the
fact that he would want to marry a tomboy like you..."
The phrase sounded so rude and cruel when he said it.
It had never seemed like that with the real Akane.
He had only said it out of habit, and if he had
thought about it first, he would have kept his mouth
shut. Maybe it was because this Akane felt like a
stranger with whom more formality needed to be used.
But Akane didn't seem to be offended at all. "So
what? So I'm a tomboy? At least I'm not a pervert."
She laughed, as if this was an old joke.
He let out a strained chuckle himself, but he was
afraid it sounded more like coughing than anything
else.
So now Akane was engaged to Ryoga, huh? He pushed
down a wave of stifled jealousy. This wasn't the real
Akane; why should he be jealous?
*Who says I'm jealous, anyway?* his mind demanded.
*You do.*
*Just shut up!*
Suddenly, a black piglet trotted over to Akane.
"Well, if it isn't P-chan!" Ranma exclaimed.
Speak of the devil... He scooped him up by his
collar, expecting him to make an attempt at biting his
arm. But the pig only nuzzled his face with his nose.
*I'm guessing this might be an actual pig,* his
mind commented as he wrinkled his nose in disgust.
Akane smirked and took her pig from him. "Don't
worry, Ranma. I just gave him a bath, so it's not
like he's dirty or anything."
A bath? Definitely not Ryoga.
Suddenly he heard a series of light thumps, like
falling footsteps, and a figure leapt into the room
from the yard.
"Nihao, husband-Ranma, Akane!" Shampoo bent over
to wrap her arms around Ranma. He stiffened, risking
a glance at Akane though he was afraid of what he
might see, but she was just smiling.
Shampoo's hands closed on something. Swiftly, she
drew the amulet off his neck. "Ranma. Why you wear
ugly necklace?"
He froze. "Hey, Shampoo, give it back!"
She shook her head. "Is tacky, Ranma." She tossed
it carelessly over her shoulder.
Ranma watched it sail through the air and land
directly in the pond. "Why did you do that?!"
"If you like necklace so much, fine." She leaped
outside and immediately returned with the wet amulet.
"Here. But it no match."
Ranma slipped it back around his neck, and hoped
that it still worked correctly.
"So, Shampoo," Akane was saying, "Where have you
been?"
The Amazon sat down across from them. "Shampoo
come back from practice with Great-Grandmother."
"You weren't at the Cat Cafe?" Ranma asked.
Shampoo gave him a puzzled look. "What �Cat
Cafe'?"
"What *are* you talking about, Ranma?" Akane asked.
Well, it figured. Since Shampoo was his legal
fiancee, she probably stayed in his house, and so
didn't need to operate a restaurant for a living.
"Nothing."
"So, Ranma, what you were doing?"
"He was busy losing a match to Mr. Saotome," Akane
answered her.
"Is true, Akane? Ranma, why you lose to
Father-In-Law?"
"I dunno. Don't remember."
"Silly. Akane, what you been doing?"
"Nothing, really. Finishing Mitsubo-sensei's
homework. Might as well get it out of the way."
"I lucky I no have to go Japan school."
"Yeah. Oh, by the way, I need to show you
something. I got it from--"
Ranma watched the two girls converse. "I gotta go
now."
Akane broke off. "Oh, okay, Ranma. I'll see you
to the front door."
"Nah, it's okay." He walked to the hall and went
outside as he heard two pair of feet running up the
wooden stairs, voices chattering in sentences that
could only be made out as Girl Talk.
He shook his head as he jogged to his own house.
Akane and Shampoo certainly seemed to be very good
friends. Probably because the fiancee thing didn't
get in the way.
He stopped at the foot of the stairs inside the
house. That reminded him. He put on his shoes and ran
outside, leaping over the gate to the street.
Everything looked the same from here. He jumped to a
rooftop and started in the direction of Uchan's
Okanomiyaki. This place was strange. He had to make
sure about how much was the same as it was in the real
dimension.
Something nagged at Ranma's mind. The amulet.
Would it still operate properly? There was no reason
why shouldn't, but still... Who knew? He wasn't all
that anxious to find out. What if it sent him
who-knows-where? Just like Akane...
Great. Then both of them would be lost.
But if it *did* work fine...then maybe he'd be able
to find her on his next try.
And maybe not.
It was worth the risk.
Wasn't it?
Maybe it would be best to wait until the others
conjured him back.
No. Too much time wasted.
Ughh! All those precautions, and no one thought
about the fact that something pathetic like this could
prevent the amulet from working. Stupid, stupid...!
Of course, the other precautions should still work.
Wait a minute.
The other precautions... Where was his pack? He
hadn't seen it when he woke up. The thing *was*
supposed to be with him...
Oh, great. Maybe it was floating somewhere
inbetween dimensions, just waiting to be found by
another traveler.
And maybe it was somewhere in this dimension. He'd
have to look for it.
But if it wasn't...
He was wasting time. He was stalling, he knew.
There was only one way to find out, and that was not
through endless worrying. Forget the pack, he had to
find Akane, and soon. Yet still doubt gnawed at him.
Ranma paused. Why was he hesitating? It wasn't like
him to just sit around and worry when Akane was in
danger! What kind of man was he? What was stopping
him?
Or better yet, who? On sudden intuition, Ranma was
sure that the alien anxiety in his mind had been
placed there on purpose, placed there by someone who
very much wanted to stop him from finding Akane...just
yet. To stop him from finding her until too late.
Ranma ground his teeth in rebellion. That someone
would not succeed. He would find Akane.
Ranma reached to touch his amulet, pushing away the
doubt that flooded through him. "Invoke," he said,
fighting against all the uncertainties in his mind.
Darkness engulfed him...
----------------------------
Akane sat, leaning against the rugged trunk of a
tree. She stared down at the untamed grass beside her
as she rested from her hike. The whole day she had
merely walked and walked, going in no particular
direction. Going nowhere. She had meant to get to a
village, to any place where she could ask for help.
For directions. She wasn't leaving it up to the
others any longer, because, after all, she knew where
they were, while they didn't know where she was. And
she needed a spell if she was to transport herself to
Keita's dimension. She had to find someone who could
teach her a spell, or at least point her to one of the
magicians Zangitokun had told her about. If he had
told the truth at all.
How long until she was..?
Akane's brows furrowed as tears fought their way to
her eyes. She sniffed and blinked them away.
Struggling to keep the moisture that kept glazing over
her eyes from spilling over unto her cheeks, she
reached out to pick up a thin stick. She sighed out of
relief as the tears subsided, and started scratching
idly at the earth.
*This is wonderful. Another day with no sign
what-so-ever of the others. Or of Zangitokun, for that
matter. Maybe they've both given up on me.*
*Ha, ha. Not very funny.*
*Wasn't trying to be funny.*
Suddenly she stopped and gaped at the rough image
of Ranma that was etched into the dirt.
The stick fell out of her hand and her eyes scanned
the earth madly, fighting a new torrent of tears,
until finally she couldn't take it anymore, her
fingers swiped at the ground, upturning the dirt to
distort the image.
At once she was regretful, as if, by destroying his
image, she had somehow hurt Ranma. But she shook the
feeling off, somehow hoping to justify herself by a
quick mental apology.
This was great. Now that the subject of Ranma had
been broached, it couldn't be avoided. In the back of
her mind, she had kept thinking about it since the
fight, but whenever the thoughts had tried to surface,
she had pushed them down. Now she knew she couldn't
escape them.
Ranma.
She sighed again.
She remembered clearly everything that had happened
during her battle with Zangitokun. Everything that
she had heard.
Everything that she had thought.
Yet now, the peak of her emotions having passed,
she couldn't really bring herself to believe it. Love
Ranma? Could she *love* Ranma?
Impossible.
But...the way she felt...and the way everything
seemed so much clearer now...
No. It was impossible. How could she love Ranma?
He was always such a jerk! An insensitive, stupid,
selfish, perverted jerk! He said he didn't want any
of his other fiancees, but he was always hanging
around Shampoo. He had known Ukyo for a long time, so
visiting her was mildly explanatory, but Shampoo..?
He kept protesting for her to stop following him, but
whenever Akane was around, it seemed like he was
practically leaping into her arms!
And he never said anything nice to her! He never
even said anything nice *about* her! All she ever got
was "uncute tomboy," "stubborn as a mule," and the
like. She wasn't even sure if he ever said anything
that *hinted* at something nice about her.
But he had come to rescue her so many times. He
had done it for her. Like at Togenkyo.
Togenkyo...
Her mind turned viciously on her. How could she
possibly say that Ranma was always a jerk?! Oh, he
was insensitive sometimes, but never on purpose. And
he always helped her. He had looked out for her so
many times.
After all, when she had been sulking about Dr.
Tofu, hadn't Ranma come and tried to cheer her up?
Hadn't he offered to help her fight the guys at
school? He had even helped her look for P-chan the
first time the pig left, and Akane knew how much Ranma
disliked P-chan. He had done so much...
Akane blinked in confusion and rested her head in
her hand. This was so strange. It was as if she was
seeing everything from someone else's point of view.
She had always understood, really, that Ranma was
honorable, that he was well-meaning and kind-hearted,
even though his naive blunders sometimes hurt others.
She had always seen that Ranma was strong and
charming, and that that look in his blue eyes always
made her want to smile. She had always known that the
slightest gesture or mannerism, the way he would
sometimes glance up quickly and then, just as quickly,
nod his head down sparked such a feeling of joy inside
her that she was almost giddy with it. She had known
that the smallest things, like the way he would
effortlessly jump down from the fence piping to run
next to her on their way to school, made her heart
leap. And yet, it was as if she was seeing for the
first time what Shampoo and Ukyo, and everyone else,
loved so much about him.
She loved Ranma.
*I love Ranma.*
And, the words barely audible, she whispered it.
"I love Ranma..."
And the thought, it didn't seem like the alien
words it seemed like mere minutes ago. It was the
most natural thing in the world.
Akane's lips quivered into a smile. The smile grew
wider, until it finally collapsed into sobs. Because
Ranma didn't love her. And the simple reason was that
there *was* a jerk in this whole ordeal. And it
wasn't Ranma.
How could Ranma love her? How could he *possibly*
love her? After everything that she had done...
Just minutes ago she had been fuming over the
things that Ranma had done to her. But they were
nothing compared to what she did to *him*. From the
day that they had met, she had taken out all of her
anger at him. She had attacked him at the slightest
provocation, and had refused to admit to anything good
about him. Whenever he had helped her, she had found
some fault in it, had never even really thanked him.
Whenever he had fought with Ryoga, she had blamed him,
even when it was obvious that he wasn't the cause of
the problem. She had gotten angry at him for the
fiancee dilemma, and had held him responsible for the
times that his other fiancees schemed to get him
alone, or even the times that they were just nice to
him.
Ranma hated her, no doubt, and with perfect reason.
She had lost him before she ever even knew that she
wanted him.
But... He had saved her all those times. He had
put himself in danger for her, and even though she
never gave him credit, he had done it again and again.
Why would he have risked himself if he hated her?
Maybe he didn't hate her. Maybe, *maybe*, he even
loved...
Of course, helping someone and loving them were two
different things. If Ukyo had been in trouble, she
had no doubt that Ranma would have gone to save her.
But Ukyo had been his friend since childhood. His
friend, and nothing more. Or so she hoped.
Maybe Ranma did care about her. He did help her,
even in the mildest situations that she could have
gotten out of herself. And unless she started it, he
never picked fights. And also...when Ranma and she
were together, arguing, or anything, Akane would
sometimes glance at Nabiki, and her sister would have
a too-knowing smile on her face. Nabiki was hardly
ever wrong, about anything. When Akane talked to her
about Ranma, Nabiki always seemed to hint that there
was something...between them.
Of course, even after sixteen years of living with
her, Nabiki was still the most inscrutable person that
Akane had ever known. Akane sighed. She wasn't
getting anywhere with this. After so many months of
holding back feelings, on both their parts, the only
way she could get a clear answer was to confront Ranma
directly. Which she couldn't, not as long as she was
trapped here. Which, in turn, meant that she had
better resume her search for a way out of this
dimension. As for Ranma...well, she'd find out sooner
or later.
----------------------------
Ranma stared lifelessly at the setting sun. His
eyes were dull, his posture limp. Inside he was
screaming. It hadn't worked. The amulet hadn't
worked. Whoever, whatever this thing was, that was
trying to prevent him from finding Akane, it was
strong. Stronger than the amulet, stronger than
Keita's magic...
Stronger than him.
The thought made Ranma's stomach turn. I tried, I
did, but the amulet didn't work, it didn't work. Yes,
he might find the other precautions, but probably he
wouldn't, and they wouldn't work even if he did. The
amulet was his only way out of here, his only way to
find Akane now, and it didn't work.
It wasn't that he was worried about being stranded
in this dimension; he knew Keita would send him back
after a period of time. He was just so scared that he
wouldn't send for him in time to help Akane
from...whatever danger she was in.
Keita... Was there a chance that he was watching
through the portal? Surely he had tracked where Ranma
went.
Then why the heck hadn't he conjured him back
before?
Because maybe he thought it would be better to try
to use the amulet first. Well, now the amulet didn't
work. Maybe he was watching, but not doing anything
because he wasn't sure how Ranma himself wanted to
act. Well, then he would tell him.
"Come on already," he said. "Get me back, or send
me to another dimension where I might find Akane, but
just get me out of here."
Suddenly everything disappeared. Then the familiar
whiteness began to wane, and his new surroundings
faded into view.
----------------------------
Akane forced one leg in front of the other. *Keep
walking, keep walking.* She felt like she was going to
fall over, just fall asleep. And it wasn't that she
was tired. She was just so bored. And, despite all
reason that was screaming at her in protest, she was
becoming a bit annoyed with everybody back in Keita's
palace. Of course, this couldn't be their fault, but
a stubborn side of her completely closed to reason,
and looking for someone to blame, kept insisting that
it was.
Out of habit, a throught sprang to mind. *This is
your fault Ranma. As soon as I get back there, I'll
kill you!* She sighed. As if. In reality, there was
little that she wouldn't give to hear him call her
name again.
"Akane!"
She froze, and slowly turned around. *Yep, there's
Ranma, all right. I'm sure he's right there, standing
in this stupid field with me. I guess I _did_ fall
asleep after all.*
"Are you listening, you stupid tomboy? I knew you
were dumb as a post, but I didn't know you were that
deaf, too."
Akane stood in the silence, stunned. She didn't
know whether to beat him to a pulp, burst into tears,
or to cry out in joy that he was here. But all of
that would have to wait. "How did you get here?"
"That Keita guy sent me. I was supposed to look
for you, and I guess I found you."
Akane couldn't help but wince at the contempt in
his voice. What was wrong? Still, happiness won over,
and she forced herself to forget about it all as she
rushed over to him. "Ranma, you're finally here!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Spare me the whining, and
let's get out of here."
"What?!"
"You heard me. Only so much a guy can stand."
"What's wrong with you, you dummy?!" She knew that
she had promised herself not to call him that, but she
couldn't help it. What was Ranma doing?
He smirked, or frowned, she couldn't really tell.
"At least I'm not a macho, kawaikunee tomboy. Really.
You can't cook, you can't swim, you can't fight to
save your life... Do I need to go on, or did I get my
point across?"
"Can't fight?!" Again, she had promised, but it
seemed meaningless in her anger. She swung her staff
around, at his face. Unexpectedly, it twisted in her
hand, and in a moment, the end pushed at her chest.
She barely felt anything, but her balance was lost,
and she fell. Ranma twirled the staff in his hands.
"Just like I said... It was pretty stupid to
attack me with this thing, Akane. The Anything-Goes
School trains in all forms of weapons. But of course
you know all that. You couldn't beat me with this if
I was asleep." Suddenly, the staff snapped in half.
Ranma threw the pieces at her feet. "Heh."
Akane didn't even try to fight the tears that
streaked her face.
Ranma flashed her a derisive look. "What's the
matter, Akane? Don't like how that feels?" He
snorted. "You always were a hypocrite. It always
made me sick--you know that?--it made me sick how
selfish and conceited you were. Are. Even now, you're
boo-hooing your little eyes out, but you're still not
thinking of all the times you've said these things to
others. Disgusting."
*But you're wrong,* she thought, *you're wrong. I
am thinking of all the things I've ever said, and I'm
so sorry, I'm sorry, please forgive me, I'm so sorry,
please...*
"And, hey, remember how you always challenged me to
fights? Only did it �cause you knew that I wouldn't
fight back. Wanna try that again?"
Akane looked at him, shocked. "Ranma...what are
you saying?"
"Geez, you really are a dunce. I don't know why I
ever put up with you in the first place. That Keita
can have you if he wants to. Personally, I feel sorry
for him."
Akane's shock turned to anger. "Well, fine! If you
really feel that way, Ranma, I'm ready any time you
are! I accept your challenge!" She leaped for him,
attacking with a succession of punches.
He glided through them with an infuriating ease.
"Another brilliant remark from Akane Tendo!"
His kick caught her by surprise. She fell, tears
mingling with dirt on her face. The fact that he had
actually kicked her hurt more than the physical pain.
She tried to get up. His arm lunged out, and she was
back on the ground again, blood mixing with the mire
beneath her. She couldn't believe how easily he was
beating her. Shakily, she stood to face him once
more. Her best effort, now...
The earth spun towards her in a familiar arc. Her
side burned, and there was a severe bruise on her
shoulder. The ground below her had turned to a
definite red.
"R-Ranma..."
He sneered. "What's wrong? Weren't you the one
always telling me to fight you for real?"
"I..." Akane didn't know what to say. She *had*
told him that, many times, but she never really
expected... Well, now she was getting what she had
asked for. A few careless blows, and she was helpless
against him. And what stung even more was that he
still wasn't taking her seriously. He was fighting
back, but he wasn't really fighting--he was simply
knocking her down whenever she tried to get up. It
was a joke to him, she was a joke. It frightened her
how readily he could have done this before... but
never did.
Yet... yet, why was he doing it now? What had
changed between them?
"Ranma... I'm sorry, I was wrong before, but why
are you-- Don't you care for me anymore?"
The scornful expression on his face pained her far
more than his blows ever could. "Care for you?
*Care* for you? What ever gave you the idea that I
could �care' for you? A useless, petty, stupid,
selfish, tiresome uncute tomboy who only made my life
miserable..!" Ranma spat at the ground. "Care for
you? If I had it my way, I'd never even see you
again."
His words struck her like poisoned arrows, more
agony than she could hold, and now she was bleeding
both inside and out. "But... Then why have you saved
me before? From Toma, from Kirin? Ranma, I..." Akane
choked on her tears. Oh God, she was dying, and Ranma
wasn't going to save her this time, Ranma wasn't...
He looked like he had swallowed something bitter.
"Because... Because I did... I did care for you once.
But not anymore. You made short work of that,
Akane." He took a few steps forward, stopped. "You
can be sure I'll never make that mistake again." He
turned away from her, started walking, he was leaving
her here, alone...
"Ranma! Ranma, wait!" she called out to him in
desperation. "Don't leave me! I... I love you...!"
"Love?!" He glanced over at her one last time.
"Too late, Akane." He reached for an amulet about his
neck...
"No!"
...invoked it...
"NO!!!"
He was gone.
"Ranma!! No, oh God, no, no no no no no..."
----------------------------
"NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"
Akane awoke screaming. The night was silent except
for the distorted echos of her cry. The only light
came from the moon, high in the sky. Akane sat
rigidly, trying to get her breathing under control.
Gradually, the balmy air began to fill up with the
songs of the birds, momentarily quieted by her sudden
scream. Akane looked around, starting to remember
where she was. By the spring, where she had stopped
in the evening.
A dream, a dream, it was nothing but a dream. She
felt like laughing, like crying, she was so happy. It
was a dream. It wasn't really Ranma. Ranma hadn't
really said that. A dream, a dream was all.
But certain things about it began to bother her.
The vividness, for one. She could remember every
detail as if it had happened, perfectly. She could
remember the trees rustling in the warm summer wind,
the water coursing over the rocks, the birds singing.
She could unerringly remember every word Ranma said...
She could remember how he looked, what he wore, in
which position he stood. And she remembered pain.
Not pain that her mind had assumed was there, but
geniune pain, so that her muscles ached with the
memory of it.
But all of that could have been possible. Maybe
her mind was filling in the details at the moment.
Maybe the pain *was* merely imaginary. Maybe she just
knew Ranma so well as to be able to guess how he would
have looked like. What bothered her the most was the
amulet.
How could she possibly know that Ranma would have
an amulet around his neck? How could she know that he
invoked it by will? And yet she was sure that it was
the truth. How?
And the field. It looked similar to the plains she
had walked through the past day, but was unmistakably
different. And she couldn't help but think that it
hadn't been only in her imagination, that if she kept
walking she would find it.
Akane grabbed her staff, which she noted with an
illogical relief was whole, and stood up. She
certainly wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep,
and she had nothing better to do than act on a whim.
She started running in the direction she had been
heading before. Along the spring, because she
remembered clearly that it had been present in the
location of her dream. She ran and ran and ran, until
she felt she couldn't possibly go any farther, when
her surroundings began to look familiar. She slowed
to a walk, glancing around alertly for any sign she
might recognize. Suddenly, she came upon a large rock
which she placed immediately as belonging in her
dream. She leaned on it, grateful for the chance to
rest, when she saw that there was writing inscribed on
its surface. As the clouds drifted away with an
almost suspicious timing, the moon shone brightly
through to the plain and Akane was able to make out
the words.
*Too late, Akane.*
She staggered back as if struck. Too late, Akane.
Too late, Akane. What...How could this be happening?
The realization swept over her in a wave of anger.
"Zangitokun...!" The word tasted bitter in her
mouth. "Zangitokun! Come out! Come out, I know
you're watching! Zangitokun!"
Only silence answered her, but the wind seemed to
echo with laughter.
"Zangitokun!! Zangitokun!!!"
A gust of wind swirled around her in a mocking
circle.
"Zangitokun!" she yelled again. "Where...!" She
couldn't help it then. All of the fury and
frustration that had built up inside her burst out in
tears of rage and helplessness. She didn't want to
cry in front of him, didn't want to give him the
satisfaction, but she couldn't stop.
*Zangitokun!* The thought was directed more at
herself than at him. *You're not going to beat me
with this! You're not!* She forced her face to
harden, her tears to stop. In a hoarse whisper, she
repeated it. "You're not."
The trees seemed to cackle with irrepressible
mirth.
"Why can't you leave me alone? What do you want
with me!? Why are you doing this? Is it that much
fun? Does it help you in some way? I never did
anything to you! Leave me alone! I just want to go
home!"
In the moonlight, a new inscription appeared on the
rock, and Akane didn't know whether the surprise or
fear it inspired within her was greater.
*Nothing would help me more.*
----------------------------
Ranma opened his eyes and looked around himself.
He was back in Keita's dimension.
"Ranma all right?"
His eyes focused on Shampoo, who was sitting by him
with Ukyo. "I'm okay."
"You sure, Ranchan?"
"Let's stop ooh-ing and aah-ing over Ranma's health
and get back to business," Nabiki said from the other
end of the room. "Start reading or send yourself over
the warphole of time or whatever, but for God's sake,
cut the chit-chat."
Ranma stood up and walked over to where she sat
with Keita and Cologne. "Any progress?"
"Not much," Keita answered. "But we've narrowed
some important stuff down."
"Like?"
"Like she didn't create her own dimension. It says
in quite a few of these books that if you don't know
what is happening, it's next to impossible to gather
your thoughts in a manner in which you can actually
form a basis for a dimension."
"Well, that's pretty good, actually."
"I suppose. But it still leaves a lot of
possibilities. Too many. I don't think it's a good
idea to send you out to look for her again until we
have a better understanding of what we're working
with."
"I guess so." Suddenly he remembered something.
"Hey, you know how the amulet didn't work?"
"Yes. That was very strange. A little water
shouldn't have affected it."
"Yeah, well, it wasn't the water. I-I don't know
how to explain this. It was like...like someone was
trying to prevent me from using it."
"What?"
"I don't know. First I kept being unwilling to try
the amulet. Finally I figured out that maybe it
wasn't me, it was someone else. And then, when I
tried the amulet, it just didn't work. And the thing
is, it started to work, and then it sort of died out.
Like someone was opposing its power and winning. And
the strangest thing about all of this is that it felt
like...like this person was trying to stop me, not
from getting to Akane, but from getting to Akane now.
Until it was too late, or something."
"But that makes no sense," Keita argued. "This
person used his magic to stop you from leaving that
dimension at this time, but I just conjured you back.
No time passed between your trying the amulet and my
sending for you, so stopping the amulet from working
didn't accomplish anything. If this person didn't
want you to leave, why didn't he stop my spell now?
It isn't as if the amulet was less powerful."
The others had started to listen, and now everybody
was staring at him, stunned.
"He's right," Nabiki said. "There really was no
point, because if we want, we can send Ranma out
again."
"Can we?" Cologne glanced around the room. "How do
we know that our attempts to send Ranma *out* will not
be thwarted?"
"Of course!" Nabiki exclaimed. "The one big
difference between the amulet and Keita's spell to
conjure Ranma back was that the amulet would have sent
him to another prospective dimension with Akane, while
Keita got him back over here, where Akane certainly
isn't. With the amulet, Ranma could have found Akane
before, as he said, �too late,' but he can't do that
here."
"There is one more thing we are forgetting. Why
would this entity have bothered to stop the amulet
from working unless the chances were high--very
high--that the Future Son-in-Law would find the girl
in his next attempt?"
Cologne looked around again, but this time all she
met were blank gazes. Finally, Ranma broke the
silence. "...And?"
"And so it means that either you would have
happened to focus in on the right dimension, which is
unlikely seeing as to how the first attempt was such a
miserable failure, or the dimension is one of
significance, drawing travelers in."
"That's true," Keita slowly agreed. "And it
certainly helps but...there are so many important
dimensions, and even if we were able to get there, it
would take far too long to search for her in each,
especially if he were to use his magic to interfere."
"And we wouldn't be having this conversation if he
didn't use his magic to interfere," Ukyo added.
"Not only that," Mousse put in, "but it is
improbable that we can go to this dimension even if we
single it out."
"And of course," Nabiki said, "when this guy is
ready, we'll find the dimension with perfect ease."
"Well, I don't care about his schedule!" Ranma
growled. "I don't care who he is or what he wants,
but he ain't getting it."
"This puts on a new perspective," Keita said. "I
agree with Ranma that we shouldn't wait to see what
this person wants, because it can't be too good for
any of us. We should get to Akane as soon as we can,
regardless of his plans. It would be best to reach her
before he is ready."
"This makes the task more difficult," Cologne
remarked. "Keita, you and I have a new work. First
of all, we must find a spell to shield your dimension
from outside magic, so that his power won't intervene
with our research. Second, you must devote your time
to creating a spell of such strength that the entity
will not be able to interfere with it when we learn
the girl's location. Will you be able to do that?"
Keita stared at the table in front of him. "I'd
like to say yes, but...with so much power...I really
don't know."
----------------------------
It was a small village, but prosperous. It stood
by the river, surrounded by a thin expanse of trees.
There was a large field by its side, and the sun beat
down mercilessly on its workers.
Akane walked down the path. The voices that filled
her ears made her almost dizzy with happiness.
Finally, finally she had reached some *people*. She
had been alone for so long that it was an
undescribable relief. Finally.
But she hadn't come here for company, she knew.
She needed information,
*reliable* information, about how to get out of this
stupid dimension. The fact that she would need a
spell to cross the Chushin-no-Maho was probably true
enough. After all, Ranma and the others had used one
when they came to Keita's dimension. But what else
that Zangitokun had told her could she trust? Or,
even worse, what *hadn't* he told her? She would need
someone else to tell her about the whole thing. And
then, if it matched Zangitokun's information, she
would need to find a Sorceror or something, for which
she would need directions.
Well, now she'd probably get them. She'd finally
have some answers.
Akane smiled and quickened her pace. Soon she
would be home.
----------------------------
The room was dark and, for all its beauty, utterly
empty. From the shadows, he watched the girl walk
into the village. He looked up from the scene with an
obscure smile and turned to face his companion.
"She's coming, and none too soon. We honestly
don't have any time to spare."
The other nodded slowly. "I agree. We've already
lost years. But if all goes well..."
"He's practically within our grasp. But will he
cooperate? You must know that it's much to ask."
Now it was the other's turn to smile, a faint smirk
that was both confident and remorseful. "He'll
cooperate."
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
So, what did you think?
Anna
=====
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