Ranma 1/2: Aijou & Aitou (Love & Regret)

Chapter 20: Rise and Shine

by John Garrett (aka JohnnyG) johnny.gman@gmail.com

You can read this story from the beginning by going to:
http://www.computersensa.com/A&A.html

In addition, the formatting for this chapter is much better there as
well.  You can get to this chapter directly by going to:
http://www.computersensa.com/A&A-20.html

All feedback is welcome and encouraged (positive and negative). I'd like
to thank two people for their assistance. The first is Marik K, who not
only helped with proofreading and characterization, but was the person
who got me interested in Ranma to begin with. The other is Strife
Aileron, whose Ranma knowledge was helpful, but more importantly whose
writing expertise helped make this many times better than it ever
would've been otherwise. Thanks so much guys.

Most important of all, I would like to thank my wife. Not only has she
supported me in my writing by giving me the time I need to work, but she
is also an excellent pre-reader. Thanks again dear!

Lastly, this is based solely on the anime continuum. It takes place
shortly after the end of season 7 and does not take the 2nd Ranma movie
nor the OVAs into account. Thus no Saffron, no botched wedding, no Toma,
etc.

FYI, this is my first post to this list.  If I did something wrong, 
please let me know.  Thanks.

--

Cherry blossoms.

Ranma found himself in the middle of a field, amidst a few cherry trees.
He was seated on a red and white checkered blanket, with a basket of
food next to him.  The scent of cherry blossoms was in the air.  Ranma
breathed in the aroma and found it to be quite refreshing.

Hearing a small noise behind him, Ranma slowly turned around, noting as
he did so that he felt no danger, merely a serene presence.  Standing
behind him, wearing a modest dress that only slightly enhanced her
figure, was Kasumi.  A light wind caused her dress to flow more closely
against her body, giving more of a hint of what lay beneath.  The breeze
also forced her hair to sway a bit, and the pink and white leaves from
the cherry trees floated gently down around her.  It was, quite simply,
one of the most beautiful images that Ranma had ever seen.

Soon, Kasumi had joined him, and the two were enjoying a fabulous meal
together.  They chatted, the conversation flowing freely, never once
feeling forced.  They joked and they teased, but also spoke about their
hopes and dreams, but most importantly, their feelings.  Before long,
Ranma found that Kasumi was in his arms and he was looking into the
brown pools of her eyes.  He bent forward, and soon the two kissed.

It began slowly and gently.  Both seemed completely relaxed as they let
their lips communicate the depth of their emotions; this time without
words.  As the kiss progressed, the intensity of it began to flare.
Ranma began to feel a heat spread from his heart to his entire body, and
he found that his arms wrapped even more tightly around Kasumi, as if he
couldn't hold her close enough.  He felt her arms tighten as well, and
soon they became consumed by the fire that the kiss had ignited.

Just before it could intensify any further, Ranma pulled back.  Kasumi
opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly.

"Are you sure?" he asked softly.

Rather than answer with words, Kasumi leaned forward and began kissing
him again.  Soon, both of them were lost in one another.

--

Ranma's eyes slowly blinked open, and the first thing he noticed was the
slight scent of cherry blossoms.  In his hazy condition, he couldn't
quite grasp where the fragrance was coming from.  As he became more
aware, several things began to filter into his mind.

First, he felt something tickling his nose.  As his eyes focused, he
found himself looking at a head full of brown hair.  He faintly
remembered that Kasumi used a shampoo that was scented with cherry
blossoms, and he figured that the head of hair must belong to her.

Once comprehension hit, many other things became all too apparent.  He
suddenly realized that he was lying down next to Kasumi in his tent.
Just before he was able to go into full panic mode, Ranma remembered
that Kasumi had been the one to recommend that they do this.  This
helped ease his mind somewhat, but not entirely.  His dread began to
rise again when he realized that they were now in the exact opposite
position from where they started.  They were still in a spoon-like
position, but she was now facing away from him while he was pressed into
her back.

This wouldn't have been too bad, but unfortunately the situation
produced two unfortunate side effects.  One was that he had his arm
draped over her, and Ranma found that his hand was grasping onto
something that it shouldn't be, something quite soft.  This was bad
enough, but he also realized that he was experiencing that common
problem most men have when they wake up, and that it was currently
jabbing Kasumi in the posterior.

'Oh dear kami!  She's gonna kill me!'  The fact that he was going to die
a happy man was small comfort to Ranma at that moment in time.  Again,
he was about to panic, but there was something about Kasumi's presence,
and the comforting position he was in, that helped soothe him.  'Okay, I
gotta think this through.  If I just jump away, she's gonna wake up and
realize what's goin' on.  But if I slowly move away, she won't wake up
and everything should be fine.  Okay,' he thought, psyching himself up,
'that's what I'm gonna do.'

The way Ranma saw it he had three objectives.  First, he had to stop
poking Kasumi.  Second, he needed to slowly remove his hand from her
chest.  Third, once they were no longer in contact, he needed to slowly
move away.  Concentrating on his first goal, Ranma began to slowly scoot
his hips away from Kasumi.  After a few moments, he was no longer in
contact with her backside.  Letting out a tiny sigh of relief, he began
to move to the second phase of his plan.  However, before he could start
to move his hand, a gentle voice totally derailed both his mind and
motions.

"Are you finally awake, sleepyhead?"

--

As Kasumi woke from her nap, she felt quite refreshed and relaxed.  For
some strange reason, she also felt wholly comforted.  It took her a few
moments, but she suddenly understood the reason why.  She felt Ranma
holding her tight, his arm draped over her in a protective gesture.  His
steady breathing, which caused his chest to press into her in a rhythmic
pattern, left her feeling quite peaceful.  For several minutes, she just
laid there enjoying the sensation, before she realized exactly what
Ranma's hand had a hold of.

'Oh my!  This really isn't proper, even if it does feel nice.'  Kasumi
tried to quash that feeling, knowing that he shouldn't have his hand
there, and was about to wake Ranma up, when she paused.  'Well, it's not
like he's doing it on purpose.  Besides, the poor dear must be exhausted
from all his training.  I should just wait until he moves himself and
then I can get up without waking him.'

For the next ten minutes, Kasumi tried to avoid feeling guilty about the
fact that she was immensely enjoying being held by her fiance in such an
intimate manner.  It wasn't as hard as she would have thought, because
she felt so warm... so safe... so... so... cherished.  She couldn't
prescribe a greater description to the feeling; it wasn't love, at least
not yet, but it was easy to see how it might be heading into that
direction.

Thoughts of Ranma's training brought home to her the immensity of
exactly what it was he was doing for her.  'He's going through all of
this to protect me.  He could just marry Shampoo and then I would be
safe, but instead he's going through the hardest training he's ever
done... for me.'

That line of thinking caused Kasumi to consider the relationship she and
Ranma were slowly developing.  'He's still very rough around the edges,
but at least he's trying so hard when he's around me.  I know a lot of
that will be undone when we're back home and he's around everyone else,
but at least some of it will certainly stick.'

Knowing she would still have her work cut out for her, she considered
whether it was worth the effort in the long run.  "Yes," she whispered
to herself without hesitation.  'Despite all his faults, he's still one
of the most honorable and noble people I have ever met.  He's also warm,
caring, and considerate; to me at least.  It also doesn't hurt that he's
incredibly handsome, that it's a lot of fun kissing him, and that it
feels so wonderful when he holds me.  And I know, beyond a shadow of a
doubt, that Ranma will encourage me to pursue whatever dreams I may
have.'

Her contemplation was cut short as she felt her fiance suddenly stiffen
up behind her.  'I wonder if he's finally woken up?' she asked herself.
The question was answered shortly when she felt Ranma slowly, yet
deliberately, move his torso away from her.  It wasn't until that moment
that her mind truly understood what had been pressing against her.
'Oh... OH MY!'  The small, relieved sigh Kasumi heard allowed her to
understand that Ranma must be just as embarrassed, if not more so, than
she was feeling.  She decided to defuse the situation before her poor
fiance became totally unnerved.

"Are you finally awake, sleepyhead?" she asked gently.

--

"Uh," was about the only coherent response that Ranma could form.  'She
don't sound angry like Akane or nothin', but she's gotta be pissed.'

"I asked if you were awake," she said.  "I'll take that as a yes."

"I'm sorry!  It was an accident, I swear!"

Whatever Ranma was expecting, the small giggle that Kasumi let out
wasn't it.  "Don't worry about it Ranma, I know you weren't doing
anything on purpose.  And after all, I was the one who recommended that
we rest together."

The relief that Ranma felt was palpable, in fact he was sure it was
coming off him in waves.  'Man, if only Akane would've listened to me
like this, who knows what coulda happened?'  He was about to thank her
for being so forgiving, when her next words disrupted everything.

"Of course, I think it would be a good idea for you to remove your hand
from my chest now."

"Gah!"  Ranma yanked his hand away as if her torso was made of molten
lava.  Immediately afterwards, he jumped away from her and nearly
knocked the tent down onto both of them.  He prostrated himself on the
ground and began repeating over and over, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm
sorry!"

When Kasumi giggled even louder than before, Ranma peeked up from where
his head was bowed to the floor and noticed the radiant smile on her
face.  "I told you it was alright Ranma," she said, once she had her
tittering under control.  Ranma took in her expression and began to
breathe a small sigh of release, which caught in his throat as she began
speaking again.

"However..." she said in a chiding tone, "I expect that we'll need to
have a more solid commitment between us before you make a habit of
touching me there again."

"Ack!"  Ranma sat up straight and began making warding motions in front
of him with his hands.  "I didn't mean nothin'," he insisted.  "You
gotta believe me!"  Internally, he couldn't help but berate himself,
even part of him was trying to tell him that it was an honest mistake.
'Jerk!  Pervert!  Akane was right about you.  This is Kasumi for cryin'
out loud!  Yer worse than the old letch.'

"It's okay Ranma," he heard Kasumi repeat once again.  To emphasize
this, she reached forward to place her hand on his cheek.
Unfortunately, all of his time at the Tendo's home had conditioned him
too well.  He immediately equated this action with pain, and his
instinct forced him to close his eyes and cringe.

'I deserve this,' he thought, believing in his heart that it was true.
'It don't matter that I didn't mean it.  It still happened.'  After
several seconds of not receiving a beating, Ranma hesitantly opened his
eyes and looked at his fiancee.  The frown she was directing towards him
made him feel even worse, at least until she began to speak.

"Ranma," she said quietly.  Her voice was low, but it was devoid of her
usual cheerfulness, as well as the anger Ranma would have expected in
this situation.  In fact, it sounded rather exasperated.  "Do you truly
think that I'm going to hit you for this?"

Moments ago, Ranma was absolutely sure that she was going to do just
that.  Now, he wasn't quite so sure.  "Umm, I guess," he said weakly.

"Do you truly think so little of me?" Kasumi asked.  The hurt that crept
into her voice and was beginning to manifest on her face tore at Ranma's
heart.

Forcing himself to take a deep breath, Ranma evaluated the question.  He
considered the circumstances that led up to this encounter.  'Kasumi
asked ta rest with me.  I was asleep when we ended up like that, so I
didn't do it on purpose or nothin'.'  He thought about what Kasumi had
said after waking up.  'Even Kasumi said it wasn't my fault.  I just
couldn't help it because I'm so used ta being hit when somethin' like
this happens.  But this is Kasumi.  The only time she ever hit me was
when I nearly killed myself for her.  Because she was... worried...
about me.  Because she really does... care for me.'

The entire concept shocked Ranma to the core.  'When was the last time
someone cared about me?  I think pops did before even the neko-ken
training, but I ain't even sure of that.  And how could my mom care if
she let pops drag me off like that for ten years.  Plus, she wants to
make me commit seppuku if I don't turn out the way she wants.  Mr. Tendo
only cares about me upholding that stupid pledge.  Nabiki only seems to
care about makin' money off me.'  He understood that the last thought
might not be entirely accurate, but he wasn't going to argue with
himself at the moment.

His thoughts then turned to the girls who were after him.  'To all of
'em, I ain't nothin' but a piece of property.  Kodachi couldn't care
less about what I want.  Shampoo expects me to honor her stupid laws and
be her trophy husband.  Maybe she does really care, but if she did she
wouldn't treat me the way she does.  U-Chan is my friend, but she still
always held that agreement over my head, not caring one bit whether or
not I loved her in the same way.  And Akane...'  Ranma had the
equivalent of a mental sigh.  'Akane always calls me a jerk and a
pervert and said the engagement wasn't real and that she didn't want me.
But she always blew up when another girl was nice ta me or I was nice ta
another girl.  Again, she didn't care about what I wanted or how I
felt.'

Finally, Ranma's thought turned to his latest fiancee.  'Kasumi... she
is the most caring and gentle person I know.  She's kind, and sweet, and
beautiful.  She doesn't force herself on me, and she always considers my
feelings.  Plus, she worked it out so that when the engagement was
transferred to her that we had a way out, rather than try and trap me
like the other girls woulda.'  Once again, Ranma was struck with what an
incredible person she truly was.  As he looked at her again, where she
sat waiting for him to answer, Ranma couldn't keep his thoughts from
drifting into the inevitable direction.

'I don't deserve her.'

--

Kasumi sat there and watched the myriad of emotions play across Ranma's
face.  It was hard to tell what he was thinking, and she was beginning
to feel bad the way she had asked him the question.  'It's not poor
Ranma's fault.  He's just been conditioned to be this way.  We'll have
to work on it.'

"I-I'm sorry Kasumi," her fiance said, breaking Kasumi out of her
reverie.  "You... don't deserve ta have people think of you like that.
You deserve someone better than that."  His voice dropped to a near
whisper.  "Someone better than me."

The utter conviction in his voice tore at Kasumi's heart.  'He can't
believe that!  He can't!'  Before he had a chance to react, Kasumi
lunged forward and grabbed him in a fierce hug.  "Don't you ever say
that!" she cried.  "Don't even think it.  You are a wonderful person.  I
don't want you to doubt that for a second."

"But..." Ranma said, and she could feel him begin to choke up.  "You're
so much better that I-"

"Stop," Kasumi interrupted.  "Please.  I think you're one of the most
wonderful people I've ever had the privilege of knowing.  Are you
suggesting that I'm lying to you about that?"

"N-No.  It's just... I mean..."

"Shh," Kasumi said.  "Please... just believe me.  Okay?"

Feeling Ranma nod slightly, Kasumi loosened her embrace enough so that
she could look into his eyes.  She saw the disbelief that was still
there, but at least it had lessened somewhat.  'Since actions seem to
have such an effect on him, I guess that's the best way to show him how
serious I am.'

Keeping her eyes fixed on his, she slowly moved her face towards him.
She tried to project as much love and acceptance as possible, and even
though she moved slowly, she never hesitated.  Finally, her lips were
pressed against Ranma's, and she proceeded to demonstrate what she felt.
After she insured that Ranma was beginning to get into it as much as she
was, she closed her eyes and deepened the kiss.

After several minutes, Kasumi broke away slightly and adjusted their
position to make them both more comfortable.  She then continued kissing
her fiance.  The amount of time this went on was hard to estimate, but
Kasumi figured they had been at it at least twenty minutes when she
finally pulled away.

She sat back a little and looked into Ranma's eyes.  "Now," she said
sweetly, "do you believe me when I say that I think you're a wonderful
person."

"Yea," Ranma said, with the barest hint of a silly grin on his face.  "I
still don't get why, but I do understand."

"Good.  Whenever you begin to feel differently about yourself, I want
you to remember how I feel.  Can you do that for me?"

"O-Okay," Ranma said.  She thought the matter settled, but then his grin
diminished and he looked down at his lap.

"What's wrong Ranma?"

"Well... It's just... I mean..."

Kasumi watched as he wrung his hands together.  'Why is he so nervous?'
she wondered.  She thought about prodding him for information, but
decided it would be best if he worked out whatever was bothering him on
his own.  After several minutes of this though, she considered changing
her mind and prompting him, but he finally took a deep breath and spoke.

"While we've been out here," Ranma said, finally raising his head to
look at her again, "I've been thinkin' a lot about our engagement."
When he paused, Kasumi smiled at him and nodded her head, and he
continued.  "I'm really glad ya worked in those deals with our dads, but
I'm real worried about how ya said it, and knowing those two jerks,
they're gonna hold ya too it."

Cocking her head to one side, Kasumi gave him a questioning expression.
"I don't follow you Ranma."

"Well, ya told 'em that if I decided I wanted ta marry you, that I would
hafta.  But you never said anything 'bout you."

"I'm still not sure I understand," she said, though mentally she figured
where he might be going with this.  'This is going to end up like that
same conversation that I had with Nabiki.'

"Kasumi," he said softly, and reached forward to take her hands in his.
"Ya only said that I had ta wanna marry you, and not the other way
around."  He took another deep breath and she could see him steeling
himself for something big.  "It's just... In the short time we've been
engaged, it's been... wonderful.  I know we still have a long ways ta
go, and I don't think we're really in l-love or nothin', at least... not
yet.  But by the time I'm outta high school, I can't imagine that I
wouldn't wanna marry you.  Hell, what idiot in their right mind
wouldn't?"

The eldest Tendo daughter found herself simply glowing at his words.
'It's amazing how he can force himself around that foot in mouth disease
to come out with something truly as heartwarming as that.'

"But, here's my problem," he continued.  "Ya say all these nice things
about me right now, and you might even believe 'em when I graduate, but
that don't mean you'll wanna marry me then.  And there's no way I'm
gonna let you force yourself into that; agreement be damned."  He held
up one hand to forestall her from saying anything.  "Now, I know what
you said about honor and all, and I believe you one-hundred percent, but
my honor will not allow you ta marry someone you don't love.  So what
I'm sayin' is this... If, when I graduate, you don't wanna marry me, I'm
gonna tell our pops that I don't wanna marry you.  Yes, it'll probably
be a lie on my part, but there is no way in hell I could live with
myself if that happened."

'It's just like I told Nabiki,' she thought again.  'I knew he would
never force me into anything.  He's much too honorable and noble.  It
feels so wonderful to have someone care about me so much again, it's
been a long time.'  The warmhearted feelings seized her, and she found
herself starting to cry.

"Ack!" Ranma cried.  "I'm sorry!  I didn't mean whatever it is that I
said that made ya cry."

'Poor Ranma,' Kasumi couldn't help but think while he squirmed.  'We
really need to work on how he interprets other people's emotions.'  She
let out a giggle amidst the tears.

"It's okay Ranma," she said.  "This is one of those good cries."

"Oh," he replied, placing one hand on the back of his neck in
embarrassment.  "I didn't realize I said anything that would make ya so
happy."

"And that, my dear fiance, is one of the traits about you that I admire
so much.  You simply speak from the heart, not hoping to gain anything
from it, but merely telling things the way you see them.  That makes
them all the more special."

"Umm," he said, with that nervous titter in his throat, "if ya say so."

"I do," Kasumi said and then giggled some more.  "In fact, I'll do more
than tell you how much I appreciate it."

Without waiting for a response, Kasumi dove forward and tackled him on
the floor of the tent.  She then proceeded to give him the most
passionate kissing session the two had to date.

--

In a place far removed from all romantic intentions, one Kodachi Kuno
sat on the small bed of her cell and contemplated her revenge.  It was
after ten at night, and in the background a few of the inmates were
still awake, screaming out obscenities or making many other unpleasant
noises.

'Fools,' she thought, 'don't they understand that they are only
prolonging their stay here?'  It's true that when she was first brought
here several days ago, she acted in much the same way.  'How could it be
helped though?  They told me that I cannot see my beloved Ranma and that
I must spend my time in this kami-forsaken place.'

It hadn't taken her long to realize the futility of struggling, at least
until she was ready.  Therefore, she immediately forced herself to be
calm, and had made it a point to do everything in her power to lull the
guards and other staff into a false sense of security.  She didn't work
out while they were around, but rather waited until after lights-out to
do so.

She had just finished her workout minutes before, and was spending this
time planning before going to sleep.  'I shall continue to feed these
doctors whatever drivel they wish to hear.  I will also continue to palm
the medicine that they are trying to give me to dull my mind.  I will be
courteous and friendly to the guards, not too great a feat since I had
to act that way towards my brother and father on occasion.  Then, once
they believe that I am completely under their sway, I will strike.'

Kodachi had no illusion that she might have to seriously injure some
people to escape; in fact she was quite willing to do much worse.  In
her mind, staying in this place would mean that Ranma would fall under
the spell of the eldest Tendo girl and be lost to her forever.
Consequences no longer mattered; only taking vengeance against those who
had wronged her and rescuing Ranma were even considered these days.

'Once I escape, I shall go home to obtain my gymnast's tools.  Should I
deal with Sasuke and my family then?'  She pondered the question for a
few moments.  'No, it's possible that they might escape and then the
alarm will be raised too quickly.  I shall disconnect the phone lines
from the house first so that they won't receive any calls about my
escape.  Then I will gather what I need.  Afterwards, I will immediately
make my way to the Tendo house.  I will kill the oldest one to prevent
her from ever getting her claws into my darling Ranma again.'

Her imagination allowed itself full reign as she imagined Ranma
gathering her up into a great hug and giving her a passionate kiss as a
reward for rescuing him.  Then the two could escape and live together,
planning their revenge against everyone who had kept them apart.  They
would strike from the shadows without mercy, and once done, they would
be able to live happily ever after.

The raven-haired gymnast nearly let out one of her infamous laughs, but
managed to catch herself in time.  She found that for some reason it
caused the doctors and guards to be more on edge around her, and she
couldn't image why.

'They are probably just jealous of how happy I am.  Well, they shall
also feel our revenge Ranma darling, since they are trying to keep us
apart as well.'

Settling for a wide grin instead of a laugh, Kodachi laid back in her
bed and was soon asleep; dreaming dreams of her beloved and the happy
life they would lead together.

--

Ukyo sat in her bedroom, which was situated above her okonomiyaki
restaurant, not even bothering to restrict the tears that were poring
down her face.  In her hands was the letter she had received from Ranma
earlier that day.  When she had first received it, she had been in the
middle of serving a customer.  She had been tempted to throw everyone
out and rip open the letter, but as she imagined what it contained, she
managed to refrain.

Therefore, Ukyo had closed the restaurant at the normal time, locked up,
performed her normal cleaning routine, got ready for bed, and then
finally sat and read the letter in her room.  At first, she had fought
the tears, but then realized how futile it was and let herself go.
After several minutes, she forced herself to read through it one more
time.


Dear Ukyo,

I can only hope that you're doing well.  After the way I treated you, it
might surprise you just how much I want you to be happy.  I told you the
truth that day in class, I would do almost anything for you, but as I
said, marriage just can't be one of those things.  I know this isn't
what you want to hear, but if there is anything else I can do to make up
for what I've done, please tell me.  You are my best friend, and no
matter what, I don't want that to change.  I hope that you'll be able to
forgive me in time.

Anyhow, I'm sure you've heard by now what's going on.  If not, please
keep this to yourself.  Because Akane canceled our engagement, I am now
engaged to Kasumi.  I challenged both Kodachi and Shampoo in an effort
to get them to leave me alone and to protect Kasumi.  I won against
Kodachi, but I still don't trust her.  Nabiki is continuing to work on
things from that end.  I can only pray that she finds some way to deal
with that maniac.

As far as Shampoo goes, I have been training non-stop with Mousse and
Ryoga.  Things have been going well, but I'm still worried about what
the old ghoul might do.  I have developed one new special technique and
will be focusing on a few more before we come back from our trip.  If
you are able to attend the match, and aren't still angry at me, I would
like to have you there for support.  It would mean a lot to me.

Well, I need to go.  I still have homework to do (Kasumi is quite the
task-mistress).  Remember, I will always consider you my friend, even if
you hate me for what I've done.

Love always, Ranma


'Jackass,' Ukyo couldn't help but think.  'I know he means well, but it
still hurts damn it.  It doesn't really help that he obviously had
Kasumi help him write this thing.  It might mean something more if he
actually wrote the whole thing himself.'

Again, she wanted to be so angry with Ranma, or even Kasumi, but in
either case, she was having difficulty mustering what it took.  'How the
hell can I be angry at Kasumi?  And even though he's a jackass, Ranma
did tell me constantly that I was just a friend.  Of course, that
doesn't help when I'm going to have to deal with my family.'

The fact that she hadn't been in contact with any of them in the last
five years meant that she wasn't overly concerned with what they
thought.  Her whole quest for vengeance had been more for herself than
her family honor.  While she found family honor important, she had begun
to realize that her own personal honor, and being true to herself, were
much more important.

With that in mind, Ukyo folded up the letter and set it next to her
futon.  After crawling under the covers, she stared at the ceiling and
let out a long sigh.  Before finally managing to fall asleep, she
muttered something under her breath that she wouldn't likely remember
the next day.

"Ranma, you jackass."

--

Akane laid in her bed, contemplating the rather interesting pattern on
the ceiling of her room, in an effort to ignore the maelstrom of
emotions that she was feeling.  On the one hand, she was elated at the
training she was undergoing now that her father had agreed to instruct
her again.  The warm feelings that she was experiencing revolved several
aspects of that fact.

'It feels really good to actually spend some decent time with dad again.
Also,' she thought with a rueful chuckle, 'it's nice that he's finally
starting to act like a grownup again.  The best part though, is that
it's great to finally have someone help me improve in my martial arts
again.  Especially since that jerk Ranma wouldn't..."

This immediately led her into the other predominant emotion she was
undergoing; extreme sadness.  Contrived situations of what was happening
at a certain campsite kept surfacing to torment her.  Ranma eating and
immensely enjoying Kasumi's cooking, while he complimented her on what a
great wife she would make.  Ranma sitting by the firelight holding
Kasumi's hand.  Ranma and Kasumi kissing under the stars...

"Argh!" she grunted.  'There's no way Kasumi would let that pervert do
that.'  It didn't take long for Akane to remember that, with Nabiki's
help, she had already determined that Ranma was not, in fact, a pervert.

'Old habits die hard,' she thought with a sigh.  This led her back to
the conversation she had with her father not too long ago in which she
agreed to treat Ranma better if they became engaged again.  'Can I
really do it?  Can I stop hitting first and asking questions later?  Can
I give him the benefit of the doubt?'

These questions were not easy for her to answer.  A small consolation
was that Ranma wouldn't have Ukyo or Shampoo hanging all over him
anymore.  'That'll certainly help.  The same goes for Kodachi.'  This
caused her to shudder.  'I'm glad that psycho is locked up.  At least we
don't have to worry about her for a while.'

As her thoughts continued to swirl, Akane realized that she was doing
exactly what she had been trying to avoid.  Apparently her ceiling
wasn't interesting enough to distract her from her problems and she
found that her distress over Ranma was actually winning out over all
else.  This had the unfortunate effect of leaving her more depressed
than when she had first laid down.

Breathing out another sigh, Akane turned her lights off and rolled onto
her side in an effort to get to sleep.  It took a long time, but
throughout, one thought kept circling through her mind.

'I hope they hurry up and get home.'

--

Ryoga laid in his sleeping bag and regarded his tent, once again
thanking all that was holy that he had purchased the highest quality one
available and that it did such a good job keeping the water out.  It had
stopped raining before dinner, but he really didn't want to have to
worry about puddles on the floor of his little shelter.  He really had
no interest in spending any more time as a pig than necessary.  The only
exception to this had been when he was masquerading as Akane's pet.
This train of thought managed to leave him quite depressed, not enough
for a Perfect Shi Shi Hokodan, but still enough to be very impressive.

'Dammit, it's all Ranma's fault that I became P-Chan in the first place.
If that hadn't happened, I... that is...'  It was no use though.  The
verbal tongue lashing that Kasumi had given him several days before
still haunted him.  'Even if she's wrong and it wasn't my fault for
following Ranma, I still didn't have to be Akane's pet.  I also could've
told her myself instead of waiting for it to come out like it did.'

The words from Kasumi, as well as those from Akane and Mousse, and Ranma
to a lesser extent, continued to force themselves into his conscious
mind.  'If it was just Ranma, I could say it's a load of crap and leave
it at that.  But Akane and Kasumi told me it's my own fault.  Even
Mousse, jerk that he is, thinks it's my fault.  If that's true, then I
really did dishonor Akane.'

Fortunately, Ryoga was able to remember that things weren't nearly as
bad as Akane had portrayed them when she found out.  'I never did watch
her u-un-undress,' he thought with a gulp.  'And I never tried to take
advantage of her physically.  But what is it she said to me?  'You
listened to all my secrets and then used them against me.'  What did she
mean by that?'

It was difficult for Ryoga to understand, but he did his best to apply
his meager intellect to the problem.  'I never told anyone her secrets.
And the only time I ever reacted to any of them was when she was talking
about her relationship with Ranma.  But what does... that... have...'

For poor Ryoga, the answer hit him like a lightning bolt.  'No!  It's
not possible.  She couldn't have meant that!  That would mean that she
l... lo...'  The thought was too much for him to even finish.  He tried
to deny it, but too many one-sided conversations between Akane and P-
Chan came to the fore.  Talks where she would let out her frustrations
regarding Ranma, only to have Ryoga go and try to hurt his pig-tailed
nemesis, or at the very least where he would try to convince her, when
he was human again, what a jerk Ranma was.  Or talks where she was
particularly happy with Ranma, where Ryoga would then go and try to
outdo him in an effort to win Akane's love.

Try as he might, Ryoga was unable to come up with another explanation
for what Akane had been referring to.  'She really did lo... care for
him.'  He tried to blow it off though.  'It doesn't matter, that jerk
doesn't deserve her.  But if that's true, then why don't I care that
he's with Kasumi?  Is she less of a person than Akane?'

The answer was an immediate no, and this line of thinking brought back
the memories of his conversations with Mousse earlier in the day.  As
much as he didn't want to think about it, he was forced to ponder the
question that Mousse had posed.  'Did I really think that Ranma wasn't
good enough for Akane? Or was the only reason I got so upset because I
wanted her for myself?'

"No," he whispered without as much conviction as he would have liked.
"That can't be the truth."

Closing his eyes, Ryoga did his best to focus on something else,
anything else, in an effort to avoid looking further into that vein of
thought.  He was able to partially succeed, and soon found himself in
the middle of a troubled sleep.

--

Off somewhere in the mountains, in the opposite direction from Nerima
where Ranma and his companions were currently residing, an old woman
cackled with glee.  She sat by the firelight performing two tasks
simultaneously.  The first was watching as her granddaughter trained.
It was amazing how far the girl had come.  Her determination was beyond
commendable, and the vast knowledge of 3000 years of Amazon martial arts
techniques was shining through.  Cologne had no doubt that at the pace
they were proceeding her granddaughter would win her match against
Ranma.

A small noise from the fire drew her to her second task.  Amongst the
troves of lore that her tribe possessed was a formula for a potion that
would allow someone to remain awake for an indefinite period of time.
This meant that she was able to train Shampoo all day and all night.
Unfortunately it had a few drawbacks.  First, the ingredients were very
difficult to acquire, and this trip was going to exhaust her entire
supply.  It would likely take a training journey of a year or more to
replenish them.

'Well,' the old crone thought to herself.  'I can make that one the
first things that Shampoo and Ranma do together after their married.  It
will make an excellent honeymoon.'  She let out another shrill sounding
laugh at that.

The other drawback to the potion was that long-term use could have
lasting harmful effect.  Fortunately, a month wouldn't cause too much
trouble.  To be safe though, she would use shiatsu points to force
Shampoo to sleep for two full days right before they were to return.
This would make sure that she was in absolute top form for the duel.

A flash of light drew her attention away from the concoction.  She
looked up in time to see her granddaughter finish one of her new special
attacks with the exceptional, and quite distinctive, set of bonbori that
Cologne had provided for her.

'With those bonbori, the new special techniques I've taught her, and all
of the training she's doing, son-in-law won't know what hit him.'

--

Thanks everyone for taking the time to read. I'd like to hear what you
think. If you can, please take a moment to leave a review, or send me an
email. Remember, negative feedback is welcome as long as it's
constructive. Thanks again.

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