Okay guys, this is my second Ranma fic though this is the first time I've posted here. I almost didn't post it because I had originally intended for this to be a comedy, however, as I started writing I realised that it was becoming more serious than I really wanted. However, I also put a lot of time and effort into this piece and I don't want it all to be for nothing.
So I'm gonna let you guys be the judge of whether I'll be posting this on fanfiction.net. Please feel free to offer any criticism you may have. Please be specific though as I want to know where I'm going wrong and what I can do to improve the offending section as well as my writing in general.
Oh, and keep in mind that this is only the second draft and that I have not had the benefit of a pre-reader so it's not yet had the spit polish that I assure you it will have should I decide to post it on fanfiction.net.
Anyway, on with the story:
Disclaimer: I only wish that I owned these characters. However, barring my weird and wacky dreams, these characters actually belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
Insurmountable, a Ranma ¢ fanfiction by The Needy Stranger
Ranma wasn't immune to fear or intimidation, however much he bragged to the opposite. This fact was immutable given the many examples of said fear and intimidation over the past year, most notably whenever cats were involved.
However, he didn't believe that the emotion he was feeling at this particular time could accurately be described as fear. He was certainly feeling intimidated at the moment. More than that though, there was a creeping kind of dread that had settled in his stomach. The dread of a man who was going into an unknown situation, facing the possibility of not making it back home.
There was another emotion that he was feeling just as strongly yet it was one he was less familiar with. It was anxiety, plain and... well, perhaps not so simple.
If he hadn't been so caught up in these tumultuous emotions, perhaps the young man would have felt embarrassed at being brought so low by such a seemingly unworthy opponent.
To the martial artist's experienced eye, said counterpart relished in his discomfort. As the two combatants tried to stare each other down, Ranma couldn't help but admire how flawless the form in front of him was. As someone who had strived throughout his life to perfect and hone his physical condition, he was well aware of exactly how much work such an exquisite figure required.
It was intimidating to be confronted by such beauty. This feeling only grew more pronounced the longer the stare down continued.
Of course, Ranma knew that such a contest with this particular opponent was folly for him. After all, he had failed every other time he had tried such a tactic against this particular foe. Then again, that knowledge did little to ease his mind. His mouth was desperately dry and the mere thought of swallowing was painful, yet still, he continued his vigil. Perhaps if he gazed at it long enough, it would become less threatening.
Realising that focussing on all of these negative emotions would ultimately only lead to his own failure, he tried to centre his mind on the physical plain.
A drop of sweat on his right temple became particularly interesting as he traced it's lazy path down his face by the tingling sensation it left in it's wake. This may even have proven an adequate distraction from his anxiety, if it wasn't for a stray shaft of reflected light bringing his attention back to the figure that had somehow inched closer to his face.
A deep sigh built up in the young martial artist's chest and was released in a drawn out hiss. It was the final sign, both to him and his foe, that he was already resigned to his failure.
ôUh, Ranma? What are you doing?ö
ôGack!ö Was the somewhat less than eloquent response from the young man sprawled on his belly over his futon.
ôHiroshi! What the heck are ya doing up here?ö Ranma flustered as he tried to leap to his feet, face his friend and hide the object that had held his focus for so long.
Unfortunately, his success at these three endeavours varied quite a bit. While he was now standing and facing his friend, his shock and haste had completely negated his natural grace and a lifetime of training. This led to him dropping the item he wanted so badly to keep hidden and it now lay at the feet of the very person he was trying to hide it from.
Perhaps even this would not be so dire. After all, Ranma was a gifted martial artist and was skilled enough, and fast enough, to cross the distance to his friend, snatch up the fallen item and palm it before Hiroshi knew what was going on.
However, due to the distraction, Ranma didn't even notice the object slipping out of his grasp.
That is, he didn't realise anything was amiss until Hiroshi's gaze dropped to the floor and shortly after widen in awe and surprise. Though if his rather expressive eyes didn't immediately give him away, the fact that his jaw was hanging loose at the moment probably would have.
Too late, Ranma saw the glint of light at his friend's feet and recognised it for what it was. Though he summoned every ounce of his speed in grabbing and palming the object of his titanic struggles, he knew it was already too late.
Stunned silence seemed to saturate the room. The two occupants struggled to find words apt for the situation. It was a few, long, moments before Hiroshi was finally able to process what he saw and put it into words.
ôRanma? Was that... Is that an engagement ring?ö
Suddenly unable to look his friend in the eye, Ranma instead found a spot on the wall and focussed on it with every fibre of his being. For the life of him, he couldn't even force a change of topic, couldn't physically force the words out of his mouth. So he just stood there in embarrassed silence, hoping his friend would drop the point.
Of course, said friend only took the martial artist's silence as affirmation.
ôSo... Who's it for?ö
The pig-tailed young man flinched at the question. He imagined that he was one of the few unlucky men on the planet with enough confusion surrounding his romantic life with whom that would be a legitimate question. He retained his forced indifference to the situation, though he did allow a tiny exasperated sigh to escape. His life was not supposed to be this complicated. There were definitely times when he wished for the return of the good old days where the martial arts were his sole concern.
ôEr, Ranma?ö Hiroshi interrupted these meanderings, ôI know what you're trying to do. You told me and Dai a few of those 'secret' techniques after that last fiancÚe fiasco.ö
Ranma groaned on several levels. It figured that he would be busted as a result of his own big mouth. Resignedly, he dropped his attention from the wall and refocussed on the sandy haired boy in front of him.
ôYou gotta promise you won't tell anyone, 'kay?ö He asked fearfully, the memories of the last 'fiancÚe fiasco' still fresh in his mind.
ôUh, sure Ranma, but I've gotta ask, why the super secrecy?ö
Ranma threw Hiroshi a look that made him feel like a five year old waiting for a scolding from his parents.
ôWhy the secrecy?ö He asked in disbelief, ôWhat do you think would happen if any of the girls found out I was gonna propose to one of them?ö
ô... Oh.ö Hiroshi looked suitably abashed as he realised his foolishness.
ô'Oh' is right.ö Replied Ranma, nodding his head in a fair imitation of tempered wisdom.
ôHey man, I swear to you that whatever you say in this room, stays in this room.ö
ôThanks bud.ö A heavy sigh escaped his chest as some of the young man's anxiety left him.
ôNow, It's time for you to spill your guts. Is that an engagement ring you're hiding? Who's it for? When are you going to pop the question? How long...ö
ôWhoa man!ö Ranma interjected, already on the verge of losing track of the questions.
Seeing his friend take the hint and staying silent for now, Ranma heaved a deep breath, building up his courage. He could do this. It was just Hiroshi after all, and he had given his word not to blab.
ôOkay, yeah, you're right, it is an engagement ring. I got it last month.ö The pigtailed martial artist cringed after he managed to force the words out.
He had half suspected that the skies would fall after hearing his admission. At the very least, he figured that all of his prospective fiancÚes would burst into the room, each one demanding that he propose to them. Surprisingly, the room remained utterly quiet, the sole other occupant eagerly anticipating the next revelation.
ôI uh... I kinda figured after the whole wedding disaster that, you know, maybe marrying Akane wouldn't be too bad after all. I mean, she looked as if she didn't have any problems with it, and I sorta.... like her.ö
Hiroshi could sense Ranma was done talking, obviously satisfied that the little he had revealed was more than enough for anyone to know. There wasn't a chance in hell that Hiroshi was going to let his friend off so easily though. Ranma had kept this secret for over a month, it was time to crack this shell open a little.
ôI figured you two would get together eventually. Though I have to admit, I was starting to wonder if one of you would have had to die for the other to realise it.ö The sandy haired boy quipped.
ôYou knew?!ö Ranma was stunned, and a little uncomfortable, after all, Akane had nearly died before he started to recognise his feelings for her.
ôAre you kidding?ö The sound of Hiroshi's voice cut off the troubling thoughts mid stream, ôI've had my suspicions for months now. Don't think I didn't see all those looks you'd shoot her in class as well.ö
ôYeah but I was always complaining about her to you guys.ö A last, feeble effort to defend his skills in subterfuge, even though at the time, his desire for Akane had been a deeply buried (in his eyes) sub-conscious impulse.
ôYeah, my point exactly.ö Hiroshi countered, ôYou were always talking about her. You don't do that with anyone else, not even Kuno, and we both know how much he annoys you. It's definitely a case of the man who protests too much.ö He fired off with a cheeky grin.
Ranma wasn't quite following his friend in this conversation, what on earth did Kuno have to do with his feelings for that tomboy? He did grasp, however, that his friend was teasing him, so he threw a half-hearted growl at him to cover his confusion. Unfortunately, this didn't stop Hiroshi:
ôWhat about the other girls?ö The sandy haired boy asked, all levity gone from his voice, ôEven forgetting what they're gonna do to you and Akane once they find out, what about their honour? You've been telling me and Dai for ages that you didn't want to choose any of them 'till you could figure out a way to choose that didn't involve a loss of honour. Does this mean you've finally figured it out?ö
ôUm, not really.ö Ranma replied, looking just a touch sheepish, ôAnyway, it doesn't matter so much any more.ö
ôWhat!?ö Hiroshi couldn't believe this could be the same Ranma Saotome he had befriended all those months ago, ôOkay! What have you done with the real Ranma... And, uh, please don't hurt me?ö
ôEh?ö Ranma looked a bit puzzled before catching on and getting frustrated, ôNo-one's done anything to anyone 'Roshi, stop playing around.ö
ôSorry man, it's just... Where did this new attitude come from?ö
Hiroshi was concerned for his friend and desperate to know what could have prompted such a radical shift in beliefs for him. Ranma treasured honour. He always said it was the only thing he had never let his father strip him of. Then again, both Hiroshi and Daisuke could cite a rather lengthy list of the somewhat questionable actions the black haired martial artist had taken over the year they had known him. However, given who his primary source of moral teachings had been for most of his life, the only real surprise was that his moral perceptions weren't more twisted than they currently were.
And besides that, it wasn't as if Ranma had done anything overtly dishonourable. Perhaps the worst that could be said of his actions is that they were childish and insensitive, and that too could be partially (but never completely) excused by his partially isolated and dogmatic upbringing. Though, Hiroshi had noted a slow improvement in his social skills over the months.
For Ranma to brush off his honour regarding his perceived debts to his fiancÚes, something big must have happened to him... or to Akane.
ôThis has to do with Jusendo, doesn't it?ö
Ranma remained silent, confirming Hiroshi's statement just as effectively as any amount of words. The martial artist was rather surprised that his friend had put the pieces together so easily and actually come up with a completely correct assumption. It was a somewhat depressing thought to realise that he barely knew one of his closest friends. He had never really put much effort into cultivating his friendships at school, and all because they weren't martial artists.
Huh, some friend he was.
ôRanma, what happened there? You were kinda vague about that whole trip.ö
That was an understatement. The only thing the pig-tailed young man had said to anybody at school about the incident was that Akane had been kidnapped by some loony and he went to get her back.
Ranma was conflicted. On the one hand, his pride and arrogance were conspiring to keep his lips sealed on the matter. It was a highly personal event and nobody ever, EVER, needed to hear of it, especially Hiroshi who was a self-confessed rumour monger.
On the other hand, Ranma trusted Hiroshi's vow to keep the conversation secret. Fear of his retribution alone would have guaranteed that, though he hoped that their friendship would be the dominant reason. And he had also heard somewhere that sharing problems helped, though he couldn't quite see how Hiroshi knowing about Jusendo would help him in his current predicament.
In the end, Ranma conceded that Hiroshi already had enough on him that he could be blackmailed for the rest of his life. At this point, the worst that could happen would be having Hiroshi offer him some help with his conundrum, and having help freely offered wasn't quite as humiliating as actually asking for it in Ranma's eyes.
ôAkane almost died.ö His voice was a whisper as he relived the painful memory, and yet he ploughed on through his friend's shocked gasp:
ôWe were tryin' to stop this guy called Saffron, he's the leader of the jerks who kidnapped Akane. They were screwin' around with the source of the water for the Jusnkyo springs and it would have meant them all drying up. No springs means no cure for me so I would've helped out even if they hadn't ran off with Akane.
ôAnyway, long story short, Akane got turned into a doll in the first fight. The only way to get her back to normal was to dunk her in hot water that came straight from a special tap or somethin', but I had to do it before her eyes closed or she'd die.ö
Ranma trailed off for a moment, trying to sort out what needed to be said in his head before continuing. A glance at his companion showed that he had his rapt attention though it was easy to tell he had a lot of questions just by his facial expressions. He silently thanked his friend for not interrupting him as this sharing thing was difficult enough without any added distractions. After a moment, he continued with his tale:
ôI had to kill Saffron to save Akane.ö Ranma saw Hiroshi's eyes bug out and his jaw drop open at this statement so he decided to explain himself a bit.
ôAll I wanted was to get to the tap water and help Akane, but the big jerk wouldn't let me. He took everything I threw at him and laughed it off. He even regrew his wings when I tore them off. I just... I knew that there was only one way to stop him because I tried everything else. Besides, it turned out he didn't really die after all, he's in an egg right now waiting to be reborn.ö
Ranma was a little relieved to see the shock on his friends face fade into understanding. He didn't want anyone to think he was a psycho after all.
The silence dragged on for Hiroshi. He had learned more about his martial artist friend in the last half hour than in the entire year previous to this. It was a little scary knowing that Ranma was even capable of killing seeing as how light-hearted virtually all of the fights he'd been witness to were. There were only a very few occasions where Hiroshi had ever even been tempted to believe that Ranma was capable of something so... final.
It slowly dawned on Hiroshi that, not only had Ranma not finished his tale, but he hadn't once mentioned his feelings during the entire story. This was somewhat typical of Ranma, and perhaps even boys in general. Even when he was ranting about someone or something, he rarely told anyone what emotions he was feeling beyond frustration at what was happening.
How must Ranma feel to have someone's death on his hands, even if said victim was being reborn. And what happened to Akane on that night that could have shaken Ranma so deeply as for him to ignore the honour of himself and the other girls. Ranma had already revealed that Akane had almost died, but there was obviously something deeper there.
ôRanma? What happened to Akane after the fight with Saffron?ö The sandy haired young man asked tentatively.
Ranma heaved a deep sigh before answering:
ôBy the time I got her to the water, her eyes were already closed. She changed back to normal but, she wasn't moving, not even a little bit. I thought I was too late...ö
It was almost a full minute before he spoke again:
ôI think I might have... Well, I'm not sure you understand but I maybe... kinda, told her I loved her. I'm not sure though, I don't remember it too well, I was just too relieved when she woke up.ö
Hiroshi could feel the nervousness and anxiety radiating off the other occupant of the room and rather than expressing his awe at the story he had been paying rapt attention to, and thus increasing his friend's anxiety, he opted to lighten the mood a little:
ôSo.ö He drawled, making sure he had his friend's attention. ôWhen are you going to pop the question?ö He finished with a smile.
ôNo idea...ö
Hiroshi grew a large sweat-drop as he stared at his clueless friend in disbelief. Ranma recognised the look and decided that a justification, or at least an attempt at one, was needed.
ôI'm, uh, just waiting for the right moment to ask her.ö
It was perhaps lucky for Hiroshi that he had one of the best poker faces of anyone in the city, a talent honed to some extent by most people who knew and dealt with Nabiki Tendo in any capacity. Needless to say, most of the student and teacher population had ample chance to practice lest the 'Ice Queen' detect a trace of weakness in her negotiations.
It was only through adopting his poker mask that Hiroshi avoided freeing the disbelieving guffaw that would certainly have increased his chances of leaving the room via the window. Instead, he managed a much more diplomatic response to his companion's statement:
ôMan, you realise that you'll be waiting forever if you're waiting on a perfect moment between you two?ö
Ranma sighed, he knew all too well that these moments were few and far between, and were rarely perfect for any length of time. Still, he felt the need to defend himself and opened hi mouth in preparation to do so. Hiroshi however, spotted this little rebellion in the making and beat him to the punch.
ôHow many 'perfect' moments have you and Akane actually shared without being interrupted by the other girls, or by you shoving your foot in your mouth?ö
ôHey!ö Ranma protested, upset that Hiroshi would use something told to him in a moment of weakness against him so cruelly.
ôSorry Ranma, but it's the truth and you know it as well otherwise you wouldn't have bothered to tell us about it.ö Hiroshi was genuinely sorry that he had brought it up, it had just been a slip of the tongue.
ôYeah, I suppose you're right.ö Ranma conceded.
ôAnyway,ö Hiroshi continued, the awkwardness and weight of the entire situation finally beginning to wear on him, ôI'm going downstairs before Dai gets bored and comes looking for us. I'll tell him you're too busy moping to join us.ö Hiroshi just smirked at the glare he was currently on the receiving end of.
ôRanma, I've never had to deal with one fiancÚe, never mind several, so I'm not sure if I can really offer any advice to you. Sorry man.ö
ôDon't worry about it, just don't tell anyone about today, especially Dai, you know what he's like with secrets.ö
ôTo be fair, he is getting better at it.ö Hiroshi replied with a snort.
ôYeah, but talk about taking baby steps.ö Ranma added with a grin.
Hiroshi chuckled, more than a little relieved to see the return of his friend's good cheer. It had only taken a single moment for the serious atmosphere to evaporate. As he reached out to open the door, he decided to take advantage of the lighter mood to get in a parting shot:
ôOh by the way Ranma. I just thought I'd give you a little tip on relationships. If you haven't popped the question before your friends start dying of old age, that's when you know you have a problem with indecision.ö He fired off with a cheeky grin before fleeing any possible wrath that Ranma could come up with.
The sole remaining occupant of the room harrumphed at the cheek of his sandy haired friend.
Still, he had a point, this whole rigmarole had gone on for too long. Maybe it was just a case of biting the bullet and propositioning his admittedly not so 'uncute' fiancÚe the next time they had even a brief moment together.
Then again, since when was his life that simple? And for that matter, when had he ever had an uninterrupted romantic moment with Akane? His friend was right when he brought up that any attempted private conversation would, through one mishap or another, end badly. The young man heaved an exasperated sigh. Sometimes it seemed as if the only time people ever left them alone was when... when...
ôThat's it!ö Ranma shouted jubilantly before slapping his hand over his mouth as he realised he definitely didn't want the rest of the house alerted to what he was about to do.
Ranma almost laughed out loud as he realised that he had the perfect plan, one which guaranteed him and Akane privacy he needed. He ran out of the room to the top of the stairs before leaning over the railing and calling out in as gruff a manner as he could fake convincingly:
ôYo gorilla thighs, we need to talk.ö
The groom to be chuckled as he saw what on any other day would have been the ominous and foreboding sight of his angry, mallet-wielding fiancÚe storm towards the stairs. The plan would be tricky and would require pinpoint timing to pull off, but he wasn't worried about it, after all, he was Ranma Saotome.
And he knew that despite what waited for him in the near future, he wouldn't lose.
-End- 23/08/06
Author's notes
Good grief, I can't believe I've let over a year pass since my last story. It's a good thing I don't have any fans out there holding their breath waiting for me to update. I'd hate to be responsible for anyone's death.
So I'm gonna let you guys be the judge of whether I'll be posting this on fanfiction.net. Please feel free to offer any criticism you may have. Please be specific though as I want to know where I'm going wrong and what I can do to improve the offending section as well as my writing in general.
Oh, and keep in mind that this is only the second draft and that I have not had the benefit of a pre-reader so it's not yet had the spit polish that I assure you it will have should I decide to post it on fanfiction.net.
Anyway, on with the story:
Disclaimer: I only wish that I owned these characters. However, barring my weird and wacky dreams, these characters actually belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
Insurmountable, a Ranma ¢ fanfiction by The Needy Stranger
Ranma wasn't immune to fear or intimidation, however much he bragged to the opposite. This fact was immutable given the many examples of said fear and intimidation over the past year, most notably whenever cats were involved.
However, he didn't believe that the emotion he was feeling at this particular time could accurately be described as fear. He was certainly feeling intimidated at the moment. More than that though, there was a creeping kind of dread that had settled in his stomach. The dread of a man who was going into an unknown situation, facing the possibility of not making it back home.
There was another emotion that he was feeling just as strongly yet it was one he was less familiar with. It was anxiety, plain and... well, perhaps not so simple.
If he hadn't been so caught up in these tumultuous emotions, perhaps the young man would have felt embarrassed at being brought so low by such a seemingly unworthy opponent.
To the martial artist's experienced eye, said counterpart relished in his discomfort. As the two combatants tried to stare each other down, Ranma couldn't help but admire how flawless the form in front of him was. As someone who had strived throughout his life to perfect and hone his physical condition, he was well aware of exactly how much work such an exquisite figure required.
It was intimidating to be confronted by such beauty. This feeling only grew more pronounced the longer the stare down continued.
Of course, Ranma knew that such a contest with this particular opponent was folly for him. After all, he had failed every other time he had tried such a tactic against this particular foe. Then again, that knowledge did little to ease his mind. His mouth was desperately dry and the mere thought of swallowing was painful, yet still, he continued his vigil. Perhaps if he gazed at it long enough, it would become less threatening.
Realising that focussing on all of these negative emotions would ultimately only lead to his own failure, he tried to centre his mind on the physical plain.
A drop of sweat on his right temple became particularly interesting as he traced it's lazy path down his face by the tingling sensation it left in it's wake. This may even have proven an adequate distraction from his anxiety, if it wasn't for a stray shaft of reflected light bringing his attention back to the figure that had somehow inched closer to his face.
A deep sigh built up in the young martial artist's chest and was released in a drawn out hiss. It was the final sign, both to him and his foe, that he was already resigned to his failure.
ôUh, Ranma? What are you doing?ö
ôGack!ö Was the somewhat less than eloquent response from the young man sprawled on his belly over his futon.
ôHiroshi! What the heck are ya doing up here?ö Ranma flustered as he tried to leap to his feet, face his friend and hide the object that had held his focus for so long.
Unfortunately, his success at these three endeavours varied quite a bit. While he was now standing and facing his friend, his shock and haste had completely negated his natural grace and a lifetime of training. This led to him dropping the item he wanted so badly to keep hidden and it now lay at the feet of the very person he was trying to hide it from.
Perhaps even this would not be so dire. After all, Ranma was a gifted martial artist and was skilled enough, and fast enough, to cross the distance to his friend, snatch up the fallen item and palm it before Hiroshi knew what was going on.
However, due to the distraction, Ranma didn't even notice the object slipping out of his grasp.
That is, he didn't realise anything was amiss until Hiroshi's gaze dropped to the floor and shortly after widen in awe and surprise. Though if his rather expressive eyes didn't immediately give him away, the fact that his jaw was hanging loose at the moment probably would have.
Too late, Ranma saw the glint of light at his friend's feet and recognised it for what it was. Though he summoned every ounce of his speed in grabbing and palming the object of his titanic struggles, he knew it was already too late.
Stunned silence seemed to saturate the room. The two occupants struggled to find words apt for the situation. It was a few, long, moments before Hiroshi was finally able to process what he saw and put it into words.
ôRanma? Was that... Is that an engagement ring?ö
Suddenly unable to look his friend in the eye, Ranma instead found a spot on the wall and focussed on it with every fibre of his being. For the life of him, he couldn't even force a change of topic, couldn't physically force the words out of his mouth. So he just stood there in embarrassed silence, hoping his friend would drop the point.
Of course, said friend only took the martial artist's silence as affirmation.
ôSo... Who's it for?ö
The pig-tailed young man flinched at the question. He imagined that he was one of the few unlucky men on the planet with enough confusion surrounding his romantic life with whom that would be a legitimate question. He retained his forced indifference to the situation, though he did allow a tiny exasperated sigh to escape. His life was not supposed to be this complicated. There were definitely times when he wished for the return of the good old days where the martial arts were his sole concern.
ôEr, Ranma?ö Hiroshi interrupted these meanderings, ôI know what you're trying to do. You told me and Dai a few of those 'secret' techniques after that last fiancÚe fiasco.ö
Ranma groaned on several levels. It figured that he would be busted as a result of his own big mouth. Resignedly, he dropped his attention from the wall and refocussed on the sandy haired boy in front of him.
ôYou gotta promise you won't tell anyone, 'kay?ö He asked fearfully, the memories of the last 'fiancÚe fiasco' still fresh in his mind.
ôUh, sure Ranma, but I've gotta ask, why the super secrecy?ö
Ranma threw Hiroshi a look that made him feel like a five year old waiting for a scolding from his parents.
ôWhy the secrecy?ö He asked in disbelief, ôWhat do you think would happen if any of the girls found out I was gonna propose to one of them?ö
ô... Oh.ö Hiroshi looked suitably abashed as he realised his foolishness.
ô'Oh' is right.ö Replied Ranma, nodding his head in a fair imitation of tempered wisdom.
ôHey man, I swear to you that whatever you say in this room, stays in this room.ö
ôThanks bud.ö A heavy sigh escaped his chest as some of the young man's anxiety left him.
ôNow, It's time for you to spill your guts. Is that an engagement ring you're hiding? Who's it for? When are you going to pop the question? How long...ö
ôWhoa man!ö Ranma interjected, already on the verge of losing track of the questions.
Seeing his friend take the hint and staying silent for now, Ranma heaved a deep breath, building up his courage. He could do this. It was just Hiroshi after all, and he had given his word not to blab.
ôOkay, yeah, you're right, it is an engagement ring. I got it last month.ö The pigtailed martial artist cringed after he managed to force the words out.
He had half suspected that the skies would fall after hearing his admission. At the very least, he figured that all of his prospective fiancÚes would burst into the room, each one demanding that he propose to them. Surprisingly, the room remained utterly quiet, the sole other occupant eagerly anticipating the next revelation.
ôI uh... I kinda figured after the whole wedding disaster that, you know, maybe marrying Akane wouldn't be too bad after all. I mean, she looked as if she didn't have any problems with it, and I sorta.... like her.ö
Hiroshi could sense Ranma was done talking, obviously satisfied that the little he had revealed was more than enough for anyone to know. There wasn't a chance in hell that Hiroshi was going to let his friend off so easily though. Ranma had kept this secret for over a month, it was time to crack this shell open a little.
ôI figured you two would get together eventually. Though I have to admit, I was starting to wonder if one of you would have had to die for the other to realise it.ö The sandy haired boy quipped.
ôYou knew?!ö Ranma was stunned, and a little uncomfortable, after all, Akane had nearly died before he started to recognise his feelings for her.
ôAre you kidding?ö The sound of Hiroshi's voice cut off the troubling thoughts mid stream, ôI've had my suspicions for months now. Don't think I didn't see all those looks you'd shoot her in class as well.ö
ôYeah but I was always complaining about her to you guys.ö A last, feeble effort to defend his skills in subterfuge, even though at the time, his desire for Akane had been a deeply buried (in his eyes) sub-conscious impulse.
ôYeah, my point exactly.ö Hiroshi countered, ôYou were always talking about her. You don't do that with anyone else, not even Kuno, and we both know how much he annoys you. It's definitely a case of the man who protests too much.ö He fired off with a cheeky grin.
Ranma wasn't quite following his friend in this conversation, what on earth did Kuno have to do with his feelings for that tomboy? He did grasp, however, that his friend was teasing him, so he threw a half-hearted growl at him to cover his confusion. Unfortunately, this didn't stop Hiroshi:
ôWhat about the other girls?ö The sandy haired boy asked, all levity gone from his voice, ôEven forgetting what they're gonna do to you and Akane once they find out, what about their honour? You've been telling me and Dai for ages that you didn't want to choose any of them 'till you could figure out a way to choose that didn't involve a loss of honour. Does this mean you've finally figured it out?ö
ôUm, not really.ö Ranma replied, looking just a touch sheepish, ôAnyway, it doesn't matter so much any more.ö
ôWhat!?ö Hiroshi couldn't believe this could be the same Ranma Saotome he had befriended all those months ago, ôOkay! What have you done with the real Ranma... And, uh, please don't hurt me?ö
ôEh?ö Ranma looked a bit puzzled before catching on and getting frustrated, ôNo-one's done anything to anyone 'Roshi, stop playing around.ö
ôSorry man, it's just... Where did this new attitude come from?ö
Hiroshi was concerned for his friend and desperate to know what could have prompted such a radical shift in beliefs for him. Ranma treasured honour. He always said it was the only thing he had never let his father strip him of. Then again, both Hiroshi and Daisuke could cite a rather lengthy list of the somewhat questionable actions the black haired martial artist had taken over the year they had known him. However, given who his primary source of moral teachings had been for most of his life, the only real surprise was that his moral perceptions weren't more twisted than they currently were.
And besides that, it wasn't as if Ranma had done anything overtly dishonourable. Perhaps the worst that could be said of his actions is that they were childish and insensitive, and that too could be partially (but never completely) excused by his partially isolated and dogmatic upbringing. Though, Hiroshi had noted a slow improvement in his social skills over the months.
For Ranma to brush off his honour regarding his perceived debts to his fiancÚes, something big must have happened to him... or to Akane.
ôThis has to do with Jusendo, doesn't it?ö
Ranma remained silent, confirming Hiroshi's statement just as effectively as any amount of words. The martial artist was rather surprised that his friend had put the pieces together so easily and actually come up with a completely correct assumption. It was a somewhat depressing thought to realise that he barely knew one of his closest friends. He had never really put much effort into cultivating his friendships at school, and all because they weren't martial artists.
Huh, some friend he was.
ôRanma, what happened there? You were kinda vague about that whole trip.ö
That was an understatement. The only thing the pig-tailed young man had said to anybody at school about the incident was that Akane had been kidnapped by some loony and he went to get her back.
Ranma was conflicted. On the one hand, his pride and arrogance were conspiring to keep his lips sealed on the matter. It was a highly personal event and nobody ever, EVER, needed to hear of it, especially Hiroshi who was a self-confessed rumour monger.
On the other hand, Ranma trusted Hiroshi's vow to keep the conversation secret. Fear of his retribution alone would have guaranteed that, though he hoped that their friendship would be the dominant reason. And he had also heard somewhere that sharing problems helped, though he couldn't quite see how Hiroshi knowing about Jusendo would help him in his current predicament.
In the end, Ranma conceded that Hiroshi already had enough on him that he could be blackmailed for the rest of his life. At this point, the worst that could happen would be having Hiroshi offer him some help with his conundrum, and having help freely offered wasn't quite as humiliating as actually asking for it in Ranma's eyes.
ôAkane almost died.ö His voice was a whisper as he relived the painful memory, and yet he ploughed on through his friend's shocked gasp:
ôWe were tryin' to stop this guy called Saffron, he's the leader of the jerks who kidnapped Akane. They were screwin' around with the source of the water for the Jusnkyo springs and it would have meant them all drying up. No springs means no cure for me so I would've helped out even if they hadn't ran off with Akane.
ôAnyway, long story short, Akane got turned into a doll in the first fight. The only way to get her back to normal was to dunk her in hot water that came straight from a special tap or somethin', but I had to do it before her eyes closed or she'd die.ö
Ranma trailed off for a moment, trying to sort out what needed to be said in his head before continuing. A glance at his companion showed that he had his rapt attention though it was easy to tell he had a lot of questions just by his facial expressions. He silently thanked his friend for not interrupting him as this sharing thing was difficult enough without any added distractions. After a moment, he continued with his tale:
ôI had to kill Saffron to save Akane.ö Ranma saw Hiroshi's eyes bug out and his jaw drop open at this statement so he decided to explain himself a bit.
ôAll I wanted was to get to the tap water and help Akane, but the big jerk wouldn't let me. He took everything I threw at him and laughed it off. He even regrew his wings when I tore them off. I just... I knew that there was only one way to stop him because I tried everything else. Besides, it turned out he didn't really die after all, he's in an egg right now waiting to be reborn.ö
Ranma was a little relieved to see the shock on his friends face fade into understanding. He didn't want anyone to think he was a psycho after all.
The silence dragged on for Hiroshi. He had learned more about his martial artist friend in the last half hour than in the entire year previous to this. It was a little scary knowing that Ranma was even capable of killing seeing as how light-hearted virtually all of the fights he'd been witness to were. There were only a very few occasions where Hiroshi had ever even been tempted to believe that Ranma was capable of something so... final.
It slowly dawned on Hiroshi that, not only had Ranma not finished his tale, but he hadn't once mentioned his feelings during the entire story. This was somewhat typical of Ranma, and perhaps even boys in general. Even when he was ranting about someone or something, he rarely told anyone what emotions he was feeling beyond frustration at what was happening.
How must Ranma feel to have someone's death on his hands, even if said victim was being reborn. And what happened to Akane on that night that could have shaken Ranma so deeply as for him to ignore the honour of himself and the other girls. Ranma had already revealed that Akane had almost died, but there was obviously something deeper there.
ôRanma? What happened to Akane after the fight with Saffron?ö The sandy haired young man asked tentatively.
Ranma heaved a deep sigh before answering:
ôBy the time I got her to the water, her eyes were already closed. She changed back to normal but, she wasn't moving, not even a little bit. I thought I was too late...ö
It was almost a full minute before he spoke again:
ôI think I might have... Well, I'm not sure you understand but I maybe... kinda, told her I loved her. I'm not sure though, I don't remember it too well, I was just too relieved when she woke up.ö
Hiroshi could feel the nervousness and anxiety radiating off the other occupant of the room and rather than expressing his awe at the story he had been paying rapt attention to, and thus increasing his friend's anxiety, he opted to lighten the mood a little:
ôSo.ö He drawled, making sure he had his friend's attention. ôWhen are you going to pop the question?ö He finished with a smile.
ôNo idea...ö
Hiroshi grew a large sweat-drop as he stared at his clueless friend in disbelief. Ranma recognised the look and decided that a justification, or at least an attempt at one, was needed.
ôI'm, uh, just waiting for the right moment to ask her.ö
It was perhaps lucky for Hiroshi that he had one of the best poker faces of anyone in the city, a talent honed to some extent by most people who knew and dealt with Nabiki Tendo in any capacity. Needless to say, most of the student and teacher population had ample chance to practice lest the 'Ice Queen' detect a trace of weakness in her negotiations.
It was only through adopting his poker mask that Hiroshi avoided freeing the disbelieving guffaw that would certainly have increased his chances of leaving the room via the window. Instead, he managed a much more diplomatic response to his companion's statement:
ôMan, you realise that you'll be waiting forever if you're waiting on a perfect moment between you two?ö
Ranma sighed, he knew all too well that these moments were few and far between, and were rarely perfect for any length of time. Still, he felt the need to defend himself and opened hi mouth in preparation to do so. Hiroshi however, spotted this little rebellion in the making and beat him to the punch.
ôHow many 'perfect' moments have you and Akane actually shared without being interrupted by the other girls, or by you shoving your foot in your mouth?ö
ôHey!ö Ranma protested, upset that Hiroshi would use something told to him in a moment of weakness against him so cruelly.
ôSorry Ranma, but it's the truth and you know it as well otherwise you wouldn't have bothered to tell us about it.ö Hiroshi was genuinely sorry that he had brought it up, it had just been a slip of the tongue.
ôYeah, I suppose you're right.ö Ranma conceded.
ôAnyway,ö Hiroshi continued, the awkwardness and weight of the entire situation finally beginning to wear on him, ôI'm going downstairs before Dai gets bored and comes looking for us. I'll tell him you're too busy moping to join us.ö Hiroshi just smirked at the glare he was currently on the receiving end of.
ôRanma, I've never had to deal with one fiancÚe, never mind several, so I'm not sure if I can really offer any advice to you. Sorry man.ö
ôDon't worry about it, just don't tell anyone about today, especially Dai, you know what he's like with secrets.ö
ôTo be fair, he is getting better at it.ö Hiroshi replied with a snort.
ôYeah, but talk about taking baby steps.ö Ranma added with a grin.
Hiroshi chuckled, more than a little relieved to see the return of his friend's good cheer. It had only taken a single moment for the serious atmosphere to evaporate. As he reached out to open the door, he decided to take advantage of the lighter mood to get in a parting shot:
ôOh by the way Ranma. I just thought I'd give you a little tip on relationships. If you haven't popped the question before your friends start dying of old age, that's when you know you have a problem with indecision.ö He fired off with a cheeky grin before fleeing any possible wrath that Ranma could come up with.
The sole remaining occupant of the room harrumphed at the cheek of his sandy haired friend.
Still, he had a point, this whole rigmarole had gone on for too long. Maybe it was just a case of biting the bullet and propositioning his admittedly not so 'uncute' fiancÚe the next time they had even a brief moment together.
Then again, since when was his life that simple? And for that matter, when had he ever had an uninterrupted romantic moment with Akane? His friend was right when he brought up that any attempted private conversation would, through one mishap or another, end badly. The young man heaved an exasperated sigh. Sometimes it seemed as if the only time people ever left them alone was when... when...
ôThat's it!ö Ranma shouted jubilantly before slapping his hand over his mouth as he realised he definitely didn't want the rest of the house alerted to what he was about to do.
Ranma almost laughed out loud as he realised that he had the perfect plan, one which guaranteed him and Akane privacy he needed. He ran out of the room to the top of the stairs before leaning over the railing and calling out in as gruff a manner as he could fake convincingly:
ôYo gorilla thighs, we need to talk.ö
The groom to be chuckled as he saw what on any other day would have been the ominous and foreboding sight of his angry, mallet-wielding fiancÚe storm towards the stairs. The plan would be tricky and would require pinpoint timing to pull off, but he wasn't worried about it, after all, he was Ranma Saotome.
And he knew that despite what waited for him in the near future, he wouldn't lose.
-End- 23/08/06
Author's notes
Good grief, I can't believe I've let over a year pass since my last story. It's a good thing I don't have any fans out there holding their breath waiting for me to update. I'd hate to be responsible for anyone's death.