Akane looked at the sign, cheerfully declaring the boundary of the Nerima district. Beyond that invisible line, was the place she came from, so very long ago.
So why couldn't she force herself to take the few remaining steps forward?
She frowned, and then pulled out a pen, a piece of paper, and an envelope. And began again, a ritual she'd performed countless times before.
She began writing a letter.
_-=^=-_
Dear Rachel,
Yeah, I'm proving once again, my boundless ability to appease my need to talk to myself by writing another letter to you... someone who couldn't receive it, even if I could find a way to properly send it.
Isn't that ironic?
Then again, if there is one, overwhelming force at work in the multiverse, it must surely be Irony. I mean, just look at me! Or any of my friends. I mean, considering what she told me about her boyfriend, Keiko death and rebirth takes on a whole new look. Or Naru... declared the 'Victim of Choice' for supernatural monsters for at least four years running, it's pretty damn ironic that she now gets stronger for it. And Gilgamesh. One of the biggest, most self-glorifying posers that I have ever met... and yet I doubt there is another being in existence that has seen as many different realities as he has.
And then there's Umino... heh, I just have to take Naru's word for it, but it seems he use to be just a nerdy kid with an unhealthy interest in insects. Drop him into a fantasy world... he turned into a Jack and Master of more trades then I care to think about. Naru and Keiko are no slouches in that department themselves... but it's scary to think of how many times Umino's figured out solutions to situations... before the rest of us even knew they would be a problem.
Kinda makes me feel stupid really. I've never bothered to branch out much past my given specialties - thank you so much, Goddess - but then again, it's not like I'm going to run out of time. Right?
But I digress. We’ve covered all that before, after all. No, what I needed to tell you is a bit more upbeat.
Today is a landmark day! Yes, old friend... we finally did it. We made it back home, the world we all came from, from way back before we got the impromptu tour of the multiverse.
So... why do I still feel out of place?
It can't be this place. The locations are familiar... hazy, but they're coming back to me now. So why do I still feel detached from everything?
...
Of course, I already know that answer. I just hate thinking about it.
Akane Tendo, before the rift, was a spoiled brat, a mediocre martial artist, and had a violent, volcanic temper, with a very short fuse.
And now... she's... me. Did I grow into what I am, or am I merely what's left of her? I practice the martial arts, but I am no martial artist. It takes a lot to get under my skin, and when someone does, well... 'tightly focused rage' is the best way to describe my reaction. As for being a spoiled brat...
The War drove that from me, long before I even found my way off that world.
I won't fit in here, anymore. I've grown up... but its only been three weeks for them. And none of them were really any better than I was, not even the adults. Just a bunch of spoiled kids, causing havoc.
If I could, I'd just turn my back on the whole thing. I don't need much, myself, and I'm sure the others would be happy to help me. But I can't do that. At least, not yet. Anytime I even consider that, I remember Hawke. Or Mori. I've seen what happens to people, when someone they care for is... missing. Not dead, not moved away... just gone one day without explanation.
My family didn't take the death of my mother well, and at least that had the finality of death. I can't imagine that they would be taking my disappearance any better.
And nobody deserve to go through that kind of Hell. Not when I can do something to stop it. Heck, even Strife would agree with me on that... and he wants to kill me!
Well, I've got to get going. Soonest begun, soonest done, and all that.
Thanks for listening.
Akane
_-=^=-_
Akane looked at the note in her hand, folded it up, and placed it in an envelope, which she simply addressed to "Rachel."
She smiled, and the envelope burst into flame. In seconds, it was nothing more than ash in the wind.
Feeling a little lighter, she started walking again.
Back to Nerima. Back to the place she once called home.
_-=^=-_
Meanwhile, a teenage boy was staring at a fire.
It was nothing more than a campfire, really. It was placed in what should have been an impossibility - a vacant lot in Tokyo. Yet, despite numerous attempts to have something built there, somehow, the lot remained empty from year to year.
The boy's name was Ranma Saotome. Considered by many to be the greatest martial artist of his generation.
And right now, he considered himself a total and complete failure.
Three weeks. That's how long it had been. Three weeks since his fiancee.... vanished, without a trace. He knew that last part all too well... he'd only been searching for her the entire time. But even the best detectives need a place to start from, and Ranma wasn't the most observant of people, outside of a fight.
Stupid fights. Like the one he had with Ryoga, when the lost boy managed to sting his pride. The one that happened three weeks ago, when he was supposed to be helping Akane pick something up that Kasumi wanted, but that could only be gotten, for some reason, on practically the other side of Tokyo.
Had he not let his pride and ego start that fight... he'd at least have been with her. He'd know what happened... maybe even been able to stop it.
Mr. Tendo, of course, blamed him. And threw him out of the Tendo house, telling him not to return without Akane. And he'd looked. And looked. But there was nothing to find. It was like... she was just gone.
"You look like hell, Saotome."
Ranma looked away from the fire, and at the speaker. Taking a breath, he replied, "You're not looking any better, Nabiki."
Nabiki Tendo indeed was not looking her best. The dark rings beneath her eyes attested to the many sleepless nights she'd had. At first, she, like her father, her sister, and even Ranma's parents, had been convinced this was just another 'Ranma' thing, and that in a few days, everything would be back to normal.
Then a week passed. And she grew impatient. So she decided to help Ranma - who she thought was being a lazy bum about the whole thing - and get everything back to 'normal.'
Except she learned that Ranma wasn't being lazy. But Akane wasn't anywhere to be found.
That was when she opened her eyes, figuratively. Saw her father and Mr. Saotome playing shogi, joking about how they were sure that the schools would be joined, just as soon as Ranma got off his lazy ass and rescued Akane from whatever kidnapped her this time. Saw how Mrs. Saotome would just smile, and nod at those comments, saying she was sure that Ranma would be so 'Manly' after rescuing Akane. And stared in frank disbelief as Kasumi went about her day as though nothing was wrong, even going so far as to cheerfully say, "Oh, I guess Akane and Ranma won't be joining us for dinner, again," as though they were just out on a school trip or something!
When had her family become the very definition of 'Denial?' And how bad had she herself been, that it had taken her so long to notice?!
Since then, she'd been working with Ranma, trying to help him in any way she could. But there just didn't seem to be much that either of them could do.
She knelt down across the fire. "The procession been through for the day?"
Ranma just nodded. That was Nabiki's term for his 'Friends.' At least, ever since she began visiting him daily.
It was practically a ritual. Tatewaki Kuno would attack at least three times a day, utterly convinced that he was holding Akane hostage somewhere. (Unless, of course, he was in his female body at the time, when he'd try to 'rescue' him, before the 'foul sorcerer' abducted 'her' as well.) Kodachi would naturally show up at least once a day, usually to plead to him to 'forget that low-born gorilla,' but sometimes she tried to force the issue by attempting to drug him and take him home.
Ranma was growing to like her even less, after that, but Nabiki was of the opinion that the Kuno heiress was getting worried about him. He was looking pretty poorly, after all. Nabiki thought she was just trying to help... but doing it in the usual Kuno manner, which was no help, whatsoever.
Then there would be Ukyo and Shampoo. In their defense, they both seemed to be actually concerned about what happened to Akane. But not so concerned as to actually help him. Or to put aside the 'opportunity' to claim Ranma as their own.
They were keeping him fed, and for that he was grateful. But he was getting rather tired of their presence, otherwise.
Happosai had come by and annoyed him. Once. After seeing the glare Ranma had sent him, the aged pervert decided to check out the babes in Kyoto for a few weeks.
Mousse and Cologne would occasionally stop by, but they seemed more interesting in confirming Ranma was still around, then anything else.
"You have any news?" Ranma asked, at last.
Nabiki sighed, and shrugged. "Ryoga called, but hasn't found anything."
Ranma just nodded. Ryoga seemed to blame himself, for once. He was also searching for any clue to Akane's whereabouts. Of course, with him getting lost all the time, it wasn't much help... but at least he was putting forth an effort, unlike most people.
Nabiki sat in thought for a moment, before adding something more. "The police don't have anything, either. Of course, Daddy hasn't bothered to even report Akane as missing... but I did learn that... Akane might not be the only one."
Ranma's attention became focused entirely on Nabiki. "What?"
Nabiki held up a hand, palm first. "Understand, I'm not supposed to know this. I don't really understand why, but this whole thing seems to be getting hushed up. But from what I was able to find... there were at least two or three other people who disappeared that day, as well as Akane. I have some names... we might be able to track down relatives. And they might have some answers."
Ranma had a fire in his eyes that hadn't been there for days. A fire that was reflected in Nabiki. At long last... something. Maybe not a lead, but at least something!
"Find them." Ranma said. He didn't mean it to sound like a command, but Nabiki just shrugged it off, anyway. "Find them... and then we'll talk with them. And... we'll get our answers."
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(Posted Sun, 10 Oct 2004 06:51)
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