Shampoo seethed, as she sharpened her sword.
Ranma was hers! Who cares what some damn incompetent genie says... Ranma defeated her in battle. That made him her husband, no matter what he said.
If that crazy woman with the guns and her horned friend thought that they could take him away from her... they were sadly mistaken...
She tracked Ranma from the backwoods of China all the way to Nerima, Japan. There was no where they could go to hide from her!
Cologne shook her head as she saw her great-granddaughter leap from the building. There was no use in denying it anymore. Shampoo was an idiot. She herself would be heading back to the village shortly...
***
Ukyo was feeling empty. Her big chance to finally win Ranma... and she failed. She was deemed unworthy of him. All those years behind her, dedicated (in one way or the other) to Ranma... and she wasn't worthy.
She no longer cared. It was well past time she wiped her hands clean of this whole entire mess. Sell the Ucchan's, and move someplace else, where she could start over.
She sighed as she burned yet another okonomiyaki. she wiped off the mess than turned off the grill. She wasn't in a mood to cook. No-one was going to be coming to the restaurant, anyway. Nerima was still recovering from being that strange, enchanted castle.
But before she could close up, in walked a very dejected Ryoga. Oh, sure, he was always a bit depressing, but now he looked like his best friend just stabbed him in the back... oh, wait, that did happen. (Although, Ukyo did admit that what happened to Ryoga was something he brought on himself.)
The Lost Boy looked around, seeing where he was for the first time. "Oh, sorry, Ukyo. I'll just be... going..."
Ukyo sighed. He couldn't let the idiot go off like that. "Nah, don't do that Ryoga." She said, leading him to a seat. "I don't have any sake, but misery loves company and all that..." She gave a weak grin, hoping to get a reaction out of him.
Ryoga nodded. He was feeling lost, in more ways than one. Maybe talking about it would help. He smiled a bit too.
Ukyo realized that Ryoga was rather cute when he smiled. She wondered why she had never noticed it before...
***
Elsewhere, a meeting was taking place. They were students, all. For a while, now, they had been enjoying the antics of the Martial Artist community, laughing safely from the sidelines at their follies and games.
They weren't laughing any more.
At their head was their leader, giving them a speech. "Now, fellow students, we have seen the face of true evil! It is past time we strike, cleansing our fair city of this pestilence we have fostered!"
Tatewaki Kuno raised his family's sword high. "Come dawn, Akane Tendo will die!"
***
Akane Tendo was in her room. At least, what was left of her.
There was nothing like letting your darkest impulses take over for shattering your own illusions. She could still hear the dragon in her mind, roaring for her to go reclaim Ranma, to hurt or kill anyone who got in her way...
Akane began to shiver uncontrollably. She was afraid of that voice, that sounded so much like her own. Afraid of her temper, of the violence that fed it... of herself, basically.
She shifted the backpack that held her only possessions a bit as she tried to get her mind off of her fear. She had not been officially cast out of the Dojo, but she thought she'd save her father the trouble. Her family had made it abundantly clear that she was no longer welcome there. None of them had spoken a word to her since the spell ended, and Kasumi was only cooking for three, now. Akane didn't know where she was going to go, only that she had to get away. Away from the Dojo, Nerima, everything...
Twenty feet behind her and one story higher, another figure followed Akane as she left. Akane hadn't been the only one to have to confront unpleasant truths about herself.
Kodachi had also been forced to see what others thought of her. Poisonous and deceitful, it seemed. She wasn't respected and loved, as she had believed. No, she was feared and loathed. People ran when they saw her, hoping to get away.
She knew all too well what Akane was going through. Only the Tendo girl must have it worse - she was being blamed for the entire mess. Kodachi could well understand why the other girl felt she needed to leave.
Kodachi turned, and began racing back to the mansion, after taking note of which way Akane was heading. If she was fast enough, then maybe she could pack some things and join the other girl, if she would have her.
No one should be forced into solitude. And maybe together, they could heal each other...
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(Posted Wed, 11 Dec 2002 20:26)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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