However, what her real problem was from was the enhancement of her senses. It would have been one thing if it was limited to simple overwhelming factors, like an excess of perfume. Unfortunately, it just so happened that at times she would garner a flash of extreme sensitivity in one or more of her senses. This would result in situations like being blinded when her eyes tried to take in too much light, or being in agony when hearing too many sounds at once. And in every instance, it was a debilitating experience, where she was merely hobbled at best, or unable to function at worst.
The biggest trouble with it was that it wasn't exactly a predictable thing. Sometimes, it came when she strained too hard to use her enhancements, pushing herself past the point where it would be safe. But it also came at odd times, without warning or concern for what she might be doing. During battles, it wasn't too regular an occurrence, but it repeated enough to make it something that had to be dealt with.
That was part of why she'd been sent back to the village. She needed an opportunity to focus and train so that she could learn to gain some control over those 'episodes', perhaps to the point of stopping them all together. Not only did being in places like Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka seem to exacerbate the problem, but it didn't seem to come up as much in the countryside. Some thought it was because of the multiple and conflicting inputs that came from being in the city, with the countryside having a more even set of stimuli. Others considered it to be coming up in part from the fact that she was used to the rural areas, and not being in the city much any more. Whatever the reason, the fact was that she had teachers there who were familiar with her, in a setting where she could relax and focus on the real issue, rather than some distraction.
Akane just hoped that it had worked for her. Being a samurai who couldn't fight wasn't exactly something to be proud of, and since she wanted her Master to feel good about owning her, being 'damaged goods' didn't exactly do much for her ego. She was just happy that he hadn't decided to toss her to the wayside, and had proven to be kind enough of a person to treat her well.
Of course, she wasn't about to start liking his father. The man had made his feelings on Ranma's ownership of her, and her problem, rather clear. Not that she'd particularly enjoyed the big man's presence in the first place, given how annoying he could be.
Still, she'd gotten word that her Master was due to return, and that was all that she needed to hear to be happy. He might not have been the most skilled or wise slave owner, but she liked being his slave all the same. If they'd met under other circumstances, their relationship might have been different, but she didn't want to change it at all. Sure, it might have been nice to be free, and his girlfriend, or even fiancee, but this would do well for her. They were going to be together for their entire lifetimes, and she didn't have any problem accepting that she was looking forward to that.
So, as she stood on a grassy hill, with one hand resting lightly on her sword, and her face tilted up to let the gentle breezes pass over it, she smiled while:
(Posted Mon, 28 May 2007 06:14)
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