Ranma and Co. is Copyright Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. 1993

Ranma 1/2 is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc.

A Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction/Danny the Dog by S³

Circle that Binds – part 5 (2 of 3)

"This isn't going to work," Akane watched her houseguest lope around the first floor below the stairs. His shoulders were hunched, and most of his hair just hung around limp, seeming to reflect his mood. Her sister had apparently gone out to the corner store for a few last minute items that she wanted for tomorrow morning, and had in no uncertain terms asked Ranma to remain at the house. Probably something to do with those bikers that were clearly after the Saotomes.

Akane huffed, even she could tell it was a done deal now. She'd heard the father's talking, and it turned out that the Saotomes had beaten up a few of the punks a while back. The elder Saotome made it clear it had been due to some misunderstanding, and the bikers had attacked first, but parts of the story clearly sounded made up to the youngest Tendou. It was another thing that she wanted to discuss with the redhead, aside from her personal agenda. The display of skill in the dojo fight was fresh in her mind as well, and had given her a better feeling about this whole thing. If the topic turned to Kas, well, she would just take advantage of that at the proper time.

She looked from the pacing boy, to the cup of water in her hands. "Yeah, this is stupid," she muttered under her breath, but nevertheless set her plan into motion as she put a foot on the first step. Make it look unintentional, that was the key. She had to pretend to bump into him at the last second. As it was, he probably wouldn't notice her anyway, with his mind on Kasumi's recent departure. If she missed, it would look more realistic anyway, she rationalized, feet carrying her forward.

Akane had initially hoped to catch the redhead in the bath, which would make things easier, but Ranma was being obstinate again and the elder Saotome had been coerced by Kasumi to get the boy to bathe after dinner. There had been a bit of a scuffle at that point, and there was no way she was getting involved in that kind of scene. So, this was the next best idea she'd come up with.

It worked out better and worse than she expected, as she stepped off the last stair, her foot slipped slightly on the edge causing her to stumble and reach out to catch her balance. The hand with the cup happened to be nearest the rail, and it knocked against the wooden support, sloshing everywhere, but mainly over the front of her t-shirt and the back of Ranma's head.

Mentally she bit back a few choice profanities that almost spilled out as she mashed her pinky finger between the cup and the edge of the railing. Soaking herself hadn't been beyond the realm of possibility, but it certainly made clear just how cold the tap water was.

"I'm sorry," she bit out instead, directing her apology to the girl now standing at the base of the stairs, hair dripping steadily onto the floor. "I slipped," she finished lamely, though it helped that it was the truth, after a fashion. "Let, let me get a towel," she said, stepping down past the redhead. "I'll be right back."

Apparently, Ranma wasn't satisfied with waiting for the younger teen to return, as Akane found out shortly after entering the kitchen to grab a hand towel. It had been a hastily executed plan, she had to admit to herself, but the goal wasn't out of the question. Her houseguest was quiet to be sure, but there was no mistaking a telltale slap of bare feet padding after her. It was a familiar cadence, and one that often accompanied her sister of late.

"Why did you do that," the voice that called out just as quietly, however, wasn't one she was used to hearing. But, it was a start.

Akane gripped one of the towels she found, turning to face the slightly shorter girl. "Here," she thrust one cloth out, dabbing at her soaked shirt with the other. The look the redhead was giving her wasn't hard to read, even with the girl's messy bangs in the way. To the youngest Tendou's credit, she continued blotting at the wetness across half her chest and shoulder. As she figured, it was mostly ineffectual. It would be faster just to change her shirt, but doing so would ruin the small chance she'd managed to create.

The redhead accepted the towel without responding, and blotted at the back of her head and neck, staring at the raven haired girl all the while. The collar clinked as she brushed it with the cloth, trying to get at the skin beneath.

"It was an accident, like I said," Akane replied to the earlier question. She sounded defensive even to her own ears. The accusation being focused on her was putting her on edge more than she'd expected. She'd completely forgotten just how adamant this Ranma was in regard to remaining in the other form. It piqued her interested almost as much as the redhead's martial skill, and the near obsession that the boy turned girl accorded to Kasumi. "I'm all wet too, aren't I," she said as the unwavering stare began to dig at her conscience.

Ranma draped the damp towel across the back of her neck, "I'm going to change."

"W-wait," the other girl sputtered as the redhead turned to leave. "While you're here," she hedged, "can we talk for a minute? You know, about Kas." The plan was already falling apart, and it was the only thing she could think of that might get the right kind of attention from the other girl. So much for the proper time, she thought.

The itinerant martial artist paused in the threshold, one hand pushing aside the hanging curtain. "What about her?"

"Mostly things that you asked last time," Akane answered truthfully. It was on her agenda after all, though not everything she wanted to know had to do with her sister.

"I'm going to get changed," Ranma said stepping into the hallway and letting the curtain fall back down.

"Hey," the raven haired girl started to protest, but was cut off before she could say anything concrete.

"You should too. Your shirt, anyone can see right through it."

"I-," she glanced down and realized most of her bra was visible now that she'd been patting her shirt down on it with the towel.

"I'll meet you out back," Ranma said, as she disappeared around the corner toward the guest room.

"Sure," Akane mumbled, not quite sure she cared for the hard tone in the redhead's voice. But, so far the plan was going more or less how it was supposed to, so she couldn't really take issue with the result. The offhand comment about her bra didn't feel malicious, and Akane hadn't felt anything aside from ire from the glare she'd been fixed with.

"Great," she muttered to herself, and hurried up to put on another shirt. The redhead hadn't made any promises, and Akane didn't want to give the other girl an excuse to switch back to her other less talkative shape by being slow.

Despite the longer route, Akane found herself standing on the back porch alone. She glanced back into the house where she could see her father and Mr. Saotome watching the television, a variety show by the sound of it. The sliding door was only open enough to peek inside, mostly because the weather was getting colder, and also because she hadn't seen Ranma when she'd stepped outside. "Probably just changed back." She folded her arms, more upset with her own haphazard plan than the redhead's reticence.

She was about to head back inside when something caught her eye out in the darkness. The yard wasn't well lit, especially with the doors behind her all but closed, so it took a bit longer to adjust. Overhead, the night sky was cloudy, the moon hidden. Thinking about it, it was hardly surprising if Ranma had gravitated to the koi pond. It just hadn't occurred to Akane that the girl side would be fond of the fish as well. The two were not so intricately linked in her mind, Akane realized with a small shake of her head.

Stepping out onto the flagstones, Akane made her way carefully around the edge of the water to where the redhead was sitting on the far side of the fish pond. It was well away from the house, and not quite up against the high wall that separated the Tendou compound from the rest of the neighborhood. By the time Akane set herself down on one of the nearby stones, a bit of moonlight had poked out from the clouds to fall on the water.

"You really like the pond that much," Akane asked as they sat there, something to fill the silence that was welling up.

"Don't you? It's calm, just fish with nothing but time," the redhead leaned over, tapping a finger against the surface of the water, sending tiny ripples outward. "No curses either." It was hard to tell in the dark, but something like a smile might have been teasing the edge of her lips as she spoke. "So, you wanted to tell me something?"

Akane nodded, ponytail swaying as she did so. "I thought about what you asked. Kasumi is, well, all of us are having a tough time right now," she looked at Ranma as she spoke. "I'm including you in that too, just so you know." When the redhead didn't say anything, she continued. "I can't speak for Kas, but it's a little better around here now. Dad's not moping all the time, I think your father keeps him busy."

"The old man has one or two good points. Maybe," Ranma flicked some of her hair out of her eyes, still listening intently.

"Kasumi's happier too. She's talking to me like she used to, which is nice. I," she let out a breath. "I'm glad. So, I guess I'm saying thanks for that.

The redhead shrugged, looking out across the water this time. "I don't think I did anything that needs thanking."

"Well, I've already said it. Besides, it's more like just being there for her to focus on something that's right here in front of her. That's just me thinking about it though. Maybe it's something else. She doesn't have many friends," Akane said.

"Do you," the other girl asked, folding her legs to sit cross-legged.

"A few. Two close ones, but I'm still in school, so I'm around more people. Kasumi only leaves to go shopping."

"We walk around the town, sometimes," Ranma pointed out, not sure she liked the description Akane was painting of her sister, even if it didn't sound wrong.

"See, that's what I'm talking about," Akane nodded. "She didn't do that before you showed up. Not recently anyway. Look, I don't agree with half the things you do around the house, like laying around in weird places, but it's only a little annoying. Maybe I'm just getting used to it," she groused. "But, I guess it's a fair enough trade."

"Sorry. It's a bad habit from the road. Needed to be able to sleep wherever the old man dragged me around to. Just got used to it over the years," Ranma replied.

"Yeah, well, you aren't plopped down at the top of the stairs anymore."

"I think your sister took care of that," the redhead admitted.

Akane recalled Kasumi mentioning something to that effect. "I kind of understand what you're after, you know. It would be a lot easier if you stayed like this, and just talked to Kas. I'm not your biggest fan, but it doesn't really bother me."

Ranma looked away, cheeks flushing, "I told you it's not comfortable like this for very long."

"What, being a girl? What's wrong with it," the raven haired girl found her own temperature rising for an entirely different reason.

The wandering martial artist looked down at her hands in the moonlight. "It's not that part. I don't really care one way or the other. It's everything else. Memories, guilt," she let her arms fall. "It's hard to carry, if you don't have to."

"So, you'd rather run away? Why are you bothering with my sister then? Or anything? You don't look any happier the other way, as far as I can tell," Akane folded her arms to keep from trying to beat some sense into the redhead. "Besides, what's so bad you'd rather hide?"

The other girl seemed to shrink in on herself at the admonition. "I've hurt people, and worse," she pulled at the collar on her neck. "This thing, it's just," Ranma clenched her fist almost as if she were going to tear at the leather binding. But her hand fell as she took a deep breath. "It's like being cursed twice. That stupid old man, he's screwed up my whole life."

"Tell me what happened in the dojo, with those punks," Akane asked at length, since the girl had brought up the collar, it seemed like the best opportunity she was going to have to find out the truth. "Kasumi was, we were, um concerned when you just stood there and let them grab you like that. But, then," she trailed off, finding it hard to put into words how the redhead had moved so fast she all but vanished in the time it took to blink. Sure they had been some street trash, but Ranma had put them down like it was easier than breathing. Being envious was an understatement, Akane realized as she waited for an answer.