"His Akane"

A Fanfic done by Arkanghel. All Ranma ½ characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.

CHAPTER 6

Ranma fell into a defensive stance as soon as he heard the shouted Challenge. He deflected ki-charged projectiles that his assailant threw at him and jumped back to get his bearings. He glanced at his enemy's weapons…. Yellow bandannas?!?

"Ranma, stand still and accept your punishment!!!" the stranger shouted. Something about him seemed familiar somehow.

"Don't wanna," Ranma retorted. "Wait, do I know you anyway? You look kinda familiar."

The stranger stepped under the light of the lightpost, wearing an incredulous look on his face. It was a young boy with a yellow bandanna strapped around his forehead. He wore a shirt with cutoff sleeves, and black loose traveling pants. He wore a heavy-looking backpack & brandished a red umbrella like a sword.

"WHY YOU!!!!" the boy practically radiated with a red aura. "After all you've done to me, you've still got the nerve to forget about me?! SAOTOME!!!!!" Like a bull gone berserk, the bandannaed boy charged at Ranma throwing punches and kicks. Ranma held his ground & threw some punches of his own.

"Look, can you just… punch… tell me who you are. Kick …Maybe… block… you got the wrong idea about me… jab jab" Ranma said while they traded punches.

"I'm dead sure it's you, Ranma Saotome, …block …who ruined my life. Kick … because of you I've wandered… punch …all over the world… Kick … and gone through hell!"

The guy's punches finally got through Ranma's defenses. It was like being mauled with a sledgehammer. Ranma was surprised. This guy's good! He quickly covered himself & vaulted out of his enemy's range to get his breath back. He rapidly took stock of his bearings and then launched a vicious attack of his own.

"You're good," Ranma grudgingly said as they traded kicks. The two combatants seemed to be enjoying their fight with each other. They were evenly matched. The tone of the fight had turned into a show of their abilities.

His enemy gave him a feral grin. "I've been training myself all this time while I've been looking for you... So I can give you the best trouncing that you'll never forget"

"Hmmm… Sorry, you must've quite a grudge on me. What did I do to ya anyway?"

The bandannaed boy scowled at him, and suddenly sent an unexpected kick up his jaw. Ranma went flying to a tree.

"I'm Ryoga Hibiki, and I'm gonna make you pay!"

Akane & Shinnosuke walked slowly through the almost deserted street. Shinnosuke had a satisfied smile on his face as he played with his fiancee's delicate hand.

"What do you want to do next, Akane? We can go dancing next or we can go to the ice cream store you like very much," Shinnosuke said.

Akane shook her head. "I don't think so, Shin. We're going home now so you can rest. I don't want you getting a relapse," she replied. She reached up to sweep his bangs & touch his forehead to check if he did get his fever back. Shinnosuke rolled his eyes.

"Stop fussing so much," he said, gently caressing her cheek.

Akane blushed. She was still unused to having this new closeness with her long-time friend. Sure, Shin had hugged her before, held her hand before, and they had even slept side by side before, but now things were different. Shin liked her. He was her fiancée, not just a friend anymore.

Akane peeked shyly at Shinnosuke. He wore a patient smile on his face.

"Nothing has really changed between us, you know," He said gently. Akane was surprised, he seemed to have read her mind. "It's just that you know now that I like you."

"I've always known that I want to take care of you for the rest of my life. You're very special to me, and I want to be always by your side forever," he said.

Akane blushed even more. "Mushy! You're too mushy, Shin," she teased him to defuse the moment. She broke from his embrace and playfully skipped a few steps away from him. "And it's the other way around. I'll be the one taking care of you, baka! I swear sometimes I think you want a personal slave instead of a fiancée." She laughing said.

Shin laughed. "Oh yeah? Well then, come back here, slave!" He playfully made a grab for her & she nimbly skipped away again.

"I don't think so, monster master," she replied, and started walking for home with Shinnosuke trailing behind.

Ranma stared blankly at his opponent, apparently thinking. And then slowly, his eyes lit up in recognition.

"Ryoga! I didn't recognize you! Heck, are you still mad about that Bread Fight? All right, I'll buy you a ton of bread tomorrow if you like," Ranma said, laughing.

Ryoga narrowed his eyes in anger, and a slight blush crept up his face.

"Stop laughing, moron! You never appeared at the place where I said we were gonna fight, remember?!! And it's not just that!!! Because of you I've went through hell!"

"I waited for you for three days, idiot! And then I had to leave because Pop took me away for training."

"Well, ya shoulda waited. I got there on the fourth day!"

Ranma sweatdropped. "It's not my fault you get lost, ya know."

"Don't belittle my problems, moron! I'll teach you some manners!!!"

Ryoga threw a punch, and soon the two were hot in fight mode again effectively demolishing their surroundings.

A crash echoed through the deserted streets, followed by muffled groan. Akane stopped in her tracks, and turned towards the noise.

"I think somebody's in trouble, Shin. Let's check it out," Akane said worriedly. She started sprinting towards the park, where the commotion seemed to be coming from.

"Akane, wait!!!!" Shinnosuke yelled, but the raven haired girl was already too far away. He started after her with haste, calling out for her to wait.

Ranma took his time standing up. He was breathing hard already and the punches he received were starting to hurt. Not far from him, Ryoga was also sprawled on his back. He groaned as he tried to stand up with the help of his umbrella. He wiped a trickle of blood from his split lip.

"I'm not finished with you yet, Saotome," he managed to say.

Ranma gave out a tired chuckle. "Geez, Ryoga. Haven't you got it out of your system yet? I already said I'm gonna buy you a bunch of bread tomorrow." He shakily got to his feet.

"Let's declare this a draw. Great fight, Ryoga. I haven't had a decent fight in ages except for my Pop" The pigtailed martial artist rubbed a palm on his pant leg & then extended it out for a handshake.

Ryoga eyed the extended hand with disgust and clenched his umbrella tighter.

"Are you insulting me, Saotome? I won't be content until I squash you into a bloody pulp."

"That ain't gonna happen, Lost Boy," Ranma replied. He shrugged and turned away. "See ya tomorrow, Ryoga. I'm going home now."

Ryoga growled in anger. Without thinking, he threw his iron umbrella at Ranma's retreating figure.

"RANMA, LOOK OUT!!!!!"

Startled, Ranma glanced to the source of the voice, and then belatedly at the incoming projectile. As if in slow motion, Akane tackled him and they both fell to the ground. Ranma saw a red blur pass disturbingly close to Akane's head and lodge itself on the wall behind them.

Ryoga's umbrella.

Akane's eyes were wide in shock. Ranma anxiously checked if she sustained any hit. There was no blood, thank Kami but something seemed extremely wrong with Akane. Her hand slowly reached behind her. And Ranma realized what was wrong.

Ryoga's umbrella had cleanly cut Akane's hair.

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From the author: Hi, just flexin' my writer's fingers. Just wanted everyone to know I'm still alive… Anyway, enjoy!