Akane
by Kirinin
Eleven
Akane stared at the ceiling, watching the pattern her hand made across the wall. She had turned her bed lamp on when she'd realized she wasn't going to get any sleep that night. She'd attempted to re-read her collection of Inu- Yasha, but it all seemed way too gory to help her sleep. Now she had resorted to making funny shapes on the ceiling. Half asleep and half-awake, she thought of one thing. The murder. That was how she thought of it now. The murder. Because somebody as strong as Ranma didn't kick it just like that. And she now remembered his strength - a vague impression of practical invincibility. ‘Ranma Saotome always wins’... or something like that. He had either been killed of had found some way to kill himself. The latter was seeming less and less likely, though. After all, she and Ryoga had been there, and possibly others. Even if Ranma had attempted a suicide, she or Ryoga or both of them would have rushed him off to a doctor. Unless there had been someone chasing them, keeping them from stopping anyplace. Akane frowned at the shadow of her hand. It looked like a bird. Like a phoenix. A phoenix? The Phoenix! Akane felt a wave of dread wash over her body, causing her to fling her arms around her shoulders and shake her head once, definite, abrupt. Something bad. Something very very bad. Something I shouldn't even think about— Akane nodded to herself. The Ph - that thing - they're important. Maybe responsible for this whole mess. Whatever a p... whatever that is. Maybe Nabiki knows. She curled into a ball on her bed, wrapping her arms around her knees, now. "I want to be whole, goddamn it," she whispered aloud, staring at the ceiling. She wondered if Ranma had felt like that with her - with his curse, always half of a person.The next morning, things went in a fashion that was becoming usual. She rose feeling as though she hadn't slept a wink, despite getting at least six hours. Dressed in that damned outfit that made it so indecent to kick Kuno's butt. Huffed downstairs, attempted to eat on a queasy stomach. Walked to school with Hiro, chatted. Wished to be able to walk on the fence, but was afraid for Hiro's heart. Kicked Kuno's butt - flashed populace. School. Today had a bit of difference, though. Akane had a mission. "I hear you sell information?" Nabiki spoke without turning. "Not at this moment, I'm afraid. One project taking up all of my attention." Akane tapped her older sister on the shoulder. "Not even for family?" The older girl whirled, blushing slightly. "What about, hon? You know, I give family discounts." "I want all you've got on the Amazons and somebody called the Phoenix." Nabiki's smile cracked, and she grabbed her little sister by her sleeve in an iron grip. "Come with me." "Eep!" Akane gave a token protest as her sister proceeded to drag her into the audio-video room. Nabiki peered out the door, looking nervous, before closing it tightly. "Listen, Akane, those are not names you just go and say so casually. You got me?" Akane frowned. "No." "Look. You have to have realized by now what my project is." "Who killed Ranma?" Akane answered. "No. That's NOT my project." Nabiki abruptly looked hunted before taking a deep breath and continuing. "Akane, sit down." "Why?" "Just - SIT, okay?" Akane seated herself on the edge of a large piece of unidentifiable equipment slowly and daintily, just to show it was all her own idea. She smoothed her skirt. Her mouth then proceeded to hit the floor as her older sister knelt in front of her and took her hands into her own. "I... am trying to protect your sanity." Nabiki's words were so forceful and plain that Akane reeled. "But oneechan... I have to know what happened! I'll never be normal again if I can't figure out..." Akane stumbled verbally to a halt, surprised by her own words. She hadn't realized why she was so interested. She had thought it was to clear her name, to prove she wasn't a murderer. But it was truly because she needed those missing parts of her life to be complete. Otherwise she'd be like Ranma, with a foreign part of her concealed, one she might never see. She found herself in tears, and she put her head in her hands. "I think I understand," her sister replied, her voice stone. "So I'll tell you what my project is. "It's to clear you." Akane's tears stopped in utter shock, and her head swung up until she was gazing into her sister's eyes. Nabiki's own quest was to...? "I'll tell you the truth, Akane. It looks pretty damned bad. Ranma did have plenty of enemies, but it comes down to this: you were the only two people there. Your DNA and Ranma's DNA - was the only genetic material present. There's your DNA all over Ranma's clothing, like you punched him several times. Even a little bit of your blood. I’ve spread a rumor to the contrary, but the police know the truth." Akane was glad she was seated. She didn't think her legs would support her. She remembered her own words. ‘Each time my life seems like it's gotten as weird as it can get...’ Had she jinxed herself? "I have a little deal with Sano-san, the police chief here in Nerima. I worked hard to get certain... pictures. As a result, he gave me several months to clear your name before he..." Akane's world rocked again. Before he took me in. Kami-sama! "So I've given up everything else at your own suggestion, little sister. But nothing's worked. Sure, there are countless scenarios I've created based on the evidence in which you didn't commit murder. But none of them have any evidence to support them. All I've been able to do is create theories and rule some out. There are still practically infinite possibilities. It seems I'm no closer." Her head hung down. "Please forgive me - I'm doing my very best." "I believe you," Akane choked. "B-but... Ucchan said there was a group of winged people who hated Ranma—" "They're on the scenario list," Nabiki replied, her voice practically emotionless, soft. "First of all I'm not about to tell that to the police chief. I'd be locked up right after you - for insanity. We'd be some pair." She sighed. "Secondly, there were no arrows. No spears. Nothing to point to them or to the Amazons. I'm at a loss." Akane took a deep breath. "Perhaps Ryoga did it. I always thought they were friends, and perhaps Ranma did as well - but Ryoga tends to take things awfully seriously. And he was always shouting at him..." "You remember that?" Nabiki queried, watching her closely. Akane nodded. "Sort of. Ranma tried to be nice to him, but they always ended up fighting anyway. Ranma thought teasing was friendly - Ryoga took it personally." Nabiki eyed her again, her surprise more obvious this time. "You seem to be pretty clear on that. As I recall, you used to yell at Ranma for picking on him." Akane blinked. "D-did I? Well, maybe things changed a little on our trip to China." Nabiki's eyes narrowed. "Ryoga was with the two of you?" Akane bit her lip, but she realized her sister wanted to help her, and to do that, she needed all the facts. Bracing herself, she explained what had happened during her encounter with Ryoga. "Ukyo also said Ryoga was the only one who believed Ranma had taken me to China to train. Everyone else thought we ran off to get married. I'm not sure if that helps," she added morosely. Nabiki sighed and shook her head. "It only makes it look worse, Akane." Akane slumped. "I know. D'you suppose he killed himself?" "No," Nabiki said, certainty in her voice. “He wasn't the type. Besides, how can you kill yourself with a ki attack?" Akane stared. "A ki attack killed him? But Nabiki, you know I can't perform one." Nabiki returned her stare with interest. "A-Akane? Don't you realize you performed one the other day? A Shi Shi Hokodan, if I'm not mistaken." Akane's eyes lit up. "That's proof Ryoga was there! I didn't know it when I left, did I?" Nabiki sighed. "Don’t you realize that’s proof against you, Akane? Ryoga accused you to your face!" Akane grimaced. "But if he knew my head was messed up, he might have said that to make me think I did it." "Mind games? Ryoga?" Nabiki shrugged. "It's still worth considering. He may be more clever that we thought." A strange and disturbing thought crossed Akane's mind. "N-nabiki? How did you know he was killed by ki?" Nabiki stared at her blankly for a moment before responding, softly. "Autopsy report." "Oh, Nabiki!" Her older sister smiled through the obvious pain on her face. "It's okay. This is as much for my own peace of mind as it is to save you. Besides.... I know you're not a murderer." Akane wrapped her arms around her elder sister and wept. "Oneechan," she sobbed. "What if I am?"
Akane sat perfectly still, her gaze resting expressionlessly on the board. The mathematical symbols had long since faded into incomprehensibility, a line here, a dot there. With no meaning. Sensei's words were meaningless syllables. Strung together, they made no sense. Like this whole business, Akane sighed, looking down at her notebook thoughtfully. Or am I just afraid it DOES? Face it, Akane. You had something to do with it. Akane attempted to imagine herself tall, cool and impassive, standing in front of a certain redhead. "You've made fun of me for the last time, Saotome Ranma,” she would have said, her voice emotionless. "Now - taste your doom! An attack based on lack of culinary skills! BEHOLD!" A ki attack the size of Tokyo flew from her fingers to hit the martial artist square in the chest. Maniacal laughter abounded. No way in hell, she decided, a wry smile forming on her lips. She became slowly aware that Hiroshi was staring at her worriedly, and she offered up a cheery smile that fooled no one. She added a thumbs-up, just for good measure. Hiro stuck his tongue out and rolled his eyes, totally unconvinced. Yeah, yeah, Akane mouthed. But she forces her lips into a smile for his sake. The two of them walked home silently, Akane's gaze running every now and then to the fence above. "What's wrong?" Hiroshi had cornered her, without his female counterpart - Sayuri was home with a cold. "You've been moping all day." Akane sighed. "I’m not moping." "You promised to tell," Hiroshi said gravely. "You swore. Would you soil your family honor?" Akane glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and saw his wide grin. "Impersonating Kuno doesn't become you." But, after a perfunctory pause, she told him about her encounter with her sister. Hiroshi was absolutely silent for a moment as well. He looked at her, gazing into her eyes. "You didn't do it, Akane." Akane blinked back tears. Hiroshi's guess about how she felt, coupled with that particular declaration, almost destroyed her then and there. As it was, several tears emerged and flew down her cheeks. "But—" "It doesn't matter what happened. I know you. And I know you couldn't hurt anybody that way." Hiroshi nodded resolutely to himself and took her hand in his. Akane smile at the contact, no longer feeling guilty. In fact, the contact warmed her immeasurably, more that she ever could have thought. It was kind of like that time out of Ryuganazawa, when Ranma had— She snatched her hand away. "I... I'm really sorry, Hiro-kun. Don't mind me, I'm just jumpy." Hiroshi looked a little disappointed, but he nodded understandingly. "Anybody'd be after today." "It's the whole damned week," she confessed, running a nervous hand through her short blue hair. "It's beginning to get to me, too. All these memories are surfacing, but they're out of context and in the end they don't tell me a thing." "I'm here," he told her softly. This time Akane put her own hand out to him and willed it to stay there. No matter what, Ranma had gone - she didn't have a fiancé anymore, and her honor shouldn't force her this way. And Hiroshi was awfully sweet, and funny, and cute. She liked him a lot. He smiled as her hand grasped for his. "And thank you for being here," Akane replied just as softly. The two of them were stopped now, holding hands and blushing mightily. Akane figured the heat from their faces might be enough to warm a small house in winter. Still they stood, looking uncertainly at one another. "Would it... would it be alright if I kissed you?" Hiroshi asked her. Akane smiled. "On the hand?" "On the lips." Akane took a deep breath. "Yeah." He smiled back. "I love your way with words." He drew closer to Akane, suddenly looking terribly frightened by what they were about to do. Akane felt her own fear. He's not gonna, she thought desperately. And launched herself at the scared boy. Their lips locked briefly, then parted. Hiroshi stood blinking in the sunlight, looking dazed. "Well, that wasn't so bad," Akane conceded, putting her hands behind her back and winking at him coquettishly. Hiro snapped awake. "What, you thought it was gonna be bad?" "Well, boys are icky," Akane replied calmly, claiming his hand and continuing to walk home. "Good lord! I'm dating a forth-grader! Excuse me miss, but how old are you really? Officer, I swear, she said she was a high-schooler." "Shut up!" Akane growled, swatting him. "They are so icky. Would you want to kiss one?" Hiroshi considered. "You have me there." The rest of the walk was spent rather quietly. Akane was happy that she had a boyfriend, and had genuinely enjoyed their quick kiss, but it suffices to say she had other things on her mind. Hiroshi respected her silence, swinging his arm in hers every now and then before grinning at her. She grinned back, doing her best to keep her present happiness in her mind, and ward the nightmares away. They hovered at the edge of her mind, waiting to be let in. For the moment being, she refused to let them. "Hiro..." Akane began delicately as they reached the door of the Tendo enclosure. "I've been thinking. Maybe it's best we not see one another." Hiroshi's expression fell, but he couldn't resist throwing a jibe in. "I'm that bad a kisser, huh?" Akane giggled in spite of herself. If she were still playing, she'd say '...average', and then look to the skies in perfect innocence. "I'm serious, Hiro," she replied instead. "Things are weird right now. Your girlfriend might go to jail." There was an almost inconsequential pause before Akane added, "she might also go nuts again when she remembers what happened to her ex-fiancé." Hiroshi opened his mouth to protest, but Akane hushed him before he could speak. "If we... uhm, stayed together..." Akane was not willing to say the 'm' word before the second date. "If we did... in twenty years I could remember, and go nuts." Hiro shook his head. "Like I told you before, 'Kane, it's impossible. Your mind will let you remember if and when you're capable of dealing with it. As far as murder... I know you didn't do it, and I have faith in the justice system." He winked. "And, in Nabiki's 'gifts' even more. Stop worrying. I'm not about to give you up because you're going through something that’s hard on you. In fact, it's all the more reason I should stick by you." Akane blinked rapidly. "You don't mean it. Really think, Hiro." "What, you don't think I've got a brain? I thought of all of this before, and I still want you." He blushed. "I mean... wanted to ask you out." Akane smiled. "I'm touched, and I ain't just saying that." She frowned. "Oooh, 'language, Akane!’" she said in her best Kasumi voice. Hiro chuckled. "I guess I'll see you later, then?" Akane blinked up at him. “Aren't you going to ask me on another date, then? Say, a movie this weekend?" Hiro laughed again. "Do I get a choice?" "Nope. You're coming with me." Akane tugged possessively on the material of his shirtsleeve, still smiling up at him. They came together once more, far more naturally this time. The kiss was long and sweet. Akane felt herself protected, loved unconditionally. She sighed contentedly as she broke it off. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, okay?" Hiroshi nodded, as though unable to speak. When she was up in her room five minutes later, she looked out the window to find him still standing there, a blissful expression on his face. That night, as Akane stared at the ceiling - she was becoming awfully familiar with the pattern of paint, and had made personal friends with the waterspot a couple of inches to the left of the headboard - she pondered her situation once more. There was no way she'd done it, she decided. Her family believed in her, and so did Sayuri and Hiroshi. And she believed in herself. She was a good person, dammit, somebody who wouldn't hurt a fly. Unless it was really bothersome, of course. Her thoughts wandered briefly to Hiroshi again, to his arms around her, to his lips on hers, to his hands. She thought she liked his hands best. They were never sweaty like those guys at school, and he wasn't grabby. He had - quick hands. Hands like a violinist or a locksmith might have. Nimble, cool, and clever. A sure sign you've fallen for someone, she thought to herself sleepily. You start focusing on their hands, or their toenails, or the way they whistle. She smiled, her eyes closed, as she naughtily wondered how, perhaps, Hiro might be in other areas. Like... Like a sudden noise downstairs. No, that wasn't it. Akane mumbled to herself, nearly asleep, before sitting up like a shot. A sudden noise... Her hands fumbled for her bokken silently, her breath coming in quick spurts, short gasps. Nabiki got up for a drink of water, she told herself. Just somebody getting some water. She repeated it in her mind like a mantra, but she knew the footfalls were too heavy to be from either one of her sisters, and that it took nuclear war to wake her father. The steps were coming closer. Her door flew open. A man in a white gi stood there. At least, his gi had once been white. It was stained, as though from a great deal of travel. "I'm going to kill you," he said calmly. It was the last thing Akane heard for awhile.
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