The Spring Of Drowned Thief 21. Couldn’t Stop Dreaming About Her

Author:

Couldn’t Stop Dreaming About Her

Ranma had to explain the situation to every one and yet it was still hard to grasp. An old grudge gone horribly sour. Five new twisted versions of Ranma were out in the jungle being drawn to the springs for unknown reasons. Two weeks of memory that Ranma refused to return. The thief within Ranma that held all the secrets, that only Ranma himself knew. Life and death becoming and unstable kid’s plaything, and finally the new training that every one agreed too unwillingly. Essentially, every one was trapped in a paradox composed of confusion, broken trust and the only way out was through Ranma, whom none wished to rise against. The ultimate jailor can only be some one you love deeply, because the thought of them dying so you can go on is utterly horrifying. Ranma was the jailor and the others were special guests. The day went by as normal as it could get with every one resting for the most part. Scratches, bruises and all the other wonders that came with this new character in the lives of the teens from Nerima; It was defiantly an adult experience for a bunch of meager kids. Even the night was hard on them all.

“That hurts kid…”

“You don’t have to get pissy with me, I just want you go away for like an hour or two.”

“Oh, geez that’s great. Told off by my own grandson, haven’t you ever heard of respect?”

“Haven’t you ever heard of privacy?”

“Fine, fine ya back stabbin’ prick, but I’ll be back after you’re done ‘catching up’ with your girl friend.”

“How does this make me a back stabber? And how is it any of your business?”

Kyva crossed his arms in anger started pacing. “Awe screw it… I’m just angry as usual. Maybe a bit jealous.”

“Jealous?”

“Yeah. You’ve got a girl and I don’t. It’s team work man, you know what I’m saying?”

“Yup. You’d go behind Grandma Cheryl’s back ya two-timing bastard!”

“She’s dead! I can’t see how’d she care right now!”

“You’re dead too ya old coot!” Just as Ranma split himself apart to attack the copy of himself the door to the room fully closed and Genma had a confused look on his face.

“Tendo… How long has he been doing that?”

Mr. Tendo crossed his arms and gave it a thought. “His friend that Ryouga lad said that he’s been doing it for almost a week now. I believe there is another person sharing his body.”

“Nonsense Tendo! It’s all an act.”

“Then I’m sorry to say Saotome, but it is a rather convincing one if it is.”

“No Tendo, you don’t know my boy like I do… He’s pure evil at his best moments, don’t you know what he did to me!?”

Tendo put an arm around his recently revived friend and hushed him up. “Quiet Saotome! You don’t want to wake every one up again. Now tell me what he did?”

Genma had a tear in his eye as he turned to his best friend. “He turned Nodoka against me! She won’t even look at me and I don’t know why! Every time I try talking to her she ends up kicking my backside across the room and that’s not even the worst of it! Technically this is spousal abuse!”

“I think you’re over reacting Saotome… Surly she must be at least a little bit happy to-“ Genma lifted his shirt to reveal a series of marks, scrapes, and large bruises. “Holy crap!”

Genma dropped his shirt and bowed his head. “I’m fortunate in the sense that she can’t kick me in the face, but still!”

“Hmm… I see what you mean Saotome… I know that our good doctor served as a counselor in his early day so maybe he can-“

“How about you do that after you guys help me.” The two turned quickly to see Ranma standing behind his father. “You guys are really noisy you know that?”

Genma took a step back in fear. “Ahh! How long have you been there!?”

Ranma shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Right now I need your help, so get your shit in gear and lets go.”

Genma gave Ranma a stern look and poked him in the chest. “Hey! I’m your father, don’t speak to me in that tone!”

Ranma grabbed Genma’s shirt and started morphing in front of him. A tall piss off looking man was now holding him tightly and staring straight into his eyes. “Wrong. I’m your damn grandfather and you’ll listen to me. You guys are gonna show me where you buried that man.”

Genma looked into Kyva’s eyes with fear and asked. “Wh-what man?”

Kyva smiled and loosened his grip. “That dusty old bastard that taught me every thing I know. Happosia.”

The candles in the corridor flickered with the sound of the name and both Soun and Genma put a finger to their lips. “Shhhhh! Don’t say that name!”

“Happosia?” The candles flickered and blew again. “Interesting…”

Soun looked up at Kyva and gave him a plea. “Please! Not him! Any one but him!”

“Happosai.” The candles flickered again and this time the floor moved a little. “Wow… What did you guys do to him?”

Genma gave Kyva a shake. “Don’t say that name! It’s cursed!”

“Happosai.” Bricks and dust started to move from the ceiling as the small surges of power started to fill the air with every beat of the name. “This is getting weird… If I say the name again will he just come here on his own accord?”

Both Soun and Genma looked at each other and then back at Kyva and both answered in unison. “No.”

Kyva smiled. “You guys suck at lying. Happosia.” This time nothing moved and nothing broke. “Hey what gives?”

Genma fell to his knees in utter defeat. “Noooo! He’s free… We’re all as good as dead…”

Soun joined him soon enough and they both started crying. “Doomed! Doomed I say! My girls are in danger!”

Kyva walked away from then and spoke his piece. “Yeah, well once you’re done being doomed try sending him my way, I’ve got a few things I need to discuss with him.” ‘Was he always this dramatic?’

Ranma gave Kyva a mental shrug. ‘If he’s this afraid of the master then I can’t wait to beat him. Now go away, I’ve got some things to do.’

‘Don’t be a cock. Its hard enough for me to travel physically with out a meat sack, so savor that time you have.’

‘Way ahead of you.’

Ranma walked down the hall to a special room. Herb had agreed to give the women their own rooms for privacy reasons he didn’t yet comprehend. Ranma stepped like his feet only touched air with out a sound. Nabiki was seen every so often but she seemed to be avoiding Ranma as much as possible for some reason. The day had gone on mostly in uncomfortable silence only to be broken with petty questions and quick answers.

It was time to say hi to the woman he loved. An urge to sneak up on her jumped into Ranma’s thoughts and he smiled as he cracked the door open to take a peek inside. She was laying on her bed with a book on her chest and a blank stare towards the ceiling. Something interesting like a decoration or a chandelier gave Ranma the distraction he needed to slip in unnoticed. He gave the door a gentle push with a small smile on his face and moved in unnoticed closing the door gently behind him. He crouched down and practically slid across the floor only making the most feint sound of friction in his path. Akane heard something and turned her head off to the left to see what it was, but nothing was in the room.

Ranma clung to the ceiling like a spider and slowly moved across it grabbing onto anything that provided grip like a support beam or an unlit lantern hanging high up. He made his way to the wall behind Akane’s headboard and fell towards the ground head first with a single arm extended out. He landed on his figure tips and slowed his fall until he stopped with his nose just barely touching the ground. He twisted his body bringing his feet to the floor arching his back and bringing his head up with calm and control. Again he made no sound and kept his head just underneath the headboard and out of sight. His eyes became shallow and lifeless as he smiled over the thrill it gave him. He heard her breathing softly knowing she expected nothing and he slowly pulled out his knife and bringing it into preparation. He synced his breathing with hers so she wouldn’t know of him and never know of the killing blow coming. He kept smiling, as he counted down to strike. One sweet breathe… Two…. And three would be her last. He started moving up to finish it quick when he felt a mental slap in his head. His eyes focused and for a moment he fell back into stand knocking it over making Akane aware. She shot up and looked behind her to see Ranma rubbing his head and she smiled at him. “Thought you could sneak up on me huh?”

Ranma tried to figure out what he just did, but played along with what Akane said. “Y-yeah… I kinda messed up though…”

“Well that’s a first. Which one are you?”

Ranma looked at her a bit hurt for a moment. “Me! Ranma!”

She walked over to him and offered her hand to help him up. “Just making sure.” He accepted her hand and in no time they were holding each other.

Ranma smiled at her and gave her a kiss. “So, how’ve ya been holding out?”

She played with his pigtail and went back for another kiss. “Fine, I guess… That guy is kind of hard to be around.”

“His intentions are good, don’t worry.”

Akane looked a little fearful for a moment. “H-he isn’t here is he?”

Ranma shook his head. “No, he said he was going to talk to a guy named Happosia.” The room moved for a moment and a small rumble was heard. The two looked around for a moment and Ranma said, “Interesting…”

“Was that an earthquake?”

“I think so. Awe who cares? We can’t stay apart forever so I want to show you something before he comes back.”

“Kyva?”

“Yeah. It’s nothing important, just something I figured out how to do a few days ago.”

“What is it?”

Ranma lead her to the window and opened it wide. It was nighttime and stars filled the sky. It was oddly warmer then the night before and it was a full moon showing off the beauty of the jungle around them. A few light clouds made silver by the moon let off a quick but gentle spray of rain causing Ranma to morph when he stepped up to the ledge of the window. “Hold onto me ok.”

Akane smiled at Ranma trying to figure out what he had planned. She wrapped her arms around Ranma’s waist and Ranma wrapped her arms around Akane. Before Akane knew it she started to slowly fall out the window with Ranma and she panicked by digging her feet against the windowsill as best she could but they both fell despite her efforts. She held onto Ranma tight and didn’t want to look at the ground below, but after a while she opened her eyes to see that they fell like feathers in the wind. The descent was slow and soon they touched the ground with out any feeling. Ranma let go of her and held onto her hand. “Neat huh?”

Akane took breath of relief and smiled at him. “Warn me next time you big dummy!”

“Ok, ok. We’re going again.”

“Wha- Ahh!” Ranma pushed up with her toes and flew up slowly above the tree lines and back down into the forest holding Akane’s hand with a loose grip.

They made leaps and bounds into the night sky and Ranma asked Akane a question. “Have you ever had a dream like this? Where someone takes you on an adventure and you see all those beautiful things you’ve never seen before. Floating into the sky and coming back down with out fear… It’s a wonderful feeling…”

They landed on a branch of a huge tree and Ranma held her close again doing a slow-motion back flip high into the sky again and down to another. Akane closed her eyes as she took in the feeling of becoming as light as the wind. A feeling crawled through her chest letting her know she was high up and now descending. Her feet dangled loosely and felt weightless as they tingled. Ranma stopped on another branch in the forest turned blue under the pale moonlight. “Sorry for dragging you out here, but I just wanted to be alone with you.”

The two kissed and sat on the enormous branch that felt more like a nest one could walk in. Akane leaned her back against the trunk of the tree and Ranma rested between her legs. Akane draped her arms around Ranma’s chest and hung her hands loosely between her breasts. The gentle rain could be seen just outside of the leaves making up the canopy they were under and soaked the forest enough to make it shine in the light of the night. “I don’t mind…” Akane whispered into Ranma’s ear and held her close. “Can you tell me something though?”

Ranma relaxed into Akane’s comfort and let her eyes close halfway. “Anything… I’ll try my best to keep it true…”

“Why are you so secretive with me? Is it just in your nature, or is it something else?”

Ranma leaned her head back enough to look into Akane’s eyes. “Something else… I love you, it’s no secret, but there are some things that I just can’t bring myself to tell you… I’m a horrible person and I’m afraid that if you found out the truth about me… You’d leave me forever…”

Akane rested her chin on Ranma’s head sideways and looked out into the night sky. “I have faith that one day… you can tell me every thing… I’ll never look down on you for anything you’ve done and never judge you for you’re crimes…”

“I know you wouldn’t… I’m just afraid I’d scare you with what I’ve done… Murder doesn’t even come close to the true guilt I have on my conscience. It’s what I did that will forever make me a monster.”

Akane leaned Ranma’s head back and brushed her bangs away from her eyes. “You’re not a monster… You’re my lover…” Akane let her lips meet Ranma’s and Ranma lifted her arm to hold the back of Akane’s head. Fireflies whizzed through the air giving a moment of magic for all present. Akane pulled away with a soft look in her eyes. “And don’t think for a second that I’d leave you for anything… You’ve made me laugh…” Akane kissed her again. “You’ve made me cry…” Another soft kiss. “You’ve shown me love…” She kiss her one more time. “And you’ve shown me your true self…”

Ranma stopped her kiss with a finger to Akane’s lips. “Nothing about me is true. I just keep covering myself up with lie after lie… I can’t even remember who I was before this…”

Ranma closed her eyes as Akane gave her another kiss. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve forgotten… It’s who you are now that counts… As long as you remember ‘us’ you’ll always remember what we were together.”

“Together…” Ranma stroked Akane’s face as Akane unbuttoned Ranma’s shirt. “I can’t forget us…” Ranma let Akane take over her body as she pushed Ranma down gently and pressed her body on top. The two ran their hands through each other’s hair once again remembering what made them one. Their hands met and fought for dominance while their instincts took over and build up towards mad love. “I can’t forget this…”

Akane pushed Ranma’s shirt off her shoulders and closed her eyes to feel Ranma’s figure. Ranma let her touch her all over yearning for that feeling that made her feel whole. She exchanged the favors by running her hands up Akane’s shirt and massaging her all over and around. “Show me that feeling… That feeling the first time we-.”

Akane moaned as she felt Ranma enter her mouth and push her back till they both sat straight up holding each other close and bringing each other further into their love.

It was three hours later when Ranma woke up with her fully clothed legs hanging off the side of the branch, sitting there with a smoke in her mouth. “Awake kid?”

‘Yeah.’ Ranma moved his head back to see Akane. She was sleeping on the other side of the branch with a blanket draped over her. ‘Good she’s asleep…’

Kyva kept his mumbles low so not to wake her. “Yeah. We’ve got something to talk about.”

Ranma gave him a mental nod and asked. ‘Yeah, what the hell happened back there? I was getting ready to kill her. Why?’

“I felt it just in time myself. It was Jack.”

‘Jack?’

“Yeah. It’s what he would have done if he had my skills. I didn’t realize it at first but now that I think about it, it makes sense.”

‘The curse?’

“Yeah, I thought they would have been individual, but that was foolish to think. I’m sorry to say kid, but you’ve got a little bit of them when you got a whole lot of me in ya.”

‘Figures…’

“Yeah. If you can nudge them to do things then they can do so to you, but I don’t think they’ve figured it out yet.”

‘Then how do you explain what I did back in that room?’

“Jack was dreaming. My guess is that he fell in love with Akane when he saw her and now he’s dreaming of her.”

‘Damn… I was really hoping she’d be safe around me…’

“Don’t worry kid, if it happens again I’ll just snap you out of it. I can feel them doing it, but it only effects you.”

‘Thanks by the way… You saved her… I don’t know how else to thank you.’

Kyva put the smoke out on the branch and flicked it off into the rain. “Don’t mention it. It’s a small thing if you compare it to what you’re doing for me.”

‘I guess.’

“Any ways lets get her back. She’ll freeze if she stays out here.”

‘Ok, but do you mind if I-.”

“Yeah, yeah, you can spend the night with her. Who am I to get between lovers, but be warned kiddo, if I start feeling those guy’s dreams enter your head I’m taking us out of there pronto, you hear what I’m saying?”

‘Believe me. I wouldn’t want it any other way. Could you do something else for me?’

“I’m not gonna stop smoking.”

‘Come on. Have some common courtesy for some one else’s body.’

“My nerves are shot kid. This is one of those little things that give me some momentary relief.”

‘If you say so.’

Kyva stood the body up and took control for Ranma. “Go back to sleep kid, ya need it. I’ll get us back.”

‘Thanks… Oh and if you drop her, I’ll have your ass Gramps.’

“Go to sleep. You’ve had insomnia lately. It’s making you weak.”

‘I can’t sleep unless I’m with her…’

“I’ve noticed.”

Morning came with annoyance. Ranma opened his eyes quick to find the blankets being pulled off of him quickly. He was a guy now, apparently Kyva changed them in his sleep, but that was okay. What wasn’t okay was that Genma was in the room telling his boy to get up. Ranma shook his head and asked Kyva. ‘Why didn’t you tell me he was here?’

‘Just thought you’d like to deal with him personally and I wanted you to get as much sleep as possible.’

‘Gee, thanks.’ Ranma looked over at Akane still sleeping beside him and back at his dad. “What the hell do you want?”

Genma brought up his hand and started counting on his fingers. “One! You’re not doing early morning training. Two! I want to know exactly who that person was. And Three!” *WACK!*

Ranma continued for him as he removed his fist from his fathers face. “Three, you get to lower you’re voice. Four, get the hell out of here because I don’t want to see your damn face. And Five. If you wake me up again, I’ll throw you through that window and into the rose bushes below.”

Genma’s face went red as he pulled his boy up from the mattress. “Now listen here you!”

*TOSS!*

Genma screamed as he flew out the window and landed in the thorny bushes below. Unfortunately this woke up Akane. “What was that…?”

Ranma climbed back into bed and curled up with Akane. “Just threw my dad out the window, nothing serious.”

Akane opened her eyes wide and looked Ranma square in the eye. “Is he okay?”

“I hope not…”

Akane sat up and gave his arm a light hit. “That’s not a nice thing to say!”

“At least it’s true.”

Akane put a finger to her lip. “Well I guess so, but still…”

“I’m not apologizing to him. He gave me abandonment issues.”

“Are you sure you can’t just grow up and make peace?”

“Yup, I’m pretty sure.”

Akane looked at him for a second and asked. “Wait, which one are you?”

Ranma tensed up and looked angry. “It’s me! Ranma!”

“Just checking… You sounded like him for a second.”

Ranma’s voice became a little raspy as he spoke again. “Him and I do not sound the same!”

Akane pulled the covers up to cover herself as fast as she could. “Ahh! He’s here!?”

Ranma’s voice went back to normal after the outburst and he got the headache with it. “Ow! Jeez! Is this what I’ve been doing to you!?”

‘Yeah you mean bastard.’

“Gawd, I’m sorry.”

Akane shrieked and booted Ranma off the bed. “Get the peeping tom out of here!”

‘Did she just call me a peeping tom!?’

“Technically you are right now. Sorry Akane, I’ll get him out of here.” As Ranma left the room Akane gave him a smile and blew a kiss. Ranma caught it and stepped out. He kept his voice low so none would here. “Well, thanks a lot gramps. You ruined a perfectly good morning.”

‘And just how did I ruin it?’

“Why didn’t you just knife my old man or something productive like that?”

‘I’m not knifing my own grandson.’

“Why? You’ve done it before.”

‘I was not aware at the time. You killed him yourself you sneaky little bugger.’

“Do ya blame me?”

‘Well no actually… It kind of shamed me to know that I had a direct relative that would do something like that to his own son…’

“Thanks for wiping that memory out of his head in time. I thought for sure he was going to tell Mr. Tendo.”

‘No prob. I also wiped that shit he did to you out as well, just so he wouldn’t get jumpy around you.’

“What did you replace it with?”

‘That B.S story you told every one.’

“Hey it was a good story. I wasn’t going to tell those poor guys that I slit my dad’s damn throat. They would have put me away instantly.”

‘So? You’ve been avoiding the police for how long now?’

“That’s not the point gramps. I like these people a lot and it was nice to be in a home again with people that didn’t try and shoot up every twenty minutes.”

‘Ok, I get it kid. But I am worried about you. How long has it been since you last had some? Don’t make me go through your head.’

Ranma sighed. “It’s been a week and a half now…”

‘You’ve gotta get off that shit Ranma. I’m not going to force it away from you. You have to put it down of your own free will.’

“Hey I told some one like you told me to.”

‘Yeah and you made it sound like you were off of it.’

“It’s hard to get through it you know?”

‘Ya gotta put that stubbornness to use kid. Make it work for you.’

Ranma’s face turned angry as he walked through the Musk halls. “Oh, what do you know!?”

Kyva stopped the body and held Ranma in place. ‘I know it’s giving you insomnia Ranma. So if you want to get through this then if not for me then do it for that beautiful girl you had laying in that bed back there.’

Ranma bowed his head and asked. “Can you please get it away from me?”

‘I told you kiddo. You drop it of your own free will and it’ll make you stronger and you’ll never touch it again.’

Ranma took a deep breath in. “Okay… I was just getting the urge for it again.”

‘I know. You get it every time you get stressed out. Talk to that doctor about it, he’ll help.’

Ranma nodded and started heading for Doctor Tofu’s room. “Ok… I can do this… And then we’re getting rid of those other guys…”

‘I don’t care how it gets done as long as it gets done.’

Ranma walked on in silence and down the hall he went. “So do you think Nabiki could hear me?”

‘You did kind of raise your voice at the end there kiddo. Sorry, but I noticed her at the last second.’

“Damn… I hope she didn’t hear what I said about pops…”

‘I can wipe her memory too if you want.’

“Nah… She won’t tell any one yet. They’re all going to find out anyways.”

‘True.’

Ranma gave Tofu’s door a knock and he came to answer in no time. “Hey doc… I’ve got a bit of a problem that’s been on my chest for a while… Can I talk to you?”

“Certainly… Ranma?”

“Yeah…”

Ranma sat down across from the doctor. “Remember my blood test…?”

Tofu gave Ranma a look and asked. “Are you still worried about that?”

“Please don’t treat me like you don’t know Doc… I know you found something in my blood stream… And to be honest… I’m glad you took my privacy into account.”

Tofu adjusted his glasses and look down for a moment. “I’m glad you’re coming clean to me about it Ranma. I was worried when I found heroin in your system.”

“You won’t tell any one will you?”

Tofu reached an arm across and put a hand on Ranma’s shoulder. “I’m glad you trust me Ranma and I’m relieved that you came to me about it… My lips are sealed to the others, it is your decision if you wish to tell them or not.”

“Doc… You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve done…”

“You’d be surprised to know how many people go through what you are right now.”

“Doc… I’ve killed some one during a two month drug binge and have only started to remember it recently…”

“Oh, my…”

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Author’s Note: I feel bad about having such long breaks between chapters but since I knocked off so much in one go I got ahead of myself and forgot where this was going. I’m going to try and get at least 2-3 chapters a month for this if I can. Just so if any fans of this fic are wondering, this fic is going to be huge. The way I’ve set it up it’s going to be between 60-90 chapters and it’s going to be picking up speed real quick to pull your socks up and get ready. Have fun and party hard.

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