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There's a lemonyish-lime scene in this one. You have been warned. Thanks to Yoiko for pre-reading.
HEARTS AND MINDS
PART NINE
Ranma 1/2 manga fanfiction
by Gary Kleppe
The characters of Ranma 1/2 are the creation of and rightful property of Rumiko Takahashi. They are used here without permission. This story may be freely redistributed, but it should not be altered substantially or used for profit in any way.
Ranma watched the piece of log as it floated downstream. It followed the narrow creek as it zigzagged between trees and soon disappeared from sight. Moments earlier, he had wedged the disposable telephone into a knothole on top of the log. If Ha Bu and his people were tracking the phone signal, then maybe this would lead them on a wild goose chase, and maybe when his group got to town tomorrow morning the Mongols wouldn't be expecting them. Maybe.
Of course, that depended on them not beating the crap out of each other before then.
"Look, Akane, no one's accusing you of anything wrong," Tofu said. "But we would appreciate anything you could tell us about this bank account in your name that Nabiki found."
Akane folded her arms, scowling. "I can't tell you anything. I have no idea how that money got there."
"Akane would never do such a thing!" Ryoga turned to face her. "Would you?"
"No! I wouldn't!" she shouted.
"Of course she wouldn't," Kasumi said. "I can't believe my sister would do such a thing. I think Ha Bu's friends put that account there so Nabiki would find it and we'd waste time arguing with ourselves."
Ranma wanted to believe Kasumi, but couldn't quite rise to that level of optimism. Nabiki had said the account was hidden well enough that her people had been extremely lucky to find it. That was assuming, of course, that Nabiki was telling the truth. Maybe she'd just made the whole thing up as some sort of bluff to ferret out the real culprit. Maybe she was the real culprit. With some of the tricks she'd pulled on him, he couldn't quite put it past her. But he didn't see what she would stand to gain by accusing Akane if that were the case.
Akane quivered like a bomb about to explode. For once, Ranma thought, he had better think before opening his mouth, and not just because he didn't want to get pounded. This was part of his job as a husband. Defending his family wasn't just about fighting. He watched as Tofu looked up to the sky as if searching for something to say. His panda-transformed father stood quietly off to the side. Ryoga cringed as if expecting Akane to pound him deservedly flat for doubting her.
Just a minute, Ranma thought. resisting the urge to slap himself in the face. Lili's leaving had obviously taken more out of him than he'd thought. It wasn't like him to miss something so bloody obvious.
"Okay, people, enough." He stood next to his wife. "Akane's telling the truth. I believe her, and anyone who wants to get to her is gonna have to go through me first. Got it?"
"Nobody wants to do anything to Akane, Ranma," Tofu said. "We just want to find out what happened."
"There's nothing to find out," Ranma said flatly. "Not from Akane, anyway. She's told us everything she knows, same as I have."
"Who do you think put that money there then?" Tofu asked. "Was it a plant, as Kasumi thinks?"
"Can't say right now. But I think we'll find out soon enough. Until then, there's no point in fighting each other." Ranma hefted his pack over his shoulder. "We've got a job to do, people, so let's get to it. Anything else can wait."
He walked, and the others fell in behind him. Akane quietly squeezed his hand in silent thanks. He returned the gesture, while glancing back to make sure a certain member of the group stayed with them.
HEARTS AND MINDS
PART NINE
Ranma 1/2 manga fanfiction
by Gary Kleppe
The characters of Ranma 1/2 are the creation of and rightful property of Rumiko Takahashi. They are used here without permission. This story may be freely redistributed, but it should not be altered substantially or used for profit in any way.
Ranma watched the piece of log as it floated downstream. It followed the narrow creek as it zigzagged between trees and soon disappeared from sight. Moments earlier, he had wedged the disposable telephone into a knothole on top of the log. If Ha Bu and his people were tracking the phone signal, then maybe this would lead them on a wild goose chase, and maybe when his group got to town tomorrow morning the Mongols wouldn't be expecting them. Maybe.
Of course, that depended on them not beating the crap out of each other before then.
"Look, Akane, no one's accusing you of anything wrong," Tofu said. "But we would appreciate anything you could tell us about this bank account in your name that Nabiki found."
Akane folded her arms, scowling. "I can't tell you anything. I have no idea how that money got there."
"Akane would never do such a thing!" Ryoga turned to face her. "Would you?"
"No! I wouldn't!" she shouted.
"Of course she wouldn't," Kasumi said. "I can't believe my sister would do such a thing. I think Ha Bu's friends put that account there so Nabiki would find it and we'd waste time arguing with ourselves."
Ranma wanted to believe Kasumi, but couldn't quite rise to that level of optimism. Nabiki had said the account was hidden well enough that her people had been extremely lucky to find it. That was assuming, of course, that Nabiki was telling the truth. Maybe she'd just made the whole thing up as some sort of bluff to ferret out the real culprit. Maybe she was the real culprit. With some of the tricks she'd pulled on him, he couldn't quite put it past her. But he didn't see what she would stand to gain by accusing Akane if that were the case.
Akane quivered like a bomb about to explode. For once, Ranma thought, he had better think before opening his mouth, and not just because he didn't want to get pounded. This was part of his job as a husband. Defending his family wasn't just about fighting. He watched as Tofu looked up to the sky as if searching for something to say. His panda-transformed father stood quietly off to the side. Ryoga cringed as if expecting Akane to pound him deservedly flat for doubting her.
Just a minute, Ranma thought. resisting the urge to slap himself in the face. Lili's leaving had obviously taken more out of him than he'd thought. It wasn't like him to miss something so bloody obvious.
"Okay, people, enough." He stood next to his wife. "Akane's telling the truth. I believe her, and anyone who wants to get to her is gonna have to go through me first. Got it?"
"Nobody wants to do anything to Akane, Ranma," Tofu said. "We just want to find out what happened."
"There's nothing to find out," Ranma said flatly. "Not from Akane, anyway. She's told us everything she knows, same as I have."
"Who do you think put that money there then?" Tofu asked. "Was it a plant, as Kasumi thinks?"
"Can't say right now. But I think we'll find out soon enough. Until then, there's no point in fighting each other." Ranma hefted his pack over his shoulder. "We've got a job to do, people, so let's get to it. Anything else can wait."
He walked, and the others fell in behind him. Akane quietly squeezed his hand in silent thanks. He returned the gesture, while glancing back to make sure a certain member of the group stayed with them.
