[Ranma/SM][FanFic] The Phoenix Prince Saga Book 2, Part 4, Chapter 3
Linda Ward
It was almost three months later when it happened.
The Lord Phoenix vanished. No one knew where he had gone. Not
even his Champion Among Mortals, Shima of Mars.
All that was left was an insolent rogue who claimed that the
Lord Phoenix had passed on and left him in his place as his one true
heir.
The first act made by the 'heir' was to isolate the 'Phoenix
Kingdom' into Mount Phoenix. The second was to declare war on the
peaceful tribes of women in the area surrounding Mount Phoenix. His
third act was to declare that the Phoenix and his Musk servants had
no need of a 'champion', an action which earned him the ever burning
hatred of the Champion.
His name was Saffron.
**********
"So, why can't you find him, Shima-san?" asked the beautiful
blonde from Venus who was leaning against him as they sat against the
east tower's roof wall of the Lunar Palace watching as Earth rose
before them.
"I don't know, Minanoai-chan. I just don't know." Shima
sighed, as he wrapped one muscular arm around the small girl's
shoulders and gave her a brief hug. "But I thank you for sitting
here with me. I know you don't like the cold." He stood and offered
her a hand up.
"It's alright, Shima-san. It was the least I could do after
everything you did for us." Minanoai replied, accepting the hand and
rising to stand beside him.
"I haven't done much, Minanoai-chan. I haven't done much at
all for any of you."
"Yes. You. Have." Minanoai riposted, even as she reached up
and jabbed him in the nose to punctuate each word. "You've done ever
so much for all of us, Shima-san. Before you came, no one wanted to
even talk to us. We were dangerous, Shima-san. People were scared of
us, and with someone like Akai it's not really that surprising why."
"So, she's a bit of a firebrand! People should be brave enough
to talk to a group of girls as beautiful as you."
"Thanks, Shima-san. But, you really were the first one to
actually come up to any of us just to say hi and not to send us out
somewhere to fight someone or something. You're like the big brother
none of us really got to have. There are times when I envy Reiki-chan."
"Don't envy, Reiki, Minanoai-chan. You're just as much my
little sister as she is. All of you girls are."
"Not all..." Minanoai giggled as her eyes twinkled
mischievously up at the slightly blushing Shima.
"Don't go there, Minanoai."
"Aw, you're no fun." She pouted, then shivered, only to cheer
up a bit as Shima raised the edge his scarlet cloak and wrapped it
around her slender shoulders. She snuggled in closer to his side as
they walked along. "You know, if Akai catches us then she's going to
be really mad."
"I can handle Akai, Minanoai-chan. Besides, she should know
better by now."
"Should and do are two entirely different things, Shima-san."
"Don't I know it." Shima chuckled under his breath, but it
lacked the humor it usually would have carried before the Lord Phoenix
disappeared. Minanoai could tell that he was truly worried about his
patron and wished that she knew how to cheer him up. "Well, here we
are."
They had reached the doorway back into the castle main. Shima
pushed the heavy wooden door open and escorted Minanoai through the
portal and back to her quarters. At her golden door, he knelt down
till he was eye-level with her and wrapped his arms around her, hugging
her tight.
"Thank you, Minanoai. I really appreciate what you've done for
me these past few days. I won't forget." Shima whispered into her ear,
then released her. "Good night, Minanoai-chan. I shall see you in the
morning."
"Good night, Shima-san. Thank you for walking with me tonight,
I really appreciated it."
Then the two bowed and parted ways, Minanoai for her chambers
and Shima for his quarters. Neither noticed the silent figure of Akai
standing nearby, a single tear trickling down her face.
**********
"What's wrong, Sempai?" Kina asked, even as she flipped Shima
up over her shoulder and down hard onto the mat.
Shima stood and dusted himself off. "Nothing, Kina-chan. Though
I really wish you wouldn't call me that."
"What? Sempai? Why? Make you nervous?" Kina asked, her eyes
mischievous.
"Yeah, something like that." He replied wryly, rubbing at a
still slightly painful lump on the back of his head where the cause
of his nervousness had thwacked him. Hard.
"Ok. I won't call you sempai if you tell me what's wrong."
"I already told you, Kina. Nothing's wrong."
"Right, Sempai. And I can throw the legendary Shima of Mars
across the hall with ease everyday. You know, if you were anyone else,
I'd say it was girl trouble."
"And what makes you think that it's not?"
"Simple. Because you are you. And everyone is just about head
over heels for you except Serenity-hime, and that's just because she
has Endymion to ogle."
"And you, Kina dear? What about you?"
"What? You want me to be head over heels with you?"
Shima replied very maturely by sticking his tongue out at
her.
"Yep. Now I see where Rei gets that. You've been hanging
around Serenity-hime haven't you?"
"That doesn't matter, Kina-chan."
"No, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because that's not
the problem. I know you don't have girl trouble simply because Akai
has you staked and claimed, boy."
"And I see you've been hanging around the Earth court."
"Hey. What can I say? Those are some hot looking guys! Not as
hot as you, Sempai, but then there's damn well nobody in your league
on this dustball."
"Flattery will get me in trouble, Kina-chan."
"That's 'flattery will get you no where', and I see you've
been rubbing off on Minanoai."
"So I can't always get the silly little sayings right. So
what? It was right!"
"And you're changing the subject! Be a man, Sempai!"
"Don't challenge my manhood, Kina."
"I won't if you'll get the guts to tell me what's bothering
you!"
"Fine. I'm worried about Lord Phoenix, ok?!"
"It's a start. Sempai, you know we're worried about you too,
don't you?"
"Yeah, maybe."
"Hey. It's true!"
Then there was a knock on the door and a handsomely dressed
Earthian stepped inside.
"Kina-hime? Are you ready to go?"
"Oh no! Fredrick! I'm so sorry! I'll be ready in a moment!"
Then she returned her attention to Shima. "I'm sorry, Shima-san, but I
did promise Fredrick that I'd..."
"Don't worry about it, Kina-chan. Go on. Have fun! Don't worry
about me for once! I'll be fine. Just like always." Shima smirked at
her and waved her towards the dressing room before leaving.
Again, Akai stepped into the room just one minute too late.
**********
Serenity-hime found Shima wandering alone though the Lunar
Rose Gardens.
"Shima-san? Are you alright?" she asked, coming up to him and
laying a gentle hand on his arm.
Shima looked at the hand and followed her arm up to meet her
gaze.
"Hello, Serenity-hime. I'm sorry I'd didn't greet you more
properly."
"Nonsense, Shima-san. We're friends. I don't particularly
care if you don't 'greet me properly'. I won't die if you don't, you
know."
"Okay, Serenity-hime."
"Alright. Who are you and what have you done with Shima-san?!"
she cried, yanking her hand off of his arm.
"Huh?!" Shima startled out of his reverie at last.
"You are nothing like Shima-san! Tell me where he is right
now!" Serenity-hime continued to demand.
"H-h-hey! Waitasec! I'm Shima! I'm Shima!" Shima argued
indignantly.
"Now that's the Shima I know. It's not like you to be so meek,
Shima. Please, I'm asking you, cheer up. You're bringing us all down
with you. If you keep this up, I'm going to start crying every time I
see you!"
"No! Not that! Don't cry! Please don't cry!"
"Then cheer up, Shima-san! Can't you see that we're worried
about you?!"
Shima just shrugged and turned away. Serenity-hime placed her
hand onto his shoulder.
"Shima-san." He turned his head to look at her. "He'll turn
up, Shima. He has to with someone like you worrying about him."
"Thank you, Serenity-hime. I appreciate that."
"It's okay, Shima. That's what friends are for." And she
hugged him briefly around the waist before heading back through the
bushes.
Shima wandered off shortly afterwards, mere seconds before
Akai burst into the clearing out of breath. She stared around the
clearing with a sort of forlorn expression and her shoulders slumped
as she realized that there was no one there.
**********
Reiki caught him on a balcony.
"Oniisan?"
"What's up, Reiki?" Shima asked, his voice weary as he
stared out over the Lunar landscape.
"Well, I'm kinda, worried about you Shima. You're not like
you used to be. Not..." she waved her hands trying to find the right
word. "Not... I don't know. Happy, I guess. What's wrong? Did you and
Akai have a fight?"
"No." Shima's features twisted themselves into a wry grimace.
"That's about the one thing that hasn't gone wrong yet. I give it till
the end of the day. Akai's a firebrand with a bit too much nitro in
her system. She'll probably find some reason to be mad at me before
too long. The only reason she hasn't yet started something is probably
because I haven't seen her yet."
"You know... you're probably the only guy she doesn't beat
the hell out of as soon as she sees you. That's probably a good
sign." Reiki tried hopefully.
"Good as in what? That she doesn't want to kill me? Great. Now
I'm really happy." Shima just sighed and leaned his elbows on the
balcony rail. "I don't know why I even bother, Reiki. I don't know
why I even bother."
"Because you're one of the good guys, Shima. You have to
win. No matter what. It's in you're contract, see?" Reiki pranced
about, pretending to read through a rather large 'contract', "See?
Chapter 124, Subsection 462.1778, Clause A, 'Being a 'good guy' as
such entitles one Shima of Mars to always win, always get the girl and
always save the world'. See! You have to win!"
Shima looked back over his shoulder at her and just smirked
while shaking his head. "You're crazy, Reiki. Did I ever tell you
that?"
"You just did. So it's all cool. But really! You know why you
bother, Shima! By Mars, just about EVERYone knows why you bother!"
"Oh? And why's that?" he asked, turning around to better see
her. "Why do I bother, since you know so well, oh wise one?"
"Because. You. Love. Her. You IDIOT!" She finally yelped,
tweaking his nose and hopping away.
"Oh yeah." Shima straightened, nodding his head grimly.
"That's it. I am so going to make you pay!" He roared, charging at
her.
The two dodged and chased and tagged each other, just acting
like little kids like they used to do. Finally, Shima caught Reiki,
swung her up in his arms then leapt off the balcony.
Akai rushed in seconds later, only to see him flying away.
"shima..."
**********
Shima found himself, for once, back in the Lunar Rose Gardens
with a thin, slightly singed book in one hand. He was searching for a
quite little corner to read in. What he found was Amilia.
"Oh. I'm sorry, Amilia-chan. I didn't mean to startle you."
"That is alright, Shima-san. I was not too bothered by your
intrusion." Amilia smiled up at him from her seat on the small bench.
"You know, we have to stop meeting like this." He deadpanned.
"Like what, Shima-san?"
"Well, me looking for a place to read and here I am, running
into the perfect partner again. Oh, I promise not to burst into..."
"Do not."
"Do not what?"
"Do not promise not to burst into flames again."
"Uh, okay.. any particular reason why not?"
"I do believe that you can figure that out on your own,
Shima-san."
"You know what?"
"What?"
"I like you."
"Very well, Shima-san. I do believe that I like you as well."
"It's just stuff like that."
"Like what, Shima-san?"
"Like the fact that I can actually talk to you when every
time I try to talk to Akai she tries to hurt me in some fashion."
"Do not worry overmuch about Akai, Shima-san. She likes
you. In her own fashion."
"You know what worries me about that, Amilia-chan?"
"No, Shima-san. I do not."
"Her fashion sense."
The pair looked at each other and groaned slightly at the
horrible joke before Amilia started to chuckle.
"Well I'll be."
"What?"
"You can laugh!"
"Of course I am capable of laughter, Shima-san! I am rather
appalled that you would imply that I was not." She turned away,
pouting.
"Oh. Oh. Amilia-chan, look at me. Come on. Please? I'm sorry.
Really I am. It was in bad taste, but I'm just so worried about the
Lord Phoenix and I haven't seen Akai all day and... and..." He tried
to explain.
"You have not seen Akai? That is most unusual. Both for a
thing to be worried about and as an item of nonoccurrence."
"Run that by me again in Martian if you will."
"Oh. I am sorry. I merely stated that it seemed odd that you
would be worried that you had not seen her yet and still odder that
you have not seen her."
"Ok, I sometimes go a couple of days without seeing her. Why
is that so strange?"
"Simply because she told me this morning that she wanted to
talk with you and was going to go and find you."
"She did? She does? What about?"
"Do you honestly expect me to know absolutely everything about
Akai?"
"Well, you are the best source for information, being her
twin and all..."
"Well, in this case, I do not know."
"Oh. Well, sorry to bother you, Amilia-chan. I guess I'll
see you around."
"It was no bother, but yes I suppose I will see you around
as well. Good day, Shima-san."
"Good day, Amilia-chan."
Then Shima tucked his book into his shirt and stepped away
from her into the center of the grotto and summoned his firewings
to him.
Just as he was about to take off, Akai burst into the
clearing. Falling to her knees before him because she stumbled, she
looked up at him, pleading with her eyes.
"Please, Shima..." she practically begged, "Take me with you."
Shima looked down at her with an odd expression and then
knelt before her and opened his arms. She all but leapt into his
embrace and he stood with her in his arms. Nodding to a smiling
Amilia, he leapt into the air, his firewings carrying the pair into
the night sky.
**********
"I-I know that you've been upset lately, Shima..." Akai almost
whispered, but as they were currently in the Shima's quarters, there
was not much to deaden the sound, so he heard her clearly.
He nodded for her to continue, his brilliant sapphire eyes
gleaming with an emotion that Akai wasn't sure that she wanted to
recognize.
"And I, well, I didn't want to be part of that. What's
upsetting you I mean." Akai paused to take a breath, licking her
lips slightly out of nervousness.
"Go on. I'm listening."
"I-I... well, I know I haven't been the nicest or the most
understanding of people in the Realms, but... well, I kinda... sorta
did it because I wanted to make sure..." She trailed off.
"Make sure of what, Akai-chan?" He asked.
"make sure you wouldn't leave." That was a whisper, but he
caught it.
"And what made you think that I would leave, Akai-chan?" He
asked.
"Everyone leaves me. Momma left when I and Amilia were
little. Daddy... daddy hasn't left but there's not much of him
with us anymore since Momma died. And Amilia leaves me with her
books and science and I just can't keep up. Biki and Sumika are
both so good at everything else that I just don't fit. So
everyone leaves me behind. I-I wanted to make sure that you
wouldn't."
"So you hit me. So you tried to drive me away. Because you
honestly thought that I could leave you?"
"y-yes..."
"Well, it was certainly an odd way of going about it. You
couldn't have just asked me?"
She nodded her head quietly.
"Well. Wow... wow. I don't what to say to that."
She looked up at him with fear evident in her dark eyes. He
looked down and met her gaze.
"Don't look at me like that. I didn't plan on leaving then,
and I don't plan on leaving now. Ok? I won't leave you. Not now. Not
ever. Not if there is any possible way I can help it." Shima finally
answered her unspoken question as he stood from his marble chair and
crossed the room to wrap his arms around her and hold her tight.
"Everything will be alright, Akai. You'll see. Somehow. Someday.
Everything will be alright again. It just has to be."
Akai just wrapped her arms around his waist and tried to
burrow into his chest. Her loud, wracking sobs of relief would have
woken people anywhere else but the room they were in right now.
After a while she calmed down.
"Akai? Akai-chan? Are you okay now? I'll walk you back to
your quarters if you like."
She shook her head. "You said you'd never leave me..."
"Akai-chan... I don't want to leave you. Really I don't...
it's just that it wouldn't look right if we don't get you back to
your rooms."
"I don't care how it looks! I don't want to be alone
anymore! Why can't you stay with me?!" she finally pulled away far
enough to stare into his eyes.
"People would talk, Akai-chan. Your... virtue and honor would
be tarnished at best. I don't want to ruin your life, Akai."
"Shima. You listen to me. I. Don't. Care. Did you understand
that? I don't care! I just want to be with you. Always and forever!"
"Why?"
"Because it hurts to be without you, Shima. And its hurt for
so long and there's a chance that maybe it'll stop hurting now. I...
I ... think I maybe... love you."
"Wow. This is just a night for deep things from you, isn't
it, Akai?" Shima was officially confused. On one hand, he did care
very deeply for her, on the other, he didn't want to bring her
dishonor. He just didn't know what to do. When a little voice popped
up in her head and cried out.
*Marry her you idiot!*
Akai was starting to look scared again when he set her down
and took a deep breath.
"Akai, Princess of Mercury?"
She nodded nervously.
"I've never done anything like this before but I know it
should be romantic and stuff, its just that I'm not the most
romantic guy in the Realm. Anyways, Akai, would you do me the
great honor of becoming my wife?"
Akai stared at him in confusion before realization of what
was going on hit her.
She didn't vocalize. She just nodded her head and wrapped
her arms around him and tears poured down her face.