Summary:What happens when after the failed wedding, Akane wishes she could stop loving Ranma, and her wish is granted? What will Ranma do to earn back her love?
Disclaimer:We all know none of us own Ranma 1/2, so let's move on
A/N:Don't worry, this is not another WAT or FA. This is a more everyday Ranma story. The plot is overdone, but I thought I'd give it a try.
Chapter 1
The Tendo home had been the scene of a battle. A battle between all of the most selfish acts anyone involved had seen, so far. The broken China rested in pieces on the wooden floors of the Dojo. The food, that had been so carefully prepared by Kasumi, was scattered all over the tables, and some even dripped from the walls and ceiling. Human-shaped holes on the shoji doors allowed for anyone to see outside the room that had been deemed the reception hall. The chaos continued outside in the form of crumpled up gift wrappers, broken chairs and tables, and what remained of a beautiful wedding cake.
Yet, above all, the remnants of the item that caused the most pain to Akane were pieces of the broken wooden barrel that had once contained the Nannichuan. Nannichuan. The reason behind this wedding; the source of Ranma's cure. Had her father not jumped the gun and blackmailed her into marrying Ranma so he could cure his curse, her home would not resemble a battlefield now. Had his father not selfishly stolen the cure from Soun, her heart would not be broken into pieces smaller than the fragments of the fine China itself.
Why had she agreed to this madness? Every other time she had declined, yelling at the top of her lungs that she would never be interested in such an insensitive man. What had been different this time? What had possibly changed her mind, overnight, enough to make her want to go through with one of her father's devious plans?
Him; It had been him. The man she had labeled as the most despicable one of all had changed her mind.
The insensitivity he so nonchalantly displayed every day was now a façade to her. She had seen the real side of him, his human side. The side that held her in his arms back in Jusendo, imploring her to come back to him. The side that pushed the broken man to tears, and to declare his love for her. Ranma Saotome could no longer be called an insensitive man, not by her at least. Or, so she had thought.
She recalled the conversation they had when he stormed inside her room, demanding to know why she had agreed to the impromptu wedding. Surely, she would share his disgust at their parent's low attempts to join the schools. Surely, she would see this farce for what it was, and would immediately side with him to stop it at all costs.
Yet, she did not.
He took a step inside her room to see her wearing the most precious wedding gown he had ever seen. His defenses were lost when she turned to face him, a look of love on her face. What was she doing? Did she really want to spend the rest of her life with him?
The moment was sweet while it lasted, but was cut short by the realization of the prize Soun held behind closed doors. Ranma was torn between recovering his manhood, and being forced to marry his fiancée without their say, and in a rush. It was not as if he did not want to eventually marry her, but the current situation was not what he had had in mind. His fears were heightened when Akane revealed to him that she had heard him speak to her cold body. He had meant every word he said, but now, outside the heat of the moment, he felt ashamed and insecure all over again.
After their short lived argument, all hell broke loose. His other fiancées made their appearance, and his fiancée's suitors also showed up to liven up the war that was already taking place. Amidst all the chaos, his cure had been lost to a drunken Happosai looking for an easy fix. His hopes of recovery shattered at seeing the decrepit old man ingest the entire contents of the barrel.
At the end of the day, the wedding had been postponed, indefinitely. He and Akane had exchanged their typical insults, blaming each other for the destruction of the place. Regardless of whose fault it was, everyone involved pitched in to salvage whatever could be reused, and tossing out whatever had been lost.
After everything was said and done, Akane went inside her bedroom and finally collapsed on her bed. It had been hours since everyone had already gone to bed, and yet she still lay awake, digging her nails into her pillow as it muffled her pained sobs. She did not cry for the broken plates. She did not cry for the torn wedding gown that had ended up in the trash as it was deemed beyond repair. She did not cry for the wasted time or lost gifts.
She cried for herself. She cried because her illusions that things would change between her and Ranma had been nothing more than just that: Illusions that would never see the day. When Ranma had denied his feelings for her, she felt her world lose its sense. Had he been lying to her all this time? Was there really no chance she held a small piece of his heart? She knew he held all of hers, and the hope that he could return the feelings she held inside had been crushed when he returned to his cocky self.
"Why, Ranma? After everything I've done for you!" the shattered girl mumbled to herself. In this world of his, where spells, magic and curses were the norm, why was there not an easy fix for her unrequited love? Why had she not found the way to erase her love for him, once and for all, from her heart? She prayed to the gods above her, to someday be freed of the chains that kept her coming back to him. She prayed they gave her the strength she needed to move on from the latest attack on her already weakened heart. She prayed that one day she would wake up without a care in her life, knowing that Ranma was nothing more than just another tenant of her house.
She wished for it all to be mended as her tears put her to sleep. Unbeknownst to her, the gods were listening to her request. And, without her knowing, they would be merciful enough to grant her wish.
A/N: Something easy to keep me busy. Subscribe if you like, review if you love!