-1Chapter 1: Wedded Misery

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½ ( Rumiko Takahashi Does I'm not worthy…

"Sigh" Ukyo let out a song drawn out sigh as she pulled at the stuck wheels of her okonomiyaki cart out of a snowdrift and through one of the worst blizzards she had had ever seen. If it hadn't been for Ranma and his strength she would have had to ditch the cart miles back however being in route to the northern reaches of Japan in the middle of the worst winter in a century, the two sought to save their source food at least until they were either so snow bound they had to continue on without it or Ukyo could get something lighter to drag along her business with.

The two pressed on Bundled up tightly The fiercely cold and blade like icy wind swirling about the cart biting and tearing into exposed flesh like a garrote wire of frost and chill. Ukyo sighed again as the frosty edged of the wind's teeth bit into her exposed face stinging like that of a thousand Ice bees, and she tugged her scarf a little tighter around her face and neck. (Maybe she should have been happy with the way things were going. in one way she was she was here up in the frozen north of Japan with Her Ran-chan and no other suitors within miles of here. It was paradise well sorta The thing she had dreamed of since the Gambling king showed up in Nerima to collect on the Debts that she and Ranma owed him, and bet her okonomiyaki shop with the hopes of loosing and Ranma becoming her cook. However though she had her Fiancé finally where she had tried for those 2 years to get him Out on the road alone selling okonomiyaki as they went, the situation that had allowed this to happen was well... regrettable to say the least.

It all started a couple of months ago, At Akane's Wedding...

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"Hey whatcha doing ova there waool-flower" a somewhat Drunken Ukyo slurred at a pretty redheaded girl lonely sitting in the corner spilling some wine form her glass as she staggered slightly in her direction.

The redhead didn't respond she just sat there still like stone as if in some way trying to block out the events of the past month, Why she was still here she didn't even know herself, and dressed like this... "god if I had any sense I wouldn't have said yes when she asked me" She mumbled "I cant believe the nerve of that Akane, uncute, unsexy, built like a brick, strong as an ox..."

She tried to be mad to be strong to be anything just not like she was now, as a tear fell form a well guarded heart, like the first drops of rain at a funeral always cold never cleansing and coming form a deep emptiness left within. They came slowly at first then would have began to fall like a spring monsoon except for the incessant prying of one drunken Ukyo Kuonji.

"Common Ran-chan lets dance "she said putting her hand on Ranma's chin and lifting it up. Hoping to get a load of those unchanging gender bending transcending baby blues One thing Ukyo though was no matter hoe much Ranma changed those eyes did not, form the time they were 6 year old children fighting for free food in the street in front of her dad's Okonomiyaki cart, to the time when she had wanted desperately kill him and exact revenge for him running her life as a woman to the time when he had called her cute and she shouldered the mantel of Womanhood once more. And even when she found out that He changed into a She when she was splashed with cold water Those eyes never once changed.

Ranma sniffled a little and looked away at first, Ashamed of her apparent weakness and how she lad lost the woman she loved. however she soon gave in to Her oldest friends wishes and returned her kind gaze." Its funny Ranma thought how she had always said it, in a (superficial kinda don't kill me i really like you as a person and a best friend sorta way) but never really realized it, mostly because she Had never paid that much attention before, such things were hard when just about every girl and a couple of the guys in town had the hotts for ya. but Ukyo Kuonji, his oldest no make that best friend was in a manner well, very cute, if not just a tad bit handsome. A tall girl about 3/4 drunk, her long chestnut hair tied back into a long ponytail.

To a passing onlooker it would have appeared as if one of the young bachelors Brokenhearted with Akane's marriage was trying to pickup one of the bridesmaids, for one of those after wedding "I don't wanna be alones" Kinda things.

That's right in that tux and the way she wore her hair, how she stood and how she was inviting him up on the dance floor, She almost looked like a guy. She was tall and well muscled for a Japanese girl especially, of course that came form years of practice and wielding a battle spatula that weighted more than most battle axes. Damn she's kinda Sexy whichever way she dresses Ranma thought as he took her hand and stepped up onto the dance floor.

It was nearing the last song of the night when the mismatched pair stumbled onto the makeshift dance floor made form the Tendo Dojo. Ranma being the more sober of the two (Though only slightly so) began to lead Ukyo around the dance floor in something of a slow drunken waltz. Ranma wanted anything to keep Her/him from thinking of Akane and... what had just happened all the things that they had been through together But it was all for naught as the mood of the songs slowly faded into a deep slow melancholy ballad of some sorts resembling an all to well done cover of Disturbed's "Mistress"

"Ranma continually cast a glance over at Akane and her new husband, they were dancing a ways off weaving in and out of the crowds of people as if no one else had even existed Ever they just just seemed, so happy so together, in that so always meant to be together kind of way, the way couples no Husband and wife should be. But to Her, it just didn't seem right even after all the congratulations all the fare wishes and presents, not to mention all of the realities and collogues that poured in from all over the world for this exquisite event. In a way She should have been happy for Akane, but no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't. It should of been her/His arms Akane was in dancing in some sweet ecstasy of in 5 minuets were outta here and on our way to our honeymoon and oh yea that whole wedded bliss thing or at lest, the first time i ever got up the nerve to get stupid drunk and stumble around on the dance floor with someone kind of felling. Ya know the special moments in life the things you always remember. Not stuck here a wall-flower in a pretty dress, just waiting to be embarrassed when some guy hit on her and made some all too blunt drunken advances. But of course that was bound to happen.

"Sigh" "At least it was Ukyo" Ranma sighed "Ranma was even kinda happy in a way that his old friend looked like guy, at least for now anyway. That was about the last thing Ranma wanted to be right now a guy, a guy couldn't show this kind of weakness especially in public, especially a martial artist of the Saotome school of anything goes martial arts." She knew just how much her father hated that kind of weakness and dishonor.

Part of her knew it was silly but None of this had even been real until a couple of hours ago, when Akane marched in in that Extravagant white gown looking like some kind of Japanese goddess. Her hair grown out and done up Impeccably in long curled ringlets hanging down on Akane's "For once" feminine back and shoulders. The way she walked as the music played the look she had in her eye as she marched towards the alter, the way her face lit up with girlish excitement when the gold band slid onto her finger and the way she had kissed HIM. It made Ranma sick to her stomach the way things had just happened and how quickly they did too and that was probably why it took till now to hit her, Akane was gone, really gone this time, not just kidnapped by some random prince or another, or being held hostage by some jealous fiancé in some far off impenetrable mountain fortress guarded by the demons of a thousand years of war, but MARRIED... that word hit him harder than even most Ryoga's desperate Shishi Hokodan.

There would be no more adventure no more yelling no more fighting, no more Extra dimensional mallet attacks form no where, no more daring rescues, no more close calls with P-chan, no more Akane to hide behind when his psychotic other Fiancés came knocking, NO more, no more, no more anything...

At first the thought was sorta kinda in a worse case scenario type way bearable, "I mean after all a man isn't measured by the woman he's with he told himself..." Imminently after he felt foolish for saying that, He wasn't in any condition to be calling himself a man in this state, it was then that all the pain all the feelings he had held back for so long finally hit her and she began to cry instinctively she leaned into Ukyo's shoulder trying to hide her shame and failure.

"It ok Ra-chan" Ukyo almost said as Ranma leaned into her shoulder and began to cry, of all the people in the world she hated most of all to see him like this, Down out and alone, there was a good reason he/she was felling that way, Ranma had lost everything in less than a month Ranma had went form being, A Man among men, Hero, Fiancé, Next in line to inherit both the Tendo and the Saotome schools of anything goes martial arts, to The drunken Maid of honor in his X's Wedding, worst of all Ranma really did have feelings for Akane.

However the real kicker was although Ukyo was unhappy with that she had pretty much accepted the fact that Ranma really did care about Akane and Maybe one day when their parents weren't pushing it so hard for it he might marry Akane for love and Not strictly out of a sense of duty, and had done her best to prepare for the worst. Then this What a chance to finally show Ra-chan she really cared and that she wouldn't go and fall in love without it being with him... that... that...

Ukyo staggered slightly trying to remember what grand plan she had been devising this last month to try and get Ran-chan for herself now that Akane was out of the picture, but somehow her mind fogged to the brim with Alcohol and just the Wedding reception atmosphere, wasn't able to conjure the memory of the speech she had planed for this evening, but all searches were for naught as Ukyo Kuonji eventually decided to give up on remembering the plot until she had sobered up and for the moment decided to be content in holding the "Love of her life" against her breast as they waltzed about the dance floor no matter what he looked like.

Hiroshi began to slow his singing The music ended and the final song of the night began to play, it was slow, sad and well just seemed to fit the current mood, droning on without words its Melancholy yet deep lovers tone. Driving in the Loneliness and agony of all those who were alone here while simultaneously Bring out the joy and possibly lust of all those who had someone they deeply loved or for that matter just found tonight in their arms. About this time Ranma stopped crying and looked up at Ukyo, he was able to hold back the tears but just barely and her deep blue eyes were begging for some kind of comfort something to get her out of this hell she had fallen into. However Ukyo's barbed words were not quite what the gorgeous redhead had in mind.

"Fo'get her Ra-chan" Ukyo responded to some unheard que "Its not like she ever appreciated your dedication or nuthing, always rescuing her always, playing that helpless damsel in distress, your better off without her, That Ja'kass hussy, why if I was your girl..."

Fortune for Ucchan the music was loud enough that no one seemed to hear her except Ranma, though however true her words were they weren't the thing Ranma needed to hear at the time and as memories of all the times, she had saved Akane all the times she had risked it all for her, fought those demons stood in her place for all those stupid dangerous engagements, she goes and betrays her just like that, throws him away like an old used up dirty rag headed straight for the hell of burning trash. If Ranma Saotome ever did feel like a man, she certainly wasn't felling like one now that was for sure.

The rears returned once again and all the memories of failure, not just failure but failure as a man flooded her mind and Ranma pried herself loose form Ukyo's embrace and ran crying out of the building her bridesmaids dress flowing, sparkling in the cool Octobers air as she fled.

"Wa'it I didn't mean it like that Ran-chan, comeback." she spoke drunkly realizing her slip up all to late as she staggered off after her recklessly not caring about those she bumped into and almost knocked over as she followed. Ran-chan had gotten away from her before but not this time, No She wasn't running off at this hour in this way just to vanish for another 10 years while Ukyo Contemplated the thoughts of marriage or Revenge.

"There Is no way in hell I'm letting him go again" she growled as she followed the faint sound of running footsteps in the cool night air.

Ukyo had traveled a block or two down a lonely street before she was able to catch up with the emotional maid of honor.

"Wait Ra-chan I didn't mean it like that, ya know that right?" she hoped he apology would be enough to make up for the damage and pain she had stirred back up with her all to honest country girl mouth.

The redheaded girl stopped for a moment and then slowly turned around. She stood there for a moment thoughtfully forcibly choking back the tears and then with out warning with much effort began to shout. "Forget it Ukyo you wouldn't understand" Ranma lurching foreword slightly eyes squinting drunkenly as she continued to yell.

"First it was this damned curse then, it was Akane and Dads stupid pact he made with Soun Tendo about me marrying Akane, then all you fiancé's "O' Ranma, you so strong" He mocked them acting like shampoo. "I was so busy trying to keep that army of psycho girls form getting a' hold of me that I never got the chance to tell her how I felt bout her, but now there aint no chance... ever. I lost my manhood when I lost her too, i failed as a man Uc-chan, i couldn't even keep her the one that was promised to me the one i thought loved me i couldn't even keep Akane Akane..." With that all of the redhead's violence evaporated like a puddle on a sunny day and she sank down to her knees and once again began to cry again.

It might have been the cold air, or that run or maybe it was just that southern Japanese girl or maybe even the 10 years Ukyo lived as a Guy but whatever it was something hit her and Ukyo was suddenly felling a lot more sober, as she found herself waling up to Ranma.

"I couldn't even keep Akane" he repeated I loved her i saved her I...I... I may as well go and find my mom and show her my curse and...

"SMACK"

Ukyo's hand met squarely with the side of Ranma's face and for a moment he was shocked back to reality. "And what!" Ukyo yelled "You think i don't know how that feels, You don't think i know what's its like to fail as what I'm "SOPOSED" to be, you think i don't know that hell... Ranma Hun your as bad as that jackass Ryoga Living like the moon and the stars revolve around Akane, this so called goddess of Nerima, there are other girls ya know, Other people care about you appreciate you for who you are not some Invincible martial artist or a meal-ticket, or a gender changing cursed "

Ukyo's face flushed slightly turning red she couldn't believe what she had just said, or could she, after all she was drunk and what she was saying was true...

Ukyo wanted to say something nice but nothing came Ranma would never get over Akane if someone was always coddling her/him, telling him/her everything was going to be all right that he deserved Akane and that one day she would wake up too see what she had lost, "No that was NOT the answer" Ukyo decided with an adamantly resolve. "Ggggrrrrrrr... Just forget it have your own way down there Jac'kass, sulk over Akane till your pushing up daises for all i care!" And with that she turned around angrily to walk back to her shop.

She hadn't gotten much further than a few steps when... "Uc-chan I...I...I'm sorry i didn't mean to..."

She began to cry again only this time it was different maybe it was embarrassment for her prior foolishness, maybe it was shame for making this such a big deal, maybe it was... well whatever it was it was it was different than before.

Ukyo somehow knew this and held her tightly covering her naked shoulders with her tuxedo jacket and letting her cry until the alcohol finally took its effect on Ranma's weakened female form and she drifted off to a drunken sleep.

All the while all she could say was "I'm sorry Uc-chan, I'm sorry ah she held her best friend hoping she would shield her form all that had happened..."

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Well Here goes nothing this is my first Ranma ½ fanfic though I have been planning on writing one for the last 2 months or more. I know its kinda sad ATM, but everything has to start out somehow… right? Anyway tell me whatcha all think hopefully something good ill come out of this.

Anyone have any ideas to who Akane is married to ill gladly take request) only one hint though its not Ryoga, in fact Ryoga doesn't even know Akane is married yet.