It was a beautiful late spring day. And all was well for Ranma Saotome. He was happier than he had been in what seems a long time. Nothing could make the day any brighter and nothing he felt could go wrong today. 'Eternal love will win the day. And when it does, everything'll be okay.'
For some 5 or so months, he had been in an on again/ off again relationship with a girl named Kagome Higurashi. 'She holds my heart, the sweet little minx. But we're apart, our love is a jinx.'
She was beautiful beyond compare, such a sweetheart and so much more, but she'd recently been torn away from him by way of their parents. Today was the day they'd be permitted to be reunited. And that alone was the reason for his happy demeanor. 'I want us to be together again. I know we will, cuz that's the plan.'
But after 6 months of being away from Kagome, whom he's loved the same since the day they parted, he was wondering how it would play out.
For a very long time, he's imagined their reunion to be sweet and enjoyable like that of the happy endings you'd see in the movies. He'd hold his love in his arms and they'd kiss as if they were never apart to begin with. And the world would be in harmony once again. 'Without her life's not the same. No matter what they say, love is thy name.'
But there were times, fleeting thoughts as they tend to be, where their reunion was not so picture perfect. He'd see Kagome crying as she banished any thoughts of them getting back together, like the perfect couple everyone said they were, and there wasn't anything he could do to change her mind. Only to have him strike those thoughts from his mind. It's not gonna be that way. he told himself, Everything will be just as it was. I know it.
With a smile, he walked out his front door. 'I love a girl, simply the best. A hot firebrand, one not to mess'
The two had planned to meet in the park, their favorite place to go. Which, coincidentally, was where they went on their first date. So ironically, it'll pick up again where all began.
Ranma couldn't help but to have a skip in his step as he stopped at a flower stand and bought one red rose as a gift for Kagome. She'll love this. he thought as he paid the man.
Not too long after arriving, red rose in hand, he found Kagome at the designated spot: the wooden bench under the large Sakura tree across from the wishing fountain.
Kagome stood when she saw him approach. She's just like I remember her. he thought as he got close.
"Kagome," he said and he gave her a hug as if they saw each other the day before, "I missed you so much."
Her sighing at the statement was all she could do. "For you, my love," he said and he handed the rose to her. Kagome took it, but she still wouldn't smile at him.
Ranma's smile faded seeing the look on her face. "Kags, you okay?" he asked. She did not respond. "Come on, where's that beautiful smile I've dreamed about?" She couldn't help but to smile, his sweetness always got to her, sooner or later. No matter how bad she was feeling he always made her feel better with some heartfelt phrase. "There it is," he said with a grin and then he kissed her.
It was odd, but she wasn't kissing him back. For some reason it was as if she couldn't bring herself to kiss him. It felt to him like it always did when they were together, it seemed like the right thing to do and the right moment to do it too, but she just wasn't returning the kiss. Ranma pulled back, "What's wrong? Why won't you kiss me?" He brushed the hair out of Kagome's face, "What's going on?"
Kagome lowered her head and she started crying. Startled, Ranma wrapped his arms around her again. "Baby, what's wrong?" he asked as he held her a little closer. "I-I…" Kagome sobbed. It wasn't turning out at all like he had hoped.
"You what? Sweetie, you know you can tell me anything," he said, looking at the crying girl in his arms. Nothing she told him ever could or ever would change the way he felt about her.
"Please stop," she told him, still sobbing as she stepped out of Ranma's embrace. "Kagome, what's going on?" he repeated. "I can't be with you," she replied, her voice breaking. At that moment Ranma felt his heart beginning to break. It no longer was the happy ending he thought it would be, the dream was turning into a nightmare.
"What?" Ranma asked, tears beginning to form in his steel-blue eyes, "Why not?" 'It hurts inside, this pain I feel. Cuz I know the love is real.'
Kagome sniffled, "I loved you before we were separated. But over time, I don't feel like I did 6 months ago." Ranma felt his own tears begin to fall. No, it can't be. he thought, It's not suppose to be this way.
"What are you saying? You don't love me?" his voice barely audible. Please don't say it.
"No," she said, "I do." Ranma closed his eyes, temporarily stopping the tears. "Then why are you doing this? I love you, Kagome!" he choked out the words, barely able to speak through his still falling tears.
Kagome sighed, "You know how you always talked about fate? Well, maybe our separation was fate telling us we weren't meant to be." Ranma shook his head, " I don't want to believe that!" 'On the brink, at the end. This love is true, one they cannot rend.'
"Please don't make this harder," she said tearfully. Ranma put his hands on Kagome's shoulders, it was all he could think of at the moment, "Please Kagome. Don't do this. I love you so much." Kagome shook his hands off of her. "You think I don't?" she asked, looking up into his teary gaze, "I'm doing this for us. It'll be better in the end."
"I don't wanna break up. I can't live without you," Ranma let out a sob, trying to come up with something to make her stop saying these hurtful words, "You're my life. I don't want anyone else." Kagome shook her head, "It seems that way, but you'll see it's not true and move on."
"You're wrong! 'She is my muse invading my soul, until she's mine, I'll never be whole'," he replied, shouting the first part and softening his voice for the rest. Kagome smiled, "I remember that. It's part of that poem you wrote me." He knew she loved that poem so much he could use it as a somewhat last resort. 'On the brink, my final stand. I'll do what I must, Whatever I can.'
" 'Take in deep these heartfelt words'," Ranma continued, " 'Tell others you meet so I know I've been heard'. Kagome, I meant every word of that poem. I don't want this to be the end."
Kagome shook her head again, "I'm sorry, Ranma." "But why does it have to be this way?" he asked, with a loud sigh. "I don't care about you like I did. Besides, it might be better for both of us," she answered.
"So you admit you don't love me?" he wondered, painfully. "I didn't say that!" she cried as tears flew from her closed eyes. "I don't understand, Kagome, we're together again. Isn't that what you wanted?" he wondered, his heart cracking more and more the longer it went.
"Yes," Kagome cried, "But it just isn't possible. You know why we can't be together!" Ranma groaned. This again. he thought. The reason came up before in conversation and they went through the argument once already. "I thought you didn't care," he said, just like last time. 'This I am certain, without a doubt. Love is what life's all about.'
"I don't, but it's for your own sake. I can't get over the thought of getting you in trouble over me," she replied and sighed, "I don't want to cause any problems for you."
"Don't you think I would have thought of that? Kagome, for you I'd go through anything," Ranma said honestly. And he meant it, he has said before how much he'd endure just to be with her. 'We will weather the storm, whatever that may be. Come hell or high water, for I love her and she loves me.'
"But you're 11 years older than me! You may not care, but everyone else does," Kagome said, "I'm only looking out for you." What she said was true, their friends may not care about their ages, but others that see them together have looked at them with disgust, as if it was sickening to see a 20-something man with a teenage girl on his arm.
"But I love you, nothing else matters," Ranma said, "Screw the fact I'm 26 and you're 15. I love you with all my heart." 'I will not stop until it is done. For she and I will be together as one.'
Kagome backed away with a pained look on her face, shaking her head once more, "It just can't be that way." She groaned a moment later, "This is going no where." Ranma laughed weakly, "Yeah." It was turning into one of their many famous arguments. Their friends always said they could argue the day away and still be able to hug and kiss afterwards, but it wouldn't be so, not today.
"I don't regret knowing you, or loving you,"said Kagome, "But I think you and I would be better off without each other. I know you'll find another girl, you're the most perfect guy I've ever met." 'If I can't have her I don't want another. The fire that burns I will not smother.'
Ranma sighed, "I may find another girl, but no one will be like you. You're one in a million, Kags. That will always make you special." After he finished, he wiped stray tears from his eyes and added, "I won't forget you, Kagome, my first real love."
"Nor will I," Kagome said with a teary smile. "I guess this is it," Ranma added. "Yeah," she agreed. "One last kiss?" he asked, One last fleeting chance to change your mind? he thought. Kagome nodded an okay.
She moved into his arms and waited as he gently wrapped them around her and he held her then, for the last time and he kissed her with all the passion and emotion he had within him, that burning passion deep down inside his now broken heart. Kagome kissed him back with the same passion she thought she'd lost. Now this is how it was suppose to feel like the first time. thought Ranma.
After the kiss broke, he held Kagome a little longer, he didn't want to let her go, it just felt right having her in his arms like that, but he knew it wasn't going to stay that way, he'd have to let her go at some point. When he did he whispered, "I'll miss you." "I know," she whispered back, the sorrow written upon her face was as clear as daylight.
He waited as she walked away. "Gomenasai, I let you down…" she whisper-sang and looked over her shoulder. He stayed there, looking as though he was trying to keep his heart from completely breaking. Then he heard the one phrase he never wanted to hear pass over her lips, "Goodbye." That did it. That one little word turned Ranma's heart into dust. She then turned her head back to the path in front of her. He watched as she kept walking without another backwards glance. 'On the brink, my finishing bow. On the sake of my honor, this is my vow.'
Ranma glanced down at the ground, his worst dream come true. Slowly he turned and walked home, wondering what was to become of him now that his love was gone once again and he said to himself, and partly to her though she couldn't actually hear it, "Sometimes the hardest part isn't saying goodbye...it's letting go."
--
Writer's Notes:
I'm dedicating this "partner" story to the one that wrote "The Hardest Part Is Saying Goodbye", Inu Hanyou Babe. She said her story came from her heart, her emotions, so it's only fair that mine come from my heart and my emotions. Without her, my muse, the above story wouldn't have come to light. I put in more pieces of the poem to better showcase to the reader what Ranma was feeling. If you're wondering, I'm the one who wrote the original poem used in these stories.
Gomenasai is owned by Tatu.
Here's the poem used in it's entire glory:
"On the brink"
On the brink
On the edge
Looking down
From a ledge
I love a girl
Simply the best
A hot firebrand
One not to mess
She holds my heart
The sweet little minx
But we're apart
Our love is a jinx
I want us to be
Together again
I know we will
Cuz that's the plan
On the brink
At the end
This love is true
One they cannot rend
Without her
Life's not the same
No matter what they say
Love is thy name
It hurts inside
This pain I feel
Cuz I know
The love is real
If I can't have her
I don't want another
The fire that burns
I will not smother
On the brink
The last straw
I shout from my lungs
Before I fall:
"Eternal love
Will win the day
And when it does
Everything'll be okay
She is my muse
Invading my soul
Until she's mine
I'll never be whole
Take in deep
These heartfelt words
Tell others you meet
So I know I've been heard
On the brink
My final stand
I'll do what I must
Whatever I can
I will not stop
Until it is done
For she and I
Will be together as one
This I am certain
Without a doubt
Love is what life's
All about
We will weather the storm
Whatever that may be
Come hell or high water
For I love her and she loves me
On the brink
My finishing bow
On the sake of my honor
This is my vow."