Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon
Prologue, Good-byes To Our Memories

Author's Notes: Okay, folks, I wrote this to get my mind fresh for Forever Bound. I seem to have a writer's block of some sorts, but don't worry I'll have the next chapter out soon since I know what I want for the next *few* chapters. This was just something I concocted from my overactive mind. Hope you enjoy it as much as you enjoyed Forever Bound. Send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com. I added a song too.

Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranma and Akane sat back-to-back beneath an old cherry blossom tree, distant looks on their faces. Too many things had happened maybe, too many friends lost maybe, whatever it was it kept them both silent. The Cherry Blossom tree shook for a minute before letting hundreds of tiny blossoms fall from the tree. Maybe the kami were weeping for the lost cause. Maybe. Akane looked at each Cherry Blossom fall and she saw an image of a discarded memory in each one.

One Blossom,
{"I'm Ranma Saotome, sorry about this..."}
Two Blossoms,
{"Hi, I'm Akane, want to be friends?}
Three Blossoms,
{"No one's going to take her from me...Akane is Mine...and she's engaged to me!"}
Four Blossoms,
{"Ranma! Your pervert!..."}
Five Blossoms,
{"...I'll send you to your coffin. Akane is my fiancee, you touach her and I'll kill you..."}
Six Blossoms,
{"I love you Ranma, love you lots..."}
Seven Blossoms,
{"...your really cute when you smile..."}
Eight Blossoms,
{"I'm going to help Ranma. He's...he's my fiancee."}
Nine Blossoms,
{"Akane, wake up, you dummy...Wake up so I can tell you *that I love you*"}
Ten Blossoms,
{"Everyone, I've made a decision. I'm going away to practice more styles of Martial Arts and become the best Martial Artist ever. If anyone follows me, I will be forced to...leave permanently."}

Akane gave a soft, sad sigh. So many chances to tell him lost, so many chances to make him stay gone, so many chances to tell him... *How could you do this, you baka? Your just going to leave.* Akane thought. Ranma's hand somehow moved and wrapped around Akane's small delicate hand. Akane finally couldn't take it anymore and whispered, "Do you really have to go?"

Ranma sighed, knowing that this was going to be difficult, "Yes." Just one word and yet both their worlds shattered at it.
Akane's eyebrows scrunched up and she rambled, "But why? You have a home here, the fiancees arn't that bad and..." Ranma turned his eyes back towards the falling Cherry Blossoms, afraid if he saw her eyes, his determination would fall.
"Akane, arn't you tired. Everyone keeps going in a circle day after day and it's not even that. I mean, what do see for your future after school, running a dojo? Wouldn't you get tired of just knowing that you can do better and your life can be better and yet you don't do anything? I'm just restless, Akane, I want more..." Ranma said hoping she would understand.

"So, your not happy here?" Akane asked.
Ranma was about to answer before he saw a face in the blossoms, "Sometimes... but sometimes isn't good enough to make me stay."
Akane searched her mind for another alternative, "Can't I come with you though?"
Ranma just shook his head, "No, Akane, this is for myself. I need to start new."

Akane just nodded her head in acceptance and whispered something softly in Ranma's ear. Ranma just laughed through his heated tears and squeezed Akane's hand as he whispered, "Oh Akane! That will never happen, never, ever, ever happen!" Akane's eyes turned wistful as she said, "How do you know?"
He just smiled knowingly as if it was the surest thing in the world, "It just can't... no chance...I know it and I know you do too." Akane slowly let his hand go and stood up as Ranma did also. They faced each other for a minute before she ran into his arms and hugged him tight as he hugged back.

She smiled weakly and let him go. "Promise you'll come back," she whispered softly.
"To you." he said giving her an encouraging smile.

He turned away then and walked away from her. Best pull the bandage swift and quickly. She watched him leave and she knew his heart was breaking, hers was too. Somehow, she knew he'll be back, what she didn't know was if she would be there when he does. *Ranma come back soon, your not the only one who's tired...*

So we leave this scene of pain, but do not worry for these two soulmates will cross paths again. Yet, is that a good thing though? Years down the path of life and they will both change. Gone were the happy years. One would be an unbeatable, feared, heartless, mysterious, handsome crime-boss. The other would be a manipulative, intelligent, powerful, feared, beautiful cooperate crime-boss. Both are haunted by a past and a person they can't forget. Death, pain, suffering all shaped them into the people they will be. All that is left of the once two innocent, naive friends were empty promises, an unforgotten memory, and a ground of sweet Cherry Blossoms.
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Author's Notes: Those of you out there may notice that I tend to like to write stories of Ranma and Akane in the future. Don't ask. Some of you may be wondering, What happened to the other people? Now, I'll explain it later. Forever Bound Chapter 16 will probably be out by tomorrow. Okay, all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.