You Were Mine
By: Yimh rictorstar@aol.comA/n: This takes place in the OAV "An Akane to Remember"
The world was spinning.
It always rotates, but his world was swirling around. Everything but *her* was lost into a blend of watercolors all around them. Had he said something wrong? Did she just say what he thought he heard? Did his heart just break? What was wrong with the world?
"Please, try to understand." Akane's lips moved in slow motion, and after the words whispered off them, they quivered. Just like her eyes, and like the tears that were so close to falling--over another.
That stopped his world. It tripped over it's self and clumsily crashed into his heart, breaking it to small bits of dust and derbies. Ranma knew he'd make her cry before-after a fight, during a fight, or even when they made up. But those crystal tears weren't for his sake, they were for the country mouse she protected behind her shaking form.
Maybe they were for his sake, who knows?
Who cares, the pigtailed boy's mind spat at his heart's question.
"I understand all right." He replied solemnly. Never had Akane's prideful, arrogant, boastful Ranma given up so easily. But every time, no matter whom he had fought against-Ryouga, Tomoe, Kirin, and the others, never had Akane made a choice. He'd always had the chance to win her back, but how could he fight for her, win that meant to fight against her?
"R-Ranma-" Akane pleaded quietly, her abused heart urged her feet foreword, grab him by the arm, turn him around and explain. It was nothing but her duty to stay. As everyone knows, the mind controls the body and it refused to let pride and honor be forgotten at any costs. Even love, Tendo's heart questioned. Her brain froze up at that point; finding it better to watch Ranma walk away than fight with the heart which knew what to do.
"Good-bye, Akane." Were the last words he uttered, it burned off his tongue like coal. Tears would soon soothe the fired tongue, and release any other pain damned up within. But not in front of his fiancée. Ranma figured his tears would be lost on her if she'd really chosen that Shin---whatever.
Her mind thawed out and began to throw thoughts at her at a blinding pace. //I've lost him.// it cried, //And not to anyone---but he didn't fight didn't argue---oh Ranma, All you wanted me to be was happy, but I can't! I can't be happy if you're not-
--with me.// Ranma found a crevice in the canyon's side and quietly entered it to nurse his wounds. //Why couldn't you just come home with me? // It felt horrible. To know he lost to his own fiancee.
//Akane would be happy to know that she finally beat me.// A dry laugh escaped his lips as he leaned against the jagged wall of the cave. The pitiful sound reverberated off the rocks, and let it echo down the length of the stony hall. So far, Soatoma had kept his emotions in check, not showing the least bit of fragility, but the shell wasn't going to last much longer.
Every second brought about a new memory. He'd given up becoming a full man again---for her. Had accidentally gotten engaged to the Amazon, Shampoo while protecting _her_. Went to China, got hit more times than he'd care to count to save her from an unwanted marriage. Had taken the abuse she'd inflected upon him with a joke and some protest. He *ate* her cooking! Took her malleting! Understood her temper and the side-glances she'd give him when no one was looking! And the way, when they were alone, they'd get along by not saying anything, but just holding hands.
To every memory let a question be raised. Why didn't Akane see it then, just before Ranma's last bit of strength was used, when he half admitted that he liked her the way she was? Did she even know how close he was to saying a different 'L' word? And what was the point of saving *his* fiancee from Kirin, if she was going to marry someone else? Every time Saotoma had picked on her, why couldn't Akane tell he just wanted her to get better? Did she see her promise as clearly as he did, though never admitted? Why had she given him every indication that they were a pair, a couple in-nevermind.
Each question asked got an answer. Sadly, it was the same answer, not the truth, but an answer.
//Akane didn't care...// Finally, the first of many tears began to fall. She didn't care, and he did. Maybe too much.
//It can't be true. I saw the way she looks at me-the hope when I let some words slip, or when I called her mine. But does that matter now?// Wiping the tears away with the back of his hand, Ranma slid down the rocks, till he was sitting with his knees drawn to his chest.
Defensively, the young man tried to pry out reasons why he was better off on his own, rather than in Nerima with his fiancée-correction, fiancees. Having Akane to look after messed with his training! So what if half the techniques were learned to inadvertently save her at one time or another? If that farm boy wanted her so badly, he could have her and all the chaos that would ensue.
//Liar.//
What right did that *boy* have to take her away? Akane was promised to him! Not to that other guy! It wasn't fair! It wasn't---
"My choice." He finished the thought out loud, shivering against the gravel in his voice. "Idiot, didn't you know that I-I-"
Before he could say the last two words, a black and yellow object rolled into his spot, and stopped, shook and looked up at him with large eyes.
"Ryouga."
That's where the OAV picks up. And that's just my little attempt at another Ranma fic, I know it's nothing great and accomplishes *nothing* but what the hey! I had to get this out! Please no flames! I was just bored! Honest!