"Man I never expected to fight over that jerk, but in the end he has to win. . . . . . "
One year ago. . . . . .
"Damn Ranma stop jumping all over the place and face me." A normal morning like any other, a couple of teenagers with talents beyond human, but stubborn as hell, decided to confront on one of their regular bouts. The prize from the beginning . . .Akane Tendo, a girl who had feelings for one boy, and friendship for the other.
"What's the fun on that P-chan . . . .'sides it ain't as you can win, ever. . ." The faster girl would tease and annoy the stronger one, and in the end that was his downfall. "Damn it Saotome. . .stop being a girl and fight!"
From every insult the pigtailed boy could resist, being called a girl was the most hurtful. He grew despising that curse, and the consequences it brought with it : fondled by men, courted by boys and sentenced by his own blood; All for the sake of the art or to obey a pledge he didn't even remember.
"Fine you jerk, you want me to show you how much of a girl I am? . . . .let's find out." After the declaration on his "womanhood", Ranma hastily moved at the lost boy. The boy knew this was a full on attack, and knowing how fast Ranma was, he had no time to plan ahead. The best thing he was able to do? wait for the move and react as fast as he could. When they matched in place, the faster of the two, a girl at the moment, aim her hands at his face, twisting it to the side.
Ryoga's confused look showed he had no idea what she was planing. Usually a move to try to overpower him would be his Amariguken fist, hundred of times on the same spot, but this time there was no speed or multiple stabs. The "girl" simply rested her hands on either side of the boy's face, then, turned it to the side, while moving her own face to the opposite one.
"What in the hell is he trying to do? . . .Is he going to headlock me? or maybe twist me and throw me? . . ." There was nothing forceful on the maneuver, Ranma simply twisted and kept looking at his eyes, like waiting for the boy to catch up to her.
When the boy finally looked back into Ranma's eyes, she smiled. A very sensual smile, making Ryoga blush at how close they were from each other. At the moment, Ranma kissed him. . .a real, full kiss one would see on a romantic movie. The lost boy was gone, his mind blank, all he could feel were those warm and hungry lips asking for more. The boy didn't even notice when he set his arms around the girl, and embraced her with the strength only Ranma could withstand.
Moments later, the romantic scene was unfolding a feeling Ryoga never admitted having before this time. His memories of Ranma naked in female form, while fighting or when he was being indecent, and the times he would tease him on disguised attires, began to take its toll.
Ranma held as long as he could, he was the one who started this ,so he would be the one finishing it. Ryoga's mind was melting in the situation, there was nothing he could say, or move he could attempt to pry this sensation away from him. The only sane enough to separate them was a very angry Akane, just a few feet away from the pair.
"I swear, if it wasn't because I've seen you do stupid things like these before, I would be appalled. Still, Ranma you are going too far on these jokes. . . .poor Ryoga might end up killing you, and I think you deserve it." When the blue haired girl moved close to take them apart, she noticed Ranma as red as a tomato trying to pry herself away from the boy.
Ryoga finally snapped, but his semblance portrayed confusion, anger, and . . . .tears.? Akane tried to reason with the bandanna boy, hoping this could be just embarrassment, but the boy just walked backwards. Step by step he kept moving away, and thinking on what he did. "I don't get it, I never feel or see him this way. . . .why do I feel this way when I see her face?"
Ryoga closed his eyes, but it was clear he was crying. Even when he grimaced at the pain of falling for his enemy, and to the worse of this. That he was falling for a guy shook the core of his being. There was nothing left for him, his love for Akari, and the devotion for Akane vanished by the ridicule no one but himself applied mercilessly. He dropped everything, backpack and umbrella to the floor.
At the peculiar sight, Akane was puzzled. She wanted to believe this was one of those times when Ryoga would explode, and shout RANMA PREPARE TO DIE!, but it never came. When she tried to get closer, the boy shot his Ki, flaring as high as above his height, and pushed the girl back. When Ranma saw this, a feeling of dread filled her entrails, she knew this was no joke. The lost boy was trying something new, and it wasn't an attack like the ultimate Shishi hokoudan.
"Oh no, I think I went too far. . . .again." Ranma did this sort of annoying tricks every time the lost boy crawled on his skin, but this time the reaction was a different one, one she wasn't aware of.
"Ryoga. . .snap out of it. . . .I went t' far I guess I don' know to stop." But the words fell on deaf ears, the boy kept walking away from them.
Ranma as a last resort ran in front of the boy, and tried to catch his attention. "Ryoga , c'mon buddy, it was a joke. . . .can't you get a stupid joke?" The girl was getting desperate, there was nothing left but to stand her ground, and wait for the result.
When Ryoga was inches away from the redhead, a soothing invisible shield "pushed " her aside. There was no rough energy sparks or offensive attack on the field, it was more like two opposite sides on two magnets repelling each other. Ranma was pushed to the side of the walking boy, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
Akane ran as well to the boy's front path, but there was no reaction either. She was able to discern the grayed tint on his eyes, they looked almost. . . .dead. "Ryoga-kun, please stop. . . . This bakka didn't mean it, he just annoys nice people like you and me. . .don't let him hurt you."
Ryouga's mind was lost. While the two girls tried to find a way, other people joined in at the spectacle. Among the people the crew made their appearance.
"Sugar, what's going on . . .I can see the glowing all the way to my shop." Ukyo found the lost boy behavior strangely logical, and tried to make Ranma understand the situation, "Ran-chan, I guess you finally broke him didn't you?" The pigtailed girl was confused by the statement. and she needed more information on the subject.
"What ya talkin' about? We were sparring as we always do" She knew the kiss was an over the top move she thought in the moment and not a prepared strategy. "I may have done somethin' wrong when I kiss him, but he deserved it."
Ukyo closed the distance while Cologne joined. "Son in law, Ryoga came to me for advice, but he asked me not to mention anything to anyone else, the only one that new besides me was Miss Kuonji ." Cologne was the wise woman and confidant of those who could trust no one else. "Ranma . . .Ryoga was confused by your female curse to the point where he shamed himself away from his girlfriend. No one could change his mind, since we tried to explain him the close contact you had on him was taking his toll as a man."
Ranma didn't like this, he knew teasing Ryoga with dresses and titles as his girlfriend or fiancée was the most fun he enjoyed, but he never expected for the lost boy to actually "fall" for the disguise. "So you tellin' me Ryoga is in love with me?" Asked while pointing at herself.
Cologne hated this prideful side on the boy, but after being raised by Genma, anything was possible, "Son in law, you've destroyed every bit of self-esteem Ryoga had. He not only felt for you by the way you looked and acted, but he was looking up to you. You could say, you were his role model."
Suddenly sparks began to fly around the boy enveloped in Ki. When the old woman moved to the side, she gasped at the sight of what the walking fighter was unfolding. "No . . .Ryoga, there must be another way." Ranma hurried up and looked to what the elder was contemplating.
moments later Ryoga pulled a dagger from within his sash. The object was interfering with the force field energy.
Slowly, The boy raised his wrists, and on impulse used the blade, slashing his left arm. Blood began to drip, a small stream, very faint but unstoppable. The group saw the plan the boy had chosen, and began to panic showing different reactions.
"Sugar, No. . .you don't deserve this. . .he didn't mean it, please. I know I've pushed you trying to get Akane's love, but I swear, I'll make it up to you. . . ."
Akane knew the boy tried to tell her something along the lines, but she was afraid. She had Ranma, and he might be as stubborn as Genma, but she believed they all could be as a family. She tried to get as close as possible. "Ryoga-kun. .I knew it. . . . .I knew it all this time, but I always thought it would be a crush. . . .a stupid crush that time would blow over. . . .please, forgive me." The girl began to cry, and was pushed aside by the energy.
"Young Ryoga, it is my honor as your sensei to recognize you. I know that if you are at this stage, there is nothing else left for me to do. . . . .the amazons respect you, and will see you soon enough." Cologne counseled the boy through thick and thin. She knew Ranma left him way back when he defeated Saffron, that was the extent of the lost boy, not be able to reach his friend.
Ranma's tears finally showed, she was blushing, but didn't care, to hell with what people would think. She was never going to give up, not for her or her friends. "Damn it don' talk like his gone, I ain't leaving him on his luck, not now, not ever." The redhead ran once more in front of the boy, and releasing her own Ki, she was able to join the energy expelled. When in harmony, she walked into his bubble. . .there was no outside sound, just the vision of their friends.
"Ryoga snap out of it." The girl held his left wrist trying to stop the bleeding, but she felt like the space between them was sand, it was hard to move. Even so she struggled to get his attention.
"Ryo. . . .I . . .I'm sorry OK? . . .I know I went too far, and I apologize, please wake up."
The boy raised his eyes and look into the girl. "I'm sorry Ranma, I tried to ignore everything you threw at me. . . .I always treated you as a guy, even when you were a girl. But what you did broke my will. . .I tried to hold to anything dear to me. The memory of Akari and the feelings to protect your fiancée. But in the end, you made me feel as a man. . .the only person to make me feel alive." Ranma saw the pain in Ryoga's demeanor. She tried to cheer him up, but what could she say?
"Ryoga, I love Akane, and I am a guy, but for you I would give everything. . .please stop this, let's go back and start from scratch. I promise I'll do better this time." The boy thought for a moment and asked. "Ranma. . . .would you kiss me once again, but this time like you mean it?"
Ranma decided that would be a fair price to pay for the life of his friend, she smiled and prepared for the kiss. When they sealed their lips, she could feel all the devotion and love Ryoga poured on her. There was a stronger attraction, stronger even than what he felt for his fiancée, like the boy was bathing her with all his being.
It felt like an eternity. Ranma felt a smile sneaking on the boy's lips. He was happy, at least for the time being. Than she saw how in slow motion everyone was waving and making grotesque muffled sounds outside the bubble, but she couldn't understand the meaning. That is until she felt warm liquid running through her sides.
She tried to let go from the kiss, but Ryoga was in heaven and begging not to let go. When she gave at his request, Ryoga let go, and reach her left ear. ". . . . .Thank you, my love. . . . .you are the one for me. . . . ." Finished while slowly falling away from her grasp.
Everything moved back to normal, and she realized Ryoga had cut both wrists, and the loss of blood was the reason on his Ki release. The redheaded girl held him before he would hit the ground, and scream requesting a doctor.
Hours later Dr. Tofu pronounced Hibiki Ryoga's death. Nerima mourned his missing persona.
Ryoga asked to Cologne if she could ask the Tendous for a place among their family's cemetery. He was placed besides the Tendou's matriarch. When everything was set and done, the Old woman arrived to the place with a tombstone previously created by the boy:
Hibiki Ryoga is here
waiting for my pigtailed princess
if not now. . . . .in the afterlife.