Just Another Sad Ending
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma1/2.
Ranma's POV (What I've learned from her….)
She looks so beautiful on her white dress. Just watching her makes my heart stop. Everyone was taken by her and we all stood there taking each breath slowly as she walks down the aisles. Then I told myself, "Now I'm ready to die…"
I was stupid not to see it, stupid not to realize that everything I have been looking for was in her. For two years, I've called here uncute, unsexy and other harsh words that I know she does not deserve. Because I was a coward. The words 'like' and 'love' didn't belong in my dictionary. Somehow, those words were foreign to me for I have never encountered them when I was training martial arts. My pop said that emotions make a fighter weak. Showing of affection to anyone would only make me vulnerable. So all I ever did know was fight and drove people away from me. Even friendship was not clear to me. I never had friends before, not the lasting kind. Yeah, Ukyou was a friend but that was when I was five years old, when my measure of a friend is someone who can treat you with some food. But with her, I learned about friendship and love.
Now that I've accepted the truth about it, I've realized that everything in my life had been wrong. It was wrong for me to believe that physical strength is what I need to become a great fighter. To a certain degree it is needed but other than that it is the people that you love and protect that makes you strong. She doesn't know it but she's the reason why I kept on fighting. All I ever wanted is to deserve her hand in marriage and for her to be proud of me when the time comes. Yet, all the things I did had only brought her tears and heartaches. If I had known I would have wished of not meeting her. But then again I would have continued to walk in that wrong path.
My eyes sting a little. I must have not been accustomed to see her like this. She looks so happy that I could see those stars in her big brown eyes. It isn't a usual thing to see especially when most of the time those eyes would look at me with full of anger. I always make her angry. Most of the time I didn't know the reason but oftentimes its because of my fiancées. I couldn't blame her after all its all my fault; she wouldn't have been in this mess if not for me.
Before, I placed all the blame to my father not knowing that most of it was my fault. Pop did have a mistake but after that I created the rest of it. I let all the things happened to my life and I didn't do anything to stop it. And as it all piled up, it became a handful for me to straightened up that it became harder for me to live my life and so as other people surrounding me especially her. I wish I could have prevented it from happening.
I gave her my brightest smile, the one that I rarely use. She deserves to see it especially at this time.
I must have been too caught at that moment that I didn't notice she is already a couple of meters away from me. Then a hand had touched my shoulder signaling me to move. She was just two steps away that I could almost reach her but I couldn't. I made a bow before taking a step back.
I almost forgot my role in this ceremony that Shinnusuke needed to placed a hand on my shoulder before I realized it. Usually I play the groom in a wedding ceremony but it's different this time. Shinnusuke asked me to be his best man. At first, I never wanted to take any part on her wedding. It's just too painful for me to see her getting married to another man. But at the last minute, I changed my mind, I don't want her to believe that I have any grudge on her decision, after all its her choice, just like its my choice to keep on loving her. And I think I was right when I took this role because at least for a brief moment I saw her and pretended it was I that she would marry.
Taking that step, I felt my heart being ripped out inside of me. From the place I stood, I felt that I have bled out and my entire body has become numb of pain. Everything around me became a blur. A part of me wants to snatch her away from him and the other just wants to see her happy. I guess the latter had won because a few minutes later, I found myself outside the church slowly walking away from the place. And I know the reason why… because she taught me that when you love someone, you would wish for that someone to be happy even if it breaks your heart.
Akane's POV (Realizations and a Mistake)
"I must be dreaming," I muttered to myself as I saw Ranma at the end of the aisles. He is very handsome with the black suit. I never thought that I would end up eating my words before.
I used to hate boys. They were all the same to me back then. Ever since Kuno made that announcement, I have come to a conclusion that boys are pigs. Who wouldn't hate them , if everyday you go to school you have no choice but to fight almost all the boys enrolled in your school. That is why I have to practice so no boy can ever defeat me.
Then he came and put a stop to it. I had my suspicion at first but then when you look through that male bravado of his, you'll see that his intention is noble. He only wants to help and yet I have misunderstood it as showing-off.
Growing up with his stupid father and traveling all over Japan, Ranma had no other person to turn to for advice. Its one of the reason why he can't talk nice to me. Kasumi had always reminded me to understand him but most of the time I just can't. Perhaps being the youngest daughter, I have not learn patience. His name calling would make me so angry that I couldn't help myself in hurting him. Most of the time he deserved it but other times I just feel so guilty for hurting him. For the last two years I've known him, I already knew how strong he is and yet I couldn't quite understand why he never once dodge my blows. Yeah, he doesn't fight with girls which is why when we spar, he keeps on dodging my attacks but other than sparring, he just lets me hit him. I had thought that it was his male ego that helps him endure it all but then one time, my punch stopped at midair when I saw that fear reflected in those blue eyes of his. "Was he afraid of me?" I thought. No, that can't be. I know I am strong but not strong enough to make Ranma scared. Then I realized that maybe his afraid of what he can do to me than what I can do to him. It is sweet to know that someone like him would do that for me but then its an insult for my ego being a martial artist.
Physically Ranma has no flaws. He is good looking and has a well toned body that girls die for. Yet those things have never interest me. well, he certainly can make me blush with his blue eyes and smile but other than those two, other things seem less important to me. Less important? Maybe before when I didn't know the real Ranma but now everything about him is important to me.
Looking back, I never thought that I would like and even fall in love with him. He's a jerk. He's too arrogant and egotistic. I have thought that I go with the older and mature men like Dr. Tofu. So when he came barging into my life, I started disliking him. It was a hasty judgment since he represented what my father is forcing me to do. Also, he is better on almost everything I do. But those things that I hate about him were all the reasons that I admire him.
I stared back at his blue eyes as I slowly walked the gap between us. They are beautiful, sparkling like crystals. His stare that never left mine seems like a tight rope that pulls me towards him. But at one point of my life, those eyes have been avoiding mine for the things that I did. And whenever unexpectedly our eyes do meet, a guilty feeling would suddenly come and plague me. if he only knew how I never want to hurt him. Whenever he looked at me with that pretense smile in his lips, I could see in his eyes the sorrow that I've given him. A thousand times, I've thought of running towards him and comfort him to relieve the pain that I have inflicted but I couldn't, not when someone's going to be hurt.
I looked at him again this time as if there were no other people around us. He smiled at me. Yes, that smile of his that I always love. It gives me reassurance that everything would be all right, that I would be safe and that he will be with me always. Then in our world of isolation, a hand appeared and tapped Ranma by the shoulder. That was the mark that made me realized that other people were waiting for us. They were there to see my wedding.
Ranma stepped back as the hand landed on his shoulder. His gaze left mine and his eyes were transfixed at the ground. I couldn't quite see what sort of emotions in them but I know that as I saw him moved a step back, my eyes had began to dim. I don't know why but I couldn't cry: I wanted too but none of the tears have come. Then there I saw the man who boldly put a hand on Ranma. It was him, Shinnusuke. He was smiling brightly at the end of the altar. Yeah, I chose him. It wasn't a hard decision then because I thought his life is much more important than my happiness, after all I owe him my life. If not for him I would have been eaten by the Orochi and he wouldn't have that wounds on his back. No matter how I looked at my decision it seemed right because this is all I can do for Shinnusuke. Yet, every time I see Ranma and what I feel about him, I feel like I should have killed myself. Also, with that decision, I have chosen to dig a grave for my heart. Shinnusuke could never replace Ranma.
Shinnusuke took my hand and guided me towards the altar. I didn't' know what I was doing then because my thoughts were on the man standing behind us. I couldn't even looked at Shinnusuke straight in the eye, knowing that if I did my eyes would betray me. He would see in them, a reflection of what I really do feel in that instant.
When the priest had asked if anyone have any protest against our wedding, I was actually praying that maybe someone would appeal just like how Ranma's fiancées would. Yet, I was disappointed to hear not a single peep from the audience. And when I turn my head to look at Ranma, he was gone. I was a little bit relieved not to see him. Because I don't want him to remember me as someone else's wife. After many years, I want him to remember me as the Akane that he met in high school: his stubborn and stupid fiancée.
