Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2, or else it would have finished properly!

Pull Yourself Together!

Prologue: Broken Logic.

...Why did it have to end like that?

Ranma Saotome sat in the middle of the Tendo Dojo training hall, his chin resting on his knees as he hugged his legs to his chest. He had been sitting there since morning, a day after the failed wedding, his childhood home in ruins because of the meddling fiancées.

I wonder if she would really have gone through with it? I guess I'll never know now.

Absently he picked at the charred parts of his trousers, it had only been a few days since Phoenix Mountain, only few days ago that he had screamed out her name, his hands curled into fists.

Damnit, why did I have to say that? Why did I deny that I l - lo - like her.

Ranma sighed in frustration, two years had passed since he and Akane they had been declared fiancées, by their own fathers. Slowly they had gotten to know each other, it would happened sooner if hadn't been for all the other fiancées and rivals that had turned up out of the blue.

If wasn't for them, or my big mouth, I wouldn't have gotten into all that trouble. Damn curse, Damn Pops, Damn everything!

Ranma adjusted his sitting to a crossed-legged position, his hands in his lap. He curled and un-curled his fingers, not really seeing them, rather looking in on himself as he did it.

Why didn't Saffron get out of the way, why did Akane have to go there, putting herself in harms way like that! She coulda died! Then where would I be, without her I'd, I'd - damnit, why? Why couldn't I just of said it, all those times and I just didn't have the guts...

Ranma growled at himself, he studied his hands again and shuddered.

That's the first time I've used martial arts to kill. Saffron was a godling and I killed him to save the one I love.

Ranma blinked, did I say that? he thought, he looked at his hands remembering the giant ball of chi he had flung at the monster that stood in his way, after all his pleading. He remembered the rage that had welled up inside him, of all the frustration of missed opportunities and people messing both his life and Akane's, the release of his anger and hate onto the monster that stood before him.

He remembered the blood. At the time all that had mattered was Akane's life, not his, not Saffron's, just her.

Ranma shook his head, trying to dislodge the thoughts, but one thought stayed with him.

I love Akane, I would do anything for her -

"RANMA!"

Ranma jumped to his feet and turned around, his body unconsciously going into a battle stance, he had been feeling tired over today's events, but that was all forgotten now.

He stared at the intruder, "Ryouga?" he cocked his head to the side, a half smile on his lips, "what no 'RANMA SAOTOME, PREPARE TO DIE!', pig-boy?"

Ryouga grinned at Ranma, in all too feral way, sending a slight twitch to Ranma's left eye.

"Your stupid nicknames don't phase me anymore, Ranma," Ryouga stepped into the dojo closing the door behind him. Ranma noticed the absence of Ryouga's usual travelling pack and umbrella, instead he was holding a long staff, the top of which was adorned by two pink crystal shards, with dulled tips, "I will finally defeat you, not today, for today is merely the first phase of you're defeat."

"Getting a little poetic there, P-Chan," Ranma grinned, but kept an eye on the staff, "you been hanging around Kuno?"

Ryouga's grin widened, "You're time as the greatest martial artist around is over, Ranma," he hefted the staff, "Akane will love and marry me, not be forced into marriage to a jerk like you. You know the only reason she was going to marry you was because they had the cure to your curse."

"Shut up!" Ranma growled, "You don't know anything!"

"Maybe, maybe not," Ryouga gripped the staff in both hands, "now Ranma, you will DIE!"

Ryouga leaped into the air, the crystal point of the staff directed at Ranma's head. Ranma was too distracted by his disgust and past rage to move out of the way before it struck...

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...why did they have to interfere?

Akane lay on her stomach, facing the door of her bedroom, her feet kicking her pillow idly. She changed out of her ruined wedding dress and into a dungarees and T-shirt as soon as they got home. Talking to no one, what was there to talk about anyway.

Apart from the fact my day was ruined...

Her and Ranma's fathers had gone out to lament the failed wedding, although Akane suspected it had more to do with the unsheathed katana that had lay on Mrs. Saotome's lap when they had gotten home.

Ranma,...

Why did he have to say that stuff, on their wedding day of all days, after what they had been through together. She didn't remember much of what had happened at Phoenix Mountain and with Saffron, except for the fact that she knew he was dead, to rise again at some point in the future. She also remembered Ranma's shout.

He was in so much pain, I couldn't bare it if...

She sighed, he had shown that he had cared in that moment, cared whether she lived or died, because he loved her. She had known that at the time, but all that time, denying her own feelings, keeping her distance, even when her fear of him, when they had first met, had vanished, she could not bring herself to go any further than friendship, because the last person she had loved had left.

I kept my distance, because I didn't want to repeat the past, but now I see, after all the fights between us, the rivals and the fiancées. I should not let the past guide me...

I'll tell him how I feel, if it doesn't work out, then I should let him go, this is the only way to end all this.

Akane got off her bed, making her decision.

Just as she reached for the handle of her bedroom door, a bright almost blinding white light shot through her closed curtains. Akane ran back and pulled them open as the light faded, just to see the light glowing from the dojo and a dark figure flying from the scene.

She opened her door and almost ran over Kasumi, who was carrying a tray of food up to her room.

"Kasumi!" Akane exclaimed, stopping, "who's in the Dojo?"

"The Dojo?" Kasumi replied, thoughtfully, "I think Ranma was, Aka -"

Akane ran passed her, not needing to hear the rest. Hearing her fiancé's name was enough for her.

She ran to the training hall, seeing the open door, she slid carefully up to it, her meagre martial arts senses at full alert for any trouble, considering that Ranma was in there, there could any sort of trouble still lurking.

Akane took a quick peek at the interior of the training hall, the lights were still on, and two forms were lying sprawled on the floor. She recognised the one form facing her.

"Ranma!" she ran forward, kneeling beside him and checked him for injuries. The only one seemed to be two large bumps on his forehead. "Ranma, wake up!" she shook him roughly.

He mumbled something under his breath, then sat up suddenly, as did the other figure.

"Ah, my head!" "ARGH! Godamnit! What hit me!?!"

"Ranma!?!" exclaimed, looking from one figure to the other, the second turned his head, frowning at her.

"Yes?" "Yeah."

Then the two figures, both dressed in a charred tuxedo, and both with bruises on their foreheads turned to look at each other.

"Oh, my!" said one Ranma.

"What the hell is going on?" said the other, as Akane decided now was the perfect time to lose consciousness.

"Oh, dear!" said Ranma, next to Akane, and decided to faint as well...

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Author's Note: Wups! Put the wrong file up and didn't check, (hangs head in shame), this one is actually an .HTML file format I decided to try out, because transferring from .DOC files don't translate well to FF.Net. Anyway, I hope this is a little better, because this one actually had a plot (kinda). I will be going back to Déjà vu, as soon as I can round up enough ideas for it, I've already got hundreds of them flowing at the same time in my head, but it will take time before I can settle on a few good ones. 'Til then, keep reviewing and once again, sorry for putting up the wrong file, (heh!)