Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½

Honor or Love?

Akane:

-XxX-

Ranma stared at the girl in front of him in disbelief. Did he hear her right? If she didn't want him to marry Ukyo, then who? Didn't she want him to save their dads? "What?" He asked her, not getting her message clearly. 'Not her at least' That was what she said. He felt his cheeks grow hot as he thought of a possible outcomes of what she was saying. Well there was her possibly being jealous, possibly delusional, and possibly having a solution to their problem.

"This doesn't sound like something Ukyo would do," Akane told him, pacing back and forth. "What if she was just lying about it all?" She curiously stared at Ranma blushing, what would he be blushing about? She replayed her words carefully, wondering if what she said could be a reason. She felt a blush appear on her cheeks as she realized what it was she said.

"Lying?" Ranma recovered quickly. "So basically tricking me into marrying her?"

Akane nodded. "Follow my lead."

Ranma gulped. Akane's lead? That was like walking face-first into a blazing fire and repeat doing so. He shook his head, a lot could happen in one month. She beat up Ukyo, heck, maybe she wasn't as stupid as last time. "Alright." He followed behind her, watching her every move. She stood outside the nurse's room door and bust it open with her leg, breaking the door into bits. His confidence deflated. Maybe all she did was get stronger and stupider.

Ukyo's body was laid down on the bed, the nurse not present. Akane slowly approached her bed, pulling up a stool and sitting herself down on it. She glared at the girl, forcing her to put her "Chef magazine weekly" down. "When did Ukyo Kuonji stoop so low? Are we no better than Shampoo now?"

Ukyo sneered at the short-haired girl in front of her. "What are you talking about?"

Akane scowled. "Forcing Ranma into marrying you by jeopardizing our father's health!"

Ukyo smiled. "Oh, that," She sat up now, pressing her back against the wall for support. "Yes, and it worked didn't it? No one knows a thing but me and Ran-chan. Sometimes change is good."

Akane clenched her fists. "Where is your honor and pride? You may have been my rival Ukyo but I respected you because you were honest and fair! You are no longer allowed to even call yourself my opponent."

Ukyo shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, Akane. Why would I call you my arch nemesis? I did win the ultimate prize after all." She said, putting her palm on Ranma's arm and rubbing it.

Akane waited for Ranma to brush it off but he never did. Ignoring her own feelings, she turned back to the source of problems. "Ultimate prize? You can't even call that winning! You sabotaged his friends and family to win. That's cheating."

Ranma suddenly yanked his arm away in displeasure. Ukyo shot him a threatening look. "I may have tried new methods but the Ukyo Kuonji you knew is no more. She thought deeply about everything and realized that sometimes to win you have to do more training. You should know that, sugar."

Akane felt like this conversation was like a merry-go-round. It had no true ending and all it did was take it back from the beginning again. "How did you do it?"

Ukyo smiled at her. "I thought you would never ask, hon," she began playing with her waist-length hair. "After trying over and over to win the approval of Soun and Genma , I was always coming up short. I tried my best to be just like you, Akane. Ugly, moody, and a nuisance." Akane rolled up her sleeves as a warning. "Even thought I tried that, I never got anywhere. They would politely decline my offer to be Ran-chan's possible bride." She clenched her fists but kept them at her sides. Fighting Akane would resort to the same as last time. Her on the floor.

"So one day I offered them so tea while I was over your house. They were more than ecstatic and that's when I put my plan to work. I used a drug I found from Cologne's restaurant while they were out. Soon, I put them under my control and Ranma will have to marry me unless he wants his and your fathers to die. The potion was used in old China days when women were desperate to marry," Akane scoffed knowingly. She ignored it. "They would use this potion to cast the boy or the boy's parents under her control and fall instantly in love with them." She repositioned her head on the wall.

"Soon, the potion would make the boy fall in love with the girl or the parents accepting of the marriage. Which, in this case, worked! Only when the priest announces 'you may now kiss the bride', the potion wares off. But by then we all know it's too late." She smiled once more. "Too late." She repeated, more as a warning to Akane.

"Well too bad," Akane smiled broadly. "If you got it from Nekoten then Cologne must have a cure plus we have Shampoo and I'm sure she'll be more than happy to foil your little plans."

"Shampoo is out of town, sugar," Ukyo sighed, getting bored. "If you would be so kind to leave, then I would be more than happy."

"Oh, is that so?" Akane reached into her pocket and unveiled her cell phone. Dialing a number, she kept it to her ear and waited for Shampoo to answer.

"Nihao! This Shampoo phone!" Shampoo chirped happily.

Akane hadn't talk to nor seen her in a month. She was still extremely angry at her for ruining her wedding, but she needed her now to save her butt. So she guessed she could swallow her pride. "Shampoo?" Akane took deep breath. "I need your help."

"Akane?" Shampoo asked in disbelief. "What you want?"

"Ukyo is using some sort of potion to hold my father and Ranma's father under some spell, meaning she has to marry Ranma… leaving you out of the picture. Is there anyway you can come and help me?" Akane heard the other end go dead. "Shampoo?"

"She hung up?" Ranma asked her.

Ukyo bellowed a laugh. "See, sugar! I win! There is no way Shampoo can help you now!"

Akane slammed the phone shut and placed it back in her pocket. "Yes, she hung up," she answered Ranma smugly. "Shut up, Ukyo. This isn't-"

All of a sudden their attention turned to the school wall as it rattled violently. Backing up, Akane braced herself for an earthquake, tsunami, Ranma's enemies, something that would be this destructive and ear-deafening. But what came through the wall was no natural disaster, it was no other than Shampoo and her great-grandmother making a grand entrance. "Shampoo!" They all cried in unison.

"Shampoo here!" Shampoo saluted them briefly, with a look of determination evident in her eyes. "I help you!"

"Where did you come from?" Ranma asked her, amazed that she knew where to find them and how quick she came.

"I come from China, airen," she replied. "Mousse be good duck and stay out of way!" She yelled at he duck that was quacking violently. Instantly, she picked him up and threw him into the gaping hole behind her.

"Never mind minor details," Cologne stepped in. "Tell me what's going on, son-in-law."

It only took Ranma seconds to fill them in on everything that was going on. Ukyo watched bitterly yet cockily as Ranma mentioned the potion she was using. It wasn't like Ukyo was scared, she knew that there was absolutely no way she would find the cure to the drug she used. Sure, she had to stoop so low, but what was wrong with that? She loved Ran-chan, and would do anything to help him. She watched as the teens in front of her bickered about their situation. Was it all her fault? Did Ukyo Kuonji have no more pride?

'Where is your honor and pride? You may have been my rival Ukyo but I respected you because you were honest and fair! You are no longer allowed to even call yourself my opponent!' But what did Akane know about pride? She was just some stupid girl who tried to steal her Ran-chan away. But he was letting her love him, care for him, stay by his side. Is that why he loved her? She stared at the ex-fiancées as they began planning on what to do about her. Did he love her because she was honest? Fair? Persistent? Or did he love her because she was always right by his side, willing to help him? Ukyo laughed. She had no right. In fact, she was none of these things. She bribed, blackmailed, and lied to her so called 'lover'. She didn't deserve him in the end. She sighed, she had to let go of him or else she would miss her chance at finding true love as well. She would have to lose to that blue-haired hussy. But she would win someday. In the end.

"I resign." She whispered quietly.

They all looked at her surprised. "Huh?"

"I resign," she smiled sadly at Ranma. "I am no longer your fiancée. Here's the cure to the drug I used on your parents." She said, handing Ranma a small white bag. Tears began to swell up in her eyes. Sure she had to let him go, but it didn't mean it wasn't going to hurt. "And Akane?"

"Ukyo?" Akane responded, a bit in shock.

"I'm sorry about everything. You too Ran-chan. I can understand if you don't want anything to do with me but I just want to say I'm sorry for forcing you to love me. I'm really sorry." By now, Ukyo had broke into sobs, her body trembling violently. She was surprised when she felt hands wrap around her body.

"Now that's the Ukyo I know." Akane whispered in her ear, wrapping Ukyo in a tight hug, allowing her to cry on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it Ukyo," Ranma said patting her on the back. "I plan on keeping you as a friend for a really long time." He smiled at her.

"That right!" Shampoo yelled at her. "Spatula-girl no get to have airen!" She wrapped her arm around Ranma.

"It's been a long day," Akane spat. "How about you go home, Shampoo."

Shampoo shrugged and allowed herself to be led out by Ranma. "I see you soon." She glomped him before making her exit with Cologne.

"See you very soon, son-in-law." Cologne cackled before hopping on her staff and disappearing.

Akane handed Ukyo a box of Kleenex and sat at the edge of the bed, waiting for her to be able to talk. "You're not all that bad, Akane." Ukyo teased, smiling.

Akane returned her smile. "I can say the same for you too," Akane fumbled with fingers. "And I'm sorry for some of the things I've said and done to you."

"Oh please," Ukyo smirked. "I'll just have to train better and then you'll be the one who's on the floor next time."

Akane laughed. "Then I look forward to 'next time'.

Ranma shook his head. "I never thought I'd see the day where Ukyo Kuonji and Akane Tendo would be friends. Maybe I'm dreaming."

Akane giggled. "Me neither," Akane ruffled Ukyo's hair. "I plan on staying friends with Ukyo too."

Ukyo nodded. "I do too," she pulled the sheets over her body. "I guess this means you and Ranma can get married now."

Akane instinctively felt a blush appear on her cheeks. "N-No! You know I am already engaged to Ryoga."

Ukyo sighed exasperatedly. "You mean Ranma still hasn't told you?"

Akane turned to Ranma. "Still? What is it that you aren't tell me, Ranma?"

"I-uh… You know.. Um I-I-I…" He stuttered with his words.

-XxX-

A/N: I didn't plan on updating so soon, but since I read my reviews and a lot of my readers had some questions. So I made another chapter hoping that this answers some of your questions. Or most. Or all. I had plans for Ukyo, just not make her a stuck up bitch that cares only for herself, you know. We all know she can be crazy but then really understanding. I was hoping that this chapter portrayed those emotions well if not perfect.

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Thanks for reading! (If you did.) Please review and tell me what you think.