I'm afraid I don't know what to do with this chapter.. I like it.. Yet I hate it. I wish I had someone to Pre-read these for me hint.

Heh...

Campfires

by Studdevil

Beware of bad language! Lol.

Chapter Eight

"Hey! Pig! Come back here!" The frustrated martial artist tried to grab the pig for the fifth time, but continued to fail. "I'm not gonna hurt ya! Get back here!"

"Bweee!!" The pig squealed and continues to move it's tiny leg stumps as fast as he can. "Here I go... GOTCHA!!" Ranma grabs the scruff of the pig's neck and quickly pulls him back.

"Listen Ryoga, and listen good." Ranma barks. "This can't keep happening. I don't know how to tell you this, but Akane doesn't love you. She thinks you're a good friend, and if you want even that, then ya need to tell her about your curse or she'll find out on her own later. And that night I'd be scared to eat her cooking."

The pig stares wide-eyed as it listens to Ranma rant. "So all I'm saying is: I need to know what you're gonna do." Ranma pauses, and then continues on. "I'm tryin' ta be a good friend and let ya do it yourself."

The pig's traits show sorrow and he moans in sadness. "Listen buddy, I know Akane can be scary, but if you apologize I'm sure she'll forgive ya."

0-0-0

"Ryoga?! What're you doing here?! How did you find us?" A surprised Akane greets Ryoga with a stunned but friendly wave. "Did you follow us?"

"A-Actually, I don't know how I got here. I was trying to get to Nerima and give you this." Ryoga comes closer and holds out a couple of expired gifts and looks up at the girl.

"Oh, why thank you Ryoga." Akane smiles her beautiful smile and takes the gifts from Ryoga's strong hands.

Ranma stood a few yards behind Ryoga, leaning up against a tree, contemplating how Akane would react to finding out her little P-chan was really Ryoga. "Maybe she'll forgive him just like that if he is sincere enough in his apology."

"Oh Ryoga! You're shivering, are you cold?" Akane asks when she notices how shaky Ryoga was.

"N-No, I'm f-fine." Ryoga looks back at Ranma for encouragement but faults when he sees him dozing off.

"Ugh! Ranma!" Ryoga yells back at Ranma who flinched when he heard his name screamed out.

"What do'ya want bacon breath?! I'm trying to think!"

Akane's eye twitches. "Ranma's thinking for once.."

"Hey!"

"Miss Akane, can I talk to you..?" Akane looks back up to Ryoga with a smile.

"Sure Ryoga! I'm all ears." Ranma raises his eyebrow and realizes things are about to get interesting.

"Well.. Can we go somewhere more private..?" Ryoga clears his throat as he tries not to stumble on his words.

"Ryoga.. Why..?" Akane blushes and she isn't even sure why.

"It's important and.. Please can we just--"

"Okay okay, c'mon!" Akane grabs Ryoga's hand and begins pulling him away from Ranma. Ranma snorts and wishes he could see what was going to happen.

"Whatever. I'll just sit up in this tree for a nice view. Then I'll get to see the fireworks, literally." Ranma chuckles at his joke, even though it lacked humor. He jumps up onto a low tree branch and continues to climb to the top. He sees Ryoga and Akane go behind the tent, which is parallel to the forest.

0-0-0-0

"Akane, this is fine!" Ryoga says and stops Akane from pulling him. His side brushed against the dense tree branches and tickle his arm. Akane swats a bug that lands on her face and then focuses on Ryoga.

"Now what was so important that we had to leave Ranma back there." Akane says, feeling impatient.

"Akane.. I've been hiding something from you for a while." Ryoga's face tilts down and his face is covered by the shadows of the trees. Akane feels a chill run through her body and realizes what he is going to say is important. "What..?"

Ryoga feels fear creeping into him, and discomfort rising through his body. "And.. There's a couple of reasons I couldn't tell you."

Ryoga knows what will happen is he continues, but he still continues knowing that it is now too late. "I'm a coward."

The dire feeling of relief in his chest is what spawns that energy for him to continue. "It's my lack of self control that does it. And now I don't know any other way to tell you."

Ryoga breathes in a breath, as if it is his last one. "I have a Jusenkyo curse, Akane." Ryoga feels a piece of grief lift away from him, and he likes it.

"Ryoga.. I'm.. How? I'm so sorry! Why didn't you tell me!" Akane comes closer to Ryoga, as if to hug him, but he stops her.

"I should have told you a long time ago, before it could get this bad." Akane looks up at the tall boy, awaiting him to finish.

"Every time I am hit with cold water, I turn into.. A stupid black piglet." Ryoga realizes that the worst will inevitably happen, and that Akane will most likely hate him forever. He had slept with her, watched her change, even watched her bathe.

"I have broken your trust. The trust I want most. I turn into the creature you call "P-chan." Akane's breath stops and her eyes flash white with realization. All those times Ranma had called him names referring to pigs, how she never saw Ryoga and P-chan at the same time. It all made sense and she feels stupid for not realizing the truth.

Ryoga contemplates running away. No, he knew he had done enough of that in his life. He feels Akane's emotions shift, and he isn't sure what she is feeling. Probably anger. Or worse, hate.

"But the reason I couldn't tell you. Why I was afraid to tell you." Akane clenches her fist, ready to kill the boy.

"It's because I love you." Ryoga chuckles aloud at himself. He had finally told Akane how he feels for her. "Akane Tendo, I love you. I love you!" Hysterical now, he looks down at the girls downed head. "Akane.." He reaches out and pulls her small head up so he could look into her confused eyes. "And you probably hate me, but no matter what you do, I'm still going to love you." Ryoga moves in and pushes his rough lips against Akane's. In that moment, he feels happiness and the world around him melt.

But it only lasts a moment.

In a flash Ryoga felt himself flying towards the ground with an extreme pain across his left cheek. The most pain in his life. He doesn't know if it was all external, or internal as well. He here's a ringing noise in his head and the slap echoes against the trees and into the sky causing birds to fly away in fright.

As Ryoga hits the ground with a loud thud, Ranma comes running around the side of the tent to see Ryoga land face-first in the dirt.

"Woh! 'Kane, you sure got him good!" Ranma laughs, unaware of how hurt the both were.

"Ranma.. You knew!" Akane screams towards the pigtailed boy. "You knew about him, and you still let him fucking sleep me and all this other shit! You're both pigs! I can't believe you!"

Ranma's smile fades as Akane walks past him in rage, and delivers a strong blow to his stomach. Ranma chokes and falls to the ground out

of air.

"Akane.." Ryoga moans, soaking in his warm tears of pain. "Akane.." Ryoga stands up and runs into the thick bunches of trees, not caring

where he was going. His true love gone from his life. She hated him and it's his fault. His selfish fault." Ryoga smiles into the gleaming sun as he jumps above the tree tops.

"Maybe someday I can re-gain some of the trust I lost from you. And maybe some day we can be friends. The wounds cut in his heart would soon not heal anytime soon, and as Ranma got up off the ground to go after him, he sees a gigantic pillar of negative energy shoot up into the sky, along with a pained scream as it all began coming back.

Ranma decides against facing Ryoga, and turns to find Akane. Ranma somehow knew before it had happened that he shouldn't have provoked it, but he did. Now he has to go fix it. "Akane!"

"What Ranma?" Ranma turns and screams as he sees it coming at him, but can't stop it. It hit's him and he falls to the ground. He's paralyzed with fear and shock. "No.. Why Akane??"

0-0-0

RanAkaFreak – Thanks! Hurry up and review some of my other chapters so I know what you think of them. tosses a muffin

holy-kettel-korn – Really?! That means a lot! Thank you! Throws you a giant cake baked with 3

krizue – Thanks, I finally figured out how to write this chapter, and hopefully the next. hands you a cupcake filled with raspberry jelly

Lilly-Petal – I guess we may never know what he was going to say.. Did you read the manga? I think stuff starts happening after number 29.. Yes, long series.. I finally finished the whole thing!! I'm finally Ranma Otaku! Heh, and yes I do celebrate Christmas.

Here you go Lilly-Petal! throws a.. chocolate covered strawberry! ON FIRE!!!

Kaihou – woh... Cool it there... Yes, I mention all of my lovely reviewers in my AN. Yes, well. If you freaked out then, how do you feel now? Er.. Yes you are weird. But it's okay, because I'm weird too!! Pushes a Ferrari cake next to you. Dig in.

Winter Break is coming to a close, and that may be a good thing or a bad thing as to when the next chapter is out. Geez, now that I look back, made the chapter overly dramatic.. 0o Also, if you look back through the Manga, and watch the Anime, Ryoga does address Akane as "Miss Akane." I believe Kaihou pointed that out. I wish you all good fortune until I see you next!

Arigato..

Studdevil

hai... It's past my bedtime..