Rumiko Takahashi owns all of these awesome characters! (except for Genma- Genma isn't awesome.)

Decisions

By AkaneTendo1995/Whatever

Ranma wiggled until he popped out of the bracken and emerged onto the riverbank. He dusted off his pants and walked around until he found a good place to rest. He settled down on a large, flat rock and soaked up the warm rays of sunlight.

"Ranma?"

"Ack!" Ranma jumped at the sound of Akane's voice, breaking the pure silence. He dangled off the edge of the rock, grasping at anything he could hold on to, but fell into the river with two handfuls of grass. He came up sputtering and dragged himself back on to the shore.

"What did you do that for?!" Ranma yelled at Akane, pulling off his shirt and ringing it out.

"Honestly Ranma, put on your shirt!" Akane rolled her eyes.

"Nyah!" Ranma made a face and danced around the river, still holding his shirt in one hand. "I can do whatever I want!"

"Fine by me, Ranko."

Ranma froze. "Baka!" he retorted, sitting down in the grass.

"So what are you going to do?" Akane asked sullenly.

"I'm definitely not going back home. Everybody makes all me decisions for me. I'm gonna make my own this time," Ranma muttered, narrowing his eyes.

"How are you going to convince your mum to let you stay?"

"I ain't stayin'."

"But I thought you said-"

"I ain't stayin' here."

"What...?"

"I'm leaving, Akane. Tonight. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm going tonight...and I want you to come with me."

"But Ranma..."

"Akane?" Ranma pleaded.

"I can't Ranma. I can't leave my family. They need me." Akane bit her lip to hold back the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"..."

"I'm sorry Ranma!" Akane burst out. She turned around and ran back into the trees.

"Akane!" Ranma called, but there was no reply.

----

There was no sign of Akane in the Tendo home for the rest of the day, aside from the faint crying that could be heard coming from her bedroom. Ranma had stood outside her door several times, but he had to admit he was too chicken to go in and talk to her. He sighed, standing outside her door for the fifth time that hour. It bothered him to see her so depressed like that- especially because it was his fault.

"Ranma, will you please ask Akane to come down for dinner?" Kasumi's sweet voice called. Ranma knocked on Akane's bedroom door. He wasn't surprised when Akane told him to go away and that she wasn't coming for dinner.

"Suit yourself," Ranma grumbled, stomping down the stairs.

----

Ranma turned the door knob slowly, not wanting to wake Akane. Tip toeing over to her desk, he slipped an envelope in between her diary and one of her textbooks, knowing that Akane would find it there. He walked over to the side of her bed and hesitated a moment before sitting down on the edge of the mattress.

"It really hurts me to say this Akane," he began. "But I don't have any other choice..." he rested his hand on hers and leaned down toward her face. "Bye, 'kane..." his whisper was barely audible. Ranma stood up and walked over to the open window. He stopped as he felt a tear slip down his cheek.

"Macho guys aren't supposed to cry," he scolded himself, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He stole once last glance at his sleeping fiance before leaping out the window and landing soundlessly on the ground below.

----

Yay! End book one! Sorry guys, I know the ending wasn't the greatest, but I'm not the best writer ever, you know? Beginning of book two won't be up for a while 'cause I have to work on a different story for English. Keep reading and reviewing!