Rooftop Confessions by Sereko

Over 200 Reviews! Yay! Thank you so much for all your support! We're on the downward slope of this story now… just a few chapters left! Also, sorry for the delay – this chapter just did not want to get written!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2.

Confession 11

Ranma and Ryoga were in the air, jumping down to the two combatants as soon as Shampoo's lapse into unconsciousness had triggered the disappearance of the energy dome. When they landed, Ranma sent a wistful look in Akane's direction and then turned away to face his purple-haired ex-fiancée. "Ryoga, please check on Akane for me. I need to speak with Shampoo."

The lost boy shuddered at the ice-cold tone of his friend's voice. "Of course, Ranma." He moved away quickly, eager to get away from Ranma's black aura and also to make sure that his former crush was all right.

Ryoga gently lifted Akane up by the shoulders so that she was sitting and leaning into him. "Akane?" he asked cautiously. He had been surprised to see that Akane hadn't fallen unconscious, but had simply fallen down. Her eyes were clouded, however, and her voice light.

"I won," she repeated in disbelief.

The man next to her grinned. "You definitely did. You beat Shampoo."

Akane looked up at him in awe. "I beat Shampoo?" she questioned dumbly, as if she hadn't just admitted the same thing a second before.

He laughed and held her shoulders a bit tighter. "Yeah. You were amazing."

She glanced down at the hands she had pooled in her lap. "Really?" she whispered to herself. "How did I do that?"

Ryoga knew the questions were rhetorical, so instead of answering them, he changed the topic. "Ranma saw the whole thing. We felt the fight begin when we were across town…when Ranma was telling me…" his sentence faded. Akane glanced up at him curiously. Once she realized what he was about to say, she guiltily looked back down and reached out companionably for one of his hands.

"I'm sorry, Ryoga. I'm so sorry."

"No," he insisted. "Please, don't be sorry. I'm glad that you're happy. Honestly," he enforced when he saw her dubious expression. "I'm really happy that the two of you finally came to your senses." He gave her a warm smile.

"Oh, Ryoga," was all she said.

"But that's not the point. I was saying that Ranma and I saw the whole thing. We could feel what was going on long before we actually arrived here and let me tell you, you made some unbelievable hits. After we got here and could see you, I was blown away by how good you've gotten!" Akane blushed. "Seriously! Look at you! You just beat Shampoo, arguably the strongest of all of Ranma's little followers. Just the thought of ever going up against her in battle would have made you nervous before. Now, not only did you have the courage to fight her, but you beat her!"

Akane tried to smile at his compliments, but it was at that time that her injuries decided to make themselves known. Instead of a smile, Ryoga was graced with a grimace as Akane's next words turned into wet coughs. He carefully put a hand on top of one of her broken ribs in concern, using his command of auras to determine how bad the damage was.

A few yards away, they heard some shouts and Ryoga briefly looked away from his charge to see Shampoo awake and unhappy.

"I can never forgive you for this Shampoo. Never," Ranma said vehemently the second that Shampoo opened her eyes.

"But Shampoo only protecting Ranma."

"Protecting me? Protecting me?!"

"Yes, Shampoo get rid of Violent Tomboy so no hurt Ranma no more." She gave him a bright smile, proud of herself. Ranma growled. The sound was dangerous enough that Shampoo's smile faded away. She stood up on shaky legs.

"I want you to leave, Shampoo," he said coldly. "I don't want to see you again."

She looked stunned for a second, then shook her purple head as if to dispel a bad thought. "Ranma no mean that." She smiled brightly and glomped onto her airen before he could stop her. "Come. Shampoo take you to Cat Café and make too too delicious ramen."

He pushed her away violently and looked at her horrified. "No!" he screamed.

Ryoga abruptly looked away when he felt a dangerous dip in Akane's aura. Her face had paled even more, her lips tinged a garish red from the blood that she was coughing up and her body had started to shake against his. "Akane?"

She moaned and tried to move her head to stare up at him, but she hadn't the strength. A tear slipped down her face as the pain of her injuries and the hopelessness of her situation started to sink in. "Ranma," she whispered before another cough overtook her.

"Hey, it's okay, Akane. Ranma's just chewing Shampoo out. He'll be here any second." The lost boy hoped that to be true. He turned back to his rival and saw the heated argument reach a breaking point.

Ranma was boiling. He'd never been so angry, so outraged, so sure of his hatred. This woman had tried to destroy the thing most precious to him and she didn't even seem to care. He tightened his fists, the fury inside him rioting through his veins and straining his muscles. His jaw was clenched so tightly that his teeth hurt and he could barely see past the red haze in his eyes. His aura was radiating off of him in waves, warning off anyone who was stupid enough to approach him, which is why he was surprised to see Shampoo come at him again.

He didn't think. What happened next was lost in a black rage darker than anything he'd felt before. As she came within range, he lifted a hand and slapped her hard across the cheek. The resultant crack echoed down the block.

It was the first time he'd ever hit a girl – while he was a guy, anyway.

Shampoo froze, holding tightly to her bruised face. She stared at him like he was a stranger. Finally it seemed like she might understand the severity of what was happening. Then a warrior's mask fell over her features. She stood up tall and defiantly. "Shampoo sorry Ranma, but Shampoo must stay. Shampoo gave Tomboy Kiss of Death and must follow through."

The man across from her nearly lunged. He was stopped by the timely appearance of Mousse, who came into view from the shadow of a nearby building. He blocked Shampoo from the pig-tailed boy. "It's okay, Ranma. I saw everything. It's done. I'll take her back to Cologne."

"No Mousse won't!" Shampoo screamed in outrage. "Go home, Stupid Duck!"

Mousse took another second to stare straight into Ranma's eyes. They were black and hard and angrier than the Amazon had ever seen. This was the turning point he'd been waiting for for so long. No more games. Ranma had chosen and he would defend his choice to the death. Slapping Shampoo had been proof enough of that. If his honor as a martial artist wouldn't keep him at bay from hurting the cat, nothing would.

"Get her outta here, Mousse. Now."

The duck turned around. Hastily, he threw some chains from his sleeves around the purple-haired girl. "We're going, Shampoo," he said sternly, ignoring her struggles and screams of indignation. "You failed to defeat Akane. It's a matter for Cologne now."

They walked away bickering, but Ranma stopped paying attention once he was assured that Shampoo couldn't free herself and attack again.

He was proud of himself for not blowing up and doing to Shampoo what he had really wanted to do. He had made a promise that he would never hit a girl. His slap was enough of a powerful statement. If only she were a man, then he could have pummeled her into the ground. Shaking his head from such dark thoughts, he finally answered his heart's calling and started walking towards Akane.

Ryoga was crowded over her, frantically searching her body for something. When his piglet friend glanced his way, Ranma was thrown to see tears streaming down his face. "Ryoga?" Dread settled in his stomach. Adrenaline took over and he launched himself forward to the ground. "Akane?!"

Her eyes were closed. Now that the rage he had been feeling towards Shampoo was fading, his other senses were coming on-line and Akane's aura flickered like a candle about to burn out. "Akane!" He grabbed her body from Ryoga and propped her up so that he could get a better look at her.

She looked like a corpse. Her skin almost translucent and her lips a pale blue under the red blood that coated them. "Akane!!" he cried again, his voice hoarse with fear. This couldn't be happening. There was no way. She wasn't allowed to die now that he had finally chosen her. Now that they had finally admitted they were in love. Now that he knew he couldn't live without her.

Ryoga reached out to touch the other man's arm. "Ranma," he said gently, greatly phased by the abject fear he saw in the pigtailed boy's eyes. "We have to get her to a hospital. Immediately."

Ranma just looked up at him. Dumb with shock and pain.

"She has a pulse. It's barely there, so we need to get her some help."

Acting fast, Ranma nodded, picked Akane up in his arms and jumped to the nearest roof in a breakout run to the hospital. Ryoga followed close behind him.

"I need a doctor!" Ranma screamed as he flew through the automatic doors at Nerima General's Emergency Room. Akane was limp in his arms. The nurse at the front desk shot up, called for a gurney, and came towards them.

"What happened?" she asked as she started writing on a chart.

Ranma choked on a panicked sob. "She was in a fight. She's been busted up pretty badly."

"I think one of her broken ribs may have punctured a lung," Ryoga spoke up from his side. He hadn't been able to sense much more when he had scanned her aura earlier.

A fleet of nurses and doctors arrived, a gurney between them. Ranma leaned over the moveable bed and lay Akane down very carefully. Then he was quickly shoved out of the way as the doctors rushed her inside to one of their operating rooms.

He didn't even realize that he had tried to follow until he felt Ryoga's restraining hand on his shoulder. He looked to his rival and found some bit of comfort in the other man's deceivingly calm eyes.

"You should call the Tendos, Ranma," he said in an equally calm voice.

Ranma nodded mindlessly. "Right, yes, the Tendos."

He was pacing again. He knew it was annoying everyone else, but he couldn't just sit still and mourn like they were. She was going to be fine and it was driving him crazy that they were acting like they'd already lost her.

"Ranma, please," Kasumi said in a strained voice. "Just sit and calm down," she patted the chair on her left. The one on her right was occupied by an inconsolable Soun.

Ranma spun on her. "No!" he belted out. "I can't just sit still while she… while she…" He looked around at the gathered family when words failed him. He caught eyes with Nabiki who was sitting in a chair apart from the others. It was the first time he'd ever truly seen the dark brown of her irises; they were usually clouded with plots and deception. Her gaze was naked now, giving him a glimpse of how worried she was. Worry was not an emotion she was comfortable with.

Neither was he. He needed action.

"Ranma, there's nothing you can-" Nabiki's consoling words were abruptly cut off when the younger man practically threw himself at her. If Ryoga hadn't been standing nearby, and quick enough to catch his friend, she had no idea what he would've done.

"Stop it!" Ranma screamed. God, of all people! There was something seriously wrong if Nabiki was trying to be sensitive. "Stop it all of you!" he called spinning his head to encompass the group, since Ryoga still held tightly to the rest of him. "You're acting like she's already gone. She's gonna be fine! She's strong. She going to be fine!" he repeated in a rage.

Other patrons in the waiting area on the opposite side of the room were giving him sympathetic looks. "Ranma," he heard someone trying to call his attention away from the empathic strangers that he suddenly felt an undue anger towards. "Ranma." This time the call came more forcefully.

He turned to stare into the soft eyes of one Ryoga Hibiki. "Everyone knows Akane's going to be fine," the pig continued softly. "She's the toughest girl I know." Ranma could feel his bout of anger start to fade. He continued to stare at his rival, using Ryoga as an anchor of sorts.

"Let's go outside, eh? Fresh air, cool breeze…" Ranma nodded slightly in response and the eternally lost boy steered him out the automatic doors to their right.

They opened to a large courtyard with lots of benches and a few patients being helped around by nursemaids. Without warning, Ryoga swiped Ranma's legs out from under him and watched as he fell solidly onto his back.

After a stunned moment, Ranma shot back to his feet and growled. "What the hell was that for, pig breath?!"

Ryoga didn't answer, just lunged forward to try to strike a blow. Ranma's training immediately kicked in and he began to block and parry without thinking. "That's it," the lost boy whispered under his breath. His companion finally gave up being confused and gave himself over, mind and body, to the fight.

An hour later, Nabiki came outside to find them. They were both resting on the grass, still catching their breath after a long sparring match. Ryoga had successfully managed to get Ranma's mind off of Akane and gave him a chance to vent his frustrations. Having to sit idly by unable to help Akane in her fight against Shampoo had been hard enough, but to follow that with sitting helplessly in the waiting room… it was too much for either the pig or the pig-tailed boy.

Both were fighters. They were used to solving their problems with their fists. Neither of them could stand the feeling of powerlessness when their fists weren't enough.

"Ranma," the middle Tendo sister called softly.

The man spun to her with hope shining in his eyes. "Is she okay? Is she out of surgery?"

Nabiki shook her head and sadly watched as Ranma deflated. "A nurse just came out to give us an update. They've managed to repair her lung, but when they opened her up, they noticed some other internal injuries."

Ranma looked queasy when she said 'opened her up.'

"Is it serious? Will she be all right?" Ryoga questioned.

Nabiki gave them a tentative smile. "The nurse seemed pretty confident that it's all stuff they can fix… but it's going to take a few more hours and she warned us that we're not out of the woods yet."

The three of them walked back inside together.

"How bad is it?" Ukyou asked carefully. She had just arrived at the hospital, having heard through the amazing grapevine that was Happosai what had happened. Ryoga intercepted her before she could approach Ranma. He pulled her outside while she looked back at her despondent friend.

Ryoga's voice was oddly soothing when he said, "Not too bad. She seemed a lot worse when we first brought her in, but the doctor seems to have a good handle on things."

Ukyou furrowed her brow, trying to read between the lines. "But she's not out of surgery?" she finally asked.

Ryoga shook his head. He rolled his shoulders to relieve some of the ache at the base of his neck. The chef laid a comforting hand on his arm. "This can't be easy for you."

He looked up at her slowly. They stared at each other, sharing a moment of mutual understanding. Both had recently found out that the loves of their lives were off the market. But both of them had also accepted that news in order to remain friends. There were no hard feelings – some bittersweet smiles, maybe, but no anger or denial.

"I'm more worried about Ranma," Ryoga answered softly.

Just as the words left his mouth, they heard a shout from inside. They shared a nervous look before bolting to the waiting room. They burst through the automatic doors just as they saw Ranma violently pushing Tatewaki Kuno towards the hospital entrance.

"Get out!!" their friend screamed. They ran over quickly to make sure a fight didn't erupt.

"Ranma-honey, what's going on?" Ukyou asked, laying a hand tentatively on his shoulder. His body was shaking with repressed rage.

Kuno puffed up his chest, confident that the newcomers would side with him. "I'm here to see, Akane. I heard what this ruffian did to her and must see for myself that she's okay."

Ranma growled threateningly. Even after his sparring match with Ryoga, there was a reserve of pent-up nervous energy that needed an outlet. Kuno was about to be his target.

Recognizing this, Ryoga quickly stepped between the two men. He kept his back to Ranma in order to more affectively block him and his aura from their sempai. "Kuno, you should leave," he said in warning. While he and Ranma were usually evenly matched, with Ranma on the razor's edge as he was, the piglet wouldn't stand much of a chance at holding him back from a fight.

"Not with this vile man so close to my beloved! She needs me. I must protect her!" the older man shouted valiantly. He whipped out his bokken, causing a few nurses to give him frightened looks.

Ranma pounced. "She is not your beloved!" Ukyou jumped on his back, using all of her body weight to try and restrain him. Ryoga held his position in front of the pig-tailed boy, blocking his path in the narrow hallway. The other man's battle aura battered against his back.

"Kuno, you idiot!" Ryoga yelled. "Get your ass out of here, now!"

The kendo master was about to protest when he finally caught the dark gaze of his rival over Ryoga's shoulder. He'd never seen such a bleak look in the younger man's eyes, nor one of such terrifying fury. His common sense finally kicked in and he started to back up, lowering his weapon. He heard panting behind him and turned to see Sasuke running at him full-speed.

"Master! There you are!" he huffed, looking startled at the angry people staring at him. He immediately bowed to Ranma. "I am sorry, Saotome-san. Once he heard about Tendo-san, I couldn't stop him from coming here. We will leave now." He turned back to his master who was glaring daggers at him.

"You dare to command me?!" he bellowed.

Sasuke deflated a little. He hated being the messenger; they tended to get killed. "I apologize, master. Your father sent me. He said you are to return immediately." He paused, not sure if he could say the rest without the tall man bludgeoning him. "He said that he will not have you defile the family honor by ignoring the engagement pronouncement of Saotome-san."

Kuno froze. Nothing was more important to him that his family's honor. Despite his desire to steal Akane out from under the tyrant's grasp, he wouldn't disobey his father and disgrace himself to do it. He would have to concede. Gritting his teeth, with a petulant glare at Ranma, he roared, "Fine! Honor will be upheld!" He turned swiftly on his heel and left the hospital. Sasuke trailed after him.

Ryoga breathed a sigh of relief, then cautiously turned to face Ranma. The other man was still caught up in his killing rage, unable to calm down without releasing the energy he'd built up. "Come on, Ranma. Why don't we spar again," he said it as a statement and watched as Ukyou slowly released her friend. They both led the man out the side doors to the hospital's courtyard.

So… I realize that there's a lot of leading and following in this chapter (Mousse leading Shampoo, Ryoga leading Ranma, Sasuke leading Kuno, etc). I didn't actually plan that, it just kinda came out that way. I'd also like to apologize to anyone who was expecting a big fight between Ranma and Shampoo. Despite how angry he is at what happened, I don't think he would've let himself fight her. He makes it very clear several times in the anime that he does not hit girls and he only ever fights them when he's a girl himself – so I thought the slap would be enough of a revolutionary thing. Hope you agree! Plus, just imagine the cold reception she's gonna get from Cologne.