MIRACLE OF LOVE
Part One: When Love dies
written by: Chette-chan

Ranma ran through the streets of Nerima in a blind panic. Where the heck are you Akane?! Ranma looked left and right. No sign of her. His mind could not focus.

Akane...
the engagement over...
Akane's face crying...
The slap...
Akane's tears...
Ucchan's conversation...

Akane...

Akane...
Run away...
Akane hates me.

He shook his head as he ran, trying to shake off the dark images.

I have to find Akane…

Earlier that time...

Ranma walked back and forth in the Doujou. It has been a month since the disastrous wedding happened. But even if it was disastrous, and even if it was postponed, he knew that he loves Akane. He was so sure about his feelings. After a month of thinking it over, he decided it was about time to settle everything. He heard some footsteps and looked at the entrance...

This is it...

Quickly the Doujou started to fill with people Ranma knew. Except for two people. Nabiki knew all about his plans, so she decided to give Ranma a time to talk to all of them and pulled Akane into one of her trips at the mall.

"So we are here boy. What do you want to tell us?" Genma asked, adjusting his glasses.

Ranma gulped and looked at each one of them, "I have decided... what I want to do in my life" he said, glaring at his father when he was about to protest. "From now on, nobody tells me what to do in my life, but me."

Ukyou looked down.

"Will you get to the point Ranma?" Nodoka asked, loving to see her son in control of his life.

"Please listen to me. This is the first time I'll talk like this, so please listen. This will take a lot of time so be patient." he said, glancing at everyone. When they all nodded, he continued. "I was raised by my father in the mountains, away from my mother." he sighed. "My old man had raised me to become a martial artist... and I really don't have a life, it was all about martial arts." Ranma bowed, "So forgive me for my attitude, if I hadn't been gentleman, if I had been rude, if I have a bad attitude"

They all nodded again.

"However, when I came here... and met the Tendou's" Ranma said, smiling at Soun. "I found a family."

Ukyou bit her lip, while Shampoo glared at the teary-eyed Soun.

"I thought my life would be okay. Until each and every one of you, started popping up into the scene." he continued, frowning. "Kunou saw my female side and he fell in love with me-"

"I did not do such thing! Why would I fall into a-" Tatewaki stopped talking when he saw Ranma poured cold water on himself and became his pigtailed girl. "W-What? My Pigtail Goddess... is..."

Nodoka smiled, "My Son. Ranma Saotome"

"T-This can't be!" Tatewaki kneeled down and cried. Kodachi was speechless. She could not believe that her fair Ranma-sama is also her arch-enemy, the pigtailed girl.

"This is my cursed form Kunou..." she said, then he poured a hot water on himself. "So now you know, and now Ryouga..." He said, looking at Ryouga. "I know you were mad at me for your curse, but it wasn't really my fault that you have no sense of direction-"

"Ranmahh.." Ryouga started to get mad but stopped when he saw Ranma's palm up which signifies him to calm down and stop.

"It wasn't just me who knocked you out, you can blame my oyaji on that too." Ranma shakes his head. "But can we just move from there? You've beaten me a couple of times. Shouldn't that be enough?"

Ryouga was speechless.

"And what about Akane?"

Ryouga frowned.

"Do you think she loves you more than just her pet?" Ranma smiles sadly, "You were so mad at me for your curse, but without that curse, you will never be Akane's P-chan."

Ryouga looked down.

"Ranchan-"

Ranma looked at Ukyou, "Ucchan...You were my best friend and nothing else. True, you are my fiancee but I cannot love you more than that. You're like a sister to me, like Kasumi and Nabiki" he said,

Ukyou looked down.

"Ranma loves Shampoo!" Shampoo said, smiling but she knew in her heart that was a lie. She could see it happening. Ranma was going to dump her now.

"Shampoo, Moouse loves you" Ranma said, looking at Moouse.

"That is unacceptable!" Colonge yelled, "You defeated Shampoo so naturally you're the fiancee of my granddaughter!"

"It's just a Law Colonge..." Ranma said, keeping it cool. "Besides do you think Shampoo really love me?"

"Ranma loves Shampoo!" Shampoo yelled again.

"Is that true? Or are you just following the law?" Ranma asked, "Besides I don't love you" he added,

Nodoka looked at Soun, then at her son. "So tell me son...What about Akane?"

Ranma looked directly at Nodoka, "I love her... and she's the one I want to marry" he said, Shampoo and Ukyou hearing this they both cowered, crying. "It is not about me becoming the heir of the anything goes martial arts. Even without this doujou, I will still marry Akane."

Ryouga sighed and then he smiled. "Take care of Akane... Ranma" he said,

Ranma smiled, and nodded.

"Wow. So all the engagements are over?" Nodoka asked, looking at everyone. Their faces were mixed of anger, sighing, crying and laughing. "Except your engagement with Akane" she smiled,

Ranma nodded again.

After a few minutes, when everyone left, Ranma sat in front of the Koi Pond, looking at the stars. He kept thinking of the time when he held Akane in his arms, when he thought she was dead. That was when Ranma felt so scared for the first time. It was the worst feeling ever.

"Ranchan?"

Ranma moved his gaze smiling, but he frowned as he saw Ukyou's face messy. "Ucchan..."

Ukyou wiped her tears and smiled sadly, "C-Can I talk to you?" she asked, Ranma nodded. They sat together in silence. But Ukyou decided to break the silence... "Why?" she asked, controlling emotions again.

"Why what?" Ranma asked,

"Why the sudden decision?" she asked, looking at her ex-fiance's eyes for answers. "Why Ranchan?" she asked,

Ranma sighed, and went back looking at the stars "I want to change. I am tired of all this crap. I was afraid in the past to hurt anyone of you, but... I realized... I have to choose, we can't live our lives like this forever... one way or the other... someone will get hurt." he spoke, then he held Ukyou's hands. "Ucchan, you are like a sister to me and you are one of the people I don't want to get hurt... but-" he sighed, and let go of her hands

Another bunch of tears fell off Ukyou's face. "But you can't help it... Everything changed..."

Ranma sighed, "I know that it's been my fault for not trying harder to put things straight before, and right now I'm fixing it." He said "Uc-chan, you're my oldest friend, and I care a lot about you. But I ..." He paused when Ukyou interrupted him.

"I love you. I Love you Ranchan" Ukyou blurted out.

"Ucchan ...don't make this really hard on me" Ranma started, sorrow drawn in the gentle contours of his face.

Ukyou cupped Ranma's face with her right hand. "What I feel for you is true love, but maybe... It was also my fault, maybe I never told you enough? I never expressed my love for you just like Shampoo? Or even Akane? Maybe you need to hear it so that you'll know that this is not just an infatuation or a puppy love or..." Ukyou babbled on.

Ranma shook his head, "Ucchan, please ..."

"... some schoolgirl crush, I really love you Ran-chan, if you'll just listen ..." She continued

"UKYOU." Ranma yelled,

Ukyou stopped. Silenced. For the first time, Ranma called her "Ukyou".

Ranma wiped his sweat, "You are my friend, but I don't love you," Ranma said, swallowing in unease. "I am not in love with you. I am in love with Akane and you know that!" Ranma sighed, "Don't do this. Please. I'm sorry, Ucchan. I love her. You have to understand."

Ukyou bit her lip until it bleeds, "Hai. Alright. So, it's over huh?" she asked, wiping her tears, glaring at Ranma. "It's over Ranchan, Good bye Ucchan, Thanks for all the memories" she said, sarcastically.

Ranma sighed, "... I still want to be your friend" Ranma said

Ukyou laughed sarcastically, "Ranma.. Ranma... we are in a modern generation. We can never be friends, I don't believe in that old cliché thing that you hurt my feelings, but you are still my friend?" Ukyou stood up, "Tell me Ranma.. Do I deserve all of this?" she asked, Ranma looked away. "Or do I deserve better?" she asked, she could see Ranma's face showing his pain very clear, but she was not interested in anyone's pain but her own for once.

"I never wanted to hurt you," Ranma protested.

"Well, you did! You did hurt me! All I want is a chance to make you change your mind and you won't even give me that, after all we've been through! Well, you just go to hell! Ran-ma!" She drew the name out. "I guess I never really mattered to you at all, do I?" she asked, her voice raw.

"Stop being selfish, Ucchan!" Ranma yelled,

"Do not call me that. My name is Ukyou and you know it" she said, "Besides, I really don't have any choice... you and Akane are very close since you two are living under the same roof." she smirked and continued to wiped her tears. "I mean how sure are you, that you truly love Akane? You never tried to live a life with me or Shampoo."

Ranma knew Ukyou is up to something. But after she said that, something had shaken him.

"Goodbye Ranma... I hope you truly love Akane" she told him, and that was it. She ran towards the gates of the Doujou and disappeared.

I mean how sure are you that you truly love Akane? You never tried to live a life with me or Shampoo. Those words started to haunt Ranma. Could it be? That he only feels he loves Akane because he is close to her? Ukyou has a point. Do I really love her? He knows he was sure that he loves Akane earlier, but now, he wasn't sure anymore.

"Ranma?"

Ranma almost jumped when he heard her voice. Akane's voice. "A-Akane..."

Akane crying but her face is shining with happiness. "Is it true?" she asked,

"T-True what?"

"That you broke all your engagements and you told everyone that you love me?" she asked, blushing but crying. Ranma looked down and nodded, then to his surprised. Akane hugged him lovingly, crying on his shirt. "Oh Ranma! How long I've waited for this day!" she wept.

Ranma put his arms around her, it was awkward at first but as soon as they relaxed and after the hug, Ranma looked down at her and she smiled at him. Her smile. I just love your smile...Akane. Ranma smiled and caress Akane's face. But is it enough? You love Akane because of her smile? Because she is close to you? Is that enough? "Akane... We need talk."

"Hai." Akane said, smiling. Ranma became speechless when Akane gave him one of her rare smiles. Ranma could not recall how many times she called her uncute and unsexy but it was all a lie. She looks cute... no. More like beautiful. "I am waiting Ranma" She said.

"Ucchan and I had a talk" he exclaimed, gulping. "And please don't misunderstand me... I Love you." He said, directly. He saw Akane's eyes shining. He doesn't want to end those... but he needs to be honest. "But I don't know now..."

Akane jaw dropped, and then she covered her mouth. "W-what do you mean?" she asked, softly. Her beautiful smile turned into a frowning one, and she got almost teary-eyed.

"I just need space" Ranma sighed, "I want to know if I do love you... I want to break our engagement... please Akane" Ranma held Akane's shoulders. "I want to know if I love you."

Akane's body trembled, Ranma felt that and he knew that in a matter of seconds, he would receive a slap from her.

Akane stopped running and cried, before she sat on the road, ignoring all the people who peeked at her. She cried really hard. Why Ranma? Why Ranma? When Akane felt her strength came back, she stood up again and run again. I have to get out of here, I have to be far away from Ranma... I have to...

Ranma was right, He received a slap. He closed his eyes and looked in ache at Akane.

"You're a liar" Akane let out, her voice quivering. Her body shaking.

"Akane..."

"I wasn't wrong, you are a pervert and a liar" she said, staring into his eyes. He saw her eyes moisten.

Ranma reached for Akane, "Akane please... I just need a space... but I love you Akane" he said, touching her.

Akane slapped Ranma's hands. "Don't touch me. How can you hurt me this way? Everything I do is for you! How dare you say you love me?" Akane yelled.

"Akane..." Ranma could feel his eyes moisten with tears, he bowed his head. Akane's words had stabbed his heart.

"You are a Liar Ranma... and I want to have nothing to do with you anymore...I HATE YOU!" she said, and then she ran towards the gate of the Tendou's.

"AKANE, WAIT!" Ranma yelled,

Akane leaned onto the wall, grabbing her dress as she cried really hard. She almost couldn't breathe. But she had to. She needed to go to a place where there would be no Ranma. She started running again. Her mind so messy, so helpless. She couldn't see where she was going, her eyes were so blurry.

"MISS, WATCH OUT!"

Akane looked at the lights coming towards her and screamed.

Where are you?! Ranma's gaze spun around. He already searched Akane in all the places they knew, their hangouts. When they had been lonely, when they had been happy, when they wanted to be alone ... God help me... Ranma wiped his tears while running, then he stopped as he saw an ambulance, a car and a truck. He rushed towards and saw five people were being taken to the ambulance.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" Ranma yelled, "Police! Police!" he yelled again.

One of the officers approached Ranma. "Yes sir?" He answered.

"What happen here?" he asked the officer.

"An accident. Five people. Three of them died" he said,

"Oh okay..." Ranma said, but before he turned his back and to resume looking for Akane, he heard the police saying that two of the people who died, could not be identified, because their faces were burn already. Then he looked and saw the officer holding something.

"But the other girl who died had this thing beside her."

Ranma saw Akane's key chain. He forced himself into the public, until he was standing beside the officers. "Akane's key chain" he said,

"You know this girl who died sir?"

Ranma nodded, then shakily he took the key chain, "She's my fiancée..." he said, he felt the blood drain out of his face and ears, but not the tears that coursed down his face.

"Then, we are sorry to inform you sir... your fiancée is dead"