Chapter 14:

Day 15:

On a lonely street stood a young man, who donned a yellow bandana on his head, and an umbrella on his shoulder. He was looking for the place they called Nerima, where he would hope to find his old love, Akane Tendo, who he hadn't seen for nearly two months. He missed her like he misses the sunlight when it's dark. He had a yearning in his heart to gaze upon her once more, but it would not be the same as before. The last time he had seen Akane, was at Ranma's funeral; he hadn't returned since. When Ranma was alive, the two would fight due to a long time vendetta, which was heightened by their Jusenkyo curses, but they also fought for Akane's heart. During the funeral, as Akane wept for Ranma, Ryoga realized he had lost that battle, but his heart still beat for her. He couldn't let her go, even though he knew he needed to, but a part of him thought that without Ranma here, he could surely win Akane's heart. I guess he'll never know if he doesn't try.

The lost boy continued on, "Where am I?" He asked himself as he observed his surroundings, noticing he was somewhere familiar.

A sign near a gate caught the young man's eye, he got closer to read the words that were wrote upon it.

"The Tendo Training Hall..." The boy read aloud. "I've made it! I must have been led by love it's self."

The boy headed inside the gates, and what awaited him inside was something he could never have expected.

Ranma walked around the yard of the dojo, thinking about things. It seemed that with his lack of martial arts ability, the only thing he could do to pass the time was to think. In his prior life he would have trained on a day like today, but today was no ordinary day anyways.

Akane was still not feeling well from the prior night. Kasumi figured it was grief. Ranma didn't understand why Akane was so upset about his passing, considering he was a complete jerk to her before, that and she had insisted she didn't love him. Why was she so scarred by it? Why did it cause her so much hurt? If she had loved him, it would make much more sense, Ranma thought, but that wasn't the case...or was it?

Ranma made another round passed the dojo, and laid his eyes upon a sight he didn't think he'd ever see in his new life.

"Ryoga?" Ranma stared at his rival, who was possibly more like a friend, but they wouldn't admit that. Ranma had forgotten about the pig-boy.

Ryoga heard Ranma's voice, although it was not a voice he knew. He turned to face Ranma, pulling out his umbrella, and getting in to a fighting stance. Something in the pit of Ryoga's stomach made him feel uneasy about the young man that stood before him.

"Who are you?" Ryoga questioned, standing his guard.

Ranma put his hands up in defense, "Ryoga, it's okay. It's me, Ra-..., I guess you don't know me." Ranma remembered, as he relaxed his form. "I'm Akira. Akira Tazowa."

"What are you doing here?" Ryoga asked.

"I-I live here." Ranma stated, shocking Ryoga.

"What?"

"Yeah, I live here." Ranma replied. "What are you doing here?"

"You know..Akane?"

"Well, yeah." Ranma said, and continued, "Actually we're..really close."

"What?" Ryoga exclaimed. "No way! You're lying!"

"Why would I lie about a thing like that?"

"You've taken Akane away from me..and for that..you'll pay!" Ryoga exclaimed as he charged towards Ranma.

"What? What are you talking abooouutt?!" Ranma exclaimed as Ryoga attacked Ranma with a move that sent him flying in the air.

"Akira?" The voice of Akane rang out, as she headed near the koi pond, in response to the sound of Ranma's scream.

"Oh, Akane!" Ryoga exclaimed as he noticed Akane.

"Oh, hi Ryoga." Akane greeted, as her eyes searched for the young man she had grown attached to. "Have you seen my friend?"

"You're friend?"

"Yeah, his name is Akira."

"Akira?" Ryoga asked with a look of guilt.

"Akira?" Akane called out.

"Ahhh!"

"Huh?"

Akane and Ryoga looked up as Ranma fell out of the sky, and landed in the koi pond.

"Akira!" Akane exclaimed, worried she had lost her friend, until the young man sat up in the water.

"Whatcha do that for?" Ranma asked Ryoga, prompting both Ryoga and Akane to be taken aback by his comment.

'Where have I heard that phrase before?' Ryoga thought to himself, and Akane's thoughts weren't too far off either.

Akane shook the memories of girl type Ranma that had flooded her mind, "Uh..Akira, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Ranma assured as he tried to stand up, but ultimately fell back in to the water. "I guess that blow did take a lot out of me."

"I'll go get you a towel, alright." Akane said, before heading off in search of a towel for Ranma to dry off with.

"I'm surprised you're not dead." Ryoga piped in.

"Yeah, me too. Why'd ya have to do that to me anyways?" Ranma questioned.

"I don't know what it is," Ryoga began, "but, there's something about you.."

Ranma began to feel nervous, "Wh-what? What are you talkin' about?"

"There's just something...something about you..just...ticks me off." Ryoga replied, making Ranma sigh a sigh of relief.

"Well, I'm not too fond of you either." Ranma retorted.

Ryoga shot Ranma a glare, "You and Akane seem to know each other. What's your business with her?"

Ranma finally found the strength to stand up in the water, so that he could face Ryoga, "What does it matter to you?"

"Who allowed you to live with Akane?" Ryoga asked, beginning to get angry.

"What do you mean? Akane's the one who asked me to live with her." Ranma replied.

Ryoga looked surprised, "What?" Ryoga clenched his fists, and a scowl appeared on his face, "How could you? Take advantage of Akane like that?"

"Wait, what?" Ranma didn't know what to say. "Taking advantage of her?"

"She's at her most vulnerable, and you weasel your way in! You're trying to get to her! How could you?" Ryoga reprimanded with rage in his voice.

"What? Why would I want to get to an uncute fiancee like her?" Ranma said, and didn't realize the harsh words he said, until after they had been spoken. "I-I didn't..I didn't mean it like that."

Ryoga stood surprised, feeling a wave of nostalgia, he shook his head, and tried to gather his senses, "Who are you?"

"What do you mean, I already told you." Ranma replied in defense.

"Who are you?!" Ryoga asked again with more force.

"I'm..Akira." Ranma began, "Akira Tazowa."

"Well, Akira, I'm staying here in Nerima for a while." Ryoga revealed.

"Why?"

"To keep an eye on you," Ryoga began, looking Ranma square in the eyes with intimidation, "and to look out for Akane."

"Here, Akira!" The pair heard the voice of Akane ring out. "I brought you a towel."

Akane handed Ranma the towel, "Thanks."

"You'll need to change your clothes." Akane advised, as Ranma patted himself down, "And, I'll have Kasumi run you a hot bath."

"Thanks, Akane."

"So, Ryoga," Akane began, turning her attention to the other boy, "It's nice to see you again. What brings you to Nerima?"

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot," Ryoga started, as he wen in to his bag, and pulled something out of it, "I came for the Halloween party!"

Ryoga stood with a happy smile on his face, as he held up his costume.

"Oh, Ryoga..." Akane said with pity, shaking her head.

"What? What's wrong?"

"You're a day late, buddy." Ranma informed Ryoga, giving him a pat on the back. "Sorry about that."

"What? I left a week ago for it, and I still missed it?" Ryoga said in frustrations. "And here I was totally excited to wear my Ranma costume."

"You're what?" Ranma and Akane asked in unison.

"My Ranma costume." Ryoga simply replied. "Actually, it's just a martial artist costume that I got at a discount Halloween store, but I thought the piece shared some resemblance to Ranma."

"Wow. How...thoughtful." Akane replied awkwardly.

"Thanks."

"So, Ryoga, do you want to stay for supper?" Akane offered Ryoga.

"Of course. I'd love to, Akane!" Ryoga agreed happily.

"Well, let's head inside than, shall we?" Akane replied.

"Sure, let's go." Ryoga followed Akane inside, with Ranma not too far behind.

Ryoga sat with the Tendos, Mr. Saotome, and Ranma, as they all enjoyed yet another wonderful meal made by Kasumi.

"So, Ryoga," Kasumi began, "What brings you here?"

"Oh, I had come for the Halloween party, but I guess I was a bit late." Ryoga explained.

"Hey, at least you were only a day late, Ryoga." Ranma reminded Ryoga. "There's times that you've been days late."

Ryoga shot Ranma a look of suspicion, "And, how would you know that?"

Ranma nearly choked on his food at what Ryoga said, "I-I uh.." Ranma didn't know what to say, and to make it worse, everyone was staring at him waiting for an answer. "Well, you know, you're a pretty famous guy, Ryoga."

"What?" Ryoga asked confused.

"Yeah, totally. I've heard many things about you." Ranma told Ryoga. "I've heard all about your adventures, bad sense of direction, and your tardiness. News about a guy like you gets around, Ryoga. It's kinda like the flu."

Ryoga had a bashful look upon his face, "Oh, knock it off! You're just sayin' that."

"No way! I'm not just sayin' it. I had heard about a great martial artist from an old ghoul once." Ranma began to tell.

"And who was it? Me?" Ryoga asked eagerly.

"No." Ranma replied simply, making Ryoga sad. "It was a guy named Ranma, but she also told me about this one dude that Ranma always fought, and about how he was pretty good as well. Not as good as Ranma, but still really good."

"And, who was she talking about this time?" Ryoga asked beginning to be annoyed by Ranma's story.

"Let me guess, it was Moose." Akane piped in.

"No, it wasn't Moose." Ranma assured. "His name was...Ryoga Habiki."

"Hey, that's me." Ryoga exclaimed.

"Exactly! She told me all about you." Ranma fibbed. "You see, that's how I know all of this stuff."

"Wow..." The whole group said in amazement.

"I have to admit, I'm quite flattered, but I'm afraid something about you still ticks me off." Ryoga replied seriously. "So, don't bother trying to butter me up, alright?"

"Butter you up? I'm not trying to do that. I'm simply just stating the facts." Ranma defended himself. "Hey, maybe when I get stronger you and I can spar someday?"

Ryoga thought about Ranma's offer for a moment, and then replied, "Well, if you don't mind losing, then I guess I'm up for that."

Ranma smiled, and replied, "Sounds good."

Ranma probably wouldn't admit it, but he had grown to think of Ryoga as more than just his rival. Ryoga had truly become like a friend to him. Ranma was looking forward to the day when him and Ryoga could go at it again. Whether it was in this body, or his old one.

*Author Notes*

I'm going to do a quick story time for you guys. So anyways, I actually started writing this story in July of 2019, and I worked on it quite regularly, until I got to this chapter, then I stopped. Why? I caught a bad case of writer's block. I didn't know what to write next, until months later. I had finally picked it back up again, and continued writing until I finished it. It's kind of just been sitting in my files, doing nothing, so that's why I wanted to upload it here. Give it some sort of use. I didn't expect too much from it, but I'm so grateful that there's actually people who care to read this story of mine. It means the world to me! Thanks again guys!