I do not own Ranma 1/2 or any of its characters
-13-
For the next two days, Ranma found himself a guest, worker, and caregiver at the Nekohanten. He wouldn't leave Shampoo's side for longer than necessary. The salve that Cologne was applying to Shampoo's wound sped up the recovery, and according to Cologne, Shampoo should be back to normal in a week.
While Ranma was feeding Shampoo her breakfast, Cologne made her way over to the Tendo household. Luckily for her, only Kasumi seemed to be at home. The matriarch shared with Kasumi the need to gather Ranma's belongings, and Kasumi was happy to oblige, even assisting with the packing process.
"I do wish Shampoo a speedy recovery."
"Thank you, for your assistance and kindness in this matter."
Back at the Nekohanten, Cologne kicked Ranma out of the room so she could bathe Shampoo. "While you're out here, you should bathe as well. I brought your things from the Tendo household."
Ranma looked surprised by this. "Thank you for that, Granny."
Cologne nodded. Then moved to tend to Shampoo.
Ranma closed the door and made his way to the bathroom. Clean, and with a fresh pair of clothes, he went back to Shampoo.
"Great-grandmother said she brought your things over. I asked her to clean out some of my drawers, so you have space." Shampoo indicated a dresser.
"Thank you for doing that, you didn't have to though."
"I want you to be comfortable here."
"Shampoo…" Ranma trailed off, "I've noticed that your Japanese has improved."
She smiled at him. "Great-grandmother has been helping me perfect the language in between training."
"I see." He was surprised to find that he was a little disappointed that she wouldn't be referring to herself in the 3rd person anymore. It was rather cute when she did it.
With her recovery going so well, Cologne was giving Shampoo some physical tasks to keep her conditioning without causing pain or exacerbating her injury. Ranma helped her with these, encouraging her all the while in her progress.
On the third day of Shampoo's recovery, the Nekohanten received an unexpected visitor. Cologne answered the door to find Akane there with a bowl in her hand. "Kasumi made this for Shampoo, she said she had been injured."
"How kind of her, please give her my thanks."
"So it's true?"
"It is, Kasumi heard the news from me."
"Is…is Ranma here?"
"Son-in-law has been here since the incident."
"May I see him?"
Cologne considered this, she didn't know all the details, but knew that there was some kind of falling out between the two. "I'll let him know you're here, but if he doesn't want to see you, I will ask that you leave."
Akane agreed to her terms, and Cologne went up to Shampoo's room after setting Kasumi's dish down in the kitchen.
Shampoo was asleep on Ranma. He looked over to the door and saw Cologne.
"Akane is here. She wishes to speak with you. Will you see her?"
Ranma looked over at Shampoo and figured that she would be asleep for a while. Carefully, he pulled himself away, trying not to jostle and wake the sleeping amazon. Cologne stayed with Shampoo, while Ranma made his way down the stairs.
"Hello," Akane said as he stood before her, suddenly nervous now that he was here. "I haven't seen you around, even before Shampoo was hurt."
Ranma wasn't sure how to respond, he had been avoiding her even before Shampoo was injured and afterward he hadn't given Akane too much thought.
Akane continued, "I saw Ukyo the other day and she told me what you two decided. So…"
Ranma made eye contact with her as he began to explain. "Before my training trip, I had always just assumed it would be you. We had been through so many adventures and had spent so much time together that I just thought that would be it, but once I got serious about making a decision and I looked harder at things, I realized that our foundation is cracked and we would not be able to have a lasting relationship with it like that. Akane, I care about you, but we can't have a real relationship if you cannot trust me."
"I trust you." She automatically shot back.
"Think about all the instances where you caught me in some awkward situation, or when someone was crying around me. Think about what your first reactions have been. You always conclude that I'm at fault. I have never given you a reason to doubt me, but you do, at every turn. There's no fixing that."
"I can learn to trust you." She countered.
"Can you? Give P-chan a bath with hot water."
"What does P-chan have to do with anything? Why are you always picking on him?"
"Do you see? We can't make something that will last. I'm sorry, but I, Ranma Saotome, am annulling the marriage agreement set up by our fathers to you, Akane Tendo. I wish you the best in your life and I really do hope you find someone that you can trust, and you go on to build something with them."
Akane was stunned. She stood there even after Ranma went back upstairs. He...he broke up with me… It took a bit for that realization to really sink in. Still numb and in shock, she opened the door and walked out. She didn't get far before she heard the squeal of a little pig. Looking down she saw P-chan. Memories played back of her conversations with Ranma concerning the pig, some were of Ranma teasing Ryoga by calling him P-chan. Kneeling down, she scooped up the animal and the tears finally came. Not wanting to make a scene in the street, she hurried over to Ukyo's place, which hadn't opened for business yet.
Ukyo heard the frantic knocking and hurried over. Akane spilled in as she opened the door.
"What happened?" Ukyo cried at the sight of the girl.
Akane wailed and grabbed onto Ukyo as her tears spilled.
The young chef did her best to comfort Akane, but her distress seemed to be endless. So it must be Shampoo he chose. I'm somewhat surprised by this.
When the tears ceased, Akane replayed the conversation to Ukyo, who looked a little guilty when the portions of P-chan came up.
"Why did things turn out like this?"
"Do you really not agree with his assessment? Do you really think you treated him fairly? That you believed in him? P-chan is just one example."
"Why does P-chan keep getting dragged into this?"
"How can someone who is so involved with people with Jusenkyo curses not be able to put two and two together?" Ukyo glared at the little pig.
P-chan nodded to Ukyo, giving his consent.
Akane was in denial. "P-chan is not a person!"
"Akane let's go give P-chan a bath."
That's what Ranma said. Ukyo seems confident too, does everyone know something that I don't?
Akane stood on shaky legs, lifted the pig, and they all went to Uyko's bathroom. After the tub had a good amount of hot water, Akane leaned forward to place the pig in, but was stopped by Ukyo.
"Wait," she hurried and grabbed a towel and was holding it in front of the bath, "just a second, we want to make sure he's covered."
P-chan began to squirm in Akane's arms making him hard to hold onto.
Ukyo understood his protests. "He wants you to set him on the side of the tub so he can jump in on his own to hide behind the towel."
Akane looked between Ukyo and the now calm pig and did as she said.
P-chan looked at Akane.
He seems so sad.
P-chan jumped into the water. The change was immediate, and before the two girls stood a very wet and naked Ryoga. He took the towel from Ukyo and secured it around his waist.
Akane stood frozen, yet again, after receiving her second major shock of the day. No thoughts were able to form, no words came to mind. Her pet piglet was a person with a Jusenkyo curse, and not just any person but Ryoga. Ranma...was...right. Her legs gave out beneath her and she sank to the floor. Ukyo knew too…
"Who all knew?"
"I couldn't say for certain."
"Who all KNEW?"
Ukyo shrank back, but responded, "I only found out recently, but Ranma, Mousse, Shampoo, Genma, and your father, I think."
Everyone knew...and no one told me. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Ranma honey tried, on several occasions. And as for the rest of us, if you wouldn't believe him, why would you believe us? Besides, no one wanted to put themselves in the warpath of your ire.."
Shame and embarrassment coursed through her. She looked to Ryoga who had stayed quiet this entire time. "How could you deceive me like that? How could you let me believe you were just a pig? How could you let me argue with him about it when you knew he was right? I thought we were friends!" Her voice grew louder with each statement, tears streamed down her face, and each statement thrust a new dagger into Ryoga.
The man hung his head in shame. Ranma was right. "Akane...I'm so sorry. I just… I just… you were the only person who was nice to me. You took me in as a pet where most everyone else I met tried to eat me. I li-...I've been...in love with you for so long but was scared, especially because Ranma was there, so it was easier to be close to you as your pet than risk rejection as a man."
"I lost him because of you…"
The last accusation broke what remained of Ryoga's heart, but it angered Ukyo.
"Now hold on, that's not fair! Yes, what Ryoga did was wrong and cowardly, but you were the one who wouldn't listen, who wouldn't believe what Ranma tried to tell you. You cannot blame Ryoga for your choices, for you are the one that chose not to believe Ran-chan."
She's right… I lost him,and it's all my fault. Akane turned and fled.
When Akane left, Ryoga's reserve broke and he cried too. She hates me and I deserve it.
"I think you'll fit in my school uniform. Let me get one so you can change and then I'll get us a drink."
Ryoga only nodded, unable to say anything at the moment.
Ukyo returned with the clothes, set them down, then exited the room. At the doorway, she said, "I'll be downstairs when you're ready." Closing the door, she left him to get dressed.
Ryoga took a few minutes to compose himself before dressing and leaving the bathroom, after several wrong turns (some occurring multiple times) he found his way down the stairs. Ukyo had a bottle of sake and some snacks out already and beckoned him to sit with her.
"Some day it's been, huh?"
He sat and drank from the cup she had poured for him. "Yeah, you could say that again. I just got back into town after my last encounter with Ranma, and this is what I walk into."
"Yes, but it was a product of your decisions too, you know. It wasn't like you were innocent in all this."
Ryoga held his head in shame. "I know I shouldn't have done it. I should have come clean. I wanted to several times…"
"Why didn't you?"
"It was easier. It was safer… Do you think she'll ever forgive me?"
"Maybe, but she'll have to figure out a way to forgive herself, first. It's funny, but out of all of us, I thought it would have been Akane that he chose. I think she was certain of that too, so it's probably a bigger blow to her. He's right though, in his reasoning. She doesn't trust him and they couldn't have a stable relationship without it. I've really seen the extent of it recently, and it's really made me feel bad for him. I'm somewhat relieved he got himself out of the situation. It bordered on toxic at times."
Ryoga felt the anger rising in him by Ukyo's words at first, then realized she wasn't saying it to insult Akane. There was no malice behind the words. She was just making an observation.
"Was it always that bad?" She was asking honestly.
"It kind of was, but Ranma isn't completely innocent he would purposely egg her on."
Ukyo poured more drinks. "It feels like an ending to our little group and the way we were."
They raised their glasses to that and drank to who they were and to who they have yet to become.
