Retro's thoughts: Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. I've been having what you call a writer's block but no matter I think I'm back on track.


Chapter 4

Ranma yawned as he saw the brightness of the Sunday morning sun blind his eyes. He moved his hand over his eyes so as not to hurt them too much. He rolled over to see if Akane was there but she wasn't. He remembered what had happened last night and smiled to himself. They shared their first true kiss last night. It was a pretty damn good one too, he thought with the morning grogginess getting to him.

He stood up and stretched his body only to awaken a couple sore muscles. I'll never sleep on the roof again, he thought. He moved to the edge of the roof and jumped through his window. He walked up to the door and opened it walking into the hallway. He heard the morning voices downstairs. He walked to Akane's room and knocked. There was no answer. She must be downstairs, he thought. Ranma walked into the bathroom and took off his clothes to take a nice long bath in the furo*. Draping a hot, damp washcloth over his face, he let out a long sigh. Ahhh, he thought, how relaxing. His nose sniffed the air to pick up a faint trace of breakfast. If it was any other man the smell never would have even been noticed, but to a person like Ranma it came in clear. Jumping out of the furo* he threw on his clothes without even drying off. Still hopping trying to put on a shoe Ranma walked downstairs as best, he could.

He took his usual seat next to Akane who was blushing slightly. "What's up?" He asked her wondering why she was blushing. Was it about last night? Genma leaned closer to the other side of Ranma's face startling him when he turned around.

"So tell me my boy," Genma said smirking with Tendo next to him "did you have a nice sleep last night on the roof?" Genma and Tendo broke out laughing and danced around each other waving victory fans.

Ranma and Akane blushed furiously red at that comment. "Just what do you mean by that?" Ranma said his anger flaring up. "Nothing happened, besides why would I want to do that with a tomboy like her." Ranma said pointing behind him for emphasize.

Again Ranma's mouth moved way to fast for his head to keep it in check. Ranma shut up immediately and sat back down next to Akane who bowed her head unable to say anything at the insult just given to her.

"Akane I'm sorry," Ranma said with his hand on her shoulder, "it just slipped I.."

She moved his hand off her shoulder and continued eating without saying anything. Ranma sighed still mad at himself for pulling such a grade A stupid move.

Cologne and Happosai both walked into the room but said nothing as they sat outside and talked. Ranma stared after them wondering what they were talking about, but it really didn't bother him because his mind was too focused on how he was going to make this up to Akane. He was curious though at why they continually threw strange glances his way.

"Say Tendo look what I found just lying in the room when I woke up." Genma brandished the golden ring out from his pocket to show Soun. "It's a nice one isn't it? I was going to sell it for some money but now that I think it is very nice so I think I'll keep it."

Ranma saw the ring and all hell broke lose. Ranma screamed, "THAT'S MINE," and jumped up from his seat knocking his food and drink over. Last night recalled in his head; the nightmare, him throwing the rings across the room, and then the roof. He jumped at Genma's hand across the table spilling everything, but he did not take any notice; his eyes were directly fixed on the golden object of fire in his father's hand. He tried to snatch it but his clumsiness and lack of finesse knocked it out of Genma's hand and onto the ground rolling out the door. Ranma did an about-face and ran after it knocking Akane over but taking no mention of it. His eyes were like gems of fire in the morning yearning for only one thing.

Ranma saw the ring heading towards the Koi pond.

"NOOOOOO!!!" Ranma screamed as he pounced, but missed again. He crawled toward it on hands and knees and finally made a last jump at the ring. He kneeled on the ground and stroked the ring as if it was a pet. The ring really wasn't going anywhere. It would have bumped the rocks surrounding the pond and just sat there, but Ranma couldn't have that. He wanted it. He NEEDED it.

Ranma put back on the ring and felt all better again as if it were the ultimate feel good drug. Ranma heard the silence, looked up, and then looked behind him to see the family.

They were all looking at him as if he'd gone nuts. Kasumi had a picture of shock painted across her face as she looked at the mess and at the person who had made it. Nabiki and Akane had looks of disgust on their faces. Genma's face was trying to hide the fury of losing such a beautiful ring. Tendo just stared in belief.

"WHAT ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT!" Ranma screamed as he jumped over the dojo walls and ran out into the street. Akane got up to follow him but Cologne put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"Let him be young one", she stared after him with an expression of worry on her face, "he needs to be alone for right now I'm sure." Akane saw Happosai's nod of approval. Akane sat back down at her spot and put her hands in her lap.

"Cologne and I have decided to take a training journey for about a week." Happosai threw on a small backpack, which bared his utmost necessities. Panties. "We should be back I'm sure by Saturday, no later," Happosai mumbled the rest under his breath, but only Kasumi could hear the rest, "I hope."

"Keep Ranma in check Genma and make sure he doesn't do anything foolish." Cologne nodded to Genma who at where Ranma had jumped with a look of hatred.

"Oh yes of course." Genma said as he came back to life and nodded at her.

"You too Tendo." Cologne turned and walked out with Happosai leaving the room with five worried people, all their worries directed around one person.

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"They just don't understand how much this ring means to me." Ranma jumped from roof to roof staring down at his ring while speaking. Ranma stopped and felt his stomach rumble and he remembered he had never had any breakfast. He hopped down onto the street and headed to Ucchans.

He walked into the okonomiyaki restaurant ready and hungry. He smiled to Ukyou and she immediately started making breakfast.

"Hey Ranma honey," the brown haired chef said smiling at him while flipping the okonomiyaki in the air, "what's up?"

"Oh nothing I was just looking for somewhere to have breakfast seeing as how my..." Ranma stopped himself before he said something Ukyou would get mad at. She was nice and all but when it came to mistreating Ranma she could be pretty cheesed. "Cook..is not...feeling well." Good cover Ranma, he thought, why thank you Ranma.

"Oh," she said disappointed by the looks of things, "well I hope Kasumi gets better soon." She returned to work and was done in no time. She handed Ranma his okonomiyaki and he consumed the breakfast in 5.7 seconds, she counted with a stopwatch under the counter.

"Thanks Ukyou I'll just hea.." Ranma couldn't finish the sentence because he ducked at an incoming object.

He looked at the assailant out the window and recognized the boy. About his age, dark black hair, yellow bandana, and black pants with string around the calves. His signature sharp teeth were showing as he stared daggers or in his case bandanas at Ranma.

"THIS IS THE DAY YOU DIE RANMA!" Ranma walked out of the restaurant to meet him. The boy known as Ryouga Hibiki dropped his backpack, unrolled his umbrella, and threw it in Ranma's direction. That is the reason I've always lost to "The Great Ranma Saotome," he thought, I never used my weapons enough. As his umbrella sailed at Ranma's head, Ryouga brought out two bandanas and using a special technique made them sharp as razors and hurled them at Ranma. Ranma gasped but got control of himself quickly or more the ring did as he grabbed the umbrella by the handle easily and blocked the two bandanas with it. Ranma sent the umbrella sailing right back at Ryouga with two times the speed and accuracy.

Ryouga grunted as he blocked the umbrella as best he could but was still knocked down by its force. Ryouga picked up the umbrella and smirked at Ranma, "I have a new surprise for you Ranma." Ryouga took off the umbrella part to reveal a blade attached to the handle, "your not the only one who has been training". Ryouga stepped into proper stance holding the blade to the right of his face. He smirked and screaming, he charged the sword at his side so he could make a cut across Ranma's chest. His aura was flowing around him as Ranma matched him. Right when Ryouga was close Ranma ducked and kicked Ryouga's face. Ryouga grunted but did not waver. If anything this made him more enraged. He charged again and swung his sword but when he blocked, Ranma's kick Ranma brought a punch across his face. Ryouga stumbled back closing his eyes due to dizziness but when he opened them, he looked to find Ranma doing a flying kick at him. Ranma kicked the sword out of his hand with one foot and with the other, he knocked Ryouga across the face.

Ryouga stumbled twirling to the ground as the blade did the same. Ryouga moaned as he rubbed his cheek on the ground. Pain charged his body like a bull. His eyes were failing him but he made out a big red blur flying running very fast in his direction. Ryouga rolled to his side as a foot made a crater where his face had once been. Ryouga felt nothing but pain but would not fall to Ranma. He brought his feet twirling to block Ranma's coming approach and flipped off the ground a couple feet in front of Ranma.

Ryouga blinked twice to gain his vision back, but it came reluctantly due to the few but powerful hits to his temples. Ranma smirked as he saw Ryouga take a fighting stance against him. Ranma kicked the backpack at his feet upward and punched it forward to Ryouga making a perfect right angle. Ryouga dodged his backpack easily but was left off guard to Ranma's kick to the gut, which sent him into a pile of boxes.

Ryouga tried to get up but felt pain singe his body. Ranma is going all out on me, he thought as he got back into stance. Ryouga stumbled a bit but brought himself back into fighting stance and readied himself.

"BAKUSAI TENKETSU!" Ryouga screamed the words as he jumped up and sailed at Ranma ignoring the pain nerves throbbing through out his body. Ranma dodged easily as he stepped aside and elbowed Ryouga in the face causing Ryouga do a back flip onto the ground. Ranma looked down and smiled.

Ranma brought his foot to stomp onto Ryouga's head but was tripped when Ryouga, playing possum, grabbed his other leg and flipped him. Ranma did a backwards flip landing as if nothing ever happened. Ryouga stumbled to his feet moaning as he did so. I'm wasted, he thought, Ranma is the better man. I can't cope with this for long. Man he has been training. I can't believe I failed everyone. I'm sorry Akane.

"Ranma.". Ryouga brought his hand up for a handshake but Ranma slapped it aside. Ranma had said nothing since Ryouga arrived and he planned to keep it that way. That bastard slept with Akane more times then I can count he thought, he'll pay for every time he interrupted us.

Ranma brought his hand back and shouted as he flung himself at Ryouga, "KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN". Ranma's fists of fury were no match to the physically, and emotionally, broken Ryouga. Ryouga absorbed every blow into him as he only went farther and farther back. Ryouga had backed against a wall and just leaned against it and slid down as Ranma let blow after blow coarse into his body. Ranma could hear screams from behind him, ceased, and then looked down on a blood stained Ryouga. His clothes were ripped and blood flowed freely from his nose and his mouth. One pant leg was missing; probably ripped off in the frenzy by Ranma. Ranma stared down in horror as he dropped to his knees staring at the lost boys closed eyes. Ranma felt for a pulse and he found a very faint one. He smiled as a tear rolled down his face. I didn't want this, he thought.

Ukyou came running up to him with a medical kit in hand. She pushed Ranma aside forcefully, but Ranma took no notice of it. Ukyou checked for a pulse as Ranma had and found one, very faint though. She sighed as she opened the case and wiped the blood from his Ryouga's face. She then felt for broken ribs and thankfully found none. She noticed that Ryouga's body was just one big bruise. She motioned Ranma to pick up his feet while she gently lifted his head and arms. They moved him to Ucchans, which was only two houses away. With Ranma still clutching on to Ryouga, Ukyou walked in a swiped her hand across a table full of dirty dishes. The dishes fell to the ground with a clatter. The couple in the corner took notice of that and the fact that a boy was bleeding severely and being set on top of the table. They took this as a note to leave and did so with enthusiasm.

Ukyou watched the couple leave and went over to the counter and jumped behind it. She pulled out a box that seemed to attract the dust. She opened it and took out a small leaf about the size of a fingernail.

"Ranma go over to that kettle and pull it off the moment steam starts to come out of it." Ranma nodded and walked over to the burner watching the kettle intently. Ukyou put the herb in the cup and began to smash it with the blunt side of two chopsticks that were "relocated" onto the floor. Ranma brought the kettle over to her the moment he saw steam and handed it to her. She poured the water into the cup, and mixed with the ever-useful chopsticks.

Once she was done she let Ryouga sip the home made remedy and set it back on the counter. She started to bandage Ryouga up and put Band-Aid's on the places he was bleeding at. Ranma stood there and watched unable to say anything after the events that had just happened. When Ukyou was finished she looked back at Ranma; The Almighty Ranma who had finally bested Ryouga in combat, but at what cost.

She finally spoke to Ranma since lunch, "Was that necessary Ranma?" She looked at him with worry and anger in her eyes. No matter what people say Ryouga was still her friend and he didn't deserve this.

Ranma stood there dumbfounded at the question just asked before him. Ranma couldn't answer the question at all. The memories of it were hot in Ranma's mind as he remembered Ryouga stretch his hand out to him for friendship. Nevertheless, Ranma had slapped it away.

"I don't know Ukyou." Ranma said looking at the floor. He really didn't know and if he tried to explain to Ukyou the ring...ahh she just wouldn't understand. He looked back up at Ukyou hoping to change the subject. "So how is he?"

Ukyou looked down at Ryouga, sympathy in her eyes for her friend. "I'm no doctor but his pulse is slowing down and then speeding up and then repeating the process."

Ranma looked at her about to speak but lowered his head again. None of this would have happened if it weren't for him. He found the courage for his words and looked up again. "What do we do now?"

Ukyou turned to him and spoke in a voice that carried nothing but sadness through the air. "I suggest we pray Ranchan."


Furo - A japanese bathtub

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Retro's thoughts: Wow Ryouga is seriously hurt. What will happen next? Again, I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out to you guys.