Hi Minna! Okay, I'm back with the 4th chapter of this fic! You all kept me inspired and happy with all your wonderful reviews…keep em comin'!
Special thanks to my beta-reader Vamp Queen…you're the best!
Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½ :(
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Ranma's feet thudded softly on the wet pavement, splashing lightly in the small puddles that had began to form on the ground as he trailed Akane on their way home.
Ranma glanced at his feet. Was it him or did his feet just get smaller? He thought slowly analyzing his feet. Had all the stress finally gone to his head? Must have. He reasoned to himself continuing to walk.
After a couple more steps, he stopped again. He also felt different somehow, as if this body was no longer his. Just as soon as the crazy idea appeared in his head, he dismissed the crazy notion with a slight shake of his head.
Akane, who had been silent since the time they had left the small café, stopped. "Ranma, I'm sorry that I made us leave early, it's just that…that guy made me sooo mad." She explained, not wanting to explain what Kuno had said.
Ranma silently chewed over that fact. Was that guy her boyfriend? He thought again for the second time, feeling unexpected rush of jealousy wash over him anew. He swallowed before replying. "Why is he your boyfriend or something?" Ranma inquired…but not in his voice. What the hell was wrong with his voice? He sounded like some girl!
Akane sighed. "No, he's not my boy-" Was it her or did girl Ranma's voice just come out of his mouth!? No more like girl Ranma's voice just come out of her mouth!! How in the hell had she forgotten about that!? She had been worrying so much about the fiancé thing; she had forgotten to mention his sex-changing predicament. He was never going to forgive her now!!
She gulped audibly; turning around slowly, fervently hoping and praying that it wasn't so, even though she already knew it would be so.
"Akane…" Ranma said, giving her a confused looked. His look intensified when she looked at him as if he had just sprouted another head.
"We have to hurry up and get home." Akane said in a rush, taking Ranma's arm and all but running back to the dojo.
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"Akane, what's wrong with me?" Ranma asked, his voice still sounding odd to his ears.
After nearly dragging girl Ranma into the dojo yard, she turned around. "Okay, there's something I forgot to tell you…" She trailed off, not really knowing exactly what to say.
"What is it?" Ranma urged her on, eager to know what was going on, his eyes momentarily straying to the small pool that they were standing by. He wouldn't have known what would have scared him more: him not seeing a reflection or him seeing a reflection of himself as a girl. He didn't know about the other one, but this was pretty damn scary.
"Well you see, um, err…" Akane stalled, still not knowing how to put her thoughts into words. Fortunately, she didn't have to.
Ranma heaved a huge sigh before finally looking down at his chest, to confirm what his reflection had already revealed to him. Even thought his reflection had clearly shown that he had breast, seeing them up close and on himself was just horrifying.
Akane jumped noticeably at Ranma's almost blood-curdling scream. "That's kinda what I meant to tell you…" She said silently, her hands all of a sudden becoming very interesting at the moment.
"W-why didn't you tell me about this!?" Ranma exploded.
"I sort of forgot." She said quietly, truthfully.
"You forgot…" Ranma trailed off incredulously, failing to understand how someone could forget about something like this.
"Yeah, I can explain." She rushed, trying to get her explanation out.
"How could you forget about something like this!? I thought you were supposed to be my friend?" She yelled back, angrier with the fact that all of this was going on, then with herself Akane.
Akane started to become more than a little irate. "Ranma, you know it's not my fault that you have this problem." She said matter-of-factly.
Unable to argue with that fact and to angry to hear how it happened, he started toward the dojo gate.
"Ranma, where are you going?" Akane called out the retreating figure.
"Somewhere away from all this craziness." She muttered to herself lowly as she continued to walk out to no place in particular.
He didn't even let her explain. Akane heaved a long sorrowful sigh. How was she going to tell him she was his fiancée now?
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Walking around with no destination in mind, Ranma walked regretting the way she had acted towards Akane. 'I was such a jerk.' She thought with a sigh. She would probably never talk to him again. She was right…it probably wasn't her fault about how this had come to be.
Then she stopped. She hadn't even stayed to find out what had happened; she had just run away like the little girl she was now, she thought sarcastically. Now I'll probably have to spend the rest of my life running around as a girl, she thought sullenly, self-pity starting to get the best of her. 'Well at least I'm cute though.' She thought, even though that particular point didn't making her any happier.
Not looking where she was going, she ran headlong into another person who appeared to be in a hurry to run an errand. Their collision caused them both to fall backwards.
The girl that Ranma ran into picked up the large spatula that she had dropped and stood over Ranma. "Hey, next time watch…Ran-chan…" She trailed off surprised recognition shinning in her wide brown eyes.
Ranma merely looked at her suspiciously. "Oi, how do I know you?" She asked warily.
"I'm Ukyo Kuonji…Don't you remember me?" She asked, a little awkwardly, intently studying Ranma's reaction.
Recognition sparked into Ranma's eyes. "Yeah! We used to play together when we were little!" Ranma said getting up, happy to see a familiar face other than his father's.
Ukyo's face fell in confusion. "I mean lately…since I moved here." She clarified, a small frown gracing her pretty features.
"No…but I can explain why." She said, knowing that she could tell Ukyo about her dilemma.
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After Ukyo had led Ranma to her shop, she sat down on the stool next to him and let Ranma tell her why she didn't remember her.
"How did you lose your memory?" Ran-chan, Ukyo asked gently.
Ranma merely gave her a look that said 'how the hell should I know!?'
"Oh, yeah…stupid question." She said apologetically, checking on the water she had been boiling.
"You makin' tea?" Ranma asked, watching Ukyo walk over to her, not exactly expecting her long time friend to pour it on her.
"What did you do that for?" Ranma yelled, the hot splash making him jump out of his seat. He had his voice again! He quickly looked at his chest…he had no boobs!! "How did you do that uc-chan?!" Ranma half-yelled excitedly.
"Your fiancé didn't fill you in on this?" She said quite confused again. Why hadn't Akane told him that he could change back with hot water?
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Ranma looked over his shoulder at her. Had she just said his "fiancé?" "My what?" He squawked, hoping that he had heard her wrong.
Ukyo was shocked to say the least. Akane had not told him that she was his fiancée!? She thought frantically, millions of possibilities now starting to float around in her head. Should she tell him that she was his fiancée? It wasn't like she would be lying…she really was his fiancée.
Even though she wanted to be with Ranma, and have him love her as well…there was still a very big problem. He loved Akane. He would regain his memory back someday along with his love for one particular fiancé. She could never take that away from him.
"Ukyo, what did you say?" Ranma prompted, wanting to know what she was talking about.
"Oh…nothing. So Akane didn't tell you that when you are submerged in hot water, you turn back into a boy?" She asked innocently, already knowing the answer.
Turning away guiltily, Ranma began to explain. "I didn't give her the chance to. I was so angry about everything that had been going around lately, that I took it out on her." He confessed, starring idly at the floor.
She smiled softly. "Well, It all started when you and your father went to China to train…"
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After explaining everything to her childhood friend, she offered to take Ranma back to the dojo due to the fact that he didn't know how to get there.
The pair stopped outside of the dojo gate. Ukyo was just about to knock on the gate, when it opened. They were greeted by Akane's relived face.
Ukyo smiled at her and asked to speak with her alone.
"Sure." Akane smiled a little uneasily, as she led Ranma's other fiancé to the training hall.
"Akane-san," Ukyo started once they were alone, "Why haven't you told Ranma that you are his fiancé?" She asked curiously.
Akane's face fell into one of despair. "I don't know…I just can't…" She said forlornly. Ukyo was his fiancé to…so why didn't she tell him about that?
The silent question must have shown on her face. "I love Ranma too…and I want what's best for him. He loves you…" She trailed off, not knowing exactly how to put her feelings into words.
"Well that's all I wanted to ask you…so…bye." Ukyo said quickly, starting for the door.
After, Ukyo exited, Ranma stepped in behind Akane. Someone was hiding something from him, and he was going to find out what it was.
Akane jumped, jerked from her thoughts by the sudden closing of the door behind her. Turning around quickly, she was greeted with her serious-faced fiancé.
"Akane…what's all this talk about fiancé's?"
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What's she going to tell him? Review and find out! I really really want to thank all of you who have been reviewing…you really lift my spirits. Anyways, if you would like to be notified when I update, put it in a review or e-mail me at breezbox6@aol.com. Hope to see you next chapter ^_^.