This chapter dedicated to EVERYONE who read. Those of you who posted and
didn't get a dedication you will find your names first here. I purposely
waited to post your names in this here chapter. I wasn't trying to be a
snob. I promise.
Dedicated to Alex and Brandon first Oh and to OmegaL50 as well as Jen of the Wildfire, Delerium's Hostage, and Holly for your chapter 5 Reviews.
Chapter 6: Rest at Pale evening
"Well why Ryoga!" Ranma demands slamming his fist to the tree beside Akane. "Why not me!" he yells at her. Akane turns her head suddenly.
Looking away, she struggles to find her voice; "Well its like you said earlier" she starts uncertain, "If you wanted me you could have me. You didn't want me. He did."
Ranma gasps exasperated. "It's not a matter of want. Ga. Do you think if I thought I actually had a shot with you, with you not shooting me down, I wouldn't take it?"
Akane looks anywhere but at him.
"When I'm with you.. I feel.. I feel so unsure, like a little kid that can't do anything right." he pauses, "I always feel like I'm not good enough and could never be a person you could like..."
Ranma takes a deep breath and exhales.
"But, I'm a guy, Akane, I'm a guy that if YOU wanted," he slid his hand from the tree weakly as he finished, "you could have."
He laughs mocking himself. "But I guess Ryoga was better at saying it than me." Ranma finds himself with his head downcast. She finally looks at him not sure what to feel. "I always envied the fact that he could just say it like that to me. He always knew how he felt. Sure he couldn't say it to you .. till well now, but at least he could tell someone."
All the days events turned in his head. If he didn't brag. If he hadn't said such a stupid thing, "If I wanted Akane she'd be mine." He scoffed at himself. Want her indeed. I'ts more like if she wanted she could have me. He wanted to beat himself up a million times. Why did he have to be so stupid.
"I'm tired.. I'm tired of today," He continues. "Today. ain't no day at the beach" he says solemnly. His mood visibly changed as he said it.
He finally understood Akane's temperment for the day. It was tired. Tired of the game, tired of the circle he concluded. It might have been a façade partially, that that thing he hated, but it made sense. She was just trying to break out. And she did didn't she? That's what he gets for not being serious with her. He should have just told her. He should have told her earlier. He could have been married to her. It wasn't fair. She was HIS fiancé. HIS. Akane was HIS. Was. was.
He starts crying. He tries to stop only making himself choke with more horrendous sounding sobs. Boy did he wish he was a girl. He sniffles.
He didn't run away. Akane would have to face what she did to him-what he did to himself. Akane would have to deal with how he really felt.
----
He had lost her. Ukyo took a turn and he tried to follow but ended up somewhere else. He sighs. It took just a fraction of a second. But this was fate right, how it always happened with him.
He didn't get to tell her the full story yet either. He laments it as he becomes the same picture of depression one often saw when they looked at him. Although this time he wasn't depressed, just a little sad. He stares at the sand near his feet when someone rushes past him. Instinctively he pulls out his hand. He snatches that person by the wrist causing that person to fall on her knees into the sand dragging him down with her. He turns his body around.
"Ukyo?" he asks while his elation expanded. "I.. I... found you?"
"Congratulations." Ukyo says.
"It's a great feat considering my condition."
"Yeah I know." she says with a smile.
"You were just going to let me stay lost?"
"I would have come for you."
"Could have fooled me."
"You act like you don't travel by yourself and get lost all the time sugar."
"I know I know. I'm sorry. I keep acting like we're good friends and all."
Ukyo sighs. "So, ya got me... Anyway I'll help you find Akane."
Ryoga put his other hand ontop of Ukyo's. Ryoga shook his head. Ukyo looks at him curious.
"But I thought."
"Let me tell you what really happened." he says a little more broken.
(flashback)
Ryoga leans in. It was a sure victory. Yes it looked like he was about to whisper into her ear. It was a deceptively simple plan. With Ranma gone, there was no one but Akane there to stop him and she was too clueless about what he was trying to do to even think about stopping him. She'd kill him if she knew. Clobber him.
He stalls. Was this really fair to her? Did he really want a kiss from her that she didn't want to give?
Almost angry with himself, he decides to finish in the direction that his body started. He's right up to her ear and he whispers, "I want to talk about Love." He backs away and looks at her wanting to know what her reaction would be.
"It must be nice to have someone you love, love you back." Akane says. Looking at him. Smiling at him.
"It must be." Ryoga says reverting to his normal nervous self. He thinks it over in his head. "Does she know? Does that mean she likes me too? Maybe I should have kissed her."
"You should know. You have Akari right?" Akane says.
Ryoga's face turns his head away as if something way out of left field hit him. "No. No, I don't."
"Oh.. I'm so sorry. This must be what you wanted to talk about."
"It isn't." Ryoga says with an uncharacteristically. "But .."
Ryoga looked up at Akane with an odd warm looking smile on his face. "If you want to know what happened."
"...Akari dumped me." he says cheerfully.
Just when he saw a frown threatening to take over her face he interrupts, "Don't worry. It's all for the best. She said that my heart wasn't completely hers or some crap like that." The word crap came out sounding just a slight bitter. The more he continued the more bitter he sounded. "She said I should sort out my feelings. I did.. or so I thought. But by then she was in love with a guy who looked like a pig. I got over you to be with her. but... he looked like a pig! How could someone fall in love a loser like that over me!!!" Ryoga was breathing hard. His emotions were so tied to what he said that he didn't even realize what all he let out.
"Ryoga..."
Ryoga continues billowing ahead in his story. "I told her it was OK and that I was in love with someone else. but I didn't feel 'Ok.'" He said mockingly.
"You got over me?"
Ryoga stops dead short. "ahahaha." He starts laughing regaining the awkwardness he had already shed. "When I told her I was in love with someone else I was lying."
"You used to like me?" Akane asks not buying it.
Ryoga freezes. Why wasn't she letting him take the easy way out?
He decides that it's another "Now or never" moment. He musters all the courage he can gather and grabs her hands firmly wanting to confess. He was scared to death of it at the same time. He never understood why he was so scared. Anything was better than being in limbo. If she felt the same it would be great. If she didn't he could move on. His breakup with Akari had taught him that.
Akari. It was the first time he had talked about his break up with Akari to anyone. He blinks finally understanding something that should have been so obvious.
Akane took Ryoga's silence as a yes. "I had no idea... Did Ranma know?"
Ryoga sighs. "It was never important if he knew. Everyone else found out except you. I always tried to tell you..."
Akane nods. "I think I get it now."
"It was different when I had Akari. That's why I was devastated when I had to leave her for good. I didn't have many friends. Even if I did, it's not like I could find them. I was lost for weeks."
"You coulda talked to me. I wish you would have."
"Don't you get it?" Ryoga uttered. Not understanding how Akane could know about how he had felt for her and also wish he would have talked to her about his breakup. "You're the reason why she said my heart wasn't completely hers. All that time I was lost for weeks. I had a lot of time to think..." he adds the last part in, "That's when I decided, Akane... I still like you. A lot!" He lied.
"eh.. uh.. I don't know what to say. So you got over Akari that fast." Akane replied nervously.
"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about it. I liked you first remember. Anyway. " He says trying to get an answer from her- an answer he already knew.
"I don't.. that is to say." Akane doesn't know how to say it.
"I know." Ryoga exhales relieved. "You don't like me the same way."
Akane nods. "Sorry"
"Time heals all wounds" Ryoga says weakly. "I just wanted to be able to say it... finally," He turns away from her.
"That wasn't so bad." He tells himself.
(end flashback)
"Oh. Yeah that wasn't so bad." Ukyo replies.
Ryoga lets his head drop onto Ukyo's shoulder, "It was painful. What I did was very painful"
"Yeah I know, honey," Ukyo says with a bit more understanding. She puts an arm on his shoulder. "You miss her, don't you?"
He let out a pained sob into her shirt, "Yeah."
"Her as in Akiri, right?" Ryoga lifted his head wondering how it was that she got it. Without explanation without well anything.
"It still kinda hurt being rejected you know. When Akiri dumped me I thought. Hey, well this is great. I can just go back to liking Akane with no confusion. I thought it made my decision easier. I was wrong. I... with Akane. I felt like Akiri was dumping me all over again"
"I know." Ukyo pries trying to give Ryoga more hope, "Why don't you just go after Akiri like you did Akane, beat that guy up and show him something good."
Ryoga laughs a little helping him get out of his pain a little. "I'm relieved I can stop chasing Akane now. Last thing I want to do is chase another girl and fight the guy she likes better than me all over again. Deal with the same situation?" Ryoga shakes his head a definite no, "I'll get over her. I know I will."
"You'll find somebody."
"I will." Ryoga affirms, "And if it doesn't work out with you and Ranma, so will you."
Ukyo starts to laugh. "Now why wouldn't that work?" She looks at him and casually mentions, "I don't really want to be with him that way anymore."
"But you said."
"That I wasn't smart enough to forget Ranma altogether."
The boy looks at her incredulous.
"When I ruined his wedding he didn't want to talk to me at all. I tried so hard but he didn't want to hear it. He made it apparent that me hanging out there was 'not cute'. I had to leave. I promised myself I wouldn't come back so many times."
"Why are you back then?" Ryoga adds. He isn't all convinced she was over him.
"Good question. You know those times when I was away, you stumbled onto my shop.
"Thanks for feeding me." Ryoga remembers fondly.
"Well it made me remember Nermia. You know Nermia was about Ranma yeah, but also other people too. There was kind Akane, funny Shampoo, and" she glanced at him, "There was you too."
Ryoga blushes. He's grateful it was only that. Normal comments form girls always flattered him to no end. He was in such a weird mood today. "I..I don't live here."
"But somehow you spend most of your life here." Ukyo chuckles. Ryoga chuckles too.
"Most of us came to Nermia hunting Ranma for different reasons. My hunt for Ranma's changed three times. First for revenge, second for marriage, now. I just can't give up my childhood friend. It's what we were from the start. That's why I'm not smart enough to give up Ranma altogether."
Ryoga nodded to her. "You don't really sound like you've gotten over him."
Ukyo smiles, "Oh I have. I got over him... All the stupid things I did for that boy. But it wasn't all his fault. It was me. I had to change me. Actually, be me. Sometimes when I think about it, I wonder if it was me who liked him, or was it just the idea my father put in my head." Ukyo shrugs her shoulders, "And then again maybe I did like him on my own. But I don't anymore. It's very easy when the guy you like doesn't like you. I mean when you realize that."
Ryoga nods once more accepting the answer as genuine. Such a deep conversation.
"Oh," he said just remembering an important detail. "I didn't tell you the best part about hanging out with Akane."
Ukyo arches her brows.
"There we were talking for a little bit."
(flash back)
"... And I used to poke holes in the wall when I would see you."
"Oh yeah I remember that." Akane says chuckling with Ryoga.
"Pretty pathetic huh?"
"Every body does something weird when they like someone."
"Yeah no kidding. Ranma insults you.. and you.." Ryoga immediately looks off to the side, "Never mind."
"I mallet..." Akane admits playfully. Ryoga smiles. Akane laughs. He joins her.
"There you are!" A figure says bounding out of a bush.
"Kuno?" Akane asks, "What are you doing here?"
Kuno looks at Ryoga, "Why are you being so familiar with Akane?"
"What are you talking about?" Ryoga rebounds angrily.
"Akane, I shall fight for your honor."
"I'm fine Kuno." Akane states irritated.
Kuno launches at Ryoga. And Ryoga slips out of the way.
Kuno glares at him angrily. "Sorcerer, you'll lose your power yet. Akane, take a look at him as I undo his spell."
Akane looks at Ryoga who's clueless.
"I'll show you his cursed form!" Kuno pulls out a water gun from his sleeve and shoots Ryoga with it in the face. Ryoga's face is panic stricken as he transforms into his piglet form.
Akane steps back when she sees a little black pig. The pig has several question marks over his head. Big eyed he looks at Akane apologetically. Was she accepting of his curse? There was no reaction from her at first until she finally found the courage to speak.
"Go ahead.." She starts, "And DIE!" she says before sending the little black piglet flying.
(end flashback)
"That a girl Akane." Ukyo cheers.
"Hey, I thought you were on my side."
"Never" Ukyo said pointing to his nose. "Why is that the best part?" she asks.
"I'm totally free now. I mean sure I have to work on gaining her friendship back, but I don't ever have to worry about hiding my curse anymore. I was scared to death of it, of everything I did today. But I feel free you know. And that, despite all else, is a good feeling."
----
"Ranma" he hears Akane say sweetly. Ranma stops sniffling.
"Yes, Akane?" Ranma says.
Akane clutches something tightly behind her back. "Don't you DARE feel sorry for yourself!" She says as she pounds him with a mallet. He lay sprawled out on the floor.
She kneels down next to his woozy form and pokes his nose. "Was it as good for you as it was for me?"
Ranma's too dizzy to reply.
"And by the way," Akane adds, "I was just kidding about Ryoga."
Ranma sits up fast head bumping Akane by accident he looked at her confused, questioning.
"You still want to kiss me?" Akane asks while sticking out her tongue. Akane made to sprint.
Ranma flips onto his feet and kicks the bucket up into his hand. "Wait right there." Ranma commands. Akane freezes and turns around slowly. She smiles at him so genuine. Ranma smiles slightly still trying to retain a look of revenge on his face. "Oh I'll kiss you Akane. But since you would have rather kiss Ukyo, a girl, over me, (always knew you liked girls), I figure I could give you the best of both worlds." Ranma points to the water. "I'll drag you in there with me."
Akane takes a few steps back. "You wouldn't."
Ranma walks closer to the water.
Akane screams and takes flight.
"Wassa matter 'Kane?" Ranma says dipping the bucket in the water and then chasing after her with it, "'Lil water never hurt no one."
----------- "It hurts," he says. It's raining in that place it hadn't rained for in a while. But how does one expect an oasis to get filled?
The little boy holds out his hand and turns his palm up to feel the rain as if he can't believe it's real. "It hurts. But it's perfect."
A shadow comes over him. The boy looks up. It's an umbrella. "I looked out for you after all didn't I." Ryoga smiles at the boy. The boy smiles back.
"Don't worry kid." He says, "We're gonna be OK."
They both wait patiently in the rain.
------
The sun begins to set. Ranma sighs at the sight of clouds threatening the horizon. The sunset was still beautiful he admitted to himself. He stole a glance at Akane. She was staring at it too. They had abandoned their little game to watch it. He turned his eyes back to it. "How pretty" he lets escape from his lips.
"Yeah it is isn't it."
Ranma looks at Akane and says chuckling, "You're an idiot."
Akane looks at him startled, thinking to herself that it was too soon to start with this.
He trots a few steps away till he is at a safe distance so he could say why he thought the way he did. "Only an idiot would not know I was talking about you."
"Ranma!" Akane yells. Her cheeks are blushing from either from the compliment or him calling her stupid or from both. Leave it to Ranma to complement her and insult her at the same time. But still she couldn't let the insult go unanswered.
"What?" he asks innocently while jotting away.
"Get back here."
"No way." Ranma busts into a jog playfully when Akane starts to chase.
He could tell she was about to leap at him and he turned around letting her fall into his arms. He pecks her on the lips surprising her. Akane is stunned. Ranma runs away again.
"RANMA!" she yells.
"What can't a guy think his girlfriend, ehem, Fiancé is cute and kiss her?"
"Well, yes, but."
"Honestly Akane," he says while crossing his arms, " What are you getting mad at me for then?"
"Well... "
"And here I thought you'd changed. I suppose it was all an act then. Don't worry. If you don't want to be called cute or kissed, I won't. After all that's what a tomboy would want."
"I'm not a tomboy." Akane objected.
Ranma grabbed her by the waist, "So you want to be kissed aye."
Akane remained silent.
"I'll take that as a yes." Ranma smiles. Akane closes her eyes. It comes just in time. It is to be an unforgettable kiss.
--------------------------
Authors Notes I hope you all enjoyed these final chapters. Size did not permit me to fit it all in chapter 5. On the upside, I left a pretty good cliffy in chapter 5.
Dedicated to Alex and Brandon first Oh and to OmegaL50 as well as Jen of the Wildfire, Delerium's Hostage, and Holly for your chapter 5 Reviews.
Chapter 6: Rest at Pale evening
"Well why Ryoga!" Ranma demands slamming his fist to the tree beside Akane. "Why not me!" he yells at her. Akane turns her head suddenly.
Looking away, she struggles to find her voice; "Well its like you said earlier" she starts uncertain, "If you wanted me you could have me. You didn't want me. He did."
Ranma gasps exasperated. "It's not a matter of want. Ga. Do you think if I thought I actually had a shot with you, with you not shooting me down, I wouldn't take it?"
Akane looks anywhere but at him.
"When I'm with you.. I feel.. I feel so unsure, like a little kid that can't do anything right." he pauses, "I always feel like I'm not good enough and could never be a person you could like..."
Ranma takes a deep breath and exhales.
"But, I'm a guy, Akane, I'm a guy that if YOU wanted," he slid his hand from the tree weakly as he finished, "you could have."
He laughs mocking himself. "But I guess Ryoga was better at saying it than me." Ranma finds himself with his head downcast. She finally looks at him not sure what to feel. "I always envied the fact that he could just say it like that to me. He always knew how he felt. Sure he couldn't say it to you .. till well now, but at least he could tell someone."
All the days events turned in his head. If he didn't brag. If he hadn't said such a stupid thing, "If I wanted Akane she'd be mine." He scoffed at himself. Want her indeed. I'ts more like if she wanted she could have me. He wanted to beat himself up a million times. Why did he have to be so stupid.
"I'm tired.. I'm tired of today," He continues. "Today. ain't no day at the beach" he says solemnly. His mood visibly changed as he said it.
He finally understood Akane's temperment for the day. It was tired. Tired of the game, tired of the circle he concluded. It might have been a façade partially, that that thing he hated, but it made sense. She was just trying to break out. And she did didn't she? That's what he gets for not being serious with her. He should have just told her. He should have told her earlier. He could have been married to her. It wasn't fair. She was HIS fiancé. HIS. Akane was HIS. Was. was.
He starts crying. He tries to stop only making himself choke with more horrendous sounding sobs. Boy did he wish he was a girl. He sniffles.
He didn't run away. Akane would have to face what she did to him-what he did to himself. Akane would have to deal with how he really felt.
----
He had lost her. Ukyo took a turn and he tried to follow but ended up somewhere else. He sighs. It took just a fraction of a second. But this was fate right, how it always happened with him.
He didn't get to tell her the full story yet either. He laments it as he becomes the same picture of depression one often saw when they looked at him. Although this time he wasn't depressed, just a little sad. He stares at the sand near his feet when someone rushes past him. Instinctively he pulls out his hand. He snatches that person by the wrist causing that person to fall on her knees into the sand dragging him down with her. He turns his body around.
"Ukyo?" he asks while his elation expanded. "I.. I... found you?"
"Congratulations." Ukyo says.
"It's a great feat considering my condition."
"Yeah I know." she says with a smile.
"You were just going to let me stay lost?"
"I would have come for you."
"Could have fooled me."
"You act like you don't travel by yourself and get lost all the time sugar."
"I know I know. I'm sorry. I keep acting like we're good friends and all."
Ukyo sighs. "So, ya got me... Anyway I'll help you find Akane."
Ryoga put his other hand ontop of Ukyo's. Ryoga shook his head. Ukyo looks at him curious.
"But I thought."
"Let me tell you what really happened." he says a little more broken.
(flashback)
Ryoga leans in. It was a sure victory. Yes it looked like he was about to whisper into her ear. It was a deceptively simple plan. With Ranma gone, there was no one but Akane there to stop him and she was too clueless about what he was trying to do to even think about stopping him. She'd kill him if she knew. Clobber him.
He stalls. Was this really fair to her? Did he really want a kiss from her that she didn't want to give?
Almost angry with himself, he decides to finish in the direction that his body started. He's right up to her ear and he whispers, "I want to talk about Love." He backs away and looks at her wanting to know what her reaction would be.
"It must be nice to have someone you love, love you back." Akane says. Looking at him. Smiling at him.
"It must be." Ryoga says reverting to his normal nervous self. He thinks it over in his head. "Does she know? Does that mean she likes me too? Maybe I should have kissed her."
"You should know. You have Akari right?" Akane says.
Ryoga's face turns his head away as if something way out of left field hit him. "No. No, I don't."
"Oh.. I'm so sorry. This must be what you wanted to talk about."
"It isn't." Ryoga says with an uncharacteristically. "But .."
Ryoga looked up at Akane with an odd warm looking smile on his face. "If you want to know what happened."
"...Akari dumped me." he says cheerfully.
Just when he saw a frown threatening to take over her face he interrupts, "Don't worry. It's all for the best. She said that my heart wasn't completely hers or some crap like that." The word crap came out sounding just a slight bitter. The more he continued the more bitter he sounded. "She said I should sort out my feelings. I did.. or so I thought. But by then she was in love with a guy who looked like a pig. I got over you to be with her. but... he looked like a pig! How could someone fall in love a loser like that over me!!!" Ryoga was breathing hard. His emotions were so tied to what he said that he didn't even realize what all he let out.
"Ryoga..."
Ryoga continues billowing ahead in his story. "I told her it was OK and that I was in love with someone else. but I didn't feel 'Ok.'" He said mockingly.
"You got over me?"
Ryoga stops dead short. "ahahaha." He starts laughing regaining the awkwardness he had already shed. "When I told her I was in love with someone else I was lying."
"You used to like me?" Akane asks not buying it.
Ryoga freezes. Why wasn't she letting him take the easy way out?
He decides that it's another "Now or never" moment. He musters all the courage he can gather and grabs her hands firmly wanting to confess. He was scared to death of it at the same time. He never understood why he was so scared. Anything was better than being in limbo. If she felt the same it would be great. If she didn't he could move on. His breakup with Akari had taught him that.
Akari. It was the first time he had talked about his break up with Akari to anyone. He blinks finally understanding something that should have been so obvious.
Akane took Ryoga's silence as a yes. "I had no idea... Did Ranma know?"
Ryoga sighs. "It was never important if he knew. Everyone else found out except you. I always tried to tell you..."
Akane nods. "I think I get it now."
"It was different when I had Akari. That's why I was devastated when I had to leave her for good. I didn't have many friends. Even if I did, it's not like I could find them. I was lost for weeks."
"You coulda talked to me. I wish you would have."
"Don't you get it?" Ryoga uttered. Not understanding how Akane could know about how he had felt for her and also wish he would have talked to her about his breakup. "You're the reason why she said my heart wasn't completely hers. All that time I was lost for weeks. I had a lot of time to think..." he adds the last part in, "That's when I decided, Akane... I still like you. A lot!" He lied.
"eh.. uh.. I don't know what to say. So you got over Akari that fast." Akane replied nervously.
"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about it. I liked you first remember. Anyway. " He says trying to get an answer from her- an answer he already knew.
"I don't.. that is to say." Akane doesn't know how to say it.
"I know." Ryoga exhales relieved. "You don't like me the same way."
Akane nods. "Sorry"
"Time heals all wounds" Ryoga says weakly. "I just wanted to be able to say it... finally," He turns away from her.
"That wasn't so bad." He tells himself.
(end flashback)
"Oh. Yeah that wasn't so bad." Ukyo replies.
Ryoga lets his head drop onto Ukyo's shoulder, "It was painful. What I did was very painful"
"Yeah I know, honey," Ukyo says with a bit more understanding. She puts an arm on his shoulder. "You miss her, don't you?"
He let out a pained sob into her shirt, "Yeah."
"Her as in Akiri, right?" Ryoga lifted his head wondering how it was that she got it. Without explanation without well anything.
"It still kinda hurt being rejected you know. When Akiri dumped me I thought. Hey, well this is great. I can just go back to liking Akane with no confusion. I thought it made my decision easier. I was wrong. I... with Akane. I felt like Akiri was dumping me all over again"
"I know." Ukyo pries trying to give Ryoga more hope, "Why don't you just go after Akiri like you did Akane, beat that guy up and show him something good."
Ryoga laughs a little helping him get out of his pain a little. "I'm relieved I can stop chasing Akane now. Last thing I want to do is chase another girl and fight the guy she likes better than me all over again. Deal with the same situation?" Ryoga shakes his head a definite no, "I'll get over her. I know I will."
"You'll find somebody."
"I will." Ryoga affirms, "And if it doesn't work out with you and Ranma, so will you."
Ukyo starts to laugh. "Now why wouldn't that work?" She looks at him and casually mentions, "I don't really want to be with him that way anymore."
"But you said."
"That I wasn't smart enough to forget Ranma altogether."
The boy looks at her incredulous.
"When I ruined his wedding he didn't want to talk to me at all. I tried so hard but he didn't want to hear it. He made it apparent that me hanging out there was 'not cute'. I had to leave. I promised myself I wouldn't come back so many times."
"Why are you back then?" Ryoga adds. He isn't all convinced she was over him.
"Good question. You know those times when I was away, you stumbled onto my shop.
"Thanks for feeding me." Ryoga remembers fondly.
"Well it made me remember Nermia. You know Nermia was about Ranma yeah, but also other people too. There was kind Akane, funny Shampoo, and" she glanced at him, "There was you too."
Ryoga blushes. He's grateful it was only that. Normal comments form girls always flattered him to no end. He was in such a weird mood today. "I..I don't live here."
"But somehow you spend most of your life here." Ukyo chuckles. Ryoga chuckles too.
"Most of us came to Nermia hunting Ranma for different reasons. My hunt for Ranma's changed three times. First for revenge, second for marriage, now. I just can't give up my childhood friend. It's what we were from the start. That's why I'm not smart enough to give up Ranma altogether."
Ryoga nodded to her. "You don't really sound like you've gotten over him."
Ukyo smiles, "Oh I have. I got over him... All the stupid things I did for that boy. But it wasn't all his fault. It was me. I had to change me. Actually, be me. Sometimes when I think about it, I wonder if it was me who liked him, or was it just the idea my father put in my head." Ukyo shrugs her shoulders, "And then again maybe I did like him on my own. But I don't anymore. It's very easy when the guy you like doesn't like you. I mean when you realize that."
Ryoga nods once more accepting the answer as genuine. Such a deep conversation.
"Oh," he said just remembering an important detail. "I didn't tell you the best part about hanging out with Akane."
Ukyo arches her brows.
"There we were talking for a little bit."
(flash back)
"... And I used to poke holes in the wall when I would see you."
"Oh yeah I remember that." Akane says chuckling with Ryoga.
"Pretty pathetic huh?"
"Every body does something weird when they like someone."
"Yeah no kidding. Ranma insults you.. and you.." Ryoga immediately looks off to the side, "Never mind."
"I mallet..." Akane admits playfully. Ryoga smiles. Akane laughs. He joins her.
"There you are!" A figure says bounding out of a bush.
"Kuno?" Akane asks, "What are you doing here?"
Kuno looks at Ryoga, "Why are you being so familiar with Akane?"
"What are you talking about?" Ryoga rebounds angrily.
"Akane, I shall fight for your honor."
"I'm fine Kuno." Akane states irritated.
Kuno launches at Ryoga. And Ryoga slips out of the way.
Kuno glares at him angrily. "Sorcerer, you'll lose your power yet. Akane, take a look at him as I undo his spell."
Akane looks at Ryoga who's clueless.
"I'll show you his cursed form!" Kuno pulls out a water gun from his sleeve and shoots Ryoga with it in the face. Ryoga's face is panic stricken as he transforms into his piglet form.
Akane steps back when she sees a little black pig. The pig has several question marks over his head. Big eyed he looks at Akane apologetically. Was she accepting of his curse? There was no reaction from her at first until she finally found the courage to speak.
"Go ahead.." She starts, "And DIE!" she says before sending the little black piglet flying.
(end flashback)
"That a girl Akane." Ukyo cheers.
"Hey, I thought you were on my side."
"Never" Ukyo said pointing to his nose. "Why is that the best part?" she asks.
"I'm totally free now. I mean sure I have to work on gaining her friendship back, but I don't ever have to worry about hiding my curse anymore. I was scared to death of it, of everything I did today. But I feel free you know. And that, despite all else, is a good feeling."
----
"Ranma" he hears Akane say sweetly. Ranma stops sniffling.
"Yes, Akane?" Ranma says.
Akane clutches something tightly behind her back. "Don't you DARE feel sorry for yourself!" She says as she pounds him with a mallet. He lay sprawled out on the floor.
She kneels down next to his woozy form and pokes his nose. "Was it as good for you as it was for me?"
Ranma's too dizzy to reply.
"And by the way," Akane adds, "I was just kidding about Ryoga."
Ranma sits up fast head bumping Akane by accident he looked at her confused, questioning.
"You still want to kiss me?" Akane asks while sticking out her tongue. Akane made to sprint.
Ranma flips onto his feet and kicks the bucket up into his hand. "Wait right there." Ranma commands. Akane freezes and turns around slowly. She smiles at him so genuine. Ranma smiles slightly still trying to retain a look of revenge on his face. "Oh I'll kiss you Akane. But since you would have rather kiss Ukyo, a girl, over me, (always knew you liked girls), I figure I could give you the best of both worlds." Ranma points to the water. "I'll drag you in there with me."
Akane takes a few steps back. "You wouldn't."
Ranma walks closer to the water.
Akane screams and takes flight.
"Wassa matter 'Kane?" Ranma says dipping the bucket in the water and then chasing after her with it, "'Lil water never hurt no one."
----------- "It hurts," he says. It's raining in that place it hadn't rained for in a while. But how does one expect an oasis to get filled?
The little boy holds out his hand and turns his palm up to feel the rain as if he can't believe it's real. "It hurts. But it's perfect."
A shadow comes over him. The boy looks up. It's an umbrella. "I looked out for you after all didn't I." Ryoga smiles at the boy. The boy smiles back.
"Don't worry kid." He says, "We're gonna be OK."
They both wait patiently in the rain.
------
The sun begins to set. Ranma sighs at the sight of clouds threatening the horizon. The sunset was still beautiful he admitted to himself. He stole a glance at Akane. She was staring at it too. They had abandoned their little game to watch it. He turned his eyes back to it. "How pretty" he lets escape from his lips.
"Yeah it is isn't it."
Ranma looks at Akane and says chuckling, "You're an idiot."
Akane looks at him startled, thinking to herself that it was too soon to start with this.
He trots a few steps away till he is at a safe distance so he could say why he thought the way he did. "Only an idiot would not know I was talking about you."
"Ranma!" Akane yells. Her cheeks are blushing from either from the compliment or him calling her stupid or from both. Leave it to Ranma to complement her and insult her at the same time. But still she couldn't let the insult go unanswered.
"What?" he asks innocently while jotting away.
"Get back here."
"No way." Ranma busts into a jog playfully when Akane starts to chase.
He could tell she was about to leap at him and he turned around letting her fall into his arms. He pecks her on the lips surprising her. Akane is stunned. Ranma runs away again.
"RANMA!" she yells.
"What can't a guy think his girlfriend, ehem, Fiancé is cute and kiss her?"
"Well, yes, but."
"Honestly Akane," he says while crossing his arms, " What are you getting mad at me for then?"
"Well... "
"And here I thought you'd changed. I suppose it was all an act then. Don't worry. If you don't want to be called cute or kissed, I won't. After all that's what a tomboy would want."
"I'm not a tomboy." Akane objected.
Ranma grabbed her by the waist, "So you want to be kissed aye."
Akane remained silent.
"I'll take that as a yes." Ranma smiles. Akane closes her eyes. It comes just in time. It is to be an unforgettable kiss.
--------------------------
Authors Notes I hope you all enjoyed these final chapters. Size did not permit me to fit it all in chapter 5. On the upside, I left a pretty good cliffy in chapter 5.