Faded Away

"It was you!" Ranma yelled putting his arms up in defense. Akane stopped short of hitting him. "Wh-what?" Akane muttered. "You made me this sweater and gave it to me one month ago, but I refused it and told you to give it to me when I got back." Ranma explained clenching his fist and staring at the ground as the heavy mallet dropped from Akane's hands and onto Ranma's head. Ranma yelped from the attack and stood halfway up rubbing his head as Akane looked on as if she saw a ghost. "But I don't understand." Akane said under her breath. "That makes no sense whatsoever! You're lying aren't you?" Akane yelled and moved in a fit of rage and took up her fallen weapon and gripped it tightly positioning it to attack.

"I don't know if you thought my question was a joke or not. But it wasn't Ranma!" Akane fumed. "I only wanted to know whether you had a girlfriend or not!" Akane continued as Ranma froze and blinked looking at her. "Why is that important?" Ranma asked. Akane became red and stared at Ranma with a soft look. "What is it?" Ranma asked as the bump from the mallet drop throbbed red. "I'm not sure." Akane answered. "How can I answer 'ya tomboy if you don't know?" Ranma asked looking at her strangely. "Will you shut up!" Akane yelled. "Every time you talk it makes me want to hit you more." Akane said hanging her head low. "It's not different." Ranma stated gaining a confused glare from the girl. "What?" Akane asked.

Memory Four: Ranma's new home with…Ryoga?

"It's just no different even though you" Ranma said as he trailed off. He's been throwing lies about, and he's given the impression he was a different person, but Akane is acting the same toward him except for the fact she doesn't know they're engaged. "Will you answer my question now?" Akane questioned as Ranma looked to her. This is different though, and he can make it just that.

He smiled and looked at the girl as he rubbed his bump. "Akane the answer is no. I don't gotta girlfriend or nothin'." Ranma stated. Akane looked at him confused. "But then who made you the sweatshirt?" She asked after a few moments of nothing. "My mom made it and Happosai stole it and must have brought it all the way here to your house." Ranma answered with a satisfied smile.

"I guess that makes sense." Akane responded. "Yeah." Ranma said trying to confirm the lie in his own head. "So was that all of it?" He asked. "What about you? Do you have a boyfriend?" Ranma asked looking away. Akane hits him over the head blushing. "It's rude to ask that to a girl!" She yelled as he rubbed his head in frustration. "Hey uncute girl!" Ranma spouted in anger. "You can leave now." Akane advised. Then it donned on Ranma that he no longer has a home.

* * *

The Tendo family sat at the table drinking tea as Ryoga told of his latest endeavors, and how he knew Ranma. Then they noticed it had been sometime since Ranma and Akane left. Nabiki and the two fathers' left to spy on the two so Ryoga was with Nodoka and Kasumi really.

"My you seem to have so much fun Ryoga. Sometimes I wish I could just wander around Japan." Nodoka stated. "Well, I don't really choose to wander around." Ryoga admitted. He was a bit nerved about Ranma being with Akane up in her room alone. He knew Ranma might try something or another.

The thought of asking Akane out while Ranma was away and forgotten had crossed his mind every so often. Ryoga however knew Ranma would come back and they'd get into a fight. Plus, Ryoga met with Akari after so long since their previous encounter. Ryoga found that Akari was a really good person, and he even admitted to her that he wouldn't mind being her boyfriend. Though she was still angry about Ryoga cheating on her-even though Ryoga cleared that up. Ryoga ultimately decided that he give up on Akane even if she didn't remember Ranma, but he curses himself every so often that it was the wrong move.

Ryoga got annoyed with him being there alone with the two women. "What do you think is going on up there?" Ryoga asked. "There has been some yelling." He admitted. "Well, I wouldn't put it past Akane to try and get him alone. He seemed handsome, and friendly." Nodoka admitted. "If I ever had a son I'd expect him to be just like that Ranma fellow. With a bit of you of course Ryoga." Nodoka continued with one of her pleasant smiles. Ryoga snickered which made Nodoka a bit miffed. "I'm sorry Mrs. Saotome. I just find that a bit funny." Ryoga said trying to stop his laughter, but he laughed until his face became red. "I never knew you could be so rude Ryoga." The woman remarked.

* * *

The two fathers and Nabiki sat outside Akane's room with their head neat to the door and listening in on what was happening. "So you plan on making that Ranma fellow Akane's fiancé?" Genma asked to Soun. Soun looked deep in thought for a few moments as Nabiki continued spying on the couple inside the room. "I won't lie to you Saotome. The thought has crossed my mind." Tendo stated.

"Just think with a guy as strong as Ranma the anything-goes style may become famous." Genma noted which made Nabiki get dirty ideas. "I could make him the heir to my school and he and Akane could take over the dojo as well." Soun explained with glee. The two fathers' were excited at this prospect as Nabiki was thinking of ways of using Ranma's skills to gain her money.

The door opened and Ranma stood in the doorway kneeling to their level. He wore a non-surprised look on his face as if expecting this would happen. "Hey old man don't get any weird ideas. Who said I'd agree to such an arrangement?" Ranma questioned as the two fathers' backed away in fear of what Ranma would do. The master trained him after all. "Of course" Ranma said with a shrug standing up. "I'll take it into consideration." Ranma said with a laugh and walked down the hall and downstairs. The two stare after him and sort of give a nervous laugh to one another.

* * *

Ranma sat down at the table with his once mother, Kasumi, and Ryoga. "Hey Ryoga." Ranma said gaining the lost boy's attention. "I'll bring you to your house if you let me stay there." Ranma said as he reached for a cup and poured tea into it. Ryoga sat there in thought for a moment because he didn't expect that question. "Ryoga, I want to ask you something else too." Ranma said finishing his tea. Ryoga turned to him with a questioning look. "About what's happened around here." Ranma said with a serious look.

* * *

"Stupid!" Akane muttered under her breath. She was mad at Ranma, but now she didn't know the reason. It was as if being angry with him was a natural reaction. She actually felt more embarrassed than angry. Something about Ranma made her feel more at ease. Like a baby blanket she could take up and feel safe, and remember the days back then. Plus until now she hadn't questioned her own life, but ever since Ranma came back she began to find her memories are hazy. She can't remember how she met Ryoga, the Saotomes', Happosai, Ukyo, or those three at the Cat Café. It's as if those first meetings never took place and she was just friend with them out of the blue. Like she already knew them before they even met.

"What is it about that Ranma? This is all his fault." She said with a sigh and laying down onto her head in a plop. This feeling of unease was all because of him, but she also felt more at ease with him here. She began to think about him some more, and how she met him outside earlier in the evening and smiled. She never liked any guys before, but he was a bit different. He took all her hits and just continued like it wasn't anything much. He was sort of mysterious too, and she figured that intrigued her as well. "I was mad at him, but I really wasn't. Why?"

* * *

Ryoga and Ranma were walking down the street as it got later into the night. Ryoga wasn't too enthusiastic about letting Ranma come to stay at his house, but he let him anyway so he could find his home. "Ryoga you obviously weren't here whenever this thing happened, but do you have any clue what it was?" Ranma asked as he walked up on the fence. "No idea really. I just came back and everyone forgot you so I didn't bother with it. I thought maybe I made you up." Ryoga responded. Ranma looked down at the lost boy with a suspicious look. "Didn't you try to ask Akane out?" Ranma asked which made Ryoga blushed.

"I, uh, I thought about it, but I decided I could never be with Akane. I mean she still loves you." Ryoga responded embarrassed and jealous. "What're you talking about? She doesn't even know me. She can't love me then." Ranma responded. Ryoga shook his head and gave a sigh. "I don't understand why, but you're like some sort of magnet. You always had Ukyo, Shampoo, or that crazy Kuno girl, but you wanted the one girl who didn't try to have you as a husband." Ryoga said. Ranma thought it over a bit. "No. Shampoo's annoying, Kodachi is crazy as you said and Ukyo's my friend. I never had any intention of becoming their husband really. I just don't like rejecting people." Ranma replied jumping from the fence to the street.

"I figured you loved Akane." Ryoga returned which made Ranma collapse in embarrassment. He stood up and tried to return a response, but he couldn't think of one. "See?" Ryoga expressed. "That's why I never liked you all that much, but now I have Akari and I don't care if you took Akane as your bride." Ryoga stated. "Well, actually I would care, but I wouldn't stop the relationship like I would have used to." Ryoga continued. Ranma took in all of what Ryoga was saying, and began to think that maybe he did love Akane, but that was the old Akane. Not this new one who knew nothing of him, but if that were so he could start over. He didn't want to though because that would mean going through the cat thing, his curse, the fact he is a bit of a jerk, his other unpleasant qualities, and just about a year worth of events. He'd also have to lie a bunch and he didn't want to do that because he'd get caught up in them after awhile. He's only been lucky so far.

"Ryoga I don't think I could go out with an Akane who didn't know what my Akane knew." Ranma said looking to the ground. Ryoga nodded and crossed his arms. "But you may never get that Akane back. Nor your father, or mother, or anyone." Ryoga explained. Ranma became enraged and pushed Ryoga into the wall causing it to crumble. "Shut up!" Ranma yelled to the lost boy.

"Ranma you have to accept that you may never get things back to the way they were." Ryoga stated as he rose from the crumble with an irritated face. "I know, but I can't just let that be it. I need to try and get my life back in order." Ranma pleaded. "Do you think the old ghoul knows anything that will reverse whatever the hell happened?" Ranma asked, as he became calmer. "That old hag? Maybe." Ryoga replied. The two both looked ahead on the street where a man stood. It was the nearly blind Chinese amazon Mousse. "What's he doing here?" Ranma questioned as Ryoga replied with a shrug.

"Ah. Is that you? You were in the shop earlier right?" Mousse asked fixing his glasses as he approached. "Are you new in town?" Mousse questioned. "Not particularly." Ranma replied with force. He felt odd talking with Mousse. Mousse had been giving off some freaky aura that spooked Ranma, and judging by Ryoga's reaction it did the same for him. "Where are you staying?" Mousse asked.

Ranma didn't trust this Mousse, so he was going to lie once more. "I'm staying at Ukyo's place. You know her right? She and I go way back." Ranma replied. What made it good was that it wasn't necessarily a lie. He had been Ukyo's friend-fiancé even-and the two did go way back to their childhood days. "Ah right. Ukyo." Mousse said arms crossed and placed inside his sleeves. "I'll be seeing you around then Ranma." Mousse said walking away. Mousse was long gone as the other two boys stood still.

Ranma suddenly realized something important. "He called me Ranma." Ranma stated. "Yeah so?" Ryoga replied. "I don't remember telling him my name." Ranma finished through clenched teeth. Ryoga looked to Ranma and thought about that as well. "I told Shampoo though so maybe he just overheard that." Ranma said letting it slide. "Let's go see the old ghoul then." Ranma and Ryoga nodded to one another and ran off for the Cat Café.

*********************************************************************************

Thanks to:

p_ouji: I knew it was disappointing, but I couldn't do much better.

Fadded: I like short chapters. If the chapters are over 3-6 pages I actually hate the story. This one was about five pages or so.

Nichole Hibiki

Anthony

Thanat0s: If you read it's a bit of a defense mechanism. He just can't let anything of liking her out, and when he does he denies it or like in Cooking With Ranma he says the opposite-which is a bad idea anyway. I've given you a lot of hints to the story, especially with this chapter. I can't give it all away at once you know.

Ace: Is that enough?

AzureTemplar