Chapter 3- Ranma's decision
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'I know what I must do. It'll solve all my problems!' Ranma ran roof-top to roof-top wanting to put his plan into action.
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*chirp chirp chirp*
Akane's eyes gently opened as she wakes up in the morning after that horrible night. Akane got up and stretched. She was a little worries last night when she arrived home with Kasumi and Ranma had never returned home, She was a little relieved that she didn't have to face him but she wondered where he could have gone. She hoped that he was home today so she could apologize and hopefully weasel one out of Ranma. Akane then proceeded to change into her clothes for the day and head down stairs.
"Good morning everyone! Has Ranma come home yet?" Akane sounded cheery. She had calmed down a lot since the night before. Kasumi faced Akane solemn faced.
"He didn't come back. I'm sorry Akane." Many emotions rushed through Akane's mind, the predominant one being fear. She ran to his room, his stuff was still here. Her mind tried to calm her by rationalizing everything. 'He just needed to cool off, like me. Yes, he'll be back. All of his stuff is still here. But what if he doesn't come back? What if he ran off with Ukyo or Shampoo? What if he got into a bad fight? What if he just doesn't want to see me anymore?' By now, Akane had sunk down to the floor and was crying. "Where could he be?"
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Ranma had found a small store and bought a pencil, some paper, and a couple of envelopes. He sat down at a café and with the last of his money bought some food. While he ate he started writing. He wrote a letter to his mother, Akane, and everyone else. It took a while to write all three letters but he finished them. In the one to his mother, he wrote about his life. Everything Genma had done to him and everything they were hiding from her. He refused to lie any longer. After putting that letter in the big envelope, he started on the one for Akane. It said that he loved her and only her but he couldn't take the crap anymore. Just the fact that he loves her put her in a lot of danger. He can't take it. It also has his final good-byes. the letter to everyone was blunt. He was sick and tired of all the crap he had to go through and that most everyone was selfish. He wrote a small individual message to just about everyone. He put his good-byes and sealed up all the envelopes. He mailed one to his mother and headed off to the Tendo Dojo. He had a special route and entrance where he would end up in his room without anyone noticing. When he got there he saw Akane sleeping on his bed holding onto one of his shirts. She had tears all over her face, old and new. Ranma gulped. This might be harder than he thought. He snuck in as quietly as he could but one of the floorboards squeaked and Akane hear it. Akane's eyes fluttered open and she saw him. Ranma, standing there like a mirage. "Ranma?" Ranma stood perfectly still and silent. Hoping that she thought that she was imagining things. "Ranma, is that really you?" Akane was slowly getting up, rubbing her eyes. Ranma panicked and started to run to the window but Akane grabbed his arm in time. Ranma and Akane looked deep into each other's eyes. "Ranma.what's wrong?" Ranma gulped again and handed her his letters and ran out the window. Akane looked at the letters. One addressed to her and one to 'everyone'. She opened the one for her and started to read it.
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Ranma was running. That encounter almost broke what his concentration. He felt like staying with her, holding her and wiping away her tears. His resolve almost dissolved but then his mind remembered his other fiancées and his resolve was strengthened. Ranma ran towards the highest bridge he could find.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tears were running down Akane's face. 'He was going to kill himself. It might already be too late.' Akane's mind shut off due to shock and depression but one part of her mind still had hope. She dropped the letters and ran for the door.
"RANMA!!!" Akane's yell rang throughout the house. She put her shoes on and ran outside hoping she could catch up in time.
Everyone in the house heard her. They went up to his room and saw the letters. They opened the appropriate letter and started to read it. By the end of the letter everyone had different expressions. Kasumi's expression was unreadable. Genma was frozen in shock and horror. Soun was in his panicky and crying state and Nabiki. She did not look like Nabiki at all. Her emotions were on her face plain and visible. She knew that she was one of the reasons for him doing this.She felt widely responsible for this, She had fueled many the reasons that he listed for doing this. Genma snapped out of it suddenly and said,
"He said where he was going! Maybe he hasn't done it yet! We have to stop him!" all agreed and ran off to find Ranma. Nabiki however stayed behind. She knew that Ranma wouldn't want to see her. Kasumi stayed with Nabiki, although she didn't know it.
"Nabiki, why didn't you go?" Nabiki practically jumped when she said this.
"Kasumi?! Why didn't you go?"
"I asked first. Why didn't you go?"
"Ranma doesn't want to see me. I won't be able to help. I caused most of his problems." Nabiki looked rather depressed at this.
"You're wrong Nabiki. You are the person who can save him. Just apologize. You can even help him from now on. You have the power to really save his life." Kasumi sounded really sincere and convincing.
"Okay. I'll go. But you never answered my question, why did you stay behind?"
"Because I can't run that fast. Not in these clothes anyway. I'll walk there now. I'll be there in time to see what happened. Now go."
"Alright." Nabiki started running in the distance to find Ranma.
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'Ranma you baka! Why do you want to kill yourself? There are other ways to deal with your problems. I only wish I knew what they were.' Akane was running as fast as she could to the bridge Ranma said he would be at. Tears were streaming down her face was she ran. 'I hope it's not too late. NO! Stop thinking like that. Of course it's not too late. Just run faster!' With this new confidence she bolted down the streets.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranma was standing at the designated bridge. He had a lot of memories at this bridge. Many things, good and bad happened here. Mostly bad, but this is still the best place he could think of.
'I guess this is the end.'
It was a clear day; no clouds, the sun shining and the sakura blossoms are in bloom. A slight breeze was blowing.
Ranma took his first step onto the side of the bridge but stopped dead in his tracks as he heard one word.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Just keep running! You can make it.' Akane was exhausted. Her legs hurt, her breathing was staggered but she was still running as fast as she could.
The bridge was in sight. There was Ranma!! It wasn't too late!!!
"RANMA!!!"
Akane ran even faster but stopped short in fear he might panic and jump in his haste. "Ranma please. *huff huff* don't jump!"
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Author's notes- Well well. It's all typed up. It needs major editing but I can do that now that marching season has passed it's peak. All our competitions are done with! Finally! I hope that you are enjoying the story. Only 2 chapters left!
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'I know what I must do. It'll solve all my problems!' Ranma ran roof-top to roof-top wanting to put his plan into action.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*chirp chirp chirp*
Akane's eyes gently opened as she wakes up in the morning after that horrible night. Akane got up and stretched. She was a little worries last night when she arrived home with Kasumi and Ranma had never returned home, She was a little relieved that she didn't have to face him but she wondered where he could have gone. She hoped that he was home today so she could apologize and hopefully weasel one out of Ranma. Akane then proceeded to change into her clothes for the day and head down stairs.
"Good morning everyone! Has Ranma come home yet?" Akane sounded cheery. She had calmed down a lot since the night before. Kasumi faced Akane solemn faced.
"He didn't come back. I'm sorry Akane." Many emotions rushed through Akane's mind, the predominant one being fear. She ran to his room, his stuff was still here. Her mind tried to calm her by rationalizing everything. 'He just needed to cool off, like me. Yes, he'll be back. All of his stuff is still here. But what if he doesn't come back? What if he ran off with Ukyo or Shampoo? What if he got into a bad fight? What if he just doesn't want to see me anymore?' By now, Akane had sunk down to the floor and was crying. "Where could he be?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranma had found a small store and bought a pencil, some paper, and a couple of envelopes. He sat down at a café and with the last of his money bought some food. While he ate he started writing. He wrote a letter to his mother, Akane, and everyone else. It took a while to write all three letters but he finished them. In the one to his mother, he wrote about his life. Everything Genma had done to him and everything they were hiding from her. He refused to lie any longer. After putting that letter in the big envelope, he started on the one for Akane. It said that he loved her and only her but he couldn't take the crap anymore. Just the fact that he loves her put her in a lot of danger. He can't take it. It also has his final good-byes. the letter to everyone was blunt. He was sick and tired of all the crap he had to go through and that most everyone was selfish. He wrote a small individual message to just about everyone. He put his good-byes and sealed up all the envelopes. He mailed one to his mother and headed off to the Tendo Dojo. He had a special route and entrance where he would end up in his room without anyone noticing. When he got there he saw Akane sleeping on his bed holding onto one of his shirts. She had tears all over her face, old and new. Ranma gulped. This might be harder than he thought. He snuck in as quietly as he could but one of the floorboards squeaked and Akane hear it. Akane's eyes fluttered open and she saw him. Ranma, standing there like a mirage. "Ranma?" Ranma stood perfectly still and silent. Hoping that she thought that she was imagining things. "Ranma, is that really you?" Akane was slowly getting up, rubbing her eyes. Ranma panicked and started to run to the window but Akane grabbed his arm in time. Ranma and Akane looked deep into each other's eyes. "Ranma.what's wrong?" Ranma gulped again and handed her his letters and ran out the window. Akane looked at the letters. One addressed to her and one to 'everyone'. She opened the one for her and started to read it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranma was running. That encounter almost broke what his concentration. He felt like staying with her, holding her and wiping away her tears. His resolve almost dissolved but then his mind remembered his other fiancées and his resolve was strengthened. Ranma ran towards the highest bridge he could find.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tears were running down Akane's face. 'He was going to kill himself. It might already be too late.' Akane's mind shut off due to shock and depression but one part of her mind still had hope. She dropped the letters and ran for the door.
"RANMA!!!" Akane's yell rang throughout the house. She put her shoes on and ran outside hoping she could catch up in time.
Everyone in the house heard her. They went up to his room and saw the letters. They opened the appropriate letter and started to read it. By the end of the letter everyone had different expressions. Kasumi's expression was unreadable. Genma was frozen in shock and horror. Soun was in his panicky and crying state and Nabiki. She did not look like Nabiki at all. Her emotions were on her face plain and visible. She knew that she was one of the reasons for him doing this.She felt widely responsible for this, She had fueled many the reasons that he listed for doing this. Genma snapped out of it suddenly and said,
"He said where he was going! Maybe he hasn't done it yet! We have to stop him!" all agreed and ran off to find Ranma. Nabiki however stayed behind. She knew that Ranma wouldn't want to see her. Kasumi stayed with Nabiki, although she didn't know it.
"Nabiki, why didn't you go?" Nabiki practically jumped when she said this.
"Kasumi?! Why didn't you go?"
"I asked first. Why didn't you go?"
"Ranma doesn't want to see me. I won't be able to help. I caused most of his problems." Nabiki looked rather depressed at this.
"You're wrong Nabiki. You are the person who can save him. Just apologize. You can even help him from now on. You have the power to really save his life." Kasumi sounded really sincere and convincing.
"Okay. I'll go. But you never answered my question, why did you stay behind?"
"Because I can't run that fast. Not in these clothes anyway. I'll walk there now. I'll be there in time to see what happened. Now go."
"Alright." Nabiki started running in the distance to find Ranma.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Ranma you baka! Why do you want to kill yourself? There are other ways to deal with your problems. I only wish I knew what they were.' Akane was running as fast as she could to the bridge Ranma said he would be at. Tears were streaming down her face was she ran. 'I hope it's not too late. NO! Stop thinking like that. Of course it's not too late. Just run faster!' With this new confidence she bolted down the streets.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ranma was standing at the designated bridge. He had a lot of memories at this bridge. Many things, good and bad happened here. Mostly bad, but this is still the best place he could think of.
'I guess this is the end.'
It was a clear day; no clouds, the sun shining and the sakura blossoms are in bloom. A slight breeze was blowing.
Ranma took his first step onto the side of the bridge but stopped dead in his tracks as he heard one word.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Just keep running! You can make it.' Akane was exhausted. Her legs hurt, her breathing was staggered but she was still running as fast as she could.
The bridge was in sight. There was Ranma!! It wasn't too late!!!
"RANMA!!!"
Akane ran even faster but stopped short in fear he might panic and jump in his haste. "Ranma please. *huff huff* don't jump!"
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Author's notes- Well well. It's all typed up. It needs major editing but I can do that now that marching season has passed it's peak. All our competitions are done with! Finally! I hope that you are enjoying the story. Only 2 chapters left!
