Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi, Viz and Kitty own Ranma.
Rating: Pg-13
A/N: Okay, this chapter is going to have a lot of Nabiki and Ryoga talking so I'm not going to call him Suru. To anyone out there that didn't get before SURU IS RYOGA. Just so people don't get lost and confused. I tried to reformat a bit so tell me how I'm doing! After this chapter I might take a little while to post the next one because I promised my beta Erie that once I finished chapter ten I would work on my other fic. I don't know how long this story should be so please help me figure that out! Thanks to all the people who review me and my stories! Please, no flames. If you want to email me you can at tiney_panda@hotmail.com Thanks for reading!
* * *
"Death is a challenge. It tells us not to waste time... It tells us to tell each other right now that we love each other."
-Leo F. Buscaglia
* * *
The car ride back was pretty quiet. Ranma finally decided to go with Akane because Nabiki said that she had seen something on the road a few miles back that she had to pick up. Ranma was being really secluded. She woke Ranma up a couple of times to change driving but he just nodded like he had other more important things on his mind.
"Akane," Ranma started, "what would you do if I . . . ya know, died?" Ranma sheepishly asked this as he looked down. Akane noticed the redness of his cheeks and noticed hers were turning a similar crimson. She was startled by what he said but more afraid of why he would ask that question. Did Nabiki threaten to kill him or something? They had been in that room talking for quite a while and Ranma did seem to look at Nabiki with a tinge of hate. Akane decided that if something were wrong then she would be the one to figure out what it was.
"Nabiki didn't scare you right?" Akane shook Ranma again and half laughed when she asked the question. He shook his head no and Akane just stared at him. Something was missing from him. He wasn't acting at all like the Ranma she knew. Akane felt as if she was riding with Suru. Except Suru always smiled.
She wondered why he was always smiling. A few times she would note a hint of anguish in his smile but it would quickly disappear. She told herself that she needed him for his normalcy but deep down, she was hoping to find out what that mysterious glance she would get once in awhile meant. Or that smile that was obviously fake, she craved to see the emotion in the place of that smile. That was what truly kept Akane holding onto Suru.
"Am I boring you?" Akane poked Ranma in the shoulder as she asked this. Ranma looked up startled as if he had just been woken up out of a dream.
"Naw."
"That's all? Why haven't you talked this whole time? What, is my driving making you sick?" She left that one open to see if he would take the bait and say anything. She was wondering if that fall actually hurt him.
"Naw just tired. Ignore what I asked ya b'fore kay?" Ranma muttered this slowly and looked at Akane with deep, hollow eyes. What was on his mind? Only two things could make him look like this. He was either hiding something or planning something. Or both.
"You look pretty pale. I hope Nabiki didn't yell at you too hard! It's your own fault for being such a baka!" Akane applauded herself on trying to make the mood lighter. Something was definantly on his mind. Ranma looked to Akane and she stared back. His face was direly serious and his eyes now held a certain sadness. Sort of like an executioner before it takes a life. What was he thinking about?
"I'm sorry Akane, for everything I've ever done and will do. I'm so sorry."
Before Akane could utter another word she noticed the revving of a car's engine. She paid no attention and look back towards Ranma. The sound got closer and closer and as the car sped forward Akane turned to see the black hood of a car coming right at them.
Ranma perked up as he saw this and turned to Akane. She looked back for a split second and then everything went black.
* * *
Nabiki turned into an open pen next to a large farm. It looked to be about one hundred years old and as Nabiki opened the gate it crumbled with the weight of her hand. She walked inside and picked up one of the many pigs. She walked to her car and poured hot water all over the pig until there was none left in the kettle she kept in the trunk of her car.
The pig suddenly turned into a very naked Ryoga and ran into the bushes away from a not-so-startled Nabiki. She threw some clothes to him from her car that she had bought just for this occasion and Ryoga quickly put them on. She knew he didn't have money on him but he always managed to find some. She decided that taking it later would be smarter. He sulked back into view of Nabiki and she laughed.
"What's wrong?" Ryoga's eyes narrowed as Nabiki asked this pretending to be dumbfounded as to what he was so sad about. He shrugged.
"Ryoga, after I'm through with you your pig problem will be the least of your worries!" Nabiki smiled evilly and directed Ryoga to her car. He looked pretty sharp for someone who just spent the bulk of their day fighting over a bin of who knows what kinds of food.
"What do you want Nabiki? I thought you were . . . out of town?" Ryoga said this delicately not wanting to be hit or sued or something along those lines.
"No thanks? We'll have plenty of time to talk bout me later. How about we focus on a more pressing issue right now . . . you." Nabiki strolled over lazily as she said this and pointed a finger right on Ryoga's nose. Ryoga nervously laughed and stepped back, in doing so falling into Nabiki's car. She laughed.
"Not yet. We can go back to Nermia soon but first we've gotta talk." Nabiki picked Ryoga up and brought him to the fence of the farm. She let go of him and he fell to the ground.
"Hey! Watch it! Just because you're Akane's sister doesn't mean you can expect me to take this!" Ryoga yelled to Nabiki. It didn't change Nabiki's composure in the least bit. She smiled as if she had been waiting for him to say that. He grimaced because before she even asked it he knew what was coming.
"Why Ryoga! What would my little sis have to do with you respecting your elders? She says she hasn't seen you in years!" Nabiki played innocent and clasped her hands together down at Ryoga for his reply.
"If you're asking me that question then you already know." Ryoga got up off the ground and dusted himself off. Nabiki twirled him around and he quickly lost his balance, falling over the fence into the yard.
"Why Ryoga! Your bedroom's a pigsty!" Nabiki had to bite her lip not to laugh. She noticed Ryoga getting angrier and angrier.
"Ryoga, oops, I mean Suru, how did you end up here." Nabiki smiled as she divulged the information that they both already knew. Ryoga sighed in defeat and slowly got up.
"This is how it happened. I'm not going to say it twice got it? Okay, here goes.
It was two days after the failed wedding and I left to go to the bathroom before talking to Akane. I got a little lost." Ryoga sat on the fence and watched Nabiki's face. She remembered how he always was getting lost someway or another.
"Some things never change right Ryoga?" Nabiki raised one eyebrow to him and he started to smile.
"Wrong. It was fate that I ended up where I did. See, there was an old woman being chased by vandals for food. I picked her up and ran forward. She said that she would give me anything if I got her at least ten miles away from the others. Needless to say we got about ten thousand miles away. She asked me what I wanted and I told her about my curse. She said she could do nothing about that and was sorry. Then she noticed my small habit of getting lost an-"
"Wait a minute, small habit? You getting lost is like Ranma getting yelled at by Akane. Useless but it always happens." Nabiki looked Ryoga up and down and noticed that he had gotten a bit more muscular. She wondered if he was any faster because with all that running and walking and jogging etc. he would have to be getting into better shape.
"OKAY ALREADY! I get lost a lot! Back to my story. The old woman gave me this wrist band," Ryoga lifted up his right arm as Nabiki examined the wrist garment. It certainly looked tacky but she knew he had gotten especially for him self due to the colors. Yellow and black tinted the cloth, which looked an awful lot like his bandana. She took off the cloth and wedged between his skin and the colored fabric was a small leaf. He quickly tied it up again and started to explain, "and put this leaf there saying that as long as I wore this I wouldn't get lost any more. That was one of the happiest days of my life!"
"So what? You suddenly don't get lost anymore and Akane's in your arms? I don't get this at all." Nabiki decided this was way more interesting than telling him her story. She'd tell him later because he truthfully did have a right to know. It was a matter of life and death.
"So," Ryoga started dragging out the word while searching his brain for more of the past. "I decided to go back to Nermia under a fake name to see Akane again. I had no intention of it going this far. After I met her that first day I couldn't leave her. We've been together for two years now and I don't want that to change now. Well, except that we're getting married."
"What about that whole trust thing that married couples sometimes do?"
"I can't tell her . . . I don't want to hurt her. Besides, she really does need me and love me! It's just . . . when Ranma came back he must've stirred something inside her. She doesn't love him though! She told me when I came back that her ex-fiancé was totally gone from her mind and in his place was me. I was so glad I could talk to Akane now! I guess with Ranma and the challenge gone I just calmed down. Akane loves me for who I am inside not what my name is. I can provide a good life for her if you just don't tell her I'm a pig half the time." Ryoga looked to Nabiki hopefully and she smiled that smile that he knew was going to cost him.
"Alright Ryoga, I wont say a word, but you owe me big time!" Nabiki got into her car and motioned for Ryoga to follow. He got into the car and just as he stepped in she stepped on the gas and he almost fell out.
"WHAT ARE YOU CRAZY?" As Ryoga said this Nabiki slowed the car down and started muttering something about everyone being a critic. Ryoga wondered what she was talking about.
"Nabiki, you never told me your story."
"Not much to say. Mine is a rich but sad life. I worked for the mob for a while and that's coincidentally why I'm back! Se-" Nabiki started to explain this before Ryoga started to wave his hands around wildly and yelled.
"THE MOB? Is Akane in danger?" Ryoga stopped raving around and waited for Nabiki's reply. She bit her lip and slowly stopped the car. There was a build up, probably an accident on the road.
Well, there's this one guy, Antoni Grada, he has a grudge for me and said that . . . hemightgetridofmyfamily(he might get rid of my family). So, I decided to come here to warn everybody. You and Ranma are the only one's I've told so far!" Nabiki hated feeling nervous but it was something she had to take right now. As soon as she got back she would explain everything. Ryoga just sat there stunned.
"Get rid of?" Ryoga stopped thinking lightly, if someone wanted to kill Akane, they'd have to go through him first!
"Yeah! You know, to 'off' someone, to kick the bucket, to be killed . . ." Nabiki sat down and wiped a tear from her eye. She didn't like the fact that someone was after her family but she couldn't do anything about it!
"I'll protect her."
"They've got guns Ryoga. You'll be killed if you even try. We just need to lay low for awhi-" Nabiki was stopped by a hand in the air.
"I will protect her."
A/N: There you go people! Now you know some of Nabiki's past and most of Ryoga's past! What? You think he would spill all the beans to Nabiki? This isn't really a cliffhanger but I'll let you know that the part in here about Akane and Ranma is going to turn really huge! What do you think is gonna happen? How did you like this chapter? Review me or I might for get the next chapter! Next chapter hopefully up soon!
Rating: Pg-13
A/N: Okay, this chapter is going to have a lot of Nabiki and Ryoga talking so I'm not going to call him Suru. To anyone out there that didn't get before SURU IS RYOGA. Just so people don't get lost and confused. I tried to reformat a bit so tell me how I'm doing! After this chapter I might take a little while to post the next one because I promised my beta Erie that once I finished chapter ten I would work on my other fic. I don't know how long this story should be so please help me figure that out! Thanks to all the people who review me and my stories! Please, no flames. If you want to email me you can at tiney_panda@hotmail.com Thanks for reading!
* * *
"Death is a challenge. It tells us not to waste time... It tells us to tell each other right now that we love each other."
-Leo F. Buscaglia
* * *
The car ride back was pretty quiet. Ranma finally decided to go with Akane because Nabiki said that she had seen something on the road a few miles back that she had to pick up. Ranma was being really secluded. She woke Ranma up a couple of times to change driving but he just nodded like he had other more important things on his mind.
"Akane," Ranma started, "what would you do if I . . . ya know, died?" Ranma sheepishly asked this as he looked down. Akane noticed the redness of his cheeks and noticed hers were turning a similar crimson. She was startled by what he said but more afraid of why he would ask that question. Did Nabiki threaten to kill him or something? They had been in that room talking for quite a while and Ranma did seem to look at Nabiki with a tinge of hate. Akane decided that if something were wrong then she would be the one to figure out what it was.
"Nabiki didn't scare you right?" Akane shook Ranma again and half laughed when she asked the question. He shook his head no and Akane just stared at him. Something was missing from him. He wasn't acting at all like the Ranma she knew. Akane felt as if she was riding with Suru. Except Suru always smiled.
She wondered why he was always smiling. A few times she would note a hint of anguish in his smile but it would quickly disappear. She told herself that she needed him for his normalcy but deep down, she was hoping to find out what that mysterious glance she would get once in awhile meant. Or that smile that was obviously fake, she craved to see the emotion in the place of that smile. That was what truly kept Akane holding onto Suru.
"Am I boring you?" Akane poked Ranma in the shoulder as she asked this. Ranma looked up startled as if he had just been woken up out of a dream.
"Naw."
"That's all? Why haven't you talked this whole time? What, is my driving making you sick?" She left that one open to see if he would take the bait and say anything. She was wondering if that fall actually hurt him.
"Naw just tired. Ignore what I asked ya b'fore kay?" Ranma muttered this slowly and looked at Akane with deep, hollow eyes. What was on his mind? Only two things could make him look like this. He was either hiding something or planning something. Or both.
"You look pretty pale. I hope Nabiki didn't yell at you too hard! It's your own fault for being such a baka!" Akane applauded herself on trying to make the mood lighter. Something was definantly on his mind. Ranma looked to Akane and she stared back. His face was direly serious and his eyes now held a certain sadness. Sort of like an executioner before it takes a life. What was he thinking about?
"I'm sorry Akane, for everything I've ever done and will do. I'm so sorry."
Before Akane could utter another word she noticed the revving of a car's engine. She paid no attention and look back towards Ranma. The sound got closer and closer and as the car sped forward Akane turned to see the black hood of a car coming right at them.
Ranma perked up as he saw this and turned to Akane. She looked back for a split second and then everything went black.
* * *
Nabiki turned into an open pen next to a large farm. It looked to be about one hundred years old and as Nabiki opened the gate it crumbled with the weight of her hand. She walked inside and picked up one of the many pigs. She walked to her car and poured hot water all over the pig until there was none left in the kettle she kept in the trunk of her car.
The pig suddenly turned into a very naked Ryoga and ran into the bushes away from a not-so-startled Nabiki. She threw some clothes to him from her car that she had bought just for this occasion and Ryoga quickly put them on. She knew he didn't have money on him but he always managed to find some. She decided that taking it later would be smarter. He sulked back into view of Nabiki and she laughed.
"What's wrong?" Ryoga's eyes narrowed as Nabiki asked this pretending to be dumbfounded as to what he was so sad about. He shrugged.
"Ryoga, after I'm through with you your pig problem will be the least of your worries!" Nabiki smiled evilly and directed Ryoga to her car. He looked pretty sharp for someone who just spent the bulk of their day fighting over a bin of who knows what kinds of food.
"What do you want Nabiki? I thought you were . . . out of town?" Ryoga said this delicately not wanting to be hit or sued or something along those lines.
"No thanks? We'll have plenty of time to talk bout me later. How about we focus on a more pressing issue right now . . . you." Nabiki strolled over lazily as she said this and pointed a finger right on Ryoga's nose. Ryoga nervously laughed and stepped back, in doing so falling into Nabiki's car. She laughed.
"Not yet. We can go back to Nermia soon but first we've gotta talk." Nabiki picked Ryoga up and brought him to the fence of the farm. She let go of him and he fell to the ground.
"Hey! Watch it! Just because you're Akane's sister doesn't mean you can expect me to take this!" Ryoga yelled to Nabiki. It didn't change Nabiki's composure in the least bit. She smiled as if she had been waiting for him to say that. He grimaced because before she even asked it he knew what was coming.
"Why Ryoga! What would my little sis have to do with you respecting your elders? She says she hasn't seen you in years!" Nabiki played innocent and clasped her hands together down at Ryoga for his reply.
"If you're asking me that question then you already know." Ryoga got up off the ground and dusted himself off. Nabiki twirled him around and he quickly lost his balance, falling over the fence into the yard.
"Why Ryoga! Your bedroom's a pigsty!" Nabiki had to bite her lip not to laugh. She noticed Ryoga getting angrier and angrier.
"Ryoga, oops, I mean Suru, how did you end up here." Nabiki smiled as she divulged the information that they both already knew. Ryoga sighed in defeat and slowly got up.
"This is how it happened. I'm not going to say it twice got it? Okay, here goes.
It was two days after the failed wedding and I left to go to the bathroom before talking to Akane. I got a little lost." Ryoga sat on the fence and watched Nabiki's face. She remembered how he always was getting lost someway or another.
"Some things never change right Ryoga?" Nabiki raised one eyebrow to him and he started to smile.
"Wrong. It was fate that I ended up where I did. See, there was an old woman being chased by vandals for food. I picked her up and ran forward. She said that she would give me anything if I got her at least ten miles away from the others. Needless to say we got about ten thousand miles away. She asked me what I wanted and I told her about my curse. She said she could do nothing about that and was sorry. Then she noticed my small habit of getting lost an-"
"Wait a minute, small habit? You getting lost is like Ranma getting yelled at by Akane. Useless but it always happens." Nabiki looked Ryoga up and down and noticed that he had gotten a bit more muscular. She wondered if he was any faster because with all that running and walking and jogging etc. he would have to be getting into better shape.
"OKAY ALREADY! I get lost a lot! Back to my story. The old woman gave me this wrist band," Ryoga lifted up his right arm as Nabiki examined the wrist garment. It certainly looked tacky but she knew he had gotten especially for him self due to the colors. Yellow and black tinted the cloth, which looked an awful lot like his bandana. She took off the cloth and wedged between his skin and the colored fabric was a small leaf. He quickly tied it up again and started to explain, "and put this leaf there saying that as long as I wore this I wouldn't get lost any more. That was one of the happiest days of my life!"
"So what? You suddenly don't get lost anymore and Akane's in your arms? I don't get this at all." Nabiki decided this was way more interesting than telling him her story. She'd tell him later because he truthfully did have a right to know. It was a matter of life and death.
"So," Ryoga started dragging out the word while searching his brain for more of the past. "I decided to go back to Nermia under a fake name to see Akane again. I had no intention of it going this far. After I met her that first day I couldn't leave her. We've been together for two years now and I don't want that to change now. Well, except that we're getting married."
"What about that whole trust thing that married couples sometimes do?"
"I can't tell her . . . I don't want to hurt her. Besides, she really does need me and love me! It's just . . . when Ranma came back he must've stirred something inside her. She doesn't love him though! She told me when I came back that her ex-fiancé was totally gone from her mind and in his place was me. I was so glad I could talk to Akane now! I guess with Ranma and the challenge gone I just calmed down. Akane loves me for who I am inside not what my name is. I can provide a good life for her if you just don't tell her I'm a pig half the time." Ryoga looked to Nabiki hopefully and she smiled that smile that he knew was going to cost him.
"Alright Ryoga, I wont say a word, but you owe me big time!" Nabiki got into her car and motioned for Ryoga to follow. He got into the car and just as he stepped in she stepped on the gas and he almost fell out.
"WHAT ARE YOU CRAZY?" As Ryoga said this Nabiki slowed the car down and started muttering something about everyone being a critic. Ryoga wondered what she was talking about.
"Nabiki, you never told me your story."
"Not much to say. Mine is a rich but sad life. I worked for the mob for a while and that's coincidentally why I'm back! Se-" Nabiki started to explain this before Ryoga started to wave his hands around wildly and yelled.
"THE MOB? Is Akane in danger?" Ryoga stopped raving around and waited for Nabiki's reply. She bit her lip and slowly stopped the car. There was a build up, probably an accident on the road.
Well, there's this one guy, Antoni Grada, he has a grudge for me and said that . . . hemightgetridofmyfamily(he might get rid of my family). So, I decided to come here to warn everybody. You and Ranma are the only one's I've told so far!" Nabiki hated feeling nervous but it was something she had to take right now. As soon as she got back she would explain everything. Ryoga just sat there stunned.
"Get rid of?" Ryoga stopped thinking lightly, if someone wanted to kill Akane, they'd have to go through him first!
"Yeah! You know, to 'off' someone, to kick the bucket, to be killed . . ." Nabiki sat down and wiped a tear from her eye. She didn't like the fact that someone was after her family but she couldn't do anything about it!
"I'll protect her."
"They've got guns Ryoga. You'll be killed if you even try. We just need to lay low for awhi-" Nabiki was stopped by a hand in the air.
"I will protect her."
A/N: There you go people! Now you know some of Nabiki's past and most of Ryoga's past! What? You think he would spill all the beans to Nabiki? This isn't really a cliffhanger but I'll let you know that the part in here about Akane and Ranma is going to turn really huge! What do you think is gonna happen? How did you like this chapter? Review me or I might for get the next chapter! Next chapter hopefully up soon!