A/N: Incredibly short chapter this is, but I'll make that up by putting the next one up as soon as I can. And…eh, the title doesn't really make sense. To tell the truth, I should have save the title 'valediction' (from the previous chapter) and used it for this one. 'Trepidation' fits the last chappy better too :/
Curse my laziness xD
runs from rotten vegetables …Ooh hey, a tomato xD
The Rain Falls Swiftly
Chapter 3—Trepidation
Akane Tendou slipped silently out of the dojo, closing the door carefully behind her and inhaling the fresh scent of the early morning. She walked to the gate, then stopped to look back one last time.
The sun was only just beginning to peek over the mountains, and the dojo, bathed in it's soft glow and that of the disappearing streetlights, looked like something from a dream, almost unreal. Akane gazed at what had once been her home, trying to carve the sight of it into her mind, lest she never return. Once, it seemed like so long ago, she had been happy here, but all that was left now were memories. No, she couldn't stay. Not anymore.
Akane took one final look, then bowed her head.
"Goodbye Daddy, Kasumi, Nabiki, Mr. Saotome." She turned on her heel and walked away, not daring to turn around, for she was afraid she wouldn't be able to leave if she did. This was it. There was no changing her mind now, not when she'd already gone this far.
"Goodbye Ranma."
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Shinnosuke slumped against the wall of a vacated house. He didn't know if he was asleep or awake, but either way it didn't matter, not much anyways. "I wonder if this is what it feels like to be dead." He mused.
"Pity. I'd thought it'd be a lot more tranquil."
Then Akane appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, like an angel from a dream, and his world brightened.
"Akane!" he cried, sitting up at once, "You came."
"Yeah," she replied, smiling sadly, and Shinnosuke's heart clenched at the pain in her voice.
"Akane," he said gently, tipping her chin up with one hand, "Is there something wrong?"
She turned away, brushing a tear away with the back of her hand. "I've decided, Shinnosuke, I'm going with you."
A broad grin appeared on his face at that. "Really Akane? You're coming?"
"Yeah…" she looked back at him, "But…I don't want to wait until tomorrow. Could we go…now?"
He noticed the travel backpack by Akane's feet. "Now? Today? But…don't you need to say goodbye to your family?"
"I…" She looked uncomfortable. "I've said goodbye to everyone that I need to. My dad, he'll never let me go if I tell him…and Kasumi and Nabiki already know. Everyone else…they can figure it out for themselves."
"So you're coming? Are you sure?"
Akane took a deep breath, but she was cut off before she could reply.
"No," A new voice said, "She's not."
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Ranma stood there, looking at the couple, feeling like more of an idiot by the second. He'd been on his morning jog, when he spotted Akane, and followed her here. He'd planned to just spy on them for a while, then go home, but the words were out of his mouth before he'd known it.
Akane looked like she was about to speak, when Shinnosuke interrupted. "Get out of here,"
"No."
"I said, go away."
Ranma ignored him, turning instead to his ex-fiance . "Akane," he growled, "we need to talk."
She swallowed heavily, then nodded and followed Ranma to the street, smiling assuredly at a confused Shinnosuke over her shoulder.
Ranma stood with his back to Akane, hands shaking, not knowing fully what to say to her. He'd never planned for this to happen, never thought that it would come to this. But it had, and there was nothing he could do about it.
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Akane watched Ranma apprehensively, knowing full well that this was not going to be easy on her, or him, for that matter. She gathered herself, and waited for him to speak, but he did not. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore, and decided to do so herself.
"Ranma--"
He whipped around suddenly, cutting off, and fixed her with an icy cold stare. "So," he said, his voice dead, "you're going with him?"
She hesitated. "I…yeah."
"Why?"
"What?"
"Why Akane," he said, his tone almost pleading, "Why're you leaving?"
She shrugged sadly. "I don't have any reason to stay."
Ranma appeared to struggle with himself. "You do know you might never come back, don'cha?"
"Yeah," she said, "But I needed a change."
"Then why not start with little things?"
She frowned, "What?"
"Why so big of a change? Aren't ya afraid you'll regret it?"
"I've thought about it already." He was desperate, she could see, but she just didn't know if she could continue living like before. She didn't want to keep waiting. She needed a change, definitely.
Ranma looked at her frantically. "Family, friends, school…do none of those matter to you anymore?"
"I told you, Ranma," she said with a hint of annoyance, "I've already thought about it. Everyone who needs to know knows, and everyone else…well, they'll know soon enough."
"So," he said sullenly, his voice dead, "You're leaving? For sure?"
Akane felt a glimmer of hope at that. "Unless there's something else holding me back, yes," she replied.
Ranma looked uncertain, and chose not to relpy.
Akane took a hesitant step toward him. "Ranma," she said gently, "Is there?"
He remained silent, and she was just about to say something, when he spoke.
"No." he said quietly, his head bowed, his expression and voice neutral. "No, there's nothing else. You can go."
Akane's heart broke, seeing him like that. "Ranma…" She began.
He raised his eyes to meet hers, and the expression in them was of a condemned man. "Just go," he said, his voice barely audible.
"I--"
"Go."
She turned to leave, walked a few steps, then stopped. She couldn't do this, at least not without explaining. She'd done so much explaining in the past few days, but obviously that hadn't been enough. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe they just needed more time, and eventually everything would come together.
Akane whirled around, eyes full of tears. "Ranma!" she cried, only the wind answered her.
Ranma was already gone.
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A/N: And that's the end. For now -wink-
Stupid chapter...it was one of my more akward ones :P
Again, sorry for the extreme shortness. Next chapter will be up in…1, maybe 2 days? Until then, read and respond :D