Michael Gutin

Disclaimer: I'm really getting sick of saying characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi…


And now some replies, starting with a very special one:

BTB: I love you man! Your review, which I shall now post since most of you are lazy assholes:

"To Akane haters everywhere: If this IS another R/A story - too freakin' bad!
Do what you want with your story - You've done a darn good job well within the possible reactions of the characters as Takahashi-san wrote them. However, this little chappie is a cliffhanger of sorts - Ranma might forgive, but he also may not forget. Feel free to explore what Ranma might do and KEEP WRITING!"

I would like to point out that BTB is exactly right about everything. Since I have been getting a lot of comments all the last part of chapter 7, let me point out the following things (At least in my fic):

Ranma loves Akane

She is crying, and he hates seeing girls cry

She promised she is going to try to change

Ranma is a forgiving person

So his reaction is perfectly reasonable. And like BTB Akane isn't out of the woods yet, Ranma is just giving her temporary solace because she is distraught. But if she doesn't actually make good on her promise it really would be over. But will she? Oh, you shall have to see…

And actually, that's about all I feel like commenting on, you should feel special BTB, special I say!

And now the story

(Which I am assuming you like, otherwise you should have stopped reading by now, unless you're a masochist, I guess.)


Sick of It


Chapter 8

Gettin' It On


Once Akane had stopped crying, Ranma pulled away and looked at her. Moving up her head to force her to look at him, he regained his neutral tone.

"Akane, are you serious about what you said?"

Akane was silent for a moment, before meekly replying "Yes."

"Because Akane, this is your last chance, I hope you understand this."

She nodded.

"This can't be like the time with Kasumi, you gave your word, and it didn't even last a day."

She slumped, but nodded again.

Ranma smiled slightly. "Good, I'll…I'll try to be a little nicer as well."

Akane brightened at that. "So Ranma, will you be coming back home with us now?"

Ranma looked down. "No…"

"But why?"

"Akane, I…I've made a lot of trouble for all of you."

"No! It isn't…"

"Let me finish. I've made a lot of trouble for a lot of people…but I've made the most for myself. Ever since coming to your house, I've made a lot of mistakes. And I can't…or won't go back until I've made up for them."

"But…"

"There is no 'but' once this is all over…if I still can…I'll be back, until then…"

Mousse was getting impatient.

(This is all fine and dandy, but if Ranma fights Cologne, he'll be dragged to China all the same.)

"Saotome, I have things to discuss with you…"

Ranma sighed, got up and walked over to Mousse. "What is it now?"

"I've heard you're fighting Cologne."

Ranma's expression hardened. "That's right, I'm gonna put that pushy ghoul in her place. Show your entire godforsaken tribe what it means to mess with me."

Normally Mousse would have attacked Ranma for bad-mouthing his tribe, but he had much more important things to discuss.

"You can't."

"Can't I? Who's going to stop me, you?"

"I'm telling you that you can't."

"And why not?"

"You'll lose."

Ranma laughed. "I've heard that said to me a lot, but you know what? I never lose."

Mousse grew angry. (What arrogance!)

"Look, this isn't some childish sparing. This is Cologne, the most powerful in a tribe whose sole purpose for the last three-thousand years has been to produce the ultimate warrior."

"You're not gonna start with the 'Three thousand years of Amazon History' crap are you? 'Cause that's gotten real old lately."

"Dammit! Don't you get it? She will wipe the floor with you! And then she'll drag you to China and marry you to Shampoo? Is that what you want?"

It was Ranma's turn to get angry. "What I want? Do you know what I want Mousse? I just want control of my life. And that is exactly what I am getting. It was my decision to challenge her. Mine. And even if it's the biggest mistake of my life, I'm sticking with it. Because it's my life, and I will make the decisions. I'm sick of everyone telling me what to do, and I'm even more sick of listening to them. I WILL do this, and there's not one fucking thing you can do about it. And that's all I have to say about that."

And with that, Ranma was gone.


Shampoo watched all this. Of course, due to her vantage point, she heard nothing, but she got the gist of things. She flared with jealousy when he comforted Akane. And felt proud that her Airen had the last word in his fight with Mousse. Now he was leaving.

(This is my chance to hear from Airen that he loves me.)


Ranma trudged to Tofu's. He was tired. Not like he was used to being. This was not a physical fatigue. No, this was emotional. In the last few weeks, so many things had been said, put out in the open. His emotions had good from happiness, to anger, to sadness, and everything in between.

(Just wanna rest…)

At that moment Shampoo jumped into view.

(Aw, hell…)

"Shampoo…" He muttered.

"Ranma want to say something to Shampoo? Tell her he love her?" She exclaimed excitedly."

"Please Shampoo…please…not right now…"

"Airen must tell Shampoo he loves her" Shampoo insisted, completely ignoring Ranma.

It was the straw that broke the camel's back. All the strain had been getting to Ranma, and this pushed him over the edge.

(That bitch doesn't care at all, does she?)

"Love you? Yeah right! I'm sick of you! Don't you get it? I'm trying to get rid of you. I'm fighting Cologne to get rid of you. I…I hate you!"

Shampoo paled.

"But…I…" she stuttered.

"Leave, now."

Shampoo burst into tears and ran away.

Ranma stood there until he had calmed down.

(I guess that was a little mean…)


Shampoo ran to the Nekohanten. She made sure to have wiped away her tears before she entered. Great-Grandmother would not approve of an Amazon Warrior crying. Shampoo tried to act normally, but she knew she couldn't fool the elder.

"Shampoo, what's wrong?" Cologne asked.

"Shampoo want go back to China." Shampoo said miserably.

"What's the matter with you child?" Cologne asked harshly.

"Air…Ranma say he hate me…" Shampoo said softly.

Cologne cackled. "Is that all? Don't worry Shampoo, by tomorrow he'll be coming with us whether he likes it or not."

"But he no love Shampoo…" Shampoo said, trying hard not to cry.

At this, Cologne grew angry. "Love? Love! What has love got to do with anything? This is law child, do you understand? Three thousand years of Amazon tradition. When a foreigner man defeats an Amazon woman, she must marry him, what part of that is love? Idiot girl, you will not turn your back on this. Doing so would be an insult to yourself, to me, and to the entire Amazon tribe. Ranma is a prize that you should have attained long ago. But you have failed, but I will not let it end like this and have you taint the honor of the entire family. Ranma will be coming back with us if I have to drag him kicking and screaming! Do you understand?"

Shampoo stood still.

Colgone hit Shampoo with her cane, knocking her into a wall.

"Answer me!"

Shampoo offered a meek "Yes Elder."

"Good." Said Cologne briskly. "You are excused."

Shampoo nodded and went up to her room, where she was able to shed her tears freely.


Author's Notes: Wow! It's been a very long time since I updated this story. But between AP Tests, World Of Warcraft, and that one other fic I'm doing (the one who's name I should know, but I forgot) I've been quite busy. But hey, school's pretty much over now, and come summer, I'll be writing a lot more frequently. (There better be applause following that statement.)

This one's really short isn't it? Bah. Well, be sure to C & C and perhaps the next one will be longer.