Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is a trademark of Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Video. I have no ownership to these characters, or names.

Ranma ½

Changes: Chapter IV. Friendships Matter! Ukyo's Bad Day.

Drake was walking down random roads in Nerima trying to get used to the place. As he and Akane passed each other (She was on her Morning jog.) She tried not to make eye contact, and he simply ignored her. As he continued on his stomach began to growl.

"Damn that old bat! I think she tries to poison me with her cooking…….Wait, what's that smell?"

Ukyo was having a slow morning. Ever since Akane started dating Ryouga, and her chances improved with her Ran-Chan, she'd hardly seen him at all. Besides that, when ever she poured batter on the stove, it would smell so go it usually attracted someone.

"Good-morning!" She called to Drake as he walked in.

'hmmm? Who is this? I haven't seen him around before, he doesn't look like your average person.' Ukyo thought.

"Yes, good-morning to you as well……….Okonumyaki, eh? Hmm, I've never had that before." Drake said.

"Well you're in luck! I happen to be the best chef in the area. Now, what kind would you like to try?"

"I don't know." Drake Eyes the menu. "Which one is the local favorite?"

"Well, let's see, My Ran-Chan likes the pork one, um Akane liked the-"

"Wait, Ran-Chan? You mean Saotome?"

"Oh! You know Ranma then? I guess it's not surprising, after all, my fiancée is rather well known around here."

"You're fiancée? Ah, you must be Ukyo Kuonji. I'm Drake, Shampoo's brother."

Ukyo's expression becomes rather 'shocked' at the thought of an Amazon warrior having such a strong, and cute, brother.

"Um, oh!" she said as her mind toyed with her emotions.

"What's wrong with you all of the sudden?"

"N-nothing." She looks down to avoid his gaze.

"Well anyways, I guess I'll try the pork Okonumyaki."

"Oh! Yeah, of course."

Ukyo begins to cook. 'What should I do?' she thinks to herself. 'I hope this guy isn't here to try and force my Ranma to marry Shampoo!' she glares at the thought of Shampoo and Ranma together. 'I can't let it happen, Ranma is mine.' Ukyo's eyes begin to tear up a little. 'Why? Why can't he love me the same way that I love him? No, this isn't the time for this!' Drake notices her tears.

"Are you alright?" He asks

"Huh?" She says as she snaps back to reality. "Oh yes, I'm fine, thank you. Here is your Okonumyaki, enjoy!"

"Thank you." Drake begins to eat.

"Drake, May I ask you something?"

"hmm?"

"You don't have to answer, but I just, want to know something?"

Drakes eyes go wide. "This, this is incredible!"

"Huh? What is?"

"This Okonumyaki is the best food I've ever had!"

"Why thank you, Drake."

"I'm sorry, you wanted to ask me something? Sorry I was distracted by this wonderful food."

Ukyo blushed at all the compliment. "Well, I was just wondering why you came here to Nerima?"

"Ah, you're worried about Ranma. Well don't. I didn't come here to kill him, or force him into anything. I've heard all of the stories from Shampoo. So please, calm your fears."

"I just……"

"It's alright. I came here for a few reasons. Mainly I wanted to see my sister. I haven't seen Shampoo in almost five years. Also, I wanted to see for myself if Ranma is good enough for my sister."

Ukyo glares. "Good enough! Hmph! And just what makes you think he wouldn't be!"

Drake takes a step back. "Please, forgive me, I wasn't trying to insult him. I don't know anything about him except that he's hurt Shampoo's feelings more than once."

"You mean to tell me that………She actually loves Ranma?"

Drake slams his hands on the counter, regaining his ground and causing Ukyo to jump. "Just what do you mean by that!" He yelled.

"I-I-I'm sorry. It's just that, she treats him more like a trophy than a man."

"You mean to tell me that you think it's all some sort of game to her? You actually think she'd spend three years on a game?"

"I don't know, she's just never really shown anyone else that she loves him."

"That can't be true." Drake says as his thoughts begin to wander.

"Well not entirely. There have been times. But the next day it's back to the old tricks. I'm sorry Drake, but you said she told you all the stories. Maybe I'm wrong."

"I see………" Drake laid down the money to pay for the meal. "Thank you, I………really enjoyed it."

Ukyo looked sad as he walked out. 'Great.' She thought. 'yet another cute guy that I'll probably never see in here again………What's wrong with me?'

Drake walked off to the Tendo Dojo. 'Damn Shampoo. I see that you haven't told me everything, have you? I'll get the answers I seek.' He was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice that he passed Ryouga along the way.

'Who was that?' Ryouga thought. 'Just what kind of place have I wondered to now?'

Ranma was out in the dojo, doing his morning routine, plus a lot of extra destruction. Yet, it was his way of getting out frustration. Ever since his last fight with Akane, his luck had turned bad. First of all, Akane was dating Ryouga! How could she? After everything they had been through together. 'hmph. We'll see how long it lasts after she discovers his little secret.' That's how he get back at her, he'd wait til she found out, then let her have it for being so dumb that she couldn't figure it out herself. Second, now Kodachi and Shampoo were hounding him like crazy! Third………Drake. Ranma had never been so soundly defeated, and in front of Akane! That was the worst part. And then Drake wanted to call it a draw.

"Damn it!" he yelled as he kept on destroying the practice dummies."

"Damn it!"

"Damn it!"

"Damn it, Damn it, DAMN IT!"

Ranma looked around and realized he had destroyed all the dummies. "Damn." He cursed. Why did stuff like this always have to happen to him?

"Don't tell me all of that anger is at me." Said Drake.

"Drake!"

"Feeling a little extra destructive this morning eh?"

"Yeah, ya could say that. But I gotta keep trainin ta make sure that next time ain't no draw."

"Good idea. I want an all out fight to the finish next time."

"Fine by me. Now, what do you want?"

"Not much, just a little time. I got a question I want to ask you."

"Fine, whatever."

"So, I was at Ukyo's this mor-"

"What were ya doin there?" Ranma asked.

"Eating, now don't interrupt me. Do you think my sister loves you?"

"Huh? Not really, why do you ask?"

Drake closed his eyes and turned away. "I see………" he said as he began to walk away.

"Hey! Where you goin?" Ranma called out, but Drake was already gone.

"Damn it." He said

Drake was walking back to the Cat-Café. 'Dear Sister' he thought. 'You've either lied to me………or you've been misunderstood. Either way, I'm going to help you.'

"What'd he ask that for?" Ranma wondered. 'Huh, I guess I never really thought about it. I guess she could, but she sure don't show it well.' Then he shuddered as he thought of Shampoo's great-grandmother. 'I just thought it was all cuz of her.'

Ryouga was lost, again. How hard could it be to find the Tendo dojo, it was the loudest place in all of Japan. He thought about asking that scary looking guy for directions, but decided against it since he looked upset. And seeing how he's the master of awareness, he was completely oblivious when he walked into Ukyo while she was closing her shop.

"Hey, Watch it jackass, I'm closed!...Wait, Ryouga?" she said.

"Oh! Hi Ukyo. What brings you here?"

"Idiot, this is my restaurant. And if your hungry, too bad. I'm closed."

"Huh, but it's not even mid-day yet."

"Think I don't know that? I just don't feel like being open today." She could barley keep the tears from her eyes.

"Ukyo………"

He put his arms around her as she burst into tears.

"What's wrong with me Ryouga?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on in, I don't want to make a big scene."

They walked inside Uchan's………

Akane was still looking out her window. She'd seen Drake arrive, and then leave a couple of minutes later. She couldn't help but be curious about what he wanted. Probably had something to do with Ranma. Ranma………There's someone she missed. It felt like forever since they had spoken to each other, they hadn't since their fight. And now, with all of the things going on, she couldn't even tell Ranma that she was dating Ryouga, Ryouga told him while they were fighting. She saw the betrayed look in his eyes, and she had to wonder if it was the same look she had all those times. Times when Ranma never betrayed her, she just assumed that he had. But, she did betray him, there was no denying that. She sighed and wondered as it began to rain.

Ryouga locked to door to Uchan's to make sure people knew it was closed. Ukyo had wrapped herself in a blanket on one of the chairs.

"Now, tell me what's bothering you Ukyo." Ryouga said

"It's Ranma, no, guys in general. It doesn't seem to matter what I do, what I try, no guy, not even Ranma seems to want me. Is there something that makes me truly undesirable?"

"I don't know Ukyo, I don't see anything wrong with you."

"Thanks………"

"Wanna talk about it?"

"...It was Shampoo's brother."

"Brother?"

"Yeah, he got into town a week ago."

"What happened, he didn't try and hurt you did he?"

"No, he was hungry. He didn't know who I was for awhile." Ukyo blushed. "He was so kind, and cute. He complimented me and my cooking a lot. He doesn't seem like Shampoo at all."

"So what went wrong?"

"Apparently, what we know about Shampoo and her tricks doesn't match up with what he's been told."

"So, he got mad at you and left?"

"Yep, that sums it up."

"I'm sorry Ukyo, maybe he'll come back and you two can talk about it."

"I hope so………"

Shampoo was cleaning off tables at the Cat-Café. It was a slow day, but when it rained like this it was to be expected. She jumped as the door was slammed open. She looked up to see Drake standing there soaked from the rain.

"Aiya, big-brother, you all wet." She was worried when she saw his face. "What wrong?"

"We need to talk." He said.

Shampoo shut the door to her room, she'd never seen her Brother so upset before. She walked over and sat on her bed while Drake sat on a chair.

"What wrong?" She asked.

"I've been around town today, talking to alot of people." He lifted his eyes to meet hers. "Do you really love Ranma?"

Shampoo gave him a confused look. "Of course she love Ranma! Shampoo tell you so herself!"

"I know that Shampoo, but no one seems to believe you. I think you should change your methods for winning over Ranma."

"What you talking, brother?"

"The way you do things, the potions that you use, it confuses people. It's inappropriate and I won't let you continue acting like this."

"Shampoo no understand."

" It makes people think you don't love him. It makes them think that the only reason you chase him is because of our laws."

"But Shampoo do love him!" She said as she began to cry.

Drake put his arms around her. "It's okay sister, I'll help you convince him of the truth."

Ukyo lay in her bed. Ryouga was being such a good friend. He had stayed with her while she cried, and he locked up the shop for her. She offered to take him to Akane, but he said that he'd be alright. Her mind wandered back to Ranma, could she really keep waiting for him like this? It was killing her to do so. Then she thought of Drake. 'Please come back, I didn't mean to upset you. You seemed really nice.'

"Hmm that rain just won't let up will it old friend?" Said Soun.

"Seems not Tendo." said Genma.

Everyone was sitting around the table for dinner. Dinner had been pretty silent every night Since Ranma and Akane's fight. It seemed that tonight would be no different. Then a familiar black pig found his way into the room.

"P-Chan! Oh you poor thing, you're all wet." Akane cried. Then she snatched him up into her arms and held him tight. Ranma stood up and left the room without finishing his food. 'why does this bother him so much? Honestly, he's being jealous over a pig!' Akane thought.

Ranma wandered into the dojo, still littered with broken training dummies. It wasn't enough, he wanted to destroy more. But the anger he felt couldn't be fixed by breaking dummies. How could she do that to him? Ranma just couldn't understand what that un-cute tomboy was thinking. If she was just trying to make him jealous, she'd only be hurting herself and Ryouga. 'Why? Why couldn't things be easier around here? Why couldn't I've just kept traveling?' His thoughts wandered back to the days when he traveled all over Japan with his father. Back when things were easier. Back then if there were problems, they could just go to the next town and leave all their cares behind. But, then again. All of those problems eventually caught up with them. 'Akane...I do love you...why can't we just...Be happy, why can't we just get along?' He walked over to the corner, sat against the wall, and began to cry. Akane looked at him in disbelife. 'Is he...crying? Ranma...' She thought about going to him, but instead turned and walked to her own bedroom. P-Chan ran off after Ranma left. She wondered when she'd see him again.

So now she at least knew for a fact that Ranma was as hurt as she was. Knowing that didn't help though, she still hurt. She began crying as she lay down in her bed. She couldn't help herself, she did love him. But, she knew that they just couldn't last as a couple. It didn't matter how much they might love each other. Her thoughts were interupted by a knock on her door. She opened it to find Ryouga standing there.

"Ryouga!" she cried as she burst into tears once more.

"I'ts okay, Akane, I'm here." He said.

Ryouga then wrapped himself around his love in a tight embrace. he knew he wouldn't be leaving tonight, not when Akane was so devestated. 'Ranma.' he thought, 'Why do you have to keep hurting her like this?'

Drake stood outside of the dojo in the rain. Ranma was still crying slouched in the corner. 'Damn, you're too vulnerable right now.' Drake thought. 'Looks like my own plans will have to wait...unless...' Drake turned and began to walk home. 'Maybe, sister, but are you capable of that yet?'

End of Chapter 4

Drakus

Wharpt: Yup, she just might. I haven't decided just yet. It'll be a rocky relationship, no doubts there.

Jleonard: Yeah it usually makes me shudder to. But, I couldn't help myself. Either way, thanks for reading.