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

Ranma 1/2

Changes: Chapter V. Dissapearence? Ranma Leaves Nerima!

Drake was staggering through the streets towards his goal. To look upon him, one would think he hadn't eaten for at least a day. 'She is trying to poison me.' He thought. 'So hungry, need food.' Drake fell on his face. 'Damn you Cologne. I don't care what you think of me, I'm not leaving.' His thoughts wandered back to Ranma. 'Man, you really do have it rough around here don't you?' Then Drake smelled his goal. 'Finally! I thought I was going to starve.'

Ranma was trying to enjoy a nice breakfast at Ucchan's, but he was still pretty depressed over the events of the last week, it didn't help that Ukyo was trying to cheer him up.

He didn't want to be cheered up, he wanted to be happy, but how could he without Akane? Ukyo couldn't stand the pain she saw in his eyes. She knew Akane and Ryouga were the cause of his pain. She walked around the counter and leaned up against him and put her arms around him.

Drake stopped at the door when he heard Ranma and Ukyo talking and decided to listen in for a bit.

"Ran-Chan. I've never seen you like this." She tried to hold back her own tears, "I know that you love Akane, Ranma, but I'm here too you know." Ukyo said.

"Yeah I know, Ukyo. And, I'm sorry, I know that you love me, and, Ukyo..." said Ranma.

"Yes, Ran-Chan?"

"I, I care about you too, but it's as a friend Ucchan I know it hurts to hear this and I'm really sorry Ukyo, but right now, I don't need a fiancee, I need a friend." Ukyo looked down at the floor. "Ucchan..."

"No, Ran-Chan, it's okay I understand how you feel, and I'll do my best to grant you that request, for now..."

Drakus leaned against the building. 'Hmm I wonder Saotome, will you try and tell my sister the same?' He thought

Ukyo went back behind the counter so that she could make Ranma another helping. Ranma gladly accepted and wolfed it down. Then the look of seriousness returned to his face.

"Ucchan." he said.

"What is it Ran-Chan?" Ukyo asked.

"I'm gonna leave town for awhile."

Ukyo looked at him in confusion. "But, Ran-Chan, why?"

"I need to train some where, far away from here. There's too many distractions around here. I need a place when I can clear my thoughts Ucchan."

"Ran-Chan..." She tried to hide her tears from Ranma but he noticed and walked over to her and hugged her tight.

"Please Ucchan, please don't cry."

"But your Leaving Ran-Chan!" She cried as she completley broke down.

Drake stopped a customer from going inside. "Come back in an hour, Ms. Kuonji is pre-occupied." Drake said. The potential customer, seeing the sword, walked away.

Ranma held Ukyo tight, his mind was racing trying to figure out how to help his friend. "Listen, Ucchan, I'll be coming back, I promise you that."

Ukyo kept crying for a short while, then gave him a quick bear hug, and then let go of him. "Okay Ran-Chan, please don't stay gone too long."

Ranma flashed a smile at her as he turned to leave. "I'll cya later Ucchan."

'There, it's done, now I hope that she doesn't keep chasing me, I don't want to hurt her anymore, now for Shampoo I suppose.' Ranma starting walking towards the cat-cafe.

"Hey, Ranma." Drake said.

Ranma spun around in surprize. "Drake? What do you want?"

"Forgive me, but I was listening to you and Ukyo, so you're leavin, eh?"

"Uh, yeah I am. What's it to ya?"

"Not much, But I gotta ask. What are you going to tell my sister?"

"I, I dunno yet."

"Listen to me Saotome. My sister does love you, just as much as Ukyo if not more. I've explained to her that the way she has done things in the past is wrong, and she wants to make it up to you. She made a promise to me that she will no longer use any potions or cheap tricks to try and win your heart."

"Uh, what're you gettin at?"

"Just be kind to her and give her another chance, she didn't understand that what she was doing was wrong, she wants to appologize to you, at least give her that."

"I'll try to."

"Good, because if you stupidly hurt her, I'll kill you." with that, Drake left.

Ukyo sighed to herself, it was a slow day, but at least she got to see Ranma. Not that it was the conversation that she wanted to have. She had always known that she would probably never get to be with Ranma, when she came back into his life, he was already in love with Akane. But, that didn't stop her, she still wanted to try and win his love, no matter what it took. Even now, with Akane out of the picture he still didn't want her. It hurt, there was no hiding that, all she could do now was try to be his friend. She was so pre-occupied in her thoughts that she didn't notice Drake walk in.

"Hey, you okay?" Drake asked.

Ukyo jumped, realizing that she had a customer. She managed a smile when she saw Drake. "Good-Morning Drake!" She was glad that he came back, but this wasn't the best time.

"Hey, you don't have to pretend that you're alright. I heard the whole conversation."

Ukyo blushed, and hung her head. "So you know it all huh? Suppose it's what you wanted, right?"

"Hey now, I'm still new here. I'm still trying to figure out what's going on. And, for your information, I'm not glad that you're hurting."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't of snapped at you like that."

"It's alright. Better me than someone who knows nothing about the situation right?"

Ukyo smiled."Thank you, Drake."

"Um, Not to sound rude. But, uh, I'm really hungry."

"Oh? So you'd like some okonumyaki eh?"

"Well, yeah, but if you don't feel like cooking, you and I could go somewhere and get something."

Ukyo looked surprized. 'Did he just ask me out on a date?'

"What's up? Did I say something weird?"

"Oh! Not at all. Um, if you're sure it's not too much trouble, I'd love to go get some Ramen."

"Sure, so long as you don't want to eat at the Cat-Cafe. I'm sure that Cologne is trying to poison me.

Ukyo laughed. She grabbed Drake's arm and pulled him out of her restaurant. "I promise I never will!"

Ryouga was sitting on the roof of the Tendo dojo. 'What should I do? I love Akane so much. It's wrong of me to keep lying to her like this. But, she'll leave me for sure if I tell her! She'd hate me forever.' Ryouga saw her in his mind. He shuddered at the thought of her attacking him with her mallet. The same mallet that seemed to home in on Ranma's head. 'Yup, I'd die for sure.' His thoughts wandered back to last night. 'I'm not so sure that staying with her as a human was such a good idea. But, it's not like we did anything innapropriate. I just held her tight, that's all.'

Akane had climbed up to the roof so she could see her boyfriend. "Ryouga?" she said.

Ryouga jumped. "A-Akane. Hi."

She sat down next to him and leaned against him. "What are you doing up here?"

"I uh, I kinda neaded a place to think."

"Do you want to be left alone?"

"No, I don't mind."

"Ryouga, what's bothering you? You can tell me."

"Akane I, I just need some time, okay?"

"Sure. I can be patient." She kissed Ryouga on the lips and wrapped her arms around him.

Ryouga gladly returned the kiss. After the kiss, they both sat there for a few minutes. "Akane I gotta go for now."

"But, Ryouga, why?"

"I just need to roam around for awhile. Akane please don't worry, okay?" He smiled.

"Okay Ryouga, just be careful and come back soon."

Ryouga jumped over the dojo walls and ran off to wherever he might end up. 'Why can't I just tell her? Am I afraid of what she'll do, or what she'll say?'

It was a surprizingly slow day at the Cat-Cafe. Shampoo was huming a tune while she cleaned tables. She was happy and sad when she saw Ranma walk in.

"Nihao, Ranma." She said.

"Hey, Shampoo. Do ya think the ghoul'll let ya come with me for a little bit. We need ta have a talk."

"Go ahead, child." Cologne said from the kitchen. "Mousse and I can handle things for awhile."

They walked to the park in silence, Ranma wanted to be sure that no one followed them.

"Ranma." Shampoo said. "Shampoo sorry."

"I was gonna go first, but heck, go ahead Shampoo."

Shampoo tried to keep her self from crying. Ever since Drake explained to her how her actions made Ranma feel, she'd been a wreck. "Ranma, Shampo no know that what she do was bad. It what great-grandmother tell her to do."

Ranma nodded.

"She say was best way to win Airen's heart. Shampoo believed her, she leader of tribe."

By this point she was completly breaking down. She couldn't hold back her tears anymore.

"And now Ranma hate Shampoo for sure." She mumbled.

Ranma sighed, Then he put his arms around her. It didn't matter, he just couldn't stand to see her so upset. "I don't hate you Shampoo."

"Really?" She asked with a renewed hope.

"Really. Now, don't get me wrong Shampoo, that doesn't mean that I love you."

Shampoo kept crying in his arms.

"Hey, I'm willing to be your friend. If, and I mean if I decide that I want to marry you it'll be because I love you, not because of your laws."

Shampoo nodded. "Shampoo promise she no more use potions or tricks. Ranma believe her?"

"Yeah, I do, Shampoo." Ranma wiped away the last of her tears. 'She really is cute.' He thought. "Feel better now, Shampoo?" He asked.

She nodded vigorously and threw her arms around him. Ranma was uneasy, but that soon faded as he realized this wasn't the 'Amazon Glomp Of Doom' it was an normal, tender hug. Ranma smiled and hugged her back. Then to add to Ranma's amazment, she let go of him.

"Now is Ranma's turn. What is you needing to talk about, and, why Ranma have big backpack?" She asked.

"Well, I"m gonna go on a training trip."

Shampoo grined. "You is mad because you no could beat big-brother?" She teased.

"You could say that."

Shampoo's grin widened. "You take Shampoo with you, yes? She could be big help."

"Sorry Shampoo, but I'm going by myself."

Shampoo frowned, but relented. "How long you be gone Airen?"

"I dunno yet, I"m not coming back unit I thnik I can win."

"You no stay gone too long, if you try, Shampoo come after you." She threatened.

"Please don't. This is something I gotta do, okay?"

Shampoo hated having to give into so many requests. "Okay, you win. You make Shampoo a promise?"

"Maybe, what is it?"

"You come see Shampoo when get back, she make you too too delicious bowl of ramen."

"Okay, it's a promise Shampoo."

That was enough to make her happy. She hugged him again and kissed him on the cheek. "Okay airen, Have good trip! Bye-bye!" and with that she bounded off.

Ranma sat there a moment and thought about what all had just happened. Now she listend to him. Shampoo was proving to be quite interesting. "Okay, Drake. Looks like I'll be saying thank you after I beat ya!" Ranma picked up his pack and headed out of town.

End Chapter 5

Drakus

nonengel: Thanks, I've got some ideas, i'm just hoping i can type it the way i want.