Receiving no response, Ranma knocked again. He was beginning to worry when he heard Akane's yawn precede the comment, "Be there in a second."

The door swung open to reveal a slightly disheveled Akane running fingers through hair that she was letting grow out again. Upon seeing Ranma, her expression changed. It wasn't the anger Ranma was afraid he'd find. Nor was there the happiness he'd hoped for. There was some surprise, which he'd expected, but there was something else. Focus. For once, he had Akane's complete attention without there being anything negative attached.

"Ranma!" she said in a voice neither angry or sad or happy. "Where have you been?" Miss Hinako called hours ago."

"Around," Ranma replied. Upon seeing Akane's mouth firm up into a hard line in response, he added, "After Miss Hinako found me, I went ta talk ta... my folks. Then I wandered for a bit and came here." Ranma didn't feel comfortable with the term 'my folks', but without flat out telling Akane he'd been disowned, there weren't any better options.

Akane caught the hesitation and immediately thought Ranma was lying. "Likely story Ranma. You've been gone since before school started," she said accusingly. She noted the pack Ranma wore, but figured it was only a prop. The bandages were harder for her subconscious to explain away.

"Akane, if ya don't want to believe me, that's your problem." Before the youngest Tendo could object, he continued, "I didn't come here for an argument, I came ta say 'goodbye'. Because this is it. I'm leavin' and I don't think I'm ever coming back."

His words reached her. Akane actually heard what Ranma said and knew that he meant it. Something had changed. The growing anger on her face was replaced by surprise. "What? Why?"

"I'll tell ya. But if you think I'm gonna talk about this where Nabiki can listen in, you're out of your mind."

Akane blew out a puff of air in something that vaguely resembled a laugh. "Let me get my coat."

As they prepared to leave, Kasumi asked, "Where are you two going?"

"We're going for a walk," Ranma replied with false casualness. Kasumi gestured at the bulging backpack Ranma carried on his shoulders. "We're going for a walk," Ranma repeated emotionlessly.

She'd been willing to ignore the bandage Ranma had wrapped around his right hand, but the pack indicated something serious was happening. Her unease remained even after Akane added, "Don't worry big sister, we'll be fine."

"Kasumi?" Ranma asked.

To her ears, the young man made her name sound like a complex question of utmost importance. "Yes Ranma?"

"Thanks for everything."

By the time Kasumi realized how final those words sounded, Ranma and Akane had already left.

-----

Ranma had no desire to run into anyone he knew while talking to Akane so he had to decide where to go for their conversation. East was Nerima's Restaurant Row. There were two good reasons not to go that way. West was the Kuno estate. Ditto. It was well into the evening and despite the chill, there were many people who were going out to relieve the stress caused by work, school, family or other sources. Finding the privacy he wanted would not be easy.

More or less by default he walked south at a brisk enough pace to discourage conversation and to keep warm. Crossing into Nakano, they found themselves in a small park that was little more than an oversized bus stop. But it had benches, was well lit and wasn't in Nerima, so it would serve.

"Why?" Akane asked quietly in resumption of their earlier conversation.

"Because things changed today. They changed and they ain't gonna change back and it means I can't stay with ya no more."

"What kind of stupid answer is that?" Akane said hotly.

"It's the only one I got. And if you'd stop and listen for god-damn minute, I'll tell ya why," Ranma answered forcefully enough to reengage Akane's attention. Ten quiet seconds later, he continued, "But first, let me ask ya something. Do you think I intentionally tried to hurt Miss Hinako this morning?" If the answer was 'yes' Ranma knew it would be pointless to go on.

"No, of course not," Akane began. "I know she went home to change clothes and came back to teach the rest of her classes. Then after school, she told me that what happened was an accident. She said she absorbed something from you that... well... 'shouldn't have been there'. I'd say she seemed fine, but I don't think that fits. Better... She seemed better."

Ranma sighed internally. There was hope after all, but he still had much to explain. "After I left school, I went to that bridge over the canal, sat down and... spazzed out for a while."

"That's the third place I told people to look," Akane interjected. 'What's the point of telling people things when they don't listen?' she asked herself, unable or perhaps unwilling to acknowledge how often she did the same.

"Konatsu said he was keepin' people away 'til Miss Hinako could find me first."

"When did Konatsu get into this?"

"I'm gettin' there so relax," Ranma ordered, mildly upset at the continued interruptions. "Me and Miss Hinako talked and when she left, Konatsu came and said his piece and I was left there alone with a choice. Either I could go ta your house or I could go ta my... parents' place... and I chose that."

"Why didn't you come home?"

"Honestly, 'cause I wasn't sure you'd be calmed down by then."

"Ranma! How could you poss-" Akane began as she stood, her face contorting with rage, her voice growing more angry with every syllable.

"Dammit Akane! Knock it off!" Ranma shouted loudly. He drew the attention of everyone in the park and a few people outside it.

Akane's reflexes kicked in. Not having any heavy objects handy, she struck Ranma with an open handed slap. Or tried to. Her arm jerked to a halt in Ranma's iron grip thirty centimeters from his face.

Ranma's voice was cold and precise as he said, "No more. I'm not gonna sit here and get beat on because you don't like an honest answer to a question. I'm sorry I brought you here. I'm sorry I thought we could have one civil conversation before I left. I'm sorry about a lot of things." The young martial artist released Akane's arm, plucked his backpack from the ground and slid it on in a smooth motion.

Akane was too shocked to think coherently. Ranma never blocked her. Never. He either took it squarely or dodged. But as that realization faded, the truth of Ranma's words swept through her. Akane could see the boy... no, the man... she loved slowly walk away. "Ranma?" she said quietly, more to herself than anyone else.

"Ranma," she said louder. She wanted to chase after him, but found herself rooted to the spot.

"Ranma!" The young martial artist continued walking.

"Ranma! Ranma, I'm sorry!" He stopped.

"Ranma, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Akane managed between sobs, tears running down her cheeks. Without knowing how it happened, Akane found herself in an embrace. As he had been for over a year, Ranma was there when Akane needed him most.

After settling down, they returned to the bench. As Akane dried her eyes, Ranma said, "Akane, don't make promises you can't keep. Just say that you'll try."

"Huh?" she grunted in puzzled inquiry.

"Well, when you say, "Ranma, I promise I'll never hit you like that again,' that's my response."

Akane looked up to see a cheesy grin on Ranma's face. As her own smile grew in response, she chuckled and said, "How dare you make me laugh at a time like this."

"Well, I figured I had ta lighten the mood somehow. We were getting a little too... What's the word? Ah... Angsty. Yeah, that's it." Akane shook her head in response, but her attention was fully engaged when Ranma continued, "But I'm dead serious about what I said. The old me was different, but the new me ain't takin' crap from nobody."

"What do you mean, 'new you'?"

"I'll get back to that one, but you got to hear the rest of it first." Ranma sighed heavily before beginning his tale. "I went ta my folks place in Adachi. Sparred with dad and... well that ain't important. But I went there to tell them how my cursed got locked last Saturday."

"How did that happen anyway? You never said. All I know is you had another challenge from Ryoga."

Ranma braced himself against an expected outburst. "Akane, don't take this the wrong way. But you don't need ta know, I'm not gonna tell ya and you'd never believe me if I did. I didn't believe it either and I was there," he stated.

"Now I'm curious." There was no outburst, something for which Ranma was grateful.

"Akane, please trust me on this one. Let. It. Go." The last part was emphasized in a manner that indicated that further questions on the subject would lead to his immediate departure.

"All right," she said willing, for the moment at least, not to question the specifics.

"The important thing is that I told my folks and Nodoka disowned me on the spot."

"What?" Akane nearly shouted. Auntie Saotome had done so much for her in her quest to learn how to cook. Ranma's mother had come to accept her son despite his curse. It made no sense. "Why would she..." The question trailed off into nothingness.

Ranma threw up his hands, one bandaged, one not. "Don't know, don't care anymore. But it changes everything. You're not my fiancee now. The engagement was between a Tendo and a Saotome and I'm not a Saotome anymore. You're off the hook. Heck, Ukyo's off the hook too. I don't know when I'll have a chance to tell her, but..."

"Ranma," Akane interrupted, "I... I don't want to be 'off the hook'."

Contentment glowed in Ranma's eyes. "Thanks for sayin' that. It means a lot ta me. And after both of us are eighteen, maybe it won't matter. But right now, it means I can't stay with ya anymore."

"I'm sure Dad... will..." Doubt crossed Akane's mind and features as she ground to a halt. "Actually, I'm not sure what Dad would do. He and Genma, they've been friends an awful long time." Silence reigned for a brief moment until Akane asked, "Is that when your hand got cut? After you told your parents?"

Ranma turned his hand palm up and looked at it as if it didn't belong on the end of his arm. "I think so."

"You think so?" Akane asked rhetorically.

"I'm not sure what happened. Mo- Nodoka disowned me and told Genma to throw me out. He just sort of waved me toward the door and I remember thinking that because I wasn't a Saotome, she could order Genma to commit Seppuku for failing to raise me as a 'man among men'. I mean, it's obvious I'm not manly enough if I've been disowned."

"That's not true," Akane put in. Whether it was a denial about the state of Ranma's manliness, or a statement of disbelief about Nodoka enforcing the contract that had separated mother from son for ten years, Ranma didn't know.

"Don't forget we're talking about Nodoka, not a normal person," Ranma said harshly.

Her eyes widened in shock. "How can you say that about your mother?"

Actual anger seeped into Ranma's voice. "Now that she's no longer my mother, pretty damned easily."

Akane, who missed her own mother dearly, couldn't believe what she heard. Until she thought about it. Certain of Nodoka's beliefs about manliness, such as her stand on peeping, were disturbing when looked at in a different light. She would have to think more about it later, there were other things that demanded her immediate attention. "So what happened?"

Ranma took two deep breaths as he tried to figure out how to tell Akane what took place. Eventually, he realized the simplest way would be the best. "I told him. I said, 'Genma, ya know she's gonna kill you.' Weirdest thing though, I think he already knew."

Akane said nothing. Ranma had built up to his statement slowly enough that she could get her mind around it. Given what she knew of Nodoka Saotome, given that she had indeed disowned Ranma, the possibility that she would enforce the suicide pledge on her husband was conceivable. Monstrous, unconscionable, ghastly, even evil, but still, it was conceivable.

"After that," Ranma said, "it was almost like I'd gone into the Neko-ken. My body moved, but I can't remember what happened." He chose not to disturb Akane with his torture chamber visions. "All I know is I was really, really angry and then, I'm in Katsushika with a cut on my hand and this nick right here." Ranma pointed out the scratch with his unbandaged hand.

"You blacked out?" There was worry in her voice. Oddly enough, that comforted Ranma.

"Maybe, I ain't sure." Ranma turned to look his ex-fiancee right in the eyes. "I asked you this once, and I don't remember the answer. 'Don't you get tired of being angry all the time?'"

"Ranma, I'm not... I don't think I'm like that any more. Am I?"

Ranma closed his eyes so as not to notice any potential retaliation. "Not all the time, just way too often." Nothing happened so he continued, "But I've got a reason ta ask. I've got all this anger in me right now and it's not doing me a damn bit of good." He lifted his right hand slightly and a pale glow formed around it. Negative emotions so intense that they had physical form, so intense that they could be used as a weapon, were held in check only by Ranma's will. "How do you handle it? How do you go from being one of the nicest girls I've ever met to bashing me upside the head with whatever's handy and back so fast? Cause I think it's driving me crazy."

Akane could feel the emotions radiating from the young man next to her. She knew what her own anger felt like. It was a burning fire that consumed her reason and was best doused by hitting something or someone. Not someone, Ranma, she realized. But there was more in that yellow glow than anger.

Akane searched her soul for an honest answer. "Ranma, when I get mad, I get rid of my anger as fast as I can. Because when I hold it in, it eats me up inside, just like it's doing to you. But why are you so mad over losing a fight? I thought you and Ryoga had settled things between you back in China."

"Hell, so did I." Ranma's aura brightened at the mention of Ryoga's name until he focused enough to banish the eerie glow entirely.

"Then why... Nevermind, you said you wouldn't tell me."

"I got my reasons."

Silence settled in around the pair. Neither wanted to leave, but neither wished to speak. Akane didn't want to drive Ranma away. She'd come too close to doing that already. Ranma didn't want to upset Akane further. Whether she believed him or not, bringing up the rape would certainly cause problems. So they sat together in silence as the world went by, unasked questions, with and without answers, filling the air.

"I'm cold," Akane eventually said.

Ranma felt the chill himself. "It's gettin' late. You should go home." He stood and slung his pack on his shoulders before reaching out to give his once and just possibly future fiancee a hand.

"At least I've got a home," Akane said as she stood. "What are you going to do?" she asked. She knew Ranma was too stubborn to return to the dojo with her.

"I got some plans and I been out in worse weather than this lotsa times. I'll be fine. Trust me."

Because she knew she had no choice, Akane resolved to do just that on her long and lonely walk back to Nerima.

"I'm home!" she called as she hit the entryway and reached for her house slippers. Upon recognizing the presence of Genma's ratty sandals, her blood began to boil. She barely finished exchanging footwear when she saw Ranma's father approach her. In her mind, this was very good because it would save her from having to search the bastard out. She never noticed her father and oldest sister, or the worried looks on their faces, behind the part-time panda.

"Akane, where is my son?" Genma asked. In a calmer state, she'd have heard the worry in his voice. But her anger had already run away with her.

"Son?! You don't have a son you..." Because she couldn't think of a word vile enough, Akane swung at Genma instead. Nailed him square in the solar plexus too.

By the time Genma regained consciousness and things were explained, it was too late.

-----

End Part 7

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