Disclaimer: Not mine, not yours, but hers. It's a bitter fact of life.

Changed Overnight

Chapter Two: The Plan

The following Saturday, Akane went out into the park all by herself to reflect on some things – and with things, she meant a vision she had while daydreaming in class, where everything in her life was going according to her will. She watched the water in the fountain burst out nicely and flow down, sparkling, and took a seat on a bench in front of it. There wasn't much in her mind, though. She planned to think about things but she only found herself uncomprehendingly looking at the water in the fountain.

So much for that vision, she thought bitterly. 'My life going according to my will'? I can't even contemplate the things I planned to think of.

The water was flowing smoothly but the rhythm of the current was interrupted by a voice. "Oi, Akane," it called. She turned her head to its direction. It was Ranma.

How he knew where she was, Akane didn't know, but she was determined to keep the promise she made to herself just a few seconds before he showed up. It was perfect. She didn't know how it would affect Ranma, but she didn't care – it would make her feel better, at least. She stood up from the bench and started walking.

"Where are you going? Hey, wait for me! I just wanna talk." Ranma followed her and tried to catch up with her smooth strides. The dancing thing was really getting to her, wasn't it?

They reached a road outside the park, the familiar one that they always took on the way and back from school. Ranma hopped on the fence and tagged along. "Where are you going?" he asked again, rather intrigued.

Akane didn't answer him. She just continued ambling forward like she was alone.

This is not going the way I want it to; he's not supposed to follow me!

She broke off into a run.

"A-Akane!" Ranma took a big leap so he was running beside her already. He grabbed her wrist, hence she stopped. "What's going on?" he demanded.

She jerked her hand away, but his hold was too strong. She yanked it away again, and this time it began to hurt. Finally, she decided to drag Ranma if he didn't want to let go, but after a few difficult steps, he anchored his feet on the ground to prevent Akane from moving. She baffled the pig-tailed martial artist so much.

What's the matter with her?

He saw two beautiful, angry dark brown eyes glaring at him. Wait. Beautiful? Where did that come from?

With Ranma caught unaware, Akane broke free from his grasp and started running again. Ranma followed her at once. Just after seeing Akane making a right turn into an open gate, he knew she was out of her mind.

She went into a private property – the manor owned by the Kunos. Akane was welcomed by a tall guy wearing a blue and black Kendo garb with a wooden bokken in one hand.

"Kuno-sempai!"

"Tendo Akane! The sun doth shine brighter today, for you have finally come to make our perpetual love one. The truth I can see in thy radiant eyes!"

Kuno smiled valiantly as he welcomed Akane with open arms. She stopped running just in front of him, uncertain of having Kuno embracing her. "Ran… Ranma's chasing me…" she gasped. How was she going to pull this off? Ranma could never be fooled with her merely mingling with this person…

Kuno looked behind her and saw Ranma entering the lot.

"Saotome Ranma! Shame on you for–"

Before Kuno could finish his sentence, Akane grabbed his shirt and pulled him close. Kuno was flabbergasted – and even Akane surprised herself when she abruptly kissed him deeply on the lips.

"You'll get more of that if you could stop him from stealing me from you," Akane heard herself saying. Before the frozen Kuno could reply – and she doubt that he could – Akane hurried inside the manor and randomly entered any door she thought could be an exit.

'You'll get more of that if you could stop him from stealing me from you'? I can't believe I just said that… I even kissed Kuno! And that was only the first step of it – oh, how difficult this is going to be…

Outside, the upperclassman was still stunned. It wasn't until when he saw Ranma, his stance similar to that of the stunned Kuno, that he regained himself, smiled calmly and brushed his hair. "Saotome Ranma," he started. "Did you see what just happened? My darling Akane cannot contain her feelings for me any longer! Did our love just make you realize that your engagement is finished?"

No, Ranma thought furiously. Because you drugged her, idiot!

"I ain't in the mood to play your games right now, Tatchie. You did something to her, now let her go!"

Of course he could easily trash the guy down, but he knew better than to trespass. These people were rich enough to hire the best lawyer they could find. And besides, he demanded an explanation. Kuno'd better fess up…

Kuno snorted. "It was she who did it. It had dawned upon her that my love was too strong to resist, otherwise she never would have told me to keep her away from a vile character like yourself!"

"Shut up!" Ranma shouted. The 'fess up thing didn't happen, so he lunged at Kuno and beat him up.

To hell with trespassing and lawyers! I've gotta get Akane outta here!

Inside the manor, Akane was frantically looking for Kodachi because she knew Kuno couldn't hold Ranma for long.

"Kodachi!" she called.

Where's that lunatic when you needed her? Contrary to the fact the mental patients cannot engage in human interaction, Akane knew she could count on Kodachi Kuno to seal the deal. This was going to be easy, but first she had to find her.

She saw Kodachi crossing her arms a few yards away with a challenging look.

"I need you to do me a favor," Akane said, not imploringly, but rather importunately, as she jogged to her direction and stopped right in front of her.

"Favor? You go between Ranma-sama and me all the time, and you ask me to do you a favor? Another thing, woman. You're in my property – without my permission."

"Your brother invited me over," Akane replied stiffly. It was the first thing that came into her mind, what could she say? "And that's why I need you to do this particular favor. I need you to go between Ranma and me. Stop him from talking to me, stuff like that. I know it's weird, but I really need your help."

Kodachi frowned. There was definitely something wrong with this woman – besides the fact that she wanted to be kept away from Ranma, didn't she see her doing an unbelievable act to her brother outside?

"I saw you kissing my dearest brother near the gate, and then this! Perhaps you finally realized Ranma-sama is only for me… or is this just a scheme that would keep me away from him in the end?"

"No." Akane wanted to say many other things, but she held herself. "But have we got a deal, though?"

"Oh, you know I'd keep you away from him without you telling me. But what do I get in return?"

"Well, what more do you want? Ranma's yours already."

Kodachi pondered on this for a moment. Sure, there was the Amazon and the Cook, but this girl was her greatest rival. Without her, it was going to be a breeze eliminating the two remaining adversaries.

"It's a deal."

"Akane!" Ranma's voice rang not too far away, just as Akane predicted it would after leaving him with Kuno outside.

"Here he comes!" Akane gasped. "I need to go."

Kodachi pointed to a dark wooden door just a few meters away. "I'll keep the deal in mind, Tendo Akane. And an eye on you, too."

Akane nodded and escaped quickly. This was too easy… but she had to scrub her lips when she got home.

"Shampoo, I need to talk to you."

The Amazon put down a bowl of ramen on the table Akane was occupying and sat on the seat opposite her.

"About what?"

"Ranma."

"Airen? We not go through this. Ranma mine."

"I know, I know! I have the same opinion," Akane agreed. She arbitrarily mixed the noodles around the bowl with her chopsticks. "But you know our engagement. We live under the same roof, for heaven's sake. All of a sudden, he was just too much for me to handle… and I want to have nothing to do with him anymore."

Shampoo was suspicious. "Why you change suddenly?"

"Who said I changed? I never wanted to be engaged with him from the start."

Did I?

A small chunk of beef slipped from the chopsticks and landed on Shampoo's nose. Akane grinned apologetically and flicked it away. The Amazon, however, was not amused.

"You very peculiar, hentai-girl."

Akane sighed. Yes, funny how Ranma could make her do such peculiar things.

"Have you ever had the feeling that you've just got to avoid some people? People who… make you feel insecure, confused, and furious at the same time?"

She looked outside the window beside her with a faraway gaze, almost lazy.

"People like Mousse, if that what you mean," Shampoo snorted. "He never stop what he do, even when I beat him up."

"Yeah, sort of like that," Akane spoke softly, her gaze still locked on the sky outside the window.

Ranma never stops calling me names, even when I beat him up. We've got something in common after all, Shampoo.

Shampoo snapped her fingers in front of Akane's face, and her pupils retracted.

"I'm sorry," Akane wheezed slightly. For one second, she wondered what she was doing, making deals with Ranma's other fiancées, but in a shorter span of time she realized that this was all for the better.

"So, Shampoo… what have you got to lose, anyway? Keep him away from me – or me from him – and you get all the benefits."

"You just impostor fallen into Spring of Drowned Akane," the Amazon said guardedly, "out to trick me into agree with you. How I know you not bluff?"

"How do you know I am? There are times when I'm not actually fond of Ranma, you know. And they happen a lot nowadays."

There was a pause.

"Shampoo do everything to make Ranma mine."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Ukyou, have I got a deal for you."

The cook served Akane her pancake.

"State," she stipulated.

"I know that you and Ranma have gone through a lot since your childhood, and… well, I know that you've loved him ever since."

"It's unusual for you to talk about these matters, Akane. I don't know where this leads, but you seem to be different."

"I don't see anything different. After all, I had no choice but to give in when our fathers engaged us, so I didn't want to be his fiancé in the first place. And things just became… more unbearable than usual, so I need your help."

"Continue," Ukyou motioned. Although she was still one of Ranma's fiancées who made things harder than normal, Akane figured that among the three, she was the most human. She had ears that listened, a brain that processed thoughts, but unlike the other two, she had a heart that understood.

"Well, you know that Ranma and I are always together, technically because we live in the same house. And… there goes the unbearable part."

"What do you mean?"

"I… you know Ranma," she said hurriedly, wanting to skip that part. She didn't exactly feel like pouring her heartaches to Ukyou with all the customers in the room listening. "So I want you to keep us away from each other. I myself will avoid him. And I promise," she added, seeing the chef's eyes reduced into wary slits, "No fun and games. I'm serious."

"One, I love Ran-chan. And two, even if you're all weird and unusual, I don't see anything in this deal that might ruin me. Add the fact that Ranma's got one less fiancé, which is you of course… it's a deal."

The day was almost done and Akane Tendo watched the orange sun retreat in the pink skies while she leaned on the steel fence overlooking the lake. She sighed, recalling what she had done that day. It had all been so difficult and different, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to go on.

Plus there was the fact that she had kissed Kuno and ate a huge bowl of ramen and a couple of pancakes. Her stomach began to ache with all three verities.

But she realized she had gone that far. She had to go on.

She heaved a determined sigh.

"Bwee!"

She looked behind her.

"P-chan!" she cried. She scooped the black piglet up and cuddled him in her arms. "I missed you," she said happily, though in a weak tone. Throughout the day, all that she went through was crap. It was gratifying to see anybody familiar, especially ones who comforted her. Yes, he was a piglet, but Akane felt that he understood her more than any human could ever do. And Ranma's always mistreated P-chan… the nerve of him!

Akane faced the already dark sky. "I made three deals today, P-chan. Three… very stupid deals. I guess the plan would be easier – almost done, even – but why am I not happy? Why is staying with Ranma such a pain, but not staying with him is more painful?"

"Bwee! Bweeee!"

"It was so hard carrying this out. You know what I did, P-chan? I talked to the lunatic, the barbarian, and… well, the chef. Oh, and…" she paused, hesitating to continue. A moment later, she scowled. "I kissed Kuno," she whispered as if kissing Kuno was a mortal sin she committed that she didn't want anybody to know.

"BWEE!"

"Yes, I did – on the lips! And if Ranma wasn't chasing me, I couldn't have told him to stop Ranma from stealing me from him. He would have been hugging me and kissing me all over especially when he thought I loved him… Geez, that was hell for a moment!"

P-chan was almost in tears. Akane saw him.

"Aw, don't worry, P-chan. I'll be okay."

She kissed his snout, unaware that her pet has gone pink.

"I just want to make Ranma get what he deserves. No pain, no gain, right? Maybe in the end, I can get over the whole Ranma thing and feel real gratification without him."

P-chan let out a fit of snorts. To Akane, they seemed a bit bothered. Enraged, even.

Ranma, Ryouga thought heatedly, you are going to pay for what you've made her do!

The streetlights flashed on and Akane, with P-chan in her arms, started walking home in the cold night breeze.

"Tadaima," Akane greeted as she arrived home. A few moments later, she was told that Ranma hasn't come home yet and nobody knew where he went. But just before everyone finished their meals, Ranma showed up, looking very exhausted.

"Where've you been, boy?" Genma asked his son just before finishing a pickle.

"I was… looking for someone," Ranma replied, not taking his eyes off Akane as he sat down beside her and started getting rice. "Again."

Akane's heart started beating fast as she felt his eyes on her.

Don't turn back now, Akane, she told herself. You've gone a long way!

Before she could even say the lines she rehearsed while walking home, P-chan jumped out of her arms and attacked Ranma. Ranma began shouting and getting hold of P-chan while the piglet squealed in anger.

"You little–"

"Ranma!" Akane began, but she restrained herself. She shouldn't care about him anymore. "Gochiso-sama," she murmured hastily. Then she went to her room.

Take care, P-chan. You can handle that stupid boy.

She started to undress. When she faced the mirror, she was wearing only her undergarments. Sitting down on the chair, she started combing her hair and looking into her own brown eyes.

"Look, Akane," she told herself. "No matter what, you shouldn't turn back. You made deals with Kodachi, Shampoo and Ukyou. You kissed Tatewaki Kuno. And when the time comes, you'll be kissing a lot more guys. I know, right? That's a lot of work for one insensible fiancé, but in the running you may find the right guy for you. And, you know. Actually stop Ranma from calling you names. This lesson's gotta be taught to the naughty kid."

If you want to be satisfied, let your conscience be your guide. If you want to be satisfied, let your conscience be your guide. If you want to be satisfied, let your conscience be your guide…

Suddenly, the door burst open and in stumbled Ranma fighting off P-chan, the small but powerful black piglet scratching and biting him. They surprised Akane that she didn't have time to react when she stood up, turned around and saw them.

They realized her presence and paused in the middle of their fight. Blood gushed out of P-chan's nose like the Niagara Falls, and Ranma… well, Ranma cowered as he always did when he saw that expression of Akane's, which meant she was about to scream…

"HENTAIII!"

She threw her comb she was grooming her hair with and it hit Ranma right on his forehead. He stumbled out of the door and Akane closed it quickly.

"Ranma no hentai…" she gasped with fury. She saw P-chan on the floor, unconscious, his nose bleeding.

Seeing him, Akane's fury melted. "Poor baby," she mumbled as she laid him on her bed and sat beside him. "Don't worry, P-chan, he won't hurt you anymore. You shouldn't have attacked him, but I'm glad you did. I was all tongue-tied back there, even though you know how many times I repeated my lines on the way home. It's really difficult. I'm glad you're here."

She smiled at her pet's figure that began to stir slowly. She got hold of some tissue and wiped P-chan's bloody nose with it. Soon, he regained consciousness.

Akane put on her pajamas from the closet and lay on the bed. She reached for P-chan, set him on her flat stomach, and faced the ceiling.

"The plan is not actually foolproof, but it's going on smoothly. Tatewaki and Kodachi Kuno, Shampoo, Ukyou – I've already convinced the four of them and they believed me. Now the next person is… oh, no."

"Bwee?"

"Ryouga," she murmured diffidently.

P-chan blinked.

"But P-chan," said Akane, sitting up on her elbow and looking into her pet piglet's dark eyes, "it's so hard getting Ryouga into all of this. You know, I wish he's not coming home until this is done. He doesn't have to be involved, but if he's here… he's got to be. It's the only way this is going to work – if everybody went along according to plan."

"Bwee!"

"I know… he's my friend. And a good one, at that. I don't want to hurt his feelings, nobody would."

"Bwee," P-chan answered, snuggling on the spot between Akane's neck and right shoulder.

"Kami-sama, help me," she sighed, putting her hands over her eyes.

Ranma, Ryouga thought angrily. What have you done to Akane? You're making her do things against her will! I will never forgive you for this… I'll kill you!

A week later, Ryouga arrived at Furinkan and challenged Ranma to a life or death battle. The students flocked around the two fighters, with rumors like Ranma got Akane pregnant circling the milieu.

"What now, Lost Boy? Learned a new technique lately?" Ranma asked amusedly.

"No – you did something to Akane, and I won't forgive you for that!" he shouted, lunging at Ranma and attacking him.

"What's wrong with you?" Ranma demanded as he dodged Ryouga's attacks.

"Bakusai Tenketsu!" Ryouga yelled, missing Ranma by an inch and demolishing the stone pavement instead.

"Ryouga!" Ranma jumped away. Ryouga lunged at him again, so he had to fight, too. "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!"

"She doesn't deserve you, Ranma!" Ryouga answered intensely as he blocked Ranma's godly quick punches. "Do you know what you did to her?"

All the students were watching – and listening – as the two fought and shouted. Maybe Ranma did get Akane pregnant.

"I chased her all the way to Kuno's mansion," Ranma replied lamely, evading a series of punches from his opponent. "Really! What?"

"You made her do things she didn't want to do! Go to hell!" He threw a final punch that hit Ranma hard on the cheek.

"Akane!" Sayuri called.

Akane was already going down the stairs and preparing to go home when she saw that everyone was watching – heaven help them all – Ranma and Ryouga's fight.

"Akane, they're fighting because of you!"

"They are?" she asked amazedly, forgetting the plan she cooked up a few days ago and worry taking over its place. She hurried to the field of battle and made her way through the thick circle of students surrounding the fight.

"Saotome just got hit!"

"Is he out cold?"

"No, he's standing up!"

When Akane finally reached the scene, she popped into the circle of students and everyone's eyes were upon her.

"Tendo Akane!" the students exclaimed in ad lib.

Hearing that Akane was there, Ranma turned around and gripped her arm. "Akane! What the heck is Ryouga talking about?"

Before Akane could answer, which she just remembered she shouldn't, Ryouga interrupted and grabbed Ranma's hand away from Akane.

"Don't you dare talk to her!"

He started attacking again. Akane could only watch as they fought, wondering what happened to Ryouga. Of course, Ranma's done many atrocious things to poor Ryouga before, but she has never seen Ryouga this angry.

"Tendo Akane!"

Why was it always the wrong time when this guy showed up?

Akane turned around. "Kuno-sempai?"

Right. The voice could belong to no other.

"Tendo Akane, I know thou could not bear a minute without me! This is the moment we make known to this world my ceaseless adoration with thee, and of course, " he added, "the other way around!"

He came running to her with open arms when Ranma, dropping from the sky, kicked his head. Kuno fell cataleptic right at Akane's feet.

For a second, she was overly thankful that Ranma stopped Kuno from setting his hands on her, but she the plan she had to carry out kept popping into her head like a mosquito that didn't seem to quit biting.

She frowned at Ranma and kneeled beside Kuno. "Are you okay?"

In normal situations, Akane would have left his body for good, but this was part of the plan. And somewhere behind her mind, she was worried for the wellbeing of this stubborn guy. He always ended up unconscious, no matter what, that she wondered if he was never this crazy to begin with, and that it was all those bumps on his head that deranged him.

Hearing Akane's voice, Kuno's eyes flashed open. He sat up in a split second, holding both of the girl's hands.

Akane looked around.

Oh no, not in front of everybody!

Ranma saw the Akane's uneasy look and effortlessly sensed her unwillingness towards Kuno, so he jabbed the upperclassman's head with his elbow, leaving him unconscious for good.

"You let go of her!"

Akane sighed in relief and had the feeling Ranma heard it.

"Why did you do that to him?" she scolded Ranma. A nearby basketball player in the crowd surrounding them offered Akane a hand, so she accepted it and helped herself up.

"Come on, you clearly didn't want him holding you!" Ranma explained as Akane thanked the tall buffoon drooling over her.

A second later, Ryouga fell from the sky and fell right on top of the basketball player's head.

Hah! Ranma jeered.

The sneering expression on Ranma's face annoyed Akane.

"You've done a lot of damage, Ranma. I don't see anything funny with knocking a poor upperclassman cold!"

"Look, whatever Kuno did to you that time when you…" Ranma paused, choosing his words carefully, avoiding the kiss verb. "When you did that thing you did to him… it's over. You have control over your mind right now. And weren't you the one who always hit him whenever he went too far?"

"That was before. Things change. And keep that in mind, will you?" She turned around and asked the students to make way, and they willingly made it. An angry Akane Tendo was not safe to oppose.

"Oi, Akane!" Ranma called. He began making his way outside the crowd.

"We aren't through yet, Saotome!" Ryouga's voice rang angrily.

"We'll do this later, Ryouga. I have things to do!"

Akane was already outside the school vicinity, so he jumped over the walls of the school (knowing too that Ryouga would get lost sooner if the Lost Boy didn't know which way his opponent went) and hurried to catch Akane. She hadn't gone far, but when she heard the sound of running behind her, she started dashing.

"Akane, wait!"

Ranma had always been faster than Akane. He jumped in front of her and grabbed her arm. "Baka! Why have you become like this? What's happening to you?"

"What's happening to me, Ranma?"

She tried to break free of his grasp but it was too strong.

"You're asking me what's happening? Oh, I have no idea!" she scorned angrily, trying again to no avail to shake her hand free from his grasp. "I'm so certain it isn't you, Ranma, don't worry! And let go of me!"

"No. I'm not letting go unless you tell me what's going on! It's so confusing the way you're acting – you ain't the Akane I know!"

Surprisingly, Akane laughed.

"Of course I'm not! I don't think you know anything about me at all. Even before, you didn't – and it's been almost year since I've known you! I guess it wouldn't make a difference if you called me Akane, or even…" she stopped. She thought of saying everything on the list, but she felt her voice stuttering and thought better. "Or even whatever names you'd like to call me. Hah, like I even care. Like you even care! You never did – you wouldn't say anything I wanted you to say if your life depended on it! You're simply the president, aren't you? An insensitive, cynical–"

"And what do you want me to say?" Ranma interrupted. His grip, strong as ever, pulled Akane closer to him. His gaze bore deep into her eyes, unmasking Akane's fear and bitterness. "Tell me. I'll say it, just for you to stop this foolishness!"

Tell me you love me. Say those very words, Ranma, she found herself thinking.

However, she knew better than to say that it was what she wanted Ranma to say.

"Let go of me," she muttered under her breath, wanting to cry, which was enough for Ranma to hear.

"No," Ranma's voice said firmly, right before it softened with his expression. "I miss you Akane, so much. You've always been there at home, I know, but… where did the girl I knew go? The cute girl who liked to make delicious food for everyone, the girl who was so good in martial arts, my favorite sparring partner, the girl who was smart and too kind to teach me when I didn't understand the lessons in school, the girl who always fought on my side, the girl who not just once had saved my life?"

Akane tried to suppress the tears building up in her eyes.

"Where did that girl go?" Ranma pleadingly asked again.

And Akane let it all out.

Just like butter under the sun, Ranma's grip loosened as Akane's expression turned into that like a child's. She sobbed the moment she buried her face into his chest.

"Ranma!" she cried. "I'm sorry for everything… I just… just…"

She sobbed so hard and her tears began to dampen his red Chinese shirt, but he didn't mind. In fact, he was too glad that Akane was okay – and back – that he put his arms around her and hushed her as if she was a baby.

"Sssh… come on. You're a strong girl, you know better than to cry out here in the middle of the street."

But this made Akane cry more, which did not in the least startle Ranma, because he just wanted her to let everything out. Of course, Akane knew most of the things he said were just something to make her feel better even if they were not true, like how she made 'delicious food' and how she was always his 'favorite sparring partner'. But they did make her feel better. Even though Ranma didn't say he loved her, those comforting things were bliss.

Ranma reached into his pocket and produced some tissue, pulled her head gently from his shirt and offered it to her.

"Don't look at me," Akane sniffed, accepting his tissue. "I look ugly; I'm all wet and sore." She wiped her tears dry.

"Nah, you look cute no matter what."

With that simple remark that didn't seem right for the usual Ranma to say – yet it seemed very right for the other Ranma who was revealing himself inside the same body – came a blazing smile from Akane that was as bright as the sun. The lights of Las Vegas would be switched off in shame if the world saw this!

It surprised Ranma, seeing that her smile was for him and none other. She looked so beautiful, perfect and innocent that he couldn't help smiling too, albeit rather sheepishly, though he didn't intend it.

"Come on, let's go to the ice cream parlor," Ranma invited cheerfully.

"I didn't bring much money today," Akane said. She was used to paying after the female Ranma had finished off the whole menu.

"Don't be such a kill. I'm paying. Now come on."

Ranma didn't want to be too sweet all of a sudden, but he did take her hand and he held it all the way to the ice cream parlor. He ordered two triple fudge sundaes for the both of them. And this time, he was glad he wasn't a girl.

"P-chan, the most wonderful thing happened to me today!" Akane gushed happily as she lay down on her bed that night.

"Bwee?" P-chan was confused, because he thought, with what happened, she would be pained. It was the perfect opportunity for P-chan – or perhaps Ryouga – to offer his company.

"Ranma wasn't so bad, after all."

"Bwee!"

Akane giggled. "I know, I know. I've been telling you how I hated him and all… but this afternoon he told me I was cute. It sent little shivers up my spine that felt nice. I may have to abandon the plan now!"

She sighed. Then she faced P-chan. "You think he likes me?"

P-chan shook his head furiously.

"No? Yeah, something tells me what he just did was just momentary because he wanted me to stop what I was doing. He'd go back to his usual cynical self, I predict, but I have to tell you – back there I wished everything was just like that forever between the two of us. P-chan," Akane stopped, a smile spreading across her face. "Do you think I'm in love?"

"Bweeee!"

P-chan couldn't take it. Rather, Ryouga couldn't. He was madly in love with Akane, and she was in love with his enemy Ranma who totally didn't deserve her! The black piglet squealed violently. He stormed out of her open window.

"P-chan!"

Akane wondered if what she was doing was wrong. P-chan didn't like the sound of it – what if it was a sign from Kami-sama that she shouldn't fall in love with Ranma?

"Maybe… P-chan's right," Akane mused as she got up from her bed, went to the window and looked at the dark night sky. The complete silence helped her make up her mind.

She was going to fall in love – someday – but it wouldn't be Ranma, for her own sake. He was just going to have to be…

A friend.