The two boys walked along the new corridor that they had just entered and Ranma was completely silent as he concentrated on the task before him. Ryoga trudged beside him and sighed heavily stopping in his tracks.
"Ranma" he replied.
"What's the matter Ryoga?"
"I need to ask you something."
Ranma stopped walking and looked back over his shoulder at the look of seriousness on the other boy's face.
"What's up?"
"I. I need you to tell me."
"Tell you what?"
"What are you real feelings about Akane?" Ryoga said swallowing hard before he spoke.
"Uh" Ranma replied suddenly getting nervous, "Surely you don't need to know that now do you?"
"I need to know" Ryoga insisted.
"But shouldn't you save all your energy for fighting him instead of me?"
"What?"
"It's not important right now" Ranma said clearly dancing around the subject, "What's more important is finding this jerk and getting the hell out of this place."
"Ranma" Ryoga said sternly, "Tell me."
"I can't" he shook his head, "I can't right now" he began to walk right now, "What difference does it make?"
"It makes a heck of a lot of difference" Ryoga stated as he ran after him and moved in front, "I'm not moving another step until you tell me" he stopped Ranma cold.
"Come on man. Get out of the way."
"I'm not moving. You dodged me the last time I asked. This time you're not going to get away so easily. I want to know once and for all how you feel about her. Tell me now."
"All right!" Ranma shouted, "Is that what you really want? You really want me to say it Ryoga?"
"Yes" Ryoga nodded not sure if he really did.
"I love her all right," Ranma said seriously with anger in his eyes, "I love her."
"You. Love her" Ryoga replied slowly scarcely able to take it in.
"Yes" Ranma nodded, "Are you satisfied now? I love her. I can't help it."
"I see. And how long have you felt this way?"
"I don't really know. I must have always felt this way in some way or another," he continued as Ryoga began to pace, "I just didn't know it. But I finally know and I've told her too."
"You told Akane that you love her?"
"Mhm" Ranma nodded slowly.
"Oh you told her?"
"Yea."
"You told her?" he repeated.
"Ryoga what's wrong? Your eyes aren't blinking?" he asked him curiously and a little afraid.
"I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine. Just out of curiosity though, what did she say?"
"Oh uh" Ranma stammered, "We were interrupted some time after I told her. That jerk showed up and separated us."
"You mean she didn't say anything?"
"Well no not anything."
"Well what did she say?"
"I don't really think that I should be the one to tell you this Ryoga. Especially now" Ranma took a step back, "With your eyes bulging out at me more than normal."
"I'm all right. I just want to know what she said."
"What difference does it make?" Ranma shrugged moving past and beginning to walk once more.
"It makes a lot of difference. I need to know."
"Look man. I don't want to hurt you," he said under his breath.
"What?"
"Isn't it enough to know that I love her?"
"No."
"Why do you need to know so badly though?"
"So I can come to a decision of my own."
"Decision about what?"
"Just a decision. One that could change how I feel about things. Ranma if you tell me right now how Akane felt I will know where to go from there. So please just tell me."
Ranma sighed heavily.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I can take it."
"All right" Ranma nodded with a frown, "If you're sure. We had been arguing like always."
"About what?"
"She made some comment about how I would prefer to be with Ukyo or Shampoo. Or even Kodachi for that moment. And she made me mad."
"And?"
"And I told her. I told her that I loved her. That I have loved her for a long time and that I have never wanted to be with any of those girls. And that's the truth. Any design that they had on me was either by accident or the fault of my old man."
"Oh yes" Ryoga nodded, "I can see that."
"So I told her. In my own fashioned way. And she told me she felt the same."
"She said she loved you?"
"Yes. I'm sorry Ryoga."
"Don't be. I'm not upset" Ryoga said calmly, "For some reason."
"You're not?"
"No. I thought I would be. But for some reason I'm not. It's almost as if I knew that this would happen subconsciously. I knew how she felt a long time ago. I just didn't want to admit itto myself. And you were such an idiot with your feelings."
"That I was" Ranma admitted with a nod, "I was a complete jerk. I admit that. You were a better man that I ever was Ryoga. Much better. I used to dread that you might take her away from me to be honest."
"Really?"
"Yea. That was all rooted in my wanting to be better than you too believe it or not."
"Wow. I had no idea. Well Ranma, now that you've told me I've come to a decision."
"What decision?"
"I'm giving up on Akane."
"What?"
"I could never make her happy. Not like you. Besides you're already her fiancée. It makes perfect sense that you stay together."
"Are you serious Ryoga?"
"Yes" Ryoga nodded, "But don't ever hurt her Ranma or I will have to kill you."
Ranma chuckled.
"Deal" he held out his hand, which Ryoga took gratefully and then shook, "And now will you help me? Will you stand by my side as we take this creep on?"
"Absolutely" Ryoga agreed and then the two of them started running again to find their adversary.
"Oh Akane" Ryoga thought as he ran, "I have to let you go. It's the right thing to do and besides I always told myself that all I really wanted for you to be washappy. So when I see you again I won't worry. You do have a good man at your side after all. I would never admit it to him. But Ranma is the right man for you. And the only man for you as far as I can tell" he smiled as he ran even faster of the other deciding not only on his decision about Akane but on Ranma as well, "And I would proud once and for all to consider him a friend. A rival yes. But a friend."
(Till Next Time)
Authors Note: There's the next chapter. Only one more this weekend! Hope you enjoyed it!
Next Chapter:
Chapter Sixteen: Double Team
The fight between Kinnosuke and the two martial artists commences. See what happens in the outcome!
