All of the characters used in this story belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

Letter

By AkaneTendo1995/Whatever

Dear Akane,

Today is June 18. I've been gone for five days. I'm on a boat to China right now- Jusenkyo is my first destination.

I haven't encountered anything too interesting so far.

I hope to see you soon,

Ranma

I crumple the letter from Ranma into a tiny ball and toss it into the trashcan. I don't want to think about him right now. I flip open my history textbook and try to study, but it's hard to concentrate. I keep thinking of him.

Reluctantly, I walk over to my wastebasket and pull out the ball of paper. I unroll it and smooth out the wrinkles before slipping in into one of the drawers in my desk. I decide to go for a walk to clear my head.

"Aiya!" Shampoo appeared beside me on the sidewalk in a battle stance. "What too too violent girl do with husband?" she snarls.

"Shampoo, I didn't do anything to him," I roll my eyes.

"Did to!" Shampoo continues. "Shampoo see husband some day ago. Husband crying! Husband no cry easily. He 'macho'!" Shampoo insists. I froze. Ranma was crying...because of me?

"And now husband disappear!" Shampoo interrupts my thoughts.

"It's not my fault, Shampoo. It's was Ranma's own choice to leave Nerima," I say bluntly. I don't think I can take this much longer.

"Liar! Ranma no leave by self! Why would Airen leave Shampoo behind?" she strikes at me with one of her ugly bonborris. I jump out of the way, but she manages to tap my hip with, leaving a small bruise.

"Give it up, Shampoo. There's no point in fighting over Ranma now that he's gone!"

"Too too violent girl wrong!" Shampoo throws another bonborri at me. "When husband come back, he come back for Shampoo!" I try to doge it, but her bonborri hits me square in the stomach and I topple over backwards.

"Ranma!!" I yelp, hitting the ground with a loud thump. He's always there to save me...not this time.

"Ha! Too too violent girl lose again to Shampoo!" she cackles before running down the street. Coming out for a walk was a mistake.

I curl up on the grass and hug my knees. I'm sore all over. I've never felt physical pain like this before. What did Shampoo do to me? Softly I begin to cry.

"Akane? Is that you?" a fimiliar voice asks. I look up to see Ryoga looking down on me, smiling. When he sees my tear stained face, his smile fades. "Akane! What happened to you?!" Ryoga kneels beside me, a worried look resting on his face.

"Sh-shampoo," I stutter. I try to sit up, but my spine hurts too much to move it. "Ryoga, I can't get up!" I exclaim. Ryoga grabs me before I can fall back onto the ground again.

"Don't worry, Akane. I'll help you," he says determinedly.

"Thanks, Ryoga," I try to smile through my tears.

"Grab on," he replies turning around so that his back is facing me. "I'll give you a piggy back."

I wrap my arms under his arms and across his chest. I feel him stiffen as I give him a tight squeeze, and say 'thank you'.

"Y-you're welcome, Ak-akane," he stumbles over the words.

"It's just a hug Ryoga," I giggle. As he stands up I wrap my legs around his waist so I won't fall off, but it's not working very well. "Ryoga, I'm falling off!" I squeal, clinging desperately to his arms.

"Oh. Well, uhm..." he pulls me up by my waist until my head is at the same height as his. "Are you up high enough?" he asks.

"Yup, but I'm gonna keep sliding down unless something's holding up my bottom half."

"Here," I can feel his hands underneath me, and before I can say anything his hands are pressed against my bottom, holding me as if I'm on a chair. I stiffen and swallow nervously.

"Uh, Ryoga?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Er, never mind." It's just a piggy back, right? It's not like it means anything.

"Akane? Which way is your dojo?"

"That way," I point starboard. Ryoga turns left.

"Uhm, Ryoga?" I tap him on the shoulder. "The dojo's that way."