JUST ONCE

CHAPTER FOUR: Endings

Disclaimer: This awesome possum anime/manga and its equally amazing characters are Rumiko Takahashi's, not mine.

A/N: I apologize for not updating for such a looooong time. It has been a really crappy semester with major assignments due on the SAME day, and 2 mad exams on the same day today. So since that horrible semester is over and done with…. Here's chappy fourrrrr! :)

….and I promise to immediately work on Chappy 5. I already have everything in mind. I don't wanna drag it too far and of course I would wanna present you the meatier parts of zee story. Please look forward to them ;)

The antidote worked as quickly as the poison did and in a matter of an hour, Akane was breathing normally, and her vital signs have returned to normal. Her cheeks have returned to their normal colour and she was no longer sweating, but still feeling weak.

The dust has finally settled, and everyone was still in the house being tended to.

The priest was in the guest room, still out cold with a bag of ice on his forehead.

Mousse, who was knocked out and the most severely injured out of everyone, was being taken care of by Shampoo, who immediately came to his bedside the moment she walked out of the scene in Akane's room. She was dabbing herbal solutions on his wounds, thankful that he was asleep so he won't have to feel the sting of the medicine on his wounds.

Ukyou, on the other hand, has offered to help out in fixing the Dojo and in putting away the decorations and the extra food prepared for the supposed-to-be post-wedding banquet. She was silent all the way as she did her job together with Soun, Nabiki, Nodoka, Genma and Sasuke.

The photographer has called Nabiki to inform her that he has thankfully managed to escape the scene – he was lucky to have been standing near the door when the explosion occurred because he was the farthest away from where Kodachi has made her entrance and he managed to crawl away with his camera unscathed.

Upstairs, in Akane's room, Ranma was still on Akane's bedside checking her progress every few minutes. Kasumi offered to get Akane into her pyjamas and asked Ranma to step out of the room for a moment but Akane had a tight grip on Ranma's hands, refusing to let go, as if all her remaining energy was centered into ensuring that Ranma didn't go anywhere.

Kasumi tried to convince Akane that she had to get out of her bridal dress to wipe the sweat off so she doesn't catch a cold, but Akane merely shook off her head.

"I…Ranma, the wedding…" she managed to utter, with tears forming on the corners of her eyes.

Ranma had to look away and turned helplessly to Kasumi for help.

Kasumi patted Akane's arm gently and said, "Akane-chan, the wedding will have to be postponed…"

But Akane shook her head as fiercely as she could. She tugged at Ranma's hands to force him to look at her. When Ranma finally turned and hesitantly locked eyes with her, Akane whispered, "Ranma…please, let's go on with the wedding…"

But Ranma closed his eyes, trying to stop his own tears from flowing. He could not bear to watch Akane like this – so weak, helpless and on the verge of tears. He has always been weak with tears, but seeing the girl he loves cry was a different story – it was a hundred times more unbearable.

"Akane, just take a rest…please…I'll step out for a bit to get you something to eat. Let Kasumi get you into proper clothing," Ranma said softly, looking down on their intertwined hands.

What happened next was beyond his control. Akane, with all the strength she could muster, was on him in a matter of seconds, hugging him as tightly as her remaining energy would permit. Akane let her tears flow as she cried softly on Ranma's shoulders.

"Ranma, I thought I was…..going…to die…" she bawled. "I was so scared….."

Ranma was shocked for a few moments, until he finally managed to put his arms around Akane's waist and the small of her back as he held her to him while she cried. He could feel the smoothness of the fabric against his skin, and his fiancé's shaking body.

He was probably one of the best warriors out of them; he had trained under the most demanding conditions, but he was never trained when it comes to his overflowing emotions when he was this close to Akane, especially when she was crying and shaking uncontrollably. He only knew how to handle her at her strongest, not at her weakest. He wondered if he could ever take it when he tells her what he was planning to do.

Kasumi was standing on the foot of Akane's bed, feeling helpless and sorry for her little sister. Akane has always been tomboyish and so strong – seeing her in this moment of physical and emotional weakness was beyond what she was capable of taking. She wanted to make an exit, but she couldn't move. She was watching Ranma and his expressions, and there was something about the faraway look in his eyes even as he comforted Akane, and the fact that he couldn't look Akane in the eyes that bothered her…but she couldn't place her finger on what it was.

After a good ten minutes, when the adrenaline level finally subsided and Akane has cried herself out, the room fell silent again. Ranma realized that Akane has exhausted herself, and was fast asleep on his shoulders. He gently unwrapped Akane's arms from his shoulders and neck, and put her back to bed.

It was then that Kasumi gave out a sigh of relief and nodded to Ranma to say that she will take over now. She grabbed a syringe from the drawer, as directed by Dr Tofu, and injected it into Akane's arm.

"This will put her to sleep for a few hours to ensure that the antidote and her body can eliminate all the remaining traces of poison before she wakes up," Kasumi explained, although Ranma didn't ask. She turned to Ranma, who was unsurprisingly staring blankly. "Ranma, I'll get her changed. Go and get some rest."

But Ranma stood there, unmoving.

"Ranma?"

Ranma's blue eyes locked with Kasumi's.

"Kasumi, there's something I need to do downstairs. Please look after Akane." And before Kasumi could reply, he was out the door.

There's something up with him, Kasumi thought. And she knew it was not good but she shook it off as she grabbed a cloth to dab it on Akane's face to clean off her ruined makeup.

The moment Ranma came down, he immediately announced that Akane was alright and has been put to sleep. Assured by Akane's safety, Sasuke has excused himself and bid his farewells so he could report to his Master Kuno that Miss Tendo was alright.

Ranma then asked Shampoo and Ukyou to come with him and follow him out of the house, firmly telling everyone else not to follow.

Despite everyone's hesitation, the two girls followed Ranma wordlessly as they were bothered by the look on his face and by the serious tone in his voice. They jumped from one rooftop to another, until they reached the Nerima Park, where Ranma and the girls sat themselves on the park benches farthest away from the crowd.

"I am going to cut to the chase," Ranma began.

The two girls simply held their breaths and thought that whatever he would say would not be as bad as they think it would be – if Ranma was going to tell them that he was in love with Akane, then so be it. They were not blind, and they already refused to act blind. For the past three years, they have refused to give in maybe because of their pride more than their 'love' for Ranma.

When they left Nerima earlier, they have sorted out their thoughts and decided that once they returned they would ask Ranma who he wanted to choose; they were simply getting older and tired of this game. They found that what they saw today just reaffirmed what they have refused to accept all this time; it has now finally answered their questions.

A few days ago when they received an 'anonymous' letter with a black rose on a corner of the paper, informing them about a secret wedding taking place at the Tendo Dojo, more than wanting to stop the wedding, they surprisingly found themselves more worried about Ranma's safety.

It was only today that they both realized as they fought Kodachi how much Ranma and his happiness really meant to them more than their own. Seeing him in tears next to Akane sealed the deal and finalized their decision to let go of this exhausting 'game'.

Years ago, had they been in a similar scenario, just like during the first failed wedding, they would have barged in and accused Akane of tricking Ranma into marrying her. But now, after everything they have seen all this time, they knew who Ranma really cared for and wanted to be with. It was Akane, no one else.

But maybe nothing has prepared them for what Ranma told them next.

"I'm going away, for a while. Maybe not just a while, I don't know…"

Ukyou was the first to speak, "Ranchan, what do you mean?"

"I'm planning to get out of Nerima and find a cure for my curse, and maybe do some Martial Arts training. I realized that I still have so much to learn…I can't always be the one being protected by everyone…especially…Akane."

"But Ranma…" Shampoo found that she could no longer call him Ai Ren.

As if not hearing Shampoo, he continued, "I can't keep going on like this. Getting everyone in danger because of my enemies and rivals, unable to protect those who I care about…"

They both knew he was referring to Akane; they had a strong urge to pat him on the back at least, or to hold him, but they refused to move. They could only look back when Ranma looked at them with a serious expression.

"So, I'm going to have to nullify whatever engagements I have. Shampoo, I know it's Chinese Amazon tradition, but would you be able to let me go?" He asked a speechless Shampoo.

He turned to Ukyou, who was equally out of words, and asked, "Ukyou, I know we were betrothed based on a deal our fathers exchanged in when we were young. I will work hard to replace that Okonomiyaki cart we stole and nullify our engagement."

At this, he stood up, and then bowed as low as he could manage in front of them.

"Onegaishimasu."

The two girls stood there, digesting what Ranma just told them.

"But Ranchan, if you're leaving for a while…then what about Akane? Are you going to make her wait that long?" was all Ukyou could say. Even she was surprised at her concern for Akane; it could be her feminine protectiveness taking over.

Ranma fell silent and gave them a sad look as he stood upright. He refused to answer her. Instead, he chose to say "I'm sorry, Shampoo…Ucchan.."

"Shampoo let Ranma go. Shampoo and Grandma take care of it." And for the first time, she gave him a genuine friendly smile - one that finally held neither malice nor any negative feelings.

Ukyou also smiled softly. "Don't worry about it Ranchan, it's all on me, silly! Just save the money for replacing the Okonomiyaki cart for your married life." She winked. "And if you do need a babysitter…"

But before she could finish her attempt to lighten the mood, Ranma cut her off, as if he wasn't listening to the last few words she said. He looked at Shampoo and said, "I heard that it was you who immediately found the herbs for the antidote. Thank you Shampoo. I owe you big time for this."

Shampoo merely smiled and shook her head. "Is Shampoo's pleasure to help ex-husband to be. We lucky to have herbs lying around Cat Café." She winked, and Ranma, despite himself found himself thinking how cute she could be when she smiled genuinely.

Ranma returned her smile, despite a sad look in his eyes.

"Thank you both for coming today. I don't know what could have happened if you girls and Mousse weren't there to come to our rescue."

"Crazy woman will no longer be a bother…Dr Tofu took crazy woman's memories…" Shampoo said quietly.

Ranma took in this information, and thought for a moment. With Kodachi gone, they would be safer now…but for how long? Until new enemies came after them and targeted his only weakness, Akane? Kodachi was merely one nemesis, but in the future, what was going to happen?

"Ranchan, I'm also sorry for everything…all the trouble I've caused," Ukyou bowed in front of him. "I was also going to say goodbye to you; I'm going to close down my shop and live with my relatives at my hometown. I need to save up on the rent, and seeing that I don't have any more reason to be here, I'm going to save up for University."

Ranma was slightly taken aback by Ukyou's sudden announcement, but just as they have accepted his decision, he simply gave her a smile, and wished her good luck with her plans. He looked at his best friend, with a sense of peace and a trace of a genuine yet slightly sad smile on her face, and thought that he had to be happy with her decision, although he felt that he would miss her.

"Shampoo also return to China. Shampoo help Grandmother and Mousse at China Cat Café," Shampoo announced casually with a smile, as if she was only talking about going on a vacation instead of leaving Nerima forever. "If Ranma need Shampoo, Shampoo will be there."

"Thank you, Shampoo," Ranma smiled. "And I owe you for saving Akane's life. If there is anything I can do I'm at your service.'

Shampoo smiled and bowed slightly. Then she shook her head and said, 'Just think about it as Shampoo's way of apologizing for trouble caused.'

The three of them exchanged a silent moment, feeling a heavy weight being lifted off their shoulders.

'Ne, Ranma, why not travel with Shampoo to China? You and Shampoo go to Jusenkyo,' Shampoo offered.

But Ranma declined her offer politely. 'I want to travel around and hone my skills both as a man and woman first,' he explained. 'If I train as a woman, I will have a slight disadvantage compared to my male body. If I could train and get better as a woman, only then would I reach my true potential and be able to fight at any state I'm in even when I get weakened in my male form. That's when I will go to Jusenkyo to get cured.'

Ukyou and Shampoo nodded softly in understanding as they saw in his eyes the determination to be a better martial artist.

For Ranma, it was a surprise how these two girls have matured in just a short period of time; he was actually prepared for chaos and whatever fit they would throw at him when he told them that the engagement was off, but he wasn't prepared for the maturity that these girls have displayed today.

In Ukyou and Shampoo's case, they already saw this coming and their resolve has been made; Ranma's official announcement simply made their decisions easier – their decision to finally leave it all behind and move on with their lives.

Honestly, they were surprised how relieved they were by Ranma's announcement; being engaged to him was like joining a game or a race, knowing that someone else was already bound to win – and judging by what they have seen all these years when they opened their eyes and thought objectively, that someone was already beyond the finish line of the race; yet Ukyou and Shampoo were still trying anyway, not wanting to quit out of a silly drop of hope or merely a matter of pride. For the person they were bound to, to finally unbind them from their self-imposed chains was a refreshing feeling; they knew that they could live without regrets now, having fought till the very end and losing with pride. Now they can walk away without any regrets and there was nothing else more rewarding than that.

Shampoo and Ukyou requested for one last hug from Ranma, and before the blazing sun started to set, painting the sky with hues of pink and orange, the three of them walked back to the Tendo household, knowing well that this would be the last walk they would ever make together in Nerima. They all made a mutual agreement to not mention this to anyone else, and Ranma said that he will handle the rest on his own.

When Ranma, Shampoo and Ukyou got back, Akane was still sleeping peacefully in her room. The dining table was set for dinner and Kasumi invited Shampoo and Ukyou over for dinner. The two girls wanted to decline the offer, but Ranma insisted that they join them for dinner. After all, it may be the last time they would share a meal with everyone in the Tendo and Saotome family, well, not quite everyone. And the missing member of the family, the one they most wanted to talk to and bid farewell to, and the one they wanted to apologize to, was upstairs, unconscious after escaping a near-death experience.

The two girls told everyone their plans of returning to their home towns and closing down their shops at Nerima, much to everyone's surprise. But ultimately, everyone supported their decision and told them to have a safe trip and visit Nerima once in a while.

Shampoo said she would visit every once in a while, and Ukyou promised that she would be back to visit and probably open a restaurant in Nerima once she completes her university education. After dinner, they promised that they would be back a few days later before heading back to their hometown to say a proper goodbye to everyone, especially Akane. Both girls did not know how to face Akane and were hoping desperately that Ranma changes his mind because they would not know what they would do if he does leave Akane.

Akane fully regained consciousness the next day. Nodoka and Kasumi took turns taking care of her in her weak state. Ranma, on the other hand, was almost nowhere to be found ever since Akane regained consciousness, which worried Nodoka, Soun and Kasumi. But Nabiki casually mentioned over lunch that she saw Ranma come in after Akane has been put to sleep, thinking that no one was upstairs. Nabiki knew that Ranma may not always openly show his feelings to her little sister, but she spied on him several times that day jumping from the window into Akane's room, sitting next to her bed, stroking her cheek, checking her temperature and then leaving again.

Two days later, Dr. Tofu came over and told Akane and her worried family that she is back in full health.

"She just needs to take the last of the pills I prescribed and eat more fruits, and she should be fine in no time," Dr Tofu said with a smile.

"Thank you Dr Tofu," Akane said gratefully. Even as she sat there on her bed wearing her pyjamas and with her family around her, she could not help but look for Ranma.

When Nabiki noticed how she's been subtly craning her neck, she leaned over Akane's ear and whispered, "Ranma's probably coming later, when he thinks that we're all gone." She winked.

Akane blushed and sighed. Oh Ranma.

After Kasumi and Nabiki managed to drag a sobbing and half-worried, half-relieved Soun out of Akane's room, and after Nodoka wrote up a list of dietary requirements for Akane, the room was quiet once more, as Akane lay there on her bed, listening to the soft breeze blowing from the window.

She heard the ticking of the clock, and she found it getting louder for some reason, here where it was dark, except for the moonlight flooding through the open window, and where it was silent, except for some chatter from the kitchen, and the sound of her own breathing. She found her heart give a leap, when she heard a soft knock from her window. She immediately sat up, alert, but immediately relaxed when she saw a familiar pigtailed figure slide through the window in a mastered and fluid fashion.

'Ranma.' It was more of a matter-of-fact statement instead of a question. Need she even ask? Even in the semi-darkness, she could remember the familiarity of his scent, a masculine musky scent mixed with a pleasant hint of sweat and the sweet subtle scent of his shampoo and soap; it was as if he came over straight after taking a shower and she had to suppress a giggle.

She noticed that he was carrying a big backpack, the one he always used during training trips. This bothered her slightly, but she chose to ignore it for now. Right now the one most important was that he was here right now.

He pulled a chair and sat next to her. Akane found her heart beating faster as they looked at each other's eyes. She wanted to close the gap between them and kiss him; she has never felt this relieved and happy to see Ranma ever since she woke up. Part of her felt Ranma's presence while she was asleep, but to see him in the flesh was overwhelming for her. Despite the weak state she was in at the moment, she mustered all the energy she had, and threw herself at him, drawing in his scent and holding him tight.

'A-Akane,' he stuttered, hesitated for a moment, and finally reciprocated her embrace.

'What took you so long to come and see me, you dummy? Ranma no baka!' Akane found herself weeping softly, knowing how much she missed him. She felt like she has been sleeping too much, she never had time to spend with him or to talk to him after the yet another failed wedding. She smiled softly and she promised herself she would never let him go, not now that they have survived so much. Dr Tofu told her earlier that Kodachi will not be 'bothering' them anymore, but did not go into complete detail. Akane decided that she would rather not know, and rather not hear about Kodachi's name or anything about her at all.

Ranma was surprised by her sudden hug; at the same time, it reminded him too much of how she acted after he came back from that trip with Mousse and Ryoga. He came out of the bath, and upon seeing Akane, he thought she was going to try to pick a fight, but nothing prepared him for that moment when she fought back tears and simply hugged him wordlessly.

To Akane, that was the time when she felt, she was sure she could not live without him; she was so worried about him and she missed him so much that seeing him in the flesh was unbelievable in itself; she couldn't help but hug him.

Akane pulled back to look at Ranma, and her smile faded when she found Ranma looking down. Akane bent her head to take a look at him and asked what was wrong. He looked up at her, and she realized that his eyes were glistening with suppressed tears.

'Ranma, why…' she held up her hands and caressed his cheeks, but Ranma avoided her touch.

Akane looked at him questioningly. He gazed at her with blank eyes, and it made her shudder; suddenly she looked like a stranger in his blue eyes.

'I'm leaving Nerima, Akane,' he said so softly, she thought she heard him wrongly.

'Leaving…what…' she stammered.

Ranma looked at her straight in the eyes and said, with all the courage he could muster, 'I'm leaving to train, and to find a cure for my curse. I want to be stronger, Akane, strong enough to not put you, any of you, in danger anymore.'

Suddenly, Akane found her throat go dry; she tried to speak but words failed her. All she could manage was a disbelieving look at Ranma.

'Akane, I need to do this,' he said softly.

When she finally managed to find her voice, she asked, almost inaudibly, 'When are you…coming back?'

She was afraid to look at Ranma's expression, afraid of seeing the answer there. Her question hung in the air for a minute, when all she could hear was the loud thumping of her own heart. She suddenly found herself feeling dizzy and weak, wondering if she could bear to hear Ranma's answer.

'I don't know…a year or two, maybe five…?' Ranma replied. 'Akane, this is something I must do.'

'But why, Ranma? Why now?' She demanded, her voice starting to rise.

But Ranma's voice remained low and it scared Akane.

'This is exactly why it has to be now. Seeing you hurt like that, me not able to do anything…. me being the reason for everything,' he said. Then he put her hands on her shoulders and shook them gently. 'Don't you see, Akane? Everything is my fault.'

Akane shook her head. 'Ranma, it is not your fault….' She tried to touch his cheeks but he pulled away.

But Ranma shook his head. He looked away from her and softly said, 'Maybe our decision to get married was a mistake. I-' but before he could finish his sentence, Akane's palm landed on his left cheek; a sharp slap that resounded all over the walls of the room. He may have been prepared for this, but nothing has prepared him for the surge of emotion he felt when he looked up and saw Akane's beautiful face contorted with a mix of anger and sadness, tears flowing from her eyes.

'A mistake,' she uttered and laughed bitterly, 'I made a life-changing decision, Ranma, and you call it a MISTAKE?'

'A- akane…'

Akane looked at him straight in his sapphire eyes. 'If you want to delay the wedding, then it's fine. If you want to train and find a cure for your curse, then fine…but…I want to understand why you still think … ' she choked out the last words, 'it's a mistake.'

Ranma was silent for a moment. He just wanted to hold her and tell her he loved her for all it was worth, that he was afraid that another fatal incident might happen to her if she was still involved with him, especially not when he cannot be in Paris with her to protect her.

But his ego stopped his mouth from blurting everything out. He couldn't, he shouldn't. If anything, he needed to hold on to his resolve. It was easier this way; what was the point of telling her he loved her if he could not even be with her? What was the point of confessing when he chose the other path?

Instead, he clenched his fists and found himself saying, 'I can't get you involved with my affairs anymore, Akane. At the same time, I can't make promises on when I can return.' He looked away and added silently, 'I- I want you to have a choice this time, and a chance to purse your dream without being tied to a promise I may not be able to keep.'

Akane sat there dumbfounded, trying to digest what Ranma just said. She gulped and clenched her fists, wiped her tears off with her forearm and said, 'Are you saying you are breaking off our engagement…?'

Ranma evaded the question, but what he said confirmed Akane's thoughts. 'It's better off this way. The way things are, I cannot make promises. What if, what you can find can make you happier? Or what if, I cannot keep my promise? I don't want to deny you of any possibilities over a promise, Akane.'

'Ranma, I am…happy…with you..that's why I-'

Ranma, despite wanting to hear what she said, and despite that tugging happiness surging in his heart knowing that Akane was happy with him, decided that his resolve would not weaken. He cut her off and said, in a louder voice, 'Akane, we are only eighteen. What the heck do we really know about what can make us happy?'

Akane was taken aback, not by the sudden rise in Ranma's voice, but because of what he said. She understood that Ranma wanted to give her a choice, but wasn't this enough? She knew things would work out, they had to.

'Ranma, it will work out, just-'

But Ranma slammed his fist into the wall, causing it to crack a little. He was so frustrated, he was fighting back tears while suppressing the urge to just hold her and give in. But he has made up his mind; he would rather let her go and keep her safe, than have her in another fatal situation. No, he would not risk it again, even at the expense of his own feelings. Besides, it would be better for her to hate him and not know about his true feelings; it might make it easier for her to forget him then and move on with her life.

He finally turned to look at her, with eyes as cold as he could muster.

'Stop being stubborn for once, Akane! Look at yourself and the state you're in! Look at all the trouble your stubbornness has landed you in!'

Ranma's words seemed to hit a raw nerve, and made Akane seethe in anger. She clenched her fists tightly, feeling her nails dig into her palms as painfully as they could. But nothing was more painful than what her heart was feeling at the moment. She let her fringe drop to conceal her eyes as she uttered, 'I'm such a fool…maybe it was foolish of me to even care in the first place…not when you have already made up your mind.' She felt the sting of tears wanting to burst out, but she refused to let them out. No, she will not cry in front of him right now. He did not deserve her tears. Instead, she faced him head on with fierceness in her eyes; the semi-darkness hiding the pain beneath her eyes.

'You said, it was a mistake, huh? And that you wanted to give me a choice. YOU may be the most dense and insensitive man I've ever met in my life, Ranma, but when I made THAT CHOICE, it was because I knew what I was getting into. I knew what and who I chose. And I chose my HAPPINESS.'

Ranma did not expect those words; he was taken aback and was left speechless. His mind raced and his heart skipped a beat. It was a mix of emotions playing within him – the fact that he now knew that he does mean something to Akane, that she decided to marry him not for convenience, but because he meant something to her – to the point that she entrusted her future and happiness to him; she did believe in him, he realized painfully. And now he was going to disappoint her. But what choice did he have now?

Akane watched him, searching for answers – something, anything, any indication to show that he could somehow change his mind. She knew she was being selfish, but she was so afraid of losing him that she didn't care anymore. She wanted to convince him that she would stay out of trouble, that she would take good care of herself, but upon seeing the look on his eyes when he looked at her again, she knew it was a lost battle; he has made up his mind.

'I'm sorry, Akane. I really just don't want to risk anything, not your life,' he whispered. Akane felt helpless looking at his defeated and sad eyes.

A moment of silence passed by, and finally Akane broke the silence.

'So, this is the end…?'

The end. Two mere words have never been this painful, Ranma thought as he closed his eyes, slowly turned around and picked up his backpack from the floor and slung it on his shoulders. He turned his head slightly, fighting back the tears threatening to fall. He wanted to berate himself for wanting to cry and for even wanting to just hold on to her and never let her go. He did not have a right to cry, nor does he have any more right to hold her; he has chosen to let her go. He owed it to her to not make it any more painful for her.

Thoughts were flooding his mind, screaming inside telling him that he would end up regretting this. He could still turn around and change everything, be optimistic and believe that it would work out. But then, he thought, what has optimism done for the both of them? It has always caught them off-guard, and in the end, they both landed in trouble – Akane always on the receiving end of injuries and peril from wrath and revenge, of which Ranma was partly to blame. And he thought, today was the final straw.

His mind countered - then what is the point in you training to protect her when you can't even be with her anyway? He considered it for a moment, and thought that his leaving was exactly how he would protect her from harm from now onwards – to not have anything to connect her to him, nothing that would threaten her life, or to be used as bait against him to exploit his weakness. And to set her free, to let her choose this time, he owed it to her. Akane was given another chance to live today, and he would be damned if he was the one to bring her to the same situation all over again.

'Farewell, Akane.'

In fluid motion, he quickly jumped from the window, and in lightning speed, disappeared into the night.

In his haste, he didn't catch the sound of Akane's soft cries and her uttering, 'Ranma..no…baka' as she collapsed against the wall, burying her face on her knees as she hugged her legs. She wasn't aware, until the next morning, when Kasumi came up to give her breakfast, that she spent the whole night crying until there were no more tears left to cry, leaving her to stare blankly at the window, whispering 'Baka.'