Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Heartaches ❯ Chapter 3: Ryoga returns ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3: Ryoga returns

While Akane has a melted heart, Ranma's having a meltdown in his stomach, thought Ryoga as he walked up the stairs as P-chan.

Not even the toughest martial artist could eat that stuff without feeling woozy, he thought. *

Ryoga trotted to Ranma's room expecting to see him lying sick on the bed. When he didn't see Ranma he was very surprised.

Either Akane has gotten better at cooking (he snorted at this) or Ranma's stomach has gotten stronger. *

*In manga 19, Ryoga ate some of Akane's Cherry Blossom Mochi without knowing it was hers and said it was agony to eat it. When he learned it was hers he claimed it was delicious so...*shrugs* This is just how I wrote it.

-AR

After searching the upstairs of the house and finding Ranma absent Ryoga got angry.

Ranma baka, he fumed, how can I challenge you if you aren't here!

"P-chan where are you?" Akane called.

At the sound of Ryoga's one and only love calling him, he ran as fast as his four legs could carry him.

"Akane I'm coming," he squealed in pig.

He envisioned her delight at seeing him. Her beautiful smile shining for him, not Ranma. He was so caught up in his daydream that he ran off the first step and began to fall down the rest of the steps. He landed in a heap on the floor.

"P-chan are you okay?" he heard Akane ask.

Ryoga looked up into Ranma's grinning face.

"Have a nice trip Ryoga?" Ranma asked.

"Shut up," Ryoga squealed.

"Poor P-chan," Ranma said. "Where were you going? Was Akane calling you? Or did you hear this?"

Ranma revealed a tape player that he had hidden behind him. He pushed the play button.

"'P-chan where are you?' `P-chan are you okay?'" the recorder played Akane's voice.

"You jerk," Ryoga squealed. "I'm going to get you!"

Ryoga rushed at Ranma but Ranma dodged him easily. Ryoga tried again but Ranma still dodged.

This isn't working, thought Ryoga, I need to find some hot water.

Ryoga turned around and ran off to find some hot water.

"You aren't getting away that easy Ryoga! You should finish what you start!" called Ranma.

Faster, faster, faster, thought Ryoga, can't have Ranma catch me.

Ryoga ran to the bathroom and jumped into the tub.

THUMP!

"Ouch!" he squealed.

"You don't think I'm that stupid," said Ranma leaning on the doorframe.

"Hope you're happy," Ryoga squealed. "This bump won't be going away any time soon."

"Ryoga you may be mad, but there's a very good reason for this," Ranma said locking the door.

Ryoga gave him a doubtful stare.

"Did you know that Akane was planning on giving P-chan a bath today?" Ranma asked.

Ryoga opened his eyes widely; if Akane gave him a bath with hot water she'd know that he and P-chan were the same.

Ranma saved me? he puzzled.

"All right Ryoga, I'm gonna help you out. I'll tell Akane I gave you a bath and I'll clean you up a little. If we're lucky she won't suspect anything. We'll run some water and make a fuss so if she's in the house she'll think you got a bath."

"What a pal," Ryoga squealed," even after all the times I tried to kill you."

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Ranma picked Ryoga out of the tub and set him down on the floor.

"Listen Ryoga," he said," I'm going to fill the tub with hot water so the mirror will fog up. You're gonna have to squeal a lot while I make splash noises. Then we'll shine you up so you look clean. Okay?"

Ryoga (or P-chan) nodded his head.

Ranma went and turned the hot water on.

"You can start any time," Ranma whispered to Ryoga.

Ryoga began squealing loudly and Ranma began to splash the water in the tub.

Pound! Pound! Pound!

"Ranma what are you doing to P-chan!" Akane shouted banging on the door.

"I'm giving him a bath Akane, what does it sound like?" he answered.

"It sounds like your trying to drown him," Akane accused.

"Naw, me and P-chan are pals."

Ryoga made some happy grunts.

"All right," she said uncertainly," but if P-chan gets hurt I'm gonna pound you!"

Ranma listened to her go downstairs and sighed.

"Okay Ryoga, time to get you cleaned up. Man, you owe me."

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Ryoga watched in surprise as Ranma turned on the cold water in the sink. Ranma put a washcloth under the water and instantly turned into a girl when the water touched his skin. Ranma-chan wrung the washcloth a little and then began to scrub Ryoga.

Maybe aliens came and left a clone of Ranma, Ryoga thought, That's way easier to explain then him being nice.

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After Ranma-chan washed Ryoga, Ranma-chan splashed some of the hot water from the tub on herself.

"There, now I'm back to being a guy. While you," he glanced at Ryoga," are still P-chan, a clean P-chan."

Ryoga grunted happily.

"Yeah, yeah. You still owe me," he grumbled.

Ranma unlocked the door and let Ryoga out.

"Lets find Akane, she probably wants to make sure I didn't drown you."

The two walked to Akane's room. Ranma knocked on the door and waited for her to answer.

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If he hurt P-chan I'm gonna kick his butt to the moon, Akane thought reaching for the door handle.

When she opened the door she saw Ranma with a happy P-chan.

"P-chan you're okay!" she said happily picking him up. "You're so nice and clean too!"

"Yeah, well, I'll see ya later Akane," Ranma said.

"Hey Ranma, wait a sec," she said placing P-chan back on the ground.

Ranma turned and looked at her. When she looked in his eye she thought she saw something. A new expression, something she didn't remember seeing in his eye before

"Well, what do you want?" he asked.

"I just wanted to say…IF YOU EVER TOUCH P-CHAN AGAIN YOUR GONNA GET BLASTED INTO THE COSMOS!" she shouted, kicking Ranma through the roof.

"Stupid macho chick," muttered Ranma as he flew through the air. "Do something nice and look where it gets you."

Ranma flipped and landed (on his feet) on top of a roof. He glanced around and sighed.

She must be working out, he thought, this is two blocks away from where I last landed.

He sighed again and began to run on the roofs towards the Tendo's house.

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When Kuno finally awoke from being clobbered by the door, he found himself shoved into a trashcan. When he began to get out Kuno noticed a note.

Dear Kuno,

Decided to put you where you belong,

Hope I didn't insult the trash.

Ranma

"RANMA!" Kuno roared, leaping out of the garbage can. "This offense shall be thy last! The pigtailed goddess shall be mine and you will not interfere again!"

Then Kuno set out to find his greatest enemy, Ranma Saotome.

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Maybe I was too hard on Ranma, Akane thought. He was only trying to help, besides that P-chan's still alive and in one piece.

Tap, Tap

Akane glanced up and saw Ranma hanging from the roof, staring through her window.

She went over and opened it for him.

"What ya thinking about Akane?" he asked.

"WHAT I DID TO DESERVE LIVING WITH YOU!" she shouted and threw her alarm clock at his face. Then she slammed the window shut and looked away.

Ranma had lost his balance when the clock hit him and he fell towards the ground. He quickly flipped and landed on his feet.

That was close, he thought, I almost had dirt for lunch.

Suddenly Ranma felt someone's eyes on him. He leaped aside and barely missed being hit by Kuno's bokken.

"Moron! What's your problem?" Ranma shouted angrily.

"Thou has caused great offense unto me. Fight now or my rage shall engulf thee," Kuno roared.

"Ooh, now I'm scared!" Ranma muttered sarcastically. "All right Kuno, bring it on."

Kuno took that as an acceptance to his challenge, and not waiting for Ranma to get ready, lunged forward with his bokken. Ranma leapt aside with ease, laughing at Kuno the whole time. Kuno, however, didn't find anything funny about the situation and once again attacked the wild stallion. Once more Ranma leapt out of the way with no effort at all. Until he saw Akane, that is…

Akane sat on the roof of the dojo, watching Ranma and Kuno fight.

"Bakas," she whispered to herself. "When will Kuno realize that Ranma's better than him? Ranma can't lose. If it's got martial arts Ranma definitely can't lose. Although, it would put Ranma in his place to have Kuno beat him, if only once. That would be the day…"

Akane sat there smiling at Ranma as she thought about how it would be for him to lose the fight, or was it because she couldn't resist watching him fight without the slightest effort? He barely broke a sweat as he swiftly and fluently defended his honor and, just as often, hers.

Ranma looked up as he saw Akane in the corner of his eye. As he turned around to look at her, Kuno saw his opportunity. He took that split second to strike, and strike he did. Ranma stared at his beloved and was struck to the ground at the hand of the Blue Thunder.

"Finally victory has bested thee! Finally I beat the great Ranma Saotome!" he yelled with delight. He danced off, proclaiming his victory to the whole city, or anyone who actually took the time to listen to Tatewaki Kuno. Akane gasped. Ranma wasn't moving. She jumped up to go inside, but decided on taking a quicker route downstairs. Taking a deep breath, she leapt off the rooftop down to Ranma.

"Oh, baka, be alright, please be alright. I can't live without you. I love you."

Ranma stirred but didn't open his eyes.

"No, you can't do this to me!" she sobbed. Akane leaned back and dropped her head. Her shoulders shook as her tears silently fell to the ground.

She's crying, Ranma thought. She's crying because of me. She doesn't want me to be hurt. She loves me.

Ranma, of course, had heard everything Akane had said. He was awake and for the most part unscratched, but he had wanted to hear her feelings. She would never have opened up and said those things (or admitted that she loved him) if she knew he was awake.

Ranma groaned and opened his eyes.

"Akane?"

She fell back in alarm and then jumped up.

"Ranma! You're okay!"

She wrapped him up in a huge hug and held him for a moment.

Suddenly Ranma coughed and she let him go.

"Thanks Akane, I almost passed out again from lack of oxygen," Ranma smiled.

Akane thought, from the first part of that comment, that he was thanking her for being there for him. Then she realized that he was thanking her for letting him go, otherwise he was going to suffocate.

"You baka, and to think I actually cared!"

Akane stormed off back into the house, with Ranma staring after her. He was going to call after her, but decided against it. He honestly was grateful that she was there and wanted to help him, but he just didn't know how to express himself in a way that didn't make her upset.

"Akane, why can't I ever seem to make you happy? Why is it that everything I do makes you mad at me? Why did you have to make me love you?" Ranma whispered to the wind.