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Desire	By : Soverayne Category: +M to R > Ranma ½ Views: 5795 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ and I do not make any money from it. Those honors belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter List
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It would have been a strange sight to see a Japanese girl with red hair; however, it was an all together different sight to see a Japanese girl with red hair walking down the street in a wrinkled and dirty man's suit that was many sizes too large for her. The girl walked slowly down the street, her shoulders slouched and her hands in her pockets. She had a spectacular view of her feet and she seemed to carry the weight of the entire world upon her shoulders. Her mind was obviously elsewhere but she seemed to weave through and past people as if they weren't there. It was almost supernatural to watch as she seemed to float through the crowd without a single glance forward. Finally, the red head approached her destination, the gate of the Tendo dojo; sparing a glance towards her impending doom Ranma sighed inwardly and braced herself for what was sure to come.

Kasumi was smiling, but then, Kasumi was always smiling. The eldest Tendo daughter was busy washing up after the meal she had just created for her family. She always loved it when they told her how wonderful the food was; it brought joy to her heart to bring happiness to others. Kasumi suddenly stopped cleaning and turned around, “Strange,” she said, “I could have sworn I heard the front door open.” As Kasumi walked into the foyer of the Tendo Dojo she was greeted by a very road weary Ranma-chan. “Oh, Ranma! Your back. Father and Uncle Soatome were so worried and Akane has been a mess.”

Ranma visibly cringed at this last bit of information, “Really?” she said disbelievingly.

”Well, she hasn't told me so, but I know Akane. She just needs some time. You know her!” Kasumi sang happily.

”Oh yeah,” Ranma chuckled half-heartedly, “I know Akane.”

”Well, you look a mess, Ranma. Why don't you go get a hot bath and when you come down I'll have some food ready for you!”

”I,” Ranma began stoppingly before sighing deeply and screwing on an obviously fake smile, “Thanks Kasumi. That'd be great.” Removing her shoes Ranma slowly made her way to the furo for a long soak.

Kasumi's smile waned a little as she watched girl Ranma practically drag her feet to the furo. As she turned to prepare something for him to eat she wondered to herself what was wrong with Ranma. “She seemed so sad and unsure and that was very strange for Ranma,” Kasumi thought. “Very strange indeed.”

Ranma stepped into the hot bath and braced herself, she always hated this part. The change wasn't painful and she'd had this curse for a little more than a year but the change always made her uncomfortable. It was like a fast roller coaster or a sudden fall. It felt like your stomach suddenly dropped out and your heart skipped three beats and, even though you were fine, you still had a lingering sense of uneasiness. As he sank into the hot water, though, most of those feelings subsided and were replaced by the warm contentment that only a hot bath can bring. Ranma let out another great sigh as he relaxed into the water and let the weariness of the road wash off of him. It seemed that lately Ranma had become the King or even, and despite his best efforts to block this thought, the Queen of sighs.

Ranma sat in the hot water and contemplated his plan and its wisdom. He knew it was a plan of desperation but he was out of options. He visibly shuddered at what it would entail, but, at the same time he knew it was his only way out of the calamity that had become his life. Slowly he rose from the furo and drained the water. His motions were steady, slow, and precise. Ranma was a man with his mind made up and no force on Earth could stop Saotome Ranma when he put his mind to it. Ranma dressed in one of the white robes kept in the furo for bathers and made his way, quietly, to his room. Now, dressed in his Chinese silks and ready to take on the world, Saotome Ranma made his way downstairs to face his doom.

“Boy! Where have you been!?” shouted Genma as Ranma descended the stairs and entered the room, “Do you know how much training you've missed? You've gone soft Ranma mah' boy, soft!”

“Hey pops, how ya' been?” Ranma said dejectedly.

Genma blinked twice at the soft reply, obviously not ready for this type of answer, “Well,” Genma snarled back, “What do you have to say for yourself boy?”

“Now, now Saotome,” Tendo Soun laughed with a cheerful smile on his face, “I'm sure the boy was just off practicing some new techniques. Kasumi said his clothes were absolutely filthy from the wilderness, isn't that right Kasumi?”

“Oh my, yes father. Ranma's new suit was absolutely destroyed. I don't think even I will be able to fix it.” Kasumi smiled serenely as she spoke.

“Ah, well then,” Genma laughed with his friend Soun, “That's my boy there! The art before all!” Genma roared triumphantly, “Wouldn't you say Soun?”

“Assuredly Saotome! The schools are in good hands.” The two of them started to laugh themselves silly as they patted each other on the backs, taking victory in some unknown battle they apparently had just fought and won. Ranma simply shook his head in frustration and looked around the room at the other occupants; Kasumi sat at the table with an unknowing smile across her face and Nabiki was on the couch with a magazine in hand and apparently oblivious to the world around her, but Ranma could have sworn he saw her eyes roll at their father's spectacle.

“That just leaves Akane,” Ranma thought to himself and as he panned the room he could not locate his would be fiancée but as he slowly scanned the room he came to rest on Akane standing in the doorway to the kitchen with a plate of food that was obviously not cooked by her. Ranma's heart sank as he realized that the food was probably for him and more so by the look of pain and anger on her face.

“Training. You left our date for training?” Akane asked with a solemn tone.

“Now Akane, I never said that. It was all pops and Mr. Tendo, they...” Ranma started to defend himself.

“No!” Akane interrupted as she began to yell, “None of your excuses Ranma! You, you jerk!” As she yelled Akane began to stalk towards Ranma while her hands grasped the bowl she held in a way that could only use the object as a blunt weapon. “None of your lies. Never again!” she yelled and swung the bowl with all her might.

Suddenly, Akane found herself against the nearest wall on her backside. A moment later the bowl clattered to the floor next to her, it's contents spilling everywhere. Everyone in the room had to convince themselves that what had just happened wasn't a hallucination and even Nabiki put down her magazine and raised a single eyebrow in curiosity. Ranma had deflected the bowl out of Akane's hand and used an open palm strike to knock the girl back against the nearest wall. It was nothing that would, or even could hurt Akane. The girl was a martial artist and made of some tough stuff, but Ranma, had never struck Akane before.

Ranma sighed audibly and visibly as he recovered his stance, “Now will ya' all stop talkin' for a minute and let me finish!?” Ranma's voice was stern but not hostile as he continued, “Look, I wasn' trainin' or nuthin' like that. I was thinking!”

“Boy! What do you think your doing!?” Genma roared, outraged at his son. “That is your fiancée there. You can't hit her, she's a girl. A martial artist doesn't attack the weak, boy.”

“Don't even start with me pops! She attacked me! And Akane's not so weak pops. She's a martial artist too, just like me. Jus' cuz I'm better than her at everything doesn' mean she stops being one.”

Akane was stunned and a little dazed on the floor. Ranma had just hit her. The fact that she'd wanted this, even begged for it at times, didn't seem to register for her as she sat unmoving on the floor. Akane's pride flared when Ranma referred to her as a real martial artist for the first time she could ever remember and she found herself smiling despite her situation. Her smile was short lived, though, as Ranma managed to both compliment her and insult her in the same breath.

“Now before anyone says anything else or does anything else,” Ranma glanced at both Akane and his pops as he said this last part, “I got somethin' ta say.” Ranma breathed deeply as he drew his center in and called upon all his training in the soul of ice technique to complete the next task before him. “Akane,” Ranma walked slowly towards the prone girl on the floor, “I'm sorry I knocked you down,” he continued while holding out his hand. Akane tentatively reached out her hand and allowed Ranma to help her to her feet. “You didn't deserve that but I really needed to be conscious for this.” Ranma said jokingly.

“It's ok Ranma,” Akane said quietly, “go ahead.” she urged him on with hope in her heart.

“Thanks Akane,” Ranma saw the look of hope in her eyes and for a split second thought about abandoning his plans. He really didn't want to hurt her, but he knew if he lied to her it would be worse later. He turned and stepped back from Akane and spoke to the whole room this time, “I know I've said this a hundred times. And nobody has ever listened. But I didn't ask to be engaged to Akane.”

The words struck Akane harder than any blow Ranma could have ever assaulted her with. She felt her hope shatter into a thousand pieces and those pieces each shattered a thousand times more as she continued to listen.

“Akane here is really great. She is.” Ranma looked back hopefully at her, but saw only pain in those eyes. He forced himself to turn away, “But I can't marry her. I,” he choked on his own words as he forced them out, “I don't love her.” Ranma waited for a moment to let what he had said sink into those gathered. As he looked around Kasumi had her hand over her mouth in shock, Nabiki was actually sitting forward on the edge of her seat and both fathers had a look of utter disbelief on their faces. The silence seemed to continue into infinity until Ranma heard a slumping sound behind him. Turning, he found Akane on her knees staring into the floorboards beneath her.

“No son of mine talks that way about the woman he is going to marry.” Saotome Genma shook himself out of the shock long enough to walk towards the ingrate that dared called itself his son, “Look what you've done there to poor Akane.” Genma spat accusingly, “You have an obligation, an honor to unite the schools! It's your duty as a martial artist.” Genma gave his son a smug look, knowing full well what attacking a martial artist's honor would do to him.

“I don't care what you say old man!” Ranma hissed, his anger barely repressed, “You arranged this all behind my back and never asked me once! And ya' never really let me and Akane get to know each other before you practically married us!” Ranma began to lose his temper as his voice rose and his soul of ice shattered, “IF, and that is a big IF old man, there is anyone to blame. It's you! You always speak about honor but its only ever honor if it suits your needs. Otherwise its training or a necessary sacrifice for the art.” Ranma spat these last words as if he were choking upon them. “Your honor means nothing to me, because you have none!”

“Why you ungrateful,” Genma stepped forward to knock his son out and let him sleep off this madness. His attack moved with speed and force that defied his age, and even now, into his middle age, Saotome Genma was a master of martial arts. His son, however, was something akin to a God of martial arts, and easily side stepped the old man's punch and struck Genma several dozen times in the course of a few seconds. The attack was far beneath what Ranma was capable of but it had the intended effect; Saotome Genma slumped forward unconscious at Ranma's feet.

“Now,” Ranma's voice wavered slightly, “I would like to thank you Mr. Tendo and Kasumi for your unquestionable hospitality over the last year.” Ranma bowed deeply and turned only so slightly towards the middle Tendo daughter, “Nabiki.” Ranma gave her only the slightest nod to acknowledge her presence before turning to where Akane still sat on the floor. He crouched down in front of her and spoke so that only she could hear, “I'm sorry Akane. There was just too much chaos and too many things working against us and,” Ranma began to apologize but was interupted.

“It's ok.” Akane interjected, “Just take care of yourself Ranma.”

“Thanks Akane.” Ranma slowly stood up and started towards the door.

“Ranma!” Akane called out turning to watch him go. “Will,” Akane strained to fight back tears, “Will I ever see you again?”

“Dunno.” Ranma said honestly, “It's not up to me anymore. I'm going to the one person that can fix my life and it's up to them.” Ranma shrugged somewhat uncaringly.

“What do you mean, Ranma?” Akane asked confused.

Ranma simply turned towards the door and just before leaving the room stopped, and without a sideways glance said, “I'm going to tell my mom.” Ranma paused here a few moments, “Everything.”

And then, he was gone.
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Desire