Gone Too Soon
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by Florencio B. de la Merced, Jr. (fmerced@pworld.net.ph)

A Fanfic inspired by the anime/manga Ranma 1/2, owned and copyrighted by
Rumiko Takahashi.
-----

Ranma stepped out of the taxi cab after paying its driver.  He didn't have
much with him, just a small briefcase and a brown bag of hot dumplings he
had bought from a restaurant near the train station.  He probably thought of
getting a better gift, but looking for one was just a waste of time.  Food
was universal, especially at the Tendo dojo.  He checked his watch,
thinking if he had came too early.  The gates of the dojo were still closed,
but other than that new doorbell, everything looked the same as he last saw
this place.  "Doorbell?"  Ranma figured he might as well use it.

"Oh, my.  Ranma is that you?"  The smile from Kasumi as she opened the gates
made Ranma remember the last time he had seen anyone from the family. She
wasn't actually family, but next to his own mother, Kasumi was the nearest
one he would ever call mom.  Had it been that long?  Ranma saw a Kasumi that
reflected his own mother, more mature, a bit taller and still as beautiful.

"Hi, Kasumi.  It has been a long time, hasn't it?  May I come in?"  Ranma
stepped inside, hoping that nothing much had changed.  In many respects
nothing did change, the walk, the garden, the koi pond, the training hall,
the greenhouse..."Huh?"  Looking at the glass building and the
mini-botanical garden that was inside made Ranma recall of an old friend.

"Oh, that's Akane's Greenhouse.  She loves plants now, Ranma."  Kasumi
opened the door for Ranma.  Inside everything was different.  No longer was
the phone nearby, and huge abstract paintings lined the walls of the
hallway.  Even up the stairs, there were a collage of finger paintings, as
far as Ranma could describe them.  "Aren't they cute?"  Ranma nodded, even
though abstract art was never his favorite, he did admit he liked the
colors.  They liven the house a bit.  "I agree.  Ever since father passed
away, this house was never the same again."  Ranma was there, at Soun
Tendo's funeral, and recalled how his passing was hardest on the three
sisters.  But that was long after he had himself severed his ties with the
family.  Looking back,  Not even Akane was reason to come back.  With
another man in her life, and a kid to boot.  Ranma wasn't coming back, he
said to himself back then.  But what was he doing back here, now?

"How is she?  Akane, I mean."  Kasumi prepared a small snack for him inside
the kitchen.  Ranma thanked her for the bowl of ramen, and on such short
notice, he really didn't want to bother.  "How is her son? Hika-"

"You mean Hikari?  Oh, he's fine, Ranma.  He's a marvelous child.  Always
the top in his class, so I heard."  Ranma felt happy about the news.  Kasumi
mentioned a lot about Akane's only son.  A great martial artist like his
mother and probably because Ranma's father never quitted on the boy after
taking the reins of the dojo.  He asked about the boy's mother.  "Akane is
doing fine,  she's now vice-president, I think of that legal firm she's
with."

"That's good to hear."  Ranma finished his cup of tea.  "Well, I better get
going, Kasumi."  He was startled when Kasumi reached out and grabbed his
arm.  "Huh?"

"Why did you come, Ranma?"  The look she gave him wasn't the type that would
joke about these kind of things.

Ranma knew being back meant facing his past.  And facing the past meant
facing Akane for the first time since...since he last said goodbye.  They
never spoke since that day, he did however wanted to.  Truly he did, but
discovering that she already had a small boy as a companion at Soun's
funeral made him the weakest man in the world.  And it hurt him, deep
inside, seeing that Akane had a son was too painful for him to bear.  But
that was several years ago.  It was over now, it didn't hurt anymore.  It
didn't hurt now.  Who was he trying to convince?

"I..don't know, Kasumi."  He looked around, the kitchen hasn't changed much.
The past hasn't changed either. "I guess I wanted to get my conscience
cleared up."  Kasumi stood up, smiling at him as motherly and affectionately
as possible.  To her, Ranma was indeed speaking from his heart this time.
No more was he the same young man that first arrived at the dojo.  He wasn't
that immature boyish Ranma anymore.  The true man was infront of her,
finally able to finished what he had started a long time ago.

"Why don't you talk to her, Ranma?  She's inside her greenhouse."

-----

Akane opened up the glass roof as it was time for some fresh air to come in
her little greenhouse.  A modest hobby for her, something she could put her
heart into while at home.  Yes, she was lonely, and only the company of the
dendrobiums and cauliflowers made her happy.  Her son was in school now, and
she made mental note to drop by his school later to pick him up.  She was
proud of Hikari, sometimes, no often her son reminded her of someone.

"Hello? Anyone here?"  Ranma still had not learned to knock, after all these
years, you think he'll learn.  But this was Akane, he thought.  Knocking or
not, he might as well surprise her.  "Akane?  Oops.  Mrs. Hibiki."

Although she was taller now, the indian trees that lined up in the middle of
her greenhouse blocked her view of her guest.  She took off her gloves and
walked around the corner trying to see who it was that called her name.
"Yes, who is it?  If you're selling something, I'm not the one you should
see.  And I'm not Mrs..."

Ranma popped out his head from a few bushes of roman candles and jasmines.
"Hi, I don't think I'd care to see Nabiki right now.  And, I'm not selling
anything."

She couldn't believe it.  Ranma was there, in front of her, standing there
waiting for her to say something.  She couldn't.  If seeing the dead was
enough to stop anyone cold in their tracks, seeing Ranma for the first time
in years was more than that.  She walked up to him, uttering no word.  Only
to reach up and feel his face.  He wasn't a dream, he was for real.  He was
no ghost, and indeed Ranma had come back.  "Ranma?  Is that really you?"
Before he could say anything, Akane colapse in his arms, crying more than a
years worth of tears.  "Oh, I can't believe it.  You came back."

"Um, Akane.  I dropped by to visit."  Ranma helped her towards the nearby
bench.  It afforded a comfortable shade and a place for them to talk.  Akane
still cried, somehow she can't stop her emotions overrunning her own will.
"I'm happy to see you too, Akane.  Please stop crying."

"I...can't.  I can't stop crying."

"Listen.  I came to talk, Akane.  It's been a while since you and I had
something to talk about." Ranma brought out his handkerchief for her.  "I
guess what I'm trying to say is that, I'm sorry.  I'm sorry for leaving,
Akane."

"What?"  Akane wanted to interrupt but Ranma begged to finish what he wants
to say.

"Listen, I was a fool.  But, I never meant to hurt you.  Or anyone for that
matter.  I left the dojo because I figured it was for the best.  I was being
strangled and being tortured by the events that had happened in my life.  My
father, the whole fiancee fiasco, Shampoo, Ukyou, Kuno...and you, made
living almost impossible for me.  I'm not blaming you, or anyone else.  But,
I couldn't let you get hurt.  Everything I did back then hurt you, in one
way or another.  Not to mention Shampoo or her pet mummy.  But, I never
intended to leave for good, honest. Its just that..."

"It was Hikari, wasn't it?"  Akane looked at his eyes, Ranma was telling the
truth and his true feelings when he looked away from her stare.  "You felt
hurt, I know.  I'm sorry too."

"No, you musn't.  You musn't say that.  Hikari is a wonderful boy.  Kasumi
told me how wonderful a son he has been to you." Ranma held on to Akane's
hand, a twitch of electricity still flowed between them. "I'm happy that you
are ... happy.  I guess I should thank Ryoga for taking good care for you.
I know I shouldn't have gotten mad at him when I found out, but...well, you

know me..."

"Ranma?  Why are you telling me this?"

"Akane, the truth is.  I don't want to lose you as a friend."  Tears started
forming in her eyes again.  "I have learned that I was wrong, and that our
friendship should not be severed by my petty jealousy."  Akane couldn't help
herself and so she threw herself at him, embracing each other like they used
to do.  "Can you forgive me?"  Silently she nodded as her head brushed
underneath his chin.  "Thank you."

"Ranma, I'm sorry too."

"That's alright.  By the way, where is Ryoga?  I should talk to him too."

Akane sat up, wiping her tears again.  "Oh, I think he's at Kounji-san's
place."  Ranma didn't understand.  He thought Ukyou had left Nerima a long
time ago too.  "No, she and Ryoga got married a few years ago."  Ranma
couldn't believe this bit of news.  What was going on? He asked himself over
and over again.  "Well, they did send you an invitation."

"Wow, I don't remember..." It finally struck him, "Hey, wait a minute.  If
Ryoga is Ukyou's husband...and you're also married to him.  What the hell is
going on?  Nabiki told me..."

"Ranma, please forgive Nabiki.  Ryoga took care of me...only as a friend.
But I only loved only one person.  And that was you."  Somehow kissing Ranma
didn't make him understand.  "He could never replace you, and I guess he
knew it long before you two had that fight after daddy's funeral."

"So that's why he kept saying during the fight that he wasn't Hikari's
father.  Of course I didn't believe him then.." Somehow, thinking was a
little bit slow today for Ranma.  "Hey, if Ryoga is not Hikari's father, who
the...?"  Akane's giggling almost proved his suspicion.  "No way?"

"Well, I still don't know where he got his intelligence..."  For old times
sake, jesting seems natural for both Akane and Ranma.

"When?"

"I believe it was the weekend before you finally left the dojo. You remember
we were at the doll inn, but without Shampoo and Ukyou this time."  Ranma
almost threw up recalling that time.  It was exactly that reason that made
the other fiancees hurt Akane, thus forcing him to leave.  "I guess
something did happen that night when we all got drunk."

"I...I...can't...believe...Nabiki must have..."

"Ranma...I tried to tell you.  But you kept tearing up every letter I send
you.  You even won't let Nabiki see you."

"I never got a letter from you." Ranma whispered to himself.  Somehow a
cruel joke had been played on him.

"And  I thought I could have talked to you, but you fought Ryoga then
disappeared.  So I'm...partly to blame."

"No you're not."  Ranma stood up, turning his back at Akane.  "I'm to blame.
I still can't believe it.  But I guess our lives had changed so much.  I..."
He started to walk away, Akane feared as much.

"Ranma, don't leave.  Please.  Don't leave me again.  Don't leave your son,
now that you know."  Akane ran after him, when she caught up she hugged him,
despereately clinging on.

"Akane.  I'm not leaving.  I'm just going to make a phone call, that's all."
He kissed her, just like the way he had touched her lips last, that time he
said goodbye.  This time he's staying forever.

-----

"Yes, who is this?"

"Is this Tendo Nabiki?"

"One moment."

"Hello, Tendo Nabiki here.  Who is this?"

"Saotome Ranma."

"What?  Did you say Ranma?"

"You heard me."

"Ranma.  How wonderful to hear from you.  Where are you calling from?"

"I'm at the Tendo dojo."

"___"

"Nabiki."

"Um, ye...yes, Ranma."

"Don't go anywhere.  I'm coming to get you. <click>"

"Oh..my..." Nabiki brought down the receiver. Still in shock, she finally
replaced the phone.  "WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

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The End

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Dedicated for the good people of the FFIRC.  Evil isn't she? ^_^
Please C & C, even if you didn't like it.