A LESSON IN LOVE 
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by Marisa Price

PART III: Learning to Let Go

	Ranma sank to the floor against the wall and
thought, "Wow."
	*drip* *drip*
	Ranma looked down at the floor and noticed a couple
of splotches of red.
	"What the...?" he wondered, reaching up to his nose
and feeling the wetness. Ranma realized his nose was 
bleeding. He began to laugh quietly.
	"Oh man..." he thought... "Now I am turning into
RYOUGA...."
	With that thought of Ryouga, Ranma got mad again.	He thought, "Damn that pig! If he hadn’t interrupted....!" Ranma paused mid-thought. "If he hadn’t... then what?" he wondered.
	Ranma wondered again how he felt about Akane. This,
this, KISS, changed everything. With the two of them before,
it had always been a forced engagement. Most situations and
relations they experienced were what other people had wanted
for them, or not wanted for them, and they never got to
think about what they, Ranma and Akane, wanted. He had
admitted to himself, when he held her in his arms after
fighting Saffron, thinking he had lost her forever, that he 
thought he loved her. Whatever love was.
	He still couldn’t tell her though... he had tried...
and tried. Every time he tried to talk to her about his 
thoughts and feelings, someone or something interrupted, and
sadly most of the time it was their own pride.
	"It is so DAMN hard!" he yelled. And he knew the
real reason why he was so afraid. It was partially because 
he was so unsure; if he did admit that he loved Akane, it 
would mean that he would be wedded and bedded within 
twenty-four hours of the "happy" event. It would mean 
Shampoo, Ryouga, and Ukyou would be after him wanting his 
hide. Ranma was scared of losing his freedom and his pride.
After all, that was all he really had left.
	More than anything else... more than he could
understand, he wanted to protect Akane... to keep her 
safe... and if that was love, he guessed he was in it with 
Akane. After all, he had never felt like that for anyone 
else before. He knew he felt a tearing at his insides
whenever another male got too close to her. The memories
of Kirin, Toma, Kuno, Ryouga, Mikado, Gonsungki, Shinnosuke
(that guy had come WAY too close to making Akane like him),
and others, ate at him. He wanted to beat the hell out of
anyone who got too near to his fiancee. She was HIS.
	Ranma leaned his head back against the bathroom wall
and stared blankly at the ceiling. He had to admit it.
	Ranma wanted to be able to have Akane with him as
long as he lived. He never wanted to lose her. Because he 
loved her... He loved Akane. THAT was what it meant.
	Someone who was a part of you that you couldn’t
give up. Someone who made you feel bad when you hurt their
feelings, someone who looked at you as if you were their
hero. Someone, who, when you kissed, made you feel as if you
could do anything; light-hearted and dizzy and ready to do 
more.
	But there was one problem still. He was half-girl.
He had thought that his curse wasn’t important any more. But
it was important, especially if he wanted to be able to live
a normal life with the person he cared about.
	Before he could love, he needed to find a cure.
*****

*2 hours later*

	Ranma sat on the deck looking out on the pond. The 
day had been clear earlier, but clouds had crawled up in the
sky and turned the blue dome to grey. Ranma was still 
thinking about the kiss, Akane, and a plan that was
beginning to develop in his mind. He wondered what Akane was
thinking- it had been over two hours since the incident and 
she still hadn’t come out of her room. Was she waiting for 
him to come upstairs to talk to her?
	Should he go up and check? What was Akane....
	Ranma’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the 
glomping of a bubbly, cooing, purple mass of Chinese girl
that was Shampoo.
	"Nihao Ranma!" Shampoo said, smiling.
	Ranma stood up, quickly, Shampoo still attached to
him, and abruptly pushed her off. Shampoo landed on her 
behind and looked up at Ranma with surprised eyes. Ranma 
looked REALLY pissed. Not just irritated like usual. He 
obviously did NOT want to be hugged.
	Shampoo asked quietly, "What wrong, Ranma?"
	"I just don’t want you hanging on me, OK? Why can’t
you leave me ALONE for once? I can’t deal with you today,
OK? You are just going to get me into trouble..." Ranma
paused. Trouble? He frantically began to look around, hoping
that Akane had not seen Shampoo’s hug. He didn’t see any 
mallets coming at him, so he figured he was safe. For now.
	"I have GOT to get rid of her," Ranma thought, and
began to say, "Shampoo, we need...."
	"RAAAAAANNNNNNMMMMMMAAA!!!" someone shouted, and
Ranma looked up to see a -very- angry Ryouga storming
toward him.
	Ranma grunted, "Talk about being between a rock and
a hard place!"
	When Ryouga came close enough, Ranma surprised him
by giving Ryouga a western-style punch-in-the-nose... which 
knocked Ryouga into the pond again. Ranma went over, picked
up the squealing P-chan, grabbed Shampoo’s hand, and dragged 
them both out the Tendo gate to the streets outside.
	"Where you take us Ranma?" Shampoo asked, curious.
	"Just be quiet until we get there, OK?" Ranma
growled.
	Shampoo was pretty dense, but she got the hint this
time and said nothing until they arrived at a grassy park.
	Ranma sat down and Shampoo followed suit. Ranma 
plopped P-chan down on the table in front of them.
	"Look, guys," Ranma began, "It is about time I said
something to the both of you."
	Ranma turned to Shampoo and said, "Shampoo... I have
to tell you that I can never return your affection or care
about you the way you want me too.... I....I....." Ranma 
shut his eyes and clenched his fists. Finally he got out, "I
care about Ak....err...someone ELSE too much to ever marry 
you."
	Ranma opened his eyes. Shampoo was looking down at
her hands. Finally, she tilted her head up and looked at 
Ranma with tear-filled amber eyes. She said, quivering, "The
law says... Ranma... you MUST...."
	"That isn’t my law! It is your stupid law! You can’t
force me to feel the way you want me too! I can’t! I’m
sorry!" Ranma shouted at her.
	Shampoo stood up and said, "Shampoo will never give 
up. NEVER!"
	Shampoo was about to turn around and run off when
Ranma grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
	"Whatever Shampoo. But I am not done yet. Can you 
stay for a minute longer?" Ranma asked her, still holding 
her arm.
	Shampoo sniffled, but sat down again.
	Ryouga, surprisingly, had sat quietly through Ranma
and Shampoo’s conversation. Ranma finally turned to him, 
picked him up, and handed him to Shampoo. Both the pig and 
the Chinese girl looked confused.
	Ranma stared at both of them, a fierce look in his 
eyes, and then said, "I am going back to China. I want both
of you, and Mousse, and probably Pop, to come with me if you
want to get cured. I know the springs are gone, so that 
option is out, but I want to ask the Guide if he knows of 
any other legendary springs. It is TIME we go find what we
need."
	Shampoo squeaked out, "Ranma want go back to China
with Shampoo? But..."
	Ranma shook his head and said, "For the SPRINGS,
Shampoo. I want to be a whole man again. Ryouga, I know you 
could never find Jusenkyo without me."
	Ryouga had closed his eyes, obviously thinking.
	Ranma put his hand on Shampoo’s shoulders and looked 
down at her. He said, firmly, "Shampoo... I can’t marry you.
I just can’t. But I want you to find a cure too, if you want
one."
	Shampoo hung her head. Finally, she looked up into 
Ranma’s eyes and said, "I love you Ranma."
	Ranma shut his eyes, sighed, and then said,"I don’t 
love you Shampoo. I like you, a lot, but only as a friend. I
am so sorry."
	Shampoo pulled away from Ranma slowly, and sat 
P-chan on the bench. Ranma opened his eyes and saw Shampoo 
walking away. She called over her shoulder, "Shampoo think
about it. Shampoo talk to Mousse. Shampoo will talk to Ranma
later."
	Ranma couldn’t tell from her voice what she was
thinking. He supposed he would have to wait until later to
find out. Ranma sat down on the bench next to Ryouga and 
said, "Well, P-chan?"
	Ryouga growled, and then sighed. Finally he nodded.
Ranma smiled and said, "Cool, man! OK... let’s go get you
some hot water... there are some things I want to talk to 
you about."
					*****
	A few minutes later, after a quick stop by a nearby
tea-shop, for hot water, Ryouga and Ranma were walking down
an unnamed street in Nerima.
	"So you really mean to do this, eh Ranma?" Ryouga
asked.
	Ranma nodded.
	Ryouga stopped and leaned against the wall that
bordered  the street. Finally he said, "What about Akane? 
Are you just going to take off and leave her after what you 
DID today?"
	Ranma stepped right up to Ryouga and put his fist in 
Ryouga’s face, saying, "Ryouga... Forget about Akane, OK? 
I don’t care if you want to be her friend, but she was never
and will never be anything more than that to you. What you 
saw today... that is our business, OK? Back off. I....you
know I...." Ranma flushed.
	Ryouga sighed, feeling his heart of glass break, and
muttered, "Love her?"
	Ranma grunted something that was probably a yes.
	Ryouga turned away from Ranma and punched a -very-
large hole in the street wall. Ranma just looked at him for
a moment, knowing that Ryouga had to accept this, but also 
understanding it hurt him. Finally Ranma said, "I’m sorry,
Ryouga... Akane and me just ain’t good at this stuff... but
I think that we..." Ranma broke off.
	Ryouga was nodding. He turned to face Ranma, a 
little pale, but at least not getting depressed enough to
do his depression blast. Ranma was surprised to see Ryouga 
finally smile a crooked smile, one fang poking out over his 
lip.
	"What?!" Ranma asked, getting worried.
	Ryouga just clapped Ranma on the shoulder and said,
"I am just surprised, Ranma. I didn’t think you had it in
you. It is about time."
	Ranma went through 30 different shades of red,
finally muttering, "Um... yeah... whatever. HEY!" Ranma
suddenly thought of something. He shouted at Ryouga, "And no
more P-Chan either, ya hear?"
	Ryouga frowned and said, "Well I can’t exactly help 
that.... but I will do my best to stay out of Akane’s way
when it happens, OK? We will be cured soon, so..."
	Ryouga noticed Ranma looked pissed off.
	Ryouga backed up and added, "Uh... and I will stay 
out of her bed. I promise. OK?"
	Ranma nodded, relaxing.
	Ryouga thought up a question for Ranma. "Hey
Ranma... how are we going to GET to China? Do you have any 
money?"
	Ranma frowned and said, "Are you kidding? With 
Nabiki the extortionist around all the time?"
	"Ranma, you idiot! What are we going to do now 
then?" Ryouga yelled, baring his fangs.
	"Cool it man!" Ranma said, putting his hands out to 
stop Ryouga. "I have an idea.... let’s go to Ucchan’s....I 
think we might be able to get jobs there!"
	Ryouga frowned. "What about Konatsu?"
	"You didn’t hear?" Ranma asked.
	Ryouga shook his head negatively and said, "Hear
what?"
	"Oh, I forgot you were lost...."
	Ryouga growled.
	Ranma sighed. "Oh stop it, jerk. Well, Ucchan told
me that Konatsu got a job as a ninja for this really rich
family.... what was their name? Mendai? Menda? OH YEAH!
Mendou. Fighting aliens and perverts and guarding octopi or
something like that."
	"Really?" Ryouga asked, surprised, "I thought he was
totally in love with Ukyou?"
	"Yeah. No kidding!" Ranma nodded, adding, "I was
surprised too. I talked to Ucchan though, and she told me 
she had finally told Konatsu that she just wasn’t, and 
would never be, interested in him like that. He thought it 
was because he was so poor, so he got this job. I guess he
is set for life now guarding the Mendou Mansion... but it 
wasn't the money, she just didn’t like him like that."
	"Poor guy." Ryouga said, understanding how Konatsu 
felt. Ranma grabbed Ryouga’s hand and started to drag him
toward the Okonomiyaki Restaurant. Ryouga sputtered, "Stop 
that, it is embarrassing!"
	Ranma stuck out his tongue at Ryouga and said, "More
embarrassing than you getting lost?"
	Ryouga flushed.
	Ranma added, "So, anyway, Ucchan is looking for a
couple of waiters! And it is better than working at the 
Nekohantan!" Ranma shuddered, remembering working for 
Cologne.
	Ryouga tried to pull his hand free from Ranma’s,
saying, "Lemme GO, Ranma!"
	Ranma just kept dragging Ryouga along, saying over
his shoulder, "Oh c’mon, P-chan! You would never make it to
the bathroom if someone didn’t lead you!"
	Calling Ryouga a pig and insulting his direction
sense in one sentence was not a good idea.
	"RANNNNNMMMMMAAAAAA!"
	Ranma let Ryouga go and began to run toward
Ucchan’s, letting Ryouga stay close enough behind him not to
get lost, but just enough ahead to stop Ryouga from catching 
him. Ranma felt more relaxed than he had in a long, LONG, 
time. He smiled.
	Ranma turned around, pulling down the bottom lid of
one eye and stuck out his tongue shouting, "Biiiiiiiiii!!!!"
and then began to laugh.
	"RANNNNNNNNNNNMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAA!"
	Ranma chuckled, and kept running.
*******