I'd *really* appreciate C&C on this one if you think there's any basic
flaws, or any areas that could use work.  Thank you very much!

Tales of Ranma & Nabiki 9: I Don't Love Ranma
Rough Draft

by: Jeff Rutsch


     Ranma lay face down on the roof.

     "Why?" he asked himself.  "How could I?  What was I thinking?"

     Ranma paused, and looked at the sky.

     "I mean, I had her.  She was there.  And I left her.  How could
I?  I'm such an idiot."

     "Is for best," came a second voice from the rooftop.

     "Shampoo?" asked Ranma, surprised.

     "Is me, husband!" answered an excited Shampoo.

     "Shut up," answered Ranma.  Shampoo frowned, and paused briefly.

     "What I do?" asked Shampoo.

     "It's your fault."

     "My fault?"

     "Yeah.  I mean, all this Nabiki stuff.  It's all your fault."

     "Why?"

     "If it hadn't been for you, and all that stupid talk, I wouldn't
be here on the roof.  I'd probably be at some party or something,
celebrating my engagement to Nabiki."

     "I tell you truth!  No blame me for that!"

     "Shut up!  It wasn't the truth.  You just manipulated me into
it."

     "I no manipulate anyone.  Ranma make right choice, I just tell
Ranma the facts."

     "That's not true.  I made the wrong choice, and it's your fault!
I mean, when a guy's about to propose, you're not supposed to stay
stuff like that!  I mean, I can't be blamed if..." Shampoo interrupted
him./*He too much a dick?*/

     "Then now stop what you?"

     "Huh?" asked Ranma.

     "What keep you from asking Nabiki now?"

     "Because...she...she probably hates me."

     "If she love you enough to marry, she not hate you now."

     "Yeah she would," answered Ranma.  "Of course she would."

     "You sound like crazy," answered Shampoo, glibly.

     "What?!"

     "You think girl want marry you, but now you think she hate you?"

     "Yeah..."

     "And you want marry girl, but you just told her that no marry
her?"

     "So?"

     "And so you blame on me!  Like Shampoo break up fucking love of
century with few simple words!"

     "So what?!"

     "So you sound like crazy!" yelled Shampoo.  Ranma glared back at
her.

     "Well, you sound like crazy, too."  Shampoo raised her eyebrows,
almost amused.

     "Oh?  Like how so?"

     "You're obsessed."

     "You call obsessed?"

     "I call *so* obsessed."

     "Shampoo want hear more this."

     "C'mon.  You lose a stupid fight.  So you travel all the way from
China to find me."

     "You blame me for that?"

     "I don't know.  I mean..."

     "Shampoo know what she wants.  You."

     "Yeah.  That's obsessed."

     "May seem obsessed, but is only way to marry you.  Anyway, is
small village in China.  Shampoo no care to leave or not.  You live
life on road, too.  Is not so different."

     "Maybe not..." admitted Ranma.

     "Shampoo is no strange girl.  Shampoo just girl who love you."

     /*More?*/

**

     A knock was heard at the door.

     "Who is it?" asked Nabiki, turning up from her abacus.  Akane
came in.  Not saying anything, she closed the door behind herself and
stood in the room.

     "So what is it?" asked Nabiki.

     "I...I heard about what happened.  About the engagement."

     "Yeah, great news, isn't it?"

     "Nabiki..." Akane said, slowly.  It was obviously difficult for
her just to speak.  Nabiki filled in the void.

     "So did you come here just to rub it in my face?" asked Nabiki,
accusingly.

     "Nabiki!"  Akane looked shocked.

     "Well, you did a good job.  I'm very proud of you."

     "It's not like that!" protested Akane.

     "So you won!" yelled Nabiki.  "In the nick of time he abandoned
me for you!  You can go on to a life of happiness together!"

     "I'm not..."

     "I hope you have a great life, Akane."

     "Will you..." Nabiki continued, oblivious to Akane.

     "I'm just glad you took it upon yourself to tell me before you
left.  With him."

     "IT'S *NOT* LIKE THAT!" yelled Akane.

     "Then, pray tell me, what is it like?"

     "I just came here to say that I was sorry!"

     "I'm glad to be worthy of your pity," replied Nabiki.

     "Just..." Akane paused.  She turned and went out the door, taking
pains not to slam it shut.

**

     "Hey Ukyou."

     "Oh, Ranma?"

     "Door was open, so I figured..."

     "No problem.  So what's up?"

     "Oh...nothing much," replied Ranma.  He looked at the floor of
Ukyou's apartment, absent-mindedly.  Ukyou continued working at
something in the adjoining kitchen.  It took a while for either to
speak.

     "So," asked Ukyou, inevitably, "why didn't you?"

     "I don't know."

     "You've got to have some reason."

     "I don't know.  I really don't.  Well..." Ranma paused.

     "Well what?"

     "It's like...it's like I was at the verge of something new."

     "Yeah?"

     "And I was looking at her, and I realized...you know...this is
the start of a whole new life.  A whole new something new.  And
there's no going back.  And looking at her..."

     Ukyou interrupted Ranma.

     "Ranma, I hate to tell you this..."

     "Yeah?"

     "But you sound really pathetic."

     "Wha?" asked Ranma, surprised.

     "You're talking like that guy from 'I Love Money.'"

     "I Love Money?"

     "This stupid soap opera they showed yesterday.  If you don't want
to, just say so!  But you're so caught up in the whole
melodramatic..."

     "It's not like that!" yelled Ranma, clearly upset.

     "Sorry, I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have said it like that,"
apologized Ukyou.  Ranma looked at Ukyou gruffly.

     "Well...well, that's not it."

     "So," asked Ukyou, "what is it, then?"

     "Well, I don't know.  It's a lot of things."

     "It's just...well, what stopped you?  Really?"

     "I...I didn't want to make the wrong decision."

     "So you thought flaking at the last second would help?"

     "Well, yeah.  Better than doing the wrong thing, I mean."

     "The decision changes, you know."

     "Huh?"

     "Nabiki really stuck her neck out for you.  You know she
wanted...I mean, she really, really, wanted, for you to ask her."

     "Maybe..."

     "And then the way you do it.  If you were going to change your
mind, why wait until you pulled out the ring?"

     "I don't know..."

     "Did you even consider her feelings?"

     Ranma looked back at Ukyou, frustrated.

     "Of course I did."

     "Did you?"

     "Yeah.  And I'm sorry it happened.  But I...I don't *owe* it to
Nabiki, or to anybody, to propose.  I'm not gonna do that until I'm
damn sure." Ranma eyed Ukyou suspiciously.  "Whose side are you one,
anyways?"

     Ukyou sighed.  "It's not sides, Ranma.  It's not that I'm working
against you.  I genuinely want you...genuinely want you to be happy.
And Nabiki to be happy.  I want things to come out for the best."

     "Then why...why are you..."

     "Pestering you to death?" filled in Ukyou.

     "Yeah!"

     Ukyou snickered.  "Because it's good for you."

     Ranma looked back at Ukyou, a little peeved.

     "I'm just kidding, Ranma!"

**

     Nabiki walked downstairs, forced a smile to Mrs. Saotome, and
curtly lay down on the pillow in the middle of the room.  Grabbing her
long-neglected abacus, she started her calculations.

     "Kasumi told me what happened," said Nodoka.

     "Yeah," said Nabiki, unsure of what to say.

     "I'm sorry that my son could be so thoughtless."  Nabiki noticed
that Mrs. Saotome was looking intently at the floor as she spoke.  "He
has brought shame to the family."

     "Yeah, he's a real jerk," Nabiki couldn't help but add, even as
she saw Mrs. Saotome wince.

     "I was not there to raise him as a child."

     "Then it's not your fault," said Nabiki, as if to excuse herself.
"It's not your fault he turned out so...so poorly."

     "Poorly?" asked Nodoka.

     "I don't mean to insult your family, Mrs. Saotome."

     "No, go on.  It's important for me to know."

     "He's such a...jerk.  He gets betrothed to me, right?"

     "Yes..."

     "And then, first opportunity he gets, he chases after my sister."

     "But if you don't love him..."

     "Please, Mrs. Saotome.  Don't try to change my mind now."

     "I'm not," explained Mrs. Saotome.

     "I really can see when you do that.  But it's more than
that...the jerk led me on!  I...I really thought he...he loved me."
Nabiki paused and continued: "About eighty different times."

     "And what's the problem with that?" asked Mrs. Saotome.

     "That it was eighty different times.  Every time I thought that
really, he loved me, I'd see him with Akane the next day."

     "And..."

     "Mrs. Saotome, please.  Don't.  He knew I didn't like it when he
was around her.  I mean, he must have known.  And that doesn't stop
him a bit!"

     "Well, then I see no option," explained Mrs. Saotome.  "I will
make my son, Ranma, commit seppuku."

     "What?" asked Nabiki, startled and confused.

     "Or I will kill him myself."

     This didn't help.  Nabiki continued looking in confusion.  Nodoka
eventually continued.

     "He was sworn to live as a man, and to marry you..."

     "I guess..."

     "And to commit seppuku if he failed."

     "Yeah..."

     "And he's failed.  He must commit seppuku!"

     "Doesn't that seem a little extreme?  I mean, there's still a
chance that..." Nabiki paused.

     "You wouldn't marry him now, would you?" asked Nodoka.

     "Of course not!" dismissed Nabiki.

     "Then there is no choice.  He must commit seppuku."  Nodoka
unsheathed her katana and left the building, in immediate search for
Ranma.

     Nabiki looked at Nodoka leave.  "That is one whacked-out family."
she uttered, and sighed.

     Nabiki went back to her calculations.  But despite all the fun
that came with the abacus, watching the ones adding up to become
fives, the fives adding up to become tens, and the tens adding up be
small financial empires, she just couldn't concentrate.

**

     Akane sat cross-legged on the steps in front of her school.  She
quickly went over the notes to her classes.  Some non-descript pop
song was blaring in the background.  /*Not so negative?*/

     "Hey," said Ranma, sitting down next to her.

     "Oh, hello, Ranma."

     "Got a test?"

     "No.  Well, not really.  Just looking over my notes.  I've been a
little behind lately."

     "Yeah, same here," said Ranma.  "Maybe I should look over your
notes, too."

     "Yeah," answered Akane.  Ranma looked at Akane, and then down at
the steps when she returned his glance.  Neither of them spoke.

     "Akane?" asked Ranma, breaking an almost unbearable silence.

     "What?"

     "I want to know...well..."  Ranma paused.  "I was wondering,
well...I mean, so what?"

     "So what?" asked Akane.

     "Yeah," answered Ranma, "So what.  I mean, so what?"

     "About us, you mean?"

     "Yeah."

     "I don't know," answered Akane, abstractedly.

     "I mean, obviously there can be, you know, nothing.  At least
now.  I mean, with Nabiki."

     Akane paused, and looked up at Ranma.  It took her a while to
speak.

     "It was fun, you know?  The two of us..." Akane stopped speaking,
and ran her finger over the concrete, absent-mindedly.

     "Yeah," answered Ranma, hesitantly, "it was."

     "It was fun, sneaking away and everything.  Like some kinda
game."

     Ranma chuckled.  "Like we were getting away with something."

     "Exactly.  But, well...I mean, sometimes I'm tired of it."

     "Huh?"

     "I knew you were going to ask me something, about this.  You
know?"

     "You can't blame me for that!"

     "I *can*, Ranma.  I mean, it's like I'm your backup to Nabiki."

     "No way!  It's not like that at all!" yelled Ranma, suddenly
getting mad.  Akane replied calmly, only a hint of her anger showing
through the well-rehearsed lines.

     "I ain't playin' no second fiddle, Ranma," said Akane. "I mean,
I'm not around as your safety net.  I'm tired of it, you know?"

     "But...I mean, you said you had fun!"

     "Nabiki's my sister, Ranma.  I'm not going to ruin her life for
the sake of a little fun."

     "But..."

     "There's really nothing more to say, Ranma."

**

/*Nabiki talking to Kasumi, Ukyou, Soun or even Akane/Shampoo about
Ranma?*/

**

     "Shampoo!" came a voice, yelled in exasperation.  Shampoo turned
around and looked suspiciously, especially after she saw who it was.

     "What you want with me, Spatula Girl?"

     "The name's Ukyou."

     "Same difference," replied Shampoo, snidely.

     Ukyou paused for a second to catch her breath.  "And I came here
to ask you...what the hell are you doing with Ranma?!"

     "What you think Shampoo is do?  Shampoo is try to marry Ranma!"

     Ukyou shook her head.  "Give it up!"

     "I no know of women of Japan, but women of Joketsuzoku no give up
on who be their husband.  Never even enter their thoughts."

     "God, you...you think it's all about you?"

     "What mean you?"

     Ukyou stared back, with obvious contempt.  "I mean, you're acting
so immature.  Like you're the only one who counts in this situation."

     "Maybe not only, but most important."

     Ukyou psshed.  "Yeah, we all think we're the most important."

     "Shampoo sure that true!  But Shampoo know: you no have to marry
Ranma.  Shampoo does."

     Ukyou replied, raising her voice in the process.  "You're acting
like a bimbo.  You don't *have* to have a man." /*meaner, in a
backhand sort of way*/

     Shampoo yelled back at Ukyou.  "You shut up!  Shampoo no hussy!
Shampoo no enjoy doing this!  Shampoo no try marry some man every day
of week!"

     Ukyou fell back, surprised at Shampoo's outburst.

     "But...you...."

     Shampoo continued.  "Maybe you think is big fun-fun, but not is
to Shampoo!  I do this I have to!  I betrothed Ranma!"

     Ukyou gained her wits and lashed back at Shampoo.  "Listen,
sister.  I've been betrothed to Ranma since the age of six, so don't
tell *me* what it's like to..." Ukyou caught herself yelling at
Shampoo.  She paused, slowed down, and spoke to Shampoo in a forced
tone of restraint.  "So don't act like it's only happened to you.
It's happened to Nabiki too, and Ranma."

     Shampoo paused.  "You know how mother and father meet?"

     "How?"

     "Shampoo father travel all around China.  Practicing the way of
fighting, dedicating himself to the art.  He had sworn that would be
his life, and no family ever tie him down.  But when arrive to
Joketsuzoku, meet most beautiful woman he ever seen, playing Chinese
flute by the river.  Second he see her, he say to himself 'Ni guo hi
ngo gu tietie.'  He knew story of Amazon women, and so he challenge
her to fight."

     "And he beat her?" asked Ukyou.

     "No!  His butt was kicked!  But he never forget her.  Years
later, he come back to village, and this time he worthy adversary.
Shampoo mother lose, and my parents married."

     "That's a nice story," replied Ukyou, "but that doesn't mean you
have to do the same thing."

     "You no understand..." answered Shampoo.  "Shampoo mother married
man who defeated him, and Shampoo mother mother married man who
defeated him, and this go all way back for Amazon tribe!"

     "It...well...that doesn't mean you have to!"

     "Doesn't it?  Shampoo loses, Shampoo not woman of Amazon, Shampoo
let down long line of family.  Shampoo no want do that!"

     "But...you can't..."  Ukyou paused before continuing.  "Shampoo,
the guy's engaged.  To be married.  His parents are forcing him to do
it.  Have you seen his mom?  She's waving a katana around.  And it's
not an idle threat."

     "That too bad.  Nothing Shampoo can do about that, but Shampoo
would no let mother-in-law kill husband."

     Ukyou looked back at Shampoo.  "Of course not.  But it's...I
mean, there's so much more than that.  Ranma doesn't need this,
Shampoo.  Not now."

     "You want Shampoo wait?  Until he be married to Ranma?"

     Ukyou paused.  She didn't know how to respond.

**

     Ranma went into the kitchen, nearly running over Nabiki in the
process.  He looked at her, startled, for a few seconds.  It almost
looked like he would run out of the room before he started speaking.

     "Oh, hey, Nabiki."

     "Haven't seen your face in a while."

     "Yeah...well, I haven't been around.  Pop's been, you know, doing
a lot of training."

     "Convenient."

     "Yeah.  Look..."  Ranma paused, and laughed nervously.  "I'm
sorry that, well, I'm sorry..."

     "Don't be."

     "Wha?"

     "What'd you expect, Ranma?"

     "Huh?  I don't know.  I mean, what do you mean?!"

     "You thought I'd lie back?  I'd just go up and cry about it or
something?"

     "No.  Look, I'm sorry..."

     "I don't need your sympathy, Ranma."

     "Just let me..."

     "No."

     "But...you've...you've got to let me talk!"

     "What's there to say that you haven't already?"

     "There's...Well..." Ranma still hadn't though of anything when
Nabiki resumed talking.

     "You're a fuck-up, Ranma."

     "Nabiki..."

     "Get out of the fucking room.  Get...get out of my life."

     "Nabiki, come on.  I didn't mean to...well, I didn't want to
upset you, or..."

     Nabiki, her fists clenched, turned and left the room.

**

Hello!  Wowsers, this is the first new chapter of this I've released
since, like, 8 years ago or somethin'.  Anyway, I'd really appreciate
all comments and criticisms you have.  Some food for thought, that I'd
really appreciate help on (along with everything else ^_^):

-Basic goings.  Story doesn't directly address the end of the last chapter
until the end.  Maybe that's a bad idea, or maybe I need to add more
tension?

- Nabiki.  I'm worried about her.  Is she not getting enough air time?
Is the conversation with Nodoka too melodramatic?  Are her motivations
understandable, or does she appear randomly angry in an anime-girl
type way?  Do I need another scene with her?  With Ukyou?

- Ranma.  What a shmuck!  The only thing I can do with him is give him
shit.  Any ideas on how to make his character stronger?  The story is
revolving around him, but it certainly isn't about him, and that
kind've bugs.

- Chinese.  Does "Ni guo hi ngo gu tietie" mean "This will be my
wife" in Mandarin?  One o' my roommates speaks Chinese, but has never
had a class or anything, so his romanization and translation is
sometimes off.

Well, again, I'd really appreciate all comments.  Thanks for reading,

Jeff


****jdrutsch@ucdavis.edu***********************Jeff Rutsch***************** 
I -I -I-I *"I like New York in June, and *that* means *you*!
IV-IV-I-I * I like a Gershwin tune, and *that* means *you*!"-God
V -IV-I-I *"You well's to kill me, as to have it on your mind."-R. Johnson
**^_^***.daed si luaP**^_^**Bird Lives**^_^**Ranma Loves Akane**^_^****^_^*