Thanks to Sean Gaffney for his comments. Ryouga's not being mean now ^_-

A Lesson in Love
Chapter XVI: With a Whole Heart
By Marisa Price
Copyright to Marisa Price, 1997, All rights reserved.
This story is based on characters and situations that
are copyright to Rumiko Takahashi.


Part I: Breakdown


	"Why that son of a pig-farmer's. . ." Ranma was fuming.
	Ryouga cuffed him smartly on the back of his head. "Hey, no need to get
personal, Ranma." 
	Ukyou just shook her head at the two of them, wondering if someday,
somehow, their maturity levels would rise somewhat. Akane had her mallet
clutched reflexively in her hands, wringing over the well-worn grooves.
	"Ranchan, Akane. Try to calm down, OK? I mean, you DID hit Kuno 998 times,
Ranchan. Don't you think that's suitable punishment for now?" Ukyou said
calmly, trying to sound cheerful.
	Ranma growled, "I WOULD have hit him more than that if only pig-boy here
hadn't gotten in the middle of the. . ."
	"Hey!" Ryouga protested. "Any more and he would have been in the morgue
instead of just the hospital. After all, Akane had already beat him fairly
flat with her mallet before you even got started."
	Akane grimaced. "He wasn't exactly FLAT. . ."
	"Akane-chan, I've made okonomiyaki thicker than he was after you finished
with him," Ukyou pointed out.
	The mallet was dropped with a sigh, and Akane had the decency to blush.
	"I'm just so ANGRY, I can't help it. I mean, Nabiki finally found someone
to love, and then he does THAT to her. . ."
	Ukyou laid her arm comfortably around Akane's shoulders. "It's okay, I
understand. But I think the best thing to do at this point is to relax and
talk to Nabiki. Maybe she has a different story to tell us."
	"That jerk, what a loser," Ranma was still complaining.
	Ryouga raised an eyebrow archly at Ranma and asked, "You know, Ranma, when
did you get so fond of Nabiki?"
	Akane stiffened, and Ranma froze. Ukyou shot Ryouga a "This really wasn't
the time to mention that, you idiot" look, and her arm tightened around
Akane's shoulder so as to be a vice more than a comfort.
	"Well, I. . ." Ranma began, stammering.
	Akane stared at him. "Well what?"
	Ranma looked at the three curious pairs of eyes and, after a deep sigh,
decided to blunder onward.
	"Well, Nabiki can be a pain. Remember the picture incident? Or the
fake-fiancee incident? Or the invitations to the wedding thing? Or even
the. . ."  He paused Akane roared and started to advance on him. "HEY!!!
Don't even look at me like that," he held his hands out in a defensive
gesture, "You know I'm right. Anyway, Nabiki HAS been better lately. I
mean, she DID get rid of Kodachi" he paused and shuddered (I hope this
breakup doesn't mean she's coming back, he thought to himself), "And 
she DID get Kuno off Akane and my case."
	Akane's temper cooled a bit, and Ranma sighed in relief.
	"We have REALLY got to work on that anger, Akane. . ." He mused. "I wonder
if we could come up with some kinda technique. . ."
	Akane ducked out of Ukyou's grasp in order to tear up a stop sign from the
pavement and then proceeded to flatten Ranma against the fence. "Baka!!!"
She huffed, and then took a deep, calming, breath. "I feel much better now."
	Ukyou backed off from Akane and grabbed Ryouga by the arm, pulling him close.
	She gave them a small smile, "I think this is something that you guys can
handle. Ryouga and I are gonna head home. We have to get up early tomorrow,
customers you know."
	Ranma pulled himself up and managed to recover with as much decorum as
possible. 
	"Yeah, see ya Ucchan, Ryouga."
	"Goodnight, Ukyou. It was fun." Akane hugged Ukyou close and the two girls
shared a smile. Akane nodded to Ryouga, "Take care Ryouga, don't get lost
on the way home, okay?"
	Ryouga blushed and started to stammer out a protest, and Ukyou translated,
"He says he won't, and thanks, and we'll see you later. Bye Ranchan!"
	And Ukyou and Ryouga turned and started to head for home.
	"Ranma. . ." Akane said hesitantly, "I'm really worried about Nabiki. I
love my sister, and even though she can be sorta money-grubbing. . ."
	"Sort of?" Ranma laughed.
	Akane glowered, and started to gather together a scathing tirade, when
Ranma stopped her.
	"If you would have let me finish, instead of freaking out, I woulda told you 
that I  know what you mean about Nabiki. I did what I did to Kuno tonight
because nobody should get away with stuff like that. Besides, she's gonna
end up being part of my family 
when we finally get married, and I always take care of my family. Well,
except Pop, but you know how that is."
	Akane blinked at him, "You mean that, don't you Ranma," she whispered.
	He nodded, taking her hand in his, marveling at how her small palm was
engulfed by his own.
	"Of course I mean it, Akane. Even though Nabiki can be a pain, she IS your
sister, and if you love her, I will do my best to care about her too."
	Akane chuckled and turned to kiss him on the nose. "When did you turn into
such a romantic?"
	"When I noticed how cute you are. . ." 
	He smiled, leaning down to caress her lips with his own. It was a
butterfly kiss, gentle and sweet.
	"C'mon, let's go home," he breathed against her cheek.
	And, hand in hand, they headed for the dojo.


*****

	"Oneechan?" Akane asked tentatively as she poked her head around the
partially opened door. The bedroom was dark, and all she could see in the
slice of light from the hallway was a pile of discarded clothing. It was
Nabiki's dress, crumpled up in a heap, and her shoes lay at awkward angles
nearby.
	Shaking her head, Akane frowned. This wasn't like Nabiki. Her sister was
usually neat to a fault in her room, everything artistically placed.
Pushing the door fully open, Akane crept into the room and paused by the
side of the bed, afraid to wake her sister's sleep but wanting to see for
herself that abiki was all right. It was quiet, too quiet. She fumbled for
the light that she knew was somewhere on the endtable, and managed to
practically knock it over before she finally found its tiny switch and
turned it on.
	The bed was empty, untouched. The sheets were crisply tucked in and the
coverlet was as pristinely smooth as if on display. Akane felt someone
enter the room behind her, and new as soon as she felt his comfortable
presence that it was Ranma. She turned around and gasped as she saw that
her fiancee was dripping wet and very female.
	"Whatcha doin?" Ranma began.
	Akane shook her head to say that it was fine, and then looked up and down
the bedraggled figure. "What happened?"
	Ranma sighed and shrugged in the tuxedo that was now several sizes too big
for her. "Pop and your dad drunk more than usual that Shogi Tournament they
were at. They were still celebratin and makin me drink that crap... you
KNOW how I hate sake... and they started pourin it down my throat!" She
paused to grimace at the remembrance.
	"Not to mention that you have a really low tolerance. Besides, what does
that have to do with you being a girl?" Akane asked patiently.
	Ranma frowned. "I dunno. I fell in the pond at some point."
	"You FELL in? Well that's unusual." Akane sighed. "Why did you have to get
drunk right NOW?"
	"HEY!" Ranma protested. "It ain't like I had a choice! 'Sides, I ain't
drunk." Ranma struck a manly pose that made her look more than a little
ridiculous especially as she was female at the moment, and in an outfit
that made her look like a drowned penguin.
	"Takes more than a little sake to get to ME..." Ranma drawled, and strutted 
towards her. She raised her arms up and put them around Akane's neck, and
stood on her tip-toes to kiss her.
	Akane grunted and pushed Ranma away. "You MUST be drunk, or else you
wouldn't be trying to kiss me as a GIRL."
	Ranma looked down at herself and blushed. "Err..."
	"Baka. Get a grip. Nabiki isn't here, and I'm worried."
	"Oh, Nabiki." Ranma blinked. "I forgot."
	Ranma grabbed her and pulled her out of the room and into the hallway.
"C'mon."
	Akane fought her grip and tripped in her high-heel shoes. Ranma looked
down at here and wondered out loud, "Gee, Akane. Why are you on the floor?"
	"RANMA NO BAKA!! At least let me get out of these clothes!! Where are you
dragging me anyway?!"
	Ranma looked bewildered and dropped Akane's arm. "I was gonna take you to
Nabiki."
	"You know where she is?" Surprise laced Akane's voice.
	Ranma nodded.
	"OK. Wait here. 2 minutes. I need to go change into something else, okay?"
	"Why can't I come? It's not like I haven't seen it before...." Ranma
drawled, giving Akane an innocent look.
	Akane counted to ten, tried to lower her blood pressure, and then managed
to say icily, "I would like to point out that that this ISN'T the time to
be acting like a PERVERT!!!!"
	"WHO'S actin like a pervert?"
	But she was talking to the duck on Akane's door as it slammed in his face.
	In a few minutes the door banged open and Akane strode angrily out with a
white and yellow checkered nightgown on. Ranma was sitting on the floor,
she back propped against the wall and her eyes were half-lidded and sleepy.
	"All right. How do you know where she is?" Akane wanted to know, her sharp
voice startling Ranma awake.
	She blinked a few times and stood up, and explained, "Well, I went to the
bathroom to get some hot water to change back, and I saw her stuff layin
out there, and I could hear her in there."
	Akane nodded. "The bathroom. Okay. Well, you go get ready for bed, and
I'll check on her."
	"Umm..." Ranma grunted. "You mean you want me to stay like this all night??!"
	"It wouldn't be the first time," Akane pointed out. "If you want so much
to change back, then go downstairs and heat up some water with the kettle."
	Without another word, Akane tromped down the stairs and headed for the
bathroom. She slid back the door and entered the changing room quietly, and
saw, as Ranma had seen, Nabiki's towel and robe in a neat pile on the
cabinet. Creeping towards the door, Akane listened. She realized dimly that
she shouldn't eavesdrop, but she wanted to make sure that Nabiki was
actually in the bathroom before she charged in.
	There was a sound of scrubbing, loud and rough, and deep breathing, almost
gasps. Akane pushed the door open slowly, sliding it along the grooves, and
peered through the crack into the bathroom. The view that was revealed to
her was so startling that Akane cried out loud and pushed the door open
with a shove and ran to her sister's side.
	"ONEECHAN!!!"
	Nabiki jerked her head around to face her sister, and Akane was shocked
once again by the contrast of Nabiki's white puffy face to the bright red
skin of her chest and back that had so startled Akane at first.
	"A...Akane..." Nabiki's voice was quiet and tight, and her eyes were
distant and bright with unshed tears. She dropped the scrub brush down into
the water as Akane threw her arms around her, and dimly tried to figure out
what was wrong.
	"Oneeechan..." Akane sobbed. "What have you done to yourself?!"
	Nabiki looked startled, and looked down to see what Akane was talking
about. "Wha...What do you mean? I was just taking a bath..." Nabiki broke
off, confused.
	A tear dripped down Akane's nose and fell into the now still and faintly
pink bathwater with a splash.
	"You've rubbed your skin raw, Nabiki! You are all scraped up..."
	"Scraped?" Nabiki blinked. "But I was just trying to get clean... I felt
so dirty... I.. I..." A breath heaved it's way from her shaking chest, and
then another. "I... Oh.... Akane-chan... I..."
	Then the sobs came. They were long and hard, pulled out of some region of
Nabiki's body that she no longer realized she had possessed. Tears finally
overflowed her eyes as she saw her skin, saw the pink water, saw the horror
on Akane's face, and heard Akane's screams for Kasumi as her sister tried
to pull her out of the water.
	Then came the welcoming darkness.

* * * * *
	It was already daylight when Nabiki opened her eyes. She felt so tired
still, and yet her body told her that it was time to open her eyes. Heavy
pressure seemed to push down on her, making her body uncomfortable
immobile. Struggling to sit up, Nabiki groaned, and looked down in surprise
to see that she was naked and covered with bandages. She shook off the
weight of several ice packs, now melted, that lay around her and on top of
her.
	The door opened quietly, and Kasumi walked through the door, concern plain
in her expression.
	"Nabiki-chan! You are finally awake!" Kasumi enthused, a reassuring smile
brightening her pretty features.
	Nabiki tried to form a few words, but her mouth felt sealed shut. Finally
she managed, "K...Kasumi?"
	Kasumi sat down on the bed and hugged Nabiki lightly, trying not to
disturb the bandages. "How are you feeling?"
	"I'm fine, " Nabiki began, and then looked at herself again. "But...
What's with the bandages? What happened to me?"
	The concern was immediately back. "You mean you don't remember?"
	Nabiki shook her head. "I remember coming home from the dance last night..."
	Akane walked into the room, hearing her sisters voices, and broke Nabiki
off mid-sentence by throwing herself at her sister and holding her in a
tight hug that brought a groan from Nabiki's lips.
	"Ohh! Sorry! I'm sorry, oneechan! I'm just so happy that you are okay... I
was so worried..." Akane's lower lip quivered, and her stormy eyes
threatened rain.
	Nabiki managed to extricate herself from her sister's grasp and leaned
back against the wall.
	"Would someone mind explaining to me exactly what's going on?"
	Kasumi and Akane exchanged a concerned look, and Kasumi shook her head
almost imperceptibly at Akane. Nabiki caught the message and said dryly,
"Look girls, why don't you tell me what the problem is instead of acting
like I've gone crazy."
	Akane grabbed Nabiki's hand and tried desperately to be comforting.
"Nabiki, do you remember the dance?"
	"Of course I remember the dance, god-awful thing that it was. That BASTARD
Kuno tried to..."
	A finger was suddenly against Nabiki's lips, silencing her.
	"I know, he broke up with you..." Akane said sadly.
	Nabiki jerked her hand from Akane's and protested loudly, "WHAT?! He broke
up with ME?! Why that ASS! He did no such thing! I was the one who broke up
with him!"
	Akane was shaking her head. "Nabiki, you aren't remembering things clearly. 
He broke up with you, and decided that he liked Nakoto instead. Don't you 
remember?"
	Blinking, Nabiki growled, "What are you TALKING about? Nakoto? What does
she have to do with anything?!"
	"They were all over each other at the dance after you left..."
	"What??!"
	"He told everyone that he broke up with you to date her."
	"Why that slimy, arrogant bastard! So that's how he's trying to cover his
tracks?!"
	Kasumi interrupted, her gentle voice reminding Nabiki, "Then why did you
hurt yourself, if you weren't upset about him breaking up with you?"
	"Hurt myself....?" Nabiki asked slowly. "You mean, I....?"
	Akane sighed. "I found you in the bathroom like this last night, Oneechan.
You had scrubbed your skin raw. You honestly don't remember?"
	"I..." Nabiki gasped brokenly. What did she remember? Coming home. Taking
off her dress. Going to clean off Kuno's disgusting caresses.... Oh no.
	Kasumi cooed, "It's okay, Nabiki-chan, we understand. . ."
	"Kuno's a jerk. He doesn't know what he was throwing away. He isn't worth
your love, Nabiki. . . He's always got two girls he likes at once or
something. He's a pervert, a lecher." Akane added fervently.
	"I do NOT love that useless piece of garbage!"
	"But..." Kasumi and Akane spoke as one.
	"Get OUT. Just get out of here. I need to think. Believe him instead of
me. I don't care. Just GET OUT!!!" Nabiki screamed at her sisters, throwing
the covers back and pushing them out the open door. Just as Kasumi would
have said something, Nabiki slammed the door closed in her face.
	"Oneechan!!" Akane cried through the wood barrier.
	"GO AWAY!!! "
	There was some whispering in the hallway, and then the sound of footsteps
fading away. Nabiki sunk to the carpet and leaned her head against her
knees, her back against the closed door. A million memories flooded her head.
	Kuno touching her. His hateful words. Running away from the dance and back
home, sneaking in so no one would ask her about the evening. Going into the
bathroom to scrub away at Kuno's presence on her body...
	What have I done? Nabiki wondered, and peeled off a bandage of her breast.
She turned to look at her full-length mirror and saw the red puffy skin, as
if burned, and the tiny scabs from places where she had rubbed through.
	"....a whore a whore a whore a whore a whore...." 
	The words raced through her head and she sank again to the carpet. She had
tried to scrub away Kuno's touch, but that conversation would never leave
hear head... Nabiki looked around her room and all of a sudden all she
could see were things that Kuno had given her. Necklaces, a vase of roses,
reams of poetry, perfume, clothing... Her head screamed.
	"I've got to get out of here," She breathed, and opened up her closet to
grab the first thing that looked comfortable. A natty blue sweatshirt went
over her chest, loose enough so that no one could tell she wasn't wearing a
bra. It would be too uncomfortable with her cuts. As it was, even the soft
lining chafed against her tender skin. Nabiki looked down at her legs with
relief, noting that they were not harmed. She pulled on a pair of jean
shorts, and then grabbed a small purse and some yen.
	Opening the door quietly, Nabiki peered out into the hall. It was quiet
upstairs, and she crept slowly out, shutting the door soundlessly behind
her. Tiptoeing so as to not creak the boards of the floor, she walked down
the stairs, pausing every time she heard a noise. It sounded like her
sisters and Ranma were in the kitchen, and her father and Genma were most
likely out in the garden. Nabiki ran to the front door and grabbed her white 
keds, and ran out the door before she someone happened along. She slid one
shoe onto her left foot, hopping on her right, and then switched. After
both feet we settled, Nabiki broke out into a run for the gate, and didn't
stop until she was at least a block away from the dojo.
	Nabiki leaned against a lamp-post, gasping for breath, not as used to
running about as Akane and Ranma. She wondered what to do and where to go.
She felt like eating something, but all of the restaurants nearby had too
many memories attached to them of Kuno plying her with treats. The river?
Maybe she should go take a walk along the banks. No. Any sort of water
would probably result in having something to do with Ranma, and Nabiki
didn't want to take that chance.
	The woods.
	There was a brace of trees near Furinken high school, where several of the
students would eat lunch on sunny days. It was a popular haunt during the
school week, but practically empty on the weekends, as Nabiki had once
discovered when she was a freshman. Ever since that year she had often gone
there to take walks when she needed to clear her head and concentrate.

*****

	She wasn't quite sure where to go, or who to turn to. Everything in this
foreign place reminded her of the past, and of what had happened. How many
days ago was it? Time seemed to blur together as she wandered, she
desperately tried to find herself as she lost her way. Akari tried to wipe
the ever-present tears from her eyes, rubbing her cheeks until they were
sore. Inevitably, Katsunishiki stopped, the underbrush too thick to plow on, 
and Akari blinked at her surroundings. She was in a forest, but what forest
she did not know. How would Ryouga-sama have felt in this situation? Would
have had been pained and hopeless? Or would he  be as numb as she felt
right now?
	Maybe she should go back to Nerima, to Akane and Ranma. They would help
her, they would understand. Perhaps they would even know if she could win
Ryouga back. Katsunishiki looked at his mistress with sad eyes, sensing her
pain. He nuzzled her with his snout, and grunted. Akari wrapped her arms
around his thick neck and pressed her damp cheeks against the warm smooth
skin of her pet.
	"Where are we, Katsunishiki?" She wondered, more to herself than the pig,
and then whispered, "Maybe we should just go home..."
	But that would be giving up. For once, Akari wanted to fight for something
herself. Ryouga was everything to her, she loved him. He couldn't possibly
not care about her anymore. She had just been insensitive to his feelings,
to the pain he had suffered, the terrible experiences he had endured. She
would face what he had gone through, and seek to understand his woes...
Then, perhaps...
	A twig snapped, and both Akari and Katsunishiki jumped in surprise. 
	"Who... Who's there?" She called cautiously.
	From between a cluster of trees appeared a familiar-looking brown haired
girl. Akari blinked in surprise.
	"Uh... Aren't you... Akane-chan's sister?"
	Nabiki looked up at the girl, startled and somewhat disgruntled that there
was someone else in the woods where she had been seeking privacy. The
usually pretty thing with the two pink streaks in her hair looked awful,
her white shirt dirty and torn, and her plaid skirt askew. The pig wasn't
even it's normal clean self, but there was no denying who stood in front of
her. Ryouga's girlfriend, Akari. Or, Nabiki reflected, she must be his
ex-girlfriend as he had been pretty kissy-huggy with Ukyou at the dance the
night before.
	"Um, hi Ashkari."
	"Akari."
	"Yeah, Akari. Sorry about that. What's wrong? Forgive me for being blunt,
but you look like crap."
	Akari studied Akane's sister and noticed her pale and puffy face, and
retaliated, "You don't look so hot yourself."
	Nabiki grimaced. "Touché."
	"Is this Nerima?" 
	Nabiki looked surprised. "Of course it is. Don't tell me you caught the
lost-bug from Ryouga."
	"I... Well, I guess I did. I was trying to get lost the way he does, and
see what he had suffered."
	Astounded, Nabiki choked, "W...Why...?"
	"I hoped maybe I could understand what I had done, how insensitive I had
been, and maybe figure out why he stopped loving me..."
	"Love?? Love is bullshit. There's no such thing. A guy only wants one
thing, SEX. If you aren't putting out, he's going to find someone that is,"
Nabiki ground out, sitting down on a fallen log and kicking a few rocks by
her feet.
	Akari blinked. "S...s...sex?" Her voice was confounded. "You mean, you
think he brouke up with me because I wouldn't.... uh..."
	"Well, he was sure making out with Ukyou last night." Nabiki slightly
exagerated. Ryouga was touching a girl on a regular basis. For him, that
HAD to be equivalent to making out.
	"Ukyou?? You mean, he's going out with that manly-looking boss of his?"
	It was Nabiki's turn to look surprised. "You mean, you didn't know?"
	Her voice shuddering, Akari looked down at the ground.
	"No... I had no idea. I thought when he said... But then that explains..."
	"... A lot, I bet. Boy are you naieve. I mean, he IS living at her place." 
	Akari was talking in a quiet voice, almost to herself. "Then that would
explain why he left from my house... it wasn't the training, it was that I
wasn't spending much time with him doing... doing...."
	Nabiki nodded at her, "I bet. I don't know what you are talking about, but
I bet that's the reason still. Men are pigs. Especially THAT man."
	Katsunishiki grunted, and Nabiki gave him a sardonic grin. "Oops, no
offense intented, pig."
	"His name's Katsunishiki," Akari prompted.
	"Yeah, whatever."
	There was silence for a few moments, the quiet of the woods only broken by
their breathing and an occasional scurry or song of a forest creature. Both
girls were lost in their thoughts. Nabiki considered what had made her
react so violently to Kuno's words and caresses, and Akari wondered how
Ryouga could have been so base, so shallow.
	"I think you're wrong." Akari whispered.
	"What?" Nabiki asked, having heard only a mumble.
	Firmer and more confident this time, Akari stated, "I think you're wrong.
About Ryouga-sama. About men. There are a few out there who aren't
interested in that, and I think Ryouga's one of them. He's good, and kind,
and loyal, and..."
	"Spare me," Nabiki laughed. "Men are all like that. Except possibly Ranma,
because he hasn't tried yet to get it on with my sister. That's probably
only because he's half girl, or else he's scared shitless that Akane will
pulvarize him if he even tries."
	Akari still shook her head. "No. Ryouga had a chance once, when we were
paired in the same room togther. He didn't do anything though, he was
simply kind and caring."
	"Maybe he never really was interested then," Nabiki pointed out.
	Her back stiffened at that, and Akari cried, "That's not true! I know he
did love me... Ryouga-sama loved me... He wrote me letters and postcards
and every time we were together... It was special. Even if he ended up with
someone else, I can't pretend that he never cared, because I KNOW he did."
	"Whatever," Nabiki brushed her hand in the air, as if to wave off an
unpleasant smell. "He's head over heels for Ukyou now though, and, sorry to
break it to you, I don't think you have a chance."
	"I... I see." Akari breathed sadly.
	The conversation lapsed into silence once more, and Nabiki studied the
withdrawn expression on Akari's face. Finally she had to ask.
	"Do you hate him now? Do you want to kill him for betraying you? Why don't
you call him a jerk, or a..."
	"Stop it!" Was the desperate reply, and Akari shook her head, the tears
rolling down in fat trails on her soft cheeks. "I... love Ryouga. I will
always care about him. I can't hate him. I guess I even love him enough to
let him go to someone who makes him more happy than I ever could."
	Rolling her eyes skyward, Nabiki chortled. "What a bunch of romantic
drivel. Do you really believe that?"
	Akari all of a sudden looked wise, her eyes older than a moment before, as
if suffering brought her a special sort of wisdom. "Tendo-san..."
	"Nabiki."
	"Nabiki. Haven't you ever been in love? Haven't you ever loved someone
even though you knew it would be wrong to have them? Haven't you ever had
to let someone go because you knew you would end up making them miserable?"
	"Love. Love is for ninnys and fools."
	The seashore. A book, a card. A vase full of sunflowers. Dinner by
candlelight. A kiss, a touch..... Nabiki shook it all away.
	"I don't need anyone but myself," Nabiki said firmly.
	Akari sighed as she looked at Akane's mercenary sister, and comprehension
filled her. "You're scared to love for some reason, aren't you?"
	"Of course not."
	"I wish you luck, Nabiki-san, because I think you are even more miserable 
than I am. I may have lost a love, but at least I know what love is... You 
have yet to find it."
	I know what love is, Nabiki thought to herself, looking up at the tree
tops to take her gaze away from Akari's intense eyes. It's pain. It's
letting someone control you. There was a rumble, and Nabiki knew Akari was
leaving. She looked up to tell her goodbye, but the girl and the giant pig
were already gone.
	And Nabiki was left alone with her pain and her thoughts, trying to forget
the recent past, and struggling to keep down memories of someone she
couldn't forget...

* * * * *

	It was late when Nabiki finally wandered back down her street. She had
spent most of the day in the woods and then,when it had finally started to
get cold and dark, she had wandered down to a tiny restaurant far away from
the ones she usually frequented.
	She had picked up a few manga from a used book store, and sat idly
flipping through them. For some reason, the antics of the heroine weren't
nearly as interesting as usual, and she kept drifting off into her thoughts.

-----flashback-----
	"You're kidding! No WAY! You actually won the grand prize at the
bookstore's weekly lottery?" Akane cheered.
	Nabiki nodded and looked through the paraphanelia that the man had handed
her after taking her picture and putting her name up on the winners list.
There were two tickets, one for the outward voyage and one for the return,
and the address to a very posh resort by the ocean.
	Kasumi smiled. "So what's the prize, Nabiki?"
	"It's an all expenses paid seven day resort holiday for one."
	"For ONE?!" Akane blinked. "I mean, isn't that kind of odd? Don't they
usually make it for two people?"
	Kasumi nodded in agreement. "Yes. I thought that was how it usually went
too. It seems strange that it's just for you, Nabiki."
	"That's what I thought at first, but it turns out that this is the sort of
place that you can meet people. Only single people could enter the contest
this week, and I just happened to be single so..."
	"I don't know, " Kasumi was frowing, looking worried. "Father might not
like this idea. You are really to young to be going off by yourself, Nabiki."
	"I'm almost seventeen, Kasumi. Give me a break. It's not like I don't know
what I'm doing," Nabiki