Subject: [FFML] [fanfic] [Ranma] Akane and Ranma
From: "Sydney Kyle" <jantzen77@hotmail.com>
Date: 2/17/1998, 1:09 PM
To: fanfic@fanfic.com

Author's notes: The following shortfic was inspired by Gary Kleppe's 
"Ukyou and Ryouga". After thinking over what Akane and Ranma's married 
life might be like after ten years or so, I finally came to an 
inevitable realization about their wedded life...

                        ========================
                            AKANE AND RANMA
                             by Sydney Kyle
                        ========================

   "AKANE! Are ya _still_ tryin' to kill me???" 

   Akane Saotome hardly spared him a single glance as she continued
to stir the bubbling pot. The stove top was smeared with various ill-
smelling concoctions and oddly-colored unidentified dripping objects.

   "When are you going to stop thinking that I'm trying to _kill_ you, 
Ranma?" she shot back sharply, her back still to him. "If you can't
stand my cooking, then why don't you get some take-out or something?"

   Ranma Saotome glared at her from behind the kitchen counter, clutch-
ing a bowl filled with something that vaguely resembled clumps of 
seaweed. "You know we can't afford take-out for a while, Akane," he 
retorted. 

   "And we both know whose fault THAT was now, don't we?" 

   Ranma's head jerked up, his blue eyes flashing dangerously. "And 
what's _that_ supposed to mean?" he queried, barely able to control
the anger in his voice.

   "You know damn well what I mean, baka," Akane went on, dully. "Ever 
since you and your father started freeloading on my dad's hospitality, 
we barely have enough now for the kids and me to get by."

   "Don't you dare blame that on me," Ranma growled. "If I remember
right, it was _your_ pop who decided to stop teachin' any new classes
in this stupid dojo, so don't blame me if he decided to get lazy!"

   That was enough to make Akane finally face him. On her face was an 
expression that he had long gotten used to--an expression she had worn
from the first time he had known her. It was an expression of disgust,
and anger, and hate. But, unlike the earlier days, this time there was
no sign of concealed love beneath it. 

   "Shut up, Ranma," she hissed, and a blue aura slowly began to 
materialize around her body. Any second now, her strength would be 
drastically enhanced--enhanced enough to allow her to heave her mighty
iron mallet or break every bone in his body. "Just...shut up. Don't...
don't make me do this where the kids can see this."

   "Shut up my ass. If you weren't always tryin' to feed me poison..."

   "POISON??" Akane sputtered. "I slaved over this damn stove for three
hours, trying my best to cook the family something extra-special, and 
you're calling it 'POISON'???!"

   "Extra-special?" Ranma repeated in disbelief. "Do you mean like an
extra helping of toxic waste in the ingredients, maybe?"

   "I'm trying my best to cook, Ranma!" Akane shrieked, her battle aura 
swelling alarmingly. "You could at least understand that!"

   "Understand--understand. I've been tryin' to understand that for 
years," snapped Ranma, pacing agitatedly around the kitchen, bowl still
clasped in his hands. "If you weren't such a stubborn, macho tomboy, 
then you woulda accepted Ukyou's offer to teach ya how to actually cook
somethin' edible!"

   "Oh, Ukyou now, is it?" Akane's eyes began to blaze. "Come to think
of it, why don't you just go over to Uuchan's and eat all the 
okonomiyaki you can stuff your fat face with, Ranma? Honestly--
complaining about having nothing but poison to eat, and you looking 
like a carbon copy of your dad already!" She gestured at him in disgust.
"You've put on a little weight, Ranma. Without any reason to continue
training in the martial arts, and without anyone good enough to practice
on, you've made yourself into a blimp. And get yourself a toupee or 
something. The glare from that head of yours is starting to blind me!"
 
   Ranma turned away from her. "I don't really care anymore _what_ the 
hell you think, Akane."

   "Oh, then it's true, isn't it?" Akane egged him mercilessly. "Lately,
 all you've been talking about is Ukyou--or is it Uuchan? Ucchan this, 
Uuchan that. 'Uuchan always cooked better than this, Akane'. 'Uuchan 
would listen to me on this, Akane'. 'Uuchan would understand me, 
Akane'." She spat out his phrases in a crude, contemptuous imitation of 
his voice. "Uuchan, Uuchan, Uuchan. Well, I'm DAMN SICK OF HEARING 
ABOUT HER, RANMA!"

   "What's the matter, Akane? You jealous of her?" Ranma taunted, his
lips curled in a sneer. 

   Her eyes widened, then narrowed as fury overwhelmed her. "Why, 
you--you--"

   "And whatta 'bout Ryouga, huh? Why do _you_ keep mentionin' his 
name? D'you think _he's_ better than me?"

   Akane swallowed hard. "At least he treated me like a lady!" she 
yelled, beginning to shake. "He never called me names, or made me feel
stupid, or told me that I couldn't cook! He would have died for me!"

   "Oh, yeah?" Ranma shot back, his breathing labored as he battled to 
control his temper. "That so, Akane? Then GO run to Ryouga then, why 
don'cha?"

   Akane opened her mouth to form a retort, but stopped. She swiped
briefly at her eyes. "Let's stop this," she said quietly. "Please, 
Ranma. Not now. We'll talk about this later."

   Ranma slammed the bowl down on the counter with a vicious clang. 
"Fine, Akane. Fine. I'm outta here."

   He stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Akane alone with her thoughts 
and the faintest trace of moisture in her eye.

* * * * * *
 
   Ranma Saotome sighed as he hefted his frame up onto the roof of the
Anything-Goes dojo. He was slightly winded from the effort, and he 
grudgingly acknowledged to himself that Akane might have a point about 
him being out of shape--though he'd never admit it to her, though.

   He sat up there for a while, admiring the starry night sky. It had 
been quite a while since he had been on the roof. 

   It was amazing, really, the way he could see the top of nearly every
house in Nerima from this spot. In the distance, he could see the 
silhouette of the abandoned Kuno estate, as well as the ghostly 
remainder of what had once been the Nekohantan. And then his gaze was 
arrested by the sight of a single, neon sign that signaled the location 
of a restaurant he hadn't been to in years.

   Uuchan's.

   The mere name flooded his mind with an onslaught of long-gone 
memories--memories of a time of innocence, a time of youth, a time when 
he had a best friend. 

   He'd known Ukyou since childhood. He felt comfortable with her, and
she had never got angry at him on a daily basis like Akane did. She 
understood him, respected him, and accepted him the way he was. He 
could tell her all his deepest secrets, trust her with his life, and 
know that she would stand behind him no matter what the consequences 
were.

   She was his best friend. And he'd thrown that away.

   His marrying Akane had literally broke Ukyou's heart. She was 
enraged at first, but as time went on, she began to accept that fact, 
moreso than Shampoo or Kodachi. 

   From then on, Ranma had seen less and less of her, until one day 
when he couldn't see her at all.

   Ukyou Kuonji had moved on.

   And now, many years later, as Ranma Saotome sat on top of the roof 
of the Tendo dojo, reminiscing about the girl he had left behind, he 
couldn't help but wonder if he had made the wrong choice by marrying 
Akane Tendo.

   <But it's too late now,> he thought.

   He buried his head in his arms, struggling to hold back his emotions.
 
   <Uuchan...> He shut his eyes tightly. <I love you...I wish...>

   If he had the power to turn back time, he was certain that things 
would be _very_ different.

* * * * * *

   "How _dare_ he think that!" Akane murmured, rubbing ferociously at
the stains that dotted the white stove top. "How _dare_ he think that I 
want Ryouga!"

   She threw the rag across the room and sank to her knees on the cold
kitchen floor. She closed her eyes, sighing deeply. 

   <Ryouga...when I last saw you, you hadn't aged a day...> 
    
   Akane had never known that he had loved her, and when she had told 
him of her intention to marry Ranma, it set in motion the cycle that 
kept him from ever wanting to see her again. 

   Akane had been so sure that she had made the right choice. After 
all, Ranma was the first one whom she had felt this way about--he had
been the one who made her heart jump into her throat; he had been the 
one who made her knees weak--Ryouga certainly hadn't made her feel that 
way. She was so sure that she and Ranma were destined to be together; 
she was certain that Ranma's love for her was enough to allow him to 
love her forever.

   On the other hand, Ryouga's love for her was enough to allow him to
let her go.

   Akane brushed her straggly hair out of her weary face, a tiny smile
tugging at her lined mouth as she conjured up every memory she had of 
Ryouga Hibiki.

   Her P-Chan.

   When she felt lonely, P-Chan was the first one who sensed it and 
comforted her. When she was troubled, P-Chan listened to her without 
letting out as much as a "bwee". When she was cold, he gave her warmth.

   Granted, she had been enraged when she found out that Ryouga was 
actually P-Chan, but she had found it in her heart to forgive him.  

   After all, when she was in trouble, Ryouga had been there--when he
wasn't lost. When she needed someone to train her in order to defeat
her "sisters", Ryouga had been the one to do that. He had never doubted
her, never judged her, never disrespected her.

   Akane felt her body tremble, and a single tear slid down her cheek.

   But Ryouga Hibiki was married now. To Ukyou Kuonji.

   And they were happier than Akane and Ranma would ever be.

   <Oh, God...Ryouga...how could I have been so wrong?>
   
   Akane Saotome began to cry.

   She was longing for someone she once had--someone she could never, 
ever get back.

                              =finis=


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