Standard Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the Ranma 1/2 characters, and
I'm just using them as characters in the story you are now about to
read, which is not even close to being good enough for me to use for
profit!  That should about cover it...

Just a Little Patience...
by Brian Clark (a.ka. Ranma Rose, and many others...)

-----

 Ranma Saotome sat on the roof of the Tendo Dojo, his usual spot for
contemplating his life.  As he watched the sunrise he once again was at
a loss of ideas for improving it.

 There as a new feeling he was experiencing this time, however, and a
rather foreign one in situations such as this.  Usually after a rousing
day of having his many fiancees chasing him around, he resigned himself
to having to put up with this for the rest of his life.  Or at least
until he was in a better position to deal with it at any rate.

 This time was different though.  He hadn't felt helpless today, he had
actually felt a surge of anger.  It had scared him, so he immediately
ran from the problem.  Then he had a realization.  The problem was the
fact that he was running.

 Before the night had ended, he made a promise to himself that he would
no longer run from his problems.  He was finally bound and determined to
do something about them.  He would finally have the life that he had
wanted.

 "Time to start off right." Muttered Ranma as he leapt off of the roof,
entering the Tendo household through the dojo.  He was immediately
greeted by the sound of a very angry Akane Tendo breaking bricks in the
center of the dojo.

 Ranma took a deep breath and leisurely walked toward Akane, raising his
hand in greeting.  Akane ceased her destroying of bricks to glare up at
Ranma asking, "What do you want?"

 "Just thought I'd say good morning Akane." Ranma stated with a slight
smile as he entered the house, closing the sliding door to the dojo
behind him.  "Now that was a good start." Ranma stated to himself with a
smile.

 The good mood that was slowly taking Ranma lessened a bit when he saw
what was waiting inside for him however.  Ukyou, Shampoo, and Kodachi
all practically leapt at him as soon as he entered.

 "Airen!" Squealed Shampoo as she glomped on to him tightly, "You come
with Shampoo to eat breakfast?"

 "No he won't eat breakfast with you!" Shouted Ukyou, "Ran-chan is going
to come with me to have breakfast! Right Ran-chan?"

 "Ha! You are both wrong!" Spoke Kodachi a bit more calmly than Ukyou,
"He will accompany me to have breakfast!"

 At this point the three girls glared at each other, each of their
battles auras beginning to flare up.  Of course they could only
increase, as Akane entered the kitchen.

 Her battle aura immediately began to flare as well as she stood next to
Ranma, giving him what was practically a glare of death. "Well
Ranma...why don't you go with all of them to have breakfast?! See if I
care!"

 Ranma felt a tightening in his chest as he slowly felt himself losing
his patience.  He was determined not to let this anger get the best of
him though.  "Look Akane, why don't you let me explain for once?" He
asked as rationally as he could.

 "What's there to explain?!" Shouted Akane, her anger visibly
increasing, "And what would I care anyway?!"

 Just like clockwork the other three girls all began yelling at one
another, and occassionally Akane, about how Ranma would surely come with
them.

 "Can't we just all talk about this for once instead of arguing?" Said
Ranma, his voice slightly raised this time.  "I mean that's all we ever
do, is argue!"

 All of his fiancees then turned toward him and began to shout at him
simultaneously.  He could not make out the words they were yelling, as
if he didn't already know what they were anyway.  He'd been through this
more times than he could count.  His chest began to tighten again, and
he knew he couldn't handle this much longer.

 "Just listen to me!" Ranma yelled, striving to be heard above all of
the girls, "I'm sick and tired of arguing all of the time!"

 The girls paused at hearing this, but he knew before it happened that
it would only be momentarily.  "Then come with Shampoo instead of
violent, spatula, or crazy girl and we no have to argue!"  Spoke
Shampoo, with a slightly angry look on her face.

 "I already told you, he's not coming with you!  He's coming with me!"
Returned Ukyou.

 "Once again you are both wrong, he is coming with me." Said Kodachi,
the calmness starting to seep from her voice as well.

 "Fine!" Shouted Akane, turning her back on Ranma, "Pervert!"

 Ranma felt it snap this time, and he had another realization.  Even
though he was determined to resolve this problem, they still wouldn't
listen to him.  He wasn't someone to be listened to, he wasn't even a
human being.  He was simply an object to be claimed to one of them.  The
anger filled him, only comparable to the many times he had been in a
dual to the death with another martial artist.

 "Forget it!" Ranma yelled at the top of his lungs, "I don't need this
anymore! I'm leaving, and none of you are EVER going to see me again!"
After standing in place for a moment, Ranma walked upstairs.

 A moment of shock occured in the group of the four girls that had
previously been yelling at Ranma.  This was something they were quite
unused to.  Akane was the first to realize that Ranma seemed as though
he was actually intent on leaving this time, and quickly dashed upstairs
after him.  The other three followed.

 They entered as Ranma finished tossing his few possessions into a
backpack, as he shoved past them out the door.  Akane put an arm on his
shoulder to stop him, whispering "Ranma...." Ranma simply shoved her
hand away and walked back down the stairs, once again to be followed.

 He was already out the door and walking towards the gate by the time
they caught up to Ranma, all of them gathering with him and pleading him
not to go.  He didn't even care what they had to say anymore, just as
they had not cared about what he had to say on all those previous
occassions.  "Don't follow me." He said coldly, as he pushed open the
gate and slammed it shut behind him.

 Years later Shampoo and Mousse had married and returned to China.  They
led the Amazons into a glorious new century.  Ukyou remained unmarried
but made Ucchan's an international success.  Kodachi wasn't heard from
after Ranma left, not even by her own family.

 Akane married Ryouga.  He had been there for her after Ranma left, and
she soon realized that she regarded him as more than a friend.  The
thought haunted her during her and Ryouga's romance, during the wedding,
and after.  The thought will would probably continue to bother her until
the day she died, and maybe even beyond.  "All I needed was just a
little patience..."

Author's Notes:

 Those of you who bothered to, thanks for reading.  This was my first
fic in awhile, but I think my writing skills have improved since then.
Granted this is no masterwork by far, but that's not what matters. I
pumped this story out in about a little less than hour, so the
spelling/grammar may not be perfect, but once again I don't much care.
This isn't the usual tone of what I like to write.  I just wanted to
convey the point that what I think to be the solution to Ranma's fiancee
problems are patience and  understanding by all.  Especially Ranma and
Akane.  I made Ranma come to senses first, because I think that's how it
would go.  I look forward to possibly submitting other fics to the FFML,
and C&C would be cool if you wish to take some time out to drop me a
line.  I enjoy talking with other fic authors very much.  Just in case
anyone is wondering by the way, I did get the title from the Guns N'
Roses song Patience.  Later.
--
Brian Clark, Ranma Rose, Florence, Acolyte of Chaos #3!
http://www.tir.com/~ranmar    ranmar@tir.com
#ShAS#: Shampoo Appreciation Society- Our Favorite Femaline!
"Within every dreamer beats the heart of a dragon."
Have you had your Gohan today?