Standard Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the Ranma 1/2 characters. I'm
just using them in the story you are 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 next to the Tendo koi pond.  Usually when he found
himself here, it tended to be the result of unpleasant happenings.  This
time was no exception.  In fact, it is a rare time like these that is
the most unpleasant of all.  When he contemplates his life.

 Usually after a rousing day of having his many fiancees chasing him
around, he resignes to having to put up with it for the rest of his
life.  Or at least until he's in a better position to deal with it.
This time it was different though.

 Unlike his usual encounters with his fiancees, he hadn't felt
helpless.  The usual helplessness was replaces by a surge of anger.
Unable to deal with his emotions, he ran away, but in doing so had a
realization.  His problems are created by running away.

 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
always wanted.

 "Time to start off right." Muttered Ranma as he jumped to his feet,
entering the Tendo 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
him 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 behind him.
"Now that was a good start." He said 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.  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 Ranma?"

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

 The three girls glared at each other, their battle auras beginning to
flare up.  They only increased as Akane entered the kitchen.

 Her battle aura immediately became quite visible as she stood next to
Ranma, giving him a glare of death. "Well Ranma...why don't you go with
ALL of them to breakfast?! See if I care!"

 Ranma felt a tightening in his chest as he slowly began 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?"

 "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 momentary.  "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, no
hint of calmness in her voice.

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

 Ranma felt something snap inside of him, and he had another
realization.  Even though he was determined to resolve these problems,
they still wouldn't listen to him.  In their minds he wasn't someone to
be listened to; he wasn't even a human being.  He was simply an object
to be claimed by one of them.  Anger filled him, comparable only to the
times that he'd fought an enemy in a martial arts duel.

 "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 amongst the girls.  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, and 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.

 Ranma was already out the door and walking towards the gate by the time
the girls caught up to him, surrounding him and pleading him not to
leave.  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.

 Akane, Shampoo, Ukyou, and Kodachi all wore the same expressions on
their faces; those of complete and utter shock.  Ranma had said that he
was leaving on a few different occassions, but deep down they were all
pretty sure that he wouldn't go anywhere save the dojo roof.  This time
it appeared that they were wrong, and that in fact he was leaving.  They
had no idea what to do but stand there, watching Ranma walk out of their
lives.

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, but that was never what it was all about
to me. I wrote this quite some time ago, and submitted it.  I'm just now
getting around to revising it (thanks to Ryan Erik for the huge help on
the grammer btw, even though I'm sure he doesn't remember giving any).
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 his 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.  Plus
I think what I need to get me heavily writing again is to someone point
out ALL of my mistakes to me, brutually if you like.  I may continue
this just because I think I could take it interesting places, but this
is what I've got so far.  Some of you conveyed your interest to this
idea when I first submitted it, and I hope it still exists.  Just in
case anyone is wondering by the way, I did get the title from the Guns
N' Roses song Patience.  Thanks a lot, later.

--
Brian Clark, Ranma Rose, Florence, Acolyte of Chaos #3!
http://www.riftwar.com/~rsa1    ranmar@tir.com
#ShAS#: Shampoo Appreciation Society- Our Favorite Femaline!
No, you WILL think! You CAN'T run from me!