Goodbye

I'd just like to thank everyone for all the wonderful comments on 
my fanfic. I can't believe I got such a big response. Here is the 
revised version. I'll have to thank my brother, Bobby, for sending
this to the FFML and for editing bits after I nagged him for an hour. 
^_^

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Ranma was thinking of good things as he was making his way 
to Jusenkyou in China. 
He had been travelling for months to get to that place. 
I'm finally going to be rid of my curse, he thought.

Sigh.

When Ranma finally had the guts to propose to Akane, he was 18.
Many people were devastated to hear that they had been married.

Shampoo had left in tears, but not before trying to kill Akane.
Cologne left with Shampoo, but not before trying to kill Ranma.
Mousse left following Shampoo.
Ryouga had left to wander the world. He did not come back.
Kuno had left in search of his pig-tailed goddess. He did not come back. 
Kodachi was committed to an asylum. She did not come out.
And Ukyou? She had disappeared. As soon as she heard that Ranma and
Akane
had gotten married, she closed down her restaurant, gathered her 
possessions and left without a word.

Some people were worried about her. They hadn't expected her to leave.
They had expected her to still be Ranma's best friend.

He sighed again, this time in a different manner.

Why did she leave? 
I thought you were my best friend, Ukyou. 
I've been worrying about you for three years, Ukyou. 
You left without saying anything or even writing a stupid note, Ukyou. 
You just left me.

Ranma decided to stop thinking about her. He was sick of worrying.

Ranma thought of home. Akane did not accompany him to the springs. He
did not want her to come. Ranma told her it would be too dangerous if 
she came with him. He did not want Akane to be cursed.

Ranma shielded his eyes from the sun and looked ahead. 
He saw the springs ahead of him.
Ranma's heart skipped a beat, two beats, three beats.
Ranma suddenly realised he was holding his breath.
 
Oops.

He opened his mouth to breathe and sprinted towards the springs.

Ranma saw the guide and walked up to him.

"Hello, er, where is the spring of drowned man?" Ranma asked.

The guide looked at him.

"No spring of drowned man here, sir, sorry."

Ranma facefaulted.

"What? What do you mean there's no spring of drowned man? What happened 
to it?"

The guide pointed.

Ranma saw Ukyou standing over a newly cemented pool with a concrete 
mixer by her side.

"Ukyou, what are you doing?!" 

Ukyou turned around.
Unfortunately, Ranma was not greeted very warmly by her.
Ukyou's eyes narrowed in anger as she saw him. 
Ranma was shocked to see Ukyou. She did not look the same as she did 
three years ago. Her eyes were red, very red. 
Could my marriage to Akane stain her eyes for this long? Ranma thought.
Ukyou had also grown a lot thinner. 

"Well, what do you think I'm doing?" Ukyou snapped.

"Ukyou, don't act mad," Ranma said. "I should be the one who's mad.
You've just destroyed my only cure for the curse and I've been worried 
sick about you for the last three years!"

Ukyou snorted, "I spent over twice that time worrying about you."

Ranma gulped. He had forgotten about that. His anger quickly drained
away.

"I...I'm sorry Ucchan," was all Ranma could sputter out.

"Don't call me Ucchan anymore, Ranma," Ukyou warned.

Ranma sighed. "Ukyou, what happened to you? You've changed."

"Time changes people Ranma, I think you should know that by now."

"Ukyou, don't be like this, come back to Nerima with me. You had a good 
life there,"

That wasn't the best thing to say. Ukyou didn't look scary. Akane's 
instant ramen demanding your first-born child as a blood sacrifice 
is scary. Being stuck in a dubbed Sailor Moon marathon is scary. 
Having Ryouga as a tour guide on a round-the-world trip is scary. But 
compared to Ukyou they were a nice stroll in the park eating a triple
choc ice-cream with Kasumi.  

Ranma wasn't just scared. He was ohmygodisthatGodzilla scared. 

Then....she lost it.

"Good life?!," Ukyou screamed."How can I have a good life seeing you and 
her together everyday! I worried about you, I waited for you, I Iooked
for you for years and what do I get? Nothing! But if you call a stupid
pile of bricks something, then I guess that's what I got, but I don't 
think that's a lot after doing so much and getting so little in return!" 

"Well then, what should I do, Ukyou?" Ranma asked. "What do you want me
to do?"

Ukyou was slightly stunned by what Ranma said. She took a breath and 
looked at him, her expression a little softer than before.

"If you want to do anything that will help me, I suggest you leave me
alone. I have too many painful memories as it is. I don't want more."

Ranma did not leave.

"Are you going to leave?" Ukyou asked.

Ranma stepped past Ukyou but did not leave. He had some last words. 
"You'll know where to find me if you change your mind."

"Oh, I can assure you I won't be back," Ukyou said bitterly as she
walked
away.

Ranma turned around to see his childhood friend walk away without a 
glance back.

"Goodbye Ukyou," Ranma whispered as he saw her disappear into the 
day.

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