All rights and privileges to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Viz Communications, Inc., and associated parties. The characters of her series are used without her permission for the purpose of entertainment only. This work of fiction is not meant for sale or profit.
"In three years, can't you trust me a little more than that?!" Ranma yelled the familiar words, which seemed to be spoken more and more the past few months. The arguments never were resolved, just stalemated and intensified over it's break, only to erupted harsher.
"I know you were at Ukyou's!" Akane hollared, her eyes blazing with a fury. "Even she admitted you went by!! How am I supposed to have faith in you when you constantly cheat behind my back?!"
Ranma narrowed his eyes, taking a long step towards her, "I have not cheated!! Ukyou's my friend!! For crying out loud, she's engaged to Ryoga!"
"Oh, sure!" The youngest Tendo crossed her arms over her chest, an unconvinced look on her face, "So why'd you hug her and kiss her?"
He tightened his jaw, clenching his hands into fists by his sides, "I hugged her as a congradulations for the engagement, and the kiss was on the cheek!"
"Yeah right!" She yelled into his face, making him wince.
"Akane, would it hurt you to trust me for once?!"
"If you gave me a reason to trust you in the first place, I might!" She turned on her heel, walking towards the front door. She grabbed her keys before she shut the door firmly behind her, leaving her fiance alone in the house.
The pigtailed youth sat at the dining table, hands clasped together and tucked under his chin as he fought to calm down. His normally cheerful blue eyes were dull and full of weariness. He closed them and ran his hands through his hair, letting out a tired sigh. :Three years... it should be enough...: Again, as it happened on many occasions, he wished that Kasumi was there. He could talk to her about a subject not related to his problem, and it helped. He couldn't push his problems onto anyone else, especially not for his own sake. But since Kasumi became Dr. Tofu's assistant, the fights were more common from the added tension and it was weighing heavily on him.
Things had only gotten worse since the Saffron battle. Xian Pu was still around, but didn't hound him much except as a friend. He still had his sparring matches with Mu Tzu and Ryoga, the Kunos still being Kunos. His father and Soun were in a meeting with the police about Happousai and Nabiki was working late again.
He was tired. Tired of the pointless fighting, of the distrust, the problems... He didn't even know if it was worth it anymore.
"Hey, Saotome."
He looked up as he heard his name called and gave a small smile, "Evenin', Nabiki."
The Ice Queen of Furinken was leaning in the doorway to the dining room with her arms crossed in front of her ches, watching him intently. Silently, she strolled into the room and sat across from him, "It's almost two in the morning. You would have been asleep a long time ago, Saotome. Where's Akane?"
He shrugged, lowering his eyes to the table, "I don't know."
"Oh, another fight," she whispered, almost apologetic. A silence followed.
"Ranma..." she paused, her tongue unfamiliar with the name rolling off her tongue. "... Akane told me a long time ago..." she smirked to herself, "Well, it felt like a long time ago. She said you told her you loved her. Do you mean it? Now, I mean?"
The Saotome heir frowned, mulling over the question. "Well... look at it from my point of view. This is the first place in a long time that I could call a home. I never really grew up knowing about love, and the few examples I had is all I had to go on. I care deeply for Akane, I want to protect her... and if that's love, then I also love Ukyou, Shampoo, Kasumi, even you."
Nabiki nodded, "You love us more like a brother. That's not the kind of love you should base a marriage on. And it would hurt you both."
"I know that, but it's--"
"--family honor." they finished in union. She sighed, looking at the clock. "I should have pointed this out to you this sooner."
"Nani?"
She turned her coffee brown eyes to meet back to blue, "The engagement. What proof do we have that it's real other than the word of two men who were so drunk at the time that they actually considered it?" She didn't give him time to speak, "Nothing. Not one stupid thing to prove it really happened. Just a verbal agreement between two drunk friends. Now tell me, should a vow with nothing but liquor behind it really be a matter of family honor?"
He scratched his neck under the pigtail, forcing a grim frown, "I guess not. But we don't have any other choice. Mom would kill me if--"
"Nodoka is a smart woman, Ranma. I think if we pointed this out, she'd reconsider it." She broke in.
He paused, then continued, "And my old man!"
She raised an eyebrow, eyes disbelieving, "Saotome, if you obey whatever that panda tells you, then I'm more worried about your head than the engagement."
"Then what'm I s'pose to do?" Ranma mumbled miserably. He buried his face into his hands, missing the smile that Nabiki gave him.
"Ranma." She leaned back, hands holding her ankles while her legs were crossed, "I came home pretty tired." As she spoke, she closed her eyes.
"Oh, I'm so-"
"I didn't really see you when I came in. In fact, I didn't see you at all, and I went to sleep." She continued as though she had never been interrupted. She re-opened her eyes, tilting her head to the side, "So, if in the morning everyone finds out you left, leaving a goodbye note, I wouldn't be able to tell them where you went. And if in your note you don't leave any clues as to where you might have gone, I can't track you down if my family persists." She watched his eyes widened and prepared herself for the stubborn conversation about to start.
"You want me to abandon the pact?! You're sister?!"
She leaned over, gazing hard into his eyes, "Ranma, like I said. The pact has no real grounds. You have free reign to leave it when you want to! Unless they show proof to you that it is legal and truthful, you can leave. I'm not blind, I can see the arguments really hitting you hard, if you admit it or not. If you don't leave soon, someone is going to seriously get hurt and while I think of you as somewhat a friend, I don't want you or my sister to get hurt. I'm giving you a chance and this might be the last time it can come up."
He bit his lover lip, silent as he considered the option. He took a deep breath, "Where can I go where they won't find me?"
"Think of all the places they might find you... and don't go there." She remarked. "Go someplace where they would never suspect you to go to." She frowned, folding her hands on top of one another, "Don't take any more of this, Ranma."
The two stayed silent as they stared at each other for many minutes. Finally, she stood up, putting a hand on her hip, "Think it over, Ranma. Good night." She left the room and headed up to her room, leaving the pigtailed teen alone with his thoughts. A few minutes later he heard her door shut. He bit into his knuckles as he debated the idea to himself.
Sure, it isn't the first time the idea of leaving presented itself, but he always shrugged it off. Besides, Akane usually found out before he had a chance to really leave and she would promise it would get better. It never did, and he had given her more than a fair chance. He nodded his head, knowing his decision.
Akane laughed harshly, almost disbelieving as she read a letter that morning, "He wouldn't dare! Honor means everything to him! No way would he abandon his responsibilities like this! I bet he's in the park or something!!"
Soun was crying pools of tears while Genma yelled about his 'ungrateful son'. Nabiki smiled to herself, not letting it grace her face. :I'm proud of ya, Ranma.:
"Nabiki, could you help me with breakfast, please?" Kasumi's voice floated in from the kitchen. The middle daughter was surprised, but rose to help. As she helped her sister fill the plates, Kasumi spoke up, "Thank you for helping Ranma."
"Huh?!"
Kasumi smiled at her, "Ranma called me this morning before I came over to visit. He couldn't wake you up, so he told me to tell you thanks."
"Did he say where he was going?" Nabiki asked. :I'm glad he didn't leave me a note. It would'uv looked suspicious. Very smooth move, Saotome.:
The eldest daughter shook her head as she picked up some of the plates, "No, but he said good-bye, at least."
"Yeah..." With a silent agreement not to betray his trust, they entered the dining area with no hint of what they discussed.
"You be careful, you hear?" Ukyou said for the umpth time to her best friend, voice raised over the noise of the port. "And if you run into any trouble, just give a call and I'll help out!"
Ranma smiled, "Thanks, Ucchan!"
"Ranma be careful." Xian Pu ordered, handing him a bento. "Ukyou and Xian Pu make good snack."
Khu Lon nodded her head to the man, "You be careful, Son-in-law."
The pigtailed boy rolled his eyes, sighing, "You'll never stop calling me that, will you?"
"No," the elder laughed to herself. "Just take care."
"Aw, you know me!"
In unison, the three women murmured in unconvinced voices, "That's what we're worried about." He gave them a face, and waved to then before he boarded the ship. It was going to be a long travel to China, but he had all the time he needed now. He felt like a heavy burdon was taken from his shoulders, and, for once in many years, the future looked a little better.
~Owari
Author's Note: Yeah, a little weird, futuristic, and after the manga finished. It's odd, I don't think I've ever really written a fic like this before. This might be a oneshot, or it might turn into a continuation. We'll just see what the people say, ne? Well, I hoped you enjoyed, and please give me any C&C that you feel like giving. Arigatoo!!