Hello all!
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In my dreams, we are more than friends.
We talk, we share, we laugh.
In the mall, at the park, walking to school.
I am happy holding hands, for we are more than friends.
When I awake, we are no longer friends.
We argue, we yell, we fight.
Why do we fight? Why do I push you away?
I am afraid to be more than friends.
If I care for you, will you promise not to leave?
If I give my love to you, will you promise not to die?
You can't, I know, so I force you away.
If I do not care, I will not hurt.
If I do not love, I will not cry.
More than friends, I want to be.
But the thought of losing you, is too scary for me.
"More Than Friends" by Suds-kun (Shaun Schillinger)
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Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction
"The High Cost of Loving - Chapter Two"
"The Money Pit - Part One"
by Suds-kun (Shaun Schillinger)
Version 1: 9/17/96
Version 2: 1/14/97
Version 3: 3/31/98
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Ranma 1/2 characters are created by and copyright Rumiko Takahashi.
Published by Shogakukan Inc. and VIZ Comm.
Story copyright Shaun Schillinger.
Intended for the sole non-profit use of fans.
=======================================================================
Akane jogged into the dojo, her afternoon run just completed. She
quickly changed out of her jogging attire and into her gi. She
continued her daily ritual by doing her stretching and then going
through her kata. Afterward, she focused on the two cement blocks
setting in the back of the room. With a scream her fist broke through
the blocks.
"Hiyaaa!"
"Are you ready?" Ranma asked.
"Yeah." She replied as she made her way to the middle of the room.
They bowed to each other, and then Akane made the first move with a
fist to his head. With a duck to the side, Ranma dodged her follow up
kick. Ranma dodged and ducked each attack, occasionally he attempted a
leg sweep after one of her kicks. He noticed her frustration rising,
as she was continually unable to touch him. Ranma smirked as he
countered her latest attack by jumping over her and giving a push. She
landed hard and quickly countered with a leg sweep. Ranma caught her
foot and tried to tickle her. Akane growled as she flipped Ranma over
her head. She was standing and glaring at him as he landed on his
feet.
"What were you trying to do?" she yelled.
"Well, you hardly smile anymore, and I thought you could use a good
laugh."
"I ... laughed ... yesterday!" she shouted as Ranma dodged and weaved
from her combination of punches and kicks.
"Oh, yeah. I forgot, only one laugh a week is allowed for uncute,
macho, sexless, tomboys like you." To add emphasis he made a face and
stuck out his tongue.
"I hate you!" She screamed as her kick sent Ranma through the roof.
===
"Kasumi!"
"Nabiki!"
"Akane!"
"Yes, father?" Kasumi asked as she popped her head out of the kitchen.
"What do you want, daddy?" added Nabiki as she came down the stairs.
"I'll tell you in a moment, where's Akane?" Soun replied as he around.
In response to his question a splash from the pond in back was heard as
Akane stormed into the room. "We can't even train with out him
insulting me!" Akane ranted.
Soun interrupted his daughter, "Akane, I have something to tell you and
your sisters."
Akane slowly calmed down and looked at her sisters questioningly. They
both shrugged their shoulders and looked at their father.
===
Soun looked over the table at his three daughters and slowly took a
drag from his cigarette. "Nabiki has given me a report on our
financial status and I've come to a conclusion. Something has to be
done about the cost of the constant repair to the dojo. Either Akane
and Ranma get married and start training students or Genma and Ranma
move out until Ranma marries Akane."
"Daddy, I've given you those reports every week for years and you've
just now started reading them?" Nabiki looked coolly at her father.
"This isn't just another one of your tricks to get me to marry that
pervert, is it?" Akane shouted as she stood up.
"Isn't there any other solution, father? What if Ranma got a job like
Uncle Genma?" Kasumi asked.
"I've made up my mind, Genma and Ranma have to move out until Ranma and
Akane get married." Soun stated flatly.
===
A dripping wet onna-Ranma had only heard the last of the conversation,
but she understood exactly what was going to happen. Her pop was going
to force her to get married rather than be kicked out on the street.
She tentatively looked at Akane as a blue glow started to form around
her.
"A-Akane?" onna-Ranma stuttered as Akane's face became red and her arms
started to shake.
"I'm not going to marry a hentai, baka like you!" Akane yelled, as she
sent onna-Ranma flying into the city skyline with a kick.
"Akane, why did you do that? He was just standing there." Kasumi
looked at her sister; her normal, happy smile was missing.
"It's his fault that we don't have enough money!" Akane shouted. "He
insults me all the time, he's mean when I try to be nice and he and his
father destroy the dojo every time they spar or argue!"
"Just remember, little sister," Nabiki began, "Ranma makes holes in the
roof because you're sending him into orbit all of the time."
"He.. he keeps insulting me!" she shouted, "He deserves to be kicked
out!" Akane swung herself around and stomped away. "Enough! I'm taking
a bath!"
Kasumi and Nabiki watched as the 'storm' entered the bathroom.
"The warm bath should calm her down."
"But what about tomorrow, oneechan? _We_ still have to live with her,
Ranma's the lucky one."
"Let's talk about it later." Kasumi said as she smiled at Nabiki and
made her way to the kitchen. "This could ruin all of our plans." She
thought.
Soun quietly smiled as his daughters left the room. "I'll inform Genma
when he returns." he announced to the empty room. His smile grew bigger
then quickly disappeared.
===
"So, what happened this time?" Tofu-sensei asked as he helped onna-
Ranma up off the floor and straightened her out.
"Akane."
Tofu-sensei raised an eyebrow. "Did you insult her again?"
"No. Well, yeah. We had been sparring when I tried to get her to laugh.
She got mad and I called her uncute. She then kicked me into the pond.
When I got out and made my way inside, I overheard her father make an
announcement. Either she marries me, or pop and I have to move out of
the dojo."
The whistle of a teakettle drew Tofu-sensei's attention. He poured
some cold water into the boiling kettle then handed the kettle to onna-
Ranma.
"Thanks." onna-Ranma said as she poured the contents of the teakettle
over her head. "Akane said she would never marry a pervert like me and
knocked me here. I didn't even get a chance to say anything."
"Does your father know yet?" Tofu-sensei asked.
"I don't think so." Ranma paused, " Things had been going so well. We
had even gone on a couple dates. Everything changed after the last
one, when we went out with Uc-chan and Konatsu." Ranma let out a heavy
sigh. "We had thought that if _we_ could have a good time together, why
couldn't they? I mean, Konatsu had a crush on Uc-chan, and she _was_
starting to treat him better." Ranma then clenched his fists. "But that
damn gas attack killed him." Ranma frowned and started to rub the back
of his head. "Akane and I stopped dating right after that and we were
back to the old arguing again. It just feels meaner now. No matter what
I say or do, she gets mad and pummels me."
"I think you should have a talk with Akane about this." Tofu-sensei
offered. "No insults, just talk about your feelings and hers."
"Why? She already gave her answer and 'kicked' me out of the dojo."
Before Tofu-sensei could respond, Ranma headed toward the door.
"Arigatou, Tofu-sensei." he bowed and then left the office.
===
Ranma turned toward the dojo and approached the front door. His father
was standing at the top of the steps, their belongings next to him.
"Are you going to marry her, boy?"
"Why, pop?" he shrugged, "She made the decision for me when she kicked
me out."
Genma tossed a backpack to Ranma.
"Then, we are going on a training trip."
Ranma slipped on the pack and followed his father past the dojo walls
and down the street.
A small, dark figure followed them. Its movements were quiet as well
as its maniacal laughter.
===
Kasumi walked up to the door and raised her hand as if she was going to
knock, but clasped her hands together in thought. "Has she calmed down
yet?" Kasumi looked down the hallway. "Father, why did you make that
ultimatum? We had worked so hard on the two of them and now it's
falling apart." She turned back to the door and listened quietly. She
could hear some muffled cries. Kasumi took a deep breath and knocked on
the door. "She sounds like she's ready for some help," she thought as
she waited for a response.
===
Akane looked out the window and watched the two figures leave. "Baka,"
she whispered as she laid down on her bed and hugged her pillow. Her
mind started to wander. "Why does he have to torture me all of the
time? I've had enough of those insults! I..I must have been out of my
mind when I told him that I cared for him!" A small sob escaped her
lips and she buried her face in the pillow in a vain attempt to stop
from crying. "I..I'm glad he's gone, *sniff*, now I don't have to think
or worry about him."
*Knock* *Knock*
Akane sat up and quickly wiped away her tears and dried her eyes. "Who
is it?"
"It's me, Kasumi."
"Come on in, oneechan."
Kasumi entered and closed the door behind her. "How are you doing?" She
said as she sat next to Akane on the bed.
"Oh, I'm fine, oneechan. Just thinking about how much better it's going
to be with that pervert gone."
"You seemed pretty upset with Ranma today. What happened?" Kasumi tried
to look into her sister's eyes, but Akane turned away.
"Oh, the usual. We were sparring and he started to pick on me. First,
he acted like our training was a joke. Then, he called me an uncute,
macho, sexless, tomboy. I kicked him into the pond while he was making
a face at me."
Kasumi smiled at her, a little concerned. "You two were getting along
so well and now these big fights. What's happened between you two?"
Akane shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. He started look.. um,
acting differently after our last date."
"Oh, the one where Konatsu died?"
Akane flinched and looked away. "I..I guess so. Afterward, we visited
Ukyou. She looked okay, but he acted different. He said that Ukyou
should be proud of what Konatsu had done." Akane turned to her sister.
"How could he _say_ that? Didn't he hear her scream? Konatsu died in
her arms! And she should be proud?" Akane turned away. "It's our fault
he died, anyway. If I hadn't of talked Ranma into asking them to go
with us, Konatsu wouldn't have died."
Kasumi put an arm around her sister. "If it wasn't for the four of you,
it could have been far worse."
"I..I know," Akane sobbed, "but you should have heard Ukyou. I could
just feel the pain and sorrow in her scream. I don't ever want to
experience that again." Akane wiped her eyes and sat up straight.
"Well, now I don't have to worry about that."
"Akane, father says that Uncle Genma and Ranma are going on a training
trip and will be back in one week. Why don't you enjoy this time
without Ranma? No insults or fights for a week. Maybe my smiling sister
will return after a few days?"
Akane smiled weakly and nodded.
Kasumi gave a quick hug and walked toward the door. "Sleep well
tonight, tomorrow will be a great day." She smiled as she closed the
door.
Akane smiled and lay down on the bed. "Just like a year ago. No
fiancee, just daddy, Kasumi, Nabiki and me."
===
*knock* *knock*
"Come in, Nabiki." Kasumi didn't turn around, but continued brushing
her hair.
"How did it go, oneechan?"
Kasumi turned and smiled. "She's quite upset, but nothing that we can't
handle. Our plans may have been put on hold, but we can get them back
together by the due date."
Nabiki sat on the bed. "What's she upset about?"
"She's mad at Ranma, Ukyou and herself."
"What?"
"She blames Ranma and herself for Konatsu's death, but that is not
what's behind her anger at Ranma."
"It isn't? She's mad at Ukyou?"
Kasumi took a deep breath. "It seems that Akane is afraid of losing
Ranma the way Ukyou lost Konatsu. I believe that she thinks that if she
loves Ranma, he'll die in her arms. So, she's pushing him away to
prevent that possible pain."
Nabiki drew her legs up and rested her chin on her knees. "To think I
envied her for being in love. What a waste, oneechan. I wish _I_ had
that kind of problem."
Kasumi smiled at her sister. "What did you find out about father?"
Nabiki stood up and started pacing. "I'm pretty sure he's got some
stupid plan on getting them married. He's feigning ignorance, but I bet
uncle Genma is in on it." Nabiki stopped, a devilish grin on her face,
"But this can be used to our advantage. I'll be able to figure it all
out when uncle Genma returns." Nabiki paused and looked at her sister.
"Do you think you can get the two of them back together?"
Kasumi didn't bat an eye or stopped smiling. "Do _you_ think you can
use father and uncle Genma's plan to our advantage?"
Nabiki laughed, "Touche', oneechan!"
"Goodnight, Nabiki. Tomorrow I'll start to get Akane to relax and we
both are going to need a good night's sleep."
"Goodnight, oneechan." Nabiki closed the door behind her and headed
toward her room. She paused and looked down the hall at Akane's room.
"I wish I had someone that _I_ loved and they loved me like you've got,
little sister."
===
Akane jogged into the dojo, her afternoon run just completed. She
quickly changed out of her jogging attire and into her gi. She
continued her daily ritual by doing her stretching and then going
through her kata. It was then that she noticed the cement blocks.
"That baka!" she thought. "Ran..." Akane stopped in mid yell. "Oh,
yeah." She looked around, "Hmph, he's gotten these for me for so long,
I don't remember where the blocks are or what to do with the broken
ones."
Akane left the room and returned with a wheelbarrow. She picked up the
previous day's blocks, put them in the wheel barrow, took the two new
blocks and set them up. After a few stretches and her kata, she turned
her focus on the cement blocks.
"Hiyaaa!" she screamed as her fist broke through the blocks. "Ahhh,
that felt good." She turned to walk away and noticed the wheelbarrow.
She put her hand to her chin, deep in thought. "I never thought of this
before, but what did that baka do with the broken blocks? I can't
remember ever seeing them after our sparring matches. Hmmph, I can do
it myself, I don't need his help." She loaded up the wheelbarrow and
made her way outside.
Looking around, Akane's gaze came to the far corner of the yard.
"That'll work. I can pile them up over there and ask daddy or Kasumi
about what to do with them." She walked over to the where the walls met
and dumped the broken blocks on the ground. She started to hum as she
put the wheelbarrow away and entered the dojo. "Yappa pa, yappa pa, hm
hm hm."
===
*SPLASH*
"AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"
"SWEETO!"
===
Akane smiled at Kasumi. "Arigatou, oneechan!" Akane said as she picked
up her bowl and began eating. Her father was reading the paper, while
Nabiki was looking over the business section. They all quietly ate
their breakfast and made small talk.
Akane looked around and thought, "It's been so long since we acted like
a normal family. Father looks so relaxed."
Nabiki looked up from her paper. "Akane, your shipment of cement blocks
should be here today. Try not to use them up so fast this month."
"I'll try not to, oneechan. With that pest gone, I should only use two
a day."
Nabiki rolled her eyes and stood. "I'm leaving for school now," she
announced and headed toward the door.
Akane also stood and started for her room.
"Akane!" Kasumi called.
"Hai" Akane replied as she returned with her school bag.
"Do you think Ranma has returned from his training trip, yet?" Kasumi
asked.
"Not yet," Akane replied, "I haven't seen him at school and it really
has been pretty peaceful there. If you don't count Kuno-sempai." Akane
smiled at her sister, "I'll see you after school."
Akane left and began her walk to school. On the way, she
absentmindedly looked at the fence. "Baka." She said under her breath.
"Things are so much better with him gone. No more insults, arguments,
fights, friends dying." She shook her head. "Stop that! I won't let him
upset me or make me sad, I don't need that pervert to make me feel
good. With him out of my life, I can finally be happy."
She then smiled and twirled about and began walking with a bounce in
her step. Not skipping, but close. Enjoying her freedom, she began to
hum a happy tune.
===
Ranma yawned and stretched, not too much or else he'd fall off the
branch. He quietly grabbed his backpack and jumped out of the tree. "I
better head for school, Hinako-sensei probably has a ton of homework
for me when I get there."
Ranma winced as he again tried to stretch. "Some training trip. Fifty
crazed women beating on you is not training." Ranma made his way down
the street and jumped on the nearby fence. "I wonder what Akane is
doing. Is she still made at me? I don't know if I want to see her just
yet. Besides, I've got a lot of catching up to do at school."
As Ranma approached the school, he noticed the time on the school
clock. "Hey, I'm early for a change!" He looked around the schoolyard
and then smiled as he entered the school. "I can get used to this!
There was no one waiting to fight me or to try and kill me." Ranma
started to climb the steps to the next floor. "I better go see Hinako-
sensei before classes start if I don't want my ki sucked." He hesitated
as he reached for the doorknob. "Akane used to help me with my
homework, maybe Uc-chan will help me. I'll stop by after school and ask
her." Ranma took a deep breath, opened the door and entered.
=======================================================================
Thanks to:
Kun-chan for the encouragement
Sebastian Weinberg for the C&C
Raphael See for the comments
--
suds-kun (Shaun Schillinger)
suds1964@tir.com
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/8222/
"THIS time, we didn't forget the graaavy!" Cat & Mouse to Dog