I really need some help with this chapter.... opinions please...! ^_^

Warning: This contains some sensitive material that might be 
disturbing for some.



A Lesson in Love
Chapter XVI: With a Whole Heart
By Marisa Price
Copyright to Marisa Price, 1997, All rights reserved.
This story is based on characters and situations that
are copyright to Rumiko Takahashi.


Part I: Breakdown


 "Why that son of a pig-farmer's. . ." Ranma was 
fuming.
 Ryouga cuffed him smartly on the back of his
head. "Hey, no need to get personal, Ranma."
 Ukyou just shook her head at the two of them,
wondering if someday, somehow, their maturity levels
would rise somewhat. Akane had her mallet clutched
reflexively in her hands, wringing over the well-worn
grooves.
 "Ranchan, Akane. Try to calm down, OK? I mean,
you DID hit Kuno 998 times, Ranchan. Don't you think 
that's suitable punishment for now?" Ukyou said 
blithely, trying to sound cheerful.
 Ranma growled, "I WOULD have hit him more
than that if only pig-boy here hadn't gotten in the 
middle of the. . ."
 "Hey!" Ryouga protested. "Any more and he 
would have been in the morgue instead of just the 
hospital. After all, Akane had already beat him fairly flat 
with her mallet before you even got started."
 Akane grimaced. "He wasn't exactly FLAT. . ."
 "Akane-chan, I've made okonomiyaki thicker 
than he was after you finished with him," Ukyou pointed 
out.
 The mallet was dropped with a sigh, and Akane 
had the decency to blush.
 "I'm just so ANGRY, I can't help it. I mean, 
Nabiki finally found someone to love, and then he does 
THAT to her. . ."
 Ukyou laid her arm comfortably around Akane's 
shoulders. "It's okay, I understand. But I think the best 
thing to do at this point is to relax and talk to Nabiki. 
Maybe she has a different story to tell us."
 "That jerk, what a loser," Ranma was still 
complaining.
 Ryouga raised an eyebrow archly at Ranma and 
asked, "You know, Ranma, I could have sworn you 
hated Nabiki for always manipulating and blackmailing 
you."
 Akane stiffened, and Ranma froze. Ukyou shot 
Ryouga a "This really wasn't the time to mention that, 
you idiot" look, and her arm tightened around Akane's 
shoulder so as to be a vice more than a comfort.
 "Well, I. . ." Ranma began, stammering.
 Akane stared at him. "Well what?"
 Ranma looked at the three curious pairs of eyes 
and, after a deep sigh, decided to blunder onward.
 "Well, even YOU have to admit, Akane, that 
Nabiki is like that. Remember the picture incident? 
Don't even look at me like that," he paused, holding his 
hands out in a defensive gesture at Akane's stabbing 
glare, "You know I'm right. Anyway, Nabiki HAS been 
better lately. I mean, she DID get rid of Kodachi" he 
paused and shuddered (I hope this breakup doesn't 
mean she's coming back, he thought to himself), "And 
she DID get Kuno off Akane and my case."
 "So you feel like you owe her?" Ryouga 
laughed. "Just showing again that she doesn't do 
anything for free."
 "ReeeeOOOOOOgah!!!! Grr. P-CHAN!!!" Akane
shouted, glowing a bright blue. 
 Ukyou dropped her arm from around Akane and 
grabbed Ryouga by the collar. Looking frantically at 
Akane's growing menace she backed away with 
Ryouga dragging along.
 "As Ryouga was saying, it's late and it's time
we went home! Bye Ranchan, bye Akane-chan! It was fun! Ta!!"
 The two pedaled off into the distance, leaving a 
smoke cloud. Ranma turned to look at Akane, and found 
himself now the object of her anger.
 "We have REALLY got to work on that anger, 
Akane. . ." He mused. "I wonder if we could come up 
with some sort of technique. . ."
 Akane tore up a stop sign from the pavement 
and flattened Ranma against a wall. "Baka!!!"
 Ranma pulled himself up and managed to 
recover with as much decorum as possible. He looked 
at Akane with the Saotome-special "Puppy Dog Look" 
that always guaranteed to cool down even Akane's 
infernos of anger.
 "Ranma. . ." she said, hesitantly, and the aura 
dimmed a bit.
 "If you would have let me finish, instead of 
blaming me for what Ryouga said, I woulda told you 
that I didn't just do it to pay back Nabiki. I also did it 
because she's gonna end up being part of my family 
when we finally get married, and I always take care of 
my family. Well, except Pop, but you know how that is."
 Akane blinked at him, her eyes growing a bit 
shiny, and then turned away to look up at the stars, her 
aura finally dissipating.
 "You mean that, don't you Ranma," she 
whispered.
 He nodded, taking her hand in his, marveling at 
how her small palm was engulfed by his own.
 "Of course I mean it, Akane. Even though Nabiki 
can be a pain, she IS your sister, and if you love her, I 
will do my best to care about her too."
 Akane chuckled and turned to kiss him on the 
nose. "When did you turn into such a romantic?"
 "When I finally admitted how cute you are. . ." 
 He smiled, leaning down to caress her lips with 
his own. It was a butterfly kiss, gentle and sweet.
 "Let's go home," he breathed against her cheek.
 And, hand in hand, they headed for the dojo.


*****

 "Oneechan?" Akane asked tentatively as she poked her head around the
 partially opened door. The bedroom was dark, and all she could see in
 the slice of light from the hallway was a pile of discarded clothing.
 It was Nabiki's dress, crumpled up in a heap, and her shoes lay at
 awkward angles nearby. Shaking her head, Akane frowned. This wasn't
 like Nabiki. Her sister was usually neat to a fault in her room,
 everything artistically placed. Pushing the door fully open, Akane
 crept into the room and paused by the side of the bed, afraid to wake
 her sister's sleep but wanting to see for herself that Nabiki was all
 right. It was quiet, too quiet. She fumbled for the light that she
 knew was somewhere on the endtable, and managed to practically knock
 it over before she finally found its tiny switch and turned it on.
 The bed was empty, untouched. The sheets were crisply tucked in and
 the coverlet was as pristinely smooth as if on display. Akane felt
 someone enter the room behind her, and new as soon as she felt his
 comfortable presence that it was Ranma. She turned around and gasped
 as she saw that her fiancee was dripping wet and very female.
 "Whatcha doin?" Ranma began. Akane shook her head to say that it was
 fine, and then looked up and down the bedraggled figure. "What
 happened?" Ranma sighed and shrugged in the tuxedo that was now
 several sizes too big for her. "Pop and your dad drunk more than
 usual that Shogi Tournament they were at. They were still celebratin
 and makin me drink that crap... you KNOW how I hate sake... and they
 started pourin it down my throat!" She paused to grimace at the
 remembrance. "Not to mention that you have a really low tolerance.
 Besides, what does that have to do with you being a girl?" Akane
 asked patiently. Ranma frowned. "I dunno. I fell in the pond at some
 point." "You FELL in? Well that's unusual." Akane sighed. "Why did
 you have to get drunk right NOW?" "HEY!" Ranma protested. "It ain't
 like I had a choice! 'Sides, I ain't drunk." Ranma struck a manly
 pose that made her look more than a little ridiculous especially as
 she was female at the moment, and in an outfit that made her look
 like a drowned penguin. "Takes more than a little sake to get to
 ME..." Ranma drawled, and strutted towards her. She raised her arms
 up and put them around Akane's neck, and stood on her tip-toes to
 kiss her. Akane grunted and pushed Ranma away. "You MUST be drunk, or
 else you wouldn't be trying to kiss me as a GIRL." Ranma looked down
 at herself and blushed. "Err..." "Baka. Get a grip. Nabiki isn't
 here, and I'm worried." "Oh, Nabiki." Ranma blinked. "I forgot."
 Ranma grabbed her and pulled her out of the room and into the
 hallway. "C'mon." Akane fought her grip and tripped in her high-heel
 shoes. Ranma looked down at here and wondered out loud, "Gee, Akane.
 Why are you on the floor?"
"RANMA NO BAKA!! At least let me get out of these clothes!! Where are
you dragging me anyway?!"
 Ranma looked bewildered and dropped Akane's arm. "I was gonna take
 you to Nabiki." "You know where she is?" Surprise laced Akane's
 voice. Ranma nodded. "OK. Wait here. 2 minutes. I need to go change
 into something else, okay?" "Why can't I come? It's not like I
 haven't seen it before...." Ranma drawled, giving Akane an innocent
 look. Akane counted to ten, tried to lower her blood pressure, and
 then managed to say icily, "I would like to point out that that this
 ISN'T the time to be acting like a PERVERT!!!!" "WHO'S actin like a
 pervert?" But she was talking to the duck on Akane's door as it
 slammed in his face. In a few minutes the door banged open and Akane
 strode angrily out with a white and yellow checkered nightgown on.
 Ranma was sitting on the floor, she back propped against the wall and
 her eyes were half-lidded and sleepy. "All right. How do you know
 where she is?" Akane wanted to know, her sharp voice startling Ranma
 awake. She blinked a few times and stood up, and explained, "Well, I
 went to the bathroom to get some hot water to change back, and I saw
 her stuff layin out there, and I could hear her in there." Akane
 nodded. "The bathroom. Okay. Well, you go get ready for bed, and I
 will check on her." "Umm..." Ranma grunted. "You mean you want me to
 stay like this all night??!" "It wouldn't be the first time," Akane
 pointed out. "If you want so much to change back, then go downstairs
 and heat up some water with the kettle." Without another word, Akane
 tromped down the stairs and headed for the bathroom. She slid back
 the door and entered the changing room quietly, and saw, as Ranma had
 seen, Nabiki's towel and robe in a neat pile on the cabinet. Creeping
 towards the door, Akane listened. She realized dimly that she
 shouldn't eavesdrop, but she wanted to make sure that Nabiki was
 actually in the bathroom before she charged in. There was a sound of
 scrubbing, loud and rough, and deep breathing, almost gasps. Akane
 pushed the door open slowly, sliding it along the grooves, and peered
 through the crack into the bathroom. The view that was revealed to
 her was so startling that Akane cried out loud and pushed the door
 open with a shove and ran to her sister's side. "ONEECHAN!!!" Nabiki
 jerked her head around to face her sister, and Akane was shocked once
 again by the contrast of Nabiki's white puffy face to the bright red
 skin of the rest of her body that had so startled Akane at first.
 "A...Akane..." Nabiki's voice was quiet and tight, and her eyes were
 distant and bright with unshed tears. She dropped the scrub brush
 down into the water as Akane threw her arms around her, and dimly
 tried to figure out what was wrong. "Oneeechan..." Akane sobbed.
 "What have you done to yourself?!" Nabiki looked startled, and looked
 down to see what Akane was talking about. "Wha...What do you mean? I
 was just taking a bath..." Nabiki broke off, confused. A tear dripped
 down Akane's nose and fell into the now still and faintly pink
 bathwater with a splash. "You've rubbed your skin raw, Nabiki! You
 are all scraped up..." "Scraped?" Nabiki blinked. "But I was just
 trying to get clean... I felt so dirty... I.. I..." A breath heaved
 it's way from her shaking chest, and then another. "I... Oh....
 Akane-chan... I..." Then the sobs came. They were long and hard,
 pulled out of some region of Nabiki's body that she no longer
 realized she had possessed. Tears finally overflowed her eyes as she
 saw her skin, saw the pink water, saw the horror on Akane's face, and
 heard Akane's screams for Kasumi as her sister tried to pull her out
 of the water. Then came the welcoming darkness.

* * * * *
 It was already daylight when Nabiki opened her eyes. She felt so
 tired still, and yet her body told her that it was time to open her
 eyes. Heavy pressure seemed to push down on her, making her body
 uncomfortable immobile. Struggling to sit up, Nabiki groaned, and
 looked down in surprise to see that she was naked and covered with
 bandages. She shook off the weight of several ice packs, now melted,
 that lay around her and on top of her. The door opened quietly, and
 Kasumi walked through the door, concern plain in her expression.
 "Nabiki-chan! You are finally awake!" Kasumi enthused, a reassuring
 smile brightening her pretty features. Nabiki tried to form a few
 words, but her mouth felt sealed shut. Finally she managed,
 "K...Kasumi?" Kasumi sat down on the bed and hugged Nabiki lightly,
 trying not to disturb the bandages. "How are you feeling?" "I'm fine,
 " Nabiki began, and then looked at herself again. "But... What's with
 the bandages? What happened to me?" The concern was immediately back.
 "You mean you don't remember?" Nabiki shook her head. "I remember
 coming home from the dance last night..." Akane walked into the room,
 hearing her sisters voices, and broke Nabiki off mid-sentence by
 throwing herself at her sister and holding her in a tight hug that
 brought a groan from Nabiki's lips. "Ohh! Sorry! I'm sorry, oneechan!
 I'm just so happy that you are okay... I was so worried..." Akane's
 lower lip quivered, and her eyes threatened rain. Nabiki managed to
 extricate herself from her sister's grasp and leaned back against the
 wall. "Would someone mind explaining to me exactly what's going on?"
 Kasumi and Akane exchanged a concerned look, and Kasumi shook her
 head almost imperceptibly at Akane. Nabiki caught the message and
 said dryly, "Look girls, why don't you tell me what the problem is
 instead of acting like I've gone crazy." Akane grabbed Nabiki's hand
 and tried desperately to be comforting. "Nabiki, do you remember the
 dance?" "Of course I remember the dance, god-awful thing that it was.
 That BASTARD Kuno tried to..." A finger was suddenly against Nabiki's
 lips, silencing her. "I know, he broke up with you..." Akane said
 sadly. Nabiki jerked her hand from Akane's and protested loudly,
 "WHAT?! He broke up with ME?! Why that ASS! He did no such thing! I
 was the one who broke up with him!" Akane was shaking her head.
 "Nabiki, you aren't remembering things clearly. He broke up with you,
 and decided that he liked Nakoto instead. Don't you remember?"
 Blinking, Nabiki growled, "What are you TALKING about? Nakoto? What
 does she have to do with anything?!" "They were all over each other
 at the dance after you left..." "What??!" "He told everyone that he
 broke up with you to date her." "Why that slimy, arrogant bastard! So
 that's how he's trying to cover his tracks?!" Kasumi interrupted, her
 gentle voice reminding Nabiki, "Then why did you hurt yourself, if
 you weren't upset about him breaking up with you?" "Hurt myself....?"
 Nabiki asked slowly. "You mean, I....?" Akane sighed. "I found you in
 the bathroom like this last night, Oneechan. You had scrubbed your
 skin raw. You honestly don't remember?" "I..." Nabiki gasped
 brokenly. What did she remember? Coming home. Taking off her dress.
 Going to clean off Kuno's disgusting caresses.... Oh no. Kasumi
 cooed, "It's okay, Nabiki-chan, we understand. . ." "Kuno's a jerk.
 He doesn't know what he was throwing away. He isn't worth your love,
 Nabiki. . . He's always got two girls he likes at once or something.
 He's a pervert, a lecher." Akane added fervently. "I do NOT love that
 useless piece of garbage!" "But..." Kasumi and Akane spoke as one.
 "Get OUT. Just get out of here. I need to think. Believe him instead
 of me. I don't care. Just GET OUT!!!" Nabiki screamed at her sisters,
 throwing the covers back and pushing them out the open door. Just as
 Kasumi would have said something, Nabiki slammed the door closed in
 her face. "Oneechan!!" Akane cried through the wood barrier. "GO
 AWAY!!! " There was some whispering in the hallway, and then the
 sound of footsteps fading away. Nabiki sunk to the carpet and leaned
 her head against her knees, her back against the closed door. A
 million memories flooded her head. Kuno touching her. His hateful
 words. Running away from the dance and back home, sneaking in so no
 one would ask her about the evening. Going into the bathroom to scrub
 away at Kuno's presence on her body... What have I done? Nabiki
 wondered, and peeled off a bandage of her breast. She turned to look
 at her full-length mirror and saw the red puffy skin, as if burned,
 and the tiny scabs from places where she had rubbed through. "....a
 whore a whore a whore a whore a whore...." The words raced through
 her head and she sank again to the carpet. She had tried to scrub
 away Kuno's touch, but that conversation would never leave hear
 head... Nabiki looked around her room and all of a sudden all she
 could see were things that Kuno had given her. Necklaces, a vase of
 roses, reams of poetry, perfume, clothing... Her head screamed. "I've
 got to get out of here," She breathed, and opened up her closet to
 grab the first thing that looked comfortable. A natty blue sweatshirt
 went over her chest, loose enough so that no one could tell she
 wasn't wearing a bra. It would be too uncomfortable with her cuts. As
 it was, even the soft lining chafed against her tender skin. Nabiki
 looked down at her legs with relief, noting that they were not
 harmed. She pulled on a pair of jean shorts, and then grabbed a small
 purse and some yen. Opening the door quietly, Nabiki peered out into
 the hall. It was quiet upstairs, and she crept slowly out, shutting
 the door soundlessly behind her. Tiptoeing so as to not creak the
 boards of the floor, she walked down the stairs, pausing every time
 she heard a noise. It sounded like her sisters and Ranma were in the
 kitchen, and her father and Genma were most likely out in the garden.
 Nabiki ran to the front door and grabbed her white keds, and ran out
 the door before she someone happened along. She slid one shoe onto
 her left foot, hopping on her right, and then switched. After both
 feet we settled, Nabiki broke out into a run for the gate, and didn't
 stop until she was at least a block away from the dojo. Nabiki leaned
 against a lamp-post, gasping for breath, not as used to running about
 as Akane and Ranma. She wondered what to do and where to go. She felt
 like eating something, but all of the restaurants nearby had too many
 memories attached to them of Kuno plying her with treats. The river?
 Maybe she should go take a walk along the banks. No. Any sort of
 water would probably result in having something to do with Ranma, and
 Nabiki didn't want to take that chance. The woods. There was a brace
 of trees near Furinken high school, where several of the students
 would eat lunch on sunny days. It was a popular haunt during the
 school week, but practically empty on the weekends, as Nabiki had
 once discovered when she was a freshman. Ever since that year she had
 often gone there to take walks when she needed to clear her head and
 concentrate.

*****

 She wasn't quite sure where to go, or who to turn to. Everything in
 this foreign place reminded her of the past, and of what had
 happened. How many days ago was it? Time seemed to blur together as
 she wandered, she desperately tried to find herself as she lost her
 way. Akari tried to wipe the ever-present tears from her eyes,
 rubbing her cheeks until they were sore. Inevitably, Katsunishiki
 stopped, the underbrush too thick to plow on, and Akari blinked at
 her surroundings. She was in a forest, but what forest she did not
 know. How would Ryouga-sama have felt in this situation? Would have
 had been pained and hopeless? Or would he  be as numb as she felt
 right now? Maybe she should go back to Nerima, to Akane and Ranma.
 They would help her, they would understand. Perhaps they would even
 know if she could win Ryouga back. Katsunishiki looked at his
 mistress with sad eyes, sensing her pain. He nuzzled her with his
 snout, and grunted. Akari wrapped her arms around his thick neck and
 pressed her damp cheeks against the warm smooth skin of her pet.
 "Where are we, Katsunishiki?" She wondered, more to herself than the
 pig, and then whispered, "Maybe we should just go home..." But that
 would be giving up. For once, Akari wanted to fight for something
 herself. Ryouga was everything to her, she loved him. He couldn't
 possibly not care about her anymore. She had just been insensitive to
 his feelings, to the pain he had suffered, the terrible experiences
 he had endured. She would face what he had gone through, and seek to
 understand his woes... Then, perhaps... A twig snapped, and both
 Akari and Katsunishiki jumped in surprise. "Who... Who's there?" She
 called cautiously. From between a cluster of trees appeared a
 familiar-looking brown haired girl. Akari blinked in surprise. "Uh...
 Aren't you... Akane-chan's sister?" Nabiki looked up at the girl,
 startled and somewhat disgruntled that there was someone else in the
 woods where she had been seeking privacy. The usually pretty thing
 with the two pink streaks in her hair looked awful, her white shirt
 dirty and torn, and her plaid skirt askew. The pig wasn't even it's
 normal clean self, but there was no denying who stood in front of
 her. Ryouga's girlfriend, Akari. Or, Nabiki reflected, she must be
 his ex-girlfriend as he had been pretty kissy-huggy with Ukyou at the
 dance the night before. "Um, hi Ashkari." "Akari." "Yeah, Akari.
 Sorry about that. What's wrong? Forgive me for being blunt, but you
 look like crap." Akari studied Akane's sister and noticed her pale
 and puffy face, and retaliated, "You don't look so hot yourself."
 Nabiki grimaced. "Touché." "Is this Nerima?" Nabiki looked surprised.
 "Of course it is. Don't tell me you caught the lost-bug from Ryouga."
 "I... Well, I guess I did. I was trying to get lost the way he does,
 and see what he had suffered." Astounded, Nabiki choked,
 "W...Why...?" "I hoped maybe I could understand what I had done, how
 insensitive I had been, and maybe figure out why he stopped loving
 me..." "Love?? Love is bullshit. There's no such thing. A guy only
 wants one thing, SEX. If you aren't putting out, he's going to find
 someone that is," Nabiki ground out, sitting down on a fallen log and
 kicking a few rocks at her feet. Akari blinked. "S...s...sex?" Her
 voice was confounded. "You mean, you think he brouke up with me
 because I wouldn't.... uh..." "Well, he was sure making out with
 Ukyou last night." "Ukyou?? You mean, he's going out with that
 manly-looking boss of his?" It was Nabiki's turn to look surprised.
 "You mean, you didn't know?" Her voice shuddering, Akari looked down
 at the ground. "No... I had no idea. But then that explains..." "...
 A lot, I bet. Boy are you naieve." Akari was talking in a quiet
 voice, almost to herself. "Then that would explain why he left from
 my house... it wasn't the training, it was that I wasn't spending
 much time with him doing... doing...." Nabiki nodded at her, "I bet.
 I don't know what you are talking about, but I bet that's the reason
 still. Men are pigs. Especially THAT man." Katsunishiki grunted, and
 Nabiki gave him a sardonic grin. "Oops, no offense intented, pig."
 "His name's Katsunishiki," Akari prompted. "Yeah, whatever." There
 was silence for a few moments, the quiet of the woods only broken by
 their breathing and an occasional scurry or song of a forest
 creature. Both girls were lost in their thoughts. Nabiki considered
 what had made her react so violently to Kuno's words and caresses,
 and Akari wondered how Ryouga could have been so base, so shallow. "I
 think you are wrong." Akari whispered. "What?" Nabiki asked, having
 heard only a mumble. Firmer and more confident this time, Akari
 stated, "I think you are wrong. About Ryouga-sama. About men. There
 are a few out there who aren't interested in that, and I think
 Ryouga's one of them. He's good, and kind, and loyal, and..." "Spare
 me," Nabiki laughed. "Men are all like that. Except possibly Ranma,
 because he hasn't tried yet to get it on with my sister. That's
 probably only because he's half girl, or else he's scared shitless
 that Akane will pulvarize him if he even tries." Akari still shook
 her head. "No. Ryouga had a chance once, when we were paired in the
 same room togther. He didn't do anything though, he was simply kind
 and caring." "Maybe he never really was interested then," Nabiki
 pointed out. Her back stiffened at that, and Akari cried, "That's not
 true! I know he did love me... Ryouga-sama loved me... He wrote me
 letters and postcards and every time we were together... It was
 special. Even if he ended up with someone else, I can't pretend that
 he never cared, because I KNOW he did." "Whatever," Nabiki brushed
 her hand in the air, as if to wave off an unpleasant smell. "He's
 head over heels for Ukyou now though, and, sorry to break it to you,
 I don't think you have a chance." "I... I see." Akari breathed sadly.
 The conversation lapsed into silence once more, and Nabiki studied
 the withdrawn expression on Akari's face. Finally she had to ask. "Do
 you hate him now? Do you want to kill him for betraying you? Why
 don't you call him a jerk, or a..." "Stop it!" Was the desperate
 reply, and Akari shook her head, the tears rolling down in fat trails
 on her soft cheeks. "I... love Ryouga. I will always care about him.
 I can't hate him. I guess I even love him enough to let him go to
 someone who makes him more happy than I ever could." Rolling her eyes
 skyward, Nabiki chortled. "What a bunch of romantic drivel. Do you
 really believe that?" Akari all of a sudden looked wise, her eyes
 older than a moment before, as if suffering brought her a special
 sort of wisdom. "Tendo-san..." "Nabiki." "Nabiki. Haven't you ever
 been in love? Haven't you ever loved someone even though you knew it
 would be wrong to have them? Haven't you ever had to let someone go
 because you knew you would end up making them miserable?" "Love. Love
 is for ninnys and fools." The seashore. A book, a card. A vase full
 of sunflowers. Dinner by candlelight. A kiss, a touch..... Nabiki
 shook it all away. "I don't need anyone but myself," Nabiki said
 firmly. Akari sighed as she looked at Akane's mercenary sister, and
 comprehension filled her. "You are scared to love for some reason,
 aren't you?" "Of course not." "I wish you luck, Nabiki-san, because I
 think you are even more miserable than I am. I may have lost a love,
 but at least I know what love is... You have yet to find it." I know
 what love is, Nabiki thought to herself, looking up at the tree tops,
 it's pain. It's letting someone control you. There was a rumble, and
 Nabiki knew Akari was leaving. She looked up to tell the girl
 goodbye, but the girl and the giant pig were already gone. And Nabiki
 was left alone with her pain and her thoughts, trying to forget the
 recent past, and struggling to keep down memories of someone she
 couldn't forget...

* * * * *