Ranma and Ryouga are trademarks of Rumiko Takahashi's excellent
series, Ranma 1/2.  This is just a sad wannabe of her level of writing.
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Pals
By Myrriden
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	Ryouga stared in shock at the small black pig in Akane's arms.
The pig stared back, almost as equally shocked as he.
	"What the!?"  He shook his head to try and clear the sight, but it
persisted.  "Akane!  Where did you find...uh...P-chan?"
	She frowned, puzzled.  "He slept in my room last night as usual.
What's the matter with that?"  
	'Everything,'  Ryouga wanted to shout.  He knew very well that He
had been lost until he had stumbled into Ucchan's that morning.
	But still he had to answer her.  "Um,"  he stumbled for an reply,
"Nothing, nevermind.  You know me,"  he began to back up.  "Always
confused and lost,"  he turned and fled.  Akane stared after.  Then she
shrugged and went back to hand-feeding P-chan.
	"RANMA!"  Ryouga was frantic when he finally caught up with his
nemesis.  "What was that _thing_ in Akane's arms!?"
	"A helpful favor,"  Ranma replied, smugly.  "I found a pig the
same size, weight, and tempermant as you in your cursed form.  Then with
Nabiki's financial aid and Akari's knowledge of pigs,"  he rolled his
eyes.  "Well, to make a long story short, we taught it to love
Akane, and to use some of your pigform mannerisms."  He sighed, and leaned
back against the dojo wall.  "It took a long time, even with Akari's 
help."
	"You..now you..."  Ryouga was completly flustered.
	"Whatsamatter?  Tongue tied?"  Ranma smirked with amusment.
	"You did this for _me_!?"
	"Of course!"  Ranma grinned, "We're pals, ain't we?"
	"But I'm always trying to kill you!"
	"Let's just say that I owed you one, and I hate debts."  He sighed
at a thought of how many 'debts' he had worked up with Nabiki, but stifled
the thought and held out his hand, "Buds?"	
	Ryouga looked down at the proferred hand carefully, before
grinning and slapping his own palm to Ranma's.  "Pals."  Ranma laughed
easily as they both set off for the house.  
	"But you were just jealous that I was able to sleep with Akane,"
Ryouga smirked.  Ranma shrugged as the two neared the gate. Life was good. 

	*Myrriden Out*