Well here's my third fanfic.  Thanks to all who have given me c&c.  keep them
comments coming.  I relish them all, even the ones that call me sick. (smile)
Enjoy

Goodbye Akane
By Saotendo@aol.com

A fan fiction based on Takahashi Rumiko's Manga series, Ranma � where Akane
and Ryouga get together.

I do not own these characters and do not use them to gain any profit from
them.  I only use them for my enjoyment and the enjoyment of others.
Characters are copyright 1987, 1997 by Takahashi Rumiko.


Goodbye Akane, 

I'll always love you.  I just wish I had told you sooner.  Maybe then, it
would be me and you instead of you and him.  I think I went wrong when I kept
trying to treat you like I've always been treated.  Challenged not nurtured.
I didn't mean to hurt you with those insults I kept giving you.  I meant to,
well, give you an incentive to improve.  I know, by now you're probably
screaming "Ranma no baka" and for sure you've got your hammer in your hand.  

You know, I almost miss getting hit by that thing.  You'd think that with all
my skill and after fighting everyone from  a dragon, a phoenix, and gods even.
That with all I had to go up against, I could avoid getting hit with that darn
thing.  I guess it just goes to show that there's always something you can't
predict.  

I know I would never have predicted my falling in love with you.  You know, I
didn't even want to come to your Dojo.  Me and pops had a fight right out in
the street before we got there.  He knocked me out and carried me.  I remember
it like it was yesterday, it was raining, and I and pops had just changed.
That's why we were panda and girl when we met.  Pops had just told me about
coming to see his old friend Soun Tendo.  It wasn't until we were just blocks
away that he told me about that stupid engagement promise.  Kami-sama, when I
think of all the trouble that caused.  Yet I wouldn't change that day, for
that was when I first met you.  And fell in love for the first time.  

I remember the look on your faces' when I first saw all you guys.  Pops had
just let me off his shoulder and turned me around, I guess he thought I might
still run away.  I was so embarrassed at the way he carried me in.  Here you
guys were expecting a couple of guys and instead a girl and her panda show up.
Nabiki didn't help much, when she poked me in the chest.  That hurt, I was
tender for some reason and I don't like it when people touch me there.  And I
really started to think she was funny (ha ,ha) when she kept poking me there
again and again.  Then you asked me to be your friend.

I was so happy.  I hadn't had a friend since I had left home at the age of
six.  Well except for Uyko and you see how long him, I mean her, and me, knew
each other.  I can now tell you, I really needed a friend then.  I hadn't been
cursed for very long and since I had been cursed, it had seemed like trouble
was following our footsteps.  There hadn't been a quiet period long enough for
me to sit down and get a grip on this curse.  Not that things improved much
while I stayed with you.  But at least I knew where I would be sleeping
nights.  

I have to admit that being your friend was very important to me.  And there
for a while, I thought we were going to be really good friends.  I would have
been happy with just that.  When, after I beat you, you told me that you were
glad I wasn't a boy, I got confused.  Later, when I was taking my bath, I
actually considered staying as a girl so we could stay friends.  It wouldn't
have worked cause pops would have changed me back for that stupid engagement,
but I was thinking quite seriously about it.

Then you walked in on me.  I knew that had blown it.  If there was one thing I
could change about that day it would be that.  I think that was what doomed us
in the end.  You hated me then and I lost my new friend.  Still we could've
gotten together despite that horrid beginning.  Yet it seemed nothing would go
right.  More and more things started to drive us apart.  

You want to know something, Akane?  I never felt good enough for you.  I
always felt that I didn't deserve you.  I couldn't see what I had, that you
would be interested in.  That's one of the reasons I never told you I loved
you.  I kept thinking that you would reject me.  And that would kill me.
Especially if anyone else knew.  In fact when you picked Shinosuke over me
while we were in the forest, I ran away.  I wasn't going to go home, I just
wanted to get away from everyone and stay away.  If Ryouga hadn't stumbled
upon me when you went after the magic moss, I'd probably still be in that
stupid cave.  You see, I still loved you and it hurt me so bad.  I would still
do anything for you, even die for you.  

That's why I changed during the battle with the Oroshi.  During the fight,
when it looked as if us guys weren't distracting it any longer, I knew it
wouldn't be long before it found out about you.  That's when I jumped in the
water and changed.  I knew he would be after me faster than a teen-aged boy on
Saturday night.  And he got one whiff of my girl form and boy, did he want me.
When all the heads had knocked themselves out, I was relieved.  Then the main
head came up and got you and took you under the water to his lair.  

I think my heart stopped then.  Shoving a rock in his mouth to keep him from
being able to chew on you was the only thing I could think of at the time.
Then having to bring all of you guys to shore just about exhausted all my
energy.  I saw how you were looking at Shin and the care and concern you gave
him in that look was like poison to me.  I saw how happy you were when he was
cured.  That was when I made up my mind, I wouldn't stand in the way, I was
going to go somewhere far, far away.  I couldn't stand being in the same area,
hell, I wasn't sure if I could stand being in the same world with the two of
you.  

I was glad the Oroshi woke up.  Really, though did you think after I avoided
all seven heads once, that they could get me that easy.  I didn't try to avoid
them.  I just wanted to give everyone time to get away.  But then you came for
me, with hot water too.  I realized in that moment that life was worth living.

I know a lot has happened since then and is still to happen.  But I have grown
past that stage in my life now.  No, I won't kill my self or put myself in a
situation where I'll get killed.  Life is for living.  I don't know what I'll
do but I'll live.  I might even do like Ryouga used to do, wander the planet.
I am sorry things between us didn't work out like I wanted, but maybe we can
still be friends.  I hope you and Ryouga have a pleasant and happy life
together.  I'll write when I can.  With all my love.

  
					Saotome Ranma

P.S.  I wanted to give you a present you'd enjoy.  So to keep P-chan the cute
little pig that he is, I took him to a vet and had him 'fixed.'  He's at Dr.
Mykoto's.