By Yui Miyamoto

 

I walked up to gate of the household where I knew I would find that

person whom I had been searching for all this time...I sighed and entered with a slow-paced walk.

Upon reaching the door, I calmly breathed out all my anxiety and heard a clamor of people inside. When I knocked, a woman with brown hair and a purple dress opened the door one minute later with a friendly smile on her face.

I warmly returned it.

"Good afternoon. Do you need help with something?"

"Yes, I am looking for someone named Ranma Saotome." I gave a straight answer, but I did it politely.

"Yes, please come in."

I followed her into the clamor. The voices became louder as I walked down the tiny hall to their den. But it felt like forever in slow motion.

They all stopped talking as I entered behind the young lady.

"Ranma, this person is looking for you."

The red-headed girl stood up and stopped fighting with the panda that was next to her.

"Who are you?" She asked.

I pulled down my blue hood, took it off, and pulled my cloak over my arm. "My name is Yui-Len."

Ranma looked at me curiously, but it wasn't really convincing to me. The others around continued to look at me.

"Why do I feel like a new fiancee has stepped up to the bat?" a short brown-haired girl commented.

My long, black braid suddenly felt like lead to me instead of feathers.

"Ranma, explain," another girl with bluish-black hair angrily threatened.

I bowed and giggled to ease their apprehensions. "No, no, no. I am not."

"Then, who are you?" the mustached man questioned.

"A visitor. I have a message for Ranma Saotome." I looked at the girl called Ranma.

She just waved her hand at the others and replied, "Yeah, yeah. I'll take care of it."

"We must talk privately."

"Okay."

Before I knew it, I followed him into the kitchen and we vanished.

Actually, I was jumping off rooftops in back of him and we were in one

storage room of his school.

He closed the door behind him and leaned back with his feet crossed over one another. Ranma crossed his arms and just stared at me.

I just looked at the ground with nothing to say. What would he want to say to a sixteen-year-old Chinese girl who came out of nowhere?

"At least you've been in good health," I replied without moving.

"You don't look bad yourself."

Then, tears of happiness came out as I ran to embrace him. His strong arms wrapped around me.

I looked up to his face. "You still recognize me, Ranma?"

I giggled as I placed my head on his chest.

"Don't even start."

I laughed as if all the pain of our suffering melted away.

"So the blue-haired one is your official fiancee? She sure is pretty. It isn't obvious about all the stuff you said about her, especially about being violent."

"You haven't seen her in action." He chuckled, but he also buried his face in my hair. "Did you have to look very long?"

Even though he knew the answer, I replied, "Not long. It has only been about a year."

"A LONG year."

I nodded. "You've certainly been busy. Akane beating you up, Kunou chasing after his pigtailed goddess, Nabiki using you for profit, fighting with your father, fending off master Happosai, Ukyou still fighting for her right to you, and ah yes, Ryouga trying to best you."

"So you did get the postcards?"

"Yes and with the pictures of you. But how come you have a victory sign up in every one?"

"Uh, well, y'know..."

I held him tighter and cried hard. My right hand held the jadeite

necklace. "The picture was faded, but I always kept it."

Ranma then unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a secret locket hanging from his own neck. "I have it too."

"You. What are you going to do now, Ranma? You love Akane now." He grunted in disgust. "That tomboy?!"

"You can trick anyone but me Ranma, I love you too well."

Not being a man of words, his arms held me for a long time.

After that long silence, he whispered to me, "I told them I hated the engagement. I hated it from the beginning. I had to go back to China to regain my manhood...and-"

"Don't." Then, I walked around aimlessly with my hands folded behind my back. "You're so different around these people. You act like a jerk."

I teasingly shook my head with a smile. "Must you try hard to hide

yourself? I wasn't very convinced over your performance earlier. This

attitude coming from a martial artist who practiced day and night and in which I had to encourage him as he did so."

At that moment, he held my shoulders and looked deeply into my violet eyes. "What was I supposed to do? I changed so that I could forget whom I had left behind."

His head tilted and I braced myself for the soft kiss I remembered he always gave.

After it, we walked out.

My hands were now folded upon one another in front of me as I looked straight ahead.

He knew why I was here.

I started bursting out in laughter.

"What?" He stopped walking.

"And you thought all Amazons were okay people. Now one loves you and hates you as a girl."

"We saw the pile of food, we were hungry, I was sure they wouldn't mind. I mean, I met you and your village was friendly."

"That was after you beat me in combat as soon as you entered our gates. A short detour from your father and you found us. I still can't believe you didn't know about the Kiss of Death. I told you about that."

"Yeah, well..." He whistled.

"Hmph. Then, again, I explained that after you woke up. And knowing the way you sleep, I'm sure you'd forget."

"Aw man, come on. Don't get mad, alright?"

I stopped and held both of his hands. "The heir of my tribe needs to see you."

He nodded and understood what I meant. (At least he remembered that much.)

Then, a girl with a spatula came out of her restaurant, saw us, and

stared at our hands. "What do you think you're doing with my Ran-chan, you hussy?"

I let go and seriously looked at her with no anger. "Please don't call me that. I-"

"She's a friend," Ranma rushed in.

She came over and sized me up. "I bet."

I sighed. "I will leave him soon so do not worry."

Not being one for having brains, Ranma shot his head towards me. The girl caught the sudden action. "What's wrong, Ran-chan?"

"I am leaving, Ranma. With or without you. You know I must."

"With or without you?! Now hold on here!" Ukyou screamed; she walked in front of me. "You're not taking Ran-chan ANYWHERE."

Still calm, I explain. "I know. It is his choice."

"Ran-ch-"

"RANMA!!"

We all turned around to see Akane cringing and enraged. "What is she saying, Ranma?! Tell or die. THAT is your choice."

"I did not come to complicate matters," I replied politely.

"Well, it seems like you have," she snapped. She came over to me.

"Akane, I can explain." Ranma stepped in between us.

"Are you defending her?!" they both shouted at him furiously.

"I just came to tell him that he must see the heir of my tribe

immediately."

"Why does he have to do that?!" Spatula-girl and his blue-haired fiancee once again screamed in unison.

My eyebrows grew closer together and then my eyes began to rain with water. "Ranma must-"

"It IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" he exclaimed.

"So this is how hard it is for you to go. I understand now, Ranma. You need not come back with me."

He turned around to face me as Ukyou nodded with her yes closed to say, "That's right, Sugar."

I ran, but I heard Akane shout, "Ranma!"

So I was right in thinking I felt his presence near me, behind me, and watching my every move.

I stopped running. He halted and the fence's echoes ceased. Akane's footsteps became silent also. I faced them, but with the face of what they classified as the usual, angered Amazon.

"You need not follow me. I will leave now." But my eyes were darted towards Ranma. "I cannot leave them too long and I cannot leave him for too long. After all, I am his guardian and protector."

"Who are you talking about?" Akane blurted out.

I answered seriously, "The heir of the Amazon tribe."

"Then how is Ranma connected in of all this?" Akane asked.

I nodded my head to her and bowed. "Ranma must tell you that himself."

I lifted up my head and looked straight into her eyes. No words came out. I lost my ability to speak at that moment.

Ranma jumped down from the gate, but just stood there in his place.

"What are you hiding Ranma?" Akane probed.

Ranma, not knowing what to do, snapped, "Akane, just butt out, will you?!"

She became even angrier at the current situation.

"I'm sorry, Ranma. I thought you told me you'd straighten this out." As I stared at Akanes temper growing, I felt even worse. I turned around so that I wouldnt look at their faces.

Finally, I said, "I relinquish all ties with you as Queen of the Amazons."

Akane...

I felt her look at me and him in confusion. But I knew, he was still very focused on watching me.

With confidence and tears in my eyes, I watched them once again. "You are free from me, Ranma. I will go back to China and you both can pretend I never came."

"Wh-what?!" He stammered.

Akane observed Ranma's expression of horror. And she looked so lost that my heart became heavier and heavier. I didnt want to complicate things...Really.

I looked him straight in the eye. "You've always been stubborn, Ranma. I'll spell it out to you. You can pretend we never met."

"Don't give me this crap."

"You're no longer held by Amazon law to me."

"But you didn't love me by law like Shampoo."

My eyes grew wider than Akane's. With the way his mind worked, he always couldn't admit his true feelings. If he did, they would come out oppositely than he had intended.

I know you very well. Everything about you...

...from the very core of your being to every inch of your body, heart, and soul.

I slapped him across the face. "Don't complicate her head, you idiot! She loves you, you love her. You don't want to hurt her. You shouldnt hurt her!"

I then walked away from him.

"Yeah, I thought all Amazon's were friendly after I met you!" he shouted from behind.

"We are not so kind. Remember, I am an Amazon. Did you know I ordered Shampoo to not harm you lest she die by my own hands?!"

I entered the Nekohaten as it was closing. I didn't know where to go, so I had wandered around all day.

"Hello, great-grandmother." I bowed my head.

"You shouldn't bow to me. But I'd expect this from you, Yui-Len."

The baby wailed in back of her as it heard my voice.

"Thank you again for taking care of him."

"Ah, it's okay. I may not see my great-great-grandchild until years have passed."

I smiled at her.

"Oh, you home?" Shampoo came over and played with the baby's fingers. "You see Ranma all ready?"

"Yes, but we will say goodbye before we leave."

That night, I was once again ushered into the room. The whole group watched me as I sat in the den.

"Tea?" Kasumi smiled and asked.

I nodded.

"We just wanted to say goodbye to you." I bowed my head and smiled.

They peered at the baby in my arms, but I looked across the table at Ranma.

"Whose baby is that?" Mr. Tendou questioned.

"Of course, he's mine."

The gawked at me. All except Ranma.

"What's his name?" Kasumi asked as she put the tea in front of me.

I smiled wistfully. "The heir currently has no name yet. We just call him the heir right now."

The baby then giggled at hearing its title.

Everyone said, "Aw..."

"You're leaving so soon?" Akane seemed generally concerned and relieved as she said this. I couldnt blame her really...

"I need to go." I patted her hand and bowed again. "I'm so sorry for complicating matters I have brought into your home and into your head, Akane-san."

She waved her hands. "It's okay. I'm just a bit...confused."

Being not able to stand the atmosphere and break down the prideful, yet graceful Amazon facade I had on, I got up quickly. "Thank you for your hospitality and allowing me to speak to Ranma."

I looked at Ranma with the sincerest, yet most meaningful I could ever give to him. "Thank you for seeing my baby, Ranma."

He suddenly banged his hands on the table with violent force. "So you're going to leave just like that?!"

"Ranma." I harshly scolded.

He quieted down.

Everyone went out to the front gate to send me off.

"Goodbye again. Nice meeting you all."

As I was about to walk away, Ranma stood there frozen. I handed the baby to him. Ranma's eyes couldn't land themselves on where to look.

"Take one hard and last look at him, Ranma."

He finally stared at the baby down in his arms. He then whispered, "I name you, Ran-Len."

I found myself pulled by one arm. Ranma held me close unable to say all the things he couldn't say to me.

"It's okay," I whispered softly to his ear.

He let go but I saw him trying to hold back the tears. He instantly held me again and for half a second, we were off on our own little world oblivious to all the other people around us. The Tendou's and his father choked and shouted because of the prospect of Ranma holding another woman. I then quickly took the baby, kissed Ranma on the lips, and vanished in six seconds.

To them, it was all a blur. By this time tomorrow, this will be all a blur in their minds as they think of today.

To me, it was all a memory.

I watched them from above their roof. They were shouting at him,

especially Akane and Mr. Tendou.

But Ranma remained unharmed and indifferent to them all with his back to them...

Well, that is for about one minute.

"Will you all just shut up?!" His anger built up in blue aura all around his body when he finally turned to all of them. Fire was in his eyes.

"Just one question, Ranma," Nabiki said. "Do you blame us for anything?"

He clenched his fists and was still surrounded by his aura. "You

wouldn't let me got back to China whenever I needed to, you forced me to be engaged to Akane, you all let me say goodbye to my son and wife. Do I BLAME YOU? Answer that YOURSELVES."

I then averted my body with my arms hugging Ran-Len while Ranma looked in our direction and into my eyes. We then turned to go our separate ways, as fate meant it to be.

Ranma, when I kissed you, I put a potion there for you to forget me...but that is purely your choice if you overpower it and keep me inside of your heart for always.

Its just like keeping Ran-Len with me.

Owari.

 

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Note from your friendly author: I don't know why I made this. I just thought it would be an interesting venture. I was just thinking if Ranma wasn't really a jerk and was just putting on an act. It was just a thought. And it was different from all my other R ½ fanfics dealing with Mousse, Akane, and Kappei.