Part Two: Chasing the Kaisufuu

Prologue: Sad Goodbyes

Ranma knew better than to try and talk Ryouga out of leaving. True, the decision to help her train had been made on the spot, a snap decision, and seemed less realistic as things cooled down a little bit, but he could see the bright, slightly hysterical gleam in her eyes at the chance of a cure and knew that he’d be doing the exact same thing in her situation. The only thing he’d accomplish by trying to stop her would be to drive her out on her own.

Akane didn’t say anything either, having had experience with Ranma in the same situation and knowing that it was also an exercise in futility to ask to go along. So she didn’t say anything but wish good luck to her fiancée and the person who’d been living with them for a week now.

She was expecting them to leave fearlessly, trouncing off into the unknown as was per usual for this sort of thing. She couldn’t conceive of having predicted that Ryouga would freeze at the simple good-luck statement, turn around and look at her with large brown eyes that hadn’t changed at all.

She also wasn’t expecting to have her cheek cupped suddenly in the other girl’s hand.

“Akane…” Ryouga whispered.

But by far what she was least expecting was to be suddenly kissed on the lips, gently but firmly, a brief hesitation and then it was over.

She felt a tear rolling down her cheek and for the life of her couldn’t figure out why. “Ryouga…” she murmured brokenly, “I’m sorry…”

Ryouga searched her eyes, but didn’t seem to find what she was looking for. “Me too,” she replied in a low voice before turning away.

She could do nothing but watch the pair leave, silently other than half-hearted “’Bye” from Ranma, and think her thoughts that were caught into a frantic whirlwind that proved her outward shocked calmness a partial lie. A week of nothing, a week of avoiding the topic like the plague, and he does this out of the blue. I thought it wasn’t so serious, he was so quiet… but then he’s always quiet. She felt a sudden twist of self-hatred in her gut. That was a goodbye. He doesn’t expect to come back from this, and probably doesn’t want to, now. Akane, you’ve got a terrible habit of getting into these messes… The single tear that she had shed dried.

***

~Mordain

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