EDIT: 25th March, 2020 - fixed some errors. If you'd like to beta this for me, and future chapters too, please let me know! If I had a beta for this before then I'm so sorry, I've forgotten who you were since it's been so long.

Recap: Ukyo is helping Ryoga meditate so he can keep cool around Ranma. Ukyo and Ryoga have been bonding over food. Kasumi thinks they're a couple. Ranma and Akane are still trying to figure out what's wrong with their friends. Short recap, feel free to read over previous chapters to truly catch up!

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the property of Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Comics, Kitty TV, Shogakukan and Fuji TV.

Chapter Six: Bentos and Bonfires

Time marched on, as it always does, and the next school day arrived. Ukyo was unsure what to do. Should she take Ryoga to school with her? He would have to wait around the school grounds as he couldn't attend any of the classes because he wasn't registered. Perhaps she could smuggle him in her bag and just avoid everyone that might recognise the little black piglet? Or she could leave him at home and pray to any deity that may be listening that he didn't wander off and get lost during her absence.

The chef bit her lip and just decided to ask the fanged boy if he had a preference or plans of his own. "Hey, I gotta go to school," she called out to him as she hurried past on her morning routine.

Ryoga looked up from his hastily cobbled together breakfast. "Yeah..." he said slowly. "And?"

"Jackass," she replied, just loud enough for him to hear as she headed back in his direction.

"Hey! That was uncalled for!"

Ukyo stopped at the grill and grabbed her bandolier. She slung it on and filled several slots with her usual assortment of little spatulas. "I was going to ask you what your plans for the day are. No offense, sugar, but I don't exactly trust you to stay put. If you want you can come to school with me. The only way I can think of to make sure you don't wander off is if I bring a backpack to school with me and you hide in it for the day as P-chan," she said with a grimace.

"I'm not that bad!" Ryoga defended hotly, a blush creeping across his face.

Ukyo crossed her arms and levelled an unimpressed look at him.

Ryoga's blush deepened and he averted his eyes.

He's so easy to fluster, she thought with a giggle. "Well? I don't wanna be late so hurry up!"

Several tense seconds went past and Ukyo could see the cursed boy really thinking about it. He sighed and she figured that he'd reached a decision.

He looked at her with an unhappy and uncomfortable expression. "Please don't prance around or swing your backpack into anything, alright?"

"Does that mean...?"

"I've done worse," Ryoga muttered, slipping off the stool and trudging over to Ukyo's sink. He grabbed a cup, filled it with water, stuck his head over the sink and tipped the cup. It landed in the sink with a rattle as the hand that held it disappeared.

Ukyo looked at the unhappy little piglet on the floor. "It's not the end of the world," she said, a bit exasperated by his melodramatic outlook on life. She snatched up a tea towel, gave him a quick dry with it, then went to fetch her backpack. She came back, opened it, then folded the tea towel and put it inside like a makeshift bed. She hastily plopped P-chan inside before ducking across to her fridge and grabbing an extra meal stored inside. Ukyo stuffed it next to her own lunch in her original school bag, picked up the backpack and carefully put it on.

"We can make it through the day," she said, more to herself than her porcine passenger. Declaration made the girl headed to school.

Ryoga snorted softly and snuffled around a bit, inspecting his prison. Sure, it was comfy and smelled like cooked food and nice perfume, which was an interesting combination in itself, but it was still a place he was confined to for the near future. It was roomier in here than Akane's bag when the youngest Tendo had taken him to school the day after adopting him as her pet. Ryoga shuffled his hooves around a bit, stirring up the tea towel so it was less flat, and laid down. He was going to be here for a while so he wanted to at least be comfortable, despite the backpack's constant motion as Ukyo moved.

Ukyo gave a wry smile as she felt the movements against her back. "If you gotta go to the bathroom or something then just signal me, got it?"

Her reply was a strangled "Bwee!" and a snort.

"I don't speak pig, but I'm gonna take that as a 'yes'," she said with a roll of her eyes. She was glad that no one was around to see her apparently talking to herself. That certainly wouldn't do her reputation, or that of her restaurant, a lick of good.

Ryoga knew they had reached the school solely due to the large amount of teenage chatter he could hear. The typical teenage topics that make younger children cringe and older people sigh with nostalgia reached his long ears. He frowned. Even back in Junior High, when he still attended school before setting off to China after Ranma, he had never truly been part of that teenage school life.

He had been something of a loner at school. The other boys were put off by his lack of direction, his martial arts skills and his looks. They had found his fangs and almost ever-present scowl intimidating enough that none had ever approached him offering the hand of friendship in an honest way. There had been a number that had tried, but not exactly for the sake of friendship. Some had wanted him to essentially be their bodyguard against bullies; others had been those bullies and wanted him to join their gangs and help take out rivals and 'earn profits' by beating lunch money out of people.

Although he had always felt bad about turning away those that sought protection it was for the best for everyone involved. Even though it was a martial artist's duty to protect the weak as long as Ryoga stayed 'neutral' then the balance of power, slightly skewed though it was, remained.

But then along came a boy named Ranma.

Ranma's arrival, and subsequent lunch victories over Ryoga, had completely shifted the balance of power.

For Ryoga school had been annoying but tolerable. After Ranma left school had become a nightmare. Those that had been bullied before avoided him like the plague. They no longer believed he had the power to protect them after losing against the new kid over and over. The gangs now thought him weak and would attack him in all sorts of ways.

He never truly fought back though...he knew he would have seriously injured them and a martial artist was not meant to fight like that.

It had only taken a couple of weeks for Ryoga to decide to leave the school and pursue Ranma - to defeat him and prove that he wasn't to be brushed aside; wasn't worthless. Ryoga was happy with how strong his travels had made him, how much his skills had improved. If it hadn't been for Jusenkyo...!

Ukyo hesitantly placed her backpack next to her feet as she sat at her desk and hoped no one noticed the almost inaudible growling and faint battle aura leaking from it. What the heck was Hibiki doing in there?

The cute fiancée heard the raised voices of her beloved and his 'uncute' fiancée. They were obviously in the middle of another petty argument but both of them would surely notice the battle aura, even as weak as it was. Ukyo poked the backpack with her nearest foot, digging it into the material until she met physical resistance. She quickly leaned down on the pretence of fixing the pack more upright and hissed, "Behave!" as quietly but fiercely as she could.

The battle aura flared for a moment before dying out, the growls fading to silence as well.

Ukyo gave a small, satisfied nod and straightened up in her chair just in time to see Ranma and Akane enter the classroom. He was frowning but trying to look bored while Akane was simply scowling at him. Akane huffed and turned away.

This was her chance!

She could easily go up to him during break and offer a sympathetic and understanding ear whilst she fed him her own cooking, just as a good fiancée should. Ranma would see that while Akane hurt him she never would - then he would break things off with the youngest Tendo and be with his true love - her!

It was perfect!

Or...it would be if there was no piglet with her. She couldn't just leave Ryoga like that, but she couldn't take him with her. Things would inevitably go south and Ukyo really didn't want to deal with such a mess. She grit her teeth and hoped Ryoga seriously appreciated this.

An image of the stuffed toy he'd bought her flashed through her mind. She released her jaw. There would always be another opportunity like this here at school.

Ryoga hunkered down further into the tea towel and listed to one side a bit. Ukyo had dug her shoe right into his side and, despite how tough he was, his cursed form was far more physically vulnerable than his normal human form. His ribs were currently reminding him of this fact, but Ukyo would likely prod him again, less gently this time, if he made any sort of fuss over it.

This was going to be a long day.

With nothing else to do he conjured his mental candle flame and devoted himself to meditation.

When the bell rang for lunch break Ukyo grabbed her backpack and slipped out of the room while Ranma and Akane weren't looking. She didn't entirely believe they'd give up checking up on her just yet.

She found a nice, quiet spot that was mostly hidden from casual passers-by. She set the pack down gently and sat beside it, pulling the top of it open and toppling the backpack sideways.

Ryoga shuffled forward and gave a confused squeal as a nicely packed lunch with no lid was placed in front of his nose.

"What, you didn't think I'd let you starve?" Ukyo said as she raised one eyebrow at him.

The "Bwee!" he gave in reply sounded thankful at least.

"...I almost slipped right back into 'blindly devoted fiancée' mode," she said softly after a couple of minutes.

Ryoga stopped eating ad stared at her. He tilted his head to one side and made an inquisitive noise.

Ukyo sighed. "I saw Ranma and Akane not getting along, as usual, and all I could think of was how I could swoop in during break and comfort him with food and sympathy in the hopes that he'd notice how much better I was for him."

The silence stretched on and Ryoga gave a loud snort to gain her attention.

She gave her head a little shake and grinned at him sheepishly. "It wasn't until...after...that I realised what I'd done. I've gone through with that plan more times than I care to count and never accomplished what I wanted. Ranchan was always happy and grateful for the food of course...but that was it. I...I can't do that anymore, Ryo-chan."

Ryoga's brain ground to a halt as it processed the sudden nickname that wasn't pig related. Where had that come from?!

"Honestly, Ranma, how did you manage to get splashed between the classroom and outside?" Akane's voice drifted over them.

"I don't gotta explain nothin' to you," came Ranma's female-voiced retort.

"Then I guess you don't want this hot water?" Akane asked in a sing-song way.

"Hey, gimme that!" Ranma shouted.

There were the sounds of a light scuffle and then the distinct noise of something flying through the air.

"Ranmaaa...!"

Ukyo and Ryoga saw the dull yellow kettle flying towards them. Both of them quickly calculated its trajectory.

Ryoga gave a frightened squeal and took off, dashing away as fast as he could.

The kettle landed on Ukyo's backpack; a portion of its contents soaking the fabric. She stared at it blankly until Ranma and Akane slid into view.

The short-haired girl took in the whole scene with a glance. "Oh my gosh, Ukyo, I am SO sorry!" she exclaimed.

"It's fine, no harm done," Ukyo said as Ranma snatched up the kettle and poured its remaining contents over her head, her red hair turning back into his more familiar black.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Ucchan. You didn't get hit or anything?" he asked, trying to be casual and failing as usual.

"My backpack got wet, that's all," she answered nonchalantly.

"What are you doing here all alone?" asked Akane.

Since the best lies were based on truths Ukyo decided to go with that angle. "I tried a new recipe the other night. It turned out quite well, so I thought I'd take the chance while I had a quiet moment to come up with another."

The casual sounding answer took the wind right out of Akane's sails. She started to wonder if Ukyo really was okay now that Ryoga had returned whatever it was he had taken. Or was she doing better because she was spending time with him? If Ukyo really did like Ryoga then it must have been hard for her with him wandering around lost for so long, with only brief visits between long absences.

"Oh...then I'm really sorry we interrupted you," Akane said, dipping her head and then grabbing Ranma's pigtail, dragging the boy away while he loudly protested.

When Ukyo was sure the two were quite a distance away she called Ryoga's name as loudly as she dared. She waited but there was no answer. She hoped he hadn't gone very far, but lunch was just about over and she didn't have the time to go searching.

She picked up Ryoga's abandoned lunch, surprisingly mostly dry, and placed it on the ground. Ukyo plucked a spatula from her bandolier and held it upside-down, scrawling a message into the ground right next to the food.

This food is for lost pets
- Ukyo

There. With any luck the fanged teen would make his way back here, finish eating, and stay put. She would come to collect the container when school ended and perhaps take a little piggy home as well.

Ryoga knew the day would not go smoothly. He had prayed of course, but those on the celestial plane seemed far more interested in using him for some twisted entertainment than answering prayers like benevolent beings should.

His only thoughts when he had seen the kettle had been 'Ack! Hot water!', 'I'll be naked!' and 'Akane will see me! It'll all be over!'

That last thought had been unbearable - Akane would know her beloved pet pig had been nothing but a lie. He would consider himself lucky if she decided never to speak to him again, but it was more likely that if he was ever exposed as P-chan to Akane that his life would end that day. Either she would kill him in her rage and disgust or he would end up taking his own life in depression and shame.

No matter how much he pondered the issue of Akane discovering his Jusenkyo curse he always pictured it ending badly. Not even his vivid and romantically-inclined imagination could picture him having any sort of life with her if that particular secret was revealed to her.

Ryoga slumped in a patch of grass in the shade of a tree. He didn't know how far he'd dashed in his blind panic and he had no supplies if he found himself lost for the night. Finding Ukyo, Akane or even Ranma could take hours at best. He didn't have his clothes either, so finding any hot water, like a public bathhouse, was useless.

A familiar heavy feeling came over him and he sighed heavily. Time no longer held any meaning for him while immersed in his bubble of misery until he began to sniff. A faint aroma reached his nostrils and he sniffed a few more times, trying to place the scent and where it was coming from. His sense of smell was much better and stronger as a piglet and he let it lead him. He meandered across the school grounds, finally coming to a stop in front of the box of lunch Ukyo had given him. Why did she leave it behind?

His eyes scanned the immediate vicinity and alighted upon the message she'd left. He read it and snorted.

A warm feeling sparked to life somewhere inside him and he smiled. Ryoga sat beside the box and slowly worked his way through the food, feeling much better. There was nothing like a nice home-cooked meal, especially made by someone talented in the cooking arts.

If only Akane could cook half as well as this, he thought. He viciously shook his head, as if hoping to send the traitorous thought flying out of his ears. A little voice, sounding suspiciously like his own, whispered from a dark corner of his mind. 'She's very cute and a good fighter when need be, but she needs to be kept far away from a kitchen until she knows that she needs to taste everything before she serves anybody anything.'

Ryoga growled at the insidious little voice, but a part of him knew it was the truth. He would never insult Akane's cooking like that jerk Ranma though!

When the food was gone he laid down and curled up beside the empty box, his eyes slowly closing as the pull of sleep became too hard to ignore.

The school day was finally over and Ukyo stretched her shoulders and arms as the students most eager to escape fled the classroom. She slipped out of the room just before Ranma and Akane and headed to where she'd left Ryoga's lunch.

To her delight there was a little black lump with a piece of yellow and black cloth around its neck exactly where she hoped it would be. Ukyo knelt next to the lump and prodded it with a finger. It snuffled and uncurled enough to lift its head and look at her with bleary eyes.

"Wake up, sleepyhead, it's time to go," she said cheerfully.

Ryoga shook off the last remnants of sleep and climbed to his stubby, hoofed legs. He watched as Ukyo quickly packed away the container then turned to give him a strange look. He flicked an ear at her.

"You don't wanna go back in the bag, do you?" she suddenly asked.

Ryoga emphatically shook his head.

"I'm not gonna carry you like Akane does. I don't like you that way."

He had the grace to look ashamed at that.

With a little hum Ukyo grabbed the back of his bandanna and put him on her left shoulder. "This'll work."

Ryoga blinked, only just registering that he'd moved. Ukyo's hands were fast! Not as fast as Ranma, granted, but still impressive. He gave the girl a small grunt and latched his hooves on as best he could.

"Okay, let's get out of here," she said as she stood up. A quick check showed that Ryoga had good balance so she started walking towards the school gates.

Just outside the gates stood Ranma and Akane, in the midst of a discussion. Ukyo thought of hiding but didn't get the chance to follow through as they both turned and spotted her.

"P-chan!" Akane exclaimed, her eyes immediately drawn to the piglet.

Ranma's eyes narrowed at the sight of Ryoga perched on Ukyo's shoulder. "What are you doin' with Ucchan, Mr P?" he asked, his tone a mix of suspicion and sarcasm.

Ukyo's mind raced as she felt the piglet tense up. "W-well, I thought I heard something so I went to check it out, you know? I found P-chan wandering around and I didn't want to leave him by himself, so I figured I'd take him with me. What good luck that I ran into you guys!" she said, trailing off with a weak laugh.

"Oh, Ukyo, thank you!" Akane said with a bright and grateful smile. She held her hands out and stepped closer, intent clear. After a second's hesitation her beloved pet jumped into her arms and she hugged him close.

Ranma was now scowling deeply and Ukyo knew what he was thinking now that she was privy to P-chan's secret. Unlike the pigtailed boy, however, she noticed the piglet didn't look as comfortable as he usually did in that position.

Ryoga sent her an apologetic expression just before Akane bid her goodbye and strode off.

Ukyo wondered who would've taken the piglet home if he'd been given a choice. A short while ago she would've put money on Akane, anytime, anywhere. But now she wasn't quite so sure.

She started the long walk back to her place. Ukyo would have dinner alone tonight.

The walk to the dojo was incredibly awkward. He was in Akane's arms, warm, safe and loved, but he was having trouble taking any pleasure from his position. This wasn't the first time he found his happiness wavering where it should be flourishing. 'This is all Ranma's fault!'

He froze.

Was this what Ukyo had been talking about earlier at lunch? Falling into the same old thought patterns and habits? Ryoga carefully thought things over. Ranma had nothing to do with his current feelings of confusion, so it wasn't his fault...

The piglet stared at his rival. Ranma seemed to sense it and turned to meet his gaze. There was a defensive and questioning look in his eyes so Ryoga huffed a dismissive snort. He almost squealed as he was suddenly yanked away from Akane.

Ranma's face was too close for comfort as he held Ryoga aloft by the bandanna.

Ryoga was tempted to see if he could spit on Ranma as a pig.

"What the heck, piggy? Did you eat somethin' weird?" Ranma asked, giving Ryoga a light shake.

'Akane is watching - act like a pig!' Ryoga let loose that squeal he held in and flailed around. He was swiftly rescued from the air by Akane.

"How many times, Ranma? I'm tired of telling you to stop picking on poor P-chan!"

"I wasn't picking on the stupid pig!"

Ryoga closed his eyes and sighed, imagining the delicious meal over the counter he would miss out on because of this. Kasumi was amazing in the kitchen, but Ryoga liked some conversation during a meal that he could properly participate in. Baby talk and insults didn't count.

He could barely believe it. He wanted to escape the Tendos to have dinner with Ukyo! They hadn't even reached the dojo yet! Ryoga tucked his face into Akane's elbow.

Akane stopped berating her hapless fiancé and looked at her pet with concern. "Maybe he did eat something he shouldn't have?"

Ranma muttered something unflattering under his breath.

Ryoga caught the words Akane, cooking, survive and anything. It didn't take much to fill in the gaps. He shot the pigtailed boy a filthy look which was followed by verbal and physical threats from the short-haired girl. The rest of the journey was a mad sprint as Ranma hopped ahead, taunting all the while, and Akane raced to close the distance between them so she could try and break his nose.

Akane left her pet in her room and went to take a bath. Ryoga figured that Ranma would show up for a chat sooner or later. As though summoned, Ranma appeared upside down in the window. The window was eased open and Ryoga launched himself, nailing Ranma square in the face, and sent both of them flying away from the house.

Ranma recovered quickly and landed lightly on his feet, knees bent to help absorb the shock of impact, and he snagged the airborne porcine. A couple of quick hops and the two were in the room Ranma shared with his father. A splash from a kettle and some borrowed clothes left the pair of boys in an awkward silence.

"Well?!" Ranma blurted after a while.

"I am, yeah. Thanks for asking," Ryoga replied, picturing his mind's candle flame. Perhaps if he could stay calm then he might actually resolve something without fists and for more long-term.

"What the heck? Don't play dumb with me, man!"

Ryoga sighed. "What? Just...what?"

"What's going on with you and Ukyo?" Ranma demanded, crossing his arms.

"Afraid of losing your 'cute fiancée'?" asked Ryoga, making quote marks with his fingers.

Ranma was brought up short, blinking stupidly as he processed what had been said. "So... Kasumi was right?"

The bandanna-clad boy raised an eyebrow. "Right about what?"

Ranma fidgeted a little. "Kasumi said you two were...uh...having a...romanticcandlelitdinner," he said, rushing the last few words.

Ryoga's brain stalled for several seconds. "Romantic?" he choked out. "N-no way!"

"But...Kasumi saw you buying food and candles!"

Ryoga sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, so what? Ukyo was trying something new and the candles are mine. I haven't even used any yet."

"So the romantic dinner?"

"Never existed!" he snapped.

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh. Now will you quit prying, Ranma?"

Ranma held his hands up in a surrendering gesture.

" Finally!" Ryoga hissed out, grabbing a nearby glass of water and upending it on himself. The black piglet kicked free of the borrowed clothes and sat before the door, staring at the handle.

Ranma rolled his eyes but got up and opened the door. "Good thing you haven't tried anything with Ukyo or I would've had to hurt you," he said with a smirk.

The flickering candle flame became a raging bonfire. Ryoga instantly spun around and sprang, hooves aimed to blind. If Ranma couldn't see how much he was hurting Ukyo then what did he need eyes for?

Ranma flinched at the sudden attack and managed to duck enough that the piglet's hooves only passed through some of his hair. "What the heck?!" he spluttered in frustration, neatly sidestepping as Ryoga ricocheted off the wall and watching as the porcine missile whistled past.

His words were ignored as red flames consumed Ryoga's mind. He bounced off another wall, then the ceiling, aiming once more for Ranma's face. His vision flashed white as his body registered something fast and powerful smacking into it. His vision went black as his eyes instinctively closed and he felt his back impact the wall. He slid down and laid on the floor for several seconds, dazed, before shaking it off - the flames dissipating as his vision cleared.

"...Ryoga?" Ranma asked somewhat tentatively, arms up in a defensive pose.

The pig snorted in reply and visibly wilted, still lying on the floor. 'I did it again!' he thought morosely. 'It was like all that effort to meditate was wasted, I just...snapped so quickly. At least I'm a pig and had a much lower chance of doing any real harm to him, let alone kill...'

Ryoga stood up, not daring to look at Ranma. Partly for fear of what expression he would see and partly for fear of the anger returning. He trudged out the still open door. 'Not that he doesn't deserve a good beating, but I don't think I would've stopped...' he thought as he walked down the hallway a short distance before plopping down on his haunches. He figured Akane would find him when she finished her bath and it would be safer than if he tried to find her room on his own.

A strong urge to return to Ukyo's hit him, but he was so tired. Which he found ridiculous; it wasn't even dark outside yet. His ears drooped and he curled in on himself.

Ranma poked his head into the hallway and saw the lost boy in a tight little piggy ball. There was a niggling feeling in the back of his mind that something was definitely wrong and needed to be fixed as soon as possible. He frowned and retreated, heading for the window to go downstairs via the yard. He would try again later, but for now he would let sleeping pigs lie.

A/N: Yeah, my motivation lasted a while, but then I lost it when I only had a page left of this chapter to write. I haven't written much in the last year or so since as I've been busy getting to know the area, settling in, looking for work etc. That friend I started showing Ranma 1/2 to way back in 2018 remembered it and wanted to watch the rest as we'd only gotten partway through season two. I was, of course, only too happy to watch it again and my motivation to finish this came back a few dvds later.

I know I'm a very slow updater, but I write for fun and when I feel up to it. I'm happy to share my work with you all, but I promise no fast updates. I hope you understand. Also this chapter is un-beta'd, so let me know if you spot any mistakes and I'll fix them.

NOTE: This is a reminder that I have the progress of each story's next chapter posted on my profile and I update it whenever I manage to write more of any chapter. Please check my profile page for the progress of this story's next chapter too!

I hope my old readers are still enjoying this and welcome to any new readers!