Chapter 3: Some Kind Advice

A shrouded figure, dressed in a dark-green robe which hid its features almost completely, plodded its way across the landscape, pausing occasionally to catch its breath by leaning on a staff in its hands. Each passing step falling a bit heavier than the last and showing no intention of either stopping or resting until reaching its final destination, the figure bravely continued on. With a depressed-sounding sigh, the figure stopped, looked up, and stared at the sky.

"Ranma!" the figure howled, "Somehow, I know this is all your fault! I'm going to make you pay for-" With a slight swish, and a clang, Ukyo Kuonji leapt out of a nearby bush and slammed the figure with her spatula in a upwards swing to the head. A low groan escaped from the figure's lips as it slumped down to its knees. Ukyo reached out with her right hand and pulled back the hood-

"R-ryoga?!" Ukyo gasped taking a step backwards, "Wow, I guess it has been a long time... What have you been up to lately, Ryoga?" She held out her hand apologetically, offering to help him back up onto his feet while considering the possibilities that now lay before her. An old, hardened rival like Ryoga might prove useful in the future...

"Huh? W-what? Where the heck am I?" Ryoga's eyes snapped open as he leapt back up to his feet. As far as he could tell, Ukyo had simply leapt out of no-where and slammed him for no apparent reason. What confused him even more is that Ukyo had been anywhere close enough to him to even be able to speak to him, let alone attack him.

Ukyo rolled her eyes and sighed. The boy's total lack of navigational skills, together with the fact that he seemed to simply appear at both the most opportune and inopportune moments, annoyed her to no end. Still... An ally was an ally... Even if she had to take it upon herself to make sure he didn't get lost again. "Your in the Furiken High courtyard, your idiot... Didn't you even realize that your in Nermia?" Ukyo grabbed him by the shirt and held his face close to hers in order to ensure that he heard every word.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Ryoga shouted, a bit too loudly, "I was wandering in the mountains outside Tibet just yesterday! I can't be in Nerima..." Ryoga shook his head, and chuckled, "Why have you been following me, Ukyo? Do you have something to confess?" It was almost as if Ryoga thought she had developed some sort of attachment, despite the fact that he was fully aware of her infatuation with Ranma. Still, that didn't keep Ryoga from having an overly-active imagination, an imagination in which the girls always seemed to go for the strong, innocent, yet kind-types. Over the time that had passed since Ranma and Akane's foiled wedding, Ryoga had developed an over-emphisized sense of his own attractiveness. Perhaps Akari's affections were getting to his head a bit... Which was odd, considering that since she did have a strong obsession with pigs, of all things, almost to the point of a religious sort of attachment. Whatever his reasoning behind it was, if there was any, Ukyo's response quickly cured him of his delusions.

"Ryoga, you idiot!" Ukyo slammed her spatula back down on top of Ryoga's head, "Take a look over there! It's Ranma and Akane." Simply the idea of herself being interested in him, or anyone other than Ranma for that matter, annoyed her to no end. She had a single objective, and no self-deceived jerk like Ryoga was going to keep her from it. "Seriously, Ryoga... Sometimes you can be such an air-head. Get a hold of yourself, will ya?" Ukyo fumed, "Who do you think you are?"

The last strike seemed to snap Ryoga back to reality, even if it was simply a temporary remedy. He peered in the direction Ukyo had pointed out, and easily recongnized the most well-known couple in all of Nermia. "That Ranma... Dragging Akane with him all the way out to Tibet just so that he can be alone and secluded. Honestly, what is he thinking? Wait... What did you say about Furinkan High?"

A large bead of sweat formed on the back of Ukyo's head, "I give up... Get over here and shut up! I have a few things I need to talk to you about." Ignoring his idle threats, flailing arms, and muffled protests against Ukyo "forcing herself" on him, Ukyo grabbed Ryoga and pulled him behind a thick clump of shrubs.

---

Meanwhile, Ranma and Akane, who had noticed the pair's antics, were more than a little amused. "Imagine... Ukyo and Ryoga," Ramna chuckled, elbowing Akane slightly as a friendly gesture, "Who would have thought they would be kicking their relationship up to the next level so quickly? And I thought Ryoga was the shy type... Silly me."

"I thought Ukyo was still trying to get over you, Ranma... Well, as long as Ryoga and Ukyo are happy, I guess that's the important thing," Akane replied with a slight sigh, slightly laced with jealousy. Not that she felt any attachment to Ryoga, but... She almost hoped Ranma would try something more bold, something-

Ranma interrupted her line of thought before it got too far ahead of her, "Wait... your not... Jealous, are you Akane?" Ranma had harbored a secret fear that she would fall for his rival, and the way she appeared sad, almost depressed, only added fuel to the slightly simmering fear. Perhaps considering the consequences of his blatant statement a few seconds too late, Ranma glanced down at Akane to study her reaction. What he saw was as expected as it was painful.

"You JERK!" Akane punched him square in the face, sending him flying into a nearby tree with a loud crash as flesh met bark-covered wood. With a huff, Akane spun on her heel and began to walk away, "Me, jealous... You have GOT to be kidding me..."

"She sure seemed jealous to me," Ranma grumbled, picking himself up off the ground and running after Akane, "Hey! Wait up!"

---

"You got all that?" Ukyo whispered to her accomplice, "After making sure the two of them bicker at school, your going to... Stir things up a bit in the Tendo residence, while making sure Ranma takes all the hits for the chaos. That way, Akane will get upset at Ranma even more than usual. Eventually, it will get through to Ranma that Akane's being unreasonable. That's where I come in." Noting Ryoga's slightly puzzled expression, Ukyo smiled sweetly, "Got that, Sugar?"

"Uh... Yeah, I got it... But why exactly am I doing this for you?" Ryoga scratched the back of his head in confusion, "I thought... I thought Ranma and Akane had confessed their feelings for each other and had come out here in order to... Wait... If Ukyo still thinks she has a chance with Ranma, then that means that... They HAVEN'T confessed to each other, which means..." Ryoga's mind began to wander, perhaps treading on ground not even Kuno himself dared to tread.

A dusky sunset as the backdrop, a slight wind in the air blowing through their hair, and soft, melodic music whispering in their ears: this was the scene that now lay before them. Akane stepped towards Ryoga, her hands delicately folded together and her eyes transfixed on his. She opened her mouth, but Ryoga spoke up first.

"Akane, I don't understand... I thought you were in love with Ranma, I thought you had agreeded to marry him," Ryoga struggled to suppress his inner desires, "I thought-" Akane reached forward and embraced him, softly wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"No... Don't ever say that, Ryoga," she said in a voice barely above a whisper, her every word as clear, beautiful, and distinct as the sky above them, "Ryoga... It's you that I love. It just... It just took me a while to finally accept it myself. Ranma and I... We just weren't meant to be. He... He ran off with the other girls, and... Dumped me like a useless piece of trash! Oh, please Ryoga, love me!" At the stare of her pleading eyes, and caring words, Ryoga's self-control broke down entirely...

"RYOGA, YOU JERK!" Ukyo punched Ryoga right in the jaw, "Come back to reality, will you?!" The pain, together with the fact that Akane as well as the rest of the scene had suddenly vanished, brought Ryoga back into a reasonable sense of mind. "Are you going to help me or aren't you?" Ukyo huffed, turning her back on Ryoga for a moment, "I thought you would jump at the opportunity to get back at Ranma for your suffering."

Ryoga's eyes brightened up at the suggestion, suddenly filled with anticipation of his new mission, "You got it! I'm right behind you, Ukyo!" The prospect of both causing trouble for his rival, keeping him from taking Akane as his own, and possibly winning her for himself proved to be an opportunity too tantalizing for the chronically lost martial artist to pass up.

"Don't worry, I will teach that jerk not to mess around with Akane's feelings any longer!" Ryoga declared, standing tall and firm, his right hand pointed in the direction he had last seen his rival take, while his left hand was clenched and held close to his face, "Ranma, prepare to-" The rest of Ryoga's rant was cut short by a familiar pair of feet landing square on the top of his head.

"And to think I began to believe you changed... Ryoga, you can't even spend ten minutes with Ukyo without trying to pull her into one of your little schemes, eh?" Ranma's slightly amused voice rang quite clearly inside Ukyo's ears.

"R-ranma," Ukyo stuttered, suddenly realizing how vulnerable her position had just become. If Ranma had been able to piece things together, this may well have marked the end of Ukyo's schemes. Fortunately for Ukyo, however, Ranma proved to be less attentive to such details than would be expected of a martial artist. "How long have you been listening to... us?" Ukyo attempted to regain her composure.

"Oh, come on Ucchan," Ranma chuckled hopping down from his perch upon Ryoga's head, "You know me better than that. I don't just eavesdrop on discussions for no apparent reason." Ranma eyed Ryoga suspiciously, bending over slightly to capture a better look at his expression as he added, "but tell me, Ryoga... What exactly DID you have planned?"

Ranma's arrogance and apparently unconcerned demeanor infuriated Ryoga, but he simply growled, "You will find out soon enough, Ranma... and this time, you will be sorry!" Although he may have given Ranma a similar retort many times in the past, this one time Ryoga meant to convey the full meaning of those few words. He wanted to make Ranma feel despondent, unloved, and above all else wretched. he didn't necessarily hate Ranma, but he did intend to make Ranma feel as horrible as was in his power to bestow upon him. What better way to punish Ranma than to use the very one that he loved? The more Ryoga thought about it, the more he believed it to be the most brilliant plan he had ever envisioned.

"Come on, Ranma," Akane grabbed Ranma by his pigtail and yanked it in the direction of the school, "Stop bullying Ryoga get to class on time for a change! Seriously, you need to start taking your education more seriously. There is more to life than picking fights with people, especially if they are weaker than you."

"B-but Akane, you got it all wrong!" Ranma protested, but Akane refused to listen to another word that came out of the martial artist's mouth. She had become fed-up with Ranma's selfish behavior and utter lack of concern for others as she saw it. Akane decided not to stand idly by when he decided to make a scene or otherwise attempt to express his superiority over everyone else.

"Bye bye, Ranchan," Ukyo called as Akane half-dragged Ranma back into the school building despite his protests, adding as soon as she felt certain that he had walked out of earshot, "Today will be the day that we will long remember as the beginning of our long and meaningful relationship."

Ryoga sighed, not exactly enthused over the idea of Ukyo winning over Ranma for herself. Sure, it freed up things for Akane and himself, but it was not his intention for Ranma to simply find happiness elsewhere. Still, he had agreed to Ukyo's conditions so he went along with it anyway.

"Alright Ryoga, do your stuff!" Ukyo reached behind her and held up a bucket of water above Ryoga's head emptying its contents onto him before he could so much as consider bringing up an argument. He cast a sidelong glance laced with annoyance at Ukyo, but he knew full well that he needed to conceal his identity in order for this plan to work. He ran off after Ranma and Akane without waiting a moment longer.

---

With a disgruntled sigh, Ranma eased back into his seat and glanced in Akane's direction. Not only did he receive a rather unconcerned and distant huff from Akane, he also duly noted the way she had actually been stealing a glance at him earlier. It neither entered his mind, nor did it register in his sub-concious, that she might have actually already forgiven him for his earlier behavior. Taking it as an aggressive gesture, Ranma reached into his bag and pulled out his notebook with a sigh. Making a scene after the professor had stepped up to his desk would only result in the two of them having to stand out in the hall holding buckets of water for the rest of the class period. It went without saying it that Akane would be even more upset with him if he brought that upon them. He decided to simply resign himself to whatever punishment she intended to deal out to him after class.

"I wonder what's got her so fired up today. She wouldn't stop arguing with me on the way to school... I bet she's still upset over my comment about Ukyo," Ranma ran back over the event again in his mind, "She must think I like her more, or something strange like that. If she wasn't being so darn stubborn and unreasonable all the time, perhaps I wouldn't have to say stuff like that."

Ranma shifted in his seat, briefly considering if he was taking the wrong approach. What if she wasn't upset about Ukyo at all? "She did mention that I need to take my education more seriously." Ranma briefly considered how Akane might respond to such a drastic change, assuming he could pull it off. The rather icy glare from Akane alerted him to the fact that he had let his mind drift, completely missing the professor's opening remarks. He sighed, knowing full well that if he asked Akane for her lecture notes while she was still in a bad mood, she would likely burn them up sooner than let him borrow them.

Gathering his thoughts together and focusing his mind, Ranma placed his pencil down on the paper and scrawled down whatever bits and pieces he felt were important to the current subject of the japanese monarchy. Although Ranma could not, for the life of him, understand how japanese history could in any way benefit his martial arts, he attempted to pay attention anyway. As long as it helped patch up things between Akane and himself, it might just be worth a shot... Even if she was acting very uncute at the moment.

---

The small, black swine peered around the corner of the main hall. All the doors were shut, and not a soul walked the corridors. The quickening pace of his beating heart being the most significant sound, the timid animal stepped along the side of the wall on the tips of his hooves. The last time he had decided to visit Akane at school, he had nearly ended up as a decorative side dish in one of the Kuno family's lush feasts. Whatever plans the maniacal Kodatchi had intended to put into action during her visit where quickly tossed aside at the sight of the "cute piggy which would make a delicious side-dish for her Ranma-darling." He cringed at the thought of what could have happened to him if the old perverted man, Happosai, hadn't rushed by with his usual crowd of infuriated females. In the ensuing chaos, the small animal had managed to slip out unscathed... Save a few unavoidable stomps from the schoolgirl mob.

Ranma and his "harem" of would-be wives frequently caused trouble for Ryoga one way or another. Wether it was attempting to turn him into some sort of food product for Ranma to consume, or beating him out of the way when the rest of them wanted some alone time with the jerk, they would generally treat him as roughly as Ranma himself would. Why did Ranma get all the girls? According to Ryoga at least, he always acted hot-headed, rude, and selfish jerk to just about everyone, including his fiancee Akane. Honestly, what did they all see in that guy that made him so darn desirable? Was it his rugged good looks? Ryoga doubted it. Was it his strength? He believed he had already proven himself more physically capable than Ranma on several occasions. Was it the pigtail? Well, he didn't know about that...

A low, tolling bell derailed Ryoga's train of thought. The classroom doors slid open, and the occupants poured out in droves. Ryoga's eyes grew wide as soon as he realized that he still stood at the corner of the hall... A particularly high-traffic section of the school. He ducked his head down and zipped along the side of the wall, trying to remain relatively inconspicuous. He stopped for a moment, staring up at the classroom door which had not yet opened, which also just so happened to be the class Akane and Ranma were currently attending. The door slid back and a familiar pair of legs stepped out, nearly landing on Ryoga's head. "OH! P-chan!" the sound of her voice caused his heart to flutter. She knelt down beside him and took him into her arms. Even if he appeared to be merely her pet pig, he saw himself as much, much more. Cuddling into her embrace Ryoga thanked all that was good in the world for these few short moments of bliss...

"Well, whadda know... It's P-chan," the calm, haughty tone could belong to none other than Ryoga's arch-rival, Ranma Satome. He leaned against the door frame and eyed Akane skeptically with his arms crossed in front of him, "Akane, have you ever really wondered why P-chan always seems to stay the same? I mean, come on... Pigs don't stay small like that for over two years."

Ryoga froze for a moment, his eyes growing wide. Ranma did have a point... Apparently, the curse didn't age with his body as he he remained a piglet despite the fact that he had carried it for a significant amount of time. He quickly considered his options, but thankfully for him, Akane beat him to it.

"Oh, so just because P-chan's cute you have to go and get jealous of him!" Akane scoffed, "Seriously, Ranma... You need to grow up!"

"I'm the one who needs to grow up? Remind me again... Who is the one who sleeps with the widdle piggy?" Ranma shot back with a slight smirk.

With an angered glare, Akane squeezed Ryoga tightly, who rubbed his face up and down Akane's arms. The muscles in Ranma's right hand tightened, and the veins running along the side of his forehead stood out. His heart rate quickened, and his legs flinched. Although he fought hard to contain his fighting spirit and remain calm, he knew full well it was a loosing battle against himself. Ryoga laid his head down on her chest, his eyes drifting back towards Ranma with a casual grin.

"That jerk... He's taunting me," Ranma mumbled. Images in his mind of what he might have planned to do to her tonight while she slept trickled in... This resulted in an almost instinctual counter-attack from Ranma, ripping the perverted pig out of Akane's arms and holding it high above his head. Without wasting a second, the small swine bit down on Ranma's hand, evoking an angered growl from the pig-taild martial artist. He thrust his hand down towards the ground, impounding his rival into the floor. Although Ranma had only recently come to terms with his curse, Ryoga had begun taking full advantage of his alter ego almost from the start. Did it stand an an affront to Ryoga's manliness? On the contrary, for it allowed him to get close to Akane in ways Ranma could only dream about... and to top it off, Ryoga could then accomplish his fiendish plot with the anonymity of a mere pet pig. Ranma slightly smirked as he held the momentarily stunned pig in place, considering how generally helpless he was in this form despite the advantages it got him with Akane.

A swift strike from Akane, however, wiped Ranma's triumphant smirk clean off his face. He reeled backwards slightly as Akane stepped up with her fist raised. Anger, disappointment, and distain tinged her expression as she advanced upon Ranma. There was no stopping her when she felt someone had affronted her. No amount of reasoning, nor any physical barrier for that matter, could in any way restrict Akane Tendo from her mission... Dispite the futility, Ranma thought it best to try anyway.

"A-akane," Ranma protested, stepping backwards at the same rate at which Akane was advancing, "Look, there is no need to-" the rest of Ranma's speech was cut short by a devastating blow to the left side of his body, sending him flying out the window. If there was any way in which Akane outmatched Ranma, it was in pure determination and brute strength... She made full use of both of them to send him flying far off into the distant school grounds. The students of Furinken High had become accustomed to Ranma's frequent flights on Akane Air, and the numerous resultant repairs that followed... Needless to say, no one really seemed to notice the significance of this particular fight.

"Just leave me and P-chan alone! I... I hate you, Ranma!" Akane hissed, gathering her pet back into her arms. Ryoga shook his head from side to side, still a bit confused as to what had just transpired after being slammed into the floor. As he began to piece things together, judging by the Ranma-sized hole in the window and Akane's heavy breathing he had a pretty clear idea of how Akane had reacted. He grinned triumphantly. Perhaps this would be even easier than he had originally envisioned. Using Ranma's own jealousy to infuriate Akane worked wonders, it seemed.

---

Akane's cold glares and hot-headed personality following each of their fights was hard enough to live with without P-chan to deal with as well. As if eating lunch with Akane while surrounded by curious onlooking friends after he suddenly appeared on his hell-bent mission to ruin Ranma's life wasn't enough, Ryoga had also managed to steal, in a twisted sort of revenge, Ranma's bean buns which Kasumi had thoughtfully packed for him. During gym class, the miniature menace not only attempted to foil Ranma in any way he could such as standing directly in front of him during his turn on the vault, but also did his best to make him appear foolish and clumsy In front of Akane. Once he attempted to trip Ranma, and twice he nearly bit him in the arm knowing full well what Ranma's habitual reaction would entail. The worst however, was yet to come...

After gym class, Ranma happened to wander by the women's locker room, and spied the little pest edging towards the half-open door. With a signature smile, he slipped inside and left Ranma in a severe state of shock... Of course, he could have simply changed into girl form and followed the swine inside, but given that Akane was undoubtably inside and would pound him into mashed-potato-like consistency if she found him, he reconsidered that course of action. Ranma shook his head and concluded that his arch-rival clearly had the intention to drive him mad by any means necessary.

---

"Ryoga, that jerk," Ranma still limped from where Akane had kicked him in the thigh earlier that afternoon, "What did I ever do to him to deserve this? Sure, I might have been a bit annoying to him while we were kids, and I might stand in his way of fulfilling his fantasies about Akane." He stopped for a moment to rest, adding in a subdued mumble, "As if any of those perverted dreams of his will ever come true." He looked up at the dimming sky and sighed, "Still, Akane didn't have to go out and hit me like that. I just wanted to get that little perv off of Akane, and I couldn't help myself. Seriously, if she knew the half of what I was trying to do for her, perhaps she would be a bit more understanding. But NO... It's my fault. it's always my fault..."

Behind him walked Akane, showing no outward signs of remorse for her deeds, "You were the one who decided to bully P-chan! Why don't you pick on someone your own size for a change instead of bullying the weak. Seriously, Ranma, you brought it on yourself."

Without caring to listen to another one of Akane's lectures, Ranma quickened his pace and limped up to the Tendo residence before his fiancee could continue to berate him. With a slight gasp, Kasumi Tendo watched the battered Ranma step inside and kick off his shoes. This had not been the first time Ranma had come home injured, presumably from a rough episode at school, but she had imagined things had gotten better between him and Akane lately, not worse. It was more the initial twinge of disbelief than anything else that held her in such a state of shock.

"Oh my," Kasumi held her hands up to her face in disbelief, "What happened to you Ranma? You look terrible." Judging from the way Akane showed little or no concern, Kasumi knew full well what had happened. Ranma had done something, and Akane had over-reacted. Pure and simple. Kasumi just couldn't wrap her mind around why Akane would do such a thing to someone she cared so much about... even if she still denied it vocally.

"Nothing at all," Ranma said in a dull tone, "Oh, and P-chan's back." All he really wanted right now was a warm bath and some sleep... Food, especially if he had to sit beside Akane in order to get any, seemed out of the question. Judging from how Ryoga had acted at school, Ranma couldn't imagine trying to eat with that little parasite around.

"Let me get the first aid kit," Kasumi offered kindly, already turning to go fetch it. Even if Ranma refused to take care of himself, she always seemed ready and willing to step in and lend a hand. As the motherly type, she thought of Ranma as the little brother in a way. Despite how hard Akane would be on him, and how rude Ranma would be in return, she cared for both of them deeply and attempted to do her best in order to help them. Clearly, what Ranma needed right now was to feel accepted, and Akane was in no mood to give him any of that sort of attention.

"That's alright Kasumi," Ranma moaned as he firmly grasped onto the staircase handrail and began to make his way towards his room, "I'll just take a bath..." Ranma's mind had no way to reconcile the opposing personalities of the three Tendo girls. Kasumi, the oldest, kindest, and most thoughtful of the three must have taken after their mother who had passed away. Aside from the whole seppuku deal, she seemed to have a similar personality to his own mother. Nabiki, on the other hand, cared for nothing but money and her own personal amusement. Perhaps with a lot counseling and an equal amount of effort on her own part, Nabiki Tendo could be as decent as her older sister. Given that she loved herself for who she was, however, this seemed doubtful.

The youngest, Akane, seemed to Ranma to be as far from her mother as was conceivably possible. If the American government had knowledge of her cooking, it would be classified as a highly toxic waste product. Her temper resembled that of a bear, unrelenting and forceful. her movements were unrefined and awkward at times... yet... Although he berated her looks and personality, he knew full well that deep down (or perhaps not so deep) there lived a young caring child not unlike himself, that he did consider cute in her own right. This "cute" Akane had made her appearance on several occasions... It was this Akane, not the other, which had first caught Ranma's attention. By now, however, Ranma was beginning to doubt within himself wether she really even existed.

Kasumi turned her gaze towards her youngest sister as Ranma ascended the stairs, "You know, Akane... You really need to start treating Ranma better. He's not all that bad and your violence towards him is beginning to create a real rift between the two of you." Placing getting the two of them back into a closer relationship as her goal, Kasumi set her mind on the largest obstacle, her own sisters bad habit of using violence to solve her problems.

"It's not my fault he's such a jerk," Akane huffed, setting P-chan down on the floor in front of her. If Ranma decided to act like a jerk, it was her job to let him know how she felt, right? Perhaps, but was that really why she felt so infuriated at him lately?

"Ranma's actually quite sensitive about these sort of things, Akane, and it wouldn't be wise for you to keep stressing things, " Kasumi continued, "Before you know it, it might be too late to patch things up. Please promise me you will try harder, Akane." Although she lacked the details, Kasumi knew Ranma had lived a hard life with his father while training. She knew full well that he lacked social skills, and didn't really know how to treat women or act kindly to others. All he had grown up accustomed to were constant attacks and arguments with his father.

"Alright, fine," Akane sighed, perhaps she could think things over better with her family without Ranma around to befuddle her mind with his foolishness. She stepped towards the living-room to greet the rest of the family... Entirely unaware what lay suspended right above her as she slid the door before her.

---

Ambezua: I know! I took FOREVER to get this next chapter up... I am very sorry, but I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to these things. I will try to be faster with my output, but I hope you enjoyed this next chapter in my story. Yes... this is when things start to get REALLY interesting! I should have the next chapter done (hopefully) in a few weeks. Until then...