No More Wandering
No More Wandering
A Ranma 1/2 fanfic by KaraOhki [email protected]
September 19, 1999
Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. This story was written for entertainment purposes only.
This was the result of a "write a fic in an hour" challenge in FFIRC.
It was dark in the theater. Not many people had come out on this rainy day, and as far as he could tell no one he knew was there. He and the girl he loved were alone.
Just to be sure, he looked right. Then he looked left, past her. When he turned around she gently elbowed him.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing."
He wiped his hand on his pants leg, and cautiously reached for her hand. She allowed him to take her small hand in his large one, and squeezed it gently.
"I was wondering how long it would take you to do that."
He tried to answer, but couldn�t. Instead, he was content to hold her hand in his, and watch the movie.
He didn�t deserve to be so happy. Not when he�d screwed up so royally.
*****
"Promise me you won�t get lost."
"Damn it, I promised you three times already!"
"Yeah, and another 300 won�t make me believe it."
Ryoga thought about beating the smirk off Ranma�s face, but he knew his friend was right.
"Akari will help me get there, don�t worry."
"Okay, I�ll trust her."
Akane stuck her head in the dojo door.
"Are you two done yet? If you stay in here much longer Nabiki will get suspicious."
Ranma winced.
"Yeah, we�re all set."
He winked at Ryoga, and raised his voice.
"What are you doing in here, tomboy? I told you this was GUY talk!"
Ryoga watched, mystified, as Akane scowled and balled her hands into fists.
"GUY talk? What would YOU know about it, you pervert?"
"What, are you gonna teach me?"
Akane screamed in outrage, and her punch sent Ranma into the dojo wall. She was gone before he could get back to his feet. Ryoga walked over to Ranma and extended a hand.
"She pulled that."
"Damn, you could tell? We�ve been practicing that move for a couple of weeks now. Fools Pop and Mr. Tendo every time."
"Then it�s good enough."
The two returned to the house, where Akari and Akane were having tea with the Saotomes and Tendos. Trying to plan a wedding with some of the nosiest people in Nerima around wasn�t easy, but they�d done it.
*****
Ryoga looked in the mirror and tied his tie for what seemed to be the hundredth time. It was still crooked.
[I give up. Let Akari do it.]
Ryoga left the bathroom and went down the hall to Akari�s room. He knocked on the door, went through it, and found himself...outside?
[Oh damn. Not today.]
Ryoga took a deep breath. [The house is behind me. All I have to do is turn around. It�s right behind me.]
He turned around. No house. He turned around again. No house. He turned around again. Woods.
Ryoga began to run. The house couldn�t possibly be more than a few yards away, but all he could see was trees. He tripped over a tree root and landed in a small stream.
*****
Akane emerged from the ladies� room at the burger stand, still struggling to shove her running shoes into the small bag she was carrying. Two doors down she met Ranma, who carried the bag containing the clothes he�d left the house in.
"Where are Ryoga and Akari?"
"I don�t know. They should have been here a long time ago. You don�t suppose Ryoga..."
"Don�t even think it, Ranma. They�ve GOT to be here!"
The door flew open and Akari ran in, carrying a piglet and a suit of clothes. She was totally out of breath.
"I�m sorry! He was lost, and--"
Akari stopped short as Akane cried out in delight and grabbed the piglet.
"P-chan! I haven�t seen you in weeks!"
Then she looked blank.
"But, where�s Ryoga?"
Ranma grabbed P-chan and the clothing and ran back towards the men�s room.
"I�ll look in here. You and Akari go around the back and check."
"But why are you taking P-chan?"
Ranma was gone before Akane could get an answer from him.
The girls went behind the restaurant, and all up and down the street. Akane was nearly frantic, and totally failed to notice how unconcerned Akari looked.
"Thank goodness we�re not in Nerima. If anyone at home saw us dressed up like this we�d be toast. Where IS Ryoga?"
Akari just smiled.
"Let�s go back. Maybe he turned up."
*****
Ryoga and Ranma met them halfway there, and dragged them off to City Hall before anything else could happen. Very shortly afterward papers were signed, vows were made, and rings were exchanged.
Ranma and Akane smiled happily as they watched the Hibikis share their first kiss. Ryoga�s parents looked on in delight from the chairs Ranma had tied them to earlier that morning.
*****
All eyes turned to Ranma as he raised a glass.
"To Ryoga and Akari. May you be as happy as Akane and I are."
Ryoga nodded, and then frowned.
"If you�re so happy, why are we the only ones who know you�re married?"
"�Cause it�s easier this way right now. We still haven�t thought of a way to make everyone else leave us alone."
Akane smiled at Ranma before adding her own comment.
"Besides, it�s sort of fun having a secret. I want to see how long we can keep it."
They continued eating. Ryoga couldn�t believe how happy he was, sitting there beside Akari.
Ranma kept a close eye on Ryoga for the rest of the meal. During that time he lost track of Ryoga�s parents, who wandered out of the restaurant and weren�t found again. The Saotomes took it philosophically...there were only so many Hibikis they could keep track of at once.
To be sure they got there, Ranma and Akane not only took Ryoga and Akari to their hotel, but upstairs and to their room.
"See ya around, you two."
Akane hugged Akari. "Be happy."
They left them and returned to Nerima, where their appearance in dress clothes made everyone assume they�d run off and married.
*****
"It�s raining."
"So I see."
Ryoga stood at the window the next day, watching the rain sheet down.
"I guess we�re stuck inside for the day."
"Not necessarily."
Akari produced a large umbrella from her bag, and waved it at Ryoga.
"Between yours and mine we should be okay. Didn�t you say you wanted to take me to a movie?"
Ryoga gulped.
"What if I get lost?"
"I have that under control, sweetheart."
Ryoga and Akari left the hotel, carrying their umbrellas. If you looked closely, you could tell that Akari had tied her wrist to her husband�s with his bandanna.