Why did you save me?

Author: essenceofthedark

Warning: this is yaoi or shounen ai, you know gay stuff, boyXboy relationship… I think you get it. If you do not know what yaoi, shounen ai, gay or boyXboy relationship is, that is not my problem and if I get any flames because of that… well the procedure is written about under authors note. Now, if you're homophobic or have some issues with this I strongly suggest that you do not read this. This story might also get higher rating longer out in the story. Further on this is slightly AU with a complete AU ending, it will follow the story for a while but contain several things that does not happen in the series.

Pairing: Ranma/Ryoga

Author's note: don't you think that Ranma and Ryoga make the most kawaii couple ever? Okey that might not be true, but they are certainly kawaii! Reviews are appreciated, though if I get some flames then I will laugh at them and feed them to my best friend, in other words I won't care about them. Constructive criticism, however, is welcome… Anyway, I have never actually seen a fanfiction with this pairing before so I have no idea if people will like it or not. Oh yeah I almost forgot, English isn't my native language so if you find major mistakes in my text I would appreciate it if you told me. Anyway, have fun:

Disclaimer: these characters do not belong to me, so please do not sue me. However, the story belongs to me, so don't you dare take it, make a few changes on it and call it your own. Because it's mine, MINE I TELL YOU. MY OWN! Isn't that right precious? Yes it is precious. Mwhahahahaha…. Hrrm. Sorry about that, just go on and read my story. Don't mind me

The disclaimer and the warning is regarding this and all future chapters in this fanfiction…

Chapter one: My Ranma, my opponent

Ryogas view

I was walking down the streets, as usual, with no purpose whatsoever. I was just thinking. Just thinking of what had happened. I had gotten this paper from empty air saying that Ranma is weak. I remembered how I read it and started to fume with anger. How dared anyone suggest that he was weak? I had known the pig-tailed boy since when we were kids and now, years later, I was maybe his most worthy opponent I guess you could say. Still, I had never met anyone that was stronger than him or his teachers, the more than well-aged witch Cologne and the old pig Happosai. Except those two, he was the strongest opponent I had ever had and I was quite proud of the fact that he wasn't that much better than me.

Yes, I admit he's better than me, or at least I do so to myself, I would never tell him that, of course, or anyone else for that matter. If he knew, I would never hear the end of it. I don't know why, but lately I have gotten more and more respect for the longhaired boy that is engaged to the love of my life; Akane. Akane, the girl I loved so much. The girl that had no idea of my feelings for her. The girl that did not at all has the slightest notion of the curse I was forced to live with. Yeah, you heard right, I'm under a curse, which by the way is that pig-tailed boys fault, which turns me into a little, black piglet every time I come in contact with cold water. This black piglet is also the same Akane thinks of as her little pet. I have no idea how to explain it to her; I know that one day I have to tell her the truth about her adorable little piglet that she loves so highly. That's right, she loves me, but only as her pet, nothing more. The feelings I would be so happy to return, if directed towards me, are directed to her fiancée, yet again that previously mentioned boy with a pigtail, but that's not the point, the point is that they're engaged.

Ranma. Why do I have to think about him all the time, why do I have to be so jealous of him every time he gets close to Akane? If I just didn't have these feelings towards her everything would have been easier. How can I dislike and at the same time sympathise and feel sorry for the one person that has everything I want? How can I only be jealous of this one person, when I should hate him with my whole heart? And why am I still jealous of him when his other fiancées are showing up? I don't have any feelings towards them at all, do I? Then why do I still feel this small jolt of jealousy whenever he gets close to them and not just Akane? I haven't got the answers to these questions at all, but I will keep searching for them as long as I live.

As I said, I was walking down the streets when suddenly some noise jerked me out of my deep thoughts. It sounded like someone was being beaten up. I might be a martial artist, but I don't like unnecessary violence, so I decided to check it out, it wasn't like I had something better to do anyway. When I looked curiously around the corner I almost gasped loudly. Right before my eyes the unthinkable was happening. That boy from school, Kuno and his father, Mousse and that kid with dark bags beneath his eyes, whatever his name was, were beating up Ranma. My Ranma, my opponent. And they were doing a good job at it too by the look of it, not that I liked it one bit. Wait a minute; did I just call him my Ranma? Pushing the disturbing thought away I stepped into the fight as all four were attacking him at once. How dared they attack someone that was weaker than they, and all at once? I know I had just thought of Ranma as my strongest opponent, but something had definitely happened to him and he was not able to protect himself.

Ranma was backed up against a tree and he had sunk to the ground, his legs not able to support him after the beating he had got. I had realised long ago that this wasn't right and that I had to do something about it. A fracture of a second later and they would have beaten him to a pulp, but I came between them, warding the four off and throwing them all away from the defenceless boy that were sitting on the ground, looking unbelievingly at me.

"Tch, if it's not one, it's another…" I said out load as Ranma whispered my name questioningly.

"Ryoga…?" I turned around to face him as he asked me: "What …you're saving me for yourself?" I could hear that he was suspicious of my actions, normally I would have joined them in the fight, but he could not know that I didn't like to bully the weak. Yes that's right, I have known him for years, I know most of his secrets and still, he barely knows who I am. When I finally caught up with him he didn't even remember my name, not that it mattered any. Then I realised that he had asked a question.

"Don't insult me! I can't stand people who pick on the weak!" I answered, knowing it would piss him off to be called weak. That was his reaction, as predicted.

"And just who are you calling weak?!" He shouted angrily as he punched me in my stomach. If something hadn't been wrong with him, that punch would have hurt something awful, but since something was indeed wrong I felt almost nothing as his knuckles met with my tummy. Suddenly I felt a great sadness form in me. Oh, how the mighty had fallen. I noticed I started to quiver with unshed tears, which confused me big time. Why was I crying? He was my main hindrance from happiness, I should be pleased with this new advantage, and still I wasn't. The tears continued to force their way out and I felt the wetness on my cheeks as they started to flow uncontrollably. I saw one of my tears land on Ranma's delicate, yet seemingly and also once, strong hand. Wait did I just call it delicate? What is wrong with me today?

"Tears…?" I heard him say silently, wondering what was wrong with me. I didn't blame him; I didn't know what was wrong with myself either. Before I knew what was happening the words came out of my mouth.

"Your punches were like lightening bolts, Ranma… But now… you are only a shadow…" I'm quite sure those words freaked him out; I'm supposed to hate him, am I not? But if I hated him, how could I care so much for him? How could I feel so much sorrow for whatever had happened to him? And yet I did. I cared, more than anyone else, I think, and I felt really bad about him being so weak, as if I could have done something to prevent it. Why am I having these thoughts? Am I not supposed to hate him? What does he think of me now? He must think me weak, acting like a little crybaby because of him. How could I ever let me sink that low?

As my legs started to feel weak and not able to support me for the moment, I lowered myself to the ground, holding myself upright with one hand, and trying to dry off my tears with the other. Suddenly I felt someone bouncing all around me, and I looked up, just a little, to see whom it was. Ranma. I had almost forgotten that he was still here. At first I guess he thought I was joking, because he looked somewhat angry, but then he started to realise that that wasn't the case.

"Aww, C'mon, Ryoga. I'm the one who wants to cry!" He said awkwardly petting me on my back, trying to make me feel better. That was too much; I didn't want him to see me like this, why did I feel like I was the weak one? No I'm not weak, Ranma is, and that's not how it is supposed to be either, my mind yelled at me.

"Get away from me, Ranma! I can't bear to see you like this!" I started to more vigorously to dry away the tears as I looked away from him. "So spare me the pain!" I finished the sentence and tried to hit him or something, but somehow he avoided my hit. I had not lashed out to hurt him, just to make him go away. Wait, why should I care whether or not he got hurt? He's my enemy, right? Then why had this happened in the first place? Right, my dislike for the people who picked on the weak.

"Ryoga…" he said confused. I didn't blame him; to him I must be behaving really odd and irrational. Then all of a sudden he reached out and gently dried away one of my tears. What did he just do? I could not believe he was being nice to me, the one who were supposed to be his opponent, his enemy.

"Ranma…" I said, wondering if he had fallen ill as well as lost his strength. Then he smiled a tiny, but genuine, smile before pulling his hand back.

"If that's what you want, I'll leave you alone so you don't have to see me so weak" And with those words he left. Leaving me confused and alone with my own thoughts.

To be continued

I know, cliché ending, but I kinda liked it. Please review, if you do it will take less time before the next chapter is up. Ummm, oh yeah that's right; everyone give applause for my best friend the good grammar fairy who helps me with my grammar and gives me constructive criticism. And yes I am aware of her little message under this one, but I decided to let her have a little fun for once and so I let it be Pay no heed to her, when she is not helping me with my grammar she is just annoying… Nah just kidding, pay no heed to me either…

Essenceofthedark

Pst. Hey, over here. Look this way. Thank you. Hrm, just wait one minute; I have been practising for this. Hrm. It is I. The good grammar fairy, which helps essenceofthedark with her fanfictions and quizzes (as you'll see if you go to quizilla). You may not be able to read the message because essenceofthedark may have deleted it. (But she can also have decided to show me mercy, and let this one stand. Um.) Oh well, just so you know, I only help her with grammar, and give her some constructive criticism. I hope you like her story. She has become quite infatuated with these kinds of stories, and I must admit that I find them quite amusing myself. I hope you enjoyed this one. C U L8R (Hopefully)

The good grammar fairy