Tabula Rasa
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Orla
All rights reserved to Rumiko Takahashi, Viz and a bunch of other talented people who are not me.
Set shortly after the final events in the Ranma 1/2 manga
PROLOGUE:
She waited until she was sure that Akane Tendo was alone in her room. For this venture to work there could be no possible interruption from anyone else otherwise all her carefully laid plans would be destroyed.
Using the skills born from ten years of martial arts training and then the essential abilities a girl in love with Ranma Saotome had to acquire to survive in Nerima, Ukyo Kuonji landed lightly on the rails of the balcony outside Akane's room. With a small sigh, she stepped down and tapped on the window, only just loud enough for Akane to hear.
The short haired girl looked up from the homework she was pouring over, the initial expression of anticipation changing swiftly to a wary scowl. Ukyo wasn't surprised. The last time she and Akane met was during the chaos of the aborted wedding, when she threw okonomiyaki bombs at the other girl. The bombs were never designed to kill, that wasn't the way Ukyo worked (except during that brief time Nabiki Tendo was Ranma's fiancée and who didn't want to kill the money grubbing middle Tendo daughter sometimes?), but the attack still had the intent to harm. So Ukyo was definitely not expecting Akane to welcome her with open arms.
She spread out her hands in a gesture of peace, showing she held no weapons. Indeed, the absence of the over-large spatula usually strapped to her back was an obvious indication that she wasn't here for a fight. Perhaps that was why Akane slowly opened the window, curiousity creeping into her eyes. "Can I help you, Kuonji-san?"
Ukyo winced slightly. "Can we talk, Akane-chan?" she wasn't going to retreat to formality just yet. She wanted to show Akane that she wasn't an enemy now.
Akane chewed on her lower lip. "All right," she said after a short moment of awkward silence. She opened the window wide enough for Ukyo to enter and stood back, watching as the okonomiyaki chef climbed inside. "Ranma's out," she blurted abruptly.
"I know," Ukyo responded calmly. "I waited until I was sure he wasn't in," she explained. "I want to talk to you alone, Akane, without Ranch... Ranma coming along in the middle."
"You're not calling him 'Ranchan'?" Akane's attention was definitely caught now, even if it was obvious she didn't trust Ukyo's intentions.
Ukyo sighed and swallowed hard. "I don't have the right to call him that, not after what I did..." she said softly and then knelt on the floor in front of Akane.
"U-ukyo?"
Placing her hands before her, Ukyo bowed down deeply in formal apology. "Forgive me, Akane-chan. I shouldn't have done what I did. I should have accepted my defeat with grace and dignity. I'm really sorry, for everything."
Completely flabbergasted, Akane stared down at Ukyo and wondered if she was dreaming. It was true that of all Ranma's 'girls' who had attacked during the wedding, Ukyo's actions were the ones that had emotionally hurt her - and Ranma - the most. Shampoo and Kodachi were expected to do such things, but Ukyo was... well, she was the nicer one. Ranma's childhood friend and, when they weren't bickering over Ranma, she was friendly to Akane too. She was the only one that Akane could actually stand for long periods of time and deep down, Akane knew that if Ranma ended up choosing one of the other girls then she would much, much rather he chose Ukyo over the other two. Akane was jealous of Ranma's childhood friend as well, since Ukyo was very pretty - when she wasn't in boy mode – and an excellent cook as well as a good martial artist, and certainly better at expressing her affections. All these thoughts swirled through her mind as she looked down at her rival and she realised this was no trick, no ploy to wriggle into Ranma's affections, Ukyo's words rang with sincerity.
"Ukyo, I... I... shouldn't you be asking Ranma?" she stuttered, not sure how to respond.
"My crime was against you more than Rach... Ranma," Ukyo's reply was muffled since she still had her face hidden. "You won, Akane. He loves you, probably was in love with you before I even arrived, but I just couldn't accept the truth then. I have to now... I still... I still love him," she admitted, not able to see Akane stiffen at those words, but Ukyo was sure she was. "But I was him to be happy and if you're the one who makes him happy then I've got to accept the inevitable."
Ukyo lifted her face now and Akane saw the tears staining Ukyo's smooth cheeks and the deep sadness in her eyes. "In l-love w-with me b-before...? Do-don't be silly!" Akane blushed and looked around the room as if she expected Ranma to suddenly pop out and laugh at her. "He was always saying you were cute and I... I wasn't!"
"Ranma's never really been the best when it comes to expressing himself romantically," Ukyo smiled sadly. "In some respects his mind is still stuck in childhood when a boy expressed his affection for a girl by teasing her and pulling her hair. No matter when it happened, Akane-chan, he loves you now," she bowed her head again. "So forgive me for not accepting reality. I didn't realise how stupid and desperate I was acting until after... well, you know..."
"Oh Ukyo..." Akane sagged then, sitting down on her bed with a thump. She suddenly felt very sad. Ukyo was a nice person really and had suffered enough; it didn't seem fair that she was left alone. With that thought the last of Akane's anger vanished completely. "I forgive you, I do, so please get up? And I'm sure Ranma won't be angry with you... now," of course Ranma was more peeved about losing the chance to be all man again rather than the wedding getting destroyed, but he had definitely been annoyed by the attack on her. However, Akane was sure that if Ukyo apologised then Ranma would be happy to forgive her. He did actually value his friends and Ukyo was the only one from his childhood.
Ukyo made a vague sound as she got up and then reached inside her shirt to bring out a thin, worn leather wallet. "Thanks, Akane-chan. Can you give this to Ranma when he gets home?" she asked, holding it out to Akane.
"Um... sure," Akane took it, wondering what was inside.
"You can look if you want," there was a tinge of amusement in Ukyo's tone.
Akane flushed slightly and opened the wallet. Inside was an old photograph of Ranma and Ukyo when they were children. Their happiness in each other's company and their youthful eagerness burst out of the picture, bringing a smile to Akane's face that was both tender and worried. "Why?" she asked.
"So he has something to remember," Ukyo said cryptically and started to climb back out of the window. "Farewell Akane-chan. I wish we could have been proper friends..."
"Ukyo! Wait! What do you mean farewell?" Akane jumped up and grabbed the other girl's elbow. "Are you leaving?"
Ukyo turned sad eyes to her. "Yes," her voice cracked slightly. "I have to, because even though I've accepted that you and Ranma are... together... it still hurts, very much, and I can't just hang around and act normal. Do you understand?"
Akane swallowed. "Yes..." she murmured, letting go of Ukyo and her gaze dropping down to the carpet. "I'm sorry," she really wished that she could do more for Ukyo than just give an old photo to Ranma.
Ukyo opened her mouth to say something else, but then closed it with a little shake of her head. There wasn't anything more to be said and she had an appointment to keep. With only the lightest of sounds she slipped out of the window and hopped down from the balcony, quickly exiting the dojo grounds.
Akane watched her go, holding the leather wallet tightly and feeling a prickle of tears in her eyes. "I wish we could have been proper friends too, Ukyo..."
To be continued