Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½.

Heroes are born everyday. Your neighbor might be a hero, and you just don't know it. The common misconception about heroes is that people think that they are some kind of celebrities, which is totally not the case. A hero, at its core, is somebody who does extraordinary things in extraordinary times. Anybody can be a hero, your dog, your grandmother, that pesky guy in school that bugs you all the time; you might just not know it. This is a story about a man, who after many trials, tribulations, heartbreak, pain and betrayal finally learned what it meant to be a true hero; that he not only saves the day, but makes a difference within the lives of those he crosses paths with.

This story starts in a quiet little district in Japan called Nerima. It was once a quiet little place, where trouble and chaos rarely visited. Nerima wasn't a special space, it had cultural buildings or landmarks or things of that sort. Of course, it was a good place to live in; it had a beautiful park and quaint little homes that Japanese always love. However this all changed when one individual came to town one day and changed the fate of the people around him irrevocably. This man is called Ranma Saotome and this is his story, a journey where he learns the true meaning of being a hero.

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It was a sunny and bright afternoon at Nerima Park. A gentle breeze could be felt sweeping its way past the park, rustling the fallen leaves and cooling the walking throes of people passing by. There were couples abound in the park, but there was one particular couple that could be seen that exuded a different kind of aura, one of quiet amicability. Neither happy nor sad, this couple seemed as if it was just fine to be walking with each other, looking at the trees, the bushes and the animals, but not each other; without a word being exchanged. The young man wore a black Chinese shirt with some blue loose fitting pants and wore his black hair in a pigtail; the blue-haired woman was a stark contrast to the dark ensemble her companion wore. She wore a yellow knee-length dress with white sandals.

This seemingly pleasant couple was Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo. A couple that has gone through many ordeals and hardships to arrive at this point at their relationship. They were probably the oddest couple in Nerima, overcoming kidnappings, magic and many other events that have tested their love for each other and have come out triumphant against all of them. However that was not the way Ranma felt at all. For him, the spark was gone, the passion that he had felt for the blue-haired woman had cooled down to just a warm, caring attitude for the woman that had been at his side for the longest time. And it reflected in his demeanor as they were walking. His eyes seemed downcast, as if he were dreading something and he was slouched in walking, like there was a great weight on his shoulders. He didn't know if he would ever find a love as pure and passionate as the way he used to feel for Akane and he doubted if he ever will. But that love was gone, replaced by the gentle caring of a brother for a sister, and worse of all, he had to tell her of this fact. He didn't want them to go on like this without telling Akane his feelings; he didn't want to string her along like many men do to their girlfriends.

"Akane," he said as they were walking amongst the trees, on a dirt road leading to a part of the park where many other couples seemed to favor during the afternoons. It was a beautiful place, with a gazebo at the center and numerous park benches around it. It was there where the most beautiful trees and flowers bloomed, foreign and those borne on Japanese soil. "We have to talk," he tersely said as if he was nervous, which wasn't that far from the truth. They had been together for two years, and he was still nervous and doubting himself around her. It was ironic that one of the strongest martial artists to ever live was nervous, but when it came to matters of the heart, it was just something that he could not use his fists to get out of.

"About what?" Akane replied. She felt the hesitation that her boyfriend was showing. She knew him well enough to pick up what he was feeling; something like an empathy developed over the years that they were together. She looked at him and saw the agitation in his eyes, and knew immediately there was something wrong. Ranma was rarely nervous about anything. She knew he was one of the best martial artists in the country. Though only a select few knew of this fact, limited to only close friends and family and to those who have seen him fight. "You look nervous, is there something wrong?"

To this question, Ranma felt more apprehension. He knew he couldn't control his feelings, but should he hurt her by telling her? Weren't other couples content with marriages of convenience? Unfortunately, Ranma didn't have those answers right now. So he steeled himself and told her, "It's about us."

Akane didn't like the sound of that. They rarely talked about their relationship, whether it was then or now. Then, she was too full of anger and resentment for being thrown into a marriage in which she had no choice and no knowledge of her prospective husband. Not to mention that her husband-to-be changed into a woman with a splash of cold water. But, now… she felt more of a gentle understanding of what he went through and what she went through with him. She knew he was a kind and gentle soul, who was used by his father and is constantly misunderstood by people.

Akane knew there was more to Ranma than meets the eye. He cared for people, protected them, and not just because of the code of the martial artist, but because it was the right thing to do. He was sweet and loving in his own way and always remembered anniversaries and birthdays, though she knew that he also had his flaws. He sometimes falls back into his old arrogant ways, where he always thinks he is the best, although she had always chided him for being that way and he has been working to change that part of him. And he still belittled women, and although to a lesser extent than before, it irked her that Ranma still thought women were weak and powerless, since half of the time, he was one! And although he wasn't as uncomfortable being a girl as he once was, back when he first arrived at Nerima, he wasn't too thrilled either.

"What about us?" Akane replied. Ranma had a look of bitter resolve etched upon his face, like he was about to do something he didn't like. And the truth wasn't too far from that, he felt terrible for what he was about to do, but he knew he had to do this. He had to tell her what he was feeling. They vowed to each other that there would be "No more secrets" and Ranma always kept his promises.

"Let's sit down first," Ranma said. And they sat down on a bench overlooking the gazebo. It seemed like a perfect scene, with flowers drifting down from the overhanging branches of the sakura trees, and then lying serenely on the ground looking as if a parade of pink petals were softly lying on the ground. It was a stark contrast to the feelings that the couple on the bench felt. So they sat there, not speaking for what it seemed like an eternity, but was actually just a few moments, not looking at each other. One was thinking, 'I don't want to hurt her but…' and the other was thinking 'I wonder what he's going to tell me?'

'Akane, I don't know how to tell you this… so I'll just say it," Ranma began. His tone sounded ominous and Akane's worry increased. "Something is wrong, isn't it? Is it another fiancé, another crazed madman on the loose trying to terrorize us?" Akane began, not giving Ranma a chance to finish. She looked into his eyes, full of love and hope that Ranma has always loved about her and Ranma felt even worse. "No, it's…," But once again, Ranma didn't get a chance to finish as Akane interrupted his words, "Its ok, whatever it is, I'm sure we can get through it together. We always have, haven't we?" However, Ranma didn't reply to this and was silent for a few seconds. "It's not that, Akane. I think…" He looked up into Akane's eyes, banished the fear from his heart and continued, "I think we should break up."

"What… what are you talking about? Is this some kind of joke? Because if it is, it isn't very funny," Akane tensely replied. "It's no joke, I'm very serious," Ranma did look very serious albeit with a look of sadness in his eyes. Akane looked away; tears were starting to form in her eyes, "Is it another fiancé? Is there another woman?" Akane asked accusingly. Ranma looked surprised, he had thought that they had put this behind them, but apparently Akane still had some reservations about him. "No, it's not that! It's just… I don't love you, not that way, anymore. It's not even you; I don't know how or why, I can't change the way I'm feeling now." Ranma said reassuringly, but Akane continued, "Am I not good enough for you?" Ranma was taken aback, was Akane's view of herself that low? He had always thought that Akane had a lot of self-confidence and fire in her heart. She was very passionate and headstrong and was one of the qualities Ranma always thought that had attracted him to her. "No, you're great. It's just sometimes… you know, things don't work out even with the best of people and intentions. This is one of those times. Don't ever think that I didn't love you, not even for a second, because I did love you, for two years. It's just that… I don't love you that way anymore; you are more of a sister to me now, one that I have to protect and care for."

At this statement, Akane turned to look at Ranma with a shocked look in her eyes. She felt like she was suffocating, being covered with different emotions at the same time. Anger, sadness, disappointment, resentment all swept through her like a typhoon. And it didn't take very long before she erupted. "You want to end it just like that? The two years that we spent together were meaningless to you?" Akane was crying now clutching Ranma's shirt with a vice grip. "Just a sister? I don't want to be your sister, I want to be by your side." She couldn't bear letting it go, thinking that he might leave if she did. "Maybe you can just change your feelings with a snap of your fingers, but I can't. It hurts so much now that I just can't begin to understand why you're doing this." Tears kept falling down her eyes and Ranma couldn't bear to see Akane crying.

Ranma took Akane into his arms and stroked her back, "I'm so sorry, Akane. I never meant for it to be like this. I thought that after the years we've been together, our love would keep getting stronger, but it hasn't. If I could change the way I felt, I would." Akane looked up into his eyes, "But…but, I still love you! I've been alone for so long, I don't want to be alone anymore." Ranma smiled and shook his head, "Akane, you should know that I'll always be here when you need me, just not as lovers anymore. I'll never stop being your friend." Ranma's words did nothing to alleviate the heartbroken woman's tears though, "Friends, is that all we will ever be from now on? But I had dreams! I thought we would grow old together and have children and raise them together as a family." Ranma didn't know what to say, he hadn't really thought that far. Ranma took things as they came, the way he was taught all his life. He never really thought of the future all that often. Sometimes he would think of it, just like all people did. But he didn't plan for college or anything like that. It was almost graduation from high school and he had not selected a college yet to attend or if he was even going to attend one. But at the moment, he had more important things to sort out, like how to comfort the sobbing Akane.

"Akane, you don't have to cry anymore, we'll still be together, as friends." But Akane didn't want to be just friends; she had invested too much into her relationship with Ranma to let it go now. She had to go somewhere to sort this all out; she couldn't let Ranma see her like this. She had to clear her head before talking to him again.

And so Akane stopped crying looked at Ranma with an undecipherable look and ran away. This surprised Ranma, but it quickly wore off. "Akane, wait! Where are you going?" But if Akane heard Ranma's words, she paid no heed to it. She kept on running and never looked back. Ranma gave chase to Akane, confident that he would be able to catch her due to his superior speed and agility. However, as she passed a tree, to his great surprise, he couldn't find her anymore after that. It was like she disappeared into thin air. When in fact, she just doubled back because she knew Ranma was fast, but was not a quick-thinker. He was more of a deep-analysis kind of guy in these kinds of situations, it was only in battle where he let his instincts and experience take over, enabling him to make split-second judgments.

Still, Ranma didn't give up. He searched everywhere for her, her usual hangouts, Furinkan High School and various other places where he would normally find her, to no avail. So Ranma, thinking Akane would probably be home, went back to do Tendo dojo. As he was speeding his way back to his pseudo-home, he had only one thought in his mind, 'What happened?'

In his destination however, a brown haired woman stood on the porch of the old dojo and stared worriedly at the sky. She had a sense of foreboding that resided deep within her. She couldn't explain what it was, it was just something that she has always felt but had chosen to remain silent about it. However, she felt that she couldn't be silent about this now. 'Something is going to happen, something very bad,' she thought. She banished those thoughts however, as she saw the pig-tailed martial artist land on their backyard. She had no idea however, how bad it would truly be.

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Well, I'm back after a two year long sabbatical. I was planning to write again, but I got too caught up with playing PS2, PC and most of all, WoW. However, this story will be a long one, although I am not sure how long this will be. But it will be longer than my previous stories. To those that have not read my other stories, (because they were Evangelion fics) thanks for reading my story. Whether you leave a review or not, it's up to you. Special thanks to those who leave a meaningful review though.