Ranma: An Apple A Day (3/3) Epilogue to come...

[cherryflavored1R]

An Apple A Day

By Cherry Flavored

Disclaimer: Don?t own.

Note: This story can be thoroughly enjoyed to its fullest extent if you pop in an R/A song like ?The Ballad of Ranma and Akane?. I listened to the great (and hilarious) ?Konya wa April Fools? as I wrote it? so that?s just in case you wanted to know. Oh yeah, I don?t own those songs either. Or the apples. And yes, there's more to come!

Part Three: You?re kidding! Something like this was bound to happen?

~

Ranma quickly headed for the exit. He wasn?t about to stick around in the nurse?s office when he had so many thoughts to sort through. He reached the front door of the school and slipped around the corner of the building.

Ranma continued to stroll through the trees that lined the side of the school building. He absent-mindedly kicked the stray cherry blossom petals that were forming in piles on the ground as he walked. He paused, a sudden thought forming in his brain.

?It?s these stupid pills? I just know it? By tomorrow, I?ll be just as good as new! I?ll take my regular medicine and I?ll get to feeling better and I?ll fight with Akane and everything?? he thought, trying to reassure himself. ?All of this will be gone??

But for some reason, today, he didn?t want to feel better, or fight. He had the same feelings earlier in class when he wanted to talk to Akane for some strange reason? When he wanted to look at her, too?

?WHY IS THIS HAPPENING!!? he screamed. He felt confused, and yet? like he was doing the right thing for once. He felt none of the guilt that usually plagues him. His brain had a big ?red alert? sign going off, and it was telling him he was crazy and you should never let your conscience be your guide and Akane was nothing but a stupid tomboy and he was nothing that deserved her...

His brain was spinning in circles; it was like a war inside of his head.

Suddenly, though, it all came to a stop when?

?Ranma?? came a voice from behind.

He spun on his heal to see his fianc? looking at him like he was crazy.

Which, right now, Ranma considered himself to be so.

?Are you feeling better, or were you lying?? Akane asked.

Ranma sighed. ?Neither??

Akane pursed her lips. ?Fine then,? she said firmly as she started to turn and leave.

?No! Wait?? Ranma said. He didn?t realize it, but he grabbed her arm to stop her. Akane blushed, and then Ranma followed suit.

?What?s your problem?? Akane asked, pulling her arm away angrily but still blushing.

?I? I?m sorry, Akane,? he began, hitting the top of his shoe against the ground nervously. ?Pop gave me some medicine, and it screwed with my head a bit??

?Oh?? Akane said, somewhat disappointed. ?So you didn?t want to talk to me??

?Well, no. I mean, yes. I mean? I don?t know. That?s just the problem?? he said with an exasperated breath. ?I have no clue what I think right now? All I know is that I was sitting in class and I wanted to talk to you for some reason and there?s no way to explain that except for the fact that I thought you looked nice today and how often do I think THAT, after all, so maybe that?s a sure tell that I?m cracking up or maybe it just says that I really do think that??

Akane blinked. ?Huh??

Ranma?s face got even redder. ?Akane I??

?Yes??

Ranma thought for a moment. Then he made the mistake of looking at Akane- in the eyes.

As if in a trance, he said, ?I think Ryoga was right??

?What?? Akane asked. ?When did Ryoga get here? I thought he was lost? Remember? The last time we heard from him he was in Sapporo??

Then, they came out. Words that hit Akane like a bus in the street.

?Akane, I?m in love with you.?

~

?So, Mr. Saotome, did everything work out? I?m still not sure why you had me do this? But I?m always happy to help an employee!? Dr. Tofu said happily.

Genma opened his mouth, but the muffled animal sounds that came out were ones beyond Dr. Tofu?s level of comprehension.

Panda-sign: Hold one moment, if you please.

Genma-panda left the room, and after the shower was heard come on for a brief period of time, he returned as a man.

He looked at Tofu solemnly. ?Doctor, I used it on Ranma.?

Dr. Tofu looked at him with a mix of surprise and question. Then an idea hit him, and he realized. ?So, this is a matter of impatience, huh? Sir, you are aware that the herbs can only entice the truth out of the patient, not change their minds, right??

?You obviously don?t know my son very well,? he said with a chuckle.

~

?If you squirm again, I won?t hesitate to hit you,? Nabiki said in a trademark deadpan.

?Nabiki Tendo, you have not the slightest idea of the pain I?m in!? Kuno fussed. He winced as Nabiki applied simple hydrogen peroxide on his forehead with some cotton.

Kuno had carelessly allowed a stray discus thrown from the track field to hit him in the head as he pondered the meaning of life? and among other things, Akane and the pig tail goddess. He had a nice gash in his forehead? but nothing serious.

Nabiki rolled her eyes. She was almost finished with Kuno?s bandage when she heard a call come from the head nurse.

?Nabiki, has Akane brought Ranma Saotome back up yet?? she yelled as she attended to a wounded soccer player.

Nabiki bit her lip as she pressed some tape to Kuno?s bandage. ?No, ma?am??

Kuno suddenly perked up. ?What? My Akane with that wretch? The nerve of that man??

As Kuno steamed, Nabiki sighed. ?Chill out, Kuno-baby. I can assure you, Ranma is not doing anything inappropriate. She went to bring him back up after he ran off, that?s all, okay??

She finished with her work, and let out a yawn. ?Alright, you?re done.?

Kuno touched his ?battle scar? and shrugged. ?I suppose you did an adequate job, Nabiki Tendo.?

?Yeah, yeah,? she said. Before Kuno could get up to leave, Nabiki couldn?t resist. She whacked him in the back of the head with her palm, and then exited with an evil laugh.

~

Akane couldn?t help herself. She had, subconsciously, been waiting for this moment for such a long time? it seemed too good to be true.

SLAP! Ranma?s face was left with Akane?s trademark handprint colored in bright red on his cheek.

Ranma snapped out of whatever mental state had brought him to the level of actually confessing to Akane, and rubbed the side of his face.

Without words, Ranma turned to walk off, seeing his obvious mistake. He wasn?t angry. He wasn?t sad. He was suddenly empty.

Akane?s heart sank. That was an accident!

?Ranma!? she yelled. ?Don?t? Please don?t leave.?

He turned, and she was suddenly closer.

Ranma didn?t know what to think. He didn?t know what to say; it was as if he went mute when Akane hit him.

?You can?t walk away now? It?s too late for that,? she said. ?I?m sorry for hitting you...? she whispered as she drew closer to Ranma, ?But I think my sanity left with yours??

Ranma came out of his verbal cage for only a moment. ?I know what you mean??

He touched her face gingerly, and then it was all over. The walls, the anger? everything from the past, except the feeling that they weren?t alone. That feeling stayed, as the proverbial chemistry between the two was sparked.

Actually, it was more like set ablaze.

Ranma pressed his lips to Akane?s? and life was the way it was supposed to be.

Finally.

~

Kuno wasn?t happy with his injury. But, the warm spring day really got to him, and he soon lightened up. He looked at the beautiful cherry trees and felt the breeze in his hair. He headed for the kendo building with a smile. He turned the corner and took a deep breath.

?Yes, why shouldn?t I be happy on such a placid day as this one? The birds are singing! The air is rich with the fertile spring winds! There is love all around!?

He marched on, enjoying everything he saw. He then spotted something that made him proud of his observations.

?Ah, see? There?s a lovely young couple? How sweet?? he said, and headed onward.

Kuno suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

~

Akane didn?t want to breathe. She was afraid that if she broke away from Ranma, even for a second, he would disappear like a dream.

At this point, Akane was so lost in Ranma?s touch, she didn?t need oxygen.

Ranma felt likewise. He didn?t know why he was suddenly being so honest with himself and with Akane, but he didn?t want it to stop? Tomorrow he would probably dismiss this as a dream, but for now?

Ranma heard strange mumbling from behind him, but that had no affect. He laced his fingers through Akane?s short air? and just as their kiss became deeper?

Akane wrapped her arms around Ranma and pulled closer to him, and just as their kiss became deeper?

?RANMA SAOTOME!!!!?

~

?It couldn?t be? could it???

Kuno was in a rage. Nabiki Tendo was VERY wrong, Saotome WAS doing something to HIS Akane and it was definitely something NOT GOOD.

?RANMA SAOTOME!!!!? he yelled. That imbecile was to die to today, by the sword of Tatewaki Kuno? and he would show NO mercy!!!

This was truly a dark, dark day for Kuno.

~

Ranma and Akane jumped away from each other as if lightening had struck.

No, not lightening. The Blue Thunder.

Ranma saw him now, approaching at a speed unreal for the likes of Kuno. All Ranma could do was dodge the blade of Kuno?s sword as it missed and made a hole in the wall of the school building.

?What were you doing to Akane?!? he yelled. There was no possible way for him to keep his anger in control and show the composure he thought a proper swordsman should posses.

?I? I?? Ranma stuttered. In all actuality, Ranma was still shaken from the kiss. He had suddenly gone from one of the most wonderful feelings he?d ever experienced to a state of fear.

Akane stepped in front of Ranma. ?Kuno, he did nothing wrong. Back off!?

?What?s this? He?s brainwashed you, my dear Akane??

Akane and Ranma both simultaneously rolled their eyes.

?I CAN NOT accept this! You will pay for the crimes you have committed, Saotome! NO ONE TOUCHES AKANE LIKE THAT!!!? he screamed.

As if he had yelled it directly into the ear of every citizen of Nerima, Kuno?s voice echoed and traveled with the breeze.

In the blink of an eye, there they were. Every student of Furikan High suddenly appeared as if they had teleported in from their lunch break. They went into fits of gasps, whispers, and (for those that were friends with the pair) laughter.

Ranma looked around nervously. He could fight Kuno and face the rumors of every pupil at the school, or he could do the technique that his father, Akane?s father, and Happosai had worked so hard to help him perfect.

Run.

Ranma grabbed Akane by the wrist and was to the school gates before Kuno could ever get a chance to slash his sword again.

~

Ranma finally slowed down when he and Akane were three blocks away, almost to the dojo. He paused to catch his breath.

Akane was the first one to speak, in between her detached breathing.

?So? what just happened back there??

~

End of three.

Okay, I didn?t die. Hallelujah. Anyway, this one was very long. Sorry to keep everyone waiting.

Next up: Epilogue? What DID exactly happen? Will Ranma and Akane be able to brush this off so easily?

[Numena]

What's going to happen next!?! Don't just leave it here!
Great fic, hope you update soon!

[aku_ryo]

woo hoo now if only it had pictires too


akuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

[bookworm]

It is so hilarious (meaning the scene where the whole school came to see what happened to the young couple). And it was also sweet. Can't wait for the epilogue.

~bookworm~

[Nikouru]

Funny! What a sad way for Kuno to find Akane and Ranma... (but it cracked me up! ) It was very clever of Genma to use a truth potion on Ranma! Cute chapter! Write the epilogue and post it soon, please! Keep up the great work!

[ZidanesGarnet]

And here I am reading the 3rd chap as the dummy I am too much later then everyone else-- and Hello! No Epilouge I see? Post post! I must bug you now...

BTW great writing, very typical Ranma, love the detail you got there!
Keep up the good work!

[dark-angel]

yeah what did happen

[Eden]

Cherry!! I go through a diffrent forum and I find that your writing Ranma fanfiction! Yes! I don't think that I've seen a good Ranma fic for soo long!

I know that you posted this a while ago, but are you gonna update soon? Just wanna know. It's great, and I can't wait to see what happend!

~Eden

[Rose of Betrayal]

Wow. Kiss kiss. That was so sweet! I never really remember Ranma kissing Akane in the series. But I'm sure there are quite a few times I've forgotten. I'm so confused. I must have taken that stupid medicine Genma gave me.

<img src="http://images.quizilla.com/R/Ruri-chan/ ... _Ahope.JPG" border="0" alt="You represent... hope."><br>You represent... hope.

[Vampiric]

Wai, wai~ The only Ranma/Akane kiss I've actually *seen* is the one in.. volume four or five of the viz-released manga. Where he's doing the Cat Fist technique, and he's all.. not himself. That's their first kiss, I think. But it's so sweet! I enjoyed your fic (especially imagining Kuno getting hit in the forehead with a discus.. over and over and over.. woo!) and I can't wait for the prologue! Keep it up!