Disclaimers: I sadly do not own Ranma ½

A Journey Through the Mind

Chapter One: Saying Good-bye

It was a dark stormy night in the town of Nerima. People are running through the streets with newspapers covering their heads. Though one lone boy at the Tendo Dojo was unconcerned with the rain. The tall, black hair tied in a pigtail, muscular, blue eyed martial artist sat on the porch of the dojo's main house. He smirked out at the falling rain, figuring that the world felt like he did, sad and crappy.

"Ranma, come inside. You wouldn't want to catch cold would you?" A motherly voice called. The boy Ranma just sat and stared. His mind was wandering onto events that occurred earlier that day.

Ranma was walking home from the graduation celebration. He was on the fence as usual, staring down at the figure of his fiancée. She was a short girl, with short black hair, and had the most beautiful brown eyes he had ever seen. Even if he told her otherwise, Ranma thought she was very pretty. All of a sudden she stopped walking.

"Ranma," she said to him. "Want to get something to eat?"

"Sure Akane," Ranma said stunned. She was offering food, and him with his black hole stomach could never refuse.

After buying a couple of burgers, Akane led Ranma to a strange part of the park he had only been to once. It was where he took Akane, after she gave up on loving Dr. Tofu. Akane sat on the stone ledge, which encircled a great oak. She pulled a burger out and began to take small bites out of it. Ranma just plopped himself next to her and took a burger for himself.

"Ranma..." Akane breathed after a while.

"Yeah Akane," he said through bites.

"What do you plan to do now?" She asked, staring at the ground.

"What do ya mean?" He gave her a confused look, but she couldn't see it.

"I mean, are you going to go to collage, get a job, or just go and free load at the house?" She explained thoroughly, still not looking at him.

"Go to collage I guess," he responded, but he was becoming worried. 'What is she getting at?' He thought to himself.

"That's nice to know," she whispered.

"Are you going to go to collage?" Ranma asked. He mentally hit himself afterwards. 'Of course she is!' He yelled at himself.

"Yes. In fact, that's why I asked you to come with me."

"Really? Why was that?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Ranma, I've been accepted into Hinata Springs Academy."

"Huh?" Ranma gave her a weird look.

"Yes, it's a great school, with many programs... including martial arts."

"I know."

"How?" Akane still didn't look at him, but he could just image the confused expression on her face.

"Well, any school you went to had to have had martial arts, right?" Ranma did a quick save.

"Not really, I could care less. The martial arts were just a perk. It's all about location." Ranma threw her a surprised look. "Ranma, Hinata Springs is in America. I'm going to America tonight."

"You can't!" Ranma said the first thing that came into his mind.

"And why can't I?!" Akane questioned getting angry.

"You have to stay here!"

"Why should I?" She scoffed at the ground.

"Because I'm... your family and friends are here!" Ranma explained. 'Great save Saotome.'

"I can make new friends, and I can stay in touch with my friends and family that I leave behind," she explained.

"And what about... me?" He asked in a very quiet voice that Akane barely heard what it was that he said.

"You... I will miss you, but I need to leave Ranma. I'm not happy here. I'm sick of all the fiancées, and all the fights, meddling parents, unwanted people, and your not making a decision on which fiancée, so I'll make it easier and delete one!" She still wouldn't look at him.

"You think you're the only one sick of the fiancées?! I am too Akane!" He snapped. Clenching his fists in anger.

"You don't act like it," she retorted.

"Maybe I don't, that doesn't mean that I dislike the situation any less than you do!"

"Maybe," Akane mused in a far away voice.

"Let's put that aside for now. What I want to know is why you didn't tell me sooner. Why Akane, why tell me on the night you leave?" His voice had a pleading tone in it, which he only used when begging for food from Kasumi.

"Because... I knew that you would be the only one that could convince me not to go," she whispered.

"Then don't go. Stay here!" Ranma exclaimed.

"I have to go. Please let me go Ranma, you're all that's standing in my way."

"I'm not going to let you," he commanded.

"You have to!"

"I won't!"

"Please just let me! Please!" She pleaded.

"No! That's my final answer!" He shouted. "Look at me dammit, and get it through your thick skull that I won't let you leave!"

"Well it's not your choice! I'm leaving no matter what!" She shouted, finally looking up at him with tear filled eyes. "I may have asked you to let me leave, but your answer isn't going to make my decision. I'm going I would just feel better if you were okay with my leaving! But like always, you have to act stubborn! Well guess what? I'm going and there's nothing you can do about it jerk!" She screamed. The insult made Ranma twitch.

"Fine, go ahead and leave! See if I care! That's all you're good for... nothing! You stupid tomboy!" He shouted back.

"I hate you!" She screamed tearfully as she slapped him. Then she twirled on her heels and ran away from Ranma. Ranma just looked after her retreating form with a hand rubbing his throbbing cheek.

That was the last he saw of her for the rest of the day. Akane spent the rest of it packing... and avoiding him. He just stared at the rain, that's all he did. It started raining when he walked home, he was a girl coming in soak and wet. His face was covered in water and it was a mixture of the rain and his own tears. Kasumi had already had hot water ready for him, and poured it on as soon as he stepped through the door. Then he just made his way to the porch where he just sat and watched the rain. Watched the rain and cried inwardly.

"Ranma, please come in," Kasumi begged, trying yet again in coaxing him into coming inside.

"I don't want to," he muttered.

"But Akane is leaving now, she wants to say good-bye to you." Ranma instantly rose his head up at the comment. He quietly moved to a standing position and walked in a zombie like way towards the front door. There Akane stood, holding a suitcase in each hand. She was just finishing hugging Nabiki.

"You be safe Akane," Nabiki said as she let go, showing her emotions for one of those rare moments when she didn't care if anyone knew she was an average human.

"I will," Akane answered. Akane then turned her attention over to se the dead looking Ranma. She placed her suitcases on the ground and ran over to him. "Good-bye Ranma," she mumbled into his shirt.

"Good-bye Akane," he said in a dead voice. He gently hugged her, though it seemed as if he didn't dare want to touch her body. She slowly let go and walked back to her suitcase.

"Good-bye everyone," she said as she picked up her luggage. She slid the door open and made her way into the rain. As soon as Kasumi closed the door, Ranma looked at it like Kasumi was closing a part of his life that he loved so much off from hi. He fell to the floor as he heard the familiar click of the lock. Kasumi gave him a pitying look, as she turned to face him.

"It's not too late to stop her Ranma," Kasumi commented.

"Yes it is."

"Then go with her, I know you were also accepted into Hinata springs, I found the acceptance letter in your room."

"I can't go. She's leaving because of me. She's not happy here," he said in a dead tone that worried Kasumi.

"Ranma, you're the only reason that Akane would have to stay. Your school doesn't begin until August. So if you stopped her tonight and maybe spoke with her, then you could talk this through. You could decide whether she should stay, or you should go," Kasumi explained hopefully.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," he muttered in a monotone voice. That was the last straw for Kasumi.

"I am sick of your indecisive ways. Can't you ever make a decision! 'You don't think that's a good idea!' Since when have you ever thought? You're about to let the best thing that ever happened to you walk out of your life! Get off your lazy butt and follow your heart!" She commanded, and pointed a finger to the door. Ranma stared bewildered at her. Kasumi soon became flush after realizing what she had done. "I'm sorry, that was so unlike me. It's just that I've kept quiet during your and Akane's engagement, and I can't stand to just sit on the sidelines while you two leave each other alone and sad," she whispered in a small voice.

"No, you're right Kasumi, I have to go after her," he said in a determined voice, completely changed. He rose up and slid the door open. "I'll be back, hopefully with Akane!" He called over his shoulder.

Ranma ran through the streets of Nerima, getting soaked in the falling rain. "Akane!" He would call out ever so often. He squinted, and barely made out the figure of a girl. His heartbeat sped up rapidly, as he walked towards her. "Akane," he breathed, as he placed a hand on her shoulder. The girl whirled around abruptly and Ranma came face to face with... a girl who wasn't Akane. "I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else."

"That's all right," the girl smiled, as she began her pace again. Ranma just stared, grief taking over him. Maybe it was the grief that made Ranma's senses whack, or maybe it was because his mind was more on Akane rather than with his surroundings, but no one ever had the courage to ask him the reason. All they knew was that what happened... happened.

Blazing headlights and the sound of honking finally got Ranma's attention, and when he turned, it was too late. The only thing he remembered was the immense pain he felt when the car made connection against his body.

Ranma opened his eyes to see white light surrounding the blackness around him.

"So this is what it feels like when you die," he murmured, as his eyes closed and the white light swallowed him.

A/N: That's all for now. Not sure if it's good, but hey, if y'all liked it, then review please. Until the next chapter. Sayonara!