Dark Mauve: "Metamorpha" A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic by Rpgingmaster Email me at: rpgingmaster2003@yahoo.com Note: This is the sequel to Dark Mauve: "Jejeunem" ************************************************************************ *** It was a pleasant night. A gentle warm breeze blew into the window of Kodachi Kunou room, yet it did not inteference with the lit red candles quietly and slowly extinguishing their wicks on the bedside table. Also, the inhabitants suffered no discomfort from it's presence, mostly because other matters had their attention........ Ukyou looked down at the sleeping form of Kodachi. Both her and Kodachi were in the raw, a comforter offering modesty up to the lower torso being their only covering. They had been engaged in some very passionate lovemaking naught but a short while ago, and even though both were far from fatigue, they had ceased by mutual consent, despite the primal pleas of their bodies for continuance. In fact, as Kodachi snuggled into the crook of her arm and held her tighter, Ukyou almost cried as she saw the look of intense depression on the gymnast's sleeping not-so-peacefully face. Ukyou knew why that was so. In fact, the reason caused her pain as well, and for that, she held the Black Rose closer, wanting to remove the burden of lonliness from her...... ************************************************************************ **** She was not asleep, at least not in a deep sleep. She was aware and conscious, though her eyes and most higher brain functions were in sleep mode. Right now, she could feel the warmth of Ukyou's body, the choked breaths from Ukyou's body, whose tempo had not yet completely wound down; but mostly, she felt her own aching lonliness. On the face of it, it seemed absurd. How could she, a woman with three lovers, not feel as if she had someone? That was easy. She desired them, wanted them, even, grudginly so, cared about their well being, but she was not in love with them. She was in love with Ranma Saotome, a man whose feelings, apparently, did not reciprocate. And the crux of it all was that her three lovers had made that realization all the more painful. Shampoo had been the catylst of it all. After their "challenge", their encounters had been more verbal than physical, at least their public ones. In private....it was much more physical, though in a much more pleasing way. It was good for relieving their shared tension, but that's all their relationship, if it could be called that, was. However, her dalliances with Shampoo had opened up parts of herself she herself had sealed ever since Reika's death, and even though her heart was set, her eye was roving, and it fell upon Akane Tendou. The Tendou girl had been her earliest challenge to Ranma's hand, and she had longed to have her upstart rival bend to her will. Now, it was the same, but she wanted that very thing in so many other ways. Objectively, it made sense. In a way, she would have dominance that she wouldn't have had otherwise. Shampoo had confessed to her that similiar feelings had made her want Ukyou in much the same manner. However, as this tryst grew, it only made her feelings all that more acute. As wonderful as it was to feel the bodies of her rivals pressed against her on those dark, lonely nights, she wanted Ranma's presence the most. And it caused her pain to wake up and it not be him. That was why she was so sad.... ************************************************************************ *** As Akane woke up, jolted awake by yet another restless dream, she finally came to a realization. She might have been wrong about Ranma. She had lied to herself more than once. She had convinced herself that no man had any true feelings for her; that was completelty true, yet the two most notable examples, Dr. Tofu and Ryouga, were either fixated on another or too timid to say anything. She had also lied to herself when she believed that she could find love and support from a woman. Granted, her secret liasons with her rivals was good for the body, and true, the lonely feelings weren't nearly as oppressive when she had someone to hold in her arms, but those relations had proven to be little more than merely for physical pleasure. But that's not why she seemed to be wrong about Ranma. Recently, she had started noticing a change. As the fights between her and the other fiances had gotten to be less and less, it seemed as if it had become more peaceful. This had an undoubted effect on Ranma, for even though his enemies assumed Ranma had merely tightened his grip on their various affections heart's, Ranma himself was actually becoming more bearable, or at least not as defensive. In fact, aside from when one of them tried to blantantly seduce him, they were all on speaking terms with Ranma, althougth he still ran screaming from Kodachi's cooking and Shampoo's never ending glomps. As well, the onset of fianceial detente also seemed to make Ranma a lot less stressed about his engagement. In fact, the only time either she or her ever really gave it any serious thought was when their fathers started losing patience and tried to schedule an impromptu wedding, but, for the most part, Ranma was getting a lot more bearable. As she turned over in her bed, trying to get some sleep, she knew she hadn't exactly fallen in love with him, but she did want to continue being on friendly terms with him....and maybe more...if that was possible...... A comical afterthought made her smile as she suceeded in entering the unconscious world. As long as her and Ranma got along, her arm didn't get as tired malleting him half stupid. ************************************************************************ **** Meanwhile, in his own bed, Ranma was revising his own opinions as well. He had originally detested his life. He had four fiances, and he wanted none of them. He had numerous rivals, and, while he enjoyed the sparring practice, he rather be quit of them as well. In short, his life sucked. Worst of all, his primary fiance, Akane, hated his guts, was completely uncute, and had a penchant for smacking him with a mallet for the slightest of slights. Also, his other fiances raised all sorts of hell over him. He had to be the only man in Nerima with four women willing to shed each other's blood on their behalf. However, that particular status quo ante seemed to be changing. In fact, all four of his fiances had changed. It hadn't been sudden, nor had he completely picked up on it at first, but they had become more...bearable, if that was possible. For one, their fights had involved less combat and more words. As well, to a certain extent, they even seemed to be on speaking terms, insofar as it was on subjects not pertaining to him. As well, they were turning on less of the seduction and charm, and they had tried to...be his friend instead, or at least that's what he could gather. He had to admit, it was rather nice to be able to wolf down okonomiyaki in peace while Ukyou and Akane held a conversation, and the time that Kodachi told off her own brother when he tried to attack him had been nice, even to make him realize that Kodachi wasn't so bad.... Ranma was about to slap himself. When he started to think even Kodachi was bearable, even worthy of his attention, something had indeed changed. He did have to concede, though, that now that they were more bearable, he had been entertaining thoughts of what married life would be like. With all four of them..... However, the dark side of the situation dispelled those happy thoughts. This new side of his fiances had enraged his rivals, and he had been attacked by Kunou, Mousse, and Ryouga with unprecedented intensity. They had all assumed that he had somehow tightened his grip on the hearts on their respective affections, and they had been ambushing him at every oppurtunity. Ranma had to admit that even though that gave him more chances than usual to spar and sharpen his martial art skill, it was becoming bothersome and even terrifying that they would attack him so frequently. In fact, it was seriously starting to worry him..... Ranma yawned. It wasn't normal for him to think like this so much, so he decided to retire for the night, hoping for the good of his life to continue. That's when he sneezed. He groaned, then rolled over, hoping his recently obtained cold would go away too. ************************************************************************ *** Author's Note: And this ends Part Four of "Dark Mauve". The canon is far from over, and I won't let this story go unfinished. After all, I don't want such a great story to perish like Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales". Anyway, I would like to give thanks to a Mr. Rever for contacting me halfway through the writing of this story. His insights helped me finish this, and I deeply appreciate your critiques and your overview of my story canon progression, and I tried my best to answer the questions you set forth. I hope this answered most, if not all of them. But, again, thank you for your assistance. And, as well, I would like to thank the fans of my work. With your help, my writing can only get better. Thank you for the boundless inspiration and dedication. And, as I say to my friends, and to my detractors: Have a nice day!!!!!!!