Disclaimer: All of the usual disclaimers. All of these characters are not mine etc.Also, this is a very dark take on a what-if in the Ranma-universe, and it really doesn't have any big explosions or huge amounts of action. So if you don't really like this sort of thing, don't read it!

"Bartender!! Another shot!" he said blearily.

"That's your 5th in a row! I think that maybe you should slow down a little!"

Ryoga looked at the bartender with bloodshot eyes. "What do you know! I have a reason for trying to forget! If you knew all that I've been through in my life, you'd be giving that to me by the gallon!"

The bartender looked at him for a minute, then handed him the tumbler. Ryoga just stared at it for a few seconds, and then downed it in a single gulp. "Why can't I forget?" he whispered.

Then suddenly he started talking softly and slowly, to no one in general.

"My name is Ryoga Hibiki. I am 23?, no 24 years old, and I have been lost and alone for a very long time. My life has always been one of depression, and grief, but the last few years have been hell. My family is cursed. None of us can ever find our way anywhere."

<<flashback to Ryoga's father lost in Egypt, his mother lost in Spain, and Ryoga lost in Mexico, while their dog looks for all of them frantically>> "I haven't seen my family in 10 years."

He sighs, and wordlessly, the bartender gives him another drink. By then, all of the patrons have gathered around, listening.

"You can't see it now, but I am a very good martial artist. Never good enough though. There's always someone better that me, that person usually being Ranma. Ranma...is someone I wish I could forget. He and I were enemies, for a long time, since he ran out on a duel we were to have in junior high. I vowed vengeance on him, and started to follow him as he and his father Genma, went all over China, training. Oh... they're also martial artists. I still can't believe that I finally managed to find them at a place called Jusenkyo. It's just my kind of luck that I managed to track them down, at that accursed spot. Never heard of it? I'm not surprised. The only ones who've heard of that place are the people who have been cursed by it. That's how I heard of it, after all. When they became cursed, they managed to curse me, too. Ah...I see. None of you believe in curses? Let me show you a real curse."

Ryoga took out a thermos and opened it, putting some in a tumbler. Then he told the bartender,

"Get me some cold water, and splash it on me, and you'll get proof. Then, dump this hot water on me, so I can change back."

He got off the stool, and yelled out,

"Okay. Now!"

There was a splash, and tangled within the pile of clothes was a little black pig, that looked as if it'd had better days.

Bartender: ".......!!!"

Barfly #1: "No way. I've got to be even more drunk than I thought..."

Ryoga: "Bwee!! Bwee!!"

The crowd slowly backs away a little. The bartender then splashed the pig with the warm water, and in its place stood Ryoga, naked. As Ryoga got dressed, he started to talk again.

"Yes, that is my curse. I turn into a pig whenever I'm touched by cold water, and hot water returns me to human form. Genma, Ranma's father was cursed with the panda form, and Ranma, a girl's form. How did this happen? Well, as the girl-Ranma was chasing after panda-Genma, she managed to push me into the pool of the drowned pig, where I received my curse. To me, this meant that I had to kill him, if only for this insult, than anything else... I finally tracked him down to Nerima, in Japan, where he was staying with the Tendos and his father, at the Tendo dojo. When I finally confronted him...

Ryoga: Ranma Saotome, prepare to die!!

Ranma: Huh? Who are you?

...he had forgotten who I was, and when he did remember, he had no idea why I was so angry. He thought that it was because of some bread! The idiot.

While I was in Nerima, I met Akane. She was one of Ranma's fiancees, and she and he seemed absolutely hate the idea of their marriage. They always insulted each other, and yelled and fought every day."

Ranma: Uncute girl!!

Akane: Pervert!!

Ranma: Tomboy!! And you can't cook!!

-Thwomp!! Thwap!! Ranma was taking another one way trip, courtesy of Tendo Airlines...

"Akane... was beautiful, and kind, and she treated me as a friend. While I was in pig form one day, she picked me up, named me P-chan, and took me into her bed to cuddle with. She had no idea that I had been cursed as a pig, and so to her, I became two people. One was a friend, and the other a favorite pet. However, after Ranma found out that I was P-chan, he tried to get me away from Akane, which usually got him into trouble. However, he never revealed my secret. I think that was because he knew that I would never do anything to hurt her. So life went on, with the usual fights whenever I could find my way back to the dojo. I fell more and more in love with Akane, but I could never tell her. There would never be the time, and she always thought of me as a good friend, or her favorite pet.

But then, one day, she found out. The day started out rather normally, with me happening upon the dojo while I was lost, as usual..."

Ryoga: Ranma!! Prepare to die!!

Ranma: Hey P-chan, how are you doing?

Ryoga: How dare you call me that! Ranma, stop dodging so much!!

Ranma: Maybe I should just call you Charlotte!! Hah!

(Various shots of Ranma and Ryoga fighting, finally ending with both falling into the pond)

Ranma: Great! Now I've got to take another bath!! Thanks, Ryoga.

Ryoga: Bwee!! Bwee!!

Ranma: Go find some hot water yourself, P-chan!! That is, if you can ever find Tokyo again!

Ryoga: Bwee!! (bites Ranma)

Ranma: Agghh!!

Ranma angrily drops P-chan back into the pond, and then goes in to take a quick bath.

Akane comes in, and sees a muddy and slightly bedraggled P-chan.

Akane: Oh! Poor P-chan. That nasty Ranma probably bothered you again, huh?

Ryoga: Bwee!! Bwee!! (nods vigorously)

Akane: Well, you need a bath. Come on, I'll give you one right now.

Akane picks up Ryoga, who starts struggling frantically. She manages to keep her iron grip around Ryoga, and takes him into the bathroom, which still has some warm water left from Ranma's quick bath. She drops him in, and turns her back to get some soap. She looks back, and sees Ryoga, naked in the tub. She screams, and yells...

Akane: Ryoga?! What! How!

Ryoga: Akane... Um, I can explain...

Akane: You're P-chan!! You had a curse, and you never told me! You always let me just carry you to my bed and... You pervert!! You disgusting...I thought that you were a friend, but you're even worse than... Ranma!! Worse than Happosai!! How could you!!

Ranma: Akane! What's wrong? Ranma comes running in and sees. Oh...

Akane: Ryoga's P-chan!! Ryoga's P-chan!! I can't believe it! I never want to see you again!! Get out of here!! Get away from me! Leave!!!"

Akane runs out, crying, and Ranma runs out after her...

"From that day forward, she's never spoken to me, ever again. After I wandered for a few months, I chanced upon the dojo again. I tried to apologize to Akane, but when she saw me, she just walked out. Ranma looked at me for a few seconds, and then...

Ranma: Ryoga, you shouldn't have come back. Akane hasn't forgiven you, and she's angry at me too, for not telling her.

Ryoga: I have to tell her that I'm sorry, that I...

Ranma: Ryoga! You know what we are to each other.

Ryoga: Enemies. Best enemies, a challenge to become stronger.

Ranma: Friends, too. Bound together by our love of Akane, you are almost my brother.

Ryoga: Brother...

Ranma: As a friend, as an honored enemy... I'm telling you to back off. Don't push her now. She's still very angry, and you know her temper...

Ryoga: I...

I jumped up, and just left. I sneaked in, later, to try to do something. I thought that maybe if I talked to Ranma again, he could help. He was right, and I was right, too. Best enemies, that's what we were, and the closest thing to a friend I'd had. I was going to go into his room, when I saw something that left me utterly shaken. Ranma and Akane, together in the same bed.

Ranma: I love you, my uncute tomboy. Did you know that?

Akane: Baka!! I love you, too.

Ranma: He loved you, you know. Ryoga...

Akane: I know that... But I just can't believe that Ryoga could be, and do all that, and never tell me... And I can't believe you never told me either!

Ranma: Well, my honor... best enemies...my fault...

Akane: I suppose..., but I can't think of anything but P-chan, and how Ryoga betrayed my trust. I just can't see him, not anymore. This is something that I won't, and can't forget. I'm sorry, but I just can't.

Ranma: But... Akane, you can't blame him...

Akane: Shh.., don't say any more. Anything I may have felt for him, for our friendship, died at that instant. Not because he's cursed, but because I trusted him, and he never tried to say anything. He never explained to me, or trusted me enough to know. Part of it was my fault too, but he should have told me. If he'd explained, who knows...? Now, no more talking about all this depressing stuff. That's ancient history to me now, best left forgotten. Let's do something more fun...

I found out later that they had decided to finally get married, When he took care of her, after she found out about me, she knew he was the one for her, and he knew it, too. I saw how they looked at each other, and that was when I really knew that love, and my life was over for me. I stumbled out of the dojo, and went out looking for something, anything to help me forget. Ranma and I were friends, but first, always, we were enemies, best enemies. He'd just won the contest, and the prize. He'd won the real thing, love, and left me nothing. Now, I'm just another drunk, nothing special. In fact, I don't even get lost anymore. Once you know there's nothing left for you, nowhere left to go, direction doesn't matter anymore, does it? There's nothing left for me, nothing to go back to. Ranma and Akane had their first child last month, while I was passed out in an alley."

Ryoga looked at the crowd of barflies who had gathered to hear his story. Wordlessly, he held out his glass, and the bartender refilled it. He drank it, and then staggered out. They all heard a loud "Shi... Shi..." The last word was drowned out, as a large pillar of energy engulfed Ryoga, and finally ended his sorrow.

---Finis---