(As the music from the Opening fades into the background)

Part 3: The First Interlude

The fire popped and crackled in the chill night air. It was colder here than in Japan, but then, where was here? Ranma looked up at the moon. It was in the wrong position in the sky for the summer in Japan. It was summer in this place too, but somehow different. Ranma looked over at Ryouga, who was tending the fire.

"I can't believe I'm out here with you" He said more to himself than to Ryouga.

Ryouga however, heard him.

"Well-if you can get us home any quicker-I'd gladly like you to try" Ryouga said.

Ranma was miffed slightly at this rebuttal.

"It was your fault for picking me up and running off with me in the first place."

"Well, with that demon going off...What was I supposed to do?" He asked.

Ranma couldn't think of a response. Sure, there was one, but Ranma didn't think right now would be the best of times to be fighting with Ryouga. They needed to help each other to get back home.

There was a drawn out silence between them. Ryouga was the first to break it.

"I won't get in your way," He said, quietly staring into the flames.

"????"

"When we get back. I realize now that I have no chance with Akane. Besides, Akari likes me how I am. And it seems to get harder and harder to hide my curse from anyone. Ukyou found out about it a couple of weeks ago. I wouldn't be able to hide it from Akane forever," He explained.

Ranma really didn't know what to say now. No more battling with Ryouga over Akane? Ryouga must have read this on Ranma's face.

"Don't worry Ranma. I'm sure that Kuno hasn't given up on his 'Goddess of the Hunt' just yet," He said.

Ranma smiled and looked over the fire. He really was quite shocked over this whole turn of events. Ranma still worried about all the weirdness taking it's toll on Akane while he wasn't there.

He looked over at Ryouga.

"She'll be okay you know," Ranma said finally.

"Who? Akane? I know," Ryouga said with a smile, "I saw you training her. She's getting quite good."

"Yeah-she still needs to learn balance though..."

There was more silence between the two. Ryouga looked to Ranma. Ryouga wondered what went on in the head of people who weren't so obsessed with something that it drove their whole life. And he had just given up on that very something that he had been obsessed with for the past two years. It was hard. It felt harder than anything he'd ever done. Ryouga wanted to break down and cry, but he'd be damned if he'd ever let Ranma see him cry.

"Ryouga?"

"Yeah Ranma," Ryouga replied.

"I...I'm sorry," Ranma took a deep breath and looked to steel himself, "I'm sorry for getting you knocked into the cursed spring."

Ryouga was stunned. What the Hell had Ranma just said? Ryouga was brought out of his funk and just sat there. He would have said that Ranma had just been saying that to start something with him, but for the way he said it. He sounded truly sorry. Ryouga wanted to trust Ranma, but he just didn't know. Ranma had never been trustworthy in the past, but his father had once told him that there was a first time for everything. Maybe now was the time.

"Ranma-I...It must take you a lot to say that, doesn't it? Maybe Akane has had a good affect on you after all," Ryouga said.

Ryouga extended his hand to Ranma. Ranma looked at him and seemed to decide to trust Ryouga back. This man who has been trying to kill him for the last two years. Why not? They were out here in the lonesome wilderness and Ryouga had any number of chances to off Ranma at his leisure. He wasn't going to do it now. Was he? Ranma took his hand and tentatively shook. Ryouga firmed the handshake and Ranma smiled. This was real. This was good.

He didn't even see Ryouga swing his right arm around and connect to the side of his face, knocking him off the log.

"Apology accepted Ranma," Ryouga said.

Ranma just looked at him, dumbfoundedly. Accepted? That was an apology? Ryouga guessed that it was, at least, that was the best that Ranma could come up with. They both sat there looking at each other stupidly. Ryouga then smiled and his smile widened and he started laughing. Not the maniacal laugh that made him sound so much like Kuno, but a rich, whole kind of laugh. One that was genuine. Ranma couldn't help but begin to laugh as he picked himself up and sat back down on his own log. Ranma knew he could trust Ryouga now. This genuine person before him was all the proof he needed. Ryouga was a friend.

"C'mon Ryouga, let's get some sleep and we'll get back to the Tendo dojo tomorrow," Ranma said, patting down his sleeping bag.

"Yeah, we've been gone a week already," Ryouga said, putting out the outer rims of the fire, making it a little safer for them to sleep around.

Ranma thought that the day had started off rather badly with that spotted cat (shudder) chasing them, but it had ended with a rather nice turn of events. Ryouga looked into the stars and hoped to whatever God was listening that they would get home soon.

The wilderness echoed with silence. Far into the distance, a pair of binoculars were being packed back into their case and put away. The Ranger had been watching them for the past couple of hours. At least they weren't the heathen youth that so far had made the Parks and Recreations Service close Yellowstone in the first place. These kids weren't too bad, they even did a good job with that fire, must've been a Boy Scout. The Ranger had a mind to run them off, but it was late and he decided to wait until morning. If these boys were good with everything else, then they would be long gone by the time he got back here in the morning. He nodded to himself in agreement and silently drove into the inky darkness towards home.

(Credits roll)