Writing's a lot like music. When the melody comes from the soul, it can hurt, but in a nice way. Leifker presents... The Home Front A work of anime fanfiction by Nicholas Leifker. Ranma 1/2 characters created by Rumiko Takahashi. _Thy Inward Love_, _Magic_, and all relevant characters within created by Richard D. Lawson. All rights reserved. Warning: If you haven't read _Magic_, this does contain some serious spoilers. ***************************************************************** "Okay. At ten local time, I go over to Akari's, and...call you." My voice cracks, even through the brave facade. I wasn't expecting this to happen. Nobody was. "Yes." Tachi, for lack of a better word, looks like hell. I've never seen her so afraid, not even as a child. "Kouichi and Mitsuaki will be waiting." "Okay. Take care of yourself, kiddo." "You too, Auntie. And thanks...for everything." My niece signs off, leaving the computer silent once more... and me alone. I sit back and stare at the blank screen, still unable to absorb the tragedy. Ryouga's gone. Dead. The idea still seems a foreign one, an impossibility to me. He always seemed so strong, so full of the fire so rare in today's people. To me, he seemed immortal. Truth to tell, for a time it seemed we all were. How long had we laughed at the dangers and thumbed our noses at the odds? Twenty years? Thirty? Once upon a time, forces of nature gathered into Nerima's heart, and made sport with each other. Back there, we _were_ immortal, gods and goddesses capable of shattering the heavens and demolishing high mountains. Nothing could touch us - nothing. I had even been KILLED, dehydrated by the Kinjakan, and came out unscathed. Time marched on, and we began to trade a piece of our innocence for something more precious - the third stage, love and marriage and children. Somehow, luck still remained on our side. Shampoo took full advantage of China's turbulent 1997, proving her leadership and diplomatic skills in the face of Deng's death and Hong Kong's integration. Ukyou and Nabiki both fought hard in the business world, and attained positions of power and influence undreamed of. Akari found a stray DNA strand in Ryouga's other form, and saved the world from the ache of famine. And Ranma... my Ranma became balance, a force for good in a world that desperately needed it. Somehow, through the storms that raged about us, we got through unscathed, unharmed... until now. I know this job has to be done, just as it has always been. What sort of turmoil would Japan be in if he had fallen prey to Gansu's power? How much of the world would be cinder if Thiele and Mason's terrorism hadn't crossed his fire? He's given so much to the world, and tried to give so much to us... am I wrong for wanting him only for myself? I know it's selfish of me, but I want us to grow old together, to watch our children and grandchildren enjoy what we have. My thoughts turn inward, to the fragile life I carry. I didn't want to tell Ranma about the child; his thoughts will be too far possessed by the mission. Now... I'm afraid this child will never get to know her father, or her brother and sister. The picture that sits next to the computer looks so innocent, but the secrets beneath are there, if you know where to look. Ranma's eyes may contain the wisdom of his forty-two years, but his body shines with youth and energy, right down to that cocky million-yen smile I adore. Nouma stares quietly at the camera, his expression no less youthful, but hinting both at the explosive power and cool intellect within. My baby Mikanma shows every bit the arrogance her father held at that age, along with the fire and impulsiveness I carried then. And it would kill me to lose any of them. Other images roar unbidden through my mind, pictures I don't want to see. Mikanma, a demon incarnate, a monster wearing my daughter's face. Nouma, beaten, lying on the ground, waiting for the approaching death-blow. Ranma, MY Ranma, all life drained from his body, a corpse decorating the gates of Hell. Unable to control myself any longer, I scream at the twilight. It will not - cannot - happen! I can't lose them now, not with this child coming! This child is a Tendo, and deserves to know her family, and what we stand for. We are the light where there is darkness, love where there is only anger and hatred, and unyielding strength in the face of life's fiercest storms. And, right now, a good friend needs all of these. I may not have Ranma's power, or Nouma's wit, or Mikanma's agility, but I can help where I can. I wipe my tears and try to make myself presentable for Akari, to be her strength in this dark hour. I only pray she never has to return the favor. ***************************************************************** It's times like this I think of something Eimii wrote when she proposed a Sunrise side-story. "Well, here it is. Please don't hurt me..." Seriously, I wrote this up about a week ago, while I was gone for Spring Break. Thanks to Richard Lawson and Sean Gaffney for their help with this. Any and all C&C is appreciated. Nicholas Leifker nwl9354@unix.tamu.edu http://http.tamu.edu:8000/~nwl9354 March 24, 1997