Ranma 1/2 - Shock
by James Stone
stoner@elycion.geology.ualberta.ca
(c) 1995 Stone Age Productions  All Rights Reserved
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	Darkness.

	Thunder rolled in the skies over Nerima, thick black clouds 
penetrated and lit by flashes of lightning, explosive bolts of 
destructive energy.  The storm was unusually large for this time of 
year, all the moreso because it wasn't bringing the expected 
concentration of rain along with it.  While black and menacing with 
moisture, the clouds held it in, and merely buffeted the streets and 
houses below with hurricain force winds.

	A meterologist in a faceless building somewhere away from the 
storm noted the phenomenon with some surprise.  It was, he would mark on 
his little notepad later, an 'extraordinaliry discliplined weather 
pattern', confining itself to only a small part of the massive 
Tokyo-Yokohama metropolis.  In fact, the meterologist noted, 90% of the 
storms fury was concentrated a short distance from the main airport, in 
the Nerima Ward.  It was, he went on to note, unusually violent for the 
time of year, and exhibited an unusual degree of electrical activity.  
Beyond that, he made no note.  Weather is a strange beast at the best of 
times, and meterologists see many strange things.

	In the Nerima Ward itself, the lightning continued to flash, 
ear-splitting waves of thunder wracking senses already deafened by 
howling winds.  A lot lay at the very center, larger and older than its 
neighbours.  The main building in the lot was a two-story 
house of traditional design, its wide-flaring roof designed to withstand 
the force of a typhoon.  Beside it was a building of similar design, but 
only one story.  The storm shifted slightly, almost imperceptably, 
sliding its center over this second building, as if sensing prey.

	In the second building, were two people.  One was a young man, a 
boy still, really, although his size and fitness would throw some.  His 
hair was long and black, and tied off into a single braided pigtail.  He 
was wearing a red shirt, with the sleeves removed, and loose black 
pants.  Black slippers clad his feet.  He stood in a combat crouch, 
facing his opponent, wary for an attack.

	His opponent was a girl.  She was a great deal short than he 
was, with her black hair cut off short in the back.  She was in a 
traditional martial arts 'gi', yellow-white in color, and tied off with a 
red belt.  Her feet were bare.  She too, stood in a combat crouch, tense, 
waiting.

	With a sudden battle cry, the girl launched herself through the 
air at the boy.  The boy's arms went up in a shielding gesture, 
protecting his head from the onrushing attack.  A shattering explosion 
ripped through the air, and, to the boy, the world went white.

	It was some moments before the boy stirred again.  He shook his 
head dazedly, trying to restore sight back to his sense.  Hazily, the 
world came back into focus.  One thing he realized almost instantly.  
Perspective was wrong.  He was too short. Sitting up, he noticed his balance 
was off, there seemed to be new weights on his chest.  And without opening his 
mouth, he knew his voice would have shifted, becoming higher in pitch.

	"Che," Ranma grumbled..."Why'd the roof have to go like that all 
of a sudden?"  Her thoughts froze.  The roof _shouldn't_ have gone like 
that.  There had been many, much worse storms than this.  Cautiously, 
Ranma looked up at the roof, and saw clouds.  A gaping hole had been torn 
in the roof, through with the rain, suddenly unleashed, poured down.  
Ranma was soaked to the bone, but didn't notice.  She was studying the 
edges of the hole...blackened, singed....her eyes widening in horror, her 
head snapped down to look at the limp body lying on the floor of the 
dojo.  "Akane!"

	It didn't even seem like she moved, Ranma was at Akane's side so 
quickly.  "Akane, answer me!"  Ranma shook the other girl frantically, 
half-blinded by tears and rain.  Ranma was glad she couldn't see.  The 
smell was enough, the smell of burnt cotton, and the horrid stench of 
burnt flesh.  She shook the girl over and over, trying against hope to 
revive her.  "Akane!  Wake up!  This isn't funny, Akane!!"

	A pounding of feet announced the arrival of others.  Souns bellow 
cut through Ranma's panic, causing her to stumble away from Akane in 
horror as Soun went to his daughters side.  Kasumi's gasp of dismay, 
almost lost in the shrieking of the storm, was still no less peircing.  
More footsteps followed, voices, Soun sobbing hysterically, the sound of 
Ranma's own father, sounding gentler than she could have imagined, a 
flash of seeing Kasumi lifting her head from her sisters chest, and 
nodding once to her father, Nabiki's usually confident smirk replaced by 
a grey mask of shock, and Ranma's own scream, lost in her ears as the 
world faded away from her...

	"AKANE!!!!!!!!!!"

	The storm passed, as all storms do, eventually.  By mid-afternoon 
the next day, the residents of the city were cleaning up, a weary and 
all-too familiar task.  A few of the residents spared glances at the roof 
of the Dojo, charred hole clearly visible above the walls of the lot.  A 
few shook their heads in sympathy, wondering how the owner, such a nice 
man, could be cursed with such bad luck, and went on their way.  A few 
however, mostly young, looked at the dojo a bit longer, senseing, 
somehow, that something was far more seriously wrong, that, somehow, one 
of their number was hurt.

	In the walls of the household itself, the residents were also 
trying to clean up the damage left by the storm.  In the ruined Dojo, the 
two girls picked up pieces of charred lumber, and swept the debris up, 
but left the charred spot near the center of the building curiously 
alone, as if they didn't see it.  Around the house, Soun, the owner of 
the lot and head of the household, checked the roofing tiles and the 
trimmings of the house, making notes of what needed to be fixed.  With 
his was his longtime friend, and guest Genma, inspecting the trees and 
the pond, noting what would have to be replaced or regrown.

	Only one person in the house was idle, and he sat alone, in his 
room.  Ranma stared at the wall, shivering from an unseen chill.  After 
the...accident, his father had brought him in, changed him, returned him 
to manhood, and put him to bed, murmering sympathetically.  Ranma had 
barely noticed.  His mind kept playing what it had tried to block out 
over, and over again, instant-reply of his failure.

	He had seen Akane begin her jump, had raised his arms to block, 
and to grab her leg as it was deflected...through his crossed arms he had 
seen her flying towards him.  Then...he had known.  He didn't know how 
his sixth sense of danger worked, but he had known that danger was 
coming.  He had started to lower his arms, when Akane, the whole world, 
was backlit by white light.  He had seen the expression of fear, replaced 
by agony, suddenly fill her face as blue-white stream of light struck her 
shoulder, had watched her body spasm and try to free itself from the 
bolt, watched the gi literally explode away from her side in black 
tatters as the bolt coursed down her body, erupting out of her calf and 
striking the floor.  He had looked into her eyes, had seen the plea 
there, and had been powerless to help her, raising his arms again to 
shield himself from the explosion.

	And he got to see it over and over again, in slow-motion.

	He could have saved her.  He knew that, instinctively.  If there 
was danger threatening Akane, he could prevent it.  That was his duty, 
self-imposed.  Even if he couldn't save himself, he could always save 
her.  But last night he had failed.  Hadn't even been scratched by a 
piece of debris while her body was seared by unimaginable power.  He had 
failed her, her family, and himself.

	Quietly, the door slid open.  Ranma didn't even look up to see 
his father standing there.  Instead he muttered for him to go away, to 
leave him alone.  His father ignored the command, but didn't come any 
further into the room.

	"Ranma," his father began, "listen to me.  Akane-kun is going to 
be alright.  She...she's very badly injured, but she's in the best 
hospital in Nerima.  She's going to be okay."

	Ranma almost sneered.  He knew better.  He knew Akane lived 
still, and that she was in the best hospital available.  But he also knew 
that she would never leave it.  He had overheard his father and Akane's 
father talking, and had heard the word 'coma.'  He knew what a coma was.  
He knew it was serious.  And he knew that Akane wasn't going to come out 
of it.  Ever.

	"Ranma?  Did you hear me?  Ranma!"  His father was beginning to 
sound angry.  Good.  If he was angry at Ranma, then he wouldn't have to 
think about Akane.  Ranma didn't want anyone to think about Akane, didn't 
want anyone else to have to think about the pain she was in, was still 
in.  Noone should have had to bear that pain, noone except him.

	"Ranma, would you listen to me?  She's going to be alright!  It's 
just going to take time!  You can't sit like that forever, you have to 
get on with your life!  Ranma!"  This time, the cry held a note of 
desperation, and Ranma wavered, just slightly.  Anger was good, 
desperation was not.  He couldn't have his father desperate...but at the 
same time, he couldn't face the old man.  He didn't intend to stay like 
this forever, just...just long enough to say goodbye to her.  No matter 
how long it took.

	A new sound, soft footsteps advancing down the hall and leading 
his father away.  That was good.  That had to be Kasumi.  Kasumi, who 
really was his older sister now, in spirit and fact, if not name.  A 
surrogate mother for him, just like for Akane...she understood him, 
understood that he needed to be alone.  But when the soft footsteps 
returned, alone, his self-pity vanished for a moment, in a wave of 
resentment.  Coming back?  Going to try the same trick oyaji did?

	This time the footsteps didn't stop at the door.  They walked 
right up beside his.  Ranma risked a glance out of the corner of his 
eye.  Kasumi after all.  He shifted his eyes back hastily, as if she 
could see them, curled up as he was.

	She kneeled beside him.  "Ranma..." she began softly, hesitantly, 
as if not knowing what to day.  "You...you can't go on punishing yourself 
over this."  He jerked away, as if denying that's what he was doing.  
"No!" she cried, startled.  "You musn't!  It wasn't your fault!"

	An easy thing for her to say, Ranma thought bitterly to himself.  
She doesn't know...has never known what protecting Akane means.  Noone 
ever has, not the way I do.  He hunched over further, the moment of his 
failure playing once again in his mind, losing himself in that sickening 
blast, the fear, the pain, the plea...

	He jerked violently when the hand rested on his shoulder.  He 
uncoiled, a lethal spring, needing to lash out, needing to take the pain 
of his frustrations out.  He spun, fist cocked back for a strike, only to 
see Kasumi, her eyes wide in fear, recoiling back from the blow not yet 
landed.  He stopped his hand, shuddering as all the energy in that punch 
flowed back into his heart.  "Go," he sobbed through tightly clentched 
teeth.  "Get away from me!!"

	Kasumi didn't flee in terror as he expected, but instead composed 
herself, spending a minute smoothing her skirt before she rose.  
"Ha..hai." she said quietly, the understanding in that simple word 
crushing Ranma beneath it.  He felt so low.  Striking Kasumi!  The woman 
who would never harm the smallest ant, and he had wanted to...to punch 
her, to take all his self-loathing on her.  A truly honorable act 
indeed.  He swallowed hard against the acid taste in his throat as Kasumi 
stood and left the room without another word.

	He had no idea how long he sat like that, the new mental video of 
his about to strike Kasumi mingling with the footage of Akane being 
struck by the lightning bolt.  An hour, two, fifteen minutes?  It didn't 
matter.  Ranma was completely lost in his own world, the memory of 
Akane's strike now being broken with an image he couldn't have seen, but 
knew was the truth...Akane, lying alone in a hospital wardroom, the walls 
as clean and dry and white as her sheets, her body naked, defenseless 
beneath them, oxygen mask covering the lines of her face, IV needles 
stabbed into the fighter's muscles of her arms, the bandages 
wrapped over the vivid scar on her shoulder...alone, her breath slowing 
imperceptably, heart with it, slipping away, fading...

	The voice that broke his thoughts was insultingly cheerful and 
happy.  "Hey, Ranma, heard you're all depressed over Akane getting 
zapped.  Well, don't worry, I'm here to cheer you up."  Bile rose like 
acid in his throat.  Nabiki!  Her own little sister was dying, and she 
didn't care!

	"See here, Ranma-kun.  I've got all the odds figured out.  Now, 
y'see, the odds of being struck by lightning are about 1/300,000, see?  
Now, that's a worldwide figure, so that's why the numbers so high.  
Preventable, surely, with the numbers that high."  Ranma's mind had gone 
numb.  She was treating her sisters death as a numbers game?  Was she 
_that_ heartless?

	"Now, first you take Japan into account.  We're a small, dense 
contry, so the odds should be higher, right?  But they're actually 
_lower_ because we get fewer thunderstorms on average here than in a lot 
of the world.  Typhoons, yeah, and big rainstorms, but rarely lightning.  
It's about 1/500,000 through all Japan.  Next, you take Tokyo-Yokohama.  
Lots of people, hai, but lots more buildings.  Lightning likes buildings, 
not people, so you gotta take that in.  Plus, a lot of the big buildings 
downtown is where the lightning goes. So once all the buildings are added 
in, that drops the average _way_ down, to 1/5,000,000"

	Through this whole speil, Ranma felt his rage growing, mingling 
wiht his grief and self-pity, and boiling over.   Soon, he told himself, 
keeping himself in check.  I won't hold back against her.  Not against 
this....demon!

	Nabiki went on, not noticing Ranma's slight change in position, 
as if recoiling himself.  "Now, when you're in Nerima, things just go off 
the scale.  You have to take so many factors into account.  First of all, 
it rains here more than anywheres else in Tokyo, almost more than 
anywheres in Japan!  But there's almost no lightning, unless you add in 
the Kunou-chan factor.  But Kunou-chan wasn't there last night..in fact, 
he was off in Tomobiki visiting family friends.  So that equation's right 
out the window, and when you add it all up, the odds are 1/30,000,000.  
So you don't have anything to worry about!"

	The smile on the end of her words was the final insult.  With a 
cry of rage, Ranma lifted his head, wanting to see this sick woman suffer 
at his hands.  If she couldn't grieve for her sister, then she could 
grieve for herself, in the short time Ranma intended to give her.  
Mocking her sister in this way, he wouldn't have it!  His head snapped 
up, eyes brewing with fire, and locked on her own, steady, no trace of 
smile, nor trace of waver.

	"Trying to prove to yourself you could have saved her won't save 
her now, Ranma,"  Nabiki said quietly, steadily, no trace of her previous 
levity in her voice.  "There isn't time for games anymore.  She needs you 
and you need her."

	Ranma's body quivered, locked under her gaze.  He didn't 
understand, didn't _want_ to understand, just wanted to hurt this girl 
and get her away from him, to show her what he really was, how inhuman, 
undeserving he was of love or attention...

	"No you're not, Ranma-kun," the older girl said steadily.  "You 
couldn't have saved her.  You _couldn't_ have.  But you can _now_.  You 
have to.  As long as you're locked away like this, she'll know it, and 
will slip away...you have to come out and _show_ her that you need her 
for her to admit it to you."

	Ranma recoiled...he didn't...couldn't show her first....he was 
the man, she was supposed to come to him first, wasn't she...but...

	"She's hurt Ranma...are you going to let your pride kill you 
both?  Be a man and _go_ to her Ranma, she _needs_ you."

	As Nabiki's voice stressed _needs_, the image of Akane in her 
hospital bed suddenly burst into Ranma's mind.  More than an image, he 
_was_ there, standing unseen over her bed, looking down at her, seeing 
her vital signs slowly fading away, implacably...and understanding broke 
over him.

	Nabiki's breath gasped out of her as the boy's body landed limply 
on top of hers.  Within moments, the thin fabric of her blouse was soaked 
through as Ranma cried on her shoulder, helplessly.  She patted his back 
gently, relief standing clear on her face.  It had been a gamble, like 
everything else.  She and Akane were as close as sisters could be to each 
other, and in times of need, Nabiki has always been able to virtually 
read her younger sisters mind.  Now, with Ranma and Akane so close, she 
had sensed both of their needs, and had done what had to be done...but 
barely.  If Ranma had attacked her...if she hadn't held him...Nabiki 
closed those thoughts off.  Ranma would never attack her.  Despite his 
flaws, he was smart enough to see what had to be done.  And she knew that 
he would do anything for the girl he loved, her sister.

	After long moments, Ranma's tears tapered off.  Nabiki pushed the 
boy off her shoulders, and looked him in the eyes.  "Go now," she said.  
"The hospital will still be open for visitors.  Go be her Prince."

	Dumbly, Ranma nodded, and stood.  As if on autopilot, he walked 
out the door, Nabiki watching his back with a smile.  Everything will be 
okay now, I think, she thought to herself...

	In the yard of the Tendo Dojo, Ranma passed Soun, and paused.  
Father and surrogate son looked at each other for a long moment, unseen 
words passing between them.  With a single nod, Soun approved.  It was 
about time, he thought to himself, that one of them got over their 
pride.  Oh, Saotome-kun...our families will be united at last!  
Akane...Ranma's coming...be awake for him.

	His mind blank, Ranma continued out of the yard, and onto the 
street.  Even though he had never been to the hospital where Akane was, 
his feet knew the way automatically, taking him to her side.  He didn't 
want anything to stop him, not now.  Nabiki was right, and Akane was 
fading.  He didn't know how much time he had left, knew that it wasn't 
going to be enough.  But he was forced to pause before he had gone a block.

	Ryouga was waiting for him.  Waiting? Ranma asked himself?  That 
was impossible.  Ryouga wasn't even in the area, and besides, there was 
no way he could have found his way here.  Ranma was about to go on, 
convinced it was another vision, when the other boy spoke.

	"Ranma.  Take me to Akane."  It was a command, not yelled, just 
spoken at normal volume.  But it had an air of finality to it all the 
same.

	Ranma looked at Ryouga, trying to put a scornful mask up.  "What 
are you talking about, pig-boy?"  But his heart wasn't in it.  He knew 
before he had finished speaking that his mask had broken away.

	"Don't deny it Ranma.  I...I know what happened last night.  And 
I found my way here."

	"You found your way here?  On your own?  Intentionally?"  Ranma's 
eyes widened in surprise despite himself.

	Ryouga nodded.  "Yes.  Because I had to come.  But I can't find 
my way from here."

	Ranma nodded assent.  There was something at work beyond his 
control now, he knew it.  So he would go to Akane, and bring Ryouga with 
him.  She needed everyone, he thought.  We'll all be there by the time we 
make it to the hospital.

	He was almost right.  Shampoo and Mousse were waiting for them on 
the intersection with the Nekohanten's street.  Ukyou, alone, was a block 
further down.  Ranma saw Gosunkugi try to stumble in with them as well, 
unnoticed, but he didn't say anything, and neither did the others.  It 
was alright, Ranma thought.  Everyone had to be there.  Together.  But by 
the time they reached the hospital gates, neither of the Kunou's had been 
seen.

	Relief mixed with fear tingled Ranma's senses.  Kunou and Kodachi 
were as much a part of this as any of the others, but they weren't 
there.  The others too, he noticed, seemed a bit distracted, as if 
looking for someone, and not finding them.  But perhaps that was for the 
best, he thought.  Those two were, unstable.  Mabye they weren't part of 
it after all.

	Still, Ranma hesitated at the gates, waiting.  The others waited 
too, for a few moments.  The silence drew out, only the slightl rustle of 
storm-debris and wind to break it.  Until, Ukyou opened her mouth.  
"They're not coming.  We have to go in now."

	Ranma jumped, as did all the others, turning to look at Ukyou.  
She shrugged, her cheeks red with embarassment, and her eyes wide with 
wonder and fear.  "You know what I mean.  Come on.  We don't have much 
time left."

	Ranma nodded numbly.  "Hai, Ucchan.  Lets go."  He turned before 
he could see the flinch that went across her at thoe words, knowing she 
did all the same, knowing he would never call her that again.  Without a 
word, the six walked into the waiting room of the hospital.

	Kunou stood, his sister rising beside him.  "So, Saotome Ranma.  
You come at last."  His 'you' indicated the whole group.  Kodachi smiled 
a welcoming smile, a far cry from her usual insane grin.

	Ranma blinked in surprise, nodding brusquely.  I should have 
known, he thought to himself.  All the others were waiting for me too.  
Clearing his throat hastily, before he let his thoughts overwhelm him, he 
asked gruffly, "Shall we go?"

	As one, the other seven nodded.  The group of eight walked in 
unison down the hall, despite their different ways.  Kunou strode as a 
nobleman might have, Kodachi gliding along like an Empress.  Shampoo and 
Mousse walked together, her pace light and cat-quick, his silent, like a 
hawk in flight.  Ukyou's step was slow, slightly forced, but matching 
with the others, while Ryouga seemed ready to charge into the room ahead 
of them all, unable to restrain himself any longer.  Gosunkugi came 
behind Ryouga, unnoticed as always, a shadow to the rest of the 
gathering.  And behind them all Ranma, fearful, anticipating...his 
visions gone, now with only the pounding of his heart to sustain him.

	At the door, they all paused, forming an open semi-circle around 
it.  Ranma swallowed his breath hard.  Here it was.  Behind that door was 
Akane...dying.  His mind flinched away from that word. She's not dying he 
screamed silently to himself.  She's...she's going to be _fine!_  Just 
_fine_.

	A pressure on his hand caused him to open his eyes.  It was 
Shampoo, squeezing his hand gently between her own.  "Come," she 
whispered softly.  "Akane no getting better standing out here, airen."  
Her eyes flinched away from his on the final word; just like Ukyou, she 
knew she would never say that to him again.

	Ranma nodded, his head swimming.  "You...you guys go first," he 
motioned weakly.  Silently, Ryouga studied him for a moment, and then 
nodded.  "Of course."  Mousse also nodded silently, as did Kunou, and the 
girls.  Lastly, Gosunkugi nodded, and swallowed loudly.

	"I...I'll go first."  His voice, normally so hestant, firmed as 
he said it.  He opened the door to the room and stepped inside.  Mousse 
and Shampoo followed, with Kunou and Kodachi on their heels.  Ukyou 
looked up at Ranma then, and shook her head brutally.  "She's...my friend 
too."  Without another word or glance back, she walked inside, leaving 
Ryouga and Ranma in the hall.  Ryouga took a step towards the door, when 
Ranma asked for him to stop.

	Ryouga turned his head back in some surprise.  Ranma spoke hesitantly, 
"I, I know you love her Ryouga.  I..if..."

	Ryouga turned his back on Ranma, and stood studying the door for 
a moment.  "Th...thank you Ranma.  But..."  Ryouga fought with himself to 
say it, to finally admit it to himself.  "She's not for me."  The boy 
turned back to Ranma, and offered his hand to him.  "Now come on.  You 
have to go to her."

	Numbly, gratefully, Ranma took the proferred hand, and the two 
entered the room side-by-side, or as well as the door allowed.  But such 
minor considersations as crowding were forgotten when Ranma saw the bed.

	It was exactly as his vision had told him.  Akane lay exactly in 
the middle of the antispetic white field of the bed.  The sheets were 
drawn up to her shoulders, but not hide enough to hide her nakedness 
beneath the sheets, nor the bandages ove the raw, ugly wound on her 
shoulder.  Her chest rose and fell in barely perceptable movement, movement 
obviously caused more by the respirator attached to her face than by any 
of her own will.  IV needles stuck into both her arms, feeding her nutrients 
and medicines, while other wires snaked under the sheets to measure other vital 
signs.  Which, just as the vision said, were slowly failing.

	Ranma tried to tear his gaze away from the horrible sight, but 
the faces of the others were no help.  All of them were in shock, shock 
at seeing that their vision was more than just that.  The shock of seeing 
one of their friends, a rival to some, yes, but still a friend, so close 
to death, and the shock of knowing that only they could help her.

	Ranma had never considered himself religious before, but he found 
himself so now.  Please Kami-sama, he thought, bring her back to us...we 
need her.  _I_ need her more than anyone else, but all of us need her in 
some way.  Please...please give us the chance to bring her back.

	As the final echos of the prayer finished running through his 
mind, he saw Gosukugi advance, again first.  He walked to her bedside, 
withdrawing two small items from his pocket.  Ranma flinched, about to go 
after Gosunkugi, expecting a hammer and nail.  Another vision flashed 
through his head, of Gosunkugi suddenly lifting his hammer high and 
striking Akane through the heart with a wooden peg.  A touch on his 
shoulder dispelled the vision, Ryouga silently shaking his head to say no.

	Gosunkugi had reached the bedside by now.  In one hand was a 
feather, in the other a candle.  He studied the two for a moment, the 
lifted them over Akane, and touched them together.  Visibly, nothing 
happened, but all the others in the room felt a brief surge of power as 
the items touched.  Akane's vital signs responded to the surge as well, 
her heart rate jumping, then steadying at a higher rate then before.  
Gosunkugi lowered his hands as if exhaused, opened his mouth as if to 
speak, then closed it again, resuming his place in the line.

	Shampoo was next.  She merely went over to Akane's bedside, and 
took her hand in hers.  Eyes closed, she stood like that for several 
minutes, while the room was perfectly quiet.  Finally, she let her breath 
out with a sigh, and bent over to kiss Akane on the cheek.  Replacing the 
wounded girls hand on the sheets, she went back to her place in line, 
staring at Ranma the whole way back.

	The boy closed his eyes to try to block out that gaze.  She was 
gone.  Even if he hadn't loved her as much as she had wanted him to, he 
had still loved her.  But now she was going to move on.  Still friends, 
but what they had had was never to be back.

	When Ranma opened his eyes again, Mousse was at the bedside.  
Mousse simply withdraw a single water lily from the sleeves of is robes, 
and, with his hand trembling, placed it on her chest.  He spoke, 
inaudible to all but himself and Akane, "Tendo Akane...this is not how I 
would have asked for my lovely Shampoo.  I should be there for her, not 
you."  He lifted his glasses from his eyes and went back to his place 
beside Shampoo, careful to avoid touching her for the moment.  But when 
she reached out to take his hand, he didn't resist.

	Kodachi came next.  Gliding softly, she merely stood beside the 
hospital bed for awhile, without speaking, merely looking at the injured 
girl.  Ranma began to shift restlessly, wondering what the Kunou girl had 
in store for his dying fiancee.  She lifted her hand, covered 
in its silk kimono to her lips, and laughed softly, her normally piercing 
laugh softer, muted, beautiful in the still air of the room.  Still, 
Ranma found his anger building...laughing at Akane's bedside?  As if 
sensing the thought, Kodachi's laughter tapered off, and she lay a single 
black rose on the covers, before turning back to the others.

	Kunou was alrady at the bed, weeping.  "Oh, Tendo 
Akane!  Stuck down by a heavenly bolt in the flower of your youth!  How 
the heavens themselves doth surely weep at their injustice!"

	Ranma felt his anger rising again.  Trust Kunou to be the 
self-centered jerk again.  He couldn't see that Akane was still living, 
couldn't see that she still had a chance and was composing her eulogy!  
Rage flooded Ranma, submerging his grief again.  Ryouga wouldn't stop him 
this time.  He was sure of it.  As it turned out, Ryouga wouldn't need to.

	Kunou wasn't done yet.  Reaching into the folds of his robe, he 
withdrew a small figure.  Ranma could tell from across the room that it 
was clearly very ancient.  Kunou placed it beside her head.  "A gift, 
Tendo Akane...from the Kunou clan when you awake."  The confident way he 
said when send Ranma's anger crashing down again.  Kunou's arrogance 
could do good as well.

	Next it was Ukyou's turn.  Like Shampoo, she took Akane's hand in 
her own, but she spoke.  "Akane-chan...listen to me.  I know you can hear 
me.  You've got to come back to us, Akane-chan...we're your friends.  We 
all need you."  A tear rolled down Ukyou's cheek.  "And...And 
Ranch...Ranma needs you more.  Akane-chan...don't leave us.  It hurts, 
but it'll hurt more if you go."  She squeezed the other girls hand 
tight, and Akane squeezed back.

	Ukyou's heart jumped.  "She heard me!"  With that, her tears 
broke out in full.  "Oh, Akane-chan, don't go!  Come back to us!"  
Frantically she squeezed the hand, trying to get some sort of response, 
but there was no answering pressure this time.  "Akane-chan!!"

	With a sob, Ukyou collapsed to her knees at the side of the bed.  
Ranma jumped forwards to catch her, but Ryouga moved quicker, and reached 
her side first.  He shook his head at Ranma, who stepped back.  Ryouga 
wrapped am arm about Ukyou's shoulders, and tried to console her.

	"Shhh, shh," he whispered.  "Akane-chan will be fine...she'll be 
fine.  She just...she just needs someone else.  You knew that, right?"  
Ukyou didn't respond.  "Right?" Ryouga asked again, more insistently.  
Almost imperceptably, the girl nodded.  "Right.  Then its my turn to talk 
to her."  Ukyou nodded again, and stood, bending to give Akane a kiss on 
the oppsite cheek before she left.

	Ryouga stood for a long time, fumbling, looking for the words to 
say.  "A...Akane...-ch...chan.  I...I've...I've wanted to say something 
to you for awhile...bu...but just couldn't."  He paused, taking a long 
breath to compose his thoughts again.  "Wh...what I always want...wanted 
to say to you was that...that I loved you."

	Akane's vital signs all jumped at that.  Ryouga flushed a deep 
red, and began fumbling with his hands again.  "Ah...yeah...I...I loved 
you."  It came out more steadily this time.  "Bu..but I know you don't 
love me now.  I know that there's..." he looked around the room, his gaze 
pausing on Ranma, where he seemed to get some strength.  "That there's 
someone else."

	Ryouga took a final deep breath.  "And there's someone else for 
me too, Akane-chan.  So....I must leave you now. I'm going to go on a 
trip, but I'll find my way back soon enough...I'll be looking forward to 
seeing you healthy again."  With that, Ryouga bend over, and hesitantly, 
placed a kiss on her cheek, near where Shampoo had done the same.  His 
face was flushed almost purple as he walked out of the room without a 
backwards look.

	Ranma heard a girls voice, mutedly greet Ryouga, and heard the big 
man's sob in response.  He smiled...Ryouga was in good hands now.  And 
now...it was his turn.  He turned his attention back to the bed, and 
began his walk towards it.

	That walk seemed to be the longest he had ever taken, those few 
meters.  Each step took an eternity, and none seemed to draw her closer 
to him.  She was out of his reach always, just beyond the end of his 
fingertips...evading him.  With a stiffled cry of despair, Ranma lunged 
forwards...

	And was there, at the bed, holding her hand.  His vision was 
doubled with tears and he pressed the hand to his forehead, kneeling 
beside her.  "Akane don't leave me!" he screamed, a tortured cry.

	The others, his friends, stepped closer for support, but didn't 
touch him.  He felt their strength, their love, however, and managed to 
stand, too look down on the girl he had meant to always protect.  The 
girl he dreamt about, his best friend, the woman he loved.  His fiancee.

	His face crumbled as his pride finally crumbled away and he 
pitched forwards, forcing his arms around and behind her, lifting her to 
his chest, to rest his head on her shoulder.  He sobbed, like he had only 
an hour earlier at home, but this time it was he who was giving the 
comfort, not taking it.  He wanted Akane to feel it, feel him, wanted her 
to respond to his love..."Akane, I love you," he gasped out through his 
tears.  "Love you...love you..." he whispered into her ear over, and over 
again.  Time once again seemed to stop...

	And didn't start again until he felt two arms pressing nito his 
back.  He gasped in joy, hugging his girl even harder, laughing at her 
surprised shout.  "Ran...Ranma.  Ranma!"  Akane was crying too now, away, 
her words muffled by the respirator, her tears spilling down its shiny 
surface.

	"Oh, Akane!" Ranma laughed and cried, tearing the oxygen mask off 
her face.  Akane didn't notice the pulls, didn't notice anything except 
her man.  "Akane...I love you!"

	"I love you, Ranma,"  akane said quietly, and leaned up to kiss 
him gently on the lips.  "I always have." she whispered as her arms went 
around him again.

	Ranma held her close, mindful now of the not-healed burns.  "I 
know, tomboy...I know..."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aiya.  This is not what I anticpated coming out when I sat down to write 
this morning....

First off, lets get a couple of technical points out of the way.  Now I'm 
not _100%_ sure about this, but a friend of mine told me that the Nerima 
ward was where the Tokyo Airport was located.  I've heard from the same 
source, and others, that Nerima is one of the larger wards in Tokyo, so I 
suppose the airport could be there.  Anyways, that's what the airport 
line is.  Next, all the stats Nabiki quotes are, obviously, bogus.  I 
don't care what the real odds are...she did it to get Ranma's attention 
anyways.

Anyways, because I like to do these, a bit of explanation about where I 
came from with this text.  It started when I decided to start work on 
Ranma - Final Exit, a fic supposed to coincide with the final chapter of 
Ranma.  A schlock-horror fanfic, it'll eventually have the entire cast of 
Ranma dying in messy ways.  But this fic didn't turn into it.  I started 
work on the lightning scene, and the way Ranma reacted to it...it just 
wasn't schlock.  But it was too good to pass up.  Combine that with some 
_heavy_ Ranma-based roleplaying I had done the previous night, and the 
mood was still with me, and you've got what we've got here.

Thanks go to Jeffery Hosmer for the inspiration for this story..even if 
he didn't realize it at the time.

(And for those of you asking (there are a few!) Fall of the Eagle is 
still alive, and is trying to get past a mental block.  I swear to finish 
Part 6 before the end of the year though.  ;>  And don't even ask about 
Lemons.)