Ranma 1/2: Taking things for granted

by
Jeffrey "OneShot" Wong

(It is a beautiful late Saturday night. The moon is up in the star-filled
sky. We are in the Tendo's home, looking out towards the little pond in
the backyard. The house is quiet. Everyone is asleep. All of a sudden, 
a blue sphere appears in mid-air on top of the pond. We could see that 
there's something...or someone within it. The sphere stays like that for a 
few moments before is disappears, leaving whatever that was in it behind. 
It is a man. As figure falls into the pond and water splashes everywhere.
We then see the man, wearing a backpack, get up and step out of the pond. 
The camera takes a close-up of him. We realized that it's Ranma, soaking 
wet yet still in male form. But the looks different. He's actually several 
years older than the one we all know and love. He still looks exactly same 
except his body is a tad bit more muscular and honed. His eyes looked like 
they've seen too much. In his hand, he is holding the nanban mirror. We see 
him slip it into his shirt pocket and step out of the pond. He takes off 
his backpack and places it by the edge of the pond.)

Ranma:(Softly speaking to himself)Akane.....I love you.

(We see Ranma head into the house and head upstairs, still soaking wet. The
camera follows him as he walks down the hallway and stop in front of 
Akane's room. We see him hesitate for a minute, contemplating on knocking 
or not. After a few moments, he knocks.)

Akane:(Sleepily from behind the door)Who is it?

Ranma:(Softly)It's me, Ranma.

(Silence follows. After several minutes, we see the door open. Akane, 
dressed in her nightgown, which exposes too much shoulder, emerges. She 
looks at Ranma, but doesn't realize that he's an older one because it is 
dark out in the hallway. Besides, this Ranma and the Ranma we know look
exactly the same.)

Akane:(Sleepy yet slightly angry)What do you want? Do you know what time it 
is?

(Ranma says nothing. All he does is look at Akane for several intense 
moments, regarding her intently, which seems to scare her.)

Akane:Are you okay? 

Ranma:(On the verge of crying)Can you please do me a favor?

Akane:What?

Ranma:(A tear falls from his eye)Can you please hug me?(Opens his arms 
up for an embrace)

(Akane notices how shaky Ranma's voice is. She then sees a tear flow from
his eye, glistening against the moonlight that shone through the hallway
window, falling to the floor. She realizes that Ranma was saying this with 
the utmost sincerity......and not joking around. She doesn't bother to ask 
any questions. Instead, she opens her arms and hugs him, not even bothered 
by the fact that he's soaking wet.)

Ranma:(Breaking down and crying)Akane, I've missed you. 

(Akane could feel Ranma's tears drop into her hair and delicate shoulders. 
He holds her tight, loving her embrace. Her head is pressed against his 
chest, where she could feel in steady heartbeat.)

Akane:(Concerned)What's wrong? Are you alright?

Ranma:(Still crying as he held her)Please, let me hold you for just a 
little bit longer....please. It's all I ask for.

(Akane says nothing. Ranma and Akane stand there, in the middle of the 
night, holding each other. After a while, Ranma reluctantly releases his 
embrace with Akane.)

Ranma:(Softly in her ears)Akane, I love you. And I'll always love you. And 
don't you ever forget that. Please don't leave me.

Akane:I......uh......love....you....Ranma.

Ranma:I know that. I've always known that.

Akane:Ranma, are you okay?

Ranma:Yes.....I am now.

Akane:What happened to you? Why're you wet?

Ranma:(Softly)May I please come in? I would really like to talk to you. And
I've missed you so much.

Akane:(A little surprise)Uh....yes....sure. C'mon in.

(We see Akane and Ranma go into her room, closing the door behind them. 
Inside, we see Ranma getting out of his wet clothes, taking his shirt 
off so he wouldn't catch a cold.)

Akane:(Getting the wrong idea)Ranma, what're you doing?!?

Ranma:(Softly)I'm just taking my shirt off so I won't catch a cold. I hope
you don't mind.(Takes the shirt off and wraps it around the nanban mirror)

Akane:(Embarrassed)Oh.....

Ranma:(Sitting down in a chair)Akane, what I'm going to tell you is going 
to shock you. 

Akane:What is it, Ranma?

Ranma:(Takes a deep breath)I'm not the real Ranma you know.

Akane:What?!?

Ranma:Let me show you.(Gets up off the seat)

(Ranma gently takes hold of Akane's hand and proceeds towards the door. He
opens it and the two step out into the hallway. Ranma then takes her to
Ranma and Genma's room, stopping once they were outside the door.)

Ranma:Inside, you'll see me sleeping....the young me.

Akane:(Confused)Huh.

Ranma:Akane, I'm from the future. I traveled back in time to now.....where 
you're alive.

Akane:(Missing the second part)You're from the future? 

Ranma:(Silently opens the door)Take a look.

(Akane looks into the room. There she sees the Ranma she knows sleeping 
soundly on his back. Next to him, Genma's asleep also.)

Ranma:See.

Akane:(Totally confused)This is getting too weird.

Ranma:(Nudges at the sleeping Ranma)Here, I'll show you.

(Ranma wakes up)

Note:From here on, the Ranma who's from the future is going to be called 
OlderRanma. It will remain that way to the end of the story.

Ranma:(Waking up)What the?!?

(Ranma doesn't realize that he's talking to the older version of himself. 
The room was too dark for him to see how OlderRanma looked. He just assumed
that he's an intruder, a stranger in his room.)

OlderRanma:Ranma, let me explain before you jump to conclusions.

Ranma:(Notices the the intruder isn't wearing a shirt and is holding 
Akane's hand)What the hell were you doing with Akane?!?(Quickly gets out of 
his futon)

OlderRanma:(Trying to calm Ranma down before he wakes up the entire house)
Just calm down for a second. I'll explain everything.

Ranma:(Getting angry)Get your hands off her!(Slaps OlderRanma's hands off 
of Akane's)

(Ranma attacks OlderRanma with fierce intensity, sending hundreds of 
punches straight towards him. OlderRanma just stands there and lets every 
shot hit him. After several long moments, Ranma starts tiring out and stops
his attacks. After the attack, OlderRanma is still standing, almost 
unscathed, unhurt, not one bruise on his entire topless body or face.)

Ranma:(Shocked look on his face)How did you survive that? No one ever 
withstood so many of my punches....and was still conscious!

OlderRanma:(Getting angry)Ranma, you're still very arrogant you know. I 
can't believe I was this arrogant at your age.

(Ranma quickly releases a massive ki blast straight towards OlderRanma. 
OlderRanma raises a hand and swats the blast away like it was nothing. The
ki blasts gets deflected off of OlderRanma's arm and slams into the wall.
The wall collapses and a huge hole is left in the ki blast's path, 
overlooking the backyard. Genma is still sound asleep. Ranma has a look
of total disbelief as he looks at the hole. Akane is also looking out the
hole, not knowing what to say.)

OlderRanma:I'm sorry Akane, I'll pay for that.

Ranma:Hiyru shotenha!

(Ranma, seeing OlderRanma distracted, executes his whirlwind punch. The 
tornado totally envelops OlderRanma. The ceiling gets blown upward towards 
the sky, ripping a part of the roof off with it. Genma, who was still 
sleeping, gets caught in the punch and gets sent into orbit. He falls to
the earth and lands right in the pond. OlderRanma, who was totally 
enveloped, was still standing where he was before, totally unscathed after 
the massive blast subsided.)

Ranma:How did you survive that?!? That was the strongest blast I've ever 
thrown!

OlderRanma:(Starting to get annoyed)Are you through yet?!?

Ranma:No!(About to throw several hundred more punches)

(Before Ranma had a chance to attack again, OlderRanma lunges forward with 
one of his hands extended and grabs Ranma's arm at blinding speed, so fast 
that not even Ranma could react in time. With his other hand, OlderRanma 
grabs Ranma's neck and pushes him up against the wall, at least what's 
left of the wall.)

OlderRanma:(Holding Ranma)Look at me......I'm you.

(The moonlight that shone through the hole in the ceiling shines right on 
OlderRanma's face. Ranma's eyes immediately opens wide in disbelief. He
realizes he was looking right at himself. He looks into OlderRanma's eyes
and sees nothing but suffering and dispair.)

Ranma:I must be dreaming!

OlderRanma:Akane, can you please tell Ranma here that this is for real?

(Akane hestiates for a second, not believing all of this herself. She had 
seen a lot in her days, but this seemed to take the cake. After a few 
silent moments Akane speaks.)

Akane:Ranma,(Guestures to OlderRanma)....this is you.....from the future.

Ranma:What?!?

OlderRanma:(Releasing his hold of Ranma)I'm you......from the future. 

Ranma:(Fixing himself up)Why're you here?

OlderRanma:I just came here to stop something horrible before it happens.

(By now, Soun, Kasumi, and Nabiki enter the room, wondering what was all 
that racket that woke them up. When Soun enters the room first, he looks at
the two Ranmas in total disbelief, thinking that he was still dreaming.
The sight didn't seem to bother Kasumi one bit. Nabiki looked at the two
with keen fascination.)

OlderRanma:(Walks up to Kasumi and hugs her, tears in his eyes)Kasumi, it's
good to see you again after so many years....really good.

Soun:(Shocked)What happened here?!?

(Soun first looks through the hole in the wall towards the backyard and 
then looks up through the hole towards the sky)

OlderRanma:(Walks over an hugs Soun, glad to see him alive and well also)
Don't worry Mr. Tendo, I'll pay for it.

(Reaches into his pocket and pulls out a wadful of money, handing it all to 
Soun. Nabiki's eyes widen at the sight of so much money. There must've been
several hundred thousand yen in his hand.)

OlderRanma:(Takes out even more money and hands it to Nabiki)Here Nabiki, 
this money won't matter to me after a short time.(He gently hugs her like 
he hugged Soun)

Nabiki:(Gives OlderRanma a suspicious look as she gently returns the 
embrace)Why won't it matter anymore?

OlderRanma:(Fighting back tears)Because.............I'm dying.

(We are looking towards the Tendo's home. It's Sunday morning now. The 
camera pans upward and shows us that the upper corner of the house is still
in need of some repair. The walls and roof had been repaired but need 
resurfacing. The camera zooms forward and is lifted to the sky for an
overhead view of the house. It then zooms in and moves into the diningroom,
where everyone is eating breatfast. OlderRanma is sitting at the head of 
the table, being barraged with a series of questions. But that doesn't 
bother him, not as long as he's near Akane.)

OlderRanma:Okay, its a long story. I'm from five years in the future...

Nabiki:That's starange, you don't look any older than Ranma from this 
time.

OlderRanma:Please, let me continue.

Nabiki:Sorry.

OlderRanma:Anyway, I'm from five years in the future and I traveled back in
time to now, through the use of this nanban mirror(Takes mirror out of
pocket), which I easily beat out of Happousei. The reason why I came to 
this time is beacuse Akane and all of you are going to die of a horrible 
fate not too long from now. I'm here to stop that from happening.

Ranma:Well, because you're here telling this to us, doesn't that already 
change the outcome of what's going on?

OlderRanma:Yes, it should.....but I'm going to stay here to make sure it 
doesn't happen. Akane will die by the hands of a god-like entity, named 
Kythen. Now, as to your wondering on why I'm so skilled in martial 
arts........after Akane died(His face saddens)I focused on nothing else 
but my training to avenge Akane's death. And it took me five years before I
managed to become strong enough to defeat him. I had trained in the 
mountains around China the entire time, living a life of pure solitude. I 
trained with no one else but myself, training every day, honing my skills 
and techniques. After five years, when I was finally satisfied that I was 
strong enough to defeat Kythen, I left the mountains and headed for Nerima, 
where he resides and was born. He was born here beacause of Happousei's
confounded meddling with the unknown.(Turns to Ranma)You know what I'm 
talking about Ranma......Well, as I headed for Japan, I accidentally
stumbled upon the Jysenkyo. There, I found the Nannichuan.

Ranma:You did?!?

OlderRanma:Yes.

Ranma:You didn't happen to bring any of it with you?

OlderRanma:(Takes out two flasks from his backpack)Yes, I figured you would 
ask for this. Here you go.(Hands one to Ranma and another to Genma)

(Genma and Ranma both open the flasks and quickly pour the water on top of 
their heads. Once the flasks emptied out, Genma and Ranma both ran up to 
the pond and zealously jumped in. They resurfaced in their original male 
forms. The two of them jump around in glee before they ran back up to
the diningroom to listen in on the rest of the story.)

OlderRanma:Anyway, after a found the Nannichuan, and turned myself into a 
permanent male of course, I continued on towards Nerima. On my way here,
I met Ryoga and finally befriended him, I gave him the Nannichuan so..

Akane:Why would Ryoga need the Nannichuan, he doen't have a curse?

OlderRanma:....Uh...he told me he needed it for a friend.(Winks at Ranma 
when Akane or anybody else wasn't looking)From there, Ryoga and I 
traveled down to Nerima where we both fought Kythen. The two of us worked 
together and managed to overcome him....but at a cost. Ryoga died saving 
my life.

Kasumi:Oh my! How horrible!

OlderRanma:(Tears slowly starting to form)Ryoga had died in vain because
during the battle, Kythen injected a extremely toxic poison into my body
right before he died. In his last dying words, he told me I had two weeks 
to live before I died. The first day I spend mourning Ryoga's death. And 
after that I went to every hospital in Japan, hoping they could find the 
cure. I spent three days doing that, all coming out with the same 
results, an "unknown toxin" that surged through my blood.

Soun:Did they give you a blood transfusion?

OlderRanma:Yes they did....and I almost died because of that. I spent 
another day in recovery before I was strong enough to move. By now, I only
had nine days left before I die. I felt it was useless trying to prevent 
the inevitable so I decided to go out looking for Happousei. It took me
three days before I managed to find that little hentai. I literally beat 
him into giving me the nanban mirror so I can travel back to this time.
But before I can back to this time, I killed him.....because everything was 
his fault.

Genma:What happened to the future us while you were in the mountains 
training?

OlderRanma:(Fighting back tears)You.....you all died! Every one of you!
I found this house leveled to the ground. Shampoo's Nekohanten was 
destroyed, burned to the ground. Ukyou's store was just gone....totally 
wiped out.

Ranma:Maybe they survived and fled?

OlderRanma:No.....they didn't. I later on found all of your graves in a 
nearby graveyard....Mousse...Shampoo.....Ukyou....Soun....Dad.....
Nabiki.....Kasumi.....Kuno....everyone. Maybe it was just a coincidence, 
but I noticed that all of those graves were centered around Akane's grave, 
who was the first one to have died.

Akane:We were all killed by Kythen?

OlderRanma:Yes.

Akane:Who is he?

OlderRanma:It's not 'who' but 'what' is he? All I know was that he an 
entity.....like a spirit that took on a human form. If I'm not mistaken, 
I'd say he was the devil.

Akane:How many more days do you have left to live?

OlderRanma:(Thinks for a second)I only have five more days left.

Kasumi:Oh my! That's it?

OlderRanma:Yes, that's it.

Ranma:And when will this Kythen come about?

OlderRanma:Happousei will call him forth tonight.

(Just as OlderRanma finshes his story, Happousei drops into the backyard 
carrying a bagful of panties that he collected from his overnight panty 
raids. OlderRanma quickly spots him and proceeds towards the little hentai,
rage in his eyes.)

OlderRanma:It was all your fault! I'm going to kill you before it all 
happens!

Happousei:(Innocently)What did I do?(Throws a bomb right into OlderRanma's
hands)

(A massive explosion occurs, shaking the very foundation of the house. The
explosion totally engulfs OlderRanma. Happousei happily hops towards the 
house until he sees Ranma in the diningroom.)

Happousei:(Comfused)How did you do that?

(The smoke behind Happousei clears off, to reveal a glowing red OlderRanma. 
In one swift move, OlderRanma runs forward and grabs Happousei by his back 
collar and lifts him up off the ground. He turns the little pervert towards 
him and reachs into his pockets, taking out another bomb and holding it out 
in front of Happousei.)

OlderRanma:(Holding Happopusei in one hand and the bomb in the other)C'mon
....I dare you.........light this.

(Happousei happily complies and lights the bomb, expecting his opponent
to freak out and run away. But he didn't. OlderRanma continued on holding
the bomb.)

Happousei:(Sweating)Ranma! What're you doing!?! You're gonna get both of us 
killed!

OlderRanma:No.....you're the one whose going to die!

(Happousei kicks OlderRanma in the face, expecting him to drop him from the 
pain. But the attack has no effect. It didn't even faze him.)

Happousei:(Crying out)Let go of me!!!(Drops his panty bags and starts 
clawing at Ranma for his life)

OlderRanma:(Smiling)No! You're going to die right now!

Akane:(Starting to get nervous)Uh....I think you scared the little hentai 
enough.

OlderRanma:(Smiling wryly)Who says I'm trying to scare him?

(The fuse is almost finished. The bomb is going to explode at any second)

Akane:Ranma, let him go! He's learned his lesson!

Ranma:I think he should kill the little lech!

Akane:Ranma! Please let him go!

(OlderRanma gives in to Akane's pleads. Instead of letting him die by his 
own bomb, OlderRanma threw happousei with all his might into the outer wall
of the house. Happousei crashed up against the wall with such intensity 
that the wall collapsed in on Happousei, burying him under a pile of 
rubble. OlderRanma then turns his attention to the lit bomb. In one swift
motion, he launches it high into the sky where it explodes. After a few 
moments, OlderRanma walks up to Happousei and picks him back up.)

OlderRanma:I suggest you not try anything funny tonight.....otherwise your
going to seriously regret it!

(Everybody watches from the diningroom as OlderRanma places his hand over
Happousei's face and then slam the back of his head into the ground, 
leaving him partially implanted, and totally unconscious.)

OlderRanma:(Turns to everyone)I hope that's enough to stop Kythen from 
coming about.

Ranma:(Looking at OlderRanma in awe)Wow, I can't believe you took a blast 
from the old lech's bomb and didn't even flinch. I always get hurt when 
that happens to me

OlderRanma:(Almost disdainful)You have no clue just how strong I am, do 
you?

Ranma:I guess you're very strong considering you withstood three of my most
powerful forms of attacks.

OlderRanma:Let me show you,(Guestures for Ranma to come out into the 
backyard)

Ranma:What do you want to show me?

OlderRanma:You see those clouds up there?(Points to some clouds way up in 
the sky)How high would you say they are up there...a mile....two miles?

Ranma:(Looking up)At least a two miles. Why?

OlderRanma:Hiyru Shotenha!

(OlderRanma releases a massive tornado towards the heavens. Ranma watches 
as the whilrwind extends all the way up into the sky and strike the clouds.
The clouds shutter for a second and then explodes into millions of 
particles of gas.)

OlderRanma:(Smiles)How's that? 

(It is now noontime. The sun is at it highest point in the sky and is
slowly starting its descent. We are in front of the Tendo's home where 
everyone finishing their lunch. Genma and Soun go off to play their
usual game of shogi. Nabiki head off to the livingroom to watch some TV,
while Kasumi is busy cleaning the dishes in the kitchen. OlderRanma, Ranma,
and Akane were the only ones left still in the diningroom. Its seems that 
OlderRanma is slowly eating his meal, enjoying one of Kasumi's meals after
so many years. Ranma and Akane both watch, thinking of more questions to 
ask him, coming up with nothing interesting.)

Ranma:How come you eat so slow?

OlderRanma:(Savoring the taste)I'm just trying to enjoy a nice meal cooked
by Kasumi. Remember, I haven't eaten one of her meals for more than five 
years.(Slowly continues on eating)

(After about a half an hour, OlderRanma finally finishes his meal.)

OlderRanma:(Calling out to Kasumi in the kitchen)Kasumi! I love your 
cooking!

Kasumi:(Calling back)Thank you.

(Once finished with his meal, OlderRanma collects the plates and heads 
into the kitchen to hand them to Kasumi, and maybe help her out while he 
was at it.)

Akane:(Looks at Ranma)I can't believe how much the future you is so much 
different from what you are now.

Ranma:He's kind of cute, isn't he?

Akane:Yeah....(Sees Ranma grinning)Wait a minute! I was talking about him,
not you!

Ranma:(Grins)But he is me....in the future. So that means you think I'm 
cute.

Akane:...............

OlderRanma:(Coming back out of the kitchen)Do you happen to know where 
Ryoga is?

Ranma:No....he's probably lost somewhere.

OlderRanma:Can we go visit Shampoo and Ukyou? I really miss them....(Sees
Akane getting angry)...uh...not as much as I missed you of course!

Ranma:We can go see them now if you'd like.

OlderRanma:Good, lets get going then.

(OlderRanma, Ranma, and Akane leave the house, all headed towads town, 
their first stop, Ukyou's. As they continue down the street, OlderRanma 
seems to be enjoying the sights of cars as they go whizzing by and the 
buliding they pass. Both Ranma and Akane notice this.)

Akane:What do you find so fascinating about those cars?

OlderRanma:If you'd really like to know.....in my future, the entire 
country was destroyed. All the buildings were either burned to the ground 
or destroyed completely. Every here and there, you would see bonfires
of what remains of those buildings. But here, everything is so......
soothing and relaxing.

Ranma:What's so soothing about this city? It's busy, crowded, and it's
noisy.

OlderRanma:It's the fact that there is a city to walk through is soothing 
to me.

Ranma:..................

Akane:..................

(As the two continue down the street, Kuno pops out of nowhere, his bokken
raised.)

Kuno:Alas, I have found you Ranma(Notices two Ranmas instead of one)What 
is this, some kind of illusion?!?

OlderRanma:Kuno-sempei, it's been a long time.(Walks up to Kuno and pats 
him on the shoulder)How about a handshake?

Kuno:(Bokken raised and ready for attack)I will not fall for your 
trickery! Prepare to be pummeled!(Lunges at OlderRanma and slashes downward 
at him)

(Before the bokken had a chance to hit him, OlderRanma extends one of his
arms forward and catches the blade between his index finger and middle 
finger. OlderRanma stands there for a second, smiling as Kuno tries to pull 
his booken away. OlderRanma then closes the two fingers completely, causing
the bokken to break into two to pieces, Kuno holding the hilt while 
OlderRanma held the blade.)

OlderRanma:All I want is a handshake.(Extends one of his hands forward 
non-threateningly)

Ranma:(Step forward, rasing one of his sleeves)If you don't hit him, then I
will!

Akane:(Grabs Ranma by the arm)Stop that, leave him and Kuno alone!

OlderRanma:Well, Kuno-sempei, how about that handshake?(His hands still 
extended)

(Kuno hesitates for a second, figuring it was another one of Ranma's 
tricks. But as he looks into OlderRanma's eyes, he sees sincerity and 
utmost respect. Since he was a warrior, Kuno had no problems expressing
respect to the one who respected him.....even if it was Ranma. The two 
shake hands.)

Kuno:You have changed, Ranma.

OlderRanma:(Smiles)I know.....all for the better.

(The two release handshakes and bow to each other.)

OlderRanma:It's been nice seeing you Kuno-sempei.(Hands him his blade)

Kuno:.................

(OlderRanma continues on down the street, leaving a very baffled Kuno 
behind. Ranma and Akane, who all watched this happened, sprinted forward 
and ran past Kuno without him even noticing. We then see Ranma turn back 
around and walk up to Kuno....and punt him into orbit.)

(We are now in front of Ukyou's. We see the three walk up to the store and 
stop just short of entering. OlderRanma seems very hesitant about 
entering.)

Ranma:What's wrong?

OlderRanma:I don't know if I can go in there. I was devestated when I saw 
her grave. If that ever happened to you, you'll know what I mean.(Notices
Akane's visage sadden)Don't worry Akane, if your Ranma saw your grave like 
I have, he would be devestated also.....I know I was.

(At the sound of that, Akane brightened up slightly, but her visage 
saddened again when she realized she was being selfish. She never realized
how Ranma would feel if she ever......died. She knew she would be 
devestated if she found out one of her old friends had died.)

Ranma:You seem sad, Akane. Are you all right?

Akane:(About to cry)Ranma, please don't die on me!

Ranma:(Embraces her)Don't worry, I won't.

OlderRanma:(Takes in a deep breath)Well, I guess I should go in now. I 
really want to see Ukyou again. I've missed her terribly. Lets go.

(The three enter Ukyou's. The inside was busy at the time. We see Ukyou
busy cooking a okonomiyaki for one of her customers. She looks up a see 
Ranma first, and doesn't realize that the other Ranma stood right 
behind him.)

Ranma:Hi Ucchan, how's everything going?

Ukyou:Hi Ran-chan. Everything's going great!(Guestures to an open seat)
Please, have a seat.(Notices Akane)Hi Akane.

(Ranma and Akane walk on over to a nearby table and get seated, leaving 
OlderRanma standing there, regarding Ukyou)

OlderRanma:Hi Ucchan.

Ukyou:Ranma?!?(Looks at OlderRanma, then at Ranma, and then back at 
OlderRanma)What's going on here?!?

OlderRanma:Before I explain this to you, can I please have a hug?(Extends
arms forward invitingly)

(Ukyou looks over towards the Ranma sitting at the table and sees him nod 
towards her, telling her to go on and hug him. She does so.)

OlderRanma:(Embracing Ukyou all the while breaking down and crying)How I've 
missed you so much, Ucchan!

(The two hold each other for a moment, Ukyou not knowing what to do except
hug back. After several moments, she feels a tear drop on her shoulder,
right where OlderRanma buried his head. She looks at him as he lifts his 
head and sees tears flowing down his cheeks. Although he was crying, he was
shedding tears of joy, joy for being able to see Ukyou after many years.)

OlderRanma:(Fighting back his tears)Before you say anything, let me tell 
you that I am indeed Ranma.....just not the Ranma you know. I came from the
future, a future where you died (Breaks don't crying again)

(Ukyou looks into OlderRanma's eyes and sees his sincerity. She then 
kindly returns the embrace. After several long minutes, OlderRanma releases
his embrace.)

OlderRanma:(Wiping the tears from his eyes)I'll explain everything......do
you think you could take a little break?

Ukyou:(Softly)Of course.

(Time passes by as we see Ranma, OlderRanma, Akane, and Ukyou all sitting 
in the same table. We see OlderRanma exlaining to Ukyou about his life and 
how he had to go on living alone, without anybody around to be with him. He 
explained of what had happened to his world and the mass destruction Kythen 
had cause all over Japan. The one part he had trouble with was telling her 
on how he found her grave and realized that she had died. He explained on
his reasons for being back, to stop everything before it happens. The one
thing he never told her was that he was slowly dying. He didn't have the
heart to tell her.)

Ukyou:So now that you stopped Happousei from calling forth this Kythen 
thing, what're you going to do?

OlderRanma:I'm just going to visit all the people I've lost because of
him.(Thinking)And afterwards.....I can die happy.

Ranma:Ukyou, you didn't happen to have seen Ryoga around, have you?

Ukyou:Yes, he stopped by here looking for you, Ranma.......I mean the one
who's from this time. I think he was headed towards the Nekohanten.

OlderRanma:(Getting out of his seat)I must go find him!(Turns to Ukyou and
hugs her one last time)Ukyou, it's been great seeing after so many years.

Ranma:I guess we better get going now. I'll see you later, Ukyou.

Akane:Bye Ukyou. It's been nice seeing you.

(The three leave Ukyou's and head off in the direction of the Nekohanten.
It is now getting close to dark. The sun is just about to set and is very
low in the sky. The sky above the sun glows in a beautiful hue of orange,
which is quite an excellent sight to behold. We see the three walking down
the street towards the Nekohanten. As they continue to walk, a begger walks
up to them. Akane and Ranma watch as OlderRanma reacts.)

Begger:(Holds out a cup)Can you please spare money for the poor?

OlderRanma:Here(Reaches into his pocket and pulls out a huge wad of money)I
hope that's enough.(Places it in the cup)

Begger:(Eyes widening)Thank you, sir! Thank you!(Heads off down the street)

Ranma:(Walking alongside OlderRanma)You sure don't mind giving all your 
money away, do you?

OlderRanma:The money's going to be useless to me a few days from now.

Akane:How come?

OlderRanma:Remember.......I only have several days to live.

(It is now dusk. The stars are slowly starting to pop up in the clear sky.
We are in front of the Nekohanten, where we see OlderRanma, Ranma, and
Akane. OlderRanma is looking up at the sky, enjoying its scenery. After
having lived in a future that was destroyed, OlderRanma had finally taken
everything for granted. Now that he has a second chance, he was enjoying 
everything around him.)

OlderRanma:(Looking up towards the sky)Isn't it just beautiful out 
tonight? 

Ranma:Yeah, so what about it? 

OlderRanma:Ranma, if you ever came with me to my future Japan, I promise 
you, you'll learn to appreciate the finer things in life. For many years,
I couldn't see the stars because they were covered behind a dark cloud that 
always loomed over Japan. The sky is always dark, and I sometimes never see 
the sun.(Takes a deep breath)You smell that air. In my future, if you 
inhale it in too much, you will become horribly sick and may even die.

Akane:We never realized just how many things we take for granted.

OlderRanma:Neither do you two realize how many people you take for granted
also.......especially each other.

(Akane and Ranma both look at each other for a moment, letting OlderRanma's
words of wisdom sink in. Ranma slowly started realizing just how his life
might be without Akane.)

OlderRanma:Ranma, you must be wondering on just how you're life will turn
out without Akane, right?

(Ranma nods)

OlderRanma:Well, look at me...(Points to himself)...I'm what's left of you
five years after Akane dies. I may be extremely powerful and strong, but
I'll give everything up just to be able to be with you, Akane.

(A tear forms around Akane's eyes. His words were so sincere that it tore 
at her beacuse she knew that OlderRanma was the by-product of her death. 
She didn't want Ranma going through what OlderRanma went through, living 
a life full of regret, regret of having taken her for granted.)

OlderRanma:Don't worry, you already have a head start in realizing how much
you take each other for granted. Look at yourselves, you no longer fight 
and argue against one another.

Ranma:I guess you're right.(Smiles at Akane, who smiles back)

OlderRanma:Lets go in, I want to see Shampoo again. Ranma, can Akane and I 
go in first and you wait out here for a minute?

Ranma:Okay, if you insist.

(The two enter into the Nekohanten. Inside, we see that the shop is busy.
It is filled with people. There are few open seats. Shampoo in waiting on 
tables, taking orders, while Mousse is in the kitchen cooking the food. 
Shampoo quickly notices OlderRanma and Akane, and run up to them. Just as 
she was about to lunge forward and hug OlderRanma, who she thinks is Ranma, 
she expected Ranma to try and resist. Either that, or Akane stepping out in 
between her and Ranma. But that never happened. OlderRanma lunges forward, 
arms extended and picks Shampoo up in a tight embrace, her legs leaving the 
ground. At this point, Shampoo was expecting Akane to try and knock her 
lights out. But that never happened either. Akane watches Shampoo's facial 
expression change from delight to surprise to suspicion. Akane is busy 
trying to surpress a giggle.)

OlderRanma:Shampoo, it's good to see you.(Hugs her tighter)

Shampoo:Shampoo happy that you happy to see Shampoo.(Hugs back)

OlderRanma:Good, let's keep it that way.(Continues to hold her)

Shampoo:(Glaring at Akane)What about Akane?

OlderRanma:(Softly in her ear)Please don't speak. Let me enjoy this for one 
more moment.

(After several moments, OlderRanma releases his hold on Shampoo.)

OlderRanma:Shampoo, I have something to explain to you. But you must listen 
first.

Shampoo:Shampoo listening.

OlderRanma:I'm not the Ranma you know.

Shampoo:(Confused)Huh?

OlderRanma:I figured you'd be confused.(Turns around)Ranma, can you please
come in?

(Ranma enters the Nekohanten. Shampoo's eyes widen as her gaze moves from 
OlderRanma to Ranma, and back to OlderRanma.)

Shampoo:What going on here?

OlderRanma:(Places a hand on Ranma's shoulder and the other on Akane's)
Ranma and Akane here will explain to you about who I am. But first, may I
please see Mousse?

Shampoo:(Slightly confused)Uh....okay?

(OlderRanma proceeds towards the kitchen as Ranma and Akane start 
explaining to Shampoo about who OlderRanma really was and where he came 
from. After few moments, we see Shampoo feeling very confused. Ranma and 
Akane both take Shampoo to one of the few open seat, where they sit down 
and start explaining everything over again.)

(Inside the kitchen, we see Mousse busy cooking a meal. Cologne is nowhere
around, having gone off to make a delivery. We see OlderRanma enter the 
room and walk right up to Mousse.)

OlderRanma:Mousse.

Mousse:(Pulls down his glasses)Ranma, what are you doing here?!?

OlderRanma:Mousse, it's great seeing you again.

Mousse:What's going on here?

OlderRanma:Do you have a minute?

Mousse:(Continues cooking)Not really. I have a lot of orders to prepare.

OlderRanma:Okay, I'll help you out. 

(We see OlderRanma take a apron off of a nearby hook and place it on. 
Mousse watches as he opens a few cabinet draws looking for some pots. After 
a few moments, OlderRanma finds the right draw and takes out a large pot.
He walks over to the sink with the pot and places it in it and turns the
water on. As the water slowly starts filling the pot up, OlderRanma turns
his attention to Mousse, who was regarding him with slight amusement.)

OlderRanma:First off, I want to tell you that I'm not the Ranma you know.

Mousse:(Returning to his cooking)I could see that! The real Ranma would 
never help me out!

OlderRanma:Well, that should've given it away also. Anyway, I'm from the 
future....a future where you and everybody else are dead.

Mousse:(Stopping whatever he was doing and now totally confused)What? 

OlderRanma:(Turning the water off and picking the pot of water up)To put it
in simple terms....in the future, you and everybody else are dead. I just 
came back here to stop that from happening(Places pot on stove and turns 
on the fire)And now that I did....I'm here to meet you guys one last time.

Mousse:What do you mean one last time?

OlderRanma:In a few days from now, I'm going to die. I just wanted to see 
some people I haven't seen for many years before that happens. Can you 
please take a break?

Mousse:I guess I can. Besides, that old goul isn't here to tell me what to 
do.

(The two exit the kitchen. Outside, they spot Shampoo, Ranma, and Akane.)

OlderRanma:(Noticing the shocked look on Mousse's face)Oh yeah......
there's also two of me.

(It is now night time. It's pretty much closing time for the Nekohanten.
All the customers are gone and the store is empty except for Ranma, Mousse,
OlderRanma, and Akane. The five are seated in a table.)

OlderRanma:So that was why I came back.......to stop everything before it 
happened.

Mousse:But now that you stopped it, what're you going to do? Are you going 
back to the future again or are you staying here?

OlderRanma:Me. I'm going to stay here....so I can spend my last few days 
with friends.

Shampoo:What about your friends back in fututre?

OlderRanma:(Sad)Friends? I have no friends in my future.....they all died..
....all of them.

Shampoo:(Sympathetic)Shampoo so sorry.

Mousse:(Also sympathetic)I'm sorry to here that Ranma.

OlderRanma:Don't worry about me....I'll be with them very soon.

(The door opens and in walks Ryoga)

Ryoga:Hah!...I finally found you Ranma! Did you actually think you could 
have ever escape me!(Notices two Ranmas)What the?

OlderRanma:(Barely recognizing him)Ryoga, is that really you?

Ranma:Yup, that's Ryoga.

(OlderRanma gets up out of his seat and walks over to Ryoga, regarding him
intently, not believing how different he looked now. In the future, Ryoga
looked totally different. He no longer sported that yellow/black bandana of 
his and his hair had grown long, all the way down to his shoulders.)

OlderRanma:It's good to see you again, my friend.

Ryoga:What's going on here?!?

(OlderRanma lunges forward and grabs hold of Ryoga, hugging him tightly,
glad to see his best and only friend from the future. Ryoga tries to push
OlderRanma away with all his strength, but couldn't. For some reason, 
OlderRanma didn't want to let go of him. Ryoga was about out attempt to 
knock OlderRanma's lights out, if that was possible, but stopped when he 
heard a small sobbing noise come from OlderRanma's lips. Ryoga then felt
his yellow sleeveless shirt get wet and realized that OlderRanma was 
crying. Ryoga was overwhelmed with a sense of guilt. Was he the one who 
made Ranma cry? Why was he crying? Ryoga noticed that something about 
OlderRanma changed but couldn't quite put a finger on it. Not until he 
looked into his eyes. Ryoga realized that this Ranma wasn't the Ranma he
knew. He saw sadness and regret in those eyes of his.)

OlderRanma:(Smiling slightly as he released his hold of Ryoga)You may not 
believe this, Ryoga, but you are the sole reason why I am still alive right 
now.

Ryoga:(Sees the sincerity in OlderRanma's words)I do believe you....I do.

OlderRanma:Do you want to know why?

Ryoga:Yes.

OlderRanma:Lets have a seat first(Guestures towards the table)

(The time passes as OlderRanma explains to Ryoga on how he befriended him 
on his way to Nerima, and on how they fought together against Kythen. He
spoke to him of how heroic he was in saving him, something OlderRanma will 
always remember. But when OlderRanma started telling of how he died trying 
to save him, he started to slowly break down. Akane gently palced a hand 
over OlderRanma's shoulder, comforting him. Ryoga that night, lost all of 
his hatred towards Ranma. Those words he heard coming from OlderRanma's 
lips, he believed with all his heart.....not beacuse he wanted to, but 
because he knew they were true, simply by the way OlderRanma spoke those 
few words to him.)

OlderRanma:(Standing up and giving Ryoga one last hug)Ryoga, it's been 
nice seeing you again....even if you don't really know who I am. But keep 
in mind that I'll always remeber what you did for me.

Ryoga:Thanks(Returns the embrace)

OlderRanma:(Turns to Shampoo)Shampoo, please take care of yourself. I don't
want the younger me suffering through the same thing I suffered through.
(Extendes his arms forward for a hug)

Shampoo:Shampoo promise(Returns the hug)

OlderRanma:(Turns to Mousse)Mousse, please take care of Shampoo.(Extends 
his arms forward for a hug also)And don't you die on me.

Mousse:(Smiles as he hugs back)Don't worry Ranma-kun, I won't.

Ranma:Bye Mousse. Bye Ryoga. By Shampoo.

Akane:Bye everyone, we'll see you soon.

(The three leave the Nekohanten and start heading towards home. After 
several minutes of walking, we see OlderRanma realize something and turn 
around and head back towards the Nekohanten, leaving Ranma and Akane 
alone.)

Ranma:What do you think he went back for?

Akane:I don't know.

(Inside the Nekohanten, we see Ryoga packing his backpack up, readying 
himself to go off on another journey. Shampoo and Mousse are busy sweeping 
up the floors. We see OlderRanma enter the store.)

OlderRanma:Mousse, Ryoga, I have something to give you.

Ryoga:(Stops what he's doing and walks up to OlderRanma)What is it?

OlderRanma:(Reaches into his pocket and produces two flasks)This is for 
you.(Hand Ryoga and Mousse each a flask)

Mousse:What is it?

OlderRanma:It's the Nannichuan. Think of it as my last gift to you...
(Thinking)....before I die.

(With that said, OlderRanma turns around and leaves the Nekohanten once 
again. He walks down the street alone, silently crying to himself. He 
realized just how much he missed everyone. His tears glistened against 
the moonlight as they fell from his chin onto the concrete ground. As he
walks, he looks up ahead and sees Ranma and Akane waiting up for him.)

OlderRanma:Ranma, Akane, lets go home.

(That night, as OlderRanma, Akane, and Ranma headed home, Happousei was 
busy meddling with the unknown, seeking revenge on Ranma. It seems that 
the little pervert didn't heed OlderRanma's warnings.)

(It's a beautiful Monday morning, just two days after OlderRanma appeared.
The sun is still low in the sky. We are in front of the Tendo home looking
towards the pond in the backyard. There, we see OlderRanma looking into the 
pond with a sad inpression on his face. Everyone else is eating breakfast,
Nabiki, Akane, and Ranma are eating faster becauase they are getting ready 
for school. We watch OlderRanma stand there for several long moments, not
saying a word. We then see him turn around and head into to house, sitting
down in the diningroom where he begins eating.)

Akane:Are you all right?

OlderRanma:(Slowly eating)I'm fine. It's just that I've been thinking.

Ranma:About what?

OlderRanma:Thinking about how I will be with all my friends again just
four days from now, the friends from my future. I've lived for so long a 
time alone, without anyone around.....five years to be exact. I've gone on 
too long without you Akane, without all of you. I just want to be with you 
once again.

Akane:But you are with me.

OlderRanma:Yes, I am. I just wish to be with the Akane from my future. You
have no idea how much I missed you. No idea how much I missed all of you.
When you died Akane.....in my arms.....I vowed to avenge your death. For 
five long years, I did nothing but think of avenging you. That was the 
only thing that kept me going, kept me from leaving this world to be with 
you. After training in the mountains, I later on found out that everyone
else had died.....everyone except for Ryoga. You should've seen him, he was
just devestated....as devestated as I was. He no longer cared about anything
else, not even himself. When he first saw me, he tried to kill me because
he thought I couldn't save you......nor anyone else. But soon, he realized 
that it was this Kythen who did this. We befriended each other, became 
like blood brothers. And he had been my friend all the way to the very end. 
He proved it when he took that blast for me. You don't know just how 
horrible I felt....holding him.....in my arms.....as he slowly died.(Turns 
his attention to Ranma)Ranma, you may not know this, or ever know this, but 
Ryoga has always been a friend to you.....no matter how you look at it.

Kasumi:See Ranma, you should be lucky you have Ryoga as a friend.

Ranma:(Dubious)I guess you're right.

Nabiki:(Looks at watch)Guys, we better get going to school now if we don't
want to be late.

OlderRanma:May I come along?......I haven't seen that school since it burned 
to the ground.

Akne:Sure, you're welcome to come along. 

OlderRanma:(Smiles)I'd like that.

(Together, Nabiki, Ranma, OlderRanma, and Akane all leave for school. As 
they head down the street, we realize that Ranma is no longer walking on 
the fence, but walking alongside Akane. OlderRanma, who is walking ahead 
them, smiles at the thought, knowing that they are slowly starting to 
realize just how much they cared for each other. Nabiki is walking 
alongside OlderRanma, gazing at his face, not believing how much he and 
Ranma look alike. But when OlderRanma turned his gaze to her and their eyes 
met, that was where it all ended. As they continue to walk down the 
street, we could see the school not too far away. As they come closer and 
closer to the school, OlderRanma turns around realizing something.)

OlderRanma:What happened to Shampoo? If I remember this correctly, she 
usually jumps on me around now.

Ranma:Look up ahead.

(As OlderRanma turns around, he gets pounced on by a bundle of energy. He
realizes that it's Shampoo. Instead of telling her that he was going to be 
late for school like he used to, he hugged her tightly, which seemed to
surprise Shampoo. After a few moments she gladly hugs back.)

OlderRanma:(Still holding Shampoo and whispering softly)Shampoo, I'm not 
the Ranma you know......he's behind me.

(Shampoo releases her embrace, slightly embaress, her face blushing.)

OlderRanma:Shampoo, don't be embaressed. I never realized how much I 
missed you pouncing on me every day so very long ago. I always took this 
incident for granted, totally disregarding it. Well now that I have a 
second chance, I want to enjoy it.(Hugs her again)

(Shampoo hesitates for a moment. She realizes that he still is Ranma. And
hugging Ranma, whether she knew him or not, was good enough for her. 
Besides, she like the idea that Ranma hugged her back instead of coming up
with a reason to avoid her.)

OlderRanma:(Releasing her)Shampoo, I know that this is a lot to ask, but 
can you please do this to me for the next few days....so I can enjoy all 
the things I lost. Please?

Shampoo:(Smiles)Shampoo happy to help.

OlderRanma:Thank you.

(Shampoo smiles at OlderRanma one more time before she looks behind him 
and wink at Ranma, which seems to upset Akane. She then turns around and
happily heads back to the Nekohanten.)

Ranma:You seem to get great enjoyment in doing this.

OlderRanma:Ranma, I bet you will get great enjoyment hugging Akane after 
not having seen her for five years. Please, keep in mind that you have a 
Shampoo that always jumps into your arms. Me.....I have nothing.

Ranma:.................

OlderRanma:(Smiling while extending one of his arms forward for Akane to 
take hold of)Shall we continue on to school, Akane?

Akane:I guess so(Looks at Ranma for a second and then places her arm around 
OlderRanma's arm)

OlderRanma:I'd like to walk into the courtyard and have everyone attack me
for being your fiancee....just for old time sake.(Smiles)For five years 
before the battle with Kythen, no one has ever attacked me and, I miss
that.(Sees Akane's worried face)Don't worry Akane, I'll go easy on them.

(OlderRanma both walk into the courtyard while Nabiki and Ranma stay behind
to watch. Slowly, Ranma is starting to realize just how much he takes 
things for granted. As OlderRanma and Akane walk towards the center of the 
courtyard, a massive mob of boys come charging their way from the front 
door, yearning to defeat Ranma so Akane will be free again....free to date 
other people. As the mob got closer, they seperated into two group, each 
going to opposite sides of Ranma and OlderRanma, forming a massive circle
around them. In the middle of the circle, Akane seems nervous....for 
some reason, while OlderRanma is overwhelmed with delight.)

Akane:Jeez, there's a lot more boys surrounding us that I remember from the
other days.

OlderRanma:(Softly)Akane, hop on my back.

Akane:What?

OlderRanma:Just hop on my back.(Gets down to his knees)I've got something 
to show you.

(As the mob slowly started closing in on the two, Akane quickly hopped onto 
OlderRanma's back, like a piggieback ride. Once she was one his back, 
he made sure she held on tightly. We see OlderRanma close his eyes and 
raise his hands up into the sky. All of a sudden, we see him starting to 
glow a brilliant glow of glue, and a small sphere of pure ki build up in 
each of his hands. The mob stop their approach, hesitant about attacking. 
OlderRanma then slowly brought his hands together, pushing both spheres 
into one giant sphere of ki. We see OlderRanma concentrating very hard, 
making the sphere grow bigger and bigger. Once the sphere is twice the 
size of a basketball, OlderRanma quickly kneels down on one knee and 
release his sphere of ki right into the ground. All of a sudden, the 
ground starts to shutter and shake voilently. A few cracks start forming 
from where OlderRanma knelt and extends out towards the mob of boys, 
streams of blue light shine through those cracks. Then, all of a sudden, 
the cracks open up wide and blasts of ki fly upward from it, and envelope 
the mob. A huge burst of light blinds everyone, especially Nabiki and 
Ranma, who were watching this happen from a safe distance. Then, as fast 
as the light came, the light disappeared. All that remained is OlderRanma, 
Akane on his back in the middle of a circle of unconscious boys.)

Akane:(Wide eyed)What was that?!?

OlderRanma:(Smiles)I don't want to sound conceited or anything, but that 
was my weakest special technique.(Lets Akane off his back)

Ranma:(Running up to them)Can you show me how to do that?

OlderRanma:(Feeling sad)I'm sorry, I can't. I'd really would like to teach
this to you, but I can't.

Ranma:Why not?

OlderRanma:The move took me four year to learn alone. And there is no way I 
can teach you this in a few days.....before I die. I'm sorry.

Ranma:..............

OlderRanma:Can we go on in?

Akane:(looks at unconscious mob)What about all these boys, will they be 
all right?

OlderRanma:Yes, they will. They'll just wake up with a terrible headache. 
That's all. If I really wanted to......I could've kill all of them,(Smiles) 
but I'm not like that. Lets go in.

Nabiki:Not yet.(Points to the front door)

OlderRanma:Kuno-sempei, how nice to see you again. 

Kuno:(Bokken)I will no longer fall for your trickery again, you sorceror!

OlderRanma:(Turns to Ranma)I don't remember him calling me a sorceror five 
years ago.

Ranma:I think he's angry at me for something I did to him yesturday.

OlderRanma:(Curious)What did you do to him?

Ranma:I did this!(Runs up to Kuno and punts him into orbit)God, that felt 
good! That Kuno gets so damn annoying sometimes!

OlderRanma:Ranma, just be glad that there is a Kuno to annoy you. You may
see him as nothing more than a punching bag, but you'll realized just how 
much you'll miss him once he's gone.

Ranma:What?

OlderRanma:When I was up in the mountains, training........I started 
missing everyone I knew. I even missed Kuno, strange as that may seem. 
Slowly Istarted realizing how much an impact he had on my life....for 
instance. He was the one who brightened my mornings whenever I had a 
fight with Akane.

Akane:(Looks at Ranma)Really?

OlderRanma:Yes. Why do you think he said it felt good to punt Kuno-sempei 
into orbit? Here's a question, Ranma, do you hate Takewaki Kuno?

Ranma:Well......uh.....

OlderRanma:Maybe you can't speak for it yourself, but I can. When Kuno was 
still alive, I couldn't stand him....I couldn't stand everything about 
him. But when I found out he had died, I realized that I never hated him...
....not once. When I saw his grave, like everyone else's......I wished he
never died. I wouldn't have wished death to even my worst enemy....well,
maybe Hapousei and Kythen, but you know what I mean. Anyway, you won't 
miss Kuno till he's gone....even before I found out he died, I missed him.
I guarantee that if Kuno don't attack tomorrow morning, you will feel empty
inside for the rest of the day.....but you don't have anything to worry
about, he probably will tomorrow. But until that day comes, when or if he 
realizes that it's useless continuing on fighting you, you should enjoy 
this while it lasts, because it won't last forever.

Ranma:Gee.......I never looked at it that way.

OlderRanma:Neither did I till it was too late.

Ranma:.............

OlderRanma:Can we go in now?....I want to meet Miss Hinako.

Akane:What're you going to do to her?!?

OlderRanma:(Smiles)I'm going to pose as you Ranma and go into the 
class late......I want to see the expression on her face when she realizes 
she can't suck all my power away because I have so much to spare.

(Ranma, OlderRanma, Akane, and Nabiki all enter the builing)

(As they entered the building, the morning sky was slowly turning a 
terrific shade of red. If OlderRanma had stayed outside to see that, he 
would've realized that that was the first sign of Kythen's arrival.)

(We are now inside the school where we see Ranma and OlderRanma in one of
the hallways. Akane and Nabiki are nowhere in sight, having gone to class
so they wouldn't be late. The halls are empty and only Ranma and OlderRanma
are the ones there. They are standing in front of Ranma's classroom, Miss
Hinako's classroom. Ranma seems too be very nervous. Maybe it's because he
isn't too sure OlderRanma's plan is a good idea.)

OlderRanma:Don't worry Ranma, I'm here to help you in whatever way I can.

Ranma:I'm not too sure about this plan.

OlderRanma:Look, do you or do you not want Miss Hinako to stop bothering 
you? I, when I was your age, would've definitely wanted her to leave me 
alone. Am I right?

Ranma:Are you sure she won't know the difference between you and me?

OlderRanma:What are you talking about? I am you....and you are me. We look 
exactly alike to one another....like twins.

Ranma:(Sighs)Okay, what do I have to do?

OlderRanma:Nothing.

Ranma:Nothing?

OlderRanma:Well.....if you count waiting in the hallway something....then 
you will be doing something.

Ranma:That's it.....just wait here.

OlderRanma:Yes.(Smiles)As of this day.....Miss Hinako will never bother 
you again.....at least I hope so.(Turns and heads into the classroom)

(Inside the classroom, we see a young girl in the front of the room, 
wearing a pretty yellow dress. We realize it's Miss Hinako. We notice that
the classroom is full of kids that are either asleep from having their 
energy sucked out, or about to fall asleep, too drained to continue on 
listening. Everybody's faces look sullen and listless. The door in the 
front of the room opens and we see OlderRanma walking in. All of a sudden, 
all the poeple who were about to fall asleep snap wide awake, their 
attention on OlderRanma. Miss Hinako, who is writing problems on the 
chalkboard, standing on a chair to reach it, doesn't notice that someone 
has just entered the room.)

OlderRanma:(Thinking to himself)Wow, this brings back memories!(Looks in
back of the room and sees an empty seat)Hey look, that's where my seat 
used to be!(Looks at Miss Hinako)Ah, and there's Miss Hinako! Man, do I 
remember the time I spent trying to negate her special powers. Now, what 
did she used to say before she sucked away my energy.....five yen......
something. Oh well, who cares. I can't believe just being in here fills
me with joy.

(OlderRanma walks up to Miss Hinako, who is still writing on the board, who
is still unaware that someone is behind her.)

OlderRanma:(Thinking)Man, I should try and negate her powers now....she'll 
never be able to stop me. What did I have to do though....four fingers on 
her chest and four fingers on her buttocks....or something like that. If I 
did, the class will think I'm a hentai....and I know I don't like being 
called that.....and of course, I would never do that to my younger self.

(OlderRanma turns around and looks at Ranma, who is peeking in through the 
little window on the door, and winks at him. Ranma nervously smiles back 
and gives him the thumbs up.)

OlderRanma:(Turning to Miss Hinako)Miss Hinako!

(Miss Hinako is startled and falls off of the chair she was standing on.
OlderRanma swiftly puts his arms out in front of himself and catches her
before she hits the ground. Miss Hinako looks at OlderRanma, who is smiling 
back, and screams out in her shrill little voice.)

Miss Hinako:Aaaaiiii.

OlderRanma:(Putting Miss Hinako down on her feet)I'm sorry I startled you 
Miss Hinako....but I just wanted to tell you I was late coming to class.

(All of a sudden, all the people awake start whispering......about how 
stupid OlderRanma was for not just sneaking into his seat before the 
teacher noticed. As the whispering continued, all the kids who were asleep
wake up and look at OlderRanma in sympathy.)

Miss Hinako:(Voice turning more feminine)Quiet!

(The entire room becomes silent. Not even breathing could be heard. All 
eyes are on OlderRanma.)

Miss Hinako:(Starting to grow taller)You dare come to my class late!

OlderRanma:(Undaunted)Yes.

Miss Hinako:(Turning into a beautiful woman)You know what the punishment 
is?!?(Reaches into her pocket and takes out a coin)

OlderRanma:(Standing tall and proud)Yes.

Miss Hinako:Well...aren't you scared!(Places coin between index and middle 
finger, looking through the hole at OlderRanma)

OlderRanma:(Smiles)No. I'm not.

Miss Hinako:(Surprised)What?!?

OlderRanma:Come on......try and suck my energy away! I'll stand right here!
I won't move! Give me your best shot!

Miss Hinako:(Suspicious)Is this a joke?!?

OlderRanma:No, it isn't a joke! Try and suck all my energy away! I 
guarantee you won't even come close!(Thinking)Besides, I forgot how it 
felt.

Miss Hinako:Fine! You asked for it! Five yen......

OlderRanma:(Interrupting)Wait one second!

Miss Hinako:Are we scared now?!?

OlderRanma:(Calmly)No, I'm not scared one bit. I want to make you a deal.
If I survive your energy suck, then you will never try that on me again. If
I don't, then you can do that to me every day for a month....whether or not 
I'm late. Do we have a deal?

Miss Hinako:I don't make deals!

OlderRanma:(Smiles)Are we scared?!?.....do you doubt your powers?!?

Miss Hinako:Fine we have a deal!(Offers her hand)

OlderRanma:(Take her hand into his)Deal!

(The two shake hands. We see OlderRanma take a step back and stand there, 
waiting to have his energy sucked. Outside, in the hallways, Ranma is 
sweating profusely, thinking he will get his energy sucked away every day
for a whole month. OlderRanma gives Ranma a wink and that seems to 
alleviate his worries. As OlderRanma stood there, Miss Hinako raises her
hand towards him and zaps him. OlderRanma just stands there as Miss 
Hinako continues to concentrate on taking his energy. The entire classroom
glows brightly in the light of her powers. The students watch in fear and
sympathy toward OlderRanma. OlderRanma just stands there, looking totally
uneffected by her energy suck. After a few moments, Miss Hinako gives up 
and falls to the ground, too tired to continue on. She changes back into a 
little girl.)

OlderRanma:(Running up to Miss Hinako)Are you all right?(Helps her up to 
her to her feet)

Miss Hinako:(Tired)Yes, I'm all right? Why am I so tired?

OlderRanma:If you'd really like to know, you tired yourself out taking my
energy away.

Miss Hinako:But that's impossible! I get the energy I take from you!

OlderRanma:Yes.....only to an extent. After a certain point, you start 
tiring out. It's a thing called diminishing returns. Anyway, are you going
to honor our deal?

Miss Hinako:(Looks at class and then at OlderRanma)Yes. You have my word...
....now, get to your seat so I can contiue on with my class.

OlderRanma:Miss Hinako, may I please step outside for a moment....I....have
to goto the bathroom.

Miss Hinako:Oh....Okay....but be back in one minute!

OlderRanma:Thank you.(Turns around and leaves the classroom)

Miss Hinako:(Thinking)How in the world did he survive that!?! I sucked more
energy from him in that short period of time than I ever had since I 
started teaching......And he didn't even look tired......not one bit.

(Outside in the hallway, we see Ranma and OlderRanma. Ranma seems to be 
very happy and grateful about what OlderRanma just did for him.)

Ranma:Thanks, Ranma. How can I ever repay you?

OlderRanma:(Smiles)You already have.

Ranma:Huh?

OlderRanma:Just seeing you notice that you have been taking Akane for 
granted was enough. But there is one thing I would like you to do.

Ranma:What is it?

OlderRanma:(Softly)Tell her you love her.

Ranma:What?!?

OlderRanma:Don't try hiding your feeling from me....keep in mind that I am 
you....and you are me. I know you love her....and do you know why....
because I loved her since the first day we met. Although I know you could 
hide your love for her easily because I used to do it....but keep in mind
that when I really wanted to tell her, it was too late for me. But for you,
it's not too late....That's my only request of you Ranma....nothing else.

Ranma:But Akane isn't going to die, you stopped Kythen before it even 
happened.

OlderRanma:Yeah, Akane won't die.....that's the exact same thing I thought
of her as I held her in my arms. "I'll tell her I love her when she 
recovers." I would think to myself "I'll tell her I always loved her....
since the day we first me." But that day never came for me.....she never 
recovered. For five years I carried that regret, the regret of not having 
told her. And now that I avenged her death by killing Kythen.....I still
feel empty inside.(Looks at a nearby clock)Look, you better go on into 
class before Miss Hinako gets angry.

Ranma:And what're you going to do now?

OlderRanma:Me. Nothing. I'm just going to walk through these hallways and
enjoy the thought that I'm walking in a building that burned down a long
time ago. Maybe I might pay Akane a visit. What class does she have now?

Ranma:(Thinks for a second and then answers)She has home economics. It's
down the hallway....the fifth door to your right. 

OlderRanma:Thanks.(Turns to leave)I'll see you later.

Ranma:Bye.

(We see Ranma watch OlderRanma walking down the hallway towards Akane and 
Ukyou's class. After a short moment, Ranma smiles as goes into his 
classroom. OlderRanma stops in front of Home Economics class and hesitates 
for a moment.)

OlderRanma:What am I going to say?.....oh well, I'll think of something.

(OlderRanma knocks on the door. After a few moments, the door opens and we
see the teacher standing there, looking at OlderRanma intently. OlderRanma
looks over the teacher's head and noticed that the class was in a state of 
anarchy. There were students running back and forth between tables, 
borrowing cooking utensils. Some students were busy trying to cook, only to 
fail miserably. Others were ripping their hair out, wondering why their 
bread doesn't rise like all the rest. OlderRanma did notice one student 
doing fairly well, and that her work station wasn't a mess like everyone 
else's. To OlderRanma's surprise, he noticed that that student was Akane.)

Teacher:May I help you?

OlderRanma:Um......I was sent here to......bring Akane to the main office.

Teacher:Is there something wrong? Is she in trouble?

OlderRanma:....um....I don't know, the principal never told me.

Teacher:Okay.

(We see the teacher turn around and walks towards the back of the room, 
where Akane was working. OlderRanma takes a step into the class to further 
observe it. The first thing he noticed was that the class was all female.
There wasn't one boy in the entire class. The next thing he noticed was 
that the entire class stopped what they were doing to see who the handsome-
looking male was. To their delight, they noticed it was Ranma. To their
disappointment, they realized that he was engaged to Akane. They continued
on with their work, taking quick glances at OlderRanma, wishing he was 
their fiancee. Akane, who was in the back of the room, talking to the 
teacher, looks up and sees OlderRanma. She gets up out of her seat and 
walks to the front of the class, stopping short when she was in front of 
him. The teacher stayed near the back of the class, helping the students 
out with their projects.)

Akane:Why do I have to goto the main office, Ranma?

OlderRanma:You don't.

Akane:What?

OlderRanma:Can you please come out into the hallway for a minute?

(Akane gives a slight shrug and thens head out into the hallway with 
OlderRanma. Outside, the hallway is completely empty, leaving Akane and 
OlderRanma alone.)

OlderRanma:I was just wondering if we can have lunch together...It'll be 
you, me, and the other me.(Smiles)

Akane:I'd love to. But this period won't end for another half hour.

OlderRanma:Well, can I at least stay with you until it ends?

Akane:I don't see any harm in that. But what am I going to tell the 
teacher?

OlderRanma:I don't know, but we should be able to come up with something.

Akane:I guess you're right. C'mon, lets go in.(Turns to head back in)

OlderRanma:Akane.

Akane:(Turns back around)Yes?

OlderRanma:(Extends a hand forward)Can we go in together?

(Akane smiles warmly, which really brought joy to OlderRanma's heart. She
extends her hand forward and takes hold of OlderRanma's hand, noticing how
nice it felt to be holding hands with Ranma, even if it was the Ranma from
the future. Together, Akane and OlderRanma walk into the classroom, hand in
hand.)

(We are looking at the school from the courtyard. It is now the noon. The 
sky has this terrific shade of blood red. There were black clouds in the 
sky that blocked out the sun, letting only small amounts of light pass 
through them. There were strong gusts of winds that blew by, violently 
shaking the leaves of the courtyard trees and foliage. We watch this for 
several moments and realize that the winds aren't letting up and are 
getting worser by the minute. After a short time, we hear a bell ring, 
which indicates lunchtime.)

(Inside the school, Akane and OlderRanma walk out of Home Economics class,
both seemingly enjoying one's company. We see them both head down the 
hallway, which was filled with people rushing back and forth, towards 
Ranma's classroom. As they arrive there, they both see Ranma walk out of 
the class, yawning terribly.)

Akane:Hi Ranma.

Ranma:(Yawns)Hi Akane.

OlderRanma:I don't blame you for being so sleepy. I remembered that Miss 
Hinako's class was so boring. I guess it still is.(Smiles)

Ranma:(Waking himself up)What are we going to do now?

OlderRanma:Lets go eat.

Ranma:Good, I'm starving.(Heads towards the cafeteria)

Akane:Ranma.

Ranma:What is it, Akane?

Akane:Can we eat outside for once?

Ranma:Sure, I don't see any harm in that.

(We are outside again. As students pour out through the doors, they all 
stop to look up towards the sky, not knowing of what to think. They seemed
to look up at the sky in both awe and fear. Some of the students run back 
into the school, while some stand there, unable to move, their fear 
preventing it. All they knew was something was terribly wrong. After a few 
moments, we see Ranma, Akane, and OlderRanma walk out through the door.
Ranma and Akane both look up at the sky, a sense of fear enveloping the
both of them. OlderRanma was looking up at the sky, disturbed to his very 
core.)

Ranma:What's going on here?

Akane:(Noticing OlderRanma's visage)Are you all right?

(OlderRanma says nothing. All he does is continue on staring towards the 
sky. Akane asks him again and receives no response again. After a few 
moments, OlderRanma snaps out of his state of shock.)

OlderRanma:Ranma, Akane, you have to get out of here!

Akane:What going on?!?

OlderRanma:This is exactly what I saw on the day you died, Akane!

(Akane's heart sank. Her face turned to utmost fright. Ranma, who stood 
next to her, placed both arms around her, comforting her.)

Ranma:(Still holding Akane)I thought you stopped this Kythen from 
coming about.

OlderRanma:I thought I did also.

Ranma:Then how could this be?

OlderRanma:(Realizing)Happousei! 

Akane:Didn't you stop him?

OlderRanma:No......I think I was the one who caused him to do this!

Ranma:What?!?

OlderRanma:I think it was my attack on Happousei that led him to do this.
No......it can't be! I remember in my past when Happousei came into the 
backyard and I punted him away for splashing me with cold water and 
grabbing me. Either way, whether or not I was here, Happousei would've 
called forth Kythen. Damn! I should've watched over that little pervert 
more carefully!

Ranma:I don't get it!

OlderRanma:Remember when Happousei came into the backyard two days ago. 
Well, lets just say I wasn't here to attack him. What he would've done was 
splash you with cold water and grab you. That, in turn, will lead to you 
punting him away. And because you did that to him, he calls forth Kythen to 
punish you.

Ranma:But you were here.

OlderRanma:I know. But I attacked him and let him live. And since he 
thought I was you, he called forth Kythen to punish you. You see....either
way, Kythen would've come about, whether it was you who kicked him away, or
my attacking him. 

Akane:What's going to happen now?

OlderRanma:From what I remember, he will be here at any moment....that 
means you have to get the hell out of here, and fast. Plus, you have to get 
everyone else to safety. I'll stay behind and fight him.....I have to....or 
you will die, Akane!

Akane:But how will I die?!?

OlderRanma:You will be killed when one of Kythen's stray ki blasts hits 
you. I was too late in pushing you out of the way. Ranma, please, do as I 
say and keep Akane safe. I don't want to see her die again!

Ranma:I will! That I promise!

OlderRanma:Good! Now gather everyone up and get out of here before its too 
late!

(Just as OlderRanma said that, a massive sphere of black appears in the 
courtyard. It stays like that for a few moments before it disappears, 
leaving behind and man that was within the sphere. The man just stands 
there, tall and proud. Kythen had taken the form of mortal man not as 
homage but as a mockery. He was clad in armor made of what looked like 
molten metal. His long hair was made of fire crackling in flames as it 
flowed down the length of his back. His eyes were nothing but black, the 
pit of darkness. He was the as tall as OlderRanma, but his fingertips 
looked like it could brush the clouds and shatter them asunder. He stood 
there for several long moments, regarding OlderRanma. Ranma and Akane 
stare at him, riddled with fear.)

OlderRanma:Get out of here!

(The sound of OlderRanma's voice seemed to bring them back. They both 
looked at OlderRanma, then at Kythen, and then back at OlderRanma. They 
then turned around and ran back into the school to gather everyone up to
flee. In the courtyard, OlderRanma and Kythen were both staring at each 
other.)

Kythen:(His voice thunderous)Are you Ranma?

OlderRanma:(Proudly)Yes, I am.

Kythen:Then you will die!

(Kythen disppears and reappears in front of OlderRanma. Before OlderRanma 
could react, Kythen strikes OlderRanma with a viscious punch to his face,
causing him to go flying backwards into the school wall. The impact 
OlderRanma struck it with was so powerful that the wall was indented and 
cracked. He slides down onto the floor as if unconscious. After a few 
moments, OlderRanma slowly gets back up to his feet.)

Kythen:You wish to die swiftly or die slowly!

OlderRanma:I'm not the one who's going to die!

(Kythen seems outraged by this comment. He punches OlderRanma again in the 
face. OlderRanma gets thrown back into indented wall again, which collapses
in behind him. OlderRanma ends up on his back, inside the school, where
students are fleeing for their lives. Slowly, OlderRanma gets back onto his
feet. He looks around and realizes that he's inside a classroom, which is
now empty. He looks towards the hole in the wall and sees Kythen enter 
through there.)

Kythen:You are strong! That will make your death so much more amusing for 
me!

OlderRanma:I am a lot stronger than you think!

(OlderRanma lunges forward and lands a vicious punch in Kythen's face, 
sending in backwards out of the hole he entered through. OlderRanma quickly 
runs up the the hole and exits back out into the courtyard, where Kythen is 
slowly getting back onto his feet. There, OlderRanma readies for another 
attack.)

Kythen:You are very skilled! Now it's my turn!

(Kythen releases a massive ki blast from his hands, which sizzles through
the air towards OlderRanma at blinding speed. OlderRanma quickly jumps out
of the way, just as the ki blast flies by, entering the building through 
the hole in the wall, blowing a hole all the way through to the other 
side. OlderRanma quickly gets to his feet and shoots his own ki blast, 
which gets easily and skillfully deflected by Kythen.)

Kythen:Ha! Do you really think those puny ki blasts of yours will ever hurt 
me!

(Kythen disappears and reappears in front of OlderRanma again. Before 
OlderRanma could react again, Kythen punches him in the face again. the 
force of the punch was so intense that the windows of the school shattered.
OlderRanma was sent backwards again, into another part of the school's 
wall. Shards of glass from the story above fall towards the ground, some 
of them hitting OlderRanma. Kythen quickly jumps backwards before he 
himself got impaled.)

OlderRanma:(Bleeding from lip and cut near his eye)C'mon!

Kythen:So, you wish to die swiftly!

(Kythen lunges forward and punches OlderRanma in the stomach. With his 
hand by his stomach, Kythen pushes forward and slams OlderRanma into the 
wall again. OlderRanma didn't even yelp out in pain. Before Kythen had a 
chance to retract his arm, OlderRanma sent a massive ki blast from his 
hands, hitting Kythen right in the chest. Kythen was blown backwards, 
slamming the outside walls of the courtyard. OlderRanma, having been within 
such close proximity of the explosion, was slammed back into the wall 
again, it collapsing in on him again. Slowly, OlderRanma got back onto his 
feet and stepped back out into the courtyard. There, he saw Kythen getting 
to his feet.)

OlderRanma:You seem to have gotten weak, Kythen!(Thinking)You are not as 
powerful as I last remembered you.

Kythen:For that, you will pay!

(Kythen launches two ki blasts, one right after another. OlderRanma was 
forced to jump out of the way of the first blast. Before he could get onto
his feet again, the second blast struck him in the chest. OlderRanma 
doubled over and fell onto his stomach in excruciating pain. As OlderRanma 
slowly pushed himself up, Kythen sent another ki blast straight towards 
him. OlderRanma quickly rolled out of the way, but was hurt terribly from 
the shards of concrete that struck him after the impact. Slowly, OlderRanma 
got back onto his feet. He checked his chest, which felt wet, and noticed 
that he was bleeding terribly. The blood ran down the length of his chest.)

OlderRanma:(Thinking)Oh god, I don't remember him being able to do that!

(Kythen releases a special ki blast towards OlderRanma. The blasts catches 
OlderRanma by total surprise and envelops him in a blue light. All of a 
sudden the blue light disappears to reveal an OlderRanma, standing 
motionless, unable to move.)

OlderRanma:(Thinking)I remember this! Once he comes close enough to me, 
I'll finish him off! All I have to do was wait before I break out of this
holding spell of his.

(But Kythen never walked up to OlderRanma. Kythen released a huge ki blast,
which hits OlderRanma in the chest before he could react. OlderRanma was 
sent flying backwards and fell onto his back. Kythen releases another ki 
blast and it hits the OlderRanma again, causing him more excruciating 
pain. There was no way for OlderRanma to get back up, all his energy was 
spent and he was too weak to continue on. Kythen walks up to OlderRanma and
easily picks him up by the collar of his shirt.)

Kythen:You were strong! But not strong enough to kill me!

(OlderRanma said nothing. He couldn't. He could feel himself die as he was
being held by his collar. He had lost so much blood. He felt his vision 
starting to blur. He felt himself starting to shiver. He remembered this 
was the same predicament he was in before Ryoga saved him. But Ryoga wasn't 
there. No one was there to save him. Kythen smiles wryly as he held 
OlderRanma on his feet.)

OlderRanma:Akane......I tried....the best....as...I....could.

Kythen:Now you will die!

(Kythen raises OlderRanma high into the air and slams him down on the 
concrete floor. OlderRanma could feel and hear his ribs break from within 
his ribcage. OlderRanma tried to yelp out in excruciating pain but his 
lungs were full of blood. All he did was cough up blood. Kythen wasn't 
through with OlderRanma yet. He made sure he didn't kill OlderRanma when he
slammed him into the ground. Slowly, Kythen picked OlderRanma up onto his
feet. OlderRamnma watched through blood covered eyes as Kythen picked him
up of the ground with one hand. He watched as a ki ball grew in Kythen's 
other hand. But just before Kythen had a chance to kill OlderRanma with 
that final and fatal attack, a massive ki blast sizzled through the air and 
struck Kythen in his back. OlderRanma knew that it was Ranma who released 
that. He knew that if he didn't do anything, and fast, he and Ranma will 
both die. As Kythen turned around to face his new opposition, OlderRanma, 
using the last of his strength, released his whirlwind punch.)

OlderRanma:Hiyru Shotenha!

(A massive tornado envelopes Kythen and sends him up towards the heavens. 
OlderRanma, who was still being held by Kythen, was brought along with him.
Ranma watched in shear horror as OlderRanma was enveloped in the tornado.
Ranma rushed forward to pull OlderRanma out of the tornado but was too 
late. By the time he reached him, OlderRanma was too high in the sky.
After a few moments, the tornado disappeared to reveal two figures high in 
the sky. The two figures plummeted towards the ground at high speed. Before
OlderRanma struck the ground, Ranma quickly jumped up into the air and 
caught him, landing safely on the ground with OlderRanma in his arms. 
Kythen struck the ground with thunderous impact, causing a crater to form. 
Before Kythen even struck the ground, he was already dead. Ranma is kneeling
down in the courtyard, OlderRanma in his arms. OlderRanma is badly hurt. We
could see bruises all over his body, especially his face. There's blood
everywhere. OlderRanma's chest rises and lowers slowly, every breath for him
a struggle. As Ranma continues to cradle his olderself, Akane comes running
up to them.)

Akane:Oh my god!

Ranma:(Crying)Please, don't die!

(OlderRanma slowly opens his eyes, one of them swollen shut. At first, 
OlderRanma doesn't recognize them. After a few moments, he smiles.)

OlderRanma:Can....I....ask....of....something......from the two....of you?

Akane:(Tears running down her cheek)Please rest, Ranma. You'll be all 
right.

Ranma:Come on! Just hang in there! Akane, please, go call an ambulance!

OlderRanma:No.....don't. Please, let Akane stay by my side! 

Ranma:Fine, I'll go call for one.

OlderRanma:No......I want the two of you to stay by my side....I want to 
remember the two of....you....before I die.

Ranma:What are you talking about?!? You're not going to die!

OlderRanma:Can you......two please do..........me a favor?

Akane:Of course. What is it?

OlderRanma:I....want the two of you....(Coughs up blood)....to bring me 
back..........to my time so.......I could be...........with my friends.
(Weakly reaches into pocket with a bloody hand and takes out the nanban 
mirror)Please.....

Ranma:But we have to take you to a hospital!

OlderRanma:Don't bother........I'm going to die whether you like it or.....
not. Don't....you remember.........about the....poison.

Ranma:...................

OlderRanma:Just........let me die on........my friends' graveyard.

(Ranma takes hold of the nanban mirror. He then looks at Akane and then 
back at OlderRanma. OlderRanma smiles weakly at Ranma. Ranma gently picks
OlderRanma off the ground, the nanban mirror in one hand. Akane gets to 
her feet and stands next to the two. Ranma then says a few words. The 
mirror glows brightly and the light envelopes them. After a second, the 
light disappear, Ranma, OlderRanma, and Akane with it.)

(We are now in the future. The sky is dark yet it's still the middle of 
the day. We are in the school's future courtyard. The courtyard is barren
and void of life. There are no trees or bushes anywhere. The concrete 
ground is filled with holes and cracks. The school is no longer there. 
All that remains is a pile of rubble. In the distance, there are no
buildings or skyscrapers. The entire city had been destroyed. Near the 
courtyard, there was a graveyard, a graveyard for all the people who died 
in the city. A blue sphere appears out of no where in the middle of the 
graveyard and then disappears, leaving Akane, Ranma, and OlderRanma 
behind.)

OlderRanma:(Weakly points to one side of the graveyard)Their....graves...
are....over...there.

(Ranma gently carries OlderRanma towards where OlderRanma pointed, Akane
walking right next to him. Ranma seems to be overwhelmed by just how many
graves there were. There must've been close to several thousand graves, all
of them stretching far off into the distance in every direction. Akane is
also overwhelmed, probably more overwhelmed than Ranma. She was desperately
fighting back her tears. After several minutes of walking, the three 
arrived at a single tombstone that was surrounded in a circle by many other 
tombstones.)

OlderRanma:Ranma.......why don't you....go...see...who's grave that....is?

(Ranma gently places OlderRanma on the ground and walked up to the 
tombstone and reads it. After reading the first line, his face went ashen 
and colorless. He took a step back, not believing in what he just read. 
Akane, who was kneeling beside OlderRanma, knew exactly what had caused 
Ranma to become so disturbed. She knew he had just read her name on the 
grave. She looks at the other graves and squints her eyes to read their 
names. She was shocked to realize that she was reading all the names of her 
friends.)

OlderRanma:Akane....this....is.....my....future.....but......this....won't..
....be.....yours.......(Closes his eyes)

(With that said, OlderRanma dies.)

Akane:Ranma! No! Don't die!

(It was too late. OlderRanma's body goes limp in her arms. He never 
responds to Akane's pleads. He never will. Ranma, who watched all of this 
happen, gently walks up to her and places a hand on her shoulder.)

Ranma:Akane. There's nothing we could do. He's dead.

Akane:No!

Ranma:.............

(As Ranma stood there, watching Akane try to rouse OlderRanma awake, he 
realized and remembered exactly how profound an impact he had on his life.
He realized just how much he took everything for granted. As he stood 
there, he vowed to himself that he will never take Akane for granted 
again. After a few moments, Akane gave up, realizing that OlderRanma will
never respond again and that he had gone to a better place. Gently, she
places OlderRanma up against her grave.)

Ranma:(Softly)Akane.

Akane:(Tears in her eyes)Yes?

Ranma:I love you.



<End for now>


There....another fanfic. Hope you enjoyed it cause this took a big chunk 
of time out of my day to write. First off, the characters from this story 
was created by the Rumiko Takahashi. I would never take credit for any of 
her works. If you are reading this, then that means you bothered to read 
this fanfic till the end. I'm sorry for any spelling or grammatical 
errors. I only spent one sitting writing and editing this entire fanfic. 
When I wrote this fanfic....I absolutely had no idea where this was going. 
I just sat down in front of my computer and started typing and kept on 
going on from there. I guess I was lucky that I could keep the story 
flowing. All I know is that the first few pages of the beginning was very 
interesting for me to write....and most likely to read. I'm sorry if you
were disappointed when you found out this wasn't as zany as the
Ranma-universe in other fanfics, but I like write in a serious fashion.
PLEASE, send comments. I would really appreciate it. I'm not too sure you
guys(and gals) appreciate my stories. If you enjoyed this fanfic, I'm happy
to say that I'll continue writing more. As to why I wrote this.......I 
have absolutely no clue. I hope OlderRanma's death had an impact on you
cause it sure did for me.


P.S.-If you want any of my other fanfics, just ask. 


                                Jeffrey "OneShot" Wong


<Bye>