One word..... Finally!
I'm going to work on this more too.....
Enjoy....

--------------------------------------------------------

CRAKKKK!

Tatewaki Kunou awoke with a start... A noise his last memory of his dream....
He got out of bed... His clock read 5:58..... Not yet time to get up....
No matter... This morning he felt great!

As he headed into the bathroom, he pondered his dream...
It wasn't often he could remember his dreams, usually, he'd hazily get up to 
the smell of whatever was cooking downstairs for breakfast and shake everything 
out of his head...
This time was different....

This time, he could remember the sights and sounds of his dream...
Lighting... Background noises... He could describe everyone of them to anyone...

Not that it was a bad dream... No way.. Not for the Blue Thunder of Furinkin
High!
He'd just won the kendo international championship by defeating his last
opponent, 
Ranma Saotome....
His prize? A trophy, riches, or his own dojo? Nope... His prize was to be the
suitor of Akane Tendo....
He was happy as anyone could be... Well.. That is until his pigtailed
mistress learned 
of this...

He laughed at the dream because his last memory was the pigtailed goddess
breaking
the awards table on his head....
How great it was to be him....

A while later, during a walk through the park, he happened upon Akane out
for her
morning jog....

"Tendo Akane!" He called, noticing her before she knew he was near.. "How
are you
this fine morning?"
She turned to see him smiling at her... He seemed happy and she didn't want to
ruin his morning with a bad comment......
"Fine, Kunou... Just fine... And how about you?"
"Ah! Words cannot describe my happiness toda..."
He came out of his self-absorbed haze to see her backing away from him...
"She must be eager to get home, perhaps to fix herself up presentably for an
afternoon date...." He thought...
"I shall let you go on, fair goddess.... Have a good morning... See you later.."
She turned away and prepared to start a strong sprint home... She didn't need
him bothering her any further....
Without a word, she began a jog before noticing that she'd backed herself
into the
middle of the street....
"Oh god no..." Were her last thoughts.... Then she was struck by a car...
Kunou turned around just in time to hear the screech of tires...
The horrible part was that he saw her get hit head on.... The image burned
into his mind

Her slender body had hit the grill of the car, then flipped onto the hood and 
shattered the windshield.... The car halted to a stop, and as she skidded off
and met the pavement with amazing force, her face was frozen in horror...

Kunou couldn't believe it.... As he rushed over to Akane, she just laid there...
Eyes open, staring into nothingness, nose broken, teeth chipped and jaw laying
open allowing a small rivulet of blood to flow free....

As he cradled her in his arms, trying to find some vital sign, he realized only
one thing....

She had passed on from this world onto the next because of him....
If he hadn't've there, she wouldn't've run away....
And he wouldn't be here, clutching the bloody figure in his arms, sobbing and
cursing his own pig-headedness....

PART TWO

Kunou sat uncomfortably in the hard plastic chair, his eyes bloodshot with
tears of grief...

"If it hadn't've been for me....."

He looked around the cold, clean waiting room here in the emergency ward of 
Nerima's hospital...
Around him sat Akane's friends and family, he felt out of place here....
Ranma Saotome, his long time foe, surprisingly didn't scorn his incompotence,
but at the same time didn't try to offer moral sopport.... Saotome just sat
there,
looking straight ahead at the wall...
Akane's sisters, Kasumi and Nabiki were crying themselves in worry while trying
to calm the hysterical Soun who had tried to take his own life...
Genma Saotome and Ryouga Hibiki just glared at him... Their cold eyes cutting
an icy path into his soul while Shampoo and Ukyou tore at his emotions with
their insults and screams of anger....

He couldn't stand this.....

And he snapped when Akane's doctor came in along with Dr. Tofu, their solemn
looks gave away the terrible news....
"Ak... Akane... she...."
"Mr. Tendo.... I'm sorry....."

That was the last thing Kunou could remember clearly....
He knew that he had screamed, and ran until he collapsed into unconsiousness...
And the rest of the family had been too torn to notice him leave...

Now he found himself lying beside the road... Some suburb, he guessed... A 
streetlamp hung above him, covering him in it's amber light....

For some reason, his arm was bloody and when he rolled up his sleeve, he found
that somewhere he'd attained a large gash down from his wrist to his forarm...
Gravel and dirt clung to the injury, he figured he must've run into something
and fell down, skidding a fair way....

At least, that's how he could remember it....

Now, all he could think about was Akane... He didn't care that he didn't know
where he was, or how he got here....
He just was filled with so much emotional pain....
That was until he realized the trouble he was in...

Kunou picked himself off the ground and looked around half-heartedly...
He was in the suburbs of some city.... It seemed to be early morning, around
5:30-6 AM... And he hurt all over... Kunou wasn't sure what would face
him when he arrived home, so he started walking towards the mountains...

It wasn't long until he came across a cheap cafe... For the last half an 
hour he had been walking, caked in blood and dirt... He took this opportunity
to clean up and get something to eat....

After making himself presentable in the filthy men's room, he sat down at the
counter and ordered himself a suitable breakfast.... Upon being served, the 
waitress, a girl no older than he was seemed concerned at his appearant
plight...

"Something wrong?" She asked, showing definate interest in her voice....
"Wha? Oh... You could say that..." Kunou said.... He didn't even look up, only 
staring into the black well of coffee he was given...
"Well," She replied, glancing around the empty cafe... "You look like you need
someone to talk to... And I'm the right person for the job...."

Kunou looked up, gazing into her deep brown eyes... They reminded him so
much of 
Akane's....

"I-I killed someone...." He spoke, after a moment...
The waitress looked a little uneasy... "What?"

For the next few minutes, Kunou related the entire story to the girl behind the
counter... When it was over, she stared at him, tears in her eyes...

"It's not your fault...."
"I wish I could believe that..." He managed to sob out....
"You couldn't've known.... It-"
"She was the only reason I had for living, you know...."
"Now that's not true!"
"One day, when I was 15, I almost committed suicide..."
"....."
"I'd thought it over, and decided that my life was an empty valley filled with
short streams of joy here and there... So I went to the docks...."

Kunou stopped for a second, took a sip of coffee, and continued....

"I was going to go for a swim... and not come out.... it was the easiest way to
go for me.... Just as I was about to jump, I'd heard her singing..."
"Singing? At a dock?"
"Yeah... She was fishing... Akane always liked being independant and free, so
she became one of the best fighters at our school... Mind you, not too
feminine..."

A tear fell from his cheek to the counter....

"I think that's what attracted me to her...."
"S-so virtous... and now gone...."

"I hid my real feelings in arrogance and simple-minded poetry."
"Kunou Tatewaki, age 17... The infamous Blue Thunder of Furinkin high."
"If I could've only told her how I really felt...."

Tears began to spill from Kunou's face.... He dropped a bill on the counter
for the
coffee... He didn't care what the amount was...
He ran from the cafe, leaving the waitress dumbfounded, Tatewaki Kunou would
head to
the mountains that day.... Nothing getting in his way....

PART THREE

Tatewaki Kunou had been travelling for hours since he had left that little
cafe back miles ago.... It was a hot, summer afternoon and he felt as if
he were going to pass out.....

"I can never face my family or friends again... in the eyes of everyone, I
have failed to fullful my life's destiny... I have killed the one I love and
there is no way I can ever be forgiven for that.... I must take my life for
her's"

These were the words he scribbled on a piece of paper and put in his pocket....

"Why did she reject me? I gave all I had to give to her... I would have honored
her like the goddess she was! Not like that insiduous Saotome! I loved her!
oh, how I hate him!"

Again, Kunou was beginning to weep.....

"It doesn't matter now.... I should stop this well of self-pity before I go
insane! But, now where am I?"

Kunou was in the forest....

"Here I am.... The middle of the forest, crying for someone who is now
dead... I can't bring her back.... but... I can't move on..."

"I wonder if this is how my friend Ryouga Hibiki feels at times... wandering 
aimlessly through the world... seeking items of affection for Akane Tendo...
not knowing where he was...."

Akane Tendo.... How he hated to say that name.... He felt he wasn't worthy
of it....

"Ryouga must have known very little of his family.... Always on the go....
always lost.... And yet he and I always managed to keep an agreement between
each
other....."

Kunou could feel the tears beginning to flow....

"Ranma Saotome was first to be rid of in the battle for Akane... Eventually,
they
would have to finish another off, but, Saotome was the common enemy..."

*Sob....*

"Yes.... we were friends... we both had our difficulties... Mine in part with
my family...."

Family....  Yes... That was a word he had mentioned twice.....

"I remember how it was.... how it was before my father went away... and when
my sister was a nice person....."

An image of a happy family hung in his mind.....

"Brief flashes of them appear from time to time.... Especially in Kodachi,
when she does something nice.... Her sadistic look changes into her old,
happy grin..... Then she's snatched away by years of torment at her school..."

"Father, a man of suits and ties and brief cases..... Kodachi, a girl who didn't
care about anything but being free and happy...."

He dropped to his knees....

"Where did the past go?"

(Flashback to a younger Kodachi and Tatewaki playing in their backyard)

"Hai-ya! Look out, I'm a samurai!"
"Tatewak-eeee! Watch out! I'm having tea with my dollies!"
"Ah! Tea! The lifeline of a true warrior! I shall have some...."
"Nooo! Give that back!"
"Just a little... That's all... Boy.. this tastes stra...."
*Ptui*
(Kodachi-chan laughing like C-ko)
"UgH! What did you put in this?"
(She holds up a can of "Raid"....)
"DAAAAD! Kodachi put...."
(Kodachi-chan jumps on Tate-chan)
"SHHHH!"
"What's going on out here?"
"D-dad...."
Both children look at their father... He was a respectable man, well dressed
and quite well groomed....
"Oh, you kids.... Always fighting..."
"You, Tatewaki, you remind me of your mother.... So determined, so strong
willed..."
"And you, Kodachi, you look exactly like her.... Your laugh, so cute..."
"I want you two to listen to me... Just, hear me out on this, ok?"
"Ok, dad..."
"Ever since the death of your mother, I've had a tough time raising you two,
but it doesn't mean I don't love you....."
"Uh huh..."
"I don't want us to grow apart in any way, ok?"
"Oh dad, I love you!"
"I do too...."
Both hug their father....
"Now, both of you are going back to school soon, so I want you to behave, ok?"
"School? Awww...."
"No "Awws", I want you to be good... I'll be in Hawaii for a few days on a 
buisiness trip, I'll be back to see you off, ok?"
"Ok, dad...."
"Now, Sasuke will look after you until then, ok?"
"Ok..... Can I have a big hug before I go?"
Both children hug and kiss their dad.....
(Back to Kunou sitting in the forest....)
"N-no... I can't believe it.... That one day... Our last happy day..."

"Well, brother dear, it appears I found you where no one else was able to...."
"Huh? Kodachi?"

Kunou turned around to see his sister standing before him in a black dress.....
"Come home, Tatewaki..... You won't survive out here...."
"Kodachi! Am I glad to see you!"

He hugs her and holds her for a second, sobbing.....

"What's wrong with you, you fool? Let go of me!"
"K-Kod... Kodachi.... Do you remember how it used to be?"
"What?"

Kunou lets go of her for a second and backs up a step.....

"Before father went away so many years ago! Back when we were happy!"
"That was a long time ago...."
"Back when we played in the back yard and laughed...."
"You don't look so good, Tatewaki...."
"Back before you turned into such a twisted monster, dammit!"
"YOU WERE HAPPY! YOU WERE FREE!"

Kodachi looked at her brother for a second.....
Never had she had so much respect for him than now....
The past was something her family never liked to recall.... He
was able to pick a precious, happy memory out of the thorny history they
had......

"I-I'm sorry.... I didn't mean to shout...."
"No... It's... ok...."

Tears began to flow down her cheeks.... They truly had been happy....
Nowadays, she never felt happy... Never felt loved....
It was painful, but it felt good to confront her past.....

"Oh, Tatchi-chan.... I'm sorry...."
"N-No.... *Choke*... It's me..."

Both cried and held each other, remembering the years they grew apart....
They stayed this way for a while....
Neither seemed to want the other to leave....

Is this how it was when childhood finally caught up with them, and they
realized they had grown up?
Is this how it was... how it was when the dream ends....?