The Legacy

     A Ranma �  fanfic
     by Joseph "Ashira" Kohle

     All characters are the products of the imagination of the esteemable
     Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Video and several Japanese companies.      
     They are used without her permission. Hey I would ask if I knew  her 
     e-mail address.

     Part X

     The Cure can be as Much of a Curse
     
     Ranma waited patently as Ryoga walked towards the edge of the
pool. There he stopped and stood completely silent, his hands clenching
into fists occasionally like he wa sin an argument with someone. Finally he
shouted, "Then die!" and stepped forward into the pool.
     Ranma was already moving when he heard the words. Glancing at
Ryoga to make sure everything was going to plan, he was shocked to find
Ryoga surrounded by a black pulsating sphere. HE could hear Akane
calling Ryoga's name. Then he heard Ryoga's screams.
     It nagged at him a little that he could not help Ryoga, but he had to
do his part, make amends for what he had done. Secretly Ranma enjoyed
hearing him scream. He deserved it for what he had done to Ranko, but he
did not have time for that now. Racing forward he reached the edge of the
pool and leaped to the bamboo shaft.
     Catching it above his daughter's position, he lowered himself down
and began ripping the bonds from her arms and legs. She was quickly free,
grabbing her in his free arm he was about to leap away when he heard a
dark voice rage, "No!"
     Before he could move the water beneath him surged upward and
knocked him off of the shaft and into the pool. Carrying Ranko's body
tightly against his chest, Ranma tried swimming for the surface in the inky
black water that surrounded him. He could not find it. His breath was
scorching his lungs, his ribs burning, is heart pounding in his head. Then he
saw the light.
     It was a single point of light beneath him. Summoning his reserves
of strength, Ranma reached out to it, using his free arm to swim towards it.
He kicked with his legs, reaching for the light. Spots were swimming
before his eyes. His lungs were burning. The light did not seem to be
getting closer, but Ranma refused to give up. He would not let Ranko die.
Pushing with the last ounce of his strength, Ranma entered the light, and
found himself lying on dry, rocky ground.
     Moaning in pain, Ranma sat up. In his arms Ranko started
coughing. His own discomfort disappeared as he checked his daughter. She
was pale and gaunt, her skin sickly, her hair limo and lifeless. More than
anything it was her soul that scared Ranma. It had been slowly eroded and
attacked. Her life force could barely sustain her anymore. She was dying.
     Desperately Ranma searched for something he could do. He needed
to give her some strength until she could heal herself, but how? Then he
remembered the dream. Trying to calm himself, he reached out to her,
pushing his soul and energy into her body, giving her part of his life.
Sustaining her with his strength.
     He watched her closely as he felt himself weakening. Her breathing
slowly stabled, and her heart beat steadied. Finally her eyes started to
flutter. Ranma stopped sustaining her, He could not let himself die or
become to weak, he still had to deal with Kaidu.
     But at that moment Ranko was more important. As here eyes
opened and focused on him, Ranma drew his daughter into his embrace,
holding her tightly to his chest, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. She was
safe for the moment.
     "Oh, himechan," Ranma cried, "I'm so sorry. I will never let anyone
hurt you again. I promise you.."
     Ranko simply hugged her father, her body shaking as she cried, "He
hurt me Otoosan. Always hurting me. It hurt so much." she sobbed.
     "It won't happen again, himechan," Ranma promised, "After this
day he will never harm you again. No one will!" Ranma said fiercely,
hugging Ranko to him. He did not want to let her go. He did not want to
find out if this was real. As long as his daughter was in his arms, he was
satisfied.
     "How touching. A father making promises he cannot keep," a deep
voice rumbled menacingly.
     Ranma's head shot up. Turning he bored his gaze straight into the
man who had spoken. Ranko pulled herself tighter into her father's arms
fear filling her, as she recognized the voice of her aggressor. Her body
shaking against her father as she remembered the pain.
     "You hurt my child," Ranma said his gaze burrowing in to Kaidu's
chaotic form, "You made her suffer for something she does not understand,
for something that she never did. You tried to kill her for your own
revenge. For this I will make you suffer." Ranma slowly put Ranko down,
despite her cries to the contrary. 
     Standing up he faced Kaidu, Ranko curling herself into a ball behind
him, trying to hide from the man. Rage and anger seethed beneath Ranma's
calm exterior. This thing had made his daughter suffer more than any child
much less adult should be made to suffer. HE had tried to rip away her life
by destroying her soul and her only chance at a future. He cared little
whether Hui-cheng's destiny was fulfilled. In his mind, Ranko's life and
happiness were all that mattered, and this dark malevolence had attempted
to destroy her life, and maybe had destroyed her happiness. 
     Even now Ranma could feel the pure terror coursing through his
daughter's frail body. The dread and fear of what could happen to her even
with her father around. This man's revenge had cost his daughter her
innocence, had made him question his ability to be a parent, had made her
question whether her father could protect her. He had destroyed Ranma's
life.
     With a snarl, Ranma attacked the man. Ranma was not foolish,
however. He remembered the dream and knew that a physical attack was
useless against the man, but by attacking physically he put Kaidu at ease,
ricking him into lowering his defenses. 
     Ranma leaped through the air, but at the last moment, instead of
striking out physically he focused his grief and rage into a single blast of chi
that ripped outward from his hands and struck Kaidu.
     The blast of energies slammed into and through Kaidu's form,
disrupting his swirling rage and darkness, making him drop to hi knees for
a second. Ranma blasted him again, hoping to finish the job, but Kaidu
merely laughed and brushed aside the second blast, already recovered from
the first.
     "Attacking me with my own power is useless,' Kaidu growled and
struck back. Ranma tried to dodge the blow, but the dark chi blast caught
him and sent him flying into a few boulders. Pain flared in his chest as he
hit. "Otoosan!" Ranko cried out from where she was, and ran towards him.
     Ranma tried to wave her away, but she came anyway, driven by the 
pure fear of losing her father. Kaidu laughed and sent another blast towards
him. Ranma rolled sideways, grabbing Ranko and covering her with his
body. The blast exploded above him, crushing his body into the ground.
Luckily Ranko was underneath him, cradled in his arms, she felt nothing
besides a slight squeeze.
     "You cannot defeat me," Kaidu gloated, the dark chi swirling
around him, forming into another attack. Ranma waited for the attack to be
launched. "But now you will both die," he released the blast. Ranma
instantly exploded, rolling forward to his feet and launched himself into the
air, Ranko curled in his arms protectively. The blast missed destroying the
ground he had been on. Landing next to a few boulders, Ranma gently laid
Ranko on the ground, "Stay here, himechan. I'll make sure Kaidu does not
get you." With that he leaped away and blasted Kaidu with another chi
blast.
     Kaidu simply absorbed the blast and returned it towards Ranma.
Twisting in the air, Ranma barely managed to avoid the blast. Landing
lightly, he began to survey his options. Nothing looked good. Kaidu
seemed untouchable. Physically Ranma could not attack him because Kaidu
had no body. His chi blasts were simply absorbed my Kaidu as they hit.
They had o affect on him. Ranma did not know what he could do. What
could possibly hurt this man?
     Kaidu fired several quick blasts in succession, forcing Ranma to
leap about to avoid them. Ranma was so involved in the fight, that he did
not notice himself drifting away from Ranko's position. A large rush of chi
energy forced Ranma to duck and roll to his side. He barely saw the black
sphere that Kaidu sent towards Ranko. 
     The sphere floated over the ground to the place he had left Ranko.
She was curled up into a ball, her eyes wide with fear at the approaching
blackness. Ranma could feel her terror, her dread. The sphere touched her
and she screamed.
     Ranma felt the pain wash over him as the sphere enveloped Ranko.
Kaidu was laughing as he finally achieved his revenge on Hui-cheng. Ranko
was dying, and there was noting anyone could do.
     With a strangled cry Ranma leaped towards his daughter. Heedless
of his own safety, Ranma entered the black sphere surrounding his
daughter, fighting through it until he was at her side. Kaidu only laughed
harder, the maniacal sound echoing through he valley. "I ca kill you too
Ranma. It does not matter. Your Ranko is already mine. My revenge is
complete."     
     Ranma refused to give up though. As he reached Ranko, he cradled
her body in his arms as his last movement before the blackness closed in on
him, making it impossible for him to move. The dark vapors dug into his
and Ranko's flesh seeking their life forces, their very souls to devour. Icy
pain shot through Ranma as one and then a second entered his chest,
borrowing to the center of his being. 
     He tried to ignore the searing agony. Ranko was screaming in his
arms, dying in front of his face. He could not save both of them he realized.
It had to be one or the other. The decision was easy. He could not let
Ranko die. "I'm sorry Akane," he whispered, and opened himself to
Ranko, letting his life flow into her, bolster her body. 
     The connection between them opened like a door, letting
everything through. Ranma sent his life, his love, everything he felt for this
small child in his arms. He surrendered himself completely to his love for
her, his need for her to live.
     He felt the pain ease in Ranko. Her spirit and life began to stabilize
drawing from his own. The darkness around her fell back under Ranma's
sacrifice. Unable to compete against Ranma's pure love.
     Kaidu khan screamed in rage when he realized what was happening.
Desperately he attacked Ranma's body trying to halt him from taking his
revenge from his hands. Ranma screamed as more of the black parasites
entered his body, searching for his life, but Ranma was already near death.
He was giving everything to Ranko. She would survive, but then he felt the
unexpected.
     Ranko reached out and touched her father's face, her head resting
on her father's chest. She could feel his pain, his body and soul slowly
dying. She knew it was because he was trying to save her, but she wanted
her father alive. Unconsciously she began to do the same thing Ranma was
doing.  Her life force flowed into Ranma, strengthening him in his moment
of weakness, draining her.
     Ranma realized what was happening and shook his head at her.
"No, himechan," he gasped, "Don't do this. Let me save your life. Let me
make everything right." He pushed the life he was getting from Ranko back
towards her. Soon a complete circle was made. They both shared the same
strength, the same love. Each was helping the other. 
     Light was glowing around both of them, pushing back the darkness,
weakening Kaidu's hold on both of them. Ranma found himself able to
move. Slowly he pushed himself to his feet, weak and weary, but confident.
Maybe there was a way to defeat Kaidu. His and Ranko's love for each
other was more powerful than Kaidu's hate and rage.
     "No," Kaidu shouted, as Ranma took a step towards him, the last
of the dark sphere dissipating around him. "I will not allow this to happen.
I will kill you both." He railed at them..
     Surrounded by a glowing white aura, Ranma walked towards
Kaidu, Ranko cradled protectively in his arms. Kaidu blasted at the pair
with wave after wave of his dark rage, but it simply parted and disappeared
as it touched the glowing aura around Ranma.
     Step b step Ranma advanced, he now understood how he could
win. "You are nothing, Kaidu." he said, "Your life is empty and
meaningless. You threw it away because of your pride, You threw it away
so you could have someone who would never have you. And when she
would not have you, you would never give her peace. You have given
away your eternal rest to make sure she never completed her destiny, but
your anger is nothing now. It holds no power over my love for Ranko, her
love for me. Anger and hatred cannot destroy our love. It can only make it
stronger."
     Kaidu was backing up with each word Ranma said. Finally he stood
in the nannichuan. Growling in hatred, he tapped the power of the pool,
surrounding himself in the dark hatred his centuries of confinement had
created. The blackness swirled around him like an approaching storm front,
ominous and deadly.
     "I will show you how powerful hate is. I will show you that love is
weak and can be broken like any other thing." with that he released the
storm at Ranma and Ranko. It surrounded them, engulfed them, but Ranma
did not flinch. His aura pushed back the darkness around him, breaking the
storm apart, shredding it as it passed over him.
     "How?" Kaidu asked stunned as Ranma stepped out of the swirling
energies of the khan's hatred and rage.
     "The light can push back the darkness with ease, so to can love
push back hatred." A woman's voice spoke. Ranma saw a woman rise from
the nyanniichuan, and walk towards him and Ranko. She could only be
Hui-cheng. "I have never loved you Kaidu, I can never love you. You
destroyed my life when you killed Sung Pao, but I had hope. In another life
I could find love again, become the person I was meant to be. You forsake
all of that for your revenge. You could have had love in your life. You
could have found happiness, but you threw it away because of your pride.
You wanted your revenge on me, well now you know that it is not
possible."     
     "I choose to love and forgive. I gave my life because there was
nothing left for me on the earth. I gave myself a second chance. You
crossed the road to oblivion. Once your revenge was complete, you would
no longer have the hate to sustain you. You would have withered away and
disappeared, where my spirit would continue on to a different time and a
different place to start again. You cannot win Kaidu khan. Ever"
     "My hate is not empty," Kaidu raged, shaking his fist at Hui-cheng,
"It gives me power beyond your dreams."
     "Look at these two, Kaidu," Their love for each other is sustaining
their lives right now. They are defeating death itself with their love and still
able to make your hate as useless as a feather against a castle gate. Give up
your hate, Kaidu. Give yourself to hope, and a better future."
     "I don't believe you!" Kaidu shouted.
     Hui-cheng sighed and looked at Ranko. "I did not want this to
happen, Ranma, but it must happen. Kaidu must be shown. The curse must
be broken. Ranko," he held her hand out to the girl, "Do you know what
you have to do?"
     Ranko moved against her father, wiggling until Ranma placed her
on the round a confused look on his face. She had had no clue what anyone
was talking about. She had been concentrating on her father, making sure
he was staying alive. She did not wan to lose him. But as soon as Hui-cheng had spoken to her, she had remembered something, that had seemed
forgotten, if she ever even knew it.
     She looked at this place. It was so sad. The centuries of conflict and
tragedy had afflicted this place, making it depressing and dark. It had been
a better place before, she could make it that way again. It was within her
reach. She walked towards the darkly swirling nannichuan. This was what
she was supposed to do.
     Kaidu watched her nervously as she knelt beside the dark water.
Slowly she reached forward and placed her palms on the surface of the
water. Gently she broke off contact with her father, making sure he had
enough energy to survive. 
     Ranma started as his daughter broke contact with him. Desperately
he tried to reestablish the link. He knew she was too weak to survive for
long. Fear gripped his heart. She needed him. "What are you doing?" he
asked worry in his voice.
     "What must be done," Hui-cheng responded.
     Ranma watched as the water beneath Ranko's hands began to clear
and glow with the white light that had previously surrounded Ranma.
Suddenly he understood, "No!" he cried running forward, reaching for
Ranko. Hui-cheng stopped him though, grasping his shoulder and holding
him back. He was too weak from the ordeal to fight her, his body and soul
depleted almost to the limit. "Please let me help her," Ranma begged,
"She'll die if she does this. She's too weak." Ranma cried falling to his
knees and reaching out to his daughter.
     "It has to be done." Hui-cheng said, "She is destined to break the
curse of Jusenkyo that Kaidu and I laid upon it."
     "I don't care about your damn curse," Ranma sobbed, "I want my
daughter." 
     Ranko continued to pour her strength into the dark waters,
changing them, banishing the hatred and tragedy with her love and
innocence. Slowly at first, but with increasing speed the white light spread
fro her hands and swirled into the murky waters of the nannichuan. The
light touched Kaidu and he gasped as he felt the power of what Ranko was
doing.
     "My God," he cried as the light began swirling through his aura, his
hatred muted by the unconditional love of a child, "What have I done?" 
Crying he slowly sank into the water, letting the change carry his soul
away. "I'm sorry," he cried out as his soul swirled beneath the now
glowing pool.
     Ranko did not stop at the nanniichuan though. The whole valley
needed to be healed. The curse Hui-cheng and Kaidu had started had to be
healed, now or never. She was tired though, there was only so much she
could give, but she was meant for this. It was her destiny.
     Regret filled her, she wanted to be with her father, she did not want
to see him suffer, but this was also important. Tears streaked her cheeks as
she reached deep inside of herself and tapped her inner core, drawing from
her very soul the strength needed to cure the valley. 
     The glow of nannichuan spread illuminating the valley. As it
touched each pool, that pool began to glow and intensified the light. Soon
the entire valley was glowing as the pools were cleansed the restless spirits
inside of them appeased, given the eternal rest they deserved.
     It was done. Ranko released her hold, and toppled forward,
exhausted, her body unable to continue. She just wanted to sleep. To rest,
She was so tired.
     Ranma let out a strangled cry as he watched Ranko collapse
forward. In a last ditch effort, he broke from Hui-cheng's grasp and moved
to his daughter's side. He gently picked up her limp body cradling her in his
arms. He was crying, the tears streaming down his cheeks. "Don't die,
please don't leave me, himechan," he sobbed, clutching her body to him, "I
can't live without you. I don't want to live without you."
     Ranko's breathes came in shallow gasps, each one weaker than the
last. He knew she did not have much time left. "Hep her!" he shouted at
Hui-cheng, "Don't let her die. I can't let her die." 
     "There is nothing I can do," Hui-cheng said placing her hand on
Ranma's shoulder, "This was her destiny."
     "It's not fair," Ranma sobbed, "She does not deserve this, take my
life. Give her my strength."
     "Do you think she wants to live without you anymore than you do
without her?"
     "I don't care, I'll do anything. Just don't let her die," Ranma
begged her        
          "There is one way," Hui-cheng sighed, "But you would have to give
up the very thing you have given six years of your life to. Can you do
that?"
     Ranma looked at Hui-cheng. He thought he understood. The old
man's words came back to him, "Sometimes the cure is as much of a
curse." HE shuddered at what it meant. Akane would understand. He had
to do it. He had to take the chance. He would not let Ranko died. "Nothing
matters next to Ranko. She is my life."
     "Pick her up then, come with me."
     Struggling, Ranma lifted Ranko's body. She was barely breathing.
Her eyes fluttered a little, as she felt herself being moved, "Luv
otoo..ssaaan." she whispered quietly. Ranma held her close.
     "Don't worry. Otoosan will make everything better." He followed
Hui-cheng to the edge of the nyanniichuan.
     "Take her into the pool. You already share spirits, let her share
your strength also. From this point on you will be cursed to take your
daughter's weakness as your own. She has lost too much of her inner
strength. I can never be fully regained. She must share yours."
     Ranma nodded once, not really understanding, but determined to
do this. "Remember, that you will only change when she needs you and for
as long as she does. I can no longer stay. My time is done on this earth.
Walk into the water."
     Ranma did. Carrying Ranko he slowly immersed himself in the
waters, letting them rise to his knees, his waist, his chest, his head slipped
below the surface.
     The water surrounded him with a cool white glow. He felt his body
tingling, changing. He willed Ranko to live, to use his spirit to live. He felt
her spirit strengthening as his body became smaller, taking on a form he
had thought would soon be gone, but now would be with him forever.
     He felt no regrets. His daughter was mor important to him than
being a true man, and in a way by doing this he was more of a man. He
gave away what had always mattered the most to him to save his daughter.
     Slowly Ranma assumed his female form, his soul life force and
Ranko's merging into one, strengthening her, bringing her back from the
brink of death. Ranma cried as he felt the strength return to her, her
breathing become stronger, her heat beat more steady and sure. Crying she
gripped her daughter close to her body. She had done the right thing. She
would have no regrets. Even as she felt her daughter's original weakness
enter her body, she was satisfied. This curse was easier to bear than the
curse of her daughter's death.

     Epilogue

     Akane waited impatiently on the hillside, her mind filled with fear
and worry. Ranma and Ranko had disappeared into the nannichuan hours
ago. The sun was now setting, as the day came to a close. The rest of the
family was back near a fire, Nodoka tending the unconscious Ryoga.
     During the afternoon, Akane had only had one moment of hope.
When the valley had filled with light as every single pool had begun to
glow with a white light. This had lasted for a few seconds, before
disappearing, leaving a profound sense of peace and calm over the valley.
That had been an hour ago. 
     She had expected Ranma to return then, but he had not. She was
beginning to worry now. The light must have meant e had won, but why
wasn't he back. Had victory cost him his life. She did not want to think
about that. She wanted Ranma back.
     A movement at one of the pools, brought her back to the world.
She saw a figure stumbling out of the pool across from the nannichuan.
Even at this distance she could tell it was a woman, carrying a..small child.
     No it could not be. Ranma had been sure he had been cured. But
who else would be carrying a child out of one of the pools. She did not
care she realized. It was Ranma that mattered, and if he was cursed, she
would live with it. She had been prepared to before, and she wold not lose
him again because of not telling him so.
     Standing up she rushed down to Ranma-onna, calling his name. She
looked up as Akane came near and gave her a wan smile. The she simply
collapsed to the ground, her body giving out underneath her.
     Akane was next to Ranma instantly. "Get some hot water," she
shouted, "Ranma needs it." She heard sounds of her family scrambling at
the campsite. Akane watched Ranma.
     She looked so tired and haggard, but there was triumph in her eyes.
"I saved her, Akane-chan," she said cradling Ranko's body next to her.
Akane looked down at Ranko and was surprised. The girl was younger,
smaller. She could not have been much more than two years old. Her hair
was till red, but now there was a scar very similar to Ranma's double scar
on her right cheek.
     Akane examined it and then looked at Ranma. She had the single
scar on her right cheek also, the sister of the one on Ranko's. "What
happened?" Akane asked.
     "She was dying. It was her destiny to cleanse the curse from the
valley. She did this, but it depleted her so badly that she was going to die. I
couldn't let that happen. So I gave her part of my life force to help her
survive. I took this form o she could live."
     "Are you stuck like this forever?" Akane asked fearfully.
     Ranma shook her head, "Only when she needs my strength will I
turn into a woman. When she is safe, I will turn back."
     "Can you accept me like this Akane-chan? There was not other
choice for me. The old man said that the cure can be s much of a curse. I
would not live with her death. I will make this sacrifice and live like this so
I can have her alive. No regrets, no turning back."
     Akane watched him silently, "Where will you go now?"
     "Back to the valley, at least until Ranko and I recover," Ranma
said, "After that, I don't know. I have to complete school. I have to find a
life for myself. I have lost six years for this. But I won't regret my decision.
I love Ranko. I always will."   
     Akane reached out and grasped hi hand, "Let me help you. I want o
be with you and Ranko. We could be a family together. Let me come to the
valley with you. I need this. I need you." She leaned into her and kissed her
lightly on the lips. She did not care that Ranma was a girl at that point it
was still Ranma.
     "I love you, Ranma," She whispered.
     "I love you, Akane-chan," Ranma responded, kissing her back.
     Ranko wiggled between them as she woke up, her eyes wide.
"Otoosan, Okaasan." she said and kissed both Akane and Ranma. They
hugged Ranko between them. Ranma thanking God she was alive. Akane
glad to be a part of a family.