Mostly this is just to tease everyone and make them think parts will
come out quickly now.  They won't.  :)  This was a fluke.  A nice fluke,
but a fluke none the less.

All previous parts are on my web page at:
http://www.emich.edu/public/llb/fanfic.html



Twisted Destiny 19
by Lara Bartram

(this picks up after part 17, and not 18)

The group sat in uncomfortable silence, though it shouldn't have been.
After all, Kuno had asked to be friends and nothing more, to which
Akane had agreed.  As strange as it might have seemed, they had helped
and supported each other on the trip.  They shouldn't have been so
reluctant about things.

"I... I am truly sorry," Kuno said finally.

Akane swallowed and tightened the grip on her staff.  "I know.  I'm
sorry too.  Things never... went very well between us, did they?" she
asked hesitantly.

Kuno nodded once.  It seemed that nothing ever went very well for him.
And once they got started, they only seemed to snowball.  "Was I...
was I always... so bad?" he asked.

Resisting the urge to just nod her head right away, Akane thought
about it.  No, he hadn't been.  In fact, Akane couldn't remember much
about him before the beginning of high school.  Much.. heck, anything
at all.  "No, you weren't.  It was.. weird."

Kuno nodded and relaxed a little.  Sometimes, he didn't even realize
what he was doing, acting on habit and simple desire.  Other times, he
was too painfully aware of what he was doing and simply chose to
ignore it.  More specifically, what it did to Akane.

He closed his eyes tightly to shut out everything, all the memories of
how truly awful he had been, and still was.  "Maybe, one day, you...
I won't be so horrible to..."

"Don't say it.  I told you once, and a hundred times before that, I
don't..."

Kuno let out an exasperated sigh.  Why did she never let him finish?
"Yes, I understand that.  That is not what I was planning on asking.
I realize that I've brought this on myself.  I can not say whether it
was a comforting delusion or a thing that I truly desired, but what
does it matter?  All my delusions have been shattered.  Who I was is
dead; I should be dead."  He didn't quite put his face in his hands,
but it was quite obvious that he wanted to.  Wanted to hide his face,
run away, leave the world behind.  Leave his family behind... or what
was left of it.

Akane tried not to look.  This was something he was obviously pretty
upset over, and she felt strange watching him without offering some
sort of comfort.

'Foolish girl,' came the voice from her own mind.

Akane's eyes opened wide and she looked around to see if someone was
speaking to her.

'It's only me, imprisoned in your pitiful little mind.  Why do you
continue to do those things that hurt the ones around you?'

Dumbfounded, Akane stared straight out the front window of the taxi.
She never hurt anyone, never tried to hurt anyone.

'Exactly.  Physical injuries are often less painful than the mental
and emotional ones.  Why do you hold back?  There are those who need
your support.  And there is another who would like more than that.'

Akane looked at Kuno and shook her head.

'You don't learn, do you?  He has taken a close look at what has
shaped him.  Those events were... unfortunate in the least.  He was
most sincere in his desire for your friendship; it was not a trick.'

Still staring at Kuno, but not really seeing him, Akane cowered
internally at what... Kamiko was telling her.  Ranma...

'You two are so blind and stubborn.  Let yourselves go.  Give in to
your feelings.  Your lives may be fleeting, your time could be short.'

When Kamiko stopped communicating, there seemed to be a strange
echoing silence that clocked out all other noise.

'You want to know how, don't you?  It is not for me to say, but
maybe...  Wu!'

Kuno's head snapped up at that and he looked at Akane.  He was
surprised to see her looking back at him and not Kamiko.  "Wha..."

'She wants to know, wu.  She wants to understand,' Kamiko "said" to
them both.  'She still fears you.'

'I know,' Kuno replied sadly.

If it was at all possible, Akane's eyes got wider at hearing Kuno's
thoughts as well.

'Can you show her?'

'Show me what?' Akane asked, her mental voice sounding timid and very
small, like a little girl's.

'I... can.'

'Good.  You wanted to know, and now you will.  Maybe you will learn to
not judge so quickly, and just how great a virtue the ability to
forgive is.'

Akane was about to ask what was going on when she saw.  She saw it
all, flashing in front of her eyes, watching someone else's life play
out before her.  But she was no mere observer.  The terrible power of
the sanjiyan made her feel it as well.

She could feel Kamiko's and Kuno's presence with her, so that made it
slightly easier to handle, but not much.  The horror and revulsion
built in her, only to have sorrow, despair and fright piled on top of
it.  The threats, the punishment, the beatings, the concern for
Kodachi over himself, the feeling that hope was futile and useless,
the degradation and continued insistence that he was less than
human...

The bathroom, at which Akane felt her heart stop.  The memory was so
dark and filled with hopelessness.  To think that such things actually
happened...

'There is one last memory.  Will you be able to handle it?' Kamiko
asked.

'No,' Kuno answered immediately, 'but...'

Akane got the strangest sense of vertigo as the memory played itself
for her too fast to comprehend.  Then repeated itself slower and
slower until it was moving at just below regular speed.  Akane was
filled with terror.

Kuno, a young man in his first teenage year, was facing off against
his mother.  He had grown quickly, much taller than she, too big now
to be physically bullied like she had done in the past, and his father
was away from the house.

The look on his mother's face was unchecked anger, and he was actually
able to match her for ferocity.  Yes, he looked quite angry, but
inside, he was quaking with fear.  To disobey Mother meant that he was
going to be punished, no matter how old he was.  His age and size did
not matter, only that he obeyed.

"Tatchi, I told you to clean this sty up!  Why didn't you?" she
yelled.  She was yelling, but he didn't hear it.  He was used to it.

"I had homework."

"Your homework is NOT more important than obeying me!  You'll never
amount to anything anyway!"  Still yelling, bordering on screaming,
shaking with rage at being defied.

"Only because you won't let me.  It's your fault," he replied coldly,
suddenly frightened at what he had just said.  If his father found
out, it would definitely mean a return trip to the hospital.

"How dare you speak to me like that!"  She grabbed his arm tightly and
pulled.

He knew what that meant, but was somehow able to steel himself and not
let the fear show through.  He resisted her pulling.  "No, I won't go.
I won't let you... let you hit me again.  Or Kodachi!"  He ripped his
arm from her grasp.

Her mouth worked, but no sound came out, her face slowly turning red.
"Young man, you will do as I say, or so help me..."

"What?  You'll beat me?  You were already going to do that!  Or kill
me?  No!  You can't just throw us away!  I won't let you hurt us like
that anymore!"  From someplace inside of him, that part that had
always felt so betrayed by the people who were supposed to be his
parents finally broke loose.  "I hate you!  I hate you both!  I wish
you would just die!" he screamed at her.

"You shut your god damned mouth this instant!  I did my best to take
care of you two worthless little brats, and this is the thanks I get?
You ungrateful little bastard," she hissed at him.

Not stopping to allow the fear to take hold of him again, he shoved
his mother away and walked down the hall.  He didn't care.  Wherever
he had to go, he would take Kodachi with him and leave this hellhole
once and for all.  Even if it meant leaving the country, he refused to
live with those two... people ever again.

Strangely enough, his mother didn't yell or scream at him, didn't
follow to beat him; she just let him walk away.  In fact, he thought
he might actually get away from the encounter unscathed, physically if
not emotionally.

Until he heard the scream of rage.  Then he knew he was in serious
trouble.  He spun around to see his mother running at him with a
bokken in her hands.  That was why she hadn't stopped him.  She had
been getting a weapon.  Some part of his brain, one unaffected by the
sight of the woman running at him to beat him senseless, wondered why
she had a bokken and not her shinai.

Then there was the part of his brain connected directly to his legs,
and he began running.  Where he was supposed to go to get away from
her, he didn't know, but he knew he had to run.

'I... don't understand,' Akane said, interrupting the memory.  'What
does this have to do with...'

The scene shifted, and Kuno and his mother were outside.  Kodachi was
standing in the doorway with a frightened look on her face.

The bokken was being swung wildly, coming close to hitting Kuno with a
blow that most assuredly would have been debilitating.  His mother was
attacking with the strength of a madman, and he knew there wasn't much
he could do to stop her.

It was only by luck that through his extensive dodging and running in
general, his mother had ended up repeatedly striking rocks and trees,
considerably weakening the blade of the bokken.

It was one lucky shot that changed their lives.  He hadn't been quick
enough to out of the way, trying to avoid running into a low tree
branch, when the bokken came around and struck him in the shoulder,
glancing up and off the side of his head.

There was a loud snapping noise as the wood snapped, leaving only a
jagged haft in the woman's hand.  Kuno crumpled to the ground like his
body was filled with wet concrete.

Instinctually, even though he couldn't think and his vision was blurry
and filled with stars, he began crawling away, trying to escape the
punishment.

His mother stood there for a bit and stared at the broken weapon in
her hand.  How could he?  How could he have done that?  Didn't he see
how disrespectful he was being to her?  It was yet another offense he
would have to be punished for.

With an almost blank look in her eyes, she watched her son struggle to
get to his feet, leaning heavily on one of the many rocks that
surrounded the decorative pond.

Yes, he needed to be punished.  That was what she knew was supposed to
be done with rotten children.  Children that she had never wanted
anyway.  Without another thought, she charged at his back, the piece
of sharp, splintered wood still in her hand.

"Tatchi!" Kodachi yelled from the doorway in warning.

Kuno looked at her, then turned to see the woman that barely resembled
his mother running at him.  No, this woman was never his mother!  She
had never been a mother to him, only a torturer, someone there to
punish him.  He could not allow himself to think of her as his mother
because surely a mother would never try to kill her son.

And then she was on him, screaming, beating him with her fist,
slashing at him.  He could barely fight her off, desperately trying
not to get stabbed or cut.

He grabbed the wrist of the hand that held the makeshift weapon and
struggled until he was actually able to push her away.

Kuno tried to scramble away, up the small slope that overlooked the
pond, but she was faster than he had imagined, and resumed her
attack.

Managing to get a hold of both her wrists this time, they struggled
futilely, neither giving ground to the other.  They shuffled back and
forth, him grunting with exertion, the stars reappearing in his
vision, and her growling like a wild beast.

The rock.  The rock that had never been removed.  That was what did
it.  His mother's foot hit that rock, and with a look of enraged
surprised, she slowly began to fall backward.  Still struggling, she
took her son with her.

He yelled as the world spun in his vision and they tumbled down the
slope together, striking the rocks and falling into the water.  On the
edge of consciousness, free of her attack, he managed to pull himself
out of the cold water and on to the rocks.  There weren't just stars
now, but big black dots flashing before him.

He simply sprawled on the rocks, unable to move farther, and stared at
his mother, who was floating face down in the water.  Red slowly
spread out from underneath her body, staining the once clear pond.

When he awoke in the hospital and eventually released, he had been
sent to see a different specialist.  To help him cope, they had
claimed.  The specialist had come right out and said to his face that
his father was paying him very well to make sure things went smoothly.

And that turned into a green and white pill that he took every day
under his father's supervision.  To help him cope.  There had been one
for Kodachi too, and she took them reluctantly, not understanding the
need.  Until their father had left them...

Akane gasped for breath, like she had been holding it for too long.
Around her, the taxi seemed to pop into existence, and she could feel
the tears rolling down her face.  That was when she realized she had a
tight grip on Kuno's hand that he was returning with equal force.

Looking at him and sniffling, she just couldn't believe.  "That
really..."

Kuno nodded, no tears left for that horrible incident.

Inexplicably, though she didn't think it was entirely her own doing,
Akane leaned against him, still holding his hand.  His arm went around
her shoulders and pulled her tighter to him.  She sighed, almost
dramatically, and closed her eyes.

If she had been in the same position, even just a few minutes ago, she
would have recoiled in outrage and lashed out with her fist.  But
now...  She knew if she released him, she would be shaking like a
leaf.

Kuno swallowed, not at the feel of the girl against him, but at the
power of the memory.  He thought he had gotten over it, but the vision
of his mother, floating face down in the water, the blood...  That
image would never leave him.

Not thinking about what he was doing, he lowered his face to Akane's
hair and kissed the top of her head.  It was the most pleasant feeling
of his entire life, the most comforting experience to finally be able
to share what had happened with someone who wouldn't judge or ridicule
or accuse.

"I never knew," Akane said quietly.  "I'm so sorry."

"Do not be.  I chose to keep it to myself.  I never wanted..."  But it
was what he had always wanted, that attention.  "No.  I never wanted
to burden anyone with my problems.  I never wanted to embarrass my
family.  I never wanted pity or attention like that, but I... I needed
it.  I am not proud."

He breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of Akane's hair, his eyes
closing.  "I needed..."

Kuno was cut off by Akane's mouth over his own.  It took a moment for
him to realize that she was actually kissing him.  She was kissing him
softly, her lips moist and warm, her hand still holding his, and he
knew what paradise was.

Her returned the kiss hesitantly, not wanting it to end, but knowing
it couldn't last.  This wasn't really Akane, probably just Kamiko
again, but at the moment, the hurt from the memory was too fresh to
deny, his emotions too powerful, too fragile.

Akane slowly withdrew, her own eyes closed still, the look on her face
not changing at all.  Returning her head to rest against Kuno, she
breathed out lightly and her body relaxed.  She was distinctly aware
of what she had done and the position she was in, but didn't feel bad
about it at all.  There was the guilt that she was with Kuno and
not... not Ranma, but other than that, she felt relieved.

It was like she had been carrying around 150 pounds of sand and had
just dropped it all.  The shared emotion, the pain and guilt that had
filled her had been released, and she felt like she was slowly
returning to the ground after being at a very high altitude.

"I'm sorry," Kuno said, regaining his wits first.  "I did not mean to
do anything so rash."

"Don't be.  I did it.  Don't worry about it," Akane answered.  "You
just... shouldn't have to think that you have to hide those things any
longer.  You can talk to me if you need to."

'Finally,' came Kamiko's faint voice.

"You...  You..."

Both Akane and Kuno turned to look at their forgotten companion.
Akane was surprised to see him glowing with an eerie green light

"How dare you touch Akane!" he yelled, glaring at Kuno, his fangs
bared.  "What gives you the right to dirty her with your..."

"Ryoga, what's wrong with you?" Akane cried out.  She could see the
cab driver giving them worried glances in the rear view mirror.

"That filthy... dirty..."  Ryoga was having a hard time coming up with
a proper insult.  "Disgusting... WU!"

Akane recoiled from the anger in Ryoga's voice.  "What are you..."

'Wu.  He knows.  Run.'

Kuno was already opening the door and climbing out, dragging Akane
with him.  "We have no time, Akane.  We must flee!"  He had a
deathgrip on the statue in one hand, and Akane's hand in the other.

Akane was staring wide-eyed back at Ryoga, watching the anger on his
face, the pure outrage and hatred, even as she was dragged along.  She
couldn't stop staring at him even though it felt like the power of his
gaze was tearing her apart.

"Bring her back here!" Ryoga screamed, his voice not quite his own,
his aura intensifying.

Kuno looked back in time to see Ryoga level his hands in their
direction.  He yanked Akane to the side and pulled her to the ground,
partially shielding her.

The blast of blue-green energy that flew over their heads annihilated
several cars and left a gaping hole in one building.

Akane hadn't screamed, but she sure had wanted to as her clothes and
hair had been ruffled by the rush of hot air that accompanied the
blast.  She could actually SMELL it, hear it sizzle over her head.
The explosions and people screaming didn't even register to her as she
got pulled to her feet, and began running as fast as she could.

The entire time, she could feel Kamiko threatening to take over, just
waiting for her to falter.  But Akane refused to give in to the fright
and sudden fatigue or the growing insistence of the sanjiyan.

Akane simply concentrated on keeping up with Kuno and putting distance
between them and Ryo...  Not Ryoga.  It wasn't him.  He was another
pawn of Kaiyanwang.

But they couldn't quite get far enough away from him, couldn't quite
lose him, because they could still hear him.

"Sanjiyan, now you DIE!"