Well, I'd say this is better than the hate mail I was almost expecting...

But I'll answer it all in one shot as best I can.

and I imagine I'll be roundly castigated for the awful thing I've 
just done to 'myself'.  But unlike Dan Root ('The Martyr'), I can't 
break from the conventional wisdom that 'I' am supposed to be the 
tragic heroine.  

*Funny thing; I do prefer the 'TH' view of Ukyou.  And I think that's 
the problem I have with this, actually;  I find little 'heroic' in 
choosing suicide--just tragedy.

Agreed, Freemage-kun.  Not to put too fine a point on it, but I personally
consider suicide a coward's way out, and not the sort of thing Ucchan's
likely to do.  On the other hand, it's not entirely implausible, either.
While it's true, as Razorclaw says, that...

 The idea is farfetched (IMO Ryoga has a much better chance at suicide, 
but considering how he came out of the entire Ranma mess, it'd probably 
not happen either), but served the purpose of the story.

Exactly.  The concept doesn't really work with Ryoga, and as farfetched 
as Ukyou doing herself in might be (I think the idea might have started 
with Benares' classic 'Stepping Stones' and just kinda blossomed from 
there), can you picture any of the other fiancees doing something like 
this?

As far as Thor Odinson's suggestion that I

3. Be calm as she accepts life, remains as Ranma's best friend, 
and forsakes men altogether
[Please, kami, do NOT let that happen!]. 

Well, it certainly leaves the door open for a pile of girl-girl lemons 
which I, for one, am NOT going to write.

And finally, I want to thank Gary Kleppe for actually noticing this fic
(though perhaps your memory is too good for my own safety, ne?  ^_^;;)

    Konatsu -
    I'm so sorry to do this to you,
    but I just can't go on.  All my 
    life I've been envisioning that
    someday Ran-chan and I would...

The note was a bit damp and illegible here.  But it continued 
further down the page.

Daisuke: This section will not be shown, as it would give this story a
lemon rating.

But, Gary... you're missing out on the irony, here.  She can't imagine
Ran-chan and herself together anymore... that's why she's doing this, 
y'see.  But in that last split second between pushing off and actually 
dying, she gets her vision back.  Only now... it's too late.

Okay, enough trying to be profound, ne?  Always glad to have kicked up 
some dust, even if I gotta get grimmer than I ever really will be in 
order to do it.  Until next time, ja!

Itsu mo,
Ucchan   ^_^