Ranma knelt before the shrouded figure before him, the waning light
of the sun fading quickly into night. He shed no tears, having none left to
cry. Everything seemed distant to him, unreal somehow as he looked at the
body of the one he loved. The shroud was a simple amazon burial wrap, the
skimply black costume replaced by a blue cotton shirt and pants. Once they
left, Akane's body would be taken back to Japan for a proper ceremony.
It had been one day since she had died in his arms, since his spirit
had died with her. The battle had blighted Jusenkyou, and his father's cure
with it, but that didn't matter. The cursed springs would return in ten or
so years, they always did. On their way back, they encountred the last of
the Joketsuzoku. Twenty women and eight men were all that had survived the
attack that had devastated their home, aside from Cologne, Shampoo, and Mousse.
They all hated him, he knew it. Ranma could see it in their eyes,
how they couldn't meet his. Mousse wouldn't even look at him, nor would
Soun. Nodoka and Ukyo had tried to help him, but he could feel the
accusation in their souls. Akane was dead, Joketsuzoku was destroyed, and it
was ALL HIS FAULT! He didn't know why Mousse hadn't tried to kill him yet,
but deep down, Ranma wished he would. He would welcome death now.
"I can't do this anymore," he whispered to the form lying on the
repaired table, "I can't leave without you. I... I wasted so much time, time
I could have used with you, and now you're gone. I'm sorry, Akane. I loved
you too much to let you go. I still do." Ranma fell silent for a second
before rising to his feet. He had made the decision, it was his only choice.
He would find Mousse and ask him for the tools needed. He was certain to
have them. Then he would find his second. Finally, he would restore his
honor before the end. From there he would find Akane again.
Ranma left the ruined hut, turning left on the street in search of
Mousse. He didn't notice the raven that circled toward the earth, landing
softly on Akane's swaddled chest. The raven looked about once, then stared
into the masked face.
=========================================
"What do you want, Ranma?" Mousse snarled, a herculean effort of
will preventing him from tearing into the lousy bastard. He didn't know why
Cologne had ordered him not to harm Ranma, but he wouldn't go against her.
The tone in her voice and the look in her eye told him that it would be the
last time he ever disobeyed her.
"A katana, and a tanto." Ranma said, his voice devoid of all life.
Mousse studied him critically, more than a little surprised. He had studied
Japanese culture, such things had always fascinated him, and knew the nature
of Ranma's request. To commit sepukku, and to restore his honor, was
something Mousse had never expected him to even contemplate.
Despite his personal feelings toward Ranma, Mousse felt himself
giving a little respect to the man. The amazons had a similar custom, where
a warrior who had lost all honor and respect could quietly end their own
life. It was different for men, who had little status, but that was
irrelevant. Mousse thrust out his arms, a katana appearing in his left hand
with a tanto in his right. Both weapons gleamed in the remaining daylight as
Mousse handed him the blades.
"Do you want me to be your second?" Mousse asked, hoping against
hope that Ranma would say yes. Cologne would not harm him if he assisted in
Ranma's suicide. The old ghoul would understand. He hoped.
"No, Mousse," Ranma said in the same flat and lifless tone, "There
is someone else." Ranma handed the blades back to Mousse, who replaced them
with a puzzled expression. "I don't want the others to see them. They may
try and stop me." Mousse understood, as he also realized just who Ranma had
chosen for his second. It was appropriate, really.
"This way," Mousse said, turning to leave. He hated Ranma, now more
than ever, but he had to admit that the man had at least some honor.
=============================================
The moon sat full and high, bathing the shrouded form of Akane in
its pale silvery light. The raven still perched upon her chest, staring at
her face as the seconds ticked by. She remained motionless, the raven still
peering at her hidden face. The raven cawed once, flapping its wings in
annoyance at the still form.
Her chest rose suddenly, the raven taking wing and landing in a
nearby corner. It watched as Akane began to breathe again, reaching a
bandaged arm up to her face to removed the cloth. Once done, she sat up and
began to strip off the shroud. The raven cawed again, drawing her attention.
Her eyes widened as she tore the garment to shreds.
Without waiting, she bolted out the door, bare feet slapping the
cool ground in a frantic rhythm. The raven flew off in pursuit, cawing at
her as if it wanted her to stop.
======================================
Soun glared daggers at Ranma, his eyes hard as steel as the
maelstrom of emotions raged behind them. He wanted to tear Saotome's son
apart piece by piece, it was HIS fault that Akane was gone, that Kasumi had
been raped, all of it!
"Mr. Tendo..." Ranma began.
"Don't speak to me, boy," he growled, cutting Ranma off. "If you
value your life, you had best leave me be!"
"I don't," Ranma said. "Mr. Tendo, will you do me the honor of being
my second?"
Soun Tendo glared at Ranma, uncertain what to make of it. Genma
would not have asked such a thing, instead fleeing for his life and from his
destiny. But here was Ranma, asking him to help him fulfill it.
"Alright, Ranma," Soun said after a moment's consideration. Mousse,
who had been standing beside Ranma, produced the katana and tanto, handing
the former to Soun and the latter to Ranma. He then stepped back, remaining
silent as the ceremony began.
==============================
Akane stopped short when the raven appeared right before her face.
It cawed angrily, the message finally getting through.
"Then hurry up!" she hissed, "we don't have much time!" The raven
took flight again, sailing through the ruined streets with Akane close behind.
==============================
"No, Ranma," Soun said as the boy knelt. Ranma looked up at him, his
eyes dead and still.
"You won't help?" he asked, his voice flat and emotionless.
"I will not do this with your head to the east," Soun said. "You do
not deserve that. Turn around." Ranma obliged, rotating to the west.
==============================
Akane trailed after the black crow, heart pounding in her chest as
her feet hit the
rocky and uneven ground. Ruined huts littered the sides of the path, a few
still with smoke
wafting up into the cool air. The sight disturbed her, but she could not
recall why.
She focused her mind on finding Ranma, forcing her legs to pump
faster despite the
pain inflicted on the soles of her feet. She had to get to him before he...
She bounded over a fallen support beam, landing hard to see Ranma
kneeling to the
west. He wielded a tanto in his hands, poised to plunge into his abdomen.
Beside him,
Soun stood with a long katana at the ready to finish the job. Her heart
threatened to stop
again as time seemed to slow. She knew she would never reach him before the
blade sliced
into his stomach, the scene feeling like the dream where one is running but
going very
slowly. She finally broke from the feeling of stalled time, calling his name
with all of her
breath.
======================================
"RANMA!!!!!" The shout pierced the haze around his mind and soul,
forcing its way
into his brain just before the tanto in his hands could end his life. The
terrified voice finally
registered, the tanto clattering to the ground from his nerveless fingers.
He vaguely heard
the katana hit the ground in the same fashion as his mind struggled to
reconcile just what
he had heard.
"AKANE!" Soun yelled as Ranma's head turned. She stood there,
wearing the same
blue outfit she had when she had been shrouded. Her hair was tousled and
windblown, feet
covered in dirt. He saw a brown blur race toward her, coalescing into Soun as he
embraced his daughter in a fierce bear hug.
"Dad!" She exclaimed, returning the embrace. Ranma stood, his mind
still reeling as
others arrived to discover the source of the commotion.
"Oh, God," Ukyo said, a look of shock on her face matching that of
the others who
had assembled. "Akane?" He saw Akane extricate herself from Soun's arms as
she looked
to Ukyo.
"Yeah," she replied, "I'm back!" The two immediately rushed toward
each other,
meeting in an embrace as strong as the first. Nodoka joined them, tears of
joy streaming
from her eyes. Soun began to wail ecstatically, twin victory fans in his
hands as he leapt
about. Genma hung back with the other amazons as Shampoo stepped forward.
"Shampoo?" Akane asked as she saw the look on the other woman's face.
Shampoo looked at Akane, unsure if she should be overjoyed or
enraged. Cologne
had explained to her about the Crimson Dawn, and that Akane had not been
herself during
the attack, but that still didn't erase the fact that Joketsuzoku was nearly
destroyed.
Memories of her own actions while under the influence of the
Reversal Jewel came
to her, and Shampoo realized that Akane was indeed not at fault. It would
still be awhile
before she could fully recover from all that had happened, but one thing was
for certain.
Akane Tendo was not her enemy.
She walked over to where Akane stood, looking into her deep brown
eyes for a
moment before placing her hands on each side of Akane's face. She then bent
down and
placed a kiss on the girl's lips, Akane's eyes going wide with surprise at
Shampoo's
gesture. The kiss ended a few seconds later, Akane staring in wide-eyed
shock at her.
"Shampoo?!" she squealed, "What in the..."
"No worry, Akane," Shampoo said gently, "that not Kiss of Death.
That Kiss of..."
She trailed off for a moment, a tiny voice whispering that Akane did not
recall her role in
the battle that ruined most of the village. "Welcome. Kiss of Welcome. That best
translation Shampoo can think of." She wouldn't understand if she had said
the Kiss of
Forgiveness.
"Glad to be back," Akane said, "but a hug would've been enough."
Shampoo giggled
along with Akane, as did the rest of those from Nerima. She then noticed the
gold chain
around Akane's neck that reached below the blue cotton shirt, recognizing
the pendant she
had given her in Kasumi's hospital room. That hadn't been there when Akane
had been
shrouded!
"You want it back?" Akane asked softly, knowing what Shampoo was seeing.
"No, Akane," Shampoo replied, "Shampoo said she no need it." Akane
smiled
warmly, and Shampoo knew beyond any doubt that this was indeed the Akane Shampoo
had seen in Kasumi's room, not the demonic creature who had assaulted them
at the
hospital and invaded her home.
Ranma still continued to stare as Akane and Shampoo exchanged words
he couldn't
understand. When Shampoo had kissed her, he had frozen, thinking it was the
Kiss of
Death. However, he soon saw that it was actually something else, but he had
no clue
what.
Akane stepped around Shampoo, looking at Ranma with unbridled love
in her eyes.
He gazed into their depths as he stepped forward, his heart racing with anxiety.
"Is that... you?" he asked in a high, shaky voice.
"Yes, Ranma," Akane said in a voice that could have made the angels
sing, "It's me."
He took a few more steps forward, Akane mimicking the movements. Finally,
all control
Ranma had shattered like fine glass as he ran towards her.
They met halfway, arms wrapping around the other as Ranma picked her
up and
twirled. Akane whooped once before he set her down, their eyes meeting and
looking
deeply into each other.
"I..." Ranma began, his voice leaving him.
"I know, Ranma," Akane said as tears of joy rolled down her healthy
and beautiful
cheeks, "I know."
"But I wanna say it," Ranma said, arms still around her as if she
would vanish if he let
go.
"Say it, Ranma," she said.
"I love you, Akane." He saw her eyes grow wide with excitement just
before she
kissed him. They remained thus for what felt like an eternity, which would
have suited
Ranma fine. He never wanted the moment to end, never wanted to release Akane
ever
again.
The kiss finally ended, the two gasping for air as they continued to
stare at each
other. He could hear sobs of happiness from the others, but they existed in
another world
now. His entire universe consisted of the girl in his arms, and the love
that bound them. He
saw Akane shift her gaze behind him, staring at something he couldn't see.
Curious, he
turned around.
Karasu watched them kiss, an odd sensation tugging at his heart. He
had known love
once long ago, but had lost it by his own hand. To see two others sharing
what he once
had, he felt the pain return. He hid it as best he could, keeping his cool
exterior in place as
he watched the bright pink aura around the two grow.
Akane glanced at him, Ranma turning around in confusion. The boy
spun around
completely, moving as if to guard Akane. His eyes burned with a
determination that even
the kami found impressive as the others took up positions to protect the girl.
"No!" Akane shouted. "He brought me back!" Their gazes went from
angry to
confused, but there was also mistrust. He understood it, and didn't begrudge
them.
"She is speaking the truth," Karasu said as they stared at him.
"How?" Ukyo asked. "I thought you said you couldn't bring people back."
"Let us say that these circumstances were rather unusual," Karasu
replied. They
didn't need to know how he had begged Lord Enma to allow him to go into the
Demon
Realm and retrieve Akane.
"The Crimson Dawn?" Cologne asked.
"That vile substance has been purged from her. Akane Tendo is as she
was always
meant to be, free from the Demon Realm and the Crimson Dawn." He saw them
visibly
relax then, assured that Akane would remain unchanged.
"Why did you bring Akane back to us?" Nodoka asked. Why did mortals
always have
to look a gift horse in the mouth?
"I am many things, Nodoka Saotome," Karasu said, "but I am not
heartless."
"If you could bring Akane back," Soun said, "then could you..."
"No, Soun Tendo," Karasu said, having anticipated the question, "I
cannot bring
Kimiko back to you. She is at peace now." He saw the man deflate, but soon
regain his
composure.
"Ranma," Karasu said, deciding to draw things to a close. He had
other obligations
to fulfill. The boy looked up at him, still mistrustful of the kami.
"Yeah?" he asked in a somewhat challenging tone.
"You have been given a very rare and precious gift, one few others
have ever
received, a second chance. Were I you, I would not squander it."
"I ain't gonna," Ranma replied, and Karasu saw the truth in those words.
"We will meet again," Karasu addressed the group, "but hopefully not
for a long time
to come. Until then..." He turned about, preparing to shift and fly to the
gateway when he
realized he had forgotten something.
"By the way," he said, his back still to them, "young Kasumi has
awakened and is
doing well. You should go back to Japan as soon as possible." With that, he
took the form
of the large raven and soared into the night.
=================================
Ranma looked up to the sky, following Karasu's progress as far as he
could before
the kami vanished into the black sky. He draped his arm around Akane's
waist, giving a
gentle squeeze that she gratefully returned.
Kasumi was gonna be okay! He nearly leapt for joy, Akane's arm the
only thing
keeping him on the ground. He didn't mind, however, turning to kiss her once
again.
He cursed himself for nearly losing her, though for only a moment.
The time for
blaming himself had passed, along with the time for fooling around. He was
lucky to have
gotten this second chance at love, and as he told Karasu he would not waste
it. He would
never waste such precious time again.
As the kiss ended, he looked at the faces of those gathered around.
Ukyo's eyes held
a mixture of joy and sadness at the sight of them. Shampoo's held the same,
along with
something else he couldn't read.
Thirty-one amazons survived, more than enough to rebuild Joketsuzoku
by Cologne's
reckoning. He assumed the trio would remain behind, but hoped one day to see
them
again. He looked at Mousse, the other man's eyes hidden behind those
coke-bottle thick
glasses. His body was relaxed, but his face was set in stone. Ranma felt
guilty at the sight,
knowing that Mousse may never forgive him fully. He gave a respectful nod, which
Mousse returned.
In the midst of the ruined village, Ranma found that indeed love and
hope could
survive anything, so long as people were willing to fight for it.
=============================================
Well, that's the end of this one! Took a lot longer than I thought,
but I'm glad it's
done!
As a note, when Soun told Ranma not to face east, it refers to the
Buddhist belief
that if a man dies with his head facing/pointing the east his spirit will be
sent to the
demons. If he faces west, his spirit will join Buddha, Nirvana, or whatever
else you want
to call it. I came across it in one book of the "Seventh Carrier" series by
Peter Albano. The
writing isn't so hot, but it relates a fair amount of Japanese culture and
belief.
Hope you enjoy it!
Jed