[fanfic][Ranma] Borrowed Time - part 4 (finale)

[Nick Leifker]

Leifker presents...

Shampoo started her day before the morning, when the skies were that
strange purple that heralds the coming of the sun. She wasted no time in
preparing herself, letting a warm splash of water and a fresh set of
clothes rejuvenate her. She looked out the window at the first hints of
orange, and she quickened her pace.

As she walked out of Kasumi's room, she paused for a moment to take in
the sounds there. Genma's bulldozer snore was the most obvious noise,
along with the clanging of pots and pans, a warning to any engaged male in
the house that Akane was cooking. Behind those sounds, though, were more
natural calls - the mating calls of birds soothed her ears, while the
occasional dog's howl served as punctuational contrast. She padded down to
the first floor, not wanting to awaken anyone in the house, and slipped out
into the Tendou garden.

She smiled the instant she felt the wind caress her face. This was
why she loved her old home so much - she could touch nature, feel the chaos
building up, ready to go out of control. Her hands moved to feel the bark
of a tree, the soft bed of grass, the cool water on her fingers... and to
say goodbye to them, letting her touch know them one last time. She looked
up, saw the brightening glow of the sky, and knew that it was almost time.
With catlike reflexes, she leapt to the roof in one bound, perching herself
there with practiced grace.

The yellow-orange glow along the eastern skyline expanded, seeming to
encompass Shampoo's entire vision. For once, there were no clouds on the
horizon, no scars to mar that perfect shine. Her eyes narrowed as she saw
the line of pure sunlight, her heart wavering between joy and sadness.
This was what life was all about, the symbol of the land she had come to
adopt as a home, and the dawning of a bright, vibrant future.

Unfortunately, she knew that she would never see the light again, not
in that perfect newborn gleam she was witnessing. Even if by some miracle
she survived the coming evening, it would be with blood on her hands -
Nabiki's, Hibachan's... Ranma's. On that day, knowing that her life had
been bought with such a price, the last of her innocence would die.

And with it, the warmth that came with the morning sun would be
forever cold to her. Her time of sunlight was fading, and it wouldn't be
long before, one way or another, she faded into the night.

***********************************************************************

Leifker presents...

Borrowed Time

Part four (finale)

A work of anime fanfiction by Nicholas Leifker

All Ranma 1/2 characters property of Rumiko Takahashi. All rights
reserved. I ask that you not do anything with any part of this work
without the author's permission.

On your mark, itsumo...

***********************************************************************

Kasumi glared down at the carrots in front of her, her gaze frozen in
grim determination. She placed two of them in the center of the cutting
board, moved a pair of chopsticks on either side to hold them in place, and
slowly picked up the knife. Her hand moved painfully slow across the
cutting board, each cut even and careful and not disturbing the carrot one
bit... until a clumsy move pushed the carrots off the edge of the board and
onto the counter - again. She screamed in frustration, and fought the urge
to impale the cutting board with the knife. This marked the third slip
she'd made this morning - and all because of her stupid, useless...

"Kasumi?"

She whirled around, like a child caught in the cookie jar.

"Kasumi, what are you doing out of bed? I thought I told you to
rest."

She raised her eyes up to Tofu's, hoping her feelings wouldn't show
through. "I was... just trying to cook some breakfast for you."

Tofu scratched the back of his head. "Er... well... much as I
appreciate the offer, you still need your rest." He moved his hands across
her shoulders to guide her into the patient's room - a movement which
inevitably brought her hands into contact. She tried to fight down the
revulsion inside of her; her right hand felt so cold, so rubbery...

"Kasumi?"

Kasumi took a deep breath, and looked into his brown eyes. They were
so beautiful... and... and... "Tofu, we need to talk."

"About what?"

Part of her hated his professional 'bedside manner' sometimes... it
kept her from getting too emotional during their 'discussions'. "I... I
think we should call off the engagement."

Tofu looked at her for a long moment. His eyes, once so inviting,
slammed down with a chilling coolness. "It's about the arm, isn't it?"

"No... Yes... I... It's a part of it!" she yelled, gesturing with her
good arm. "I... I tried cooking breakfast for you, but... When I got the
pots down, I accidently dropped one on my foot. When I got the vegetables
out, it took me ten minutes to slice one carrot. I... I can't cook
anymore. I'm worse than Akane or Nabiki..."

"Kasumi..."

"And the worst thing is that this shouldn't bother me! I mean, my
family's being attacked by Amazon monsters, my younger sister might die if
Shampoo doesn't show up... and here I am, worrying about not being a proper
wife to you." She threw her good arm up in the air. "Some wife and sister
*I* am..."

"KASUMI." Her love... her doctor just *looked* at her for a long
moment, with that strange blinking expression that hovered between
bewilderment and disbelief. "You mean to tell me that, just because you
*think* you can't cook anymore, that you're no longer fit to be my wife?"

"I... There's more to it than that, but yes." Kasumi looked down, her
eyes shied carefully away from her right side. She didn't react when he
put his arms around her.

"Kasumi-chan... you will always be a proper wife to me. Besides, I
fell in love with you before you learned how to cook."

Kasumi winced. "Oh, you're not going to remind me of that stewed
daikon again, are you?"

Tofu grinned. "No, I'm not. I don't have to. You found a way to get
better after that - and you'll find a way to get better after this, too.
After all, aren't you Tendou women known for your stubbornness?"

She couldn't help the giggles that were coming out. "I think you have
me confused with Nabiki and Akane."

Tofu smiled. "And, speaking of Tendou women, aren't they frequent
visitors to my clinic? Keep this up, and I may have to examine you
again... in my private examination room."

"Tofu!" Kasumi sounded scandalized, then sobered. "Okay, I'll go to
bed... but we still have a lot to talk about."

Tofu nodded, knowing that was about as much as he'd get from her.
"Fair enough." He took her in his strong arms, and led her out into the
patient's room. "Don't worry. It'll come out all right in the end. I
promise."

***********************************************************************

It was midmorning before Ranma arose from his slumber. The previous
day had been traumatic for everyone, and the daily routine had been put
aside to allow everyone to recover. There would be time later in the day
for practice, and in this case rest was needed far more.

The young man moved his hand outward, and was disappointed at the cool
emptiness he found there. He remembered the feeling of warmth in his arms,
as Akane's small body shivered in his grasp, and he yearned to know that
feeling once again. Words began to form in his mind as he left her bed,
something comforting and non-threatening, but still raw... still Ranma. He
could hear the clanging of utensils from the kitchen as he made his way
downstairs, as a wicked smile spread across his face.

Ranma padded over to the kitchen's entryway, and leaned against the
doorframe. Watching her cook was about like watching her break masonry or
perform a kata; it wasn't particularly graceful or feminine, but it was
still a joy to see. He knew he wouldn't get much enjoyment out of the
likely outcome, so he waited at the entrance, watching her scurry from one
disaster to another.

After several minutes, he got tired of watching. He walked over to
his fiancee, and wrapped his arms around her slim waist. "Good morning,"
he whispered softly, his breath blowing across her ear.

"It's not a wise idea to surprise me in the kitchen," Akane chimed, a
smile clear in her voice. "You never know what I might be doing."

Ranma glanced at the burned fish on the counter. "Um... sometimes I'd
rather not know."

Akane's knuckles turned white as she gripped the knives. "Ranma, if
you're going to insult my cooking, please leave."

Ranma gently kissed Akane at the base of the neck, then reveled in her
shiver. "I'm sorry, Akane. Can I make it up to you later?"

He couldn't see, but he knew her eyes were dazzling. "Well, Mr.
Saotome... I'm sure I can think of something for you to do..." Akane chose
that moment to move away from him, leaving him suspended in mid-seduction.
He blinked out of his fantasies, and moved his eyes across the room, his
mind going to more practical matters.

"So... have you seen Shampoo lately?"

"Why, are you more interested in her than me?"

"Of course. After all, if she runs away, then my love tryst with
Nabiki is gone..."

"Baka!" Akane hit him on the shoulder, her eyes nearly in tears.
"That's not something to joke about! If she runs away, then my sister
is..."

"Shhh, Akane. I'm sorry. You know me; when there's a crisis, I let
my mouth talk before my brain does."

"I know. That's one of the things I love about you." She kissed him
on the cheek. "Anyway, I think she's outside practicing. I saw her out
there about an hour ago."

"Well, she's not out there now. In fact, I haven't seen or heard her
anywhere in the house."

Akane's eyes widened in worry. "You don't think..."

Ranma held up a finger to pause her. "Just a sec. I'll look." Ranma
left the room in a flash, and moved as fast as he could around the grounds,
his heart sinking at each empty discovery. His worry was driven to a peak
by the time he reached the dining area.

"She left a note," Akane whispered. "In Chinese. If she left us..."

"I'll find her," Ranma promised. "You go to Tofu's and get that
translated. Warn the others if it's trouble. I'll be back as soon as I
can." He paused long enough to give her a hard kiss, an empty, desperate
treat before bounding over the fortress' walls.

***********************************************************************

Nabiki Tendou opened her eyes, and squinted at the electric-blue
fluorescent glow above her. A dull pounding throbbed in her head, begging
her to go back to slumber, but her natural instincts refused; something was
*very* wrong here. She could smell the rotting-organic stench of
fertilizer, and wished for a place to vomit. Unfortunately, there was no
moving on her part; she could feel the electrical wire chafe against her
legs and wrists, keeping her immobile and helpless.

Well, at least *physically* helpless.

"Nice to see you awake, Ms. Tendou."

She turned her head over to the side. "Hello, Cologne. I knew the
Nyuchiezu were somewhat ruthless, but I never imagined kidnapping..."

"It isn't something we enjoy, believe me. Unfortunately, there was no
other suitable remedy to the situation." While Cologne's face remained
stony, her eyes spoke more to Nabiki's trained eye. There was no anger
there, but there was sadness... and a touch of guilt. "I trust your family
told you about the... living arrangements involving my
great-granddaughter?"

"So you decided to trade my life for hers." Nabiki sighed in
exasperation. "I should have guessed something like this."

"Yes, you should have." Cologne rubbed a thumb against her staff.
"By the way, if you plan on calling for help, don't bother. This is a
somewhat run-down section of the city, and your chances of being heard are
slim."

Nabiki remained silent.

Cologne sighed - an outward show of emotion that surprised the young
woman. "Nabiki, for what it's worth, I apologize. I... I intend to make
it up to your family somehow, if I can. Unfortunately, in the end, the
rule of law must prevail."

"Even a law so out-of-date as that one?" Nabiki quipped, then
regretted it. This was a clash of wills. Losing her temper was a fast way
to lose the fight.

Cologne's eyes turned stone cold, black orbs with no light, no fire.
"There are reasons for our laws, Ms. Tendou, reasons that someone outside
the village would not understand. Our tribe has had to deal with errant
males before, usually in the company of other errant men who sought to use
us just as every other male tries to use a woman: as a slave, someone who
can cook, clean and be a pleasure toy. If the laws were not there, if we
weren't able to stand solidly alongside each other, then our way of life
would have vanished long ago."

Nabiki looked her straight in the eye. "No man owns me - not now, not
ever."

Cologne merely looked back at her with mild bemusement. "For now,
perhaps. But you're going to be an 'office girl' in a couple of years,
aren't you? What then? How long can you keep your freedom?"

Nabiki glanced down at her slim, well-shaped body. Truth to tell, she
didn't know; there may come a time when someone might use her, and twist
her just as she manipulated others. It was a subtle game sometimes in the
corporate world; it was difficult to tell who used who sometimes - and
oftentimes it was mutual abuse among co-workers. Losing control, losing
whatever bite she had to keep the fools and perverts at bay, was one of her
greatest fears about her coming life.

Fortunately, none of that mattered - at least, not in this argument.
"If I do give up my freedom, it will be my choice to do so. You aren't
giving Shampoo a similar choice. Are you saying that defending a society
like yours is worth killing Shampoo for?"

Cologne blinked - about as close to a wince as she'd ever get. "Yes.
Shampoo must be put to trial, either by combat or judgement, to answer for
her crimes. These were the laws she accepted - and the laws that she must
live up to."

Nabiki shook her head. She had Cologne right where she wanted her.
"As... as you wish, Cologne. Just remember this: Nothing I did in my life,
not the buiness deals with my classmates nor the photos of family members I
sold, has ever left me awake at night regretting what I'd done. If you do
this, if you take your own flesh and blood's life, there won't be any peace
for you - ever."

Cologne looked downward, presumably to fight coming tears. "It has
been a very long time since I have been at peace, Ms. Tendou. Shampoo's
ghost will be only the last of many that will haunt my dreams." She began
to walk away slowly. "Ms. Tendou, I apologize if I must leave early, but
there are some things that I must attend to. I recommend you not
antagonize the women guarding you; they are extremely short-tempered, and
do not take kindly to anyone manipulating them."

Nabiki locked eyes with her one last time. "You know damn well she
doesn't have to die, Cologne."

Cologne remained silent, and shuffled out of the room. Nabiki looked
at the guards, and sighed in defeat. All were about as muscular as Ranma -
and probably about as thickheaded too, if the other Amazons were any
indication. She tried speaking to them in Japanese, but only got
threatening grunts.

There was no doubt about it anymore. Shampoo was going to die -
unless she ran, which would probably result in her own death. Nothing
would stop these warriors; they were a classic example of uncritical
loyalty, unwavering and impossible to deter. She herself *might* be able
to talk her way out of it, if Shampoo ran; however, her chances, as she saw
it, were unlikely,

Closing her eyes, Nabiki sighed, and began to plan her verbal attack.
She never imagined she'd have to defend her own life, and she needed as
much preparation as possible.

***********************************************************************

Ranma ran from rooftop to rooftop, his eyes darting furiously for the
runaway Amazon. He really didn't believe that Shampoo had run away again,
despite her past; unfortunately, the possibility remained... and that
possibility left a low, twisting feeling in his stomach. Ignoring his
fatigue, he ran toward the edges of Nerima district, hoping she hadn't left
the area.

A speck of lavender hair danced at the edge of his vision, and he
involuntary turned to the source. Shampoo sat alone in a temple's grounds,
her eyes closed, her body apparently lost in meditation. He changed course
to join her in the courtyard, his mouth suddenly going dry as he
approached.

To describe her as a vision was an understatement. When she had
thrown herself at him repeatedly in the past, he couldn't help but
acknowledge her beauty; now, as he watched her contemplate life and death,
that beauty came out tenfold. The wind tugged slightly at her hair,
shrouding her matured, unnaturally-serious face in purple mist. Despite
the circumstances, she didn't twitch in the slightest; her soft, pouty lips
were opened just slightly, almost subconsciously inviting a kiss, and her
eyes were closed and cast to the floor, like a newlywed bride. Not wishing
to disturb her, Ranma took a position opposite her, his eyes etching every
line into his brain. He watched a tear roll down her cheek, the only
obvious sign of activity from her. His eyes drifted down to her hands,
instruments of destruction capable of demolishing whole buildings, now
folded in quiet prayer. He waited, his eyes wanting to meet hers when she
chose to end her meditations.

It didn't tale long for her to finish. Her eyes opened suddenly, and
widened in surprise at his presence. "Ranma..."

It took a moment for him to find his voice. "Hello, Shampoo."

Shampoo smiled ruefully. "Ranma make great Amazon, if things
different. Good hunter." She gestured to her surroundings. "Shampoo find
place when leave Nekohanten. It shield from rain, and keep Shampoo dry."

Ranma nodded, noting the cherry trees around him as though they were
new to his eyes. "It's very peaceful here..."

"Very peaceful," Shampoo agreed. "Shampoo need time to think."

Ranma traced a line in the ground with his fingers. "So... what were
you thinking about?"

The Amazon sighed, and looked at her surroundings. "Shampoo wrong.
Shampoo endanger lives of friends. Shampoo... give up self to
great-grandmother, to save Nabiki."

"What?"

Shampoo gave a faltering smile to her onetime love. "Ranma, Shampoo
want live. But Shampoo not want cause death of anyone. If run, Nabiki
die. If fight and beat Hibachan, she die. If Shampoo dead make everyone
happy, then Shampoo do it."

"No!" Ranma struggled to find the words. "Shampoo... seeing you die
would make *me* unhappy. I... I know we couldn't be a couple... but I
always wanted us to be friends. I was hoping that this would eventually
lead to that."

"Ranma, Ranma, Ranma..." Shampoo shook her head. "You so naive,
sometimes. You see good or bad, black or white. Shampoo stuck in gray,
and no can get out without death."

Blue eyes flared at that comment. "Shampoo, I may not be the smartest
man on earth. Kami knows how many times I used my fists to get out of
problems when my mind was better suited to it. But I do know this,
Shampoo: I *never* give up, not when there are lives on the line. I press
the situation until an answer presents itself. And if you do the same,
we'll all get out of this all right." He swallowed hard. "I promise."

Shampoo smiled at Ranma. "Shampoo thank Ranma for concern. But
Shampoo no can see solution. Shampoo either fight, die, or run. All three
kill someone. And Shampoo no live on blood of another."

"But the old ghoul's trying to kill you!"

"She also raise me!" Shampoo cried. "Mother die in birth. Hibachan
take and raise as daughter. She teach Shampoo how to be strong woman, how
to fight and live and work hard. Shampoo... owe Hibachan life. If come
choice between life of Shampoo and life of Hibachan, Shampoo choose
Hibachan - every time.

Ranma backed away. "Have you ever thought of asking her if she
*wants* to take your life?"

Shampoo shook her head. "Hibachan no want to take life. She have to
take life. Is law."

Ranma got up, and took a deep breath. "Ask her, then, when the time
comes. You never know if she might change her mind."

"Shampoo will," she whispered, a fragile smile on her face. "And pray
that answer is no." She looked up at the sun, as it began its descent from
the sky. "Come. We not have long."

***********************************************************************

"...that's good. About what time do you two plan to be back? Isn't
that cutting it a bit close? Okay, okay, I'll trust you. See you soon,
Ranma. Bye." Soun put the phone on the hook, his moves slow and
deliberate.

"Was that Ranma?" Nodoka asked.

Soun nodded in reply. "He found Shampoo in a shrine at the edge of
Nerima. They'll be back in an hour or so." He shuffled past Nodoka on his
way to the backyard porch.

"Soun, what's wrong?"

The older man shook his head in reply. "I just have some things to
think about, Nodoka." He sat down at the porch's edge, drew in a deep
breath, and concentrated on the still life in front of him.

Until today, until he saw what his house had become, Soun never
thought of himself as a failed parent. Sure, he'd had his problems after
Akiko died, but he never thought that they'd affected his daughters in a
bad way.

At the moment, his eldest daughter was sharing some time alone with
her fiance. She said they needed to spend some 'quality time' together, to
discuss their relationship. When he tried to get details, she was
surprisingly reticent. His middle daughter... he didn't want to think
about what was happening to her. He had failed in his most basic duty -
protecting his child - and left her to the tender mercies of barbarians.
His youngest daughter was out on the town, shopping and blowing off steam.
When he'd asked why she wasn't working out to relax, she replied that she
needed some time away from the house.

In the end, he'd failed in one of the most painful ways possible.
He'd driven them all away.

Akiko... there were still nights when he dreamed of her, sharing a
night together with the kids they should have raised together. Fate and
illness had conspired against them, and taken her away long before her
time.

And with it, took him away as well. He was not the same man who
braved Happousai's training, nor the one who raised three little girls;
that man had followed his wife to the next world. In his place had come a
clown, someone only capable of extreme showings of emotions: the bear-hug
of devotion, or the rivers of tears, or the demons of anger. He never
asked them what they were feeling or how their day went; these were things
his wife specialized in learning, and which he had never mastered. He
didn't want to come out of his clown act; doing so meant opening wounds he
didn't want to show, not even to his own children.

What his daughters needed was wise, harmonious moderation - something
he lacked. He had distanced himself from them with his disorderly antics,
leaving them to fend for themselves - one with motherly caring, one with
mercenery business acumen, and one with a fighter's anger. They'd learned
to live on their own for so long that they had outgrown their father's
usefulness.

His own daughters were strangers to him now.

He looked up to Amaterasu's light, and made a promise to no god, but
to a man and to his family. He would show his daughters love - not the
extremes of emotion that he'd shown them before, but strong, tempered,
human love. He *would* know how they felt about life, about their
relationships and about their dreams. He promised himself to ask Akane and
Kasumi about their school and marriage plans, and to ask Nabiki about her
friends at college. He would know the women his girls had become; this he
swore.

If only they would come home...

"Soun?"

The gentleman turned around, to face Nodoka. "Yes?"

"Would you like a pot of tea? I thought you might need it."

"Thanks." Soun looked at the cup of tea offered him, then managed a
deeper bow. "Thank you very much."

***********************************************************************

Cologne stood impassively on the battlefield, the wind blowing through
her stone-gray hair and green tunic. There was no need to search the
surroundings; she knew every actress' place on this stage. She could feel
the greedy impatience of Lan Yap and Xian Den behind her, their disgusting
urge to see her heir's entrails strewn across the sporting field. On the
school's tower, Nabiki Tendou stood, held a step away from the precipice by
Li Jin, a knife so close to her throat that it drew blood.

She didn't want to think at the moment. Thinking was a dangerous
thing; it would cause her to feel far more pain than she wanted to. She
knew what she had to do, and why. She would have to fight Shampoo, with
only one of them walking away from the field. There was no getting away
from that; she had tried everything short of rebellion to get her child out
of her crimes, with this ending the closest escape she could manage. If
Shampoo somehow emerged victorious, giving her release from this world,
then few among her tribe would have the courage or rank to face her. That
clout, along with the people accompanying her, might be enough for Shampoo
to survive.

She heard a rustling of grass, and opened her eyes. Her friends and
adversaries had entered the area exactly as she had hoped - as a family,
ready to fight alongside each other to the death. The front line held the
young blood of the clan: Ranma, Akane, and her... her Shampoo. Behind them
were the grown-ups, those who had raised her child's friends. She noted
impassionately their reactions to Nabiki's predicament: shock, worry...
fear.

"Take her down," she boomed across the school. As instructed, Li Jin
backed away from the tower's edge, and moved Nabiki into the building. She
watched as the adults moved toward the school.

"Come here, Shampoo." The teenagers made their way from the front
entrance to the soccer field where she stood. She noted the masks of stoic
grimness on each of their faces; all three knew what was at stake, and the
cost of showing emotion. As she watched, she noted the instructions
Shampoo gave her seconds, and their obedience to her commands - precisely
the loyalty the Amazons engendered, without the costs involved.

Her legs felt like rubber as she walked to the center of the field.
Without a word, Shampoo mirrored her action.

"Have you made your choice, Shampoo?" she spoke in Mandarin.

Shampoo kept her face neutral. "You will make sure that my friends
aren't harmed when this is done, correct?"

Cologne nodded. "Revenge is a useless gesture, Shampoo - especially
in times like these. Now, will you fight me, or accept judgement?"

Shampoo stood up straight and proud, her bearing looking every inch an
Amazon's. "I am an Amazon, great-grandmother. I will never willingly give
up my life for any outdated law. I will fight - always."

Cologne's voice cracked ever-so-slightly. "As you wish, my child.
Defend yourself." She brought her staff up to ready position, while
Shampoo moved into a fighting stance - the tiger stance, by the look of it.

Cologne snorted at the choice of stance, then moved in. Shampoo leapt
above her foot sweep, then launched a fist at her head. She merely dodged,
then touched a point on Shampoo's head, sending her flying. Her child
landed on her feet, then rolled into a crouched guard position. They
paused for a moment to share a glance, then leaped back into the fray,
Shampoo opening up with a roundhouse kick.

The old woman blocked the kick, then raised her staff skyward as if
for a strike, leaving a wide-open target for her child. To her surprise,
Shampoo didn't capitalize on the opening; rather, she took the feinted
strike, then tried a half-hearted counter. The two traded blows for a good
minute in close quarters, with results about the same. Occasionally one or
the other would get a good hit in, but neither capitalized on their
success, letting the other escape from an easy kill.

"Stop," Cologne whispered after her child let her go. She moved away
from Shampoo, and took a cautious position on her staff. Though the two
circled each other like warring panthers, there was no malice in their
eyes.

"Shampoo," she whispered in Japanese, "if you wish, I will leave you
an opening."

Her great-granddaughter shook her head. "No want kill Hibachan."

"One of us will not leave this field, child. You must kill me."

Shampoo stopped pacing, and let her guard down. "No. Make end quick,
please."

Cologne took a deep breath. "Are you sure?"

After what seemed an eternity, Shampoo nodded.

In that moment, Cologne became a blur. She watched as the world went
by her in slow-motion - the look of shock on Ranma's face, Akane trying to
hold him back, the confused looks of her countrywomen... and the peace in
Shampoo's gaze. Cologne moved to Shampoo's side, touched a point at the
back of her child's neck, and closed her eyes.

She didn't want to look. If she didn't know, then there was a chance
that she'd done it wrong, that by some miracle her flesh-and-blood had
survived. She didn't want to see the baby quietly nestled in her arms, the
toddler in front of her asking for a sweet, the child trying to master her
first kata, the teenager casually mowing through colleagues at the
tournament...

"The hunted is dead. Let us go home to celebrate." She heard the
preparations of phlegm in someone's mouth, and she acted instinctively. A
reassuring resistance was felt from her staff, as well as a dull thud some
distance away.

Crying came to her ears - crying? What use was there for crying among
Amazons? She opened her eyes for the first time. Ranma sat on the ground,
holding her... Shampoo's body in his arms. She couldn't ever remember
hearing tears so bitter, nor screams of anguish so potent. Still, there
remained things to do if... if Shampoo's death was to mean something.

"Ranma," she croaked.

The blue eyes that met hers burned with unfulfilled anger. "What?"

Her own anger began to seep through. "Your family has a lot to atone
for, son of suet. Remember that. And also... remember that so do I." She
looked over to Nabiki and the others, who were making their way toward the
crowd. "You will hear from me soon, Ranma."

Calling on majicks learned from mother to daughter for generations,
Cologne summoned what power she could. More than ever, she wanted to
disappear, to be as if nothing had ever existed to create her shadow. She
let the wafts of smoke billow around her, forming her trademark illusions
and tricks, then flashed away from the crowd, her heart taking her as far
away as it could muster.

***********************************************************************

Epilogue

"May I be excused?" Ranma politely set his chopsticks on his
half-eaten rice bowl, his eyes cast to the floor. He didn't want to see
the others, didn't want to know their sympathetic gazes - or, in the case
of one, an unrepentant stare. He purposely ignored the animal slurps as he
turned away from the table. If his old man wanted his food, fine; he'd get
little else from his own son.

Sighing, Ranma walked away, to the edge of the koi pond. The water
beckoned, pleaded to him to jump in and feel its changing magic. He was no
man, not in the sense his mother or his love would have wanted; Shampoo's
death had only been proof of that. The effects of his curse were only a
reflection of what was the truth inside, and he deserved it perhaps now
more than ever. He reached his hand down into the water, feeling a tingle
as his fingers passed through, then shivered at cold hands touching the
back of his neck.

"Ranma?" Akane sat down beside him. Part of him ached for her touch,
to feel her warmth against his, but he knew better than to enjoy it. He
didn't deserve to be content, not at the cost of so many others.

"Talk to me, Ranma. You've been so silent lately."

Ranma continued to brush his hands through the water, each pass going
just a little deeper into the pond. He twitched when he felt Akane tighten
her grip around his waist.

"Ranma, you have to stop blaming yourself for what happened. It
wasn't your fault."

The words started to flow then; he knew better. "Then whose fault was
it? Face it, Akane, I screwed up. Shampoo's dead. Cologne's worse;
everything she knew is falling apart. How... how can I atone for that?"

Akane leaned against his shoulder, in a way that gave him goosebumps.
"You do what Cologne said. You *live*. You're not living now."

"Do I deserve to live?"

Akane brushed up against his cheek. "You deserve to live more than
you deserve to die, Ranma. I... we'd miss you too much. I... I don't want
to lose you, and it looks like..." He could hear the sobs forming from
her, sending a low feeling inside his stomach.

"A... Akane, you won't lose me. I... I just don't know how to handle
this. I can barely even look at my father anymore without throwing up.
I... can barely look at myself in the mirror. Because of my mistake,
Shampoo had to die - by her own great-grandmother's hand, no less. How do
I handle that?"

"Baka," Akane whispered. "Cologne said it best in her letter. Live
for her."

Ranma looked down at himself. "That still doesn't answer the
question, Akane."

Akane smiled, and teasingly rubbed her fingers along his back. "It
means that we try to do what she would have wanted. Do you think she'd
want to see you moping around, doing nothing? That isn't the Ranma Saotome
I know, and it certainly wasn't the one she knew either." Her voice became
low, almost sultry. "Remember that teaching idea she had?"

Ranma's eyes lit up. He had such dreams then... "You mean running a
beginner's class at the dojo?" He felt Akane nod on his shoulder.

Ranma swallowed hard. He could taste bitter herbs in his mouth,
partly from the cooking, but partly from his own pride. He wasn't sure
what to make of the idea, but as he thought about it, it started to take a
life of its own... youngsters at attention, all listening to his every
word... His hand, guiding them through each drill... Akane's smiling face
as they worked together, correcting a student's stance or helping them
perfect a technique...

It was his dream come true. It felt a little empty without Shampoo
there, but it was still his dream.

Their dream.

"Akane?"

"Hmmm?"

Ranma gave a soft grin, one tempered with life's tears. "When do you
want to start?"

Akane looked up at him, her tear-glossed eyes wide, her pouty-lipped
mouth open in surprise. He instinctively reached a hand up to her cheek,
caressing her face through his callouses. Realizing she wasn't capable of
speech, he smiled, and tried to fill in the words.

"Does three weeks from today sound all right?"

Akane nodded, shimmering tears falling down her cheeks. "I love you,
Ranma Saotome."

He brought her in to his chest, whispering nothings into her black
hair, letting the touch of his hands on hers communicate his love. He
eased them back down onto the grass, letting the two share the feel of the
life beneath them.

Maybe, just maybe, he could prove himself a man after all. He owed
the woman next to him - indeed, all those he had slighted in his folly - at
least that much. He slid his arms around hers and pulled her in close,
letting her know that, no matter what, he wasn't letting go.

***********************************************************************

Well.

Getting this last part right was tough as anything. Then again, endings
usually are.

This idea seriously mutated from its original form. The original idea had
Shampoo in a similar fix, but with a very different ending: her effectively
'hiding out' by living in her cursed form. Needless to say, the idea
changed a lot from there.

It's interesting how life can seriously affect what you write. This was
primarily written during my last semester at college, when I myself was
operating on "borrowed time", both in terms of individual projects, as well
as the fact that I was soon to leave someplace I'd called home for the past
five years. Also, the actions of various players in this story,
especially the Amazons, were influenced by my Engineering Ethics course
this semester, in particular its teachings on critical vs. uncritical
loyalty, impediments to responsibility, and methods of protest.

Thanks to all those who gave their help and advice on this, esp. Lawson,
Zen, Gaffney, and Weinberg. Also, thanks for taking the time to see this
through to the end.

Nicholas Leifker
nigh...@thekeep.org
June 27, 1998