[Ranma][XOVER][Tales from the Darkside] Akane Remembered
drew
Akane Remembered
an original crossover fanfic by
Andrew Eoff
Author's introductory notes: All character's created by Rumiko
Takahashi. I claim no creative rights to them at all. The story is mine,
but the people and places aren't. This story is a mix between Ranma 1/2
and the old TV show Tales From the Darkside. I decided there weren't
enough dark comedy stories, and I hope this one roughly fits the bill.
Any of you who read my last story will notice a distinct difference. It's
not that I've given up on the romantic side of the story- there will be
some of that here- it'll just take a darker shape. This isn't intended to
be a darkfic- any of you who've seen Tales should know the kind of
atmosphere I'm going for. If it doesn't quite work blame me. Anyway,
don't say I didn't warn you. And try to enjoy the light.
***
[voice over] Man lives in the sunlit world of what he believes to be
reality. But, there is, unseen by most, a place that is just as real,
though not as brightly lit. A Darkside.
[intro courtesy of Tales From the Darkside- created by, well, whoever.]
---
Beach. Miles of it stretch on and on. In the distance we see a figure
laid out on the sand. It looks as if a girl has washed up on the beach.
As we draw closer we see the girl is Ranma-chan. She looks as if she'd
just swum from Japan to China-which, in fact, she has. As the scene rests
on the female Ranma we see her slowly raise her head and cough. There is
a strange glint in her eye as she whispers to herself...
"China. I finally made it. This was a lot easier in my male form, but
at least this time I made it quicker." A strange smile plays across her
lips. "Don't worry Akane, soon we'll be together and things will be like
they used to."
As Ranma-chan starts to lose herself in her thoughts we are treated to
a series of flashbacks. It starts with what appears to be an ordinary
day. Ranma and Akane are walking to school. They walk next to each
other, laughing. For once, they are getting along. Ranma reaches out to
take Akane's hand. He looks down at the ring on her wedding finger. It
is silver and in the shape of a rose. [A blatant plug for you to read my
last story You Say It's Her Birthday] He smiles as memories of that
escapade flash through his mind. A cloud briefly passes over the sun
causing a shadow to rest upon Akane momentarily. They both look up to see
nothing but a bird in the sky. Suddenly wind rustles leaves and Akane's
hair.
As Akane shudders, we see the scene shift again. It is now night.
Ranma and Akane are returning from somewhere. Quite probably a date.
Still holding hands, they hurry home. The scene lingers on empty street.
The next scene is a cemetery. Again, we draw closer to a group of people
around an open grave. There is no sound. Only wind rustling whatever it
comes in contact with. We are never close enough to make out who the
people are.
The next scene shows a man standing in front of a headstone. We now
come closer and realize it is Ranma. As he looks down at the stone, our
view slowly focuses on the stone. We are finally able to read the name on
the stone: Tendo Akane.
***
It had only been a day since Akane had died. Ranma was in the dojo-
his favorite place to sit and gather his thoughts. Only this time his
thoughts were having none of it. They refused to be gathered. He was
sitting on the floor, hands around his knees, slowly rocking. He couldn't
believe what had just happened. She had been so healthy. Alive one
minute and... He shook his head trying not to think about what had
happened. Rest assured, it had not been pretty, but then little
concerning Akane ever was. A grimace found its way to Ranma's face. He
couldn't believe how long he had deluded himself into thinking that she
was uncute, that she didn't mean anything to him. What hurt the worst was
the fact that they'd had so little time _together_. They'd only begun to
explore what life could be like as a couple.
Now that chance was gone. Slowly a tear eased its way down Ranma's
face. He couldn't believe she had left him like that. What had she been
thinking? Didn't she know how much she meant to him? Stupid tomboy! he
silently raged. The one thought he couldn't dismiss was a nagging little
doubt that there had to be a way to bring her back. There simply had to.
His life had been so strange that the possibility it couldn't be done
never crossed his mind. Which was fine, it could be. What he failed to
consider was whether or not it should be.
---
It is now a month later and we again see the younger male Saotome.
Only, he doesn't look so young now. There is also something else about
his mannerisms that is different. While he still carries himself very
much as a martial artist, there is a reckless edge to it, a glint in the
eye and a slight menace to his step. When we finally get a closeup of his
face, we see that the pride and humor that once resided there are gone.
Something sinister has taken over. Something that hints at madness.
"So close." Ranma whispers to himself. "I'm so close. Soon Akane, I
will be ready to bring you back." As we watch him walk down the street,
we are suddenly treated to more flashbacks. A series of shots which show
Ranma looking for ways to revive his former love. In one scene we see
Ranma address a letter to Miskatonic University. Another shows Ranma
poring over some ancient text, which looks to be bound in some strange
leather-like substance, a fiendish face on the cover. While this series
plays on, it becomes quickly apparent that Ranma is no longer with the
Tendo family. He also appears to be without Genma. The people he once
held so dear are no longer around him.
His sudden obsession with ways to revive Akane forced him to become an
outcast. While grief was understood, the mania that entered Ranma was
looked on at first with pity and then with horror. Deciding they simply
didn't understand, Ranma silently left one night, vowing not to return
until Akane was with him. But his search had been so fruitless. The lack
of success continues to drain the sanity and the life from him. One
night, as he clears away the books in front of him, he prepares to go to
sleep.
At first it is reluctant to come, but soon he succumbs to its embrace.
While he sleeps, he begins to dream. In it Akane stands before him. She
has a pained expression on her face. Ranma assumes it is because he
hasn't found a way to bring her back yet. He tries to tell her that he's
making some progress, but it's so hard. He wishes she could help.
Suddenly Akane changes into another woman. Not recognizing her at first,
Ranma suddenly realizes it's the woman that had kidnapped Akane when he'd
gone to the Jusendou. Then Akane reappears, only this time she doesn't
look at all good, in fact she slowly falls to the ground, once again
dying. "Noooo!" Ranma screams, waking himself. As he breathes heavily
from the effects of the nightmare, part of it comes back to him. Akane,
and the woman she changed into. A thought suddenly crosses his mind, and
he begins to smile. As he goes into the next room he begins looking for
Akane's diary- one of the few things he took with him when he left.
Finding it, he begins searching its contents. When he finally comes to
the part he's looking for, his smile becomes a giggle, then a laugh.
"I've done it! I know how I can bring Akane back!" he yells, the echo
resounding.
***
The past month had not gone well for the Saotomes except for one
aspect. Genma and Nodoka were now back together. The combined grief of
Akane's death and Ranma's emotional trauma, coupled with his
disappearance, caused them to grow closer to each other. Needing someone
for emotional support, they turned to the past and their love for each
other slowly rekindled. It had not been easy for them to accept Ranma's
disappearance and they had done all they could to find him. But he had
hidden himself well. They were slowly running out of options.
"Nodoka, don't worry. I'm sure he's ok. I raised him to be able to
defend himself. Unfortunately, most of my training was physical. I was
unable to teach him to defend himself emotionally. I wasn't able to
prepare him for this untimely death." Genma lamented.
Nodoka, walking over to Genma and placing her arms around him replied,
"Do not blame yourself husband. You did the best with what you had.
Ranma did grow to be a man among men, but this trauma has caused him
considerable pain. I am sure that he will return to his senses soon
though."
Neither was aware that they were quite wrong. They had been able to
comfort themselves by comforting the Tendos. They still continued to
visit them regularly. It also helped to speed up the flow of
information. If anyone heard anything, they were sure to pass it on.
---
As for the Tendo family, they had been hit the hardest of all. Akane
had meant quite a bit to the family and Ranma had also worked his way into
their hearts. The sudden quiet that settled upon the house was a burden
to all of them. They hadn't realized what silence was, or how painful it
could be until this tragedy occurred. Nabiki had tried to find Ranma
using the many sources that money was able to purchase, but no results
were to be had. He had simply vanished. They remembered the day he left.
Ranma had slowly been changing. No longer the proud, determined young
man they all knew, he had become quiet and introspective. They knew of
his desire to return Akane to life, but they thought of it as a phase,
part of the grieving process. They hadn't kept check on it and it began
to transform. Slowly as they realized mania setting in they tried to stop
him, to comfort him. Their attempts had not gone well and fights had
broken out. Ranma had been unusually quiet at dinner and then the next
morning he had been gone. There had been no note of explanation, simply a
statement that he would return with Akane. That had been the most
frightening part.
Tendo san had shed many tears the previous weeks, but they were nothing
compared to the rivers that now flowed freely from his eyes. Kasumi did
the best she could, but the combined stress taxed even her ability to
weather any storm.
---
Ranma's remaining fiancees also had a rough time. While always
competing with Akane for Ranma's affections none of them had truly wished
her any harm. Her death had shocked them all. It was only then that they
saw the true depth of Ranma's feelings for his iinazuke. The pain they
saw etched in his own face and heart merely deepened their own. His
disappearance caused even more pain. Shampoo tried to lose herself in the
day to day grind of the Cat Cafe. Ukyou once again concentrated on
becoming the perfect okonomiyaki chef, and Kodachi lost a few more shreds
of her rapidly receding sanity. Yes, this time was a trial for all, but
they were unaware of the trials that lay in the very near future.
***
Once again we see Ranma-chan. We are now with her in China. It
appears she has been hiking for days, and for some strange reason, she has
a monkey with her. Ranma-chan begins talking to the monkey. "I can't
believe I didn't think of it before. It's so obvious. Good thing Akane
drew that little map in her diary. I should be able to find it easily,
and then you, my little friend, will help me to bring Akane back." Once
again, that strange smile settled on Ranma-chan's face.
It is at this point that things begin to look familiar. Up in the
distance a valley comes into view. The valley is filled with fog, many
small pools of water, and bamboo. Jusenkyou. As it comes into sight,
Ranma-chan gives a small, involuntary shudder, but continues to smile as
she stops briefly to get her bearings. As she looks around a small figure
comes hopping into view. At the sound of something moving, Ranma looks up
to see Cologne heading towards him.
"Muko dono! What do you think you are doing here. Especially with
that animal?" Cologne asks.
"Well, well, if it isn't the old ghoul. Long time no see Cologne. I
and my small friend are here to bring Akane back to life. She, well..."
unable to finish the comment Ranma-chan looks down at Cologne. "What are
you doing here?" she asks with a slight edge to her voice.
"I had a dream of your return. It was rather unsettling. I came to
stop you from trying anything foolish. I realize your iinazuke is dead,
but do not attempt what you came to do. It will only result in further
madness and death." Cologne stated, trying to gauge Ranma's own mental
state.
"Stop me huh? I shoulda known. Well, you're not gonna be able to stop
me. I've come too far and lost too much to be stopped. Even by you. I
think you'll find that if you try and stop me, you'll wish you hadn't"
Ranma-chan replied, the edge in her voice turning ugly. It was as Cologne
had feared, the person she hoped would one day wed her great-granddaughter
was no more. Madness had settled in and Ranma-chan was embarking upon a
task that would indeed have dire consequences.
Cologne shifted position, trying to lull the female Ranma into a false
sense of security, before starting her attack. However, Ranma-chan was
prepared for it. The battle was remarkably short. Cologne had
underestimated the speed with which the girl Ranma could move and the
strength that would be hers due to her madness. Ranma-chan looked down
upon the body of the now dead Cologne and continued to smile. I warned ya
you old ghoul. Now there should be nothing in my way. And with that,
Ranma-chan once again began walking towards her destination.
---
Ranma, now in male form, looked down at the pool. This was what would
cure the wound in his heart. The Akane-niichuan. Created by that
henchman of Saffron's. He remembered when she had appeared to him,
pretending to be Akane. He smiled, thinking how he'd soon be reunited
with his love. That was the reason he'd brought the monkey. He felt that
if it worked for the Musk Dynasty, it'd work for him. Of course, he
hadn't been thinking very clearly for quite a while now. As he threw the
monkey into the pool and waited for Akane to surface, his mind began to
envision life with Akane once more.
Shortly the Akane-niichuan had done its work. The monkey came up
looking like Akane. Covering up his naked iinazuke, Ranma's heart began
to soar. It had worked! "Akane! You came back to me. I knew I could do
it. How do you feel?" It was at this point that Ranma began to study his
newly reborn iinazuke.
While the monkey did indeed look like Akane, there was a blank stare
etched on her face. Slowly, a nagging feeling enveloped Ranma. Something
was definitely wrong. Then Akane began hopping up and down. She started
making small eep-ing noises. Ranma realized what the small nagging
feeling was. Akane wasn't here. Her body might be in front of him, but
her mind was not. To test his theory, he held out a banana to Akane.
Akane's eyes lighted up at that and she grabbed the banana and happily
began eating. Much as any monkey would.
Ranma could not hide the pain from his face. Tears began rolling down
his cheeks as he realized he had failed. Deciding that Akane couldn't be
seen like this, he quickly killed her. As he stared down at the body of
his once again deceased iinazuke, memories started racing through his mind
and depression once again enveloped him. Only this time, he realized that
he had killed her. He, Ranma Saotome, Akane's protector, had killed the
woman he loved. Slowly, everything went black.
***
Beach. Sand stretches to the horizon as once again we see a figure on
the ground. Ranma-chan lay on her homeland of Japan, letting the surf
wash over her. It has been a week since we saw him last, fainting over
the body of the dead Akane. The week has not been kind to Ranma. He has
had several nightmares, most of Akane and her death. Sometimes it was her
actual death, sometimes it was the one Ranma administered. Once, he
watched her die, only to have her come back, upon which he immediately
found himself strangling her, to make sure she stayed dead. Any remnants
of his true personality had been wiped from his mind as he was now a thing
obsessed. He had to bring her back and it had to work right.
Fortunately, for him, he had come up with a plan. After he had woken
up, he thought back to his last train of thought. He was indeed Ranma
Saotome. That thought brought to mind all the things people thought of
when they thought of him. Usually there were about three. His skill at
martial arts, his curse, and the most important one in this situation: his
fiancees. He had a habit of being able to procure a fiancee at the drop
of a hat. For once, that might work to his advantage. Realizing his
mistake with the animal attempt, he reasoned that a human Akane would work
much better. He had even thought of a way to ensure that they'd
cooperate.
end of 1 eo...@itsnet.com
2 follows
Date: Sun, 2 Feb 1997 16:41:06 -0800 (PST)
From: eo...@itsnet.com (drew)
Subject: [ranma][xover][Tales from the Darkside] Akane Remembered pt 2
To: and...@texas.net
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From: eo...@itsnet.com (drew)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime.creative
Subject: [ranma][xover][Tales from the Darkside] Akane Remembered pt 2
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Akane Remembered part 2
an original crossover fanfic by
Andrew Eoff
Warning- you must read part 1 first! This picks up immediately where 1
left off. (in fact it's supposed to be one story, but I had to post it as
2 parts. Annoying. Anyway, Enjoy!
-D)
---
Shampoo stared at the door of the Cat Cafe. She had spent the past
several weeks hoping for a sign of Ranma. She had hoped that she'd be
able to take his mind off his dead iinazuke. Just like Akane, she thought
to herself, always had to get that last little barb in. Well, no matter,
she mused, soon Ranma would return and she would see to it that he had all
he needed. Mousse had continued to try and engage her affections, but she
had ignored him as usual. As she lost herself in her train of thought,
she almost failed to notice the door opening. But she immediately
recognized the figure in front of her.
"Oi Shampoo." Ranma intoned. "How have you been?" he barely managed to
get out before she wrapped her arms around him.
"Aiyaa! When airen return? Shampoo hear that you disappear. Bad
Ranma leaving without Shampoo." she accused. Her voice quickly returned
to its usual sultry self though as she continued, "You now return for
Shampoo?" Hope was in her voice as she wondered if Ranma was here for
her.
"Yes Shampoo, I have indeed returned for you, but we need to talk about
it in private. I have a plan." Ranma answered as Shampoo's eyes lit up.
---
Ranma's plan had proven to be remarkably simple. He told Shampoo that
something needed to be done about Mousse, so they could leave without
worrying about him constantly following. In order to ensure their
freedom, he had asked her to teach him the xi fa xiang gao shiatsu
technique. [This is the technique Shampoo used combining pressure points
and herbal shampoos to erase Akane's memories of Ranma early in the
series] He told her he'd use it to wipe out Mousse's memories of the two
of them so they could leave together. Shampoo, after only a moment's
hesitation, had agreed. Of course, he hadn't informed Shampoo of the real
reason he wanted the technique. He was really going to attempt to wipe
out Mousse's memories of being human, turn him into a duck and then
leave. Ranma quickly learned the technique and then tried it on
Mousse. It had worked quite well. Ranma got rid of Mousse's glasses and
they now had one rather near-sighted duck on their hands. There were no
traces of Mousse left, well except for the fact that he would still fly
into things. This success caused Ranma to feel hope for the first time
since that fatal attempt with the monkey. He knew he was now much closer
to bringing Akane back, and now Shampoo would be able to truly help him.
He smiled once again at the thought.
***
Nabiki was slightly worried. There had been a rumor of Ranma returning
to Nerima. True, it was still unsubstantiated, but she needed something
to go on. Her family had been faring only slightly better. The visits
from the Saotome's helped, but they were becoming less frequent. She
figured the time had started to decrease the hope they all felt. The
weird part of the rumor, was that he'd made his way to the Cat Cafe, and
then suddenly disappeared again. Why would he do that? she wondered for
probably the twentieth time that day.
Finally, she decided to see if Shampoo could shed some light on
things. When she arrived at the Cat Cafe, she was greeted by a Gone Out
of Business sign. Not promising. Not promising at all. In fact the only
thing that seemed vaguely like the old Cafe was a duck that wandered
around the place. She thought at first that it might be Mousse, but it
was lacking his glasses, and it was acting like a duck, not a cursed
Mousse. Oh well, maybe someone had heard something else.
***
Ranma and Shampoo had made their way back to China. She had been only
too glad to leave Japan behind. As they continued hiking, he suggested
that they stop by Jusenkyou. Perhaps they could counteract their curses.
Shampoo had agreed quickly, remembering her husband's fear of cats. She
had no idea what was in store for her at the legendary training grounds.
---
As Ranma once more stood, staring at the legendary training grounds, he
glanced over at Shampoo. He wondered what would happen once she came out
of the Akane-niichuan. He wondered if she would adjust quickly. He had
steered Shampoo to the Akane-niichuan, claiming it was the Nyanniichuan.
He'd told her he'd never forget its location, which was true. As she came
up out of the water, looking like Akane, Ranma attacked and applied the xi
fa xiang gao shiatsu. He carefully removed her memory of being Shampoo,
and China. He left in tact her feelings for him, hoping that this would
start her transformation into Akane. He was unaware that that decision
would lead to another failure.
"Akane?!" Ranma asked.
"R-Ranma?" Shampoo/Akane asked. She felt strange. She had very little
memory, and she didn't know where she was. In fact, the only thing she
was certain of, was that Ranma was the person in front of her and that she
loved him more than anything. "Where am I?" she asked.
Ranma, with a huge smile on his face, answered, "We're in China. You
had an accident, but it looks like you'll be ok. You may not remember
much, but that's normal. It'll come back to you." he said with a slight
knowing smile, thinking that a small lie wouldn't hurt. It had worked.
Not only did she look like Akane, but she didn't seem to have any problems
thinking of herself as Akane. Success, he thought. He couldn't have been
happier. And then something strange happened. Akane hugged him.
Tightly. Then she kissed him. Thoroughly.
"Oh Ranma! I so glad you here. I worry sick if you not. At least you
look out for me." Akane said, with a noticeable accent.
Oh no! What was going on? The accent wasn't Ranma's primary concern.
Although, it was slightly annoying, her level of affection worried him
more. Akane had never been this affectionate. True, there were a few
occasions when she had hugged him, but they had been few and far between,
even at the end.
"You want I make dinner for you?" Akane asked, interrupting his train
of thought.
"Uhh, n-no that's ok Akane. You should rest. I'll take care of it."
he replied, thinking of Akane's many poisonous attempts at "cooking".
"Ranma so sweet." she said as she leaned over and gave him another big
kiss.
At this gesture, Ranma started to lose it. He quickly excused himself
and went outside. What's going on? Why was she acting this way? This
wasn't how Akane was supposed to act! He'd never be able to take her to
the Tendo dojo like this. They'd know it wasn't her in a second. As he
tried to consider his options, he began gathering the things necessary for
dinner.
---
As the two sat eating in silence, Ranma tried to decide what to do.
Akane had insisted on sitting next to him, occasionally feeding him bits
of food. She had again told him how wonderful he was and hugged him, when
he came in with dinner. It was just too much for Ranma to bear. This was
not how Akane acted. He had made the wrong choice in starting with
Shampoo. He should have realized that her affectionate nature would come
through. He weighed his options. If he used the shiatsu technique again,
he doubted Akane would have enough base memory to function at all. Not a
welcoming thought. However, in his maddened state, he also knew he
couldn't live with the Akane before him. The Akane he was working towards
had to be a perfect match. His mania would accept nothing less. But, the
thought of killing another mistake weighed heavily on him. He wasn't sure
he could do it again.
Akane chose that instant to lean over and put her arms around Ranma.
"Ranma. I love you. What you thinking about over there?" she asked, once
again giving him a small kiss. Ranma's sanity once again slipped and he
found himself once more holding a dead Akane. Consciousness once again
fled.
***
This time there was a dream. Akane once again stood before him. Still
not looking happy. I know I'm close Akane, Ranma tried to say. But soon
found he couldn't speak. All he could do was watch. Akane continued to
glare at him, and then she made some sort of gesture. He couldn't
understand what was going on. Suddenly, he was at the cemetery again.
Only this time there were two headstones. As he looked at Akane, hoping
for an explanation, she slowly faded from view. As he tried to see the
writing on the stone, he woke up.
As Ranma glanced around him, he was surprised to find himself in
Japan. How did I get here? he wondered. The amount of time that had
passed since he'd killed Akane the second time was a blur. Very few
things would slow down enough for him to make a mental picture of what had
happened. This last failure had taken another toll on Ranma. His hair
was now showing streaks of gray, and his face was aging as well. The
combined stresses of his madness, and his failures were having their way
with him. He continued to try and figure out what had gone wrong. His
last attempt had failed because Akane had been too affectionate. He
needed something. . . a tomboy! That was it. He needed someone with
enough tomboy in them that the affection wouldn't get out of control.
That pointed towards one possibility. Ukyou. She had spent a good
portion of her life ignoring her feminine side. Surely she'd make the
perfect Akane!
***
Nabiki once again considered the information she had gathered. The
rumor-mill had once again placed Ranma in Japan. Unfortunately, where in
Japan was still a mystery. He had appeared out of the blue and then
vanished again. Her family was actually heading to some sort of closure.
She felt if she could bring Ranma back and they could get him treatment,
things would end perfectly. In order to achieve this she once again made
her local contacts.
---
Ukyou cleaned the grill in her restaurant. It had been nearly two
months since her Ranchan had vanished. This worried her. She wasn't sure
what had happened to him. There had been terrible rumors of him slowly
going insane. She found those hard to believe. There had been even more
rumors when Shampoo had disappeared as well. She wasn't sure what to make
of that. Since Mousse had gone as well, though, she found it more likely
that they had finally left for China. As she continued in her reverie,
she failed to hear the first knock on her door. The second, much louder
knock did bring her out though. Just as she was about to yell "We're
Closed" she happened to catch a glimpse of red shirt and red hair. Could
it be...
Ukyou threw the door open revealing a slightly wet Ranma-chan. It was
raining. Ranma-chan shivered a bit and then asked to come in. Ukyou got
out of the way as she entered, but still continued to stare. This was
like a dream come true. She was unaware of the nightmare it would turn
into.
Ukyou listened to a blanketed, male Ranma explain the events of the
past months. He told her how he had felt at losing Akane and had
temporarily left the Tendo dojo. He had needed time to think, he
explained. He then talked of wandering around for a while as his emotions
settled. He explained that he had tried to look up Shampoo, but had found
her, Mousse, and the store gone. Ukyou tried to comfort him briefly and
then told him of her past few months. "It's good to see you again
Ranchan. I was really worried there for a while." Ranma merely smiled.
Ukyou felt there was something in that smile that made her blood run cold,
but quickly ignored it. Ranchan needed her help now.
"It's good to see you too Ucchan. I was hoping I could find you. You
always were a close friend. I think you're exactly who I need right now."
Ranma said, once again with that chilling smile.
"Have you been to see the Tendos or your folks?" Ukyou asked. At the
mention of those names Ranma's eyes darkened.
"No. I, well, I need a little more time before I can see them again.
There's also something I must do." Ranma said. He then smiled warmly at
Ukyou. "Actually, this is something you can help me with. Will you help
me do something Ukyou? I really need your help. You're the only one I
can turn to." He looked at her with a look that warmed Ukyou's heart even
as she unconsciously shivered a bit.
She looked at Ranma, noticing the white in his hair, the lines in his
face. How could she not help him? She loved him too dearly. "Of course
I'll help you Ranchan." she said smiling.
***
Nabiki shook her head. He had done it again. He had disappeared,
this time with Ukyou in tow. She couldn't believe he could be so
slippery. Fortunately, a pattern emerged. She had a feeling that , if he
showed up again, he would head for Kodachi. Although the thought made her
a little sick, she reasoned that Kodachi was next in the fiancee line.
What was Ranma doing with them? Why hadn't he returned? Was he still
trying to bring Akane back somehow? All she could do was wait.
***
Ranma and Ukyou had made it to China. When Ranma had told her he
wanted her help in becoming a complete man again, she had smiled and
agreed. That quest had actually silenced some of the small doubts running
through her. She could help Ranma get to Jusenkyou and find the
nannichuan. That would certainly help both of them out. Maybe Ranma's
desire to be a whole man again meant he had something in mind for the two
of them. She smiled as possibilities danced in front of her.
Ranma looked around as he once again entered Jusenkyou. This time with
Ukyou in tow. The valley had been haunting his dreams lately. He wasn't
sure why, but it certainly was a nice change from the dreams he had been
having. Another dream involving Akane's death would push him over the
edge. He chuckled to himself at that thought. He had occasional flashes
where he realized how far from sanity he had ventured. But, he mused, it
would all be worth it once Akane's back. "Whatcha giggling at sugar?"
Ukyou asked. Ranma merely smiled and shook his head. They continued
towards the Akane-niichuan.
Ranma explained that he had discovered where the nanniichuan was. As
he pretended to lead Ukyou there, he accidentally shoved her when they
passed by the Akane-niichuan. Ukyou gave a small shout, but fell into the
pool anyway. When Akane emerged Ranma once again performed the xi fa xian
gao shiatsu. This time he erased his beloved Ucchan's past, making sure
to leave some sense of tomboy-ishness. As he finished the technique he
carefully carried her away.
---
This time things ran a little differently. The first night had gone
fine. Ukyou had responded well to Ranma's attempts at turning her into
Akane. She had even called him a jackass at one point when he had done
something stupid! Yep, Shampoo had been a mistake, but Ucchan made the
perfect Akane. He had then fallen asleep and for a change no dreams had
come.
The next morning, Ranma awoke to the smells of cooking. He looked over
to see Akane busily preparing something. Oh no! She's trying to cook for
me. What am I gonna do? Akane, sensing movement behind her turned
around. "Ohayoo Ranma!" she said cheerfully. "Ready for some breakfast?"
Ranma's eyes grew huge as he tried to think of some way to avoid
Akane's cooking. "Uh, gee Akane, I, uh don't think breakfast would be
such a good idea." he lamely explained.
Akane simply looked at him for a moment before a small frown appeared
on her face. "You like my cooking and you're gonna eat this! You jerk."
Ranma realized he was running out of options. Akane smiled again and
brought over a plate of food. As Ranma looked at it, he realized it was
okonomiyaki. He began to frown as he tasted a small part of it.
"This, this is... delicious!" he finally exclaimed. Even as he said
so, the madness in him aroused itself again. Akane can't cook! What's
going on? We're nowhere near Ryugenzawa and the Water of Life. This
can't be happening. Then he understood. Ukyou's cooking ability had
remained. He should've known once he saw the okonomiyaki.
"Really? You think it's good?" Akane said a smile on her face.
She's so cute when she smiles, Ranma thought to himself. What do I do
now? I know Akane can't cook, but surely it such a small thing to trade.
She's here, and we can pick up where we left off. Akane reached over and
hugged him. "Thanks for telling me you liked my cooking. I knew it was
good." she said, following the thank you with a small peck on the cheek.
Another small crack appeared in the dam holding Ranma back. She kissed
me. Akane wouldn't kiss me would she? Admittedly, he was unsure, he had
only complimented Akane's cooking once before, but there had been other
matters distracting both of them. He wasn't sure what would happen if she
had actually been able to cook a meal. "I'll make some more since you
enjoyed those so much!" Akane replied, not seeing the concern building on
Ranma's face.
Still he and Akane were never that physical with each other, unless of
course they were sparring. Only recently had they even tried to express
emotion. They'd held hands a couple of times, but that was it. She had
kissed him once, but that was an area still largely unexplored. Ranma got
up to see what she was doing. When he realized she was making okonomiyaki
with a set of spatulas, much like Ucchan's, he once again went over the
edge. Akane once again found her death at the hands of the man that had,
up until recently, promised to always protect her.
---
As Ranma finished burying Akane number 4 he slumped to the ground. The
nightmare he'd had last night had been really severe. He kept dreaming of
Akane and the cemetery, only more stones were showing up, and there was
still one he couldn't read. Of course, the two new ones that had shown up
had been quite legible: Shampoo and Kuonji Ukyou. Ranma had woken
screaming. He was truly unsure what to do now. He had one person left
that he felt he could claim as a fiancee, but the Black Rose was someone
even he had trouble accepting. His last failure had taken an even
stronger toll on him. The small glimpse of success had made the blow even
harder. Ranma's hair had gone completely white now and his face looked
very bitter.
Yet, there was still something driving him on. The madness that he had
given himself to had not relinquished its claim. It would have him bring
Akane back regardless of the consequences. Ranma sighed, knowing he had
very little choice. He wondered if Kodachi would be the last. Something
in him spoke up saying and end was indeed near.
***
Nabiki smiled. Ranma had indeed reappeared. He was also without a
certain chef. That meant something had happened, and more importantly,
that he'd probably try for Kodachi. This was the moment she had been
waiting for, and she wasn't going to let it slide.
---
Ranma slowly made his way to the Kuno residence. He wasn't quite sure
how to go about this. The others had been relatively easy, but this
one... well, if he could get to Kodachi, surely she'd follow him. As he
rang the bell, a servant appeared asking his business. "Umm, tell Kodachi
that Ranma needs to see her urgently." The butler merely nodded and
left. Please don't let Kuno show up, please don't let Kuno show up. What
he didn't know was that Nabiki had informed Kuno that the pig-tailed
goddess had returned. Kuno was busy searching for his remaining true
love.
Shortly Kodachi came bounding down the stairs and into the arms of her
beloved Ranma-sama. "Oh Ranma-sama! I've been so worried!" she said.
"Hello Kodachi, is your brother here?" Ranma asked with a bit of
urgency in his voice.
"Tatewaki? Why no, he's out chasing his pig-tailed goddess. We are
utterly alone." she purred.
A small warning bell went off in Ranma's head, but he ignored it as he
breathed out a sigh. Good, Kuno wasn't around. "Well Kodachi, it's great
to see you. You're the only person I could turn to." he began.
Nabiki merely looked on in surprise. Ranma wasn't looking at all the
way she expected. His hair had gone white for starters, and there was
something about the way he spoke and moved. Of course, she didn't expect
Kodachi to notice. It looked as if they were both a little loopy. She
carefully made sure she was still hidden as the two went inside and the
door closed.
---
Ranma explained to Kodachi what he wanted to do. He wanted her help.
She was overjoyed. An opportunity to help the man she loved. Oh, life
was good. She explained that of course she would help, in any way
possible. He told her there was a magic spring in China that he needed to
reach and he needed her to go with him. She said they could take the Kuno
family yacht. The two made plans while Nabiki listened on with the help
of some very good equipment.
The day had started well. They had made it to China and were well on
their way to Jusenkyou. Ranma had no idea that Nabiki was following, he
was too caught up in trying to figure out what to do with Kodachi. He
wasn't sure what memories to erase and what to leave behind. As he
thought, Kodachi merely examined the local flora, hoping for something to
add to her collection.
---
Nabiki looked at Jusenkyou in awe. So this is where it all started.
She had to admit, it was a rather impressive place and she could
understand why Genma would have wanted Ranma to train here. She made sure
to keep a close eye on the two people in front of her as well as the path,
she really didn't want to have an accident and end up with a curse
herself.
Ranma was slowly working his way to the Akane-niichuan, wondering if it
would be as easy to push her in. She was a gymnast after all, and she was
in her outfit. Who knew what she had secreted on her person. As they
arrived, he decided subterfuge would be the way to go. "Umm, look
Kodachi. I need you to do something for me." he started. Kodachi looked
up at him.
"What is it Ranma-sama?" She asked
"Well, it's like this, I need you to jump in that pool there. It's
part of the magic that needs to be worked." he explained, trying to keep
the nervous edge out of his voice.
"Very well, darling, I do this for you." she replied. And with that
she jumped into the Akane-niichuan.
Nabiki had caught up to them in time to see Kodachi jumping into one of
the pools. Now just what the heck is he up to? she wondered. As if in
answer to her question, suddenly Kodachi came up, but it didn't look like
Kodachi. She looked like...Akane! How had Ranma done that? Then she
watched as Ranma quickly attacked Kodachi with what looked like shampoo
and a blow dryer. What was he doing now? And then she remembered that
time Akane had forgotten about Ranma. Something about some special
shampoo and pressure points. Was this how Ranma had meant to bring Akane
back? Why hadn't it worked with the others? She wondered if she'd get
answers to these questions.
---
Ranma finished the shiatsu technique, wondering what effects it would
have. He'd erased the knowledge of her family, the knowledge of
gymnastics, heck he'd taken just about everything out. Not wanting a
repeat of the Shampoo experience, he'd even removed her memories of him.
He figured the amnesia story would work the best. Slowly he carried her
to the small house where the other tragedies occurred.
Nabiki made certain to stay out of sight as she followed. She was
interested to see what would happen next. She wondered if she should talk
to Ranma-try to see what the heck was going on. She decided that hiding
was still her best option and so remained out of sight.
Ranma had indeed done a good job of removing the memories in Kodachi's
head. What he hadn't gotten rid of, however, was her own madness. The
single-mindedness that resided inside of Kodachi, coupled with the
stresses she had faced at Ranma's disappearance. He wasn't aware of the
dangerous creature he had with him.
***
Nabiki watched Ranma place the Kodachi/Akane thing on the bed. He then
went about preparing some food. Her own stomach reminded her that it had
been a while, so she hastily ate some of the rations she'd brought with
her. While he left to get some wood, she saw the person inside rise. She
saw her go to a table and grab something, but she wasn't sure what. She
hid again as Ranma returned.
Ranma went inside, somewhat surprised to see Akane awake. She'd
revived quicker than any of the others. "Hey Akane, how you feeling? You
had a terrible accident." he said.
Akane merely looked back at him, something in her eyes. Ranma thought
he recognized that look, but he wasn't sure where he'd seen it. Had
Nabiki, or any of the other fiancees seen it, they would have recognized
it immediately, it was often seen in Ranma's own eyes. Not sure why she
wasn't talking, he tried again, walking a little closer to her. "You ok
Akane? Akane?"
As he'd gotten closer to her, she had lashed out, grabbing him close
with one arm, stabbing him with the knife she had picked up with the
other. As Ranma realized what had happened, he fell back, shock on his
face. "Akane! W-why?" he pleaded. "I was trying to help, I just wanted
to see you again. I... I, l-loved you." he gasped, slumping to the
floor. Just before he passed out, his mind once again went to the dream
he'd often had. Only this time the headstone previously unseen was
visible, it bore his own name. Kodachi's trademark laugh accompanied him
to eternity.
Nabiki hadn't reacted in time. By the time she'd thrown the door open,
not only was Ranma lying in a large pool of blood, but Kodachi was also.
She had stabbed herself after stabbing Ranma. No! It couldn't end like
this. Surely she could do something. But, she was too late. They were
both dead. As she looked at the bodies, she began to cry. Not just for
Ranma, but for her sister, all over again. She could tell that Ranma had
loved Akane, just not wisely.
***
The funeral had taken place yesterday. They had buried Ranma next to
Akane, and next to him were the recently discovered remains of Ukyou.
Kodachi had been claimed by her brother, and Shampoo had been taken by the
Amazon tribe. They had also made sure to see that the Akane-niichuan was
filled in. No longer would that particular curse haunt this world. The
Saotomes and the Tendos gathered once again at the Tendo home. Not much
was being said. Nabiki had explained what she had seen. They had
marveled at how far Ranma had gone to try and bring back his love. As the
group sat in silence, the wind picked up, whistling through trees and
causing leaves to skitter along.
The End
Author's note: All characters created by Rumiko Takahashi. I in no way
claim any ownership of any of the Ranma 1/2 crew.
Well, you may be wondering why I chose to write such a dark story. As I
mentioned at the beginning, this is supposed to be a dark comedy. These
events are meant to have a touch of humor, not just pathos. If you don't
find this story funny that is your prerogative, just remember, I did warn
you. I was trying to capture the feel of a Tales From the Darkside
episode, and I think, in some ways, I succeeded. This story is dark and
there is that element of mystery to it. I also think, in some small way,
that the romance of the series is preserved. If you have comments or
questions, I'd love to hear them. Just don't hate me too much.
I hoped to take a fresh look at the Ranma 1/2 series, and I think this
story fits that frame. I hope you all enjoyed it, if not, well, there are
plenty of lighter stories out there, one of mine included. Thanks go
again to my wife, who encourages this nonsense, and anyone out there
reading this. Especially those that read my last story, liked it, and
told me so. They helped me to think that someone enjoyed my small view of
the series. I hope I haven't just driven them all off. ^_^ Thanks
again. Have a great day.
drew
gambatte ne