[Ranma][Fanfic] Daigakusei no Ranma - Episode 18

[Ranma Saotome]

These walls I live inside
Protect me from hatred and lies
And these walls have made me strong
But it's not where I belong

I hear you knocking but can't let you in
I don't know how it's gonna end
But these walls, they set me free
Kept me safe and sheltered me

Here's where the road begins
Got to reach out if I'm gonna win
Gotta know how - I'm old enough now
Never gonna feel this way again

No, I'm never gonna hide behind these walls again

+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+
| Daigakusei no Ranma |
| |
| Created by David Tai and Paul Gallegos |
| |
| Based on the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi |
+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+

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-= Episode 18: "Spiritual Warfare! Deceptions and Betrayal?" =-
===============================================================================

[The sun is high in the sky as Ukyou, Ranma-chan, Sato and Akane stand at the
edge of the pool. As before, Ukyou and Akane cannot see themselves in the
pool, and Ranma-chan wishes she couldn't.]

Ranma-chan: Now what?

Sato: We enter the pool, and you must each face the Guardian of the threshold.

Ranma-chan: How many guardians are there?

Sato: Only one.

Akane: Four against one won't be much of a fight.

Sato: You only need pass him the first time you enter. I dealt with the
Guardian long ago.

Akane: So you're just going to watch us fight him?

Sato: I won't even see him.

Ukyou: Nani?

Sato: Come. It is time. [dives into the pool, vanishing as soon as he passes
beyond its surface.]

Ranma-chan: Eh? He's gone?

Ukyou: [hums faintly] I wonder... [sticks her hand in the pool. It appears to
vanish as soon as it goes beneath the surface] I think we just can't
see him. I still feel my hand.

Ranma-chan: Well, here we go... [leaps into the air and dives down into the
pool]

[Akane and Ukyou take deep breaths and dive in.]

* * *

[Ranma-chan breaks the surface of the pool. The clearing looks much the same
as it did before, except that all the colors are more vibrant, the animal
noises louder, the air a little cooler. Also, everyone else is gone.]

Ranma-chan: Well, now I'm wet, but I don't seem to have gone anywhere. And
where's this guardian, anyway? [hears footsteps behind him.]

Jusenkyo guide: Oh no, you fall in pool that turns people into girl forever.
Very tragic story.

Ranma-chan: What are you doing here?

Jusenkyo guide: Next time, customer should listen before he takes a swim.

Ranma-chan: I just did what Sato-... [double-takes] A girl... forever?

Jusenkyo guide: I demonstrate. [pulls out a yellow kettle and pours hot water
on Ranma-chan]

Ranma-chan: [shakes a bit] OWWW! I... I'm still a girl!

Jusenkyo guide: Very tragic story.

Ranma-chan: Where is everyone?

Jusenkyo guide: [points] Over there.

[Ranma-chan now sees Akane and Ukyou fighting a horrible thirty feet tall
monster with dozens of oddly shaped arms. It is strangling Ukyou and jumping
up and down on Akane.]

Ranma-chan: AKANE!!!!!!! [She charges and leaps at the monster, which idly
swats her into a tree with one arm shaped like a tennis racket.]

Monster: Oh my, another pathetic girl.

Akane: [crying] Oh, Ranma, the monster is too strong for us.

Ukyou: [choking] I think Sato-san left us to die.

Ranma-chan: TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN! [leaping at the monster, she unleashes a hail
of a hundred blows. The monster casually deflects every attack.]

Monster: My, aren't we fierce. [yawns] I wonder if I should use soy sauce with
these two.

Ranma-chan: I won't let you kill them!
[stands and concentrate, beginning to glow] Put them down!

Monster: You realize if you blast me with that, you'll hit them too.

Ranma-chan: [uncertain, glow fading] I... uh...

Ukyou: [as her arm breaks] Save me, Ran-chan!

Akane: [angrily] Do something, Ranma! [as the monster opens a bottle of soy
sauce] AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!

Ranma-chan: [screaming] YOU!!!!!!! DIE!!!!!! [leaps at the monster, which
steps to one side, leaving Ranma-chan to crash into another tree.
However, the monster is no longer stepping on Akane, and
Ranma-chan leaps and pulls her free.]

Akane: [obviously in pain] Ranma... you saved me.

Monster: I suppose one out of two isn't bad. I already had lunch anyway.
[puts soy sauce on Ukyou]

Ranma-chan: What, you ate Sato-san for lunch?

Monster: Him? Naaah. He brings me people to eat. Useless weak girls like you.
We have a deal going.

Ranma-chan: [angrily] I'm not useless and weak! [pauses] And I'm not a girl
either!

Monster: Yeah, right.

Akane: [weakly] He isn't! He's my husband. [hands Ranma a yellow kettle]
Just watch.

Ranma-chan: I... uh... yeah.

Akane: [weakly] Go on, Ranma. Show him.

Ranma-chan: [pours the hot water over herself. Nothing happens.] I... uh...

Akane: [big eyes] Nani?

[The monster laughs.]

Ranma-chan: [nervously rubs the back of her head] The pool did this to me.
I'm kinda stuck as a girl.

Akane: [cries] My husband's a girl. My life is over. WAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!

Ukyou: [weakly] Now you'll never be able to save us.

Ranma-chan: I can! And I will!

Monster: [still laughing] No pathetic little girl could ever defeat me.

Ranma-chan: [shouting] I'm not a pathetic little girl! I'm gonna make you
wish you were never born!

Monster: You know a girl could never beat a guy like me. [yawns] Oh well,
I'll be with you in a minute. I gotta eat spatula girl here.

Ranma-chan: Whether I'm a girl or not, I'm gonna make you pay! [leaps at the
monster's head. The monster bats Ranma-chan aside with an umbrella
shaped arm.]

Monster: How about a deal? You go jump in the pool and leave me this one to
eat and I'll let you have the other one.

Ranma-chan: I won't let you eat Ucchan!

Monster: Well, how about I trade you this one for the other one? You never
say anything nice about her anyway.

Ranma-chan: I... uh... [stands and stares for a moment] She's my wife. I can't
let you eat her.

Monster: Some wife if you have to sleep as a girl with her. Or maybe you like
it that way? I think you like being a girl.

Ranma-chan: I DO NOT! I hate it! [attacks again, striking at the arm the
monster is holding Ukyou with. The monster drops Ukyou into
Ranma's arms.]

Ukyou: [breathlessly] You saved me, Ran-chan. I knew you would.

Ranma-chan: [turns] Hah! I saved both...

Monster: [now over by the pool with Akane, about to eat her] Hmm, you were
saying something?

Akane: [weakly] You love her more than you do me, don't you.

Ranma-chan: No! That's not true!

Akane: [weakly] I've never heard you say it.

Monster: Mmmm. Yummy girls. So tasty. [lifts Akane to his mouth.]
Well, I only really have room in my stomach for one, anyway.

Ranma-chan: [faintly] I'll show you, Akane... [whispers to Ukyou] Once I
distract it, grab Akane and jump in the pool. Do you think you
can manage that?

Ukyou: But what about you, Ran-chan?

Ranma-chan: [faintly] That's not what's important... [loudly] You wanna eat a
yummy girl? I bet I taste three times better than that tomboy! She
might as well be a boy! But I'm all girl! You said it yourself!

Monster: Hmm. You do look kinda tasty.

Ranma-chan: [unbuttons her shirt some] See? Just put the tomboy down and eat
me instead!

Monster: Hmmmm. You do look yummy! [drops Akane and runs after Ranma-chan, who
runs away from the pool, giggling]

Ukyou: [dives and catches Akane] Pain...

Akane: [faintly] Ranma...

Ukyou: Ran-chan!

Ranma-chan: GO! While you still can! [grabbed by the monster] GO!!!!!

Monster: [pours soy sauce on Ranma-chan] A nice, weak little girl. Yum.

Ranma-chan: [fake high pitched voice] Oh, I'm so weak and harmless.
[normal voice] You don't have any hostages but me now.

Monster: Nani?

Ranma-chan: [concentrating] Now you pay.

Monster: I... you...

Ukyou: Ran-chan! You'll be caught in it too!

Ranma-chan: MOUKO...

Monster: I hate it when this happens.

Ranma-chan: TAKABISHA! [There is a massive explosion of chi...]

* * *

[Ukyou breaks the surface of the pool and gasps for air. She is alone in the
clearing.]

Ukyou: [staggers out of the pool] Ack. I thought I was going to drown for a
minute there. How can such a small pool be so deep?

[All is silent for a moment, then the animal noises in the distance start once
more.]

Ukyou: [looking around] Where's everyone? [turning and looking in the pool,
she can see all the way to the bottom] What? Now I can see the whole
pool? It only looks three feet deep.

Voice: Perhaps they've abandoned you. Isn't that how it always goes? You care
about someone, then they toss you aside?

Ukyou: [spins around and sees a figure that looks like she would if she was
male, dressed the same as her.] Who are you?

Ukyou-kun: What do I look like?

Ukyou: What?

Ukyou-kun: They left you behind to drown. I'm surprised you even survived.

Ukyou: [angrily] Ran-chan would never leave me to drown!

Ukyou-kun: [points to two sets of footprints leading away from the pool]
There they went.

Ukyou: [flustered] He wouldn't!

Ukyou-kun: Hand in hand. What a cute couple. Of course, they are married, and
you're just a girl he knew when he was little. Not that he even
noticed you were a girl at the time.

Ukyou: [angrily] SHUT UP!

Ukyou-kun: [picking his fingernails] I can just imagine what a couple like
that does every night. Over and over again. I don't think he even
noticed you hadn't come up.

Ukyou: [reaches for giant spatula and brings it down at Ukyou-kun's head]
SHUT UP!

Ukyou-kun: [casually deflects the giant spatula with his own giant spatula]
Can't take the truth?

Ukyou: [unleashes a flurry of attacks] Ran-chan would never leave me to die!
He's my friend!

Ukyou-kun: [parries every blow with precision] But that's not all you want
him to be, is it? [pauses] Is it?

Ukyou: [drives Ukyou-kun round and round the pool in a rage] SHUT UP!!!!!

Ukyou-kun: The truth doesn't shut up or go away.

Ukyou: [crying and fighting in a rage] Stop taunting me! I know I can't have
him!

Ukyou-kun: But if Akane was out of the way...

Ukyou: [swipes for Ukyou-kun's legs. He leaps high and lands on the spatula,
then leaps over Ukyou's head.] Ran-chan would never let anything happen
to Akane! I don't want to hurt her, either! I'm not some crazy
Amazon, like Shampoo!

Ukyou-kun: [from behind Ukyou as she turns to face him] It would be so easy
to make it look like she did it. A little poison, a bonbori...

Ukyou: [big eyes] WHAT? You think I should... [she stands in shock at the
very idea]

Ukyou-kun: [watches Ukyou warily] You'll never have him unless Akane is out
of the way. Shampoo is the perfect fall guy... uh, girl for it.
She'd have to be disposed of anyway. Sooner or later, anyone female
close to Ranma would taste her wrath.

Ukyou: [closes her eyes] No. I won't do it. I won't kill someone just to get
to Ranma.

Ukyou-kun: You weren't so picky when you decided to kill Ranma for leaving
you. Oh, so many years ago. Or how about the bombs at at
Ranma and Akane's first wedding? You know, the one you
helped wreck?

Ukyou: [eyes still shut] That was wrong! I gave that up long ago! I'm not a
hateful person any more! Revenge didn't get me anything but pain!

Ukyou-kun: And being the cute little girl has?

Ukyou: [blinks] Nani?

Ukyou-kun: You tried being the cute little girl like you thought Ranma wanted.
That failed too. Even after he got married, got out of your reach,
you just intensified it, threw away your past, tried to turn
yourself into something you're not.

Ukyou: [angrily] There's nothing wrong with cooking stuff other than
okonomiyaki or wearing NORMAL clothing!

Ukyou-kun: There is if you're only doing it cause you're too much of a coward
to face your past like a man!

Ukyou: I AM NOT A MAN!

Ukyou-kun: You keep trying to get away from your problems by tossing away
everything you ever lived for!

Ukyou: Don't change the subject!

Ukyou-kun: You're the one changing the subject. Now are you gonna face me or
are you going to try and deny me the way you denied your first
love for ten years?

Ukyou: ... [takes a deep breath] What are you?

Ukyou-kun: What do you think I am?

Ukyou: You... You're the Guardian, aren't you?

Ukyou-kun: He set this up, but I'm not him.

Ukyou: Is this... all inside my mind?

Ukyou-kun: I don't know anything you don't. So what are you going to do with
yourself, Kuonji Ukyou?

Ukyou: [Sunlight glints off her spatula, attracting her attention. She stares
at it for a long moment.] I wish I knew what I was going to do with
myself. I tried to change...change who I am, what I do. [She looks at
her reflection in the spatula, which now shows her in her college garb.]
That didn't work or I wouldn't be here right now. [looks at her
reflection again. Now it shows her in her okonomiyaki seller's outfit.]
Shouldn't I have tried that? Is that what you're trying to tell me?
Shouldn't I have tried to change?

Ukyou-kun: Change isn't bad, unless it makes you forget who you are and what
you've been. Do you know what you want to be?

Ukyou: [still staring at her spatula, which keeps switching back and
forth between the two images] I'm not sure if I like either of my
choices. Neither of them is making me happy.

Ukyou-kun: How many answers does a question have?

Ukyou: [looks up and stares at him] What kind of stupid question is that?
[He remains silent.] Well? Say some... [she pauses, looks back at the
spatula, then starts] I think I understand. [pauses] So now what
happens?

Ukyou-kun: Take a look at the world and see.

[Ukyou looks up and the world has changed...]

* * *

[Akane bobs to the surface and coughs. Looking around, she can see the pool
has become a vast lake, hundreds of feet across. The trees have become huge,
towering hundreds of feet into the sky. Far above, a red bird circles the
lake.]

Akane: [struggling to stay afloat] What the... where is everyone?

Ranma: [a speck on the far shore] That you, Akane?

Akane: [trying to swim over to Ranma] I'm over here, Ranma!

Ranma: [still just a speck] Come on over!

Akane: [slowly fumbling her way closer to shore] My legs feel so heavy.

Ranma: Come on Akane! We haven't got all day!

Akane: [coughs as she gets water in her mouth] I hate swimming. I hate it.
Why do my legs feel so heavy? [tries to look at her legs and sinks
beneath the waves. She can see that there are chains tied to her legs,
leading down into the darkness.]

Ranma: Akane?

Akane: [thinking] How did those get on my legs? [struggles back to the
surface, but the chains are getting heavier]

Ranma: Akane! [tries to dive in but Ukyou holds him back]

Ukyou: She'll be fine, Ranma. Why don't we take this opportunity while she's
busy?

Ranma: [shrugs] Okay. [starts to head off with Ukyou]

Akane: [bobs under briefly, then surfaces again] Ranma! What are you doing?

Ranma: Well, I never get any love and affection, so I thought I'd just...

Akane: [shouting] RANMA NO BAKA! Can't you see I'm drowning?

Ranma: What, save you so you can just hit me? I'm not coming near you
while you're being such a tomboy!

[Akane goes under, then resurfaces and sees Hitomi is with Ranma now, and
Ukyou is gone.]

Hitomi: Come on, Ranma. She might get out of the water before we finish, and
that could be embarrassing.

Ranma: Yeah. See you in a little while, Akane.

Akane: [floundering, barely keeping above water] RANMA! YOU HENTAI!
HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO ME!

Ranma: See you around, Akane. [starts to head off with Hitomi, who now seems
to be Shampoo.]

Shampoo: [kisses Ranma, then says] Bye bye, angry pervert girl.

Akane: I'm not a pervert girl! I... [sees Ranma heading off into the trees
with Shampoo] Ranma, don't leave me.

Ranma: [turns to face Akane again] I can't always be saving you. How do you
expect to face an evil spirit if you can't even swim?

Akane: [dips under, manages to struggle back to the surface] There are
chains pulling me down! I can't swim while I'm being dragged under!

Ranma: Then break the chains.

Akane: ...

[The bird begins to dive.]

Ranma: You have to free yourself before it's too late.

Akane: [struggling] But, they're so heavy... and... I'm not that strong...
I...

Ranma: You have all the strength you need, if only you would call on it.
Don't give up, Akane.

Akane: Ranma... [grits her teeth and dives, begins pulling on the first
chain. It snaps, then she has to surface] I broke it!

Ranma: You have to break them all.

Akane: [sees the bird] B-chan!

[The bird lands on Ranma's shoulders, looking just like it did after it
hatched, before it transformed into the phoenix and left.]

Ranma: We're waiting for you, Akane.

Akane: I'm coming.

[She dives again, and pulls on the heaviest chain on her. It won't budge.]

Akane: [thinking] No! I can't let this beat me!
[starting to get angry again, she glows red. The chain begins to melt.]
It's breaking! [The chain breaks just as her air is running out. She
desperately struggles towards the surface, the water boiling away from
the heat of her aura.] I did it! [collapses from exhaustion]

Ranma-chan: [in the water by Akane, holding her up from sinking] Indeed you
did.

Akane: [notices B-chan is perched on Ranma-chan's fiery red hair] You saved
me anyway.

Ranma-chan: You saved yourself. I won't leave you to die, but I can't always
save you either.

Akane: [closes her eyes in Ranma-chan's arms] I know, Ranma-kun.

Ranma-chan: Never forget that you too have power.

Akane: [feels the water flowing past her] It's so peaceful here.

Ranma-chan: Water can be peaceful like a gentle pond or rage like a stormy
sea. Air moves the waves; waves douse the flames; flame melts
metal; metal cuts the tree; tree bends in the wind without
breaking.

Akane: Nani?

[She opens her eyes and the world has changed...]

* * *

[Sato stands by the side of the pond, watching Akane, who finds herself doing
the backstroke in the pond. Ranma-chan blinks and finds herself up in a tree,
with branches wrapped around him. Ukyou is at the base of the tree, kneeling.]

Akane: [runs out of pond and grounds herself] I... uh... [standing up]
The pond... it's small again... I...

Ranma-chan: The monster...where did it go?

Ukyou: [wiping away tears] You didn't leave me.

[They all turn and look at each other, then at Sato, then back at each other.]

Ranma-chan: What's next?

Sato: [nodding] You have passed the Guardian of the Threshold. He shall not
bother you again. Welcome to the spirit world.

[They look around. The clearing looks much as it did in the physical world,
except that the trees are bigger, the air is sweeter, the colors are brighter.
Everything seems more intense. Looking at each other, they see that they too
are different. Akane's clothing dried the instant she left the water, and now
she is clad in her yellow gi, with a red headband through her hair. Her hair
has a faint reddish tinge to it. Her eyes almost glow. A red thread leads
away from her wedding ring towards Ranma-chan, high up in the tree across the
clearing. Ranma-chan finds herself in her old red satin jacket and black
pants. Her wedding ring glints in the light and catches her attention. She
can see a thin red string leading down from it towards Akane by the pond far
below. Ukyou feels a cool breeze ruffle her hair, which now hangs freely down
her back. She can almost see the wind blowing. She too sees the red thread
leading from Ranma's hand toward Akane, and flinches slightly at the sight.
Her clothing seems largely unchanged, until she notices she is wearing jeans
instead of her old black tights under her okonomiyaki seller's slipover.]

Ranma-chan: Hey, what's going on here?

Sato: In the spirit world, you see things as they truly are, rather than as
we normally perceive them. Many hidden truths may be revealed.

Ranma-chan: Uh, what does that mean, exactly?

Sato: [points casually to the thread] Many things you seek to hide from may
come to consciousness. And all see you as you truly are. Your good and
evil are written on your face for all to see.

Ranma-chan: I am NOT truly a girl!

Sato: Did I say you were a girl?

Ranma-chan: [angrily] You said people saw each other as they truly are
here!

Sato: Hai. I did say that.

Ranma-chan: But I'm not a girl!

Sato: I never said you were.

Ranma-chan: [flustered] But... you said... oh, forget it.

Ukyou: [looks at her clothing again] So what does this mean?

Sato: It is up to each of you to understand what this teaches you of
your true self. Only you know enough to find the real meaning.
I can only speak for myself.

Ranma-chan: [hopping out of the tree] Whatever. Now what?

Sato: Now we must return to Maison Sabaku and confront Kurakujanen.
[pulls out a kettle and pours it on Ranma, who turns male.]

Ranma: [blinks] Where'd ya get that from?

Sato: I could tell you, but then we'd have to spend several hours on spiritual
metaphysics and you'd just get bored.

Ranma: Nani?

Sato: Or confused. Just ask yourself how everyone always seems to find hot
water when you really need it. Let's get going.

[He leads the group onward, while Ranma looks confused.]

* * *

[The small band reaches the edge of the forest. Instead of seeing the city,
as they expect it, they see an odd collection of antique buildings, scattered
through a sparse forest.]

Ranma: Hey! What happened to the buildings... and the streets... and the
people?

Sato: This is the spirit side. Many of the buildings that you know are too
young to appear here. These places are those possessing spiritual power
through long habitation and human rememberance.

Ranma: Nani?

Sato: [sighs] These places are old; old things are more likely to show up
here.

Akane: Why?

Sato: I already told... don't worry about it. I can explain it later when
we're not busy. Follow me.

* * *

[The group reaches Maison Sabaku. It looks newer and fresher...yet older too.
The effect is a bit creepy. The world is strangely silent here, and the trees
crowd in on the building. The street is obscured by forest.]

Ranma: This is really weird looking.

Akane: I guess the spirit is inside the house?

Sato: Yes. I can sense its presence. Be on the alert.

[Ukyou nods. They approach the front door, which swings open as Ranma reaches
to open it.]

Sato: This is not good.

Ranma: Basically, we're walking into a deathtrap, right?

Sato: That about sums it up. But if we don't go in, we'll never be able to
get rid of it.

Akane: Right. [She charges in.]

Sato: Um... we don't have to run in.

[Ranma and Ukyou run in after Akane.]

Sato: Right. [sighs and follows them]

* * *

[The group scatters all over the house, looking for the evil spirit, while
Sato chases after them. Akane has run down into Kazuyo's apartment, Ukyou is
upstairs, and Ranma is at the foot of the stairs, trying to decide who to
chase after.]

Sato: Ranma, get Akane. I'll go get Ukyou... we can't afford to just run all
over the house.

[Ranma nods and heads for Kazuyo's room. Sato heads upstairs, just in time to
see Ukyou head into his room.]

Sato: Ukyou!

[He runs into his room. The door slams behind him and starts to glow. Ukyou
is nowhere to be seen.]

Sato: An evil ward... So, you have tricked me this time, Kurakujanen. But you
won't hold me for very long.

[He begins to pray.]

* * *

[Ukyou has entered Ranma and Akane's apartment. It is empty of any furniture,
except the futon which lies in the center of the floor.]

Ukyou: Weird... the futon has spiritual energy? Or else I guess they must have
put a lot of...[stops and shakes] Does it mean they've... I guess they
would... but... [pulls herself together] They're married. They're...
yeah, surely they would have... but then... I mean...

[All is silent, except for the door quietly swinging open behind her.]

Ukyou: Ranma...Akane... [her imagination runs wild with scenes of Ranma and
Akane in the futon. She hangs her head and stares at the floor.]

[A shadowy cloud drifts up behind her, stretching out crackling tendrils of
electrified mist.]

Ukyou: [furrows her brow] I smell... [spins and sees the cloud coming for her.
The futon winks out of existence when she turns around.]
You... must be the spirit.

Kurakujanen: You must be that pathetic Kuonji girl. Moping along after a man
who doesn't care for you at all.

Ukyou: I am not pathetic! And Ranma does care about me! He proved that!

Kurakujanen: Only because you tricked him. You betrayed him, lied to him, and
manipulated him to make yourself feel better.

Ukyou: [softly] I was afraid...and so lonely. I had to know... I just...
[angrily] Why am I justifying myself to YOU?

Kurakujanen: Because you know I'm right.

Ukyou: I told him I was sorry! It was a mistake! I won't do it again! Now are
you ready to give up, or do I have to beat you into submission?

Kurakujanen: I'm afraid that won't be happening. [grasps Ukyou with tendrils
and electrocutes her. She swiftly collapses unconscious.]

Kurakujanen: That was too easy...perhaps the others will be more of a
challenge.

* * *

[Ranma looks around downstairs.]

Ranma: Where did Akane go, anyway... [notices the red string still trailing
from his finger towards Kazuyo's room] Oh yeah, I can just follow
this string... Yeesh, I should have thought of that.

[He follows the red string to the door to Kazuyo's room, but can't open the
door.]

Ranma: [pounds on the door] Akane! Akane! Can you hear me?
[mutters] Stupid door. [hears a noise on the staircase] Hey, Ucchan?
Sato-san? That you? I can't get this door open...

[There is a noise of something falling down the stairs. It tumbles into
sight, landing at the base of the stairs. It is Ukyou. She is unconscious,
and her clothing is charred somewhat.]

Ranma: UCCHAN! [runs over to her] Ucchan, what happened?
[yells] Sato-san! What's going on?

Kurakujanen: He's left you to die, that's what's happened.

[Kurakujanen boils down the stairs, its voice coming from somewhere deep
inside it.]

Ranma: YOU! You're gonna pay for what you did to Ucchan!

Kurakujanen: He brought you here to...[Ranma leaps at Kurakujanen and flies
right through it, dissipating some of it.] Oww... [thinking]
Hmm. I guess he's too dim-witted for me to try and demoralize
him... I don't think he even noticed what I was saying.

Ranma: What the... [bounces off the stairs, flips, and lands] I went right
through you! [thinking] Was it saying something to me...? I was so mad
I didn't pay any attention to what it said.

Kurakujanen: My, how surprising. I am a cloud, after all. [thinking]
Well, at the moment I'm a cloud.

Ranma: [thinking] Gonna have to use a chi attack...but what if he just
dissipates? Gotta distract him so he doesn't see it coming...
[points up the stairs behind Kurakujanen] Oh my god! What is that?

Kurakujanen: You must think I'm an idiot. I just finished off everyone up
there.

Ranma: You took out Sato-san too?

Kurakujanen: [thinking] Let's try this again. [out loud] He led you all into
my trap. He's gone, and now you will die.

Ranma: He wouldn't betray us like that! [thinking] Would he? Then again...
we really don't know him that well...

Kurakujanen: Fool. You don't know him at all. He lied to you from the start.
And now you will receive the reward for your trust. Death.
Unless...

Ranma: Unless?

Kurakujanen: Swear to serve me and you shall live. Otherwise, you shall die.

Ranma: [thinking] If I try to fight him, Ucchan might get hurt more... but
if I don't...I can't stop him from getting to Akane...Where is
Sato-san? Surely, it's just trying to trick me...I hope.
[out loud] Let Akane out and I'll consider it.

Kurakujanen: I can't.

Ranma: Whaddya mean, you can't?

Kurakujanen: I did not trap her in there.

Ranma: You're lying!

Kurakujanen: The door is locked in the real world. When that happens, the door
locks here.

Ranma: [thinking] Well, maybe... no, too much in its favor! It's got to be a
trick... [out loud] What happens if I break down the door?

Kurakujanen: The real door will fall down or be broken, or whatever.
Probably would really shock the woman who lives there.

Ranma: Then you won't mind if I let Akane out before I answer you?

Kurakujanen: No!... Oh, go ahead.

Ranma: [starts to turn to break down the door, thinking] Wait, what if it
attacks me from behind? Oh great...

Kurakujanen: [drifts closer to Ranma] Choose or die...

Ranma: I must... uh... commune with my spirit mentor... Pardon me while I
glow for a while. [starts building up a chi charge, thinking] Maybe it
will be dumb enough to...

Kurakujanen: Feeling confident your friend will survive that attack too?

Ranma: [realizes Ukyou is too close to the creature to do a chi attack]
Back off!

Kurakujanen: I tire of this. [fires a lighting bolt at Ranma, who dodges.]

Ranma: Hah! You missed me! [starts dodging wildly as Kurakujanen fires
lightning everywhere, charring the walls]

Kurakujanen: You're fast, I see.

Ranma: The fastest that ever was!

Kurakujanen: How about your friend?

Ranma: I...

[Kurakujanen builds up a powerful charge, looming over Ukyou.]

Ranma: NO! [leaps and grabs Ukyou, springing away, only to get blasted in
mid-air. He falls to the ground] You won't stop me... that easily...

Kurakujanen: I won't have to. Let's see how fast you dance with a heavy
burden.

[Kurakujanen begins chasing Ranma around the house. Ranma finds it hard to
avoid the blasts while carrying Ukyou.]

Ranma: [thinking] I'm never gonna be able to fight this thing while I have to
carry Ukyou. [looks around and sees he is backed into the end of the
hallway] Uh-oh.

Kurakujanen: You got that right. [*BZZZT!* Ranma gets zapped and passes out.]
Remarkably easy to defeat him. Unless there's another Saotome
lurking around here. But I would have seen his father...

* * *

[Akane looks around Kazuyo's apartment. It looks almost exactly as it does in
the material world...only the newest items are missing.]

Akane: [after a brief search] Not much in here. [discovers she can't open the
door] Hey! [tries unlocking the door.] I can't get out!

[She continues battering on the door as she hears the battle on the other
side. Finally the battle stops.]

Akane: [banging on the door] Ranma! Get me out of here!

[The door swings open.]

Akane: Whew, I'm glad you...

Kurakujanen: I'm glad I won too.

Akane: [sees Ranma and Ukyou down for the count] RANMA! [starts to glow red]
You're gonna pay for what you've done!

Kurakujanen: If I hear one more person precede an attack on me with a cliche
like that...

[Akane leaps at the spirit and passes right through him.]

Kurakujanen: Very nice try.

[Akane glowers at him, glowing even brighter. She strikes at him again. A bit
of him evaporates.]

Kurakujanen: So, I will have to take this seriously.

[He solidifies into a metallic humanoid.]

Akane: Yeesh, you're ugly!

Kurakujanen: So says the uncute tomboy.

Akane: I AM NOT AN UNCUTE TOMBOY!

[She leaps at Kurakujanen, swinging wildly. He avoids all her attacks with
ease.]

Kurakujanen: Truly pathetic, Tendo Akane. [boxes her ears. She falls down.]

Akane: I'll get you for that! [She advances on Kurakujanen, who dodges her
blows, though it is clear he really isn't much faster than her.]
Stop doing that! I hate it when Ranma does that to me! FIGHT!

Kurakujanen: Right. [lets Akane punch him in the gut, then slams both fists
into her upper chest. She flies backwards.] You lack speed, girl.
[looks down and sees she has left melted indentations in him.]
You... I can't believe you did that. You have no power... only
mindless rage.

Akane: I won't let you get away with what you did to Ranma! He's my husband!

Kurakujanen: [advances on Akane, who desperately dodges his blows] He cared
more about Ukyou than about you. He went to save her, not you.

Akane: He couldn't get in the room!

Kurakujanen: You don't really believe that. [tries to sweep Akane's legs, but
she jumps high and kicks him in the face, denting him a little]

Akane: Yes, I do!

Kurakujanen: He left you to die... I just decided to take him out first.
He's the real threat.

[Akane hears a rapping at the window. She turns and sees B-chan, a small red
bird, rapping to be let in.]

Akane: B... B-chan?

[While she is turned, Kurakujanen grabs her and throws her across the room
and into the wall.]

Akane: [struggling to get up] Owww... pain....

Kurakujanen: [advancing on her] That is but a shred of the pain you will
experience... unless...

Akane: Unless what?

Kurakujanen: Serve me and you may live.

Akane: I won't serve you!

Kurakujanen: Then you will die like the others.

Akane: No! RANMA ISN'T DEAD!

Kurakujanen: [growls at the bird pecking on the window] Go away! This is my
domain!

[Akane picks up the couch and hits him over the head with it while he is
distracted. It shatters.]

Kurakujanen: That was pathetic. [prepares to sock Akane into next week, but
she dives past him, opens the window and dives out. Kurakujanen
slowly climbs out the window after her.]

[The bird lands on Akane's shoulder and chirps at her.]

Akane: I wish I could tell what you are saying...

Kurakujanen: [threateningly] Get away from her, bird...

Akane: You'd better fly away, B-chan... I don't know if I can stop him...

[B-chan begins to sing.]

Kurakujanen: [finally gets out the window] Now you will pay. [charges Akane,
who runs. She soon gets a lead on him.] You can run!
But I will never tire and you will! Metal endures!

Akane: [thinking] Where did I hear that? Metal endures...

[She flashes back to tromping through the woods to the pond with Ranma,
Sato, and Ukyou.]

Sato: Ideally, there should be five of us...but four will have to do.

Ranma: Why?

Sato: One for each of the elements. A unity of all things. Air, Water, Fire,
Metal, and Wood. Each acts in different ways. Air pushes obstacles away.
Water flows around them. Fire destroys its foes. Metal endures. Wood
bends.

[Akane snaps back to reality.]

Akane: There was something else too... about metal...

[Akane flashes back again. She is floating in the pond, in Ranma-chan's arms.]

Ranma-chan: You saved yourself. I won't leave you to die, but I can't always
save you either.

Akane: [closes her eyes in Ranma-chan's arms] I know, Ranma-kun.

Ranma-chan: Never forget that you too have power.

Akane: [feels the water flowing past her] It's so peaceful here.

Ranma-chan: Water can be peaceful like a gentle pond or rage like a stormy
sea. Air moves the waves; waves douse the flames; flames melt
metal; metal cuts the tree; tree bends in the wind without
breaking.

Akane: Nani?

[Akane snaps back to reality.]

Akane: Fire melts metal... but I don't have any fire.

[B-chan trills a tune into her ear.]

Akane: You were... you became a phoenix! That's fire! How can I make fire,
B-chan?

[B-chan sings and she remembers herself glowing with anger, with the fires of
rage.]

Akane: That's it. [stops running] YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR HURTING MY RANMA!
[starts to glow red, brighter and brighter] YOU HURT MY FRIEND UKYOU
AND YOU HURT MY HUSBAND! YOU'VE TRIED TO TAKE OVER MY HOME! I WON'T
STAND FOR THIS! [Flames begin to ignite all over her. Kurakujanen
begins to back up.]

Kurakujanen: Maybe I'll just be leaving now...

Akane: HONOU NO EIKYUUNI SHINANAI TORI KOUGEKI!

[The fire around her forms into a huge phoenix shape, which flies at
Kurakujanen, who is starting to turn back into mist. "The Flame of the Phoenix
Strike" tears into him and he screams, melting away into nothing as the
flames consume him. Akane sags.]

Akane: He's gone... I defeated him... RANMA! [regaining her strength, she runs
into the house with B-chan following her]

* * *

Sato: [still meditating, blinks] The ward is gone...Kurakujanen must be dead
or fled. [gets up and leaves the room.]

* * *

[We see Akane cradling the unconscious Ranma in her arms, crying. Ukyou lies
nearby with B-chan fluttering over her.]

Akane: [crying] Ranma, Ranma... you've got to be okay. You've got to. Don't
die on me, Ranma... Don't leave me.

Ranma: [stirring] A... Akane? R-run before he gets you, Akane...

Akane: [grips Ranma tightly] I beat him! He's melted away...

Ranma: But... I thought a Saotome had to beat him...

Sato: [from the stairs] One did. She is your wife... Saotome Akane. Thus the
prophecy was fulfilled.

Ranma: [looks over] Ucchan? Are you okay?

Ukyou: [stirring] Ran-chan... are you okay?

[They both try to laugh and only very hoarse laughter comes out.]

Ranma: I'm gonna need a long rest.

Akane: Let's go home, Ranma.

Ranma: The bad part is... we are home. We have to go way out in the woods and
come back.

[They all laugh.]

* * *

[The battered heroic band has made its way back to the clearing with the
mystic pool. They stand and stare at themselves in the pool for a moment.]

Akane: We look pretty bad.

Sato: Think of home and leap in.

[They all jump into the pool. The water surrounds them briefly, then they find
themselves standing in the pool in the material world. Akane looks down again
at the pool, and this time...]

Akane: I can see my reflection!

[They all look. They see themselves in the pool where once they could not.]

Ukyou: I can see myself too!

Sato: The spirit world knows you now. It shall not forget.

Ranma-chan: That's nice, but I wanna go home and get some hot water.

[There is a boom of thunder and it begins to rain.]

Ranma-chan: This is just great.

[Ukyou uses her giant spatula as an umbrella, for what it's worth. Sato simply
suffers.]

Ranma-chan: [turns towards the town] Well, let's start walking. Don't suppose
you have any magic for getting home fast, Sato-san?

Sato: The spirits desire that we be wet. It is not wise to defy fate.

Akane: [wades out of the pond with the others following her] Too bad the
spirits didn't desire to bring us umbrellas.

* * *

[They finally trudge out of the rain and in the front door of Maison Sabaku,
dripping wet.]

Ukyou: Mind if I dry off here and borrow some dry clothing? Oh, and borrow an
umbrella.

Akane: Sure, Ukyou. I can loan you some clothing.

Ranma-chan: I'll loan her some clothing. Your shirts would be too tight on
her and...

Akane: [dangerous voice] Ranma...

Ranma-chan: Well, I'm sure we can find something. I need some hot water
before Kanrinin-san sees me.

Ukyou: Arigato, Akane.

Sato: I'll go distract her for you, Ranma. Then I think I'm going to take a
very long nap. I'll be right up to talk with you first, though.

Ranma-chan: Arigato!

[Sato heads down the hallway to Kazuyo's apartment, while the others head
upstairs.]

Sato: [knocks on the door] Are you in, Kazuyo-san?

Kazuyo: [opens the door] Hello, Sato-san. Come in.

[He sits down on the couch, which almost immediately shatters into its
component parts.]

Sato: [thinking] I hope we didn't break anything else in the spirit world...
[out loud] I have an interesting story to tell you...

* * *

[Room 4. Akane, Ukyou, and Ranma are all waiting for Sato.]

Ranma: [lying flat on his back on the floor] Man, I'm tired!

Akane: I think we all are.

Ukyou: [rubbing her head] After this, I'm actually looking forward to finals!

Ranma: [making a face] Don't remind me. [a knock at the door] Come in!

Sato: [entering] How are you all feeling?

Ranma & Akane & Ukyou: TIRED!

Sato: I see. [looking at the three] Well, I believe you will all be fine, if
you all get a lot of rest. However, that was not what I came up to
discuss. [kneeling] How did the Guardian's tests affect you? I, myself,
remember the Guardian's test for me... [face darkens] and it was...
quite difficult. The Guardian acts to promote your spiritual growth,
but spiritual growth is often painful.

Akane: [looking at Ranma] I... I don't want to talk about it.

Ranma: [looking up at Akane] I don't want to talk about it either.

Ukyou: [looking straight at Sato] He kinda reminds me of you.

Sato: Who, the Guardian?

Ukyou: I'm still not sure... what exactly the test was.

Sato: It can be confusing.

Ukyou: [slowly] I thought at first it was when he tried to convince me to
kill Akane... but that was only the beginning.

[Ranma and Akane get BIG eyes. Sato nods.]

Akane: [backs up a step] K...Kill me?

Ranma: [thinks] Maybe I got off easier than I thought.

Sato: Are you sure you want to talk about this?

Ukyou: I... I need to. I told him no. I'd never try to kill Akane. Not now. I
know I've made mistakes in the past... I'm sure you must still be angry
over all the things I've done to you, Akane... I'm sorry.

Akane: [nervously] I... It's okay. It all happened a long time ago.

Ukyou: It's not okay. I never said I was sorry before for any of it. Please
forgive me, Akane. We can't forget it happened, but I want to be able
to be your friend. [offers Akane a hand]

Akane: [stares at it for a moment, then takes it] I forgive you, Ukyou. I...
we should have done this a long time ago. If there's anything I've
done to you...

Sato: I take it there's been bad blood between you in the past?

Ranma: There's the understatement of the year.

Ukyou: Apology accepted. Let's just start over, okay, Akane?

Akane: Do you think we really can, Ukyou?

Ukyou: [smiles] I seem to do it all the time.

Ranma: Eh? What do you mean by that?

Ukyou: What do you think I've been doing this entire semester?

Ranma: Umm...

Akane: Well, we, uh...

Ukyou: Well, I'm not sure if I knew anymore than you did, or even if I really
know now what I'm doing. Now I know I've got more choices than I ever
really understood before. [twirls her spatula] How many answers does a
question have, indeed.

Ranma: [mutters to himself] The Guardian isn't the only person sounding like
Sato.

[Sato smiles.]

Sato: Well, that's all right. We each have to deal with the questions that
life tests us with, and find our own answers. Some of us [looking at
Ranma] will face life head-on. Others will question their own answers.
[looks at Ukyou] But life goes on, thanks to you. [standing up] I
shall part. Till tomorrow, then. I believe Kazuyo-san will be
throwing a party tomorrow night, assuming I can get her a new couch
by then... [opens the door]

Akane: [thinking] Couch? Oh... that couch. [blushes faintly]

Ranma: Wait. What did my ancestor do to Kurakujanen that got him so riled up
anyway?

Sato: Your ancestor didn't actually do anything to him.

Ranma: Then why did we have to fight him?

Sato: Because you were destined to fight him. He came here to dispose of
you so that you could not destroy him.

Ranma: But I would never have done anything to him if he hadn't sought me out!
And I didn't even destroy him...

Sato: Akane did. By striving to escape prophecy, he fulfilled it.
[claps his hands] Such is fate.

Akane: What if I hadn't married Ranma? Would it have come anyway? Would it
have... killed...

Sato: Ours is not to worry about what might have been. Time is a seamless
tapestry that only comes apart in a mess on the floor when we try to
pick at the strands.

Ranma: Nani?

Sato: Anyway, don't worry about it. He is gone forever. Now, Mizukama, the
black wind of the north... that's another story. If you see him, run.

Ranma: Why?

Sato: [looking back] Hm. I believe one of Ranma's ancestors ate the food
being sacrificed to Mizukama one day and he swore a horrible revenge...

Ranma & Akane & Ukyou: NANI?!

[As Sato is about to step out the door, Akane and Ukyou turn as one and start
pounding Ranma into the ground as he makes pathetic warding off gestures.]

Akane: You always get us into trouble!

Ukyou: Ran-chan no baka!

Sato: [blinks] Umm... if I can get a word in...

Ranma: [feebly defending himself] It's not my fault! I didn't ask to be born
into my family! Why are you pounding on ME?

Ukyou and Akane: Because we're getting sick of this sort of thing!

[They blink and stare at each other for a moment.]

Sato: [louder] I was trying to make a joke!

Ukyou: Hold on, we'll get to you when we...

Akane: A JOKE?

Ranma: [looks up at Sato from the floor] Joke?

Sato: [puts one hand behind his head] I didn't realize you'd beat him up!

Akane: Let's see if you can predict what I'm gonna do next with your magic!
[advances menacingly on Sato, followed by Ukyou and Ranma]

Sato: I see myself running away in the near future.

[Fade to black amidst the sounds of running for one's life.]

===============================================================================
finis.
===============================================================================

There's word on the street again
The rumours come flyin'
She's up to her old ways again
And another one is cryin'

No-one understands
She's a dif'rent person now
No-one lends a hand
To listen to her now

Days going by, hopelessness in your heart
Never look back, never break apart

Somebody loves you
Now and forever
And you're not alone now
If only you'll remember
That somebody loves you
Waiting patiently
Somebody loves you
Look and you will see
Somebody loves you ...
(Somebody)
Somebody like me.

===============================================================================

Credits :

Writers..............: David Tai
Paul Gallegos
John Walter Biles

Story Artist.........: Anastasia Moreno

DnR Outsider's FAQ...: Jon K. Hayashi

Special Thanks to....: Robert DeLoura
Tanya Mundy
J.

The Tucson Animation Screening Society (TASS)

And of course Rumiko Takahashi

+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+
| Copyright (c) 1996 Digital Knight Communications |
+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+
| "Ranma 1/2" and its characters Copyright (c) 1996 |
| Viz Communications, Inc., Shogakukan, Kitty Animation |
| and Rumiko Takahashi |
+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+

===============================================================================