
                    +++++++++++++++++++++
                    + WINGS TO FLY AWAY +
                    +  by Dreamspinner  +
                    +++++++++++++++++++++


     The four fiancees glared at each other, arms militantly
folded across their chests, shooting each other looks that could
kill. Every one within a fifty-foot radius could feel the tension
crackling among them.
     Ukyo narrowed her eyes to slits and tried to appear as tough
as they come. Inside however, doubts had begun to gnaw at her. 
     The foursome had finally had enough of Ranma's
indecisiveness. They'd confronted him and demanded that he make a
choice right then and there. He had looked ready to shatter, so
Akane had softly suggested that they'd wait until noon. Then
Kodachi had stepped up, and with a dramatic flourish produced a
bouquet of red roses to give to the victor. He'd gazed at the
bunch of roses dumbly, then fled without looking back.
     Now it was noon, and the four were waiting in the park
(neutral ground for all of them) for him to appear but he was
nowhere to be found.
     And Ukyo was having doubts. Of course Ranchan would choose
her, but suppose, just suppose, he didn't, what would happen to
her? What would she do?
     You'd die, an emphatic inner voice told her. The best part
of you would just shrivel up and die. 
     That's right, Ukyo admitted sadly. Without Ranchan, my life
would be without meaning.
     The rest of her thoughts were interrupted when Ranma himself
appeared on the other side of the road. He was grinning and
cradling the bouquet in the crook of his arm.
     All doubts and worries were swept away at the sight of him.
How could she have ever doubted Ranchan? she wondered
ecsatically. Of course he loved her, and she loved him.
     What happened next seemed in slow motion. He was running
toward them - to her - and she spread her arms in joyous welcome.
A dazzling smile lit up her face. She was dimly aware that the
other girls around her were crying out and doing the same, but
she didn't care. All that mattered was Ranma...Ranma...
    That's when the nightmare began. A yellow taxi appeared out
of nowhere and came speeding
down the road - straight at him. Their cries of joy turned to
frozen gasps of horror. Ranma swerved his head to the side to see
what they were looking at -
     ===BBBAAAMMMMMMMM!!!!=== a huge, sickening crunch - and he
disappeared from view. 
     Ukyo felt her face contorting, molding into an expression of
utter anguish.
     "NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
     
     -OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Ukyo sat straight
up in bed, gripping the sheets to her damp body. She gasped and
closed her eyes, breathing heavily. The darkness soothed her like
nothing could. It was easy to let herself believe that the
accident was nothing but a bad dream...
     Then she snapped her eyes open. Except that it wasn't. Ranma
Saotome had died from a car accident exactly a year ago, leaving
the world before he could tell it once and for all whom he loved.
     She rolled over on her side and crawled out of the cot she
was lying on. She glanced around the little room dolefully. How
bare and lonely it looked! How different it had appeared when
Ranma was alive - back when she'd viewed the world through
rose-colored glasses.
     She sighed and made her way to the dingy little bathroom in
the corner. She splashed her face with cold water, willing that
it would erase all signs of last nights crying. Then she ran a
brush through her thick brown hair before tying it up with a
black ribbon. She stared at her reflection in the mirror.
"Efficient and responsible," she murmured to herself. If but a
little cold and stern, she added silently. She shook her head as
if to shake those thoughts out of her head. Efficient and
responsible was what she'd vowed to be at Ranma's funeral, for
she could no longer be cheerful and carefree. If she had to be
cold and stern as well; fine, so be it. 
     She strode out of the depressing little room and into her
restaurant. Ucchan's was still open for business, and the place
would be filling up soon. She flicked the light switch on and
Ucchan's became bathed with light. She stood transfixed for a
moment, gazing at the place she'd worked so long and hard for.
The tables, chairs, floor and counter shone. The dishes, pots,
pans, silverware and glassware were all neatly arranged inside
the cabinets. Not a speck of dust could be seen anywhere. 
     Sometimes she admitted to herself that Ucchan's was the only
reason she continued to live. She needed to feel needed, and
pathetic though it was, her okonomiyaki restaurant couldn't
survive without her. It craved for her touch...and her touch
alone. 
     So she put down the chairs stacked on top of her table, ran
a perfectly dampened rag across the tables and counter, and
arranged the condiments and silverware on the tables precisely. 
     The last thing she always did was turn over the sign on her
door from CLOSED to OPEN. It was a ritual brimming with
symbolism. Satisfied that everything was in order,
she reached up to do just that...and her hand stilled. 
     Ranma was walking down the sidewalk. 
     She blinked. The boy had his back to her so she couldn't be
sure, but the broad shoulders and pigtail braid down the back of
his head were distinctive. She blinked her eyes again, this time
taking longer until opening them.
     It couldn't be him, it couldn't be him...
     But then, she wondered, why am I running to him?     
     
     Shampoo was sitting on the front steps of the Neko Hanten,
holding a single rose delicately. She was trying not to cry;
biting her lip savagely to keep the tears from falling.
     Mousse watched her from behind - knowing that she would
fling him if she knew he was watching her right now. He sighed
and closed his eyes painfully. True, he had hated Saotome, but
he'd never wanted to win Shampoo on default. He wanted to earn
her love - not inherit it. And that was what had happened.
     Shampoo had clung to him for support this past year, but she
was still moody and resentful. Sometimes she would treat him like
the love of her life, but when he came upon her alone sometimes,
she'd turn on him like a cat and lash at him with her tongue. 
     He shook his head ruefully. Oh yes...it was a long time yet
for him to figure this lady out.
     Shampoo leaned her head against the doorway. I miss you,
Ranma, she sent out into the clear morning air. Suddenly, she
couldn't hold back the tears anymore. They rolled down her
cheeks, hot and slick. She let them fall, knowing that it was
either that or go crazy. 
     She had truly loved Ranma, loved him with all her heart.
Since that day she had opened her eyes and found him staring down
at her, she'd known he was the only one for her. His strength,
both inner and outer, compelled her to admire him. In a life full
of conquests and triumphs, it shocked her to find herself revel
in defeat. 
     Growing in an Amazon Village was hard, especially if you
were the great granddaughter of the tribal head. Not to mention
the best young fighter for miles around. Her superior status kept
her aloof from her female peers. Their concerns she found
trivial. All they talked about was the male youth in the other
villages. Being undefeated, she could not join in, and although
she feigned disinterest, inside she'd ached to laugh and giggle
with the rest of them. She'd always felt as if something was
missing in her life.
     All that had changed with Ranma. She'd fallen for him well
and truly.
     And all that had ended with Ranma.
     She sighed and the tears continued to fall. Then she frowned
and looked down. What in the - a bell?
     True enough, the ringing of a bell could be distinctly heard
in the distance. Shampoo tensed, and waited. 
     What she saw made her gasp. Coming down the road, casual as
could be, was Ranma. And he was ringing a bell!
     Behind her, Mousse gawked at the apparition before him. He
must be mistaken, he must be... He fumbled for the glasses on his
robe, and shaking, raised them to his eyes. It only confirmed
what he already knew in his heart.
     Shampoo suddenly realized why Ranma was ringing a bell. He
was reminding her of the time he'd rescued her from the Ghost
Cat! 
     His saving her was the kindest thing anyone had ever done
for her. He'd rescued her even though it meant facing his worst
fear - namely a giant monster cat. That's when she knew he must
love her, for only love could have made him do that.
     Now he was reminding her of that very fact, telling her to
remain true to him. She cried out in joy and ran toward him,
knowing it was impossible that it was him but hoping against hope
- "Ranma!!! Ranma!!!" she called ecsatically. But he appeared not
to hear her and continued walking.
     Mousse cursed under his breath. Shampoo's heart was going to
be broken again. He chased after her and grabbed her by the arm
roughly, forcing her to look up at him. "Shampoo, stop! It's not
him! It can't be him!" 
     Shampoo tried to break away from his grasp. "Let go,
Mousse!" Her eyes were full of a wild and desperate hope.
"Shampoo going after Ranma!"
     "But it's not him!" he screamed, holding on to her for dear
life. Shampoo was his now - he knew if he let her go after Ra--
whoever that was - he'd lose her forever. So he gripped her,
oblivious to her thrashing and heaving.
     Her eyes blazed up at him. "Shampoo love Ranma, Mousse!!!"
     He let go, stunned and hurt.
     She stood there for a moment, swaying between taking it back
and running after Ranma. But Mousse's eyes slowly assumed a
shuttered look, and Ranma's figure grew smaller and smaller in
the distance - in the end, she didn't have much of a choice.  
     
     It was a strange and startling occurence at the Nerima
Mental Ward when Bush and Cole, two of the toughest orderlies,
came into the cafeteria trembling and pale as ghosts. They sat
down among their friends at their table, but it was awhile before
either of them could speak. When they did, their voices were full
of awe and reverence.
     "Cole and me were minding our business when Boss Summers
come running up to us and shouting, 'Ms. Kuno is having a tantrum
again.' Well we both dropped what we was doing and and followed
him as fast as we could. 
     "Sure enough we came to that room at the edge of the Ward
and the Black Rose was screaming bloody murder. She bit and spat
and clawed down our backs, and it was all both of us could do to
strap her in a straitjacket." Bush shuddered. "And she laughed."
     Everyone nodded at this in mute horror. The Black Rose's
laugh was known to curdle a man's blood. Everyone but a new
orderly, who shook his head in consternation. "I don't get it.
Who is this 'Black Rose'?" 
     He was immediately answered by several voices.
     "A nighmare!"
     "She poisons your food with arsenic -"
     "If she be in a better mood, paralysis potion!" A round of
laughter followed this remark.                
      Bush motioned for them to be quiet, and they did. After
all, the honor of the tale was his. "The Black Rose," he began in
a low voice, "was brought here, hmmmm, about a year ago. They say
her father is rich, that's why she wasn't brought here earlier.
Then again, she was only a little unbalanced before... But when
her boyfriend or something croaked, she just went over the edge,
and her father couldn't keep her quiet anymore. So they brought
her here, even though I think she was supposed to be put in a
maximum security prison. They paid so she can still get the best
life a nut can."
     The new orderly stared up at him in rapt attention. "Wow! It
must have been something trying to quiet her!"
     All pairs of eyes turned to him and Cole. 
     "Well, we didn't exactly..." Bush mumbled. He stared at
Cole.
     Cole obliged by continuing their story. "We were standing
there, sweating like pigs after the workout she gave us when this
doc appeared. At least, he looked like a doc. He had a white coat
on and a stethoscope around his neck. But his face was too young.
Naturally I was on my guard at once, wondering if the boy meant
mischief and thinking too that if he was, well, the Black Rose
could punish him better than I ever could. So I starts to open my
mouth, give him the famous sneer, when I look into his eyes...and
I was struck dumb. I-I-" Cole appeared to be struck dumb now,
unable to continue.
     "Why?!" the eager audience chorused.
     Cole shook his head, in a gesture of disbelief. "Peace. I
saw the profoundest peace in my whole life."
     Bush nodded his head in vigorous agreement. "I saw it too.
He nodded his head toward the door, hinting for us to leave, and
we did. You just don't argue with a man like that. Then we
thought we heard the Black Rose whimper inside. Curiosity just
gets the better of us and we press our ears to the door. We heard
him say 'Kodachi' and -"
     "What's Kodachi?" somebody interrupts.
     "I don't know. Mayhaps a voodoo word. Anyway, he says it,
and the weirdest thing happens."
     "What? What?" cried their excited audience. 
     "The Black Rose shut up. She totally shut up. Cole and I, we
were staring at each other like you fellows are staring at each
other right now, when the door swung open. We jumped back and
resumed our places. The guy, he gives us this knowing, sidelong
glance. He knows what we been up to."
     "That makes me feel ashamed," Cole added. "So I looked down,
only for a second, but when I look up, the guy was gone! Poof!
Just like that!"   
      Hushed silence followed. "I wonder who he is," someone
mused aloud.
     "Or what he is," his friend snorted derisively. 

     Nabiki approached Kasumi. "Is she still in there?" she
inquired worriedly.
     Kasumi nodded sadly. Tears filled the warm brown eyes. "Oh
Nabiki," she sobbed. "I just don't know what to do anymore."
     Her sister hugged her tightly. "There, there, oneechan," she
whispered. "If anyone, you're the only one who's kept this family
going. I should be the one ashamed. I should be here for you and
father."
     Kasumi shook her head. "No, you need to study. It's not your
fault."
     Do I? Nabiki wondered wryly. The truth of the matter is, I
just want to escape from this house's oppressive atmosphere.
Shame washed over her again in sickening waves. It was a hell of
a time for her conscience to come back from the grave.
     But Nabiki could do nothing about it. She could not stay in
the house for too long. Her face twisted into a bitter mask.
Ranma's death had destroyed her family.
     Genma Saotome had left the day after his son's funeral. He
had scrawled some gibberish on a scrap of paper that he was going
on a training expedition. That was pure nonsense of course; Genma
didn't have a son left to train. No one knew where he was now. 
     The future of Soun Tendo's beloved training hall was bleak.
His once envied jet-black hair was now streaked with gray. He
didn't speak much, spending most of his time smoking and staring
into space. 
     And Akane... The day that Ranma died was the day her spirit
left. She was but a fraction of her former self.
     Nabiki forced a smile on her face as she broke away from her
older sister. She could kill that Ranma for what he'd done to her
sister and family. Except it was too late, wasn't it? A drunk
taxi driver had beaten her to it.   

     Akane huddled underneath the bathroom sink, squeezing
herself into a tight little ball so she occupied the smallest
space possible. She wanted to do more than that. She wanted to
disappear from the face of the earth. 
     Hot tears ran down her cheeks. She knew she had cried too
much for far too long and she wanted to stop. She just didn't
have the willpower to try. Sometimes she wondered if she had the
willpower to continue living. Every morning it was harder and
harder to get out of bed, everyday she found herself wondering
more and more why she bothered to. Life was just so much harder
without Ranma. The days just melted from one into another in a
gray haze devoid of color. 
     Dimly she was aware that she was losing touch with her close
friends one by one. It wasn't their fault; Yuka and Sayuri had
sincerely tried to be there for her. But she couldn't stand their
sympathy, their pity. They just didn't understand, and she felt
like shouting at them to leave her alone. Instead, she'd dropped
out of her various school activities one by one, first the drama
club, then the volleyball team. She'd stopped eating lunch with
them at the cafeteria, preferring to eat alone inside their
classroom. She went home the minute school was out, carefully
averting her gaze from the chainlink fence.
     It was better this way, she'd decided, even though the
isolation hurt her terribly. It was just too big a risk to care
for anyone again.
     But the real issue of the problem was something she barely
understood herself. Or perhaps, refused to dwell on. She felt
like she was in limbo, stuck reading the same page over and over
again without being able to read the rest of the book. Ranma had
died before his time, died just before she could turn to the next
chapter. And that was what bothered her so much. 
     Akane had been trapped once in the body of a wooden doll,
she did not cherish the idea of being entombed in a cage of her
own making all her life. She had to know if he had cared for her
at all - or risk going insane. 
     She leaned her head against the cool tiled wall, feeling
drained. Oh she would give anything...
     "Akane..."
     She started. The voice had seemed to brush against her cheek
like a caress. She looked around the small bathroom, eyes alert.
Even though she had been out of shape for a long time now, she
still had all of her martial art senses. 
     "Akane." This time the voice was more insistent, and it
rubbed against her cheek instead of merely brushing. 
     Mesmerized, she got up slowly and let herself out of the
bathroom. She carefully checked the outside but found no one. She
could hear the low rumbling of her sisters' voices in the
kitchen. 
     "Akane," the voice continued to call. 
     She glided across the room and turned the knob. A gust of
wind blew past her. She gasped and closed her eyes. She stood
like that for a long time, savoring the feel of the cool air on
her hot skin. Then -
     "Akane." This time the voice was much, much closer. It was
achingly familiar and full of yearning. She didn't want to open
her eyes lest it stop. But of course she did in the end.
     What she saw sucked the breath out of her. If there hadn't
been the door to support her, she was sure she would have swooned
dead away. 
     She was staring at the back of her dead fiance. She opened
her mouth in a scream but found nothing came out. Shaking
terribly, she raised an arm and reached out for him. Helplessly,
like a sailor drawn to a siren, she followed in his steps.
     To her doom...or redemption.

     Ukyo paid no attention to her surroundings as she heedlessly
ran after Ranma. Everything else ceased to matter. We'll be
together again, her mind sang over and over. Together forever.
     Then, something in the back of her mind told her something
was wrong, very wrong. She tried to push the feeling away but it
persisted. Then she spotted them. 
     She came to a screeching halt.
     Standing in front of her were the two women she'd avoided
seeing for two years. They looked as confused and desperate as
she felt. An irrational impulse filled her to scream at them. It
was so unfair! her mind shouted wildly. Can't you leave me to
have Ranma to myself for once?! But she suddenly realized what
else was wrong.     
     This time Ukyo did scream.
     She was in the park, standing on the same place where she'd
watched Ranma die. Before her was the same expanse of road he'd
tried to cross. Oh God, she thought, feeling her knees go weak,
oh God. 
     She had vowed never to set foot on this place again. Even
when she was going for groceries, she went the long way just so
she wouldn't need to pass by it. She'd known that merely seeing
it would evoke the memories she'd tried so hard to repress. She
felt like vomiting.  
     Shampoo and Akane hovered beside her, and she watched them
out of the corner of her eyes. She was struck by the change in
Akane. She was way too thin, looking so frail and fragile she was
almost transparent. Their eyes met for a moment, and Ukyo
hurriedly tore her gaze away. Painfully.
     "Look!" Shampoo suddenly cried, pointing at something
excitedly.
     Both she and Akane turned to look. Their cries stuck in
their throats. 
     Ranma was standing on the other side. He was grinning and    
holding a bouquet of roses. Just like before.
     What happened afterward was in slow motion, in a twisted
sense of deja vu. He was running over to their side, the grin
still on his face. Ukyo felt her heart skip a beat. God she'd
almost forgotten what he looked like. The sight wrenched at her
soul. 
     Then, a chill ran through her as she unconsciously compared
the present with the past. Wait a minute, where was the taxi...?
     As if on cue, she saw a cab materialize to her left. "No!"
she cried out and she could hear the rawness in her voice. She
closed her eyes, not bearing to look any longer. 
     (Oh no please God I can't stand to see it again not again
I'd die oh please please) 
     Then she heard someone shriek ecstatically - Akane probably
-  and opened her eyes with a snap. Ranma was still running
toward them, yet the taxi was still moving in the opposte
direction. She realized that _the_car_ had_run_right_through_him. 
     Ukyo went limp with relief. She thanked God inwardly. 
     Ranma raced the remaining distance, and Ukyo held out her
arms in welcome. She had eyes only for him.
     The feeling was not mutual. He was staring at Akane with all
the love of the centuries shining in his eyes. He handed her the
bouquet, a whimsical half-smile on his face.   
     Ukyo moaned and crumpled to the ground. It was her worst
nightmare come to life. He didn't love her! He never had! But
like someone struck with morbid fascination, she couldn't look
away.
     Akane accepted the flowers with numb fingers, eyes sparkling
up at him. He smiled again and lifted a hand to brush her cheek
gently. She sighed and closed her eyes. Twin drops of tears fell.
She reached out to lay her hand over his. 
     For a moment, flesh touched flesh, and it was a moment where
time seemed to stop. But all too soon, the flesh started to fade
away into etherealness. 
     Akane made a choked sound and groped for him helplessly. It
did no good. Ranma only smiled back sadly as he slowly
disappeared.
     Ukyo wept. She cried long and hard, and it felt good to
finally let it go. Yet...even as she cried, she discovered
something else. She didn't feel half as miserable as she'd
imagined she'd be. It was strange but - it was almost as if - as
if...she'd known all along this day would come. 
     With this sweeping revelation came understanding. 
     A part of her had been relieved Ranma had died. With his
passing, rejection had also been eradicated. Somewhere, deep
down, she'd been conscious of that relief, and that was the
reason why she'd hated herself so much. 
     Worst of all, it didn't even work. She had found herself,
and everybody else, more miserable with the truth denied them.    
     She heard a sob nearby and remembered she wasn't the only
one in torment. Shampoo's purple mane hung about her face,
obscuring it from view. But right then, she lifted it ever so
slightly and looked Ukyo in the eyes...and she saw the same
thing. Shampoo had known it too. Now it was over. At last.
     Somehow, somewhere, both pulled up enough energy to share a
wobbly smile. Without being aware of it, Ukyo reached out and the
two women clasped hands. In that instant, the two established a
bond...that would last a lifetime. 
     "Look at her," Ukyo breathed, nodding towards Akane.
     Shampoo turned to look, and they both saw a woman clasping a
bouquet of roses to her as if her life depended on it. Tears
coursed freely down her pale cheeks, and sadness enveloped her
like a fog. But Ukyo thought Akane never looked happier. Akane
finally knew.
     In awed tones, Shampoo whispered, "We Chinese have our own
word for him, but I think...I think you call Ranma an angel."    
     Ukyo smiled. She turned her tear-stained face to the sky,
basking in the warm sunlight. She had hated Ranchan for most of
her life...and now she'd spend the rest of it loving him. But
with his choice finally revealed to them, they could now find the
strength to accept it and move on with their lives. In a way, she
felt healed, cleansed...free. "Yes," she told Shampoo softly, "He
is an angel, and he's given us our own wings...so we can fly
away."
     As Akane would have said, a new chapter had begun.



                   "Ye shall know the truth,           
                   and the truth shall make you free."
                                    