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| Part Nineteen: What End May Come | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In the remnants of the ruined temple - Akane held Ranma close - crying fearing him to be dead. It was then that his body twitched. She gasped as she looked down and saw his eyes flutter open. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Ranma you dummy! You scared me half to death!" she emotionally protested. She expected Ranma to argue back as he always had. Calling her a dummy - saying she was uncute or something of the like. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Sorry - ah - won't happen again," he muttered to her surprise. She watched as he slowly got up and looked around. Ranma staggered a bit but was caught by Akane. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - you going to be okay?" she asked timidly. Unknown to them - Mousse, Shampoo and the others had dug themselves out and were watching. Ranma closed his eyes. Instead of seeing wondrous visions all he saw was darkness. He knew that Talon was gone. "Ranma?" she repeated. Ranma blinked as he looked over his shoulder and saw her standing there. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| His mind flashed back to a time before all the craziness began. He remembered all of the times that the two had been together. How they had grown so accustomed to each other and protective. He remembered all of the fights they had been in and then - heard the voice of Soun whisper in the back of his mind - The future may seem far away Ranma - but there will come a time when you have to put aside your indecision. You will have to make choices. Then - you will have to see what you want - know what you want. When that time comes - we can only hope - there will still be time to act. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He limped over to where Akane was and began to reach out to her - but something stopped him. He turned his back and looked up at the sky. For the most part the storm had passed - but many dark clouds remained. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You're scaring me Ranma - will you at least say something?" she timidly pleaded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Ever since I got here - I - could only think of one thing - getting back to China - and finding some way to stay a guy for good," he began as he looked at his clenched fist. "Then - our parents - tell us that we have to get married," he continued as he looked over his shoulder at her. "Do - do you know what I thought - when I first saw you?" he asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I - I have no idea," she replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The others were - well - less than kind. Nabiki - she poked fun at me - Kasumi - I couldn't make heads or tails of her. Truth be told - I still can't. But - you - you actually wanted to be my friend," he began as she lowered her eyes. "Pop kept me on the road a lot - in the name of training - so I never really had many friends," he continued. "I - don't think you can know how much that meant to me," he added as he looked away - Genma and Soun ducked. "Then when you found out I was a guy," he continued but stopped. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It scared me. I mean - I was told a girl was in the bath," she began but stopped when she saw that he was having a hard time speaking. "And - I - made you feel worse about your situation," she rationalized. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It hurt a lot when you belittled me - I think that was why - I always said those things. To get back at you for hurting me like that," he said his voice distant. Akane slowly walked over to where he was and stood behind him. "It was stupid - so stupid," he muttered shaking his head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It - it was kind of my fault too Ranma - you can't blame this all on yourself," she pointed out. Ranma looked over his shoulder at her and smiled. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I wouldn't blame you. I did a lot of stupid things Akane. I hurt a lot of people and - the thing that gets me the most now - is that one of them was you," he stated quietly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Where is all this coming from?" she asked. Ranma turned around and almost fell. "What happened to your leg?" she asked seriously. Ranma looked down at his leg. It looked okay - but felt badly wounded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't know. Akane - what do you want?" Ranma asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "M-me? I - I don't know," she modestly replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Since all of this began - I - I have seen a lot of things differently. When we first got tangled up with each other - I think we both thought that we had forever. And the way that things kept popping up and complicating things," he said quietly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What - what are you trying to say?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I died up here Akane. That Talon guy had me dead to rights. Nothing I did worked - nothing stopped him. he took me down and I felt him kill me. As he did - all I could think about was - how I let you down," he said seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "But you didn't," she reassured. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "When I was up there - I realized that - I almost lost you. That - I wouldn't turn around and see you there. See you smile - or even with that frightening hammer of yours," he continued - making her laugh. "After everything that we've been through - I don't think I could handle that," he admitted. "Silly huh," he remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No! I mean no - I - I feel that way too. When - I saw this place collapse - I was so scared. I thought you were gone. Then I found you and saw you laying lifeless," she began but stopped. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You know I meant what I said way back then," he remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What?" she asked suspiciously - remembering al the mean things. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You are cute when you smile," he admitted. Almost against her will she could feel a smile forming. "You're even cuter when you blush," he whispered - making her laugh. He reached over and held her hand in his. "Can you forgive me for being the insensitive, stubborn, jerk that I've been?" he asked hesitantly. . | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - you're really sorry about that?" she asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Very," he whispered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Depends - can you forgive me for beating you up all the time?" she asked with a smile. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You aren't sorry about that," he said with a smirk. She quietly laughed. Seeing her laugh made him smile. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - most of the times you deserved it," she pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Do - do you regret?" he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Regret what?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That we didn't get married last year - that - we allowed all that insanity to keep us apart?" he asked seriously. She lowered her eyes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Part of me is - I - I was just afraid to admit it. I knew you would have teased me about it had you known," she replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I would have. I was such a pig," he remarked making her laugh. "Could - could you give me a second chance Akane?" he hesitantly asked. She stopped laughing and could see how serious he was. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Second chance at - what?' she hesitantly asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Being your fiancee - if you'd have me that is," he replied. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. In her mind she remembered all of the times they fought - and the odd times that she actually lost him - to her sister Nabiki for example. Now - without manipulation - he was humbling himself to her - asking for a second chance. Not because he had to - but because he wanted to be with her and be a part of her life. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I - don't know," she teased as she pulled away. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Listen you," he began with a smirk. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I need to know some things first," she remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Such as?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Do - do you love me?" she asked seriously. Ranma could feel his face redden. She giggled as she walked over and patted him on the cheek. "I'll take that as a yes," she said sticking her tongue out at him. he quietly laughed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I do," he whispered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - do?" she repeated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I - do - love you," he said out loud to her for the first time - and meaning it. Akane blinked in modest disbelief. It was then that a mild rain started falling. The two blinked as they watched the cool rain washing down over them - Ranma - didn't change. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - you aren't changing?" she muttered in modest disbelief. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Must have had something to do with when he killed my girl half the way he did," he replied as he looked at his hands and how they were still the hands of a man. Akane hugged him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm so happy for you. You've wanted this for so long," she said happily. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oddly enough - it doesn't really matter," Ranma muttered as he looked down at Akane. Slowly he leaned forward and the two began to kiss. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Over where Soun and the Panda were. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Looks like you were right about this one," Soun remarked. The panda held up a sign that said "It was bound to happen sooner or later." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Over where Shampoo and Mousse were. Shampoo was quietly sobbing in Mousse's arms. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Epilogue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| An older Ranma put down the scroll he was reading and looked down at the young boy that was looking back at him. It had been almost ten years to that day since Talon had appeared and turned everything upside down. He wore a bandana similar to the one Ryoga once wore. Beside his chair was a walking stick that looked like the one Cologne used to use and on the shelf where the scroll had been - was the pipe that was once used by Happosai. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What happened next daddy?" the boy asked. Ranma smiled as he put the scroll back in its spot and picked up his pipe. With his other hand he then lifted his six year old son up and propped him on his shoulder. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - your mommy and I - we sort of got married and lived happily ever after," Ranma stated with a smile. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "RAN-MA!" an all too familiar voice screamed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - the ever after part was right," Ranma mused as an angry Akane stormed into the room. When she saw their son perched atop his shoulder a forced smile began to form on her face. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You were telling him that story again?" she asked in modest disbelief. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He asked - honest - go on ask him," he reassured. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He's fibbing," he answered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh! Why you little traitor Ryoga!" Ranma teased as he put him down on the floor. Their son laughed as he scurried away. The two parents smiled for a moment. "You bellowed dear?" he playfully reminded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You said you were going to clean up the dojo?" she reminded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I will - I promise," he reassured as they stepped out and looked at the Tendo Dojo. It, like everything else in the new canyon had been rebuilt. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I have heard that before," she pointed out as she dragged him by the ponytail. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Ow - ow not the hair," he teased making her laugh. The two walked by their father's who were playing go. When Akane wasn't looking Ranma flipped his father into the pond turning him into a panda. Akane turned around - Ranma did his best to look innocent. But when she saw the soggy panda in the pond she knew who was responsible. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Dojo - now," she reminded as she pointed. Ranma smiled as the two walked away. The panda held up a sign that read "The Happy couple." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Everything is looking better today," Soun remarked - pretending nothing had happened. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Nabiki? The finances under control?" Ranma asked - Nabiki poked her head out the window and smirked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I told you - if you want me to do that - you have to pay me. Nothing is free - even if you are family now," she rebutted as she vanished back into the house. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You never quit," Akane remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "One of these days she might relent," Ranma stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Don't count on it," Nabiki's voice rebutted. The two laughed as they entered the dojo. There they saw many of the neighborhood kids that had come to study under Ranma. What puzzled them on more than one level was the disturbing familiarities that most of the class had to those they had lost and how all of them interacted with each other. Namely six that looked and acted surprisingly like Happy, Cologne, Kasumi, Kuno, Ukyo and Ryoga. It was then that Akane looked up at the wall and saw the honorary portraits that were put up - reminding them of who gave their lives so that they could be where they were that day. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The portraits of Happy and Cologne were ones of how they looked when they were younger - well - in Happy's case - how he believed he looked when younger. Then there were the portraits of Kasumi, Kuno, Ukyo, and Ryoga - his best friend whom he requested their first son be named after. What puzzled Akane the most though - was why Ranma wanted a portrait - of Talon of all people on that wall as well. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Just then - Shampoo and Mousse walked in and bowed. Akane smiled in a friendly way. For the past ten years - she and her family helped Shampoo and Mousse with things as Shampoo underwent numerous procedures with Doctor Tofu. In that time - Shampoo still tried to trick Ranma at almost every turn. However - unlike the many times that occurred before she and Ranma married - this time - Ranma told the amazon to back off or he and everyone connected to him would stop helping them. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Nihao Ranma," Shampoo said with a smile. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Hey Shampoo - I don't suppose you changed your mind about you staying here?" Ranma asked. The Chinese Amazon smiled as she held onto Mousse's arm. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Doctor Tofu finish making Shampoo all well. Shampoo and Mousse must go back to home," she replied as she walked over and hugged Ranma and Akane. "Shampoo thank both of you for all you do for Shampoo and Mousse," she said with a smile. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You take care of her," Ranma said to Mousse. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I intend to Ranma. May you and Akane get all the happiness you deserve," Mousse said politely. The two Chinese people bowed and then quietly left. Akane put her arm around Ranma and could see that he was disappointed that she was leaving. Ten years ago she would have knocked him into orbit for even thinking that - but now it didn't matter. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Tell you what kids - as the weather is so perfect outside - how about we continue this out back?" he suggested. Almost instantly all the kids raced out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You always avoid this question Ranma - I would like to know - why is his picture up there?" she asked - pointing to the portrait of Talon. Ranma looked at the picture and could almost hear the evil Dragon Warrior laughing. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Lest we forget," he muttered. Akane blinked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - won't become him," she pointed out. Ranma smiled as he put his arm around her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I hope not," he said with a smile as he kissed her on the cheek. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm glad Tofu was able to heal Shampoo," Akane stated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It won't be the same without her around," Ranma pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You are being a jerk again," she reminded - a large hammer in her hands. He smiled as he motioned for her to lower the weapon. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Just kidding. I'll finish the lesson - then I'll clean up the dojo - and if there is still time - I'll take my wife out to dinner," he offered consolingly. Akane smiled as she patted him on the cheek. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I love it when you talk like that," she replied as she headed back towards the house. Ranma smiled as she walked away and then returned his attention to the portrait of Talon. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I - really - hope you are right Akane," he muttered to himself. He shook his head - put the fear away and then returned to doing what he loved doing most - teaching the students the key aspects of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The End | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||