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 ^_- I L L   M E T   B Y   S T A R L I G H T ^_-
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by Susan Doenime and Mike Loader

Based on characters and situations created by Rumiko Takahashi, and used
without knowledge or permission.
We ask that you obtain permission from us before printing, posting, or
storing this story in any form.
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Previous Chapters At: http://www.humbug.org.au/~wendigo/imbs.html
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Chapter 10 - Things Fall Apart

 I'll read to you now, save your eyes
 You'll need them; your boat is at sea
 Your anchor is gone, you've been swept away
 And the greatest of teachers won't hesitate
 To leave you here by yourself chained to fate
 I alone love you, I alone tempt you, I alone love you
 Fear is not the end of this.
   - Live



	"No heartbeat!"

	"Right. One, two, clear!"

	"Nothing!"

	"One, two, clear!"

^_-

	"Akane. Akane, wake up. Please."

	Reluctantly, Akane opened her eyes. "Hi Kasu...."

	A faint trickle of wrongness filtered through the haze of 
sleep. There was a certain hard stiffness in her sister's voice 
that was alien to her.

	She sat up in bed, sleepily throwing the covers off. Why 
was Kasumi waking her up, anyway? It was a school day; her 
alarm should have woken her... was she late for class?

	"Hurry, Akane." A bundle of clothing was thrust into her 
hands, and she looked up in surprise. And saw Kasumi's face.

	The sleep vanished.

	"Kasumi? Kasumi, what is it? What's..."

	The frozen, sick mask on her sister's face twitched. "Get 
your clothes on, Akane. We may not have much time."

	Confused, frightened, Akane pulled on the shirt and dress. 
Kasumi knelt beside her and pulled on her socks, then shoved 
her shoes on her feet as she finished dressing.

	Kasumi's hand clamped around her arm and pulled her up. 
"Hurry, Akane."

	Akane let herself be led out the door by her sister, a sort 
of numb panic rising in her. "Kasumi? Please, Kasumi, what's 
going on? What's happening?"

	Kasumi didn't break her stride. "There's been an accident, 
Akane. Nabiki and Ranma are in the hospital."

	No. Oh, no. "What.. how bad..."

	Her legs kept moving, as if they were someone else's, and 
she was pulled into the entry hall. Her father stood there, and 
he was not crying. 

	"The cab is here." Soun's voice had all the life of a slab of 
granite. A sick feeling began to build in the pit of her stomach. 
God, she remembered this. All that was needed was Nabiki, 
shrill and angry and confused and scared... not again, not again, 
not again...

	The front door swung open, and Akane felt herself be 
ushered down the garden path towards the yawning door of a 
black car. "How bad... please..."

	Kasumi's hand tightened painfully around her arm. "We 
don't have much time."

	There was warm sun and birdsong, and the garden was 
green.

^_-

	"Careful. Careful."

	"We're losing her."

	"Ten ccs of antometaphine."

	"We lost her before she was even in the ambulance."

	"Careful."

	"Suture."

	"Is that Jazz?"

	"Benny Goodman, yeah."

	"Another 3 ccs."

	"Careful. Watch that.. yes, good. Careful."

	"Heissenmann Fork."

	"Heartbeat's down."

	"Careful."

	"We're losing her."

	"Clamp."

	"Adrenaline, 5 ccs."

	"Look at this..."

	"Sponge."

	"Punctured synamic flow. Careful."

	"She's convulsing, hold her down."

	"Suture."

	"What do I do?"

	"Damn."

	"Arterial graft. Watch me. Scalpel."

	"Heartbeat erratic."

	"I don't think she'll live long enough for the graft."

	"Sponge."

	"It's a good opportunity to show the technique. And she'll 
die without it."

	"Five ccs Sedaline."

	"She'll die with it."

	"Watch. An incision here..."

	"Oh, careful. Careful."

	"Surgical thread."

	"Is this still Goodman?"

	"We fold the artery like so.."

	"Nah, this is Porter."

	"Careful."

	"Heart rhythm's going all over the place..."

	"The tape a mix?"

	"6 ccs Dipentathol."

	"We cut away this portion of the vessel..."

	"Vitals dropping."

	"I see... nice technique."

	"Yeah, mix tape."

	"Oh, damn."

	"Messner Tool."

	"Careful."

	"We're losing her."

	"And graft the ends like so..."

	"Careful."

^_-

	The waiting area was cramped and crowded, and it still 
felt as empty and remote as the dark side of the moon.

	They sat on the green plastic seats, and Akane listened 
to hospital noises. Doctor So-And-So to here. Nurse This, room 
That. Would the owner of the grey compact move his car.

	It was all horribly familar, the noises and the smells and 
the way her father and older sister sat like statues, Kasumi's 
hand crushing her arm like a steel vise. And the way she 
herself sat, lost and confused and afraid. It was all exactly the 
same, except little Nabiki wasn't pacing about the room, 
asking for a drink and looking upset.

	And the terrible thing was that she didn't know. Nabiki 
was in the hospital. Ranma was in the hospital. There had been 
an accident. It was bad. Bad for who? Were they dead? Dying? 
Badly hurt, but going to pull through? No-one knew anything. So 
they all sat on the ugly green seats and waited for someone's 
words to make Nabiki and Ranma either alive or dead.

	Her father said something inaudible. Kasumi tried to 
smile at him. The resulting expression made Akane flinch.

	They sat, and the clock ticked.

	Finally, after what must surely have been either years or 
seconds of waiting, someone came to talk to them. He said his 
name was Doctor Kieru, and Akane tried not to stare in 
fascination at the blood on his scrubs.

	He shook Soun's hand, which she felt was a good sign. But 
she didn't like the expression on his face.

	"I assisted the operation on your daughter," he said, and 
Akane wanted to hit him.

	"How is Nabiki?" This was from Kasumi, flat and almost 
indifferent in tone.

	Kieru rubbed his hands. "She was very bad. Punctured 
lung, all sorts of broken bones, more internal injuries than..." 
He stared at them as if seeing them for the first time. "She 
was very bad. I don't know if she'll get through the night. The 
chances are against it."

	This was worse than she had hoped, and better than she 
had feared. Soun just stared at the doctor's shirt like a 
sleepwalker.

	"But if she makes... she makes it through the night, she'll 
be all right?" she heard herself say. "We just have to wait and 
see?" 

	The doctor looked at her with something like pity, and 
shook his head. "If she makes it through the night, she'll 
almost surely slip away tomorrow." A hand was placed on her 
shoulder, and she flinched. "We didn't operate to save your 
sister's life, Miss Tendo. It was too late for that even before 
the ambulance arrived. We operated because we are doctors, 
and must operate. If she does not die in the next few hours, she 
will die in the next few days. There's simply too much damage. 
I'm sorry."

	She didn't know if this was worse than... should she be 
glad Nabiki was alive at all... for the moment... oh God...

	Kasumi sat down, and looked at something across the 
room with a bemused expression. The corners of her mouth 
twitched.

	Slowly, mechanically, Soun's mouth opened. "The son of a 
friend is here as well. I suppose I am his guardian at the 
moment."

	"Saotome Ranma, yes. Broken collarbone." The doctor 
shrugged. "Painful, required minor surgery to set. I imagine he 
can go home in a day or two."

	He was alive, and would be well. It would be all right. A 
wave of relief washed over her, followed by an almost 
crippling sense of guilt and anguish. Nabiki would not be well, 
and it would never be all right again.

	"I made her lunch," said Kasumi absently to the wall.

	"How did it happen?" There was a hint of an emotion in 
her father's voice. It was not good to hear.

	"There's a police officer waiting for you in room five. 
The nurse can show you it. I'm very sorry." He faded into the 
crowds, still presumably very sorry.

	A man in faded blue clothing came, then, and led them 
through corridors of antiseptic and salmon-coloured linoleum, 
past other people in scrubs and street clothes, down an 
unpainted flight of stairs, and finally into a small room done 
in muted colors where a man in uniform rose from a sofa. 
There was blood on him, too.

	"Mr. Tendo?"

	"Yes."

	The man crossed his arms unhappily. He seemed to know 
about there being a time and a place for handshakes. "I'm 
Officer Dorobou. I was there when it happened."

	Soun nodded impassively. "Tell me."

	"I was on Ogawa, by the train station. I remember her 
shoving past me, in a hurry... but most people on that street are 
in some kind of hurry." Dorobou frowned unhappily. "About a 
half minute later I turned, sort of on an impulse, and I saw her 
fall into the street right in front of a large car. It looked as 
though she had tripped, and the crowd..." He trailed off. Soun 
waited.

	"She had just enough time to look up, and while she was 
doing so I see the kid... Saotome?"

	"Yes," Kasumi said, again trying to smile. Akane wished 
that she would stop.

	Dorobou shook his head in admiring disbelief. "Bravest 
thing I ever saw. Jumped right out in front of the car, tried to 
knock her out of the way. Almost made it." He sighed, mouth 
drooping. "He knew he wouldn't, about a second after he 
jumped. I could see his face. It's a miracle he wasn't hurt any 
worse than he was."

	In her mind's eye, Akane could picture the scene with a 
cold clarity. Nabiki looking up in horror. Ranma springing from 
the curb like he had in their training sessions, knowing he was 
going to be too late but not caring... maybe even hoping he 
would... realising that it wasn't just too late for him but for 
Nabiki as well...

	"The car?" Soun's voice again, the flames creeping into it 
once more.

	Dorobou again shook his head. "The car was going four 
miles under the speed limit, and the driver began to brake the 
second your daughter fell into the street. He threw up when he 
saw what had happened, and the paramedics had to sedate him. 
I think he's probably going to need counseling before he's 
willing to drive again, and he'll spend the rest of his days 
knowing that he ended a young girl's life, however unwillingly." 
He unhappily tucked his hands in his pockets. "I'm afraid that 
this is a tragedy without a villain, Mr. Tendo. Only victims and 
a hero, and him too late to help much."

	"Yes. Yes. Thank you," mumbled Soun, turning away. Akane 
waited for the tears to start. They didn't, and she found that 
alarming.

	The policeman pressed a piece of paper into her father's 
hand. "Here's my office and home number. If I can help in any 
way, please call me."

	"Yes. Thank you."

	Dorobou nodded slightly and left. He did not say that he 
was sorry. It really didn't need to be said.

^_-

	An odd day, Ukyou thought.

	Ranma had walked her to school and guided her through 
the enrollment process; he had done it himself recently enough. 
She would share a class with him and Akane.

	He had excused himself during the break, however.

	"You remember the way home, right?"

	"Yeah... aren't you coming with me?"

	He had shaken his head. "I've got to ask someone about... 
computers... and then I think I'm going to talk to Nabiki and 
sort things out."

	"Things?" She had examined him. "You don't like her much, 
do you."

	He had laughed. "I hate her guts, Ucchan. She's a 
manipulative little bitch who'd sell her own soul if she 
thought it'd bring in any money. That's okay, she doesn't like 
me much either. But she's been causing me problems. More than 
that, I think she's been selling me and Akane out to the people 
after my head."

	She had frowned slightly, suddenly worried. "What sort 
of talk is it going to be, Ranchan?"

	"Whatever sort she makes it," he had said, shrugging. 
"Akane was hit over the head and locked in a metal box, Ucchan. 
She came very close to being killed. If Nabiki was a part of 
that... I've warned her before, and I'll warn her again." He 
grinned, looking almost like he had when he was six. "I do a 
nice scary act. If she really gives trouble, I'll give her a few 
bruises in interesting places."

	She had shaken her head. "You aren't supposed to do that 
to a non-martial artist."

	Ranma had looked at her, and she had been almost 
startled by the hurt in his eyes. "That's honor, Ucchan. I gave up 
on honor a long time ago. If keeping Akane and me safe means 
scaring Nabiki out of a year's growth, or giving her a nice 
painful smacking, that's fine with me. She started it. All she's 
gotta do is stop, and I've got no problem with her."

	Walking home now, she felt a little disturbed by it. She 
could see his point... martial artist or no, there were things 
you just couldn't tolerate; having your girlfriend's sister sell 
out your life was definitely one of them. She had bent the 'no-
civilians' rule often enough herself, and for lesser reason.

	Ukyou tried to tell herself that the reason he had seemed 
to be looking forward to it was just because he wanted it done 
with. Not because he'd enjoy the actual act itself. That'd be...

	Hell, she wasn't sure at all.

	She snarled, and kicked a rock. Ranma was bitter and 
scarred, that was pretty clear. After what Genma had told 
her... little wonder. But he wasn't crawling into a corner and 
giving up, and she liked that about him. She liked a lot of 
things about him, really. He was her old friend, even with the 
changes.

	And the person she had known didn't enjoy hurting people 
at all. Defeating them, yes. Yes indeed. But causing hurt, be it 
physical or emotional, would come as close to depressing him 
as he ever came back then.

	Could he have changed that much?

	"Got the time?"

	She turned to see a figure leaning in shadow against a 
lamppost, an umbrella idly being twirled by one hand.

	"It's a little after one," she replied cautiously, stepping 
forward a pace. A suspicion entered her mind.

	The figure sauntered over, and Ukyou noted the 
trenchcoat and tan baseball cap. The suspicion became a near 
certainty. "Hibiki Mariko, I presume?"

	The other girl gave her a bland grin. "That would be me. 
Now, you... seen you around, afraid I don't know your name."

	"Kuonji Ukyou." One hand went to the haft of her combat 
spatula. "If you're looking for a fight...."

	Mariko made a dismissing gesture. "Fight, feh, didn't even 
know your name until a minute ago. I don't have any problem 
with you, yet."

	Ukyou didn't relax her guard. "So what do you want?"

	"What I want, Kuonji-san, is to know where you stand." 
The other girl's eyes glittered. "I want to know which side of 
the line you're on."

	"That depends upon what the sides are." Ukyou wasn't 
sure she was liking this person at all. Mariko reminded her far 
too much of herself.

	The umbrella drew a line in the dirt. "There's this side," 
Mariko said, giving an easy smile, "with the people who are 
going to kill Ranma for what he's done. And then there's that 
side," she gestured again with the umbrella tip, "with the 
people trying to keep Saotome from getting what's coming to 
him. What I want to know is this - which side are you on?"

	Ukyou smiled back. "Who says I have to be on either 
side?"

	"Well, that's the thing," Mariko drawled. "Most people in 
the world aren't on either side. But then, most people in the 
world don't live in Ranma and Nabiki's house. It's simple, 
really. By hanging around Saotome, you're on one side or the 
other. This is war. Don't hang around the battlefield unless 
you're here to fight."

	A chill ran down her back as she realised, really 
realised, that this person wanted to kill Ranma. Not beat him 
up. Kill him.

	"I think," Ukyou slowly said, "that I'd rather not see him 
die just yet. If that means that we have to fight, I think I can 
live with that."

	"Don't be so sure of that," Mariko replied, and her eyes 
gleamed as she spoke.

	Ukyou frowned, and drew the combat spatula. "Look, do 
you want to settle this right here and now?"

	The other girl sadly shook her head. "You just don't get it, 
do you."

	Ukyou didn't sheath the weapon. "Get what?"

	"I don't care about you, Kuonji. What the hell good would 
fighting you now do me? You'd just be back up the next day, 
unless I killed you." She grinned. "Whatever you've heard, I'm 
not that sort of wacko. That's Ranma's territory."

	What a comfort. "So what's all this garbage about 
choosing a side?" Ukyou demanded, slightly annoyed. "If you 
don't want to fight me..."

	"It's real simple," Mariko said quietly. "I am going to kill 
Ranma. If you get in the way, I will do whatever it takes to 
eliminate you from the equation. Stay out of my way and you 
won't get hurt."

	Ukyou shook her head. "It's not that easy. I'm not just 
going to sit back and do nothing while you kill an old friend of 
mine."

	The other girl looked at her appraisingly. "Old friend, 
huh? Do you know what happened to the last old friend 
Saotome had?"

	"Yes," Ukyou said, turning away. "I heard."

	"That was my brother, Kuonji-san."

	A lot of things suddenly became clear. "So it's a matter 
of honor?"

	Mariko winced slightly. "A matter of revenge, and 
justice. At least mostly. I don't want to see him hurt anyone 
else, and that's what's going to happen if we let him live."

	She frowned. "Look, I knew Ranma when we were kids, 
and I'm just getting to know him now. And I think what we've 
got is a pretty messed-up guy trying to get on with his life."

	Mariko snorted. "You and Akane are a real pair."

	"Nothing wrong with being lumped in with Akane," Ukyou 
said, shrugging. "But no, I think I have a few less illusions. 
You're right. Ranma is going to kill someone."

	Startled, Mariko eyed her suspiciously. "Go on, finish the 
sentence."

	"He's going to kill someone _if_ you keep putting 
pressure on him. He's not well, but he's not a psycho either. 
Leave him alone, and maybe in a few years he'll just be another 
husband with a wife and kids and a few bad memories."

	Mariko laughed, and the sound was harsh and jarring. "And 
my brother's blood on his salaryman hands. You're wrong, 
Kuonji. If we just forgot everything and left, Akane would be 
dead or worse within the year."

	Ukyou shook her head. "He loves her. I don't think he'd 
ever..."

	"He loves nothing. He just has possessive feelings. 
Akane's just a new toy, and after he's done playing with her 
he'll throw her away."

	"I think it's more than that."

	"Look, Ukyou, for a little over a year I was convinced that 
he was my brother's good friend. I was wrong. You've known 
him recently for what, a day? Two days? He's not what he 
seems. He's a sadist who enjoys hurting people."

	Ukyou sighed. "Let's just say I'm not convinced. And until 
I am, I'm going to look out for my friend."

	Mariko nodded. "Okay. I can understand that. Just don't 
take too long to come to your senses, bishonen. Hate to mar 
your good looks."

	She laughed a little ruefully, relaxing a bit. "Thanks. For 
what it's worth, I understand too. About revenge. But I think 
you're wrong."

	"We'll see. In the meantime, keep your eyes open. When 
you're convinced, leave. But don't take too long to become 
convinced." Smirking a little, the other girl strolled off, the 
umbrella lazily swinging as she walked.

	Ukyou watched her go, face troubled. This wasn't good at 
all. Not at all.

	She recognized that look in Mariko's eyes. It was the 
same one that had been in Ukyou's for the past ten years. 
Revenge. Wipe out the pain by inflicting pain.

	Yeah, if it had been her brother... she'd be doing the same 
thing. But it wasn't. It was her oldest friend in the crosshairs.

	She sighed, and continued on her way. It was a lot easier 
when all you had to do was hate.

	The Tendo house was empty when she arrived.

	Ukyou frowned. Hadn't Akane been sick?

	Feeling slightly embarrassed, she walked through the 
house, afraid to call out for fear of waking someone for a nap. 

	Akane's room was empty, the door left open, the covers 
thown back.

	The doors to Soun and Kasumi's rooms were closed; out 
of respect for privacy she left them so. She did, however, 
place her ear to the door. Nothing.

	Nabiki's door was cracked slightly open; after knocking, 
Ukyou stepped inside. The middle Tendo sister's room was tidy 
but functional-looking; the bed was neatly made, and papers 
sat in manila folders in neat cubbyholes on the desk. A laptop 
computer was plugged into a wall socket, charging; a glass of 
half-drunk soda sat next to it, by a plate of crackers.

	She lingered a few moments, curious about the 
'manipulative bitch' Ranma had described. She had been silent 
at dinner last night, a sort of resigned, calculating expression 
now and then showing through the noncommital mask.

	There really wasn't much in the room to tell her about 
Nabiki Tendo; she supposed that in itself said something. The 
posters on the walls were generic music and fashion ads; the 
tiny bookshelf held a curious mix of philosophy texts and 
romance novels. The CD rack had several pop singles, one or 
two contemporary jazz titles, and nine collections of JS Bach. 
Apparantly Nabiki liked organ music.

	She left the empty room, walking downstairs to the 
living room. Initially she had just glanced in it upon entering 
the house; now she scruitinized the room for a note or 
explanation.

	A phone book lay open next to the telephone, giving the 
numbers for several taxi services in the Tokyo area. Aside 
from that, and a half-full teacup left on an otherwise pristine 
table, the Tendos had seemingly vanished into thin air.

	Ukyou frowned, irritated. She felt rather uncomfortable 
over staying in someone else's house while they were away, 
and she hoped Ranma would hurry up and get home.

	Shrugging, she headed for her guest room. Maybe she 
could catch up on some sleep.

^_-

	Akane entered the room reluctantly. She wanted to run.

	The bed was wide, huge. Nabiki seemed almost lost in it, 
a chalk-pale spot in a sea of blue linen.

	Machines loomed over her, giving measured beeps and 
whirs. Tubes stretched out from them, disappearing into the 
bandages, a pinkish liquid draining through them; a nest of 
snakes gnawing deep inside flesh.

	She approached the horrible bed, sat down in the chair 
beside it, and shrank back.

	Nabiki's eyes were open.

	Akane stared at her sister, began to try to say something 
comforting, and then realized that the glassy stare was fixed 
on something unseeable.

	Calmly, a cold feeling stealing over her, she looked up at 
the blinking monitor above the bed. Medical shows always 
talked about flatlining, and the lines here were still moving...

	She looked back down at her sister, noting the almost 
nonexistant rise and fall of her chest under the thin sheet. 
Watched the tubes rise and fall with it.

	And then the eyes drew her gaze reluctantly back again, 
bright and sharp and fixed on nothing.

	The jaw below it was slack, slightly open, a thin stream 
of drool running down the corner of it to the pillow. A thin 
crust of rust-red blood surrounded the mouth, making her look 
as though she had applied too much lipstick. The skin was pale, 
bloodless, almost white.

	Akane swallowed, and sat, and stared. Oh, Nabiki...

	She had been so angry at her just yesterday.

	One of her sister's hands lay just outside the sheet. 
Hesitantly, slowly, she reached out and closed her own around 
it. It was cold, the pulse almost nonexistant.

	"I'm sorry, Nabiki," she whispered. The eyes didn't move, 
glassy and lifeless and glazed above the blue linen.

	"I didn't mean to yell at you... yes, I did. You made me so 
angry, Nabiki. You do that a lot. But I love you, Oneechan. I 
really do. I don't know if I ever told you, but I love you."

	The liquid flowed through the tubes, ran through the 
machine, flowed back.

	"The doctors said that you aren't going to wake up again 
before... before you go. But I think maybe you can hear me, 
somehow. So I wanted to be with you for a while, and let you 
know that I'll miss you. That I miss you already. I don't know 
what we're going to do, Nabiki. Every time I do something dumb 
I'm going to be waiting for you to say something in that dry 
tone... I loved that, you know? Even though it was 
embarrassing, I loved to hear what you were going to say..."

	The tears came, then, and she wiped at her eyes with her 
free hand. "So you wait for me, Nabiki. You and mother. You tell 
her everything that's happened, and tell her to wait for us. I 
love you. I want to hear you laugh at me again."

	Footsteps echoed behind her, and Kasumi sat down in the 
other chair. For a while, nothing was said. And the machines 
hummed and beeped.

	"Akane, why don't you go see Ranma."

	She shook her head. "I've got to stay."

	Kasumi shook her head, looking horribly tired and old. 
"He'd probably feel a lot better if you went and kept him 
company, Akane. Being in the hospital isn't nice."

	Akane choked back a sob. "But Nabiki..."

	Kasumi took her head in her hands and looked directly at 
her. "Akane-chan, Nabiki's gone."

	She tried to turn away. "No..."

	"Akane, you said goodbye. Staying isn't going to help you, 
and it isn't going to help Nabiki. Nabiki doesn't need our help 
anymore."

	"But I love her."

	"She knows. And she knows how much it's hurting you to 
see her like this, and I think she wants you to feel better. 
Akane, go see Ranma. I think you both need each other right 
now."

	Crying now, Akane made one more try. "I can't just leave 
her alone in here. I can't...."

	Kasumi's lip trembled. "This is my job, Akane. Yours is to 
go to Ranma. I'll see Nabiki off."

	"Kasumi..."

	"Akane, I did it for Mother. I can do it again. Please don't 
stay."

	She hugged Kasumi, gave Nabiki's hand a final squeeze, 
and slowly walked out of the room. She did not look back.

	Ranma's room was in another wing of the hospital, in the 
part reserved for the non-serious cases. Akane trudged out of 
the critical ward, dabbing away the tears and trying to get a 
hold of herself. 

	It was like trying to wake up from a nightmare. Things 
had changed so suddenly, one on top of another. She had gone to 
bed last night almost in tears over her own stupid romantic 
problem, and when she woke up Nabiki was a living corpse. Not 
her insensitive, untrustworthy oneesan, just a thing that lay 
there and stared at nothing with eyes like a dead fish.

	Do you have any idea how much easier my life would be 
without you? Her own words, not even a day old.

	The horrible impact of it all hit her like a hammer, guilt 
and grief and pain sending her falling to her knees. Curling into 
a ball, Akane knelt in the middle of the antiseptic hallway and 
bawled like an infant, oblivious of the people who stepped 
around her with sympathetic or irritated glances. 

	When she had finally cried enough, she pulled herself to 
her feet and staggered on.

	It took her a while to find the door to his room. All the 
hallways looked the same, all the doors were painted the same 
pale yellow. But she arrived at last, and straightened her dress 
and wiped her face, and went in.

	Ranma lay in bed, shirtless, gauze surrounding his left 
shoulder. He looked up as the door opened, and managed a wan 
smile. "Hi."

	Walking over to sit on the side of the bed, Akane tried to 
return it. "Does it hurt?"

	"A bit. I've been hurt worse." The smile flickered and 
vanished. "It was my fault that it happened. I'm sorry, Akane."

	She forced a shaky laugh. "You tried to save her, Ranma. 
The policeman said...."

	He shook his head. "No, listen. We... me and Nabiki... we 
had a talk, and it ended badly. She went storming off, and I 
went after her, and she quickened her pace and then..." He 
trailed off, unable to look her in the eyes. "I'm supposed to be a 
martial artist, and I hesitated. I didn't jump soon enough. And 
now..."

	Akane sighed, and brushed a hand across his chest. "You 
jumped in front of a moving car to try to save the life of 
someone who I know you don't like very much. You didn't save 
her, but you almost killed yourself trying."

	"If I had just..."

	"Stop it!" she said fiercely, the grief turning to anger. "I 
yelled at her last night, Ranma, and now she's dying. Maybe she 
slipped away as I walked down here..." The tears welled up 
along with the guilt. "My own sister, and I never told her... 
Ranma, it was no-one's fault. Not even mine...."

	She broke down then, her world crashing apart in pieces 
around her. She felt his right arm fold around her, and she 
leaned into him, sobbing uncontrollably.

	They sat like that, each leaning against another, until 
Akane's sobs died away. Sitting back, she looked at him and 
managed to smile a little. "The only spark of light I've had 
today was when they told me you were alive. I don't think I 
could have taken it if you hadn't been okay. I need you here."

	He gripped her hand. "I'm here."

	"Why did you leave last night?" There. She had asked it. 
Last night she had gone over and over the question, trying to 
figure out why, why... did he not see her as attractive? Was she 
only a friend? Did he find her repulsive?

	Ranma stared at her, and again lowered his head. "I was 
scared."

	She stared at him in shock.

	"I didn't... I wanted to. But it was so fast, so sudden... I 
was afraid I might hurt you, I was afraid we weren't thinking 
clearly, I was afraid you didn't really want to..."

	She looked at his sad, confused face, and nodded. It might 
or might not be the truth, might or might not be a ploy to spare 
her feelings. But she would accept it as truth for now.

	"I wanted to," she said, squeezing his hand. "But you're 
right. We probably weren't thinking clearly, and we probably 
would have regretted it." She gave a sad little smile. "I 
thought... I thought you didn't find me attractive. I thought you 
didn't want to."

	The crooked smile appeared. "You're the most beautiful 
woman in the world, and I did want to. But not like that."

	She smiled, and tightened her grip on his hand. "We're 
going to get through this, together." Nabiki in her hospital bed 
swam before her, and she desperately tightened her grip. 
"Promise me that you won't leave me again."

	"I promise."

	His arm reached out and pulled her against him, and she 
closed her eyes and put her head on his chest. For a short while 
she cried a bit more, the quiet weeping finally dying to 
sniffling, and then to breathing. They lay there, the two of 
them, and for a time the scent of antiseptic and death seemed 
far away.

	Ranma ran his hand through her hair, mouth parting in a 
horrible expression, and shut his eyes.

^_-

	Tsen scowled as he watched the spatula boy lie down on 
the guest futon. From his perch in the tree, he could see most 
of the house through the windows. The boy appeared to be the 
only one home.

	Why, he asked himself again, was he here? Ranma didn't 
seem to be home, and even if he were... no, Tsen was not going 
to risk an even fight unless he had to. Akane? Akane was a 
definite no. Killing or kidnapping her seemed likely to remove 
any vestiges of restraint he has left. Information? That was 
the mysterious Azusa's job, and the Hibikis seemed to feel 
that their source was reliable. So why on earth was he risking 
himself like this?

	Because he was curious, he ruefully admitted to himself.

	Dropping from the tree, he knocked at the guest room's 
window. A stirring noise floated out, followed by a sleepy 
voice. "Ranchan? Akane?"

	"No. Wish to talk," he said, trying to sound as 
conversational as possible.

	The window opened, and the boy stuck his head out the 
window, a wary look on his handsome features. "Let me guess. 
You're here to kill Ranma Saotome."

	Taken somewhat aback, Tsen dumbly nodded.

	"He's not in right now. If you'll give me your name and 
number, though, I'll tell him you stopped by."

	"Name is Tsen Wu. Not have number." He suspected this 
was sarcasm. Hard to tell with the Japanese. "You set up 
meeting. We do lunch, then fight to death."

	The boy chuckled. "Funny man. Look, I really don't know 
where he is right now, and if I did I wouldn't tell you. I'm 
trying to keep him alive."

	Tsen frowned. "What name?"

	"Kuonji Ukyou. I'm an old friend of Ranma's." Ukyou stared 
down at him, gaze critical. "I've heard quite a bit about you, 
buddy. It's not nice to hit girls on the head and tie them up."

	"Is war. Many things in war bad to do, but worst thing of 
all to do is lose." He met Ukyou's gaze defiantly. "Japanese say 
women like porcelain, no touch less they break. Is garbage. 
Akane martial artist; not give her stupid deference because 
she have breasts. She enemy. In war, my people usually kill 
enemy."

	Ukyou nodded. "Commendable lack of sexism. But 
abducting anyone in Japan is considered kinda a social gaffe."

	Shaking his head, Tsen pointed to his eyepatch. "Ranma 
give me this. No tell me about playing nice."

	"So you want revenge?" Ukyou looked both shaken and 
resigned. "Look, if it happened in combat..."

	Stupid Japanese. "Is not eye, not all. Ranma _must_ die. 
He... he do something to honor. Honor demands he die. Other 
option is unthinkable. Must die."

	The boy seemed to consider this. "Honor permits no other 
option?" 

	"Is one other option. Is unthinkable. Kill self first. And 
kill Ranma before that."

	Ukyou nodded solemnly, seeming to understand. "I'm going 
to have to try and stop you."

	"You from his clan?"

	Hesitating for a fraction of a second that Tsen noticed 
immediately, Ukyou shook his head. "I'm his friend. Known him 
since we were kids."

	"Is soul-brothers, then. It right you should try save him. 
Hope you fail with honor." He honestly did, too. Ranma needed 
to be killed, but anyone who had been raised as a soul-brother 
with him had to defend him to the best of their ability. That 
was what honor and duty demanded; that was what had to be 
done. 

	"And I hope you find another way to satisfy honor. I don't 
want Ranma have to kill anyone." Ukyou sighed, and looked at 
him. "Do you really want to kill him?"

	This was a question he had asked himself several times, 
and Tsen repeated the answer he had always found. "No. Not 
want to kill anyone. But times killing necessary, and this is 
time. Not want to, but want is not issue."

	Ukyou nodded. "I see. I wish you luck, save where it 
involves killing Ranma."

	Tsen nodded, feeling a wave of warm feeling for the boy. 
"Thank you. Wish you same, save where involves saving Ranma." 
He turned to leave and stopped suddenly, laughing. "Is joke. 
Akane, you, only Japanese I meet that I like."

	Chuckling, the other boy shook his head, and closed the 
window. Tsen sighed, and began to make his way back to his 
one-room. That, he thought, was a real man, not one of these 
weakling foreigners who thought that women were dirt. If he 
didn't have a job more important than life itself to do, he'd 
pursue his interest.

	The thought caused a slight stirring down below, and he 
snarled. And if he were a she, the way he had been before the 
damn curse. 

	All the more reason to kill Ranma, and soon. Ukyou would 
be out of the question then, of course, but there were many 
fish in the sea.

	Just a matter of time.

^_-

	Ukyou shut the window, the chuckle turning into a sigh. 
The lunatics after Ranma weren't lunatics after all.

	Mariko's motivations were pretty easy to understand. The 
past few years had taught Ukyou all about the need for 
revenge; there was nothing mysterious about what the Hibiki 
girl was after. Tsen, on the other hand... he was a cipher. He 
professed not to want to kill Ranma, although she got the 
feeling that he wouldn't lose any sleep over it either. No, he 
said it was a matter of honor. That was something else Ukyou 
could understand and respect. Honor wasn't always easy or 
pleasant or even good, but without it you got people like 
Genma.

	The big question, and the one she wished she had asked, 
was why Tsen's honor hinged around killing Ranma. Because 
with a little thought, perhaps a loophole could be found.

	Ukyou winced. She'd managed to walk into a very ugly 
situation, here. There was no room for negotiation or 
reconciliation; it wouldn't truly end until either Ranma or his 
enemies lay dead.

	She didn't want that. Even if Ranma emerged alive, she 
had grave doubts about him ever recovering from the 
experience. And she liked Tsen. Mariko... Mariko was too much 
like her for Ukyou to feel comfortable with, but she understood 
the other girl, and knew that she didn't deserve to be killed. 
Whichever side won, the cost would be too high.

	So what could she do to help?

	The obvious thing was to keep Ranma alive. But that, she 
glumly realized, was just a holding action. Tsen and Mariko 
would keep trying for the rest of their lives, if need be.

	The second thing that came to mind was to negotiate a 
peace. This was harder. Tsen seemed reasonable; Ukyou had no 
doubt that if a loophole could be found, he'd take it. But Mariko 
was being driven by hate, and that hate had been building for 
so very long... Ukyou knew from experience that reasoning with 
her wouldn't help. The only thing that would defuse it would be 
to prove that Ranma had not, in fact, killed her brother - and 
since he clearly had, that option was out.

	The only other thing she could think of was for Ranma to 
leave Nerima again, to keep moving before the hunters could 
catch him. This wasn't much of a solution. She knew Akane 
would insist on going with him, and both of them would spend 
the rest of their lives moving from place to place, always 
wondering when their enemies would catch up... No, this wasn't 
an option at all. She didn't think Ranma would be able to deal 
with it for long before he snapped.

	So she had a no-win situation here.

	Ukyou sighed, and walked into the kitchen to put the 
teakettle on. Even if she couldn't solve Ranma's problems 
entirely, she could at least try to control the damage. Sorting 
things out with Tsen would reduce the number of people trying 
to kill him; after that, perhaps something could be hammered 
out with the Hibikis.

	The kettle whistled at the same time that she heard the 
key rattle in the front door. Smiling, Ukyou turned it off and 
walked towards the entry hall. It was about time Ranma got 
home.

	She had reached the living room when she saw Akane 
enter, and sucked in her breath. The other girl's eyes were red 
and tearstained, and her expression was miserable.

	"Akane? Hey, what's wrong?" She had a sinking feeling 
that she already knew. Maybe Ranma's problems had ended, and 
Mariko and Tsen were even now celebrating.

	"Hi, Ukyou." Akane managed a wan smile, but it didn't 
reach her eyes. "There's been an accident, and Nabiki and Ranma 
are in the hospital."

	Ukyou slowly nodded, bracing hereself for the worst. 
"Are they going to be okay?"

	"Ranma's going to be fine. He broke his collarbone, but 
he's healing well. He'll be home tomorrow." Her face contorted 
suddenly, and she choked back a sob. "Nabiki... she only has a 
few more hours... she's probably gone already..." Akane sat 
down, tears streaming along her cheeks.

	Appalled, Ukyou sat down next to her. "Oh, Akane... I'm so 
sorry." 

	Akane sniffled, wiping ineffectively at her eyes. "Ranma 
jumped out in front of a car to try and save her."

	"That was what the boy I knew would have done," Ukyou 
said cautiously, trying to find a way to put a question to Akane 
without hurting her. "Ranma and Nabiki were friends?"

	Smiling sadly, Akane shook her head. "They didn't like 
each other at all. I think Nabiki was trying to con him out of..." 
She stopped suddenly, horrified, and burst into tears again.

	"Hey, c'mon now," Ukyou said soothingly, squeezing the 
other girl's hand. "It's okay."

	Akane shook her head miserably.

	"Here, I'll get you a cup of tea." Ukyou stood, feeling 
awkward at the entire situation. "Pekoe?" The other girl 
nodded, only half-hearing the question, and Ukyou retreated to 
the kitchen.

	Ranma had been going to threaten Nabiki, and now Nabiki 
was dead.

	The horrifying thought that Ranma had killed her flashed 
through Ukyou's mind, and was quickly thrust aside. Ranma 
wouldn't have done that. She was sure he wouldn't have done 
that...

	Besides, if Ranma had wanted to kill Nabiki.. he wouldn't 
have a mark on him. He could have killed Nabiki effortlessly.

	No. An accident looked like the most logical explanation. 
But there was still something terribly wrong about it, a 
nagging bad feeling about the whole sorry thing.

	Pouring the tea into a green cup, she carried it back out 
to the living room. Akane's tears had died to sniffles; she 
gratefully took the tea and sipped it thirstily. "Thanks, Ukyou-
kun."

	"Don't mention it." She shifted uncomfortably. "I really 
don't want to be a bother to your family during this tragedy. I 
should probably get a room at a ryokan..."

	Akane shook her head, smiling sadly. "Ukyou, the best 
thing you could possibly do for us is to stay here. You're 
Ranma's friend, and he needs that. And Kasumi... I think Nabiki 
and I are more like her daughters than her sisters. She's going 
to need something like a guest in the house; something to lose 
herself in for a while."

	Ukyou nodded, touched. "And your father?"

	"I'm scared for him, Ukyou," Akane said, a helpless look 
in her eyes. "He looks like someone carved him out of a block of 
marble, and that's not Daddy at all. He usually bursts into tears 
at the slightest little thing... he's very emotional. I don't think 
I saw him shed a single tear today."

	"People grieve in different ways," Ukyou said lamely.

	"I suppose." She glanced around, looking nervous. "Kasumi 
sent me home. I think she and father will be staying at the 
hospital until the end comes." She swallowed, but kept her 
composure. "I don't know if I should be grateful to them or not."

	"They were probably worried about your health. With you 
sick to begin with, and all this on top of it..."

	Akane blinked. "Huh? I'm not sick."

	Frowning, Ukyou blinked. "Kasumi said you were, this 
morning, when we asked why you weren't down for breakfast."

	A puzzled expression crossed Akane's face. "Kasumi woke 
me up, right after the accident..."

	Ukyou stared at her. "I last saw Ranma at the end of fifth 
period, Akane."

	Akane slowly frowned. "I guess I overslept. Maybe my 
alarm was broken. But I don't know why Kasumi would think I 
was sick."

	The two were silent for a second, both obviously 
bothered by what was really a very minor thing indeed. Finally, 
Akane stood. "It's getting about time for dinner. Do you have 
any preferences?"

	"Actually, why don't I cook for us?" Ukyou suggested. "I 
like to think I'm a pretty good chef, and they say you should 
never prepare food while unhappy."

	Nodding, Akane walked over to the table. "That's right, 
you said you were a okonomiyaki chef. I haven't had that in 
months; Kasumi doesn't cook it often, and there's nowhere 
nearby that makes it very well, which is a shame. I like it."

	Ukyou grinned. "Everyone likes it. If the competition here 
isn't very fierce, I might set up shop for myself." Moving into 
the kitchen, she quickly set up the stove. "Akane, I've got a 
portable griddle top and ingredients in my pack. Could you run 
fetch it for me?"

	"Sure! Hold on just a second..." Akane hurried off, and 
Ukyou permitted herself a smile. The girl was tough; Akane 
would hopefully bounce back from her loss in time. For now, 
though, it was Ukyou's job to keep her busy.

	Akane returned with the pack, and Ukyou dug out the 
griddle and condiments. "How do you like yours, Akane?"

	"Mushrooms, for a start. Hmm. For the meat..."

^_-

	The door rattled.

	Akane looked up from the living room TV, and watched as 
Kasumi slowly entered from the hall. Her heart clenched into a 
ball.

	"Oneechan...?"

	Kasumi smiled wanly. "Not yet. They wouldn't let me stay 
overnight." She shook her head. "Father's staying. I suppose... 
he'll let us know."

	Akane nodded, oddly relieved. "Ukyou made us dinner. 
There's still some left, if you want."

	"That was nice of him." She looked absently around. 
"Where is Ukyou-kun?"

	"He went to sleep. It's late."

	Kasumi nodded. "It is. You should be in bed."

	"I can't sleep." She had tried, and been unable to, visions 
of another bed seeping into her mind. It frustrated her. After 
all, she had dozed in the hospital, with Ranma...

	"I don't think I can either." Her sister drooped, the last 
vestiges of her usual calm energy seeming to slip away. "We'll 
stay up together, you and me. Can I sit down?"

	Akane obligingly moved over, and Kasumi slowly lowered 
herself onto the sofa next to her. "There. Goodness."

	On an impulse, Akane leaned against her sister, hugging 
her. Kasumi seemed to tense for a second, and then tenderly 
wrapped her arms around Akane's waist, cradling her.

	They sat there, and the TV flickered in the shadows of 
the room.

	"Kasumi?"

	"Yes, Akane-chan?"

	"Are you okay?" She knew it was a stupid question.

	Kasumi sat for a while, silent, and then tightened her 
embrace slightly. "No, Akane, I'm not. But it will get better, 
really it will."

	"Was this what it was like when Mother died?"

	"I think that for me, it was a lot like you are right now." 
Kasumi seemed to tremble a bit, and Akane felt a hand muss 
her hair. "It seemed like the end of the world, but it wasn't. 
And I still talk to Mother, and she still lives here. You'll see, 
Akane. It really will get better for you."

	"And you?"

	Kasumi sighed. "Oh, goodness, Akane, I expect it will get 
better for me as well. It's different. You miss Nabiki, but I 
miss what she was going to be."

	Akane frowned slightly. "I don't understand."

	Her sister laughed sadly. "That's all right. We'll both 
miss Nabiki, let's put it like that. But we still have her, and 
she has us." 

	"I love you, Oneechan."

	"I love you too, Akane-chan. We will get through this, you 
know. We will."

	The two clung to each other, and the clock ticked, and 
after a time their breathing slowed into the shallow rhythms 
of sleep.

^_-

	The rooms in the hospital were soundproofed. It could be 
noisy, at times, and the comfort of the patients should not be 
marred by this. After all, relaxation and rest are as important 
as drugs and bandages in the healing process.

	Those rooms with critical patients had night-nurses and 
noise monitors. Ranma's room, in the overnight recovery ward, 
had none of these.

	And so when the screaming began, around 2 AM, no-one 
heard it. The patients in the rooms adjoining his turned and 
muttered uneasily in their sleep, but slumbered on.

	The agonized shrieks died away shortly before morning. 
By the time the morning nurse poked her head in, the only 
sound to fill Ranma's room was a light snore.

^_- 

	Akane awoke to the sound of a ringing telephone, and, for 
a glorious second, sleep hid the significance of this. 

	Then what it meant fell down upon her, and she was 
barely able to keep from screaming her rage and horror and 
denial.

	Kasumišs voice, calm and frigid, came through from the 
table by the phone. "Hello."

	Akane shut her eyes tightly, and waited.

	"We're not interested."

	The phone was placed back on its cradle, and Akane 
cautiously opened her eyes, the tension draining out of her. 
Phone advertisement, she supposed.

	She was surprised to see Kasumi sitting down, her head 
buried in her hands, shaking slightly. The sobs were almost 
muffled, almost inaudible. Almost.

	Quietly, Akane got up from the sofa and left the room. 
Kasumi didn't need an audience.

	Walking down the hall, she knocked on the door of the 
guest room. "Ukyou-kun? Are you up?"

	There were hurried fumbling noises from behind the door. 
"Yeah, just a moment. Need to get dressed." A few minutes 
later, Ukyou stepped out and studied her. "You look a little 
better this morning."

	Akane nodded. "I feel a little better. Not much, but... well, 
I'm functional, as a friend of mine likes to say."

	Smiling, Ukyou gave her a comradely punch in the arm. "I 
think that's all you can expect at the moment. Now... how about 
we get breakfast, and then go see Ranchan? He'll want the 
company, I'm sure."

	"Sounds good," she replied, feeling buoyed by Ukyou's 
manner. "I think Kasumi's probably going to cook today. Shall 
we go see?"

	"I think we shall."

	Sure enough, cooking noises were already coming from 
the kitchen when they arrived. After a time, plates were 
brought out and laid before them, Kasumi serving them with a 
mechanical smile. The food disappeared quickly, and the smile 
became more genuine as it did.

	When they were finally done, Kasumi took in the dishes 
and straightened her dress. "I'm going back to the hospital now, 
Akane. I don't know when I'll be home."

	Akane nodded and stood. "I'll get my coat."

	Kasumi shook her head. "You stay here, Akane. I don't 
want you in there."

	Frowning, Akane stared at her sister. "Oneechan, I'm 
going to..."

	"You're going to stay here." Her sister's voice took a cool, 
firm tone. "I don't want you tearing yourself up, and I don't 
want you picking up memories. Ranma's going to be released 
from the hospital this morning; you and he can do something 
together for the remainder of the day."

	She almost choked in fury, but held herself in check. 
"Kasumi, doesn't someone need to help him home? He does have 
a bad shoulder." 

	Kasumi nodded. "That's why I'm taking Ukyou with me, if 
it's fine with him. He and Ranma will be home soon." Picking up 
her handbag, Kasumi started for the door. Ukyou shot Akane a 
helpless look, and followed.

	Akane opened her mouth to protest, and then shut it. The 
head of the household had exercised her prerogative of 
decision; something she didn't often do. There really wasn't 
much to say.

	Instead, she pushed past the two and made it out the door 
first. "I'm going for a run," she said, aware that she sounded 
almost childishly peevish. "I'll be back long before Ranma and 
Ukyou, I'm sure."

	Kasumi made no response, but led Ukyou down the path 
and out the gate for the bus stop. Shaking her head angrily, 
Akane jogged toward Tai Park.

^_-

	Ranma's room was at the end of the hall, and as she 
walked Ukyou thought on what she would ask him. And on what 
she wouldn't.

	He sat up in bed when she entered, and waved. "Hi, 
Ucchan. How've you been?"

	"Better than you, it looks like."

	Shrugging - and wincing at the movement - Ranma smiled 
crookedly. "Just a small fracture. I'll be almost well by next 
week."

	Ukyou raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a tad optimistic?"

	"I'm a fast healer. And there are ways of helping the 
process along. The martial arts don't just deal with fighting, 
you know."

	"Yeah." She sat down in the chair by the bed, and fixed 
him with a piercing gaze. "So what happened?"

	Ranma met the stare, the smile flickering back and forth. 
"Didn't Akane tell you?"

	"Akane told me some of it. She was too messed up to 
really go into details."

	The smile died completely. "Yeah. Well, she didn't get the 
entire story, anyway."

	Ukyou nodded, her throat tightening. "It had something to 
do with that talk, didn't it."

	He was silent for a moment, eyes seeming to reflect the 
empty wall at which he looked. Finally, his face twisted into 
an ugly expression of contempt. "She was the one who 
engineered the trap at the Ooni Temple. And the one who set up 
the thing at the office building. The little bitch. Her own 
goddamn sister, and she sold us out. And I was real unhappy, as 
you can imagine."

	She nodded in horrified fascination, almost not wanting 
him to continue.

	"So I told her... hell, I implied some pretty unpleasant 
things, Ucchan. And she took off running, and I followed, out of 
sight. And she tripped and fell, right in front of my eyes... right 
in front of me..." His voice choked up, and he turned his head 
away. "God, Ucchan, her eyes as she realized, if you had just 
seen them... I jumped, I don't know why. Maybe it was guilt, 
maybe it was heroics, maybe something in me knew what 
Akane's eyes would look like yesterday. Maybe I just wanted to 
jump." Closing his eyes, he leaned back in the bed, hands 
balling into fists. "I hate her. I couldn't even save her, the 
damn little sneak. She didn't deserve that. Akane doesn't 
deserve it."

	Ukyou shook her head sadly. "No, she doesn't. Did you tell 
her..."

	"...that the sister who's dying in the next room sold us to 
the people trying to kill me? That her loving Oneesan had her 
hit on the head and chained naked to a chair in an abandoned 
building?" He shook his head. "She'll never know. It's better for 
everyone. Let her have her memories."

	"She's a wreck, Ranchan."

	"I know." He laughed, the sound bitter and wondering. "You 
know, Ucchan, I've been sleepin' badly, and maybe it's only 
because of the shoulder. Sometimes Nabiki's face floats by, 
with that damn look in her eyes, and it feels like someone 
stuck a knife in me. But the worst is when I think of Akane 
yesterday. Isn't that the damnedest thing? Nabiki's dead, and 
Akane's alive, and it's Akane I feel the worst about."

	Ukyou smiled. "Only natural, Ranchan. You love Akane, and 
you didn't like Nabiki much at all. I wouldn't like someone who 
tried to kill me either."

	"Yeah," he said quietly, not looking at her. "But I killed 
Nabiki."

	She chose her next words carefully, as much for her own 
benefit as for his. "Nabiki killed herself, Ranchan. What were 
you going to do, just let her try to send you to your death time 
and time again? Let her kidnap Akane again, or worse? You 
gave her more than she gave you, and when the time came you 
put your life at risk to save her."

	Chuckling slightly, he smiled the damn crooked smile she 
had begun to hate. "What would you have done, man?"

	That was easy. "I'd have beaten the tar out of her, and 
then I'd have let Akane take a turn. You should have gone to her 
with this from the beginning, Ranchan."

	He smiled, and shook his head. "Maybe."

	"No maybes." Ukyou sighed, smiling ruefully. "You have 
something real special there, Ranchan. I don't know which of 
you got the better of the deal."

	Ranma's smile broadened, and actually reached his eyes 
for the first time. "I really don't know what it was like before 
I had her to focus on, y'know, Ucchan? I didn't even know her a 
few months ago, and now she's my direction in life. She'll be 
ready, soon."

	Ukyou glanced over at him. "Ready?"

	He shrugged. "Over this. Ready to get on with life." The 
crooked grin reappeared. "How bout you, Ucchan? Got some 
lucky girl back home?" 

	She flushed a bright red. Damn it, why did he have to say 
that? Why the hell hadn't she just told him she was a girl from 
the beginning? "Not really, no."

	"Huh. I'm surprised. You're almost as good-looking as me." 

	Ukyou laughed. "You know, you haven't changed that much, 
Ranchan. You always did think the world revolved around you."

	He looked at her in mock astonishment. "You mean it 
doesn't?"

	They looked at each other, and then burst out laughing, 
Ranma wincing slightly as he did. When they caught their 
breath, Ukyou stood and offered him her hand. "C'mon. Let's get 
you home."

	Grinning, Ranma stood. "Thanks, Ucchan. Tell you what, 
after all this is over I'll set you up with one of Akane's 
friends.

	"Er, that's okay, really." She flushed again, furious with 
herself. Damnit, she had dealt with come-on lines from women 
for years, why was she getting so flustered now?

	Ranma nodded, a speculative look in his eye. "Let's go. I 
want to check up on Akane."

	"Okay."

^_-

	Mariko went through her morning exercise routine, one 
eye peeled for any love-crazed kendoists that might be 
wandering around the park. Actually, she wasn't sure if an 
appearance by Kuno would be a good thing or not. The flowers 
and poetry were nice, but the revelation that he enjoyed being 
beaten to a pulp had somehow taken all the fun out of it. In 
fact, it made the thought seem almost dirty.

	She shuddered. No, she wasn't that desperate. Even if 
Tsen had turned out to be a woman. Ick. She still wasn't quite 
sure what the deal there was; something having to do with 
Chinese curses and magic. Whatever. If she hadn't have seen it 
herself...

	As she went through a series of thrusts and parries with 
her umbrella, she brooded a bit on the subject of Ukyou. A nice 
guy. More than that, one who had actually seemed to understand 
the situation, if not the true extent of Ranma's evil. That 
would hopefully change. If it didn't...

	Mariko snarled in frustration, and neatly severed the 
limb of a nearby tree with an overhand slash of the umbrella. 
If it didn't, she'd be in the unpleasant situation of having to go 
through two decent, likable people in order to rid the world of 
a monster. She didn't want to do that.

	In her mind, she had replayed the fight in the park a 
dozen times. Pictured Akane not knocking away the barrel of 
the umbrella, pictured the armor-piercing round blasting 
through Akane's head in an explosion of crimson, pictured it 
slam into Ranma's chest to kill him.

	The picture sickened her.

	She wanted him dead so badly. She needed him dead. That 
was what she had devoted the past few years of her life to, 
and she had no doubts as to the justice or necessity of her 
cause. But she had been about to kill Akane, who she liked, in 
order to take down Ranma. And that scared her a little.

	Another slash cut a deep notch in the tree's trunk. It 
would have been nice to be Akane's friend. She hadn't had a 
friend in a long time.

	But Akane was on the wrong side of the line now, and 
afterwards... afterwards she didn't think Akane would have 
many comradely feelings. She didn't think Akane would do 
anything except try to kill her on sight. 

	"Stupid Akane," she muttered, umbrella slamming into 
the tree once more. It would be for her own good. She'd never 
see it that way, of course, but it was the only way to keep her 
alive and unabused.

	And, as if the mention of her name had summoned her, 
Akane jogged into the clearing. And froze.

	Mariko opened her mouth to call a greeting, then noticed 
the very unpleasant expression on the other girl's face. "Hey, 
Akane, something..?"

	She barely had time to throw herself to the side, Akane's 
flying kick missing her head by centimeters. Coming up, she 
punched the other girl square in the stomach. Akane doubled 
over, and Mariko stood up, mildly annoyed. And curious.

	"What's...."

	A hand clamped around Mariko's calf, lifted her, and 
threw her into the tree. Hard.

	Her vision swimming, the Hibiki girl blocked the next 
punch, kicked Akane's legs out from under her, and reached for 
where her umbrella had fallen on the grass. Her hand had just  
closed around it when a foot slammed into her back, causing 
her to yelp in pain.

	Pivoting on one hand, Mariko swung the umbrella in a 
wide arc that missed the other girl by centimeters. Still, it 
was enough to let her regain her footing.

	Her vision swam again, and she shook her head groggily, 
still a little stunned by the sheer speed and force of the 
attack. Since when had Akane gotten so goddamn good?

	And then a fist slammed towards her face, and there was 
no time to think of anything but the fight.

	The next few attacks were more subtle, although still 
obviously fueled by a very unsubtle rage. A series of straight 
punches, a spinning kick, an intricate flurry of legs and arms...

	At first, it was all Mariko could do to merely keep the 
hail of blows off her. She closed once, expecting to be able to 
wrestle the smaller girl to the ground. Akane picked her up 
with one hand and slammed her facefirst into the turf.

	Then, gradually, the momentum swung the other way. 
Akane began to tire, the berserker rage slowly draining her 
spirit and energy. Mariko, on the other hand, began to hit her 
stride; the second wind coming with a cold rush of adrenaline. 
The tan umbrella swung and cut, and the parries began to turn 
into jabs and thrusts.

	Five minutes later, Akane fell to the ground, Mariko's 
umbrella at the ball of her throat. Grinning raggedly, Mariko 
waited for her opponent's eyes to regain focus. Her own vision 
wasn't doing so hot either.

	"What... whew... whatever happened to  a simple 'Hello'?" 
she asked, smiling wearily. She was going to be stiff and sore 
for the rest of the day, she just knew it. Still, she hadn't had 
that good a fight in ages.

	"Go to hell," Akane managed, her breath coming in gasps. 
"And take your brother and your Chinese friends with you. Just 
leave us the hell alone."

	Mariko frowned. This didn't sound like Akane at all. "I 
was just doing my morning exercises, Akane. You're the one 
who wanted to play today."

	The rage suddenly seemed to drain from Akane like air 
from a punctured balloon. "Damn you. Why can't you just give 
this up and leave?"

	"We've been over this before," Mariko replied evenly. "You 
were a lot more rational about it last time."

	Akane's face twisted, a look of remorse mixing with 
something else. "Yeah. Sorry. There's been a family tragedy, and 
I'm not in a great frame of mind right now. And I really don't 
need you trying to kill Ranma on top of everything else."

	"I already told you, he's..." Mariko trailed off in horror, 
the meaning behind the other girl's words sinking in. "Oh God. 
What happened to Nabiki?"

	"There was a car accident. She's dead. Dying. God, I don't 
know. She's not there anymore." 

	Mariko felt the blood drain from her face, felt her hands 
clench around the haft of her umbrella. She dimly heard Akane 
continue, voice somewhere between pain and hate. "And the 
person you're trying to kill, the one you were ready to kill me 
in order to murder? He almost died trying to save her life. He'll 
be fine, though. I'm sure you're real sorry to hear that."

	God, poor Nabiki. She had been so damn scared that day, 
wearing borrowed clothes. Mariko's clothes. And the girl had 
kept going anyway, and look what it had gotten her.

	"Yeah," she said dully, removing the umbrella from 
Akane's throat. Car accident. Yeah. Right. And Ranma just 
happened to be right there. Of course he tried to save poor 
Nabiki. Of course he would never even dream of pushing her, or 
tossing her in front of the car, or whatever the hell had really 
happened.

	And she knew that nothing she could say would ever 
convince Akane that Ranma had murdered her sister. Nothing. 
Akane was completely blind. The only person who had ever had 
a chance of showing her Ranma's true nature was dead.

	"Mariko?" There was a bit of a questioning tone in 
Akane's voice. 

	Not trusting herself to speak, shaking with a mixture of 
rage and grief, Mariko stormed out of the clearing. She was 
just glad that she had learned the damnable news after the 
fight. 

	She got lost, of course, but by now the park was filled 
with markers. Before long their guidance had led her back to 
the lake, and to the stepping stones lying beneath the scummy 
water. A balancing pole still lay in the reeds to one side of 
them. It wouldn't be needed any more.

	Forcibly composing herself, Mariko sighed. There was 
now a duty for her to perform, and she was not looking forward 
to it at all. Leaping across the stones, she reluctantly walked 
into the campsite. "You here, Koji?"

	Her brother looked up from beside the fire, a pan of bacon 
frying merrily near him. "Hey, Marichan." He frowned, then, 
examining her more closely, noticing her less-than-optimal 
condition. "Jeez, you look like hell. What happened?"

	She hesitated, trying to find the best way to tell him. 
Finally, she decided that the direct route would be the easiest 
for both of them. "Koji, Nabiki's dead."

	For a few seconds the only sound in the camp was the 
crackle of the cookfire. Mariko watched her brother's face 
move from shock to agony to impassive mask, and wished 
that watching him didn't hurt so much.

	"How?" The tone was flat, emotionless.

	"Supposedly a car accident. I don't know the exact 
details. But guess who was there? Guess who tried his best to 
save her life, guess who didn't quite manage to, guess who the 
fucking hero of the hour is?"

	Koji laughed, the sound making Mariko wince. "Oh, 
Saotome, you bastard. You goddamn sick bastard. You... oh God, 
Nabiki..." He buried his head in his hands, voice trailing off.

	She sat down next to him. "Did you love her?"

	He was silent for a while, then slowly shook his head. "I 
only knew her for a few weeks, Marichan. That's not enough 
time. But if it had been a month more, two months, a year... 
then I would have been helplessly, completely, utterly in love 
with her. I suppose that's kind of silly."

	Mariko hugged him. "No, it isn't, brother mine. I'm sorry."

	He returned the hug. "I'm sorry too. She was a good friend. 
And braver than I am."

	Reluctantly, she broke the embrace. "There's got to be a 
reckoning for this, Koji."

	"There will be."

	She frowned, irritation beginning to well up. "I mean an 
immediate one. We've played the honor game too long. Enough. 
To hell with it. I'm just going to blow his head off from a 
distance."

	Her brother calmly met her glare. "No."

	The irritation grew into anger. "Nabiki's dead, Koji. 
Really dead. Because Ranma was still alive to kill her. This is 
the twentieth century; you kill people with guns. It may not be 
the honorable, proper way, but I really don't give a crap. Honor 
wasn't worth Nabiki's life, and it isn't worth Akane's either."

	The look on her brother's face hurt a lot. Still. It was the 
truth, and if they had just done things her way Nabiki would be 
alive and ready for that lunch date.

	"Honor's not the only reason," Koji finally said. "I agree, 
it wasn't worth Nabiki's life. But if you kill him that way, you 
can say goodbye to Japan forever."

	Mariko blinked. "What?"

	"The police are far less forgiving of murder with a 
firearm than of a simple death in unarmed combat. You should 
know that from all the oh-so-painstaking investigation they 
did on Ryouga's murder. If we kill Ranma the usual way... well, 
we just leave the country for a few years. There's enough 
people after Ranma's head to make guilt hard to prove, and no-
one's going to convict us three years later for following 
tradition and avenging our brother's death. Hell, they'll just 
blame it on Tsen. But if Ranma dies from a bullet... Akane's 
going to go right to the cops with your name. We'll have to race 
to get out of the country before they pick us up, and even if we 
do make it... that's the end. If we ever return to Japan, we'll be 
arrested, convicted, and probably go to prison for years. And if 
we settle in another country, well, there's always extradition 
and Interpol."

	She listened, the rage slowly being replaced by a sober 
reappraisal of her brother. "You're a lot less stupid than I give 
you credit for, brother mine. How long have you had this 
thought out for?"

	"Ever since the failed attempt in the park. I got to 
thinking about what went wrong, what we could learn from it. 
And I came to the conclusion that Akane might have actually 
done us a favor."

	Mariko studied her brother, pleasantly surprised at the 
side of him she was seeing. "Whatever happened to revenge at 
all costs?"

	Koji snorted. "Part of my revenge is going to be living a 
long and happy life. I'm going to raise a family and enjoy 
myself, and know that he never will. I'm going to make his 
death a thing of joy for me, not something I'll be paying for the 
rest of my life."

	"And Nabiki's life?"

	He sagged a little. "I think the cops would have picked us 
up before we left Japan. But still... I almost wish we had tried 
yesterday. Almost. Nabiki knew what the risks were."

	"Does that make it any better?"

	"No." He sighed. "As horrible as this is going to sound, she 
died at a convenient time for our plans."

	Mariko scowled. "You're right. That does sound pretty 
horrible. Explain."

	"With Azusa gone, Ranma will think we've lost our source 
of information, our man in the Tendo household. He'll think 
we're running blind."

	"We are running blind," she pointed out, confused.

	Koji smiled.

^_-

	Akane arrived home to find a familiar figure waiting on 
her doorstep.

	She didn't panic. Although she knew she was still tired 
from her fight with Mariko, she snapped into a defensive 
posture and wordlessly waited for the attack. If it was 
careless enough, perhaps she could stun her opponent long 
enough to flee.

	The expected barrage of strikes never came.

	"What do you want?" she finally asked, not lowering her 
guard. The attack could still come at any moment.

	The weapons dropped from her adversary's hands, landing 
with a clatter on the path.

	"Has gone too far," said the Amazon. "Shan Pu sorry. Here 
to make amends. Will help you and Ranma. On oath as a warrior, 
Shan Pu will defend you to best of ability from Tsen and 
others."

	 A cool breeze swept through the garden, bearing with it 
a ragged scrap of colored paper. It tumbled into the koi pond as 
Akane lowered her guard and stepped forward, and then it 
slowly faded and sank.