DISCLAIMER: Ranma Nibunnoichi is the property of Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan Inc, Shonen Sunday Comics, and Viz Video. It is used without their permission and is not intended for profit but only for the enjoyment of fans of the Ranma series. All characters within this fic that are not the property of the above mentioned are copyrighted to the author, Joseph Kohle, January 1997. This work of fiction is the result of the author's hard work and is for the enjoyment of others. Please do not change, modify, or use any segment of this story without the author's knowing and written consent. Feel free to archive this work. ************************************************************************ Meiyo Ai soshite Nikushimi A Ranma Nibunnoichi Fanfic by Joseph Kohle Part II: The Judgement of Boukyaku Chapter I The First Night He was running, at least he thought he was running. The world around him was blacker than the devil's soul. Airless, without scent, silent, an impenetrable mesh of emptiness surrounding him, suffocating him. But there was something there, something behind him, hounding him, thirsting after his soul. If he stopped running, he would be lost forever. So he ran and ran, hoping that somehow he might escape this horrid, unending nightmare. How he got here, why he was here, he did not remember. Even his own name was a fleeting shadow, a vague impression of wild abandon- ment, of sorrow and loss, of pain, of skill. Akane. It was that word again flashing through his mind, but what it was or who it was, was beyond him, only that it was important to him. "Where am I? Who am I?" He had no voice, but the words came and echoed in his ears anyway. Behind him he felt the malicious delight of his pursuer. It wanted him to run, it enjoyed his fear, his helpless state. I'll face it. I'll stop running. I do not want to run, I never run from a challenge. He started to slow, at least he thought he slowed, there was no change in the darkness. The presence gloated in triumph, then there was someone next to him, another person, another mind, familiar yet unremembered and unknown. "Don't stop. If you stop, you'll die. You can't win here, not here. Just run with me, soon we'll find a safer place, a better place." He knew the Other was right. It would be impossible for him to defeat something he was not able to see. More than that though, he thought that he could trust the Other. There was something familiar about the Other. The Other was going to help him. So he ran. "Who are you?" he asked. "You know, just give it time. You must find yourself again. Do not give into Boukyaku." Boukyaku? The word stirred a memory, but as he tried to grasp it, it slipped away as if it were water in a net. "Do not force it. It must come to you. Just run now, just run." He ran. "Toufu-sensei! Toufu-sensei! Let me in! Please let me in!" Akane cried out in a grief stricken voice. She kicked the door again, the solid oak trembling under her attack. "He's dying, let me in!" Ranma was cradled in her arms, his body limp and cold. If it were not for the irregular rise and fall of his chest, anyone would have decreed him dead and beyond help on first sight and touch. "Please," Akane wailed desperately, "Let me in!" She pulled back her foot, preparing to smash the door, when it suddenly swung inward, revealing a very surprised Ono Toufu. "What..?" he began to ask. Akane pushed past him and rushed back into his examining room, where she placed Ranma on the table. Dr. Toufu was a few steps behind her. "What is going on here, Akane?" he asked walking up to her, then he noticed Ranma lying prone on the table. Instantly he was a doctor, checking Ranma's vital signs. "What happened to him?" he asked after a moment. "Cologne, threw something at him. Said was his punishment. He caught it and collapsed. I can't wake him. He was burning up, then he was freezing. He's dying. He's dying." Sinking to the floor, Akane started crying. "Baka, I told you not to go. I told you. Ranma no baka. Baka, baka, baka, Baka!" The last one came out with a massive sob. Whack...Her head suddenly snapped to the side, her cheek burning, tears of pain stinging her eyes. Blinking, Akane glanced up to see Toufu-sensei standing over her, his hand raised to slap her again. Grief was incinerated as pure rage entered her heart, forcing her body and mind to act as one. Jumping to her feet, she pulled her hand back to slug Toufu-sensei, unaware of the fact that it was Toufu-sensei. Her vision was blurred in her anger. "Why you..!" she began. Someone's hand grasped her raised arm and restrained her. "I'm sorry I slapped you, Akane, but you were going into shock. I don't need two patients." "Nani?" Akane blinked, reality slowly coming back to her. The calm words and reassuring presence of Dr. Toufu calming her. Confused, she looked at Dr. Toufu. He was gently holding her upraised arm, a serious look on his face, and behind him on the table...Everything snapped back into focus. "Oh, Ranma," Akane lamented quietly, "I'm sorry." "I don't think I need to worry about you going into shock now," Dr. Toufu said releasing her hand and turning back to Ranma. "Shock?" Akane asked, but Toufu-sensei ignored her. "Now tell me exactly what happened." Shaking her head to clear the last few cobwebs, Akane explained how Cologne had challenged Ranma, and when he had shown up she had started talking about Ranma being punished for crimes against the Amazons. "She explained them and then said something about the Judgement of Boukyaku. Then she threw something at him and he caught it. The next thing I know he is on the ground screaming and then he falls quiet." "I didn't think, I grabbed him and ran here. I just didn't want to go through this again. Once was bad enough." A stifled sob escaped her lips. "Please Ranma, don't do this to me. Please." "Akane," Dr. Toufu said threateningly, "You're slipping. Concentrate on what is happening, not your feelings." "H-hai," she answered, reaching up to rub her temples, just to do something. "Has he been holding this the entire time?" Dr. Toufu asked suddenly. "Huh? Holding what?" "This," Dr. Toufu lifted Ranma's right hand. In it was a hideous looking statue. Actually it wasn't that it was hideous, really it looked like nothing, but as she starred at it, she started to see terrifying visages in its swirling chaos. Shuddering she dropped her eyes from the idol, focusing on Ranma's face instead. "Th-that's what Cologne threw at him, I'm sure it is," Akane exclaimed stepping closer. "But I thought he dropped it on the ground. How is he holding it, his body was limp?" "It still is." For a few moments Toufu-sensei meticulously explored around Ranma's hand and forearm, gently prodding certain points and then attempting to move his fingers. Finally he let it drop and shook his head in puzzlement. "He's not holding it. His muscles are completely relaxed, his hand should not even be in that position. Something else is holding that thing there." "But what's wrong with him?" Akane demanded, stepping up to Ranma's inert form. His face was pallid and waxy looking, a ghostly white. He looked so weak. Akane brushed her fingers across his cheek with a feather-light touch. The skin was cool and dry, almost like parchment. She pulled her hand away after only a few moments. She didn't want to remember him like this, not like this. Turning away from him she stumbled over to a stool in the corner and sank down into it. "I don't know," Toufu-sensei answered, moving around the exam- ination room, grabbing items as he went, "His blood pressure is dan- gerously low, and his breathing is very shallow and erratic. I can barely feel his heart beating. But those things can be stabilized with drugs and a few machines. It's his ki that I'm worried about. It's not there." "That's impossible. He'd be dead if it weren't there," Akane argued vehemently. "I know. I wish I knew what Cologne did to him. I don't understand what this oblivion thing has to do with anything. It's impossible to force the ki out of a person's body." He was back beside Ranma again, half a dozen syringes in his possession. Picking up an alcohol pad he wiped down Ranma's arm and injected the syringes into his blood stream one after the other. After a few moments, Ranma's breathing became deeper, steadier. A slight flush heated his cheeks as huis circulation improved. "I need to check a few things, see if I can discover what Cologne did to him," Toufu-sensei explained as he turned to Akane, "Could you watch him for me, make sure nothing goes wrong. If anything changes call me." Akane only nodded before Dr. Toufu left the room. Sighing, Akane pulled her stool next to the examination table and took Ranma's hand. His skin was warmer under her touch now. Maybe he would be fine. Maybe. Ono Toufu left Akane with Ranma and hurried first to his small office where he made a phone call. Akane was in no state to call her family, being too concerned for Ranma, and he realized they needed to know. There was a strong chance that Ranma was not going to survive the next few hours much less the night. Nabiki answered the phone. He talked quickly to Nabiki explaining a little of what had happened. That Ranma had been hurt and was at his clinic. That it might be serious. He was not about to let them know how serious until he found out himself. At the same time he informed her that Akane was with Ranma and would probably be here the night. With that he thanked her and hung up, hurrying from his office to his study. The study was a simple room. Bookshelves lined the walls, over- flowing with books and manuscripts dealing with hundreds of medical subjects. A lone table decorated the center of the room, a chair pushed up to it, a single lamp illuminating a reading area. Overflowing the table were several dozen books and scrolls he had been studying. Ignoring these, he went straight for a set of shelves in the rear of the room and began rummaging through some thick Chinese scrolls. In the back of his mind there was an idea of what he was looking for. The way Akane had said the punishment Cologne had inflicted upon Ranma and the statue had made him think that Boukyaku was not the Japanese word oblivion. Since Japanese had many roots in China, he believed it might be some sort of Chinese spirit or demon, that was the only explanation for what he had seen. When talking with Nabiki, he had withheld information. He had done the same with Akane. Telling her about Ranma's lack of ki had been against his better judgement, but he needed someone to know besides himself. Akane had been right when she had said that a person would die without ki. The problem was Ranma was not without ki, it just was not in his body. Somehow the statue had absorbed Ranma's ki. Examining the statue, he had noticed a faint twinge in its own black aura, a slight color and pattern of blue that was as distinctively Ranma's as his genetic code. With the power of the aura around the statue, he was now surprised he had even seen that slight indication of Ranma's own presence. Any normal person would have been swallowed and subdued instantly by such a strong aura. Even just being around the object, he had felt small tugs at his own ki, and he knew how to control and protect his better than most. For Ranma to resist as much as he was, especially being in direct contact with the statue and most likely linked to it, was a testament to his strength. He was stronger than Toufu had ever realized, perhaps one of the strongest ever. That was not sur- prising knowing Ranma's skill and recuperative abilities, both highly advanced and instinctive for one so young. Even with his strength though, Toufu had seen the greater aura slowly winning out. Ranma did not have much longer before he was consumed and his body would die shortly afterward, if it wasn't pos- sessed. It was just like Cologne to meddle in something this danger- ous. He fervently hoped that she had a way to break this. He snapped his fingers as he found the scroll he was looking for. He pulled a well oiled parchment from the back recesses of a shelf. All of these documents had belonged to his Sensei, until he had died leaving Toufu as his heir. This room represented the knowledge of nearly fifty generations of great healers and practitioners of the spiritual arts. Moving to the table, he untied the scroll and unrolled it. His practiced eye scanned the characters quickly, skimming through most of the scrolls information. It was mostly on Chinese mythology and the affect of the beliefs on the balance a body had to maintain to remain healthy. Near the end of it though, there was a section dealing with actual spiritual beings that could directly affect or even destroy the balance within, and among them he found what he was looking for. It was similar to the kanji for the Japanese, yet there were some subtle differences in the formation. It wasn't oblivion, it was the name of a vengeful spirit connected somehow to the Amazon tribe in China. That at least explained why Cologne used it. Other than that informa- tion though, there was nothing except a warning that stated that the thing resided in physical objects, and should never be allowed to enter a living vessel not warded against it. Rolling the scroll back up, he set it aside and started to ponder the situation. There was nothing helpful in the scroll or in any of his other manuscripts. He had read them all and knew all of their contents in a general way. None of them dealt with this particular spirit, and it was only mentioned in a scroll about myths and personal belief. Besides a few small rituals there was nothing he could do. Nabiki returned the phone to its cradle, her mind spinning with un- answered questions. Ranma was hurt, seriously. That was the second time this week. For Ranma that was a frightening statistic. He rarely went to the hospital, since he was rarely that injured or recovered before anyone could get him there, but now twice in a week. And Akane was with him again. There was something going on here. She knew that. Their story in the hospital was as believable as cheap property in Tokyo. There were more holes in it than in Kunou's sanity and yet everyone went along with it, so she had been forced to accept it. Then Ranma broke off the engagement, and suddenly they were actually getting along like best friends. And now this. This and Akane was with him. She hated mysteries she could not solve. "Who was on the phone?" her father called from the living area where he was busy cheating as Genma looked frantically for the British Prime Minister. Turning around Nabiki walked towards them. "That was Toufu- sensei. Ranma's hurt, pretty bad. Akane took him to the clinic. She's there with him now." I wish Dr. Toufu had given me more information. What was wrong with Ranma? Toufu-sensei would never call if it were not serious. He had sounded a little distracted to her though. "Huh?" she asked, when she realized the others had been asking her questions. "What's wrong with him?" Genma asked curiously. He was not too worried. Ranma was strong. Anything short of being hit by a speeding vehicle or a gunshot was not going to hurt him too much, but he was still his son, so he was slightly worried and curious. "He didn't say. But it sounded like it was very serious." Soun broke down at this, crying uncontrollably. "Now our lines will never be joined, Saotome-kun." "But Akane is with him. Maybe this will bring them together. My son's folly in breaking the engagement will be rectified." "Oh yes, how true. Happy day. Happy day." Soun decried tears of joy streaming down his face. "But is Ranma-kun going to be okay?" Kasumi asked worriedly. Nabiki had not even heard her oneechan enter the room, but her comment had the desired effect. The room went quiet as the two fathers started to understand the entire situation. "Did you say serious?" Genma asked cautiously, looking pleadingly at Nabiki as if she could change the truth. Nabiki only nodded in response. At least they were finally paying attention to reality. Sometimes those two could be incredibly dense. She knew it had been the worry on Kasumi's face that had done it. Generally any response other than happy acceptance from Kasumi was like a slap in the face for everyone involved. "I must go. He's still my son," Genma explained as he began grabbing a few things. Soun began helping his friend, talking with him quietly, reassuringly. Nabiki thought about going for a second, but dismissed the idea. It would not really help her, although she did want to satisfy her curiosity. Uncle Genma would report back with information, and besides, Akane needed to return home eventually. Genma waved his farewells and left the house quickly, leaving Soun crying in his wake, lamenting the loss of his future son-in-law despite all that had recently happened. Nabiki wondered how serious it actually was. She hoped it was not life threatening. Instead of her own confusion, worry started to gnaw away at her. Ranma was part of her family. His presence had become as necessary as night. Things would not be the same if he were not here. Please be okay Ranma. I still need questions answered. There was no way she was going to let her feelings have that much control. Always a reason. There always had to be a reason. Time had no meaning for him. Each moment was the same as the last as same as the next would be, all just flowing into a seamless illusion of forever. One second or one year it did not matter, it would have been the same. The only perception of advancement was The Other speaking to him, telling him what to do, where to go, where not to go. The Other had told him to let his memory come back, but he needed to know who he was, why he was here. Since he had nothing to do besides running, he had time to search for them, and so he did. For a time he was able to regain a few things, flashes of a past, pictures of people, impressions of feeling, but before long they began to be ripped from him again. No matter what he did he was unable to hold onto them, the harder he tried the more slipped through. Something was ripping them from him, forcing him to forget. Finally he had to fall back on simply finding one memory, one image to fill his mind, and holding onto it for as long as he was able. If he lost all of his memories, he would be lost forever. So he fought and fought unwilling and unable to give into what seemed inevitable. Some memories returned to him with greater frequency than others. It was not that he sought them out, but when they returned he remem- bered having them in his possession before. Most were people. An older woman holding him, a long-haired girl wielding a large spatula, a panda and an older man together, and a girl with short blue-black hair always seemed to return. The girl with short hair was the most predom- inate next to a vision of falling into water and his body changing. He preferred those two even though they gave him strange and conflicting emotions because it was easier to hold onto them once he had them. Now he was holding tightly to the vision of the girl with the short hair hovering above him. He thought he was on the floor in it. She had a drawn and worried expression, her eyes filled with fear. Blood dripped from her arm, which was gently stroking his forehead. Maybe this was the last thing I ever did? Can I be dead? But I thought you were supposed to relive your life than, not lose it? He could still feel the malevolent presence that was following him, trying to trap him. Several times it had come close, but it had been distant and just on the verge of his senses for a while. Actually it hasn't come near me since I found this piece of my life. Is it ripping them away. Am I supposed to defeat it? How can I do that? I'm barely making it as it is. "Watch out!" The Other's voice snapped into his head. Startled out of his thoughts he suddenly noticed that the presence was close, on top of him, and then he was fighting for his life. A dark oppressive net swallowed him, trying to bind him as burning claws raked at his mind, trying to tear away his latest memory, his only hope of survival. "Stop fighting. It's useless mortal, you cannot beat me. Give in, it would be easier, painless. No cares, no worries. Do you want the pain of life? Here taste it." The memory he was holding became real, he was living it. Pain washed over his body, the scents and feel of the room becoming real, the girl's soft skin and warm presence cradling him. Everything burned, he was tired. He could feel his life leaking out on the floor. In her eyes he saw her fear and pain, tears streaked her cheeks, blood dripped from her arm to splatter in hot drops against his cheek. Suddenly he knew he had hurt her, caused that wound. "Life, that's what it is like. Pain, indecision, suffering. Do you want that? I can give you peace." He did not want to trust the voice. It dripped honey and trust, but underneath it was pure hunger. It was not peace but oblivion that the thing offered, he did not want that. He wanted his life back, his memories. "Nooooo!" he screamed and began to revel in the feel of the memory, the pain was real. Pain meant you were living. He etched the scents, the sights, the feel in his mind. But as each was etched an invisible claw raked across his mind obliterating them. He was unable to keep up. The realism disappeared, the picture frayed, becoming tattered. No, no, no, no, no. I don't wanna die. I don't wanna. Just her face remained, a vague impression. He clutched at it, giving everything that he could. Not her, don't take her. She's all I got. Can't lose her, can't let him win. Her face frayed, and disappeared. He howled in frustration, his own consciousness fading, disappearing, dwindling. Plllleeeeaaaasss........His cry bled off into nothingness. "I'm trying." But he was beyond hearing. Akane watched Ranma patiently, her hands gently caressing his forearm. She had been sitting for awhile. Toufu-sensei was still gone. At least Ranma was resting peacefully. There had been no movement, no sign of any life accept the rise and fall of his chest, the comforting warmth of his hand. Please be okay Ranma. Please come back to me. As she sat, she only starred at Ranma, watching him, silently begging him to come back to her. It required too much energy to do anything else. If she started thinking about what might happen, she knew that a breakdown would be unavoidable. Please be okay. There was a flutter of movement beneath her hand. Startled she looked closely at Ranma. His breathing was becoming faster. Suddenly he clenched her hand tightly, her knuckles cracking under the pressure. His body arched off of the examining table, a quiet protest of pain escaping his lips. Then he collapsed back on the table, his entire body going limp. The breath sighed out of his lips and he was silent. It took a moment for everything to connect in Akane's mind, then she started screaming his name, over and over as she tried to think of something to bring him back to life. CPR! She dimly remembered taking the class in school. Breathing and beating the heart for a person. Numbly she was standing up, and moving to him, hitting his chest once, twice. Nothing, she climbed up and kneeled next to him, automatically doing everything she could remember. She did not even realize she was glowing, her aura shining brightly, her voice calling out to Ranma with each compression. One, two, three, four, five, breathe. One, two, three, four, five, breathe. The rhythm was all that mattered to her now. Keep Ranma alive. There are no clues to work with. Idly his hands stroked the rolled parchment. He had to speak with Cologne and make her reverse her work and free Ranma; however, there was the fact that she had done it purposefully and might want Ranma to die. In that case there was nothing he would be able to do. He was not going to give up. He still had colleagues, maybe one of them would know something he could use to save the boy. Sighing, he put the scroll down and returned to his study and began making phone calls. He did not have much time, very little time, That's when he heard Akane start to scream Ranma's name. Genma was partway to the clinic when a strange feeling passed over him, like a shadow covering his heart. His heart sped up, adrenaline pumping into his body. Something was wrong, horribly wrong. Ranma! His eyes widened in shock and then he started running. He was falling, falling fast. There was nothing to grab onto that could stop his dizzying plummet. The thing that had destroyed him was with him as he fell, laughing at his misfortune and gloating over its victory. Lashing out, he tried once again to find something, anything that might help him. A scrap of memory, a fleeting impression, even just a name or The Other, but there was nothing. "Someone help me!" he screamed into the blackness. It was no use. There was nothing. He was doomed. Nothing. Nothing. Then there was something, so faint he barely recognized it. It was like a small breeze lightly soothing him on a hot, stagnant day. He followed the feel of it, trying to find the source. The thing had not noticed yet. It was getting stronger, almost intelligible. It was insistent, filled with anguished pleading. He reached for it. His tormentor noticed his actions. There was the sudden feeling of something descending towards him, trying to stop him. He touched it. There was a scream of rage. A shout of joy. He heard the words ring in his head, the memory return. "Ranma come back to me!" "I'm Ranma," he shouted in triumph and lashed at the descending oblivion. I'm Ranma. When Dr. Toufu entered the examination room, his worst fears were confirmed. Akane was kneeling next to Ranma on the table performing CPR. Her aura was glowing brightly in the room, flowing over Ranma as he lay on the table. The statue was a swirling black, the blue of Ranma's aura completely gone from its surface. No there it was. He saw a flash of blue that flitted across the surface for a second before being suppressed again. There was still a chance. He rushed forward, not evening hearing the door to the clinic open. First he checked on Akane. She was doing the procedure correctly, although she was talking under her breath. He heard Ranma come back to me said as she performed compressions, one word for each down stroke, then she lifted his head, and breathed into his mouth, raising his chest. Then she was back to the compressions, calling Ranma again. That she was doing CPR right made his job easier. He quickly touched several pressure points that would allow more of the oxygen she was giving Ranma to be directed to the brain, several others made his heart more receptive for the compression. "My son!" Toufu turned at the cry,and was almost bowled over by Saotome Genma as he rushed to his son's side. At the last moment, Dr. Toufu side stepped staying on his feet. Roughly, he pushed the boy's father out of the way. "Stay out of the way," he said. Meekly, Genma nodded and backed up, fear in his eyes. Turning back to Ranma, he checked a few more signs. It was no use. Ranma had no ki available, it was going to be almost impossible to bring him back to life. There was a slight flash of blue across the statue's black aura. He's still fighting. I've got to do something. He turned from Ranma and began rummaging through several small vials until he found the one he wanted. It was a black, viscous liquid. Grabbing a syringe, he filled it mostly with a sugar solution and then pushed the syringe into the vial and drew a small drop of the liquid, turning the clear solution black. Anything more would destroy the brain tissue and many nerves. Returning to Ranma he was about to inject it into the boy's arm, when he felt Akane start to channel her ki, unconsciously. Surprised he looked up. Tears streaked the girl's face, her blue aura swirling around her. "Ranma come back to me!" she screamed and hit his chest in a rather strong cardial thump. He heard Ranma's ribs creak. At the same time he felt her release a blast into him. Ranma's body jumped on the examination table. There was a flash of blue from the statue forcing the black back. He suddenly drew in a ragged breath and then exhaled it. Dr. Toufu thought he heard him speak, "I'm Ranma." But if he did, he did not say anymore. Instead his body started moving fitfully, jerking as if he were fighting. Putting the syringe back, Dr. Toufu gently helped Akane off the table. She was crying in relief; however, he did not have the time to deal with it. He gave her into Genma's care. Akane collapsed against Ranma's father, crying into his chest. Confused, Genma could only hold the girl who had just saved his son' s life. Toufu barely noticed, he had to help Ranma somehow. Now it was a fight. Although he was still at a disadvantage and might not be able to beat this thing, he knew he would lose if he didn't con- tinue. He was Ranma. He knew his name, and with his name came other connections, more memories. Who he was, what he did. His parent's names entered his mind with their faces. Other faces started entering and he finally remembered the girl with the short, dark hair. Akane Tendou. Although he did not know what she was to him, he knew her now. So it was a fight. He had gained some of himself back and was able to hold his own and protect himself. His name held power for him, pro- tecting him from many of the attacks. He did not know how he lost it to begin with, but the thing musty have caught him off guard. Not this time. This was not a fight in the normal sense of the word. There were no physical attacks, no dodging, no maneuvering for position. It was will against will. One was trying to wipe out the other's memory, the other was simply blocking the attacks with pure stubborn resistance. He would not give in this time. "Start attacking him," the Other's voice was suddenly in his head. "How?" he asked confused. He was barely defending against the thing now. If he attacked, the thing was assured of getting through his defenses. "Besides then I'll lose." "It's a gamble. I need something to happen, and this might get them to do it." "Get who to do what?" Ranma grunted as another attack came. He barely managed to push it away. Too many things were flashing through his head. Past experiences were returning at irregular times, the attacks had no pattern, and now the Other was asking him to attack. It was too much. "Will you just do it." The command was easy to understand. Mentally sighing, he agreed. As the next attack came he braced against it. It slammed into his barrier. This time when it withdrew he followed it back and lashed at the source. There was a grunt of surprise. It seemed impossible for him to hurt the thing, but enrage it he did. Suddenly the struggle became more physical, much more deadly. The creature started lashing at him and not his memories, although every so often he went for those. Ranma found himself defending two fronts, one that required all of his concentration and the other that he had no idea how to defend. Slowly he was beaten down, pain flashing through his senses. He had no body, but he had a form that was being ripped at and torn. The thing lashed out, and Ranma screamed in pain as part of his form separated only to reform with him later. Snarling in rage, he attacked. His form lashed out and struck something. There was a below of pain in his ears. Smirking with satisfaction, he lashed out again and again. It became easier with each use. It was like using a physical body. Every thing was just more sensitive and more chaotic, but he was able to do use it, use it effectively. Again and again he attacked, gaining back the ground he lost. He felt the things fear radiating in the darkness. Obviously it had not counted on this strong of a challenge. Then it attacked again. Ranma braced himself, but not enough. The blow ripped through his defenses and found his memories. With a cry of rage and dismay, he pushed away the raking claw that was trying to shred his past. With excruciating slowness the attack was repelled with minimal damage, but as he gathered his strength, the darkness began to glow red, and then burn as heat washed over his form, burning it. Searing agony filled his body. He was burning, the heat boiling his form. He screamed in pain. The rest of the battle and everything else lost in the pain of the burning, fiery heat. Dr. Toufu watched in awe as Ranma fought. There were only a few muscle movements, but that was unimportant. The battle was spiritual not physical, and that one could be seen circulating around the statue in Ranma's right hand. A solid black aura covered the statue, but on one side a spot glowed a bright blue. For a few moments it expanded trying to consume the entire black, but the other spirit retaliated stabbing into the heart of the blue. Each attack caused Ranma to retreat, but only on ground. He brought himself back into a small area, but glowed even brighter on the black. Many times the black struck at Ranma but was repelled with a burst of blue with each attack, and then something amazing happened, Ranma struck back. The blue arced across the black, leaving a clear trail behind it. The black reacted with vicious efficiency. Ranma was beleaguered by the attack, his position become overshadowed by the intensity of the offensive. It was like Boukyaku had lost control and was in a rage. "Is that my son fighting?" Genma asked quietly. The question broke Dr. Toufu's concentration on the battle. "You can see it?" he asked incredulously. "It just appeared a few moments ago," Genma said. Akane turned around in his arms and looked at the sight. Her face fell as she saw Ranma's position. "Hai," Dr. Toufu said quietly, "A spirit is trying to possess his body, and it is much stronger than Ranma. I'm amazed he has lasted this long. Look at the power of that thing." "You mean Ranma is going to...?" It was impossible for her to finish the question. What had happened a few minutes ago was still etched in her mind. She did not want to feel that way again. The horrible emptiness and grief that had filled her were unbearable. She knew she could not live with that. "Don't give up hope yet," Genma said, "Ranma is not one who will go down easily, look." They all turned back in time to see Ranma react to the pressure on him. He exploded out of the shell surrounding him and struck back at Boukyaku, his blue aura racing across the black striking hundreds of times in a second, as if he had employed his Tenshin Amiguriken attack. It quickly became apparent that Boukyaku was not one to lay down passively. They all saw the change in the attack, Ranma missed it. Boukyaku slammed through Ranma's defenses, stabbing straight to the heart of Ranma's position. Akane gasped in horror, breathing the word no very softly. But Ranma was there, blocking it at the last moment, straining to push the attack back. With an agonizingly slow pace, he did, and as the attack was finally pushed away, Boukyaku attacked again. The aura turned crimson and then sooty red, and expanded to cover Ranma's body. A scream ripped from his lips, his blue spot shrank quickly to a small dot on the red glowing ball. With a low cry, Akane was by his side, her had reaching to brush his forehead. She snapped it back with a hiss. "He's burning up, his skin is like fire." Toufu touched Ranma's arm, it was radiating heat as if it were a glowing forge. It was not like a fever, but it was burning the body like one. He needed to cool the boy down, or his body would be cooked. "Help me, we need to get him in cold water, preferably ice." He grabbed Ranma's writhing form in his arms, ignoring the heat and carried him out of the examination room to his bathroom. Dumping him into the tub, he turned on the cold water. The water began to fill the tub, Ranma's thrashing causing more of the water to cover him. He changed into his female form, and suddenly went calm, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. "Wh-what happened?" Akane asked, looking at Ranma closely. She reached out a hand. "He's normal again. No heat." "That's not all," Dr. Toufu said, looking closely at Ranma and the statue. The auras were half and half now, but more importantly, there was some ki in Ranma's body, not exactly his own, but very similar, maybe the curse's magical energy. "He has some ki back in his body, and the auras are even around the statue. Somehow we just gave him a chance to live. If he stays stable like this, we might be able to find a cure." "Then we've gotta start looking," Genma said quickly, "We can't let him die." "I need time to figure this out, call colleagues, get some answers," Dr. Toufu explained, leaning down and lifting Ranma-onna's body from the tub, "Right now we need to watch Ranma and make sure he stays like this. I'd like one or both of you to stay for tonight, until we can get some people to watch over him." "Why don't we take him to the hospital?" Akane asked as they walked back to another room, a small bedroom. There was a single bed, two chairs, and a desk in the room. "Because they'll just declare him in a coma and hook him to some machines, and they won't let me near him. I'm not trained for that, and I need to deal directly with him," he explained as he placed Ranma- onna on the bed. "Oh," Akane yawning, "I guess I can stay and watch him." "I will too," Genma said, "That is a father's duty." Dr. Toufu gazed at them for a few moments and then nodded. "Okay, but I think you need some sleep, Akane. The kitchen is down the hall, there is some cold leftovers there and a full pantry. I'll leave you for now." Genma and Akane only nodded before sitting down, and scoot- ing up to the bed. Neither noticed Dr. Toufu leave the room. The first thing he noticed upon waking was that he was somewhere. The lightless emptiness no longer surrounded him. The next thing he realized was that he preferred the black nothingness. Around him was a blasted wasteland. Cracked, hard, red earth stretched to the horizon on either side of him. In front of him, it slammed into a distant range of jagged peaks, behind a burning lake of molten fire blocked his path. Above him burned a black sun, a gapping hole in the burning sky. Hell, I'm in Hell. I guess those Christians were right, but where are the devils, the eternal torment. Or maybe this is it. Am I supposed to spend eternity alone in this damn place? He chuckled and was pleased to actually hear his own voice. The last thing he remembered was the burning pain, and then some- thing soothingly cool being spread across his body. After that there was nothing, a blank space that left him here. "I guess Akane was right. I shouldn't have gone to fight the old ghoul. Now I'm dead, aren't I?" He actually wasn't sure. He was tired and sore. His side throbbed painfully. Curious he checked it. There was no blood, but the wound seemed to have opened a bit at one end. "At least I've got my memory back." He thought that was a good thing, but then again. It might be worse to be stuck here forever, always remembering his past. "I don't understand. If I lost, why do I have my memory. That thing was trying to wipe me out. Maybe I haven't lost." Intrigued he looked around once more. This looked like a place some hideous, unseen terror would reside. It was possible. He remembered giving the thing a run for its money, and he was never one to give up. Maybe it brought him here because it was more powerful here, or he was less powerful. Either way it did not matter. He was still here, and it was not home. He starred at the mountains in the distance. "In the movies, they'd have the hero go and fight the beast to win his freedom. Maybe I've gotta beat the thing. Like that's possible." He sighed and pushed himself to his feet. "I've got nothing better to do." He began trudging toward the distant mountains. It was the only direction that seemed to lead anywhere. "I wonder where that other thing went to. Maybe it could help." Shaking his head, he picked up the pace. The mountains looked pretty far away, and he had no interest in staying here longer than necessary. Akane walked to school in a half daze. The night had been long and resulted in little sleep. She and Saotome Genma had watched Ranma in shifts of two hours. Of course her last one had ended just as she was supposed to go to school so she was exhausted and emotionally strung out. Luckily nothing had happened to Ranma after that one episode, but still that once had been enough. She knew her heart had stopped when his had. Everything had come crashing down around her. Even after going through the entire moment several times in the last few hours, she had no clue how she had managed to pull herself together and save his life. She had just known that she could not bear his death. "Hey, sis. Wait up for me." Nabiki's greeting brought her to a stop, until Nabiki caught up. "How's Ranma? Is he okay?" Her voice dropped off and she fell silent as Akane looked up into her sister's expectant face. "That bad." "His heart stopped last night." Nabiki sucked in a breath in surprise. "He-he almost died. If I hadn't known CPR, if Toufu-sensei hadn't been there..." She left it hanging and let her head drop wearily. Maybe I should go home. I'm too upset for this. What if Ranma wakes up while I'm gone? Or..or..No! No he won't die. He won't. They walked on in silence. The younger was too preoccupied and too exhausted to think of useless subjects to chatter about. The older was preoccupied also but not with the same thoughts. She was wondering about Ranma and Akane. The last time she had seen Akane like this was when Mother had been sick. They had all understood what had been wrong, but were hoping for the best even though they knew she was going to die. "Is he going to get better?" she asked quietly. It was something she wanted to know, but she was not prepared for Akane's reaction. Kasumi probably would have been hard pressed to deal with what happened next. Akane simply collapsed to the ground and started sobbing. These were not the quiet tears of disappointment or rejection, or even the uncontrollable grief of their father, they were closer to an emotional breakdown. Each sob wracked Akane's entire body as her grief poured out, her voice muffled by her hands yet still loud. Shocked Nabiki could only stand in place and watch her sister. What was she supposed to do? Akane had never been like that before, not since their mother had died. Finally something took over in her and she knelt beside Akane and wrapped her arms around her. Akane grabbed Nabiki and held tightly to her, her face buried in Nabiki's breast. Slowly Nabiki began to rock her sister and soothe her with gentle words. It was all she could think of. She had no clue what was happening inside Akane, but she wanted to help and so did as much as possible to comfort Akane. This was her sister and she was suffering. She was known as a hard, uncompromising, young woman that loved money more than anything else, but Nabiki loved her family more than anything else in the world. She never showed it, what with her many extortion schemes and her distant attitude to everyone in the family, but she knew where her duty lay. Most of her money went to the family in some way or another. Few knew of it because she handled the family accounts personally, allowing no one else to see where the income was coming from. Besides she had to make it look like her father was earning most of it, since the dojo had been in decline for several years, and she would never dishonor her father by showing that he could not raise his family on his own. Her father was just not as strong of a martial artist as he had once been. The death of his wife had sapped his strength, making it harder for him to deal with life. Nabiki had realized this quickly and started funneling most of her money into the family accounts. Some of it was invested, the rest used to pay the bills and keep them solvent. She did this without acclaim, without gaining anything. She did it because she loved her family and it was the only way she could show that love. Nabiki held her sister and let her grief run its course. After a time, Akane's sobs died down and finally stopped, but she still clung tightly to Nabiki. Gently Nabiki stroked Akane's hair, still rocking her like a small child. "You love him, don't you?" she asked. She had suspected as much for a long time and this just confirmed it, but she wanted to hear it from Akane. She knew how much it hurt to keep everything locked inside. She had done it since her mother's death. Each day it was harder, but after a time it simply became impossible to find a release, and without a release things just festered and made life harder to bear. So she had started denying everything and turning to the small pleasure of beating people with her schemes. Nabiki knew Kasumi held everything at bay by simply taking mother's place. Akane had turned to martial arts to relieve her emotions, finding violence a good outlet that didn't show anything. Akane nodded her head against Nabiki's chest. "I don't want to lose him," she whispered. Even after he broke off the engagement? I really should ask her about that, but it might hurt her more, and I don't want to take a chance at being crushed by one of her mallets. "Do you wanna talk about it?" she asked carefully. It was a way to get the information she wanted and maybe ease her sister's pain. "No," she said quietly, "I-I don't..it's too soon. I'll just cry." "Why don't you go home?"Nabiki suggested as she stood up, pulling Akane with her. Akane shook her head. "Okay, but if you start feeling like you're going to lose it, go home. Promise?" Akane nodded. Nabiki picked up her bag and realized Akane did not have one. At least Kasumi gave me her lunch. She gave Akane her lunch, and started leading her toward school. "Nabiki?' Akane said. "Hai." "Thank you, for being there." "Hey just don't let it get around, sis" Nabiki said lightly. Things were getting too close to her range of uncomfortable. "Remember I've got a reputation to worry about." Akane smiled a bit. "I understand, so do I." Her eyes were shining with love though. Nabiki turned away and started walking to school. What has Ranma done to us? Things were so much simpler without him. She didn't know whether she should thank him or hit him the next time she saw him.. Akane was at lunch when she finally lost it that day. After the scene with Nabiki she had been able to control her emotions and plod through the day like a somnambulist. She only talked when people asked her questions, and then only answered with a few words. Kunou had earned a foot implanted in his face for his persistence, and after that he had left her alone. All in all she figured the day would end soon and end well. She wanted to go back to Dr. Toufu's. Then Shampoo popped out of the woodwork. It was the middle of the lunch hour when the dreaded ringing of Shampoo's bicycle reached her. The next thing Akane knew, Shampoo was stopping her bike and dismounting in front of her. "What do you want?" Akane growled at the girl. This creature was responsible for ruining her date with Ranma, for what was happening now. Akane held no love for the girl. "Shampoo want see husband," Shampoo explained looking around the area Akane was sitting, "What violent girl do with Ranma? Shampoo want Ranma marry her so he not die." That did it. "You ignorant, half-brained, backwater hick! You don't want your precious husband to die?" Akane's aura was glowing brightly as she stood up, facing the suddenly nervous Amazon. "Maybe you should've thought of that before placing that stupid curse on him." "What stupid girl mean?" Shampoo asked, "Husband have thirteen days before he die." "Thirteen days!" Akane exploded stepping forward. She saw Ranma in her mind, his body arching and then going limp, his last breath escaping his lips. "He's unconscious right now. The only reason he's alive is because of Dr. Toufu and myself. How do you expect him to marry you like that? Huh? Why don't you tell me that you damn bitch! C'mon. Tell me! What, has the cat got your tongue!?" She spit the last one viciously. Shampoo was shaking her head in disbelief. "That not right. Great- grandmother say he be okay for fourteen days. Judgment of Boukyaku supposed to work that way. Husband not supposed to have almost died first night." Tears were in the girl's eyes. "That ghoul lied to you then!" Akane screamed, "And it is still your fault. You should never have come to Japan. I hate you! I hate you!" Her mallet was in her hand. She brought it down onto Shampoo's head, but Shampoo moved at the last moment. Akane did not give up though. She swung again and again, forcing the girl against the tree. A cruel smile touched her lips. She would make this girl suffer for hurting Ranma. "Why couldn't you just leave Ranma alone? He doesn't want you. He never did." She swung the mallet down on Shampoo's confused face. It stopped short of the target. Confused Akane glanced down to see Cologne holding the mallet still with her staff. Akane opened her mouth to speak but was beaten to it by Shampoo. "Great-grandmother," Shampoo said in Mandarin, kneeling on the ground next to the ghoul, "My husband is dying. He is not awake. According to that girl he almost died last night. You said he'd be fine. That he'd come around in a few days and marry me. Now he is dying and I can't marry him." "Are you sure, Shampoo" Cologne asked. Shampoo nodded. "Ask her?" She pointed at Akane who was watching in confusion, not understanding a single word of Chinese. Cologne turned to Akane. "Is it true that son-in-law almost died last night?" "What? You don't know? You're the one who did it. Are you that stupid ghoul!" "Ah, I did not expect this. I must go see son-in-law now. You will take me to him." Her finger jabbed at Akane. "Why should I?" "Do you want him to die?" Akane shook her head. "Then take me to him." Akane sighed in defeat and let her mallet disappear. Anything to get Ranma back. Anything to make sure he did not die. Grabbing the remains of her lunch, she motioned for the two to follow her. Cologne examined Ranma-onna minutely. She checked all of her vital signs, her ki, and spent several moments examining the statue. Finally she nodded satisfied at her observations, then turned back to group. "This is not what I expected, but it'll do," Cologne said leaping to the desk and sitting down, "Son-in-law will live until the rising of the new moon, as long as he stays in this form. Somehow the curse is keeping him alive and protected from Boukyaku. He won't wake until the Judgement is lifted. In his other form, he will die quickly. I'll let him die on the new moon if I do not get his father's solemn pledge and Akane's pledge that he will marry Shampoo." "No, I won't let you do that. It's his choice," Akane shouted, taking a step toward Cologne. "It's your choice. You can lose him in death or only to another woman. It's up to you." With that the ghoul left the room and the clinic dragging a confused yet happy Shampoo with her, and leaving Genma, Akane and Dr. Toufu in shocked silence. This was finally broken as Akane rushed to Ranma-onna's side and held her close, crying. It's not fair. I lose you no matter what. It's not fair. Author's Notes Well that is done. A little long for just a few things like that? Well I like to sit and write. Actually I think I rushed the ending a bit. Maybe I'll change it later, but then that is later, this is now. So what'll happen to Ranma? We'll he reach the mountains? What is Akane going to do? Was Cologne serious? How does Shampoo feel? And what about Ukyou and the others? Can Dr. Toufu find a cure? All these questions will be answered as The Jundgement of Boukyaku continues on in MASN. Sorry, just had to do that, this is starting to look like a soap opera. And what about that mysterious man in the shadows? (Don't ask he doesn't exist ^_- But I'll start working on the new one as fast as I can. Of course I've gotta figure out what I wanna do with the next episode. Hmm, a few things to explain. I actaully consider Nabiki to be like this. I mean she does love her family, I just have not have not had a lot of time to develope her, so I sort of threw it all together in a great stew. She'll be a more active character later on. Actually you'll see that at most I'll bring one or two characters in each part. It's harder to handle more than that. Dr. Toufu doesn't get my attention until a lot later, but I did give a little bit about him here to whet your appetite. Not much else to explain. I always leave hanging ends. I mean who is this Other Ranma met, and what does it want? Well I won't tell you. Well enough rambling. I hope you enjoyed this installment. Until next time Joseph A. Kohle ----*----*----*----*----*----*----*----*----*---- All rights and priveleges to Ranma Nibunnoichi belong to Rumiko Takahashi. The characters of her series are used without her permission for the purpose of entertainment only. This work of fic- tion is not meant for sale or profit. All original characters are the creation of the author. All copyright privileges to these chara- cters are reserved for the author. This story is a product of the author's hard work and imagination. Do not modify, add to, or make use of any part of this work without the author's knowledge and consent. Please feel free to archive this work. Comments and criticism are welcome. Written by Joseph A. Kohle, (c) 1997. Send all comments to Ashira@worldnet.att.net