By Nanya

Into the Darkness

By Nanya

Disclaimer:  Ranma ½ is not mine; the show belongs to Viz and Rumiko Takahashi.  So please don't sue, I'm broke.

Ranma needed to really vent his anger after that wedding fiasco, so he decided to do what Akane does when she has to vent anger; he went to the Dojo and started smashing cinder blocks with his head.  'Stupid father for getting me involved with all of this, stupid Nabiki for ruining the wedding, stupid Soun for trying to bribe me, he thinks I wouldn't of gone through with it if it wasn't for the Nannichuan.'  "Humph."

Genma just watched this from afar, he wasn't sure whether to go to his son and comfort him, take him on a training trip and try to talk to the boy, or leave him be, because he knew that part of the reason the wedding failed was because of his own stupidity.  'Maybe I should take him to a place where he can be alone and beat the crap out of me, after all I screwed up his life, but where, there is no where I can take him.'  He just continued to watch Ranma as he broke block after block with his head.

After a while Ranma got a serious headache, "I think I'm done."  But even though he was done, his anger continued to remain.  After the wedding, saying that Ranma was pissed was like saying Ryoga was a little depressed.  He personally kicked Ryoga, Mousse, and Happosai into LEO, Lower Earth Orbit, and forcibly told everyone else, "Get the HELL out of here, or I'll do the same to all of you!!!"  He was shaking violently, and a blue aura surrounded him, much bluer than anything that Akane ever summoned.  Everyone had left and he was alone for the rest of the day, in fact he hadn't seen anyone for 20 hours since the wedding.  'Aw well, at least no one will piss me off for a while, maybe I shouldn't of been so angry, I scared everyone off, Akane, mom, and Kasumi, those are the only three people who haven't messed up my life.  Even if I fight with Akane 90% of the time, I don't care.  I guess maybe I should tell her that all the names I call her are my own way of telling her that I like her.'  Ranma looked behind him as his father coughed in the corner.  'Oh great, just what I need, him trying to make it all better.'  Ranma just frowned at his father who had wrecked his life.  "What do you want pop?  Huh?  You want to screw up my life again by teaching me how to fight a different way, maybe you want to make me blind so I can fight and I can't get scared about how big a person is.  Or maybe you want to get me another fiancé, and add more craziness to my life, or maybe you're here to tell me that there is an incredibly powerful demon coming after me, because you pissed off an entire village of super-powerful magic users?  Well tell me, you can't make my life any worse than it is now!"

Genma just waited until Ranma was done with his yelling and thought about how to handle it.  He didn't think Ranma was still so angry, but then again, his whole life he never had a choice any matter, from where they would live, to whom he married, to what he was taught.  Genma, for the first time in his life since he left his wife to train him to be a man amongst men, felt a little guilty.  "Ranma."

"WHAT?!!"

"I'm, I'm sorry for what happened, how 'bout I take you out of here to a little temple up in the mountains, there you can beat me to a bloody pulp if you want to, it would serve me right, and you don't have to worry about your fiancés running up in the middle of a fight, ok?"

To say Ranma was shocked would be an understatement.  Here his dad, whom he'd thought he knew like the back of his hand, was actually sorry for something that was mostly his fault.  "What's the catch pop?  We never go and train unless you want to teach me something new, or it's dangerous.  So why?"

"No catch that I know of son, but I'm doing this because I doubt that your head can take much more of a pounding like that, and I'm sure that everyone want to come back inside, they're all over at your mother's house, and 'convinced' me I should talk with you or something."  That wasn't the full truth, they had force him to go over and even then, it was only the fact that his wife had her hand on her Katana and Akane had her mallet out that made him come over.  "Besides, I don't that you want to stay here right now."

"Fine I'll come with, but if anything happens to me, I'm going to kill you, got it."

Gulp, "I got it, I got it."

"Good."  At least he wouldn't have to worry about hurting anyone he loved, that's the only reason he made everyone get out, he was afraid he'd do something he'd regret.  Normally Ranma didn't get so pissed at what happened around him, but a wedding was suppost to be the biggest, and happiest day in a man's life, and this was just a disaster.  After all, he never did tell Akane or anyone for that matter, but he wanted to get married.

Genma was on the phone with Nodoka while Ranma was upstairs getting ready to go.  "So did you get him to calm down?"

"A little."

"So when can we all come back?"

"In two hours, I'm taking him on a trip."

"Not another one."

"Listen, this one is only going to be up in the mountains, just outside of town in a little temple, I hear it's a great place to vent anger and reflect on one's life."

"Just as long as he comes back to us the way he was before he left, except a little calmer."

"Don't worry, I'll try not to do anything to him, okay?"

"You better not."

"Ah, Ranma how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know that something fishy is going on."

"Nothing fishy.  Listen dear, gotta go, good bye."

"Take good care of him."

"I try."

"Bye."  As Nodoka got off the phone she just thought for a moment, 'If anything happens to Ranma because of Genma's stupidity, I'll never be able to forgive him.'  When she did turn around there were a bunch of assorted faces in front of her.

"Well, Auntie Nodoka, how did it go, can we go back yet?"  Akane asked as she and everyone else just watched Nodoka's facial expression.

"Well, Akane, not yet, we have to wait two more hours before we can go back, Genma's taking Ranma out of town to a temple in the mountains."

"Not again!"  Everyone chorused, including Kasumi, who was usually the stoic one.

"'Fraid so."

'If he does anything to Ranma, I'll be the one to kill him.'  Akane thought as he knew what Genma training Ranma usually meant.

A couple of hours and a few hundred kilometers later Ranma and Genma ended up at the doorstep of a very small temple, at least from the outside.  When they went inside one of the Monks that tended to everything came up to Genma and gave him a bucket of water.  "What's this for?"

"We have no shower's here, this way you can clean up after you get done training."

"How do you know?"  Genma and Ranma asked at the same time.

"You two look like fighters, and you're backpacks are very large, and not to mention your clothing.  We have training ground for people like you, if you will follow me."  They both followed to old Monk as he led them to a place that had a lot of saucers and candles, not to mention it was a very large place.  "Oh, one more thing before I leave."

"What?"  They both asked at the same time.

"Be very careful not to knock saucers over, it is very, very dangerous to do so."

"I'll remember that."  As soon as the monk left Ranma grabbed his dad by the collar, "Pop, I thought you said that there wasn't a catch."

"I didn't think."

"That's the problem, you never think.  Well, as long as we don't hit any of the saucers, we'll be ok, I guess.  And besides, if I can beat you to within an inch of your life, it'll be worth it."  There was a chill in his words that Genma just couldn't ignore.

'I think he's serious, I would've thought by now he would've calmed down a bit.  I really ought to defend myself this time, I may not get up after a few seconds.'  So they began to train after they put their bags on the floor against the wall, Genma started in his usual crane position and Ranma took his usual fighting stance and was ready for anything that his father could throw at him.  Genma leaped into the air and swung his foot out at Ranma, who just ducked it with ease and came up with an axe kick to counter.  Oomph "Where'd you learn that one, I've never seen you use it before."

"You don't think I wouldn't learn how to do those kind of moves when I have to fight off everyone and everything that comes my way, besides, I got the idea while I was watching the cheerleaders practice."

"Good thing Akane's not here, she'd mallet you."

"I know."  They continued for some time, Ranma was considerably quicker and stronger than Genma so it didn't take long for his old man to be a little bloody, from all the strikes that he was hitting him with. 

Ranma finally started to feel better, which his old man couldn't say, when all of a sudden, "WHERE THE HELL AM I NOW!!"  Ranma was knocked into the air, he twisted as best he could to land back on the ground and avoid the saucers, but unfortunately one of the rocks that was knocked into the air because of Ryoga hit a saucer and the contents splashed Ranma square in the eyes.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Genma was over in an instant with the bucket of water.  "Look up and open your eyes boy."  Ranma did as he was told and Genma doused his son in water.  Ranma-chan looked up as Ryoga came over and looked, never in his life did Ryoga feel so bad.  Ranma looked on as her father and friend started to fade into blackness.

"Where are you guys, I-I-I can't see."  Genma and Ryoga took one look at each other and then at Ranma-chan who had curled up into a ball and was shaking violently.

"Ryoga, pick her up.  We're leaving now, I just hope I can find a phone and call Cologne and see what she can do." 

Ryoga did as he was told, Genma picked up both his and Ranma's backpacks pulled a rope out of his pack and tied it around Ryoga's neck.  "Hey, what's this for?"

"So you don't get lost!"  Ryoga sighed as Genma led him and Ranma-chan out of the temple and down the mountain, the whole time Ranma just cried, neither of them blamed her for crying, they both realized that they just ended what part of Ranma's life that was normal.  As soon as they got back down the mountain, they stopped at a gas station; Genma asked the man if he could use the phone to call into Nerima.

"Sure, as long as you don't take long on the phone."

"Thanks, I won't."

"Why does that boy have a rope around his neck?"  He asked as Ryoga was tied up to Genma's hand.

"He always gets lost, so I did that so he wouldn't get lost."

"Oh, who's the girl?"

"Don't worry about it."  The phone started to ring as he got done dialing Cologne's number.  "Please be there, please be there."

"Hello."

"Cologne?"

"Ah, Ranma-san's father, what do I owe the honor of this phone call?"

"No honor, listen, can you cure someone who just went blind?"

"Unfortunately no, I can train someone to 'see' by sensing aura's, or energy, but that's it, I can't cure blind-ness."  Then realization struck her.  "Why, who's blind?"

"R-r-Ranma."

"WHAT?!"

"It's a long story.  Now I have to tell my family that it's my fault he can't see."

"Well, for your sake, I hope they don't try to kill you.  But for Ranma's, I hope he'll be alright."  Sigh  "Bring him over here after you tell the family, I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks, I owe you one."

"I'll keep that in mind."  As soon as Genma hung up he sat down with the lost boy, who was holding a sleeping Ranma-chan in his arms.

"I guess she got tired from all the crying, I ought to know, that takes a lot out of you."  Genma wasn't even paying attention; he knew that Akane and Nodoka were going to kill him when he got home.

He just sat there thinking the whole time, 'How am I going to break the news to them, after the failed wedding, there's no way I can face them again.  Maybe I should try, hey people, you know you said that if Ranma; no that wouldn't work.  How about, I run after leaving Ranma with them, no that wouldn't work either, because I've got to take him to Cologne after they find out, if I'm still alive and have her help him 'see' again, this sucks.'  "What am I going to do?"

"Maybe you should tell them the truth?"

"The TRUTH?  Are you insane, they said that if anything happens to him, they're going to kill me."

"But I'm at fault here to, if I didn't come through the ground, this wouldn't of happened."

"You're both at fault."

"Ran-ma?"  They both looked like someone had them in front of the firing squad.

"It's pop's fault for taking me there, and it's your fault for busting through the ground, the only way it could get worse is if a cat came in right now."

"Meow."  Ranma's eyes got very wide and he jumped into the air and landed on top of the attendant's desk.

"Get that cat out of here!"

Genma grabbed the cat and kicked it to the ocean.  "That's the last thing we need is Neko-Ranma running around.

"Um, how can Ranma got into Nekkoken mode if h-she can't see the blasted thing."

"I don't know, nor do I care to find out, let's just go home, maybe I can get away with just a trip to the hospital for a week if I'm lucky, grab her and let's go."

"Ok."

"Just pick me up, don't grab me anywhere where I wouldn't want you to."

"Don't worry."  So Genma dragged Ryoga, who was carrying Ranma back to Japan. After a hundred kilometers or so Ryoga thought, "Hey, Genma-san."  Genma looked at Ryoga with a distinctive scowl on his face.  "We can't just walk into Nerima like this, people in Nerima know about Ranma and this rope around my neck doesn't look good.  We're going to have to find another way into town."

"How 'bout we take the train you guys, I don't want to be carried the whole way, and maybe you should put that rope around his waist or something.  Now put me down, I want to find out if I can walk five feet without tripping."  Ryoga put Ranma down she tried to walk a few feet, but ended up tripping over a rock and falling into a tree.  While that happened Genma readjusted the rope so it went around Ryoga's waist instead of his neck.  "Ouuuch!!"  They looked over to Ranma-chan, who was just sitting on her knees and was muttering something to herself.  "I wish this was a dream, I wish this was a dream."

Over and over again while Ryoga got an idea.  "You know, I've been thinking."

"Did it hurt?"

"No, how about we tie a rope around your waist, I have one in my bag somewhere."

"Pop, you better look for it, he's likely to get lost."

Ryoga paid no attention as he got the rope out of his bag and tied one end to the rope around his waist and the other around Ranma-chan's.  "This way I don't have to carry you and you won't get lost."

"Fine."  Ranma let his dad lead them out to a bus terminal where he got them tickets on the bus headed for Nerima.

"Ranma, I know you said to take the train, but this way we can go straight to the Dojo, and it's quicker."

"Fine I don't care."

Cologne sat at her desk and wondered how bad everyone was going to take it.  She knew Genma was a lazy man, and he never took any responsibility for what he did.  \"This is very bad."\

\"What's so bad Great-Grandmother?"\

\"Something happened to Ranma."\

\"What?"\

\"He can no longer see.\

\"Oh no.  What happened?"\

\"I don't know, but I will find out."\

\"Please do."\

Akane sat around the Dojo with Nabiki watching T.V.  The others were doing various things, they were all quite bored now that Ranma wasn't here, hell, even if Happosai were here at least things would be interesting.  Nodoka was just sitting by the phone reading the paper.  Someone knocked on the door.  Everyone looked up at the door and thought, 'No one knocks on the door when they want to come into this place.'

Akane got up and answered the door.  "Akari, how are you doing?"

"Pretty good, I was wondering if you had seen Ryoga around lately?"

"No I'm sorry, I haven't seen him for two days now."

"Oh that's too bad, I was hoping he was here, I'll leave now."

"No, no you can come inside, he'll show up eventually."  As if on cue, the bus pulled up outside the Tendo Dojo and out stepped Genma with a rope attached to Ryoga, who had a rope attached to Ranma-chan.

"Dad, do you really think telling them is a good thing?"

"No, but I want a little honor, even if it's not much."

Sigh  "Alright, I'll go."

"Ryoga!"

"Akari?  What are you doing here?"

"Well, I thought that since I hadn't seen you in quite some time, that you might be here.  Why do you have a rope around your waist?"

"So I wouldn't get lost."

Akari giggled at the comment as she took the rope off, but noticed that it was attached to Ranma.  "Ranma, why do you have a rope around your waist?"  At that comment, Ryoga, Genma and Ranma all went pale; Genma was even paler as he noticed that all of the Tendo's and his wife were standing at the front door.

"Guys, we should sit down and have a talk."

And so he led Ranma into the house, where he explained what happened, during that time Akane removed the rope from Ranma, splashed him with the hot water, and just laid her head on his shoulders.  She was getting Royally PISSED OFF when she found out that it was Ryoga's fault that Ranma couldn't see, and who knew how he was feeling.  "I'm going to go to bed, I just want to be alone for a while."

Ranma tried to get up and go to his room, but he kinda tripped over the table and crashed into the wall.  "Ranma, I'll take you to your room, if that's ok."

"Thanks Akane."

"But Ranma, I told Cologne that we'd see her after this."

"Well, tell her I'm asleep, if she wants to help, she can come over here, just tell her to leave that cat-granddaughter of her's at home."  Akane led Ranma up to his room and helped him into bed.  "Thanks Akane, I appreciate this."

She blushed at the comment.  "No problem."  She just looked at him while he slept.  'How can you do what you did before now?  I sure hope the old ghoul can help in some way.  We never should've sent your father to help you calm down, maybe your mom or myself, we should've done it, at the very least we could've sent Nabiki, well maybe not, you don't like her, and for some reason, I don't blame you.'  She bent over and gave him a light kiss on the forehead.  "At the very least Ranma, I'll try and help you."

The End?

I don't know if this will be the end of the story or not, it all depends on your reviews, so review and we'll see if I do make another part.