Chapter One: Promises
Luckily for them, the demon was dead. Not because of the blasts that were sent at him but because of the small beam that it had been forming, unnoticed by any of it's attackers, had hit it in the chest killing it.
The others gingerly got up fully exhausted. Ryoga held many cuts and bruises due to the flying rocks that came at him when the blasts connected with the demon. Next to him was Ukyou, she was tired, not use to using so much energy in battle. Across from them was Mousse who was leaning on Shampoo for support. He too was covered in cuts and bruises. Shampoo was in slight better shape than Ukyou since she had fought more battles and was put through the wringer ever since she was small. They looked over to where Ranma was, waiting for him to stand up.
Akane looked at Ranma from where she was next to the tree that the demon had sent her. She was the closest one to Ranma and she noticed in horror at what she saw. Ranma was lying in a pool of his own blood. She went over to him calling his name softly at first but as it got louder, the others could hear her. She knelt down next to him ignoring the pain in her chest. She shook him gently, silently willing him to wake up. She called for someone to call for help. She didn't pay attention to what was happening around her. She gently took Ranma into her arms and shook him trying to wake him up. Telling herself that he was just tired from all the fighting that he had done. Yet in the back of her mind, a small voice told her that he wasn't going to survive, but her petrified heart pushed the thought from her.
The medics came and took Ranma from her arms and putted him onto a stretcher. She didn't want to let him go but she had to so the paramedics could take care of him. She followed them into the truck, they told her she couldn't go on but when she glared at him, he reluctantly let her on the truck. She sat in the corner of the ambulance; her eyes never left Ranma for longer than thirty seconds. Akane sat there quietly watching the paramedics talk in slang and cutting open his shirt, she could see some white stuff sticking out of Ranma's chest but she told herself that it was just one of the things they used on a patient. *No! He won't… can't die! He promised that he would never leave me! That he would always be there for me! He never breaks his promises! * Thinking of the promise he made to her, she thought back to the day that he had promised that he would never leave her alone.
After a few days in the park by a beautiful shimmering lake, the two sat watching the sun set. As it moved further down the horizon, it painted the sky in different shades of red, yellow, orange, pink, and purple. The darkness pushed the colors from the sky and took over. Soon the sun along with its soft glows was gone and the moon and its gentle darkness took over. Three years had passed since they had first met and they had become friends when no one was there to disturb them. They sat side-by-side drowning in the sincerity of the scene; a gentle wind blew across the lake causing Akane to shiver. Ranma seemed to notice this and took off his outer shirt and gave it to Akane. She shook her head insisting he needed it more than she did since he only had on a muscle shirt on underneath. He didn't listen and draped his Chinese shirt over her shoulders, putting a stop to their argument. She smiled at him gratefully and whispered him a soft thank you, making him blush.
"We should be heading home." Ranma said knowing that Akane's father would throw a fit when his daughter wasn't home by ten. He looked down at the girl sitting next to him and smiled. The shirt the he wore was so big on her. The rolled up sleeves reached about half way up his arm while it reached her wrists on her.
"Just a few more minutes okay Ranma? It's not usual that the park is this quiet." Akane asked softly. Ranma nodded and they sat there wrapped in the quiet park. There are VERY few times in Nermia when things are calm. There is always a craziness that always surrounds it so when there is peace; everyone enjoys it to the best of their ability. "Ranma You won't ever leave right?" Akane whispered so softly that Ranma thought it was his imagination.
"Um… No. I won't ever leave." Ranma said. He was enjoying the tranquility of the park and Akane's presence. It wasn't often that the both of them let their guard down and when they do, it was very rare.
"Do you promise you will ever leave?" She said as she rested her head against his shoulder.
"No. No matter what, I'll always come back." Ranma said in a cocky voice. "Besides who can ever hold the Great Ranma Saotome down for long!" He exclaimed in a confidant voice as he struck a pose. This causes the both of them to start laughing. "heheh… now I know why Kuno keep on striking all the poses, it's pretty fun!"
The whole Nermia gang was sitting in the waiting room, impatient to find out how Ranma was. A doctor and a few nurses were handling their injuries while the more advanced people were looking after Ranma and the more critical patients. Most of the injuries would heal up with in a few months and wouldn't in danger their lives. However, they had to take it easy on the training. When the main doctor that had helped check Ranma came into the room, everyone gathered around him with the exception of Akane. She sat in her chair not moving unless someone moves her. The doctor barely got a single word out when he was bombarded with questions. Doctor Tofu stepped in between the Nermia gang and the doctor.
"Quiet!!" The good doctor hissed. "Now everyone take a seat and let the man talk!" No one was use to see the doctor so angry, listened and went back to their original seat. "Dr. Tenki? How is Ranma? Will he be okay?"
The doctor had a grave look in his eyes. Slightly he shook his head no. The girls all stifled a gasp. "I'm sorry but there was too much damage. Eighty percent of his internal organs were punctured. Most of his ribs are broken and two small pieces of it had dug into his left lung and the right one, as of right now is very weak. I'm sorry but there is no chance he can survive. Even if somehow he does, he would be like the dead." Most of the people there were in denial of what had happened to their best friend and rival. *I hate it when I have to give the family bad news. * He thought as he glanced over everyone there. Most faces, that he could see, were grim and sad, others were close to hysterical. His eyes stopped as one of the girls in the room. Her face was the only one he could see much less read. *She must really love this young man. * "No. He will be alright." Kasumi said in a soft whisper that could barely be heard. "Doctor Tofu! You can help him can't you?" she looked at him with her shining gray eyes. The doctor just shook his head. That caused Kasumi to burst into tears, the good doctor laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Don't cry." Normally he would be dancing down the street when he saw the eldest Tendo daughter, but today was different. No, they needed him here not in the streets. Especially the eldest Tendo sister, the one he had fallen deeply in love with ever since she turned sixteen, the one that always made him go crazy when he was near her. His glasses didn't even fog up when Kasumi buried her face in his shoulder. *Oh Akane! What will happen to you if Ranma dies? Will you become like father and cry? Or will you try to be strong and lie to yourself, saying that there was no such person as him? What will happen to you? Mother died first when she gave birth to you and when you found out, you blamed yourself when it wasn't your fault. Then Grandmother died and then again you blamed yourself for her getting the incureable disease. After that you distanced everyone away from you and hid behind the wall of violence. The only way that you didn't die was because Father had broken down your door and took you to the doctor. Oh please kami, please don't do this to her! She doesn't deserve it! She lost both mother and Grandmother at a young age just when she got over their death, you make her lose another one. Please don't let Ranma die! Please! * On the other side of the room, Nabiki looked around the room to see how people reacted. Ukyou was crying onto Ryoga's shoulder. *What is he doing here? I thought he would've gotten lost by now! * Shampoo was crying on Mousse's shoulder. Her sister on the good doctor's shoulder while Nodoka buried her face into her husband's shoulder. All of them were silently crying or close to it. *If Ranma dies then what would everyone here do? Can life ever be like it was before he came here? * Looking at her younger sister she knew the answer. *No. It can never be like it had been. Never. * Nabiki quietly went over to her sister. Just when she was about to try and comfort her sister somewhat, a nurse came running in.
"Doctor! Doctor! He isn't responding!"
TBC
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Until next time!!! ^_^
Silver Dragon
