Worlds Fall Apart
Overdose
"Ranma! Ranma! Wake up! Quit fooling around! Come on, you jerk!" Ryoga shouted at Ranma, too preoccupied to notice the panic he was feeling.
"Ha! The foul sorcerer has apparently mingled in something too big for his puny self" Kuno said cockily, "I'm afraid I do not weep for the loss,"
"Just shut up, Kuno!" Akane shouted, "Nabiki! Go call Dr. Tofu! Quickly!"
Nabiki ran from the room, and the others just stared on in shock and amazement at the scene before them. Akane and Ryoga shook Ranma and slapped his face, but got no response.
"Oh no, Ranma-honey! Oh no!" Ukyo said, shaking. She had never seen anything quite like it before. It was like his head was going to explode the way he screamed. She had seen him hurt in battle plenty of times. He had been knocked out more times than she could remember, but this was different. It was something to do with magic, she knew it, and that meant it wasn't your run of the mill concussion from which Ranma could easily recover, he had amazing recovery skills like that, no, this was something different and none of them knew what it was it had happened so suddenly.
"Everyone get out of the way!" Dr. Tofu said as he stormed into the room with his travel medical kit.
Obediently, everyone backed away. Not even Kodachi or Kuno made argument. Dr. tofu was an altogether pleasant man, but when he meant business, no one argued. He knelt down by Ranma's side and began to poke and prod and feel his aura. He took a look at the surrounding scene of disaster.
"What happened?" he asked.
"We were the first here," Ukyo said, motioning towards Shampoo, her voice trembling, "Ranma was…I think he was meditating, and Shampoo and I came in with a clarity potion we had concocted earlier…you know, to determine which of us he loved. She had mixed love potion in with hers, so we started to fight. Then, everyone else ran in and we got so distracted we didn't even notice something was wrong until Ranma started screaming his head off like he was in terrible pain, then he collapsed…that's…that's it…"
Dr. Tofu grimaced, "That can't be all…it doesn't make any sense…what was he doing before you go here?"
"Meditating, that's what it looked like," Ukyo said.
"No, was doing spell," Shampoo said, taking note for the first time of the candles and incense and the strange smell that still lingered in the air.
"How do you know?" Ukyo said.
"Is set up for spell…but what spell…" Shampoo said.
"Right!" Mousse blurted out, "I saw him earlier at the magic shop! He said he was buying something for Kasumi, and then he rushed out like he was hiding something! I had forgotten!"
"Do you know what he was buying?" Dr. Tofu asked.
"I…I couldn't see the label, it was a vial of something…" Mousse admitted.
"Try hard to remember, this is very important!" Dr. Tofu pressed.
"Essence of Clarity…" Ryoga said suddenly.
Dr. Tofu went white, hoping he had misheard, "What was that?"
Ryoga held up the vial he had picked up off the ground next to Ranma's collapsed form.
"Oh Gods…" Dr. Tofu said, sounding thoroughly panicked, "Oh Gods no…"
"What? What's wrong? Is he going to be okay?" Akane asked desperately, tears streaming down her face.
"I…we need to get him to my office and out of this room, it still stinks of potions," Dr. Tofu said suddenly, "Ryoga, would you help me carry Ranma to my office?"
"Huh? Sure," Ryoga said, and hoisted Ranma onto his shoulders, then followed after Dr. Tofu.
"I want every single person here to come to my office too, okay?" Dr. Tofu said sternly.
Everyone nodded, and only Kuno had to be persuaded. Nabiki grabbed him and managed to convince him his pig tailed princess would be there if only he did everything Dr. Tofu said.
And so, with Dr. Tofu leading Ryoga who kept wandering in the entirely wrong direction, and the rest of the group following close behind, they came quickly to Dr. Tofu's office.
"Here, lay him down on this bed," Dr. Tofu instructed, and Ryoga obeyed quietly and quickly. "Stay here," Dr. Tofu continued, "I am going to go fetch some chairs for the others,"
Ryoga nodded numbly, noticing for the first time how dry his throat was. He swallowed, trying to moisten his mouth. Why am I so worried? It's not even like I LIKE Ranma! I hate him! In fact, I am usually the one trying to hurt him! Why am I helping him now? Shouldn't I be not caring like Kuno? Ryoga thought to himself, shaking his head in confusion. He'd plea temporary insanity later. Or possibly chivalry. Yeah, maybe he was just being chivalrous. Or perhaps it was because Akane had been so upset, she really did care about Ranma, and truth be told, Ryoga sometimes thought she really did love him. Or maybe she's just as confused about her feelings as Ranma is? He thought, then silently reprimanded himself, Why am I thinking about this now? This is hardly the time what with Ranma lying there unconscious and none of us know what's wrong except that Dr. Tofu is freaked…AUGH! There I go again! Worrying about that jerk! What's wrong with me?
"Everyone here?" Dr. Tofu asked, "Is this everyone who was involved?"
The group looked nervously around the room, then nodded. They were all fairly freaked out, except for Kuno. Even Nabiki looked a tad shaken. Dr. Tofu sighed and put his head in his hands. He seemed to be catching his breath, and then stood up and slowly made his way over to the kitchen.
"Would anyone like some tea?" he asked.
"Dr. Tofu!" Akane practically screamed, "What are you doing? Ranma is HURT! Or ill! He could be dying we don't have time for tea! Fix him! Please!"
"Calm down, Akane," Dr. Tofu said kindly, "Don't you trust your old doctor at all? I know what's wrong with him, and he's going to be like that for a while, until we can find a cure,"
"What's wrong with him?" Akane urged helplessly.
"I need to figure out first just how bad the damage is," Dr. Tofu said as he put the kettle on the stove, "I don't quite have a big enough kettle, so some of you will have to wait for your tea," Everyone stared at him blankly, wondering why he was being so calm.
Maybe it's nothing… Ukyo thought hopefully, Maybe it's just some stupid little knockout and he's torturing us like this to teach us a lesson! Or maybe it is really bad and he is trying to cushion the blow by getting us to calm down before he tells us! Oh Gods!
Dr. Tofu went into a drawer and searched for a pen and paper, then went calmly to his book shelf to find a book to lean on. He then came and pulled his chair into the middle of the group, right in front of Ranma's body. He stared out at them, and every heart in the room was stopped as they waited for him to drop the news: What was wrong with Ranma…
"Okay now, Ranma has been effected seriously by a dangerous overdose of magic. Allow me to explain…in the early days, there were supernatural creatures on this Earth whose bodies were far less delicate than a humans. They used magic regularly, and had far less side effects or dangers involved with them. Humans have never had that resilience to magic. Too much power from magic at one time and they begin to suffer. Now, some magics are more potent than others. For example, love potions are more potent than sleep potions. Clarity potions are more potent than hair renewal potions. Spells involving blood are more potent than nearly any Earth based spell. You understand?
Think of a human bodies ability to withstand magic as a cup. You fill the cup with water, but there is only so much room. If the cup gets filled with too much water, it overflows, and everything becomes messy. When a spell is used, it fills the cup with a certain amount of water, so to speak. Long lasting spells don't usually fill the cup too much because they are spaced over many years. Short-term spells require more water, especially when dealing with the mind. Also, any spell has varying degrees of potency. There are some love spells that will fill nearly half a cup, while other barely give a few drops.
The spell Ranma was using was a Clarity Spell, or rather, THE clarity spell, the most powerful one available. It is a temporary spell, so the cup is emptied once it wears off, but it fills nearly an entire cup, so to speak, so the person under the influence of the clarity spell cannot have ANY other magic in them or around them without possibly dangerous side effects. Ranma used this, clearly without reading the directions fully, even though he has the magic from his Jusenkyo Curse. Among other things. He also has the Nekoken, as well as the lingering after effects of the many spells he has been under in the past."
"But all those spells worn off now, right?" Shampoo asked guiltily, thinking of the dozen or more love spells she had used on Ranma.
"Mostly, yes. Sticking with the cup analogy, when you dump out the water from a cup, almost all of it goes out, but a few droplets remain on the side, right? It's like that," Dr. Tofu explained, "But those few remains barely make up a portion of his magic quota, so to speak. However, the Jusenkyo Curse and the Nekoken make up quite a decent amount, and Ranma would have had some dangerous side effects even without all that extra magic he was hit with. Dangerous, but easily fixable,"
"So…he's going to be okay? Is that what you're saying?" Nabiki asked skeptically, knowing deep down that Dr. Tofu was just preparing them for the final blow.
"I don't know. What I need to do is assess how bad the damage was," Dr. Tofu said, "I need every single one of you to tell me what magic you used on him,"
Everyone sighed, and slumped in their chairs guiltily. Everyone in that room was guilty of using magic on Ranma at one time or another. And just because some of them had been innocent on this occasion doesn't mean they hadn't contributed to this, even if just a little. Nabiki thought of a spell she had bought at a fair once to get photos of Ranma in the shower, a spell to make Ranma oblivious to her presence. Akane thought of the wretched rice cakes of love she had underhandedly forced Ranma to eat. Ryoga thought of the many magic based attacks he used on Ranma on a regular basis, like the Shi Shi Hokudan. Mousse guiltily stuffed the small vials of magical powders and potions back into his sleeves as he, too, thought of nearly every fight he had been in with Ranma. Shampoo felt most guilty of all since she regularly pumped Ranma full of the latest love spell or obedience spell in an attempt to make him her willing husband. Even Ukyo knew she was guilty of the occasional attempt at winning Ranma through magic. After all, Shampoo did, so it was only fair that she tried too. Kuno was far too occupied with sneering in the wretched Saotome's direction to realize that he too had subjected his pigtailed Goddess (who he of course, didn't realize was the same as his mortal enemy) to quite a few magical encounters.
"So, I've got Essence of Clarity, a Crystal Clear clarity potion from Shampoo and Ukyo, Aphrodite's love potion from Shampoo, and a weak paralysis potion from Kodachi? Is that all? Plus the Jusenkyo curse and Nekoken, and probably a few residual after effects from Ranma's fights with Mousse and Ryoga in the past two weeks," Dr. Tofu said as he jotted down notes on his pad. Everyone nodded and he set to work looking up each of the potions and spells in a set of ancient books. He jotted down numbers and made calculations, looking more and more Grim with each passing minute. Finally he set down the books and the papers and looked up. And everyone's hopes went downhill as well.
"It's not good," Dr. Tofu said, and a small sob escaped from Akane, so he continued, "But that doesn't mean I can't help him. It'll be hard, and I'll need every single one of your cooperation in this, whether that means you need to help or need to get out of the way, understood?"
There was a general murmur because who was really going to say no at a time like this? Dr. Tofu continued to search through books for several minutes, book marking some and tossing others hopelessly onto a nearby desk. Akane watched Ranma on the bed, her fiancé, her friend. He looked so pale and helpless. While Dr. Tofu continued to look through the books, the rest of the Tendo's and Mr. Saotome arrived and were briefed by Nabiki on the events.
"He's still looking for a way to cure him…" Nabiki said to Kasumi quietly. Dr. Tofu still hadn't realized she was there, and she'd like to keep it that way.
"Oh! This is just terrible!" Kasumi whispered back, unsure why she was whispering, "Poor Ranma! I do hope he's going to be…"
"Ah ha!" Dr. Tofu exclaimed.
"What? What is it? Have you found a cure?" Ryoga asked anxiously.
Dr. Tofu ran his finger down the list, mumbling to himself then said in excitement, "This should work! As long as it is done right, it should work! Bu Fa Ping! It's a complicated potion that uses the powers of Yin and Yang to restore balance to a person's life. It uses physical and magical elements to clear the body and mind of external forces and unwanted magics. It is used to help patients suffering from possession, magical confusion, magical overdose, and magical contradiction! Perfect!"
"That sounds perfect!" Ukyo shouted.
"Yeah! Let's do it!" Akane said eagerly.
"Haha! You should have used this on him ages ago!" Nabiki said, then everyone went silent when they realized she was right.
"Say, why haven't you told anyone about this before?" Mousse wondered.
"It's not an easy spell. It is also dangerous. And it isn't discriminating. It removes all external forces and restores a body to a pure, un-magical state. Anyone with magic holding them together would fear this spell. I bet that's why your great grandmother never mentioned it, Shampoo. Anyway, the ingredients are not easy to find and there are tons of them. Anyone feel like going on the most difficult scavenger hunt ever?"
"I ready!" Shampoo said, standing up and getting into a stance to show just how ready she was.
"Bring it on!" Ukyo said with a determined expression.
"Ha! See if you can stop me!" Ryoga challenged.
"Anything to help Ranma!" Kasumi piped eagerly.
"Alright, there are roughly one hundred ingredients…" Dr. Tofu began.
"ONE HUNDRED!" Everyone shouted, and then sat down dejectedly.
"How do we even know we'll be able to find them all?" Akane wondered.
"We don't, but we have to try," Dr. Tofu said, "Many of them are very basic. Jasmine leaves, Enchanted Green Tea, Hallucinogenic Mushrooms, Gorgonzola cheese…"
"Gorgonzola cheese?" Kuno shouted, "You mock us, surely!"
"No, it is part of the pattern. Every ingredient is coupled with an ingredient that acts as an opposite. To represent the Yin and Yang. Except for ten, which must act as the Yin and Yang at the same time. I will split this list up as evenly as possible, and hand it out to you all, okay?"
Everyone agreed, and Dr. Tofu set to work in separating the items. The lists turned out not to be even at all. The range of ingredients was so vast that some ingredients would be easily obtained by one of them while another would search for days for it. Also, some of the items on the list were not cheap, even if they were easy to find. He gave most of these to Kuno and Kodachi, sighing as he swore to Kuno that this spell would bring him his lovely pig tailed Goddess, freeing her from Saotome's magical hold. Kuno seemed quite eager to help then, and set off immediately for "Ye magic shop". Some of the items needed weren't exactly…wholesome, and one would need very strange connections indeed to obtain them. He gave this list to Nabiki. He nervously handed a list to Kasumi, but when she came back almost an hour later having completed it, everyone was very suspicious that Dr. Tofu had accidentally handed her his shopping list. Poor sap.
"Here, Akane!" Dr. Tofu said, handing her a list as he made a check on the sheet of paper he was keeping track of things on, "And Ukyo and Mr. Saotome. And here's for Soun and Shampoo! Go on, and hurry back!"
Once everyone had taken their lists and left, Ryoga said cautiously, not wanting to disturb Dr. Tofu's work, "Ummm…Dr. Tofu…you didn't give me a list…"
"I know," Dr. Tofu said, not looking up from his paper, "There is only one thing left on the list. It is the most important part of the spell, and the most difficult to come across. I am certain you are the only person I can trust with this one, you are the only one who will be able to get this ingredient," And if I give you any other ingredients we won't see you again for a month…He thought silently.
Ryoga swelled, proud that Dr. Tofu thought so highly of him, "What is it?"
Dr. Tofu handed him a piece of paper and said, "It must be mutual, willing, and taken from only one source. And the giver must understand that even though this sacrifice will cause them a great amount of happiness, it will also cause a great amount of pain. And, what's more, once it is given, it can never be taken back. The sacrifice will remain with Ranma for the rest of his life, being a part of him, and a part of them as well…they will be bound to each other,"
Ryoga nodded, feeling strange and goose bumpy. Whatever this was, it was not going to be easy to find. He unfolded the paper and looked down at it. It had only a single phrase, "The Blood of an enemy, and the blood of a friend,"
"Thanks…I-I'll get working on this…" Ryoga said, and turned to leave the hospital.
"Wait!" Dr. Tofu called to him.
"Yeah?"
"Take this," he said, and handed Ryoga a small some money and another slip of paper, "Guard that with your life. It is money and the address of the clinic. When you get the item, get a taxi to bring you here. I don't want you wandering around for three weeks, okay? We need to get this thing done with...the sooner we have Ranma back with us, the better, don't you agree?"
Ryoga snorted, his usual bitterness coming back now that the shock of the situation had receded. No one was in any immediate danger, and Akane was nowhere near and needing to be helped or protected or comforted, so he was now thinking quite clearly once more. "Yeah, speak for yourself," Ryoga said, "I, for one, don't care if he ever wakes up…"
Dr. Tofu shook his head with a smile as Ryoga stormed out of the building.