Ranma 1/2
Ascension
Finale and Epilogue
Ranma stumbled backwards onto his knees, holding loosly the arrow that was impaling him in one hand. Akane was there in an instant beside her love; the shocked and heavily concerned expression on her face clearly showed that this was not something she was expecting.
Cologne approached Ranma, while looking him over with close scruteny. Yosho, Tsunami, Tenchi, Shampoo, Ryoga, Konatsu carrying Ukyo, Kuno, Ryoko, and Mousse gathered formed the small inner-circle that enclosed the fallen God.
The former Matriarch sniffed, but kept her expression schooled, "Ranma... you have lost..."
"I.. heh... beg to differ," Ranma replied in a weak voice, "Everything is just going perfect, I think... Geez, getting shot in the chest hurts like Hell!"
"You've been slain, and the prize we claim is for you to restore all the ill you have done." Yosho replied, holding back the emotion in his voice.
Ranma seemed to chuckle at that, "I... I never said that was part of the deal... and it's not like you can force me.."
"Wha... WHAT?" Tenchi shouted, "THAT'S NOT FAIR!"
Ranma frowned, a slight of blood escaping the corner of his lips, "If... if anyone is qualified to tell you that life isn't fair... it's me."
Cologne drummed her brain, trying to piece together the puzzle that she had thought she had clearly assembled, only to see that it was not the correct picture. "Ranma... what was your goal?"
"Cologne... sensei. Before I answer that, I had caught a bullet in the midst of battle..."
"Yet, you did not avoid the arrow... you... you wanted to fall, is this correct?" Tsunami replied.
"Then... you mean this whole fight was a farce?" Yosho growled, "You truly are insane, for what reason would you have to partake in such a massive and costly battle, vanity?"
Ranma coughed a bit, jolting himself within Akane's arms, "Na, nothing like that... I..."
"You felt obligated, didn't you, Ranma?" Ryoga answered.
"You and your damnable honor for your school," Ukyo sobbed, while Konatsu looked crestfallen.
"It wasn't for his honor... it was for ours," Mousse corrected kneeling down to Ranma's level; recalling one of his and Ranma's first duels, when Akane suggested that the pigtailed boy throw the fight, "Ranma would give us a fight to the best of his ability, because he thinks he would have disgraced us if he gave anything less."
"But... that's crazy!" Kiyone replied, incredulously.
"Indeed, it is," Cologne stated, weary, "He hoped that we would defeat him, and when we failed, he allowed himself to be shot. The answer remains as to why. Akane apparently does not wish his death, and she will not take him because of it, so why bother with self-mutilation? Answer us, boy."
"Because... as you said, Elder, once the touch of Godhood is upon you, it is, as you phrased it, difficult to recend..." Most turned to the newcomber; a seemingly young man with platnium hair. "I must say, this one's guile is quite impressive. I would have done to give him more credit."
"Explain," Tsunami commanded.
The God of a realm removed threw the blue haired goddess a fleeting and disapproving look, "Once life has passed from him, the power of the infinite and eternal will be scattered across your reality. This time, because of their nature, they would never be detected, and thus never found again."
"He... he doesn't want anyone to reverse what he has done!" Cologne gasped, too shocked to be impressed with Ranma's deviousness.
"Yeah..." Ranma wheezed, and the light expression that was on his face changed to one of seriousness, "There is nothing, nothing I wouldn't give, to see Akane's smile filled with any emotion. Nothing I would not do for her to have the ability to cry. I would even leave it again, in hopes of finding that same smile I love from her. Nothing matters more to me than for her to express the emotions I fought too damn hard to earn for her, even if it's over my death."
"Akane, please, listen to me," Cologne urged, "You know this is not the way of things. Nature is imbalanced, let us fix everything back to right again."
"Listen to her," Tsunami pleaded, "allow Ranma to live, and convince him of his folly that needs to be rectified."
"No can do," Ranma stated, "It... was possible to do what I did, because it didn't fight the laws... going back... going back..."
"NO! YOU CAN BRING THEM BACK, YOU MISERABLE BASTARD!" One of the crowd shoted from beyond the circle, eliciting favorable cries to follow.
Ranma ignored the growing rioters, "Akane... please."
"Don't, Akane, if that's really you, Akane, don't." Ukyo pleaded with the aspect of death.
Akane bowed her head and closed her eyes, after a moment, she looked back towards Ranma with glossy eyes, "I... I can not... I..."
"Akane... if you loved me, I mean if you *ever* truly loved me..."
"Please..." Akane cut him off with a trembling voice, "Don't... don't ask me to do this. Please."
"Damn it, Akane. You refused to take me the first time; you left me hurting far too unbearably from wounds far beyond what those damn jagged rocks at the cliff gave me. At least those heald over time. This *needs* to be done... we'll, we'll see each other in my next lifetime... I promise."
"No... no I won't..."
"We just may have a slight chance, yet..." Ryoko murmered to Tenchi.
"Akane..." Ranma allowed a tender smile onto his face, as he reached up to his lover's cheek, "Please, I could never be happy, knowing that it would always be possible to take away all that I have given you. Even if those tears of yours were not for me, I would be happy knowing that you could still cry." The raven haired spector's bottom lip trembled, as she reached her hand over to cradle Ranma's to her cheek, and rubbed the side of her face against it; smearing Ranma's blood onto her face.
"I... I love you... Ranma." Akane hugged Ranma closer to herself.
"NO! STOP HER!"
Mihoshi expressionlessly unholstered her gun, and shot at Akane, only to find the beam bounce impotently off an invisible barrier around her, Ranma, and those of the inner circle. Several other energy blasts and concussive blows rained against the barrier, but left the occupants undisturbed.
Akane bent down, and gave Ranma one final kiss on the lips that lasted for several moments. She wanted to make it last for ever, to hold Ranma in her arms until a new creation swept away the reminants of their current one. She was only the gateway of passage for the soul, she wasn't the keeper of them. Once she released Ranma's soul from his body, she would have to leave the rest to fate.
She brought her head up, just to see Ranmas lively but sedated smile for one final time for this lifetime. Once she fully took it all in, she closed her eyes, causing a tear to be flushed out from her eye. It traveled down her face, and fell onto Ranma's forehead. With it's impact, Ranma's wheezing shallowed to nothing.
By that time, everyone had stopped in their attempts to subdue the aspect of death, and in the sweeping silence, Akane let forth a wail of agony that only Death could bring about.
_______________________
_______________________
::Epilogue::
Ukyo stared dispassionately at the bloodied corpse of Nabiki. The young chef sighed, and closed the door to the girl's room.
"Nabiki killed herself," Ukyo commented with a try and monotone voice.
Nodoka Saotome looked up from mending with a look of concern, "Oh dear, Soun will not like to hear this at all, poor dear."
"I'm sorry there wasn't anything I could do more," Ukyo replied sincerely, sitting down next to the Saotome Matriach.
"Do more about what?" Ranma asked, entering the house from the dojo.
"Nabiki slit her throat... she's dead," ukyo informed her husband of two years.
Ranma's expression became shocked, "Oh man, Akane-chan's not going to like this..."
"We'll wait until she comes back home to inform her," Ukyo stated, somberly, "Kasumi and Mr. Tendou, I'll go find them and tell them now."
"Please, do be careful," Nodoka urged her daughter-in-law, "I... we lost Nabiki, I would hate for anything else to happen to you as well."
Ukyo hugged Nodoka tightly, "I'll be careful, I promise." Then she turned a quick peck to Ranma's cheek, and told him she would be back soon to help him with Nabiki's body. The chef stepped out of the old and slightly run down Tendou household, and onto the decaying streets of what was once a lively and friendly (if not destructive) district named Nerima. Her eyes stayed unfocused past the dismal state of what was around her, just as her broken mind refused to allow the true reality of what became of things after the Great Culling two years ago.
Nabiki had obviously gone insane since the day they saved Ranma from that evil demon that posessed him that was conjured up by Happosai, Ukyo surmised. She kept rambling on about how Ranma apparently brought the downfall of civilization; really, Ranma was destructive at times, but Nabiki had totally lost it. Her Ranma would never do such a horrible, unforgivable atrocity.
Not her Ranma, never her Ranma...
_______________________
"We're through their third line of defense! Progress on their center of command, an we sieze the day!" Cologne commanded, leading the factions that she had gathered in the battle against the remaining U.S. metahuman militia. Since the Culling, anarchy and chaos reigned, and before long, humanity would completely die out. The former Amazon Matriarch turned conquerer vowed that she would bring back order, and force the Human Race to survive, even if it is under servitude to her.
She would not let Ranma win this one, small battle that she had left against him.
"GOOD! Now, secure their nuclear stockpile! We may use it to threaten the Middle East into compliance! Our victory is all but assured! Shampoo's forces should soon be starting their campaign in the Slavic nations, so we must endeaver to haste!"
_______________________
They whisper of the ghost that randomly strolls about, but never leaves the area. The ghastly boy appeared other-worldly, with his sunken eyes and sickly green glow that radiated from him. At first, they had thought it was the mad God returned to finish the job with the rest of Humanity, but found the spector to be a benevolent one; as it saved those that it came across that here harrassed, and protected the weak from the dangers of the world the best it could. Eventually, they began to worship it as a guardian spirit; leaving it food and treasures in gratitude. Occationally it would take the food left for it, but the treasures were always left alone. Regardless, many still attempted to courry the favor of the Ghost of the Unryuu Farm.
_______________________
Akane looked out into the infinite of space. In two years, her acute pain had only gotten stronger. As Ranma died in her arms, she geared herself up for a lifetime of pain that nothing should ever have to experience. For she knew that she would have to prevail, for she would once again be reunited with Ranma. Perhaps not in this lifetime, or the next. Maybe not in all of eternity, but she would not give up hope, for Ranma never gave up hope on her.
"Ranma, I miss you so much. Please, be at peace. For me, be at peace."
Fin
_______________________
_______________________
Wheee! Now THAT'S my type of WAFF!!! I'll put up some notes eventually to explain little nuances that most of you missed, I'm sure, as well as explanations and the like. One more fic to finish up, and I start new ones, isn't that spiffy?
Ascension
Finale and Epilogue
Ranma stumbled backwards onto his knees, holding loosly the arrow that was impaling him in one hand. Akane was there in an instant beside her love; the shocked and heavily concerned expression on her face clearly showed that this was not something she was expecting.
Cologne approached Ranma, while looking him over with close scruteny. Yosho, Tsunami, Tenchi, Shampoo, Ryoga, Konatsu carrying Ukyo, Kuno, Ryoko, and Mousse gathered formed the small inner-circle that enclosed the fallen God.
The former Matriarch sniffed, but kept her expression schooled, "Ranma... you have lost..."
"I.. heh... beg to differ," Ranma replied in a weak voice, "Everything is just going perfect, I think... Geez, getting shot in the chest hurts like Hell!"
"You've been slain, and the prize we claim is for you to restore all the ill you have done." Yosho replied, holding back the emotion in his voice.
Ranma seemed to chuckle at that, "I... I never said that was part of the deal... and it's not like you can force me.."
"Wha... WHAT?" Tenchi shouted, "THAT'S NOT FAIR!"
Ranma frowned, a slight of blood escaping the corner of his lips, "If... if anyone is qualified to tell you that life isn't fair... it's me."
Cologne drummed her brain, trying to piece together the puzzle that she had thought she had clearly assembled, only to see that it was not the correct picture. "Ranma... what was your goal?"
"Cologne... sensei. Before I answer that, I had caught a bullet in the midst of battle..."
"Yet, you did not avoid the arrow... you... you wanted to fall, is this correct?" Tsunami replied.
"Then... you mean this whole fight was a farce?" Yosho growled, "You truly are insane, for what reason would you have to partake in such a massive and costly battle, vanity?"
Ranma coughed a bit, jolting himself within Akane's arms, "Na, nothing like that... I..."
"You felt obligated, didn't you, Ranma?" Ryoga answered.
"You and your damnable honor for your school," Ukyo sobbed, while Konatsu looked crestfallen.
"It wasn't for his honor... it was for ours," Mousse corrected kneeling down to Ranma's level; recalling one of his and Ranma's first duels, when Akane suggested that the pigtailed boy throw the fight, "Ranma would give us a fight to the best of his ability, because he thinks he would have disgraced us if he gave anything less."
"But... that's crazy!" Kiyone replied, incredulously.
"Indeed, it is," Cologne stated, weary, "He hoped that we would defeat him, and when we failed, he allowed himself to be shot. The answer remains as to why. Akane apparently does not wish his death, and she will not take him because of it, so why bother with self-mutilation? Answer us, boy."
"Because... as you said, Elder, once the touch of Godhood is upon you, it is, as you phrased it, difficult to recend..." Most turned to the newcomber; a seemingly young man with platnium hair. "I must say, this one's guile is quite impressive. I would have done to give him more credit."
"Explain," Tsunami commanded.
The God of a realm removed threw the blue haired goddess a fleeting and disapproving look, "Once life has passed from him, the power of the infinite and eternal will be scattered across your reality. This time, because of their nature, they would never be detected, and thus never found again."
"He... he doesn't want anyone to reverse what he has done!" Cologne gasped, too shocked to be impressed with Ranma's deviousness.
"Yeah..." Ranma wheezed, and the light expression that was on his face changed to one of seriousness, "There is nothing, nothing I wouldn't give, to see Akane's smile filled with any emotion. Nothing I would not do for her to have the ability to cry. I would even leave it again, in hopes of finding that same smile I love from her. Nothing matters more to me than for her to express the emotions I fought too damn hard to earn for her, even if it's over my death."
"Akane, please, listen to me," Cologne urged, "You know this is not the way of things. Nature is imbalanced, let us fix everything back to right again."
"Listen to her," Tsunami pleaded, "allow Ranma to live, and convince him of his folly that needs to be rectified."
"No can do," Ranma stated, "It... was possible to do what I did, because it didn't fight the laws... going back... going back..."
"NO! YOU CAN BRING THEM BACK, YOU MISERABLE BASTARD!" One of the crowd shoted from beyond the circle, eliciting favorable cries to follow.
Ranma ignored the growing rioters, "Akane... please."
"Don't, Akane, if that's really you, Akane, don't." Ukyo pleaded with the aspect of death.
Akane bowed her head and closed her eyes, after a moment, she looked back towards Ranma with glossy eyes, "I... I can not... I..."
"Akane... if you loved me, I mean if you *ever* truly loved me..."
"Please..." Akane cut him off with a trembling voice, "Don't... don't ask me to do this. Please."
"Damn it, Akane. You refused to take me the first time; you left me hurting far too unbearably from wounds far beyond what those damn jagged rocks at the cliff gave me. At least those heald over time. This *needs* to be done... we'll, we'll see each other in my next lifetime... I promise."
"No... no I won't..."
"We just may have a slight chance, yet..." Ryoko murmered to Tenchi.
"Akane..." Ranma allowed a tender smile onto his face, as he reached up to his lover's cheek, "Please, I could never be happy, knowing that it would always be possible to take away all that I have given you. Even if those tears of yours were not for me, I would be happy knowing that you could still cry." The raven haired spector's bottom lip trembled, as she reached her hand over to cradle Ranma's to her cheek, and rubbed the side of her face against it; smearing Ranma's blood onto her face.
"I... I love you... Ranma." Akane hugged Ranma closer to herself.
"NO! STOP HER!"
Mihoshi expressionlessly unholstered her gun, and shot at Akane, only to find the beam bounce impotently off an invisible barrier around her, Ranma, and those of the inner circle. Several other energy blasts and concussive blows rained against the barrier, but left the occupants undisturbed.
Akane bent down, and gave Ranma one final kiss on the lips that lasted for several moments. She wanted to make it last for ever, to hold Ranma in her arms until a new creation swept away the reminants of their current one. She was only the gateway of passage for the soul, she wasn't the keeper of them. Once she released Ranma's soul from his body, she would have to leave the rest to fate.
She brought her head up, just to see Ranmas lively but sedated smile for one final time for this lifetime. Once she fully took it all in, she closed her eyes, causing a tear to be flushed out from her eye. It traveled down her face, and fell onto Ranma's forehead. With it's impact, Ranma's wheezing shallowed to nothing.
By that time, everyone had stopped in their attempts to subdue the aspect of death, and in the sweeping silence, Akane let forth a wail of agony that only Death could bring about.
_______________________
_______________________
::Epilogue::
Ukyo stared dispassionately at the bloodied corpse of Nabiki. The young chef sighed, and closed the door to the girl's room.
"Nabiki killed herself," Ukyo commented with a try and monotone voice.
Nodoka Saotome looked up from mending with a look of concern, "Oh dear, Soun will not like to hear this at all, poor dear."
"I'm sorry there wasn't anything I could do more," Ukyo replied sincerely, sitting down next to the Saotome Matriach.
"Do more about what?" Ranma asked, entering the house from the dojo.
"Nabiki slit her throat... she's dead," ukyo informed her husband of two years.
Ranma's expression became shocked, "Oh man, Akane-chan's not going to like this..."
"We'll wait until she comes back home to inform her," Ukyo stated, somberly, "Kasumi and Mr. Tendou, I'll go find them and tell them now."
"Please, do be careful," Nodoka urged her daughter-in-law, "I... we lost Nabiki, I would hate for anything else to happen to you as well."
Ukyo hugged Nodoka tightly, "I'll be careful, I promise." Then she turned a quick peck to Ranma's cheek, and told him she would be back soon to help him with Nabiki's body. The chef stepped out of the old and slightly run down Tendou household, and onto the decaying streets of what was once a lively and friendly (if not destructive) district named Nerima. Her eyes stayed unfocused past the dismal state of what was around her, just as her broken mind refused to allow the true reality of what became of things after the Great Culling two years ago.
Nabiki had obviously gone insane since the day they saved Ranma from that evil demon that posessed him that was conjured up by Happosai, Ukyo surmised. She kept rambling on about how Ranma apparently brought the downfall of civilization; really, Ranma was destructive at times, but Nabiki had totally lost it. Her Ranma would never do such a horrible, unforgivable atrocity.
Not her Ranma, never her Ranma...
_______________________
"We're through their third line of defense! Progress on their center of command, an we sieze the day!" Cologne commanded, leading the factions that she had gathered in the battle against the remaining U.S. metahuman militia. Since the Culling, anarchy and chaos reigned, and before long, humanity would completely die out. The former Amazon Matriarch turned conquerer vowed that she would bring back order, and force the Human Race to survive, even if it is under servitude to her.
She would not let Ranma win this one, small battle that she had left against him.
"GOOD! Now, secure their nuclear stockpile! We may use it to threaten the Middle East into compliance! Our victory is all but assured! Shampoo's forces should soon be starting their campaign in the Slavic nations, so we must endeaver to haste!"
_______________________
They whisper of the ghost that randomly strolls about, but never leaves the area. The ghastly boy appeared other-worldly, with his sunken eyes and sickly green glow that radiated from him. At first, they had thought it was the mad God returned to finish the job with the rest of Humanity, but found the spector to be a benevolent one; as it saved those that it came across that here harrassed, and protected the weak from the dangers of the world the best it could. Eventually, they began to worship it as a guardian spirit; leaving it food and treasures in gratitude. Occationally it would take the food left for it, but the treasures were always left alone. Regardless, many still attempted to courry the favor of the Ghost of the Unryuu Farm.
_______________________
Akane looked out into the infinite of space. In two years, her acute pain had only gotten stronger. As Ranma died in her arms, she geared herself up for a lifetime of pain that nothing should ever have to experience. For she knew that she would have to prevail, for she would once again be reunited with Ranma. Perhaps not in this lifetime, or the next. Maybe not in all of eternity, but she would not give up hope, for Ranma never gave up hope on her.
"Ranma, I miss you so much. Please, be at peace. For me, be at peace."
Fin
_______________________
_______________________
Wheee! Now THAT'S my type of WAFF!!! I'll put up some notes eventually to explain little nuances that most of you missed, I'm sure, as well as explanations and the like. One more fic to finish up, and I start new ones, isn't that spiffy?