Ranma winced again as hopping off the fence hurt his
damaged rib. He valiantly fought to hide the signs of his
weakened condition, but it was getting harder and harder
these days to win his fights. He had even start heading them
off before they became fights, he had flat out avoided
cologne and happosai.

Akane looked at ranma and blinked wondering why he was so
pale "are you alright ranma?" she asked. Ranma smirked at
her "why wouldn't I be?"

She frowned at him but let it drop as they neared the
school, the boys had started mobbing them again after the
wedding fiasco and all her old anger was coming back, ranma
moved ahead of her and started glowing slightly, distancing
himself from her.

"I'm going to warn you one last time assholes! This stops
or your going to be more then hurt!" he shouted as he
stopped at the gate a ki blast forming in his hands. He
held it up and they bolted in fright as it shot out and
slammed into kuno who was charging him.

He sagged to his knees and panted softly as he felt the pain
in his chest grow. Akane was shocked, ranma used a ki
blast on kuno! But she was concerned that he looked so
tired this early in the morning. She looked up hearing a
crashing sound and felt chilled seeing ryoga "ranma prepare
to die!"

Ranma got to his feet waveringly and swayed a little at the
lost boy charged at him. "I think you may be too late
ryoga." ranma said softly and barely dodged the umbrella
before he smashed him into the fence wall with a recover
move. Ranma slumped to the ground fighting the blackness
that was creeping over him.

Ryoga stopped shocked silly by ranmas words as it got to him
and the fact that ranma hadn't dodged his hit. He stood
strait and looked at him increditiously "ranma what are you
talking about?! Hey! Stand up!" he yelled walking over to
him. He picked him up and looked wide eyed at the blood
coming out of his mouth "h- hey are you alright?!"

Akane rushed to his side "whats wrong?!" she exclaimed
seeing it. Ranma just looked dully with pain in his eyes.
"I don't know I barely touched him!" he said panicked.
Ranma opened his mouth "....dying.... felt it.... since
china..... so tired...." he whispered slumping against the
lost boy. He jumped in fright "what do we do?!"

Akane took hold of his arm "come on! Lets get him to
cologne! Shes the only one besides tofu that can do
anything, come on!"


Ranma felt a warm feeling spread through him when akane
touched him and he sturred a little. "No ranma don't
move." she said softly. He looked around and noticed that
he was on a table at the nekohanten.

Cologne hopped into view carrying a bottle "here boy drink
this." she said kindly as she tilted ranmas head up. He
drank the vile stuff and slumped back to the table. "Do you
feel any different?" she asked. Ranma shook his head slowly
then blinked at the dazed look on akanes face "why is akane
glowing?"

Cologne looked narrow eyed at the girl before her then got
an idea "akane, take ranmas hand and hold tight." she
comanded. She nodded taking ranmas hand and he reared up
gritting his teeth as something like lightning flashed
through his body, kind of painful. Cologne nodded "I need to
do some research. Don't let go of him." she said sternly.

Ranma took a few deep breaths and looked at akane "why did
you skip school?" he asked softly. She looked at him "I- I
didn't want shampoo using you as a coat rack!" she said
looking away so he couldn't see the worry on her face. He
looked down trying to pull his hand away "oh, you should get
to school."

Akane started to respond angrily when the door opened and
shampoo hopped in "great grand mother, shampoo back from-
haiya! What violent girl do to husband?!?" she yelled at
akane.

Ranma winced as akane threw his hand down "mind your own
business!" she snapped back. Shampoo grabbed ranmas legs
and pulled him into her arms "no! Why you hurt husband!?"
she demanded squeezing ranma.

Ranma twitched slightly before trying to break her grip when
suddenly they were drenched in water ranma took one look at
the cat and colapsed into unconsciousness.

Cologne hearing the noise came out and rapped akane on the
head before plucking shampoo off ranma and pitched her into
the kitchen "did I not tell you not to let go of him!?" she
barked angrily. Akane looked sullen as she helped her put
ranma back on the table.

Shampoo came back out of the kitchen really pissed "great
grand mother why you do that!?" she demanded. Cologne took
the time to hit her before tapping a few points on ranmas
chest and head then turned to do the same to akane. The
girl started glowing brightly while ranmas glow was dull
and flickering. Akane reached out and took her hand,
cologne nodded seeing the flickering stop and the glow start
to brighten slowly.

She tapped a spot on ranmas head and she groaned sitting up
"what happened?" she hissed touching her side. Cologne
looked and nodded "take your shirt off." she told her calmly.
Ranma frowned at her "dr tofu is gone ranma so I'm the only
other person with the knowledge to perform his paticular
job."

Ranma shrugged excepting that and pulled her shirt off.
Cologne hopped closer and pulled up her undershirt. Ranma
grumbled then skreeched when she tapped a spot on her side.
Ranma curled over clutching at her side and breathed
shallowly for a second "what..... what the hell did you do
that for!?!" she demanded. Cologne sighed "please sit down
children, let me tell you what I have found out."

Ranma sat between akane and the wall still in pain from
colognes touch "ranma who did that to you?" she asked
sitting next to shampoo. She looked sullen for a few
minutes "it'll heal." she said instead. Cologne edged her
staff towards the spot and ranma moved deeper into her seat
"saffron broke four of my ribs..... they looked like they
were healing.... but their not."

Akane touched her arm and she twitched a little. Cologne
nodded "ranma you are one of the stupidest and most
selfless persons I've ever known, you are no longer worthy
of being shampoos husband."

Ranma looked confused "whats that mean?" she asked a little
stronger. Cologne sighed "you are no longer able to sustain
your own life boy. From what I'm told and from what I can
see, akane would be dead now if you had not given her your
life force."

When ranma didn't answer cologne sighed "you bonded your
spirit to akanes when it could no longer sustain her life.
In other words you gave your life for hers. I'm just
suprised it took this long for your body to weaken from the
loss of its power source."

Akane was pale and ranma was quiet. "So I did save her
life, thats good." she whispered softly. Akane jumped up
angrily "GOOD!? YOU THINK ITS GOOD!!?!?" she screamed at
her. Ranma sat back looking at her through half open eyes
"akane lets be serious. You know how I feel about you,
sure, I can't say anything but you know. At least you'd be
alive."

Shampoo snarled jumping up "not if shampoo kill!! Give
husband back soul!!!" she yelled moving to hit her with a
bon bori. Cologne tapped the weapon and it hit the floor as
her fingers went numb "you kill her and ranma really is
dead."

All three of them looked at her, akane hopeful, shampoo
angrily and ranma sleepily "I think we should get him back
to the dojo before he colapses again."


Kisumi looked out into the hall and blinked seeing akane and
shampoo walking ranma into the house. "Oh my! Whats
wrong?!" she exclaimed hurrying over to them. ranma just
looked at her akane had a close to tears look on her face,
shampoo looked downright insane with pent up rage.

Cologne hopped up "is ranmas mother about?" she asked.
Kisumi nodded motioning to the woman that came out of the
kitchen. She stopped short seeing ranma hanging from the
girls "what is this ranma!?" she demanded halfway irate.
ranma didn't respond. Cologne cleared her throat "I believe
it would be best to call together your families, this is
serious."

After everyone got to the table ranma promptly colapsed with
a loud crack as her head hit it. Cologne glared at akane
"keep contact means skin contact girl! Hold his hand!" she
comanded. Akane squeezed ranmas hand and she yelped weakly.
After a minute she pulled herself up and leaned on akane.

Cologne sighed seeing the questions in souns eyes and the
anger in his parents. She glared at them "I see where the
boy gets his stupid streak. Ok, first off let me do this."
her cane flashed forward and smashed genma in the head.
"That is for nearly killing ranma this morning."

She looked at nodoka and soun "ranma is dying. Hes been
like this ever since his battle with saffron. He gave
akane his spirit to save her life, hes just now starting to
feel the effects of the loss. I figure that he will live
another four days if he stays in bed."

Ranma snorted softly not caring anymore "remind me not to do
that." she mumbled softly. Soun started wailing with
genma. Nodoka looked ready to start crying herself "ranma
how could you say that!?"

Ranma looked at her mother "why shouldn't I? Can you really
say I have a good life mom? I had a moron for a father,
and a mother that cares more about the family honor then me.
I have a fiancee I gave my life for, and I don't even know
if she likes me."

She laughed softly "but its not like the school has a
problem." she muttered catching their fathers attention.
She sighed "akane has my power. All the power I gained in
my life is in akane, give her a little training and she'll
be better then me in a few months. Don't need me."

Ranma fell backwards when akane pulled away from her "you
jerk! You asshole!! How dare you say I don't like you!!"
she screamed before racing out of the room. Ranma closed
her eyes "doesn't matter anymore."

Cologne sighed "there is a way to save him!" she shouted to
the house. Ranma didn't react, but it brought even akane
back down stairs "how!?" they all chorused. Ranma just
muttered something to herself "its simple really, ranma
needs to draw energy from his soul to maintain himself on
a day by day basis until akanes soul is strong enough to no
longer need his to stay alive. Once that happens the next
time he touches her his soul will return to him."

Ranma cracked open an eye as everyone else started
celebrating. She sat up slowly and looked suspicious "what
kind of contact?" she asked in a growl. Cologne started
chuckling as everyone looked at her wanting to know the
answer to that question.

She started to answer then started cackling again
"ranma..... the only way.... that you can draw enough
energy..... is to keep full body contact with akane for a
whole night if you wish to stay among the walking for the
next day. Meaning both of you have to be unclothed and
preferably holding each other for the whole night."

Ranma layed back down a defeated look on her face as
everyone screamed in outrage. Shampoo got up to attack
akane again, their fathers were dancing with joy nodoka
looked troubled. Akane was boiling mad. Cologne tripped
shampoo as akane ripped ranma up off the floor "how dare you
do this to me!!!"

Ranma looked at her as she drew her fist back, then pulled
her into her arms and started crying "why?! Why are you
looking at me like that!?" ranma didn't answer. Nodoka
looked and bit her lip "ranma when do you ever give up?" she
demanded sternly. Ranma looked at her "lets see, it started
soon after china I think." she said sarcastically.

She wanted to slap her when akane started shaking her "stop
it ranma! This isn't you! God damn it why are you giving
up?!?" she sobbed. Ranma looked at her "because its
hopeless. I can't stop it because I'm not here." she
touched her chest "I'm here." she touched akanes "how can I
feel confidant if the thing that makes me feel it isn't mine
anymore. My hope is in you, so of course its hopeless."

Akane hit her and she sprawled across the floor bleeding from
her nose. She was unconscious. Everyone was shocked out of
their mind "see what I mean? Ranmas power are all in akane
what he had left was used up sparring with his idiot father
each morning. All the forms and styles he learned is still
in his mind but the powers gained in learning them are now
akanes. So please be careful hitting him, your a lot
stronger then you used to be and hes weaker then a four year
old. Come shampoo, we no longer have a reason for being
here."


Ranma woke up slowly feeling hot water course over his face.
He opened his eyes and blinked a few times at a man bending
over him "oh good your awake. Sir your parents say your
dying and that you would like to have been married to your
fiancee before. What do you feel about this?" he asked.
Ranma closed his eyes "sure, what ever." he said softly and
felt a warm touch "he does."

Ranma opened his eyes and blinked at akane and was mildly
suprised to see she was the one that answered. The man
nodded "do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded
husband?" he asked softly. She nodded slightly "yes."

Ranma looked shocked as akane slipped a ring on his finger.
He sat up and looked at her in suprise "no.. Wait, this is
wrong." he mumbled taking the ring box from her. She looked
crushed "you don't want to go through with it?"

Ranma looked at the man "its wrong 'cause I have to put the
ring on her, or its not right." he explained stupidly.
Genma hit him in the head "stupid, you can speak better then
that!" ranma promptly passed out. Genma was knocked into
the stratisphere by nodoka and akane.

When ranma woke back up he found he was bleeding from his
nose again "this is annoying." he muttered letting nodoka
wipe his face.

The man smiled in simpathy "do you take this woman to be
your wife to have and to hold until.... well you get the
picture." he said disgruntled. Ranma nodded "I do."

"No!!" a voice behind them yelled. Ranma didn't turn around
to look at ukyo so she got up in his face "you can't!" she
yelled. Ranma looked at her coolly "look at me ukyo.
Haven't you noticed how different I've been lately?" he
asked calmly. She ignored that "marry me!"

Ranma jerked the ring box back when she lunged for it and
handed it to akane "I can't, you do it." he said tiredly.
She nodded holding up the box "this is the wedding ring
ranma would have put on my finger if you hadn't tried to
kill me last time. Ranma wouldn't be like this if we had
been married, and its your fault."

Ukyo snarled swinging at her only to have akane dodge inside
the blow and deliver an open handed uppercut that sent her
flying into the wall "careful akane! They weren't kidding
when they said you have my power. Don't hurt her just
disable her."

Akane glared at him "ranma I'm not you! I don't dance about
when I fight!" she hissed. Ranma looked down closing his
eyes "is that how you see it?" he asked softly. He sighed
laying back on the futon and closed his eyes "I don't care
anymore, call it what you want."

Akane looked annoyed at him "will you please stop that!?
I'm getting damn tired of your defeatist attitude!" she
yelled irately. Ranma didn't answer her "what the hell did
you do to ranchan?!"

Ranma covered his face and started chanting softly to
himself as the two started bickering. Nodoka nelt by him
as kisumi broke the two up "stop! Akane you should be
ashamed of yourself! Making poor ranma suffer like this!
He said to end the fight not bicker!"

Ukyo jumped while akane bowed her head in shame "sorry
ranma." she said softly. Ranma nodded not uncovering his
eyes "just finish it already, even with my 'dancing' I finish
my fights quick."

Akane winced but turned back to ukyo "your not welcome here
ukyo, you could have seriously hurt someone last time and
we're tired of it. Leave my home." ukyo looked from akanes
grim face to ranmas laying form.

"no! Hes mine!" she shouted coming at her again. Akane
started to respond in kind when she felt a hand go up under
her shirt and touch her belly as ranmas arm came around her
with a growing ball of ki in it, akane could feel he was
shaking badly.

"Ukyo, I'm not a peice of meat you can just beat someone up
for and expect to go home with you. If you don't go... I
will be forced to see you as my enemy." he said his voice
shaking from exertion.

Ukyo looked at the pain on ranmas face and the dazed one on
akanes "whats going on ranma? Why are you holding her like
that?" she asked getting worried. Ranmas hand was shaking
and the ki was fluttering "damn it akane stop holding it
in!"

Ranma jerked suddenly and the ball firmed "thankyou." he
muttered wiping his sweaty face on her shirt "you want to
know whats going on?" he asked his voice stronger. He stood
up and handed akane the ki ball "I'm dying ukyo. Saffron
hurt me more then I thought... and akanes the only one that
can keep me alive. Because I love her. She holds my soul
inside her, and I have to be with her to live another day.
I'm doing it willingly."

She looked horrified "your... dying? Your doing this because
your dying?" she looked miserable then grabbed his hand
"then marry me! At least let me be your wife before you
die!"

Ranma layed his head on akanes shoulder and murmured
something in a low growl "no. I will not marry you ukyo.
You don't care about what happens to me, your more
interested in erasing the last ten years... you want a
hollow marrage. I don't."

Ukyo glared at him "you bastard! How dare you say that?!"
ranma looked at her for a minute "your in your own little
dream world ukyo. You really believe all this shit that
happened to us will just magically go away once we're
married. It doesn't happen like that. Your too rapped up
in your dream world to see the ugly truth. I never loved
you ukyo. You were my best friend, only, my friend. But
you lost even that when you bombed my wedding. For kamis
sake! I've told you on four different occations I'm not
marrying you!"

she looked heart broken then screamed charging him enraged
"then die you bastard!!" she screamed swinging at him. ranma
looked emotionlessly at the hole he had just blasted her out
of and lightly ran a finger around akanes belly button
curessingly. she jumped a little from the feeling before
looking curiously at him "what are you doing?" she murmured
softly. he smiled slightly "i don't know, just feels right,
you know?" he asked softly and she shivered when his finger
lightly dipped into her belly button and stroked it softly
"that feels really wierd."

he smirked "its fun though. your enjoying it too." he
chuckled softly. she nodded turning back to the preacher. he
nodded blinking repeatedly "do you akane tendo take ranma
saotome to be your lawfully wedded husband?" he asked
looking slightly scared from the sound of running feet "i
do."

suddenly the door was savagely ripped open "no! i will not
let this travisty persist!" kuno roared holding up a real
sword. ranma snorted at him "its not your place to object."

kuno snarled charging them before blinking when ranma
slumped to the ground when akane let go of him and suddenly
his world was beaten from him by the combined strengths of
akanes brutal savaging and ranmas skill and power filled
grace. ranma winced when ryoga helped him up "i think you
might have hurt him badly akane."

she snorted coming back over to them "i don't care ranma,
his interfering is just as much to blame as the rest of
them. lets get this over with." she looked at the
preacher and he gulped "do you?" he repeated. she nodded
"i do." he nodded "then by the authority invested in me..
inameyoumanandwife!" he finished quickly as the wall
exsploded inward and shampoo jumped through holding her bon
bari "if no can have boy type ranma, shampoo kill girl type
ranma!"

akane let ranma grab genma and charged at shampoo with
nodokas sword. she flashed forward and lopped the head off
the wooden mace and smashed her knee into her face and
stayed there until they'd hit the ground. she jumped off
her and stood ready "you've gotten lazy bitch, ranmas been
training me for the last three months." she spit on the
unconscious girl and handed the sword back "nice second."
ranma murmured softly. the preacher cleared his throat "kiss
the bride?" he pleaded. akane nodded taking ranma and
kissed him gently at first then with more warmth feeling
the spark it sent through them.

when they broke the kiss both of them were dazed by the
feelings coursing through them. ranma blinked noticing that
their parents and kisumi were cheering around them. he
held her close looking in her eyes. she blushed slightly and
nodded to the question in his eyes. he nodded and
kissed her again. she nodded and moved back smiling
slightly. she looked around at their celebrating family and
pulled him to the door and into the house with no one
noticing but the preacher.


akane pulled ranma into the bathroom and smiled "i don't
think your strong enough yet to do... it.. so lets take a bath
and clean you up." she murmured softly. he smiled "am i
allowed to exsplore?" he asked. she grinned "only fair,
since thats what i'll be doing." she chuckled pulling his
shirt off. he smiled pulling her shirt off her and tried to
get at her bra but couldn't sit up well so sat back
grumbling. he started pulling at the ties on her skirt when
she reached back to undo her bra for him. "i feel like an
invalid." he grumped blinking at her breasts as they came
free of restraint. she blinked and smiled slightly shaking
them in his face. ranma groaned softly as a little blood
appeared at his nose and she looked shocked seeing the look
on his face "you really haven't done anything with the
others have you?" she asked softly. he shook his head looking
back up at her face "akane... i've been in love with you
almost from the minute you smiled at me."

she grinned in pleasure reaching for his growing manhood and
happily exsplored it with her hands as she kissed him "you
can touch me you know." she murmured softly. he blinked up
at her for assurance before hesitently letting his finger
tips stroke her left breast. he smiled slightly when she
pressed his hand to her breast and cupped both of them before
groaning loudly in shock as his manhood convolsed in her
hand and jerked back from the white stuff that shot out its
tip "what was that?" ranma exclaimed softly. akane blinked
at him unbelievingly "you don't know." she said dumbly. he
shrugged looking uncomfortable "not really... i mean, before
i came here i'd.... never thought of girls like that.... and
with the um... way you acted about even the thought of
it..." he broke off biting his lip. she blinked at him for a
moment before the horror of what she had done broke over her
"you were... scared to?" she asked softly. he nodded
slightly not looking at her "you were always so angry..... i
thought that if..... if i tried to find out what the
feelings were.... you would hate me."

she looked at him in shock and guilt for a minute before
getting an idea "then i guess we should find out about them
together." she whispered kissing him softly. he groaned
softly feeling her hand slowly starting to revive him and
went back to exsploring her breasts.