Personal thanks:
Japanese Goth: Why are you picking on Ryoga? Everyone else was mean too. Poor Ranma. I think this chapter will cheer him up.
Kura-kun: *holds up her defense cat* It'll attack, I swear! *the cat scratches her, then goes to eat.* Uh, yeah. The other characters aren't that bad, I just made them worse for emphasis.
Butterfly: I don't think anyone would like it if Ranma died. If so, they wouldn't be reading the series. Unfortunately, there are only a few chapters left. I'll miss you all, but I hope you read anything else I may write.
Ranma+Akane4Ever: Nope, not the real ending. I've never had really bad fever induced dreams. The only really bad fever I ever had was when I was two, and I definitely wouldn't remember those. I've had some pretty weird hallucinations. The ending is near, I'm afraid. I'm glad you love the story though.
Lil washu: It wasn't my idea to choose Cologne, but she does make a good villain. It was just a joke to confuse the readers. Seems like I have succeeded. There is an explanation for all the dreams in my author notes. Read this chapter first though, you wouldn't want to spoil anything.
Aqua Rosewater: I'm still confused about my choice, but I think I know which way I want to go. Wow, your talk with Cologne sound like my monologue for English. That reminds me, I have to memorize my monologues by Wednesday. Great. I like Ryoga's speech as well. I would be scared if Ryoga had mercy for me no longer. *shudders*
Chibi_Inuyasha: Whoa. Hold it a second there. Miroku and Gosunkugi are nothing alike. I am a HUGE Miroku fangirl, and will not tolerate that in the least. Gosunkugi is not like a monk, he just likes to fool around with magic he can't do. He may be somewhat of a pervert, but he never goes as far as Miroku does. He is too much of a chicken. Miroku helps out with the fighting, gathering shards, and often finds places for them to stay or get food. Gosunkugi is weird, Miroku is interesting. Rant over. For any of you who have not had the chicken pox, this doesn't normally happen! It just moves the plot of the story along.
Maura: Dreams like this would be awful, but it has a reason. Read the authors note for exactly why I did that to him. High cholesterol, hmmm? Interesting. I wonder if my mom can find that at work. She and my dad are both doctors as well. I'm gonna ask, she can usually get free samples. Vocab is why I didn't get all 99's on the third grade SAT's. I just submit myself to the thesaurus when I write. Or the Synonyms button on Microsoft Word. Long reviews are the best.
Katsu-chan: You're back! I was wondering where you had gone. Hope you had fun on vacation, even if you didn't have internet. This isn't the end. Not quite yet, but soon. I feel the story has run its course. Maybe the coach of the softball team wanted them to look like clones? Never know.
Cluehunter Karoru: The dreams have meaning. I explain it all in the notes at the bottom. Yes, I couldn't have him die and stay dead. I love him to much. I'm too nice for my own good sometimes. I'm a pretty good actress, but I usually don't make it in musicals. I am half tone deaf, so I can do the acting just fine, but they don't choose me because I can't sing with the notes. Kinda bad when I have chorus everyday, but I just blend with everyone else. Rejection is evil, but I have my writing to cheer me up.
Delirium's Hostage: Great, I will totally give you credit for it. Now, more people may laugh with it. This isn't over. Can't have it have a sad ending, can we? Is this soon enough for you? I'm sure it is faster then others post...
Shadow Heart: The white coats are after you too? They just won't leave me alone! I'm glad you love the story, and that you took the time to review.
Sacchi: You shouldn't want to kill me! I owe you money! And you still haven't seen season two. *evil laughter* I am so bad. What is weirding you out? Me again?
Ranchan: Haha. Yes, I ended with a dream. Don't worry, this one does not. You always say 'write more'. As if I'm gonna stop! I won't, I promise. Not until it is over at least.
Christie: Yes, that was put in to throw the readers off. I'm glad someone understands the dream. He can't hear Akane because that is the one person he wants to hear most, no matter what she says. She is also being held back from him by obstacles such as Kuno and Ryoga. The entire dream is just to knock down his self-esteem. There is a more detailed report in the author notes.
Dennisud: Yes, I am done messing with your brains. Eclectic: I like that word! It just sounds so cool. Yes, this should be very interesting. I hope it is at least.
RisingSun: Omg, I missed your review! I am soooooo sorry! Please forgive me! The first ending was just to mess with your minds. Something that my friend suggested. This one is the real ending, though it isn't over yet. It is his imagination taking over, though it has symbolic meanings that I have explained in my author notes for this chapter.
ChiisanaAnisa: The entire dream thing was just something I thought up while wondering how to write the last chapter. It originally was supposed to be something totally different that I decided to cut out. I thought this up because it would venture farther into Ranma's psyche. I talk about what it all means in my author notes in this chapter.
Inuyasha: Actually, this chapter goes into Ranma's life a little more. I clarify what everything is about in my author notes. I know your mind doesn't have the capacity for something of this nature, but try to follow along. Don't hit me, I will make Callie attack.
The Cat Café is also referred to as the Nekohanten in some places.
Disclaimer: Insert a disclaimer here and pretend I wrote it.
Thoughts are in 'quotations'.
Anything in is a dream sequence.
Anything in ** is a flashback.
Ranma's eyes fluttered open into blurry vision. In front of him was a face. A beautiful face, with chocolate eyes and navy hair framing the sides of her head. 'An angel. I am looking at an angel.' She reached over and stroked his cheek, staring straight into his eyes. He smiled in happiness.
"Ranma. Ranma." The angelic voice called to him. He leaned into her hand, livid in the gentle touch. The grin stayed on his mouth as he drifted off into the dream world once again.
Ranma glanced at his surroundings. "What is this, some sort of maze? Wow, it feels good to talk." He looked up at the sky. "I have to go through this, correct? Well, next time, at least provide an instruction manual or something of the sort!"
He entered the beginning of the hedge maze, then taking a quick left. A dead end met him straight in the face. Following that, he came upon three in the next five minutes. "This is going to get tired fast. Is there even an end to this place?" A swift wind suddenly moved past. "Sorry I asked. I'm going, I'm going."
As he walked through an entrance way to a different path, a memory shot through his head.
*His mother was holding him, yelling at his father. There were bags by the door, and it seemed that Genma had packed for a long trip. The two were arguing, and the man kept trying to take Ranma away from his mother. The six-year-old held tight and squirmed so not to be caught.*
Sixteen-year-old Ranma shook his head. "That was odd. Just what is this place?" He looked around. He couldn't see the top of the hedges, but overhead was a cloudless blue sky, something he didn't see very often. "At least I don't have to worry about getting rained on. To anyone listening, that was not a challenge!"
Ranma continued to try and find the exit of the maze, wondering how long it would take him. "I have to get back home. Akane and the rest of them are probably worried about me." His stomach grumbled. "Plus, I'm hungry and a doubt there is an okonomiyaki stand in this blasted place."
Midway through another passageway, he flashbacked again.
*He was meeting and playing with Ukyo as a little kid. He got free okonomiyaki everyday. Ucchan was nice to him, the first friend he had ever had. And he cooked well. Then his father was taking him away again. Ucchan stood back, yelling after them and crying.*
"Little did I know that she really just wanted her cart back. Little did I know that Ucchan was really a girl! I guess with the life I've had you can't be too surprised with these things." Ranma rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "It is nice to have a friend like Ucchan. Sometimes she does get a little too friendly though."
He didn't stop and ponder the situation, but instead kept walking. Hours later he had gone through all the years in his life up to where he had met Ryoga.
*He had waited in that same lot for three days. Finally, his dad had come to take him off to China, not giving him a choice in the matter. Ranma wanted to settle the fight, but his pop was forcing him into fleeing the country for one reason or another.*
Ranma sighed and leaned against one of the thick walls. It was because of his stupid father dragging him to China that Ryoga had hated him so much. If they had finished the fight, Ryoga wouldn't say he had run out. He wouldn't have followed them to Jusenkyo, and turned into P-chan. He wouldn't be sleeping in Akane's bed. Ranma bristled with the thought. "What a stupid father."
A few minutes later, Ranma remembered Jusenkyo.
*His father was knocked into one of the springs. Neither of them had paid attention to what the guide had told them. Now they were paying for it. The giant panda had knocked him into a spring and now he was a girl. Ranma once again felt the shock of having a female body for the first time.*
"And it all went downhill from there. Why are we Saotomes destined to lead weird, exciting lives? I'd rather just be normal. But that certainly ain't gonna happen, not while I have this stupid curse." Ranma punched a wall, but it had no effect on the structure.
Several other flashbacks followed.
*Ranma was eating food off a table as a girl. He had been starving and was thrilled to finally have something to eat. As he ate, he watched a pretty young girl battle with an ugly old one. The cute girl won. Then he realized that he had been eating her food and now had to battle her. Ranma-chan had won and received the 'Kiss of Death' from the Amazon. The guide had made them leave the village after that, running for his life.*
*He arrived at the Tendo dojo, and Soun was upset at the fact that Ranma was a girl and not a boy as he had expected. Akane told her sister Nabiki to be nice. No matter what gender Ranma was, she was their guest. She then asked to be friends. Ranma felt more grateful at that moment then any other time in his life.*
Several more hours past, yet it did not stop being day. Ranma did not tire in the least from his trek through the maze. He was started to hate the color green nonetheless. From the moment he had first arrived at the dojo, many things had happened, meaning many more flashbacks. There were over a hundred, leading up to when he was forced to go to Jusendo.
Most of those thoughts were over powering. The anger he felt for Saffron and his followers. The fear he felt when Akane got hurt. The loneliness when she was gone.
*He was holding Akane's lifeless body as he sat down. She wasn't breathing and he was scared that she hadn't made it. Those moments were the most frightening that he had ever felt. He gently spoke to her, telling her to wake up. That he was sorry he was so awkward, and she shouldn't have done that for him. When she was alive once again, he was the happiest man on Earth.*
*Akane stood in front of him, clothed in a wedding dress. She looked so beautiful that it took his breath away. She told him that he loved her and that was why she would marry him. The thought of marriage frightened him, but he was less apprehensive after what happened at Jusendo.*
"If the wedding hadn't been destroyed, I would have married her." Ranma realized. "I still will, if I ever get out of here."
After all this time, the exit was finally in front of him. He ran out of it, and realized that he was in a big field. There seemed to be a wedding going on, and he was suddenly wearing a tuxedo. He approached everyone cautiously.
Everyone in Nerima was there. The Tendo's and his family were in the front rows. Soun and Genma were sobbing as Kasumi tried to calm him down. His breath was caught in a gasp as he realized that Akane was waiting by the alter for her groom. 'Am I the groom? Is this our wedding?'
He began walking towards his fiance as a man materialized at her side. A man that wasn't him. Akane glared at whoever it was as the priest began the ceremony. Ranma turned red in anger. Who was this guy, trying to steal Akane away from him? 'With all those guys after her, it could be anyone and their cousin! Well, none of them can have her.'
"Akane is mine!" He called out. Everyone ignored him. He ran up to where they were standing and pulled her hand out of his grip. "Keep away. I won't let you have her. I won't let this happen. "
The faceless man that was Akane's groom disappeared as quickly as he had shown. All that was left was him and Akane. Everyone else had gone.
He snapped his eyes open. There she was, sitting over him with a worried look on her face. He had never felt so good. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her against him in a hug. "I promise it won't happen. I won't let you go. I love you, Akane."
For the understatement of the year, we could say that Akane was shocked beyond belief. She hugged him back as tears flowed down her cheeks. "I love you too, Ranma."
A/N: It isn't the end!!! But I think there is only one more chapter left after this. For those of you who are confused by the dreams, please let me explain. The first one that took place in the desert just goes with how hot it was in the room. It has no symbolic meaning besides that. The second one where everyone is telling him bad things goes with all of his hidden insecurities that rose to the surface. The maze dream describes how everything that happened and every choice he made had something to do with how he turns out. It also shows that he isn't sure what direction his life is going in, and if he doesn't take charge and find a solution, then it won't go the way he wants. He will be lost forever, hence the maze. The last one with the wedding symbolizes the fact that Akane and Ranma belong together, no matter what obstacles they may face. They love each other and will be with each other forever. No one will come between them. If you have any more questions regarding the dreams, or if you just want to talk, email me at lavendergaia@yahoo.com.
I hope this clears everything up. I think tomorrow will be the ending of this fic. But worry not, I have several ideas up my sleeve. Questions, comments, reactions, and reviews are greatly appreciated.
Japanese Goth: Why are you picking on Ryoga? Everyone else was mean too. Poor Ranma. I think this chapter will cheer him up.
Kura-kun: *holds up her defense cat* It'll attack, I swear! *the cat scratches her, then goes to eat.* Uh, yeah. The other characters aren't that bad, I just made them worse for emphasis.
Butterfly: I don't think anyone would like it if Ranma died. If so, they wouldn't be reading the series. Unfortunately, there are only a few chapters left. I'll miss you all, but I hope you read anything else I may write.
Ranma+Akane4Ever: Nope, not the real ending. I've never had really bad fever induced dreams. The only really bad fever I ever had was when I was two, and I definitely wouldn't remember those. I've had some pretty weird hallucinations. The ending is near, I'm afraid. I'm glad you love the story though.
Lil washu: It wasn't my idea to choose Cologne, but she does make a good villain. It was just a joke to confuse the readers. Seems like I have succeeded. There is an explanation for all the dreams in my author notes. Read this chapter first though, you wouldn't want to spoil anything.
Aqua Rosewater: I'm still confused about my choice, but I think I know which way I want to go. Wow, your talk with Cologne sound like my monologue for English. That reminds me, I have to memorize my monologues by Wednesday. Great. I like Ryoga's speech as well. I would be scared if Ryoga had mercy for me no longer. *shudders*
Chibi_Inuyasha: Whoa. Hold it a second there. Miroku and Gosunkugi are nothing alike. I am a HUGE Miroku fangirl, and will not tolerate that in the least. Gosunkugi is not like a monk, he just likes to fool around with magic he can't do. He may be somewhat of a pervert, but he never goes as far as Miroku does. He is too much of a chicken. Miroku helps out with the fighting, gathering shards, and often finds places for them to stay or get food. Gosunkugi is weird, Miroku is interesting. Rant over. For any of you who have not had the chicken pox, this doesn't normally happen! It just moves the plot of the story along.
Maura: Dreams like this would be awful, but it has a reason. Read the authors note for exactly why I did that to him. High cholesterol, hmmm? Interesting. I wonder if my mom can find that at work. She and my dad are both doctors as well. I'm gonna ask, she can usually get free samples. Vocab is why I didn't get all 99's on the third grade SAT's. I just submit myself to the thesaurus when I write. Or the Synonyms button on Microsoft Word. Long reviews are the best.
Katsu-chan: You're back! I was wondering where you had gone. Hope you had fun on vacation, even if you didn't have internet. This isn't the end. Not quite yet, but soon. I feel the story has run its course. Maybe the coach of the softball team wanted them to look like clones? Never know.
Cluehunter Karoru: The dreams have meaning. I explain it all in the notes at the bottom. Yes, I couldn't have him die and stay dead. I love him to much. I'm too nice for my own good sometimes. I'm a pretty good actress, but I usually don't make it in musicals. I am half tone deaf, so I can do the acting just fine, but they don't choose me because I can't sing with the notes. Kinda bad when I have chorus everyday, but I just blend with everyone else. Rejection is evil, but I have my writing to cheer me up.
Delirium's Hostage: Great, I will totally give you credit for it. Now, more people may laugh with it. This isn't over. Can't have it have a sad ending, can we? Is this soon enough for you? I'm sure it is faster then others post...
Shadow Heart: The white coats are after you too? They just won't leave me alone! I'm glad you love the story, and that you took the time to review.
Sacchi: You shouldn't want to kill me! I owe you money! And you still haven't seen season two. *evil laughter* I am so bad. What is weirding you out? Me again?
Ranchan: Haha. Yes, I ended with a dream. Don't worry, this one does not. You always say 'write more'. As if I'm gonna stop! I won't, I promise. Not until it is over at least.
Christie: Yes, that was put in to throw the readers off. I'm glad someone understands the dream. He can't hear Akane because that is the one person he wants to hear most, no matter what she says. She is also being held back from him by obstacles such as Kuno and Ryoga. The entire dream is just to knock down his self-esteem. There is a more detailed report in the author notes.
Dennisud: Yes, I am done messing with your brains. Eclectic: I like that word! It just sounds so cool. Yes, this should be very interesting. I hope it is at least.
RisingSun: Omg, I missed your review! I am soooooo sorry! Please forgive me! The first ending was just to mess with your minds. Something that my friend suggested. This one is the real ending, though it isn't over yet. It is his imagination taking over, though it has symbolic meanings that I have explained in my author notes for this chapter.
ChiisanaAnisa: The entire dream thing was just something I thought up while wondering how to write the last chapter. It originally was supposed to be something totally different that I decided to cut out. I thought this up because it would venture farther into Ranma's psyche. I talk about what it all means in my author notes in this chapter.
Inuyasha: Actually, this chapter goes into Ranma's life a little more. I clarify what everything is about in my author notes. I know your mind doesn't have the capacity for something of this nature, but try to follow along. Don't hit me, I will make Callie attack.
The Cat Café is also referred to as the Nekohanten in some places.
Disclaimer: Insert a disclaimer here and pretend I wrote it.
Thoughts are in 'quotations'.
Anything in is a dream sequence.
Anything in ** is a flashback.
Ranma's eyes fluttered open into blurry vision. In front of him was a face. A beautiful face, with chocolate eyes and navy hair framing the sides of her head. 'An angel. I am looking at an angel.' She reached over and stroked his cheek, staring straight into his eyes. He smiled in happiness.
"Ranma. Ranma." The angelic voice called to him. He leaned into her hand, livid in the gentle touch. The grin stayed on his mouth as he drifted off into the dream world once again.
Ranma glanced at his surroundings. "What is this, some sort of maze? Wow, it feels good to talk." He looked up at the sky. "I have to go through this, correct? Well, next time, at least provide an instruction manual or something of the sort!"
He entered the beginning of the hedge maze, then taking a quick left. A dead end met him straight in the face. Following that, he came upon three in the next five minutes. "This is going to get tired fast. Is there even an end to this place?" A swift wind suddenly moved past. "Sorry I asked. I'm going, I'm going."
As he walked through an entrance way to a different path, a memory shot through his head.
*His mother was holding him, yelling at his father. There were bags by the door, and it seemed that Genma had packed for a long trip. The two were arguing, and the man kept trying to take Ranma away from his mother. The six-year-old held tight and squirmed so not to be caught.*
Sixteen-year-old Ranma shook his head. "That was odd. Just what is this place?" He looked around. He couldn't see the top of the hedges, but overhead was a cloudless blue sky, something he didn't see very often. "At least I don't have to worry about getting rained on. To anyone listening, that was not a challenge!"
Ranma continued to try and find the exit of the maze, wondering how long it would take him. "I have to get back home. Akane and the rest of them are probably worried about me." His stomach grumbled. "Plus, I'm hungry and a doubt there is an okonomiyaki stand in this blasted place."
Midway through another passageway, he flashbacked again.
*He was meeting and playing with Ukyo as a little kid. He got free okonomiyaki everyday. Ucchan was nice to him, the first friend he had ever had. And he cooked well. Then his father was taking him away again. Ucchan stood back, yelling after them and crying.*
"Little did I know that she really just wanted her cart back. Little did I know that Ucchan was really a girl! I guess with the life I've had you can't be too surprised with these things." Ranma rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "It is nice to have a friend like Ucchan. Sometimes she does get a little too friendly though."
He didn't stop and ponder the situation, but instead kept walking. Hours later he had gone through all the years in his life up to where he had met Ryoga.
*He had waited in that same lot for three days. Finally, his dad had come to take him off to China, not giving him a choice in the matter. Ranma wanted to settle the fight, but his pop was forcing him into fleeing the country for one reason or another.*
Ranma sighed and leaned against one of the thick walls. It was because of his stupid father dragging him to China that Ryoga had hated him so much. If they had finished the fight, Ryoga wouldn't say he had run out. He wouldn't have followed them to Jusenkyo, and turned into P-chan. He wouldn't be sleeping in Akane's bed. Ranma bristled with the thought. "What a stupid father."
A few minutes later, Ranma remembered Jusenkyo.
*His father was knocked into one of the springs. Neither of them had paid attention to what the guide had told them. Now they were paying for it. The giant panda had knocked him into a spring and now he was a girl. Ranma once again felt the shock of having a female body for the first time.*
"And it all went downhill from there. Why are we Saotomes destined to lead weird, exciting lives? I'd rather just be normal. But that certainly ain't gonna happen, not while I have this stupid curse." Ranma punched a wall, but it had no effect on the structure.
Several other flashbacks followed.
*Ranma was eating food off a table as a girl. He had been starving and was thrilled to finally have something to eat. As he ate, he watched a pretty young girl battle with an ugly old one. The cute girl won. Then he realized that he had been eating her food and now had to battle her. Ranma-chan had won and received the 'Kiss of Death' from the Amazon. The guide had made them leave the village after that, running for his life.*
*He arrived at the Tendo dojo, and Soun was upset at the fact that Ranma was a girl and not a boy as he had expected. Akane told her sister Nabiki to be nice. No matter what gender Ranma was, she was their guest. She then asked to be friends. Ranma felt more grateful at that moment then any other time in his life.*
Several more hours past, yet it did not stop being day. Ranma did not tire in the least from his trek through the maze. He was started to hate the color green nonetheless. From the moment he had first arrived at the dojo, many things had happened, meaning many more flashbacks. There were over a hundred, leading up to when he was forced to go to Jusendo.
Most of those thoughts were over powering. The anger he felt for Saffron and his followers. The fear he felt when Akane got hurt. The loneliness when she was gone.
*He was holding Akane's lifeless body as he sat down. She wasn't breathing and he was scared that she hadn't made it. Those moments were the most frightening that he had ever felt. He gently spoke to her, telling her to wake up. That he was sorry he was so awkward, and she shouldn't have done that for him. When she was alive once again, he was the happiest man on Earth.*
*Akane stood in front of him, clothed in a wedding dress. She looked so beautiful that it took his breath away. She told him that he loved her and that was why she would marry him. The thought of marriage frightened him, but he was less apprehensive after what happened at Jusendo.*
"If the wedding hadn't been destroyed, I would have married her." Ranma realized. "I still will, if I ever get out of here."
After all this time, the exit was finally in front of him. He ran out of it, and realized that he was in a big field. There seemed to be a wedding going on, and he was suddenly wearing a tuxedo. He approached everyone cautiously.
Everyone in Nerima was there. The Tendo's and his family were in the front rows. Soun and Genma were sobbing as Kasumi tried to calm him down. His breath was caught in a gasp as he realized that Akane was waiting by the alter for her groom. 'Am I the groom? Is this our wedding?'
He began walking towards his fiance as a man materialized at her side. A man that wasn't him. Akane glared at whoever it was as the priest began the ceremony. Ranma turned red in anger. Who was this guy, trying to steal Akane away from him? 'With all those guys after her, it could be anyone and their cousin! Well, none of them can have her.'
"Akane is mine!" He called out. Everyone ignored him. He ran up to where they were standing and pulled her hand out of his grip. "Keep away. I won't let you have her. I won't let this happen. "
The faceless man that was Akane's groom disappeared as quickly as he had shown. All that was left was him and Akane. Everyone else had gone.
He snapped his eyes open. There she was, sitting over him with a worried look on her face. He had never felt so good. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her against him in a hug. "I promise it won't happen. I won't let you go. I love you, Akane."
For the understatement of the year, we could say that Akane was shocked beyond belief. She hugged him back as tears flowed down her cheeks. "I love you too, Ranma."
A/N: It isn't the end!!! But I think there is only one more chapter left after this. For those of you who are confused by the dreams, please let me explain. The first one that took place in the desert just goes with how hot it was in the room. It has no symbolic meaning besides that. The second one where everyone is telling him bad things goes with all of his hidden insecurities that rose to the surface. The maze dream describes how everything that happened and every choice he made had something to do with how he turns out. It also shows that he isn't sure what direction his life is going in, and if he doesn't take charge and find a solution, then it won't go the way he wants. He will be lost forever, hence the maze. The last one with the wedding symbolizes the fact that Akane and Ranma belong together, no matter what obstacles they may face. They love each other and will be with each other forever. No one will come between them. If you have any more questions regarding the dreams, or if you just want to talk, email me at lavendergaia@yahoo.com.
I hope this clears everything up. I think tomorrow will be the ending of this fic. But worry not, I have several ideas up my sleeve. Questions, comments, reactions, and reviews are greatly appreciated.