Until the End
Chapter 6
The Home Front
Akane's footsteps fell heavily as she walked down the stairs of her home and into the kitchen. Christmas was only a few days away, yet nothing had been able to get her into the Christmas spirit as of yet. Her mind entertained her with thoughts of Ranma. She desperately missed him, and knowing that she may never hear from him again was destroying her. Akari had tried to help her, but Akane would not cooperate.
"You're never going to make it if you keep acting like this," Akari had said numerous times.
"I'm fine," Akane would always reply.
The kids were worse, especially Kagome. She was relentless in her questions, wondering when her father would be coming home and when she would see him again. Akane could not answer her truthfully, so Akane told her that her father was out on a mission and he might not be back in time for Christmas. This upset Kagome and she shut herself in her room and would not come out, much to Ryoga Jr's dismay.
Akane had received phone calls from pretty much everyone in her family, all asking questions about Ryoga. It seemed that Nabiki had been unable to keep the information given to her a secret. Akane was forced to talk to everyone, and she had been fine, until Nodoka wanted to talk to Ranma.
"I'm sorry, he's not in," Akane answered shakily.
"He's not there; well do you know when he will be back?" Nodoka asked innocently.
Akane had burst into tears and said. "He's never coming back!"
Luckily Akari had been nearby and she was able to get the phone from Akane and quickly apologize to Nodoka and tell her that she would call her back.
Nodoka had taken the news of Ranma being conscripted badly, and was in a state much like Akane's when Genma finally pried her away from the phone and said goodbye to Akari.
Things had gone drastically downhill from there. Akane had become unresponsive, staying in her and Ranma's room, crying. Despite the efforts of Akari and Ryoga Jr, Akane would not leave her room, and would only take her meals inside.
Finally, after two days, Akane left her room.
"Well, look who finally decided to stop pouting," Akari said when Akane walked into the kitchen.
Akane threw Akari an angry glare and looked as if she might attack Akari.
But she laughed instead.
"Well, I'm sure that if Ranma was here would have made the snide comment that I have had enough beauty sleep to win the title as most desired woman in Japan."
Akari chuckled along with Akane and she looked at her friend seriously.
"Are you alright now Akane?" Akari asked. "The kids have been really worried about you and I don't know what to tell them. You can't be acting like that Akane, the kids need you now."
"I know," Akane said tiredly. "But how would you like it if your husband was off about to fight some war?"
Akari looked at Akane for a moment, than shook her head.
"I don't Akane, but what I can tell you is that I know what it feels like to lose the man you love with only having one year with him and then spending four years raising the child he gave you alone, and then finding out that he might still be alive, and being submitted to torturous things by the people that have held him for over four years."
A look of embarrassment crossed Akane's face.
"I'm sorry Akari; I lost my head for a minute there."
"Yes you did," Akari said. "But I'll forgive you if you agree to come over to your in-laws house for Christmas Eve."
"Oh Akari, I can't there's just too much going on," Akane pleaded.
"Akane," Akari said sternly. "You have to get out of this house, if you don't your going to get stir-crazy and wind up going insane. Now, you're either coming over to Nodoka's willingly, or I'm going to have to drag you out of the house and strap you into the car by myself."
Akane looked at Akari and a fire flashed behind her eyes. Akari had begun training under Ranma shortly after she returned from the Wharton School of Business. Akari was a determined student, and she was a very quick learner. She may not be as good as Akane, but she would be able to put up a good fight.
"Alright," Akane surrendered. "I'll go wake up the kids and you can get your driver over here and we'll head over."
Akari nodded and reached for the phone sitting on the kitchen table. Akane watched as she dialed a number before leaving the room and heading upstairs. She opened the door to her daughter's room and saw Kagome curled up on the bed. Ryoga Jr was sitting beside the bed, his head resting on his knees.
Akane gently picked Ryoga Jr up and kissed him on the forehead. He slowly opened his eyes and rubbed them.
"Hey there cutie," Akane said gently.
Ryoga Jr smiled at her. "G'morning auntie."
Akane reached across the bed and slowly picked Kagome up and tucked her underneath her arm.
"Let's let her sleep for a while longer," Akane said quietly.
Ryoga Jr nodded and rested his head on Akane's shoulder as she carried them out the room and downstairs. Akari was waiting there with the children's jackets and mitts.
"Shh," Ryoga Jr said, putting his finger to his lips. "Were letting Kagome sleep awhile longer."
Akari smiled and helped him into his jacket, but her son insisted on doing up his own jacket. Akari patted his head and helped Akane dress Kagome for the cold weather outside. Once finished, Akari led them out of the house and to the waiting car outside. The driver was standing beside it, smiling as the people walked towards him.
"Good morning ma'am," the driver said and opened the door to the limo so Ryoga, Akane, who was carrying Kagome, could get in.
"Good morning to you to Ryu," Akari said. She glanced at the limo. "And where did you get this?"
Ryu smiled. "Actually, I got a call from your company a week ago and they told me that in such cold weather, you should not have to endure the insides of the small sedan that I drove, so they had this shipped overseas to me. I admit it may be a bit much, but it is very roomy."
Akari chuckled softly. "Looks like I can guess that this is the Christmas present from the other board members."
Ryu's eyes lit up. "That reminds me," he said and reached into the passenger side of the limo and extracted a bag. "From me and my wife."
Akari looked inside. It was filled with Christmas presents.
"Oh Ryu, you shouldn't have," Akari said, emotion clear in her voice.
He waved it off. "Hey, I love those two little ones like they were my own, and you and the Saotome's are the best people I've ever worked for. It is my pleasure to give to you."
Akari smiled. "Well, now I know that you won't feel embarrassed when I give you your present come Christmas day."
Ryu just smiled as Akari got into the limo.
Kagome was asleep beside Akane and Ryoga Jr was gazing at the occupants of the limo with wide eyes.
"Wasn't this nice of the board members?" Akari asked Ryoga.
"Oh yeah!" he said, awe clear in his voice.
The roads were clear, and the limo had little problem maneuvering down Nerima's crowded streets. Nodoka's home was a good distance away, and the long drive allowed them to check out the limo's luxurious options.
Genma and Soun were standing by the front gate when the limo pulled up. They looked slightly surprised at the car but they shook their heads and chuckled a little.
Ryu got out quickly from the car and was about to open the door when Akari opened it and stepped out with Ryoga Jr in her arms.
"Getting a little slow Ryu," Akari said teasingly.
"It's always nice to have someone keep me on my toes Ms. Unryuu," Ryu replied and he closed the car door as Akane stepped out. He turned to get back into the front seat when Soun called from the gate.
"Don't even think about it Ryu, your spending this evening with us."
Ryu shook his head ruefully and laughed.
"Ah, and I believe I shall honor your request Soun," Ryu said and walked up to the older man.
He shook hands with Soun and Genma and walked into the house.
Nodoka was waiting just inside the door and quickly gathered up the two children in her arms and kissed them both.
"Hello my little darlings," Nodoka said smiling grandly at the two children. She set them on the ground as they moved off to hug Genma and Soun. Gazing up at Akane and Akari, Nodoka's smiles faltered.
"Hello Nodoka," Akari said, kissing her on the cheek as she set the Christmas presents on a nearby table.
"Hello Akari," Nodoka replied. She stepped forward and looked at Akane.
"Hi," Akane said quietly.
"Oh my poor darling!" Nodoka wailed and enveloped Akane in a big hug, tears streaming down her face.
Kagome looked over at her grandmother and mother and looked up at her grandfather.
"Why are they crying?" Kagome asked.
Genma looked down at Kagome and smiled uneasily.
"I believe the easiest way to explain this is to tell you that the holidays are very emotional for women," Genma said.
"Saotome," Tendo admonished, "That's not true."
Ryu led the children into the living room and away from the scene at the front hall.
===============
General Ryutaro paced around his small office stopping in mid stride to check the time every so often.
The leaders in Tokyo were proving to be very impatient in their requests for soldiers to be deployed alongside Chinese troops when the first invading force was sent into Russia. Despite the appeals of most officers that they needed more time to prepare, the orders came down that Japanese soldiers needed to be deployed before the month of January passed.
But this was not the problem on General Ryutaro's mind.
Oh shit! What the hell am I going to tell General Ohata? Ryutaro shouted in his mind. That Saotome boy sure laid one big goose egg in my lap.
General Ryutaro was a career officer, but he had not served in battle once during his thirty year career. When he first joined the service in the seventies, Ryutaro had been assigned to the finance corps. Discovering that he was an absolute failure at using numbers, he had quickly gone to OCS and became an officer. He had risen quickly, and in only three decades he had the stars that most military men can only dream of.
It wasn't that Ryutaro didn't trust the government; it was just that a man like Saotome, who had been in combat and survived, would prove to be an absolute asset for the Japanese army, if they had any chance in surviving the invasion into Siberia and the eventual backlash from the Americans.
General Ryutaro stopped pacing. He turned to the document on his desk that he had just finished typing up, which concerned Second Lieutenant Ranma Saotome's involvement in the military action undertaken by the Americans during the Pacific War.
He grabbed the document and retrieved a lighter from his pocket.
God speed, Saotome, General Ryutaro thought as the document burned.
===============
After an extravagant meal prepared by Nodoka Saotome, the group moved into the Saotome living room where the adults received stemmed glasses filled with champagne and the children received hot cocoa.
As the evening wore on, Ryu was dismissed when he received a call from his wife.
The children soon fell asleep and were put up in the guest room.
"What a wonderful evening," Akari commented as she gazed out the window of the living room and into illuminated streets.
"Quite," Soun commented as he took a sip from his glass.
Nodoka turned to Akari.
"Tell me Akari, have you received any more word about Ryoga?"
A dark expression crossed Akari's face but quickly vanished.
"No," she answered neutrally. "But with war threatening in Russia and with what is transpiring in Afghanistan, my friends in the U.S. have not had time to give me any information about Ryoga."
An uncomfortable silence befell the room.
A knock at the front door broke everyone from their thoughts and Nodoka quickly rose to get it.
"I'll get it," Akane said and quickly dashed down the hall. She cursed herself for thinking that the evening could go that well; there was just too much going on.
Before she could reach the door the person outside knocked again, only this time much louder.
"Coming!" Akane called as she approached the door. Jeez, she fumed. The stupid jerk outside was going to wake the kids.
Akane opened the door a little louder than she should have and the door banged against the wall.
"I see the Christmas spirit is running rampant through the household," the man outside said as he removed the hat from his head and brushed some snow from his shoulders.
"Ishii!" Akane cried and threw her arms around the man.
"Well, that's a little more like it," Ishii Inafune said as he returned Akane's hug. He looked down at her and was surprised to see that Akane was crying. "Hey now, you don't need to do that just for my benefit."
Akane laughed bitterly. "As pleased as I am to see you, these tears are because of the Japanese government."
Ishii looked at Akane very seriously for a moment.
"Was he called up?"
Akane was surprised for a moment.
"Y-yes, he went off about a week ago. He's in Okinawa."
"Crap," Ishii said. "And here I was hoping that he could help me with this."
"What do you mean?" Akane asked, closing the front door.
"Phil hasn't talked to you guys at all?" Ishii asked.
"No, I haven't heard from him since the day Ranma left."
"Alright, that probably means it's already starting." Ishii saw Akane's confused look. "The United States knows about what Japan and China are planning and they are deciding if they should intervene and attempt to attack Japan and China directly. Phil's Green Beret's would most likely be the guys that would be sent in first."
Akane didn't respond, and she led Ishii into the house.
"Ishii!" Akari almost shouted and dashed across the room and wrapped her arms around him.
"Well now, I didn't think that I would receive such a nice reception from you," Ishii said. "Does this mean you forgive me for giving Ryoga Jr a sip of wine on his birthday?"
Akari giggled. "I was angry because you let him take a swig. Don't play mister innocent by saying it was just a sip."
"Alright I will surrender to whatever punishment you have been devising, but before you carry out the sentence I will pass on the information that I have been informed with when I first departed from the United States."
Akari and Akane looked at him with curiosity.
"Is everybody in bed?" Ishii asked, taking a quick look around the room.
"Yes," Akari answered. "Nodoka just dragged Genma and Soun out of here because they were beginning to get a little tipsy."
"Okay, I'll start from the beginning. About two days ago, I got a call from Phil and he asked me if I thought it would be possible for me to get into Japan. I told him that it would take some greasing of palms, but I should be able to get in on a transport flight in Canada. He called me again, about an hour later and asked me if I could maybe get over to Japan as soon as possible. I said sure and he informed me about the escalating situation between Japan and the United States. After that he asked me again if it was still okay for me to get over to Japan. I didn't like the idea of you guys be all alone in Japan with a war brewing so I decided to skirt across the Pacific."
Ishii smiled at the two women and sat down by the table.
"Akari, Phil also filled me in on what the situation is with Ryoga. I want you to know that I'm going to do everything I can to get him out of there."
Akari looked like she was about to cry but she composed herself. "That's very sweet of you Ishii, but we don't even know if Ryoga is one of the prisoners."
Ishii looked confused for a moment before he punched himself in the head.
"Oh, silly me, I forgot the other piece of news. Confirmation arrived just before I left and there is indeed seventeen prisoners inside that prison camp and it was also confirmed that one of the men was a Japanese male."
"Oh thank god," Akane said, letting out a breath of relief.
Akari collapsed to her knees as tears streamed down her cheeks. She sobbed and Ishii quickly gathered her up into his arms.
"There's just one other thing that I wanted to ask," Ishii said as he gently ran his hand over Akari's head. "I would have preferred if Ranma were here to help me, but I'll settle for some lovely ladies any day." Ishii's voice took a serious tone. "The Japanese government is breaking international laws with what they are doing, and are committing atrocities to its own citizens by conscripting them to an illegal war. I have managed to move some assets around I have even got some friends in the newspaper industry over here that will help me."
"What are you going to do?" Akane asked.
"I'm going to try and destroy the image that the government wishes to put upon this war. They are trying to make Russia and the United States look like enemies, but what I'm going to be trying to do is make the Japanese government look like your typical bad guy."
Ishii sighed and glanced down at Akari and smiled as he realized she had stopped crying.
"I'm asking a lot, but I would really appreciate your guy's help."
Akari and Akane glanced at each other for a moment before turning back to Ishii.
"You can count on us," they said in unison.
===============
Author's Notes: I did not receive as many reviews as I was hoping for, but hey, I understand. It was the weekend before everyone had to go back to work and I would like to think that you have better things to do than review the chapter. But you've got no excuses now, I'm hoping for at least double the reviews as last time.
Akane's footsteps fell heavily as she walked down the stairs of her home and into the kitchen. Christmas was only a few days away, yet nothing had been able to get her into the Christmas spirit as of yet. Her mind entertained her with thoughts of Ranma. She desperately missed him, and knowing that she may never hear from him again was destroying her. Akari had tried to help her, but Akane would not cooperate.
"You're never going to make it if you keep acting like this," Akari had said numerous times.
"I'm fine," Akane would always reply.
The kids were worse, especially Kagome. She was relentless in her questions, wondering when her father would be coming home and when she would see him again. Akane could not answer her truthfully, so Akane told her that her father was out on a mission and he might not be back in time for Christmas. This upset Kagome and she shut herself in her room and would not come out, much to Ryoga Jr's dismay.
Akane had received phone calls from pretty much everyone in her family, all asking questions about Ryoga. It seemed that Nabiki had been unable to keep the information given to her a secret. Akane was forced to talk to everyone, and she had been fine, until Nodoka wanted to talk to Ranma.
"I'm sorry, he's not in," Akane answered shakily.
"He's not there; well do you know when he will be back?" Nodoka asked innocently.
Akane had burst into tears and said. "He's never coming back!"
Luckily Akari had been nearby and she was able to get the phone from Akane and quickly apologize to Nodoka and tell her that she would call her back.
Nodoka had taken the news of Ranma being conscripted badly, and was in a state much like Akane's when Genma finally pried her away from the phone and said goodbye to Akari.
Things had gone drastically downhill from there. Akane had become unresponsive, staying in her and Ranma's room, crying. Despite the efforts of Akari and Ryoga Jr, Akane would not leave her room, and would only take her meals inside.
Finally, after two days, Akane left her room.
"Well, look who finally decided to stop pouting," Akari said when Akane walked into the kitchen.
Akane threw Akari an angry glare and looked as if she might attack Akari.
But she laughed instead.
"Well, I'm sure that if Ranma was here would have made the snide comment that I have had enough beauty sleep to win the title as most desired woman in Japan."
Akari chuckled along with Akane and she looked at her friend seriously.
"Are you alright now Akane?" Akari asked. "The kids have been really worried about you and I don't know what to tell them. You can't be acting like that Akane, the kids need you now."
"I know," Akane said tiredly. "But how would you like it if your husband was off about to fight some war?"
Akari looked at Akane for a moment, than shook her head.
"I don't Akane, but what I can tell you is that I know what it feels like to lose the man you love with only having one year with him and then spending four years raising the child he gave you alone, and then finding out that he might still be alive, and being submitted to torturous things by the people that have held him for over four years."
A look of embarrassment crossed Akane's face.
"I'm sorry Akari; I lost my head for a minute there."
"Yes you did," Akari said. "But I'll forgive you if you agree to come over to your in-laws house for Christmas Eve."
"Oh Akari, I can't there's just too much going on," Akane pleaded.
"Akane," Akari said sternly. "You have to get out of this house, if you don't your going to get stir-crazy and wind up going insane. Now, you're either coming over to Nodoka's willingly, or I'm going to have to drag you out of the house and strap you into the car by myself."
Akane looked at Akari and a fire flashed behind her eyes. Akari had begun training under Ranma shortly after she returned from the Wharton School of Business. Akari was a determined student, and she was a very quick learner. She may not be as good as Akane, but she would be able to put up a good fight.
"Alright," Akane surrendered. "I'll go wake up the kids and you can get your driver over here and we'll head over."
Akari nodded and reached for the phone sitting on the kitchen table. Akane watched as she dialed a number before leaving the room and heading upstairs. She opened the door to her daughter's room and saw Kagome curled up on the bed. Ryoga Jr was sitting beside the bed, his head resting on his knees.
Akane gently picked Ryoga Jr up and kissed him on the forehead. He slowly opened his eyes and rubbed them.
"Hey there cutie," Akane said gently.
Ryoga Jr smiled at her. "G'morning auntie."
Akane reached across the bed and slowly picked Kagome up and tucked her underneath her arm.
"Let's let her sleep for a while longer," Akane said quietly.
Ryoga Jr nodded and rested his head on Akane's shoulder as she carried them out the room and downstairs. Akari was waiting there with the children's jackets and mitts.
"Shh," Ryoga Jr said, putting his finger to his lips. "Were letting Kagome sleep awhile longer."
Akari smiled and helped him into his jacket, but her son insisted on doing up his own jacket. Akari patted his head and helped Akane dress Kagome for the cold weather outside. Once finished, Akari led them out of the house and to the waiting car outside. The driver was standing beside it, smiling as the people walked towards him.
"Good morning ma'am," the driver said and opened the door to the limo so Ryoga, Akane, who was carrying Kagome, could get in.
"Good morning to you to Ryu," Akari said. She glanced at the limo. "And where did you get this?"
Ryu smiled. "Actually, I got a call from your company a week ago and they told me that in such cold weather, you should not have to endure the insides of the small sedan that I drove, so they had this shipped overseas to me. I admit it may be a bit much, but it is very roomy."
Akari chuckled softly. "Looks like I can guess that this is the Christmas present from the other board members."
Ryu's eyes lit up. "That reminds me," he said and reached into the passenger side of the limo and extracted a bag. "From me and my wife."
Akari looked inside. It was filled with Christmas presents.
"Oh Ryu, you shouldn't have," Akari said, emotion clear in her voice.
He waved it off. "Hey, I love those two little ones like they were my own, and you and the Saotome's are the best people I've ever worked for. It is my pleasure to give to you."
Akari smiled. "Well, now I know that you won't feel embarrassed when I give you your present come Christmas day."
Ryu just smiled as Akari got into the limo.
Kagome was asleep beside Akane and Ryoga Jr was gazing at the occupants of the limo with wide eyes.
"Wasn't this nice of the board members?" Akari asked Ryoga.
"Oh yeah!" he said, awe clear in his voice.
The roads were clear, and the limo had little problem maneuvering down Nerima's crowded streets. Nodoka's home was a good distance away, and the long drive allowed them to check out the limo's luxurious options.
Genma and Soun were standing by the front gate when the limo pulled up. They looked slightly surprised at the car but they shook their heads and chuckled a little.
Ryu got out quickly from the car and was about to open the door when Akari opened it and stepped out with Ryoga Jr in her arms.
"Getting a little slow Ryu," Akari said teasingly.
"It's always nice to have someone keep me on my toes Ms. Unryuu," Ryu replied and he closed the car door as Akane stepped out. He turned to get back into the front seat when Soun called from the gate.
"Don't even think about it Ryu, your spending this evening with us."
Ryu shook his head ruefully and laughed.
"Ah, and I believe I shall honor your request Soun," Ryu said and walked up to the older man.
He shook hands with Soun and Genma and walked into the house.
Nodoka was waiting just inside the door and quickly gathered up the two children in her arms and kissed them both.
"Hello my little darlings," Nodoka said smiling grandly at the two children. She set them on the ground as they moved off to hug Genma and Soun. Gazing up at Akane and Akari, Nodoka's smiles faltered.
"Hello Nodoka," Akari said, kissing her on the cheek as she set the Christmas presents on a nearby table.
"Hello Akari," Nodoka replied. She stepped forward and looked at Akane.
"Hi," Akane said quietly.
"Oh my poor darling!" Nodoka wailed and enveloped Akane in a big hug, tears streaming down her face.
Kagome looked over at her grandmother and mother and looked up at her grandfather.
"Why are they crying?" Kagome asked.
Genma looked down at Kagome and smiled uneasily.
"I believe the easiest way to explain this is to tell you that the holidays are very emotional for women," Genma said.
"Saotome," Tendo admonished, "That's not true."
Ryu led the children into the living room and away from the scene at the front hall.
===============
General Ryutaro paced around his small office stopping in mid stride to check the time every so often.
The leaders in Tokyo were proving to be very impatient in their requests for soldiers to be deployed alongside Chinese troops when the first invading force was sent into Russia. Despite the appeals of most officers that they needed more time to prepare, the orders came down that Japanese soldiers needed to be deployed before the month of January passed.
But this was not the problem on General Ryutaro's mind.
Oh shit! What the hell am I going to tell General Ohata? Ryutaro shouted in his mind. That Saotome boy sure laid one big goose egg in my lap.
General Ryutaro was a career officer, but he had not served in battle once during his thirty year career. When he first joined the service in the seventies, Ryutaro had been assigned to the finance corps. Discovering that he was an absolute failure at using numbers, he had quickly gone to OCS and became an officer. He had risen quickly, and in only three decades he had the stars that most military men can only dream of.
It wasn't that Ryutaro didn't trust the government; it was just that a man like Saotome, who had been in combat and survived, would prove to be an absolute asset for the Japanese army, if they had any chance in surviving the invasion into Siberia and the eventual backlash from the Americans.
General Ryutaro stopped pacing. He turned to the document on his desk that he had just finished typing up, which concerned Second Lieutenant Ranma Saotome's involvement in the military action undertaken by the Americans during the Pacific War.
He grabbed the document and retrieved a lighter from his pocket.
God speed, Saotome, General Ryutaro thought as the document burned.
===============
After an extravagant meal prepared by Nodoka Saotome, the group moved into the Saotome living room where the adults received stemmed glasses filled with champagne and the children received hot cocoa.
As the evening wore on, Ryu was dismissed when he received a call from his wife.
The children soon fell asleep and were put up in the guest room.
"What a wonderful evening," Akari commented as she gazed out the window of the living room and into illuminated streets.
"Quite," Soun commented as he took a sip from his glass.
Nodoka turned to Akari.
"Tell me Akari, have you received any more word about Ryoga?"
A dark expression crossed Akari's face but quickly vanished.
"No," she answered neutrally. "But with war threatening in Russia and with what is transpiring in Afghanistan, my friends in the U.S. have not had time to give me any information about Ryoga."
An uncomfortable silence befell the room.
A knock at the front door broke everyone from their thoughts and Nodoka quickly rose to get it.
"I'll get it," Akane said and quickly dashed down the hall. She cursed herself for thinking that the evening could go that well; there was just too much going on.
Before she could reach the door the person outside knocked again, only this time much louder.
"Coming!" Akane called as she approached the door. Jeez, she fumed. The stupid jerk outside was going to wake the kids.
Akane opened the door a little louder than she should have and the door banged against the wall.
"I see the Christmas spirit is running rampant through the household," the man outside said as he removed the hat from his head and brushed some snow from his shoulders.
"Ishii!" Akane cried and threw her arms around the man.
"Well, that's a little more like it," Ishii Inafune said as he returned Akane's hug. He looked down at her and was surprised to see that Akane was crying. "Hey now, you don't need to do that just for my benefit."
Akane laughed bitterly. "As pleased as I am to see you, these tears are because of the Japanese government."
Ishii looked at Akane very seriously for a moment.
"Was he called up?"
Akane was surprised for a moment.
"Y-yes, he went off about a week ago. He's in Okinawa."
"Crap," Ishii said. "And here I was hoping that he could help me with this."
"What do you mean?" Akane asked, closing the front door.
"Phil hasn't talked to you guys at all?" Ishii asked.
"No, I haven't heard from him since the day Ranma left."
"Alright, that probably means it's already starting." Ishii saw Akane's confused look. "The United States knows about what Japan and China are planning and they are deciding if they should intervene and attempt to attack Japan and China directly. Phil's Green Beret's would most likely be the guys that would be sent in first."
Akane didn't respond, and she led Ishii into the house.
"Ishii!" Akari almost shouted and dashed across the room and wrapped her arms around him.
"Well now, I didn't think that I would receive such a nice reception from you," Ishii said. "Does this mean you forgive me for giving Ryoga Jr a sip of wine on his birthday?"
Akari giggled. "I was angry because you let him take a swig. Don't play mister innocent by saying it was just a sip."
"Alright I will surrender to whatever punishment you have been devising, but before you carry out the sentence I will pass on the information that I have been informed with when I first departed from the United States."
Akari and Akane looked at him with curiosity.
"Is everybody in bed?" Ishii asked, taking a quick look around the room.
"Yes," Akari answered. "Nodoka just dragged Genma and Soun out of here because they were beginning to get a little tipsy."
"Okay, I'll start from the beginning. About two days ago, I got a call from Phil and he asked me if I thought it would be possible for me to get into Japan. I told him that it would take some greasing of palms, but I should be able to get in on a transport flight in Canada. He called me again, about an hour later and asked me if I could maybe get over to Japan as soon as possible. I said sure and he informed me about the escalating situation between Japan and the United States. After that he asked me again if it was still okay for me to get over to Japan. I didn't like the idea of you guys be all alone in Japan with a war brewing so I decided to skirt across the Pacific."
Ishii smiled at the two women and sat down by the table.
"Akari, Phil also filled me in on what the situation is with Ryoga. I want you to know that I'm going to do everything I can to get him out of there."
Akari looked like she was about to cry but she composed herself. "That's very sweet of you Ishii, but we don't even know if Ryoga is one of the prisoners."
Ishii looked confused for a moment before he punched himself in the head.
"Oh, silly me, I forgot the other piece of news. Confirmation arrived just before I left and there is indeed seventeen prisoners inside that prison camp and it was also confirmed that one of the men was a Japanese male."
"Oh thank god," Akane said, letting out a breath of relief.
Akari collapsed to her knees as tears streamed down her cheeks. She sobbed and Ishii quickly gathered her up into his arms.
"There's just one other thing that I wanted to ask," Ishii said as he gently ran his hand over Akari's head. "I would have preferred if Ranma were here to help me, but I'll settle for some lovely ladies any day." Ishii's voice took a serious tone. "The Japanese government is breaking international laws with what they are doing, and are committing atrocities to its own citizens by conscripting them to an illegal war. I have managed to move some assets around I have even got some friends in the newspaper industry over here that will help me."
"What are you going to do?" Akane asked.
"I'm going to try and destroy the image that the government wishes to put upon this war. They are trying to make Russia and the United States look like enemies, but what I'm going to be trying to do is make the Japanese government look like your typical bad guy."
Ishii sighed and glanced down at Akari and smiled as he realized she had stopped crying.
"I'm asking a lot, but I would really appreciate your guy's help."
Akari and Akane glanced at each other for a moment before turning back to Ishii.
"You can count on us," they said in unison.
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Author's Notes: I did not receive as many reviews as I was hoping for, but hey, I understand. It was the weekend before everyone had to go back to work and I would like to think that you have better things to do than review the chapter. But you've got no excuses now, I'm hoping for at least double the reviews as last time.