Welcome to the second Fanfic in an undetermined number of
unrelated Short stories.  This one came to me one late night.

    Disclaimer.  All characters, settings, and situations are the
copyright of their creators.  I seek no profit, recompense, or credit
for their ideas.  This work is soley for the enjoyment of readers
everywhere, and to honor the countless hours of work the creators put
into their creations.  Any characters I introduce I would like to
claim as my own, but knowing me, I saw them somewhere else and just
forgot about it.  ^_^

A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic
A Hell Of A Time
By Slashtooth@EVNet.com

    "What the heck was that?"  Ranma wondered.  "Ryoga never did
anyhting like that before!"  Looking around, his surroundings gave him
no clue as to where he was.  "How the hell did he open that portal?"

    A rough, grating voice answered his question for him.  "Hell is
right.  Your 'friend' made a pact with me.  I allowed him to send you
here in exchange for his soul."  Spinning in place, Ranma saw a
glowing figure, dressed in flames, it's tail idly flicking left and
right behind him.  <Tail?  What _is_ that?> thought Ranma, looking
around for some way out of here.  All he could see was an empty plain
streching out in all directions.

    "Why, I am a demon, of course.  A tail comes with the office.
Standard operating policy, and yes, I can hear your thoughts." the
demon said, a smug look on his face.  "Let me tell you, the boss is
going to be happy about this deal.  He thought he would never be able
to get you."  The demon approached Ranma, a small grin showing lots of
pointed teeth.

    <I have gotta find a way outta here!> thought Ranma, backing away
from the demon.  "Well, there is one way out for you, but I'm not
going to tell you what it is."  The demon said, it's smile even larger
now.  "I will leave you alone for a bit, so you can come to terms with
your eternity. Have 'fun'!"  With that, the demon vanished with a
cloud of brimstone and fire, it's evil laugh echoing across the plain.

    "Great, what am I gonna do now?  I have GOT to get out of here!"
Ranma looked across the plain, once again seeing nothing.  <I'm all
alone out here.> thought Ranma, a slight feeling of panic rising in
him.  <There's no one to help me.  Noone to talk to.>  He could feel
the panic rising as he thought of all the people that had been in his
life recently.  Shampoo, Mousse, Ryoga, Ukyou, the Kunos, and the
Tendos.

    <Akane> he thought, <I miss her already.>  Ranma started to walk
across the plain, desperate to find something or someone.  His
thoughts kept straying back to Akane, how cute she looked on those
occasions when she would smile, and how violent she could be when she
was upset.  "She is the only fiancee I have that isn't fawning over
me.  Why do I keep thinking about her?  Shampoo and Ukyou would gladly
have me, if I were able to choose one of them, so why do I constantly
think of Akane?"  Ranma, lost in thought, almost tripped over the
motorcycle that sat on the plain.

    "Where did this come from?  Well, it beats walking."  Ranma got on
the motorcycle, noticing that the bike's coloring was exactly the same
color as Akane's hair.  Starting the motorcycle, Ranma slowly started
to drive off, trying to keep the motorcycle upright.  "Boy, this is
hard.  At least I can keep my balance."

    Ranma soon found the clutch, and started to tear across the
landscape.  The flat, featurless plain made for easy riding, and soon
Ranma's thoughts drifed once again back to Akane.  <Why am I always
defending her?  When trouble came, I always went to Akane's rescue, no
matter what.>  A jolt shook him out of his thoughts, and he slammed
hard on the brakes.

    The terrain had become bumpy, and in the distance he could see a
tower in the distance.  "That looks like Kirin's tower!  Am I back in
China?"  Ranma started toward the tower, hoping that he could get some
answers there.  <I remember the last time I was here.  Kirin wanted to
marry Akane.  Why did I stop him?>

    When Ranma looked at the tower again, it was gone.  In it's place
was the castle on the isle of Tougenkyou, where Price Touma resides.
<What the hell is going on here?  Where did Kirin's tower go?>  Ranma
stopped again, looking around for Kirin's tower, but it was nowhere to
be seen.  <I remember what happened here.  Prince Touma kidnapped all
the girls, and held a contest to determine who would marry him.  I
tried to win, so I could get the magical water he had, but he would up
choosing Akane.  Even when all the other girls were in trouble, I went
to Akane's aid first.>  Ranma sighed, a sorrowful sound that rang out
over the plain.  <I almost had it.  I almost had a cure, but I threw
it away for Akane.  I couldn't let her be cursed like I was.>

    "Well, whoever lives there had better be able to help me, cause I
am getting real sick of this!"  shouted Ranma, and he sped into the
distance.  A figure popped in where Ranma had just been, watching him
speed off.  <Nothing can help you here, but the new ones never seem to
understand that.>  Smiling evilly, the demon popped back out.  It
could wait.  For a soul as good as Ranma's, It could wait.

    Ranma pulled up outside the building, which now looked like
Ukyou's resteraunt.  "Ucchan?  Are you in there?"  Hearing no
response, Ranma stepped in.  Everything looked normal, except there
was nobody in the resteraunt.  <Ucchan.  You are my best friend.  The
only real friend I had during those long years of training.  I needed
you then, and I still need you, but as a friend.  Can you ever be
happy with just friendship though?>  Ranma sighed again, and with one
last look around, walked slowly out of the resteraunt.

    Stepping over to the motorcycle, he looked back at the building,
and saw that it had shifted to the Nekohanten.  <Shampoo... why can't
you understand that I never wanted you to chase me?  If I had known
your laws, I would have never fought you.  As I got to know you, I
learned that I could like you, but I can't love you.  I know that you
want my love, but I can't give it to you.>

    Ranma, feeling more depressed than ever, got back on the bike.
The smell of brimstone signaled the arrival of the demon, and Ranma
turned to face it.  "Give up yet, boy?  You should know by now that
there is no way out of here."  The demon smiled a wide smile, all of
his pointed teeth showing.  "Never!  I will get outta here!  You can't
hold _ME_!"  Ranma sped away from the demon, more determined than ever
to find a way out.

    Cresting a rise, Ranma looked down into a small valley.  There, in
the center, was the Tendo home.  <Akane, why do we always fight?  I
want to tell you how I feel, but I can never get the words out.  I
think I love you, but how can I know?>  Ranma slowly went down the
hill, his nerves getting tenser as he approached the house.

    <Still, throughout everything we've been through, you have never
left me.  You were always there when I needed you.>  Ranma approached
the house, his senses screaming that something was wrong.  Opening the
door, he could see the entire Tendo family sitting around a table.
Kasumi and Nabiki were comforting Akane, Mr. Tendo sitting at the head
of the table, crying, but it was not his normal bawling.

    "What happened?  What's wrong?"  Ranma shouted, determined to fix
whatever had caused pain to the Tendo's.  When they didn't respond,
Ranma walked over to Akane, determined to get her attention.  His hand
passed through his shoulder, and Akane gave a small shiver.

    "Dammit, Akane, answer me!  What is going on?"  Ranma yelled at
Akane, but she could not hear him.  <Damn.  They can't hear me.  Now I
can never tell her how I feel.  Well, at least I can admit it here,
before I have to face the demon again.>  Ranma moved in front of
Akane, and knelt down so he was face to face with her.  "I think I
love you, Akane."  Ranma said, looking around reflexivly for the
interruption that always occured when Ranma tried to tell Akane how he
felt.  This time, however, there was no interruption.  "If I could, I
would want to spend my life with you."  Akane looked up for a minute,
and her mouth formed the words "I thought I heard Ranma tell me he
loved me."  There was no sound that Ranma could hear, but Akane's
sisters seemed shocked at her statement.  "Ranma's gone Akane.  He
must be watching over you."  Kasumi mouthed.  Ranma turned, determined
that no matter what, the demon would not get him without a fight.

    Ranma slowly walked out of the Tendo home, feeling relief that he
had finally told Akane, even if he wasn't sure she had heard.  Getting
back on the motorcycle, Ranma turned it around, getting ready for the
fight with the demon.  Looking back one last time, he could see the
Tendo home start to dissapate.  As the walls faded, Ranma could see a
glowing circle of light.  When the home had faded out, there was a
glowing portal right where Akane had been sitting.  Ranma gunned the
motorcycle and headed for the hole.  "This msut be it!  It must be the
way out!  I gotta try at least."  Ranma headed for the hole as fast as
he could, the demon popping in as he headed for it.  "NO!  YOU CANNOT
ESCAPE!"  The Demon cried, running at Ranma faster than anything he
had seen.  Ranma sped up, pushing the motorcycle as fast as he could
manage.  Bracing himself, Ranma sped into the portal....

    And emerged on the street outside the Tendo home.  Ranma slammed
the brakes, skidding to a halt.  Turning around, Ranma rode the
motorcycle into the yard.  The noise brought everyone out of the
house.  "Ranma!  You're back!"  Akane lept at him, grabbing him in a
bear hug.  She pulled away just as fast, yelling "You Baka!  You had
us all worried!  Where were you for the last week?  Where did you get
that motorcycle?"  Ranma got off the motorcycle, which promtly faded
from sight.  Amid the shocked looks, Ranma walked up to Akane.  "We
need to talk."  he said simply, and scooping Akane's hand in his own,
he led her off.

    The demon sat back, a chair appearing out of nowhere to catch it.
It's attention was on a small TV, the screen showing the Tendo yard,
with Ranma and Akane leaving the gathering. "It's about time.  I hated
to do this, but he needed to come to terms with his feelings."  The
fire flickered out, the disquise falling away.  In the chair sat
Akane's mother, smiling to herself.  "I knew he would make a choice
when he had to.  I am just glad my faith was justified that it would
be Akane.  After all, a mother has to do what she can for her family."

End of this story.  Next one due out soon.  Hope you liked it!