Some parts of this may tick people off. I strongly advise you 
to read the Note at the end of the story if it does.

I honestly don't know if this thing qualifies as a 'dark fic' 
to some it is. to others...?


			Sugar and (Sp) Ice

Part 4 of 4       
	
A Ranma � Fanfic
All Ranma � characters copyright Rumiko Takahashi
and are used without permission. No insult is intended.
*   Means Panda signs
 #  Means English is being used.
[  ] Means thought baloons


         He sat in the waiting in the darkness. He wasn't sure who was going
 to come but he knew someone would. Music played quietly in the in the 
background but he wasn't listening. [why didn't I tell her?]  [Why did she 
freak like that?] the last thought revolved around in his head. [Why? Of all 
of them, Nabiki is the most likely to listen first and blow up second.] [Why 
didn't I tell her?] Around and around his thoughts drifted as Mura sat there 
miserably.
	With a sudden bang the door slammed open. Mura looked up to see a 
female figure outlined with a red battle aura standing in the doorway. A male 
figure could dimly be seen behind her. [Great. The 'Dirty Pair'. Just what I 
need now.] [Go Away.]
	Akane stalked into the house, Mallet-sama appearing in her hands. 
"You. I'm gonna..."
	"Go ahead Akane." Mura said wearily. "You too Ranma. Go ahead and 
pound me. I won't even try to stop you. Why should I?"
	Something in his voice caused Akane to pause. "How could you do that 
to her?" She asked in a slightly quieter voice. "How could you? Do you know 
what you meant to her?" Akane's voice was steadily rising again and tha hazy
 red blur of her aura seemed to brighten.
	Mura sat straight up. "Do you know how much she means to me? For once,
 ONCE, she wouldn't listen! She acted just like the rest of you! I tried to 
tell her but I couldn't!" Mura was in full blown babble mode at this point 
and really didn't care. "You have no idea how many times I've tried to tell 
her. To tell any of you. Even if I had, would any of you listened?"  Mura 
pointed towards the table where a pile of hypodermics and ampules sat. "Do 
you think I like living like this?" His voice started to rise and very 
quickly he was yelling. "Do you think I like this? Do you think my brother 
likes being in a wheelchair because of it?!  Do you?!" Mura stopped yelling 
and swept the his arm across the table top. Everything except one of the 
ampules were sent crashing to the floor. Mura picked up the lone ampule and 
glared at it for a moment before hurling it towards the door. Ranma acted 
on pure instinct and snagged it out of the air. Mura never even noticed as 
he was starting to rant again. "I hate this! I hate it.I hateit, Ihateit, 
Ihateit. I. Hate. IT!" 
He wound down yet again and just looked at them. "You want to beat me up? 
Go ahead. I won't even try and fight back." Mura's voice became almost a 
whisper. "Just tell her that I love her. I always will. I always will. 
Until I die." Mura's voice trailed off and he put his hands behind his back, 
sticking his hands into hs belt. "Go ahead. Now I can't fight back."
	Akane just stood there looking at him. She wanted to hit him, she 
really did. He just stood there calmly waitng for her to do it. It suddenly 
dawned on her that he would let her beat him to death if she wanted to. 
The mallet disappeared as quickly as it  had appeared. 
She turned away and headed out the door. "Come on Ranma, let's go home." 
Without a word he just turned and followed her.

	[Home... Nabiki...] The tears fell.

	Akane walked along slowly. For a change Ranma  walked alongside 
of her quietly. He started turning the ampule in his hand. He didn't 
know why he was carrying it around or even why he had bothered to catch 
it when Mura threw it. [I was starting to think he was okay. Well, as 
okay as anyone who likes Nabiki could be...] At the thought of Nabiki 
he frowned. [No one has ever seen Nabiki like this.] In a way, it scared 
Ranma that Nabiki could be so devastated. Like Kasumi, Nabiki never 
changed, but this time she had.	
	"What are you doing Ranma?" Akane asked. When she saw the ampule 
she almost hissed at him. "Get rid of that!. What are you doing?!"
	He turned the small bottle around in his hand and held it up in 
order to try and see the label that was on it. By the light of a 
streetlight he could make out some small typed words but one in particular 
seemed to stand out. "Akane, you know I'm not to good with in English 
class..."
	What does that have to do with this Ranma?" She asked exasperated.
	"Akane... what does 'In-su-lin' mean?"
	Akane stopped dead in her tracks. and just looked at Ranma "What 
did you say?" The words came out in a squeak. "What did you say?"
	"Duh...I asked you what In-su-..." She ripped the bottle out of 
his hand and stared at it. For a moment it looked to Ranma as if she'd 
been hit with her own mallet. All of a sudden she took off running back 
towards Mura's house. 
	"He's not a druggie Ranma! He's diabetic!" She yelled over her 
shoulder as she ran.
Akane hit the door at a dead run and slid to a halt in the middle of the 
room. "Mura you idiot!"
	"Hello Akane. You forget something? Come back to beat my ass 
maybe?" Mura said without even bothering to look up at her. Ranma stepped 
into the doorway at about the same time and stepped up behind Akane.
	"Mura, you are an idiot."	
	"Gee... Thank you Ranma. Would you leave now? I'm busy being miseable."
	"Mura, you complete and utter idiot. You're not a druggie you have 
diabetes."
	"No shit Akane. That's what I was trying to tell Nabiki when she 
told me to go to hell." 
	"You BAKA!" Akane screamed into his face. "Nabiki thinks that you 
are a druggie! She doesn't know that you're a diabetic!  She thinks you're 
into the drugs, not that you're sick! If you had just told her..."
	"I tried to tell her Akane. I tried. You have no idea how many times 
I tried. How do you tell someone that you love that you have a disease?"  
Mura stood up and glared at Akane and Ranma. "My brother has it so bad that 
it messed up the blood vessels in his legs. He got gangrene!" Mura's voice 
started to get louder. "They had to amputate Akane."  Suddenly Mura's voice 
dropped real low. "The doctors came in and cut off the feet of a seven year 
old kid, Akane." He saw the look of shock and disgust cross her face. "They 
had to Akane. He would have died if they hadn't. There was no choice." Mura's 
voice was choked. "How do I tell her that that may happen to me?"  Tears 
were starting to fall down his face. "Do you know what's kept me going? The 
School. When I found out that I had diabetes I was old enough and skilled 
enough to use my chi. Hoturi wasn't." Akane looked confused at the way the 
conversation had changed.
	"He uses his chi to control his sickness Akane." Ranma suddenly spoke 
up. He turned to Mura. "That's also why you don't do chi blasts ain't it? You 
can't afford to."
	"Yes Ranma, That's why. I have a fairly bad case diabetes. I have to 
use my chi in addition to the insulin." Mura stopped talking and just looked 
at them. "Now what?" He finally asked.	
	Akane grabbed him by the hand and started dragging him towards the door. 
"Now we go to Nabiki. You have to tell her. I'll make her listen if I have to."
	"She doesn't want to see me Akane." Mura said. "And, anyway your father 
told me to never come back."
	"I'll handle father Mura. You just tell Nabiki that you love her.'
 She stopped pulling at him and looked him square in the face. "She loves you 
Mura."  He looked shocked at this comment. "She does!" Akane insisted. "Do you
 think that she would have been so upset if she didn't?" 
	"Akane's actually right for once man." Ranma said. Akane looked ready 
to smack him for that 'for once' comment but she let it go. "Nabiki only gets 
excited about two things. Money and you." [I still think that it's money 
first ...] For a change Ranma didn't say what he was thinking. The strain hurt 
him, but he didn't. 
	Mura let himself be pulled along by Akane. He started thinking that he 
just might be able to salvage something from this mess.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

	The Tendou house was in shambles. Ranma, Akane and Mura stopped in 
the gateway and stared. Soun stood on what was left of the porch bawling his 
eye out. Genma stood nearby with his head down. It looked like an entire 
side of the house had been punched repeatedly by a giant fist. A small 
wizened old man stood off to the side quietly. Kasumi was standing behind 
Dr. Tofu with her left arm in a sling. Unusually for him, Dr. Tofo did not 
look flustered at the nearness of Kasumi. It was probably because he was to 
busy trying to treat...
	"Nabiki!!" Mura burst past Ranma and Akane and ran to where she was 
lying on the porch.Soun started to say something, but after seeing the look 
on Mura's face thought better of it Mura didn't dare get to close as Dr. Tofu 
was very busy working on her. "Who did ths?"
Mura's voice was very low and very deadly. "Who did this and where is he?"   
	Soun started to back up frantically "W-W-Well y-y-you see..." 
	"It was Pantyhose." Stated a small voice from behind Mura. He 
instantly whirled and stared at the little prune looking man.
	"Happosai." The name was said flatly, with no emotion. Happosai 
actually started to back up before he caught himself. 
	"Well yes, I am master Happo..."
	"Shut up." Again the words were spoken with no emotion. Happosai 
started to sweat. There was no reason for him to be frightened of this striplng 
but he was. "Nabiki- " Here Mura's voice cracked a little. "I was told that he 
was chasing after you, and why."
	"Well yes..."
	"And he followed you here. Why did you bring him here?" The words were 
quiet and deadly. 
	"I got tired of playing with him and thought Ranma would like to. Ranma 
wasn't here." 
	"Hey! It's not my fault!" Shouted Ranma. Instantly it became yet another 
seen of people blaming Ranma  when he hadn't even been in the area. 
	"I said, where is he?!" Mura finally yelled, stopping the argument for 
a moment.
	"He's out looking for me." Happosai said in a small voice. "I was busy 
earlier making a strategic withdrawal in Akane's underwear drawer. The
arguement 
instantly started again. This time it looked like it wasn't going to stop.
	Mura stepped back and went over to where Kasumi was watching Dr. Tofu.
Kasumi started to say something when she was interupted.
	"Is she going to be okay?" Mura couldn't take his eyes off of the pale 
form of nabiki lying there.
	"We... Tofu-san is not sure yet Mura. Mura..."
	Again he interupted her. "I'm a diabetic Kasumi. If anything happens... 
Tell her that. Tell her I loved her." With that he was gone.   

	Kasumi looked at Nabiki for a moment and then over to where everyone 
was arguing. She nodded her head briskly. Time to stop this now. She walked 
over and simply said one word. "Enough." The argument stopped in mid babble. 
No one messed with kasumi when she actually got THAT tone in her voice.  Akane
blinked and looked up from the still form of Happosia that she had been beating
on. "Nabiki is stll injured and all any of you can do is fight." Kasumi started 
to frown. The atmosphere instantly changed to that of a concerned family. Akane 
looked around for a moment.
	"Hey! Where's Mura?"   
	"Kasumi started to smile again."Oh, I think he went to find Pansuto."
	"What?! He doesn't stand a chance against him! Come on Ranma! we've 
got to stop him."
	
	They arrived at Mura's house to late. The door was wide open and the 
light's were on. On the table was a pile of chocolate wrappers and an empty 
box of cake rolls. A almost empty 2 litre bottle of Jolt Cola sat nearby. 
"Akane." Ranma pointed to a small table off to the side. "What does this 
mean?"  There was a neat line of five ampules and five syringes on the table.
 They were all empty. Akane walked over woodenly and  picked one up. She 
dropped it as if it burned her.
	"He's overdosed himself Ranma." She said with dread. "I think he's 
trying to kill himself."
	"Then why the Munchies?" he asked perplexed.
	"I don't know Ranma, I just know we have to find him. And soon!"

 	[I'll find him.If it's the last thing I do, I'll find him.] Mura 
stalked the streets looking for someone. He had no idea what he looked like 
but he knew he'd find him. Even for Nerima he was an unusual sight. It wasn't 
every day that a glowing martial artist ran down the streets yelling for 
pantyhose.

	Akane and Ranma searched but they always seemed to be a ways behind 
him. [Think Akane... We want to find Mura. Mura wants Pantyhose. Pantyhose 
wants...] "Happosai!!"
	"Huh? What? Where?" Ranma looked wildly around for the little pervert.
	"No, Ranma. Look, we want to find Mura. All we to do is go back to 
the house and he'll follow Pantyhose to us." Ranma ran along trying to figure 
out  her logic. It took him a minute or two but he finally got it. 
	"Pretty good Akane." He said. he couldn't quite stop himself from 
adding "For you." Akane stopped and glared at him. "Look Ranma, I'm really in 
the mood to hit something right now. Pantyhose is at the top of my list. Do 
you want to be second?" Ranma backed off quickly. [Man. Akane is pissed. She 
must be a lot more worried about Nabiki than I thought.] Ranma wasn't too 
worried about her. He knew that Tofu was an excellent doctor from personal 
experience.

	They got to the house just in time for round two of the 
Pantyose-Happosai debate. The battle, such as it was, consisted of Pantyhose 
chasing Happosai around the yard while trying to hit him.They sttod in the 
courtyard watching this for a moment. Akane was just about to jump in and 
clobber them both with her Mallet when a sudden chi blast knocked Pantyhose 
to the ground.
	"Is... Is that Mura?!" Akane asked stunned. 
	A figure jumped down from the far wall and headed towards Pantyhose. 
He was dressed in some sort of ritual uniform. Akane didn't recognize it at 
first due to the weird black battle aura of his. Then she realized it was 
completely white.[He expects to die.] Then she saw his face. His eyes 
literally glowed with power. Suddenly the battle aura flared to a bright 
crimson. The colour of blood. 
	"What the...? Who are you?" Pantyhose asked getting back up to his feet. 
Pantyhose was answered by another chi blast that threw him back twenty feet. 
	"That's my boy." Happosai piped up from the sidelines. "Good form. 
Ranma, are you watching this?" He asked taking a drag on his pipe. Without 
uttering a word, Mura whirled and blasted Happosai as well. 
	Suddenly it was a three way fight between them. Pantyhose came in 
with a spining thrust-kick that he knew had broken ribs. Mura's expression 
never changed. [He's not human. He can't be human.]  As Happosai hit him, 
[And it] he thought to himself, He let himself be thrown back to the Koi pond. 
He came up in all of his Jusenkyo splendor to be greeted by another chi
blast.   
	Mura's left arm hung limply, his ribs were a burning agony,he could 
barely see. He ignored it.[Nabiki, Nabiki, Nabiki] He said to himself over and 
over again. It had become a mantra. All that mattered any more was to take down 
the bastard that had hurt Nabiki before he died. He had no illusions that he
was 
going to survive this. He'd used his chi for so long to help control his
diabetes. 
[Now I'm using this damned disease to fuel my blasts.] He didn't know how much 
longer he had before he used up all of his bodies resources. It wouldn't be
much 
longer. He raised his arm prepared to blast the 'Thing' that come out of the
koi 
pond a second time.
	"Ranma! You've got to stop them! He's killing himself.!" Akane screamed 
at him. Silence fell on the battlefield for a moment. Mura half turned towards 
the sound of Akane's voice, his entire arm glowing with chi.
	"Mura. Don't. Please" The voice was low and weak. It stopped Mura in his 
tracks. There in the doorway was Nabiki. Kasumi and Tofu were suporting her but 
she was there. The glow of chi went out in Mura's eye's and he staggered as if 
hit. The red battle aura faded down to a dull black before disappearing 
altogether. He managed to get almost two steps towards her before he collapsed. 
His eyes never left her face until he could see no more.His last concious act 
was to reach towards her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

	He awoke slowly. The pain was terrible but he fought against it. He 
heard a gasp and felt a small hand grab his. He forced his eyes open and saw
Nabiki sitting in a chair next to the bed he was in. [Hospital. Bed..] He 
stared  up at Nabiki's face. It was red and puffy and stained with tears. She 
looked loke she hadn't slept or bathed in days. She was the most beautiful 
thing he'd ever seen. "H-How long...?" He started sweating from the effort of 
trying to talk. 
	"You've been in here for twenty-three days. Mura. You've been in a coma." 
	[Diabetic coma.] He thought to himself. "You...?"
        "I've been here the whole time." her voice started to crack "I didn't 
think you were going to make it."
        [Hell... I didn't think I'd live] "Pantyhose?" he asked.
	"Ranma finished him off. And then he kicked Happosai into orbit for 
leading that thing to our house. It wasn't worth it Mura. It' wasn't worth what 
you did to yourself." She started crying  and lowered her head to his chest 
holding him.
	"You." He croaked. "You're worth everything to me."
	"Oh, Mura you baka.I want you alive. For me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

	"Thanks for coming Hoturi." Mura said to his brother as he started 
getting dressed. 
	"Not a problem big brother." Dad would have been here but he has that
 merger going on and he just couldn't get away. I've been staying with the 
Tendous. They're... interesting."
	"That they are little brother, that they are. They're good people 
though." 
	"I didn't say they weren't Mura, I just said that they were 
interesting." Hoturi looked up as Nabiki enetered the room. "I did want 
you to know that I took care of the damages to their house. it's as good 
as new." At Mura's look of gratitude he snorted and looked away. Anyway, Mom 
made me promise to tell you that you can come home when ever you're ready to." 
He stopped talking as it was obvious that Mura wasn't listening to him. He 
took in the way that he was staring into Nabiki's eyes and wheeled himself 
out the door. "I'll tell phone mom and tell her that I think you're already 
home."
	As they held onto each the words of his brother sifted their way 
thru to them. 

	"Yes. I am Home." I am home he whispered.

	"Yes. You're Home." She whispered back as she pulled him closer.


End of part 4


Author's Notes:  Well, first thing I would like to do is thank everyone from 
the ML who sent me feedback, criticism, comments and encouragement.
I have to appologize. In a way this did become a self insertion story. 
It didn't start out that way but shortly after I finished part one I was 
diagnosed as a 'boarderline' diabetic. The story just kind of went there. 
For those of you who wonder: yes, diabetes can lead to the blood vessals of 
the legs being affected to the point that gangrene sets in. It can also lead 
to blindness and heart attacks. Hoturi's problems are all too real. The stunt 
of using chi to 'control' the disease, and using the sugar overload and 
insulin to fuel Mura's final attacks were all my own. I am sure that Mura 
would not really stand a chance against Happosai and Pantyhose in any kind 
of regular fight. To be honest I see Happy acting more like a goalie and just 
kicking them both back into play. Mura really did not really care what 
happened to him. Fanatics/Beserkers are VERY dangerous. They don't care what 
happens as long as they get their target.  Mura was on overload and knew it. 
That made his chi blasts much more deadly because he knew it was killing him. 
He didn't care.

Patrick
pvander@vvm.com

Please send C&C
Now LoneStar, you will realize that Evil will allways 
triumph over Good... because Good is Dumb.